Akatsuki Translations

A night had passed since the unprecedented attack on the mobile fortress. Thanks to Diz’s efforts, the situation seemed to be under control… though it was hard to say that it was completely resolved.

While there was a minimum supply of medicines, the number of injured people was too large. Moreover, there were goods that had been stolen during the chaos. It was speculated that the giant skeleton had taken them.

The damage was extensive, with many injured. The fact that there were no fatalities was due to Diz’s hard work and a stroke of luck. Most of the passengers wished to return to the city as soon as possible. It had been a cruel experience for them, who had expected a safe and comfortable journey.

As a result, instead of continuing the two-day journey to the next city, the route of the Island-Eating Turtle was changed to return to the City of Greed, and they departed hastily.

However, naturally, Ur and the others did not board the returning turtle.

“The direction in which that giant skeleton escaped is the exact opposite of Greed, in the direction the Island-Eating Turtle was facing, or in other words, our original destination, the Satellite City Aruto. The tracking magic I started also indicates that direction.” -Diz

Hence, they decided to part ways. The members of Luckbird offered to accompany them, but Diz refuted them, saying, “Injured people will be a hindrance.” As a result, they returned to Greed with the Island-Eating Turtle.

Ur and the others disembarked from the turtle and returned to Dāru and Sūru. Even in Diz’s absence, they had been waiting in the same place (although there were several “shadow wolves” dead at their feet).

And so, the journey by carriage resumed.

However, having been up all night due to the bandit commotion and having parted with the Island-Eating Turtle around noon, they needed to recover their stamina. They decided to set up camp early, and another night passed.

On the second morning of their journey outside the city:

“…mmm.” -Ur

Mornings outside the city came early. Without the magical lights of the city, sunlight was a precious source of light and could not be wasted. Naturally, they rose with the sunrise.

Ur felt good. He had slept well. It was something to be thankful for, especially outside the city, where there were no giant defensive walls and monsters roamed freely. Both day and night were dangerous, and constant vigilance was required. Without various precautions, like taking turns keeping watch, one could lose their life. In this regard, the magical barrier provided an unmatched comfort compared to the camping Ur knew.

“Thanks to Shizuku…” -Ur

Grateful for the restful sleep, Ur got up.

Though he had traveled many times, the night watch was always a grueling task for Ur. In the pitch-black night, keeping the fire going while fighting sleep and fatigue was challenging. He had mistaken the dark for monsters countless times.

That trouble was significantly reduced with just one magical barrier, which was a blessing. At least last night, they were awakened by monster attacks only “twice.” And because the monsters were scared off by the barrier, there were no battles.

“Even though I’ve learned purification magic, maybe I should learn at least one barrier magic…” -Ur

Ur reluctantly left his warm bedroll and stepped out of the carriage. The warm climate of the Isralia continent and the warmth of the rising sun on his face felt pleasant.

He thought of preparing breakfast and his now-routine morning training.

But when he stepped down from the carriage, Shizuku was already outside. Ur approached her to greet her, but she seemed unaware of his presence, staring intently at the plains.

“Shizuku?” -Ur

“…” -Shizuku

Without responding to Ur, she continued to stare. Ur followed her gaze to see what had captivated her.

It was Diz.

She was dancing with a crimson blade, Akane, in hand. It wasn’t just a display of skill; it was a dance of the sword, honed to confront an opponent and decide their fate. With each graceful step, the sound of the wind could be heard. The sharpness of her movements suggested that anyone who approached carelessly might lose their head.

Despite this, Ur was entranced by her movements.

She looked beautiful. The morning sun illuminated her golden hair. The flowing sweat on her porcelain-like skin glistened. Ur was captivated by every move. The refined technique and the effort it took to reach that level made him respect her.

Diz ended her sword dance with a final slash and held up her crimson blade, Akane, in front of her, saying:

“Akane, you’re slow.” -Diz

She reprimanded her.

《Uuu~.》-Akane

“Like this, it’d be better If I just had a decent sword instead of you transforming.” -Diz

《Diz is too fast~.》-Akane

“Unlike me who won’t get stronger unless I train, you transcend reason, so it’s just a matter of getting the feel. Come on, work hard.” -Diz

《Uuu~.》-Akane

Diz was relentless in pointing out Akane’s shortcomings. Ur wasn’t overprotective, but something bothered him.

“Diz.” -Ur

“Oh, Ur. And Shizuku. Good morning. It’s a beautiful morning.” -Diz

“Good morning, Diz-sama.” -Shizuku

Knowing that they had been watching, she raised her hand without any surprise. Ur immediately posed a question.

“By any chance, have you been “using” Akane quite a bit before this, Diz?” -Ur

“Yeah.” -Diz

She admitted it readily, making Ur groan.

