WeTried Translations
Translator: Goku
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became a Villain Perfect for Leveling Up
Chapter 039
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39. Eagles and Horses (2)
Time passed as I blankly stared at my empty left hand.
Due to my actions of revealing shocking information, the Valkyrie Knights were in an uproar.
A landslide occurring in a truly peaceful fortress, who on earth would expect such a thing?
“Would you accompany me for a moment?”
Eventually, about three hours later, a female knight called for me, who had been waiting in the Commander’s office.
As I slowly ascended the mountain, following her. There, knights were digging the ground around the Commander, who had a serious expression.
“You’re here.”
“Here… Have you found something?”
“…Yes. However…”
The Commander nudged the ground a few times with her foot and showed the corpse buried beneath the soil.
“The situation has become more serious than expected. I thought it would end with just buried bombs, but it wasn’t that.”
“These corpses are…”
“They are corpses infected by the Abyss. And such corpses are buried throughout this entire mountain.”
“…”
The Abyss. A parasite that gnaws away at the despair of the infected and soon turns them into the undead.
Corpses infected by that parasite were buried throughout the entire mountain.
“If you hadn’t informed us. A catastrophe would have befallen all of Pesoniac, including our knight order.”
The knight order continued with the corpse excavation, but the bodies buried in the mountain were found endlessly.
As they broke through the topsoil and dug down a certain depth, in the ground, thousands and tens of thousands of unrotted corpses were piled up.
“…No way. This entire mountain…”
“It’s not ‘no way’.”
“…….”
“This entire mountain was made up of corpses infected by the Abyss.”
The Commander, with a devastated heart, ran a hand down her face.
If it were a certain number of corpses, they could be burned away. But burning this many corpses in a short period was realistically impossible.
“…The glory of Pesoniac will end here. I must inform the citizens to evacuate.”
The Commander, who had drawn her sword from its sheath, then pointed the blade at me.
At that action, I flinched momentarily and my shoulders trembled. The Commander merely placed the sword on both my shoulders and head, inflicting no harm.
“I commend your contributions. I bestow upon you the honorary knighthood of the Valkyrie Knights. Given the urgency of the matter, please understand that it’s being done hastily.”
With that, she handed over the golden brooch she was carrying.
When I took the brooch with my unharmed right hand and examined it. I saw a winged horse carved, rearing up high into the sky on two legs.
“If it’s not too much trouble. May I bestow a mission upon you right away?”
At the word ‘mission,’ I instinctively gripped the brooch I was holding tightly.
…The Aquila Knights.
I ought to apologize to them. Is it right to belong somewhere like this?
Moreover, I felt selfish enjoying such an honor.
“I apologize… But I cannot accept this position.”
“…….”
“I… already belong to a knight order.”
“You don’t have to return the brooch. It’s a token and proof of our gratitude to you.”
As I tried to return the brooch, the Commander approached me and personally pinned it to my clothes.
“An honorary knight is, in a way, a certificate that allows you to freely use the title wherever you go.”
“…….”
“And I thought… you belonged to another knight order. If possible, may I ask the name of the knight order you belong to?”
I was speechless at a reaction completely different from what I had expected.
Can people be this kind?
If they knew I was a murderer. They would surely cast me out.
I gripped the brooch, attached to my chest near my heart, tightly with my hand.
“…Aquila.”
“A sword that values honor above all else, and respects discipline.”
“…That’s… right.”
“There’s no reason to be ashamed. Though their numbers are small, there’s no one who doesn’t know the honor they possess.”
Guilt for having used the name of the Aquila Knights made me bite my upper lip.
Altair.
The guilt of needing to meet her, who had left a letter and disappeared, squeezed my chest.
“…May I ask what the mission is.”
Driven by the guilt pushing against my back, I asked the Commander, feeling cornered on a cliff.
“Save Sigrun.”
“…….”
“My daughter… she would surely be willing to take risks if it’s related to the knight order.”
The Commander, having reached the same conclusion as me, gave me the enormous mission of rescuing Sigrun, her daughter and Vice Commander.
Rescuing Sigrun from Dina, who felt like a wall.
The word impossible flashed through my mind.
Unlike me, whose level was reset. Dina possessed extraordinary power.
Probably Level 999… there’s a high possibility she’s even higher.
Pushing aside the phantom pain in my left hand, I nodded to the Commander.
…I won’t run away.
