Chapter 265. α (14)
…Morning has come.
-Get up, ▒▒!
The celestial bodies around the star have faithfully begun their movements.
Once again, the distant sky brightens.
With two suns rising together like cheerful siblings, the upper levels must be devoid of loneliness.
However, from my residence, observing this isn’t easy.
-I have to get to work. Even at this moment, citizens are eagerly waiting for help from our First Mage Commander.
From now on, I’ll turn my attention to the ‘ocean’ and check the environment myself.
I’m preparing to work according to my only direct superior’s instructions…
Originally, I planned to start immediately.
But then, it happened. Just before heading out to my designated area, something caught my eye.
[Wait a moment.]
The supervisor was a male the day before yesterday.
Yesterday, he appeared as a female.
Today, he manifested in some unrecognizable form, which frankly piqued my curiosity.
[But what is that form supposed to be?]
I asked.
[I heard you’ve been changing bodies more frequently. Now, I’m not sure what to call you anymore.]
-Hahaha.
[At this rate, I can’t even recall where the starting point was. Is there some specific reason for frequently changing genders?]
To this, the supervisor replied.
-Reason? The reason is to understand.
Nothing beats learning through direct experience in this world.
Male, female, and a few androgyne Alphauri with chromosomal variations.
Through experiencing all kinds of physical forms present here, the conclusion is that this is what they arrived at.
Having reproductive organs solely for reproduction and being dominated by breeding desires, those sexual-reproductive bodies seem inferior, no matter how you look at today’s era.
So.
-What you are seeing now is the asexual prototype I just developed. Once final improvements are done, I plan to replicate it and distribute it among my acquaintances.
Well, anyway, that seems to be the situation.
It seems like a rather pointless task, but the eccentricities of my supervisor aren’t a new occurrence.
-Now that the question has been answered, can I get to work right away?
After the conversation wrapped up, some time passed, and my perception was filled with the vast ocean.
A magnificent planetary view with colossal satellites drifting in the sky.
*
Let’s see.
Upon checking the list, there’s quite a bit of work to do.
[What should I start with to get a good reputation?]
I pretended to ponder for a moment and then decided to handle the tasks as usual.
[The straightforward approach is to process tasks in the order they were assigned.]
●Guidance and punishment of criminals
The first task is to destroy a certain research institute hidden in the abyssal plains.
[Hmm~]
Looking over the information my supervisor provided, it seems this research institute has been mimicking the ‘bone experiments’ that happened back in the distant past.
The bone experiments conducted by the organization known as the Magic Tower.
In the Middle Ages, there were hardly any true magicians, resulting in little achievement from the project, which was quickly discarded.
[Is there really a need to retry such an outdated relic of a record?]
Alphauri has witnessed a significant extinction of usable magical creatures in the recent ecosystem.
Thus, the prices of various materials used in Magic Studies have skyrocketed.
It appears these unremarkable sorcerers have begun such prohibited experiments due to their dire circumstances.
-Ugh!
Suddenly!
-Damn, they’ve noticed!
-Everyone, grab the data and run!
-They’ve layered cognitive distortion so thick, how could they have been discovered…!
Regardless of the reason, they must face punishment for such actions.
In our world, human experimentation without legal consent is strictly prohibited.
Yet the researchers hiding here followed the shortcomings of the historically armed group known as the Magic Tower.
They kidnapped experimental subjects to procure materials. It’s time for them to pay the price.
[This place is too well constructed to just demolish.]
Alphauri has had many self-luminous substances since ancient times.
Recently, with advancements in technology, various magical methods to stabilize luminescence have emerged.
As a result, it has become fashionable to fill buildings with glowing materials to create bright, white structures.
And the laboratory I ambushed didn’t stray far from that latest interior style.
[Everyone, don’t move~ I’ll spare your lives if you don’t resist.]
-Aah! That monster!
-Ugh.
-That’s wrong. It’s completely distorted the surrounding mana flow, so now teleportation is…
-I’d rather die than be caught!
But after realizing the criminal activities happening here, I couldn’t think this sophisticated corridor was impressive at all.
After subduing all the resisting criminals, within the institute.
I rummaged through the building to gather more evidence as per my superior’s orders.
