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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Karl flinched in bed at the shout that pierced his ears – “One, two, three, four–!” He, a notoriously heavy sleeper, tossed and turned, delaying the inevitable. His morning erection, sadly, found no welcoming orifice, only the rough bedsheets against which it chafed, wasting its energy.
After a while of this, Karl finally yawned mightily, sat up, and ripped open the blackout curtains. Bright sunlight poured through the clear window.
He slid the window open and inhaled deeply the refreshing morning air that rushed into the room.
One, two, three, four–.
Outside the window, the booming shouts of the Imperial Army climbed the building’s exterior wall and reached his room. Of course, they were there of their own volition, but the resentment-laced roars of those poor bastards inexplicably made Karl chuckle.
After watching the army spectacle for a while, he stripped off his clothes, stepped into the bathroom, and took a refreshing shower. He then brewed a pot of coffee, poured himself a bitter cup, and sipped it. It was definitely better being an elite knight relaxing like this than one of those poor grunts toiling away.
Now then–.
As Karl dressed in his uniform, he reviewed the wanted man’s profile on his display screen.
The man, whose rough face resembled a bandit leader, boasted a long criminal record spanning dozens of lines. From petty theft to piracy, serial murder, and even terrorism–.
Capture meant certain execution. A five-star warrant had already been issued, meaning anyone could execute him on the spot without facing murder charges.
…However, there was one major problem in dealing with him. He had high-performance body augmentations. This is why the Brutus Planetary Defense Force Commander hadn’t acted rashly and instead sent out a dispatch request. A misstep could easily lead to a massacre.
The commander’s judgment, honed by his long tenure on the crime-ridden planet of Brutus, was indeed sound. If he had greedily tried to take all the credit for himself, the massacre he feared would have undoubtedly occurred. It was especially dangerous with someone skilled at using augmentations like this guy.
It was speculated that the reason this man, who had long been off the grid, suddenly appeared here was for spaceship repairs. Brutus, located on the outermost fringes of Imperial territory, was a place where even pirates could easily slip in and out. It was probably easier to visit with less scrutiny compared to other places. Of course, the man was unlucky enough to be immediately caught, but seeing even dangerous scum like him entering the planet showed just how much of a haven it was for criminals.
Anyway,
Having finished his preparations for work, Karl left his quarters and headed to the temporary office. It was actually more of a break room than an office, but since it wouldn’t be used for office work anyway, its form didn’t matter. They just needed a meeting place.
When Karl entered the temporary office, someone had already arrived. As expected, it was the disciplined blonde, Irina–.
As soon as she saw his smug face, she started complaining.
“Why are you so late?”
“Why? I’m right on time.”
“You should have been here at least 30 minutes early.”
“That’s unreasonably, unreasonable.”
“It’s not unreasonable, it’s courtesy.”
“You know, your future subordinates are going to absolutely hate you.”
“How dare a subordinate…?”
A stuck-up woman with a condescending attitude – who knew what kind of subordinate would end up under her? They would probably have a hard time.
…But I’ll get my revenge with my dick.
Soon after, Ellie and Gren arrived at the temporary office. The big-breasted woman’s smile was as warm as ever. The four exchanged morning greetings.
Gren then held up a transparent tablet and showed the information displayed on it to the other three.
“Everyone’s reviewed the information, right? As you can see, this guy has body augmentations. So be careful. You’ll get taken down in an instant.”
He put down the tablet and continued.
“There are also fifty Imperial Army soldiers who will be deployed as soon as we give the order. If we surround him properly, we should be able to handle him without difficulty. We’re not planning to subdue him. We’re executing him on the spot.”
He was a target eligible for immediate execution anyway. He was already dangerous enough; there was no need to risk subduing him. A mistake could lead to a major accident.
Still, Gren wasn’t too worried. They had two veteran knights with body augmentations on their side. With fifty soldiers firing energy guns, even this guy wouldn’t stand a chance.
Gren glanced at the three with a confident expression and nodded slightly.
“Alright, let’s move out.”
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“Damn it!”
Popo had a disturbing dream of his head being chopped off. He spat thick phlegm carelessly onto the floor and lit a strong cigarette. The acrid smoke ravaged his lungs before escaping his throat.
