WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 99: There’s Nothing. Just Like My Parents.
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The bomb Lua had dropped.
It took a little while to clear things up.
I carefully explained everything that had happened the night before.
“Ah, s-so that was the misunderstanding…”
“We didn’t know that, and L-Lord Viktor…”
Ranne and Alice, both thoroughly shaken, listened closely to what I had to say.
Before long, they realized they’d misunderstood.
I grinned mischievously. “What were you all thinking? All I did with the princess was take a casual stroll at night.”
“Ah, um… Well…”
“Viktor, that’s…”
Both of them were too busy avoiding my eyes.
Their faces had flushed bright red.
Maybe they’d both been entertaining impure fantasies, because their eyes kept darting everywhere.
Alice was often like this, but it was rare to see Ranne this embarrassed.
I teased them about it and enjoyed watching them squirm.
[Viktor.]
Carmilla, perched on my shoulder, tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.
[Why is everyone reacting like that?]
[I don’t think Lua lied or said anything strange…]
Was it because she was a vampire?
Her views on chastity were so strict they bordered on stifling, so the possibility of anything improper hadn’t even crossed her mind.
“It’s nothing important.”
If she learned why those two were flustered, she’d probably hide in embarrassment all day.
To protect her pure soul, I gave her a vague answer.
Question marks practically floated over Carmilla’s head, but she didn’t ask any further.
As I stroked that bat, something tugged insistently at my sleeve.
“Ahem!”
Lua, a short dark-haired girl, looked up at me with her shoulders puffed out.
Did she think she’d done a good job helping Dad?
Her black eyes sparkled brightly.
‘Dad, I did well, right?’
That was what her eyes seemed to ask.
Her shoulders were raised high with confidence.
There were plenty of things I could’ve objected to, but I decided to pat her head too.
‘She’s cute, after all.’
There’d been a brief commotion, but she was cute, so I’d let it go.
Her soft hair curled around my fingertips.
“Mhehehe.”
As soon as I touched her, Lua smiled bashfully and snuggled against me.
When I lifted her up, her small body settled into my arms.
Her cheek rubbed against my chest.
The princess, who had been watching, commented.
[Viktor, you seem especially kind to children.]
‘Oh… is that so?’
[It’s obvious that you like children. Though Viktor himself seems to be trying not to show it.]
‘I wasn’t particularly trying to hide it…’
I liked children.
All I could do at those words was smile bitterly.
-Big brother! Read us a book today!
-Idiot, he promised he’d play with me.
Maybe the habits from my previous life had remained.
I scratched the back of my head with an awkward smile.
Inside my chest, my heartbeat turned cold.
Turning my gaze away, I looked out at the azure horizon.
“Hmm.”
Whoooosh.
A refreshing sea breeze swept across the ship.
Through the salty, fishy air, the cruise ship continued across the brilliant blue water.
We sailed past rocks towering like mountains from the sea and various ruins.
‘This is amazing.’
A splendid view filled my eyes.
Maybe because this was a fantasy world, there were so many strange sights to see.
“Wow…! That rock is huge!”
“Yes! It has a grandeur different from the North. To think those structures rise straight out of the sea…!”
“That is a t-tower built in ancient times. It’s collapsed now, and only tr-traces remain…”
It was a bustling, noisy scene.
Lua looked around with sparkling eyes, Ranne admired the sights while comparing them to her hometown, and Alice hurriedly flipped through a brochure and read explanations about the ruins to both of them.
The sight naturally brought a pleased smile to my face.
“Hehe.”
I quietly stepped back.
When I looked to the other side, I spotted another member of our group.
“Caitlin.”
Her yellow hair fluttered in the sea breeze.
Caitlin was sitting precariously on the ship’s railing.
Whoooosh.
Her brow was furrowed as usual.
I casually tossed out a remark from beside her.
“Who has displeased you so much this time that you’re frowning?”
“What are you talking about? It’s not like that.”
“‘What,’ ‘Talking,’ and ‘Not Like That’? Three people? Those are some unusual names.”
“Damn it… You’re getting more creative with your comebacks, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I’m always working on them.”
“Talking to you feels draining.”
“Don’t worry. It probably is actually draining.”
“You awful bastard. You really can’t let a single remark slide, can you?”
“And you, Caitlin, can’t win a single exchange.”
“Ugh.”
Caitlin let out a deep sigh.
I smiled as if she were ridiculous.
“Just give up. Even after a lifetime, Caitlin, you’ll never surpass my super-intelligence and super-banter.”
“What’s super-intelligence, and what’s super-banter?”
“It means intelligence and banter. I simply put ‘super’ in front to make them sound incredibly impressive.”
“Go screw yourself.”
How could she not understand such a simple principle?
The moment you put “super” in front of something, it becomes number one in its field.
Even a super schooler could understand that.
