EP.230 Mom Is Good, Dad Is Good
It might be too arrogant for a mere human to discuss the shape of a country they can't even see with their own eyes, but when looking at a map, the military nation definitely has a horizontally elongated shape.
Bloodlines follow the body. Accordingly, the meta-conveyor belt, which could be called the military nation's main artery, was also a flat oval. No, more precisely, it was closer to a horizontally elongated rectangle with angled semicircles cut and pasted onto both ends. Because if there were curves, there would be heavy wear at the edges.
The location of the headquarters was the exact center of the round meta-conveyor belt. The center of the Inner Circle. To get there, we needed to move horizontally to some extent.
Thus, we were now re-boarding the meta-conveyor belt we had once left.
After the plan to raid the headquarters was drafted, the Regressor headed for the meta-conveyor belt. There was no better means of transportation to move without being detected, with signal soldiers and searchlights spreading surveillance in all directions. Having easily climbed on top, we looked for a container to hide in and spend time.
The inside of the container was full of cargo... but the Regressor emptied it in a very simple way. She opened her subspace, the pocket, and started putting all the luggage in.
Historia gaped at the pocket that swallowed items endlessly.
“…What in the world is that?”
“Ah, it's a cheat item. By the way, it's filled with all sorts of bizarre tools.”
“Two treasured swords, and your energy reserves too…! Are you the hidden son of the empire's emperor or something?”
“Do the hidden sons of the empire's emperor carry around stuff like that these days? I'm a bit envious. Seems like being the emperor's son might be worth a try, hey.”
Ah, that's a relief. I'm not the only one feeling inferiority based on envy. Historia was also feeling similar absurdity as me upon seeing that.
This is the normal reaction. Carrying around an item like that is the weird thing.
“Tch. It's full.”
The Regressor stopped putting things in only after emptying two-thirds of the container. She clicked her tongue regretfully, which is annoying. I hope she remembers that she could become a revolution in the military nation's logistics industry.
A single person being comparable to one container—isn't the container, made solely for holding things, the one feeling wronged here?
The Regressor took out other daily necessities from within the pocket and said.
“Let's shove the rest roughly into a corner. It'll be best to spend time here until we arrive at the Central depot. And if possible, prioritize contacting the Resistance.”
“The Resistance? Do we need them? Won't that be going too far?”
“They're perfect for causing a commotion. If they're not around, well, we'll just wreak havoc ourselves.”
Even from the military nation's perspective, it'd be better to call the Resistance. The kind of havoc the Regressor would wreak is something they've never experienced.
“Are you done? Then it's my turn. Is it enough to place a brand here?”
“Yes. Please do.”
“Heh heh. Understood. Dividing the work feels rewarding.”
The one who normally wouldn't lift a finger is now feeling the rewards of labor.
Tirk drew a brand with her blood-soaked finger on the inner wall of the container. In the darkness, the blood-imbued pattern glowed ominously, and the inner wall came under her control. In the days when she freely handled blood, she would have done it just by reaching out, but now that her heart beats again, she had to draw it stitch by stitch. The container was on the larger side, and her characteristic leisurely attitude added to it, taking up quite a bit of time.
But you can't rush her. Because it's something only Tirk can do. This is what you call a specialist.
Now, everyone is working. It's time for me to start earning my keep.
If I don't work, my share disappears, and so does the right to enjoy things accordingly. If I want to live enjoying all there is to enjoy, working that much is essential.
I raised my finger and pointed over there.
“Alright, let's go! Aji, Nabi, Ria! Clear the luggage into a corner!”
“Woof woof!”
“Meow?”
“…I'm included in this?”
The dog ran out just like Aji. No, was it the other way around? Anyway, it dragged cargo around, leaving teeth marks and claw marks, and shoved them into corners several times.
My inner instinct that loves square angles immediately told me to stop it and keep things neat, but I set it aside for now. It wasn't a goal I had to achieve even by increasing my own tasks, so it got pushed down in priority. In other words, it was a bother.
