[V10C20] I Wanna Know, So I’m Gonna Go
Translated by Jodas 10: A Job for a Con ManUnder Sevil’s influence, the room where the Apprentices were supposed to be reflecting on their actions became a war room in the blink of an eye.
Of course they didn’t set up tables and chairs, but they did bring in a fair amount of paper, pens, and tablets to write on, alongside a few more sleeping rolls. A fire was lit in the hearth, and several lanterns were brought in.
“Now then, let’s summarize what we’ve learned.”
The Apprentices all sat down in a circle.
In counter-clockwise order sat Tia, Sevil, Wren, Ella, Roswitha, Sophie, Gerald, Julius, Rose, and Rukiye — ten in all.
Excluding Finn, the turncoat, and Oliver, who was still at the Lange Hamlet, this was everyone.
As they sat down, Sevil beckoned Tia and Wren to “Come here,” and placed them on either side of her. Tia huffed a pleased “Pefufun!” and took her seat right beside Sevil. Tia was in strangely high spirits whenever she was in line with the others from Hütter’s class, be it horizontal or vertical.
Night had already fallen, and they were fast approaching everyone’s usual bedtimes.
Tia and crew had arrived to this village some time in the afternoon. After attending that meeting and running around gathering information, the day passed by before they knew it.
Perhaps because everyone took whatever nap they could and ate a warm dinner, color was returning to their faces. The mood in the air had improved markedly from what Tia and the others had seen when they first arrived.
(It has to be because Sevil is here. Sevil’s so amazing.)
She was discourteous, crude, and haughty, but she could rouse her comrades who were welling in defeat, order them to take their needed rest and meals, gather the necessary information, and formulate a plan.
Sevil was a strong human, one who could lead her flock.
“First, regarding the Wall that impedes Monsters. I checked with the higher-ups, and it will dissipate the night after tomorrow, around midnight. That’s our timelimit. That is to say, we have two whole days, no more. The higher-ups will hold a briefing some time tomorrow morning, and plan to begin the all-out assault on the Wedge Tower first thing the following morning.”
Wren jotted down the key points of what Sevil said on paper. Thankfully, he made everything really easy to understand.
“Furthermore, that attack plan doesn’t include us Apprentices at all. The higher-ups intend to have the Apprentices stay back with the non-combatants.”
The adults’ well-meaning desire not to bring the inexperienced Apprentices to a battlefield was half of it.
The other half seemed to be because they desperately did not want Sevil, the Imperial Princess, to end up in the battle, so they planned to have all the Apprentices hang back to make sure nothing happens to Sevil. Wren explained this just a minute ago.
Confused, Sophie interjected.
“If we don’t have a lot of time, why is the attack the day after tomorrow? Why don’t they just do it tomorrow?”
“Because they don’t have enough fighters ready yet. Ella, what were the results of your asking around?”
Ella, who had been running about collecting intel, spoke up when Sevil motioned to her.
“It sounds like Spiremaster Lowein, of the Second Spire: Golden Needle, asked for help from all over. I suppose he want to wait until the last moment for whoever is available to make it here. But…”
Ella paused abruptly and drew her eyebrows together in a terse expression.
“If you ask me if help will make it in time, I think it’s pretty doubtful. At least, I think we can assume His Majesty the Emperor is still unaware of the state the Wedge Tower is in.”
After all, the Monster attack had occurred only this past night.
With a fast enough horse, it might be possible for news to reach nearby lords or branches of the Mage Association, but apparently they wouldn’t be able to raise troops immediately.
(Humans have it really hard, huh.)
In order to get another human to do anything, a human needs to come up with all sorts of things first: money, food, and even a moral justification.
Meanwhile, for Harpies it was more like: “The Eyeball Birds are on our turf!” “Those cheeky bastards!” “Let’s drive ‘em out!” “Yeah!” “Look, the weather’s good!” “Let’s all sing! And drive ‘em out while we’re doing it!” “Yay!” … Something like that.
Beside the words ‘Spiremaster Lowein (Asking for Support)’ Wren wrote the note ‘Probably not happening’ as he voiced his input.
“I think support from the Lange and Oks Hamlets may or may not get here just barely in time. If nothing happens, Helena and Rikard should arrive by tomorrow, though.”
“Indeed, Saint Helena and the Ancient Magical Artifact ‘Eurydice, the Cackling Foam’ are most valuable in fights against large hordes of Monsters. I presume the higher-ups wish to wait until she arrives, if no one else.”
Wren and Sevil nodded along with each other. Then, Rukiye hesitantly spoke.
“The people who evacuated from the Management Office seem to be making magical weapons and traps with whatever tools they could bring. That’s also part of these preparations, isn’t it? That’s why they won’t attack tomorrow.”
So basically, the showdown will start early in the morning, the day after tomorrow.
That established, Sevil continued.
