Ch.307Traces (2)

“We’ve arrived.”

“Prepare for landing. I’ll check the cargo status.”

“Yeah.”

The transport ship piloted by two slaves landed on the sand. While one checked the instrument panel, the other inspected the container loaded in the back of the ship.

“I wonder what’s in here that we need to transport.”

“Shut up. It’s our master’s business. Don’t worry about it.”

For the past three weeks, they had come to this abandoned street once every three days. Their job was to drop off frozen containers with organisms in front of the hover bus center.

“Aren’t you curious? What might be in that building?”

“Look, curiosity is poison. Just help me move the container quickly.”

“Tch.”

The insectman slave who finished inspecting the container clicked his pointed jaw. At his colleague’s signal to take it easy, the human slave quietly opened the rear door of the transport ship.

Afterward, the two operated a terminal to prepare moving the container outside.

Since it was daytime, the temperature outside the transport ship was extremely high. Even with protective suits on, they were constantly sweating.

While moving the container in the scorching heat, the human slave spoke again.

“About these organisms we’re bringing. Do you know how much they cost?”

“…”

“I checked, and they’re the most expensive products sold in the store. There are even animals our master was raising instead of selling.”

“So what?”

The man replied with frustration at the insectman’s continued grumbling.

“Look. Next time we come, the containers will probably be empty, right? Don’t you find it suspicious that they’re discarding such expensive animals?”

“Just get to the point.”

“I think our master might be in league with the Sect.”

“The Sect?”

The insectman tilted his head at the man’s words.

“What nonsense is that? Why would someone as wealthy as our master join the Sect?”

“You never know. Maybe they became wealthy through their support. In return, they offer these precious creatures.”

“You’re crazy. Our master’s brother is the captain of an Imperial Mothership. If they did such a thing, they’d immediately face a purification beam.”

“Then maybe the brother is also involved?”

The insectman’s irritation surged at his colleague’s endless delusions. The hot weather was already unbearable, and hearing such nonsense made his anger rise.

“If you’re so curious, go inside and check.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. Go in and deliver the goods yourself.”

Until now, they had only placed the containers in front of the center without ever confirming who received them. They were instructed to just leave the items and return immediately.

The man hesitated at the insectman’s suggestion. He was worried about actually going inside.

If there really were cultists inside, it would be disastrous. He might be captured and used as a sacrifice in some bizarre ritual.

“If not, please just shut up.”

“…I’ll go check.”

“What?”

“Wait here.”

“You crazy fool! Hey!”

But the man’s curiosity won out, and he made an impulsive decision. Leaving the insectman outside, he entered the center.

Despite it being daytime, the interior of the center was dark. Steel frames and pipes were exposed on the walls and ceiling, and the floor was covered with sand that had blown in from outside.

It was the typical appearance of an abandoned building that had received no maintenance.

“Hello, the delivery has arrived!”

The man shouted loudly, wondering if anyone was there. His voice echoed off the walls inside the center.

There was no response.

‘Is this an intermediate meeting point?’

Perhaps the structure was that they leave the goods here, and those who receive them collect them at an appropriate time. If so, mercenaries hired by criminals might be hiding and watching him right now.

‘Ugh, am I really involved with criminals?’

The man slowly backed toward the entrance.

Just as he was preparing to run to the transport ship as soon as he exited…

A sound came from the darkness.

“Is the delivery here?”

“Eek?!”

The man froze at the sudden voice. The cold sweat running down his back wasn’t just from the heat.

As he stood frozen in place, the voice came again.

“Is the delivery here?”

‘…Where have I heard that voice before?’

That voice, coming in the same tone twice in a row. He had heard it somewhere before.

It sounded very similar to one of the slaves who handled dirty work for their master Alqadi, like terrorizing competitors. He remembered it clearly because, like him, that person was also a human slave.

“What the hell. You scared me. You could have answered if you were inside.”

“Sorry!”

Thinking there was someone he knew, the man felt relieved.

His master was clearly plotting something new. He was probably gathering items in such a remote location to avoid the eyes of others.

“Is the delivery here?”

“Yes! I left it in front of the center.”

“Got it!”

