WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons ◈
Chapter 47: Canary (2)
──────
Boom!!
An abandoned mine, a vast cavern.
A huge mole magical beast collapsed, breathing its last.
It was a powerful magical beast that had suddenly emerged from underground and targeted Elise Lorendia.
Swish, click.
Elise, a magenta-haired female cadet, shook her sword clean and sheathed it.
The two people, who had happened to meet and fight together, caught their breath.
Theodore Garniel, a sharp-featured man with reddish-brown hair. The son of the Red Wing commander.
And Damian Dunbringer, a kind-looking man with light blond hair. A holy knight.
“We got it...! I’m glad you’re safe, Elise.”
“You too, Theodore~”
Theodore exhaled as he clutched his racing heart. His heart pounded just from looking at Elise.
But Elise merely gave him a perfunctory smile and responded curtly.
Then.
[Woof! Woof!]
The skeleton of a wolf magical beast, wreathed in pink mana, entered the cavern with an odd sound. It was an undead servant.
Like a large dog, the wolf undead immediately approached Elise and nudged her leg with its front paw.
“Huh? Isn’t that an undead servant? That necromancer’s...”
Damian asked in confusion.
“...”
Elise’s expression gradually stiffened.
The necromancer Violet was Ron’s friend. She had deliberately sent an undead servant to find Elise and lead her somewhere.
Elise had a bad feeling.
She bent one knee and crouched down to meet the undead servant at eye level.
“Did something happen to Ron?”
[Woof! Woof!]
The wolf undead nodded and spun in circles.
Elise recalled the incident at the Eastern Base, when Ron had been taken by a Demonkin.
A strong sense of unease washed over her. It would not have been strange if some unknown group targeting Elise had harmed Ron again.
“Lead me there. Quickly.”
[Woof! Woof!]
The wolf undead began running off somewhere. Elise swiftly chased after it.
“Elise!?”
Theodore cried out in alarm. It was the first time he had seen Elise show such concern for someone.
Rustle.
While running, Elise pulled out a map. Ron and Nadia were in the direction the wolf undead was heading.
It only showed their rough locations, so she could not tell what they were doing.
However, at least one thing was clear. For some reason, they were stuck in one place.
“That returning student...”
Her anxiety deepened.
Had there not been a hostile atmosphere between Ron and that returning student during the second-semester mana reassessment?
Then why were those two together?
Just then.
Ding!
[“Scenario Note” has been updated.]
[Would you like to view it?]
“...!”
Elise narrowed her eyes after checking Scenario Note’s prediction.
“Sorry, I’ll run faster.”
[Woof?]
Elise picked up the wolf undead.
She rode the flower wind and sped off.
* * *
“Cough...! Ah, damn it...! You crazy bastard... Aagh...!”
Nadia rolled across the ground, coughing repeatedly before hurling out curses in frustration. Smoke rose from burns scattered across her body.
It was the result of being caught in my aura magic, Widespread Lightning.
She might have noticed it herself, but she must have also been hit by a fragment of my signature color, so the damage would be worse.
Darkness filled the mine tunnel again.
‘As expected, that wasn’t enough to kill her.’
Then, one more time... Huh?
Crack.
Rustle.
The mana that had transformed Nadia began to crumble away.
Her skin turned dark red, and her eyes changed into those of a reptile.
Suddenly, horns sprouted from Nadia’s forehead as violet demonic energy poured from them.
The blood that had been red turned blue, scattering light from her mana.
I could make out every change thanks to the light emitted by her demonic energy.
[Ron Hazely...!!]
Nadia’s true form.
The Demonkin assassin, Nisis.
She ground her teeth and shouted at me. It was the bizarre voice unique to Demonkin.
‘At least I succeeded in holding out until now.’
Now, the next part was the problem. With her true form exposed, Nadia would use her real power without holding back.
Then.
[Mr. Hazely. Ms. Lorendia is almost there...! I’m coming too!]
