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I agreed to undergo Lazarus’ examination without any hesitation. At least, it seemed like no one was going to harm me right away.
I was placed naked inside a cylindrical testing device for an hour.
“… … The results are surprising. Most of the brain functions are above the standard. It’s hard to believe that they are people who just recovered from a coma. The usual prognosis is that they are half-dead for two or three months.”
The doctor’s voice was heard. This time it seemed like it was a proper medical team.
“What does Lazarus do?”
I asked the question while lying down. I have a serious lack of information.
‘Why am I here?’
‘Is it right that I entrust my treatment to Giselle?’
‘What happened to Akbaran and the Empire after the Storm?’
There are many things I am curious about, but first I need to acquire information about my surroundings, and once I have established an awareness of my surroundings, I need to slowly expand it.
“It is one of the hospitals under Newzen.”
I don’t know what Newzen is. It seems like a biotechnology company.
The doctor talked about Lazarus while examining my condition. Judging from the casual way he spoke, it didn’t seem like it was a special secret. It must be common knowledge to the people here.
“Lazarus’ motto is ‘Death is a disease to be overcome.’ We specialize in extreme treatment. We are the first to introduce new technologies and treat patients who are hopeless with conventional medical technology.”
“Hmm, that’s a roundabout way of saying it’s a human experimentation lab.”
“Some people say that. But there are many people who survived like you.”
The medical helmet covering my head opened gently. The bed I was lying on also moved and fell out.
“You’ve been talking nonsense since a while ago, but the nurses aren’t very good. Anyone can tell that they’re not proper medical personnel.”
I grumbled and got up from the bed. My movements had become noticeably more stable. My brain was finally finishing its compensating process.
“It’s difficult to deploy high-quality personnel for Lazarus nurses because of the high mortality rate.”
I didn’t bother asking what that meant. When you do human experiments, all sorts of things happen.
‘This is a facility that Jin-ga-u would like.’
Memories of the past feel close. The associations flow smoothly as thoughts and memories connect. That’s a good sign.
“To put it simply, you have suffered severe brain damage. Even with the advancement of regenerative technology, the brain has always been an exception. It’s because of the brain’s special nature… … .”
“Please explain more simply. Do I look like a scientist to you?”
“Artificial regeneration of brain cells causes personality changes and memory distortion. The major side effects are like this, and minor side effects are unpredictable. Oh, and by the way, aftercare is free for 10 years.”
I snorted.
“You want to collect experimental data, not aftercare. There probably aren’t many cases like mine. If I didn’t have a background, you would have put anesthesia in my neck right away.”
I said, tapping his neck with my fingertips. The doctor was silent for a moment.
“You are brilliant. It is as you said. Even if you succeed in regenerating brain cells like you, most people suffer from hallucinations or schizophrenia from the first day. And they commit suicide after a few months. Perhaps you have undergone special training related to mental enhancement… .”
“Just tell me that much. You don’t want to die yet, do you?”
I spoke indifferently and stared at the clothes hanging on the wall. They were dirty and baggy hospital gowns, but I had to wear them.
Creak, creak.
The noise of the prosthetic limbs was jarring to my ears. It was the first time I had used something this cheap. I realized anew how good the cybernetic welfare of the Royal Guard was.
‘This is a mess.’
I looked at the strange young man on the other side of the mirror. He had grown physically, and his face had become more angular and his bones had grown bigger than before.
A strange young man is stroking his chin. His beard and hair are untidy. It looks like he has been roughly shaved and then left alone.
Squeak!
I bit the sleeve of my hospital gown with my front teeth and tore it. I used the torn cloth as a string to pull my hair back and tie it up.
“What is the current situation in the Three Kingdoms?”
I asked casually.
“Well, we’re in a tug-of-war of anxiety and tension. Cooperating and fighting. It’s no different now than it was then.”
It seemed like a full-scale war never broke out.
Squeak.
I opened the door to the examination room and went out into the hallway. An Equsian mercenary was waiting for me.
-If you’re ready, follow me.
Equusian nodded and walked ahead.
I followed along silently, recalling information about the Equusians. Their average height was in the early to mid-2 meters, much taller than humans, and their long limbs were covered in dense muscles.
Assuming they have received similar combat training, Equusians are superior in combat ability than humans.
‘Special stripes that control heat circulation within the body.’
The faint stripes engraved on their blue skin glow orange in intense situations.
Stripes are a unique physical feature of the Equusians. Thanks to this, the Equusians do not tire easily and have excellent combat stamina.
‘And the body odor is also faint.’
Even among humans, we can sense each other’s scent. If it’s a different species, we can sense unfamiliar scents even better.
However, Equusians had a strangely light body odor. This was probably because they dissipated heat through stripes, and thus did not sweat much.
