WETRIED TRANSLATIONS
Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?
[Translator – Aren]
◈ Chapter 352 I Shall Convey it to God (10)
"White Crow, what we wanted was a decently capable wizard we could trust even if they weren’t particularly skilled, not someone talented but suspicious. Did you even intend to give us a wizard at all?”
"Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I only recommended that friend because I genuinely thought they were the best fit.”
"We didn’t promise any special reward or infinite honor in return, so I wouldn’t have blamed you for recommending someone less than fit for the position. But knowing what we are doing and still recommending someone with this many questionable parts makes me suspicious of your intentions.”
As for all the magic items they were wearing, I could more or less accept the explanation that White Crow had equipped them well to support the Hero’s party. But the fact that almost no one even knew Aerotelk existed was a different matter altogether.
This was clearly suspicious.
"Why don’t we just take the items?”
"Hmmm, that might be for the best……”
"What? We’re not taking them?”
Apparently, even the Inquisitor didn’t want to take this much of a risk just for convenience and was starting to lean towards refusing. “Why?” Surprisingly, the one who objected was Meister.
"They seem like they could cause some problems. Is something the matter?”
"Ah, did you think of some reason we need to take them with us?”
"No……”
Then again, maybe it wasn’t all that surprising. Meister was the one who had been enthusiastically debating with them just a moment ago.
From the perspective of someone who considered most of mankind fools, it had probably been a very long time since he’d met anyone capable of speaking with him as an equal. So I could understand why he wanted to spend more time with them. I could even understand the frustration of wanting to take them along but unable to come up with a logical explanation as to why we had to. Yeah, I got that to a certain point.
"You can talk again later.”
But no meant no.
"...Ah, damnit, I really don’t want to come back here just to see one person.”
"Strictly speaking, that person is a wizard from this city too. You’re fine with that?”
"They weren’t one of the people from back then, so yeah. What the hell do you think I am? I hate the city. It’s not like I’m scared of every single person who lives here.”
I see… I had no idea how his thoughts worked, but emotions rarely followed neat rules in the first place. If Meister said he was fine, then he was probably fine.
"It seems like your mouth has come back to life, though. I was worried, so that’s a relief.”
"...That’s a weird way to put it.”
"I don’t know. Seems pretty accurate to me.”
If anything, wasn't he exactly right? I mentally gave Daniel’s remark a thumbs-up, then discreetly observed Aerotelk. No matter how openly we voiced our distrust right in front of them, they just stood there as though none of this mattered to them.
Whether it was true or not, they certainly seemed committed to their own claim that they weren’t desperate.
"I always think this, Golden Wind, but you’re far too rigid. Would it kill you to be a little more flexible?”
"There are matters in this world where it’s good to be flexible, and matters where one simply can’t be flexible.”
"Alright, alright. I surrender.”
Seriously, what were White Crow and that Aerotelk thinking? If they were harboring some bad intentions, the fact that they were being so blatantly suspicious bothered me in some ways.
"I wanted to see the results of the experiment.”
If he were really trying to screw us over, he wouldn’t do it like this. He’d send us a proper spy—
"I was just curious whether something like a magic swordsman could truly exist. We’ve already seen cases like the Demon Knight after all, right?”
Before I could even finish wondering about what was going on, White Crow spilled the whole thing. The answer brought shock and fear before any joy of finally learning the truth could set in.
Meister clenched his fist and lowered his head.
"W-wait. Calling a person an experimental result……! Don’t tell me you conducted human experiments?!”
Naturally, Daniel was the first to explode into fury. He knew enough about the world to understand what White Crow was talking about in an instant while also being a Heretic Inquisitor with strict standards when it came to ethical issues.
"Human experimentation……? Did I really hear that correctly?”
The Inquisitor, who was still innocent enough to take a moment to process what she’d just heard, reacted in a similar way.
The moment Daniel’s words made her understand, she put a hand on the handle of her mace and glared. It was the same vicious expression she only wore when conducting an inquisition.
"...This is exactly why I didn’t want to say it.”
But even under all that hostility, White Crow remained perfectly relaxed. I could see one leg cocked casually to the side through the parted tunic. The posture made it clear just how much weight he was given this conversation.
