WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 159: I Am the Only One Who Regrets It

──────

After their drunken heart-to-heart, Helenas prepared to see Kyle off.

They were not parting forever. It would only be a few years, nothing compared to the five hundred years she had spent waiting for him. Even so, Helenas knew the years ahead, the years she would spend waiting for Kyle, would feel longer than any time she had lived through.

She would not be completely lonely. Unlike the past five hundred years, when she had lived only in her own time, Helenas had now entered everyone else's.

She was still bound by her fate as a swordswoman, so she could not help but wield a sword. Yet her eyes no longer saw only the sword.

Small, ordinary things. Everyday things that had always been beside her, yet had never truly caught Helenas's attention.

The dreams she had the night before, the softness of her blankets. The drowsiness that lingered after waking. Sunlight streaming through the window and birds singing in the forest. The breeze that brushed past her when she opened the door, the feel of earth beneath her shoes. The changing colors of the sky as the sun crossed overhead and then dipped beyond the horizon. The moon and stars rising in the darkened sky after sunset.

The warmth of bathwater soaking into her body, the brush running through her hair, the freshness after a bath, the different flavors of different foods.

Obion's fatherly affection, Serga's respect, Theodic's loyalty, Tebar's fighting spirit, Lamika's affection, Ronia's admiration, Evan's admiration.

And then.

The feel of a sword hilt curling around her fingers, and the sound of the wind splitting when she raised her sword high and swung it.

She swung the same sword she had always swung, yet the texture of the wind seemed to change ever so slightly each time. With every swing, unfamiliar feelings stirred deep in her chest.

Helenas could now feel all those things. Little by little, emotions rose within her from each one. Kyle leaving no matter what was disappointing, but it was still a little all right.

She would no longer be alone.

"Take care."

Outside the Sword Grove, Helenas greeted Kyle, who stood before the Iron Dragon.

"Be careful. If you die, I'll have to die after you."

"Yes, I'll be careful."

No one could know what life would bring, but unlike in his previous life, Kyle now had plenty of reasons not to die easily. Too many people would grieve for him, and now there was even an elf who said she would follow him into death.

If Helenas were to kill herself in sorrow over Kyle's death, the Sword Church would fall into chaos. Some of its fanatics might even follow their master and take their own lives.

"I'll send word from time to time. Until I come visit again, please take care of yourself too, Sword Church Master."

"I'll wait while wielding my sword."

Helenas answered with a faint smile. She had already prepared herself for today's parting. For the first time in her life, she had drunk alcohol and shared honest words with him. They had spoken several times since then as well.

That did not mean she had no regrets. Deep down, Helenas still wanted to keep Kyle in the Sword Grove forever. The fact that she would not act on that desire was proof that she had begun to change.

"It won't be the same as before. Many things inside me are changing, little by little."

Helenas murmured as she stroked the sword at her waist.

"When we meet again, I may be stronger than I am now. If you come back certain that you can defeat me, you'll have to account for that possibility."

"Oh..."

She was saying she would not lose easily. That was what Kyle wanted, but hearing it from Helenas, who had once held no interest in the sword or even the will to fight, was unexpected and pleasing. Kyle grinned and nodded.

"I'll return having grown even stronger than you have."

Helenas had said she had suffered many defeats, yet had never once found defeat frustrating or regrettable. Perhaps when they met again, she would feel frustration and regret at losing.

If that happened, Kyle would be truly happy. It would mean Helenas had escaped the curse called fate that had bound her for five hundred years.

"Take care of yourselves too, Apostles. Look after the Sword Church Master properly, and don't put any foolish ideas in her head."

Kyle said it while glaring particularly hard at Obion and Theodic. He had not forgiven the scheme they pulled a week ago. If Theodic was still alive when Kyle became the next Sword Church Master, Kyle would make sure to hold him accountable for it.

