WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ Surviving the Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage ◈

Chapter 87: Secret Society

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While Ian was fighting a dragonkin from the Secret Society in the Mindscape, Elena and Daisy were sleeping in the same room.

...

No, they were not asleep.

Unlike their usual nights, when they chatted before bed or touched each other's breasts while giggling, a strange tension filled the room. They sat some distance apart, silently watching each other.

Daisy spoke first.

"Elena. Don't you have any confidence?"

"What?"

"Why have you been reacting so sharply lately?"

Daisy smiled with her eyes.

"Won't things get difficult for us if this keeps up?"

But Elena did not see it as a smile.

"You..."

She said she was learning to read at the temple, but the way she talked had become irritating.

Elena decided to clear up the misunderstanding first.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I have no interest in that bastard Ian..."

"Then can I get closer to Ian?"

Elena fell silent at Daisy's next words.

Her pride wanted her to tell Daisy to go ahead. Still, she did not want that.

Fuck, I can't beat her with words.

'He's my childhood friend.'

"..."

At some point, Daisy had risen from the bed and was quietly looking at Elena.

Her eyes were as kind as usual, yet there was something strange in them.

Elena thought about it.

Daisy might look harmless, but she had stubbornly survived until now, both on the snowfield and in the Labyrinth.

She had become a proper Priest after enduring the monastery's harsh training: rising before dawn every day to pray, fasting on a single piece of hard bread, memorizing boring scriptures, and suffering through the monastery's grueling ascetic practices.

Who knew how many vipers were coiled behind that round face?

"You know, I'm happy with things as they are. Elena, Ian, and Dize, who I think of as an older brother, are all precious to me."

To Daisy, Elena, Ian, and Dize were all precious.

They were friends who had crossed that snowfield together. The family she had finally found again only treated her like a purse, so perhaps those three had become Daisy's new family.

Still, just as there were priorities when choosing between your mother and father, there were priorities among them too.

"If I had to choose one, it would be Ian. He saved me when I was dying on that snowfield, guided me to Meia, and taught me how to read."

Daisy made the sign of the cross, moving from her forehead to her chest and then to the left.

"Ian always says we can't let impure feelings get involved in exploring the Labyrinth. The moment feelings between a man and a woman enter the picture, the party could fall apart."

Daisy looked Elena straight in the eye and made her position clear.

"I'm trying to keep the balance between us like this, so it's difficult for me too when you act this way."

"..."

Elena looked at Daisy as though looking at a Marauder, clenching and unclenching her fists.

What should she do?

Kill Daisy?

But Ian would hate that. And what about the party's healer?

Still, kill her?

The Bracelet of Wrath glimmered.

An impulse rose in Elena's mind.

"So, Elena. Stop making your feelings so obvious. You're making things difficult for yourself, Ian, and me. You might as well..."

'I can't take it anymore!'

'I'll just break an arm or two first.'

Crunch!

Just as Elena was about to act...

"Elenaaaaa! Daisyyyyy!"

Ian's desperate voice rang out from the next room.

"Ian?!"

The sharp tension shattered in an instant.

Startled, the two hurried to Ian's room.

* * *

As space shattered, my consciousness surfaced.

Gasp, gasp.

When I opened my eyes, the room was still quiet. Pale moonlight shone on my face, slick with cold sweat.

The spell embedded in the letter had disappeared long ago.

Even for a mage like me, it was strange and unsettling.

No wonder people revered and feared magic.

But that was not the problem right now.

'That man was definitely...'

I remembered the dragonkin whose appearance had been revealed before the Mindscape broke apart.

Other than the scales covering his skin and his different eyes, he was a famous man I knew of.

A legendary expedition member once called humanity's hero.

"A hero of old. Dmitri, the first explorer of the Deep Floors."

He looked exactly like the illustration in the book Renia had given me at the library that morning.

[The person who came closest to the secrets of the Deep Floors, both in the past and present, was Dmitri, the first explorer of the Deep Zone.]

[Despite his weak human body, he surpassed the superior races and became the first to reach the depths of the Labyrinth.]

