EP.228 Now I Am Safe
Opening the lid of the pitch-black coffin and stepping out, I found myself in a land filled only with peace.
It felt like I had briefly stayed in a wardrobe leading to another world, often seen in fairy tales. Until just a moment ago, I had finished a bloody chase and was groaning in a cramped space, but stepping outside, the fiercely surging air vanished without a trace, leaving only a peaceful and gentle breeze.
Convinced that I was safe, I shouted loudly.
"Alright! We're safe!"
Is this the taste of peace? How sweet. Even the air seems to welcome me, making me feel good.
Unlike the lush forests and trees of the South, the North is a land of wilderness and plateaus. Well, the Military Nation's territory isn't that vast, so coming up this much doesn't bring a dramatic change.
Still, there is a point where it clearly changes. The continuously changing climate and vegetation also undergo a transformation starting from the Bottomless Gorge Plains. Like a border dividing countries across a single line, crossing the Bottomless Gorge Plains reveals desolate grasslands and plains of artificial objects.
A country that doesn't even seem like a country.
Once the nation of alchemy, it is now the Inferior Nation (劣國), torn to shreds because of alchemy.
However, precisely because the country is torn to shreds, it's rather a good land for wanderers like me to squeeze into.
"If we've come this far, even the Military Nation won't be able to chase us. Even if they belatedly notice the trick and somehow come after us, by that time we'll already have fled far, far away. If we follow the Meta-Conveyor Belt from here just a little further, we'll reach the Northeast Staging Area, and if we flee to the Inferior Nation through the Bottomless Gorge Wilderness above that... unless the Military Nation has the ability to cross other countries' borders without restriction, catching us will be impossible!"
How thrilling. Is there anyone else besides me who has evaded the Military Nation's pursuit for this long? This will go down in the Military Nation's history forever.
A record of escaping from the Military Nation. With this resume, I won't be turned away anywhere else.
The regressor, who crawled out of the coffin following me, also stretched broadly.
"Jeez. So persistent. What the hell are these Military Nation guys? I was quietly going my way and they suddenly chase after me."
"Shay, I think the Military Nation would find that unfair. You caused all sorts of chaos in the capital, so you weren't exactly quietly going your way."
"What? It's better than you, Mr. Pied Piper of Hameln? If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have chased us like hounds!"
"What did I do? I lived quietly in seclusion. There were no alarms until you all came. Compared to that, Shay, what did you do? Messed with the Capital Command? You know that's another word for war, right?"
"You blew the pipe!"
"Whililly, whililly. Saying it like that makes me sound like a sound person engaged in art. Anyway, you can consider that I committed no criminal acts in Amitengrad, right? No matter how I think about it, it's not my problem."
"Same goes for us! Until we met you, the Military Nation was actively avoiding engagement! Why would they lead their entire force to chase after us?!"
How would I know that.
Of course, I often gather information through indiscriminate telepathy. If the opponent is a person, my telepathy allows me to briefly assimilate with them... no, read all their memories.
However, I still don't know why the Military Nation is acting like this. Because the Military Nation is not a person.
The two Six-Star Generals who tried to catch us, Jeolchang and Majang.
Jeolchang wondered why the orders suddenly changed, but just let it go. He enjoys fighting strong opponents. Although he has aged and reduced his reckless actions compared to before, if an order comes down, there's no reason not to follow it.
Majang is loyal to the Military Nation's orders. He fills his lacking talent with the system and resources. He is an example of perfectly realizing the Military Nation's ideal, and the Military Nation is a benefactor to Majang, who almost grew old and died as a mediocre mage. The Military Nation and Majang have a mutually affirming relationship.
And the other generals and soldiers just followed orders. So I don't know the Military Nation's true intentions.
No, originally. I don't even know if this country has true intentions.
The regressor called Historia, the person closest to the Military Nation here.
"Commander! You're a Six-Star General, so you must know. Who is the Military Nation chasing us because of? Me, or this guy?"
