Chapter 175: The Apex of Seamless Cloths
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 175: The Apex of Seamless Cloths
District 1 of the Military State.
It contained everything a capital should have.
The Defense Command, which oversaw the capital's defense, looked unnaturally rigid even in the heart of the concrete city, its frame and armor forged entirely from high-level alchemic steel.
The Communications Headquarters, which looked as if it were entangled in the vines of the World Tree, its outer walls plastered with flower-bud-shaped antennae and mana transmission lines resembling creepers.
The Amitengrad Government Complex, built with extreme efficiency—that is to say, as a perfect rectangle—which administered all affairs, great and small, in Amitengrad.
This was District 1, the nerve center of the Military State's capital, where no one below the rank of a level 2 citizen was even permitted to set foot.
If one thought of the Military State as a single, giant monster, then in this district, packed to the brim with its vital organs, stood a peculiar building. A building that could only be described as being clothed.
The captain, riding in a carriage pulled by a real horse, muttered as they passed through the main gate, where drapes hung in place of a steel door.
"The holding company, Seamless Cloths..."
One of the five private companies that were the pillars of the Military State. Masters of five technologies whose advancement even the state-run institutions of the Military State could not match, forcing the nation to grant them autonomous operation. Among them, this was the origin of the Clothing Packet technology, the one most intimately connected to the lives of the State's citizens, and home to the only person capable of creating new Arch-Avatars.
The 3rd president of Seamless Cloths, the Weaver Sephier Bakiya.
The captain looked at me and asked, her voice trembling.
"How do you... know her?"
"I'll answer that in due time, Captain."
"But—"
"Our story isn't exactly one for others to overhear. Wouldn't it be better to go inside and speak freely, without worrying about being heard?"
Sephier's voice was gentle, yet stern. To put it nicely, it was like a parent reasoning with a child. To put it badly, it was a way of speaking that leveraged her overwhelmingly superior position to dominate the other person.
Since it was, at its core, a reasonable suggestion, the captain couldn't say anything more. In the meantime, the carriage arrived at the mansion's entrance.
Stepping out of the carriage, I looked at the horse, its mane flowing, and muttered.
"That's a fine horse."
"It's called a Lion Horse. Because of its red mane that flutters in the wind, they were also called fire horses, as a herd of them running together looked like a wildfire sweeping across a plain."
"You managed to buy something so precious. It must be too rare to even be on the list of luxury goods."
Raising a horse requires a large yard and numerous staff to manage it. In other words, it's practically impossible in a place like Amitengrad, where land is scarce and expensive.
But for the wealthiest person in the Military State, "practically impossible" is just another way of saying "not really impossible." With enough money, one can distinguish between what is truly impossible and what is merely fake-impossible.
"It's not a luxury item. This Lion Horse... yes. You could say it's for an experiment, of sorts."
"An experiment?"
"Yes, Master. I've recently been researching how to make casts of animals."
Taking a cast meant creating an Arch-Avatar that would also work on animals. It was probably a project commissioned by the Military State.
If she could create an Arch-Avatar for a horse, even the State's pathetic horses might become a little more useful.
"Of course, if you need it, Master, I'll give it to you right away."
"Wow, really?"
Sephier responded to my words with a question of her own.
"When have I ever been stingy with you, Master? I don't hesitate to spend money on my people."
He’s always been quick to take whatever I give him. That habit of pretending to refuse is still the same.
She must have built up a lot of resentment while I was gone. Her negative thoughts just keep flowing in.
Just in case, I asked again.
"Can I really have it?"
Sephier answered readily, without a hint of regret.
"I'll give you the harness and whip on your way out, so be sure to take them. Take plenty of feed, too, and if you need anything else, just contact me. I'll send whatever you need by courier."
I just hope he doesn’t trade it for cash. What kind of person subtly hints at wanting something, only to turn around and sell it to a fence? Does he have any idea how I feel, having to buy it back from the fence at a premium? If he wants money, he should just ask for it.
...Never mind. I'm not taking it.
It's definitely not because her thoughts scare me. It's because I'm not confident I can raise it well. The horse would be miserable if I tried to keep it in my fist-sized room.
"It's a bit too much for me to handle. I'll have to decline for today."
"A wise decision. A horse is too high-maintenance for you to manage yourself, Master. I'll take good care of it, so please feel free to come and borrow it whenever you need."
A man who can’t even take care of himself isn’t going to do a very good job of raising a horse. He’d just sell it off somewhere again. It’s better to use the horse as an excuse to summon him to the mansion. At least that way, I can confirm he’s alive on a regular basis.
You... you saw me like that? Still, I'm pretty diligent, aren't I? When I'm short on cash, I earn it with my own two hands instead of begging.
"Thank you for the thought."
"Don't mention it. Now, shall we go in?"
Sephier snapped her fingers, and the red-painted mansion door opened on its own. The tense captain stuck close behind me, following me with stiff steps.
The mansion looked peculiar not just because it stood in the middle of a concrete city. You would be hard-pressed to find a building that looked like it was wearing clothes anywhere else on the continent.
