WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 175: The Extreme of Seamless Perfection

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District 1 of the military state.

Everything a capital city ought to have was there.

The Defense Command, which oversaw the capital's defenses, looked unnaturally rigid amid the concrete city. From its framework to its armor, it had been built entirely from high-level alchemic steel.

The Communications Headquarters had flower bud-shaped antennas and mana transmission lines resembling vines plastered across its exterior, as though it were wrapped in World Tree vines.

Then there was Amitenggrad City Hall, built with an extremely efficient structure, meaning it was square, and managed everything that happened in Amitenggrad.

District 1 was the heart of the military state's capital. Unless someone was a Level 2 citizen, they were not even permitted to set foot there.

If the military state were a gigantic beast, this district, packed full of its internal organs, held one peculiar building that could only be described as a building wearing clothes.

The captain, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, muttered as we passed through the main entrance, where drapes hung in place of steel gates.

"Seamless Perfection, the holding company..."

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

Even the military state, which managed everything in the country, could not match their technology through state-led efforts, so it had permitted the five owners of those technologies to operate independently.

Among them was the origin of clothing packet technology, which was most closely tied to the lives of military-state citizens. It was also home to the only person capable of creating new Aki avatars.

Sephier Bakia, the third president of Seamless Perfection and the Weaver.

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

"How do you know her...?"

"I'll give you that answer in due time, Captain."

"But..."

"Our conversation isn't something we should discuss where others can hear us. Wouldn't it be better to go inside and talk without worrying about anyone listening?"

Sepi's voice was gentle yet firm. Put positively, she sounded like a parent gently admonishing a child. Put negatively, she was using her overwhelmingly superior position to press down on the other person.

She was right, so the captain could not say anything else. By then, the carriage had reached the front of the mansion.

After getting out, I looked at the horses with their manes flowing in the wind and muttered.

"They're fine horses."

"They're called lion horses. Their red manes scatter in the wind, and when a herd runs together, it looks as if flames are covering the fields. That is why they were once called fire horses."

"You managed to buy something this precious. They're so rare, they probably aren't even listed as luxury goods."

Raising horses required a large yard and countless people to care for them. In other words, it was practically impossible in a cramped place like Amitenggrad, where acquiring land was difficult.

But for the richest person in the military state, practically impossible was only fake impossible. With enough money, one could distinguish true impossibility from false impossibility.

"They aren't luxury goods. These lion horses are... yes. You could call them experimental subjects."

"Experimental subjects?"

"Yes, Master. Recently, I've been researching how to make molds of animals."

That meant she intended to create Aki avatars that could apply to animals as well. It was probably a project commissioned by the military state.

If they created horse Aki avatars, even the military state's pathetic horses might become somewhat useful.

"Of course, if you need one, Master, I can give you one immediately."

"Wow, really?"

Sepi took my words as a question.

"When have I ever been stingy with you, Master? I don't hesitate to spend money on my people."

'You've always accepted everything I gave you without hesitation. Yet you still pretend to hold back.'

Had she built up a lot of resentment while I was gone? I kept hearing negative thoughts.

Just to make sure, I asked again.

"Can I really take one?"

Without a trace of reluctance, Sepi readily answered.

"I'll give you tack and a whip before you leave, so take them with you. Take as much feed as you need too. If anything runs short, contact me. I'll send every supply you need through a courier."

'I just hope he doesn't trade it for money. What kind of person says he wants something, quietly takes it, then sells it to a fence? Do you have any idea how I feel when I have to buy it back from the fence at an inflated price? At that point, you should have just asked me for money.'

...Forget it. I wouldn't take one after all.

It was absolutely not because her thoughts scared me. I just wasn't confident I could raise one properly. The poor horse would be miserable if I kept it in my tiny room.

"That would be a little too much for me. I'll decline today."

"You made the right choice. Horses take far too much care for you to manage yourself, Master. I'll raise them well, so come borrow one whenever you need one."

'Someone who can barely manage himself thinks he can raise a horse? He'll probably sell it somewhere again. It would be better to call him to the mansion under the excuse of the horse. At least then I can regularly find out whether he's alive.'

You saw me that way...? Still, wasn't I fairly diligent? When I ran out of money, I earned it with my own hands instead of holding out my hand for it.

"Thank you for thinking of me."

"Don't mention it. Shall we go inside now?"

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

This mansion looked unusual for more than the fact that it stood in the middle of a concrete city. It would be difficult to find another building anywhere on the continent that looked as though it were wearing clothes.

Setting everything else aside and looking only at its style, it clearly resembled a large tent commonly used by steppe tribes.

