Chapter 219: A Tale of the Past, The Pied Piper of Hamelin - 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 219: A Tale of the Past, The Pied Piper of Hamelin - 5
After one thing led to another, to cut to the chase…
I was tied up tight with a rope made of wooden vines.
The shock and fury on the children's faces stabbed at me like sharp spears. They surrounded me, weapons raised.
Just a moment ago, we were comforting and encouraging each other, fighting side by side. Where had all that friendship and trust gone? Trust is hard to earn, but so easy to lose.
Well, it was only natural.
“Oh dear, I’ve been found out.”
After all, they’d discovered everything.
That a massive pheromone lure designed to attract all sorts of beasts was hidden in the middle of this base. That it was set to go off soon. And that when it did, the beasts that had been wary of the unwelcome group of humans would wipe the camp clean.
They’d figured it all out.
“What… what in the world is going on?”
Shiati murmured, her voice trembling. I shrugged my bound shoulders at her, a picture of confusion.
“What’s the matter? You all know, don’t you? You’d have to be an idiot not to.”
A conclusion one reaches on their own is more certain than any other, requiring no effort to persuade.
The clues they’d found, the logic they’d pieced together, and the suspicions that had slowly mounted all converged into a single truth.
Chento, who had been wondering where Kerapald and I had gone yesterday, had retraced our steps and found the rope used to hold the flotsam in place. The children, noticing the rope, had jumped to the conclusion that this situation was also a test and rejoiced. If it was part of a test and not an emergency, then nothing would happen that wasn't under control. Reassured by their own assumptions, they moved with renewed vigor.
Meanwhile, Kerapald formed a team and searched the camp. Having drawn a map of the camp, he tilted his head, realizing it resembled the shape of some kind of magic circle. While the children puzzled over it, thinking it was a riddle or a test question, Shiati took a group out to gather food and water.
Beneath the camp lay a bedrock, and etched into its shallow grooves was a strange magic circle. As everyone wracked their brains over the unfamiliar formation…
A pitch-black box appeared in the middle of one of the tents. The children, assuming it was a clue, opened the lid.
They had no idea it was a lure to attract beasts.
The pheromones slathered on the lure spread through the air. A child with hunter parents recognized what it was and yelled for them to close it, but it was too late.
The sound of rampaging beasts echoed from the distance.
The one hundred and fifty students, all with military training, responded adequately, but that was their limit. An adequate response.
This proved that the only reason the beasts hadn't attacked the human group until now was due to the innate caution of the surviving animals.
A horned deer, thoroughly agitated, charged through the camp, slinging drool. It was an attack comparable to a cavalry charge. The house-sized deer was like a giant with two trees strapped to its head, swinging them wildly. It took ten of them just to pull on a single snare.
Following that, the wolves that had been cautiously prowling attacked. They only realized the stealthy hunters were upon them after there were casualties.
Crows and eagles, sensing a fight, circled high above.
Seventeen died.
If they hadn't set traps in advance, far more would have perished.
In the end, the humans showed their mettle. Through unified bonds, proper commands, and a desperate struggle, they managed to drive the beasts away.
There was no time to mourn their precious friends. The exhausted children sat on the ground, watching in horror as the blood from the dead flowed away.
The blood trickled along the engraved grooves… illuminating the massive magic circle before seeping into it.
It was a secret that would have remained hidden if it were buried underground, but since they had exposed the bedrock to investigate, it was now visible.
As an inexplicable sense of dread washed over everyone, someone cautiously suggested they take off their clothes, given the risk of injury and infection.
The children agreed and deactivated their Clothing Packets.
And on my back, they discovered a sinister, glowing red mark. A mark whose meaning was so obvious they couldn't even look away.
“N-no way… How could he… Nicholas… used us as sacrifices…”
Everyone understood the sequence of events. That the state had abandoned them, that the leader they trusted was a wolf in sheep's clothing, that the friend they had laughed with until yesterday now lay dead with limbs twisted at grotesque angles, and that they would soon share the same fate.
And that someone would gain power by taking their deaths.
“Kill him!” someone shouted. It was a boy with his arm in a sling, broken while fending off the deer. His eyes were bloodshot as he hurled curses at me.
“There are no instructors here to stop us anyway! Kill him and bury him somewhere!”
“Then, what do we say happened?”
“We can just say he slipped and fell into the river!”
“Yeah! This is self-defense!”
They shouted savagely. I managed a calm smile and said, “A logical decision. It would be foolish to keep me, a suspected traitor, alive in this situation. Wouldn't you agree?”
