Chapter 193
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 193
Standing before Lisanda, I felt my consciousness grow faint. It had been a long time since I’d been hit with that level of mental shock.
My mind felt like it was pulling back from a screen, drifting far from reality. And this was happening right in the middle of an important mission.
To think Japa was a woman.
No matter how many times I turned the thought over in my mind, the shock remained. Thinking about it calmly, however, it wasn’t entirely illogical.
I couldn’t distinguish between male and female Tajiruns. From my perspective, the name Japa was incredibly easy to mistake for a man’s.
And Japa had likely hidden her gender from me intentionally. The less information you reveal, the easier it is to maintain the upper hand.
"You know surprisingly little about Japa. I feel like I've said too much."
Lisanda paused, as if carefully choosing her words. I snapped myself out of my daze.
"Your aggressive attitude from earlier has vanished."
"I have to make it look like Japa and I are on bad terms. The Menoa Family is certain that Japa has an informant inside."
"Without an insider, Japa never would have been able to react to the ambush. But why go out of your way to cooperate with her?"
"I'm not sure if it's my place to tell you things Japa chose not to."
I shrugged, though Lisanda couldn't see it through my Camouflage Combat Suit. At most, she would have caught a momentary shimmer.
"I'm currently under suspicion by the members of the Round Table. Every communicator I use is being monitored. I barely managed to send the warning about the ambush. Of course, I'm not the only one in the family being watched."
"Is it safe here? Though since you're already talking so freely, I suppose the question is pointless."
"They don't blatantly invade my privacy. It's strictly behind-the-scenes surveillance. As you can see, the Menoa Family is quite democratic. There is no overt surveillance or oppression."
"Then let's talk business. What information do I need to deliver to Japa?"
I remained standing, careful not to sit and leave any traces, and waited for Lisanda to speak.
"The former Family Head—our father—died three days after the Round Table Conference. I don't know what was discussed at the conference, of course. But it's certain he was assassinated because of it."
Japa and Lisanda took it for granted that their father had been murdered. They didn’t even consider other possibilities. In many ways, this was a brutal society.
"Is Ozmer the prime suspect?"
"He's next in line to become the Family Head. It's been over a week since Father passed away, but the inheritance hasn't been distributed yet. Aside from the title of Family Head, Father's assets included many businesses and corporate shares he held as an individual. Many believe those are the real prize."
Interesting. My curiosity was piqued.
"Why hasn't the inheritance been distributed?"
"Father hired an external law firm without our knowledge. They were contracted to act upon his death. Probably because he always lived with the thought that he might be murdered. That's why, even after the funeral, his body has been perfectly preserved. There was a clause stating that if the body was damaged or disposed of before the law firm's autopsy was completed, the inheritance would be immediately donated. A Tajirun donating… it's absurd."
"That firm must be hard to bribe. He wouldn't have entrusted the job to people who could be bought. And if the Menoa Family tried to forge the autopsy results, the lawyers would find out."
"I looked into them. They're a fairly famous law firm specializing in inheritance, mostly used by people at risk of being killed by their own children. No one expected Father to have contracted with them. In any case, representatives from the firm will be arriving in two days."
"What happens if the autopsy confirms it was a homicide?"
"The firm will treat it as a murder case and conduct a full investigation of the entire family. It's annoying, but if we don't want to lose the inheritance, we have no choice but to comply. The family's honor will also take a massive hit."
"Killing your father for money—it's only natural your honor would hit rock bottom."
Lisanda let out a low laugh.
"It's not for that reason. It’s because we couldn't handle it cleanly and got caught. Other families will look down on us. They'll think of us as fools who can't even keep our own house in order."
Hmm. It seemed I had underestimated the Tajiruns. Their way of thinking possessed an extraordinary coldness, even by Imperial standards.
Japa really is an unusual case.
Her sense of alienation from her own kind was probably one of the reasons she had been exiled.
"Judging by the atmosphere, if it gets out that you're cooperating with Japa, it won't end with just your death."
"Indeed. I am crossing a very dangerous bridge. But I believe it's worth the risk. I'm not in a position to survive in the Menoa Family for long anyway."
