Chapter 126: No Point in Making Future Plans
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: No Point in Making Future Plans
I was lost in thought as I walked. The golem, tucked under my arm, was just starting to grumble about chassis damage and obstructed vision when a large coffin came into view up ahead.
The golem fell silent. At the same time, Tyr, who was riding in the coffin, spotted me and promptly approached. The coffin, controlled by her power, moved nimbly before coming to a smooth stop in front of me.
Tyr leaped down from it and spoke.
“Hu! Are you all packed? We don't know when we'll be leaving, so you must hurry and gather what you need.”
“I came with nothing, and I'll leave with nothing. What more is there to pack? I just grabbed a little food.”
That was a lie.
I’d swiped some of the Regressor’s spices while cooking yesterday. They were said to be more expensive than their weight in gold. Selling them should fetch a pretty penny.
On top of that, I’d packed food, water, and even a Clothing Packet. With my bag, you could say I'm practically invincible.
“What's the first thing you want to do when we get out?”
Liquidation! The ultimate alchemy created by man: turning goods into gold!
Since I couldn't say that, I gave a roundabout answer.
“Hmm? I was thinking of going back to where I'm from, but since this golem keeps barking at me about being a criminal, that's off the table. Looks like I'll have to wander the world aimlessly.”
The golem, which had been playing dead, flinched. Tyr, however, didn't seem to pay it any mind.
'No place to go? Perfect. If he’s not tied down anywhere, it will be easier for him to join me.'
No, she was actually pleased. Tyr tilted her head slightly, trying to keep the joy from showing on her face.
“I see…”
She glanced at my face as she spoke.
'Since neither of us has anywhere to go, there shouldn't be any problem with us traveling together. But…'
“Ahem. I, too, plan to wander and see the world for a while.”
“Oh dear, that sounds rough.”
'…How should I ask him to come with me? This is difficult.'
Even as they spoke, Tyr’s mind kept drifting to other thoughts.
“What would be so difficult? I require neither food nor drink.”
“You don't know the ways of the world. What if you get scammed or robbed?”
'It wouldn't be a problem if you taught me. You're more likely to be the scammer than the scammed, aren't you?'
She was sending subtle hints my way. Hoping I would catch on, Tyr kept circling the topic.
“I doubt there is anyone bold enough to try and pull a fast one on me.”
“Who scams people like that? What if you try to get a room at an inn and the owner casually asks for 10,000 Alke? Do you even know what Alke is?”
'You could teach me all those little things. Your stories delight me, so I want to listen to you explain them.'
“It would happen once or twice at most. One is bound to be tricked and learn from it when first traveling. Meeting a good companion, sharing stories, and learning about a different world—isn't that what traveling is all about?”
“You know what? A good companion is the most dangerous scammer of all. A merchant who overcharges just takes your money, but someone who offers to be your companion will try to take your whole life.”
'I wouldn't mind even if you were a scammer. I'm willing to give you anything you ask of me.'
“Life is about being with people. How can someone take your life away?”
“A bad companion will try to trick you and sell you off somewhere. A good companion will trick you into chasing a dream. The person who falls for it becomes a wanderer, drifting from place to place. Both are shortcuts to ruin.”
'In that case, you must be the best companion in the entire world. You made my dream come true.'
“For someone who acts so carefree, your outlook is surprisingly pessimistic.”
“Isn't that just how it is? A bird in the sky looks down on the earth, while a tree rooted to the ground can only gaze up at the sky. The world is a madhouse, so someone's got to be an optimist.”
'Compared to you, who is skilled in all manner of things, all I have is this paltry strength. The only thing I know how to do is protect you, but…'
“…Hu.”
“Yes?”
'I want to listen to you chatter in that cheerful voice of yours. You, with your worldly knowledge, can explain all the new things to me. In return, I will count the stars in the night sky and tell you the forgotten tales of old. We could talk endlessly until the campfire burns down to embers, then doze off…'
“Being one who dislikes the sun, I would hide in the shadows before dawn. Then, after the morning sun rises, you would look around with sleepy eyes, lift my parasol, and find me huddled in the shade. Sometimes we'd chat with others, and sometimes you'd playfully tease me. And through it all, the days would… continue, just as they have been.”
Somewhere in the middle, her thoughts had started spilling out as words. But Tyr murmured on wistfully, as if she hadn't noticed, or perhaps as if she hoped she hadn't.
“Come to think of it, it's not so different from our life here. From the moment you first came to wake me until now, right before we leave… every moment has been a joy.”
'Perhaps… I don't want to leave this place just yet.'
It seemed Tyr had grown quite fond of her life here.
The occasional falling debris could be a nuisance, but aside from that, it would be hard to find a place as comfortable and quiet as this Abyss. To the people on the surface who struggled each day just to survive until the next, this Abyss might even seem like paradise.
