Part 4
One month later.
I was supposed to begin helping Rudi with the Metastasis Event research on
days when Princess Ariel was on holiday. [14]
It was a month later.
What if he rejects me, or what if I'm dead weight? After all, it would hurt me
a lot.
But Rudi gave me a warm welcome.
It’s probably because of that incident, he's letting his guard down around me.
I think that it isn't fair to Rudi, but I am happy that I dropped the underwear,
though it was embarrassing.
When I think about it, I did take a step forward. It was a big step for me.
---
And while not grasping any of the many chances to reveal my identity, I
failed to take any more steps forward.
And just like that, a year had passed.
Notes
1. This line needs editing, looks to be something that happened in previous chapters
2. Might need a bit of editing
3. Maybe Resume , or carrier
4. I think she is referring to talking Rudeus into joining the princess faction
5. basically it had callouses
6. This is a phrase , literally it means what I wrote , the meaning is something like this :
Sylphy's heart was gloomy
7. this seems to be having another meaning
8. Well, he has ED, no way he will be confident LOL
9. Its an expresion, like vaya vaya(in spanish), or hay hay.
10. It would seem that Sylphy kept quiet about her hair being originally green
11. Basically, what is personal and what is not, she has no idea
12. By face he means reputation and not literally her(his to rudeus) face.
13. He means that he is older than her, maybe mature would be better
14. I had no idea how to translate this. ED: I'm guessing rest day = vacation? Thanks , that
should be okay now.
Chapter 85 - Sharp and Dull
Part 1
It's winter.
The entirety of this Magic City Sharia in the Kingdom of Ranoa is covered in
snow.
Although the Magic University is currently being cleared, it is still dyed in
pure white.
The roads between buildings are clear, but to get to places such as the back of
the school building you have to clear it yourself.
It's that kind of season.
At that time, I received a letter.
The sender was [Soldat Heckler].
He's an S-ranked adventurer and the leader of the [Stepped Ladder] party.
During my time as an adventurer, I would join them from time to time.
He's a capable adventurer.
I'll take a look at the contents.
"Hmm."
According to the letter, Soldat and his party are coming to this town.
It seems that there is a clan meeting.
It seems that the clan [Thunderbolt], which [Stepped Ladder] is attached to,
gathers in this town every few years.
The purpose of the meeting seems to be to plan the clan's future course of
action.
For 2-3 months during winter, they decide their future plans after careful
discussion.
It's a necessary event for a clan of this size.
Since Soldat's party is S-rank, he is one of the executives.
Thus, his absence wouldn't be permissible, and he had to come all the way to
Ranoa.
Soldat and the clan leader have a bad relationship, so honestly he didn't want
to come.
The next few months will be quite tedious.
While thinking that, he suddenly remembered me.
"Come to think of it, [Quagmire] is in this city as well," he thought.
No time like the present.
Soldat decided to take this opportunity to meet me for the first time in a while
and get a bite to eat, so he sent me the letter.
Certainly, I had a decent relationship with Soldat.
However, it was not to the extent which after separating he would go out of
his way and send a letter just for meeting and eating out.
I've always tried to be generous and good-natured, but I'm probably not the
type of person that one would go to such lengths to meet.
If that's the case, his goal is probably Elinalise-san.
No choice, I'll have to bring her with me.
And then I'll show her being all lovey-dovey with Cliff, and make him have
mixed feelings.
Thinking that, I told Nanahoshi that I'll be taking a break from assisting her
experiments on next month's day off.
I tried inviting Fitts-senpai as well, but he said with a sad face that he can’t
come on that day.
"Well, that day I must go out in the afternoon… as Ariel-sama’s bodyguard."
It's part of being a bodyguard.
Even when the rest of the world has a day off, he can't always take one
himself.
Rather, when everyone has a day off he is extra busy.
It's like he is a corporate slave. [1]
Oh wait, saying he is a corporate slave is rude to Fitts-senpai.
Let me rephrase it as hard working.
Anyway, since our plans do not match, there’s nothing to be done.
I decided to take Cliff and Elinalise, and go to the Adventurer's guild.
Part 2
We walked to the Adventurer's Guild.
Although the snow is being shovelled, the packed-down snow dyed the
streets in white.
Since the snow storms strengthen at night, no matter how much you remove
the snow you can't keep up.
Creating an underground drainage system to remove the snow using modern
technology would be a very profitable business in this situation.
"Hey, Rudeus, are you listening?"
