Chapter 86: The Arrangement
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: The Arrangement
“Azzy, let’s eat!”
A breathtaking silence fell for a moment. Both the Regressor and Tyr stared at me, taken aback by my sudden shout.
Like a flipping coin, the self that had been holding its breath on the other side surfaced. A flame ignited on a candle that had been nothing but a dying ember. The world brightened, and I felt as if I were looking down on everything with objective clarity.
Having regained my senses, I clutched my chest and cried out.
“Whoa. That was a close one! I almost died right there!”
I felt like I’d been swept downstream after falling into a river, only to barely crawl back onto the bank. A wave of exhaustion, as if I were soaked to the bone, washed over me.
Damn it. I only meant to read a little, but I let my guard down at the last second and went too far. The memories almost swept me away, nearly extinguishing my ego.
Phew. Thank goodness I had insurance. All that diligent smoking and drinking finally paid off. If I hadn't… who knows what would have happened.
Wait. What’s this? The cigarette has burned all the way down.
“So, what exactly was it that snapped me out of it?”
Tyr, who had been gazing at me with a look of sheer relief, rang the bell once more in response to my question.
Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling. The sound of the bell echoed. The very same chime I used to ring whenever I fed Azzy. It was a kind of psychological trap I’d devised to better ‘utilize’ the Dog King.
Hearing that sound, something tight and stuffy welled up inside me. As if I was supposed to, I called Azzy’s name without thinking.
“Azzy!”
“Woof!”
Right on cue, Azzy burst through the door. Her eyes sparkling, she trotted over to me, her expression of immense goodwill shifting to one of confusion as she looked around.
“Woof? Where’s the food?”
Ah, so… instead of the mana herbs I hadn’t smoked for weeks in prison, it was the bell I’d rung at every meal that…
Ah…
“Woof! Food! Woof? Food? …Where’s the food?”
“Sorry, there isn’t any. I was just bored and decided to play a little prank.”
“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”
“What? You don’t really mind? See, you do like me, don’t you?”
“I don’t like you anymore! You stink!”
I reached out to pet her, but after getting a whiff of me, Azzy wrinkled her nose and trotted out.
I scratched my head with the hand I’d meant to pet her with and muttered, “It’s useless now anyway. Might as well quit smoking while I’m at it.”
In any case, it doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you reach your destination. The process is irrelevant if the result is good. That’s what I always say.
My diligence paid off. If I hadn’t rung that bell every day to train Azzy, I’d still be lost, acting as if I were a girl who lived twelve centuries ago.
…Though it doesn’t feel great that the bell I used to train a dog ended up training me instead.
After taking a moment to compose myself, I looked up.
In the small room, the Regressor and Tyr were staring at me. Their gazes were different; Tyr’s was one of pure joy, while the Regressor seemed intent on clearing up any remaining questions.
“Well, everyone. You’ve all worked so hard looking after me while I was unconscious…”
I placed one hand on my chest, spread the other arm wide, and feigned an elegant bow.
Then, I suddenly snapped my head up and shouted.
“…Is what you thought I’d say!”
I struck first to prevent them from turning the tables on me.
The laws of perspective apply to the human heart as well; people tend to value a small, recent kindness more than a great, old debt. Of course, there’s also a bit of human selfishness at play—the tendency to forget what you’ve received more easily than what you’ve given.
But that wouldn’t work on me. I used to work as a fixer, and I’ve even done collections. I’ll scrape together every last cent of a debt owed, even if it’s a debt of the heart.
“I ended up like this because I was trying to give Tyr a heart. I sacrificed myself for you all! If I collapsed from the aftereffects, it’s only natural that you should take care of me! This is common sense, common sense! It’s a necessary expense, like providing meals when you hire a laborer! Remember that!”
“Of course. How could I forget? I will always remember the great price you paid for my sake.”
Tyr nodded immediately in agreement. Her response left me speechless.
…Huh. Why is she so compliant? After a speech like that, even a saint would want to throw a punch.
“Worry not. Even now that you have regained consciousness, I shall continue to protect you with all my heart and soul.”
“What? Uh, no, you don’t have to go that far.”
“It is fine. Compared to what you have given me, what I have to offer is as light as a feather.”
…Something’s a little off. The weight of her gratitude is, well, a little heavier than I expected. So heavy it’s scary to say anything more.
Fearing I’d stumble into an awkward situation if I pressed further, I changed the subject.
“And you all didn’t do anything weird while I was out, did you?”
Tyr flinched and whipped her head away, while the Regressor just snorted.
Both of their reactions were a bit strange.
The Regressor, I’m sure, would have tried to check all sorts of things while I was unconscious. Honestly, I expected as much.
But what in the world did Tyr do?
As I stared her down, Tyr hesitated for a long moment before pointing at the Regressor and tattling.
“Shei… Shei interrogated you.”
The Regressor, sold out right in front of her, widened her eyes.
“Huh? Tyrkanzyaka? You helped, too!”
“I was looking away. And I stopped it before the interrogation could continue.”
What on earth did they do?
I wanted to read their minds, but my own ego still felt a bit foggy. It would take a few more minutes before I could read them properly.
