WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 130: Mom and Dad

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“Could you be my husband?”

It was a sudden proposal.

Well, obviously, she hadn't meant it that way.

She had merely stated the conclusion first. The real reason followed in her next sentence.

“...You mean the academy banquet?”

“That is correct.”

The red-haired woman answered indifferently.

Lua was nestled in her arms, giggling away.

Javert supported Lua with one arm while continuing her paperwork with the other.

This arrangement had repeated often enough that she seemed to have developed her own knack for it.

“It may be called a banquet, but it is not such a grand event.”

Javert added that clarification.

Only the soft scratching of her pen continued.

“Only Grandia Academy personnel, along with members of the Imperial Family and several high-ranking nobles who sponsor the academy, will attend.”

“That sounds plenty grand to me...”

“It is a minor event.”

The woman paid no attention to my objection.

She simply listed the information I needed.

And what came from her mouth was one of the pieces of news I had been eagerly awaiting.

“Were you aware? Grandia Academy has resumed its campaign into Purgatory. The lockdown that had lasted nearly twenty years was lifted, and they have begun clearing new floors.”

“Come to think of it, I believe I heard something about that.”

There was no way I wouldn't know.

I was the one who had instructed the headmaster to resume the campaign.

Still, I pretended otherwise and asked Javert a few questions.

“If the academy staff formed the raid force, then you must have joined it as well, Investigator.”

“That is correct. I was appointed deputy commander of the Purgatory Raid Force, and I led it into Purgatory for the past two weeks.”

Deputy Commander of the Purgatory Raid Force.

In the field, that was practically the position with the highest authority.

The headmaster was technically the overall commander, but that role did not involve personally entering the field.

‘Deputy commander... So Javert took the role after all.’

A strange feeling washed over me.

In the original game, a Purgatory Raid Force had been assembled just like this.

‘Of course, the person who became deputy commander back then had a completely different name...’

The raid force in the story had originally been formed much later than this point.

At the earliest, it was around the time the player entered their third year.

But by then, Javert had already been laid to rest in a columbarium.

‘Suicide.’

She had taken her own life.

That was why Javert's name could not be found in the original raid force.

“...”

For a moment, the difference felt real.

Unaware of it, Javert continued her blunt explanation.

“This banquet is being hosted by the academy. It will also serve as an occasion to announce the results of this Purgatory campaign.”

“...Pardon? You are announcing the results already? It has not even been a month since the campaign resumed.”

“That is correct. We concluded that enough results had accumulated to make an announcement.”

“No, how many floors could you have cleared in such a short time...?”

“As of yesterday, the seventy-ninth floor has been cleared.”

“Pardon?”

My brain froze for a moment.

Once at the mention of the seventy-ninth floor.

And once more at Javert's matter-of-fact tone.

‘Good grief.’

It hadn't really sunk in lately, but Grandia's staff really were insanely capable.

Even if they were ordinary floors without a [Master], clearing nine floors could not have been easy.

And floors in the seventies were hardly low difficulty.

They had handled all that in barely three weeks. No wonder my jaw dropped.

‘Doesn't that mean they smashed through at least one floor every two days?’

They were monsters beyond common sense.

With that fresh realization, I nodded.

“That is an extremely encouraging result. Honestly, I'm surprised.”

“Of course, this banquet is not being held solely to announce those results. The Purgatory campaign happened to be progressing smoothly, and there was an upcoming banquet, so it was decided that the results would be announced there.”

“I understand.”

“As a central member of the raid force and one of Grandia's key staff members, it would be difficult for me not to attend.”

“So you needed a partner. Someone to play the role of your lover, or your husband.”

“That is correct. If I attend alone, all sorts of troublesome complications would arise.”

Javert spoke as she absently stroked Lua.

Her gaze was so impassive that no emotion could be read from it.

Only lifeless words rang out with crisp clarity.

“Ordinarily, I would have entered with the headmaster, but he said he would be late due to other engagements.”

In short, she wanted me to fill in as her partner.

‘Well... There must be all sorts of people who would bother her if she went alone.’

Marriage proposals, for example.

Javert was reaching marriageable age, so plenty of families were likely eyeing her.

It seemed she intended to bring me along as a lover and cut off that sort of conversation at the root.

‘So it really was a request without any deeper meaning.’

She was like a machine.

Superstitions about banquets, romantic rumors... none of that would interest her.

Javert was the sort of inflexible person whose head was filled with nothing but principles and rules.

The woman set down the pen that had been scratching away.

“Of course, you may refuse if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“It would be an honor. Even if only for a day, I get to play the role of your lover, Investigator.”

“To be exact, you will be my banquet partner.”

