Chapter 267: The Peacemaker is the Traitor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 267: The Peacemaker is the Traitor
Zigrund of the Six Generals was our enemy. And we fought him to the death.
But at the last moment, I erased his ego and assigned him a new one: Hilde. Instead of the 'she' who led Hilde to the Military State, I positioned myself as an observer of his existence. Thanks to that, we were able to successfully defeat Zigrund of the Six Generals...
But to someone ordinary like Shiati, it must have looked a little different.
"Why did you let him live?"
"Let him live? That's a strange way to put it. He's the one who let us live. He fought Historia, who had a gun, to a standstill. How were we supposed to kill him?"
"Lies! You handled him freely. You definitely could have killed him!"
"It's true I changed Hilde quite a bit, but she won't just die because I tell her to. In a way, I'm like that ego's parent. A child doesn't just commit suicide because their parent orders them to, right?"
"Could you have killed him, or not? Say it, loud and clear!"
Aigo. If she puts it like that, I'm out of excuses.
One can't go against the instinct for survival. He wouldn't kill himself just because I ordered it.
Still, I could have guided him to his death. I have Tyr and the Regressor. I could have used them to kill him by proxy, or weakened him and somehow lured him into a fatal trap.
But I didn't.
"Why did you just let him go? He killed Kerapald, and he's tortured and interrogated countless people. He's the backbone of this Military State... the person closest to its very core!"
"Well, perhaps."
"But you were so casual about it. You even said goodbye! What are friends to you? Have you already forgotten what happened in Hamelin?"
"No. I remember it clearly."
That incident hit me pretty hard, too.
"Then why!"
Shiati shouted, her face twisting in anguish.
"You said you'd grant our wishes! Weren't you going to avenge our enemies, including your own?! Then why would you leave the man who killed Kerapald alone?! Do you even want to get revenge on the Military State in the first place?"
"Of course. And right now, you won't find anyone exacting revenge more thoroughly than I am."
"You? You, who just let an enemy you had in your grasp walk away, are getting revenge on the Military State? You of all people should know what my wish is!"
I know. Shiati, your wish is to destroy the Military State.
I don't blindly trust information gained from prophecies, but according to the Regressor's memories, the nation the resistance built just turned into a cesspool. Well, that's understandable. You want to ruin the Military State, not necessarily build a new country.
And the princess next to me actually wants the Military State to be maintained... Man, reading other people's minds is a thankless job.
I said, "Shiati. Do you know what the first thing you need to get revenge on the Military State is?"
Shiati answered immediately. "The will."
"Wrong."
"Then what? Are you going to say power? That's obvious! But even with power, if you don't have the will—!"
"Wrong. It's not power, either. The first thing you need to get revenge on the Military State... is the Military State itself."
It was an extremely simple and obvious statement. To get revenge on the Military State, you need the Military State. If the target of your revenge doesn't exist, revenge itself is impossible.
Shiati was momentarily speechless at my answer. I continued.
"But you don't have the Military State yet. You don't even know what it is. How are you going to find it and get your revenge if you don't know what you're looking for?"
Her anger returning, Shiati retorted in a low voice, "What do you mean I don't know what it is? We're standing in the heart of the Military State right now!"
"So? Is this refinery the Military State? Are you going to get revenge on this refinery? Will you be satisfied once you've smashed it piece by piece and returned it to the earth?"
As I spoke, I picked up a broken rebar. Level 2 alchemic steel, for furniture. It's heavy, but its low cost and durability make it popular. I tossed the rebar lightly and caught it.
"The products from this refinery flow to every corner of the Military State. Whether it's furniture used by citizens or weapons used by soldiers to kill people. It's all processed from the results of this labor camp. So, does that make every human who uses State-made alchemic steel a sinner?"
"...Cut the crap. If you're just going to say that revenge is meaningless—!"
"Not at all. In fact, I'm trying to help you with your revenge."
The structure of the Military State is simple and easy to understand. But certain parts are hidden away so carefully that not even the Star Generals know the full story, let alone outsiders.
But while reading Hilde's thoughts, I found one thing. A clue. 'She.' A being who created... or perhaps completed... this Military State.
The question is whether or not I can ultimately find 'her.' That's all that's left.
I won't know until I try. I'm no prophet, after all.
Which is why I have to do it.
"I'm about to go see the 'Military State.' Come with me if you want. I'll show you this country. After that, you'll be able to get your revenge in the truest sense. Just as you wished."
For a moment, only our gazes met in silence. Shiati was glaring at me. All that remained in her eyes was the look of a victim, still searching for a place to direct her hatred.
Shiati, who had often poured her futile resentment onto Historia, had found a new target—a bystander far more malicious than Historia. Seeing me stand there without a shred of guilt, she suddenly asked a question.
"Tell me one thing. Don't hide it."
"I'm always honest. What is it?"
"Did you know Nicholas was trying to kill us?"
Ah, that. It's true.
Hmm. But if I nod here, the mood will get a little weird, won't it? So.
"Yes. I knew."
"I see."
Shiati murmured calmly, stared at me in silence for a moment... and then her hand shot out.
Historia, who knew the atmosphere had soured but hadn't expected her to actually resort to violence, was horrified.
