EP.260 The Nation of Steel and the Faceless Humans - 9
Like every nation that has chewed over countless failures, the Military Nation respects the judgment of field commanders. They may have signalmen, but those signalmen only provide information and present strategic objectives—they do not interfere with command.
There are clues on the field that can only be obtained on the field. No matter how quickly a signalman makes judgments, they cannot surpass that intuition.
In that sense, Captain Toruk was an excellent commander. He finished making his judgment the moment Aemeder was annihilated under the combined assault of Nabi, the Regressor, and Tir.
"I will accept your proposal. However, we also need trust regarding you."
It was a de facto declaration of surrender, though the other side would never admit it. I didn't point that out for the sake of smooth negotiation.
"You want hostages, don't you? But we're not fools either, so we can't send you hostages. Instead, I'll promise our full cooperation."
"What is it?"
"Until we save everyone here, I'll temporarily halt the advance and devote myself to rescue operations."
'Halt the advance? If that's the case, it would effectively tie their feet, so nothing could be better. But will they really accept this?'
Probably. The Regressor is negative about killing all the laborers, and Historia's goal isn't to destroy the refinery but to avoid combat.
As for Tir, well, she's just tagging along.
Right on cue, the Regressor who had successfully annihilated Aemeder was approaching. She pounded my shoulder without hesitation and said.
"What kind of deal are you conducting on your own?"
"Negotiation. This is the Military Nation's facility anyway, and to save the laborers, even one extra pair of hands is precious."
"Wha? You're the one who activated the annihilation device!"
"I didn't particularly intend to kill them? That was just a means for us to become safe. Look. If I hadn't activated the device, would they have even pretended to listen to us?"
The Regressor looked at Captain Toruk and the forces he had brought. It wasn't a large number. True to being an excellent commander, the moment he sensed things had gone wrong, he had already divided his forces and scattered them throughout the refinery. This was because if battle ended, they had to immediately begin damage restoration.
'...A strategist? No, rather than a strategist, more like someone a bit more dramatic... like a swindler.'
I said subtly.
"Facing a sudden disaster, joining forces with the enemy to save people. What a beautiful and human conclusion. Shall we put in some effort for a happy ending?"
"Tch, ultimately you're helping the Military Nation."
"No. It's a bit different. Shei, to save the laborers, we have to destroy the device driving them to death, right? Just as you wanted."
The Regressor realized what I meant and made a foolish sound.
"Huh?"
"Yes! It's an opportunity to destroy the refinery's facilities to your heart's content. Even with the Military Nation's careful guidance!"
In short, the destructive behavior without casualties that the Regressor wanted was now permitted. If the refinery's facilities were miserably smashed one by one, the laborers might remain, but they wouldn't be able to operate the refinery for now.
The situation falls perfectly into place.
Unlike gears, humans are too different from each other to ever perfectly align. Ideology, purpose, ability—each is different, so misalignment somewhere is inevitable.
But this situation I orchestrated has every human clicking perfectly into place. The Regressor felt an emotion close to half-terror.
'Hughes. Just how far ahead are you predicting...?'
Huh. It's not prediction.
'She realized it was a trap and got ahead of us. She even planned to completely destroy the refinery by breaking the prepared trap. In the process... she avoided unnecessary sacrifice as I wanted, and eliminated the battle with the Military Nation as the General wanted. This is... something even a prophet couldn't do...'
Accurately grasping the Military Nation's intentions, predicting their actions, and while being certain of that, devising an operation to counter each plan one by one... how nice would that be. A talent comparable to famous strategists in history.
But in reality, I just read the thoughts of Yinggui who devised all these operations, and eliminated them one by one as if solving a problem.
I'm not a genius; I'm a swindler who looked at the answer sheet beforehand. Unfortunately.
'...Perhaps, really.'
The Regressor's thoughts cut off there. She realized time was of the essence. From now on, hesitation would directly lead to someone's death.
Picking up the Jizan she had dropped on the ground, the Regressor left a brief word toward me.
"Anyway, it helped. Thank you."
The Regressor strode toward Captain Toruk and his forces. As she approached, the troops moved with heavy tension, surrounding her. The Regressor swung her sword in annoyance and answered.
"Stop the useless antics and lead the way! We don't have time!"
Seeing the Regressor's confident attitude, one officer grumbled with dissatisfaction.
"Damn it. Having her around makes us the hostages."
"Before I treat you as actual hostages, hurry up and move!"
