WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

[Translator – Aren]

◈Chapter 264 If it Exists (2)

Not trying to help, huh… But was that really true? Did she really just step in because it bothered her, and it just so happened to benefit me?

Clatter!

“Excuse me for a moment. Is there by any chance……”

Just as I was caught up in inevitable suspicions, since I was being pursued, the inn’s door opened rather roughly. The newcomer was a young man of the Curety tribe with long, floppy ears like a puppy, holding a long sword in his arms.

He was a bit short, so he might be a teenager… but that wasn’t what really mattered. Whether he was a teenager or in his twenties, the fact that he was dressed in silk meant he wasn’t someone you could afford to mess with.

“Ah, Madam Knight!”

And it looked like the newcomer and the woman who had saved me knew each other. The Curety youth’s face lit up the moment he spotted the turquoise-haired woman.

On the other hand, the turquoise-haired woman… didn’t particularly change her expression. Still, the smile painted onto her face seemed to carry a trace of annoyance and irritation. At least, that was how I read it.

“Madam Knight, how could you just leave me behind like that?!”

“Lower your voice, Jardin. It makes you look uncultured.”

“Ugh. Th-that was my mistake……”

“…Knight?”

Just then, the innkeeper muttered to herself, since there was a rather loaded word in their exchange.

“…A-a knight?”

I had figured that she wasn’t an ordinary person, but a knight?

…There wasn’t even a single weapon anywhere on her body. Not by her waist, not on her back, and not strapped to her thighs, wrists, or legs.

“…We’re screwed.”

“Shut up……”

Well, I had already said thank you, and it wasn’t really like I had any reason to step in, so I just quietly watched this scene unfold before me.

The adventurers who had tried to push me around seemed to have similar ideas. They probably realized that she was too big a deal to mess with any further, even if she had overturned their table and gotten in the way of their work.

“But Madam Knight, if you’ve got something to do, could you at least leave a message saying where you’re going? I was so startled when you weren’t there anymore after I came out of the shop.”

“Right. I’ll think about it next time.”

I mean, who wouldn’t get the hint after they tossed out the word Knight so often?

“…So, why did you come here?”

“I thought someone I know might be here.”

“Gasp, really? Where are they?”

“It seems I was mistaken. Let’s go.”

“Ah, yes.”

Whether it was lucky or unlucky, the Knight didn’t spare us a second glance. She ignored even the fact that the adventurers had nearly picked a fight with her in the beginning.

She disregarded us completely, as if even the effort it would have taken to deal with the aftermath didn’t seem worth it. Not just the adventurers, but me as well.

Ding.

With the soft chime of the bell, that whirlwind of a person vanished as fast as she had arrived.

“So I didn’t… get caught?”

If I had been, it wouldn’t have just ended like this. I was a wanted criminal now, and if she really was a real knight, she would have been obligated to arrest me—or even if she wasn’t, there was no reason for her to just let a criminal sitting right in front of her go.

But to just walk away like that, without even registering my presence? It probably meant she didn’t recognize me and helped me on a whim. That was probably it.

Still… It left a strange, uncomfortable aftertaste in my mouth.

“…Hmm.”

I mean, it wasn’t exactly common for a knight to just go around, helping random people, and the fact that she just so happened to help me felt a bit too convenient.

… Or, maybe not? Could it be that it was common? It wasn’t like I ever really saw any knights around. Unless one was dealing with a City Lord or someone on that level, it was pretty rare to run into one, so I didn’t really know if they usually did these kinds of things or not.

“L-let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

Hm. In my opinion, a knight like her wouldn’t bother showing up at a shabby inn like this without good reason… She did mention that she thought someone she knew might be here…… Hmm……

Instead of pushing further, I glanced sideways at the adventurers trying to quietly sneak out, drenched in sweat—probably they wanted to leave in case that knight came back.

Were they really picking a fight just by chance, or was there some sort of intention behind that?

“Hey, young man.”

What about the innkeeper?

“What should I do about your food? Should I bring something fresh……?”

… Well, maybe that might be a bit too far-fetched.

I forced the paranoia that was about to spill out in every direction back down. Sure, I was on the run, but distrusting everything like this was going too far.

“No, that’s alright. I was just about finished eating anyway.”

