WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: ChaoticRain
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Dokja’s Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 150: Episode 29 — Constellation Banquet (3)
He was standing at the entrance to the banquet hall. If I was right, he was one of the few high-ranking constellations who had been sponsoring me since the early scenarios.
"A face adorned with pristine golden-white fur, an expression full of mischief. A prisoner locked in the world's smallest cage as punishment for toying with the most supreme throne. The moment anyone met his noble Fiery Eyes and Golden Gaze, they couldn't help but draw in a breath."
It truly was exactly as described in TWSA. I stared in that direction as if entranced. An existence positioned at the very peak among TWSA's myth-grade constellations. Ignoring the gatekeeper, I rushed inside.
"Great Sage, Heaven's Equal!"
However, the mischievously smiling Great Sage, Heaven's Equal vanished right before my eyes, as if turning to smoke. As though I wasn't yet qualified to meet him.
‘...Was that a clone?’
I lowered the hand I'd extended in my disappointment, but the situation wasn't over yet. Having entered while shouting the Great Sage's name, I'd drawn the attention of all the constellations on the first floor of the banquet hall.
[What the hell is that guy?]
An incarnation who'd entered while calling out a specific constellation's epithet. Most of the constellations weren't going to view it favorably. Gazes poured toward me from all corners of the banquet hall.
[An incarnation?]
[What, whose incarnation is that?]
As the gazes gathered, the air instantly began to boil, and my body froze so completely I couldn't move. With my head going blank from the gathered stares, I couldn't even tell who was looking at me.
I'd thought I could handle hearing the constellations' messages by now. But it became clear that was only because of the Fourth Wall's influence.
To think I'd end up like this just from receiving their gazes.
Now I truly understood.
In this banquet hall right now, I was the only existence that wasn't a constellation.
I had finally stood before the constellations.
"Now, now, everyone calm down. There's been a little mix-up, so I'll just take this friend away for a moment."
As soon as I heard a familiar voice, someone lifted up my completely frozen spirit body and began moving me somewhere. After escaping the buzzing banquet hall and entering a corridor, the gaze hell ended and I could finally breathe.
"...Why the hell did you come alone?"
When I lifted my head at the voice, lo and behold, a familiar form was floating in midair.
"Bihyung?"
"Yeah, it's me. I heard the Queen of the Underworld was sending an envoy. Weren't you supposed to come together? Why are you wandering around in a weird place alone? Do you have a death wish?"
"There were some circumstances."
"Hey, this isn't something that can be brushed off like that! This isn't a scenario area, you bastard! If you mess around the wrong way, it's game over! This place is..."
"A place where there are guys who can kill a human like a bug with just their gaze."
I know. I know it well. That's why I came here. Bihyung pursed his lips in displeasure and led me somewhere.
"I'll take you to the waiting room, so rest there for a bit. There's a monitor in the waiting room, so watch it carefully. You absolutely have to watch, got it?"
Judging by how he was acting all smug, it seemed something good had happened to this guy. Before long, we arrived at the waiting room.
But its nameplate was, how should I put it, rather strange.
"...Incarnation Waiting Room? There's such a thing?"
"You think you're the only incarnation who came? ...Although you're the only one who barged in alone."
When he opened the door, there was someone completely unexpected inside. The guy reacted first.
"...Kim Dokja?"
I, too, looked at him with a blank face before awkwardly raising my hand in greeting.
"Yu Junghyeok."
***
The Constellation Banquet was mentioned quite frequently in the original TWSA as well.
It was usually a place Yu Junghyeok came to when using "regression" to scam the constellations, and as expected, Yu Junghyeok was included on the invitation list. I didn't know who invited him this time, but well, for someone like this guy, constellations would line up to form connections with him.
This Constellation Banquet was a joint event hosted by several countries.
Seoul Dome, Washington Dome, Moscow Dome, and even New Delhi Dome.
The Management Bureau had probably gathered the domes with good recent performance and held a joint performance presentation. Judging by the combination of participating countries, it seemed like a similar atmosphere to Yu Junghyeok's 24th regression.
The waiting room had tables classified by country, with incarnations from the same affiliation sitting together chatting. The only incarnations affiliated with Seoul Dome were Yu Junghyeok and me. Yu Junghyeok glared and asked.
"Why the hell are you here?"
"For similar reasons to you, I suppose."
"When are you coming back to life?"
"Probably tomorrow."
"The others are worried."
"I'm sorry about that."
To think I was having this kind of conversation with Yu Junghyeok, it felt somewhat strange. Yu Junghyeok clenched his fist as if suppressing his anger. Lately, when I see this bastard, I wonder if he has anger management issues.
