"'You would rather hide in the dirt and mud than return to us and show us even a shred of mercy?' What does that mean?"
Margarita asked with narrowed eyes, holding a piece of paper in her hand.
Yeda, an Alpha woman wearing black-framed square glasses, said, "This is the latest information we've deciphered from the wreckage of that spaceship. Before his departure, Insect King Arthur left this message. He probably thought the one who 'killed' him would find time to look inside the cockpit's recorder."
"...You said those tentacles are intelligent?"
Yeda blinked her brown eyes, and a bright reflection appeared on her lenses. "Maybe they are manipulated."
Margarita was shocked and leaned back in her chair. "So why did you come to see me?"
"I heard that Shirley Joyce left a portrait with you before she died."
"She's not dead yet."
"Paralyzed, unconscious, no different from a dead person."
Margarita's face flashed with discomfort: "...Anne apparently still writes to her aunt every day because we forbid her from visiting Shirley Joyce."
Yeda remained indifferent and said, "This is necessary insurance."
"Well, what do you want with that portrait?"
The brown-haired, brown-eyed, and ordinary-looking Alpha pinched the legs of his glasses and projected a video to Margarita.
For about ten minutes, the screen above a skyscraper about five kilometers away from Maanbao Square was replaced with a portrait of Wendy Sullivan.
"The staff at the building said they didn't notice anything amiss. They were hired to do their jobs, so it was impossible for them to stay on task all day. Besides, almost everyone was watching the celebration live on StarNet. This video came from a homeless person who happened to be passing by. She recorded the scene on her mobile device, the only valuable thing she had, and posted it on her blog."
Margarita said lazily, "I just said that the capital subsidy plan will make lazy people lazier and useless people even more useless."
"These policies have nothing to do with our Vatican."
"Really? I thought we had a share of the financial allocation."
Yeda looked at her expressionlessly.
"Okay, okay." Margarita lazily supported herself on her long, straight legs and stood up. "I'll get you the portrait right away, but it's been useless since Wendy disappeared. I know that little girl can use it, but we can't use it to track her down."
"That may not be impossible." Yeda said in a low voice.
Margarita turned around and looked at her in surprise.
"A new discovery," Yeda said succinctly. "A lizard we call a springtail lizard, because it relies on its powerful hind legs and tail to leap forward... But the key point is that it feeds on human supernatural powers. We've discovered that it purposefully appears in areas where supernatural energy is concentrated. After training, it can even track prey using this method, much like military dogs used to."
"Oh..." Margarita suddenly realized, "They're not naturally occurring animals, are they? Are they new discoveries from Research Institute No. 3?"
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket," said Yeda. "You see, the higher-ups originally valued you more, but Shirley Joyce betrayed our trust."
"Hmph." Margarita pulled out a picture frame tightly wrapped in black cloth from the cabinet. "Why can't you use the curtain upstairs? There should be some remnants of Wendy's supernatural power there, right?"
"Because the concentration of residual supernatural power depends on the size of the screen, and the springtail lizard is only this big." Yeda gestured with a palm-sized hand. "Do you want it to crawl across over 700 screens to strengthen its memory? I could go to the Joyce mansion, but after Minister Antonio and Bishop Gilbert had their conversation there, the house was sealed off. Even if I want to enter, I have to apply in advance."
"Alright," Margarita said, "Take the portrait and leave quickly. I don't want to see you anytime soon, Madam Head of the Red Line Legion's Executive Department."
"Me too." Yeda walked out of Margarita's office carrying the portrait in a decisive manner.
**
Let’s go back to last night.
"I have a good idea that can solve this problem once and for all," said Azathoth.
Even in the dark night, his skin seemed to emit a pale white light, forming a sharp contrast with the tentacles that absorbed the light darkly. At this moment, Igor no longer felt that he looked like a human, because no human could exist in such a distorted state.
...To give an inappropriate example, people on the Internet like to cut out two-dimensional characters and place them in three-dimensional scenes. Without any processing, you can tell at a glance that their style is wrong.
There was a similar inexplicable sense of disharmony when Azathoth took off his hood and stood freely in the night.
