《The Mark Carved in the Dark Night》 Chapter 23: The Left Behind

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Japanese Translation

[Chapter 23: The Left Behind]

The meteor has already vanished.
However, not everything has ended.

When the royal capital intervenes and the system begins to move,
those who were left behind must face the consequences.

Those who were protected, those who retreated,
and—those who were forced to speak.

There are no heroes in this chapter.
All that remains are the "people left behind"
within the system.

There was a reason why Claire reacted the way she did.

Because—
the "Imperial Sanction Knights" (commonly known as "Judgment Knights") are,
under the current kingdom system,
the knight rank granted the highest authority.

They possess the discretionary power of "post-facto reporting" and
are in a position to draft sentencing documents and carry out executions themselves.

Furthermore, if a case is transferred to a "Royal Court Trial,"
it means the first trial takes place directly before His Highness—
which is to say,
they also hold the actual authority to decide whether or not
to plead for a pardon in their own hands.

"His Highness judged that you would be fine.
That is why he left you here."

Valrena picked up the teacup she had finally found
and spoke in a very calm tone.
As if she were stating an insignificant fact.

"Otherwise,
he would have had you taken back
along with the knight order that came today."

"…But…"

"I have looked through your background and
the summary of the 'cases' you have been involved in so far."

Valrena blinked for just a moment,
and continued with a somewhat light tone.

"If you can teach bookkeeping,
there should be no issues with your logical structure.
For now, this role is just for compiling documents.
That is enough."

Claire suddenly realizes.

—I,
about those things,
did not remember formally telling anyone.

But at the same time,
recalling that the female knight of the dark night had crossed the border
to hunt him down,

…I decided
to say nothing more.

At the lord's guard station,
several people were gathered around a desk, cracking stupid jokes.

Valric,
—having just finished a night watch shift forced upon him by someone else—
had just returned to the station to moisten his throat.

The moment he opened the door,
the "guards" merely glanced at him sideways,
someone clicked their tongue softly,
but the conversation did not stop.

Valric paid it no mind,
and headed straight for the water station.
Just as he picked up a cup.

His ears caught a voice from behind.

“Hey, those three, haven't they returned yet?”
“Three?”

Another man replied with the lightness of someone talking about the weather.

“They must be done by now.”
“No, I think—”
“Tch, it's just a side effect of the slashing.”
Someone laughed.

“Are you a rookie?”
“The one with blue hair… wasn't bad, was she?”
“…What a waste.”

Valric's movements stopped.
The cup had reached his lips,
but he simply could not get the water down his throat.
Deep in his chest, something made a sickening sound.

“Don't tell me they ran away?”
An irritated voice flew out.
“To take this long.”

“Run away?”
Another man laughed through his nose.
“Where would they run to?”

Valric,
placed the cup down roughly and turned on his heel with force.

At the door,
he nearly collided with someone just entering.
“What's with him?”
The man who arrived frowned and muttered softly.

“What's wrong?”
Someone by the desk,
looking at him holding an envelope, said.
“Another ‘disposal’?”

The man shrugged.
“It'll be dawn soon, anyway.”
“Then it can wait until later.”
“Yeah.”

At the edge of the desk,
an unopened envelope was placed carelessly.
A scrap of paper peeking out from inside.

What was written there was just a single line—

“Valric”

When Valric rushed out of the barracks,
the sky was already beginning to pale.

The cobblestones were wet with night dew,
and because he was running in such a panic, his soles slipped repeatedly.
Even so, he could not afford to stop.

There was only one thing on his mind.
—Blue hair.
Nothing must happen to her.
At the very least...
anything like that, in that kind of way.

As he approached the street leading to the city hall,
Valric’s feet came to an involuntary halt.

…Something is wrong.

The entrance to the street was blocked off.
It wasn't an official blockade.
But it was in an even more ominous state.

The night patrol lanterns had all been removed,
and standing in their place were knights he did not recognize.

Neither the color of their cloaks nor their crests belonged to the lord’s guards.

Further ahead—
a light streaked across the sky.
It was not starlight.
It was the afterglow of magical flight.
One streak, then another, vanishing in the direction of the outskirts of the castle.

Valric stood frozen in the shadows.
As if he had been sewn to the ground.

—This is not the scale of force a private soldier can mobilize.
—And this is not just a matter of “cleaning up” either.

