Chapter 1: Meeting In The Lost Country

1

Now then, Suzuki Satoru mused.

那么、铃木悟思虑着。

He had no idea what kind of person this Keeno girl was. However, she was definitely an important source of information. He would need to get her to lower her guard so she would be more willing to talk.

实在不搞不懂这个叫琪诺的少女是什么人。不过她无疑是重要的情报源。为了使其更容易开口，有必要让她先解除警戒。

For starters, she was not a player, from her reactions, but a resident of this world. While he would like to verify that, he had no idea how to achieve that goal.

首先、从她的反应看来似乎并不是玩家，而是这个世界的居民。虽然想确认那是否属实。不过实在想不出该怎么问才能达到目的。

Also, he could not tell if she was trustworthy. He might wind up learning fake information, for all he knew. Right now, he ought to be taking steps to gain her trust.

因为还不清楚她是否值得信赖，说不定会得到虚伪的情报。现在首先该采取的是能得到她信赖的行动吧。

With those thoughts in mind, Suzuki Satoru began by putting on a businessman’s smile, but then he realized that he could not do so in his present state. Therefore, he tried to soften his tone. While his voice could not be considered simperingly sweet, he tried to speak in as gentle a way as possible.

这么想着的铃木悟，首先摆出公司职员式的微笑，却察觉到自己的样子根本做不到。于是至少让说话的语气更加温柔。虽然说不上是叫人肉麻的声音，但即使如此也还是尽量可能温柔的说道。

“Ah… I… while I gave you my name just now, let’s start again. I am Suzuki Satoru.”

「那么……我……虽然刚才也报上名了，不过再来一次。我叫铃木悟」

“Satoru...sama?”

「悟……大人？

Suzuki Satoru could not help but widen his eyes -- though in this body, it would seem fires had ignited in his eyesockets. He had not expected her to immediately go to addressing him by name. She’s being very familiar, Suzuki Satoru mused. And she gave her name too. I’d better remember that. She must have done what she did to highlight that point.

铃木悟不禁瞪大了双眼——现在的这幅身体，似乎变成了眼窝中燃起火焰燃般的光辉。没想到一上来就会被以名相称。还真够亲昵的啊，铃木悟这么想着。也说出了她的名字。我可有好好记住哦，这么做无非就是为了彰显这一点。

“San will do. Now then… you’re Keeno-san, am I right?”

「先生、就可以了。那么……你是琪诺小姐吧」

Now it was the girl’s turn to goggle her eyes. Suzuki Satoru wondered if he had said something inappropriate.

这次轮到少女瞪圆了双眼。是自己说了什么不合适的话吗，悟思索着着。

Keeno Fasrith Inberun.

琪诺•法斯莉斯•茵蓓伦。

Keeno ought to be her given name and Inberun was probably her surname. Or was it Fasrith-Inberun? While he was not sure which was which, the surprised look on her face was probably because she had addressed him by his name, but Suzuki Satoru had used her surname instead. Perhaps she had thought it was a rejection of her good intentions.

应该是琪诺为姓而茵蓓伦为名吧。不、法斯莉斯•茵蓓伦才是名字吗。虽然不清楚是哪种，但她之所以会露出惊讶的表情，估计是因为明明自己以名相称，而铃木悟却以姓回应了吧。说不定会被认为是拒绝了她的好意。

Or was it because he had appended the honorific of -san to her name, despite her being a child?

还是对明明外表是孩子却附上「小姐」这种敬称的这点呢？

“Ah, y-yes…”

「啊，是、是的……」

In that case, please stand up. And then -- speaking here is a little… what do you call it. Well, yes. I could create a tower with magic… but that would be taller than the surrounding buildings. While I also have items with similar abilities… you don’t want to stand out too much, do you?”

「那么请先站起来吧。然后——在这里说也有点那什么。也是呢。虽然我也可以用魔法创造塔……不过那样一来就会比周围的建筑高了呢。虽然也有拥有同样力量的魔法道具……但你也不希望太显眼吧？」

Keeno had barely managed to get to her feet after Suzuki Satoru had pulled her up, and she timidly nodded.

被铃木悟拉着手，好不容易站起来的琪诺胆怯地点了点头。

I see -- Suzuki Satoru did the mental equivalent of narrowing his eyes.

原来如此——铃木悟在内心眯起了眼睛。

That would mean Keeno knew about magic items. Was this common knowledge for this world’s residents, or was it professional knowledge that only she had? Or was she someone connected to YGGDRASIL after all?

就是说这个琪诺也知道魔法道具。这是究竟是这个世界的居民全都知道的常识呢，还是说是她才知道的专业知识呢。又或者她果然是跟YGGDRASIL有关的人物呢。

Still, he felt that there was something wrong in trying to look for some kind of commonplace trait in an undead girl that he had found in a city crawling with Zombies.

不过总觉得在满是僵尸的都市发现的不死者少女身上寻找普遍性本来就有些不对。

And as for why she wanted to avoid attention -- was it because there were other intelligent undead in this city apart from the Zombies, or was it because there were hostile beings around and this place was not safe? That sounded more like it.

至于为什么想要避免显眼——是都市内有僵尸以外的拥有智慧的不死者，或者是敌对性的存在，而这里也并不安全。这么想比较妥当吧。

“In that case, if you know of a safe place, could you take me there?”

「那么、你知道哪里有安全的场所的话，可以带我过去吗？」

Keeno’s body trembled.

琪诺的身子颤了一下。

He could understand how she felt.

那种心情确实感同身受。

In Suzuki Satoru’s case, he would not want to lead someone who might be a PK -- in this case, a suspicious skeleton -- to his secure shelter. Therefore, he ought to take a step back and settle for going to a place where they could talk in peace. Could it be that Keeno did not have a backup hideout?

换做是铃木悟，也不会想把说不定是PK的对手——形迹可疑的骸骨带到自己的安全据点。所以退一步，只要能把自己带到可以安心谈话的地方就好了啊。难道说琪诺就没有第二据点之类的地方吗。

It would be easy to say “you’re not being careful enough”, but since he did not know what Keeno had gone through, he did not have the right to say something like that. Even Suzuki Satoru would not have continued playing YGGDRASIL if he had not met other friends. In other words, a person’s actions were based on their experiences and past. Perhaps Keeno had no need to be that cautious in her daily life.

「不够警戒啊」这么说是容易，但既然自己并不了解至今为止的琪诺，那自然也没有这么说的资格。即使是铃木悟，如果没有遇到同伴估计也不会继续把YGGDRASIL下去的吧。换句话说，人的行动是基于经验和过去的。说不定对于琪诺来说，平日的生活并没有保持那样高度警戒的必要。

Suzuki spoke to her as a YGGDRASIL player addressing an inexperienced newbie.

铃木悟以一名YGGDRASIL玩家的身份，像是对经验不足的新手玩家解说似得说道。

“I don’t need you to take me to your main base. Do you know of any other places that you consider safe? Like say, nearby houses or something?”

「我也不是让你带我去最重要的据点。你知道除那之外的——觉得安全的地方吗？即使是附近的房屋之类的也可以哦？」

Truth to be told, he did want to know where her base of operations was. But Suzuki Satoru was filled with the moral obligation of a hoary veteran giving advice to a rookie, and so he suggested a sincere alternative.

要说真心话的话，确实有想要知道最重要据点的心情。不过对于想把经验传授给新手的高级玩家的义务感涌上心头的铃木悟，发自真心的提出了代替方案。

Also, Keeno might not be the only one in that base. Or was that place as important to her as Satoru’s friends were to him? Suzuki Satoru could fully understand the feeling of not wanting to endanger his friends.

而且在那个据点的可能不止琪诺一个人。或许是有对悟来说就跟同伴们一样的重要存在在她的据点里吗？要说不想让同伴遇到危险的心情，铃木悟也非常感同身受。

“If you can’t decide by yourself, then I don’t mind you coming back after you talk to your supervisor. In that case, I’ll wait nearby… where there aren’t any undead.”

「如果自己一个人没法下决定的话，跟负责人交流后再来也没关系。要是那样我就在这附近的……没有不死者的地方等着好了」

While he did not want to let her escape, neither did he want to stalk her and pump her for information. Letting her trust him was not a bad thing, Suzuki Satoru magnanimously declared in his heart as his sense of duty as a high-level player came to the fore again.

虽然不想让她逃掉，但也没到强行跟踪向她索求情报的地步。首先让对方先信任自己也不错，高级玩家的责任感涌上心头的铃木悟宽大地判断道。

Keeno walked off in a timid, retiring fashion.

琪诺一副畏首畏尾的感觉走了出去。

“Thank you very much, Keeno-san.”

「非常感谢，琪诺小姐」

Keeno’s shoulders twitched as she heard Suzuki Satoru say those words from behind her. Then, she hurriedly turned to look at him.

被铃木悟从背后说了这么句，琪诺的肩膀打了个冷颤。然后急忙转向了铃木悟这边。

“Hm? What, what’s the matter?”

「咦？怎、怎么了？」

“Ah, no, it’s n-nothing…”

「啊，没、没什、么……」

Keeno muttered quietly and walked off.

小声地嘟囔着琪诺走了起来。

What’s going on, Suzuki Satoru wondered. Was she just being cautious, or was it because he really was that frightening?

到底怎么了，铃木悟思索着。果然只是单纯地在警戒吗，还是因为铃木悟很可怕？

In fact, Keeno had been spying on them from a narrow alley, even though she was undead herself. Should he assume that they had been enemies once?

事实上、明明同为不死者，琪诺就像警戒着丧尸们一样从拐角小道窥探着它们的情况。应该认为她们曾经一度敌对过吗。

In that case, what kind of undead beings was she?

而那样的她又是什么种类的不死者呢。

There were many kinds of undead creatures -- even Suzuki Satoru, to some extent -- who had red eyes. However, very few of them looked as presentable as Keeno. While the words Vampire Bride came to mind, she did not feel like she was one of them.

