WeTried Translations

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regression is Too Much

Chapter 042

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Floor 2 is too suspicious (3)

Five candles were placed in a long, straight line.

"Hup!"

I swung my sword forcefully, and in a single blow, all the candle flames were extinguished.

For someone like me, who had reached a certain superhuman level, a simple trick like this was an absolute piece of cake.

"You've done well."

The resident, who introduced himself as a blacksmith, seemed satisfied and handed me a silver sigil.

As I took the sigil and tucked it into my clothes, a silver pattern appeared above my head.

As I thought, getting a silver-grade sigil was far too easy.

There was a reason the guys blocking the plaza simply let those with silver-grade sigils pass. It's because they were giving out simple tasks that literally anyone could complete.

"Here are the sword and scabbard."

"Ah, you can just keep those. I have plenty of them anyway."

"..."

It was a sword I'd been handed just to try and cut down the candle flames, but the blacksmith was telling me to keep it. Since I'm not the type to refuse things that are given to me, I simply gave a nod.

"By the way, if I gather a whole lot of silver sigils, can I receive the reward multiple times?"

"That probably won't be possible. I heard that the reward is calculated based on the highest-grade sigil you possess."

"Ah, I see. Thank you."

It seemed that mindlessly grinding to collect a thousand silver sigils was not going to work.

Then again, it never made much sense that you could receive the reward multiple times when the difficulty was this low to begin with.

In the end, it meant that to get a proper reward, I had to receive one that was gold-grade or higher.

But as I thought before, the potential existence of a hidden reward was weighing on my mind, so I couldn't just move on.

The thing I found most suspicious was the bronze sigil.

Even the silver sigil is incredibly easy to get in the first place. As long as you have some knowledge and skill, you can obtain a silver sigil without much trouble.

So why in the world does the bronze sigil even exist? I mean, I suppose it can exist.

But why is there a beggar inside the Tower?

My terrible imagination was getting stimulated again and again.

I had a feeling that a person who looked like a simple beggar might turn out to be a master hiding some immense power.

I started to think that a commoner walking by while scratching his rear with a dirty hand might actually be an archmage.

"...I'll have to do some grinding, won't I?"

I had a strong feeling that if I thoroughly investigated the people who had bronze sigils, something was bound to turn up.

When I finished my thought and looked up, the players who were rushing busily through the streets looked a little different to me.

Getting a silver sigil was incredibly easy, but there were no patterns floating above their heads.

The reason they were still hurrying through the streets despite that... was because they were looking for a clue.

"Excuse me, are there any legends about this city? Maybe a sad story or something..."

"There's nothing like that."

"Come on, don't be like that... please take this."

"Hey, what's with this guy? I'm telling you, there's really nothing!"

There were people trying to find useful rumors by handing out food they'd gotten from who knows where.

"I wish to serve you as my master!"

"...?"

"Please, just give me one chance! I'll do my best!"

"Why, why are you doing this..."

"I know I may not be worthy of your attention! But if you would just give me one chance...!"

"Um... I think you have the wrong person. I'm just a beggar..."

"...Tsk. Another waste of time."

There were even people bowing their heads to any random beggar, pleading to be accepted as a disciple.

It seemed I wasn't the only one who thought there were too many bronze-grades around.

"...It would probably be less efficient for me to search for it myself, wouldn't it?"

After all, once you obtain a sigil, a pattern appears above your head.

And when a pattern appears, those guys guarding the central plaza will surely cause a commotion by blocking the way.

If there really is something hidden here, then something is bound to happen eventually, even if I just wait.

Alright, let's sort this out.

Finding the hidden reward is a lower priority for now. It's too uncertain to just blindly pour time into it when its existence isn't even confirmed.

Next, I need to figure out the exact standard for what counts as violence. Even if I get a good reward, it'll all be for nothing if I can't get past the thugs camped out in the plaza. But investigating this standard will inevitably require a regression. It would be best to experiment with it after I'm forced to regress anyway.

And finally, I need to find out what kind of task I must complete to receive a gold or platinum reward.

In that case, the thing I need to do right now is...

"A gold sigil..."