"Yes yes, I am listening."
Cliff has been proudly talking about the current situation for a while now.
He seems to have recently started researching curses.
It's for the sake of breaking Elinalise's curse.
Curses have been around since ancient times and research has been
continuing until now, but it's not something that can be removed so easily.
It seems that there have been practically no results in this past half year.
"Didn't you say there have been no results?"
"I'm a genius, so I'm sure I'll be able to do it sooner or later!"
Cliff said that while brimming with confidence.
What an incredible person.
I know I have places where I won't succeed no matter how much effort I put
in, so I can't try that hard.
Diving head first in a field long deemed impossible, that's the mark of a
genius.
For me, I lack that talent.
"Hey Rudeus, if you know anything regarding curses can you tell me?"
"Hmmm..."
After being asked that I start thinking.
Curses, huh?
I heard that keyword a few times when travelling here from the Demon
Continent.
"Let me see."
Okay, let’s see, where did I hear that?
Curse, curse.
Trying to remember about curses causes me to freeze up, probably because
Orsted has a curse.
That's what I heard from Hitogami.
…Come to think of it, he also said that Laplace had a curse as well.
He transferred that curse to spears and caused the history of persecution of
the Supard Tribe.
"Laplace once placed his own curse on a tool and transferred it to another
race."
"A tool?"
"Yeah, the spears that the Supard Tribe used in the Laplace campaign.
Thanks to that the Supard warriors went mad and their tribe ended up being
persecuted…"
When I said that, Cliff looked at me with wide eyes.
"The Supard Tribe!? Is that true!?"
"Beats me, I just heard it from someone else, so I don't know whether or not
it's true…"
Who told me about this?
Hitogami again?
Well, I can probably trust him on that.
There's no reason for him to have lied about that, after all.
"But, I see… curses can be placed onto tools?"
After hearing what I said, Cliff placed his hand on his chin and thought.
"I don't know how it was done, though."
"No, knowing it has been done before is a huge step forward."
Has anyone else tried to transfer curses since Laplace?
Well, he's the Demon God, so what he's done might be considered evil.
Maybe it's deemed taboo?
Now that I think about it, miko's power is like a curse as well.
Transferring their powers with tools and using it would be convenient, I
wonder why no one has tried it.
"I wonder if no one considered trying to transfer miko abilities…"
"Hm? Why did you mention mikos?"
Cliff was puzzled.
Eh?
Is there something strange about it?
"No, I mean, aren't they the same? Both have unnatural flow of magic from
birth, and have a unique ability. It's just a matter of that ability being positive
or negative."
"… It's my first time hearing this."
Elinalise was looking at me with a surprised face as well.
It seems to be their first time hearing this.
That's unexpected, they didn't know this?
But I'm pretty sure someone told it to me matter-of-factly…
Oh, this is also from Hitogami.
All of this was from him.
That bastard, telling me things that nobody knows as if it were common
sense.
"But, I see… That's right, a tool… Certainly… Maybe if I…"
After hearing me out, Cliff starts mumbling as if he came across a clue.
I think it’s better not to take it too seriously.
However, does the word "curse" have any relation to the word [God]?
Human God, Dragon God, Demon God.
Also Miko. [2]
They might be connected, but maybe not.
"Thank you Rudeus-kun, thanks to you, I think I figured something out."
Cliff said that with a radiant face.
While you're at it, I'd like this curse-like illness of mine removed as well.
Part 3
Soldat and the party smiled the moment they saw my face.
They were more welcoming than I expected.
I wonder if they weren't really after Elinalise.
We went to a nearby store and ate together.
When they heard about Cliff and Elinalise’s relationship they were surprised.
They joked around saying things like "A bitch like you getting married, what
kind of joke is this?" and infuriated Cliff.
When they laughed off Cliff's attitude, his anger surpassed fury and nearly
reached ecstasy.
He probably won't calm down for a while.
Or so I thought, but Elinalise calmed him down easily and changed the topic
of the conversation.
I guess I should say as expected of Elinalise.
No matter the situation, controlling hate is her speciality. [3]
Come to think of it, I have never seen her getting angry nor crying.
I've seen her get irritated several times, but I've never seen her clearly being
angry.
As for things she clearly said she hates, there was only Paul.
What in the hell did that guy do?
Then shifted to the matter of my clothes.
Today, I came wearing my uniform.
"Hey Quagmire, if you are dressed like that, people will think you're like all