不死者很多都——即使是铃木悟某种意义上也是——有着红色眼睛。不过、像是琪诺这样外貌端庄的不死者非常少。虽然脑中浮现出了吸血鬼新娘[Vampire bride]，不过感觉跟那又不太一样。

It was at this moment that Suzuki Satoru was struck dumb by his sheer ignorance.

这时铃木悟才不禁为自己的浅薄感到无语。

If this really was another world, then it was entirely possible that it might contain undead which were unique to it. However, he could not say that it was completely unconnected to YGGDRASIL. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain why Momonga could use his skills and YGGDRASIL’s spells.

如果这里真的是是异世界的话，那完全有可能会是这个世界独有的不死者啊。不过、也不可能与YGGDRASIL完全没有关联性。不然就没法解释、为什么能使用YGGDRASIL的魔法，还有为什么能使用飞鼠拥有的特殊能力之类的疑问了。

Suzuki Satoru abandoned further thought into the matter. After all, given how little he knew right now, no amount of thinking would give him an answer.

铃木悟放弃了继续思考。毕竟再怎么费神，以现阶段的情报量也是绝对无法得出答案的。

Fortunately, the two of them did not encounter any Zombies as they walked in silence for several minutes. Keeno stopped as she reached the vicinity of the city walls. There was a small single-storey house there, with stairs leading downwards. The arch along the way had a cross-hatched grating set into it.

幸运的是、两个人默默地走了几分钟，一直都没有遇到僵尸。琪诺在城墙附近停下了脚步。那是平房一类的小型建筑，以及通向下方的楼梯。途中的拱形门上嵌着网状格子。

What’s this? If it leads to an underground cellar then shouldn’t it be located inside the building? Is it an underground aqueduct? Or no, should I call it a sewer?

（这是什么？如果是地下储物室的话应该设置在建筑内部才对……是地下水道？不对、应该说是下水道？）

Keeno turned her head.

琪诺转过头来。

“Ah, this is, the place.”

「啊、是、这里」

Her eyes were downcast, as though she was ashamed of how shabby her living quarters were.

目光看向下方，似乎是在为自己简陋的住所感到羞愧。

It was true that it was a hardly a place where a girl ought to be staying. However, it would seem runaway kids in Suzuki Satoru’s world also lived in similar places.

就女孩子的居住场所而言的确有些不堪，不过在铃木悟的世界中，流浪儿童似乎也是居住在类似场所的。

“I see. I hear temperature changes underground are much less extreme than on the surface. You picked a good spot.”

「原来如此。听说地下的气温变化相较地表会平缓很多，你选了一个不错的住处嘛」

Most undead had very high resistance to the cold, and temperature drops should not have inconvenienced them. Therefore, Suzuki Satoru had agonized for a while before finally delivering a clumsy acknowledgement of her words.

一般来说不死者的寒冷抗性是很高的，即便气温下降应该也不会有所困扰才对。所以在经过一番苦思冥想之后，铃木悟才总算说出了这么一句算不上高明的奉承话。

“Does anyone else live here besides you?”

Keeno gently nodded in response to Suzuki Satoru’s question.

「这里除你以外没有其他居住者了吗？」面对铃木悟的提问，琪诺轻轻地点了下头。

“I see… please lead the way, then.”

「这样啊……那么、就请你继续带路吧」

Keeno pushed the metal grate aside. She did not seem to have used undead strength or any particular ability or spell; it had simply been unlocked. And the fact that she knew it would be unlocked was also proof that she treated this place as her base of operations.

琪诺稍微的推开了铁格栅。看上去并没有利用不死者的力量或特殊能力、魔法之类的手段，只是单纯的没有上锁而已。而她事先就知道这里没有上锁，也从侧面证明了她的确有将这里作为据点。

Keeno continued down the stairs ahead of her.

琪诺在前方走下了楼梯。

Although the moonlight swiftly faded away, it did not cause any impairment to the two of them. After all, the undead all possessed the ability of darkvision.

即便月光逐渐消退，也没有对二人的行进造成影响，毕竟不死者都是拥有夜视能力的。

They reached the foot of the stairs, and it would seem this really was a sewer. However, Suzuki Satoru realized along the way that there was no stench of sewage here. In fact, there was no running water at all, only a slightly damp feeling in the air.

走到楼梯的尽头，看来这里果然是下水道。但是铃木悟在下楼的中途就注意到，这里并没有污水的臭气，甚至根本没有流水，有的只是空气中带有少许水汽时独有的那种气息。

Perhaps this was because a long time had passed since the residents of this city had become undead. While rainwater occasionally entered here, fresh sewage had not passed through this place.

这恐怕是因为这个都市的居民变成不死者后，已经过去了相当长的时间吧。期间虽然会有雨水，但却没有生活污水被排进来。

That was probably why Keeno did not smell of sewage despite her lair being located in the sewers.

也正因如此，虽然琪诺将下水道作为自己的据点，但身上却没有沾染上污水的臭味。

A twinge of emotion suddenly ran through Suzuki Satoru.

铃木悟突然产生了一丝感动。

The rain was acidic and foul-smelling in the era where he lived. However, Keeno’s body did not carry an acidic stench, which implied that the rainwater of this world was still as pure and clean as it was in the past.

在他生活的时代，雨水是又酸又臭的。但琪诺身上没有带着那种酸臭味，说明这个世界的雨水仍然是像往昔那般洁净的。

“Perhaps Blue Planet-san would feel sentimental if he were here.”

「蓝色星球桑要是在这里的话，他会有何种感慨呢」

Keeno turned around as she heard Suzuki Satoru talking to himself, and she looked at him with a timid expression on her face.

听到铃木悟的自言自语，琪诺转过头来，带着胆怯的表情偷偷瞄向铃木悟。

“I’m sorry, I was just talking to myself.”

「抱歉、是我在自言自语」

“Ah, oh, I, understand.”

「啊、哦。我知、道了」

As Keeno’s words gradually became easier to make out, Suzuki Satoru could hear the fear she held for him in them.

从琪诺那逐渐变得容易理解的话语声中，也开始能够听的出来、其中所带着的对铃木悟的恐惧之情了。

And I’ve been so nice to her all this while, Suzuki Satoru could not help but gripe. Of course, he had not forgotten the effects of his skeletal appearance. After all, first impressions were hard to change.

明明都已经这么礼貌地对她了啊，铃木悟不由得暗暗叫苦。当然了、他也没有忘记自己那骸骨容颜带来的影响，毕竟外貌给人的第一印象是很难改变的。

Just as he was considering whether or not to cover up his face, the two of them reached their destination. However, it was not because he had been thinking for a long time, but because it was not far from where they had entered the sewers.

就在他思考着是不是该遮住面部的时候，两人抵达了他们的目的地。倒也不是他考虑了很久，只不过这里就在进入下水道后不远的地方。

After entering the sewers, they had travelled roughly 20 meters, turned left, and then gone another 20 meters before arriving at a door off to the side, She opened the door that looked like it was made of metal, and it creaked.

进入下水道后大概走了二十米左右，向左转了个弯，之后大约又走了二十米左右，在侧面出现了一道门。她推开那看上去像是铁制的大门，发出了吱吱的声响。

“This is, the place.”

「就是这、里了」

Suzuki Satoru followed Keeno into the room.

铃木悟跟着琪诺走进了屋内。

It was not very spacious. This room had probably been used to store tools needed to conduct sewer repairs, and there was a pile of pickaxes and other tools in the corner.

屋里不算十分宽敞，这个房间原本应该是用来存放下水道修补工作所需工具的，角落里堆放着鹤嘴镐之类的工具。

Facing it was a somewhat dirty piece of cloth -- not from stains, but from age -- which had been laid on the ground.

在其对面则是有些肮脏的——并不是带着污垢的脏，而是老化的那种——布类放在地上。

There was also an old and plain table and chair here.

还有一张古旧而质朴的桌子和一把椅子。

That was all this room had in the way of furniture. It did not seem suitable to living at all. One could say it was a room which lacked any form of entertainment or household items.

家具就只有这点东西。实在是不怎么适合生活居住，可以说是完全欠缺了取乐和生活必需品的一间屋子。

Although he could understand how she might be thinking, given that she was undead, Suzuki Satoru would never want to stay in such a lonely and desolate place for any length of time. Wait a minute--

虽然考虑到她是不死者，倒也不是不能理解，但换做铃木悟的话，肯定是不愿意在如此寂寥的屋子里长期居住的。等等——

A sudden surge of kinship suddenly rose up within him. When he thought about it, his home in real life was pretty much the same as this.

一种亲近感突然涌上心头。仔细想一想、自己在现实中的房间好像也是差不多的样子。

However, the thing in this room that drew his attention was a pile of books and scrolls. The books had characters which Suzuki Satoru had never seen before written on their spines, but the fact was that he basically knew no other languages besides Japanese.

但是、在这房间之中最为引人注目的，是一些堆积在一起的书册、卷轴之类的东西。书脊上写着的是铃木悟从未见过的文字，不过他对日语以外的语言也基本一无所知就是了。

“Do you need a light or chair?”

「需要我准备灯具和椅子之类的东西吗」

He took out a western-style lamp from his inventory and opened the shutters, allowing white light to pour out into the surroundings.

从道具箱里取出西洋灯，移开挡板，白色的灯光照亮了四周。

This was a magic item which had been imbued with [Continual Light].

这是一种封存了<永续光>[Continueal Light]的魔法道具。

Of course, he had higher-grade magic items for illumination on hand. However, Suzuki Satoru decided that there was no need to show off anything more powerful. Now was not the time to reveal his hand. Also, one of them could radiate light that was like the sun, which would apply negative status effects to Vampires. If Keeno was a Vampire, then she might judge that as a hostile action. Therefore, he could not bring that out under any circumstances.

