Log #40-2

Sometimes its genius is…it’s almost frightening.

After the Sixths General’s visit, it seemed much more amicable to us. It does not run away whenever we enter. It also has given permission to various staff members to touch it, if only for a brief moment. Never as long as the General had.

We took subject α-01 for a bath as requested by the Sixth General. However, when we arrived inside the bathhouse, our assistance was not entirely needed. It nuzzled itself inside of the water to clean off its dried blood and mud. It acted like it had attempted it previously. Maybe it cleaned itself off to reduce its odor, which in turn allowed for better hunting results?

After its bath, we gave α-01 the standard quantitative tests for an average child entering primary school. A simple sorting puzzle, where it had to arrange various shapes with dots into different categories.

Not only did it complete them astonishingly quickly, but it also completed them without being prompted or being told how to do it. Yes, you read correctly, we never told it what to do, or how to do it. It analyzed the situation and accurately inferred what we wanted it to do. We believe that its intelligence is high enough to understand that it is being watched and judged.

Fascinating, is it not? A subject that knows it’s a subject. It knows that it has to do what we want it to do. It knows that its freedom is limited by our actions. However, it is not acting like a beast in a cage. It feels like it is toying with us. Mocking us. Trying to see what we can learn from it. Secrets that we may never have the ability to learn.

One slight problem that it does have is discerning between colors. This is odd, since it has no problems with its sight, as it can sort between different sizes and shapes. But colors usually throw it off. Perhaps that they see the world in different colors than we do?

We raised its cognitive test level to secondary school, while also giving it primary arithmetic and language tests. Secondary cognitive tests, which included visual and logic puzzles were as easily completed as the first tests.

The results from the math tests were even more astounding than our previous ones. The first time we gave the test to it, it just looked stared at it. However, once we explained what the symbols meant, then it was just as easy as the previous tests. Even more complicated math problems, like division and multiplication, were quickly completed. All we had to do was explain it to him once. Its ability to remember and use information is absolutely shocking.

Language is still an ongoing task. We had expected it to struggle, but it is taking longer than we expected. Giving it the ability to understand with us and communicate, if possible, would lead to so many new possibilities. We could teach it magic, but if its intelligence proves high enough, we can turn it into a human.

I do not even know if that is possible. From previous dissections of animals and humans, their anatomy is just too different. But with extensive use of repair magic, then it might be possible. After all, there have not been any serious attempts to do this, after all, there was no point. But now that has changed

I am requesting around five inmates on death row, a handful of blue monkeys, and your most loyal corps of battlefield medics. I understand that this is a lot to ask for, but the information that is possible from this experiment can help revolutionize humanity itself.

Our blood, for glory, to the Eternal Empire!

~END Log #40-2~

Frixin was getting breakfast in the streets of the Empire when she decided to visit the wolf again. One of the benefits of being a high-ranking imperial general was that you could do practically anything, and there was not much anyone could do about it. It also paid incredibly well, and she never had to check her savings.

Life at the top of the Empire was pretty blissful. The climb was not though, she had to struggle her way to the top, doing things that were not entirely illegal, but also not really legal. But in the end, she had become one of the five strongest people in the Empire and the Sixth General. Freedom was great.

Although life in the Empire was great for the wealthy and the autocracy, for everyone else, not really.

The Empire of Eldrissis was a heavily militarized country, with a massive emphasis on combat capabilities. It called itself an Empire, but it used to be a bunch on islands that confederated. It was only around a century back when a single person arose and demanded everyone else’s subjugation.

Money and family played a massive role in where you could get to in life. If you were poor but were also an amazing fighter, then you would end up fighting an uphill battle against the system of autocracy. Worse, you could be eliminated by certain people who determine you to be a threat to their children’s position.

If you were weak, and you were poor, then off to the peripheral islands you go. A life full of adventures like farming, mining, and generally low-paying, high-effort jobs. If you were lucky and did not get injured, then you could retire at a ripe old age of never. And if you were unlucky, then you would die to the hundreds of dangers in the outside world.

However, if you were a slave, then you would be better off dying.

The Empire was almost fanatical in their worship of Anthrohom, the patron god of humans. he was also a warrior on the front lines during the Great War. As such, he embodied power and strength. The right for the strong to do as they wish, and the weak do as they must. Almost all of the other nations worshiped at least two gods. The patron god of their species, and Virita, the goddess of mankind and the mother of all of the patron gods. But the Empire did not and only worshiped Anthrohom. The other human countries were significantly more moderate.

The Directory of Remdimo was practically located in the middle of the continent and became a trade hub. As such, multiple different races intermingled, and many places of worship were built. They had a massive mega-temple that was mainly devoted to Virita, with other smaller temples surrounding it.

The Republic of Khanoshtia was an interesting place, to say the least. But if there was one word that could describe it, then it would be anarchy. Their government was useless, their military was weak, and almost every single one of their systems was ineffective. In the end, they were destroyed by the Empire and the Directory. Completely wiped off of the map.

But the Empire's worship was so fanatical it almost bordered on insanity. And that led to the current system that it followed.

At the top were the Autocrats. The cream of the crop. The most powerful people in the nation. Educated, strong, and rich. They had access to almost all of the resources that they could want, depending on their rank within their class.

Next was the specialties. Your bakers, artisans, hunters, et cetera. They were slightly educated and moderately strong, depending on their career. Some of the working class held even more power than some of the autocrats, but this class also contained the biggest division and distribution of wealth.

Third, was the working class. Here were your poorest citizens. Those who did labor-intensive tasks like farming or mining. Most of them did not have an education and were born into their current position. Some of them were from the specialties class that had become bankrupt and were considered too weak to continue.

Finally, there were the undesirables. The weakest of the weak. Almost completely unable to use mana and would be killed by a simple E-ranked monster. Not even considered human, here were your mentally and physically disabled. But most importantly, the non-humans.

No matter how powerful they were, they became entertainment. Usually sent to fight to the death in the Arena, or they bought by whoever wanted them and could pay for their sometimes-exorbitant prices. And with the invention of the slave collar, they had to obey or be killed.

Frixin was an outsider to the Empire. Born in the northern mountains and only became a citizen after her hometown was annexed. And she already could see the cracks beginning to show in the system. After all, they were acting like slaves were endless. But in the end, she was not a politician. She was a warrior. Told to go kill things in that direction and did so.

She grabbed her tea and cake from a high-end baker, paying less than half of what was on the menu. She sat down near the beach shore, overlooking the sea. Enjoying her meal that was probably cultivated by someone who would earn less in their entire lifetime than she could in one day. But there was not anything she could do about it. She was powerful, but there were more powerful people above her.

A red envelope with gold trim and a gold seal suddenly flew through the air and hovered directly in front of her face. A cold wind flew in from the sea. And the nice enjoyable Spring morning immediately turned sour. She knew what the envelope meant. Everyone did. And it reminded her that she was not entirely free. After all, there was one person that lorded over the entire Empire.

She was summoned by the Fifth Emperor.