novelraw Chapter 186
Chapter 186
Chapter 186
"No, I'm surprised. This is the first case I've ever seen."
In a lab hastily set up on the artificial celestial body Sarunzarek, the doctor Yumoltzangi tapped on the terminal.
Asheido, who had come to hear the situation, froze at the sight of the patient on the monitor. Divin had been exiled from the Federation long before he was born, so he had only seen them in archival footage. They looked like Earthlings with wings sprouting from their backs. The shape of the wings varied by individual, but they resembled those of birds living on Earth.
There are similar-looking species in the Federation, so that in itself wasn't surprising.
However, the suffering Divin looked exactly like the Earthlings they were familiar with.
"I heard only the wings rotted and fell off."
"That seems to be the case. I wouldn't have believed it myself if there weren't bone remnants in their scapula area."
All Divin people, including the Emperor Volparek, had lost their wings forever. They had rotted and fallen off. The bones had decayed and broken at the base, and now all of them were suffering from high fevers.
What was strange was that those who had touched Volparek and those who hadn't were showing the same symptoms. Even Volparek himself had already recovered from the burden that had caused him so much pain.
"That, what did you call it? Just how painful is this burden of time interference?"
"Well, only Terapolapaneshio and Kait have experienced that burden, so it's hard to say."
Terapolapaneshio described it as 'enough to blow off several tentacles,' while Kait said it was 'bearable with enough willpower,' which was no help at all.
In fact, Kait's answer was entirely unreliable. After all—
"No, I saw the footage of Volparek suffering. Bearable with enough willpower? That?"
"If you can't accept it, ask him yourself. I had to ask him twice."
"What did Kait, Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif), say?"
"He said, 'He was exaggerating the pain a bit too much,' or something like that."
Silence. Kait's words were clearly hard to trust, but it felt wrong to dismiss them outright as impossible.
For the time being, they set that issue aside and returned to discussing the current state of Divin.
"So, have you figured out the cause of the Divin's fever?"
"I have to say we haven't. It could be that the burden spread across all of Divin, or that the sudden rotting of their wings triggered a bodily rejection..."
"Both are possible?"
"If I had to say, the burden is easier to explain. The symptoms are exactly the same regardless of age or gender. If it were a rejection to the wings falling off, there should be variation in severity."
Asheido crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling.
He had been presented with another possibility by the congress member Terapolapaneshio. The possibility that it was due to the influence of the being Kait referred to as 'the unpronounceable one.'
"So the wings rotted from the burden, and that caused the fever?"
"No, I think that's separate. Rather, the state of having wings in the first place was the abnormality."
Yumoltzangi operated the terminal with his tentacles. One of the monitors switched views.
The scapula of a Divin and the bone remnants connected to it were displayed in large detail.
"Strangely enough, it's clearly a forced fusion of parts from entirely different organisms. Honestly, I'd like to ask how they even maintained such a state."
"...Dr. Yumoltzangi. I'd like you to hear this as a wild story I heard from Terapolapaneshio."
***
"So you're saying that the wings of Divin began to rot the moment 'the unpronounceable one' disappeared?"
"Yes. There's combat footage of Kait, but Terapolapaneshio unusually blocked its release. He said it would erode sanity and advised not to watch it."
In fact, Asheido hadn't seen the combat footage. But he had seen the scene where Kait spoke with the being disguised as a Divin inside Sarunzarek. It was a short moment before the Vengeance fired, operated by 9th-Terra, but Asheido felt an inexplicable nausea at the humanoid figure dyed in darkness and yet couldn't look away.
That thing exerts a harmful influence on the minds of intelligent beings.
And if their words are to be believed, they possess the power to effortlessly create not just planets, but entire star systems.
"It's not that I don't trust the people of Terapolapaneshio, but it does sound rather absurd. So you're saying this 'unpronounceable one' connected parts from different organisms beyond biological limits without triggering rejection?"
"Yes. I also find it absurd. But Terapolapaneshio would never lie. They truly believe that's what happened."
Rather, Asheido felt it was Kait, who had fought and defeated such a transcendent being, who was the real anomaly.
At Asheido's words, Yumoltzangi swayed his spherical body side to side. This species often made such movements when uncertain.
"Then, hypothetically, if the disappearance of 'the unpronounceable one' caused the Divin to suffer the rejection they should have originally experienced... where did the burden that was said to be dispersed by Volparek go?"
"That's the problem.
According to Kait's report, the feathers that had grown on Volparek's wings were used to transfer the burden to 'the unpronounceable one.'
The reason Earthlings were copied, and Divin were created, all traces back to the actions of 'the unpronounceable one.' That's certainly a sufficient cause to bear such a burden.
"By the way, Congressman Asheido. Why are you so concerned about whether their symptoms are from the burden?"
"Because whether it's the burden or simply a disease has significant implications for the Federation Congress."
If the report is to be believed, Kait used up the burden. 'The unpronounceable one' wasn't destroyed by that level of burden. What destroyed 'the unpronounceable one' was the accumulation of all the suppressed laws of nature, triggered by that burden. It makes no sense.
Only Terapolapaneshio understood it, but unfortunately, no one else in the Federation Congress could grasp its meaning. If the explanation requires high-dimensional psychic power to comprehend, please provide an interpreter. Though technically, Kait is supposed to be the interpreter.
In any case, if the suffering is due to the burden of time interference, the Federation Congress would treat it as punishment for the Divin. In that case, even their treatment would require extremely delicate judgment.
"So if it's the burden's effect, we wait and observe. If not, we treat them and then hold a trial. Is that it?"
"That's right. Originally, the decision was made because Kait handed the burden to them, which had the aspect of punishment from the involved party."
"Personally, I'd prefer to treat them if possible. At this rate, a significant number will die."
Asheido nodded at Yumoltzangi's words.
If they couldn't determine whether the fever was due to the burden or the influence of 'the unpronounceable one,' it would be smarter to assume it wasn't the burden, treat them, and then hold the trial.
Kait may be a party involved, but he's only a representative of Earth. The other surviving Earthlings know nothing about this, but that doesn't change the fact that he's involved. Also, survivors from other destroyed planets, though few, have been sold across regions by Divin. Some even remain within the Corporation, so if a trial is held, it will certainly be long.
"Dr. Yumoltzangi. By my authority, I hereby declare this. The fever of the Divin is not caused by the burden defined by the Congress. You and your medical staff are to save as many of their lives as possible and prepare them to stand trial afterward."
"Understood. However, I cannot guarantee they'll be able to stand trial."
"...Why not?"
"It may be due to the wings rotting off, but their muscle strength has severely deteriorated. Even if they survive, they may not be able to stand."
"So, does that mean it's from the burden...?"
"...What do you think?"
"...It's not from the burden. Let's go with that."
If possible, he wished they'd explained everything about the Divin's condition before he had to say it. He let out a sigh as he responded to Yumoltzangi.
Asheido turned his gaze to the Divin shown on the monitor. He couldn't deny that his expression had become slightly sympathetic.
No matter what judgment awaited them, they would never live a healthy life again. That much was now clear.