Chapter 175 - The Pinnacle of Seamless Heavenly Garments

District 1 of the Military State.

Everything a capital ought to have could be found there.

Defense Headquarters, which oversaw the capital's defenses, was built entirely of high-level alchemical steel, from its frame to its armor plating. Even amid a city of concrete, it looked incongruously rigid.

Communications headquarters looked as though World Tree vines had wrapped around it, its outer walls plastered with flower-bud antennas and mana transmission cables resembling trailing vines.

And Amitengrad's administrative building, constructed with the utmost efficiency—which is to say, as a neat rectangle—managed the city's affairs, great and small.

District 1 was the heart of the Military State's capital, a district no one below Level 2 citizenship was even permitted to enter.

If the Military State were one enormous monster, this district would be packed tight with its internal organs.

And here stood a peculiar building that could only be described as wearing clothes.

Riding in a carriage drawn by actual horses, the captain murmured as we passed through a main gate hung with a curtain instead of steel doors.

"The holding company, Seamless Heavenly Garments..."

Five private companies formed the pillars of the Military State.

Their owners possessed five technologies that even the Military State, which managed everything, could not match through state-led efforts. It had therefore permitted them to operate autonomously.

Among them was the originator of clothing packet technology, the technology most closely entwined with the lives of the Military State's citizens, and the only person capable of creating new Arche Avatars.

The third president of Seamless Heavenly Garments: the Weaver, Sephier Bakia.

The captain looked at me and asked in a trembling voice,

"How do you know her...?"

"I'll answer that in due time, Captain."

"But—"

"Our story isn't exactly something to share with outsiders. Wouldn't it be better to go inside and talk comfortably, without worrying about anyone overhearing?"

Sephi's voice was gentle yet stern. Put charitably, she sounded like a parent reasoning with a child. Less charitably, she was using her overwhelmingly superior position to crush the other party.

Her point was sound, at least, so the captain could say no more. Meanwhile, the carriage reached the mansion's entrance.

I stepped out of the carriage and murmured as I watched a horse toss its mane.

"That's a fine horse."

"They're called lion horses. Their red manes stream in the wind, so when a herd runs together, it looks as though flames are sweeping across the plains. They used to be called fire horses."

"I'm impressed you managed to buy something so precious. They're probably too rare even to appear on the luxury goods list."

Keeping horses required a spacious yard and plenty of people to tend them. In other words, it was practically impossible somewhere as cramped as Amitengrad, where land was so hard to come by.

But to the richest person in the Military State, practical impossibility was merely a false impossibility. With enough money, you could separate the truly impossible from the merely expensive.

"They aren't luxury goods. These lion horses are... yes, technically, I suppose you could call them experimental subjects."

"Experimental subjects?"

"Yes, Master. Lately, I've been researching how to take impressions of animals."

Taking impressions meant creating Arche Avatars that worked for animals, too. It was probably a project commissioned by the Military State.

If she created Arche Avatars for horses, even the Military State's wretched nags might become somewhat useful.

"Of course, if you need one, Master, I'll give it to you right away."

"Wow, really?"

Sephi answered my question with one of her own.

"When have I ever begrudged you anything? I never hesitate to spend money on my people."

'You've always snapped up everything I gave you. And you still have that habit of pretending to play hard to get.'

Had she built up a lot of resentment while I was gone? I kept hearing negative thoughts.

Just to be sure, I asked again.

"Are you sure I can have one?"

Sephi answered readily, without a trace of regret.

"I'll give you harnesses and a whip when you leave, so take them with you. Take as much feed as you need, too. If there's anything else you lack, contact my people. I'll send everything you need by courier."

'I only hope you don't sell it for cash. What kind of person casually collects things, claiming he wants them, only to sell them to a fence? Do you have any idea how I feel, buying them back from that fence at a premium? If that's what you're going to do, just ask me for money instead.'

... Never mind. I wouldn't take it.

It absolutely wasn't because her thoughts scared me. I just wasn't confident I could raise it properly. The poor horse would be miserable in that tiny room.

"That's a little too much for me to handle. I'll pass for today."

"A wise decision. Horses require far too much care for you to manage personally. I'll raise them well, so come borrow one whenever you need it."

'A man who can't even take care of himself would surely do a wonderful job raising a horse. He'd just sell it off somewhere again. Better to use the horse as an excuse to invite him to the mansion. At least I'd know regularly whether he was alive.'

So that's how you saw me... Still, wasn't I reasonably hardworking? When I ran short of money, I earned it myself instead of holding out my hand.

"Thank you for thinking of me."

"You're very welcome. Now, shall we go inside?"

Sephi snapped her fingers, and the mansion's red-painted doors opened on their own. The captain followed me with stiff steps, sticking close behind me, thoroughly tense.

The mansion didn't look unusual merely because it stood in the middle of a concrete city. You would be hard-pressed to find a building that looked clothed anywhere on the continent.

Setting everything else aside, its architecture clearly resembled the large tents favored by the tribes of the plains.

