Chapter 304

I sifted through my past memories, recalling Gabriel’s words.

Back when I knew nothing of the world beyond the Empire, Gabriel had spoken proudly of his origins.

‘…I was born in the wastelands. I come from a nomadic people who live a free life.’

The society of Planet Novus is complex. It is not just made up of racial and national societies.

There are wandering groups on Planet Novus who exist beyond the confines of race and nation, and they are collectively referred to as Nomads.

Ragnata Anima, the assassin who had left a deep impression on me, was also one of them.

I narrowed my eyes as I retraced my memories, pulling at the faint remnants of Gabriel’s words one by one.

‘I was about five, so I barely remember anything. But thinking back, it seems like my group was about to face something dangerous. That’s why they paid to leave me at an orphanage in Akbaran. Seeing as I haven’t heard from them in over twenty years, they’re probably all dead.’

Gabriel assumed that his Nomad group had been wiped out.

Swish.

I shifted my gaze to a ‘middle-aged woman who resembled Gabriel.’ Her rough features and imposing stature reminded me of him.

‘Gabriel’s family?’

There seemed to be a blood connection between the woman and Gabriel. But I didn’t hastily ask about their relationship.

“We’re… here to find Kinuan. I assume it’s the same for you. My name is Luka, and this is Quilia. And you?”

The middle-aged woman scratched at her mane-like hair before replying.

“Maria. Maria Oganov.”

With introductions exchanged, a brief silence settled.

‘She won’t easily reveal why she’s looking for Kinuan.’

If our objectives for finding Kinuan clashed, a battle could break out right here.

‘Just because we have a common enemy doesn’t mean we’ll automatically become allies.’

It was a tricky situation. If Maria was simply pursuing Kinuan out of personal resentment, cooperation would be easy.

‘But it doesn’t seem like it’s a matter of personal grudges.’

Maria seemed to be chasing Kinuan for more material reasons.

“Maria, Kinuan wants us to fight each other. The best outcome would be if we cooperate and share information, but if that’s not possible, let’s just stay out of each other’s way. I’m after Kinuan for personal vengeance and to secure the ‘artifact.’”

Not wanting to waste time, I laid my objective out first. Even if Maria decided to attack us, I was confident I could get away.

‘The advantage in force is on our side.’

But this is where Maria’s negotiation ends. I was the one cutting it off.

Vrrrrrm! Crack!

I instantly pushed my prosthetic’s output to its limit. A vibration surged beneath my feet, and the floor shattered. My foot sank into the crater I had created.

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? My concessions end here. If you think you’ve got the guts, pull the trigger, you idiots. Let me show you just how brutal an Imperial soldier can be. The only reason you’re still standing there with your limbs intact, acting all high and mighty, is because I’ve been holding back. Go on, pull the trigger. If I take the first hit, I won’t hesitate to tear you apart.”

Equal cooperation is only possible when both sides wield equal violence.

This was the limit of what Maria’s strength could bring to the negotiation. I wouldn’t allow it to go any further.

I was restraining myself because I kept thinking of Gabriel. Otherwise, with my usual temperament, I would’ve turned either Uriel or Raphael into a bloodied pulp to make my point.

A sharp silence hung in the air of the general store.

“…Alright, kid. Fighting would only benefit the damn thief. Let’s get started.”

Maria rubbed her hand against her pants and held it out. I took her hand in mine. The grip of her prosthetic was downright savage.

*         *         *

I quickly figured out why Maria was able to track Kinuan’s trail so effectively.

“Let me introduce you. This is my adopted son, Sariel Oganov.”

Maria gestured toward a Crawler.

Her Nomad group seemed to have an extremely diverse composition. Among them was a Crawler.

The fully grown Crawler, Sariel, sniffed the air, identifying the people around him.

‘Is he blind?’

Sariel had deep scars across his eyes. It seemed like he couldn’t see.

“Grrrk.”

Sariel approached me and Quilia, taking deep breaths as if engraving our scents into his memory.

“Sariel, the cyborg is Luka from the Empire, and the good-smelling woman is a priestess of Corite. They’re allies, so remember them.”

“Un… der… stood, Ma… ria, Ma… ma.”

Even for a Crawler, Sariel’s speech was sluggish. His movements lacked the sharp, wild instincts typical of his kind. To put it bluntly, he seemed a little slow.

“Sariel’s sense of smell became incredibly sharp after he lost his sight. Even among Crawlers, he has an exceptional nose.”

Maria pulled a large piece of jerky from her pocket and tossed it to him.

Sariel chewed on it noisily as he stayed close to Maria’s side.

‘More like a pet than a son.’

Maria whispered something to Sariel, and he nodded repeatedly before pointing in a direction with his finger.

It seemed that Maria’s group had used a form of insurance when handing over the artifact to the auction house—they had marked it with a ‘specific scent’ that Sariel was particularly sensitive to.

‘Where the capsule artifact is, Kinuan will be there too.’

Maria’s group might just be the fastest ones in Border City to track Kinuan down.

We followed Sariel’s lead. As we moved, Maria glanced at me and spoke.

"A good number of Nomad groups, to put it bluntly, are refuges for social outcasts. Sariel, for example, was cast out of his own tribe, and I took him in. You seem like a bit of a misfit yourself. If you're interested, let me know—I’m looking for a son-in-law. She takes after me, and she’s a beauty."

Well, not to brag, but I tend to attract women who fit the conventional definition of beauty. A ‘beauty that takes after Maria’ was not someone I wanted to get involved with.

"I’ll take it as a kind offer."

I kept my reply short.

Sariel led us to a warehouse building.

"M-mama… here… our… stuff."

Sariel pointed a thick finger toward the structure.

I pressed down on Quilia’s shoulder just as she was about to step forward.

‘Let Maria’s people take the risks.’

I still didn’t have a full grasp of their capabilities, and I wanted to assess their strength.

"Raphael, Uriel. Go check it out."

Maria called her sons forward with a wave of her hand.

Moving with surprising agility for their size, Raphael and Uriel split up and approached the building’s windows from opposite sides.

Raphael, as the older brother, moved with more skill. Uriel, on the other hand, acted like the inexperienced boy he was—he reached out to the window and tried to open it.

"Sto—"

Maria barely got a word out before it happened.

Boom!

The window Uriel touched exploded.

We watched as a human body was torn into bloody shreds. Flesh and gore splattered everywhere. Uriel was nothing more than a heap of meat.

"U-Uriel is dead, Mama! Grrraaaahhh!"

Sariel, overcome with rage, let out a furious howl and charged forward.

Whoosh! Crack!

Maria grabbed Sariel’s head with terrifying speed and flung him backward.

"If you lose that nose, we can’t track the bastard! Stay back! I can always make more human kids!"

Her face twisted into a feral snarl, baring her teeth.

- Mother…

Raphael’s voice crackled through our earpieces as he peeked through the window.

- …Run.

He never got to finish. A blue light pierced through the window, straight into Raphael’s forehead.

Vreeee! Boom!

Light flashed from Raphael’s facial features, and then—his skull detonated from the inside.

"Quilia."

I spoke tersely. Quilia put on her mask, and her form shimmered, vanishing without a trace.