Chapter 228: I Am Safe Now

When I emerged from the pitch-black coffin, I found myself in a land filled only with peace.

It felt as though I had briefly stayed in a closet that leads to another world, often depicted in fairy tales. Just moments ago, I had been squirming in a cramped space after a bloody chase, but once I stepped outside, the violently heaving air had vanished, replaced by a peaceful and gentle breeze.

Feeling certain that I was safe, I shouted loudly.

"Alright! We are safe now!"

Is this what peace tastes like? How so very sweet. It feels great; even the air seems to welcome me.

Unlike the lush forests and trees of the south, the north is a region of wastelands and plateaus. Well, the territory of the Military State isn't that large, so coming northward a bit doesn't bring dramatic changes.

However, there were still definite changes. The climate and vegetation shifted continuously, and starting from the Abyssal Plains, everything changed dramatically. Like a line that divides a country at its border, once you cross the Abyssal Plains, you encounter desolate man-made grasslands and plains.

A country that didn't seem like a country.

Once the nation of Alchemy, now the Fallen Dominion, torn apart because of that very Alchemy.

However, since the country was torn apart, it was actually a good place for a wanderer like me to sneak into.

"If we've made it this far, the Military State won't be able to chase us here. Even if they realize the trick and somehow manage to follow us, we'll be far away by then, having escaped. If we follow the Meta Conveyor Belt a little further, we'll reach the Northeast Terminal and if we cross the Abyssal Plains above that into the Fallen Dominion... Unless the Military State has the capability to cross other countries' borders without restriction, they can't catch us!"

It was so, so impressive and thrilling. I wonder if there was anyone else in the history of the Military State who had managed to elude their pursuit for so long. It will be remembered for the ages.

A record of escaping from the Military State. With this type of resume, I would never be turned away anywhere else.

The Regressor who crawled out of the coffin with me also stretched greatly.

"Agh. How persistent. What's with these guys from the Military State? We were just going our way quietly and they suddenly started chasing us."

"Mr. Shei, I think the Military State would feel a bit wronged if they hear that. It's not like Mr. Shei was quiet in the capital before going about your way. You caused all sorts of trouble, after all."

"What? You're no better, Mr. Pied Piper of Hamelin. If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have chased us like hunting dogs!"

"What did I do? I was living quietly in seclusion, you know? There were no alarms until you guys showed up. Comparatively, you, Mr. Shei, did what? Stirred up the Capital Headquarters? That's practically a declaration of war, you know?"

"You played the pipe!"

"Trill-lili, trill-lili. Saying that makes you sound like an actually decent person engaged in the arts. Anyway, there's no criminal activity on my part in Amitengrad, as far as I can see. I really don't think it's a me problem."

"We're the same! Until we met you, the Military State was practicing Active Engagement Avoidance! So, why then did the Military State suddenly bring their entire force to follow us?"

How would I know that?

Of course, I often gather information through indiscriminate Mind Reading. My Mind Reading can assimilate... No, read all memories of a person for a moment.

However, I still didn't know why the Military State behaves this way. Because the Military State wasn't a person.

We were pursued by two of the Six Star Generals, the Sunderspear and the Mage Marshal.

The Sunderspear was puzzled by the sudden change of orders but didn't think much of it. He enjoyed fighting the strong. Although he has become less reckless with age, he had no reason not to follow orders once they were given.

The Mage Marshal was loyal to the orders of the Military State. She compensated for her lack of talent with systems and resources. She was a perfect example of realizing the ideals of the Military State and the Military State was a benefactor to Mage Marshal, who could have aged and died as an ordinary mage. The Military State and Mage Marshal affirm each other.

Meanwhile, other general officers and soldiers just followed orders. So, I couldn't know the true intentions of the Military State.

No, I don't even know if this country has any true intentions in the first place.

The Regressor then called for Historia, the person closest to the Military State here.

