WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

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◈ Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint

Chapter 254

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The Land of Steel and the Faceless Humans - 3

'If you had a strong enough sense of justice, you'd hate this refinery enough to smash it on the spot.'

I did not particularly hate this refinery. Human hatred was meant for humans alone.

Anyone who gets angry at an object is an idiot, wasting effort on something meaningless. Anyone who burns with hatred for a country is a fool, spending emotions without even knowing what a country really is.

In truth, they all... are looking for the humans behind it.

Like me.

'Destroying the facility and freeing the laborers is the most common choice.'

Whatever I felt, for now I followed Zikhrund's script. I turned to the regressor and Historia, whom he had led here exactly as intended, and made the demand he wanted.

"Let's smash this whole place right now! If we destroy this labor camp, this symbol of the military state's sins, and free the laborers, it'll deal the military state a huge blow too!"

'But anyone who knows the truth of this refinery cannot agree with that claim.'

Zikhrund's script flowed smoothly. The stage he chose stirred a kind of anger everyone could relate to, and every actor he had brought moved exactly as he expected.

"Come on! There's no reason to drag this out!"

The regressor looked uncomfortable in this place, but still frowned at my proposal.

"Smash it? Here? Right now?"

"What do you mean, right now?"

"At this point in time, the alchemic steel refinery is where they keep violent criminals. Everyone here is a criminal."

In the future the regressor had seen, they might imprison people other than violent criminals. Back then, the military state had been driven to the brink.

But right now, only those who had committed the most horrific crimes were in the alchemic steel refinery. Looking through the memories of those suffering here, many made you wonder whether even hell was enough to repay their sins.

An officer who tested a new weapon on innocent civilians. A woman who kidnapped children and drew their blood because she wanted to become a vampire. A fool who took over a landholding company, hired thugs, built a private organization, and ruled like a king.

This place was a legal hell, inflicting terrible pain on sinners too unforgivable to spare, sinners for whom even a chance at rehabilitation would be an injustice.

"Still! No matter how vicious they are, this still isn't right!"

"So what do you want to do? We can't just release them with no safeguards."

-Which naturally created an opposing view to mine. That too was exactly as Zikhrund had written.

'The Gunslinger in particular can never simply free them. She personally captured some of them. In that case, her next move is obvious.'

"There is one way."

While the regressor and I failed to reach a decision and paused in thought, Historia, who seemed to have made up her mind, finally spoke.

'A simple way to resolve all concerns. Kill them all. They are all great sinners already sentenced to death, and the Gunslinger has the authority to execute criminals on the spot.'

"The laborers' movements are controlled by chains run through their biometric terminals. And in case the laborers ever riot, a device was prepared."

"A device the military state made for laborer riots? That doesn't sound like a good device."

"...It's a device that carries out delayed death sentences."

Simply put, she meant to activate that device and kill everyone here.

While everyone stood stunned by the sheer scale of what she had said, Historia left those words behind and started walking first.

'The Gunslinger has a limited self-preservation streak. She desperately protects people inside the boundary she set, but easily abandons whatever is outside it. The refinery laborers are clearly outside that boundary. To the Gunslinger, the laborers in the alchemic steel refinery are not worth saving.'

That was why Historia had decided to kill them all.

I was just about to flare up according to Zikhrund's script, but the regressor showed discomfort before I did.

"You want to kill all of them? This many people?"

"The laborers here are Level 5 major criminals already sentenced to death. They have no chance of rehabilitation, and even if they did, I wouldn't allow it. The military state is just using people who are as good as corpses. Hui, if you knew what they'd done, you'd want to tear them apart yourself."

I personally felt little either way, but with crimes at that level, survival was hopeless from the start. The military state kept them alive only to use them. In the old kingdom days, wandering knights called execution knights would have proclaimed justice, fought execution duels in broad daylight, and killed them far more brutally. Then they'd display the heads and take cheers from the crowd.

I wasn't sure which was better.

The regressor grumbled.

"Even so, killing all of them is too much."

"For someone trying to prevent war, this isn't a bad thing. They can hold out for now with stockpiled alchemic steel, but without further supply, a long war is impossible. Facilities can be restored somehow... but dead humans cannot."

"Ugh. True, but still."

'No matter what conclusion you reach, all of you will end up heading to the Core Control Room.'