"I've been idle for too long." He seemed to be asking for advice, but it was also possible that he was talking to himself. "Sometimes I can't tell whether I'm awake or dreaming. But no matter what, waiting for troubles to come one by one and then solving them one by one sounds too pessimistic."
Igor was silent for a moment.
"Why do you think so?"
"Because of you." Azathoth said without hesitation, "Igor, do you want to stay by my side forever?"
The young human stared at Him in a daze, a rare sight for him. Suddenly, he shuddered. "...I don't think you're going to give up on me, are you?"
"No." Azathoth raised one hand and looked at his wrist wrapped in a shirt and the fingertips connected to the bones. Both the sudden decision and the current conversation were inconsistent with his past habits, but now that he had said it, there was no need to regret it. "I just think you deserve better."
"I used to think I saved you," he continued calmly, "so I could naturally get everything I wanted from you."
"Of course you can!" Igor said without hesitation, his tone even a little hurried.
"But in fact, the things you had in the past that I didn't value may be more important to you." Azathoth said something that Igor found very strange. "I haven't been human for too long, Igor. But I know that humans need goals, the need to realize their self-worth, and a sense of identity. The Federation can easily give you these things, because most people with talent and hard work will be rewarded. But in my opinion, any achievements that can be achieved through legitimate social activities have nothing to do with you."
Igor's crimson eyes seemed much softer in the mist. He said softly, "I don't need that, sir. I just want to be by your side."
Azathoth looked at him intently, and suddenly said, "Do you know what Hugo has been busy with recently?"
"What?"
"It built a small military base right above our heads, on the far side of the 'moon.'" Azathoth raised his finger and pointed at the natural satellite in the sky, which was obscured by thick clouds. "Originally, Hugo wanted to choose the town of Keminting, but the Federation's development speed was too rapid. Construction began almost as soon as the fog cleared there. It didn't want to tell anyone else, including me, until it was completed."
But the head of the family always has other means.
"All of them have one goal, and they've gathered around me to achieve it, except you, Igor."
Igor: "...I want to find Wendy."
"You've already done it."
“…”
"They all have goals," Azathoth repeated. "Except me. I wake, sleep, and then I get hungry. I repeat this cycle every day, every month, and every year. Boring? I used to think it was okay. It was you who led me out of the desolate planet, Igor. Because you had a truth that needed to be uncovered and loved ones lost in the universe, I chose to follow you and help you. Your goal became mine."
“…” The human’s crimson pupils dilated slightly.
"So do you understand?" the god continued in that slow and gentle tone, "I need to see you take action, otherwise life will be as meaningless as before. Therefore, I have decided to make this planet more habitable, until one day your name is no longer a taboo—in other words, you no longer need to hide as a federal marshal or a traitor, but as my favored one... so that you can live here permanently."
"I..." Igor said one word and had to cough dryly because of his hoarse throat.
"You still have a long life ahead of you." Azathoth walked forward and put his arm around his shoulders. "It's too early to retire now."
"I will do whatever you want me to do." This sentence is more like a pious vow than a promise. "You own everything of me, whether it is body, soul or those illusory dreams."
"Alright." Azathoth said lightly, "It's almost dawn. Do you want to go back and get some sleep?"
Igor immediately understood what He meant: "Do you have anything else to do?"
"Well, it's rare for me to change into a suit, so I want to walk around a bit. I'll be back as soon as you wake up."
The human nodded meekly, and they exchanged a light kiss in the hazy mist before parting at the streetlight.
When Igor's back disappeared at the end of the street, Azathoth turned around, and the gentle expression on his face disappeared completely: "Come out, you have been hiding for a long time."
An ordinary man, unrecognizable in the crowd, came over, took off his hat and made a slightly funny salute to Azathoth: "Hello, sir. This is our first meeting. If you prefer human language, you can call me Arthur."
Azathoth observed him and found that despite his ordinary appearance, he possessed a dramatic aura and a commanding air, the kind found only in novels and screenplays. Furthermore, he inflicted upon Azathoth an inexplicable boredom and irritation: the kind of feeling one once cherished, only to eat too much of a particular pastry, or find a dead fly inside, and from that moment on, a profound psychological scar remains, leaving one no longer willing to eat even one more bite.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com