"Gunmaster! You're a Star General, so you must know. Did the Military State chase us because of me or because of him?"

"I don't know either."

Historia was puffing on a mana herb, having come outside for the first time in a while. Upon seeing the shameless chain-smoker boldly asking for a light while still tied up, the Regressor, who expected a clear answer, scowled deeply.

"You should know! You're a Star General!"

"Just because I'm a Star General doesn't mean I know everything. I'm only a Major General so far."

"You... Hoooo, okay. Then why did you chase us?"

"Is there a soldier who questions the reasons behind orders?"

"No, but still! There must be a passionate reason why you've chased us so fervently...! Ah, right."

｢Because you're still hung up on your ex and you said you had something to ask about Hamelin, right? That's why you chased us...? ｣

The Regressor glanced at me and nodded. To think she would be so understanding of all of Historia's actions from just that one mention of an ex; I couldn't tell if it was fantasy or naivety.

In the end, without getting a clear answer, she grumbled, visibly dissatisfied.

"Does the Military State not even tell its own soldiers why they fight?"

Historia found the Regressor's comment intriguing.

"That's an interesting viewpoint. So, if the reason is convincing, it's okay to fight, and if not, one should disobey?"

"That's not it! But someone has to give the orders! If even you, a Star General who directly followed us, don't know, then who does?"

"Of course, Command must know."

"Command?"

As soon as the topic of Command came up, a displeased expression crossed the Regressor's face. It was more the discomfort of an unresolved issue than just perplexity, like the annoyance you'd feel upon finding a bit of dirt left over after cleaning.

Wait, didn't she say she had defeated the Military State before? What's with that expression?

｢I've seen the Military State collapse many times until now and I've even helped bring about its downfall... but I've never actually seen Command. Whenever the Military State falls, those bastards disappear without a trace. As if they never existed in the first place. ｣

Regressor! You've been grappling with the Military State for 13 regressions and you don't know the identity of Command? You punk...!

What a relief. I thought I was the only one who didn't know.

I've lived in the Military State for nearly 25 years, reading the thoughts of countless people, whether soldiers, instructors, or remnants of the Kingdom. I never specifically targeted anyone, but given my ability, I prided myself on knowing quite a bit.

But even someone like me didn't know what Command is, or what its true identity is.

When a Mind Reader says 'I don't know,' it means there's really nothing to grasp at.

Amitengrad. The most populous and largest city in the Military State. Even while living there, I've never encountered anyone who belonged to or had contact with Command. It seems the high-ranking officials of Command don't show their faces in public much.

...Thanks to a Signaller I met recently, I managed to get a small clue... but even Signallers who had direct communication were just limbs of Command.

｢Even the Gunmaster won't know the identity of Command. If she knew, she would have shown signs in the past regressions. But since it's the first time we've been this close, why not try to find out? ｣

Yeah. How could I, just a Mind Reader, know something that even a Regressor, who had unearthed secrets, amassed treasures, and traveled through time, doesn't know?

While I was nodding to myself in satisfaction, the Regressor decided to make the most of this opportunity and asked outright.

"That thing you all refer to as Command. Does it really exist?"

Contrary to the Regressor's worries, Historia answered smoothly.

"It must. Orders do come down through Signallers, after all."

"That's why I'm asking if it really exists. The orders are transmitted by Signallers, but no one has ever seen the true form of Command."

However, it turned out that something easily obtained was of lesser value. Even Historia didn't know much about the identity of the Command.

"What a fresh experience... I've been a general officer for quite some time, but most people still don't know my face. Who would salute me on sight? They salute towards the stars on my chest."

Historia proudly puffed out her chest, showing off the badges on her uniform.

However, Historia had briefly forgotten something. Her uniform was acting as bait to lure the Military State away, racing in the opposite direction.

Sigh, I can't with her. She's still so sloppy and tactless. A true friend should help in times like these, huh?

Let's see. Since it's rude to mention it directly, I'll subtly bring it up, referring to our earlier conversation. That's how manners are like these days.

