Chapter 16
What is he talking about?
Raymund thought it had to be a joke and waited for Jonah to crack a smile.
Instead, Jonah looked at him with the same serious expression he had worn from the very beginning.
In the end, Raymund was the first to speak.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Not at all.”
“What exactly causes these anomalies that you’re talking about the destruction of an entire planet?”
“We cannot determine the cause. Since anomalies occur without warning, it is virtually impossible to monitor them beforehand or investigate the circumstances surrounding their appearance. However, the Foundation has documented several signs that tend to precede an anomaly.”
“Signs?”
“That’s correct. Rumors becoming unnaturally amplified and concentrated in a single location. Subtle changes that are easy to overlook unless you’re paying close attention. The sudden disappearance of objects or people, unexpected evolution, stars drifting away from their constellationsāthose are some of the most common indicators.”
What are you even talking about?!
Raymund squeezed his eyes shut.
Ignoring his bewilderment, Jonah calmly continued.
“To be perfectly honest, many aspects of anomalies remain a significant mystery. We strongly suspect that the Highresis Cult is making use of anomalies… but we still don’t know exactly how anomalies manifest, nor what energy sustains them. Research is ongoing, but we haven’t reached a stage where the findings can be properly documented.”
“Then how does the Foundation Alliance deal with them?”
“In much the same way we identify the warning signs. That’s because we’ve discovered several fundamental laws governing anomalies.”
Laws?
Jonah raised three fingers in front of Raymund. His thumb was folded down.
“First Law: Every anomaly possesses what we call an Imago, the core image that serves as the foundation of the phenomenon.”
“An Imago?”
“It’s the source of the anomaly. An Imago may be an object or even a living being. What’s important is that every Imago is the fragment in which everything occurring inside the anomaly ultimately converges.”
That’s an awfully abstract explanation.
Raymund narrowed his eyes, trying to imagine what an Imago actually looked like.
Is it a triangle? A square? Does it breathe? Maybe blood runs through it? Or maybe it’s just an ordinary object like a cup or a sheet of paper…
“Cutting off the Imago’s energy and temporarily rendering it inactive is what we call Containment. Once contained, the Imago is restored by the Foundation Alliance’s research division and affiliated organizations, after which it is assigned a danger classification. When all procedures are complete and it is safely processed and stored within a containment facility, it becomes a Secured Imago.”
“I see.”
“During restoration, the Foundation evaluates its level of danger. Those classified as Safe, meaning they pose no threat to civilians, are sometimes used to suppress other anomalies.”
“I’ve heard that the Safe class and Rank Five are considered relatively harmless.”
“If you’re referring to the Lupe Rank, then yes. Secured Imagos authorized for external use are limited to the unranked Safe class, Rank Five Lupe, Rank Four Pesa, and Rank Three Hubris.”
“So the higher the rank, the more powerful the weapon?”
“The more dangerous it is, the greater its destructive power.”
Then wouldn’t giving everyone Rank Three Hubris Imagos make dealing with anomalies much easier?
But Jonah smiled faintly, as if he’d read Raymund’s thoughts.
“In reality, even Rank Four is difficult to use. Although it has been theoretically approved, we still don’t fully understand what effects it may have on the user.”
“I understand. Then what’s the second law?”
Jonah folded down his middle finger.
“The Second Law states that any anomaly which can be observed and interfered with can be subdued.”
“That sounds… oddly specific. Are there anomalies that can’t be observed?”
“As I mentioned earlier, anomalies are believed to resemble domains that unfold within a fixed area. Their boundaries are much more distinct than you’d expect, which means people outside the domain cannot perceive the anomaly at all. Only by entering it can you physically experience it.”
“Ah… I see.”
“In other words, entering the domain places you in a state where observation and interference become possible. Of course, there are Secured Imagos capable of detecting an anomaly from outside its boundary, but entry is still required. There are no anomalies where only observation or only interference is possible. The two always go together.”
At this point, anomalies almost sound like they operate under a fairly consistent system.
Listening carefully, Raymund asked,
“And the last law?”
“The Third Law states that any human who steps into an anomaly will, sooner or later, inevitably become corroded.”
“Inside the anomaly?”
“Precisely. At first you’ll feel perfectly normal. But as time passes, the first thing to deteriorate will be your senses.”
Your senses?
The effects are really that severe?
“Eventually you’ll lose the ability to distinguish reality from the anomaly. After about a full day, your sanity will begin to collapse while physical changes also start to occur. Once you’ve reached that stage, you cease to belong to reality and instead become part of the anomaly itself, subject to its logic.”
“Then you’d have to keep the time spent inside as short as possible.”
“Exactly. That’s why the Foundation Alliance equips its operatives with powerful firearms and recommends neutralizing anomalies as quickly as possible.”
“How do you know when someone inside has started becoming corrupted?”
“The Foundation officially measures it using a value called the Corrosion Rate. You’ll receive a device for measuring it today. It monitors the amount of time you’ve spent inside an anomaly along with your pulse, breathing, and other vital signs, allowing it to calculate both your physical condition and your Corrosion Rate.”
“That’s impressively thorough.”
“Do you have any further questions?”
Anything else?
No matter how well Jonah explained it, some things simply couldn’t be understood through words alone.
He’d probably have to experience an anomaly himself before it truly made sense.
Raymund shook his head.
“Not for now. Then what are the items I’ll be receiving?”
“I’ll explain them one by one.”
Jonah began taking neatly wrapped packages out of his messenger bag and lining them up on the table.
As he untied the cords and removed the wrapping, the contents turned out to be far more ordinary-looking than Raymund had expected.
