Nataek rushed into the warehouse without hesitation.
The interior was filled with pots containing grains. Among them, there was one pot in particular that emanated a faint light that was on the verge of disappearing. Nataek hurriedly ran over and shoved his bound hands inside the jar, causing the barley grains inside to overflow and spill onto the ground. As soon as the light had completely gone out, a message window appeared.
<SYSTEM> You have obtained ‘Novice Dagger’!
<SYSTEM> You have obtained ‘Old Letter’!
Two heavy items materialized in his hands.
“Ha.”
Breathless, he pulled his hands out from the pot. What came into view was a dagger the size of his palm… and a lump made of mud. Turning the lump over to the other side revealed pictorial symbols.
“This is crazy…”
It was a clay tablet. A clay tablet with engraved cuneiform inscriptions.
“How am I supposed to read this?”
<SYSTEM> The quest [Truth of the Letter] has begun.
<SYSTEM> ‘Old Letter’ cannot be read. Shall we ask the villagers for help?
“Are you kidding me…”
Nataek stared at the message he’s never seen before.
At the beginning of the game, there was a quest to obtain an item ‘Old Letter’. But back then, the letter was written in modern language, and there wasn’t anything important mentioned in said letter. So Nataek had always quickly skipped through that part of the game. Well, it turned out to be a huge mistake. Now he didn’t have anything to go off of regarding what could possibly be written in it.
“I’m really going crazy…”
Nataek closed his eyes in annoyance, but his irritation was interrupted by the sound of people from outside. The sound of a conversation gradually grew louder as they approached the warehouse. This damned game. Doesn’t even give him any time to think. Nataek groaned and hid the dagger and clay tablet under his clothes.
Now, where to hide.
Nataek looked around before his eyes came across a narrow space at the far end of line of pots. With no time to think, Nataek dashed and squeezed himself in the cramped space, hiding behind one of the pots.
The door made of reeds opened with a rustle. The voices became much clearer.
“We should have just cut off all their heads. As expected, our Ensi (lord) has a big heart, taking in those Inanna bastards as slaves!”
“Let’s take down those punks a peg or two. Especially the sons of the family! We’ll make them realize that they’re no longer nobles here.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Qtja bc fjgat vlv atf rbcr bo atf Pcjccj ojwlis vb ab wjxf atfrf akb tjaf atfw rb wemt? Rjajfx ofia ilxf la kjr ecojlg atja tf, ktbrf bcis wlrajxf kjr ecxcbklcuis qbrrfrrlcu Kfgfrl’r ybvs, tjv vbcf jyrbieafis cbatlcu jcv sfa kjr yflcu obgmfv ab gfqfca.
Ycf bo atf jaafcvjcar mbcalcefv, “Dea klii kf fnfc yf jiibkfv ab qert atfw jgbecv? Rb wjaafg tbk sbe ibbx ja la, atbrf akb uesr klii mfgajlcis yf jrrlucfv jr atf rfgnjcar obg atf sbecu wjrafgr.”
“Ah. I guess so. They come from an aristocratic family after all. Damn it! I wanted to have them under my feet and make them lick the floor.”
“By the way, who do you think will be assigned as the servant of the third master?”
“As if I would know. Whoever it’ll be, they will be the unluckiest person out of the entire family. Isn’t the third master a noble in name only? A slave that serves a fake aristocrat. Their position in the palace will be the lowest of the low.”
“Shh. Keep your voice down. What if the third master hears…!” The attendant stretched his head out the door like a turtle peeking out of its shell, glancing outside the storage room. His eyes were full of fear.
“Why should I? Honestly, there’s nobody in the House of Ninurta who doesn’t know that the third master is treated worse than a commoner. Just his appearance alone is unsettling. Pale skin, faded hair, even the color of his eyes is barbaric.”
“Tr… True. That’s true.”
