Kays Translations

Part Two, Volume Four – “Governed and Filled with Malice”

Chapter 177

The morning after the banquet at the guest manor.

We had gathered at the harbor reserved for foreign dignitaries and honored guests.

Sometimes, a single battle can alter the course of a nation’s policy.

The power I had shown that night had done exactly that — it had forced the Empire to change its stance in a significant way.

“The Holy City of Lendia’s military strength may be on par with that of the Consold Empire.
We must proceed with caution — and it is certainly not a nation we can afford to treat with arrogance.”

That was, more or less, the Empire’s new line of thought.

Marquis Veil told me that since that night, Duke Asimo’s attitude had noticeably changed — no longer looking down on Lendia as an inferior nation.

Even if that duel had started as a personal grudge, I was glad it ended up benefiting my country.
It had satisfied my own resentment, but more importantly, it had prevented an outcome that could have tarnished the Empire’s dignity.

“Your Excellency! The prisoner transfer is complete.”

“Good. Do not let him out of his cell until we arrive back home.”

I turned my gaze toward the Imperial delegation.
Part of their group was already boarding their ship — all except Duke Asimo and a few merchants, who would remain behind.
Of course, that included Angares, who had been defeated by me.

The injured Imperial explorers were to remain on the island for medical care.
Naturally, all treatment costs would be covered by the Empire, and upon recovery, they would be free to return home or stay in Lendia if they wished.

Unfortunately for them, the promise of “noble treatment upon return” seemed to have quietly vanished.

When the Duke had finished his business, he returned to us — Marquis Veil and the rest of the Lendia delegation.

“So, you are Same, was it? To be honest, I… no, we underestimated you — underestimated the people of this nation. It seems I was the one who didn’t understand how vast the world truly is.”

“You’re right — the world really is wide. There are still countless places I’ve yet to see.
I’d like to visit the Empire someday, too.”

“That would be wonderful. Notify me when you do. I’ll be staying in this country for a while longer, but I’d like to host you then.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

It seemed I was now officially on his radar — someone the Duke considered a potential threat or asset. Still, that was probably for the best.

And so, the ship carrying Angares departed Yasha Island, heading back to the Empire.

“Well then, I’ll go prepare to board my own ship to Lindblum. Lord Veil, I thank you for your exceptional hospitality. You’ll likely be hearing from some merchants soon regarding trade discussions — I’d appreciate it if you could accommodate them.”

“Of course. May our nations continue to build a strong and friendly relationship.”

He must have been harboring complicated feelings, but even so, Duke Asimo maintained his courteous tone to the end before returning to the manor.

“Same, In the end, our diplomacy has taken a turn for the better thanks to you. I truly appreciate that you accepted my daughter’s request.”

Marquis Veil said.

“Not at all. Like I said before, that fight turned into something more personal midway through.
I don’t think I did anything worth thanking me for.”

“Regardless, the outcome was favorable. Please, just accept my gratitude.”

We clasped hands in a firm handshake.
With a satisfied smile, he too returned to the manor.

Only Shuris and I remained at the dock.

“In the end, I can’t tell whether the thing I was worried about actually happened or not.”

“I suppose so. But I think their goal was to have Angares meet you — and provoke some kind of reaction.”

“That does sound likely. Who knows, maybe he would’ve tried to attack me somewhere secluded?”

“Please, don’t joke about that, Shuris-san. That’s not something a lady should say.”

“Heh, you’re right. Sorry. Perhaps I’m just in high spirits — after all, I got to show that ‘my friend is a man of this caliber’ to one of the world’s strongest nations. It makes me happy.”

She smiled as she said that.
The morning sun shimmered across the sea, illuminating her face again and again.

If the phrase “to captivate a man” has a definition, this must be it, I thought.

“I’ll keep working hard to live up to your expectations.”

“I’ll be counting on that. Now then — my request has been fulfilled. What will you do next, Same? Heading back into a dungeon?”

“No, I’ll return to Lindblum first. Maybe I’ll stop by the main camp along the way. I believe Shizuma is on his way to this island right now, so I need to report to the main group that we’ve arrived safely.”

“You mean the other Hero from another world — the one your guild is looking after, correct?
Is he all right? He’s effectively lost his comrades, hasn’t he?”

She asked with gentle concern.

But honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to care anymore.
Whatever happened to the survivors didn’t matter to me now.

The only one I was curious about was Inami — the one who escaped.
If I remember right, Still’s attack should have cursed her pretty badly.

“By the way, I’d like to apologize to Melt personally later. She suffered because of Angares while helping our clan’s mission. It’s only right to give her a formal apology.”

“In that case, you’ll probably find her at the clan’s base. She’s gotten really into darts lately.”

“Haha, I see. Then I’ll stop by later.”

I had already told Melt about Angares’s defeat when I returned to the hotel the previous day.
Her only response was a casual, “Oh, I see,” and she seemed to lose interest after that.
So I was sure she’d accept the apology easily.

“Well then… I may sound repetitive, but thank you again, Same. In the end, this was all for my own selfish reasons — yet you still chose to act. That means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome, Shuris-san.”

“I’ll be staying here for a while longer, but once you return to Lindblum, allow me to properly repay you.”

“Understood. This time, I won’t be shy about accepting it.”

“Haha, please do. So… are you leaving now?”

“Yes, I’ll head straight to the port from here.”

“I see. I’m sure you’ll be fine, but take care on your way.”

“Thanks — you too.”

After parting ways with Shuris-san at the wharf, I walked along the coastline, circling halfway around the island toward the harbor.

Once her figure disappeared from sight and there were no signs of anyone nearby, I slipped into the forest along the coast to completely conceal myself.

