Queen's Blade Rebellion Illustrated Stories: Upheaval, chapter 5

A rare chapter revolving around the humble "strongest warrior", Mirim, taken from here.
Don't hesitate to point out any mistakes in my translation, and enjoy!



Upheaval, chapter 5: Mirim’s Decision

Gainos castle, in the middle of an audience.
Sitting on the throne, there was the Queen of Thundercloud, Claudette.
On her right, as her close aide, the “Iron Strategist” Ymir, and on her left, as a close associate to the queen, stood the “Inquisitor” Sigui.
On that day, due to Annelotte having turned into a demon before their eyes, Sigui and the Pope's agency had arranged complete support for the Queen’s Army.
A momentary common front had been established.
“We have located the hiding place of the “Princess Knight” Annelotte, Sister Claudette.”
Elina, the “Leader of the Fang”, reported.
She was the boss of the “Assassins of the Fang”, the group tasked with underground activities and intel gathering, and was also Claudette’s half-sister.
"A small farm village downstream... The village of Wassilica is sheltering her. Am I to send in the army immediately?"
Sigui nodded at Elina's words.
"If it's the case that the villagers adore Annelotte and support her... We must be prepared to conclude that due to the demon's temptation, the village has already become heretic by now. As an Inquisitor, the most appropriate thing to do is to sentence the whole village to be burned to the ground."
Without even raising one brow to the terrible proposal, the "Iron Strategist" Ymir accepted it as a matter of course.
"Very well, let's make the Queen's Army advance at once to suppress Annelotte... ...As lady Inquisitor says, the village shall be burnt to ashes on behalf of sheltering Annelotte."
"You're using alchemy before the eyes of an "Inquisitor" like myself, but even if I'm rather unwilling to... I'll pretend not to know."
"I humbly appreciate it. Now, Mirim. Prepare for the sortie immediately... Mirim, Mirim?"
Ymir called out to Mirim, who was standing by her side just now. As there was no reply, she tilted her head to the side.
Mirim hadn't heard her own name being called, as her thin shoulders were shaking, and her face turned pale with fret.
"It can't be... just like that, my... my hometown, will be burnt to the ground...?"

