WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

[Translator – Aren]

◈Chapter 261 If (9)

Akata found herself feeling a complex mix of emotions as she looked at the bracelets being sold off so easily, solely because the creator’s identity was hidden and because a certain someone was surely waiting back at the inn. It was a strange feeling that made her feel like scoffing and laughing.

“Still, I did make some money, so……”

If it had only been popular among the city people, it wouldn’t have brought in that much money, but once the trend reached the wizards, the rewards turned sweet. She hadn’t quite hit her million-gal target, but for a girl her age—or really, even for most villagers—it was quite a sum to earn.

“It’s not just some money. This is a huge amount for the product you were selling.”

Akata shrugged at her senior Chelsea’s remark. Even at that moment, all three pairs of her arms were busy making bracelets, weaving tassels, and knitting blankets.

“And now you’re even taking custom orders.”

“It’s only three people though.”

“And all three of them were wizards. And not just them, two of them even specialized in item crafting! That’s something you can be really proud of!”

At Chelsea’s exaggerated enthusiasm, Akata rolled her eyes.

Then she admitted it. This definitely was something she could be proud of. Especially now, with the Bemurchen branch of the Magic Tower, the heart of magic tool creation, completely collapsed due to an unprecedented disaster.

“Plus, wizards are the type to get fixated on things. If one wizard starts using something, it often spreads to others. It’s definitely going to take off.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. Even the Leader’s been giving you full support lately because he thinks you’ve got what it takes.”

Well, that was true. Even taking into account that this merchant group was known for treating its workers well, things like giving her a full week off and sourcing all her materials for free went beyond simple employee benefits. It was an investment, betting on her potential to form a business connection with the wizards.

“Still, even if I do build those connections… I don’t think it’ll really change anything.”

“Well, I guess. But in times like these, just having a good relationship with an item crafter is already a huge advantage. Especially considering how important the Hudelen Magic Tower branch is going to become.”

In the South, the Hudelen Tower was second only to Bemurchen when it came to item production. If one considered that Bemurchen used to supply 60% of its goods to the North and about 30% to the South, it meant Hudelen might now take a slightly, very slightly, larger share.

It seemed like 40% of the items distributed to the South came from Hudelen, and 39% from Bemurchen.

But the real issue wasn’t whether Hudelen or Bemurchen had the bigger share. What truly mattered was that a supply source responsible for nearly half of the region’s distribution had suddenly collapsed.

So where would those 39% of clients who had just lost their business partner go? With demand unchanged and supply sharply reduced, how could the prices still stay the same? And what about the value of the craftsmen who could still produce those items?

In that sense, just establishing a connection with these producers was already pretty meaningful, just as Chelsea said. Enough so to the point that merchant groups and their leaders, who made a living off chasing profits, would be incredibly happy with even that level of progress.

“Well……”

And thinking about it a little more, that connection wasn’t a bad thing for her either. If they got a bit more familiar with each other, then maybe later down the line, she could expect a bit of consideration when trying to purchase items.

She wasn’t even hoping for discounts or guaranteed priority access. Just being spared from instant rejection when a merchant notices that the request came from a complete nobody.

Especially since she was in a position where she had to place a request as soon as possible. Akata thought about the person waiting for her back at the inn again.

“Ah, it’s done.”

“Seriously?!”

In the meantime, one of Akata’s arms, almost moving on autopilot, finished the product. The thread bracelets and wrist warmers had already been completed, and she was currently in the process of making new ones, and the item she’d just finished was the blanket. One of the custom orders from the wizards.

Chelsea, who had been doing paperwork in the same room Akata was using—or more accurately, the room he had normally been using but was repurposed to double as Akata’s workshop—suddenly slapped his desk and stood up. His excitement could have been spotted from miles away.

“So now all that’s left is the delivery, right?”

“Just a second. Let me check for defects first.”

