EP.156 The Military Nation's Cinderella
I strode through the streets. Having only slightly veered off the main road, a dark and complex neighborhood appeared as if early evening had suddenly fallen.
Toy-like buildings, formed by endlessly pouring concrete, had windows clustered tightly together. Occasionally, scruffy faces would appear at the windows, only to quickly disappear the moment our eyes met.
Lines, whether clotheslines or something else, crisscrossed between the buildings like spiderwebs. It was like a corset before the laces are pulled. If someone were to pull those lines from both ends, the flimsy buildings would tilt inward and collapse together.
Shouting could be heard from some houses. Yells of people annoyed by the noise followed, and others reacted to those outbursts. Like an unsetting echo, it only grew louder as it reverberated off the walls. And then.
Brrrrrring-.
At the sound of an alarm clock rung by someone, everyone shrank back in terror.
The bell that woke them drowned out all other sounds.
Ah, how nostalgic. This clamor.
The noise and shrieks echoing in my telepathy felt even louder than the actual clamor.
Coming to a crowded place really makes it sink in.
"This is Sector 15. A land abandoned by the Military Nation, where only administrative districts exist and no other facilities are present."
In the midst of that clamor. The Captain and I were walking calmly. People would glance at us at the sight of a stranger, but upon seeing the Captain's uniform, they would startle and run away or hide.
I spoke to the Captain, who was flinching slightly.
"Captain Bbi. I think we need to do something about your uniform first. Everyone is frightened just by the clothes... or rather, they hate it."
"...Fear and hatred are not illegal."
"Haha. That may be so, but wouldn't it be better to reduce unnecessary friction?"
I pushed through the crowd and entered what could barely be called the bustling street of Sector 15.
Countless people were trying to exchange goods for scruffy coins and fragmented alchemy currency.
It wasn't originally built as a commercial district. By some accidental turn of events, the outer wall of the first floor collapsed, and people began doing business along the exposed wall, which naturally led to the formation of this market street.
A slightly gloomy alley within that place. I led the Captain there. The Captain followed me without a shred of doubt.
Huh. Isn't she following me a bit too obediently?
"But shouldn't you be a bit more careful? Can you really just follow someone into an alley like this?"
The Captain asked back, looking puzzled.
"I am a Captain of the Military Nation. Surely there are no criminals who would risk summary execution to assault a Military Nation Captain?"
Summary execution, what a scary thing to say.
It's a valid point for someone of her rank, though.
"Usually, no. But be careful."
I let out a chuckle, and just as a child brushed past me, I snatched their wrist and swept their legs.
Thud. The child fell comically. I whistled, and as they tried to get up, I twisted their arm and whispered,
"Hey, kid."
"Argh! Let go!"
"Your brains are worse than your sticky fingers. Didn't you learn not to mess with people in uniform? If you did, then you shouldn't mess with the person next to them either. Are you stupid?"
"What me! I didn't do anything!"
The child kept screaming, refusing to admit it. People glanced our way and began to gather.
Oh ho. You know how to draw a crowd. I flashed a bright smile and said to the child,
"You weren't taught. Then you're not from the 'Shelter'. Since you don't have ears, you're not with the 'Family'. Aha. You're with the Market?"
"N-no!"
"Does Boss Krin go around teaching you such things? I should give you a warning."
At the mention of their organization's boss's name, the child's face was instantly painted with terror. The cunning child changed their attitude as easily as flipping their hand and dropped to their knees.
"I-I'm sorry. I was hungry. Please forgive me."
'Tch! To think they know Boss Krin! This is bad. I have to beg until my palms wear out! Still, I'm just a kid, so if I act pitiful enough, they might let me go!'
Even in the Military Nation, children are not punished. They are just dragged to orphanages.
Are all children who commit crimes orphans? The Military Nation's educational philosophy is glaringly apparent. Still, it's better than forced labor.
"I-I'll give it back. Here..."
The child politely offered what they had stolen from me. However, soon seeing the identity of the object in their hand, they flinched in surprise.
Ta-da, you little brat.
"Give what back? This scruffy handkerchief? You little punk, where did you hide my wallet, trying to pass this off!"
"Huh?"
The child panicked, looking back and forth between me and the scruffy handkerchief in their hand.