Violet’s voice rang through my ears and echoed in my head.
‘Right. I can hear it. The sound of the wind.’
In the distance, I could faintly hear Elise’s flower wind magic. It rapidly drew closer.
‘I can’t use aura magic again...’
If Nadia was in her true form, she would easily dodge my aura magic anyway.
I forcefully raised aura around my blade again and opened my mouth.
“Widespread...”
The moment I bluffed with a Word Command.
Dash!
Nadia vanished, then appeared before me in the blink of an eye.
As if she had been waiting for the moment I tried to use aura magic again.
Whoosh!
The kris blade filled with demonic energy shot straight at me. A high-speed strike. A sharp whistling sound. A ray of violet light sliced through the air.
It was far faster than I had expected. With my physical ability and reflexes, I could neither block nor evade it.
But I had never intended to fight Nadia in her true form to begin with.
I immediately detonated the aura around my blade.
‘It’s a fake, you idiot!’
Bang!!
The fierce propulsion sent my body flying backward in an instant.
After streaking through the air at tremendous speed, I slammed into a wall.
“Urgh!”
Damn, that hurt...
Flying with the method of Raging Thunder Sword was still a technique my body had difficulty enduring.
The sudden, powerful propulsion had struck my entire body, bringing a wave of pain and making my head spin.
“Huff, huff...”
Enduring the pain, I quickly raised my upper body and caught my breath. The area around me had become brighter.
I had flown as far as a section where intact luminous stones remained.
There were three branching paths.
Nadia approached me. In the dim darkness, she grinned with her elongated mouth and pointed at my arm.
‘My arm...?’
Blood streamed from a cut on my forearm.
‘Did it stab me, even if only shallowly?’
Damn. It got me? Just how fast was that?
Now that I noticed it, it stung. Though that wasn’t the important part.
Fizzle, fizzle.
Violet demonic energy flickered ominously inside the wound.
Each time it did, a tingling pain ran through me, and strength began to drain from my entire body.
As expected.
[It is an extremely poisonous spell made from my demonic energy. It will quickly consume your body, and you will die in terrible pain...]
Crackle!
I seared the cut with aura and squeezed my eyes shut.
I needed to deal with it using my signature color before the demonic energy spread.
“Ggh, it hurts like hell...!”
[What are you doing...?]
“Whew...”
I had nearly passed out.
Still, it was fortunate that it ended quickly.
“Oh.”
I examined my arm from different angles. The demonic energy was gone.
Right. A fragment of my signature color was enough for something like this.
[...]
Nadia stared at me blankly, as though she could not understand. She seemed shocked.
She must have expected to see me suffer from her extremely poisonous spell. Too bad.
[You... What the hell are you...?]
“Hm?”
[What are you!?]
Flash!
Nadia kicked off the ground and rushed at me. Rather than wallow in confusion, she had chosen to beat me up first.
But what could she do about it?
‘Her Ladyship is already here.’
Wheeeee!
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Crimson petals scattered on the wind beyond the crossroads. Nadia’s eyes widened.
Soon, a powerful wind bearing countless petals swept over Nadia. Every single petal was a murderous blade of aura.
Nadia narrowly evaded the petal wind and leaped backward, kicking off the ground.
Wheee!
A female cadet walked forward with a sword wreathed in petal wind gripped in one hand, her magenta hair billowing behind her, click, click.
In the dim mine tunnel, her turquoise eyes shone coldly under the mana light.
‘Elise...’
The protagonist of this world, Elise Lorendia.
She stood in front of me and faced Nadia.
“Ron.”
“How did you...?”
“The undead servant led me here.”
“Violet helped...? Ha, haha... Seriously, what a relief... I almost died without being able to do anything just now.”
I laughed hollowly, pretending to be surprised, pretending I couldn’t believe the current situation, pretending to be relieved.
