WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Scum of the Brave

Chapter 28

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Looking down from two thousand meters above, the structure stood out clearly and strangely even in the dark night.

On the mountainside, at the edge of a sheer cliff, stood four crude stone keeps, defensive towers. Around them were a fortress and walls. Its appearance was exactly that of a medieval castle. Ridiculous, I thought. Electric lights slowly blinked here and there, making the structure feel like it was breathing.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a Dark Lord's castle.

With black clouds behind it, it rose in an exaggeratedly evil way. That said, it was not that large a castle. It looked ominous, but compared to the other Dark Lords in Hokkaido who controlled great armies, you could even call it modest.

I looked at the castle through the reinforced glass of the armed helicopter.

"So that is Lord Morning Star Veil's?"

"Probably."

The one who answered was Maruta, who had been unable to stop bouncing his leg for a while now. Even his smile was stiff. He had been looking down at his own palms the whole time and would not raise his head.

"I can't look outside, so I can't say for sure, but I think so."

Maybe it did not need explaining, but Maruta had something close to a phobia of heights. Once, when we got amused and forced him to look outside, he got sick and vomited. Every time I remembered that, I was seized by a strange feeling. Why did this guy have so many fatal defects when he was this strong?

"Good, you're almost up! Yashiro the Reaper. Looks like I'll get to see your skill."

The man piloting this vehicle shouted without turning around. It was the bald man with the disrespectful attitude who had pointed a rifle at me during the day. I raised my middle finger.

"Shut up, bald guy. Don't call me so casually."

"What? Show a little gratitude. You're surprisingly small-minded. Well, whatever. I brought you this far, so do it right. Maruta, don't forget the payment."

"It's fine. It's fine."

Apparently, there had been some kind of deal between this mercenary and Maruta. Probably a portion of the bounty for killing the Dark Lord, or a split of the secret funds stored in the castle, something like that.

"As long as I don't choke to death on my own vomit. Hey, Yashiro, give me alcohol. Something stronger."

"Maruta, stop. Want to listen to music? I hear it distracts people."

"Impossible. Impossible. My hands are shaking."

"Calm down. I'm here with you. Hey, bald guy, lower the altitude more when we get off!"

"Master, excuse me. May I have a moment?"

Suddenly, Jogamine tugged my arm.

"I just remembered that I too am afraid of heights. Perhaps you should say something kind to me as well?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Ah, come to think of it, my hands are shaking. If Master held my hand, it might heal. No, I am certain it would."

"Oh, really."

Too annoying, I thought.

Even if that were true, Maruta and Jogamine had different value as combat strength. Three or four digits different. Besides, Maruta was my friend. Jogamine was not.

"Aki, stop trying to make Sensei mad."

I heard Sara poke Jogamine and warn her quietly.

"You really will make the mood bad."

"That is hurtful. I had no intention of making Master angry. Rather, since I am a beautiful girl, I merely thought to draw sympathy and stir his protective instincts."

"Th, that's way too presumptuous. I am honestly pretty jealous of how high your self-esteem is."

"Hearing that from Sara makes me blush."

"I do not think that was praise."

Indo muttered and peered past Jogamine's shoulder through the reinforced glass. A Dark Lord's castle under black clouds in the middle of the night stood there.

Dark Lords really loved this kind of empty intimidation. They staged fear and tried to make themselves look mighty. Their thinking had not advanced at all from when they were yakuza or mafia.

"Are we attacking that now?"

"We are."

"How?"

When I answered, Indo leaned forward even more and pressed her face against the window glass.

"It looks like they have anti-air equipment. If we are intercepted, this helicopter's weapons won't be enough."

"That's probably true, but it is cramped, so stop, Indo. Don't lean on me."

"That's right, Yukine. Leave that place immediately. You should move away because you are inconveniencing Master. You are holding a grudge over this seating order being decided by lot, aren't you?"

"I am not."

"No, do not lie! If so, withdraw! Sara, help me peel Yukine off!"

"Yukine, hey, stop kicking your legs!"

"Aaaaaaaah!"

The last was Maruta's scream. He raised a high-pitched voice and clutched his head.

"I can't anymore, Yashiro, let me down."

"Stop, you idiots. If the helicopter shakes, Maruta gets scared! I'll throw you out!"

While pushing Indo away with one hand, I faced the three students. These girls started messing around when they had free time. They needed something to focus on. Right. A lesson. For the sake of Maruta's mental balance, I somehow invented teaching material suitable for this situation.

"Listen. Since we have the chance, let's cover the basics of castle assault."

The profession of Brave required skill in efficiently capturing castles like this. I had learned it too.

Urban castles, rural castles, remote castles. There were many kinds. Each required different methods of attack. In Lord Amber Thorn's case, it was an urban area, so his castle was small-scale, and we could easily approach and infiltrate it. In mountainous areas like this, you needed another method.

