沉秋拾剑录 A Legend of Sword

沉秋拾剑录·一 A Legend of Sword (I)

逆转的星海中央，地表之下蔓延数百光年的战场…随着过于庞大的开头展开迅猛而来的新感觉侠客物语！就此开场！

Amid a sea of stars that spin in reverse, light-centuries of war unfold down on the planet's surface... With this grandiose opening comes an all-new tale of gallantry!

「但是，假如舍尔陛下的野心真的得以实现，对于大家又有何好处呢？」

"Even if Emperor Sher's ambitions are realized, how will anybody benefit from it?"

军务尚书珐朗吉丝注视着窗外的星海，银河与恒星在她的脸上投下苍白的光色，又照亮了她的头发，微光顺着发丝缓缓流下。

Secretary of Defense Faranges stared out of the window into space as the galaxies and stars shone gently upon her face, their pale white glow flowing softly and slowly down each strand of her hair.

她忍不住想起初次从这扇舷窗远望星辰的体验，但曾经的敬畏感，她已经记不起了。距离地表远达数百光年的此处，故乡的模样也早已在她的梦中扭曲。

She couldn't help but think back to the first time she looked out at this ocean of stars through this very window. But she no longer remembered the sense of awe she felt back then. Even her homeland, now hundreds of light-years away, had long since become faded and distorted in her memories whenever they surfaced in her dreams.

「若有失言请原谅我，亲王殿下。但这场战争已经进行了太长时间，我们为舍尔陛下的梦想跨越无数星区作战，以各种谋略与诡计消灭了千百万生命，成为一个个陌生星区的总督和钦差……但舍尔陛下的幻景为我们带来了什么？只有越来越多的不幸，越来越多的敌人，它们遍布银河，总有一天会吞噬我们……」

"Forgive me for speaking out of place, Your Highness, but this war has been dragging on for far too long. We've battled through countless constellations, wiped out tens of millions of lives in all sorts of devious ways, and made ourselves viceroys and envoys of every obscure constellation we came across, all in an effort to make Emperor Sher's dreams a reality. But what has His grand vision brought us? One misfortune after another, and an ever-growing number of enemies. They're in every corner of the galaxy now... it's just a matter of time before they swallow us up!"

「兄长的帝国将是一个永恒的国度，这个国度将不再有恐怖或匮乏。全体的幸福不再由少数人左右，亦不会有人比他人地位更高，就连无能也不再被称为罪恶。因而……无法理解这等远见的敌人，遭到铲除自然是他们的命运。」

"My brother's vision is for an empire that will rule for all eternity, one where there is no fear, and where people do not lack for anything. The fate of the many will no longer be dictated by the few, no one will enjoy a higher status than anybody else, and even incompetence will no longer be seen as a crime. And so... it is inevitable that those who cannot comprehend this grand vision are doomed to be swept aside. This is their fate."

歌帕塔亲王摇摇头，语气温和却冷淡。

Princess Gopatha shook her head and spoke with a gentle yet cold tone.

似乎星区反游击战争夺去的不仅仅是一只眼睛与手臂，眼前的她已与珐朗吉丝曾认识的那个欢悦的少女大为不同。

It seemed as if the Intergalactic Anti-Guerrilla War had robbed her of more than just one of her eyes and one of her arms, because when Faranges looked at her, she did not see the joyful young woman she once knew.

「我相信兄长的决定，他绝不会有私心。所以这种动摇人心的话，即使是你也请不要再说了。」

"I trust in brother's decision — he would not act out of mere self-interest. So please, even though it is you, don't say such things again in the future. Don't speak words that sow doubt."

沉秋拾剑录·二 A Legend of Sword (II)

在逆转的星海中央，即便一场神话般的大战，对于「岸上」之人来说也不过沉寂中偶生的一丝涟漪…但对于涉身其中的战士，此即生命之全部！

Amid a sea of stars that spin in reverse, no battle is legendary enough to be any more than a ripple in the silence for those who dwell upon the shore... But for the warriors in the thick of it, the war is all there is.