“…Hey, are you sure everything will be alright if I meet that old geezer? Damn it, if things go wrong, I’m really dead.”
The man who had been standing with his arms crossed by the entrance all night opened his eyes wide. He replied in a chillingly low voice.
“I am proof. Am I not enough?”
“No, damn it, this is my life on the line. How can I just accept that easily?”
“Do what you want. The choice is yours. However, even if you leave now, you won’t get your money back.”
“Son of a–!”
Popo couldn’t decide if this was the right course of action. He had managed to meet this guy after hearing rumors, but entrusting his life to someone, even under these circumstances, wasn’t easy.
…It was do or die anyway…
With a five-star warrant out for his arrest, his life was hanging precariously by a thread. Even with body augmentations, how could he possibly survive against the Empire forever? Even one or two knights could subdue him instantly.
So he made up his mind. He would discard this worn-out body and be reborn as a new android. That way, he could cleanly erase the warrant that dogged him and live a second life!
Of course, there had been much agonizing and deliberation before reaching this decision. As a man with a dick, the issue that bothered him the most was sex. Would it be as good with an android as with a human?
You’ll experience pleasure beyond comparison to simple sex. Don’t worry about that.
That’s what finally made Popo decide to become an android. He had emptied his entire life savings for it. All he had left were his body augmentations, his dick and balls, and his dilapidated spaceship. …Honestly, it was a last-ditch gamble.
But what else could he do, damn it? Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t.
Once his spaceship was repaired, he planned to leave immediately for the old geezer the android had told him about. However, the repair time was taking longer than expected, making him anxious. Even if this was a lawless zone, it was still Imperial territory.
This damned piece of junk spaceship. I should just smash it all up.
Of course, even as he said that, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything to the spaceship he had grown attached to. That’s why he kept spending money repairing it over and over.
Anyway, as he cursed and chewed on the leftover food from yesterday, the android suddenly unfolded its arms and started making suspicious movements.
“…Why, what is it? What the hell are you doing?”
“Something’s coming…. Do you have visitors?”
“No, I don’t…. Damn it, don’t tell me….”
Popo jumped out of his chair and grabbed his sword. He activated his body augmentations and stared intently at the android.
“How many are there?”
“Approaching this location…, exactly fifty-four.”
–!!
Holy shi–!
Popo hadn’t expected the Imperial bastards to catch his scent so quickly. To be tracked down in just three days. They said not to worry because the army unit here was a bunch of undisciplined assholes, but Imperial Army or not, they were still Imperial Army.
“I will consider them hostile.”
“Of course they’re hostile, damn it! What were you waiting for?!”
With a whirr, the android’s demeanor shifted dramatically. Combat mode–. An intense heat emanating from it brushed against Popo’s sensitized skin.
An android was an android, after all. Especially combat models like this one felt completely different from office or sex models.
“Can you distinguish the knights?”
“…Judging by their energy signatures, three.”
Damn those bastards–.
To deploy three knights… If it weren’t for the combat android here with him, he would have lost his fighting spirit before even starting. Even with body augmentations, comparing his skills to those of knights was pointless.
Geniuses among geniuses–. A group of human monsters, a collection of the most outstanding talents in the universe. Even if Popo was considered a top dog among ordinary people, he was insignificant in the eyes of these geniuses. The presence of three such individuals meant they were determined to eliminate him this time.
…Even with the android’s help, wouldn’t it be better to run?
As he agonized, the android reassured him.
“My combat power is comparable to the average of the Top 10 Knights. So don’t worry.”
That was certainly reassuring. A member of the Top 10 Knights could probably handle everyone here single-handedly.
Of course, since becoming a fugitive, Popo had become extremely cautious; he wouldn’t let his guard down. He had developed the habit of tapping even the sturdiest-looking stone bridges before crossing.
“Still, escaping is our top priority. …I need to ask Redduck and his crew for a favor.”
The android was obligated to follow its client’s wishes, especially one who had paid a hefty sum.
“Understood. I will follow your instructions.”
And with a synchronized movement, the two burst out of the room.
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