"I've spent my time here well, learned well, and eaten well. As I have grown stronger by taking in the Apostles' swords, I hope you will all grow stronger by reflecting on the swords of our Founding Ancestors."

Sword Pursuit, Sword Madness, Sword Love.

They were the doctrines of the Sword Church. Before coming here, Kyle had mostly thought of the Sword Church as the fan club of an elf who had lived for five hundred years. After spending time in the Sword Grove, though, he had come to like the Sword Church greatly.

No matter how it had begun, no matter what path it had taken to get here, every Apostle Kyle had met in the Sword Grove was a swordsman. No one could reach such heights without pursuing the sword, going mad for the sword, and loving the sword.

Kyle had always liked strong swordsmen.

"If you are too weak when we meet again, you will earn my utter contempt."

Several of the Apostles let out hollow laughs.

"Arrogant little brat. Who do you think you're saying that to?"

Tebar was the only one who voiced an objection, but even he knew Kyle's words were not excessive arrogance. How much stronger had Kyle become in just one month? The boy's rate of growth was beyond common sense. It was absurd and grotesque. Unless they swung their swords with everything they had every day, Kyle would surpass them within a few years.

'Even giving it everything I have... may not be enough.'

Tebar was far too proud to say that thought aloud or admit it to himself. So he had to keep thinking about it.

The Sword Saint's sword.

Not just Tebar, but the other Apostles thought the same. Helenas was not the only one who had stagnated. A few years were nothing compared to the centuries she had remained still, but the swords of the Sword Church's Apostles had all reached their limits as well.

Yet because they had seen a sword so distant from their own, they could glimpse what lay beyond those limits. None of it had been Kyle's intention, but the Sword Church was about to enter the greatest revival in its history.

"Are you done saying your goodbyes?"

Agur, who had been smoking heavily beside the crouched Iron Dragon, asked Kyle as he turned around.

"Yes, I'm finished."

"Then shall we leave at once?"

"Yes. But are you really coming with me to Gladiheim?"

"We already settled that."

Agur answered as he put his cigarette into a portable ashtray.

"I am interested in your dragon, young master."

"I told you, it's not a dragon. It's a Spirit."

Kyle answered with a bitter smile. Agur Duroka, a citizen of the Dwarf Autonomous Region within the Western Demihuman Alliance, had decided to leave his workshop behind and travel to Gladiheim with Kyle.

The reason was simple. During the month he spent in the Sword Grove, Agur observed Jor and drew countless blueprints, yet he remained unsatisfied. Driven by the desire to create the masterpiece of his life, Agur had decided to go with Kyle to Gladiheim, to Alastor.

By then, Kyle could no longer hide the truth about Jor. Jor was not actually an eastern dragon, but a Spirit. He confessed as much, but Agur did not get angry as Kyle had expected.

"Whether it is a Spirit or a dragon does not matter much. If anything, the fact that it is not a dragon excites me more. There may be dwarves somewhere in the world who have built dragons, though I do not know of them. But your Spirit is truly one of a kind, young master."

Agur grinned. At that answer, Jor, coiled within Kyle's Middle Dantian, trembled.

"Still, it is true that you tried to deceive me. So I am going with you to Alastor. Besides..."

Agur turned to look at the Iron Dragon.

"I taught you how to operate it, but if you were to ride this monstrosity home and fall to your death, would that not put me in a difficult position in many ways? It is better that I return with you."

"Ahem... I suppose I can't argue with that."

Kyle really had done something wrong, so he could not refuse Agur's request. Besides, he had promised to give him any information about dragons that might be in Alastor.

'And taking a dwarf back with me would benefit the family too.'

The craftsmen of the Sword Tower workshop were said to be comparable to dwarves, but there were no actual dwarves in the workshop. Kyle nodded.

"All right. Let's return together."

Agur smiled in satisfaction and turned away.

"Kyle."

Helenas called out. Kyle paused as he followed Agur, who had begun climbing the stairs that descended from the Iron Dragon's wide-open chest. When he turned around, Helenas was watching him with a faint smile.