"I-It was a wallet a moment ago..."
"Are you making excuses? I clearly saw you slip my wallet out of my pocket just now!"
I immediately grabbed the child by the collar, and the child's face became full of fear.
"Hand it over right now!"
"I-It's the truth!"
"Why are you raising your voice? This won't do. I'll drag you just like this and raid the Market headquarters. I'll have to shove your face in front of Krin and demand an explanation. Ah, I should bring the soldier next to me too. That way, that bastard Krin will feel a sense of crisis."
"P-Please! Anything but that!"
"Kyahahaha! Where do you think you're going! You're in big trouble! A kid like you just needs to be beaten severely!"
The Captain, standing behind me as I smiled viciously, tapped my shoulder. When I turned my head, the Captain pointed at my pocket and said.
"...Ma'am. What is that currently in your breast pocket?"
"This? My wallet."
"Why is it there?"
What an obvious question.
"It's my wallet, so it's in my pocket. Where else would it be?"
"Didn't you say you clearly saw them slip it out of your pocket?"
"Obviously, it was a lie I spat out to put this brat in trouble. Do you think I'd fall for a snotty-nosed pickpocket?"
The kid, who finally realized they had been played, spat and pushed my hand away.
"Tch! What rotten luck!"
Where did a kid learn that kind of language. Should I really go give them a piece of my mind?
The kid immediately bolted down the street. I instantly shouted,
"Ah! The pickpocket is getting away! Captain, what are you doing? Catch them!"
"...Denied. I am not a military police officer, nor did that boy actually steal anything, so it is difficult to pin a charge on him."
"Ehh. It was a perfect chance to fix that brat's bad manners."
The crowd that had gathered had disappeared at some point. As the child ran off, they deliberately averted their gazes. No matter what, it seemed they were terrified of being marked by the Captain.
I grumbled, tossing the wallet I had lifted from the kid's pocket high into the air before catching it. The Captain, who had been about to walk on, suddenly stopped and asked back,
"...What is that?"
"That brat's wallet."
"Why is it in your hand, Ma'am?"
"Because I pickpocketed it?"
How dare they pickpocket right in front of me. Not a chance. I had to teach them a harsh lesson as a senior pickpocket.
"No matter how I look at it, you seem to be the most dangerous person on this street, Ma'am."
"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm completely harmless. Like a venomless snake!"
The kid's wallet was completely empty. Well, with wallet packets becoming quite mainstream these days, there's hardly anyone left to pickpocket.
Still, I'll claim it as my trophy. I shoved the kid's wallet into my pocket and offered some advice.
"Anyway, look. Even after seeing a Captain in uniform, they still targeted my wallet, right? That's how frequently crimes happen around here."
"Pickpocketing is a crime, but the penalty isn't that severe. You can compensate 50 times the lost amount, or pay it off through forced labor."
"That's right. It's a petty crime. But here, such petty crimes occur routinely. Precisely because they are so light."
This sector is ruled by a bizarre logic of public order.
No matter how half-abandoned this sector is, a place where people die unnoticed, it's impossible for a pleasure killer who freely slaughters people to strut around the streets. If things go wrong, the military police will come and round them all up for forced labor.
Let's not forget. This is the Military Nation.
A dark existence ruling the back alleys? Such a thing couldn't exist. The moment such an existence enters the Military Nation's surveillance network, a General would raze this sector to the ground.
What if a being stronger than a General appears? Then an army led by the Six Generals would reduce it to ashes. That hasn't happened yet, though.
A land where the strong and the weak are strictly divided. A behind-the-scenes ruler cannot be born here. Perhaps in the dark underbelly of the nation, but these filthy back alleys... are a wilderness where the weak, fittingly, fend for themselves.
"This place is a paradise for petty criminals. All sorts of bizarre and unimaginable situations will occur. On top of that... if you're wearing a Captain's uniform, you could become the target of truly dangerous guys hiding among them. So."
Turning the corner, stairs leading straight down came into view. I guided the Captain there. The Captain followed me down the dark stairs.
I opened the antique door at the bottom of the stairs and said,
"Let's get you changed first."
As I stepped through the door, a cozy and warm scent greeted me. The rich fragrance of black tea wafting from a boiling kettle gently permeated the air.