I sat in a chair next to Yu Junghyeok and watched the program schedule flow out on the large panel in front. On the screen, a "mid-grade dokkaebi promotion ceremony" was in full progress.
―I'm grateful to all the constellations who returned the glory of stories to me once more...
The one being interviewed as the representative of the low-grade dokkaebi was Bihyung.
So that's why the bastard told me to watch the broadcast.
―Half of this glory is thanks to one incarnation who's been working hard on my channel. It's probably that friend you all know. I'll give half of this joy to that incarnation!
He spouted such embarrassing comments without shame.
I deliberately looked away as the incarnations around us seemed to be glancing over here. In the middle of speaking, Bihyung took out a golden egg from his pocket and lifted it high into the air, and I immediately recognized what it was.
―And the other half, I'll give to this child who will be newly born!
It was the egg containing Shin Yuseong's soul. Fortunately, it seemed to be hatching well.
"You bastard, don't tell me...?"
It seemed he'd used Sage's Eyes in the meantime, as the shocked Yu Junghyeok alternated between looking at me and Bihyung's egg. I spoke as if making excuses.
"That was the only way."
"Do you know what you've done?"
"I know."
"If you do that, Shin Yuseong will...!"
I knew what Yu Junghyeok was worried about. An existence who'd suffered from "stories" for so long would now become the subject producing those tragedies. Yu Junghyeok, who knew all too well how much pain that was, had no choice but to say that.
"If she's reincarnated as a dokkaebi, at least she won't die absurdly. The Management Bureau is the safest place until the Star Stream perishes."
Of course, that wasn't the whole reason, but I couldn't fully explain why I was making Shin Yuseong into a dokkaebi here.
My gaze clashed with Yu Junghyeok's in midair. If this were the present world, he looked like he'd draw his sword and cut me down immediately.
"By any chance... are you Kim Dokja?"
The atmosphere vanished completely at the interrupting voice.
When I turned my head, I saw a beauty with a distinctly East-West mixed feeling. Wavy khaki brown hair. Large eyes with a subtle brown tint. A person whose healthy smile was particularly beautiful.
"That's right. Do you know me?"
"Ah... a little. I've heard stories."
How pleasant. To think this woman would be the one to approach me first.
"Nice to meet you, Selena Kim."
"You know me?"
"Aren't you America's representative? I've heard of you, too."
Of course, I hadn't heard of her. But I knew her.
[Your exclusive skill Character Profile is being activated!]
[Only arbitrarily designated items are being displayed for the user's convenience.]
+
<Character Details>
Name: Selena Kim
Patron constellation: Ender of Wars
Exclusive attribute: Animal Lover (Rare), King's Guardian (Heroic)
+
Selena Kim of Washington Dome.
She was a member of Zarathustra, created by Anna Croft, and would become one of the top 100 strongest in TWSA. The King of No Killing that I once had was originally an attribute that this person was meant to obtain. Unfortunately, since I'd acquired it first, she seemed to have unlocked a different attribute.
"Didn't Anna Croft come with you?"
"You know Anna?"
"I've met her once through a dream."
"She wanted to come too. If she'd known you were coming, she definitely would have."
Of course, if she'd come, things would have only gotten more complicated. Why? Because of this guy.
"Tell that woman to keep her neck intact."
"...You’re just like Anna said, Yu Junghyeok."
The reason Anna didn't come here was obviously because of Yu Junghyeok.
In the previous regression, Yu Junghyeok had been betrayed by Anna Croft, and Anna had seen what she'd done to Yu Junghyeok through her attribute. So naturally, she wouldn't come here.
"Korea's side has someone who looks really weird. Is that guy Korea's representative?"
Thinking what now, I turned around to see it was Russia's representative.
"Iris, how rude. Judging people by their appearance is a bad habit."
"I just said someone who looks weird looks weird. Honesty is a Moscow virtue."
A girl with platinum white hair and pale white skin stood there in small twin tails. Seeing her talk about Moscow and all, I had an idea who she was. But I didn't particularly want to act like I knew her. This girl was one of the people I disliked in TWSA. I deliberately asked in informal speech.
"Who are you?"
"...You don't know me? You don't know this me, Iris Vladimirovna Lebedeva?"
"Should I?"
Unable to watch anymore, Selena Kim intervened.
"Dokja-ssi, let me introduce you. This is Iris. She's Russia's representative. In Russia, she's called 'Red Square's War Maiden.'"
"Ahem, that's me."