Considering how she handled Akane when repelling the bandits, she was experienced. Those movements were not something one could master overnight.

“The contract with you simply stipulates that I will retain possession of Akane until you buy her back. I won’t damage or harm her, but as for ‘using’ her in the usual manner, you can’t complain.” -Diz

‘If you wanted her to be treated with care, you should have been precise in the contract.’ Ur scratched his head upon this belated advice. It was a contract where his life was literally at stake. Naturally, he wasn’t in the right state of mind at that time. It was a hasty agreement, so ensuring such detailed promises was fundamentally impossible.

“…I’d rather you didn’t put Akane in dangerous situations.” -Ur

“Don’t misunderstand, I have consent regarding how I handle her, okay?” -Diz

“Consent?” -Ur

“If she can show me the ‘value and meaning of her base existence,’ then even if you fail, I promise not to disassemble her.” -Diz

That was a contract made anticipating Ur’s failure. It was insurance, prepared just in case. Akane, on her part, had thought of this so that Ur wouldn’t have to be so reckless.

“Sorry, Akane.” -Ur

《Nii-tan is doing his best, so I will too.》-Akane

Akane replied while still in her sword form. Her voice sounded cheerful. Hearing her reliable and mature tone, Ur felt she had grown and was on the verge of tears.

“Well, in her current state, she’s not really useful.” -Diz

“You spoiled the moment.” -Ur

“She’s not sufficient for practical use. Albeit convenient,  just using a substitute is possible. Like this, she’s meaningless. It seems more beneficial to disassemble and research her. So, do your best, Akane.” -Diz

《Uuuu~Naaa~…》-Akane

The aloft crimson magic blade let out a whining sound.

“….In any case, why are you so obsessed with combat power?” -Ur

“Work is tough…” -Diz

While speaking nostalgically, the speed at which she swung Akane was something even Ur couldn’t catch with his eyes. Apart from using the unique weapon named Akane, she was extraordinary.

Last night, she swiftly took care of the bandits and quickly managed the ensuing chaos. Who was she? Nevertheless, Ur didn’t feel like inquiring about something she probably wouldn’t willingly answer. More importantly,

“Diz-sama, may we join you?” -Shizuku

Shizuku gripped her staff and asked. Ur too held his dragonfang spear tight. If she was a skilled individual, training with her would be beneficial.

“Sure. I’ll play around with you a bit.” -Diz

With the two in front of her, Diz smirked confidently.

In conclusion, as the words suggested, Ur and Shizuku ended up being toyed with by Diz.

　　　　　　　　　 　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“I wonder why you are so strong?” -Shizuku

“Practice.” -Diz

“I really can’t figure you out.” -Ur

While Shizuku expressed admiration, Ur groaned in loss of confidence as they voraciously ate their breakfast.

After several mock battles, Ur and Shizuku weren’t exactly battered, to be precise, they didn’t even get a scratch. Their attacks, whether magical or spear thrusts, never landed, and they had no chance to counterattack. They were saved even before losing their balance and falling.

To put it bluntly, they were toyed with.

It felt the same as when they fought with Glen, that is, a fight against someone several notches above them. Though compared to him, this was extremely courteous.

“Shizuku, you seem to have some focus left when chanting. Maybe you could extend your skills a bit more. Ur, you’re still getting thrown around by your newfound strength. You need more practice.” -Diz

On top of that, they got pinpoint advice. And they were supposed to be her guards.

“…Speaking of which, do you even need guards, Diz?” -Ur

While tearing off a piece of bread from the rich food they received when disembarking from the Island-Eating Turtle, Ur pointed out. By the way, the bread was soft and delicious. It was of remarkably high quality for travel. It might even be better than what you’d get in a city.

“You guys are necessary so I can slack off. Oh, this bread is good. It’s made from wheat meant for the priests of the production cities, the Farms.” -Diz

“Don’t take mine. You already got plenty of food.” -Ur

“Ur-sama, would you like some of these fruits? They’re called Gul fruits and are quite delicious.” -Shizuku

While munching on the bread, Diz continued.

“I’m busy with work. I want to relax while traveling between cities. Everyone should. For the mundane tasks that others can do, why not delegate and take a break?” -Diz

“And then we encountered an unprecedented burglary incident.” -Ur

“Akane, pillow.” -Diz

《Okk~.》-Akane

“Don’t sulk and nap.” -Ur

She lay down with an easily discernible sulking face. The superhuman behavior from earlier changed to that of a typical girl of her age. Ur got a headache from the sudden change. In her current posture, she casually picked up a small Gul fruit.

“It seems like it’s going to be troublesome…” -Diz

“Rescuing Rose-sama?” -Shizuku

The request for Rose’s rescue, which was asked by the butler and his associates, was indeed troublesome. However, Diz shook her head.

