WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 202: 202.
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A subtle current of magical power seemed to stab into my head, so I casually looked up at the sky. I could feel magical power pouring down toward me, carrying a clear will.
Make the story more entertaining. Draw them in even further!
I smacked my lips at that obvious intention. Professor Irian had been sending it ever since the first chapter ended.
A more entertaining story. I glanced beyond the curtain. Perhaps because it had been released earlier than expected, Blood Axe looked quite excited. It was clearly waiting for the story to resume.
At this rate, it might cause trouble. I sent my will through magical power to Rabbit, who held its leash. Rabbit immediately tightened her grip around its leash.
Mm, that should be enough. Since Professor wanted a more entertaining story, I planned to loosen the reins binding that thing a little later. The more wildly it rampaged, the more entertaining the story would become.
After rearranging the stage, I looked at the people lost in thought. They seemed quite flustered by the magical power of Blood Axe, which had appeared as a treasure.
I had inserted myself among them to finely adjust the story like this. How flustered had I been while directing the first chapter, Black Mage? Cassian’s endless terrible acting had nearly ruined the story.
Cassian had not been that bad during practice. Still, I had managed to resolve it by urgently passing a script note to the bear puppet. Well, I had probably handled things that way in other dimensions too.
As I adjusted the story, I gradually learned more about them. I learned who would pass and who would fail. I rubbed my chin while checking the evaluation sheets stored in my head.
They had received unexpectedly high scores. Their situation was quite different from the others. I quietly sent magical power into the tree in my chest.
Then it showed me various records. They were records left behind by other versions of me in torn dimensions. Countless stories left by examinees filled them.
Some had betrayed their group members and run away. Some had sided with the Black Mages and formed an alliance with them. Others had barricaded themselves inside the castle and waited for the ritual to be completed.
The results of those stories were mostly the same. Everyone had failed after receiving heavy point deductions. By rough count, it seemed that less than half of the examinees remained.
Had that many failed in the first chapter? They had fallen while pursuing nothing but profit and power. Well, this place would originally have gone the same way.
The only reason these people survived was because one person had become their center. I glanced at Emery. Her judgment and determination had played a major role in getting them through the first chapter.
Without her, they too would have barricaded themselves in the castle and failed like the others. That was why I had awarded her a perfect score after the first chapter.
So she really was a guardian. Emery was still sitting with her eyes closed, as though organizing her thoughts. Her ability to grasp a situation was exceptional.
Unless something unusual happened, she would surely enter the university. Well, that was only if this story was resolved properly.
She would probably be able to understand this story’s structure diagram easily. She might have already gotten a rough idea. But that would make the story boring.
This time, I needed to interfere with someone else. Ivrio, for example. Smiling mischievously, I looked at Ivrio.
Ivrio was quite interesting. They often let slip stories about Ojo. It was obvious that they came from the same island as me.
There was roughly fifty years, about two generations, between us. The fact that someone like Ivrio had challenged the university so early meant they had decent talent.
A wanderer had to overcome many limitations to challenge the university. Still, that was only a trivial blood connection. At first, I had not paid them much attention.
I became interested in them after noticing their strange instincts. That bizarre intuition let them avoid traps and sense danger. Since it had even bloomed into magic, it was clearly a trace carved into their soul.
So I observed Ivrio quite carefully during the first chapter. I quickly realized that they were only a cowardly, ignorant wanderer.
They did not even properly understand their own unique magic. If I had not advised them, they would never have gone to Emery. They would surely have failed without getting through the first chapter.
Mm, that would not have done. I lightly scratched my head. That had been the first time I crossed the line after trying to maintain the position of an observer. Originally, I had planned to let Ivrio fail.
I watched Ivrio absently fiddle with the scroll tucked inside their clothes. Seeing the scroll brought a pleased smile to my lips. To think I would see that here.
Along with puppets, that scroll had been a major source of income that covered my examination fees. It seemed they had studied it quite deeply. They often tried to follow the maxims inside it.
