Chapter 21: There is Always Only One Truth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: There is Always Only One Truth
My back hit the hard concrete floor. Or maybe the concrete floor hit my back. It didn't really make a difference. The fact that it hurt like hell was the same either way.
Thump! The sound was like a leather drum bursting. If anyone, out of some pure, childlike curiosity, ever wondered what a drum made of human skin sounded like, they just had to listen to the noise my back just made. My back was that human-skin drum.
A scream didn't escape because all the air was knocked out of my lungs in an instant, leaving me with no breath to make a sound. I managed my pain with silence, lying perfectly still.
The Regressor who threw me looked down at her hands and spoke.
‘He jumped on his own to lessen the impact.’
You call this lessening the impact? You’ve got to be kidding me. If one of us had landed a hit like that on each other, we’d be giving a thumbs-up and saying:
‘Whoa, that was a fucking perfect throw! Maybe I have a talent for judo?’
The impact was so severe I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd died on the spot from a bad fall. Jumped on my own, my ass. The moment I sensed something was off, I was so startled I leaped up, only to be thrown just like that.
‘My Heavenly Counter Domain is a Qi Art specializing in counterattacks. If it’s a move etched into my body, it activates without even a split-second delay, before I can even think. Seeing that and jumping with it means his reactions are good. But…’
A counterattack ingrained into her very body. That’s just cheating. I went for a perfect blind spot, but the moment I touched her, she executed a picture-perfect over-the-shoulder throw. It was such an ideal, textbook move that, ironically, nothing got bent the wrong way, but the impact on my back was so powerful I could barely move. It felt like a thousand tiny needles were digging into my spine.
‘For someone with good reactions, the feel of the hit… wasn’t very satisfying.’
This is why you should never associate with people who’ve spent their lives beating others to a pulp. How can your standard for judging a person be the ‘feel of the hit’? Am I a piece of fish for sashimi? How disgusting.
I grimaced and said, “Get your foot off me. Isn’t throwing me over your shoulder enough? Do you have to step on me, too?”
“Ah.”
The Regressor removed the foot that was pressing on my collarbone. Still lying down, I brushed the shoe print off my shirt.
“It's your fault. What did you expect, touching me so carelessly?”
“Seriously? Your body is that precious? If you throw everyone who grabs your shoulder, how do you even function in daily life?”
“In a world where strangers can just tap me on the shoulder, I have no need for a daily life.”
“Are we strangers? That hurts.”
“…Of course we are. What else would we be?”
“Instructor and trainee. They say you shouldn't even step on a teacher's shadow, yet here you are, throwing your instructor and then stepping on his body. Wow. The disrespect is killing me.”
The shock still hadn’t subsided, and I couldn’t even get up. I continued to lament while lying on the floor.
‘To say it was his fault for approaching me off-guard… this isn’t exactly a battlefield. It’s true, I was the one who struck first.’
Ever so slightly, the Regressor felt sorry for me. She answered in a small voice.
“Whatever you are. You should have been prepared for the consequences when you decided to interfere with me.”
Are those the words of someone who feels sorry? Look at how different her words and thoughts are. This is driving me crazy. If I weren't a mind reader, I would've died from frustration.
Actually, even as a mind reader, I think I might die from frustration.
“Is this what you call indignation? Is this what you call being wronged? Did it not occur to you at all that someone might try to stop you the moment you tried to smash through a wall with a sword and cut down a golem?”
When dealing with the Regressor, the first thing you need is sound logic, and the second thing you need is also sound logic. She has a tendency to be quite weak to reasoned arguments. Separate from morals or anything like that, if you say something that makes sense, she tends to accept it.
‘Come to think of it, this man is an instructor. He’s as good as the eyes of the Military State. And I was just going to ignore him and deal with the golem…’
Good, as long as she gets it. Phew. Thank god she’s not completely unreasonable.
‘Should I just take this opportunity to get rid of this man, too? For some reason, I feel like I could kill him right now.’
I take it back. It seems that just being the same species doesn't mean you can communicate with each other.
In times like these, it’s best to change the subject. I spoke to the small magic golem near my head.
