WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

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Chapter 353: The King Who Kills Others, the God Who Kills Himself - 11

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Preconceptions were frightening things. Snakes were creatures that crawled across the ground, so when people saw an earthen snake modeled after one, they assumed every detail would be the same as an actual snake.

But there was no reason an earthen snake created through a power had to be exactly like a snake. Snakes were not made of dirt in the first place. That was what people needed to keep in mind.

The earthen snake the regressor had created actually moved while half-buried underground. The regressor and Tyr hid above ground, while Perru and I hid below.

Stage magic exploited gaps in perception. Once you knew the truth, it was nothing but a trick, but to someone who did not, it was more mysterious than actual magic. I used that technique to sneak into the Golden Palace.

A tunnel posed problems both when digging it and when getting out, but I had a way around that.

I held Spade 10 over my head and pushed it gently.

"Earth Arts."

The ground opened as easily as a lid. I heaved up the earth above my head and quickly climbed onto it.

The Golden Palace had changed drastically. Earlier, it had been an idyllic sight, a village hall standing in the middle of a wide cornfield. Now, it resembled a military camp, with tents pitched and fences erected.

Guards carrying weapons walked around in place of farmers with sickles. Despite the bright daylight, bonfires had been lit, and pairs of guards stood watch at the fences. From the large tents came a steady stream of soldiers, clearly more than the tents should have been able to hold. Their well-maintained equipment gleamed coldly.

Armor. Spears. Shields. Soldiers. It was a scene straight out of a textbook. Probably the Lord of Gold's recreation of what war was supposed to look like.

In a good sense, it was conventional. In a bad sense, it was far too rigid. Even with limitless resources, anyone lacking flexibility was bound to be exploited.

Still, I had no idea what would happen if he went to war with the military state. Humans were creatures that learned.

Then again, perhaps homunculi could not learn.

"Either way, I need to break through there."

Was that even possible? It looked difficult even with mind reading, and naturally, I could not read those soldiers' thoughts either. They were rabble compared to Tyr, but without mind reading, my own strength was around their level. I did not even have the power to break their armor.

Even with the regressor and Tyr drawing attention, this was all the opening I got? Tch. What should I do?

"...Impossible."

"Huh? Perru? You came with me?"

When I turned around, Perru was crawling out through the hole I had made. I had thought she was not coming. Staying safely inside as a launcher for her innate arcane would have been a fine choice.

"Did you come to help?"

"...I came to get in your way."

"If you're going to get in my way anyway, could you at least use your innate arcane?"

"...There is no need. If I raise my voice, they will notice you."

Come to think of it, she was right. Huh? That was true.

I had assumed the place would be completely empty while Tyr and the regressor drew attention. I thought I could plant a flag in an empty stronghold and claim victory. I never expected them to have this much strength left over.

Or was it? Was the place actually empty, and was I simply too weak to break through even an empty shell?

"Sorry, but that isn't much of a threat. Getting inside without being noticed is practically impossible anyway."

"...If you retreat, I will keep quiet."

"Later. After I try my last resort."

Attacking an impregnable castle was foolish. At times like this, you hid inside a Trojan horse and got in. Having made up my mind, I rose to my feet. The moment I pushed through the bushes and revealed myself, the soldiers' spearpoints all turned toward me.

Their reaction was quick too. I raised both hands to show that I would not resist.

"Wait a moment. I am a messenger carrying the demands of that side..."

"Enemy. Kill."

"I said wait! Killing someone with their hands raised is cheating! I surrendered!"

So much for the Trojan horse. They immediately pointed blades at me. I backed away at once, but the soldiers only repeated the same words as they steadily pressed closer.

"Enemy. Kill."

"Enemy. Kill."

"Enemy. Kill."

There was not a trace of reason in their eyes. Their voices were monotonous, without any rise or fall. Were these soldiers homunculi of ordinary humans rather than ones modeled after Lords?

Tch. It looked like the regressor and Tyr really had drawn away the main force. There were no Lords here, after all. The problem was that I could not even get through ordinary homunculi!

The spearpoints gradually drew closer. There was nowhere to run. Tents had already risen behind me as well, and soldiers crawled out from them. What kind of human factory was this? People went into tents, so why were people coming out of them?

