The Land of the Nascent Wolves / Undead Busters 2

Translated by: @garmadoncar

Proofread by: Eliman7

Links:

• Part 1

1

???: [And so! What a surprise we have here! Spica-san splendidly succeeded in dragging Anya out of the house! Hip-hip hooray for this spectacular accomplishment!]

???: [Uu~!]

Clapping his hands, Cecilus applauded in true amusement. Encouraged by that springy voice of his, Spica also ended up reflexively puffing out her chest.

In truth, Spica did harbor a bit of a sense of accomplishment within her heart there.

In exchange for that bit of courage she displayed, her body was hurled into the midst of a battle that seemed akin to the end of the world.

Be that as it may――,

Spica: [Aaiya?]

Arakiya: [――. Don’t touch me.]

As Spica tilted her head up so that she could glance at her face, Arakiya quickly averted her gaze, demonstrating a cold attitude. Spica was glad that they had finally exchanged greetings at such a close proximity, but that might not have been deemed acceptable from Arakiya’s side.

After all, just a short while earlier, she had been brought down by that hand of Spica’s. ――Her dark skin made it difficult to tell, but it seemed like her complexion was not its best at the moment.

Spica: [Uu~, uu~…]

The “teleportation” that Spica masterfully wielded was an element of the Authority of Gluttony; as per Subaru, a remnant from before she had become her current self―― of the wrongdoings perpetrated by Louis Arneb. Outside of this “teleportation” as well, there were a few sporadic hidden techniques that she held confidence in wielding.

Spica: [Au…]

As much as was possible, Spica told herself that she wished to refrain from using those.

In order to protect this vow, she would work to purify the Empire with Star Eating, just as she had promised to Subaru and Rem―― she believed it to be just as important as resolving the problem of the dead people.

Then, as Spica renewed those feelings, the sound of stacks of paper being folded resonated in her eardrums.

The genesis of that sound laid before Spica and the two lined up next to her; wordlessly listening to their report, the Emperor was busy signing and stamping documents.

Amidst the many mountains of documents, after Vincent Vollachia breathed a brief sigh after finishing one of them up,

Vincent: [――Arakiya.]

Cecilus: [Oya oya, instead of touching on my labors or Spica-san’s efforts you decide to first and foremost focus on Anya? I don’t mind that at all but please don’t give her too severe a punishment. There are things that Anya should be and ought to be doing. My sunny side up breakfast fried eggs, for instance.]

Vincent: [Silence, utter fool.]
Arakiya: [Cecilus, die.]

Incurring displeasure from two directions in an instant, Cecilus curved his lips with a “Tsk” and squatted down in withdrawal. That fresh sensation of a childish response from his adult self perplexed Spica, and beside her, Vincent once again called out “Arakiya”.

Arakiya: [――. What?]

Vincent: [Firstly, I shall hear your explanation for having ignored mine summons several times. Such repeated disrespect in our current postwar period, large scars carved into our nation by the claws of the Great Disaster, regardless of your status as a General First-Class of the Empire, do not think that actions that spread chaos among mine subjects shall go overlooked.]

Arakiya: […Cecilus was-]

Vincent: [That utter fool? For him to needlessly open his mouth, needlessly ramble on phrases, and needlessly get on your nerves with nonsense, is by no means any new affair.]

Arakiya: […I’m sorry.]

Met with Vincent’s stern addition, Arakiya, whose gaze had been wandering, searching for the words to say, gave up on such actions. The dry silence from Arakiya’s emotionless response was painful to hear, so despite barely knowing her, Spica began to want to stand in front of her with her arms spread out.

She wished to protect her from Vincent’s sharp, painful gaze.

However――,

Vincent: [An apology is uttered from that mouth of yours. Merged with the Great Spirit known for its reticence, I had thought you might become taciturn, but contrary to those expectations, that does not seem to be the case.]

Quicker than Spica could stand in front of Arakiya, Vincent relaxed his gaze.

It seemed that not only was Spica surprised by Vincent’s reaction, but Arakiya, too, slightly widened her red eye, wearing a puzzled look on her face.

