WeTried Translations
Translator: Aren
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer? ◈
Chapter 347: I Shall Convey it to God (5)
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Had we simply kept heading north without rest? The anomaly occurred while I was on watch.
“Wake up.”
I woke the sleeping members of the group, keeping my eyes on the flames lighting up the night sky. Whatever that thing was, it had far too much presence to simply ignore without waking everyone.
On top of that, the vermilion light was rapidly approaching, leaving an aurora-like trail across the sky. Whether coincidentally or deliberately, it was heading straight toward us.
“What’s going on……?”
“An unknown creature is approaching. I don't know whether it’s friend or foe. Be prepared just in case.”
“Y-Yes! Madam Archmage, please wake up!”
“You get up too.”
“Yeah…Uuugh.”
Maybe it was the exhaustion, but none of them could even get themselves upright properly.
I left waking up the others to the Inquisitor and Daniel, who had come to their senses relatively quickly.
That flame was approaching far faster than I’d expected. It seemed like someone needed to be ready to buy us time.
Fwooooosh!
[You have not gotten as far as I expected.]
But my efforts turned out to be pointless in a different sense. The enormous flame staining the night sky red, and the bird made of those flames, wasn’t hostile toward us.
[More importantly…yes. You must be the mortal said to harbor a Demon. I have heard of you.]
A phoenix? I tightened my grip on my sword as I stared at the mysterious creature, every feather enveloped in flames. It didn’t seem hostile, seeing that it wasn’t attacking us the moment it approached, but you never knew.
[O Bearer of the unholy, put away your sword. I mean no harm to you, nor to those behind you.]
"......"
Yeah, but more than half the people behind me right now are fragile (relatively speaking) ordinary people who can’t exactly protect themselves.
"Agh, Adventurer! What’s happening?!”
As I ignored the firebird and kept my hand on my sword, the Inquisitor came stumbling out of the women’s tent. She hadn’t even managed to put on her leather armor properly, much less the Sea Dragon armor, and was carrying only her mace.
"A-a Primordial Beast……”
[Are you God’s representative?]
"Ah, greetings!”
Only after finally getting a proper look at the firebird did the Inquisitor’s eyes widen, showing no further hostility. The firebird’s tone toward her was equally courteous. Even if you watched this while doing a backward roll, it didn’t look like an attack was about to happen.
"Hmm."
In that case, I think I can relax a little. Even if things go wrong, the Inquisitor can put up a barrier.
With that thought, I sheathed my sword. Fwoosh! The firebird, which had been flapping its wings to keep its position in the air, suddenly made the flames around itself swell.
My hand reflexively flew back to the hilt, but what happened next made me withdraw it again. The expanding flames swallowed the enormous bird, then died down as they plunged toward the ground.
Fwooosh!
Five colored light scattered through the heat, melting the snow. Click. It came from the clothes worn by the being born from the flames, along with the sound of shoes striking the ground.
[You can call me the Vermilion Bird, Fenghuang, the Firebird, the Phoenix, and so on. Call me whichever you find most convenient.]
Whoa, and object-head.
I quietly studied the being whose head was completely made of flame, but whose clothes gave the rest of them a humanoid appearance. Skyflow Tiger could disguise themselves as a human too, so it wasn’t exactly surprising for this one to be able to do something similar, but……
My gaze drifted across the surroundings, dyed red by the flames. Their cool appearance aside, at night they were basically like walking lamp. I clenched my fist to avoid appearing rude.
"I greet the Ancient One who has existed since the beginning.”
[You who act in God’s stead and carry out Their will, endless glory upon your devotion.]
In the meantime, the Inquisitor and the Vermilion Bird exchanged greetings. There wasn’t the typical familiarity of people who already knew each other found in their exchange anywhere, but there was far more goodwill than the awkwardness unique to meeting someone for the first time. I relaxed completely and stepped back.
"What?"
"The Vermilion Bird came to see us.”
