NO STELLA NO LIFE 3

Translated by: @garmadoncar

Proofread by: Eliman7

Links:

• Part 1
• Part 2

???: [――Expand Territory, Matrix Redefinition.]

With that proclamation as an impetus, the rules of the world were rewritten around Aldebaran.

Ordinarily, the world would not permit any usage that did not abide by its fixed rules.

Objects fell from up to down, sound could be heard but not seen, hot things felt hot, cold things felt cold, the color of blood was red most of the time, and a life once lost could never return. ――These were defined as unshakeable rules for the stable operation of the world.

???: [However, Witch Factors take those established laws, and bend them to the will of their possessor. Truly, a refutation of the world desiring stability… to be frank, it is fruit borne of pestering.]

Aldebaran: [Pestering…]

???: [From the perspective of Od Lagna, it must be quite unbearable, yes? Having poured in time and intent to forge those laws, only for them to be blotted over by an extremely small number of mutational variations on the whims of distorted human nature. Supposing I were to go through that same hardship, then…]

Aldebaran: [Then what?]

???: [I would end up wanting to investigate just what sort of intentions brought about such actions; the reasons and objectives behind it all… Hm, if I may say so myself, perhaps my personality is not suited to this example.]

Thus acknowledging her own curiosity as a minority viewpoint, the Witch spoke calmly, causing Aldebaran to shrug his shoulders in exasperation.

Conversations with the Witch, with how eager she was to chat and learn, would often derail in such a manner.

He would occasionally get some useful anecdotes from her, but even in those cases, it would never cut straight to the point. The conversation would twist and turn, lose sight of the original focus, and as Aldebaran listened to the Witch’s explanations, she would ask for his thoughts and impressions, then speak of those instead. ――It was lamentable, but Aldebaran absolutely did not hate that time spent in futility.

Aldebaran: [Getting all carried away ‘cause of that, it must be that sorta thing…]

Witch: [Hm? What is it? Did you say something just now?]

Aldebaran: [Nah, I was just thinking that despite knowing that the Authorities of Witch Factors are equivalent to pestering, for you to still create this sorta space means that there’s something wrong with you, Teacher. I feel bad for Od Lagna-san.]

Witch: [Ultimately, Od Lagna is nothing more than a concept. We can presume that it has nothing in the vein of emotions, nor fixations directed towards specific individuals. Well, I suppose it was my blunder for using the term “pestering”, an expression which prescribes Od Lagna with a notion of personhood.]

Placing a finger to her lips, the Witch sighed in a manner unbefitting of self-reflection.

Despite having listened to her words, the image of a pitiful Od Lagna crying as it glared over a space with which it could not interfere did not fade from within Aldebaran.

In reality, the act of producing another world within the world was something that could only be performed by an extraordinary being like a Witch, and the thing that made a Witch a Witch was an Authority―― no, it was the key by which an Authority was manifested, a Witch Factor. For the Witch in question, without showing any diffidence, to not recognize humanity within Od Lagna, regardless of whether or not it was a conceptual entity, made him want to at least hold out a handkerchief for it to wipe its tears with. Be that as it may――,

Aldebaran: [Just like Teacher, I’m part of the side doing the pestering…]

Thinking of the Authority in his possession, Aldebaran sighed as he scratched the back of his neck.

From Od Lagna’s perspective, while it went without saying for the Witch who ran counter to the rules it had laid out, the one being tutored by that Witch, Aldebaran, would have also been considered an indisputable anarchist. No matter what Aldebaran could have said to it, it would have only ever seemed like he was trying to deceive it.

For Aldebaran, acquiring his Authority had been a matter he had no say in, so he wished to be given a break from being glared at by Od Lagna, the very will of the world itself.

Witch: [But, if you are going to use that line of logic, the same goes for the rest of us. It does not happen very often that someone takes in a Witch Factor of their own volition. The only ones who fit that description would be the Valiant and the Saintess, who attempted to obtain power that defied reality.]

Aldebaran: [Don’t come out all of a sudden using keywords that catch my interest. What’s this now, Valiant? Saintess? There are people with such archetypal jobs in this world?]

Witch: [Oya, is it really so surprising? It shouldn’t be so strange for there to be a Saintess given the existence of a Witch, correct?]

Aldebaran: [In that case, there should be a Demon King given the existence of a Valiant, yet is there?]

Witch: [Hahaha, no matter how you look at it, a Demon King would be a bit too far-fetched, no?]

