Hearing that the girl rescued from the black hole by Argenti had awakened, they quickly moved her into the planet's highest-level life-support capsule.
"Her physical condition seems stable, just somewhat malnourished... and this genetic sequence is..."
Robin studied the continuous stream of data from the capsule, unconsciously lost in thought.
Unfortunately, she wasn't versed in life sciences and thus couldn't comprehend the meaning behind the genetic sequence displayed.
Still, though she couldn't interpret its exact meaning, a genetic anomaly would surely reflect in the girl's physical condition.
"Perhaps Sora was right. It does seem she lost her ability to speak."
Robin glanced toward the girl, who was curiously peering around from within the capsule.
"Ah, how tragic! Speech is the very vessel of beauty, the first beautiful cry of all living beings. Yet, now someone—"
Before Argenti could finish, Sora shoved him out of the room by his face.
Even though you meant no harm, if you can't speak properly, maybe don't speak at all!
Leaving Argenti outside to reflect on his conduct, Sora returned just in time to catch Robin's quiet sigh.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing major. But I did get the information you asked for."
Robin brought up the details Sora requested, revealing a wanted notice from the Interastral Peace Corporation.
[Molten Knight— SAM]
[One of the Stellaron Hunters. Participated in and orchestrated the Jepella Rebellion, stole the highest-valued treasure from the Universal Auction of Atouine, and perpetrated the Pier Point invasion incident...]
[Reward: 9.723 billion credits.]
Seeing the information, Sora extinguished his earlier suspicions. Initially, after encountering Kafka and Blade, he'd wondered if he'd preemptively disrupted another similar incident. But now it seemed otherwise.
"So, this girl might be a remnant too?"
Sora muttered under his breath, recalling the backstory he'd previously read.
The girl's unmistakable features—the familiar face and striking eye color—made her origins clear:
The fallen empire of Glamoth, the Celestial Empire.
She and her kind had been specifically created to combat the Swarm.
But if Sora remembered correctly, that empire had collapsed tens of thousands of years ago.
After all, its peak coincided with the great locust plague that had shaken the entire galaxy. Following that calamity, the empire gradually crumbled into history.
Thus, at minimum, this nation's history spanned tens of thousands of years.
Then again, wouldn't that mean the frail-looking girl before him was actually tens of thousands of years old…?
Cough, cough.
Sora immediately halted that train of thought. If I keep going down that road, things are going to get complicated.
If I continue, the delicate girl before me will suddenly turn into some ancient Jindan cultivator tens of millennia old.
Appearances are everything. Appearances are everything.
At that moment, a soft growl echoed through the silence.
Sora and Robin exchanged glances, confirming neither was the source, and turned their attention simultaneously toward the only outsider present.
The girl showed no signs of embarrassment, merely staring curiously at her own stomach.
Witnessing this, the two shared a knowing smile.
After confirming she had no severe physical issues, Sora guided them all toward the ship's dining hall.
As food was served, Argenti immediately began a long-winded prayer.
"We give thanks to Idrila for blessing us with such delicacies, and pledge to abide by her doctrine…"
While Argenti continued rambling endlessly and hadn't even started eating, the girl sat quietly beside him, puzzled and uncertain.
Seeing this, Sora hurriedly stepped forward, gently instructing her how to eat.
And yes, he truly had to teach her.
She had no idea how to handle even a spoon, her curiosity toward the food clearly evident.
She poked at the colorful vegetables with her utensil, obviously intrigued by their vibrant colors.
Left with no choice, Sora demonstrated by scooping a spoonful and holding it near her lips.
"Open up, say ahh~"
Seeming to understand, the girl obediently opened her mouth and ate the food.
But then, to everyone's shock, her body suddenly stiffened, freezing on the spot.
A single tear slipped silently down her cheek.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sora, what did you do?!"
"I didn't do anything! You saw it too!"
"Ah, beautiful miss, please shed no tears, Idrila shall—"
All the surrounding voices failed to move her. Instead, she simply took the spoon from Sora, eyes fixed firmly on the plate of food before her.
The reason for her tears?
Naturally, it was...
...
"...because I'm alive again. Because I can finally taste freedom once more."
Words slipped softly from her lips. Outside, the ship's lights had already dimmed into a soothing warm glow, signaling that the entire vessel had entered sleep mode.
The girl stepped down from the bed, approaching the mirror to stare silently at her reflection.
Unlike during the day, however, her formerly greenish-yellow eyes now radiated a sinister, dark crimson hue.
Around her neck was a deep red scar, as though her head had once been severed—a mark resembling fresh blood.
Yet she didn't reject this scar. It was proof of her existence, the symbol of her rebirth.
It was the lingering trace of her desperate escape from oblivion, the finite time she'd won from the void!
"But I don't have much time. Only by allowing you to remain active can I extend my existence..."
"This way, we'll remain hidden from the Trailblazers. This way, we can better save our people."
"But rest assured, I will always be by your side."
A mechanical cicada with crimson wings appeared in her palm. The insect's sinister black-and-red colors, in this moment, strongly resembled the terrifying creatures haunting the galaxy.
"No one shall harm you. No one shall harm us…"
"Our people will finally embrace true freedom, led by our guidance."
"They too shall taste freedom, no longer bound by spiritual shackles. They just need to wait a little longer."
After speaking, the scar on her neck gradually vanished, and the mechanical cicada in her palm shifted from crimson to a vibrant, healthy firefly yellow.
Standing silently in place, she opened her mouth—but once again, no sound emerged.