Mantra

[Code Name] Mantra

[Gender] Female

[Combat Experience] 70 years

[Place of Birth] Sargon

[Date of Birth] Apr 7

[Race] Phidia

[Height] 191cm

[Infection Status]

Medical tests have confirmed that no infection is present.

[Physical Strength] Standard

[Mobility] Standard

[Physical Resilience] Outstanding

[Tactical Acumen] Excellent

[Combat Skill] Excellent

[Originium Arts Assimilation] Outstanding

Elite operator Mantra first joined Babel at Kal'tsit's invitation. She fought in the Kazdel Civil War and became one of Rhodes Island's first elite operators after the war.

Long-time leader of the 3rd Special Operations Squad, Mantra's ability to help operators coordinate when radio communications are difficult or inadvisable makes her an indispensable part of many missions.

Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there is no sign of infection. At this time, this Operator is believed to be non-infected.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 0%

Operator Mantra shows no signs of Originium infection.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.14u/L

Prolonged exposure to polluted environments and excessive usage of Originium Arts have caused Operator Mantra's readings to fluctuate compared to previous examinations. The risk of infection was mitigated by the timely actions of other operators present, but we recommend that she be kept out of field missions until readings return to safe levels.

That won't be necessary.

—Mantra

YES IT IS

—Blaze

[In-patient Medical Report]

The operator demonstrates clear symptoms of neural fatigue, including migraines, vertigo, nausea, circadian rhythm disorder, and diminished sight and hearing. Heightened neural activity from excessive use of Originium Arts may increase the risk of neuroinflammation and epilepsy. Furthermore, the operator is showing symptoms of muscle atrophy, with an estimated recovery and rehabilitation timeframe of two months.

Continued hospitalization and observation is recommended until the operator's physical functions return to normal.

Sorry, Mantra, but my Arts can't help with your condition.

—Touch

Don't worry about it, Blaze and I will take care of things. ^_^

—Raidian

[Report from the Breskenoy Incident]

...There is no doubt that the massacre was a premeditated act. Only by precisely timing their intervention in advance could they force the fugitive miners towards Lake Neva, thereby enabling them to deploy along the borders of the Central Governorate and put pressure on Grypherburg while nominally acting within the law. Move too quickly, and their actions would be seen as a sign of weakness—even when dealing with mere miners—as the outcome would prevent a quick resolution. Move too slowly, and the rushed operation could have become a weapon that could be used against them in the future.

The murderers spun a massive, bloody lie, expecting their victims to be powerless to fight back. They did not count on Rhodes Island standing with them, risking exposure to tell the world what is happening here.

I am sure we are in agreement that there is no choice to be made here. I would have done the same if I had to do it again.

On the whole, there is nothing particularly unusual about this incident. A lack of information and inadequate communication were the main reasons for the regrettable outcome. As such, we must prepare a more robust contingency plan, and accelerate the establishment of a permanent Rhodes Island branch in Ursus, as well as a comprehensive intelligence network exclusively for us.

In addition, as we were able to obtain information on the potential whereabouts of the Sarcophagus, I would like to request to be updated on the preparations for the next mission. Attached, you will find a tail transmitter upgrade proposal that has already been verified by Engineering as feasible, which would improve my ability to respond to similar situations in the future.

—Mantra

Who approved this radical transmitter upgrade?! I haven't seen this!

—Closure

[Post-Action Report, Jun 7 Victorian Border Rescue Mission]

The original report has been submitted to the chairman. A copy is available for viewing in the archives.

[Post-Action Report, Aug 4 South Ursus Rescue Mission]

The original report has been submitted to the chairman. A copy is available for viewing in the archives.

Clearance level verified. Searching for reports submitted by Operator Mantra from ■■■■ to 1101.

Results:

'Jun 7. Successfully assisted Ace in the transfer of 56 hostages. 40 were Infected and 16 uninfected. 11 Infected hostages died from their injuries.'

'Aug 4. Assisted Special Operations Squad in the successful rescue of the target. Target safely arrived in Leithanien on Aug 2.'

