Chapter 121: I’ve Had a Drink
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 121: I’ve Had a Drink
“Teacher. We have a problem.”
The Undying came to me seeking counsel, a bottle of liquor in hand. Without being asked, he poured a glass, then spoke with the gravity of a man shouldering the weight of the world.
“What is it?”
“You said we’d be escaping this place on the next sunny day, did you not?”
“I did.”
“Hmm. Teacher, what will you do once you’re out?”
A sudden life counseling session?
I hadn’t decided anything. It was a matter of surviving first; I didn’t have the luxury of considering what came after the escape.
I answered without much thought.
“I’ll probably go back to where I was staying.”
“The Military State, you mean? I hear they have no tolerance for criminals. Will you be able to return?”
“The Military State has no tolerance for anyone, whether you’ve committed a crime or not.”
“Haha! That’s true! I know that all too well!”
“Besides, I was a criminal to begin with. So there’s nothing to get caught for.”
“Oh, I hadn’t realized!”
The Undying let out a hearty laugh, downed a glass of liquor, and then got to the point.
“Teacher, there is something I’m curious about. Callis said she can no longer return to the Military State.”
“That’s probably true.”
“Why would someone of her rank, a lieutenant colonel, be unable to return to her own country?”
“She was part of a secret society. They won’t let her live after she betrayed them. She’d be assassinated the moment she returned.”
“Hmm! But wouldn’t the Military State protect a valuable officer like her?”
“Do you know the easiest way for the secret society to assassinate the lieutenant colonel? They just have to report that she was acting under the orders of a different secret society, not the Military State. She’d be arrested and executed immediately.”
Level 3 citizens. Too valuable to replace easily.
But valuable didn’t mean irreplaceable. The Military State prioritized the preservation of its system above all else, and it purged those who opposed it with brutal efficiency.
The Military State was a nation that could decisively eliminate even a Level 4 citizen if they went against its will…
Of course, by the time one reached Level 4, there was little reason to oppose the State’s will in the first place.
“What a rigid place! I always feel this way, but the Military State’s standards are far too strict!”
Having confirmed that returning to the Military State meant death for her, the Undying made up his mind and spoke to me.
“Then there is no other way! Hardship is better than death. As things are, I must take her with me when I leave the State.”
“You’re leaving the Military State?”
“I must. Otherwise, she will die, even if I do not. And I will no longer be welcome either.”
“No longer? Mr. Rasch, were you ever particularly welcome in the first place?”
“Haha! You strike a sore spot! How did you know?”
“The Military State isn’t fond of non-standard entities. Except during wartime.”
“Haha. The Military State is certainly a consistent nation.”
The Undying muttered bitterly. A deep sense of regret, mingled with the strong scent of alcohol, wafted from his sigh.
The liquor, supplied by the Regressor, was the precious Celestial Nectar—a legendary drink said to have been enjoyed by the chancellors of the old empire when they wished to get drunk during their arduous duties, allowing one to feel intoxicated while keeping a clear mind.
I couldn’t pass this up. I, too, drank the shimmering liquor in front of me.
The alcohol flowed down my throat, igniting a fire deep within. The clear fragrance left after the burn seemed to permeate my entire body.
“Kuh. This is killer. Now this is liquor.”
As expected of a high-class item chosen by the Regressor. I was about to take a small sip but ended up downing the entire glass.
As I set the glass down with a thud, the Undying nodded in satisfaction.
“I must thank the boy! This is on a different level from the Military State’s strong, bitter beer!”
“Don’t compare it to that rubbish. It’s a monstrosity made by applying moisture compression technology to shoddy beer just to increase distribution and transport efficiency.”
I still don’t understand why the so-called standard beer is considered a Level 2 luxury good. The term ‘luxury’ should be reserved for things that are actually luxurious.
“If you don’t mix it with water, you can’t tell if it’s beer or if someone just smacked you on the head while you were eating barley porridge. Why is that dreadful liquid a luxury item? It’s a plague of efficiency-first thinking. Just because the result is the same doesn’t mean they’re the same thing.”
“Hahaha! An interesting way to put it! I was surprised myself. How did it become a country where one can’t even drink a glass of liquor freely!”
