148: Self-proclaimed weird old man

"Deodorizing mod, heat manipulation mod, soundproofing mod, optical camouflage mod to counter lip-reading, plus a fire suppression mod just in case... and a disguise mod to make things harder to decipher. All military-grade, high-end, and yet you're allowed to burn charcoal inside the colony—even though it's not designated for such use. Just who the hell are you, and where do you come from?"

The moment I approached the self-proclaimed old man and crossed that boundary, I realized I was facing someone I must never, under any circumstances, make an enemy of.

After all, every mod used to maintain this place is military-grade—equivalent to level 10.

That means only the most elite, even someone like Virijanira couldn't easily acquire such mods.

There's no way my judgment could be wrong.

I checked not just with my fingers, but with my tongue as well.

"Just an old man, that's all. Just an old man whose curiosity for new things never fades."

Only someone at least at the level of an imperial family member, a duke's head, a president of a major corporation with nationwide reach, or the top of the imperial military could possibly afford such things.

But I do recognize the faces of such people—through my work as a freelance writer, interactions with Vilijanira, and various news footage—but I don’t recall ever seeing a young man with such distinctive light blue hair and purple eyes.

"Come on, take your time and look closely. That's just how the world is—there's no telling where the boundary lies between finding something and not finding it."

"That's certainly true... I understand. I'll take a look."

The good news is... this self-proclaimed old man, though his true identity and abilities remain unknown, appears to be a decent, reasonable person within the range of what's currently visible.

If I treat him normally, there probably won't be any problems—hopefully.

Definitely.

Yeah, I just have to believe that.

"Ugh, it smells really strong."

"Yeah, it's intense. But it does smell like something good for the body."

No, more like the kind of smell that makes you think you shouldn't eat it...

Switch your mindset.

It's the charcoal-grilled hajikyomoryu right in front of me now.

The moment I entered the area, I was greeted by the crisp, refreshing scent of heakyo moruyu flowers.

The smell that began to drift from the bulb part as it started to burn was a penetrating, acrid, bitter, and astringent odor.

Not a smell I'd want wafting from my food.

"Yeah, it's cooked just right. Mmm... uh, has a pleasant bitterness that feels good for the body."

The self-proclaimed old man chews contentedly on the well-roasted head of hikyomoryu.

Watching him, I recall the explanation that hikyomoryu has no strong toxicity, but rather beneficial effects on the digestive system.

If the explanation is accurate, then at worst it'll just give me a stomachache, and if things get really bad, I can always switch bodies.

"Come on, try it yourself."

"Then I'll be eating it."

I brought the Hikyomoryu bulb to my mouth.

Then I bit into it with my teeth...

"~!?!?!"

I grimaced in agony.

"Hahaha, seems like it's still too strong for a young one, huh? You're only six, after all."

A bitter, astringent, bitter-sweet taste flooded my mouth—metallic, burnt, sour, spicy, foul, and every other unpleasant flavor one would never want to taste from food. It was so unbearable I wanted to spit it out immediately.

Tears welled at the corners of my eyes, and a numb sensation spread through my limbs.

"Honestly, what should I call this? 'Release flavor,' perhaps? It's a taste that seeps deep into the soul."

What's going on? What's happening!?

Trying to analyze as calmly as possible, as if detaching myself from my own agonized state.

There's nothing abnormal about my body.

My sense of taste is functioning normally; analyzing the signals it sends should result in a somewhat bitter, slightly burnt flavor, but still a proper taste.

Yet, it tastes utterly abnormal.

Moreover, this abnormal taste is beginning to affect even me, the main body, not just the sub puppets waiting in the ether space.

What in the world is going on!?

"Phew... ugh... ghuuuaaah... water... please..."

"Ah, good job. You actually managed to finish it all."

Still, I managed to swallow what I could, sending it down to my stomach... and immediately grabbed some drink from somewhere aboard the 'Sexy MiAzuma,' washed my mouth out, and cleared the taste.

Ah, it's much better now.

But still...

"You can eat something like that so calmly?"

"That's a bit off. I don't perceive taste like you do, and ordinary people other than you don't either."

"Huh? Am I... taste-impaired or something?"

"Not abnormal in the sense of being inferior. Maybe abnormal in the sense that you can sense things that are sharp or unusual—beyond what's normal."

"……"

Who the hell are you, this so-called old man?

Do you know my true identity?

You seem to know, don't you?

I just get that feeling.

"If you're curious about why it tasted so bitter to you, or where and how it caused that unpleasant flavor, go ahead and investigate. The insights gained from studying such mysterious phenomena will make you stronger. And that strength will help you protect what you care about, and allow you to see what you wish to see."

"……"

In other words, there's something unknown to Heikyo Moryu.

That aside,

"Who on earth are you really? There's no way you're a normal human being. Yet I sense neither malice nor any other operating system."

This self-proclaimed old man is starting to seem more like a monster from another world than a human.

Still, I don't sense any presence other than 'Vanilla OS,' so he doesn't feel like an alien beast.

I sense no malice, and yet... not kindness either—more like a guiding presence.

I can't make any sense of it.

"In this place, I'll only introduce myself as an old man. Ah, you can add 'weird' to that if you like."

"..."

"Well, we'll meet again soon enough—no need to worry. Then, farewell, Satā Sētekusu, the obedient and benevolent cosmic monster loyal to the laws of Teiran."

"!?!"

I was shocked.

Not because the strange old man had correctly guessed my identity.

But because he vanished from this place in an instant.

It must have been some kind of teleportation, yet there was not the slightest trace or forewarning.

As if stepping out for a casual stroll nearby, the self-proclaimed weird old man simply vanished from the scene.

And it wasn’t just the old man who disappeared.

The brazier, the charcoal, the various mods, even the scent of Heikyo Moryu—all vanished. Left behind was nothing but a single dozen Heikyo Moryu bulbs, apparently a gift meant for me.

"Eh... what even is this... I mean, is it really okay for me to take this...?"

In any case, when I later asked the staff at the Moru Fregler System booth about the self-proclaimed weird old man, everyone replied they hadn't seen anyone like that.

It was utterly incomprehensible... verging on horror territory.

And after such a bizarre incident, I couldn't bring myself to stay at the venue any longer, so I returned to the ship of 'Sexy MiAzuma.'