WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 714: The Phenomenon Called You

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Every new dish attracts new bugs.

To the fools of the lower world, a residency permit for Babel was a dream. And it was a dream money could buy. They were willing to liquidate everything they owned just to live in Babel.

Naturally, people appeared to exploit that hope.

"Here. This is a Babel residency permit."

Merchants had begun using alchemy to duplicate and sell residency permits.

Naturally, the permits they had were fake. But that didn't matter. As long as buyers believed they were real, they could sell them at the real price.

"T-this is definitely real, right?"

"Of course it is. I got it through a friend I know in the Floating Castle. Look. From the mana glow to the pattern, it's practically a work of art. Do you think anyone in the lower world could duplicate this?"

Like every other con artist, they had quite the silver tongue.

The con artist had somehow acquired a genuine permit and made an elaborate forgery from it. It would have confused even a mage, so what chance did ordinary fools have?

"Mages in the Floating Castle have no need for residency permits. They already live there, and most are descendants of distinguished families. Why would they settle on some vacant plot of land? They'd rather sell them and make a lump sum. But they've spent their whole lives clutching wands at desks, so they don't know how to sell things. I promised to sell them for them and brought these here..."

"Ooh!"

"Bring the money we agreed on, and it's yours."

"H-here!"

"Hmm. Twenty high-grade alchemical coins... Their alchemical value is 170,000 Alke. You're 30,000 Alke short."

"I emptied out my entire fortune! And where are you supposed to find intact alchemical coins these days? They're too busy rebuilding the Floating Castle to apply alchemical coatings!"

Because alchemical coins held value in themselves, people skilled in alchemy or magic often converted them into tools or spells they needed immediately. Alchemical coins gradually drained of value that way could no longer be used for official transactions.

Still, alchemical coins were the only currency left in this world. Commoners had no choice but to use them as money, even if their value had fallen somewhat.

The con artist frowned.

"Tch. We agreed on twenty alchemical coins... Fine. Take it."

"Yes! We're residents of the Floating Castle now...! We'll be able to learn the Floating Castle's magic!"

I happily accepted the residency permit. The mana patterns faintly lingering on it gave off a dazzling glow, making it look real.

Well made. Alchemy really was something. This is how a country goes to ruin.

I carefully tucked it away and quietly asked them a question.

"Do you have any more?"

The con artist's interest immediately perked up.

"I don't have much stock... Why do you ask?"

"I know a few people in other territories who want residency permits too."

"How many?"

"Twelve."

'Twelve? If I sell them all fake residency permits, I'll make a fortune. I was going to sell only a few and leave before they discovered the truth, but... This much money is worth the risk.'

Smacking their lips, the con artist put on a troubled expression.

"That's too many. I'll need more money to get them."

"Money won't be a problem. They're elites from mage families who got pushed out of the power structure. I had to borrow from everywhere to scrape together twenty alchemical coins, but they'll provide intact ones."

"Hmm. Come back tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow? You can get them that quickly?"

"I have friends who do similar work. I'll ask them and see what I can get."

It took a considerable amount of money to make fake permits look real. Even if the buyers were fools, they were still residents of the Arcane Federation. They knew enough to roughly gauge an item's stated alchemical value. To avoid suspicion, the forged permits had to be made using genuine alchemical coins.

"Come back at this time tomorrow. I'll see what I can arrange."

People deceiving others rarely realized they were being deceived themselves. Without any particular suspicion, the con artist set out to acquire fake residency permits.

They joined forces with other con artists selling fake permits, spent nearly 200,000 Alke, and made the forgeries. Then they met me again to sell them.

Of course, I looked a little different by then.

"Hello. Security Bureau. I hear you've been distributing fake residency permits? Is this the money you made selling them? Okay, confiscated."

"N-no! That's my entire fortune!"

"It's mine now... No, the Arcane Federation's property."

For the record, I visited every other con artist too and shook them down. Scamming con artists tasted best of all.

