WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 94: On Truth
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“Top student of Class E.”
“Daddy...”
It had suddenly turned into a soap opera.
And not just any soap opera. We were at the climax, five minutes away from total chaos.
Lua’s cute eyes brimmed with tears, while Rin stubbornly clung to my sleeve.
Their gazes jabbed at my cheeks.
The whole setup oddly reminded me of some mass-produced Chinese game.
‘Trust your daughter versus trust your mistress.’
The position of a trash dad, not really, caught between a daughter, not really, and a mistress, also not really.
Around us, the Class E students watched with fascinated eyes.
A few of them had even opened bags of popcorn.
“...”
I memorized every face holding popcorn.
You bastards are dead when training starts.
I swallowed the sigh that had been about to escape, broke the silence, and stepped in to settle things.
“Miss Lua.”
I gently held out my hand.
The first person I approached was the small black-haired girl.
I quietly knelt on one knee before Lua.
Swoosh.
Our eyes were now level.
Her eyes, as though the night sky had been mixed into them, were wide and watery.
She looked ready to cry at any moment, so I carefully stroked her cheek.
“Sniff, Daddy...”
Her voice was utterly soaked with tears.
My fingers gently wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes.
“Don’t abandon Lua...”
Her trembling eyes betrayed her anxiety.
Come to think of it, I had heard that ego weapons formed exceptionally strong attachments to their owners.
Lua had only just developed a sense of self, so she must have desperately needed her owner’s presence.
‘She’s really anxious.’
Was this what separation anxiety felt like?
Seeing her react this way made my heart ache for no reason.
After patting her head a few times, I spoke to reassure her.
“Miss Lua.”
“Mmm...”
“Why would I abandon you? Do you have any idea how much I need you?”
“N-Need me...? Really? Sniff, am I someone Daddy needs?”
“Of course. I can’t live without you, Miss Lua.”
Naturally.
Without you, my combat power would drop by thirty-five percent.
I pulled Lua into my arms and lightly lifted her up.
The teary girl’s eyes widened.
“H-Huh...?”
“You’re a good girl, aren’t you, Miss Lua?”
It was a technique I had often used while taking care of my younger siblings in my previous life.
If I held them close and fussed over them enough, their crying would stop before long.
Lua clung tightly to my chest.
When I tickled her a little, she couldn’t hold it in and burst into laughter.
“Eek! Daddy, that tickles! Hehe...!”
Fortunately, she cheered up quickly.
Lua pressed herself against me and rubbed her cheek against mine.
Moments like this reminded me that cuteness really was cheating.
She clung to me at every opportunity, yet I never found it bothersome.
“Ahem.”
Lua dangled from one of my arms.
Holding my daughter, not really, I looked at my mistress, also not really.
“...”
The girl silently watched me.
Through strands of her fallen blue hair, I could see eyes like ice crystals.
Even while I soothed Lua, Rin had refused to let go of my sleeve.
“Um... Lady Glacia?”
I seemed to remember her saying something strange earlier, too.
With an uneasy feeling, I asked, “Could you repeat your proposal from earlier?”
“I said I wanted you to come to Class A.”
“You mean me...?”
“Yes.”
A brief answer.
She said it so easily that I was left speechless.
I could only scratch my head.
‘This is awkward.’
Should I take it as a recruitment offer?
As I tilted my head, Rin added a few simple words.
“I want to be in the same class as you.”
“Hm...?”
“I told you. I liked you.”
Her words were straightforward.
Their meaning was anything but.
It almost sounded like a confession.
The students watching us all widened their eyes.
They probably hadn’t expected words like that to come from those expressionless lips.
‘What is this?’
Of course, I had no idea either.
What was wrong with her?
What had she eaten to make her act like this?
“...First of all, isn’t it still a long time before students can change classes?”
“It’s fine. If your grades are far beyond those of your assigned class, you can be given permission to transfer. You ranked first in the year on this midterm exam, so that won’t be a problem. It’s strange that someone with those grades belongs to Class E in the first place.”
“Hmm.”
Had she even looked into the academy regulations?
For some reason, she seemed very serious about recruiting me.
The academy’s top student, a loser from a bygone era, wanted me this badly. As a man, I couldn’t help feeling tempted.
Without hesitation, I answered.
“I don’t want to.”
Why would I go there?
(I really don’t know.)
Perhaps because of my confident answer, Rin froze in confusion.
Her normally impassive appearance went slack.
A few question marks seemed to float above her head.
“...What?”
“I’ll decline. I’m satisfied being the top student of Class E.”
I had a quest to clear, too.
I couldn’t leave these guys behind and move up.
Ding!
[Sub Quest]
-Details: Raise every Class E student to B-rank or higher.
-Quest Deadline: Before graduation
-Penalty upon Failure: None
-Reward: Character-exclusive item, ‘Black Tuner’s Scales (S-)’
[Progress: 31%]
Should I throw away all that progress?
Besides, this quest only appeared for Class E students.
Was Class A really special enough for me to abandon an S-rank item just to go there?
Lately, they had even reached MAX loyalty and played well with Lua. Wouldn’t throwing away kids like these be a considerable loss?
‘Besides, when she said she liked me, it couldn’t have had any special meaning...’
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Rin.
She had the air of an ice sculpture.
There was no way this emotionless doll had said that for such a reason.
‘When she said she liked me, she meant that she literally liked me.’
