WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Little Prince of the Ossuary

00007 <-- The Little Prince of the Ossuary -->

------------------------------------------------------------------------

#Intermission, Loading Page Description

When users utilize the time acceleration feature or when there's a temporal jump due to quest progression, loading may occur for situational computation. The loading screen provides various information such as advice from the Control AI or the production team, explanations about the game system, clues to understanding the situation, and advertisements for DLCs and additional products. This is referred to as an ‘Intermission’ in ‘Days after Apocalypse’.

#Intermission, Journal and Time Acceleration

The journal serves as a medium that records and conveys the user's progress and background. Users can experience the main contents of the journal through ‘Sensory Synchronization’. Even when the time acceleration feature is used, major events that occurred in the meantime are recorded in the journal, sometimes conveying information the user was unaware of, and replaying important details that were overlooked. (Since the journal is a record, it can be reviewed. Real-time feedback may occur in related situations.) However, this can vary qualitatively depending on the user's abilities. All elements within the game are directly or indirectly affected by the user's capabilities.

Time acceleration for automatic progression is an essential feature in a full-scale virtual reality world where in-world time flows identically to real time. If there's content in the automatic progression due to time acceleration that is unsatisfactory, the game can be restarted from that point once only. In such cases, it will start with manual progression, and the time acceleration feature will be disabled for a certain period. Therefore, the outcome could be worse than the original.

The virtual persona in charge of journal records learns from the player's behavioral patterns collected in previous sessions. Thus, the more the virtual persona experiences ‘Days after Apocalypse’, the more it resembles you. Typically, when data from more than 10 sessions has accumulated, the virtual persona can make almost identical actions and choices as you. This will facilitate smoother progression.

#Journal, Page 29, Camp Roberts

The first supply mission ended in a partial success. The task of securing food, heating, winter gear, and fuel was sufficiently achieved, but it wasn't a complete success due to casualties. However, the biggest issue was that the military began to distrust the refugee volunteers.

Bloodshed erupted among the volunteers dispatched to the church. After killing mutants, they fought over the distribution of supplies. When the person who killed the mutants claimed all the glory and tried to take everything, the others backstabbed and killed him with a knife. The military grew suspicious of the raised voices and uncovered this tragedy upon inspecting the wounds.

Upon returning to camp, there were also volunteers attempting to smuggle in firearms. The military had to thoroughly search everyone since refugees carrying guns could incite unrest, and many pleaded for protection when caught. While somewhat understandable, it further diminished the trust in the volunteers.

Moreover, at the mill where I was, several military soldiers were injured and buried under the building. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. The worst injury was someone pinned under a beam, paralyzing their lower body, and it was, ironically, a refugee volunteer, not a soldier. Most soldiers suffered injuries that would take about a month to heal.

It was difficult to blame anyone for the sudden appearance of the train and the derailment, but the problem was that after the incident, all volunteers fled in the face of the emerging mutants.

The only one who stood and fought, my actions were highly regarded, but the trust in the volunteers was questioned, leading the soldiers to refuse further supply missions. A different approach was deemed necessary, and the camp command was positive about it.

It seems some soldiers who saw me fight reported that I needed to be watched. Lieutenant Robert Capston inquired about the details, and Sergeant Pierce defended me.

"Cowards' words are not to be heeded, Captain. The important thing is this little guy stayed and fought to the end, and I deem him trustworthy."

Regardless of how the report was made, following the battalion commander's decision, I was informed that if I agreed, I would be treated as a volunteer. They offered to change my quarters to the military area and provide military-issued clothing and gear among other conveniences. Although carrying firearms was prohibited, it was still considered a significant privilege.

I went to see Sergeant Elliot, who was injured and wanted to see me, and he shared some meaningful words.

"The higher-ups have a lot on their minds. Perhaps there's a possibility of selecting trustworthy individuals to integrate into the military. Your treatment as a volunteer might be part of that preparation. You might even become a regular soldier later. Would that make you a First Class Private, perhaps? Come and be my successor, haha."

I asked if such a thing was possible. The Sergeant found it amusing.

"What do you mean, 'if'? Where else would you find an army with so many immigrants as the U.S. military? Guilherme enlisted for citizenship too. The U.S. is currently under total mobilization, and Lieutenant Capston has even suggested I get a field commission as an officer or NCO. Naturally, soldiers will be in short supply, especially in this isolated camp, so how else to fill the ranks? You're more than qualified."

