"The Pure Sect's inquisitor who hired you," Yoan gestured toward the mark in Belant's hand, "even betrays their own?"
"Isn't that pretty normal?" Belant was taken aback by the question.
"Alright, alright," Yoan nodded in reluctant agreement, reflecting on how such behavior was indeed routine within the Empire's institutions.
Yoan recalled that even the fleets sent to collect taxes in the Tyron sector operated the same way. A tax officer offered Enreda a lower rate if he would meet his personal price. Another officer, however, offered an even lower rate, revealing that the initial demand was inflated and mocked the people of Tyron as "rich fools."
Betrayal and treachery—they remained commonplace in this 41st millennium.
"I have a question," said Requiem, who had been silent until now.
"Ask," Belant nodded in agreement.
Requiem asked, "I saw Klein on my way here. He didn't strike me as an opportunist. Why does Bellona trust him? And hasn't Aen already expressed doubts about Klein's motives? Even a novice sees through him, yet Bellona seems indifferent. Or was that their first encounter?"
"A thinking machine, hmm?" Belant looked at Requiem with interest. "The reason is simple. The one who sent me shares a unique bond with Bellona, working with her since she was a troublesome fifteen-year-old. They've been together for over two hundred seventy years."
Requiem still didn't fully understand why Bellona placed such trust in Klein, but thinking of her as a human, he understood. Humanity was often swayed by emotions or other ties.
Even Aen, loyal to the point of servitude and less close to Bellona than Belant, was willing to die to protect her. Bellona treated everyone as tools but never imagined her own end would come by her one true friend.
"Regardless, it's over." Yoan produced a teleportation device and handed it to Belant.
Belant recognized the device but was puzzled as to why Yoan gave it to him.
"My ship is just outside the trade station." Yoan glanced through the window at the trade station. "The Soulless can register their identity in Tyron."
Belant shook his head with a wry smile, "Wherever I go, as an Untouchable, I'm just a tool and an outcast."
"Don't belittle yourself with such terms; we are the Soulless." Yoan shook his head. "True, others despise us on sight, but at least Tyron One has a small town for Soulless only."
Belant hesitated.
The inquisitor who hired him felt more human than Bellona, and she had already paid him well. He could return and reclaim his old life as a gang leader… but Yoan's offer was tempting.
A town of only Soulless.
No law officers waiting to pounce on them at every turn, no disdainful glances from "normal" people pinching their noses in disgust.
Belant found himself imagining a life in that town—dining in a café where the servers were female Soulless, living as if he were normal.
It would be paradise.
The paradise of the Soulless.
After a moment's contemplation, Belant gripped the coin in his hand and nodded, "Alright."
...
Aboard the *Soul Blackhole*.
A flash of blue light split the bridge open, and Yoan, Requiem, and Belant appeared on board.
The *Soul Blackhole* was neither a frigate nor a destroyer; it was a unique class of warship designed solely for the Guardians. When Guardians left the Tyron system, they would use these ships to reach their destinations.
The vessel wasn't large, only seven kilometers in length. Three heavy energy shields were installed at the front, middle, and rear, with a rotating sphere at the center—a multidirectional light lance capable of striking enemy ships or planetary surfaces.
Unlike conventional Tyron Navy vessels, this class of Guardian warships didn't require its crew to lie in pods to operate.
The bridge was bustling.
The crew had seen Requiem before but not Belant.
Belant stepped hesitantly from the rift, abandoning his coin out of worry that the crew would turn on him with insults and demand he leave the ship. Such a scene would be unbearably awkward.
Yet, to his surprise, the crew regarded him with nonchalance, making him realize that they, too, were Soulless.
"A newcomer?"
The crew rose to inspect Belant.
If a human entered a bridge full of Soulless, they would likely collapse in disgust, but Belant remained calm. Without any introduction from Yoan, they knew he was one of their own.
"He looks frail."
"We were just as frail when Klein sold us into the Tyron sector. He just needs a few hearty meals at Aunt Lina's diner."
"..."
The crew gathered around Belant, talking over one another.
Belant stood awkwardly, finding their warmth surprisingly uncharacteristic of the Soulless.
"Ahem." Yoan cleared his throat. "Prepare for departure."
The crew immediately turned serious, taking their seats, operating the controls with one hand, and connecting cables to the base of their skulls.
Yoan arranged a seat for Belant, helped him secure his belt, and then took his place at the command throne at the center of the bridge.
Once everyone was prepared, Yoan ordered, "Destination: Tyron System."
"Dimensional engines self-check complete—all systems normal."
"Charging dimensional engines, at ten percent."
"..."
"Engage auxiliary engines," Yoan ordered suddenly.
The crew exchanged excited glances before promptly executing the command.
A drone trailed a cable to Yoan's position and connected it to his spine.
Three fusion reactors surged to maximum power, and waves of heat rippled from the command throne across the bridge.
Belant didn't know what this was for but continued flipping his coin.
As everything came online, the ship did not slip into dimensional space but instead channeled dimensional energy along its exterior.
In the next instant, the entire ship surged forward at twice the speed of light, pressing Belant firmly into his seat, the coin flying from his grip to embed in the wall behind him.
The crew shouted with excitement, savoring the rare thrill.
Guardian ships were equipped with backup dimensional engines, which could engage when Guardians served as their own power sources. The benefit was bypassing the leap into dimensional space, allowing for a more direct route.
The ship continued forward, with Bal looming ahead. It seemed they would crash into Bal, but instead, the ship passed directly through the planet and then a nearby star.
The dimensional energy encasing the ship rendered it intangible, preventing collisions with celestial bodies during high-speed travel.
"Stop at System 83123," Requiem said, walking up to Yoan, its legs merging with the floor to stabilize itself.
"Why?" Yoan asked.
"Because I need to return to my gloomy mothership and talk to my cold companions," Requiem replied dryly.
"You'll need to come with us back to Tyron. The last transmission I received from the Lord of Tyron was to bring you back with me," Yoan stated.