Ah, no, the relief wasn’t an act. It was real.
“Yeah... I’m glad I wasn’t too late.”
Elise replied in a voice devoid of even the slightest trace of playfulness.
“...Elise.”
“Yeah.”
“Save me, will you?”
When I asked with an easy smile, Elise stretched out her left arm and gave me a thumbs-up.
‘Nice.’
Our protagonist was so reassuring.
Though Elise wasn’t looking, I gave her a thumbs-up too.
[Woof! Woof!]
The wolf magical beast undead, filled with pink dark mana, ran over and rubbed against me.
It was the same one Violet and I had ridden while escaping Tilloden Rocky Mountain before. So you were the one who brought Elise here.
Undead servants were influenced by their master’s heart and emotions.
Since Violet felt affection for me, it seemed this undead servant liked me a great deal as well.
...Although it seemed to be rubbing against me a little too much.
“I think I understand the situation without you having to explain it.”
Elise said this as she approached Nadia.
Well, did she really need an explanation? Nadia was openly in her Demonkin form now. Was this phase two?
Tension crossed Nadia’s face.
[Elise Lorendia...]
“Hello~ You tried to kill Ron?”
Elise smiled sweetly.
However, a faint killing intent filled her voice.
“I trust you know the price for that.”
[Grr...!]
Swoooosh!
The darkness filling the mine tunnel around Nadia turned pitch-black. It was dark magic.
‘She’s trying hard.’
Stupid bitch. The fight had already ended the moment she could no longer ambush us.
Elise charged into the darkness.
“Bloom, scatter.”
Whoooosh!!
A storm carrying petal aura swept through the mine tunnel. Every petal glowed softly like a light, driving back the darkness.
Violet demonic energy resisted desperately between the sharp, blade-like petals, but it was futile.
Clang!
Crash!!
Rays of light crossed several times, sending aura and demonic energy flying like sparks.
Then.
Thud!!
Nadia was impaled through the chest by Elise’s blade and slammed into the wall.
Her entire body had been shredded in an instant, leaving her in ruins. Blue blood poured down from her.
“You know.”
[Ah, ah...]
Elise stared coldly at Nadia with a smile on her face.
“What are you people?”
[I, I... Damn it... Aagh!!]
The petal wind shredded Nadia’s body again.
“I’ll ask again. What are you people?”
[I can’t tell you... Aagh...!]
‘That’s terrifying...’
It was like she was putting her through a blender.
I suddenly felt a sense of caution that I shouldn’t foolishly provoke Elise next time.
“Won’t you answer? I’m not that patient.”
[Ah, agh...]
Crack!
“!”
Nadia’s neck suddenly exploded with violet demonic energy. Elise quickly stepped back.
“Suicide... Tch.”
Elise clicked her tongue as she looked down at Nadia with a cold smile, as if looking at a pathetic insect.
Nadia’s body crumbled into ash and scattered away. All that remained were Nadia’s clothes and belongings.
‘The Exchange Realm Society members are made to kill themselves when their secrets are at risk of being exposed.’
It was the effect of a pact they had made among themselves. There was no point interrogating the Exchange Realm Society.
‘God, they’re awful.’
Disgust welled up in me anew. I clicked my tongue.
And then.
Ding!
[You have achieved the achievement “Failed Assassin”!]
[Requirement: Defeat “Demonkin Nisis (Nadia).”]
[Reward: You have gained physical experience points.]
‘Oh, it appeared after all.’
When Nadia, who had fled in Chapter 2 of <For Elise>, reappeared, defeating her could earn this achievement.
Even though she had killed herself according to the pact, it counted as defeating her. So the timing had been moved forward.
Click.
Elise picked up the dagger Nadia had left behind and slid it into its sheath.
Then she nudged Nadia’s clothing and belongings with her foot.
She seemed to be quickly checking whether there was anything dangerous. Mana detection would probably not pick up anything either.
