WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 196: Tantalus Alumni Association

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What was the fastest way for poison meant to destroy the body from within to spread as quickly as possible?

By hitching a ride on the fastest means of circulation. Most poisons spread through the blood vessels, which was why blocking blood flow or draining contaminated blood had long been considered the most effective treatment.

But what if the poison had already entered the bloodstream?

God was invented for moments like that. People worked hard to create one, so please pray diligently.

"Military state. You should pray that we're excreted quietly too. We're already on the track!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The Meta-Conveyor Belt was the military state's aorta, and we were already riding atop it. In other words, we were flowing through the military state's body.

Thanks to our unauthorized use of the military state's largest logistics facility, we were enjoying a comfortable, relaxing trip.

"Wow. I came up with it myself, but isn't this an ingenious plan? We're escaping by riding the military state's main road. On this land, where it'd be hard for anyone to catch us, we only have to watch the front and back!"

As I said, the Meta-Conveyor Belt was an incredibly safe mode of transportation.

For one thing, we didn't need to worry about being surrounded. The enemy could only block our way from ahead or chase us from behind, so those were the only directions we had to watch.

Well, military state forces would block our path once we reached a stop, but until then, we were safe.

The regressor looked between the front and back before replying.

"You're right. This worked out well. It doesn't look like we have pursuers right now, so let's settle something I've been putting off. Sit here."

"Huh? You want me to sit here? That's something a schoolteacher would say before scolding a student."

"Just sit."

Her frosty tone made me obediently sit on the floor. The surface of the Meta-Conveyor Belt felt cold, a sensation I hadn't experienced in a while.

Standing before me with her arms folded, the regressor spoke with striking confidence.

"Now. Isn't it time you shared some information, Mr. Pied Piper of Hamelin?"

"Shared information? Honestly, that feels a little unfair."

My body might obey orders, but that didn't mean my heart had given in. I dug at my ear in the most insolent posture I could manage and answered.

"Before we talk about sharing information, aren't you the one with more secrets, Mr. Shei? Carrying a legendary sword like Skywarbler, throwing yourself into Tantalus for some unknown purpose. You're young, strong, and know far too much. I wondered if you were some legendary existence, but nothing came to mind."

My survival instinct was responsible for the subtle flattery in that statement. Having slipped in something almost like praise, I pushed the responsibility onto her.

"If you won't reveal anything, how are we supposed to start sharing?"

You were the one who started keeping secrets!

But perhaps she had gained confidence after coming out into the world, because the regressor shamelessly replied.

"Hmph. You never asked me anything. You acted skillfully from the start, as though you already knew everything."

"You know me well. Neither of us asked, so we're even."

"Exactly. I won't say much about my past either. Still, I helped you when the military state was chasing you. Don't I at least need to know the rough outline of what happened? I can't help you without any explanation or trust, can I?"

The regressor stared me down with sharp eyes.

"Especially if you're the one behind the Hamelin incident. Can we travel with someone whose identity and intentions we know nothing about, someone so dangerous?"

Ugh, that was a perfectly sound argument. To think I would one day be attacked by the regressor's sound logic. Was this a reversal of social hierarchy? A revolution?

With nothing to say, I had no choice but to agree.

"Now that I hear it, you're right. I can't argue with that. If I want to survive, I should make an effort to survive."

"You understand. Now tell me everything about who you are."

I had never believed I could hide it forever. The military state had already found out, and trying to conceal it further would only make them more suspicious.

Just as I made up my mind, Tyr, who had been quietly listening beneath her parasol, suddenly spoke.

"Hyu. Whatever your identity may be, whatever you may have done, I would have saved you. The only thing that disappointed me was that you left without a word."

But if I had someone on my side, that changed things. I immediately raised my voice.

"See? There is such a thing as kindness without a price! It's a warm sun, not a harsh north wind, that moves people's hearts! Mr. Shei, look at Tyr and reflect on yourself!"

"I only worry that you might be hurt somewhere I cannot see. Would you not become a vampire, so I would never need to worry?"

"Mr. Shei. I'll tell you everything about myself, so please forget what I said earlier."

The regressor snorted and jerked her chin. Tyr, rejected without hesitation, muttered sadly.

"Do you hate it that much? The life of an Elder would not be so bad..."

The very phrase vampire life was a contradiction. Besides, becoming one of Tyr's kin now that she had regained her life and established a clear boundary between herself and the world would surely cause problems in many ways.

I ignored Tyr as she trailed off and was about to make my honest confession.

Azzy, who had been circling around me for a while, brightened her eyes and dropped a can of meat from her mouth in front of me. She pushed it toward me with her front paw.

"Woof! Eat food!"

"Oh, sure. I'll eat it later. Thanks."

