༺ Surviving in the Abyss ༻
『…Starfall. A Star of the Military State has fallen.』
The golem’s tone was darker than ever as it spoke of the lieutenant general’s death.
『Murder of a general officer is an unforgivable crime that cannot be concealed by any means. Even if they had infiltrated with… impure intentions. Bringing their crimes to light and delivering punishment is a privilege reserved solely for the Military State. Every individual here is a felon responsible for the Starfall. You have all become enemies of the State.』
“Ha.”
I inhaled through my teeth. I had been hoping the golem knew nothing instead, but apparently, it had secretly slipped out of the cafeteria and witnessed quite a few things. Then again, it would be strange to know nothing after all that chaos. Moreover, the absence of a general officer alone would raise suspicion within the Military State.
I spoke cautiously.
“So, the conclusion is…”
『…While I cannot definitively anticipate the directives from above, one thing is certain: no provisions will be supplied moving forward.』
“Curses!”
I knew this would happen! We had fought a general officer, of all people. There was no reason for them not to respond!
As I simmered in regret, the regressor, leaning against the cafeteria wall, muttered sinisterly.
“Then, this means I have no reason to leave that golem be?”
『…I beg your pardon?』
“I was going to get rid of it all, but left one since there’s a warden anyway… Thinking about it though, isn’t that guy not even a warden? So, now that we’re on outright hostile terms, there’s no real need to leave a golem around. Right?”
Reaching above her head for Chun-aeng, the regressor took trodding steps toward the golem, who retreated and began speaking in haste.
『Negative. Please wait a moment. I wish to raise an objection to your judgment.』
“Objection my foot. I never saw any good come from sparing your lot, you Eyes of the State. Bye and so long.”
『Wait a—!』
Just as the regressor was about to split the golem in half, I intervened, raising a palm.
“Hold your horses, Mr. Shei.”
“What is it this time?”
“It’s stuck in the cafeteria anyway, no? Is it really necessary to deal with it right away?”
“There’s even less reason not to.”
Tsk, tsk. The regressor was missing the forest for the trees.
The golem being trapped in the cafeteria meant the Military State’s means of gathering information were limited. Therefore, leaving the golem was better than simply eliminating it. We could disseminate false information through their only channel of information.
Planting false information to breed complacency was the essence of information warfare, yet she didn’t seem to grasp this.
Fake—infor—mation. I mouthed the words to the regressor.
“What? Speak out loud instead of just mouthing.”
“Ugh, for crying! There’s zero chemistry here! I’m saying let’s keep the golem because I plan to exploit it!”
I ended up shouting in frustration. The regressor belatedly reacted with an “Oh,” while a dazed voice came out of the golem.
『…Exploit, did you say?』
“Oh deary.”
Deary me.
* * *
I tied up the golem’s limbs and locked it in a box. It was an unavoidable measure, given our hostile position against the military State.
Sorry, Captain Abbey, but it’ll be fine since you can break the synchronization, right? Think of it as a vacation and relax with some iced beer.
Afterward, we gathered in the classroom to discuss our next steps. Everyone, save the injured Callis, was present.
“Now. Let’s assume supply has been cut off from today.”
Unusually enough, the regressor stood in front of the chalkboard. It was an immensely awkward sight, something that might induce mental discord. An elementary school graduate… taking the teaching stand?
The regressor tapped the chalkboard with Chun-aeng and began speaking.
“We’re going to ration our food from now on.”
The remaining food supplies were listed on the chalkboard.
Remaining supplies: 42 canned beans, 2 canned meats.
The numbers, even the ratio, were cause for despair. The canned beans were nutrient-rich, but they were sickening to consume in excessive amounts. And above all, 42 wasn’t enough.
“There are a total of five people here who require food. Even if we carefully ration one meal per day, it’ll only last for 42 days.”
“Hm? Myself, Lieutenant Colonel, Teacher, Lad, Miss Dog, Miss Cat. Excluding Miss Vampire, since she is a vampire, does that not make a total of six?”
The regressor waved a hand in dismissal at the undying’s observation, explaining.
“Oh, exclude me. I have the Bountiful Table.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a treasure of the old empire, as in the one that existed before its split. By pre-loading ingredients, it’ll provide three meals a day. I already stocked up a ton of ingredients before coming in here. About 10 years worth.”
“What! You get to enjoy delicious food alone!”
“But it has limitations. I can’t retrieve what I put in because it’s an extra-dimension. Plus, only I can take food from its dishes. The treasure itself was designed exclusively for the emperor, you see.”
The undying grumbled.
“What manner of treasure is that, huh?”
“I feel you. Treasures from the old empire are mostly like this. Lavish and quite convenient, yet heavily constrained, making them hard to use widely.”
The regressor shrugged nonchalantly while I directed a question her way.
“Can’t you just scoop some of it for us each?”
“A couple of times, sure, but I don’t want to keep doing that.”
“Tsk. Then maybe you shouldn’t have bragged about it.”
Hearing my complaint, the regressor brought up something more substantial with a confident look.
“Of course, I didn’t mention this for nothing. I’ve prepared separate provisions for you guys.”
The regressor summoned a rift in the air and reached in, rummaging. When she pulled her arm out of her personal extra-dimension, she was holding a sack filled with food. Grains like rice, potatoes, and flour; three chunks of salted meat; alcohol and spices preserved in glass bottles; and even twenty cans of meat.
