WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

[Translator – Aren]

◈ Chapter 324 If Only I Could (10)

At first I thought there was way too much food, but once I started eating, I ended up clearing most of the dishes.

Once again feeling amazed at how much this body’s stomach could hold, I sipped the tea that had been served for dessert. Maybe they’d taken into account how hard it would be to digest after overeating, because instead of being rich and heavy, the tea was light and refreshing.

"I should get going."

"...You’re leaving?”

But before she’d even finished her tea, the Archmage checked the time, startled, and shot to her feet. She either had something urgent to do or simply hadn’t expected things to get this late.

"I still have work left to do.”

But her next words made it obvious enough. Of course, there was still plenty of work left to be done to restore the city.

"Is there anything I can help with?”

I downed the rest of the tea in one gulp and asked. I’d been treated to such a good meal, and sitting around doing nothing wasn’t going to accomplish anything. I figured I might as well help somehow.

"No. You stay here and get some proper rest.”

But the Archmage immediately shot that idea down. Her voice was firm enough to sound almost stern.

"But……”

"It’s fine. You’ve more than earned the right to rest.”

"...Still, just sitting around feels a bit…”

I might have contributed the most in taking down the Great Demon, but the Inquisitor had done just as much, hadn’t she? And she was probably still out there working herself to the bone.

Wouldn’t it make sense for me to work as well? Or was my particular situation making things awkward?

"...No. I guess it would be difficult for me to help, huh?”

Then again…now that I thought about it, the Inquisitor and I were in very different positions. She had plenty of versatile skills like healing and purification, while I’d dumped everything I had into combat.

So at best, I’d be filling in for guards or patrolmen… And if I did that, the Temple might get provoked. My mere existence tended to make them incredibly uncomfortable after all.

"Better to stay put than stir up trouble for no reason, right?”

Put simply, it was high risk, low reward. That was enough to convince me that staying here was the right call. “Wait……” The Archmage looked dumbfounded for some reason.

"Did you maybe think I was telling you to rest because I was worried you might…cause friction with the Temple people?”

"...Wasn’t that why?”

Huh? It wasn’t that?

At my answer, the Archmage’s expression hardened.

"That isn’t why I told you to rest. I told you to rest because you’re in a condition where you need to, and because you’re someone that should.”

"But……”

With things like this, was it really okay for me to rest? Seeing my hesitation, she put a hand to her head, seeming greatly troubled. Then she came over and sat me back down in the chair.

Glug, glug, glug. My empty teacup was refilled with cold tea.

"Now. Until just a little while ago, you were basically driven right to the edge of a cliff, and you’ve only just barely managed to step away from it. If this were a physical injury, it'd be like having fractured all the bones in your body along with multiple damaged organs and only treating it with some bandages paired with a bit of medicine and claiming you're fine.”

"I-I don’t think it’s……”

“Be quiet and listen."

The Archmage kindly picked up the refilled cup and placed it in my hands. The way she made sure I held it tightly with both hands made me feel like I’d turned into a child.

"I like your kindness. I think your gentleness is wonderful too. And I think it’s even more admirable that you reach out to others when you’re struggling yourself. There aren’t many people like that in the world.”

Scraape. She moved the table too. It basically left me trapped between the table and the chair, arranged in a way that I’d have to push the table away if I wanted to stand up.

"But I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing. Especially not now, when you’re wearing yourself down so much to help others.”

She even pulled the fruit and snack plates prepared for dessert over in front of me. Anyone looking would think I was greedily trying to eat everything myself.

"Didn’t I tell you before? The world exists because I exist, and only by standing on my own feet can I support others.”

However, the eyes meeting mine were far too warm for me to reject any of it.

“And yet, the way I see you now, you’re putting others first without even holding yourself up. That’s really not good.”

"......"

"So I want you to rest. You’ve sacrificed far too much and endured far too much already. Just this once, I want you to spend your time entirely for yourself.”

I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again. Instead, I checked what the Archmage was rummaging around in her clothes for. It was a bundle of paper.

“I hear you like drawing.”

"...You knew?”

"I’ve never seen it myself."

