WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 77: To the Princess, To the Knight. (4)

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Spirits.

Beings that dwelled throughout nature, watching over the flow of the world.

They were exceedingly rare encounters in the original game.

[Title: Spirits, What Do These Guys Do?]

[Author: TyrIsCanon]

I found this while looking through the setting book today.

Spirits, what do these guys do?

I've unlocked all sorts of achievements and played over thirty runs, but this is seriously my first time seeing them.

I've never come across a design like this while playing, either.

Even the setting book only says, “They are mysterious beings that dwell in nature.”

I'm really thrown off by these unfamiliar faces.

I thought I'd memorized what every monster in the game looked like...

Still, does that even make sense?

I've gone everywhere over thirty runs, but I've never seen creatures that look that distinctive?

Are they event mobs or something?

Or monsters that haven't been released yet?

If anyone knows, please tell me...

[What? I've seriously never seen them before.]

-> They look kind of soft and cute.

-> But they were in the setting book?

-> TyrIsCanon) Yeah, and it was the official setting book too.

-> Doesn't that thing cost thirty thousand won per copy? Are you rich or something?

-> TyrIsCanon) Don't start shit, just tell me what they are.

-> Moooooo.

TyrIsCanon) HEY!!!!!!!!!!

[Spirits... You can only meet them very rarely.]

-> I've played over fifty runs and think I've met them about three times.

-> TyrIsCanon) Seriously? You've met them? What do they do?

-> They're classified as monsters, but they feel like higher beings.

-> As far as I know, they don't antagonize players, and most of them are gentle.

-> They're the exact opposite of Apostles of the Evil God.

-> TyrIsCanon) They're interesting... but why are they so hard to meet?

-> The odds of running into them are just low.

-> They don't have fixed spawn locations either. They spawn randomly every run.

-> There aren't many of them, so searching for them one by one across a huge continent is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

-> And even when players do encounter them, they often fail to recognize them and walk right past.

-> TyrIsCanon) Why?? They look distinctive enough that you'd recognize them right away.

-> They don't usually walk around in their true forms.

-> They transform into plants or animals and blend into nature and everyday life.

-> Apparently, they sometimes even turn into human NPCs.

-> TyrIsCanon) No... then how the fuck are you supposed to encounter them?

[Only thirty runs? Fifty runs? BugFinder has played over two hundred.]

-> You again...

-> How much do you even play this game...?

-> What kind of fucking bug is two hundred runs...?

-> The greatest carbon-based life-form in primate history, GOAT...

-> IPlayGamesToFindBugs) It's me.

-> ....!!!!!!

-> ..!!!!!!

-> .....!!!!!!!!!!

-> ...Nnngoooooot!!!!!!

-> TyrIsCanon) What the hell is wrong with you lunatics? Speak like people.

-> Look above. BugFinder left a comment on your post.

-> TyrIsCanon) ......!!!!!!!!

Chance.

That was all one needed to encounter a spirit.

There were no guides or tricks for such a meeting.

Their spawn points changed with every run, and sometimes they spawned in areas players couldn't enter at all.

There was no guide that revealed their locations, nor any item that could search for them, so all one could do was rely on luck.

‘Of course.’

As rare as these meetings were, the rewards were just as certain.

You could obtain special items.

[Title: Review of an Item Given by a Spirit]

[Author: SuperTastyChewyCookieOhMyGod]

A few days ago, I happened to encounter a being called a spirit.

As I recall, nothing particularly special led to it.

A fire broke out in the forest near the village where I was staying.

I liked that village, and it would've been a pain if the fire spread, so I put it out myself.

Fortunately, the fire went out quickly.

I lost mana, scrolls, and plenty of other things in the process...

Anyway.

I was resting on one side of the forest when a message suddenly appeared.

It said something about receiving a spirit's favor.

Then a bird that had been chirping nearby flew over to me.

It seemed to be flying normally, then in the blink of an eye, it turned into a sky-blue blob.

It startled me for a moment, but it didn't look dangerous.

It sort of looked like a mascot, I guess?

Its body was semi-transparent as it floated around. It was mysterious, but also cute...

It introduced itself as the Spirit of Life, then said it was moved by the kindness I'd shown the forest and gave me a necklace.

