“Instructor. We have a problem.”

The undying one came to me with a bottle of liquor, asking for advice. Without being asked, he poured a glass and spoke gravely, as though he alone bore the weight of life.

“What is it?”

“You said we would escape the next day sunlight shines down here, yes?”

“I did.”

“Hmm. What will you do once you get out, Instructor?”

Life advice, all of a sudden?

I hadn't decided anything. Surviving came first, so I hadn't had the luxury of considering what came after escape.

I answered without much thought.

“I'll probably go back to where I was staying first.”

“The Military State? I hear they show criminals no mercy there. Will you be able to return?”

“The Military State doesn't show you mercy even if you haven't committed any crimes.”

“Haha! Quite true! I know that well myself!”

“Besides, I was already a criminal before all this. So it makes no difference.”

“Oh, I hadn't realized that!”

After a hearty laugh, the undying one downed a glass and got to the point.

“Instructor. There is something I wonder about. Callis tells me she can no longer return to the Military State.”

“That's probably true.”

“Why would someone as high-ranking as a lieutenant colonel be unable to return to her own country?”

“She belonged to a secret society, remember? They won't let her live after betraying them. She'll probably be assassinated as soon as she returns.”

“Hmm! Wouldn't the Military State protect a valuable officer like her?”

“Do you know the easiest way for the secret society to assassinate the lieutenant colonel? Report that she acted on a secret society's orders rather than the Military State's. She'd be arrested immediately and executed.”

Level 3 citizens were people too valuable to replace lightly.

But that only meant replacing them was a waste, not impossible. The Military State placed the preservation of its system above all else and ruthlessly purged anyone who opposed it.

It could decisively cut down even a Level 4 citizen who defied its will...

Of course, once you reached Level 4, you had little reason to go out of your way to oppose it.

“How unforgiving! I always think this, but the Military State's standards are far too strict!”

Having received confirmation that Callis would die if she returned to the Military State, the undying one made up his mind and told me,

“Then there is no choice! Even hardship is better than death. In that case, I must take her with me when I leave the Military State.”

“You're leaving the Military State?”

“I shall have to. Otherwise, even if I survive, she will die. And I will no longer be welcome either.”

“No longer? Were you ever particularly welcome here, Rash?”

“Haha! You strike a sore spot! How did you know?”

“The Military State doesn't much like people who fall outside its standards. Except during a war.”

“Haha. It certainly is a consistent country.”

The undying one muttered bitterly. His sigh carried deep regret along with the strong smell of liquor.

The liquor the Regressor had provided was the precious Heavenly Fragrance, which let you get drunk while keeping your mind clear. It was a legendary drink said to have been enjoyed by the old empire's chancellors when they wanted to get drunk in the midst of their crushing workloads.

I couldn't sit out a drinking session like this. I downed the liquor swirling in front of me too.

The alcohol burned deep inside as it traveled down my throat. It felt as though the clean fragrance left behind by that inner fire was permeating my entire body.

“Ahh. That's incredible. Now this is liquor.”

A premium product worthy of the Regressor's selection. I had meant to take only a sip, but emptied the entire glass instead.

As I set it down on the table with a clack, the undying one nodded appreciatively.

“We ought to thank the boy! This is worlds apart from the Military State's harsh, bitter beer!”

“Don't compare this to that swill. It's an abomination made by applying moisture-compression technology to lousy beer to improve rationing and transport efficiency.”

I still didn't understand why the stuff they called standard-issue beer was a Level 2 luxury good. Shouldn't something have to be luxurious to qualify as a luxury?

“Why is that awful liquid a luxury good? Unless you mix it with water, you can't tell whether you're drinking beer or someone has whacked you over the head while you're eating barley porridge. That's the downside of efficiency worship. The same result doesn't make everything the same.”

“Hahaha! What an amusing description! I was surprised too. How did it become a country where you cannot even enjoy a drink as you please?”

As we drank together, the conversation flowed along with the liquor.