面对如此严密的防御，恐怕就算是全由雅兹塔级战舰组成的庞大舰队，也很难造成有效伤害吧。

Surely, even an armada consisting entirely of Yazata-class warships would have a tough job making a dent in a defense as watertight as this one.

自满于帝国的工程奇迹，戈尔达法里德大将却从未意识到，叛军正在急速接近他的命门。这座由歌帕塔亲王亲自设计，被舍尔陛下赐名「阿努沙尔万」的强大星海堡垒，此刻在叛军面前正如鸡蛋般脆弱。

Admiral Geldafried's overconfidence in the greatest technological marvel of the empire meant that she was completely unaware that the rebels were, at that very moment, closing in on the fatal weakness of their base. The mighty Star Fortress, Anusharwan — designed personally by Princess Gopatha, and named by Emperor Sher — was now nothing more than a fragile egg before the rebel fleet, and mother hen was away from the nest.

佩什塔努驾驶着拉赫什快艇，在错综复杂的通风管道中间穿梭。急速掠过诸多孔洞喷出的有毒气体与元素云，甩掉追击的自反应机械，快艇的高速使他耳目充血，目眩不已。

Bastinu deftly navigated the Lachsz Clipper through the intricate and winding ventilation system, weaving between jets of poisonous gas and elemental clouds shooting out from holes in the walls, while trying to shake the automatic mechanical sentries on his tail. His eyes and ears filled with blood and the scene before him merged into a continuous blur of color and light as the clipper shot ahead at a breathtaking speed.

「时机来了。」

"Now's my chance."

随着动力系统的能量核逐渐显露真容，佩什塔努想道。

So thought Bastinu to himself as the propulsion system's energy core came gradually into view.

「时间到了。」

"It's time."

戈尔法里德大将望着星球轨道闪烁的光团，如是想道。

So thought Admiral Geldafried to herself as she gazed at the flashing sphere of light in the planet's orbit.

于是，她下达了对星球无差别攻击令。

Then, she gave the order to launch an indiscriminate assault on the planet.

佩什塔努亦对堡垒的核心发起了致命一击——

Then, Bastinu launched a fatal attack on the fortress core.

「真想看看歌帕塔亲王/亲王殿下暴跳如雷的样子啊……」

"Oh, what I would give to see the look on Princess Gopatha's face right now..."

同一刹那间，两人的念头竟如此相同。

So thought both to themselves, separately but identically, in that brief moment.

沉秋拾剑录·三 A Legend of Sword (III)

逆转的星海中亦有着小小的碎片群岛，隔绝的碎片之上，亦存在着自己的历史、侠客与琐事…骏河幕府侠客谭，就此揭幕！

Amid a sea of stars that spin in reverse lies a small chain of shattered isles, each of which has its own history, featuring tales heroic and trivial alike. This heroic tale is set in the time of the Suruga Shogunate.

——十年前——

Ten years earlier...

——二十五光年外——

25 light years away...

在骏河幕府的统治下，整个国家的人民怨声载道，艰难困苦。

With the nation under the rule of the Suruga Shogunate, cries of anguish filled the streets as the people suffered bitterly.

此时的骏河幕府由今川征夷大将军氏真执掌。四年前，在终于取下魔王弹正忠的项上人头后，大将军开启了属于自己的恐怖时代。

At that time, the Suruga Shogunate was led by the Seii Tai-Shogun, Imagawa Ujizane. Four years prior, after finally beheading Demon King Danjouchuu, the Tai-Shogun's own reign of terror began.

在这样的时代，这样的地点，游荡着一位无羁的剑豪。

It was in this time and place that our free and unrestrained swordmaster wandered the land.

此人便是人称新九郎的侠客，备中九兵卫。

His name was Bitchuu Kyuubei, and he was known to the people as Shinkurou, the vigilante.

