WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 103: To the Land of Fantasy

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Outside the building, I could still hear the regressor fighting Nabi.

The roars of beasts, the thunderous howl of the wind, and nearby objects shattering beneath the aftermath.

Tantalus suddenly shook violently. It seemed the sword energy the regressor had fired had struck the building's outer wall.

Feeling the tremor, Lieutenant General Ebon muttered,

"He's still fighting the King of Cats? Is he really that skilled? Hm. Perhaps I should have watched the battle myself."

"I'll go outside and check, Lieutenant General."

The colonel stepped forward, but Lieutenant General Ebon immediately shook his head.

"No. There's no need. If the King of Cats has the upper hand, she's probably just playing around. If she's at a disadvantage, she'll flee on her own. You only need to carry out your own duty properly."

"Yes, Lieutenant General!"

The colonel faithfully carried out the assigned duty.

In other words, watching me.

Whenever we passed through shadows, the colonel stuck close to me and swept his gaze in every direction, looking ready to take my head off at the slightest provocation. Tyr gave up each time and waited for another opportunity.

Tyr was strong, but she had no talent for fighting while protecting something. Most vampires were immortal, regenerating quickly even if their bodies were torn apart. With the Progenitor, the source of bloodcraft, nearby, they were practically eternal. Naturally, they had no choice but to neglect defense.

That approach was impossible with me around, though. I would die from a light tap.

It had to be frustrating for Tyr.

Sorry, Tyr. But I've got something to do.

As Lieutenant General Ebon continued searching, he found Azzy curled up in a corner. Ebon's eyes briefly gleamed strangely.

'The King of Dogs, perhaps the being closest to fulfilling our long-cherished wish... At last, she is completely in our hands.'

Suppressing his strange excitement, Lieutenant General Ebon called out to Azzy.

"At last, I've found you, King of Dogs!"

"Woof?"

Azzy sensed people from a distance and trotted right over. Puzzled by the sudden number of humans, she looked over each of them once.

"Cat smell, human! Nice to see you! Huh?"

Then Azzy spotted me tied up with rope and cried out.

"Woof? What's that? What game is this?"

I answered honestly.

"It's a game called SM play."

"Woof! I want to play too!"

"Now, now. Good puppies shouldn't imitate that."

"Woof woof! That's unfair! Me too!"

The colonel tugged on me with a terrifying expression. Ow, how stiff. Can't even take a joke.

Ah, the regressor would have given me a pretty entertaining reaction. She's a pain when she's here, but now that she wasn't, I kind of missed her.

Lieutenant General Ebon sent the others away and spoke with Azzy alone.

"King of Dogs, I demand that you head to the surface with me."

"...Woof, again? Another demand?"

Azzy let out a puff of breath like a deflated balloon and muttered with a disappointed expression.

"I'm not going."

Lieutenant General Ebon had expected that response, so he was not disappointed. Instead, he asked,

"Why?"

"Woof. I'm good. I keep promises."

"The promise you made with the military state? That if you wait here, we will one day honor the pact and fight the King of Wolves alongside you?"

"Woof!"

Azzy nodded brightly. Lieutenant General Ebon scolded her.

"Even for a beast, you are hopelessly foolish. You believe that? A promise in name only. Do you truly believe the military state will keep such a promise and fight the King of Wolves with you?"

A foolish beast clinging to a promise with no promised day of fulfillment.

Lieutenant General Ebon was about to mock that foolishness to his heart's content.

Azzy shook her head fiercely, looked up at Ebon, and spoke bravely.

"I'll believe! Woof! If I keep believing, one day they'll trust me too!"

It was a statement that went beyond truth or lies, filled only with unwavering resolve. The King of Dogs declared that she would keep trusting and relying on humans forever.

Lieutenant General Ebon had been ready to condemn her, but after hearing that, he lowered his voice.

"Haha. That was a foolish question. Forgive me. Yes, that is the King of Dogs."

"Woof! It's okay! I'm good! I accept apology!"

"Then I have no choice but to take you by force."

"Woof?"

Azzy tilted her head at the abrupt words.

"By force? Even if you pull me, I won't go? I won't go?"

"No. You will."

"Wooof?"

Leaving the puzzled Azzy behind, Lieutenant General Ebon called to the colonel.

"Colonel, prepare the chain."

"Yes!"

The colonel put down the leather bag, found the coiled chain inside, and pulled it out.

It was a Level 4 alchemical steel chain with a dark blue sheen. The essence of military state alchemy, it was stronger even than the doors guarding Tantalus's underground armory. The chain must have occupied most of the bag, because the bag immediately went limp once it was removed.

While the colonel untangled it, the lieutenant general looked at Callis.

"Lieutenant Colonel. I'm certain I told you to try using the chain before this mission. Well? Have you learned how to control the King of Dogs?"