Keeping up that level of suspicion would turn me into a paranoid wreck long before it actually helped me avoid some real danger. And if that were to happen, my daily life would become extremely tiring. And considering that this fugitive lifestyle of mine could drag on for years, this mindset would only shorten my lifespan.

“I’ll help clean up.”

“Oh, no need for that……”

“I’ve got some time to spare anyway. And besides, I did get a free meal. It’s fine; go take care of the other customers.”

So unless I had solid evidence or circumstantial justification, I decided to refrain from any wild speculations.

With that in mind, I set the table upright again and gathered the scattered dishes.

The innkeeper looked a bit apologetic but eventually left to deal with other tasks that had piled up. There were adventurers she needed to collect payment from, and other customers were beginning to glance over, trying to place their orders, so she didn’t really have any other choice.

Clatter.

Wearing gloves all the time because I never knew when I might have to release my Disguise skill, my hands quietly stacked the dishes back onto the table.

.

.

.

“This method won’t get us anywhere, even if we keep trying for a hundred days.”

“Huh?”

Meanwhile, outside the inn, to where the adventurers had fled in a hurry.

“I wasn’t speaking to you.”

“R-right.”

“More importantly, Jardin, my sword.”

“H-here it is.”

Completely ignoring the clueless greenhorns following after her, the blue-haired knight took her sword from him and lifted it.

This was a keepsake left behind by the former Knight Commander. A blade that had been specially made for someone like her—someone who couldn’t become a wizard but possessed far too much Arcane Power to be an ordinary knight – Bernstein. It shimmered with a gentle glow, without a single blemish.

“But why the sword……?”

“That’s a strange question.”

It was a mysterious blade, tinged in a deep amber hue, that rather than splitting light, seemed to reflect it in crystal clarity, like a newly lit fire.

“Does a knight need a reason or explanation to check their own blade?

“S-sorry……”

She didn’t particularly favor it, but it was quite beautiful. With that idle thought, Emerald slid the sword back into its scabbard.

The 1.30 m long blade, crafted for its original owner, who had been 1.90 m tall, without consideration for its future users, perfectly slid into its wooden sheath.

“E-erm, then… about what you said earlier… Were you serious?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Erm… You said earlier… You had been mistaken about something.”

Meanwhile, Jardin, her attendant and newly appointed squire, hesitantly asked another question. Despite training hard and dreaming of becoming a knight, he hadn’t managed to slim down one bit, but that somehow made his every action appear quite endearing.

“Is that such a strange thing to warrant questioning?”

“No, that’s not what I meant… It’s just, you’re not the kind of person to make mistakes, that’s all……”

“That’s true.”

“…Would it be alright if I asked who that person you said you know is?”

Still, the way he kept asking questions even after being shut down so much, and his clear interest in her was starting to get annoying.

Emerald quietly looked down at her attendant. When her jade-colored eyes kept gazing at him. Jardin averted his gaze, lowering his head to hide his trembling eyes.

“Forgive me if I overstepped……”

“Good. As long as you know.”

With that, she shoved the sheathed sword back into Jardin’s arms and continued to walk.

“Dame Emerald!”

Before long, someone came running up ahead. Dressed in matching uniforms bearing spears. The crest on their chest made it clear that they were part of this city’s guard.

“There’s been a lead on the Demon.”

“Ah, has it been found?”

“Finally!”

The soldier spoke between gasps for breath, to which Emerald and Jardin reacted in their own ways.

Jardin’s response was particularly loud, but Emerald didn’t bother to correct him. Even if it wasn’t in line with her ideal for a knight’s virtue, pointing that out just seemed like too much effort.

“If we’ve found a lead, that means we’ll be able to catch the Demon soon, right, Madam Knight?”

“Who knows? We can’t be sure of that yet.”

“But you are the Chief Knight, Madam Knight.”

More than anything, the news of the Demon being found was quite welcome to her as well. After all, that Demon was responsible for at least half the reason why she had ended up in this bothersome, boring, and filthy town and why her assignment had dragged on for so long.

“Once we catch this thing, the dispatch mission will be fully wrapped up… and I’ll finally return to Munmund after a whole year.”

“Enough. I’ve held my tongue, but your arrogance is now reaching for the heavens. Or are you suddenly feeling like doing the hunting yourself?”

“Ah… I-I’m sorry.”

She briefly reflected on the year she had spent on the traditional knightly exchange between the two knight academies in Tsechebator and Munmund.