No clear conclusion came. Tyr, who had listened quietly until now, got bored with the stalled discussion and stepped in.

[This discussion is going nowhere. If we had all the time in the world, I could wait ten thousand years, but were you not the ones in a hurry? Before worrying about what to do, move first.]

Tyr turned and called out to "Kerafald."

[Guide!]

At Tyr's call, "Kerafald," who had been standing still and keeping quiet, realized too late she meant him and answered.

"Uh, m-me?"

[Guide us. That is your role.]

"Y-yes, ma'am! Then I'll guide you to the control room!"

'Excellent actors. They made sure the script I revised all night was not wasted.'

Thanks for the praise. You wrote that script pretty well too. Your eye for humans is better than I expected.

'Hm, but if every role is filled, I cannot join the play. That would be boring. Shall we split the group a little?'

"Kerafald," who had been about to lead us inward, suddenly paused, then turned to the princess and Siati with concern.

"Your Highness, please guard the retreat route. I'll handle the inside."

The princess, already shrinking under screams from every direction, asked back.

"G-guard the retreat route? Y-you're telling me to stay here alone?"

"No. You can watch from outside. It's just that inside is... well. For Your Highness, it's a bit..."

"Kerafald" fumbled, unable to explain it properly. He did not say it outright, but the meaning was clear enough. It would be even more horrifying deeper inside, so the princess should stay outside.

The princess understood perfectly.

"Kerafald. Are you trying to keep me away because you think I'll be shocked...?"

"Not exactly! Someone has to secure the retreat route. And if someone must do it, Your Highness is the best choice..."

'It is better to separate the princess, who avoids hostility. A cheating existence that interferes with human emotion itself does not suit an actor's role. True impact comes from actors crying out on a carefully staged set. The princess... should be left to the machinery.'

The princess was about to flare up and insist she would go too. But right then, someone let out a horrific scream, and she recoiled in fear.

The regressor also shook her head.

"Whether we destroy this place or not, this won't be the princess's stage. There are no enemies here, so there won't be any need for your ability either."

Sorry, but that was wrong. There was probably an enemy hiding in the Core. That was why Zikhrund was trying to send the princess away.

Still, this whole performance from Zikhrund was so natural that no one except me suspected anything. Even if I stepped forward and exposed him, no one would accept it.

To begin with, me suspecting him was strange in itself. Siati and the princess, who had been with him until recently, had noticed nothing. For me, with a six-year gap, to notice first was less rational.

And I couldn't reveal mind reading either.

"Uh, I-I... then, please... I'll leave it to you...."

The princess decided to stay, and everyone nodded. Then I also put on a grim face and spoke.

"...Tyr, Mr. Shei. Sorry. Can I step out for a bit too?"

Tyr looked over my complexion and said,

[Hui. Your face is pale. Are you all right?]

"Yes. It's just mental. No matter how this ends... I don't think I can stand there and watch."

My gaze lowered slightly, my fists clenched tight. To anyone watching, I looked furious at the blasphemous scene inside this refinery.

Tyr looked puzzled for a moment at my changed attitude. Then she let it pass and nodded kindly.

[No wonder you are tired. You have run without resting even once until now, have you not. Unlike tireless vampires, you may need a short rest.]

"Thanks, Tyr. Then I'll stay outside with Azzy... wait, where did Azzy go now?"

The princess pointed behind us.

"Miss Azzy is over there... she stopped the moment we came through the door and wouldn't come in."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't heard any barking."

When I turned, Azzy was peeking inside through the doorway but couldn't bring herself to step in. It was like an invisible barrier blocked her. Every time a laborer groaned in pain, Azzy bared her teeth and growled like something deeply unsettled her.

To Azzy, who was sensitive to human emotion, this place where countless humans were being punished at torture level in real time probably looked like hell.

"I couldn't leave Azzy alone anyway. Works out well. I'll stay outside with the kings and keep watch."

The regressor agreed easily.

"Sure. I didn't sense anything unusual outside earlier. And for simple demolition work, we don't need your strength. Wait outside. We'll finish quickly and come right out."

Since even the regressor had given permission, I stopped hiding my discomfort and strode out like I wanted to get away as fast as possible.

'For now, I split the two of them apart. The princess and the advisor. Good roles. If I play that role, we can get a very enjoyable scene.'

I agree. If you take my place, we'll get a very enjoyable scene.

