WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons ◈
Chapter 23: Violet (2)
──────
─ ‘I don’t want to live anymore.... Please, kill me.’
For Elise, third-playthrough story, hard difficulty.
When Boss Violet Blackgarden dies in Phase One, she overcomes death by turning even her own corpse into an undead servant, becoming a lich.
Then Phase Two begins, and she longs for her own death.
In the end, Violet never reaches the death she so desperately desires. She is sealed away and exits the story forever.
‘What a load of bullshit.’
A hollow laugh escaped the lips of Ron Hazely, a young man with light-brown hair.
Naturally, Ron had no intention whatsoever of accepting that story.
“Mr. Hazely....”
Meanwhile, Violet blankly stared at Ron’s back as she held her mother in her arms.
It was a scene like a miracle. Tears welled up in her eyes, ready to spill at any moment.
Only then did Violet understand the truth behind the train incident on their first day of school.
You were the one who dealt with the demonkin on that train.
‘Even before I met you, you had already saved me....’
She did not know how any of this had happened, but hearing the details could wait until after this situation was resolved.
At the very least, one thing was clear.
Ron was on her side.
So Violet placed a hand on the Cursed Sword Dansel and gathered mana, preparing for the possibility that Ron might be in danger.
[Who are you?]
The crow-masked figure asked politely.
“I don’t think we’re close enough to introduce ourselves.”
Ron answered as he took his stance.
Both demonkin immediately realized something.
There was no way they could escape someone like him.
They had to resist.
[Damn it! Nameld! We have to do something...!]
Just as Demon Cerys shouted at Nameld, the crow-masked demonkin, and turned toward him,
Shnk!!
[Kgh...!]
Nameld’s arm pierced Demon Cerys through the chest.
She coughed up blue blood and looked down at her chest in shock.
[W-What are you doing...?]
[What exactly do you expect us to do against someone like that, Cerys? You are pathetically complacent. How pitiful.]
A broad mouth curved into a smile beneath the crow mask.
[We must make one final struggle. To give ourselves even the slightest chance, I would like you to hand over your heart.]
[Y-You bastard...! Aaah!!]
Crunch!
Squelch!
Nameld tore out Demon Cerys’s heart.
It glowed blue like a jewel. Nameld placed it into that huge mouth and swallowed it whole.
Thud.
Demon Cerys collapsed as blue blood poured from her body. She trembled sporadically before crumbling away into ashes.
Gulp, gulp...!
Nameld’s body began to swell at once.
In an instant, Nameld grew enormous, and the crow mask dropped to the ground.
Nameld transformed into a monster nearly six meters tall. It resembled a white gorilla.
The face that had been hidden behind the mask was grotesque, with many eyes stuck across its forehead.
The green pupils set in those dark eyes glinted viciously.
Nameld casually crushed the lantern leaking green demonic energy. The demonic energy contained within seeped into Nameld’s body.
[Haaah.]
As Nameld exhaled, green poisonous mist slowly poured forth.
‘Poisonous Colossus Nameld, an executive of the Demon King Army.’
In Elwi, Nameld had constantly coveted Demon Cerys’s heart.
Even after the battle against Cerys in Chapter Three, Nameld did not save the dying Cerys. Instead, Nameld absorbed her heart to gain her power.
‘I didn’t expect that from the very start. Well, it makes things easier for me.’
Nameld had reduced their numbers without me doing anything.
That simply meant less work for Ron.
Picking up a large black cross lying on the ground, Poisonous Colossus Nameld spoke in a polite tone that did not suit Nameld’s huge frame.
[I offer you my respect, Swordmaster. I would be most grateful if you would graciously die.]
Whoooom.
Poisonous mist rose eerily from the cross.
The demonic energy made a twisting sound, like something being wrung apart, and gathered around the cross.
Under the red sky, Nameld held the cross while countless green eyes shone.
Nameld swung the black cross at Ron.
Swoooosh!!
Whooooom!!
Compression, release, dispersion.
The massive amount of condensed poisonous mist burst apart and spread like a sandstorm. The black flowers it touched withered in an instant.
Its power and speed were on an entirely different level from the magic Nameld had shown Violet.
As Nameld had grown stronger, the density of demonic energy in the poisonous mist had greatly increased as well.
It was at a level Violet’s undead servants could not drive away like before.
Violet could feel that much demonic energy.
“Mr. Hazely! ...Huh?”
But Ron remained calm.
Whoooooosh!!!
Ravenous Wolf Sword Kalzak in Ron’s hand howled as it violently whipped up silver-gray blade wind.
Iron Wolf’s wind magic, Iron-Claw Wind.
