Kays Translations

Chapter 20: Yes (2)

The witch and I stared in astonishment at the white-purple knife on the table.

It was an awkward-looking knife. If anything, it could be considered incomplete.

The handle and sword guard were wrapped in a marble-like white-purple color, curling around.

The grip was small, the blade was straight, and the tip was rounded.

It didn’t really feel like a proper knife.

“This is a knife, huh?”

“Even though it’s supposed to be a 【Sword Transformation】, it’s a knife?”

“Hmm, hmm. It’s probably because the body is small. With this body, this is the best it can do. By the way, Wof boy, what is this creature?”

“I don’t know.”

I laughed vaguely. I really had no idea.

“Well, well. Never seen anything like it. Even Kon, who has seen a fair share of monsters, has never encountered one like this.”

“You’ve never seen it before?”

“Mm-hmm. Never.”

“Na?”

The knife squirmed and turned back into the original creature.

So, that’s how it transforms back.

“Oh my, my. How cute it is.”

The witch, without hesitation, boldly touched it and cradled it in her arms.

“Na!”

Without resisting, it snuggled up to the witch’s chest, looking content. What a little thing.

It blinked its almond-shaped red eyes, rubbing its face and arms against the witch and playing on her chest.

“Well, well. You’re calm, aren’t you?”

“Na? Na-na-na?”

“Mm-hmm. Yes, yes. Good, good.”

“Na!”

The witch gently soothed it.

“You’re good at this, witch.”

“Mm-hmm. I’ve held babies like this before.”

“Na?”

“See, see, don’t move too much. Yes, yes. Good little one.”

The witch smiled softly, speaking in a sweet, gentle voice. She extended her index finger, and it carefully touched and nuzzled her finger with its nails, laughing.

“Na!”

“Hehe, hehe, ticklish, huh?”

“Na?”

“Mm-hmm. Yes, yes. Good, good.”

The witch gently rocked it, carefully wrapping it in her arms and supporting it with her chest.

Then, it yawned and drowsily curled up, resting its head on the witch’s chest, falling asleep.

The witch chuckled quietly and sat down on the sofa.

“…You’re good at this.”

“Hehe, hehe, this one is calm. Really like a baby.”

“Ah… well, probably. Mostly… I don’t think that’s wrong. Probably.”

“Hmm, hmm. Could you tell me about it?”

I spoke to the witch about the mess in the junkyard and how I handled what I found.

“Good grief, that was ridiculous. Treating an elixir like that, even Kon would hesitate to do something like that.”

“I’m sorry. It just happened…”

“Well, well, I’ll keep this between us.”

“Thank you.”

“Hehe, hehe, just our little secret.”

“There’s quite a bit of that.”

In fact, it was full of secrets.

“Ah, right. By the way, hmm. That unexpected purple light. To think something like that was in the junkyard’s underground. It’s strange that the monster remained in its base form.”

“You mean, is it really a junkyard?”

“Yes, yes. And that white-purple mass I found there…”

“Do you recognize it?”

“Hmm, hmm. Not at all. I don’t know either. But, well, it could be legendary.”

“Seems that way.”

“Mm-hmm. Most suspicious things turn out to be legendary.”

“That’s true…”

Well, I had suspected as much.

If it’s legendary, though, it didn’t get caught by the 【Fortune’s Wheel】.

A living-type legendary… does that even exist?

“Ah, ah, speaking of the junkyard, Wof boy, do you know about this? The Hydrangea dungeon has existed since before the city was even built, and it’s said to be thousands of years old.”

“It’s been around for that long?”

“Na? Na…?”

“Oh? Oh, did it wake up?”

When I asked, the creature opened its eyes and stretched a little while nestled in the witch’s chest.

The witch gently patted its head, and it closed its eyes again. She adjusted her hold on it and it fell back asleep, snuggled comfortably.

“…It’s asleep now.”

“Mm-hmm. Good little one. Yes, yes. It’s true that it existed before Hydrangea was made. What’s curious is that, by now, the junkyard should have been completely filled. The history of explorers is also quite old.”

“Now that you mention it…”

“But, but, it hasn’t been filled. That means something’s keeping it from getting buried in garbage. It might be getting rid of part of the garbage once it piles up, or perhaps moving it somewhere else. I’m curious.”

The junkyard isn’t getting filled, so it must be erasing part of the garbage or transporting it elsewhere.

If it’s gathering it somewhere else…

It would mean there’s a hidden junkyard somewhere in the dungeon.

“Yes. I’m interested!”

Maybe if we head deeper, we might find it.

I’m not sure, but… it’s exciting. A hidden junkyard.

But it’s still a dungeon. Right now, I can’t enter unless there’s an explorer.

“Hmm, hmm. But, Juicy-Tasan. Rel’s sister.”

“Yeah, yeah. Rel’s sister is a dog—wait, what?”

“Huh? Huh? Rel’s sister. If you ask him, she’s the 14th sister.”

“14th!? I thought she was a calm person!”

