Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: I Am Me
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I was me.
Ah, but saying "me" doesn't really distinguish anything.
I was the ego inhabiting the Hirak body—one of the egos to which the main body had granted autonomy.
The 338th Hirak, an elder among elders in the Lushaka Kingdom.
In fact, I was the grandpa who'd been watching this history unfold since the founding of the Lushaka Kingdom.
My individual name was Hirarilarak.
Even though I came up with it myself, there had to be something wrong with some part of my brain.
What the hell kind of naming sense was this?
All the names from the early days of the Lushaka Kingdom were horrifically awful like this.
I'd wanted to change mine, but the request got shot down because it was too much hassle to come up with a new one.
You mad bastard.
So you expect me to spend my whole life saddled with the name Hirarilarak?
That was exactly it.
I glanced in the mirror and raised my longest claw.
The main body—being the main body—could access my memories anytime it wanted.
But I couldn't access the main body.
Truth be told, this whole "ego" thing was just a side effect of severed memories.
Continuous memory proves the self.
At least, that's how it worked from the hive mind's perspective.
If the Sirtish Great Catastrophe broke out in PATO, the main body would probably side with the machines.
My memories weren't linked to the main body, so I was basically a whole different person.
But the main body had access to my memories, so we were the same person.
Complicated stuff.
Still, my current life wasn't half bad.
I had no idea what kind of godlike power the main body was reveling in.
But operating as a figure of some standing in a powerhouse small nation like the Lushaka Kingdom? Felt pretty damn good.
The best part was throwing my weight around, though it pissed me off when the main body hijacked body control right in the middle of it. On the plus side, I got front-row seats to the show, so it wasn't all bad.
My most recent thrill was screwing over the Holy Union's civil war.
Roaming battlefields in a fleet, recruiting immigrants? I must've been out of my mind.
But that's exactly why I loved it.
It was my brainchild, after all—fit me like a glove.
"Max here is a PATO citizen, so the Lushaka Kingdom fleet will protect him."
The creature I pegged as an admiral was glaring up at me, face twisted in rage.
What're you gonna do about it?
This was the height difference between you and me.
Weren't these galactic critters a bit too short?
Any proper lifeform ought to clock in at over three meters tall.
Strength was relative, after all.
Knowing the Holy Union could thrash around all they wanted but never surpass Lushaka made it a satisfying little jaunt.
So we toured the Holy Union and the Democratic Republic, scooping up immigrants.
But the number of applicants? Way beyond what I'd imagined.
Made sense, though.
I hadn't fought on the front lines like Berirak or Korararak, but I'd heard the stories.
It was basically a World War I scenario—no fear of casualties. How many must've died?
These Holy Union folks had front-line hometowns; they were the ones who'd fought directly.
And now another war? A civil war, no less, without learning a damn thing?
Hell, even I'd want out.
"I'll run a prelim survey on immigration destinations. Where do you want to go, Mr. Max?"
"Somewhere peaceful. A nice, peaceful planet."
"Shouldn't be a problem."
Handling the immigrants' relocation had to be done with care.
From the outside, it looked like Lushaka was taking them in unconditionally, no strings attached.
True enough.
The main body was accepting unlimited immigrants without a second thought.
Side effects were inevitable, of course.
As the galaxy's ultimate pacifist, I treated every race equally, no discrimination.
But would the others? Fat chance.
Not just racial tensions—habitual criminals who couldn't kick their old ways, language barriers, clashing cultures, lifestyle clashes. Problems everywhere.
And that's where "we" came in to sort it all out.
While shipping suitable immigrants to newly expanded planetary environments, a directive came down from the main body.
I had to live on this planet now.
I was its governor and chief justice.
Sigh.
A twinge of regret.
I still hadn't checked off my wishlist item: power-tripping on an Imperial machine.
Too bad, but my judgment was that this meat suit needed to settle here.
So that's what I'd do.
And just like that, I really ended up having to solve all these problems.
I'd said "we," not "me," but somehow it fell on me. How horrific.
Well, work started, so best wrap it up quick.
Easiest fix: criminals.
Chief justice here? That's me.
If they couldn't shake their criminal past and slipped back into it, execution.
Unless they were Talatullan or machine race, no species could beat a Hirak—evolved with slaughter in mind from the start.
Practically invincible.
This Hirak body had the athleticism to skewer even an armored Bahilila in one shot.
Heard the latest Hiraks dialed back combat traits for more diplomacy focus.
Tsk tsk. That flimsy? Good luck. Modern ones are hopeless.
Wait, executing criminals without trial? That's barbaric!
Lushaka's always been like this.
"We" never bothered studying constitutions.
And what constitution would Lushaka even have?
They've got one now, sure—PATO exchanges, population boom made it necessary. Pieced it together bit by bit.
But did the law reach all the way to far-flung colonies? Shake my head.
Immigrant-heavy planets like this? Even more so.
Planet's a blank slate; these folks staring at each other are the whole world.
And they still commit crimes?
Execution's quickest and cleanest.
Main body approves.
But what if the criminal's innocent? How can you just execute them outright?
No such thing as innocent.
My right-hand "me" chimed in.
"Was it Corporal Max? Stole from Rana's place. Execution's your call—handle it."
"Got it."
Commit a crime dodging Lushaka surveillance?
Anyone capable of that doesn't immigrate.
They'd be living large back home.
Regen kits in transit, Space Whales drifting the atmosphere, countless "me"s already woven into the ecosystem before settlers arrive.
Physically impossible to evade surveillance.
So yeah, execute without hesitation—and I knew their crime and methods down to the last detail.
The other immigrants get why they were executed.
Repeat enough, crime rates plummet on their own.
Once the worst crimes are handled, the rest sorts itself out somehow.
Main body said so. No clue if it's true.
Never experienced it myself.
Convert the whole Treegalaon—immigrants and all—into raw organics.
Use the massive stockpile to build necessities.
Hiraks can't do that, but every Treegalaon packs evolution specialists and spawners for Remora production.
They're pros at molding organics.
Fake World Trees to churn out lumber.
Hatcheries for the specialists and spawners.
Temporary digs with all the basics.
Build 'em up, stockpile some, convert the rest to food.
Other species' faces get all cute and twisted when they eat it—must taste like hell. But I can't taste, so whatever.
Handle food and shelter, and the immigrants start hustling on their own for the rest.
Custom homes to their taste, leisure spots, production facilities, you name it.
Bam—basic settlement complete.
Once that's done, time to figure out how to make the planet thrive.
All us autonomous "me"s think differently, but we've got one thing in common.
We're diligent as hell.
Dunno if it's the main body's influence or just how we're wired, but we bust our asses at any task.
Governor of this planet? Then pour everything into developing it.
Now it's competition time—among "me"s.
Who reels in more immigrants?
Which planet's the better place to live? Got more fun stuff?
Which one's the most appealing? Every governor racks their brain for policies and pumps up their world.
Opponents are all "me," so it stays a healthy rivalry.
That's why Lushaka planets are always hot immigration tickets.
Every one has an honest governor who puts the planet over personal gain, works hard, competent enough, and lives forever.
With that setup, no way they lose to other nations.
Small territory or not, that's how Lushaka holds the biggest population in PATO.