备中九兵卫曾经也并非浪人，据说他曾是大将军殿下的贴身兵法指南。只是出于仇家陷害，以及大将军本人优柔多疑的性格，才不得不逃出幕府，进入荒野。

Bitchuu Kyuubei was not a ronin as such. It is said that he was once the most trusted strategist for His Excellency the Tai-Shogun, until one day he was framed by a rival. Given the Shogun's paranoid nature, this left him with no choice but to flee the Shogunate and escape into the wilderness.

如今，新九郎站在山坡上遥望，他在遥望什么？

Today, Shinkurou was standing on a mountainside gazing into the distance. But what was the object of his gaze?

是平旷的田野？并不。

Was it the vast expanse of open fields? No.

是远处的群山？并不。

Was it the mountain range in the distance? No.

是延伸的道路？对了！但不全对。

Was it the road stretching out ahead of him? Yes! Although, that's not the full story.

那么新九郎，究竟在望着什么…？

So. What was the object of Shinkurou's gaze, exactly...?

以生米委托剑豪大任的农民们同样畏畏缩缩，不敢向他发问。

The farmers who had paid the swordsman in rice for his services cowered in fear, too afraid to ask.

这个问题，似乎只有沉默的剑客心中明了。

It seems that only the silent swordsman himself knew the answer to this question.

沉秋拾剑录·四 A Legend of Sword (IV)

「所谓山贼，乃是战争之子女。」稻妻曾有如此名言…战乱年代，收割米粮亦是战争！《沉秋拾剑录》，第一剑，徐徐而出！

There is a saying in Inazuma: "What are bandits but the children of war?" In times of tumult, even the harvest is a battlefield... See how this unfolds in the latest volume of "A Legend of Sword"!

「入秋了，收割的季节就要到了。」

"The fall is here. The season of harvest is almost upon us."

斋藤鬼佐说道。

The one speaking was Saitou Onisa.

所谓忍者，在战乱时代皆是拒险自守的豪强，是大名们的雇佣军。

Ninjas are dangerous individuals, experts in self-preservation and in avoiding danger. In times of war and upheaval, they work as mercenaries for the Daimyo.

因战争而生，因权力而强，此乃忍者的机缘。

They are born in war, and they draw their strength from the powerful masters they work for. Such is the path of the ninja.

因战争结束而幻灭，因失去权力而崩落，亦是忍者的宿命。

But it is also the path of the ninja to become displaced and disillusioned at the end of a war, or to meet their ruin as soon as they lose their powerful backing.

今川大将军终于统一各国，当今之世，兔死狗烹的忍者或被剿灭、或被收编。有些便落草为寇，成了山贼。

So when the Imagawa Tai-Shogun finally united the country, the ninjas became like hunting dogs that had outlived their purpose. Most were either executed or drafted into the shogun's army, but some got away, disappeared into the wilderness, and turned to a life of banditry.

斋藤鬼佐便是这样的人。

That is precisely Saitou Onisa's story.

「先不急，待村民为我们打好米谷。」

"There's no rush. Let's wait for the villagers to finish harvesting the grain for us."

说话的是米又左。

The person speaking this time was called Yonemata Tasuke.

所谓山贼，乃是厌倦武道的武士，或与死亡搏斗的农民。

Bandits are either samurai who have grown weary of the warrior's way or farmers fighting to stay alive.

因战争而生，因狡诈而壮大，又因壮大而横行不羁。

They, too, are born in war. They draw their strength from cunning, and this emboldens them to run amok across the land.

因此，当战争结束，和平再来，山贼的势力便如蜉蝣般踏入了迟暮之刻。

But when the war ends and peace is restored, the source of their power evaporates. Like mayflies, they disappear as quickly as they came.

米又左出身普通农户，四十来岁才出来做山贼，却做的风生水起，成了一方头目。

Yonemata Tasuke was born into an ordinary farming family, only turning to banditry in his forties. Yet, despite his age, he took to it with great aplomb, and quickly established himself as a ringleader.

