Chapter 35
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35
No matter how far artificial intelligence and android technology advance, war is still waged by humans.
The backbone of the Imperial Army is, and always will be, human soldiers. AI, androids, and drones are nothing more than support.
There are two main reasons for this.
First, the cost of manufacturing a combat android is higher than the cost of training a soldier.
Second, androids cannot actively adapt to the countless variables of the battlefield.
The second reason was the critical one. The more variables there were, the higher the chance of an android malfunctioning. As a result, the longer someone had served, the less they trusted androids.
'But flip that around, and the more controlled the variables, the more efficient an android becomes compared to a human.'
An android's efficiency shines in environments with fixed rules and controlled conditions.
Take a boxing match, for example. It would be nearly impossible for a human of equivalent physical specs to beat an android. For an ordinary person, completely impossible.
Screeech, screeech.
I stared at the rampaging android. Even now, this was a kind of controlled environment. The android was pouring all of its processing power into predicting my movements.
Creak, creak.
The android craned its neck and hunched into a slouch. Blood-stained claws slid out from its dangling hands. It looked almost like a werewolf—a hound-type model built for pursuit, capable of running on all fours if it needed to.
'Still, it's just a patrol android. Its processing power can't be anything impressive. Least of all in a rampaging state.'
I had learned how to deal with androids back at the training center.
The logic was simple. You just had to pile on actions that demanded computation until you triggered an overload.
When variables stacked up, an android's calculations multiplied exponentially. It was a weakness baked into androids—unlike humans, they couldn't just ignore trivial details.
Of course, easier said than done. Before any of that, you had to be capable of trading blows and surviving the android's attacks.
Clang!
The android kicked off the ground and lunged in an instant, driving its steel claws toward my chest and throat.
I threw my upper body and head back, dodging the claws by a hair. The strike was sharp and terrifying. For a rampaging unit, its reaction time was frighteningly fast. Its movements felt as though they were driven by a highly refined combat program.
As I slipped backward, I reached behind my waist. To the android, that motion carried a high probability of me drawing a gun.
Skrrrrt!
The android rushed straight at me to stop me from drawing. But I didn't have a gun.
Whoosh!
I flung my pocketknife into the air. The android instantly looked up, trying to identify the thrown object.
'A string of meaningless actions.'
It was purely to overload its processing. The more meaningless the action, the more calculations the android burned trying to figure out the reason behind it.
'They always need a rational explanation.'
The android's hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second. But that was more than enough for me.
I seized its left arm and slipped behind its back.
Crack!
The android's left arm snapped backward and broke. Components and debris rained from the joint.
It tried to spin around and strike me. I stomped down hard on the back of its right knee.
Crunch!
The android buckled, dropping onto its right knee. The joint shattered completely as it slammed into the ground.
Snap!
Planting my foot on its back, I twisted and tore its right arm clean off. With only its left leg intact, the neutralized android looked up at me.
"D-do... you... n-need... assistance?"
I stared down at it in silence. No matter how I turned it over in my head, this was more than a simple malfunction.
Catching my breath, I glanced back at the big guy still sprawled on the ground. I was probably wearing a savage grin.
My thirst hadn't been quenched. A mere android like this couldn't satisfy the urge clawing at me.
"Hey. Didn't you say you wanted to fight me? Come on, hold me back. I've only just finished warming up."
I said it as I snapped the android's left leg too. The big guy who'd picked the fight was pale as a corpse, mouth hanging open like a landed fish.
"L-later!"
He stammered, scrambling to salvage a shred of pride.
Wee-woo, wee-woo.
Before long, a Public Security Guard aerial vehicle swept in overhead, sirens wailing. A spotlight from its underbelly pinned me in place.
* * *
Although the Public Security Guard fell under the military, they were a different kind of organization from a standard unit. True to their name, they were responsible for keeping order within the Empire. They didn't fight enemies from outside; they hunted the ones within.
'For the order and peace of the Empire.'
The Public Security Guard's slogan came to mind.
"Imperial Guard Cadet Luka."
The investigator's voice was remarkably deep and heavy, thick with an intimidating resonance. Anyone weak to authority would have folded and cooperated the moment they heard it.
He'd likely had his vocal cords modified to produce that low-frequency tone—professional efficiency.
"I've written down everything I know in the report."
I wasn't happy with the situation.
The investigator had detained me at the security center under the pretext that I was a witness. Word had surely reached the Imperial Guard by now.
"I read it. You write a good report. Better than my subordinates."
The investigator gave a low chuckle. He'd been on his feet, but now he sat down across from me.
We faced each other across the table. The investigator's name was Jillian Campbell. He wasn't a noble—Campbell was a common surname in the Lower District.
"If you want to find the culprit, you should be examining the android, not interrogating me."
"The smart guys handle the android analysis. My job is pounding the pavement."
Jillian set a cigarette between his lips, lit it, and took a drag.
He didn't look like he intended to let me go easily. Since it had come to this, I decided to ask about Barbara's curse.
"I hear there've been occasional android rampages at Cracia Academy."
"Even when things happened, we couldn't interrogate the pampered children of prestigious families. Poking around inside the Academy was out of the question."
"Has that changed now?"
"This is the first time there's been a casualty. That's made things serious. Upper command has authorized an aggressive, active investigation."
So the Public Security Guard had been aware of the android rampages at Cracia Academy all along. They simply hadn't been able to touch the case until now.
"In my experience, I doubt the students of Cracia Academy will cooperate."
"They are quite the illustrious bunch."