In that moment, he understood.
If he stepped any further, he would be erased along with them.

He gritted his teeth hard,
his fingertips turning white.

In truth—
he wanted to go to her house.
He wanted to knock on the door
and just confirm if she was alive, nothing more.

But it was no longer possible.
Not because he was afraid.

—This city
was no longer a place he could come and go as he pleased.

Valric turned on his heel
and retraced his steps along the wall.

His chest felt heavy,
and his throat was parched.

If she is still alive...
If I have already thrown 'that' in...

There is only one thing I can do now.
--Find someone who will listen to me.
Before I am forced into the next night watch duty
all over again.

He steeled himself and stepped forward.
Standing ahead of him was a silver-haired boy.
Red collar, pale pink uniform--
Attire he did not recognize.

"Excuse me--"

"You are..."
The boy turned around, checked the emblem on his chest, and immediately reached for the hilt of his sword, drawing it halfway out.

"A private soldier?"
The voice was cold and sharp.
It was pure vigilance, meant to gauge friend from foe.

Almost simultaneously, a dragon-kin girl wearing the same uniform moved to his side, battle-axe at the ready.

"...Are you here to pick a fight?"
"No."
Valric answered immediately.

His voice was somewhat urgent, but he did not back down.

"I want to see the person in charge here.
I have something I must report."

"Your name?"
"Valric."

The dragon-kin girl's movements stopped for a moment.
Then, she stared at him intently.
"...Is it you?"

She lowered her battle-axe, turned on her heel, and signaled.

"The Judgment Knight is looking for you. Follow me."

The female knight said this and began to walk.
Valric followed behind her.

As he walked, he began to feel a sense of unease.
This scene--it looked strangely familiar.

When they finally reached the plaza, his field of vision opened up all at once.
At that moment, Valric realized.
--This is that plaza, the one right next to Lisina's house.
However, it looked completely different now.

In one corner of the plaza, two dragons were waiting.
Knights wearing the same uniform were bustling about,
their movements swift and efficient.

In the sky, flight devices were descending one after another, or hovering at low altitudes,
and knights in green uniforms were shouting orders directly from above.

The entire plaza
looked like an improvised military command center.

The bakery next door seems to be open still.
However, the baker is already outside the shop, looking around restlessly.

Knights are coming and going incessantly,
clutching loaves of bread and calling out to the baker, "Settle the bill!"

"Because Olpaki has been placed under the direct control of the royal capital,"

The female knight explains in a low voice as they walk.

"The primary evidence is stored at the city hall and cannot be moved easily. That is why we are using this place as a temporary headquarters."

She stops in front of a door and knocks lightly.

"Your Excellency, the Adjudicator. I have brought Valric."

"No matter what I say from here on, do not interrupt."
Valrena said to Claire in a low voice.

"I have my own plans."

Claire nods silently.

She returns to the other side of the desk and shifts her voice back to a calm, official tone.

"Come in."

The female knight brings Valric into the room, bows slightly to Valrena, and then retreats outside the door.

"Valric."
Valrena gestures for him to take a seat.

However, he remains standing where he is, his eyes unconsciously scanning the top of the desk.

A few days ago—right by this very desk, emboldened by alcohol, he had confessed everything to Lisina.

But sitting there now were an unfamiliar Adjudicator and a young man who looked like a traveler.

"...Um,"
He finally opens his mouth. His voice is dry.
"Where are Lisina and Astol...?"

Valrena does not answer immediately.
She flips through the documents on the desk, lowers her gaze as if to confirm something, and then looks up.

"Are you referring to the blue-haired woman who lived in this house and her younger brother?"

"...Yes."
Valric nods immediately.
"Where are they?"

“An unexpected situation occurred last night.”
Valrena announced in a businesslike tone.
“She was attacked on her way home.”

Valric’s breathing became visibly ragged.

“Th... then, is she...?”

“We succeeded in eliminating the threat.”
Valrena chose her words without including any evaluation.

“However, it was no longer a situation where she could remain in Orpaki.”
She closed the file.

“The royal capital has taken over, and she has already been transported outside the city.”

“...Then, what about my younger brother?”
“To ensure his safety,”
Valrena replied immediately.
“We have evacuated him at the same time.”

After those words fell,
a brief silence descended upon the room.