贼之最恶者，无过于曾经深受欺压之人。

The most terrible of all bandits are those who have themselves suffered terribly under an oppressive hand.

「然后，一把火烧掉，不留活口。」

"Then, we burn everything. Leave no survivors."

这便是乱世的余声。

His was the voice of an age of upheaval.

沉秋拾剑录·五 A Legend of Sword (V)

在逆转的星海中央，碎片之岸的一隅，似乎并不值得一书的小村，落难浪人与农民结成同盟，与山贼的大战一触即发——

Amid a sea of stars that spin in reverse, in nondescript village in a remote corner of the shattered isles, a ronin who has fallen upon hard times forms an alliance with a group of farmers. A great battle with the bandits draws near...

浅田村的地势呈月牙形。

The terrain of Asada Village was shaped like a crescent moon.

从刚进入洼地，新九郎便看中了这点。

Shinkurou had noticed this the very first time he set foot in the marshland.

假如能够组织起足够多的村民在山脊埋伏，隐藏工事居高俯攻，便能轻易击败远来疲累的敌人。况且村民的人数比山贼更多，包围并非难事。

If he could organize enough villagers to lie in ambush up on the mountain ridge, shielding themselves with the terrain and attacking downwards from the high ground, defeating the enemy would be easy. Especially since the bandits would be weary from their journey. Furthermore, the villagers outnumbered the bandits, so surrounding them on all sides would not be difficult to pull off.

但问题同样在于村民：若想将山贼诱入山谷，必须有小股人马作为诱饵。村民此前久经乱世，如今又有幕府代官横征暴敛，惜命惜身的思维已是主流，如何才能让他们甘愿作为诱饵，为大部队牺牲？

But the biggest obstacle to this plan was the villagers themselves. A small group of easy targets would be needed as bait to lure the bandits into the valley, but after enduring an age of despotic rule, only to continue to suffer under the tyrannical and extortionate taxation practices of the present Shogunate, the mentality of individual self-preservation was deeply ingrained. How was he going to convince anybody to volunteer to be the bait and sacrifice themselves for everyone else's benefit?

此外还有一个问题，若是战乱年代的武士军队，必会以火攻来提升伏击效果。困在山谷中被山风煽动的大火，势必给谷底的敌人造成严重损失。

There was one other problem, too. In wartime, a samurai army finding themselves in this situation would be certain to use fire to make their ambush more effective. The wind from the mountain would make the fire spread quickly, trapping the enemy in the valley and dealing them a devastating blow.

但如今自己率领的是一群保卫乡村的农民，说什么也不会将自己的家宅粮仓付之一炬…尽管完全可以理解，但假若没有有效杀伤山贼，必定会招致更可怕的报复。

But this was a farming community seeking to keep their land and village safe. There was nothing he could say to convince them that setting their houses and grain reserves on fire was anything close a good idea... This was completely understandable, of course, but the fact was that an even worse fate would await them should they fail to take the bandits down.

这样思索着，新九郎沉默地坐下身来。

Shinkurou silently sat down and continued to ponder the conundrum.

沉秋拾剑录·六 A Legend of Sword (VI)

「上演在星海的大战，本质其实与十年前那场贫瘠星球的草民械斗并无二致…」不久后，那个男人的名字，就将和帝国皇帝的名字一样，被整个银河熟知。

"In essence, the great battle in space is no different from the armed conflict between commoners which took place ten years ago on that barren planet..." Soon, the name of that man shall be known across the Galaxy, matching that of the Emperor.

「舰长，请恕我直言，刚才的会议上您一直都在睡觉吧。」

"Captain, forgive my bluntness, but you were sleeping the whole time during that meeting earlier."

「喔，被发现了啊。」

"Huh, so you noticed?"

「虽然您坐得笔直，但这种事我已经见了太多了。舰长，别把武人的修行成果用在这种地方。要是被舰队司令官大人知道了，可不是一篇报告书能解决的。」

"Oh, you were sitting quite upright, but I've seen this happen too many times before. Captain, I'd ask you not to use your training as a martial artist in this manner. A written report isn't going to save you if the fleet commander hears of this."

