Chapter 22: Good Dog
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Good Dog
What is sleep? Why, exactly, does life require this time to sink into itself, so defenseless, with all external stimuli blocked out?
I don’t know the precise reason. But I can, at least roughly, infer how sleep affects a person by fumbling through its absence, much like guessing a shape by its shadow. Without sleep, one's temper frays, becoming as sharp and irritable as a needle. Fatigue sets in easily, and consciousness flickers precariously. Even a person called a saint scrunches up their face in a grimace right after waking, so sleep must surely be an act of replenishing something in the psyche.
However, just as we cannot fully comprehend the mind, we will likely never understand the role of sleep.
All I can do is drift through the unconscious, waiting for something to wake me…
Just then, something seized my leg. I was awake in an instant.
It doesn't matter how deeply I'm sleeping. The dizzying sensation of my body leaving the ground robs me not only of sleep but of every kind of comfort. The horrifying feeling that Mother Earth had forsaken me cornered my very soul.
The curse of Mother Earth is nothing special. For a human to be cast into the abyss, all Mother Earth has to do is refuse to support them.
“I’m sorry, please save me, I was wrong!”
I prayed desperately as I fell. And then.
Thud!
A moment. Less than half a second later, I hit the floor. Without even taking a moment to recover from the impact, I scrambled to my feet.
“Hahk. Hahk. Hahk.”
Assuming a defensive stance, I quickly scanned my surroundings.
I had fallen fifty centimeters from my low, military-style bed. Something had pulled my leg while I was sleeping, causing me to fall out of bed and wake up.
It didn't take long to figure out what had pulled me.
“Woof.”
With a cold expression, Azzy gave a short bark in my direction before opening the door and leaving. Ever since we argued about her stealing food the other day, she was still clearly holding a grudge against me.
Still, the fact that she woke me up in the process meant she hadn't started to completely hate me.
No, that’s not right. What a strange thing to say.
Dogs don't hate people from birth.
“Azzy.”
“Woof.”
Azzy only turned her head to look at me. Unlike before, when her whole body would turn to face me when I called, now she only offered me her gaze.
But well, a dog is a dog, no matter what.
“Come to the cafeteria.”
Her tail twitched. Her ears perked up. I couldn't read her thoughts, but I didn't need to. There was probably no other creature on earth that expressed itself so clearly through non-verbal cues.
“Woof? Food?”
“That’s right. There’s a very important dish today.”
“Woof! Food!”
The mere mention of food instantly lifted her spirits, and she began to hop up and down on the spot. Haha. She shouldn't be so happy.
Because today is the day I cook you.
“I’m going to wash up and then head over, so go on ahead and wait for me.”
“You wash too much! Woof! All your fur will fall out!”
“I’m not going bald yet! You’re the one who doesn’t wash enough! Anyway, hurry up and bring her from downstairs, too! Not you or me, her!”
“Down? Woof! Okay!”
Azzy smashed a nearby window and leaped down. Hey, you don't have to take the shortest route just to go downstairs.
In any case, Azzy understood me and went to get the Regressor. How did she know who I meant without me saying a name? For Azzy, there are only three ways to refer to people: me, you, and her. For the record, the "her" slot cannot contain more than one person. A third person in the truest sense of the word.
It’s a good thing there are only two other living humans in this Tantalus. If there were just one more, it would have been incredibly confusing.
“Now. Let’s see. Shall I get ready?”
Whistling, I washed up simply with the rationed water. Today, I would finally put an end to this Tantalus stew-thief dog who had tormented me so relentlessly.
After putting on my Clothing Packet and heading to the cafeteria, I found that Azzy had already brought the Regressor. The two were a study in contrasts. Unlike Azzy, who was ecstatic at the thought of eating, the Regressor looked at me with a hollow-eyed expression before her face crumpled and she timidly turned her head away.
‘Why did he call me here…?’
The Regressor recalled last night’s humiliation. She had tried to eavesdrop and been caught red-handed, then locked herself in her room, half out of her mind with shame. It seemed she had cried a little, too.
Not that she had sobbed her eyes out, but it seemed she had wept internally, awash in sorrow and self-loathing. Being discovered while hiding must have been that much of a shock to her.
I thought she lived a little carelessly since she’d just regress if she died, but it seemed she was far more sensitive and perfectionistic than I had expected.
‘Dammit, dammit, dammit! That first attempt was so obvious! Getting caught then made him wary! Shei, when are you going to stop trying to take shortcuts? You have to give it your all, every single time!’
No, stop blaming yourself. Have you been thinking about that all night? Without any sleep?
‘Underestimating him was also a problem. Just because he didn't detect my stealth last time, I defined his abilities by that one instance. Just because I wasn't caught once when he was off guard doesn't mean I won't be caught next time…!’
This was driving me crazy. It was troublesome when she was trying to kill me, but it was even more troublesome when she acted like she was about to kill herself. On top of that, she wouldn't even meet my eyes, probably out of embarrassment.
Good grief. What a pointless exercise. Maybe I should lighten the mood.
“Trainee Shei, did you not sleep well last night? Your eyes look sunken.”
The Regressor just mumbled something, not giving a clear answer. It seemed like a signal to just leave her alone, but no chance of that.
Mind reading.
‘Hmph. He’s the one who kept me from sleeping, and now he’s acting so nonchalant…’
Someone might get the wrong idea hearing that. Thankfully, since I’m the only one who can hear it, there’s no one to misunderstand.
