WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 206: 206.

──────

The scores had already been revealed. Was there really more to this story?

I must have looked a little confused. Evron gave a quiet laugh and began strolling leisurely along the platform surrounding us.

“As Emery said, the test is not over yet. No, I should say the evaluation is not over. I was planning to tell you first and surprise everyone, but I did not expect Emery to notice so quickly. I was the one surprised.”

Evron met Emery’s eyes and nodded. There was a hint of admiration in his expression as he continued.

“Looking at all of you like this reminds me of when I passed the test. There was someone as impressive as Emery back then too. I barely passed by clinging to that person.”

“Just as it was written in the scroll,” he added, giving me a small wink.

I cleared my throat and avoided his gaze.

My situation was similar to what he described. Emery had brought me this far. Of course, I was now in danger of failing because my score was too low.

“After I passed, I thought about the test a little. Is a test that only pursues strength truly the right standard for judging who belongs at the university? Things like that. So I would like to give those facing failure another chance.”

Another chance.

I clenched both hands. I no longer had any regrets about the test. Still, if I had another chance to move forward, there was no reason to refuse it.

No matter what it demanded, I would find a way to resolve it. With that resolve, I looked at Evron.

He met our eyes and lightly shook his head.

“You do not need to think of it as something so burdensome. You only need to persuade those in front of you.”

Persuade? Who?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Evron clapped his hands.

The magical power swirling around his hands spread in every direction. At the same time, the empty chairs on the platform began filling with magical power and drawing magic.

It was a kind of spatial movement magic.

Curtains descended over the chairs, and when they lifted, people appeared in their places.

No, it was not just people.

[Slaughter!]

Its delight flooded the area in a surge of immense power.

The magical power rattled my head. I stepped back and steadied the circuits that were beginning to twist.

I had encountered that powerful will several times before. It came from the treasure, the axe that had tried to share its strength with Jaun and me.

The axe floated in the air and tried to release even more magical power.

Its attempt was cut short.

Magical power far greater than its own came down and struck the axe.

“You are loud, so be quiet.”

Professor Irian yawned as she glared at the axe.

The axe gathered its magical power and obediently settled onto a chair. It even bowed slightly, as if watching her mood.

[Sl-Slaughter....]

“Hehe, I told you to be careful. I warned you that Professor would be quite sensitive because she had not slept properly.”

Mira lightly patted the axe and gave us a warm smile.

A tempting fragrance seemed to naturally brush past us. I gathered myself against the scent that clouded my mind and lowered my head.

Those two were not the only ones who had appeared through the magic.

Words were appearing in the air beside them.

Cassian, who had appeared as the city lord in Chapter 1, and Isabella, the culprit from Chapter 2, were talking.

[I was impressed while watching. The others probably did not realize that Cassian was putting on an act for them.]

Cassian looked a little pleased and hugged Bear beside her.

I searched my memory. Had Cassian’s acting been that good? I did not think so at all.

I looked at Evron. He seemed to be thinking something similar, because he wore a slightly awkward expression.

Cassian noticed our looks and gave us a small glare. Evron quickly changed his expression.

Before the trouble reached me, I discreetly looked away and checked the others.

Then I saw something rather shocking.

A man was bent over on the floor.

“The seat looks uncomfortable. I will become a chair for you instead.”

A familiar purple-eyed girl climbed onto his back as though she had done it many times before.

They were clearly the Black Mages we had encountered in Chapter 1.

“Slaughter, slaughter....”

“...”

Small girls whispered as they watched the two of them.

They were the Treasure Keeper girls I had seen before. Their faces were twisted in disgust as they looked at the man.

Yet the man did not care. He only shifted his body so the girl on his back could settle more comfortably.

I clicked my tongue as I looked at him.

I had thought that behavior was an act before. Had all of it been sincere?

That was deeply shocking.

I shifted my eyes and looked over the people who had appeared.

Most were familiar faces. They were all people we had met in the earlier stories.

There were a few I had never seen before, though.