Vincent: [So, what has changed other than your attitude? Your body is currently in an unprecedented state. Given that there is a concern that your life is directly tied to the safety of the Empire’s lands, even the finer details shall be of note. Compile those details and report them to me. Or else…]

Arakiya: […You’ll do something to me?]

Vincent: [No, or else―― Priscilla’s death will have been for naught.]

Arakiya: [――Hk.]

In the following moment, a heat wave spread throughout the Emperor’s office, and Spica reflexively held her head.

That was a reaction borne out of instinctual fear, vigilance, and various other things. Emanating from Arakiya’s body was an impulsive fury that could not be identified as hostility or murderous intent; volatile in nature, it seeped out as a torrent of vast, aimless Mana.

But, just as how a Dragon’s breath was a wave of pure Mana aimed in a single direction, even if it was Mana that had not been shaped by the likes of magic, if it was vast enough in quantity, then it would easily give rise to peril.

The same applied to the current predicament, so Spica had no idea why Vincent had said such a careless thing, and it caused her to feel angry, a sensation as if her blood was flowing the wrong way.

The coiling eddy of Mana whirled around the office, and things were about to get bad――,

Cecilus: [――Anya, Anya, you can’t be turning into Her Indignancy like that just because of a statement from His Excellency.] [1]

That foolish, unfunny joke was whispered amidst the torrent of Mana that was also, in fact, no joke.

The fact that it came from Cecilus’s lips went without saying, and going against this vortex of Mana, he stood right behind Arakiya, embracing her body from behind, trying to pacify her.

Spica: [――Wau.]

Fully aware of the stupendous energy Arakiya possessed, that action left Spica speechless.

A mere hour earlier, Spica had also clung to Arakiya’s back just as Cecilus was currently doing, earnestly attempting to persuade her to stop. In the end, it was the tremendous effectiveness of “teleportation” that had gotten Arakiya to stop, but aside from that, Spica had been completely tossed around.

Due to those recollections, she keenly understood the extraordinary recklessness of Cecilus’s deed. At the same time, she comprehended the true intent of Vincent’s careless utterance.

Because Cecilus was there with them, there was no doubt that Vincent judged it safe to purposely speak in a way to provoke Arakiya.

That was the immense level of trust that the Emperor of the Vollachian Empire placed in the Blue Lightning――,

Arakiya: [Die.]

Cecilus: [Hu~h~!?]

Immediately after, Cecilus, revolving with tremendous vigor, passed over Vincent’s head, and smashing through the window past him, he was hurled outside the palace along with shining shards of broken glass.

As Cecilus faded from view, the only thing Spica could do was blink her eyes, thinking that this was not how it was supposed to go. Bearing witness to the same sight as her, Vincent crossed his arms, closed a single eye, and,

Vincent: [Thereby, it shall be you. Do it, girl.]

Spica: [Au!?]

Vincent: [You harbor a trump card that brought Arakiya out, is that not so? Deploy it unsparingly. Elsewise, the sacrifices of all those who allowed mineself to survive through the battle against the Great Disaster shall return to naught.]

After Spica widened her eyes at the overly excessive speech, she turned back to face Arakiya, whose entire body had begun to surround itself with floating belts of light, and gulped.

Once again, she decided on challenging Arakiya by utilizing “teleportation”. ――Within her heart, just like how Subaru had always spoken, she crammed many complaints towards Vincent.

2

Vincent: [First of all, we have ascertained a means to keep Arakiya in check, as well as the fact that fusion with the Stone had not borne any major negative influence. It is a great service.]

Spica: [Au, au, auu~.]

Cecilus: [Eh? Ah yes yes Spica-san did you know? His Excellency has got a good head on him but fundamentally he’s reckless with his orders and so it’s really tough for everyone as they’re being swept around all over the place. Well His Excellency’s eyes often grasp someone’s capabilities more accurately than said person themselves so it does happen that since most people think their own limit is a bit in front of their real limit there is a bit of discrepancy with His Excellency’s ideal. Ahahaha, it must be hard for everyone other than me!]

