WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Scum of the Brave

Chapter 22

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My master often said things that sounded like the nonsense of a tremendous fool.

They had nothing to do with instructing me or anything like that. They were like delusions.

"The Brave trade really is a scummy business."

My master always began with that excuse.

"But I was stupid ever since I was a kid. I admired them. King Arthur and the like, you know? Momotaro, or The Lord of the Rings, anything works. Anyway, those people have courage, and they fight bad guys."

Maybe he was deeply embarrassed, because when he got drunk, my master would talk about that very quickly.

"Even now, I hope there are people like that somewhere. That's why I do this work."

He was a man who never said he wanted to become one himself.

But he believed in things that sounded like fairy tales. Ed Cyrus, Ishino, Joe, all of us made fun of him. At times like that, my master would shout and hit us. It often turned into a brawl, and once we got drunk, everything became vague.

Thinking back, maybe my master really was a tremendous fool.

With my accelerated thoughts, I recognized the situation moving.

Sara, isolated, was trying to come back this way. Indo was focused only on doing her job. She tore off the arm of a monster that leapt at Sara, rolled away from the counterattack, then moved to the next prey. It was a hunting dog's way of fighting.

And Jogamine, dripping blood onto the floor, gripped her one-handed sword. Her breathing was rough.

"I am going. Please leave this to your first disciple."

"Don't look down on me."

I wanted to grab Jogamine by the shoulder, and while I was at it, punch her to stop her, but my left arm still would not move. My right hand was gripping the bastard sword.

"The plan is ruined. Everyone will die."

"No. We will all go home."

Jogamine stood.

"I was taught that a Brave is hope."

From the front, another giant approached. There was almost no chance of taking down one more with Jogamine's moralizing. That was reality, but blaming her for that would be beside the point. Fine. Jogamine was that kind of person.

No helping it. I closed my eyes for an instant and pulled out every bit of willpower I had.

I would use E3 again.

The injuries would probably heal in less than three seconds. I would clean up the stupid monsters.

After that... I had no room to think about after.

I would probably need my will, and a little luck. When E3 was administered multiple times, there were many cases where sensation went strange, or brain chemicals malfunctioned and never went back. The rate was around sixty percent.

Which side would I fall on?

"Jogamine."

I threw away the bastard sword and reached into my pocket. I had E3.

"Fall back. Lie down. I'll do it."

"I am a Brave."

Jogamine was stubborn. With a deadly serious face, she watched the giant charging at us.

"If not, then what am I?"

How should I know, I thought.

The giant approached. I pulled out the E3 injector and brought it near my neck. In the instant before its tip touched me, the entire situation changed dramatically.

It was a metallic sound, like an iron rod piercing the eardrum.

A whistle, I realized slightly late. The sound was so sharp that it felt like it pierced the center of my brain. Because I could stretch out and analyze my perceived time, I was barely able to identify it on reflex. Jogamine, Sara, and even Indo showed a more primitive reaction.

They covered their ears and crouched on the spot.

It worked even better on the malformed giants.

They let out strange screams like apes and rolled on the floor. Maybe the whistle gave some special stimulation to their nerves. Their reaction was that excessive.

Then someone jumped down from the collapsed second floor. A small shadow. Around her neck hung something like a long, narrow tube. Probably a whistle. The whistle that had produced that terrifying, grating sound.

She landed on the rubble and looked down at us arrogantly.

"I wondered why the giants were taking so long in a place like this."

Her face was hidden by a gaudy mask like something used in Chinese opera, probably to create an eerie effect, but I recognized the voice. A woman. Worse, a hoarse voice damaged by Ether Burn.

She had been called Levi.

"You."

Levi was clearly looking at me. I had been masked that night too, but if what Jogamine said was true, this woman remembered scent. She could probably identify me as the one from that night.

"You cause nothing but trouble. The giants wasted time."

There was a faint gloomy tone in Levi's hoarse voice.

