WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 26: Resistance - 1

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About a week earlier.

The military state suddenly mobilized its forces.

The military authorities drafting soldiers to maintain public order was such an ordinary occurrence that it was hardly news. This time, though, the scale was entirely different. They left behind only the minimum forces needed to defend the borders and key locations, gathering every available soldier in the city. It was as if they were preparing to wage war against the city itself.

As people saw soldiers filling the streets and hid trembling in their homes, the military state began a large-scale arrest operation with its assembled troops.

Petty criminals who had been left alone because their offenses were hard to judge, people whose names existed only on wanted posters, and Resistance members who had been hiding with civilians' help.

And a considerable number of citizens who were simply unlucky and innocent.

All of them were trampled under the boots of soldiers marching through every corner of the city and arrested.

Kanisen could not avoid the inspections either.

Back when the military state had still been a kingdom, Kanisen had served as a squire in a prestigious knight order. He had gone into hiding after the military state took power, but its intelligence service still considered him dangerous and kept an eye on him.

Naturally, his small home received a visit from soldiers during this operation.

Up to that point, it was an ordinary occurrence in the military state. Important figures from the kingdom era suddenly receiving visits from soldiers, then getting dragged away and suffering because someone took issue with a single remark.

There was one difference from usual.

Kanisen really was a rebel, and he had been preparing to carry out a terrorist attack against the military state in the near future.

The moment Kanisen sensed danger, he gathered only the bare minimum equipment and fled. His comrades escaped with him.

Having confirmed that their small probe had struck a vein of ore, the military state immediately pursued them.

Kanisen, however, had once belonged to the military himself, even if it had been during the kingdom era. Sensing something suspicious in the frantic movement, he did not simply run. Instead, he infiltrated the military state's supply network.

There, he discovered something astonishing.

A large number of vicious criminals had escaped from Tantalus, the great prison that held history's worst criminals, and the military state had gathered its forces to prevent the chaos they might cause.

He had obtained remarkable information, but he did not have much time left. The pursuit never stopped, and there were too many enemies. Resisting here would be meaningless. They would only be swept away by the overwhelming difference in numbers.

Then, as if by a miracle, an escape route appeared before him.

A supply box meant for Tantalus, abandoned after the prisoners' escape had left it with nowhere to go.

Thoughts flashed past like a revolving lantern. In that brief instant, I hammered memories gleaming like lightning into my mind to extract information.

My head hurt. Clutching my throbbing temples, I pushed myself upright amid the flow of thoughts.

A sudden mass inspection. The Resistance members who had escaped it. I skimmed through their minds to get a rough idea of how they had ended up here, then sighed in disbelief.

Those fucking military state idiots. They usually act so thorough, but they did not even open that box?

I wanted to grab that golem, who had bragged that supplies would arrive directly, and shake it around. Could they not check again before sending something? Did they not inspect the goods at all?

Thanks to the military state's negligence, five Resistance members had barely held on inside by eating the food supplies. Having groaned in pain in a space so cramped they could hardly move a hand, they burst out the moment the box landed, as though they had been waiting for it.

The first thing they encountered was me. Since they were already angry at everything in the world, it was only natural that they poured their hostility onto me.

Sigh. The Resistance.

Most Resistance members were just young people dissatisfied with society. I might have been at the bottom of the heap here, but I had no intention of losing to a bunch of immature brats.

Come on, then. Should I teach these kids a proper lesson? I'm what you'll become when you grow up, kids.

As I loosened up, a sturdy young man pointed a gun at me and shouted sharply.

"Don't move! Hands up!"

I hurriedly raised my hands. There was nothing I could do about a gun.

Whew. Thank goodness Azzy had licked my shoulder. If she had not, I would not have been able to raise my arms and might have died. I should thank Azzy.

...No, wait.

My arms hurt in the first place, and I had been outside at this exact moment, all because of Azzy. If I had not played ball with her, I would not have faced the Resistance empty-handed!

"Woof?"

Azzy had been wagging her tail wildly, apparently happy to see new humans. She tilted her head when she saw my blazing glare.

