Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 28 - Chapter 2

Alien Invasion?!

Tuesday, March 1st

Maki’s skill in the kitchen was a few notches above average. Originally a soldier, she’d learned the basics of cooking as part of her survival skills. Her abilities only improved from there as she served her master, Maya, and took missions that required blending in as a normal civilian. But not once had she wanted to cook of her own free will until she entered Kisshouharukaze High School. In other words, not until she had people she considered friends.

“Everyone, Maki-san has made lunch, so make sure you don’t buy lunch in the cafeteria today,” said Ruth.

“Oh? Maki’s made lunch, has she? Interesting,” Theia commented.

“Yurika, Yurika! That means you get to eat for free,” called Sanae.

“Really?! Thank you, Maki-chan!” cheered Yurika.

Indeed, today Maki had decided to challenge herself to boxed lunches. Making them for ten people was hard work. She’d done all of the prep work the night before, and had gotten up early this morning to give it a try. While she still had much to learn, the ever-serious Maki loyally followed a recipe book. She added in her own touches here and there, but stayed true to the instructions. Unlike with Sanae and Yurika and their strange inventiveness, there was no need to worry about the taste of the final product with Maki cooking.

“I see, so that’s what the package I received this morning was...”

The diligent, considerate Maki had even made sure to make and send lunch to Clan too. She would often join in with the others around lunchtime via her communication device. Since students were free to eat lunch where they liked, they often went to other classrooms to visit friends. That meant there were always different people in the room, and no one ever noticed one more voice than there should be.

“I just hope it’s to your liking...” said Maki.

“More importantly, I think we should focus on capturing Satomi Koutarou, who’s currently trying to flee,” suggested Kiriha.

The girls all looked over towards the classroom door and spied Koutarou, who was indeed trying to sneak out. Of course, they wouldn’t let him get away with that.

“Jeez, Satomi-kun! Why don’t you just learn to give up?!”

“Say what you want, Landlord-san! For me, it’s either get beat up after eating, or after school!”

What Koutarou was really trying to escape was the wrath of his male classmates. The girls drew enough attention as it was, and Koutarou joining in to eat lunch with them would only stand out more. He was already considered a traitor by the unpopular boys alliance, so flaunting his closeness with the girls during school hours would only make him more of a target. And that was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

“Then just don’t let them beat you up. That should be easy for you, right?”

Shizuka cut straight to the chase. It was true that if Koutarou got serious, he could easily handle anything his friends could throw at him and come out on top. No matter how many untrained high school students attacked him, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Koutarou and the powers that protected them.

“If I pulled a stunt like that, it’d ruin my life here!”

Shizuka had a point, but Koutarou had a good reason for not taking that route. He strictly made sure not to use any special powers while he was at school. It would be one thing if a robber or something came into the school, but openly using his special powers would completely destroy his school life as he knew it. That’s why, while he was at school, he tried his hardest to be a normal teenage boy. He wanted to be on the same page as his classmates and friends. So he especially didn’t want to use his powers to resolve a conflict with then.

“Then tell that to Aika-san,” Shizuka said.

“I’m sorry, Satomi-kun. I wasn’t thinking of your circumstances...” Maki said, apologizing before Koutarou could respond.

Maki was a master of mind manipulation, but that also made her a master at reading people. She understood exactly how Koutarou felt. Realizing that she may have put him in a tough spot, Maki lowered her head, apologized, and looked up at Koutarou with a remorseful look.

“Go on, Satomi-kun, you have to say something to her.”

Shizuka urged Koutarou on with a nudge of her elbow. When it came to things like this, she wouldn’t back down.

“Ugh...”

Shizuka was trying to get Koutarou to explain himself to Maki, but he seemed to have a change of heart. He couldn’t bring himself to say it when she was looking at him like that.

“...Aika-san, let’s not stand around here. Let’s eat lunch already.”

“Ah...”

Maki’s face lit up at Koutarou’s words. Seeing that, Koutarou sighed a little in relief. He wasn’t looking forward to getting beat up, but he’d rather risk it than have to see Maki so downcast. He could always hedge his bets on being able to run away.

“I eat a lot though. Are you sure you have enough?”

