EP.249 Aching Fingers
Siati grimaced in pain and discomfort as she raised her head. Her broken fingers, the dark magic power destroying her body, and the wounds inflicted by Maximilian's attack were steadily gnawing away at her.
In contrast, Historia stood with a straight, upright posture, looking down at Siati. The Heavenly Silkworm Silk bound her, preventing her from moving her arms even a little... Even so, Historia was strong. Objectively, and subjectively.
"What... are you saying."
Historia glanced at Siati's fingers.
Her right arm was a prosthetic. Instead of her right hand, which had been severed in the past, a solid lump of iron filled the space. On her one remaining left arm, broken and twisted fingers were attached.
Judging by the state of those fingers, they might soon disappear as well. Perhaps... it wouldn't end with just her fingers. Historia narrowed her eyes even further.
"Your fingers. You only have two left, and we haven't even reached the Command HQ. Your ring and middle fingers are beyond hope now."
"Heh, so what?"
"Two rounds left. If you use them all, what? Will you use your life next?"
"There's nothing I can't use."
Siati spoke out of stubbornness. She was serious.
She was prepared to use even her final curse. If she faced the Command HQ, and if she encountered those who ruined her life, Siati would use her life without a moment's hesitation.
Her resolve was genuine... but Historia instantly denied that will.
"Throw it away."
"What?"
"Dark magic and such won't work."
Furious, Siati raised her upper body. However, separate from her body, which was honest with her emotions, a retort did not immediately leave her mouth. Because Siati herself felt it more keenly than anyone else.
She had broken two fingers against the Gwabyeong. She hadn't achieved any results. She only delayed things slightly, for a mere speck of time. Maximilian returned unharmed.
No, if she had managed to delay the Gwabyeong's time with just her fingers... that would have been a result beyond what she deserved.
If it meant killing her enemies, Siati treated her own life as mere spare change. She always had.
But what if she offered her life and still couldn't achieve anything? What if she touched a taboo and still couldn't accomplish anything?
"Even if it did work, you can't achieve anything with two fingers. A gun without bullets is just a lump of iron. A dark mage without enough offerings is more powerless than an ordinary person."
Infuriated, Siati argued back.
"...So, you're telling me to stop breaking my fingers and just suck on them instead? Don't be ridiculous! Then who's going to break their arms for me?!"
"I will."
"Hah?"
"I'm saying I'll break them for you. Unlike you, regardless of remaining ammo."
Historia turned around without hesitation. Historia's face and body left Siati behind and headed toward the Princess.
The Princess, suddenly dragged into the conversation, blinked. The Military Nation's proud Six Star General approached her with a fearsome expression.
"Princess. I will formally demand this of you. Instead of Siati, I will become your gun."
"Pardon?"
Siati glared, anticipating what Historia was going to say next. Historia was trying to take away her reason to fight.
"I will fully cooperate with you and them. I will do my utmost to achieve what you want. Even if that means acting against the Military Nation."
It was an unprecedented proposal. One of the Military Nation's strongest forces, a Six Star General, was offering to perfectly cooperate with the Princess. The Princess gulped and asked.
"Of course, you have a condition, right? What do you want?"
Historia nodded and spoke with cruel decisiveness.
"In exchange, pull Siati out of combat."
"Historia!"
Ignoring Siati's shout, Historia continued the conversation as she pleased.
"You said Siati is your friend, Princess. Then this is a chance to protect your friend and bolster your forces. If you have any calculation at all, you won't refuse."
"Don't speak out of turn! Who are you to tell me to back off?!"
"I am Historia, Brigadier General of the Military Nation's Six Star Generals. The youngest general, and one who has reached the Principle. A gunner who freely wields guns. I am incomparable to a dark mage with only two rounds left."
Historia calmly recited her qualifications.
"Also, I have knowledge of the Command HQ. I don't know who your informant is, but... they probably don't know the structure of the Command HQ better than I do."
Therefore, my power will be more helpful than you alone. Historia sharply hurled the uncomfortable truth that was obvious but hard to bring oneself to say out loud.
The reason Siati hesitated for a moment just now was because she couldn't bring herself to deny it.
'If Historia becomes our ally, definitely...'
For just a brief moment, the desire to immerse herself in a cozy refuge bloomed. If a much stronger existence than her helpless self were to help... wouldn't it be less taxing for her and more efficient?
The moment her resolve was about to weaken, defiance reared its head.
If Tyr had made the same proposal, Siati would have gladly complied.
But the other person was Historia. She, who once spent the same time as Siati, was now trying to save her out of pity.
"You too, how can you be of any help when you're tied up too!"
Historia didn't argue back with words. She showed it directly through action.
"The condition to become a general of the Military Nation is to have learned the Kan Qigong."
Crack, crack.
A chilling sound began to emanate from Historia's entire body.
From the bones to the joints. Her muscles contracted and her tendons pulled. Her back bent as if an invisible person was roughly pulling her shoulders, and her shirt swelled up as if it would tear, unable to keep up with the deformation of her body.
But there was no one behind her. All of this movement was something she was doing herself.
Historia continued speaking calmly while twisting her own body. As if this was no hindrance at all.
"Only by learning the Kan Qigong do you earn the right to become a general. Because being able to infuse Qigong into bones and muscles drastically increases the survival rate. A general leads a corps; even if blades tear through their body and rocks crush them, they must survive and take responsibility for them until the very end."
