Chapter 223: Prisoner, Prisoner, Prisoner
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 223: Prisoner, Prisoner, Prisoner
I omitted most of the details about my mind-reading, embellishing the rest. I framed it as something I'd overheard or been told about later.
My story flowed as smoothly as a river, not ending until I had mentioned the waters of the Hamelin River itself.
The Regressor, who had listened from a more objective position than anyone, summarized my tale.
“So, the Military State was planning an experiment using an Anathema, and you were the test subject. You resisted, joined forces with the other students to eliminate the officer, but then caused the Hamelin incident to escape the ensuing pursuit. Is that it?”
Nodding along, the Regressor clenched her fist and suddenly shouted.
“Everything you told me before was a lie! You said the children rebelled and then cursed you, using you as a sacrifice!”
“Wasn’t it close enough? Every individual piece was true, if you look at it that way.”
“It’s completely different! You made it sound like you were the innocent victim! But from the sounds of it, you orchestrated everything!”
“Come on, what kind of fool would just nod and say, ‘Yes, I’m the culprit,’ the moment they’re accused? I believe I’ve done my duty simply by telling you the truth of what happened.”
I retorted confidently. Surprisingly, the Regressor seemed to accept my excuse for the time being.
“But, apart from that… well, it was an appropriate response.”
“Oh? You understand this? What’s gotten into you?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’s gotten into me?’ I’ve been objective from the start.”
The Regressor shot back, crossing her arms and coolly evaluating my actions.
“It was the best possible decision. The Military State is vulnerable to the Arcane, so when a bizarre, sudden event like that occurs, their first move is to impose a media blackout. By deliberately blowing the incident out of proportion, you created a window of opportunity while they were tiptoeing around the investigation. That’s a brilliant tactic.”
Spoken like someone who’s destroyed the Military State once before. Perhaps it was because of our shared dislike for the same entity, but the Regressor gave me a favorable look for my part in damaging the State.
“…Still, it was a better story than I expected. At first, I thought you were some special agent raised by the Military State, like a Signaller or a Public Safety officer. Turns out you were a pretty decent guy.”
“Hahaha. It feels a little strange, hearing that from the master criminal who cut off the Earth Sage’s arm.”
“Still running that mouth to the very end.”
Hahaha. A pleasant conversation, filled with smiles. This was a real conversation.
Until now, our talks had been too on-edge, too goal-oriented. Teaching, informing, getting angry, fighting.
Language doesn’t always have to be used as a tool for information exchange. Fostering camaraderie like this is one of its purest functions.
‘In a past timeline, when I worked with the resistance, the Hamelin incident helped me gather a lot of internal support. Well, that alone wasn’t enough. It was mostly possible because I waged guerrilla warfare and made the Human Regime go berserk, but public sentiment can’t be ignored… What the. We were comrades, weren’t we?’
Had the Regressor ever looked at me with such warmth before? The atmosphere was downright amicable. We exchanged friendly smiles that perfectly matched the mood.
“I think I’ve gravely misunderstood you until now.”
“It’s fine as long as you know now. Humans are learning creatures, aren’t they?”
“You and your words. Anyway, I owe you one.”
‘Though that’s only limited to the previous timeline. I decided not to work with the resistance in this one, so it’s not much use… No, wait a minute. Hamelin, the truth, suicide… influence.’
What was that? Her thoughts were racing, but the content was jumping around so quickly I couldn't make sense of it.
Just then, Historia, who had been listening silently with her arms bound, bit down harder on her cigarette. A crushed sound escaped.
“…Our little darling. You’re a crueler person than I thought. As pathetic as they were, they were still my and Huey’s classmates. How can you say it was ‘a good tactic’ when they all died?”
“Huh?”
When I turned my head, Historia was glaring at the Regressor so fiercely she looked ready to pounce. Faced with this sudden hostility, the Regressor looked bewildered.
“Why? Didn’t he just pretend it was an Arcane phenomenon, cause a lockdown, and sneak the Hamelin students out while everyone was in chaos?”
The Regressor asked innocently.
Realizing the Regressor’s misunderstanding, Historia snorted and leaned back against the container wall again. Exhaling a plume of smoke, she smiled as if looking at a naive child.
“…Ah. Is that what you thought happened? I take back what I said. Your way of thinking is still adorable.”
“Why are you picking a fight again? He could have just created a diversion and gotten them out, right?”
“How could a bunch of secondary military school students fool that many people, not to mention the wardens on the rescue ship that followed? So naive, so young. How did a child like you end up traveling with Huey?”