Akata, on the other hand, calmly examined the quality of the finished product. The blanket, which was distinctly different from the currently trending styles, feeling more exotic, unfurled with a single wave of her hand. Maybe it was thanks to the high-quality thread, but it didn’t feel all that heavy even though it was pretty thick. Even those weak wizards would be able to carry these around comfortably. 

“How is it?”

“All good.”

“Alright. I’ll go deliver it then!”

“Ah. About that. Would it be okay if I delivered it myself? I’ll just hide the fact that it was me who made it.”

Besides, the Magic Tower wasn’t the kind of place that would be offended just because someone with eight eyes ran an errand. If anything, they would probably be more eager to be nice to her, considering how much effort they were putting into forming ties with the Great Forest.

“If you say so, I won’t stop you…… But why?”

“I want to take a look at their magic items.”

“Oh…… Well, if that’s the case, then sure. Go ahead.”

Alright. Watching Chelsea sit back down, Akata neatly folded the blanket and put it into wrapping. Wrapped in linen cloth and tied with a ribbon, the product looked proper enough.

“I’ll be back soon.”

With a spring in her step, the girl bounced out of the merchant group building.

【Akata.】

【Huh. Miss Aori.】

If the person who was supposed to be waiting at the inn hadn’t been standing right in front of the building, she would have probably gone all the way to the Magic Tower.

【What brings you here?】

【The innkeeper didn’t seem particularly fond of our group, so I came out for some sightseeing. And I thought while I was already out, I might as well take the opportunity to see where you work with my own eyes.】

【I see.】

【Where are you off to?】

【I have a delivery to make at the Magic Tower.】

【I see. Perfect timing then. I’ve been wanting to visit the Tower myself. Would you mind if I accompanied you?】

【Not at all.】

She held not the slightest bit of fondness for the members of her birthplace, but for the Warchief, who had been part of another tribe, and for its priestess—it seemed like she was no longer just the priestess of that tribe but had recently been promoted as a Priestess of the Swamp—Akata had no issue showing them kindness.

Nodding, Akata stepped ahead to lead the way.

【What about the others?】

【They are most likely roaming around the city like me. Now that we’ve delivered the food and herbs, we have completed our objective for coming here.】

Here was the basis for that statement.

Not long ago, the Great Forest officially learned of the Bemurchen incident. In response to that tragic disaster, the Warchief had decided to provide ‘material support’ to the victims, both to strengthen their friendly relations with the outside world and to help those who had suffered losses. 

That was why Aori was currently in Hudelen.

【…So, Akata, have you found a supplier yet?】

【Not yet. The price of magic item crafters is currently through the roof……】

【I see.】

Of course, Aori hadn’t just been sent on this mission just because she was one of the Warchief’s most trusted aides. No, perhaps that really was the reason.

After all, the fact that the Demon Knight was still staying in the Great Forest was extremely confidential. So the only reason that both Aori and Akata were privy to that information had to mean that they had the Warchief’s absolute trust.

The reason the Warchief had sent Aori personally was probably to have her speak directly with Akata to eliminate any risk of information leaks.

【However, the person I’m delivering this to is an item crafter. If things go well, I might get a referral to an illusion magic specialist.】

【That’s good to hear. It must have been hard to find all this out. I’m both really grateful and sorry. If I were the one to move, there’s a high chance the Tower Master would notice me……】

【It’s okay. I’m doing this because I want to.】

Akata didn’t fully understand what it meant to be noticed by the Tower Master, but she did understand that Aori absolutely couldn’t act openly. And that was enough for her. Given the kindness she had received from her, putting in this much effort was hardly a burden to her.

【There’s just one big problem though. Like I said earlier, magic items are extremely expensive right now……】

【You don’t have to worry about money.】

It seemed like Aori had also come prepared with a solution to the money problem Akata had been concerned about.

To be more specific, when Akata had sent a letter, saying that she had found a method, and the Warchief replied asking her to try going with that method, they had found a solution.

