WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 20: The Culprit Must Be In Here, Then

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In the Abyss, night was announced not by the setting sun, but by the flickering overhead lights. When the military state's standard clocks struck six in the evening, the artificial lights meant to replace the sun turned red, as if imitating a sunset.

Imitations were bound by the form they copied. From top to bottom, the overhead lights slowly dimmed like a sun sinking beyond the horizon. Once they were gone, the faint night lights scattered throughout the Abyss illuminated the insides of the buildings.

Copies always showed their flaws, and the night lights fell short of an evening sky in many ways. Instead of the dim indigo sky painted by lingering light, gloomy lamps shone over the Abyss. It was an unpleasant light, utterly unlike moonlight and starlight seeping in like mist, a light that created shadows even in darkness.

Compared to the sun's grace, which illuminated the whole world, what light wouldn't seem faded?

When the overhead lights went out, the corridor lights dimmed as well. The mirror fragments I'd set up in the gap beneath the door now reflected nothing but darkness. The light entering my room had also gone out, so I couldn't continue working. I stopped what I was doing and rose from my desk.

Fifty-two cards lay on the desk. I'd made them using the alchemical coin the regressor had given me and the whole of today.

I was a magician and an alchemist who transmuted cards and suckers into money. A deck of cards was my weapon.

With one hand, I swept across the desk. The fifty-two cards scattered across it flew neatly into my hand with a single gesture. Square, firm, and flexible. The familiar feel welcomed me.

I split the face-down deck in half and shuffled it. The pliant cards slipped between one another. I mixed them, flipped them, twisted them, then shuffled them again. Thump. I set the finished deck down on the desk.

"Ace of Diamonds."

I turned over the top card. It was the Ace of Diamonds. Naturally. I'd shuffled it to be that way.

I hadn't handled cards for several days, but my skill hadn't gone anywhere. It had simply been waiting for me deep inside. Indifferently, I lifted the Ace of Diamonds. A single pointed red symbol covered nearly the entire face of the card as if it owned it. I held the card between my index and middle fingers, then flicked it over. When I spread both hands the next instant, the Ace of Diamonds was nowhere to be seen.

The cards were in decent condition, and their quality wasn't bad either. I let out a slow breath and steeled myself.

"All right. Shall we go?"

I hoped Azzy really was the one stealing food. But if she wasn't...

Even if it was only for running away, I needed to bring a weapon of my own.

I carefully opened my door without making a sound.

The corridor submerged in darkness seemed to have swallowed even sound itself. It had been quiet during the day, but there had at least been some life to it.

Now it was gloomy and silent, befitting the name Tantalus.

I headed down the long corridor. The dark, quiet passage made me feel as though I shouldn't even make a sound with my footsteps, so I found myself walking on tiptoe.

It didn't take long to reach the cafeteria. I focused, checking whether I could sense anyone else's thoughts inside.

There wasn't the slightest trace of mental noise.

At least, there was no human inside who was currently thinking.

Whether that meant they weren't thinking or weren't human remained to be seen.

I slipped inside and settled into a corner of the cafeteria. All I had to do was wait until Azzy went after the pot, then catch her red-handed. If a ghost appeared, I could run immediately.

Hunting was an art of waiting. Behind every glorious hunt lay long, patient endurance. Holding my breath, I stared at the pot.

Time dragged on, and my concentration waned until my head began to droop. How many minutes had passed? Then I heard someone outside.

Got you.

See? It was an intruder after all. Someone hiding inside? What nonsense. I didn't believe conspiracy theories that couldn't even be proven.

I tensed every muscle and waited for the perfect moment, waiting for my prey to step into the trap. The second they touched the pot, there would be no denying it. Then I'd jump out and pounce...

The shadow that entered the cafeteria swept the room with glowing golden eyes.

"What are you doing there?"

Then she walked toward me.

Reading minds didn't mean I was particularly good at hiding. I rose to my feet and pointed at the regressor.

"So it was you. I expected as much."

"What?"

"If you were so curious, you could've asked for a bite. Did you really have to sneak in during the middle of the night and steal it? Your little transgression has filled our group with distrust! Distrust is an evil that corrodes society. An obstruction that creates friction and noise like rust caught between turning gears! Do you understand how terrible your actions were?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The regressor ignored me and looked away.

"If you have nothing to do, keep quiet."

"They say the one who farted gets angry first. You took a shit in Tantalus and now you're pretending nothing happened!"

"What kind of vulgar nonsense is that?!"

The regressor snapped back on reflex, then looked at me with a disbelieving expression.

"Don't tell me you seriously think I came here just to steal food?"

"Until a moment ago."

