WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Irevi
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Unleashed a Gossip Gallery in Another World ◈
Chapter 10: Knight Commander Ciel
──────
After the Third Arena was announced, Gossip Gallery users had been craning their necks, waiting for the duel to begin.
Then they spotted a sudden additional notice and began losing their minds.
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[Additional Notice: Changes to the Third Arena]
Author: Noble Lady Gallery Eraser
With the consent of the duel applicant and a majority of moderators, new rules have been added^^
New Rule 1: Only “swordsmanship” may be used in the duel.
New Rule 2: The loser must submit proof of dogeza in a private post.
Please come and watch, everyone^^
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Noble Lady Gallery Eraser was the head mod of the Noble Ladies Gossip Gallery and a deputy mod of the Empire Village Gossip Gallery.
She had announced to the world that the rules everyone had secretly been waiting for had finally been added.
Anonymous1: Upvote if these are the most based mods ever lol
Anonymous2: Exactly, a mod showdown needs dogeza proof lol
Anonymous3: Don't keep it to yourselves, let us see too!!!!!
Anonymous4: A proud swordsman's humiliating dogeza.... This is quite exquisite....
Naturally, every comment was already celebrating the arrival of a new slave.
(Author: Princess Ruabel)
[Anonymous:❗❗❗❗❗COME AT ME❗❗❗❗❗]
(Author: Saintess of the Holy Church)
[Anonymous: Ever since I started using the Gossip Gallery, the stimulation's been so intense I feel like I'm going insane!!!!!]
A few particularly nasty users, including Princess Ruabel and the Saintess of the Holy Church, were already getting started on the sexual harassment.
That mood took a sharp turn again when a somewhat serious post suddenly appeared.
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[Title: But why does everyone think Gossip Gallery Eraser will win again, nya?]
Author: Anonymous (Beastfolk Warrior Nienie)
As for Gossip Gallery Eraser, I admit their magic has reached the ultimate realm, nya.
But swordsmanship is fundamentally different from magic, nya.
To use magic at that level, they must've spent their whole life studying. How are they supposed to beat a swordsman who lives off stamina and physical ability with swordsmanship, nya?
----------
An anonymous beastfolk user with a peculiar way of speaking had written a coolheaded analysis with logic unexpected of a beastfolk.
Only after reading it did the Gossip Gallery users realize something they had forgotten.
Anonymous1: Now that you mention it, you're right?
Anonymous2: Then again, mages are the bastards who waste mana teleporting around because even walking is too much work lol
Anonymous3: Judging by the way you talk, you're beastfolk. Why are you smart?
ㄴ(Author): Stop discriminating against beastfolk, nya!!!
No matter how powerful Gossip Gallery Eraser was, enough to make most mages look insignificant, a swordsmanship match was an entirely different story.
Anonymous4: Couldn't they be a magic swordsman?
ㄴAnonymous5: A magic swordsman my ass lolololol
ㄴAnonymous6: You've never seen a magic swordsman, have you? lol
ㄴAnonymous7: I'd rather go bald like the bald-head mod from the main gallery than become a magic swordsman lol
There were exceptions called magic swordsmen, of course, but the possibility was ridiculed by most users the instant it was mentioned and quickly buried.
‘Technically, I am a magic swordsman....’
Still, Elrod Durgel, the Gossip Gallery Eraser himself, scratched his head as he read the post.
‘...More accurately, I was the superior version: a Hero.’
After all, magic swordsmen were a cursed profession that had come into being because of him, the Hero of the previous generation.
The origin had been forgotten after all those years.
Still, the first magic swordsmen had seen the Hero wield magic and swordsmanship freely, then chosen their path in pursuit of that impossible ideal.
‘Not that I was planning to use magic in a swordsmanship match anyway.’
Since the upcoming duel was a swordsmanship duel, it did not matter to Elrod either way.
[✪Slave Candidate 2: Proof of Swordsmanship]
As expected, the new challenger had posted proof of their ability on the Empire Village Gossip Gallery.
Once users saw the post, they could not help becoming convinced that Gossip Gallery Eraser would be defeated this time.
Anonymous1: Okay, GG
Anonymous2: They're an Aura user lol game over, nice
Anonymous3: Did they just make Aura with a practice wooden sword?
Anonymous4: Why do these insane bastards keep coming out of this stupid underground gallery???
The post uploaded by Slave Candidate 2 included a picture of Aura blazing from a practice wooden sword.
[Slave Candidate 2: I can do it with a branch too, but that felt like I was messing around too much, so I held back lol]
Aura Expert.
It was the ultimate realm every living swordsman strove to reach.
The moment swordsmen awakened to that supreme realm, where they could use a sword to stand against magic, they went from expendable troops to strategic weapons.
Yet this person had raised Aura from a practice wooden sword rather than their beloved blade?
It meant this challenger was one of the few people on the entire continent to have reached the realm of the Swordmaster, where Aura could be wielded freely.
“Hmm....”
Elrod carefully took his old sword out from beneath his bed after checking the post.
-Fzzzt....
He tried infusing it with Aura by recalling memories from his previous life, but his sickly current body, which had never been in a fight its entire life, was nowhere near capable of producing Aura.