As we drank, conversation flowed with the clinking of our glasses.
People with no shared memories often confirm their camaraderie at a drinking table by complaining about the same things. As a back-alley denizen of the Military State, I scathingly criticized the nation, and while the Undying agreed with me, he kept showing a lingering attachment to it.
I asked him.
“You haven’t been in this country for long. Why are you so attached?”
“It’s not that I’m attached. It’s that I’m disappointed I’m not.”
“If you’re not attached, you can just leave without a second thought.”
“That’s what’s disappointing. I feel that even if I leave the Military State, I won’t miss it much.”
What was he talking about? That was obvious. I doubt even the people living in the Military State now would miss it.
The Undying filled his glass to the brim and muttered.
“I thought the Military State was an incredibly great nation. It built cities, erected dams, and paved roads. It even made the land flow like a river to connect the entire country.”
“One of the Military State’s few achievements.”
“In contrast, my tribe was content with just planting the large beans the Military State created. We are the Undying, and perhaps because of that, we lack any intensity. I always admired the Military State for its constant drive to build.”
Our glasses clinked. The Undying drained his and leaned back in his chair. His gaze drifted to a distant point.
“From a young age, my tribe drinks water mixed with soil and eats dirt-covered grains and meat. Then, on the day of our coming-of-age ceremony, we gather the energy accumulated in our bodies into one place. And we cut off the part closest to the earth and offer it to Mother Earth.”
A hint of regret and longing was palpable in the Undying’s voice as he spoke of his tribe’s tradition. He fiddled with his right arm as he continued.
“In this way, we offer a part of our body to be buried in the ground and receive a new flesh. My right arm is that—a Sacrificial Vessel.”
So that’s why his right arm ran around on its own. What a bizarre ritual.
Humans really do commit the most insane acts with a straight face.
“Thanks to that, I gained my undying nature, but… perhaps that’s why. We’ve become stagnant. While the Military State was building a nation of steel, the only thing that changed for us was the type of beans we planted. I grew tired of the unchanging scenery of my youth and came to see the Military State. But.”
The Undying glanced around. The color of concrete, a symbol of the Military State, filled his eyes.
“I don’t know. When I think of my tribe, I feel resentment and longing. But for this country… I feel nothing at all.”
“That might happen when you’re locked in prison and left for dead with your entire body torn apart.”
“Haha. No. I don’t mind such trivial matters.”
How was that trivial?
Laughing it off with his typical Undying perspective, he poured the remaining liquor into his glass.
“It seems staying here any longer won’t change anything. I’ve committed a crime, so I can’t stay anyway. I’ve seen all I need to see, so it’s time to leave.”
He downed it in one go, his decision made.
“I will cross the border and go to our Mother. I will ask Callis to come with me, but I don’t know if she will agree.”
Of course she would. That was likely her goal when she brought it up in the first place.
The Undying rose from his seat. His face was slightly flushed, but he walked steadily. He seemed surprised by his own state.
“Is it because the liquor is so delicious? I’ve drunk this much, yet I only feel a pleasant buzz while my mind is perfectly clear!”
“It’s Celestial Nectar, the liquor that gets you pleasantly drunk. It only lifts your spirits without harming your body.”
“What a strange world of liquors there is!”
“You suggested we drink without even knowing what it was?”
“What would I know! Callis suggested we drink, so I brought it out!”
Huh. Callis did?
Then why did he bring it to me? Hmm, I should probably read his memories.
A quick scan of his memories revealed that Callis had been playing the part of a tragic heroine. With a wistful expression, she had said she now had nowhere to go and wanted to drink away her sorrows. Preferably with him.
The Undying had accepted her proposal and was on his way with the liquor when…
“But when I brought it out, I realized Callis is an injured woman who can’t even walk properly! I snatched the glass from her before she could drink! Phew, that was a close call!”
She was caught in her own trap. She’s recovered enough to sneak food at night, so who told her to act so grievously injured?
There was just one problem, though.
“…And you brought that bottle straight to me?”
“The cap was already opened, what was I to do? We had to drink it!”
“Why me, of all people?”