Placing his hand to his chin, Vincent deliberated with a single eye closed.

Spica felt as if she had heard something unbelievable in his utterance; Cecilus, who had for some reason returned unharmed from outside the palace, supplemented so with boisterous laughter.

Still, after being agitated by Vincent’s comment, Arakiya’s ear canals had been perturbed once again when she was jostled by Spica’s “teleportation”, now leaning against the wall languidly with her legs spread out.

Of course, having gone all out, Spica was also out of breath, and her whole body was groggy.

Vincent: [With Cecilus and this girl with her, Arakiya can be restrained even were she to rampage. In that case, in accordance with Medium’s words, I shan’t be stingy in bestowing this duty upon the lot of you.]

Cecilus: [Hahah, I see I see so it was advice from the Most Honorable Empress Consort. And here I was worried that His Excellency would be unable to properly take on a consort but it turned out to be a needless fear!]

Vincent: [Shut that superfluous mouth of yours. With Chisha gone, do not make me allocate my concern in futility.]

Cecilus: [Woah now that’s something I can’t obey. After all, Chisha told me that he was entrusting His Excellency to me. Please rest assured since I will have my hands full moderating things so that His Excellency doesn’t get fully sucked into his work surrounded by nothing but yes-men!]

Vincent: [――Fool.]

Vincent’s response was curt, and Cecilus shrugged with his hands in the sleeves of his kimono.

Off to the side of those two as they reached some sort of an understanding, Spica went up to the languid Arakiya, and stroked her head with an “Uu?” to ascertain how she was feeling.

Arakiya: [Don’t, touch me… uugh…]

With those words of rejection, Arakiya’s outburst had settled for the time being. As if having ascertained that through Spica, Vincent nodded with a “Very well”, and,

Vincent: [Once again, the three of you are charged with the task of subjugating the dead who have survived the Great Disaster―― though that is quite a comical way of describing them. In accordance with this edict, it would do you well to fulfill your respective duties.]

Cecilus: [Aye aye aye! To begin with I was brimming with motivation so I’m completely fine with these orders but will it really be okay for me and Anya to leave the Imperial Capital? Chisha’s gone and Groovy seems like half a dead man himself and I’ve heard that Moguro is in the middle of relearning humanity, so?]

Vincent: [In the first place, how much could I realistically expect the two of you to contribute at your stations? Besides, the Great Disaster may have devastated the nation, but it is not as though there was nothing to be gained. At the very least, amidst the Generals of various locations, some standouts have begun to emerge. Starting with Zikr.]

Spica: [Iirr.] [2]

Hearing Zikr’s name, Spica suddenly lifted her head up.

Zikr Osman, with his fluffy face, was a gentleman who, among the people Spica had been acquainted with in Vollachia, had treated her with the greatest respect, so Spica quite liked him. For Zikr to thus receive such an evaluation was something that made Spica proud.

Spica: [Eius, Iirr.]

Vincent: [What? Do not tell me, you wish to exchange this one out for Zikr? Unfortunately, unlike this one, who is only useful during emergencies, there are many duties entrusted to Zikr. Give it up.]

Spica: [Uu~.]

Cecilus: [Huh-huh-huh~? It seems like you said it knowing it wouldn’t be possible from the start but when comparing myself with Zikr-san and then being disappointed that I’m the one who’s picked is something that I just can’t accept in the slightest y’know!? I would never say that Zikr-san lacks charm but I’m the leading actor of this world!]

Spica: [Uu!]

When Cecilus interjected with his squawking, Spica slapped him.

She knew that Cecilus was strong, and understood that he was a reliable ally. Also that he was an even more troubled adult. Only, she wanted to object to his assertions of being at the center of the world. As for Spica’s thoughts on the matter, the one who shone just as radiantly as Cecilus was――,

Cecilus: [――Boss would be along the right track. No doubt that he’s neither a minor role nor is he a fodder character. Only when it’s a matter of heading to the center of a stage that’s slated to be a tempestuous storm of earth-shattering nature he just won’t be able to compete with me. That’s gotta put me at least a little ahead of Boss right?]

Spica: [Ica.]