“Next, our objective. The higher-ups intend to eliminate the Monsters and retrieved the Ancient Magical Artifacts ‘Chariclea, the Wedge Tower,’ ‘Ignatius, the Severer,’ and ‘Despina, the Chain of Fools.’ — But that is only the higher-ups’ objective.”
Sevil looked at each of her comrades’ faces with a confident smirk.
“There’s something else you want to do, isn’t there? Be honest.”
Everyone hesitated, wondering if it was right to say it.
Out of them, it was Sophie who spoke in a whisper.
“…I want to find Finn and talk to him.”
As she spoke, Sophie’s face scrunched up tearfully.
“At this rate, Finn’s gonna get killed, isn’t he? Before that happens, can’t a Monster abandon the Wedge Tower and go home to the Crystal Territory? … Or would that be asking too much?”
Thinking about it realistically, it would be a tough sell.
They were up against Monsters. It was generally safe to assume any attempt at talking sense with them wouldn’t work out.
Sophie hung her head and bit her lip.
“Sorry for saying something unreasonable… I know it’s no use…”
“Sophie,” Sevil called her name. Softly, yet firmly.
“You’ve grown. Well done.”
Sophie’s head shot up with a start.
With the air of a monarch, Sevil looked Sophie in the eyes.
“Those words are precisely what we need to move forwards. Everyone wanted to say the same thing, but felt like you couldn’t, am I wrong?”
Silent Gerald nodded softly.
Roswitha slowly worked out her thoughts.
“…That’s right. Finn’s a Monster. I don’t want him to die, but I know I shouldn’t let our personal emotions take priority. But still… I don’t want it to end like this.”
Everyone probably had the same conflicts in their minds as Roswitha.
Tia could hear Wren muttering “I totally get it.” under his breath.
Yet it was surprisingly Ella, the most studious, who broke the silence.
“The higher-ups plan not to let us join the operation. In that case…”
Ella clenched her hand in a fist over her chest, leaned forward, and said:
“L– Let’s do it ourselves!”
“Pefufun!” Tia crooned. That was the voice of a leader working to get everyone pumped up.
She was a different type than Sevil, but Ella was also the Apprentices’ leader.
With the support of Ella’s words, Roswitha declared:
“That’s right. Then, I have two goals: ‘Talk to Finn’ and ‘Take down the Primordial Beast.’”
“That’s great, Little Roswitha!”
That voice came from the tiny lion sitting plopped down on Julius’ feet — Agniol.
Agniol spoke, tapping on Julius’ feet with her stubby forelegs as she did.
“That’s right! That’s right! We should blow away that crusty old wolf! Come on, Young Master, you say it too! Say ‘I’ll take out that silver wolf’ or something!”
“Kuku, I have no interest in the Primordial Beast… But from here on, I have no intention of doing as the higher-ups demand.”
“Young Master, why don’t you just be honest and say you want to see Finn and–mph!”
Julius covered Agniol’s mouth as he looked to the others and asked “What about you guys, then?”
Rukiye held her hands on her lap and chimed in, keeping her voice down.
“…I’m not going. If Finn made the decision, I think we should respect it. But I won’t stop you if you want to go. Nor will I tell anyone. If you need anything, I can make it for you. That’s the kind of Artisan I strive to be.”
“I don’t mind. Your perspective is equally valid.”
Sevil nodded. She was right, it was Finn himself who decided to betray them, and he who decided to pretend to be human.
Tia knew it well.
(Finn has a pride he wants to take back.)
Just as Tia wished to take her wings back, Finn too had something he wanted back.
His stolen fang. A symbol of pride not much different from a Harpy’s flight feathers.
Tia could not refute the way such a Monster lived his life.
While Tia thought about Finn, Rose cheerfully asked her a question.
“I also don’t want to let Finn die. What about you, Tia?”
“I think I kinda agree with Rukiye. To betray or not to betray. To fight or to run. It’s all Finn’s decision.”
The same could be said of Tia herself.
To betray humans, or to betray Monsters.
To fight, or to run.
It was all Tia’s decision. Whatever she decided, even if Tia ended up losing her life, she hoped they wouldn’t be sad about it.
Finn probably thought the same way.
“There are things I wanna know. I’m sure the answers I wanna know are in the Wedge Tower.”
The higher-ups said they’d spotted an orange Harpy. That had to be her sister.
What was Fiene, that girl Tia despised, thinking as she was surrounded by Monsters?
How was Finn, the Monster in the same position as Tia who had something important stolen from him by humans, thinking at the moment?
And…
(Kai… He’s nearby, isn’t he? He’s watching from somewhere, right? …What is he thinking? What does he want?)
It wouldn’t be long before she finished her information gathering. She had a strong feeling that was the case.
She had to think, think, and think a whole lot. The day she had to come up with her answer was fast approaching.
“I wanna know, so I’m gonna go.”