TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Enjoy~
Chapter 383 – The Fate of Confession
The room fell silent as Mead’s words sank in.
“…What?”
“A sacrifice. I wanted to return to my old world, no matter what. I didn’t care about anything else. So if the people here wanted something, I would give it to them. I didn’t ask for anything in return. There was nothing I wanted in this world.
“Mead-sama.”
“Don’t call me ‘sama’! I’m not a saint or a good person! I was just… a selfish, cruel piece of garbage!”
After shouting all that, Mead collapsed onto the wooden box. He should have died long ago, but the haggard-looking middle-aged man slumped over with a worn face looked extremely small.
“I understand that, Mead. So… did you get the sacrifice from somewhere?”
“It’s not that easy. Considering the amount of magic power required, I would need at least a hundred healthy civilians. I would also need a skilled magician who could control the ritual, a special magic circle, and the coordinates of the target. If I had a ‘contact’ at the target location, I might be able to do the last part, but the others were completely hopeless.”
…I see. So he didn’t actually use any sacrifices?
I’m the only one who’s relieved, but the Surz and Marquis Yerkel are frozen and don’t react. The five members of the Battle Cry also shake their heads in confusion, not quite understanding. I’m sure similar acts have been attempted in the Empire and Republic, as well as the Kingdom, but perhaps they haven’t spread to the general public.
Myrril looked at me and then at Mead.
“I know it’s a bit late to say this, but if you’re talking about beastmen or demi-humans, their magical power is many times greater than that of humans. Wasn’t there a way to use the monsters’ magic stones?”
“Magic stones, huh? I collected them. According to the witch, the flow of power isn’t the same as the magic power of monsters. However, I don’t know if that’s true or not.”
“A witch… were there witches in the kingdom as well?”
“I heard that she was from the Republic. Her name is Eckenklat, and she’s a cheeky little mage. She’s a bit of a greedy little girl, but she’s good at what she does. Even according to her calculations, the furthest I can jump is to the edge of this world at best.
There was another name I couldn’t ignore, but I ignored it. It seems that Mead’s heart was broken, and he had given up his dream of returning home. He changed his family name, made up a false origin story, and decided to bury his bones in the Republic. I watched Mead speak, but I didn’t hear the answer to my earlier question. The ghost, who was much more human than a living person, noticed my gaze and shrugged.
“When I lived in the kingdom, I had no contact with demi-humans. And beastmen… It’s not good.”
Louis reacted to these words in front of Tig. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a searching light came into them.
“I was summoned from my old world without knowing why, and I barely escaped with my life. When I was desperately running here and there, it was the beastmen who helped me, sheltered me, and shared their food with me. They were all oppressed and poor, dirty and hungry. If I have to make such people my sacrifices… it’s better for me to die, isn’t it?”
Louis’ gaze became soft and gentle. Mead, who was still looking away, didn’t seem to notice.
“After that, I drifted to the Republic… it’s a strange story. As soon as I gave up trying to get home, my business started to take off. I even got my first trading company. It was then that I met the people of Surz.”
The people of Surz, who had been looking down, raised their heads.
“A young man collapsed in front of the trading company and asked us to help him. He said an epidemic had broken out in a remote village between the Republic and the Empire.”
“I see. So you went to help him, right?”
Mead shook his head. He looked at us and smiled with dark eyes.
“They’re oppressed like beastmen and abandoned by everyone, but they’re not beastmen. They’re humans. And their roots are in the bloodline of the Saliant royal family, who dragged me into this world and made me face death…”
“Eh?!”
“It’s true.”
Lui gave us a short answer.
“Our ancestor was a prince of Saliant who was exiled to the northernmost land after losing a battle for the throne.”
That can’t be true because they look like cavemen who have completed the symbols of such a barbaric tribe. I looked at Myrril, and she nodded as if she had thought about it and understood.
“I see. It’s actually ‘Sur-Udz,’ isn’t it?”
“What’s that?”
“It’s an old word that means ‘carried seed.’ When it’s ‘carried’ instead of ‘thrown,’ it’s a sign of nobility. Since the word ‘seed’ refers to a man, it can also be interpreted as ‘the legitimate son who escaped.”
“It is much, much more pure-blooded than a king who was called the Foolish King.”
“That’s right, brother. That’s why I agreed to go to the Surz village, thinking it was destiny.”
I see… but wait a minute. The context connected by “that’s why” gives a very dangerous impression.
“Hey, Mead. You don’t mean…”
“Yes. I decided to sacrifice Surz for revenge.”
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!