Memoirs of the Returnee
chapter-316

“……Lord Derek, are you alright?”

In the visiting room, Derek's balancer, Smith, asked his master.

There was a meal on the table as well, but Derek had only taken a few bites. The difference in quality from Shion Ascal's was too drastic.

“What do you mean by 'alright'?”

“About the shares in the industry…”

Derek had entrusted the shares to Zia. The legal team's opinion wasn't much different. It was necessary to attend the board meeting, given the uncertainty of what might be discussed there.

“l'm worried whether Miss Zia will act as we intend.”

H owe ver, Smith had his doubts about Zia. More specifically, he found it hard to trust that snake-like man, Shion Ascal, who served her.

Derek furrowed his brow.

“Then, who should we send to the board meeting?”

He asked back with a prickly tone.

“Should we entrust it to Jade? Or perhaps, Johanna?”

Having been locked up for a long time, his hysteria was deepening. Everything was displeasing to him; even the meal brought by his balancer was unsatisfactory, and his mental strength and patience were gradually wearing thin.

“……Or do you want to take charge of those shares yourself?”

Suspicion flickered in Derek's eyes.

Trusting anyone was the hardest act for him now.

“No.”

Smith bowed his head.

Tch. Derek clicked his tongue.

“How are things progressing? Are the balancers moving?”

Derek's balancers had been excluded from Al operations until now.

Managing the numerous business ventures Derek had initiated, they had failed to respond swiftly to his own peril.

“The legal team is doing their best to prepare for the trial, but… bail seems a bit difficult.”

It was a case that had attracted the attention of the entire continent. With thousands of victims and Holy Knight Theia personally handling the case, neither the judge nor the parliament would Likely grant bail.

Derek's face contorted.

“……lncompetent.”

He regarded the realistic impossibility as the incompetence of his agents. Gradually, making rational judgments was becoming burdensome for him.

“Johanna and Jade must be laughing.”

Derek snickered. Smith quickly responded.

“That's not true. Lord Jade and Lady Johanna are also concerned and offering help”

“Are you defending those bastards now?”

“……1 apologize.”

Reading Derek's severe mood swings was proving to be quite difficult.

Derek also glared at Smith with dissatisfaction and waved his hand.

“Leave.”

At this moment, the only one he could communicate with was "that man'.

“……Yes.”

“Make sure Vern is taken care of.”

“Yes. I have prepared thoroughly.”

“……I can no longer trust what you call 'thoroughly'.”

Derek smirked and stood up.

Smith watched his back as he returned to the prison, a bitter expression on his face.

In the upscale apartment in the capital, Edsilla, I handed over the share certificates of Derek Industries to Zia.

“WOW…”

Zia blinked her large eyes in astonishment.

“You really secured it…”

She then silently stared at the certificate for a moment. Was it emotional or bafflement? She seemed lost in thought before turning to look at me intently.

“Shion… you've worked hard.”

Perhaps, the highest praise she could offer.

“Thank you.”

“l've wanted the industry since I was a child.”

Her casual way of talking about the company as if it were a toy made me chuckle softly.

“Still, I am concerned.”

“About what…?”

“Given the situation.”

“lf its the Al issue… it's okay.”

Zia stood by the window. I quietly observed her slender back as she gazed out at the skyline of Edsilla.

“The industry has many patents. The research facilities and resources are immense. Its a company my father nurtured with great effort… It won't crumble because of one failed venture. It shouldn't crumble…”

Her tone was slightly elevated with emotion.

I was curious about her feelings.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Are you alright?”

Zia looked at me reflected in the window.

“What do you mean?”

“The usurpation,” I replied.

Zia is a direct descendant of Libra. Therefore, Derek is undeniably her elder brother. Though born of different mothers, they are connected by blood.

“Is Shion okay?”

Instead, she asked me.

“Have you come to pity my brother?”

Her question seemed innocently posed at first glance.

I shook my head.

“I am only concerned about your feelings.”

“My feelings…”

“Yes.”

I took a step closer to Zia.

“To gain something, one must give something up. Bringing down someone close to you isn't good for your mental health.”

