No matter how much they offered the courtesies reserved for generals, you can’t truly relax at the Inner Circle Command Center when an actual general is constantly around. If you tried to kick back and relax while acting on par with a general, you might just get shot. In serious situations, you need to be mindful. Especially when we’re the ones who created this situation in the first place.

So, we quietly slipped out of the Inner Circle Command Center and headed to a nearby hotel. This was a special lodging facility meant for non-military personnel who had business with the command center.

At the entrance of this facility, the head administrative officer, Sergeant First Class Elpasa, greeted Historia with an enthusiastic salute.

“It-it-it’s an honor! Brigadier Historia, along with four others. Confirmed! Orders have been issued to provide all of you with general-level treatment! Accordingly, Sergeant Elpasa of the military administrative corps will be at your service!”

‘Wowww! It’s really one of the Six Generals! It’s truly Brigadier Historia! I thought I’d never get to see her face since this hotel doesn’t usually host outsiders. Dreams really do come true someday!’

Sergeant Elpasa looked as if he was welcoming a deity. Tyr leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“It seems that human hasn’t heard that the female general betrayed the military nation over a man.”

“Well, the military doesn’t exactly share these details with low-ranking officers.”

“Didn’t he say he received a transmission?”

“There are different types of communications in the military. Facilities below level 2 like this one only have communication golems for emergencies, so most orders are transmitted through standard communication devices.”

“Communication device?”

“Yes. You see it over there?”

I pointed to a massive golem statue with intricate magic circles inscribed on it. Beside it sat a low-ranking officer, who, even while gazing admiringly at Historia, couldn’t bring himself to stand.

“That enormous statue is the communication device. It’s a facility that amplifies a communication golem’s functions to an extreme. It transmits the orders received by the communication officer and relays them to other devices. The communication officer doesn’t even need to connect to it for the voice to come through.”

At that moment, the golem’s mouth moved. The officer, who had been stretching his neck to get a better look at Historia, quickly picked up a pen and began jotting down the orders as they were relayed.

Tyr, observing this, let out a thoughtful hum.

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. Just some unpleasant thoughts. Pay it no mind.”

“Don’t say something that makes me curious and then tell me to ignore it. Just tell me what’s on your mind—I might be able to answer.”

Since I’d already read his mind, it wouldn’t hurt to respond. Tyr frowned, deepening the creases on his forehead.

“…It reminds me of the White Wall of the Sanctuary.”

“Are you referring to the Great White Wall of Rakkion?”

In the Grand Sanctuary, there stands an enormous wall, grand enough to be compared to a fortress.

The Great White Wall of Rakkion. Known as the wall that conveys the will of God, as pure and pristine as freshly fallen snow.

Just hearing the name seemed to unsettle Tyr, and he grimaced.

“If possible, could you add some choice words in front of its name when you say it around me?”

“Ah, sorry. You’re talking about the painfully white wall that makes one feel like they might go insane just by looking at it, right?”

The reason the Great White Wall of Rakkion is maintained without a single blemish isn’t arbitrary.

Paper must be white so that black letters stand out clearly.

If someone were to write in ink on the Great White Wall, that writing would appear on every white wall in every sanctuary around the world. The shape, material, and distance don’t matter. As long as it’s part of a sanctuary and there’s a white wall, whatever is written on the Great White Wall will appear there, regardless of how far away or remote the location is.

This divine power originates from an ancient tale in which the first saint is said to have written messages in the sky, and it’s also why rulers throughout history have hesitated to destroy sanctuaries, even during times of great turmoil. Though it couldn’t protect them from vampires.

“It’s lovely. Anyway, that’s the point. The sight of the officer waiting in front of that golem resembles the White Wall.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”

The military nation is a place built from all the "good things" that the saint, who had seen everything in the world, brought together.

Tyr, interpreting my words in his own way, nodded.

“I suppose items with similar functions would be used in similar ways.”

Meanwhile, Historia had completed the check-in process. Sergeant Elpasa, nearly in tears, handed her a set of keys and some clothing packets before saluting.

“Understood…! I’ll dedicate the entire annex to you. I’ll do my utmost not to disturb you, so please relax. If you need any meals, they will be prepared immediately.”

“…Thank you.”

“No, it’s an honor to assist a hero like you, Brigadier!”

Looking a bit weary, Historia waved us over with her luggage. We left the main building and headed to the annex. The annex was immaculate and ready for us to settle into right away. As expected from the military nation.

“Hm. Looks like there are no hidden golems. Good. This place is safe.”

While we were settling in, the Regressor scanned the building with his green eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

“Alright. Now, about our upcoming schedule…”

“Schedule? What schedule?”

Some people just live too busy. Why think about schedules? I walked straight to the innermost room, leaned half my body inside, and waved at everyone.

“We’ve all worked hard, so let’s rest first. Good night, everyone.”

“Rest? It’s still daytime.”

“Daytime? Nighttime? Don’t get hung up on trivialities. You sleep when you’re tired. Don’t align yourself with the world; let the world align with you. Be the king of yourself!”

“What in the world…”

“Hmm, hmm. Truly wise words. Yes, indeed. How can we let something as trivial as the sun control our bodies?”

The Regressor looked flabbergasted, but, unfortunately for him, Tyr was nodding along in agreement, leaving him at a loss for words.

“Wait! Is now really the time to sleep? There are still unresolved matters…”

Haha, Regressor. Resting isn’t something you schedule; it’s something you do when your body demands it. Ah, I guess I’ve reached my limit. My ordinary body has held out for quite a while.

As the Regressor’s voice faded into the background, I flopped down at the entrance and fell asleep.