After the acknowledgment, the center fell silent again. Despite the response, no one came out. There was no sign of anyone, as if they were working deep inside.

‘Seems like they’re busy over there too.’

Thinking he might at least see their face, the man called out again.

“Hey, are you very busy?”

“Sorry!”

“No need to apologize. I just wanted to see your face.”

“Sorry!”

The man felt strange about the continuous apologies.

Normally, when people speak, their tone and manner of speaking subtly change. But the sound coming from inside wasn’t like that. It was completely identical, as if recorded and played back by a machine.

“…I said I left the goods, okay? Don’t you need to check them?”

“Got it!”

“…”

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

The conversation seemed to flow, but something was off. Though it was definitely someone he knew, the more they talked, the less it felt like conversing with a person.

Moreover, the position of the voice was strange. The owner of that voice, as he remembered, wasn’t very tall. At most, they would be about his height.

But the voice now seemed to come from much higher up. It sounded like it was coming from at least 5 meters above.

“…Well, I’ll be going then.”

“Got it! Take care!”

This old center doesn’t have a multi-level structure. Above the sand-covered ground, there’s only a ceiling with exposed steel frames.

So where is the owner of the voice speaking from?

No, is it really even a ‘human’?

‘Come to think of it, that slave…’

He had heard that they died while carrying out a mission for their master.

Recalling that memory from just three weeks ago, his mind suddenly cleared.

His instinct, not his mind, screamed at him. This place was strange. He shouldn’t stay here any longer.

He forced his cold legs to move toward the entrance.

Just as he stepped outside, a voice came from behind.

“Is the delivery here?”

The man couldn’t answer the fourth question that came in exactly the same tone and voice.

He barely managed to board the transport ship. Sitting in the pilot’s seat, he looked at the center amid the swirling sand and made a decision.

Let’s forget about today.

Let’s not think about who the owner of the voice in the center was.

With that resolution, his mind strangely eased. It felt like something that had been constricting his mind had disappeared.

“Huh?”

As the transport ship took off, the man felt something wet inside his ear.

‘Must be sweat.’

Even if he wanted to check, it was impossible due to the protective suit covering his entire body. The man dismissed it as unimportant.

After the transport ship departed, giant pink tentacles crept out from the entrance of the center. They wrapped around the container and pulled it inside.

No one witnessed this sight.

–

“Big sister! Did you see? Did you see?”

[Zz zzzzz(Yes. Good job)]

“Did I do well? Did I do well? Is the delivery here?”

[Zzzz zzzzz(You did very well)]

“Did well! Got it!”

No. 26 glowed with joy at my praise. Along with it, I could see its newly developed ‘special tentacles’ wriggling.

These tentacles looked completely different from fins or regular tentacles. Not just in appearance, but their internal structure was much more complex than normal tentacles.

The surface of the tentacles was covered with long, thin protrusions that looked like hair. These protrusions moved constantly even without wind, indicating that the tentacles were closely connected to its consciousness.

Looking at its translucent body, you could see that these tentacles were connected deep inside its body.

“Did well! Th-that, gr-grrrr? Got it! Wa-hahaha.”

Strange sounds flowed from the protrusions as they waved and touched each other. The sound itself resembled human speech.

Unlike regular tentacles that serve multiple purposes like hands, these tentacles exist solely for one function.

That is, to mimic human voices.

These tentacles are parts that developed after receiving the ‘mimicry’ trait.

‘I didn’t expect entirely new tentacles to form.’

Three weeks ago, I implanted the mimicry trait into No. 26.

Originally, I had intended to give it to Sky Mother, not No. 26. I thought it would be more stable that way.

But when I told her, she declined.

Currently, I can implant traits into my companions up to a total of 2 times. Since the ‘Double Helix Monolith’ itself is related to the space monster type, this number might increase later, but not yet.

Therefore, she said she wanted a different trait instead of mimicry.

‘She said she wanted a trait that matched her style.’

Thanks to her giving it up, No. 26 became the new owner of mimicry.

After implanting the trait, new tentacles capable of producing sound formed on its body. I had expected the ‘mutation tentacles’ that can freely change form to inherit the mimicry function, but this was an unexpected change.

‘It was applied as a replacement for regular tentacles.’

