#novelgram

in milgram you either die or get employed

T/N: Any additional Translator's Notes will be found in the replies. Check the original post before reblogging as TLs are occasionally revisited and edited.

A strangely chilly air caressed my cheeks. I slowly opened my eyes. It seems I had been asleep. A cold, white light illuminated an unfamiliar room. I was lying on my back in a large, soft bed. I had no idea why I was sleeping in a place like this. “Where am I?” This was not my room. The unnecessarily spacious room seemed to be about ten tatami mats big. There were extremely few things in it. Besides the bed, there was just a simple, steel desk. The room felt overwhelming with its size, raw concrete walls surrounding me, buzzing an eerie silence. Normally, if I’d woken up in such a situation, I’d be panicking. But, I just lay in bed, gazing around blankly. Why was that? —I couldn’t remember anything until I got to this place. I couldn’t even say my own name. Everything was vague as if I had no true sense of reality. So, even though I woke up in this unfamiliar place, I wasn’t disturbed; rather, I felt more confused about my loss of memory. As I slowly propped myself up, a voice came from somewhere. “You finally woke up,” a taut, dignified female voice spoke. T/N: 「やっと目を覚ましたわね」is the original line. The わ adds a feminine voice to the speaker (Jacka). There was no shadow of a person around me, but that voice I heard was clearly one in reality, not something coming from a speaker. I squinted slightly in confusion. Then, something the size that could be held within my hands jumped onto the bed with a soft thud. “I’m right here.” T/N: 「アタシはここよ」 is the original line. This Jackalope uses “atashi” pronoun, a feminine way of referring to oneself. It seemed that the thing that had come to me was speaking with the same feminine voice. I could hardly believe it. It was covered in soft, white fur. Two large, long ears protruded from its head as if asserting its presence. Just below the ears were two round eyes. It had a cute little body and a mouth. At first glance, it looked like a well-known animal. “…A rabbit?” As I said this, I understood that my words were inaccurate because the creature in front of me, in addition to the familiar physical features of a rabbit, had two magnificent stag-like antlers growing from its head. …And normal rabbits don’t talk anyways.

“I’m not a rabbit. I’m a Jackalope. Please don’t confuse the two,” the jackalope corrected me, slightly annoyed. Maybe she was often mistaken for a rabbit. I’d heard the name “Jackalope” somewhere before. It was definitely some sort of mythical creature. I couldn’t remember the exact details right at this moment but I knew for sure that it wasn’t a real creature… probably. “You can call me ‘Jacka’ for short,” Jacka said while scratching behind her ears with her hind legs. That gesture was so cute, but I debated whether or not to point out how rabbit-like it made her look. “Am I dreaming?” “No, this space truly exists. It’s not a dream. The fact that there’s beings like me who can speak human language is, well, just a margin of error. It’s nothing to be concerned about.” “If I shouldn’t worry about animals speaking fluently, then it seems I don’t have to worry about most things in the world.” “Well- Could you please get up now instead of lying in bed?” Jacka abruptly changed the subject and jumped off the bed. There were a lot of questions in my mind. Actually, I had nothing but questions. But, in that moment, I had no choice but to obey and follow Jacka. I couldn’t remember who I am and I’m in an unknown place; Jacka has complete control. I didn’t think that resisting in this situation would change anything so, I did as I was told and got out of bed. “Oh, you’re quite obedient.” Jacka looked at me as if she was curious about my obedience. “There’s no point in resisting, is there? I don’t remember anything about what happened before I got here, I don’t know if Jacka is a friend or foe. Until I fully grasp the situation I’m in, I thought it’d be best to do according to what Jacka says.” “Hm. You’re quite calm. You might be the ideal candidate for the role I’m about to assign to you.” “…Role?” “From now, you’re going to meet five people. Just like you, they all have their memories locked.” “Memories locked, huh?” Jacka’s wording made sense. When I tried to remember something, my mind felt foggy and I couldn’t find the relevant memory. It’s not that I’ve lost my memory, but it’s more so that it’s locked in some way. When I think about it like that, it makes sense. “I think that you can’t remember anything right now but, when the time comes, the key to your memories should be safely unlocked. Though, before that, I want you to complete some tasks.” “You mean I’m going to meet five people and then do something to them?” “You’re sharp— That helps. Yes, the people you’re going to meet are people who are significant to you. Just be careful— They’re not ordinary humans.” “What do you mean?” Jacka chuckled at me for asking a question—when I didn’t know anything—then responded. “The people you’re going to meet are all murderers.”

