WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Even in a Dark Fantasy, You Still Have to Eat ◈
Chapter 56: Kerning Town, Party Quest # 2
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Major General Jeremiah, the inquisitor, handed Mr. Hammer a scroll.
Mr. Hammer’s expression turned extremely serious as he read it for a long time.
“A classified operation?”
“Hammer, you are forbidden from telling anyone the details of this mission.”
A Class 0 classified operation.
What could it possibly be?
‘Whatever it is, the timing is perfect.’
I already needed to meet a blacksmith in Kerning Town.
To process the material I had, the serpent scales.
‘They said Lord Cheperi’s adopted daughter was kidnapped and taken to Kerning Town too.’
There was no reason for me to refuse this mission.
Still, Mr. Hammer seemed to have plenty of questions.
“Major General, why was our party selected for such an important mission?”
“I’d like to know that too. There are so many talented people in this Empire.”
Major General Jeremiah gave a sly grin, then turned and left.
Felix, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, approached Mr. Hammer.
Looking at the scroll in Mr. Hammer’s hand, he asked,
“What could possibly be written there to make you act like this?”
“I’m sorry, but the mission details are classified. I can’t tell you.”
Boing.
It felt as though a spring had popped up in my head.
“You mean it’s so secret you can’t even tell us, sir?”
Like a special menu that even the chef didn’t know about.
Thinking about it calmly, it wasn’t that hard to understand.
“It’s because of Felix, right?”
“Huh? Me?”
Felix frowned.
I watched him warily.
“You never know who might betray you, or where.”
The world was dangerous.
A knight who had sworn loyalty sold out his companions to the Erdari. A knight who guarded an estate betrayed his master and poisoned him.
“Knights especially can’t be trusted. That’s why you can’t tell us the mission details.”
Hermit, hugging the Familiar Egg, agreed with me.
“Knights who act loyal in front of you often do shady things behind your back, just like Thieves!”
Was he uncomfortable with us ganging up on him?
Felix snorted.
“When did you two become so close?”
“Yore has a point.”
“What? Mr. Hammer, you too?”
“I trust all of you completely. But I believe the operation is more likely to succeed if you don’t know what is written in this scroll.”
Come to think of it, that was probably why Jermain noona had not told me the truth about Debora.
“Hehehe. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss!”
“Then we rest today and leave tomorrow! Kerning Town is days away, so bring plenty of supplies!”
Pat, pat.
Mr. Hammer patted my back.
“Come to think of it, this will be Yore’s first time camping beyond the Wall.”
Normally, explorer parties sortied to places in the Land of Night where the sun had risen, then returned before nightfall.
That was the standard strategy.
The Night beyond the Wall gnawed away at people like insects.
But sometimes, people had no choice but to camp and continue exploring even after the sun set.
‘Will this really be okay?’
I had spent nights beyond the Wall before, for several reasons.
Like when I was left alone at Miscanic Magic University.
So I knew very well how terrifying the Night was.
Camping in a place like that.
Wasn’t it like camping beside a swamp crawling with crocodiles?
# # #
Rustle.
Mr. Hammer unfolded a map.
“This is a map of the land beyond the Wall.”
The old Empire’s territory was extremely vast.
That meant our destination was quite far away.
“This is Kerning Town’s approximate location. Even if we take the shortest route through the Great Plains, where the sun will rise today, it will take at least four days.”
That meant we would have to spend up to three nights beyond the Wall.
At least the military had supplied us with Ether Torches.
If we had needed to buy consumables worth one million Ether each with our own money, we would have been seriously screwed.
“We just need to be more careful than usual and carry out our assigned roles properly.”
That concluded Mr. Hammer’s explanation.
Hermit raised her hand as if she had a question.
“What about after we reach Kerning Town? What is our course of action?”
Course of action.
It sounded pretty intellectual.
Maybe I’d have a chance to use it someday if I remembered it.
“We will infiltrate Kerning Town and seize a certain object. We must also conduct reconnaissance and search for something.”
“Then we should infiltrate as quietly as possible.”
Shing.
Felix drew his sword from its sheath and checked the blade.
For some reason, I felt anxious and had to warn him.
“Felix, try not to cause trouble if you can.”
“Why the fuck are you saying what I’m supposed to say?”
Felix seemed annoyed at being warned, but it couldn’t be helped.
He had a habit of chopping off Thieves’ heads whenever he saw them.
Kerning Town would be crawling with Thieves.
If he cut off a head every time he saw one?
The blood might flow like a river.
“Then Hammer’s party, enter the Land of Night!”
Whoosh.
It felt as if my body were brushing through black mist.
Soon, we opened our eyes in the Great Plains beyond the Wall.
Squeeeal...!
Squeeeal...!
The place was full of water deer leaping about while on fire.
Mr. Hammer skillfully struck down the charging water deer with his hammer while giving orders.
“We have to stay in this land for three days, so Hermit, conserve your spells as much as possible. Felix, manage your stamina well too.”
“What should I do?”
