Chapter 225
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225
I left the Handicraft Industry site and headed back to Japa Trading's headquarters.
The Equesian mercenaries I occasionally crossed paths with inside the building were looking at me differently now. Their gazes were sharp, watching me as if I were an enemy.
A potential enemy.
That was how they saw me. I couldn't exactly blame them for the shift in attitude.
Because I've always thought of them the exact same way.
Every interaction I'd had with En and the other Equesian mercenaries was underscored by the reality that we might have to kill each other one day.
Whirrr.
The elevator shot up to the top floor, depositing me in front of Japa's office.
"It's been a while since I've seen you in the flesh, Japa."
Japa was standing with his back to me, staring out the window at the sprawling expanse of Border City. He slowly turned around.
"Hoyoooo, the troublemaking detective returns. Please, make yourself comfortable." Japa tapped his fingertips together, his long nails clicking sharply against one another.
"Don't mind if I do."
I sank into a chair and propped my boots right up on his desk.
Japa didn't bat an eye at the blatant disrespect. Stepping away from the window, he spoke.
"Let me make one thing clear. You crossed the line this time."
"You say that like it's my first time."
"I had no desire to get involved with the Handicraft Industry. I was forced to deal with them because of you, Luka."
That was the source of his anger. To him, the Handicraft Industry was nothing but a massive headache.
"Why do you guys avoid them like the plague? Neither you nor Lapis are exactly lacking in guts."
"The Handicraft Industry has quite the track record. They kidnap alien species to use as living test subjects for their experimental weapons... and they've outright assaulted other species' settlements under the guise of live-combat testing. Calling them an armed terrorist organization wouldn't be an exaggeration."
I tilted my head, resting my chin on my hand.
"If that's true, it's a miracle they haven't been wiped out yet. Even in a place like Border City, would the Federal Government really just turn a blind eye to that?"
"Because there is no definitive evidence. But more importantly, the Handicraft Industry is a syndicate of madmen, far worse than you could possibly imagine. They are so utterly brimming with malice and venom that there is no telling what they might do if pushed into a corner."
But that alone wasn't enough to make them a boogeyman everyone avoided.
If they were just a well-armed band of lunatics, they'd be no different from a street gang. If push came to shove, they could just be crushed by superior military force.
There had to be something else.
And that 'something else' is exactly what I want from Son Seok-jae.
I pushed Japa, wanting objective confirmation about the Handicraft Industry's true backing.
"...And?"
"Hoyooot. President Son's capabilities and network are exceptionally outstanding. He is a brilliant engineer, but what makes him truly terrifying is his deep-seated involvement with high-ranking officials in the Federal Government."
"Figured as much. Son Seok-jae must be scratching an itch for the Bellato Federation."
"The Bellato Federation promotes the coexistence of multiple species under the banner of diversity. However, when various species intermingle, conflict and hatred are inevitable. The Handicraft Industry is an organization that feeds off that hatred. Those who cannot openly voice their xenophobia in the light support the Handicraft Industry from the shadows. They are protected by the dark."
I smirked. So this was why Japa wanted nothing to do with them.
"If a conflict were to arise between Japa Trading and the Handicraft Industry... the Bellato government would almost certainly side with them. It is not an obstacle you can simply overcome with connections and bribes. As the saying goes, the arm always bends inward—they'll protect their own."
"That is why I refuse to get involved with them. Because even if they start a one-sided fight, we are the ones who must swallow the consequences."
I kept my smirk. I was well aware of the Handicraft Industry's darker side.
But all that hatred is strictly directed at alien species.
It had absolutely nothing to do with me.
"In other words, for a human like me, the Handicraft Industry could serve as very reliable backing, couldn't they? Son Seok-jae seemed to like me quite a bit. After all, it's not every day you stumble across a 'human combatant' of my caliber among the civilian populace in Border City."
Son Seok-jae wanted to bring me into the fold. I had felt it keenly in his words and demeanor.
"Hoyooot. Luka, are you serious about what you just said?"
Japa narrowed his eyes. I let out a dry laugh.
"You're still hiding things from me, Japa. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the material support, but throwing money at me isn't enough to earn my blind trust."
