EP.158 The Conscience Box
Less than a few minutes had passed before the food was served.
"Come! Enjoy your meal!"
Anna cried out, scooping into our bowls something that looked no different from everyone else's—a clumped-up stir-fried dish.
Its appearance resembled no other food in the world. It merely glistened faintly with oil, silently testifying to the fact that it had been stir-fried.
The Captain stared blankly at the bowl in silence.
Used to this reaction, Anna spoke up with a hearty laugh.
"It looks a bit much, doesn't it? But this is the kind of restaurant this place is. The only thing to fill your stomach is canned beans, and if you only eat that awful food, sometimes you feel like cutting off your own tongue, right? That's when people come here. Bringing a can of beans, and one extra ingredient to add to the pot."
Anna even ladled out soup and set it down in front of us. Once again, an incredibly complex aroma rose from the nameless soup. There had to be at least double-digit ingredients in it.
It was entirely thanks to Anna's skill that this perplexing aroma stimulated the appetite.
"Then I gather all of that and roughly stir-fry or boil it to create a new dish. You could call it a sort of barter? People help each other, and that way, we create a new taste different from canned beans. It might look like this because it's a stir-fried mishmash, but the taste is decent, so don't worry and..."
"Drip. Gasp!"
However, the Captain was one of the people who had eaten the most canned beans in the world. It wasn't that she couldn't eat it because of its appearance. Her nerves were already entirely focused on the bowl in front of her. Drool dripped from her slightly parted lips.
"I thought you weren't going to eat? Then why are you just watching... Ah."
Only then did Anna realize that the Captain didn't have any cutlery in her hands. She rummaged through the cupboard looking for leftover utensils.
"Originally, bringing your own cutlery is the rule. You can roughly make a bowl by pounding open a tin can, but it's hard to make a spoon or fork that way."
"Rule, you say?"
Reacting to the word 'rule', the Captain vehemently refused.
"If that is the rule, I will go out and procure it myself."
"But, for those who visit without knowing this rule, I keep a spare or two. Here, take it."
"But a rule is a rule, isn't it?"
"Providing cutlery to first-timers is my own rule. My arm hurts, so take it quickly. I feel like my arm is going to fall off from cooking just now."
Startled, the Captain quickly accepted it. Anna smiled kindly, looking warmly at the Captain who didn't know what to do.
"What a good child."
Suddenly receiving praise, the Captain clenched the spoon and fell into thought.
'That is not true. I am shirking my duty. I am hesitating, unable to make a decision, and even breaking the rules little by little. Moreover... if I am to be faithful to my mission. I...'
Even such complex thoughts quickly vanished in the face of human primal appetite. The Captain brushed off the lingering thoughts with a single word.
"...Denial."
The spoon very reluctantly headed toward the stir-fried mishmash. After hesitating a few times, the Captain finally couldn't hold back and scooped up the stir-fry, putting it in her mouth.
The moment the food touched her tongue, the Captain's expression instantly smoothed out as if pulled taut.
'...It is incredibly delicious! This is a flavor I couldn't even find in the Military State's 99 Special Cuisine Recipes!'
They say even shoes taste good if you stir-fry them. Since she stir-fried canned beans that were already edible, how good must it be?
Besides, despite how she looked, Anna was once a person who had encountered all sorts of cuisines. Fine-tuning the taste was an easy task for her.
No, rather, it was something impossible unless it was her.
Anyway.
"Anna. Where's my spoon?"
"It's not your first time coming here, so why are you looking for cutlery? If you don't have any, eat with your hands."
"Tch. Everyone is only harsh to me."
I guess I have no choice but to use my own spoon. I didn't want to take it out because washing it is a hassle. I took out my personal spoon from my bag and started shoveling the stir-fry into my mouth.
Seeing me holding a spoon alone, Anna looked at me with cold eyes.
"You still took care of your own things in the meantime. What has that child been eating her food with until now?"
"By slightly bending a can lid."
"You let that child eat like that, while you alone? You really are a wicked child."
"Aw. You don't have to praise me."
"Your cheekiness is certainly impressive..."
