Chapter 306: The Giant’s Myth
Suddenly, Caria felt the sensation of a large amount of blood being swallowed directly into her body. No, the sensation was way bigger than that. Without a doubt, new blood and heat were pouring into her body now. It was such a horrible feeling.
Nausea scratched her throat, and a sharp pain burned her eyes.
Suddenly, when the pain ceased for a moment, the next pain hit her limbs again. It was so intense to the extent that she thought that her organs were spitting out blood.
Caria didn’t even have time to ask herself what happened. Without knowing, the Great Temple disappeared from her sight, and even sound disappeared from her ears and meshed with the hollow.
She heard only one thing. The cry of a Giant that seemed like a scream.
「…My flesh is no longer nested with maggots, and the eyes that could see the future are now empty. I no longer see anything.」
It was so close to screaming that it was hard to even pick up words. It even felt painful. But for some reason, when Caria heard that sound, a vivid scene emerged in her vision.
Insects crawled around someone’s body, making its flesh rot. Even though that someone’s body was almost bone itself, it was considered a mighty person who continued to survive while laying down. The sleeping form of the former Founding Giant. He would not awaken from his sleep until the day the world died. He lived in the dark with a rotting body for nearly eternity.
The scene that entered Caria’s field of vision was truly a myth. No matter how much she tried to shake it off, the scene stuck to her eyelids as an undeniable reality.
The Giant’s existence in mythology was still a sleeping tale that resided in the depths of the earth. Just with that kind of imagination running down her spine, Caria felt her hideous emotions emerging deep inside her viscera.
「This hand, which once reached the large horizon, can’t even grasp the tip of Altius’ hair.」
Altius. At those words, Caria’s eyes lighted up with emotion.
That was the name Lugis used to refer to the God of the Great Holy Church. And even now, it was the name who threatened them.
“So, what happened to Lugis? What happened to that golden witch? What am I doing now?” Such thoughts shook Caria’s skull, and her feet wobbled.
However, there was a being who understood Caria’s confusion. The Giant’s voice shook Caria’s whole body.
「My little kin. If you pity me, you won’t stand a chance against Altius. 」
The Giant spoke as if she was of his bloodline. That sound was accompanied by enough pressure to crush Caria’s body.
“What a selfish statement”, Caria thought. Listening to what was said, the tragedy that was happening to her was probably the work of this Giant.
The Great Giant Flimslat. An arrogant, mighty former champion who stepped firmly on the ground. The King of Giants who could wipe the smallest of fragments.
Yet, the one who was defeated by Altius.
Caria snorted her nose as if laughing. Her nostrils felt a strong iron smell.
Indeed, no matter what the circumstances were, in short, it was just a matter of using its descendants to set up fangs against those who had trampled on themselves. Someone who could be like the King of Giants.
Perhaps, there were many layers of thought behind it, or perhaps there was an unimaginable amount of anguish.
However, that didn’t matter to Caria. Only one thing mattered. She spoke while chewing on the numbness that ran through her tongue. Her palms had an excessive amount of heat.
「…If you want to tell far-fetched things with words, then become a poet. I don’t believe in any word you say.」
The King of Giants’ words, and the heat in her palms, ruffled Caria’s lips. The warmth of her palms seemed to respond to Caria’s words, and she formed a shape as she shook her body in the void.
An ear-piercing sound caressed Caria’s ear. It was a voice that was on the verge of collapse, as if disappearing, unlike the screaming that happened just a moment ago.
…This is where my myth ends. Little giant. I pray that you never fall to the ground.
—
It was a large sword reminiscent of claymore. The color, which was surrounded by a dense scarlet like blood, distorted the eyes of the viewers without exception.
The entire scabbard was solidly coated, and it was doubtful whether the blade was there or not. At first glance, it no longer resembled a sword, but an iron pillar. A body that could easily exceed the height of a person.
A swordsman would say it was not a sword. Adventurers would say it was not a weapon wielded by humans. After all, it was not a tool to be used by humans.
If one applied it to the framework of human intellect, then one would imply heresy everywhere. A swing that could hardly be called a weapon.
That’s why, surely, the woman named Caria Burdnick, who calmly wielded it, was no longer within the framework of a human being. The air wriggled in response to the movement of the great sword, as if crying.
The first thing that noticed the strangeness of the great sword was the golden eyes.
Altius opened its eyes so wide that it almost stopped breathing, and the golden thread crawling out of its fingertips reflexively lowered its menacing movement.
「Flim…slat… 」
A voice of pure astonishment. Altius was the first to speak.
Reflected in its sight was a heretical great sword, a claymore. It had never seen it, nor did it remember its forge. But Altius wasn’t foolish because it knew what lied behind it.
King Flimslat, the King of Giants, the original giant.
It couldn’t be wrong. The appearance of the sword was very different from those the giant held in the past, but it still symbolized the King of Giants who once crushed the nations of humans in one night. The sledgehammer that crushed the world and tormented every being to the very end.
“That’s the only thing that proves Flimslat’s existence. Why does Caria Burdnick have it?”
The Original Text was the source of power of a great demon, the devil, and it was to prove its existence.
To hand it over to someone else, even if they were blood relatives, meant to lose the foundation on which one existed. What awaited beyond was their disappearance, something that great demons and devils feared above all else.
Not even death was feared, only the end of nothingness.
The King of Giants, who was the pinnacle of arrogance, feared that nothingness as well. There was no way the Giant would entrust everything to his bloodline. Altius hit the ground hard when it realized something peculiar.
Was it shaken or dumbfounded? For a moment, the golden thread just floated in the air.
It was a moment that felt like an eternity.
Then, the purple blade drew a circle and cut off many stretched threads. A blood-stained green uniform could be seen a step away.
Lugis, the Great Evil. A human who brandished his own spirit.
「… 」
Altius could see Lugis opening his mouth even with blood sticking to his eyelids. He seemed to be telling Ariene something. In response, Altius’ lips rippled for a moment. “No, it must be Ariene’s will.”
Altius narrowed its eyes and wiggled its fingertips.
Altius’ arms couldn’t reach him. “No, I don’t expect him to arrive so close to me. I didn’t even imagine such scenario. It’s impossible.”
Originally, he shouldn’t have been able to even get close to Altius. Right now, they were within a distance where even their voices could reach one another. “Is Offal the one at the origin of this? Or maybe is Lugis the cause itself?”
After a moment lost in thought, Altius opened its eyes. There was a dark scarlet flash in front of him. Caria’s silver hair looked magnificent against the hollow.
The King of Giants. Flimslat’s original weapon swung up toward the sky while involving the surrounding space. In this Great Temple, the holy land of giants, it became a raging storm with fangs, as if it had gained vitality for the first time in a long time. It was as if the Great Temple was easy to chew.
There was a limit to breaking the script. Altius squinted its eyes.
Flimslat’s original text was destruction itself. The will to tear even the earth apart. It was swung through without even a single hesitation.
…The Giant’s Myth.
The ancient myth became a dark scarlet flash and swallowed the Great Temple.
Go Caria!!! You deserve it!!! 😀
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I am Japanese.
So please forgive my poor English.
I found a translation that feels strange to Japanese.
So, I have done a different translation and hope you will find it helpful.
*Readers should be aware that it contains some spoilers.
—————–
1.
The sentence that appears in the second line from the end of episode 306.
“――『巨人神話』”.
You translate it as “The Giant’s Myth.”, but it is better to translate it as “Flimslat”.
The text “巨人神話” has the rubi “フリムスラト”.
Rubi are smaller letters that play the role of furigana, description, or different reading for a character.
For this reason, it will be translated as Flimslat in this case.
In another work, Fate/stay night, the same thing is done when translating the Noble Phantasm.
E.g., the sentence “The Sword of Promised Victory”
Rubi “Excalibur”
Translation “Excalibur”
2.
I also write some things that can be ignored because this is the translator’s preference.
Sometimes, as in episode 653, the original text is used in the dialogue.
It may be better to distinguish them with separate parentheses.
E.g., the sentence 「――『巨人神話』」
Translation 「—— [Flimslat]」
3.
Helot’s title (英雄) and Richard’s title (勇者) should be different.
英雄 and 勇者 are generally translated correctly as hero in English.
You both translate as hero.
However, in Japanese, they tend to be distinguished and are clearly defined separately in this work.
E.g.,the sentence “英雄”
Translation “Hero”
E.g.,the sentence “勇者”
Translation “Braver”
4.
You would be better to translate 大魔, 魔人 and 魔獣 into more different words.
E.g.,the sentence “大魔”
Translation “Evil God” or “Maumet”
大魔 is written in the work as a bad god like Ahriman of Zoroastrianism or Tiamat of Babylonian mythology.
Therefore, they have a good representation about gods.
E.g.,the sentence “魔人”
Translation “Demon” or “Fiend” or “Majin”
(Fiend is a translation in Chainsaw Man.)
(Majin is a translation in Dragon Ball.)
魔人 is written in this work as a servant of 大魔.
They are very powerful enemies that cannot be compared with others.
It needs a respectable expression that distinguishes it from the others.
E.g.,the sentence “魔獣”
Translation “High monster” or “High beast”
魔獣 in this work is set up as a subordinate of the 魔人, who is stronger than the monster.
Therefore, if you translate a 魔人 as a demon , you need to use an expression that distinguishes 魔獣 as a lower-ranked monster.
I think demon beast is a weird translation.
—————–
I do not know about the common sense and customs of English speakers.
So, I apologize if I am off the mark from an English speaker’s point of view.
And, sorry for the long sentence.
Hi dearest reader. No need to apologize, your insight is welcome.
1. We need to differentiate between the giant and his sword. To refer “Flimslat” as both the sword and the giant will be confusing to our readers. Therefore, “Flimslat” is the giant and the “Giant’s Myth” is the sword. Do you agree?
3. I know that Eiyuu and Yuusha are similar yet different (but some Japanese shows describe Yuusha as hero too, for example, in 恋はつづくよどこまでも with Sato Takeru, where Nanase is described as Yuusha (braver) but wears a Hero’s outfit with a sword). I think it makes sense for english readers to read “hero” because it is a title, while braver is not.
4. I use “Demon Beast” because they’re beasts/animals but not earthly, thus the “Demon” in them (they are demonic/devilish in a way). I am now using Magical Beasts as well, since some wield otherworldly strength/powers.
Thank you so much for sharing your opinion 🙂 I am taking some freedom to make the story readable, because it’s not an easy writing. But I’m not changing the elements and flow of the story. Everything remains intact, except for a few words here and there in order to make sense in english (using synonyms and similar expressions). It is a challenge, which is difficult but enjoyable 🙂
Thanks for the reply.
And I will answer again from a Japanese point of view.
(I also used deepl and tried to be clear, but I apologize if there is any strange English.)
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1.I disagree. And, Japanese read it this way.
(A)
フリムスラト(about the giant) … フリムスラト
So, it is natural to translate as Flimslat.
(B)
『巨人神話』(It has a bubi of フリムスラト. You said the sword.) … 『フリムスラト』
It reads as a spell used to a special move (In this novel, special move is metaphorically described as original text), not a sword.
The reason is partly context, but also because of the use of rubi and special parentheses.
For this reason, it may be a good idea to use special parentheses to distinguish between the two in translation.
E.g., [Flimslat] , , [The Giant’s Myth], , and so on
3. Translate it with another word on either side, knowing that it differs from the meaning of the original Japanese novel.
(A) Use another title, although the meaning is far from the original Japanese original.
E.g., champion, saviour, and so on.
(B) Borrow another word from mythology, etc., to describe it.
E.g., Einherjar, valkyrie, etc.
I have not read that 恋はつづくよどこまでも.
So,I cannot mention it.
However, I feel the need to separate them, even with some forced translation.
(In the future, there will be words such as 勇士 and 英傑 that will become “hero” when translated in the usual way.I think that translating them as “hero” would also be confusing.)
If it is inappropriate, ignore it.
4. I think that Magical Beasts is a good translation.
If you keep translating 魔人 as Demon then I think Demon Beast is not good.
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This novel is a difficult novel even in Japanese.
Because it uses a lot of metaphors, allusions, archaic, elegant, and vulgar expressions, and requires a lot of culture.
So, I was surprised at you for translating it so clearly.
I look forward to your continued success.
Thank you for your kind reply. Your insight is amazing. Thank you!
I will start using Magical Beasts from now on.
About the Hero thing, it feels so confusing. Other novels and manga use Hero for Yuusha and Eiyuu. That’s why I chose to use it as well. Using other titles now would be confusing because I’ve been using Hero from the beginning (Beasts remain the same, except for Demon/Magical, so people will know who I am talking about).
I will use special parentheses for Flimslat and Giant’s Myth from now on. Thank you for the recommendation dearest reader!!!
PS
If you are going to change their title, I suggest you translate as follows.
英雄 Hero
勇者 Einherjar
勇士 Brave warrior
英傑 Champion
傑物 Great man
There were also candidates such as Paladin and holy knight, but I translated it this way.
The reason is my intuition as a Japanese who read this novel.
“I will use special parentheses for Flimslat and Giant’s Myth from now on. Thank you for the recommendation dearest reader!!!”
Sorry, I didn’t explain well. I said “from now on”, it means from the chapter I am translating. I am currently on chapter 323. So, I will start those changes from chapter 323, as the others are already translated and edited (I don’t have time to check them all). Thank you for your understanding.
I tried to DM you on twitter because I thought I was bothering you by replying too much. But you didn’t seem to release the DM, so I will continue my comment here.
Please forgive us.
First of all, thank you for your courteous reply to my impolite and long-winded message.
Also, my opinion is only a just reference.
I hope you will continue to translate clearly with your great ideas.
I salute your success. And please take care of yourself.
Thank you dearest reader. Your thoughts are much appreciated. I look forward to your insights about this novel.
I wonder how they can win this without killing Ariene. I mean, Caria definitely wants her dead… ^^’
Thanks for the translation.
I tried to DM you on twitter because I thought I was bothering you by replying too much. But you didn’t seem to release the DM, so I will continue my comment here.
Please forgive me.
First of all, thank you for your courteous reply to my impolite and long-winded message.
Also, my opinion is only a just reference.
I hope you will continue to translate clearly with your great ideas.
I salute your success. And please take care of yourself.