“Yes! I even put in extra for you, Satomi-kun!”

“That’s more like it, Satomi-kun,” Shizuka said with a giggle. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to protect you later, okay?”

“That’d be extremely uncool, so thanks but no thanks.”

“Well said, Satomi-kun! What a soldier! What a man!”

And so Koutarou ended up having lunch with the girls anyway. He might have earned the ire of the boys around him, but at this rate, it seemed like that would be the new normal. In fact, seeing him with the girls now, it looked as though a small piece of the wall around his heart had started to crumble.

The boxed lunches that Maki had made weren’t especially elaborate. The dishes included all came from the lunch section of a recipe book, and Maki had chosen things that looked like they would be easy enough to make. She’d picked out things like rice, deep-fried chicken, potato salad, corn stir-fried with butter, and spaghetti flavored with ketchup. She wanted to make sure there was something everyone would enjoy. She even included a small bag of furikake so they could season things to suit their tastes. In the end, Maki’s boxed lunches were a symbol of affection for the people she intended to feed.

“Ah, only Koutarou’s portion has meat. That’s unfair!” whined Sanae.

“That’s love for you,” Theia mumbled.

“Your research on Master is spot on, Maki-san,” said Ruth.

“Um, thank you very much...” Maki mumbled.

Though each of the lunches had been made with care, she’d especially put her heart into one in particular. Koutarou’s boxed lunch was bigger than the rest and had a wider variety of things in it. He had more rice and fried chicken than anyone else, along with some dumplings from yesterday’s dinner and the little bit of leftover pork fried with ginger. She’d tried to craft something that would be more appealing to a boy.

“Share with me,” said Sanae.

“Whaddaya want?” Koutarou asked.

“All of the extras.”

“You’re gonna take them all from me?!”

“Just a little bit of everything. I’ll give you some of my deep-fried chicken in exchange.”

“I guess that’s okay.”

“Me too, please!” piped up Yurika.

After trading around some side dishes, the group all sat down to eat together. Before digging in, each one gave their thanks.

“Thank you for the food!”

After how long they’d all spent together, good manners had started to rub off on the less polished friends in the group. Sanae even held her chopsticks properly now. Partially because she’d spent so long as a ghost, her table manners had really suffered.

“Maki-san, this deep-fried chicken is really good.”

“That’s because of your guidance, Sakuraba-senpai. Thank you very much.”

“The potato salad leaves you wanting more. It’s truly delicious,” added Theia.

“Maki-san, you used chicken broth as a secret ingredient, didn’t you?” asked Kiriha.

“Yes, that’s right. I thought that the flavor would be too bland after it cooled, so I added in a little chicken broth to make up for that.”

Fortunately, Maki’s lunch was well received. The menu itself was solid, and the dishes had been made to keep well and be easy to eat. All in all, it was quite well made for a high school girl’s home cooking.

“Satomi-kun, stop acting all tough and say something.”

“I’m not acting tough. I would have said something right away if it weren’t for... you know...”

“Being a boy sure is tough, huh?”

“Please cut me some slack, Landlord-san.”

Just as he expected, while eating with eight girls, Koutarou drew a lot of attention. He was getting glares from around the room, and he could feel nearly every one stabbing at him. The room was practically full of tension and bloodlust, and it wasn’t hard to imagine all-out war breaking out if Koutarou smiled the wrong way or said the wrong thing. The happier he looked right now, the more danger he was in.

But even then, I can’t just not say anything... I know! Saguratin, please!

Koutarou called out to his sword in his mind. After the last battle, Nalfalaren had split back into the two original swords. Since he couldn’t walk around with them in Japan, he’d left them in Clan’s care. And even though they were separated by some distance now, its powers of protection were still working. Taking a hint from that, Koutarou called out to the sword to try and activate a different power. When he did, a faint indigo crest appeared on Maki’s forehead.

“Satomi-kun? What is it?”

“Aika-san, your lunch is really good. Thank you.”

Koutarou told Maki how he felt through Saguratin. Saguratin’s spiritual connection with Koutarou was extremely strong, so it was more suited than Signaltin for conveying something analog like his impressions of taste. With its power, Koutarou could discreetly tell Maki what he thought of her cooking and she would be able to tell exactly how good it tasted to him. Sharing that kind of connection with him lifted Maki’s spirits. Normally, that alone would be enough to satisfy her, but today she decided to press for more.

