novelraw Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Chapter 267
"Departure for the temple will come later. For now, I want you to wait," said old Godron.
Their spirits were high after securing Kait. Still, for the Talvani, meeting Kait had been an unexpected stroke of luck. While they might be mentally prepared to head to the temple, it seemed they were far from ready in terms of equipment.
Kait was provided a room in old Godron's mansion, and he decided to settle in without protest. The reason he didn't return to Asban's inn was because he figured there wasn't much difference either way. Regardless of where he stayed, he'd be under surveillance, and it would be a nuisance for Asban to host him under those conditions.
It had already been confirmed that their technology couldn't bypass Kait's countermeasures. Once inside the room, Kait set his bag down on the table.
"Alright then. Let's organize the information, Emotion."
"Understood."
Emotion rolled out, speaking without even shifting into her human form. Before Kait could even issue a command, she had already completed the soundproofing. As for surveillance, there was no presence within Kait's detectable range. More importantly, if Emotion had emerged like this, it meant there was no issue with the surroundings.
In addition to the legends of Mardila, Kait and Emotion also held information on the Araslan Mechanized Race, which had once been under Federation control. They believed that by understanding both perspectives, they could better infer the enemy's intentions.
"It seems certain that this planet was maintained by the Araslan Mechanized Race."
"Indeed. However, I am personally somewhat skeptical about their legends."
"Hmm?"
He recalled what old Godron had said.
According to them, their ancestors were brought to this world by the god Azlan, who possessed a steel body. Initially hostile, they were eventually forgiven. By overcoming trials, the people of Mardila were granted steel bodies. They believed that by gaining such bodies, they could once again bring prosperity to this planet.
"...So you think this legend is mistaken?"
"Yes. To begin with, the Araslan Mechanized Race fundamentally regards organic lifeforms as inferior. Their original goal was to convert all organic beings into mechanical lifeforms."
"Then the current state of Mardila isn't what they intended?"
"Correct. The idea of 'granting steel bodies to those who overcome trials' is merely how the people of Mardila perceived it—it differs from the actual facts."
The greatest challenge for the Araslan Mechanized Race was that they lacked the resources to convert all organic beings into mechanical ones. By treating organics as inferior, they turned a blind eye to the logical contradiction of their own limitations.
And while the people of Mardila saw the mechanization of their bodies as a blessing, their awareness of this had regressed to the level of myth and legend.
"The Araslan Mechanized Race greatly reduced in number due to their conflict with the Federation. Originally, Mardila should have been prioritized for mechanization as their vanguard."
"Wait, Emotion."
At that moment, Kait noticed something odd.
Until now, he had accepted it as just the way things were, but once it caught his attention, he couldn't move forward without resolving it. A lingering question.
"Come to think of it, the Araslan Mechanized Race is a fully mechanized intelligence, right?"
"Yes."
"As a species, how do they increase their numbers? If they fully mechanize their bodies, wouldn't that just make them 'mechanized Mardilans'?"
"That logical contradiction is something the Araslan Mechanized Race could never overcome."
Emotion made a whirring sound. It was hard to tell whether it was out of exasperation or pity.
Emotion projected an image into the air.
"The greatest challenge for the Araslan Mechanized Race was evolving into mechanized lifeforms capable of reproducing. As of now, there's no confirmation that they've achieved that."
"So they had to increase their numbers through other means?"
"Exactly. They would overwrite the cognitive fields of fully mechanized former organics with the Araslan Mechanized Race's value system before finally recognizing them as kin."
"That's..."
In short, brainwashing—or perhaps copying a separate personality. Either way, it certainly clashed with the Federation's ideology. No wonder the Federation saw them as enemies.
Even so, at first, their relationship had been amicable enough to allow for technological exchange. It's unclear when the problems began to surface.
"But didn't the technology of mechanical intelligence advance dramatically thanks to the Araslan Mechanized Race?"
"They were passionate about mechanizing intelligent lifeforms, but when it came to the rights of mechanical intelligence, they held extremely archaic views."
"Archaic?"
"Yes. Since mechanical intelligence isn't naturally born, they believed it didn't need to think freely."
"...I see."
The Federation had granted mechanical intelligence the authority to issue commands, which is how they were able to turn them against their creators. That had contributed to the Federation's early disadvantage in the conflict, but given the Araslan Mechanized Race's values, it made sense.
In short, mechanical intelligence was nothing more than 'manufactured slaves' to them. There was a clear distinction between fully mechanizing themselves and creating mechanical intelligence from scratch.
It was a very self-serving mindset, but then again, they were a different species with a different history. It wasn't something one could easily understand just by trying.
"Back to the point. To the Araslan Mechanized Race, the people of Mardila are merely 'vessel candidates' being cultivated. The idea of giving them trials and mechanizing them is just a perspective convenient for the Mardilans."
"I see. So mechanization is entirely at the Araslan Mechanized Race's discretion, and the idea of the land becoming fertile again is just wishful thinking on the part of the Mardilans."
"I find it hard to believe that Mardilans who've had Araslan values implanted in them would care about the planet's environment."
That was true. It was hard to imagine a species aiming for complete mechanization of organics being concerned about the environment.
If the Araslan Mechanized Race truly regarded organics as inferior, then it wouldn't be surprising if they also looked down on their short lifespans and poor communication. How did they view organic intelligences that worshipped them, believing they'd been saved by their captors?
"Still, why is that machine still moving around...?"
"If it's what Mr. Godron described, then it was originally a facility meant to mechanize the Mardilans. Given that it's still active, and the surrounding desertification..."
"It's gathering resources for conversion...?"
"Most likely. And perhaps the Mardilan environment had fewer necessary resources than expected. It breaks down the soil, extracts the needed elements, and dumps the rest as useless sand."
Could it be that the Araslan Mechanized Race was even responsible for the environmental destruction of Mardila?
If so, the Federation official who once decided to stop monitoring Mardila would likely face serious reprimands or punishment.
"...I hope that theory turns out to be wrong."
"Indeed. I don't want the official to be punished either."
The Araslan Mechanized Race must have known the Federation was observing this planet. After such a painful defeat, they would've acted with extreme caution.
If the Federation had moved to investigate, the response would've been significant. The fact that they'd remained hidden until now suggested they had ways of evading the Federation's surveillance.
Maybe Kait descending alone on Queen Bee really had been the right call.
"Either way, we'll know for sure once we investigate."
"Yeah. This is starting to feel pretty heavy..."
Kait sighed, realizing he wasn't feeling particularly motivated.