[But for some reason, he disappeared in the midst of his expedition.]

[He left behind neither a body nor any final words.]

[Where did he go?]

Fuck, in the game, he was already dead and appeared in the Deep Floors as an undead monster.

But the hero who was supposed to be dead was alive, had become a dragonkin, and had joined a terrorist group that massacred hundreds of people?

Thump. Thump.

This was a variable in reality.

My heart pounded fiercely as the shock rattled my mind.

One question came to me.

Why?

As I thought, the locked door burst apart with a crash, and Elena rushed in.

"Ian!"

"What happened, Ian!"

Daisy entered after her, holding a mace.

I looked at the two of them, rubbed my face, and told them what had just happened.

* * *

"What?! You defeated that terrifying monster?!"

"Huh?!"

At first, the two were shocked when I told them I had defeated the dragonkin. As my story continued, Elena and Daisy's expressions became serious.

"So the one who summoned the Floor Master and caused all that chaos was actually a famous hero who disappeared, and he had become a dragon?"

Becoming a dragon was not the issue.

It was difficult, but there were ways to change one's race, like the Dragon Worshippers did.

The problem was...

"Why was he a member of the Secret Society, and why did he massacre innocent people?"

The bigger problem was that something came to mind.

It was what I had read in the book Renia gave me at the library that day.

'Dmitri went to the Deep Floors of the Labyrinth and disappeared.'

Then he suddenly showed up as part of the Secret Society.

Why?

Had something happened that twisted his mind?

What kind of event could have given someone like a Deep Floors explorer such a massive shock?

"The book said this."

The Five Kings were actually false prophets, and they hid a secret.

[In truth, the Five Kings were no different from the cursed Giant King and Snake King. They were merely greedy beings. It is said that they tried to use the brazier for their own prosperity, seeking eternal life, ageless bodies, and power, and were cursed for it.]

"Heresy... That's a heretical tale. It can't be true."

As a Priest, Daisy immediately denied it.

Of course she did.

It was the duty of a Priest who believed in and followed Meia.

'And why do we think we're suffering through all this?'

Even if it had become little more than a formality now, the origin of everything was the belief that reaching the end of the Labyrinth would lift Winter's Curse laid by the gods.

That belief had been built upon the final words of the Five Kings who sacrificed themselves.

Believing what that forbidden book said was no different from abandoning the greatest faith that supported this world.

Of course, I was not blindly accepting it either.

'I could just be jumping to conclusions.'

The Secret Society was a dangerous group willing to massacre hundreds of innocent expedition members. Dmitri might have gone insane, been brainwashed, or been acting for some particular purpose.

Like greater power or eternal life, you know?

'In this fucked-up Medieval Land, how many groups claim they're right and everyone else is evil?'

There were the worshippers who said that human bodies and minds were weak and unstable, so everyone had to ascend and become dragons.

There were radical pointy-ears who wanted to cover the entire world in vegetation beneath the World Tree's protection.

There were conspiracy theorists who said the gods were false and that humanity would eventually go extinct if the Labyrinth disappeared.

There were Pioneer Lords who said they should cross the frozen sea at the northern end and develop a new continent.

There were plenty of lunatics acting according to their own goals.

Damn it. Then what the hell...

"Ian."

Elena tapped my shoulder.

"You're thinking too much."

It was simple, just a short sentence.

Still, it cleared my head.

An essential guideline for expedition members.

Elena, Daisy, and I spoke at the same time.

"Let's start with what we can do."

The spell that combined Star Infiltration and Subspace.

Forcibly banishing him from the constructed Mindscape must have dealt Dmitri a serious blow. Of course, he was a tough dragonkin, so it probably was not enough to kill him...

'I bought us time.'

"Kid, do me a favor."

"Ah! Y-Yes?!"

I gave some money to the inn worker who had been asleep, then called for Gimlius and Hans.

"Yaaawn, what is it at this late hour..."

"I heard it was urgent, so I came right away..."

Gimlius yawned broadly, looking exhausted, while Hans was as neat as ever aside from some stubble.

Once they heard about the Secret Society's attack, their expressions grew grave.

"What the..."

