WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

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

[Translator – Aren]

◈ Chapter 345 I Shall Convey it to God (3)

The Vermillion Bird crossed mountains covered in ice on enormous wings, then flew over snowy plains streaked with lava and a sea filled with drifting ice. Beyond them stretched a white world of nothing but glaciers. It was the end of the world and the starting point of the barrier dividing dimensions.

[Oh… Noble Dragon.]

But what awaited them at the end of the world was nothing but beings from beyond the universe, the dragon’s claws that slew them, and the dragon itself, now dangerously close to death. Curses poured endlessly from the torn-open chest, branching like the limbs of a tree before seeping into the ground.

[Who made you like this?]

After helping the claws make short work of the things from beyond the universe, the Vermillion Bird folded their wings and rested their chin atop the sleeping dragon’s head. Their friend, robbed of a heart, no longer held any warmth, but the Vermillion Bird didn’t care. They were one of the beings who remembered just how noble and devoted this dragon had been.

[Who ruined your duty?]

Since the heavens opened and the earth came into being, the dragon had never once left this place. The dragon had devoted itself to guarding against any invaders that might come from beyond.

[Who in the world did this to you……?]

Scales for walls, horns for spikes, teeth for gatekeepers, and the last remaining claws and talons as soldiers.

The dragon had sacrificed its freedom to build this barrier, so why did it now lie here asleep with is heart torn out? How could the price for fulfilling a duty it could have refused be so hollow?

[...Something from beyond could not have done this to you.]

The most heartbreaking thing was the certainty that whoever had torn out the dragon’s heart could not have been an outsider.

[Had some lawless outsider been the culprit, they surely would have taken your life as well. Whoever took your heart must belong to this land.]

After a long while, the Vermillion Bird lifted their head and looked at the curse flowing away like branching limbs. The curse was confined to this land and limited to a certain bloodline. A bloodline carrying fragments of the dragon’s heart.

The Vermillion Bird’s eyes narrowed.

[How foolish.]

Whether they had been bewitched by a Demon or committed the crime in a moment of foolishness, the Vermillion Bird had no intention of lifting the curse. They would have to pay the price, even if it was the price for a sin committed by their ancestors.

[My friend, I shall bring back your scattered heart and a human capable of joining the pieces together. So wait just a little longer.]

The Vermillion Bird spread their wings once more.

* * *

"This one’s not bad.”

We arrived in the city. Of course, the first thing we did was prepare for winter.

"This is way too thick…..."

"Have you ever experienced the cold up north?”

"...No?”

"Then shut up and take this one. If it’s uncomfortable, you can just replace it later, but you can’t undo freezing to death.”

Surprisingly, Deathbringer wasn’t much of a help here. He had never lived in a cold region either.

Meister, on the other hand, had experience, even if it was limited to his childhood. He was almost obsessive about making sure our clothes were thick enough.

「That one's better than this one.」

'This one?'

Faust also gave me various pieces of advice. It wasn’t all too strange. Being granted a Knight’s title in a northern city meant that he had accomplished enough in the north to earn one, right?

Naturally, he would have gained experience with the north’s climate in the process of earning it. So I gladly took the boy’s advice.

'Isn’t this too thin?'

「You can pick something thicker if you really hate the cold. But I managed just fine with this much.」

'Really?'

「And if it gets too bad, you can always cover yourself in fire.」

'Aha.........'

Come to think of it, Wrath had the fire attribute, and this body contained Wrath. It wouldn’t be strange if that gave me some resistance to the cold. After all, everyone knows Fire types were strong against Ice types.

'Even without either of those, I’ve still got the orb……'

「Ah, right.」

I also had the Sea Dragon’s orb. It didn’t exactly block out the cold itself but was closer to protecting me from the chill contained in things like water and ice… Even just cutting down on the cold from snow would make things easier to endure. I decided not to worry quite as much about winter gear.

「Ah, and if you plan to keep carrying daggers separately like you do now, you should replace it with one made for extreme cold.」

'Really?'

「Yes, otherwise, your weapon might break.」

Right, I had heard that metal could become brittle in the cold. Guess I’d have to stop by a blacksmith’s shop too.

I took Faust’s advice as I rummaged through a few pieces of leather clothing. I was only checking their designs.

"Seen enough?”

"More or less.”

"Seriously, when you’ve got a good body, who needs a brain?”

"You’re one to talk."

What’s a guy with a perfectly good brain doing relying on his body?

"Whatever. This should do."

Anyway, that was the end of my shopping. The two of them stuffed the clothes they bought into the bags they took along. They were planning to change once we got back to the inn.

"Sir!"

"Adventurer!"

Just then, the two who had said they were stopping by the Temple came running toward us. Judging by how urgent they looked, something seemed to have happened.

"Ah, the incidents just never stop.”

