EP.81 An unobserved story. When the windowless room
synchronization magic is canceled, the feeling of being far away comes. It’s like coming out of a narrow and long tunnel upside down. As the lonely body tugs on its own consciousness, the connection between Golem and Abby stretches like a spider’s web at its limit.
snap and break
Captain Abbey has returned to reality.
Abbie opened her eyes on the mat. I put it in my room in case I fell and got hurt during synchro.
It was also set aside for stretching.
“Whoa.”
Abbie took a deep breath and hugged her arm for a moment. You can feel the soft skin under the uniform.
There is nothing wrong with the senses. It was definitely her body, not the golem. If you use synchronization magic often, you sometimes get confused whether you are a golem or a real body, so you had to test it in this simple way.
After checking, she crawled out of the soft mat on her knees.
When you step out of the room, you see a narrow, dark, and busy office. A dull room filled with only what was necessary for the mission and morbidly excluded from anything unexpected.
On one side of the wall there was a ‘window’ the size of a palm, sticking to each other like beehives. Many of them were dark, like lighting up the night. There are only two ‘windows’ through which remnants of light can be seen.
One of them reflected the blue sky and vast wilderness, and the other was dark and hazy like a dark cloud.
Abbie pulled the key from her bionic end and inserted it into the groove next to the dimly lit ‘window’. Then the gray dark clouds swirled and gradually formed a certain landscape…
Before long, the restaurant of Tantalus was reflected in the window. The darkness had not yet gone, and the overall hazy view was visible through the window.
“Sijo… what the hell is the wind blowing?”
I can’t guess the intent. But what is certain is that the founder still remained in the abyss and wanted to learn how to cook.
The very fact that she wants to learn to cook suggests that she will be living in the abyss for a while. There won’t be any problems for the time being.
Rather, since the golem inside Tantalus has now been restrained, it is necessary to deal with it. Abby moved on to the next task.
Aby sat facing the ‘window’, closed her eyes, and focused her mind. Then the air shuddered and another law began to overlay the world around her.
She was a soldier in the military, but the magic she uses is different from the ritual magic. A manifestation of one’s own world that does not require any spells or incantations to change the world.
even unique. morning glory.
An annual flower that blooms only in the morning and dies during the day.
Morning glory stems made of magical energy wrapped around her whole body and slowly rose. It was like a beautiful creeper hugging her or a hungry snake coiling itself to devour her.
Either the former or the latter, it doesn’t matter. If only I could do my duty.
Abbie raised her mana, and the morning glory that grew with that mana as food began to bud on the side of her cheek. It soon bloomed beautifully, displaying a fresh purple color.
The preparations are over. Abby opened her eyes and spoke to the morning glory pistil.
“I am Captain Abbey, a military communications officer. A call from U.L.A.B.”
Words no one will ever hear.
Words that would never be conveyed if spoken in this remote and isolated place.
However, morning glory, which has the power of ‘conciliation’, conveys the news to other flowers that must have bloomed somewhere in the world.
Then, as if he had been waiting, a voice flew in from someone far away.
『Abby! I’ve been waiting for you!]
The exceptionally raspy voice was no different from a few days ago. Abby answered the voice from the other side.
“Uel. Connection confirmed.”
“long time no see! Exactly, 6 days, 21 hours and 34 minutes! A little bit later could have filled the week! Don’t make me worry Abby!”
“Thank you for your concern, but I had nothing to contact. The only ‘window’ the main building had was locked, so there was no updated information.”
I heard the sound of hand clapping from the other side.
『Ah right! You said almost all the ‘windows’ were broken? Are the remaining two broken by any chance?”
“No. However, one last entity monitoring the interior of Tantalus has been restrained. Could you supply another ‘window’?”
『Uhm. sorry but you have to wait As you know, our ‘windows’ are very difficult to make. They say it’s not easy to make…. Especially if it breaks easily.]
