“Azi! Time to eat!”

For a moment, a suffocating silence fell. Both the Regressor and Tyr stared at me at my sudden shout.

Like a coin flipping over, the self that had been holding its breath on the other side rose to the surface. A candle reduced to a mere ember flared back to life. The world brightened, and I felt as though I were looking down on everything objectively.

Back in my right mind, I swept a hand down my chest in relief and cried out.

“Whoaaa! That was close! I almost died like that!”

It felt as though I had fallen into a river, been swept downstream, and barely made it back to the bank. Exhaustion washed over me, as if I were soaked to the bone.

Damn it. I had only meant to read a little, but I let my guard down at the last moment and went too far. The memories swept me away and nearly snuffed out my sense of self.

Whew. Good thing I had taken out insurance. All that diligent drinking and smoking, never slacking off, had paid off. What would have happened if I hadn't...?

Huh? Wait a minute. The cigar had already burned out.

“So what exactly brought me back to my senses?”

Tyr, who had been gazing at me with a face full of emotion, rang the bell again in answer.

Its chime rang out. This was the bell I always rang when I fed Azi—a sort of psychological trap I had devised to make better ‘use’ of the King of Dogs.

At the sound, some stifling urge welled up inside me. Feeling inexplicably compelled, I called Azi's name without thinking.

“Azi!”

“Woof!”

Right on cue, Azi burst through the door. She approached me with sparkling eyes, then her overflowing affection gave way to puzzlement as she looked around.

“Woof? Food?”

Ah. So... instead of the mana herbs I hadn't smoked in the weeks since being imprisoned, it was the bell I had rung at every meal during that time...

Ah...

“Woof! Food! Woof? Food? ... Where, food?”

“Sorry, there isn't any. I was bored, so I played a little prank.”

“Woof, woof! Woof, woof, woof!”

“What? You don't really mind? I knew it. You like me, don't you?”

“Don't like now! You stink!”

I reached out to pet her, but Azi caught a whiff, wrinkled her face, and left.

Scratching my head with the hand I had extended, I muttered,

“It's no use anymore anyway. Since I've already stopped, maybe I should just quit smoking.”

Anyway, it didn't matter how roundabout the route was, as long as I reached my destination. Whatever the process, all that mattered was a good result. Absolutely.

It paid to be diligent. If I hadn't rung that bell every day to train Azi, I would still have been without a sense of self, acting as though I had become a girl who lived twelve centuries ago.

... Though it didn't feel great that the bell I had made to train a dog seemed to have trained me instead.

After catching my breath, I lifted my head.

The Regressor and Tyr were staring at me in the cramped room. Their gazes were quite different: Tyr was simply delighted, while the Regressor was intent on clearing up every remaining question.

“Well, everyone. Thank you for all your hard work looking after me while I was out of my senses...”

I placed one hand over my chest and spread my other arm wide, pretending to offer an elegant bow.

Then I abruptly jerked my head up and shouted,

“... Did you think that was what I'd say?!”

I struck first, just in case they tried to turn the tables on me.

Perspective applies to the human heart too. People tend to see a small kindness they recently did as greater than an enormous favor they received long ago.

Of course, human selfishness—the tendency to forget what we receive more easily than what we give—plays a small part as well.

But that wouldn't fly with me. Back in my days as a fixer, I had even worked in debt collection. An unpaid debt, even a debt of gratitude, was something I would scrape and claw to collect.

“I ended up like this trying to give Tyr a heart. I sacrificed myself for you! If I collapsed as a result, of course you were supposed to take care of me! That's common sense! Common sense! It's a necessary expense, like providing meal allowances when you hire workers! Remember that!”

“Of course. How could I forget? I shall always remember that you bore such a great cost for my sake.”

Tyr immediately nodded as she answered. That left me speechless.

... Huh? Why was she taking this so readily? After the way I'd said it, even the Buddha ought to want to punch me.

“Do not worry. Even now that you have recovered, I shall continue to protect you with all my body and soul.”

“What? Uh, no, you don't have to go that far.”

“It is all right. Compared to what you have given me, what I can give is as light as a feather.”

... Something was a little strange here. Her feelings were, well, a little heavier than I had expected. Enough to make me afraid to say anything more.

Feeling that further questions might lead to an awkward situation, I changed the subject.

“Also, you didn't do anything strange while I was out of it, did you?”

Tyr flinched violently and whipped her head away, while the Regressor snorted.

Both reactions were a little odd.

The Regressor would have tried to check all sorts of things while I was out of my mind. Honestly, that was within my expectations.

But what on earth had Tyr done?

As I stared at her, Tyr hesitated for a long while, then pointed at the Regressor and tattled.

“Sh-Shei interrogated you.”

The Regressor's eyes widened at being sold out right in front of me.

“Huh? Tyrkanzyaka? You helped!”

“I was looking away. And I stopped the interrogation before it went any further.”

What on earth had they done?

I wanted to read their thoughts, but my sense of self was still too dim for mind reading. It would take another few minutes before I could read properly.