I completely agreed with Meister.

"So we need to hurry to the Norda region?”

"Yes......."

After quickly fetching the Archmage as well, we gathered in one of the rooms at the inn.

It wasn’t as though we were short on money, and this wasn’t the sort of thing to discuss in a crowded dining hall. So we paid to rent a 10-person room for a short while.

"First, I don’t really mind going."

"Y-you don’t?”

"Norda was my first destination to begin with. Berserk said she was returning home, and her home is in the Norda region.”

"If he doesn’t mind, neither do I. Might as well take this chance to see the end of the world.”

"Uhm, I’m… I’m fine with it too. Though I’ll have to report it.”

Whether Berserk really had returned home, or whether she was even still there, was uncertain. But following the clue she had left behind would make her easier to find than blindly asking around with not a single trace to rely on.

That was why I had chosen the Norda region as the first stop on my journey.

"How fascinating…for a request like this to come in right now."

I didn’t expect things to turn out like this either.

"I’ll be in your care until we reach the Norda region. Assuming you accept the request, of course.”

I narrowed my eyes at the request the Primordial Beast had apparently sent through the Temple.

A dragon in the north was on the verge of death and needed treatment. And apparently the Inquisitor was the only one capable of treating it.

If it was coincidence, then it sure was an uncanny one. If it were fate, it might even be funny. I pushed myself away from the wall.

“...More importantly, I really hope this one is actually on our side.”

"Ah, yeah."

After everything with the Sea Dragon, the Land Turtle, and the Skyflow Tiger, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

"It has fought on the side of mankind for a very long time, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

"...I suppose."

But as they say, never say never, Madam Archmage.

After giving the Archmage a lukewarm answer, I made to leave. Anxious or not, I’d already heard the general gist of the situation, so I figured there was no reason I couldn’t go first.

"Wh-where are you going?”

"To my room. Unless there’s something else I need to hear?”

"No, there isn’t."

"Then I’ll prepare to leave. Tell me once the departure time is set.”

After all, our route merely happened to overlap. This wasn’t something I needed to help with. The moment we reached the Norda region, I would leave to find Berserk, while the others would go fulfill the Primordial Beast’s request.

So there was no reason for me to hear all the details right now. If I did, I’d only want to help more, and that wouldn’t be good for me.

“I should get ready too. Damn it, I thought I’d finally get to sleep in for once.”

"Just bear with it a little longer.”

Since it seemed urgent, I should at least adjust my schedule to accommodate them.

Meister and I returned to the private rooms we had each taken and packed our things. We had arrived at noon and gone straight out to buy equipment, so we weren’t able to unpack yet, which left us with nothing to pack up to begin with.

'Guess I’ll have to get the dagger later.'

「The daggers you can buy here aren’t ones properly usable in the cold anyway. It’s fine.」

'Ah, is that so?’

Then do I just need to change my clothes? I took off my coat and spread it across the bed. I already had a design in mind, so I didn’t really have to struggle much to transform it properly.

Sliiiither. The coat transformed into a cloak, and its material changed to fur. The shirt I wore underneath changed in a similar way.

I’d already been wanting to replace that damn short every chance I got. It stood out too much and was uncomfortable.

I changed the short into a black Gambeson, the coat into a hooded fur cloak, and my gloves, pants, and boots into slightly thicker versions before putting everything back on.

The positions of the Divine-power conduit items Meister had given me shifted around a little in the process, but nothing looked particularly strange. The plain black epaulet without tassels looked perfectly fine attached to the gambeson, and I only had to wrap the ornamental belt once around my leather belt. The rest just needed to be attached wherever they fit.

「I think it would be better to take off the gauntlet too, or change it to leather. You won’t get frostbite, of course, Gretchen…but it’ll look strange to everyone else.」

"Ah, okay."

There was no reason to be fixated on my right arm anymore. Taking Faust’s advice, I got rid of the gauntlet that covered most of my arm and made a pair of leather gloves that covered most of my forearms. Naturally, the left and right were identical.

"Ah."

Might as well change the eyepatch too.

I took off the eyepatch I’d been wearing and thought about the design. Now that everything had come to light, there was no longer any reason for me to wear one, but I still wanted to.

I didn't really have any special reason for it, of course. I was just embarrassed walking around with half-and-half hair paired with mismatched eyes, so this was my desperate attempt to hide at least one of them.

Half-and-half hair with mismatched eyes might be fun as a character concept, but it wasn't something a sane person would actually want to walk around with every day.

So I wanted to cover one of my eyes at least. Changing its color would draw attention, and I couldn't even change just in case, so the least I could do was hide it.

Knock, knock

"Come in."

"Erm, Mister. There’s been talk that we could leave today if you’re alright with it……”

"Understood. I’ll come out.”

