WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Ilafy

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Pulled Out Excalibur

Chapter 144

──────

Questions and Answers (1)

After facing the Commander of the Holy Fire Guard Knights, Schlain Beigelmann, Najin experienced several changes. One was the sharpening of his Sword Aura, which hinted at his progression toward the Sprouting stage.

- Already approaching the Sprouting stage? That’s ridiculous. Considering the trials you’ve endured since becoming a Sword Seeker, it’s stranger that you haven’t advanced until now…

True Merlin’s words, since becoming a Sword Seeker, Najin had faced numerous powerful opponents.

After he ascended as a Sword Seeker, he fought against two individuals of the same caliber, sparred with a Sword Master, and clashed with the Flickering Witch.

He even fought the enhanced Red Dragon, a 6th-circle dark mage, the Crows from the Outland, and a knight who was likely once a Transcendent.

The trials he faced in mere months were equivalent to what the average Sword Seeker would experience over decades.

Therefore, having witnessed the form of Sword Aura at the Sprouting stage through Schlain, Najin felt he was standing on the cusp of being there himself, like it was just within his grasp.

That was the first change he experienced; the second was a transformation he found more perplexing.

He rarely dreamed, let alone slept deeply. However, after his encounter with Schlain, he found himself dreaming frequently. At first, he dismissed it as fatigue, but the content of the dreams was troubling.

Schlain appeared in them, and he witnessed scenes of Schlain clinking glasses with comrades, his protected land engulfed in flames, and moments of decision. Perhaps “witnessed” wasn’t quite the right word—he experienced these moments as if he were Schlain.

「…」 When Schlain despaired at the sight of his comrades succumbing to death, Najin felt the same hopelessness and despair. When Schlain swung his sword to hunt humans, Najin felt his guilt.

「There’s no reason to mourn, no cause for despair. Life is but a comedy. Dance, laugh, and sing. Does reality weigh heavy? If it’s so oppressive you can’t laugh, then let me help.」

Najin saw when Schlain faced a knight.

「I am Quixote, the Knight of Carnival.」

Whether he deserved to be called a knight was uncertain, but he declared himself as one. Laughing like a jester, he attacked the Holy Fire Guard Knights. Those pierced or impaled by his lance turned into Forgotten Ones.

Schlain barely survived, but most of his remaining comrades fell and transformed. That was the turning point of Schlain’s downfall.

“I have a question for you.” Waking from the dream, Najin questioned Helmet Knight about Quixote. Was the figure real, was he a product of his imagination, or could it truly be Schlain’s memory?

“Where did you hear that name?” Helmet Knight’s voice grew heavy in response, and the atmosphere around them turned dense.

Najin hesitated.

Helmet Knight exhaled sharply before answering. “Quixote, the Knight of Carnival… is an apostle of the Carnival King.”

Yuel had warned him about the Carnival King.

Nodding slowly, Najin thought, ‘It seems likely that I truly glimpsed into Schlain’s memories since the figure really exists.’

“They say he was once a knight of a kingdom, though it’s impossible to verify since his past was erased. As he is now? He’s unworthy of being called a knight. Calling him a jester would be more fitting.”

Helmet Knight sneered as he spoke. “He dances for, sings for, and flatters his master. Quixote threw away all his convictions for the mere whim of the Carnival King.”

“You seem to know him well.”

“Yeah. I’ve met him. I was the one who put a hole in one of his eyes, a useless eye made even more useless with a neat little puncture.”

Indeed, Quixote’s eye in Schlain’s memories had a hole in it.

Najin felt silent admiration. The Quixote in his dream was overwhelmingly powerful, enough so to leave Schlain helpless.

“He looked quite formidable.”

“He is. He’s a Transcendent, after all.”

Najin cast a questioning look at Helmet Knight.

The knight shrugged. “Hey, I was a Transcendent once too. I might be in a pitiful state now, but back then…”

“It seems so.”

“What? The part about being a Transcendent, or the part about being pitiful?”

“Both.”

