Chapter 16：Experiments and Preparations – Q of Hearts (Part 2)HEEEY, TEITO-, I mean, adMIRal. E-Eh? Wrong game?
Jokes aside, let’s start the Otoburi revival project!
Basically, Este dropped Otoburi because he’s a lazy a.s.s loser, so I’m picking it back up. Also Este f.u.c.king sucks and originally linked me the wrong chapter, then ended up having a rough tl of this chapter already done that wasn’t listed on ToC, so I ended up (re)doing this chapter. Este says this is a better tl and it was good practice for getting a better feel for the writing, so I guess it’s ok. So, enjoy Cleaning 16 Kai2.
Also, have some skype logs.
[3:35:40 AM] estomiya-kun: is otoburi finally going to be revived
[3:35:46 AM] estomiya-kun: amazing
[3:35:51 AM] estomiya-kun: the most amazing part is that i dont have to do it
[3:42:40 AM] Toki: I’d be excited
[3:42:42 AM] Toki: but I’m translating
[3:42:43 AM] Toki: so I’m not
… It’s freezing.
Though it could be said it was due to the season being winter, no matter when I visited this place, it always felt dim and cold.
It was the castle’s dungeon.
Though it was still daytime, not even a single ray of light shone in here.
“Ah, Achille… about the experiment on the tattoo, though you said it was fine, over here is…”
At the stone staircase that was illuminated by the glow of a magic torch, I descended step by step while being pulled along by Achille.
Inside the dungeon, the temperature was regulated with flame magic so that prisoners did not freeze to death.
At any rate, the reason it feels a little chilly might be because it’s only warmed to the bare minimum.
Yesterday in the room, I talked to Achille about experimenting on “Forbidden Magic Defense Tattoos,” and as a result, it seems that he made preparations for the experiments this morning for my sake. As expected of Achille… he’s a fast worker.
“This is the place where the person who, out of the kindness of their heart, volunteered to help out with Camille’s experiments resides.”
“Is there really someone like that?”
This is suspicious, isn’t it?
After all, helping out with the experiments meant having forbidden magic cast on them, y’know?
These are the experiments with forbidden magic that Achille forbade me from performing on myself, the ones that I also hesitated to perform on Achille.
A person who would voluntarily offer themselves up to such danger…
What an extreme m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t!
While continuing to pull me along by my hand, we proceeded further into the depths of the dungeon.
On the way, we pa.s.sed by the cells of Miss Claire and Count t.i.to.
Ahead of them were the commoner extremists who had been arrested; their imprisonment had caused the prison to reach max capacity.
As we approached the deepest depths of the dungeon, the dark atmosphere strengthened, and even the torch’s light slowly dimmed.
“Is it even further in?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Uu… was that so.
Even though I’m so not good with dark places like this.
Loud dripping noises from droplets of some kind falling down echoed loudly.
The damp odor overpowered my nose.
If I were to be imprisoned in a place like this, I reaaally don’t think I could remain sane…
“Achille, we’re at a dead end, y’know?”
“This place will be it.”
“Eh…?”
At a dead end in the deepest area of the dungeon, Achille hung his hand on an enormous iron door.
The door was rusty in several places, and I could feel the dungeon’s history.
Achille took out an old-fashioned key from his breast pocket and put it into the keyhole.
With a loud, unpleasant creak, the door slowly opened.
“Come in.”
Though I hesitated a little bit after seeing the pitch black interior of the iron door, after strengthening my resolve, I took a single step forward.
As if he realized that I was a little bit scared… Achille immediately came to my side and wrapped his arm around my back.
Though it was natural for him to do so, I couldn’t calm down at all since in this stance, we were glued surprisingly close to each other.
Using magic to illuminate the darkness with our fingertips, we walked through the darkness, and after a few minutes, we arrived in front of a big iron fence.
“We’re here.”
“I-It’s here?”
It was even further inside of the strictly maintained dungeon than I expected.
So such a peculiar person was inside a cell in this pitch black place, huh.
If I was detained in a place like this for several days, I’d go mad… maybe, that’s what they were aiming for with this room.
W-Was it a torture room?
When I looked at Achille as if asking him that, he smiled at me as if telling me not to worry.
I’m not comforted in the least.
“Yo, if it isn’t Camille Rhodolite.”
All of a sudden, a male voice resounded from inside the cell. It was a voice I was familiar with.
The throaty voice of a hateful man who had caused a major incident a little while ago, the one who who had given me a hard time.
“Achille… I was wondering if maybe this was the case, but the kind-hearted person who volunteered to help out with the experiment was really…”
“… Though he was previously the leader of the commoner extremists who occupied the town.”
“W-W-Why Galaf Sharohm?”
Because it was too much, my voice went shrill.
Why did the enemy, Galaf, want to help out with the experiments?
Moreover, Achille said that it was voluntary. H… How strange!
When I timidly approached the cell, I could make out his figure inside.
Though his arms and legs were shackled in chains, in addition to this kind of environment, he hadn’t broken. Instead, he was full of vigor.
The Jack of Clovers… was the owner of this tenacious force of will.
“Ah…”
The chains that were restraining him were magic items specially designed to seal prisoners’ magical powers.
Ironically, these were made from the same materials used for the tiger traps that Galaf had used to trap me.
Because he was an opponent who used forbidden magic as if without a care, I think these were natural measures.
“Hey, the heartless person standing there! I’ll do my part of the bargain, but will you keep your promise?”
Galaf shouted as he faced Achille, who was standing behind me.
Achille scowled unhappily.
“… Isn’t that obvious.”
“I can’t believe you!”
“So you’re saying that it’d be fine to pretend this conversation had never happened… it’s fine if I interpret this situation like that, right?”
“…!”
At that moment, Galaf sunk into silence.
I wonder what the deal was…
Of all the people, picking Galaf as the target for experimentation, just what in the world was Achille thinking?
I was fixedly staring at him.
“Don’t worry about it Camille. I’ve gotten permission from the higher-ups, and he agreed to it too.”
“… But is it really alright?”
“It’s alright to do it to your heart’s content. And if by any chance you fail, it’ll be okay, rather, what if you failed on purpose once or twice?”
“Hey! Are you still carrying a grudge against me! Hey, Camille. Stop dating this vindictive boyfriend, how about swapping him with me?”
“Please don’t act too familiar with Camille. Also, I’m her husband.”
How was he not affected in the least by this…
Galaf Sharohm, who could leisurely converse even in a situation like this, was a guy you couldn’t make light of.
His ma.s.sive nerves were impudent, and his spirit held steady.
“Achille, can we just start the experiment already?”
If the higher-ups gave the A-ok, there shouldn’t be any problems, right.
I was reluctant to use someone else as the subject for an experiment, but right now, I was determined to perfect the tattoo that would reliably defend against forbidden magic.
After Achille opened the lock, I entered the cell, went up to Galaf, who was bound and unable to move, and ran my finger down his right wrist as I used magic to draw a chain pattern..
“Heh, skillful aren’t you. So you used this kind of thing to invalidate my forbidden magic that time, didn’t you?”
Galaf, who was looking out of the side of his eye, raised his voice, amused.
Even though my tattoos caused his plans to fail back when we went to exterminate them, he didn’t harbor a grudge against this kind of thing, huh.
What in the world could be his objective in supporting the extremists…
The chains were instantly completed. After that, all I had to do was to cast forbidden magic to test the efficacy.
| | Next Chapter>