"Wouldn't my age be an issue?"

"It's a crisis of human extinction."

It was a calm yet heavy response. I said I'd think about it and returned to my quarters.

My tent, assigned for my sole use, was in disarray. Someone had clearly rifled through my belongings. I didn't have many items of personal value, so they must have been after my ration tickets. My share of ration tickets, received as compensation for visiting San Miguel, was much more than others. Though I didn't know the exact amounts others received, it was natural for people to think I got more. Many were envious. Regardless of performance, they believed the compensation for taking risks should be the same.

Since I carried the ration tickets on me, they weren't stolen, but this incident meant I couldn't sleep peacefully.

Considering my safety, it might be better to accept the offer to join.

「AI Advice (Insight Level 6): You have performed outstandingly in your first supply mission and have been offered to join as a volunteer. Accepting this offer will make it difficult to refuse future missions assigned by the military, reducing your freedom of action. Depending on the nature of the missions, your life could be at risk. Also, you will likely face frequent recruitment attempts by various organizations. Rejecting the offer may lead to a high probability of hostile random events, and without acquiring sufficient skills, including ‘Survival Instinct’, you could be killed.」

「Player's Choice: Accept the offer.」

I made my decision. Without hesitation, I went to find Lieutenant Robert Capston. The thought of entrusting this to someone else made me uneasy. The Lieutenant welcomed my decision and entrusted me to Sergeant Pierce. He asked for a place to be arranged for me.

The next day, the battalion commander gathered the refugees and put me on stage. He praised my brave actions and announced my integration into the military.

I understood the intention behind making such a spectacle.

#Journal, Page 30, Camp Roberts

I kept waking up throughout the night. Even though I was used to having a tent to myself, sharing space with strangers seemed to have unsettled me. According to the soldiers in the same barracks, Camp Roberts, being an old National Guard facility used for training, was quite outdated. Normally, in modern barracks, it's common to have one room per person, or at most, three people per room. Each private room usually comes with its own bathroom and shower, which is considered standard.

Nevertheless, the barracks, although old, had plenty of space since they were accommodating far fewer people than their capacity. The makeshift partitions and curtains set up temporarily were striking. It seemed to be due to a culture that values personal space.

My unofficial status as a volunteer rendered the ration tickets I had received almost meaningless, as soldiers had access to the Dining Facility, or Chow Hall, as they called it.

The meals provided in the dining facility were qualitatively and quantitatively different from those distributed to the refugees. Even then, the military personnel complained about the taste, but I found it delicious. However, I often felt the meals were too salty and greasy. There seemed to be a lot of cheese dishes, likely because a lot of cheese had been brought in from the village.

My regular duties as a volunteer included standard training and patrolling the Korean refugee area. It was a role supporting the police. Although the military and San Francisco Police were jointly managing security, it was mostly for show. The idea was that fellow refugees would be less resistant and more attentive to the finer details. I was also asked to identify trustworthy individuals. It seems what Elliot said was true.

I received my uniform from the quartermaster. During a visit from Lieutenant Capston, he advised me to always wear a bulletproof vest. There was concern that a Korean volunteer like me could easily become a target of hatred among refugees of other nationalities. Although a bulletproof vest is different from a stab-proof vest, it could still protect against any short-bladed weapons the refugees might conceal. I thanked him for his concern, and he patted my shoulder. He truly is a good person.

Of course, not everyone was good. Captain Markert, upon seeing me in uniform, asked which unit I belonged to. When I told him I had become a reserve volunteer by battalion commander's order, he showed disdain.

"Changing clothes doesn't change the person inside, banana kid."

His casually thrown words hurt quite a bit. ‘Banana,’ a fruit yellow on the outside and white inside, is also a derogatory term for Asians trying to act white.

Racial discrimination was strongly taboo within the U.S. military, but given the current state of affairs, such overt behavior went unchallenged. A world on the brink of destruction not only claimed many lives but also revived many things people had worked hard to put to rest. Many of those things were unpleasant. It's detrimental to oneself, too. It's not like there are no soldiers of color. Acting like that could lead to fragging (killing a superior). Short-sighted.

When I visited the refugee area, even some of the people I got along with had changed their attitudes. I could understand those who were flattering or awkward around me, but I couldn't grasp the intentions of those who looked at me with disdain. When I directly asked them why, they reacted with surprise and then anger.

