D-Rank Constellation Hunter… Stuck Without Internet! - Chapter 181

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story 2-3
“Is that truly your best answer?”
Tasha raised a question at Franson’s expression of disbelief.
Naturally, this was the answer that Constellations typically sought—the “correct” one.
But it seemed Franson didn’t consider it the right answer for himself.
“I’d say it’s more accurate to call it fact rather than the best answer. You see, ‘best’ is fundamentally subjective. The data shows that timing wasn’t optimal for saving the greatest number of people.”
Had I created the cure in time and prevented the catastrophe, Franson would never have ascended to become a Constellation.
I’d already grasped that this handsome humanoid Constellation had risen to godhood under the name of regret.
I’d answered with sincerity, so why couldn’t he seem to recover from this shock?
‘How bothersome.’
“It seems you had a different answer in mind?”
“Natalia, when was the last time someone asked you a question about yourself?”
Franson finally gathered his wits and spoke carefully.
Wasn’t this Constellation treating other Constellations as if they were mere machines for answering questions?
Rather than genuine conversation to get to know one another, it felt like speaking to a machine.
Tasha tilted her head for the first time, seemingly not understanding Franson’s question properly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean—when was the last time you were asked what you like, what race you were before, or what clients you currently manage? Questions like that?”
‘Surely she hasn’t received such questions recently?’
“I believe it was 127 years, 201 days, and 1 hour ago. My client achieved transcendence and I delayed my response to provide counseling about life as a Constellation.”
“…What question were you asked then?”
“Why I haven’t been receiving questions for such a long time. They seemed somewhat irritated.”
Franson felt utterly exasperated.
Even the wisest Constellation—he was exhausted by other Constellations who functioned as mere machines offering answers, devoid of any semblance of small talk.
Why were Constellations always like this?
They didn’t understand how precious it was to have someone offer answers without any compensation.
The real problem was that the person in question felt no awareness of the issue at all!
“You’re satisfied with conversations that are so cold and barren?”
“I consider it efficient dialogue.”
“Don’t you think you’ve been taught the wrong definition of efficiency? No, that’s not efficiency at all….”
It was cold, lonely, and withered.
I was utterly sick of this Sungdo!
Franson found it difficult to accept that he was the strange one for feeling pure affection and curiosity toward another Constellation.
“Haven’t you ever wanted to hear such questions?”
“Hmm…. Why would I need to?”
“Well, you could feel lonely. Or perhaps you’d simply want someone to take interest in you without reason, or maybe you need empathy unconditionally.”
“So… why?”
It was a purely innocent “why,” but Franson felt an intense wall in the conversation.
“Never mind… I’ll go. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
Tasha was driven from Franson’s room.
It was clearly Tasha who’d been turned away at the door, yet somehow the wound seemed to have been inflicted on the other party.
“No, wait.”
“Contact me only when you wish to engage in irrational conversation.”
“Irrational?”
“Irrational. Non-calculative. Where facts matter little. Deeply subjective. Devoid of any basis, sometimes bound together by stubbornness, conviction, and obstinacy—biased and emotional discourse, that sort of thing!”
Franson finally succumbed to his emotions, his eyes glistening with tears.
It was a sight that would have drawn admiration from other Constellations as beautiful, yet Tasha found herself merely bewildered.
“Why would irrational, non-calculative, and so forth conversation be….”
Before the question of necessity could even be voiced, the door before her slammed shut with a bang.
[ Questions of “why” are forbidden. Questions of “why can’t I ask why?” are forbidden. All other questions are forbidden ]
And a petty sign was posted in front of Franson’s room.
It was unmistakably directed solely at her.
‘How irritating….’
To anyone who understood Franson’s reasoning even slightly, it would have been natural, but for Tasha it was nothing short of bewildering.
He’d suddenly summoned her, and when she’d gone to the trouble of appearing, he’d driven her away with an expression bearing inexplicable wounds.
This wasn’t even about training a Constellation.
‘Why can’t I ask why?’
Without understanding the reason itself, Tasha could not bring herself to accept it.
Though it seemed the Constellation cared little for her acceptance at present.
What could he possibly be wounded by?
If he’d taken offense at her question and answer, then why?
“Ah, I’ve done it again with ‘why’….”
To forbid questions of “why” when his actions could only be interpreted through such inquiry was cruel.
Though she did not realize it herself, Tasha’s nature was not inherently malicious.
She found herself unconsciously dwelling on the one who spoke of forbidding “why” with such a wounded expression.
‘Contact me only when you wish to engage in irrational conversation.’
And this statement irritated her most of all.
Reading between the lines, it almost seemed he hoped she would contact him again.
It was far too irritating.
She lacked both the leisure and the emotional capacity to deal with such an irritating Constellation, so she departed.
All the way back to her room, she turned over what might have gone wrong.
‘I answered his questions properly. So did he want to hear something different? If he wanted to hear something specific, he would have made it clear. No—if he wanted to hear something specific, he would have summoned a Constellation capable of providing it. Summoning me in the first place was itself a kind of mistake, wasn’t it?’
Logic offered no satisfactory explanation.
Franson was an existence that defied logical explanation entirely.
He was said to have originally studied medicine. In other words, an unparalleled genius.
She had not expected one with such intellect to be so swayed by emotion.
Natalia and approximately 900 others of her kind were born to be governed by logic.
‘Natalia, danger is approaching the world. The System seems unable to endure much longer. I think it would be good if you used your mind.’
‘Very well.’
It could not even be called sacrifice—such a grandiose word.
They were a race for whom death could come at any moment without surprise, and when the time came, they simply ceased their brain activity as if shutting down a computer.
I, on the other hand, could continue learning through my brain even after death—wasn’t that a fortunate thing?
It was a privilege I could enjoy precisely because I had been born the most intelligent among my kind.
“Hmm….”
“Natalia, when will you be able to answer questions again?”
As I returned to my chamber deep in thought, another long procession of Constellations filed in.
Spending time to meet with Franson had caused my schedule to fall behind.
“Ah, have you been waiting long?”
“Very long indeed. My clients don’t have much time to live, so I’d appreciate it if you could answer questions as quickly as possible.”
The Constellations wore expressions of considerable displeasure, clearly hoping Tasha would resume answering their questions as rapidly as before.
“What did you want to ask?”
“I’ve acquired a new client, and I want to know if they have real potential or not. If there’s no promise, I’ll need to replace them as soon as possible.”
“Hmm….”
It was a tediously familiar question.
Out of every hundred Constellations who asked, roughly eighty wanted me to determine whether their client was a promising prospect or not.
After waving my tentacles a few times, I felt an intense weariness wash over me.
It was a realization that struck me anew.
Now that I thought about it, despite receiving countless questions all this time, no one had ever seemed curious about me.
I understood myself with perfect clarity.
So there was no need to wonder.
My nature had always been to disregard interest in things I didn’t need to know—and that troublesome Constellation had suddenly made me conscious of it.
After a brief moment of contemplation, I lifted my head as if I’d reached a decision.
“I won’t be taking questions about clients for a while, so keep that in mind. Actually, to be precise, I simply don’t want to answer questions anymore.”
It was a bombshell announcement.
The Constellations who had waited for days wore expressions of shock, but I passed through them without hesitation.
After all, this exchange had never been an obligation on my part to begin with.
Constellations were fundamentally equals, so there was nothing wrong with me unilaterally ending such a transaction.
“Wait, what about the time we spent waiting!”
“Time?”
I asked back with genuine puzzlement.
“What time are you talking about when you don’t even die? If you’re not confident you can win this argument logically, then leave.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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