WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

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◈ Omniscient First-Person's Viewpoint

Chapter 79

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Read the Manual Carefully

Tyrkanzyaka's lips parted, then closed again. The golem, expressionless as always, seemed to wait for her response with faint anticipation.

After a long silence, Tyrkanzyaka slowly asked,

"...What did you say?"

『He is a criminal with no qualifications whatsoever, and he entered this place to pay for his crimes. He was arrested in Amitenggrad on fraud and gambling charges, and under the military magistrate's fair and swift sentencing, he was given hard labor in Tantalus. Unlike what you believed, he is not a military state instructor!』

"Then his actions... had nothing to do with your country?"

『Affirmative. Whatever he did while blinding this officer's eyes, it was not the military state's true intent. It was a sudden outburst from a single mad criminal!』

So he was a criminal. The uniform had suited him well.

She had learned a truly unexpected fact, yet Tyrkanzyaka felt no resentment. After all, Tyrkanzyaka herself had once been something beyond even a notorious criminal.

Even hearing that he had deceived her did not sour her mood.

If anything, she was happy.

"So it was true."

『Affirmative. It is the truth without a single lie.』

"Then when he called me a trainee..."

『It was a ploy to impersonate the military state and raise his chances of survival, however slightly.』

"Then he was thrown in here by force, with no obligation at all. Is that what you mean?"

『He did have an obligation to perform labor. Though one may wonder whether a criminal like him had any interest in labor beyond making his own meals.』

Even as it spoke ill of him, she felt the same. Tyrkanzyaka found herself growing more and more elated.

Because now she knew.

Purely.

Out of goodwill.

He had risked his life to return her heart.

"Heh."

Guilt squeezed at her chest, yet joy raced through her veins at the same time. It ran from heart to lungs and back, forming a sigh of delight before rising through her tight throat to her head.

For a moment, her face grew warm. Warmth was vitality, and vitality was movement. The corners of her mouth, once stiff, softened and lifted.

"Heh heh, ahaha."

『...What is so amusing?』

Tyrkanzyaka smiled in delight, then wiped it away all at once and said,

"Then if he disappears, your military state will suffer no trouble and no regret."

『Affirmative.』

"Good. Then there will be no issue if I take him."

『Affirmative...?』

"So that was not your country's favor after all. And he said he was an orphan, so he is bound to nothing. I have no reason to pay any ransom either."

『...?』

As the golem sensed something off and showed confusion, Tyrkanzyaka abruptly asked,

"But I have one question."

With an easy expression, chin resting elegantly on her hand, Tyrkanzyaka stared at the golem and asked,

"When Finlay fell, weren't you two together? You were riding on his back warmly, almost like siblings."

『Siblings?! Negative, absolutely negative! This officer absolutely does not acknowledge that bastard as an older brother!』

At the explosive denial, Tyrkanzyaka blinked.

"It was only a figure of speech. In any case, you still relied on his back, didn't you? Then why did he suddenly bind you? There must have been a reason."

『...That is.』

As the golem tried to avoid answering, Tyrkanzyaka pressed relentlessly.

"If I ask him, this ends immediately. Speak honestly. If you won't answer even this, what trust can there be in any further conversation?"

He had been reduced to a fool and could not answer anything, so only the golem could answer this question. But the golem, tied up and confined here, did not know that.

Pressed by Tyrkanzyaka, the golem answered obediently.

『He attempted to pry an escape method from the Abyss out of this officer.』

"Oh?"

So his claim about letting Finlay out before had been a bluff. Tyrkanzyaka tucked away one more interesting fact.

『This officer issued a stern warning against such conduct, but he grew resentful and committed an act of treason. He damaged this unit's speaker and restrained this officer here so this officer could no longer monitor the inside of Tantalus.』

"Is that all? You mean he tied up someone he'd gotten along with all this time just because he was dissatisfied?"

A relaxed interrogation. The golem hesitated, then realized it was pointless and answered honestly.

『...The military state always prepares substitutes for everything.』

"Substitutes. So you don't mean only objects."

『Affirmative. Until now, considering the special nature of the Abyss and his cooperative attitude as a laborer, we prepared no special contingency. But we have now confirmed his reactionary intent....』

From the military state's perspective, he was litmus. If danger lurked inside, he was test paper that would turn red on its own and warn them.

The litmus had lived long enough. Now the military state would no longer hesitate to dispatch manpower into this Abyss.

And if the litmus itself showed suspicious movement, there was even less reason to delay.

"Ohh. I see. He noticed the signs and decided to turn against you."

Now that she roughly understood how things were unfolding, Tyrkanzyaka nodded leisurely. The golem hurried on.

『A person with no qualifications has likely disturbed your peace up to now, but such things will not happen going forward. Even from the military state's perspective, his sudden behavior was unexpected.』

Face-saving words.

From Tyrkanzyaka's perspective, though, it was welcome news. She had gained nothing but grace from him, so she had also felt heavily indebted to the military state, but now they were cleaning it up themselves.

"Do as you please. Even if something else comes here, I won't care. Instead."

If anything, she was only grateful they had sent him here as a laborer.

Tyrkanzyaka glanced toward the dining table as if she had stumbled upon treasure.

"What you threw away, I'll make sure to pick up."

『...? All items in Tantalus are assets of our state. If you wish to receive or purchase them, you must obtain permission from the administrative authorities.』

"How very strict."

『It appears the story of his identity did not leave much impression on you.』

"How could that be? I was quite surprised too. I simply listened quietly because there was much I didn't understand."

Whether someone was a criminal meant nothing to Tyrkanzyaka. If it were Shei, perhaps she might have reacted differently.

