WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Little Prince in the Ossuary

00027 <-- The Little Prince of the Ossuary -->

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#Intermission, Cancer Solver! Cheat Package Mk.1!

「A ghost is haunting the relay channels. The ghost of cancer. All viewers, content creators, and virtual reality users in this world have formed a holy alliance to hunt this ghost.」

「The history of all virtual reality thus far is the history of cancer.」

「Make every cancer-inducing element tremble before the DLC revolution! The only thing viewers will lose is money, and what they will gain is all the joy in this world.」

「Zuschauer aller Länder, vereinigt euch!」

Greetings, viewers from all countries. The early ending led to this DLC advertisement, brought to you by the company that's only in it for the money.

Today, we introduce the brand new DLC, 「Cancer Solver! Cheat Package Mk.1」.

……….

Do we really need an introduction for this? The name says it all.

But, I have to earn my paycheck, so here we go.

Everyone, while watching virtual reality broadcasts, we encounter numerous cancer-inducing elements. Most of the time, it’s the host’s fault. Whether their TOM rating is low, their aptitude is poor, or their control is subpar, there are plenty of reasons. Maybe it's because most hosts are old? Naturally, the hosts are stressed too. It's their lack of effort, but still, they are pitiable.

We don’t watch streams to see hosts struggle or grovel before in-game characters, right? We don’t need more stress on top of what we already get from reality.

The most annoying thing is when a show you’ve watched for a long time ends with a bad or sad ending. No one likes those, right? It's genuinely infuriating. Saying it gives you cancer isn’t just a metaphor.

This newly released package is a viewer-exclusive product. You can gift it to the host as a viewer quest. Once the host accepts the quest, boom! 10,000 experience points are instantly charged! The miracle of capitalism, giving the power to overcome any crisis!

Feeling uneasy? Come on, it's just virtual reality. Since anything is possible with money in real life, the same should apply in virtual reality. Haven’t you played online packages made in Korea before? Hyundai cars are meant to be driven that way, and our service is meant to be used like this.

What? Doesn’t it break the immersion? Yes, even the AI-controlled post-insurance situation calculation can't handle the contradictions created by the DLC. In-game characters question it. They say you’ve changed too much in a short time. Or, if you had such powers, why did you hide them until now?

But who cares about emotional lines and consistency these days? Most shows are either all about constant action or destruction. Relax and have some fun.

This product is compatible with all virtual reality worlds that meet post-insurance standards. Please make good use of our new cancer cure.

This has been an announcement from Paradise Group’s Virtual Reality Division.

#Executive Order 9066, Camp Roberts (3)

A community needs middle managers and leaders. There were crises in the past when we didn't have them. Unexpectedly prolonged external activities. Returning to find the community gone, disbanded. Clear hierarchy and responsibility are essential to handle crises in the absence of leaders. It wasn’t a trivial matter of task division.

Given the atmosphere of the 「Gyeoul Alliance」, there would be no backlash if appointments were made arbitrarily. However, if the appointed leader caused trouble, Gyeoul would be blamed. The reverse would also be true. For stability, it was better to have someone easily held accountable in emergencies.

Therefore, candidates were registered, and voting was conducted anonymously. It was fortunate someone had a seal.

In this process, a roster of members was created. Age, gender, religion, education, skills, and fingerprints were recorded. This could be used for other purposes as well.

Of course, if Gyeoul reached a mature level, all this information would be provided in augmented reality without needing the list.

Gyeoul, who summarized the voting results, called out two names.

“Jang Yeon-cheol is first, and Min Wan-ki is second. Please come forward.”

The former was the one who first invited Gyeoul, so some support was expected. The latter was the proposer of the 「Gyeoul Alliance」. A gentlemanly middle-aged man with a broken pair of glasses, he had a cultured speech and a gentle demeanor that garnered affection. In short, he was very charming.

To Gyeoul, he seemed fit to be a scholar, in both good and bad senses.

Calling them together was to share responsibility. There was no intention to create a solid second-in-command from the start. Gyeoul didn’t know them well enough to trust either completely.

They needed to check each other. Leaving room for a loyalty competition had its significance.

“In my absence, the two of you will alternate managing the alliance. Discuss all major and minor matters together, but take turns having the final decision. Do you understand?”

Jang Yeon-cheol looked slightly disappointed. He tried to hide it, but that made it more noticeable. He probably had high expectations seeing the voting results. It might seem trivial, but the desire for honor often precedes the desire for power. Sometimes they are indistinguishable. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Meanwhile, Min Wan-ki smiled deeply. It wasn’t a simple expression of pleasure. He was more complex than Yeon-cheol. He would likely be more capable but also more difficult to handle.

“For now, your titles will be... Vice-Captains. We can change it if a better suggestion comes up. Shake hands, and please share a brief word of resolution with the people who elected you.”

Having done this many times, he was adept.

The greetings of the two showed their personality differences clearly.

Jang Yeon-cheol stammered a bit and blushed. He was relatively naive. But seeing that he had people’s trust, it was a proof of his honesty. He wasn’t someone who could establish authority on his own but was expected to be diligent in his role. The fact that he couldn’t hide his ambition was also likable.

