WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 182: Everyone Except Humans

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They could have arrived quickly by riding the Iron Dragon or flying themselves, but they had no choice but to travel on foot.

The treasure Imugi had given them could not conceal the Iron Dragon, and winged eyes roamed the sky in groups of dozens.

“They're searching awfully hard.”

Kyle clicked his tongue and looked up at the sky. It had been four days since they left the Underground City and headed toward the Mok Family's main house. He had probably seen hundreds of those eye monsters by now.

‘It seems Velatus and those servants of hers really can't get close to the Wall of Severance.’

Kyle spoke to Jor inside his Middle Dantian, and to Fragment residing within her. It was deep into the night. Kyle was on watch with Fenris held against his chest. Since they were moving in secret, they could not even light a campfire, and pitch-black darkness had settled over them.

‘There weren't many of those monsters near the Wall, but there have been more and more of them the farther we travel.’

[...Velatus must be desperate too. She sent a welcoming party after inviting you all this way, only for all contact to suddenly stop.]

Fragment answered in a gloomy voice.

‘That's not my fault, is it? If anything, it's Velatus's fault. Fine, she sent monsters as a welcoming party without properly explaining anything. But shouldn't she have asked me first before turning this world into such a hellhole?’

[Velatus is... a dragon. She does not understand the human heart. She probably never felt any need to ask for your understanding.]

‘That's ridiculous too. Maybe she doesn't understand humans, but she got along well with Ruin, didn't she? Knowing Ruin's personality, there's no way he would've tolerated a world in this state.’

[Perhaps Velatus never understood Ruin either...]

Fragment let out a long sigh.

[Are humans not the same? They understand only what they wish to understand and see only what they wish to see. They are strict with others, yet generous with themselves. Perhaps... Velatus was captivated not by Ruin's nature, but by his radiance. What fueled that radiance is not something a dragon would understand.]

‘Like a jewel?’

[Yes. How many seek to deeply understand why a jewel shines and is beautiful? They simply think it is beautiful and want to possess it. Dragons are especially that sort of race.]

There were many stories about dragons and treasure. Agur the dwarf had said as much himself. Many dragons had exploited dwarves to make things for them, and Velatus had exploited more dwarves than any of them.

Why had she done that? Dragons were a great race from the moment they were born. Fine swords and armor made by dwarves were of no use to them. Yet replicas of the armaments Velatus had forced dwarves to make were given out as rewards on the Cultivation Floors of the Sword Tower.

Had Velatus prepared the Cultivation Floors' rewards from the beginning? That could not be true. If Velatus had truly been such a noble dragon, genuine articles would have been awarded there instead of magically created replicas.

[There is no grand reason behind a dragon's greed and desire to collect. They are great from the moment they are born and believe that all things in the world exist for them... They simply believe that beautiful, well-crafted, valuable things ought to belong to them.]

As he listened, Kyle vaguely understood why Velatus had stayed by Ruin's side, built the Sword Tower as a gift, and refused death while remaining in this land even now, hundreds of years later.

‘To Velatus, Ruin Alastor was a treasure unlike any other in the world. Something she absolutely wanted to possess.’

The Velatus Kyle had met on the Ascension Platform had spoken more about Ruin than the safety of the world.

[This is not for me, but for Ruin.]

[Did you not see Ruin as well? Is it not pitiful to see his back as he walks that distant, boundless road, a road whose end cannot be seen and whose very existence is uncertain?]

[I know a way for Ruin. I can help Ruin, and I can help the world.]

Ruin had always been at the center of Velatus's words. What Velatus truly wished to cherish was Ruin. The world was merely incidental to that wish.

“What a crazy lizard. She put in all that effort just to seduce one man.”

She had not worked with Ruin to build the Sword Tower for the sake of the world. She had built it as a gift to help Ruin bear the duty that held him captive.

Why?

Because she could not have him no matter how much she wanted him. Velatus had been born a dragon and spent her entire life having everything she desired. Then, for the first time, she found someone she wanted but could not possess. That was why she had offered up everything she had.

[...For such a reason? That is only your speculation. Velatus may have another greater cause...]

‘The longer something has lived and the more it has, the more likely it is to obsess over a small thing it cannot have.’

Kyle knew an elf who had never forgotten him for five hundred years and continued swinging a sword, all because he had taught her a little swordsmanship long ago.

‘It's obvious. Completely obvious. Velatus has no intention of quietly giving up her heart and dying.’

[Obvious? Then tell me. What do you think Velatus desires?]

Anger entered Fragment's previously gloomy voice. Fragment was still caught between love and hatred for Velatus and could not hate her completely.

Fragment had not yet met Velatus or exchanged a single word with her. Fragment did not know what Velatus truly wanted. Naturally, Fragment could not help but feel displeased by Kyle's speculation about her.

‘Isn't she trying to take my body?’

[...What?]

