Chapter 208
Jafa sent me the list ten days after I requested it.
Beep.
I checked the list on the holographic display of my terminal. Jafa had investigated every cybernetics-related worker residing in Border City and sent the information to me.
It was an organized list categorizing cybernetic technicians, engineers, and other specialists in the field. Among them, those who had experience with full-body cybernetic procedures or had the necessary technology and facilities for such operations were separately compiled.
'Jafa really does have Border City under her thumb.'
I scanned the list with my eyes. I got a rough idea of where to start. A map with addresses was attached, so if I moved diligently for a few days, I could complete my inquiries.
As I reviewed the list, a message popped up on the holographic screen. It was from Lapis.
-Luka, the item you ordered is complete. I need to explain how to use it, so drop by when you can.
I took a moment to recall what the item was.
'The preheating tool for the Firelight Saber.'
Lapis hadn’t forgotten my request. Even I had pushed it to the back of my mind.
Creak, click.
I gathered my gear and left the room, heading straight to Lapis’s workshop.
“Oh, you came right away?”
Lapis greeted me with a smile. She was resting with her goggles hooked onto her horns.
“The sooner things get done, the better. Where’s the item?”
I didn’t sit down and pressed for it immediately.
“It’s over there, on the table—a palm-sized metal case. Since there’s a specific way to use it, I’ll explain.”
Following Lapis’s gaze, I spotted the metal case. Just as she said, it was small enough to fit in a coat pocket or attach to my waist.
'Looks plain.'
It was a simple metal case with no exterior embellishments. There were two slots just the right size for inserting a blade.
“Well, I can already tell how it works. No need for an explanation. I’ll figure it out in the field—”
I reached for the metal case.
Clang!
Lapis smacked the back of my hand with a heavy tool. A sharp sting shot up to my skull.
“Stop talking nonsense and listen. Unlike mass-produced factory goods, items made in a personal workshop aren’t standardized. Since this is custom-made, it’s impossible to intuitively understand how to use it. Do you think it’s something as simple as pulling a trigger to fire a bullet?”
“…Fine.”
I had been impatient.
Every craftsman has a line they won’t compromise on. Ignoring that was a mistake. Everyone has their own sore spot.
“It might look simple, but I put a lot of effort into making it. If I was going to do it, I figured I should do it properly.”
“Hm.”
At a glance, it didn’t look like a meticulously crafted tool. My lukewarm reaction made Lapis furrow her brows.
“I bought ignium to serve as a whetstone. I barely managed to get around 100 grams of it at an auction. Since I don’t have the facilities to process it myself, I had to swallow my pride and take it to another Tarfa workshop that does…”
Lapis went on and on about how much trouble she went through to make it. I was bored, but I figured it was only polite to at least pretend to listen, so I nodded from time to time.
“To be honest, this thing goes against the philosophy of the Galactic Blacksmiths, so I wasn’t comfortable making it. It ignores their artistic circulation design principle. I can only imagine how much effort went into perfecting that system.”
“But they failed in the end, didn’t they?”
I shrugged mockingly. Lapis’s eyes went wide with anger. Hmm, teasing Lapis was too tempting to resist.
“Ugh, I swear! The challenge itself is what matters! Show some respect! There’s artistic value in it.”
“Got it. So how do I use it? I just insert and withdraw the blade through these slots, right?”
Every time I acted carelessly, the wrinkles on Lapis’s forehead deepened. This was starting to get fun. No—this was really fun.
“I told you not to touch it yet! Anyway, I named it ‘Fai.’ The spelling is ‘F.A.I,’ which stands for ‘Fire and Ice’ in the Federation’s official standard language.”
“Fire and Ice? So it’s not just for preheating—it has a cooling function too?”
“That’s exactly why I felt uneasy about making it. The Galactic Blacksmiths aimed to create independent weapons without external mechanisms, relying solely on circulation design. Like a legendary sword—you know, something that could be buried underground for centuries and still function perfectly the moment you pull it out. If the Firelight series were discovered in an era where science and technology had regressed, they’d probably be considered holy or cursed swords.”
'Yeah, but they still failed.'
I swallowed the words rising in my throat. Lapis held the blacksmiths in ridiculously high regard. If I kept pushing, she’d get genuinely mad.
“There are two slots—one for cooling and one for preheating? The one with the blue outline is for cooling, right?”
“Yeah, and the cooling system uses a cartridge mechanism. Once it absorbs heat, the coolant needs to be discharged. And the spent coolant becomes extremely hot, so don’t touch it. Even a prosthetic hand would get damaged.”
I stared at Fai. Its plain exterior made sense now. It was probably made from a special alloy with low thermal conductivity.
"It must’ve been difficult to process since it’s made from special alloy."
My prosthetic had a certain aesthetic appeal, and the one who made it was Lapis. Compared to her usual work, Fai looked rather crude.
"Exactly. I had to offer double the price to convince them to process it. Not that it was my money—it was Lady Jafa’s. They probably never had the chance to work on something like this before. It was a good experience for them."
As I examined the blade slots on Fai, a question came to mind. The cooling slot was slightly wider than the preheating slot, but either way, the blade would have to be inserted with precision.
"Won’t even a special alloy melt if it comes into contact with a plasma blade?"
