Chapter 112: Aftermath - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 112: Aftermath - 1
Tantalus was split in half.
The bigger something gets, the more it is bound to crack under its own weight. It’s why icicles can only grow so large, and why the most powerful empires in history shattered into pieces.
Tantalus, which had withstood all manner of falling debris, was, like everything else, split precisely in half by an internal problem.
Namely.
“An animal that attacks a person should be put down immediately! What’s there to save?!”
“She’s already been neutralized! There’s no need to kill her, is there?!”
The difference of opinion between me and the Regressor.
Incensed by her illogical argument, I glared and shouted.
“You’re so quick to chop off people’s arms, but you can’t bring yourself to wring a cat’s neck? It’s because of people like you that cats walk around with their heads held high, not knowing their place!”
The Regressor shouted back at me.
“Killing her won’t help anything! Nabi is the Cat King, and a Beast King is a valuable asset! As long as we don't let the enemy get her, that's enough!”
Beside the shouting Regressor, Nabi lay sprawled on the classroom floor, wheezing faintly.
Tyr’s punch had left Nabi on the verge of death. She had instinctively unleashed the Star of the State, but it was nothing more than a final, desperate struggle.
Azzy had lunged at the last moment and bitten down on Nabi's ankle, and Nabi had been powerless to shake her off. Azzy, still clamped onto her ankle, thrashed her head back and forth. With a sickening crack of bone, Nabi's body was slammed against the wall and floor in turn, leaving a trail of bloodstains. The cat, mauled by the dog, was left a complete wreck.
Nabi lost consciousness, but Azzy showed no sign of stopping. Had the Regressor not intervened, she would have finished the job.
Seeing Nabi lying there like an animal on the brink of death, her life and safety completely at the mercy of another…
I felt nothing. I can’t read the minds of animals, after all.
Not that I needed to.
“A Beast King will just reappear somewhere else in the world even if it dies! Just kill her! Then we can raise a clean cat that isn’t hooked on drugs and hasn’t tasted so much blood!”
“We can’t leave the Abyss right now, and how are we supposed to know where the next Cat King will appear? This is our chance, now that we have her. If we just tame her properly…”
“You talk a big game, but you never raise them! It’s obvious you’ll just half-neglect her until I’m the one taking care of her! And I’m telling you, I don’t want to raise a junkie cat!”
“Th-This time will be different! Besides, a Cat King can take care of herself, so there won’t be much to do!”
“The moment you say that, you’re already disqualified!”
Our opinions were parallel lines, never to meet.
I, who argued for killing Nabi for the sake of immediate peace.
The Regressor, who argued for keeping Nabi alive to prevent a future disaster.
As our sharp confrontation continued, Tyr, who had been watching silently, approached.
A perfectly balanced scale. She walked over to my side and cast her vote, looking down at Nabi with a cold expression.
“I will add my voice to Huey’s. This Beast King is unstable in many ways. It would be better to deal with her. All the more so if she has a record of attacking us.”
“Ugh…”
I really picked the right side. With Tyr unconditionally backing me, my words carried weight and authority. Look at that. The Regressor, who had been squawking at me, was now tight-lipped.
So this is the taste of borrowed power. Sweet.
While I was at it, I called over my underling—no, my under-dog.
“Azzy!”
“Woof!”
“Should we save the bad cat that tried to attack a human, or should we kill it? What do you think?”
“Woof, woof. Grrrr.”
“Execute her, execute her. She says to execute her immediately.”
Azzy is generally kind to other animals, but she is merciless to any beast that attacks a human.
And since this one had even broken her arm, there was no way she’d forgive it. Azzy immediately bared her teeth at the cat.
With that, two of Tantalus’s greatest powers supported me. What are you going to do now, Regressor?
‘Damn it. If the Human Regime gets their hands on the Beast King, the chances of them going berserk will skyrocket! Not just the beasts, but the beastkin too! But how do I explain this?!’
