EP.21 The Truth is Always One
My back crashed onto the hard concrete floor. Or perhaps the concrete floor crashed onto my back. Honestly, there's not much difference. The fact that it hurt like hell was exactly the same.
Bang! I heard a sound like a leather drum bursting. If anyone with the pure curiosity of a child ever wondered what a drum made of human skin would sound like, they need only listen to the sound that just came from my back. My back was that human leather drum.
The reason no scream came out was because the air in my lungs escaped all at once, leaving no breath to form a sound. I stayed still, governing the pain with silence.
The returnee who had thrown me looked down at his own hand and said.
‘I jumped on my own and reduced the impact.’
You call this reducing the impact? Crazy. If we did this kind of attack to each other normally.
‘Wow, that went in insanely well! Do I have some talent for judo?’
He gave a thumbs up. If I had landed wrong, it was an impact strange enough to kill me instantly. Jumped on my own, my ass. The moment I sensed something was off, I was so startled I sprang up, and just got slammed down as is.
‘My Cheonban Gyeong is a qi technique specialized for counterattacks. If it's a movement engraved in the body, it activates without even the momentary delay before thought. Seeing you jump with me when you saw that, your reactions are good. But….’
A counterattack technique fused into the body? That's foul play. I aimed for a perfect blind spot, but the moment I touched him, a perfect shoulder throw posture came out like a picture. It was such an ideal movement that could be in a textbook that nothing bent incorrectly, but the impact of hitting my back was so powerful I could barely move. It feels like thousands of small needles are digging into my back.
‘For someone with good reactions, the feel... was pretty lacking?’
This is why you shouldn't associate with people who've lived beating others up. Using "feel" as a standard for judging a person? Am I some sashimi or something? How disgusting.
I scowled and said.
"Move your foot. You already threw me, do you really have to step on me too?"
"Ah."
The returnee moved his foot that had been stepping on my collarbone. Still lying down, I brushed off the shoe prints on my shirt.
"It's your fault. How could you carelessly put your hands on my body like that?"
"Good grief. So precious about your body. If you throw everyone who just grabs your shoulder, how do you manage daily life?"
"In a world where someone who knows nothing slaps my shoulder repeatedly, I have no need for daily life."
"Are we strangers? That hurts my feelings."
"...Then we are strangers. What else would we be?"
"Trainee and instructor. They say one shouldn't even step on a teacher's shadow, yet you throw me down and then trample my body like this. Wow. How am I supposed to live with this sorrow."
The impact hadn't fully subsided, so I couldn't even get up. I continued to lament while lying there.
‘Though I can't say it was wrong to approach defenselessly... This isn't a battlefield, certainly. It's true that I was the one who initiated.’
But just a little bit, the returnee felt sorry toward me. The returnee answered in a small voice.
"Whatever. If you interfered with me, you should have been prepared for that much."
Is this the words of someone who's sorry? Look at how completely different the outside and inside are. I'm going crazy. If I wasn't a mind reader, I would have exploded.
Actually, even as a mind reader, I feel like I'm going to explode.
"Is this grievance? Is this unfairness? At the point where you were trying to smash walls with a sword and cut down golems, it seems you didn't think at all that someone would stop you?"
What's necessary when dealing with a returnee is first, sound logic, and second, sound logic. The returnee tends to be quite weak to sound logic. Separate from morality or anything like that, if you speak according to reason, he generally accepts it.
‘Come to think of it, this man was an instructor too. He's the same as the Military Nation's eyes. I was going to leave this man alone and handle the golem...’
Good thing he understood. Phew. It's a relief that we can communicate.
‘Should I just take this opportunity to dispose of this man too? Somehow, I feel like I could kill him right now.’
Never mind. Just because we're both human doesn't mean we actually communicate.
At times like this, I need to change the subject. I spoke to the small magical golem near my head.
"Hey, Captain Abby."