I was surrounded on all sides, and mind reading did not work. Even if I took down a few right now, the incoming numbers would crush me soon enough.

But I had prepared for this moment.

The strongest Trojan horse.

I called out my final card in a loud voice.

"Elik! Come out! I have an official matter to discuss with you!"

My voice was quickly swallowed by the clatter of the soldiers' armor. The only escape route was the hole underground.

'...There is no way Elik will come out. If you give up now, I might still be willing to save you...'

Just as my only spectator began to pity me,

"-Stop."

A single, quiet command. The soldiers it reached stopped.

It was a completely different response from when I shouted.

The soldiers froze like literal statues. Through their ranks, "Elik" slowly walked out.

Brilliant golden hair, as though real gold had been melted down, was tied into a ponytail. Her body was wrapped in close-fitting clothes that did not flutter, with leather gloves and boots completing the outfit. "Elik" glared at me with sharp eyes that seemed ready to dissect me.

"I'm sick of this. Do you have no common sense at all?"

'...The Golden Lord?'

Even Perru saw it that way, so the homunculi must have as well. They would think she was no different from the real thing.

Especially mindless homunculi.

I smiled as though I had been waiting and said, "What place does common sense have in war? What matters is what we do from here."

"...Hmph. You are all talk. Move aside, all of you."

At "Elik's" rough gesture, the soldiers in front moved in perfect order and opened a path. A passage wide enough for two people ran through the tightly packed soldiers. "Elik" began walking ahead with imposing steps.

I followed right after.

Perru was stunned by this absurd situation.

'...This is impossible. The Golden Lord is taking an intruder away this easily?'

It was not impossible. Who knew the Golden Palace's true intentions? Even I, a mind reader, did not know. The Golden Lord might have had personal reasons for taking me along.

Still, no matter how I looked at it, it was irrational. She was preparing for war, making piles of weapons, and sending armed homunculi out to fight, yet at the same time, she was bringing someone who might be an enemy into her heartland.

'...Could it be?'

Perru seemed to realize it too late, but it was already over. After passing the assembled soldiers, we had reached the camp and...

"...Your Majesty?"

We stood before the Lord of Gold.

The Lord of Gold had been about to enter a large tent. He held a large sheet of paper in his arms, apparently carrying something like a map or blueprint.

The Lord of Gold looked back and forth between the tent and us, utterly bewildered.

"Were you not inside that tent just moments ago? No, more importantly, who is that person?"

The golden bell hanging at his waist rang urgently, as though it represented his heart. "Elik's" gaze briefly shifted toward it.

'The golden bell Father mentioned. Is that the Lord of Gold? The one who adores Elik, the King of the Golden Kingdom?'

After reading "Elik's" thoughts, I gave a small nod.

"Elik" swiftly observed the Lord of Gold and the surroundings, then continued thinking.

'Hmm. Doesn't the Lord of Gold look a little too fresh-faced? That probably isn't his real form. Even I find it a little creepy somehow.'

You transformed into all sorts of things too. Wasn't that a case of disliking your own kind?

The "Elik" who brought me here was, naturally, Hilde. I had described Elik's appearance and asked Hilde to transform into her. Hilde had never met the Lord of Gold directly, but she had successfully taken Elik's form based on my description alone.

Hilde had complained that she could not understand the character while transforming, but what did it matter? All we needed was to dull the Lord of Gold's vigilance.

Hilde put together a line based on the situation and the Lord of Gold's words.

"Demo. Greet him. He is someone you must know."

"Me?"

"Yes. He..."

Hilde pointed at me and searched for words while trying to immerse herself in Elik's role.

'Father told me to act like a teacher standing before a favored disciple, but you can't imitate someone properly without seeing them in person, can you? There is a limit to improvisation.'

You did not need to make it perfect. We only needed to shake his vigilance for a moment, until I could pickpocket that golden bell.

Come on. Say something. Anything that would let me approach the Lord of Gold a little more naturally!

Having finally chosen a concept, Hilde leaned against my shoulder. She placed her clasped hands on my shoulder and pressed my arm against her chest. Tilting her head toward me, she softened her expression.

Wait, what?

Before I could stop her, Hilde spoke her thought aloud.

"He is the man who will become my consort."

"...Whaaat?! What nonsense is that?"

