Chapter 94: The One Who Hears the Wind
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: The One Who Hears the Wind
Waking from a long slumber, the Undying kicked open the cabinet and leaped out.
He staggered for a moment after landing forcefully on the floor. The arm and leg that had been haphazardly reattached hadn't fully fused yet and were still wobbling.
But he was an undying with the power of regeneration, and at that moment, his body was brimming with vital essence.
"Hup!"
As the Undying tensed, his slightly twisted limbs snapped back into place. The numerous cuts on his body healed in an instant, and his once-desiccated frame swelled in a single breath, as if it had been thoroughly soaked in water.
Fully revived, the Undying looked down at his hands and feet and exclaimed.
"Oh! I'm full of vital essence! What happened?"
As the Undying glanced around, the officer standing before him spoke, her neck held ramrod straight.
"Tantalus Education Facility, Rasch. Is that correct?"
The Undying answered promptly.
"That's me! To be greeted by such a stunning beauty the moment I open my eyes... My life has not been in vain! This, too, must be the providence of Mother Earth!"
"...Beauty?"
"Of course! What else would I call a beautiful person if not a beauty!"
The Undying's words were smooth, but so sudden that the officer couldn't quite process them, and simply furrowed her brow.
"There's no time for games. I am Lieutenant Colonel Callis Kritz, assigned as a warden to Tantalus, and I am also its administrator. And."
The officer opened a packet and took out the item inside. Rasch, who had been watching with curious eyes, beamed when he recognized what it was.
"Isn't this a World Tree leaf!"
"So you recognize it."
If beasts have their kings, then plants and trees have the World Tree.
But unlike the beasts, the king of plants did not take human form.
Humans may be the dominant species on land, but that was only within the realm of beasts. No human, no matter how arrogant, would dare claim that humanity ruled over the plants as well.
And in truth, they didn't. Plants paid no mind to the affairs of beasts, retaining their original forms.
Even the flowers and grasses that bloomed and withered countless times had their kings, but finding them was next to impossible. The kings of plants took on the appearance of their kind, making them difficult to distinguish, and even if one were found by a stroke of heavenly luck, its life would end the moment it was plucked.
However, some trees could live for thousands of years, and the same was true for their kings.
The kings of trees lived for decades, or even millennia, and among them were some whose locations had become known due to their sheer longevity.
People called them World Trees.
Having absorbed the earth's essence for thousands of years, it was said that a single one of their roots was like a small hill, and a single leaf as large as a great fan. Some people revered and worshipped these great and sacred tree kings, which were born and raised alongside Mother Earth.
The Undying Rasch was one of them.
"Of course I know it! My tribe is closer to Mother Earth than anyone else in the world. How could I not recognize something so full of her essence! That sacred ginkgo tree, though it is not near us, is always an object of our longing!"
To others, however, they were generally perceived as just unusually large and fascinating trees.
Somewhat valuable trees, whose fallen leaves could be sold for a pretty penny.
The officer spoke.
"Then you understand how valuable this is?"
"Of course, I know its objective value, too! I tried to buy one once, but it was ridiculously expensive! The pittance I earn from labor wouldn't even come close! Anyway, thank you. My regeneration was slowing down because I was lacking essence, but thanks to this, my body has completely healed!"
The Undying nodded eagerly. The officer who had handed him the World Tree leaf, however, was inwardly bewildered, though her expression didn't show it.
'Strange. I didn't even feed him the World Tree leaf, but the right arm suddenly sprang to life and regained its strength. How did this happen?'
Wait a minute. That healing potion that healed the right arm, could it be...
With a dawning suspicion, I turned to the Regressor.
"Shei-ssi. By any chance, were the ingredients for that healing potion..."
"Yeah. The essence of the earth works well on undying types, so I used a World Tree leaf."
I couldn't hide my shock at the Regressor's casual reply.
"Wow. You're only generous at times like these."
"It was the necessary minimum cost. Someone turned that arm into a shredded mess, and the curse was so severe that nothing less would have healed it."
"Right. It's all my fault."
Tch. Clicking my tongue, I pressed myself against the corner and carefully peeked into the classroom. The Regressor, clueless, followed me closely.
"The Lieutenant Colonel met with the Undying. Is this why you called me?"
"It's already too late. Let's just watch."
While the Regressor and I observed through the open door, the officer assessed the Undying with sharp eyes from under the brim of her cap.
He was a muscular giant, likely two meters tall. His body, visible through his tattered shirt, was darker than bronze, looking more like metal than skin. His brawny frame was overflowing with vitality; even without having used the World Tree leaf, he had already recovered his full strength.
'Still, what was that about the right arm that just flew in here...?'