So I'll prepare a stage too. It isn't fair if you're the only one monopolizing the stage, right?

Clank. The steel door of the alchemic steel refinery shut. I closed it tight enough that not even a crack showed, then reached out and petted Azzy. She kept growling, still in a bad mood.

"Um... Hui-nim?"

"Yes? What is it?"

I smiled as I calmed Azzy. The princess hesitated, glanced at my face, and asked,

"Just now, your expression suddenly changed... Did you think of something pleasant?"

"Something pleasant? After seeing that kind of scene, how could I be pleased?!"

"S-sorry...! B-but your eyes are smiling...."

"What do you know about my expression!"

"Eek!"

Smiling, yeah right. I had to be angry.

Those people deserved to die. Humans have the right to judge other humans in the name of a greater cause, so those sinners deserved to be put down in that name.

But humans have dignity. Even if someone is a criminal, if they still have human form, that alone deserves respect. That's only right.

Funny thing is.

"Don't you find it funny, Princess? They're people who had to die anyway, and who will die. Yet seeing them bound and groaning in pain still makes us pity them."

"B-but... if they are to be killed, it should go through proper procedure, with their crimes exposed before everyone and their final end witnessed. That, that's too cruel! Being chained and exploited like that is practically... like livestock!"

The princess clenched her fists and trembled. In her whole life, she'd never really faced emotions like hostility, so this was likely her first direct contact with the military state's malice.

"So they must not be exploited like livestock?"

"What are you saying?! Of course not!"

"Why not? The military state needs facilities like this, and it has the capability to run them."

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should! There always has to be a line. Because they couldn't keep that line, my parents also...!"

Since the princess couldn't finish, I finished it for her.

"Right. Your late parents were terrible at running the kingdom and drove it into collapse, right? They didn't personally ruin every part of it, sure, but since you're speaking from experience, I guess it hits different."

"W-what?! You didn't have to say it like that!"

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"It is, but still! Even if I never saw their faces, they're still my parents! At least watch your words in front of me!"

I snorted and climbed into the motor carriage with Azzy. Still fuming, the princess followed me and naturally sat in the motor carriage too.

'Seriously, your words are way too harsh! I don't usually nitpick this, but you have no manners or dignity at all! No consideration either...!'

"It's something that shouldn't be said. But it can be said."

I started the motor carriage. The thunderwheel rattled to life and breathed motion through the whole frame. The stalled carriage found its pulse and began moving again.

The princess spoke in surprise.

"Wait, Hui-nim? Didn't you say you'd keep watch? Where are you going?"

"Words are just sounds shaped by my mouth and tongue. Depending on what I pronounce and how I arrange it, they become words that shouldn't be said."

Rrrrr. The motor carriage kept accelerating and soon hit top speed. I turned the controls and drove along the outer wall of the massive alchemic steel refinery. On the left stretched an endless gray concrete wall. No matter how far we went, the same view repeated, to the point I could barely tell whether we were moving or standing still.

"If something can't be done, then it should have been impossible from the start. But we can still say those words."

"...For example, if it's possible, then you're saying it can be done."

She caught on quickly. Sharp, too, and smart enough to make conversation easy.

"But that's different. Doing whatever you can just because you can is barbaric, and it's a sin. The kingdom fell because it couldn't distinguish between what could be done and what must not be done."

"You lecture me, then blame your own parents."

"They're my parents, so if anyone says it, I do!"

The princess snapped, then opened her eyes wide and answered clearly.

"Yes! The kingdom deserved to fall! So there are things that must be done and things that must not! The execution knights who used to uphold security in the kingdom traveled the world and held execution duels to punish criminals and set rules right. But at some point, those execution duels... became execution ceremonies meant to kill in more and more horrific and cruel ways! It even reached the point where innocent people were framed and executed!"

"That's the fault of corrupted execution knights, isn't it?"

"It was a kingdom of knights! Because the kingdom accepted them, the king, my parents, were dragged down by everyone's hands in the end!"

Contradiction... or maybe irony. There was a slight mismatch in the princess's words. I carefully pointed it out.

"By that logic, you should welcome the existence of that refinery, Princess. Better not destroy it, right? Someday that refinery will stop at nothing, lock up not just violent criminals but everyone who opposes the military state's will, and then collapse into ruin. Wow, three cheers for the Resistance!"

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