『This is Captain Abby. I have grasped the current situation. I express gratitude for your actions.』
"No, it's fine, so just shut up for now. If you don't want to be broken."
If the golem opened its mouth, my identity could be revealed. I deliberately cut off the golem's words by practically yelling at it. Fortunately, Captain Abby was quick to catch on. It seemed to have realized that I was the only one who could help it in this abyss.
I lifted the golem while still lying down. The golem with its metal body was about the size of a small doll, but unlike a doll, it was hefty. Its thin metal arms and legs dangled in the air.
"Trainee Shei."
I lowered my voice. Just as the returnee felt a slight interest, I closed my eyes quietly and spoke.
"Trainee Shei cut the wall, broke the golem, and even used violence against me, right? Quite naturally too."
"So?"
"Fine. Well, the wall was already broken, and most of the golems are smashed too. As for my body, I meant to roll with it anyway, so let's say that's fine. I'll let it all pass without asking anything. So put aside your feelings about the golem for now too."
"Well..."
‘Since there's an instructor here anyway, whether the golem exists or not makes little difference. They're both the Military Nation's dogs. And... leaving it might be better.’
Having finished judging in a short time, the returnee retrieved his sword.
"As long as that thing doesn't monitor me."
"Even if I tell you to, it won't. You saw earlier. It was hiding in the cafeteria. If it intended to monitor Trainee Shei, it wouldn't have hidden its body in the cafeteria. A bourgeois who eats luxury meals alone while everyone else scrapes by on scarce supplies wouldn't show up in the cafeteria."
"Mmm."
"If you understand, please leave now."
"What are you going to do here?"
"Now that I know there's a golem left, I should request supplies. It was around the time when the canned food was slowly running out because someone was stealing food at night."
"Right..."
‘From the point I decided not to fight that man, some information leakage was unavoidable. Let's just watch for now. It could actually be an opportunity to dig up information about that man instead.’
The returnee nodded, threw a sharp glance at the golem once, and turned around.
"Ask if they can supply blood. It seems Tirkanjaka is a bit short of blood, perhaps because it's moving for the first time in a while."
"I'll check and contact you."
Like hell anyone would supply that.
"I'm heading back to my room now."
"Go safely."
The returnee strode away as if to show he was leaving. The dark cafeteria was now left with only me and the go...
Wait a minute.
"Trainee Shei. You said you were going back."
A flinch. I felt a panicked emotion from beyond the wall. The returnee said as if making an excuse.
"I, I was going to go back soon. I was just doing something for a moment."
Where are you trying to eavesdrop? I glared at the door. The returnee walked away making loud footsteps. I let out a long groan and lifted the golem again.
"Captain Abby. Long time no see."
『Confirming your survival. You survived remarkably...』
"Wait a minute."
Blocking the golem's mouth, I pushed myself up from the ground. Ouch, my neck. My back hit the floor, so why is my neck stiff? I shook my head this way and that as if stretching, then glared at a spot in the empty air and spoke.
"What else is there to eat that you came back? If you said you were going to your room, hurry up and go back."
Pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen. A small fluctuation occurred there. The returnee, who had been using stealth, seemed panicked and even stopped breathing, looking at me with trembling eyes.
‘Did he... notice me? He saw through this veil of darkness where even ripples are invisible? No, no way. He didn't notice last time.’
"Don't mess around. You're making it too obvious. Who walks that loudly in the hallway. Like you're announcing you're leaving.”
‘Ugh. Did I act too obviously? But that man won't have any basis either. He's probably just probing. I should just pretend not to know here...’
"Ah! Just go!"
I hurled the pot that was on the table. The returnee quickly ducked just before being hit by the pot. The missed pot clanged as it beat against the cafeteria floor. The violent movement caused the stealth to briefly break, and the returnee's eyes met mine.
The panicked returnee's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"U, uhh."
"Trainee Shei. Didn't you clearly say the magical golem was watching you and complain about it? This is exactly the same situation. Using stealth to eavesdrop on others is in poor taste."
