Akatsuki Translations

The City of Sin, Lust

East of the great Apas Mountain Range, northeast of the Satellite City of Aruto, and further beyond another satellite city, lies a city-state known for possessing the 【Dungeon of Sin, Lust. 】 This city-state, with its distinctive feature of possessing a Dungeon of Sin, wears another face.

City of Sin, Lust, also known as the 【Country of Witches. 】

The 【Dungeon of Sin, Lust】 emerged, melding into the vast Salazar Thicket located in the northeastern part of the Isralia Continent, transforming the entire dense forest area into a dungeon.

When it first appeared, the frequency of monster appearances was incredibly high. The dungeon, with a voracious energy, consumed and eroded everything above ground, traversing through the dense forest, posing a genuine crisis to the entirety of the Isralia Continent without exaggeration.

The one who somehow managed to contain this situation was a woman, a magician, who would later be called 【The White Witch. 】 Using the 【White Barrier】 – a technique that could warp space itself and that no one else at the time could devise – she sealed the forest itself, halting the ever-expanding dungeon.

She single-handedly contained the threat of a Dungeon of Sin.

Later, the people who were saved erected a city to monitor the sealed dungeon, venerating her, who would gain a “position” of being worshipped among the Seven Heavens that protect the world. They continued to study, intending to inherit her magic. Gradually, magicians from across the Isralia Continent gathered, and it became a holy land for them, transforming into the continent’s foremost magical country.

The City of Sin, Lust is a city of witches, a great magical country.

And indeed, because it is such a place, there is also an academy for magicians.

【Lautaro Magic Academy】

Surpassing even the 【Spiral Library】located beneath the 【True Babel, 】in the City of Sin, Proudia where the Wise Heavenly King resides. It is the pinnacle of magical education on this continent and also the headquarters of the Magic Guild.

In a corner of a school building for magic, within the greatest magical academy, two individuals sat across a desk in a room where a magician conducts classes and guides students.

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

In a dimly lit room, a man named Krolow, the owner of the space, scrutinized the small being before him. Though he appeared to be a spirited young man, he was, in reality, over a century old. As an elf, he had ventured from the concealed village of his people, all in pursuit of mastering the art of magic. His journey had led him to this academy, where, surprisingly, he had become an eccentric instructor.

Facing him was a petite girl, a hobbit, clad in the uniform of a student from the academy. Perched atop her head was an old-fashioned witch’s hat, an antiquated accessory no longer worn by anyone in these modern times. From beneath it, two chestnut-colored braids dangled down. Her diminutive stature, typical of her race, was less than half the tall Krolow’s height. The chair in which she sat was twice as tall as his.

Krolow glared at the girl. His face, exquisitely symmetrical in a way characteristic of the elves, radiated an intensity even more formidable than that of the sternest of beings. Nonetheless, the little girl confronted him squarely, without a hint of trepidation.

“What is this, exactly?” -Krolow

“It’s a career path form.” -Lynne

He flicked the paper she referred to, though he sighed as if her answer, while accurate, was not what he sought.

“No, not that. Its content. What is written in yours? This…” -Krolow

He sighed again, the next words seemingly painful to utter. Then, once more, Krolow spoke.

“‘Adventurer’—what do you mean by this?” -Krolow

She remained silent.

“An adventurer… you want to become an adventurer?” he persisted, his voice steady but tinged with a palpable anger.

It was rare for him to exhibit such anger. Perhaps due to his elf lineage, his emotional highs and lows were seldom extreme. However, the pathway she aspired to tread was so incomprehensible to him that it uncharacteristically brought forth his wrath.

“Many who have entered my class have contributed to urban management, magical development, and the pioneering of new cities. They utilize and strive to spread the knowledge and skills acquired here, which cannot be learned anywhere else.” -Krolow

“…” -Lynne

“In contributing to the world of humans, I do not deny the profession of an adventurer. Indeed, I admit that many current cities are somewhat dependent on the magic stones mined by adventurers. In fact, there are those who aspire to be adventurers even from this academy…however,” -Krolow

Krolow gazed intently, scrutinizing the girl from head to toe. His eyes held no emotion as if rather than interacting with a fellow person, one of the opposite sex, he was instead inspecting a captured beast under observation. After completing his assessment, he pointed out calmly.

