55: After the Terrorist Incident 1

"Alright, Vee-sama, Sata-sama. It seems some information has been gathered while the Memos were undergoing questioning and safety checks. So, I'll let the Memo speak for itself."

"Please do. Memo."

"Go ahead, Memo-kushi."

One week had passed since the attempted Rocket Cone terrorist attack—the incident officially known as such.

That meant it had been a week since we fought the seaweed humans—and also that we’d finally been allowed to leave the facility, which served as both a quarantine site and a hospital, prepared for us by the intelligence unit after the incident.

So, starting today, we’re staying in a room at a noble-exclusive business hotel located near the central hub of the Grogrobeta star system’s first primal colony, an area off-limits to anyone not involved.

Let's hear about the information gathered over the past week by intelligence units, regular military forces, police, and other intelligence agencies.

"First, regarding the rocket cone attempted terrorist attack, the perpetrators were indeed the 'Imperial People's Liberation Front,' as they claimed. However, among the perpetrators, the lower-ranking individuals appear to have merely been hired with money, showing no ideological sympathy."

"But they don't have adult certification,"

"Yes. It seems there's a shadowy recruitment organization targeting individuals who cannot obtain adult certification. Most of those hired appear to have come from other star systems. Likely, this recruitment group is a faction known as 'Black Root.'"

"What a lamentable situation."

Information about the perpetrators... well, only a small portion is genuine; the vast majority were simply hired with money.

Those hired with that money were probably lured in by unusually generous pay, jumping in without thinking much about it.

Then, once they'd gone too far to turn back, they were told what to do—those who refused were killed, and those who fled were labeled as having carried out the terrorist acts.

Given all this, isn't it fair to say they can't get adult certification, and are simply being deceived?

Moreover, "Black Root" is essentially a nickname for underground trading networks that have spread throughout the empire, profiting from illegal activities.

In reality, it has no concrete existence—those at the lower levels are often unaware they are part of it.

In fact, some companies operate entirely legitimately on the surface, yet their upper management are connected to "Black Root," making it impossible to determine who is involved without thorough investigation.

There might even be people within the imperial army or intelligence units who are unknowingly assisting them.

And when it comes to the recruitment organization of "Black Root"... well, these are clearly the most extreme elements even within "Black Root," and incidents like deceiving minors who lack adult certification and abducting them to force them into terrorist acts are relatively mild examples.

Under normal circumstances, being sold to the sky pirates, or sold as a test subject for illegal human experiments—those would be relatively better outcomes if death came easily.

Whether it's acquiring humans by buying abducted victims from sky pirates, or using illicit artificial human manufacturing equipment, it's all completely black market.

I'll skip over the motives of the 'Imperial People's Liberation Front.' They're too unbearable to hear. The same goes for the 'Black Root.' All they care about is making money.

Well, both sides are pretty straightforward, really.

Just as clear-cut in their goals as sky pirates or extremist factions opposed to demi-humans.

You could say most criminals are like that, but then there are groups like the 'Cosmic Monster Cult'—complete nonsense, really...

My thoughts have drifted off—let me bring them back.

You're right. But what we should really be focusing on is how they managed to perform the demonic modification on the rocket corn, where the original technology for the modification came from, who used that facility, where the items found at the facility originated from, and also... the seaweed humanoid that resembles a cosmic monster.

"That's right. No matter which angle you look at it from, that rocket cone was abnormal, and any facility connected to it was even more so."

But what's more troubling is the extent of the magical corruption on the rocket cone we three dealt with.

Its destructive power and mod configuration were clearly sufficient to annihilate the entire Glogrobeta system.

If such a weapon is used, the 'Imperial People's Liberation Front,' which ostensibly aims to liberate ordinary citizens, would end up destroying both the citizens and the land they seek to save. For 'Black Roots,' it would also result in the physical extinction of multiple corporations, causing severe damage.

Attempting to gain some benefit by participating in reconstruction efforts after destruction would be extremely risky, given the danger posed by that rocket cone.

In other words, in this attempted terrorist incident, excessive firepower that didn't align with their objectives was being considered for use.

That alone makes the very creation and deployment of that rocket cone suspicious.

Moreover, the facility where it was produced housed a space monster-like entity capable of destroying the Groglobeeta star system single-handedly.

If such a creature had been in their arsenal and under their control, there would have been no need to carry out this terrorist attack in the first place.

No matter how I look at it, I can't help but conclude that whatever triggered the demonic transformation must have come from something far more dangerous than either organization.

It's only natural that Vilijanira would be concerned.

"Then, I'll explain the details in chronological order, as per the notes."

Now, just how much had the intelligence unit managed to uncover regarding those matters?

I decided to listen carefully.