That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (WN) - Chapter 290：Visit to the Unknown

The Mechanized Empire of Almsbine: Barzephon.

Just as Veldora and Michelle encountered each other, a meeting of leaders was being held under the name of the emperor of Almsbine.

Six people had gathered.

Emperor Almsbine.

Prime Minister Fudora

Governor-General of East City, General Kristoph.

Governor-General of West City, Lieutenant General Alvin.

Governor-General of North City, Major General Amit.

Representative for the Governor-General of South City, Brigadier Jegyll.

—The most powerful in the empire.

Prime Minister Fudora stood up and scanned the room before declaring the meeting had begun.

And with that, Emperor Almsbine opened his mouth gravely.

“…Where is Michelle?”

It wasn’t the subject of discussion, just a show of concern for his daughter’s whereabouts.

It was Michelle’s adjutant, Jegyll, who answered him.

“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, Michelle has gone out to purge the traitors.”

“Hmm. It is fine, I do not blame you.”

Almsbine said.

His voice had no emotion, and it was difficult to know what he was thinking.

It was the same with Jegyll as well. She felt an immense pressure just being here as a representative.

One amongst these few generals.

They were all so different in rank from her.

The Emperor who ruled the empire.

And the one who supported him with his mind, Prime Minister Fudora.

And-

The Governor-Generals of each city were the same rank as Michelle and known as the Machinery Four.

It was no wonder that she was nervous.

“While it is a problem that one could not answer the summoning of the Emperor, perhaps there was a miscommunication? In that case, we cannot fault you.”

Prime Minister Fudora said as he went to the main subject.

“Leaving that matter aside, the reason that you have all gathered here today, was so I could tell you that the time has arrived.”

“The time? What do you mean?”

“Yes. I shall explain.”

Kristoph remained silent, and so Alvin spoke up first.

Kristoph was a hero.

A true military man who led the army during the great war.

After that, he helped his friend Almsbine ascend to the seat of Emperor.

Alvin was Almsbine’s son and Michelle’s older brother.

He was carefree and brilliant.

He was always the first person to ask questions at meetings like this.

He was not afraid of anything and was the life of the party.

“In fact, several plans have been underway in secret, and they have started to bear fruit. Especially the pollution removal process that we are experimenting with at the sacrificed Six. It is going very well. Most of the underground has been purified and we are thinking about moving to the surface.”

Prime Minister Fudora explained with a thin smile.

Those who listened had no idea what he was talking about, and they bore expressions of confusion.

“Wait, Fudora. What do you mean? Sacrificed Six…!?”

Alvin must have sensed something sinister there because he frantically asked for an answer.

Kristoph remained silent, but his eyes gleamed sharply.

Amit continued to look at the table. His posture had not changed at all since the beginning. It was not even certain if he was interested.

As for Jegyll, she was most surprised by Fudora’s words.

Six—the only thing she could think of was that it must be about the sixth city.

That meant…

“Hehehe. You are all very good at pretending to be oblivious. There is no need for that. Surely you all knew? Ten billion people were killed in order to create a foundation for the empire. How can you act so surprised over having to sacrifice fifty million residents?”

There was a madness in Fudora’s smile, but no guilt at all.

And it was Alvin, not Jegyll, who stood up with furious rage.

“Bastard! Do you understand what you are saying!?”

He shouted with a look of hatred.

Alvin had been consulted by Michelle, and he was one of those was worked undercover for her.

They had not been able to find any evidence until now, and yet here the culprit was, boldly making a declaration. It was probably more than Alvin could have ever imagined, Jegyll thought.

It was none other than his father, Emperor Almsbine himself, that soothed Alvin.

“Calm yourself, Alvin. It was I who ordered the experiment in Six. Do not blame Fudora…”

He said as he ordered Alvin to sit down.

‘But…’ Alvin muttered, but ultimately obeyed his father and sat down.

“Hehehe. Very good, Your Majesty. Your resolve is most admirable!”

Fudora said to the emperor.

He had an obscene smile on his face, making it very clear that he was not speaking sincerely.

It was too casual an attitude to have towards an emperor.

Perhaps he had gone too far because it was not only Alvin now, but Kristoph also looked at Fudora with a sharp stare.

And just as he opened his mouth to warn him—

“—However, Fudora. Is it not too early to disclose such information? Why did you do it? Is that why you had everyone gather together here in my name? What are you planning!!”