"Come back safely."

Those words stirred something in him.

When he had left Helenas in his previous life, he had not heard a farewell like that. Raikal had not gone out of his way to say he would be back, either.

When Helenas had visited the Sword Tower before, their final exchange had not included those words.

[Take care.]

[See you next time.]

[Take care of yourself, and next time... let's meet again.]

They had grown closer than that. Kyle now had a home here, a place he could return to, a place he had to return to. He let out a quiet laugh and nodded.

"I'll be back."

That was their last farewell. Once Kyle climbed the stairs, they retracted with a clank, and the Iron Dragon's chest closed. A moment later, the Iron Dragon rose to its feet with a roar.

Its enormous wings spread wide and began to beat. The massive metal body rose into the air. The gusts from its wings shook the forest. Holding down her fluttering hair, Helenas watched the Iron Dragon rise high and fly away.

"He left more cleanly than I expected. Makes a person feel disappointed."

Tebar grumbled.

"He even refused a farewell party."

They had grown attached to him in their own way and wanted to prepare a farewell party themselves, but that irritating young master had declined because he found it burdensome.

"Let's go back."

Helenas spoke while watching the Iron Dragon disappear into the distance. If she watched any longer, she felt as though she might want to follow him. She could not allow that, so Helenas turned and headed into the forest.

"The Sword Church Master is surprising too. I thought you would insist that you could not let him go."

Tebar blinked in wonder. Obion, who had been watching Helenas's back with fond eyes, spoke up.

"She promised the next meeting. That is why she let him go."

The master who had been trapped in eternity now wished for tomorrow, for what came next. That alone was worth celebrating. Obion bowed deeply toward the distant Iron Dragon, then followed Helenas. As the other Apostles began returning to the forest after him, Tebar clicked his tongue.

"Am I the only one who regrets it?"

He could not get over the fact that they had failed to give Kyle a farewell party yesterday.

* * *

The inside of the Iron Dragon was spacious and comfortable. The cockpit, which Kyle had learned about beforehand, was too complicated to understand no matter how often he looked at it. Still, there was a space behind it large enough to seat around ten people.

"How long will it take to reach the Blade Mountain Range on this?"

"Allow two full days."

It was incomparably faster than traveling by horse. Agur glanced at Kyle, who was quietly impressed, and continued.

"Do not be too impressed. It eats fuel just as quickly as it flies."

The Iron Dragon ran on mana. Mana tanks and Circuits designed and built by Agur himself allowed this massive construct to fly at high speeds.

"When it runs out, it must be recharged. Filling it from empty to full takes an entire week. Flying from here to the Blade Mountain Range will probably consume around half its fuel."

Agur raised a finger and pointed at the display in the cockpit.

"When you ride this monstrosity, keep your eye on that gauge at all times. If you enter battle, the fuel will drain like water, so remember that."

"I understand."

"Oh, and you cannot ride this monstrosity all the way to the Blade Mountain Range."

"What? Why not?"

"What do you mean, why? Just as expected of a young master from Alastor, the continent's greatest family, where even the Emperor cannot interfere. Listen, young master. There is such a thing as airspace."

"Ah."

"This part is imperial territory because the Sword Grove is here, so it is fine. But if we fly this monstrosity beyond Karent, we may be shot down. We must reach Karent first, then take a Warp Gate to Vigrid. We can store this thing inside your Out-of-Place Artifact."

That was true. The defense forces would never sit still if this enormous Iron Dragon flew through the skies of the Empire. Besides, Agur was not an imperial citizen, but a citizen of the Western Demihuman Alliance.

"Arriving in Karent, receiving entry approval, and getting permission to use the Warp Gate will take several days. So when we get there, you must make sure to vouch for my identity."

"It won't take several days. We can probably use the Warp Gate by today at the latest."

