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Scrapped Princess | Canzonetta of the Unforgiven | The Songstress | Part 2/5
High roads come in a variety of types.
The main high roads that connect major cities, for example, have special bureaus dedicated to their maintenance, and so that they may serve as the foundations upon which any number of different industries will develop, they are rigorously superintended.
However, the reality for those rural high roads that are far removed from the capital is that they are simply no more than bare earth, trodden down over long years by the shoes of the people coming and going, by the hooves of their horses, by the wheels of their carts. They are not particularly paved, nor has any lighting been constructed. The high road that leads to Taurus is relatively well maintained, but that is only because it is a legal requirement for high roads to have standardized guideposts which display the widths of their narrowest points (so that carts can pass each other without first having to reach a compromise).
For this reason . . . the high road is incredibly dangerous after the sun has set.
Carnivorous beasts come out, as well as those people who are even more dangerous: bandits and brigands. Those who would travel that road despite knowing this would have to be plain stupid, suicidal, or else . . .
"Is that it? The place mentioned in the report, I mean."
The lights of the city of Taurus were visible in the distance.
In the middle of the dark road were two figures on horseback.
Both horses were chestnuts, of a very common sort. However, on seeing them, a knowledgeable person would probably be able to tell that these two had undergone a great deal of special training . . . training for warhorses that are destined for combat. All of their natural timidity and sensitivity had been wiped away, and within the eyes of these herbivores lurked a loyalty and courage much like that of a hunting dog.
As for their riders, they were, respectively, a man of large stature and--providing a contrast to him--a slender boy.
The man may have been around thirty. He gave the impression of a bronze statue. His features were overlain by something of an angular cast, and his expression was the very essence of cool composure . . . From it, one could surmise that his strength of will was evocative of the coolness and rigidity of a mineral.
Added to that, seeing his short-cropped blond hair and his piercing blue eyes, one could guess his profession to some extent.
The boy, by contrast, had beautiful, elegant features.
Though he wore the same ash grey traveler's garb as the man, that only made it all the more apparent . . . that expensive, aristocratic formal attire, painstakingly tailored, would suit him quite well.
"The Purgers specialize primarily in the assassination of civilians," the man said in a detached tone. "They lack even a rudimentary knowledge of tactics, but it's said that they possess considerable skill in taijutsu1. To be able to beat them, the Guardian Siblings Casull must possess considerable fighting capabilities. It's no wonder that you were defeated."
"It's a weight off my mind to have you say that," the boy said, shrugging his shoulders and smiling. "Having fought them once, though, I've learned their tricks, so I think I'll be able to win next time."
Suddenly . . . the air around them stirred.
They shone out from the darkness: eyes, eyes, eyes.
Showing no trace of emotion aside from instinctual hunger, they were the beady eyes of reptiles.
The nocturnal mountain lizard. Depending on the circumstances, these creatures are even more dangerous than wildcats or wolves. They can be as big as a large dog while possessing greater vigor than one.
Normally, these animals do not come far enough down the mountains to draw so near to human settlements, but they had probably come in search of prey on which to gorge themselves before hibernating.
What makes these creatures so terrifying is that they work as a team. Of course, their smattering of intelligence renders complex, coordinated actions impossible. Nor do they possess the wits to target vital points.They simply fall upon their quarry in a scramble of self-interest, sinking their teeth in without bothering about the particulars.
However, it is probably those who lose their lives at the first bite who are the fortunate ones. In the worst cases, their victims experience the agony of their entire bodies being greedily devoured, dying after prolonged suffering.
"You don't seem too enthusiastic about this assignment."
"Well . . . they had me in a position where I couldn't have complained even if they'd killed me, yet they looked the other way. So this seems rather like returning evil for good."
"Cast your personal feelings aside. If you can't do that, I have subordinates standing by at the rear--I could have one of them take your place."
"No, that's all right, Major Sturm.2 It's also a fact that I've been wanting to try fighting them again."