“Hey, Captain Abbey.”
『This is Captain Abbey. I have assessed the current situation. Thank you for your actions.』
“No, that's enough. Shut up for now. If you don't want to get smashed.”
If the golem opened its mouth, my identity could be exposed. I deliberately cut it off, almost shouting. Fortunately, Captain Abbey was quick on the uptake. She seemed to realize that I was the only one in this Abyss who could help her.
Still on my back, I lifted the golem. With its metal body, the golem was about the size of a small doll, but it was deceptively heavy. Its thin metal arms and legs dangled in the air.
“Trainee Shei.”
I lowered my voice. Just as the Regressor showed a flicker of curiosity, I closed my eyes and spoke.
“Trainee Shei, not only did you cut through the wall and destroy the golem, but you also assaulted me, didn’t you? And so naturally, at that.”
“So?”
“Fine. The wall is already broken, and the golem is mostly destroyed. As for my body, well, it’s meant to be knocked around, so let’s just leave it at that. I won’t ask any questions. So, for now, let go of your feelings about the golem.”
“What…”
‘In any case, with the instructor here, it doesn’t make much difference whether the golem is here or not. They’re both dogs of the Military State. And… it might be better to leave it.’
Having made her decision in a short time, the Regressor sheathed her sword.
“As long as that thing doesn’t spy on me.”
“It won’t, even if you asked it to. You saw it earlier, hiding in the cafeteria. If it intended to spy on you, Trainee Shei, it wouldn't have hidden there. A bourgeois like you, who eats special meals alone while everyone else makes do with meager supplies, never shows up in the cafeteria.”
“Hmm.”
“If you understand, you can go now.”
“What are you going to do here?”
“Now that I know a golem is still around, I need to request some supplies. Someone’s been stealing food at night, and my canned goods were starting to run low.”
“I see…”
‘The moment I decided not to fight that man, some degree of information leakage became unavoidable. I’ll just watch for now. This could actually be a chance to dig up information on him instead.’
The Regressor nodded, shot one last sharp glance at the golem, and turned away.
“Ask if they can supply some blood. Tyrkanzyaka hasn’t moved in a while, so I think she’s a little short on blood.”
“I’ll check and get back to you.”
Like hell anyone’s going to supply that.
“I’m going back to my room now.”
“Take care.”
The Regressor walked away with heavy steps, as if to make a show of her departure. Now, only the golem and I were left in the dark cafeteria…
Wait a minute.
“Trainee Shei. I thought you were leaving?”
Flinch. I felt a wave of panic from beyond the wall. The Regressor spoke, making an excuse.
“I-I was just about to. Just had to do something quickly.”
Trying to eavesdrop, are we. I stared intently at the doorway. The Regressor retreated, her footsteps loud and heavy. I let out a long groan and lifted the golem again.
“Captain Abbey. It’s been a while.”
『Confirming your survival. You’ve managed to stay alive…』
“Hold on.”
I covered the golem’s mouth and pushed myself up off the floor. Oof, my neck. My back hit the floor, so why is my neck so stiff? I rolled my neck around as if stretching, then stared at a point in the empty air and spoke.
“What is there to eat that brought you back? If you said you were going to your room, then hurry up and go.”
In the pitch-black darkness where nothing was visible, a small shimmer appeared. The Regressor, who had been using a stealth skill, held her breath in surprise and looked at me with trembling eyes.
‘She… noticed me? She saw through my Veil of Darkness, which is invisible even as a shimmer in the dark? N-No. Impossible. She didn't notice last time.’
“Stop playing games. It's so obvious. Who walks down the hall that loudly? It's like you were announcing your departure.”
‘Ugh. Was I too obvious? But that man can’t have any proof. He must be bluffing. I should just pretend I don’t know…’
“Hey! I said get out!”
I grabbed a pot from the table and hurled it. The Regressor ducked just before the pot could hit her. The pot missed, clanging as it bounced across the cafeteria floor. The violent movement briefly broke her stealth, and our eyes met.
The flustered Regressor's face turned bright red with embarrassment.
“Uh, ugh.”