"I don't know either."
Historia was puffing away on a mana cigarette to commemorate going outside after a long time. Seeing this heavy smoker shamelessly demanding a light even while tied up, the regressor, who had expected a clear answer, scowled deeply.
"You should know! You're a Six-Star General!"
"It's prejudice to think all Six-Star Generals must know. I'm only a Six-Star General in title, I'm still just a Major General."
"You... hoo, fine. Then why did you chase us?"
"Is there a soldier who questions the reason for an order?"
"No, still! There must be a reason you chased us so passionately...! Ah, right."
'She said she had lingering feelings for her ex-lover, and had something to ask related to Hameln. So that's why she chased us...?'
The regressor glanced at me and nodded with a hum. To understand all of Historia's actions with just the one phrase 'ex-lover,' I don't know if they have illusions or are just naive.
In the end, unable to get a clear answer, they grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Does this country, the Military Nation, not even tell its soldiers why they fight?"
Historia showed interest in the regressor's words.
"Fascinating perspective. If the reason is acceptable, you fight, and if not, will you disobey?"
"It's not that! But someone must give the order! If even you, a Six-Star General, the one who chased us directly, doesn't know, then who the hell does?"
"Of course, the Command would know, wouldn't they?"
"Command?"
As soon as the Command was mentioned, an unpleasant expression appeared on the regressor's face. Rather than feeling at a loss, it was a sense of unresolved discomfort. It was an annoying emotion one might feel when finding a little left in the corner after finishing cleaning.
Huh, didn't they say they ruined the Military Nation before? What's with that expression when they've even won against the Command?
'I've watched the Military Nation perish quite a lot of times, and even caused its destruction... but I've never directly seen the Command. When the Military Nation perishes, those guys just vanish without a trace. As if they never existed from the start.'
Regressor! You wrestled with the Military Nation for 13 iterations and don't know the true identity of the Command?! You bastard...!
Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who didn't know.
I've lived in the Military Nation for nearly 25 years and read the minds of countless people. Whether soldiers, instructors, or remnants of the Kingdom, I read their minds indiscriminately. It wasn't an action I took intentionally, but given the nature of my ability, I pride myself on knowing quite a lot.
Even I don't know what the Command is, what its true identity is.
The meaning of 'I don't know' coming from a telepath like me means there truly isn't a single clue.
Amitengrad. The most populous city in the Military Nation, and the largest city. Even while residing there, I've never encountered anyone who belonged to the Command or came into contact with them. It seems the high-ranking officials of the Command don't show their faces on the streets well.
...Thanks to a signal soldier I met recently, I did get a small clue... but even the signal soldiers who communicate directly are merely the limbs of the Command, so oh well.
'The Commander won't know the true identity of the Command either. If she knew, she would have shown it in the previous iteration. Still, nothing ventured nothing gained. It's my first time being this close to the Commander, should I try probing?'
Right. Even the regressor who reversed time, uncovered all the world's secrets, and gathered treasures doesn't know, so how would a mere telepath like me know?
While I felt satisfied and nodded to myself, the regressor decided to make the most of this opportunity. The regressor asked directly.
"That thing you refer to as the Command, does it actually exist?"
Contrary to the regressor's worries, Historia answered obediently.
"It probably does. Orders come down through the signal soldiers."
"So I'm asking, does it actually exist? The signal soldiers deliver the orders, but isn't there not a single person who has directly seen the true form of the Command?"
However, things easily obtained have that much less value. Even Historia knew as little about the true identity of the Command as I did.
"That's nothing new. It's been a while since I became a General, but most of them probably don't even know my face. Who would salute looking at my face? They salute the stars attached to my chest."
Historia puffed out her chest to show off the rank insignia on her chest. The contours stood out between the tightly bound Celestial Silkworm Silk.
But there was something Historia forgot for a moment. Her uniform had become bait to hook the Military Nation and was running off in the opposite direction.