[Life's Necklace]

-Category: Accessory

-Rank: A

-Condition: Clear

I figured this was one of those rumored “spirit items,” so I used it for two days.

The more I used it, though, the more amazed I became by its absurd performance.

My health doesn't seem to drop at all. It actually keeps recovering...

I don't think I'll have to worry about potions at all this run.

I've heard other spirit items are broken too.

I want to meet other spirits someday...

[This isn't a review, it's a bragging post.]

-> SuperTastyChewyCookieOhMyGod) Hehe.

[Wow, I'm jealous.]

-> When will I get one...?

-> SuperTastyChewyCookieOhMyGod) If you keep at it, you'll get one someday!

[BugFinder has already encountered that so-called Spirit of Life 3,843,502 times.]

-> What even is BugFinder...?

-> Is BugFinder your friend? Show some respect.

-> The GOAT among all intelligent life created since the dawn of creation.

-> Why do all the posts here end with BugFinder?

Spirit items.

Items one could receive upon gaining a spirit's favor.

It varied from item to item, but they generally boasted absurdly powerful effects.

There were even items that occasionally performed at an S-rank level.

Since they were such a fucking nightmare to acquire, the developers must have given them reliably strong effects.

‘But...’

Why was one in my hand right now?

I stared blankly down at the ring.

The message in my status window remained unchanged.

Tiring-!

[Ring of the Grove]

-Category: Accessory

-Rank: A-

-Condition: Incomplete

-Description: A ring handed directly to you by the twin spirits [Selimin & Selipin], who protected this area. Under limited conditions, you can receive a spirit's favor. When used together with the ‘Ring of the Wind (A-)’ received alongside it, you can use a special skill.

‘Selimin and Selipin...’

I remembered them clearly.

After all, I was a legendary game addict who had devoured the setting book too.

The twin spirits.

Selimin, the older brother, was the Spirit of the Grove.

Selipin, the younger sister, was the Spirit of the Wind.

They always appeared together.

Could the brother and sister before us really have been spirits?

“My God.”

I hurriedly looked up.

The children who had been hopping around in front of us just moments ago.

“Ah...”

But the twins had already disappeared.

It felt as though a mirage had passed through.

Only the fresh scent of grass remained on the arms and legs they had held onto.

Carmilla looked confused as well, but their place was empty.

The wind brushed past my ears.

“See you again next time!”

“Thank you for protecting the village! Big sister, big brother!”

Hehehe.

The wind seemed to laugh innocently.

The greenery and grove rustled in its wake.

Having missed the children, I could only stand there with a dazed expression.

Once I understood everything, the strange details began to stand out again.

‘Come to think of it... it was strange that only the children were awake during the Lunar Eclipse.’

Wasn't it?

Even the guards farther out and the adults had all lost consciousness.

At the time, I assumed the children had luckily been outside the range, but looking back, that was strange.

It took us nearly an hour to arrive at the village and enter it.

That meant those little children had spent that entire hour running from the Ghouls without getting caught...

‘Impossible.’

They had been pursued by thousands.

It was too much for children barely ten years old to shake off.

I'd let it pass without thinking at the time, but now that I considered it, there had been more than enough hints.

‘Who knew I'd encounter spirits here...!’

They only appeared once every twenty runs on average.

Even I, someone called an old hand at the original game, had encountered them fewer than thirty times.

There had also been no time to think deeply, considering the circumstances.

-The adults said you fought the monsters even while your bodies were falling apart!

-W-We were cheering for you too. You were really amazing too, big sister...!

Words I could finally hear again.

Most of it must have been lies.

They couldn't have seen Carmilla's side of things inside the cathedral.

They had probably hidden somewhere and watched us.

‘Was that a test...?’

A short laugh escaped me.

Still, if there was one fortunate thing, it was that we had received perfect marks on that test.

Thanks to that, we had obtained a spirit's reward, exclusive items.

‘I never expected this.’

They were so difficult to obtain that I hadn't even considered trying.

Having an item like that suddenly fall into my lap left me dumbfounded.

Carmilla had the same reaction.

“They truly were elusive children.”

The girl absentmindedly fiddled with the ring.

Had she not realized that the children were hidden spirits?

Carmilla simply seemed disappointed that they were gone, showing no sign of surprise.

‘Well, it's normal not to recognize them...’

A gentle smile rested on her lips.