"Well, if that's the case... Wait, no! Until a moment ago? You thought I was on the same level as you?!"

What did she mean, the same level? We were both trapped here.

Anyway, I'd just read her thoughts. Unfortunately, the regressor hadn't come to steal food. She had returned at night because the presence she'd sensed before leaving the cafeteria bothered her.

I scratched my head.

"So... there really is something hiding in here?"

"Maybe. I'm not certain, but there's no harm in looking."

"Ah."

I gathered my things. Rising to my feet, I gave the regressor a slight bow.

"Good luck."

"...Where are you going?"

"I'm scared, so I'm running away."

The regressor looked at me as though I was unbelievable.

"Didn't you say you were the instructor responsible for managing and supervising us?"

"Ghosts aren't trainees."

"What about me? You're just going to watch while I investigate the prison?"

"Who told you to investigate? And if I told you not to, would you stop? If you're going to do it even if I stop you, is there any point in me getting involved?"

"Wow."

‘He still says such irritating things. More importantly, what is this? Is he serious? No, surely not. Isn't he plotting something?’

Plotting what? If it was really a ghost, if I couldn't read its thoughts, there was nothing I could do. Against nonhumans, I was lower than a bug.

Without looking back, I headed for the cafeteria door.

"Well then, I'll be going. Don't forget to file an after-action report. If possible, submit it with a sample."

"Why don't you stay and watch, then?"

"Sorry. It's lights-out, so I need to sleep."

"Quit talking and stay there."

"Huh? Why?"

‘Someone strong enough to knock away my sword is acting wary... Could something truly powerful be hiding here? Or is he trying to distract me? Whatever his intentions, I should interfere for now. It's not because I'm scared... Keeping him in the rear in case something happens should be fine.’

Fear was contagious. Since I made it obvious that I was completely terrified, the regressor heightened her vigilance just as much. Enough to consider leaving me, someone she considered a potential enemy, behind her.

After finishing her thoughts, the regressor made an excuse.

"What if the thing hiding in there and living like a parasite is an intruder? Then it's your job, as the one managing this prison, to deal with them. You should watch too."

"That's true. Check it out, and if it's an intruder, take action first and report afterward. Until then, I'll be in my room."

Do your best. I'm leaving now. As I stepped toward the door...

‘Hey! I said don't go! Tch, I'll throw Skywarbler for now!’

Don't do that. I'll die.

I spun around and came back inside. Then I moved close behind the regressor.

Startled by my sudden change in attitude, she said with disgust, "What are you doing?"

I couldn't say I came back because I was afraid she'd actually use force.

Besides, if there really was an intruder, wouldn't being with the regressor be safer than being alone?

Azzy was angry at me right now, and the vampire didn't seem interested in this matter, perhaps because she was a ghost herself. Other than the regressor, there was no one here to protect me but me.

Not that I was reliable at all.

"Go on, lead the way. Let's defeat this ghost! We can't let some ghost threaten us!"

"You..."

‘Still, having someone behind me is reassuring. Tch, the problem is that it's this man...’

Anyway, with me behind her, the regressor began looking around with her vividly shining golden eyes.

The third of the Seven-Colored Eyes, the Golden Eye. The Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils that let their owner see what could not be seen. With eyes like that, ghosts probably weren't scary.

What could I do? Nothing. I could only stand beside her and munch popcorn.

Ah, should I at least cheer her on?

"Fighting! Ghosts are just remnants of magic left behind after death! Don't be afraid, let's go! A ghost won't stand a chance against Trainee Shei's sword!"

"...Could you be quiet? I can't hear anything because you're so loud."

"You're only looking with those shiny eyes anyway. Focus on your vision."

"I'm listening too, you know."

The regressor slowly circled the cafeteria. She also looked toward the storeroom built into the shelf farther inside. She tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"I can't see anything."

"Come on. What was that? There really was nothing after all."

"That can't be right. Whenever I feel like something is there, there usually really is something."

That instinct didn't seem very trustworthy. It hadn't seen through my bluff.

Still, I had survived thanks to that instinct, so I had nothing to say.

"If you can't see it even with those sparkling eyes, we can assume there's nothing there."

"That's strange..."

"Give up already. There aren't any more places to hide in this tiny cafeteria. It has two tables and a storeroom the size of my palm. Where else are you going to search? Unless the other side can pass through walls."

"A wall?"

I had obviously been joking, but the regressor fell deep into thought at my words.

"Right. The wall. There was that place. The military state's concrete is thick. If it was hiding in there, I wouldn't have noticed."

This conspiracy theory had become a serious illness. I sighed and waved a hand before the regressor's eyes.