There was something meaningful about someone from my hometown taking the examination with something I had made in hand. Perhaps that was why my mouth naturally opened.
After hearing my advice, Ivrio got through the first chapter. That, in turn, drew attention even I had not anticipated.
Hurry up and bring those two closer together.
I gave a bitter smile at the magical power descending on me with that intention. Looking up at the sky, I could almost feel Professor’s gaze sparkling as she watched the mirror.
Professor was clearly fully focused on the story here. Her interest was directed toward those two, Emery and Ivrio.
It seemed she had liked how Ivrio heard my advice at the end of the first chapter, then defied danger to save Emery. That was why she was sending magical power like this, telling me to stir things up between them further.
I nodded. As Professor wished, I needed to make the story a little more entertaining. For that to happen, they would need to suffer a little more.
My advice had made the story easier for them, so did that not mean I should give them a more difficult story? It was time to stop simply observing and start moving.
What kind of reaction would Ivrio show? I was looking forward to it. I smiled as I watched them.
* * *
I quietly shifted my gaze and met Evron’s eyes. He was looking at me with a knowing smile. Somehow, I could see amusement in his eyes.
Why was he smiling at me like that? The ominous feeling in my chest made me take half a step back. The smile on his lips only deepened.
I had no idea what was going on. As I watched him and tried to read his thoughts, I felt someone send magical power toward me. Turning my gaze, I saw Emery beckoning to me with her fan.
“You, make a choice. Tell this lady which of the two women you think is more in the right.”
It seemed Emery had finished organizing her thoughts. She raised her fan and pointed at the screen. Was she leaving the choice to me? I gave a small laugh.
I had not said anything because she had been deep in thought, but I was confident in choices like this. How much had my senses helped while facing the Black Mage?
My sense for finding the right choice had always led me somewhere safe. Of course, it was wrong sometimes. Those had only been rare exceptions.
Those senses had also become sharper than before. They had not remained simple instinct, but had bloomed into magic. With magic like this, I would surely be able to find the most suitable path.
I placed a hand on my chest and sent magical power into the pattern carved into my Sapling. The magical power flowing into my eyes slowly began forming paths in front of me.
The direction those paths led had to be the surest choice. Full of confidence, I looked toward where the paths stretched.
My confidence quickly crumbled. There was not one path, but several. I blinked as countless streams of light extended in every direction.
Those paths were even clearer near Evron. It meant staying close to him would be best. The result was confusing enough to leave me flustered.
Perhaps noticing my confusion, Emery slowly shook her head. She lightly waved her fan and closed her eyes.
“So it was like that after all. Still, this tells us one thing. Unlike last time, this is not especially dangerous.”
I looked at Emery. It seemed she had not expected anything from my choice in the first place. She looked as though she understood my magic better than I did.
I stared blankly at her. She clicked her tongue at me. Her expression was filled with disappointment.
“What a fool. You still do not understand what this lady has figured out? Your magic only activates during a crisis. It suits a fool like you, always thinking of running away.”
Was that it? I scratched my head. That made the current situation easier to understand. A great crisis would not come to us in this Ballroom. The only thing stirring my chest was Evron.
Still, another question arose. I blinked and looked at Emery. If this magic only activated for my own danger, why had it appeared on the path to save her?
As I considered that, I remembered what Evron had said. He had said it might be what I wanted. That innate magic granted a person’s wish. I cleared my throat and looked away.
For some reason, looking at her was starting to feel burdensome. Leaving me behind, Emery looked around at the others.
“This lady has met both women. If they do not intend to harm us, this place should be safe. We should postpone our choice for now. We need more information about those two women and this place.”
It was reasonable. If we chose the wrong path now, there would surely be a serious problem. Did the scroll not say so? The Sixth Maxim, if you cannot accurately judge the situation, remain still. This was the time to follow it.
The others seemed to agree with her opinion and nodded. The curtain lifted, and noisy music filled the air again. A screen appeared along with it.