"That friend volunteered.”
"And that’s your excuse?”
“It’s not an excuse. It’s a defense. Human experimentation is permitted in the North, provided the subject volunteers, right?”
"I’ve never heard of such a rule—!”
"It was secretly approved about a year ago. You can hardly be blamed for not knowing.”
"...There’s no way the Grand Temple approved this.”
“Unfortunately, Miss Hero, don't you think the fact that I’m saying this so openly means the Grand Temple did, indeed, approve it?”
Approval from the Grand Temple. At those words, the expressions of both the Inquisitor and Daniel collapsed. Words of denial such as “There’s no way?” and confusion such as “Just why?” wildly collided with each other.
"I doubt the Grand Temple went insane enough to give the entire North permission for something like that.”
At that moment, Meister, still hanging his head, spoke without looking at anyone in particular. It was support disguised as some muttering to himself. Though he did sound somewhat strained.
"White Crow, explain the law precisely.”
"...Only wizards recommended by a Magic Tower Master and approved through the Grand Temple’s screening may qualify. The subject’s consent must be certified by someone of bishop rank or higher, and even if all those conditions are met, the experiment itself cannot proceed unless its contents pass the Grand Temple’s review. There are also surprise inspections from time to time, the experiment must stop immediately if the subject asks to withdraw, and everyone involved must swear not to disclose the law to outsiders.”
Faced with that request, White Crow’s eyes immediately filled with annoyance at being made to explain. Haah. The way he occasionally lifted the beak to inhale smoke made him look a bit like a junkie.
"But conditional permission is still permission, right? Is that enough?”
"...It is.”
That aside, Aerotelk had been the subject of one of those experiments… And the purpose of that experiment had actually been to create a magic swordsman.
I folded my arms. Sure, the law might allow it, but that didn’t mean I had to like human experimentation. And on top of that, they were using my existence as justification for a magic swordsman experiment? It would’ve been stranger if that didn’t piss me off.
"Wait. What’s with the clause not to tell outsiders? Why would the Grand Temple need to set up such a condition?”
"Oh…Miss Hero, you really don’t know wizards well. That’s simply to stop all sorts of scoundrels from swarming in.”
While I stood there looking displeased, the Inquisitor ground out each word. If her voice had been given a form, icicles would have been dripping from every sentence.
"It’s a bit weird for me to say it, but…it's well known that northern wizards are a special kind of insane, right? If word got out that human experimentation had been officially approved, even conditionally, plenty of them would lose their minds. You’d get lunatics going, ‘They officially approved it, so that means I can do it too, right?’ whether they actually qualified or not. That’s why the law was kept secret.”
And yet White Crow kept up his easygoing attitude to the very end. Grind. A vicious sound came from between the Inquisitor’s clenched teeth.
"I…understand. So…was that the only reason you recommended that wizard? Because you wanted to see the results?”
"Yes."
"........"
At that completely shameless single-word answer, the Inquisitor muttered a few words under her breath. Quiet enough that they would never reach White Crow, and only I, who stood close to her, could barely hear them. Of course, it wasn’t like the Inquisitor had meant for me to hear.
"That damn bastard, with his stupid shit……”
She definitely didn’t mean for me to hear. I just happened to catch it because my ears were that good.
My mental image of her cracked a little at that moment. Hearing the Inquisitor swear when she always seemed so soft and sweet was just that shocking.
"...Meister.”
"What?"
"Cut back on the swearing. She picked it up from you.”
"What the hell are you talking about? Shit……”
Kids really do pick up everything adults do! I immediately went after Meister, the most likely culprit. Meister looked completely dumbfounded, but I was completely serious.
"Why the hell are you only giving me shit? That bastard swears too.”
"...W-why me? It wasn’t me.”
What was he talking about when he cussed at the drop of a hat? Deathbringer did swear…but he kept it under control in everyday situations unless he was seriously pissed off or things had turned for the absolute worst.
With that in mind, I glared at Meister for trying to pin the blame on someone else. He looked like he was about to lose his mind.