“Um, what did you like about it?”

“I guess the best is the deep-fried chicken? The meat is tender, and the smell is... Is the oil different?”

“No, the cooking oil is the same, but I used sesame oil to season it.”

“So that’s what that smell is, huh? Also, the pork is good. It’s heavy on the seasoning, just the way I like it.”

“Heehee, I was hoping you would say that.”

“Then it was a success.”

“Yes!”

The connection they were sharing and the positive energy Koutarou was sending her way made Maki happy and confident, and it showed on her face. Maki’s bright and energetic smile reminded him of when they first met. He hoped that she’d be able to smile like that all the time someday.

“Heh...”

“Aww...”

“Hahh...”

There was just one problem. While they couldn’t overhear Koutarou and Maki’s telepathic conversation, the other girls could clearly tell that Koutarou had used the sword to talk with Maki, and that it had made her very happy. They were happy for her, and warmly watched over the two of them as they interacted silently. But that wouldn’t last forever. As soon as they were done sharing their private moment, the other girls were sure to raise a fuss for being left out.

After finishing their lunches, the group shifted over to having a tea party. Ruth pulled out the tea and snacks from somewhere, presumably Blue Knight. It wasn’t an issue right now, but Koutarou was rubbing a bump on his head and thinking about how he would have to put a stop to things like that before long.

“Satomi-san, I’ll make lunch tomorrow!” Yurika suddenly declared with sparkling eyes.

Koutarou quickly had to shift mental gears. Maki’s lunch had gone over so well that the girls were now talking about making lunches on a rotating basis.

“Give it up. You can’t cook, can you?” he said.

“I can at least make pork cutlets! Shizuka-san taught me!”

“Wasn’t your success rate at that abysmal? You’ll get fat again from eating all your failures.”

“I have a healthy appetite and get poor mileage, so I’m sure I’ll be fine!”

Yurika was only getting more fired up. Koutarou was about to give her a hard time—the question “Is that something to brag about?” in particular came to mind.

But... hmm...

However, in the end, Koutarou chose to swallow his words. After scratching his head a couple of times, he said something different.

“If you’re willing to go that far, then give it a shot. I can help you out with some of your failures. Even if they’re a little burnt, putting them on rice to make katsudon should make them a little more palatable.”

“Satomi-san...?”

Yurika was taken aback at Koutarou’s unexpected offer. She was sure he would object and gripe a little more before she’d be able to get him to agree.

“What? You’re making a strange face, you know.”

“I-It’s nothing! Please look forward to it!”

Koutarou telling her to give it a shot was surprising, but she was still happy about it. She was now beaming, and turned to Shizuka and Ruth for tips and tricks for making pork cutlets, as well as advice on garnishing them. She was clearly even more motivated now after talking to Koutarou about it.

“So you do have a good side to you... What changed your mind, Satomi Koutarou?” Kiriha asked with a smile.

She’d been paying attention to their conversation, and like Yurika, was a little surprised at what he’d said. But she knew it was a good thing, and was smiling softly at his kindness.

“What can I say...? Heck, I don’t really know. I don’t know, but I figured that if she wanted to try, I should let her.”

“Say, Koutarou, have you ever wondered why Yurika is clumsy?”

“Not really... I mean, it’s probably just her personality.”

“I’ve always found it mysterious. If she were really that clumsy, then she should be like that all the time. Even when things get rough. But I’ve never seen Yurika falter when it mattered most.”

“That’s... Well, me neither.”

Whenever they were in battle or someone was in danger, Yurika—surprisingly enough—always pulled her weight. Thinking about it, it was quite strange. And Kiriha had reached a conclusion based on that discrepancy.

“In other words, Yurika isn’t really clumsy. She’s just bad at focusing. So I want you to take a good look at how motivated Yurika is right now. Especially since you’ve encouraged her.”

“And?”

“Nothing. Just look forward to lunch.”

“...Yeah.”