The last to appear was a black shadow with features similar to Evron’s.

The shadow held a palm-sized little girl in one hand.

The girl carried a shell on her back. Like the Treasure Keeper girls, she looked quite similar to Professor Irian.

I blinked at her.

Something about her felt slightly off. She was clearly another kind of puppet.

The shadow and the little puppet girl each took a chair and looked down at us.

Evron slowly stepped onto the platform and lightly patted their shoulders.

“This is probably your first time seeing these two directly. Still, they also participated in the story, so I invited them here.”

Should I call it the Evron-like shadow?

The unknown being lightly raised a hand. A tentacle filled with strange magical power slipped out from its hand and began to wriggle.

My eyes widened at the sight.

The tentacle had a familiar shape. It was the same thing that had constantly tormented us in Chapter 1.

Had this shadow controlled it?

No wonder I had felt malice stirring within it.

Then what was that girl?

Evron gently stroked the head of the shell-bearing girl.

“Meeeh.”

The girl let out a cry.

“This friend carries the wills of the puppets you have encountered so far. You could call her their representative. They are also watching you through this friend’s eyes.”

Evron lightly patted the girl’s head and looked around.

The platform, which had been completely silent, had grown lively now that so many people had taken seats. He examined them and rubbed his chin.

“More importantly, this is quite unexpected. I did not think so many would come. I heard that other sections usually had only three to five people remain in their seats....”

I counted them.

There were ten in total.

According to Evron, that was twice as many as in the other sections.

“Well, that probably means your story was interesting. If your story had been terrible, they would not have come here.”

Evron spread both arms wide and smiled.

“They will become the jury for all of you. So you must persuade them. The more of their votes you receive, the more points you will be given.”

I swallowed hard.

The fourth chapter had been called Trial.

I immediately understood what that meant.

The choices we had made since Chapter 1 had created this moment.

Evron narrowed his eyes as he looked us over. It seemed he intended to begin the trial right away.

He looked at Emery and lightly gestured toward her.

“We should invite Emery first, since she is the protagonist of this test. You already have plenty of points to spare.”

“Hmph. I will humor you for now. If I go first, those after me will have a little more room to breathe.”

Emery fluttered her fan and stepped forward.

All eyes on the platform turned to her.

She did not care about their gazes. With a proud expression, she met each one head-on.

“If you have something to say to me, speak.”

[Hehe, how interesting. Shall I speak first, then?]

Isabella smiled gently as words appeared in the air.

They drifted toward Emery, slowly releasing the will contained within them.

[I only have one question. After Evron left in Chapter 2, why did you not hold your group together more firmly? You used them as bait, but someone like Emery could have thought of a better method.]

I glanced at Emery.

It was a question I had too.

Earlier, Emery had used those of us who wanted to run away as bait to find the culprit.

The result of that attempt had been quite good. She had discovered that Isabella was targeting us.

But it had also been extremely risky.

If I had tried to leave like Jaun, I would have received even more deductions.

If Emery had wanted to finish the story for certain, she only needed to control us with force.

She could have found the culprit without giving Jaun or me even a moment to leave.

But she had not done that.

She gave Jaun and me enough room to choose for ourselves. She only revealed herself after I had made my choice.

“That is the mindset of a guardian.”

Emery fluttered her fan and met Isabella’s eyes before slowly continuing.

“Of course, if I had controlled them by force, I would have received more points. But they would have spent the rest of their lives as wanderers. They would only have been subdued and oppressed.”

Emery glanced at me.

For some reason, she seemed a little proud.

“I did not want that. Those who choose for themselves are bound to grow further. Look. That fool chose to move forward according to my advice. He has finally learned how to stand on his own.”

[Was standing on his own more important than points?]

Isabella tilted her head.

Emery covered half her face with her fan and smiled.

“Yes. Protecting and teaching fools, that is my duty and responsibility. The moment they became my group members in this test, they entered under my care. How could I turn away from them?”

Emery looked directly at Isabella.

