< 99. The Couple's Quarrel is a Beheading (6) >
The reason Min-jun did not respond immediately when Telesia called his name was that he was lost in thought.
"Cain?"
After being called a second time, Min-jun turned his head. He was currently on a mission to Planet XB-610 with his wife and had stopped by the headquarters for a meeting. All the main agenda items had been covered, and only the predictable closing remarks remained, so he had momentarily let his mind wander. He paused his serious contemplation of an 80th wedding anniversary gift.
"Huh?"
"Let's talk for a moment. Cain, you stay. The rest can leave."
With the other prisoners exiting, only Telesia and Min-jun remained. Telesia immediately got to the point, projecting a hologram into the air.
"I need you to take on a personal mission."
"Assassination?"
"Yes, as usual."
Min-jun, renowned as the best assassin and an invincible being, had once survived with a pierced heart. His exceptional regenerative ability proved to be a perfect match for life-and-death missions, and Telesia relied heavily on him. Thanks to this, he had achieved more significant results than anyone else.
The leader of the prisoners explained the target. Min-jun listened to her while simultaneously reading the text woven by the light. His gaze stopped at a particular point.
"A cult leader? So those idiots are now openly imitating a religion?"
The target this time was the leader of a group.
Min-jun grumbled.
"Didn't expect the dictator's memorial group to grow this large. They should have been eradicated at the start."
When Min-jun first heard about an organization that deified and idolized the former ruler of Ashtal, who was supposedly dead for 300 years, his reaction was, "They worship the villain who ruined their lives? They forget and distort so easily. They're not sane."
It was an incomprehensible situation, considering the actions of the deified leader in life.
After being defeated in a war with the rebels and facing imminent purging, the dictator had self-destructed over 90% of the Republic's critical infrastructure, including energy, food, communications, and transportation facilities, and ripped apart the defense shields that kept the space bugs at bay.
The Ashtal residents, pushed to the brink of civilization collapse, were saved only due to the intervention of the committee.
Over time, however, there were those who became displeased with such intervention—those who longed for the dictator and viewed the committee as an adversary.
"So they've absorbed and integrated similar ideological groups to increase their size."
"It's no longer something that can be ignored. Moreover… look at this."
When Telesia flipped the screen, Min-jun's expression grew troubled.
"They're becoming a terrorist organization while still being a religious group? The change in identity is happening too quickly."
"Their next target is a terminal connected to other dimensions. The method is likely to be a suicide bombing."
"And the propaganda is still the same? Declaring a refusal to foreign capital invasion?"
The committee, led by prisoners, maintained law and order within the dimension while providing various aid supplies and industrial materials through terminals to rebuild the ruins.
But Min-jun knew that none of it was "free."
The committee meticulously recorded Ashtal's debts in response to the aid and would begin harsh settlements when the time came.
Most residents viewed this as an unavoidable reality, but some saw it as a perilous trap. They believed they would end up in a debt so enormous that it would take several generations to repay.
They argued that they should no longer accept the committee's intervention and destroyed the critical facilities set up without the consent of the dimension's people. They aimed to dismiss everything as unjust and nullify the debt.
However, Min-jun was skeptical of such attempts.
"It's foolish. The committee won't back down from that level of resistance. The contract the committee signed with the rebel provisional government remains effective even after that regime's collapse. Even if they refuse to pay, it won't last long."
Cases of descendants refusing debt repayment while denying continuity with the old government are common, but none have ever succeeded in overcoming the committee's lawsuits and debt collection.
"And terrorism only harms the people here."
It merely serves to devastate the lives of fellow beings.
The ideological basis for this was religious belief.
Believers envied the life from 300 years ago that they had never experienced. Despite the dictator starving billions to death, some privileged individuals who had pledged loyalty enjoyed luxury, and memories and records from that era were glorified.
Those enamored with such stories longed for the dictator's era because real life was too harsh.
The leader who had guided them in distorted pasts where everyone was well-fed and happy was elevated to the status of a god.
