WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint

Chapter 168

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Fake News

I was weak.

My mana, my energy, my other techniques. At best, they merely existed.

Rough, bitter tree bark would never taste good, but if you asked whether it had a taste, you'd have to say yes. Bitter and rough were still tastes.

The power I had was exactly like that.

It existed, but it wasn't good.

No matter how desperately I scraped and gathered it, I could never rise above the level of an ordinary person with a bit of practice. That was the kind of talent I had.

Still, there was a saying.

It wasn't the strong who survived; it was the survivors who became strong.

"Neru. Are you really that desperate for information?"

And one way to survive was this.

I pretended to be stronger than anyone else.

I acted like I had a hidden trump card, like I was some incredible being. I put on all the bluster in the world, while what I actually did was use mind reading to sow discord and push people along.

Without using my own hands, without exposing my own power. I moved others to get what I wanted. That was how a back-alley mind reader survived.

"I'll warn you in advance. Can you handle it?"

Neru grinned and answered.

"Handle it, huh. Babe, can I take that to mean you think you know that taboo?"

"I've got exactly one guess."

Beastkin had ears and tails, so their hearing and sense of balance were at least twice as sharp as normal people's. What did that mean?

It meant they were perfect for sneaking around and eavesdropping.

Maybe that was why. I, who gathered information openly through mind reading, had a hard time understanding their murky methods.

"But are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?"

Neru was an annoying paparazzi, always sneaking in and digging up secrets. On top of that, she was the editor-in-chief of a private tabloid. Going by introductions alone, she looked like the exact opposite of the military state.

But there was one thing to remember. Curious cats were already dead. The private tabloid Black Cat dug up all kinds of gossip, yet never crossed the military state. If anything, it cooperated with the military state by exposing corruption and scandals.

Retaliation from the people exposed? That didn't happen.

Never forget. This was the military state. If a corruption allegation was proven true, anyone below general rank got their head chopped off. Physically.

A bite from Black Cat itself didn't kill you, but once the hammer of military law came down, you vanished without a trace. A black cat that truly summoned death.

That was why becoming a soldier didn't mean you could lord over others.

"If you learn this, you and your magazine might both be in danger from that moment on."

But could someone stay calm knowing that legal hammer hung over their own head?

"Danger, from the Magician? Oh my, how scary."

"You'd better not take this as a joke. You might faint from shock when you hear it. You'll fall into deep torment. Whether you should print it, whether someone might get hurt. Every word you write will make your fur stand on end in fear. I don't know whether the pen is stronger than the sword, but I do know it has to be swung heavier."

Flinch. Her swaying tail stopped for a moment. My threat had scared her a little.

'Is this a bluff? Or is it really that serious...? Magician, Shadow. What exactly do those two know?'

It was a bluff.

Taboo? If I knew a taboo that could shake the military state, I'd have used it already. Why give it away?

'Looks like the Magician doesn't want me to know that information. If the military state catches and tortures me, I'd obviously rat him out, and the military state's net would turn straight toward him....'

So you had absolutely no intention of enduring torture and keeping a secret.

Let's see if I ever feed you information again.

'But we can't back down like this either. Uncle Mekkelin is dead, and Shato is unconscious. For the family's revenge, no, to make sure this never happens again... we need to know their plan.'

Neru gritted her teeth and forced out a smile.

The first people exposed to indiscriminate violence were always the weak like them. Beastkin, with their poor public image, were especially vulnerable to organized group crime.

The Family existed to stop that, but their opponent happened to be a secret organization passed down since the old kingdom. The Family had been pushed back in direct combat, so they prepared for them before anyone else.

'We'll survive. No matter what it takes.'

Neru was an information broker, and information brokers had their own way of fighting. After hardening her resolve, Neru put on a fake smile.

"Babe, you're pretty cooperative today?"

"I've always been cooperative."

"Hmm. Liar. Before I mentioned the captain, you said even condolence money was a waste."

'Captain, I don't know her unit, but the Magician seems to care about her a lot. Enough to let her into his place. Heh. I can use this well.'

Up to now, Black Cat had been a high-performance straw that refined information and fed it straight into my mouth.

But maybe she was getting desperate, because instincts inherited from some distant ancestor were popping out. I showed the slightest sign I cared, and she started tapping me with her front paw.

Humans were the problem, humans were the problem. If they hadn't become the dominant species on the surface, beastkin would never have been born.

Haah. Should I really leak classified information that would explode the moment it was touched?

