WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Even in a Dark Fantasy, You Still Have to Eat ◈
Chapter 43: Night Has Fallen. Mafia… # 3
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“Crushing Strike!”
Lieutenant Colonel Roze swung her massive hammer with all her strength.
Clang!
The Erdari she struck staggered badly.
“You brainless Rendo bitch who only knows how to build strength!!!”
The Erdari woman ground her teeth.
Instructor Roze was a solid wall of steel.
But I couldn't just relax.
“Hand over that bundle!”
A man holding a massive anchor reached for me.
Batuli shouted at him.
“Gillingham! Don't tell me you joined hands with the Erdari, like Konse did?”
Konse was probably the ranger's name.
Gillingham cackled.
“If that idiot Konse had just done his job properly, this would've been much easier. Rangers are never any help.”
“Why would you join hands with filthy Erdari like them!”
The weasel exploded in anger.
Gillingham sneered.
“If you'd ever rolled around with an Erdari woman, you'd understand how I feel. Their skin is so soft that human women just can't satisfy me anymore...”
“Judgment upon this filthy demon-fucker!”
Sir Mancha, the elderly knight aspirant, charged at Gillingham with his magic spear.
“Chaaaarge!”
A brawl soon broke out. In this situation, where I didn't know who to trust, I decided to keep this Black Bundle as safe as possible.
‘I don't know what's inside it.’
‘Whatever the Erdari are planning, there's probably some evil demon inside!’
It could turn this headquarters into a complete mess.
And it was in my hands!
“Fuck! These damn Rendo are a pain in the ass!”
The Erdari woman suddenly screamed.
Was she struggling to handle Instructor Roze?
“Huuuuup!”
She heaved her shoulders and drew in a deep breath.
“Kaaaaaah!”
It was a thunderous shout.
Everyone nearby had to cover their ears, and the next moment, something terrible happened.
“Ailei, were you really struggling because a single Rendo got in your way?”
“How boring.”
Erdari with their faces and weapons smeared with blood gathered in the barracks, which lay wrecked all around us.
That demon bitch had cowardly called her comrades.
“Instructor, I'll join you!”
Sir Mancha shouted bravely amid this maddening situation.
But Instructor Roze thought differently.
“No. All of you, run!”
There was a grim look in Instructor Roze's eyes.
“I'll handle this.”
She looked just like Lieutenant General Raiden.
He had worn that same expression right before charging at the enormous dragon bones.
‘She's prepared to die.’
Instructor Roze truly was an excellent soldier.
The problem was that if we stayed here, she would soon be chopped to pieces. Then the Erdari would start rampaging everywhere, and we would all die too.
Wasn't there a good way out of this?
Think!
Flash.
I got it!
A good idea!
“You stupid Shando bastards! Isn't this Black Bundle what you're after?”
If I could draw away a few Erdari, Instructor Roze would have less to deal with!
I lifted the bundle and caught the Erdari's attention.
“Ailei, what exactly are you doing?”
“You let him take the bundle?”
“We can worry about that later. Kill the woman in front of us first.”
The Erdari clicked their tongues.
Still, it didn't seem like all their attention was on me.
The bundle wasn't enough?
There was still a way.
“You lot! Don't you want this? It was Valara's treasure!”
The moment I pulled out the bone key, it felt as though the air froze.
Every Erdari looked at me.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Their expressions turned cold.
‘Now I really need to run!’
My legs moved before I could think.
I could vividly hear the Erdari chasing after me.
“Got you, bastard!”
“Urgh!”
Someone grabbed the back of my neck.
Fuck, they had already caught up to me?
Their face was bloodshot as they stabbed a knife into my stomach.
“Hand over the Ascension Key!”
“Uaaagh!”
Stab.
It felt like a burning lump was drilling into my stomach.
My mind cleared at once.
I might die if this continued!
With that thought, I opened the Black Bundle I was holding right in front of them.
“Hehe. I wonder what'll happen if I open this...!”
“What the hell are you doing, you crazy bastard...”
The Erdari was badly flustered.
But nothing happened.
Because the Black Bundle I had just opened was actually the bag I had been using from the start.
I had switched them.
They both looked like identical Black Bundles.
“Don't trust your eyes. Haven't you heard that before?”
“What...”
That was enough time to create an opening.
Taking advantage of their confusion, I stabbed them in the stomach with my dagger.
“Die!”
“Guh, gaaah...!?”
It truly was the Golden Pillar Dagger.
It pierced through their armor and came out their back.
“Guh... guhaa...!? You bastard...”
The Erdari fell to their knees.
A normal person would have died instantly from that blow, so it was surprising they were still alive.
“Chase him!”
“Get the Ascension Key back!”
“Fuck, don't I even get time to admire my work?”
I pulled the knife from my stomach and chose to run.
Where?
I didn't know.
But I had to go somewhere.
Anywhere, as long as I led these Erdari away.
‘...What am I even doing?’
My stomach hurt, and I was gasping for breath.
As I ran, I felt deep regret over what I was doing.
