WeTried Translations

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ I Pulled Out Excalibur

Chapter 334

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Interlude, Rival (2)

"Merlin."

"Yeah."

"When are you planning to undo your materialization?"

"I'm not planning to."

Chomp, chomp. Merlin tilted her head as she pushed neatly sliced steak into her mouth. Of course, Constellations did not actually need to eat. As long as they regularly took in starlight, they felt neither thirst nor hunger.

"Why?"

"Just because?"

Merlin blinked as if he had asked a strange question. Of course, there was no particular reason for Merlin to stay materialized. If anything, there were reasons not to.

Sluuuurp.

Maintaining Merlin's materialization consumed Najin's mana, and even now he could feel it being steadily drained in real time.

An ordinary mage would have screamed, "Kiiiiiieeeek!" and dried into a mummy from that level of mana consumption, but it was not much of a burden for Najin. And whenever he dipped a little low, Merlin restored it herself anyway.

"What, you don't like it?"

"It's not that I dislike it."

"Then why?"

Merlin asked innocently.

Najin said nothing and gestured with his eyes.

Right now, Najin and Merlin were visiting the Imperial capital, seated at one of the tables at a restaurant famous for its food even in the capital.

In other words, right in the middle of the capital, Merlin was materialized and enjoying a meal. And for the record, their table was outside the shop.

So what would happen?

"Gasp."

"Are those two maybe..."

Every passerby flinched at the sight of Merlin, repeatedly startling and swallowing hard. Some were so shocked they froze in place.

It was only natural.

If you asked Imperial citizens which book was read the most, Arthur's Chronicle would come up first without question. And after Arthur himself, the figure mentioned most in that chronicle was the Staff of Selection, the Great Mage Merlin.

Anyone would be shocked to see a figure from myth cutting steak in real life. They could not dare interrupt a Constellation's meal, so they only watched from a distance, but a Transcendent's sharp senses still caught every gaze.

Najin narrowed his eyes and looked at Merlin.

Even while materialized, Merlin and Najin were still linked. Whenever Merlin's emotions rippled, even slightly, Najin made a startled face.

She was enjoying this.

All the stares pouring in, the whispers of "Isn't that Great Mage Merlin-nim?", comments admiring her looks, sounds of people catching their breath, even the occasional remark that Najin and Merlin looked good together.

At a glance, she seemed to be ignoring everyone's attention and simply eating, but with a Transcendent's keen senses, Merlin was reading every reaction.

"Uh, Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"Never mind. If you're having fun, that's enough."

Seeing Merlin pretend to stay calm while the corners of her mouth kept curling up, Najin shook his head as if it were nothing. He had no idea why, but Merlin had seemed down lately, and now she looked happy. That was enough.

"After we finish this, let's go for a walk."

"Where to?"

"Just anywhere?"

"Sure, why not."

Najin sipped water and leaned back in his chair. Taking in the Imperial capital under the drowsy sunlight, the people passing through the streets, and the peaceful scenery, he let out a long breath.

Two months had passed since the subjugation of the Carnival King.

Before heading back out to the Outland, Najin was taking his time on vacation.

"Dawn Horn-nim."

A vacation that felt long and short at the same time.

"A letter has arrived from the Special Task Force. It's regarding the matter you mentioned before..."

Najin thought it was about time to end his vacation.

2.

Imperial pillars were assigned towers.

Five towers surrounded the Imperial Palace. Najin and Dieta were no exception, and each received one: the Dawn Tower and the Coin-Eyed Tower.

"I'll probably use about half of mine as guild offices. It's in the center of the Empire, so distribution will be convenient. It should also make dealings with the Platinum Tower easier."

How a pillar used their tower was up to them, and in Dieta's case, she seemed to be planning to use hers as something like her merchant company's headquarters. Najin still had not decided what to do with his.

Even the Emperor had only said, "Use it however you wish. Leaving it unused is fine as well. The relevant departments will handle minimal upkeep."

To begin with, Najin did not spend much time on the continent. His main stage was the Outland, and the continent was somewhere he dropped by occasionally to rest. So he had been considering what to do with this tower...

"In that case, I'll send the Special Task Force under my command to you."

That consideration did not last long.

"Among the knights affiliated with the First Horn Tower, there is a unit called the Special Task Force. They operate outside the Empire more than inside it, mainly in the Outland. They would look better under you than under me, since I remain in the Empire."

First Horn of the Empire, Gerd.

The old man, sipping tea, casually said, Take my Special Task Force, and Najin could only blink.

"Gerd's Special Task Force... that's an elite Imperial unit, isn't it? Made up of Sword Seekers who have all passed at least the budding stage."

"Correct."

"You're giving them to me?"

"That is what will happen."

This did not seem like the kind of unit to be passed around this lightly. As Najin made a subtle expression, Gerd set down his teacup and spoke.

"There's nothing strange about it. If anything, it's stranger for someone at the level of an Imperial pillar to have no private force. You'll need one too."

Of course, Najin himself possessed military power comparable to the entire Empire, but before that, it was a matter of form. It did not look right for someone of pillar rank to have no subordinate force at all.

"You likely won't need to manage them directly. I'll send my adjutant over. She's a sensible girl, so even without detailed orders, she will carry out missions on her own."

And so, the first to move into the Dawn Horn's tower was none other than the Empire's Special Task Force. As a bonus, Soles, Gerd's adjutant who had managed them, entered the tower as well.

"I look forward to working with you, Dawn Horn-nim."

A woman bowed deeply.