Valric hung his head and gripped his hands tightly.
Claire, standing by his side, saw his shoulders relax slightly.
—At the very least, he is not here.
At the very least, he is alive.

“Now then.”
Valrena changed the subject.
“Next, it is your turn.”

Her gaze caught Valric’s directly.

“Tell me everything you know, from beginning to end, without leaving out a single word.”

“—That is all you can do right now.”

With that, Valric began to tell the whole story.

His voice trembled, his words were broken,
as if he were being dragged back to that night once again.
Every time he spoke, his body shook involuntarily,
his fingertips turned white, and his gaze was unfocused.
He looked as if he might collapse at any moment.

Watching him from the side, Claire understood clearly.
—This is not an act.

The report Lisina left behind.
And the additional report that just arrived from Hien—
the burial site has already been confirmed.

With all this gathered,
the truth of the incident itself is no longer in doubt.

However—
due to the system, there was still one unanswered question.
Whether it could be proven that he “committed the act under duress.”

Until that is determined,
Valric’s status remains, ultimately,
nothing more than a “murder suspect.”

A short while later,
a report arrived regarding the forced search of the <Guard> unit by Hekiran.

The contents of the report
greatly corroborated the credibility of Valric's testimony.

Valrena flipped through one of the documents and looked up.

“—Do you recognize this envelope?”
At that question, Valric's breathing stopped for a moment.
“...I do...”

He gulped, his throat clicking.
“If I recall... it is used when there is someone to be 'disposed of'...”

Valrena opened the envelope right in front of him.

The piece of paper was unfolded.

What was written there was
only a single name—
Valric.

Cold sweat ran down his back all at once.

“I see.”
Valrena's voice remained calm and indifferent throughout.
“—You were lucky.”
“You managed to avoid being silenced.”

Valric kept his mouth open,
but in the end, he could not utter a single word.

Once the interrogation reached a stopping point,
Valrena closed the documents and clapped her hands lightly.

The door opened,
and that dragon-kin female knight entered the room.

“Transfer him to the inn where we are requisitioning.
Keep him under detention for the time being.”

Valrena ordered while organizing the documents.

“Whether he is sent to the imperial court trial
is something I will decide later.”

The female knight nodded briefly
and left the room, taking Valric with her.

Just before the door closed,
he muttered in a low voice, almost to himself.
“...I'm glad I'm alive.”

The moment the door closed, the room fell silent once again.

Claire remained standing where she was,
holding her breath until the footsteps had completely faded away.

Eventually, she finally exhales.

“...You understand the intent, don't you?”
Valrena asks without looking up,
while taking notes.

Claire nods silently.

After confirming that,
Valrena slowly raises her gaze to look at him.
“Even so—”
A beat.

“Do you still think you are not worthy of this seat?”

The above translation is based on a draft by ChatGPT, which I have personally proofread and supervised.
If there are any unnatural parts in the style or tone, I would appreciate it if you could point them out.
If you have any thoughts or questions, please let me know in the comments section. I will do my best to reply.
Once again, thank you very much for reading this work.

Chinese Original Text

【Chapter 23: Those Left Behind】

The meteor has fallen,
but things did not end there.

When the royal capital takes over and the system is activated,
those left behind must begin to bear the consequences.

Some are protected, some are evacuated,
and some are finally standing in a position where they must 'explain everything.'

There are no heroes in this chapter.
Only those left behind under the system.

There is a reason for Claire's reaction.

Because the 'Imperial Decree Sanction Knight' (referred to as 'Sanction Knight'),
is currently the highest-ranking knight status within the kingdom's system,
possessing the discretionary power to 'execute first and report later.'

While needing to write judgments and personally carry out executions,
once a case is transferred to the 'Imperial Court,'
the first trial is equivalent to going directly before Her Highness—
which also means, in essence, holding the judgment power on whether to request a pardon.

“Her Highness must have believed you could do it, which is why she left you behind.”

Valrena picks up the teacup she finally managed to find,
her tone as calm as if she were stating something perfectly ordinary.

“Otherwise, she could have simply ordered you to leave with the knights who arrived today.”

“But...”

“I have roughly looked over your background, and those 'cases'.

She blinked, her tone carrying a hint of faint, almost imperceptible ease.

If you can teach bookkeeping, it means your logic can't be bad. For now, this position only requires you to organize data, so it won't be a problem.

Krea suddenly remembered—
he seemed to have never formally mentioned those things to anyone.