With Yurika this determined, surely she’d be able to make a proper lunch. Of course, she was still inexperienced, so it wouldn’t be anything like Kiriha or Ruth’s cooking. But certainly she would still be able to make something as good as the next person. That’s what Kiriha believed. And now, so did Koutarou.

“Kiriha-san, you know...”

“Hmm?”

“No one’s going to hold it against you if you pursue your own happiness.”

Koutarou believed that Kiriha was right about Yurika. But in turn, he began worrying that Kiriha was too fixated on the other girls and not herself.

“I know.”

“Huh?”

“But brushing off the others won’t make me happy. Really, having a good memory can be problematic from time to time.”

It would probably be easy for Kiriha to act to her own advantage. But her intuition, keen mind, and considerate nature kept her from doing that. If she acted selfishly, she would feel every ounce of the sadness, pain, and trouble she inflicted on everyone else. And she knew she would regret it. In a way, that was a burden for her.

Now that I think about it, it was the same back when we were fighting on Forthorthe...

Koutarou recalled a similar problem. It was back when she was working as their tactician. Since she could accurately estimate how many lives her strategies would cost, that weighed heavily on her.

“A gentle genius, huh? Nice girls finish last too, I guess.”

“No, I won’t lose.”

“Yeah?”

“The man I love isn’t self-important enough to be able to overlook that kind of thing himself.”

“So he’s just some normal dude?”

“Indeed. That’s why we can support each other.”

“...I guess he has it rough.”

“Heehee...”

Koutarou was well aware of what Kiriha was saying. He knew exactly, but he was embarrassed to admit it to her face, so he just played it off. But Kiriha could tell, and she grinned.

“If only he’d sleep together with me...”

“You’re still a high school student, you know?! Don’t you think it’s still early for a relationship like that?!”

“Oh? I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’d take it so personally. I didn’t think it had anything to do with you.”

“Urgh...”

“Heehee...”

Then, just as Koutarou had been silenced by Kiriha...

“Koutarou, you should just give― Huh?”

Sanae, who was watching the two of them tease each other, suddenly noticed a change in the atmosphere of the classroom. It was like the hostility directed at Koutarou just moments ago had passed, and now the energy in the room was a chaotic tangle of emotion. There was surprise, confusion, curiosity, excitement, doubt, and more all at once. Positive and negative emotions intermingled and filled the entire classroom.

“Koutarou, Koutarou! What is this?”

“Hmm? This is―”

Koutarou realized something was strange too after Sanae pointed it out. He looked around to try to figure out what, but before he could...

“Turn on the TV! This is big!”

Kenji, who had gone to the school cafeteria, came flying back into the classroom. He was as white as a sheet and shouting about the TV. Someone sitting near it listened to him and turned it on, and everyone else in the classroom turned to look.

“...Thank you for tuning in to this special broadcast; we have breaking news. Just moments ago, the government held an emergency press conference and announced that envoys of a nation from another galaxy, the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire, have come here to Japan to establish diplomatic relations. I repeat...”

News of the Forthorthian aliens sent shockwaves around the globe and plunged the planet into confusion.

“Wait, Forthorthe?!”

“Teehee...”

“Don’t ‘teehee’ me, Theia!”

Koutarou and the others were thrown into chaos as well, but for a slightly different reason.

According to the official statement from the government, the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire was a nation over ten million light years away that had come to Earth—which they had only recently discovered—seeking a peaceful cultural exchange.

Forthorthe was restricting their diplomatic relations to just Japan, and limiting their exchange to just cultural and human capital. Their policy was to observe how that exchange went, and then gradually expand from there. Such caution was necessary in order to prevent any tragedies—the kind that the histories of both Earth and Forthorthe indicated could happen when two new cultures met. Both sides agreed things would be safer this way.

As to why Japan had been selected for their diplomatic engagement, Forthorthe claimed that it was simply because among the countries with a largest economies, Japan had the best public order. Since they were interested in sending their own citizens to their destination country, they wanted to make sure it would be a safe environment. It was a fairly compelling argument, and seemed to confirm that they meant well.

Conversely, it also meant that they wouldn’t be doing business with any dangerous nations. If the exchange between Forthorthe and Japan went well, they could always expand their diplomatic relations with other countries in the future. In hopes of that, the rest of the world would likely put more resources into maintaining peace and public order. It was predicted that Earth would, for largely selfish reasons, become a little safer overall.