The emperor questioned Fudora in a threatening voice.

No one could defy the emperor who had ruled this empire for over a hundred years.

Yes, until now…

Fudora smiled confidently and maintained his arrogant attitude.

“Oh, nothing serious. I was just…”

“What? What is it, Fudora?”

“I wanted Your Majesty to be unburdened. That is what my unworthy self was thinking.”

“You lack respect, Fudora!!”

Kristoph had been silent up until now, but he began to yell at Fudora.

Still, the fiery anger of a hero such as Kristoph was not enough to change Fudora’s expression.

He looked at Kristoph cooly and said:

“Kristoph the hero. Surely you also knew of the emperor’s will? Cull the population from a world moving towards destruction, allowing only those who are brilliant to survive. Bring stability to the world while becoming a great criminal. Then have the new leaders judge you. Is it not such a commendable self-sacrifice…”

The words that Fudora unleashed were enough to make the room grow cold.

“…What!?”

“It cannot be. Father, is this true!?”

“No, no…”

Shock ran through the room.

As if expecting this reaction, Fudora stood up and began to talk with a rapturous expression.

“Surely there is no problem now, Your Majesty? You should tell them and unburden yourself!”

“This is ridiculous. Have you gone mad, Fudora!? The world is still polluted, we are far from reaching stability. The time is not right…”

“Silence, you senile fool!! The only reason that I was forced to take action was that you had complete control of the Mobius System!! If I had that system, all the energy problems would have been solved. And yet you…!!”

“What are you saying!? I told you that it was not complete! It was just a dream, Fudora. It was something that exceeded our capabilities as humans!!”

“Silence!!”

Fudora shrieked as if he had gone mad. But then he suddenly regained his calm.

And then he smiled evilly—

“Your Majesty. It really is all your fault, you know?”

This final part of the plan that had been secretly underway was now activated in front of Fudora’s eyes.

It happened at the same time.

Alvin was the first to move.

He stood up to apprehend Fudora, and took a step forward.

He was able to perfectly control the advanced features of the Machinery Four with Machinery Arts. He was even able to erase the shock waves as he moved like the wind.

However, that was the signal.

The first one to move is your target. That was the decision made between Fudora and the other party.

And that person was part of the Machinery Four, just like Alvin—Major General Amit.

Of course, his exposed back was completely unguarded, and so Amits attack caught Alvin right in the back of the head.

The energy turned into vibrations and reached Alvin’s brain.

A second later, Alvin’s head exploded like an egg that had been heated in a microwave.

“I am glad that it was you who moved first. The thing is, I never did like you, Alvin.”

Major General Amit was the Governor-General of North city and the younger brother of the emperor.

However, his heart was full of jealousy towards his brilliant older brother. And the sense of inferiority about being related to such a great emperor had eaten away at him.

He was the lowest of the Machinery Four, and that only made him more resentful.

Prime Minister Fudora had seen through him and seduced him with sweet words, leading him to the crime now committed.

“Alvin!? Amit, you bastard!! What did you…”

The emperor shouted.

Amit laughed unconcernedly.

His next target was the brother who was the root of his resentment. Emperor Almsbine himself.

Amit seemed to vanish as he rushed towards the emperor.

However, his murderous hand was stopped by a will of iron.

It was the hero, General Kristoph.

The strongest of the Machinery Four was standing in Amit’s way.

“Why don’t you abandon that man and help me? I will raise you up if I become emperor!”

“I refuse. My loyalty is to my friend, Emperor Almsbine.”

“So you will get in my way, Kristoph? Well, you will regret that decision!”

A vicious battle began.

It was a battle of the strongest cyborgs, the Machinery Four. And none could interfere.

Jegyll had to back away so that she did not get caught in it.

She tried to move to protect the emperor, but…

“Stop, Jegyll!”

Jegyll froze at those words.

(What!? I can’t move…!?)

She was horrified.

“You can’t move? I am the one who modified you. And so I can take your freedom of movement with a word. Besides, what good would you be in such a fight? Be quiet and stay out of their way.”

It was Fudora’s voice.

“Fudora. What do you want?”

“Didn’t I tell you, Your Majesty? I want the Mobius System. It is unfortunate that Michelle is not present, but it has also raised the success rate of my plan. Only Kristoph and Michelle remain of the Machinery Four. If Kristoph is killed here, then that will only leave Michelle. In other words, I win.”

