WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: ChaoticRain

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 151: Episode 29: Constellation Banquet (4)

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Yu Junghyeok, who was up next, enjoyed popularity no less intense than mine. When he appeared, I could even hear noise coming faintly from the second floor. It felt like they were chanting my name from Eden too, though I couldn't tell whether that was just my imagination.

[YU JUNGHYEOOOK!]

[Supreme King is the best!]

[Come join our nebula!]

There was still a little time left before the Fable Succession Ceremony began, so I sat down at a banquet table on the first floor and watched the situation for a moment. Whether they were Historical or fabled-grade, every constellation here was someone to be wary of, but I had to judge carefully in this place.

It wasn't that I was looking for someone I could trust. There had to be a reason Dionysus told me not to trust anyone.

So what I was looking for right now wasn't someone to trust, but someone to use.

"Um..."

The hesitant Iris came over to me and spoke. I could roughly guess what she was about to say. Before she could speak first, I warned her.

"If you want to survive, don't do anything rash."

"Huh?"

For a moment, Iris just blinked blankly. Then she jumped and looked up into the air.

[Some constellations are surprised by your judgment.]

[A considerable number of constellations have sponsored 5,000 coins for your refreshing display.]

Her face was enlarged across the panel along the edge of the ceiling. The constellations chuckled as Iris's face turned red. Iris muttered numbly,

"T-that was all being filmed?"

It was naive to think the channel would have turned off just because we'd come into the world of constellations. If anything, from the moment we arrived here, the constellations had probably been watching our reactions with burning eyes.

Especially those gloomy bastards on the second floor. If Iris and I had started fighting in the waiting room, the constellations' reactions would have probably gone through the roof. But I had no intention of giving them that kind of entertainment. Like I said, I hadn't come here to have fun. At the very least, I didn't want to look laughable in a place like this.

I gave Iris's shoulder a couple of light pats, then stood up. The moment I moved, the first-floor constellations reacted in droves.

[Kim Dokja! Come here!]

All the constellations on the first floor were in the form of "symbols," not humanoid or living forms. That was because the Historicals, who had difficulty enduring massive Plausibility alone, had to maintain simplified symbolic forms to reduce the cost they consumed.

Because of that, it was impossible to tell who was who at a glance. The first things that came over were a jingling bamboo staff and a lavish golden crown that called Silla to mind.

"'Bald Army General'-nim. And the other one is... 'Lady of the Sleeping Brocade'?"

[Oho! So you remember me!]

[Indeed. It has been a long time.]

The ones who had come looking for me were the constellations of the Korean Peninsula.

[I had dearly wished to meet you once, and now we finally do.]

That eyepatch floating in midair looked to be One-Eyed Maitreya...

There were also symbolic forms that seemed like they might belong to The Last Hero of Hwangsanbeol or Great King Heungmu. I had something I wanted to ask Gyebaek in the first place...

[Descendant Kim Dokja.]

When I turned around, there was a 100-won coin floating there.

A 100-won coin? Why a 100-won coin?

[It is a great pleasure to meet you.]

"Uh, who might you be...?"

[How disappointing. Can you not recognize me?]

Wait a second. If it was a Historical figure on a 100-won coin, then...

"Admiral-nim?"

I asked in shock. No matter how close to zero my patriotism might be, there was no way I could see this person directly and not feel stirred.

The coin spun in midair, revealing the figure engraved on its face.

[It seems you have been making good use of the Stigma I gave you last time.]

"I was grateful then."

Admiral Yi Sunsin the Great. The same person who had transmitted [Song of the Sword] to me had been invited to this banquet as well.

"But why are you in that form?"

[...This form is not of my own choosing.]

Somehow, I thought I understood what that meant. Come to think of it, Admiral Yi Sunsin the Great wasn't the only one in the form of currency. Looking toward the green sheet of paper writhing across one wall of the first floor, I asked,

"Then could that person be...?"

Yi Sunsin nodded.

[That is the Creator of Hangul. A person who also has a statue in Gwanghwamun alongside me. Did you not know?]

I knew. It wasn't that I had asked because I didn't know. Yi Sunsin went on,

[Symbolic forms are made in accordance with the symbol most widely known. That person is likely a case similar to mine.]