---

"Big sis! Big sis Annelotte!"
Annelotte smiled gently at the girl who came to show her a handmade flower ornament.
"How skillful... I can't do that, no matter what."
"That can't be! I'll teach you, big sis Annelotte, and you'll be able to!"
As she saw the very young child puffing up with pride, Annelotte smiled and stifled a laugh.
But, her facial expression became gloomy immediately again.
The poor people from the Wassilica village had helped Annelotte, after she fell into the canyon and undertook a serious injury.
It seemed like they had clearly concluded something from Annelotte's appearance, as they hadn't inquired deeply about her goals, and had lent her a house, as they said, so that her wounds would heal.
From the words the young man of the village revealed in the middle of the medical treatment, Annelotte understood the reason.
"The Savior who frees people from oppression."
In the eyes of the people from the village, especially most young men like him, she was Annelotte, the one who led the Rebel Army.
The queen's oppression was equally present in such a small village as Wassilica.
All the people, unrelated to their income, had the obligation to pay heavy taxes due to the wartime, and severe punishment was inflicted on whoever couldn't carry it out. Under the pressure of that situation, the people perceived Annelotte and the Rebel Army entirely as Saviors.
For Annelotte, that was exceedingly heart-breaking.
"What is it? Do you still hurt anywhere?"
Looking at Annelotte's facial expression, the little girl asked with visible unrest.
"No... I'm fine, don't worry."
She hurried to dismiss it, but Annelotte couldn't brighten up her mood.
Since that day, she hadn't been able to meet Yuit, Vante, Tarnyang, Sainyang or any of her other comrades.
Not knowing what had become of them felt horrible to Annelotte, she couldn't stop worrying.
Besides, even going back to fighting side by side every day, only for the demonic blood to awaken again, was something that Annelotte feared.
Not caring about friends or foes, feeling even for a moment that she needed to kill everyone before her eyes, the feelings of joy that came from it.
Considering all that resulted from her inner self, it was scary.
In that case, should she turn her face away from everybody, and let the village remain peaceful?
Although it might turn out to be a mistake, Annelotte couldn't find a reason to get up, not able to muster her strength.
"Ah... big sis, someone is coming."
Annelotte's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the young girl's muttering voice.
When she raised her face, focusing on the figure that was coming from afar, her eyes opened wide.
"It's her...!"
A young girl was rushing towards the prairie.
With a body that could reasonably be called that of a girl thin from working hard all day, the armor coiling around her barely succeeded in covering her bare skin.
In order to run faster, she was carrying on her back the large sword she usually wielded with both hands.
That is, she was unmistakably an opponent Annelotte had had to face more than once, a champion from the Queen's Army, the "Hyper Vibration Valkyrie" Mirim.
"Finally... I'm here!"
Clenching her teeth, Annelotte tried to draw her sword from her waist.
"Alia, step back!"
Annelotte called out to the little girl. But, the girl didn't nod in Annelotte's direction, she just muttered.
"Mirim... sis?"
Annelotte could hardly believe her ears.
“H, how do you know her name?”
“Because, because, this girl is my older sister.”
“Is, is that so… your sister? R, Really…?”
“Alia… Hyauu!”
Wanting to call out the girl’s name, Mirim fell down.
“Yes… as I thought, she’s my sis, Mirim… Sis, you fall over immediately even on a flat surface…”
The young girl sighed deeply while looking at Mirim’s face, that had become covered in grass from the ground.
"However, why does big sis Annelotte know about my sis, Mirim?"
They had tried to kill each other two or three times… unable to answer, Annelotte mumbled with a doubtful expression on her face.
 “Ah… miss, Annelotte…”
Mirim called out Annelotte’s name, while tears rolled down her muddled face.
“I, I… I don’t plan to fight you, miss Annelotte… but, but…”
The contents of Mirim’s talk were enough to make Annelotte turn pale.