That was roughly how the first emergency press conference on the arrival of aliens had gone. Of course, it was just the official announcement. Forthorthe had ulterior motives in all this, and Koutarou questioned Theia and Ruth to get the details.

“Basically, it’s like I said before. That time has come,” said Theia.

“Things are going according to the schedule that we prepared beforehand,” added Ruth.

Forthorthe primarily had two goals. The first was preparing a legal route for the People of the Earth and the citizens of Folsaria to return to their original home. The second was important, but it would take more work to accomplish. It was bringing the Blue Knight, Koutarou, back to Forthorthe.

Forthorthe had established diplomatic relations with Japan in order to fulfill their first goal. The People of the Earth and the people of Folsaria both existed by relying on Japan’s economy and social structures as things were. If they were to suddenly emigrate, Japan would be losing a part of its workforce. So even if these people weren’t registered citizens of Japan, if Forthorthe took them without any prior arrangement with Japan, it would look bad diplomatically. That wasn’t something a self-respecting nation would do. That was why forming a relationship with Japan was a crucial step in being able to boldly and properly bring their people home.

Compared to that, the secondary objective of bringing back the Blue Knight was a far more elusive goal. Since the Blue Knight’s status was such that not even the royal families could order him around, Theia and the others had essentially come to Earth to ask nicely. All they could do was prepare the way and wait for Koutarou to come around on his own.

Of course, Theia and the others weren’t simply waiting without a plan. They were going to make use of any means possible, as long as Koutarou didn’t disapprove, in order to make him nod his head.

“Come on... There had to be a better way to go about this, right?” Koutarou groaned.

“I personally take pride in this being a considerably soft landing,” said Ruth.

“She’s right!” agreed Theia.

“You could have at least told me when this was gonna happen. That was one hell of a surprise.”

“Nuh-uh! You didn’t tell us either!”

“Nuh-uh! I...”

Not telling Koutarou about the timing of the announcement was simply their way of getting a little revenge. Since he had left Forthorthe without telling them, Theia, Ruth, and Clan felt no need to announce their arrival. They wanted to give him quite a shock too.

“Is that the sound of you reflecting on your actions?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Then you won’t leave without telling us again?”

“I won’t. Actually, I tried to tell you. It was just too little too late, I guess.”

“Hmm, well, that’s true. Okay, I forgive you. I’ll let you in on things from now on.”

“I’m honored.”

After getting their revenge on Koutarou, Theia and the others were satisfied. They were only so mad about him leaving without warning because they loved him. And since they’d followed him all the way here, it wasn’t like they really wanted to do anything mean to him. They just wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine, and they felt like they’d gotten their point across now. That was all that was necessary. After all, they wanted Koutarou to be their ally in the future. They couldn’t go too far.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“About that...”

She’d been enjoying herself so far, but Theia’s expression suddenly turned serious. It was the face she wore as a princess when something important was happening.

“We’ll allow people to come and go while we conduct our cultural exchange. I believe you’ve experienced something similar for yourself, but while we’re still seen as mysterious aliens, people here won’t understand us no matter what we do.”

“That’s true. And there’s probably no avoiding people feeling that way at first.”

“They won’t miraculously be able to understand each other through fighting like we did.”

“So you’ll have to wait for the ice to thaw... And you hate waiting like that.”

“That’s right. Sitting around just doing nothing is agonizing to me!”

“But for better or worse, we don’t have the time to sit around and do nothing now,” Ruth said, adding on to Theia and Koutarou’s conversation. “There are piles of problems. Would the two of you look over there? The first one has already arrived.”

Before Ruth even finished speaking, someone darted into the classroom. It was one of Kisshouharukaze High School’s Japanese teachers, Miyama Reina.

“So this is where you were, Satomi-san!”

Once Reina spotted Koutarou and the others, she came running over to them with an awfully serious expression.

“Something has happened, hasn’t it?”

Reina, who normally took care to play the part of a teacher, spoke to Koutarou more formally than usual as she ran up to him with a pale face. That alone was enough to tell him something serious had happened. Ruth wasn’t the only one who could tell that now.

