Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
chapter-271

The Princess, who had followed us inside, let out a small gasp at the sight.

The sight of tiny golems, wrestling with miniaturized equipment, struck a chord with her sense of cuteness.

Like a village of dolls busy with their own little lives.

However, this reaction was short-lived as she noticed the golems handled countless documents.

As someone who led the Resistance, she knew the significance of those documents.

“Is this the true nature of Command? Countless golems representing Command's true form?”

“Of course not. There must be someone controlling the golems.”

Shiati had no sense of wonder at the fairytale-like scene.

Instead, she harbored only hostility.

“And that person... is the true mastermind. The one who made me, and the Military State, like this.”

Shiati's voice trembled with anticipation

Ever since that fateful day at Hamelin, how long had she waited? How much had she endured?

Feeling the imminent threat of Shiati’s impulsiveness, the Princess cautiously intervened.

“Uh, Shiati. We're not here for a massacre. We’re here to follow Mr. Huey’s lead in negotiations….”

“Don't be ridiculous. Do you realize what an opportunity this is? Are you just going to let it slip by without probing further?”

Shiati grabbed one of the nearby golems with her bare hands.

She was eager to tear it apart, but with her broken fingers, she couldn’t even bend one of the steel golem's fingers.

However, Shiati wasn’t disappointed.

She still had her thumb left.

A finger capable of using black magic.

“Command must also know pain. Those who dictated everything in the Military State like gods should know the suffering of those they abandoned and left to die!”

“Shiati…”

“I can’t miss this chance. I came all the way here to make them feel the same pain I felt!”

Shaking off the Princess’s attempts to restrain her, Shiati shouted loud enough for her voice to echo throughout the steel room.

“If you called us, come out! You said you wanted to talk?! Surely you didn’t call us here to talk through a golem!”

Surprisingly, the Military State, which had never answered a call in its lifetime, responded to Shiati’s call.

Suddenly, a door opened.

It was the second door, one with notably fewer papers piled up in front, indicating someone frequently used it.

From it, she emerged.

Shiati’s eyes widened,

“Finally, you’ve shown yourself. Are you the commander of the Military State?”

『Negative. This entity is not such a being.』

She answered in a monotone voice, walking out of the door, much like any other person would.

Her response was as dry as an office worker with no passion for their job.

Shiati frowned.

“Not the commander you say? What should I call you then? Generalissimo? Grand General? Or perhaps, Dictator?”

『Negative. The Military State has no such position, and this entity is not in such a role.』

“Then what are you…?”

Shiati trailed off.

The Military State has a hierarchy.

Every soldier was assigned a rank according to their duties.

Those with higher ranks were obliged to make their rank known to everyone and have the authority to command subordinates.

The person before us was also part of the Military State’s hierarchy.

She wore the epaulets of a captain on her uniform.

However, it wasn’t the high-cost uniform of a general but a simple, ordinary one.

Confirming her rank, Shiati asked incredulously,

“A captain?”

It's not a low rank by any means.

In any city, a captain could strut around with their head held high.

But that’s all.

The rank of captain was too low to be considered part of Command that moved this country on their whim.

If all the captains in the country were gathered, they could fill a whole town.

If all of them were part of Command, the Military State would be pulled apart in countless directions.

“Just a captain?”

Shiati’s question implied disbelief that a mere captain could be a member of Command.

The Captain took her question literally.

『Affirmative. This entity is Captain Ivy of the Military State Signallers. This entity stands before you to convey words to you.』

And then I met the Captain’s eyes.

After confirming her face and reading her thoughts, I scratched my chin, feeling something odd coming from the person before me.

How curious.

Normally, when someone speaks, they think about it beforehand.

The mouth is merely a medium for conveying words, while the will is formed in the mind.

But with her, it was different.

｢It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well during the past few days. I heard all about you since I’m a Signaller. It seems you’ve been as busy as I have.｣

What exactly had happened to Captain Abbey?

It was different from lying to conceal one’s true intentions.

Those who lie often dwell on the truth intensely, making truth and lies like two sides of the same coin.

However, the person before me was different.

The words she wanted to say and the words coming out of her mouth were completely different as if someone else was controlling her body.

She was… more like a golem than a person.

“No. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is or what they are called. There’s only one thing I’ve wanted to ask from the beginning.”

While I was momentarily confused, Shiati composed herself and scanned her surroundings.

Scattered documents, golems huddled together, the content of the documents, and the talk of the Signallers delivering orders.

Shiati quickly pieced together the information in her mind.

Was it her innate instinct or her sharply honed aggression?

Shiati quickly deduced the correct answer.

“In the Military State, all orders from Command are delivered through the Signallers, right?”

Captain Abbey nodded in response to Shiati.

『Affirmative.』

“And the information handled by this Communication Headquarters includes classified information from all over the Military State.”

『Affirmative. The information processed here is subject to different security levels depending on its content.』

“That includes knowledge regarding the Anathema, correct?”

『Affirmative.』

“Of course. It would.”

Muttering calmly, Shiati raised her prosthetic hand menacingly.

Click.

She fiercely twisted the device embedded in her prosthetic hand, glaring at Captain Abbey.

“Do you remember the incident in Hamelin?”

This wasn’t a normal interrogation.