当然了、更高级的照明道具手头也是有一些的。但铃木悟判断此时没有必要展示更为强力的魔法道具。现在还不是亮出自己手牌的时候。而且其中还有一种能放射出太阳一般的光亮、会对吸血鬼附加负面状态的道具。万一琪诺是吸血鬼种族的话，说不定会认为我方采取了敌对行动，所以绝对不能拿出来。

The lamplight lit up Keeno’s face, but she did not seem unduly surprised. However, he could not tell if it was because she had seen a magic item like this before, or if it was because she understood the [Continual Light] spell.

灯光照在琪诺的脸上，但她并没有表现出特别的惊讶。但也分辨不出、她是见过这类魔法道具，还是对<永续光>这一魔法有所了解。

After that, Suzuki Satoru cast a Twinned [Create Greater item] spell.

接着、铃木悟发动了二重化的<高阶道具创造>[Create Greater Item]

This spell had originally been intended to produce weapons, but Suzuki Satoru had a sneaking suspicion that in this world -- assuming it was different from the one in which he had previously lived -- this spell would have broader applications. The results of the spell matched his predictions for it.

原本这是一种创造武器类道具的魔法，但铃木悟在冥冥中有着预感，在这个世界——假设这的确是不同于铃木悟之前生活的世界的话——之中，这一魔法将会有着更加广泛的适用性。而其结果、也正如他所预感的那般。

As he expected, a pair of black metal chairs appeared.

与他心中所想一样，出现了两把黑色金属质的椅子。

Keeno’s eyes widened like saucers as she witnessed this miraculous occurrence. Her expression was one of surprise.Suzuki Satoru addressed the girl in his most caring tone.

看见此等神奇的事情发生在面前，少女的双眼不禁瞪得溜圆的，惊讶的表情仿佛写在了脸上一般。铃木悟用他能够发出的最满怀善意的语气对着少女说道。

“Ah -- these are simply a couple of petty items I created with my magic. Please sit on them as you wish.”

「这个——这些呢、只不过是我用魔法创造出来的小小道具而已，你尽管放心的坐就是了」

Keeno tried her best to refuse in a roundabout way, but she sat down on them in the end. It was only after she did that Suzuki Satoru took a seat, because the business etiquette of letting his client take a seat first had been thoroughly ingrained into him.

这样劝说着试图婉拒的琪诺，总算是让她坐了下去。之所以等她坐下去后铃木悟才就坐，是因为商务人士那优先让对方落座的礼仪已经潜移默化的渗透进了铃木悟的言行之中。

However, he realized he had made a mistake right after sitting down.

然而刚一坐下，他马上意识到自己犯下了一个错误。

The metallic sensation under his butt was very uncomfortable for something that was supposed to be a chair, but he had not learned any spells that would let him conjure cushions.

那屁股下面的金属触感，作为椅子来说实在称不上舒适。但是他却又没有习得能够创造出坐垫的魔法。

Earlier, he had thought that taking a seat by himself was terribly rude, which was why he had conjured two chairs. As he thought about how he had coaxed her into sitting down on that cold hard chair, he felt so ashamed that he wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.

之前由于想着自己一个人坐下毕竟太过失礼，所以就创造了两把椅子出来让琪诺也得以落座。

回想起自己刚刚百般谦让的让对方坐在一把冰凉梆硬的椅子上，简直惭愧的想找个地洞钻进去了。

The sole saving grace now was that he had not begun by saying the chairs in the room looked pretty good or some other kind of hollow pleasantries. If he really had said that, it would probably have ruined any kind of relationship he wanted to build between himself and Keeno.

现在唯一庆幸的是、自己还好没有开口就说这屋子里的椅子看上去不错嘛之类的客套话。那种话真要是说出口来，怕是跟琪诺的关系直接就恶化起来了吧。

Suzuki Satoru hurriedly produced a robe from his inventory, one that felt soft enough, and began folding it up as he spoke.

铃木悟赶忙从道具箱里拿出感觉上比较柔软的长袍，一边将其折叠起来一边说道。

“I’m terribly sorry. This chair really is too hard. Please use this as a cushion”

「万分抱歉，这把椅子坐起来太硬了吧。请把这个垫在座位上吧」

Keeno stared in dumb surprise at the robe which Suzuki Satoru had offered her, and then she vigorously shook her head.

看着将长袍递过来的铃木悟，惊呆了的琪诺剧烈地摇起了头。

“Eh, but, such fine clothes like these, there’s no need. I, I have a, blanket that I, normally use.”

「诶、这、么精致的衣服怎么行、不必了。我、我这里有平常、在用的、毛毯」

“No no, no need to stand on ceremony, it’s a small thing.”

「不不不，您不必客气，也不是什么大不了的东西」

The robe might have looked fancy, but that was all. It was an item that did not contain any rare data crystals.

虽然看上去花里胡哨的，但也只是徒有其表罢了。这长袍只是一件完全不含稀有数据水晶的道具。

And so, another intense exchange of Suzuki Satoru and Keeno giving way to each other unfolded. In the end, Keeno gingerly accepted Suzuki Satoru’s good intentions and planted her petite posterior on the folded robe.

就这样、铃木悟和琪诺之间展开了又一场谦让与被谦让的激烈攻防，最终琪诺战战兢兢地接受了铃木悟的好意，把叠好的长袍垫在了那小小的臀部之下。

“Now then, please excuse me for getting straight to the point. I’d like you to tell me what happened to this city to the best of your ability, Keeno-san. Of course, I have no intention of making this a one-sided interaction. I will show you proof of my own sincerity as well. That said, while I would normally be exchanging information of equal value with you, I regret to say that I know very little about the situation, so I intend to pay you with magic items or hard currency instead. May I know how you feel about that arrangement?”

「那么、就请恕我直奔正题了，还望琪诺小姐在你所知的范围之内，给我讲述一下这座都市究竟发生了什么。当然了、我也没有打算空手套白狼。自然也会拿出相应的诚意来。虽然按道理来讲，我也应该拿出相应的情报作为交换，但遗憾的是我所了解的情报非常有限，所以我打算以魔法道具或者金钱的形式来支付报酬，敢问您意下如何？」

Keeno bit her lip, and then glared at Suzuki Satoru with what looked to be hatred in her eyes.

琪诺紧紧地咬着下嘴唇、以仿佛满含恨意的视线看向铃木悟。

Suzuki Satoru could not help his surprise.

铃木悟不禁有些吃惊。

He had not expected such a response from her.

他完全没有想到对方会露出这样的态度来。

However, before he could asked her for the reason why, Keeno looked to the ground and began speaking in a weak and trembling voice.

但是在他出口询问对方原因之前，琪诺就将视线移回了地面，用无力而又颤抖着的声音述说了起来。

2

Behind her tightly-closed eyelids -- through the double barrier of the curtains and the thin silks which served as her bed’s canopy -- she could feel the rays of the sun shining down on her. “Good morning, time to get up” “Let me sleep a while longer” -- these two parts of her shouted back and forth in their struggle to seize control of her body.

在紧闭的眼帘之后——穿过床上华盖所附带的薄纱，以及窗帘这二重的幔帐，能够感觉的到太阳的光芒照射了进来。「早上啦，该起床啦」「再睡一下下就好」，两个自我一边这样叫喊着一边争夺着身体的控制权。

Just as she was drifting in and out of slumber, the room door opened quietly and someone entered. While the thick carpet covering the floor muffled their footsteps, she could still sense someone moving through the room.

就在这半梦半醒的时候，房门被轻轻的打开，有什么人走进了屋来。虽然由于室内铺着厚厚的地毯导致听不到脚步声，但仍能感觉到有一个人在屋内走动。

This person walked over to the side of her bed, and stopped.

这名走动的人最终在床榻边上停了下来。

“Good morning, Keeno-sama. Today’s weather is good too.”

「早安、琪诺大人。今天也是一个好天气呢」

“Uuu, mmm, mhm…”

「呜、嗯，嗯」

Her eyes opened ever so reluctantly, and the familiar smile of the maid Nastasha came into view.

百般不情愿的让眼睛睁开一条细缝，出现在眼前的是熟悉的女仆纳斯塔莎的微笑。

The fact that she had been permitted to address Keeno, the princess of this country, by her given name was because she was Keeno’s handmaiden.

之所以被允许直呼本国公主琪诺的名字，是因为她乃是琪诺的贴身女仆。

Nastasha was one of the more highly-placed servants in the castle, and in her youth there had been rumors that she would become the next head maid. Her abilities were exceptional and she even had in-depth magical training; one could say that it had been smooth sailing all the way to her present station.

纳斯塔莎是在城堡里众多的佣人之中地位较高的一名，年纪轻轻就不时有传言说她将会成为下任女仆长。能力出众，甚至还有着高深的魔法修养，可以说是一帆风顺的走到了如今的位置。

It was precisely because Keeno was her father’s only daughter that she was permitted to stand by Keeno’s side -- such was a sign of the favor she had received. However, Keeno felt that she would probably not wind up as the head maid, because she would probably end up becoming the first wife of some noble and then resign her position.

正因为琪诺是其父亲的独生女，才将她安排在琪诺身边侍奉——足以可见她得到了何等之高的赏识。不过呢、琪诺倒是认为她应该不会担当女仆长这一职位，因为早在那之前，怕是就会成为某位贵族的正妻，然后请辞而去吧。

Seeing that Keeno had already risen, Nastasha went over to the window and forcefully opened it. Just as she had described earlier, the room was filled with blinding sunlight.

看到琪诺已经起床，纳斯塔莎便走到窗边，用力将其拉开。正如她刚刚所言一般，炫目的朝阳瞬间充满了房间。

Having just departed sweet dreamland, her eyes were painfully seared by the light and she could not help squeezing the shut again. Only after her eyes had gradually gotten used to the sunlight through her eyelids did Keeno slowly open them once again.

刚刚脱离睡梦的琪诺，被这光芒刺的眼睛生疼，不由得又闭上了双眼。隔着眼皮逐渐适应了日光之后，琪诺才缓缓地再次张开眼帘。

The warm sunlight poured into the room, as if to tell her that today would be a peaceful, wonderful day filled with warmth.