Perhaps she was happy with the children's thoughtfulness despite the ring's rather shabby appearance.

Carmilla tightly gripped the ring as if it were precious.

‘Wait.’

I calculated quickly in my head.

The gifts of the twin spirits.

The Ring of the Grove and the Ring of the Wind.

The two items revealed their true value when used together.

There was an [Exclusive Skill] that could only be activated under those conditions.

‘Carmilla has to wear hers all the time, not just me.’

Since Carmilla and I were always together anyway, that was fine.

The key was making sure she kept the ring on.

I gently reached out my hand.

“Princess.”

“...Ah, Viktor.”

“It seems you like the ring.”

“Yes. It seems perfectly suited to me.”

“You should try wearing it too. I'll put it on for you.”

“Um...?”

I softly took her hand.

At the same time, I lightly pulled her into my embrace.

As the distance between us closed, each other's scent washed over us.

“V-Viktor...?”

Her distinctively sweet scent.

Carmilla looked up at me with flustered eyes.

Ignoring that, I gently slipped the ring from her grasp.

“You've worked very hard through all of this.”

Warmth intertwined between our fingers.

Beyond that gentle warmth, I lightly brushed her slender finger.

Our fingertips touched.

“I'll always be cheering you on.”

Come to think of it, which finger was a ring supposed to go on?

The left? The right?

I felt like the meaning changed depending on the hand.

‘Was the left ring finger for marriage, and the right ring finger for peace...?’

What did the other fingers mean again?

My brain froze for a moment, then I decided to just put it on a finger that fit.

The right ring finger happened to be the right size, so I slipped it on.

“I'll always be by your side, Princess.”

“...”

Carmilla stood there in a daze.

She remained frozen for a moment, then her face gradually turned red.

Soon, a weak breath slipped from between her lips.

“...Mweh?”

Her cheeks slowly heated up.

I put the identical ring on my own finger too.

“Shall we make this a token of our promise? You said you liked it too, Princess.”

“A-a token...?”

“Yes, a token.”

A token of the promise that I would always be by her side.

I tapped the back of her pale hand as if reminding her.

“So you must always keep the ring with you, understood?”

“...”

“You understand, right?”

“I-I-I understand...”

Her face as red as a carrot, the girl nodded.

Satisfied with her answer, I smiled.

It was a perfect ending.

“Then... shall we return to the academy?”

“...”

“Princess?”

“Ah... y-yes, yes! Let's, let's do that!”

“...?”

What?

Why had she suddenly malfunctioned?

Tilting my head, I took the girl's hand and led her along.

We held hands tightly all the way back to the academy.

‘Niiice.’

The truth was...

In vampire culture, the meanings of rings on the left and right hands were exactly reversed.

I learned that fact much later.

* * *

A week passed after that.

Life at the academy went by without issue after we returned.

There were no scheduled events, and midterm season was approaching.

At least for the next month, there was no need to worry about the New Kingdom or the Cult.

‘After midterms, it was straight into the school trip, wasn't it...?’

There was something I needed to do there.

Nothing serious, just somewhere I could loot while I was at it.

‘I'll think about it later.’

That wasn't happening for another two weeks anyway.

I spent my free time leisurely.

I was getting full marks on the written exams anyway, and I planned to scrape by on the practicals.

Other than helping my fellow Class E students study, it was an idle week with nothing for me to do.

‘I've worked hard lately... maybe I'll quietly enjoy myself until the school trip?’

That was what I'd planned.

Yes.

That was definitely what I'd planned, but...

“Top student of Class E.”

“...”

“For the practical portion of these midterms, fight me.”

Mysteriously colored blue hair.

Eyes that seemed devoid of emotion.

Features so sharp they felt pointed.

She was a beauty who could make anyone, regardless of gender, stop breathing for several seconds.

“I won't accept a refusal.”

Her overbearing, beautiful voice weighed down the atmosphere.

White breath misted from the girl with every exhale.

Frost clung to the tips of her heels.

“Answer.”

“...”

I could only stand there blankly, facing her.

Winter had come out of season.

The girl's name was Rin Glacia.

The most dominant first-year top student in Grandia Academy's history.

‘Fuck.’

That girl was challenging me to a match.

I swallowed back the tears threatening to spill out.

What was this?

Why was this happening again?

Footnotes:

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