WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

[Translator – Aren]

◈Chapter 265 If It Exists (3)

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

Meister’s eyes, gleaming in their original color, locked onto his grandfather. His gaze was filled with barely concealed anticipation and excitement.

“No.”

However, despite having read all those emotions, Surging Azure Lake cut him down without any hesitation. Meister's expression, showing that he had been looking forward to this, immediately turned cold, chilling the air around him. Not even the warm chestnut hue or soft pink of his hair could hide the winter that had settled on his face.

“Damn it, then why are you telling me to go, huh?”

Meister pushed his glasses up by the bridge using only his middle finger while folding the others in a quite deliberate manner.

“And where exactly did you leave your manners?”

“Sold them off ages ago.”

“……”

Of course, Surging Azure Lake was long used to his grandson’s temperament. He exhaled a long breath, sipping from the tea his friend had brought him. ‘Aren’t you gonna offer me some?’ His grandson definitely cursed at him using his eyes.

“I’ll say it again. I won’t tell you ‘that’.”

“Sure. Of course, you won’t… Tsk.”

But it didn’t really matter either way.

Surging Azure Lake came to that decision. No matter how he acted, he was a very sharp brat. So after being told this much, he definitely would be able to put the pieces together.

“……”

And sure enough, his grandson shut up as if he had just realized something. Truly, he was the type to barely cover up his fatal flaws with his couple of strengths—his brains and some vague sense of duty.

Clink. As more tea was poured into the cup, Surging Azure Lake’s lips moved again.

“Still, it’s not like this suggestion is bad for you.”

“…Why?”

“Because even if you stay here, there’s nothing you can actually do.”

It was nice and warm. Savoring the heat that spread over his palms, Surging Azure Lake slowly sipped the tea.

“The workshop’s gone. So are your materials and money. And knowing your personality, there’s no way you had any kind of savings hidden somewhere, so it’s not like you can get any funds in a pinch.”

Of course, the tea was terrible compared to what he used to drink. Regardless of his personal taste, the leaves themselves were just poor quality.

“How do you plan to conduct your research in this situation? What about all the custom commissions you had? If the clients are kind, they might grant you an extension, but if anyone demands a full refund, you’ve got nothing to give them.”

However, considering this current mess and what was to come, even drinking this subpar tea could be seen as some sort of luxury.

So Surging Azure Lake voiced no complaints and instead waited for his tongue to adjust to this low-quality product. Though, honestly speaking, it seemed more likely that he would give up drinking tea entirely before that happened.

“… Sure, I’m in a tight spot, but going with those guys isn’t going to fix any of that, is it?”

“Becoming the Hero’s companion makes for a pretty strong excuse. Who’d be able to refuse to be lenient, at the risk of being called a heretic?”

“That’s just plain extortion.”

“Don’t act like you’re new to that.”

“……”

Meister frowned at Surging Azure Lake’s words. He couldn’t outright deny them, but they still left a bad taste in his mouth. His face made that more than obvious. He really was a funny brat.

“I’ll take care of any problems that come up, even if you ask for special treatment. As your grandfather, I can at least do that much.”

"You took an even bigger hit than me, though?”

“Do you think I’d put all my eggs in one basket?”

And he was serious about that. Sure, the Magic Tower was on the verge of collapse, but could he really have less money than some lone freelancer? It wasn’t like Surging Azure Lake had lost everything overnight just because of a single incident. He had spent his whole life building up wealth, after all.

“I have some investments in other cities. I can cash those out and borrow from other Tower Masters. That should be enough to put out the worst of the fires.”

“Oh……”

As the saying went, even when going bankrupt, the rich still last for three generations. Suring Azure Lake was no exception. The core of his assets might have been destroyed, but he still had plenty of funds scattered here and there.

“So, don’t worry about this place and just go with them.”

“Still……”

“More than that, you don’t actually want to help these people, do you?”

But what truly surprised Meister wasn’t the part about Surging Azure Lake still having money, but his final remark.

His raised eyebrows expressed that flicker of surprise. It was quite unexpected.

“You say that with quite some certainty.”

“I know exactly how much you hate “sacrifices for the greater good”. And there’s no way you’d be happy with this situation. You don’t even love this city enough to push through that dislike.”

From the very beginning until now, Meister had always been rather transparent about his likes and dislikes.

And because of that, Surging Azure Lake had a general idea—if not a complete grasp—about his grandson’s preferences. So this prediction shouldn’t have been all too surprising.

“I’m not exactly sacrificing myself here.”

“But they’ve still dumped responsibility on you, right? Because you’re the most capable, because you can solve things the fastest.”

He could more or less guess how people outside would try to use Meister. His grandson had an annoyingly large amount of talent after all.

“That’s why I’m telling you to just go, instead of doing things you absolutely hate. Whether you stay here or go with them, either way it’s not like you’ll be able to focus on research. So wouldn’t it be better to choose the path that gives you a bit more free time in that case?”

But why should all that talent be used only for this city?

Surging Azure Lake raised his head and looked into his grandson’s violet eyes. They were once mottled; now they were a single hue after the lingering effects of his experiments had faded.

He had brought this child to the city so that he could live freely, not bind him to this place.

Just because he himself loved this city didn’t mean his grandson needed to do the same.

“People always say that those with ability should use it for the good of all, but the ones who say that often forget that those capable ones are also just people.”

“That’s the foolishness of man.”

“…If you really wanted to stay because you cared about this city, I wouldn't have any problem with it. But if not, don’t let guilt keep you from making the choice that’s better for your life. This city won’t fall apart just because you leave, and if you stay out of some superficial sense of goodwill, all you’ll get is exploited and disappointed.”

“I won’t get paid for going with those guys either.”

