[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 666: Kindred (3)

—You say you won’t regret it? What an incredibly arrogant statement. Did you also glimpse the Records?

As Quiad spoke the word Records with a sneer, Lemu’s voice from beyond the screen subtly changed.

「From a certain perspective, that is partially correct.」

—What?

「My future still exists. And the same goes for you, Mezo.」

It was an extremely abstract statement, yet the fact that the other party was someone who could see fragments of the future made everything sound laden with meaning.

It could even be read as implying that all of this had been preordained by the Records.

「The fact that I, and Jeong Yeongwoo—who is both human and the master of a planetary vessel—share a connection, and that he saved you, was by no means a coincidence.」

—The planetary vessel master arrived at Pahalufe thanks to Chancellor Herisa’s scheme. Yes, it wasn’t coincidence—it was inevitability.

「However, had I not saved the planetary vessel master in the Black Sector… Chancellor Herisa’s wish would never have come to pass.」

At these words from Lemu, Quiad finally fell silent.

—…….

Then he slowly turned his head to look at Yeongwoo.

—Do you owe your life to the Architect?

At that, Yeongwoo had no choice but to nod.

When he had been on the verge of being killed by the mechanical inspector Mohir, it was undeniably Lemu who had saved his life.

‘Could it be… that when he saved me back then, it was all to make this very moment a reality?’

The fall of Pahalufe.

And the escape of Quiad Mezo, a Grade-3 human.

Given that Lemu had occupied Quiad’s planet for at least a hundred years, there was no other way to interpret it.

He had been waiting for a very long time for Jeong Yeongwoo to bring Quiad out of Pahalufe.

‘But why? If anything, without Quiad, there wouldn’t even be a conflict like this right now. He could have just monopolized Maden indefinitely.’

As Yeongwoo sank into deep thought, Lemu spoke his final line from beyond the screen.

「The throne of Maden has long remained vacant. Please be reinstated, and reclaim your rightful status.」

And with that, without so much as a proper farewell, he cut the transmission.

Whether they chose to bombard Maden or follow the guiding line to the designated location—it was up to them.

—The combination of machinery and the Records is truly nauseating.

Quiad’s gaze turned once more toward the massive tower outside the window.

Yeongwoo quietly moved to stand beside him and looked out through the window as well.

“Chairman, you’re curious too, aren’t you? About what exactly that tower the Architect installed here is.”

—I would rather not lie. It is most likely some contrivance related to the Records.

“Then why don’t you go down and ask him what kind of nerve he has to occupy this place? And if you don’t like the answer, just rip his head off.”

—You speak as if it has nothing to do with you.

“Well, it really doesn’t. Anyway, I’m the one who saved you, Chairman, and my purpose in coming here is purely to collect the remaining payment—so I’ve got nothing to feel guilty about.”

—Ha.

Quiad let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

Then he looked toward the mysterious pillar of light shooting out from the tower.

—Very well. I will speak to Lemu myself.

* * *

With Quiad’s agreement, the Earth vessel moved toward the commercial district indicated by the end of the guiding line.

Right on cue, a thin beam of light shot up from the center of the commercial district, marking the precise landing point.

—For mutual safety, you cannot approach any further. From here, we recommend proceeding by shuttle.

As Mantero explained this, Yeongwoo looked out the window and said,

“Then shall we use the Salzeo shuttle while we’re at it? Chairman, you should come along too. It’s your return after a long time—it wouldn’t look good to go down empty-handed.”

—…….

Quiad silently agreed to Yeongwoo’s suggestion, and then Earth opened a portal leading to the shuttle.

『Simply landing at the designated point and returning can be handled by autopilot. So this time, you and Mr. Quiad should go alone.』

“Feels like I’m getting treated worse and worse.”

『It just means we need to be more careful this time.』

Even though Lemu was acting submissive, it was still a meeting where violence could break out at any moment.

“Then what about the return? If I board the shuttle, will it move on its own?”

This time, Mantero answered.

—There should be a circular silver button on the front of the cockpit. Pressing it will immediately issue a return command.

He added that once the return command was given, the shuttle would head straight back to the Earth vessel, even if bullets were raining down along the route.

“…Is that a good thing?”

—If anything happens, we will provide covering fire.

“…….”

Once again, the planetary vessel master was being pushed toward a life-or-death situation.

With nothing more to say, Yeongwoo quietly stood before the portal.

“Still, I don’t think anything will actually happen. President Lemu is the most gentlemanly machine I know.”

As he said that, Yeongwoo glanced sideways at Quiad.

After all, the most problematic individual here was likely the man who had just escaped from Pahalufe.

“Let’s go.”

With those words, Yeongwoo stepped through the portal, and Quiad soon followed.

Shiaaaaat!

The moment they passed through the portal, what appeared was the interior of the Salzeo shuttle Yeongwoo had seized, and Quiad immediately recognized it.

—Salzeo.

“These guys are that famous? Even you recognize them, Chairman.”

—I’ve heard they are quite tenacious.

“…Oh.”

At Quiad’s response, Yeongwoo couldn’t help but be impressed.

Salzeo’s original reputation was “those who always exact revenge.”

But when that same description was perceived by a Grade-3 being, it became simply “quite tenacious.”

‘Damn, power really does change everything.’

As Yeongwoo blankly stared at the Salzeo emblem engraved on the inner panel of the shuttle, Quiad personally pressed the launch button in the cockpit.

Click.

—You seem to like Lemu quite a bit.

“He saved my life, and he can see the future—why would I dislike him? Do you dislike President Lemu, Chairman?”