“Yes! There are some guests for you and Kiriha-san. Please come to the guidance counseling office right away!”

“I understand. Let’s go, Kiriha-san.”

“Right.”

“Ruth and I will go too! I doubt it’s unrelated to us.”

“All right, you come along too.”

Koutarou invited Theia and headed for the classroom door. Lunch break was about to end, but they would be excused from class since a teacher had summoned them.

“I thought we would be able to take it easy after coming back...”

Yurika despondently drooped her shoulders. Koutarou’s expression when he hurried out of the classroom wasn’t his usual, carefree look that she loved so much. From here on, Koutarou and the others’ actions would greatly affect the futures of both Earth and Forthorthe. While the danger wasn’t as imminent as during the battle with Vandarion, a lapse in judgment here could invite even bigger danger than back then. And knowing that full well, Koutarou and the girls approached the matter at hand like they had that fateful battle.

“Me too, but we can’t just ignore Folsaria and the People of Earth... It’ll be a little while yet before things calm down.”

Shizuka brought a cookie to her mouth as she said that. It had tasted great when she took a bite just moments ago, but it seemed a little bland now for some reason. And her cookies weren’t the only thing. There was something dull about the tea, the air, and even the scenery. It was the sensation of being left behind.

“Or maybe this will become our normal...” Harumi muttered.

The other girls turned to look at her when she said that. The normal becoming extraordinary after the extraordinary became normal. No one wanted to acknowledge that, but it was an undeniable possibility for them. Japan’s public opinion wasn’t united, and neither was Folsaria’s or the People of the Earth’s, so the chances of problems being prolonged was high.

“...”

Sanae, who was looking at Harumi with great anxiety, suddenly heard a whisper in her ear. That was without a doubt someone’s voice, but she couldn’t make out was it was saying. It was mysterious.

“There it is again... Just where is it coming from?”

Sanae restlessly looked around trying to track down the origin of the voice, but she didn’t see anything. The same thing had happened several times before, and she had never been able to figure out who was talking to her.

“Sanae-san, is something the matter?” asked Maki.

She’d noticed Sanae looking around and was worried something was wrong. Seeing that Maki was concerned, Sanae smiled and shook her head.

“No, it’s nothing. I think I’m just hearing things.”

As of late, Sanae had been hearing the mysterious voice more often. That’s why, though she had at first figured that she must have been hearing things, she now began suspecting that the voice was a sign of something. But since she didn’t have anything to go off of, she kept it a secret to herself so as not to cause needless worry.

A most unexpected group greeted Koutarou and the others as they approached the guidance office. It was five youths standing together as a team.

“Sun Rangers!”

“It’s been a while, Baron-san!”

The Sun Rangers of the Sun Squad were a quick response force that the government had secretly created to deal with invaders. In the past they had been useless employees with nothing to do, but when the problems with the People of the Earth had surfaced, their situation had completely changed. They ended up in fierce fights on the front lines. That was when they met Koutarou and the others, and together they fought against the radical faction of the People of the Earth. They were comrades-in-arms that would never forget what they’d done for each other.

“Hmm...?”

But looking at the five of them, Koutarou felt something was different. Their presence had changed a little.

“It looks like you guys have been through a lot... Seems you’ve gotten a lot stronger, too.”

The change was in their auras. They were emitting calm and refreshing auras, but they were keeping up their guard and watching their surroundings. Based on experience, Koutarou honestly didn’t want to fight against people with that kind of presence. They had obviously gotten stronger. And there were five of them.

“Can you tell?”

The expression of their leader, Red Shine AKA Kenichi, eased up. While Koutarou was younger than the rangers, they respected him as their model hero and were quite happy to receive his praise.

“Yeah. You feel like you might even be stronger than me now.”

Koutarou was only strong because of the powers the girls had given him. That’s why he felt like in a one-on-one fight without using any special powers or equipment, any of the Sun Rangers might be able to beat him.

“Strength isn’t really what matters for a hero. You’re still leagues beyond us, Baron-san,” Kenichi said boldly.

The others seemed to agree, as they nodded and smiled.

“You guys...”