“Huh? Wait a minute. If what you’re saying is true, then.”
‘It’s true, for ordinary people who can’t even properly handle Standard Magic… escaping unnoticed in a flowing river would be difficult. Then, did they really… on their own…’
For a moment, a chill ran down my spine as if I'd been drenched in water. It wasn't my emotion, but the Regressor's.
The Regressor shivered slightly and glanced my way.
‘…He really killed them all? His own classmates…?’
“Ah, uh. This is a bit hard to explain. It sounds like I killed them, so to defend myself, the children who died all came to an agreement.”
“An agreement? What kind of agreement? To die together?”
Don’t be ridiculous. As if they’d make such a meaningless pact.
“Similar, but different. It was an agreement that not everyone could make it out alive.”
“What?”
“Those who would die, would die, and those who would live, would live. For the sake of those who would survive… they would die quietly, with resignation.”
If no bodies were found, they would be suspected of being alive. Then it would just be another failed escape attempt. The effort of rowing while singing at the top of their lungs would have been for nothing.
“I told everyone the method. Set wind magic on their bio-receptors and walk out along the bottom of the river. If they didn’t lose focus, they could use Standard Magic to breathe underwater for about three minutes. Whether they were swept away by the current, ran out of air, or became fish food—they accepted it all and walked along the riverbed… Since not everyone could make it, this was to ensure that those who wanted to live, could.”
“Wait. There’s no way that’s possible. Using wind magic underwater requires an incredible amount of concentration. Even if they could, they’d instinctively struggle the moment they ran out of air.”
“But they endured it. Among all the children who participated in Hamelin’s graduation practical, not a single one flailed about crying for help. They either walked in silence until they died, or they barely survived and reached the riverbank. We made sure it was definitive enough to be seared into people’s minds.”
That is why Hamelin is a source of shame for the Military State, and a nightmarish experience for those who happened to witness the scene.
A curse isn't anything special. When someone with intense hatred and resentment, after deep thought and consideration, expresses it in a shocking and ingenious way that sears it into people's minds… that itself becomes a curse.
You don’t have to look far to find someone afflicted by that curse.
“We happen to have a direct witness right here.”
Historia is that very witness. As one of the people closest to the event, she was one of the last to see what became of us.
And that’s why she ended up like this.
“Look at Ria. The Gunmaster of the Six Generals. The Daughter of the Military State, a peerless martial talent born under the Star of the Overlord. This arrogant genius… created the bizarre spectacle of letting herself be tied up just to hear a story from a former classmate.”
“Ugh… That’s true, but.”
‘Is that why the Gunmaster took on such a key role in the New Kingdom…? Just how far does this bastard's influence reach?’
Don’t treat me like some shadowy mastermind. I’m an individual through and through. I’ve never formed an organization or schemed in the shadows. I’ve only ever done my best to survive.
Leaving the Regressor to her thoughts, I approached Historia.
A scar etched on the heart is a curse in itself. It lingers, tormenting its host, and the deep darkness that emanates from the wound spreads to those around.
Well, for a fool who is impressed rather than scarred, it might be something like a blessing. But that wasn’t the case for Historia, at least.
“So, Ria. Did you find out everything you wanted to know?”
“…I have a rough idea of what happened.”
“You still look frustrated. Something you want to say?”
Her curiosity was sated, but her expression was still knotted with unresolved feelings. From behind a veil of mana herb smoke, Historia lifted her head and questioned me with cold, sunken eyes.
“Why. You. You could think of a way to kill all the children… but you couldn’t think of a way to save them? You, of all people, could have found another way, surely…”
But Historia knew it was a meaningless lament. Back then, I had acted, and she had been a bystander. As a bystander, she had no right to condemn me for not coming up with a more brilliant plan.
Historia cut herself off and whipped her head away. Only the sound of a smoke-filled sigh could be heard. I concluded the story with a faint smile.
“Well, well. That was a bit of a grim story. I hope none of you were bored.”
[Boring? It was a fascinating story. So this must be why that country, the Military State, hunts you as if they want you dead…]
For Tyrkanzyaka, who loved any and all stories, it was purely a matter of interest. I suppose the suicide of a hundred or so people wouldn’t be enough to shock her.
[However… listen, Hu. Gluttony isn't quite a power worthy of being called an Anathema. It is the way of all things in this world to hunt prey and quench one's thirst. Although the methods used by the Military State were sinister and repulsive, I do not find the power of Gluttony itself to be distasteful…]
The vampire who feasted on humans was desperately trying to justify her actions. It was the attitude of a predator wanting to prove its harmlessness.