“Good grief....”
He dropped the sword onto the floor, then panted for quite a while from the strain of forcing out strength. As he wiped the cold sweat gathering on his forehead, he sank into thought.
‘If we met in reality, I'd get wrecked in one second.’
A smile he could not hide rose to his lips.
‘But that's only in reality.’
When he used the virtual-reality avatar created by his Magic Circle, there was no reason to worry about his frail body.
“...Shall I loosen up for the first time in a while?”
It was time to show everyone the majesty of both a keyboard warrior and the strongest man of the previous generation.
* * *
“Heh heh....”
A low, sinister laugh echoed from inside the commander's office, which had been securely locked.
‘Yes, yes. Praise me like that.’
If anyone heard that laugh and learned its owner was Ciel, Commander of the Imperial Knights, none of her fellow knights would believe it.
She was a righteous female knight renowned for wiping out enemies without changing expression despite her small frame, a woman said to have not a single opening.
No one would ever imagine that the embodiment of knightly virtue, famous for being rigid and strict, was ego-searching on the Gossip Gallery and satisfying her craving for validation.
‘As the strongest swordsman, I deserve to be praised.’
Still, everyone had their own darkness.
‘After I crush them completely, should I pretend it was an accident and upload a photo with only my face covered...?’
For someone willing to do anything to satisfy her craving for recognition, the Gossip Gallery was a place that could fully indulge her twisted desires and guilty thrill.
‘Then everyone will wonder how such a tiny, cute knight can be so strong. Heh heh....’
She kept reading and rereading posts about herself, grinning like an idiot.
-Fzzzt....
At that very moment, the duel Magic Circle linked through the Mana Stone finally began activating.
“Well, well....”
Ciel rushed to the Magic Circle and placed a hand on it, then looked around with a crooked smile.
‘So the mages were the only ones enjoying something this fun.’
A gigantic arena, like the dream of every gladiator, unfolded before her eyes.
“So, you're my opponent?”
Her heart swelling, she looked around and spoke when she spotted the black silhouette of a man in the distance.
“Why aren't you saying anything?”
“......”
“Hm. I suppose you've decided not to speak.”
Her opponent, Gossip Gallery Eraser, simply stood before her in silence.
Anonymous1: Oh, we can hear voices now?
Anonymous2: Fuck, the static is awful;;
Anonymous3: Even the avatars are completely blacked out?
Ciel watched the situation warily before noticing the live broadcast of the arena notice floating beside her.
According to the broadcast, both her appearance and voice, as well as her opponent's, were being thoroughly concealed.
Absolute anonymity.
It was being strictly applied even to duels held in the Gossip Gallery.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: If you reveal your identity during the duel, you’ll be perma-banned.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Likewise, any technique that could reveal personal information is prohibited.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Whatever else happens, please protect “anonymity” in the Gossip Gallery.
When the formerly silent Gossip Gallery Eraser reminded every user of that fact once again, Ciel gave a quiet laugh.
“You're cautious.”
“......”
“It isn't a bad trait for a swordsman, but....”
She quietly brought a hand toward the sword at her waist and muttered to herself.
‘In a bloody battle, that kind of trait will inevitably hold you ba...’
Then she noticed something strange.
“Hm?”
Her hand, which had unconsciously reached for her waist, felt the hard hilt of a sword.
‘Wasn't this supposed to be played like a card game?’
As Ciel tilted her head in confusion, Gossip Gallery Eraser suddenly began delivering an announcement to everyone watching the arena.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Before we begin, I'd like to explain the changes to the Gossip Gallery Duel.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Gossip Gallery Duel Version 1 has added real-time reactive combat alongside the existing card battle format.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Swordsmen who depend on physical ability would naturally face restrictions in card-format combat, right?
Gossip Gallery Eraser: So I've recreated the same laws of physics as reality in the duel.
Ciel carefully read the announcement, then her eyebrow twitched as she read the chat sent to her.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Why not test it out?
Right after that, the sword at her waist was drawn at unbelievable speed and sliced through the air.
-Whoosh....
Ciel looked slightly startled by the vibration that traveled from her hand through her arm.
“Astonishing. It's no different from reality.”
Just as Gossip Gallery Eraser had said, every sensation was completely identical to reality despite this being virtual reality.
-Fzzzt....
‘Even the sensation of using Aura is frighteningly identical.’
Even raising Aura from her sword had been recreated perfectly. Ciel nodded with a satisfied expression.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Are you ready?
Gossip Gallery Eraser: You may start first.
The chat she had been waiting for finally arrived, and Ciel lowered her stance with a chilling smile.
“Don't regret those words.”
Then.
-Tap...!
Ciel shot forward so fast that she left no afterimage, aiming the sharp tip of her sword at the man's heart.
Noble Lady Gallery Eraser: They mixed Swift Sword, First Form with Imperial Sword Form, Third Form.
Noble Lady Gallery Eraser: Are they going for a one-exchange victory?
As Noble Lady Gallery Eraser, serving as both referee and broadcaster, had analyzed, Ciel had no intention of dragging this fight out.
