After Ideale left, no one else came to visit.
Naturally.
The cadets and Ideale had direct ties to him, but to the 4th Fleet and the other soldiers, he was still someone difficult to approach.
Thanks to that, he was finally able to get out of bed without any further interruptions and change out of the loose, awkward patient gown into the familiar military uniform.
There wasn't much difference from his previous one.
If there was one distinguishing feature, it was that the new uniform was still a little stiff.
Fortunately, no one appeared to have tampered with the bag where he kept his awakening drugs.
‘That's a relief.’
Since Nectar was far removed from the Oparts he had imagined, the importance of the awakening drugs had only increased.
Of course, he had unintentionally broken through the Quad barrier, but whether that was entirely good news remained questionable.
■User_Jin Crow
□Rank: Major
□Service Number (S.N): SMCO55-1113027
□Gear: Quad (Error)
□Health Status: PTSD, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Headaches, Drug Addiction, Paranoia, Anger Management Disorder
The reason was simple.
The distorted mosaic that had obscured his identification information was gone, yet the additional notation of Error remained.
‘Quad is the proper value. But Error?’
It was an undeniably contradictory display.
Still, reaching Quad Gear was an encouraging development.
It meant he could reduce his reliance on awakening drugs, if only a little.
Just as the military doctor had said, his physical condition wasn't that bad.
At least compared to the side effects he had experienced before.
In other words, even after lying in bed for several days, his body had still failed to recover completely.
That alone spoke volumes about how thoroughly ruined it had become.
“...Tsk.”
He had pushed his body recklessly because he wanted to survive.
But if he ended up dying from that recklessness, it would defeat the entire purpose.
With that in mind, he forced his aching arm to move and finished tying the black necktie over his shirt.
Right then—
“...Mmh.”
Hearing the girl's voice behind him, he turned his head.
Then he slowly walked over to the hospital room door and engaged the lock.
Click.
As the door sealed shut, a green light indicating soundproofing lit up.
For a single-patient room, it was surprisingly spacious.
Perhaps it was a VIP room.
Not that it was a bad thing.
Taking a seat in the chair where Miel had peeled apples earlier, he looked at the girl, whose appearance bore a slight resemblance to Stero Mer, and quietly asked,
“Nectar?”
“Yes. Irre... No, Jin Crow.”
“Hmm?”
That wasn't what he'd been told.
He had driven the cadets out before they could explain anything, but Ideale had already given him a rough summary.
According to her, the girl had supposedly behaved exactly like a little child.
Yet now she was kneeling on the bed with her head respectfully bowed, looking every bit like a courteous adult.
Of course, the fact that she still possessed the appearance of a young girl only made the contrast all the more strange.
Perhaps she noticed his expression.
Or perhaps she remembered the embarrassing spectacle she had made of herself.
Avoiding his gaze slightly, Nectar cleared her throat.
“...The facility collapsed, leaving insufficient time for synchronization. The emergency protocol succeeded in completing the transfer, but due to an error during the learning process, it is presumed that I developed a form of obsessive dependence toward the designated subject.”
Nectar's explanation was concise.
Just as he had expected, the existence known as Nectar (Νέκταρ) had been Mother AI.
However, an error had occurred during the transfer of consciousness...
“How absurd.”
So she had become like a hatchling that had just emerged from its egg?
He wasn't a scientist, but he could certainly understand that transferring something as fundamental as one's self carried immense risks.
The problem was simply that the result had turned out to be rather awkward.
After frowning for a moment, he clicked his tongue lightly before shaking his head.
‘I'll just ignore the misunderstanding.’
Just as Ideale had said, the rumor probably hadn't spread all that seriously.
Besides, it wasn't as though he could openly tell everyone she was an artificially cultivated human with Mother AI implanted into her brain.
Saying she was a child from an orphanage he had known in the past would suffice.
‘Under normal circumstances it would've been impossible, but now it should work.’
Artificially cultivated humans.
In the Human Composite State, they were illegal.
They possessed neither citizenship nor even basic human rights.
But this was Mercato—a nation of freedom and a melting pot of races.
Bluntly speaking, it wouldn't be strange if a child born through illegal experimentation and raised in a laboratory had eventually ended up in an orphanage.
‘Especially now that half the planet has been destroyed, forging the records should be easy enough.’
The Council had all but ceased to exist in any meaningful capacity.
The surviving members of the Public Security Bureau were equally powerless.
The infrastructure had collapsed.
Naturally, that included administrative systems as well.
Moreover, it would conveniently explain why he had come to Mercato during the academy break.
‘Perhaps I had been sponsoring her. Or maybe I had only just met her.’
Rather than claiming ownership over her, obtaining temporary citizenship would be procedurally much simpler.
Provided she proved useful, of course.
He would need to coordinate the story with Ideale to some extent, but he wasn't overly concerned.
Given her personality, the chances of her abandoning Nectar in the form of a young girl were slim.
“I think we need to talk.”
“I agree.”
Yet both of them knew it.
At the very least, this wasn't the proper place for a deep conversation.
Even with the room soundproofed, it wasn't something they could trust completely.
So Jin Crow and Nectar looked directly at one another, exchanging only the bare minimum in concise tones.
“What do you know? And what exactly did you mean by calling me an Irregular?”
“I cannot tell you at this time.”
Nectar's reply was brief.
Not I don't know.
Rather—
I cannot tell you.
Jin Crow clearly recognized the difference.
He stood up and walked over to the window.
Looking down at the soldiers busily moving about and the landscape filled with ruins, he spoke quietly.
“That isn't the answer I wanted.”
“But there is one thing I can tell you.”
“What is it?”
“The reason I must accompany you.”
Jin Crow turned to look at her.
The girl had quietly climbed down from the bed and approached him.