Historia's arm bent even further, and her bones momentarily slipped out of place. Pop. Unable to withstand it, a button was torn off. It was a violent change, enough to damage sturdy clothing fabric.
Unlike Historia's body, which moved flexibly, the knots didn't have that kind of flexibility.
"Huu."
Historia let out a long breath and returned her shoulder to its original position. The Heavenly Silkworm Silk, having lost its target to bind, drooped down under her arms. Having not untied the knots but rather slipped out of them entirely, Historia peeled off the silk that had rolled up toward her chest seeking somewhere to hang onto.
"That is why. Dark magic... is also not very effective against a general. Inflicting minor injuries and restricting movement is all it can do."
Historia tossed the Heavenly Silkworm Silk back to its owner. The Returnee, catching the flying silk, clicked his tongue as if he had expected it.
"...Well, I expected it, but you got out more easily than I thought. I tied it pretty tight."
The Princess muttered as she looked at Historia, who had undone her bindings on her own.
"So that's what it looks like when it's untied..."
"Of course. Things like straitjackets or ropes are meaningless to a Six Star General-level fighter. It has to be at least Heavenly Silkworm Silk for it to take time to undo, and I can respond during that time, which is why you tied me up."
"I thought you were into that kind of thing..."
"Huh? Into that?"
"I'm glad... I can't bring out that kind of potential... No, this isn't the time to let our guard down yet, is it..."
"What is? What are you talking about?"
Realizing where the Princess's gaze was directed, Historia fastened her shirt buttons with a slightly flushed face. Anyway, having untied the Heavenly Silkworm Silk herself and regained her freedom, Historia proposed once more.
"Princess. What is your answer to my demand?"
The Princess composed herself again and answered.
"Y-yes, um. Gunner-nim. I appreciate the offer, but..."
"But?"
Sensing the faint hint of refusal, Historia glared at the Princess with an intimidating gaze. The Princess gulped at the fearsome momentum, but still, Historia's aura oppressed the Princess but didn't threaten her.
"As you said, I am Siati's friend. I'm not in a position to give her one-sided orders."
"Then? You don't care if Siati dies?"
"No, no. I didn't say that!"
The Princess hastily shook her head and quickly retorted.
"I-Instead, if you want to help Siati! Rather than cooperating with me, how about you stay by Siati's side and protect her? I, I have the ability to not be attacked...!"
"So you're refusing. You don't care whether Siati dies, or even if her hands disappear entirely."
"T-That's not what I mean! It's just, I... Siati has something more important than her life, so I thought that would be better!"
"I understand well. In the end, Siati is also a horse you can drive to your will. For someone who's a princess, your actions are just like the Kingdom's."
The Princess fell silent. If she truly felt that way, she wouldn't have participated in the front lines, but having just lost Selphy, she lacked the will to deny it.
"I don't need it! Even if I die, I won't accept help from someone like you!"
Siati shouted instead.
"You never see us as the same humans until the end! Because we're weak, because we're insignificant. You're convinced we can't do anything! The ones who abandoned the children of Hamelin weren't other people. It was someone like you, who considered us unnecessary beings! It's the same as killing them all!"
"Say whatever you want. No matter what you say, I'll save you as I please."
"Like when we fell into the Hamelin River? Ha! You were so great, you only pulled corpses out of the water? What did you save there?"
Siati, mocking her to the fullest, picked at an old wound. It was a mental dark magic. It was painful for both of them, but it was more fatal to Historia than to Siati, who was more worn out.
"...Right."
Historia was in pain for a moment, but it didn't show on her face. Instead, she calmly turned her head.
"Like back then."
Having been separated from that conversation because I was holding the steering wheel, I let out an inward sigh.
Neither of them are very sociable, but their conversation was going around in circles to a severe degree. I figured it was because of their lingering resentment, but when you two sharpen your blades against each other, it makes me tired just standing by.
"Now, now. Everyone calm down. Anyway, on a grand scale, it's become a good story..."
When I was trying to lighten the mood pointlessly. Historia whipped her head around.
"You too, Huey."
"Huh? Me?"
"Stay out of the fight. Take Siati with you. Then I'll fight in your place."
Historia was relentless. She said it with the intention of protecting not only Siati but also me. At the unexpected proposal, I scratched my chin.
"Uh, hey. Ria. I really appreciate the thought."
She seemed to be greatly misunderstanding something. Can't she tell from the fact that I'm driving right now? I'm not a combatant in the first place.
"I can't accept your words either."
"...Are you also trying to die as you please, like Siati?"
"No? I have no intention of that at all. I'm not a combatant in the first place. I don't even go near dangerous places from the start."
'...That doesn't seem to be the case. You act like you're clever, but you actually stick your foot into all the dangerous things.'
Historia looked at me with a suspicious gaze, but I had nothing to say. Because in reality, I was just caught up in everything.
"And you don't need to worry too much. Look."
I raised my finger and pointed at the sky. The sun, having finished its daily routine, was slowly preparing to sleep. The slanting light gradually weakened, and darkness filled the empty space.
"It's getting dark."
It was worth dragging the motor carriage and making it in time. It's night now. The time when danger tends to visit.
But we have the Nobles of the Night on our side. Tonight, the dangerous time will belong solely to the Military Nation.