--
Chapter 2. Ballroom
You have encountered two women waiting for a choice. You have decided to gather more information about them. Decide where you stand before the moment of choice arrives.
--
“Then move separately. Meet back here in about an hour. This lady will send a signal.”
Emery waved her fan and gestured with her chin. The little snakes resting on the others’ heads crawled down their bodies and hid between their clothes. She meant to use those as signals.
Those who received her snakes began slowly leaving the room. Then I should move too. As I rose, Emery raised her fan and blocked my way.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“Uh, I was planning to first figure out the layout of this building.”
Understanding the situation came first, after all. Emery showed a somewhat disappointed expression and pointed toward the center of the Ballroom.
“Leave that to the others. You are coming there with this lady. It seems the areas people can enter differ depending on their clothing.”
I glanced around. So that was why everyone wore different clothes. There was one small problem, though. This was my first time in a Ballroom.
“I cannot dance or anything like that...”
I looked at the people in the Ballroom. With magical power in their feet, they danced lightly to the music. It was something I had never seen before.
Emery drew a confident smile. She lightly tapped my head with her fan and led the way.
“Trust this lady. This lady will guide even a wanderer like you so that you can learn easily.”
My eyes shone at Emery’s dependable appearance. I nodded. Right, I just had to trust and follow her!
I followed her into the Ballroom. Before long, I had no choice but to make a miserable face.
“Ugh!”
I let out a short cry and wrapped my feet in magical power. It covered the half-swollen wounds and quickly calmed my body.
I stared at Emery with a gaze full of pain. She made a slightly awkward expression and avoided my eyes.
“Hmm, perhaps it has been too long since this lady last danced. This lady is having trouble adjusting as well.”
She moved to the music. At the same time, her foot filled with magical power landed on mine again. I grimaced. She had stepped on my foot again.
She stepped on them more than ten times a minute, and my feet had become horribly swollen. As I limped slightly, Emery hid part of her face behind her fan.
“In the borderlands, skill in battle is what matters. Pointless etiquette like this has no meaning. So endure it a little.”
Emery muttered as though making excuses. None of the confidence she had shown before entering the Ballroom remained.
Was she telling me to sacrifice my feet like this? I stared at her in betrayed disbelief. Perhaps she sensed my distrust, because she showed a slightly displeased expression.
Emery poured in even more magical power and advanced without restraint. She began moving as though she intended to crush my feet completely. I hurriedly dodged her foot as it came down on mine.
Watching her terrifying movements made the sensation in my chest pour out ominous warnings. It meant the current situation was a great crisis to me. I sent magical power into my eyes and called up the path that showed me how to survive.
A faint path stretched around me. I moved my feet along the lightly swaying path. Somehow, my body began moving smoothly with the song.
“Oh, interesting. You are using magic.”
Emery narrowed her eyes and began moving even more fiercely. Cold sweat ran down my face as I moved my feet quickly, until the music ended.
When the music finally stopped, I grabbed my knees and panted. I had survived in the end. Emery tapped my head with her fan.
“You learned well. This lady’s effort was not wasted.”
I met her eyes in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? I had not learned to dance. I had only moved my legs desperately to survive. Emery had not taught me a single thing.
Still, I could only smile and nod. Emery was staring at me with cold light in her eyes. If I resisted, she would surely step on my feet even harder.
Satisfied by my response, Emery looked around. Whenever the music ended, people formed groups and spoke among themselves.
During the process, which had repeated a few times already, we had also mixed among them and listened in on their conversations. We had learned quite a lot that way.
For example, everyone in this Ballroom had one vote.
“Let us go over there this time. She has finally shown herself.”
Emery led me through the crowd toward Isabella, who had appeared for the first time since we began dancing.
Isabella had been speaking with her followers. Perhaps noticing our approach, she looked pleased. She bowed to us.
[It is good to see you. I am glad it seems you are enjoying the Ballroom.]
Did that look like enjoyment? I felt resentment fill my chest, but I kept my mouth shut. Emery glanced at me, then met Isabella’s eyes.
