WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 351: Episode 65: Good and Evil (6)
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I let out a soft sigh and thought.
I didn't intend to choose either side, but for now, I was a "Demon King."
So naturally, the table I should sit at was...
Squeeze.
[Come on, this way. I saved you a seat.]
Uriel hooked her arm through mine and began leading my allies and me somewhere.
Flustered, I was dragged along by Uriel.
She led me quite naturally toward the table occupied by the Archangels.
The Demon Kings at the opposite table glared at me.
"No, wait a moment, Uriel. I..."
Before I knew it, I was seated beside Uriel, while my allies took the seats behind me one by one.
Raphael, who was sitting across from me, turned to look at me as if he couldn't believe it.
[Aren't you a Demon King?]
"Well, uh..."
Uriel, seated on my left, looked delighted regardless.
[Good, good.]
Something felt off, so I turned to my right and found an unexpected person there.
"What are you doing here?"
When had Yu Junghyeok arrived? He was sitting there, radiating his usual terrifying killing intent. Metatron was beside him, watching me with an unreadable expression.
Judging by the seating arrangement, Metatron must've brought Junghyeok here. Was it just my imagination that I had a bad feeling about this?
Metatron glanced at me, shook their head, and scolded Uriel.
[Uriel, I understand how you feel, but the Demon King of Salvation is a Demon King.]
[What about him makes him a Demon King, Scribe?]
[His modifier identifies him as a Demon King. Send him back.]
[No.]
As Uriel and Metatron bickered, a dokkaebi acting as the host appeared in the center of the hall. Judging by the number and size of their horns, they seemed to be a high-level dokkaebi.
[Now, we will begin the proceedings...]
The dokkaebi's gaze settled squarely on me.
[Hm. We announced this earlier, but someone has failed to follow the rules. Constellations and Demon Kings, please sit in your designated seats.]
Without thinking, I checked the modifier written on my seat.
[Savior of Corruption's designated seat.]
Of all seats, I had to sit in that bastard's seat? It seemed Michael hadn't attended.
I hurriedly stood and looked back at my allies.
"You should stay here. It'll be safer."
"Then what about you, Dokja-ssi?"
"I'll be fine. Don't be too nervous. Think of it as a year-end awards ceremony. We've all worked hard, so shouldn't there be a Scenario like this once in a while?"
That was what I told them, but I still couldn't let down my guard.
According to the original story, this "Duet of Good and Evil" would throw the balance between good and evil into disorder.
I smiled at Uriel, who looked up at me with a dejected little whine, then crossed the center of the hall alone with everyone watching.
[The Demon King Yejegong thinks you are an incompetent Demon King.]
[The Constellation Goddess of the Morning Star shakes her head in disbelief.]
[The Demon King Demon God of Necromancy doubts your dignity.]
I hadn't felt like this since the day I went and sat alone in the wrong class at my school entrance ceremony.
[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon likes your stupidity.]
Abyssal Black Flame Dragon? That bastard was here too?
A little later, I finally found my assigned seat.
[What a coincidence. We're seatmates again.]
As it happened, Asmodeus was sitting beside me.
"Don't say something so disgusting."
Then the banquet began.
The first event was watching a special guest performance with light refreshments. Looking at the program, it really did feel like a year-end awards ceremony.
I looked down at the steak on the plate in front of me.
「The Scream of a Top-Grade Swordmaster from Mount Phile」
Their tastes hadn't changed at all.
I put down my fork and looked at the glittering stage.
A special guest performance... It seemed they'd invited some Incarnations again.
[Today's performance is very special. We've tried tirelessly to invite these guests before, but they never accepted.]
Who could it be?
[Please welcome the God of Wine and Ecstasy! And the Goddess of Love and Beauty!]
What?
With dazzling lights flashing around them, Dionysus appeared onstage in a suit and diamond gloves, while Aphrodite appeared beside him in a black jumpsuit.
Then the music began. At the back, Orpheus's grand orchestra was playing.
[Whoa, the flashy lights are mine alone.]
Dionysus began to sing. The song continued.
[You must never kill the mood. No, no, no. You can't, can't.]
I had no idea what kind of song this was.
