< 96. Domestic Disputes Are Settled with Sword Cuts (3) >
As Hyung-no manipulated the video conference panel, Kavaite reviewed the profile of the interview requester. As with most high-ranking officials, sensitive information was inaccessible to him. Nevertheless, he came across a description of an incident that couldn't be completely concealed.
'I see. It's that woman who caused a major incident and has been serving as a convict.'
To sentence royalty to labor reform is quite typical of the Endelion's stringent moral and duty-driven practices. It was unthinkable for Kavaite.
'It's extremely inefficient. To subject someone with such superior abilities and wealth to labor reform. Someone of value should be treated differently even if they commit the same crime... No matter how I look at it, it's a waste of time and resources. Anyway, they seem to be hopeless.'
The Endelion's ideologies and tendencies did not align well with Kavaite's views, in many respects.
'The nature of the incident is kept confidential.'
The false identity used during labor reform was also concealed.
'Even if it's the Endelion, they wouldn't send a princess to a dangerous place.'
She would likely have been released from administrative tasks, the so-called "divine position," and her life as a convict would have been brief—just a slight dip of the tentacle in the water.
"Preparations are complete."
Hyung-no stepped back, and a video appeared in the air, showing the requester's image.
The princess of the Endelion.
Amidst twenty-six radiating tentacles, an abyss-like gaze was visible. As Kavaite was about to show respect to the royal figure...
"Eek!"
A scream, completely out of place for the setting and situation, erupted briefly.
"?!"
The air grew cold rapidly. Although the end of the voice seemed muffled as if hastily suppressed, it was already too late. Everyone had heard it.
The bigger issue was that, due to the nature of the video conferencing system, the speaker was automatically highlighted on the screen. The AI recognized the noise maker as the speaker and consequently focused on Hyung-no, who should not have been in the video.
Thus, the princess and the committee member saw the convict trembling in the corner.
"Ugh... I-I'm sorry!"
Hyung-no, realizing what had been projected, turned pale. It was a major mishap. The convicts were now receiving a torrent of reprimands from the trembling princess.
"You foolish girl... What on earth are you doing!"
Kavaite turned his head back and apologized across the screen.
"Forgive me. We have shown something unsightly on the video. As you may know, the committee also uses human forms in their tasks. Please don't misunderstand, it's not like some harmful creature sneaked in through an open door."
However, the princess's reaction was not as expected.
Despite the well-known instinctive aversion Endelions have toward small mammals, the princess maintained a calm demeanor. She didn't scream in surprise, didn't flail her tentacles in panic, and didn't show open disgust.
She gazed steadily at the convict. Hyung-no, classified as a "Bezni" level, trembled upon seeing the princess's image on the screen. The princess sensed something unusual in that demeanor.
It was too deep a fear in her eyes to be merely from seeing the Endelion species for the first time. Moreover, her physical reaction...
"What are you doing! Quickly remove your image from the screen!"
"I-I'm sorry!"
Hyung-no, now in tears, manipulated the panel. The hologram of the convict disappeared.
At that moment, the princess spoke for the first time.
"That convict is not originally a human, is he?"
Sharp, isn't she?
Kavaite was momentarily taken aback by her insight. What did she notice to figure this out?
"How did you know?"
"His movements seemed unnatural. Like someone wearing ill-fitting clothes."
"He must still be adapting to the body he's in, as he has not been captured for long."
Even as he answered, Kavaite was puzzled. How could the Endelion perceive awkwardness in human gestures?
Humans who see cockroaches find them disgusting, but they don't observe the antennae and legs closely, nor do they notice subtle differences if any.
Similarly, it was surprising that the Endelion could keenly discern mammalian gestures. Even if the other party is an intelligent species.
The princess asked nonchalantly.
"What was his original species?"
That information shouldn't be exposed to the convict. Instead of answering verbally, Kavaite touched the panel in front of him. A short word appeared on the screen visible to the princess. Upon reading it, a look of intrigue appeared in the princess's eyes.
A convict from Shutan who recently started serving...
And who reacts almost as if in a panic upon seeing the Endelion.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. How can I assist you?"
The princess replied calmly.
"I'm here to request a favor."
Tsk, was that it?
Kavaite grumbled internally.
