WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 375: It's the Farmer, Sir

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A field made by tearing away pieces of sky and earth, then stacking them layer upon layer inside a building. It did not inspire overwhelming awe or unfathomable mystery. The idea of bringing farmland indoors was novel, but the soil and light were both real enough.

Still, I could feel an almost fanatical obsession behind that idea.

The human will to analyze and dismantle the world for purely practical purposes, then use it for humanity's sake. It had seeped into the artificial fields within the Lightning Rod Tower.

This could not be all. These artificial fields were important, but they must have reached into other facilities as well. Throughout Claudia.

Something felt off, though. I could not put it into words, but a vague sense of discomfort kept prodding at me.

"Did you make all of this yourself, Thunder Lord?"

"Of course not. No matter how outstanding I may be, I only have two hands."

Fair enough. No matter how remarkable someone was, they could not do everything alone. From what I had read in the Thunder Lord's mind, everything she said was true.

But the Thunder Lord I had read was a consumer of lightning. She was not the one who had first thought of using it. There had to be someone who first came up with this idea, so why was there no clue about that person? Did the Thunder Lord not know either?

I only read thoughts. I did not know everything about a person. What I knew was limited to the information they knew. Considering the Thunder Lord had been raised by the previous Thunder Lord, perhaps she did not know everything either.

Hmm. Should I dig a little deeper?

"Just to make sure I have this right, you said the First Thunder Lord returned the lightning stolen by the lightning thief to the sky?"

"Yes."

"Then who made this Lightning Rod Tower? The lightning thief, or the First Thunder Lord?"

"The First Thunder Lord."

The Thunder Lord answered as if it were obvious. She made me feel foolish for even asking.

Right. The Lightning Rod Tower was clearly a facility. There was no way a thief could have built it. Someone must have erected it.

Yet, from a purely functional perspective, the Lightning Rod Tower was obviously a tool for stealing lightning. Was the lightning now used to cultivate these fields not stolen? Then did that mean they were producing lightning?

"The First Thunder Lord must have been an incredible person, to make such effective use of the lightning stolen by the thief."

"He was remarkable. As remarkable as I am. But why are you asking?"

Had I pried too much? She was starting to be wary of me. A stranger from another country suddenly asking about the lightning thief and the First Thunder Lord was bound to seem suspicious.

At times like this, acting wronged by suspicion was amateurish. As an outsider, I could not help seeming suspicious. It was better to reveal a little of my real intention instead.

"Haha, it was only curiosity. Technology like this is a blessing given to humanity, is it not? Discovering a new frontier like this makes me curious, given my line of work."

Fortunately, the Thunder Lord smiled as if she had figured out my motives.

'He said he came from the military state. As expected, he is trying to uncover something. I brought him here expecting as much, though.'

"Knowing won't help you. It is a miracle possible only in Claudia, where clouds and lightning pour down. If it could be done anywhere, Maximilien, who fled to the military state, would have accomplished it long ago."

"Ah. Mr. Maximilien."

No need to mention that I had half-killed him and driven him out.

What should I do?

There were two ways to use mind-reading. I could read a person's thoughts and act accordingly, or I could deliberately strike at an opening. The former meant placing myself in the background of their perception so they stopped noticing me. The latter meant standing out repeatedly to draw their attention.

It depended on the moment, but against an arrogant person like the Thunder Lord, I should probably be... a little more persistent.

"Thunder Lord. If Shei kills the Thunder God, Claudia will become very peaceful, won't it? There will be no more aggressive lightning storms, making it easier to do other things. The city will rise above its dangers and prosper even more. So..."

"You wish to ask for Claudia's knowledge in return?"

The Thunder Lord answered as though my intention was obvious. I gave an awkward smile and scratched my head.

"Well, put less politically, yes. Since we will be helping each other, perhaps you could show me just a little of the First Thunder Lord's legacy. Something like that."

"That won't be a problem."

"Really?"

"I do not go back on my word. If he truly kills the Thunder God... if he ensures the Thunder God's apostle can never return to Claudia, I am willing to reward him with my whole body and soul."

Don't say things that could be misunderstood. Even if you mean them sincerely.

Still, I understood why the regressor liked the Thunder Lord. If she cleared the quest of eliminating the Thunder God, she could earn complete trust from then on. It was the sort of straightforward simplicity a regressor would love.

"That said, it is a reward that should be given to the one who kills the Thunder God. There is no reason for me to give it to you."

"Shei is our companion."

"Then hear it from him directly later. That is, if he truly kills the Thunder God, wants that reward, and decides to share it with all of you."

In short, she had no intention of giving me anything directly. I clicked my tongue as if disappointed.

"I understand your position, Thunder Lord. I'll ask again later."

"I am glad you understand at last. I do not have the patience to explain it again."

"Tch."

When I showed a slight hint of wounded pride, the Thunder Lord relaxed instead.

'The First Thunder Lord's legacy... His intentions are so obvious that it is reassuring. I will never reveal it, though.'

I relaxed too. Just as I expected, she had dismissed me.

Thanks to that, I learned where it was as well.

The legacy left by the First Thunder Lord was buried beneath the Lightning Rod Tower. Even the current Thunder Lord did not fully understand it.

The Thunder God had retreated without being fully spent, but Claudia's people remained at ease. This was the city of clouds ruled by the Thunder Lord. They had prepared multiple contingency measures for facing lightning. They could handle a little trouble easily enough.