People with no shared memories tend to affirm their friendship over drinks by complaining about the same things. Befitting a resident of the Military State's back alleys, I tore into the country with biting criticism. The undying one agreed, yet kept showing a lingering attachment to it.

I asked him,

“You haven't been in this country long. How did you get so attached?”

“I am not attached. What saddens me is that I never became attached.”

“If you're not attached, you can just leave without a care.”

“That is what saddens me. I doubt I will miss the Military State much once I leave.”

What was he talking about? Of course he wouldn't. I doubted even the people living in the Military State right now missed it.

The undying one filled his glass and murmured,

“I thought the Military State was an extraordinary country. It built cities, raised dams, and laid roads. It even made the earth flow like a river to connect the entire nation.”

“One of its few achievements.”

“Meanwhile, my tribe was content simply to plant the large beans the Military State had developed. We do not die, and perhaps that is why we lack even the slightest sense of urgency. I admired the Military State for constantly striving to build something.”

Our glasses clinked. The undying one drained his and leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting into the distance.

“From childhood, our tribe drinks water mixed with soil and eats grain and meat covered in dirt. Then, on the day of our coming-of-age ceremony, we gather the energy accumulated in our bodies into one part. We cut off the part closest to the earth and offer it to Mother Earth.”

As he described his tribe's traditions, I sensed a hint of regret and longing. He fingered his right arm as he spoke.

“Thus, we sacrifice part of our bodies, bury it in the earth, and obtain new flesh. My right arm is that new flesh—the spirit of the offering.”

So that was why his right arm ran around on its own. He'd done something bizarre to it.

Humans really did commit insane acts without batting an eye.

“It did grant us immortality... but perhaps that is why we stagnated. While the Military State builds a nation of iron, all that has changed for us is the sort of beans we plant. Sick of seeing the same sights I had known since childhood, I came to see the Military State. And yet...”

The undying one glanced around. His eyes filled with the color of concrete, as though it embodied the Military State.

“I do not know. When I thought of my tribe, I felt resentment and longing. But this country... stirs nothing in me.”

“Being locked in prison and left with your entire body torn apart might do that.”

“Haha. No. I do not concern myself with such trifles.”

How was that a trifle?

Laughing it off with a perspective befitting the undying, he emptied the remaining liquor into his glass.

“I think it is because I cannot imagine things improving if I stay. And since my crimes mean I cannot stay any longer anyway, I have seen all there is to see. It is time to leave.”

Then he downed it in one gulp and made his decision final.

“I will cross the border and go to the Matriarch. I will invite Callis to come with me, though I do not know whether she will agree.”

Of course she would. That was surely why she'd brought it up in the first place.

The undying one stood. His face was slightly flushed, but he walked perfectly steadily. He marveled at himself.

“Is it because the liquor is so good? After drinking this much, I feel tipsy, yet my mind is perfectly clear!”

“It's Heavenly Fragrance, the liquor that gets you drunk with a clear head. It only makes you feel good without harming your body.”

“What remarkable drinks there are in this world!”

“You suggested drinking it without even knowing what it was?”

“What would I know? I only brought it out because Callis said she wanted a drink!”

Huh? Callis?

Then why had he brought it to me? Let's take a look at his memories.

A quick read revealed that Callis had apparently played the tragic heroine. Wearing a wistful expression, she had said she had nowhere left to go and wanted a drink to soothe her troubled feelings. Preferably with him.

The undying one had accepted her suggestion and brought the liquor, but then...

“But once I brought it out, I realized Callis was an injured woman who could not even walk properly! I snatched her glass away before she could drink! Whew, that could have been disastrous!”

She'd fallen into her own trap. Who told her to pretend to be so sick when she'd recovered enough to sneak food at night?

There was just one problem, though.

“... And you brought it straight to me?”

“I had already opened the bottle. What else could I do? It had to be drunk!”

“Why me, specifically?”