‘A race that evolved into hunters and warriors.’
Even after civilization, intelligent beings still had traces of their days as beasts. Looking at their physical characteristics, we could tell how they survived the struggle for survival.
‘They have a faint odor, long limbs, great endurance, and a high level of aggressiveness, but at the same time they also have a cool-headed, collectivist mindset.’
These were the characteristics and virtues of hunters and warriors. When I listed them, I realized that we humans are not much different.
Thud, thud.
The interior of Lazarus’ building and facilities were shabby. It did not look like a place where expensive medical procedures were performed.
‘Because there will be more people dying than being treated.’
The faint smell of corruption lingered in the air. I had noticed this all along, but there were no windows leading to the outside. Lazarus was definitely not a normal medical facility.
This is not a place to send someone precious. If it were me, I wouldn’t send Giselle here.
‘But there must be a reason why Giselle had to leave me here.’
There were a lot of strange things about my medical records. There was no reason for me to be in cryosleep for five years. The actual treatment period was two separate periods of two years each, before and after cryosleep.
‘Is your employer Giselle Custoria?’
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I didn’t ask Equusian rashly. It’s something that will be known in time anyway. If Equusian’s employer isn’t Giselle, then it’s just exposing useless information.
You have to be careful and calm. The more unfamiliar the environment, the less impatient you should be. If they know you are impatient, they will try to take advantage of it.
CLANG!
The front door of the building opened, and the stuffy air escaped.
The first thing I saw was sunlight. My eyes were sore from adjusting to the natural light.
-As you may already know, this is a border city of the Bellato Federation. It is a federation territory, but in reality, it is a stateless neutral city. Well, since it is a federation territory and not an empire or a sacred nation, this kind of freedom is possible.
Equusian explained surprisingly kindly. He must have been ordered to give a prior explanation by his employer.
‘Border City.’
The city Lillian Ramones wanted to visit. And Iley often mentioned Border City as a place she longed for. Funny enough, I got here before them.
Damn it.
I walked out of the building and looked straight into Border City.
Groan, grumble.
All sorts of noises and voices could be heard mixed together. It felt like the pedestrians on the street were half human and half alien, or rather, there were more aliens.
The architecture of Border City was a mess, like a child’s playroom, with little unity or consistency to be found. Even the most linear, geometric buildings of the Empire, typical of the upper reaches of Akbaran, were visible.
As I followed the Equusians, no one looked at me strangely in my hospital gown. That was understandable, since there were many strange-looking races and strange clothing.
The stalls and stores had signs in multiple languages, and as if that wasn’t enough, they even helpfully provided illustrated explanations. Even a quick stroll around would give you an idea of just how diverse the races in Border City are.
I was momentarily confused. It was the first time I had ever seen so many non-human intelligent beings at the same time. My brain was spinning as I tried to process the unfamiliar and strange sight.
‘Even the air is different.’
Even though it was close to the ground, the air was not lukewarm.
Border City was completely different from Akbaran. No matter how much I looked up, I couldn’t see any privileged areas like the upper districts.
Even after moving for about five minutes, I felt mentally exhausted. Soon, a five-story parking lot building came into view. At its entrance, there was a large crowd of vendors and people waiting.
The Equusian who guided me pushed through the crowd with his body and opened the way.
“Why are you pushing me… … No, well, just pass by.”
The man who had been irritated shut his mouth when he saw Equusian. It was a scene that showed Equusian’s social status.
‘No fool would quarrel with a race whose profession is combat.’
If you think there might be a problem, it’s best to avoid it.
The Equusian walked out as if it was natural, seeing the other races avoiding him. He stopped in front of a vehicle large enough for him to fit in, and kicked the door with his foot. The vehicle’s door opened in response to the impact.
-Tara.
As he spoke, Equusian sat down in the driver’s seat. I sat down next to him and caught my breath.
Kiing, thump.
With the door closed, external stimuli were reduced. My brain felt much more relaxed.
I tried to pretend I was okay, but I was in terrible shape. It felt like I had already used up several days’ worth of concentration.
Adapting to the body, reasoning about situations, and understanding the environment.
It’s hard enough to handle just one thing, but I was dealing with this at the same time. On top of that, I was on the verge of brain death before the treatment and was still recovering.
I didn’t even know what my limits were at the moment. If I continued to use my brain like before, it might break down again. Hoping for a second resurrection was too greedy.
“Isn’t it time you told me who your employer is?”
-Don’t use your brain, human. You’re thinking of running away if you don’t get the name you want, right? I don’t want to bring you, a corpse, to my employer. I said it clearly, ‘corpse.’
It’s a warning that if you run away, you’ll be killed. I got a lot of information from this short conversation.
‘Equusian’s employer is not Giselle.’
