WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

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◈ Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint

Chapter 55

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Escape from Crisis No. 0

Cold sweat started pouring out of me like I was losing my mind. My sweat-soaked clothes clung to my back.

What do I do? I do not have any power either. The truth is, I am not an instructor, I am a laborer they dragged in here.

On top of that, Captain AB had been paying close attention to the vampire. I had even used my position as the only cooperator in the Abyss to tease her and half-threaten her, so if the vampire escaped, Captain AB might try to kill me.

I had to talk my way through this somehow and stop the escape. But how? If I nodded, I had no way to send him out. If I shook my head, I might be the one sent flying alone. What do I do?

Think. Think. There is only one way through this.

Ah.

Right.

That is it.

Sacrifice the horse instead of the general.

"Please wait a moment. Getting him out of here is easier than turning over my left palm."

For the record, starting today, I had decided never to turn over my palm even if someone beat me to death. So that was not a lie.

I raised the fingers of my left hand, the one I had sworn not to flip, and spoke.

"But one thing is needed first. And that condition has not been met yet."

"What is it?"

"Finlay's will to leave this place."

The vampire looked puzzled.

"What a foolish question. Of course he wants to go back, does he not?"

"Then why are you not going back, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka?"

"I have lived far too long already, and I have little to do outside anyway...."

"By the same logic, Finlay could feel the same way, could he not? Whether he leaves this place should depend on his will. Unless, of course, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka forces him."

If she chose to, the vampire could order Finlay to die on the spot. Finlay might regret not living out his life, but he would still obey the Progenitor's command. The blood that sustained his life, every bit of that power, came from the Progenitor.

Ironically, that was exactly what pushed the Progenitor away from other vampires.

Worried that her words might cloud his judgment, the vampire shut her mouth and stepped back. She would not interfere with Finlay's decision.

Once I confirmed that, I spoke to Finlay.

"Now then, Finlay. Listen carefully. You have two options."

As if I were offering a grand opportunity, I raised two fingers on my left hand.

"If we send you out, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka remains here. You will never be able to fulfill the purpose that brought you here."

Then I folded one finger. Only one remained.

All eyes gathered on the upright finger. A visual cue. The weight naturally shifted to the one option I was about to point out.

Slowly folding that finger too, I spoke.

"But if you decide to stay, you gain the chance to remain with Trainee Tyrkanzyaka. You can serve the great Progenitor and leave open the possibility that she might one day consider hearing your story. That would be precious time you could never gain if you went back up now."

Then I closed my hand into a tight fist and spoke with force.

"This is an opportunity. Think carefully. Will you seize your chance in this land, or return to the surface?"

Finlay had thrown himself into the Abyss to persuade the Progenitor. Since he had failed to achieve that purpose, his desire to escape was naturally weaker.

A moment ago he had been ready to return because of the Progenitor's command, but now that she had consciously withdrawn her influence, Finlay judged the matter rationally.

'He is right. There is nothing to gain if I go up anyway. But there is something to gain here, and something I must do. To attend the Progenitor in her solitude! Someday, when she looks kindly upon me, she may grant my request!'

He was dreaming of a brilliant future. Becoming the Progenitor's trusted aide, rising to the surface at her side, earning the greatest merit, and claiming glory.

That plan had already half-collapsed, but Finlay decided to clutch whatever hope remained.

"Progenitor."

The vampire answered, as if she had guessed his resolve.

"Finlay. Do you truly intend to remain here?"

"If you permit it, then yes."

If she did not permit it, he would go back up immediately. The command of the great Progenitor was something a mere thrall, not even an Elder, could never refuse.

That was why a thrall lost even free will before the Progenitor, and because she pitied that, she respected their judgment as much as possible.

"Follow your own will."

"Thank you! This unworthy Finlay will remain in this Abyss and carry out the Progenitor's will!"

The vampire looked down at kneeling Finlay for a moment, then turned her gaze to me.

"...Still, if his will changes, please make sure he can be sent back up at any time."

I needed to push back once. I could not let her get the wrong impression.

"You are acting like a full-on lord. Is this place a hotel? Or am I your trainee errand boy? You keep asking for things. Please cut it out."

I could not grant that easily. The second I did, she might realize I was nothing but a laborer.

I had to make sure he would neither want to leave nor be able to leave. Ready to lose favor with the vampire, I answered that way.

Then.

"You wretch!"

Finlay jumped up and shouted. Veins bulged in his neck as he pointed straight at me.

"Huh?"

