Akatsuki Translations

After the greetings, Diz prompted Lynne to lift her face, and they moved back to lighthearted conversation. Diz seemed relaxed as usual in her workplace, but Lynne still appeared to be quite tense.

“I never thought I would have the opportunity to meet you, especially not here.” -Lynne

“It’s for work, and by the way, there’s no need to be so formal, you know?” -Diz

“No, I couldn’t possibly…” -Lynne

Lynne showed deep respect for Diz. At first, Ur thought it was because of the priest hierarchy, but it seemed that was not quite it.

“The two of you know each other… That’s not strange, I suppose, since you’re both priests.” -Ur

“I’m a bit of a delinquent priest, though. I don’t really show my face at the Temple much.” -Diz

Ur thought that made sense. Diz frequented the Moneylenders’ Guild, was energetically doing some kind of work here and there as one of the Seven Heavens, and on top of that, performing priestly duties would be too much for anyone. No matter how efficiently one managed their sleeping hours, there are limits.

Then, where had Lynne seen her? As Ur turned his face to ask, Lynne shook her head as if reading his thoughts.

“I never actually saw her at the Temple.” -Lynne

“So where then?” -Ur

“At the 【Sun Festival】 in the 【City of Sin, Proudia】.” -Lynne

Ah, Ur recalled that event.

It was a festival held once a year, in the middle of summer. In the City of Sin, Proudia, the leading nation of the 【Grand Federation】 that connects the countries of the Isralia continent, it was a day to offer magnificent prayers to Zerudia, conducted by the Grand Temple that worships the Sun God.

Not limited to Proudia, all cities hold similar festivals to pray and celebrate the sun god, but Proudia’s is the most lavish and grand. Under the name of the 【Sage King】 Arnold Shinra Prometheus, the head of Proudia’s priests and the head of the Spirit Temple, the Seven Heavens, the guardians of the world, gather and give their blessings.

Ur had also happened to see the festival in Proudia once. As a Nameless, Ur couldn’t get close to the Grand Temple and could only watch from a far and distant place. (That’s why he didn’t realize Diz’s true identity.)

“I was brought there by my priest grandmother at that time.” -Lynne

“I remember you were brought by the previous Leyline. You were a cute child. Well, I was a child myself then.” -Diz

“All the way to Proudia just to see the festival?” -Ur

While the distance between the City of Sin, Lust and Proudia wasn’t all that great, one would still need to traverse outside of the human survival zones to get there. Even using a mobile fortress, it would be a long journey.

Therefore, normally, the Sun Festival is celebrated within one’s own country. To go to Proudia to celebrate would require deep religious devotion or some other reason.

“To be precise, it wasn’t for the festival but to see the Seven Heavens, or more specifically, the 【Hero】.” -Lynne

“…This woman?” -Ur

《…Diiz? 》-Akane

“Could both of you please stop pointing at your friend’s face? I might cry.” -Diz

—Among the current Seven Heavens, the 【Hero】 is the “real deal.” Pay close attention.

Just as her grandmother had instructed, amidst the brilliant festival, without looking at the festival scenery or the stalls, she stared intently at the face of the Hero standing before the Sage King. She seemed to be just a young girl, not much different in age from herself.

But her grandmother’s words were accurate. During the dungeon overflow in the City of Sin, Lust, a great disaster where the “disturbance” of the barrier caused monsters to overrun, it was the 【Hero】 who single-handedly subdued the monsters when even notable magicians found it difficult to cope.

“I was certain then that you were the real deal.” -Lynne

“It was just by chance that I happened to be nearby during the ‘grandma’s’ negotiations.” -Ur

Ur was recalling the words of the guild leader, Aransa. She had a very stern face, but she seemed to be saying that Diz was significantly occupied with “work.”

“I want to be like you. How can I do that?” -Lynne

“—Please, let’s stop here. Diz-sama has finished her work and is tired.”

At that moment, a voice that did not belong to Ur’s group interjected. It was slightly low for a woman, yet high for a man. Turning around, there was a beautiful maid with strikingly white hair contrasting with her black-based attire. Her face was beautiful too. The clear blue eyes were captivating.