Putting everything else aside, the architectural style clearly resembled the large tents used by the Prairie Tribes. Except for the fact that it was three stories high, had a multi-level structure, and was rectangular.
The inner lining was a soft, warm fabric, delicately woven; the exterior, a high-level alchemic thread that could repel even a cannonball. A thread tougher and stronger than most steel held this massive garment together. It was a castle built of fabric, made possible only by thread and cloth more durable and powerful than concrete and rebar.
"Welcome, Master. And... my new disciple. Welcome to my home and workshop, the Castle of Fabrics."
The floor was wooden, covered with a carpet. Thanks to the sound-dampening carpet, even heavy footsteps made no echo. The warm-colored inner walls were as warm as they looked.
"Question. Weaver, is your residence not a restricted area?"
"It's fine with my permission. This is my private home. If that's not enough, I'll use my authority to issue a temporary pass."
Cutting the captain off, Sephier led us to the dining room.
She drew back a jet-black curtain, revealing the dining room. Inside, a personal chef was serving food. Word of our arrival must have already been sent, as three plates were set neatly on the table.
When the lids were lifted, they revealed perfect, rare steaks, the likes of which I'd never seen in any restaurant. Sephier gestured lightly to the plates.
"Please, eat. Now that I've invited you into my home, you must all be treated as my guests."
The brown-seared steak had a magic that instinctively made one's mouth water. A sauce made from boiled-down bones was drizzled over it, and it was garnished with colorful spices and grilled vegetables.
Meanwhile, the captain's brow furrowed as she spotted the small, light-green beans on her plate.
"...What is this?"
The way the captain looked at the tiny beans, which seemed like miniaturized Chimera Beans, was similar to the wonder of someone seeing a dwarf for the first time.
Sephier didn't answer. I answered for her.
"Ah, fresh beans! Wow, these are hard to find in the Military State outside of Chimera Beans. Where did you get them?"
Sephier answered as she skillfully cut her steak with a knife.
"You mentioned last time that you wanted to eat old-fashioned beans, Master."
"Did I? I don't really remember."
Oops. Was that the wrong thing to say? I furtively glanced at Sephier's expression. Her face didn't change as she thought.
I went through all that trouble to find fresh beans because of that one comment, and he doesn’t even remember. Is this why they say you shouldn’t take in a beast with a bad memory?
Yep, wrong thing to say. It's been a while, so I'm not used to this.
Meanwhile, the captain scooped up only the beans with her spoon and put them in her mouth. The moment the soft, springy beans touched her tongue, her eyes widened as if she were seeing a vision of lightning striking in her head.
'...These beans?! How can they taste like this! They're just beans, but...!'
A bean connoisseur is born. I tapped the captain's plate and said.
"Looks like you like them."
"Affirmative...! It's my first time tasting them, but the flavor is both familiar and astounding...!"
"That's because they're fresh beans. They're a product of nature, not the Chimera Beans developed for fertilizer. Can we have some more beans over here?"
"No problem. Chef, the rest of the beans."
He keeps giving away the food I set out for him. He’s like a bottomless pit. No matter how much I give, nothing ever sticks. Really, how did I end up with such a worthless master?
The captain, who had been awkwardly cutting her steak, put down her knife when she saw the new serving of beans. I pointed to the captain's half-eaten steak and asked.
"How's the steak?"
"...I think it's delicious, but the texture is strange. It feels like I'm chewing on fabric."
When you cook canned meat that's been thoroughly soaked in water, it loses its characteristic meaty texture and becomes soft. In exchange, the volume increases, making you feel like you got a good deal.
The captain, who had only ever eaten canned meat prepared that way, found the texture of fresh meat alien.
Does this kid even know what meat is supposed to taste like...?
"Now I'm beginning to understand."
Clink.
Sephier set her knife down with a sharp sound and elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin.
Having finished her meal cleanly, without a single stain on her luxurious suit, Sephier folded her hands as soon as the chef cleared her plate. Immediately after, every door surrounding the dining room closed, transforming it into a completely sealed room.
"You're a pitiful person, Captain. I think I know why my master chose you."
The captain flinched.
She wanted to retort, but her opponent was the president of a holding company and a magnate deeply involved in military logistics. Though not officially part of the military, her influence granted her a citizen level of 5.
If Sephier were to disappear right now, the production of Arch-Avatars, essential for making Clothing Packets, would halt. Furthermore, it would cause problems for the performance enhancement of the Military State's special weapon, the combat arm.
The captain faltered, unsure how to deal with Sephier, who wielded powerful influence over both the military and civilian sectors.
I let out a small sigh and corrected her attitude.
"You shouldn't call people pitiful, Sephier. It's rude."
"I do apologize for that. But, my attitude aside, isn't that the reason you chose her, Master?"
Sephier asked sharply.
It's not so much that I chose her, we just ended up together by chance... Tsk. I have nothing to say. It's true I've been acting like I'm looking after a charity case.