"How dare a mere human refuse the Progenitor's request!"

"No, this is not about mere humans or anything."

"I will not forgive your disrespect toward the Progenitor. It does not matter how strong you are. I do not care if my body becomes a handful of blood. For the Progenitor's authority, I challenge you to a duel...!"

Wait.

He meant that. He saw me as an overwhelmingly strong fighter, yet he still wanted to challenge me and die if needed, just to uphold the Progenitor's authority.

The problem was that I was such a weakling that I could not even predict victory or defeat against this thrall of a thrall of a thrall.

Damn it, are they all this ready to throw their lives away? This is exactly why vampires are like this. What do I do? If it gets exposed here that I am weak...!

"Enough, Finlay."

The vampire's stern command. In that instant, Finlay stopped speaking, turned a clean one hundred eighty degrees, and knelt.

Was he insane? While I stood there dumbfounded, the vampire spoke to me in a gentler tone.

"I have only made unreasonable requests of you. You are not the king of this place either."

"Ah, no. Well."

"I ask for your understanding again. Let us pretend I never said it."

"Fine, whatever."

"Good. Thank you."

Something felt off. I stared at the source of this strange discomfort.

That vampire Finlay really was not afraid of death, was he?

To vampires, the Progenitor was like god and mother rolled into one. Sure, plenty of people ignore gods and mothers alike, but Finlay clearly was not one of them. If I saw him as a fanatic, it all made sense.

Hmm. Nothing good comes from leaving someone like that around.

"Wait. I have something to say too."

Right as I was thinking it over, the regressor cut in at perfect timing. With sharp eyes, she pressed Finlay.

"How did you get in here? Nobody can come here by ordinary means."

As she spoke, the regressor's eyes turned orange.

Among the Seven-Colored Eyes, the second eye, the Vermilion Eye that looked down.

That eye, called the King's Eye, could analyze everything in sight in minute detail, detecting suspicious signs on an opponent's body or hidden objects in their pockets.

The regressor was even using her power to pry something out of him.

"Shei."

"Hm?"

The vampire stepped in instead of Finlay.

"Let us stop the interrogation there. We have already exchanged many words. He has not committed a crime, so why interrogate him further? Especially by a trainee like you."

"Huh? Wait, Tyrkanzyaka. This is important..."

"It is important, yes. But not urgent. Tomorrow will be the same as today, so can it not wait one day? And there is no law that says Finlay must answer your question."

"B-but..."

"Or will you ignore my will again?"

"N-no! Tyrkanzyaka! I am not...!"

"Good. Then we will talk tomorrow. I have things to ask Finlay as well."

"Y-yeah! I will do that!"

At that "yeah," the regressor nodded quickly and backed off. The vampire set her parasol on her shoulder again, and Finlay looked up at her with endless admiration.

'As expected, even in a place like this, the Progenitor stands in the highest position! How proud I am to be one of the nobles of the night!'

Damn, regressor. Her spirit was completely crushed. Looks like the vampire's scolding last time hit her pretty hard.

Still, thank you. You gave me an unexpected gain.

The regressor did not get an answer, but I could read the answer rising in Finlay's mind. I would take that answer for myself.

'That red-haired mage who gave me the information clearly said the Progenitor was asleep. But when I came here, the Progenitor was already awake. It seems they woke her. I do not know what method they used, but it is fortunate. I was spared the rudeness of waking the Progenitor myself.'

Oh. A red-haired mage. That left a strong impression. What was that about?

'He said how I used that information was my concern, then handed me a bracelet. He said if I put on that parachute and fell into the Abyss, I would reach Tantalus. I lost it from the shock when the parachute opened during the descent.'

Ah. So that was why he hit the ground without a parachute. Good. The wreckage should still be there, so I could retrieve it later.

I read one more thought.

'Though I doubted him, the mage's words were true. Then that other thing he said must be true too.'

Let me read just this thought through.

'He introduced himself as an escapee from Tantalus.'

Huh? Wait. An escapee?

This was more important than I expected. Tantalus escapees. If I could find even one clue about how they escaped, I could finally put an end to this sickening life.

Good thing I kept him alive. Grinning to myself, I dug through his thoughts, chasing the clue to escape that had to be somewhere in Finlay's memories.

And then.

'He said there is no way left now to escape from Tantalus, and if I go down, I can only wait for the military state to take me out.... Even so, I do not regret it. If I remain by the Progenitor's side, my chance will come in the end!'

Ah.

Total dud.

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