Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 102: The People of Kyrgyzstan
Up the stairs, down, then up again.
Continuing through the interior of the tower, which seemed to be overflowing with buildings, they could no longer even tell where they were walking.
Their guide, Melania, proceeded without hesitation.
Lucius and Lauren had no choice but to follow her.
Quietly trailing behind the two, the child clad in the robe Melania referred to as her other half followed, as if guarding them.
“First, I’d like to obtain Lauren-sama’s gun magic.”
“Please just call me Lauren. I’m not a noble.”
“Huh?”
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“Nice to meet you.”
Lauren reached out her hand again. It wasn’t just a casual greeting this time; it seemed to be a genuine self-introduction.
However, Melania’s arms had turned into bird wings due to a curse, leaving her with no palms to shake hands with.
She looked enviously at Lauren’s white fingertips.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m used to it.”
“In that case, how about this?”
Lauren hugged Melania.
“Huh?”
“This way, it’s okay even with wings.”
“Y-Yes, L-Lauren.”
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Blushing, Melania hugged Lauren with her wings.
――She must understand. The hardship of being different from others.
Lauren’s real father once persecuted the commoners and was overthrown. Because of that, Lauren herself had a past of being an outcast among the common folk.
Lucius wanted to do the same, but as a lord, it wasn’t permissible. Excessive discrimination wasn’t necessary, but if a lord were to allow themselves to be called casually by the commoners, it could affect governance.
“Shall we go?”
When he turned around again, something passed right in front of them.
A flash darted quickly through the narrow staircase between houses.
Melania stepped forward swiftly.
“Here it comes. It’s a gun magic.”
More like a dragonfly made of lightning than an insect.
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A gun magic was a sentient spell without a physical form. Lucius had read about them in books; they were magic creatures like fire or ice entities.
“It’s a Fulgufly. It’s a Grade 6 creature, so be careful, it’s fast.”
――If it’s Grade 6, it might flee if I threaten it a bit.
Lucius put his hand on his treasure sword.
At that moment, the child who had been following them from behind dashed forward.
With agility far beyond that of a child.
“Hey!”
Lucius tried to stop the child.
“No problem.”
Melania signaled with her hand, and the child removed its hood.
――A doll.
It was a male doll.
It resembled a human considerably.
At first glance, it was so well-crafted that it could easily be mistaken for a human.
The doll held a short sword and swiftly entered the shadow of a nearby house. Then, it swung its blade as if cutting through the air in an empty space.
Then, a shadow emerged, and a black blade shot out.
――Is it a dark magic spell?
The black blade cleaved the lightning dragonfly in two.
The movements of the doll were agile and precise. Upon closer inspection, it emitted magic power.
“It’s not a monster?”
The male doll remained silently bowed. Melania stood beside it.
“This is Nocto. My puppet or companion.”
“A puppet or companion?”
“Yes, we, the Kyrgyzstan tribe, originally belonged to the Pandorania Federation on the northern continent. While the kingdom treats monsters as spells, we use puppets and companions to cast spells.”
The Pandorania Federation, a nation of composite puppets. Lucius had just heard about it from commander Mark of the royal guards.
Since it was on a different continent, he had thought it would be a long time before he actually saw it, but he never expected it to be in the capital.
“Do people from Pandorania control dolls?”
“No, only the Kyrgyzstan tribe has complete human-type dolls. Other tribes use bodies stripped from dead monsters to make composite puppets. Human types are not suitable for assault, but rather for espionage and assassination.”
――I see. So that’s why they use composite chimera puppets.
“Why are the Kyrgyzstan tribe here in the kingdom, and in the tower of all places?”
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Melania’s eyes filled with tears.
“…We were driven out of our country by political struggles. We used to be a powerful clan counted among the eight major tribes, but our luck ran out when someone from our tribe became the president 200 years ago. They subjected the opposing factions to oppression after oppression, and in the end, we were overthrown by rebel forces. As a result, our clan and followers were exiled from the country.”
“Oh dear.”
As a result, they ended up living a life akin to slavery in the kingdom. It was a story irrelevant to Melania and her companions, who hadn’t lived through that era 200 years ago.