If it’s Giselle, I’ll go see her even if she doesn’t want to. The reason she’s hiding her identity like this is because it means she’s not Giselle.
“Stop making meaningless threats. The Equsians I know have remained loyal to their employers even in death. Your employer told you to bring me here? You wouldn’t kill me with your own hands, would you?”
Equusian’s actions while holding the steering wheel stopped for a moment.
-… … From now on, I won’t talk to you.
He’s quick-witted. He figured out that I was deliberately talking to him to get information. He was quite a capable guy.
“Then I’ll sleep, so wake me up when we get there.”
I closed my eyes.
* * *
I went to meet his employer under the guidance of Equusian.
The place I arrived at was a high-rise building. At the top was a room that took up an entire floor. The doors, decorated with precious metal, were dazzlingly shiny.
Kkieii.
The door swung open to the left and right in an archaic manner.
Someone was standing with their back to the window, where sunlight was pouring in. Since they were an alien race, it was hard to tell what kind of race they were just by looking at the back of their heads. Next to them, two armed Equsians stood on either side. Their eyes glowed ominously through the gaps in their battle helmets.
“Hoyoyoyo. Nice to meet you, Casey Tres.”
The pronunciation was unusual. It was neither human nor using a translator like the Equusians.
I felt like I had seen all the aliens a normal citizen of the empire would encounter in a lifetime in one day. And this latest species was not so welcome.
‘Tajrun.’
The Equusians’ employers were the Tajrun. The reddish-brown skin of the Tajrun race appeared redder in contrast to the blue Equusians.
‘Commercial Race Tajirun.’
Fortunately, they were not a completely unfamiliar race. I had some knowledge about them.
When negotiating with Barbara, I borrowed their line and secretly communicated. I received an enormous amount of money that even Barbara was terrified of, so it was clearly etched in my mind.
The Tajrun were wearing robes adorned with gold. Their luxurious nature was evident. Their reptilian faces had forked tongues that would occasionally protrude.
‘The cunning snake.’
My first impression was like this. Thin fingers protruded from between the robes, dangling in a cunning manner. The man’s nails were as long as his fingers, indicating that he did not do any work with his own hands.
“First, sit down. I have a lot to talk about. And let me tell you up front that the amount of money I’ve invested in you is astronomical, yohohoho.”
“That laughter is annoying. What can I do about it?”
“It can’t be helped because it’s a habit. Our vocal organs are different from yours. But isn’t it better than the machine-sounding voice of a translator? I’ve had a hard time learning human language.”
“If you want to talk to me, first get rid of the security guards. Look at me. I just got out of the hospital, so I don’t want to feel any unnecessary pressure.”
Tajirun laughed and waved his hands playfully.
“Pressure? You’re quite the jokester, Mr. Keisa. Or should I call you Lucas Custoria? I’ve heard tales of your bravery.”
… … Well, I expected that. There’s nothing to get excited about. If they didn’t know my identity in the first place, there would have been no reason to spend so much money on treating me.
‘The information that Tajirun and I have is not equal.’
If we engage in formal negotiations and conversations, I will be swayed. I need to take the initiative quickly.
It’s time for me to put to use what I learned from the Empire, no, Kinuan and Heilas.
“Tell me what you called me for in five seconds. If you change your mind, I’ll get up and leave. Put a bullet in the back of my head or not, that’s up to you. If you know me, you know this isn’t a joke.”
“Huh? Wait, wait. I haven’t even introduced myself yet… … .”
“4 seconds.”
I folded my fingers one by one.
“No, that… … .”
“3 seconds.”
Okay, today might be my memorial day. Let’s prepare ourselves to die. What would be a good will?
“2 seconds.”
Tajirun’s confusion was palpable. Even the stone-like Equsians were stirred.
“You damn thing! Akies Victimaaaa! Catch Kinuan! Mr. Luca! That’s my business. Hoot, hoot… .”
“See? Just do it, Mr. Cobra.”
I spoke calmly. But my insides were as cold as if ice had been placed on them. A dark chill rose up.
‘Kinuan… … .’
My head was so cold that I felt like all the blood had drained from it.
Now that we know Tajirun’s purpose, we can understand his motivations. At this point, it’s time to start negotiations.
“Okay, let’s talk. Tajirun likes deals and negotiations, right?”
I spoke calmly, trying to hide my excitement.
Kinuan is a huge player, so it was obvious why Tajirun had called me out on this.
‘I am the only one who can track and think on the same level as Kinuan.’
… … Hmm, I guess being equal was a bit arrogant. At least I have potential.
To the Tajirun in front of me, I am an irreplaceable human resource. No matter what I ask, he will have no choice but to grant it.
There’s a lot I need to find out from him, and I have no intention of giving up a single thing.
