EP.58 The Telepath's Monologue
As the vampire said, Finlay's sudden appearances to show off had ceased.
Though occasionally when I cooked, as I chopped ingredients with a knife, he would alternately stare at the kitchen knife and my fingers with expectant eyes. Not a chance. If I were the kind of fool to cut my hand on a mere kitchen knife, I wouldn't be able to shuffle cards.
Do you know how dangerous shuffling is? Shuffle wrong and your hand goes flying. Compared to that, chopping with a knife where the worst outcome is losing a finger is a piece of cake.
Sorry, but there's no food for vampires in a human kitchen. Just get lost already.
Anyway, the Abyss had at least regained some peace. The vampire left Finlay alone more often than before, and the regressor, while not satisfied, at least didn't sharpen his blade. It was a period when the big ripples had subsided and they entered a subtle stabilization period.
During that time, I was facing the golem in a corner of the dining hall.
"Confirmed."
A softened voice came from the golem after hearing my report.
"There are still many outstanding issues, but with limited means available at present, we expect to observe the situation for the time being. Please maintain this situation until the home country takes additional measures."
"Understood! Leave it to me!"
"..."
Then the golem began to stare at me without saying a word. Maybe because it's a golem's gaze, it felt inexplicably burdensome.
"Why are you just standing there with your mouth on the mic? Something else you want to say?"
"...Question. Why are you taking a cooperative attitude today of all days?"
"Today? I've always been cooperative with Captain Abby. Is there anything Captain Abby asked that I haven't complied with?"
"That is what you are supposed to do. You are a laborer of Tantalus, and you are obligated to follow the legitimate orders of this unit, which is the administrator."
"So aside from when we had minor differences of opinion and needed to adjust, I've followed everything, haven't I? Take you there when asked, save you when asked, respond when an intruder falls in. I even solved things on my own without orders sometimes. Where else would you find a model laborer like me?"
"Didn't you use that as an excuse each time to make unreasonable demands of this unit?"
"Unreasonable demands? What do you mean?"
"Forcing this unit to engage in specific speech and behavior."
"Specific speech and behavior? Well? I don't really know about that?"
The golem stopped moving, but only briefly. Soon, dry words flowed from the speaker.
"Didn't you force this unit to say childish things like 'Oppa' or 'Up-up'?"
"Ah, that? Hey, that was just joking around, a joke."
I tried to brush it off casually, but the golem's glaring gaze was so piercing that I had to make more excuses.
"Honestly, what's so difficult about that that you have to use the word 'forced'? Did Captain Abby lose money, or get hurt? I just asked you to say 'up-up.' The orders just got a little cuter, and since I enthusiastically went 'up-up,' isn't it essentially a win-win?"
"Denial. This unit is a military nation's signal corps member, and a captain of the independent signal unit. This unit has an obligation to maintain the dignity befitting its position."
"You're a golem in the first place. If I made the real Captain Abby do that in front of me, I'd be an unquestionable pervert. But I just did some wordplay with this tiny golem at most."
"Your degeneracy is already beyond question."
"Pervert? Goodness. You can't even say that to your oppa."
"………."
Oh, is she mad?
Before the golem could seriously contemplate retaliation, I quickly moved on to the next topic.
"Ah, and the Progenitor also said this. Since Finlay ended up here by mistake, return him to the surface."
A sigh leaked from the golem who had been staring at me. It had given up refuting because it was too absurd.
"Impossible. Having infiltrated the Abyss Tantalus with specific intent constitutes a violation of security law, and if this were the surface, an arrest warrant would have been issued. This is the Abyss. Therefore, the Progenitor's request cannot be accommodated."
"I told them something similar and managed to hold them here for now, but if things go wrong, they seem ready to just fly away. As you know, powerful vampires can fly freely even in this darkness, right? What if they fly up to the surface?"
"Escape is also impossible."
The golem answered definitively. At the overly brief explanation, I waved my arms and protested.
"No, I'm telling you they'll fly away. They said they'd fly through the sky until they die of old age. Vampires don't die of old age, so essentially forever! No matter how deep the Abyss is, wouldn't they eventually be able to escape? Then I'd be shot for failing to manage them!"
"Regarding that point, you need not worry. It is impossible to escape this place, the Abyss, by flying through the air."
The moment it said that, the golem's voice cut off abruptly. A severing of sound as if sliced by a knife.
After that, a sharper voice flowed from beyond the golem.
"...As a military nation's signal corps member, I sternly warn you."
The slight ease that had been present during our conversation was no longer felt. Having casually revealed the truth through the gap of relaxed tension in the atmosphere I had created, the golem perceived it and recomposed itself.
With an impenetrably rigid attitude, the golem spoke.
"This unit fully understands your position, and is taking a cooperative attitude in consideration of the fact that you are the only available personnel within Tantalus and have built friendships with the trainee in that capacity. However."