“You definitely aren’t normal.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“You did seem kind of cool during capture the flag, though…”
“Oh? No matter how cool I am, it’d be a problem if you fell for me.”
“Please shut up.”
Caitlin replied while rubbing her face.
As we bickered, half a day passed aboard the ship.
The cruise ship, which had been touring the ruins, stopped and docked at an island.
“Looks like we’ve arrived.”
The map displayed in the crystal ball showed that it was a fairly large island.
Compared to my previous life, it was probably about half the size of Jeju Island.
It seemed they’d rented out the entire island for the school trip activities.
‘How rich are they?’
I muttered to myself.
We were apparently going to spend two days of the school trip on this island.
Once we disembarked from the cruise ship, Javert, who was overseeing the whole school trip, began organizing the students.
We stood beside the clustered students.
<Students.>
Once the general commotion had settled, Javert announced the next activity.
Her voice was amplified through a magical device.
<The ruin tour has concluded. The next activity will take place on this island.>
It was the same event as in the original story.
A minigame that would be held for two days during the school trip.
<The activity will be a game of tag.>
A game of tag using the entire island as the field.
The faculty would be “it,” while the students would hide.
<This activity will last one day. Faculty members will act as “it,” and students must avoid being caught as much as possible…>
The explanation continued.
In short, the rules were as follows.
[Grandia Tag]
1. This activity will last for 24 hours.
2. The students’ victory condition is to avoid being caught until the time limit expires.
3. Students must not stray too far beyond the island and must always move together with their group members.
The rules weren’t much different from a standard game of tag.
The only difference from my previous life was that all kinds of magic and swords would be flying around.
The students could use every ability they possessed in this game of tag.
<The group whose members all survive until the end will receive a special reward.>
<Students, work together with your group members and do your best to survive until the end.>
<Separate from the game of tag, if you find yourselves in a situation where you need help, press your crystal ball at any time to call the faculty.>
Javert added one final remark.
Right afterward, a time limit appeared over the students’ crystal balls.
[25:00]
<You have one hour to hide throughout the island.>
<The faculty will set off all at once when the number on your crystal balls reaches 24:00.>
<Then let us begin.>
The game of tag began immediately.
The students scattered all across the island with their group members.
I led my companions through the center of the large island.
‘Good.’
The event wasn’t bad either.
Our group had quick-footed people, including Caitlin and me.
If things got dangerous, Caitlin and I could each carry one of Ranne and Alice and run.
“Let’s head toward the edge of the island.”
“Hey… Do you even know where you’re going?”
“Of course. I have the entire map of the island memorized.”
As I led the group, a blue screen suddenly appeared before me.
Ding!
[Sub Quest]
-Title: Catch Me If You Can!
-Details: Become the group that survives until the very end in the game of tag.
-Penalty upon Failure: None
-Reward: Consumable Item ‘Mid-Range Teleportation Inscription (B+)’
[Time Limit: Until the activity ends]
As expected, the goal of this activity was first place.
I also intended to take care of the main quest while I was at it.
I was planning to raid the Cult branch hidden in the deep sea.
“Hey! So where are we hiding? It’s almost time for the professors to start chasing us!”
“Caitlin, there’s nowhere on this island where we can hide perfectly.”
“What?”
“There’s nothing. Just like my parents.”
“…Fuck, I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond to that.”
“You lack orphan sensitivity. Typical non-orphan.”
We traded meaningless remarks as we ran through the brush.
“Ranne.”
“Why did you call for me, Lord Viktor?”
“Can you swim?”
“Hmm! I’m not sure! I’ve never learned!”
“It’s fine. I’ll lead you. What about you, Alice?”
“Me? I, um, can swim to some extent, but why are you suddenly asking…?”
The two of them looked confused.
I grinned.
“I know a good place.”
“Hey, why aren’t you asking me?”
“Even the professors won’t be able to figure it out.”
“I’m asking why you’re only asking those two and not me.”
“We’re going under the sea.”
“Hey…!”
I ran ahead.
A familiar mechanical voice rang in my ears.
Ding!
[A linked quest has appeared!]
[A linked quest has appeared!]
[Linked Quest-01]
-Title: What Is Buried Below
-Details: Eliminate the Cult branch hidden in the deep sea. Defeat the deep-sea monster ‘Leviathan (Project Leviathan).’
-Penalty upon Failure: The end of the coastal city of Geltin
-Reward upon Success: Obtain Merit Points (10,000p)
[Time Limit: ???]
[Linked Quest-02]
-Title: For All Alices
-Details: Defeat 'Oz (OZ),' leader of the Cult's Chimera Project.
-Penalty upon Failure: Worsening of the third calamity, 'Wonderland.'
-Reward upon Success: The truth about something
[Time Limit: ???]
‘Just as planned.’
Now then.
Shall we go level up?
Footnotes:
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