Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 57: The Subtle Art of Being Unkind While Staying Humble
“Marlon Lister, answer my question!”
Benjamin von Stein, the elderly grandmaster of barrier arts, raised his voice sharply. His tone, already severe, climbed several more notches when he saw that Marlon had been struck speechless by his demand.
All around them, tens of thousands of onlookers murmured like a vast ocean of whispers. The crowd’s mood was unmistakable—though a few still stood on Marlon’s side, the tide of opinion had clearly turned in favor of Benjamin von Stein. The people wanted answers; they wanted Marlon to explain everything, here and now, before their eyes.
Marlon could only sigh inwardly. So this is what it feels like… to be cornered by public opinion.
He suddenly understood something that had once puzzled him back on Earth—the reason those companies in the Celestial Empire would eagerly pay absurd amounts of money to belong to so-called “World Luxury Councils” or “National Dental Associations,” even though everyone knew those groups were complete nonsense.
It wasn’t for prestige alone. No—by hanging a flashy name on their products, the public simply stopped questioning. They accepted whatever was presented to them. It was that simple.
But now, in this world, there was no time to scramble for the “blessing” or “support” of any divine church to lend him legitimacy. Too late for that.
Heh. I really was too naive, Marlon thought, forcing a bitter smile. I’ve got too little experience with this sort of thing.
He quickly began to think—frantically, desperately—searching for any countermeasure. If nothing came to mind, then… well, he’d just have to accept defeat.
Against this deliberate, premeditated interrogation by Benjamin von Stein, Marlon finally realized just how rash he’d been. He’d made a mistake that should never have been made.
He was about to open his mouth—to admit defeat and learn from the humiliation—when suddenly, a resounding voice rang through his mind.
“Child, you may tell him this: your invention has already received the support and blessing of the God of Contracts and Machinery, Yorahan. And if you so wish, you may even declare yourself a devout follower of Yorahan, the Great God of the Forge and Covenant.”
The voice was like fire in a blizzard—warm, powerful, and utterly unexpected. For Marlon, who had been on the verge of surrender, it was as though a blazing coal had dropped into his frozen heart… or rain had finally fallen upon parched earth.
The God of Contracts and Machinery… Yorahan. Of course, Marlon had heard of that name before. He had even signed several of Yorahan’s divine contracts himself.
Unlike the Sea God Alonsos, the Earth Goddess Krogia, or the Fire and Flame God Charkson, Yorahan did not belong to the primary Quin Pantheon under the “Lord of Radiance.” Instead, Yorahan was one of the three surviving deities of the allied Ilorogon Pantheon—a god of equal standing, yet independent.
Marlon lifted his head, scanning the crowd for whoever had reached him through telepathic prayer. His eyes landed on a short, stocky figure across the ring of onlookers—a dwarf wearing a silver-gray priest’s robe embroidered with a rust-colored gear crossed with a quill. The symbol of Yorahan.
That grin. Those eyes. The dwarf was smiling directly at him.
Marlon blinked. If he wasn’t mistaken, robes like those could only be worn by priests of the God of Contracts and Machinery.
But the dwarf’s enormous beard made it impossible to tell whether the cleric was male or female. Then again, that wasn’t unusual—female dwarves were famously just as bearded as their male kin.
There was even a well-known joke about it: “Once upon a time, a baron who only loved fair women… fell in love with a beautiful, bearded dwarf maiden.”
“Do not worry, child. I bear you no ill will,” the dwarf priest’s voice sounded again in Marlon’s mind, calm and firm.
Now, everything was clear.
He had two choices.
Either— Admit defeat, lower his head, and let the cunning old fox Benjamin von Stein slap him across the face before the crowd, losing all reputation and credibility in the process.
Or—
Seize the banner of the God of Contracts and Machinery, and strike back at Benjamin von Stein, who was parading about with accusations of blasphemy.
A simple choice. Black or white. Win or lose.
Marlon had no particular obsession with fame or public praise—he had always preferred quiet work. But he was still human. His earlier willingness to surrender came from helplessness, not humility. He was no follower of that bearded god who preached offering the other cheek after being struck on one.
If help is offered, he thought, why on earth would I refuse it?
As for what that mysterious dwarf priest intended by helping him—well, that could wait. Marlon no longer had the luxury of hesitation.
“Grand Barrier Master Benjamin von Stein,” Marlon began, his voice steady, “you insist on an answer to your question? I truly think it would be wiser to let this matter end here.”
With his confidence restored, he spoke neither in triumph nor arrogance—his tone was calm, level.
Because as the great Confucius once taught: A man may lack kindness, but he must never lack humility.
…Alright, Confucius hadn’t actually said that. But Marlon was giving the old man one last chance to back down.
“End here? What a joke!” Benjamin von Stein sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “Blasphemers cannot escape with meek words! You will give an explanation—or face the consequences!”
The old man, sure of his moral high ground, mistook Marlon’s restraint for weakness.
Marlon sighed softly and shook his head. Don’t blame me, old man. You’re forcing my hand. I really didn’t want to embarrass you in front of everyone.
But before he could unveil his trump card—the divine certification of his “Virtual Honor Duel Machine” blessed by Yorahan—Inspector Bernard suddenly stepped forward, placing himself between the two.
“Grand Barrier Master,” Bernard said humbly, bowing low, “Marlon is still a child. He doesn’t understand the customs of our world, and thus made a grave mistake. I beg you, show mercy… just this once. For the sake of our family…”
His tone was deferential, pleading. He was trying to calm the situation, to persuade Benjamin von Stein to show leniency.
“Silence!” the old man barked. “Who do you think you are? The High Priest of the Lord of Radiance himself?!” Seeing victory within reach, Benjamin von Stein had no intention of letting Marlon escape unscathed.
He had listened carefully to Marlon’s earlier public description of the “Virtual Honor Duel Machine.” If he allowed this invention to spread, it could render the profession of barrier masters obsolete—and Benjamin von Stein’s lucrative monopoly would crumble.
And taking away a man’s livelihood… was akin to killing his father.
Though the old archmage had never heard that proverb, his hatred toward Marlon now burned exactly that fiercely.
Otherwise, why would such a shrewd man have stepped into the spotlight at all?
“Remember your place, Bernard Yebler,” Benjamin von Stein thundered. “You are nothing but a disgraced exile from the Yebeler family! You have no right to shield this boy’s blasphemous acts! Step aside! That accursed ‘Virtual Honor Duel Machine’ is a vile offense against the gods—it must be destroyed utterly, root and branch!”
At last, his true intent was revealed—to annihilate Marlon’s creation completely.
Faced with this, Marlon could no longer maintain his low profile, nor his deliberate restraint.
There are limits to what one can endure.
Damn you, he cursed inwardly. You’d ruin my entire future for this?!
“Benjamin von Stein,” he said slowly, pulling an amplification crystal from his pocket, “am I to understand your words as… a direct insult to the dignity of a noble god?”
He held the crystal to his lips like a portable loudspeaker, and his voice boomed across the square. The effect was immediate—every eye turned toward him again, drawn by his voice.
And then, with composed grace, Marlon took the little fox-girl’s hand and stepped forward from behind Inspector Bernard, whose face had gone pale with fury and worry.