Besides, living creatures were designed not to fear things they saw and experienced often. Familiarity proved something was harmless. If it were dangerous, they would die before they had the chance to grow accustomed to it.

A few people who were quick with news quietly spread word around.

"Did you hear? There's a rumor among the guardians that the Thunder Lord is planning an operation to subjugate the Thunder God."

"Didn't the Thunder Lord deploy personally not long ago? They said something was attacking."

"I don't know the details, but it must have had something to do with subjugating the Thunder God. They say that if it succeeds, the Thunder God will vanish."

"Really? That's good news, though it's a little sad. I had grown attached to it."

"Attached to it? How many people have died after being struck by the Thunder God's lightning?"

"Those people died because they wandered around outside the Lightning Rod Tower."

"Tsk. What a thing to say."

"Well, the Thunder Lord will take care of it! It's not like anything will go wrong!"

No one had leaked the information. To keep the citizens from panicking, she had passed word to the practitioners and quietly let the rumor spread. Knowing beforehand would lessen the psychological shock.

Their unwavering faith in the Thunder Lord made it less useful than intended, but the way she managed the city was organized in its own way. She had reason to be proud.

Passing the people who spoke so calmly, I returned to our lodging.

The regressor and Azzy were still there. The regressor swung Skywarbler, its blade white with the clouds it had absorbed, and each swing drew small bolts of lightning from Jizan, which lay on the floor. Azzy's fur stood on end as well.

"Oh, you're back? Welcome."

The regressor greeted me? She must be in quite a good mood. I asked the subtly excited regressor.

"Shei, you seem to be in a good mood."

"More or less?"

She did not even answer me sharply. She really was pleased.

"The Lord of Gold is gone, and I met the Thunder Lord. Once everything is finished, the war will stop too. Everything is working out. It's all new, yet strangely, nothing has gone off course or turned into some unexpected accident along the way."

'Usually, when things stray from the route around this point, something gets forced off track at least once!'

She had no idea of my efforts. Things were going well because I had quietly blocked every minor problem she overlooked.

Well, I had benefited from the regressor too, so I could not complain.

"Once I defeat the Thunder God, the problems here will be almost completely settled! Tyrkanzyaka can handle the duchy, and the military state will stay quiet too! Nothing can go wrong!"

Why did seeing her happy suddenly make me anxious? My worry was for nothing, as the regressor smiled like a child. Had she finally found enough room to smile?

"Hehe. A new milestone. I can see hope!"

"Shei, don't get too excited. After drifting through countless gambling dens, I learned that the moment you feel most confident, when it seems like everything will go well, is when you lose the most."

"You knew that, and you still gambled?"

"I was the one who filled the marks with confidence. I'd puff them up with hot air, then when they bet their entire fortune, boom, they'd lose it all. In vulgar terms, I was a shill."

"...You're awfully proud of admitting you rigged gambling games."

"It wasn't rigged. The gambling itself was fair and square. I didn't use any tricks."

I only used mind-reading fairly and squarely. It was far removed from ordinary gambling fraud.

"More importantly, when are you going to kill the Thunder God?"

"The sea breeze blows during the day. It's the same for the clouds at the Cloud Waterfall. When the sea breeze blows during the day tomorrow, the Thunder God, who retreated for a while, will return. The Thunder Lord will tell us the exact time."

"Claudia will get a little noisy, won't it? The Thunder God disappearing is a huge event."

"It will. An emergency order will be issued throughout Claudia tomorrow to prevent any accidents. The Thunder Lord will gather her subordinates and practitioners to deal with the Thunder God's remnants."

"You know a lot."

"The Thunder Lord told me."

Idiot. She hadn't told you in this loop. You just blurted things out without thinking.

Anyway, that was not important. I brought up what I really wanted to ask.

"I don't have to go watch, do I?"

"Huh? Watch?"

"Yes. As you know, I'm afraid of lightning. Even if you handle it well, Shei, I don't want to take a risk for no reason."

"It'll be over quickly. It won't be much of a threat."

She was secretly disappointed that I said I would not watch. Did she want to show off her fighting that badly?

"It's not like my watching would help, right?"

"That's true."

"Why, you...!"

"Still, it's just... Hmm..."

'When you're around, things somehow go well. There are suspicious parts, but things become easy enough that it doesn't matter. Ugh. I would feel better if you were with me.'

Huh? She knew?

That was a little touching. I thought she had never consciously noticed, so I assumed she had given it no thought. But she did recognize it.

"You relied on me that much? Hmm, I suppose I have no choice. If you want it that badly, Shei, I'll stay by your side and lend a hand."

I had made a reasonable concession, but the regressor flared up.

"Hah? It's not that much! To begin with, you're no help in a fight. You handle negotiations, not combat!"

"Negotiations? That was my role?!"

"What did you think it was? You had a silver tongue, charmed women, and got people moving, but you were never much help in direct combat."

That was harsh! How many brushes with death had I survived?

I had left it to others like the regressor and Tyr because they were there. I could still use strength on the level of an ordinary human!

"Tch. Then go hunt the Thunder God on your own. I'll lie comfortably here and watch through the window."

"Hmph. That was what I planned to do from the start."

Perfect. I had made myself an alibi, so I could move at that time.

I stomped toward my room, and the regressor, who had been watching me, muttered something so softly it was nearly inaudible.

"...Still, I do rely on you, in my own way."

"Yes? What did you say?"

"Ah, I didn't say anything!"

'That bastard has sharp ears too! How did he hear that? I was talking to myself!'

Talking to yourself means you do it alone.

Footnotes:

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