Except that it was three stories tall, had a split-level structure, and was square.

The lining was delicately woven fabric, soft and warm. The exterior was made of high-level alchemic thread capable of deflecting even cannon fire.

Thread tougher and stronger than ordinary steel held this giant garment together. It was a castle built from cloth, made possible by thread and fabric sturdier and more powerful than concrete and rebar.

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

The floor was wood covered in carpet. Thanks to the sound-dampening carpet, even heavy footsteps made no echo. The inner walls had warm colors, and they felt as warm as they looked.

"Question. Weaver, is your mansion not a restricted area?"

"It's fine with my permission. This is my home. If necessary, I can issue you a temporary entry pass with my authority."

Sepi cut off the captain's question at once and led us to the dining room.

When she pulled aside the black drapes, the dining room appeared. A private chef was carrying food inside. Word must have already reached them that guests had arrived, because three plates were prepared side by side.

When the covers were lifted, perfectly cooked fresh steak appeared, unlike anything I had seen at any restaurant. Sepi lightly pointed at the plates.

"Eat. Since I've invited you to my home, you should both be treated as guests."

The browned steak had a magic to it that instinctively made my mouth water. It was covered in sauce made by boiling bones, with colorful spices and roasted vegetables arranged around it.

The captain frowned at the small light-green beans in front of her.

"...What is this?"

Her feelings as she looked at the tiny beans, which resembled shrunken chimera beans, were like the wonder of someone seeing a dwarf for the first time.

Sepi did not answer. I did instead.

"Oh. Fresh beans! Wow, they're hard to find in the military state unless they're chimera beans. Where did you get these?"

Sepi skillfully cut her steak with a knife as she answered.

"You said last time that you wanted to eat old-fashioned beans."

"Did I? I don't remember very..."

Oops. Had I said the wrong thing? I carefully checked Sepi's expression. Without changing her expression at all, Sepi thought,

'I went through so much trouble to get fresh beans because of one thing he said, and he doesn't even remember. Is this why people say you shouldn't take in animals with bad memories?'

Yeah, I had said the wrong thing. It had been a while since I'd seen her, so I wasn't used to it.

The captain, meanwhile, scooped up only the beans with her spoon and put them in her mouth. The moment the soft, springy beans clung to the inside of her mouth, her eyes widened, and I saw something like lightning flash through her mind.

'...These beans?! How can they taste like this? They are definitely beans, but...!'

Looks like we had a bean gourmet here. I tapped the captain's plate and said,

"You seem to like them."

"Affirmative...! It is my first time tasting them, but they are familiar and astonishing at once...!"

"They're fresh beans. They're a product of nature, not chimera beans developed for fertilizer. Could you give her some more beans?"

"No problem. Chef, bring the remaining beans."

'He keeps giving away what was meant for him to eat. He's like a bottomless barrel. No matter how much I give, it never feels as if anything is accumulating. How did I end up with such an inadequate master?'

The captain awkwardly cut her steak, then put down her knife when more beans were added. I pointed at the steak she had left behind and asked,

"What about the steak?"

"...It seems delicious, but the texture is strange. It feels like chewing fabric."

When canned meat that has been thoroughly soaked in water is cooked, it loses its original texture and becomes soft. Instead, there is more of it, so it feels like a gain.

The captain, who had always eaten canned meat that way, found fresh meat's texture unfamiliar.

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

"I think I understand now."

Clack.

Sepi set down her knife with a sound and elegantly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Not a single speck of food had stained her expensive suit. Once she had finished eating neatly, the chef took away the plates, and Sepi clasped her hands together. Every door around the dining room then closed, turning it into a perfect sealed room.

"Captain, you're a pitiful person. I think I understand why Master chose you."

The captain flinched.

She wanted to object, but her opponent was the president of a holding company and a major figure deeply involved in logistics. Sepi was not part of the military, but her influence had earned her Level 5 citizenship.

If Sepi vanished right now, the production of Aki avatars, essential for making clothing packets, would stop. On top of that, improving the performance of military gear, the military state's special weapons, would become problematic.

The captain hesitated, unsure how to deal with Sepi, who held powerful influence over both the military and civilians.

I let out a small sigh and pointed out her attitude.

"You shouldn't call people pitiful, Sepi. It's rude."

"I'm truly sorry for that. But setting my attitude aside, isn't that why you chose her, Master?"

Sepi asked sharply.

Calling it a choice was a bit much. We had just crossed paths and ended up coming together... Still, I had nothing to say. I had been moving with her partly because it felt like looking after someone unfortunate.