Naturally, he did not show his displeasure. Maintaining courtesy while suppressing his distaste, he knew well how such people treat mid-level committee officials.
But there was no reason for Gedwick to automatically fulfill their request due to their social status. Moreover, the princess, despite being from an ancient species, was a member of the Endelion royal family but not a committee member.
"Oh, I see. I will look into it to assist you as much as possible. What kind of individual are you recommending? If they have received support from the Endelion royal family, they must be an excellent talent..."
"Me."
"..."
Kavaite was silent for a moment.
"Pardon? I'm sorry. I think I must have misheard that..."
"You heard correctly. I am the one you should recommend."
Gedwick, shaken, ruffled his entire body. The Endelion made a bold demand.
"Hire me."
Gedwick was confused. The content was incomprehensible and the request was unwelcome.
It was common for noble offspring to be parachuted into the committee. Though the Endelion race usually leaves harsh and menial tasks to convicts, they handle significant committee roles directly. If they wish to make it a path for self-realization, the door is always open.
However, the requests are usually made by their parents. Did she get permission from her mother? Furthermore, according to the profile just reviewed, she is not a princess who idly spends her time.
"As far as I know, you are responsible for internal affairs within the Endelion..."
"I understand your concern. The internal royal agreements are already complete. It's my own job search, so I'm making the request personally."
Kavaite read the hidden meaning behind her words. Her mother likely set a condition. The princess wanted to work in the committee instead of staying in the dimension, and her mother probably agreed to grant permission if she secured a position through negotiation. The princess's status alone was a strong leverage, pointing out the favorable conditions.
It's a typical Endelion upbringing method. Adding unnecessary stress to their children.
Kavaite decided to hear more.
"Do you have a specific position in mind?"
The princess's answer was more specific than expected.
"I want the position of Representative Director of the Committee in Dimension #22-189. It's currently vacant, isn't it?"
"Pardon? It is indeed one of my jurisdictional dimensions, but it's an extreme remote area, level 4, and among the fringes. There's a reason it's been vacant for so long..."
Kavaite, who had been speaking, suddenly trailed off.
'Dimension #22-189?!'
His mind became as chaotic as muddy water again. Why there?
That dimension was where Asif-666 had been dispatched just moments ago, causing him concern.
Moreover, the timing was extremely peculiar.
"Could you explain your reasoning in more detail? The position of a representative director in a dimension is not a trivial one. Even if you're of the Endelion royal family, with no committee experience... Ah, excuse me."
"I understand. It's a position you're reluctant to hand out as a parachute assignment, isn't it? Better to leave it vacant."
"It is an important position and will attract a lot of attention. Therefore, a reason is needed. Why are you interested in such a remote dimension?"
The Endelion princess confidently presented her prepared response.
"You know our race has a significant interest in the soul fragment of Asif-1, correct?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes. Of course. Why..."
It is a public secret that the committee has put a large bounty on it and has mobilized convicts to search for it.
However, what is less known is that opinions are divided among the ancient races that make up the committee.
For example, Kavaite's race believes that the mission is impossible. Hence, they opposed assigning it to convicts in the first place. Their intent was not to spare the convicts from futile hope but to avoid unnecessary attention being drawn to Asif-1.
On the other hand, the Endelions, with their idealistic nature, are filled with zeal to find it.
"We made a hypothesis a long time ago about the form in which the fragment might be wandering through the universe."
"Yes, I'm aware. Given that the soul is fragmented and shattered, it was deemed unlikely that it would have completely taken over another sentient being's body."
"That's right. So the fragment might be hidden inside someone's body or within a special object. Considering Asif-1's past actions, that object is likely to be a 'sword.'"
Kavaite began to understand where the conversation was heading.
"Are you suggesting that you've found a clue?"
"Yes. We've obtained credible evidence that an artifact suspected to contain the fragment of Asif-1 has flowed into Earth."
Since the other ancient races would likely show a disinterested reaction, the Endelion decided to take matters into their own hands, and it seems the princess has applied for that position.
However, the concern is that if the Endelion princess openly states her purpose, it might provoke criminals targeting the fragment. Therefore, she needs another excuse to stay on Earth.
"Indeed... It is a suitable excuse for an ancient race to stay in such a remote dimension for an extended period."
