Chapter 16: Akashic Records
In front of me stood Ashley, desperately denying, “That’s not it!” Behind her were a group of rough-looking men and young warriors clad in barbarian-style outfits, calling out to her, “Boss!” and “Holy Knight’s Big Sister!”
In the square in front of the mansion, there was a ridiculously large flame, surrounded by several smaller campfires.
“What the hell is this?”
I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question.
“W-well, this is…”
Ashley hesitated.
“What is this?”
I asked again.
“W-w-well, this is…”
Ashley stammered even more.
Just then, a group of burly men interrupted our conversation. The first was a nearly bald man in his thirties, who shouted loudly and glared at us with his head tilted.
“What the hell!? Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty in front of the Boss!?”
Why is he so angry?! I haven’t done anything!!
Next, a short-haired young man, probably in his twenties, leaned in from behind.
“Huh? What did you say!? I’ll turn you into mincemeat!?”
His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a bizarre scream. It was a line that could only come from someone in a special situation or with a unique title.
!!?
It wasn’t my imagination! I could definitely see the words ‘!!?’ floating above his head! This is bad! This is really bad! The whole atmosphere is falling apart! I’ve only seen guys like this in manga or champions!
“Ashley, um, are you perhaps the type who enjoys being called ‘Big Sister’ or ‘Boss’?”
The eyes of Ashley’s followers were piercing into me! I cautiously asked Ashley while keeping an eye on them.
“Of course not, Row! I have no such strange hobby! And what’s with that way of speaking? It’s far too formal! I told you to just call me ‘Ash,’ didn’t I?”
She did say that. Well then, let me be a bit rude.
“Ash.”
As I called her by the nickname, Ashley’s expression brightened up instantly. At the same time, for some reason, I found myself surrounded by the rough-looking men.
“──Lee-san.”
The brightness in her expression quickly darkened. Please forgive me. I really can’t win against these men.
“More importantly, I have things to do, so would it be alright if I leave this place?”
I tried to turn my back on them and walk away as if nothing had happened when someone grabbed my shoulder firmly.
When I turned around cautiously, it was Ashley.
“Row, don’t abandon me.”
“Hey, um, your fingers are digging into my shoulder.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Row! More than that, please don’t abandon me and listen to me properly!”
“Ow! That hurts! Your fingers! They’re digging in, or rather, they’re embedded in my shoulder!”
Faced with Ashley’s abnormal strength, which seemed like she was about to crush my shoulder, I was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu, thinking, ‘Haven’t I been through something like this recently…’
In short, Ashley’s story was like this.
Saga Assaultbody, the leader of the Berserga Mercenary Corps, had a principle. He demanded a minimum level of skill and resolve from his clients.
“People without skill or resolve tend to back down and run away when they’re cornered,” he would say.
To demonstrate her skill and resolve, while we were heading to the Old Capital (Bienetta), Ashley stayed behind to spar with the members of the Berserga Mercenary Corps.
“I thought it would end after a single bout with Saga, but…”
It seemed things didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped. When Saga approached Ashley to test her strength, one of the members shouted, “The leader doesn’t need to fight with a girl like her!” He then declared, “I am Geki, the number one spear of the Berserga Mercenary Corps! Remember my name!” and lunged at Ashley with his sword.
“It was tough. Well, the fight with him wasn’t that bad, but what came after was…”
Indeed, the battle with him ended quickly with Ashley’s victory. The problem was what happened next. One after another, members kept jumping in, declaring, “I am the one who—” and charging at her. Ashley inadvertently ended up in a grand melee.
“I did spar with Saga, but after exchanging blows for a while, he suddenly burst out laughing, saying, ‘You know, rumors aren’t worth believing until you see them with your own eyes!'”
That was probably because,
“He took a liking to you. He really saw you for who you are.”
Even when thrown into a horde of barbarians, Ashley faced each of them without flinching, showing them her strength with grace. In the end, she even crossed swords with Saga, the strongest warrior in the corps.
I could understand Saga’s feelings. His way of speaking was a bit slimy, but he was undoubtedly a principled warrior.
“And that’s when the members of the Berserga Mercenary Corps started calling me ‘Big Sister’ or ‘Holy Knight’s Big Sister’…”
I didn’t miss Ashley’s downturned eyes as she muttered softly, “I just did my best…” and “Why do I have to feel this sad…?”
“For now, good job…”
I couldn’t find the right words of appreciation. I patted Ashley on the shoulder.
“Uu, Row-kun.”
With tears in her eyes, Ashley leaned forward and clutched my shirt tightly.
“You did well, you did well. Ashley really did her best.”
She was only about ten centimeters shorter than me. Even while talking, she seemed quite mature. Yet, even such an adult woman must have times when she wants to let out her frustrations. I wrapped my arm around her back and gently patted her until she calmed down. Just then,
“Hey, Big Sister! Do you hate being called ‘Big Sister’ by us?”
One of the members, who had been eavesdropping, asked Ashley with a look that seemed to say, ‘I’ve been waiting for this moment!’
“Did you feel uncomfortable when we called you ‘Holy Knight’s Big Sister’ or even shortened it to ‘Seneki’?”
Ashley turned to him and replied,
“It’s not that I dislike it. But I thought it was an inappropriate title for me.”
What!? No way! Their expressions were a mix of shock and disbelief.
“Really!”
“No way!”
“That’s impossible!”
They were completely in sync!
“Then wouldn’t it be cuter to call you ‘Holy Knight’s Big Sister’ and shorten it to ‘Paradiniki’?”
Ashley groaned, “Ahhh!” and held her head, shaking it vigorously.
“Big Sister” and “Seneki,” “Holy Knight’s Big Sister” and “Paradiniki”… Come on, Otherworld Translation, do your job properly!!
For people like me and Ryuguin, summoned from another world, a translation ability (not a Skill!) naturally develops. This ability is referred to as Otherworld Translation Ability. It’s a grand name, and while I benefit from it, it does depend somewhat on the language skills I had back on Earth, so it’s not perfect.
A while back, I had a discussion with Ange and Princess Puffy about the translation abilities that otherworlders (Earthlings) receive. It seemed they didn’t have a clear understanding of it either. To my surprise, even the scholars of this world didn’t fully grasp it. According to Ange, even experts in that field don’t have a clear understanding.
However, it’s just a hypothesis, but Ange once said that Otherworld Translation might be activated with the power of something called the Akashic Records.
Akashic Records. A record medium that encompasses all phenomena in the universe.
It is said to exist, but who knows? As I pondered this,
“Puhuh! Are you having fun, girl?”
The one who approached was Saga Assaultbody, the leader of the Berserga Mercenary Corps. He noticed me and tilted his chin up,
“Hm? Oh, you’re the coward who hid behind the girl and ran away with Anon, aren’t you?”
A mocking expression crossed his face as he said this.