温暖的阳光透过窗户倾洒进房中，仿佛在诉说着今天定将会是一个安稳的，充满着暖意的美好日子。

“Alright, Keeno-sama. I shall prepare water for you right away.”

「好了、琪诺大人。我马上为您准备清水」

There was an empty silver basin on the small round table. After Nastasha cast a spell on it, the basin was promptly filled with clean water.

小小的圆形桌台上放置着一个银质的空盆，纳斯塔莎对其发动了魔法后，盆中立刻涌出了洁净的清水。

Nastasha had just cast a first-tier lifestyle spell -- also known as the lifestyle tradition -- known as [Create Water]. While zero-tier spells could also create drinkable water, the water created by this spell tasted sweeter.

纳斯塔莎所发动的是第一阶位的生活魔法——又名生活系统——<水创造> [Create Water]。虽然零阶位的魔法也同样可以创造出饮用水来，但这种水却更为甘甜。

Since they both used the same amount of mana, popular opinion held that better-tasting water was better, even if it was not created for drinking purposes. It would seem Nastasha felt the same way too.

既然消耗的魔力是一样的，那么即便不是用做饮用水，大家往往也都认为创造出较为甘甜美味的水会更好，而纳斯塔莎看来也同样是这么想的。

As a first-tier spell, the water generated by [Create Water] was not limited to just filling a single basin. While there was a time limit to it, the overall volume of water created -- which would increase in keeping with the caster’s skills -- could be parcelled out over multiple occasions. Therefore, there would be no spillage and waste even if she cast the spell on the basin.

作为第一阶位的魔法，<水创造>生成的水自然不仅仅能够装满这样一盆。虽然会有一定的时间限制，但发动之后所生成的总水量——也会随施术者的能力而有所增减——是可以分为多次来产生的。因此即使对着水盆发动魔法，也不会溢出而造成浪费。

Incidentally, Nastasha was a magic caster who could use second-tier spells at best. On cold days, she could use the second-tier lifestyle spell [Temperature Change] to alter the temperature of the water until it was comfortable, or to directly heat the room.

顺便一提、由于纳斯塔莎是能够使用最高第二阶位魔法的魔法吟唱者[Magic Caster]，在天气寒冷的日子里，能够利用归属于第二阶位的生活魔法<温度变化>[ Temperature Change]，将水温调整至合适的程度，或者是直接提高室温。

Keeno had read from a book that there was a third-tier lifestyle spell called [Hot Spring]. Apparently it was an imitation of the druid spell [Geyser]. The book’s author had written “It feels really good” and so Keeno wanted to personally try it once.

根据琪诺在书本上读到的知识，第三阶位的生活魔法中存在一种名为<温泉>[Hot Spring]的魔法，据说是一种与森林祭司使用的<间歇喷泉>[ Geyser]似是而非的魔法。按照该书的作者所写——「泡起来极为舒畅」所以琪诺特别想亲身体验一次。

Unfortunately, none of the maids in the castle could cast such a high-tier lifestyle spell. Therefore Keeno could only read about the effects of [Hot Spring] from her books.

但遗憾的是城中并没有哪位女仆可以施放这么高阶的生活魔法。所以<温泉>这一魔法到底有什么样的效果，琪诺也只能从书本上了解到。

While there were magic casters in the castle who could cast third-tier spells, those people typically studied battle spells and did not have the time to learn lifestyle magic on top of that.

虽然城中也有能够施放第三阶位魔法的魔法吟唱者，但此等人物通常都会去习得战斗用的魔法，没有余力再去学习生活魔法了。

“In that case, I’ll just learn it myself!” Keeno had once told the people around her -- specifically her magic instructors. Back then, Keeno had been younger than she was now, at an age where she could barely cast first-tier spells. It would not be unusual for someone hearing a young girl like that saying that she wanted to cast a third-tier spell -- which was typically the province of the naturally gifted -- to regard it as the naive declarations of a child.

「既然如此，那我自己去学不就好了！」——琪诺曾经对周围的人，尤其是教习魔法的教师们说过这样的话。当时的琪诺比现在还要幼小，是刚刚勉强能使用第一阶位魔法的年龄。如此年幼的少女，居然声称想要学习被称为仅属于天资优异之人才能使用的第三阶位魔法，即便被人当做孩童的天真戏言也不奇怪吧。

That is, if that child was not Keeno.

但、前提是说出这话的并非琪诺。

Keeno’s parents -- her father could cast fourth-tier spells while her mother could go even further and cast fifth-tier spells -- were extraordinarily talented genius magic casters. Thus, as the scion of both their bloodlines, everyone believed that it was very likely that she could make good on her words.

琪诺的双亲——父亲能使用第四阶位的魔法，而母亲更是能使用第五阶位的魔法，都是资质不凡的天才魔法吟唱者。为此琪诺作为继承了他们二人血脉的直系后代，大家都认为这一发言会实现的可能性非常的高。

Therefore, two hours after making that statement, she had been summoned before her father and sternly rebuked. There was a limit to how many spells everyone could learn, and as royalty, she ought to learn more useful spells.

因此在她说出那番话的两小时后，就被召唤至父亲的面前，受到了严厉的斥责。每个人所能够习得的魔法都是有限的，身为王族更应该去学习一些有用的魔法。

The young Keeno had retorted that it was precisely because she was royalty that she should not learn offensive, defensive or divinatory spells, and instead learn spells that would make everyone happy.

年幼的琪诺对此提出了反驳，正因为是王族，才不应该去学那些攻击防御或是情报掌控类的魔法，而是要学习能够让大家都开心快乐的魔法才对。

However, her father had said this: “Our country is not a peaceful one. There’s no telling when these quiet, peaceful days will come to an end and a king must personally go to the battlefield. Therefore, anyone with the potential to become an exceptional magic caster should learn battle-effective spells.”

但她的父亲是这样回答的。我们的国家算不上有多么太平。说不准什么时候，安稳的日子遭到破坏，国王亲赴战场的时刻就会来临。所以有着成为优秀魔法吟唱者潜力的人，更应该学习的是对战斗有所助益的魔法。

After hearing her father’s answer, Keeno abandoned her plans to learn [Hot Spring].

听了父亲的回答，琪诺放弃了学习<温泉>魔法的想法。

Her father’s words had been well-reasoned, and she was not yet old enough to fully understand what he meant by them. On the one hand, she lacked the courage to resist her stern father, and on the other, she was not particularly obsessed in her pursuit of hot springs.

父亲的话语是那么的理性，并不是年纪尚小的她立刻就能全盘理解的内容，但一方面她没有反抗严父的勇气，再者对于温泉的追求其实也并没有那么的执着。

Rather, it was because her father spoke in a kingly way, which reminded her of the stories of heroic adventure that Nastasha had once read to her. He sounded just like them, and it left a deep impression in her heart.

反而是父亲口中的王族应有的姿态，仿佛让纳斯塔莎曾给她读过的儿童向英雄冒险故事与现实重合了一般，在她心中留下了深刻的印象。

From that day on, Keeno made a wish that she kept secret from everyone else, that she would become strong one day, like the heroes in the storybooks -- or like her father -- and fight gallanty for the people.

自那时起，琪诺瞒着所有人在心中许下了一个愿望，希望将来有一天自己也能强大起来，像故事书中登场的英雄那样——或者是像父亲那样——英姿潇洒的为人民而战。

The girl who held that dream in her heart got off the bed, walked to Nastasha’s side, and began washing her face. The splashing water spattered her surroundings, but she did not mind it.

这个怀抱着梦想的小女孩，从床上下来，走到纳斯塔莎的身旁，开始用盆中的清水洗脸。扬起的水花沾湿了四周，但她并没有在意。

The temperature-adjusted water -- made by [Create Water], which could be freely arranged within a certain radius according to the caster’s will -- washed away Keeno’s sleepiness.

温度适中——<水创造>生成的水的温度可以依据施术者的意愿，在一定范围内自由设置——的水完全带走了琪诺的睡意。

Keeno used the towel Nastasha handed her to wipe her face clean and began brushing her teeth. Then she gargled the water in her class, rinsed her mouth, and spat it out into the basin.

琪诺用纳斯塔莎递过来的毛巾把脸擦拭干净之后，就开始刷牙。再然后将杯里的水含在口中，漱过口后吐进面盆里。

After seeing Keeno do all this, Nastasha cast [Destruction Water].

看着琪诺做完这些，纳斯塔莎发动了<水破坏>[ Distruction Water]。

The water in the basin, as well as the water that had splashed out of it, vanished as though they had been an illusion.

包括溅出盆外的水在内，盆中的水仿佛幻象似的一下子就消失不见了。

This first-tier spell was not lifestyle magic, but belonged to one of the four great systems -- also known as the elemental traditions -- and could be used for offensive purposes.

这并不是生活魔法，而是属于四大系统——又称精灵系统——之中的第一阶位魔法，也能够用于攻击。

It did less damage when used against living beings than other spells of the same tier. However, it could do significant damage to Water Elementals and other creatures closely aligned with the element of water. Higher-level versions of the third tier could also affect Slimes to some extent. The fourth-tier spell [Dehydration] could do great damage to all living beings.

对生物施放的话，相比同阶位的攻击魔法而言，能造成的伤害相对较低。但针对水精灵[Water Elemental]等与水有着密切关联的生物时，就可以造成相当可观的伤害。而其处于第三阶位的高阶魔法也对粘体类生物也有着一定效果。至于第四阶位的<脱水>[ Dehydration]这种级别的魔法，对各类生物均可造成强大的伤害。

And the early versions of these spells were typically used to eliminate water in this fashion.

而这些魔法的初级阶段，一般便会像这样用来除水。

After rinsing her mouth, Keeno walked over to the changing mirror which was roughly as tall as she was and quickly changed into the clothes Nastasha handed her.

