WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: Abood
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Saviour Embarks on a Nameless Journey
Chapter 39: What Must Be Asked
“What kind of group are you people, anyway?” Tain asked.
“If I had to put it in terms of the present day… perhaps a band of Hero candidates,” Marius replied.
Ever evasive, that man. Half reluctance to speak about himself, half mischief, phrasing it just so as to carry a faint aristocratic air.
“Candidates?”
Tain frowned, glancing at the two young girls, then at me. Old fellow Marius was outside the count, of course.
“I’m no Hero candidate. The candidates are these two. Here now, fresh off the fire. Eat.”
I handed out the Tiger Quail to everyone.
“This man always puts his appetite before all else,” Marius said, accepting the leaf that held his portion.
The broad oval leaf was from a plant that spread readily and grew anywhere. It couldn’t be eaten, but for all its thickness it was pliable enough, and so often used to wrap butter or cheese.
On the road, these leaves served well enough, folded to cover half a meal like a plate, or bent into a cup to scoop water.
“…Tasty.”
Tain muttered, biting into the well-roasted Tiger Quail, though his tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
“Not bad at all,” I said.
The skin was crisp, the meat tender despite being freshly dressed, neither tough nor dry, with juices and just enough fat running through it.
Perhaps because Marius had a refined palate himself, his control of the flame was better than most taverns’. Especially when it came to cooking monsters, I knew no man more skilled than he.
“You aren’t just applying heat, are you? Uncle, your magic is so intricate that I still cannot unravel it.”
Io said, staring intently at the Tiger Quail.
“To conserve mana while producing results quickly, it’s faster to weave the effect together than to layer it bit by bit. When you’re never sure when a battle might begin, and your companions are forever complaining about meat being tough, dry, or undercooked — well, this method saves trouble.”
Marius explained with a wry smile.
“Quiet, you! You’re the one who wouldn’t eat a bite, always griping at me! ‘The flavor’s too strong, the flavor’s too plain,’ always complaints, nothing but complaints!”
If he could complain about the seasoning, then I had every right to complain about his handling of the fire.
“My master said the two of you kept improving your cooking throughout the journey—”
“Oh my! So it wasn’t my imagination. Grandfather, you really are skilled at cooking!”
Io and Alina chimed in together.
When compared to the fare served in the castle, I felt more than a little embarrassed.
“Pyaa.”
“Pya, you’re eating too much! It’s taking you longer and longer to recover from turning into an eggplant, isn’t it!”
Without reading the mood, Pya had finished its own share and now was begging for my Tiger Quail. I cut it off sharply.
I had thought the amount and type of food wouldn’t affect a sacred beast, but it seems I was wrong. The time it hung heavy-bellied from my back had clearly been getting longer. And Pya itself grew heavier as well during that time.
“…I don’t eat undercooked meat either, but I’ve no idea how to even respond to that,” Tain muttered.
“If something seems strange to you, don’t worry about order and just tell us freely.”
I said.
“And if possible, please also explain why it seems strange,” added Marius.
“……”
Tain fell silent, staring down, perhaps sorting out his own thoughts.
Pya fixed a heated gaze on Tain’s portion of Tiger Quail.
I covered its face with one hand to cut off its line of sight. Dissatisfied, Pya pushed insistently against my palm with its head.
Stop that. I told you, you’ve eaten enough already! And besides, he hasn’t refused the food; he’s just paused to think!
While I wrestled with Pya, Tain exhaled and lifted his face.
“I get the feeling I don’t want to know, but I guess the first thing I should be asking is everyone’s full name, isn’t it…”
“Suirun Sword Aster.”
“Marius Club Telban.”
“Alina Bloodheart Sword Shurel.”
“Io Oul Telban.”
“You’ve got the whole set here! What is this, the Demon King’s revival!? And royalty too, for crying out loud. Also, that’s Suirun the Swordsman, and Marius the Holy Mage! Why the hell are you two younger again!? What are you even doing here!? This is way too ominous!!!”
Tain clutched his head.
“Alina and Io are on a journey to obtain their weapons. As for me, I intend to retrace the path of my former travels.”
Names are recorded in the temple’s orb. Priests simply copy the names written on parchment, cloth, or paper into the orb, but sometimes alongside the inscribed letters, words like “Bloodheart,” “Sword,” “Club,” or “Oul” appear.
Those in whom such words surface are people upon whom the goddess’s power descends easily, and who remain untouched by the Demon King’s miasma.
Bloodheart stands for Hero. Sword for the blade. Club for the white staff, healing and restoration. And Oul for the black staff, magic.
Well, even those with ‘Sword’ may wield magic, and those with ‘Oul’ sometimes prefer to smash with their staves. In the past, there was even a member of a Hero’s party who bore ‘Club’ yet fought with a spear.
These names do not appear only in certain houses.
From the nobles’ point of view, I myself was a nobody, after all.
Still, of the four, ‘Bloodheart’ shows up almost exclusively in the royal family and ducal houses, and it can sometimes appear alongside other marks as well.
Possessing ‘Bloodheart’ is what qualifies one to inherit the throne. Marius too once bore ‘Bloodheart,’ but after renouncing his right of succession, he no longer claims it.
And among those who bear Bloodheart, to truly become a Hero one must be chosen by the sword known as the Goddess Lānu’s Blade.
When one chooses their weapon, the goddess herself descends and grants her blessing upon the sword.
As for the other three, the goddess guides the Hero in choosing them, they are the first companions appointed by the kingdom, though the Hero’s own will can change them.
“Pya—.”
“Lord Shinju, a bit of exercise will do you good,” Io said.
“This Pya isn’t about to exercise! Don’t go offering it more Tiger Quail!”
As we spoke, Pya suddenly scurried from my lap, up across my shoulder, around to my back, then out at my side, circling crosswise around my body.
“Go run somewhere else, somewhere else! It’ll only last a moment anyway!”
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
