Chapters 46-48 must be read together, so I translated those too. Or rather, chapters 45-48 should be read together, but I didn’t have the energy to translate everything by the last release :D. Anyway, enjoy the read.
Chapter Fourty-six: A Tale of a Kind Adventurer
“My eldest brother Johan was a C-rank adventurer.”
It’s said that just gaining experience will only get you as far as a D-rank. To rise to C-rank or above requires talent. That’s why Marian’s brother Johan must have been a very talented adventurer.
“Johan became a C-rank adventurer at a young age, and everyone looked up to him. Yet he was kind and treated everyone equally, sometimes too nice for his own good… Even without a formal request, if he heard about a dungeon collapse somewhere, he’d go out of his way to help with rescue operations. Father and my other brothers would help him too, though they found it exasperating. He’d even share our company’s supplies to feed those F-rank and below who had nowhere else to go.”
I could tell Marian was choosing her words carefully. Still, her hatred for those ranked F and lower seeped through.
“One time, my brother fought a monster that had escaped from a dungeon—a C-rank Cyclops. Though he was C-rank himself, it was the kind of monster you’re supposed to fight as a party. He managed to defeat it but was badly wounded. When we received the letter about it, Father and my brothers were away, and I was the only one who could go. I was ten years old at the time.”
Marian was two years older than Karen. Karen had likely met Marian right after that incident.
With her red eyes wide open, Marian trembled as she recalled the past.
“So I went. When I arrived, my brother was barely breathing. He had been treated, but his wounds had worsened. They hadn’t used any healing potions. We had sent plenty from our house, but they claimed they had run out. Then he died shortly after. He’d held on for so long, but his wounds had gotten worse… It was terrible.”
Shaking with anger, Marian whispered, "But you know what?”
“She had it. The woman who was taking care of my brother. She had one of the healing potions I had arranged to send him! She was acting suspiciously, trying to hide her belongings from me. I knew something was off, so I had our servant restrain her and search her belongings. And sure enough, it was there!”
Marian slammed her fist on the table. The table shook, but no one reprimanded her.
“She said my brother had given it to her. She said he’d distributed them. She didn’t use it on my brother who was suffering because she wanted to save it in case her refugee husband came back injured! When we investigated, we found many others like her.”
Marian glared at Karen.
“Those worthless F-ranks and below, who couldn’t even fight, who only dragged others down—they hoarded the potions, refusing to use them on my brother who fought to protect them, saying they might never get healing potions again!”
“So that’s why you hate F-ranks. Is that why you stole my soap?”
“…No, that’s not it. Back then, I didn’t know if you had any talent or not. I just couldn’t wait. I couldn’t spare the time to get your permission. I thought this might have saved my brother.”
Karen found this reason quite sympathetic. Seeing soap that might have saved her beloved brother, Marian couldn’t help but steal the recipe. She wanted to use this recipe to prevent other adventurers from dying like her brother. That motivation itself was admirable, Karen thought. She could even understand Marian’s contempt and hatred for F-rank Karen.
To be honest, Karen no longer felt angry about having her soap and Lyos taken away. Neither was necessary for her life anymore. Now that she understood the reason, she felt more pity than anything else. After all, when Marian stole the soap, she was just a child around elementary school age. Karen had always thought she would forgive her if she just apologized.
But Natalia and Sara still seemed unconvinced. Even so, Marian continued honestly.
“So when I saw you staying F-rank even after becoming an alchemist, I felt relieved. I thought I hadn’t been wrong. F-ranks only think about themselves, so even if I told them we needed to distribute this quickly for the adventurers’ sake, they’d just cling to their own profits and refuse to listen.”
“Marian, are you really saying that? Are you even trying to be convincing?”
More than convincing Karen, she needed to win over Natalia and Sara. Karen glanced at the two of them standing behind Marian, in a way only Marian could see. Marian sighed wearily.
“There’s no point in telling comfortable lies. You really are sickeningly soft-hearted, Karen.”
“Hey, Marian. Maybe you should watch your words a little?”
This was hostile territory for Marian. She scoffed at Karen’s warning.
“Then what? If I had a sympathetic past, you forgive me? If I apologized in tears, you’d overlook the fact that I stole enormous profits and fame from you!? Don’t be stupid! Even if you forgave me, those two never would!”
“At least we agree on the ‘don’t be stupid’ part.”
“With all due respect.”
With Natalia and Sara nodding in the background, Karen looked at Marian with a troubled expression.
“So, what do you plan to do, Marian?”
“I thought I might be able to deceive you with pretty words since you’re so naive, and I was half-seriously considering it… but originally, I intended to give you this.”
Having said that, Marian thrust a single piece of paper at Karen. Karen’s eyes widened at what was written on it.
“If you forgive me for selling the soap without permission, I, Marian Gubert, will sell myself as indentured worker to you as compensation.”
“Indentured worker… that’s…!”
Karen frowned. As far as she knew, that status was practically slavery. It was for people in debt or criminals.
In this world, places free from monsters were precious, so there were no prison-like facilities for rehabilitating criminals. While monasteries served a similar function, they were facilities for minor criminals of high status. Of course, conditions could be attached when selling oneself indentured worker—but the contract Marian presented had no clauses protecting her rights. Moreover, while Marian had already signed her name, the number of years was left blank.
“Write whatever number you want. I came prepared for at least that much.”
Karen swallowed hard, unable to imagine the resolve it must have taken to speak those words.
The Translator’s Corner
Since plurals are difficult to detect in Japanese, it's not clear whether the woman was hiding one potion or several. But logically, it was probably one.
“I thought I might be able to deceive you..." is said by Marian, not Nataly.
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