"Ah, I know. Just..."
"Alright. These things happen in life. Anyone can make mistakes or be curious. I won't say anything, so just go back."
"Y, yeah..."
‘Damn, damn, damn! I shouldn't have acted so obviously from the start. I underestimated the opponent too much because of the feel I sensed earlier!’
The returnee hung his head and ran out. I thought he might get angry and try to kill me instead, but perhaps due to his perfectionism, he was quite hard on himself for his own mistakes. The returnee lashed himself and ran down the corridor.
The golem that had been watching quietly spoke up.
『You have abilities too.』
"You roughly know how I make a living, right? It's psychological warfare."
『I'm relieved to see you're surviving quite well.』
"What? Relieved?"
『I was planning to add a laborer to the next supply list, but seeing you now, I judge there's no need. We won't have to waste human resources.』
"Ah. You mean from a cost perspective.”
The returnee is one thing, but the Military Nation really collected people who are hard to get along with. They were half-convinced I'd die when they sent me down.
"Since you're here, you roughly know what happened, right? Then I won't need to explain."
『Negative. This unit was hiding itself from Trainee 'Shei'. Therefore, aside from what occurred in the cafeteria, I was unable to observe.』
"Ah ha. Is that so?"
Good information. It means there's information only I know. I can use this as a condition to extract more.
『If you report any special circumstances, this unit promises full support for you.』
Even quick to understand. Reading its own situation and my intentions, it offered an exchange condition on its own. I like how fast it works.
『Do you have any special circumstances or requests?』
"I have one. I..."
‘But I still have other methods left.’
Ah, wait a minute. There's that strange thought again.
No way. Getting fooled twice makes you a fool, three times makes history. Is the returnee determined to leave a line in history?
The returnee lives in a cell on the 1st floor that he arbitrarily remodeled. If he went back to his room and focused his attention away from here, his thoughts shouldn't be readable.
The reason I'm hearing this thought now is.
‘Was it during the 7th cycle? I learned the art of far-hearing from beastmen with good ears. At the time, I thought it was a useless skill buried in the surrounding noise and discarded it, but in a situation like this, it could be useful. With silence all around, no background noise will mix in. Now, where...’
"Wait a minute."
I walked toward the pot I had thrown earlier. Then I rummaged through the cupboard and took out another pot. Good, no broken parts, good material. This should be enough.
I spun them around while waiting for the right timing.
‘Although I don't have a beastman's ears, if I put my ear to the ceiling right below... I can definitely distinguish it.’
The moment I heard the returnee's thoughts, I slammed the pots together with all my might.
Clang!
‘!!!!!!!’
The round-structured steel is itself an excellent resonance chamber. What's more, the iron used for pots is alchemically forged and coated to be so precise that not a single drop of water leaks through. When I struck these together with all my might, a roar loud enough to be heard throughout Tantalus rang out.
The sound ran through the corridors and shook the building. A resonance comparable to a bell's toll. A long echo rang out in the abyss. I waited until the faint echo died down.
‘Ah, ugh. Ah.’
A soundless shout came from the floor below. I crouched down and spoke toward the concrete.
"Trainee Shei."
‘Ah, no way.’
"You're not even coming to ask what that noise was. You're not eavesdropping, are you? I'll choose to believe that.”
‘...’
Is he crying? No, surely not. That can't be right. Wanting to cry and actually crying are different things. Even people without tears sometimes sob in their hearts. It's common to feel emotions intense enough to want to cry from sorrow and shame.
What a shame. If I had actually seen him cry, I could tease him about it until the end of the world.
Anyway.
"Now that the nuisance is gone"
『Was he eavesdropping?』
"Probably."
『How did you figure that out?』
"I told you, psychological warfare. People like him tend to pursue extreme gains and have strong compensation psychology, so even after being caught once, they keep coming back thinking 'not this time.' They're the type who can't feel satisfied unless they get something out of it."