That was what I was thinking.

Then I saw a silhouette in uniform over there. The captain. In the concrete, angular alley, she was walking right down the middle with perfectly straight posture.

Neru recognized the captain too and casually tossed out a line.

"They say speak of a tiger and it appears. How did she even know to come here?"

"Wait."

Seriously, how did she know? We were sitting at a street table, sure, but this was a quiet alley where almost nobody passed through.

Should I read her thoughts?

'Target found. Disconnecting link.'

Now then, so.

She synced with golems spread across the military state, searched one by one, and found me?

...This was the power of a communications officer?

What? Since when was I under surveillance? A single person could track me down without me sensing it? From that far away, too?

In a way, she was a superior version of me.

While I was having an existential crisis about the purpose of a mind reader, the captain walked straight up to me. She looked between Neru and me, then addressed me directly.

"I request your cooperation."

Captain AB was the one who barged in, but a captain was still a captain. Backroom maneuvering was one thing, openly opposing her was not possible. Neru hid her displeasure and spoke to the captain.

"Oh my, someone as noble as Captain in such a shabby place! Could you wait just a moment? I'll finish quickly and yield the spot."

Flexibility was an information broker's virtue. She spoke gently, unfazed even by the captain's sudden appearance.

Unfortunately, this water captain was also a rigid soldier who followed FM rules more strictly than anyone.

"I am on official duty. Pardon me, but I ask that you postpone your business briefly."

Rigidity was bound to cause collisions. Neru frowned.

"Wait, Captain. You should follow order. I had an appointment first."

"Official duty takes precedence over all else."

"Official duty? What is it?"

"Classified."

In my case, I could read thoughts, so it hadn't been a problem. But hearing it again now, it really did sound like exactly the kind of way to irritate people.

Because Neru snapped.

"Are you kidding me?"

"I do not joke."

Normally Neru would have backed off and tried again another day, but right now she was too shaken by the chaotic times to hold back.

No, that wasn't meant to insult the visually impaired. What was the point of insulting a beastkin with that? If anything, it'd be praise.

"He agreed to sell me information. Please wait until that's done."

"Information?"

This time the captain reacted.

"You mean you are buying information from him?"

"Yeah. Why, is that a problem?"

"Negative. There are no laws regarding the commercialization of information. Trade is free as long as it is not luxury goods. However...."

Communications officers were top secret by nature. The captain, whose own existence was classified information, glanced at me.

'He won't sell the information that I am a communications officer, right? I trust you... but that does not mean I can neglect surveillance.'

The captain walked to the side seat and sat at that table in perfect posture. She turned her body toward us, tilted her ears our way, and said,

"Then I will observe here until your transaction is complete. Continue."

"What is this? Babe, that woman is weird."

She was weird. But somehow this felt satisfying, so she was on our side.

"Hey now. How dare you call our captain weird when she works day and night for us! Shame on you! If paparazzi like you have no conscience, at least have some shame!"

"If the information is so improper that you cannot say it in front of me, then before any sale, I can only suspect the information itself may be illegal."

Hit by authority from the captain and common sense from me, Neru narrowed her eyes in irritation.

"Look at you two moving in perfect sync. Are you dating or something?"

"Negative! Stop making baseless slander and finish your business immediately!"

Hmm. Captain aside, Neru was cornered from all sides right now. If I didn't give her information worth that pressure, she wouldn't move the way I wanted.

But as she'd said, this was hard to discuss in front of the captain. I should send the captain home first, then finish talking.

"Do not think of shaking me off. I will not move from here until your conversation ends."

So how was I supposed to send this stubborn captain home?

Ah, right. What had Neru just said? Should I use that method?

"No choice. Bbi. I'll say it now."

"...? Why are you seeking my consent?"

'Is he trying to reveal that I am a communications officer...? I cannot allow that. The moment it happens, I will remove witnesses, even if I must mobilize every golem I can.'

Terrifying. If she really made up her mind, I wouldn't even be able to read her thoughts in time to react.

Not that, so relax.

I gestured to the captain. She tilted her head, but still walked over to my side.

When she stood beside me, I grabbed her and pulled. Before she could react, she was sitting on my lap.

'...? Question. What are you doing?'

With the confused captain on my lap, I gave an awkward smile and said,

"You're right, Neru. Bbi and I are actually in a serious relationship."

"......?!?!"

'That is the first I am hearing of this?!'

Of course it was. I'd just said it for the first time today.

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