"Do not say ridiculous things. The Empire and the Demihuman Alliance are not exactly at peace."

"My family is Alastor."

Kyle removed the silver pauldron he was still wearing and put it into his Out-of-Place Artifact.

"At the same time, I am the Sword Church's Eighth Apostle."

After storing the pauldron, he took out the red medal within it.

"I am the youngest recipient of the Martial Star Medal in the Empire of Grandika, and I am close enough to the Crown Prince that we call each other brothers."

The Empire and the Demihuman Alliance were not at peace, but neither were they locked in a cold war. They were simply neighboring nations that kept watch on one another. Kyle had more than enough influence and power to bring in a single dwarf.

"G-Greetings, Sir Black Sword!"

As expected, they received an extremely warm welcome in Karent. Karent was a small provincial city on the edge of the Empire. The middle-aged lord bent over so deeply that Kyle worried for the man's back as he guided them.

"I had intended to greet you properly last time, but the situation was so hectic, and you had to leave in such a hurry..."

Kyle had already been famous as Alastor's rising star and a recipient of the Martial Star Medal, but thanks to the Imperial Newspaper, even passing snot-nosed children now recognized his face.

"That's the Black Sword..."

"I heard he's the Sword Church Master's fiancé?"

Unwanted stories reached him from every direction. Kyle forced a smile and waved to the onlookers.

Kyle was at the center of the hottest rumors surrounding the continent's most famous family. If he shouted at everyone to shut up, more rumors would only follow.

"I wish to receive entry clearance and permission to use the Warp Gate. I will personally vouch for this man's identity, so please make the process convenient. If any problem arises, I will take full responsibility."

How could a provincial lord or a provincial official refuse when Kyle openly asked for a favor? He was even promising to take all responsibility himself. As a result, less than a few hours after arriving in Karent, Kyle and Agur were able to enter the Warp Gate.

"I have visited imperial territory a few times, but this is the first time I have not been called a runt."

"A runt?"

"It is the racial slur dwarves hear most often. Elves are ear-freaks, the Demon Tribe are horn-freaks, orcs are snub-noses, and beastkin have different insults depending on the species. The common slur for them is half-human."

"Then what do you call humans?"

"Ants."

"Ants?"

"There are so many of you, you live in colonies, and you build kingdoms everywhere. You are exactly like ants."

That was apparently how demihumans saw them.

* * *

"Lucia."

At the Sword Wolf Knights' building, Bruno carefully knocked on Lucia's door.

"A report just came into the Sword Tower. Kyle arrived at Vigrid's Warp Gate a little while ago."

His voice was even more cautious than his knocking. Ever since the Imperial Newspaper spread across the continent a month ago, Lucia had become extremely, extremely sensitive.

These days, aside from training, Lucia stayed shut in her room at all times.

"Once the brief formalities are over, he will probably return to Gladiheim immediately. The Family Head said that even if he is irresponsible, we must still greet him... Everyone in Gladiheim is to gather at the main gate."

There was a movement inside the silent room. Bruno swallowed hard and stepped back. The memory of knocking loudly on Lucia's door last time because he was worried about her staying inside all day, then getting beaten soundly during sparring, still haunted him.

Creeeak.

The closed door opened. Dull red eyes gleamed from within the dark room.

"Did you say... the Commander has returned?"

"Yes, the Commander... Um, Kyle has returned."

"Did he return with the Sword Church Master?"

"No... I heard he returned with some dwarf, not the Sword Church Master..."

"Is that dwarf a woman too?"

"No, no, no. Not a woman. A man, I think. Probably."

Bruno had not heard the dwarf's gender. He had only heard that it was a dwarf.

"I understand... I will get ready and come out soon."

Lucia answered, her eyes glinting darkly, then shut the door again. Standing before the closed door, Bruno clenched and unclenched his sweat-dampened hands and swallowed his sigh.

'What was that look...?'

This was all because of that damned Imperial Newspaper.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried