WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 57: I'll Burn It All Down

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Even after Azzy taught him a lesson several times, Finlay kept getting on my nerves.

Whenever anyone said something, he would break the flow with noises like "Ahem" and "Hm." If the regressor or Azzy so much as raised a fist, he would immediately run away or use the vampire behind him as a shield.

He was irritating, but he had not done enough to deserve death. Yet if we tried to teach him a lesson, the vampire backing him was a concern. That vague feeling of being unable to spit him out or swallow him down tormented both me and the regressor.

Hardship forges bonds. Because of one Finlay, the regressor and I, who seemed like we would never have sought each other out for the rest of our lives, ended up in the same place.

"Tsk, there are two irritating things now. At this rate, I'll die of stress. I need to deal with at least one of them somehow."

"Two? I know one is Finlay, but who's the other?"

"You."

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

When I shouted in outrage, the regressor folded her arms.

"You two are alike. You butt in whenever you feel like it, and you act however you want because Tyrkanzyaka protects you. You both do whatever you please while walking right along the line. You're a perfect match."

"I can let most insults slide, but I absolutely cannot accept that. No, I won't."

I was endlessly merciful, but even my patience had limits. Comparing me to Finlay was an attack on my character. I refuted the regressor point by point.

"Take a look at yourself! Butting in whenever you feel like it? That's Trainee Shei's hobby! Being protected by Trainee Tyrkanzyaka? Who became the Progenitor's disciple? Acting however you want? If you had to name the person who acts most freely in this Abyss, you'd need to find a mirror first!"

"What?"

"It's a perfect match! Why not change your name while you're at it? Not Finlay, but Finshei! It suits you perfectly! Anyone who saw you two would think you were married!"

"What the hell does being married to that thing have to do with anything?!"

More offended than I had ever seen her since coming down to the Abyss, the regressor suddenly remembered her own setting.

"I'll say it again. I'm a man!"

Ah, right. That was her setting. I had forgotten for a moment too, but fortunately, there was a way to explain it.

"Yes. A man who likes men."

"Hey! That's..."

"Now that I think about it, it's funny. You were the one shouting that you liked men, but you get angry whenever anyone brings it up. What's wrong? Are you embarrassed by your own preferences after saying it yourself?"

Faced with my flawless argument, the regressor could only fume without saying a word.

Don't pick a fight you can't win. You'd never beaten me in an argument, so why did you keep trying?

Picking at my ear, I said, "Um, sorry, but please don't end up liking me. If it's Trainee Shei, it might be fine, since that would be the truth, but I really hate being misunderstood like that. I'm just an ordinary person with ordinary preferences."

"Don't worry! Even if the sky falls, that will never happen!"

The regressor shot back sharply, folded her arms again, and muttered, "Anyway, I'd like to get rid of you too, but dealing with Finlay would be easier. At the very least, we need to stop him from strutting around."

"Isn't it a little rude to say you want to get rid of me right in front of me?"

"I said it because you're here."

The regressor answered nastily, then muttered inwardly.

'He came down to the Abyss claiming he wants to wage war. He's probably the most radical member of the pro-war faction. Knowing that a great war breaks out in the future, I can't let Tyrkanzyaka stay close to a pro-war vampire. I need to drive him away, whether by persuasion or threats.'

What was this, regressor? You said he would be easy to deal with, but you had put more thought into it than I expected.

Compared to that, my reason for wanting Finlay gone was simply, "I don't like him." It was a little embarrassing by comparison.

Hm. My ordinary and kind character could not possibly be worse than the regressor's. Had I been in the Abyss too long and become a little corrupted? I needed to be more careful from now on.

"Still, you know this, right? Finlay may look like that, but he's a Yeiling. Below the Lord Elders, who inherit the Progenitor's blood, and the Ain, their elite blood kin, he's the next-ranked vampire. Yeilings aren't incredibly rare, but he comes from the Duke of Crimson Blood's line, so he has some standing even here."

"He's still small fry. You and I could both deal with someone like that easily."

That was true for you, not me. To deal with him, I would need something like a holy-water grenade.

When I did not answer, the regressor looked at me in puzzlement. Then, perhaps taking my silence as an obvious agreement that needed no response, she brushed it off.

"Besides, he came here wanting war. Nothing good can come from him staying close to Tyrkanzyaka..."

She stopped.

'Wait. This guy didn't accept the proposal to send Finlay outside. He wanted to keep him locked up here instead. There must be a reason.'

Hm? There was a reason. The truth was, I had no way to send Finlay outside.

'Come to think of it, the military state has always been the one stirring up war and inserting itself everywhere. Right. Locking up the Progenitor must be part of their plan too.'

I don't know anything about that... Though something did bother me.

The golem Captain AB controlled had clearly said that war must not happen "yet."