Najin had seen her before when Gerd had stepped out. With her, the first order Najin gave the Special Task Force assigned to Dawn Tower was to trace the tracks of a certain Constellation.

Hermann, the Star of Omniscience.

A mission to pursue traces of a Constellation who had vanished 150 years ago. Of course, even for the Special Task Force, exploring deep into the Outland was no easy task...

"Understood. Then it would be best to bypass the Yurel ruins in the north and survey around this area."

"Why bypass it?"

"Sorry?"

"Just go straight through there."

"That area is the sanctuary of Constellation Yusritha, so approaching it is not easy..."

"An acquaintance of mine. If you give my name, they won't block passage."

"Then this route..."

"Ah, before you go there, visit the far side of the Kulat mountain range. There should be a cottage on a hill with a flower field. Bring a bouquet and tools that might help with the garden, and you'll be welcomed. Tell them I sent you."

Question: Who will welcome us?

Answer: Lapis and Anton Quixano.

"..."

"..."

With their superior changing from Gerd to Najin, the Special Task Force's standing in the Outland began to change. Constellations that had constantly blocked their passage until now stepped aside the moment they raised a flag bearing the Dawn Star's symbol.

"What, the Dawn Star sent people? Come this way! I'll guide you myself. Take your time. Ah, watch that loose stone there."

Even Constellations who used to grumble, Why should I move? You expect me to let mortals into my sanctuary? now smiled brightly and welcomed the Special Task Force. Some even escorted them personally.

"Safe travels! Please give the Dawn Star my regards!"

A veteran Special Task Force knight in his forty-seventh year, seeing a Constellation warmly wave goodbye, could not hide his shock.

"In all my years, I never thought I'd be seen off by a Constellation."

That, too, was only natural.

Gerd was a powerful Transcendent, but because his main stage was the continent, his name did not carry much weight in the Outland. Sometimes people heard his name and responded, So who is that?

Najin was different.

There was no one in the Outland who did not know the Dawn Star's name, and whether they liked Najin or not, the weight that name carried could not be ignored.

Who was the Dawn Star? A monster among monsters who had dropped hundreds of stars. Since the Dawn Star stepped into the Outland, Constellations had watched stars fall at all hours and had begun to feel fear.

"D-d-d-the Dawn Star sent you? Wh-why?"

"If it would not be rude, may we pass through this route..."

"Ah, ah! I thought it was something serious. Go ahead! Pass through comfortably! Some dead roam around, but no, wait. I'll clear them out myself."

Just saying the name Dawn Star was enough to make those mighty Transcendents bow low and open the road.

"The Dawn Star is a mad dog."

"If you touch him wrong, you won't even recover your bones."

"He has dropped hundreds of stars."

"Unless you want to add your few stars to those hundreds, be as careful as possible."

"Conduct yourself accordingly."

There was some slander mixed in, but rumors are never born from nothing. Even Transcendents leaning toward evil knew this was a time to lie low. There was no guarantee they would not be next after the Carnival King.

"Senior?"

"Yeah, speak."

"Was Special Task Force work always this easy?"

Thanks to that, the Special Task Force enjoyed exceptionally smooth days. Their efficiency naturally rose once they no longer had to take detours.

"Dawn Horn-nim."

And as a result.

"A letter has arrived from the Special Task Force. It's regarding the matter you mentioned before..."

In less than two full months, the Special Task Force succeeded in finding traces of the Star of Omniscience, just as Najin had ordered. Considering this operation had originally been planned on a year-long scale, the time saved was enormous.

3.

Hermann, the Star of Omniscience.

A Transcendent with ten stars.

God of mechanisms, Omniscient One, the Dissolver, Lord of Ten Thousand Fortresses, the Analyzer, Mad Scholar...

A Transcendent who had existed since Merlin's era, a full thousand years ago. The one who created Sealed City, and the one who tried to turn Yuel into a Baleful Star. Najin's next target was none other than Hermann.

He could have explained his reasons at length, but Najin had no intention of doing that.

He had made a promise with the lord of Sealed City.

That alone was enough reason to decide to subjugate a ten-star Transcendent. In truth, what Najin was looking toward lay beyond defeating the Star of Omniscience. This star was only a stepping stone toward subjugating another one.

"Anyway."

At the top of Dawn Tower, overlooking the Empire, Yuel sat beside Najin.

"I'm planning to go subjugate the Star of Omniscience."

"Is that so?"

"What will you do?"

White hair fluttered in the wind. Through the swaying strands, red eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure. I've heard the story, but it feels less like my own and more like someone else's."

She had abandoned her memories. She had accepted some of the emotions, but there were still holes in Yuel's memory.

"Still."

Until now, she had never questioned those holes.

Nor had she ever wanted to fill them.

"I'm a little curious."

Now, though, that was no longer true. The bracelet hanging from Yuel's arm clinked softly. Tracing the letters engraved in the metal bracelet, she spoke.

"I'll come with you. I think that would be more fun. Adventures with you are enjoyable."

Yuel brushed her hair back. She turned and looked at Najin with a smile. Since that day, she had occasionally smiled at him like this.

Even to Najin, it was a very attractive smile.

"Departure is tomorrow." As he said that and started to rise, Yuel tugged on his sleeve, as if she were not done speaking.

"Najin."

Najin tilted his head, and Yuel stared right at him.

"And not 'you.'"

"Sorry?"

"Yuel. Call me by my name."

"..."

"..."

"Yuel?"

Only then did Yuel let go of his sleeve.

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