…From here on, it’s time for me to act as myself again.

I opened the menu screen, selected “Logout,” and returned to my original self—Shizuma.

“Phew… still in all-black gear. Evasion-specialized style. Eh, I’ll keep it like this.”

It wasn’t a particularly flashy outfit, so I decided to head to the harbor as I was.
After all, I was about to challenge a natural dungeon. In that case, going in with my strongest evasion-and-speed-focused build made the most sense.

“Oh, looks like the regular ferry just left.”

When I reached the harbor, a ship headed back to the port town was setting sail.
I’d say Same took that ship, and pretend I just arrived on the island instead.

Alright then, now that I’ve changed forms, I’ll need to meet up with Melt and renew the hotel contract.

Walking through the city, things were surprisingly calm—probably thanks to the Glory Knights’ recent crackdowns led by Same and Melt.

Before, there had been incidents like sword fights breaking out in broad daylight or people dining and dashing all the time.
That’s how bad the public order had gotten, with so many people crowding onto Yasha Island lately.

Most of the Empire’s explorers were still hospitalized, and Angares, who was likely to cause trouble, had been deported, so the worst had been avoided for now—but it probably wouldn’t last.

Before long, other explorers from the Empire—unrelated to the delegation—might show up.

“…Either way, an early dungeon clear is essential.”

There was also the matter of the whirlpools caused by the changes in the seafloor’s terrain.

I decided to head for the Glory Knights’ base first, where Melt was likely to be, before going to the hotel.
If we could clear the dungeon and it went dormant, many people here would likely leave the island.

When that time came, what would become of this place?
Would it turn into a simple resort or tourist spot—or maybe something new would arise?
Either way, it was worth thinking about.

That’s what dungeon clearing is really about, after all.
And in my case, once I clear it, I fully intend to claim the Dungeon Core as my own.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the base. I stepped up to the entrance and called out:

“Excuse me! Is there a girl named Melt here?”

This base had plenty of visitors, and sure enough, a clan member quickly responded to my call.

“Huh? Oh, Melt’s in the back. What’s your business with her?”

“I’m a friend of hers—or rather, also a friend of Same. I just arrived on the island and wanted to say hello.”

“Oh, you know Same! Alright, wait here. I’ll call Melt for you right away.”

It seemed Melt was already well-liked among the clan members, spending time there almost daily.

Soon, I heard hurried footsteps from the back—

“Shizuma! You’re here already!? So that means—Same went home, right?”

“Yeah, he took the ship back just as I arrived.”

“I see. Then I’ll be with you starting today, huh?”

Since I’d already told her in advance that I’d switch back to my own form today or tomorrow, everything went smoothly.
For some reason, Melt always seemed a little more cheerful when I was in this form—maybe because we’re around the same age?

“I need to re-sign the hotel contract to replace Same’s name. Could you come with me? Do you have time now?”

“Sure, I’m free. Let’s head back to the hotel.”

“Let’s do that. Thanks. Excuse us.”

“Hey, looks like you really are friends with Same and Melt! Mind telling me your name?”

“I’m Shizuma—from the Brigade Same originally belonged to.”

“Oh, from the famous Brigade, huh! I thought you looked composed for someone so young. Well, take care, Shizuma. Let us know if anything happens.”

It seemed Same’s and the Brigade’s reputations carried more weight than I’d expected—everyone was so welcoming.
It really drove home how right it was for me to take that roundabout approach as Same.

…Yeah. If I do manage to obtain this Dungeon Core and give it proper sentience,
then the first ones I should summon back are Same and Shire.

Melt and I walked through the city together.
Watching her bounce along happily somehow made my own steps lighter too.

“Shizuma, we’ve got some free time until the Kill Crawler guys get here, right!?”

“Yeah, looks like we’ve got plenty of time.”

“Then in that case, I want to explore the island’s markets and shops! You know, they say this island has always traded in goods from other countries—and even items that come from dungeons!”

“I see. So there might be things you wouldn’t find even in the harbor town.”

“Exactly! And since I used up so many ingredients for medicine this time, I’m hoping I can find some rare materials too!”

“Oh yeah, come to think of it—you were making medicine back at the hotel too, weren’t you? Are you feeling unwell or something? If you are, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Now that I think about it, ever since the incident with Isbel, Melt has been quietly mixing medicines or looking for ingredients more often than before.

I don’t want to pry too deeply—health matters are personal—but… if there’s anything wrong with her, anything at all that affects her well-being, I’d gladly offer every medicine I have.
And if it’s something that can only be solved using materials from this world, I’d even spend a fortune to help her.

When I told her that—

“Ugh… n-no, it’s not like that! The medicine I made this time was really just for a personal issue, and it’s already taken care of, okay? The other rare ingredient is just something I need for research. It’s not that I’m sick or anything—really! I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“I see… as long as that’s all it is. But if there’s anything I can do, just say so, alright? You’re family to me, Melt. I’ll do anything for my family.”

“Haha, that’s true—you even sent that guy flying up into the sky for me! That was amazing!”

“Yeah, sent him flying—wait a second. How do you even know about that?”

“Eh? Ah! Um, well… actually, I kind of snuck over and watched! I was curious how it would turn out!”

What—she snuck into the guesthouse to watch!?
That explains why she reacted so casually when I told her about Angares earlier—she’d already seen everything with her own eyes.

“S-s-so! Let’s head back to the hotel, okay? We still need to sign that new contract!”

“Right. Once that’s done, let’s go check out the market.”

And so, as I followed Melt—who now seemed to have a few secrets of her own—I couldn’t help but think she was growing up, little by little, as we walked back toward the hotel.

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