“You are not suited for it, Lynne. You are the least suited to be an adventurer in this academy.” -Krolow

“Are you calling me incompetent?” -Lynne

“No. I said you are unsuitable.” -Krolow

He asserted so. And then, he pushed back the aspiration document she had submitted towards her.

“Think again and correct it. That is all.” -Krolow

The girl, pushed away, received the returned course application, bowed her head with an indifferent expression, and briskly exited his room.

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The Lautaro Magic Academy, at first glance, resembled a castle.

But it wasn’t a castle built to assert authority with disregard for practicality. Instead, it was structured as a fortress, designed to confront a clear “enemy.” Multilayered walls and high platforms for watch and defense were littered with remnants of weaponry that must have once been heavily utilized.

This was fitting, considering that this place used to be the frontline in holding back the ever-expanding 【Dungeon of Sin, Lust】, and was once the dwelling of the White Witch. It was the headquarters that continued to battle until the witch cast a barrier, pushing the dungeon inside it. The academy was repurposed from this spot after the White Witch’s barrier seal was completed and its initial role was rendered obsolete.

Although it has undergone numerous renovations compared to the past, and its rugged impression has significantly faded, traces of the fierce battles from that time can still be seen in some parts.

The courtyard, where a girl named Lynne, who was expelled from the room by Professor Krolow, is located, was once an execution ground designed to lure in monsters and then eliminate them all at once. But now, flowers bloom wildly in the flower beds, shrubs are planted, and even a small chapel built for praying to the Sun God has been erected, creating a place of repose.

Lynne perches on a bench provided there, intently gazing at the course application she submitted. Her expression is stern. However, there’s no visible sign of her being disheartened by being rejected by her own mentor.

“…I wonder what it will take to get you to agree, Teacher.” -Lynne

Ignoring her mentor’s instruction to reconsider, she falls into deep thought. Her eyes, bad-tempered behind her glasses, grow even more hostile.

So, she did not notice the shadow approaching from behind.

“Witch.”

“It’s the witch.”

“The dropout witch.”

“The useless witch.”

Cackling laughter echoed. Suddenly, she lifted her head in response to the noise. Before her eyes, a water balloon larger than a human head soared through the air, burst upon impact, and her small frame was drenched.

The scoffing intensified. It was derision aimed at the inferior, the lesser being – aimed at the soaking wet Lynne. Glancing up, she saw her classmates, all clad in the same uniform as hers, laughing at her from a distance. Of course, those who would pull such a prank were not Lynne’s friends.

The girl who had hurled the magic at Lynne giggled quietly, whispering to her cohorts.

“This level of magic, she can’t defend against it. How pitiful.” -Bully

“Despite being taught by Krolow-sensei, what a nuisance she is.” -Bully2

Their mockery, clearly audible, was a volley of malevolence casually thrown her way. Yet Lynne did not allow sorrow to taint her expression in the face of it. Wiping her glasses with the hem of her shirt, she steadily began to walk towards the girls who continued to mock her and had cast the magic.

The ones who had been laughing at her from afar were taken aback as she approached them directly. The girls tried to flee, but before they could, Lynne grasped one of their hands.

“Ouch! Let go!!” -Bully

“Quite the courage you all have, to confront someone a ‘Temple rank holder.’” -Lynne

“Just the lowest rank!!” -Bully

“Still better than you who don’t have a rank, right? Do you understand the implications of your actions?” -Lynne

Being an official rank holder within the Temple, which manages the nation, meant that her family belonged to the “privileged class” of the city. Mockery and violence against those in power, even if that power is of the lowest rank, would not be exercised by anyone with a semblance of rational judgment. To engage in such actions would be the realm of either a profound fool or perhaps…

“Hey, hey, flaunting your power… Is that what someone of official rank does? Leyline-dono.”