With sad eyes, I gave a small bow toward the Creator of Hangul, who was looking this way. King Sejong was one thing, but for Admiral Yi Sunsin the Great, whose symbol should obviously have been a turtle ship, to end up as a 100-won coin... When great figures were trapped inside 100-won coins and 10,000-won bills, it was only natural their symbolic forms would wind up like this.

Snickering came from the second floor. Come to think of it, the fabled-grade constellations on the second floor all had humanoid forms, or at least the appearance of living creatures. If even the most famous Historicals in Korea couldn't maintain humanoid forms, I couldn't even imagine how powerful the fabled-grade really were.

Looking at it that way, hunting Yamata no Orochi's shadow had really been pure luck.

"Who is that constellation?"

[Who? Ah, that person?]

The one I had spotted was a man sitting on the landing between the first and second floors, knocking back drinks. The man with the sword at his waist was maintaining a humanoid symbolic form, but no matter how I looked at him, he didn't seem to be fabled-grade. That was because every passing fabled-grade constellation was looking at him with contempt in their eyes. Samyeongdaesa cut in.

[Among the Historicals of the Korean Peninsula, there is none who can surpass that one.]

"Historical?"

[You could call that one the strongest Historical. That one reached that place not through fame in later generations, but through fables built entirely by the self.]

Certainly, if he had enough room to maintain a humanoid symbolic form in a place like this, then he was a being who didn't yield at all to the fabled-grade. As far as I knew, among the Historicals, the only being with that much status was probably China's Conqueror of Chu...

[Have you heard of Goryeo's Top Swordsman? I hear the transmission has become active again recently.]

Goryeo's Top Swordsman.

"No way..."

I realized who he was. If anything, it was strange I hadn't recognized him right away. If we were talking about Korea's greatest Historical, he should have been the very first one I thought of.

[All of you, move aside!]

The commotion below the landing broke out right then. A few constellations who had come down from the second floor were bickering among themselves as they approached this way. But no one could oppose them. Yi Sunsin let out a sigh.

[...It seems your popularity is quite something. To think they would try to take you from the second floor.]

Yu Junghyeok was already on his way up to the second floor under someone's guidance. Meanwhile, Iris, who was still left on the first floor, only looked this way with envious eyes.

[Please do take care.]

The moment I nodded, the symbols parted and the fabled-grade constellations appeared. Three symbolic forms shaped like grim reapers. I knew at once who they were.

[Her Majesty is looking for you.]

The Judges of the Underworld. Now that I thought about it, these ones were fabled-grade too. Though they were beings who maintained their standing by borrowing Persephone's fable...

I was about to go up to the second floor with them when someone casually threw out a remark from the edge of the landing.

[So you were a pathetic bastard too. Bowing your head to those second-floor types.]

At Goryeo's Top Swordsman's words, the Judges released furious pressure all at once.

[Goryeo's Top Swordsman, what do you mean by that?]

[Do you wish to die?]

At the Judges' words, Goryeo's Top Swordsman smirked and stood from the seat.

[If it's a matter of being ready to die, I'm always ready. Want to try me?]

Goryeo's Top Swordsman's symbolic form was larger than I had imagined. No, perhaps this feeling wasn't coming from the size of the symbolic form at all.

This was the size of a constellation's status.

[Don't get cocky just because you're fabled-grade. You're nothing but vermin barely clinging to the tail of a fable and living off it.]

At that terrifying surge of force, the attention of the constellations on both the first and second floors snapped here all at once. The Judges looked flustered, but they still had the pride of the fabled-grade and didn't back down easily. A fierce light rose in Goryeo's Top Swordsman's eyes. It was the kind of killing intent that looked ready to send all three Judges straight to the afterlife.

What's more, beyond the Judges, he glared at the fabled-grade constellations seated like nobles on the second floor.

[Olympus. Eden. Veda... I don't know why you bastards gathered in a backwater like this, but just because the creation gods have left their seats doesn't mean you should get too carried away.]

At those words, unrest spread even among the fabled-grade on the second floor. No matter how strong Goryeo's Top Swordsman was, they weren't the sort who would quietly overlook a provocation from a mere Historical constellation. Just as the banquet hall was about to turn into a battleground between constellations,

[Enough!]