“Melania, it’s not your fault.”
Lauren put her hand on Melania’s shoulder.
“Yes, but we have nowhere else to go. Anyway, let’s go up! There are only Grade 6 creatures around here. The higher you go up the tower, the more powerful the gun magic become.”
Melania regained her composure and started climbing the stairs again.
The three of them, along with the doll, continued through the building, which was entirely made up of structures protruding from the walls.
Lauren wiped the sweat from her forehead faintly.
She wasn’t particularly fit, so it must have been tough for her.
“We’re almost there.”
About thirty minutes of silent walking.
What appeared in front of the three was a large building resembling a square box.
The materials and style were no different from the houses they had seen on the way, but it was simply much larger.
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Upon entering the building, they found only one room.
――Is this a magic circle?
In the center of that room was a giant magic circle.
“This tower is divided into six layers. We only have Grade 6 creatures on the first layer, so we’re going to the second layer now.”
“Is this it?”
“Yes.”
Prompted by Melania, Lucius and Lauren explored the area around the magic circle with curiosity.
“Hurry up.”
Following her prompt, the two entered the magic circle.
“Here we go.”
When Melania’s doll, Nocto, infused magic into the floor, the magic circle lit up.
Then, their bodies twisted.
It felt like teleporting through space, just like a teleportation spell.
For a moment, the scenery brightened, and then the light from the magic circle subsided.
They were in the same room they had been in before.
――Was it successful?
The magic power seemed slightly denser.
“We’ve arrived. It’s the second layer.”
Prompted by Melania, they stepped outside the building.
It was unusually bright, and they instinctively shielded their eyes.
“Wow!”
Lauren’s and Lucius’s voices overlapped.
It was a forest.
Dense trees grew in front and above them.
Rock formations and forests protruded from the walls, overlapping in layers.
Water flowed from the protruding ground, forming a waterfall that created a rainbow.
And magic power could be felt everywhere.
It was a completely magical realm.
“Hey, hurry up!”
Suddenly, the voices of children reached their ears.
When they looked down, they saw several children a little distance away.
“Drive them away quickly!”
Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be children of nobles from the west.
Strangely, three of the children were being carried by Kyrgyzstan people.
Among the Kyrgyzstan carrying them, there seemed to be even young children.
――Why are they being carried? Did they get injured?
With Melania, who was biting her lip in frustration, Lucius began to approach.
Usually, contracts were made around the end of summer when children were around ten years old. But now it was spring. In the northern and eastern regions, it would be the busy season for planting.
――Does the season not matter in the west?
As they approached, the children’s gazes seemed to be focused on one place.
A Kyrgyzstan man was fighting alone against a group of spider creatures made of vine.
It was probably a Grade 5 monster. Although lower-level, if attacked in a group, they could cause injuries.
The female humanoid doll, presumably belonging to the man, was covered in wounds, and one of her arms was broken.
――He’s at a disadvantage.
Lucius quickened his pace as he watched.
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Contrastingly, the children being carried seemed bored.
“I’m tired of this. Let’s go to the next one.”
“Yeah, I wanted to see the fighting, but it’s surprisingly boring.”
“Let’s leave him behind. Come on, let’s go.”
One of the children hit the Kyrgyzstan head.
“Daddy!”
It was the little girl carrying one of the noble children who cried out. A chubby child was being carried by a trembling little girl with thin arms and legs.
The man fighting was probably the father of the little girl.
“Don’t move suddenly!”
Like whipping a horse, the noble child struck the little girl’s head with a stick made of wood he held.
“Eek!”
The Kyrgyzstan little girl fell over in surprise. And the chubby noble child ended up being dropped.
“You, you dropped me!”
The noble child continued to strike the little girl with the stick, shaking his shoulders, swinging it like a baby throwing a tantrum.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
The Kyrgyzstan little girl cried out, and the noble children laughed as they clapped their hands.
“Kyaa, that’s hilarious.”
“I know, right?”
Magic power gathered in Lucius’s left hand. Then, he unleashed dragon flames.