"Hey, you don’t know what you’re talking about, okay? That guy’s got one hell of a temp—”
"Aaaaaaaaah.”
Deathbringer clapped a hand over Meister’s mouth. Not that it was hard to guess how that sentence was going to end, but well.
"...He doesn’t exactly have the best temper.”
"You too……!”
"I suppose so.”
"......?!"
"...You knew?”
"Wouldn’t it be harder not to?”
Come on. He wasn’t some sheltered noble who could spend his whole life laughing and smiling. He came from the back alleys, where people died all the time. Killing people was literally part of his job description.
Was a guy like that really going to have a purely good personality? He was probably mild most of the time, then showed a hell of a temper when it mattered.
"This is a world where people die every day. It would be stranger to live without any bitterness in one's heart.”
"...I don’t think you really understand.”
"Sh-Shut up.”
...Or had I been mistaken? Was his personality dirtier than I realized?
I tilted my head at Meister and Daniel’s reactions. Sure, Deathbringer could be a bit immature, but I didn’t think he was that bad… Was he only like that around me?
"Well. What does it matter if I don’t know? Other people are something you can spend a lifetime trying to and still never fully understand.”
No matter how much I thought about it, I still couldn’t see what the problem was.
I mean, unlike the friends who knew even the color of my underwear, I’d never once shown my unguarded side to someone I was dating or a senior I respected.
"There are relationships where you can show everything about yourself and relationships where you only want to show your good side."
But did that difference say anything about how much you loved someone…? I don’t think so.
Just because you kept something from your parents, who you deeply respected, but confessed it to a dear friend didn’t necessarily mean you loved your friend more than your parents.
"So I don’t care. You shouldn’t either.”
If anything, putting on a front like that was kind of cute. It meant he wanted me to think well of him that badly.
I slipped a piece of candy into Deathbringer’s hand as he stood there not knowing what to do. I’m fine. Understanding the feeling I tried to convey to him directly, Deathbringer pressed his lips tightly together.
"The magic items were given to them both to observe the physical reactions that occurred during activity and to keep their body stable. So you know how much I invested? It would be troublesome if they died from some mere illness, you know?”
Anyway, while we’d gone off topic, White Crow and the Archmage had continued talking nonstop.
"Then answer me just this. Why are you so determined to attach them to us?”
"Why else? The fundamental reason we’re trying to create a magic swordsman is to hunt Demons.”
"...That doesn’t necessarily require us, though?"
"Yes. But you're also the best option for testing that friend’s abilities without getting them killed, right? With the Hero there, even if a Demon overwhelms them, she can intervene immediately.”
"So it was purely for safety?”
"Yes. Of course, as you said, Madam Arcmage, it would be possible to test them without your group. That is why I didn’t try to force you to take them. It would be nice if it worked out, and if not, then there's nothing to be done.”
Even after hearing everything, not all the issues that bothered us disappeared. Still, White Crow’s explanation was at least plausible, and there was certainly some room to just accept it. The Archmage’s expression grew even more conflicted.
"Now then, shall we return to the main issue? I’ve shown you this much of my hand. Surely you aren’t still going to say no, right?”
"...One more thing. Can you swear this isn’t part of some shady scheme of yours?”
"You really have no faith in me at all, huh? Fine. I swear that beyond wanting to confirm the results of the experiment, I have absolutely no intention of interfering with your great mission. Satisfied?”
Setting our feelings aside, if everything he had said was true, we no longer had any grounds to refuse. The only reason we had hesitated to recruit them was because this suspicious person had suddenly appeared out of thin air, not because of anything else.
"Then please make a decision already. I’m really starting to get irritated here, you know?”
So what would our final decision-maker choose? I waited for the Inquisitor’s answer.
"...We’ll take them.”
She answered through clenched teeth.
* * *
“G-Great Warrior!”
At the same time, somewhere in the northern snowfields.
Berserk tightened her grip on her weapon as she listened to the girl scream.
“The Trial, the Trial……!”
A rift was being carved into empty space before her.
“It really is the Glacier Trial!”
It was a rift connected to the other side of the world. Beyond the world’s end.
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