…or perhaps someone under the protection of an official rank holder of equal or higher status.

“Show your face, Medal. How crude.” -Lynne

Upon Lynne’s admonition, the man revealed his face. Indeed, a young boy dressed in the same uniform as Lynne. His features were not unkind, his build sturdy. However, a somehow sticky, condescending smile twisted his well-ordered appearance.

“What’s the matter? I certainly didn’t instruct them to do that. Everything was done out of their righteous indignation.” -Medal

“Medal-sama!” -Bully

Medal Seira Lustania defended the girls with a blatantly insincere manner. Lynne’s eyes, which seldom betrayed emotion, grew even colder.

“To begin with, if one can handle magic at even a moderate level, they would simply respond with, ‘If you have no use for me, I shall be on my way,’ to that degree of magic.” -Lynne

She had no time to entertain him. Her words implicitly conveyed this, and the boy, who had been smirking triumphantly, scowled, seemingly offended. But even before he could observe the change in his expression, Lynne turned her back, only to have her path obstructed by a magical barrier that suddenly appeared before her.

“What is this supposed to be?” -Lynne

Naturally, there was only one culprit present. Medal readied his wand. His skill in activating a barrier spell with barely any incantation or movement was reliable. This man, a member of the Lustania family, inheritors of the “Double Casting” and the “Witch’s Bloodline”, was blessed with talent and circumstance.

Unlike Lynne.

“I thought I’d give you a lesson. You’re going to become an adventurer, aren’t you, Witch-dono?” -Medal

Medal grinned slyly. The surrounding girls had somehow distanced themselves outside of the barrier. A one-on-one, a duel of magic. It was not particularly unusual. Magic was a scholarly pursuit, but it also became a technique for battling evil beings.

Moreover, Lust was a City of Sin, a city born to confront a Dungeon of Sin. The mentality that one must possess combat skills had taken root in this academy. Duels were permitted, as long as they didn’t go too far.

Thus, while Lynne should have been well aware of this, she did not ready her wand. It was not a small wand that could be held in one hand, like Medal’s, but a mage’s staff, as tall as herself, which she gripped tightly.

“What’s the matter? Not going to attack?” -Medal

Medal spoke with an air of ease and provocation. In contrast, Lynne remained silent. However, after a brief pause, she firmly planted her magic staff into the ground and began to draw on the earth with its tip, moving as if dancing. From the lines engraved in the dirt, a burst of magical light began to trace its path.

A form of magic called a “magic circle” began to take shape at her feet. Her movements, fluid and practiced, hinted at a refinement that must have come from countless repetitions—but then,

“​ 【O Demons, O Wind, Come Forth! 】​” -Medal

“Ah…” -Lynne

With a brief, swift incantation, Medal’s wind magic sent her flying. Instantly, the lines she had been drawing crumbled, and the light vanished. Medal laughed at the sight.

“Oops, did I interrupt? Go on, continue.” -Medal

“…” -Lynne

Lynne rose and once again silently began to draw her magic circle. But before it could take form, time and again, easily, Medal’s magic intervened. It was hardly a duel. After all, Lynne couldn’t activate her magic even once.

“gAh…” -Lynne

Blasted away by magic time and time again, she eventually fell face-first to the ground. Along with the young girls who surrounded them, Medal mercilessly sneered at her plight.

“This is advice from the goodness of my heart, adventurer. It might be best if you give up. It would be a nuisance to the other adventurers, you know?” -Medal

With those words, they departed. Lynne, dirtied by the soil, got up after they left, brushed off the dirt from her body, picked up her fallen glasses, wiped her face—and then, placed a hand over her eyes, remaining still for a while.

After a few seconds, when she removed her hand, there was the face of the girl with the slightly fierce eyes from before.

“I’m fine.” -Lynne

Though the voice quivered ever so slightly, the steps moving away from the courtyard did not waver.

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――Your ancestor, Lynne, was a special kind of witch

Lynne was a witch. So was her mother. Her grandmother too, and tracing back her lineage, it connected to a person who could be regarded as a progenitor of this country.

