WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 336: Spot the Difference

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The regressor's Skywarbler was surprisingly rechargeable. After each battle, she had to gather back the wind and space she had expended. I didn't know how it worked, but the regressor would take a short break after fighting.

The regressor, who had been scouting from atop the Golden Ark while recharging, returned to the cabin. As she tidied her disheveled hair, she spoke to Perru.

"Are we really going the right way? No one's steering it, but it isn't simply going straight either. It keeps subtly changing direction as it moves."

"...The Golden Ark is a compass. It always heads toward the Golden Palace."

"How is that possible?"

"...How?"

Flustered by the regressor's curiosity, Perru sorted through her thoughts.

'...The Golden Ark's endless tracks use substitution-based movement. The more recently the Lord of Gold stayed in a certain area, the slower the substitution becomes, causing the track on that side to move more slowly. Thus, whenever the Golden Ark advances, its stern tilts ever so slightly toward the Lord of Gold. When the Lord of Gold's time series is mapped onto the Lesser States' coordinates, the Lord of Gold's current location becomes the extreme point. The slope in that direction is used to correct its course, and eventually it reaches the Lord of Gold....'

Perru recalled all of it. At least, in her head.

'...But I can't explain all that with my speaking skills. Even if I did, they might not understand. Give up.'

She wouldn't explain because she thought we wouldn't understand? I couldn't tell whether that was humility or arrogance. In any case, Perru shortened her explanation.

"...That, too, is the Lord of Gold's majesty."

"Ah, you said the Lord of Gold made all Juggernauts, right? Then I suppose it's possible."

'...That counted as an explanation.'

So it was neither humility nor arrogance. It was simply an accurate judgment. The regressor was more inclined to accept the world's mysteries than to understand every last one of them.

Having accepted it so quickly, the regressor took off her coat and perched on the sofa.

"I'm grateful you're letting us stay, but do you have enough space and facilities for us?"

"...No problem. Made them a little while ago."

"Ah, right. We're in the Lesser States. Got it. I'll impose on you for a while..."

Leaning back against the sofa, the regressor looked toward the table in front of her. At the tea table, as though a mirror had been placed between them, two identical girls sat facing each other. Tyr, her silver hair trailing down her back, and "Tyr" were staring intently at the regressor.

There were two Tyrkanzyakas.

Only then did the regressor realize something was wrong.

'Ahhh! S-S-S-Startled! Wh-What?! Two Tyrkanzyakas?!'

The regressor was shocked out of her mind, but I was the only one who noticed. Her aura art, the Heaven-Reversing Boundary, forcibly suppressed her sudden agitation and made her appear calm.

Even when someone was flustered, they could calm down if the person beside them splashed them with cold water and shouted for them to think straight. We only panicked because no one did that for us. The regressor, however, had the Heaven-Reversing Boundary. With a cool head, she came up with a hypothesis to explain the situation.

'Right! Shadow Casket used transformation, didn't she? One of them must be Shadow Casket. Hah, I almost got startled!'

The regressor spoke while pretending to be calm.

"Is this Shadow Casket's transformation?"

Outwardly, the regressor didn't look surprised at all. Then "Tyr" let out a dissatisfied voice through her red lips.

"You only noticed now? You are painfully dull."

"You noticed too late, and your reaction is so boring. It's almost disappointing."

The two scolded the regressor side by side in identical voices, like affectionate sisters. One of them was obviously Hilde, but their coordination was so perfect that the regressor snapped.

"That's what I should be saying! Why are you suddenly pulling pranks? What is Shadow Casket plotting now?"

"We were discussing how exceptional Hilde's transformation is. Since we are traveling together now, it seemed fitting to test her ability."

"And it will ease the boredom of the journey. Is it not a fine form of entertainment?"

"From the target's perspective, it just looks like a nasty prank."

Once she understood the situation, the regressor calmed herself and compared Tyr with "Tyr."

Faintly shining white-silver hair. A translucent face seemingly stripped of all color. Yet blood-red eyes gleamed bewitchingly. From their features to their slender necks, the two were completely identical at a glance.

The regressor clicked her tongue inwardly.