“Meow-. Well done, meow-.”
“Nabi. You need to work too.”
“Meow? Meow, I have to eat and smoke. Offer tribute right now, meow.”
“Really, a cat's life is the best life... If you push that cargo over there into the corner well, I'll give you a box that fits you perfectly.”
“A box? Give it to me, meow! Right now!”
“Does this beast not even know the relationship between work and reward?”
As a human, I took care of the cleanup. That's the privilege of a being with high intelligence. I stacked the luggage Aji had pushed against the wall neatly and prepared the space we would stay.
Oh, right. I need to wipe the floor too. Should I use someone else for this?
“Ria. I'll give you a rag, so wipe the floor. Even with your hands tied, you can wipe with a rag, right?”
Historia grabbed the rag with her toes and asked me back.
“…Hui. You're joking, right?”
“A joke? Does this look like a joke to you? If you're a member of this group, shouldn't you work? A prisoner doesn't have to work? Then I want to be a prisoner too!”
“Not that. The part about raiding the headquarters.”
Historia glared fiercely up at me and gritted her teeth.
“You said you wanted to live an ordinary life. Since when did assaulting the headquarters become ordinary?”
“No, didn't you hear Shei's explanation? What we're doing is pursuing peace. Love and peace. That's the most important thing an ordinary person should do, isn't it?”
I formed a V with both hands and answered.
When there's a leashed beast, it's instinct to go to that precarious distance to tease it, so I continued provoking Historia even knowing she'd flare up.
If her hands weren't tied, she would have put a hand to her head. Historia felt mental dizziness and said.
“You're going to attack the headquarters to prevent a war? That's war itself! Aren't you stupid?”
“Just between us, honestly, I think she is stupid.”
“…You mean yourself, Hui!”
“Huh? Why? From the operation to the planning, it's all drafted by Shei. If I say stupid, it's obviously Shei!”
If a war broke out in a previous regression, she should have told us in advance. I almost escaped to the other country that would become a battlefield without a choice.
Assaulting the headquarters isn't a comfortable matter, but it's better than getting caught up in a war. Unstable murderous intent aimed at an unspecified mass like in war is too fatal for me. You can't dodge blind bullets.
And according to the Regressor's thoughts, the war clouds between nations would gradually intensify starting from this war... Well, there's no harm in stopping it, right? It's not like I'm stopping it.
“So it's settled. Ria. But didn't I tell you to clean? Since when did cleaning become looking up at me with a gaze that could shoot me dead?”
“Hui!”
“If you don't like it, get off right now. Who's stopping you? Your feet aren't tied, so run over to your Blade-Master Dad and Magic Master Mom and tattle, right? ‘They're charging at the headquarters! Go stop them!’ like that! Go ahead and dye my path with hardships!”
“This...!”
Instead of a fist that was tied behind and invisible, her shoulders and chest trembled. I took the opportunity to jeer as much as I could.
“Go! I'm not stopping you. What, are we going to kill you? Or torture you or take you as a hostage? We'll let you go. You're the one who said you wanted to watch and come along!”
“Hey!”
Historia, still tied up, moved her legs. The rag was placed on her foot and immediately shot at me like a cannonball. Even though her posture wasn't good, the rag flew precisely toward my head.
Haha. No chance. No matter how pathetic I am, there's no way I can't dodge a rag thrown with feet. I leaned back...
“Ugh!”
It hit my face. Of all things, it hit while I was leaning back, so my body fell backward. The bone that lost its tail through generations collided with the hard floor. At this very moment, I miss the lost tail so much.
Right. Legs have three times the strength of arms...! The only weakness is that the motion is large and easy to notice, but that's something irrelevant for me with mind-reading anyway!
I fell, rubbed my numb tailbone, and peeled off the rag that had imprinted my face.
“Ptooey ptooey. How dare you hit my face with a dust-covered rag!”
“Compared to what you did, you deserve it.”
“Not even a hint of remorse! I'll punish you right away!”
