Chapter 217: A Tale Of The Past, The Pied Piper of Hamelin - 3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 217: A Tale Of The Past, The Pied Piper of Hamelin - 3
Long ago, humans were beasts.
They praise the hands that could grasp tools and the tongue that could shape language as gifts from the gods, but in truth, for all their boasting, these were not features that made them exceptionally special compared to other beasts. They were merely useful traits, much like those possessed by any other ordinary animal.
Humans were just one of the many beasts that roamed the earth.
They ate the prey before them and strove to scatter their seed. For life, for survival. It was a truly desperate struggle, one that paid no mind to opponent or circumstance.
This struggle included hunting and eating fellow humans. Murder, rape, extermination, robbery—all these things existed as common sense within their savagery, without ever being given a name.
And no one blamed them for it. Because it was all perfectly natural.
Just like every other beast.
Then, at some point, humans found dignity.
They scorned savagery, establishing laws and morals. When the Saintess of Origin fell to this land and the King of Humans vanished, humanity truly became the rulers of the earth.
Treating all forms of savagery as taboo and burying them in the pre-historic past, they stood atop the world and defined what was right and wrong, what was just and unjust. Within this new order, humanity discovered prosperity and order.
But it was only buried in the dirt. The Anathemas still… existed.
“No, it can’t be… Nicholas. You’re really going to commit such an act?”
Hearing the unexpected news, Lankart’s eyes widened, and he covered his mouth with the open book in his hand. His eyes, as if looking at a monster wearing human skin, trembled with disgust and fear.
“I don’t understand. No matter how I think about it, I just don’t get it. Even if we’re not in a position to be picky about our methods… this, this is! It’s too much!”
He was so terrified that even he, who was rarely frightened, began to tremble violently. Clutching his own arm pitifully and sobbing, Lankart let out a harsh roar.
“How… how could you think of feeding them so inefficiently! If you have the ingredients…! To ensure their lives aren't wasted! You must ensure they are perfectly consumed!”
Lankart was a magician. As a Mage Officer, he inherently possessed the right to view all sorts of ancient documents. On one occasion—though to call it a coincidence would be an understatement—he had blatantly sought out the Anathemas.
And when he came across certain classified information about them, he had cheered and immediately gone to Nicholas. He presented it as something he had stumbled upon by chance while researching for a friend.
The plan had succeeded, but only in part.
After his emotional outburst, Lankart began to organize the knowledge in his head, speaking it aloud.
“Type 1 Anathema. Gluttony. A forbidden ritual of killing, quenching one’s thirst with blood and flesh to gain their power. The easiest, and therefore, the most horrific Anathema.”
It was hard to even call it an Anathema. ‘Gluttony’ itself was a common, everyday occurrence.
Crops cultivated over a long time, or the meat of beasts that fed on them. Humans consume these things and grow stronger. By chewing with their teeth, swallowing down their throats, and taking them into their bodies, they grow their own flesh, absorb the mana and Qi within, and become healthier.
Simply put, Gluttony was the general term for the act of eating something.
“But fundamentally, what is outside the body is different from what is inside. A process of breaking it down and making it one’s own is necessary. That’s why Gluttony is very, very inefficient. To convert something requires a proportional loss.”
That was why it was an Anathema. Those who sought to gain power through Gluttony had devoured tens of thousands of lives just to become a speck stronger. Historically, those called tyrants, calamities, or demons often gained power in this way, and most were eventually subjugated. Even if they devoured a hundred to gain one unit of power, the karmic debt they accumulated would become too great to bear.
…However, Gluttony did not have to be carried out on such a massive scale. A few efficiency-minded individuals found a more effective method.
“For three years, they’ve trained in the same Qi Art, cultivated similar mana, eaten the same food, and shared the same biological cycles. To call them different people… there are just too, too many similarities. What a perfect situation… as if this was the plan from the very beginning.”
It was a common practice. It was so rampant among secret organizations of a certain size—gathering orphans, raising them together for a long time, and then having one consume all the others—that it was hardly worth mentioning.
It was clear that Gluttony was one of the reasons the Military State had created the schools. It was just that the Anathema had never been performed until now.
It was surprising, considering all the preparations, but Lankart understood the truth of it perfectly.
“Makes sense. It’s completely, utterly useless for me or that boar woman. Devouring a mere one or two hundred won’t change a thing for us. That bitch Historia actually defeated two hundred opponents all by herself…”
The world stands on rationality.
The reason the Military State had never sacrificed a hundred students to concentrate power into one was that the half-baked artificial superhuman created that way was not more valuable than the other hundred.
It wasn't a matter of some flimsy sense of justice or morality, but because it was irrational.
If that was the case…
“However. For Huey, it’s a different story. That kid… he only lacks the magnitude of power. His ability to wield it is more than sufficient.”
If a situation arose where consuming power was the more rational choice, what decision would the Military State make then?
Because of some pathetic affection?
Because it was an Anathema everyone treated as taboo?
Because no one had ever tried it before?
Would they turn their back on rationality, making excuses just for the sake of denial?
“The Military State has passed the test. This country is worth working for…”
After a brief moment of deliberation, Nicholas decided to have Huey feed on the students. However, he chose a slightly inefficient method. Instead of having them kill each other, he intended to drive them into a life-or-death crisis.
The 162 students, excluding Lankart, Historia, and 38 others advancing in different fields, were scheduled to be stranded while traveling up the Hamelin River for their practical exercise. They would have to survive for two days in a forest inhabited by wolves, boars, and crocodiles.
…The camp would probably have an Anathema set up. So that someone’s blood could become sustenance.