“You fool. You underestimate Kristoph. Even if they are equal in features, Kristoph’s brain is on a different level. Amit cannot win against the founder of Machinery Arts!!”

Emperor Almsbine sounded quite confident.

The Machinery Four had been modified by the Emperor himself. And among them, Kristoph boasted a strength that made him the greatest of them all.

They could all see that Amit was being pushed back in the fight that played out before them.

It was clear that there was a difference in power.

In fact, Amit’s Ether Ring Barrier had been shut down, and the light was starting to grow dim.

It was only a matter of time before his defeat.

Unless you took them by surprise, it was impossible to take down the Machinery Four in one hit.

And so Kristoph calmly pushed Amit towards the point where he would no longer be able to fight.

However, Fudora continued to look confident.

“I’ve gathered enough data. Now is the time. Kill him!”

The Emperor and Jegyll, and even Kristoph himself—could not understand what had happened.

Everyone but Fudora and Amit could only watch the scene in silence.

A hand had burst out from the chest of Kristoph, the strongest hero.

Amit sneered madly.

“-Wh-what!? But your brain was destroyed…how…”

Kristoph asked in shock. He had been dealt a lethal wound.

The person who replied was Alvin. His head had now completed regenerated.

“It’s quite simple, General Kristoph. I am not Alvin. I am an artificial lifeform made by my father, Fudora-a Bionoid. However, I will absorb the genetic information in this human called Alvin, as well as the biocomputer equipped in this body. That includes his personal memories and skills. You might say that I am Alvin reborn.”

“Haaahahahahaha! That’s what it is. Alvin pretended to be dead so he could attack you, Kristoph. But if it had been you that moved first, I would have destroyed you with this hand!!”

“That’s impossible—!?”

“Ggg…Your Majesty, I am sorry…”

Emperor Almsbine was shocked and confused.

And so, leaving his emperor alone, the hero Kristoph ceased to function as a lifeform.

“How can it be…how can…”

Fudora looked at the emperor and declared coldly:

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Kristoph may have died, but he will not go to waste. He will be reborn as a stronger Bionoid.”

He said.

And then Fudora produced a sphere, which he then set into Kristoph’s chest.

“Your Majesty. It is true that the Machinery Four, your greatest works, have wonderful capabilities. The Auto-Healing ability allows them to regenerate, and then there is the incredible durability brought by the special alloy. They can use space expansion and are equipped with high-output nuclear reactors. Their power is several times stronger than our other weapons. But more than anything, they individually have the Ether Ring Barrier, which is the heart of the city’s defense. It is no wonder they are considered to be the strongest… However, that is a thing of the past. The Bionoids that I have created have the flexibility of living beings. See, as evidence…”

As Fudora talked with a look of ecstasy, the fallen Kristoph began to rise from the floor.

It left only the important organs, the rest were absorbed and broken down and then rebuilt.

It still looked like Kristoph, but the insides were completely different.

However, the memories and skills, everything about Kristoph had been replicated completely…

No…

The aging face of Kristoph had regained the features of his youth.

The biological cells and memory cells that do not age were able to read Kristoph’s genetic information and recreate it. It was not his current age, but a younger face that was full of the power of his best days.

It would seem that such appearances had little meaning for a cyborg, but that was not the case.

Degradation of the brain, ability to make decisions, recognition and reaction speeds would occur.

Such weaknesses were now gone, and Kristoph had been reborn as the strongest Bionoid.

But he no longer had a heart. His will was to obey Fudora.

“…Greetings, father. I am Kristoph, your shield and your sword. I await your orders.”

And like that, the most terrifying Bionoid was born.

Emperor Almsbine was too shocked to speak.

His most trusted friend had died in front of his eyes.

And on top of that, he had been reborn as the most dangerous of enemies.

It was no wonder that he was at a loss.

“No-no…and Alvin!?”

The Emperor finally realized that Alvin had not betrayed him, but had been remade in secret.

It was obvious, considering he had regenerated a head that had been destroyed.

“Yes, that is very perceptive of you. He refused to help me, so I had no choice.”

“Bastard!!”

“Hahaha. Didn’t I tell you? This is all because you continued to hide the Mobius System. That would solve all our energy problems. With that power, we wouldn’t have to wait for the results of these sluggish experiments. We can purify this world!”

