WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 165: Full Shadow

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"Time to wake up."

Half a beat before the alarm went off, AB instinctively snapped her eyes open. She rose at once, threw back the soft blanket, and switched off the alarm clock before it could ring.

Waking before the alarm was a skill only those who had risen on time their entire lives could master.

AB had already reached that level.

"Good. There are no signs of poor condition."

Though she had gone to bed relatively late last night, she felt perfectly refreshed. She might have struggled if she had been exhausted by injury or fatigue, but a little lost sleep could not trouble AB, who went to bed and woke up at the same time every day.

"..."

Of course, claiming that her condition was entirely due to her diligence would be ignoring the effects of her environment.

A cozy blanket, a warm room, and a dry yet refreshing scent, as though everything had been dried in sunlight. Cleanly washed and dried clothes, and a kettle that was always bubbling away.

Everything in this room gently embraced AB. Though she was unfamiliar with such comfort, she often found herself buried in it before she realized it.

After looking around the room, AB turned to the man sleeping on the sofa. He lay in the most comfortable position imaginable and still showed no sign of waking on his own.

"Please wake..."

AB stopped herself as she reached out to wake him.

Last evening, Hughes had disappeared somewhere and returned with a doctor. Thanks to that, Anna received proper treatment and was recuperating at her residence.

He had also found someone to care for Anna, allowing AB to sleep with a much lighter heart.

As busy as AB had been last night, Hughes must have been even busier.

"...Rest well."

Rather than touch his shoulder, AB pulled the blanket up over it. He smacked his lips like a baby and shifted in his sleep. A gentle smile rose to AB's lips at the sight.

AB had her own work to do anyway. There was no need to wake him.

"I'll be back."

After changing into her uniform, AB put on her cap and left the room.

Perhaps because it was not yet time for work, the streets were far quieter than yesterday beneath the not-yet-risen sun. AB had set out early and walked through the quiet streets in uniform.

Her destination was District 10. It was too far to walk.

As she headed for the main road to catch an automated carriage, AB spotted the corridor-style residence she had seen yesterday. The door the two young people had repeatedly pounded on yesterday was now wide open.

Had the resident woken up on time today? AB was thinking just that when...

The two young people who had knocked on the door yesterday morning walked out. Their expressions were deeply mournful.

Those trained in synchronization magic possessed excessive empathy. AB's chest tightened for a moment. Instinctively, she moved closer and listened.

"Philip... You bastard. If you were going to leave, you could've at least said something... No wonder you said you were buying us a meal..."

The first young person covered their face with their hand and muttered. The other, who followed behind, carefully asked,

"...What are we going to do? If we don't pay, Philip... no, Philip's corpse will be sent to the incinerator."

"...Damn it. We'd need to save up about a week's wages just to give Philip something resembling a funeral. What are we supposed to eat until then? There's nothing we can do. That was their fate."

People often got angry to avoid their guilt. The young person shouted as though they did not know whom they were directing it at, then strode away from the house. The other young person hurried after them.

Only the wide-open door remained where they had been, bleakly holding its place. The dark interior looked even colder than it had yesterday, when the door was tightly shut.

AB could not take her eyes off the door until the automated-carriage driver finally gathered the courage to urge her on.

The Shelter. It was an organization AB knew well.

The military state had countless soldiers, and just as many veterans. Many had served since the days of the Kingdom, then retired due to injury or old age.

As former soldiers, their bodies were strong. They had money to spare and were filled with pride at having brought down the Kingdom. Their experience in an organization also made it easy for them to form new ones.

The Shelter, formed by those retired soldiers, became a sort of vigilante group while also taking on the role of a charity that protected and aided orphans.

"...Please understand that I cannot state my rank and name. I am carrying out a classified operation."

District 10. The Shelter headquarters stood at the boundary between downtown and the back alleys.

Frontine, a former military state major general and the current head of the Shelter, twitched around the eyes before answering.

"Fine. That is the principle. I may be a former major general, but I cannot demand that an active soldier state her rank and name."

"Affirmative. Furthermore, although you are a former soldier, you are now also a civilian and therefore obligated to cooperate with me. I request your wholehearted cooperation."

Those trained in ki arts had stronger bodies than ordinary people, but they could not escape the loss of strength brought by age. Once even a high-ranking soldier grew too old to count as a fighting force, retirement was both a duty and a virtue.

Frontine, who had been a soldier since the old Kingdom, was exactly such a case.

Frontine narrowed their wrinkled eyes further.

"Huh? Listen, Captain. I was still a major general once. Cooperation? Hah! You are not even a field-grade officer, just a company-grade officer at best... What unit are you from?"

"Classified. Furthermore, I am under no obligation to answer you under regulations."

"Hah! Every time, you hide behind classified information and regulations. Soldiers should carry themselves with more confidence!"

"I am confident. Furthermore, that statement has no relevance to the present situation."

Even at AB's words, Frontine snorted and sneered.

"So you do know enough to fear me that you're hiding your unit. Naturally. Two of the generals were raised by me! Do you think you're something special just because you're a captain? If I say one word, you might end your military career as a captain!"

It was childish, but quite a deadly threat to an officer desperate for promotion.

It did not apply to AB. A communications officer's identity was classified and would not be revealed, and for AB, even survival was too much to hope for, let alone promotion.