【In local currency…… we’re currently able to support you up to 3 million gal.】

【T-three million?】

Naturally, that money hadn’t fallen from the sky or something. It came straight from the Black Thunder Snake’s wallet. Or more accurately, it was part of the extra funds he had given them.

【It might be a bit much, but for a fellow tribesperson surviving alone outside your home, this level of investment should be justified, right?】

He probably had intended for her to use this for the wig… Though, ironically, the wig had cost her absolutely nothing.

After much discussion, the Warchief and Aori had decided on how to use these 3 million gal. Trying to return it to the Knight would almost certainly fail, so instead, they decided to use it to buy him another item he would need.

【If the amount still isn’t enough, then……】

【I think it’ll be enough. Probably.】

【That’s good to hear. But just in case, I’ll notify the merchant group. If you need more, borrow it. We’ll pay your debt.】

【Hmm, okay. But what if there’s any money left over?】

【If there’s any left, then you keep it. It was given to us as support funds in the first place, so we can’t just give it back to begin with.】

And because that was how it was supposed to appear to begin with. That’s why all of the money would go to Akata. However, what appeared to be support funds on the surface was actually meant to help her acquire a certain item.

【Also, the 500,000 gal I’m giving you now isn’t part of those support funds. This is yours, Akata. You don’t need to spend it on the magic tool. If the funds aren’t enough, just borrow it from the merchant group. Use this money solely for yourself, Akata.】

【Are you sure?】

【We should’ve done this for you long ago. Don’t hesitate and accept it.】

Of course, exploiting the label “support funds” without actually providing her with any would have been seriously unlike the Warchief, so Aori handed her the money the Warchief had saved up for Akata himself.

It felt like the rock that had been weighing down her heart ever since Akata left was finally lifted.

* * *

Today, the Lord of Bemurchen passed away suddenly. The likely cause was overwork.

Fortunately, his death didn’t plunge the city into chaos. With support from other cities arriving one after the other—even a support force sent from Munmund in the northeast had finally reached this area—the situation had stabilized somewhat, and recovery efforts had just begun to show some progress.

“Why so sad? In the end, the guy only ever prioritized the nobles anyway……”

“Shut up. If it weren’t for Lord Bemurchen, we all would’ve long been dead.”

“Tsk……”

However, it wasn’t like his death had no impact at all. Even the citizens who used to complain about the food rations going to the soldiers first and priests who had taken offense when he spoke out against the Church mourned him. They all silently paid tribute to him.

Maybe it was because he had truly served and devoted his entire life as a City Lord. Once he died, the sentiment of 'He wasn’t really so bad’ began to spread everywhere.

Perhaps the shock caused by his death had dulled the sharpness of all their anger that had piled up over time. A few weeks ago, when food was scarce, things might have been different, but right now things were stable.

“Idiots.”

Still, his deep-seated sentiment that he was nothing but a damn fool simply wouldn’t vanish.

Meister suddenly found himself wondering if he even needed to stay in this city anymore.

He had taken this path because he wanted to be like his grandfather, and he didn’t want to watch his comrades die meaningless deaths ever again. His whole focus had been on research that helped the weak, but even he couldn’t deny the wave of disappointment this situation had left him with.

“I’m seriously sick of all this……”

Of course, he wasn’t going to abandon his goal of improving life for all just because of a few garbage individuals. That goal came from something higher and more important than petty resentment and contempt towards others.

Still, did he really need to keep serving the people who had disappointed him so severely? Was wanting to help everyone really the same as protecting even those who made everything worse for everyone?

“……”

As Meister’s thoughts had reached that point, he let out a deep sigh, recalling his grandfather, that damn old man.

* * *

The Mountain Lord, who seemed to have gotten a taste for mooching lunchboxes for himself while offering me food, now visited me almost daily.

