Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Comprachicos (4)
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Dragons are called the race of benevolence.
Because they possess an overwhelming power no other race could ever hope to challenge. Thus, they feel absolutely no threat from other races. They just laugh it off.
Like a cute kitten frolicking about. That's how other races looked to dragons. Of course, some might hate cats or find them repulsive depending on the circumstances.
But barring special cases, they'd almost never go out of their way to kill a cat themselves. Yuren fell into the former category of dragons.
She was the most intelligent and powerful among all dragons. And with her sense of responsibility, she personally founded the Royal Knights and took the captain's seat.
The Royal Knights under her command boasted an undefeated legend. Even the demons who sneered at the continent's mortals as "ephemerals" treated only the Royal Knights with caution.
But sadly, she wasn't suited for a leadership role. Ironically, it was because she loved her knights too much. She couldn't rein in their rampages.
"Captain Yuren! He's crossing the line right now!"
"If we don't punish him now...!!"
"It's fine. I'll watch him personally."
She couldn't cut them off decisively. She failed to excise the rotting parts, and so the Royal Knights began to fester from within. To her, everyone was equal.
And this was the result. They'd thought it a meticulously prepared expedition. In truth, they'd merely been toys in its hands. Her indulgent love had doomed them all to death.
She had no choice but to take responsibility. That's what a captain does. She'd been overconfident, believing her power alone would suffice. The price of that hubris was her comrades' deaths.
"Wait a minute. I want to cast her as a stage actress?"
"Hah? Are you insane? This bitch is our greatest rival!"
"At least give her an honorable death, no?"
"What's wrong with my stage?! It's the ultimate stage!"
"No interest in a stage from a degenerate pervert like you. Just kill her."
The reason she clung to even a sliver of life was that final twist she'd witnessed. In the story as scripted, she'd met a pathetic end.
But her last-ditch effort to save her comrade caught the eye of some vile bastard. And so, she was thrust onto the stage as a clown.
Naturally, no demon approved. But if it meant killing her cleanly without backlash, the method didn't matter. And that's exactly what happened.
The curse of the brand. Incredibly hard to engrave, but once properly set, it could slay even a dragon. For her weakened state, it was child's play.
"Ah."
And then her eyes opened again. She wasn't aware of the action. It was just like waking suddenly from sleep. She was there. And before her stood a man gripping a sword.
His helmet was half-shattered. Blood seeped from the gaps in his ruined armor. Silently, she gazed at her hands. They were drenched in blood.
Not hers. Someone else's.
Yuren grasped the situation at once. She was in the midst of doing something gravely wrong. The man was trying to stop her. But before she could speak...
The end came.
"Cough."
Flesh tearing from her body. Blood gushed from her chest. The gaping hole held only a half-ripped heart and shards of bone. A dragon's vitality was truly wondrous.
Even the brand's curse couldn't fully claim her life. Or perhaps the stage's director intended it so. A small mercy—to hear last words from a dying comrade.
Yuren sensed her death. She could utter only a fleeting word or two. No chance of survival. In that case, better to die in silence. That alone would be atonement.
But while she surrendered...
He hadn't.
I genuinely loved this game.
What drew me in? The gorgeous artwork? The tantalizing descriptions? Solid gameplay for an eroge? Plenty of reasons. But what I loved most was bonding with the heroines.
Every heroine endured a grueling life, each with their own tragic backstory. Of course—with over eighty percent of the continent overrun by demons, suffering was inevitable.
Each heroine has her tale. As the protagonist, I listen to them one by one. And I resolve their plights however I can. That hit deep.
Sure, some dismissed it as glorified errand-running despite the captain title. But to me, he was the ultimate protagonist. The devs' management, though? Not so much.
"Heard you need the DLC for the true ending?"
"To be precise, true ending requires conquering every heroine. Catch is, that includes the DLC ones lmao."
"Kya~ Total trash game tier kekekeke."
The true ending DLC controversy? Didn't faze me. I was thrilled at more heroines to romance. That's how invested I was.
I wrote newbie guides. Discovered elves flipping out over one felled tree first. Reported bugs to the devs myself.
The heroine DLC dropped? Bought it day one, blasted to true ending. Having cleared the brutal Helia route early made it a breeze.
After all that...
"Such a beautiful bride! This uncle is overjoyed!"
"Blasted my load in a virgin pussy, untouched till now!"
"This uncle will now bow out gracefully. Hate sloppy seconds."
...My first brush with the Time Stop Breeding Uncle was pure nightmare fuel.
How could it not be? Over a thousand hours in this single-route eroge. From early access to completion, every DLC bought.
That ending invalidated it all. I despised it.
I hate the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.
I loathe the me who's become the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.
People say: why risk everything over a stupid game? I'd ask them: can't you pour your soul into a game? Can't get real about it?
I just craved a happy end for everyone.
So as the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, I can't stay by their sides. Stuck as captain for now, but who knows when I'll snap.
In that vein, she had to be saved. Former captain, right? She'd lead way better than Time Stop Breeding Uncle me.
Sure, she blew it once. But I wouldn't do better. Better the devil you know. That mindset fueled my sprint.
"Her heart...!!!"
Dragon resilience? Or deliberate design? No time for theories. I froze time instantly. My mind swarmed with doubts.
Isn't she done for?
Can I even save her like this?
Shouldn't I just let her pass peacefully?
What if I drag her back and the brainwashing won't break?
Don't know. No clue.
What now?
Can I save her at all? Closest shot's Cluna at Lionheart Fortress. Even frozen time—could I make it there?
Time stop's fatal flaws: cooldown and stamina drain. Worth tanking both? Cooldown aside, could my body last days?
Every angle screamed no. Yet here I was, hoisting her shattered-heart body onto my back. No way to know without trying to the bitter end.
I froze time again and trudged forward. Barely any distance, but my lungs flooded like drowning. Steps dragged. Exhaustion like death.
"How pathetic. Desperately trying to save someone with the power you despise."
Exhaustion-induced hallucination? Or someone actually speaking to me? I hacked up a cough. Blood-flecked phlegm.
"Do you truly not know? Or are you turning a blind eye?"
"......"
"The more you hate that power, the more it hates you."
"......"
"You'll never wield that power perfectly!"
The grating noise echoed relentlessly in my ears.
But I clenched my jaw and pushed through.