WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 351: Extended Check

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"Please fight on the military state's side. You won't have to deal with any of the trivial matters, just defeat the enemy commanders! It isn't an unreasonable request, right? Even in the military state, you brought the Gunslinger over to your side and defeated the Halberdier, so if anything, this is only fair! What's the Lesser States expression? Balancing the scales?"

Hilde made the demand with the confidence of a creditor collecting a debt.

No matter what, the regressor had pointed a sword at the heart of military state command. She might have had a greater purpose, but if she held no personal hostility toward the military state, she would not have chosen to attack it. She replied with clear reluctance.

"You want me to become a military state soldier?"

"I'm not asking you to enlist. Just work for us as a mercenary for a while! If your strength joins the military state's operations, we can easily crush even the army led by the Lord of Gold! Isn't a swift end to the war, won through overwhelming force, true peace?"

Once Hilde revealed her true colors, the words flowed without pause. It was completely unlike the passive attitude she had shown until now.

Hilde had been with us from the beginning to represent the military state's interests. She had come to the peace talks because she was worried the regressor might use the ceasefire as an excuse to force an agreement unfavorable to the military state. Yet the person who should have been most sensitive to the military state's interests had acted almost like a bystander.

The reason only became clear now, after the ceasefire agreement had come to nothing.

"You were after this from the beginning?"

"I wouldn't quite put it that way. A diplomatic envoy has to consider what happens if negotiations fail, don't they? 'I' only fulfilled 'my duty'!"

'Of course I was after this! From the military state's perspective, a definite victory is better than some ambiguous peace! And if we recruit the King of Humanity, the Vampire Queen comes along too? That's a complete bargain!'

The King of Humanity was being treated like a discounted extra. Well, I'd lost all my power, so I really was just Ordinary Commoner No. 1 now.

Hilde was speaking indirectly, but the intention beneath it was blatant. The regressor finally understood Hilde's true aim.

"You think I'll do whatever you want?"

"There's another option. You could run away without taking responsibility! Even if tens of thousands die, not my problem. I tried with good intentions, but it failed, so how unfortunate. You can sort out whatever happens afterward yourselves! Just shamelessly leave it all behind!"

Hilde called it an option, but it was really an accusation disguised as advice, calling her irresponsible and shameless without saying so outright. The regressor's expression twisted further with every word.

After needling her until she was on the verge of snapping, Hilde narrowed her eyes and asked again.

"But Shei, can you really do that? Aren't 'you' supposed to stop the war?"

Their gazes met. The regressor glared fiercely, as if she might leap at Hilde at any moment, but Hilde met that glare with an easy smile.

'No sane person would run around trying to stop a war. Unless Shei is just a completely insane fool for peace, he must be bound to some mission. Just like "I" was long ago. Then he won't start something and irresponsibly leave it behind, will he?'

Not bad, Hilde. To play a character, you first have to interpret them?

See? Mind-reading isn't all that useful. Spend a few days with someone, and you can read their heart to some extent anyway.

Stay with the regressor a little longer, and Hilde might notice her other secrets too. She should be careful.

'Now then. What will you do? Show me more. Will you abandon your mission, or will you enter the military state's ranks for that mission even if you hate it? I'm quite curious!'

With Hilde watching expectantly, the regressor folded her arms and considered.

'I hate the military state. Joining their ranks and waging war, I never want to do that. All I'd do is slaughter ordinary soldiers. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.'

'Still, I don't want to throw everything away and run like Shadow Casket said. I have to see this ending, if only for the next round. If I'm going all the way, what's the best way forward?'

The regressor never deliberated for long. Once she made a decision, she moved forward until she broke. Perhaps that was only possible because another chance would be given to her.

This time was the same. Before her thoughts had even fully settled, she spoke.

"It isn't over yet."

"What?"

"The ceasefire negotiations. They aren't over yet."

'I know this is forcing the issue. It won't be easy. I might even die. But... it could succeed. And if it does, I'll have moved one step forward.'

All she needed now was resolve. Gripping Skywarbler and Jizan tightly, the regressor spoke to herself.

"Just like I did to the military state. Put a sword to his throat."

Wow.

I could only admire her. The fact that she would calmly and sincerely carry out something that insane was worthy of respect. It made me look up to her.

