WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 241: Episode 45: The Gourmet Association (3)

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The old man's expression shifted through a range of emotions at my words.

[Demon King of Salvation...?]

It was hard to read his exact feelings from the oddly folded wrinkles on his face.

At first, the old man seemed indifferent. Then he looked faintly surprised, then strangely angry, and finally impressed. More precisely, all those emotions were contained in a single expression.

[I see. So you're the one... Hehe, so that's how it is.]

He spoke as if he knew me. Persephone had said that the Constellations of the Gourmet Association wouldn't know someone like me, so I hadn't expected anything. Was I more well-known than I thought?

"May I ask your modifier?"

Instead of answering, the old man gave me an unreadable smile.

[Do you like the coat I made?]

"...Excuse me?"

[The coat you're wearing.]

I unconsciously looked down at my white coat.

The Infinite Dimensional Void Coat.

It was the coat I had received as a reward after killing Myeong Ilsang. And the Constellation who had made it was...

"...Mass Production Maker?"

The old man grinned at my shocked voice.

[That's what I'm called, yes.]

He pointed his thumb at himself, and I felt a little intimidated.

Mass Production Maker.

Whenever someone named the Constellations with the greatest influence in the Star Stream, he was always mentioned. His personal combat ability might not have been among the highest ranks, but Mass Production Maker had close connections with the Administration Bureau and countless nebulae. That alone made him dangerous enough.

To make matters worse, I had killed Returnee Myeong Ilsang, Mass Production Maker's Incarnation, when I cleared the Fifth Scenario.

[Hehe, there's no need to make that face. I won't eat you.]

Mass Production Maker seemed to have already noticed what I was thinking.

[I know what you're thinking. Don't worry about it. Things like that happen all the time in the Star Stream. I wasn't particularly interested in that fellow to begin with.]

"..."

[He had no perseverance, a weak will, and always chose the easiest path. I never liked him.]

I felt conflicted. I was relieved that Mass Production Maker didn't seem to care much about what had happened, but disgusted that he too regarded his Incarnation as nothing more than a tool.

I forced myself to sound calm.

"Thank you."

[Don't thank me for it. No matter how worthless he was, he was still my Incarnation. ...By the way, I enjoyed the story you made.]

"The story I made?"

[Yes. You have an exceptional talent for leading Scenarios in unexpected directions and turning them into a mess. You kept me entertained for quite some time. I even gave it five stars.]

I couldn't tell whether that was praise or an elaborate insult, but I thanked him anyway.

[Is this your first time here? Who introduced you?]

"The Queen of the underworld."

A strange light flashed through Mass Production Maker's eyes.

[That old hag? Hehe, she finally went and did it. Bringing a newcomer like you here at a time like this...]

I had some idea of what he meant, but I deliberately played dumb.

"Is something happening to the Gourmet Association?"

[There's always something happening. More importantly, did that old hag abandon a first-time newcomer here and go off to handle her own business? Tsk, tsk... Those Olympus bastards. Come along. I'll give you a brief introduction.]

Things were going better than expected. I followed after Mass Production Maker while looking around.

There were plenty of fascinating sights, but I couldn't forget why I was here. I had come to recruit Constellations who would help with the Demon King Selection.

Let's see. The first Constellation I should speak to was...

[You can tell who that drunkard over there is just by looking at him, can't you? That's Thor. And that stern-looking young woman is Vakarine...]

Whenever Mass Production Maker casually called out the Constellations' True names, a chill ran through my chest. A Constellation's True name held the power to draw their attention. The problem was that I didn't know whether that attention would be favorable or hostile.

I had called Persephone's True name now and then, but I had never thrown it around so freely...

[I'm not very close to them, so don't expect an introduction. They panic whenever I even approach them.]

In fact, Thunder of Thursday and Goddess of the Morning Star were already beginning to slip away just because Mass Production Maker had appeared. I could guess why.

[Tsk, tsk. They don't even know what a good fable is...]

Simply moving around with Mass Production Maker made the Constellations' reactions visibly different. I had barely been able to set foot in the center of the banquet hall before, yet now I had entered it so easily.

At this rate, though, everyone would run away before I could even speak to them.

Come to think of it, Asmodeus was also a member of the Gourmet Association. Where was that bastard?

[It looks like the main event is about to begin.]

Mass Production Maker, who had been chattering away by himself, beamed and pulled me by the sleeve. The moment we sat at a nearby table, an attendant brought food.

Eyeballs of Merbatos, the Nine Circles Archmage.

I lightly poked at the food, then carefully set down my fork. I could feel the nearby Constellations staring at me. It felt as if they were mocking me for being unable to eat something so trivial, or looking down on me for daring to touch such food at all.

Whether those gazes fell on him or not, Mass Production Maker simply stabbed an eyeball with his fork and chewed noisily.

[It's decent enough. Look, that fellow over there is today's host.]

Light shone on the prepared stage, and the host appeared. Her face seemed familiar, and I soon realized she was the Constellation who had bumped into me in the hall earlier.

A young woman with a cute face, dressed in a lavish gothic lace dress.

[Hello, members of the Gourmet Association. I'm today's host, Euphrosyne!]