Except that it was three stories tall, had multiple floors, and was square.

The lining was finely woven fabric, soft and warm, while the exterior was high-level alchemical thread capable of deflecting even cannon fire.

Thread tougher and stronger than most steel held this enormous garment together. Made possible by thread and cloth sturdier and more powerful than concrete and rebar, it was quite literally a castle built of fabric.

"Welcome, Master. And... your new pupil. Welcome to my home and workshop, the Castle of Cloth."

The floor was carpeted wood. Thanks to the sound-deadening carpet, even a heavy stamp of both feet produced no echo. The warmly colored inner walls were as warm to the touch as they looked.

"Question. Weaver, is your mansion not a restricted area?"

"It's fine with my permission. This is my private residence. If that isn't enough, I'll use my authority to issue temporary entry passes."

Having cut off the captain's objection in one stroke, Sephi led us to the dining room.

She drew back a pitch-black curtain to reveal the dining room. Inside, her personal chef was bringing out food. Word of our arrival must have reached the kitchen already, because three plates had been set out in a row.

When their covers were lifted, they revealed perfect fresh-meat steaks unlike anything I had seen in any restaurant. Sephi gestured lightly toward the plates.

"Please eat. Now that I've invited you into my home, you must both be treated as guests."

A browned steak had a magic that instinctively made the mouth water. Sauce made from simmered bones had been poured over it, and colorful spices and roasted vegetables adorned its sides.

Amid all this, the captain frowned at the small, pale-green beans before her.

"... What are these?"

The wonder she felt at the tiny beans, which looked like miniature chimera beans, resembled that of someone seeing a dwarf for the first time.

Sephi didn't answer. I did instead.

"Oh, fresh beans! Wow, it's hard to find anything but chimera beans in the Military State. Where did you get these?"

Sephi answered as she deftly sliced her steak.

"You mentioned last time that you wanted some old-fashioned beans, Master."

"Did I? I don't really remember."

Oops. Had I said the wrong thing? I discreetly studied her face. Without changing her expression, she thought:

'I went to such trouble finding fresh beans because of that one remark, and he doesn't even remember. Is this why they say not to take in beasts with poor memories?'

Yes, I'd said the wrong thing. It had been so long since we'd met that I wasn't used to this anymore.

Meanwhile, the captain scooped up a spoonful of nothing but beans and put them in her mouth. The instant the soft, springy beans clung to the inside of her mouth, her eyes widened, and I saw a vision of lightning flashing through her mind.

'... These beans?! How can they possibly taste like this? They're clearly beans, and yet...!'

Well, look at our bean connoisseur. I tapped her plate lightly and said,

"Looks like you like them."

"Affirmative...! I've never tasted them before, but the flavor is both familiar and astonishing...!"

"That's because they're fresh beans. A product of nature, not chimera beans developed for fertilizer. Could we have some more beans here?"

"Of course. Chef, the remaining beans, please."

'He keeps giving everyone else what I set aside for him. He's no different from a bottomless jar. No matter how much I give, it never feels like anything accumulates. Honestly, how did I end up with such a hopeless master?'

The captain had been awkwardly cutting her steak, but at the sight of the extra beans, she put down her knife. I pointed at her unfinished steak and asked,

"How's the steak?"

"... I think it tastes good, but the texture is strange. It feels like chewing cloth."

If you cooked canned meat after soaking it in plenty of water, it lost meat's distinctive texture and became soft and squishy. On the other hand, it increased in volume, making you feel you'd gotten a bargain.

Having eaten canned meat that way all her life, the captain found the texture of fresh meat unfamiliar.

Did this girl even know what meat tasted like...?

"I'm beginning to understand."

CLACK.

Sephi set down her knife with an audible clack and elegantly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Having finished her meal without getting a single stain on her fine suit, she brought her hands together as soon as the chef removed the plates. Immediately, every door surrounding the dining room closed, turning it into a perfectly sealed chamber.

"You're a pitiful person, Captain. I think I understand why Master chose you."

The captain flinched.

She wanted to protest, but the woman before her was the president of a holding company, a formidable figure deeply involved in military logistics. Though not a member of the military, her influence earned her Level 5 citizenship.

If Sephi disappeared right now, production of the Arche Avatars indispensable to clothing packets would stop. It would also hinder improvements to military armaments, the Military State's special weapons.

Unsure how to deal with someone who wielded such powerful influence over both the military and civilian sectors, the captain faltered.

I sighed softly and called Sephi out on her attitude.

"You shouldn't call people pitiful, Sephi. It's rude."

"I truly apologize for that. But my attitude aside, isn't that why you chose her, Master?"

Her question was pointed.

Chose her? We'd simply crossed paths and ended up coming here together... Well. I had no answer. I had, in fact, been accompanying her partly out of a sense that I was helping someone less fortunate.

'See? He thinks the same thing himself, yet never misses a chance to criticize my attitude. Talk about turning the tables. Does he realize that bringing her here with that in mind is ruder than my pointing it out?'