But then, thinking that
even the Dark Night Knightess could track him down across borders,

he decided to keep his mouth shut.

In the Lord's Guard barracks, a group of people were gathered around a table, joking and fooling around.

Valric had just finished his night shift—one that someone had forced onto him—and was just trying to head back to the barracks for a drink of water.

As soon as he stepped through the door, those "guards" merely glanced at him sideways; someone clicked their tongue, but the conversation did not stop.

Valric ignored them and walked straight toward the pantry.

The moment he picked up his water cup, he heard the conversation behind him.

Strange, why haven't those three come back yet?
Those three?

Another person spoke in a frivolous tone, as if discussing the weather.
They must be done by now.
Weren't they supposed to go—

Tsk, might as well finish them off while they're at it.
Someone laughed.
Are you new here?
That blue-haired one... not bad looking.
What a pity.

Valric's movements froze.
The rim of the cup touched his lips, but he couldn't swallow a drop.
His heart skipped a beat.

They wouldn't have actually run off, would they?
Someone said impatiently.
It's been so long.

Run?
Another person scoffed.
Where could they possibly run to?

Valric slammed the cup down and turned to rush out.
At the doorway, he nearly collided with someone just coming in.

What's wrong with that kid?
The newcomer frowned and muttered.

Why?

Someone saw him holding an envelope.
Need to take care of someone again?
The newcomer shrugged.
It's almost dawn anyway.Let's deal with it later.True.

At the table, an unopened envelope was left lying casually.
A corner of a note was peeking out.

On it, only one line was written—
Valric.

When Valric rushed out of the squad headquarters, the sky was already beginning to turn pale.

The cobblestone road was still wet with night dew, and he ran so urgently that his boot soles slipped several times, yet he dared not stop. His mind was filled with only one thought—
Blue hair.

She couldn't be in trouble.
At least... not that kind of trouble.

When he turned into the street leading toward the City Hall, his pace slowed down abruptly.

No.

The street entrance was blocked.

It wasn't an official blockade, but a more eerie state—the night patrol lanterns had been removed, and several knights he had never seen before stood at the intersection, wearing unfamiliar cloaks without the Lord's guard insignia. Further away in the sky, there was light. Not starlight. It was the afterimage left by magic-guided flight, one streak, two streaks, moving toward the outskirts of the city.

Valric stood in the shadows, his whole body as if nailed to the ground.

This wasn't something private soldiers could mobilize.
Nor was it the kind of formation that would appear for a 'clean-up'.

He suddenly understood one thing.
—If he went any further, he would be taken out along with them.

His teeth clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turning white.

He had originally intended to rush to her house, knock on the door, even if just to confirm she was still alive.
Now, he couldn't.

Not because of fear.
But because—this city was no longer a place where he could wander freely.

Valric turned around, pressing against the wall as he retreated in the opposite direction.
His chest felt tight, his throat dry and painful.

If she was still alive...
If she had already gotten the matter out...

Then now,there was only one thing he could do.
—Find 'someone who would listen to him'.
Before being forced into a task by the next night shift.

So he walked forward.

Standing ahead was a silver-haired youth wearing a red-collared, light-red uniform.
He had never seen that uniform before.

“Excuse me—”
“Are you...”
The youth turned his head, saw the badge on his chest, and immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, half-drawing it from the scabbard.

“A private soldier?”
His tone was cold and guarded, as if confirming friend or foe.
Almost simultaneously, a dragon-kin girl wearing the same uniform had already stepped aside, wielding a battle axe.
“Are you looking for trouble?”

“No.”
Valric spoke immediately, his voice somewhat urgent, but he did not step back.

Please take me to the person in charge here. I have something I must report.

Name. Valerik.

The dragon-kin girl paused, then looked up at him. ...It is you.

She put away her battle axe and turned to gesture. The Judgment Knight is looking for you. Follow me.

The female knight led him through the streets. The further Valerik walked, the more familiar the scene before him felt.

When they reached the plaza, his field of vision suddenly opened up. Valerik then realized—this was the very plaza next to Lucina's house.

Only now, two dragons were parked in a corner of the plaza. Several knights wearing the same uniform as the female knight were coming and going, their movements efficient and hurried.

In the sky, aircraft landed from time to time or hovered briefly at low altitudes, and the knights riding them wore green uniforms, issuing instructions directly to the ground personnel from the air.

