WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: nemui
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈
Vol. 2 Ch. 3: The Person with the Paper Bag (An Important Person)
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In the southern outskirts of the capital, Grandrium, on the grounds of the Erington Army's Second Base, stood a three-story building enclosed by iron fencing.
Though it had once caught fire, the old building had been repaired and reused time and again. It was the headquarters of the Gray Knights, a group made up of Mad Walkers.
Theo had assumed the Gray Knights numbered around a hundred, but according to what Beryl and Archibald had told him in the carriage, there were only around ten members in all, including their commander.
Several were currently stationed on the West End front, a fierce battleground in the war against the Termea, so not even half of them were likely at the base.
No wonder the Gray Knights were not widely known.
There was always a risk that a Mad Walker could become a Termea. Some citizens would surely oppose treating them as military assets. That was why the nation kept their existence hidden.
Two soldiers stood guard before the gate. Their red uniforms marked them as members of the Erington Army. When they saw Archibald, the two soldiers saluted and immediately unlocked the gate.
Beryl whispered to Theo.
“This is Gray Knights headquarters, also known as Cinder House. Or the doghouse.”
The iron fence surrounding the base was not meant to keep intruders out. It was meant to keep the Gray Knights inside.
Considering they needed collars to leave the grounds, their treatment did not seem particularly good.
“‘Never mind poverty or chastity. Just be obedient.’ That’s the policy.”
Archibald shot Beryl a sharp glare at the joking remark.
“I will take the newcomer to the commander's office. The rest of you are to wait in your rooms until your next assignment.”
Beryl gave a casual wave in response.
“Yeah, yeah. Take care. See you, Theo.”
Carla had been staring up at Beryl. Then she turned to Theo and awkwardly waved one hand. She seemed to be imitating Beryl.
“Thank you for everything, Beryl, Carla.”
Theo thanked them politely and gave a small wave himself. It was not a very knightly gesture, but he wanted to return the feeling they had shown him.
Archibald climbed the stairs at a brisk pace. The building was old, but its construction seemed sturdy enough that neither the floors nor the stairs creaked beneath them.
Eventually, Archibald stopped before a room on the third floor.
“The person you are about to meet is the commander of the Gray Knights. Do not be disrespectful.”
Archibald knocked and opened the door.
A person sat behind a desk at the back of the room.
The body wore a Gray Knights uniform and was neither particularly large nor thin.
On top of that body was a paper bag.
The person was wearing a paper bag over their head. There were round holes around the eyes, so presumably they could see out of it.
Theo glanced sideways at Archibald. Archibald said nothing, his expression stern. Which meant this was not an emergency to him.
（What am I supposed to say...?）
As Theo struggled with that question, a voice came from inside the paper bag. It belonged to a middle-aged man and lacked much energy.
“You can come in.”
“Y-Yes, excuse me.”
Theo stepped into the room and straightened his posture.
Greetings mattered, no matter the situation.
“It is a great honor to be granted an audience. My name is Theo, and I have newly joined the Gray Knights.”
“Ah, right. I’m JJ, the commander. Nice to meet you.”
It was an unusual name. Combined with the hidden face, perhaps he was in a difficult position where he could not reveal his identity.
“About your age, you’re fourteen, right?”
“Yes. I was a foundling, so I do not know my exact age.”
“I see. Hmm...”
JJ folded his arms and groaned. Theo could not see his expression because of the paper bag, but he felt as though JJ was making a troubled face.
“To be honest, I want to make a rule that minors under sixteen should be Gray Knight apprentices and kept off the battlefield. But I can’t get it approved by the higher-ups. So children like you have to go into battle as full Gray Knights... Sorry I couldn’t do more.”
“I was prepared to fight as a knight from the beginning, so I have no objection. But children who do not wish to fight must never be sent to the battlefield. I sincerely hope your request is approved, Commander.”
“Ah, right. Thanks...”
The man before him did not possess the imposing air unique to an important figure. His voice was flat, without strength or vigor. Put simply, he spoke like an exhausted old man.