"That’s right. It’s fine if the blade touches the insertion area while preheating, but for cooling, you need to insert it precisely. Is that a problem? Judging by your proficiency with your prosthetic, your movement accuracy is at an android’s level."
I wasn’t sure whether I should appreciate Lapis’s confidence in me or not.
"Well, no, it’s not a problem. As long as I don’t make a mistake, it’ll be fine. I won’t mess up… probably."
…If I made a mistake while cooling the blade with Fai, I’d probably end up losing a few fingers or even my wrist.
'Then again, this isn’t the kind of blade you carry around without that kind of resolve.'
The cooling function was just a bonus—something I hadn’t expected. No point in complaining.
"Take the spare coolant cartridges too. Let me know before you run out. They take time to produce."
As I absentmindedly gathered Fai and the cartridges, I glanced at Lapis.
Suddenly, Gilda came to mind.
Despite being from different species, Lapis and Gilda had similar personalities and interests. Both were gentle yet strong.
"Lapis, this is a completely random question, but can I ask you something?"
"Hm? Sure, go ahead."
"Have you ever come to hate a friend you were once close to?"
Lapis widened her pupil-less eyes before smiling.
"Of course. I’ve lived longer than you, Luka, so that’s bound to happen. Are you having trouble with someone? Thinking about getting advice from this big sis?"
It felt strange hearing Lapis call herself my big sis when she was so much smaller than me.
"…There’s someone similar to you, and I’m trying to figure out how they might’ve changed over time."
Lapis sat down, propped her chin on her hand, and closed her eyes in thought.
“Like most of my kind, I have a stubborn nature and don’t easily hate others. To put it bluntly, Tarfa tend to be taken advantage of because of our gentle disposition. That’s why young Tarfa who first interact with other species often end up deeply hurt and sometimes withdraw from the outside world altogether.”
“So, you’re saying you’re different from them.”
Lapis smiled.
“I’ve had a lot of experience. Lady Jafa, you, Luka… I like you all, but that doesn’t mean I believe you’d never betray me. If you found something you valued more than me, you’d probably deceive and use me without hesitation.”
Lapis suddenly seemed different. She wasn’t just a kind and innocent technician.
“Our kind gets betrayed a lot. But it’s not because we’re clueless or stupid. It’s because even when we realize someone is going to betray us, we stubbornly deny it and keep believing in them until the very end. And in that moment, our absolute trust turns into absolute hatred. The moment our faith is repaid with betrayal.”
Tarfa eyes were entirely black, without whites. Normally, Lapis’s eyes looked gentle and clear, but now they seemed clouded, endlessly dark. For the first time, I saw the shadow inside her.
“Luka, you asked me earlier when someone starts to hate a friend. I just gave you your answer. We Tarfa hate with the same stubbornness as we trust. More obsessively than other species could ever imagine. The thought of ‘Can someone trust this much?’ turns into ‘Can someone hate this much?’”
I understood in that instant.
'I should never make an enemy of Lapis Lazuli.'
An alien species with blue skin and a youthful appearance. A pair of cow-like horns protruding from her head. On the surface, they seemed like a harmless race. Yet, the Tarfa were one of the dominant species that coexisted among fierce races—Tajirun, Crawlers, Humans, Equessians… That meant their capacity for hatred ran deep.
I let my imagination run.
What would it look like if Lapis’s goodwill suddenly turned against me?
The depth and intensity of that emotion would be overwhelming. She would craft every weapon and tool possible, all for the sole purpose of killing me.
"…That’s pretty chilling."
I spoke, and Lapis chuckled as if her eyes had never darkened in the first place.
"There’s no need to overthink it. That kind of thing rarely happens. Like most Tarfa, I have a lot of patience. I don’t hate people over minor things. For my feelings to turn into hatred, someone would have to do something truly unforgivable—something so vile that anyone would agree they deserve to die."
I mulled over her words before standing up. As I walked toward the door, Lapis waved at me.
"Thanks for the talk, Lapis."
Leaving the workshop, I walked down the hallway. After turning a corner, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again.
My blood was slowly cooling. Based on everything I’d heard and pieced together, I could now envision the conflict between Gilda and Giselle in my mind.
'Giselle betrayed Gilda in some way. Gilda must have endured it countless times at first.'
It was only speculation—but no, it was probably the truth. There was no point in denying reality to defend Giselle.
'I know it too. Giselle is unstable and doesn’t have the best personality. But she’s not the kind of person who would betray a friend for mere personal gain.'
Everyone I spoke to had negative things to say about Giselle. No one had described her in a positive light. Even Gabriel, who was in charge of her security, had remained neutral.
'…For my sake alone, Giselle endured the strain on her relationships and the disgrace that came with it.'
A conclusion settled within me.
I held back a sigh that was about to slip through my teeth. I didn’t want to be weak. I had to move forward. I already had a lead. The faster I resolved the matters in front of me, the closer I would get to Giselle.
'Screw the complicated calculations.'
I refocused. All I needed to do was find Giselle. If I could locate her, the rest didn’t matter.
Tracking Kinuan, working with Jafa, dealing with the Empire and Ilay—
All of it was just a means to find Giselle. If I had to, I could throw everything else away.
I always realized these things too late. That’s why Ragnata’s words pissed me off even more—because she was usually right.
…Yeah, I really am the hopelessly devoted type.