◇ As Jacka led me out of the room we found ourselves in a long hallway, footsteps echoing unnervingly. I silently glanced at my outfit. When I got up from that bed, I realized that I wasn’t wearing normal clothes. I was in a black, collared shirt and comfortable pants. I also had a cloak on and, additionally, a black brimmed hat that Jacka told me to wear while leaving the room. The clothes were adorned with golden embroidery all over, making it look like some kind of authoritative uniform. “Your role here is Warden. You will go by ‘Warden Es’.” Jacka’s voice echoed down the hallway. “Warden Es? That’s not my real name, is it?” “The rule here is that everyone must keep their names a secret. From now on, you will act as Es. You should think of it as something separate from your original self.” I nodded. Besides, I couldn’t even remember my real name anyway so I felt no resistance in using a different name. Still- the term “Warden” was something I wasn’t quite familiar with. When I looked back at my attire, now knowing that I would be playing the role of a Warden, I realized that the authoritative and overbearing design perfectly suited the image of the role of one. “The five murderers are waiting for you in the hall ahead. They—the ‘Prisoners’—and the hall—the ‘Panopticon’. Interact with them as you see fit. You can be intimidating or you can be friendly.” As ominous words lined up one after the other, I couldn’t help but grimace. “Wardens, Prisoners, Panopoticon— Jacka, what’s your aim here? Are you locking up a group of people in this creepy facility to play a game?” “A game, hm? To be precise, it’s more akin to an experiment… that I won’t deny. You can interpret it however you like, Es.” It didn’t really matter whether it was a game or an experiment. The important thing was that we were imprisoned in this place for something we didn’t know and even our memories got locked up.

◇ “Now, we’ve arrived at the Panopticon.” At the end of the long corridor stood a large, closed iron door. Jacka, who had been leading the way, stopped in front of it. As it recognized her presence, the heavy door slowly opened to the left and to the right. Beyond the door was a wide, circular space. In the center was a large, white, round table, surrounded by narrow cells that were divided by iron bars. It resembles a prison, I thought to myself, but then I remembered what Jacka had said earlier about the roles of Prisoner and Warden. Then, it clicked. This place truly was a “prison”. The ceiling was so high that it was impossible to see. Even if I squinted, all I could see was a dim darkness. It seemed that the panopticon was a huge cylindrical building that stretched vertically. Seated around the white round table were five prisoners, all dressed in white prison uniforms, and all watching me silently. As Jacka approached the table, her voice grew colder and more authoritative as she addressed the prisoners. “Warden Es has awakened. From this moment, the new era of ‘Judgement’ to judge the Prisoners’ sins begins.” I swallowed hard and walked over to the table where the prisoners were waiting. Each of the prisoners wore iron bracelets on their left wrists with a chain about 50 centimeters long extending from it. The chain was connected to a thick black book with a black spine. All the prisoners had a black book in their possession. The book appeared to have sturdy restraints, making it seem as if opening them freely was impossible. This combination of the white table and black books tethered by chains created a surreal atmosphere. “Hey- They call us prisoners but, in this situation where we can’t remember anything, it doesn’t really feel right to be told that we’re guilty of something,” a boy who looked to be in high school spoke up. There was a lightness in his tone that was out of place in this heavy and intimidating atmosphere of the panopticon. He let out a sigh, releasing tension, and leaned back in his chair. “But turns out it’s fine. I was kinda scared what kind of dangerous guy would come since they’re called ‘Warden’ but she’s around the same age as us. She seems harmless.” With those words, the tense atmosphere that had been ebbing between the four of them eased. It seemed that the prisoners hadn’t been told what kind of person the warden was. They were quite wary. When I entered the room, everyone stared at me in silence, not out of hostility but out of a strong sense of caution. The boy’s attitude became completely relaxed and he called out to me in a familiar manner. “My name here is Two-Side. Nice to meet you, Es.”