It was closer to having taken an interest in me.
Not like or love, but interest.
She had probably become interested in me after experiencing defeat at my hands during the practical examination.
I shrugged.
“It’s not a particularly appealing proposal.”
As expected, my answer was no.
After hearing it, Rin stood there blankly.
It seemed she had never considered that I might refuse.
Then again, what kind of lunatic would turn down an offer to stand at the top of the caste system?
“Why? Don’t you want to be in Class A?”
“Not particularly. I’m more comfortable here.”
“Comfortable?”
“Yes.”
“Is that important enough to keep you in Class E?”
“Let me ask you the opposite. Is Class A valuable enough to give up all this comfort and go there?”
“Normally, wouldn’t it be?”
“Not to me.”
“...”
When I put it so plainly, Rin once again had nothing to say.
Her gaze grew oddly subdued.
Her pale pink lips murmured.
“...But.”
“Hm?”
“I really wanted it. To be in the same class.”
Her usual emotionless voice trailed off.
Her expression was difficult to read, but she seemed somehow disappointed.
It was one thing for her to boldly come looking for me, but after being refused, she seemed not to know what to do.
‘What is this?’
Did she want to recruit me that badly?
The girl who was normally the very image of emotionlessness was reacting like this...
‘Still, impossible is impossible.’
Why would I go under Class A in the first place?
It would be different if she said she would come under me.
I casually tossed out a joke at the blankly frozen Rin.
“Then... why don’t you come to Class E instead, Lady Glacia?”
“Really? Can I?”
“What?”
Rin moved right up to me as she asked.
Unlike before, something sparkled in her blue eyes.
“Can I join Class E too?”
Her gloomy expression softened for a moment.
The girl looked full of anticipation.
I could only panic at her sudden reaction.
“Pardon? No, I...”
“It’ll be difficult right away. Yes, I’ll find a way.”
“L-Lady Glacia? I was only joking...”
“I’ll come find you after the school trip.”
Swish.
Without listening to another word I said, Rin turned her back on me.
The girl left the classroom, her blue hair swaying behind her.
Only a faint wintry scent remained on my sleeve.
“...”
This time, I was the one left standing there blankly.
The girl had struck like lightning and vanished like a storm.
‘What was that?’
I hadn’t expected her to react like that to a joke.
She wasn’t normally that kind of character.
What had gotten into her?
As I paused to think, the Class E kids who had been watching rushed over.
“Boss!”
“Are you all right?!”
The kids surrounded me.
For some reason, a few of them even had tears in their eyes.
“Sniff, Boss! I never thought you’d stay in Class E...!”
“We were worried you might go to Class A!”
“You gave up Class A for us...”
“Boss! We’ll work even harder from now on!”
“We’ll make sure you never regret today’s choice!”
They seemed moved that I had stayed in Class E instead of abandoning them.
The lackeys cheered and wiped away tears.
They were all clapping.
Even so, all my attention was focused on Rin.
‘...Fuck.’
She wasn’t seriously coming, was she?
It was a joke.
Please tell me you were joking too.
* * *
A few days later.
After the eventful midterms, the day of the school trip finally arrived.
From early in the morning, the first-year cadets had gathered at the tram station.
Each of them carried a large travel bag.
They were ready to set out on their trip.
When I turned my head slightly, the members assigned to my group for this school trip were standing there as well.
“It’s finally the day of the school trip! I’ve never been to the sea before, so I’m personally very excited!”
“M-Me neither... Viktor, h-have you ever been?”
“Wait! Why am I in your group?! Go have fun by yourselves!”
Ranne, Alice, and Caitlin.
The three stood in a neat row.
We waited for the tram to arrive.
‘A tram.’
It was a train that ran within and beyond the academy city.
In keeping with this world, it was powered by magic rather than science.
We would take the tram to the port, then board a cruise ship for our destination.
As everyone waited with eager eyes, the homeroom professor arrived last.
“Attention.”
Javert stood before the students.
Even on the school trip, she insisted on wearing her usual uniform.
She made one final headcount and directed the students.
“Everyone, board your assigned cars. We’ll depart immediately.”
The students went to find their seats.
Screech!
Before long, the long train announced its departure with a thunderous roar.
The tram’s wheels carried us through the academy’s main gate and across the landscape.
Bright, sparkling eyes watched the scenery through the windows.
‘Of course they’d be excited.’
This hellish elite academy had a grueling schedule.
This was one of their few proper breaks.
I, too, leaned back with a relaxed smile, savoring my growing anticipation.
‘Of course.’
I had another purpose in mind.
A blue screen appeared before my eyes.
Ding!
[Main Quest]
-Title: Calamity from the Deep Sea
-Details: Infiltrate the Cult branch hidden in the deep sea.
-Penalty upon Failure: The end of the coastal city, ‘Geltin’
-Reward upon Success: ???
[Time Limit: Until the school trip ends]
Ding!
[■□ Quest]
-Title: On Truth
-Details: Visit the Ancient Library. Find, among millions of books, a book related to ■■■.
-Penalty upon Failure: None
-Reward upon Success: ■■■
[Time Limit: Until the school trip ends]
Two whole main quests overlapped.
One of them was even related to the ■■■ I had been chasing all this time.
‘Let’s go.’
Leaning back against my seat, I thought to myself.
This time, I would finally learn the name beyond that status window.
===
This is Rin Glacia.
Footnotes:
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