The swarm of spiders that the man was fighting against turned to ashes with a single blow. At the same time, he rushed over and grabbed the stick the little girl was being hit with.
With a cold gaze, Lucius looked down at the children.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Who are you?”
“Lucius Norris Dragon. What are you kids up to?”
“Norris? What’s your father’s title?”
“Baron.”
“Haha, Baron, and from the northern Norris!”
The ten-year-old children started laughing mockingly.
“And what does that have to do with anything?”
The children started bragging.
“My father is Count Shijiku of West Weshite. That means we’re from the most prestigious count family in the country.”
“My mother is Viscount Lazlo. Of course, from West Weshite.”
“My father is Baron Lecouvreur, but he’s a baron from West Weshite. Don’t lump us together.”
Lucius spoke to them in a counseling tone.
“The hierarchy of titles comes with the weight of responsibility. It’s not for flaunting power. What are you doing without even knowing such things?”
The child who was hitting the little girl with the stick puffed out his chest triumphantly.
“Do you know nothing? It’s obvious we need someone to suppress the monsters to make a contract. Otherwise, our precious blue blood will be spilled.”
Indeed, there were risks involved in making contracts.
It was true that Lucius used an evil dragon to make a contract with the village children.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was fundamentally different.
“By the way, you. The girl in the back. Are you a noble?”
“I am not a noble.”
The children mimicked pinching their noses.
“We don’t want to talk to someone who’s not a noble. Hey, let’s go, stand up.”
The noble child ordered the little girl holding onto her fallen father’s hand.
“Dad… are you okay?”
“Stand up, you useless!”
The chubby noble child kicked the little girl’s stomach.
“Hey, stop it! We haven’t finished talking――”
The three people acted as if there was no point in listening to someone beneath them, resolutely ignoring her.
The young girl, coughing, stood up with the support of her doll. On her back, a fat noble child forcibly climbed.
“Hurry up and go.”
“Yes.”
He roughly pulled her hair.
“Haha, just like a horse.”
“I want to try too.”
The children yanked on the hair of the Kyrgyz girl as if pulling the reins of a horse.
“Hey! Wait!”
Despite Lucius’ shout, the noble children just grinned and disappeared into the depths of the forest.
“…Are those… nobles?”
They were dumbfounded by what they had witnessed.
Left behind was a Kyrgyz man covered in wounds.
Lucius quickly regained his composure and summoned a suit of armor from the shadows.
When the armor placed its hand on the man, healing magic was cast, and the wounds began to heal.
“I’m terribly sorry. Not only did you help us, you even healed us…”
Before the healing was complete, the Kyrgyz man stood up and tenderly hugged the nearly broken doll.
“It’s not healed yet. Just a little more――”
The man ignored Lucius’s voice and, dragging his feet along with the doll, chased after the noble children. He was probably worried about his own child who had gone with them.
“What on earth was that?”
Melania responded with a grim expression.
“It’s nothing new. The nobles treat us like dirt, worse than commoners. And the commoners, in turn, take out their frustrations on us. It’s all the same.”
I’ve heard that the western regions are particularly strict about class distinctions. But it would be more appropriate to say they’re dominated by a sense of elitism. Their attitude towards those beneath them was almost as if they were not even human.
But above all, the fact that it was children was terrifying. It likely stemmed from their parents or their environment, or perhaps both.
“Why do the Kyrgyz people endure it? Endure being treated like that?”
Lucius squeezed his hand.
“For this.”
Melania took out a magic stone. It was from the vine spiders that Lucius had defeated earlier.
“…A magic stone?”
“Yes. In order to make our dolls, we need the hearts of monster, which are the magic stones of the gun magic. Gun monsters live in only six [towers] in the world. The Kyrgyz people, expelled from their country, must endure to maintain the spell, to survive.”
Using magic stones as tools was something I only knew of in the Empire’s magic instruments. Perhaps it was a common method outside the kingdom.
While feeling doubtful, I looked around and noticed that the forest was getting a bit noisy. It seemed that the Gun monsters were approaching, attracted by the earlier battle.