Empowered by Ron’s vast mana, Iron-Claw Wind rapidly expanded. That enormous power obeyed Ron’s will alone.
Ron’s blue eyes revealed unwavering killing intent.
Swish!
Ron swung his sword, unleashing a silver-gray storm.
Whoooosh!!
Iron-Claw Wind surged forward at great speed and collided head-on with the poisonous mist.
The poisonous mist was either caught in Iron-Claw Wind and turned into a massive tornado, or pushed away and scattered in every direction.
The fierce wind violently whipped Ron’s hair and clothes.
Ron clicked his tongue.
‘This won’t do.’
If this continued, the poisonous mist that Iron-Claw Wind failed to block could affect Violet and her mother.
Whoooosh...!
Click.
Ron recalled Iron-Claw Wind and sheathed Ravenous Wolf Sword Kalzak.
The poisonous mist that had been pushed back by Iron-Claw Wind gathered again.
Nameld’s cross continuously released demonic energy, swelling and driving the poisonous mist forward.
Whoooom!!
Ron watched the scene and gripped the hilt of his second sword, Flame Demon Sword Hwama.
“Hwama.”
His mana-infused voice resounded powerfully.
Thump.
Flame Demon Sword Hwama released waves of mana as though it had a heartbeat.
In that instant, goosebumps rose along Violet’s skin.
Ron drew his sword.
Fwoooosh!!
As the black blade left its sheath, blue flames erupted.
Trait, Blue-Flame Demon.
While wielding Flame Demon Sword Hwama, Ron could command flames that devoured mana.
The flames surged fiercely as they received the Swordmaster’s immense mana without restraint.
Gripping Flame Demon Sword Hwama in both hands, Ron swung it horizontally.
Blue flames spread along the path of his blade like a tsunami.
Fwoooooosh!!!
The blue flames ravenously devoured the poisonous mist as they surged forward.
They were slower than Iron-Claw Wind, but their force was overwhelmingly imposing.
The burning heat warmed the air. The withered black flowers caught fire, scattering ash and dust.
The blue flames targeted only the poisonous mist.
Not a single spark touched Violet or her mother behind Ron.
‘What in the world is that...?’
Violet had been prepared to draw the Cursed Sword Dansel at any moment.
But she no longer thought that would be necessary.
[......!]
Nameld withdrew their demonic energy in alarm, then leaped high into the air with tremendous leg strength and charged toward Ron.
The blue flames devoured all the poisonous mist. The ground looked as though it had been covered in blue hellfire.
Nameld forcibly swallowed their fear.
[Swordmaster!! Please, die!!]
Nameld cut through the wind and brought the cross down on Ron.
The instant the cross descended over Ron’s head, the blazing blade shot upward.
Fwoosh!
Screeech!
[!!]
The two weapons locked together.
For a brief instant, it seemed as though the demonic energy within the poisonous mist was being sucked into Flame Demon Sword Hwama’s blade.
The cross, loaded with Nameld’s strength and demonic energy, slid diagonally along the rising black blade.
Clang!!
Then it was helplessly deflected, scattering demonic energy through the air.
Lightwing Sword, Wing Unfurling.
[Huh!?]
Nameld could not close their mouth.
The recoil from Lightwing Sword, Wing Unfurling sent Nameld’s body flying backward.
The moment their feet touched the ground, Nameld leaped back again.
Ron pursued them.
[Graaahhh!!!]
In a desperate struggle, Nameld roared furiously and blasted poisonous mist from their entire body like a storm.
But it was useless.
Fwoooosh!!
The blue flames devoured even that.
Nameld’s demonic energy was insufficient to contend with Ron’s flames.
Whoooosh!!
Ron emerged through the poisonous mist.
The sword demon with blue eyes was reflected in Nameld’s vision.
A thought suddenly crossed Nameld’s mind.
‘I knew it. There was never any chance of winning from the beginning.’
There was not even time to catch their breath.
Nameld let out a furious scream and swung the black cross.
Ron swung Hwama.
Clang!!
Fwoosh!!
Crack!!
More than a dozen exchanges passed in an instant.
Whenever sword light flashed, deep wounds were carved into Nameld’s massive body, or parts of it were severed one after another.
Nameld could not help but think that the sword strikes were utterly unfair.
Boom!!
Their mana collided, causing a violent explosion.
At the end of that brief exchange, Ron kicked Nameld’s body away.
Whoosh!
Nameld flew like a ball and rolled across the ground.
Nameld could not rise.
Nameld looked up at the sky with their battered body.
Their arms and legs had somehow been severed. Their entire body had been cut apart.
The blue flames consumed Nameld’s flesh, burned their demonic-energy circuits, and caused horrific pain.
