Chapter 37: The Castle of the Depths
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: The Castle of the Depths
They had no ambition, no sense of crisis. Even with my explanation, they just accepted it with a vacant ‘huh.’ A frustration only those who have tried to teach someone can understand tightened its grip on my chest.
Does no one feel anything about this?
Just then, the Regressor, who had been standing silently with her arms crossed, finally spoke. Oh, what kind of question would she ask?
“Why are you telling us this?”
Sigh. That wasn't a question, it was an interrogation. As expected of someone with terminal paranoia.
I didn't hide my disappointment as I retorted.
“You have a problem with me telling you?”
“Of course I do. Tantalus is a Level 5 confidential facility. The layout of a State confidential facility has a security clearance that is at least equivalent. But you’re telling us, who have no security clearance whatsoever, as if it’s nothing. This is a leak of classified information that spans five security levels. What’s your reason?”
She gives me shit even when I'm trying to help. How can she live her life suspecting everything? Why can't she be more like the vampire and just think, ‘Oh, how interesting,’ and accept it?
The Regressor looked as if she wouldn't back down without a proper explanation. I decided to give her just a small piece of the reason.
“Because you need to know this to develop a sense of ownership.”
“Ownership?”
“That’s right. You know about the Resistance attack yesterday, don’t you?”
“And?”
“And?” she asks, so nonchalantly. My anger flared, and I shouted at the Regressor.
“Am I the only one using this land? Am I the only one defending it? It feels incredibly unfair that I seem to be the only one doing any work. If you’re going to live here, you should at least pay some attention! The very ground we’re standing on is about to collapse, and what are all of you doing? Lazing around in your rooms!”
You have to realize that the ground beneath our feet could give way at any moment! Only then will you feel a sense of crisis and try to stop it!
“I was the only one who went to get the supply box, the only one who discovered the Resistance in advance, and the only one who stopped their plan! It’s all on me. I’m the only one pulling any weight around here!”
“Isn’t that your job?”
“Survival is everyone's own responsibility! Are you just going to die if I don’t save you?”
“Have you ever actually saved me?”
“You know what I mean! Do you know what plan the Resistance intruders had yesterday? Look!”
I strode to the chalkboard and erased both ends of the Tantalus drawing with my fingers. Then I drew a sharp line of chalk right through the middle.
“Here! The opposite side! And the middle! They planned to plant three bombs in these locations and detonate them simultaneously to split Tantalus in half and send it plummeting!”
I slammed my hand on the chalkboard once. The Tantalus in the drawing vibrated, shedding chalk dust. With its ends crumbling, the delicately balanced structure began to teeter. For a massive structure with its balance thrown off, its own weight becomes its greatest enemy. And into that precarious state, an explosion at its core, driving a wedge through it.
The Regressor let out a small gasp at the conclusion.
“Ah.”
‘So this is… how Tantalus fell?’
Tantalus wouldn't be able to withstand it. It would crack in half and fall into the depths below. The Tantalus in the drawing met its end just like that.
I slammed the chalkboard again. The Regressor snapped out of her thoughts.
“See? The ground right under your feet was about to end up like this! And you all just casually strolled in after the situation was already over! If I hadn't actively stopped them, all of us, including me, would be lost in the Abyss! Am I right or am I wrong?”
The Regressor, who had maintained a defensive posture with her arms crossed, finally had to concede. She slowly uncrossed her arms, averted her gaze slightly, and muttered.
“…I guess you’re right.”
“Are you grateful to me or not?”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m… grateful. You were just trying to save your own skin, too.”
Look at her, protecting her pride to the very end. She can’t even bring herself to say a simple ‘thank you.’
“Wow. And here you were, happy to have a new sparring partner when an intruder broke in. What kind of mindset is that?”
“?! H-how.”
“How did I know? You think I wouldn’t? A guy in full combat gear was clearly heading for the first floor, and a while later, Trainee Shei came out holding his head, didn’t she? With your skills, Trainee Shei, you could have taken his head off in a single blow. So why did you bother trading blows with him?”
“W-well. I lack real combat experience.”
“Lacking real combat experience, so you risk your own life for a fight. And at that very moment, the other intruders were planting bombs! That complacency is what created this crisis! Tantalus is only safe because I, thankfully, responded in time!”
Every word I said was the undeniable truth. The Regressor, as a defense mechanism, tried to find fault with my words, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find any grounds. She clicked her tongue and relented.
“Tch, fine. I'll step up next time, alright?”
“Excellent! I’ll be sure to remember that!”
According to the memories the Regressor had briefly recalled, there would be at least a few more intruders here in the future. And among them, there would probably be someone formidable enough to be involved in the world's destruction.
And I’m supposed to stop them? Forget it. Not only is it impossible, but I don't even want to. I had to risk my life just to catch Kanysen and the other Resistance members, so why should I have to face anything more than that?
“From now on, you all can deal with whoever falls in here. Don’t just put it off thinking, ‘someone else will take care of it’! Let’s agree that whoever finds them first deals with them! Understood?!”