“Helping Rose is not the problem, the necromancer is too unsettling.” -Diz

“Necromancer…” -Ur

From the massive skeleton to the hoards occupying the Island-Eating Turtle, Ur could tell that their master was not ordinary. It was indeed problematic, as Diz said. However, what concerned her was something different.

“Why do you think they attacked the Island-Eating Turtle?” -Diz

“To kidnap Rose… a virgin maiden?” -Ur

“If that was the only reason, there are better ways. The risk of attacking the Island-Eating Turtle — a shared property of the 【City of Sin, Greed】 and the giant 【Merchant’s Guild】, a 【mobile fortress】 — is too high.” -Diz

The distribution of people and goods using the Island-Eating Turtle between cities is one of the rare stable means in this world. A mobile fortress that can freely traverse the world outside the cities infested with monsters. And it “must remain so.”

“For many citizens of various city-states, the Island-Eating Turtle is a symbol of safety. The belief in its invulnerability leads to smooth trade. Anyone who tries to break that belief, regardless of who they are, will never be forgiven.” -Diz

In truth, there have been attacks on the Island-Eating Turtle in the past. Especially in the early days of its operation, there was no shortage of villains who aimed to raid the heavily stocked turtle.

And all those who harbored such intentions were utterly “annihilated.”

“Anyone who messes with the mobile fortress will only meet death, right? That message was spread far and wide.” -Ur

“As a result, the Island-Eating Turtle became a sanctuary where no one, not even monsters, could approach.” -Diz

However, despite all this, the current situation unfolded.

Certainly, if there were high-level casters, an attack would be possible. There are barriers and guards around the Island-Eating Turtle, but they aren’t perfect. It’s not impossible to break through. But the problem comes after.

“When the cities hear of this incident, there will probably be a major hunt involving silver-ranked powerhouses or large squads of knights. If they’re unlucky, even gold-ranks might get involved. That’s the extent to which those bandits violated the untouchable existence.” -Diz

It’s indeed a significant commotion, almost like causing a war. Any child would understand that this would be the natural course of action since every city has been made aware of it.

“They took such a huge risk because they needed something that badly?” -Shizuku

“Yeah. Why they had to attack that giant turtle, that reason…” -Diz

Once that ‘something’ that only the Island-Eating Turtle departing from the City of Sin, Greed, would be carrying, Ur realized.

“Magic stones, huh?” -Ur

“Yeah. A vast quantity of magic stones mined in the City of Sin and collected before being distributed to various other cities. When I checked the transported goods, all the magic stones were gone.” -Diz

If all the magic stones transported to support the many satellite cities of the Sin City of Greed are taken into account, it’s a considerable amount. The reason to steal all of them, the risk of being destroyed later, and the reason for the necromancer to do it are still unclear. However, with this much information, even an idiot would sense something dangerous is going on.

“Could this possibly be a pretty big deal?” -Ur

“Yeah. And it happened during our precious rest period…” -Diz

《Nooo, that tickles. 》-Akane

Diz sulkily poked at her pillow, and Akane squirmed uncomfortably. At the very least, Ur understood that Diz didn’t casually accept the request to rescue Rose but fully understood its difficulty.

“But if it’s so difficult, and since a silver-ranked adventurer will surely come later, couldn’t we have left it to them?” -Shizuku

After all, this case—a rescue mission for a girl kidnapped outside the city—should be the responsibility of Greed, which owns the Island-Eating Turtle, or the Merchant’s Guild. Ur and the others just happened to be there by chance and have no obligation. Diz should have had the option to ignore the pleas of Rose’s subordinates.

However, while continuing her sulky pose, Diz responded,

“Even if all the cities act quickly to subdue the bandits, it takes time to start the operation. Probably, it’ll be too late for Rose.” -Diz

“…Why do you want to save Rose so much?” -Ur

Given the information they had, rescuing Rose should be extremely difficult. Ur didn’t understand why Diz was so fixated on saving her.

From fragmented stories, the relationship between her and Rose seemed pretty bad. If they used to be close friends or something, that’d be one thing, but if not, why would she, who isn’t even from the Adventurer’s Guild or the city’s knight order, want to save Rose?

“Do you want Luckbird to owe a favor to you?” -Ur

“Nah, not really.” -Diz

“Is it from guilt for stealing the Blazing Sword?” -Ur

“Not at all~.” -Diz

So, why? Ur asked. Diz looked genuinely puzzled and responded,

“Well, I mean, we’d be saving her, right?”

“…I still don’t get you.”

Of course. Ur couldn’t comprehend her at all, especially since she was diving into such a major issue involving city-scale forces for such a simple reason.

流石、ディズ様