I sharpened my five senses, intertwining them until they formed the invisible tentacles of a sixth sense, quietly scanning Japa's physiological reactions.
Now, I can read Tajiruns to some extent.
I had finally grown accustomed to the Tajirun species. Since their evolutionary roots lay in reptiles rather than mammals, the way they expressed their emotional signals was entirely different from humans or other mammal-based species.
But once you adapt and get used to it, that difference doesn't matter.
In the end, Tajiruns were still a sentient species that lived and interacted with humans. Joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, values, and moral concepts—in those core aspects, they weren't so completely alien that understanding was impossible.
...So, once you got used to their tells, you could read them like a book.
"I shall make a greater effort to earn your trust in the future. Let us move on to the next topic. I did not expect you to defeat Mushir Al-Kashura. Your capabilities truly seem bottomless."
Japa smoothly shifted the subject. He must have realized I was trying to probe his inner thoughts.
"Just like Kinuan, right?"
Japa let out a heavy sigh.
"...Yes, just like Kinuan. Kinuan was also a man whose depths only became harder to fathom the more you got to know him. At any rate, I have been receiving reports from Lapis regarding Mushir Al-Kashura's prosthetic body. It was quite surprising to hear it was a full-body prosthetic."
"Back in the Empire, they call that kind of heavily armed combat shell a 'full-armor prosthetic.' It isn't modeled after the human body at all; it completely deviates from the humanoid form. Kashura's was no different. Its sensory organs operated entirely differently from standard prosthetics, and its face didn't even bother mimicking human features."
I stopped my explanation there, swallowing the rest of my thoughts.
A full-armor prosthetic isn't built for everyday life. It's strictly designed for slaughter, with all unnecessary human functions completely excised... Operating a shell like that must take a severe toll on a person's humanity.
It reminded me of the Empire's Shadow Imperial Guard. They were entities whose brains had been systematically stripped of all human functions, leaving only their maximized combat capabilities behind.
Yet, Kashura still had scraps of his humanity left. His words and actions were surprisingly rich with emotion.
Kashura had a lot of secrets. Honestly, I was morbidly curious about exactly how many brains were stuffed inside that metal chassis. If it was only one, that would be a terrifying revelation in its own right.
"But you failed to secure the brain, which is the most important part to us," Japa noted.
"Are you blaming me? I ran into him under the worst possible circumstances. Getting out alive, let alone forcing him to retreat, was a miracle in itself."
"I know. I am merely stating objective facts. You missed a vital clue that could have led us to Kinuan. Please keep in mind that there is only one reason I pour such massive amounts of support into you, Luka."
"If you hadn't hidden information from me in the first place, things would have gone a hell of a lot smoother."
"The things I withhold from you are pieces of information utterly unrelated to tracking Kinuan."
"I'll be the one to hear it and judge what's relevant. Don't make those arbitrary calls for me, Japa. Paolo Quan was no simple cook. There are a few notebooks missing from his house. Did you take them?"
I let the silence stretch, savoring the subtle spike in Japa's agitation.
He took them.
I had to press him before he had a chance to formulate a denial. I immediately fired my next shot.
"I already know everything, so save the bullshit excuses. Let me make something clear right now: if you're thinking of taking my acquaintances hostage, go right ahead. I couldn't care less if Ragnata dies. Boyan? I'd feel about as bad as watching a stray cat I fed get run over, but that's the extent of it. Gabriel? Sure, he's an old acquaintance. I'd be pretty pissed if he died. Pissed enough to blow Japa Trading's headquarters sky-high."
"Luka..."
Japa looked at me, his expression radiating sorrow.
Don't be fooled by that emotional signal. Tajiruns are cunning bastards.
"Go ahead and try me. I'm no longer a naked monkey who just woke up in the gutters of Border City. Now that I have the power to drag you down to hell with me, we are truly equals."
Japa's fingertips trembled slightly. Suppressing the tremor, he leveled a long, hard stare at me.
"You are backing me into a corner. But I welcome it. You need to be at least this vicious if you want to catch Kinuan. There is no way a man who cowers under my thumb could ever hope to chase down that monster."