“A prisoner should act like one. Shut up, Huey.”
Shiati and Kerapald, the new student leaders, calmed the panicked children. Shiati, particularly furious with me, bit her lip and glared.
“Huey. I never liked you, but I at least thought you were more human than the other two. But… it seems I was wrong about you.”
“Of all the people to compare me to, you pick those two. So, Shiati. What do you plan to do with this horrible, inhuman me?”
“If I had my way, I’d kill you right now, but…”
Now that she had to persuade the other children and not me, Shiati turned her head and shouted.
“Killing him here won’t change anything. We’ll tie him up, put him on the boat, and take him to Hamelin to demand answers. Since Nicholas dotes on you so much, you’ll make a good bargaining chip.”
“Bargaining?”
“That’s right! Anathema is something the Sanctum is desperate to hunt down. We can demand something in exchange for keeping this a secret…”
“Puhahaha!”
I burst out laughing, still bound. As my laughter continued, the eyes of Shiati and the other children focused on me. Having drawn enough attention, I stopped laughing abruptly and spoke.
“Shiati, stop saying things you don't even believe yourself. Nicholas was planning to kill you all and invoke an Anathema. Do you really think that if you go back, having figured it all out, he’ll say, ‘Oh, my apologies. Here’s a Level 3 citizenship as a reward’?”
Not a chance. If that were possible, he wouldn't have started this in the first place.
“No, he’ll kill you all. To bury you along with the Anathema, he’ll use even more drastic measures.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?! Just let you kill us here?!”
“What you do is your choice, but if you’re going to do something, at least follow what you truly believe. Your choice is nothing but a delusion that denies reality, let alone having any basis in it.”
“You talk so high and mighty…!”
Shiati strode over and grabbed me by the collar. My neck was pulled taut, making me choke, but she paid my condition no mind.
“I’m going to kill you! So what if you’re so great?! No matter how great you are, you don’t get to decide our fate…! I, we! We didn’t work so hard just to become your prey!”
Her fierce shouts gradually turned into sobs. Shiati, clutching my collar so tightly it felt like it would tear, shed transparent tears as she resented me.
“Why? You could already go to the military academy! Wasn’t that enough? You’ve already reached Level 3, something we all desperately want…! Did you want more? Did you want to become even greater? Even if it meant killing us all?”
After pouring out all her resentment, all that remained was a charred, blackened emotion. Her eyes, dark as if her spirit had died, looked up at me.
“Then you… die too. That’s only fair, isn’t it?”
I knew it instinctively.
Ah, this is dangerous. If this continues, I’ll really get swept away.
Why else would an Anathema be called an Anathema? It was forbidden because it negated the very faith in humanity that had been built up until now.
Shiati, having been on the receiving end of that negation, was now completely consumed by hatred and despair, her fists clenched.
…So, Historia.
This is your last chance to save me. If you don’t.
I will.
*
News of the stranded trainees on their graduation practical exercise spread in an instant. Nicholas, feeling a deep sense of responsibility for the situation, took only his closest aides and rushed out of Hamelin Secondary Military School. The main force was to load supplies onto a rescue ship and follow him.
‘He asked for help, and something really happened. Did he foresee even this?’
Historia had not forgotten her promise. The moment she learned there was a problem with the graduation exercise, she slung a rifle over her back, ran to the Hamelin River, and borrowed a rowboat.
As she rowed, a strange wave parted the river on both sides. It wasn't as if she was pushing the water away; it was more like she was forcefully pressing down on the surface, creating a slope, and sliding across it.
The rowboat literally glided across the river, making swift progress. In no time, Historia reached the riverbank filled with flotsam, where she hid herself and assessed the situation.
The scene she witnessed was… bizarre.
‘Huey? Why is he tied up? And what’s with the other kids?’
She couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. In the midst of it all, the boy was bound like a prisoner on the gallows, or like the Saintess of Origin, pierced and killed on a cross. He was restrained, held in awe by all.
The children surrounding him seemed to be protesting something in despair and anger.
Unsure how to react to the unexpected situation, Historia raised her rifle.
Her target was me. And Shiati, who was next to me.
‘Shiati. I don’t know why you’ve got Huey, but if you try to kill him, I will stop you.’
It was better not to reveal herself until she understood their intentions. If it was nothing serious, she could just let it pass. If it was a dangerous situation, her appearance could make things even more dangerous.
Quiet and stealthy techniques like camouflage or infiltration didn't suit Historia's flashy Qi Art. Instead, she aimed her rifle from a blind spot, out of their line of sight.