Had life in the Military State given her such a sharp edge?

As though she could see straight through me, Sephi said,

"You've always sought out people who have lost something, or children who lack something. Anton, who wanted recognition. The former Kingdom's people, who had lost the splendor of their days under the Kingdom."

As she spoke, Sephi lightly touched her left wrist. Her coat and scarf turned into blue alchemical thread and were sucked into her biometric terminal.

Transforming her clothes as naturally as moving her own body, she was left in her red shirt. She pointed to herself.

"I was a prime example when I was young. Now you even pity a captain of the Military State. I can't begin to imagine how broad your range is, Master. It almost makes me resent having my conduct criticized by someone like you."

Wasn't that a bit harsh to say to your master? Her inner thoughts and spoken words seemed to have gotten slightly mixed up.

'And in the meantime, he's even gone to the bottomless pit and returned... Please, I only hope he didn't get caught up in some fucked-up mess while he was trapped there. I can't even imagine how thoroughly Master, who throws everything in the world into chaos, stirred up the bottomless pit.'

No, never mind. Her spoken words were more restrained than I'd thought. Sorry for doubting you.

But why was she suddenly thinking about the bottomless pit? What had I done concerning the bottomless pit...?

'... Surely those who emerged from the bottomless pit haven't come all the way to Amitengrad after Master. Even he couldn't have done anything about the monsters down there... but I can't shake the suspicion. The most frightening part is that I can't be certain. Just what have I taken as my master?'

What? Don't treat me like some kind of plague...

Wait. What? The people who'd emerged from the bottomless pit had come to Amitengrad? To the Military State's capital, so far away?

Why? Surely they hadn't come just to find me. Were they planning to demolish the Military State?

Was the Military State going under in this loop? Was the country finally closing up shop?

Damn it, then trying to deal with the Shadow was pointless. Who had time to rein in the Shadow or anything else when there was no telling how those people would wreck the country?

This wouldn't do.

"Sephi. Hold on. Can I use some things here?"

"Of course. Anything here is as good as yours, Master."

'Planning to use my assets as though they were his own again, isn't he? Sigh. It can't be helped... but will I get so much as a thank-you this time?'

The gap between her thoughts and actions was starting to scare me. I remembered her being quite straightforward long ago. Who had made her like this?

If she wanted it that badly, there was no reason I couldn't oblige.

They said a single word could repay a thousand-nyang debt, but words were intangible assets, and their value fluctuated wildly. Best to pay off what you could, little by little, while you had the chance.

"Thank you, Sephi. I really do have an eye for choosing pupils."

It was only a simple bit of flattery, but her brows lifted slightly, along with the corners of her mouth.

'So even a bottomless jar can be rewarding. Honestly, he's a difficult man to please.'

Sephi nodded readily while raising one finger of her black-gloved hand.

"But may I ask one favor of you as well, Master?"

A favor? Sure, why not.

Sephi had provided me with a home and financial support. One good turn deserved another. I could grant her a favor, so long as it wasn't unreasonable.

"What is it?"

"Let me take an impression of you, Master."

Take an impression, huh? What did she mean by that?

'All he has to do is enter a mold made of soft alchemical steel naked and endure the heat for one minute, but he'll be reluctant if I tell him now. I'll have to coax him somehow, just get him in front of the mold. Then I'll have a Body Avatar that perfectly reproduces Master's Arche Avatar. Hehe, with that toy, I can have such fun playing dress-up.'

No, this wouldn't do. I wasn't anyone special, but this had the potential to damage my dignity.

"Haha. You take your jokes too far. Surely Sephi, who studied under me, would never make such a bizarre request."

"Hehe. How perceptive, Teacher. To see through my joke so easily... tsk."

Hey, now. Leave off that tongue click at the end.

When I tactfully refused, Sephi pointed her black-gloved hand toward the captain instead. The captain flinched at being singled out.

"Then could you lend me this lady for a little while instead?"

"Why? To take an impression?"

"I wasn't planning to, but perhaps, if I feel like it."

'An impression?! Did she say she would take an impression of me? What on earth does that mean?'

You'd find out once it happened. For the record, I didn't know either, so I'd appreciate hearing your impressions afterward.

I readily agreed, too.

"You can borrow her for as long as you like. You can even cuddle her to sleep tonight."

"...?! What do you mean by that?!"

"Then we have a deal. A slightly disappointing but satisfying negotiation, Master."

"Don't mention it. I'll grant that sort of request as many times as you like."

"You intend to sell me out again and again...! Warning! This negotiation has not taken my free will into account!"

Communications officers were bringing up free will these days. Even components talked back now.

"Put her to good use and return her, please."

"She's your property, Master. Naturally."

"Negative! I am a soldier of the Military State, not someone's possession...!"

Leaving the frightened captain behind, I lifted the fabric surrounding the dining room. When I closed the pitch-black cloth, which swallowed smells as well as sounds, something resembling a scream from the captain abruptly cut off inside.

Now, then. Time to get started.