Meeting his eyes with unwavering clarity, she softly declared,
“I must guide you to Eve.”
Those words meant nothing to him.
Not yet.
“From now on, your name is Ner.”
“Yes. Understood.”
For the time being, Jin Crow agreed to keep her by his side.
They could discuss the details later.
It wasn't as though he had many alternatives.
‘She'll be useful. One way or another.’
This wasn't merely wishful thinking.
A brain implanted with Mother AI already possessed immeasurable value.
It represented a level beyond what was commonly called Strong AI.
Its worth couldn't even be measured in money.
After all, it was Mother AI that made interstellar navigation possible by calculating perfect coordinates within hyperspace—a realm still incomplete and largely unknown.
Nothing more needed to be said.
“For now, stay in the room. And keep quiet if possible.”
“Yes, Jin Crow.”
“Call me Instructor.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
Leaving Nectar—or rather, the girl now known as Ner—in the hospital room, he stepped outside.
Immediately, the Military Police in white uniforms standing guard saluted him sharply.
He acknowledged the salute with a nod before asking,
“Where is Major Obia?”
“She has gone to the 4th Fleet Military Police due to jurisdictional matters!”
He had sensed it from the salute alone.
The man was visibly nervous.
In fact, it wasn't just him.
The moment Jin Crow stepped into the hallway, every nearby gaze turned toward him.
Receiving those stares head-on, Jin Crow unconsciously loosened his tightly fastened necktie slightly and frowned.
Being the center of attention wasn't anything new.
The problem was that the emotions contained within those gazes were unfamiliar.
Awe.
Respect.
Goodwill.
Compared to the looks he had received until now, it was impossible not to feel uncomfortable.
‘This is its own kind of torment.’
Thankfully, everyone knew Jin Crow's personality well enough not to make it too obvious.
Had they openly shown it, the reputation that had only just begun improving might have plunged back into the abyss.
As he continued walking, a Military Police sergeant cautiously fell into step behind him.
For a moment, Jin Crow considered telling him not to follow.
But Ideale's earlier words crossed his mind.
In the end, he allowed the escort.
‘Don't cause any more trouble.’
It was unfair, but what could he do?
If he didn't like it, he should've held a higher rank.
“Attention!”
“Attention!”
On his way out of the hospital, he received over a dozen stiff, awkward salutes.
Once outside, those gazes became even more intense.
Only then did he truly realize just how much chaos he had caused.
He couldn't help letting out a bitter smile.
But that wasn't enough to slow his steps.
Thud.
Leaving the hospital behind, he walked between the temporary barracks erected atop the ruins.
The soles of his military boots caught on cracked asphalt.
Occasionally, winds carrying dust swept across his face.
Yet Jin Crow neither hurried nor slowed, maintaining an unwavering pace as he continued toward a destination.
It was a walk with a clear purpose.
Realizing this, the Military Police officer following behind cautiously asked,
“Instructor, where are you going?”
“……”
Jin Crow didn't answer.
Instead, he picked up a single chrysanthemum lying among the rubble beside a collapsed storefront wall and continued walking.
After some time—
The Military Police officer, who had silently followed him the entire way, gradually recognized the familiar route.
Unconsciously, he looked at Jin Crow's back.
Then he looked toward the place where Jin Crow finally came to a stop.
“This is...”
「National Army Temporary Morgue」
Across the vast open ground, crudely marked off with hastily projected holographic boundary lines, stretched countless body bags.
Inside the temporary hangars, requisitioned civilian vessels continuously arrived, carrying the bodies of Human Composite State soldiers recovered from every corner of the planet.
Military doctors and enlisted personnel hurried back and forth in a blur of activity.
Drip.
Drip, drip.
The sky gradually darkened.
Heavy rain began to fall.
“……”
Jin Crow silently took in the scene.
There were well over ten thousand bodies visible to the eye alone.
There were probably dozens of temporary morgues like this scattered across the planet.
National Army.
Imperial Army.
Public Security Bureau.
Mercenaries.
Following their own orders and convictions, they continued fighting the Creatures hiding throughout the planet.
And one by one—
They, too, would eventually arrive here.
“...Instructor.”
The unnamed Military Police officer who had followed him stared at his back with a complicated expression.
But once again, Jin Crow offered no reply.
Why had this been the very first place he came after leaving his hospital bed?
There wasn't any profound reason.
While speaking with Nectar, this open ground had simply been the first thing that caught his eye through the window.
Tap.
Standing before the temporary memorial at the entrance to the morgue, he placed the white chrysanthemum he had been carrying before it.
The rain grew heavier, soaking the freshly issued military uniform he had only just put on.
He paid it no mind.
Straightening the black necktie he had loosened earlier, he slowly buttoned up his uniform.
Then he took a cigarette from inside his coat and placed it between his lips.
Click.
Inhale.
Exhaling a quiet stream of smoke through his brief breath, he removed the cigarette from his mouth.
Then he placed it beside the incense already burning before the memorial.
Slowly—
He raised a salute.
“……”
The Military Police officer watching him saluted as well.
Soldiers who noticed him only afterward hesitated briefly before, one after another, joining in.
Shaaah...
As the cigarette's ember gradually surrendered to the pouring rain and wind, Jin Crow finally spoke into the solemn silence.
“My respect to your devotion.”
Rainwater running down his hair gathered upon his eyelids before slowly tracing paths down his cheeks.
His pale face.
His dark eyes, sunken with endless weariness.
After silently gazing upon the scene for a long while, he quietly added through his chapped lips,
“May there be peace after your sacrifice.”
Dozens.
Then hundreds of soldiers offered one final salute to the fallen.
And all of them shared the same thought.
Today, the sky seemed unusually overcast.
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