WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

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◈ Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint

Chapter 114

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In the Abyss: Survival

『...Fallen Star. One of the military state generals has fallen.』

The golem's tone, as it spoke of the lieutenant general's death, was darker than ever.

『Killing a general is a grave crime that cannot be covered over by anything. Even if they... invaded with seditious intent. Revealing and punishing their crimes is a right granted only to the military state. Everyone here is a criminal who caused a Fallen Star. You have become enemies of the military state.』

"Haah, tsk."

I had hoped it knew nothing, but it looked like it had slipped out of the cafeteria and seen things.

Then again, after a mess like that, it would have been stranger if it knew nothing. And if the generals failed to appear, that alone would make the military state suspicious.

I spoke carefully.

"So, the conclusion is...?"

『...I cannot guarantee what directives will come down, but one thing is certain. No further supplies will arrive.』

"Damn it!"

I knew this would happen. We fought a general, so there was no way they wouldn't respond.

While I cursed and smacked the ground, the regressor, leaning against the cafeteria wall, muttered darkly.

"Then I don't have a reason to keep the golem around either, do I?"

『...I beg your pardon?』

"I almost got rid of all of them, but I left one since we had an instructor anyway.... But come to think of it, that thing isn't even an instructor, right? If we're already on a fully hostile route, why bother leaving a golem alive?"

She reached over her head, grabbed Skywarbler, and trudged toward the golem. The golem staggered backward and spoke in a rush.

『Negative. Please wait a moment. I wish to object to your judgment.』

"Object to what. Military state's eyes, huh. Keeping your kind around never did me any favors. Bye."

『Wa...!』

Before she could split it in half, I raised a hand and stopped her.

"Please wait, Mr. Shei."

"What now?"

"It's trapped in the cafeteria anyway, isn't it? Do we really need to dispose of it right now?"

"There's even less reason not to."

Tsk tsk. You see one thing and miss the next.

If the golem was trapped in the cafeteria, that meant the military state's means of getting information was limited. In that case, leaving it was better than destroying it. We could feed false information through their one remaining channel.

Feed your enemy false intel and make them lower their guard. That was the foundation of information warfare.

Fa-ke in-for-ma-tion.

I mouthed it silently to the regressor.

"What? Don't just flap your lips, say it."

"Ah, damn it! Our teamwork is awful! I'm saying let's keep it because we'll use the golem!"

I ended up shouting.

Only then did the regressor go, "Ah." And from the golem came a blank, stunned voice.

『...Use, did you say?』

"Ahh."

Oh, dear.

We bound the golem's arms and legs, blindfolded it, and locked it in a box. As people now at odds with the military state, we didn't have much choice.

Sorry, Captain AB. But you can cut the sync anyway, so you'll be fine, right? Think of it as leave and relax with an ice-cold beer.

After that, we gathered in the training room to discuss what to do next. Everyone except the injured Callis attended.

"Right. From today on, assume supplies are cut off."

For once, the regressor stood in front of the blackboard. The sight was so awkward it almost gave me cognitive dissonance.

An elementary school grad... teaching class?

She tapped Skywarbler against the board and said,

"From now on, we manage food."

The blackboard listed our remaining stocks.

Remaining food: 42 bean tins. 2 meat tins.

Hopeless numbers, and a hopeless ratio. Bean tins were nutrient-rich, sure, but you'd get sick of them fast, and more than anything, 42 was not enough.

"There are five people here who need food. Even if we ration hard and eat one per day, we're out in 42 days."

"Hm? If we count me, lieutenant colonel, teacher, little lady, dog lady, cat lady. And exclude vampire lady because she is vampire. Isn't that six total?"

At the immortal's point, the regressor waved her hand and explained.

"Ah, exclude me. I have Manhan Quanxi."

"What's that?"

"A treasure from the old empire, before it split. If you load ingredients in advance, it serves three meals a day. Before coming here, I stuffed it full of ingredients. About ten years' worth."

"What! Eating all tasty things alone!"

"But there are limits. It's a pocket, so what goes in can't be taken back out. And only I can take food from the plate. This treasure was made for one emperor alone."

The immortal grumbled.

"What kind of treasure is that?"

"I agree. Old empire treasures are all like this. Luxurious and quietly convenient, but full of restrictions, so they're hard to apply broadly."

She shrugged calmly. I looked at her and asked,

"Can't you just portion out one bite each for us?"

"Once or twice, maybe. I don't want to do that every time."

"Tch. Then don't brag."

As I grumbled, she put on a confident face and finally got to the point.

"Of course, I didn't bring this up empty-handed. I prepared ingredients for you separately."

She tore a crack in the air and rummaged inside. What came out of her pocket was a sack packed with food.

Rice, potatoes, flour, and other grains. Three chunks of salted meat, liquor and spices stored in glass bottles, and even twenty meat tins.

The spices and liquor were all high-end goods, each worth as much as the same weight in gold.

Azzy caught the smell, perked up her ears, and drooled. The immortal's eyes widened. Even mine nearly popped, enough that I had to straighten my posture.