“I told you. That…”

“Silence! I have no intention of following your slow plans!!”

“Exactly. Brother, I agree with what Fudora is saying. I do not want to be the emperor of such a wretched world. I want to rule a planet that is beautiful. And so our aims matched, and I agreed to help. You can die in peace and leave the rest to me.”

Amit surrendered to his evil desires and stared at the Emperor.

Kristop and Alvin-the two Bionoids watched on in silence.

Fudora watched this with the conviction that his ambitions were halfway to completion.

The time had come.

One part of the plan that had been carried out in secret had now been achieved.

These four had been modified by the Emperor himself. They were the finest works from the mind of a genius.

As the old Emperor could not replicate them, they could be called a ‘lost art.’

And so it had been necessary for Fudora to develop technology that could go against them.

And he had done it.

Human experiments had been carried out in secret and data was collected.

And finally, Fudora succeeded in his lifeform modification experiments.

He implemented it on himself one month ago.

Things moved quickly after that.

Amit had secretly agreed to help him. They lured Alvin and then killed him.

And then he was reborn as their greatest pawn, a Bionoid.

And now…

Their biggest obstacle, Kristoph, was in their hands. Michelle was the last person in their way.

As for the clown who only had his position because he was the Emperor’s younger brother, he could be dealt with at any time.

“Haaahahahahaha!! Brother, this is goodbye!! Leave the rest to—!?”

Kristoph’s fist slammed into the fool’s head, destroying it in a flash.

Fudora nodded with satisfaction before preying on the body.

And by doing that, he himself was recreated into the strongest being.

—The special lost arts of the Emperor were now combined with the fruits of his research.

And with that, the old body of Prime Minister Fudora also transformed into a youth with black hair.

“Fudora…you…”

The Emperor muttered in shock. Fudora looked at him with a surprisingly gentle expression.

“Your Majesty, no, Senior Al. You really weren’t fit to be emperor. I will do the rest for you. But I just need to take your knowledge…”

And with that, Fudora granted Emperor Almsbine eternal rest.

That was the end of a man who had ruled an empire for one hundred years.

“…Now. It seems that Michelle really has hidden the Mobius System. I am glad that the plan succeeded, but it’s annoying that we have more work to do. Still…”

Then Fudora looked at Jegyll.

“We have bait. I can use this thing to get her without any difficulty.”

He said with an evil laugh.

“N-No! Stop…!!”

And then—Jegyll’s consciousness was swallowed by shadows.

Her wish was in vain. She would also be reborn as a Bionoid.

Become a pawn for Fudora, stripped of free will…

And like that, his plans went to their final phase.

◆◆◆

—Five days had passed since Veldora and the others arrived in this world.

The sounds of something sizzling as it cooked echoed.

That should be enough to predict who it was.

Veldora.

Veldora was cooking again. This time there was meat on his grill.

“Hey—you!! You! What is wrong with you!?”

And the person who was shouting was also easy to guess.

Zaza.

He had been with the rear guard, but the moment they stopped to set up camp, he had been met with a sight that caused him to scream in abandon.

“Kaaa-hahaha! You’re late, Zaza. We’ve already started, you know? But don’t worry. I saved some for you!”

Veldora said with a smile.

Obviously, this was his way of bullying him.

He liked to tease Zaza, who could not eat.

“Stop this at once! In the first place, problems always seem to arise whenever you start cooking! It’s almost as if that grill is cursed!”

“How rude! I had this grill prepared for making snacks. It is by no means a haunted item!!”

“That’s right, Zaza. Master’s grill is a normal grill. But then again, saying that could raise a flag!”

“Kahahaha! Don’t say that, Ramiris. What will you do if something really does happen?”

“That’s true, master. I will be careful!”

“Yes! You should do that.”

Zaza couldn’t stay angry while these two talked.

He finally regained his calm and asked the biggest question that was on his mind.

“This is such a dirty place. How did you even…”

Zaza said that much before suddenly freezing.

He had been so angry that it had escaped him at first, but he now realized that the sight before him was incredibly strange.

After separating with Michelle, they had gone down an underground passage that led to the surface.

This was so they could head to a different hideout that Michelle had prepared for them.

As they were nearly one thousand people in all, progress was slow.

And the journey would have been hard even without factoring that in.