I nodded. I wanted to shoot back with how pretentious that epithet was, but I held back since it seemed like it would just create trouble. There were many outstanding incarnations in Russia, but in this regression, it had to be this brat.
"Iris, this is Kim Dokja-ssi. He's Korea's representative, and his epithet is... um, I'm sorry, but Dokja-ssi, your epithet is..."
"That guy is..."
I hurriedly cut off Yu Junghyeok's words.
"I don't have an epithet yet."
A sneer formed at Iris's lips.
"A guy without even a byname came here?"
I had one. I had one, but I just didn't want to say it.
"I don't know what qualifications brought you here, but you'd better not get too cocky."
As an ominous atmosphere began emanating from the Russian side, Yu Junghyeok also jumped up and emitted his own pressure. Iris took a half-step back, perhaps feeling his tremendous pressure.
"Don't you interfere. This is between that ugly bastard and me."
Despite Iris's warning, Yu Junghyeok just silently glared at her.
Good job. While you're at it, give her a knock on the head too, Yu Junghyeok. Eventually, Iris bit her lip hard and took a step back, spitting out.
"Well, I guess you came here to beg for some fable from some measly person-grade constellation... Let's see how this goes."
Come to think of it, the Constellation Banquet's schedule included something about "fable succession." Iris was probably referring to that.
Just then, the waiting room door opened, and a low-grade dokkaebi poked its face in.
"Incarnations. There will soon be a 'Fable Succession Ceremony,' so please move. We've temporarily prepared seats for you in the first-floor banquet hall. For reference, please note that only person-grade constellations are on the first floor."
Fable Succession Ceremony.
The patron contract wasn't the only way constellations and incarnations could exchange influence. Even if they weren't sponsor constellations, incarnations could grow their power by succeeding other constellations' fables and showing respect to their stories. Of course, since constellations could also expand their influence by widely spreading their fables, this was good for both incarnations and constellations.
We walked to the banquet hall one by one in turn. The first name called was Selena Kim.
[Selena Kim! King's Guardian!]
[We've been watching your performance!]
Unlike before, the constellations' reactions were favorable. They were probably excited because they were welcoming incarnations they liked, like meeting a favorite celebrity. Next was Iris's turn.
She walked toward the constellations with an arrogant, haughty posture and, as if providing fan service, lightly waved her hand at them.
[Iris! Red Square's Little Brat!]
[Hahaha! Cute.]
[She's just like she is on screen!]
She shot a haughty glance at me standing behind her. She seemed to be saying:
"See that?"
Soon, my turn came. As I walked into the banquet hall, the pressure from the gazes poured down once again. Still, perhaps because I'd experienced it once, or because the feeling of the gazes was different, I could endure it fairly well this time.
But the constellations' reaction was strange.
The hot atmosphere from before had gone completely quiet, as if cold water had been poured over it.
...Was I not very popular? I could see Iris sneering at me as if she'd known this would happen.
Like lighting a small spark in a crowd, a single voice rang out.
[...The Kim Dokja of the Korean Peninsula.]
That was the start. Like wildfire spreading on the wind, the voices spread throughout the entire hall.
[Kim Dokja! That guy is that Kim Dokja.]
[Kim Dogeza! Kim Dogeza!]
[King of a Kingless World!]
With each step I took, the constellations' voices grew louder.
[The One Who Opposes Disaster!]
[Hey there, remember me? I'm the Bald Army General!]
[Kim Dokja! I'm Great King Heunmu!]
I walked silently toward the center of the banquet hall.
[I enjoyed Peace Land so much! You know what you're doing, kid!]
[Hey! Wave over here! I sponsored you 3,000 coins!]
[Everyone, come over here! Kim Dokja appeared!]
[But he looks way better than I heard!]
Because the constellations were causing such a ruckus, even forgetting their dignity, the entire banquet hall had become like a huge furnace. Since it felt like my soul would cook completely from the hot fervor, I had no choice but to raise my hand toward them.
Then the constellations' cheers exploded.
[So handsome, Kim Dokja!]
Iris was staring over here with a shocked expression. But I wasn't looking at her. I hadn't come here to play, after all. Scenario videos were playing from various spots, including the ceiling and walls.
Incarnations dying amid screams, and constellations giggling while watching them. Seeing that, I realized anew what kind of place this was.
This place was where all of humanity's tragedies became a feast.
I looked up at the second floor of the banquet hall. Unlike the noisy person-grade constellations on the first floor, the constellations on the second floor were looking down here with an ominous silence. Myth-grade constellations, each one shining with a terrifying presence.
They were the real enemies I had to fight.
Footnotes:
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