Chapter 156: The Military State's Cinderella
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156: The Military State's Cinderella
I strode through the streets. We had only just stepped off the main road, yet we were plunged into a street so dark and complex it felt like early evening had already fallen.
Toy-like buildings, formed by pouring concrete on top of more concrete, were riddled with windows. Grimy faces would occasionally appear in them, only to vanish the moment our eyes met.
Lines—whether for laundry or something else, I couldn't tell—crisscrossed between the buildings like a spiderweb. The whole scene resembled an unlaced boot. If someone were to pull those lines taut from both ends, it felt as though the flimsy buildings would lean in and tighten.
Shouts erupted from a few of the homes. An annoyed cry would follow the noise, and another person would react to that. The sounds grew, crawling along the walls like a never-fading echo. And then.
Trrrrrrrrrring—.
At the sound of someone's alarm clock, everyone flinched, cowering in fear.
The bell meant to wake the sleeping silenced all other sounds.
Ah, how I've missed this chaos.
But even louder were the noises and screams I heard with my mind-reading.
Being in a crowded place like this really makes it sink in.
"This is District 15. It's a land abandoned by the Military State, existing only as an administrative zone with no other facilities."
In the midst of that chaos, the captain and I walked on nonchalantly. People would glance our way at the sight of a stranger, but upon seeing the captain's uniform, they would either scurry away or duck for cover.
I turned to the captain, who was flinching slightly.
"Captain Bbey, I think we need to do something about that uniform. Everyone is either terrified or... hateful at the mere sight of it."
"...Fear and hatred are not illegal."
"Haha. That may be so, but wouldn't it be better to avoid unnecessary friction?"
I pushed through the crowd and entered what passed for a main street in District 15.
Countless people were trying to trade grimy coins and fractured pieces of Alchemic Gold for goods.
The buildings hadn't originally been designed as shops. It was a market street that had formed naturally after the outer wall of a first-floor unit collapsed by chance, and people began selling their wares from the exposed space.
I led the captain down a slightly more secluded alley off the main street. She followed me without a hint of suspicion.
Huh. Isn't she being a little too compliant?
"Shouldn't you be a little more careful? Is it really okay to follow me so readily into an alley like this?"
The captain asked, perplexed.
"I am a captain of the Military State. Surely there are no criminals who would risk summary conviction to attack a State captain?"
Summary conviction. What a scary thought.
Though, for someone of her rank, she's not wrong.
"Usually, no. But you should still be careful."
I chuckled, then shot out my leg, tripping a child who was just brushing past me as I grabbed his wrist.
Clatter. The boy took a comical tumble. I whistled as I twisted the arm of the boy who was trying to get up, and whispered.
"Hey, kid."
"Agh! Let go!"
"Your head is even worse than your sticky fingers. Weren't you taught not to mess with people in uniform? If so, you shouldn't mess with the person next to them, either. Are you an idiot?"
"What about me! I didn't do anything!"
The kid kept screeching, refusing to admit anything. A crowd started to gather, glancing our way.
Oh? He knows how to draw a crowd. I smiled sweetly and said to the boy.
"So you weren't taught. Then you're not from the 'Shelter.' No ears, so you're not 'Family.' Aha. You're from the Market, aren't you?"
"N-No!"
"Is that how Store Manager Klin teaches you all to behave? I think I'll have to give him a warning."
The moment the name of his organization's leader was mentioned, the boy's face filled with terror. The cunning child changed his attitude in a flash and dropped to his knees.
"I-I'm sorry. I was hungry. Please, forgive me."
'Damn! To think he knows the manager! This is bad. I've got to beg until my palms are raw! Still, I'm just a kid, so if I play my cards right, he might let me off!'
Even in the Military State, children aren't punished. They're just dragged off to an orphanage.
Does that mean every child who does wrong is an orphan? It was a clear reflection of the Military State's educational philosophy. Still, it was better than being a laborer.
"I-I'll give it back. Here..."
The boy politely held out what he had stolen from me. But then he flinched, startled by what he saw in his own hand.
Ta-da, you little punk.
"Give what back? A grimy handkerchief? You little brat, where did you hide my wallet? Trying to get away with this!"