"Question. Are you asking me to grant you the courtesy due a former senior officer?"

When AB asked without the slightest wavering, Frontine flinched and hesitated.

"...Ahem. Not exactly."

"If you have no intention of cooperating, please say so. I will confirm that fact and pursue another course of action."

"When did I say I would not cooperate? I was only pointing out your stiff attitude!"

Of course, anyone who knew even a little about how the military state operated would know Frontine's threat was empty. The military state was not a country with enough leeway to offer preferential treatment to former officials.

After loudly clearing their throat, Frontine asked with an even more displeased expression,

"Fine, Captain. What are you curious about?"

"I am investigating a series of incidents occurring in Districts 10 through 19 of the military state. Do you know anything about the Shadows of the Military State?"

The old veteran wore an inscrutable expression. It revealed mixed feelings, as though wondering whether the authorities were only now taking an interest or whether they had ever cared about such matters at all.

"Hah. Are the authorities finally starting to take an interest in the back alleys? Then why not bring the Military Police and turn the place upside down? That would settle things."

The military state had not taken an interest. This was merely AB's personal investigation.

Still, as a communications officer, AB could directly relay the information she possessed. It was an authority held only by communications officers, and one she had to use carefully.

Naturally, she could not say that.

"Classified."

"Hah. Naturally. You cannot tell an old relic like me anything!"

As though insisting that a snort was a kind of laughter, Frontine's snort was full of hollow feeling.

"I will tell you this. Captain, do you know what they call themselves?"

"The Shadows of the Military State."

"Good. Then do you know where they took that name from?"

AB recalled the information in her head and answered half a beat late.

"The Kingdom's Shadow, correct?"

"Exactly. No, had you expected it from the beginning?"

Frontine raised their brows slightly as they examined AB. She nodded in affirmation.

She was a communications officer, a specialist who handled and remembered all kinds of information. Though she could not speak of classified matters, she naturally knew more than a retired major general.

She had come only because she needed confirmation.

"Your thoughts are probably right. Their methods are similar."

The old retired soldier did not rush. Though they knew AB already had the information, they began explaining.

"Long ago, there was an organization in the Kingdom that called itself the Kingdom's Shadow. They were hyenas who cleaned up after those bastards who strutted around calling themselves knights. Murder, plunder, threats, things knights found difficult to do openly... They handled all of it. They were a kind of cleanup squad with a terrible reputation among civilians and soldiers alike."

After Absolute Spear and the rebels brought down the Kingdom, the Kingdom's Shadow naturally emerged into the open as well. It was only natural that the military state rounded up those relics of the old order.

"Ulfen, the Full Shadow who led that organization. I am certain that Ulfen, who was imprisoned in Tantalus for a long time, has returned."

Just as expected.

AB nodded heavily.

Ulfen Penstein. The Full Shadow who had once led the Kingdom's Shadow.

The darkest shadow among the ugly parts of the old Kingdom.

Imprisoned deep within Tantalus, Ulfen had escaped during the previous prison break and returned to their old stronghold.

The old Kingdom's capital, a city desecrated by being buried beneath concrete.

The most populous place in the military state.

Amitenggrad.

"The military state imprisoned Ulfen in Tantalus instead of killing them. Tch, they should have just killed them. Why lock them up for no reason..."

AB knew the reason, and the information was not classified. She spoke clearly.

"As the Full Shadow, Ulfen performed magical modifications on their heart. Should their heart stop, the Half Shadows scattered throughout the military state would immediately cause unrest all at once. Therefore, rather than kill Ulfen, the military state decided to imprison them in Tantalus."

At the smoothly delivered information, Frontine's eyes widened.

"What? You know it well. Why did you come ask me when you knew all that?"

"Classified."

"Hah. How rude... Do officers these days have no respect?"

Even before a former general, AB was neither intimidated nor uncomfortable. She had only upheld her principles and convictions.

Frontine clicked their tongue repeatedly, seemingly dissatisfied with her attitude.

"What is the true objective of the Shadows of the Military State?"

"What do you think it is?"

AB closed her eyes briefly and organized the information.

Indiscriminate robberies. Moves to attack even military state officers, and organized crimes.

Outlaws who chose to do only things that should never be done if they wished to avoid calling the Military Police.

That was why the objective was clear. AB answered.

"I believe the purpose itself is to call the Military Police."

"...You have guts and brains, but no manners? What a model soldier. A real model soldier."

After mocking her thoroughly, Frontine nodded.

"Correct. They intend to lure in the Military Police and clean out the back alleys in one sweep! There is no other explanation."

"Question. Then why would they call the Military Police? The Military Police will not simply turn a blind eye to them alone."

"How would I know? Maybe they have connections among the military state's higher-ups. Either way, it is certain those bastards are planning a cleanup. Their crimes are getting worse by the day. At this rate, it looks as though they may even attack an officer."

AB agreed with that. After all, she herself had almost suffered exactly that.

"Agreed. I was also attacked."

"You were attacked? You?"

Frontine's eyes widened, and their hand moved uneasily around something they were holding.

Only then did AB notice that the object in Frontine's hand was a small cross.

"Then it looks like the preparations are nearly complete. No, already... Surely not that far..."

Frontine grew deeply anxious. Their expression changed as they spoke deferentially,

"Captain. I have a request."

Footnotes:

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