“I told you. Besides, he’s not from Uruk nor does he have the blood of the Ninurta family flowing in his veins. How can a savage barbarian of unknown origins be our master! He would’ve been stoned to death and his corpse buried underground if our generous Ensi hadn’t taken him in. And not to mention that nasty temper of his. Doesn’t he arrogantly act like he’s above us?”
The other man who’d been listening nodded his head.
“Third Master…?” Nataek muttered to himself.
He tilted his head. How the system in Sununki’s version of Mesopotamia worked was that every city was its own state. The head of the family would become its ruler, and the ruler was called Ensi. Judging from their conversation, the target of their gossip was now the third son of the noble family. Plus, he was a foreigner without a single drop of Uruk blood. Was it adoption? Was that a thing here?
Nataek frowned after contemplating for a while.
Because this part of the game was so easy, he skipped all the cutscenes when breezing through the quests, so there’s nothing in his memory that could help him. Nataek wanted to shake his past self for playing the game so insincerely. If he had taken the time to properly read through everything, it would’ve been a little easier to understand the situation in Uruk.
The outspoken attendant of the two opened his mouth again, saying, “Someday, the third master—no, Medeus—will get banished from these lands. It’ll be payback for all the humiliation we’ve suffered until now…”
“Why wait until then? Why not do it now?”
The words of the two attendants were cut off instantly. They hadn’t noticed when the tall man, who was now leaning against the door, had come.
“Third—Third Master… Um, when did you get here…”
“This arrogant nobleman in name only had only now just arrived.”
“…”
Even Nataek, who was witnessing the interaction from a distance, could sense the tension in the air. The tall man stepped into the warehouse. When he’d been standing by the door, the man appeared to be slender but as he was approaching the two attendants, it became apparent that his height was as tall as the heights of the two attendants put together. It seemed that the man’s unusually long limbs were the reason for the initial optical illusion.
“Is it necessary for me to be sent to a place far away? Just do it now. Seize the opportunity given to you.”
The man drew the sword from his waist, spinning it once, and extended the hilt to the attendants. Neither of the two servants could lift their lowered heads. The man who’d been waiting for a reaction temptingly shook the sword in his hand.
“Don’t you think I should repay the disgrace I’ve given to you. Yes?”
“Th—Third Master… You misunderstand. That’s…”
“Can’t you remember the humiliation you suffered through?”
“That…”
The servants hesitated, both of them breaking into a cold sweat. The man bent down his head and whispered to one of the attendants.
“I remember everything.”
There was a faint smile in the man’s downturned eyes. He spun the sword in his hand once more. The tip of the blade changed direction, now aimed at the servant’s groin. The hem of the servant’s knee-length skirt was lifted up by the back of the blade.
The man spoke slowly in a low voice.
“That fucking bastard. It was said that we don’t know if he has a cock or not.”
The hem of the fabric, which had been swept up to his thigh, slipped and fell back to its original position. This time, the tip of his sword touched one of the attendant’s shoulders.
“He has a head, but it was said that it was completely hollow inside, making sounds similar to that of an empty pot. What else was said?”
The flat side of the straight-bladed sword touched the servant’s chin. The man slowly lifted the servant’s head using the weapon.
“He has eyes, but he still lacks awareness, and it was said that those useless eyes should be plucked out. From head to toe, he wears too many trinkets. He, who can’t even pick his own battles, indulges in excessive luxury. Speaking of which, would you like me to trim off such useless things right now?”
“So—Sorry, I’m sorry, Third Master! I’ve committed a mortal sin.”
“If you’ve committed a mortal sin, then you should apologize with your life.”
As he spoke, the man’s eyes still held a smile. The servant knelt down on the floor and desperately begged him for forgiveness. The other servant did the same.
The man kicked at the kneeling servants as if he wanted them out of his sight.
“Don’t spoil my mood and get lost.”
“Thank you, master! Thank you!”
The trembling attendants quickly rose to their feet. Silence filled the warehouse as the two scrambled to leave as fast as humanly possible.