Originally, Aby had a total of forty-nine ‘windows’. It was the limit she could handle and the number generously paid by the military in consideration of the uniqueness of Tantalus in the abyss. It means that the outlaws of Tantalus, who can easily tear even humans apart, won’t leave golems alone, so keep them in reserve.
Perhaps the prediction came true, out of so many ‘windows’, forty-seven were easily shattered, leaving only two.
But Abby also had something to say.
“It is the responsibility of the head office, but not entirely the responsibility of the head office. It wasn’t uncommon for trainees to break ‘windows’ in Tantalus, but none did so with paranoia and care. The responsibility of General Patraxion, who did not even disarm the criminal while apprehending the criminal in the first place…” 『
Ahaha. The sound of a big deal. No matter how much we don’t belong to them, we shouldn’t say that to the general~.”
Yuel cut off his words at good timing. Aby, who almost threw out her emotions at the pathetic Yuel, took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
“…I will correct it.”
『No no~. Things like that happen, too! We’re telecommunications, we’re not emotionless vampires! It doesn’t make much of a difference in that you don’t get sunlight!”
A joke mixed with self-torture flowed out. It is UL’s effort to blur the stiff atmosphere.
Aby changed the topic, feeling uncomfortable that she had caused trouble to the other person.
“How did the supply of magic candles requested last time go?”
“huh! I think we’re leaving soon! but you know? A communications soldier must never use magic candles! An inspector will be dispatched to check this!]
Yuel, who is gentle in everything, does not use a strong tone towards Abby. If such UL emphasizes ‘absolutely’, it means that it is something to be avoided.
But Abby knew. The fact that Yuel, who actually said such things, made every effort to supply Abby with magical herbs.
That’s why I didn’t dare to say that the worker had betrayed me and asked me to cancel the magic herb supply. It was because the image of Yuel, who must have been delighted with A.B.’s request, was good in his eyes.
While choosing a horse for a while, I heard a notification sound from Yuel’s side. order has been received. A puzzled voice came through the morning glory.
“oh. wait for a sec. An urgent order.”
It was too long to be called a report and too short to be called a saddam. It was time to end our story.
Abby said while fixing the clothes she was wearing.
“Excuse me while you are busy, Captain Yuel.”
“no. It was good to hear from you after a long time. Let’s talk again later…]
The longing voice fades away and the petals of the morning glory begin to fall helplessly. Yuel’s voice resounded like an echo with the faint reverberation.
『I am Captain Yuel, a military signalman…. Your request…』
The voice faded. After that, the morning glory on Abby’s shoulder withered. A vine stem that breaks in strands as if withered.
As they fell to the ground, they melted into the air like mist.
Unique magic is unique. This is because one image that one person has is different from the others.
This is the supreme proposition that arose from the moment the mystery of magic dwelled in the human body.
however.
If we gather people with similar aptitudes and cultivate their images through strict and standardized education.
Wouldn’t it be possible to learn the same magic?
The military actually did it. A signal soldier who was specially trained and nurtured by gathering carefully selected talents from secondary military schools.
Their magic, of course, was different in form, but there were characteristics they had in common.
tuning.
With this magic, the communicator could communicate with other communicators without any mechanical devices or magic circles, and could access a specially designed golem using a biometric terminal and key.
Considering that even the most trashy telecommunications equipment is huge enough to be compared to a building and incredibly expensive, the telecom soldier was a successful military project that greatly eased the burden and at the same time gave flexibility.
However, there are only a handful of people with such talent, so a signal soldier becomes a captain immediately after commissioning, regardless of age or experience.
Even if he became a captain, all he could handle were golems, so he was more of a low-level soldier than an officer.
“Suffer, Yuel.”
Aby turned her head, hoping for the happiness of her best friend.
A single small light illuminates this stuffy space. On the narrow desk, papers and coded texts are scattered in a mess.
I don’t even need a closet because I have packets of clothes, and I have no other food because I have canned beans. Everything you need to survive is contained in one cupboard.
There is nothing else to decorate your life with.