"Shiati, stop—!"
But I was reading her thoughts. I already knew she was about to use black magic, and that its target was my arm.
I moved in response to Shiati's movement. The image of her grabbing her left index finger with her prosthetic hand and bending it back without a hint of hesitation reflected in my eyes. The steel prosthesis, which contained a mechanism like a nutcracker, easily broke the finger of flesh and bone as if in jealousy.
Crack. Dark mana swirled around my finger. But my arm didn't break.
Because.
"Agh, damn. That really hurts."
"Huey! Your finger!"
Before my arm could be broken, I had already broken my own finger.
Black magic is a power that forces like to become like. But Shiati has only one arm. The finger of a one-armed person cannot be perfectly identical to the finger of a two-armed person.
Shiati used this property to imbue her own finger with greater meaning. Thanks to that, she could break things much larger and longer than a finger, like a cannon barrel or an arm.
But the essence of black magic is still making like become like. Before Shiati's black magic could activate, I broke my own finger, tricking the magic into thinking the 'same event' had already occurred.
It hurt so damn much that tears welled in my eyes. Dammit, to think I had to break my own finger just to keep my arm from being broken.
I muttered as I reset the joint of my finger, which was now bright red and swollen.
"Every last one of these black magic users is insane. How can you break your own finger without any hesitation? I was almost too late."
"...You monster. You use black magic, too?"
"Monster? My black magic is incredibly weak. It's weaker than a punch. What's so monstrous about that?"
If I had mastered the Gam Qi Art, I could have just endured it with my body and wouldn't have needed to do this. When a man isn't tough enough, he has to rely on all sorts of cheap tricks. I sighed.
Ah, wait a minute. Shiati. You're not thinking of going for round two, are you?
"Save your last shot, Shiati. An unfired bullet is what's scary; the empty shell left behind is just pathetic. If you use up your last one, you'll have no leverage left."
"Don't make me laugh! You, who stood by and watched everything happen! You have no right to say anything to me!"
Shiati seethed, raising another finger. But this time, there were more eyes watching.
Historia leaped forward and snatched Shiati's hand. Thwarted at the last second, Shiati spoke, her voice full of resentment.
"...Historia. Don't stop me. I'm sure of it. He's the one responsible for what happened to us."
"Calm down. You're too worked up."
"Too worked up? Let me ask you this! Does he look normal to you?!"
Shiati pointed at me with her broken finger. The bruised and swollen digit trembled limply. It must have hurt, but she continued to condemn me, filled with rage.
"He's not scared. He's not sad! Not when we were stranded in Hamelin, not when he found out Kerapald was dead! He let a Star General go without an ounce of anger, completely unfazed! Is that normal?!"
Still, Historia didn't let go of the finger. Fearing Shiati might break another one, she gripped it even tighter. Shiati screamed like a child throwing a tantrum.
"It doesn't matter how much you protect Huey, it'll be for nothing! He has no feelings for you. He'll never repay you for anything!"
The message changes depending on the messenger. Shiati's words were undeniably true and sharp enough to pierce Historia's heart. But unfortunately, the one wielding that weapon was Shiati.
"As for not being repaid..."
While she was a Star General, the person she had cared for the most—far more than me, who never showed myself—was Shiati. But watching Shiati constantly go astray had tormented Historia as well.
So, if anyone was ungrateful, it was Shiati.
"The same goes for you, Shiati."
Though she was missing her right arm, she still had some conscience left, because Shiati fell silent. Historia pressed her with a detached expression. In the end, Shiati turned her head away.
But she was only holding back because of Historia. Shiati still harbored a fierce animosity toward me.
Hmm. She has good qualities. If things go south, she won't hesitate to try and break an arm, whether it belongs to a Star General or me.
This is it.
"It's not much of a substitute, but think of it as a gift. If you follow me, I'll give you the Military State."
I looked around at the group. The princess, Shiati, Historia, and two beasts. A perfect crew. Our combat strength is a little shaky, but it might be troublesome if Tyr or the Regressor found out what's about to be revealed here.
Tyr and the Regressor get along surprisingly well, but on one specific topic, they have completely opposing views.
It would be a waste to give them the Military State only for it to disappear, after all.
Alright. It's decided. We'll go with this.
"Everyone. I'm heading to the command center now. I can't guarantee your safety, and I won't force you. However, if we succeed, I will give you the Military State. Perhaps it will be the target of revenge you've been so desperately seeking."
Shiati's wish. To get her revenge, she needs to know what the Military State is. At the end of this journey, the Military State will reveal itself.
"Or perhaps, it could become an ideal nation, a system of iron and blood with a warm heart."
This time, the princess flinched. For her, torn in an ambiguous position between the kingdom and the Military State, this could be an answer.
"Or it could become a place for someone to stay."
There was no reaction from Historia. Then again, she had already become a Star General once and secured a place for herself. It was just that Shiati and I had no intention of entering it.
"I won't force you. But if you're coming with me, come to my side."
Everyone here had a reason to go. They all hardened their resolve. And the first one to approach was...
...Azzy, who sidled up to me as always.
"Woof!"
"I said people, Azzy."