I should've just left the training camp at the beginning.
Then I wouldn't have been hurt like this.
But!
If I hadn't been here, the traitors, including that ranger, would have used this Black Bundle to turn the headquarters into a complete mess.
And if that happened, even the Wall where I lived might have been in danger.
‘Think positively.’
‘I've probably won over quite a few people with what I just did.’
‘I saved Instructor Roze too.’
Maybe if this ended well, Instructor Roze would give me another kiss.
‘Being a Thief who steals people's hearts...’
‘It's fucking difficult!’
From now on, I should stop showing off and take better care of myself.
“Bloodstains!”
“Chase him!”
“Why does this guy smell similar to a Shando!”
I turned through narrow corners to escape the Erdari pursuing me.
Then, while I was running through those narrow paths, an Erdari woman appeared in front of me.
‘Demons in front and behind me!’
‘Is this as far as my luck goes?’
Maybe because I had lost so much blood, my vision spun.
The Erdari woman smiled at me.
“You really are hard to kill. In all this chaos, you found a light like me.”
“Huh?”
It was a familiar voice.
Just as I tried to remember where I had heard it, the Erdari woman spoke.
“Get down.”
“Urk.”
There was a strange power in her voice, and my legs gave out.
Then flames spread from the hand of the Erdari woman holding the lamp.
“Burn.”
Whoosh, crackle.
The flames fell upon the Erdari behind me like wild beasts.
What the hell was going on?
Apparently, the burning Erdari wanted to know too.
“Nineveh!?”
“Nineveh, why are you here...!”
After that, there were only screams.
Flames that dug into flesh could make even demons scream.
“You have to snuff out any sprouts that might climb up.”
...Did the Erdari not get along with one another either?
The intense heat made my vision spin.
# # #
I opened my eyes in a bed.
Someone was dozing beside me with their head resting on the bed. The moment I saw that thick red hair, I came fully awake.
“Instructor Roze?”
“Mm, what is it? What? Oh! Pretty boy! You're awake!”
Her voice was as loud as ever.
As my head rang, Instructor Roze pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek.
Smooooch.
“I survived because of you! You're the lucky charm of this class!”
Even my mother had never kissed me like that.
This felt incredible!
“But Instructor, the sensation between my legs feels strange.”
“Oh, that? The military doctor circumcised you.”
?????
For a moment, Instructor Roze's words made my mind go blank.
She patted my back.
“And pretty boy, starting today, I'm heading to the newly built Black Fortress.”
“The Black Fortress?”
“That's right. I'm going as Lieutenant General Raiden's replacement, to stop the Erdari.”
“Instructor, I'll really miss you.”
“If you ever have reason to visit the fortress, come find my barracks. Mm... It'd be even better if you brought a bottle of very strong liquor!”
Instructor Roze gave my back a hearty pat.
“Then I'll see you later, Second Lieutenant Yore!”
Then she turned and left.
At that moment, a bell rang in my head.
‘She told me to bring liquor and come to her barracks?’
‘This is the first time a woman has invited me for drinks!’
Didn't that have an incredible meaning?
I happily got up.
When I went outside the hospital, there was a crowd of people.
Their faces were familiar.
“Brother! You're alive! Damn, you really are hard to kill! This weasel really respects you!”
The weasel bustled up to me.
Then the mouse handed me something like a medal.
“Y-your commissioning ceremony. You were unconscious, so I accepted it for you. L-Lord Jweperi told me to. This is your rank insignia and the medal you received this time.”
“What? The commissioning ceremony is already over?”
“It ended yesterday! They made us stand there for ten hours, attention, at ease, ugh. You got to skip it because you were unconscious, so you're lucky!”
The weasel joked.
Batuli added her own comment.
“Even after everything was over, the inquisitors made things such a pain. I wish I had been lying in bed too.”
All the troublesome things had passed while I was unconscious.
How lucky.
It was a hot summer, hot enough for cicadas to buzz.
Just imagining myself having to turn right and left beneath the blazing sun made me sick of it.
“Hey, Yore!”
Then I spotted a familiar man in the distance.
I was glad to see his slicked-back hair.
“Felix! What are you doing here!”
“I came to get you. We need to go back quickly. The main force is in chaos right now.”
“Chaos? What chaos?”
“I can't talk about it here.”
Felix glanced at Batuli, the mouse, and the weasel.
It seemed to be something serious.
‘What kind of chaos is he talking about?’
I was curious.
But there was something I really wanted to hear first!
“So, guys, where did I place?”
I really had to be in the top five!
Honestly, I was looking forward to it.
‘Because my performance was incredible, right?’
‘I might even be first place!’
This was a good chance to brag to Felix!
Whoosh.
The breeze cooled the beads of sweat.
It was summer.
Author's Note
This is Hermit fan art sent by Hongmong World and Lupemion...!!!
Thank you for the very cute, Hermit-friendly illustration...!!!
By the way, the character illustrations in the announcements...
I have been adding and revising them in various ways...!!!
Feel free to take a look sometime...!!!
Footnotes:
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