WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 202: You're So Stingy
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"An enemy attack? All of a sudden? By whom? Why?"
Kyle asked in disbelief. Even now, the wailing sirens were deafening. Soon, the white lights illuminating the infirmary turned red.
"If the enemy has attacked, then it is an enemy attack. And since they came without warning, it is a raid."
Duke Oun answered in an equally incredulous voice.
"Why, you ask? Hmm. There are so many reasons that I hardly know where to begin. If I were to explain why they attacked, it would become a long tale full of this old man's pitiful grievances and complaints... but the situation is urgent, so let us save that for later."
As he spoke, one eyehole in Duke Oun's mask curved into a wink.
"This old man always welcomes a chat with Sir Kyle, after all."
"What was that just now?"
"Just now? Ah, this? I am in no position to remove my mask, and I thought it would be a shame for you not to see my face and expressions. So I modified only the eyes a little, so that at least some of my expressions can show."
What kind of pointless modification was that?
Leaving Kyle to laugh in disbelief, Duke Oun threw open the infirmary door and gestured.
"Anyway, this is an emergency. It seems we will have to abandon this base and leave, so come along. Or would you like this old man to push your wheelchair?"
"No, thank you."
Kyle operated his wheelchair with an appalled look. This state-of-the-art wheelchair moved freely with a simple flick of its joystick, so there was no need to strain his arms turning the wheels or have someone push him from behind.
Lucia released the handles, drew Blood Fang, and assumed a guarded stance.
The corridor outside the infirmary was also bathed in red light. People in black gowns and Crow masks hurried back and forth.
They were researchers from Crow Company's headquarters, loyal to Duke Oun. This combat base housed one hundred members of the Black Wing Guard, Duke Oun's personal guard, along with the remaining researchers and staff from headquarters.
"Take everything except the base building itself. Do not leave behind a single thing. Hmm, no, I suppose we can leave a few things behind. The bombs that will blow the base to pieces, for example."
Duke Oun spoke casually to a Black Wing Guard member following him.
"Oh, and the underground server room. Blow it up, then mix decoy data into the information we leave behind."
"Which decoy number should we use?"
"Was the last one Number 17? Use Number 3 this time. Let those idiot sons waste half a year chasing ghosts. If they are smart enough, they will be able to distinguish the real from the fake."
Duke Oun clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Guspell... he is such an idiot that I can hardly believe he is my son. No, is Garod the idiot instead? He may have been nothing more than a figurehead president, but I put him in that position twenty-five years ago. And he is still falling for his father's little games."
"Where are we relocating to?"
"We were going to move forward anyway, so let us go to Base 43. Send word to all personnel on the expedition. Tell them to head to Base 43 first and prepare for settlement."
"Understood."
The Black Wing Guard member bowed and withdrew. While everyone rushed through the red corridor, Duke Oun walked at an unhurried pace.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions thundered outside the building, but nothing inside shook.
Kyle stared at Duke Oun's back for a moment before speaking.
"Has even your eldest son abandoned you?"
"The word abandoned wounds this old man's heart terribly."
"I should not have called you an old man."
Kyle sincerely thought so.
"It does hurt, but it is true. My second son from the Northern Branch and my eldest son from the western headquarters have joined hands to bring down their father."
Duke Oun's shoulders visibly drooped as he walked ahead.
"I have been trapped in this land for twenty-five years, after all. Still, it is quite hurtful. I may have been trapped here, but I looked after them in many ways. How did the second become head of the Northern Branch, and the eldest become president of headquarters? Was it because they were so capable? No. It was because they were born as my sons."
"When people grow distant, their hearts grow distant too."
"Oh, what a self-mocking thing to say. Are you worried that you have grown distant from your family at the Sword Tower?"
Duke Oun turned toward Kyle with a grin. Both eyeholes of his modified mask curved into smiles.
"If, by any chance, you feel that there is no longer a place for you at the Sword Tower and your ties with your family have faded, lean on this old man whenever you wish. I will adopt you. With your talents, I could even make you the next head of the Crows."
"Do not say such nonsense."
Crow Company was the continent's largest private military company, and its headquarters and three branches were each managed by Duke Oun's children. Before Duke Oun had been trapped in the dark frontier, his children must have watched their father, the company's leader, carefully.
But too much time had passed.
Even ten years ago, Guspell, Duke Oun's second son and head of the Northern Branch, and Galea, his eldest daughter and head of the Southern Branch, had been making their own plans beyond Duke Oun's sight.