Despite her noticeable appearance, she somehow lacked presence. She was a woman who, being perfectly composed, lacked any distinguishing features.

She quietly placed a freshly brewed cup of tea before the excited Lynne. Lynne was also surprised, but as pointed out, she took a breath, settled down, and sat back in her chair.

“Ah, Jenna. Glad we could finally meet up.” -Diz

“Diz-sama. I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. I have just arrived.” -Jenna

The maid, called Jenna, bowed respectfully to Diz. Wondering about their relationship, Diz seemed to guess his thoughts and smiled.

“She’s originally my maid, taking care of things around me, but while I was in Greed, I had her take over some detailed tasks. She’s finally returned.” -Diz

“My name is Jenna.” -Jenna

Saying so, she gave a bow with all the grace and politeness befitting a servant. Ur returned the greeting with a nod. Then, as he raised his head, Jenna’s face appeared right before his. Uncomfortably close.

“…May I help you with something?” -Ur

“I have heard many rumors about you, Ur-sama.” -Jenna

“Rumors.” -Ur

He wondered if it was about his adventures, but it didn’t seem to be the case. Her composed face didn’t twitch at all. She was like a doll.

“It seems, Diz-sama has taken a liking to you.” -Jenna

Ur looked at Diz. She was all smiles.

“Much to my chagrin.” -Ur

Then, without changing her expression, she shook her head from side to side.

“Poor thing.” -Jenna

“Thank you.” -Ur

This woman understands well, Ur thought.

“I’m jealous.” -Jenna

“You have strange tastes.” -Ur

I don’t get this woman at all, Ur thought.

“You’re despicable.” -Jenna

“I’m sorry.” -Ur

Is this woman alright in the head? Ur wondered.

He couldn’t tell if she was serious or joking. Glancing at Diz, it seemed to be the usual for her. She nonchalantly continued to sip the tea Jenna had brewed without any concern.

Jenna, with her eyes, observed Ur as if he were an insect or something, and after a while, she nodded.

“But if Diz-sama thinks favorably of you, then I shall do the same.” -Jenna

“Do the same, you say?” -Ur

“Please treat me well, friend.” -Jenna

“What is this woman talking about…” -Ur

He couldn’t help but let a retort slip out of his mouth.

“I am Diz-sama’s shadow, so I move as she wishes, as she thinks.” -Jenna

“So if she tells you to die, you would die?” -Ur

“Yes, of course. Since I am a shadow.” -Jenna

Her light-hearted comment was returned with a serious face. This woman was frightening.

“As a shadow, please consider me as if I do not exist.” -Jenna

“Even if you say that――” -Ur

Before he could finish speaking, she “disappeared.”

“…Huh?” -Ur

《Wow! 》-Akane

Lynne and Akane exclaimed because, quite literally, her figure vanished. Ur, who had been right before her, was even more astonished. In the blink of an eye, her figure was erased as if a small flame had been blown out by the wind.

And before him, there were tea sweets laid out, and the fragrant tea tickled his nose. A vase now had flowers in it, seemingly out of nowhere.

“…Am I being made fun of here?” -Ur

“Oh, you noticed?” -Diz

Diz was looking at Ur with a surprised face while munching on a baked sweet.

“Jenna enjoys mocking people, it’s her hobby.”  -Diz

“What’s up with your maid?”  -Ur

“Well, she won’t get in the way, so just play along with her.” -Diz

“Ur, my body is floating in the air.” -Lynne

For some reason, Lynne had begun to float without using any magic, and Akane was watching her with glee, laughing joyously. Ur felt a headache coming on.

“By the way, Ur, I saw it. The chariot you made.” -Diz

“So, what’s your take?” -Ur

“It made me laugh.” -Diz

“Stop treating something that someone’s life depends on as comedy.” -Ur

In reality, that chariot could very well determine Ur’s fate. It wasn’t an overstatement to say so. It’s not just about the performance, or the future tactics, but about the money invested in it. Simply put, if that fails miserably, the funds will dry up.