If it were just me, fine. But with the Regressor and the Progenitor of Vampires here, why should I have to work? The one with the power should be the one doing the work that requires power. That’s how you create a positive influence!
“If another person with ill intentions falls in here next time, I won’t lift a single finger to stop them!”
Great. With this, I’ve established a plausible reason to run away the next time an intruder shows up. Phew. One clemency ticket. I've obtained something very precious. Next time someone shows up, I’ll just scatter some of the Undying’s limbs around and play dead.
As I was plotting my escape, the vampire tilted her head and spoke.
“Are you not making too much of a fuss over yesterday's events?”
“A fuss, you say?”
Is having your life hang by a thread called ‘making a fuss’ these days? I was so dumbfounded I couldn't close my mouth, but the vampire took it a step further.
“Did you not resolve the matter with ease? You cleaned everything up as neatly as one might cleanse their palate after a meal, yet you complain so.”
“Cleanse my palate?”
Does she really think I dealt with the Resistance members easily?
Being overestimated is fine. But the moment it’s used as a reason to saddle me with overwork, it becomes a cursed shackle. I frantically waved my hands.
“No, please don’t trust me! Unlike you all, I’m an ordinary human with only one life! I’m not like Trainee Tyrkanzyaka who can get shot and be fine, nor do I have all sorts of bizarre tools like Trainee Shei! All I can rely on is this one body!”
“Indeed. And with that one body, you dealt with three of them, did you not? Without shedding a single drop of blood.”
“What does three matter? Two of them were nobodies, and the last one wasn't much to speak of either! They weren't dangerous at all! I’m not that amazing!”
“Your final opponent was clearly a knight. And you subdued and bound such a knight without a single scratch. When I sensed his death, the only wound on his body was the one you inflicted to finish him.”
“No, that’s…”
“Furthermore, are you not a cut above Shei? It is the way of the world that the stronger and higher-ranked bear the greater duty.”
This is bad.
The vampire is now utterly convinced that I’m a cut above the Regressor!
The vampire, completely ignorant of the modern world, was currently in a state of being highly receptive to external information and stimuli. If I told her that the roof of the State Command Center split open and a giant magic golem appeared and flew across the sky, she would believe it without question. It was similar to how a newly hatched chick perceives the world.
“In the first place, if you hold the title of warden, you should be thinking of stepping up and leading. Should not a servant of the state lead the people from the front?”
And she can't even shake off her preachy, old-fashioned nature, lecturing me based on that same logic!
It’s fine if she mistakenly thinks I’m strong. That was partly my intention, after all. But this, this excessive overestimation, is dangerous.
They misunderstand on their own terms, then they'll resent me when the misunderstanding is cleared up. But if it isn't, I'll be the one pushed into a life-or-death situation.
The higher you climb, the more dangerous the fall. What should I do? It’s about time I let some air out of this balloon.
At least the Regressor has a discerning eye. Wouldn't she start to notice soon?
‘Subdued a knight without a single scratch? And bare-handed? …Could I do that? No, not in my current state where my body isn’t fully prepared. Tch, I hate to admit it… but he seems stronger than me. For now.’
Don’t just judge based on what people say! Please, just watch me fight with your own eyes and then decide! If you hate to admit it, then confirm it with your own two eyes!
Tch. If I stay here any longer, my fate will be to protect the Regressor. I have no choice. Time for an emergency escape.
I dug my fingernails into the chalkboard and dragged them across. At the skin-crawling sound, the Regressor grimaced, the vampire narrowed her eyes, and Azzy, who had been sleeping on her stomach in the back, yelped and jumped in place.
Secret Technique: Chalkboard Scratch.
A technique to escape a crisis by cutting off the unfavorable flow of conversation with a terrible noise. Having captured everyone’s attention with this forbidden art, I shouted.
“Then let’s do it by turns. I cleaned up this time, right? So if some other bad guy invades, one of you can take care of it! That's all—!”
“Woof! Woof woof! Woof!”
But this time, it was Azzy who barked furiously at me. What’s her problem now?
“Grrr! Woof! Woof woof!”
My best guess was that she was angry about the chalkboard-scratching noise that woke her up.
A dog's hearing is tens of times better than a human's, and for Azzy, their king, she could even hear a whisper from the other side of Tantalus. It's just that Azzy's intelligence is a bit low, and she's learned to ignore meaningless noise. If I were to mutter "mutt" anywhere in Tantalus, she would hear it no matter where she was, her tail would go rigid, and she would bare her teeth.
For such a dog, a sonic attack was extremely effective. Thinking about it now, I feel a little bad. About a single dog hair’s worth of bad.
I'm a human, for crying out loud. I can't be the first to bow my head to a dog. I held my head high and glared at Azzy.
“Who told you to sleep in class? Besides, you scratch the concrete with your own claws all the time. A human can scratch a chalkboard. What are you gonna do about it? Rebel?”
“Grrr! Woof!”
That meant she was rebelling.
