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Thinking about it, the fact that I had lost my reason and become a monster also meant I had stopped acting intelligently.

“In other words, after having my fingers cut off and getting riddled with bullets, I failed to kill a single person and ran away with my tail between my legs?”

What I could tell from my injuries was that the current Council-State possessed guns capable of working against me when I was apparently in Assault Mode.

Whether I wanted to admit it or not, there was no doubt that the situation was dangerous.

(No, no, no, no, I’m the Empire’s latest model here!? What kind of technological innovation would make that happen!?)

Unable to imagine the situation at all, and feeling unnerved by not knowing what had been done to me, I grew anxious over the fact that I had no luggage.

The spirit sword was one thing, but the researcher’s diary was in my backpack.

The potions were another, but there were several things in there that would hurt far too much to lose.

It was a blessing in disguise that the hidden photos I had taken of Boobs Lady with the Page of Reminiscence were not still there, but the photo of my sister remained.

I thought of excuses, but none of them seemed likely to work.

(I found it after we met and kept it because I thought it might be the same person… No good. As long as the diary exists, denying any connection to the Empire will be difficult.)

Then should I reveal everything and ask for their cooperation?

In that case, I would be asking the Council-State to accept the risk of me turning into a monster… but in that case, the choice a nation would make would be, “Then die honorably.”

I was an Imperial subject, not a citizen of the Council-State, and since I had technically been a former soldier, risking my life was only natural. They had no reason to go out of their way to take a risk and save me.

“I can present the benefits of helping me. But if that means being kept alive like livestock…”

Then there would be no point.

A future where I was used until I lost my reason and became nothing more than a monster was absolutely out of the question.

As long as showing weakness meant it would be exploited, I would have to hide or distort the truth, or even negotiating would be impossible.

“Should I just give up on my luggage…? No, that won’t work either. The spirit sword is essential for negotiations with the elves. If I let go of it, even if I survive… survive?”

What exactly had I intended to do?

No, struggling to live was only natural.

However, now that this body was already on the verge of becoming a complete monster, even though I had decided to end things myself, I suddenly realized that I was still clinging to life.

If things had gone badly, I might have killed the very person I needed to protect with my own hands.

There was no changing that fact, no matter what. Even though my mind understood that now was the time, there was something I had to confirm.

That was whether she was alive or not.

I had to confirm that one thing, or I would not be able to die in peace.

If I had done something irreversible, I would let the Council-State put me down with dignity.

If she was alive, I could end myself without any lingering regrets.

I stood up and started walking.

However, since I did not know where I was, I headed south for the time being.

Fortunately, it was still a time of day when the sun was out.

The end is near—though I tried to sound cool like that, it was my own prediction, so it was probably wrong.

At most, I would try to make sure it did not drag on too long.

And so, after heading south in a slightly winding path for about two hours, thanks to the markers I had left on the trees, I was able to return to the military base I had visited earlier.

I could see several tents surrounded by barricades wrapped in barbed wire.

If there was one change, it was that every soldier within sight was fully armed, and everyone gave off the atmosphere of being on guard against an attack.

Well, that could not be helped.

Once I approached close enough for them to visually confirm me, I sat down on the spot and waited for someone to come.

After I sat there gazing at the base for a while, an armed group came out in a line.

The person standing at the front was—a woman.

(Ah, thank goodness…)

After confirming Rachel’s figure and seeing no sign that she was injured, I let out a breath of relief.

Now I had no regrets left.

If I confirmed that she had survived, I had intended to at least give a final farewell, so I remained seated and waited for the group.

The distance was ten meters.

There, she stopped, and the soldiers spread out to fulfill their duties, while one man stepped forward.

Lowering the holy sword he had already drawn, Lieutenant Colonel Kavasa’s gaze pierced me, missing none of my movements.

He was completely different from last time—rather, this was probably his true self.

I stood up and opened my mouth.

But as if to stop me, Rachel spoke first.

“Type ‘Goliath.’”

My heart jumped at her words, and the voice that had been about to come out stopped.

“The thirteenth genetically enhanced soldier created by the Empire. The records say you successfully incorporated monster abilities, but repeated cases of uncontrollability led to the project being frozen… To think one had actually revived.”

No wonder you knew so much about the Empire, Rachel said, shaking her head and exhaling.

I had expected that they would have read the diary.

However, her words included information that should not have come out from reading the diary alone.

The possibility that it was a bluff crossed my mind, and while I froze in confusion, Rachel continued while holding up the diary she had taken out.