Hilde fluttered the fake residency permits she had taken from con artists across the region.

"Wow. There are over 280 fake residency permits alone, and their alchemical value exceeds five million Alke. The Arcane Federation really has a lot of money. What should we do with these forged permits? Turn them back into alchemical coins?"

"That would consume their alchemical value. We'll stamp new serial numbers on them and use them as genuine permits."

And then we recycled them. Efficient use of resources.

* * *

"Cyan Tower Master. The Five Towers are scholarly societies recognized by the master we all share, but the Floating Castle doesn't have only the Five Towers."

The Floating Castle's elder mages were too old to take the front lines, but they had countless disciples and vast networks. They were the elders in the back rooms who truly controlled the Floating Castle. Dissatisfied with recent events, they formally reprimanded the Cyan Tower Master.

"The Floating Castle is fundamentally a city, and it is every mage's dream, goal, and home. The Cyan Tower Master cannot decide alone to hand it over wholesale at bargain prices."

The elder mages lacked for nothing. They already had wealth, honor, status, and families. Why would they want to live alongside the lower world's fools?

But I knew what they wanted.

"Now, now. Shall we have a little talk?"

I took the head of one of the scholarly societies aside and spoke with them. They valued history and tradition, and they believed the Floating Castle needed to retain the same standing and authority it had once possessed.

In other words, they wanted the Floating Castle flying in the sky again.

We had a close discussion, and only an hour later, they were shouting with excitement.

"They dared attack the Floating Castle! Cyan Tower Master, just give the word! Our bodies may be old, but our minds still shine with brilliant intellect. There is no retirement in a nation of mages. We'll show them that mages grow stronger with age!"

"Goodbye~."

I waved at the elder mages as they departed. Once they were gone, the Cyan Tower Master asked, "Their influence exceeds even that of the Tower Masters, and their conservative, stubborn attitudes were my greatest headache. What did you say to win them over?"

"I deceived them and sweet-talked them. I told them the Floating Castle fell because it was attacked, that it fought the Sword Saint, and that conflict with the Empire could break out. Everything we're doing now is stockpiling for the Floating Castle to conduct an independent military operation."

The stubborn and conservative were bound to react strongly to outside attacks. Especially if the attacker was the Empire. The Arcane Federation wasn't some weak country or vassal state. Naturally, they would be enraged if they heard it had been attacked.

The Cyan Tower Master listened to my triumphant explanation and replied, "You didn't deceive them. It's all true."

The Arcane Federation wasn't rebuilding the Floating Castle and filling it with people solely for funding. This was also part of its military preparations.

The Empire had truly attacked, after all. They were preparing for that possibility.

"Every deception works by exaggerating some truths and hiding others. When I do card tricks, I don't use real magic. I just make one card easy to see and subtly hide another."

"Ah. You package the truth to persuade people. Is that how you handle people?"

"This only works with people who share the same goal. You and those elder mages both care about the Arcane Federation."

If someone wanted the Arcane Federation to collapse, they couldn't be persuaded through deception.

"Hehe. I thought those elders were the people furthest from me."

Having resolved her greatest headache, the Cyan Tower Master looked quite relieved.

* * *

Not everyone hated the changes.

"The Floating Castle got a little damaged while blocking a meteor. That couldn't be helped."

"We don't oppose the Cyan Tower Master's policies. Who's going to pay for the repairs otherwise? This is what we have to do."

"I actually like it. The Floating Castle has always lacked young men and women."

Many young, talented mages lived in the Floating Castle, and they were sick of its quiet, stuffy atmosphere. The Floating Castle was a city, but its form and purpose were closer to an academic facility. It was difficult for love to bloom properly there.

"Everyone is a mage worthy of respect, but as husband material... They're weak and frail."

"Or ugly nerds who know nothing but studying."

"We couldn't go down to the lower world before, but now we can bring our fiancés here. Isn't that great?"