---

Half a day later, on the next morning, the Queen’s Army had arrived at the village.
“I thought you were nowhere in sight, did you arrive before us, Mirim?”
Paling before the “Iron Strategist” Ymir’s question, Mirim still nodded.
“Y, yes… B, But, m, miss Annelotte doesn’t seem to be here any longer… s, so, this village…”
During Mirim’s words of explanation, Ymir gave the impression that she wasn’t that much interested.
“Is that so?... So, the army shall go back. Right now, though, the village’s “cleansing” will start.”
“Ehh! P, Please wait, Miss Ymir! S, Since miss Annelotte isn’t here, it makes no sense to attack the village…! Miss Inquisitor is as equally guilty as the villagers of being fascinated by her…!”
Mirim confronted her and spoke frantically, but Ymir only replied coldly.
“Right, this was your hometown… But, it’s a shame. Our burning the village down won’t be stopped.”
“W, why is that!”
“Every village the “demon” Annelotte stops by, is likely to get tainted with evil… No, it should be tainted by now. There’s no way to purify contaminated water, to turn it back the way it was. So… you’ll destroy it.”
Adding that last bit, Ymir laughed with a broad grin.
“We’ll announce to the world that although the villagers helped Annelotte, they were completely annihilated when she left. If the rumor spreads, Annelotte or her Rebel Army won’t have even one supporter.”
“H, how cruel…! Burning down the village… And making it as if it was miss Annelotte’s and the Rebel Army’s plan… What is this!”
Mirim staggered, unable to stand on her legs, in the brink of desperation. The one before her eyes right now, she had found out, wasn’t a person who had given her a fine job and a salary to support her poor family, but a brute who was trying to take her family and friends away from her.
“What’s with that look? Besides, what do you intend to do by drawing your Hyper Vibration Sword?... It can’t be, will you turn your sword against me?”
“T, t, this is… my, my village! Even if Miss Ymir says to assault it…!”
“What if I do?”
“I… I’ll fight you!”
Bzzz!
To agree with Mirim’s scream, the Hyper Vibration Sword made a loud sound.
“How amusing! If you rebel against your parent, you should be punished!”
Laughing inappropriately, Ymir drew huge battle axes for both hands.
 “Daaaaah!”
Aiming at Ymir, Mirim charged.
“Haa!”
Parrying the point of the sword with her axe’s side, Ymir slashed and hit Mirim on her back!
“Kyaah!”
If it had been an ordinary person, the blow would have broken their spinal column, but Mirim was only clumsily thrown onto the ground, in such a way that she didn’t take serious damage.
“As expected from my special Hyper Vibration Armor.”
“T, take it out… gh, hyaa, kyafu, hyaaann…!”
With the axe wedged into her back, the Hyper Vibration Armor kept on working at full capacity to prevent damage. Instead of damage, her whole body was assaulted by the vibration, and involuntarily, Mirim let out her voice, writhing in agony while trying to dislodge Ymir’s axe.
 “What a waste. There’s no way you can win.”
“Ya, yahaa, w, why… t, the crystal is, m, more powerful, than, usual… a, ahi, hinn…!”
The Hyper Vibration Crystal empowered and protected Mirim.
But now, it was vibrating more violently than ever, and was torturing Mirim’s body.
With the strong stimulus, the strength in her hips gave out, and Mirim involuntarily went down on her knees.
“Ya, a, w, why, hya, t, the crys, gaa… a, ah, aah…!”
“Can you feel it? The crystal’s vibration is greater than usual… it was me who built your weapon and armor, did you forget? Something like altering the output of your Hyper Vibration Crystal is easy for me.”
Saying so while smiling with a broad grin, Ymir kicked down the kneeling Mirim, trampling on her back.
 “Ta… take it out, gh… hyaaunn! Ah, hyaa, a, aa, aaah! A, hyau, miss, Y, Ymir…”
Twisting her body, Mirim turned to Ymir, a deer-like look on her face.
“Please… I, I don’t care what happens to me, just let the villagers…”
But, Ymir’s answer was merciless.
“That is out of discussion. In the first place, even if we overlook it, lady Inquisitor will know that the village was dyed by the demon and won’t forgive them.”
“But that’s…”
"Don't worry. Although I can’t say it out loud, it’s possible to change, everyone will be born together again as faithful people.”
 “P, please, spare them… ku, u, uuu…!”
Mirim’s voice began to be tinged with pain. The Hyper Vibration Crystal’s magical power was decreasing.
“U, aa, a aaah…!”
“Mirim, look. I’ve grown fond of you. Though I began by seeing you as a body to experiment on, your honesty surprised me, you’re an interesting person. I ask you. Do I need to kill you?”
“P, please… spare… the others…”
“…How deplorable. Farewell, Mirim.”
When Mirim heard Ymir’s words, she resigned herself and shut her eyes tightly.
Clang!
An intense metallic sound.
But, even when she kept waiting, the end didn’t come.
“Eh…?”
Timidly, Mirim opened her eyes, only to see Ymir’s battleaxe stuck in the ground beside her.
 “Y, you bastard…!”
Ymir murmured, holding down her wounded arm.

 “You actually came back… “Princess Knight” Annelotte!”