Sighing, Anna calmly watched the Captain devouring her food. She must have been quite starved, as the Captain's bowl was already empty.
Intending to give her another bowl, Anna scooped more stir-fry from the iron griddle.
"She seems like a pitiful child. Still, it's a relief that she seems to trust and follow you. It looks like you've treated her quite well."
"Cough! Cough!"
Ah, wait. I choked.
While I was coughing, Anna looked at me with even colder eyes.
"Don't tell me you've been teasing a child like that? I believe you have at least that much discretion."
"Ahem ahem. Of course. I helped her with this and that so she could maintain her health."
It's not a lie. Even if it was borderline intentional, the Captain was at least able to stretch thanks to me, so maintaining her health was all thanks to me, wasn't it?
"Did you really help her? You didn't just play with her?"
"Ahaha."
Still, this is the fault of the comms operator—no, the Military State. If you say Captain, people think of someone living a luxurious life drinking beer with floating ice cubes. Who would think they're holed up in a small room only doing communications?
Anna's gaze grew even more suspicious. If I kept taking this, I'd probably get indigestion, so to divert her gaze, I took out what I had been hiding in my bag.
"Ah, Anna. This. I should have given it to you first, but I forgot."
"What is it?"
"What do you mean? It's the rule to bring one ingredient to add to the stir-fry or stew when you come here."
"Bringing that up now..."
What I secretly handed over was something I had skimmed from the Returnee's spices. Anna frowned as she examined the spice, but then she was startled and quickly hid it in her embrace.
Realizing the value of the spice, Anna lowered her voice and asked again.
"...Sprinkled gold dust. How did you get this?"
"A distinguished person from far away gave it to me and left."
"What on earth have you been doing in the short time I didn't see you..."
Anna, who pondered for just a brief moment, shook her head.
"No. It's too expensive. Especially for the people of this place to eat."
"Who said anything about eating gold dust? Sell it, take an appropriate commission, and give me the rest."
Once, Anna was a renowned maid even in the Kingdom. Knight nobles, whose very selves were military force and power, always gathered reliable retainers, and a capable and loyal retainer was a precious talent that could not be obtained even for a thousand pieces of gold.
Anna was a figure who even took charge of housekeeping and cooking under a powerful knight noble. Although she has now put it all down and cooks for everyone, she is one of the few people who knows the value of this spice.
Now that the Military State has a tight grip on the country and puts high prices on luxury goods, it could be sold at a regular price at a place where only someone of Anna's caliber could buy it.
After deep consideration, Anna spoke.
"I'll only take 10%. Is that okay?"
"10%? Come on. Your hands are too small. How are you going to feed the kids like this?"
"...You have a natural talent for making people angry. Fine, I'll take less, so you take it. Think of it as the price for taking care of that child."
Just then, another order came from the back. Anna turned her body toward that direction, pushing a bowl full of stir-fry in front of the Captain.
"Still, you did pick up pitiful children here and there. I believe in you. So take good care of that child."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to give her a proper tour of the Military State's back alleys."
After filling our stomachs like that. I walked down the street, exchanging greetings a few times with people who recognized me.
Having lived quite a bit in the back alleys, I was friendly with all sorts of people, and those who were acquainted with me also treated me casually.
The Captain, who had been watching suspiciously at first, gradually became puzzled as the number of people greeting me increased.
'That is ridiculous. How can someone like this command such popularity?'
Before doubting my popularity, shouldn't you doubt your own stereotypes? Why are you so sure I wouldn't have people's favor?
By now, it was 7 o'clock. It was a bit early, but we needed rest after a long journey. I guided the Captain to my hideout.
Now, it's time for the long-postponed check. While I was away, what state would my house be in?
"Um, my heart has started pounding incredibly hard. Even a child right before opening a present box would pound less than me."
"Did you not say you would guide me to your residence? Why do you say your heart is pounding?"
"Ah. You don't know. It's a story commonly heard in the back alleys."
A familiar two-story building in Sector 15-5. Not a very tall building, but an old-style building where design flaws prevented additional floors from being stacked on top. Thanks to that, my house was in this building, which had an overwhelmingly improved quality of life.
