Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Ch. 315
No matter how high-level the protocol Abbey promised, it’s impossible to relax comfortably in the Inner Circle Command when actual generals are walking around.
If you really did relax and acted as if you were on par with those generals, you might just end up getting shot.
In such serious situations, one needs to act with discretion.
Especially if that situation was caused by us.
So, we snuck out of the Inner Circle Command and headed to a nearby hotel.
It was a special accommodation facility intended for outsiders who needed to visit Command but weren’t military personnel.
The chief of this facility, Administrative Supply Officer Master Sergeant Elfasa, saluted Historia with immense reverence.
“I-I-I-It’s an honor! Major General Historia and your party of five, your identity has b-been confirmed. We’ve received orders to treat all of you with general-level protocol! Following those orders, I, Administrative Supply Officer Master Sergeant Elfasa of the Military State shall attend to your every need!”
｢KYAAAAA! It’s really the Star General! It’s really Major General Historia! I thought I’d never see her face since this hotel only accommodates outsiders! Truly, dreams do come true one day!｣
Master Sergeant Elfasa’s appearance resembled that of a devotee receiving a god.
Tyr whispered into my ear.
“It seems this human has not heard that the female general betrayed the Military State because of a man.”
“Well, it’s not like the Military State would explain such details to someone with such low rank.”
“Did he not say he received an order?”
“There are different types of communications even within the Military State. For a facility at level 2 or below, the communication golems are only used in emergencies. Most orders are transmitted via communication devices.”
“Communication device?”
“Yes. Do you see that over there?”
I pointed to a massive golem statue with a complex magic circle engraved on it.
A non-commissioned officer was sitting beside it at a desk, holding a pen and paper, but was too overwhelmed by the sight of Historia to even stand.
“That large statue is the communication device. It’s a structure that amplifies only a few functions of a communication golem to the extreme. It relays the orders of the Signaller and amplifies them to other communication devices. Orders can be transmitted without anyone directly connected to the golem.”
At that moment, the golem’s mouth moved.
The non-commissioned officer, who had been craning his neck to look at Historia, quickly grabbed his pen and began scribbling down the transmitted orders.
Tyr looked at this scene and groaned, recalling something.
“Hmmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just felt a little displeased. Pay it no heed.”
“You make me curious and then tell me not to mind it? Just say it. I can answer most things.”
After all, I had already read her thoughts, so it wouldn’t make sense not to answer.
With a frown, Tyr spoke.
“…It reminds me of the White Wall of the Shrine.”
“Are you talking about the Great White Wall of Rakion?”
At the Sanctum’s central headquarters, there is a massive wall, as grand as a fortress.
The Great White Wall of Rakion.
A pure white and sacred wall said to convey the will of the gods.
Tyr frowned as if just hearing about it made her uncomfortable.
“If possible, could you add something derogatory whenever you mention that wall in my presence?”
“Oh, sorry. You’re talking about that blindingly white wall that feels like it could drive you insane just by looking at it, right?”
The reason the Great White Wall of Rakion was maintained in such pristine condition is simple.
Paper must be white, for black letters to be seen clearly.
If someone were to write on the Great White Wall with ink, that writing would appear on the white walls of every shrine across the world, simultaneously.
It doesn’t matter what the material or shape of the wall is.
As long as it’s a shrine and a section of the wall is white, the writing on the Great White Wall will appear on it, regardless of how far or remote the location may be.
This holy power is based on the ancient legend that the Saintess of Origin wrote upon the sky.
It’s the very reason monarchs were reluctant to destroy shrines, despite countless upheavals throughout history.
Though it couldn’t protect them from vampires.
“Wonderful. Regardless, that scene… the scribe waiting up front reminds me of the Great White Wall.”
“Well, I suppose it would.”
The Military State is a place where the Saintess, who has seen all the world’s wonders, copied and pasted every “good thing” together.
Tyr slightly misunderstood my words and nodded.