Looking at it the other way around, that meant war had to happen "someday." Even the vampire lounging around in the Abyss was part of the military state's war plans.

What were you planning, military state? Could you handle it? According to the regressor's thoughts, a massive war seemed to break out in the future.

After thinking that far, I quickly lost interest. Well, anyone who wasn't an idiot knew the military state was preparing for war. It was about as important as saying it would snow this winter.

What mattered more right now was this.

"...I'm going to separate Finlay from Tyrkanzyaka. You'd better not interfere with me."

'I must stop the war. If only to prevent those bastards from running wild under cover of it. If this man stands in my way, then...'

It was this regressor, radiating killing intent at me.

Now then, what should I do? Hm.

Right. Let's do this.

"Interfere? I'd help you, if anything. Why would I interfere with Trainee Shei?"

"You're the one who persuaded Finlay not to leave the Abyss. You did that, and now you'll cooperate with me? That makes no sense."

Without even waiting for my answer, the regressor stared at me as if she might cut me down at any moment.

"You plan to interfere with me, don't you?"

Not a bad deduction, but wrong.

As I had said countless times, I simply did not want anyone to find out that I was a lowly laborer.

Still, I could not tell her that. I waved my hand with a bright smile.

"Ahaha. So that's how you took it. How innocent."

"What?"

The regressor kept glaring at me, then snorted as if telling me to make my excuse.

"Think about it differently. I said that to keep Finlay here. To make him stay and remain close to Trainee Tyrkanzyaka."

"I know. I was there."

"Did you take what I said at face value? Was your trust in me really that absolute?"

The regressor's eyes widened. Their sharpness faded, replaced by doubt.

'...He had another motive? But from this man's perspective, what else could he gain by keeping Finlay with Tyrkanzyaka?'

"Don't take my words at face value. Think only about the results of my actions. Then you'll realize there is no reason for us to be enemies."

Instead of speaking plainly, I scattered bait. Like breadcrumbs along a trail, I waited for her to pick up each clue and follow the path.

'Wait. I might have been thinking about this wrong. What if that man's goal was not to keep Finlay with Tyrkanzyaka... What if his goal was simply to keep Finlay here?'

That way, even though she was only following the clues I had given her, she could not doubt the answer she had reached through her own "effort."

People believed effort deserved a reward. The puzzle they worked hard to solve had to be beautiful, and the answer they reached after racking their brains had to be perfect.

That was human psychology. The regressor was no different.

'Did he imprison Finlay to keep information about this place from leaking out? If Finlay goes to the surface and spreads word of this place everywhere, forces trying to use Tyrkanzyaka might start moving!'

The regressor reached a conclusion on her own and thrilled at it. She seemed to be trying to hide it, but a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

What would she think if she knew the truth? I simply had no way to get him out. It made me curious all over again.

Well, anyway.

"Not everyone in the military state wants war. We can be comrades."

At least I had succeeded in easing the regressor's guard. She was still suspicious, but relaxed enough to ask for my opinion.

"Do you have a plan?"

"First, persuasion."

"Persuasion? That's it?"

'Not kidnapping, threats, or turning them against each other?'

I had changed my mind. No matter how I thought about it, I was a better person than this girl.

"...I don't know what you're thinking, but we should start with the most ordinary method."

"Fine. Leave the persuasion to me."

"What?"

"I can persuade someone too. No matter what, I'm the disciple right now, so it should be easier for me to say something."

Hm. She did not seem reliable, but her resolve was strong, so I would watch for now.

I muttered worriedly, "...Just in case, don't cut off any arms, okay? Even if she's a vampire, she wouldn't like that."

"Who do you take for a psychopath?!"

"How did you know?"

* * *

After deciding to persuade Tyrkanzyaka, the regressor finished taking deep breaths and strode toward the vampire alone. I hid behind a nearby corner and watched.

"Tyrkanzyaka. Wait a moment. I have something to tell you."

The regressor was going to persuade someone. What a rare sight. She gave the impression of someone who would often solve problems with force or money instead of words, so I did not have much faith in her. Still, she was a regressor who had been through all manner of hardship. It would not be strange if she had abilities I did not know about. Let us see how well she could talk.

"Don't meet Finlay!"

...?

What was that wording? Was she a daughter who hated her new father? Was she begging Tyrkanzyaka not to remarry?

"...? That is abrupt. Why?"

The question slipped out of Tyrkanzyaka in bafflement. It was a perfectly natural reaction. The regressor's response, on the other hand, was this.

"Anyway! He said he wants to wage war! War is bad! It's dangerous!"

Hey. Regressor. Use some vocabulary. Were you a foreigner? Or had you just never spoken much with people in your everyday life?

No, she spoke perfectly well with me. This would not do. Rather than listen to her any longer, I should read her thoughts ahead of time.