"...At this hour?”
Just then, the exhausted Meister poked his head out of the tent. His glasses were crooked, so he must have gotten up in a great panic.
"You crazy bastard! Stop stepping on others!”
"M-my solar plexus……"
...It seems like he really had come rushing out. I looked through the opening at the victims Meister had trampled and felt some sympathy for them. I’d once been body-slammed into my stomach by a dog while sleeping over at a friend’s house, which only made the sympathy grow stronger.
"...Are you alright?”
"No……”
The ones who had sacrificed their tail and solar plexus, respectively, trembled as they clutched the injured areas. I knew that pain. Yeah, that really hurts……
"Why are grown men pretending to be weak?”
"Discriminatory remarks aside, if someone gets stepped on in the stomach and is perfectly fine afterward, I’m pretty sure they aren’t some normal person.”
"Tell them to overcome it with sheer will.”
Like you could do that yourself… I stared at Meister for a moment after he let out that utterly ridiculous remark, then shook my head. That personality of his wasn’t something anyone could really fix.
"So that’s why you need me……”
[Indeed.]
"Then, Ancient One, are these all the heart fragments?”
While we were busy putting on our little comedy skit, the Inquisitor continued speaking with the Vermilion Bird. Once the Archmage joined them, unknown when she had actually stepped out, the quality of the conversation improved considerably.
What had to be returned was the Noble Dragon’s heart. It had to be returned because the Noble Dragon’s duty was directly tied to the safety of mankind. And the reason we, or more precisely, the Inquisitor, were needed was because she was the only person capable of joining the torn heart back together.
[They are not.]
"Then what about the others……?”
[I am still considering what to do. The owners of the fragments I recovered have already reached the end of their lives, but the owners of the remaining fragments are still living out their natural spans. I cannot decide their lives and deaths so lightly.]
So there were still fragments that needed to be recovered, except those fragments were inside living people.
I understood why the Vermilion Bird was hesitating. Telling someone they had to die right now because their ancestor had committed a crime would be deeply unjust. That was from an extremely human perspective, of course. A Primordial Beast might see things differently, but still.
[More importantly, prepare yourselves. I have no time.]
"Pardon?"
[I shall carry you north.]
"Ah, yes!”
Putting that aside, we had to pack up before we could even decide what to do about these fragments. We didn’t exactly have a choice when the fastest ride in the world was offering to carry us.
“I thought the horses would refuse.”
[I have permitted it, so they will be fine.]
“Ah………”
We somehow crammed all our luggage into our bags and climbed onto the Vermilion Bird’s back. Their back was broad enough for even the horses to board, so space wasn’t an issue.
Siiizzle!
“Ugh!”
“Are you alright?!”
“…I’m fine.”
Well, there probably wouldn’t have been any problem at all if it weren’t for me, the one person whose constitution made it impossible to touch the Vermilion Bird.
[…Oh my. I have no ability to suppress my purifying powers. It seems we will need a special arrangement for you.]
“Then what do we do……?”
[Do you have a large piece of cloth? If you ride inside it, I shall carry it.]
What are you? A stork delivering babies? You’re going to fly around carrying a sack with a person inside?
“I think two pieces of tent cloth might work… Just give us a moment.”
“Hmm. Better put another layer on the bottom too, just in case. If it tears in midair, we’re done for.”
“Yeah.”
But there wasn't really any other option. A bundle shaped like a steamed bun came into being under Deathbringer and Meister’s hands.
"...Are you sure you’ll be fine?”
"Who knows?”
So the Divine-power filter really does filter only Divine power. Swallowing my sadness, I shuffled my feet to take my place inside the bundle. It seemed securely fastened, but would the cloth actually hold?
"If it tears, that’ll be a problem with the material, not because they made a mistake, so it’s fine.”
Whatever. It’ll work out somehow. I motioned Daniel to hurry up and climb aboard. Are you really sure this is okay? That was what his face basically screamed, but I couldn’t reassure him any more than I already did. I just gestured toward him to move.