Lisanda flicked her tongue with a subtle smile. By now, I could read the expressions and emotions of Tajiruns with reasonable accuracy.
"Is there any other information I should know?"
"Japa will probably say the same thing, but… we need to find the location of Father's body, which is stored somewhere on the mothership, confirm whether it was homicide, and find out what Father said at the Round Table Conference before he was killed."
After finishing my conversation with Lisanda, I slipped back into the hallway when the coast was clear. Retracing my steps wasn't difficult.
Moving between quarters was simple; they were just everyday spaces with low security. Proper security measures would only be found in critical, classified locations.
Arriving in front of Japa's quarters, I tapped lightly on the wall. The Equesians acted naturally, opening the door and swapping shifts as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Taking advantage of the shift change, I slipped back inside.
"Did the conversation go well?" Japa asked, looking over some paper documents.
Japa is a woman.
Whether she was a woman or a man had nothing to do with me. Yes, it wasn't important. I didn't bother bringing it up.
Damn it.
Still, she looked different now. The edges of Japa's triangular, viper-like head seemed strangely rounded. She doesn't look as sharp and fierce as I thought… The thought crossed my mind.
Human perception is incredibly malleable. The moment I started thinking of Japa as a woman, other features began to stand out.
"Is something the matter, Hoyot?" Japa asked again.
Chzzzt.
Deactivating my camouflage, I took off my helmet. Sweat dripped from my hair and down my chin.
The Camouflage Combat Suit was suffocatingly restrictive. The suit had trapped my sweat, and the smell of my own body odor filled the room.
"I don't know what you promised Lisanda, but she was very cooperative."
I relayed everything Lisanda had told me, word for word. Except, of course, for the part about Japa being a woman.
"...Is there nothing else?" Japa asked after listening to my report.
"Do I look like the type to leave out details?"
"Of course not, hoyoooo. Then I must think for a moment. Things have become quite complicated."
Japa closed his eyes while sitting in his chair. He—no, she—ugh, annoying. I’ll just think of him like I used to.
Having organized his thoughts, Japa flicked his tongue.
"Lisanda's judgment is correct. We must find Father's body, check its condition, and find out what was on the agenda at the last Round Table Conference."
"Is there a chance they've already hidden the body or tampered with it?"
"They wouldn't do something so foolish. They will likely disguise it as another accident, making up an excuse that the body was unavoidably lost or damaged. It would have to be an 'act of God' plausible enough to contest in court. At best, it's a fifty-fifty gamble, but if a homicide verdict is certain, that's their only way to inherit the estate."
"Then we need to prepare for when that 'act of God' occurs and prevent the body from being lost or damaged."
I wiped the sweat from my neck and cheeks with a towel soaked in cold water, cooling myself down. I wanted to strip off the combat suit entirely to cool down and dry off, but… knowing the truth made it awkward.
"I have a rough idea of where the body is located. It would be best to stay until the law firm arrives. An accident is bound to happen on the Menoa Mothership."
"And the contents of the Round Table Conference? Should we just grab one of the attendees and beat it out of them? Hmm, are Tajiruns particularly resistant to pain?"
I threw out a joke, feeling needlessly awkward. Japa let out a hissing laugh before continuing.
"There's no need for that. I think I have a vague idea of what was discussed. We can test them during dinner. A few of them are bound to react. When they do, Mr. Luka, please judge the truth of the matter—whether my guess is correct or not. For now, change your clothes and wash up. We have a busy schedule ahead."
Japa buried his head back in the documents on his desk, focusing on his work.
"Ah, right. Yeah, sure."
I flicked the latches on my combat suit, slowly opening it. It would be ridiculous to suddenly rush into the bathroom to take off the suit when I had already been completely exposed to him before.
Besides, we're different species! Different species!
Pretending to be nonchalant, I stripped off the Camouflage Combat Suit and went into the bathroom. After washing my sweat-drenched body, I found my clothes neatly folded outside the door.