Suddenly singled out, Callis searched through her memories before replying a beat or two late.

"Ah, um... I apologize. I didn't discover a way. Even when I pulled the King of Dogs with the chain, she wouldn't move from that spot."

"How did you pull her with the chain?"

"I wrapped it around her neck, like a collar..."

"Whose neck?"

"Pardon?"

Callis failed to understand the question for a moment and foolishly asked back. She hurriedly composed herself before answering.

"I apologize. The King of Dogs. I wrapped it around the King of Dogs' neck."

"Hm. Half correct. What a shame. I thought Lieutenant Colonel Callis might find the answer..."

Lieutenant General Ebon trailed off and pointed at Azzy. The colonel nodded, took the chain, and strode toward Azzy.

As that happened, Lieutenant General Ebon continued explaining.

"You had the direction wrong, Lieutenant Colonel. What happens if you put the chain around the King of Dogs' neck? Does that make you as strong as the King of Dogs? Or does it make the King of Dogs as weak as you?"

"Then what should I do?"

"Didn't I give you enough hints? You must do the opposite. The opposite."

By then, the colonel had wrapped the chain around Azzy.

It was not around her neck or waist, but her right forepaw.

Her right forepaw. Not both paws, nor any place that looked particularly troublesome. Azzy merely blinked and offered no resistance.

But the chain had never been meant to restrain the King of Dogs' body.

Lieutenant General Ebon's voice deepened.

"Lieutenant Colonel. Are you still loyal to us?"

It was a question with a predetermined answer. No matter how confused Callis might be, the words leaving her mouth had to be affirmative.

Callis replied at once.

"Yes! Of course!"

"Then you are prepared to faithfully obey our orders."

"Yes! I am prepared to obey any order."

"I hold your resolve in high regard. In that case."

Lieutenant General Ebon smiled coldly and gave an order to the colonel holding the chain connected to Azzy.

"Colonel. Wrap the chain around the lieutenant colonel's neck."

"...I didn't hear that correctly?"

Callis doubted her ears.

A chain around her neck, as though she were a beast? And one tied to the King of Dogs' paw...?

Wouldn't that make it seem as if Azzy were holding Callis's leash?

'No. Does "the opposite" mean... the target is the opposite...?'

It was an insult to her dignity. Being led around by someone else while wearing a collar. Callis wanted to deny the situation, but with the lieutenant general watching and the colonel approaching, a mere lieutenant colonel could not pull away.

She pressed her lips together and stood still as the colonel wrapped the chain around her neck.

The heavy chain settled across her shoulders. The chilling touch of metal curled around her throat. It was not even tight yet, but Callis felt as though her breathing had already become difficult.

Callis's ordeal did not end there.

Click.

The sound of a lock closing rang out. When Callis raised her head, a heavy, dark lock hung from the chain around her neck.

Her eyes wavered. Now she could not remove the chain by herself.

Like any other animal.

"I'll give you another order, Lieutenant Colonel. Walk forward exactly as you are, until the chain tightens around your neck."

Walk forward with the chain around her neck.

Azzy was motionless with no intention of moving. And unlike the Abyss, the chain had a finite length.

So if Callis kept walking, the chain would eventually tighten around her throat.

Lieutenant General Ebon spoke as though that were the very goal.

"L-Lieutenant General. You mean..."

"Yes. Just as you think. Keep pulling the chain until you're on the verge of losing consciousness from suffocation. With the lieutenant colonel's neck, that is."

Lieutenant General Ebon's voice rang in Callis's confused ears.

"Don't worry. The King of Dogs cannot harm a human. Under any circumstances. If the lieutenant colonel faces death by suffocation, the King of Dogs won't be able to bear watching and will follow you. She cannot allow the chain connected to her paw to kill a person."

The infinite goodwill a dog held toward humans.

They would take that hostage to control the dog.

The Lords of All Creation.

An organization that controlled the Beast Kings through an understanding of beasts.

To control the King of Dogs, they put a collar on a human and made that human's life the hostage, exploiting the King's kindness.

Callis did not like beasts. Her father had lost his life to one, and most perpetrators of violent crime were beastkin.

Yet now...

She could not tell who was a beast and who was human.

'...Then what am I? I betrayed them to preserve my life... and now, to preserve it again, I'm faithfully obeying their orders...'

Her thoughts sank deeper, but the order did not wait for her.

"If you had not been here, the colonel would have done it. I'm giving you an opportunity. A chance to earn at least the smallest merit. So obey the order, Lieutenant Colonel."

It was an ultimatum. If she did not accept, she would be guilty of disobeying an order. Considering their true nature, she would probably die.

If she did not want to die right now, Callis had to follow the order holding her leash.