‘Even after eating Cerys’s heart, this is my end....’
Soon, Ron stepped onto Nameld’s chest.
The sight of the man with the red sky behind him looking down at Nameld as though they were some insignificant creature was etched into Nameld’s countless retinas.
[It is an honor to die by a Swordmaster’s blade....]
“Don’t pretend to be noble when you’re nothing but demonkin.”
Ron sneered.
“You disgust me.”
He was sickened by those who had brutally trampled Violet’s life and tried to make her the Demon King.
In a way, it was convenient.
In Elwi, every one of the demonkin was someone he had no need to spare.
He could eliminate them without hesitation.
Humiliated, Nameld opened all their eyes wide and ground their teeth.
[You...! How dare you mock my respect...!]
Just as Nameld gathered their remaining demonic energy to detonate the poisonous mist, a blue arc flashed.
Slash!
Nameld’s head flew.
* * *
[You have cleared the Dungeon Boss.]
[You have obtained an Exit Gate Key.]
[You can create an Exit Gate anywhere around the Gate you entered through.]
Whoooosh.
I obtained a green Exit Gate Key.
So Demon Nameld had been the Dungeon Boss.
‘As expected, these guys are no problem.’
The highest-ranking executives of the Demon King Army, the ones I had to be wary of, were currently sealed away.
It had been mentioned during the original third-playthrough story that this happened in the process of subjugating Demon King Alkaid.
That was one reason I had come here without much concern.
‘There were no other variables, either.’
Ever since entering the Dungeon, I had constantly used a Swordmaster’s senses to thoroughly survey a wide area.
I had not sensed anyone watching me, nor had I detected any unknown mana.
‘Now....’
I turned toward Violet.
Under the sunlight, she stared at me with a dazed expression while holding her mother.
Joy, wariness, and confusion coexisted on her face.
I approached Violet and knelt on one knee before her.
“Mr. Hazely.... You....”
“It’s just... how should I put it? A secret of mine.”
Violet moved her lips uncertainly.
I continued.
“Is your mother okay?”
“Yes, she’s only unconscious....”
“That’s a relief.”
“But....”
“...Violet?”
“......”
Violet looked at me as though I were a complete stranger.
She seemed unable to figure out what to say.
‘Well, this is normal.’
If I were in Violet’s position, I would definitely react like this too.
No, I should be thankful she had not screamed, ‘Eek! P-Please spare me!’
I gently took Violet’s hand.
“......!”
Violet flinched, but she did not reject my touch.
Her hand was supple and slender.
Yet it was also covered in calluses, traces of all her effort.
I brought that hand to my cheek.
Violet’s eyes widened.
“Feel that?”
I smiled brightly.
“Look closely. I’m Ron Hazely, the Ron you know. Not someone else, just Ron. Your friend, Ron.”
“...Sniff.”
“Do you understand now?”
“I suppose you are.... You really are Mr. Hazely....”
Perhaps my sincerity had reached her.
A soft smile appeared on Violet’s lips, and her eyes grew moist.
I gave a small laugh and released Violet’s hand.
She lowered her eyes.
“Mr. Hazely.”
“Yeah?”
“I... don’t know how I’m supposed to take all this. I’m so happy, but I’m scared, and confused, too.... Mr. Hazely feels like such a stranger....”
Violet spoke honestly.
“Of course, I know very well that you’re the Mr. Hazely I know, and that you’re on my side, but....”
“Come on, that’s something we can talk through slowly. I’ll explain later. For now, let’s grab what we can and get out of here.”
“Grab what? What do you mean...?”
“The loot, obviously.”
“Ah....”
I went to where Demon Cerys had vanished and picked up the dark gray cloak.
It was the cloak she had wrapped around her slender body.
‘An artifact, Kelius’s Cloak.’
Nice. I got a high-rank artifact.
It turned its wearer invisible and concealed their presence while they were not using mana.
Demon Cerys must have hidden herself with this cloak while watching Violet.
‘This belongs to me now.’
[The artifact “Kelius’s Cloak” welcomes you as its new master.]
High-rank artifacts like this could accept a master and be stored within the body.
Whoooosh.
I converted Kelius’s Cloak into mana and stored it deep inside my body.
“Oh, right, Violet.”
“Yes?”
I turned toward Violet and pointed at the corpse of the high-rank magical beast, Poisonous Monster Bird Popus.
Its enormous body was overwhelming just to look at.
“How about making this one an undead servant?”
“...Huh?”
Violet looked back and forth between me and Poisonous Monster Bird Popus with a blank expression.
“That...?”
“Yeah.”
“Me...?”
I calmly nodded.
Yeah, you.
Footnotes:
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