"Hey. So what are you going to do? Break down the wall? That would be property damage."

"I won't break it."

‘I'll only cut it.’

The regressor raised her head and poked her own eye with a finger.

The fourth of the Seven-Colored Eyes, the Green Eye.

Those ominously green eyes could see through objects. Metal, particularly lead, was difficult to see through.

Not being able to see through something meant it occupied one corner of her vision in complete blackness. Therefore, it was extremely useful for finding metal.

I peeked through the regressor's vision with my mind reading.

A black-and-white view appeared. The world was dark and bright, as though it had been made by tracing thin lines over and over. Her penetrating vision could see inside objects. When her gaze landed on me, I could see the white bones inside my body. Being naked was embarrassing, but strangely, once the skin itself was stripped away, I felt no shame at all.

The regressor turned her gaze to the wall. The concrete wall looked like white cardboard, and the grid-shaped steel reinforcement inside was clearly visible. She slowly scanned the wall, then found something.

In one corner of the wall was a tiny doll-like silhouette. To anyone else, it would have looked as though someone had accidentally embedded a doll while making the concrete.

But that doll's true identity was...

"Found you. You were still here?"

It was a military state magic golem, a small model.

The regressor reached behind her head. Skywarbler leapt into her hand. At that moment, it was no different from her sword already having been drawn.

A slash swept out in an instant and thinly sliced the wall. Concrete cracked like the bark of an old tree, unfurling into a rolled sheet before crumbling into dust from the edges. An empty hollow lay exposed.

The regressor skewered the magic golem on the tip of her thin sword and pulled it out. The golem's body twitched.

『I strongly demand that you cease your destructive actions.』

A flat voice flowed from the golem. It was the voice I'd heard when I first descended into Tantalus.

Captain AB, was it? A military state communications officer. The military state's emotionless mouthpiece.

The regressor scoffed at her request.

"That would be a reasonable demand before you hid like a rat and watched me."

『Considering your destructive and sensitive temperament, this unit judged that it would have been destroyed even if it had revealed itself in advance. That judgment remains valid. Furthermore, this unit ceased operation whenever it judged that you were nearby. There is room to interpret this as this unit not having watched you.』

"Right. Right. Your judgment and your demand are both correct. Just like the military state. Always reasonable. So..."

The regressor raised her sword again. Sparks flew from its tip. Part of the golem's circuits burned, and it crackled as though screaming.

"I'm going to break it. Goodbye. Hiding inside a wall was pretty original."

『Cease your destructive actions immediately. The severance of communications will result in inefficiency.』

"Heh. You're desperate. Is this golem one of the last ones? Well, even if there are more, it won't matter. From now on, I'll activate the Green Eye and search every wall."

The regressor looked quite pleased for the first time in a while as she tormented the golem.

So I couldn't read its thoughts because it was a golem. That explained it. Whew, what a relief. It wasn't a ghost, it was a golem. It was as troublesome as a ghost in that I couldn't read its thoughts, but it didn't matter because the regressor would destroy it.

I should just stay back and watch. I was relaxing when...

『I repeat my demand. Cease your destructive actions immediately. Due to your actions, it will become impossible to transmit information and distribute ration notices. I repeat my demand...』

Rations. That single word I heard in passing stirred something in me.

Trapped here as we were, supplies would run out eventually. If Azzy kept helping herself to food like this, we'd run out in no time.

The regressor might be fine with all the treasures she had, but I needed rations...

Come to think of it, we couldn't let the golem be destroyed!

I hurried toward the regressor's back.

"Repeat. That's a word I really hate. But I can do it as many times as needed."

Unaware that I had approached, the regressor was engrossed in tormenting the golem, drunk on exhilaration.

"Destroying this golem won't do anything to your main body. But if it causes the military state even the slightest trouble, that's enough for me."

『Warning. Hostile actions...』

"Goodbye."

Twang.

With a light flick of Skywarbler, the small golem rose into the air. The regressor sheathed Skywarbler, preparing for the storm of slashes that would soon sweep forth. The compressed force from her tightly coiled stance was about to burst out.

Afraid of being stabbed by that sword, I approached from a blind spot and reached for the regressor.

"Wait! Hold on!"

The moment my hand touched the regressor's shoulder.

Something rose from the bottom of my vision. Before I could react, I felt something shoot toward me. Something massive was rushing at me.

No, it was the other way around. The world flipped, and my vision spun.

What rose up was none other than me.

Heaven-Reversing Boundary. Reversal.

Heaven-Turning.

Huh?

A counterattack?

A counterattack that bypassed thought entirely, at the level of her body remembering it?

By the time I read that, my body was falling toward the ground.

Footnotes:

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