洗漱完毕的琪诺，走到与自己差不多高的更衣镜前方，快速地换好纳斯塔莎递过来的衣装。

While certain nobles would even let their vassals handle dressing them, Keeno’s family insisted on them changing on their own. It was a family rule to help them prepare for battle, so they could put on armor by themselves -- never mind that full plate armor needed the help of squires to don.

虽然在一些贵族家中，连更衣都会交给下人全程侍应，但琪诺家族的家训却要求自主更衣。这是以备战时、能够自己穿着铠甲——虽然再怎么说全身铠还是得靠随从帮忙——才制定的家规。

However, it was perfectly acceptable to let others help comb her hair while she was changing. After wetting her curled hair with [Create Water], Nastasha pressed it down with a moistened towel. Once Nastasha let go, the hair was straightened.

但是、在穿换衣物期间可以让人梳理头发。卷曲翘起的发丝以〈水创造〉稍稍淋湿后，用湿润的毛巾按住。在纳斯塔莎放开手之际，发丝便会笔直延伸。

And so, Keeno Fasrith Inberun -- the sole daughter of King Fasrith -- took shape.

如此一来，琪诺・法斯莉丝・茵蓓伦——现法斯莉丝王的独生女才总算成形。

The familiar image of herself she saw reflected in the mirror was a girl with eyes that reflected all the colors of the rainbow.

镜中映照着看惯了的自己——拥有反耀着七色的双眸的少女容貌。

These rainbow eyes were not unique to Keeno. The maid who was staring at Keeno while carrying out the final checks, Nastasha, also possessed them. They were called the Rainbow Eyes, and there were a common sight in the country of the Rainbow-Eyed People. Rather, it was the people who did not possess them that were a rarity.

这反耀着七色的双眸绝非琪诺仅有。一旁正在进行最后检查而凝视着琪诺身姿的女仆，纳斯塔莎的双眸也是同样的。这是被称为虹瞳人的人种特征，于作为虹瞳人之国的这个国家中并不罕见。反倒是没持有该特征的人较为罕见。

“Now then, please proceed to the dining room, Keeno-sama.”

「那么琪诺大人。请您到一趟食堂」

“...Are both of them there today?”

「……今天两位都有在吗？」

“Yes. Both of them are waiting for you, Keeno-sama.”

「是的。两位大人都在等候着琪诺大人喔」

To Keeno, mealtimes were joyful occasions, but also ones which weighed on her.

对琪诺而言，用餐是值得高兴的时间，却也是心情沉重的时间。

--Because she could see her father then.

——因为能与父亲见上一面。

Her father was frequently out on business -- both in the Royal Capital and other cities -- due to his eagerness to work. Even his daughter Keeno would have many days when she would not get to see him at all. Therefore, she was very happy to meet her father. However, Keeno’s father was very harsh on her, so he usually scolded her whenever they met, which made her uneasy.

父亲由于积极频繁地工作，不止是这个都市——王都，就连其他的都市也常要外出出差，就算是女儿的琪诺，碰不上面的日子也不在少数。因此能与父亲见面，非常开心。不过由于父亲对琪诺很是严厉，每当见面时又会被斥责一番的吧，她也因而变得不安了起来。

That said, she could not run away from it.

虽说如此，但又不能逃避。

Trailing Nastasha in her wake, Keeno walked to the dining room.

琪诺带着纳斯塔莎，向食堂走去。

Just as Nastasha had said, her, her parents were waiting for her within the dining room. Naturally, their maids were also present. In particular, the head maid and assistant head maid were standing behind her father and mother.

诚如纳斯塔莎所言，食堂内父亲与母亲已经就座等候着。当然地，女仆们也在。特别是父亲和母亲的后方有着女仆长和副女仆长的身影。

Keeno’s mother had a warm, gentle look on her face -- truth to be told, her personality was much the same, and Keeno had few memories of ever being scolded by her -- and she was also a top-class magic caster of this nation, even though one could not tell just by her looks.

琪诺的母亲有一副温厚的容貌——实际上性格也如是，琪诺自身、几乎没有被母亲斥责过的回忆——而且、即使在这个国家中也是顶级的魔法吟唱者，从外貌上实在是看不出来。

Her father, on the other hand, was the opposite.

父亲则是正相反。

Rainbow-Eyed people tended to be slender of frame and gifted at the Four Elemental traditions, which would lead them to enter the appropriate magic-using professions. Therefore, they were focused on spellcasting ability rather than physical abilities, and tended to lack muscular bodies. However, Keeno’s father was a notable exception. Not only was he a powerful Fire Elementalist, he possessed a powerful physique that embodied the phrase “fucking ripped brah”, and his brow was deeply furrowed to go with his stern countenance.

虹瞳人多数是纤瘦的体形，擅长四大系统魔法的强化能力，胜任相应魔法职的种族。因此相较于肉体能力，提高了魔法咏唱能力，所以不会有筋骨隆隆的身材。然而琪诺的父亲却大为不同。不止是作为火之元素使[Elementalist]拥有强大的力量、还有着把质实刚健这句话具体化的强壮肉体、以及额间深刻皱纹的严肃面貌。

Whether he was eating or not, he always wore a gauntlet on his left arm that was shaped to resemble a Griffin’s talons.

无关用餐与否，其左臂都佩戴着以鹫爪为构想的手甲。

It was the national treasure known as the Gauntlet of the Griffin Lord. It was a magic item that could summon a Griffin Lord for a total of 24 hours in the span of a week. Since the summoned Griffin Lord could be resummoned in a week’s time even if it were killed, generations of kings had historically used it to call up a vanguard for them. However, Keeno’s father was the only one who did not use it in that way.

国宝 “狮鹫王之爪[Gauntlet of GriffinLord]”。此乃能在一周内合计二十四小时召唤狮鹫王[Griffin Lord]的魔法道具。由于受召唤的狮鹫王即使被杀死，一周后便能再次召唤，为此历代的王们通常都是以创造前卫为目的来使用的，但唯独琪诺的父亲有着不同的用法。

“Good morning, Father, Mother.”

「早上好，父王、母后」

“Good morning, Keeno.”

「早安、琪诺」

In contrast to her mother’s gentle greeting, her father simply furrowed his brow and nodded curtly, but that was how he usually was. Rather, if he had smiled like her mother had, Keeno would be confused instead.

与母亲的温馨的招呼相比，父亲则只是板着脸颔首，但这就是父亲平时的态度。要是一反常态跟母亲一样地微笑的话，那样才会让琪诺感到混乱的吧。

Nastasha pulled the chair back to let Keeno take a seat, following which breakfast was served.

纳斯塔莎拉椅让琪诺就座后，餐点就立即送过来。

This country had a thriving dairy industry, and so even the royal capital did not want for fresh cheese. Of particular note was the fact that it was to be expected that the dining tables of the royal household would have at least three different kinds of cheese on them. In addition, there was sour cream, drinks made from blending milk and the freshly-squeezed juices of four different fruits, and so on. Also, there were thick slices of evenly-roasted ham. The plates laden with white bread were accompanied by intoxicatingly beautiful pats of golden butter.

这个国家由于盛行奶酪畜牧业，所以就连王都也不缺新鲜芝士。特别是以王族为准的话，餐桌上出现三种以上的芝士是应当的。此外，还送上酸奶、四种水果的鲜榨果汁跟牛奶混合的饮品之类。另外是烤均匀的的厚切火腿。在盛载白面包的碟子上，附着醉人心弦似的美丽金黄色牛油。

Keeno -- along with her father and mother, who were dining -- looked at the ring on her right hand, but the sapphire-blue gemstone set into it did not change color.

琪诺——一同用餐的父亲和母亲也——把视线移向右手戴着的戒指，但让人联想到蓝宝石[sapphire]的蓝色宝石并无任何变化，泛着原有色调。

就餐开始。

Eating was a place for etiquette. Since it had been inculcated into her ever since she had come of age, it had long since become a part of her.

用餐也是一个讲究礼法的场合。由于自懂事起就被灌输礼法，所以早已成了身体一部份。

As they ate in silence, her father placed his fork on the table with a quiet clink. She glanced over and saw that her father had picked up his napkin to wipe his mouth.

默默地进餐期间，父亲把手中的叉子放到碟子上，听到一小声铿锵。瞅了一眼过去，父亲拿起餐巾一端，擦拭着嘴边。

“Now then, Annie. To what degree have her magical abilities improved?”

「那么安妮。魔法的能力上升到什么程度了」

Annie was the name of Keeno’s mother. She was called Annie Fasrith Inberun.

安妮是琪诺母亲的名字。名为安妮・法斯莉丝・茵蓓伦。

Annie put down her fork and wiped her mouth as well.

安妮也放下叉子，用餐巾一端擦拭嘴巴。

“My husband, currently this child seems to have gotten a feel for the second tier. Who knows, she might soon become capable of wielding its rudiments.”

「是的、夫君。现在、这孩子已经渐渐摸索到第二阶位的感觉。说不定很快就能用上一招半式了」

“I heard that a fortnight ago. In other words, there’s been no improvement, am I wrong? Keeno, what do you think? Do you feel stronger than before?”

「这话我早在两周前就已经听过了吶。也就是说毫无进展吗？ 琪诺，你怎么想？ 有没有感觉到自身的力量比以前更强了？」

Keeno swallowed her food, then put down her fork and wiped her mouth like her mother had. During that time, she thought about how to answer her father, but the truth was that she did not feel much different between now and two weeks ago. It was like how nobody could sense how much they were growing every day without measuring it.

琪诺咽下口中的食物，与母亲一样放下叉子后，用餐巾擦拭嘴巴。其间试着思考如何应答父亲的话，但两周前的自己与现在的自己，并不觉得有什么太大的变化。就如同没有人能够在不测量下，体会到每天的身高成长那样。

It was true that she had felt something strange when she had first become capable of casting first-tier spells. It was like gears meshing within her body. However, there had been no signs before that.