'They say a master of aura arts can control every part of their body with aura, but isn't this too much? Even if you can shrink your bones and compress your body, there are things you can do and things you can't! Changing your skin color, hair, and even your voice? Why waste aura arts in such a pointless way?! If she used it properly, she'd be several times stronger!'

What could I say? That was what had driven Hilde to obtain aura arts in the first place. Without it, she probably wouldn't have mastered Water Qi Art at all.

Tyr enjoyed the regressor's reaction.

"Well? Can you tell which one is real?"

"You may think about it longer. We have time to spare."

Tyr and "Tyr" giggled as they watched the regressor struggle. Thoroughly irritated but unable to tell them apart by appearance alone, the regressor grumbled.

"It's easy to figure out who's real. Tyrkanzyaka uses bloodcraft and controls darkness."

"Naturally, we agreed not to use such powers. If the problem is too easy, it isn't any fun."

"Besides, Hilde handles bloodcraft quite well too. Look at this skin. If she couldn't use bloodcraft, how else could she imitate such bloodless skin?"

"Tyr" lightly stroked Tyr's cheek as she spoke. Tyr burst out laughing at the bold gesture, while "Tyr" rested her chin on her hand and smiled leisurely. They seemed far too close to be called doppelgangers.

'I don't know...! Fine, they look the same, but even their words and actions are alike! Is this all just acting?'

The regressor's mind was utter chaos. The difficult problem that had suddenly appeared wasn't something even the Heaven-Reversing Boundary could solve. Her confusion only deepened.

Still, rather than give up, the regressor grew even more stubborn.

'No. If I leave it at "I don't know," I won't be able to recognize Shadow Casket in the next loop. Shadow Casket never showed herself even after several regressions. I'll have to visit the military state every time anyway, so finding the difference now will help.'

That was right. There likely wouldn't be another chance when Hilde openly transformed and challenged her to spot the differences.

The regressor pretended to hold her forehead, her eyes shining through the gaps between her fingers. They were Seven-Colored Eyes that saw every kind of light. She was relying on her power because she didn't have the confidence to guess fairly. Well, she was entertaining because she seriously clung to even trivial matters.

Not a chance. I immediately leaned forward and tattled.

"Shei, are you perhaps using your Seven-Colored Eyes right now?"

"W-What? It's an ability too!"

There was a problem, though.

From the Red Eyes that saw temperature to the Purple Eyes that saw strength, she couldn't identify either of them no matter which eyes she used. It was impossible to see through bodies filled with bloodcraft, aura arts, or some other power, so she had to examine the energy they gave off. The regressor looked at them from every possible perspective.

'They are different when I look with the Seven-Colored Eyes. There's definitely a difference! But...!'

The problem was that she didn't know which one was real. The regressor didn't carry every detail about Tyr in her head.

Besides, Tyr had gained darkness after fighting the Sanctum for a long time. The Seven-Colored Eyes, which saw light, were poorly matched against her. Light descended from the sky, after all.

Tsk tsk. That was why I warned her.

"I'm just worried. What are you going to do if you grit your teeth and use the Seven-Colored Eyes, then still can't get it right? Wouldn't it be more honorable to just guess and be wrong?"

"Sh-Shut up! I've almost figured it out!"

"Don't say it so confidently. What if you're wrong?"

"You sound so smug, but what about you?!"

"What do you take me for? I can guess the back of a face-down card. Of course I know."

"That's cheating!"

"Cheating is still a skill. And who are you to talk? Honestly, dealing from the bottom is much more honest than the Seven-Colored Eyes."

It was actually mind reading, but nobody knew that. A scam that hadn't been exposed was practically legal.

And wasn't a skill that could observe every perspective more of a scam than mind reading, which could only read human hearts? If I had to choose between the Seven-Colored Eyes and mind reading, I would pick the Seven-Colored Eyes.

'That bastard really might know. If so, there must be a clue....'

After thinking for a long time, the regressor recalled something and made a proposal.

"I'll ask just one question."

"Oh? You plan to find me with a single question?"

"Now this is getting interesting. Go on, then."