See? He thinks so himself, yet he’s so quick to criticize my attitude. The hypocrisy. Does he realize that bringing her along while thinking that way is far ruder than me pointing it out?
Did drinking the Military State's water sharpen her tongue?
Sephier spoke as if she could see right through me.
"You were always drawn to people who had lost something, or to children who were lacking. Anton, who craved recognition, was like that, as were the residents of the old kingdom who had lost the splendor of their era."
As she spoke, Sephier lightly touched her left wrist. Her coat and scarf transformed into blue alchemic thread and were absorbed into her bio-receptor.
Returning to just a red shirt through a seamless garment transformation that was as natural as moving her own body, she pointed to herself.
"I was a prime example of that in my younger days. And now you even pity a captain of the Military State. I can't even begin to fathom how wide your strike zone is, Master. So much so that I feel wronged to be lectured on my conduct by someone like you."
Isn't that a bit harsh to say to your master? It feels like her inner thoughts and spoken words got a little mixed up.
And on top of that, he went to the Abyss and came back... Please, I pray he didn't get involved in some god-awful mess just because he was trapped there. I can't even imagine how much chaos my master, who throws the entire world into turmoil, must have stirred up in the Abyss.
Nope, I was wrong. Her words were actually quite restrained. Sorry for doubting you.
By the way, why bring up the Abyss all of a sudden? What did I ever do concerning the Abyss...?
'...Could it be that those who came out of the Abyss followed my master all the way to Amitengrad? Even he couldn't have done anything about the monsters in the Abyss, but... I can't shake the suspicion. The fact that I can't be sure is what's most terrifying. What in the world have I taken as my master?'
"What in the world?" Don't treat me like a plague...
Wait a minute. What? People who came out of the Abyss are in Amitengrad? In the capital of the Military State, a world away from there?
Why? Surely they didn't come all this way just for me. Are they planning to destroy the Military State?
Is the Military State going to fall in this timeline? Is the country finally closing its doors?
Dammit, then my attempts to deal with the Shadow are meaningless. If I don't know how they're going to ruin the country, how can I find the time to handle the Shadow or anything else?
This won't do.
"Sephier. Hold on. Can I use something here?"
"Of course. Anything here is as good as yours, Master."
I suppose he’s planning to use my property as his own again, right? Haa. I can’t help it, but... I wonder if I’ll even get a single 'thank you' this time?
The gap between her thoughts and actions is starting to scare me. I feel like she used to be quite honest a long time ago. Who made her like this?
If that's what she wants, I can certainly do that much.
They say a single word can pay off a great debt, but words are intangible assets whose value fluctuates. You have to pay them back bit by bit when you can.
"Thank you, Sephier. See? I really do have a good eye for disciples."
It was just a simple compliment, but Sephier's brow and the corners of her mouth twitched upward slightly.
So there is some reward in pouring water into a bottomless pit. Really, he’s such a difficult person to please.
Sephier nodded readily while raising one finger on her black-gloved hand.
"However, may I ask a favor of you as well, Master?"
A favor? Well, alright.
This was Sephier, who had provided me with a place to live and financial support. What goes around comes around. I suppose I can grant one request, as long as it's not too unreasonable.
"What is it?"
"Let me take your cast."
Take my cast, huh. What does she mean by that?
It just involves getting into a mold made of soft alchemic steel while naked and enduring the heat for one minute, but he’d probably be reluctant if I told him that now. I have to somehow coax him in front of the mold. Then I’ll have a body avatar that’s a perfect replica of my master. Fufu, with that toy, I can play some very interesting dress-up games.
This is a no-go. I may not be a big deal, but this has the potential to violate my dignity.
"Haha. That's quite a joke. Surely Sephier, who learned under me, wouldn't make such a strange request."
"Fufu. You're sharp, Master. To see through my joke so easily... Tsk."
Hey. Cut out that tongue-clicking at the end.
When I subtly refused, Sephier pointed a black-gloved hand toward the captain instead. The captain, now the subject of attention, flinched.
"Then, could you lend me this person for a little while instead?"
"Why? To take her cast?"
"I don't plan on it, but maybe if I feel like it."
'A cast?! Did she say she would take my cast? What in the world does that mean?'
You'll find out when it happens. For the record, I don't know either, so I'd appreciate it if you could tell me how it feels afterward.
I readily agreed.
"You can borrow her for as long as you like. You can even sleep with her tonight."
"...?! You?! What is the meaning of that?!"
"Then we have a deal. It's a little disappointing, but it was a satisfactory negotiation, Master."
"Not at all. I'll grant a request like this any number of times."
"Are you planning to sell me off again and again...?! Warning! This negotiation does not take my free will into account!"
Signallers these days, going on about free will. A component talking back.
"Use her well and return her."
"She belongs to you, Master. How could I do otherwise?"
"Negative! I am a soldier of the Military State, not someone's property...!"
Leaving the terrified captain behind, I pushed aside the fabric walling the dining room. As the jet-black cloth, which swallowed sound and even smell, closed, the captain's scream-like protest was cut off abruptly.
Alright. Shall we get started?