They called me a traitor.

They accused me of groveling to the U.S. military, which takes sexual favors, and picking up crumbs, and now I was trying to act like one of them. They said Koreans should help each other out, especially in hard times, and since I wasn't part of any organization, I deserved the criticism. They called me a cunning kid and told me to go snitch to the military. I didn't know how to respond.

Suddenly, I felt like an outsider who didn't belong anywhere.

#Past (2), The Eve of the Deal, Go Ah-young

Hyeseong Group's Chairman Go Geon-cheol tapped his empty glass with his fingertips. He missed the alcohol. Ever since the betrayal of the woman he loved, the first and last love of his life, he had found it difficult to sleep without a drink. So, these days, he was constantly tired. Especially now, with a deal looming, he had to abstain from alcohol for a week, according to the medical team's advice.

Knock knock knock. The sound of knocking on the door. The chairman ignored it.

"Father, it's me."

It was the voice of his only daughter. Irritation surged within him. He didn't want to see her face. He snapped sharply.

"I know. Get lost."

"......"

His daughter, Go Ah-young, didn't heed his words. Seeing the door open, the chairman threw the glass he had been fiddling with. With a force that seemed to tear through the air. His daughter flinched, and the glass sailed over her shoulder, shattering some distance behind her. 

Clang. 

The sound of the fragments scattering filled the empty hallway. Hearing this, the servants appeared with cleaning tools. They glanced over briefly before starting to clean up. It wasn't surprising. It was a common occurrence when the father and daughter were together.

The chairman growled.

"Didn't I tell you to cover that fucking face before you appear before me?"

"...I'm sorry."

Ah-young bit her lip and bowed her head. Her lustrous hair fell forward, covering half of her face. Yet her inherent beauty shone even in the dimly lit room. She was over thirty, but showed no signs of aging. The chairman gritted his teeth. That fox-like woman. The woman he had once loved also had a face that defied age.

That face, damnably resembling her mother, was too much to bear. Yet he endured it. Among the five bastards that woman, once his wife, had given birth to after their marriage, Ah-young was the only one who truly carried Go Geon-cheol's blood.

"What do you want?"

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Ah-young hesitated for a moment. But she didn't keep her father waiting long.

"Could you reconsider the deal?"

"Why?"

"......"

"Why!"

The chairman raised his voice.

"Fuck! Your father is trying to start fresh with a young body, and you have a problem with that! Ah, I see. You're waiting for me to die so you can take over my business! That's your scheme, isn't it!"

"No! I couldn't care less about the business!"

"Then why!"

"There's no need to steal someone else's body! You can create a clone with your genetics and transplant it! Why do you insist on taking over someone else's body, even breaking the law?!"

The chairman stared at his daughter for a while. He smirked.

"Ha. What's this? I entrusted you with product management and... Why? Did you start feeling sympathy after watching that young boy?"

"......"

Yes, she felt sympathy. Go Geon-cheol had ordered Ah-young to oversee the product management process. The trade subject, the boy, was being monitored without his knowledge. Having seen and heard everything, Ah-young felt sad for the boy's situation. The good-hearted boy had willingly accepted his sacrifice for his family's well-being, content with the fact that it would provide them a comfortable life.

The chairman spoke.

"Don't talk nonsense. Natural is always best! Cloning? Ha! It's an unproven technology! Who knows what problems might arise from a body that's been grown with growth accelerants from an embryo to transplantable age in just one year? Cancer, nothing beats natural! That's the way it is!"

"But it's illegal, isn't it? It's not right."

"Not right my ass! That's because the law is fucked up! Contaminated by communist ideologies! Liberalism! South Korea is a free democratic country! Individuals have the right to dispose of themselves as they see fit! The party involved agreed, and even that bastard's parents agreed! It doesn't harm anyone, so why the fuss! If we call off the deal now, do you think those poor bastards will thank us? Ha, wake up!"

Mocking his daughter, the chairman took a deep breath and then spoke coldly.

"I'm not a philanthropist. If the deal falls through, I'll ruthlessly reclaim what those poor bastards have already consumed."

Ah-young bowed her head even deeper. If the deal were canceled, that family would be in a difficult situation. The boy's parents, who weren't particularly affectionate towards their child, had already spent a significant portion of the advance payment. They had bought two cars from foreign brands. One for the husband and one for the wife. Even the house they were currently living in was given as part of the contract.