'Before I regressed, you joined the war in tatters. A bloody battle breaks out where nobody gains anything. Only one thing waits at the end: the ruin of everything. I am trying to stop that future, and to do so, it would be better for you to stay far away from war.'

Her thoughts were somewhat normal, so why did she speak like that? What exactly was wrong with this regressor?

Ah. I understood a little.

In trying not to reveal that she had regressed, there were holes in the logic she wanted to present. When she tried to force her argument to hold together, it turned into that childish nonsense.

It was becoming pitiful. What was I supposed to do with her?

"I thought you would know. Finlay is one of my far lower blood kin. He cannot even defy my will."

"I know! But!"

"And I do not reverse a decision once made. Those with heavy burdens must let even their words carry weight. I will not change my mind for some time. I understand what you wish to say, so speak no further."

The regressor nodded a few times, turned around, and returned to the corner where I was hiding. Then she awkwardly reported to me.

"That's what she said."

"Um, I'm sorry for asking too much of you. From now on, please avoid persuasion and solve things with force or money whenever possible."

'Hm? That sounds unpleasant. Is he mocking me?'

The fact that you had to think about that showed just how miserable your communication skills were. I felt sorry for the world this regressor had to save.

With a sigh, I stepped forward.

"Wait there. A master of psychological warfare, a magician who plays with people's hearts, and a secret lover who meets Trainee Tyrkanzyaka in secluded places. A mere disciple cannot compare to me. I'll handle this."

"Fine. Go handle it. What? A secret lover?"

"Here I go. I'll be back soon."

Before the regressor could say anything else, I sprang from the corner and walked toward the vampire with my hand raised.

"Trainee Tyrkanzyaka. What a coincidence."

"...What exactly are you two plotting?"

"Ha ha. Plotting? Ah, would you like a massage? My fingers are in good condition today."

Even after receiving my offer, the vampire remained suspicious.

"Is that not too obvious? Why would someone who usually makes it clear that he is unwilling come looking for me with his fingers raised straight? Besides, Shei keeps watching from over there, so how could I?"

She was suspicious for once? That was surprising. Had someone who readily opened her own chest and exposed her heart just because she saw me use electric shocks developed a sense of danger?

"So, you don't want one?"

"...I did not say that. A little later, then. When no one is looking."

Never mind. Was it because she was already dead? This corpse had no sense of danger at all.

Anyway.

"I came to warn Trainee Tyrkanzyaka on Trainee Shei's behalf."

"You too?"

"You may be tired of hearing it, but this is advice that will do you good. That vampire Finlay has something suspicious about him. You should be careful."

I spoke seriously, but the vampire did not make much of it.

"It seems I made Finlay too hated. Very well. I shall restrain him from now on."

"Restrain him how?"

"It means he will not trouble you in the name of serving me. He obeys my commands, so all I need do is tell him."

The vampire thought the regressor and I had come because Finlay was annoying us, and she promised to put a stop to it.

Huh?

That was not bad.

No, honestly, it was tempting. Finlay only annoyed me, after all.

I nodded immediately.

"Good. If you'll do that."

"Ah, wait. What time should I come by?"

"When have you ever come by based on the time? Come when you feel like it."

"Very well."

Phew. This was a win-win. I returned with a delighted expression.

The regressor, leaning against the wall, looked up at me coldly.

"What are you doing?"

"Me? A triumph of the human spirit."

"A triumph of the human spirit, my foot. You didn't solve anything. You only set a time for secret meetings with Tyrkanzyaka!"

"I didn't set a time. She said she'd come on her own."

"I don't want to know that at all!"

"You were the one who asked."

"Tsk, anyway! If we're going to cooperate, do it properly!"

I was pushed forward again. Reluctantly, I was driven back in front of the vampire. Our eyes met awkwardly.

The vampire sighed.

"I truly do not understand why you dislike him so much. What is so strange? I have formed a bond with you as well. What reason is there not to keep Finlay, who is my blood kin, close to me?"

"Um, maybe it's the difference in how long we've known each other? Finlay has not even been here for a week, yet he relies solely on Trainee Tyrkanzyaka and acts too boldly. It makes us uncomfortable."

"What does that matter? It has not even been a month since I met you."

For a vampire, a month and a week were both no more than the blink of an eye. There was probably little difference between us and Finlay.

With nothing to argue, I nodded.

"Now that I think about it, that's true. A month and a week are no different in Trainee Tyrkanzyaka's life than fireflies shining for one night. Even humans with ordinary lifespans say a month is short, so for a twelve-century-old girl..."

"......? Twelve-century-old girl?"

"Oops. I'll be going now!"

The regressor was still waiting on that side. But that was not the only corner around. I ran toward the corner on the opposite side.

Footnotes:

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