Having gained both mutation tentacles and mimicry tentacles, it was quite a good result.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there are no drawbacks.

‘The mechanism is too different.’

In my case, when I acquire the mimicry trait, an additional organ forms in my body that analyzes other organisms’ genes. This organ sends information to the vocal organs in my throat, allowing me to perfectly mimic that organism’s voice.

But No. 26 lacks such an analytical organ. The sounds it makes are the result of the tentacle protrusions recognizing and reconstructing the wavelengths contained in the voice of the slave I ate. It’s similar to recording a voice with a machine and then synthesizing it.

‘I wonder if it will get better with practice.’

Sea Demons don’t communicate through vocalization like humans. They communicate through light emitted from their bodies. They evolved this way because they are deep-sea creatures.

As a result, they’re not familiar with the concept of communicating through sound. To properly use the mimicry tentacles, they need to learn the sounds of necessary words anew.

“Difficult. Not working well.”

[Zzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzz(It’ll get better with practice)]

“Ye, grrrr, practice! Got it! Did well!”

[Zz(Yes)]

Fortunately, it learns very quickly.

‘It was always exceptional.’

It’s only been three weeks since it started learning, and it’s already this good. With diligent teaching, it could mimic voices as well as I can.

‘I’ll be busy.’

“I” “study” “need”

“I also need to verify the newly implanted genes.”

No. 26 isn’t the only one who received a new trait. I also implanted useful traits into Adhigh Orr and PS-111. I need to teach them how to use their traits as well.

‘Of course, before that….’

[Zzzzzz zzzz(Let’s eat first)]

“Good”

“Got it!”

“What kind of organism do we have today?”

There are about 11 days left until the cooldown for ‘Organic Evolution’ ends.

It seems like we can spend the remaining time productively.

–

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Elder.”

“Haha, how could I refuse when Captain Alshas requested a meeting?”

In a bright and elegant reception room.

Two Cult members and one human were sitting in luxurious chairs, engaged in conversation.

“Did you finish your business with the planetary council well?”

“Fortunately, the current governor is a reasonable person. Everything went smoothly.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“But about this person you mentioned…”

“Greetings, Kixos. I am Siheyon of House Yugin, a member of Megacorp Noble Capital.”

Siheyon, dressed in the formal uniform typically worn by Cult nobles, stood up and greeted him respectfully. Kixos, the Cult who had been addressed, also stood up to return the greeting.

“Pleased to meet you, Siheyon of House Yugin. I am Kixos of the Monzan tribe. You seem familiar with Cult etiquette?”

“You flatter me. I’ve had many occasions to interact with the Cult, so I’ve learned by observation.”

“Hoho, Monzan etiquette is quite intricate, yet you handle it well.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

Kixos’s eyes curved into crescent moons at Siheyon’s humble response.

In truth, her familiarity with Cult etiquette came from her past assassination experiences.

She was the shadow of House Yugin. Her hands were stained with much blood, including that of not a few Cult nobles. Of course, unless she was a fool, she wouldn’t mention that fact here.

Kixos, who had sat down again, spoke with an interested expression.

“So, Siheyon of House Yugin. Why did you want to meet me today?”

“I would like to make a deal with you, Kixos.”

“A deal. That’s a field I excel in. Tell me more.”

“Yes. I would like to purchase Cult weapons and equipment.”

Kixos tilted his head at those words.

“As a member of House Yugin, couldn’t you obtain weapons from Megacorp? Why buy from me?”

“I am building my personal forces without Yugin’s help. Rather than relying solely on my family’s influence, I wish to stand on my own.”

“My, that’s no easy task. Impressive.”

“If you invest in me, I will certainly repay you.”

“Investment.”

Kixos tapped the armrest of his chair with his finger after hearing her words.

“I mainly deal with Garmelda of Megacorp. Their head says investments should be transparent.”

“That’s correct.”

“Then shouldn’t you also explain why you’ve been buying up slaves on Beryan02?”

At those words, Siheyon’s gaze briefly shifted to Alshas sitting next to Kixos. Her eyes were wide open. Seeing that, it was clear that Alshas hadn’t said anything; Kixos had investigated Siheyon independently.

