Chapter 332: Shall I Be a Nuisance Tonight?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: Shall I Be a Nuisance Tonight?
After a long pause, she said softly.
“…I don't need payment.”
“Yes! No take-backs. But why?”
“…I don't really need money.”
“I heard alchemists always place equal weights on both sides of the scale. Doesn't refusing payment go against your principles?”
“…I'm fine.”
‘…Those chosen by the Golden Lord, whose unique magic and alchemy have become one, cover the scales.’
What's that supposed to mean? Don't cover them. Scales are meant to be seen.
But there's something I'm more curious about than scales right now. She's a Primarch of the Fallen Dominion, yet she's surprisingly cooperative with me. She doesn't seem to have any intention of starting a war, either.
Hmm, should I poke a little more? I was just pondering this.
Just then, someone pushed aside the tent flap and entered. Considering there was already a guest inside, it was a bit of a breach of etiquette, but he paid it no mind and shoved his large frame in.
“Excuse me, Primarch Peru. Do you have a moment?”
Excuse you? You're already inside. As I was pushed into a corner by him, Peru asked calmly.
“…Chief? Why?”
The burly Chief ignored me and spoke directly to Peru.
“I've come because of an incident in the camp.”
“…To me?”
Peru asked back, looking puzzled. His title was Camp Chief. He was the one who had first established this camp and was its general manager.
What could one compare a Camp Chief to? While not a perfect analogy for the ever-transient people of the Fallen Dominion, 'lord' would be the closest. He establishes the camp and guarantees peace and order within it, and in return, he collects a small entrance fee from visitors. A kind of tax.
Naturally, to guarantee peace, one needs the power to end disputes. As befitting the leader of a large camp, the Camp Chief was one of the strongest individuals in the Fallen Dominion. In Military State terms, he'd be about General-level.
So what kind of problem could have arisen in the camp that he couldn't solve himself? Both Peru and I waited with curiosity for the Chief to speak.
“There's a greenhorn kid outside grabbing anyone she can and demanding to know the location of the Golden Palace. She's causing such a ruckus that the whole camp is in an uproar.”
“…”
Peru stared at me intently.
What? Yeah, that's probably the Regressor. Looks like her suspicious behavior is drawing attention. What can you do? She was born that way.
Peru, who had been staring at me so hard it almost hurt, finally spoke at a leisurely pace.
“…Did she cause any trouble?”
“No, sir. She hasn't caused any real problems yet, but the amount of money she's throwing around for information is staggering. So much Alchemic Gold has flooded the market that we're running out of physical goods. I thought it'd be nice for the camp to be rolling in money, but at this rate, we'll have to shut the whole camp down just to spend it all.”
An overwhelming amount of money can be a form of violence. It seemed the camp was not just confused by the Regressor-initiated quantitative easing, but on the verge of collapse.
Seriously, Regressor! If you have that kind of money, give it to me! For half that price, I could read everyone's minds here and draw a rough location on a map!
All the while, Peru was still glaring at me.
What is it! I'm jealous too. My stomach hurts just thinking about it! A good portion of that must be Alchemic Gold or physical goods—how much is all that worth?! Does the Regressor have an endless supply of wealth?!
“Isn't it suspicious? Once the plunder guarantee is issued, the Dholes naturally head toward the Military State. But to go against that flow and try to find the Golden Palace... and a kid with a suspicious amount of money, at that... Normally, I'd let it slide, but given the current situation, I felt I should ask for your opinion first, Primarch Peru.”
He's right. It is suspicious. Even I, a mind reader, find her suspicious enough to keep an eye on her. It must be even more so for you guys.
While I was nodding, Peru sighed and said softly.
“…Leave her be. It's fine.”
“Do you know something about this?”
“…Roughly.”
“Understood. Then I'll leave her alone. Tsk…”
‘I was thinking of branding her a spy and confiscating her assets, but it seems Primarch Peru has no intention of helping. She might be a big shot. I should tell the others not to mess with her.’