No matter how overwhelming the era of prosperity may be, I know its glory isn't eternal.
If I keep clashing, I have no doubt there will be a bright future.
“And… my son-in-law?”
“…Cough.”
The Commander, whose serious face momentarily took on a chilling shadow, lightly tapped my shoulder.
I never imagined that the lie about receiving a kiss on the cheek would bind my feet in such a way.
“Make sure your body is sound. With a body like that, it would be difficult to have an heir.”
“…….”
As serious expressions exchanged non-serious jokes. The chaotic atmosphere instantly changed.
Since the Commander used ‘son-in-law’ as a joking topic, her subordinates began the serious task of maintaining a straight face, unable to laugh.
“…I will see you again soon, Commander.”
As I turned my back and hastily tried to descend the mountain to embark on a journey to find Sigrun. The Commander’s resolute shout stopped me.
“Mother-in-law.”
“…….”
“Mother .In. Law.”
“…Mother-in-law.”
“Hmm…! You may go down.”
The lie had become a butterfly effect, turning me into an unwilling, forced son-in-law. I went down the mountain, determined that someday, after rescuing Sigrun, I would have time to explain.
“Everyone move swiftly!! Even if our fortress collapses, we must prevent damage to Pesoniac!!”
Leaving behind the booming on-site command of the Commander… -in-law, which echoed even far from the excavation site. I returned to the infirmary and began packing my belongings.
After checking Freud’s Fang, which I always kept hidden in my embrace. And verifying the Beast’s Hammer, which I had used as a clothes hanger by fixing its weight to the floor.
“…No one’s here.”
After confirming no one was present. I plunged Freud’s Fang into my neck.
Because rescuing Sigrun with a body that had a pierced side and no left hand was impossible.
Blood gushed forth. I peacefully closed my eyes for a new beginning.
《 Resurrecting at checkpoint. LOADING… 》
Leaving behind the startled checkpoint guard who saw me inexplicably resurrect. I shouldered the Beast’s Hammer and began to run.
First, I knew that the Fortress of Training actually existed. And I gained the goal of rescuing Sigrun from there.
So, I needed to quickly return to the Altar of Lamentation. And ask Eirene for help.
Facing Dina alone would be nothing short of suicide. So, the plan was to use Eirene’s ice attacks to bind Dina and rescue Sigrun.
The distance between Pesoniac and the Altar of Lamentation was roughly 3 days.
Based on non-stop running, it only took 1 day.
“…Hmph!”
Leading with my stamina, which was several times better than before, I traversed the path.
….
“…Haa. Haa…”
After the sun set and the moon rose. Then the moon set again and the sun rose.
Thanks to running non-stop during that time, I was able to arrive at the Altar of Lamentation several hours earlier than expected.
“Eirene…! Eirene!!”
I called her name, making my presence known, yearning for her who must have been anxiously waiting for me.
“Eirene?”
But Eirene did not appear anywhere.
Even as I ran around calling her name, there was no embrace from her.
“…….”
Thinking she might be at the place where I had died, my heart torn out, I ran there. But apart from traces of battle, there was no being that could be called human.
“…Eirene.”
Unlike the expectations of a reunion different from the past. What was given was bleak reality.
With the illusion that the pain of having my heart torn out was recurring, I returned to the Altar of Lamentation, clenching my teeth.
Had Eirene died?
By Dina… like I had been killed?
No, that couldn’t be.
Eirene must still be alive and breathing, just not at the Altar of Lamentation.
“….”
Since I hadn’t yet searched inside the altar, I couldn’t conclude she was completely missing, so I descended the spiral staircase.
“……!!”
And there, I discovered a woman sleeping.
It was evening, so it was dark and her hair color wasn’t clearly visible. But the slightly bluish tint to her hair certainly belonged to Eirene.
Her distinctive white shirt gave me even more certainty that it was her.
“Eirene!!”
I ran to the woman and reached out my hand.
“………Dean.”
The woman nonchalantly took my hand. And spoke with a voice that seemed relieved.
“…I finally found you…”
Instead of a soft, coquettish voice, a serious and charismatic resonance entered my ears.
Having never forgotten that voice, my body stiffened and my eyes trembled.
The loyal sword protecting the holy city of Aquilian.
A benevolent person with such great magnanimity as to show mercy even to her killer.
“Commander… ma’am…”
“I knew… you’d be alive…”
Instead of Eirene, it was Altair. She had come looking for me, who had run away.
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