WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 135: Javert’s Iron and Justice (2)

──────

Javert Droit.

The Church's chief investigator and one of Grandia Academy's most prominent staff members.

She was Headmaster Valter Droit's adopted daughter, as well as the person considered the academy's true second-in-command.

‘A monster.’

No other description suited her better.

A woman who had taken part in Cult purges from a young age, leaving behind too many accomplishments to count.

They said she had worked alongside the then-active headmaster, tearing thousands of dark mages apart and killing them.

‘Since before she was even as old as the academy freshmen...’

From the age of fifteen until she turned nineteen, Javert had lived through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

There were even wild rumors that her red hair had been dyed with the Cult's blood.

That was how unrivaled she was when it came to hunting the Cult.

Many people had never doubted that she would succeed Valter.

‘But.’

Valter suddenly announced his retirement.

He put his past behind him and stepped away from all work involving the Cult.

On top of that, he accepted the vacant position of headmaster at Grandia Academy.

‘That was four years ago, wasn't it?’

Apparently, many people had found it strange at the time.

Valter was old, but he hadn't weakened enough to retire so suddenly.

If anything, he outperformed most investigators still in active service, and his results consistently ranked among the top five every year.

He had seemed like the sort of person who would serve for at least another twenty years.

Yet he had abandoned it all and left.

‘Taking Javert with him.’

Just before retiring, Valter suspended his adopted daughter's duties.

He had effectively stripped her of half her position.

As a result, Javert could no longer participate in purges as an investigator.

Afterward, Valter brought her to Grandia and had her teach the students there.

‘Chief investigator.’

A position that had been suspended for over four years.

In truth, she was as good as retired.

Even so, there was only one reason Javert was still called an investigator.

‘Because she's strong.’

Her position existed only in name, but nobody dared point that out.

It would only be asking for trouble.

Who would want to make an enemy of her?

At only twenty-three, she was treated as Grandia Academy's second-in-command.

Other than the imperial knight commander and a few other powerhouses, she stood among the strongest in the Empire.

“Under the headmaster's immediate execution order, the culprit in this case will be held accountable for disrupting order, regardless of the reason.”

And then,

I was clashing with that woman in real time.

“I will carry out the execution.”

Fwaaaash-!

A blinding white flash rushed toward my face.

After those brief words, she vanished from my sight.

‘I lost her! When did she...?!’

Kwang-!!!

The next instant, a fist drove in from the side.

Burning white light wrapped around my entire body as if it meant to incinerate me.

She was so fast that even tracking her with my eyes was a struggle.

“Urgh...!”

“Hm.”

In my vision, only her fluttering red hair flickered.

I staggered back, flapping my robe to shake off the light.

Ding-!

[The item ‘Mask of the Evil God’ has activated.]

- Remaining uses: 2/3

- Time until uses recharge: 49 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds

A blue window appeared, then vanished.

If not for the mask's effect, that strike would have cremated my entire body.

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

I swung the dagger in my hand in a wide arc.

It was meant to drive away the woman who had closed in on me.

‘Wait.’

Swoooosh-!

The silver blade swept swiftly through the air beside me.

It was a counterattack made in less than a second, driven by a snap judgment.

But.

‘...She's gone?’

My dagger passed smoothly through empty air.

There was no feeling of impact or deflection.

I had only cut through harmless rays of light.

She was nowhere in sight.

Then, a meteor fell from above.

-Droit Style Martial Arts Fifth Form-

‘Incineration’

The world turned pure white.

A headwind surged through the air, and only red existed within that world.

The surrounding greenery wished for my death.

The brilliance flashed like a spiraling storm.

An oppressive dawn swallowed the night, as though it intended to strip flesh from bone.

Ding-!

[The item ‘Mask of the Evil God’ has activated.]

- Remaining uses: 1/3

- Time until uses recharge: 49 hours 59 minutes 50 seconds

The status window appeared once more.

The mask's effect had been consumed twice.

It had all happened in just ten seconds.

Without even having time to react, I had died to her once every five seconds.

‘Damn it! She's beyond anything I imagined...!’

I stepped back.

Keeping my eyes wide open, I followed the red afterimage so I wouldn't lose her.

‘Stay sharp.’

I was going to die.

That instinct licked my cheeks damp.

Even as I staggered, the corners of my mouth twisted into a thrilled smile.