I continued explaining as I climbed the stairs.
"By mistake... ahem. People who were unjustly arrested and returned from forced labor in faraway places, even apostates who don't believe in gods, put their hands together and pray before entering their own homes. Praying that no one has robbed their house while they were away."
The third room on the right corridor of the 2nd floor. My hideout, and a place that had been empty for the past few months.
"In this paradise of petty thieves, an empty house is nothing more than a treasure box that you drop by when you're bored to take whatever is worth money. So the things left in an empty house are the very conscience of this Military State. An empty house is, in a sense, a Conscience Box."
The Conscience Box of this Military State's back alley is...
There was no need to check. The door was wide open.
"The Military State's conscience has all been stolen. Well, I was away for months, so it couldn't be intact."
The Military State does not recover lost property.
Of course, that doesn't mean they neglect security management. If a thief is caught in the act, they are usually framed for all the other stolen goods up to that point, so stealing is not something that can be done without considerable resolve. You have to risk your life for a single penny you steal.
However, it doesn't apply to empty houses where the owner was dragged off to a labor camp.
Because there is no one to report it.
"Kya, it's like a new house. In the sense that there's nothing in it."
My house was a mess, but at the same time, it was clean. Because everything else, except for a few pieces of furniture too large to carry away, had disappeared without a trace.
Bastards. They wiped it clean.
"It seems like it'll be difficult to stay here today."
As I muttered while looking at the disastrous traces in the room, the Captain tilted her head and asked.
"...? I didn't hear you well? What is difficult?"
"Yes?"
"I think we could manage to stay here if we just had a blanket. I will go out and buy a blanket."
Stay here? That's not much different from sleeping on the streets, how?
'It is larger than the windowless room I stayed in. That is unavoidable due to the nature of my profession, but still, this place... has a window. That is enough for me.'
Please, stop suddenly shooting a tragedy drama once in a while. It's so salty I don't know what to say. If it weren't for the title of Military State Captain, she'd just be an unfortunate neighbor.
I thought I was a heartless swindler, a cold-hearted magician who toyed with human psychology. But I guess not.
Because a person who moves hearts is greater than a person who reads hearts...
I sighed and headed toward one wall of this chaotic room.
"No need to buy one."
I fiddled with the alarm clock on the wall. Once to the left, six times to the right, twice to the left again. Then, with a click, the sound of something interlocking was heard, and the lock released.
Pushing the wall in that state, the fake wall I thought was concrete slowly flipped open. A hidden empty space was revealed, and my real house appeared.
"This is our real house."
"?! Has one person been assigned two residences? That goes beyond illegality; it is administratively impossible!"
"But there are rooms not registered as residences, right? Because of the design flaw of this building, there was one more room that wasn't supposed to exist."
Fortunately, this is the land of petty thieves. They can steal from an empty room whose owner has disappeared, but they dare not think of tearing down the house. Because while the Military State doesn't catch petty theft, they are fiercely on the lookout for anyone destroying buildings or facilities.
Remodeling it as you please, well, it's not a crime as long as you don't get caught.
Opening the door and entering, there was a room featuring an armchair and a lamp. It was filled with chilly air since no one had stayed there for a long time, but as soon as I turned on the lamp, bright light and a cozy warmth enveloped the room.
It wasn't spacious, but it was more than enough for one person to live in. Several books were inserted into the low bookshelf, the lamp in the middle of the room was a luxury item rarely seen, and the carpet and blanket were laid out appropriately, softly welcoming the owner who entered for the first time in a while.
To put it bluntly, it was a room so luxurious that it was hard to see in the Military State.
'It is better than my windowless room...! Even if I let that slide, it looks better than the quarters at the headquarters where I stayed! I am a Level 3 Captain! Th-This is unfair! It is luxury!'
And the Captain seemed to have the exact same thought.
"It is luxury! I express doubt about the wealth you have amassed!"
"Are you jealous?"
"I am not...! jealous! Because I am a soldier of the Military State! However! I am merely expressing doubt about the items that appear to be your illicitly amassed wealth!"