'See? You think that way too, yet you only criticize my attitude. That is the pot calling the kettle black. Does he know that the person who thought that and brought her here is behaving more rudely than the person who pointed it out?'

Had she become sharp-hearted after spending time in the military state?

Sepi spoke as if she could see through my mind.

"You have always sought out people who lost something or children who lacked something. Anton, who wanted recognition, was one. The people of the old kingdom, who had lost the splendor of their kingdom's days, were another."

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

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

"My childhood self was the clearest example. Now you even pity a captain of the military state. I can't even imagine how broad your tastes are. It feels unfair to be lectured about conduct by someone like you."

Isn't that too harsh to say to your master? It seemed like her inner thoughts and spoken words had switched places a little.

'And he even went to the Abyss and came back... I only pray he didn't become involved in some damned affair simply because he was trapped in the Abyss. I can't even imagine how much Master, who throws everything in the world into chaos, must have stirred up the Abyss.'

No, her words were more restrained than I thought. Sorry for doubting you.

Still, why had she suddenly thought of the Abyss? What had I ever done there...?

'...Surely those who came out of the Abyss did not follow Master all the way to Amitenggrad. Even Master could not have done anything about the monsters in the Abyss... Yet I cannot cast aside the suspicion. The scariest part is that I cannot be certain of it. What in the world have I taken as my master?'

What did she mean? Stop treating me like a plague...

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

Why? It couldn't be just to find me. Were they trying to destroy the military state?

Was the military state doomed this run? Was the country finally shutting down?

Damn it, then trying to clean up the shadows was pointless. If I didn't know how they would ruin the country, where would I find time to manage shadows and all that?

This wouldn't do.

"Sepi. Hold on. Can I use something here?"

"Of course. Anything here is as good as yours, Master."

'He's going to use my property as if it were his again, isn't he? Sigh. It can't be helped... I wonder if I'll receive even one word of thanks this time.'

The gap between her thoughts and actions was starting to scare me. She had seemed fairly honest a long time ago. Who had made her like this?

If she wanted it that badly, I could do at least that much.

They say a word can repay a thousand nyang of debt, but words are intangible assets, so their value fluctuates wildly. You had to pay back what you could, little by little, when you had the chance.

"Thank you, Sepi. I really do have an eye for disciples."

It was only a casual compliment, but Sepi's brow and the corners of her mouth rose slightly.

'Even a bottomless barrel can be rewarding. Really, he is difficult to please.'

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

"But may I ask one favor of you too, Master?"

A favor? Sure.

Sepi had given me a place to live and supported me financially. If something came in, something had to go out. I could grant one request as long as it wasn't excessive.

"What is it?"

"Please let me make a mold of you, Master."

Make a mold of me? What could she mean by that?

'It only means getting naked and enduring the heat for one minute inside a mold made from soft alchemic steel, but he'll probably dislike it if I say that now. I need to coax him in front of the mold somehow. Then I'll have a body avatar that perfectly reproduces Master's Aki avatar. Hehe, with that doll, I can have fun playing dress-up.'

This wouldn't do. I wasn't some great being, but it had too much potential to harm my dignity.

"Haha. That joke is going too far. Surely Sepi, who learned under me, wouldn't make such a strange request."

"Hehe. You're sharp, Master. To see through my joke so easily... Tch."

Hey. Keep the tongue-click out of it.

When I subtly refused, Sepi pointed her black-gloved hand toward the captain instead. The captain flinched at being singled out.

"Then could you lend me this person instead?"

"Why? To make a mold of her?"

"I have no plans to, but if I feel like it."

'A mold?! Did you say you would make a mold of this officer? What in the world does that mean?'

You'd find out if it happened. I didn't know either, so I hoped she would tell me what it felt like afterward.

I readily agreed as well.

"I'll lend her to you as much as you want. You can even sleep holding her tonight."

"...?! Sir? What does that mean?!"

"Then we have an agreement. It is slightly disappointing, but still a satisfactory negotiation, Master."

"You're welcome. If it's a request like this, I'll grant it as many times as you want."

"Are you planning to sell this officer off over and over...?! Warning! This officer's free will was not considered in this negotiation!"

Communications officers talked about free will these days. The parts were talking back too.

"Use her well and return her safely."

"How could I not, when she belongs to Master?"

"Negative! This officer is a soldier of the military state, not anyone's property...!"

Leaving the frightened captain behind, I pulled aside the cloth surrounding the dining room. When I closed the black cloth that swallowed even sound and smell, the captain's almost-scream abruptly cut off inside.

All right. Shall we get started?

Footnotes:

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