Still, my suspicions refused to subside. What had Tyr done that she would even resort to tattling...?

I'd ask her later. For now, I glared at the Regressor, whose offense had been established.

“Trainee Shei, have you no fear of heaven? You read that note, yet you blatantly ignored it? Do promises mean nothing to you?!”

“Says the guy who made a double-layered note...”

“Were you born yesterday? This is the Military State! Even if you were tricked, once you nodded your agreement, you had a minimum obligation to comply! You should read contracts carefully! And another thing!”

Words weren't going to cut it. To show just how upset I was, I slammed my fist onto the bed with all my strength. All that accomplished was making Tyr bounce where she sat beside me.

The bed was as rigid as the country that made it. Rubbing my stinging fist against my thigh, I shouted.

“Try seeing it from my side. Think how little I must have trusted you to do that! Honestly, the hidden note didn't ask for much! Is it that hard to leave someone alone when they're mentally impaired?! I used that double-layered note to add a little fun and emphasis because I was afraid you'd refuse even that tiny favor, and you just brushed it off!”

Every word was right. After all, the charge that she had tried to extract information while I was vulnerable still stood.

The Regressor let her words trail out.

“... Fine. I was hasty. I'll admit that. But you're hardly in a position to talk, are you?”

What was this? How could she look so confident when she was in the wrong?

The Regressor spoke triumphantly, as though she had something on me.

“Your name is Hughes, right?”

“Huh? That's the name on my citizen registration. How did you know?”

What? Had she even dug up my full name while I was out of it?

In response to my question, the Regressor narrowed her eyes further and muttered.

“Hughes, Level 0 citizen and convict laborer of Tantalus. Impressive. You had me completely fooled from the start. Thanks to your pointless stunt, I had to take the long way around.”

“Wh-what? How did you know that?!”

Mind reading! Oh, damn. It still wasn't back!

There was no choice. I'd have to act like an ordinary person for a little while. I threw up both arms in protest.

“Th-this is an invasion of privacy! A leak of personal information! Who was it? Who exposed my registered name?!”

“I did.”

The voice came from outside the door.

I turned to find a stranger glaring at me with her arms crossed. She was a woman wearing the large service cap used by Military State officers, her bob cut as sharply as a blade to match. Her crisp uniform and the medals displayed proudly on her chest stood out.

The officer spoke with an imposing air.

“So this is where you were, convict laborer.”

An officer. In uniform, no less. What was one of the Military State's elite doing here?

Huh? Had she come as an Instructor?

An... Instructor?

Why was the Instructor here already?!

The instant I realized who she was, I sprang up in alarm and pointed at her.

“Waaah! Trainee Shei! What are you doing? Hurry up and cut her arm off!”

Most of them couldn't even understand what I meant. Only the Regressor realized I was talking to her, and her face twisted in irritation.

She replied coldly.

“... Why? I didn't even cut yours off.”

“What do you mean, you didn't?! Get your facts straight! You tried and failed! Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome! Give that arm an equal chance to part ways with its shoulder!”

“No. I've lost interest.”

“What? You've been cutting off arms just for fun all this time? Is chopping off other people's arms such a trivial matter?! At least do it equally, out of a sense of duty!”

After that indifferent reply, the Regressor even stepped aside to let the officer in. She gave the officer a slight glare, but passed her without cutting off her arm.

Entering the room, the officer surveyed its interior with a sidelong glance. Her manner, as though she were looking for something to find fault with, made me flinch like a frightened student.

“Tantalus is a mess. Have you left it unattended for days?”

“No, um. I was busy picking up my lost memories.”

“And yet you pointed at your supervisor and spouted nonsense about cutting off my arm.”

My ingrained commoner's mentality left me unable to answer the officer. I merely shrank back. Seeing my reaction, she grew confident. From the thoughts I could faintly sense, she even seemed a little pleased.

She was probably glad to see the only person weaker than herself.

“You are summoned, convict laborer. Report to the Instructor's office immediately.”

“Ghh...!”

An ordinary citizen cannot defy an officer's orders.

Officers have authority to command the workers assigned to their facilities, and to punish disobedience at their own discretion.

And this was the Instructor sent to take overall charge of Tantalus. Even if she summarily executed me in this bottomless pit, no one could fault her... I lowered my head in anguish.

“Heh heh heh heh heh!”

But lowering my head had been a feint to build momentum. Laughter seeped out between my clenched teeth.

The officer's expression hardened.

“What's so funny?”

“Hahaha! Did you think I'd just sit here without making any preparations until you lot showed up?!”

The Military State always had a backup ready.

Whether it was a new convict laborer or an Instructor.

Ever since the golem had warned me, the Military State had probably been looking for someone other than me to manage this place.

... Though I hadn't expected that officer to arrive so quickly.

“I knew this would happen, so I took precautions! Just try laying a finger on me! You'll be taught a lesson!”

“By you?”

What a pointless question. She wouldn't be scared of any lesson I could teach her.