刚开始能运用第一阶位时，确实有感觉到某种奇妙的感觉。觉得就像体内的齿轮咬合起来一般。然而那个时候也没有什么征兆。

Therefore, she could only answer honestly.

因此、只好老实地回答。

“I’m not sure.”

「我不清楚」

“I see. Honesty is a good policy, but that alone cannot be all. You are my first child. In the future, your younger brothers and sisters will be born, and you will have to be an example for them.”

「这样啊。老实是一件好事。不过、只是这样是不行的。你是我第一个孩子。日后你的弟弟及妹妹也会出生，而你不得不成为榜样引领弟妹」

“My King… she is still young--”

「夫君……这孩子还小——」

“--Shut up.”

「——闭嘴」

Her father coldly interrupted her mother’s impending criticism.

父亲冷淡地打断、母亲隐含着批判的话。

“However young she is, she is still royalty.”

「这孩子再年轻也是王家的一员」

The King’s gaze was cutting as it turned to her. Frightened, Keeno glanced pleadingly to her mother.

犀利——很符合王这个字的双眸向了过来。吓了一跳的琪诺以求救的眼色向母亲瞅了一眼。

“She is a girl--”

「这孩子可是个女孩子——」

“More than a girl, she is a princess, she is royalty. While there is no need to outdo everyone else, being overshadowed will be troublesome. After all, you are a better magic caster than I am.”

「——是女孩子更是个公主、是王族。确实没必要比任何人都要优秀，但要是被埋没就麻烦了。你的确是比我还要优秀的魔法吟唱者」

Her father turned to look at a place without anyone and he coughed. “Which is why we got married, didn’t we”, he muttered. Then, he looked at Keeno again with his steely eyes.

父王的视线移向没有任何人在的一方，咳咳地干咳一声，所以我们不是结了婚、吗」匆匆地低语道。然后再度以钢铁般的眼瞳凝视起琪诺。

“For that reason, I gave this child to you so you could teach her, but you have been too lax with her education, I think. Live combat is the best form of training. While she is a child and not yet fully grown, surely she ought to start weapons training too, no? It’s important to see if she’s gifted in that field too.”

「为此才把这孩子交给你教育，但是你的教育有点太宽松，我是这么想的。实战才称得上是最佳的训练。虽说是身体还没长好的小孩，但是不是也应该加入武器的训练吗？那方面有没有才能也应该先做好调查，这是很重要的」

It was true that Keeno’s father was inferior to her mother as a magic caster. However, given that her father was able to fight with a spear, he was the better combatant.

作为魔法吟唱者父王的确劣于母亲。不过父王能够使用长枪作战，单论战斗能力的话，应该还是父亲的战力较高。

“I oppose that. According to what I have seen, I don’t think this child is like you -- gifted with weapons. Until she awakens an affinity for one of the four great powers, we ought to keep on training her as a magic caster. More importantly, I forbid her to take part in anything as dangerous as live combat.”

「我反对那样。根据我的见解，我不认为这孩子和你一样——有善用武器的资质。直到觉醒出特化任一四大的力量为止，现在应该着实地进行魔法吟唱者该做的训练吧。而且更重要的是，我可不准许她进行实战那些危险的事」

“Back then--”

「我那时候——」

“--Things were different. Rather than learning to write with both hands--”

「——跟你那时候不同。比起双手能同样写的——」

“--It’s faster to learn to do it with just one, I know that’s what you want to say. However, we don’t know where her talents lie. Don’t you think it would be better to let her try everything? I feel that would be better to help this child prepare for her future.”

「——单手会更快，你想这么说吧。我知道。不过就是不知道有哪一方面的才能。全部事物都试一遍，我觉得为这孩子的未来做好准备才更精明不是吗？」

“I agree on that point. However, I feel that it should wait until she’s at least reached the second tier first. If you want her to take part in martial instruction, then it should at least wait until her body is fully developed first.”

「这点我也赞同。但是、我认为至少也要达到能运用第二阶位之后。若是要进行那些武术训练的话，至少也要等身体成型了才行」

The two of them locked gazes, neither of them letting up.

两人的视线丝毫不让地冲突着。

A while later, her father looked away.

一会儿后、父亲撇开了目光。

“I understand. I’ll continue leaving it in your care.”

「我知道了。那么就继续交给你了」

“I am deeply grateful, my King.”

「十分感谢、夫君」

“--Keeno.”

「——琪诺」

Keeno jumped as she heard her father’s steely voice. Her father noticed it, but ignored it and began speaking.

琪诺对父亲那如钢铁般的声音吓了一跳。父亲虽然注意到了，但无视并开始说起话来。

“As the royal family of this country, we enjoy luxurious lives, and the loyalty of many people. And all that is because we have done our duty as the nation’s royalty. Therefore you must learn and absorb everything and make good use of it. It is true that our country is peaceful now. But who knows, we might be invaded some day. Therefore we need a wealthy nation and a strong army.”

「吾等作为王家享受着奢侈的生活，众多人民对我们献上忠诚。而那全都是因为我们尽了王家本份的职责。为此也要学习，吸收一切并活用啊。确实这国家现在很安定。但是、说不定有一天就会受到外部的侵略。所以才要富国、强兵啊」

“...I don’t want to attack others.”

「……不想进攻」

Her father’s face twisted slightly.

父亲的脸稍稍歪起来。

Was he angry, or was he laughing, or perhaps sad? It was a nuanced expression that was hard to make out. However, there was no severity in what he said next.

是在生气、还是在笑、抑或是在悲伤，一副难以形容的微妙表情。可是、接下来的话语中并没有狠劲。

“There is no need to invade others. A strong army is a deterrent force. However, thoughtless intimidation will lead to conflict. It is the duty of a leader to gain information on other nations, strike a balance, and seek the growth of his country’s strength. Do you think military might is unnecessary?”

「没有进攻的必要。强兵即是抑制力。然而、无意的威胁却会导致爆发。搜集他国情报，取得平衡，谋求国力增强就是领导者的职责。你认为军事力是多余的吗？」

“No.”

「不会」

Keeno shook her head.

琪诺摇头。

Among the many races -- the Rainbow-Eyes making up 90% of this comparison -- a nation of 5 million people was not too big. However, it was only because the surrounding countries were roughly the same size that a balance could be achieved. In the recent half century, there had not been any large-scale wars in the nearby nations too. However, that simply meant that there were no wars of conquest. When a monster with great individual power showed itself, that was when the fate of a nation would be decided -- and depending on the circumstances, an alliance might need to be formed.

算上林林总总的种族——虹瞳人占据90%以上的比例——五百万人口的这个国家并不算太大。但是、周边也只有相同程度大小的国家，所以才取得了平衡。近五十年来，周边国家也没有发生过大型战争。不过、那只是代表没有侵略战争而已。面对个体拥有强大力量的魔物出现时，就有必要举国上下——视情况组建联盟作出对策。

For example, there had been over 50’000 casualties when a Behemoth appeared, and the memory of it was still fresh in the hearts of many. Keeno knew very well how important it was to gather the mighty together to deal with such opponents.

举个例子、因陆巨兽[Behemoth]的出现，周边国家就出现超过五万人以上的死伤者，此事至今还记忆犹新。琪诺很清楚，面对这样的对手，聚集强者们至关重要。

“You do not need to do everything by yourself. Gather the people you trust and borrow their strength. I am not unique in strength among the many kings of history, but even I have people that I trust.”

「并非要一人成就一切。要聚集你所信赖的人，借助那些人的力量。在历代的王当中，像我这程度的强者绝无仅有，但是这样的我也有信赖的人们」

Even if one looked through the history of the royal family, one would probably only be able to find people comparable to her father --, who had been hailed as stepping into the realm of heroes -- within its first generation.

像父亲这样被誉为越过英雄领域的人物，就算解开王家历史，大概也只有初代了吧。

“Therefore, gathering the strong and seeking strength that lies in a different direction from your own might be the right way. But what does that mean? Perhaps learning spells that make everyone happy might be one way to do it. However, this is a suggestion from your father. You cannot neglect your own strength. People feel at ease under the protection of the strong. Being a member of the royal family, is a form of strength that draws the masses to you. Naturally, such strength implies possessing charm, wealth and authority. But if you take it to an extreme, then the king’s personal power is the most easily understood strength of all -- and it can better ensure your safety. After all, charm, wealth and authority can sometimes fail to ensure everyone’s safety.”

「所以要聚集强者，追求与自己不同方向的力量说不定也称得上正确。而且、那什么？习得让人们都开心的魔法说不定也是一种方式。可是、这是父亲给你的建议。你自身也不能够疏于变强。人们在强者的庇护下能够得到安心。作为王家的人，成为吸引民众之力。当然地、这份强大，本来的话也象征着魅力、财力和权力。可是极端而论，王个人的武勇比什么都更清晰易懂——而且、能更好地守护你的安全吧。毕竟光凭魅力、财力和权力、有时也保护不了所有者的安全」

“Yes, Father,” Keeno replied.

“Good, the King replied as he picked up his fork again. In other words, it meant that he was going to continue eating. Her mother also hastened to follow and Keeno began eating again as well.

「是的」

琪诺回答道。「很好」父亲说着再次握起了餐叉。换句话说、代表着重新用餐。母亲也紧随其后，琪诺也再度用餐。

After they had finished, the maids served up three light purple drinks. This was purple tea with a hint of milk added to it. It was accompanied by lightly sugared biscuits.

用餐完毕后，女仆们送上了三份淡紫色的饮品。这是往紫茶倒入些许牛奶的饮品。配有渗杂了砂糖的饼干。

The three of them looked at their rings and then helped themselves.

三人一同看看戒指后，边开始享用了起来。

Keeno -- who had a sensitive tongue -- sipped the tea that had cooled down. It was only then that she realised two people were looking at her.

其实是猫舌的琪诺啜饮着变温了的茶，这才发觉两人正在盯着这样的自己。

Had she breached some form of etiquette? Keeno had no idea what was going on. However, this sort of thing happened from time to time. Keeno would eat in silence but they would stare at her. It happened more often with her father, whom she rarely got to meet.