“Yore, conserve your stamina too if possible. Once we reach Kerning Town, your role will probably be the most important.”
“Why?”
“To blend into a city full of outlaws, you, the party’s Thief, will need to do the talking.”
People who had deserted the Wall as a party.
That was the role we were meant to play.
We continued down the road while killing the wild animals that attacked us.
But after seeing the animals swarm us without end, I suddenly became curious.
“Why are the animals here so violent?”
They were even on fire.
“How are they alive when their bodies are burning?”
Everyone looked at Hermit in response to my question.
As if she had been waiting, Hermit cleared her throat and began explaining.
“It is because of a demon’s curse. See that tall mountain in the distance? There is a rumor that a giant demon lives on that mountain.”
“Mr. Hammer, do you have any jerky? Listening to this lecture is already making me sleepy, so I need something to chew on.”
“Hey! You were the one who asked!”
“Hehe, I’m joking.”
It was more interesting than I expected.
A demon.
“Like Demon General Valdruk?”
If something like that lived on that mountain, it would be incredible.
Then Mr. Hammer joined the lecture as if he knew something.
“I heard a dragon lives there. A dragon that was fatally wounded in a struggle for power with the Dragon King fled and hid in a mountain on the Great Plains.”
“Mr. Hammer, I said a demon lives there, not a dragon.”
Hermit frowned.
Mr. Hammer did not back down.
“It is a dragon. There are reports of dragonkin being found at the foot of that mountain. They are servants found only within a dragon’s territory.”
“You think dragons can set the creatures of the plains on fire? Only demons can use magic that advanced.”
A debate broke out between Mr. Hammer and Hermit.
Eventually, the sparks flew to me too.
“Yore, what do you think?”
“Rookie, whose side do you think is right?”
What was nesting in that mountain on the Great Plains?
How was I supposed to know?
I did have a personal wish.
“Hehehe. Whether it’s a demon or a dragon, I hope it has lots of Ether and treasure.”
“Pwahaha! Now that you mention it, that’s true!”
Mr. Hammer laughed loudly.
Then Felix warned everyone.
“Quiet. We have arrived at the entrance to the Wandering Forest.”
After walking across the Great Plains for a long time, we came across a forest full of sharp thorn trees.
Even though the sun was still up, it was dark inside.
When we listened closely,
Haaahk...
Grrrgh...
We heard terrible cries.
They sounded like the wailing of ghosts, or perhaps the howls of animals.
“Mr. Hammer, do we really have to go through here?”
Gulp.
I asked because I was getting nervous for no reason.
Mr. Hammer unfolded the map and answered calmly.
“If we go around it, it will take another fifteen days. This is the shortest route.”
In the end, we decided to cross the forest.
But the more we walked its paths, the more they drove us mad.
“Hermit, isn’t this the way we came from?”
“I think it’s a different path.”
All the paths looked the same.
It felt as though we were going in circles through the same place.
“My map doesn’t work here either.”
Even Mr. Hammer’s magical map was useless.
Now I understood why this thorn-tree forest was called the Wandering Forest.
The real problem was something else.
Maybe because it was a forest, the sun set early.
It was already the first night of our journey.
Cackle...
Cackle, cackle...
And unpleasant cries like hyenas kept ringing out from every direction.
“We’re surrounded.”
Mr. Hammer lit a torch and made a calm assessment.
The strong scent of beasts also lingered around my nose.
“Mr. Hammer, there seem to be a lot of them.”
“Then we kill them all.”
Felix drew his sword.
He was extremely confident.
But veteran Mr. Hammer clicked his tongue as if troubled.
“Beasts that don’t attack immediately despite having the advantage in numbers. I have a bad feeling about this.”
That was when it happened.
Rustle.
Something emerged from the forest.
It trudged toward us. It wore branches around its waist and tree bark over its chest, making it an extremely strange-looking beast.
In other words, it was a monkey with all its fur gone.
Its teeth were sharp like a shark’s, and its muzzle was long like a horse’s face.
“Me. Us. Masters of forest. Want. Friendship. With you.”
It could even talk.
It was talking to us.
Hermit was surprised.
“That beast is speaking human language!”
“Humans. Strong. Drove away. Night. Built. Big wall. Us. Learn. From humans.”
What was it even saying?
Mr. Hammer tightly gripped his hammer without letting down his guard.
“What happens if we become friends with you?”
“This forest. Help you. Leave safely. In exchange. Receive gift.”
Its broken speech was extremely unpleasant.
The red eyes blinking from all around us were creepy too.
“What should we do?”
Felix asked Mr. Hammer.
Mr. Hammer thought seriously.
“We still have a long way to go, so I would like to avoid fighting if possible. We can communicate somewhat, so we should talk with them and decide.”
Our supplies were limited too.
Mr. Hammer’s policy was to avoid a battle of attrition whenever possible.
“What gift do you want? If it’s food, we can share some.”
Honestly, even the food was fucking precious.
The strange creature shook its head from side to side.
Then it held up two of its six deformed fingers.
“Males. Two.”
Author’s Note
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