Saying she’d only heard Deathbringer talk about it, the Archmage placed the pen she had on top of the stack of paper. I had nothing to say to that.

"Draw, or have someone bring you a book and read… Just spend today comfortably. You enjoy baths too, so you could ask them to prepare one.”

"...This feels like too much luxury, though.”

"It’s not. It’s treatment that’s come far too late.”

Lastly, she pushed the bell used to summon the servants into an easy-to-reach spot.

I glanced at it, then fidgeted with the teacup already in my hands. The cup of cold tea felt cool against my fingers.

"Ah, or you could write down the things you were too hurt to say on these sheets of paper. Actually, please do.”

"...I don’t know."

"If you don’t want to, then I can’t make you. Either way, what matters is that you do what you want to do. Stop helping others for once.”

Stop helping others and spend time on myself, huh…… I blinked at the unexpected instruction. My left hand left the teacup and brushed over the stack of paper on the table.

"...Understood. I’ll…give it a try.”

"Good. That’s the right choice.”

At my answer, the Archmage smiled as though relieved.

* * *

"Did I somehow manage to do it……?”

After leaving the room where the Demon Knight, no, the Adventurer, was staying, the Archmage allowed herself to feel some relief. The situation had gone far better than she’d expected, making the worst outcome she’d prepared herself for seem almost ridiculous.

Of course, the reason things could turn out this well was ultimately because the Adventurer had endured so much and had been unbelievably forgiving, but……

"Hmm."

The Archmage sank into thought over the man who had only just managed to admit that he was hurting. She had already noticed it while talking with Meister and Daniel, but he truly was in a dangerous state. The realization stung all over again.

“What should I do from now on?”

What hurt even more was how little she could actually do for him.

After all, what could anything in this world possibly mean to someone who had been dragged here against his will? Gold and jewels, honor, power…all of that would become worthless the moment he returned to where he belonged.

And if Meister’s guess was correct, even finding him after he returned and repaying him would be difficult. 『That guy probably isn’t even from this world, you know? Just look at how casually he brings up knowledge that doesn’t exist here.』Seeking him out in another world to repay him posed some incredible difficulties far beyond any question of whether it was necessary.

Then should she grant some wish of the Adventurer’s? Well, did he even have anything that could be called a wish? Perhaps the best they could do was return his soul to where it belonged.

However, returning his soul to its proper place was less repayment than something they simply ought to do.

The same went for helping him spend those 9 years in peace.

All of those things were matters they should’ve done for him to begin with.

"9 years……"

The problem was that there were very few people willing to do what should have been done.

"I don’t know how the others will react.”

Now that she knew fighting had been painful for him, she no longer had any intention of dragging him back into the party. But would the Temple accept that? Even if the Temple did, would the lords of the north or some of the Magic Tower leave him alone? Wouldn’t they demand that, in exchange for tolerating the vessel of a Great Demon, he contribute to the protection of mankind?

"...No, perhaps that would actually be better."

Of course, if that happened, she could simply use the same logic she’d used to persuade the disgruntled people here. Thinking about it, that kind of hardship might actually be fairly manageable. No, actually, it might be the best possible outcome.

"If he chooses to step forward himself, there’d be no way to persuade him otherwise……”

Compared to the possibility of him growing restless over someone else’s suffering and forcing himself to endure great pain again, outside pressure would at least be something she could argue against.

So this was what people meant when they said being too kind could be a problem. The Archmage thought of the Adventurer, who had barely begun to let go of his own grief before immediately worrying about others again.

Just thinking about it made her stomach ache and her chest feel tight. None of it was the Adventurer’s fault, though.

"So this really is the best I can do for now……”

Given the circumstances, if he chose to act, no one would stop him. Even the Archmage herself, while hoping he wouldn’t step forward, wasn’t confident she could truly stop him if he tried.

She knew people might point fingers at her for being shameless, but there was nothing she could do about it. With the Grand Temple likely in extreme danger, the Adventurer’s overwhelming strength was simply too valuable to let go.

So this was all the Archmage could do.

Let the Adventurer properly enjoy the rest he should have had long ago. Make sure the apologies owed to him were given. Stop doubting him and accept everything about him.