Still, we couldn't stay here forever. Just as all things must end…
If we were to go outside.
I asked Tyr with a gentle smile.
“Tyr. Could you protect me?”
Tyr lifted her head with a start, like someone who had just woken up, and answered.
“Of course.”
“No matter what danger comes?”
“What is there to fear?”
“What if a being powerful enough to destroy the world came after me?”
“Then I will stop them, even if it costs me my life.”
“You could die, you know.”
“Dying is not so frightening. It is losing something as precious as life itself that was far more… terrible.”
Words from someone with prior experience in dying carried a different weight. So this is why people look for experienced candidates.
In any case, I was grateful for the sentiment. I chuckled and replied.
“Thanks, Tyr. That's reassuring.”
'He seems to be taking my words so lightly. When he was with the apostle of Mother Earth, he acted as if he'd believe her if she told him she could make soup from a stone.'
Displeased with my casual attitude, Tyr puffed out her cheeks and stomped over to me.
“You seem to hold that sage of Mother Earth in high regard, but…”
After approaching me with a fearsome intensity, Tyr timidly tugged at my sleeve.
“Remember this. I am far more famous than that sage, and so ancient that she cannot compare.”
Well, of course. No matter how great an Earth Sage was, she couldn't compare to Tyr, who had created the very concept of vampires and single-handedly held the Sanctum at bay.
Still, that aside…
“Being old isn't exactly something to brag about, is it?”
“Honestly, you never let me have the last word!”
“It just means I'm comfortable around you. I could never say something like this to the Earth Sage. I don't even call her by a nickname like I do with you, Tyr.”
“……!”
A wide smile blossomed on Tyr’s face. It lasted only a moment.
The elated Tyr then looked around as if she had forgotten something.
“It seems my preparations are still lacking. Wait here a moment. I shall go pack some more.”
'If I were to travel alone, I would need neither food nor a place to sleep. But Hu, being fully alive, will need plenty to eat. As for a place to sleep… hmm, if worse comes to worst, we can sleep together… in my coffin.'
At that thought, Tyr’s face suddenly flushed red, and she shook her head so hard her hair flew about.
'W-what a scandalous thought! I can have Hu sleep in the coffin while I keep watch all night!'
Wait a minute. That makes me sound like I kicked an elder out of her bed.
More importantly, why isn't she thinking of getting an inn? Sleeping outdoors is hard and dangerous.
Tyr left to stuff at least one more item into her coffin. After she was a good distance away, the golem, which had been hanging limply under my arm, lifted its head.
“…Weren't you arrested for gambling?”
Right, you were still awake, weren't you? Maybe because I can't read its thoughts, but I tend to forget it's there when I'm with other people.
Anyway, why bring up my crime? Are you mocking me, the very person who brought me here?
“Doesn't Captain Abbey know my charges better than anyone? It's just as you know.”
“Was your actual profession, by any chance, a host?”
“Give me a break. How many host bars do you think there are in the Military State?”
I'd only ever worked at a host bar as a substitute. I wasn't very popular. It's a cruel world where looks are everything.
“Alright, alright. That's enough of an outing for now, don't you think? Time to go back.”
I had a rough idea that the Military State planned to use the Abyss and its prisoners for something. I didn't know the specifics, but it was highly likely to be for a war. The country's name was the Military State, after all.
If so, is there about a year left until the war? That seems to be around the time the Regressor predicted.
Something big is about to happen.
“Sigh. I need to get out of this country, and fast. Should I head up along the coastline? If I run all the way to the Federation…”
“…I believe I just heard a criminal planning to leave the country.”
Ah, right. The golem was still here. I really do forget about it when it stays quiet.
“It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding…”
I was in the middle of trying to take back my words.
“…Hey. Wait a second.”
Someone called out to me from the darkness. It was the Regressor.
Ever since the Earth Sage had arrived, the Regressor had been lost in deep thought. It seemed she had finally reached a decision. A firm resolve glinted between her long eyelashes.
“I have something to say. Give me a moment.”
She, who had only ever revealed her existence in fleeting glimpses without properly showing herself to anyone, finally appeared before me.
She took one look at the golem tucked under my arm and me hugging it dearly, then scowled, the wind seemingly taken out of her sails.
“By the way, is that golem your plush toy or something? Why are you always carrying it around?”
I was about to answer "yes," but the golem cut in first.
“A plush toy? This unit must object to your outrageous remark…”
But this was the Regressor, the person with the least patience for the Military State in the entire world. She shot a terrifying glare at the golem.
“Enough. Golem. Are you going to disconnect, or should I do it for you?”
“…Disconnecting.”
“Then go. Right now.”
Thump.
The golem went limp. Its stiff limbs dangled loosely. I glanced over and saw the crystal orb that served as its eye rolling around.