‘She turned an entire continent into a living hell and stubbornly held on until I reincarnated, then the moment she laid eyes on me, she said she would give me her heart. And from the things she said, she was still completely hung up on Ruin.’

Ruin was a sinful bastard.

‘But Ruin longed for me until the day he died. Velatus even told me that I was a human preserved in Ruin's memories. In relationships like this, the woman who was obsessed and clinging on usually goes mad with jealousy.’

[Ve... Velatus is not an ordinary woman...!]

‘Either way, Ruin looked back at me, not Velatus. Velatus misses Ruin and wants to meet him, so she'll probably try to take my body.’

Thinking about it that way, perhaps the truly sinful one was not Ruin but the Sword Demon from Kyle's previous life. Kyle did not feel even the slightest guilt over that, though.

‘Well, we'll learn the truth when we meet Velatus.’

Kyle did not care about Velatus's mournful devotion.

There was only one thing he needed to know.

This world was hell.

* * *

The Mok Family was in the midst of a festival celebrating Mok Ha-seong, the current Family Head, reaching the grand age of forty. At forty, it would not have been strange for a Dragonkin's body to have already shriveled up and their intent to dry out before they returned to the Dragon Nether. Yet Mok Ha-seong was so vigorous that it was hard to believe they were that age.

“If there is a secret to it, I would dearly like to hear it.”

The Family Head of the Su Family, covered in blue scales, respectfully lowered his body and filled Mok Ha-seong's cup with wine. The wine was made by mixing droplets from the Jade Pool, which the Su Family had served for generations, with the vital blood of lowborn raised under strict management. It was precious wine normally offered to the Dragon Nether alongside living sacrifices, so even the Family Head himself could not easily drink it.

Su O-jeon was desperate enough to offer such wine. His father, the previous Family Head, had returned to the Dragon Nether at the age of thirty-six. Su O-jeon was only twenty-seven, yet he could feel more scales falling out and his strength weakening by the day.

“How many children do you have?”

Mok Ha-seong stroked a beard as twisted as tree roots. Su O-jeon immediately bowed his head and answered.

“Fourteen.”

“You have had quite a few. Eat four of them raw, make cultivation pills out of four, offer four to the Jade Pool, and offer your most beloved child to the Dragon Nether.”

Mok Ha-seong calmly raised the wine to their mouth. The clear crimson wine streamed over Mok Ha-seong's lips.

“Still, it would be best to leave one behind to continue the direct line.”

“If I do that, can I live as long as you, Family Head Mok?”

Su O-jeon swallowed hard as he poured more wine into Mok Ha-seong's cup. He had no particular attachment to his children, so eating and offering them was not difficult.

“That is what I did. Of course, you must eat good things regularly. If I may offer more advice, do not have any more children from now on. Laying eggs cannot be helped, but I mean that you should not spill any more of your dragon blood.”

“B-but according to the Dragon Nether's teachings, we must have many children...”

“Come now, are you the only one in the Su Family capable of having children? Leave the duty of producing many offspring to your household. As Family Head, you must think about living a long life and prospering your family!”

Mok Ha-seong clicked their tongue and emptied the cup in one gulp. Su O-jeon immediately refilled it.

“I do the same. As you know, the Mok Family alone has hundreds of farms and raises tens of thousands of lowborn. It is not simply a matter of numbers. I can assure you that, among the Five Great Families, the Mok Family offers the finest living sacrifices.”

Mok Ha-seong drank again and set the cup down with a thud. Once more, Su O-jeon promptly refilled it.

“All of this was achieved by me, Mok Ha-seong, the current head of the Mok Family. How do you think I was able to accomplish it? Because I have lived longer than not only the Mok Family's previous heads, but every Family Head of the Five Great Families. The longer one lives, the more experience one accumulates, and the wiser one becomes.”

“Oh... You are entirely correct.”

Su O-jeon sincerely bowed in reverence. Mok Ha-seong chuckled and stroked their beard.

“As the family prospers, the quality and quantity of the sacrifices we offer to the Dragon Nether increase as well, so the Dragon Nether has bestowed much grace upon me. Family Head Su, tell me honestly. How long do you wish to live?”

“I... I wish to live longer than my father, who returned to the Dragon Nether.”

“Come now, would you be satisfied with living only thirty-six years? I, Mok Ha-seong, wish to live to fifty.”

“F-fifty...”

“Of course, one must not live in disgrace. You know this too, do you not? Those insignificant lowborn can easily live forty or fifty years if you feed and raise them well. But what value is there in living so insignificantly?”

Mok Ha-seong abruptly turned to look below the pavilion. A hundred young lowborn, well fed and raised for this day, were kneeling there with blindfolds over their eyes and gags in their mouths.

“They live longer than us Dragonkin, but compared to us, they are utterly insignificant. Simply living a long time is not important. One must live long, but one must also live greatly.”

“Those are truly wise words.”

Su O-jin swallowed as they looked at the lowborn below. Just as Mok Ha-seong had boasted, all the lowborn raised by the Mok Family looked healthy and well fed. The Su Family raised lowborn under strict standards as well, but frankly, they could not compare to the Mok Family's lowborn.