That's a lie. I read his thoughts. But even a reason attached after the fact becomes a correct explanation if it's the right answer.
"And well, there's nothing to lose from failing. The risk converges to zero and the gain is sufficient.”
『Understood. The possibility of further eavesdropping?』
"Should I be honest? From now on, eavesdropping will only hurt him. You need to know when to give up too. How much more pathetic is he going to get?”
‘…………….’
The returnee's thoughts cut off. Hey, is this okay? That's a disconnection at nearly the level of passing out.
I wondered if I went too far, but compared to the pain still in my back, this is nothing. Mental pain is originally nothing compared to physical pain.
Anyway, having successfully shaken off the returnee, I decided to finish my remaining business.
"This golem was modeled after a human. It's the type that shares sensations, right? You control it by syncing with your body."
『Affirmative.』
"Then."
I tapped the golem's body. When the golem reacted, I held my finger straight up and wrote letters on the flat golem body. My finger moved swiftly across the golem's belly and chest.
-I'll write important content, so understand. Answer only by nodding.
The golem's body flinched for a moment, then its head shook up and down slightly.
Even if I have the ability to read thoughts, there's no harm in being careful.
You might wonder why I clanged the pots then, but seeing the returnee in agony was satisfying enough.
"You said you were in the cafeteria the whole time?"
Pretending to continue a normal conversation, I wrote on the golem's body.
-I'm playing the role of an instructor here. I lied to survive.
The golem nodded slightly. And at the same time, it answered through the microphone on its mouth.
『Affirmative.』
"Then you must have seen Aji and me eating together."
-So treat me like I'm an instructor too.
This time the golem shook its head. When I glared, the golem spoke clearly.
『I did not witness everything. As mentioned earlier, this unit was under extreme threat, so during the active daytime, it periodically suspended operation-. Warning. Impersonation and false reporting are serious crimes.』
Is this the way of answering by adding it to the end of a sentence?
Well, impersonating an instructor is certainly a crime the Military Nation would never allow. Still so rigid even in this situation. Military Nation signalman.
"Then you must have been operating continuously at night."
-If you don't, I lose my reason to protect you. I lose that right too. If you don't help me, I can't keep you with me.
The golem briefly stopped operating. It seemed the mission of monitoring this place and the crime of cooperating with impersonating an instructor were colliding.
But the dilemma wasn't long. The golem nodded and spoke in an even more mechanical voice.
『I will affirm that.』
Good. With this, that's settled for now, and I just need to serve as a window connecting the Military Nation authorities and Tantalus while securing my own gains.
Getting thrown was worth it. It hurt like hell, but I got something out of it.
I grinned.
『And.』
The golem, which had been slightly pondering, spoke with some hesitation.
『This unit is sharing sensations. Therefore, I request caution when making contact.』
What does that mean? I can't read thoughts, so I can't understand the meaning. Is it something important? The tone seemed to waver a bit.
I picked up the golem again and, holding my finger stiffly straight, wrote letters on its belly and chest.
-Got it. I should only write for really important things, right?
『Uht. I don't understand at...』
Huh. That's a strange reaction. Did the golem break down? It's trembling oddly, and it speaks on its own even though I didn't prompt it.
At that moment, the golem pushed my hand away. It was a small golem the size of a doll, but it was a Military Nation magical golem. Its limbs made of steel could push my hand away.
『...That's enough.』
What? What kind of reaction is that? I can't figure it out.
I didn't know that not being able to read the golem's thoughts would be this regrettable. If it were a person, I could read all their thoughts and gain the upper hand, but it had to be a remote-controlled golem so there's no way to find out. It doesn't even have a facial expression, so I have to guess from tone alone.
Do ordinary people all live like this? It's more inconvenient than I thought. It's like living with a limb missing.
...Oh, wait a minute.
It said it was operating continuously at night, right?
Then it would know who was secretly stealing food, wouldn't it?
Gotcha.