『The immortal race poses a considerable threat in itself. Unable to die, they are too different from ordinary people to live among them. They do not fear guns, do not avoid fire, and are insensitive to violence. They will laugh off a finger severed by a blade and simply reattach it. Being stabbed does not bother them, and for that very reason, they fail to understand why others fear knives. Disorder invariably followed wherever they settled, whether village or city. Ultimately, the military authorities prohibited the immortal race from residing within the Military State.』

The golem spoke as it looked down at the writhing right arm.

『Furthermore, this individual, who has inherited the strongest strain of immortal blood, remains alive even in the bottomless pit, completely isolated from outside forces. This exceeds expectations. They are an extremely resilient and dangerous race. I believe handling him would be beyond your capabilities.』

"So you're saying that killing him now would save us trouble later?"

『Would having yet another trainee to deal with not be inconvenient for you as well?』

It certainly would. The Regressor had nearly folded me in half, and the vampire had nearly torn me apart. As for Azi, she wasn't attacking me, but she was steadily wearing away what remained of my shoulders' useful life.

Add one more to that? My burden would certainly grow.

Tempted by the golem's proposal, I asked casually.

"How exactly would we eliminate him?"

『The method is classified at present, so I cannot disclose it. However, I can promise that we can banish him from Tantalus for good. He will never be able to return here.』

"And who's going to do that?"

『You will have to do it, of course.』

Ah, so. I had to pick up that body and personally “eliminate” him.

And here I'd thought you had something worthwhile to say.

I gave a decisive answer.

"I'm not doing it."

『Will you not regret that?』

"Regrets aside, eliminating someone who's still very much alive? What a cruel idea. We mustn't do that."

Naturally. Do you know why people shouldn't commit murder? To avoid retaliation.

Whether that came from the law, the victim's family, or a severed right arm. What was I supposed to do if it came after me? Would you take responsibility?

You said he was immortal. You said he couldn't die. His limbs were already severed, and they were still moving. What if, during this “elimination,” he somehow revived and came after me for revenge? Actually, he wouldn't even need to revive. I wasn't confident I could beat even one of his severed limbs if it came looking for payback.

A right arm moving on its own scared me more than a strong person.

"Let's just feed him and revive him. Enough of this strange talk about elimination and banishment."

『How unexpected. I had no idea you were such a moral person.』

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

I was more moral than anyone else in the world. Because I feared retaliation more than anyone else in the world.

Those who know fear learn caution, and being cautious around others is precisely what it means to observe manners and morality.

That was how I'd lived in those back alleys, and the principle that had kept me alive.

"The supplies are coming, right? I've got another mouth to feed now. It'll be a problem if they don't arrive."

『There are supplies on standby. They were halted at a stopover due to the prison break, but transport will resume once we report that Tantalus has returned to normal.』

"Excellent! Get them moving right away! When will they arrive?"

『Within three hours.』

"That's fast!"

『Do you have a complaint?』

"Obviously, I mean that's great! Not a single complaint! But is that even possible?"

『The Military State's administrative capabilities are the finest in the world. Resuming a shipment already in transit is not even a challenge.』

I couldn't read the golem's thoughts, but somehow I had a feeling its operator was puffing up with pride right now. It wasn't as if this were some personal achievement. What was there to be so smug about? Still, I'd be the one in trouble if the supplies got cut off, so I'd keep that to myself.

"How much are we getting?"

『The scheduled shipment contains three days' worth of food under Tantalus's provisioning plan.』

"Are you insane? That wouldn't even fill a—"

『However, that plan was drawn up before the prison break. With the drastic reduction in personnel, the quantity alone should now suffice for approximately ninety days.』

"It'll fill my belly just fine! Wow! The Military State's administrative capabilities really are amazing!"

In that case, there was no need to conserve food anymore. With ninety days' worth, I could make fermented soybean blocks out of canned beans and still have plenty left over.

Oh, right. This was the bottomless pit. Maybe fermentation wasn't an option. Anyway, with enough ingredients, the number of dishes I could make would grow without limit.

Excellent. I'd finally get to enjoy material abundance again. Excited, I shouted.

"Azi! That's yucky! Don't touch it!"

"Woof?"

Azi, who had been eyeing the bone attached to the right arm with an odd look, jerked her head up. I curled my fingers and beckoned, and she immediately ran over and rested her chin on my hand. Scratching under her chin, I said,

"Let's have something delicious instead of that cheap meat. The supplies will be here soon, so I'll make you that tasty meal I promised!"

"Woof!"

Azi barked happily. I alternated between scratching her chin and her head as I considered my options.

What should I make? I was sick of stew. Maybe blanch the ingredients, then pan-fry them to eat like snacks? Or mince the meat, grind it together with starch and boiled beans, then cook it? It wouldn't be the most efficient use of the nutrients, but grinding the beans and straining them to make soy milk might be nice too.

I was imagining all the culinary extravagances I could indulge in when something tapped my heel. I turned to see what it was and jumped in fright. The right arm.

It had crawled all the way over to me on its fingers.

"Another freeloader to feed, huh."

I took a can from the cupboard, opened it, and upended its entire contents into the right hand. The compressed beans were as hard as a brick, but the right arm paid that no mind and headed toward its body. After diligently walking all the way back, it tipped the beans into the body's open mouth like a mother bird bringing food to her young.

"That's one... capable right arm."

Did you need an arm that kept working hard even while your body was in suspended animation to qualify as an immortal, or was it doing that because he was immortal?