“That method is utterly crude, but I can lend a hand with that. But Nicholas, why use such a half-hearted approach… Don’t tell me?”
In his search for rationality, a possibility struck Lankart, and he turned pale. It was an absurd hypothesis. Finding his own thought ridiculous, he clutched his stomach and began to laugh heartily.
“Could it be, Nicholas? Do you actually think Huey will throw away this chance? Haha! Hahaha! No way, no way! That’s impossible! He’s a genius. Annoyingly, even more so than me! Do you think a monster like that would be held back by something so trivial?!”
After laughing for a long while, he abruptly stopped. The sudden silence, in contrast to the manic laughter just moments before, felt all the more chilling.
Lankart smiled, as if to deny the hypothesis, or perhaps to force it into denial.
“This is a test, Huey. I… I believe in you. You, who has more talent than anyone, even more than me. You won’t let this chance slip away.”
Lankart’s murmur was darker than it had ever been….
“Thanks for believing in me, Lankart. But I’m not sure I can live up to your expectations.”
“Huh? Why the hell is that bastard’s name coming up now?”
After the written exam, while everyone else was trudging out, completely drained, Historia and I were sitting leisurely in the shade outside the examination hall. The two of us looked as if we had nothing to do with the test.
In reality, we didn’t.
Historia was an irregular, the subject of daily debate on whether she should be given a star before even entering the Military Academy. As for me, I was the walking benchmark for grades, my first-place finish a foregone conclusion.
I shrugged at Historia’s question and replied.
“Ah. Because I think I’ll be first again this time, as expected.”
Historia flashed the biggest smile she had all day.
“Too bad! That guy was carrying books around every day, saying he’d finally beat you this time.”
“That’s right. He was working hard.”
Thanks to him, I benefited quite a bit. All I had to do was read what he studied and use it. If there was anything missing, I could just reference someone else’s thoughts.
To me, a test was like solving a puzzle. I’d pick up pieces here and there, see if they fit, discard them if they didn’t, and pop them in if they seemed right. The mental satisfaction of a piece clicking perfectly into place was a thrill.
It was quite fun.
I only read minds; I don’t know the correct answers. If I hastily grabbed an answer just because someone was sure it was number 3, we could both end up being wrong.
A test is an event where you learn not the right answer, but the gap between belief and reality. It wasn’t what the Military State intended, but it contributed significantly to my mind-reading training.
“And in my opinion, I’m first place in this test, too. Tell Lankart he can be number one only when I’m not around.”
“Can I tell him exactly that?”
“You can add more to it if you want.”
“That’s my specialty! Watching that guy fall apart is something I never get tired of, no matter how many times I see it!”
“…ria. But you know, if you take out the practical exam bonus points, your score is lower than Lankart’s.”
Historia’s smile didn’t waver as she grabbed my shoulder. The same grip that could crush a tin canteen was now testing its strength against my bones.
“Hmm? Huey. One more word out of you, and I’ll spill everything about Moves 1 through 7 from the sparring exam, you hear?”
“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
“You could have been second place too if you hadn’t coordinated your moves with me. Be careful from now on. Don’t get cocky.”
Laughing foolishly as we joked around like always, Historia then lowered her head and rested it on my chest. The crown of her jet-black hair filled my vision.
With her face buried, Historia whispered softly.
“…Be careful during the graduation practical.”
Whip. As if she had never shown a moment of weakness, she immediately threw her head back and grinned. Her long, braided hair moved as energetically as she did with the forceful motion.
“Hey! Once this is over, you have to decide where you’re going! Your future depends on which military academy you choose!”
“Right. I’ll have to think about that.”
“You’d better think carefully! If you really have nowhere to go, come be my adjutant! I’m going to be a general, so I can make a spot for you!”
Historia chattered excitedly, painting a bright future while suppressing her anxiety. Why was she anxious? Reading her thoughts, I could see she knew nothing about the Gluttony plot. Had she instinctively realized something?
Or was she just a little afraid of graduation and parting, like the other kids?
I’m not sure. Human emotions are so complex.
Following her lead, I also put on a brave face and retorted.
“Hey, I’ve got my pride. How can the first-place student become the third-place student’s adjutant?”
“Second place!”
Still, her bright demeanor was only possible because she didn’t know about the Gluttony.
What if…
What if Historia found out about it? How would she change?
Would she accept it, or reject it?
I don’t know. I may be a mind reader, but I can’t see the future. I can only guess.
“Historia. If something goes wrong… will you help me?”
“…What’s that all of a sudden? Are you going off to die somewhere?”
But I couldn’t tell her. This was a top secret that even Nicholas and Lankart had kept hidden. If a mere student like me were to find out about the conspiracy surrounding me, they would surely question the source.
I couldn’t let them find out I could read minds, nor could I even let them suspect it. I couldn’t render my only weapon useless.
I share everything with them, yet that is precisely why I am alone. Even if I wonder why it has to be me, no one can give me an answer.
I shrugged and spoke nonchalantly.
“I’m just scared. It’s the infamous graduation practical, after all. I heard people die all the time.”
“Don’t be such a coward.”
Despite her words, Historia looked pleased. She gave a fresh smile and nodded emphatically.
“I’ll save you. But in return, if I save you, you have to become my adjutant, got it?”
“Now that I think about it, it’s ironic for first place to ask third place for a favor. I take it back. I’ll just handle it myself.”
“Hey!”
Waving a big goodbye to Historia, I headed for the assembly point.
To the place where the one-way practical would begin—a place many would go, but few would return from.