The man and the boy calmly continued their conversation. Their horses, too, showed no signs of fear. Not even the dullest of wits could have failed to notice the intense atmosphere of hunger that hung in the air around them. They could not possibly have failed to notice, and yet . . .
One of the lizards suddenly sprang forward.
Its target was the boy. As the smaller of the two, he would be easier to strike down. Apparently, the lizards' intelligence could manage at least this level of shrewdness.
For an instant.
The lizard's body appeared to halt in midair. It was most likely a trick of the eyes. However, what had taken place in that moment was an unmistakable fact.
The lizard's body was cleaved perfectly in two, from head to tail, and fell to either side of the boy's horse. The bisected body thrashed around for a moment, as though seized by convulsions, but it quickly fell still.
The boy gripped a lengthy weapon--a halberd--in his hands. In a feat of agility that took no more than a moment, he had deployed that weapon (which had been remodeled into a folding design) from beneath his cloak and struck.
"In that case, let's head out," the man said, prompting his horse forward. Another lizard leapt at his back.
Astride his horse, the man did not so much as look back as he slid one hand into his breast pocket and started to pull something out. That something flew toward the lizard in a whip-like undulation, seizing its bulky frame and coiling around it several times over.
Chirr--!
The man flicked the hand that held that weapon--a black cord--and the loops that had captured the lizard instantly contracted . . . and like a cleaning rag being vigorously wrung out, blood gushed from the lizard's entire body as it died. This too was a feat of agility that took no more than a moment.
"Luke Sturm's garrote3 . . . This is the first time I've seen it. It's something I'd like to try my hand against," the boy said, gazing at the man's weapon in what appeared to be a keen interest.
"My close-combat skills are purely a sideline intended for self-defense," the man answered bluntly. "It's meaningless to compare them to yours."
"Do you think so?"
"Whether it's pieces on a chessboard or techniques, nothing is a panacea. Everything has its time and place to be used. If you miscalculate that, you won't be able to make use of even half of your true abilities, but if you employ them aptly, you can capitalize on them many times over." The man's--Luke's--words held neither self-conceit nor humility. His was a composed tone, as though he were merely relating the results of his calculations in an indifferent manner. "The most important thing is the information we need to decide on our tactics. First, we'll observe and analyze the Guardians in question. Making a move against them comes after that."
The two of them directed their horses toward the city, just as though nothing had happened. Their backs gave every appearance of defenselessness, and yet . . . the other lizards kept down as though frozen in place, and made no move.
Even they, who acted almost entirely by instinct, understood. Understood just exactly what these beings they had challenged were.
With ravenous hunger still in their bellies, the lizards remained cowering in that place, until the figures of the man and the boy had passed out of their sight.
---
[Next] [Previous]
Notes:
1) 体術, literally, "body techniques." Refers to Japanese martial arts techniques involving body movements. Back
2) Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. (better known as simply "Ruger") is the fourth largest firearms manufacturer in the United States of America. Back
3) I translated this as garotte only because it's a weapon made of a cord (though Luke doesn't really use it like a garotte). The text actually has ギャレット (GYARETTO), which usually transliterates to Garrett, Gallet, or galette, while I've only ever seen garotte written as ギャロット (GYAROTTO). Sensei also places it inside brackets, which is something he usually only does with certain types of proper nouns, like aliases (Big Noise, Convict), spell names (Múspell, Ásgarð), and titles (Guardians, Purgers). By contrast, neither Chris's halberd nor Finebel's stiletto is bracketed. So all this causes me to suspect that I'm missing a reference, basically. As always, feel free to leave a comment if you know what it is. Back
One tricky thing is that the narration tends to make these general sort of observations, and they often blend into story-specific ones. Like in this chapter, talk about high roads segues into an explanation of the specific high road that leads to Taurus. I keep going back and forth about whether to keep those bits in present tense (as though Dustvin, Manurhin, Taurus, etc. were real places, or as though magic actually existed) or to switch them to past tense like the rest of the story-specific narration.
