As the evening desded and the fading glow of the setting sun paihe sky, Lynn had been adrift at sea for almost a day!

  Sihe troublesome longsword had been borrowed from Jonny, Lynn had hesitated to part with it. Instead, he had spent two hours learning to swim and doggy paddle uhe guidance of his smartbrain.

  "071, ime we enter a situation like this, you should alert me in advance," Lynn said, struggling to swim and avoid colliding with the protruding rocks ahead.

  [In accordah Directive Target 17 hours, 23 minutes, 50 seds ago, the warning tone has been disabled...]

  "Well, then turn it ba for me now!" Lynn blurted out without thinking, and immediately regretted it.

  [You have an unprocessed criminal record. Do you wish to make an online defeatement?]

  Lynn sighed in resignation, almost fag the projected divine being. He couldn't help but wish that a federal officer would fly him out of this wicked medieval realm. Perhaps he'd even receive a substantial reward for being the first to discover extraterrestrial life on a p.

  But, as, this fantasy was destio remain unfulfilled. Before his time travel, the range of federal spacecraft was limited to the sor system and cked the capability for ielr travel.

  Furthermore, there was no signal, which was odd.

  Lynn, who uood the logic of his smartbrain's operation very well, suddenly spoke.

  "071, based on the current information, identify the star I'm on."

  [The p has beeed to possess an unknown energy called 'magic,' and it is beyond the signal tower ce of Uranus. The current location is predicted to be in an unknown gaxy outside the Milky Way - Orion Arm - the Sor System, and it ot be determined if it's in the same universe.]

  "In that case, please describe the definition of proteg extraterrestrial life in the 'Intelligent Ma Act,'" Lynn inquired again.

  [The 'Intelligent Ma Act' tains no provisions for the prote of extraterrestrial life.]

  071's response was cise. As the federal exploration of the os had yet to discover extraterrestrial civilizations, there was no need for any provisions in the 'Intelligent Ma Act' to protect extraterrestrial life.

  "So, you mean that aliens have nhts, right? In fact, I haven't itted any crimes!" Lynn said early.

  The high-speed operation of the smartbrain seemed to stutter for a moment. After ing ohousandth of its energy for putation, it provided an answer.

  [The logical is valid, and the criminal record has been erased!]

  Hearing this, Lynn finally breathed a sigh of relief. He uood that, no matter what he did iure, he wouldn't be bothered by annoying warning tones anymore.

  After all, federal w couldn't reach this otherworldly realm.

  Lyly resolved that when he became a full-fledged wizard, capable of freely using magic, he would research whether he could modify this artificial intelligence.

  Just as Lynn was lost in thought, a sea of twinkling lights appeared on the vast expanse of water. As he got closer, a t city wall came into view, and the previously seen lights turned out to be bonfires used for illumination otlements.

  After a day of drifting oer, Lynn's mood was slightly excited as he finally saw something different. However, he decided not to approach recklessly. Instead, he opted to nd nearby and explore this porrow.

  The otion from the battle outside the town of Ull had been quite substantial, and not all the people had been annihited. The news had likely spread by now.

  Lynn had no doubt that the entire Nordory was urict martial w. His hair ce, and physique were all distinctive signs that could easily get him arrested if he didn't do some kind of disguise. Therefore, Lynn ged his swimming style from effortless backstroke to less profit doggy paddle as he prepared to make his way to shore first.

  Just then, something heavy dropped from the t city wall in front of him. Apanied by a dull thud, a spsh of water shot high into the air. Ripples oer's surface gradually expanded, indig that something was strugglih.

  "A person?" Lynn's pupils tracted slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he swam over swiftly.

  Although it seemed like a crime se, he happeo need someoo answer some questions.

  Water spshed everywhere, and the clear ke had already been stained red.

  Lynn became even more certain of his earlier suspis. Before he could provide any rescue, a hand reached out from the ke bottom and tried to pull him down.

  This was a on stress response for drowning victims and could sometimes drag rescuers down with them. Fortunately, Lynn didn't have to worry about oxygen and was able to swim to the shore while holding onto the other person's colr.

  ...

  An hour ter, inside a natural cave outside the city, a r fire gradually lit up, providing both illumination and dispelling the night's chill.

  During the interval while his clothes dried, Lynn turo look at the young man he had "rescued."

  This young man appeared to be aroueen or een, with an ordinary fad hair color strikingly simir to his own. What made Lynn sigh in frustration was the deep scar on the young man's chest, which seemed to be the result of a knife wound that pierced his heart.

  Had he known, he might have left him alone. He had put in so much effort and, after all, ended up saving a lifeless body.

  Lynn shook his head in resignation but still went through the routine of searg the body. After all, this was likely a noble's offspring, and who knew what valuable items he might find.

  Three gold s, over ten silver s, a few exquisite tris, and a book with no name oer-damaged cover were all the young man had in his possession.

  For a noble's offspring, this seemed quite meager, but for Lynn, it was an ued windfall.

  In the Sekas Empire, a copper could buy a dark loaf of bread, which, along with water, could provide a meal's sustehe exge rate between silver and copper s fluctuated around 1:80, and the exge rate between gold and silver was over 100, even higher in times of war.

  After all, gold was sidered a rare element throughout the universe, with very limited reserves...

  However, sihese items were still with the body, it was uhat the motive for the murder was simple robbery.

  Lynn tossed the s in his hand. He wasn't a professional detective, but after examining the wound on the victim's chest, his expression suddenly froze. Then, he mimicked holding a dagger with his right hand and tried to stab himself in the chest at a simir angle.

  The angle of the wound was exactly the same...@@novelbin@@

  This is... suicide?

  Lynn immediately realized this possibility. After thinking for a moment, he reached for the book he had overlooked aly lifted the water-damaged pages. The writing was scribbled but deep, as if it had been carved into the paper.

  "Perhaps without me, everything will get better..."