---

“Wh-...!"
Mirim lifted her head. Before Ymir, staring intensely at her, there were the pale flame of the ghost horse Ambrosius and Annelotte, who had changed her cursed sword “Grim Venus” into the shape of a lance.
“M, miss Annelotte! You said you were leaving…!”
“Sorry, but even if I wasn’t here, it was likely that the Queen’s Army attack on the village wouldn’t stop… so, I changed my mind and went back. I absolutely can’t escape to somewhere safe at the cost of somebody’s sacrifice!”
“But… that’s…”
Surely, she quite agreed with Annelotte’s words.
But, while Annelotte had truly come back, would she be able to save the village?
“Probably, it’s impossible for me alone. But, if you lend me your help. “Hyper Vibration Valkyrie” Mirim!”
“Me… what…?”
“You understand that if the Queen’s Army stays this way, it won’t only be this village. Everybody in the continent will suffer! So, Mirim!”
“For the sake of, protecting…  everybody…!”
Mustering her strength as a result of the flame now lit in her heart, Mirim stood up.
Acting in concert with Mirim’s vitality, the Hyper Vibration Crystal installed in her chest and waist vibrated, giving off a light radiance.
“Fuah… a, nnh…!”
Withstanding the vibration that stimulated her whole body, Mirim pointed her sword at Ymir.
“Mirim, you bastard…!”
“I, I have… to protect, everybody, in the village…!”
“Evacuate your army, “Iron Strategist” Ymir! You don’t stand a chance!”
Annelotte said, restoring her lance back to the shape of a sword.
“Guh, mmuh!”
Ymir clenched her teeth. Although it was mortifying, it was just as Annelotte said.
“Mirim…! If you leave the royal protection, you’ll be considered a heretic for using alchemy. Lady “Inquisitor” won’t stay silent, either!”
“I, I understand that! However, how can I abandon my village!”
“Fine then, go to hell on your own, I’ll let lady Sigui get rid of you. You’ll get burned at the stake along with that demon girl!”
Leaving them with that parting threat, Ymir ran away, escaping from there.

“M, miss Annelotte… thank you very much…!”
Representing the villagers, Mirim bowed her head to Annelotte.
“I should be the one thanking you. However, from now on your village will be exposed to danger because of me. I’m sorry about that.”
 “It’s not like that… Besides, not only this village is in danger. If we leave them as they are, how many villages would have been destroyed by the Queen’s Army?...  At least, that’s how I feel.”
After Mirim said that, she took Annelotte’s hand and said, beseechingly.
“That’s why… miss Annelotte, I… I want to join your Rebel Army, please!”
“Eh… B, but.”
Due to Mirim’s desperate vigor, Annelotte backed off one step involuntarily.
But, Mirim closed the distance between her and Annelotte again, and begged Annelotte, staring at her within breathing distance.
“I, I have opposed Miss Ymir… I have nowhere to go now.”
Mirim appealed to her through teary eyes. Looking at her face, Annelotte felt like the strength of her shoulders was leaving her somehow.
Fuu, Annelotte replied while breathing a sigh.
“So… That’s how it is? I don’t mind, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll be alive tomorrow.”
 “I’m prepared for that! Besides, it’s not decided that tomorrow will be worse than today, is it?”
Mirim might have been saying that frantically, but she gave no indication that she was going to change her mind.
Moreover, Annelotte also had better have one more comrade.
With a wry smile, Annelotte said to Mirim.
“I understand, from today on, you’re one of our comrades, Mirim. Welcome to the Rebel Army.”
“T, t, thank you very much, miss Anne… Sister!”

“S, Sister?”
Annelotte stared in wonder when she was addressed more respectfully all of a sudden.
“Yes! Can’t I call you that, Sister?”
“It, it’s not that… just…”
“Great! Now then, Sister! What should we do now?”
“R, right… we must rejoin our comrades.”
“Understood! We shall depart! Let’s go! For real!”
“Y, yes.”
Somehow affected by the spur of the moment, a puzzled Annelotte left the village.

-To be continued-



Poor Mirim, if Nyx was the unluckiest girl in all QB, Mirim is definitely the QBR counterpart.
The names of Mirim's village and sister are actually written as "Washirika" and "Aria", I don't think we'll get an official romanization, though.
And a fun fact, the "Let's go!" Mirim says in her last sentence is written in English in the original, but in a really weird way, so I bet she doesn't even know the meaning of the phrase.

Next chapter, what are Yuit and the others up to?