Now that it was becoming more like a quiz, Tyr was interested. The regressor stared at the two and gathered her thoughts.

'Tyrkanzyaka recovered the heart she had wanted so desperately in the Abyss. Not even the Holy Maiden can peer into its depths, so Shadow Casket probably doesn't know that. The one who knows must be the real Tyrkanzyaka.'

"Do you know what Tyrkanzyaka's wish is?"

It was a fairly clever question. Yet "Tyr" smiled and asked back.

"Which of us did you ask? Point clearly. Wouldn't the one who answers second have too great an advantage?"

"You! You tell me!"

The regressor pointed to one of them, and that Tyr answered with a small smile.

"I have no wish anymore. It has already been fulfilled."

The line was so natural that it gave no hint of whether it was genuine or an act. As she spoke calmly, her expression abruptly hardened.

"Still, there is something I must do. I will destroy the Sanctum."

Thoroughly tempered emotion poured forth. The one wearing Tyr's face spoke with anger beneath an expressionless mask.

"That is not a wish, but a duty. I had no choice but to postpone it because 'my' strength was insufficient, but it is only delayed. One day, I will surely accomplish it. I will drag down the Celestial God and desecrate every one of his idols. I will never forget."

She didn't release any energy. That would have given her away. Instead, her clenched fist and low voice conveyed bitter fury. Such hatred for the Sanctum could only be explained if she were Tyrkanzyaka, Progenitor of the vampires. Who else could harbor such anger toward the Sanctum?

The regressor fell into troubled thought.

'Ugh. It's not as though I'm part of the Sanctum, but... this is still difficult. The Sanctum's cooperation is necessary if I want to stop the King of Sin.... Fine. I'll think about that later.'

"All right. I know who the real Tyrkanzyaka is, so stop playing around now."

"You figured it out?"

"Yes. Isn't the one who just spoke the real one?"

At the regressor's words, Tyr and "Tyr" smiled mischievously.

Sigh. Of course. Would you even be a regressor if you didn't get it completely wrong?

"Wrong, Shei. You got it wrong."

"Huh? What?"

'What do you mean? She said she had no wish anymore. That means she recovered her heart, doesn't it?'

That was what she had been led to assume. "Tyr" had never said a word about recovering her heart.

"Can't you tell? She avoided the question and focused on what she knew. She vaguely said she had no wish anymore, then showed her anger toward the Sanctum. Even children walking around know vampires hate the Sanctum. What that Tyr said sounds impressive, but if you strip away all the fluff, it amounts to, 'I don't know, but I hear she hates the Sanctum!' That's just basic knowledge."

"What are you talking about? Then that one is Shadow Casket?"

"Ding-dong-ding! Ah, I couldn't fool Father again!"

"Tyr" jumped to her feet and shouted. There was no trace left of Tyr's usual grave, quiet demeanor. With Tyr's face and an innocent smile, she looked like an entirely different person despite having the same face. Hilde sighed and muttered in dissatisfaction.

"Mm. It was obvious Shei wouldn't get it right. But I still have no idea how to fool Father."

"What do you mean, obvious?! I'll definitely get it next time! Do it again!"

"Strange. I feel like I heard something similar earlier too."

"This time really is different! I know your characteristics now!"

'I can see it with the Green Eyes and Purple Eyes! Since she changes her body, awkward points show through. It was confusing because she transformed into Tyrkanzyaka, but next time, definitely!'

It wasn't overconfidence. She really had found a characteristic.

Still, she should be careful. As much as she had figured Hilde out, Hilde was also figuring her out. Well, she could just regress, though.

"...W-Wait a moment."

Perru, who had been fidgeting anxiously in one corner, covered her mouth in shock.

"...P-Progenitor? You mean the Progenitor?"

Ah, had we not told her yet? That Tyr was Tyrkanzyaka, Progenitor of the vampires.

I should explain it now. It would make the rest of the journey more comfortable.

"That's right. Tyrkanzyaka, the Progenitor who slept at the bottom of Tantalus, joined us! She isn't an ordinary vampire!"

"...Gulp."

Huh. She fainted.

Well, quite a lot had been used.

Footnotes:

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