Chapter 307
Chapter 307
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 307
Chapter Title: Traces (2)
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"We're here."
"Prepare for landing. I'll check on the cargo."
"Got it."
The transport ship carrying the two slaves touched down on the sand. While one checked the control panel, the other inspected the container loaded in the back.
"We come here every day, but I have no idea why we're supposed to leave it in this place."
"Just deal with it. It's the master's orders. Don't worry about it."
"Aren't you curious? Why leave containers at that ruined building?"
The male slave in the cockpit pointed toward the reinforced glass ahead. Beyond it lay a hover bus center half-buried in the sand.
For the past three weeks, they had come to this abandoned street every three days to drop off refrigerated containers holding living creatures in front of the hover bus center.
"Hey, curiosity killed the cat. Help me move the container."
"Tch."
The Insectman slave, having finished his check, clacked his pointed jaws. At his colleague's signal to quit messing around, the human slave obediently opened the rear hatch.
The two then operated their terminals to prepare to unload the container.
With the sun high in the daytime sky, the temperature outside the transport was scorching. Even in protective suits, sweat poured endlessly.
The machines handled moving the container, but that didn't spare them the heat. After setting it down in front of the hover bus center amid the blistering heat, the human slave spoke up again.
"Do you know how much these creatures we're delivering are worth?"
"......"
"I checked, and they're the most expensive ones sold in the shops. Some are even animals the master was raising, not selling."
"So what?"
The man spoke in exasperation at the Insectman's continued grumbling.
"Look, in a couple days, it'll just be empty containers left behind, right? Isn't it suspicious to dump these valuable animals?"
"Get to the point."
"I think the master's colluding with the Heretic Order."
"Heretic Order?"
The Insectman tilted his head at the man's words.
"What nonsense is that?"
"No, seriously. On other planets, it's no big deal, but here..."
"Think about it. Why would someone as wealthy as the master join the Heretic Order?"
"You never know. Maybe he got rich with their backing. And now he's paying them back with these rare creatures."
"You're insane. The master's brother is the captain of an Imperial Mothership. If he did that, he'd get hit with a purification beam in no time."
"Who knows? Maybe the brother's in on it too."
The Insectman grew irritated at his colleague's endless delusions. The sweltering weather only fueled his rising anger at the pointless chatter.
"If you're so curious, go inside and check."
"Huh? For real?"
"Yeah. Go hand the goods over yourself."
Until now, they had only left the containers in front of the center without confirming who picked them up. They were ordered to drop them off and return immediately.
The man hesitated at the Insectman's words. Actually going in made him nervous.
What if there were real Heretic cultists inside? He could end up captured and sacrificed in one of their bizarre rituals.
"If you're not gonna, then shut up."
"...I'll go check."
"What?"
"Wait here."
"Crazy! Hey!"
But his curiosity outweighed his fear of the cultists. The man acted on impulse, leaving the Insectman outside and entering the center.
Despite the bright daylight, the center's interior was dark. Exposed steel beams and pipes lined the walls and ceiling, and the floor was covered in sand blown in from outside.
It was the epitome of a neglected ruin. No one would imagine anyone living there.
"Hey! Delivery's here!"
Wondering if anyone was around, the man shouted loudly. His voice echoed off the interior walls with a resounding clang.
No reply came.
'Middleman drop point?'
Maybe they left the goods here, and the recipients picked them up later. In that case, mercenaries hired by criminals could be watching him from hiding even now.
'Ugh, are we really mixed up with actual criminals?'
In truth, he wasn't the adventurous type. Today, curiosity had unusually driven him. He'd never done anything impulsive like this before.
The man slowly backed toward the entrance.
As he prepared to bolt for the transport the moment he stepped out—
A sound came from the darkness.
"Delivery's here?"
"Eek?!"
The sudden voice froze him solid. The cold sweat trickling down his back wasn't from the heat.
Frozen in place, the voice came again.
"Delivery's here?"
'...That voice sounds familiar.'
The voice repeated twice in the exact same tone. He'd heard it somewhere before.
Among the slaves who handled dirty jobs like terrorizing the master's rivals, one had a very similar voice. He remembered clearly since that one was human too.
"What the— you scared me. If you're inside, just answer."
"Sorry!"
Thinking it was someone he knew relaxed him instantly.
His master was clearly plotting something new. Gathering goods in this remote spot to avoid prying eyes.
"Delivery's here?"
"Yeah! It's out front by the center."
"Got it!"
After the acknowledgment, the center fell silent again. Contrary to the reply, no one emerged. No signs of life from the depths.
'Looks like they're busy back there too.'
Still, hoping to at least see a face, the man called out again.
"Hey, you must be swamped?"
"Sorry!"
"No need to apologize. I just wanted to see your face."
"Sorry!"
The repeated apologies gave him a strange feeling.
Human voices naturally vary subtly in tone and inflection with each phrase. But this one didn't. It was identical, like a recording played back by machine.
"...Delivery's here, you know? No need to check?"
"Got it!"
"......"
That wasn't the only oddity.
The conversation felt off somehow. It seemed like talking to someone he knew, but the more they spoke, the less it felt like conversing with a person.