Sigh, I'm doomed. She's still so careless. Isn't this when a true friend should step in?
Let's see. They say it's rude to mention it directly at times like this, so let's refer to the conversation we just had and tell her indirectly. That's considered manners these days.
I saluted Historia's chest.
"Loyalty."
My non-verbal expression effectively did its duty. Historia furrowed her brow and slowly lowered her gaze.
Only then did Historia recall that she was wearing only a thin shirt. And that she was bound with a legendary thread called Celestial Silkworm Silk.
Historia, whose face briefly flushed, clamped down on her mana cigarette and kicked me hard. Her leg shot up without any preliminary motion and struck my thigh with incredible speed and accuracy.
"Argh, argh! Use your words, words! Not your foot!"
"..."
"Ow ow ow! Who didn't tie the prisoner's feet! Don't you know a Six-Star General's entire body is a weapon?!"
Damn it, my body staggered. Whether I tried to run away or subdue her, her leg traced a bizarre trajectory and persistently targeted my thigh.
While I was tormented by Historia's foot, the regressor looked at me with a 'serves you right' expression.
"Hmph. Look at you grinning after creating this mess. It's too late to regret. It's too good for a guy like you."
"Could you please get rid of that baseless ex-girlfriend filter in your head already?! And you're the one who tied this knot! You were going on about tying it tightly, but then thought, 'Huh? Is it too tight?' and neglected the legs!"
'Huh? How did you know that?'
"W-what! Against a Six-Star General, even this level of restraint is not enough!"
"Yes! It's not enough! My body is proving it right now! Oww!"
Anyway, it was revealed that Historia didn't know much about the Command either. The regressor grumbled in disappointment.
"A Command whose identity is unknown even to the Six-Star Generals is blatantly suspicious! Why does no one doubt it?"
"Well, isn't it because they don't know its identity that they can't doubt it?"
"If you don't know its identity, it should be more suspicious!"
"That's because you're a national-level powerhouse, Shay. You're someone who could overthrow a country if things go wrong, so your standards match, but for normal people, concepts like the Military Nation or the Command are too grand."
The Command is a comprehensive term for the brain trust that rules the Military Nation. When a proclamation, order, or directive comes down from the Military Nation, everyone says, 'The Military Nation made us do it,' or 'The Command issued the order,' and they follow it first.
But is it a tyrant wielding absolute power...? That's not quite it. No, it is a tyrant, but a bit different.
A tyrant exists right before one's eyes. They wield their innate power and brutality, instilling fear in people.
Because no one other than me can see into people's hearts, they strive to escape the malicious intent of brutal and capricious tyrants. They flatter to win the tyrant's favor, exploit his indifference to amass wealth, and indulge in luxury and pleasure, gradually corroding the nation. The grime and oil flowing from the top seep downward, gradually polluting the entire body of water.
But the Command is invisible.
It issues orders only through signal soldiers, and even then, not through the signal soldiers themselves, but via communication-use magic golems. The signal soldiers, who are merely captains, are neither brutal nor possess power to exert or authority to enjoy.
Even a fact I only learned recently... they are deprived of everything of the secular world in a windowless room, delivering the Command's orders in dry, monotonous voices. It is a messenger's life that goes beyond integrity and borders on pathological fastidiousness.
The officers loathe the signal soldiers who issue orders clearly despite their low rank, but even that doesn't last long. Even the signal soldiers appear only in the form of golems, and it is quite difficult to hate something that is not human.
If even the signal soldiers and golems are like this, how much more so the Command.
"The more the opponent deviates from the realm of their common sense, the larger, more powerful, and more complex it is to contain in their field of vision, the different the emotion they feel. Ordinary people call the existence beyond their vision gods and revere them. Even if a god takes lives and destroys property, they only lament it, not rage against it. You don't harbor the intent to attack when you see a storm or lightning, do you, Shay?"
"Huh?"