Despite saying that, Kavaite had already made his decision.
What? The fragment of Asif-1? To relinquish a high position for such a fanciful reason? Nonsense.
But refusing immediately would be considered rude. It would be best to delay for a few days, then respond with an overly apologetic face, claiming it would be too difficult.
"Please understand that I cannot give you an immediate answer. I will review it as positively as possible and get back to you."
After the princess vanished from the screen, Kavaite pondered for a moment.
'Why that dimension?'
It could be dismissed as coincidence, but something about it bothered him.
Especially the part about the princess having once been a convict.
'Was there a connection back then? Am I being overly paranoid?'
The hesitation didn't last long. He opened the communication network and called for Dotes.
"Compile a list of convicts Asif-666 has come into contact with during the next period and send it to me."
He threw the task of sifting through all databases and obtaining approvals from over six relevant department heads with seeming ease. To make matters worse, hearing the deadline set by his superior, Dotes felt an overwhelming surge of frustration.
"...It will be impossible to complete before the end of today."
"Then when will it be done?"
"At least a week..."
"By tomorrow. We cannot keep an Endelion princess waiting for that long. The answer is already decided, but I need to investigate further before I respond."
Dotes, on the other side of the screen, swallowed his curse. He prepared to mitigate the wrath that would come later.
"Mr. Gedwick, you know that information about Asif-level convicts is mostly classified. If they've been released, their personal data is deleted immediately."
"Even if the personal profile is deleted, the mission records should remain in that dimension, right?"
"There are dimensions where Asif-666 worked within your jurisdiction, Mr. Gedwick, but there are also other administrative areas. If cooperation is not forthcoming from those areas..."
"I understand. Investigate as thoroughly as you can."
Dotes, who had turned pale, disappeared, and Kavaite muttered to himself.
'Something smells off. What kind of scheme is this? Let's dig into it, Princess.'
After returning to Korea, Min-jun stayed holed up at home for several days.
His goal was to sort through the memories that had returned and extract meaning from them.
Although there were still gaps here and there, arranging them in order wasn't too difficult.
'It seems the oldest memories returned first.'
The memories related to the time he killed Cheongcheon appeared to be the oldest among those that came back.
The race to which Min-jun originally belonged, known as the 'Primordial Race' by prophetic terms, was indeed known for slaying and consuming dragons.
For some reason, they gathered in Elahu-Praga and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of long, false, yet happy dreams.
Meanwhile, the dragons they had nurtured spread throughout all dimensions except the remote ones, acting as tyrants. This aligns with the historical knowledge he had as a convict.
'Did I wake up alone? How? Why?'
According to the nightmare he had while touching the Archbishop's head, it seemed he had made contact with Kavaite. They had inquired about the location of Elahu-Praga, intending to awaken the remaining kin.
He must have...
'Given an answer.'
He remembered the desperate plea he had made as an observer of that scene. Min-jun viewed that action as a fatal mistake.
There was only one reason he could think of for feeling this way.
'In the end, was I betrayed?'
The result is the current world. A world where ancient races hold dominion instead of dragons. Only they can extract talents in large quantities in a proper manner.
Indeed, the committee had obtained it. Power and wealth built upon the blood spilled by Min-jun's kin.
He felt a rising anger.
'So what should I do now?'
This was his greatest dilemma.
The order of the Primordial Race worships them as gods and intends to awaken other kin according to the upcoming cycle.
Yet Min-jun believed this was not the right approach. So what is the correct method?
'My revived memories are still incomplete.'
There isn't enough material to make a decision.
So?
'I need more memories. I need to recover more.'
Min-jun had been able to retrieve memories at his current level thanks to the Archbishop's divine power. The ability to induce nightmares to awaken the Primordial Race. Upon contact with that power, Min-jun had also dreamt nightmares and partially recovered his memories.
'I need to try the same method again.'
The high-ranking priest of the order was staying in the basement of the mansion, so there was no reason to hesitate.
From an alien's perspective, there would be nothing to do, so they would likely spend their time in prayer or meditation.
Thus, the divine power exhausted in Germany had been fully replenished, and his mind was clearer than ever.
Min-jun headed confidently to the basement to meet the judge.
End of Chapter 96: "A Quarrel Between a Couple Ends in Beheading (3)"