And the voice's position was weird. The owner he remembered wasn't tall—about his height at most.
Yet the voice came from much higher up. Even now, it was at least 5 meters above.
"...Gulp. Then I'm off."
"Got it! Bye!"
This dilapidated center wasn't multi-story. Just the sand-covered ground and exposed steel ceiling above.
So where was the voice coming from?
No, was it even 'human'?
'Come to think of it, that slave...'
He'd heard that slave died carrying out the master's orders, just three weeks ago.
Recalling that memory snapped him alert.
Not his head, but his instincts screamed. This place was wrong. He had to leave now.
He dragged his chilled legs toward the entrance by force.
The moment he stepped outside, a voice came from behind.
"Delivery's here?"
The fourth question in the identical tone and inflection left him speechless.
He barely made it back to the transport and climbed in. Staring at the center amid the swirling sand from the cockpit, he resolved himself.
Forget what happened today.
Don't think about whose voice it was.
With that vow, an odd peace settled in. The pressure squeezing his mind eased away.
"Hm?"
As the transport lifted off, he felt moisture inside his ear.
'Just sweat.'
Even if he wanted to check, the full-body suit made it impossible here. He brushed it off.
After the transport departed, massive pink tentacles slithered out from the center's entrance. They wrapped around the container and dragged it inside.
No one witnessed the scene.
-
｢Big baby! Did you see? Did you see?｣
[Zu zuuzuzu (Yeah. Good job.)]
"Did good? Did good? Delivery's here?"
[Zuzu zuuzuzu (Very good.)]
"Did good! Got it!"
Number 26 glowed happily at my praise. The multicolored light from its body dispelled the center's darkness, revealing the newly grown 'special tentacles' wriggling on it.
Unlike its fins or regular tentacles, these were completely different. Not just in appearance—the structure was far more complex than standard tentacles.
Visually, both inner and outer surfaces bristled with long, thin hair-like protrusions. They moved ceaselessly without wind, linked closely to its consciousness.
Through its translucent body, I could see them connected deep inside.
"Good job! There, grrr, grrr? Got it! Wa, hahaha."
The protrusions rubbed together, producing eerie sounds. Sound alone mimicked human speech perfectly, minus the content.
Unlike versatile hand-like regular tentacles, these served one sole purpose.
Mimicking human voices.
They formed when I implanted the Mimicry trait into it.
'Didn't expect entirely new tentacles.'
Three weeks ago, I implanted Mimicry into Number 26.
I'd originally intended it for Mother of the Skies. It seemed more stable for her than 26.
But she refused after hearing me out.
I can currently implant traits into allies twice total. 'Monolith of the Double Helix' ties to space monster types, so it might increase later, but not yet.
Thus, she asked for a different trait instead of Mimicry.
'One that fits her style.'
Thanks to her passing, Number 26 became Mimicry's new owner.
Post-implant, voice-producing tentacles sprouted. I'd thought its shape-shifting 'variant tentacles' would inherit the function, but this was unexpected.
'It replaced regular tentacles instead.'
With variant tentacles and now 'mimic tentacles,' it was a solid outcome.
Not without drawbacks, though.
'Mechanism's too different.'
For me, Mimicry adds a gene-analysis organ. It feeds data to throat vocal cords, enabling perfect imitation.
But 26 lacks that analyzer. Eating someone doesn't let it mimic their voice. Its sounds reconstruct wavelengths from protrusions sensing a voice I provide—like mechanical synthesis from recordings.
So for now, PS-111 or I must provide voices nearby for it to mimic.
'Plus, it's not used to vocal communication.'
Sea Demons don't vocalize like humans. They communicate via body lights, evolved for deep-sea life.
Thus, vocal dialogue was alien to it. To master mimic tentacles, it must learn word sounds from scratch.
｢Hard. Doesn't work well.｣
[Zuuzuzu zuuzuzu zuu (Practice and it'll improve.)]
"Pra, grr, practice! Got it! Good job!"
[Zu (Yeah.)]
Fortunately, it learns fast.
'Always a prodigy.'
Just three weeks in, and it's this good. With diligent training, it'll mimic as well as me.
'Gonna be busy.'
｢Me｣｢Study｣｢Need｣
"I also require verification of the newly implanted genes."
Not just 26 got new traits. I implanted useful ones in Adhai and PS-111 too. Beyond teaching 26 speech, I must train them all on usage.
'First things first, though...'
[Zuuzuzu zuu zuu (Eat first, then.)]
｢Yes｣
"Got it!"
"What creature do we have today?"
About 11 days until 'Organic Evolution' cooldown ends.
Plenty to fill the time.
-
"Thank you for sparing your valuable time, Elder."
"Haha, how could I refuse a personal request from Alshas Captain?"
In a brightly lit reception room, two Cult and one human sat in luxurious chairs, conversing.
"Did planetary council affairs go smoothly?"
"Fortunately, this governor was reasonable. It wrapped up without issue."
"That's a relief."
"More importantly, this is the one..."
"Greetings. Lady Kisos. Sihyun Yujin of the Yujin Family, member of Mega Corp's Noble Capital."