“It’s embarrassing, but the Empire’s security isn’t very good these days. Even though I advocate for arms reduction, this is a clear fact.”

“…”

“I know nothing about you. I don’t know if you’re a cultist or some pirate. I don’t want to accumulate wealth at the expense of imperial security.”

Siheyon pondered for a moment.

‘Further lies would be meaningless.’

Kixos was a veteran councilor in the Imperial Council and the leader of the Innovatives. He was an old monster who had maintained his position in a council full of all kinds of political intrigue.

Deceiving him would not be easy, and if she failed, she might have to leave Beryan02 altogether. On this planet, he was the highest authority, even above the governor.

‘…I guess I have no choice but to be straightforward.’

She decided to proceed as originally planned.

With a gentle smile, Siheyon got to the point.

“If you’re concerned that I might harm security, you’re right.”

“Right?”

“Yes. Though not the Empire’s.”

“Oh?”

“My goal is to reclaim the head position of House Yugin. To do that, I must assassinate the current head, Akira.”

Alshas seemed not to have expected this conversation. Her eyes were darting around.

Unlike her, Kixos smiled faintly, finding Siheyon’s words quite interesting.

“As I understand it, the head of House Yugin also serves as the Emperor of Megacorp, or rather, the CEO.”

“That’s correct.”

“I believe House Garmelda, my friend, has a friendly relationship with the CEO. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“So why would I invest in someone who intends to harm the CEO?”

“Aren’t you negative about Akira’s governance?”

“Am I?”

Kixos narrowed his eyes at those words.

“Akira Yujin doesn’t oppose the Empire, but he refuses any deeper relationship. This contrasts with your vision, Kixos, of an order where powers unite with the Empire at the center.”

“…”

“Things would be different if someone whose interests align with the Empire became CEO instead of Akira. In fact, I understand you’ve already made many ‘investments’ related to this.”

Siheyon was right. Kixos had been involved in the Megacorp CEO election. He had provided new equipment obtained from Garmelda to T&C, a strong competitor to Akira, among other things.

However, all of this was done in utmost secrecy. Very few even within the Innovatives knew about it, yet here was a complete stranger mentioning it.

“Are you saying you can respond to ‘the Empire’s interests’?”

“More precisely, I intend to ensure that ‘someone who considers the Empire’s interests’ becomes CEO. For instance, T&C.”

“…”

After Siheyon finished speaking, the reception room fell into silence.

Kixos stared at her for a while before finally smiling.

“You’re an interesting human. A person ‘worth investing in.’ I hope we can continue working together in the future.”

“I look forward to it as well.”

“Alshas, where on earth did you find such a person?”

“Ah, well… I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Thanks to you, I’ve met Siheyon Yugin, so I’m grateful.”

With those words, Kixos stood up.

“You’ll receive as many weapons and ships as you want. Ah, and one more thing.”

“?”

“I’d like to introduce you to some people I know. So you can continue receiving investments.”

Siheyon was surprised by this unexpected kindness. Just being able to trade for weapons was already a sufficient achievement, but she hadn’t expected to establish a regular route.

“In four days, there will be a party at this mansion. Come then. We’ll discuss the details at that time.”

“Thank you, Kixos. I’ll see you then.”

After greeting Kixos, Siheyon left the reception room first.

As Kixos was about to see Alshas off, she suddenly spoke.

“Elder.”

“What is it?”

“About the party in four days. There are two people I’d like to bring, if that’s alright?”

“Two? Who might they be this time?”

“One is someone I’d rather not mention right now, and the other is my brother.”

“That rascal Alqadi, hmm.”

Kixos stroked his chin as Alshas cautiously brought up the topic.

“I’ve heard Alqadi has business acumen.”

“That’s right, Elder.”

“Recently, the governor has been considering redeveloping the ruined streets. You know, places like Glory Street.”

“Yes. I understand there’s talk of building a new fortress there.”

“Since Alqadi has influence in that area, it might not be bad to employ him. I’ll see what I can do. Bring him to the party.”

“Thank you! Elder!”

Alshas bowed deeply as Kixos gave a positive response.

Siheyon Yugin, Kixos, Alshas.

The deal ended with everyone getting what they wanted.