Jillian chuckled as he spoke. He crushed his half-burned cigarette between his fingers and tossed it into the trash.
"As you probably already know, at the Academy they call these android rampages 'Barbara's curse.'"
I was trading information with the Public Security Guard. That was the whole reason they'd detained me. They probably figured they could talk to me easily, seeing as I was from the Lower District.
"I know about Barbara. She's the one all the strange rumors circle around. They say only the students who get close to her end up as victims, right?"
"There are also rumors that Barbara herself is controlling the androids."
"We don't buy that nonsense. A mere student—and a Lower District one at that—manipulating androids without leaving a single trace? Ridiculous. It's bound to be some noble brat with a powerful family behind them."
Logically, the odds of Barbara being the culprit were vanishingly small. Above all, she had nothing to gain from it. It was only natural for Investigator Jillian to say as much.
'If Barbara isn't the culprit... then someone's scheming to drive her out of the Academy. In a meticulous, tedious way.'
The list of suspects didn't narrow down easily.
Beep.
Jillian checked his terminal. He glanced at me and gave a faint smile.
"I sent a request for investigative cooperation to the Imperial Guard earlier. The reply just came through."
I frowned. So this was why he'd been dragging his feet.
Beep.
My terminal chimed too. I checked the orders from upper command.
'Cooperate with Investigator Jillian Campbell.'
I intended to follow the order, but I made no effort to hide my displeasure. Jillian wasn't my direct superior anyway.
"...What is it you want from me?"
"Nobles despise being investigated by an officer like me. I imagine it feels like getting bitten by their own pet dog. So I want you to read the atmosphere inside the Academy and narrow down the suspicious ones."
"I'm just a cadet. I don't know how to run an investigation. Nobody's ever taught me."
Saying that wouldn't make Jillian drop his request. I just wanted to register my complaint.
"Practitioners of the Akies Combat Style possess exceptional insight. That alone makes you an excellent investigator."
I flinched. I hadn't known my training in the Akies Combat Style was recorded in my file.
Seeing my reaction, Jillian smiled faintly. He drummed his fingers on the table and studied me.
"...I can't exactly call it a reward for cooperating, but I'll share something interesting. Practitioners of Akies Victima are persons of interest—enough that we keep a separate list of them. Not back-alley thugs, mind you, but those who've been properly trained. Like you."
Akies Victima was the formal name of the Akies Combat Style. It had been a long time since I'd heard the term.
"Why is that?"
He probably wouldn't answer even if I asked. But there was no harm in trying.
"I can't say more than that. If you're curious, ask whoever taught you the Akies Combat Style."
* * *
I returned to Cracia Academy.
Surprisingly, the first person to come find me and welcome me back was the 'big guy' whose name I still didn't know. He was a low-ranking noble of the Kano family.
"Dispatched Cadet, please understand my position. If Calesa tells me to drop dead, I've got to at least pretend to. Fortunately, now that I've had a brush with death, Calesa's easing up on me."
Even among nobles—especially within the same family—there was a clear pecking order.
The big guy made it plain he wanted no trouble with me. There were no real hard feelings between us anyway. Better to just let it slide.
"But watch out for Calesa. She's my boss, and she's a deeply vindictive woman. Watching her keep tormenting Barbara over something that happened two years ago turns even my stomach."
"Every day?"
I asked. The big guy shrugged.
"Not every day, maybe. Three times a week or so. Barbara's no pushover either. If it were me, I'd have dropped out ages ago. Then again, Cracia Academy is a huge opportunity for someone from the Lower District."
I saw Barbara in a new light. She wasn't as fragile as I'd assumed. She had endured Calesa's bullying for two years and still held onto her place here.
The second person to seek me out was Giselle Custoria. She was scowling at me from a distance, looking like she was one step from slapping me across the face.
"I told you not to get close to Barbara. I went out of my way to warn you, and this is how you repay me? You'll pay dearly for trampling on my goodwill."
She seemed genuinely furious.
"I just can't stomach watching a crowd gang up on one person."
I answered half-heartedly. I had plenty of questions for Giselle myself, but I doubted she'd give me straight answers.
"Keep your head down for the time being. If you can't finish your posting at the Academy cleanly, my reputation takes a hit too."
Giselle had her own reasons for pushing this hard.
"I intend to stay quiet as well."
"Calesa will come after you. And if she can't crush you by force, she'll find other means."
"I doubt there are many ways she can actually hurt me."
Maybe it was my twisted nature, but I found myself almost looking forward to Calesa's revenge. I wondered what creative method she'd cook up.
When I smiled, Giselle bit her lower lip. I hadn't meant to provoke her further, but in a lot of ways, she and I just didn't mesh.
"I'll meet with Calesa Kano and ask her to smooth things over."
Unexpected words came out of Giselle's mouth.
"Just so we're clear—I won't bow my head and apologize. I may only be a cadet, but I carry at least a sliver of the Imperial Guard's honor on my shoulders."
I meant it. Unless the Imperial Guard Captain himself ordered it, I wouldn't apologize if my life depended on it. As far as I was concerned, I hadn't done anything wrong in the first place.
"...Fine. Calesa will compromise to some degree if I'm the one asking."
I narrowed my eyes.
'Giselle and Calesa are close.'
That was the impression I got.
In my mind, the pieces shifted and rearranged, forming a web of relationships.
Giselle Custoria, Calesa Kano, Barbara.
I lazily rolled my neck before speaking.
"In that case, let's go see Calesa together. Right now. We can't have something like this happening again."
Caught off guard by my suggestion, Giselle hesitated a moment—then nodded.