"Woof woof!"

Azzy was giving something up? What had gotten into her?

Anyway, I took the can and began explaining.

"I'm actually from Hamelin."

"That's it?"

"As I've emphasized several times, I was the top student in the school back then. That cohort included Historia, one of the current Six Generals, and Lankart, who was once the youngest arcane officer and was called the War Mage's successor."

The regressor frowned briefly at the mention of Historia and Lankart. As I thought. You had met them in a previous cycle.

I hadn't yet read everything that had happened, but the complicated emotions I sensed suggested they had been neither enemies nor allies. Something in between.

'Historia, one of the Six Generals, and Lankart from the Temple of the Demon God? Every name is a major figure... And he says he beat both of them for first place?'

It seemed my classmates were important enough to have encountered the regressor in the past. Three of us from that cohort remained, and somehow I, who had been first among us, had become a petty criminal. You never knew what children would grow up to become.

I decided then and there. I would skip future class reunions.

'...I don't know the full story, but one thing is clear. Those two are already national-level powerhouses. Then perhaps you are too.'

No, no, no. Please don't overestimate me. We were about to fight the military state, right? If people started expecting things from me now, I might get sent to the front and die.

I hurriedly explained.

"If Historia was unmatched in qi arts and martial combat, and Lankart in magic and technology, I took first place through my mind alone. Historia was peerless in qi arts and martial combat, while Lankart dominated magic. I placed first or second in most subjects, including all of those fields."

Naturally, it was all thanks to mind-reading. Mind-reading, thank you. I could never have done it without you.

"You did?"

"Yes. This isn't a joke. I really was a promising talent of the military state. I wasn't physically strong, but I could quickly learn anything to a respectable level. Magic, qi arts, alchemy, I picked them all up easily. I was skilled in strategy and tactics too. Most importantly, my comprehension was exceptional, so I could easily awaken powers of different natures."

Still, the techniques I could penetrate through mind-reading were limited to their user's level, so my true limits had been exposed around my second year.

Even so, talent was talent, and first place was first place.

"That's why I was called Hamelin's all-rounder."

"...Hmm."

'He learns everything easily... Why does that suddenly annoy me so much?'

Wow! The regressor had the nerve to say that to me! She had repeated her regressions until she became one of the strong!

They said the grass was always greener on the other side. Was having the cheat ability of regression not enough for you? Wake up!

"Anyway, the three of us took first, second, and third place in Hamelin. The military state provides equal education, but only to uncover any hidden gems that may exist. In a world where one strong person can face a thousand alone, equal education doesn't hold much value."

An investment in one person often produced better results than investing in a hundred.

That was more efficient in practice as well, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Hamelin's educational resources were spent almost entirely on the top few percent.

"Historia defeated a field-grade officer in a sparring match at that age, while Lankart awakened his innate arcane and began constructing a mental image. They received special treatment and followed a curriculum different from the general course. Perhaps that was why Hamelin's other students..."

"Don't steer the conversation somewhere strange. What about you?"

The regressor sharply interrupted as I tried to gloss over it.

"If you were first place, you must have had a special curriculum too."

"Ahaha. You're sharp."

She had gotten rather sharp since leaving the Abyss. I gave an awkward laugh.

"I was in a rather ambiguous position. I was proficient in many things, but not exceptional enough to stand out. Still, it would've been a waste to leave that talent alone. That may be why I drew attention in a slightly different area."

"Where? Intelligence?"

"Similar, but a little different. The Mystery Deconstruction Department, directly under the military state's Special Operations Bureau. I wasn't a mystery dismantler, but I was supposed to become one."

As though that explained quite a lot, the regressor let out a small sigh and nodded.

Tyr, who had failed to follow the conversation, raised her parasol slightly and interjected.

"Wait a moment. What is a mystery dismantler?"

I answered the question.

"Mystery dismantlers are a different kind of archaeologist. They uncover the mysteries hidden in the world and seek to use their power."

The world contained countless mysteries.

Lightning riders descending along cliffs of clouds, islands of swirling wreckage, paradises discovered by chance while wandering without direction, jungles inhabited by every bizarre creature. Elephant graveyards, the Mountain Lord's mountain, and more.

The Mystery Deconstruction Department of the military state was an organization that excavated such mysteries and legends for purely practical purposes.

After explaining, I briefly summarized it in terms tailored for Tyr.

"They were the ones who devised the operation to keep Tyr and Azzy in the Abyss. The Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka and Azzy, the King of Dogs, are great threats, but keeping you stored away and bringing you out when needed would let them profit from your power."

At the mention of her name, Azzy immediately ran over and shouted.

"Woof! You called me?"

"Not yet."

"Woof! Okay! Call me later!"