It was the final straw to decide it all.

It was the moment to deny everything.

But Captain Abbey responded with almost foolish honesty.

『Affirmative. The Signallers remember or record all significant information regarding the Military State.』

“Then you know. You authorized Nicholas to use Anathema, didn’t you?”

『Negative.』

Shiati’s hand, which had been preparing for something, paused momentarily.

But only for a moment.

『The use of Anathema is at the discretion of the person in charge. The Signallers merely provide the relevant information.』

“Ha!”

The moment of hesitation turned completely into contempt.

Shiati laughed and glared at the Captain again.

“Right. Of course. Nicholas wouldn’t have found out on his own. Instead, someone gave him the information, granted him the authority to use it at his discretion, and when unexpected events occurred, you all contained the information and deleted all records.”

The captain didn’t respond.

Shiati didn’t expect an answer, merely twisting her lips in a mocking smile.

“Yes. The Signallers. It’s you. Command that grasps everything and issues orders to countless soldiers. It’s actually the Signallers, isn’t it?”

『…That is.』

“Don’t answer! It doesn’t matter if it isn’t true. What matters is that you are undeniably the core of the Military State!”

“Shiati!”

Before the Princess could intervene, Shiati charged with her left hand hidden inside her prosthetic.

She planned to incapacitate the Captain and stab her chest if she resisted.

But Captain Abbey stood silently, ensnared in morning glory vines, unable to move and about to bear the full brunt of Shiati’s hatred.

“Stop!”

Of course, I didn’t just stand by.

I tackled Shiati’s legs skillfully, causing her to fall ungracefully.

Luckily, the pile of papers cushioned her fall, so she wasn’t hurt, but she glared at me with fierce eyes.

“Huey!”

“Stop it.”

“Are you going to spout more nonsense?! How long must I endure this?”

“Don’t endure it. I hate holding back too. But before you use your last finger, make the most of this opportunity.”

“It’s already enough! The Signallers are also my enemy! If you’re going to stop me…!”

Shiati unexpectedly pushed off the ground and swung her fist at me.

It was a sharp attack, showing she had been training diligently.

She could probably hold her own among the Resistance.

But my ability to read minds allowed me to counter sudden attacks like this.

Two of Diamonds, Multipurpose hook.

While Shiati muttered, I had already completed the transmutation.

I flicked my fingers, and the hook buried itself into the paper and then tripped her feet sideways.

I pulled the documents out from beneath her feet causing Shiati to slip.

As Shiati lost her balance, I slid towards her and flipped her on her back, flipped her over, and held her head down, pinning her to the ground.

“Black magic needs line of sight to work, right? If you can’t see, you can’t use it. So forgive me for pressing down on your head.”

“You, ahh…!”

“Sorry. But to fulfill your true desire, I can’t just let you do as you please.”

“Your ally also said to destroy this place first! If there are Signallers here, we should destroy this place!”

Ah, the Regressor did say that.

This was one of the Military State’s core facilities.

Despite the chaos, Shiati remembered that.

“Right. But destroying it the way you think won’t be of any use.”

I calmly explained, looking at the Captain.

She watched our fight with an expressionless face.

｢You don’t need to save me. I’m already half-abandoned… destined to be used and discarded.｣

That was her thought while wrapped in morning glory vines.

Unique Magic was the embodiment of one’s Spiritual World.

Depending on the type, it might be visible to others or not.

The Captain’s Unique Magic didn’t involve physical phenomena, so it was invisible to others.

The morning glory wrapped around her body looked like strings or tendons controlling her body.

In any case, the vines growing from her feet coiled around her and bloomed beautiful flower buds.

There were exactly twenty-five flower buds…

Each bud pointed to a door.

The fully bloomed petals received information and will from someone inside.

So, that’s how it works.

I laughed inwardly and crumpled the paper with my other hand and rolled it into a ball.

“Shiati. You wanted revenge on the Military State, right? But you were lost because you didn’t know what it was.”

“I’m not lost!”

“You are. You’re not feeling anger when you see the Captain; you’re looking for reasons to be angry and then getting angry. Is that how you want to achieve your desire? By adding reasons to be angry and then executing them?”

“That’s enough for me! What more is there!?”

“This is the answer.”

I spun the paper ball in my hand above my head and shouted.

“Azzy!”

“Woof?”

“Fetch!”

“Woof!”

I threw the paper ball, and Azzy darted after it.

Amid the fluttering paper scraps, Azzy fiercely charged and grabbed the ball in her mouth, ramming the door with her body.

The Military State is efficient.

They didn’t bother using High-Grade Alchemic Steel for the doors to the Communication Headquarters that only Eimeder could enter.

With a crashing sound, the door was ripped off, and Azzy disappeared, revealing a dark hallway.

A small room.

With a simple bed and a water dispenser, barely enough for one person.

A voice emerged from inside.

“Ugh…!”

Shiati scowled, sensing another presence.

“…An officer?”

“This place is called the Communication Headquarters, after all. Do you think there would be only one Signaller?”

Of course, there were more Signallers.

Twenty-five doors.

Twenty-five morning glories to receive instructions.

Twenty-five other Signallers controlled Captain Abbey through 'Synchronous' Unique Magic.