“But you will get to see the world instead, something you missed out on. And if they’re chasing Demons, the byproducts from their prey can be sold for quite some coin.”

“…The people of this city might curse me out.”

“So, is that what’s stopping you from going?”

“As if.”

Good. That was the answer he wanted to hear.

Surging Azure Lake looked at his grandson, who would no doubt just pick his ears while the people slandered him, with satisfaction. Objectively speaking, that kind of personality couldn’t be called praiseworthy, but that didn’t matter. As a grandfather, he didn’t give a damn how others felt as long as his grandson could live comfortably.

“But honestly, I don’t think there’s much I could actually do by following the Hero.”

“Who knows?”

Still… He hoped that this ill-tempered grandson of his would at least not cause someone’s reputation to hit rock bottom and maybe even be of some help for once. Surging Azure Lake set down his teacup, thinking about the biggest reason why he wanted to send his grandson out of this city.

“You’ve got that commission, don’t you?”

“…Wait, you mean that?”

“You’ve already taken the payment, and that request must be delivered.”

The Divine Energy filter that the Archmage had custom ordered had to be delivered.

“This has to be done.”

That was the only way.

* * *

Maybe it was because I helped when I didn’t really have to. The innkeeper gave me a fair bit of preferential treatment for the one night I stayed.

She gave me slightly larger food portions, offering me lemon water that usually would cost extra—little things.

But just accepting that and not saying anything? That wasn’t like me, and most certainly not like my character, right?

So, in return for these little perks, I helped to clean or carried heavy things whenever I could… and somehow that led to me nearly getting introduced to the innkeeper’s daughter. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she had left to work at the barracks, I might not have been able to escape.

“If you stayed just one more night… I’d even let you stay for half the price.”

“Haha……”

Getting a night at half the price was certainly tempting, but not if the price was being set up for a blind date……

“I’m not saying this just because of that, you know? Young man, you said you’re heading to Mannafeld, right? Don’t you know how dangerous the roads are right now? Haven’t you heard the rumors saying that a Demon has been spotted near the roads leading that way?”

“Ah, that rumor.”

Besides, the debuffs from my Disguise skill were starting to reach dangerous levels. I could put up with the lowered defense, resistance, and increased damage intake, but now the dot damage per second was becoming too much for me to ignore.

I really needed to leave.

“I have heard about that… But didn’t the city send out a hunting party? Shouldn't it be fine?”

Fortunately, during my walk yesterday, I had learned that this city had sent twenty soldiers, plus one knight dispatched from Mannafeld—presumably because the Demon was closer to this place than there—to hunt the Demon.

That should be enough, right? With priests among the hunting party, even if I had to pass nearby them, it should be fine.

“True… but wouldn’t it be better to leave after they took care of the Demon?”

“I’d love to, but I’m on a tight schedule.”

From my tests back in the Great Forest, I knew I could maintain the Disguise skill for about five days at most. And only by keeping my HP hovering just above the danger zone right before I was in danger of dying.

But would they be able to locate and slay the Demon within those five days? I doubted that. Just finding it, fighting it, and making it back to the city would already take a lot of time.

So in that case, it was better to leave early and quietly slip past them before anything happened. After all, it wasn’t like I was going to get attacked by that Demon.

“You really are stubborn……”

“Haha. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t laugh, or I might become attached.”

“If I ever have a reason to come back to this town, I’ll make sure to stop by again.”

“Sure, sure. And if possible, come before I marry off my daughter.”

I smiled softly at the innkeeper, who couldn’t quite keep her desires hidden even until the end. I probably wouldn’t ever get to return to this place, but sometimes, ignorance really was bliss.

“Goodbye.”

“Stay safe!”

“I will.”

I dipped my head politely, then adjusted my slipping glasses.

Unlike Bemürchen, located at the easternmost coastline, my next destination, Mannafeld, lay all the way to the western edge of the eastern region.

* * *

[You’ve hidden well.]

Beneath a galaxy woven from dozens of connected chandeliers, someone seated atop a massive throne in a grand hall opened their eyes. The horns on their head, seeming like a crown, and their colorless white skin made it abundantly clear that they weren’t a normal person.

[But if you’ve hidden, then stay hidden forever. I will not die so easily to your fiery rage.]

Letting out a breath tinged with a blue hue, the figure pushed away from the throne’s backrest, which was even higher than themselves. It had the crest of Venus carved into it in a way that made it seem like a glowing halo behind them.

The armrest beneath their hand was no ordinary piece either. It was shaped from a sculpted hand protruding from the wall, seamlessly fused with the throne itself. Veins and wrinkles were carved into the marble with such realism that it felt as though a corpse’s hand had been preserved and used for decoration.

Aaaaaaaaah─

Behind the throne, thousands of angelic statues carved into the wall silently mouthed voiceless hymns, filling the grand hall.

[Adam.]

Savoring the song, the figure reached for the scepter resting on their lap and gripped it with one hand.

Thump.

They lifted it slightly and then brought it down again, striking the lake that served as the floor, to which the surface slightly rebounded. The ripples spread out in concentric rings before fading.

Beneath the dark and fathomless waters of the lake, a massive shadow appeared.

─Did you call for me?

Then the lake’s surface began to bubble, and from the foam the outline of a creature emerged. The constantly collapsing and reforming shape due to the fragility of the bubbles resembled something between a wolf and a lion.

[Prepare the ancient magic.]

Slowly crossing one leg over the other, they let the slit of their robes fall open in multiple folds. Strange characters, a language unfit for a person’s tongue, drifted across the pale skin of their revealed leg.

Protection, Dominion, Master. As the ancient words layered over each other, the hall’s banners shimmered with a faint glow, and the spells etched into them pulsed.

[I shall cast a stone of change into a world frozen still.]

Pride. The last spell bloomed.

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