"Callis Kritz. I will carry out... the mission."

Having steeled herself, Callis began walking in the opposite direction from Azzy. One slow step at a time.

At first, Azzy only pricked up her ears. But when the chain clattered and lifted off the ground, she hurriedly stood up. She had finally understood what was happening.

"Woof. Don't do it!"

'I have to live.'

To live, she had to keep moving until she was nearly dead. Because that was the order.

Callis took another step.

"Woof! No! Please. Woof, don't do it."

'I already threw everything away to save my life. I can't lose the life I earned like that here.'

Clank.

Something pulled at her neck. She had already reached the limit of the chain's length. Feeling its heavy weight, Callis took another step.

"Me, me. I'm a good puppy. I listen well! I don't want to hurt humans. Woof, please. Woof."

'At least if I obey here, regain my authority, and return home... I can live as I did before. Perhaps, as the Lords of All Creation said, I may even become Level 4.'

It tightened.

The small gap between her throat and the chain steadily narrowed. As the slack disappeared, Callis's breaths grew shallower.

"Woof! Woof woof! Stop, woof!"

'I have to live.'

Her instincts sounded the alarm. Still, she could not flee. The star of the military state, Lieutenant General Ebon, was still glaring at her with cold eyes.

She had been unable to breathe for some time. As Callis felt her vision narrowing...

She pulled herself even farther forward.

"Awooooo!"

Just before Callis lost consciousness.

Unable to watch any longer, Azzy leaped forward. The chain instantly loosened, and the breath Callis had forgotten returned at the same time. She collapsed onto the floor and hastily breathed out in ragged gasps.

Azzy stood beside her with an unbearably sad expression.

"Woof..."

'With a chain around my neck, using my life as a hostage to lead the King of Dogs to the surface. It is the only... way I can... survive...'

Now Azzy would follow Callis. She could not let Callis die.

Lieutenant General Ebon approached Callis and praised her.

"Well done, Lieutenant Colonel. It seems you do have the ability to control the King of Dogs."

That too was a question with a predetermined answer. Callis lied while gasping violently.

"Thank... you."

"My eye was not wrong after all. Lieutenant Colonel, you are truly an excellent talent! Good. All that remains is to go up!"

They had the King of Dogs, as well as a means to move her. All that remained was returning to the surface.

Just as Lieutenant General Ebon clapped his hands in delight,

"Meow!"

Nabi rushed into the building. Hopping about as though burned, Nabi quickly clung to Lieutenant General Ebon and whined.

"Meow meow! Meow! It hurts, meow! It stings, meow!"

The tearful Nabi was a sorry sight. A few locks of her hair had been cut, leaving it uneven in length, while scratches covered her arms and legs. She was bleeding too, though not heavily.

Nabi kept licking the wound on her hand as she cried.

"Nabi. What happened?"

"Meow, I hate that thing! I can't even see it, and it keeps stinging, meow!"

"That thing" clearly meant the regressor Nabi had been fighting until moments ago. What in the world had she done for the King of Cats to flee in terror?

Lieutenant General Ebon examined Nabi's injuries and fell into thought.

'...Those are attacks meant to cause pain rather than seek a fatal blow. Since cats hate pain, he targeted only painful spots and drove Nabi away...?'

The Beast Kings were powerful, but they were still beasts by nature. Beasts that faithfully followed their instincts for survival did not take risks.

Since ancient times, the best way to deal with beasts had been to frighten them. Unless it was a special case like the King of Wolves, survival instinct outweighed hunting instinct, so humans drove Beast Kings away with sharp spike traps or fire.

'He has experience fighting Beast Kings? He's skilled. The King of Cats has lost her hostility, so I must step in.'

Having reached a conclusion, Lieutenant General Ebon picked up his claws and stood.

"That must hurt, Nabi."

"Meow meow! I hate it, meow. It's like a prickly thorn vine, meow!"

"I understand. Then I'll defeat him for you."

"Meow! Teach him a lesson, meow! I could have won! I nearly defeated him! I left him for you, meow!"

That did not seem to be empty boasting, since the regressor who entered behind Nabi was in no better state. A streak of blood ran from the corner of her mouth, and three cuts marked her face. Her tattered sleeves were soaked red with blood.

'He's nearly dead. Well, the Beast King would not have been an easy opponent.'

It seemed Ebon only needed to finish her off.

Lieutenant General Ebon fitted his claws onto his hands.

One on his right hand, and one on his left.

Click.

The devices locked into place against his body.

Having completed his battle stance, the lieutenant general gave his orders.

"Nabi, lead them to the rooftop with the colonel. Colonel, with Nabi here, there is nothing to fear from the Progenitor. Do not take your eyes off the hostage, and head for the rooftop."

"Understood!"