Cecilus: [You’re saying that’s what you’re for? Haha, what a masterpiece. Boss certainly does have that sort of appeal. So is that reflected most in where you are on the stage when you shine the brightest… certainly a difficult question that is directly connected to myself given how I’m constantly aware of how I’m acting to captivate a theatre.]

With an unchanged demeanor―― no, just a little bit more gleefully than before, Cecilus gave his answer, to which Spica pursed her lips.

Then, leaning against the wall behind them, Arakiya made a sound as she slowly stood back up. Her complexion was still poor due to the aftereffects of the “teleportation”, but,

Arakiya: […Do as you please. I’m fine being a tool.]

Vincent: [――. In that case, it would do you well to fulfill a duty befitting one. All of the dead were manifested using the Stone’s Mana as an intermediary. For you, it ought to be possible to pursue those connections.]

Arakiya: [Connections…]

Faintly muttering, Arakiya directed her eyes of mismatched color to outside the shattered window. With her red right eye, and the left eye of golden hue housing a strange light, she looked at that which was not there.

Eventually, Arakiya drew back her slender chin, and nodded with an “Mm”,

Arakiya: [Understood… But, there’s many.]

Vincent: [It may be ironic, but there is enough testimony of those who did not obey the guidance of the Great Disaster to substantiate that there were some who could resist the compelling force of the Witch. Proportionately, the seeds of calamity have been left to fester. This may have been a part of their designs.]

Arakiya: [――Once, everything is finished…]

Vincent: [――――]

Arakiya: […Nevermind.]

Retracting the words she began to speak, Arakiya lethargically cast her eyes down. Seeing her in that state, Vincent narrowed his eyes, but said not a word.

In place of Vincent, Arakiya’s hand was held by Spica. Holding hands, as her eyes began to slowly descend upon her, Spica was at a loss at what expression to make.

She was at a loss, however, Spica ended up smiling. ――Imitating Rem.

When she had not understood a thing, and had no easy place to turn to, Spica―― when she had still yet to be called Spica, Rem would often smile for her whenever Subaru was cruel.

And so, for the girl who seemed forlorn, with nobody to rely on, Spica wanted to smile.

Arakiya: [――. Don’t touch me.]

Cecilus: [Whenever it comes to Anya she always says this sorta thing. But you can rest assured, Spica-san. After all the evidence that Anya isn’t being honest is right there in the fact that she hasn’t let go of Spica-san’s hand, right?]

Arakiya: [Die.]

Once again, the window of the office was blown apart due to Cecilus’s needless comment.

――In such a manner, the prospect for the departure of Spica and company was finally put in order.

3

――Ironically enough, Vincent Vollachia’s conjecture was correct.

As the bearer of the Great Disaster, the Witch, Sphinx had plotted to destroy the Vollachian Empire; her schemes involved resurrecting many of the deceased lying dormant in the vast lands of the Empire, making them complicit in her plans.

Even outside of those who originally bore strong enmity against Vollachia, the minds of the dead were made to obey the intentions of the Witch that had utilized a sacrament to resurrect them.

However, among the dead were those who disregarded the Witch’s force of compulsion, acting in accordance with their own ego. And, each and every one of the deceased who retained their own will, were those who could be counted among the mighty.

Thus, this creature, coated in fur the darkest shade of night, was no exception.

???: [――Iris.]

His will retained, he forwent participation in the ruin of the Empire prepared by the Witch, however, neither did he fade away like those among the dead who had ceased to desire aught further, this being―― the jet-black wolfman, vocalized that name.

As if tearing his very heart asunder, the utterance permeated throughout its entirety with sorrow, terribly so.

《To be continued》

Translation Notes:

[1] – The phrase here, カッカ, means to lose one’s temper or get angry, but is read the same as 閣下, meaning His Excellency. Cecilus is doing a play on words by using both of these in quick succession, so to emulate it, I have localized it as Her Indignancy.

[2] – The Japanese for this is うぃうう, or Uiuu, which in English is completely unrecognizable to Zikr, so I have again modified her speech to better represent a bastardized version of his name.