Chairman Dogo had scorned Lemu as a vulgar machine, and hidden within that word “vulgar” was, in fact, the concept of life.

Because Lemu could continuously obtain new bodies and resurrect as long as the Machine Tower remained intact, he was a being incapable of engaging in a “life-on-the-line” battle.

Then what was Quiad’s reason?

His answer was somewhat unexpected.

—I suppose not. Now that I think about it, there’s no real reason to dislike him—so long as he isn’t making my people do anything strange. However.

Swoosh.

Quiad raised his index finger and pointed into the air.

—Lemu sees the future. That changes everything. He does not live in the present.

“What exactly do you mean?”

—Can you gauge his motives? He acts to realize the future he has seen. Therefore, his actions in the present are merely means to reach a distant future.

“Ah.”

—His words, his actions, his thoughts. None of them can be trusted. That is why I cannot welcome Lemu.

As expected of a Grade-3 being.

Yeongwoo reproached his past self for thinking Quiad was merely a brutish powerhouse.

Though it was true he had a violent side befitting a top-tier villain, he was not someone who acted without thought.

—Therefore, the best course is to twist his neck before he can speak, and destroy that suspicious installation.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

In the end, Quiad arrived at the conclusion of simply crushing the opponent.

At that, Yeongwoo suddenly felt a bit sorry for Lemu.

At least so far, he hadn’t caused any major harm, yet he was being persecuted purely for being a machine—or for peeking into the future.

‘At this rate, he might turn into a villain even if he tried to live normally.’

It was true that Lemu could see the future, but it was also true that no one knew what future he had seen or what kind of future he was aiming for.

And yet Quiad was dealing with him while assuming the worst from the outset.

‘Then again, the fact that he can even partially see the future is proof of how powerful that ability is.’

Just as Yeongwoo let out his first sigh since arriving here, the entire shuttle shook, and a thunderous noise rang out from outside.

Kuuuuung!

They had finally arrived at Maden’s commercial district.

Chiiiiiit…!

Then the shuttle’s inner panel folded outward, opening a path, and a white guiding line appeared on the ground ahead.

“That must be the meeting place.”

As Yeongwoo pointed to the large building connected to the end of the guiding line, Quiad—who had just stepped out of the shuttle—extended his hand toward the ground.

Swoosh.

To Yeongwoo’s surprise, a section of the ground rose up into a square tile, and from beneath it, a sword sprang upward.

“…What?”

—It seems they haven’t tampered with this at all.

“There are weapons embedded in the city floor?”

—A precaution in case the planet is seized.

Perhaps it had been a form of verification—Quiad tossed the sword back into the ground and proceeded along the guiding line.

The meeting hall in question was a pentagonal building located on the outskirts of the commercial district, and even to Yeongwoo, it looked like something Lemu had installed separately.

‘Did he really build that building in advance just for today?’

Researching the Records, running an adult content business, and even bustling about among Grade-3 beings.

Just how hard was Lemu working?

At last, when Yeongwoo and Quiad arrived in front of the building, the tightly sealed iron doors unlocked and swung open to either side.

Clank!

What appeared before them was an enormous space resembling a dueling arena.

And standing upright about 100 meters ahead was Lemu.

—Lemu!

Quiad shouted in a somewhat agitated voice.

—On the way here, I didn’t see a single human. Where are my people?

Lemu slightly spread his empty hands and answered.

□ The residents of Maden are working in the central commercial district, and some are in the industrial district. You will be able to meet them soon.

—Working? You didn’t misspeak and mean slaves, did you?

As Quiad said this and extended his hand, then clenched it into a fist, Lemu—who had been 100 meters away—was suddenly dragged toward him at tremendous speed.

‘What is that?’

As Yeongwoo’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar ability, Lemu—now caught in Quiad’s grasp—was slammed into the ground.

KWA-A-A-AK!

□ Ah, Mr. Yeongwoo. It seems I greet you in an unsightly state every time.

Even in that situation, Lemu greeted Yeongwoo.

At that, Quiad gripped him as if he might tear his throat out at any moment.

—Isn’t that enough of a greeting? Die now. I will restore Maden.

As Quiad’s eyes began to glow with power, Lemu stopped him with a short statement.

□ All humans on Maden will die.

At that, Quiad—who had been pressing down on him like a raging beast—halted.

—What?

□ There is a detonation device inside this body. The moment my breath ceases, the “Observation Device” installed in the industrial district will explode, and this planet will not remain unharmed.

The machine-like, alien voice lent credibility to his words.

“Observation Device? You mean that tower? You put a self-destruct function into it?”

At Yeongwoo’s question, Lemu nodded.

□ It is a very precious piece of equipment to me. I sincerely hope it does not explode.

—You insane bastard.

Quiad, who had been about to flare his eyes again, withdrew his body.

Though his opponent was a master of deception, he instinctively knew that what Lemu had just said was not a lie.

—What exactly is your objective?

Only now did Quiad begin a conversation, and Lemu looked up at him with a more relaxed expression.

□ For all these years, “Maden” has never once recognized me as its planetary representative.

“Maden.”

He was referring to the planet itself.

Like Earth possessing a will.

—So?

□ Therefore, please be reinstated and exercise your authority as the planetary representative.

—Authority over what?

□ I require Maden’s source energy. This planet’s location is perfect, but to fully operate the Observation Device, even more energy is needed.

—So you’re not doing something merely insane, it seems.

Quiad released his grip from Lemu’s neck.

Then, just as in the cockpit earlier, he wore an expression of being thoroughly fed up.

—Is that device for viewing the Records?

Lemu nodded without the slightest hesitation.

□ It is the device that will make me great.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]