"Will this do?"

The regressor showed off. I'd been stuck with miserable meals in this isolated place, so I swallowed hard and said,

"No, what is this? You were hiding this stuff all along?"

"You were getting supply deliveries. There was no reason to use limited resources."

"So now that supplies are cut, you released it? Couldn't you have released it sooner? If we'd had this earlier, we wouldn't have lived like that for months. Greedy much."

"Greedy? Guess you don't need food, then. I'll put this back...."

"No. You are the greatest prisoner in history."

Before she changed her mind, I started flashing thumbs-up and checking everything in the sack.

Looking closer, it wasn't only the liquor and spices that were premium. The Immortal Grain rice looked so rich that even one grain felt like a full bite. The flour came from top-grade wheat from golden fields, each particle shining.

The potatoes she had prepared for self-sufficiency were a rugged breed that could fill an entire field if planted as-is. We couldn't grow them in the Abyss, but if there had been soil, that alone could have sustained a siege.

"And this meat, black pork raised on wild acorns and herbs in oak forests.... This is crazy. We could live like royalty."

"Don't get too excited. They're all premium, but food still isn't endless. With this, we need to last the remaining nine months."

"Nine months? Why exactly nine months?"

At my question, the regressor paused for a moment, like someone debating whether to reveal this information.

'If we're enduring for the remaining time anyway, it's better to have a fixed period. I already said nine months. No need to hide more and make them anxious.'

Her hesitation was brief. Then she answered.

"Nine months. After that... you'll probably be able to escape from here. Someone is coming down."

"Who is that someone?"

"Someone who can bring down this Abyss...."

"By force? By pounding it to pieces?"

"Not like that. I mean someone who can erase it for real, conceptually."

'The strongest earth mage of this era, Agent of Mother Earth... she who will become the Sky-Devouring Earth Serpent, nightmare of the Sanctum.'

Even from broken fragments of her thoughts, I could feel that presence indirectly. If even that rude regressor held fear and respect for her, that said enough.

Maybe she didn't want to remember more, because the recollection cut off quickly. Even that much was enough for me to sense, secondhand, a terrifying level of danger.

But...

Why are you thinking about fighting that?

"...Anyway. I heard from a certain informant that she'll erase this place. If she lifts the curse over this land, this place will return to its original state."

'That certain informant is me from the previous cycle. A lot changed in this cycle, but this won't. Not with how fierce her will was.'

Her declaration carried weight. Hold out for nine months, and we could escape. The immortal heard it and looked hugely relieved.

"Oho! That's good! Nine months is very survivable!"

Tyr, who had entered this place by her own choice, also seemed pleased, though she did not show it outwardly.

'...I do not hate this simple, warm life here. But it must be different for Hyu. Hyu must long for warm sunlight and the breeze brushing his ears.'

Her gaze turned to me. A faint smile rose and prettily touched her lips.

'Right. Since this life was regained, perhaps wandering the outside at ease would not be bad either.'

Haha. That was a little burdensome. Why did it feel like I'd end up as her world travel guide?

Still, the response was good. The regressor looked encouraged.

"Anyway, that's all I had to say. Any questions?"

I raised my hand and asked,

"What are you going to do about Nabi's mana herb?"

"We'll manage somehow when the time comes."

"No plan again?"

"Don't worry too much. If it really comes to it, I'll personally...."

'If the addiction still can't be cured by then, I have no choice. Keep Nabi barely alive as long as possible, then let her go comfortably before we leave. Once we get out, I planned to flip Lords of All Creation first anyway. Before they find a new King of Cats, I just need to uproot them. I cannot care for Nabi forever....'

What was that. She talked like she'd raise Nabi forever.

So saving Nabi was purely pragmatic.

The regressor was about to state it in a cold voice.

"Meow."

At that moment, Nabi cried outside the door. The regressor looked puzzled and opened the training room door.

"Nabi? What's wr..."

But by the time the door opened, Nabi was already gone. Instead, one of the shining crystal orbs was rolling in front of the doorway. It looked like one taken from the golem wreckage in the management office.

'What exactly was the intent here.... No, of course not. Nabi is the King of Cats....'

Her reflexive caution did not extend to a Beast King.

The regressor looked moved for a moment, then carefully turned the crystal orb over in her hands. Then she muttered,

"...I'll figure something out."

"Huh? What does figure something out mean?"

"Figure something out! I said I'll do it! We still have sixty mana-herb cigarettes. We can think about it after sixty days!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs.

She's so easy to grow attached to. Seeing her get moved by a tiny gift like that.

The thorn in her heart is just very sharp, but once she gets attached, it feels like she'd carry it into the next cycle.

Then again, she was friendly with Tyr from the start, right? Didn't she say they had a pretty deep connection in the previous cycle?

"By the way, did you know?"

I had no plan to stay in a place like this for nine months. I spoke with full confidence.

"We don't need to wait nine months. Ninety days is enough."

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