Filling the surroundings were tightly rolled fabrics of various kinds.
These were alchemy fabrics that had surpassed all other textiles and newly risen to prominence after clothing packets were commercialized.
There, an elderly man in a neat suit looked at his guests over a monocle.
"A customer... Ah, it's Mr. Hughes. Welcome."
I also returned the greeting to him.
"It's been a while, Smen."
"Has it been a while? Hehe. Perhaps this old man has lived too long. It still feels like yesterday when I used to tailor clothes for Mr. Hughes."
Smen poured black tea into a cup and elegantly set it on the table. I plopped down as if it were my own home and sipped the tea. The Captain also sat down hesitantly across from me.
Smen also placed a cup of black tea in front of the Captain.
"Please, have a taste. This old man brews a decent cup of black tea. It's one of my few talents."
"A-Accepted."
Was this what it was like during the balls of the old Kingdom era? It was probably similar. Because Smen was one of the people who led those balls back then.
Swept up in the atmosphere, the Captain carefully sipped the black tea. Perhaps she liked it, but her eyes sparkled as she repeatedly wet her lips.
I leaned back against the chair and said.
"I went on a trip and just got back. Tailor one set of clothes for each of us."
"One set each. Does that include the clothes for this lovely lady here?"
"Yes."
The Captain, who had been savoring her tea, immediately waved her hand.
"Rejected. As a soldier of the Military Nation, I cannot receive financial compensation from you."
Be that as it may. I glanced at the Captain and discussed it with Smen.
"I'll leave the colors to you. Make it with as free-spirited an atmosphere as possible."
"I've already decided on a general direction. However, I cannot ignore the guest's preferences. Now, Miss. Do you have a favorite color?"
"I reject! That is a bribe! Bribery is a felony where not only the receiver, but even the giver can be sentenced to forced labor!"
Geez, so inflexible.
"Captain Bbi."
'I appreciate you not calling me by my official designation, but I'm concerned that the name Captain Bbi will stick and have a negative impact on the dignity of a Captain...'
"...Please speak."
"Does it look like I'm trying to offer a bribe to get on Captain Bbi's good side?"
Bang. I slammed the desk, just hard enough not to spill the black tea, and shouted at the Captain.
"Captain Bbi. Are you joking right now? You said you wanted to stay with me for a week!"
"I-I didn't... say... such a thing."
"Anyway, whether you're trying to enjoy a short vacation or keep an eye on me! Is it appropriate to work in that outfit!"
I pointed at the Captain's stiff uniform. Even though it had clearly been worn for a long time, the uniform—which she presumably put through a washing process every three days—was still flawlessly neat.
"At the very least, you should make an effort to wear clothes suited to the situation and disguise yourself!"
"E-Effort, you say."
"That's right! Whether you're on vacation or keeping watch! Doing it in a uniform will work out so well! Why don't you just advertise in all directions that a Captain on a secret mission is here! Should I do it for you? Oh world, behold-! Captain Bbi is right here-!"
"Stop!"
'As a signalman... there is not a single advantage to surfacing above the water!'
Alright. She's almost convinced. I drove the wedge in deeper, shouting even more confidently.
"If you don't want to be caught, wear casual clothes!"
"B-But I am a soldier of the Military Nation. If I don't wear the uniform..."
"You said it's permitted during secret operations!"
"Ugh. B-But I already have casual clothes."
"One shirt is casual clothes? Smen. Does this make any sense? She calls a sleep shirt her casual wear!"
Smen shook his head and let out a lament.
"Good heavens. That's nonsense. Clothes have their distinct purposes, so how can you live with just one outfit? It is an insult to the clothes, and a cruel exploitation. If clothes had hands and feet, they would have immediately risen up in rebellion."
"Did you hear that? Smen here is a master tailor who even worked as a tailor in the former Kingdom. Although he was slightly pushed out of the mainstream after the development of clothing packets, he gritted his teeth, learned packet technology, and caught up with the times as an expert! Are you going to ignore even his advice!"
The Captain couldn't even say 'denied' now and only shook her head.
"Now. At least wear casual clothes! Understood?"
"...Accepted."
Finally, having accepted my persuasion, the Captain took the packet Smen handed her and entered the fitting room.