Aldebaran: [This doesn’t make a lick of sense…]

If a Saintess corresponded to a Witch, it should have been a Demon King that corresponded to a Valiant, but the theory of such a Demon King existing was scoffed at, so Aldebaran’s lips zipped into a frown in a grand expression of his discontent. Her smile deepening at Aldebaran’s reaction, the Witch resumed with “However”,

Witch: [Demon King, Demon King, hm? With how it is written, it would be a King of Evil… it would make sense for such a figure to be one who rules over Witches. If you can bend me and the other Witches into submission, it does not seem like it would be such a bad idea to proclaim yourself the Demon King.]

Aldebaran: [Well, to make Teacher and the others serve me would certainly be a pretty picture straight out of a man’s dreams. As long as I just close my eyes to the impossibility of such a thing~!]

Witch: [Hm, impossible, is it? ――I believe otherwise.]

The moment her quiet voice spoke those words, Aldebaran froze still.

With eyes framed by long lashes cast down, the Witch brought a finger to her lips in rumination, and as the unfathomably deep pool of knowledge revealed itself upon her beautiful face,

Witch: [The Witch Factors that manifest Authorities have no greater or lesser power than one another. Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth; there is no inherent superiority or inferiority among them, which holds true even for the abilities of any given Authority. Though, there are some that become obstreperous when tied to the strength of the user, like in the case of Sekhmet’s Authority.]

Aldebaran: [Ah, yeah, she was like the strongest Witch in generations, right?]

Witch: [There is no doubt about that evaluation. But then again, Sekhmet had major shortcomings outside of her strength which could be taken advantage of. Perhaps because of her lineage as a Giant, she was sloppy in many things.]

Aldebaran: [That summarization of yours was just as sloppy… By the way, about your Authority, Teacher…?]

Witch: [It is an uninteresting Authority. ――Through “Past”, “Present”, and “Future”, I can view any event I wish to. It is truly monotonous. I spoke of Witch Factors as pestering Od Lagna, but this cannot be perceived as anything but clear pestering towards myself.]

Shrugging her shoulders in lamentation, the Witch sought Aldebaran’s sympathy. But unfortunately, Aldebaran did not quite understand the Witch’s dissatisfaction.

The Witch before his eyes was a monster of curiosity, and for that reason had attained the title of the Witch of Greed. The explanation of her Authority just now could only have been seen as fitting for the Witch who was chosen by the Witch Factor of Greed due to her intense thirst for knowledge.

Witch: [Well, the matter of my boorish Authority is fine for now. More importantly, about your Authority―― I believe it to be an absolute, something capable of attaining victory against all sorts of opponents, including Sekhmet.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Witch: [Oya, the look on your face appears to not believe me in the slightest. How strange.]

Aldebaran: [It’s not strange or anything of the like. In truth, I don’t believe a shred of that. Unfortunately, I don’t think you and the other Witches are such tiny hills that I could surmount them with a couple of retries, Teacher.]

To speak ill of oneself was not healthy, but he could not help saying that.

It was not as though he did not understand the Witch’s logic, but it was something akin to taking a chance that was ultimately not zero, but practically zero in essence, and deceitfully boasting that it was possible.

As two fellow living beings, if an ant fought an elephant, the chances that the ant would win were not zero, but anyone could understand that it was a chance that would not come to fruition even if given a million, no, not even ten billion attempts. Not to mention, in this case, the ant Aldebaran’s opponent was not an elephant, but a dragon.

Against a dragon that could breathe fire, and soar through the skies, just how could the ant emerge victorious?

Witch: [An ant would not win, certainly. I am not saying that I have disregarded reality to that extent.]

Aldebaran: [That so? Though, this space we’re in, I heard it was a failed attempt at a plan to create another world, one stretched out to be the same size as the real world…]

Witch: [I am not saying that I have disregarded reality to that extent. Hence, it would be impossible for an ant.]

The Witch resumed her words whilst ignoring the inconvenient criticism, causing Aldebaran to make a bitter face at her selfishness, as she continued with “but”,

Witch: [What about if it was not an ant, but a dog? Do you not think it stands a better chance than the ant?]

Aldebaran: […Well, compared to an ant…]

Witch: [Right? Or if you prefer, do you not get the feeling that the ant would have a shot of winning against a dog? That is to say, there is merely a gap between the ant and the dog that can be overturned depending on the conditions and the methods employed. Thus, if the ant can pose a threat to the dog, then it is also possible for the dog to pose a threat to the elephant.]

Aldebaran: […I’m understanding bit by bit. Teacher, what do you want to tell me?]

Placing a hand on his chin, Aldebaran responded so, and the Witch flashed a wicked smile as if to hint that he had already gotten it. ――It was a gentle, pretty smile, which was precisely why its nature was something that could only be described as wicked and vile.