Azzy stepped back a few paces and began watching me with shining eyes again.

She seemed to want something from me. Did she want to play? Well, neither Tyr nor the regressor seemed like the type to play with Azzy.

Fine. I would relieve your pent-up needs later.

Anyway.

"Ho. Then, Hyu, you knew about me before you descended into the Abyss."

"I knew of you. Though in this case, it was closer to knowing you as knowledge. I had learned everything through books, so I had no idea what kind of person Tyr was."

"I see..."

'I wonder how the country called the military state views me.'

It probably wasn't flattering.

Tyrkanzyaka as knowledge was not a particularly good character, even objectively speaking. Her history was impressive even after excluding the records written from the Sanctum's perspective.

She had participated in countless wars and personally beheaded a five-digit number of people. After battles, she harvested blood from corpses, so on battlefields ravaged by vampires, neither blood, screams, nor light remained...

I had written nothing but terrible things about Tyrkanzyaka back then. Yet when I actually met her, she felt rather different.

I had gotten sidetracked, but the point was that I hadn't produced results as good as expected.

I could handle people, but extracting information purely from books wasn't my specialty.

"So that was it. That explains why you seemed strangely familiar with Tantalus and the people inside it. Especially Azzy."

"Right. The Beast King is someone mystery dismantlers must know about."

"There must be quite a few Lords of All Creation among mystery dismantlers."

"There were signs, but neither they nor I revealed anything. I was only a student at the time. Why would they reach out to a child who knew nothing?"

The story was falling neatly into place. The regressor accepted much of what I said.

"Then what about unsealing Jizan, the Great Master's weapon? Was that also the power of a mystery dismantler?"

It would have been difficult to explain that without mind-reading, so I widened my eyes as if I didn't know and asked back.

"Huh? It was unsealed?"

"You unsealed it and you don't know?"

"How would I know? Relics grant their power only after you pass their test. I just held it and swung it."

'Picking it up itself means he partially passed the test, doesn't it?'

"...What answer did you give the test?"

"I told it that it was just a corpse and should stop testing me and calm Jiseon down. It must have listened well, because it came right up when I lifted it."

"Maybe it was just angry at you?"

Either way, my explanation was perfect and coherent. It meshed with the regressor's shallow background knowledge like magic, and she couldn't continue doubting me.

"And that was how you became the Pied Piper of Hamelin?"

"That part is genuinely unfair! I was framed!"

I protested that one with complete sincerity. The regressor narrowed her eyes.

"Then why are you called the Pied Piper and being pursued by the military state?"

"Because I was framed! No, think about it rationally! What would I gain from killing all my classmates? That incident turned me, someone with a bright future, into a petty criminal! Do I look like some lunatic who would abandon everything I had just to kill people, Mr. Shei?"

I thumped my chest as though the injustice would kill me. The regressor measured me with her eyes before agreeing.

"You do seem like a lunatic, but not that kind of lunatic."

'That incident in Hamelin was a suicide from the start. I used that incident to great effect when I later brought down the military state.'

Wow. So it hadn't all been pointless suffering. There was even a timeline where the military state fell because of Hamelin. I suddenly felt rewarded.

Anyway, I emphasized that I was harmless.

"I got caught up in it too and barely escaped, so I don't know much. One thing is certain. The military state framed me."

"The military state framed an ordinary student? That sounds suspicious."

"What would the person who was framed know? It was either the military state or that bastard Lankart. I barely escaped with my life. Otherwise, would I have lived as a criminal after receiving such high evaluations in Hamelin?"

That was true. It was true that I had become a petty criminal, and that I had been caught unfairly. Hidden within it was the sly truth that I was a mind-reader.

As a result, the regressor could find not a single oddity in my words.

'If he was Hamelin's last graduate... Yes. That could be it. It easily explains his path and abilities. My doubts are starting to fade...'

It couldn't be helped. People were rational, but also emotional. When an explanation perfectly fit the part they wanted to believe, like a puzzle piece, they felt something close to pleasure.

Besides, it wasn't far from the truth.

As I hid those thoughts behind my expression.

'Wait. Don't take it at face value. I still can't accept it.'

What now?

Were you really not human? This much suspicion was a serious illness!

'It makes sense. But something, something still bothers me. If he was a mystery dismantler, he may know various methods, but... I can't let this pass so easily. My instincts are telling me that.'

This was why I hated people with good instincts.

Still, trust did not come in only one form. Separate from her suspicions, the regressor trusted me in another way.

'Even so, Tyrkanzyaka is right. If I have to decide whether he is an enemy or ally... he is clearly an ally. Let's not press him any further.'

I heard that small murmur in her heart.

It was the moment my treatment was decided.

Footnotes:

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