While the Regressor led them away, I secretly called Tir from behind. Seeing my gesture, Tir approached leisurely.
[Thanks to you, I avoided getting my skin scorched. If not for your wits, I would have shown a thoroughly burnt figure. Quite a sensual gift, wouldn't you say?]
Putting on airs. When she was actually quite startled by the Military Nation's artificial lighting pushing with sheer quantity.
Compared to sunlight, it falls short in many ways, but in terms of light density alone, it surpassed the sun. If she had taken that light head-on, even Tir would have been temporarily incapacitated.
A vampire in light is, metaphorically speaking, like a human fallen into water. With every movement, she would receive tremendous pressure and her strength wouldn't work properly.
Well, she still could have somehow escaped. She could resist light with darkness, and if she just moved 30 meters to one side, she could break through the wall and get out. It's just that by then, we'd all be dead.
Huh. Actually, I protected myself rather than Tir.
Feeling awkward, I scratched my head.
"What do you mean. Oh, if you're done using it, could you return that cloth?"
At my legitimate demand for return, Tir, who still had my Diamond Queen draped over her shoulders, flinched and pulled her collar tighter.
[Was it not a gift?]
"I didn't say I was giving it to you, did I? It's expensive. Please return it."
[There's not even a speck of romance to be found. How can a man take back a handkerchief he once handed over?]
"That's from when? These days, plenty of people demand back the gifts they gave when breaking up.]
[It's the end times!]
"I don't think the end times would occur because of a request to return my belongings."
Tir is quite the refined type, so when I persistently demanded it back, she reluctantly handed over the Queen of a Thousand she had been wearing. I couldn't just give away something this valuable. I converted the Queen of a Thousand back into a card and tucked it inside my clothes.
But Tir also had a lingering attachment. Still dissatisfied, she continued grumbling even then.
[I simply cannot understand! How can you, without any sense of shame!]
"Hahaha. It's because I have a use for it. And Tir. I have a request."
[Your face is so thick a needle wouldn't even prick it. Is this the attitude of someone asking a favor—shamelessly taking back what was once given?]
I don't like looking petty taking back what I gave either. But originally, the Queen of a Thousand is a valuable tool for me too. I can't give away a luxury item that could buy a house if sold.
And she keeps taking it for granted that I give her things.
"Tir, you're older than me and have more money! You even built a country once! So isn't it too much to try to take away what little remains of my property as a petit bourgeois living? You should be eating the liver of a flea!"
[Would I grudge bestowing things upon you? You need to show sincerity first before I offer treasures or gold in return, don't I?]
"Ah, right. Before, you said you'd give gold or treasures as lecture fees or massage payment, but you couldn't actually give me anything useful, could you? I waited trusting the name value of the Progenitor Tirkanja, when can I receive that?"
[...Let's discuss that matter later, and since the situation is urgent, let me hear your request.]
Hmph. Quite skilled. Using the urgency to avoid unfavorable answers. Maybe it's because she has experience building a nation, but she speaks better than a certain regressor.
I looked around once, then lowered my voice and whispered to Tir.
"If they save the laborers, the laborers will definitely be briefly freed from their restraints. Tir, while pretending to help them, when the laborers are released at that moment."
[At that moment?]
"Blind their eyes with darkness, then secretly smuggle them outside the refinery. Scatter them in all directions, so the Military Nation's forces arriving ahead have new concerns."
Realizing how important my request was, Tir also lowered her voice and answered.
[Is that truly acceptable? I heard all the humans here are heinous criminals. If you release them into the world, numerous problems will arise.]
"Why would I care? As long as they didn't commit crimes against me, it doesn't matter."
[Law, justice—your attitude of not caring even a speck about such things is highly improper.]
"Are you disappointed?"
Tir shook her head and smiled faintly. Her red lips drew an arc. It was a smile that felt like kindred spirits, like looking at an accomplice submerged in the same mire.
[Not at all. No, I rather like it more.]
To Tir, this refinery isn't a horrific space that tramples on human dignity. It's merely the most advanced method among historically common ways to efficiently consume humans.
There could be nothing more meaningless than discussing modern morality with a vampire queen who has lived for a thousand years.
[Wait a moment. Then what do you intend to do in the meantime?]
"Me? My working wouldn't help at all, and if I roam around needlessly and become a hostage, it would hinder Riā or Tir. So I'll just stay here and watch quietly.]
[Yes. That seems like the better option.]
"Alright. Tir, then please go liberate those laborers. Not for justice, but for me."
Tir chuckled and accepted my words.