At the very least, whenever Aldebaran managed to draw out that smile, he would end up feeling happy.

Aldebaran: [Those methods and conditions for an ant to pose a threat to a dog, and a dog to an elephant, are what you’re teaching me, Teacher. Of course, even with those at the ready, things won’t suddenly become even between the ant and dog, or between the dog and elephant. But…]

Witch: [If the chance nearing zero can be made into one, you possess the method of turning that one into the very first one after accumulating numerous defeats.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Witch: [That is why, I shall deliberately bestow these words upon you. ――There is nobody who can beat you.]

Indeed, with the Witch’s black eyes looking squarely at him, the words imparted sent a shiver through Aldebaran’s body.

The Witch’s point was layers of sophism, cobbled together from conceivable possibilities and made to sound logical; merely a sand castle of ideals constructed atop a crumbling foundation.

Under rain or wind, or perhaps the malintent of another, it would easily come crashing down, nothing more than a flash so brittle that it would seem like it had never been anything at all. Despite all that, through Aldebaran’s body, through his heart, ran a shiver.

A shiver because he wished to believe those words of the Witch―― no, because he had no choice but to make those words come true.

Witch: [Judging from your demeanor, it would seem that my words have mostly resonated with you, yes?]

Aldebaran: [――. Eh, who’s to say? As a man, it’s not like I didn’t think anything of it; I guess it’s to that extent?]

Witch: [Is that so? Hm, I thought that the words I had chosen were not too shabby, but it would seem I require more diligence… Fufu, oh how luscious it is when you do not procure the results you had desired.]

Licking her thin lips, the Witch vocalized quite a sinful joy, and he averted his eyes from her. He had a reluctance to the Witch, bereft of a human heart, who could know what he was truly thinking at a mere touch.

Hence, Aldebaran would deliberately alter the direction of the conversation from what it had been a moment prior.

Aldebaran: [By the way, this is completely unrelated, but why are they called Witch Factors? From what you said, Teacher, it’s not as though Authorities can only emerge in women, yeah? There are other guys like me.]

Witch: [Ah, has that piqued your interest? Previously, I had also wondered about it and decided to investigate, but the reason was nothing too major. When Witch Factors were first perceived in this world… that is, when the first Witch was identified, all those in possession of a Factor just happened to be women.]

Aldebaran: [Just happened, by chance…]

Witch: [Supposing it was not just women, and there were also men in the mix, then they might not have been called Witch Factors, but rather Demon Factors or Evil Factors, and if it was instead only men, then they might have even been called Man-Witch Factors.] [1]

Aldebaran: [Man-Witch Factor… that sounds so lame…!]

Were it to come to that, it would be far cooler to call them Demon King Factors. Only, in the case of Demon King Factors, there would instead be the problem of having seven of them despite being Kings.

Aldebaran: [Well, the “Demon King of Greed” or the “Demon King of Wrath” do sound a lot better. In that case I guess it wouldn’t really be weird no matter how many Kings there are…]

Witch: [Oya oya, your resolve has weakened. For you, the title of Demon King ought to have been the manifestation of a man’s dream to defeat the current Witches and bind them to his servitude, was it not?]

Aldebaran: [Don’t treat what I said in the flow of the conversation as an established fact! First of all, I could never manage dealing with the seven Witches! I’m――]

Witch: [――? You are…?]

Though it was not a tit-for-tat, Aldebaran’s words came to a halt as he lost his cool. As for what laid ahead of those halted words, the Witch enquired with an unmalicious gaze.

At the Witch’s defenceless demeanor, Aldebaran trembled――,

Aldebaran: [IDIOOOT!!]

Witch: [Gyah-! O-oww! That hurt! Why did you do that!?]

Applying pressure to her forehead, to which she had received a flick unguarded, the Witch cried out on the verge of tears. Turning his face away at the Witch’s appeal, Aldebaran firmly placed his fist to his own forehead and entered deep reflection.

Was it not that he was truly overflowing with a longing for company? This Witch, who was likely withholding a plethora of things in her heart of hearts, was causing his own heart to waver far too much. Even if it had been out of necessity, staying in the Witch’s castle for so long might have caused him to develop something in the vein of Stockholm syndrome. Or rather, there was no doubt that was the case.

Aldebaran: [Phew, got carried away there. Close call.]

Witch: [I do not think it is good when you leave me behind to produce those sorts of conclusions from time to time! When you are troubled on how to respond, you try to improve the situation by making extreme contact, and that is a bad habit! I have no memory of teaching you in such a manner!]