How absurd. A mere dog, turning against a human. How insolent. I’ll show you the difference between a human and a dog.
I raised both hands towards Azzy and put on a clumsy smile.
“Thinking about it now, I feel a little sorry. Why don’t we make up right here?”
Something humans can do and dogs can't: conversation and compromise. I attempted to negotiate with the dog.
It didn't work worth a damn.
“Woof!”
The livestock's rebellion was so sudden that I had no time to react. Azzy flew across the classroom. Before I knew it, she had grabbed my shoulders, and we were tumbling to the ground. When I came to my senses, I found myself pinned in a mount position.
She didn't seem to intend to attack, as her claws weren't out; she was just pressing down firmly. But this alone was enough to immobilize me. It felt like steel stakes were pinning my shoulders.
I'm in this pathetic state every day, so how can they possibly think I'm strong? They must all be blind.
Still, I couldn't show myself being defeated by a dog. That was a matter of human pride.
I spoke while pinned by Azzy.
“Class is dismissed. Now, everyone, please return to your rooms.”
The vampire picked up her parasol and perched on her coffin. The pitch-black coffin floated up as usual and flew towards the door with the vampire aboard.
“Very well. That was amusing.”
“This wasn't for your amusement! Hurry up and leave. I’m about to teach this puppy a lesson.”
I had a brief staring contest with Azzy. I could see her eyes, full of complaint. The impudent creature, daring to commit insubordination just because I scratched a chalkboard a little. I’ll show her.
The Regressor, who had been following the vampire, stopped in her tracks. Her gaze turned towards me and Azzy.
‘Are they going to fight? If I see those two fight properly, I should get a rough idea of their strength. Hmm. I think I’ll watch for a bit.’
“What are you doing? Is this a spectacle? If you’re not going to get this dog off me, then hurry up and leave.”
As I waved my hand dismissively from my position on the floor, the Regressor swallowed a groan and turned her head.
‘He’s on guard, as expected. He doesn’t intend to show his full power.’
Wrong. It means I don’t have any power worth showing you. There’s nothing to see here, so get lost.
As I shooed her away with my hand, the Regressor swallowed hard and turned back.
“Alright. You two work it out.”
The Regressor coolly turned and walked out the door. With a thud, the thick tin door closed firmly.
A moment of silence.
Immediately after, a single thought came from beyond the door.
‘Piercing Sight. Jade Eyes…’
“When I said get out, I didn't mean go out and watch, Trainee Shei. Eavesdropping isn't a very nice habit, so scram before you embarrass yourself further!”
The Regressor flinched violently and then, using what must have been her wind-walking skill, ran down the corridor without a sound.
‘Th-this isn't running away. Right. I'm just pretending not to be here so I can seize a better opportunity later. One step back for two steps forward.’
Pretending not to be here, my ass. I felt all of it. She must have gotten used to getting easy wins through regressing, she can’t break the habit.
In any case, now there was no one left beside me but Azzy, who was in a mount position with her teeth bared. Since I had been ignoring her, she was growling even more ferociously.
“Is everyone gone?”
“Grrrrrrrrr.”
“Hmm. Looks like they’re all gone.”
Confirming that I couldn't hear any more thoughts, I met the gaze of Azzy, who was staring me down with wide eyes.
More resolutely and sincerely than ever before in my life, I said:
“I’m sorry, Azzy. I won’t do it again.”
“Grrr.”
“Come on. Don’t be mad. I forgot you were there. I didn’t know you hated the sound of scratching chalkboards this much.”
“Woof!”
“There, there. Good girl, good girl. Good doggy~. Doggy~. Such a good doggy who doesn’t get mad.”
“Arf, arf!”
“You know I love you, right? Here, let me pet you. Move your paws.”
“Woof!”
Azzy removed the forepaws that were holding my shoulders and, just like that, turned her body around. The way her ears were twitching seemed to be a signal for me to pet her there. Acting like she's my master.
Ugh. I sat up, placed Azzy on my lap, and stroked her fluffy fur. After just a few strokes, Azzy’s face completely relaxed, and she started purring.
“Sigh. My life.”
“Woof!”
“I’m so glad I get to have a dog like you in my life.”
“Woof woof!”
Well, I say that, but truthfully, if I had to pick the best individual among those remaining in Tantalus, it would be Azzy.
It’s not a matter of preference. It’s a matter of return on investment.
Where else could I find a creature so stupid, where the input-output is so clearly profitable? Even if I annoy her a little, all it takes is whispering a few sweet nothings, putting her on my lap, and petting her for her to calm down. She’s so much easier to handle than the vampire or the Regressor.
Sure, I have to feed her, walk her, and play with her every day, but that’s about it.
Sure, she complains a lot and barks only at me whenever something’s wrong, but that’s about it.
Sure, she’s completely useless when it comes to fighting humans, but… that’s about it.
…Huh.
Could it be that this mutt is the most useless one of all?
But I've already invested too much effort to cut my losses. Swallowing my tears, I lifted my fingers and added today's maintenance cost to this furball of a sunk cost.