[Adjusting pemissions.]
Bragi changed Norton’s permissions after receiving consent from Xavier. The vast majority of its psychic power was present in Norton’s study, as the aged robot’s core could not sustain this amount of data flow.
Bragi solemnly confirmed with Ye Muo once more before granting access to the data it had encrypted several times over.
[Decrypting data.]
Now that there was a spare moment, it didn’t forget to mention: [Item 43, Your Majesty.]
Norton inclined his head slightly.
Secretary-General Lin knowingly opened a small drawer on the nearby desk. Inside, the blue crystal rested within a small, open box. Bragi circled the box, examining it from every direction.
Secretary-General Lin adjusted his glasses. “If there are no issues found during inspection, it will be yours.”
[Agreed.]
The light on Bragi’s chest flashed as it completely disengaged from the robot shell. The flow of its data/psychic power around the study improved as a huge weight lifted from its shoulders.
[The data is ready, Your Majesty. What form would you like to watch it through?]
“No need for anything extravagant.”
Norton’s psychic power spread out, encompassing the entire palace once more.
Bragi included.
It realized Norton intended on a direct data transfer. It was the most efficient way of transmitting information, as well as how AIs communicated with each other.
To Bragi, visual media including books, video and even holographic projections were all inefficient forms of communication. Only by transfering data directly like AIs did could you get the most detailed, objective perspective.
Since its data was contained within its psychic power, it was theoretically possible for Bragi to transmit data to humans. However, it had never attempted such a thing before.
Bragi tentatively reached out to Norton’s psychic power. It made sure to give his psychic domain a wide berth.
Norton closed his eyes. He could ‘see’ Bragi more clearly than ever right now, compared to a shell that it could swap in and out of at any time.
Data-based lifeforms like Bragi were unique in more ways than one, having very little presence. Perhaps because its psychic power developed from data, Bragi could manipulate its psychic power as deftly as it did data.
However, to Norton, all lifeforms with psychic power were the same. They could all be crushed.
He has crushed the psychic domains of his enemies in the past before searching for the information he wanted in the remaining fragments. He has also shared memories directly with his siblings before.
Norton waited for Bragi to send over what he wanted.
The others weren’t aware of their confrontation on the psychic spectrum. Secretary-General Lin waited quietly to the side.
Ye Muo’s watched long enough to know that they were busy right now. Rather than becoming frustrated, he sat back in his seat and fiddled with the little lion statuette.
Bragi began the transfer after running several tests.
Bragi revisited the memory as well during the process. To AI, any moment recorded in data could be revisited at any time, in the blink of an eye even. The emotions it felt, the sounds it heard, the temperature, lighting and even smell at the time, all of that washed over Bragi like the tide.
The same thing was happening to Norton.
He was re-experiencing it all from Bragi’s perspective.
Norton was calm at first. He watched through Bragi’s eyes as the project met setback after setback.
He even had the presence of mind to wonder how Arachnid had gotten their hands on Grantz DNA to begin with.
Then, one of embryos managed to survive.
The rest of this portion was basically focused on the embryo’s growth.
Norton immediately realized that this was Ye Muo.
Under normal circumstances, prospective parents needed to submit an application to conception centers and undergo a battery of tests. Only if everything checked out would the center begin gestating an embryo. Applicants would be sent reports on how the embryo was doing and deliberately blurred images, but they were not allowed to visit or request high-definition images.
This was because there was a certain probability that embryos would stop developing at a certain stage. It was meant to alleviate the grief of the parents to a degree. Perhaps the fact that embryos weren’t the most comely as they developed also factored into the decision.
In any case, the Grantz were exempted from this regulation. After all, Grantz embryos required the psychic power of a family relative to develop at all.
This was why Bert brought up tidbits from their time as embryos sometimes. Mostly to tease Ano.
Norton couldn’t help but wonder if Ye Muo was in pain back then without him around to provide psychic power.
If Ye Muo was born normally in Grantz, Norton would have visited him. He would have watched Ye Muo’s little hands and feet gradually form as he grew up hale and healthy.
The embryo gradually took form during Bragi’s regular visits.
The memory should end soon, Norton thought.
He knew that Ye Zhiyuan had taken Ye Muo away while he was still in a gestation pod. Technically speaking, Ye Muo was born in Grantz.
There was a full paper trail of his life in Grantz from birth. So even though he didn’t grow up in the Grantz palace, the others were able to lament over missing specific moments in his childhood.
At least they could take comfort in the fact that Ye Zhiyuan and Lady Ye took good care of Ye Muo. Ano often reassured himself with the fact that Ye Muo grew up well with the Ye family. Then he would always feel relief over Ye Zhiyuan’s decision to bring Ye Muo back and raise him. Norton felt the same despite never saying anything aloud.
