Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Ch. 290
｢Impossible. You want to send him, the one who recklessly disrupted the Military State and caused enormous damage, as a diplomat? He is not qualified. He can’t be trusted. Based on his words and actions, he most likely lacks any diplomatic knowledge or information. He’s the kind of person who sows chaos wherever he goes; just the kind of person he would like.｣
Well, not really. I find her interesting, but I wouldn’t say I like her per se. The Regressor is more than just a bringer of chaos.
｢It goes against the ideology of the Military State. It’s irrational. But… that’s what a king is. A king moves the country with his whims. Whether he’s right or wrong doesn’t matter. The king’s decisions lead to instability. If we accept Abbey, eventually, this country will be shaken…｣
It was unclear when or how, but it would eventually happen.
That much was certain.
｢But already…｣
However, those who cannot overcome the present must accept a future of inevitable destruction. Yuel, engulfed in disillusionment, lacked the will to overcome this situation.
Like other Prophets before her, Yuel quickly resigned herself to her fate.
“…I curse you, Abbey. I hope you are overwhelmed by regret and experience the deepest self-loathing possible.”
Humans didn’t curse things they could change.
Instead of cursing, they fix or alter what they can.
Curses were only used when the only option left was expressing resentment.
In other words, Yuel’s curse was her acceptance of the proposal, albeit a grudging one.
“…So you’ve finally succeeded. You’ve turned the Military State into something it isn’t. Shiati, you found a target for your revenge when you couldn’t contain your anger. Princess Grandiomor, you found someone to demand kindness from. It’s a perfect ending! It may lead to destruction in the near future, but you who can’t see beyond the immediate future will be satisfied!”
She says we can’t see beyond the immediate future just because we don’t align with her views.
But I’m the kind of person who listens to the laments of the defeated.
Under my silent observation, Yuel continued to speak.
“Abbey, one day Shiati won’t be able to contain her rage and will try to tear you apart. The Princess will dig into your heart and use its blood to quench the thirst of others! Now that they know who you are and where you are, they will come for you whenever they wish!”
While Yuel poured out her emotions passionately, Captain Abbey remained relatively calm.
Captain Abbey asked Yuel.
“So, does that mean you agree to cooperate with me?”
“It means I won’t interfere. I have no reason or intention to cooperate with you.”
“There is a need for your cooperation. Your power is–”
“Oh, I almost forgot. I shouldn’t exist. I am the only one who can replace you. A king shouldn’t have a replacement, should she?”
Yuel, who had been sarcastic, raised her hand and pointed outside the door, signaling non-verbally for us to leave.
With a face that clearly showed she didn’t want to see Abbey anymore, Yuel spoke.
“I’ll be watching, Abbey. I don’t need to lift a finger. This Military State is full of people who want to kill you. I’ll watch you die with a smirk on my face, so you might as well dig your grave now.”
Receiving the dismissal, Abbey looked around.
The dark and gloomy underground shrine exuded a solemn atmosphere, fitting its purpose.
While the place was filled with various ornaments to assert its identity as a shrine, there were only two stone coffins meant to hold bodies.
Both were empty, but their owners were clear: one for the Warlord and one for Yuel.
Yuel had no intention of leaving this place.
She intended to stay here until her death and be buried alongside him, thus ensuring the secrets of the Military State would remain forever buried underground.
Yuel, in her despair, had made that decision.
However, it inspired something within Captain Abbey
“I will not leave.”
Captain Abbey spoke as if in a trance.
“I must become a ‘superior’ Signaller. I must be their liberator. I cannot be freed like them. Just as Command remained hidden… I too must exist without revealing myself.”
“Not revealing yourself? How is that any different from before?”
Hiding in a secret place, pretending to be Command, and issuing orders—nothing would change from how it was before Captain Abbey came into the picture.
Yuel sarcastically pointed this out, but Captain Abbey had an answer.
“All other Signallers will no longer be confined.”
“…What?”
The Military State’s secrets were protected by confining Signallers in windowless rooms, isolating them from the world to maintain their ‘purity’.
The Signallers traded freedom for objectivity and security.
Captain Abbey’s declaration was tantamount to abandoning all that.
Captain Abbey raised her head and looked at the ceiling.
From each strand of her hair, tiny flower buds began to bloom.
The purple morning glory buds lifted their heads in unison and began to convey Captain Abbey’s will.
Captain Abbey infused her voice into the flower buds.
『Signaller Abbey reporting to Module I. A significant armed conflict has occurred within Module I. There is a high probability of further complications. It is anticipated that a major communication blackout will occur if evacuation is not carried out.』
“Abbey…”
『Per the emergency evacuation manual, level 2, disaster avoidance procedures, all personnel should evacuate to a safe location. No objections will be accepted. Over and out.』
The unilateral and autocratic command ended.
Captain Abbey took a deep breath.
After a brief pause, the morning glories around Captain Abbey fluttered as if caught in a whirlwind.
