Chapter 5: The One and Only Rare Creature
The report that the Corporation’s flagship had appeared outside the Namibif planetary system brought considerable surprise to Radia.
This wasn’t just a branch manager-rank appearance, but the Corporation’s president who oversees everything had shown up. In Federation terms, it was as if a councilor-rank figure had suddenly appeared. Even for someone responsible for an artificial celestial body, this seemed a bit too much for Stomato to handle.
The confusion was quickly resolved when the space jellyfish serving as negotiator advised Stomato to accept them into Radia. Soon after, a communication came from the Corporation side requesting permission to dock at Radia, which Stomato handled without incident.
[For the Corporation’s president to come. I never thought that one would leave their headquarters]
“Is there some kind of grudge between you?”
[No, they’re a bit eccentric but not a bad person. They left the Federation due to disagreements with the Federation Council, but it was done in a truly amicable manner]
“Hmm”
The space jellyfish didn’t seem to have any particular feelings about the Corporation. Still, what kind of disagreement could have been serious enough to make them decide to leave the Federation? The Federation organization only gave the impression of being extremely tolerant in protecting citizens’ rights.
What exactly was the Corporation’s opinion that even such a Federation felt they couldn’t bear to support?
“If the president is coming personally, the only thing I can think of is, well…”
His gaze turned to Toona, who stood outside Radia. While looking back and forth between the approaching fleet from outside the planetary system and their location, Toona was sending telepathic messages asking if they were enemies. When told that they didn’t seem to be enemies so don’t attack them, Toona replied with understanding and could be seen moving behind Radia.
[If the content is demanding we hand over Toona, we’ll have no choice but to refuse outright]
“Would they really say such a thing? Are they the type who would try to take him away even while ignoring Toona’s own wishes?”
[Hmm… I can’t say either way. How should I put it… they’re stubborn, incredibly so]
“Stubborn”
[Once they decide something, they won’t listen to reason. They absolutely believe that protecting rare species is a wonderful thing, based on their own experience of being protected as a rare species]
“Well, it is a wonderful thing, isn’t it”
The space jellyfish hesitated. The fact that the space jellyfish, who rarely spoke ill of others unless there were extraordinary circumstances, was hesitating suggested they recognized this as someone who wasn’t bad but was troublesome.
As if to confirm Kaito’s prediction, the space jellyfish continued.
[That’s right. But their approach to protection is somewhat… to use words from Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif’s planet, rather “dry”]
“Dry”
When hearing Earth-like expressions from the space jellyfish, it felt like his brain was somehow bugging out. Well, they had said they studied Earth’s languages during their observation period, so it wouldn’t be strange for them to know such things.
[For example, the Corporation doesn’t hesitate to buy rare species from illegal markets. Your fellow humans were protected by the Corporation in just such a way]
“Yes”
[The Corporation eagerly spends money until they’ve protected enough rare species to reproduce within the Corporation and eliminate the risk of extinction. But once they exceed that quota, the Corporation stops buying]
Even if they had enough budget to buy everyone, they wouldn’t do so. This fact was never made public to those they had protected. They knew that saying they had the budget but chose not to buy would create resentment.
Therefore, the Corporation assigned staff with strong loyalty to the Corporation to handle rare species purchases. The mental attitude that could accept the Corporation’s dryness was exactly the type of person the Corporation sought.
[The Corporation makes the protected rare species repay their purchase price as a loan. Well, the repayment amounts are never particularly high and they leave enough for entertainment expenses, so it doesn’t seem to be particularly disliked]
“I suppose so. The Earthlings I met on that ship seemed to feel more secure with such arrangements”
When you’re accustomed to a monetary economy, the Federation’s way of thinking appears alien. It’s understandable that they couldn’t easily believe it. Kaito was able to adapt relatively easily perhaps because, due to his education and environment, he had fewer opportunities to engage with monetary economies compared to others.
But certainly, listening to this, it seemed like a response lacking much emotion. As if the act of protection itself was the goal, with no interest in the faces of the rare species.
[That’s unavoidable too. As far as we know, the president is a peerless rare creature in this galaxy. In that sense, they’re about as rare as Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif]
“I don’t quite understand why I’m being brought up as a comparison?”
[Well, there’s an organization in the Federation that calls itself the “Psychic Powers Research Society”]
“I see”
[Their recent research has proven that Earthlings don’t actually have high aptitude for psychic powers. This means that Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif’s psychic aptitude, which equals or surpasses ours, is a special talent that Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif uniquely possessed]
“…There are a lot of people with time on their hands, aren’t there”
What kind of research is that? From the tone, it’s clear the space jellyfish is backing this.
[Therefore, the research society is now beginning studies into whether Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif might be a spontaneous mutation of Earthlings. They’re considering whether he should be registered not as an Earthling, but as a special intelligent life form unique to the galaxy called ‘Kaito’—]
“Could you please stop that?!”
What are they trying to do, arbitrarily separating him from being an Earthling?
Certainly, even he sometimes felt that when using psychic powers, he was being rather inhuman. But there’s a difference between being aware of it yourself and having it pointed out.
[Well, anyway. The Corporation’s president probably became just as interested in meeting Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif as in Toona’s matter]
“…Surely you don’t mean…”
[The Corporation’s president is an external advisor to the Psychic Powers Research Society]
“Now listen here”
The possibility emerged that the Corporation president’s appearance here was due to mixing personal and business matters.
The meaning of the space jellyfish’s “I can’t say either way” was apparently that they couldn’t tell whether the objective was the large rare creature (space eel) or the small rare creature (Kaito).
While strongly wanting to escape on Queenbee right away, Kaito let out a big sigh and endured it.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
Radia’s port area. Besides the ship the president arrived on, about ten vessels accompanied them inside Radia. The other large fleet waited at Radia’s perimeter. The Federation side also temporarily made the walls transparent, perhaps to show they had no hostility toward the Corporation.
The sight of Toona showing some wariness toward the Corporation’s fleet looked oddly humorous.
“17 h45 833N 4 L0n9 71m3, Terapolapanecio”
What he heard was a voice somewhat more mechanical than Terapolapanecio’s.
From the center of the landed fleet, the president’s ship opened and something took the lead in descending.
At first glance, it looked somewhat like a Japanese spider crab. Kaito was wary, thinking it might be another seafood-related creature, but from the approaching sound and movement, he realized it wasn’t.
It was a machine. A robot with many legs, just the lower body. The way it moved toward them with an oddly awkward, crab-like gait was like a scene from a classic movie stored in his terminal.
[Ah, it’s been a while, Barnes Bronzia]
“Federation Members. n1C3 7O m337 jOo FOr 73h Ph1R57 71M3. This One Is Barnes Bronzia. Representing The Corporation”
With clanking and clattering sounds, Barnes Bronzia, who introduced himself as the Corporation’s president, extended one of his legs to Stomato.
When Stomato respectfully grasped the leg, Barnes Bronzia’s body bobbed up and down slightly.
“Un51GhtLY APPEArANCe, very 50rRY A80uT TH@. TH15 0nE ha5 1N5uFf1C1ENt undEr5tAnD1n’ 0f TeH fUNCt10n kaLled WALk1N'”
“Please don’t worry about it”
“50, Wh3r3 12 Kaito Enek-ragif?”
Everyone in the Federation’s attention focused on Kaito.
So he really was the objective after all.
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