“Indeed. If there is something with a similar purpose, it would be used in a similar way.”
By then, Historia had finished the formalities.
Master Sergeant Elfasa, who had handed over keys and a few clothing packets, saluted once again, almost tearfully.
“Understood… I will prepare an entire annex for your use. We will ensure that no one disturbs you. Please rest comfortably. If you need any meals, they will be prepared immediately.”
“…Thank you.”
“It is my honor to assist a hero like you, Major General!”
Looking a bit fatigued, Historia gestured for us to follow.
We left the main building and headed toward the annex.
It was already perfectly prepared, as if ready for immediate use.
True to the Military State’s efficiency.
“Hmm. I don’t see any golems hidden around. Good, this place is safe.”
The Regressor, scanning the building with her Jade Eyes, nodded approvingly.
“So, about the schedule for the next—“
“Schedule? What schedule?”
Man, some people really live busy lives.
What schedule?
I walked straight to the innermost room, half-shoved myself inside, and waved to everyone.
“We’ve worked hard, so let’s take a break. Everyone, good night.”
“Are you going to sleep? It’s still daytime.”
“Day? Night? Why are you concerned about such trivial things? Sleep when you’re tired. Don’t adjust yourself to the world; make the world adjust to you. Be the king of your own body!”
“What nonsense is this…”
“Hmmm… indeed. Those are wise words, Hu. Why should we let something as insignificant as the sun rule over our bodies?”
The Regressor was speechless, but Tyr agreed with my sentiment, nodding along in approval.
“Wait a minute! Is this really the time to be sleeping? We still have unresolved matters…”
Hah, Regressor.
Resting isn’t something you plan. You just follow what your body tells you.
Ah, I must be reaching my limit.
I held out for a long time, my ordinary body finally giving in.
As the Regressor’s voice faded from my ears, I collapsed in the doorway and fell asleep.
***
When I opened my eyes, the world was pitch black.
Is it so dark because it’s night?
No, this is the Military State. Here, night and darkness aren’t reasons for work to stop.
The streets are always lit with magic lights, so unless the curtains are tightly drawn, you should at least be able to make out the outline of objects.
But now, I couldn’t even see my own hands.
Could this be the afterlife?
No, what a joke.
There’s no way this cruel world would provide a space for a mere beast like me.
So, what is this darkness surrounding me?
It’s not hard to guess.
This sensation, where I couldn’t even see my own hands, this texture like black ash… this darkness belongs to the Progenitor, Tyrkanzyaka.
Well, escaping from this darkness is simple.
I shot up and shouted.
“The answer is, Tyr has wrapped me in darkness!”
Well, I already knew that from the thought nearby.
As I got up, I saw the bright sky outside the window.
Despite the clear weather, the room remained dark, and the reason for that was sitting right next to me.
Turning my head, I saw Tyr sitting atop her coffin, gazing at me with a soft smile.
She tilted her parasol slightly in a gesture of greeting.
“Hu. You are awake.”
“Seeing how bright it is outside, I must not have slept for long.”
“Of course. You just slept for a day.”
“Oh, just a day… wait, an entire day?”
From a vampire’s perspective, even a full day was considered “just” a short time.
Hmm, I must’ve been more tired than I thought.
My body did feel unusually stiff. I raised both hands to stretch overhead, only to—
“GAHHHHH! MY ARMS! THE MUSCLE!”
“Hu?! I-Is there something wrong?”
Apparently, I hadn’t realized my muscles had seized up from sleeping so long, and moving now brought overwhelming muscle pain.
Though I am the King of Humans, I lost my strength due to certain events.
This body was, for all intents and purposes, quite ordinary.
But yesterday, I spent the entire day running around on adrenaline and sheer will, climbing ladders while on drugs, jumping between gears, and even fighting.
Now, this overworked body was going on strike.
Groaning, I shouted.
“Quick, I need drugs! If not drugs, then at least a doctor!”