Hilde, apparently feeling something similar, blinked.

"Um, Shei? Do you think that will work?"

"It isn't impossible. I don't know whether that Lord of Gold is real, but there must be a core serving as the medium for the Golden Palace. Otherwise, the Golden Palace wouldn't keep a fixed range while moving through the Lesser States."

"You want to destroy it?"

"Even if we can't, we need to show that we're capable of doing so. Only then will he face us seriously."

The regressor's eyes were earnest. Hilde stood there, blank-faced and speechless.

'This is strange. He's an apostle trying to uphold his mission, but he doesn't care about his own life? Was "my" prediction wrong? The Lord of Gold is the Demon God. What happens "inside" the Golden Palace... even foresight can't see that, can it?'

She regresses when she dies. That's why she could charge in at full strength without worrying. The regressor was suited for that.

But that was only true for the regressor. I couldn't do that. No matter how the world changed, I couldn't slam my head into a place where I would clearly die. Even if she fought the Lord of Gold, I couldn't join her.

I should make that clear beforehand, in case she misunderstood.

"Um, Mr. Shei. I don't want it to look like I'm backing out after coming this far, but I should say this. I don't have to fight the Lord of Gold, right?"

"Huh?"

'Why? He's still our companion... Ah. Right. He won't be any help. If I have to save him, I'd need to take separate measures, so bringing him would only be a loss.'

Exactly. What would I do besides hold you back...? Still, having someone else's thoughts confirm it was a little unpleasant.

Suppressing the disappointment creeping out with reason, the regressor answered as if it did not matter.

"Of course. I wasn't expecting you to."

"Don't misunderstand. It's true that my life is precious to me. But aside from that, someone like me, who relies on cheap tricks, won't be able to harm the Lord of Gold at all."

"I know. We need someone in the rear anyway. Take the Verdigris Lord and Azzy and fall back for a while."

It was an accurate judgment. If it had not been the Lord of Gold, I would have calmly watched the battle from behind while munching corn, petting Azzy's head with one hand.

Still, I couldn't easily let this chance slip away either.

If not the regressor, who would think of putting a sword to the Lord of Gold's throat? The stronger someone became and the higher their position, the more they preserved themselves. Much less against the Lord of Gold, a being so much like a natural phenomenon that it was hard to even feel competitive toward it. Only someone as insane as the regressor could endure a charge that was practically suicide.

On my own, I could never approach the Lord of Gold's true nature. So I wouldn't try. I couldn't, and if I did, I would die.

But if the regressor created an opening... then there was a possibility. A possibility that I could approach the Lord of Gold's true nature and find out what had become of the King.

"Still, if it isn't a suicidal charge, I might be able to help a little."

The regressor's eyes widened, perhaps because she had not expected that. No, I was offering to help after making up my mind, and she had no response. I couldn't bow my head while offering help.

"I'm saying I'll help. A response?"

"What response? How are you going to help?"

"Do you remember? Under the Abyss, when I took hold of Jizan."

"I remember... Ah!"

I nodded.

"I can't properly gain the recognition of relics. Even if I obtain one, I don't have the power to change the world. But if all I have to do is steal it, I can manage."

I was the King of Humanity. Human skills, human knowledge, human weapons. Even human faith. If it belonged to humanity, I could handle it all.

I had lost my power and been stripped of all those things, but they could not take away the possibility of reaching them. I only lacked stamina. I only lacked strength. Even if the many conditions binding me prevented me from reaching something, there was nothing impossible for me. If you could do it, I could do it too. The scale would be far smaller than the original, but still.

The same went for the Demon God. If it originated from humanity, then I too...

"If Mr. Shei draws his attention, I'll sneak in and steal the Golden Palace's core. That might be possible."

"Do you know what the center of the Golden Palace is?"

"I have a rough idea. It's only a guess, but if the Golden Palace has a core, it can only be that."

The golden bell that had hung from the young Lord of Gold's waist. The first gold to be transformed after alchemy was discovered, made by converting a brass bell through alchemy.

That golden bell was surely the Demon God's relic. The first was the only one until the next appeared. Therefore, the first held a value that represented the whole.

"Let's pick a pocket."

Footnotes:

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