“I could hardly bring it to a young boy or a blood fiend who cannot even taste it! Nor to the beast ladies. By elimination, that left only you, Instructor! And I happened to have something I wanted to ask you!”

Now Callis was going to resent me because of you.

Ugh. This was why I needed to read people's memories first when they brought me liquor. It had been so long since my last drink that I must have let my guard down.

He hadn't meant any harm, so that was fine, but Callis had her wishes too.

With a sigh, I pointed at the cupboard.

“Rash. There's a medicinal liquor in that cupboard too. It's full of fiery energy, and it's said to drive out all sorts of unclean energies and heal the body.”

“Oh! There is such a wondrous liquor?”

“Yes. That one should be safe even for a patient to drink.”

“You should have told me sooner! She could have recovered faster!”

Unaware that she had already recovered completely, the undying one hurried over and took out the medicinal liquor. Taking another glass and a few pieces of meat to go with the drinks, he made to leave.

“Then I shall be off!”

I waved him goodbye.

Learn the cruelty of civilization, barbarian. You have already fallen into its trap.

Still, what would I do after getting out?

Hmm. I'd never really thought about it.

First, I'd return to Amitengrad's back alleys and collect the money and belongings I'd hidden away.

After that, I wasn't sure.

Few things were as meaningless as grand plans for the future. The future was unpredictable. For someone who had spent so long isolated in the bottomless pit to predict the course of the world was absurd.

I would have to get out, gather information, and use it to do the best I could at each moment.

To avoid danger and survive.

Pleasantly buoyed by a moderate amount of liquor, I headed into the yard to play with Azi, bringing a piece of chicken for her.

That was when I spotted an odd sight.

“Meow! Stop right there, meow!”

In the darkness beyond the area illuminated by the daytime lights, Nabi was chasing a round spot of light that fled in a zigzag.

“Meow! You're pretty fast! But you're no match for my speed...? Meow?”

Something seemed to race through the near-impenetrable darkness, and then Nabi landed squarely on the searchlight's beam. With a triumphant cry, she pinned the light beneath her forepaws.

But the intangible light slipped between her claws and glided away along the ground. Thoroughly provoked, Nabi bounded after it.

“Meow! Meow! You're pretty quick, meow!”

“Woof, woof!”

“Meow! Stupid dog! Out of my way, meow!”

This time, Azi appeared and stepped on the round light. Of course, she couldn't catch it either. As she ran past, it zigzagged away again.

That was strange. Searchlights were supposed to track objects. Why was this one avoiding Nabi and Azi?

I turned to investigate.

The Regressor stood lightly atop the searchlight mounted on the prison's outer wall, moving its beam.

The Regressor was playing with Azi and Nabi of her own accord. And playing this sort of game, no less.

“Is the sun about to rise in the west?”

She'd said she couldn't treat them like animals because they looked human. Had she finally changed her mind?

Absorbed in moving the light, the Regressor met my eyes and flustered.

“A-ah. This is...”

“What made you decide to play with them?”

“No, it's just...”

'Nabi was chasing the searchlight on her own, but the light wasn't moving...'

The searchlights were designed to track escapees. Far from fleeing Nabi, they tried to catch up to her. Even when she pinned the light down, it stayed put.

So, after a while, Nabi would grow bored of a light that merely shone on her and return. Prey that didn't run away was no fun.

“So you felt sorry for her looking so disappointed and decided to move the light yourself? And then Azi joined in?”

“Don't get the wrong idea! I just thought she shouldn't smoke mana herbs every single day, that's all!”

The Regressor made excuses as though she'd committed a crime.

Who'd said anything? What wrong idea was I supposed to get?

“Well done, Shei.”

“What?”

“Wow. You've finally grown up. That's right. When you keep animals, you ought to help look after them. It's been so hard taking care of them all by myself every day... Whew. I'm so moved I could cry.”

“Liar. Your eyes are completely dry.”

“It's a figure of speech.”