Could that be why he told Shei not to go to the dining hall? Tyrkanzyaka quietly wondered to herself.

As the conversation kept drifting, the golem pulled it back again.

『...I will change the question. Please brief this officer on what happened during the four days this unit was restrained. Especially regarding the vampire intruder.』

That was easy enough. Tyrkanzyaka gave a simple explanation.

She left out one unnecessary fact: that she had been controlled.

"Finlay tried to persuade me, and I was half convinced. But the children talked me out of it. After thinking for quite a while, I changed my mind, and Finlay fiercely denounced them, then they fought each other. Finlay poured out all his strength, and then his breath stopped."

『Is that all?』

Of course it was not all. But there was no need to say more.

Tyrkanzyaka deliberately showed a hint of anger.

"My mouth hurts. What more do I need to explain? Isn't the fact that I'm still here explanation enough?"

『Understood.』

The golem accepted it quickly. More than fully trusting Tyrkanzyaka's words, what mattered most was likely the fact that she remained here at this moment.

The golem was rigidly principled, yet perhaps its resentment had not fully cooled, because it added one final emphasis.

『For your willing cooperation, I will warn you once again. Do not trust him. He is a military state pest who lives by fraud and gambling.』

Too late was the reply that rose to her throat, but Tyrkanzyaka barely swallowed it and answered casually.

"I'll keep that in mind. Ah, this is another matter."

The past was the past. Whether he was a criminal, or what Finlay had aimed for, what did any of that matter?

Tyrkanzyaka decided to ask a more important question now. Perhaps one that might have far greater consequences going forward.

"Do you, by any chance, know how to cook with the remaining ingredients?"

The golem nodded.

『Affirmative. This officer is a military state communications officer, and this officer knows 99 military state special recipes that can be made with canned beans.』

"Ohh. Impressive."

『Negative. It is ordinary. Communications officers often carry out long-term missions in isolated spaces, and by nature we are in positions where such information is easy to access, that is all.』

It said that, but pride still leaked through in its tone. The golem even took the initiative and proposed first.

『Please take this unit down from this cupboard. Verbal instruction alone may cause mistakes, so this officer will personally demonstrate as a skilled assistant.』

"All right."

Tyrkanzyaka waved her hand. Darkness flowed out and gripped the golem's whole body.

As she moved to bring it down, her thoughts suddenly turned to him as well, the one sitting there.

If the golem, which disliked him, saw him in that state, there was no telling how it might react.

Tyrkanzyaka waved her hand again, and pitch-black darkness rose like mist from her palm, covering his figure. It was darkness that blocked light itself, so the golem's eyes would not be able to see through it.

『Dangerous!』

Because of that, her control over the golem slipped, and she nearly dropped it. Her bloodcraft was no longer as natural as before.

The golem, clinging on within the darkness, raised its head and rebuked the vampire.

『Please handle this unit with care. Further damage will put this unit at risk.』

After almost being dropped, asking for careful handling was, in a way, perfectly reasonable.

It surely would have worked on him, but unfortunately it drew no sympathy from Tyrkanzyaka, who stood apart from this age.

"Why should a golem be handled so delicately? One of a golem's few advantages is durability, and you're making a fuss over a mere fall."

Tyrkanzyaka was not someone who would let scolding from a golem slide.

To her, who knew little beyond primitive mud golems, golems were things built on the premise that they would break. She could shape even humans like dolls, yet a golem dared talk back.

Perhaps sensing danger in her words, the golem hurriedly added,

『This unit is sync-type. This body is currently severely damaged, and if the frame's distortion worsens further, synchronization will become impossible. Also, this unit is controlled by syncing with this officer's body, so if it takes impact, that pain affects the true body as well.』

"One of the few merits golems have is operator safety, and even that is gone? Then why use such a golem?"

A cold gaze turned toward it.

The military state's latest sync-type golem had to prove its worth before a vampire from twelve centuries ago.

『Observe.』

The golem wiggled each finger differently. Tyrkanzyaka watched with fascination as it put on its little display.

Then it rolled one arm in a full circle as if stretching. Compared to a real human, its range of motion was still much narrower, but for a golem it was remarkably precise movement.

『Without synchronization, controlling this unit at such a long distance is impossible. Sensitivity can be adjusted, but that section happens to be broken.』

"How interesting. Then is your true body moving exactly the same way as this golem right now?"

『Affirmative. If this officer does not mirror the golem's movements, synchronization disengages, so overly strong shocks are dangerous.』

Tyrkanzyaka, nodding at this latest toy, suddenly asked,

"That unsightly pose earlier, with your legs spread, that too?"

The golem's movement stopped dead.

『...Af...firmative....』

The voice through the speaker trembled.

Tearing the golem's legs apart had been deliberate torment.

Whoever was on the other side of the golem had to split their own legs as well just to maintain sync.

"It must have been painful. Why keep synchronizing anyway?"

『Not continuously. This officer disengaged while sleeping, eating, or when other duties arose. And.』

To that question, the golem answered without a trace of hesitation.

『To observe Tantalus and report what happens. That is this officer's duty.』

Tyrkanzyaka asked no more. That alone was enough for her to understand. So she decided to let the golem's rudeness pass.

Now that its value had been acknowledged, the golem finally had room to look elsewhere. It looked around and said,

『I cannot secure visibility. The dining hall seems to have become strangely dark.』

"How could it be bright when I am here?"

Only Tyrkanzyaka could make that line convincing on its own. The golem accepted it without much suspicion.

『Understood. To the pantry first.』

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