Watching Su O-jin drool, Mok Ha-seong clicked their tongue again.

“Family Head Su, what are you eyeing?”

“Pardon? Ahem. My apologies. They are so well-fleshed that I lost myself for a moment...”

“Do not even dream of it. Those were not prepared for our table.”

“What?”

“You are only twenty-seven, yet there are more places where your scales have fallen out than the last time I saw you. It seems your heart is rotten first. Have you already forgotten the heavenly punishment the Geum Family received?”

At the mention of the Geum Family's heavenly punishment, Su O-jin's face went pale. The Geum Family had been caught tampering with the living sacrifices they were to offer to the Dragon Nether, and lowly rabble had laid waste to the family grounds.

“It is true that I have made many efforts to attain long life, but it is only because I have received the Dragon Nether's care. So on this joyous day, should I not offer the finest sacrifice?”

Mok Ha-seong took the newly filled cup and approached the pavilion's railing. Looking down at the lowborn below with satisfaction, Mok Ha-seong continued.

“Those sacrifices will be sent to the Spirit Tree's roots and beheaded all at once. I would like to send sacrifices directly to the Dragon Nether, but the Sand Sea has not opened yet... I shall offer them to the Spirit Tree instead and hold a thanksgiving rite for the Dragon Nether.”

“Ooh... Your words have opened my eyes, Family Head...!”

Su O-jeon looked up at Mok Ha-seong in sincere admiration. This was truly the wisdom and faith expected of the longest-lived Dragonkin. Mok Ha-seong must have remained so vigorous, despite being forty, because they served the Dragon Nether with such devotion.

“When I return to the Su Family, I will immediately hold a thanksgiving rite at the Jade Pool. And following Family Head Mok's teachings, I will eat twelve of my children and offer one as a living sacrifice.”

“Hohoho! Pay attention to managing the quality of your lowborn as well. Remember this. The duty the Dragon Nether has given us Dragonkin is not merely to produce many children. Truly serving the Dragon Nether means devoting ourselves to cultivation and raising the rank of our existence. To do that, we must continuously consume high-quality lowborn.”

Mok Ha-seong smiled with satisfaction at the young Su Family Head, who bowed in heartfelt admiration. Unlike his arrogant father, this son had good character and humility. Mok Ha-seong liked him.

“Unlike the other Family Heads, you came all this way to celebrate my birthday and even brought fine wine as a gift. I shall personally teach you the Mok Family's secret method of raising lowborn.”

“Thank you, thank you!”

“Hohoho! Let us enjoy the banquet first. Judging by the way you were looking, you must be very hungry. The food is of somewhat lower quality than those below, but many dishes have been carefully prepared.”

Leaning against the railing, Mok Ha-seong raised the wine cup high and shouted.

“Bring out the food...”

Thwack!

A black arrow blew Mok Ha-seong's head apart.

* * *

“Hmm...”

On the roof, Soha pulled her face slightly away from the bowstring and turned toward Kyle.

“Little brother of the Commander. I did as you asked and blew up the head of the one who looked most important. But...”

“Yeah, I see it too.”

Kyle placed a hand on Fenris and tilted his head.

“As expected of someone high-ranking, that one's a little different from the other monsters. Looks like it doesn't die even when its head gets blown apart.”

The Dragonkin Soha had sniped differed from the ones they had seen before, whether in clothing, size, or appearance. The Treefolk they had encountered looked like humans mixed with trees and dragons, while that one had more dragon than anything else.

It was like a dragon standing on two feet, dressed in a dragon robe. And it was not dying easily either. Kyle had clearly watched Soha's arrow blow up its head, yet the sap, flesh, and scales scattered in every direction were gathering again and reforming its head.

“What should I do? Shoot again?”

“No. Sister, pick off the people below instead.”

Kyle gestured beneath the roof. There, the order members led by Lucia were ambushing the Dragonkin.

“This is their main house, so these ones look pretty capable. Lady Katarina, you should head down too.”

“Will you be all right on your own?”

Katarina raised an eyebrow slightly as she asked. At that very moment, boom! A tremendous roar erupted from the distant pavilion. Mok Ha-seong, whose blown-up head had been fully restored, soared into the sky with a roar, while Su O-jin hurriedly followed behind.

“I'll try handling that one alone first.”

Kyle drew Fenris with his right hand, opened the Out-of-Place Artifact, and gripped Baal in his left.

“If it seems impossible, I'll ask for help.”

“Understood.”

Katarina nodded and drew her sword. Whoosh! Scarlet flames covered the blade.

“Just to be sure, we're wiping them all out, correct?”

“It isn't a massacre. It's assassination.”

Kyle answered without expression.

“Kill everyone except humans.”

Quietly and cleanly. The original plan had been to assassinate only those who needed killing.

But there were simply too many here who needed to die.

Footnotes:

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