The first witch, the 【White Witch, 】was whom her disciples sought to succeed. However, due to her vast knowledge and skills, it was necessary for all of them to share the burden. A direct disciple in that lineage was Lynne’s ancestor. Her family has carefully passed down those skills through the generations.

And so, Lynne, having been entrusted to inherit those skills from her grandmother, has continued to persevere.

――Never let this power extinguish. Learn it and pass it on to the next generation.

The grandmother’s instruction was strict. She hammered all of the too-complex techniques for a young child to learn into the girl. The young girl, through fearsome determination and effort, endured the kind of training that everyone thought might kill her before she mastered it.

And in the end, she mastered a part of “the techniques of the White Witch.”

Her siblings and parents praised her. That was, albeit, out of guilt for having imposed a harsh duty upon her, but nonetheless, the succession had occurred.

――However, merely mastering it is not enough. You must study and become stronger.

Even after the overall succession had taken place, the grandmother’s instruction continued. However, as the grandmother’s body weakened, it gradually became unfeasible. Perhaps something that had been supporting her until now was cut off due to having completely passed on all of the techniques. She, who had started spending more time in bed, decided to enroll her granddaughter, Lynne, in Lautaro Magic Academy just like her other siblings.

――It’s unseasonal, but let’s rely on connections. I wanted to watch until the end, but…

Listening to her grandmother’s regretful voice, Lynne managed to enroll in Lautaro.

However, what awaited her in the academy after the strict instruction of her grandmother was hardship. Not matters like strict instruction or difficult exams, but a more fundamental problem was what she ran into.

It was a problem rooted in the fundamental part of the work of the 【White Witch, 】 which she had learned through such fervent instruction and bloody effort.

In short, her magic, one of the techniques passed down from the White Witch, THAT which her ancestor had inherited, was too sharp. Too incompatible with the present era—

“Teacher, you’re slow.” -Lynne

The day after receiving unreasonable treatment from her classmate Medal, Lynne was at her desk half an hour before the start of class as usual, continuing to prepare for the lesson. The previous day, she had been utterly denied her career path by the teacher and received cruel treatment from her classmates, but she was spending her day as usual.

And, rather, what happened yesterday is quite ‘usual’ for her. Denial of her own magic, and harassment from the ‘prodigy of the Lustania family’. So she is as usual.

However, it’s unusual for the teacher, that nervous Professor Krolow, not to have arrived by this time. He’s a man who enters the classroom earlier than anyone else.

“Everyone is here I see.” -Krolow

In the end, Professor Krolow entered the classroom just before the bell for the start of the class rang. When he, an elf with golden hair and long ears, appears, a refreshing magical power always flows into the classroom. Some with superior magical perception always get enchanted by it.

When he finds Lynne, his gaze turns a bit stern, but she doesn’t change at all. With her attitude of glaring back calmly, Krolow looks away as if giving up and then stands at the lectern.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have a quick announcement.” -Krolow

This was an unusual preamble for him, who usually proceeded with the lesson without idle talk or chatter. What is it? Interested, the students look at each other and watch him.

“…Huh?” -Lynne

Meanwhile, Lynne feels a sense of déjà vu. Come to think of it, she feels like she was introduced to this classroom in this way when she transferred in out of season.

Krolow continues talking.

“There is a request from the Adventurer’s Guild, and someone who has been allowed to enroll for a short period of one month will come to our classroom… To put it plainly, a transfer student. Come in.” -Krolow

And then, Lynne saw.

Silver hair, likewise big silver eyes, a beautiful face as orderly as the spirits. The uniform she wears clearly shows the feminine contours of her body. Her limbs are slim and elongated; a beautiful girl who could take one’s breath away even if they are of the same gender, entered the classroom.

“Introduce yourself.” -Krolow

Prompted by Krolow, she turned to the students, and with a face that made everyone inadvertently captivated, she smiled.

“My name is Shizuku. Everyone, please treat me well.” -Shizuku