Although he’s earning a reward for Diz’s protection and won’t be completely ruined, it will take a considerable amount of time to recover from there. It’s critical that it succeeds.

“Really, you could’ve been a bit more tentative with the first prototype, right?” -Diz

“That was the plan.” -Ur

Initially, Ur’s expectation was that the chariot would be much simpler. It was supposed to have ramparts on all sides of the cart to block attacks and to be able to escape when necessary. That was all it was meant for.

When Dangan first asked for ten gold coins, Ur was surprised but didn’t think he would actually use it all up, so he took it lightly.

“I never thought we’d run out of money, much less fall short.” -Ur

The shape processing of the ramparts for wind resistance, the repeated modifications and reinforcement of additional parts for the cart—Ur’s initial mental blueprint was long gone. He felt responsible for not being able to put a stop to the craftsmen’s runaway creativity, though he wanted to voice at least one complaint.

“Dangan was all smiles, eagerly taking on one task after another… That guy definitely isn’t making a profit…” -Ur

“In the end, it turned out just right, though, didn’t it? It was well done, especially considering the short time frame.” -Diz

The chariot was small enough to infiltrate and explore the interior of the dungeon and was durable on rough terrain. The basic structure was simple, so it was easy to repair. And Rock, the versatile skeleton knight, was the power and reinforcement that covered everything. The necessary magical energy could easily be drawn from magic stones by him, a skeleton knight, and those magic stones could be obtained from monsters appearing all over the dungeon.

All conceivable precautions had been taken. Naturally, it would be problematic if it didn’t make sense. But even after seeing the chariot they had all worked so hard to build, Ur’s heart was still filled with anxiety.

“…Diz, do you think it’ll work? That thing.” -Ur

When asked, Diz laughed. It was a mean-spirited smile he hadn’t seen from her in a while.

“If I say ‘it’s impossible,’ would it mean anything?” -Diz

“…No.” -Ur

No, it really wouldn’t.

After all, the money had already been spent. A fortune had melted away, and in its place, a bizarre “chariot” the likes of which no one had ever seen was born. With that chariot, and with Lynne being played with by Akane and the maid in the background, Ur was already betting his life. He couldn’t back out now.

“I understand you’re anxious. But I won’t offer meaningless comfort.” -Diz

“Then offer me some comfort that means something…” -Ur

Ur’s anxiety at the moment was honestly extraordinary.

After all, there were no pioneers. There was no precedent. The strategy of targeting bounty heads, as Ur and his group were doing, was a minority approach. In addition to that, they were employing a Leyline, who was considered fatally unsuitable for combat, and they were attempting something completely unprecedented. Ur himself was trying to be the pioneer.

Calling it pioneering sounds good, but often such ventures remain untouched because everyone thinks of them and judges that they shouldn’t be attempted. To engage in such a thing, and to stake one’s life on it, is to experience extraordinary stress.

He had eaten to prepare for tomorrow, but he had to force down the food, feeling like he was going to throw it up two or three times. He couldn’t even really taste it. The mental burden was quite severe.

He asked Diz because she was far more “superior” in ability than himself, and he wanted to get her stamp of approval to ease his mind, even a little—it was nothing but an escape.

“Someone tell me it’s going to be okay…” -Ur

“You’re really struggling if you’re clinging to me, the cause of all this. I guess I have no choice.” -Diz

Diz approached Ur, who was cradling his head in distress, and embraced his head with both arms. She ruffled Ur’s hair, which relaxed his shoulders just a bit.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll recover your bones, so don’t worry.” -Diz

“Are you comforting me or not? Which is it?” -Ur

“I’m trying to comfort you, but should I stop?” -Diz

“…No, keep going for a bit longer.” -Ur

At her word, Ur passively accepted Diz’s embrace.

And so, the pain in his stomach eased, if only slightly.

“…Or rather, couldn’t you ask Shizuku to do this sort of thing? That girl.” -Diz

“If I show that woman an opening like this…” -Ur

“If you show her?” -Diz

“I’ll be devoured.” -Ur

“What exactly do you think of your comrades?” -Diz