Still, my suspicion didn’t fade. What could Tyr have possibly done to make her resort to ratting someone out…?
I’d ask later. For now, I glared at the Regressor, whose crime had been established.
“Trainee Shei, do you not fear the heavens? You read that note and still blatantly ignored it? Do you have no concept of the value of a promise?!”
“You’re the one who made a hidden note…”
“Have you only been in the Military State for a day or two? Once you’ve nodded, you have a minimal obligation to comply, even if you were tricked! You have to read contracts carefully! And!”
Words weren’t going to be enough. To show the extent of my displeasure, I slammed my fist on the bed with all my might. The impact made Tyr, sitting beside me, jump.
This bed is as hard as the country that made it. I rubbed my stinging fist against my thigh and yelled.
“Try to see it from my perspective. How untrustworthy must you be for me to resort to that! Honestly, the contents of the hidden note weren't a big deal! Was it so hard not to mess with someone who was mentally and physically vulnerable?! But I was so worried you’d refuse even that simple request that I added a little fun and emphasis with a hidden note, and you just laughed it off!”
Every word was true. The charge of trying to extract information from me while I was weak still stood.
The Regressor casually changed the subject.
“…Fine. I was hasty. I’ll admit it. But you don’t have much room to talk, do you?”
What was this? This confident expression, even though she was the one in the wrong.
With a triumphant look, as if she’d found my weakness, the Regressor said, “Your name is Hughes, isn’t it?”
“Huh? That’s my name on my citizen registration. How did you know?”
What the hell? Did she dig up my name while I was unconscious?
At my question, the Regressor’s eyes narrowed as she muttered, “Level 0 citizen, Tantalus laborer, Hughes. Amazing. You had me completely fooled from the start. Thanks to your little stunt, I ended up taking the long way around.”
“Wh-what? How do you know that?!”
Mind reading! Crap. It’s still not back!
No choice. I’d have to act like a normal person for a bit. I threw my arms up in protest.
“Th-this is an invasion of privacy! A data breach! Who was it? Who was the one who laid my citizen registration name bare for all to see?!”
“It was I.”
A voice came from outside the door.
I turned my head and saw a stranger standing there, arms crossed, glaring at me. It was a woman with a large service cap, the kind worn by officers of the Military State, and a bob cut as sharp as a knife to match. Her stiff uniform and the medal pinned proudly to her chest stood out.
The officer spoke in a commanding tone.
“So this is where you were. Laborer.”
An officer. And in uniform, no less. Why would an elite of the Military State be here?
Wait a minute. Is she here as the new warden?
A… warden?
Why is the warden here already?!
The moment I realized who she was, I shot up, pointing a finger at the officer.
“Whoa! Trainee Shei! What are you doing? Quick, cut that person’s arm off!”
Most of them didn’t understand what I meant. Only the Regressor, knowing I was talking about her, scowled.
She replied coolly, “…I didn’t cut your arm off, so why should I cut hers?”
“What do you mean you didn’t! Get your facts straight! You tried to cut it off and failed! Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome! Give that arm an equal chance to part ways with its shoulder!”
“No. I’ve lost interest.”
“What? So all that arm-cutting you’ve been doing was just for fun? Is cutting off someone’s arm such a trivial matter to you?! At least do it out of a sense of duty, for equality’s sake!”
The Regressor replied with a bored expression and even stepped aside to let the officer in. She shot the officer a slight glare as she passed but didn’t cut off her arm.
The officer entered the room and scanned the interior with a slight narrowing of her eyes. Her attitude, as if looking for something to criticize, made me flinch like a frightened student.
“Tantalus is in a sorry state. Has it been left unattended for days?”
“No, I was just, uh, picking up some lost memories.”
“And yet you have the audacity to point your finger at a warden and spout nonsense about cutting off her arm.”
My petty, citizen-like instincts kicking in, I shrank back without a word. Seeing my reaction, the officer grew more confident. From the faint thoughts I could sense, she even seemed a little pleased.
She was probably happy to see the only person here who was weaker than her.
“This is a summons, laborer. Report to the warden’s office at once.”
“Ghk…!”
A common citizen cannot defy an officer’s command.
An officer has authority over the laborers of their assigned facility and the right to punish them at their discretion for disobedience.
What’s more, she was the warden in charge of Tantalus. In this abyss, no one would bat an eye if she decided to execute me on the spot… I lowered my head with a look of anguish.
“Heheheheheh!”
But lowering my head was just a feint to build momentum. Laughter spilled from between my clenched teeth.
The officer’s expression hardened.
“What’s so funny?”
“Hahaha! Did you really think I’d just sit here and do nothing while waiting for you to arrive?!”
The Military State always has a backup plan.
Whether for a new laborer, or a new warden.
From the moment the golem sent me that warning, the Military State must have been looking for someone else to manage this place.
…Though I didn’t expect that officer to arrive so quickly.
“I knew this would happen, so I made arrangements! Go on, try and touch me! I’ll teach you a lesson!”
“You will?”
What a meaningless threat. It’s not like she’d be scared of anything I could do.
I shot to my feet, pointed at Tyr standing beside me, and yelled, “No! Not me, Tyr will!”