ăLeave everything about the land and buildings to me! So please, make sure to come back, okay?ă
With a smile, Chris said goodbye to us, and after also bidding farewell to Earl Dareinwald, we headed for the Gateway. Our destination was the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. Specifically, the Neeparc Star System. It was an imperial territory located five systems away from the Dexer system, which was the central system of Earl Dareinwaldâs territory, via the hyperlane. The Neeparc Star System was the closest star system with a Gateway.
ăWeâre heading to the Neeparc Prime Colony first, right?ă
ăYes, my Lord. I should be able to contact my homeland from the main colony in a system with a Gateway. Once I contact them, they will probably send a party to pick us up.ă
ăThey will send people to pick us up?ă
ăYes, Mimi-san. Strictly speaking, they wonât send people to pick us up, but replacements for our people dispatched to the Grakkan Empire. You see, our nation restricts trade and ship traffic with outsiders. Regular connections with the Empireâs Gateway donât happen often, so when a connection is available, we take the opportunity to transfer diplomatic personnel and occasional trade ships all at once.ă
While en route to the Neeparc System, we gathered everyone in the Black Lotusâs lounge and had a discussion led by Kugi about the journey to the Holy Vuelzarus Empire.
ăWhy do they restrict movement like that?ă
ăWell, Tina-san, Iâm not entirely sure, but from what Iâve heard, itâs supposedly to avoid being viewed with unnecessary suspicion by other nations.ă
ă???ă
Everyone tilted their heads at Kugiâs explanation, and so did I. Restricting travel to avoid being viewed with suspicion by other countries? It just doesnât make sense to me.
ăUm, you see, our nationâs ships, weapons, and soldiers are quite different compared to other nationsâŠă
ăI seeâŠ?ă
I canât say I completely understand what Kugi is saying. The Holy Vuelzarus Empire is known for its psionic technology, so if their ships incorporate that, it makes sense that their design and performance would differ significantly from ships built with conventional technology.
ăAre we going to be okay? We wonât end up in a situation where once we go in, we canât come back out, right?ă
ăI think it should be fine. If they provoke someone like my Lord, who is a visitor from a higher world, thereâs a chance our nation will be destroyed if things go wrong.ă
ăThatâs a pretty alarming thing to say out of the blue.ă
ăAh, Iâm still a bit skeptical myself, but it seems that if someone like me dies after being mentally pushed to the brink, a catastrophe that could destroy multiple star systems will occur.ă
ăHaha, thatâs a pretty grand-scale story⊠Wait, youâre joking, right?ă
Dr. Shouko laughed at what I said, but as soon as she saw the serious expressions on both mine and Kugiâs faces, her smile faded, and reflexively asked again. Kugi had a straight face, and I probably looked just as serious.
ăâŠThis is news to me.ă
Ah, crap, Elmaâs voice sounds irritated. Now that I think about it, we didnât talk to anyone about this, we talked about this several times, but we must have been alone all those times.
ăWell, I still donât fully believe it yet. Iâm still about 85% believe, 15% skeptical, maybe?ă
ăThat means you almost believe it. You should really report something that important to your partner, donât you think?ă
ăYes, I agree. Iâm sorry.ă
Since this was clearly my fault, I apologized sincerely. Information regarding my origins is fairly sensitive, so I understand why Kugi couldnât explain it to Elma and the rest of the crew.
ăTo clarify, Iâm not originally from this world, or rather, this universe? Dimension? Iâm from what Kugi and the people of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire refer to as a higher world, and I possess immense psionic power. Supposedly, if I were to die in a state of overwhelming anger, hatred, or despair, the resulting release of that psionic power could cause a catastrophic event. At minimum, it could wipe out an entire star system, and at worst, it could destroy multiple systems.ă
ăThe scale is so ridiculous that is hard to believe. Just how much energy are we talking about here? ă
ăSupernova explosions are said to have an energy output between 10^48 and 10^52 joules, so Iâd estimate it would be somewhere between that range or even several times greater.ă
Mei answered, dead serious, in response to Neveâs exasperated question.
I understand that it was a massive amount of energy, but honestly, I canât grasp the reality of those numbers at all.
ăAre you sure youâre okay, Boss? Youâre not going to explode suddenly, right?ă
ăWell, I canât guarantee that some god-like entity, if they exist, wonât suddenly make me explode, but I think Iâm probably fine⊠Dr. Shoukoâs check-ups havenât shown any signs that Iâm on the verge of spontaneously blowing up.ă
ăYeah, no signs of that so far. But keep in mind, I can only examine you within the realm of science. When it comes to psionic technology, Iâm practically useless.ă
Dr. Shouko said this, raising her hands slightly as if accepting defeat, while wearing a wry smile.
She says that, but I know better. Dr. Shouko has been making progress analyzing my genetic material, looking for the factors responsible for the manifestation of psionic abilities, and has already begun dabbling in psionic technology to try and identify them.
ăWell, even if Iâm carrying this âbomb,â it seems it only goes off when I die. And honestly, worrying about what happens after Iâm dead feels like a waste of time. Also, unless Iâm in an extremely bad state of mind when I die, it shouldnât trigger.ă
ăWait, is Kugi actually here to keep an eye on you to make sure you donât go off?ă
Elma shot a suspicious glare at Kugi when this thought suddenly occurred to her. Hey, you donât say things like that to others, even if you think itâs true.
The source of this cđžntent is freewebnĂžvel.coɱ.
ăYes, that is correct. However, thatâs not the only reason. As I mentioned earlier, my Lordâs unfortunate arrival in this world was caused by our nationâs past actions, and I was sent to atone for that. But now, those reasons are no longer my primary motivation. I stay by my Lordâs side because I wish to. Even if I return to the homeland and my duty is officially lifted, I have no intention of leaving his side.ă
Kugi affirmed Elmaâs suspicions but made her own stance clear, standing tall with her fox ears perked up, looking directly at Elma with unwavering determination. Perhaps taken aback by Kugiâs intensity, Elma gave a wry smile, raised both hands in surrender, and backed off.
ăOkay, okay, Kugi, I get it. Iâm sorry for doubting you.ă
ăThere is no need to apologize, as your question was perfectly reasonable⊠butâŠă
Kugiâs expression changed from a solemn one into one of uncertainty as she glanced at me.
Noticing her unease, I took her small, cool, and slightly sweaty hand into mine, wrapping both of my hands around it.
ăI have no intention of letting you go now either, Kugi. Especially if thatâs how you feel. So, thereâs nothing to worry about. If it comes down to it, Iâll just kidnap you and escape from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire.ă
As I said this, Kugiâs fox ears began to twitch happily, and her fluffy tails started wagging energetically. Tears welled up in her eyes, and I pulled out a handkerchief from my jacket pocket to gently wipe them away.
ăAhh, so hot, so hot. Mei-han, can you lower the temperature of the air conditioning a bit?ă
ăRight away.ă frŃewebnoŃ”el.Æoàč
ăHmm, I sense a strong wave of loveâŠ!ă
ăLooks like itâs Kugiâs victory today, huh?ă
ăWell, since sheâll be our biggest ally over there, I guess weâll let her have this one.ă
As they said this, the rest of the crew gradually dispersed, leaving me and Kugi alone. Hey, donât you think you guys are being a bit too obvious?
ăAhh⊠maybe I should rest for a bit.ă
ăâŠYes, my Lord.ă
Kugi murmured softly, pressing close as I pulled her in, and we both sank into the sofa.
Itâs still too early in the day to head back to my room, but this is a good opportunity. Maybe I should take this time to ask her more about the Holy Vuelzarus Empire.