 

When I opened my eyes, everything was pitch black. Was it night, and I just couldn’t see? No, this was the military nation. This crazy country doesn’t let night or darkness stop work. The streets are always illuminated by magic lights, so unless the curtains are tightly drawn, you can usually make out the shapes of objects. But right now, I couldn’t even see my own hand.

Is this…the afterlife…? No, let’s save that joke for later. This harsh world wouldn’t make space for a dead creature like me.

Then, what’s this darkness covering me? It wasn’t hard to deduce. This darkness, thick enough that even my own hand was invisible, and with a texture like black ash… This was the darkness of the Progenitor, Tirkanjaka.

Escaping this darkness was simple enough. I sprang up and shouted.

“The answer is, Tyr has covered me in darkness!”

Of course, I already knew from the nearby sounds of her thoughts. Once I was up, I could see the bright sky outside the window. The room was dark compared to the sunny weather outside, and I quickly found out why. I turned to see Tyr sitting on a coffin, looking at me intently. With a kind smile, she tipped her parasol in greeting.

“Ah. You’re awake.”

“Judging by the bright sky outside, I must not have slept for long.”

“Indeed. You only slept for a day.”

“Oh, a mere day…wait, a whole day?”

Apparently, to a vampire, even a full day is just “a mere day.” Hmm. I must’ve been really tired. My body did feel a bit stiff. I stretched, clasping my hands and reaching over my head…

“Aaargh! My arms! The muscles!”

“What’s wrong, Hughes?”

I hadn’t realized my muscles were stiff from sleep, but once I started moving, intense soreness spread through my whole body. I might be the King of Humans, but after a certain incident, I lost my strength. This body is quite ordinary. Yet, with this decrepit body, I had spent all of yesterday walking around, climbing ladders, leaping between gears, and fighting, exhausting my body to the point that it was now revolting against me.

I groaned and called out.

“Quick, give me some drugs! If not drugs, at least a doctor!”

“Aren’t you reversing the order? Very well, I shall fetch a doctor…”

‘Hold on. Though it was a thousand years ago, I did have some experience as a healer…in a way.’

“Hm, Hughes. I possess a technique that can relieve clotted blood.”

“Sorry, but if you plan to inject your blood into me, I’ll have to refuse. Please don’t do anything to me unless I’m on the brink of death.”

“How cold…”

It’s only natural. You’re talking about directly manipulating my blood vessels—I can’t help but feel uneasy. No matter how reckless I am, I’m not willing to keep living by injecting others’ blood into my veins. If that ever became common sense, maybe I’d consider it. But that would require a complete upheaval of society.

“Ugh. Is there anyone who can help with this pain…? Maybe I should ask Shay for some magical herbs.”

The Regressor was dozing off against a wall in a corner. I dragged my aching body over to him.

“Hey, Shay. Are you dozing off in broad daylight? Wake up and give me some medicine for my body…”

Just before my hand touched the Regressor’s body. An unseen blade aimed at my neck. A sharp breeze grazed my neck before dissipating. I froze in place, a chill running down my spine. If I’d moved a bit further, my neck would’ve been slashed to match.

…Wait a second. What was that? I couldn’t sense anything. Or rather, he’s still asleep!

I know the Regressor moves fast thanks to his Qi Gong and Celestial Realm technique. But he usually has some awareness when he’s using Qi Gong. Yet here, he’s completely asleep.

“…Hmm. What is it?”

So, he reacts even while asleep? Just what did he carve into his body? I subtly raised my chin and said,

“Could you please get that blade away from me?”

“Oh? Ah. Right.”

The Regressor yawned lazily and retracted the Cheonaeng. Yawning again, he spoke gruffly.

“Next time, don’t touch me while I’m sleeping. In my current state, I only put the blade to your neck. But if I were more seriously wounded or mentally fatigued, I might decapitate you without realizing it.”

“Who would’ve expected to be attacked just for waking someone up? Isn’t this a bit much for a nap grump?”

“Hmph. You’re one to talk. You slept all day yesterday.”

“But I was productive, remember? Lia and I took down Maximilien.”

“Maximilien? I could take him down too! That’s nothing to brag about!”

‘Oh, so you managed to defeat him. Back when I didn’t have Jijan, I only managed to defeat Maximilien by catching him when he was separated from that steel beetle. Even with Chonggeomchongui, it was tough.’

His inner thoughts were oddly kind. Maybe he should try showing that side outwardly.

“Anyway, don’t you have any medicine? Preferably something like a drug to help me forget the pain.”

“I don’t use drugs. Once you start, you’ll want more and more.”

“Why? Is relying on something so bad?”

“It’s uncomfortable, like being chained to something.”

So he avoids drugs just because he doesn’t like the feeling? As expected of the Regressor. He’s a strange one. He’s not particularly deep or contemplative, and he doesn’t dwell on existential questions. His actions to save the world are more survival instincts than a sense of duty. It’s the same with magical herbs. Avoiding external substances to control his body is a natural reaction.

In a way, he might be the most human here.

“I suppose. You did mention you were just a child who hadn’t tasted much of the world’s bitterness.”

“Don’t mock me! I’ve been through far more than you!”

‘About thirteen times more!’

“And for my Qi Gong, Celestial Realm, I always need to keep my senses sharp. Using drugs would only make me weaker!”

Not using them is definitely better. I’m an unusual case where mind-reading nullifies most side effects…although, without a sensible person around me, I’d probably just turn into an idiot.

“Ugh. Does that mean I just have to endure this pain…”

“You mustn’t do that, Father!”

The door swung open, and Historia and “Historia” appeared.