A pair of rimless glasses with a protective case.
An ornament made of intricately twisted silver wire formed into a rounded shape.
A Swiss Army knife.
And then…
“A gun?”
“It’s not a real firearm. It’s a Secured Imago that merely takes the form of one. Before I introduce each item, I should clarify that everything you’re about to see is a replica of a Secured Imago currently ownedāor formerly ownedāby the Foundation Alliance.”
“W-Wait… you can actually copy Secured Imagos? You can manufacture replicas?”
“Not quite in the way you’re imagining, but yes. You only need to understand that a replicated Imago can reproduce
Ā roughly twenty percent of the original’s effectiveness. Creating a single replica can take years, so it may seem highly
Ā inefficient. But from a long-term perspective… it’s not as impractical as it appears.”
Yona picked up the glasses first.
“No. 56, El Draco’s Telescope. A Mental Image that allows you to observe an Anomaly without entering it. We’ve remodeled it into this design to match modern tastes. Is it uncomfortable to wear?”
“No. It looks great.”
“It allows you to inspect an Anomaly safely from outside. When you’re assigned a survey request to determine an Anomaly’s scale, it lets you maintain a safe distance. And this…”
He then took out what looked like a Swiss Army knife.
At first glance, it was nothing more than an ordinary folding knife with a short blade.
“No. 80, Vorpal Sword. You know Lewis Carroll’s fairy tale, don’t you? Of course, this is only a replica, so its power has been greatly diminished. Even so, it’s still extremely useful for cutting or piercing just about anything.”
Raymund nodded, though he honestly had no idea what a Vorpal Sword was.
He didn’t even know who Lewis Carroll was.
From the way Yona spoke, he simply assumed he must have been a famous author.
The next item was a weapon with a matte-black frame.
“No. 32, Justitia. It doesn’t function in the real world, but it operates inside Anomalies. However, it can only be used under certain conditions. Also, this item can no longer be replicated, so please handle it with care.”
“What kind of conditions?”
“Justitia can only be activated once the user’s Corrosion Rate exceeds a certain threshold.”
“…Excuse me?”
Hadn’t he just explained that becoming Corroded was incredibly dangerous?
And now he was handing him a weapon that required Corrosion to use?
Seeing Raymund stare at him in disbelief, Yona hurriedly clarified.
“I don’t know about the original, but the replica version of Justitia generally becomes usable once the user’s Corrosion Rate reaches around four to eight percent. At that level, it usually doesn’t pose any significant danger to the body. Of course… there are exceptions.”
“I understand. Then what’s that silver ornament?”
“That’s a security device. It’s not a secured Mental Image but an item developed by the Foundation Union itself. Keep it in your home and let it monitor the surrounding area.”
After that, Raymund received a wrist-mounted device that functioned both as a Corrosion Rate monitor and a communicator, a simple set of clothing, and even a modest advance on his activity expenses.
His head spun as he accepted everything.
Yona stood up, slung his now noticeably lighter messenger bag over his shoulder, and spoke as though it were only natural.
“It may be overwhelming since this is your first time, but I’ve heard that the higher-ups strongly supported Mr. Geffert’s contract. We’ll be placing our trust in you.”
“The higher-ups? I thought maybe Mr. Jokanan or Ms. Cosette had recommended me.”
“Those two are certainly important figures within the Foundation Union, but they’re not in positions where they can freely influence the hiring of outsiders.”
“But… why me of all people? You probably know this already, but I’m the guy who blew up an entire Economic District.”
“I know. You’re already quite famous.”
As he said that, Yona smiled.
It was the first smile he’d shown since entering the house.
“It means the higher-ups believe Mr. Geffert possesses potential worthy of their attention. In other words, they see value in you. The Foundation Union never makes bad investments.”
They’ve seriously misunderstood something.
Raymund had no idea why, but he was nothing more than an unemployed man desperate for money.
Rubbing his face, he muttered,
“So even if I told you the Foundation’s mistaken about me, it wouldn’t change anything, would it?”
“You understand the situation well.”
“I’m just worried you’ll all end up disappointed someday. Are you leaving already?”
“We’re severely understaffed. I hope you’ll understand.”
Raymund walked Yona to the front door.
“Next time you visit, at least let me offer you a cup of tea.”
With that, he saw him off.
Watching Yona leave No. 36 looking every bit like an ordinary office worker, Raymund eventually returned inside and examined the supplies Yona had brought.
He tried the glasses on and off.
He fiddled with the silver security device.
He studied the structure of the pistol.
Holding Justitia in his hand, Raymund lowered his eyes and ran his fingers across the pistol’s smooth, icy surface.
What does it feel like… to become Corroded?
Could someone who had lived in an entirely different reality ever truly understand something like that?
He had listened to explanations about Anomalies and Mental Images.
Yet everything still felt hazyāas though he were staring at shadows hidden behind thick fog.
The Foundation Union seemed to devote enormous resources to suppressing Anomalies.
Then what kind of hostile relationship did they have with the occult organization known as the Red Witches, that the latter hunted down and slaughtered Foundation personnel with such brutality?
Questions he couldn’t casually ask anyone continued circling through his mind.
But in truth…
None of those questions were what mattered most to Raymund.
What mattered was paying off his debt of thirty million credits and returning to Residential District Five as soon as possible.
Steeling his resolve, Raymund fastened the communication device around his wrist.
The moment he didā
A faint vibration ran through it.
The small display lit up, and a notification window appeared.
Recipient: Subcontractors
Sender: HCF
Mission Type: Anomaly Investigation and Classification
Location: Hyde Park, Residential District 3
Touch the button below to accept the request.
