WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: Abood
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Saviour Embarks on a Nameless Journey
Chapter 33: Time of War and Peace
We ran into two patrolmen along the road. Well, for us it was an unexpected encounter, but it seemed they had heard news of what happened and had come out specifically to speak with us.
“Since you’ve gone to the trouble of defeating it, I hate to impose, but… if it’s not too much, could you move the monster off the roadway instead of leaving it here?”
One of the patrolmen, the older of the two, spoke with a pasted-on smile.
“…The blood…”
The younger one was staring blankly at the trail behind us.
Drops of blood spotted the road here and there. Hm, we’d already walked a fair distance, so now it was only dripping bit by bit!
“Excuse me.”
The two halves of the monster, with their cut surfaces still visible, were covered with worn cloth normally used for wrapping cargo.
“In this area people only keep ducks and chickens, so the younger folk in particular aren’t used to sights like this,” the elder said apologetically.
Not good… we’re making them recoil!
If this were a region where cattle or sheep were raised for meat, or where boar and deer were hunted, they’d have some immunity. But here, it seems they do not. Even seeing a large monster has become rare.
Back during the march against the Demon King, showing slain monsters to the people served to reassure them.
Mercenaries, too, eager to flaunt their strength, would deliberately parade through the main streets without hiding the big, dangerous beasts they had killed, and display or even butcher them in the town squares…
“The times have changed.”
Marius muttered under his breath.
The monster, covered with cloth to keep it from public view, was carried off to the roadside thicket.
“It’s proof of peace, which is a fine thing were I to leave it at that. But it feels a little too soon.”
Even if people try to avert their eyes from slain monsters, there are still plenty of dangerous ones out there.
Just last year, a hydra appeared in the neighboring kingdom. Compared to that, the class of monster we just killed is weaker, but far more common. It’s for the sake of fighting such threats, for being prepared, that my granddaughter Alina has taken up the sword.
“It seems the attitude toward monsters varies wildly from region to region.”
Marius sighed as we walked toward town. Of the two patrolmen, one had run on ahead to the town, while the other followed behind us.
“At the royal palace, there are even some who faint at the sight of a rose thorn pricking a fingertip and drawing blood. Yet they still pray for those who go to war, and stitch charms of protection into their garments.
I personally despise those who bear swords but refuse to fight when the time comes. But a world where those unsuited for battle need not take up the sword, that is a blessed one.”
Io spoke straight ahead, her expression unchanged.
She was conveying that even those who do not know the reality of battle still think sincerely of those who fight. And in her own way, she seemed to be indirectly expressing gratitude to me and Marius for having created the peace of today.
Roundabout as ever… could that be the blood of Marius’s lineage? Well, I don’t mind it.
“Grandfather, you’re both amazing!”
Alina beamed at me.
My granddaughter really is adorable.
“Pyaa.”
Mm, you think so too? Aye, my granddaughter is adorable.
We didn’t display the monster in the town square, but in the magistrate’s manor garden, surrounded by knights, Alina and Io were being praised.
“What a amazingly clean cut!”
“To think we couldn’t even keep up with that monster’s speed!”
“And you carried it here with magic, didn’t you? My own control is so clumsy, I could never… To hold it at a steady height, without a single sway at your age, truly remarkable…!”
Some examined the monster closely, debating over its features; others pressed Alina and Io with questions. Beside the beast, wine and food had been set out.
“These are the knight and mage Lord Castellan dispatched to deal with the monster. Payment will be prepared shortly. As for the creature itself, we’ll purchase it, then dissect it for study, leaving records of its traits and illustrations. The account of your encounter here will also be documented.”
The mild-mannered magistrate spoke.
The mages gathered here—no, those commonly called “mages” possess far less mana and skill than the witches. Elaine and Io, known as “witches” or candidates for that title, are exceptional. Incidentally, even when the wielder is male, the title remains “witch.”
“I was uneasy about the state of the town, but their handling of the monster was proper enough.”
He did not dismiss Alina or Io on account of their youth.
“These days among the nobility, it’s fashionable to think the common folk should live in peace, while only nobles and knights need fight. Yet when they chased that monster through the forest, they couldn’t even land a single arrow.”
The magistrate added this with a touch of humor.
“I heard it avoided traps as well, and when it attacked people it never stopped. With that kind of momentum, ordinary barriers would never have been enough to blunt its speed.”
If it were Io or Elaine, they could conjure a strong barrier right in front of a charging monster and stop its movement outright. But those with only a modest grasp of magic, any membrane they formed would tear like wet paper at the first impact.
“I would recommend gathering multiple magic users and layering at least five barriers.”
Marius spoke plainly.
“I see. That is very helpful.”
The magistrate jotted it down and at once went off to discuss it with the knights and
Mages.
“Facing monsters again after so long… the fighting aside, it seems the way matters are handled afterward has changed quite a bit. I thought I understood the difference between wartime and peacetime, but…”
Marius, who fancied himself the reasonable one, now wore an unusually troubled look.
Give it up, lad. You’re on our side now!
Footnotes:
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