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A Foothold for Change part 1

 

The same thing.

It is a foothold for change.

Kou directed his gaze at Aimer. Sensing his intent, Aimer awakened Master.

Master, borrowing Aimer’s body, immediately sent a message to him. Kou glanced at his terminal briefly and began to read aloud.

「I am the one who holds property rights of Prometheus, the Observer of the Nemesis Star System, and the planetary management AI, Asia. Like you, appointed by Okeanos, I have the right to create and operate an organization to manage this world.」

「You! Do you intend to cast us aside and take our place? Playing the revolutionary?」

「No. Historically, organizational change has not come from external pressure but from within. In nations that underwent revolutions, power struggles among the upper classes occurred. Even democratic and communist revolutions sometimes resulted in power struggles and violent, oppressive regimes. I have no intention of repeating such tragic histories.」

「But you claim you will create a new organization!」

「Indeed. What I intend may seem like a rebellion against the system, but it is not a revolution. You may remain as you are. All I aim to do is offer the inhabitants of this planet another choice.」

Master sent Kou a simple yet flawless cheat sheet about revolutionary history in real-time.

「Are you trying to create a classless society between humans and artificial beings?」

「How shallow, Oedipus. As long as humans live in society, roles are necessary, and constructing a classless society cannot be realized. Since individuals have different roles, their responsibilities and positions will also differ. Even the demigods of the Stones, who claim to champion perfect equality, have classes, don’t they? That’s not the point. What is needed is order and fairness.」

At those words, Hermes, who had been listening to the broadcast, burst into loud laughter, while Vasa gave a wry smile. Albert, on the other hand, chose silence, adhering to the principle of ‘let sleeping gods lie’.

「The essence of a classless society is one where labor alone determines one’s worth. The planet Asia was close to that state. There were no countries, no borders, and people were equal. As a result, the only way to increase one’s value and gain recognition was to become a mercenary. That was the role of our organization, the Mercenary Association Headquarters .」

「That was only possible because there were no external enemies, and super AIs or Familias handled administrative duties, allowing you to focus solely on being mercenaries. It’s the ultimate form of indifference to others, isn’t it? You saw them not as people but as tools, that’s why the society appeared classless to you.」

A classless society could indeed exist if there were those who could be unilaterally exploited and made to labor, their existence ignored entirely. However, if the exploited beings had consciousness, it would inevitably burden them with immense suffering.

Outis pointed out the issues with Familias who administered governance without compensation relegated to nothing but tools.

「Until the transferees arrived, the planet Asia didn’t even have a proper concept of distribution. It was no wonder they were powerless against the Stones. When I first heard stories of the Familias having no other options than to literally ramming themselves against Antique Silhouettes, I was appalled. But now I understand. You were coddled by the Artifact Consciousness and never even learned how to fight.」

The world administrative agency, taught that peace was paramount, never bothered to learn how to defend themselves even when external enemies appeared. It was a planet that had abandoned the concept of a nation, rendering it unable to respond to crises. A world where smartphones existed, yet there were no schools—a world where someone else always took care of things, leaving its inhabitants complacent.

「W-What nonsense! War is harmful by nature. It brings only destruction and consumption. It is something that should not exist at all! If there’s a budget for such things, it should be allocated to welfare for each residential colony!」

「Convince the Stones to stop their invasion before you start barking. The enemy is right in front of us. Don’t turn your eyes away. Headquarters, which claims to manage the planet, listen. An administrative body that cannot protect its residents cannot qualify as a government. An administrative body that neglects the right to live has no right to call itself a government. These two are the wheels that must turn together.」

「T-That’s… We don’t have the strength to negotiate with them. You wouldn’t understand reality or politics.」

「An opponent who will never strike back is nothing but an object to exploit. Just as you did with the Artifact Consciousness before. You didn’t even try to build a single autocannon, of course you didn’t have any military strength. The brave ones fought with lances mounted on working Silhouettes. Familiars and Therianthropes who couldn’t even pilot Silhouettes fought with industrial machines. Many lives were lost because of your failures.」

The Mercenary Association had existed since the early days of the current generation, but until the arrival of the transferee companies, not a single weapon had been developed. For a world like that, it would have been faster to trample it than to negotiate.

Certainly, the original super AI, Sophia, sealed away advanced technologies to curb the escalation of conflict. Yet industrial functionality remained, and if they had chosen to fight, they could have built weapons.

The reason they hadn’t was purely because of the intentions of the Mercenary Association Headquarters. After all, they already possessed the Antique Silhouettes.

「The actions of the Familias and Therianthropes are natural. They were created to stand by humanity, after all.」

「Just because they are meant to stand by humans doesn’t justify letting them die in vain. You enriched yourselves and the Mercenary Association Headquarters by colluding with the Stones and betraying humanity. You are utterly corrupt!」

Outis dismissed Oedipus’s excuses outright.

「Mercenary Association Headquarters, because you centralized this organization, no self-correcting mechanism exists, and the consequences are clear. If we abolish you and replace you with another organization, eventually that new organization will also rot.」

Oedipus gritted his teeth, his face contorted in an unbearable expression as the facts were laid bare.

Kou looked at him with emotionless eyes. In his mind, a certain memory surfaced:
The Defense Dome under attack by the Enyo. The Familias rushing to save the fleeing people. The armored vehicles being mercilessly destroyed.

「Hey, Master. You said earlier that those armored vehicles were unmanned, didn’t you?」

「Yeah.」

「They aren’t unmanned, are they? There are people inside. The Familias.」

It felt unjust. The ones fighting were only some mercenaries and the Familias. The defense forces barely deployed any Silhouettes, staying in the rear to prepare for evacuation. The only ones actively fighting were Metal Iris, while even other mercenary teams distanced themselves from the Murders to preserve their own safety.

The Murders prioritized targeting the Familias. And yet, the Familias ran tirelessly across the battlefield, fighting for humanity. For Kou, that scene represented the situation on Planet Asia.

「A counterweight is necessary. With the Mercenary Association as the only administrative body, too many lives are being wasted needlessly.」

To fight alongside everyone—he poured all of that resolve into the words he now spoke.

「Therefore! I, Outis, will create an administrative option—a society where humans and Artifact Consciousness can coexist while recognizing their differences! With that, I will bring change to this stagnant world!」

A new message arrived from Master. Kou read through the draft and adopted it immediately. It aligned perfectly with his vision.

Its name, along with its origin, was written.

「The name of the new organization shall be Trireme! A further evolution of the pentekonter, the ship on which Odysseus and his men sailed to return to their homeland—a three-tiered galley. I will appoint the captains of each Underground Force as Triarchs, representing the trinity of humanity, Artifact Consciousness, and machines.」

「A galley ship? So you are no more than a cruel captain, forcing the Familias to row like slaves.」

「How shallow. Ancient Greek triremes did not use slaves. The rowers were free citizens. Various individuals—regular soldiers, marines, mercenaries, aulos players, and ship technicians—were on board. The crew of an Athenian trireme consisted of eighty citizens, sixty free non-citizens, and sixty foreigners. While slaves were sometimes used during emergencies, they were freed upon employment. It was a ship that fought to protect a home to return to—a vessel embodying the very principles of democracy. That is the trireme.」

Outis smiled boldly.

「The rich and the poor rowed side by side, united by the same purpose. There was no distinction of rank among comrades who fought together. That is why this name is most fitting for us!」

The words Outis proclaimed shook the very foundations of those listening.

It was a declaration of the establishment of a new administrative body. These words reverberated equally among the mercenary organizations and individuals affiliated with the Underground Forces.