This was because they had to gather protective suits that were left at different bases along the underground passage, and everyone had to wear them.

They were like astronaut suits in structure, and supplied the wearer with enough nutrition and water to survive for a week without taking them off.

But while there was some mechanical aid, the suit was still heavy and a burden on the wearer.

It was one thing for adults to wear them, but it was very hard for children.

After some time, there were some people who started to get sick, and so it had become necessary to stop and rest…

You couldn’t even eat with the suits on.

While they did offer nutrition, that just meant drinking liquid food from a straw.

You could not eat the meat that Veldora was cooking unless you removed the suit.

And this was the surface.

The atmosphere was polluted by radiation and toxic gases.

Taking the suits off here was the same thing as comitting suicide. Only a crazy person would start cooking meat here.

And yet…

Right in front of Zaza’s eyes.

Children were happily eating cooked meat and vegetables.

(What the hell is happening?)

Zaza could only watch in shock.

“While it may be hard to believe, Zaza. This area here isn’t polluted for some reason…”

Karman, who was also part of the rear guard and also very surprised, said as he reported the substance analysis results.

In surprise, Zaza asked Rindo, the captain of the advance team.

“Ri-Rindo! What’s going on here?”

“Ah, this. It really tastes amazing!”

“You idiot! That’s not what I was asking!!”

“Haha. Mister Zaza. I am only joking. Well, Mister Veldora suddenly said, ‘If we’re going to have a picnic, let’s make it a barbecue! The weathers great for it!’”

“So it was him after all?!”

“Yes. But I thought it was odd that he would say that about the weather…”

Just then, Zaza realized that it was oddly bright around where they were.

As his vision was seen through mechanical eyes, it had taken him a while to notice it.

But in fact, the place was filled with a light he had not seen in years. In other words, it was sunlight that shone down on them.

“…Can it be…the sun?”

Zaza looked up in surprise.

There was a light that shone so bright that it was blinding.

It was the sun.

The sun should have been covered by thick clouds, but now it was showing its face.

The truth was that Veldora had used his power to blow away the clouds and purify the atmosphere in this area.

After that, he had used ‘Probability Manipulation’ to adjust things so that more pollutants wouldn’t fly towards them.

It was an incredible thing to do so casually, but only Ramiris and Beretta knew of it.

“I can’t believe it. The sun!?”

“The environment here is not normal…and…”

Zaza was stunned.

However, Rindo spoke to him calmly.

“There’s no point in thinking about it. According to Mister Veldora, ‘We’re lucky. Such a thing can happen with enough amazing ‘probabilities’ overlapping!’”

He had said it with a smile.

(That’s ridiculous!!)

Zaza screamed inwardly.

However, the reality was that this place was safe, and everyone had taken their suits off and were enjoying the barbecue.

As Rindo said, it was stupid to worry so much about it.

And so Zaza returned to Veldora.

With no purpose in particular, he sat down on a rock and watched Veldora work.

He looked so happy as he cooked the meat-which had unknown origins—on his trusty grill.

Karman came to down to sit next to Zaza and then offered him one of his cigars.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. Zaza, I’ve been thinking. That guy is probably a lot greater than we’ve assumed.”

“Aye. I think so too. I don’t want to admit it, but his boundless cheerfulness has saved us. However, it pains me to see things that way. After all, he’s also quite the troublemaker…”

“That’s true. Even when General Michelle came, he started frying pancakes on his grill.”

“Right? And this meat. Where did he get it from? The more I think about him, the more mysterious he seems. I don’t even know how to talk to him anymore.”

“Hahaha. But he doesn’t seem like a bad fellow. However, uh, ‘flags’, was it? I would not be surprised if something happens again.”

“Hey-hey, stop that Karman. Everyone’s out here without their suits on. We wouldn’t be able to deal with any trouble.”

It was just as Zaza had finished saying this.

Karman’s expression froze on his face.

“Hey-hey, stop it. Do you think this is funny?”

Zaza laughed as he slapped Karman on the shoulder. Then he followed his eyes-and saw it.

That thing that should have been in the world of the underground.

The thing with paranormal abilities, mankind’s enemy.

It was called—the Super Beast.

“I told you this would happen!! That grill is cursed!!”

Zaza’s scream thundered.

And with that, the sudden arrival of the beast turned the scene into one of chaos and fear.