It was just as the Regressor was struggling, unable to explain.
“Just a moment… I would like to say something.”
Across the room, a pale-faced Callis struggled to her feet. She lost her balance and staggered, but the Undying, who happened to be nearby, caught her.
“Thank you, Rasch…”
“Think nothing of it. This is hardly worth a thank you!”
Callis gave a slight nod and staggered toward us.
Stabbed through the back by the claws, Callis had survived thanks to Tyr’s Bloodcraft and Azzy’s grooming. But she had only just survived.
After me, she was the most ordinary person in Tantalus, and being pierced by three claws was a grievous injury for a normal person. It wouldn’t have been strange for her to collapse on the spot.
“…I, for one… am against killing her.”
And yet, she was using sheer willpower to stand and oppose me. I scowled and retorted.
“Ehh? What was that? Could you say that again? Lieutenant Colonel Callis of the Human Regime?”
“…That is precisely why I say this. It is an opinion I offer because I was once a part of that place. Please, just take it into consideration.”
Callis maintained a courteous attitude toward me. I had been about to snap at her, but the thought of me, a level 0 citizen, being treated with such respect by a level 3 lieutenant colonel suddenly put me in a good mood.
So this is the sweetness of revolution. Well, I suppose I can hear her out.
“The Human Regime… is trying to use the Beast King as a weapon. And they have prepared methods to find the Beast King, and means to control them. Even if a new Cat King were to appear, it would quickly fall into their hands.”
“Why should we care about that? Whatever the Human Regime does with a cat, isn’t it safer to get rid of the crazy cat right in front of us? You’re an ordinary person just like me. One wrong move and you could be attacked and killed by that junkie cat.”
‘Ordinary person? A man who calmly strangles a State colonel to death is an ordinary person…?’
That disrespectful thought did not leave her mouth.
She seemed to have some sense. Keeping her ill thoughts to herself, Callis answered calmly.
“…That may be so. However, the Dog King seemed to be some… special existence to them. Perhaps, once their forces are replenished…”
“They might come looking for her? And that could make things more dangerous?”
“Yes, that’s… right. Ugh.”
Finishing her sentence with great effort, Callis collapsed into the Undying’s arms. He quickly supported her.
“You’ve done well! The Lieutenant Colonel’s words have been heard!”
Then, the Undying immediately added a word to me.
“Ah, for the record, I’m also on the side of saving the young cat lady!”
“Why?”
“Because if I’m on this side, it’s a fair 3-on-3!”
The Undying flashed a thumbs-up, proud of himself despite having made the grave error of counting Azzy as a person. Instead of pointing out his mistake, I said.
“Hey, don’t use that kind of excuse to act like some guardian of balance, okay? It’s people like you who add to the chaos in the world!”
“Haha! Even so, isn’t it better to be alive than dead?!”
For an undying man, he sure cares a lot about life.
The Undying laughed heartily and shrugged.
“But this is merely the perspective of one who cannot die, and I haven’t done anything for the young cat lady myself, so I can’t force it on you! Take my opinion as just that, an opinion! The decision is up to all of you! Now then, I shall escort the Lieutenant Colonel back!”
The Undying swiftly slid his hands under Callis’s legs and lifted her into his arms. Callis gasped for breath, leaning against his chest.
“I’m… sorry. I haven’t… fully recovered yet.”
“Nonsense! You must take care of yourself. I’m fine even if my body is torn apart, but those who die easily like you, Lieutenant Colonel, must rest even from a small injury!”
“I am always… grateful…”
“Haha. Save your thanks for now and focus on recovering.”
“This kindness, I will surely…”
“Nonsense. I told you it’s fine! I’ll collect all your debts of gratitude at once when you’re fully recovered, so don’t you worry. It’s a pain to receive them bit by bit!”
The Undying lifted her with ease, but Callis couldn’t seem to find her balance. She shifted her position in his arms, eventually ending up pressed tightly against him.