是自己违反了什么礼法吗，琪诺并没有类似的头绪。只是、偶尔就会有这样的事。琪诺只是在默默地用餐，却会被这样盯着看。特别是屡屡见不上面的父亲，频率要更为高。

She tried glancing upward to take a look, but he did not look angry. So what on earth was going on? Keeno tilted her head -- or at least she did so in her heart -- and drank her purple tea. She let the tea wash away the sweet biscuity taste which lingered in her mouth. However, drinking too much would be greedy. She could not misjudge the balance between tea and biscuits.

试着往上瞅了一眼，果然不像是生气的样子。究竟怎么一回事？琪诺在心中歪着脑袋，喝下了紫茶。让茶水冲掉嘴里残留的饼干甜味。不过要是喝得太多，就会嘴馋了，绝不能误判这饼干和茶水之间的平衡。

Keeno focused on feeding the biscuits and tea into her mouth in sequence, and her father’s gaze left her.

琪诺认真地把饼干和茶水轮流放到口中，父亲的视线也从自己身上移开了。

“--So what else do you have planned for Keeno today?”

「——那么琪诺今天有什么安排？」

“After this meal, we will be learning about magic in my room until lunchtime. After that, Balen-sensei will instruct her as usual.”

「是的。结束就餐后，直到午餐前都会在我的房间进行魔法的学习。之后则是一如既往的由贝兰老师进行指导」

“I see. In that case, let me see how you teach her today. I’m quite interested in how Keeno takes her lessons.”

「原来如此。那今天就让我见识一下你的指导吧。琪诺究竟是怎样学习的，这让我着实很感兴趣啊」

Keeno could not help but be somewhat surprised

琪诺不由得有些吃惊。

This might be the first time her father actually wanted to watch her learning.”

父亲居然要过来看自己的学习情况，这说不定还是第一次。

“..Hehe.”

「……呼呼」

Her mother smiled, and the wrinkles between her father’s brows deepened.

母亲露出笑容。而父亲眉间的皱纹却皱得更深了。

“What’s so funny about that?”

「有什么好奇怪的」

“I was wondering why you’d say something like that all of a sudden. Heh…”

「我还奇怪、你怎么会突然说出那种话呢。呼呼……」

“It just occurred to me. There’s no other reason.”

「我就是那么想的罢了。没有除此以外的理由」

“Alright, alright. Hehe… then I shall quietly await your arrival, my King.”

「好的、好的。呼呼……那么只好静候夫君你的到来咯」

“There’s no need to wait for me. I don’t want to disturb Keeno’s education.”

「没有必要刻意等我。我并不想打扰琪诺的教育」

“I know. However, I still think that it’s best to select a suitor for Keeno first. It’s somewhat late for a princess… even for a noble heiress. I remember I was eight back then.”

「我知道了。只不过、我还是觉得应该优先选定琪诺的婚约者哦。公主……即使是贵族千金也已经有些迟了呢。我那时好像是在八岁的时候吧」

“No. You were nine.”

「不对。是九岁的时候吧」

“Ara, is that so? I can’t believe you still remember.”

「啊啦、是这样的吗？真亏你还记得呢」

Her mother smiled, while her father frowned.”

母亲露出微笑，而父亲则苦着脸。

“Ahem! I know what you’re trying to say. However, Keeno is the only child of our bloodline. We cannot be sloppy about this. Should we not wait longer?”

「咳咳！你想说的我也非常理解。可是目前我们血脉就只有琪诺一个。不能够马虎招赘。难道不应该再等等吗」

“If we do not start thinking about this early on, all the good candidates will have found spouses by then. Our child will then become a leftover woman that nobody’s willing to buy.”

「可如果不趁早考虑的话，好对象可都要觅得伴侣了哦。这孩子就会成为卖不出去的剩女了哦」

“Don’t talk about buying and leftovers… Being a few years younger shouldn’t be a problem, no? I will carefully consider that matter. Understand? That’s all for this topic.”

「别说什么卖和剩这类字眼……就算年龄小几岁也不是什么大问题吧。那一方面上我也会好好纳入考虑的。明白了吗？这个话题就到此为止」

“Yes, yes, yes…”

「好好好」

You need to work hard on this, she heard her mother whisper. Her father wrinkled his brow, looked around at the maids, and then reached for the desserts.

不好好加油可不行呢，听见母亲这么喃喃说道。父亲皱起眉头，环顾了一下周围的女仆，才终于将手伸向了点心。

After dessert was over, Keeno returned to her own room, where she took various textbooks before heading over to her mother’s room.

餐后的点心结束，琪诺先返回自己房间，然后带着各种的教材，朝母亲的房间移动。当然、所谓带着不是指琪诺自己带着，而是由女仆纳斯塔莎代劳。

She knocked on the door of her mother’s room, and the person who answered was her mother’s personal maid, who was both the assistant head maid and the number two maid in the castle.

扣了扣母亲的房门，前来开门的是母亲的专属女仆，既副女仆长同时也是城里排行第二女仆。

She entered the room and began her lesson with her mother.

进入房中，琪诺开始接受母亲的指导。

Regardless of which tradition of magic one was studying, the important thing when one was starting out was to get a feel for it. Most of the people who had learned to use magic had done so through the feeling of making contact with the world. Anyone without that experience would be unable to cast spells. However, there were no teachers who could teach this part to their students in sufficient detail, and so many people stumbled here.

不论是修习哪一种系统的魔法，在刚开始的时候，重要的都是要抓到感觉。大部分变得能够使用魔法的人，都经验过自己与世界产生契合的感觉。若是没有这种经验，便无法使用魔法。然而、由于没有教师能够具体的将这个部分教导给学生，所以大部分人在这里便会遭遇挫折。

However, Keeno had already crossed that hurdle.Therefore, she was learning about what she would need to know for future professions.

但是在这一点上，琪诺已经跨越了过去。因此她现在所接受的，是针对未来应学得的职种的教育。

Keeno’s mother was a wizard, and so she focused on improving her arcane magic casting ability, while Keeno had talent as a sorcerer, so the lessons she received were focused on improving her sorcerous ability.

琪诺的母亲身为魔术师[Wizard]主要提高的是身为魔力系魔法吟唱者的能力，而琪诺因为具有妖术师[Sorcerer]的才能，所以接受的是能够提升妖术师能力的教育。

Compared to wizards, sorcerers relied much more on feeling. Therefore, Keeno’s training focused on closing her eyes and using her heart to sense the waves her mother emanated when casting spells.

由于妖术师比起魔术师，注重感觉的部分要更多。因此琪诺主要的训练是将双眼闭起，用心感受母亲使用魔法时的波动。

She did not know how much time had passed since the lesson had started.

教导开始后，不知道过了多久的时间。

--Suddenly, Keeno felt something.

——突然、琪诺感受到了某种东西。

It was difficult to describe that sensation in words. However, it was more powerful than her mother, like a great wave, something that defied description.

那感觉很难用文字去描述。但那是一种比母亲的魔力还要强大的，宛如巨大浪潮般、难以形容的东西。

This was a sensation she had never experienced before, and Keeno could not help opening her eyes.

这目前为止从未经验过的感觉，让琪诺不禁大大地睁开了眼睛。

She saw her mother, who was surprised by her daughter suddenly opening her eyes. And at that moment--

视野里可以看见因为女儿突然睁开眼睛而显得惊讶的母亲。就在这个瞬间——

Pain stabbed into Keeno.

琪诺全身都遭到了剧痛侵袭。

It was an agony she had never experienced before, which made no sense to her.

那是从来没有感受过的、没有道理的剧痛。

Keeno collapsed to the ground amidst the pain, as though something had been ripped out of her.

在宛如从自己身上撕扯下什么的痛楚中，琪诺倒卧在地。

It hurt so much she could not speak. Keeno could not believe anything could hurt this much in the world.

痛得连声音都发不出来。琪诺无法相信世界上竟然会有这样的痛苦。

She wept tears of pain. In her tear-dimmed vision, she could see the two maids collapsed on the ground as well, their faces distorted from pain and agony. Beside her, her mother was going through the same thing as well.

因为痛处、泪水源源不断地从眼中淌出。被泪水模糊的视野里，可以看到两名女仆也同样地倒在了地上，她们的表情也因为剧痛和痛苦而扭曲变形。而就在自己身旁的母亲也是同样的情况。

Her mother’s face was twisted in agony and her forehead was slick with sweat. But even so--

母亲的表情因剧痛而扭曲，额头上满是油汗，但尽管如此——

“[Reinforce Armor]”

「——〈装甲强化〉[Reinforce armor]」

Her mother cast a spell on Keeno.

母亲对琪诺施与了魔法。

However, it did nothing for the pain she was feeling. It did not decrease in the slightest. Her mother should have noticed that from the expression on Keeno’s face.

但是那并无助于身上的痛楚。一点也没让痛苦减少。母亲应该是从琪诺脸上的表情会意到了这一点吧。

“[Anti-Evil Protection]“

「——〈对恶防御〉[Antievil protection]」

Keeno grit her teeth against the pain and tried not to moan, and as she did she felt her mother cast a spell on her again. However, it did nothing for the agony racking her.

琪诺一边痛苦地咬牙忍住不发出悲鸣，一边再度受到母亲施予魔法。然而，侵袭琪诺的剧痛依然没有任何改变。

“Spi...rit? Or flesh? [Undead Form]”

「精、神？肉？〈疑不死者化〉[Undead form]」

As an advanced version of [Mind of Undeath], this spell could briefly grant its target various properties of the undead, both beneficial and baneful. This spell now took effect on Keeno, but even so, it did not help with her pain.

作为〈不死之精神（Mind of undeath）〉的上位魔法，一段时间内可以获得不死者各种特性的，好处与坏处并存的魔法在琪诺身上发动了。但就算这样她身上的痛楚依旧没有改善。

“Ooog! Just, this… girl!”