Sihyun, dressed in the formal uniform typical of Cult nobles, rose and bowed politely. Kisos, the addressed Cult, stood in kind to return the courtesy.
"Pleased to meet you, Sihyun of Yujin Family. I am Kisos of the Monzan Tribe. You're well-versed in Cult etiquette?"
"You flatter me. I've merely picked it up peripherally from frequent encounters with Cult."
"Ho ho, Monzan etiquette is intricate, yet you handle it masterfully."
"Thank you for the kind words."
Kisos's eyes curved like crescent moons at Sihyun's humble reply.
In truth, her familiarity stemmed from past experience.
She was the Yujin Family's shadow, hands stained with much blood—including no small amount from Cult nobles. Of course, she wouldn't mention that here unless she were a fool.
Reseated, Kisos opened her mouth with an intrigued expression.
"Well then, Sihyun of Yujin Family. What brings you to see me today?"
"I'd like to do business with you, Lady Kisos."
"Business. My specialty. Tell me more."
"Yes. I'd like to purchase Cult weapons and equipment."
Kisos tilted her head at that.
"Can't Yujin Family procure weapons from Mega Corp? Why come to me?"
"I'm building a personal force without Yujin aid. I'd rather stand on my own than rely on family prestige."
"Ho, that's no small feat. Impressive."
"If you invest in me, Lady Kisos, I will surely repay you."
"Invest, eh."
Kisos tapped her chair arm with a finger at her words.
"I mainly trade with Mega Corp's Carmelda. Their head says investments must be transparent."
"Quite right."
"Then perhaps explain why you're buying slaves en masse on Verzan-02?"
Sihyun's gaze flicked briefly to Alshas beside Kisos, who widened her eyes. Clearly, Alshas hadn't spoken; Kisos had investigated independently.
"No shame in it, but imperial security lately isn't great. Even I, advocating disarmament, can't deny that fact."
"......"
"I know nothing about you. Heretic? Pirate scum? No clue. I don't wish to amass wealth at the empire's security's expense."
Sihyun pondered briefly.
'No point in more lies.'
Kisos was a battle-hardened imperial councilor, head of the Innovation Faction. A veteran surviving the council's intrigues.
Fooling her was tough; failure might force Sihyun off Verzan-02 entirely. Here, she outranked even the governor.
'...Straightforward it is.'
She decided on her original plan.
Sihyun smiled softly and cut to the chase.
"If you suspect me of harming security, you're correct."
"Correct?"
"Yes. Though the target isn't the Empire."
"Oh?"
"My goal is reclaiming the Yujin patriarch position. For that, I must assassinate current patriarch Akira."
Alshas seemed stunned, eyes darting. Unlike her, Kisos smiled faintly, amused.
"Word is Yujin patriarch also holds Mega Corp's emperor—CEO—seat."
"Yes."
"My main trading partner, Carmelda Family, is friendly with the CEO. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Think I'd invest in someone harming the CEO here?"
"Aren't you negative on Akira's rule, Lady Kisos?"
"Me?"
Kisos narrowed her eyes.
"Akira Yujin doesn't antagonize the Empire but rejects deeper ties. That contrasts your desire for a grand alliance centered on the Empire."
"......"
"If someone aligned with imperial interests replaced Akira as CEO, that'd change things. I hear you've already made many such 'investments.'"
As Sihyun said, Kisos heavily invested in Mega Corp CEO elections. Supplying Carmelda-obtained new gear to Akira's rival T&C, etc.
All ultra-secret—even few in Innovation Faction knew. Yet here from a stranger.
"You'd serve 'imperial interests'?"
"Precisely, I'd ensure a 'champion of imperial interests' becomes CEO. Say, T&C."
"......"
Silence fell over the reception room after Sihyun finished.
Kisos stared long, then smiled.
"Amusing human. You have 'investment value.' I'd like to keep working together."
"The pleasure's mine."
"Alshas, where did you find this human?"
"Uh, well... Sorry."
"No apologies. Thanks to you, I met Sihyun Yujin."
With that, Kisos rose.
"Weapons and ships as desired. Oh, one more thing."
"?"
"I'd like to introduce you to my contacts. For ongoing investments."
The unexpected generosity startled Sihyun. Trading weapons was success enough; a steady channel was beyond expectation.
"A party at this mansion in four days. Attend. We'll discuss details then."
"Thank you, Lady Kisos. Until next time."
Sihyun bowed to Kisos and left first.
As Kisos saw off remaining Alshas, she spoke up.
"Elder."
"Yes?"
"About that party in four days. May I bring two people?"
"Two? Who this time?"
"One's... hard to mention now. The other is my brother."
"That rascal Alcadi, hm."
Kisos stroked her chin before cautious Alshas.
"Heard Alcadi has business savvy."
"Yes, Elder."
"Governor's considering redeveloping ruined streets lately. Like Glory Street."
"Yes, talk of razing and building a new fortress."
"Alcadi has influence there, so employing him isn't bad. I'll pull strings. Bring him to the party."
"Thank you! Elder!"
Alshas bowed deeply at Kisos's approval.
Sihyun Yujin, Kisos, Alshas.
The deal ended with all getting what they wanted.