“Trainee Shei. Weren’t you the one who accused the magic golem of spying on you? This is the exact same situation. Eavesdropping on others while using a stealth skill is a nasty hobby.”
“I-I know. It’s just…”
“It’s fine. These things happen. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone gets curious. I won’t say a word, so please just go back.”
“R-Right…”
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it! I shouldn’t have been so obvious from the start. The feel of that throw made me underestimate my opponent!’
The Regressor hung her head low and bolted. I thought she might get angry and try to kill me, but her perfectionism seemed to make her highly self-critical of her own mistakes. She ran down the hallway, mentally lashing herself.
The golem, which had been watching silently, spoke up.
『So you have abilities of your own.』
“You have a rough idea of how I’ve made a living, don’t you? It’s all psychological warfare.”
『I am relieved to see that you seem to be surviving rather well.』
“What? Relieved?”
『I was planning to add a laborer to the next supply list, but seeing you now, I’ve determined that it’s unnecessary. We won’t have to waste human resources.』
“Ah. You mean from a cost perspective.”
The Regressor is one thing, but the Military State really is full of people who are hard to get attached to. They sent her down half-convinced I was going to die, didn't they?
“You’ve been here this whole time, so you know everything that’s happened, right? Then I don’t need to explain.”
『Negative. This unit was hidden to avoid the trainee ‘Shei.’ I did not observe anything outside of what occurred in the cafeteria.』
“Aha. Is that so?”
That was good information. It meant there were things only I knew. I could use that as leverage to get more out of them.
『If you report any unusual findings, this unit promises to provide you with our full support.』
And she’s quick on the uptake, too. Reading her own situation and my intentions, she offered terms of exchange herself. I like how fast she works.
『Do you have any unusual findings or requests?』
“I have one. I…”
‘But I still have other methods.’
Ah, wait a minute. I’m hearing another strange thought.
No way. To be fooled by the same trick twice makes you an idiot; three times makes you a part of history. Is the Regressor trying to leave her mark on history?
The Regressor lives in a cell on the first floor that she remodeled herself. If she had gone back to her room and lost interest in what’s happening here, I shouldn’t be able to read her thoughts.
The reason I can hear this thought now is…
‘Was it the seventh timeline? I learned a long-distance hearing technique from some beastkin with good ears. Back then, I discarded it as a useless skill, buried in all the ambient noise, but in a situation like this, it should be useful. It’s quiet all around, so there won’t be any static. Now, let’s see…’
“Hold on.”
I walked over to the pot I had thrown earlier. Then I rummaged through a cupboard and took out another one. Good, no cracks, and the material is solid. This should be enough.
I waited for the right moment, spinning the two pots in my hands.
‘Even though I don’t have the ears of a beastkin, if I press my ear to the ceiling from the floor directly below and listen… I should be able to make it out.’
The moment I heard the Regressor’s thought, I slammed the pots together with all my might.
CLANG!
‘!!!!!!!’
The round structure of the steel made for an excellent resonator. Moreover, the pots were made of alchemic steel, meticulously forged and coated to prevent even a single drop of water from leaking. When I smashed them together with all my strength, a deafening noise, loud enough to be heard throughout Tantalus, rang out.
The sound raced down the hallways and shook the building. It was a majestic clang, comparable to the tolling of a bell. A long echo reverberated through the Abyss. I waited until the gentle echo faded.
‘Ah, ugh. Ah.’
A soundless scream came from the floor below. I crouched down and spoke to the concrete.
“Trainee Shei.”
‘No, don’t tell me.’
“You're not even coming to ask what that noise was. You aren't eavesdropping, are you? I'll trust that you're not.”
‘…’
Is she crying? No, probably not. The desire to cry and the act of crying are two different things. Even people who don't shed tears can sob internally. It’s common to feel emotions so intense with sorrow and shame that you want to cry.
Too bad. If I’d actually seen her cry, I could have teased her about it until the end of the world.
Anyway.
“Now that there are no more interruptions,”
『Was she eavesdropping?』
“Probably.”