Nadia herself, along with all her demonic energy, had evaporated.
‘It would be better for Elise to take that dagger.’
Nadia’s kris worked well with poison spell formulas, and in the story, Elise was well-suited to poison magic.
It would only be needless greed if I took it. I couldn’t handle a dagger as well as Elise, and poison magic wouldn’t suit me either.
She would submit it for the investigation, then reclaim it as spoils if she wanted it.
Soon, Elise ran over to me. Her murderous expression from moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
“Ron, can you stand?”
Elise bent one knee and checked my condition. Her face was serious.
I smiled awkwardly.
“No... Honestly, I overdid it.”
I had managed somehow until I used Raging Thunder Sword and the aura magic Widespread Lightning, but the backlash from forcefully launching myself by detonating my aura had been too severe.
My condition must have been a mess.
Suddenly, Elise’s eyes widened slightly. She carefully took hold of my arm with both hands.
“This wound... Did you burn it shut?”
“Ah, yeah. That’s what happened. ...Huh?”
Wait. Elise’s expression was stiffening?
Elise let out a very quiet, deep sigh and rested her forehead against my hand.
Her voice trembled with her breath.
“That must have hurt...”
Oh no...
‘This is that thing. Elise when she feels guilty.’
Hadn’t she acted like this in the original story when Lara lost a leg because of her?
“Sorry...”
“Hey, Elise. I told you before, right?”
“Hm?”
Elise raised her head, looking confused.
“No matter what happens, it’s my choice and my life, brat. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t get all self-conscious and start having weird misunderstandings.”
Your healthy mindset was directly tied to my survival.
Please take thorough care of your mental health...
Though saying this made me feel incredibly embarrassed. I felt like some strange mix of an old man and a tsundere.
What a bizarre hybrid.
“...Okay.”
Elise gazed at me and smiled softly.
Her slender fingers gently took hold of mine.
‘She’s doing it again.’
Ever since the Eastern Base incident, it seemed she had unconsciously begun to care about me.
Well, I shouldn’t dwell on it. It would only make things embarrassing.
“More importantly, sorry, but can I rely on you for a bit? I can’t move...”
“Yeah... Okay, I’ll carry you.”
Perhaps because she had decided to go along with what I wanted, Elise relaxed and picked me up.
“Heave-ho~”
“...Um, Elise?”
“Whyy?”
“This position is kind of embarrassing...”
I was getting carried like a princess, damn it.
“You’re embarrassed, Ron?”
Elise narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously.
‘This girl is enjoying my reaction...’
More precisely, she was probably trying to match the mood I had intended.
Huh? Wait a second.
‘Could this have been what she was going to tease me about when she learned aura magic...?’
The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
...From now on, I vowed never to collapse in front of Elise again. Though I didn’t know whether that would be possible.
Elise began to walk.
[Woof! Woof!]
The wolf magical beast undead followed us, wagging its tailbone wildly.
On the way, Elise stared at my face and smiled again. Was she going to tease me some more?
“Why are you looking at me like that, punk...?”
“I was just thinking that Ron unexpectedly has a cute side too.”
“Ah, please...”
“Hehe.”
Today would probably remain an embarrassing memory.
Elise turned her head forward again.
“Ron is cute too...”
She murmured quietly, her expression oddly fascinated.
Chapter 2, Act 2 of <For Elise>, the Search Tactics Training Arc, was coming to an end.
* * *
[“Scenario Note” has gained experience points.]
[“Scenario Note” has been updated.]
[Would you like to view it?]
[Oh, Elise. Elise Lorendia.]
[Originally, the Demonkin was meant to cut down the people around you, scatter their entrails everywhere, and stab you through the neck to take your life.]
[But you have splendidly defeated that Demonkin! Once again, you have avoided a tragic fate.]
[It is such a relief that you did not die in vain! Another page of bad endings has disappeared. Congratulations, Elise!]
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