She then smiled softly.

“Derek, my brother… he overwrote the souls of others to create AI…”

It was a clear crime against humanity. I, as Killian, had cooperated.

We did not stop their evil deeds prematurely, waiting instead to gather more conclusive evidence.

“Has my brother been blinded by money?”

Zia tilted her head in wonder.

“Why? Why was he blinded by money?”

That was still beyond my understanding.

“Whatever the reason, my brother's crimes have been exposed…”

Not that he 'committed' crimes, but that it was wrong they were 'discovered：

“For whatever reason, to become the successor, I must take everything from my brother.”

Zia turned to look at me.

“I willingly must do so.”

Her words were filled with resolve.

“Yes.”

To her, my response was simple.

“I will follow.”

Zia flashed a broad smile.

“Shion.”

I faced her as she looked at me. There were three steps between us.

A clear 'line' still distinctly Laid out.

“l'm glad you're by my side, Shion.”

Zia smiled warmly.

Suddenly, I felt a profound sense of the passage of time.

A person's light smile, a mere faint expression, seemed to change the world I stood in.

Before my regression, I had watched her from afar, too intimidated to even lift my head, face down in the dirt.

Zia was at the pinnacle of the continent, surrounded by many people. Each one of them was a person who would carve history into the continent.

But now, I am right beside her.

I am, in a way, shaping her.

“…What do you think, Shion?”

The answer to that question was already determined.

“I believe…”

Having turned back time to seize this Last chance.

“…that serving you is my calling.”

This, truly, is the duty bestowed upon me by the heavens.

Cafe Balance.

Despite the Al crisis of the Libra family, I sat in Jade's bustling upscale cafe with soliette, facing Sheron.

“…lf you have something to say, say it quickly.”

Sheron crossed her arms with a Look of annoyance.

“Ah, it's nothing much.”

The reason I specifically called her out this weekend—

“Do you feel any different frequencies here?”

Because Akane (the doll) and Akane (the real one) are hiding in this coffee shop.

“Different frequencies?”

“Yes. Frequencies that don't seem human.”

“… H mm.”

Sheron closed her eyes.

She seemed to activate her fSpectrumJ , her shoulders trembling slightly, but soon she shook her head.

“…No. Nothing.”

“Ah, is that so?”

As expected, she couldn't distinguish Akane's doll either.

Akane's doll shares the 'soul' of the human Akane, hence they emit the same soul frequency.

It's somewhat disappointing. It seems still elusive how Akane could maintain being Akane after I leave.

“Well… Miss Akane?”

I called out to Akane, who was watching from somewhere. She suddenly appeared and sat at our table.

Sheron was startled.

“Who…?”

“Sheron, listen carefully.”

I focused her attention.

“Now, things are getting serious.”

“This is extremely confidential information.”

Cafe Balance is the safest place. Here, we can shake off the risks of eavesdropping or surveillance.

The artworks used in the interior have that effect. They meet the needs of the nobles sensitive to cameras.

“Do you believe that artificial humans exist in this world?”

“…What?”

Sheron looked baffled.

“Are you talking about the Al uproar recently?”

“No, it's different.”

This time, Soliette responded. She looked at Sheron with a very basic gaze.

“I mean humans that are artificially created.”

“…You mean this person?”

Sheron pointed at Akane.

“She does Look Like an artificial human.”

Akane frowned.

“Rude bitch.”

“Huh, what? Rude? Who the hell are you?”

“Shh.”

I placed a finger to my Lips.

“Anyway, artificial humans… homunculi. You should definitely be able to distinguish their wavelengths, Sheron. Their soul arrangement is clearly different from humans.”

“…Who are they?”

“I don't know yet.”

I spoke confidently. Sheron's face contorted in disdain.

“What?”

“That's why Tm asking for your help. It will be very dangerouS.”

“What the hell…”

She seemed about to retort sharply but suddenly her expression changed as if she remembered something, and she puckered her lips thoughtfully.

“…Then.”

Tap, tap, tap. She tapped on the table as she spoke.