Two-Side smiled, his white teeth showing. He carried himself with a light-hearted attitude even in this unknown prison, but it didn’t seem like he was the type to be frivolous. It would be more accurate to describe him as friendly. It felt like he was showing his weaknesses on purpose to make the other person feel at ease. I could tell at a glance that he paid attention to even the smallest details of his appearance. He made no basic mistakes like shaving properly and even nails were polished and shiny. Considering that he was a boy around my age, he was well groomed. Combined with his handsome features, I thought it wouldn’t be surprising if he was popular with all the girls at school if he was a student. “You guys also have no memory of anything, right?” I asked just to make sure. “When you say ‘you all’, does that mean the Warden doesn’t remember anything either?” A short, pretty girl joins the conversation from the side. She wore glasses with indigo-colored frames, giving off a clean impression. Her shiny black hair reached down to her waist, without a single split end, I couldn’t help but want to touch it. “Yeah, I can’t remember anything before I got here either.” “In that case, we’re the same. None of us can remember anything, and we’re confused because that rabbit over there suddenly started calling us ‘Prisoners’.” The short girl, referred to as “Nervous”, smiled wryly, her gesture adorably innocent. I struggled to associate the word “murderer” with the small girl before me. They are called “Prisoners”, but could they really have committed murder? If they were really murderers in the first place, the police would’ve arrested them before taking them to such a suspicious place. “Nervous, let’s keep the chatter to a minimum.” Jacka shot a look at Nervous. “And I’m not a rabbit.” Nervous quickly covered her mouth in surprise. “Es, please take a seat. I will now begin a brief explanation of this prison.”

Prompted by Jacka, I shifted my gaze to the white round table where one seat remained vacant. Unlike the plain white chairs the prisoners were sitting on, the chair was adorned with the same golden ornaments as my uniform. That was my seat, it seems. The obvious luxurious design was probably to distinguish it from the Prisoners’ chairs. As I obediently took my seat, Jacka moved across the top of the table to stand right in front of me and surveyed the Prisoners. Then, she began to speak. “Now that the warden is here, I’ll say it again. Welcome, Prisoners, to MILGRAM Prison. This is a place bound not by the framework of a traditional judicial system; this is a place to redefine what crime and sin is.” MILGRAM. That seemed to be the name of this bizarre prison. However, all of this felt suspicious. Despite all those grandiloquent words being used, in a country governed by law, isn’t redefining crime outside of that system essentially lynching? “As you all know, all of you Prisoners here are murderers. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that your actions will be deemed ‘Unforgiven’ in this place.” The prisoners had various reactions to Jacka’s incomprehensible explanation. Some tilted their heads in confusion, unable to understand it. Some glared sharply. Some were waiting almost emotionlessly for Jacka’s next words. I stared at the fluffy fur on the back of Jacka’s head. “Whether to ‘Forgive’ or ‘Unforgive’ the Prisoners’ crimes is a decision entrusted to Warden Es. Her sole judgement will determine whether a Prisoner is guilty or innocent.” A deep sigh echoed. Among the four, the only one who seemed to be older by three years, a young man, was glaring suspiciously at Jacka. “Who on earth came up with such a system? Judging people based on one person’s subjective opinion doesn’t seem reasonable at all.” “Stop showing your hostility, Gentle. I don’t answer when it’s not necessary.” Jacka didn’t seem inclined to address Gentle’s remark head-on and brushed it off lightly. Then, she narrowed her eyes slightly. “Here, MILGRAM deals with crimes that the conventional judicial system cannot accurately judge. Crimes that are undoubtedly guilty, crimes that are undoubtedly innocent—such mundane cases don’t exist here.” “So, does that mean our crimes are ambiguous in terms of good and evil?” Gentle asked, continuing the discussion. This time, Jacka nodded, seeming to appreciate the question. “That’s right. Depending on the observer, the judgement of whether to ‘Forgive’ or ‘Unforgive’ your crimes may differ. Someone who knows the full story, someone who knows only the basic facts, or someone who strictly adheres to the legal standard—each person may come to different conclusions.” “I think that the current judicial system exists to eliminate that variability in conclusions.”  “In reality, each person inherently has many different answers but people are forced into a uniform judicial system for judgement. Is that truly sound? For instance, if a murderer is acquitted by reason of insanity, do you think the victim’s family members can accept that the murderer is innocent? I, personally, could never accept that. And if everyone can’t agree, it indicates a flaw in the system. That is why MILGRAM exists; as a stepping stone to a new justice system.” The panopticon fell silent. Gentle, too, refrains from speaking.

i've only got like one friend who's into milgram , and we go to the same school but we literally only speak on messages.. it's scary talking to people irl 🙁 i don't think she's very fixated on milgram but she's like the only person i can talk to about it.. last message i sent to her was me ranting about amane and it was 251 words... oops. i hate being fixated on something and having no1 to talk to it about too.. especially because that girl is now ignoring me

Ah― This..?