[I will grant your request.]
And Tir also left the control room, trailing darkness. From her retreating shadow, dozens of Black Knights sprang up one after another.
A vampire saving people... it's common. The race that has killed the most humans in the world is humans themselves, but the race that has saved the most humans is, surprisingly, humans who became vampires.
Well. The preparations are done now. I stretched broadly and turned around. On one side, Aji was struggling tangled in the wire fence, and Nabi was excitedly confirming each dropped light fixture one by one. The lights with residual glow sparkling like glass shards were destined to become Nabi's footprints in the near future.
On the other side, Historia was briefly explaining what had happened to Siati and the Princess.
Siati was gritting her teeth, and the Princess, unable to adapt to the suddenly changed situation, wore question marks on her face.
"What? What? Wait a moment. Carapald... betrayed? Because he activated the trap, Shei cut him...?"
"I don't know the details. Whether he's the real Carapald, or someone in disguise. But clearly something has happened to him."
"I can't believe it. He's definitely not someone who would betray us..."
"That's because they're human, you never know how they'll change."
The Princess, thoroughly cowering, looked around. The lights had been broken but it was still relatively bright, so the inside of the control room was still clearly visible.
"...But."
Looking around the control room, the Princess soon asked with puzzlement.
"Where is Carapald?"
Historia flinched and whipped her head around. Where she directed her gaze was the spot where Carapald had fallen spilling blood just moments ago.
But there was no one there. Not even a trace of dried blood could be seen. Historia reached out with tension fully raised.
"...It seems Carapald wasn't the real one after all."
"Oh, then that's a relief! Carapald didn't betray us after all!"
Toward the Princess who answered childishly, Historia declared with eyes mixed with contempt.
"It's misfortune. The fact that someone disguised as him means his identity has already been discovered, and if so, Carapald would have undergone terrible torture, vomited up all information, and been executed."
"Wh-what?"
"But to deceive my senses and that kid's over there. How can that be?"
Ah, that. It was exquisite acting.
Sieghrund's acting isn't something mystical. He is a true actor, one who has honed his craft to show one human to another. Because it's in the pure realm of technique, both the Regressor and Historia were completely deceived.
The greatest ability among them is precisely the Sensory Qigong that breathes qi into the flesh. His qigong, barely reaching the edge of the principle, can fabricate the body's reactions as desired, and also makes it possible to transform into another being.
"Nya?"
Crack.
Nabi, who had been happily finding enjoyment in breaking lights, sensed a strange reaction and raised her forepaw. Whether it was a faulty light or not, the moment Nabi lifted her forepaw, a loud explosion sound came from it.
"Nyahahah!"
Firecracker-like light burst repeatedly and sparkling dust scattered. Historia reacted instantly, exploding wind with qigong to cancel it out, while Aji and Nabi barked frantically in all directions in surprise.
In the chaos that erupted in an instant, Historia's voice rang out.
"Everyone gather together! Don't scatter!"
Historia stopped mid-sentence. Because right before her eyes, someone was walking out. A tall female general with languid eyes and braided hair was glaring at her with eyes wide open.
Someone who looked exactly like Historia—no, someone who seemed to be Historia herself. Even Siati and the Princess, who thought they knew her fairly well, were horrified seeing the two who looked exactly like mirror images.
"There are two... General?!"
Historia didn't waste time being horrified at finding someone identical to herself. With a very brief interval, they moved simultaneously. One Historia shot out her long leg. 'Historia' smoothly deflected it, trying to break the leg wrapping it with her knee and elbow. The kick sharply changed direction in mid-air, and in response, arms and legs moved dizzyingly.
Kaboom. Historia's qigong, the Explosive Death Mirror, detonated and both their figures slid back. 'Historia' hastily reached out toward me and shouted.
"Hughes! It's dangerous! Hide behind me—!"
"You can't hide. Because you're the fake."
Leaving the Princess where she was, I immediately fled toward the side closer to Historia. As I moved away, the vainly extended hand clenched and unclenched several times.
Toward me who rejected her and ran away again, 'Historia's' face was dyed with despair.
"H-how..."
There's no point trying to act out expressions. Paradoxically, the easiest way to break free from acting is to remind yourself that all of this is acting.
'Historia' realized that I hadn't simply guessed, but had genuinely seen through her. 'Historia's' expression changed instantly. Tilting her head with pure curiosity and puzzlement, Sieghrund, wearing Historia's face, expressed a question.
"How did you know I was the fake?"