WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 620: The Night the Regressor Sleeps

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The wanted notice was lifted. The avatar that had displayed my face and issued warnings published a correction, and the Bureau of Security mages who had come to capture Shei returned on the Black Tower Master's orders.

It had been chaotic from the very first day we arrived at the floating castle, but now I could finally rest easy. The Cyan Tower Master arranged accommodations for Shei and me, complete with a small room.

As she showed us around, the Cyan Tower Master said, "You two don't know how to use magical tools, do you? I'd like to teach you, but you can't operate them unless you're a mage. You'll have to put up with some inconvenience for the time being."

"How does someone become a mage?"

"At the very least, you need to be able to sense magic power and channel it, along with the knowledge to make use of it. Starting from nothing makes it nearly impossible to learn in a short time, but you already know formulaic magic, and Lankart called you a 'genius'... Pfft. So you might pick it up quickly?"

"Did you just laugh at me?"

"Sorry. You heard that?"

"I'll turn that laughter into admiration."

"Hehe. I'll look forward to it."

After our friendly conversation, the Cyan Tower Master waved and returned to the Crystal Tower. Having gained a little peace, I relaxed and sat in a chair.

"Whew. That was exhausting. Getting dragged into trouble the moment we got here."

"...So, when did you two become so close?"

Why did she care so much about that? The Cyan Tower Master had grown close to her too. Was she not allowed to grow close to me?

I did my best to explain to the displeased-looking Shei.

"I heard the Cyan Tower Master is acquainted with Lankart too. The Federation Intelligence Bureau, I think? The Cyan Tower Master is its head, and Lankart is one of its investigators. Lankart introduced me to the Cyan Tower Master, then we went looking for you, Shei."

"...Hmm."

"Besides, the person you were trying to ask for help was the Cyan Tower Master in the first place. She seemed like the kind of person who'd help. The order changed, but the result is the same."

"...Ahem."

"More importantly, you've probably been exhausted by one incident after another, Shei. You should rest."

Shei had been caught up in all sorts of trouble at the floating castle without getting enough rest, so she was close to collapse. If she had been in good condition, she would not have fled so helplessly earlier.

Not that she could have defeated a Tower Master anyway.

The Green Tower Master, Black Tower Master, and Cyan Tower Master. Their strength far surpassed the military state's Six Generals. That was true even judging by their innate arcane alone. If they properly made use of white magic as well, their destructive power would be incredible.

Honestly, they seemed much stronger even than an Elder, who was simply absurdly strong. Though a prolonged battle might be different.

And the Demon King...

In many ways, he was beyond the norm.

The Demon God? He did not feel like that. It was different from comprehending some vast principle that governed all things in the world. His innate arcane was simply overwhelmingly powerful.

That only made me more curious.

Just how strong had the King of Sin been, if even the Sword Saint and the Demon King could not defeat it?

"Shei, there's something I want to ask you."

"...Why should I answer?"

"At least hear the question before you brush me off!"

Why was she being so hostile? She had softened up a little before we came here, but now she was back to how she had been!

"Fine. I'll listen. What is it?"

"That thing you mentioned, the one above the floating castle. What is it?"

"Ah. That."

The question seemed important to Shei as well, because her expression grew more serious.

'I haven't completely gotten over it, but I'll let it slide this time.'

Let it slide? Why should I care about your mood? Something was wrong with her.

I really wanted to argue, but what Shei had to say was important, so I decided to let it slide too. Just this once.

"Hughes. I told you that I regress."

"Yes, you did. Though you never gave me a proper explanation."

"Right. I've experienced death more than twelve times... Every time, I return to an alley in the military state from several years earlier. Then I begin a new iteration."

I already knew, but I had to listen as though I did not. I put on a serious expression and pretended to pay close attention.

Unaware of what I was thinking, Shei solemnly recounted her past.

"At first, I was conscripted into the military state without knowing anything. I was swept into a war and died. Then I came back to life. After that, I ran, fought, gathered information, and gained strength to survive. I used every means I could to escape death. But even though I died earlier at times... I never died later than that war."

"What war was that?"

"The Second War of Sin."

Shei trembled as she spoke the words. It sounded like a grand war from the name alone.

"Was it a war against the King of Sin?"

"...Yes. That's right."

"Don't tell me you called it a war just because of one King of Sin."

"It deserved the name. The King of Sin was stronger than any human..."

Muttering blankly, Shei began a brief, hazy recollection.

Back then, Shei was too weak and insignificant to truly take part in that battlefield. She had only been swept along by it.

Even though she had learned qi arts, she could not even stand on her own two feet. The earth shook, storms raged through the sky, lightning fell like rain, and thunderous roars tore the world apart dozens of times.

She barely survived with the power of the Heaven-Reversing Boundary, but that was all. Death came for Shei as fairly as it came for anyone else. The King of Sin, which had easily slaughtered the Sword Saint, the Demon King, and the Holy Maiden, appeared before her.

And only now did I recognize that face. It looked like my gray-haired "older sister."

"You can't defeat the King of Sin. So I decided to delay its birth and deal with what would become its power beforehand."

"How?"