...An Equesian certainly wouldn't have folded my clothes so neatly. This had to be Japa's doing. Normally, I would have just thought Japa was being considerate.
This is my own fault for getting useless information stuck in my head. Damn it.
* * *
I attended the Menoa Family's dinner banquet with Japa. Though it was called a banquet, the atmosphere was beyond awkward—it was freezing. The conversations that drifted back and forth were barely above a whisper.
Still, the Menoa Family treated Japa with proper etiquette. Despite their harsh words, they didn't mistreat him on the surface or serve him strange food.
Japa picked up his utensils. Dishes began to arrive one by one. Some Tajiruns had ordered raw, almost uncooked meat.
A steaming chunk of meat from some unknown beast was placed on my table as well.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't eat the food they serve here? That you have your own?" I whispered to Japa.
"Since I agreed to attend, I must eat what they serve. To test them, I have to take some risks."
Even though Japa was a guest, no one spoke to him first. Everyone was watching Ozmer, the acting Family Head.
Ozmer silently sliced his seared meat. Blood dripped from the cut surface as he speared it with his fork.
I didn't touch my food. Seeing that Japa didn't give me any looks, it seemed I didn't have to eat.
"The food is delicious," Japa said in the Tajirun language. "The kitchen's skills are as excellent as ever."
"That is why you were able to succeed in the food industry," Ozmer said, pausing his utensils to stare at Japa. "One must eat good food from a young age to know what true taste is."
"Thank you for acknowledging my success."
"It is an objective fact."
Everyone's attention focused on the conversation between Japa and Ozmer. The clatter of utensils stopped all at once. The sudden silence brought to mind the orderly discipline of an army.
"I understand Father passed away not long after the Round Table Conference ended. I am curious about the final agenda item."
"There is no reason to tell an outsider like you."
It was starting. I heightened my concentration.
Huuuummm.
My range of perception expanded. Twenty-five Tajiruns—every single one of their expressions and movements flooded into my mind. My brain processed hundreds of times more information than usual.
The bridge of my nose throbbed hotly, feeling as if the blood vessels were about to burst.
"Even if you do not tell me, I think I have a rough idea."
"Seeing you act so smug is laughable, Japa."
"The agenda item must have been related to me."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. A ripple of agitation spread through the banquet hall.
"It seems you are intent on spouting nonsense," Ozmer replied calmly, picking up his utensils again. He was trying to resume eating, a clear sign that he was flustered.
"Father must have been trying to revoke my Exile Order."
I had vaguely anticipated this as well. The sudden death of the Family Head, the bold ambush by the otherwise cautious family…
And their intense hostility toward Japa, despite him being an exile. They looked at him as a rival. They feared his return.
I observed the Tajiruns' reactions. Japa's bluff had succeeded; it seemed the former Head really had tried to revoke his Exile Order. Some of the Tajiruns, unskilled at lying, openly betrayed their anxiety.
Sluuup, sluuup.
Several of them quickly flicked their tongues, trying to read the emotional signals in the air.
The orderly atmosphere was breaking down. Those who couldn't assess the situation were growing confused.
"So, who killed Father?"
Japa dropped a massive bombshell before the confusion could settle.
…Chaos descended upon the banquet hall. It was exactly the kind of situation I loved. The complex emotions of the panicked Tajiruns wafted out in all directions like a hazy fog.
"Jaspiekederaaaa—!!"
Ozmer slammed his utensils onto the table and roared. The shout was far louder than the translation from my earpiece, making Japa's real name ring out clearly.
"Are you insulting the Menoa Family? Even as a guest, this is…!"
Ozmer continued his tirade, rattling off justifications for punishing Japa on the spot. As soon as he finished speaking, the Elite Guards standing along the walls of the banquet hall took a step forward.
Clack.
I quietly placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
"The person beside me is a warrior capable of subduing your Elite Guard Captain single-handedly," Japa said without even shifting in his chair. "If a fight breaks out here, I may die, but half of the family's core members will perish as well."
She really is risking her life on this.
I could feel Japa's resolve. This was no casual visit. She—no, ugh, he—had come fully prepared.