So he had some nasty greed mixed in there. Should I call that typical of the Fallen Dominion, or should I say it's a testament to the Camp Chief's character that he didn't act rashly?
Peru looked up at him steadily and said.
“…Is that all?”
“Ah, there's one more thing. It's something the kid was handing out besides money.”
The Chief took a metal structure from his coat. It was a regular icosahedron made from a combination of various metals, with each face a different color. It looked a bit too heavy to be used as a die, so its purpose wasn't immediately obvious.
The Chief said.
“It's embarrassing, but even my alchemy couldn't deconstruct it. I was hoping you might be able to, Primarch Peru.”
“…This is.”
Peru's eyes widened as she snatched the structure. She, who usually moved with the languor of a sloth, was now as agile as a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
The Chief, who'd had the metal object snatched from him before he could blink, scratched his head in embarrassment.
“Well, I thought you might know something.”
“…The Gold of Understanding.”
“Pardon?”
“…Elric's legacy. Where did you get this?”
“Like I said before. Some strange kid…”
The Chief, flustered by her unusual intensity, belatedly realized that Peru's gaze was fixed on me.
Tch. No wonder she had an insane amount of money. Did she find a secret vault of the old Golden Empire? And she's using it as a 'pocket', connecting to it through a pocket dimension? What a life. She's probably never had to worry about money a day in her life.
Anyway, the fact that she has it now means she obtained it in this timeline. Why couldn't I read it with my mind-reading? Shouldn't I be able to read memories from 'this timeline'?
Is it because it's a routine she repeats every cycle, making it unreadable? Or is there some other reason I don't know about? She's really suspicious.
“…How do you have this?”
I'll be honest. I don't know either. But I can't just give that away. If I admit I don't know, it's over. But if I pretend I do, it becomes a weapon to manipulate them.
I opened my eyes slightly and said nonchalantly.
“Who knows?”
“…She's your companion.”
“That's right. But you're not my companion, are you? Between my companion and someone who isn't, who should I prioritize?”
“…You.”
“You bastard! What kind of tone is that to use with the Primarch!”
The Chief lunged, his hand reaching for my collar. It was fast and powerful, but predictable. I could have dodged it even if I weren't a mind reader.
And I am a mind reader. Before he could reach me, I snatched a card from the table and turned it into a wire. By the time his hand arrived, the wire was already wrapped once around his wrist.
“Look who's talking. Who do you think I am, reaching for me like that? You should watch where you put your hands.”
Trying a typical collar-grab on the world's greatest magician and a pickpocket who defined an era? It won't work. How many times do you think I've dealt with moves like this?
‘A wire made with alchemy? Is that steel…! In such a short time!’
Of course, it would be trouble if he just powered through. I can imbue the wire with Qi to give it a sharp edge... but with my meager Qi, it would barely leave a scratch.
‘Damn it. I didn't expect this at all! I should have been on guard the moment I was alone with the Primarch…!’
But if I make him think I can do it, he'll believe it. Now, just calm down. I'll loosen my grip slightly, like I'm letting you off easy, so pull your hand back in time...
Just then.
“…In front of me.”
Srrk. The strength drained from my hands. My hands, which had been pulling the wire taut, slowly drifted apart.
A voice that seemed to fade with them whispered in my ear.
“…Don't use my creation as a weapon.”
The steel crumbled. The brand-new wire instantly turned to dust and vanished. Fortunately, only the part I had transmuted with alchemy disappeared….
If she wanted to, all the cards in my possession would lose their form and vanish.
Damn it. I forgot about her.
The triumphant Chief raised his freed arm again.
“You idiot! Relying on steel in front of the Witherarch! It's over!”
“…Stop.”
“Right! I'll stop you right now!”
The Chief tried to swing his fist at me. But in that instant, the table elongated, zipping past his nose. The corner of the table, now sharpened by the stretching, tore halfway through the tent and emerged outside.