『How did you know?』
“Psychological warfare, I told you. People like that tend to pursue extreme gains and have a strong sense of entitlement. Even if they fail once, they’ll keep coming back, thinking ‘not this time.’ It’s in their nature to not be satisfied until they’ve gained something.”
That was a lie. I read her thoughts. But even a reason made up after the fact becomes a correct explanation if it leads to the right answer.
“And besides, what’s there to lose from failing? The risk is practically zero, and the potential gain is significant.”
『Understood. Is there a possibility she will eavesdrop again?』
“Honestly? From this point on, it’d be a loss for her to keep listening. You have to know when to give up. Just how much more pathetic are you going to get?”
‘…………….’
The Regressor’s thoughts cut off. Ah, is she okay? That was an abruptness on the level of passing out.
I might have gone too far, but it’s nothing compared to the pain still radiating from my back. Besides, mental anguish is nothing compared to physical pain.
In any case, having successfully driven off the Regressor, I decided to finish my business.
“This golem is modeled after a human form. It’s a sensory-sharing type, right? You control it by synchronizing with your own body.”
『Affirmative.』
“In that case.”
I tapped the golem’s torso. When it reacted, I straightened my finger and wrote on the golem’s flat body. My finger moved like a brush across its stomach and chest.
-I'll write important things, so understand. Just nod to answer.
The golem’s body twitched for a moment, then its head nodded slightly up and down.
Even with the ability to read minds, there’s no harm in being careful.
You might wonder why I bothered banging the pots together, but seeing the Regressor in pain was satisfying enough.
“You said you were in the cafeteria the whole time, right?”
I wrote on the golem’s body, pretending to carry on a normal conversation.
-I’m posing as an instructor here. I lied to survive.
The golem gave a small nod. At the same time, it answered through the microphone in its mouth.
『Affirmative.』
“Then you must have seen me and Azzy eating together.”
-So you need to treat me like an instructor, too.
This time, the golem shook its head. When I glared, the golem spoke in a clear, articulate voice.
『I did not witness everything. As mentioned before, this unit was under extreme threat and would intermittently shut down during the active daylight hours-. Warning. Impersonation and false reporting are serious crimes.』
So she answers by tacking things on to the end of her sentences.
Then again, impersonating an instructor is a crime the Military State would never tolerate. She’s so rigid, even in this situation. A true signaller of the State.
“Then you must have been active throughout the night.”
-If you don’t, I’ll have no reason to protect you. And no right to, either. If you don’t help me, I can’t keep you with me.
The golem paused for a moment. It seemed its mission to monitor this place was conflicting with the need to cooperate in the crime of impersonating an instructor.
But the hesitation was brief. The golem nodded and spoke in an even more mechanical voice.
『I will affirm.』
Good. That settles that for now. I can now act as a liaison between the Military State authorities and Tantalus, and secure my own benefits.
Getting thrown was worth it. It hurt like hell, but I gained something.
I grinned.
『And.』
After a moment of thought, the golem spoke, a little hesitantly.
『This unit is sharing sensations. I request that you be careful when making contact.』
What does that mean? I can’t read her thoughts, so I have no idea what she’s getting at. Is it important? Her tone seemed to waver a bit.
I picked up the golem again and, stiffening my finger, began writing on its stomach and chest.
-Got it. I should only write things down when it’s really important, right?
『Ngh. I don't understand at all…』
Huh. That's a weird reaction. The golem was trembling strangely, as if it were broken, and it spoke on its own without me prompting it.
Just then, the golem pushed my hand away. Though it was a small, doll-sized golem, it was still a magic golem of the Military State. Its steel limbs were strong enough to push my hand away.
『…That’s enough.』
What? What was that reaction? I have no idea.
I never thought I’d be this frustrated by my inability to read a golem’s thoughts. When dealing with people, I can read their minds and gain the upper hand, but this is a remote-controlled golem, so there’s no way to know. It doesn’t even have facial expressions, so I have to guess based on tone alone.
Is this how normal people live? It’s more inconvenient than I thought. It feels like living with a limb missing.
…Oh, wait a minute.
She said she was active all night, right?
Then she must know who's been secretly stealing the food.
Busted.