A comfortable sofa where you can relax for a while.
Even magazines with non-poetic content that flowed out something closer to ridicule than laughter.
Even a window where you can look out for a while.
nothing.
This is a windowless room. There are no doors leading to the outside. Even if it’s a window.
Opening the curtains to greet the sunlight or opening the windows and letting the wind in are impossible in the first place.
Correspondent Captain Abbey The only ‘window’ allowed to her is the Golem, the only window that can see the outside world.
The signalman’s room should be bland. If there is something to turn your eyes to, you will surely neglect communication.
To receive supplies, to do business, or to observe the world for a diversion, they had to go through their own window, the golem.
It’s the only way to interact with the world.
At least, the only rest allowed… is to talk to another signalman. Even that is not easy.
I went to the sink and washed my face. Abby wiped her face with a towel packet and looked at herself in the mirror. Neat uniforms and hats, neatly cut bobbed hair draping around. Maybe it’s because she can’t see the sunlight, her skin is white even under dim lighting.
In the past, there was a feeling of being a little yellow, but recently, unintentionally, it disappeared after stretching.
I don’t want to thank you for that.
I was thinking about ‘window’ again. Abbie sat back in her chair and looked out the ‘window’.
The golem on the ground looking at the flowing clouds and the distant wilderness,
and the golem of Tantalus sitting in the corner of the restaurant and staring at the dark restaurant.
Aby, who had been staring blankly at it like a golem, suddenly muttered.
“…Shall we go back?”
Abby stretched out her hand as if possessed. After thinking for a while between the two remaining windows, I grabbed the key to the golem inside Tantalus.
And without realizing it, I started stretching. The body remembers the stretching it has been doing over the past three days to keep in tune.
Captain Aby, who was relaxing his legs, suddenly remembered a fact.
“ah. It was released.”
Abby gnashed her teeth, recalling the shame of the past.
The higher the degree of synchronization, the more similar it is to the object to be synchronized with. That’s why Synchro-Type Golems take the form of humans and have human-like senses.
Of course, in order to synchro, you need to take the same motion as possible with the target.
Even if it’s tearing a leg.
When the key is inserted into the biometric terminal, the synchronization magic that resonates with her informs her that her legs must be torn off. Then Captain Abbey had to clench his fists and spread his legs tremblingly.
There is a saying that if you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you. After manipulating the hard golem every day, Captain Abbey’s body became as hard as a golem before he knew it. Being stuck in the room and manipulating the golem, it was only natural that he lost his flexibility.
The ordeal given to her who was not flexible was too harsh. However, Abbey, who was trapped in a windowless room, had no choice but to overcome.
First day.
I put my feet on the wall and pushed myself. As he held his breath and pulled up against the wall, Abbey’s legs formed an obscure obtuse angle.
To the golem, splitting legs is just the arrangement of parts. Only Abbie’s body felt the pain. Having an unfamiliar experience that her body hurts more than the golem, Aby screamed.
Second day.
Could it be because of stretching all day instead of stretching? The range of motion has increased compared to the previous day. I couldn’t close my legs since morning due to a side effect, but that was a really minor thing. In any case, the synchronization rate was relatively high, so we were able to maintain a connection.
The first thing Captain Abbey saw after accessing the golem after such hard work.
It was a speaker that was placed in a position where the hand could barely reach.
Quick. Something in Captain Abbey broke.
third day.
There are things that can’t be done with effort. If you repeat stretching, your body becomes flexible, but even lying on your stomach with your legs apart is not something that can be achieved with a day or two of effort. It is because the body is honest and does not allow cramming.
But I couldn’t give up. Not only would the mission fail if I kept being locked up like this, but it would be terrible to have one ‘window’ completely closed.
Abbie continued tearing her legs for revenge, remembering the man who tied her up.
“A petty criminal… I will never forget this humiliation.”
Even though it was the founder who restrained the golem now, it was nothing compared to what was piled up on him.
Aby vowed revenge and connected to Tantalus’ golem.