"Huh?"
The boy looked back and forth between me and the grimy handkerchief in his hand, bewildered.
"I-It was a wallet..."
"Are you trying to deny it? I saw you take the wallet from my pocket with my own two eyes!"
I immediately grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck. His face was a mask of fear.
"Hand it over, now!"
"I-I'm telling the truth!"
"Don't you raise your voice at me! That does it. I'm dragging you to the Market's main branch. I'll shove your face in front of Klin and demand an explanation. Oh, and I'll bring this soldier with me. That should make that Klin bastard feel the heat."
"P-Please! Anything but that!"
"Kyahaha! Not a chance! Time for you to learn your lesson! A kid like you needs a good, hard spanking!"
As I grinned wickedly, the captain standing behind me tapped my shoulder. When I turned my head, she pointed to my pocket and said.
"...Sir. What is that currently in your pocket?"
"This? It's my wallet."
"Why is it there?"
What an obvious question.
"It's my wallet, so it's in my pocket. Where else would it be?"
"Did you not just say you saw him take it from your pocket?"
"Of course that was a lie to get this little brat in trouble. You think I'd fall for a snot-nosed pickpocket?"
Finally realizing he'd been had, the kid spat on the ground and shook my hand off.
"Tch! What rotten luck!"
Where did he learn to talk like that? Maybe I should go have a word with Klin.
The kid took off running down the street. I immediately shouted.
"Hey! The pickpocket is getting away! Captain, what are you doing? Get him!"
"...Negative. Not only am I not with the Military Police, but it would be difficult to press charges, as the boy did not actually steal anything."
"Aww. And it was a perfect chance to teach that little punk some manners."
The crowd that had gathered was already gone. The moment the boy ran, they deliberately looked away. It seemed that no matter what, they were afraid of getting on the captain's bad side.
I grumbled, tossing the wallet I'd lifted from the kid's pocket into the air and catching it. The captain, who had been about to walk away, suddenly stopped and asked.
"...What is that?"
"That brat's wallet."
"And why is it in your hand?"
"Because I pickpocketed it?"
How dare he try to pickpocket me. Not a chance. As his senior in the art of pickpocketing, I had to give him a harsh lesson.
"No matter how I look at it, you seem to be the most dangerous person on this street."
"Excuse me? What are you talking about? I'm a harmless creature. Like a snake with no venom!"
The kid's wallet was completely empty. Well, with wallet packets being so common these days, there was no one left to pickpocket anyway.
Still, I'll claim it as my prize. I tucked the kid's wallet into my pocket and offered some advice.
"Anyway, you see? He targeted my wallet even after seeing a captain in uniform. That's how common crime is here."
"Pickpocketing is a crime, but the sentence is not severe. One must either compensate fifty times the amount lost or pay it off through labor."
"Exactly. It's a misdemeanor. But here, such petty crimes happen every day. All the more so because the punishment is light."
This district was governed by a strange logic of law and order.
No matter how much of a half-abandoned district it was, a place where people could die without anyone noticing, it was impossible for a homicidal maniac to just stroll down the street. If things got out of hand, the Military Police would show up, round everyone up, and throw them into labor camps.
Let's not forget. This is the Military State.
Some dark entity ruling the back alleys? As if something like that could exist. The moment such a being entered the Military State's surveillance network, a general would turn this district upside down.
And if someone stronger than a general appeared? Then the army, including the Six Generals, would flatten the place. Not that it's ever happened.
This was a land where the strong and the weak were clearly divided. No shadowy ruler could ever emerge here. Perhaps in the darker corners of the nation, but a filthy back alley like this... it was a wilderness where the weak, fittingly, fended for themselves.
"This place is a paradise for petty criminals. All sorts of bizarre things can happen. And... if you're wearing a captain's uniform, you could become a target for the truly dangerous ones hiding among the riffraff. So."
Around the corner, a staircase led straight down. I guided the captain toward it. She followed me down the dark, gloomy steps.
I opened the antique door at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement and said.
"Let's get you changed."
As I stepped through the door, a cozy, warm scent greeted me. The gentle aroma of black tea wafted from a boiling kettle.