Her expression was completely confident.

Isabella smiled gently and nodded.

[...That is an interesting answer. I have no choice but to vote for your acceptance. If I made Emery fail, I would not even be able to evaluate the others.]

Isabella gave Emery a small bow.

The moment she withdrew, Emery’s screen released a faint light.

It was a vote in favor.

The others followed Isabella and asked Emery several questions.

Like Isabella, they soon began pressing votes in favor with satisfied expressions.

I quietly placed a hand on my chest.

What Emery had just said deeply moved me.

Was that why she had given me a choice?

I could only be grateful that she had given me that opportunity.

I looked at Emery again.

She was not simply a mage with strength.

She had accumulated wisdom and insight far greater than strength within herself.

How could anyone fail to recognize that depth?

Before long, her screen turned pure white.

Everyone had declared that she passed.

I slowly nodded.

It was an understandable result.

At that moment, Professor Irian, who had been yawning, raised her hand.

She flicked a finger, and Emery’s screen flew through the air toward her.

Professor Irian’s eyes sparkled as she slowly read it.

Soon, she nodded and looked down at Emery.

“Hmm, I found it quite interesting too. These kids all agree, so... you pass.”

Emery respectfully bowed to Professor Irian and slowly stepped back.

Evron clapped as he looked at her, smiling brightly.

“Oh, congratulations. Since you received these votes in favor, the deductions for those who left will be offset. You gained twenty points in total. With that many points, you will probably be one of the highest-ranked successful applicants.”

“Hmph. At least all of you have an eye for people.”

Even though her acceptance had been confirmed, Emery only looked as though it was natural.

I looked at her and fell into thought.

Twenty points.

Did every person’s vote grant two additional points?

I counted the points I had left.

I was short by nine points.

Emery had received twenty points from everyone’s votes, so I only needed to obtain half the votes.

“Then what will Emery do now? Your acceptance has already been confirmed, so you may leave this place. If you tell me you wish to leave, I will send you outside immediately.”

Evron shrugged as he spoke.

Emery narrowed her eyes and looked over Gang and me.

After thinking for a moment, she clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Tsk. You were under my care, even if only briefly, so I will watch until the end. It is also my duty to see how your stories conclude.”

She was staying for us until the end?

Filled with gratitude, I gave her a deep bow.

She snorted and fluttered her fan.

“Very well, I will respect that choice. Then, which of the remaining two will step forward next?”

Evron looked at us.

I could not help hesitating.

I had watched Emery undergo her trial, but I still was not sure how I could persuade them.

Going first in that situation would put me at a huge disadvantage.

Unlike me, Gang moved without hesitation.

He looked up at Evron.

“I will go first. My score is lower.”

Why would he make that choice?

Perhaps my question showed on my face, because Gang gave me a small smile.

Then he slowly continued.

“As Emery said, we are bound by ties. And to a swordsman, ties are not something that can be carelessly severed. Ivrio has the greater chance of passing between us, so I will pave the way ahead.”

I lowered my head toward Gang.

He was facing this danger first for my sake.

I had tried to abandon him and run away earlier.

But unlike me, Gang held a firm conviction that he would not abandon a companion.

Had I really been insulting someone like him as a sword-user all this time?

I could not help reflecting on my past behavior.

Gang left me behind and walked to the front of the platform.

He faced those looking down at him and touched his sword sheath.

Cassian suddenly raised both hands and stood.

“I am deeply moved. Just as expected, there are no bad swordsmen. You have quite a talent for using a sword, too. So I vote that you pass.”

Cassian hugged Bear to her chest, her eyes sparkling.

Bear nodded, as if agreeing with her opinion.

It seemed Gang’s words had touched her heart as a fellow sword-user, no, a fellow swordsman.

Perhaps because Gang had gained a vote so quickly, the mood in the trial hall grew a little lighter.

But a voice from across from Cassian cooled the atmosphere.

“I cannot believe those words. I understand Cassian’s choice, but in the end, this person abandoned his companion and ran away during the final battle.”