"In a case like this, an airstrike is most effective. There are no houses around, so the chance of being sued is low. The problem is that preparing that equipment and hiring mercenaries costs money. Being a Brave is a business, so we do not take jobs that do not match the cost performance. Then what do we do? Jogamine."

"Yes!"

Jogamine's answer alone was as clear as ever, annoyingly so.

"We break through the front gate fair and square, never let our guard down, trust our companions, and charge all the way to the Dark Lord's throne."

"I see traces of ingenuity and progress in the 'never let our guard down' part, but whatever. Anyway, with an isolated castle like this, if you approach, you are found immediately."

I lightly tapped the window glass.

"Meaning we have long since been found by the other side. Once we enter range, surface-to-air attacks will fire. Now, Sara, what do you do?"

"What do I do? Um... go from underground?"

"Oh. That is it. One well-done point. Dark Lords often prepare underground passages for escape, so that can be effective in some situations. If you already know where the underground passage is."

"Master. Excuse me, but well-done points for me?"

"None. If you do not know the castle structure, you use a backdoor approach. For example, mix in with visiting vendors, or spend money and time becoming someone who can come and go without suspicion."

Since Dark Lords and their Followers were living creatures, they needed food and other consumables. Those needed to be transported from somewhere, and there were ways to use those delivery companies. Or you could actually create a facility-maintenance company and become one of its employees.

"In short, this kind of forced airborne assault is not exactly a good plan. You have something, right, Maruta? Like the mercenaries awakening to the spirit of charity and helping for free?"

"Ah, um, yeah... urgh."

Maruta started to raise his face for just an instant, but immediately hung his head again.

"No good. Tetsu-san, please."

"In short, it's a deal. Lucky it came together."

Apparently, this bald man was called Tetsu. While making the helicopter circle, he looked back at me. His smug face annoyed me somehow.

"Watch the black clouds over that castle."

"Hm?"

"For the last few days, it's been clear and there hasn't been snow. But it's about time. Don't take your eyes off it."

It probably was not reacting to the bald bastard's words, but we did not even wait ten seconds.

I saw it.

I thought the depths of the black clouds over the Dark Lord's castle flickered faintly. Then, in the instant I tried to narrow my eyes, a powerful flash and a nearly simultaneous roar burst out.

Lightning.

It burned the night sky with light and stabbed into Lord Morning Star Veil's fortress.

Twice, three times, one after another. No. That was only the prelude. I saw more again. The black clouds swirled, and the atmosphere produced a kind of wave. Wind blew in furiously.

It passed through our armed helicopter in an instant, raged over the snow, and converged on Lord Morning Star Veil's fortress. At least, that was how it looked.

It was a large tornado. Without mercy, it peeled away and shattered the castle walls. Wind like a giant's scream. I stared at it with my mouth open.

It was a sight that could not be dismissed with words like coincidence or natural phenomenon.

Only one person could do something like this. A Dark Lord based in Hokkaido, with power on the scale of an independent nation. The owner of Ether Perception that controlled weather.

"Lord Cracking Sacred Map? That's a big name!"

"There are other Dark Lords involved in this too. Lord Ink Sun, Lord Boiling Foundation. Right about now, a few people inside that castle are probably being cursed to death. Look, the Followers are pouring out."

The bald bastard laughed loudly. Looking closely, yes. Several human figures were appearing as if seeping out of the snow gathered around the surrounding rocks. Seeing that they were armed with firearms, they were probably Dark Lord Followers who had prepared seriously for a raid.

Not only that, from wherever they had been hiding, tanks painted in snowfield camouflage, snowmobiles, and even armed helicopters other than ours began appearing here and there. This was what fighting between Dark Lords looked like.

"What is this? It's basically war."

At Sara's mutter, the bald bastard sneered.

"Everyone benefits if that rookie Dark Lord gets crushed. The Dark Lord business is rough too."

"Then whoever gets Lord Morning Star Veil's head first wins, right?"

I poked the pilot's seat. The bald bastard tilted the control stick sharply.

"Don't touch the valuables. The Dark Lords agreed to split his hidden funds. Hey, Maruta, how long are you going to shake? We're landing already. With this much noise, we can set right down on the heliport. No diving needed."

"Give me twenty seconds. I will drink now. Then I will be fine. Right, Yashiro? Right?"

"No alcohol. You will become useless. Now then."

I took the alcohol away from Maruta and looked back at the three students.

"It was worth coming all the way to Hokkaido. This is an intensive training camp. Our righteous party will finish off a Dark Lord. Do not do anything on your own. Especially..."

"Yes! Understood!"

Before I could call her name, Jogamine answered with her usual reply.

As if mocking the unease I felt then, another bolt of lightning burst forth.

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