Thanks to that, I no longer ended up eating disgusting stuff or skipping meals just because preparing food was annoying… But like, wasn’t I getting a bit too comfortable here? I feel like I even put on some weight because I ate and rested pretty well. Was this really fine?

Every day, I wavered between ‘This probably isn’t fine’ and ‘But no one’s really stopping me from leaving, so.’ And then, on the 14th day, I closed my inventory with a feeling I couldn’t quite name.

It was filled with supplies I had harvested from the farming patch the Mountain Lord had made for me and several types of herbs I had gathered with the help of his advice. It seriously was no time to leave.

“Black Thunder Snake.”

Just as I was about to leave my hideout, I ran into the Mountain Lord and the Warchief. Did they come to stop me again?

“Before you go, would you please accept this?”

But this time, even if they cried, begged, and clung to me, I wasn't going to give in. I tried opening my mouth to make that very clear, but the Warchief, almost as if to mock my resolve, was the first to speak.

For a moment I thought, ‘Is he trying to stop me from leaving again?’ but that thought quickly vanished. In the palm of the boy’s hand lay a pair of round, silver-rimmed glasses and a jewel that looked like an Arcane accessory.

“As long as these glasses are in contact with your body, they can cast an illusion over your irises, changing your eye color. I wasn’t sure what color to choose, but I heard that green eyes are common outside, so I went with that. Even if it’s not to your liking, I hope you won’t ignore our consideration.”

“…What?”

Wait, what? What do you mean? It can create an illusion over what?

“And this is a type of accessory worn on the ear. I was told that it can conceal the scar near your mouth while you wear it. I believe it’ll be very useful on your journey.”

And that earring? Did he just say that it could hide the scar on my face? And whether they would help me on my journey?

… Of course, they would since they could change my eye color and conceal the scar, but how did they know?

“…Why are you giving this to me?”

While I had been trying to alter my appearance just in case someone was trying to track me down, I had pretty much given up after failing quite a few times… So how did the Warchief know to get me this stuff?

Could I really accept this?

Instead of reaching out to take the glasses and earring, I swallowed hard, my throat tight. My voice came out as a low, strained growl.

“I don’t really know what you mean by that. Could you explain?”

“What’s the reason you’re doing all this?”

“Aah.”

I could at least justify why they let me stay. There were some rational reasons I could come up with, like it wasn’t costing them anything—I basically paid for the supplies I asked them to get, so that didn’t count.

But this… This……

“I often think this, but it seems like you’re not accustomed to kindness. You always ask similar questions.”

Well. Rather than being someone unaccustomed to kindness, I’d say I became unaccustomed to it.

Also, there was a limit to kindness with no strings. Anyone would feel quite burdened when receiving expensive items like these. Yeah. It simply was too expensive to just accept. Even if I didn’t know the exact price, I couldn’t just take it like this.

“But, benefactor, this isn’t a gift from me or the people of the forest. It’s from Akata.”

And when I heard that name, any words that were meant to refuse the gift ended up caught in my throat. I thought of the bracelet that had burned away before I could do anything, again, and the one I handed off with my own hands.

“Do you remember her?”

There was no way I could ever forget that child.

“I bet that kid would be really happy if she heard you remember her.”

B-but why would she? What money or affection for me did that child hold for her to just gift me something like that……?

“Why would she……?”

“Aori told me that Akata has adjusted well to life outside the forest. Well enough that she now wishes to repay the kindness she received.”

“This is too much.”

“Perhaps it is. But it will definitely help you on your journey, benefactor. That alone will bring joy and satisfaction to Akata.”

“I can’t accept thi─”

“Don’t refuse. That child also hopes for you not to reject her gift.”

I tried to say something.

But my mouth clamped shut looking at the item that gently lay in that open palm. Then, the boy’s other hand reached up and carefully pulled off my eyepatch.

“Green eyes suit you.”

Damn these little kids. The words that got stuck in my throat just clawed at my insides instead.

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