'Guspell is connected to the Demon King, and Galea is connected to dark mages.'
And now, it seemed even Garod, the eldest son who had been the figurehead president of headquarters, had turned his back on Duke Oun.
"It seems you are attacked often."
"Quite often. This attack is from Garod and Guspell. The second one has been attacking regularly since he became part of the Demon Tribe four years ago."
"Not since you snatched an Inscription for yourself?"
"Well, that is true."
Duke Oun shrugged and looked forward again.
"But Inscription aside, the rebellion of children who have gotten too big for their boots was bound to happen someday. Forget shares and all that. If I die in this black land, they can divide the company among themselves. The eldest is still the biggest fool. If he had stayed quiet, he would have become the leader on his own. I do not know what he is in such a hurry for."
"He must have done this because he did not think you would peacefully hand over the position."
After all, Duke Oun had monopolized every research achievement from the dark frontier for himself. He merely gave a hearty laugh, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Kyle.
They emerged from the red, siren-filled infirmary building.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions sounded louder and closer now.
A black wall surrounding the combat base came into view. The waves emitted by the machinery atop the wall formed a barrier that protected the entire base. Beyond it, explosions continued one after another.
"Anyway... since we are under attack, we cannot remain at this base any longer."
"Would it not be better to kill all the attackers and stay here?"
"The base has been exposed, so the attacks will only become more frequent. We have somewhere to relocate to, so it would be better to move. It appears we were followed while bringing you here."
"Do not shift the blame onto me."
"I merely said it was possible. In any case, we have no choice but to move forward."
"Can we not go backward?"
"Do you not understand the weight of a promise?"
"Did you send a messenger to Alastor?"
"I did, but it will take some time to arrive. Hmm, since we are moving the base, I should send another messenger."
Even if his eldest and second sons truly wanted to bring down their father, the timing of this attack was suspicious.
'Could this attack also be a scheme Duke Oun arranged to buy time?'
So that he could make the fullest use of Kyle before Alastor arrived.
It might have been a misunderstanding, but Duke Oun was suspicious in many ways.
'Whether the messenger arrives or not, Alastor knows I survived. Helenas is at the Sword Tower too.'
Knowing Helenas's personality, she had likely already set out for the dark frontier. If so, Kyle had no choice but to remain with Duke Oun until Helenas arrived.
Duke Oun needed Kyle to lift the curse upon him. He had knelt and begged for Kyle's help, but it was impossible for Kyle to refuse.
Duke Oun's request was far too vague. Kyle did not know how much of it was true, but Duke Oun had said that if he moved forward alongside Kyle, the Turning Point, the curse upon him would be lifted.
But what if it was not lifted? What if Duke Oun tried to keep Kyle around, making one excuse after another?
Kyle had suddenly been dropped into the dark frontier and treated quite favorably by Duke Oun. Still, unconditionally cooperating with a sly old fox who might be hiding any number of secrets carried many risks.
This promise had originally been made so Kyle could hear why the Crows were obsessed with Fenris. Considering its importance, it was not something worth risking himself over.
'Would it be better to side with Duke Oun's sons instead?'
What if he took advantage of the confusion while they abandoned the base and joined them?
No, that was dangerous too. Galea Rubalt, the eldest daughter, believed Kyle was Ruin's reincarnation and wanted to possess him.
Galea might also be involved in the rebellion against Duke Oun. And Guspell had already transformed himself into a member of the Demon Tribe and joined the Demon King's succession struggle. Joining Guspell's side with Lucia, who bore an Inscription, would only make things more complicated.
'It may be better to try escaping amid the confusion.'
Kyle focused on the magical power within his body. The magical power he had continued to test, wanting to confirm the possibility he had felt earlier, was slowly gathering at his center.
If he used this well, could he at least create an opening to escape?
[Whine...]
A faint whimper reached him.
Kyle flinched and looked toward the sound. Fenris's Dokkaebi had appeared without being called and was looking up at him.
'Why?'
The wolf looked up and whimpered, then lightly bit the hem of Kyle's pants and pulled him toward Duke Oun.
It did not make a sound Kyle could understand, but the meaning of its actions was clear.
Kyle looked back and forth between the wolf and Duke Oun in disbelief.
'You want me to follow that old man?'
The wolf nodded.
Kyle examined Fenris resting across his legs in the wheelchair. He had checked in case Duke Oun had done something to it, but Fenris was perfectly fine.
