WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 66: Lunar Eclipse (4)
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“This time, I plan to split up from you two.”
“Split up...? You mean you intend to move alone?”
“That’s right. More precisely, we’ll each take on a different role.”
The boy pointed at the dirt floor.
A rough map of the village had been drawn there with his finger.
“First... this road here, directly opposite the cathedral. I’d like you two to cause a disturbance there.”
“Cause a disturbance? Do you mean... we should deliberately draw attention to ourselves?”
“Exactly. Draw the attention of as many Ghouls and vampires as possible.”
“Th-then, Viktor will...”
“I’ll move toward the cathedral.”
Jersian, the field boss of this stage.
He was still too much for the three of them to handle.
After all, he was a mid-boss who appeared in the latter half of the original story.
If Viktor had to rank him, Jersian would be A+.
He was stronger than most of Grandia Academy’s faculty.
That was why Viktor had no choice but to be cautious.
‘Even if I gather every bug, it’ll be a close call...’
He needed time.
Until he could grasp a future where victory was certain.
And the only people who could buy him that time were the two of them.
“Just one hour.”
““......””
“If you two can hold out for exactly one hour, I’ll take care of everything else.”
It was a simple, straightforward plan.
His explanation was somewhat lacking, but neither girl minded.
No matter how unreasonable it sounded, they believed it would work in the end.
Viktor was that kind of person.
“Then... shall we go?”
The night would not wait for them.
With no time to hesitate, the three immediately put their plan into action.
Exactly thirty minutes later.
In a square directly opposite the cathedral.
Alice and Carmilla appeared there.
“W-we’re here...”
“Yes.”
One wore a black mask, the other a red one.
They made no effort to conceal their presence.
-Grrrr...
-Screeech!
-Woof! Woof!
As if responding to them, Ghouls began prowling around the area.
Alice wore her black crown, while Carmilla had her Bloodcraft field deployed.
“I will begin. Support me.”
“Yes! I-I understand...!”
Shwaaaak-!
Bloodstorm burst outward in every direction.
The Bloodcraft, formed into sharp awls, butchered the charging pack of Ghouls.
Then card soldiers came pouring out amid a dark crimson mist.
“Defend! Use this square as our base and b-buy us time...!”
Clack, clack, clack, clack-!
Obeying their queen’s command, the cards spread across the square.
The weapons wielded by the soldiers cut down the Ghouls one by one.
Thud! Boom, slash-!
“Make it flashier! Draw even more attention!”
“Yes! I’ll try to gather even more Ghouls...!”
Crunch, slash! Spurt-!
The battle seemed to be proceeding without issue.
But anomalies always struck without warning.
It happened as Carmilla deployed Bloodcraft once more.
“Good. Keep this up...”
Boom-!
A blood-red spear suddenly flew in and struck.
Carmilla reflexively spread blood before her, barely blocking the attack.
“......!”
Had she been even slightly slower, her head would have been severed from her neck.
The impact knocked her mask halfway off.
Carmilla’s eyes widened.
“This is...!”
Her entire arm throbbed after receiving just that one blow.
This was Bloodcraft on an entirely different level from what the lackeys used.
A chill ran down Carmilla’s spine.
There was no doubt.
This was... the power of a Pureblood.
‘A Pureblood? Why would a Pureblood be in a place like this...?!’
Shaken, Carmilla warily watched her surroundings.
She had no time to fix her disheveled mask.
If her opponent was a Pureblood, and an adult one at that, a single gesture could kill her.
As she heightened her senses as much as possible, a somehow familiar voice reached her ears.
“Well, well. Who do we have here?”
“......”
The sound left Carmilla’s mind blank.
Unable to even finish drawing a breath, her red eyes turned behind her toward the voice.
Their gazes met.
“Princess.”
Red eyes.
A man with an impressive mustache stood there.
He was neatly dressed, carrying the air of a nobleman.
“I heard you survived the assassins, but I never expected to encounter you in a place like this.”
Click, click.
Even the distinctive sound of his heels stirred old memories.
Yet both of his hands were soaked in blood, and Ghouls gathered at his side.
Carmilla murmured blankly.
“...Jersian.”
“Have you been well?”