The Constellations seemed excited by the unexpected event. Everyone especially cheered at the powerful group dance performed by Aphrodite and her Incarnations.
I saw a few Constellations throwing forks at Dionysus.
Come to think of it, Dionysus had said something after Gigantomachia ended.
"You guys are going to make Olympus suffer for a while."
I hadn't imagined he meant this. Dionysus and Aphrodite would probably receive a huge number of coins for this guest appearance.
Considering the immense pride of Olympus's Constellations, it would still be humiliating no matter how much they were paid.
[Whoa! Don't kill the mood! The mood... Thank you! Please keep showing lots of love to the nebula Bacchus and Maenads!]
Dionysus, who had endured a barrage of food for some time, left the stage with spaghetti on his head and a smile on his face. I couldn't tell whether he was really enjoying himself or acting.
While the stage performances continued, I observed the Demon Kings sitting around me. Of course, I was being observed as well.
The lower-ranked Demon Kings in particular were openly wary.
[The Demon King Lord Who Philosophizes Corpses is wary of you.]
[The Demon King Eyes That See the Forbidden is keeping you in check.]
My rank had risen from seventy-third to sixty-seventh in a single day, so it made sense. They were probably terrified that I might challenge them to a Promotion Match at any moment.
[Now, we will begin the awards ceremony.]
I adjusted my posture. It seemed the real event was beginning now.
[A good fable is created through close cooperation between a Constellation and an Incarnation. This season, there were people who showed excellent chemistry not only between Constellations and Incarnations, but also between Incarnations. So, we have prepared a small award for them.]
Cheers from the Constellations filled the hall. Had there been something like this in the original story?
[Here are this season's nominees for the Best Chemistry Award!]
At the same time, videos appeared in the air.
A few of the people among the nominees looked very familiar.
"No, that's impossible. We absolutely can't do that."
"We'll die anyway if things keep going like this."
Two children appeared on the screen.
[The first nominees are the Incarnations Shin Yuseong and Lee Gilyeong!]
Caught in the sudden spotlight, Yuseong and Gilyeong stared with wide eyes.
I hadn't expected this either.
Come to think of it, I thought I'd seen a banner about the Best Chemistry Award when we crossed Dogae Bridge earlier.
The footage showed the children taming the Chimera Dragon in Dark Castle as they pushed through a wave of monsters, gathered their courage, and approached the dragon.
Somehow, I found myself moved.
The introductions continued.
[The second nominees are the Incarnations Jeong Huiwon and Lee Hyeongseong!]
Our nebula again?
"Huiwon-ssi, excuse me for a moment."
The footage seemed to show the moment Hyeongseong learned [Steel Transformation].
It showed Hyeongseong sacrificing himself to extinguish Huiwon's [hellfire inferno], which had run wild because of Nirvana.
Across the table, Hyeongseong's face was bright red, while Huiwon had a hand on her forehead.
Looking at them like this, they did seem quite well suited.
[And now, the third nominees!]
A moment later, I saw what appeared on the screen and froze.
What was that?
"Kim Dokja, you only get one chance."
"I've always only had one chance."
Uriel and Eden's Archangels cheered as the footage played.
The two people on the screen were Junghyeok and me. It seemed to be the moment we threw the spear together to defeat Heracles.
The dokkaebi smiled.
[The third nominees, the hottest pair of late, are the Constellation Demon King of Salvation and the Incarnation Yu Junghyeok!]
Junghyeok, sitting across from me, scowled as deeply as he could.
That bastard. Did he think I liked this?
Jihye and Huiwon met my gaze, then burst into laughter and toppled backward. What did they find so funny?
[Now, let us announce the glorious winners!]
I prayed inwardly. Not number three. Please, not number three.
Drumroll!
[This season's Best Chemistry Award goes to the couple, Incarnations Shin Yuseong and Lee Gilyeong!]
The names were announced amid bursting fireworks.
Fortunately, the Constellations had made the right choice. Amid the Angels' sighs, Gilyeong and Yuseong hesitantly walked up to the stage.
"Uh, well... Thank you... for giving us this award..."
Yuseong, incredibly nervous, stammered as she looked my way.
Then Gilyeong suddenly snatched the microphone.
"I love you, Dokja hyung!"
"I love you, mister!"