“Astrological mage… will you arrange another meeting?”

“I had no idea you were that puppeteer, Akane.”

Inside the black SUV, Sheron, who had agreed to cooperate in exchange for a onetime use coupon for astrological mage services, glanced at Akane.

Akane responded indifferently.

“Focus on the job.”

“…Hmph. As arrogant as I heard.”

“Just focus on the job. Don't be rude.”

“…I would if there was something to do!”

Sheron glared at Akane.

Indeed, we were quite idle at the moment.

We were hiding near the gates of the detention center. Parked in the car, we were waiting for 'someone'.

Of course, Sheron was wearing an Infimian.

She could feel frequencies even from a distance.

“Sheron, there are a few more people coming.”

I called out to Sheron.

A few individuals associated with Libra were getting out of a car at the detention center gates, seemingly from their Legal team.

“…Got it.”

She stared at them, sensing their wavelengths.

“ls there a problem? Or rather, can we really find Mr. Homunculus like this?”

“Homunculus.”

“Whatever.”

“Well, it might take a while, but we'll keep waiting like this.”

“What?! Do you think I have all the time in the world?!”

“Astrological mage doesn't have time to spare either. You've heard the rumors about how they revived the GLofeld family, right?”

“…”

Sheron closed her mouth shut.

Anyway, if artificial humans, homunculi, really exist, they1 re definitely lurking among Libra's key figures.

Soliette and I are both certain of this.

“…Then give me two coupons.”

Sheron grabbed the sleeve of my coat.

“Why do you have so many questions?”

“l'll use one for bragging rights. In society.”

Bragging rights, what now.

I was stunned but nodded as if I understood.

“lf it takes a long time, I'll give it to you.”

“Sheron, it looks like it's going to take a while, so let's have a meal first.”

Suddenly, Soliette opened a lunchbox. Akane also picked one up.

Sheron frowned.

“I don't eat lunchboxes.”

“What? They're really delicious.”

Soliette stirred her chopsticks and widened her eyes. Sheron shook her head with the expression of a true noble.

“…That might be delicious by your or Akane's standards. I have a luxury taste~”

Akane said.

“She definitely lacks manners.”

“…Please, can we stop with the manners thing?”

—Three weeks passed like that.

There was no such luck as identifying them on the first day. We staked out in front of the detention center for three weeks, regularly.

BaLancers, congressional Senators, heads of various corporations, and even Jade had visited, but there had been no real progress.

“…Hey. Shion.”

It was evening, the sun had set.

Sheron, sitting in the backseat, called out to me.

“ls there another lunchbox?”

Her fingers tightly gripped the wooden chopsticks, and grains of rice were stuck to her cheeks—a stark contrast to her initial disinterest in the lunchboxes.

“I thought you said your taste was too luxurious.”

Akane threw in a jab. Sheron shot her a sharp glare.

“…Using Spectrum a lot makes me hungry, okay? It's not like I want to be doing this… God, how Long do we have to keep this up…”

Despite her complaints, her eyes were still fixed on me, inquiring.

Is there another lunchbox?

“l'll give you one when we leave.”

“…Hmph, whatever~”

She snorted in apparent satisfaction.

“I won't give it then.”

“No! I'll take it. Thanks~”

Sheron settled back into her seat contentedly.

“Yaaaawn~”

Yawns echoed around. Soliette, myself, and even Akane.

Two weeks of nothing had slightly eased our tension.

“…Yaaawn.”

I scrolled through Bell Moore team's hotline on my Libra phone.

Nothing particularly special seemed to be happening. It seemed about time to deal with Ged ley.

That's when it happened.

“…Wait.”

Suddenly, Sheron looked out the window. Her expression hardened.

“What is it?”

I quickly straightened up.

“How can that person…?”

Sheron muttered as if shocked, even beads of sweat formed on her temples.

“What's wrong?”

Soliette asked flatly, and Akane furrowed her brows.

“That person, that person… their wavelength is different. Like you said, Shion.”

“Which one?”

Sheron's hair bristled as she pointed somewhere.

I looked in the direction her finger was pointing.

There was…