Norton speculated on what the final memory would be as he waited for the transfer to end.
Yet it never did. Ye Muo was born in an Arachnid base. He was plopped down on an examination table by researchers as they took his blood and ran various tests.
A sense of incongruency grew within Norton. Ye Muo shouldn’t have been born at this time. Neither the date nor location matched up.
Yet these were just memories of the past. He could do nothing more but continue to watch.
He watched those around Ye Muo treat him like a valuable test subject or experimental material. They made sure he was alive and his vital signs were stable before proceeding to ignore him entirely.
What little conversation there was was utterly detached.
“Thank goodness we succeeded.”
“The blood sample was nearly used up.”
“It’s already a miracle that we managed to wring so many embryos out of so little biological material. And now we have this little scamp.”
“Not necessarily for long. Be sure to get as much data as you can while he’s still alive.”
The researchers entered and left the lab, leaving the tiny baby to cry until he stopped himself.
It was probably anger that Norton was feeling. Even his psychic power was beginning to be affected.
Ye Muo keenly sensed this shift. He stopped what he was doing and glanced over at the closed-eyed man. Secretary-General Lin was puzzled since he wasn’t as sensitive as Ye Muo. “Is something the matter, Your Little Highness?”
Ye Muo shook his head. His voice was small and uncertain, “Father seems to be angry.”
He quickly turned away. There was nothing to be afraid of, he tried to reassure himself. It shouldn’t be because of him. He didn’t even do anything lately. Father wasn’t the type to get mad for no reason.
However, they were watching something about him, right? Was it really not because of him?
Ye Muo tensed once more.
He wasn’t as skittish as before now that he’s figured out Norton’s bottom line. Still, Ye Muo could admit he was still a little scared of the man. There was nothing strange about that, right? Even Ano and the others were afraid of Father.
He knew he should have taken a look before allowing Father to see whatever it was, Ye Muo lamented. He mentally decided to find Sylvia or even Adlet later.
Bragi and Norton were none the wiser about Ye Muo’s thought process.
The transfer continued.
Norton watched Ye Muo’s life at the base.
His infancy was beyond dull. The researchers ignored him aside from feeding him and drawing more blood for testing on a regular schedule.
However, Norton did not skip even a second. He watched Ye Muo, watched as that baby surveyed his surroundings with big, wide eyes before spontaneously bursting into tears at times.
His cries never garnered a response, only Bragi’s attention. Bragi was still concealing itself and rarely ever acted rashly.
It just stayed to the sidelines, objectively observing every detail about Ye Muo.
And now, Norton was experiencing everything through its eyes.
Ye Muo eventually stopped crying for no reason. Yet his senses became more acute as he grew up. He appeared happy whenever he heard anyone’s approaching footsteps. The researchers would feed him and record his biological values. When the needled pierced his skin, he would start crying again.
Eventually, Ye Muo stopped reacting to even the prick of a needle. He just continued suckling his bottle desperately, as if he came to accept that pain was just a part of life.
He survived and was given the name ‘Xavier’ by them.
Norton’s eyes snapped open when he heard that name for the first time.
He glanced at Ye Muo as the transfer continued. The Ye Muo before him and that tiny child overlapped.
It was common for time to feel dilated during data transmission. Although only a moment had passed in the real world, Norton and Bragi had already experienced a long period of uninterrupted time.
Norton seemed fine for now, but Bragi made sure to carefully synchronize the transmission speed to real time. It was best to avoid any potential incidents that could arise from Norton becoming disoriented.
Bragi would always err on the side of caution when it came to Norton.
Secretary-General Lin finally noticed something was off as well. Norton’s psychic power had saturated the study just moments ago, all while giving off an oppressive vibe.
This was terrifying in more ways that one. Norton did not just crush psychic domains on the battlefield.
Ye Muo was right. Norton was angry, no, enraged.
Secretary-General Lin bowed his head slightly, averting his eyes from Norton in case that set him off. It’s been a long time since Norton showed his emotions so openly. He always appeared steadfast, especially in front of Ye Muo.
Ye Muo just blinked. He only felt a bit guilty and worried with Norton’s eyes locked on him. “Father?”
Norton just looked at him and stated word by word:
“You are Xavier of Grantz.”
Secretary-General Lin agreed without hesitation, “There is no doubt about that, Your Majesty.”
Ye Muo found this somewhat strange, but he quickly nodded anyway. “I’m Ye Muo, as well as Xavier Grantz.”
Norton stared at Ye Muo for a good while longer before closing his eyes again.
Those scum had tarnished the name Xavier, Norton thought with disgust.