"The more serious issue is that cases of individuals truly awakening divine powers among them are being reported."
"Really?"
"Yes, this information was confirmed by Asha Min by cross-referencing residual thoughts."
"If it gets to the Omara school, they'll froth at the mouth and rush to it."
It would lend credence to their claims that divine powers are unrelated to the actual existence of gods. It's unlikely that the old dictator of Ashtal actually obtained true divinity and is bestowing blessings.
"If they continue to grow like this, it will become an irreparable situation. We need to eliminate the center of gravity."
Once an ideology acquires religious colors, logic and reason lose their shine. And it infiltrates people's hearts and spreads at an unprecedented rate, far surpassing previous speeds. It soaks into their weary psyches, desire for dependence, and hope.
Telesia was wary of this.
"Understood. I'll plan it immediately and report back."
When she looked at Min-jun, as if to ask if that was all, Telesia suddenly changed the subject.
"What do you think of their claims?"
There was no need for long contemplation to answer.
"I'm not 100% in favor of what the committee is doing either. But if they want to reduce debt, they need to negotiate at the table with the committee, not resort to terrorism."
Most importantly, he thought that if they no longer wanted to receive investment, they needed to prove their ability to sustain the entire dimension on their own.
"Their claims are essentially the same as reducing the population to lower the debt, right? And in a violent and drastic manner."
The Ashtal population, which had sharply declined due to war, famine, and disaster, increased rapidly after the committee's support began.
To maintain or increase the current population level, continuous aid is essential. If aid were suddenly withdrawn, it would shock the entire universe and lead to widespread starvation.
Moreover, the first to lose their lives in such a process would be the most vulnerable groups. This has always been the case, in any world, at any time.
Nevertheless, the dictator's followers insist on independence even at the cost of such disasters.
"Right?"
Telesia nodded, adding in a passing manner.
"I also learned this time that they make some interesting claims."
"What?"
"They say that during the dictator's time, the committee proposed exchanges with this world several times. Do you know the criteria for contacting such remote dimensions?"
"A subject that can gather the opinions of the dimension's residents on an appropriate scale."
"The Ashtal dictatorship could mobilize all the planets and colonies with a single command. In terms of representation, it had already passed the committee's criteria."
Yet, during that period, Ashtal consistently rejected exchanges.
"So, the committee naturally wouldn't have liked the dictator?"
Min-jun realized the implication of her words.
"Is this a conspiracy theory?"
"The believers think the committee secretly supported the rebels. They believe the committee orchestrated the overthrow of the dictator and the establishment of a pro-committee government in Ashtal."
"But given the current state of affairs, it seems like a failure, doesn't it? They ousted the dictator, but the entire dimension is a mess."
"Perhaps the committee didn't foresee it. The dictator hid such profound malice throughout the dimension, as if no one should have what he couldn't. They didn't expect him to be so insane as to reduce the Republic to its current state. It's truly a horrifying individual."
Min-jun fell silent for a moment, reflecting on what he had just heard.
The more he thought about it, the stronger the impression that this was the sort of thing the committee might do.
However, there was no concrete evidence.
And.
'Even if there was evidence, what does it have to do with me?'
Telesia said.
"Don't think too deeply about it. I just thought it was an interesting story and wanted to share, but maybe it was unnecessary."
"Then I'll just…"
"Wait, just one more thing."
It seemed Telesia's business wasn't finished yet. She switched the hologram. The screen changed.
-Reconstruction Progress: 38%
The progress of the reconstruction efforts being carried out by the committee and the prisoners in Ashtal was displayed.
"I heard something while visiting the committee headquarters this time."
Telesia sometimes obtained high-level information not available to other prisoners. What she was sharing with Min-jun now was such information.
"The committee is planning to reduce the prisoner unit stationed here to one-tenth of its current size. The target time is set for when the progress reaches 50%."