话虽如此，但玛哈斯蒂心里很清楚，至少现在，整个舰队没有人敢动他的上司。联合舰队司令部内维持着微妙的平衡，他的上司——备中九兵卫，那个新九郎，现在则被人用蹩脚的发音叫做「瑟米玛鲁」的中年舰长，正是各方势力极力笼络的目标，也是最有可能带他们打破僵局的人。

So Mahasti said, but in truth, no one had ever dared to touch his superior. Amidst the delicate balance that Allied Fleet Command maintained internally, his middle-aged captain and superior, Bitchuu Kyuubei, also known as Shinkurou, now also known as "Semimaru" using some truly lame pronunciation, was the very same person who everyone was trying to court to their side, and the one most likely to break this deadlock.

距离那件事，竟然已经过去了十年——

This was a whole decade ago now...

新九郎暗暗地想。

Shinkurou thought to himself quietly.

浅田村一役的胜利，在后来看，不过是新九郎军事才能的小小施展；但对当事人来说，却可谓灾难的开端。

That one victorious battle at Asada Village, on reflection, had been nothing but a minor test of Shinkurou's military prowess. But for the parties involved, this could be called the beginning of the disaster.

大将军果然还是不能放任这等足智多谋之人在山野游荡。

As expected, the Tai-Shogun would not permit such a talented person to wander in the wild.

新九郎不久后便被刺瞎双目，投入大牢。

Not long after, Shinkurou would be blinded in both eyes and thrown into jail.

直到五年前，今川氏被出身相模的大名多目氏结成的同盟大军征讨，取下了项上人头。至此，整个国家的人民才终于有了安居乐业之日…

This state of affairs lasted until five years ago, when the Imagawa Clan was defeated by an allied army formed under the Oome daimyo clan, beheading its leader in the process. From then, the nation and its people would finally experience a period of peace...

上述那些话，是新九郎在狱中，听新任的征夷大将军亲口所说的。

That was what the new Seii Tai-Shogun told Shinkurou personally in while the latter was in prison.

百姓安居乐业的景象，新九郎从没有见过，这位陌生的大将军也绝不是仁义道德之人。但大赦天下拉拢人心，却是不得不行之事。

Shinkurou had never in his life seen the common folk able to work and live and peace, and this strange Tai-Shogun was likely no saint, either. The general amnesty was something that simply had to be done to win the people over.

回忆到这里，新九郎不禁唏嘘：无论那时还是现在，自己都是不得已置身漩涡中心之人。

As he reminisced, Shinkurou could not help but sigh: whether in the past or now, people like him would always be at the center of the vortex, whether they liked it or not.

「对于这个国家，我等是反叛者。而在这浩瀚宇宙中，我等亦如是。」

"As far as this country is concerned, people like me are traitors, and I suppose that is also the case in this vast universe."

将军望着踞坐在地的新九郎，不以为意地说着。

The Shogun looked at the sitting Shinkurou and spoke in an indifferent voice.

「帝国的赋税，已不是这个宇宙边境小小星球能够负担得起的了。而你的才能，也应该在银河之中绽放。」

"The Imperial Tax is no longer something that this tiny planet in a corner of the universe can take up. And someone of your ability should be free to flex it amidst the stars."

「你的姓氏与名字，已经被今川那个奸人剥夺，但那样的过去，就抛弃了吧。从此以后，你便叫做『蝉丸』吧。」

"Your clan and given names were taken by that cretin Imagawa, yes, but abandon that past. From now on, you shall be known as 'Semimaru.'"

是的，一个不再拥有过去之人，一个不再能用双眼看到宇宙万象之人，广袤的宇宙就这样在他的面前展开了。

Yes. Someone who no longer had a past, someone whose eyes could no longer behold the many wonders of the universe... Now, its vastness opened before him.