Melania, sensing the situation, also took something out of the bag that Nocto carried on his back.
“Lauren, take this.”
Melania deftly moved her wings and put something on Lauren’s right arm.
“This is called the [Gun monster’s handcuff]. It’s a relic called ‘The Artillery.’ It’s used to make contracts with Gun monsters.”
“Oh, Melania-san…”
Lauren grasped Melania’s feathers with a sad expression.
“It’s okay.”
Understanding Melania’s feelings from her smile, Lauren forcibly changed her own feelings.
“I understand. So, how do I use this to make a contract?”
“Both of you have already made a contract before, right? It’s almost the same as other contracts, but unlike other contracts, Gun monsters don’t have a physical form. The Gun monster we encountered earlier, Udmos, even though it had a body made of wood, was just a temporary physical form.”
We had some brief discussions along the way. It was indeed quite simple.
“So, we can’t touch it?”
“That’s right. Therefore, you make a contract temporarily by connecting it with a chain. Although Nocto and I will act as barriers as much as possible, the Gun monster itself is a spell. Just getting close to it can be fatal, so be careful.”
“Well, I’ll do it then. Melania, you’ll support.”
Melania looked surprised.
“But, that’s…”
“Can Melania’s puppets use anti-magic spells?”
“Well, not exactly, but… I thought the nobles wouldn’t move their own hands, so…”
“I’ll obtain the contract with my own power.”
Rustling, the same vine spider as before appeared. It seemed angry at the death of their companion.
“Lauren, what about that?”
“Th-the spider…?”
She clearly wasn’t enthusiastic.
“If it’s too much, we can try another.”
“No, I don’t care about the contract. I have no attachment to it.”
“Then shall we try?”
Three or so armor soldiers stood up from Lucius’s shadow.
“Hold it down.”
The armor soldiers pressed down on the vine spider, Udmos, as if to crush it. The spider extended its vines and tried to retaliate against the armor soldiers, but the difference in rank was too great.
“Now!”
“Y-yes.”
Lauren swung her hand, and the chain attached to the bracelet hit the spider.
But nothing happened.
“It seems the compatibility isn’t good.”
“Too bad.”
Lucius ordered the armor soldiers to start carrying Udmos away.
“Aren’t you going to defeat it?”
Melania tilted her head.
“It’s fine. Monsters have lives too.”
“Gun monsters are tenacious. They won’t let go of an opponent once they’ve fought. Because they’re monsters.”
“Even so…”
“Besides, Gun monsters don’t die. They drop their magic stones and disappear, but given enough time, they can reappear.”
――So that’s why they’re so confident.
The vine spider entwined the armor soldiers and continued to intimidate Lucius.
It seemed intent on fighting until the end.
“I guess there’s no helping it.”
Lucius infused his left hand with magic power, but nothing happened.
――Guess it’s impossible after all.
“Lucius-san? What’s wrong?”
“It’s practice for [Distant Ability]. But I don’t feel like I can do it.”
Lucius regained his composure and waved his left hand normally, causing the armor soldiers to disappear. At the same time, a vortex of flames erupted from his left hand, engulfing the vine spider.
All that remained was scorched earth and a green magic stone.
“…That was quite a powerful fire spell, as before.”
Melania’s eyes widened.
“I’m holding back quite a bit.”
Lucius began to bury the magic stone of the Gun monster he had burned.
The teaching of his father was to return the magic stone to the earth.
“What kind of contract and ritual… Ah!”
Hearing Melania’s scream, Lucius immediately braced himself, thinking it was the next monster.
“That magic stone, can I have it!?”
“Isn’t that the core of the doll? I don’t feel comfortable using too many magic stones.”
“I’m just borrowing it temporarily. It’s our custom to return it to its rightful place with the doll after the user dies.”
It was a feeling of eventually giving it a proper funeral, so to speak, so it felt odd to use a person’s remains as a tool.
But the Kyrgyz had their own way of doing things.
I shouldn’t impose only my values.
“….Sure.”
Lucius yielded, and Melania happily scooped up the magic stones with her featrhers as if cutting through the wind.