“Ugh, that is true, but....”

Cassian fell into thought.

The one who challenged her was the Black Mage man.

With the girl on his back, he looked resolute.

As the man tried to say more, Hari lightly tugged the leash around his neck from her perch on his back.

The man closed his mouth and looked up at her.

Then he gave a small nod.

“Hari says she has something she wants to ask you. She says she will decide after hearing it.”

Hari stared down at Gang from the man’s back.

Her lips moved slightly.

The man slowly began relaying her words.

“When I appeared, you clearly could have fought. But you left Emery behind. Why did you do that?”

“I have no intention of denying that I ran away. Emery told me to leave, but it is true that I turned my back on her.”

Gang touched his sword sheath as he fell into thought.

Then he looked calmly at the shell-bearing girl.

“You said the puppets we met earlier are watching from inside that girl, did you not? That means they possess wills. Even though they were puppets, I could sense something alive within them.”

Gang gave the girl a small smile.

The girl met his eyes.

“Meeeh.”

She let out a small cry.

“That is why I made saving them my highest priority over fighting. Of course, I knew my score would fall like this in the process, but I have no regrets. I saved many lives through that choice. Saving more lives, is that not the duty of a human being?”

Gang’s answer came without hesitation.

After saying everything he wanted to say, he quietly closed his eyes.

Life over points.

Had he been thinking that far ahead back then?

All I wanted was to run away as quickly as possible.

I realized something anew.

Perhaps that was the life of a swordsman.

He simply moved forward according to his own judgment.

Everything would surely come into sharp focus along that path.

That was why hesitation could not exist.

Swordsmen were more straightforward than mages, who tended to make everything complicated.

The way Gang lived seemed to have reached those on the platform too.

“Meeeh.”

The little girl let out a satisfied cry.

At the same time, a small white light appeared on the screen floating before Gang.

The girl had given Gang a vote in favor.

Cassian’s eyes sparkled as she followed the girl and cast her vote in favor.

Not everyone agreed, though, and black light soon appeared as well.

“I oppose. No matter what, the fact that you ran away does not change. You did not play such a clear role in our story either. Compared to Emery, you were not very interesting.”

[I agree with that a little. I oppose as well.]

Isabella and Mira chose to oppose.

The shadow also wriggled its tentacle and followed them in opposition.

[Slaughter!]

The axe released its will loudly among them.

It wanted to cross blades with Gang.

Therefore, Gang received a passing vote.

It was an incredibly simple opinion.

The others split between acceptance and opposition, each giving their own reasons.

The Black Mage man was the last to make a decision.

With Hari on his back, he stared at Gang and shook his head.

“I also intended to oppose, but Hari says she likes your resolve. So I will give you a vote in favor.”

With that final decision, everyone’s choices were complete.

Six to four.

It was more than half.

But it was not enough.

I bit my lip.

Gang needed eighteen points to pass, which meant nine people needed to agree.

Six votes were not enough to cross the qualifying line.

As if proving that, Professor Irian let out a small sigh.

She examined Gang’s screen and waved a hand.

“This is not enough. You are not unusual enough for me to use my discretion to push you through. You fail.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

If I had stopped Jaun, if Gang had not received those deductions, he would have passed.

Guilt seemed to fill my chest.

But unlike me, Gang only nodded with a faint smile.

He looked as though he accepted the result he had received.

“It is unfortunate. But this also means I still have much to improve, so I will need to train a little harder from now on.”

Gang slowly stepped back.

Then he lightly bowed to Evron and continued.

“May I remain a little longer as well? I would like to see how the story ends.”

“As you wish. Then, Ivrio, it is your turn to be evaluated.”

Evron lightly gestured toward me.

I glanced at Gang.

He met my eyes and gave a small nod.

Even after failing, he was still thinking of me. I could only bow deeply once more.

I swallowed hard.

After receiving that kind of support, I had no choice but to step forward and try to pass.

With firm resolve, I stood at the front of the platform.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried