WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint

Chapter 175

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The Extreme of Seamless Perfection

District 1 of the military state.

Everything that ought to exist in a capital was there.

The Defense Command, which oversaw the capital’s defense, built entirely from frame to armor with high-level alchemic steel, looking unnaturally rigid even in the middle of a concrete city.

The Communications Headquarters, its outer walls covered all over with flower-bud antennas and vine-like mana transmission lines, as if wrapped in World Tree vines.

The Amitenggrad government building, built for pure efficiency, meaning square and rigid, managing everything big and small in Amitenggrad.

District 1 was the core of the military state’s capital, a place you weren’t even allowed to set foot in unless you were at least a level-two citizen.

If the military state were one giant monster, then in this district packed tight with its internal organs,

there stood one strange building that could only be described as a building wearing clothes.

The captain, riding in a real horse-drawn carriage, passed through a front gate draped in curtains instead of steel doors and muttered,

“Holding company, Seamless Perfection...”

The five private companies that served as pillars of the military state.

Even in a nation where the state controlled everything, these five owners of core technologies had been granted autonomous operation, because even state-led development couldn’t catch up to them.

Among them was the birthplace of clothing packet technology, the field most closely tied to military-state citizens’ lives, and home to the only person who could create new Archi Avatars.

The third president of Seamless Perfection, Jiknyeo Sephier Bakia.

The captain looked at me and asked in a trembling voice,

“How did you... know her...?”

“I’ll answer that in a moment, Captain.”

“But...”

“Our conversation isn’t exactly something to be heard by others, is it? Wouldn’t it be better to go inside and talk comfortably, without worrying about anyone listening?”

Sepi’s voice was soft, but stern. Put kindly, it sounded like a parent gently correcting a child. Put less kindly, it was the speech of someone pressing down on the other party with overwhelming advantage.

She was right, so the captain couldn’t argue further. By then, the carriage had reached the mansion entrance.

I got down from the carriage, watched the horse’s flowing mane, and muttered,

“That’s a fine horse.”

“It’s called a lionhorse. It has a red mane that scatters in the wind, so when a herd runs, it looks like flames covering the fields. That’s why they were called fire horses.”

“You bought something this rare? It’s probably so uncommon it doesn’t even have a luxury-item category.”

Raising horses required a wide yard and a lot of manpower to care for them. In other words, in a cramped place like Amitenggrad where land was hard to secure, it was practically impossible.

But for the richest person in the military state, “practically impossible” was just fake impossible. With enough money, you could separate true impossibility from fake impossibility.

“It isn’t a luxury item. This lionhorse is... yes, if anything, an experimental specimen.”

“An experimental specimen?”

“Yes, Master. Lately, I’ve been researching how to take molds from animals.”

Taking molds meant she intended to make Archi Avatars that worked for animals too. It was probably a project commissioned by the military state.

If she made horse Archi Avatars, even the military state’s pathetic horses might become somewhat useful.

“Of course, if Master needs one, I’ll give it to you right away.”

“Wow, really?”

Sepi took my words as doubt.

“Have I ever been stingy with you, Master? I never hesitate to spend money on my own people.”

‘You’ve always taken what I gave you without hesitation. That habit of pretending to play hard to get is still there, I see.’

She’d built up a lot of resentment while I was gone, huh. Negative thoughts kept coming through.

Just in case, I asked again.

“Really, I can take it?”

Sepi answered readily, without a trace of regret.

“I’ll send tack and a whip with you when you leave, so take those too. Take as much feed as you need, and if anything is lacking, contact my people. I’ll send everything you need by courier.”

‘I just hope you don’t sell it for cash. You say you want something, quietly collect it, then sell it to a fence. What is that supposed to be? Do you know how I feel buying it back from that fence at a markup? If you’re going to do that, at least ask me for money directly.’

...Never mind. I won’t take it.

Not because her thoughts scared me. Absolutely not. I just wasn’t confident I could raise it properly. Keeping a horse in that tiny room of mine would be cruel.

“It’s a bit too much for me. I’ll pass today.”

“You made the right choice. A horse takes too much work to manage yourself, Master. I’ll raise it well, so come borrow one any time you need.”

‘For someone who can’t even manage himself, sure, he’ll raise horses well. He’ll probably sell it off somewhere again. Better to call Master to the mansion under the excuse of the horse. At least then I can regularly confirm whether he’s alive.’

You looked at me that way...? Still, I was pretty diligent, wasn’t I? When I ran short on money, I earned it myself instead of begging.

“Thanks for thinking of me.”

“You’re very welcome. Now then, shall we go inside?”

Sepi snapped her fingers, and the red-painted mansion door opened by itself. The captain, completely tense, stuck close behind me and followed with stiff steps.

This mansion didn’t look unusual only because it stood in the middle of a concrete city. Anywhere on the continent, you’d struggle to find a building that looked like it was wearing clothes.