"As expected, Incompatible Base Body subjects are useless. Their intelligence and intellect are too low. I do not have time to deal with people like this."

Looking around at the malformed creatures, Levi shook her head slightly.

"Thanks to you, this job became difficult. This is your fault. Now, what should I do with you?"

"Master, fall back. I will protect you."

Jogamine growled low while holding the left half of her face. She really was a ridiculous disciple. She was completely serious. I ignored Jogamine. I knew this was the critical point.

"A deal, Levi."

I showed the E3 in one hand.

"As you can see, I am in bad shape, but I have plenty of E3 on hand."

"Then you intend to use it?"

Her voice mocked me.

"If you are lucky, you might become like me."

Levi placed her hand on the curved sword at her waist and showed signs of drawing. It was true. I accepted her argument and nodded.

"If I am unlucky, maybe I'll go insane and fight you until one of us dies. Do you have the time to deal with a first-rate Brave like me? What do you think?"

For several seconds, Levi and I glared at each other.

Until Levi snorted and let go of her curved sword.

"A waste of time."

Saying only that, she turned her back to me.

I had thought she would. From the situation, her target was not me, not Sara, and certainly not Jogamine or Indo. It could only be Lord Storm Coffin.

"Wait! As a Brave, I cannot overlook..."

Jogamine began to say something extremely Jogamine-like and unbelievably stupid. The sound of the whistle rang out again and cut her off. A sharp sound. Stronger than before. For an instant, I felt pain deep in my ears. Jogamine held her head and staggered.

I somehow ended up supporting Jogamine. I wanted to make some excuse for that reflexive action, but nothing came to mind.

Levi quickly walked toward the depths of the entrance hall. I did not know what mechanism controlled them, but the giants slowly followed her with sluggish movements. I could see Sara and Indo approaching while shouting something.

But with my extremely slowed perception, I saw it.

The left half of Jogamine's face.

Twitching as it writhed, her left eyeball was recovering. The distorted left eye looked at my face as I supported Jogamine.

"Master."

I did not really remember what Jogamine said then.

I only stared blankly as Jogamine's left eye slowly repaired itself. I had just one thought. The effect of E3 could never repair missing limbs or lost organs.

Aki Jogamine.

Was she really human?

That day, Lord Storm Coffin disappeared.

You could say that night marked the point when western Tokyo became a conventional conflict zone again.

Ed Cyrus's bar grew busy too, and many new faces appeared. With Dark Lord activity growing lively, it was natural for Braves hoping to strike it rich to show up.

But as always, Ed Cyrus seemed to have no real intention of doing business. He only played card games with me, Joe, Maruta, and the rest. He barely spoke to the new customers who came in and showed almost no friendliness. That was the kind of man he was.

That night, while glaring across the card table, we talked like that. I had many things I needed to ask Ed.

"About your master?"

Ed Cyrus said.

"I knew him a long time, but I don't know much either."

"You're kidding."

"He was an idiot. Hey, my Burning Cavalry are coming through. Move those infantry."

"Wait. That story about Master being married, was that true?"

"Are you stupid?"

Ed snorted.

"Like that guy could get married. Hey, once those infantry are gone, you're next, Yashiro. Move them already!"

"Not happening. I still have Silver Cheval-de-Frise. My master had a daughter, right?"

"How should I know? That damn cheval-de-frise ends here. Elephant is coming. I'll crush your headquarters with it."

"Damn it."

Cursing, I glared at Ed's face.

"Hey, Ed. I'll move the cheval-de-frise, so tell me the truth. What was my master? Wasn't he just an idiot?"

"The strongest Brave I knew."

Ed Cyrus took a deep drag from his cigarette.

"He died over something stupid."

"I know that. Say it properly."

"No. I made a promise. Still, well, he probably had no regrets."

Exhaling smoke, Ed twisted his face.

"At the very end, he managed to do what he wanted."

I could not tell whether he had laughed or gotten angry.

But I understood one thing.

I had something I needed to do.

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