"By preventing the First War of Sin, which will trigger the Second War of Sin, and interfering with Nevida's plan."

Ah. Right. If there was a Second War of Sin, there had to be a first one.

"The war where I was first conscripted and died was the First War of Sin. Spreading plagues, discrimination and massacres, conflicts over the Demon God, the gap between the Empire and the feudal states... Every country on the continent fought for its own reasons. It all ended with the Empire's victory, but... the great war devastated the world, and resentment toward the Empire only grew. Sin spread throughout every land."

That recollection was hazy as well. Maybe because it was too vast. A black plague, massacres of beastfolk at the borders because of it, the conflict and division that followed. The feudal states' resentment and confrontation.

As those dim afterimages passed by, Shei drew out her most vivid memory.

"And... the trigger for the First War of Sin was the Great Descent."

"The Great Descent?"

"Yes. The thing above the floating castle falls from the sky..."

Shei's voice gradually grew quieter as she spoke. I thought her memories were becoming hazier, but then she shut her eyes, nodded off for a moment, and woke up.

So that was why the memories were especially unclear. She was dozing off.

"Are you tired?"

"I'm fine. I can still hold on."

Shei shook her head and drew on her energy. She was trying to wake herself, but it looked pointless to me.

"Being able to hold on means you're not fine. Forget it. Sleep first."

"I should finish what I was saying..."

"You can continue tomorrow. Nothing is chasing us. We have tomorrow."

If she kept recounting things hazily while half-asleep, I was the only one losing out. It meant I could not follow it properly.

Especially when this was about the floating castle. I needed to listen carefully. Who knew what might happen here?

"...But."

"I'm getting tired too, so I should rest. Take this chance to get some sleep as well. You must be exhausted from being chased around before your body even fully recovered."

I stood up, making it clear I would not listen anymore. Shei still looked unhappy, but I ignored her and walked behind her chair.

"Ah. Hold on. What was this again?"

I poured a small amount of magic power into it, and the chair changed shape. The armrests spread outward, the back reclined, and the chair became an excellent bed.

Shei asked with a confused expression, "A magical tool?"

"Yes. I heard they use a lot of magical tools like this because space is limited in the floating castle."

To stop her from getting up, I dimmed the lights and even brought over a blanket to cover her. She complained at being put into full sleep mode, but soon could not resist her increasingly heavy eyelids. I was about to go to sleep too as I watched Shei yawn deeply.

"...Hughes."

"Yes."

"I've failed many times. About thirteen times, I failed, died, and returned. I gained greater power, learned more information, found more treasures... And yet..."

Shei's eyes kept fluttering shut. No matter how strong she was or how skilled with qi arts, exhaustion could not be helped. Especially when she was forcing an arm that had been torn off and reattached to move through qi. The energy drain must have been enormous every moment.

I had decided to remain at the floating castle for a while, and Lankart probably would not cause any trouble. Shei could focus on recovering for the time being.

"This is the first time I've met you..."

"I suppose it is."

If she had known I was the King of Humanity earlier, she would have come looking for me often. Tch. This was why I had not wanted to get deeply involved with Shei.

Still, if I was going to be found out someday anyway, there was nothing to be done. I was just beginning to accept that when she continued.

"...And in this iteration... I've suffered, and my arm was torn off, but..."

Like her closing eyes, Shei's voice gradually faded. With her eyes shut and sleep almost upon her, she barely managed to finish her final words.

"...Still, because you're here... I think this has gone the best..."

With that, Shei breathed softly and fell asleep.

She did not care that I was watching over her.

Hmm. Did Shei know how hard I had worked to cover for this disastrous human relationship?

That was probably why it felt as though things had gone well. Well, it was a good thing. If I could not stay away from the regressor, it would be better to get close to her instead.

I pulled the blanket up to Shei's shoulders and got up to take care of my own business...

Huh?

Something was tugging at the hem of my clothes. Looking down, I saw the regressor's right hand gripping my sleeve tightly beneath the blanket. I had no idea when she started doing that.

"Shei."

No answer.

She had been trying so hard not to fall asleep earlier. Now she was determined not to wake up. Pick one already.

It was an awkward situation, but who was I? I was an escape artist called a magician. If I could not escape one little grip, the name magician would weep.

I slipped a card between her fingers and my sleeve, then tried to slide it out...

"Huh?"

Her grip was so strong that even a single card could not pass through? What was this? Rigor mortis would not be this bad. Was the Heaven-Reversing Boundary activating?

Tch. It could not be helped. I would pull free by force... Ah, wait. Her arm had only recently been reattached. What if I pulled it off and it came right off again?

There was nothing I could do. I had escaped even a gravity barrier, yet here I was struggling against one small hand. It hurt my pride.

More than that, I needed some sleep too. I could not sleep while being held like this...

"Ah. I can sleep, can't I?"

Whatever. I gave up on trying to free my hand from Shei's grip. Instead, I lifted the blanket and lay down beside her.

You're the one holding me here. I might as well sleep here.

With the sound of her soft breathing in the background and the warmth beside me against my body, I too fell asleep with Shei's arm draped over me.

Footnotes:

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