‘Your Highness.’

[I know!]

Another fist came flying in, as though she intended to give me no time to rest.

I called to Carmilla in my mind.

The robe concealing her immediately squirmed.

Thick, fresh blood seeped out, forming a thin, condensed barrier before me.

-Blandir Style Bloodcraft, Seventh Form-

‘Crimson Blood Covers Half the Sky’

Kuuuung-!

The fist aimed at my abdomen was stopped by the barrier.

It had cracked slightly, but it looked like it would take at least five or six more hits to break.

‘It even blocked a dragon's breath.’

Thanks to that, I bought some time.

Putting a wide distance between us, I rummaged through my robe.

I grabbed a fragment of the Broken Crown and placed it directly on my head.

Ding-!

[Broken Crown]

- Category: Accessory

- Rank: A

- Status: Destroyed

- Description: This is the crown worn by the ruler of nightmares, the ‘Black Queen.’ It has now been destroyed, leaving only her remnants behind. It can be worn for up to 15 minutes a day. While worn, you can use the skill ‘Nightmare Transformation.’

The crown was classified as an accessory anyway.

Once I pulled my robe's hood over my head, it would remain hidden by the effect of [Stealth].

As my breathing settled, I reversed my grip on the dagger.

‘Stay calm.’

My opponent was the strongest among the academy staff.

Other than the headmaster, she was unquestionably the greatest predator among them.

‘Stick to the plan.’

This fight was never meant to be won.

It was only a way to build up provocation and anguish.

A little buildup for my goal, you could say.

Well, calling it little was a bit of a stretch, considering how loud this clash had become...

“Ha.”

A brief sound escaped me.

Thanks to the robe's effect, even my voice was cleanly distorted.

I quietly cleared my throat and watched Javert through the blood-red barrier.

Crash-!

She tore through the barrier with brute force.

Amid the shattering fragments, her inorganic gaze fixed on me.

[...Looking at her like this, she's truly terrifying enough to take your breath away.]

‘I agree. She's really kind to the students, though.’

[So? How do you intend to get out of this situation?]

‘I've got a plan for everything.’

I answered calmly.

By then, Javert had broken through the barrier and was walking toward me.

“Chief Investigator Javert.”

“...”

She didn't seem to know my identity yet.

I kept up the act so she wouldn't recognize me.

That was why I hadn't brought Lua today.

No matter how good the stealth effect was, Lua was far too distinctive a weapon.

‘She'd have recognized me immediately.’

What mattered now was walking a fine line.

With steady breaths and a changed tone of voice, I spoke again.

“I heard you've been looking for me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The incident from around five months ago. Weren't you searching for its culprit?”

“Are you admitting that you were the culprit behind the unauthorized conquest of Purgatory Floor 70?”

“Well, I suppose you could say that.”

The tense conversation continued.

Javert let her power flare, but she didn't recklessly rush in.

Maybe the fact that I had blocked her attacks in succession bothered her.

It seemed she had decided to proceed carefully.

She couldn't have gauged the extent of my strength.

Regardless, I continued the conversation I had started.

“I never thought you'd be waiting for me to appear on Floor 80. Did you know I was coming?”

“I wasn't certain. I simply didn't rule out the possibility that it would happen again.”

“So... what are you planning to do now? Kill me here?”

“Yes.”

“For what reason?”

“I am only following principle.”

“Principle, huh. That's pretty funny.”

Whoooosh-.

The radiance wrapped around us like wind.

Beyond the flashing light, I stared at her flowing red hair.

“Does it absolutely have to be upheld? You'll kill me without asking any questions? Why are you so obsessed with principle?”

“Principle is a fence. If it isn't upheld, society falls into chaos, and countless people are hurt.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“I have a duty to protect the academy.”

“Then what if I were someone included among those you have to protect?”

It was an answer that was correct in every way.

That was what I had been waiting for.

“For example, if I were one of the students you teach.”

“...”

I let the words hang, loaded with implication.

Then the light flickered strangely.

Her eyes looked as though she had realized something.

At the edge of the burning rays, she stared at me.

Whoooosh-.

Silence filled her usual expressionless face.

Still, Javert slowly parted her pale red lips.

“...As I thought.”

“...”

“Are you Student Viktor?”

“...Pfft.”

I burst out laughing.

Across from me, her green eyes trembled faintly.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried