The post on the Sentinel-Guide Discussion Forum initially garnered little attention. However, the gossip thread section next door erupted into a frenzy, with over ten thousand replies piling up in less than three days. The thread even involved the exposure of various classified information. Even though the thread was being promptly archived, it couldn’t stop netizens from relentlessly tracking down Madam Shirlefs’ son and her new daughter-in-law.
As a result, Modrin was removed from the Special Operations Group and transferred elsewhere. Far from being ashamed, he reveled in the situation. I felt utterly helpless and deeply regretted ever posting that thread in the first place.
Modrin scrolled through his optical computer, grinning smugly. “The bigger the commotion, the better! It’s best if everyone knows you are mine.”
After quickly skimming through the gossip thread, Modrin exited the page and clicked on another thread—both the gossip thread and the original help thread I’d created had been sealed and archived, yet somehow Modrin managed to retrieve it and store it on his optical computer, protected by three layers of passwords. When we first got together, he would reread it every few hours, and each time he read it, he would share his insights with me, such as: “Little Misch, I never realized your husband was so amazing in your eyes!” “Even though Ragdoll Cats are cats, you still prefer me!” “My anake is so adorable! It’ll do anything you tell it to!” “This must be kept as a family heirloom! I never thought I’d receive a love letter from you in my lifetime!”
I: “…”
I weakly protested, “This isn’t a love letter.”
“I don’t care,” Modrin said, hugging his optical computer, he was so overjoyed that he’s about to ascend to the sky. “If this isn’t a love letter, then write me another one.”
I retorted, “Why haven’t you written me one yet? Why should I write one for you?”
Modrin immediately grew excited. “You want one? I’ve already written three whole crates full, but I’ve been too embarrassed to show them to you.”
I: “…”
I quietly changed the subject. “You’re being transferred elsewhere. Are you really okay with that?”
Modrin didn’t press the love letter issue further, continuing to scroll through the thread he’d already read countless times. “I’ve wanted to quit the Special Operations Group for ages anyway. No days off, always on call, and constantly traveling. If I hadn’t been out earning money to support the family, that mangy cat wouldn’t have had a chance to pounce.”
I truly couldn’t understand why Modrin still harbored such deep resentment toward Seifer, even after I’d explained that there was absolutely no romantic connection between us. This jealousy was utterly irrational.
I reminded him, “I knew Seifer through a school course pairing. You hadn’t even joined the Special Operations Group back then.”
Modrin: “…”
Modrin: “I don’t care. He’s definitely not as powerful as me.”
I said sincerely, “Seifer has achieved the highest scores in the Sentinel Virtual Combat Training system, below S-grade. It’s hard to say who’s more powerful between the two of you.”
Modrin’s expression instantly changed. “What’s this ‘Sentinel Virtual Combat Training system’? I’m ranked number one in the military’s combat training exercises!”
I explained, “It’s a popular training method among Sentinels, similar to live combat exercises in the military.”
Modrin immediately declared he wanted to try it too. “I refuse to believe civilian training could be harder than military drills.”
Seeing Modrin stand up, I hesitated for a moment before saying earnestly, “I don’t know about the difficulty, but Seifer has held the top rank for several years. Countless challengers have tried to surpass him, but it really doesn’t seem that easy to beat.”
Modrin, who had reached the door, turned back and strode toward me, hoisting me over his shoulder. “I want you to see with your own eyes how your husband crushes that stinky Ragdoll Cat!”
I thought, Oh no, It seemed I’ve really angered Three-Year-Old Spade. He’s so furious he didn’t even give me a princess carry—he’s reduced to carrying me over his shoulder!
Modrin, his arm wrapped around me, proudly registered two accounts, one named ‘?’ and the other ‘?’.
I: “…Why are you registering two accounts?”
Modrin: “So you can admire your husband’s heroic figure up close.”
You don’t need to register accounts for that, I thought. I can see your figure on the optical computer screen just fine. There’s no need to put my account up there.
After logging in, Modrin didn’t immediately select a training arena. Instead, he browsed the possible relationships between accounts and discovered that the closest relationship allowed in the Sentinel Virtual Combat Training system was only ‘Close Friend’.
Pointing at this, Modrin asked, “…Why can’t we establish a ‘Couple’ relationship?”
I: “This is the Sentinel Virtual Combat Training system. How many Sentinel couples have you ever seen?”
Modrin exclaimed: “This is discrimination! Discrimination! Sentinels, Guides, and ordinary people—there are nine possible pairings in total. Why is Sentinel-Sentinel the only combination excluded, while all other pairings are legally recognized?”
I said: “No, Sentinel-Sentinel marriages are also legally recognized, but it hasn’t been utilized even once since the law was enacted.”
Modrin, displeased and furious, randomly selected an S-grade difficulty level.
I suggested kindly: “Why don’t you start with an easier level to get familiar with the rules?”
Modrin declared confidently, “No need.”
The result of the ‘no need’ approach was that Modrin stumbled and struggled, barely scraping past the minimum score to clear the level.
Modrin: “……”
I immediately reassured him, “It’s your first time, and you chose the hardest difficulty! That’s already amazing!”
Modrin stared at PLUM, who topped the Leaderboard, and muttered to himself, “The Ragdoll Cat has the highest scores in every grade below S-grade. And out of ten S-grade levels, he’s taken first place in three.”
He then lowered the difficulty to A-grade. “I’ll warm up with A-grade first. With my skills, I should definitely score higher than him.”
I wanted to say, Since your goal is to surpass Seifer anyway, why not start with D-grade and work your way up level by level? But seeing Modrin’s stubborn, face-saving expression, I swallowed the words back down.
Modrin played another round, this time scoring well—several hundred points above the passing line. He beamed triumphantly. “I knew I couldn’t possibly…”
Beside him, the big black snake, who had been excitedly thumping its tail, froze mid-motion, stiffening into an iron rod along with Modrin’s unfinished sentence.
I glanced at the leaderboard. Although Modrin’s score for that round was decent, he hadn’t even cracked the top ten. I turned his head and kissed him. “Let’s not play this anymore, okay?”
Modrin pressed the back of my head and unceremoniously kissed me for a moment before lifting me from between his legs and placing me in the center of the big black snake’s coiled body. “You’re not allowed to leave this circle. Sit here. I refuse to believe I’m being outranked by a cat whose only purpose is aesthetics!”
I: “Actually, it’s not just for aesthetics. You can pet them, cuddle them, even sniff them.”
My voice trailed off under Modrin’s furious glare. “He is the top-ranked Sentinel in every category at the Sentinel School, after all.”
Modrin’s temper flared. If he had fur, it would have exploded into a bristling ball. “He only ranks first because I stopped attending school courses to join the Special Operations Group!”
Modrin turned back to continue studying the Sentinel Virtual Combat Training System, while I sat bored in the circle he’d designated for me, flipping through my optical computer until I unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, my head was pillowed on the big black snake, Modrin’s jacket draped over me. Modrin himself was wearing only a close-fitting shirt with the sleeves rolled up, completely absorbed in the game, battling fiercely and looking like a internet-addicted teenager.
I sighed, regretting I’d ever brought up Seifer.
I sat up, instructing the big black snake to coil itself to the height of a small table. My hand emerged from Modrin’s jacket sleeve as I pulled the coat tighter around myself. Logging onto the internet, I found the web already ablaze with heated discussions.
Gossip forums and gaming forums were flooded with towering threads. No matter how many times I refreshed, the trending keywords remained: ‘Sentinel Virtual Combat Training’, ‘First Place’, ‘PLUM‘, ‘Spade’, ‘CIA Virtual Combat Analysis Commentary’. Even the Sentinel-Guide Discussion Forum section, known for its stringent moderation, was dominated by threads like ‘How to Challenge Lord PLUM for First Place’ and ‘Who Exactly Is Mr. Spade?’.
Clicking on a random thread, I learned that during the night I’d slept, Modrin had swept through all of Seifer’s scores below B grade and cleared half of the A-grade challenges. The entire internet had exploded. The CIA Virtual Combat Analysis Commentary had updated countless tactical analyses overnight and even launched a dedicated livestream for those unable to access the Sentinel Virtual Combat System to watch.
Seeing Modrin finish another round, I suggested, “Shouldn’t you take a break?”
Modrin grabbed my hand and forcefully pulled me into his arms, nuzzling twice into the crook of my neck. “No. If you’re hungry, go out and eat something first.”
I was a bit worried: “Won’t you get into trouble doing this?”
Modrin shrugged nonchalantly. “At worst, a bunch of old men will drag me into more meetings. Don’t worry, I’ve already told my mom and dad. Even if things get really bad, I’ll become a mercenary. Anyway, I won’t let you go hungry.”
I felt helpless. “Is that really the point? You’ve been playing all night—aren’t you tired? Can your body handle this? Seriously, I’ve always believed you’re the most powerful. There’s no need to rush this.”
Modrin rubbed his cheek against mine, his voice brimming with pride. “I won’t rest until I beat that stinky cat’s score. When I was on missions, the worst time was when I only got four hours of sleep a day for a month and a half straight. This is nothing. I’m fine.”
With that, he buried his head again, selecting the next A-grade combat simulation.
I had no choice but to go downstairs and grab some snacks, sneaking them to him between rounds to feed him.
Modrin spent three days and nights without rest, achieving the highest scores in all difficulty levels of the Sentinel Virtual Combat Training. This feat earned him legions of brain-dead fans, turning the entire virtual world into a grand carnival. The nation’s largest gossip forum crashed multiple times under the surge of traffic.
The individual responsible for all this frenzy stretched lazily before me. “See? I told you I was amazing.”
At this point, I dared not disagree. “Yes, yes, yes! I’ve always said you were amazing.”
I released my mental threads through his mental barrier. “Hurry and let me help you clear those mental black spots first.”
Modrin lay contentedly on my lap and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, Modrin woke up and immediately returned to the Sentinel Virtual Combat Training. “Why haven’t we reached ‘Close Friend’ status yet? You’ve been watching me fight for three days straight!”
I: “The ‘Close Friend’ status requires fighting side-by-side. My account has just been following you around, doing nothing; is that considered fighting side-by-side? That’s called spectating.”
Modrin pondered this for a moment, then devised a solution. “It’s simple! I’ll have my account follow yours, and I’ll boost your account to second place. Then let’s see who dares say we’re not close!”
I: “…”
Modrin wasted no time putting his plan into action, boosting my ‘?’ account to second place. Yet the Close Friend status indicator still failed to appear.
Modrin was furious. After all his efforts, he discovered that the Close Friend relationship required a minimum number of days and hours of simultaneous combat. So, Modrin’s new daily routine became logging into both accounts and taking them for a spin through various training levels.
A month later, Modrin was finally satisfied.
However, while browsing the forums, I stumbled upon an article titled ‘Sentinel Virtual Combat Training Leaderboard Reveals True Love’, which declared that Mr. Spade and Lord PLUM were the real deal. My original post had become Modrin’s private exclusive content eight hundred years ago, and most casual onlookers, unaware of the truth, saw this new analysis and exclaimed, “Yeah, yeah, that makes perfect sense!” According to the OP, the leaderboard’s top three were: 1st: ?, 2nd: ?, 3rd: PLUM. Put it together, doesn’t it clearly spelled out ‘Mr. Spade loves Lord PLUM‘?!
I laughed so hard I nearly shook apart, and then Modrin snatched my optical computer. When he saw the post, he was so enraged he wished he could dive into the screen and shake every member of this ‘cult’ awake.
So Modrin created another account. However, this account failed to maintain its desired third-place position, frequently being bumped down by Seifer and other Sentinels. Modrin was once again displeased.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 16 – Epilogue 2″]
拔地而起 (bá dì ér qǐ): (of a mountain peak, building, etc.) to rise steeply from the ground; rise straight from the ground; rising abruptly out of the ground; tower aloft; soar up from the ground; spring up from the earth; stand tall and erect; describes mountains, plants, buildings, etc., towering high above the ground. It describes something that rises abruptly from the ground, very steeply and toweringly.津津樂道 (jīn jīn lè dào): to take delight in talking about; to discuss enthusiastically; to love to talk about; talk with great relish; talking non-stop with great interest.
有生之年 (yǒu shēng zhī nián): one’s remaining years; the rest of one’s life; as long as one is alive; refers to the last years of a person’s life and is mostly used for the elderly.
有機可乘 (yǒu jī kě chéng): there’s an opportunity to take advantage of; there’s a loophole that can be used; to have an opportunity that one can exploit (idiom); chance to take advantage of; opening to seize; moment to act; a loophole to exploit.
深惡痛絕 (shēn wù tòng jué): to detest bitterly (idiom); implacable hatred; to hate (bitterly); to abhor; anathema; feel a profound aversion to.
真心誠意 || 眞心誠意 (zhēn xīn chéng yì): genuine and sincere; from the bottom of one’s heart; in real earnest; wholeheartedly; in good faith; wholeheartedness; expresses genuine feelings. Its core meaning is “sincere and honest intentions, without falsehood”.
前仆後繼 (qián pū hòu jì): (of a group of people) to bravely advance without fear of sacrificing; one falls, the next follows (idiom); stepping into the breach to replace fallen comrades; advancing wave upon wave; press forward in waves; advance despite setbacks; keep fighting despite casualties; successive waves of people bravely advancing; even when one person falls, another continues to follow. It signifies heroic struggle and fearlessness in the face of sacrifice.
喃喃自語 (nán nán zì yǔ): to mumble to oneself; to whisper to oneself; mutter sth. to oneself; mutter under one’s breath; to talk to oneself in a low voice.
氣急敗壞 (qì jí bài huài): furious and exasperated; utterly discomfited; be flustered and exasperated; Describes very ridiculous or angry.
百無聊賴 (bǎi wú liáo lài): lit. bored 100 times over; bored to death; bored stiff; overcome with boredom; extremely bored; listless; weary; disinterested; dull; tedious; monotonous; having no spiritual support and feeling that nothing is interesting; it describes a person’s thoughts and feelings without support, feeling empty and bored.
熱火朝天 (rè huǒ cháo tiān): in full swing (idiom); (in a) frenzy; buzzing or bustling with activity; lively and exciting; fervent; enthusiastic; in high spirits; describes a mass activity with enthusiastic emotions and a high level of excitement, like a blazing fire reflecting in the sky.
腥風血雨 (xīng fēng xuè yǔ): lit. a foul wind and a rain of blood—reactionary reign of terror; foul wind and bloody rain (idiom); (figuratively) reign of terror; carnage of war; bloody storm; the wind carries a fishy smell and the raindrops carry blood. Describe the sinister atmosphere or environment of crazy killings.
諸如此類 (zhū rú cǐ lèi): and so on and so forth; things like this (idiom); and the rest; etc; things of that sort; things like that; and such like; and all that; and what not. In application scenarios, this idiom can be used for illustrative summarization in academic papers. It can also be used to summarize phenomena in public affairs reporting. “諸” means numerous, “如” means similar, “此” refers to the current object, and “類” reflects the category of things.
見縫插針 (jiàn fèng chā zhēn): lit. to see a gap and stick in a needle; to make use of every bit of available time or space; to make use of every second and every inch; seize every opportunity; utilize every gap; take advantage of every opening; fill every niche; to make full use of all available space, time or opportunities.
心滿意足 (xīn mǎn yì zú): lit. heart satisfied; to be perfectly content (idiom); perfectly satisfied; gratified; pleased; fulfilled; one’s wishes are fulfilled. It is often used to describe a person’s satisfaction and the feeling of having their desires fulfilled.
並肩作戰 (bìng jiān zuò zhàn): to fight battles together; to work and strive together towards a common goal; fight side by side; fight shoulder to shoulder. Its core meaning includes two aspects: the original meaning is “to cooperate closely and fight together”, and the metaphorical meaning extends to “to unite and cooperate to complete a task together”.
[/dropdown]Check out my completed & current project at my carrd. If you like my translation, you can buy me coffee at Ko-fi~ Thank you.