The knight clicked his tongue and leaned against the wall. While Najin was resting, Helmet Knight had stood guard.

It was Najin’s turn. As he stoked the fire, Najin asked Merlin about his peculiar dreams.

- Is that a thing? Never heard of it.

She wasn’t much help. Najin thought, ‘Of course,’ and turned away.

Merlin quickly added.

- Oh, no! I mean, how would I know? It’s not my fault!

‘I didn’t blame you.’

- You made a face just now. Like, ‘Of course.’ You think I’m useless, don’t you?

‘You heard that?’

- I guessed, but now I know for sure! Unbelievable!

‘It was a joke,’ Najin clarified, ‘Just joking,’ but Merlin seemed unconvinced, muttering and pounding her chest in mock frustration.

- Wait, I have an idea. Something might fit.

After a moment of pondering, she snapped her fingers.

- Excalibur! Could it be related to Excalibur’s function? It’s a sword that absorbs starlight, and stars are essentially people’s stories. Maybe there’s a connection.

Merlin nodded to herself.

- Now that I think about it, Arthur was the same. When he fought corrupted knights in the Outland, he’d recite their life stories and achievements during their funerals. Even for knights he couldn’t have known.

Could Arthur have glimpsed memories just as Najin had? Merlin seemed unsure but thoughtful.

- Don’t look at me like that.

She sighed.

- I didn’t share everything with Arthur, so there’s a lot I don’t know about him. He rarely spoke of his troubles, kept secrets, and left everything to me without warning. That’s just how he was… trusting words were enough for him.

Her voice carried a hint of bitterness.

Merlin suddenly leaned close to Najin, poking his chest.

- Don’t be like that. Got it?

‘Huh?’

- Don’t keep secrets from me. Not that you could. I’m always watching.

How was he supposed to handle someone who’d boldly declared they’d spy on him? Najin could only smile wryly, poking the fire with a stick.

While Merlin brooded, he glanced over at Helmet Knight, who sat silently with his head lowered. Though still awake, he seemed lost in thought.

“Are you asleep?” Najin asked.

“Not yet,” the knight replied.

“Then may I ask something?”

“Go on.”

“What is the Carnival King? It’s infamous.”

A brief silence followed before the Helmet Knight raised his head. “The Carnival King is exactly as the name suggests.”

The voice that echoed from within the helmet was heavier than usual, laced with profound disdain. “It’s a demon with a sense of self. The ruler of the demons, the Demon King. That’s why the title ‘King’ is attached to its name, but I bet you’re wondering about the ‘Carnival’ part, yes?”

Helmet Knight’s voice grew sharp, as if spitting venom. “It’s a clown that turns every tale into a mockery. No matter how noble or sacred a story may be, the moment it’s told through the Carnival King’s mouth, it becomes nothing but a farce.”

It was a truly despicable constellation.

With that, Helmet Knight fell silent. His refusal to speak further on the subject was clear. Bowing his head again, he drifted into a light slumber.

Crackle.

The sound of the campfire’s embers broke the stillness of the night.

Najin’s strange journey with Helmet Knight continued for some time. He had no reason to refuse the companionship, and to his surprise, he found it enjoyable.

“How are we handling this ambush?” Helmet Knight asked.

“Ambush? We’re simply visiting through the front door. Ambush seems like the wrong term,” Najin replied dryly.

“True! So, what’s the plan?”

“Charge through the front, of course.”

“You catch on fast.” The knight laughed and bumped fists with Najin, who reciprocated the gesture. Though initially bewildered by the knight’s eccentric behavior, Najin had grown to appreciate it.

Boom!

Lance in hand, Najin and Helmet Knight launched a cavalry charge. The sudden intrusion left the dark mages and demon worshippers screaming in confusion, but their cries were silenced by Najin’s sword and the knight’s spear.

“Why are you doing this to us?!” one cried, pleading. Their appeals held little weight. The gruesome sight of tortured and dismembered victims in their lair left no room for mercy.

“They can speak,” Najin noted.

“Talking is for people, not beasts,” Helmet Knight retorted.