[Disclaimer]
Scrapped Princess | Canzonetta of the Unforgiven | The Songstress | Part 2/5
High roads come in a variety of types.
The main high roads that connect major cities, for example, have special bureaus dedicated to their maintenance, and so that they may serve as the foundations upon which any number of different industries will develop, they are rigorously superintended.
However, the reality for those rural high roads that are far removed from the capital is that they are simply no more than bare earth, trodden down over long years by the shoes of the people coming and going, by the hooves of their horses, by the wheels of their carts. They are not particularly paved, nor has any lighting been constructed. The high road that leads to Taurus is relatively well maintained, but that is only because it is a legal requirement for high roads to have standardized guideposts which display the widths of their narrowest points (so that carts can pass each other without first having to reach a compromise).
For this reason . . . the high road is incredibly dangerous after the sun has set.
Carnivorous beasts come out, as well as those people who are even more dangerous: bandits and brigands. Those who would travel that road despite knowing this would have to be plain stupid, suicidal, or else . . .
"Is that it? The place mentioned in the report, I mean."
The lights of the city of Taurus were visible in the distance.
In the middle of the dark road were two figures on horseback.
Both horses were chestnuts, of a very common sort. However, on seeing them, a knowledgeable person would probably be able to tell that these two had undergone a great deal of special training . . . training for warhorses that are destined for combat. All of their natural timidity and sensitivity had been wiped away, and within the eyes of these herbivores lurked a loyalty and courage much like that of a hunting dog.
As for their riders, they were, respectively, a man of large stature and--providing a contrast to him--a slender boy.
The man may have been around thirty. He gave the impression of a bronze statue. His features were overlain by something of an angular cast, and his expression was the very essence of cool composure . . . From it, one could surmise that his strength of will was evocative of the coolness and rigidity of a mineral.
Added to that, seeing his short-cropped blond hair and his piercing blue eyes, one could guess his profession to some extent.
The boy, by contrast, had beautiful, elegant features.
Though he wore the same ash grey traveler's garb as the man, that only made it all the more apparent . . . that expensive, aristocratic formal attire, painstakingly tailored, would suit him quite well.
"The Purgers specialize primarily in the assassination of civilians," the man said in a detached tone. "They lack even a rudimentary knowledge of tactics, but it's said that they possess considerable skill in taijutsu1. To be able to beat them, the Guardian Siblings Casull must possess considerable fighting capabilities. It's no wonder that you were defeated."
"It's a weight off my mind to have you say that," the boy said, shrugging his shoulders and smiling. "Having fought them once, though, I've learned their tricks, so I think I'll be able to win next time."
Suddenly . . . the air around them stirred.
They shone out from the darkness: eyes, eyes, eyes.
Showing no trace of emotion aside from instinctual hunger, they were the beady eyes of reptiles.
The nocturnal mountain lizard. Depending on the circumstances, these creatures are even more dangerous than wildcats or wolves. They can be as big as a large dog while possessing greater vigor than one.
Normally, these animals do not come far enough down the mountains to draw so near to human settlements, but they had probably come in search of prey on which to gorge themselves before hibernating.
What makes these creatures so terrifying is that they work as a team. Of course, their smattering of intelligence renders complex, coordinated actions impossible. Nor do they possess the wits to target vital points.They simply fall upon their quarry in a scramble of self-interest, sinking their teeth in without bothering about the particulars.
However, it is probably those who lose their lives at the first bite who are the fortunate ones. In the worst cases, their victims experience the agony of their entire bodies being greedily devoured, dying after prolonged suffering.
"You don't seem too enthusiastic about this assignment."
"Well . . . they had me in a position where I couldn't have complained even if they'd killed me, yet they looked the other way. So this seems rather like returning evil for good."
"Cast your personal feelings aside. If you can't do that, I have subordinates standing by at the rear--I could have one of them take your place."
"No, that's all right, Major Sturm.2 It's also a fact that I've been wanting to try fighting them again."