“If you have read this diary, then you know the name ‘Dozel Baumann,’ don’t you?”

I certainly remembered Dozel’s name.

It was the name of the man who had made Ms. Rentoston continue her research when her spirit was close to breaking.

There was no doubt he had been a fellow researcher, but how did that person come into this?

I could imagine the answer, but I remained silent and waited for her to continue.

“His notes and research records are preserved in the Council-State. Naturally, all the materials recovered from the research facility, including those related to the Chimera Project, are still preserved in our country.”

Those were words I had wanted to hear, yet at the same time, they were also a truth I had not wanted to know.

If I knew, I would start hoping again.

If I clung to hope, I would repeat the same mistake again.

Yet the words that came out of me were completely different from those thoughts.

“Why do you know that?”

“Did you think we did nothing after you appeared? When I first saw the documents, I couldn’t believe them, but… if you were carrying something like this, there’s no room left for doubt.”

Saying that, she waved Ms. Rentoston’s diary left and right in front of me.

“Show some respect. That is not something to be carelessly waved around.”

Rachel looked surprised at my words, said only, “My apologies,” and handed the diary to a soldier behind her.

“Are all Imperial soldiers like you?”

“Who knows? More importantly, can you get to the point?”

“Before that, don’t you have various things you want to ask? For example… the Nemesis Code.”

My body twitched at those words.

“How much time do you have left?”

Naturally, there was no way she would miss that reaction, and she pressed me as if to say she knew everything.

From her smile, I could practically hear her saying, “I know from what just happened. You don’t have much time left, do you? We’ll search the records left in the Council-State for a way to save you.” It was clear that her question contained the intention of demanding a price for saving me.

“You intend to put a collar on me?”

“That isn’t for me to decide. But if you were an Imperial, I would think you’d have no resistance to cooperating with us.”

Ah, so because she had already known, she had been able to say there was no reason to refuse the restoration of former Imperial territory.

This was no longer a negotiation.

The situation was so bad that I even felt nauseous.

“Do you think I became like this because I wanted to?”

“At the very least, the records say it was something you chose yourself.”

If they had my personal information, then no matter what I said, she would probably answer immediately.

However, I also understood something from that exchange.

“I see. So you do not know the truth of the Genetically Enhanced Soldier Project—that they concealed its reality and deceived soldiers into becoming test subjects.”

It was true that I had volunteered.

However, I had gone to sleep without knowing what it truly was.

Rachel fell silent, and I continued.

“Then all the materials you recovered are lies. Did you think I had not investigated the research facility ruins? Did you think I could not imagine what was in the missing documents? Besides, you have overlooked something crucial.”

“…And what is that?”

“I am not the only test subject who has revived in the modern age.”

The one who reacted was not Rachel, but Lieutenant Colonel Kavasa.

As a soldier of the Council-State, he had probably assumed that I was gathering awakened test subjects and plotting something.

“What about Type ‘Ogre’?”

“Ah, so that’s what this is.”

Rachel sighed in response to my question.

With that, she seemed to have confirmed the true identity of the orc they had called the “Emperor.”

At the same time, one question rose in my mind.

“Your reaction confirms it. The Council-State has no records concerning the Nemesis Code.”

“Oh? And what do you mean by that?”

“Then let me ask you. Why did you not ask me this the moment you realized that ‘Emperor’ was a test subject of the Genetically Enhanced Soldier Project? ‘How many of you are left?’”

Rachel closed her mouth again, and the look in her eyes changed.

I had meant to bait her, but I had not expected to actually be right.

“To begin with, if you had seen Ms. Rentoston’s diary, you should have known. Approval to release the Nemesis Code disappeared before it could be granted.”

“Ah, so that’s what it was. The day the Empire disappeared as we know it and the true date you know were different… Once the trick is revealed, it’s a rather trivial story.”

Rachel sighed, covered her face, and gave a glance so I would not notice.

In response, a soldier stepped forward carrying a case.

A familiar case—and of course it was familiar. It was the one I had been using to carry the spirit sword.

Only now did she finally come to the negotiating table.

That was what I thought, but before my eyes, Rachel reached for the sword inside the opened case.

The moment her hand grasped the sword and she swung the blade she had lifted, everyone shifted into combat stance.

Why did it turn out like this?

“Disappear, ghost of the Empire.”

As she pointed the tip of the sword at me, there was one thing I wanted to say.

Please explain the process that led you to that conclusion in a way even an ordinary person can understand.