Immediately after, the Undying lifted his head and made a sound like a cough.
“Ahem. Ahem-hem.”
“Rasch…? Is there… a problem?”
“Aha! It’s nothing at all!”
‘Hmm. We’re touching a bit, but I’m worried it’ll get awkward for both of us if I point it out! What should I do?!’
Holding Callis, the Undying tilted his head for a moment, pondering.
…All without noticing that Callis, in his arms, was watching him with sharp eyes.
‘Well, it can’t be helped if our bodies touch while I’m helping her! The Lieutenant Colonel doesn’t seem to mind, so as long as I don’t make it obvious, it should be fine! I’ll consider it a windfall and gratefully accept!’
You fool. You’re the one being eaten.
Based on what I read from his thoughts, if they went to a room like this, Callis would start shivering and chattering her teeth, saying she was cold. Then the Undying, thinking he’d hit the jackpot again, would hold her close. And since her body temperature really would be low from blood loss, he would earnestly try to warm her up.
I wasn’t sure what would happen after that. What would be the fate of a barbarian swept up in a meticulous and lightning-fast assault planned by a State lieutenant colonel?
It wouldn’t be polite to spy, so I’d have to make sure the 4th floor was empty for a little while later.
After the Undying and Callis left, I scratched my chin and spoke.
“In any case, the numbers are 3-to-3. That makes the vote a tie.”
Having slyly counted Azzy as a person to fudge the numbers into a tie, I stated it as a fact and moved on. Fortunately, the Regressor didn’t notice this critical error and replied.
“So it’s a temporary stay of execution, then?”
“No. Not a chance.”
A temporary stay meant we’d keep her alive for now. I couldn’t have that.
It’s better to eliminate a clear and present danger than a danger that may or may not come in the future. Because, unless you’re a prophet, you can’t see the future. That’s been my long-held principle.
However, I had to get past the Regressor’s opposition… which meant I had no choice but to use that.
I began to swing my right arm in a circle, muttering.
“The great sages of old prepared many ways to resolve conflicts like this.”
“Are you talking about… a duel?”
‘3-on-3…? Tch. With Tyrkanzyaka and Azzy on his side, I have no chance of winning. Should I suggest a duel between leaders? I’ve been wanting to spar with him at least once…’
“What kind of duel? Are you crazy?”
And a duel between leaders, no less. She has no shame. If you don’t have common sense, you should at least have some shame.
“Then how will we decide?”
“Rock, paper, scissors. The most historically proven fair contest.”
“You want to decide Nabi’s fate with rock, paper, scissors?”
“Well, do you have a better idea? You want to have a real duel? For your information, I’m the one with Tyrkanzyaka on my side. Come at me if you think you can win.”
I pointed at Tyr with an air of confidence.
Tyr flinched in surprise, then brought her hands together and fidgeted.
‘He… says I am his…? I-I never gave him permission to make such an arrogant declaration, how presumptuous… And yet, why does it not feel as unpleasant as I expected…?’
No, that’s not what I meant. I meant that I possessed an asymmetrical military power.
In any case, the Regressor took my words at face value. She accepted my proposal with a look of displeasure.
“Tch, fine. Let’s just get it over with.”
“Let’s not drag this out. One round decides it. Nabi’s life is in your fist.”
“I said I get it.”
Good, she took the bait.
Rock, paper, scissors. A simple game where scissors beats paper, paper beats rock, and rock beats scissors.
People rarely think when playing rock, paper, scissors. Most don’t think at all until they throw their hand, making a reflexive decision in that instant.
However, under certain conditions, rock, paper, scissors transforms into a fierce psychological battle rife with strategic thinking.
And when it becomes a psychological battle, I, a mind reader, am guaranteed to win.
“I’m going with rock. A man’s gotta go with his fist, after all.”
Hiding my true intentions, I raised my fist.