Chapter 290: The Blessed Country and the Cursed Human - Finale
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 290: The Blessed Country and the Cursed Human - Finale
‘Impossible. They’re going to make him a diplomat and send him off? The man who ran rampant through the Military State and caused such immense damage? He’s not qualified. He can’t be trusted. Judging by his words and actions, he must be ignorant of diplomatic knowledge or intelligence. The type of person who acts on a whim and sows chaos. Just the kind of person the King would like.’
No, not really. I find him agreeable, but I’ve never thought I liked him. The Regressor is something beyond mere chaos.
‘It goes against the ideology of the Military State. It's irrational. But… that’s a king for you. Moving a nation on a whim. Regardless of whether it's right or wrong, a king's judgment brings instability. If they accept Abbey, this nation will eventually be shaken…’
I didn't know when or how it would happen, but it was an undeniable certainty.
‘But, it’s already too late.’
However, one who cannot overcome the present must accept even a future that promises ruin. Engulfed in disillusionment, Yuel had no will to overcome this situation.
Like any other prophet, Yuel quickly resigned herself to her approaching fate.
“…I curse you, Abbey. I hope you are consumed by the greatest possible regret and feel the deepest self-loathing imaginable.”
People don't curse those they have power over. They would fix or change things instead. They resort to curses only when expressing resentment is the only action they can take.
In other words, Yuel's curse was as good as accepting the proposal. A bit pathetic, though.
“…Fine. You've finally succeeded. You've made the Military State into something that is no longer the Military State. Shiati, you found someone to take revenge on when you couldn't handle your own anger. And Princess Grandiomor, you found someone to demand kindness from. A perfect ending! You'll all be ruined in the not-so-distant future, but I'm sure you'll be satisfied, you who can only see what's right in front of your faces!”
She called them shortsighted just because things didn't go her way. But I'm a kind soul who always makes sure to listen to the screams of the defeated. Under my silent watch, Yuel continued.
“Abbey, someday Shiati will be unable to bear her own rage and will try to tear your body to shreds. The princess will carve out your heart and use its blood to quench the thirst of others! Those two know what you are and where you are now. They’ll come for you whenever they please!”
In contrast to Yuel, who was violently spewing her emotions, Captain Abbey was relatively calm. She asked for Yuel’s true intention.
“Does that mean I can take your words as an intention to cooperate with this officer?”
“It means I won't interfere. I have no reason to cooperate with you, nor the will to do so.”
“There is a need for your cooperation. Your power…”
“Ah, I forgot one thing. I shouldn't even exist. I am the only one who can replace you. A king can't have a replacement, can they?”
Yuel sneered and pointed a hand toward the door. A non-verbal expression telling her to get out immediately. With a face that said she couldn't even stand the sight of Abbey, Yuel spoke.
“I'll be watching, Abbey. I don't even need to lift a finger. The Military State is overflowing with those who want you dead. I'll be watching with a smirk when you die, so you'd best go find a plot for your grave.”
Having been ordered to leave, Captain Abbey suddenly looked around. The dark crypt, built deep underground, had a solemn atmosphere befitting a tomb.
There were many decorations to insist this place was a crypt, but there were only two sarcophagi to hold the actual bodies. Both were empty, but their owners were clear. One was for the Warlord, and the other must be for Yuel.
Yuel had no intention of leaving this place. She must have planned to stay here until she died, to be buried with him. With that, the secrets of the Military State would be buried forever beneath the earth.
It seemed Yuel had made such a decision out of pure despair… but it gave Captain Abbey an inspiration.
“This officer will not leave.”
Captain Abbey said, as if possessed.
“This officer must become a ‘special’ Signaller. This officer must be their liberator. I must not be liberated like them. Just as Command did… this officer, too, must exist without revealing my form.”
“You won't reveal your form? Then what's different from before?”
Hiding in a secret place, pretending to be Command, and issuing orders—that would be no different from how things were before Captain Abbey.
Yuel pointed this out with a sneer, but Captain Abbey had an answer.
“All other Signallers, besides this officer, will no longer be confined.”
“…What?”
The secrets of the Military State were kept by locking the Signallers in windowless rooms. Furthermore, the Signallers were isolated from the world to protect their purity. They had gained objectivity and security at the cost of their freedom.
Captain Abbey's declaration was tantamount to abandoning all of that.
Captain Abbey raised her head and looked at the ceiling. From every single strand of her hair, tiny flower buds opened. The purple buds of Morning Glories all lifted their heads in unison, beginning to transmit Captain Abbey's will upwards.
Captain Abbey imbued the flower buds with her voice.
『Signaller Abbey to Module I. A powerful armed conflict has occurred within Module I. High probability of significant subsequent issues. Failure to evacuate is expected to result in the loss of Module I's functions, leading to a major communications blackout.』
“Abbey…”
『As per the Level 2 Emergency Evacuation Manual and the Disaster Avoidance Manual, all personnel are to evacuate to a safe location. No objections will be heard. That is all.』
The arbitrary, one-sided command ended. Captain Abbey caught her breath. After a brief silence, her Morning Glories began to flutter as if caught in a whirlwind. Requests for communication came in again and again, but Captain Abbey steadfastly repeated her previous order.