If you ignored everything else and looked only at the architectural style, it clearly resembled a large tent used by steppe tribes.

Except it was three stories tall, duplex-structured, and square.

The inner lining was finely woven fabric, soft and warm, while the outside was high-level alchemic thread that could even deflect cannon fire.

Thread tougher and sturdier than most steel held this giant garment together. A castle built from cloth itself, possible only because its fabric and thread were stronger than concrete and rebar.

“Welcome, Master. And... new disciple. Welcome to my mansion and workshop, the Castle of Fabric.”

The floor was wood covered with carpet. Thanks to the sound-dampening carpet, even hard stomps with both feet made no echo. The inner walls were warm-toned, and as warm as their color.

“Query. Jiknyeo, is your mansion not a security-restricted zone?”

“It’s fine with my permission. This is my home. If that’s still not enough, I’ll issue a temporary access pass under my authority.”

Cutting off the captain at once, Sepi led us to the dining room.

She drew back a pitch-black curtain, and the dining room appeared. Inside, a dedicated chef was serving food. Word had apparently already reached them that guests were coming, because three plates had been set in a row.

When the lids were lifted, a perfectly prepared rare steak appeared, unlike anything I’d seen in any restaurant. Sepi lightly gestured at the plates.

“Please eat. Once I invite someone into my home, everyone is treated as a guest.”

The browned steak had an almost instinctive pull that made your mouth water. A sauce made by reducing bone stock had been poured over it, and roasted vegetables and colorful spices decorated the sides.

Meanwhile, the captain frowned at a small light-green bean on her plate.

“...What is this?”

The way she stared at the tiny bean, like a miniaturized chimera bean, looked like the wonder of someone seeing a dwarf for the first time.

Sepi didn’t answer. I did.

“Ah, fresh beans! Wow, in the military state it’s hard to find anything but chimera beans. Where did you get these?”

Sepi skillfully cut her steak with a knife and answered,

“You said last time you wanted to eat old-style beans, Master.”

“Did I? I don’t really remember.”

Oops. Did I say the wrong thing? I quietly checked Sepi’s expression. Without changing her face at all, she thought,

‘I went through all that trouble to get fresh beans over one comment, and you don’t even remember. Is this why they say you shouldn’t take in beasts with bad memory?’

Yeah, that was the wrong thing to say. I hadn’t seen her in a while, so I wasn’t used to it yet.

Meanwhile, the captain scooped only beans with a spoon and put them in her mouth. The soft, springy beans stuck to her tongue, and her eyes widened as if lightning had struck inside her head.

‘...These beans?! How can they taste like this! They’re definitely beans, but...!’

Look at this bean gourmet. I tapped her plate and said,

“Looks like you liked them.”

“Affirmative...! It’s my first time tasting this, but it’s familiar and astonishing...!”

“That’s because they’re fresh beans. Not fertilizer-developed chimera beans, but something from nature. Could I get more beans here?”

“No problem. Chef, the remaining beans.”

‘He keeps giving others what was set out for him to eat. He’s no different from a bottomless pit. No matter how much I give, nothing ever seems to build up. Really, how did I end up with such a hopeless master?’

The captain had been awkwardly cutting her steak, but when more beans were added, she put her knife down. I pointed at the steak she’d left and asked,

“How’s the steak?”

“...I think it’s delicious, but the texture is strange. It feels like chewing fabric.”

If you cooked canned meat after soaking it in water, it lost meat’s natural texture and turned soft. In exchange, the volume increased, so it felt like you were getting a better deal.

The captain, who had eaten canned meat that way all her life, found the texture of fresh meat unfamiliar.

Did this kid even know what real meat tasted like...?

“Now I understand.”

Clack.

Sepi set down her knife audibly and elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Without a single stain on her fine suit, Sepi finished her meal neatly. The moment the chef removed the plates, she folded her hands. Right after that, every door around the dining room closed, turning it into a perfect sealed chamber.

“Captain, you’re a pitiable person. I think I understand why Master chose you.”

The captain flinched.

She looked like she wanted to object, but her opponent was the president of a holding company and a giant figure with deep ties even in logistics. Though not military personnel, her influence gave her citizen level five.

If Sepi vanished right now, production of Archi Avatars, essential to clothing packet manufacturing, would stop. On top of that, improving the military state’s special weapon, the war-suit, would become difficult.

Unable to figure out how to handle Sepi, who held major influence in both military and civilian sectors, the captain fumbled.

I let out a small sigh and corrected her tone.

“You don’t call someone pitiable, Sepi. That’s rude.”

“I’m truly sorry about that. But aside from my tone, isn’t that exactly why you chose her, Master?”

Sepi asked sharply.

Calling it “chose” was a stretch. We just ended up together by chance... Tsk. I had nothing to say. I really had been moving with her like I was helping an unfortunate neighbor.

‘See? You think that too, yet you keep correcting only my tone. That’s hypocrisy. Does he realize that the one who thought that and brought her along is being ruder than the one who points it out?’