（But he’s a good person.）
More importantly, suspicious appearance aside, even if he was an exhausted old man underneath it all, the person before Theo was the commander of the Gray Knights. He was Theo’s superior. Theo could not afford to be disrespectful.
Theo stood with his back straight and continued his greeting.
“I may be inexperienced, but I will devote myself wholeheartedly to protecting the citizens from the threat of the Termea. I look forward to serving under you.”
“Yeah, likewise.”
The conversation ended.
“...”
“...”
Theo wished either JJ or Archibald would say something. At the very least, could one of them not tell him to leave? As Theo secretly wondered, JJ spoke.
“Is there anything you want to ask?”
“I assumed Administrator Archibald would explain what I need to know about life here...”
“No, go ahead and ask. You’re thinking, ‘What’s with the paper bag?’ Right? You thought that, didn’t you?”
He had. He had thought it very strongly, so after some internal conflict, Theo forced out the words.
“...May I ask?”
“Yeah, I actually wanted you to ask. You know, it would make me sad if the young ones whispered behind my back, ‘Can you believe our boss wears a paper bag?’”
“Speaking ill of someone behind their back is shameful behavior.”
“You’re so serious. Anyway, about the paper bag...”
JJ pointed at the holes cut in the shape of eyes.
The two holes in the brown paper bag were black, and Theo could not see what lay beyond them. No, that was strange, he realized.
If they were round holes, should he not at least be able to see the skin around JJ’s eyes and the whites of them?
“The Curse Sigil covers the upper half of my face. It’s completely black.”
Theo looked closely and gasped. It was not just the skin. JJ’s eyes, including both the whites and irises, were entirely black.
“My vision is fine, but having the upper half of my face completely black stands out a little, right? And my hair got pretty flashy too... Once you’ve been a Mad Walker for over five years, your hair color and all sorts of things start changing.”
“I-Is that so?”
“So hiding my face makes things easier. People forgive you for looking like you haven’t put much effort in. And they won’t notice if you accidentally have a nose hair sticking out.”
The location of a Curse Sigil indicated where a Termea had injected its Curse through its Blood Tail.
Beryl’s were on both legs. Carla’s was on her back. Theo’s was over his heart.
JJ’s was on his face.
Remembering the sharpness of the Blood Tail, Theo winced.
“That must have been difficult. When I think of the moment a Blood Tail targeted you, Commander, it pains me deeply.”
The paper bag suddenly stopped moving.
Until then, it had rustled whenever JJ nodded in response. What was wrong? Theo panicked.
“I-I apologize. That was an insensitive thing to say...”
“No, I was just surprised because you’re such a good kid... We really got a serious one...”
JJ rustled the paper bag back into place and looked at Theo again.
“I have already received the report, Theo.”
“Yes.”
“First, thank you for your efforts in subjugating the Termea in Worg. I heard you successfully manifested your Curse Armament and fought bravely.”
His voice still lacked vigor, but his words of thanks held a depth Theo had not heard from him before.
Theo had not defeated the Termea in order to be praised, but of course praise made him happy. And because the Oblivion Curse prevented people from remembering him, Theo was always starving for kind words.
“...You honor me.”
Theo quickly bowed his head. He did not want anyone to see his lips twitching with happiness.
Wow, I got praised! What do I do? I’m so happy!
A knight should not get excited like that.
“The Gray Knights welcome you. I sincerely hope the day comes when you find and defeat the Termea that cursed you.”
“Yes! I will do my utmost!”
“Meup!”
A cry came from near his feet.
Archibald’s eyes widened, while JJ tilted his head and muttered, “...Meup?” before looking down at Theo’s feet.
Swaying from side to side near Theo’s boots was a white ball of fluff, Lenny.
“Ah, Lenny! Did you get out of my bag!?”
“What is that fluffball?”
Archibald furrowed his brow and tried to pick up the fluffball rolling around Theo’s feet. But Lenny rolled this way and that, skillfully escaping Archibald’s hand.
“Hey, stop running... What is this? A fat rat?”
I can’t exactly say, “It’s a fluffball that somehow appeared during my Curse Armament Manifestation, and I think it might be a white horse!”
Theo desperately chose his words.
“Lenny is my companion!”
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