‘Punishment? Even if I'm tied up, how are you going to punish me? You'll have to come up with a creative method, Hui. I'll be looking forward to it.’
I'll answer that expectation!
Not me! Someone stronger than me!
With that momentum, I ran over to Tirk and the Regressor and tattled.
“Mom! Dad! She hit me! Scold her!”
The response was immediate. The one called Dad, the Regressor, exclaimed fiercely as if she herself had been shot.
“Why am I Dad! In the first place, I'm a wo— no! You're even older than me!”
Oh, so you knew I was older? I thought you forgot that fact completely given how you push me around and ignore me. Or are you counting the age before regression?
...Knowing I'm older and still speaking impudently is worse, but it's actually fair.
“Shei. Is it not just a light joke meant to make us laugh? Could you not play along a little?”
“No! What's with Dad, Dad! Even as a joke it gives me the creeps! I've never had a son like that!”
Even when considering before regression, she's like this to Tirk, who's at least a thousand years older. So she's equally rude to everyone, which makes her more likeable, yes.
Meanwhile, Tirk didn't point that out or feel displeased at all. Having encountered all sorts of people over the long years, she had stopped caring about people's reactions. Indeed, if every time she ran into someone they spewed insults like “Let's drive iron nails into the arms and legs of that filthy vampire,” would her heart survive if she got hurt by it?
Tirk lightly scolded the Regressor and smiled benevolently, approaching me.
“Alright. Come here. What do you want me to do?”
I ran right over and tattled on Historia's atrocities. I said she threw a rag at my face, turning this handsome face into a rag, and that the taste of the crusty dust scraped from the container floor was truly exquisite.
After chattering, I pointed at Historia standing with a dumbfounded look and shouted.
“Teach her a lesson! So she can never do that again!”
“Understood.”
After nodding slightly, Tirk walked lightly and stood before Historia. Then, in a loud voice as if for me to hear, she began to lecture her.
“I understand you had a close relationship with Hui and missed him out of lingering affection. I also acknowledge your feelings of great regret and resentment over past events and that you will not repeat the tragedy. However.”
Tisk. Tirk placed a hand on her chest somewhat smugly and continued.
“Remember. You were the side pursuing Hui, and we were the side trying to protect Hui against you. With black and white so clear, you're trying to act too chummy. What's more, you even posed a small threat to him... You are a prisoner to the end. Do not forget that we accepted your request to come along out of goodwill.”
It was a sound argument, touching on the other's sorest point. At the same time, it lent me perfect backing.
The opponent is the progenitor Tirkanczaka. A being Historia couldn't defeat even in full strength. With her arms bound and while continuing the journey, Historia had no choice but to accept her words from that position.
“…Alright, Progenitor.”
“There is no promise. Say with your own mouth what you have understood.”
Under the continuous scolding, Historia gritted her teeth and answered shamefully.
“I won't... harm Hui.”
“Since you said it yourself, I will trust that you will keep it on your will and honor.”
After asserting, Tirk glanced back at me and smiled. Meaning, was this enough? I nodded, and Tirk slightly spread her arms, revealing her empty embrace.
‘I played along and gave her a good telling-off. How is it?’
A lovely elder sis...ter who plays along so well? Anyway, I'm also quite good at playing along. Since I read minds, I go along with the play the other person plans.
I also spread my arms, ran over, and hugged Tirk.
“Thank you, Tirk!”
“It was nothing.”
Because I'm larger compared to Tirk's relatively small frame, it looked like I wrapped around her, but Tirk happily pulled me into a hug, her eyes smiling.
‘Heh heh. This is fun. It may be harsh to the female general before my eyes, but bragging about our current relationship in front of a remnant of the past gives a base yet peripheral pleasure. So humans have such childish emotions.’
Thoughts slightly steeped in superiority drift from within the embrace. Historia was glaring at me as if stabbing me, her temper flaring. Good thing I took the gun away beforehand. If I hadn't, my back might have been the target.
That was when. I felt the sensation of the world tilting forward. The belt was slowing down.
The container had arrived at the intermediate depot.