Japa chuckled, his previous aura of sorrow vanishing like a mirage.
"No more secrets, Japa. Spit out all the poison you've been hiding."
"Spitting out poison takes time. Come back in four days. I will have Paolo's legacy ready for you then."
For the first time, there was something genuinely ominous in Japa's eyes. Backlit by the massive window, his reptilian features were cast in dark shadows. His yellowish pupils, tinged with a bloody red, seemed to glow as they narrowed into vertical slits.
I stood up from my seat.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
* * *
My business with Japa was over. I woke up feeling refreshed after a long-overdue, comfortable sleep at the headquarters.
I've stayed here for so long, I guess this place really has started to feel like home.
If nothing pressing came up today, I wanted to go see Ragnata. I had a specific favor to ask of her.
But before that, I checked the pile of messages on my terminal to organize my schedule.
— Everything you desire.
— Beast-like Crawlers and Predos, quiet Equesians, green-skinned Vagabundus, adorable Tarpas, and Sauras whose "other place" is as hard as their tough skin...
— If hell exists on earth, heaven must be here too.
— Pleasure Heaven awaits you.
A syrupy, melting voice flowed from the communicator in my ear. It was a common, randomly distributed spam advertisement.
I checked the next ad. This time it was pushing illicit drugs, and the one after that was exactly as expected—a pitch for illegal loan sharking.
I verified the exact sequence of the advertised industries. It was a perfect match.
It's a contact signal from Ilay.
This was the covert signal Ilay and I had prearranged.
I could kill some time wandering around outside and drop by our rendezvous point around evening.
Ilay probably knows that Mushir Al-Kashura appeared before me.
I went to visit Ragnata's room before heading out into the city.
Creak.
The door opened.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Ragnata was quietly reading a book, a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose.
"Glasses?"
"My eyes are failing me."
"Ridiculous."
Ragnata let out a soft laugh. She pulled off her glasses and tucked them neatly into her shirt.
"You look a bit stiff. It seems you've just been through quite a fierce battle?"
Ragnata was sharp; she instantly noticed the subtle rigidness in my posture. Even though my prosthetic body had been fully repaired, the biological damage and nervous system fatigue still lingered. I had also taken a nasty abdominal injury, throwing my sense of balance completely off.
"More or less. The training we did together actually came in handy. I fought a guy who specialized in heavy firearms."
"I'm glad to hear that. By the way, over the last few days, I've noticed Equesian mercenaries frequently patrolling the halls and guarding my door. Has some sort of conflict arisen between you and Japa?"
Ragnata's probing was as sharp as ever.
Neither confirming nor denying her suspicions, I got straight to the point.
"I'm going to get you an exoskeleton prosthetic leg so you can move around freely. Once that's done, I'll set you free."
"And the reason for this sudden generosity?"
"There's a man named Gabriel. He's originally a Nomad. I want you to take him and get out of Border City. His condition is pretty bad right now, and he needs extensive rehabilitation. I want you to either protect him yourself or drop him off at a safe, trustworthy location until he can stand on his own two feet."
Ragnata maintained her cryptic smile, replying a beat later.
"Is that a request?"
"...It's a deal. Did you forget? You owe me your life," I replied curtly.
Ragnata stared intently into my eyes. Even confined to a wheelchair, she possessed an undeniable, strange dignity.
"Luka, think carefully. If this is strictly a transactional deal, the very moment I decide I've paid off my debt to you, I will wash my hands of this Gabriel. I owe you my life? Fine. If I risk my neck protecting him and nearly die in the process, the debt is settled and I walk away. But if this is a 'favor'... then the story changes entirely."
I grimaced.
Tap, tap.
Ragnata tapped her temple, then her chest, before continuing.
"...As you are well aware, our own lives don't hold much value to us. But if you ask this of me as a personal favor, I will do my absolute best to honor the bond between us. Even if it requires expending something of far greater value than my own life."
Ragnata waited patiently for my answer. Her eyes shone with a sharp, beautiful clarity despite the wrinkles framing them.
I already knew the right answer. My past experiences with her kind had taught me that much.
"I am entrusting Gabriel to you, Ragnata Anima," I said, dipping my head in a slight bow.