"...If it starts feeling dangerous, pull the rope whenever you need to.”
"Got it.”
I pressed my face to the hole Meister had made so I wouldn’t feel suffocated and waited, not long after, I felt the cloth lift into the air. The Vermilion Bird had grabbed me and taken off.
"...Hmm."
This feels just like lying in a hammock. Only that this hammock was supported above me, suspended several hundred meters in the air.
Now that I put it that way, this is actually insanely dangerous. I scratched my head hard at this sudden realization.
Even the horses got to ride on the Vermilion Bird’s back, so why am I the only one……?
'Damn Demon Bastard……'
[What did I do? I’m just sitting here?]
'Your mere existence is a goddamn hazard……'
What good does it do to stay still when the place you’re sitting is somebody else’s body? Seriously, every breath this bastard takes is a nuisance. I cursed Wrath as naturally as breathing and closed my eyes.
No matter how fast the Vermilion Bird could fly, we’d still take a few hours, so I figured I might as well get some sleep in the meantime.
[You.]
"?"
[If you do not mind, would you speak with me?]
But a new voice echoing inside my head completely destroyed that plan.
"...Vermilion Bird?”
[You may refuse if it makes you uncomfortable.]
"No, I don’t mind. But…can you hear my voice?”
[Do not worry. May ears work better than they appear to.]
Birds do have surprisingly good hearing, but still……
I stopped comparing the Vermilion Bird to ordinary animals and focused on why they had spoken to me. Honestly, there wasn’t much reason for it in my opinion.
"What did you want to talk about?”
Or was it that after all? Were they going to pick a fight with me over that damn Demon in my body?
[Have you ever received anything from the Sea Dragon, the Land Turtle, or the Skyflow Tiger?]
Ah. So it was just about the orb.
Only then did I remember the item I’d shoved into the back of my mind. Its effect was passive, and almost no one could even tell what it was, so unless someone mentioned it directly, I rarely thought about it. That was my mistake.
"I have."
[...I see. Then did you receive them as you witnessed their ends?]
"...How do you know that?”
[I always keep my ears open for news of my comrades.]
"That’s surprising."
The other Primordial Beasts all seemed pretty individualistic. Maybe the Vermilion Bird was different because they lived among humans.
[What is surprising?]
"The others I’ve met seemed uninterested in one another, so I assumed you would be the same."
[...I see.]
"So that was what you wanted to know?"
[Yes. Fallen though they may have been, they were once my comrades.]
But, hmm. I had thought this earlier too, but it felt like they were greatly misunderstanding something.
I paused for a moment, thinking about the Vermilion Bird’s words. Should I tell them or not? The hesitation didn’t last too long.
"Just so you know, I think you're mistaken about something. The Skyflow Tiger is definitely dead, but the Sea Dragon and Land Turtle are still alive.”
[......?!]
"Ah, though I guess the Sea Dragon might have reached the end of their lifespan by now. But when we parted, they were definitely still alive. Same with the Land Turtle.”
[...I would like to hear the details.]
I had nothing better to do anyway. I slowly told them about the Sea Dragon, the Mountain Lord, the Land Turtle, and finally the Skyflow Tiger. Since the stories were all connected to corruption in one way or another, the Vermilion Bird gave off a faint sense of displeasure the whole time they were listening.
It wasn’t so much that they disliked me. It was more of a mixture of sorrow for their fallen comrades and disgust toward the corruption itself.
[...So that is what happened.]
And when the story neared its end, the Vermilion Bird’s voice had become noticeably more cheerful than when we began. They sounded like someone who had finally heard good news for the first time amid layers upon layers of misfortune.
[Thank you. Had it not been for you, I would never have learned the truth.]
Naturally, their voice toward me softened as well. That wasn’t a bad thing. If the Vermilion Bird thought well of me, that was one less chance of someone in the north trying to screw me over.