With my arms still raised, I glared at her.

I'm about to get caught because of you, so deal with this yourself!

I pulled all sorts of faces to send that message. Azzy stared at me, then nodded as if she understood, her eyes sparkling.

Right, King of Dogs. Earn your keep for once.

"You dog woman, hands up too!"

"Woof!"

Azzy barked cheerfully and raised her hands after me.

Right. What could I expect from you? You were the kind of loose-tailed creature who welcomed any human she saw.

The young man looked at Azzy's overly bright expression and seemed a little suspicious. I had hoped he might attack her, but...

'...For a filthy dog beastkin, she's pretty obedient. She looks a little slow, but she doesn't seem dangerous, so I'll just...'

Apparently, her appearance affected his judgment. What a shame. If he had just fired at her and fought Azzy, he would have gotten a dog punch and broken something.

The young man waved his gun threateningly and shouted.

"Now! Since you've both got your hands up, kneel down and get on the groun...!"

"Alpha. Stop."

A middle-aged man appeared silently from behind the box. He stepped forward naturally and placed a hand on Alpha's shoulder. While Alpha drew in a sharp breath, the middle-aged man grasped the barrel of his gun and slowly lowered it.

Alpha panted.

"Captain?"

Whether it was age, ability, experience, appearance, or presence.

Kanisen was a man who could only be seen as the leader. He walked toward me.

Strength could be felt in his solid stride. Even if the world collapsed, it felt as though he would collapse a little later than the world itself. Though he had spent days curled inside a box, his body and mind seemed completely unscathed.

Kanisen, the leader of this Resistance group, calmed Alpha down.

"We still know nothing about this place. I understand that you're frustrated and anxious, but what we need now is not a gun. It's our tongues."

"...I'm sorry. I was impatient."

"That's understandable. You were trapped for too long."

Kanisen stroked his rough beard and swept his cold gaze over Azzy and me. Then he glanced toward Tantalus, its searchlight shining in the distance, and approached me with a calculated smile.

"Excuse me. Did we startle you badly?"

I really had been startled. I nodded and shouted with genuine feeling.

"Of course you did! W-who are you people? You suddenly pointed guns at me!"

"Do not be alarmed. We are enemies of the military state and allies of yours. I apologize for the gun. And you are...?"

Kanisen trailed off, asking me to introduce myself.

He was polite, yet he pressed me for an answer with just enough force. The way he naturally tried to draw information out of me was exemplary. Even then, he never stopped thinking.

'Young. Shirtless. He is not wearing a military uniform, not even an instructor's uniform, so he does not seem affiliated with the military state. His body is lean and nimble, but he does not look strong. I heard that most prisoners escaped, so if he came out first to receive supplies in this situation, he is likely a forced laborer. Then he can give us what we lack most... information about this place.'

The Resistance had not made an empty husk their leader. His thoughts were rational, and his judgment was quick. Despite falling into the legendary prison of Tantalus in the Abyss and only emerging after enduring three days in a tiny box, he had not lost his composure.

He was the kind of person I liked. It made it clear what attitude I should take.

The image someone held in their mind shaped me. If he thought I was a forced laborer, then I became the most perfect forced laborer he could imagine.

I stood a little crookedly, did not hide my exhaustion, and mixed a touch of fear and bewilderment into my voice. It was fortunate I was not wearing an instructor's uniform. I did not have to make excuses.

Deliberately letting my powerless gaze tremble, I imitated how a forced laborer would react upon meeting intruders.

"I-I was brought here about a week ago. Soldiers suddenly barged in, arrested me, and threw me down here without even explaining anything. They told me to work. I-I don't know anything. I don't even have any money."

"What work have you been assigned?"

"Odd jobs, like cooking and cleaning!"

"I see. So you were dragged here by the wicked military state."

"Yes. I'm innocent."

Kanisen nodded with satisfaction and held out his hand.

"As I thought, we are comrades. We too have grievances to repay the military state for."

"Huh?"

When I reluctantly offered my hand, Kanisen snatched it and shook it vigorously. He was absurdly strong. My whole body swayed.

