“Rock and roll is one of the most moving cultural legacies of the Primordial Era!”
Inside, it was warm; outside, the wind howled and snow fell. Evenheiler sat by the window, hands clasped, leaning back in his chair.
A retro-ist singer from the interstellar age was boasting about a musical history that had shattered along with time: “Today, we have lost true rock, just as we have lost true folk music, lost...”
“Actually, not much from those days has survived to the present,” Evenheiler remarked casually. “Except for people. But after so many rounds of genetic modification, are people still the same as they were back then?”
“Perhaps,” a voice said.
Evenheiler turned his head sharply.
In the dimly lit room, he saw a tall figure.
It was a handsome, rugged young man dressed in neat casual clothes. His white coat was partially unbuttoned, revealing a black stand-up collar shirt adorned with a blue gemstone hanging from a fine gold chain that matched its setting.
In the interplay of light and shadow, half of his face was submerged in darkness. His pitch-black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his dark eyes were deep and serene.
“...Who are you?” Evenheiler looked into those eyes, momentarily dazed.
A strange sensation rose in his heart; he felt this young man was very familiar.
So familiar that just looking into those eyes made a faint, uncomfortable chill ripple through the air, yet a sense of warmth also welled up—a warmth that felt as if it had long since left him, yet had also been by his side all along, never truly parted.
“I...” the young stranger said, pausing briefly. “...My name is ‘Lei Ting’.”
“Lei Ting?”
Evenheiler repeated the name. “A good name. It suits you.”
“Why do you say that?” The young man named ‘Lei Ting’ seemed curious, a slight smile touching his face.
“Who knows? Intuition, perhaps.”
Evenheiler shook his head. He gazed at the misty snow outside the window, listening to the sound of the heavy flakes knocking the last leaf from its branch.
Lei Ting could see his quiet profile—the elegant, sharp lines etched with the marks of time. The corners of his mouth drooped slightly, and the cold, silver light of the snow outlined a curve on his shoulder and face that wasn't exactly spirited.
In truth, Lei Ting had always felt that this man sometimes didn't seem older than him. After all, even after being ground down by the secular world for so many years, whenever someone needed to take action, ‘Evenheiler Kang’ would always be the first.
He always seemed full of drive, even though he actually lacked vitality. The brief flare-up of his youth had left him like a pile of ash; even if an occasional spark of defiance flickered, his terminal illness and pain naturally imbued him with a lamentable world-weariness and helplessness.
It was likely only at times like this—quiet and free of pressure—that he could fully relax.
No obsessive thoughts, no extreme emotions—only peace and tranquility.
“I am a stranger to you,” Lei Ting said, his heart still devoid of emotional fluctuations. “But you don't seem to be on guard against me.”
“And why should I be?” Evenheiler countered. “Are you planning to do something to me?”
“...” Lei Ting was speechless.
“Lei Ting,” Evenheiler said suddenly. “We’re on good terms, aren't we?”
Lei Ting was slightly startled and looked up.
“I am a superpowered warrior; naturally, I’ve undergone mental training.” Evenheiler watched the vast wind and snow. “Through the results of that training and my personal experience, I can distinguish between reality and illusion...” He didn't mention his own power level. “...I can also tell that this is someone's mental space. The fact that you could appear here abruptly, rather than entering through a door logically, proves you are the true master of this place. Furthermore, you are a powerful esper.”
“...”
Lei Ting remained silent.
“You have no emotional fluctuations,” Evenheiler pointed out. “A heartless master of a mental space whose first reaction to an intruder is conversation rather than attack... that proves we have known each other for a long time. And I, who have been protected by this room since I first arrived, must have a decent relationship with you.”
“So,” he said, “would a person without emotions become friends with another?”
“……”
Lei Ting said nothing.
“The answer is no. Moreover, I wouldn't become friends with someone who was purely cold and heartless.”
Evenheiler spoke softly.