[Right, while we are at it, I shall add my blessing to that orb as well.]
I wasn’t expecting that, though?
[Do not refuse. Having aided my comrades, you are more than worthy of receiving my blessing.]
If I’d gotten Skyflow Tiger’s blessing as well, wouldn’t this have turned into an orb blessed by all four divine beasts?
I felt both my gamer’s disappointment at failing to complete the set and the gratitude of an ordinary person for this unexpected stroke of luck swell up inside of me. Whatever the Vermilion Bird’s blessing did, there was no way it could be anything bad.
"...You have my deep gratitude."
[Those are words I should be saying to you.]
Anyway, the Vermilion Bird let out a hearty laugh and asked me to take out the orb. I thought it wouldn’t work from this position, but their abilities were stronger than I expected.
Even while flying, they gathered their power without harming me and infused it into the orb. A vermilion hue joined the blue. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the air around me seemed warmer.
[It is done. You may put it away.]
"...What blessing did you give it?”
[No cold shall harm you, and ordinary flame or heat shall never burn your flesh.]
"Oh."
Since the Sea Dragon had given me resistance to heat, I had kind of expected that the Vermilion Bird would give me complete resistance to the cold. I hadn’t expected them to throw in immunity to fire itself.
[To be safe, I should warn you that this protection applies only to ordinary flames. Demonic fire, flames infused with Divine Power, and flames imbued with Arcane Power are beyond even my blessing.]
"That alone is more than enough."
I wasn’t expecting resistance to Divine power or Demonic Energy to begin with. Just being immune to ordinary fire already felt like a tremendous gift.
I thanked them again for that.
[In that case I am glad that you are partial toward it. I had been concerned because your constitution left me with very few blessings I could bestow.]
"Constitution……? Ah, you mean the Demon.”
[I know it was not your choice, but it is also true that purifying powers would be meaningless for one who wields Demonic Energy.]
"...Thank you for your consideration.”
Uuugh, imagine adding purification to Demonic Energy. At best, it would probably just turn the Demonic Energy into Arcane Power, which would be no different from having nothing at all. I nodded at the Vermilion Bird’s wisdom. Their judgment was very sound.
[Hm. How unfortunate.]
"...What is it?"
[It seems something has happened at the front. I tried to leave as discreetly as possible…but it appears they noticed after all.]
"...Your light is far too brilliant to hide, no matter how much you try. It couldn’t really be helped."
[I am pleased to hear you say so.]
I hadn’t meant it as a compliment, but I had deliberately phrased it as kindly as I could, so I didn’t bother correcting them.
[For now, I shall set you down and return to the front. I will also try to slip away again when I can, as I did this time. Until then, continue north toward the end of the world as before.]
"Understood."
[There is no need to relay my words to the others. I have already told them.]
"...When?"
[When one lives among humans, one tends to learn the ability to converse with several people at once quite quickly.]
...Whoa, that’s impressive.
I stared in admiration at how competent they were compared to the other Primordial Beasts we’d encountered. I’d been worried about what we would do if the Vermilion Bird was destined to fall too, but at this point those worries almost felt ridiculous.
"...Until we meet again, I hope you stay safe.”
[...Are you worried about me?]
“Just because you’re a Primordial Beast doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt, right?"
[…Indeed. Haha. Many overlook that, but it is certainly true.]
Since things had turned out this way, I hoped the Vermilion Bird would remain our ally forever without ever falling. The thought of even someone this dependable collapsing was horrifying.
[You who shine brightly despite harboring something so unholy, please keep my friend’s heart safe.]
"It’s only what I ought to do. Don’t worry.”
[Very well. I shall trust you and be on my way.]
The Vermilion Bird descended to the ground in an instant, gently set us down, then flew south again.
We had passed two cities along the way. Just like that, we had more or less skipped about a month and a half of the total time the journey would have taken.
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