"We are the Resistance, friends of the people. We seek to defeat the cruel military state and find freedom and peace."

Now was the time to act surprised. I shouted theatrically.

"Th-the Resistance?!"

After the military took power by overthrowing the monarchy, harsh labor, low wages, strict control, ruthless punishment, and rapid urbanization shattered the old order. Those who had lost their property or families to the military state hid in the shadows and formed organizations to oppose it.

Yet the disunited rebel groups could not stand against the military state's elite soldiers. They repeatedly sprang up in scattered places, only to be crushed in an instant. The rebels eventually realized they needed organized leadership and united under an exceptional leader.

That was the Resistance, the largest rebel organization. Those who cried out for liberation from military rule.

Of course, now that the military government had ruled for so long, ordinary people did not think very highly of the Resistance. I should mix in a little wariness here too. It would be more natural.

"Th-the Resistance, then you're terr... Gasp!"

I deliberately began to say terrorist, then pretended to cover my mouth. After that, I stared at him with thoroughly frightened eyes.

A little rude, but a normal response for an ordinary person.

As expected, Kanisen did not particularly suspect me after seeing my attitude.

"I understand. You have only heard bad rumors about us. The military state must have spread propaganda claiming that we are ruthless terrorists."

"Ah, um. Yes."

"But remember this. Most of the Resistance's cruelty the military state speaks of is, in truth... what the military authorities did themselves before pinning it on us. At heart, we are no different from you, who was framed by the military state."

Maybe because he had once been a knight, his solemn words carried weight. If I were an ordinary person, I might have trusted him without realizing it.

First, he reassured me by saying we were on the same side. Then he expertly built a sense of solidarity by saying that he and I were no different. He clearly had experience governing people.

"Trust us. We came here to help you."

This man.

He had quite a talent for scamming people. If he had not been a knight, he would have become a con artist in some back alley.

Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong target. I was the greatest con artist in the back alleys, so most of his words were useless.

I answered while acting as though my fear was gradually fading.

"You came to help me?"

"Of course! The Resistance helps those unjustly oppressed by the military state. We will help not only you, but everyone here who has been imprisoned unfairly!"

"Ahh."

I let out a soft sound as if I were impressed. Kanisen saw my reaction, which did not betray his expectations, and smiled broadly.

After taking his gaze off me for a moment, he looked at Azzy, who was still standing with her hands raised.

"Now then, who is this beautiful beastkin lady?"

At Kanisen's question, Azzy shouted brightly.

"Woof! I'm Puppy!"

"Puppy? That is an unusual name. How did you end up here, miss?"

"Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!"

Azzy suddenly ran over and began circling Kanisen. It was so quick and unexpected that even Kanisen, a former knight, could not react in time.

Kanisen flinched and moved his hand toward his waist.

At that moment, hostility billowed from inside the box.

I turned my head and saw a female Resistance member inside the box pointing a gun at Azzy, watching her warily.

"Captain!"

It was the voice of a young woman, filled with clear suspicion.

Kanisen's expression twisted as he heard it.

"Sto...!"

'Don't shoot!'

Before he could even begin speaking, the trigger had already been pulled.

Bang!

A bullet burst from the muzzle. The armor-piercing round, slightly ahead of the gunshot, flew straight toward Azzy.

It happened in an instant. At this distance, the bullet did not take even a moment to reach her.

Azzy, who had been circling Kanisen, stared blankly at the armor-piercing round flying toward her.

Then, just before it touched her body, she caught it in her teeth.

Crunch.

A bizarre sound rang out. Teeth biting into steel. Metal being mercilessly crushed.

That was all.

The bullet's short journey from the gun barrel ended between Azzy's teeth.

Crunch.

No one had properly witnessed what happened. Kanisen was the only one who grasped the situation quickly.

'She caught an armor-piercing round fired at close range? With her teeth?'

It was common enough to endure being shot. Learn a little qigong, wear sturdy clothes, or simply be born healthy, and a person could withstand a bullet or two. Guns were useful, but not overwhelmingly powerful weapons.