A soft thread can be wound around a hard rod, but the reverse is not true. The network the Signallers had built until now was based on their stark objectivity, their faint sense of self. The will of Captain Abbey, possessing a firm sense of self, swallowed whole the objective reports of the other Signallers.
The chaotic communications soon subsided. It seemed they had accepted Captain Abbey's proposal. From the Signallers' perspective, there was no reason to object. After all, two of the Six Generals had just engaged in a fierce battle. With the secret out, it was only natural to evacuate a precarious building.
Once the communication ended, the Morning Glories that had been fluttering wildly to convey her message all settled down. Captain Abbey controlled her mana and took a deep breath.
“…And with this, this officer will liberate every Signaller in the Military State. I will order them to walk outside on their own two feet. Without a single exception.”
It was both an explanation of her plan and a declaration of her immense resolve. Having finished her transmission, Captain Abbey spoke.
“The identity of the Signallers has been revealed. Now that the Signallers of Module I have been liberated, they are no longer a state secret. Now, the only secret… is this officer.”
The duty that the Signallers of the Military State once held: to remain unseen, to monitor everything, and to convey information and orders only through communication.
Now, the Signallers would no longer be forced to bear that responsibility in dark rooms. They would have lives and leisure. They would no longer need to be lonely to become objective components, nor would they have to suffer to hide their identities.
Instead, Captain Abbey would have to shoulder much more.
Duty is authority. Captain Abbey had the other Signallers forsake their duties and took all of that authority upon herself. An invisible but heavy crown was placed upon Captain Abbey's head.
The Morning Glory vines wrapped around her head would now never wilt, not even for a moment.
In the lowest, darkest of places, a coronation took place.
There was no applause or celebration. Instead, only Yuel's dry prayer welcomed the birth of the new monarch.
“Oh, Saintess of Origin, who blessed me… Is this, too, the destiny you have ordained?”
It was a prayer closer to a lament than a blessing, but it was a heartfelt prayer from a Saintess nonetheless. What a blessed succession to the throne. I cheerfully approached the newborn queen.
“Captain Abbey, congratulations! Or, are you not a Captain anymore?”
I was thinking of calling her ‘Your Majesty’ if the situation called for it, but Abbey flatly refused.
“My rank or title is not important. What is important is the role I have taken and the mission I must carry out.”
“Hmm. Very true. Abbey, what about us, then?”
I shrugged, pointing to myself, then Shiati, and finally the princess. The three of us had little attachment to the Military State and no loyalty that would make us keep its secrets.
“You intend to protect yourself with secrecy instead of guards. But secrecy isolates you, doesn't it? Especially for you, Abbey, who has no personal martial power, maintaining secrecy is paramount. You'll need to shut our mouths to maintain confidentiality.”
The way to shut us up was, of course, to kill us. Dead men tell no tales, after all. A perfectly rational method.
Naturally, I had no intention of dying, but contrary to everyone's expectations, the matter of my life and death wasn't for me alone to decide. I decided to probe Abbey's intentions a little.
“This officer…”
Then, Abbey smiled a transparent smile and said.
“This officer trusts you.”
“Me?”
Abbey didn't say yes. She simply nodded.
It felt as stifling as wearing ill-fitting clothes. Trust? Isn't that the most unfitting word for a life like mine, riddled with fraud and lies? After everything I've done, what basis did she have for saying such a thing?
“You don't know what might happen later, do you? How do you know how I might change in the future?”
“Including that possibility, this officer trusts you. No matter how you change, you will not abandon this officer.”
What an irresponsible statement. Now that the identities of the other Signallers were revealed, Abbey's life was no longer her own. If she were to disappear, even Yuel would find it difficult to return this nation to its former state.
It was a sandcastle, truly. A crude work of art, clumsily piled with coarse grains of sand. But…
“Let's say that's true for me. What about the princess or Shiati? You just met them today, right? Can you trust them when they both hate the Military State?”
“I will trust them.”
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Their actions were a result of the Military State not repaying their trust. No, they were a result of the Military State being unable to trust them. This officer will trust them first, so I hope they will trust this officer in return.”
Even if it wasn't particularly beautiful, or elaborate, or meticulous.
A painstakingly built sandcastle, a precariously stacked tower of stones, a newly opened flower bud—it felt right to watch over them rather than destroy them. I wasn't the type to get pleasure from stomping on such things.
Well, it would be cruel to let her devote herself to a lost cause. Perhaps I should offer some friendly advice.
“It's going to be hard. I don't really recommend it. If you want to give up, give up anytime. No one will blame you.”
At that, Abbey looked at me intently and replied.
“Objection. This officer has you.”
“Me? You can be disappointed in me. I'll be leaving this country soon anyway.”
It didn't really matter to me what happened to this country. I could just go somewhere else. To me, a homeland is easier to change than a pair of shoes.
“That is a valid decision. The current Military State has many problems that make it unsuitable for you to reside in. Your choice is rational.”
Even at my declaration of fleeing the country, Abbey didn't show disappointment or blame. She accepted my words as they were and spoke with renewed determination.
“This officer will create a place where you can belong. Not now, but someday, I will build a place where you can stay in peace for when you return. So, please, when you one day come back, be the one to judge this officer.”