At the powerful command that dominated the entire banquet hall, the heated atmosphere instantly cooled.

[Judges, do not cause unnecessary disorder. And Goryeo's Top Swordsman, it would be best if you did not behave so rudely either.]

At that cold tone, the Judges resumed walking with me, and Goryeo's Top Swordsman, looking displeased, sat back down on the landing and went back to draining drink after drink. I looked toward the owner of the voice.

As expected, the Queen of the underworld.

Persephone's strength still wasn't widely known, but among the fabled-grade gathered here, Persephone was probably one of the strongest.

[It has been a while, Kim Dokja.]

Persephone, whom I was meeting again after some time, was once more wearing Yu Sangah's appearance. It seemed Persephone had really gotten a taste for teasing me.

"Have you been well?"

[You came to Tartarus and caused quite a pointless disturbance before leaving.]

"Ha ha..."

With an awkward expression, I looked around at the surrounding constellations. Strangely enough, once the symbolic forms changed into humanoid ones, it became even harder to tell who was who. When they were symbols, all I had to do was think of the constellation's symbol... At the highest seat on the second floor, I saw the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal looking down at me from a throne-like seat. After looking at me for a moment, the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal gave a snort and turned away.

...Was that one always like that?

After a little more time, I got used to the arrangement of the second floor and thought I could roughly make out how the camps were divided.

With Persephone in the center, Olympus was to the east, Veda to the west, and to the north were the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal and the constellations of unaffiliated or smaller nebulae...

Lastly, the south side was easy to recognize as Eden.

Because every last one had wings. There was even an unbelievably beautiful angel lightly winking at me. It was an angel dressed in a black lace dress that looked almost devilish... Wait a minute. Devilish?

A question suddenly occurred to me. If that constellation had come too, then maybe...

"Your Majesty, Queen of the underworld. There is something I would like to ask."

[What is it?]

"Has a constellation called Secretive Plotter come here as well?"

[...Secretive Plotter?]

For a moment, a strange look crossed Persephone's face. But soon enough, Persephone shook her head.

[I don't know. More importantly, the Fable Succession Ceremony will begin soon. Have you made your decision? There are quite a few constellations who want to use your resurrection.]

"I'm still thinking about it."

As if reading my thoughts, Persephone said,

[If it's you, you'll probably reject all of them. You've always done that until now.]

Truly, it was the sort of thing a devoted viewer of my channel would say.

[But that choice would not be the right one. They will all start picking copyright fights with you.]

"Since when does a fable have copyright?"

[For those who claim it is theirs, it does. It will probably become quite troublesome for you.]

"Are you perhaps trying to tell me to choose Olympus?"

Persephone smiled and ran a hand over the smooth bridge of the nose.

[That isn't what I mean. In truth, I dislike those ones.]

Just as Persephone said, in TWSA, Persephone stood in a rather hostile relationship with Olympus. In reality, the third-generation gods of Olympus at the banquet were only hovering around awkwardly nearby. Even the constellations from other nebulae were carefully watching this side and hesitating to come closer.

Probably because they were wary of Persephone... or more precisely, Hades.

So, without meaning to, I was under the protection of the underworld. Maybe it had actually been fortunate that the first fabled-grade I ever met was Persephone.

"Then what choice do you think I should make, Your Majesty? Veda? Or Eden? Or the other nebulae?"

[Whoever you choose, you will gain enemies. And those enemies will be more powerful than any you have faced until now. As you know, a resurrection fable is a fable that forms the foundation of myths in many nebulae. And accepting one fable can, at times, result in denying another.]

As Persephone said that, Persephone licked her lips as if a delicious steak had been set right in front of her. No matter how I looked at it, this queen seemed to be enjoying the current situation.

"...Then what exactly are you telling me to do?"

[That is something you must think through yourself. But think carefully. Does this really have to become a matter of making someone your enemy?]

It doesn't have to become a matter of making someone my enemy?

But I wasn't given enough time to think about it. The dokkaebi on the stage was shouting.

"From this moment, the Fable Succession Ceremony will begin!"

Footnotes:

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