Catching a bullet in flight, though?

Even a master would find that difficult, and even someone capable of it would never try with their teeth. If they failed, the soft flesh inside their mouth would be torn apart by the bullet.

But Azzy had done it.

Azzy crunched down on the steel bullet once, then spat it out with a displeased expression. The crushed bullet bounced across the ground.

"Hot! Hard! Tastes bad!"

The dented bullet lay there, marked with tooth impressions.

Only then did the other Resistance members understand what had happened and raise their guns together.

"Cease fire!"

At Kanisen's shout, they all jolted and lowered their guns as if a teacher had scolded them. Kanisen grimaced and shouted.

"Who told you to fire without permission? Beta, did I not tell you never to shoot until I gave the order?"

The young woman called Beta hurriedly lowered her head.

"S-sorry."

"If you understand, stay still!"

After berating Beta, Kanisen politely clasped his hands and bowed to Azzy.

"Please forgive our rudeness. We are ignorant and did not realize what great personage you were. May we ask your name?"

'That dog beastkin is no ordinary opponent. If a fight breaks out... we will all die!'

Oh, he knew his place and apologized first. He was the first normal, ordinary person I had met since coming down to Tantalus, so it felt refreshing. I had begun to think that even a model citizen like me was becoming abnormal down here.

Of course, it took two hands to clap. Just because someone acted normally did not mean they would receive a normal response.

"Woof! I'm Puppy!"

"Puppy? Forgive me if this is rude, but is that an alias?"

"My name! Woof! Woof! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!"

Kanisen stared blankly at Azzy with an expression like he had lost his mind. Having briefly lost all sense of direction, he looked at me as though clinging to me.

"Um, this esteemed person..."

"Ah. She's one of the trainees who remained here. Apparently, her name is Puppy. She's strong, but she listens well, like a real dog, so I sometimes keep her around."

"The King of Dogs, known only from legend? No, surely not. Even in Tantalus, a being like that..."

Correct. He was smart too. He seemed to know quite a bit from what he had heard.

Polite, capable of fearing an opponent, aware of his place, and knowledgeable. If there were trainees in this land, I wished they were all people like him.

Sigh. That made it all the more unfortunate.

I had to kill a man like this.

Kanisen recovered himself and asked urgently.

"Are there soldiers or other prisoners... no, trainees remaining here?"

"Uh, there aren't any soldiers. There are two more trainees, I think. But they're busy sleeping or doing their own thing. They probably won't come out unless something like a bomb goes off."

"I see. That is a tremendous relief."

'My spine is going cold. There are at least two beings like that... No, I heard there had been a prison break, so far more must have been confined here. How did the military state capture monsters like those?'

Kanisen fell into thought for a long time. Thoughts flowed through his mind from moment to moment. Wearing the expression of someone who knew nothing, I calmly read them.

'This is not a place to take lightly. If we do not hurry the plan, the other prisoners of Tantalus might stop us. We need to finish as quickly as possible.'

The Resistance were enemies of the military state.

The prisoners were enemies of the military state too.

The enemy of my enemy was my friend. Even more so if my enemy was powerful.

Normally, the Resistance would choose to recruit the prisoners or release them altogether, placing a huge burden on the military state.

But Kanisen did not seem to have any intention of asking Tantalus's prisoners for help. As if that had never been his goal.

Why had Kanisen, a terrorist and Resistance member, come to Tantalus? Why had he hidden inside a supply box headed for Tantalus while fleeing?

To Tantalus of the Abyss, a land cursed by Mother Earth that no one could escape from?

'Once we have come to Tantalus, we cannot leave. The only equipment we brought in our hasty escape was the bombs intended for terrorism. The way to inflict meaningful damage on the military state with these is...'

Simple.

I muttered cynically.

What would terrorists do besides terrorism?

'Destroy Tantalus, the symbol of oppression, completely and sink it beneath the Abyss.'

Those bastards had come here to blow this place up.

They did not care if they died too.

My eyes turned cold.

Footnotes:

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