Numerous communication requests flooded towards Captain Abbey, but she firmly repeated the previous command.
Soft threads can be wound around a rigid rod, but the reverse does not hold.
The network of Signallers built so far was based on their extreme objectivity due to their weak individual identities.
Captain Abbey’s firm subjective would swallow up all objective reports from the Signallers.
The confused communications soon subsided.
It seemed the Signallers had agreed with Abbey’s proposal.
They probably didn’t have much reason to oppose it.
After all, with two of the Six Star Generals having fought a fierce battle and their secrets already exposed, evacuating from a dangerous building seemed a natural choice.
After the communication ended, the morning glories that were fluttering suddenly calmed down.
Captain Abbey controlled her magic and took a deep breath.
“…From now on, I hereby liberate all Signallers in the Military State. I will command them to step outside on their own, without leaving a single one behind.”
It was both an explanation of her plan and an expression of firm resolve.
After completing her communication, Captain Abbey spoke on the spot.
“The identity of the Signallers has been revealed. With the Signallers of Module I now liberated, they are no longer a secret of the Military State. Now, the only secret… is me.”
The duties held by the Signallers of the Military State—to remain unseen, to monitor everything, and to transmit information and orders solely through communication…
From now on, the Signallers would no longer be forced into solitude to become objective components, nor would they suffer to keep their identities hidden.
Instead, Captain Abbey would bear all of it and more.
Duty is power.
By absolving other Signallers of their duties, Captain Abbey took all that power upon herself.
An invisible yet heavy crown rested on Abbey’s head.
The morning glory vines wrapped around Abbey’s head would now never wither.
A kingship was established in the lowest and darkest places.
There was no applause or celebration.
Only Yuel’s dry prayer welcomed the birth of the new king.
“O Saintess of Origin who blessed us all… Is this also a destiny you have ordained?”
It was more of a lament than a blessing, but it was still a heartfelt prayer from the Saintess.
A blessed ascension to the throne.
I approached the newly crowned king with a welcoming gesture.
“Congratulations, Captain Abbey! Or rather, should I no longer call you Captain?”
I was about to offer to call her “Your Majesty,” but Abbey firmly refused.
“My rank or title is of no importance. What matters is the role I undertake and the duties I perform.”
“Well, that’s certainly true. But Abbey, what about us?”
I shrugged and pointed at myself, Shiati, and the Princess one by one.
The three of us have little attachment to the Military State and no loyalty to keep its secrets.
“Abbey, you’re going to protect yourself with secrets instead of guards. But secrets can isolate you, can’t they? Especially when you lack personal strength, keeping those secrets is crucial. To maintain confidentiality, you’ll need to silence us somehow.”
And the way to silence us would be, naturally, through eradication.
The dead can’t speak, after all.
It’s the most logical method.
Of course, I have no intention of dying, but unlike everyone’s expectations, my survival isn’t entirely up to me.
I decided to probe Abbey’s intentions a little.
“I…”
Abbey then smiled transparently and said, “I trust you.”
“Me?”
Abbey didn’t say “yes.” She simply nodded.
It feels uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that don’t fit.
Trust?
That’s probably the word that least suits my life, which has been filled with deceit and lies.
With everything I’ve done, how could she possibly trust me?
“What if things change later? How do you know what I’ll be like in the future?”
“Even then, I will trust you. No matter how you change, you will not abandon me.”
What a reckless statement.
With the identities of the other Signallers revealed, Abbey’s life wasn’t just hers anymore.
If she disappeared, even Yuel would struggle to restore this country to its original state.
It was like a sandcastle—a crude, hastily constructed, fragile creation.
However…
“Let’s say that I can keep quiet about this. But what about the Princess and Shiati? You only just met them today. They both dislike the Military State—can you trust them?”
“I will trust them.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Their actions were caused by the Military State not rewarding their trust. Or rather, by the Military State’s inability to trust them. If I trust them first, I hope they will trust me in return.”
Even if it’s not beautiful, or even if it’s not meticulously crafted.
A carefully built sandcastle, a precariously stacked stone tower, a freshly bloomed bud—it’s better to watch over them than to trample them.
I’m not the kind of person who finds joy in crushing such things.
But then again, leaving someone to pursue a futile cause isn’t kind either, so perhaps I’ll offer some advice.
“It will be difficult. I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want to give up, do so whenever you wish. No one will blame you.”
Then Abbey looked at me intently and replied.
“Objection. I have you.”
“Me? Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m going to leave this country soon.”
I’m someone who doesn’t care what happens to this country.
I can just move on.
To me, a homeland is easier to replace than a pair of shoes.
“A reasonable decision. The current Military State has many issues that make it unsuitable for your residence. Your choice is rational.”
Even in response to my declaration of fleeing the country, Abbey neither expressed disappointment nor scolded me.
She simply accepted my words as they were and, with resolve, said,
“Instead, I will create a place where you can stay. Not now, but someday, so that when you return, you can have peace. Therefore, when you return, please evaluate me.”