In any case, a good result was all that mattered. The officer momentarily set aside her thoughts about the arm and scanned the Undying's body from top to bottom.
'They said he tore a man apart with his bare hands. It might not stand out here in the Abyss, but he's from the Undying race, once called the berserkers. And among them, he held the title of 'Right Arm,' the second-highest rank... He could be a sufficient ally.'
The land of the Undying, a people who had not moved beyond a tribal society. Rasch, an undying who had left that land to wander the world, had taken a great interest in the rich and powerful Military State. After numerous negotiations and accepting strict conditions, he had even been issued temporary citizenship to stay in the State.
Though that ended when he committed murder and was cast into the Abyss without a second thought.
'One of the few who holds a favorable view of the Military State.'
The Abyss was full of enemies. In this place, isolated from the world, she had found the only being with the potential to become an ally.
The officer felt a great sense of relief.
'It's a good thing I solved the riddle of that bundle. If I hadn't figured it out... Their directives are always delivered so vaguely...'
The officer, who had been contemplating with a hand on her chin, finished her cold calculations. The Undying gazed at the World Tree leaf with a happy expression and spoke with great anticipation.
"May I truly have this?"
"Fine. However, there are conditions."
"Wow, such a precious gift! Thank you!"
"I believe I said there were conditions."
Having judged him to be of sufficient use, the officer pushed down the brim of her cap and spoke.
"It's not a gift. It's a cost I incurred for you, trainee. It was a considerable expense for me as well, so you will have to... for me..."
"Haha! You Military State folk have a real knack for being so stiff with your words! I will accept this gift with great joy and gratitude!"
"Trainee. I've told you several times..."
The officer eyed the Undying, who kept insisting it was a gift, with displeasure. She assumed he was trying to pass it off as a gift to simply pocket it without obligation.
But that was a gross underestimation of the Undying's magnanimity.
"No, it is a gift!"
The Undying stubbornly shook his head, then gave a thumbs-up again.
"This is an incredibly precious gift to me, and the sustenance I needed most right now, lacking in essence as I was! You came to find me and handed me this gift yourself. This must be a gift from the heart, and since hearts have been exchanged, can we not say we are now friends!"
"...What?"
The officer, having grown up in the Military State and being unaccustomed to such talk, was slow to grasp the Undying's meaning.
In other words, the Undying was refusing a debtor-creditor relationship in favor of incurring a debt of the heart.
A financial debt ends once it's repaid, but a friendship doesn't wither until the heart does.
"I am not one to refuse a friend's request. So, what is your request, my friend?"
This turn of events seemed to have surprised the officer as well; she was momentarily at a loss for words, lost in thought.
But she was cornered. Right now, she had no reason to refuse, no justification.
And no will to do so.
"...I have something I must do. I want you, trainee, to help me with it."
"Haha! If it's a request from a friend, then anything!"
The Undying extended his hand. The officer, though reluctant, eventually took it.
'...I have no desire to be friends with a prisoner of the Abyss. But for now, it's more convenient to use him this way.'
It didn't matter if it was in the form of a friendship or a debt.
As long as she could use this undying who seemed to have no regard for his own life, the officer decided not to care what their relationship was called.
'Is it because he's so big...? His hand is huge, too. His fingers are longer than mine by two knuckles...'
As they shook hands, the warden had an unfitting thought, then quickly shook her head to refocus.
'No. I was just thinking about his physique. At this size, he'd be perfect as a meat shield.'
Good.
It was about time to leave. I pulled my gaze away from them and whispered in the Regressor's ear.
"Shei-ssi."
The Regressor jumped back, disgusted.
"Agh, jeez. You scared me. What?"
Why such an overreaction? I asked the Regressor, who was hissing with all her fur on end.
"Why are you so jumpy? We're both men."
"It's creepy! Why are you whispering when you can just talk!"
"I can't just shout when they'll hear everything inside."
"It's fine, I'm always making sure sound doesn't leak out!"
So stalking is a passive skill for you. How admirable.
I nodded and pointed to the side with my finger.
"Looks like they're about to come out. Shall we make a run for it?"
"Run for it? Didn't you have business with the Undying?"
"It just ended a moment ago."
I glanced over at them, then murmured as I watched the officer who had, as she wished, obtained an ally to believe in and rely on.
"Because I've achieved what I wanted."
The Regressor didn't understand my meaning and tilted her head.
"Leaving like this feels a bit unresolved. The Undying... I doubt him siding with the Lieutenant Colonel will create any significant change... but I'd rather not deal with the hassle."
"Honestly. The most troublesome person in the world..."
"What?"
"Never mind. Just come on!"
It was about time for the officer and the Undying to leave the classroom. Not wanting to disturb them, I grabbed the Regressor and headed outside.