"The Secret Society is targeting us...?"

The one they really wanted was this genius mage right here.

Still, they could target my companions too.

It had been a magical attack through a letter. Iromis said we were safe because the clan, the Magic Tower, the guild, and the City Administration were all watching closely, but this city was not safe either.

Maybe the Mindscape was one thing, but if Dmitri, his underlings, or other members of the Secret Society attacked us in reality, we were finished.

Leaving behind the innkeeper's snores and the peaceful crackle of the fireplace, we began discussing countermeasures.

"Everyone, give me your ideas."

Hans spoke first.

"How about revealing his identity to the Expedition Party Guild or the City Administration and asking for help?"

"The Secret Society has operatives in the guild and the administration too. Besides, would they really believe me?"

No matter how famous I had become recently, I was still a low-ranking expedition member.

Would they really accept the shocking truth that someone once called humanity's hero had fallen and was committing acts of terror?

'The risk is too high.'

Daisy raised her hand.

"What about the Magic Tower? Iromis, Kulkin, and the masters of the schools are there. Wouldn't it be the best place to hide?"

I shook my head.

"The Secret Society has operatives in the Magic Tower too."

"Then how about the Golden Lion Clan? We reveal his identity to them, swallow our pride, ask them to accept us as clan members, and receive their protection."

"..."

For now, Gimlius's suggestion was the most useful.

'Dmitri is Klaus's enemy. Iromis, Klaus's former companion, will believe me.'

It would disrupt my plans for future growth, but safety came first.

'Is that really our only option?'

My eyes widened as a good idea came to me.

Ah, wait.

There was one place even the Secret Society feared.

And I had just the right connection there.

"First, we'll tell the Golden Lion Clan about this. Then... how about we go there?"

"W-What?!"

"Into that cursed place?!"

Everyone reacted that way to my suggestion.

Even kind-hearted Daisy.

Paradoxically, that was why I could see the answer more clearly.

"It sounds like a good idea. There's a saying that to escape the bear, you enter the lion's den."

Hans nodded.

"...Damn, I could use a drink. It'll be my first time going to the Western District!"

Gimlius sighed, but everyone eventually agreed.

"Good. Then get ready."

We prepared to move right away, but Hans asked me something.

"Ian, could you write me an invitation to the Magic Tower?"

"Why?"

"If the Secret Society has operatives in the Magic Tower and they know who we are, they'll react when we go there."

I understood what Hans meant.

This man, don't tell me...

"Are you saying you'll use yourself as bait to investigate the Secret Society?"

"That's right."

"That's too dangerous, Hans!"

"She's right! We can't let you take that risk alone!"

"They're right, Hans. It's too dangerous for a Scout to do alone."

Everyone objected immediately.

Hans shook his head.

"You said they're after Ian, didn't you? They may not pay much attention to a low-ranking Scout like me. This might be the right time."

At that moment, a coin spun into the air.

[Heads/Tails]

'Heads.'

[Heads]

Once I won the coin toss, Hans's thoughts entered my mind.

[Hans feels anxious and indebted as he watches his own skills fall further behind while his companions move ahead.]

So that was it.

An inferiority complex or a sense of indebtedness could be quirks that surfaced often enough in Dungeon of Death.

Still, in this case, it was less a liability to the party than an act of selflessness.

This was not something happening beyond a monitor. It was reality, so I tried to persuade Hans.

"Hans, you don't need to take that risk. You're already doing your job well."

"...So you knew."

Hans looked at me in surprise, as if I had seen through his thoughts. Soon, he gave a bitter smile.

But I could not break his resolve.

"That's why I have to go. Just doing my part isn't enough for me to keep up with all of you."

Hans stood with a determined expression.

"I can't send this friend alone. Forgive me, but you all should go there without us."

Even Gimlius, who was normally close with Hans, said he would follow him.

"No, Gimlius, you should go with Ian. It'll be harder to move if there are too many people."

"You, until the very end...!"

I wanted to convince Hans, but there was no more time.

"Hans, let's meet again safely."

"Of course."

...

We moved to put the plan into action.

Footnotes:

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