"It would be even better if we could get fresh ingredients here too."

The younger mages welcomed the changes, naturally forming a faction that supported the Cyan Tower Master. Residency permits were especially precious assets for young people without an established foundation.

"I'm selling mine and making a killing."

"I have enough money. With this, I can bring my betrothed from the lower world and live together."

"Women who are too smart are exhausting."

"Even if she's dumb, I prefer someone innocent."

Lankart listened to them and replied, "I see. That's why Hui only goes for dumb women..."

"What are you even saying?"

Of all the women I'd met, Shei was the only genuinely dumb one, and nothing had happened between us anyway.

Lankart had been joking, but then lowered his voice.

"Still, Hui. The Cyan Tower Master is clever enough that I once acknowledged her as a man. You might find yourself caught before you know it."

"That won't happen."

I read thoughts whenever I had the chance. The Cyan Tower Master was a mage who based her actions on common sense and logic. Even her efforts to tempt me were part of that, an attempt to win me over after I had proven myself capable.

She wouldn't go further than that, though. If she needed my cooperation, she had to respect my will above all else. This was why people needed to show their abilities. If I acted like an unpredictable wild card, as I had in the Fog Duchy, she might try to restrain me.

As long as things didn't suddenly progress somewhere beyond my knowledge, there would be no problem.

* * *

Hilde received a mysterious invitation. Normally, she might have been wary of such a suspicious invitation, but it was so abrupt and out of nowhere that it piqued her curiosity. So Hilde personally set foot in a place she would never normally visit.

"Hmm? Hmmm~?"

The Cyan Tower Master's office. Hilde sat awkwardly in a room surrounded by crystals. A transparent crystal cup dropped onto the table before her with a light clink.

"You're Hilde, right? Come sit down. Would you like some tea?"

"The most expensive one, please~. I haven't been treated to much since coming here."

"All right."

The Cyan Tower Master took out a tea crystal, dropped it into the cup, and snapped her fingers. The crystal melted and warmed at the same time.

Magic. The military state had once envied the magic the Arcane Federation used as naturally as breathing, trying to reproduce even a fraction of it. Standard-issue magic was the result.

'Only half a success, though. I'm jealous. If the military state had power like this, Yuel and the communications officers could've done an even better job.'

Watching Hilde sip her tea, the Cyan Tower Master crossed her legs.

"You're calm."

"No, I'm surprised. This is a little sudden~. We aren't exactly acquainted."

"We may not be acquainted, but we have information about each other. You do, and so do I."

The Cyan Tower Master went straight to the point.

"Lankart brought you here. I thought you were his friend, but he said he brought you because you knew his friend. Naturally, you were expelled, but thinking about it now, Lankart wouldn't have brought an ordinary human to the Floating Castle."

"Hehe. You noticed."

Hilde complained playfully.

"That morally bankrupt bastard doesn't have friends in the first place~. His claim that he's Father's friend is one-sided too. In reality, he's always making Father uncomfortable. I'm several times better!"

"You seemed to know Hughes was the King of Humanity. You stayed beside him, observing him constantly while acting as though you wanted something. Just like..."

"Like you?"

"...You too."

The easiest way to understand someone was to reach the same position. The Cyan Tower Master sensed kinship with Hilde and observed her more carefully.

They wanted the same thing. But Hughes only had one body. That meant they were competitors. Hilde seemed to reach that thought too, and she flinched as she nervously watched the Cyan Tower Master for a reaction.

"Surely you didn't call me here to eliminate a competitor, Cyan Tower Master? Hahaha. Surely not~."

"Competitor? I see us as collaborators. Hughes has never belonged to anyone from the beginning."

Clink. The Cyan Tower Master set down her cup and met Hilde's sly gaze. Her clear eyes were filled with a new desire to explore and understand.

"I need to know. About the phenomenon called the King of Humanity."

Footnotes:

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