Originally, she should have returned to Munmund over two weeks ago… But the damned Lord of Mannafeld had pushed one last external mission onto her before she left since it was on the way anyway. And even if she had been technically a volunteer, the circumstances had made refusal almost impossible.

“And you, start leading the way.”

“Y-yes!”

One day, both that Lord and the one who forced her to volunteer would pay the price for their decisions.

The knight, who had been forced to do someone else's damn work without even getting any travel pay or compensation, quietly gripped her sword.

* * *

He had finally been granted permission to meet Surging Azure Lake.

And so, Meister couldn’t help but hold some doubts as he held the authorization in his hand, wondering, ‘What’s gotten into those Temple bastards?’ or ‘Are those brats trying to set up some sort of trap?’ which was a perfectly reasonable suspicion for a wizard.

“What is this?”

“If you’re coming in, come all the way in. Why are you loitering at the door like that?”

But contrary to his expectations, those church guys made no effort to eavesdrop on their conversation, nor did they seem eager to use this as some sort of leverage.

Mesiter’s brows furrowed.

“I just thought that those idiots were being stupid again.”

“And you still dragged yourself all the way here thinking that?”

“You must’ve done such an amazing job for you to have gotten hauled in here then?”

Good. Judging by how that old geezer was talking, it really didn’t seem like there were any surveillance tools around.

Still, just in case, Meister decided to watch his mouth a bit and refrain from saying anything unnecessary. Meanwhile, Surging Azure Lake, who didn’t seem to have much else to say, turned around with a weak sigh.

“I hear they’ll be leaving soon.”

“Is that so?”

Although he didn’t mention who exactly, there was no reason for him to not understand. Meister instantly grasped who he meant and raised an eyebrow.

“And?”

“I figured you’d go after them.”

“Me?”

Moreover, he didn’t bother hiding his sour expressions at those words. Him? Go after them? Why?

“…Seems like she’d been mistaken.”

“Is that what the Archmage said?”

“Yes.”

“Hm.”

Well, it wasn’t that far off, since it wasn’t like he had never considered going along on their journey.

But for him, not following them seemed like the better option. To be a bit more precise, he had more reason to stay than to leave.

That was why he had decided not to go with them.

“…Is it because of me?”

“Half of it..”

“And the other half?”

“Battery research and commissions?”

Well, looking after his grandfather was one thing, but Meister had plenty of other tasks piled up as well. For example, the battery research that he had gotten some hints on thanks to this recent incident, or the recreation of commissioned items that had vanished during the incident.

“If that’s all it is, then go with them.”

“……?”

“…You’ve heard about the Oracle, right?”

“I heard about it, so?”

Wasn’t it the first time in ages that God, who usually was a passive observer who never went beyond appointing a Hero, had actually intervened?

He had never cared about it much himself, but the priests had been so worked up over it that he had heard the details quite early on. He just ignored it since it didn’t have anything to do with him.

“Then you must know the latter half of the Oracle as well.”

But if his grandfather was the one bringing it up, that changed everything.

Meister narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses with his index finger.

“…Of course I know.”

The moment he first heard the Oracle, he had instantly realized who ‘The one who is lost’ was.

After all, considering that God hadn’t even warned them of the Bemurchen incident but personally mentioned this person in their Oracle, that alone proved how valuable the subject had to be. Either someone capable of causing an even worse incident or someone as important as the Hero.

But how many people like that existed in this world? And on top of that, God had even used the word ‘lost’ to describe them.

Thus, in Meister’s judgement, there could be only one person who fit that Oracle. Someone who housed a Great Demon, who had slain two Primordial Beasts and two Great Demons, and had accomplished all of it while their memories were still not fully intact.

“…If, by any chance.”

Of course, that didn’t mean the person he thought of fit ‘lost’ in the most literal sense, but if one interpreted it as a metaphor, it wasn't too far off. After all, someone living without their memories might very well seem like they were wandering around aimlessly.

So then, the Oracle was referring to the Demon Knight. It most likely was about him.

“If I were to go.”

And now, his grandfather was talking about it here?

…His grandfather, who had spoken of qualifications as he let the Demon Knight go?

“Would you tell me what that ‘qualification’ you mentioned really means?”

That could only mean that there was still something more to this. Something only his grandfather knew.

Meister’s violet eyes gleamed.

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