“Thanks to you. It has been a long time since this lady danced as well. Yet there is surely something more important than dancing like this. So when will this selection begin? You and Mira are the hosts of this Ballroom, so you should know.”
Isabella gave a light smile and looked at the axe swaying in the center of the Ballroom. It looked extremely pleased.
[Probably after that treasure, Blood Axe, is sufficiently satisfied. It requested this Ballroom, after all. It has been a long time since it was outside like this, so it will probably take a while. Please enjoy yourselves more until then.]
Emery clicked her tongue softly at Isabella’s words. We needed to end this quickly. There was an impatient note in her muttering.
[But does the fact that the two of you came to find me mean your choice is leaning a little toward me?]
The moment Isabella said that, I felt gazes gathering on us. Emery briefly looked around, then lightly nodded.
“For now. But this lady still needs to think more, so do not rush us.”
Isabella smiled gently. She placed a hand over her chest and bowed to us.
[Please speak freely. We respect your choice.]
The moment she finished speaking, music began again. The previous song had only just ended. Why was it starting already?
I quickly found the reason. It was clearly the work of the axe rampaging over the spell that produced the music. It was pouring a huge amount of magical power into the magic circle.
[Slaughter!]
A powerful will resounded through the Ballroom. It wanted to play again. My stomach churned at that fierce will, and I staggered back. Its behavior was quickly stopped, though.
“Slaughter... Slaughter!”
One of the girls holding the axe’s leash frowned as she scolded it. Another girl who looked exactly the same stood beside her. They pulled on the axe’s leash and began lecturing it.
Those small girls were suppressing the magical power of that incredibly powerful treasure. Strong magical power seemed to flow from them as well.
“What are those?”
Emery gestured toward them with her eyes. Isabella took a sip of tea and smiled gently.
[They are Treasure Keepers. As long as they control it, the treasure has no choice but to remain bound here.]
Treasure Keepers. Their appearance was deeply impressive. Even the magical power I felt from them was on an entirely different level from mine.
“I see. Then this lady will return now. We have spoken enough.”
Was it already that time? I checked the clock. It was nearly time for our meeting. As Emery said, we needed to return.
On the way back to the room, I let out a small sigh of relief. Would my feet finally get a little rest? The thought of escaping that hell almost made me laugh.
Then I suddenly felt Emery looking at me. The same displeased air from when we had danced flowed from her. Damn, she might step on me again at this rate.
I needed to quickly change the subject. Standing beside her, I rubbed my hands together with a slightly regretful expression.
“Thanks to you, Emery, I was able to have an enjoyable time. But are you really planning to choose that woman, as you said?”
I glanced toward Isabella. Emery snickered.
“She and this lady are both testing each other. She will probably come to find us later too. We can judge again then.”
I did not understand what she meant. I lightly scratched my head as we entered the room. While treating my throbbing feet with magical power, the others began returning after receiving Emery’s signal.
They had likely moved through their own areas while we spent time in the Ballroom. They would have learned things we could not. It was time to share what each of us had found.
Everyone naturally formed a circle and looked at one another. Jaun spoke first. His brow was slightly furrowed.
“A woman named Mira approached us briefly. Most of the guards seemed to follow her too. The people who said they would make the same choice as their masters were all captivated by her.”
Mira had approached Jaun too? I shuddered as I remembered that seductive scent. It seemed everyone in the area Jaun had gone to had fallen for it. At least Jaun looked fine.
Then what about the servants? I looked at Evron. He had a slightly dazed expression. I gave him a subtle look as he rubbed his chin and thought.
Perhaps he sensed my magical power, because Evron suddenly came back to his senses and looked around at us. He lightly scratched his head and opened his mouth.
“Is it my turn? It seems most servants chose Isabella. From what I heard, they said they could only live if she became the owner of the treasure. They did not say much else, though.”
Everyone had already chosen a side. The same was true of the area where we had been. The nobles of the Ballroom were also split roughly in half.