The Regressor chuckled and adjusted the direction of the light. As she moved the searchlight to keep Nabi and Azi from catching it too easily, she abruptly remarked,

“Those cans you gave me. I've been putting them to good use.”

“The treats?”

“Yeah. She likes them. I thought she'd hate them since they're just fishy and taste awful...”

“Why the hell did you eat them?”

“I only tasted them! Beast King or not, her body is human! I wanted to make sure she could eat them!”

“Of course they taste fishy when you eat them. They weren't made for humans. The only one who happily eats human food is Azi, who eats dog food anyway. Trying to feed them human food in the first place is the strange part.”

We were in the middle of that ordinary conversation when it happened.

THUD.

The ground shook, and the searchlight suddenly began moving on its own.

The Regressor had already taken her hands off it. Eyes wide, she glared in the direction of the sound.

The searchlights had detected a new intruder and were tracking the signs of their presence. Beams scattered in every direction moved in straight lines, converging on a single point.

And there, at the point where those lines intersected, stood a person.

A tall woman with apricot-colored skin.

Her black hair flowed down her back in a single ponytail. Earrings shaped like little human figures swayed at her ears. Beneath loose clothing of the sort a Taoist might wear, I caught glimpses of firmly developed muscles. Five bracelets jingled a beat behind her movements.

“Woof! Danger!”

“Meow! I'm first, meow!”

The two Beast Kings arrived just then, having chased the light. Realizing a human was there, Azi swerved, but Nabi, completely absorbed in the game, charged at the woman without slowing down.

A forepaw swung. A human stood in its path. The charge of a Beast King was an attack akin to a natural disaster for a human.

And yet.

THUD.

Nabi's forepaw was stopped by the woman's arm.

Simply spreading her legs wide and raising her arm, she withstood Nabi's blow.

No, could that really be called withstanding it?

When a cat scratches its claws against a great tree, has the old tree withstood an attack?

One wouldn't put it that way. A cat's claws could never break such a tree in the first place. It had merely been standing there when a cat came along and scratched it.

In that sense, she was like a great tree.

And that wasn't all.

Azi should have lost her balance and tumbled across the ground after swerving to avoid the human who had suddenly appeared.

Instead, she was tucked under the woman's arm.

“Woof, woof?”

As Azi dangled there in confusion, a quiet prayer reached us.

“The King of Dogs and the King of Cats. It seems I have found the right place. Mother Earth, I give you thanks. Through your grace, I have found my way even within this hell.”

Both Nabi and Azi grew docile, held by that powerful body. Taking on two Beast Kings single-handedly, and with nothing but physical ability, was a truly impossible feat.

The Regressor's eyes widened.

'Why is she here already? She wasn't supposed to come until much later!'

When Azi squirmed under her arm, the woman gently set her down. Azi bounded around her in circles.

“Woof! Hello! Nice to meet you!”

“It is a pleasure, King of Dogs. As a follower of Mother Earth, I offer my greetings to you, representative of your kind.”

She bowed her head to Azi, who bobbed her own head in imitation.

“King of Cats...”

But the wary Nabi had already fled far away and was glaring at the stranger. The woman gave Nabi a small smile, then turned her gaze toward the prison.

Ah. Our eyes met. Looking this way, she called out,

“I am a traveler passing through!”

Then she stamped her foot.

THUD.

That small yet tremendous gesture announcing her arrival shook all of Tantalus.

“This meeting, too, has come about through Mother Earth's guidance. I ask that you offer a traveler hospitality for a day!”

The whole world lay in Mother Earth's embrace, and all who set foot upon it were connected.

Thus, a host must not turn away a traveler, and a traveler must work diligently as the host's hands and feet.

The devout follower of Mother Earth had invoked an ancient rule.

But anyone who would come here in the first place—to the bottomless pit, their hell, cut off from every current of the outside world—could hardly be an ordinary believer.

Fortunately, before I could read that follower's memories, I heard the Regressor's thoughts.

'Mother Earth's agent. The Earth Sage!'