Did she get sharper after soaking in military-state culture?

Sepi spoke as if she could see right through me.

“Master, you always sought out people who had lost something, or children who were lacking. Anton, who wanted recognition, and the people of the former kingdom who had lost their old brilliance, all of them were like that.”

While speaking, Sepi lightly touched her left wrist. Her coat and scarf turned into blue alchemic thread and were absorbed into her biometric terminal.

Through a clothing transformation as natural as moving her own body, she returned to just a red shirt and pointed at herself.

“I was the prime example in my younger days. And now you even pity a military-state captain. I can’t even begin to estimate how wide your defensive range is, Master. At this point, being lectured by you about decorum feels unfair.”

Aren’t you being too harsh with your master? Feels like your inner thoughts and spoken words got slightly switched.

‘And after going to the Abyss and coming back... I just pray you didn’t get dragged into some absurd trouble while trapped there. I can’t even imagine how much you, who throw the whole world into chaos, must have stirred up the Abyss.’

Nope. Her spoken words were more restrained than I thought. Sorry for doubting you.

Still, why was she suddenly thinking about the Abyss? What had I done there...?

‘...Surely those who came out of the Abyss didn’t follow Master all the way to Amitenggrad. Even Master couldn’t do anything about the monsters in the Abyss... but I can’t shake the suspicion. The most frightening part is that I can’t deny it with certainty. Just what have I accepted as my master?’

What do you mean, what? Don’t treat me like a plague...

Wait. What? People who came out of the Abyss came all the way to Amitenggrad? To the military-state capital, far from there?

Why? They couldn’t have come just to find me. Were they trying to wreck the military state?

Does the military state fall this cycle? Is the country finally shutting down?

Damn it. Then trying to clean up Shadow is meaningless. If I don’t even know how they’re going to ruin the country, when would I have time to control Shadow or anything else?

This won’t do.

“Sepi. Wait. Can I use something here for a bit?”

“Of course. Anything here, whatever it is. It’s as good as yours, Master.”

‘Here we go again, using my property as if it were his own. Hoo... can’t be helped.... I wonder if I’ll at least get one word of thanks this time.’

The gap between her thoughts and actions was starting to scare me. Long ago, she used to be fairly straightforward. Who made her like this?

If that’s what she wanted, I could do at least that much.

They said one word could repay a thousand nyang of debt, but words were intangible assets, and their value swung wildly. Better to repay what you can while you still can.

“Thank you, Sepi. I really do have a good eye for disciples.”

It was just a simple compliment, but the corners of Sepi’s lips and brows rose slightly.

‘Even a bottomless pit can be rewarding, I suppose. Honestly, you’re hard to please.’

Sepi nodded readily and raised one finger from her black-gloved hand.

“Then may I ask Master one favor too?”

A favor? Sure, fine.

Sepi had found me a place to live and funded me. If you received, you should give in return. As long as it wasn’t unreasonable, I could grant one request.

“What is it?”

“Please let me take your mold, Master.”

Take my mold, huh. What did she mean by that?

‘It means getting naked, stepping into a mold made of softened alchemic steel, and enduring the heat for one minute, but if I say that now he’ll refuse. I need to coax him in front of the mold first. Then I’ll get a body avatar that perfectly reproduces Master’s Archi Avatar. Heh, with that toy, dressing-up games will be fun.’

Nope, not happening. I’m not some grand figure, but this clearly had dignity-damage potential.

“Haha. That’s a bit much for a joke. No way Sepi, who learned under me, would make such a strange request.”

“Hehe. Sharp as ever, Teacher. To see through my joke so easily... tch.”

Hey. Keep the tongue-click to yourself.

When I turned her down indirectly, Sepi pointed her black-gloved hand at the captain instead. The captain flinched.

“Then instead, may I borrow this person for a while?”

“Why? To take her mold?”

“I wasn’t planning to, but if I feel like it.”

‘Mold?! You said you would take this officer’s mold? What exactly does that mean?’

You’ll understand once it happens. For the record, I don’t know either, so tell me how it felt afterward.

I agreed at once.

“I’ll lend her to you generously. You can even cuddle her to sleep tonight.”

“...?! You? What exactly do you mean by that?!”

“Then the negotiation is concluded. Slightly regrettable, but still a satisfying deal, Master.”

“What are you saying? For a request like this, I’d say yes any number of times.”

“How many times are you planning to sell this officer off...! Warning! This negotiation does not account for this officer’s free will!”

These days even a communications officer is talking about free will. Parts were talking back now.

“Use her well and return her.”

“If she’s Master’s property, of course.”

“Negative! This officer is a soldier of the military state, not anyone’s possession...!”

Leaving the frightened captain behind, I pulled aside the cloth surrounding the dining room. Once I closed that pitch-black fabric, which swallowed even smells along with sound, the captain’s near-scream from inside cut off sharply.

All right. Time to begin.

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