Jersian.
The man who had often looked after her since she was young.
One of her father’s most cherished retainers.
Someone Carmilla herself had often followed.
The middle-aged man stared at the girl with cruel eyes.
-Carmilla.
The girl’s body froze.
* * *
Elsewhere.
Viktor had infiltrated the cathedral.
‘Have they met by now?’
He glanced toward where Alice and Carmilla were.
By now, the two of them should have encountered Jersian.
‘To make sure the plan doesn’t go off course... Jersian should have gone personally to deal with the intruders.’
He was Carmilla’s ill-fated enemy.
Her foe and the target of her revenge.
It was also a hardship she would have to face someday.
If that was the case, it was better for her to face him in a situation Viktor could control.
“Whew... Time to get started over here too.”
Viktor walked down the long corridor.
Since he was moving alone, he had been able to infiltrate without anyone noticing.
Ding-!
[Very Stealthy Necktie]
-Category: Accessory
-Rank: B
-Status: Neat
-Description: A tie said to have been treasured like a jewel by a legendary petty thief in the past. It can be worn at all times, and while worn, it allows the user to use the skill ‘Secretly, Greatly.’ This skill has a 72-hour cooldown.
[Skill Name: Secretly, Greatly]
-While the skill is active, the user’s presence disappears.
-The effect lasts for one hour, and no one can detect the concealed presence.
-All sounds originating from the user, including their heartbeat, footsteps, and breathing, are muted.
‘Not bad.’
It was one of the rewards he had earned for exceeding the quest requirements during the last practical exercise.
It erased the user’s presence, making it much easier for him to move.
Viktor crossed the corridor and arrived deep underground.
‘Bingo.’
Inside, the kidnapped villagers were packed together.
Every one of them was unconscious and bound.
He wanted to free them right away, but it was not time yet.
Releasing this many people would only create chaos.
‘I need to move quietly.’
He went down another level.
At the bottom of the stairs was an underground prison.
Criminals should have been imprisoned there, but now it held things that were not human.
“Ghouls...”
Human-based Ghouls were confined here.
They seemed to be Ghouls who had inevitably been created during the process of subduing the village.
They could not be used in the offering ritual, but the vampires had apparently thought it too wasteful to discard them and gathered them here instead.
They could use them later in a war, after all.
‘There are roughly... fifty of them.’
It was perfect.
Viktor reached out and pulled the connected lever without hesitation.
At the same time, he deactivated the item effect that had enveloped his entire body.
Creak, creeeak-!
The rows of iron bars opened all at once.
The imprisoned Ghouls staggered out.
They had already sensed the boy’s presence, and their eyes had turned bright red.
-Grrrk...!
-Kyaaaah!
Blood-red pupils fixed on him all at once.
As if they had agreed beforehand, they bared their teeth and began charging.
“Whew...”
Viktor took a deep breath and raised his sword.
Even in the pitch-darkness, the Balloon Knife gave off a faint glow.
Ding-!
[Balloon Knife+]
-Category: Growth-Type Weapon
-Rank: E+
-Growth Limit Rank: None
-Status: Colorful, Soft, Sparkly
-Description: A special Balloon Knife. It emits a faint light of purification from its blade. It is a weapon capable of growth.
The tip of his sword grazed the nearest Ghoul.
Squeak-!
A moment later, it was flung behind him as if repelled by some strange force.
Its bright-red Ghoul form vanished, leaving it unconscious with the face of an ordinary human.
Viktor smiled at the sight.
-Ding!
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[Remaining Merit Points: 80p]
A blue screen appeared before his eyes.
Raising his sword, Viktor charged into the approaching horde of Ghouls.
“Then... I’ll quickly farm some points and join the two of them!”
Squeak-!
Squeak-!
Squeak-!
The distinct friction sound of repeated parries rang out.
The status-window notifications chimed pleasantly in his ears.
Ding-!
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
.
.
.
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
[You have obtained 20 Merit Points.]
The points kept piling up.
It was time to level up.
Footnotes:
[Skill Name: Secretly, Greatly] “Secretly, Greatly” is a Korean film title, and its “secretly” wording echoes the Very Stealthy Necktie’s name.
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