"Sir Kyle?"
Duke Oun glanced back at Kyle. The eyeholes of his modified mask narrowed as he looked at Fenris's blade, drawn from its sheath.
"Why did you suddenly draw your sword?"
"Well, I thought I should protect myself."
"Haha, I was wondering whether you meant to stab me in the back."
"What would you do if I did?"
"What else could I do? I can never kill you, nor do I wish to become enemies with Alastor. I already have too many enemies. Still... I would place various restraints on you so that you could not run wild."
Laughter and chill coexisted in his voice. Duke Oun turned forward again and continued walking.
"It is natural for a swordsman to wish to protect himself in a dangerous situation, but there is no need for you to draw your sword now. This is not a situation that calls for it, and if danger does arise, my subordinates and I will protect you with our lives."
When they reached the parade ground behind Duke Oun, the Black Wing Guard had already assembled.
Crow masks and feathered cloaks. They did not look very different from Duke Oun himself, but all one hundred members of the Black Wing Guard carried black objects resembling coffins on their backs.
"Coffins...? What are those?"
"Top secret. I cannot tell you, even if it is you. I will tell you if you swear to become my adopted son."
It was not worth answering.
The explosions grew steadily stronger. Cracks began spreading across the surface of the opaque barrier. It looked ready to shatter at any moment.
Duke Oun stood silently with his arms crossed, and the Black Wing Guard members carrying coffins remained silent as well.
Before long, the researchers and staff who had gathered all the base's supplies came out onto the parade ground. Duke Oun looked them over once, then nodded.
"Everyone is here."
"How are we going to escape?"
"I will open a door. However... opening a door requires a great deal of power, and I do not wish to expend much of my own. There is no need to, either."
The mask's eyeholes curved into grins. Duke Oun leaned toward Kyle and whispered.
"Sir Kyle. Shall this old man take you outside for a look?"
"What?"
"It will not be dangerous, I swear. And honestly, are you not curious about my power as well?"
Perhaps it was only fitting for the leader of the continent's largest private military company. Duke Oun saw exactly what kind of person Kyle was.
Kyle gave a hollow laugh and nodded.
"Of course I am curious. I know you are one of the Ten Peaks, but I have never properly heard what kind of power you use."
"Haha, naturally you have not heard. I do not usually enjoy fighting, and aside from times like this, I have never had enemies."
Just as he said, Duke Oun Garcia Rubalt had never fought a battle that became famous, nor had he ever fought another of the Ten Peaks.
And yet, that man was among the Ten Peaks.
Even if the name Ten Peaks was merely an empty title for the Empire's propaganda, someone unqualified could not become one of the Ten Peaks.
There was only one reason Duke Oun had been listed among the Ten Peaks and regarded as one for decades.
Everyone who had met Duke Oun recognized him as one of the Ten Peaks.
"Come along."
Duke Oun began walking forward with his hands clasped behind his back. Lucia hesitated instead of immediately following, but Kyle operated his wheelchair's joystick and followed Duke Oun.
Eventually, Lucia followed as well, her face tense.
The tightly shut base gate opened with a single gesture from Duke Oun. The moment it opened, the explosions striking the barrier stopped.
"Stay behind me."
Duke Oun spoke in a relaxed voice as he stepped out through the main gate.
What Kyle saw when he followed him outside was a gray wasteland and machines crouched low to the ground like spiders.
"What are those?"
Huge cannon barrels were mounted on the backs of the crouching machines. They appeared to be the ones that had been pounding the barrier so noisily until moments ago.
"They are next-generation golems the western headquarters was developing. They were intended to work and fight in place of humans, but they brought them onto a battlefield without the permission of their leader."
Members of the Demon Tribe and humans stood beside the hundreds of golems. Perhaps they did not realize the Crow-masked man who had stepped through the main gate was Duke Oun, because they did not resume their attack.
Instead, the cannon barrels of the machines all turned toward Duke Oun.
"Garod and Guspell are both such rude cowards."
Duke Oun clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"If they want to kill their father and take his place, they should stand there before me, prepared to stain their own hands with blood. Instead, they sent nothing but subordinates. Pathetic fools. They have no qualities of leadership."
Duke Oun slowly raised his left hand, and the ring on his index finger began shining blue.
Only then did the attackers recognize Duke Oun.
Their shouts were swallowed by the sound of the hundreds of golems firing.
Boom!
The bombardment was fired all at once. Kyle heard the deafening blast, but the shells never reached Duke Oun.