Either way, I'd definitely made the right choice by not tearing him limb from limb. I wasn't confident I could win if that right arm teamed up with the left arm and both legs to take revenge. Though it was deeply irritating to see a body that was practically a corpse wolf down an entire can.

It was a little grotesque, but I'd have to leave the golem and the disassembled h-u-m-a-n in the dining hall for now.

"Woof! Woof!"

"You couldn't wait even that long before pestering me? All right. I'll make it."

I took the beans and meat out of their compressed ration cans. The Military State's specially made canned rations were as impressive as ever: utterly devoid of moisture and hard as rock. Even the jerky that people used to compare to bricks couldn't compete. Eating this without water would take forever.

I cut a fatty piece off the compressed meat and set it in a frying pan. Once I lit the fire, fat began to melt and run out.

I soaked the rest of the meat with the beans. Since I wasn't making stew this time, I added just enough water to cover them halfway.

While the bone-dry compressed beans and meat absorbed the water, I took out the dough I'd made before. Lifting the cover a little to check inside, I found the round, white dough sitting there like an ostrich egg, exactly as it had been when I'd made it.

"Hmm. Just as I thought. It isn't fermenting."

Never mind rising—it hadn't even changed color, as though it had been preserved. This land was cursed by Mother Earth, so things couldn't rot and return to the soil.

"But this is still the bottom of the bottomless pit, isn't it? If what I'm standing on is earth, there ought to be at least a few of the earth's little workers here..."

Something bothered me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Ah, how frustrating. It wasn't as though I could read Mother Earth's mind.

I scratched my head irritably, but that wasn't going to produce knowledge I didn't have. My head wasn't a rice bin.

"Oh, whatever. People with great power can figure out the big problems."

I'd be better off not expecting soft bread here. Instead, I'd hope the supplies included rice.

I put the stiff dough in the oven and lit the fire. At the same time, I brought over the beans and meat, which I'd soaked with a little less water than usual, and set them in front of Azi.

"Food!"

"Not yet. Wait. We're going to make it even tastier."

I wiped Azi's hands clean with a towel. She squirmed as the clean cloth touched her paws, apparently ticklish, but managed not to run away. I rewarded her with a pat on the head, then gave her an order.

"Azi. Punch it."

"No! Meat will hurt!"

"The more you torment meat, the tastier it gets."

"Woof?"

"Remember how much better it tasted when we roasted it over the fire last time? The more meat suffers, the more flavor it develops."

That's why they beat dogs like that on the hottest days of summer. Ugh.

I swallowed that last remark and persuaded Azi.

"Woof! You're right!"

Convinced, Azi immediately swung her fist. It moved so fast I couldn't even see it. Each thump left a deep indentation in the minced meat.

The meat and beans, still somewhat stiff from lack of moisture, were pulverized in an instant by Azi's doggy punches. A veritable human—no, canine—grinder.

Weren't you saying the meat would hurt? Not a shred of mercy when flavor was at stake, was there?

While Azi pounded, I gradually sprinkled in starch and kneaded the mixture. With beans instead of eggs, it didn't bind particularly well. It would fall apart mercilessly in the pan.

Unlike human society, however, the culinary world valued what was inside over outward appearances. No matter how ugly it looked, all that mattered was that it tasted good.

"All right, plenty of fat. In it goes!"

The rounded lump of bean meat—or rather, a hamburger steak made from beans and meat—dropped into the pan. Immediately, it began to cook with a sizzling sound. The smell of searing protein. The sound of meat lightly frying in fat. It sounded like monsoon rain beating against wet earth.

"W-woof."

Apparently captivated by the overwhelming aroma, Azi even forgot to bark as she stared up at the pan. Not even a believer receiving an angel could have looked like that. I chuckled and hummed a tune.

"La-la-la."

Fire and heat stole every color. Stubbornly insisting that the full spectrum belonged to light alone, they stained the impertinent juices that had coveted red a charred brown.

In exchange for color came savoriness and aroma. A welcome change for humans, though the meat over the fire probably hadn't wished to become delicious.

I tidied the slightly misshapen patty with the spatula and transferred it to a plate. I drizzled a little of the glistening meat fat over it too. There, one serving. Normally, humans came before dogs, but today Azi would go first.

"Woooof."

I set the hamburger steak in front of Azi. Unable to bring herself even to contemplate eating this masterpiece, she looked up at me. While she waited, I served my own portion, put it on the table, and sat down.

Setting down my utensils, I addressed the golem on the table.

"Captain AB. Would you care to come down and have a bite?"

『Do not concern yourself with me. An observer is not swayed by desire.』

"Understood! Then enjoy the view!"

『...』

Leaving the golem on the table, I picked up my spoon. Azi's body was taut with tension. Like a sprinter, she was poised to launch herself the moment the signal came.

We couldn't leave this out at a time like this. It was a learning opportunity.

I took out the handbell. Anticipation filled Azi's eyes. What I would do. What would happen next. Her body remembered.

JINGLE!

I rang the bell. At that instant, Azi's salivary glands burst into action. Her mouth fell wide open, drool streaming down. Her eyes did more than sparkle; they looked ready to plunge right into the meat.

And she was still waiting for me through all of that. She really was a good girl. Hmm. I'd better stop suspecting her over food from now on.

I set down the bell and announced,

"Let's eat!"

"Woooof!"

Azi plunged her face straight into the plate.

At that moment, Azi was the happiest dog in the world.