I saluted towards Historia's chest.

"Salute."

My non-verbal expression effectively carried out its duty. Historia narrowed her eyebrows and discreetly lowered her gaze.

Only then did Historia remember that she was wearing only a thin shirt. As well as how she was currently bound with the legendary thread, Sky Silk.

Blushing momentarily, Historia, clenching the mana herb in her mouth, kicked me outright. Her leg shot out without any preparatory movement, striking my thigh with tremendous speed and precision.

"Ouch, ouch! Use your words, your words! Not your feet!"

"..."

"Ow, ow! Who didn't tie up the captive's feet? Don't you know someone at the level of a Star General is a weapon in their entirety?!"

Damn, my body was swaying. Even if I tried to escape or subdue her, her leg traced a bizarre trajectory, relentlessly targeting my thigh.

As I suffered from Historia's feet, the Regressor watched me with a look of satisfaction.

"Hmph. You're the one to abandon her and mess around. Such audacity. It's too late for regrets. This much is generous for a punk like you."

"Can you please get rid of that baseless ex-girlfriend filter in your head already?! And you're the one to tie these knots! You were all fired up, trying to tie her up tightly, but then thought 'Uh, is it too harsh?' and neglected the legs!"

｢Huh? How did he...? ｣

"W-W-What about it! Even this level of restraint is insufficient against a Star General!"

"Yes! Exactly! It's lacking! And my body is proving that right at this moment! Ow, ow!"

Anyway, it turned out that even Historia knew very little about Command. The Regressor grumbled in disappointment.

"A Star General doesn't know the identity of Command? That's outright suspicious! Why doesn't anyone question it?"

"Well, maybe they can't question it since the identity is unknown?"

"If the identity is unknown, it should be even more suspicious!"

"That's because Mr. Shei is a powerhouse at the level of a nation. If things go wrong, you're the kind of person who could flip a country upside down, so your perspective matches that. But for ordinary people, the concepts like the Military State or Command are far too vast to fathom."

Command referred to the leadership that governs the Military State. When decrees or orders were issued from the Military State, everyone simply said 'the Military State has ordered it' or 'Command has issued the order,' and they followed along.

Did this mean there was some absolute power, a tyrant in control... Well, not exactly. No, they are tyrannical, but it's slightly different.

A tyrant existed conspicuously before everyone. They instilled fear in people with their inherent power and brutality.

Since no one, except me, could know what was in people's hearts, they strived to escape from the malicious whims of the unpredictable tyrant. They flattered the tyrant to win their favor, and while taking advantage of their indifference, they amassed wealth, indulged in luxury, and slowly devoured the nation. The filth and grease from the top seeped downwards, gradually contaminating the entire body of water.

However, Command was not visible to the eye.

They communicated only through Signallers, and even then, not directly but through magic golems used for communication. A Signaller, who was merely a Captain, neither had the power to inflict harm nor held any real authority.

Even I had only just recently learned... They issued orders from the Windowless Room, deprived of everything worldly, in a dry and monotonous voice. It was a life of messaging that went beyond just integrity and incorruptibility into the realm of obsessive cleanliness and purity.

Officers, despite their low rank, resented the Signallers who gave them crisp orders, but even that didn't last long. It was hard to harbor hatred towards something non-human when Signallers only appear as golems.

If that was the case even with Signallers and golems, then what about when it came to Command? How much more extreme would their perspective on them be?

"The more something is beyond your understanding, the bigger, more complex, and powerful it appears, the different the emotions it evokes. Ordinary people call entities beyond their sight as God and worship them. They might feel sorry when a god takes life or destroys property, but they don't get angry. Mr. Shei, you wouldn't think to attack a storm or lightning, would you?"

"Huh?"

｢What? Why wouldn't I? I've even caught lightning before. ｣

Ah, right. She was a Regressor, the worst kind of existence that even defied gods. I shouldn't apply normal reasoning when it comes to her.