If she’s calm, then every human being would be part of a silent night carnival.

“Hey, hey, don’t raise your voice. This child will wake up.”

“Sorry, so she’s Rel’s sister?”

So Rel is from the Tasan Marquis family, huh? That makes sense now.

By the way, I haven’t talked about Fenrir. That’s not my secret.

Even the witch can’t talk about other people’s secrets. Sorry.

“……”

But come to think of it, the witch…

Seeing her like this, she’s kind of like a mother.

I remember seeing a mother holding a baby like this in my past life.

The baby was my little brother. I would have casual conversations with my mother while she smiled.

My mother from this life passed away when I was little, so I don’t have any memories with her.

“Hmm, hmm. That purple light, though.”

“Nothing like that has happened before. Do you know something about it, witch?”

“Yes, yes. Occasionally, relics can grow.”

“Grow? Actually, my 【Crisis Detection】 is a little weird. Normally, it appears in one color, but sometimes I see it in red-black or white-red.”

“Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. How does it look now? Let’s try looking at Kon.”

“Got it.”

I used my relic 【Crisis Detection】 on the witch.

It was mostly white. Ah, there’s a little red and black in it.

“How’s it looking, Wof boy?”

“Mostly white. There’s a little red and black.”

“Hmm, hmm. I see, I see.”

The witch adjusted her hold slightly, gently rocking it and nodding.

She really is experienced.

“Did you figure something out?”

“Probably, probably. It’s possible that your relic, 【Crisis Detection】, isn’t just detecting danger but also sensing the emotions of the other person.”

“Emotions?”

“Yes, yes. It’s just a guess. It might sense the danger level of an opponent’s strength, but it could also be picking up on their emotions.”

Sensing emotions… that sounds like affection levels.

“Na~…?”

“Yes, yes. Good, good. Sorry. I seem to have woken you up.”

“Na…”

The witch gently soothed it, and it fell back to sleep.

“Sorry.”

“Hehe, hehe. As expected, this little one is so cute.”

“…Is it a monster?”

“Well, at least it’s not a bad little one.”

“That’s true.”

“Ah, ah, right. About the forest investigation. Finally, I got a response from that old man from Abramilin.”

“Has it been decided?”

“Mm-hmm. I finally got permission to proceed as I wish. But first, we need to visit the Explorer’s Guild.”

“The Explorer’s Guild?”

“Oh? That reminds me, Wof boy, this is your first time at the Explorer’s Guild, right?”

“No, I’ve been there once when I returned from the dungeon anomaly mission.”

“I see, I see. The dungeon anomaly… by the way, I didn’t hear about that. The forest… how did you liberate it? I’m curious. Can I ask?”

“—I see… Alright, I’ll tell you.”

I began explaining everything that had happened.

“Mm, mm. That Black Knight might be a Phantom Lord.”

“Phantom Lord?”

The witch gently adjusts her hold. Occasionally, she extends her five claws and exhales softly.

“Most likely, most likely. It’s actually a Phantom Knight, but well, it looks like that forest was indeed an anomaly in the dungeon.”

“…I see.”

It’s not surprising, yet it feels strangely unsettling.

“So, about that village in the forest, there’s actually some information on it.”

“Is there?”

“Of course, of course. That village, well, it’s actually a village of a cult.”

“A, a cult…?!”

The unexpected words make me gasp. I had suspected something tragic had happened there, so I thought it was a victim. But it turns out it was a cult village—so they were the perpetrators? The witch continues.

“That village is really, really old. Even the evil god they worship doesn’t have a name anymore. By the way, by the way, I noticed something strange about the forest; is it true that the village was quite small?”

“Yes. It only had a few houses and a church.”

Yes, it was too small to be called a village.

“Hmm, hmm. That’s odd. It’s quite different from the records. The records said it had enough space for over 100 people.”

“Records… do they exist?”

“Mm, mm. They do. But they’re records of the extermination. The cult, or rather, the cult group, was wiped out by a combined force of explorers and the knight brigade.”

“…It was that large-scale?”

“Yes, yes. The cult was controlling undead and organizing a death army.”

“…An undead army?”

I remember. A horde of skeletons.

It was indeed a full-fledged army.

“It was really, really large-scale, with many casualties. But the extermination of the cult was successful.”

“But the forest…”

“Yes, yes. Until you freed it, it remained an anomaly in the dungeon.”

It seems there will be another investigation. But I’ve already freed it, so there shouldn’t be anything left.

“…I’m uneasy.”

“Well, well. The forest is still sealed, but some troublemakers have gone in and come back. If nothing happens, that would be the best case scenario.”

“Yes, you’re right. Um, witch, I have a different topic to bring up. Actually, yesterday…”

I told the witch about the incident with Piece and the aftermath.

“Really, really. Coon Hunt is hopeless. You must’ve heard about the ruckus yesterday, right? There were unnatural black clouds and lightning visible even from here. But I never expected that there would be a Faun using Amalteia.”