“That’s a good line. I’ll have to borrow it. Hear that, beasts? Speaking of which, I’ve won countless hunting tournaments. A master of beast-slaying, you might say.”

Thus, an impromptu hunting contest began. The wails of their prey echoed through the air as the two carried out their grim work.

“Another successful day,” Helmet Knight declared with satisfaction.

Despite his oddities, Najin found their time together surprisingly rewarding. The knight was a reliable ally in battles against dark mages and Forgotten Ones, and he doubled as a capable teacher.

“Hold the spear this way. Lower your stance a bit more…”

“Like this?”

“Uh… yes? How’d you do that? This isn’t a skill you just pick up.”

“I’m talented.”

“Annoyingly so, but I can’t deny it.”

Najin learned much from Helmet Knight: techniques, survival tips for the Outland, and even how to wield a weapon against non-human foes. Traveling with the knight was undeniably a stroke of luck.

“Najin, incoming from your side!”

“I know!”

“If you know, then block it!”

Not all their adversaries were dark mages or Forgotten Ones. The Outland was rife with bizarre beasts, transformed over years of adaptation. One such beast—a towering wolf the size of a watchtower—chased them relentlessly.

“What the hell is this?!” Najin shouted as he ran. With a swift movement, he unleashed a slice of Sword Aura, severing the wolf’s leg mid-pursuit. As it toppled, the Helmet Knight vaulted onto its back and finished it with a clean strike to the neck.

“Your tone’s gotten casual,” the knight noted afterward. “Didn’t you used to speak more formally?”

“That was just me imitating a knight. This is my usual tone.”

“I like this better. The formal act was too stiff.”

“And yours isn’t?” Najin quipped.

“Mine’s different. I’ve got gravitas—just look at this magnificent helmet and the voice that echoes from it. It’s naturally weighty.”

“Uh-huh…”

As days passed, Najin continued to hone his skills. With Helmet Knight’s guidance, he grew adept at handling monstrous foes and enormous enemies.

One day, Najin raised a curious question. “What do you eat in the Outland? Aside from human hearts, that is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Food. Meals. I haven’t seen you eat since we met, and I don’t feel hungry myself.”

Helmet Knight paused before letting out a short laugh. “It’s so obvious I forgot to mention it. In the Outland, you don’t need to eat or drink as long as you have a star.”

He gestured toward the celestial expanse above. “Stars are nourishment and sustenance. Just basking in their light sates hunger and quenches thirst. Our bodies have evolved to adapt. Didn’t you feel a change when you gained your star?”

“I did,” Najin admitted.

“That’s the process of leaving humanity behind. You and I are far from ordinary humans now.”

Najin found himself fascinated by this revelation. As he pondered, Merlin’s voice broke in.

- But sometimes you just want to eat something…

“Sometimes, though, you just crave food,” Helmet Knight echoed, almost word for word.

Startled by the uncanny timing, Merlin glared at him, though he remained oblivious to her presence.

“We could have a proper feast,” he mused.

“Sounds good. What’s on the menu?”

“Nothing yet. We’ll have to gather it.”

Najin’s shoulders sagged, but Merlin excitedly nudged him.

- I know what to eat here! I used to snack on stuff in the Outland. I’ll show you.

Merlin led Najin into the woods, pointing out various trees and fruits.

- That one, split its trunk into a perfect cross, and you’ll get honey. Miss, and it’s poison.

Though the harvesting process was unconventional, Najin followed Merlin’s guidance and returned with a bounty of fruits and honey.

When he brought his findings back, the Helmet Knight snorted. “That’s all? Fruit’s just a snack. A proper feast needs meat.” He rose decisively. “A banquet calls for tearing into meat. Follow me.”

“This leads to the giants’ territory.”

“Correct.”

“But I thought we agreed not to provoke them.”

“We did.”

“Then why…?”

“We’re raiding their food stores.”

“Excuse me?”

Helmet Knight’s bold declaration left Najin speechless, and they ventured into the domain of the giants.