“You got it backward! Regardless, I will fetch a doctor….”
｢Just a moment. Though it has been a thousand years, I once worked as a physician… sort of.｣
“Um… Hu, I have a technique to dissolve blood clots.”
“Sorry, but if you’re thinking of putting blood in my body or something, I’ll have to decline. Please don’t do anything unless I’m on the verge of death.”
“How cold…”
Of course, I’d refuse.
Who wouldn’t feel uncomfortable about someone offering to manipulate your blood vessels?
I may live a rough life, but I’m not about to sustain myself by mixing other people’s blood into my veins.
If that ever became a widespread norm, maybe I’d reconsider.
But honestly, how upside-down would the world have to be for that to happen?
“Ugh. Is there no one around to help me with this pain? Maybe I should ask Mr. Shei for some mana herbs….”
The Regressor was slumped in a corner, dozing off against a wall.
I painfully dragged myself over to her.
“Hey, Mr. Shei. Are you dozing off in broad daylight? Could you stop sleeping and give me something that works….”
Just before my hand reached the Regressor’s body, an invisible blade flew toward my throat.
The sharp wind brushed against my neck and dissipated.
The terrifying sensation made me freeze on the spot.
Had I moved even a little more, my neck would have been sliced.
…Hold on. What was that?
I didn’t sense anything.
And she’s still asleep!
I know the Regressor could move swiftly when using her Qi Arts.
But in those instances, there was always a conscious effort involved.
But she was completely asleep.
“… Yawnn. Hm? What’s wrong?”
She reacted even while sleeping?
What the hell has she engraved into her body?
I tilted my chin and spoke.
“Could you, uh, put that away first?”
“Oh? Ah. Sure.”
Yawning, the Regressor retrieved Chun-aeng.
With another yawn, she grumbled.
“Next time, don’t touch me while I’m sleeping. This time it just touched your neck, but if I were more injured or mentally fatigued, I might have cut your throat without realizing it.”
“Who would’ve thought I’d get attacked for waking someone up from a nap? Your sleep tantrums are a bit excessive, don’t you think?”
“Hah, look who’s talking. You slept the whole day yesterday.”
“At least I have a reason. I helped take down Maximilien with Ria.”
“Maximilien? I could’ve taken him down myself! Why are you bragging about something so trivial?”
｢Exactly. You did well to take him down. Back in the days before I had Jizan, I barely managed to defeat him by targeting a moment when he was separated from his steel-whatever bug. Even with the Gunmaster at your side… it must’ve been tough.｣
Seems her inner thoughts are kinder than her words.
How about switching them around for a change?
“Anyway, do you have any medicine? Preferably something that will help me forget the pain, like drugs?”
“I told you. I don’t use drugs. That stuff makes you want to keep using it once you try it.”
“And why is that a bad thing?”
“It’s annoying to feel tied down to something.”
The reason she doesn’t do drugs is simply because it feels bothersome?
As expected of the Regressor.
She’s strange.
She doesn’t dwell on deep thoughts or existential crises.
Even her efforts to save the world seem to stem more from survival instincts than any sense of duty.
It’s the same with mana herbs.
It’s natural to reject the idea of managing your body through external substances.
In a way, she might be the most human of us all.
“I see. So, you were just a naive little kid who hasn’t tasted the bitterness of the world.”
“Don’t make me laugh! I’ve experienced ten times as much as you!”
｢More like thirteen times as much!｣
“And besides, my Heavenly Counter Domain requires me to keep my senses sharp. If I used something like drugs, I’d weaken myself!”
True, not using drugs is generally for the best.
I’m a unique case due to my Mind Reading, so I don’t suffer from most of the side effects… though I still get dumber if there’s no one with a rational mind nearby.
“Ah, ah, ouch. Does that mean I have to endure this pain…?”
“That won’t do! Father!”
The door swung open, revealing Historia and “Historia”.