“I couldn’t very well give it to the young boy or the bloodfiend who can’t taste anything! The same goes for the beast missies, so by process of elimination, you were the only one left, Teacher! And I had something I wanted to ask you anyway!”
If you do that, I’ll be the one to earn Callis’s resentment.
Sigh. This is why I should always read the memories of someone bringing me alcohol first. It’s been a while, so I must have let my guard down.
His intentions weren’t malicious, so it didn’t matter, but considering Callis’s wishes…
I sighed and pointed a finger at the cupboard.
“Mr. Rasch. There’s a bottle of medicinal liquor in that cupboard. It’s a potent spirit said to vanquish all impure energies and heal the body.”
“Oh! Such a wondrous liquor exists?”
“Yes. It should be fine for a patient to drink.”
“You should have told me sooner! I would have recovered faster!”
Unaware that he was already fully healed, the Undying quickly went over and took out the medicinal liquor. Grabbing another glass and a few pieces of meat for snacks, he left.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way!”
I waved him off.
Feel the cruelty of civilization, you barbarian. You’ve already fallen into the trap.
Anyway, what to do after getting out of here.
Hmm. I’ve never thought about it.
First, I’d have to return to the back alleys of Amitengrad and retrieve my hidden assets and belongings.
After that, I wasn’t sure.
Nothing is as meaningless as a grand plan for the future. The future is unpredictable. It’s absurd for someone who’s been isolated in the Abyss for so long to even try to predict the flow of the world.
I’ll have to get out, gather information, and do my best based on that, one step at a time.
To avoid danger, and to survive.
Having had a moderate amount of alcohol, I was in a good mood and decided to go out to the yard to play with Azzy. I grabbed a piece of chicken for her.
That’s when I saw a strange sight.
“Nyaa-! Stop, nya-!”
In the darkness beyond the space illuminated by the daytime lights.
Nabi was chasing a round spot of light that was darting about in a zigzag pattern.
“Nyaa-! You’re pretty fast, nya! But you can’t keep up with my speed… Nya?”
Something seemed to be running through the barely visible darkness, and then Nabi landed squarely on top of the searchlight’s beam. With a triumphant cry, she pinned the light with her front paw.
But the intangible light slipped through her claws and slithered away across the ground. An infuriated Nabi took off after it again.
“Nya! Nya! You’re quite nimble, nya!”
“Woof woof!”
“Nyaat! Stupid doggy! Get out of the way, nya!”
This time, Azzy appeared and pounced on the round spot of light. Of course, she couldn’t catch it either, and as she overshot, the light once again zigzagged away.
Strange. The searchlights are supposed to track objects. Why are they avoiding Nabi and Azzy?
Curious, I turned my head.
On top of the searchlight attached to the prison’s outer wall. The Regressor was standing there lightly, moving the beam.
The Regressor, playing with Azzy and Nabi on her own initiative. And a game like this, no less.
“Is the sun rising in the west?”
She’d said she couldn’t handle them like animals because of their human forms. Had she finally had a change of heart?
The Regressor, who had been engrossed in moving the light, met my gaze and flinched.
“Ah, uh. This is.”
“What’s the occasion? You’re playing with them?”
“No, it’s just.”
‘Nabi was chasing the searchlight by herself, but the light wasn’t moving…’
The searchlights were made to track escapees. Far from running away from Nabi, they would try to catch her. Even if Nabi pinned the light, it wouldn’t move.
So, after a while, Nabi would get bored of the light that only shone on her and come back. Prey that doesn’t run isn’t fun.
“So, you felt sorry for her disappointed look and decided to move the light yourself? And then Azzy joined in?”
“Don’t misunderstand! I just, well, I thought it wouldn’t be good for her to smoke mana herbs all the time, so!”
The Regressor made excuses as if she’d been caught committing a crime.
Who said anything? What was there to misunderstand?
“You did well, Shei.”
“What?”
“Wow. You’ve finally grown up. That’s right. If you’re going to keep animals, you should think about helping to care for them. It was so hard taking care of them all by myself… Phew. I’m so moved I could cry.”
“You’re lying. Your eyes are completely dry.”