While the stunned Chief swallowed hard, Peru continued her sentence, much more slowly.
“…Both of you, I mean.”
Her words are so slow they come out after her actions. I wish she'd said that before the show of force.
In any case, her intention was successful. The Chief and I were physically stopped in our tracks. Peru let out a long sigh and looked at me.
“…What are you going to use it for?”
Hmm. The Regressor probably didn't think much of it. She probably just thought, "It's a valuable metal, so people will like it if I hand it out."
But I can't let them know the Regressor is that thoughtless. I'll bluff. Act like there was a purpose.
“Well, it's to show that we didn't come empty-handed. See? You all reacted to this metal, didn't you? We thought that, with this, we might be able to meet the Golden Lord.”
“…That's foolish. Don't do it.”
‘…King Elric's relic… can awaken the Golden Lord.’
Oho. Now that's new information. She's not entirely sure herself, but she thinks it can awaken him? What in the world is this metal?
...Regressor. What the hell have you been handing out so casually? It's starting to get scary.
“Seriously. You think I'm just going to listen if you tell me not to do something without explaining why it's foolish? Am I your son? Can you just tell me not to do things without me knowing why? If you want to keep the scales balanced, you have to put something on the other side.”
“………”
“I don't know what kind of scam you're running, but you might be able to fool the scales, but you can't fool me. So, make your offer.”
“……………….”
Come on, stop testing the waters and just say something. Either say you'll come along or give me more information. Ugh, this is frustrating. Why is she weighing her options so much?
“Primarch!”
The Chief shouted urgently. It wasn't to press for an answer or to interrupt the conversation again. Reflected in his eyes was something—a mysterious flying object with a flaming tail.
Huh. What's that?
“Get down!”
Fwoooosh.
Along with his shout, the sound of something slicing through the air tore across the sky. The sight of the blazing light streaking through the heavens was like someone cutting the night sky with scissors. The fiery arrow—no, the long rocket—fell... onto a tent in the distance.
Immediately after,
KABOOM.
A beat later, a deafening roar echoed. A temporary sun had risen over the camp. Shadows fell across the tent, and a hot blast of wind seized them and shook them violently.
And then, screams. Fear and chaos spread along with the people. Panic-stricken, they scrambled through the streets. The free people of the Fallen Dominion were always ready to flee. That ability was now on full display.
Squinting at the light, Peru asked.
“…What's happening?”
“I don't know! It's an attack. Could it be the Military State?”
‘…Incoming shells? No. If the goal was a tactical strike, loud shells would be inefficient. Causing chaos just scatters the Dholes. This is the way of a hunter, not a soldier.’
“…No. This method is.”
Before Peru, who seemed to have thought of someone, could say the name, the explosions formed a voice and announced their identity.
[Lord Rocket hereby proclaims to you all.]
It was a strange voice. The individual components were ear-splitting, noisy explosions, yet they were somehow connected to form the voice of a single person.
Auditory pointillism. It was hard to guess what kind of technique was involved without reading their thoughts.
Meanwhile, the Chief recognized the name and muttered.
“Rocket? The Fireblastarch?”
[The great Golden Lord has commanded you. Strike the Military State.]
The Primarch of Heat and Explosions. The words sound terrifying separately, but together, the title sounds a bit pathetic. If I ever meet him, I should ask if that was intentional. If he gets angry, it was.
The Fireblastarch's voice continued.
[But you pig bastards are just setting up camps, huddled together licking each other's assholes. You're only concerned with filling your own bellies! Why haven't you left? Why don't you obey the command?!]
The neurotic voice scolded the unspecified masses. Someone made a half-hearted excuse, "We were about to go...," but there was no way their voice could be heard.
And besides, the other party probably had no desire to listen.
[The food you eat. The clothes you wear. The things you ride. The Golden Lord made them all. Everything that makes you who you are was bestowed by the Golden Lord! Our god is the Golden Lord! And yet you! You hear the command of your god and ignore it!]