‘I won't go easy on him.’
The faster and more overwhelmingly she crushed her opponent, the greater her reputation would become in the Gossip Gallery from now on.
“Heh heh....”
Imagining the praise posts that would soon be written about an anonymous female knight, a breathy chuckle escaped her as she smiled.
-Clang!
The next moment, Ciel's delusion shattered into pieces.
“......?”
The tip of her sword, which should have already pierced Gossip Gallery Eraser's heart, had somehow been blocked by his blade after he casually shifted its position.
Anonymous4: Huh?
Anonymous5: What?
Anonymous6: ?????
Neither the spectators nor even Ciel herself could believe what they were seeing.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Too many openings.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Mixed swordsmanship lives and dies by precision.
The moment that astonishingly calm message reached the dazed Ciel, she froze.
-Clang!
Her sword was knocked from her grasp and sent flying behind her with a clear metallic ring.
“Uh....”
Ciel took a startled step back. Then another message from the man who had still not spoken arrived.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Pick up your sword.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Go again.
* * *
About ten minutes later.
“Pant, pant....”
Ciel gripped her sword with trembling hands after it had been knocked away for the seventh time, then gritted her teeth and charged forward.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Eastern Continent Sword Form, Fifth Form requires balance.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Go again.
No matter how many times she attacked, the result did not change.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Hiding your ready stance doesn't make you impossible to predict.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Go again.
No matter what sword form or technique she used, her attacks were countered with absurd ease.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Do you think I can't respond just because you're using Beastfolk Sword Forms now?
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Go again.
Amazingly, Gossip Gallery Eraser had not launched a single attack the entire time, yet he had easily blocked every one of her attacks in a single exchange.
“Haah, haah....”
Ciel forced herself upright as her vision began to blur, only to stagger and lose her balance.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Again.
She dropped her sword, and when the chat appeared before her once more, her face went pale as she gritted her teeth.
Anonymous7: (Shocking) There's a crazy bastard who can knock away the attacks of a Swordmaster-level swordsman with one movement while standing still!?!?
Anonymous8: I don't know much about swordsmanship, but is that even possible???
ㄴNoble Lady Gallery Eraser: Does that sound possible to you? That's not even a normal attack. They’re using Aura too....
ㄴAnonymous8: Then what the hell am I looking at right now?
ㄴNoble Lady Gallery Eraser: Fuck if I know.
Anonymous9: I'm breaking my sword and quitting swordsmanship. Later.
The live broadcast had already turned its back on her long ago.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: Show me what you've really got.
Gossip Gallery Eraser: You've got dogeza on the line too.
Ciel began trembling as a chill ran down her spine at Gossip Gallery Eraser's calm messages.
“Ugh, ngh....”
She, who had never lost a swordsmanship match in her life, would be defeated by someone whose identity she did not even know and photographed in humiliation?
‘...Absolutely not.’
She had only said it casually earlier, but if she actually took a photo, her identity would be revealed too easily.
She was the only Swordmaster with such a childlike frame on the entire continent.
And if the photo showed her performing dogeza?
The Empire's strongest female knight, worshipped by all, would naturally become the plaything of that unknown person in an instant.
-Woooo....
The moment she faced that reality, Ciel's eyes began blazing fiercely with both fear and fighting spirit.
“If you can counter even this, I'll acknowledge you.”
An overwhelming, mysterious force began rising from her body, something that could no longer even be called Aura.
Noble Lady Gallery Eraser: What's that???
(Vice Commander Howard): Guys, I'm an Aura Expert too, but I've seriously never seen a technique like that lol
(Beastfolk Warrior Nienie): Is that Aura or magic, nya?
Several powerful people who noticed the change began causing a commotion in the live broadcast as they focused on the situation.
‘A secret art passed down solely to the Commander of the Imperial Knights.’
Of course, their surprise was understandable.
The trump card she had drawn was a secret art passed down from one Commander of the Imperial Knights to the next.
‘No matter who you are, you can never....’
A final strike that converted Aura and life force into natural energy, powerful enough to cut down even a god in a single stroke.
Ciel prepared that final strike, sweat soaking her entire body from the tension as she smiled.
“Ghk!”
In the blink of an eye, Gossip Gallery Eraser appeared before her and kicked her in the stomach.
“Guh....”
“......”
“Ugh, blegh....”
Ciel had never allowed even a single attack to touch her in her life. Clutching her stomach as it twisted in pain, she gagged with tears in her eyes.
“Have they been passing down my sword style through the generations after ruining it like this?”
The black silhouette of a man silently looking down at her spoke for the first time.
“...Hey.”
Ciel jerked her head up at his cold voice.
“Eek....”
A massive killing intent began radiating before her eyes. Ciel clutched her stomach and trembled.
“I told you not to use techniques that reveal your identity.”
After some time passed.
-Thud....
Ciel stared up at him, trembling for a long while before dropping to her knees and planting her sword in the ground.
“I lost....”
Her voice choking with tears, she admitted defeat for the first time in her life.
“I.... have been defeated....”
Before swordsmen around the world watching the arena, the third slave of Gossip Gallery Eraser was born.
Footnotes:
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