Well, it’s not like Tyr was an indiscriminate murderer. I fully understood her position, so I replied casually.
“I was never particularly against it. It was just a matter of necessity. Just as you don’t go around stabbing passersby for a drink, Tyr, I don’t do things that are unnecessary.”
[Thank you.]
“For what? Just as long as you don’t eat me.”
There’s nothing more reassuring than a predator that will absolutely not eat you. As long as I’m not on the menu, we can be the best of friends, transcending species and origin. Yes, indeed.
“Woof woof.”
“…? Why are you suddenly barking?”
“Woof. Timing!”
“Timing for what?”
In any case, having said my piece, I clapped my hands together, bringing the story to a close.
“Alright, the sun has set. Let’s get moving. We can travel more safely at night. Before that…”
Historia seemed to want to avoid even making eye contact with me. She had turned her head sharply, showing me only her profile as she puffed away deliciously on her cigarette. It didn’t seem like she was going to cooperate fully.
Letting her go was a worry in itself, but dragging the Daughter of the Military State around while attracting all sorts of aggro from them wasn’t a great option either.
Ultimately, I had no choice in the matter. Historia could overpower me even while tied up like this, so I had to rely on my companion’s help. I decided to ask for her opinion.
“Uh, um. Shei-ssi, what should we do with Historia?”
“Hmm. Hold on. Let me think.”
‘She’s one of the Military State’s Six Generals, and even now, she hasn’t reached her prime. If I let her go, she’ll be a persistent nuisance. Especially if she awakens the Consensus of Gun and Sword… not just her Axiom of Bullseye where one in three shots is a guaranteed hit. Once she has that, she’ll be a counter to Chun-aeng, which will make her incredibly, incredibly difficult to deal with. Hmmm.’
Huh? What? She gets even stronger than this? And what’s with that skill name, Consensus of Gun and Sword? It sounds absurdly powerful just by hearing it.
Good grief. I could feel a sense of relative deprivation. While I was lamenting my eavesdropping, the Regressor also expressed her difficulty and sought an opinion.
“…I don’t particularly want to kill her. Let’s lean towards keeping her alive for now.”
Huh? What did she just say?
“Excuse me, Shei-ssi. Are you some kind of bloodthirsty demon? What makes you say you ‘don’t want to kill her’ as if you’re doing us a favor?”
“Huh? Why? I said I don’t want to kill her?”
Does she still not realize what she just said? While I stood there with my mouth agape, Tyrkanzyaka, who was apparently just as dumbfounded, delivered a stern lecture.
[Shei. I know you hold a grudge against the Military State, but is she not Hu’s acquaintance? Why then do you speak of killing a companion’s acquaintance? Even a thirsty vampire knows not to touch the friends of an associate.]
“Huh…? Wait. Am I the bad guy here?”
“See? You can’t just blame the vampire. What’s the point of not practicing Gluttony if you’re going to dice up people’s right arms? And even setting aside the fact that she’s an acquaintance, she’s a prisoner who surrendered peacefully. Why are you even talking about killing her?”
Facing a united front of criticism, the Regressor’s face hardened as she denied it.
“I wasn’t thinking of killing her either! I was just stating my opinion!”
“You’re ruining the mood! No one was thinking of killing anyone, and you just come out with ‘let’s not kill her then.’ Anyone would think we’re a bunch of murderers!”
[In this harsh world, if you would slaughter even a companion’s acquaintance, who would ever stand by your side? Do not mention such a thing, even in passing.]
“I, I wasn’t… thinking that either…”
Under the combined assault from Tyr and me, the Regressor finally deflated. Yes, that’s more like it. After happily beating down the Regressor, I turned my gaze, sensing a sudden feeling of unease.
Uh, Tyr. It sounds like you’re not killing her because she’s a prisoner, but because she’s my acquaintance…?
“Hey, Tyr. What if the one we captured wasn’t Ria, but that spear-wielding uncle? Would you kill him?”
[…? If he is not your acquaintance, would there be a particular need to keep him alive? It is not as if you need the living to take their blood.]
‘I have no desire to create animosity by slaughtering your acquaintance.’
Her entire way of thinking was based on personal connections and blood ties… I guess it’s because her mindset is from an older era.
Anyway, we returned to the matter of Historia’s fate. In the end, it was either let her go or take her with us. If we let her go, how? If we took her, what measures would we take?
With no obvious solution in sight, a brilliant idea struck me, and I snapped my fingers.
“In that case, how about we do this?”