'Feb 9. Infiltrated the Columbian frontier with the 3rd Special Operations Squad, successfully rescuing 13 missing children, all Infected. No casualties were sustained. Mission debrief attached.'

'May 21. Infiltrated a Victorian crime ring with the 3rd Special Operations Squad, successfully retrieving stolen suppressants and eliminating a black market den with the cooperation of Connor County Police. No casualties were sustained. Mission debrief attached.'

'Jul 4. Infiltrated the northern wastes of Leithanien with the 3rd Special Operations Squad, successfully rescuing 32 hostages from a local cult. An error on my part resulted in Operator Elysium operating solo, rescuing an Infected child from a fire. Elysium suffered mild burns on his hands, a blunt-force injury to the back of his head causing bleeding, a shoulder fracture, and multiple bruises on his back. I take full responsibility for his injuries and I have submitted a request for one month of injury leave on his behalf. Mission debrief attached.'

[Distorted scribbles on a piece of paper]

Captain,

I'm sorry!

I'm sorry for leaving my post when my primary duty is to assist you, and I ended up getting hurt while you took the blame for it... But when I saw the kid at Rhodes Island, I knew I did the right thing.

The situation was dire. I was closest to the scene and I knew the way. I'd do it again if I had to, but I promise to communicate the situation to everyone better next time. Maybe someone could have come up with a better plan.

One more thing... I hand-wrote this apology letter, despite my injuries. So please don't whack me with your tail when I'm discharged...

Mantra's perceptive Arts are able to intervene with another person's perceptions. She calls the process 'hear, then influence'. For example, she will ascertain the target's level of cognition and cause them to hear her voice in their mind, allowing her to communicate without speaking. She can also interfere with the target's creation and retention of short-term memories, thereby indirectly influencing their emotions and reason.

The level of intervention also affects the strain on Mantra herself. 'Hearing' alone does not present a burden, as the price of using these Arts only manifests itself when she has to 'influence' the target. Mantra has gotten into the habit of paying close attention to her colleagues' condition outside battle, to the extent that it no longer bothers them, and they have accepted being 'listened-in' on.

'...Are you listening?'

My eyes met Raidian's smiling gaze. I was not sure why she asked.

[I'm always listening.]

She answered, 'I know. What I meant is are you listening to my voice with your ears, right now, without using Arts—'

Clearly not taking 'no' for an answer, she took my hands and touched her own throat with them. My hands are usually quite cool, and I instinctively tried to sense the fluctuations in her cognition, in order to understand how she was feeling.

She stopped me with a look. Her throat and blood moved beneath the skin as she spoke, and I realized she had just pointed out something that I thought was a secret.

[You knew?]

'That you stroll into my mind from time to time? Yes, I knew all along.'

A passing Logos added, 'I knew too,' before walking towards Mechanist, who was undertaking 'humanitarian modifications' of the coffee machine. They whispered a few words to each other, and Mechanist looked up—

I do not read minds, but I knew what he was going to say.

[So, you all knew.]

[Does everyone else know too?]

Without answering my question directly, Raidian looked around at the other two in the workshop. 'All I can say is that even Blaze knows. She was the last to figure it out.'

I apologized because I thought I should.

[Sorry.]

Raidian's eyes went wide, then she laughed so hard she would have fallen off her chair if Axie and Dendie were not there to support her.

'That wasn't how I imagined this going at all!'

[You wanted to confront me.]

'I was your communicator. Besides, I let go of any thoughts like that after I heard about a bet people had made.'

No doubt my confusion was obvious.

'Yes, a bet. About whether you realized people had found out about your 'listening'. You don't do it often, only once in a while, right? Otherwise, you'd have found out on your own.

'As for how many people are in on it... probably more than the number of people you sometimes pay special attention to.'

I knew what she meant. She was saying that partings happen all the time. All those moments when I stop hearing someone's cognition usually signify the end of their lives. Perhaps I should have told her that I still instinctively look for those familiar minds, even though I inevitably come up empty. If I were to abandon even those futile efforts, that would only make it even harder for me to stop looking for the connections that are still there.

And so I looked around me, at the tools and ornaments that could not speak.

[Raidian...]