She looked at Shiati and me through the rifle's sights. I was still unharmed, and even while tied up, I wore a bright smile.
Seeing my usual playful face, Historia almost let her guard down, but she calmed her breathing and took aim again.
‘I can’t hear them very well. My guess is someone died, and they’re blaming Huey…’
Even if I was the leader, would they really tie someone up over just that?
Reaching the same question, Historia tilted her head but kept her aim on Shiati, her entire body tensed.
However, she didn't act rashly or fire.
Shiati was also her peer. If it had been an enemy or a beast, she would have put a hole in them without hesitation, but she couldn't bring herself to be so harsh with an acquaintance.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
‘Huey. Do you get it now? When it comes down to it, the only thing you can trust is your own strength. You need to take more of an interest in Qi Art.’
She thought that if I felt my life was in danger, I would realize the importance of Qi Art and dedicate myself to it more. With that in mind, she left me alone for a moment.
That was why she was too late. I had already been sufficiently steeped in hatred and despair for the Military State.
Shiati and I were talking. Time passed tediously. The serious atmosphere had vanished, the conversation flowed smoothly, and my expressions were varied.
To Historia, it looked as if I was enjoying the situation itself. Which wasn't entirely wrong.
‘What the. Do you even need my help?’
I did need your help. Not anymore, though.
‘See, if you had just learned Qi Art from the beginning. If you hadn’t wasted your time on kids who would betray you without a shred of gratitude. You wouldn’t have had to be tied up. Tsk, making me worry.’
My body isn’t tied up. Ropes like this can’t bind me.
I spread my hands, which had been tied behind my back. It was a clumsy knot made with stiff vines. The vines unraveled, and my arms rose above my shoulders as if they had never been bound. The startled children gasped in surprise, but I held out a hand to calm them.
‘He’s not even tied up? I’m starting to feel like an idiot.’
To Historia, they were all her peers, her acquaintances. No matter how little she thought of them, they were still in that category. She felt no need to attack them.
Just as Historia relaxed and resumed the breath she had been holding, a voice spoke from close by.
“Wild boar.”
Click. The rifle barrel swiveled in an instant. Where her gun was pointing, Lankart stood with a blank expression.
He looked back and forth between Historia and me, his face an unreadable enigma.
Historia lowered her rifle and asked, “Ah, jeez. You scared me. What are you?”
“My line. I’m here because I left with Nicholas as part of the advance team. But you? What are you doing here?”
“I’m the rear guard.”
“How is the rear guard here already?”
“You guys are just slow. What’s your excuse for arriving later than me, who rowed here?”
Lankart noticed the rowboat and large oar by the riverbank and muttered, “Crazy, psycho boar…”
Still, Historia’s arrival was within his expectations. It was also why Lankart had followed Nicholas.
‘This boar is as moody as a beast, and she’s practically in heat, showing blatant interest in Huey. I need to separate them before Gluttony occurs.’
“These are Chief Instructor Nicholas’s orders. The instructor’s side will handle Huey’s problem, so you stay out of it for a moment.”
“Handle? Handle what?”
‘To confirm if Gluttony was successful, and if there are any leftovers, to deal with them personally. But… what in the world is this situation…’
As Lankart was lost in thought, Historia sneered at him.
“There you go again. Scheming with that useless head of yours. Stop playing your pathetic games with that talentless brain and speak plainly, will you?”
“This is called thinking, a concept you’re unfamiliar with, you wench.”
After a pleasant exchange of insults, Lankart replied irritably.
“We need to clean up this situation. I won’t say any more. You wouldn’t understand even if I did.”
“Why, suddenly? Is there something you’re hiding?”
“Yes.”
When Lankart readily agreed, Historia let out a disbelieving laugh.
“…Hah. So confident. That just makes me want to get involved even more.”
‘Tsk. Stubborn as hell and impossible to persuade. Annoying. I’d like to remove her by force, but a fight here wouldn’t settle anything. In that case.’
“It’s for Huey’s sake.”
“What? For Huey’s sake?”
“I don’t know if you’d know, no, you probably wouldn’t. This evaluation is actually a test prepared for Huey. If you’re watching, the meaning of that test will be diminished.”
“A test?”
“Yes. With this, right here, Huey will advance to the next level.”
Wow. He wasn't wrong. This place was prepared for me, after all.
The mention of my name made Historia calm her anger. She looked back and forth between me and Lankart, thought for a moment, then saw my now-free self and clicked her tongue softly.