“It’s just an expression.”
The Regressor chuckled and manipulated the direction of the light. As she moved the searchlight to make it difficult for Nabi and Azzy to catch, she suddenly blurted out.
“The canned food you gave me. I’ve been using it.”
“The snacks?”
“Yeah. They liked it. I thought they’d hate it since it was just fishy and tasteless…”
“Why the hell did you eat it?”
“I just tasted it! Beast King or whatever, her body is still human! I was worried she might not be able to eat it!”
“It’s fishy because it wasn’t made for humans to eat. The only one who eats human food just fine is Azzy, who also eats dog food. It’s weird to try to feed them human food in the first place.”
We were having a normal conversation like that when it happened.
Thump.
The ground vibrated, and at the same time, the searchlights began to move erratically on their own.
The Regressor had already taken her hands off the searchlight. Her eyes widened as she stared in the direction the sound had come from.
The searchlights detected a new intruder and tracked its presence. The beams, which had been scattered in all directions, now moved in straight lines, converging on a single point.
And at the point where the lines intersected, at their very end.
A person was standing there.
It was a tall woman with apricot-colored skin.
Her black hair was tied back in a single braid that flowed down her back. Earrings shaped like human figures dangled from her ears. Beneath the loose-fitting clothes a Taoist might wear, hints of tightly-packed muscle could be seen. Five bracelets jingled a beat behind her movements.
“Woof! Danger!”
“Nyan-nyat! I’m first, nya!”
The two Beast Kings, who had been chasing the light, arrived at that moment. Azzy, realizing a human was there, swerved, but Nabi, lost in her game, charged straight at the woman with all her momentum.
A front paw swung. In its path was a single human. The charge of a Beast King—an attack that was nothing short of a catastrophe for a human.
However.
Thump.
Nabi’s paw was stopped dead by the woman’s arm.
By widening her stance and raising her arm, she had withstood Nabi’s blow.
No, could this even be called withstanding?
If a cat scratches a great tree with its claws, has the tree withstood an attack?
One wouldn’t say so. The great tree was never going to break from a cat’s claws in the first place. It was just there, and the cat came and scratched it.
In that sense, she was like a great tree.
That wasn’t all.
Azzy, who should have lost her balance and tumbled to the ground while avoiding the suddenly appeared human.
But now, Azzy was caught at the woman’s side.
“Woof woof?”
Azzy dangled, looking puzzled.
“The Dog King, the Cat King. It seems I have come to the right place. Mother Earth, I thank you. By your grace, I have found my way even in this hell.”
A low prayer was heard.
Both Nabi and Azzy. Held in that powerful grasp, they became docile. To take on two Beast Kings alone, with pure physical ability at that, was a truly unbelievable feat.
The Regressor’s eyes shot open.
‘Why is she here already? It was supposed to be much later!’
As Azzy, tucked under her arm, struggled, the woman carefully set her down. Azzy hopped around, circling her.
“Woof! Hello! Nice to meet you!”
“Greetings, O Dog King. To the Symbol of Being, a follower of Mother Earth offers her respects.”
She bowed her head to Azzy, and Azzy bobbed her head in return.
“O Cat King…”
But the wary Nabi had fled to a distance and was now glaring at the stranger. The woman gave Nabi a small smile, then turned her gaze toward the prison.
Ah, we made eye contact. She looked this way and shouted.
“I am a passing traveler!”
Then came a stomp of her foot.
Thump.
That small yet immense gesture announcing her arrival shook the entirety of Tantalus.
“This meeting, too, is by the guidance of Mother Earth. The traveler wishes for a day’s hospitality!”
The whole world is within Mother Earth’s embrace, and as long as we stand on the same ground, we are all connected.
The host shall not turn away the traveler, and the traveler shall be as diligent as the host’s own hands and feet.
A devout follower of Mother Earth recited the old rule.
But, in the first place.
For someone to come to this place, severed from all flows of the world, their hell, the Abyss.
She was clearly no ordinary follower.
Fortunately, before I could read the Gaian follower’s memories, a thought came from the Regressor.
‘The agent of Mother Earth. The Earth Sage!’