The entire plaza looked like a makeshift military hub.

The bakery nearby looked like it was still open, but the baker had long since walked outside to look around, his expression clearly uneasy.

Knights hurried in and out of the shop from time to time, holding bread and shouting about checking out as they walked.

Because we have taken over the entire city,

the female knight explained in a low voice as she walked,

the main evidence is stored in the City Hall and cannot be moved easily, so we are using this place as a temporary headquarters for now.

She stopped in front of a door and raised her hand to knock. Lord Judgment Knight, Valerik has been brought here.

Don't say a word no matter what I say, Valerena whispered to Claire. I have my own way of handling this.

Claire nodded.

She returned behind the desk, her tone returning to a steady, professional pitch.

Please come in.

The female knight brought Valerik in, nodded to Valerena, and then retreated outside the door.

"Valric."
Valerena gestured for him to sit.

He stood where he was, his gaze involuntarily sweeping across the table.
It was at this very table, just a few days ago, that he had told Lucina everything while under the influence of alcohol.
But sitting here now was a stranger from the Judgment Knights,
along with a young man who looked like a traveler.

"...Excuse me,"
he finally spoke, his voice somewhat dry,
"where are Lucina and Astol?"

Valerena did not answer immediately.
She opened the documents on the table as if to confirm something,
before looking up.

"Are you referring to the blue-haired woman who lived here,
and her younger brother?"

"Yes."
Valric nodded immediately, "Where are they?"

"An unexpected situation occurred last night."
Valerena's tone was flat, "She was attacked on her way home."

Valric's breathing faltered instantly.
"Is she... is she alright?"

"She successfully neutralized the threat."
Valerena used no evaluative language,
"but the situation was not suitable for her to remain in Olpachi."

She closed the file.
"The Royal Capital has taken over the matter,
and she has already been transferred out of the city."

"Then... her brother?"
"For safety reasons,"
Valerena replied,
"he was evacuated as well."

After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the room.

Valric lowered his head, his hands tightly clasped together.

Crea stood to the side and saw his shoulders relax just a little.
—At least they were no longer here.
At least they were still alive.

"Now,"
Valerena brought the topic back,

"I want you to tell me everything you know, from beginning to end, without leaving out a single word."

"That is the only thing you can do right now."

And so, Valric began to confess everything in detail.
His voice trembled, his sentences fragmented, as if he were being dragged back into that night.

As he spoke, he shook involuntarily, his knuckles turning white, his eyes unfocused, as if he might collapse at any second.

Crea stood by, watching his reaction, and knew clearly—
that was not an act.

The report left behind by Lucina,
combined with the update just sent by Scarlet Flame—
the burial site has been confirmed.
With this, the authenticity of the incident is now undeniable.

However, there is still one question left unanswered regarding the system—
whether it can be proven that he committed the crime under duress.

Until then, Valric's status remains merely that of a 'murder suspect'.

Shortly after, the report on Blue Storm's raid on the 'Guard' headquarters arrived.
The contents discovered significantly increased the credibility of Valric's testimony.

Valrena flipped through one of the documents and looked up.

'Do you recognize this type of envelope?' she asked.

Valric's breath hitched.
'I do...'

He swallowed hard, 'It seems to be used when... someone needs to be 'taken care of'.

Valrena opened the envelope right in front of him.

The note was unfolded.

It had only one name written on it—
Valric.

Cold sweat instantly trickled down his spine.

'It seems,' Valrena said, her tone remaining calm, 'you are quite lucky.'
'You weren't silenced.'

Valric opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word.

After the interrogation concluded, Valrena closed the file and clapped her hands lightly.
The door was pushed open, and the female dragon knight entered.

'Take him to the inn we've requisitioned and hold him there for now.'
Valrena ordered as she organized the documents, 'I will decide later whether to transfer him for a royal trial.'

The female knight nodded and escorted Valric away.

Just as the door was about to close, she muttered under her breath:
'...Thank goodness, he's still alive.'

The moment the door closed, the room returned to silence.

Claire stood where she was, and only when the footsteps had completely faded did she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"You should know the intention, right?"
Valerena did not look up, asking while she recorded.
Claire nodded.

Only then did Valerena lift her eyes and look at him.
"Then you still think—"

"That you are not suited for this position?"