'No? I've caught lightning, though?'
Ah, right. That was the regressor, the worst existence in history that even profanes gods. I shouldn't apply common sense to that side.
A heavyweight who possesses the power to fight against the Military Nation and can truly treat a nation as an 'enemy.'
A heavyweight, right? Not just childish?
What does it matter. Even if childish, if the power is great, that immediately becomes a heavyweight. If something doesn't work out, let's reconsider if it's because of a lack of power.
"So to ordinary people, the Military Nation is like a natural disaster. The officers, at best, harbor complaints against the signal soldiers, and don't blame the Command. People can only hate what they can see with their own eyes..."
Wait a minute. I reflected on the words I had just spat out.
God. And religion.
The Military Nation has no gods. The Holy Emperor's Court was rejected, and the Earth Mother Cult came to this land as a construction company. Other folk beliefs have long fallen to demons or fairies.
Then... this country's religion is...
The moment my thoughts were about to deepen, the regressor's grumbling interrupted my contemplation.
"...But this Six-Star General is a national-level power, so why doesn't she know? She's in a position to know. She doesn't know the Command, and she doesn't know about Hameln. What exactly does she know?"
The one word the regressor thoughtlessly grumbled struck a nerve with Historia.
It was the usual regressor and the usual words and actions. If the opponent were me or Tir, they would have laughed and passed it off. But conversations change their shape depending on the counterpart. Historia couldn't hold it in.
"Then, what am I supposed to do?"
"Huh?"
"Should I pressure the signal soldiers? Should I grab those pitiful guys by the collar, drag them out, and threaten them to spit out the truth? Or, should I rummage through the Command like catching mice, overturn it, and kill them all to find out the truth?"
"W-why are you getting so angry...?"
Asking an angry person why they're angry. I had my suspicions, but still. How surprising.
"Do you think everyone can just shake it off and leave like you, like Huey?! You can't! Leaving without any lingering attachments is what's strange! How can you throw away all the memories and connections you've had until now... and leave?"
She was speaking to the regressor, but those words sounded like they were directed at me. If it's the regressor's fault, it was only that they provoked her until the bottom of those emotions was exposed.
That's quite a lot.
Having poured all her emotions onto the innocent regressor, Historia readjusted her emotional zero point. Her sunken eyes turned towards me.
"I knew that you and a few others were alive! But, even knowing, I didn't say it. If anyone asked, I repeated like a parrot that everyone was dead, that we tried to save them but there were only corpses. That there wasn't a single living person! Even when suspicious gazes fell on me, I kept my mouth shut and faithfully followed the orders given to me...! Because I had to pay for the credibility of my testimony, even if belatedly!"
After her comrades disappeared in what seemed like suicide, and consequently went up to the military academy isolated and alone, she silently followed the Military Nation's orders. Her talents were outstanding as well, but thanks to executing operations without sparing herself, she was called the 'Daughter of the Military Nation' and became a role model for all soldiers.
However, up until middle school, Historia wasn't such a diligent kid. She acted full of herself, ignored other kids, and skipped classes like meals; she was a typical delinquent genius. The diligent honor student was me.
For such a girl to become a model general....
"I thought someone would come looking for me once things calmed down...! I desperately tried to be recognized as a Six-Star General, fearing you might not know my whereabouts! But you, you didn't show the slightest sign of coming to find me...! The one coming to find me..."
'Continuously... waiting... Ever since we met again, this idiot has been constantly running away and pushing me away...!'
Now I couldn't tell whether Historia was crushing the mana cigarette or biting her lip. The ropes bound her arms, but her emotions flowed out continuously, unbridled.
I scratched my chin and received that gaze.
"...Actually, I've been living quite busily in my own way. Somehow, with things turning out like this, I feel like I've become a terrible person."
"Right. You'll be struck by divine punishment."
The regressor nodded obnoxiously and chimed in lightly. Not even a sister-in-law instigating.