Chapter 158

Kait watched the cargo ship bound for the Central Star Cluster depart, overwhelmed with emotion.

Outside Federation territory. A lawless region with no major governing organization.

'Thank you for your hard work, Captain. We hereby announce that the confirmation of Earthlings' intentions, as sold by the Divin, has been completed.'

"Thank you, Emotion."

Strictly speaking, the Earthlings just sent off weren't the last.

However, elite forces from Terapolapaneshio and the Federation were already en route to the remaining three locations. Kait had been told that joining them now would be meaningless. Once those three sites were safely completed, the confirmation would be fully finalized.

One hundred thousand, two hundred sixty-seven individuals. Most were assisted by the Federation, but somehow, it was completed.

"Now we can travel around and explore without any worries."

'Indeed. Though, we've already traveled quite a bit by now.'

"True. But we haven't seen much of the Federation itself, and there are pleasures in private travel that work doesn't allow."

'Is that so?'

Kait countered Emotion's lukewarm response with a killer line.

"Galactic gourmet tour."

'When are we leaving? Right now? I'm ready whenever you are.'

Letting out a wry chuckle at her sudden change of attitude, Kait shook his head.

Kait didn't really see himself as a representative of the Earthlings, but he did feel responsible for confirming what happened at the last three locations.

If he was going to set out, it would have to be after that. Besides—

"If we don't say something before we leave, the folks at Terapolapaneshio might send out a search party."

'......It can't be helped. Gourmet food isn't going anywhere.'

Emotion was weak when it came to examples involving the Space jellyfish. She claimed she had no confidence in persuading that embodiment of absurdity. And honestly, it did seem like it would chase after them.

Just as Kait focused his mind on returning to the Central Star Cluster—

'Captain. A distress signal.'

"Oh. That sounds serious."

'Ah, no. Let's ignore it. I judge it's not necessary to respond.'

A strange thing to say. For Emotion to abandon humanitarian concern—her tone even sounded cold.

Since she wasn't the type to say such things without reason, he asked back.

"What's going on?"

'......The sender of the distress signal is the problem.'

"Oh?"

If Emotion was saying that, then the sender must be someone who had previously opposed Kait. A space eel wouldn't be sending distress signals, so the options narrowed to about three.

The remnants of the Zanigariu Grand Fleet, the criminal trading company Tarlmache, and the Divin.

'It's a ship belonging to the Divin.'

"Got it. Let's go."

'......Are you sure about this?'

"Of course. Well, they might not be thrilled about it, though."

Kait wasn't going to help the Divin out of goodwill. He had heard about the progress of their subjugation from the Congress.

After being expelled from the Federation, the Divin had naturally moved outside Federation territory. That meant their base of operations was in a region the Federation couldn't safely explore.

If a Space jellyfish appeared, exploration would be easier. But when a Di-Kigaia Zarmos showed up in such a region, it apparently created a strange tension. What was a fun cosmic seafood to Kait was, from another perspective, the galaxy's most powerful combat creature.

As such, the Federation Congress-led search for the Divin had been progressing extremely slowly. If they provided aid here, it might help locate the Divin's base.

"That's the idea."

'I see, that makes sense. I was a bit worried you might be planning to forgive the Divin.'

"Hahaha, like I'd ever forgive them."

It wasn't just Earth—they had interfered with other planets in the same way. Acting like creators. Kait had no intention of showing mercy to such people.

Apparently, the Federation had reached the remaining surviving planets as well. Some Divin were captured before they could flee, but most had escaped.

"Worst case, if they've been sunk, that's fine. We can just ask the ones who attacked them what happened."

'Understood. Beginning navigation.'

"I'm counting on you."

Since the distress signal had reached them, the distance couldn't be too great. Kait, who hadn't planned to rush via teleportation, slowly turned the Queen Bee around.

***

"What the hell is this?"

Upon arriving at the scene, Kait couldn't help but raise his voice.

The space was littered with the wreckage of ships, torn apart beyond recognition. Based on the design, they were definitely Divin ships. But the way they were scattered was too strange.

How many ships' worth of wreckage was this, anyway?

"This is weird."

'Yes, it's definitely strange.'

Kait was puzzled by the scattered wreckage.

However, Emotion seemed to be troubled by something else.

'The only warp signatures in the vicinity belong to Divin ships.'

"......What did you say?"

'Oh? Did you have a different concern, Captain?'

Only Divin ships were scattered across the area. But where had the attacker gone? Knowing Emotion, she'd have at least checked for other ships in the area once she saw only Divin warp signatures. And if this was the result, it meant there were no other ship signatures besides the Queen Bee and the Divin.

There was no answer to Emotion's suspicion. Kait decided to prioritize his own question.

"Yeah. It's about the damage to these ships."

'Yes.'

"These aren't marks from beams or heat. It's like they were torn apart by brute force."

'Yes, that's right. ......Right?'

This strangeness didn't quite register with Emotion. The nature of the damage resembled what happened when the Queen Bee used the Worker Bees. In other words, it was caused by physical attacks.

Moreover, that kind of tearing motion didn't suit ship-based attacks. Aside from something like Aguaries's suicide charge, Kait couldn't think of any other explanation.

"It's like a beast tore apart its prey."

'Now that you mention it, yes. There are similar depictions in the visual records I have.'

"I've only seen them in the archives you keep, too."

Indeed, it looked like a beast had used claws and fangs to rip apart its prey. But even so, it was excessively brutal.

"What happened to the crew?"

'......Ah, just as you suspected, Captain.'

"Meaning?"

'They were utterly destroyed—beyond any chance of revival. It's as if someone was obsessively making sure there were no survivors.'

"Hmm."

In other words, this was likely an act of revenge.

If that's the case, then someone must hold a deep grudge against the Divin.

"......Emotion. There's no chance I lost control in a rage and slaughtered them all, is there?"

'No, unfortunately that's not the case. It was definitely like this when we arrived.'

"I see. By the way, there are no other ships in the area, right? Including Divin ships?"

'None. Are you considering the possibility of infighting among the Divin?'

Kait nodded sincerely.

There weren't many plausible reasons for this level of destruction.

"Yeah. This looks like evidence destruction."

'I see. That is a possibility...... Shall we try tracing the warp signatures?'

"No, it's probably too late by now."

They had spent too much time inspecting the scene. Regardless of who the culprit was, by now they would have covered their tracks and fled.

"We'll have to report this to the Federation too. ...What a mess."

Kait let out a sigh. He had hoped to leave everything concerning the Divin to the Federation Congress.

"Looks like we'll have to settle things with them ourselves after all."

'Huh?'

"Just a hunch."

Thanks to his enhanced intuition from psychic power, Kait's hunch told him this incident was far from over.

And at the same time, it warned him that he would be deeply involved in what came next.

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