I told you to lower his guard, so why were you raising it instead? He was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me! More than that, wouldn't a line so out of character make him doubt your identity?

Clack, clack.

Soldiers in golden armor walked out behind him. Their sudden appearance at this moment was suspicious. I could not be certain, but they seemed to represent the Lord of Gold's anger. If necessary, he was probably planning to have my stomach cut open with those swords.

Hilde, were you trying to kill me?

The Lord of Gold was glaring at me with such intensity that sparks seemed ready to fly from his eyes. Then he immediately prostrated himself and cried out.

"P-Please reconsider! How can some drifter of unknown origin become your consort? It is absurd!"

"Do you truly think it is absurd?"

"Elik" smiled seductively. She gently pushed me with her body and rubbed her cheek against mine as if showing me off. While the Lord of Gold gritted his teeth, "Elik" wore an expression that no longer even seemed like Elik's and whispered like a devil.

"You must have expected that a day like this would come."

"Pardon?"

"That the only man worthy of me, the most noble person in this nation, would have to be nearly as noble as I am. But what man in this world could possibly suit this body?"

Oh. I understood Hilde's thoughts now.

'Being deeply possessive means worrying that someone will be taken away from you. Nightmares are more memorable than sweet dreams! Shall I act out the most horrifying situation the Lord of Gold can imagine?'

A different kind of perfectionism. Rather than do it poorly, Hilde would give a perfect performance, even if it went in the opposite direction from what I wanted.

Tch. I had not expected that. Art was difficult.

Should I play along for now? Like some golden-haired thug, I blatantly caressed "Elik's" waist and acted along with Hilde.

"Honestly. Isn't this a little too blatant in front of your disciple? Your Majesty is quite mischievous."

"Ah... Not as mischievous as you."

The moaning "Elik" looked exactly like a girl in love.

No, don't overact. I'm not some thug toying with you. The Lord of Gold really might kill me. Me!

Still, it did make him drop his doubts for the moment. The Lord of Gold might hate me now, but he did not suspect Hilde. Good. If I got just a little closer like this...

"...Lord of Gold. She is a fake!"

Hilde might have fooled the Lord of Gold, but not Perru. Perru had already experienced Hilde's transformation ability.

"What...?"

"...Do not be deceived! She is someone else transformed into the Golden Lord! The real Golden Lord would not speak that way!"

Perru gave the Lord of Gold sincere advice. Only then did the Lord of Gold look at Hilde with suspicion.

Once he did, the differences became obvious.

The Lord of Gold knew Elik thoroughly enough to recreate her through alchemy.

The illusion shattered.

No, another illusion was laid over it.

His Elik would not say such things.

His Elik would not act that way.

His Elik would not be happy in another man's arms.

Therefore, that was a fake.

Something seemed to shatter with a clear ring. At the same time, the tent beside the Lord of Gold was flung wide open, and the real Elik... I was not sure whether she could truly be called real, but his Elik, at least, rushed out.

"Demo! That is not me! It is a fake disguised as me!"

But the Lord of Gold's eyes did not leave "Elik."

Perhaps the Lord of Gold had always known. That the world surrounding him was false, and that a world which did not bend to his will was real. That may have been why he could not take his eyes off this unfamiliar version of Elik and did not allow his own Elik to appear.

Hilde's performance as Elik seemed to have shocked him that deeply.

Deeply enough to make him step outside the world he had shut himself inside.

And so, for the briefest moment, I could read his thoughts.

"You! So it was you...!"

The Lord of Gold came to his senses and tried to rise, only to hesitate. A thin, fragile force was pulling him back.

Nine of Spades. Tree of Origin. An idol of the Demon God I had obtained after witnessing Nevida, and the power of a druid.

Vines that had grown with the card as their seed held the Lord of Gold for an instant. They snapped almost immediately, but they bought us time. During that instant, Hilde shoved aside the Lord of Gold's soldiers and cleared a path.

One step through deception. One step through Earth Arts. One step through acting with Hilde. One step through tree vines.

Each was insignificant on its own, but gathered together, they reached the Lord of Gold.

Having used every possible method, my hand finally reached the Lord of Gold.

In my hand, the golden bell rang with a clear sound, resonating with me.

Footnotes:

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