[So this is why it was classified as a case for immediate execution.]
However, the ‘bone experiment’ being conducted in this research institute was messier than I had imagined.
Long ago, the Magic Tower, when first conceptualizing this experiment, pondered what tools to use for the best results while drawing magic circles.
A while later, the Magic Tower accidentally found out that the bones of highly intelligent magical beings…
In other words, a magician’s bones made for excellent catalysts for drawing.
Orphans.
Street children without a home.
Homeless individuals, etc.
Real magicians were hard to kill, so they simply captured various vulnerable beings imbued with magic and extracted their bones—a relic of the old age.
Yet nowadays, that malicious experiment has evolved with a more negative connotation.
[This technology was not meant for such use.]
With modern rapid-acting treatments emerging these days, the old medications that took hours to restore cut tentacles are now a thing of the past.
It seems these researchers stuck mages directly into tanks and dissolved rapid regrowth medications in the water to endlessly harvest their bones.
Thanks to this, they wouldn’t have to worry about catalysts for magic circles even in this high-cost era.
Anyway, building such a cruel bone chalk production plant for economic reasons.
[Hmm.]
Turning my head, I saw various sized tanks in the institute, housing the greatest beings of all.
Weakened Alphauri.
All lay on their backs, like dead sharks.
Thump!
Thump, thump, thump!
Even when I tapped the tanks with my tentacles, there was no response.
[Could they have also used a sedative?]
This would leave a lot of aftereffects on the victims’ bodies even after rescue…
[It can’t be helped.]
Sadly, I can’t take responsibility for their future lives.
I’m busy, after all.
I loaded the Old Era Worshippers I captured from the research institute onto the transport. Then, just as usual, sent them to my supervisor’s address.
.
.
.
…Now it’s time for the second task.
After handling the illegal chalk factory, I swam into this crystal-clear mid-level ocean.
– Screech!
– Uaaah!
-Someone stop that!
This was a high-end residential area where the upper class managing the planet lived.
Yet, despite rushing over, the situation was already in chaos.
-Water, it’s all water!
According to the rushed data I received, this massive catastrophe was caused by just one frail magician acting alone.
Chiiiing…
Soon, a sound of something evaporating echoed.
I turned my head in the direction of the sound, seeing a blinding light so intense it seemed a star was falling right in front of me.
As I approached the source of that light, a dry air, unfamiliar to marine beings, greeted me.
A Fire Mage.
Exactly.
The individual responsible for triggering this crisis was an outcast of the times who enjoyed using fire magic.
But just because he strayed from mainstream tastes doesn’t mean he can be underestimated.
He wasn’t merely boiling water; he was capable of vaporizing everything around him.
[Wow.]
At a glance, a Great Mage was easily capable of causing terror.
Thus, the moment I spotted him, I immediately sprang into action.
[Stop, stop!]
That ball of flames had already claimed around 300 citizens’ lives just by entering this residential complex.
Moreover, if allowed to continue, it was clear that it would obliterate most of the city’s area. I had to subdue him immediately.
[Cease your magic casting now! Every movement you make from this point on will only increase your sentence.]
But just as I began to warn him, a reply rang out from the other side.
-Finally, you filthy livestock spawn of this nation have arrived!
That’s quite the harsh language.
-You hypocritical machine imitating humans, you mass murderer! I thought it was a joke, but what a brazen move to show your face here, you piece of trash!
By the way, judging from his powerful magic, it seems he has remarkable lung capacity.
He unleashed a torrent of incessant curses without a breath, then rushed straight at me.
But I wasn’t rattled.
Being called the First Mage Commander essentially means I hold a position of authority akin to law enforcement.
In a society where I wield such overwhelming public power, it wasn’t uncommon for those committing crimes so blatantly to be starkly mentally unbalanced.
Getting an earful of curses was just part of the job.
-You filthy ■■ bastard! You’ll spend your life just as a tool for those above you!
Alright, I’m getting used to such treatment now.
[Since you can’t even curse creatively, you don’t seem like a high-intelligence entity. How on earth did you master such powerful magic as a civilian?]
Muttering to myself, I briefly lamented.
I’m not sure why he’s so angry when he’s the one committing murder.
-The accomplice speaks!