The colonel answered energetically. Lieutenant General Ebon faced the regressor, savoring the feel of steel in his hands.

All the while, the regressor had been shouting irritably in my direction.

"Hey! I'm fighting with what life I have left on the line, so why have you been loafing around this whole time?!"

She was so worked up that her face had turned red.

Loafing around? Couldn't she see my hands were tied?

When I slightly raised them to show her, the regressor flew into a rage.

"Stop fooling around and do something already! If we let them get away like this...!"

"Who are you talking to, dangerous element?"

Ebon closed in on the regressor in an instant. The regressor noticed a beat too late and hurriedly defended with Skywarbler.

"Hup!"

Clang, clang.

The claws flashed chaotically, attacking the regressor from every direction. Gritting her teeth, the regressor wielded Skywarbler and blocked the slashes. As she deflected the final strike, she switched from defense to offense and swept Skywarbler horizontally.

The greatest strength of Skywarbler, a weightless sword, was its speed. It could switch instantly between offense and defense without being constrained by posture. A lightning-fast slash that flowed straight from defense into attack without delay.

But it did not hit Ebon.

Lieutenant General Ebon avoided the horizontal cut with astonishing flexibility, scraped his claws across the ground, and charged. It was a leap like that of a four-legged beast. The regressor allowed him to close the distance in an instant. Lieutenant General Ebon slammed into her with his shoulder. A pained groan reached his ears.

"Come now. This place is crowded, so let's fight somewhere more spacious."

A statement plainly intended to stall for time. Seeing through her opponent's intent, the regressor gritted her teeth.

"Tch...!"

'At a moment this important... I have no choice but to trust that bastard...!'

And so the star of the military state and the regressor burst outside.

Intentions crossed.

Wishes, hopes, desires, and determination.

They passed through people.

The stage was prepared. Now all that remained was the performance.

I slipped out a finger.

It was the largest piece of the immortal's right arm I had secretly picked up when the immortal was torn to pieces earlier: a thumb. I subtly held it out.

At that moment, I had six fingers on my right hand.

Now then, let's think about this.

A little earlier, the colonel tied my wrists with rope.

But I had the immortal's right arm, or rather, its largest thumb, tucked into my hand. The finger I showed when I was tied up had not been mine.

What did that mean?

It meant a very delightful magic trick was about to begin!

"We are leaving! Lieutenant Colonel, move out...!"

The colonel had received the lieutenant general's command and was hurriedly lifting the leather bag.

Thud.

A square paper box fell through a tear in the leather bag. It struck the floor and sprang open, scattering magical herbs made from catnip everywhere.

"Ah!"

The colonel panicked, less over the precious herbs themselves than because he foresaw what their fall would set in motion.

At that moment, Nabi, who had been groaning in pain, lit up.

"Meow!"

It was a reflexive movement. Nabi threw herself at the magical herbs and swept them all together with her forepaws.

A mat made from ten magical-herb cigarettes appeared. Nabi settled onto it and began rolling around with her whole body.

The colonel cried out in alarm.

"Please endure for just a moment, Nabi!"

"Meow! Meow, meowha, hah..."

"Urgh! Why did this fall out?"

Why?

Because you used the leather bag. You see, I could split open a leather bag's belly with my foot too.

I had cut it open so clearly to tell you not to use it, but you used it anyway. Tsk tsk. Didn't you read the news?

Even if the World Tree was cultivated, magical herbs that controlled the King of Cats were incredibly precious. The colonel hurriedly bent down to gather the valuable herbs.

At that moment, I did not exist in his mind.

Which meant he would not notice anything I did.

From above the colonel, I smiled like a magician.

"Ta-da."

First, my left hand.

"Ta-daa."

Then my right hand.

"Ta-ra-daa."

I slipped them free from the rope, elegantly and naturally.

The seemingly sturdy knot melted away like water. The knot's design had been thrown off, or more accurately, I had made it go wrong, so it came undone in an instant.

Escape magic was a magician's basic qualification. Nothing worth boasting about.

Doing it to an officer might be another matter, though.

This was why, when tying a person's wrists, you had to make sure every finger belonged to them.

Otherwise, they might deceive you with a fake finger and put a thumb through the gap in the inner knot.

My eyes met Callis's at just the right time. Good. A historic moment was more fun with an audience, wasn't it? I bowed to her, then tossed her the finger from the immortal's right arm while I was at it.

Good. I had escaped, so should we move on to the next step?

I escaped, Colonel. Now it was time for you to try escaping.

I held the freed rope in both hands. A special military state rope, resistant to both high temperatures and blades. It would not break easily.

Gripping both ends tightly,

I softly walked behind the colonel, who was gathering magical herbs from the floor,

then naturally looped the rope around the colonel's neck and pulled tight, as smoothly as flowing water.

Footnotes:

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