All this information had been gained through the sacrifice of my feet. Among it was the background of this story. It was time to decide the owner of the treasure that was still dancing in the Ballroom.
Everyone in this enormous Ballroom would choose who would own the treasure. Either Isabella or Mira. I did a quick count. They seemed split almost evenly.
“I finally understand why they respected this lady. Are both sides wary of a one-vote difference?”
Emery muttered. As she said, we were at the center of the choice. The votes of the five of us could change the treasure’s owner.
I swallowed. Would the owner of the treasure change depending on our choice? From everything we had learned, it was clear that the two had very different natures.
If our choice changed the result, what was this examination asking of us? When we faced the Black Mage, we could clearly distinguish friend from foe. Here, everything only felt uncertain.
Everyone was deep in thought. I glanced at Evron. Somehow, he did not seem focused on our conversation.
“We need to gather more information. We have plenty of time before we must choose.”
Emery spoke. She was right. After deciding to gather more information, everyone left again.
Did I have to get my feet stepped on again? I let out a small sigh at the bleak thought. My feet might be pierced through before we even made a choice.
After watching Emery leave, I tried to follow her. Then I felt someone approach me. It was Evron.
I blinked, wondering what he wanted, but he raised a finger to his lips. He was telling me to be quiet. Evron smiled faintly and looked around.
“Ivrio, let us talk privately for a moment.”
His smiling face looked incredibly kind. Yet the suspicion that rang in my chest still came from him. What did he want to say?
Still, if he had called me aside like this, it had to be important. I lightly nodded, and he poured in magical power to create a barrier. It was concealed well enough that no one outside would sense anything unusual.
“What is so important that you are being this careful?”
Evron looked around, confirmed that no one was nearby, and shrugged.
“Call it repayment for keeping what I told you from Emery. I will give you one useful piece of information. At this rate, Ivrio will surely fail.”
I could not help being startled. Fail? I could not understand what he meant. Evron lightly waved a hand and lowered his voice.
“It seems this story is not simply tied to the Ballroom. You noticed something strange about that treasure, did you not?”
The treasure. I looked at the axe dancing outside. Was there something strange about it? I had not noticed anything.
“I have already approached it. And I found something interesting. It is first come, first served.”
Evron opened his mouth to continue, but I began to hear faint signs of movement outside.
“To make this lady wait is unforgivable. Come out at once.”
Emery was approaching. Evron quickly dismissed the barrier and smiled brightly. Emery entered the room, glared at us, then went back outside.
“Mm, we should stop here. Remember the scroll’s maxim. You do not lose out if you act first.”
The scroll’s maxim? He meant the Eighth Maxim, when a loss is certain, you must move first and gain the greatest possible profit. I knew it well.
But why was he bringing it up now? There was also something strange in his words. He sounded almost like someone saying goodbye.
“What do you...”
I tried to stop him, but he avoided my hand and slowly left the room. At the same time, Emery coughed outside with an irritated expression. If I did not leave quickly, I would surely suffer again.
I needed to survive first. Setting my doubts aside, I quickly headed to the Ballroom with her. We spent time dancing. During that time, I gained a few useful pieces of information as well.
Then I returned to the reception room and waited for the others. Gang and Jaun did not take long to return. But we could not talk for quite some time afterward.
Evron did not appear at all. Had something happened to him? Looking at one another, everyone seemed equally confused.
“I will go look for him.”
I rose from my seat. Evron’s suspicious behavior from earlier was still clear in my mind. My steps quickly stopped, though. A small screen appeared in front of me and blocked my way.
--
Chapter 3. Treasure
You have encountered the treasure. One person has left the test with the treasure’s power. Decide where you stand before the moment of choice arrives.
(10 points deducted because one person has left the test.)
--
I stared blankly at the screen. One person had left? What was that supposed to mean? Then Evron’s words suddenly came to mind. I felt like I finally understood what he had meant by first come, first served.
Footnotes:
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