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angemediaBefore today's chapter, a note: the LoveLove Tenshi website did a minor update with a new piece of front-page art (which looks better than what we've seen so far) and an announcement that they're holding the game till fall to bring us (or, rather, not us, just fans in Japan) a better product, etc. They're also revealed that Ernst is up next, though it's just a small headshot; he doesn't have a chara page or last name or anything yet. (Also, Ernst looks de-aged in that shot - like a teenager.)
Also, there's this image of Sionna, which I think someone cadged from Pixiv, but whatever.
*******
In today's chapter: Hey, did you know that Kiefar is kind of a jerk? 'Cause I think Kiefar is kind of a jerk.
3
The sun sank beyond the horizon, and the manor's interior was bathed in twilight.
A certain breed of malice had congealed within this old house, grown hard and resilient over the years; I could almost feel its fetid breath spewing forth from the shadows. This wouldn't die as easily as a human would.
I ascended a giant staircase in the front hallway leading to the second floor and proceeded toward the left, further in. Cain opened the door to one of the rooms near the far end of the building and beckoned me inside. The room within was plain but tidy; this would be my quarters, Cain said.
"My room is next door. Come to me if anything happens. Once you've unpacked your luggage, we might as well proceed to the dining hall; it'll be time for dinner before long."
He had turned to leave when it happened.
An ear-splitting scream ripped through the air.
Cain reacted first, running out into the corridor; he seemed to have already guessed its source. The door in his sharp sights opened noiselessly, and a man splattered with blood staggered out.
Behind him followed several men clad in silver armor. Their gait was unhurried - unconcerned.
The bloody man reached out with both arms in a plea for help. In response, one of the soldiers withdrew his thin sword with a hiss and brought it down smoothly into the back of the man's neck.
The man convulsed.
When the sword was withdrawn, a gout of blood the same width as the blade spurted out, and the man collapsed forward on his face.
My disbelieving eyes gazed blankly before me at death's newest visitation.
"KIEFAR!!" Cain shouted in rage.
"My apologies...I never intended for you to see that."
A clear, strong voice rang out into the corridor. The soldiers in silver armor swiftly formed twin lines on either side of the hall and stood at attention still as statues.
From the darkened doorway emerged a high-strung young man of the same age as Cain - perhaps a little younger. He carried himself like royalty. His dark blond hair was slicked back neatly, without a hair out of place; his chestnut eyes were sharp and slanted, nose high-bridged, lips thin. His facial structure may have been flawless, but the expression upon it gave the impression of severe cruelty.
The man himself seemed to be in high spirits, eyes merrily darting hither and yon over the dead man bleeding out in the hallway.
Cain glared at the man from the entryway. "You have been forbidden time and again from disciplining your soldiers in private. What compels you to such brutality?"
Kiefar answered with a defiant grin. "And as I have explained to you time and again, Cain - I find it necessary."
"In what way is this 'necessary'?"
"For my unit. I have to maintain discipline. I appreciate your input, but you must understand that I have my methods."
"Are you telling me to keep quiet?"
"If I give you an honest answer, will you?"
Cain was always so composed, but the man's passive aggression got under his skin. This Kiefar certainly is a quick thinker, I mused absentmindedly, watching the two stare each other down.
"Are you two quarreling even here?" came a slight, soft voice from behind me. "You're upsetting the little one!"
When I turned around, I saw a young man leaning against the wall, arms folded, looking my way and smiling. He was a tall, thin man, simply clad in a blouse and slacks, but nonetheless possessed a certain aristocratic air about him. With his eyes of palest blue and his silver hair tinged with violet that fell like strands of silk around his face, he seemed a ghostly image of ephemeral beauty, like a mayfly dancing in the twilight.
"My goodness...what a darling little doll you are! Wherever did you find him?" The man inclined his head and transfixed me with a dreamlike stare.
"He's a new comrade I've brought to us, Eugene. His name is Sionna," Cain responded, the calm having returned to his voice.
"Comrade...?" The smile faded from Eugene's face. "And does *he* know about this?"
"Not yet; I'll be reporting to him right after this. I know he'll be pleased by such uncommon talent."
"But he won't be pleased with you taking such initiative, will he, Cain?" said Eugene in a singsong tone pointedly laced with poison.
"I never had any such intention."
"I suppose...but you bring the poor child to a place like this, and right away he witnesses someone's death...you probably want to go home now, don't you, Sionna?" He flashed me a smile that was at once gentle and frightful.
"It doesn't scare me to see someone die...I suffer from probable homicidal mania myself."
"Sionna!" Cain hissed.
"Well, well, well...!" Kiefar stood snickering behind him.
"I'm sorry, Cain," said I, lowering my eyes to the floor. "But they're going to find out eventually...that's why I came here, wasn't it? To kill a lot of people? I have to let them know where I stand."
"Ha ha ha!! For such a sweet face, he certainly can talk! I'll be looking forward to seeing him in action!" Kiefar clapped his hands in outright glee, applauding a silent Cain. Eugene stared enrapt into space and gave a peculiar smile.
"Of course......I understand you now, Cain. But please don't go leaving this scary doll in my room."
Eugene extended a pale, thin hand to me.
"Welcome, Sionna. Allow me to show you to our dining hall."
But I wouldn't take his hand.
Eugene assessed my expression and withdrew. Cain turned back to Kiefar. "Clean up after your...well, you know your duties. At least give him a proper burial."
"Don't you worry!" shot back Kiefar in a tone of playful resignation, a snicker still stifled behind his smirking lips.
Also, there's this image of Sionna, which I think someone cadged from Pixiv, but whatever.