“So, Lei Ting, what made you become the way you are now... and what made you keep me here?”
“I'm leaving now,” Lei Ting said.
He stood up to depart, and Evenheiler did not chase him. Even though the handsome blond man knew that he was likely now a prisoner bound by this youth.
However, before he dissolved into light and vanished, Lei Ting heard a voice from behind him.
“It must be exhausting, my ‘selfless’ friend.” That magnetic, pleasant voice—a voice familiar to his very bones—said gently and warmly: “If you're too tired, take a rest.”
………………
…………
……
Lei Ting snapped his eyes open. He sat up in his hovering chair, a brief flash of bewilderment appearing in his eyes.
In that moment, his high-energy, high-efficiency brain seemed to malfunction temporarily. Logic could hardly explain what he had seen: a person, a powerful warrior, knowing full well he was bound by a stranger with whom he might have had a past relationship, yet saying to that person, “If you're too tired, take a rest”...
Was that reasonable? It defied logic.
Now that Evenheiler had been stripped of all external influences and all emotional reactions not belonging to his true self had been severed, he had immediately decided that Lei Ting was a ‘friend,’ ‘on his side,’ and ‘worthy of trust and concern.’
And Lei Ting could guarantee he hadn't applied any influence to change the man's personal views.
Therefore, this could only prove that these were Evenheiler's most genuine thoughts.
No matter how much it defied the behavioral logic of a normal esper, Lei Ting had to acknowledge its existence.
Then...
……
……No, he couldn't keep thinking about this. He didn't have time for it now.
Lei Ting controlled his thoughts with an expressionless face and beckoned with his hand, causing an external optical computer unit to float over from nearby.
This thing was more than just a networking device; it was the best and most convenient storage device in the history of the galaxy. Although the Star Net had ceased service, the information stored in a single external unit was enough to last an ordinary person a lifetime.
Furthermore, while the Star Net was gone... the Capital Star System's local area network was still active.
Lei Ting spent a rare moment reading, but he soon shut down the computer.
Because a small object far away on the Ring World had been triggered.
………………
…………
……
In the direction of the Ring World, Angye sat in the building where the Human Federation representatives were under house arrest. He leaned against the wall with his head tilted back, his face practically screaming, “I'm done, I want to die.”
In his hand, he held a brooch—something Lei Ting had given him before he left the Federation. It contained no precision instruments; its only unique feature was that ‘Star Alloy’ had been incorporated during its manufacture, making its overall strength absurdly high. Furthermore, if the pin was flicked at a certain frequency, it could draw the gaze of the ‘Sun Star.’
—If this were some game, this would surely be an ultimate item like a ‘Sun Star Summoner’...
Angye thought idly until he clearly felt a powerful will descend from the void.
It was the ‘Sun Star.’ He had arrived.
Angye's vision blurred, and a tall, dark figure appeared before him, rendered with incredible precision.
—Using mental interference to create an illusion and remotely project communication information...
He really hadn't expected that the ‘Sun Star's’ massive mental power could be controlled with such finesse.
Lei Ting ‘looked’ at him silently—actually, this trick wasn't difficult. After the orphanage director had done it to him years ago, he had analyzed the principles and learned the specific method.
Then, without waiting for Lei Ting to ask, Angye conscientiously lowered his head and began his report: “During these days, I've been in disguise and gathered a lot of intelligence, but...” He paused, his expression twisting slightly. “...But the Star Net suddenly stopped service, causing the part of my disguise based on Star Net technology to fail. Consequently, my cover was blown, and I was locked up with the Federation delegation.
“Therefore, I can only report the confirmed intelligence to the best of my ability. However, I know almost nothing about what has happened on the Ring World since the Star Net was disconnected.”
“……”
...Exposed because the Star Net went down? And from the looks of it, exposed in front of everyone?
That really was... quite unlucky.
Lei Ting looked at him and blinked slowly.