Hundreds of streaks of light fired from the cannon barrels stopped in midair around Duke Oun.
"The mana refinement is better than in the last attack. Did they manage to interpret the data well enough? Good. One must learn something from failure."
There was pleasure in Duke Oun's voice as it emerged from behind the mask.
Creak.
His extended index finger slowly rose. The light from the ring brightened, and a twisting sound began to fill the air.
'What is that?'
Kyle narrowed his eyes at Duke Oun.
The light flowing from the ring. The power that emerged with it was unlike any power Kyle knew. It was neither mana, intent, nor spirit power.
If he had to compare it to anything, it resembled the magic power of the outer gods or the power the Angel had emitted, but it was only similar, not the same.
No, in truth, that power also resembled mana, intent, and spirit power.
The power Duke Oun wielded was extremely foreign, yet strangely familiar.
"Do you believe in gods, Sir Kyle?"
Sensing Kyle's fixed stare, Duke Oun suddenly asked.
It was an unexpected question.
"I am asking about faith. Sky gods, outer gods. There are two kinds of gods in this world, are there not? You are favored by both kinds of gods... so I thought you might have faith."
"I am not religious."
"Neither am I. I do not doubt the existence of gods, but I do not worship them."
Duke Oun chuckled and raised his finger completely.
Then the hundreds of golems, along with all the humans and Demon Tribe members standing beside them, gently floated into the sky.
"Sky gods grant holy arts to clergy who offer them faith, while outer gods grant dark magic to dark mages who offer them sacrifices. What they have in common is that both powers are ultimately borrowed from gods."
The eyeholes of Duke Oun's mask narrowed mockingly.
"Clergy borrow from sky gods, and dark mages borrow from outer gods. Since the power is borrowed, a price must be paid. Since it is borrowed, one cannot defy its owner's will. And sometimes the scales are not even fair. Gods cheat on the scales, fleece and toy with the beings of this land, but the reverse is impossible."
Even Velatus, who proclaimed herself the greatest and most noble being in this land, had been toyed with in that way.
"My power is a product."
There was unconcealed pride in Duke Oun's voice.
"Holy arts and dark magic. I took the power that manifests them, dismantled it, and personally remade it into a product."
Only then did Kyle understand why that power felt so foreign and familiar.
It resembled mana, intent, spirit power, the Angel's power, and the magic power of the outer gods because Duke Oun had dismantled all of them and assembled them again himself.
"I do not worship gods, but I am grateful to them. They gave me such excellent raw materials."
With those words, the hundreds of motionless streaks of light compressed into a single sphere and burned white.
Creak!
The golems' bodies twisted, and every core inside them was pulled out and swallowed by the light. The sphere, having devoured the cores, glowed even more fiercely.
Soon, even the humans and Demon Tribe members were swallowed by the sphere.
Boom!
The golems that had lost their cores fell to the ground as unmoving heaps of scrap metal.
The humans and Demon Tribe members consumed by the light vanished without spilling a single drop of blood.
Duke Oun left the sphere he had just refined suspended in the air, then clicked his tongue as he looked at the piles of scrap.
"My son has wasted money again. Do you know how much each of those golems costs? He brought hundreds of them here, only to do nothing but pound on a barrier. If he manages the company like that, the Crows will go bankrupt within ten years."
Kyle said nothing as he looked back and forth between the sphere of light floating in the air and Duke Oun.
The eyeholes of Duke Oun's mask curved into smiles under Kyle's gaze.
"Does this old man seem rather great to you?"
"What did you offer to obtain it?"
"Hmm, money and time? The most precious resources humans have."
Duke Oun shrugged and lowered his index finger. The sphere of light slowly descended.
"Humans live for a little over a hundred years at most. I spent most of my life on this. My father spent most of his life. My grandfather and great-grandfather as well. Everyone offered their time piece by piece, and the prototype was completed in my generation."
The Black Wing Guard members, researchers, and staff waiting near the main gate came outside. All wore masks, but the eyes behind their dim glass lenses held immense reverence as they looked at Duke Oun.
"With this much, are humans not just as great as gods?"
Duke Oun spoke with a smile.
"It seems your offense against the gods was not simply plundering this land's ruins and resources."
"Perhaps not."
Without denying it, Duke Oun extended his left thumb straight down.
Creak!
The sphere of light stretched long, and a door like a Warp Gate opened.
"Gods really are so stingy."
Footnotes:
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