Min-jun's eyebrows twitched. A tense atmosphere filled the air. Sensing the shift in mood, Telesia immediately got to the point.
"They've judged that they can maintain order without such a large-scale prisoner unit. They will start reducing the numbers gradually from this year."
Min-jun's expression quickly hardened. Telesia nodded as if she had anticipated his reaction.
"I know. Just like me, there are people who want to stay in Ashtal as much as you and Del."
If Min-jun and Del do not stay in Ashtal, or if only one of them is reassigned, it's the same situation.
Naturally, the probability of them being separated is much higher than the chance of them staying together.
And when they might meet again is something no one can guarantee.
Although Min-jun and Del had anticipated that they would eventually come, the day they fervently wished wouldn't come was finally taking shape.
Telesia spoke in a calm tone.
"After the social foundation of Ashtal has been partially restored, the committee is actually increasing the scale of their aid. It took nearly 300 years to reach the current level, but going forward, the pace will accelerate. It might not take many years to reach 50%. The committee executive I spoke with estimated 3 years."
This means that within roughly 3 years, nine out of ten prisoners in Ashtal would be reassigned and leave.
"Everyone will be disappointed. Such dimensions are rare, right? There are so many significant issues that sudden missions are frequent, so there's no need to worry about survival expenses."
All prisoners belong to the same organization, and evaluations and rewards are given from both individual and group perspectives after missions. Thus, there is no need for prisoners to interfere or sabotage each other as in other worlds.
Moreover, capable individuals can save a decent amount beyond just covering their survival expenses.
So, everyone wants to stay here.
Telesia felt the same.
"That's why I asked the committee about the 10% selection criteria. Of course, they didn't answer. I tried to hint that with my achievements, I might be selected as a permanent member…"
"And what was the answer?"
"They only said that prisoners who achieve outstanding results in one dimension and stay there for too long have a higher probability of being reassigned to another dimension. It's quite theoretical, don't you think?"
That was indeed true. It was something Min-jun had observed and experienced.
"So I changed my question. I asked what I should do to be among the 10%. Feel free to call it selfish. But I really wanted to stay here."
Of course, Min-jun had no intention of blaming her.
"But the committee did answer that question."
She smiled wistfully and displayed a screen. Min-jun read it.
"...Special Application System for Permanent Assignment?"
"It's a system that didn't originally exist. They say it's only allowed for a limited time this time."
Min-jun read the text quickly.
And gritted his teeth.
"So, in the end, it means that if you pay the right amount, they'll guarantee you can stay here, right?"
Damn bastards.
Min-jun read the remaining part of the text with burning eyes. Telesia added.
"There are a few conditions. If you apply for permanent assignment and later cancel it voluntarily, the paid amount will not be refunded. Even if the prisoner resigns due to a 'special pardon' or similar, there is no refund. Well, there's no meaning in that anyway, since you've never seen a prisoner being released that way... Moreover, if a prisoner who was originally selected for permanent assignment applies without knowing it, the committee won't inform them or return the money. The only good part is, as long as you pay the required amount, there's no need to compete with others. It means there's no limit on the number of people, provided the money is paid. And one last thing."
Only then did she reveal why she was telling Min-jun this.
"If an applicant wants to stay with another prisoner, the special gift tax is exempted in this case."
The amount required to keep one person here was 150,000 talents.
It's equivalent to the retirement pay for a single ordinary prisoner.
And to keep two people together, it would require 300,000 talents without the gift tax.
Min-jun also realized why the committee was making this offer to Telesia at this timing.
"Do you, by any chance, have a balance?"
"I can barely pay 150,000 talents. Even so, it's only one-tenth of my retirement pay."
Telesia revealed information that was rarely shared among prisoners.
Min-jun then naturally looked at the screen visible only to him.
Current account balance: 311,049 talents.
Warning: If the account balance turns negative (-), legal interest will be charged, and in case of excessive arrears, immediate execution may occur.
< 99. Couples' Quarrel is Like Beheading with a Knife (6) > End