「呜！就、只……这孩子！」

Her mother bit her lip -- bright red blood immediately spurted out -- and grabbed Keeno’s arm. Surely Keeno would have moaned from the pain since her mother had used too much force. But the full-body agonies she was experienced were too strong and Keeno did not feel the pain in her arm at all.

母亲咬紧嘴唇——鲜红的血色立刻涌了出来——她抓紧琪诺的手臂。由于母亲用的力气太大，琪诺被抓住的手臂想必发出了悲鸣了吧。但袭击她全身的痛楚太过强烈，琪诺完全没感觉到手臂的疼痛。

Her mother walked as though she were dragging Keeno -- no, she was dragging Keen -- over to the door. No. It would be wrong to say that she was walking. Her mother was on all fours, desperately crawling forward.

宛如拖着琪诺一般－－不，母亲的确拖着琪诺，往房门的方向走去。不、说走去是错误的。母亲是四肢着地、拼命地一边爬行一边前进着。

“Uwaaaaahhhhh!”

「呜哇啊啊啊啊啊啊！」

She heard a howl of pain. The source of this deep sound that she had never heard before was Nastasha. It was completely different from her usual subdued and elegant voice. Nastasha was rolling on the ground and had reached the door.

怒吼般的咆哮传来。这从没听过的沉重嗓音的发生源是纳斯塔莎。和平时端庄的她的声音完全不一样。纳斯塔莎在地上滚动，来到了门边。

“Uuuooooohhh!”

「呜喔喔喔喔！」

She roared in a thick, coarse tone, then stood up to lean against the door, grabbing the handle and pushing it open slightly. However, after just that much, Nastasha whimpered quietly and collpased.

她发出粗厚的怒吼，站起身来，一边将身体往门上靠，一边抓住门把，稍微打开了门。但仅到此为此，纳斯塔莎小小发出「呼嘘」一声，便倒了下去。

She did not move after that, as though she had passed out from the pain, or as though she were dead.

然后便那样再也不动了，似乎是因为剧痛而晕了过去，又或是像是死去一般。

Her mother advanced toward the tiny gap that Nastasha had sacrificed herself to make. The pain coursing through Keeno was enough to make a man faint or even die, and it was so powerful it even stole the strength to scream or cry. However her mother was enduring that pain while still working to take her and run.

母亲朝向纳斯塔莎牺牲自己所创造出来的细小缝隙前进。侵袭琪诺的剧痛足以让人晕死过去，连痛苦哭喊的力气都夺走的强烈痛楚。但母亲却一边忍耐着那样的剧痛，还一边采取行动，带着自己逃走。

Although it had taken who knew how many minutes just to travel a few meters, her mother showed no signs of giving up.

虽然仅仅数公尺的距离也得花上不知道几分钟才走得完，但母亲看来没有放弃的意思。

The door opened slowly from the other side, and then stopped when it hit Nastasha’s head.

房门从另外一边缓缓打开，然后门板因为撞到了地上的纳斯塔莎的头而停了下来。

Her mother grabbed Keeno’s hand and tightened.

母亲抓着琪诺手臂的手里，加强了力道。

Perhaps her mother believed that the culprit behind this incomprehensible deed was about to show themselves, but it was not to be.

母亲可能是以为造成这个不可解情况的元凶就要出现在眼前了吧，但是并不是这样。

The person who appeared before her was her father.

出现的是父亲。

He looked like he had aged decades in an instant. He used his spear as a crutch as he moved in front of the two of them.

看起来像是一瞬间老了几十岁的父亲，将长枪当成拐杖一样拄着，出现在两人面前。

“My… king…”

「夫、君」

“Kee -- alright…?”

「琪——没事」

Her father looked like he was suffering too. Even so, he had managed to come all this way here because he was strong beyond the realms of man.

父亲看起来果然也是一副饱受激痛折磨的模样。尽管如此，却还能够走到这里来，全是因为父亲是超越了人之领域的强者的缘故吧。

“Throught... the city. Use… teleportation…”

「城、全部。用传、送」

“Under… stood…”

「明、白」

Her father’s speech was broken as he withstood the tremendous pain. But Keeno’s mother seemed to have fully understood her father’s meaning.

因为忍受着剧痛的缘故，父亲所说的话变得支离破碎，但望着琪诺的母亲看起来完全理解了父亲的意思。

The desperation on her mother’s face turned to terror. It was not just because of the pain afflicting her. Higher-tier spells demanded greater focus. Naturally, a spellcaster who could cast said high-level spells would typically have developed similarly potent powers of concentration. It would not be a problem under normal circumstances. But there were times where they would need to focus even in special circumstances like this.

母亲拼死的表情变得颇为恐怖，这不单是因为忍受剧痛的关系。越是高等的魔法，使用时需要的集中力也越高。当然，当术者足以施展那些高等魔法的时候，通常也已经锻炼出了同等高度的集中力，在一般的情况下不会有任何问题。但是像在这类特殊的情况时，也会有需要特意提高集中力。

Perhaps it was because of the pain or because she needed to focus herself for a spell, but more sweat beaded on her mother’s forehead. And then--

不知是出于剧痛，亦或是因为施法需要高度集中力的缘故，母亲额上渗出了更多的汗水。接着——

The spell did not go off.

魔法没有发动。

“Ooogh. Not… failure. This is -- interference!”

「呜。不是、失败。这——是、遮蔽!」

“What--”

「究竟——」

In Keeno’s blurred vision, she saw her father’s face shift into puzzlement as he forgot his pain. After that, the two of them moved over Keeno as though they were trying to squash her flat.

琪诺被泪水模糊的视野里，看见父亲继母亲之后，也忘记剧痛露出惊愕的表情。接着两人就像是要把琪诺压扁似的压在她的身上。

It was heavy.

好重。

But Keeno understood the feelings of the couple.

但是琪诺明白身上那两个人的心情。

Keeno could feel how strongly they loved her, and the tear flowing from her eyes did not stem from pain.

琪诺强烈感受到两人是多么的深爱着自己，眼中涌出了与痛楚不同的泪水。

But the agony did not change. It seemed to ignore their love, tormenting Keeno with the same suffering it had from before.

但剧痛依旧毫无变化。它像是无视两人的爱情一般，用与之前并无二致的痛苦折磨着琪诺。

It hurt so much that she lost her sense of time.

太过剧烈的痛楚让时间的感觉也消失了。

She could not even feel the weight of their bodies on her. She had lost all sensation in her body. All that remained was the ever-intensifying pain.

甚至连身上两人的重量也感觉不到。全身的感觉都不见了。只剩下逐渐增强的痛苦。

She should have died.

自己应该就要死了。

Why--

为什么——

Why would--

为何要——

What--

是什么——

Who--

是谁——

Would do such a terrible thing--

做出这样可怕的事——

Questions kept bubbling up in her mind, but like bubbles-- they burst. At the same time, her consciousness also -- just at that moment, Keeno suddenly sensed herself making contact with something huge. It felt a lot like the moment when she cast a spell, but it was not the same.

脑中不断浮现出的疑问，却像水泡一样一一破裂。同时自己的意识也——就在那时，突然琪诺感到自己接触到了某种巨大的东西。那感觉和能够使用魔法的瞬间很像、但却不是。

That sensation was also impossible to describe in words. However, Keeno could feel her father, her mother, Nastasha, and all the people working in the castle.

那个感觉果然也无法用言语形容。只是、琪诺感觉到了父亲、母亲、还有纳斯塔莎等在城里工作的人们。

That was all.

仅此而已。

And with that, Keeno passed out.

随即琪诺便失去了意识。

By the time she came to, she did not know how much time had passed.

当她恢复意识时，不知道究竟过了多久的时间。

The pain from before had vanished, as though it had all been a lie. It even made her wonder if she had been dreaming.

之前的剧痛宛如骗人似地消失了。甚至让人觉得自己是不是在作梦。

Keeno suddenly thought; how are mother and father?

琪诺突然想起，父母现在怎么样了？

She shifted her vision and instantly spotted them.

挪动视线，琪诺立刻发现了他们。

Her mother and father were there. Both of them were standing in the room.

父母都在。他们没事。两个人都站在房间里面。

“Mo--”

「母——」

Keeno only managed to utter half of the word. The other half stuck in her throat and refused to be said.

琪诺的话只讲到一半。剩下的一半便黏在了喉咙上，再也说不出来。

That was because she saw the strangeness of her father, her mother, and the two maids. But the terror welling up in her was promptly extinguished.

因为她看见了父亲、母亲、以及房间里两位女仆那异常的模样。但是心中涌上的强烈恐怖感却当场被压抑了下来。

Keeno bit back the deeply unpleasant shift in her mood and looked at the faces of the four of them.

琪诺忍下那极为不舒服的心情变化，凝视着四个人的面孔。

It was not dementia. The four of them were wobbling as they moved, as though they had lost their senses. The way they did it strongly resembled a certain kind of undead being Keeno had learned about during her monster lore classes.

那并不是痴呆。四人宛如失去了理性一般，摇摇晃晃的走着。那副模样与琪诺学过的魔物知识里的某种不死者十分相似。

Keeno touched her face.

琪诺摸了摸自己的脸。

--It was cold.

——冰凉的。

She checked her pulse.

量自己的脉搏。

--There was none.

——没有在跳。

She suspected that she might have felt at the wrong place and shifted the finger on her wrist, but no matter where she checked, she could not find a pulse.

怀疑是不是自己按错了地方，琪诺移动手腕上的手指，但不论身上哪里都没有发现脉搏。

Panicked, Keeno looked around the room and found a dressing mirror. She looked at herself. At a glance it seemed as though nothing had changed. Yet there was one area which was completely different.

慌乱的琪诺环顾室内，找到了一面穿衣镜，只见镜中的自己，乍看之下似乎哪儿都没有变化，但却有一处和之前完全不同的地方。

It was her crimson eyes.