Furthermore, the spices and alcohol were all high-end products that were practically worth their weight in gold.
Azzy’s ears perked up as she began to drool at the smell, while the undying grew round-eyed. Even I sat up in shock.
“Will this be enough, I wonder?”
The regressor preened herself. I couldn’t help gulping hard, as I had been enduring poor meals in this isolated space. I asked her.
“I mean, what is this? You’ve been hoarding all this stuff until now?”
“There wasn’t much reason to use limited resources when you guys were still getting supplies.”
“And that’s why you’re sharing them now? Couldn’t you have done it a little earlier? I wouldn’t have had to live this way for the past few months if you’d shared them from the start. You’re so greedy.”
“Greedy? I take it you don’t need the food? In that case, I’ll put it—”
“No. You’re the best prisoner in history.”
Before the regressor could change her mind, I gave her a series of thumbs-ups while confirming the food contents.
Looking again, the luxury wasn’t limited to just the alcohol and spices. The rice was celestial grain—just a single kernel was said to be as filling as an entire meal—and the flour was the finest wheat of the Golden Plains, each particle gleaming like gold.
The potatoes, meant to ensure self-sufficiency, were the robust variety. Even planting them as they were could fill an entire field. They couldn’t be cultivated in the abyss, but if there were any soil available, this alone could have sustained us.
“Even the meat is from black pigs from oak forests, fed on wild acorns and herbs… This is crazy. We could live like kings with this.”
“Don’t get too carried away. They might all be high-quality, but the food won’t last forever. We need to make this last for the remaining 9 months.”
“9 months? Why exactly 9?”
The regressor hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to disclose certain information.
｢Since we’re going to endure the remaining time here anyway, I suppose it’s better to have a defined period. I’ve already mentioned the timeframe. There’s no need to hide more and make them anxious.｣
Her contemplation was brief. The regressor answered.
“9 months. After that… you guys will probably be able to escape this place. Someone will come down, you see.”
“And who’s that someone?”
“Just someone. A person who can bring down this abyss…”
“With strength? By smashing it apart?”
“It’s not like that. I’m talking about somebody who can seriously, conceptually wipe it out of existence.”
｢She’s the most powerful earthweaver of the present era, the divine agent of Mother Earth, and… the Sky-Devouring Earthwyrm, the imminent nightmare of Sanctum.｣
Just from the fleeting thoughts I sensed, I could get a rough idea of how powerful this individual was. To think even that uncouth regressor would feel fear and reverence. She clearly didn’t want to linger on the memory as her recollection soon ended. That alone spoke volumes about the terrible threat posed by this earthweaver.
But… why was she considering that person?
“…Anyway. I heard from a certain source that she plans to destroy this place. If she breaks the curse binding this prison, the land will return to its original state.”
｢Well, that “source” is me from a previous cycle. Much has changed in this cycle, but this won’t, given her tenacity.｣
9 months. It was meaningful to hear we could escape, as long as we held on for that time. Even the undying was greatly relieved by this.
“Ohh! Not bad! We should be plenty capable of enduring 9 months!”
Tyr, who had entered this place of her own accord, also welcomed the news, though she didn’t show it.
｢…I do not really mind the modest, peaceful life here, but I suppose it is different for Hu. He must long for the warm sunlight and the breeze rustling past his ears.｣
Her gaze turned to me, a pretty, subtle smile adorning her lips.
｢Yes. Since I have regained life, it might not be a bad idea to freely tour the outside world.｣
Haha, well this is a bit overwhelming. Why does it feel like I’m going to end up a world travel guide?
In any case, the response was positive, which encouraged the regressor.
“Anyway, that’s the end of what I have to say. Any questions?”
I raised my hand to ask one.
“What about Nabi’s mana cigars?”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out when the time comes.”
“No plans again?”
“Don’t worry too much. If it comes to it, I’ll personally…”
｢If her addiction still can’t be cured by that time, there’s no choice. I’ll keep her breathing for as long as possible, then put her at ease before leaving. My plan was to dismantle the Human Regime first thing after anyway, so I just need to uproot them before they find the new Cat King. I can’t look after Nabi forever…｣
What, didn’t she talk like she’d raise Nabi for life? So she spared the cat purely for practical reasons.
But just as the regressor was about to conclude her statement, expression chilly, we heard Nabi meow outside the classroom door. She opened it, looking puzzled.
“Nabi? What’s the…”
But when the door opened, Nabi was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a sparkling crystal orb was rolling in front of us. It seemed to have been taken from the golem remains in the control center.
｢What’s the motive behind—no, I guess that’s impossible. Nabi is the Cat King after all…｣
Even her reflexive wariness didn’t extend to a Beast King. The regressor’s face showed a moment of emotion as she gently touched the crystal orb. Then she continued abruptly.
“… I’ll do something about it.”
“Come again? What’s something?”
The regressor yelled in response.
“I’m saying! I’ll manage somehow! Since we have 60 mana cigars, we can think about it in 60 days!”
She sure got attached easily, seeing how even such a small gift moved her. The thorns in her heart were keen-edged, but it seemed that any affection she embraced would persist into her next life cycle.
Then again, wasn’t she friendly toward Tyr from the start? I vaguely recalled hearing about them forming quite a deep bond in the previous cycle.
Regardless, I had no intention of staying in a place like this for 9 long months.
“But by the way, did you know?”
I spoke up confidently.
“We don’t need to wait a full 9 months. 90 days are enough.”