“Oh? Didn't you say husband earlier?”

“I retract that. It was only a figure of speech.”

“You have a surprisingly careless side, Investigator.”

“I do not.”

“You do.”

“I do not.”

A few idle words passed between us.

Naturally, I accepted her request.

“Ah. Then when is the banquet? Is there about a week left?”

“It is tomorrow.”

“...?”

“As I understand it, it will be tomorrow night.”

“Pardon?”

No.

Then why were you only telling me now?

* * *

Fortunately, the preparations for the banquet went well.

I had expected something elaborate, but that was not the case.

I was still a student, and a commoner at that, so I did not need lavish attire.

‘All I had to do was fix my hair and put on a suit.’

My hair, slicked straight back, felt quite awkward.

As I fussed with my appearance for no reason, the red-haired woman came to stand beside me.

“Student Viktor.”

“Ah, Professor.”

Javert wore the same uniform as always.

As usual, it was immaculate, without a single wrinkle in her sleeves.

Still, perhaps it had been adjusted slightly for the occasion, because it looked a little more ornate than her usual uniform.

“You... look handsome today.”

“I am wearing the same uniform as usual.”

It was somewhat plain attire for a woman attending a banquet.

But considering this was Javert, I could tell she had put some effort into it.

“...”

“Professor? Is something wrong?”

“It is nothing. I was simply thinking that this is the first time I have seen Student Viktor's bare face.”

“Even I could not wear such a frivolous mask to an event like this.”

“I am surprised. You look more respectable than I expected.”

“...”

Why did everyone who saw my face say that?

What did it even mean to look more respectable than expected?

Just what kind of person did everyone think I was?

As I grumbled to myself, Javert's green eyes suddenly lingered on my cheek.

“That scar...”

The flower bloomed on my right cheek.

But she soon turned her head as though she had decided not to ask.

‘Is she pretending not to notice?’

I was deeply pleased by that consideration, and I let out a small laugh.

Standing before the banquet hall doors, I gently held out my hand.

“Then allow me to escort you.”

“Please do.”

We linked arms lightly.

Then we entered the banquet hall with calm steps.

The moment the doors opened, I felt people's gazes gathering on us.

-There... she has arrived.

-Chief Investigator Javert.

She certainly drew attention.

She was Grandia Academy's effective second-in-command and the one leading this Purgatory Raid Force.

It struck me anew just what an influential person I had at my back.

After a few remarks about Javert, people naturally began talking about me.

-Then that must be her lover.

-I heard he is the chief investigator's direct disciple.

-He looks handsome, but also somehow ordinary...

-How unexpected. A woman as hard as steel falling in love with a younger student.

This made it clear why Javert had chosen me as her partner.

All sorts of gossip had already spread because I was associated with her.

If she needed to pretend to have a lover, I was the perfect candidate.

-But... I heard a rumor at the academy that it was all a misunderstanding?

-I heard that too. I thought they said they were not lovers...

-What? Then what is this banquet appearance about?

-Maybe he is only attending as her partner because he is her direct disciple?

Of course, some people knew the truth.

There were not many of them, but some had a precise grasp of what was going on at the academy.

A brief thought crossed my mind.

“Hmm.”

This was hurting my pride a little.

Since Javert had asked me, shouldn't I shock everyone more thoroughly?

‘It's not like I want to stir up trouble or anything...’

This was all for the sake of the promise. The promise.

I covered the corners of my twitching mouth with my hand.

Then I took a small step and turned to the girl who had been toddling along behind us.

“Lua.”

“Ah... Dad.”

Lua wore an adorable little dress.

I smiled warmly at her.

“You can come out proudly.”

“...”

My hand gently stroked her head.

Lua hesitantly approached, then slipped between Javert and me.

With each of her small hands, she tightly held one of ours.

Her bright eyes looked up at us.

“Mhee... Mom, Dad!”

Her tiny voice rang out, soft but clear.

The pupils of the surrounding nobles widened.

The whispering stopped, and everyone stood there blankly.

A little girl calling Chief Investigator Javert and her lover Mom and Dad.

“...”

The thoughts of the onlookers stopped.

The sudden situation sent hundreds of fantasies racing through their minds.

“Pfft...”

“...”

I held back the laughter trying to escape.

Beside me, Javert was looking at me with an odd expression.

I asked calmly.

“Ahem... Is something wrong?”

“It is nothing.”

What do you mean, nothing?

You were the one who asked me, Professor.

I was only handling it thoroughly.

===

This is Javert.

I was disappointed that she always wore only her uniform in the story, so I prepared this.

This is roughly how her uniform looks.

Footnotes:

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