‘…I don’t like this Lankart guy, but he gets the job done. He practically worships Huey, so he wouldn’t harm him. Besides, if the Chief Instructor is here, well, the situation must be over.’
Convinced, Historia slung the long rifle over her shoulder and stood up.
“…I’m warning you, don’t give me orders. I’ll do as I please.”
“If you have the energy to talk back, go hunt and eat the beasts roaming along that riverbank. It’s a perfect job for you.”
He had at least achieved his initial goal of getting Historia out of the way. Lankart muttered as much, still watching me with a confused expression.
‘He didn’t refuse Gluttony. But he didn’t accept it either. What in the world are you trying to do, Huey…?’
*
“That’s ridiculous!”
While those two were finishing their chat, I, having freed myself from the ropes, had finished persuading the children.
Shiati shouted loudly, as if wanting to deny my words.
“…No. Shiati… no.”
Kerapald, the other representative who had been listening to my story, closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.
“If you think about it rationally… Huey gave us hints. He knew about the net and told everyone. He told us to uncover the camp’s secrets. He was the first one to jump in and close the box with the pheromone lure, and he was the one who carried it to the river and threw it in. And if Huey hadn’t told us to set traps beforehand, more people would have died. If he had wanted to kill us…”
More.
Or all of them would have died, Kerapald finished his explanation.
And the silent majority agreed with him.
They had spent a whole day in the same place. They knew that I, who was always giving orders and working day and night, had no time to plot anything. My actions had convinced them.
Shiati wasn't foolish enough not to believe it. She was just, more than anything, angry. Having lost the target of her anger, Shiati clenched her fists and shouted.
“Then! Then, what is it! What in the world is going on…!”
“You’re curious, aren’t you? I’m curious too. To be honest, I didn’t know what was waiting for me here until I arrived.”
This was the absolute truth. I had expected Gluttony, but I never imagined they would try to trigger it with flotsam, a decoy camp, and pheromones.
It was a success, though not without sacrifices. In any case, we had overcome it. But this was only the first hurdle.
The true malice that intended to kill everyone was on its way.
“There’s only one person who can answer that question.”
“Who…?”
“Chief Instructor Nicholas. The head of Hamelin Secondary Military School, the one who planned all of this.”
An image of a man in uniform with a warm yet strict impression appeared in the children's minds. He was passionate about education, poured his time and effort into the children, and though he would whip and punish them, he never let them starve or get hurt. He could be considered a man of character, relatively speaking.
But now… he seemed like nothing more than a monster wearing human skin.
“Alright, let’s get ready, everyone.”
I know Nicholas. He’s a good educator, but that’s only as a characteristic of a Military State officer. His educational philosophy is for the sake of the state. Education is a field cultivated by the state to produce talent for the state.
He must have thought that I alone, having taken a portion of their power, would be superior to a hundred mediocre individuals.
But I can say with certainty that he was completely wrong.
Because I am a person who excels when I am among a hundred people. Even if their powers were gathered into one, it would be no different from tearing up books to use as kindling.
The guardian of knowledge is the library full of good books, not the librarian who stands before it. Tearing up books to make a fire for the librarian is getting your priorities completely backward.
Of course, if someone were to commit the atrocity of using books as kindling, the librarian would be the one to get the angriest.
“That box with the pheromone lure was designed to open by itself after a few hours. I don’t know the details, but that time was probably the moment of execution. But do you think Chief Instructor Nicholas would commit such an act and just leave it be? I predict that Chief Instructor Nicholas will be here soon.”
“The Chief… Instructor…? Himself?”
“Yes. This exercise, the net holding the flotsam, the camp hiding the Anathema, and the pheromone box set to go off… It would make a mockery of the word ‘Anathema’ if the man who prepared this grave himself didn’t come to visit.”
I wasn't certain. If I hadn't read Historia's and Lankart's thoughts just now, I wouldn't have been able to say it with such conviction.
In any case, now that I had the information, it was time to prepare.
“When Chief Instructor Nicholas arrives, what will we ask? How will we welcome him, greet him, question him, and answer him? We need to prepare in advance.”
Looking around at the unfocused eyes of those abandoned by the Military State, I lowered my voice and spoke to them all.
“So that we can listen to his story and be convinced.”
I know, but you don’t.
Leaving all their doubts, despair, and exhaustion behind, the children stood up. They looked up at me, clenching the hands that had just buried their friends' bodies.
I spoke to them all with vigor.
“First, shall we build a trap?”
As a means of conversation.