With a spoonful of blasphemy on the side.
[If that's the case, then I will make you obey! I, Lord Rocket, the faithful servant of the Golden Lord, will now begin the hunt for heretics!]
As the cry ended, dozens more whooshes filled the air. Time, which had briefly stopped, began to flow again. The people who had paused to listen to the voice started running once more. Lord Rocket's shouts rained down on the backs of the fleeing.
[If you want to live, then leave! Plunder! As the Golden Lord commanded...! The only gold you can have is the gold of the Military State! The plunder is guaranteed!]
Whoa. What is all this chaos? Is he plundering this place? His own people?
I think I'm starting to understand why the Fallen Dominion lost to the Military State in just seven days.
At that moment, a terrible tragedy occurred in front of the tent tavern.
A girl with unreal, beautiful silver hair appeared, as if she had stepped right out of a fairy tale. Dressed in a gown with a black parasol resting on her shoulder, the girl walked with composure even in this unfamiliar place.
She spoke of unreal things, like having met the King of the Golden Empire and offering a reward to anyone who knew the location of the Golden Palace. But because the speaker herself seemed more unreal than her words, no one questioned her. She looked like a fairy from a storybook, a phantom that would soon disappear….
But no one imagined she would disappear by taking a direct hit from a rocket streaking across the sky.
Her arm was broken, her body pierced. Dark red blood blossomed next to the bright red flames. Just as someone muttered that the human body resembled a flower, those who finally realized what had happened began to scream.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
“Someone! Someone's been killed!”
“Is that even a person?”
“Whatever it is!”
Just as the people, who had processed the situation a beat late due to shock, were about to flee in terror.
“I am not dead.”
The girl, who had appeared to have her limbs torn off by the rocket, spoke. A deep darkness was rising from the body they thought had been pierced, swallowing the rocket whole. Half-submerged in the darkness, the rocket's dying flames flickered pathetically.
The girl stared at the rocket with red eyes. The only emotion reflected in them... was displeasure.
“Hmph. A fiery arrow… Most unpleasant. And here I was, about to graciously obtain information in my own way.”
But there was no one left to hear her voice. They had all fled from a terror greater than the rocket.
At that moment, Azzy was running across the ground.
It would be difficult to express in human language, but if one were to venture a guess at her thoughts, it would be 'joy'. Until now, Azzy had always snatched flying things with her mouth, and the result was almost always fun. By inductive reasoning, she concluded that doing the same thing this time would yield the same result.
Also, the sparkling light strangely stimulated her hunting instincts. Where else could one find such a clearly burning tail?
So Azzy ran. Straight in the direction the rocket was falling.
The one saving grace was that she smelled it before the explosion. Azzy instinctively changed direction and leaped upward.
“Yelp!”
The flames engulfed her. Azzy howled pitifully. She wasn't badly hurt, but the loud noise, the smoke, and the fire were stressful in themselves. Azzy desperately fled from the scene.
Utterly startled, Azzy ran to the one she could trust.
To a dog's most precious friend: a human.
At that moment, someone opened her eyes. As the sound of the explosion reached her, she sat up as if she had been waiting and muttered.
“Finally showed up. I've been waiting a long time. I figured something would happen after I spread the Gold of Understanding, but…”
But upon hearing the voice that followed and seeing the rockets embroidering the sky, she narrowed her eyes.
“…Hmph. But why is a Juggernaut coming? And from outside the camp? The effect was too fast. In any case.”
Just then, a rocket flew toward her. But something like this no longer fazed her. The Regressor flicked her wrist, and the rocket split in two along the trajectory of her movement and exploded.
It would have certainly been a threat. A thick chunk of metal flying at high speed, liable to explode. It was a weapon, a means, that could have threatened her life.
But now, it was just one of many trivial problems for which a countermeasure was already engraved upon her body.
Even the owner of that rocket.
“I'll just catch him and ask.”
The Regressor, Shei, muttered dryly.