"Kim Dokja Company is the best!"
The Archangels applauded as if the children were adorable. After receiving their prize money and trophies, the two children bickered as they returned to their seats.
[Ahem. We will now continue with the awards.]
The Best Chemistry Award had been special, but most awards given at the Duet of Good and Evil were actually awarded to Great Fables. Because of that, the major candidates who had acquired decent Great Fables this season looked extremely tense.
The prize money was one thing, but the trophies awarded here were all constellation artifacts that raised one's Status. How could the Constellations not go crazy over them?
Asmodeus smiled with his eyes and whispered.
[Aren't you looking forward to seeing which award you will receive?]
"There's no way I'll get one."
At most, I'd get a Newcomer Award. There was no way they would give a major award to a new Demon King like me at an awards ceremony like this.
Asmodeus's expression was strange.
[Do you think so?]
I shook my head and watched the awards continue. Whether I won anything or not, I couldn't relax.
The Duet of Good and Evil wasn't just an awards ceremony.
Duet of Good and Evil.
A banquet of good and evil that judged a Scenario's morality.
It was called a banquet, but this event was actually a contest of pride between absolute good alignment and Absolute Evil, held at regular intervals.
Scenes from the Great Fables that had unfolded throughout the universe floated in the air.
[The winner of the New Evil Award is the Great Fable Descendants of Chiwoo!]
"Descendants of Chiwoo." It was a Great Fable that had occurred in the Emperor nebula. It was probably the fable Peihu had participated in.
From now on, every Great Fable that received an award would be divided into good and evil.
In other words, the awards given by good and the awards given by evil were different.
Peihu had been judged an evildoer, which must be why they received an award from the Demon Kings.
[The winner of the New Good Award is the Great Fable Guardian of the Sphinx!]
"Guardian of the Sphinx." It was a Great Fable of Papyrus.
Rannvir Khan must have received it.
As a good person who generously gave what they had to others, Rannvir seemed to have received support from absolute good alignment.
[The winners, please come forward!]
Peihu and Rannvir, who came up as representatives of the winners, gave brief acceptance speeches.
Peihu, a master of one-on-one combat.
And Rannvir, a genius in large-scale battles.
I had assumed they would have entered Great Fable Scenarios by now, but it was still surprising that they had already gathered such impressive fables. As expected, the major characters of TWSA were in a league of their own.
[Now, the next award...]
After the Newcomer Award, the awards for excellence in each field continued.
One award went to evil, then one to good. They were handed out as though they were being divided evenly.
A few of those awards were probably heavily influenced by certain Constellations. That was how the Constellations of the Star Stream maintained the balance between good and evil.
[First, I would like to sincerely thank the Constellations and Demon Kings of Absolute Evil for giving me this award. To my Patron on my home planet, the dokkaebi who operates my channel, and...]
When even the long acceptance speeches for the awards of excellence ended, I started feeling strange. I had naturally expected to receive at least one award by now, but the ceremony had passed me by.
No matter what, couldn't Kim Dokja Company at least receive a Newcomer Award? We had a fable we'd created, after all.
[The winner of this season's Top Excellence Award is the Great Fable...]
The Top Excellence Award went to Anna Croft's Zarathustra.
Perhaps Anna couldn't attend due to circumstances, so Selena Kim gave the acceptance speech in her place.
Come to think of it, Anna Croft had won the Top Excellence Award at this banquet in the original story too.
Only the Grand Prize remained. By then, I was beginning to fear something.
「The Grand Prize announcement at the Duet of Good and Evil determines that year's balance between good and evil.」
The most important thing at this banquet was the Grand Prize.
Unlike the other awards, there was only one Grand Prize across both good and evil.
In other words, the power and status of good and evil would be decided by which fable received the Grand Prize.
Would this season's greatest fable belong to good, or evil?
When I looked around, the faces of the Demon Kings and Angels who had been laughing and chatting were now tense.
[This season's Grand Prize goes to...]
Then the dokkaebi opened their mouth. As I heard the syllables they spat out, I felt my sense of reality slowly fading.
The balance of the world was starting to creak.
[The Great Fable Holy Flame That Devoured Myth of the nebula Kim Dokja Company.]
Footnotes:
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