The room was filled on all sides with rolled-up bolts of fabric in every imaginable color.
This was alchemic fabric, the new material that had surpassed all others since packets became commercialized.
There, an elderly man in a neat suit peered at his guests from behind a monocle.
"A customer... Ah, it is Sir Hughes. Welcome."
He was stick-thin, a physique that made his clothes stand out all the more. It was as if he maintained his slender frame just to accentuate his attire.
I greeted him in return.
"It's been a while, Smen."
"Has it? Hehe. This old man must be getting on in years. It feels like only yesterday that I was tailoring clothes for you, Sir Hughes."
Smen poured black tea into a cup and placed it elegantly on the table. I sat down as if I owned the place and took a sip. The captain hesitantly sat down across from me.
Smen placed a cup of tea in front of her as well.
"Please, drink. This old man brews a decent cup of tea. It's one of my few talents."
"A-Acknowledged."
I wondered if this was what balls were like back in the old kingdom. It was probably similar. After all, Smen was one of the people who had led those balls back then.
Swept up in the atmosphere, the captain took a timid sip of her tea. It must have been to her liking, because her eyes lit up as she continued to wet her tongue with it.
I leaned back in my chair and said.
"I just got back from a trip. I'd like to have a set of clothes made for each of us."
"A set for each? Does that include this lovely lady here?"
"Yes."
The captain, who had been savoring her tea, immediately waved her hand in refusal.
"Denied. As a soldier of the Military State, I cannot accept any monetary compensation from you."
Ignoring her, I glanced at the captain and discussed it with Smen.
"I'll leave the color to you. Something with a free-spirited feel, if possible."
"I have a general idea. However, I cannot ignore the customer's preferences. Now, miss. Do you have a favorite color?"
"Denied! I must refuse! That is a bribe! Bribery is a serious crime that can subject not only the receiver but also the giver to a labor sentence!"
Ugh, so rigid.
"Captain Bbey."
'I appreciate him not using my real name, but I fear that the name 'Captain Bbey' becoming permanent may have a negative impact on a captain's dignity...'
"...Speak."
"Do you think I'm trying to bribe you to get on your good side?"
Bang. I slammed my hand on the table, just hard enough not to spill the tea, and shouted at her.
"Captain Bbey, are you kidding me right now? You're the one who said you wanted to stay with me for a week!"
"N-Negative... I did not... say such a thing."
"In any case, whether you're trying to enjoy a short vacation or keep an eye on me, is it even remotely appropriate to do your job in that outfit!"
I pointed at her stiff uniform. It had clearly been washed every three days and, despite its age, remained immaculate.
"You should at least make an effort to disguise yourself with clothes appropriate for the situation!"
"...An e-effort, you say."
"Yes! Whether you're on vacation or on surveillance, I'm sure things will go swimmingly in that uniform! Why don't you just advertise to the whole world that a captain on a secret mission is here! Should I do it for you? 'Behold, world! Captain Bbey was here!'"
"Cease!"
'I am a signaller... There is nothing to be gained from being exposed!'
Good. She's almost convinced. I went in for the final blow, shouting even more confidently.
"If you don't want to be found out, you have to wear civilian clothes!"
"B-But I am a soldier of the Military State. If I do not wear my uniform—"
"You said it's allowed during secret missions!"
"Ngh. B-But I already have civilian clothes."
"A single shirt is your civilian wear? Smen, does this make any sense? She calls a shirt you'd wear to bed 'civilian clothes'!"
Smen shook his head and let out a sigh.
"Hmph. Unthinkable. Clothes have distinct purposes. How can one live with a single outfit? It is an insult to the clothes, an abuse. If clothes had hands and feet, they would surely rise up in protest."
"You heard him! Smen here is a master of tailoring who worked in the former kingdom. Although he was pushed from the mainstream after the development of Clothing Packets, he has painstakingly mastered packet technology to keep up with the times! Are you going to ignore the advice of an expert like him?!"
The captain could no longer even voice her denial and just shook her head back and forth.
"There. Now, go put on some civilian clothes! Understood?"
"...Acknowledged."
In the end, having accepted my persuasion, the captain took the packet Smen offered and entered the fitting room.