*******
In today's chapter: Hey, did you know that Kiefar is kind of a jerk? 'Cause I think Kiefar is kind of a jerk.
3
Twilight of Blood
The sun sank beyond the horizon, and the manor's interior was bathed in twilight.
A certain breed of malice had congealed within this old house, grown hard and resilient over the years; I could almost feel its fetid breath spewing forth from the shadows. This wouldn't die as easily as a human would.
I ascended a giant staircase in the front hallway leading to the second floor and proceeded toward the left, further in. Cain opened the door to one of the rooms near the far end of the building and beckoned me inside. The room within was plain but tidy; this would be my quarters, Cain said.
"My room is next door. Come to me if anything happens. Once you've unpacked your luggage, we might as well proceed to the dining hall; it'll be time for dinner before long."
He had turned to leave when it happened.
An ear-splitting scream ripped through the air.
Cain reacted first, running out into the corridor; he seemed to have already guessed its source. The door in his sharp sights opened noiselessly, and a man splattered with blood staggered out.
Behind him followed several men clad in silver armor. Their gait was unhurried - unconcerned.
The bloody man reached out with both arms in a plea for help. In response, one of the soldiers withdrew his thin sword with a hiss and brought it down smoothly into the back of the man's neck.
The man convulsed.
When the sword was withdrawn, a gout of blood the same width as the blade spurted out, and the man collapsed forward on his face.
My disbelieving eyes gazed blankly before me at death's newest visitation.
"KIEFAR!!" Cain shouted in rage.
"My apologies...I never intended for you to see that."
A clear, strong voice rang out into the corridor. The soldiers in silver armor swiftly formed twin lines on either side of the hall and stood at attention still as statues.
From the darkened doorway emerged a high-strung young man of the same age as Cain - perhaps a little younger. He carried himself like royalty. His dark blond hair was slicked back neatly, without a hair out of place; his chestnut eyes were sharp and slanted, nose high-bridged, lips thin. His facial structure may have been flawless, but the expression upon it gave the impression of severe cruelty.
The man himself seemed to be in high spirits, eyes merrily darting hither and yon over the dead man bleeding out in the hallway.
Cain glared at the man from the entryway. "You have been forbidden time and again from disciplining your soldiers in private. What compels you to such brutality?"
Kiefar answered with a defiant grin. "And as I have explained to you time and again, Cain - I find it necessary."
"In what way is this 'necessary'?"
"For my unit. I have to maintain discipline. I appreciate your input, but you must understand that I have my methods."
"Are you telling me to keep quiet?"
"If I give you an honest answer, will you?"
Cain was always so composed, but the man's passive aggression got under his skin. This Kiefar certainly is a quick thinker, I mused absentmindedly, watching the two stare each other down.
"Are you two quarreling even here?" came a slight, soft voice from behind me. "You're upsetting the little one!"
When I turned around, I saw a young man leaning against the wall, arms folded, looking my way and smiling. He was a tall, thin man, simply clad in a blouse and slacks, but nonetheless possessed a certain aristocratic air about him. With his eyes of palest blue and his silver hair tinged with violet that fell like strands of silk around his face, he seemed a ghostly image of ephemeral beauty, like a mayfly dancing in the twilight.
"My goodness...what a darling little doll you are! Wherever did you find him?" The man inclined his head and transfixed me with a dreamlike stare.
"He's a new comrade I've brought to us, Eugene. His name is Sionna," Cain responded, the calm having returned to his voice.
"Comrade...?" The smile faded from Eugene's face. "And does *he* know about this?"
"Not yet; I'll be reporting to him right after this. I know he'll be pleased by such uncommon talent."
"But he won't be pleased with you taking such initiative, will he, Cain?" said Eugene in a singsong tone pointedly laced with poison.
"I never had any such intention."
"I suppose...but you bring the poor child to a place like this, and right away he witnesses someone's death...you probably want to go home now, don't you, Sionna?" He flashed me a smile that was at once gentle and frightful.
"It doesn't scare me to see someone die...I suffer from probable homicidal mania myself."
"Sionna!" Cain hissed.
"Well, well, well...!" Kiefar stood snickering behind him.
"I'm sorry, Cain," said I, lowering my eyes to the floor. "But they're going to find out eventually...that's why I came here, wasn't it? To kill a lot of people? I have to let them know where I stand."
"Ha ha ha!! For such a sweet face, he certainly can talk! I'll be looking forward to seeing him in action!" Kiefar clapped his hands in outright glee, applauding a silent Cain. Eugene stared enrapt into space and gave a peculiar smile.
"Of course......I understand you now, Cain. But please don't go leaving this scary doll in my room."
Eugene extended a pale, thin hand to me.
"Welcome, Sionna. Allow me to show you to our dining hall."
But I wouldn't take his hand.
Eugene assessed my expression and withdrew. Cain turned back to Kiefar. "Clean up after your...well, you know your duties. At least give him a proper burial."
"Don't you worry!" shot back Kiefar in a tone of playful resignation, a snicker still stifled behind his smirking lips.
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Random translation note
Date: 2011-07-01 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-02 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-02 02:22 am (UTC)What threw me was referring to Kiefa/er as "high strung." He's always so relaxed in his cruelty - he luxuriates in it - and he's not even anything near high-strung in that scene itself.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-02 02:01 am (UTC)Anyway, I have been reading lately, but had little time to comment, so I'll say now that it's appreciated that you're taking the time to translate this novel. I'm glad I get to know even more about the knights.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-02 02:55 am (UTC)Well done on the translation! I think you're doing a wonderful job with this. :)
=O Interesting!
Date: 2011-07-02 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-03 03:39 pm (UTC)