Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Debating Ozz Regulations
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Neither the Amphibian Cooperative nor Varisa would be this shocked.
Excluding matters related to Ozz, these were restrictions applying only within the Holy Nation's sphere of influence.
Since they hadn't even established embassies with each other, let alone started exports, there was no need for major disappointment.
Still, as businesspeople, it was regrettable that all those potential profits had flashed by right in front of their eyes.
And I had no intention of interfering with the Holy Nation restricting itself.
Why bother disrupting them when they were regulating, limiting, and blocking their own progress on their own?
Whether for religious, political, moral, or ethical reasons, any restriction the Holy Nation imposed meant progress was hindered to that degree.
Restricting AI development? That was even better.
It wasn't like they could create an artificial intelligence like Si1-L0-K right now anyway, but they were throwing away any future chance of building one that advanced.
PATO had no plans to introduce such restrictions, so the Federation and Amphibian Cooperative would push development to the max.
Varisa's slaves... I wasn't sure about those.
Even in my view, wouldn't abolishing slaves and boosting the number of economically active consumers benefit the nation more?
The more technology advanced, the less value simple labor held. That went double for frail creatures like the Varisa race, who didn't have exceptional physical prowess like Hirak.
Just give up on slaves already, Varisa.
Money isn't everything in life, buddy.
"The third agenda item concerns adjustments to the collective worship period."
"The fourth agenda item concerns the construction of a massive space station for worship."
After that, several agenda items truly unrelated to PATO proceeded.
The delegates, lost in shock, regained their wits and passed the time observing how factions formed within the Holy Nation.
"The seventh agenda item concerns Ozz usage."
And finally, the main topic arrived.
"The first statement will come from the proposer, Combat Priest Tla'Kalan."
The designated rock rose from its seat and began emitting thought waves.
"May Ozztlan be with you. I am Tla'Kalan, the combat priest tasked with defending the Lunaxthia Star System."
A star system I'd never heard of before.
I'd thought I'd relocated a fair number of 'me's already, but the Holy Nation was vast indeed.
"First, let me define this substance called Ozz."
His explanation matched what I knew.
Only those awakened to psionics, who could wield thought waves, could observe it.
Ingestion into the body by any method awakened the mind.
For non-awakened individuals, consumption offered a chance to awaken psionics.
"And this Ozz is discovered in comets entering stellar gravity wells. These comets are the result of space burials for the remains of pioneers who ascended to Ozztlan first."
Tla'Kalan presented a rock as evidence.
"Horrifying. Is that the pioneers' final fate?"
"At least Ozztlan took their spirits. That's a blessing."
Sorry to the rock species expressing pity over the exposed rock, but I truly felt nothing.
It just seemed like they were propping a massive boulder in a fancy coffin for some Truman Show spectacle.
The PATO crew appeared to feel the same, their faces twisted in confusion over what expression to wear.
Even the Holy Nation species reacted similarly, demands for proof rising immediately.
"Excuse us, but we non-Talatullans can't distinguish it from ordinary rock. We request proof."
One species stepped up to demand verification.
The guts to look at those pitying the "corpse" and say, "Is this really a body? Not fake?" What a character.
"That is a truly offensive remark. We express regret. Is the trust Talatullans have given you so lacking?"
Tla'Kalan continued, his expression seeming sad—or so I guessed.
"Regrettably, we Talatullans differ little from ordinary rocks. Our existence is proven not by bodily shells, but by the self and faith bestowed by Ozztlan. Thus, in time, we return to Him."
Long-winded, but it boiled down to "no proof."
Did they really just fling actual corpses into space for their "space burials"?
How was that a burial? It was trash dumping.
I watched the delegates' war of words, inwardly poking holes all the while.
Opposition was bigger than expected.
I'd assumed a faith-bound nation would be tightly knit internally, but religious states had their own headaches.
Even from an outsider's skeptical eye unfamiliar with Talatullans, much seemed fishy; species rubbing elbows daily must feel it worse.
"I understand your views. But you believers agree gradual restrictions are needed. At minimum, Ozz must be bound to species serving Ozztlan."
After the debate, Tla'Kalan offered a compromise, as if conceding a point.
The Holy Nation's other species nodded, seemingly satisfied with that much.
Only a few species, like the Klech, shouted that no lies should stand before the divine.
Naturally, PATO couldn't accept the compromise.
"Lushaka cannot agree to that."
Ozz? We could live without it.
Ozz's momentary mind-opening surge, boosting control over countless 'me's, was undeniably appealing.
But its absence posed no real issue.
All were 'me' regardless, and we'd long surpassed finely puppeteering swarms of small monsters in battle. No need at all.
But us alone without it? Unacceptable.
"Regardless of Ozz's origins, it is clearly a resource harvested across the galaxy. Claiming rights to resources in other nations' star systems is excessive meddling."
"First, Talatullan welcomes distant galactic guests. But diplomat, even if their bodies lie in Lushaka territory, in life they were clearly Talatullan. Shouldn't affiliation trump territory?"
"As stated, generation conditions aren't at issue. They are unequivocally corpses returned to nature, no longer living beings."
"This is the Holy Nation, diplomat. Please respect the pioneers. Even if Lushaka immigrants die in our territory, we repatriate them home. That's homeland's meaning. As galactic civilized folk, aiding their return is proper."
"Immigrants and space burials differ greatly, combat priest. No one forced Talatullans to space-funeral. And until Ozz's discovery now, your Holy Nation ran countless such burials without seeking pioneers."
"No need to seek, diplomat. Had we known pioneers' remains faced barbaric mining as resources, Talatullan never considered space burial."
"Enough. You both seem heated. We'll pause this agenda and resume at the next meeting."
Sensing the shift from debate to quarrel, the chair intervened.
I didn't wield diplomatic flourishes well, and their nonsense dragged on, so my tone turned aggressive unwittingly.
The core was regulating the resource Ozz, yet they kept pivoting to Talatullan corpses.
The Prophet didn't strike me as one to circle like this; backlash exceeded expectations.
I'd come to mingle, enjoy some WWE-style fun, and head home—not for UFC.
Maybe the Prophet held little sway over his priests.
The chair timed the intervention perfectly.
My next line would've been that rocks got mined galaxy-wide regardless of Ozz.
Gazing skyward, Treegalaons floated visibly in the distance.
Earlier in talk, Tla'Kalan's impatience leaked unconscious aggressive psionic waves.
Other Talatullans subtly echoed with hostile vibes.
Prepping contingencies, we'd lowered Treegalaons' altitude bit by bit—now visible from below.
Good we wouldn't need them. Antagonizing Talatullans didn't worry me, but slaughtering new pals felt wrong.
Subsequent topics held nothing special.
The space debris dumping ban touched PATO somewhat, but glances darted slyly until it got shelved.
All mouth on morals, ethics, convictions—ordinary nations after all.
Truly, space's only real pacifist was me.
Still, send food waste to Lushaka and I'd handle it. Time to start a garbage biz?