Chapter 202: On Survival (2)
Chapter 202: On Survival (2)
“Oh, right. There’s something I wanted to ask about from that geezer’s memories.”
Now that I thought about it, I’d meant to ask this earlier.
“I only absorbed the essentials, so I don’t know the finer details,” Al’shel replied.
“It shouldn't matter. It happened just a moment ago.”
Literally just a few minutes ago.
“Hmm? His recent memories were all gray and uneventful, though.”
“No, something special must have happened. Like when he cast Mental Magic on me.”
To be honest, something happened that even I didn't understand. There was no way it wouldn't leave a trace in his memory.
“…I’m not sure what you’re talking about. No such memory remains. Looking at his unconscious state, didn't he fail to even pierce your Mental Barrier in the first place?”
That couldn't be right.
I’d seen plenty of things lately that didn't feel real, but most of them turned out to actually happen. This time, the memory was vivid.
“There really wasn't anything?”
“Yes. It was clean. His final memory ends the moment he made eye contact with you, Lee Ha-ram.”
Sigh.
Nothing to be done then.
Since the Magical Girls who pop up every now and then appeared as a group this time, I thought I might finally get some information.
Let’s drop it. It wasn't the first or second time I’d failed to get information after an ordeal.
As always, the important information remained hidden within the fog.
All I could do was gather the fragments and speculate.
“So, what’s the plan now?”
“Well, I’m currently weighing my options. This has become a bigger problem than I anticipated. If all else failed, I planned to brainwash the ones with the most Currency and then leave, but there are more individuals stronger than I expected among them.”
“Strong? As in, too strong for the two of us to handle?”
I honestly didn't think that was the case.
“Well, none of them are that strong. Not just against our combined strength, but even individually. However, we have a time limit of thirty days.”
So, he meant this:
“It’ll take quite a while to pick them off one by one, so you’re saying we can’t settle this within thirty days?”
“Exactly. To be precise, the timing is so tight that we might have to leave in the middle of it… but that would only cause more chaos. The brainwashed races and the ones who aren't would end up at each other's throats.”
Hmm. Brainwashing felt a bit iffy anyway, and if the success rate was that low…
“Any other ideas?”
“I’ll have to think about it from now on.”
How proud of himself he sounds.
He says we only have thirty days, yet he’s wasting time like this.
Honestly, I didn't care much whether he failed or not, but I at least wanted that damn trial fixed before we left.
If I were to hope for more, it would be that even if we failed, we’d leave things in a slightly better state than we found them.
Even if it had nothing to do with me, once you’re involved, it’s only human to want things to turn out well.
“Hmm… hmmm… No… I have too little authority for this… Ugh, this damn authority… If only Al’sophia… no, if only Sister Al’shirin were here…”
But looking at Al’shel’s current state, it felt like even that would be difficult.
Sigh. Nothing for it.
“If you’re going to brood, let’s do it back in our room. This is enemy territory, after all.”
The moment I said that and tapped Al’shel on the shoulder—
“I wouldn't recommend that.”
A low voice drifted from somewhere.
“You know how to do impressions too?”
“I can do more than impressions; I can manipulate my voice entirely. But that wasn't me.”
“Then who else is here?”
By process of elimination, it wasn't me, and it wasn't him.
That only left the Gray Mummy.
“To pay no heed to the one you have defeated… even for the strong, is that not far too arrogant?”
Surprisingly, the voice really was coming from the Gray Mummy.
From a being who had lost his eyes and was incapable of movement.
“…He should have been unconscious for at least another day.”
While I found his speaking a bit surprising, it seemed to be a completely different issue for Al’shel. He summoned his weapon and glared at the Gray Mummy.
“Put the weapon down. It sounds like he has something to say. Why don't we listen?”
“How can I trust a gloomy creature that uses Mental Magic? For all we know, those very words could be the trigger for a mental spell. It’s safer to knock him out immediately.”
Um. Don't you use Mental Magic too?
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black…
I knew the terrors of the mental-type techniques well enough to agree with Al’shel’s logic, whether he was gloomy or crazy, but this was an exception.
“That geezer probably can’t use Mental Magic. At least not on me.”
Right?
I directed a smile filled with that meaning toward the Gray Mummy.
“…The pink-skinned one with simple thoughts and shallow knowledge makes the wiser choice, while the intellectual Star Race reaches for violence. What a bizarre pair.”
“…You know of us?”
“Hey, is that what’s important? Did you just call me simple and ignorant?”
He should be sucking up to us right now, but he’s insulting both of us?
In all fairness, he can insult Al’shel, but he shouldn't insult me, right?
The two of us projected our respective emotions toward the mummy, but—
“One eye for one question.”
The answer that came back from the parched mummy was unexpected.
“Huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You would know if you saw my memories. We are a race that buys and sells information. Therefore, if you want an answer to a question, you must pay the appropriate price.”
“I already consumed all your information,” Al’shel countered.
“That pink-skinned one knows better than that.”
Suddenly being pointed out, I blinked and pointed at myself.
Me?
“Is that not so? O seeker who harbors something within.”
“…”
As I thought, it wasn't a dream.
It was a clear reality.
“You saw it?”
“I did. I nearly died because of it. There was a reason those inside tried to stop me.”
…Al’shel, you piece of trash. You said you ate everything.
It’s still right there, perfectly intact.
“Please don't proceed with the conversation without me. In short, are you saying you pierced Lee Ha-ram’s absurdly sturdy Mental Barrier? And then something happened?”
“Indeed.”
“How could I have failed to read such a significant memory?”
“Because your skill in Mental Magic is low. Do not rely solely on your racial traits; hone your own magical prowess. If I may offer a piece of advice, your method of absorbing information is clumsy. Thanks to that, I actually managed to glean some information from you instead.”