The crystal eyes moved. My figure was fully reflected in those round orbs that trapped light.
Beyond them, somewhere unseen by me, the eyes watching me must have grown cold.
"If you show any movement to extract information from this unit again, or if such signs are observed. This unit too will consider alternative means to 'replace' you."
This is why I don't really like the military nation. The people, the ideology, the systems are all so rigid, it's hard to survive.
In such a barren world, there's no place for a magician who chases romance.
I answered with a smile. The golem stared at me for a while, then unilaterally cut the connection without warning.
The light disappeared from the crystal eyes, and the iron-made body slumped down.
*****
Finlay no longer demanded blood from me. As per the supreme Progenitor's order, interfering with my life or suddenly intruding had completely stopped.
It stopped, but.
'Cut yourself. Cut your finger at least. Spill some blood.'
I had overlooked the fact that I am a telepath.
Whenever I cooked, especially when I was doing something with a kitchen knife, Finlay would secretly watch from hiding and pour out curses.
Even so, having those thoughts constantly flowing in makes me feel like I'll lose my mind. This is nothing short of a curse.
No, why does that pesky ghost keep coveting my blood?
'I must offer blood to the Progenitor! For a subordinate to speak their opinion to their Blood Lord, and to a Blood Lord of such an exalted rank at that, they must bring fresh blood. The subordinate offers blood, and the Blood Lord receives that blood and listens to the story contained within. That is tradition, so the Progenitor will surely accept it!!'
From reading those thoughts, it seems the Progenitor Tirkanjaka has also misunderstood somewhat.
Before a Blood Lord, a subordinate is infinitely insignificant. A Blood Lord who caused them to be born as a vampire, who can dominate subordinates through blood control art, who can snuff out their breath with a flick of a finger—such a Blood Lord is akin to a combination of god and parent to their subordinates.
'The Progenitor pities us. The Progenitor wishes to protect us. I understood Their will, so if I keep petitioning, I can persuade Them.'
However.
In this world, there are countless children who cannot even recognize their own parents, and absurdly many humans who look down on gods.
Also, the hearts they harbor are all different. There are ten thousand ways for ten thousand people to respect their parents, and the way a god of a religion is worshipped varies for each.
'Yes! Let me tell Them about the Elder's annihilation. If the Progenitor learns that one of Their closest subordinates has been annihilated, the Progenitor who will grieve may change Their mind.'
Finlay deliberated.
When first prostrating before the Progenitor who is like a god to vampires, for a brief moment, he clearly hesitated.
Should he deceive the Progenitor to steer the situation to his advantage, or should he confess the truth regardless of the outcome?
At that time, he was afraid and unfamiliar with the Progenitor's power, so he chose the truth, but...
'Although he... wasn't hunted by the Sacred Court. But the Progenitor wouldn't know that much. If the Progenitor blames me in the future, I'll accept the punishment. For the Progenitor to dawdle here with these insignificant seeds is a great loss to us night nobles.'
The unknown is synonymous with fear. Therefore, we are always humble before what we cannot know.
When darkness comes, we must either take a torch or lamp and go out to respectfully greet it, or we must cower inside our rooms.
Conversely speaking, knowledge is both peace and arrogance.
The Progenitor Tirkanjaka, unlike Their notorious reputation, is quite benevolent. For Finlay, who had received the Progenitor's protection several times, there was no longer the same level of fear as before.
That must have changed Finlay's judgment.
"Sigh. So my response needs to change as well."
I feel it occasionally, but the ability to read thoughts is sometimes regrettable. Like now, when I hear things I didn't really want to know.
I am not a prophet. I don't know what will happen in the future.
But when someone's thoughts flow into my head, when my telepathy reveals to me a determination disproportionately full compared to a shabby plan, I'm seized by a peculiar sentiment.
Pity? Insignificance?
It's so absurd that I sometimes want to help them achieve their plan, and sometimes want to crush it like a mischievous child. A peculiar emotion smolders softly.
Come to think of it, it seems like it would be more interesting if reading thoughts had even a little difficulty.
The golem, or the regressor, or if not that then the vampire, or at worst even Azi. There's a certain fun in digging things out of them.
I suppose this too could be called the deception of the well-fed.
The cooking was finished. After finally slicing a hard carrot lengthwise to garnish the plate, I took a bell from my pocket and rang it.
Jingle, jingle.
"Woof! Woof woof!"
At that, Azi's barking sound was heard, and Finlay who had been hiding beyond the corner fled in a hurry. I set down the plate, watching Azi who barged into the dining hall without a care for Finlay. Azi sat in the chair, buried his head, and started chewing and swallowing the carrot first.
I wiped my hands with a cloth and shouted.
"Finlay!"
Finlay, who had crept back, flinched at my voice.
I glared precisely at him beyond the corner and said.
"Tell Trainee Tirkanjaka. There's a class this afternoon."