Just as I finished all my preparations, Deathbringer came by at just the perfect time. He had shown up sooner than I expected, though.

"...You’ve already changed."

"Aren’t you the same?”

Apparently he’d decided there wouldn’t be time to change later either. I gave Deathbringer’s new clothes a quick check. Other than being thicker overall and having a bit more fur detailing, they weren’t much different from what he had worn before.

"Are you sure you’ll be fine without resting?”

The Inquisitor, whom I saw as soon as we headed down to the first floor, also seemed to have had similar thoughts. Apparently, she’d thought replacing the armor itself would be a waste, so she had simply added a gambeson and fur underneath.

Well, since she had to layer clothes underneath it, the armor had been widened a little, making her look a bit broader.

"I’m fine. Besides, the Vermillion Bird asked us to come as quickly as possible.”

For reference, she had replaced her metal gloves as well. Apparently even metal mixed with Sea Dragon scales couldn’t prevent frostbite.

"Um, Adventurer, are you sure you’ll be alright?”

"I think you should worry about Meister rather than me.”

I jerked my chin toward the comparatively ordinary person dragging their feet down the stairs. He wasn’t showing it but he probably was quite tired, seeing that faint dark circles had formed beneath his eyes. The absurdly heavy fur clothes only seemed to make him look even more exhausted.

"This is what I hate about the north. The clothes are so damn heavy……”

"Rather than the clothes being heavy, I’d say your lower body is just weak.”

Working as a blacksmith had given him far better stamina and strength than an ordinary person, but what did that matter? He barely ever had reason to walk around in his daily life, so his lower body was still pretty weak.

"Shut up. I can ride a horse just fine.”

"The fact that you can ride one at all is definitely fortunate.”

For someone who probably spent his life going back and forth between a laboratory, a workshop, and the Magic Tower, having enough leg strength to spend long hours in the saddle was honestly quite impressive. I nodded in acknowledgement toward him. Meister looked strangely offended.

"I’m sorry, Meister.”

But he couldn’t get angry at me. The earnest inquisitor had bowed her head toward him.

"It’s fine. It’s not your fault the schedule suddenly got tighter."

Meister’s face fell.

"Are you all out already?”

Meanwhile, the Archmage joined us, her clothes looking oddly thicker and with a cloak added on top. Judging by the different pattern, it seemed to be an entirely different outfit, but the color was as consistent as ever, which was kind of funny.

So the Archmage really is committed to navy blue, huh?

"I’m the last one. My apologies.”

"Now that Inquisitor Daniel is here as well, I think we can leave now.”

"We haven’t even stayed a full day. Do you think they’ll refund the room?”

"It’s not like we're short on money, so let’s just go.”

"...Still, it’s better to save where we can. You all go on ahead. I’ll get the money back.”

Anyway, now it really was time to go. I left the inn, the unfamiliar hem of my cloak fluttering behind me.

* * *

"Ancient One, those are……?”

[Things that must be returned to the Noble Dragon. Keep bringing in snow and ice so they do not decay.]

The Vermillion Bird found every corpse containing a fragment and carried them all to the nearest city.

They would have returned each fragment to the dragon the moment it was recovered, but realistically, the distance between the dragon and this place was simply too great. There were too many scattered fragments as well. If they made a round trip every time they found one, traveling would take several times longer than the search itself.

"U-Understood."

And so the Vermillion Bird suppressed the urge to return them immediately and began the preparations needed for when the heart was put back together. They had to separate the heart fragments from the corpses.

[Is this all for now……?]

They melted the corpses away with flame while leaving the heart fragments intact. It was a rather demanding task, but the Vermillion Bird managed it somehow. With their friend at stake, it naturally became capable of it.

[Now only one remains.]

And so dozens of corpses were reduced to heart fragments, and the Vermillion Bird reached toward the final body. The mortal corpse recovered from the ice had been preserved exactly as it had looked in life. The stiff-frozen platinum hair crumbled with a dry rustling sound.

"O Ancient One!!”

But before the Vermillion Bird could touch the corpse, the mortal who had provided this place called out to them. There was no need to ask why.

[Tsk, of all times.]

Something demonic was closing in on the city. The Vermillion Bird stamped their shoe hard against the ground. The sharp sound made their displeasure perfectly clear.

[You who represent this city, if the battle drags on, receive God’s representative in my stead. And tell the one who represents God to take this corpse and these fragments to the end of the world.]

"Pardon?"

[Remember this well. No matter what misfortune befalls the Northern Front, God’s representative must reach the end of the world. Until then, neither these fragments nor this corpse may be damaged. If they are, the world itself will be placed in danger. Engrave this into your very heart, and make certain you pass it on to them.]

But the Vermillion Bird had to defend the front. Because that was their duty.

_________________________________________________________________________

Join our Discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/wetried