"Evidence?"
"Ah, I haven't found it yet, but...! There must be some problem!"
I knew it.
But since ancient times, what seduces bureaucrats is affection and wealth. I decided to cook the Captain thoroughly first. In the literal sense of the word.
"Um, I'm sorry, but the smell is so bad it's hard to face you. Won't you wash up first?"
"Smell? I do not feel it on myself..."
"It's your own smell, so you don't notice it. Go wash up quickly."
Saying so, I shoved a towel and soap into the Captain's arms and pushed her into the bathroom. The Captain sniffed her own body in half-belief.
The Captain, having entered the bathroom like that, screamed before long.
"Emergency! Emergency!"
"What is it this time."
"The water is hot! I anticipate a fire has broken out!"
Does this Captain even know what a hot bath is. I sighed and shouted toward the inside.
"You won't die. Think of it as asceticism, fill the tub with water, soak your body, and wash up."
"Hot water in a tub?! Are you planning to boil me?"
"I was planning to cook you thoroughly, but seeing you now, that was a pointless thought. I also wash with hot water, so even 'Beep' should try it."
As if gaining courage from the fact that I also did it, the sound of pouring water was heard from inside the bathroom. And immediately after.
"Hah-uuu."
An exclamation burst out from the Captain, who was washing her body with hot water for the first time in her life.
"It's hot, it's hot. But..."
"It's doable, right?"
"...Yeees..."
Her languid voice echoed long.
This isn't the life of an ordinary citizen of the Military State, but for the Captain, who lived worse than most citizens, she deserves an opportunity like this.
The sound of water stopped. The Captain submerged her body in the bathtub filled with warm water.
'...I must be faithful to my duty, but I no longer know.'
What she experienced today was the daily life of the citizens of Sector 15, but to the Captain, it was an incredibly intense stimulus.
Because pouring attention or favors were extremely unfamiliar to a communications soldier who had spent a long time confined.
'He seemed to have high popularity. Surely, if he dies, there will be many who mourn. Compared to him, I... only have a few communications soldiers from the same academy class. If so, wouldn't it be better if I disappeared? Even without me, another communications soldier can just fill the spot...'
Just wait a little longer, Military State. I don't know how you turned the communications soldiers into such existences, but
I will send them back thoroughly defiled.
'...But, it is a strange feeling. As if my flesh is cooking, my body is loosening up...'
Uh, wait. No way. Really no way?
'...Like this, falling asleep... I don't want to wake up...'
"Hey, Captain Beep?"
'zzz...'
She's asleep! This crazy Captain!
"Beep! Wake up!"
"..."
"No, was your first hot bath in your life that stimulating?! Wake up quickly!"
"..."
"Waaaaah!"
"..."
"No, why won't you wake up when I'm waking you up like this!"
Damn, this is bad. I can't hear any thoughts. She must have really fallen asleep. She's not dead, is she?
I have no choice. I abruptly kicked open the bathroom door and rushed in. Amidst the thick steam filling the bathtub, the Captain was submerged comfortably in the tub, fast asleep. Bubbles frothed near her face.
"Ugh, this parboiled idiot!"
I pulled the Captain's limp body out of the bathtub. I leaned her body against the edge, knelt in front of her, pulled her arms over my shoulders, and carried her on my back. I could feel her soft skin against my back. A scent like a damp blade of grass wafting with moist humidity rushed over me from behind.
Ah, damn. It's dangerous when I can't hear her thoughts. Good thoughts, good thoughts.
"...Hehe. Carry... on back..."
Thanks to that, my stray thoughts completely vanished.
After quickly laying her on the bed, I fumbled for her wrist and slipped on the prepared pajama packet. Over her pale skin, which hadn't seen sunlight, the gold thread took shape and soon transformed into pajamas that snugly wrapped around her body. The Captain fell fast asleep with an innocent face devoid of any sense of crisis.
Letting out a deep sigh, I pulled the blanket up to her chest.
"Oh my, she really requires a lot of care. It feels like raising a younger sister."
Phew. Anyway, I put her to sleep.
Now, shall I go do my work.