Min Wan-ki was eloquent. He didn’t have an overly confident tone but gave a cautious impression. He seemed suitable for negotiating with other organizations.

After this, Min Wan-ki quietly complimented.

“You’re very skilled. I’m impressed.”

Jang Yeon-cheol, noticing the compliment, joined in. Gyeoul read the augmented reality psychological indicators influenced by ‘Insight’. No need for a reply, just a faint smile.

There was still more to be done.

“Vice-Captains, please come closer.”

Gyeoul seemed to want a conversation others couldn’t hear, making Yeon-cheol and Wan-ki curious. People were curious but kept their distance. Even in the tent, lowering voices allowed for private conversation.

“As you know, our alliance is still too small. To defend ourselves, we need to be able to spare a platoon-sized group.”

“We need to recruit new members, then?”

Yeon-cheol’s words made Gyeoul nod.

“Yes. It’s inevitable. The US military requires a minimum number of personnel, and our alliance isn’t enough. Other groups will know this too.”

“You mean...”

“They might try to plant people among us.”

The reactions of the two differed. Yeon-cheol swallowed hard, while Wan-ki remained calm. The latter probably expected it. If Gyeoul hadn't pointed it out, the reduced affection correction would have shown. Instead of disappointment, it would have been mockery. Without the system's assistive insight, understanding the reason behind this psychological change would have been nearly impossible. The relatively timid one carefully asked.

“Then what should we do?”

Gyeoul answered casually.

“Vice-Captain Jang. If they are determined to infiltrate, how could we distinguish them? We have to accept them.”

“What?!”

Yeon-cheol raised his voice unintentionally. Realizing his mistake as people glanced over, he covered his mouth. But the look of shock in his eyes was unmistakable. His lowered volume made his questioning scream more like a whisper.

“What do you mean by that? Why accept spies?!”

“As I said, we can’t avoid taking in new people. If some of them are spies, what can we do? We have to take them in.”

“No matter what...”

Yeon-cheol sighed deeply, dumbfounded. Gyeoul smiled.

“I don’t find it that worrying.”

Wan-ki, who had been listening, agreed.

“I agree, but I still want to hear the Little Captain’s thoughts.”

Yeon-cheol glanced between the two. He seemed to sense he was missing something, making him feel uneasy. But without understanding, he waited for the answer, looking defeated. He must have felt he was already falling behind, right after being appointed as a co-leader.

It wasn’t a bad feeling. Gyeoul said.

“I will make sure no one in our alliance goes hungry. Since we’re not establishing a hierarchy, there won’t be any stress from ranks. I assure you... living in our alliance will be better than in any other group in every way.”

He paused for emphasis, then concluded.

“No one would want to ruin it. They’d want to switch sides.”

“Ah...”

There was confidence in his words. It was different from mere self-assurance. The boy spoke as if it were a given. Yeon-cheol’s anxiety turned into doubt.

Gyeoul revealed his true concern.

“My real worry is different.”

“What is it?”

“Territorialism, anxiety, religion, drugs.”

Contextually, that should suffice. Yeon-cheol was impressed. He must have realized Gyeoul was a leader not just for his fighting skills and bravery. Wan-ki was satisfied. He was still testing Gyeoul.

Yeon-cheol said.

“I understand why you wanted a private conversation now.”

“Glad you do. If the worry was only territorialism, a simple warning would suffice... But anxiety is different. If people start fearing spies, won’t they distrust all new members? Some are already worried, but it’s another issue if we, the leaders, openly acknowledge it, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“The old members will band together, and the new ones will stick together, worsening territorialism... It’s a vicious cycle. A spy won’t even want to defect. They’d only increase. And drugs and religion... they are even more dangerous.”

Wan-ki, who had mostly listened, finally spoke up properly.

“Your age is hard to believe, Little Captain. You’re right. Nothing ruins an alliance more effectively than drugs and religion.”

Yeon-cheol, deep in thought, joined in.

“Aren’t drugs more dangerous?”

Wan-ki replied.

“Not necessarily. Religion, if hidden, isn’t detectable. Unlike drugs, which you can find evidence of. Moreover, can we punish people for their religion?”

Yeon-cheol pressed his temples. This was a problem he hadn’t considered. Wan-ki continued.

“Drugs are a crime just by possession, but religion isn’t. People would see it as unfair oppression. And I bet many in our alliance are religious. One of the most dangerous groups, the ‘Full Gospel Saints’, uses religion as a weapon. Their pastor claims to be both a prophet and savior. It’s a clear cult, but religious folks are swayed by such doctrines.”

“Ah...”

The more they thought about it, the more problematic it was. They couldn’t openly warn about potential spies, but they also couldn’t ignore the issue. After thinking for a while, Yeon-cheol made a suggestion.

“Captain, what about this?”

“Go ahead.”

“Regarding religion, if Vice-Captain Min is right, existing believers will be more easily influenced. So, what if we quietly ask trusted members to monitor them? I can think of a few good candidates right now.”

Wan-ki immediately added.

---------------------------= Author's Note ---------------------------=

In the last chapter, no one pointed out that there was a viewer named activeXfuckoff, right?

In this story’s world, ActiveX was revived in 2020 and used until the 2050s.

Because...um...

That’s what makes it feel dystopian...

Footnotes:

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