The fire terrorist shouted loudly and repeatedly.
-The ones truly ruining this world are all of you in power, yet you’re trying to place the blame on innocent ones?
[….]
-Yet still, you think we are fools. Did you believe we wouldn’t catch on to your population control plans?
[….]
-I’d rather kill first! After wiping out all the rich bastards in this city, I will definitely turn that damned administrator you serve into a handful of ash!
Taking advantage of his ranting, I calmly began evacuating the residents.
Using magic that detects heartbeats, I quickly identified the positions of the citizens.
Mimicking subterranean creatures, I swam through the rubble using a long-mouthed golem, consuming the survivors into the machine’s mouth.
Shwoosh… gulp!
Soon, information flooded into my connected senses.
The Rescue Golem safely stored several evacuees in its belly.
Once the golem swallowed all the survivors, it began to flee the area according to its pre-set commands.
Additionally, the device also had a recovery potion dispensing mechanism for the injured.
Now, I wouldn’t have to worry about the rescued citizens’ safety.
[Hmm.]
However, a small concern looms; I’ve been receiving frequent complaints about that rescue golem lately.
They claim it’s too rigid and provides an uncomfortable ride.
They also mention that the added potion dispensing system resembles a beast regurgitating stomach acid after consuming its prey, which feels unsettling.
If more negative reviews come in today, I might really have to gather the engineers soon to devise improvements.
Phew.
But designing a new golem…
It would cost a fortune, and everyone would dislike that too, right?
I always wonder, what on earth do people expect from us Mage Commanders?
[Yet they fail to recognize my efforts to minimize extra budget allocations~]
-What are you mumbling about!
Well, whatever it may be, it’s not something to concern myself with right now.
-Let’s see if your boasting soldiers can withstand high temperatures, Mage Commander. You haven’t set foot on that ice floe up there for at least several decades due to that pathetic duty, right?
I shook off my pointless thoughts and focused on the current situation.
The Fire Mage was approaching from the far ocean.
-The last time I remember looking at the sky was long ago, yet daring to lift my head in front of the sun…
Chiiing…
Bright light.
With steam continuously generating around him, the Fire Mage appeared almost godlike, resembling a character from a storybook.
If anyone carelessly approached his vicinity, even a high-end combat golem funded by a city’s budget would melt away in an instant.
But I was prepared for such a scenario.
Gulp! Ugh…?
A good sign came quickly.
I activated a vacuum spell I had recently created.
This annihilation-type technique artificially empties the space where substances exist; naturally, it’s extremely difficult to activate it to the point of covering all the flames.
Hakh… Ugh.
I managed to snatch away one of the small organs protected by multiple barriers from the Mage.
I extracted the right lung from the rampaging Fire Mage.
Seizing the moment the opponent was bewildered and halted his spell, I targeted the core.
Brain.
Heart.
Spinal cord.
Even in this advanced age, these are still difficult organs to regenerate.
In short, if the sources of that magical mind are struck, that Mage will have no future.
[Got it.]
Thus, the rampaging Fire Mage stopped his actions with an absurd simplicity.
Nowadays, many anti-magic techniques have become advanced, and it’s common for spells cast towards others to rebound on the caster.
[Hmm.]
Despite having fought through numerous battlefields, I’ve never faced such techniques myself.
Perhaps it’s due to a difference in computation speed?
[Who knows.]
Tilting my head, I began cleaning up.
Except for the long-bodied golem used to rescue citizens, I quickly utilized around 28 golems to restore the destroyed city.
However, while I was busy with the reconstruction, another question crept into my mind.
“I’ll turn that damned administrator into a handful of ash!”
Honestly, what did our superiors do wrong?
Why do the planet citizens often aim their grievances at their leaders?
[Still clueless.]
This planet has long been dominated by a single nation.
Thus, from a citizen’s perspective, they often lack other choices; occasional grievances might be understandable…
Yet isn’t it time they were satisfied living like this?
■▒ is still a pretty good leader.
[They have no idea how much effort we put into protecting this planet. Everyone seems to be living comfortably now.]
I muttered to myself as I continued working.
Clank, clank, clank.
The only sounds surrounding me were the mineral noises made by the golems, but it was fine.
Soon, it would be time to clock out.