Even though she knew none of that came close to repaying what he had done for them.

"O God, please look upon this poor soul with mercy… Please stop merely watching and do some work.”

And so she offered a slightly blasphemous prayer she never would have dared to make before. She wasn’t worried in the slightest that God might strike her down for it.

After all, the world was full of people who committed far worse blasphemy than she did. Surely she wouldn’t be the first one punished by God.

By the time divine punishment ever reached her, the world would probably have become a clean place without Demons or criminals.

If that were what it took, the Archmage wouldn't have minded being punished for her irreverent words. In fact, she almost wished God would do exactly that. Just stop leaving all the work to mortals.

"Haah........"

But of course, He would never do that. The Archmage sighed, thinking that the Adventurer had every right to be angry. In the meantime, her steps had nearly brought her to her destination.

"You’re here.”

"How’s the situation?"

For now, she would think about the things that couldn’t be solved immediately at a later point. She joined those working tirelessly on the city’s restoration, intending to lend a hand. It had been necessary, but since she’d been absent until late afternoon, she planned to work even harder.

"Now that the purified zones have been established and the quarantine is fully implemented, all we need to do is treat people in order and gradually expand the purified zones.”

"That’s a relief.”

The administrators and wizards had worked themselves ragged counting the population, the soldiers had lost sleep setting up the quarantine, and the priests had worked themselves to the bone on purification and treatment. At least their efforts had paid off.

The Archmage smiled faintly at the news that all they had to do now was work through things one by one in order of priority.

"We've also finally managed to establish contact with the outside. I believe we'll receive news from beyond the city sometime tomorrow.”

"Is that so…...?”

But that next piece of news was different. Worry immediately clouded the Archmage’s expression.

"I’m afraid of what kind of news might be waiting for us.”

There were already reinforcements that had been dispatched before they could even request them, thanks to the Demon’s scheme. So there was probably no need to worry about this city’s immediate future. Even if they didn’t hurry to send word, reinforcements were surely already on their way.

“I hope nothing’s gone wrong……”

However, if she turned the situation around, it was a different story.

The Archmage worried about where some catastrophic news might come from and just how large the disaster might be. She didn’t even consider the possibility that there might be none at all. There were some things in the world one could be certain of just from intuition.

"Ah, right. One of your companions said they had something they wanted to consult you about……”

"One of my companions……? Meister?”

“No, the Representative…Ah, she said it wasn’t urgent, so I was only asked to tell you to make some time later.”

"Hmm, understood.”

The Inquisitor? The Archmage wondered what the Inquisitor could possibly want to see her about. She couldn’t think of anything. At best… There was the fact that despite everything the Inquisitor had done, she was still working without any rest.

Her power was too indispensable to pull her away right now, so she was allowing it, but once things settled down, she would have to make her rest properly as well. Still, she doubted the stubborn Inquisitor had summoned her over something like that.

"How am I supposed to ask him to forgive me……? I, I……”

"I-I also…wha-what am I supposed to do……?”

But when she met with the Inquisitor and Deathbringer after finishing all her work that day, the Archmage realized something she hadn't even considered.

Among the things they had done wrong to the Adventurer, it wasn’t merely that they’d judged him by seeing only one side of him. They had also directly threatened him. The Archmage slapped a palm against her own face.

"...For now, I think it would be best if the two of you didn’t meet him for a while.”

Strictly speaking, she was one of the people who had hurt him too, but unlike the Inquisitor, she had never directly tried to kill him. And if she stepped away as well, the only people left to tell the Adventurer to rest would be Meister or Inquisitor Daniel.

But how could she possibly leave this to either of them? Inquisitor Daniel had the right temperament, but given his circumstances, she couldn’t bring herself to ask him. And Meister’s personality was…well, she wasn’t sure he could manage it at all.

The Archmage stared helplessly at a situation where every option seemed to hide a trap, then offered what she believed was the best decision available.

"You’ll have to meet him and apologize someday…but neither he nor the two of you seem ready for that yet.”

Though she wasn't entirely sure whether it was the right decision, she put off their meeting for now. Please let this lead to a better future. The Archmage prayed desperately to the god who never seemed to do any work.

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