Aldebaran: [That’s also some extreme pride to believe your pupil would grow up exactly as you desired. Since when did you change positions from the Witch of Greed to the Witch of Pride? Though, it’d also suit you.]

Witch: [That sarcastic part of you would not be suitable for any of the Witch Factors! If it had to be one, then it seems like Tristitia would be the most fitting! How about that, do you feel displeasure?]

Aldebaran: [Rather than displeasure, I’m just surprised that you mentioned a Witch Factor I had no idea about. Huh? Aren’t there only seven Witch Factors? The evil thoughts are also included?] [2]

Hearing the reverberation of “Tristitia” that the Witch had played as a trump card, Aldebaran received the shock that the Witch Factors he believed to be based on the seven deadly sins, were actually modelled after the original eight evil thoughts.

That instant, the Witch blinked her eyes and muttered a faint “Oops”,

Witch: [Well then, let us once again delve into the details of your Authority’s ability. The phenomenon which occurred in the midst of the trial the other day, where the subjectivity of your Territory was reversed… I would like to propose that we define those as the Victim and Aggressor of the Territory, but――]

Aldebaran: [Wait wait wait, don’t pull the wool over my eyes like that.]

Witch: [But, it is exceedingly important to thoroughly analyze events that have transpired and give names so that things can be easily classified. You must not neglect these things.]

Aldebaran: [Sure then, we can call it the Victim and Aggressor of the Territory. More importantly, the evil thoughts.]

Unexpectedly, she was zooming through an aspect of his Authority so fast that she would leave behind a trail, but Aldebaran halted the Witch, and pressed her for details.

Ultimately, Aldebaran’s objective lay in Envy, but since he had no idea what sort of irregularities might occur, he wished to avoid lacking knowledge for anything pertaining to Witch Factors.

Aldebaran: [Answer. If there’s Tristitia, then is there also Vanagloria?]

Witch: [There is, but you have no particular reason to worry. It is not our responsibility to do anything about them, and I do not wish to get involved. They are both good-for-nothings.]

Aldebaran: [That oughta be a given since nobody who’s taken in a Witch Factor is a decent person!]

Witch: [They are especially good-for-nothing. We were all discovered by our Witch Factors to become Witches. Whereas those two are different. They took in Factors of their own volition, pure aberrants reduced to Witch and Warlock.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Witch: [Whoops, allow me to amend that. Those two were not the only ones to willingly take in a Witch Factor. There is one more. ――That is none other than the foe you and I share in common.]

The Witch’s utterance was quiet, however, in it Aldebaran perceived powerful emotions the opposite of silence: dark, murky hostility and hatred, anger and sorrow, likely every conceivable negative sentiment.

The simple, unacceptable aversion regarding the two evaluated as good-for-nothings was easy to understand. That she truly hated them, was clear.

However, the negative emotions directed towards the final person added on, were exceedingly complex.

Undoubtedly, it was to the extent of convincing one that love and hatred were two sides of the same coin. ――And, those emotions were by no means a stranger’s affair to Aldebaran.

Witch: [Indeed. You and I are no strangers. Though we are not related by blood, we are strongly bound together. Not only because we have spent a long time together, but more fundamentally… I suppose it’s something like this. To me, you are something like a little brother.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Witch: [Hm? That expression, what is the matter?]

Aldebaran: [Nah, I was just considering the age gap. Older sister? You’d be lucky to be my great grandma, no?]

Witch: [On top of that extremely unpleasant sense of age, you have gone and instantly made us feel like strangers!]

As the Witch exploded with discontent, Aldebaran made no effort to listen.

Only, when the Witch had likened herself to an older sister, he had also felt displeasure at being treated like a younger brother.

A terribly unhealthy relationship, one in which they would never be equal, yet bound by necessity to collaborate toward a shared goal; they were by no means in a relationship as warm as that between a brother and sister.

Thinking that whilst ignoring the Witch’s objections, Aldebaran pondered.

He was awfully loathe to admit it, but――,

Aldebaran: [If the current mood is anything to go by, then certainly, Tristitia might have also been just perfect for me.]

So he spoke.

《To be continued》

Translation Notes:

[1] – The Author is toying with some Kanji here, and uses 魔人因子 to describe a gender-neutral state of Witch Factors. Typically, 魔人 is prescribed to the masculine role of Warlock, but given it being gender neutral here, it has been done as Demon Factor. Additionally, 魔因子, which drops notions of personhood, is rendered as Evil Factor.

[2] – Originally, there were the eight evil thoughts, developed by Evagrius Ponticus, which later became interpreted as the capital sins, and revised into the seven deadly sins.