She must be pretty furious, that Regressor.
“How much did you hear?”
“…What, what are you talking about.”
“Even after I shooed you away yesterday, you kept coming back again and again. I thought I was throwing a boomerang. Please don't do that again.”
“Guh…!”
The Regressor, who would normally have gotten angry or raised her sword, was in a state where her defense mechanisms weren't working due to her lowered self-esteem. And a strange law of conservation seems to exist in the world, for as the Regressor's self-esteem plummeted, I felt my own sense of worth rise.
Ah, I shouldn't be doing this. This is too much fun.
“Woof! Food!”
I considered teasing her a bit more, but let’s stop here for today. Azzy was pestering me.
“Now, Azzy. I have something to say, so wait a moment.”
“No! Woof! Say it while we eat!”
“This little brat.”
Where do you get your inexhaustible self-esteem? Do dogs never get discouraged?
“Ahem. Anyway. The reason I’ve called you all here today is that I have found a clue regarding the food thief who has long thrown Tantalus into chaos.”
“Woof!”
Azzy pestered me for food, showing no interest whatsoever. The nerve of this little thing. Let’s see if she can keep that up when I shove the evidence in her face.
I walked to a corner of the cafeteria and picked up a doll-sized golem I had placed there. I fiddled with it here and there to check if it was working, and as if in response, the golem’s head snapped around.
She’s connected. I lifted the golem and set it down on the table.
“As a witness, we have with us today Captain Abbey, a Signaller of the Military State and the golem who has been sitting idly in the cafeteria. Hello! Captain Abbey! Say hello!”
『…』
“Yes, a pleasure to meet you!”
Neither the Regressor nor Azzy’s attitude changed much upon seeing the golem. The Regressor had stopped caring about it after deciding to leave it alone yesterday, and Azzy didn't pay much attention to anything that wasn't human.
This introduction isn't going to work. Guess I’ll have to show off the puppeteering skills I used to use for the kids back in the day.
I grabbed the golem under its arms and made it waddle like a puppet. As Azzy’s attention was drawn to the movement, I sealed my lips and spoke through ventriloquism.
“Hello, Azzy?”
“Woof?”
Azzy tilted her head, looking back and forth between the golem and me. The voice was coming from me, but the golem was waving, so she must have been confused. Playing dumb, I moved the golem’s limbs around and spoke again through ventriloquism.
“Nice to meet you! My name is Abbey!”
“Woof woof? Human?”
“That’s right! I’m a human. I’m just trapped in here for now! You’re a puppy, right?”
“Woof! Right! I’m a puppy!”
“You look like a very good dog!”
“Thanks! You look very hard!”
“Let’s be friends! Will you give me a lick?”
“Okay!”
『…That is enough.』
As Azzy brought her nose closer, the golem moved with a speed it hadn't shown before. It knocked my hand away, stood on its own two feet, and dodged Azzy’s face.
A flat, emotionless voice flowed from the golem’s speaker.
『In the Military State, observers are to refrain from direct contact with trainees as much as possible. However, in accordance with Special Provision 2, and given the current situation, all regulations below Security Level 2 are hereby disregarded.』
After that declaration, the golem stood up straight on its two legs. It was either better made than I thought, or she was just used to golems. She was maintaining the synchro despite the small model being a different size from a human.
『This is Captain Abbey, Signaller of the Military State. This officer is in charge of communications between Tantalus and the Military State authorities. Be warned that destroying this unit may result in disadvantages in communication and in your evaluation as a trainee.』
Even without mind reading, it was obvious who that remark was aimed at. There was only one person here who would harbor malicious intent and destroy the golem.
The Regressor stared at the golem standing on the table with a sullen expression.
“I don’t care about disadvantages. I have an agreement with that man, so as long as you don’t crawl out of the cafeteria and snoop around, I won’t touch you.”
『The surveillance, supervision, and observation of Tantalus are this officer’s duties.』
“Is that so? Well, I have this unbearable urge to smash any device that engages in surveillance and eavesdropping.”
『There are occasionally people with that type of disorder. A type that is extremely sensitive to the gazes of others. The State Hospital offers free treatment for such conditions, so I recommend you visit and receive treatment.』
“…Well, I never.”
『However, it would be impossible for you to visit the State Hospital in the current situation. Your intentions have been confirmed. Disregarding regulations below Security Level 2, I will temporarily suspend observation duties for the safety of this unit.』
The two glared at each other for a moment before the Regressor snorted and stood up from her seat.
“If your business is done, I’m leaving.”
Huh? Already? I grabbed the departing Regressor.
“Ah, wait a minute! You have to be an observer for this case!”
“Not interested. You keep a good eye on that golem. If it comes out of the cafeteria by itself, I might just break it without thinking.”
The Regressor left the cafeteria without a backward glance. Even while dejected, her hatred for the Military State seemed as strong as ever.
Azzy, who hadn't understood a single word of their exchange, asked me with clear eyes.
“Woof. What’d it say?”
‘It’ must be the golem. Azzy hadn't understood its stiff, formal words at all. I answered nonchalantly.
“It said not to hit it. And not to bite it. It said it hurts.”
“Woof! I don’t bite! I’m a good puppy!”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re a good dog.”
“Awooo! I’m good! I’m good!”
I was stroking Azzy’s head. Then, I gripped her head firmly and muttered ominously.
“But the bad dog who devoured all the meat stew in the pot last night… I wonder who that could be?”
“W-woof?”