I need to go see the self-proclaimed noble. I started walking toward the magnificent mansion situated at the far end of the street.

Entering the mansion was surprisingly easy.

Maybe they saw the leather armor I was wearing, or maybe it was some kind of magic, but the large main gate just opened naturally.

"Hello, I am Kim Jun-ho."

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Baron Licht."

The man who introduced himself as Baron Licht had a very dignified, old-fashioned air about him.

A well-groomed mustache. A uniform that looked freshly pressed. And even a monocle over his left eye.

I thought he fit perfectly with the mansion's interior, which was decorated in dark red tones.

He was like a man out of an old masterpiece painting. He really had the look of a noble.

"So, I'd like to ask what brings you here... but I imagine the reason is quite obvious."

Baron Licht gave a playful smile.

"You want to obtain a gold sigil, or perhaps a platinum one, am I right?"

He took out a sigil from his breast pocket that was shining with a brilliant golden light.

"If it were up to me, I'd like to just hand this over... but a noble has his dignity, and the gold sigil has its rarity, does it not?"

"That's true."

"Therefore... it seems I can only give you this sigil if you pass a suitable test."

Putting the sigil back into his pocket, Baron Licht walked toward a teapot on one side of the drawing-room.

"Coffee, or tea? Which would you prefer?"

"...I'll have tea, please."

"An excellent choice. It seems our coffee doesn't quite suit the palates of climbers."

Baron Licht took out tea leaves and skillfully began to brew the tea. The gentle fragrance of the tea leaves spreading through the room was quite pleasant.

Unlike what the resident on the street had told me earlier, Baron Licht seemed perfectly normal. I felt that this man might be willing to answer my questions.

"...How did you all end up in the Tower? The people here."

"...A simple question."

Baron Licht replied without turning his head.

"Faith. We came here because of our faith."

"...Faith?"

"Yes, faith. God asked if we would enter the Tower... and the master of this city, whose faith was deep, nodded her head..."

"The master of the city...?"

"She was a promising knight from a nearby region. Now, she has become the guardian of this city. She watches from above to see who breaks the rules."

"..."

"Ah, and don't get any foolish ideas about trying to see her. She has received God's grace and is in a state that transcends humanity."

She watches from above to see who breaks the rules, he says.

It seemed the system was designed so that if you committed violence... the 'master of the city' would appear.

Could I stand a chance against the master of the city if I accumulated a massive number of Hero stacks? I had no idea. Since he said she transcended humanity, it seemed unlikely.

"Here, it's ready."

The tea now brewed, Baron Licht returned to his seat and handed me a teacup. When I took a sip, there was a slightly sharp, tingling aroma. I've never tasted tea like this before.

"...The taste is unique."

"That is its charm."

Baron Licht grinned, and I smiled back at him.

"So... what must I do to receive the gold sigil?"

"You must prove yourself."

Baron Licht once again took the golden sigil from his pocket.

"You may not know this... but we have been in this place for a very long time. You climbers cannot leave the city... but the outside is a literal paradise. Fruit, animals, fish, vegetables... there is a truly endless supply of food. No one here worries about starving to death."

"..."

"For that reason, life inside the Tower is stable... but it is unbearably dull. It's just repetition, repetition, and more repetition. There's no crisis. We are desperate for new stimulation. I don't know what kinds of tasks the other old folks give out... but I enjoy a task with a bit of a thrill. Just like the tea you just drank."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"Kidnap someone for me. She's a young woman who sells fish on the street. Her name is Emily. You can hurt her body, but you mustn't touch her face."

"..."

"Ah, and don't worry about the Tower's rules. Violence between climbers is forbidden, and violence between residents is also forbidden... but violence between a climber and a resident is not. It is my role to prevent it... but naturally, I have no intention of stopping you."

Baron Licht stroked his mustache casually.

Could this man really be the same person who was just speaking of a noble's dignity?

"..."

What the resident from earlier had said was correct.

This man... he had the appearance of a noble, but his conduct was by no means noble.

"...This is suspicious."

And I found it so deeply suspicious that I couldn't stand it. It was because I had a feeling that this Tower was trying to guide my very way of thinking.

Footnotes:

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