A powerhouse who had the strength to confront the Military State. One who sincerely treated an entire country as an 'enemy'.

You're sure you're a powerhouse, right? You're not just being childish, right?

Well, what does it matter? Even if she's childish, strength makes one a powerhouse. If something doesn't go well, I should just reconsider the fact that maybe it's a lack of power.

"So, to ordinary people, the Military State is akin to a natural disaster. Officers, at most, hold a grudge against the Signaller, but they don't blame Command. People can only hate what they can see..."

Eh? Wait a minute. I paused to reconsider what I had just said.

God. And religion.

The Military State has no God. The Celestial Order was rejected and the Order of Gaia had become a construction company when coming to this land. Other folk beliefs had long since degenerated into devils or fairies.

If so... the religion of this country is...

My thoughts were deepening when the Regressor's grumbling interrupted me.

"...But how can you call yourself a Star General, someone who is a part of a nation's power, and not know? You're in a position to know. Yet, you don't even know about Command or Hamelin. What in the world are you even aware of?"

The Regressor's careless grumble hit close to home for Historia.

How typical of the Regressor. How typical of her remarks. If the other person had been me or Tyr, we would have laughed it off. But conversations change depending on who you're talking to. You see, Historia doesn't hold back.

"So, what should I do then?"

"Huh?"

"Should I rough up the Signallers? Drag them out by the scruff of their neck and force them to spit out the truth? Or should I hunt down Command as if catching a rat, overturning and killing everything as I go?"

"W-Why are you getting angry...?"

Damn, she's really asking someone why they're angry after being the one to anger them. I was somewhat expecting it, but still... I can't believe her.

"Do you think everyone thinks like you, like Huey, and can just shake it all off and leave?! I can't! It's honestly more strange to leave without any lingering attachments! How can you just leave behind all the memories and connections you've had until now?"

Though she was speaking to the Regressor, it felt like she was addressing me. The only thing the Regressor had done wrong was to provoke her emotions to bubble to the surface.

And there's quite a bit, huh.

Having poured out her emotions on the blameless Regressor, Historia recalibrated her emotions, setting them back to zero. Her subdued gaze turned towards me.

"I knew that a few, including you, were alive! But even though I knew, I said nothing. Whenever someone asked, I parroted that everyone was dead, that we had tried to save them but found only corpses, that no one was alive. Even when suspicious glances were directed at me, I kept my mouth shut and faithfully followed the orders given to me...! Because I had to belatedly pay for the authenticity of my testimony!"

Her peers had disappeared through methods akin to suicide, and thanks to that, she had to attend military academy all alone. Even in isolation, she had obeyed the Military State's commands silently. Her talent was exceptional, but it was her unrestrained dedication in operations that made her known as the 'Daughter of the Military State,' setting an example for all soldiers.

However, Historia had not always been so diligent. Even through secondary school, she was not a very sincere person. She acted as if she was superior, dismissed other children, and skipped classes on the daily—a typical delinquent genius. I was the diligent one.

But the reason why someone like her had become a model general officer was...

"When things quieted down, I thought someone would come looking... I struggled to be recognized as a Star General, fearing they wouldn't know my whereabouts! But you, you showed no signs of coming to find me...! And the only thing that found me was..."

｢A continuous... wait... And from the moment we met again, this fool kept running away, trying to shake me off...! ｣

At this point, it was unclear whether Historia was chewing on the mana herb or biting her lip. Though the rope was tied around her arms, her emotions could not be bound; they continued to spill out unrestrained.

I scratched my chin, receiving her gaze.

"...Honestly, I've been living quite busily too. But for some reason, now that it turned out this way, it feels like I've become a terrible person."

"You're right. You'll receive divine retribution."

The Regressor nodded annoyingly, adding her input as if to stir the pot. It's not like you're some meddling sister-in-law. Why are you being like this?