Only after hearing her name did I realize who she was.

Euphrosyne, the Goddess of Joy and Festivities.

She was a Constellation of the nebula Olympus.

Amid the applause, a few Constellations lost their dignity and shouted.

[Ohhh, Miss Euphrosyne! Over here, over here!]

To be exact, Mass Production Maker beside me did.

A memory from TWSA suddenly came to mind. There had definitely been a round in the original novel where Euphrosyne hosted the Gourmet Association.

And Yu Junghyeok had...

[Thank you all for attending despite your busy schedules! I also sincerely thank Unfathomable Strictness, the owner of Oro Castle, for lending us this venue!]

He had probably killed that bastard.

[We've prepared two main events today. Before that, I'd like to introduce a special guest. Some of you may have already heard of her! Today's guest comes from a planet that has recently become a hot spot!]

With an ominous feeling, fireworks burst from one side of the stage.

[Please welcome Anna Croft, the Prophet from Earth, with a round of applause!]

The noisy Constellations all fell silent at once. Anna strode up the stairs to the main stage.

...I see.

I could finally understand a little why Anna had come to the Gourmet Association at this time.

She really was a woman I couldn't bring myself to like.

"Greetings, Constellations of the Gourmet Association. I am Anna Croft, an Incarnation of the nebula Asgard."

Anna looked around the audience with her usual calm gaze, then greeted them with a bright smile. She carried herself with dignity, but the moment she opened her mouth, the Constellations frowned.

[The Gourmet Association has really fallen low. To think prey is speaking on the stage.]

[The Star Stream truly is nearing its end these days.]

This was the Gourmet Association, a banquet for Constellations who savored carefully selected fables. Naturally, the main ingredients of those fables were fresh Incarnations.

Anna knew that, yet she stood on that stage.

"Though I am lacking, I will be hosting the first event."

That's why that woman was so frightening.

[I don't know what prey could possibly have prepared.]

[Shouldn't we drag her down right now?]

As the atmosphere grew heated, Euphrosyne stepped in to mediate.

[Now, now, everyone. Don't get too excited... Wouldn't it be all right to hear what this delectable prey has to say? We gourmets have that much patience, don't we?]

Euphrosyne smiled and flirted, and the agitated Constellations hesitated for a moment. Clever Anna didn't miss that opening.

"As you Constellations know, predictable fables have been flooding the Star Stream lately."

The whining Constellations immediately focused on her provocative opening. Anna continued.

"Returnees, Reincarnators, Sword Masters, Nine Circles Archmages... Even Prophets like me. They are all uniform fables that begin with power greater than everyone else's..."

Anna Croft continued with a faint smile.

"Such fables, made solely for shallow thrills, are flooding the Star Stream. That is the reality of the Star Stream today."

Interest shone in the Constellations' eyes. They seemed surprised that prey would say something like that. But Anna's speech had only begun.

"It wasn't always like this. Do you remember? The stories from the distant ancient days, when first-generation fables were in fashion."

...First-generation fables. There was no way Anna could know the fables of that era.

Some of the Constellations seemed to be thinking the same thing, exchanging glances and smirks. Not everyone reacted that way, though. Some Constellations sank into brief contemplation at Anna's words.

"In those days, all stars loved fables."

Anna didn't miss that opening. With a beautiful, clear voice, she forcibly opened the box of old memories.

"Because they were worth loving. The dokkaebis gave fables their themes, and the Constellations explored form and aesthetics within them. In those days, fables clearly belonged to the realm of art."

...Art. She had more nerve than most. To say something like that from an Incarnation's position.

Either way, her plan seemed to be working fairly well. The Constellations listening to her all wore faces lost in different memories. Persephone and Mass Production Maker had also fallen silent, as if thinking of something.

They were all Constellations who had lived through those times.

[Interesting. So you're saying the fable you possess can satisfy our tastes?]

The speaker was a demon king leaning against a corner of the hall. Despite the openly provocative remark, Anna kept her smile.

"That's right. Today, I intend to return the lost first generation to all of you."

The Constellations' expressions changed at once. They all looked as though they doubted their own ears.

"A fable without the Sword Masters and Nine Circles Archmages that you all hate. A fable born only from blood, sweat, tears, and effort, with a clear message. I have come here today to offer you such a fable."

The Constellations had wildly different reactions to Anna's shocking declaration.

Some shouted that an Incarnation dared to spout such nonsense. Others were intrigued and wanted to hear what she had to say. Some were skeptical. Mass Production Maker beside me was one of them.

[...She's saying something foolish. Even the Gourmet Association couldn't possibly find fables like that interesting anymore. Don't you agree?]

"I agree."

There were certainly excellent first-generation fables.

But times had changed. Constellations already accustomed to stimulating narratives wouldn't be moved by fables that imitated the first generation now.

Still... There was no way Anna didn't know what I knew. She was the most capable Incarnation in all of TWSA.

I recalled the parts of TWSA that detailed her actions. In the original novel, Anna had never held an event like this at the Gourmet Association. But she must have done something similar somewhere.

That was when someone grabbed my shoulder.

"Demon King of Salvation-nim!"

Footnotes:

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