'Yes?'

[I'm sorry, but I'll keep listening.]

[I must... make sure.]

—A conversation between elite operators, recreated from their own accounts

'Once upon a time, there was a padishah who ruled over a satrapy on the borders of Sargon. She was born mute, but respected by the locals, who called her Yan-kar-as, a word with reverent connotations that means 'echo' in a southern Sargonian dialect, and a word that symbolized the padishah in the first twenty years of her life—

'The padishah only listened and never answered. All who implored her, all who prayed to her, all they heard was the echo of their own words in the hall.

'Every conflict between the lords ameer was in the name of the padishah, and the lavish furnishings of her palace were paid in the blood of those who fell in the process, though she never asked for that.

'All the young padishah could do was answer the call of those left behind, but she was not the master of her own wealth, nor did she have any trusted lieutenants. All she could do was comfort people with her Arts while punishing the greedy, so that all pilgrims could find whatever comfort or warning they needed.

'The young padishah's fame grew, until the lords ameer who put her up as a figurehead could not ignore it anymore. With atypical cooperation, they quickly discovered 'evidence' of the padishah driving her people to madness with her evil arts, and planned to expose her 'evil deeds'.

'What they did not know was that the padishah was always listening, listening equally to all the people of her satrapy, wealthy or poor, good or evil. When the lords ameer entered the padishah's palace with their soldiers and 'evidence', there was no one there.'

'Isn't that what the lords ameer wanted, though?'

'They say the young padishah did not flee; instead, she came back and drove the greedy lords ameer to madness, in the very manner they accused her of.'

'So she didn't lose?'

'That depends on how you define winning and losing. In the end, the padishah left Sargon, because she knew that the 'evidence' the lords ameer had brought to the palace was her own handmaiden, the very first person whom she had answered with her Arts.'

[Sealed Archive]

...It is true that there was a period of unrest in the satrapy in question, with the lords ameer fighting each other over land, people, and wealth. Based on subsequent events, we may theorize that this Yan-kar-as was—one of the reasons why the title of 'Padishah' was preserved in that region.

Exaggerated and fictionalized, much like the stories Hypatia tells in her lessons. If there's something you wish to know, you know where to find me.

—Annotation on the documents

'How did you find me?' The Phidia gestures in an unfamiliar sign language.

The white-haired Feline looks up and answers with sign language: 'You didn't try to hide your tracks,' as though that explained everything.

The Phidia shakes her head in disbelief. 'You did the same in Ursus when you saved me. What now? What do you want from me?'

'I see you've found a less painful way to communicate.' The Feline does not answer immediately. Instead, she gazes at the Phidia's slender arms, which are not as withered as they were in their last meeting.

'Yes, but not everyone understands it like you do.' The Phidia looks down at the woman's eyes.

'I said I won't be the only one who can 'hear' you.' The woman bends her knuckles as she signs 'hear'.

'That is true up to this point. But if there's nothing you need from me, you should leave.' The Phidia lays down her hands and does not sign anymore.

'What if I said I needed you?' The woman is no longer signing, but speaking in a gentle yet solemn manner, a contradiction that is often found in her words.

[Then we go.]

'You won't ask where we're going, or what I need you to do?'

The Phidia shakes her head.

[You need me, and I answered. You're no different from the others.]

[I have no other questions.]

'How did you find me?' You cannot help but ask a stupid question at the sight of the tall Phidia, whose tail alone almost blocks off the exit to the storage room.

[I can hear you, Doctor.] However, she does not seem to consider the question silly, giving you a serious answer.

'Mantra...'

[I know we lost contact with Raidian in Ursus, and I know what she went there to look for.]

'We're planning a rescue operation.'

[I want to go.]

'Kal'tsit's notes mentioned that you don't normally volunteer for missions to Ursus.'

[What else did she say?]

'You can ask her when we find her.'

[I've always had many questions for her.]

'Mantra?'

[Forget what she wrote, Doctor. Infiltration missions like these should be my responsibility, always.]

[If you and Amiya are resolved to go, then I will accompany you.]

[The 3rd Special Operations Squad is ready for action.]