The third master… No matter how you look at him, he seems like a guy with an unusual temper. Of course, the servants were the ones in the wrong, but still, for the people in the mansion to be treated like that… It was clear to Nataek that if a slave from the Inanna family was caught trying to blend in with the others, they wouldn’t even be able to find his body in whatever aftermath would occur.
Holding his breath, Nataek waited for the man to leave.
“Come out,” the man spoke, putting his sword back into its sheath. Nataek was so startled that a hiccup escaped his mouth.
“Heuk—”
Ah… I’m screwed.
“If you want to become a jar, then you can stay where you are. The art of cutting off arms and legs is my specialty.”
Nataek jumped to his feet as soon as the man finished speaking. The man gestured with his eyes.
“Don’t make me repeat myself. Come here.”
Screwed. I’m really screwed.
Nataek, with a dark expression, did as he was told. His gaze didn’t waver from the ground as he walked towards the man.
“Hmm,” the man said in a severely low voice while examining Nataek. “It’s unlikely that those from the family would entrust the grain warehouse to a slave from Inanna. Why have you come here?”
“…”
What’s an explanation I could use to spare my life?
“Perhaps you intended to avenge your family? Set it all on fire?”
“No, that’s not it!”
Nataek raised his head sharply. He’d be falsely accused if he didn’t speak up. He was met with a familiar face. Gray irises, long eyelashes, and drooping eyes that reminded Nataek of a docile puppy. In addition, the man had a smooth jawline without any contours making him look young enough to be mistaken for a boy. It was the man that Nataek had bumped into on the way to the warehouse. His appearance didn’t match the things he’s done.
“Really? That’s too bad,” the man replied sullenly.
“…?”
His reaction was strange. What did you mean by “too bad”?
The man walked towards the jar that Nataek had been hiding behind. While he did so, Nataek observed the man from the corner of his eye. Nataek’s current physique was close to that of his original body. He hasn’t looked in a mirror since coming here so he wasn’t too certain about it, but his fingers seemed familiar and the height of his field of vision felt just right. Nataek, who was on the taller side of most men, had never met anyone who seemed significantly physically superior to him. That wasn’t the case anymore.
The man inspecting the grain warehouse was a hand taller than Nataek. The exposed parts of his forearms revealed well-toned muscles and protruding veins. Looking at his straight and broad shoulders, it seemed that the body hidden under those clothes wouldn’t be any different.
He’s not an opponent that’ll be easy to take down. If a fight breaks out…
Still, it would’ve been worth trying if only his hands weren’t bound together.
After a short reconnaissance, the man returned to Nataek’s side.
“There’s nothing here… Nothing in particular is missing either. What are you really here for?”
“I… took the wrong path.”
“From the way you ran earlier, you didn’t look like someone who got lost.”
Nataek’s hands became sweaty. He hunched his shoulders and pinned the two items under his clothes closer to his chest. No matter what happens, he can’t afford to have these items taken away from him. He doesn’t know how it’ll affect the next quest if he loses them. Although he needed to verify what was written on the clay tablet, even at the risk of having it confiscated.
Should I knock him unconscious and run away?
But the man had a sword. What should I do?
He doesn’t have any information that would help him in the current situation, but he vaguely remembered what the quest after receiving “Old Letter” was. It was definitely Uruk’s “Market Exploration” quest. If he went to the market, he might be able to find the second clue…
Nataek quickly devised different strategies in his head and calculated the trajectory needed to overpower the man. He’s even willing to use physical force if necessary to run away. A large, calloused hand gripped Nataek’s chin and forcibly lifted it up.
“It seems like your head must also be for decoration only. Do you dare intend to attack me?”
Editor: An Zheee
Hmm…
This has my attention. Please keep going, boys~ Don’t mind us readers with our buttered popcorn… Well, some of us with that dog food too.
10/10 TFTC
Thank you for the translation 😍❤️
thank you for the chapter! 💕