“And about Amalteia, I heard it’s a Legendary item and quite easy to get. Is that true?”

“Yes, yes, that’s true. Do you know about Magic Horn Fragments?”

“Yes. I’ve heard about Amalteia as well.”

“I see, I see. From my perspective, both are poisons for the Faun. Especially Amalteia, which is a deadly poison.”

“Poison?”

“Yes, yes. Actually, both Magic Horn Fragments and Amalteia are forbidden to possess or use. They’re classified as contraband.”

“Really? I didn’t know that…”

Contraband. This world has drugs like narcotics, stimulants, and opium.

But there are even more dangerous substances.

The most dangerous of all are legacies and legendaries related to those substances.

A Legacy that could kill you in one use. A Legendary that sends you to an eternal death.

Those are called contraband.

“Well, well. These two only affect Faun, so you should know about them, right? I’m sure you’re familiar with how contraband is handled, right, Wof?”

“Yes.”

Contraband must be delivered to the nearest soldier post or explorer guild as soon as it is found.

If found in possession, even if not intentional, one can be arrested. The worst-case scenario is execution on the spot.

It’s cruel, but there’s a reason for it.

Because contraband is always a Legacy or Legendary item.

As soon as you see or touch them, the effects appear in your mind as text.

Even if you don’t know about it, you can learn.

“So, so, oh, there we go, good, good.”

The witch gently adjusts her hold when the child seems to stir.

“Anyway, this means the Faun boy knew Amalteia was contraband when he got it, hid it, and then used it.”

“…Why would he do something like that?”

“Well, well, that question is quite simple. Wof, he wanted infinite power. Because if he had infinite power, he could defeat anyone.”

The witch says this with a caring gaze.

“But infinite power is something you can’t control.”

“Yes, yes. It’s a power too much for a human to bear. That’s why using it will always lead to death.”

Infinite power, a poison in the name of infinite.

It’s all his own fault, but somehow, I can’t help but feel sorry for him.

“By the way, by the way, changing the subject, Wof.”

“Yes?”

“Say, say, does this lovely child have a name?”

“Eh… no, it doesn’t.”

I hadn’t even thought about it. The witch smiles wryly.

“Come on, come on, that’s not good. Wof, if you’re the parent, you should definitely decide on a name.”

“Pa… parent?”

“Come on, of course. Given everything, it’s clear you’re the parent, Wof.”

“Well, that’s true…”

I had a faint feeling, but it looks like I’m the one who has to take care of it.

Well, I don’t have any resistance to that. There’s also the uninvited guest, Mineha, living at my house, so I’m used to sharing living space.

And… well, it’s fine.

“Now, now, give it a lovely name.”

“A name…”

Hmm. It’s true that it would be inconvenient without a name. So, what should it be?

Something based on its appearance… Hmm. How about Purple? No, that doesn’t quite fit.

White Purple? White-Purple? Dawn Purple? Hmm. No, something’s off.

Ah, I got it. It makes a ‘Na’ sound and can become a knife, so how about Knife?

Knife!

But, well, that might be a bit confusing… but maybe something along those lines… Ah, here we go!

“Daga!”

Not Dagger, but Daga.

“Hmm, hmm. Daga. Yes, yes. Daga. What a wonderful name!”

The witch smiled, then softly repeated the name, “Daga,” savoring it with a smile.

She seems to like it.

“…Na?”

“Oh, oh, good, good. Your name is Daga.”

“…Na~~Na… Na?”

Daga dozed off again, burying itself into the witch’s chest, as if enjoying the comfort.

Still, I wonder…

“Witch, you’re like Daga’s mother.”

“Eh, eh? Wh-what are you saying?!”

The witch’s cheeks turned red, and her large fox ears spread out in both directions.

She didn’t raise her voice too much, probably to not disturb Daga. How considerate.

“Oh, sorry. I just thought that, so it slipped out.”

“Geez, you startled me with that sudden comment, really…”

The witch seems a bit embarrassed.

“But I think you’d make a great mother. You’re good at comforting.”

“Well, well, that much is easy. Wof, it’s premature to judge based only on that. A good mother? Hmm, the mothers who raise children are truly wise. Even now, I’m nowhere near that level.”

She smiled faintly while looking at Daga.

But I think the witch could make a good mother.

When Dova became a maid, I thought that marriage might be impossible for the witch.

I had the thought that the concept of love didn’t exist for her, which was rude, so I should correct that.

The witch is also a fine woman.

“NaNa-na-na-na-naNa? Na!”

Even yawns are ‘Na’… Daga stretched and woke up.

It looked at the witch and licked her cheek playfully.

“Hehe, hehe, did you sleep well?”

“Na!”

“Daga.”

I called out.

“Na?”

Daga tilted its head and slightly opened its four ears.

“Daga. That’s your name.”

“Yes, yes. Daga. What a lovely name!”

“Na!? Na!!”

It seems to like it. It flew off from the witch, circling around on the table.

It’s like a joyful dance. The witch and I laughed.

Nice to meet you, Daga.

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