Al’shel seemed dazed by the Gray Mummy’s sharp rebuke.
His skin shimmered in a rainbow gradient as he wore an expression of utter disbelief.
Wow, so he glows that brilliantly when he’s truly flustered.
Well, since he seems too shell-shocked to even open his mouth, I guess I’ll take over.
“Still, one eye for one question is a bit much, don't you think? That means I can only ask two questions.”
Al’shel has two eyes. Two questions.
Meaning, the number of normal questions I could ask was limited to two.
Brigadier General Un-ho’s eyes probably wouldn't be the right size.
“…Are you misunderstanding something? There would be no point in inserting the eyes of another race.”
“Then whose eyes?”
“I mean for you to take the eyes scattered around here and put them back into my sockets.”
…For someone who claims to sell information, he sure lacks a talent for explaining things.
With that thought, I picked up an eyeball rolling on the ground and popped it into one of his empty sockets.
“There. Done. Now, can I ask a question?”
“By all means.”
“That thing inside me. What exactly is it?”
“The action you just took is far too cheap to pay for the answer to that question.”
Fine. You’re dead, you bastard.
I spat on my palms and took a stance, ready to swing my hammer.
“Put The Hammer away, and let us speak of greater things.”
“Screw you. If I leave just your brain, Al’shel will handle the rest.”
I didn't know how he’d avoided Al’shel’s Mental Magic, but since the information seemed to be there, if I left just the brain, a spiteful Al’shel would probably find a way to squeeze the info out of him.
“Mmm. My jest was a bit too much. Then how about this?”
Perhaps having one eye back gave him some energy; the Gray Mummy raised a withered hand and waved it.
…What exactly are eyes to his race?
“I am interested in what you are trying to do. Did you call it the Demon Train restoration plan? I shall provide you with full support. Furthermore, if that plan succeeds, I shall provide the information you seek.”
“…What kind of…”
Before I could even finish my sentence—
“Is that true?”
Al’shel, who had been glowing with rainbow light, dimmed his brilliant radiance and jumped between us.
I was a bit annoyed by the interruption, but since negotiation was Al’shel’s territory, I decided to hold back.
“Yes, for I too am dissatisfied with the current state of the Demon Train. If you intend to change it, I shall provide the full support of my race.”
It was an incredibly sweet proposal. But of course, such proposals—
“There must be a condition.”
—always have a thorn.
“It is not a particularly difficult condition. No matter how things turn out, I want you to guarantee the safety of my race.”
However, the thorn was much smaller than I had anticipated.
“Is that really enough? That is a very cheap price.”
Al’shel seemed to think so too, as he questioned the favorable terms.
“To you, the strong, it may be a cheap price. But to me, it is everything.”
The Gray Mummy smiled with his parched skin as he spoke.
“That is why the information I offer is also astronomically expensive. Shall I give you an example? Al’shel, was it? You are of the race that built this Demon Train. The Star Race.”
“…That is correct.”
“Then, do you know the location where the administrators of the Demon Train died?”
“…There’s no way I would know that.”
“Then I can sell that as well. For you should be able to obtain the authority remaining in their vestiges.”
Grin.
With an expression like a smiling withered tree, the Gray Mummy laughed.
“What do you think? I believe this should be sufficient.”
* * *
‘Please give us time to think.’
‘As much as you need.’
Al’shel seemed flustered by the man’s question.
He cut off the negotiations and returned to the room, even though he knew he was wasting precious time.
Of course, this wasn't just for thinking time. There was also the information the mummy had given as a "service."
‘There will likely be an attack on your room. To them, newcomers are not exactly welcome.’
It was Al’shel who reacted most strongly to that service.
“So, doesn't that mean Brigadier General Un-ho could be in danger?”
“I told you not to worry.”
As I said that and opened the door, the first thing that caught my eye was a mountain of unconscious bodies from various races.
“Gasp. You’re back?”
And sitting on top of them, munching on a cookie, was Un-ho.
He looked completely drained of fat, as if he’d been spamming magic.
“What did I tell you? I said there was no need to worry.”
He might look like that, but he’s actually quite strong. He’s just incredibly lazy and weird.
“…I knew he was fairly strong, but he’s even stronger than I expected.”
Yeah, the other Otherworlders said the same thing.
He claims it’s because his techniques are good… I never believed him until now, but seeing Al’shel react like that, maybe it’s true.
Anyway.
“Where did you get those cookies?”
I asked Un-ho as I began tossing the mountain of creatures out the door.
“Wait! I didn't steal them or anything! I bought them fairly!”
“Bought them? And I’m not going to take them, so just eat and don't worry about it.”
Who would complain about him eating when he’s lost that much weight?
I only complain because he usually stuffs his face until he’s unnecessarily bloated.
“They gave them to me when I used Currency.”
Huh? They give you stuff if you use Currency?
“Come to think of it, I haven't explained that to you either. If you focus on the intent to use Currency, you can purchase miscellaneous items like that. However, there are a few restrictions…”
Al’shel muttered something, but the rest of his words didn't reach my ears.
Is that how it works?
I focused my desire intensely.
“Use Currency. Use Currency. Use Currency. Use Currency. Use Currency.”
For the clear, pure water of truth.
For the white, glowing truth.
Then, a small number appeared in my mind. Since the quoted price was sufficient, I agreed to the transaction.
Ping.
A sound like a digital signal rang in my ear.
Two items fell from the sky.
A bottle of strong rice soju in a white bottle.
And a plate of flatfish sashimi on a plastic tray.
“Oh, wow.”
“…Your ability to imagine those so precisely is also quite impressive, Lee Ha-ram.”
Other people can’t do this?
I felt a brief moment of doubt at his words, but I didn't ask. I just picked up the tray.
I had made up my mind to enjoy this today.