This made Ah-young feel even more empathy and sympathy for the boy born in winter. She wanted to tell him that his parents' concerns were unnecessary, that a child's life belonged entirely to the child, but she couldn't.

"Having my only daughter tarnish my reputation with such idiotic talk is the last thing I want…"

Chairman Go Geon-cheol's words continued.

"It was decades ago. In Germany, prostitutes and women's groups protested, demanding the legalization of prostitution. Liberalism! They argued that sexual self-determination rights belong entirely to individuals. Right. That makes sense. Sleeping with someone doesn't harm others. There were also practical reasons, one of which was livelihood issues. They argued that depriving prostitutes of their means of livelihood would leave them with no choice but to starve."

Ah-young silently listened. Even while discussing prostitution in front of his daughter, the chairman showed no discomfort. In fact, it seemed intentional, a way to insult her. Love and hate towards his daughter often manifested in such ways.

"On the other hand, around the same time, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and women's groups in this country vehemently opposed prostitution. They argued it violated women's rights and human dignity. Don't commodify humans, don't commodify women…that was the sentiment. Okay, fine. I admit the principle is correct. But, you see, by clamping down on prostitution and thereby depriving sex workers of their jobs, they didn't provide an alternative. Sure, job training opportunities were offered. As with most things done by the bureaucrats in this country, it was a rushed job, but that was enough for the women's groups. They didn't care about the results. Why? Because from the start, it wasn't about the sex workers; it was about demanding respect for themselves! The mere existence of women in that profession was an affront to their dignity, so they got angry! Whether the prostitutes lived or died didn't matter to them!"

Ah-young understood the intention behind her father's words. She could guess what he was about to say next. She could have countered it. There's a big difference between ‘it can't be helped’ and ‘it's justifiable’. If it can't be helped due to practical reasons, it shouldn't be ignored but rather, long-term improvements should be sought. Didn't the chairman himself say the principle was correct?

But he was someone who believed his own life experience was the only correct answer. Any counterargument would only backfire, so she remained silent.

When it comes to prostitution, it's always the sensational minorities that get noticed. The media, always hungry for sensationalism, gave more screen time and column inches to those minorities. Truth be damned, as long as the ratings are good. It's both sensational and safe.

Sure enough, Chairman Go Geon-cheol's following words did not deviate from her expectations.

"The true intentions of those stupid bitches can be summarized as follows: Dear women comrades who sell their bodies, it's none of our business what you do to make a living, but please, for the sake of all women's dignity, stop prostituting yourselves. You have no other means of making a living? That's your problem. You're going to starve to death? That's because you're lazy. It’s better to just die then. Do you want to live at the expense of women's dignity?"

The temperamental chairman stood up abruptly and, in a mocking tone, imitated a woman's voice. Considering he was over seventy, it was quite a feat. His personality was why even the group's senior executives hesitated to speak to him directly. Get on his bad side, and you're done for.

"Making such demands without a realistic alternative is nothing but self-satisfaction. Do you feel sorry for that kid? After satisfying your petty sympathy and conscience, will that guy really be grateful to you? Worrying every day about how to survive tomorrow, yet consoling himself with the thought that he still possesses a human body. Haha!"

"…Please stop."

"Stop what! You started this!"

Bang. 

The force behind his slam on the table was excessive.

"Youth! My youth, so pathetically wasted! The half of my life stolen by that bitch! And you, with your nonsensical babble, dare to spoil my mood, who gave you the right!"

"I'm sorry, so please, stop."

In the end, this is how it goes. Parents who raise children without love are truly cursed. Ah-young tried to erase her feelings to avoid being hurt herself.

"Hmph."

The chairman slumped back into his seat.

"What a letdown. It's pathetic. I wonder who you take after to be so pathetic. Even though you've inherited my blood, it doesn't feel like it."

"......"

"Leave. As for the task I've given you, I'll check the product's condition and make the final evaluation tomorrow."

"...Have a good night."

"Like hell I will."

With a dismissive wave, akin to shooing away a fly, Ah-young felt a mix of defeat, self-loathing, and humiliation as she left her father's room. Facing the corridor, she felt drained. Long, wide, and empty. The mansion was too vast for just the two of them to inhabit. It had been a warm home during happier times when her mother's infidelity was unknown to her father.

Trembling, Ah-young walked down the corridor.

Footnotes:

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