The man and the boy calmly continued their conversation. Their horses, too, showed no signs of fear. Not even the dullest of wits could have failed to notice the intense atmosphere of hunger that hung in the air around them. They could not possibly have failed to notice, and yet . . .
One of the lizards suddenly sprang forward.
Its target was the boy. As the smaller of the two, he would be easier to strike down. Apparently, the lizards' intelligence could manage at least this level of shrewdness.
For an instant.
The lizard's body appeared to halt in midair. It was most likely a trick of the eyes. However, what had taken place in that moment was an unmistakable fact.
The lizard's body was cleaved perfectly in two, from head to tail, and fell to either side of the boy's horse. The bisected body thrashed around for a moment, as though seized by convulsions, but it quickly fell still.
The boy gripped a lengthy weapon--a halberd--in his hands. In a feat of agility that took no more than a moment, he had deployed that weapon (which had been remodeled into a folding design) from beneath his cloak and struck.
"In that case, let's head out," the man said, prompting his horse forward. Another lizard leapt at his back.
Astride his horse, the man did not so much as look back as he slid one hand into his breast pocket and started to pull something out. That something flew toward the lizard in a whip-like undulation, seizing its bulky frame and coiling around it several times over.
Chirr--!
The man flicked the hand that held that weapon--a black cord--and the loops that had captured the lizard instantly contracted . . . and like a cleaning rag being vigorously wrung out, blood gushed from the lizard's entire body as it died. This too was a feat of agility that took no more than a moment.
"Luke Sturm's garrote3 . . . This is the first time I've seen it. It's something I'd like to try my hand against," the boy said, gazing at the man's weapon in what appeared to be a keen interest.
"My close-combat skills are purely a sideline intended for self-defense," the man answered bluntly. "It's meaningless to compare them to yours."
"Do you think so?"
"Whether it's pieces on a chessboard or techniques, nothing is a panacea. Everything has its time and place to be used. If you miscalculate that, you won't be able to make use of even half of your true abilities, but if you employ them aptly, you can capitalize on them many times over." The man's--Luke's--words held neither self-conceit nor humility. His was a composed tone, as though he were merely relating the results of his calculations in an indifferent manner. "The most important thing is the information we need to decide on our tactics. First, we'll observe and analyze the Guardians in question. Making a move against them comes after that."
The two of them directed their horses toward the city, just as though nothing had happened. Their backs gave every appearance of defenselessness, and yet . . . the other lizards kept down as though frozen in place, and made no move.
Even they, who acted almost entirely by instinct, understood. Understood just exactly what these beings they had challenged were.
With ravenous hunger still in their bellies, the lizards remained cowering in that place, until the figures of the man and the boy had passed out of their sight.
---
[Next] [Previous]
Notes:
1) 体術, literally, "body techniques." Refers to Japanese martial arts techniques involving body movements. Back
2) Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. (better known as simply "Ruger") is the fourth largest firearms manufacturer in the United States of America. Back
3) I translated this as garotte only because it's a weapon made of a cord (though Luke doesn't really use it like a garotte). The text actually has ギャレット (GYARETTO), which usually transliterates to Garrett, Gallet, or galette, while I've only ever seen garotte written as ギャロット (GYAROTTO). Sensei also places it inside brackets, which is something he usually only does with certain types of proper nouns, like aliases (Big Noise, Convict), spell names (Múspell, Ásgarð), and titles (Guardians, Purgers). By contrast, neither Chris's halberd nor Finebel's stiletto is bracketed. So all this causes me to suspect that I'm missing a reference, basically. As always, feel free to leave a comment if you know what it is. Back
One tricky thing is that the narration tends to make these general sort of observations, and they often blend into story-specific ones. Like in this chapter, talk about high roads segues into an explanation of the specific high road that leads to Taurus. I keep going back and forth about whether to keep those bits in present tense (as though Dustvin, Manurhin, Taurus, etc. were real places, or as though magic actually existed) or to switch them to past tense like the rest of the story-specific narration.