Koutarou felt like crying, but he managed to stop himself just before the first tear rolled down his cheek. The Sun Rangers had looked unreliable before, but they had completely transformed themselves. After surviving their own battles and achieving their own victories, they had the look of real heroes.

In that case, I better keep it together too!

Since they respected Koutarou so much, he wanted to live up to that. And because Koutarou respected them in return, that desire was especially strong. He braced himself and looked at them all.

“So... if you’ve come to see me after getting so strong, the situation must be serious, right?”

“It’s just as you suspect. We’ve come to consult with you about it.”

The Sun Rangers had proven themselves in battle and become true heroes. And in order to protect Koutarou and the others they’d fought alongside, they had refused to surrender any information to the top brass. They must have had a very important reason to come and meet with Koutarou and others in person, even at the risk of letting that information leak.

“Japan and Forthorthe will first of all have a peaceful cultural exchange,” Theia explained.

“There’s no mistaking that, is there?” Kenichi asked.

“Correct. Through many years of international support, our nation understands the delicacies of making contact with worlds where there’s a significant technological difference. With all due respect, we are well aware of the risks involved.”

“So what are you guys doing here?” Koutarou asked.

“We’re taking measures against the problems that will inevitably occur,” Kenichi replied.

“Problems?”

“Yes. Actually...”

Kenichi began explaining why the Sun Rangers had come.

Taking into consideration the risks of Forthorthian technology flowing into Japan too quickly and causing rapid changes in society, Japan and Forthorthe agreed to limit their exchanges to cultural and human capital. On the premise of bolstering the relationship between the two countries and furthering their civilizations, they would make strategic technological exchanges in waves in order to lessen the shock.

However, that wouldn’t stop extreme factions like terrorists from wanted to get their hands on Forthorthe’s technology as soon as possible. There would likely be a large influx of people to Japan from around the world hoping to steal some of Forthorthe’s technology. Of course, Kisshouharukaze City would be at the center of all that since it was serving as the space diplomacy headquarters.

“And that’s why you’re here. In order to prevent such problems,” Kiriha said, her eyes slightly narrowed.

With her keen intellect, she swiftly had a firm grasp of the situation. To her, the Sun Rangers’ goal was obvious. And Kenichi nodded to confirm what she’d said.

“It’s just as you’ve discerned, Black Rose-san. The government is hurrying along to improve related legislation, but they’re expecting resistance from within all political parties, so we’re needed to buy time.”

“Those with connections to factions or nations that want the technology right away will resist governmental regulations on the matter... which means that until appropriate legislation is changed to mobilize police, for example, the work falls on you as the Sun Rangers since you’re already in position.”

The Sun Rangers were a secret force, but they operated strictly by the letter of the law. Their commissioned role was to defend the nation from invaders. However, since this was a matter of maintaining public order due to problems originating from contact with aliens, it fell under their purview one way or another and they were authorized to act while other measures were being put in place. As a result, while they were considered to be high-cost salary thieves, no one wanted to neglect taking appropriate measures against invaders.

“Yes. And while this is very difficult to say, we would like to ask for Baron-san and the others to help. We are well aware that this is due to our, or rather our nation’s unpreparedness. However...”

That was the real reason the Sun Rangers had come to meet Koutarou and the others. While they had moved out right away, they were woefully undermanned. They were hoping to call on their old allies for a little backup. They knew just how capable Koutarou and the others were, and that their hearts would be in the right place.

“Even then, you can’t afford to overlook anything. I understand. We’ll help.”

Koutarou didn’t hesitate to offer his cooperation. Since they had helped him out in the past, working together this time around wouldn’t be so bad. He also knew that they were good guys. They would be reliable allies.

“Thank you very much, Baron-san!”

“We did it, Kenichi!”

“See? It’s just like I said. I told you Baron-san would definitely help us out.”

The Sun Rangers all looked a little relieved. They had believed from the start that Koutarou and the girls would help, but they were still happy to hear it. It was a great comfort to have a proven ally on your side when facing an unknown challenge.

“You’d decide that without even asking us?” asked Kiriha.

Unlike the Sun Rangers, she wasn’t celebrating. She gave him a dour sidelong glance, but Koutarou didn’t back down.

“I didn’t think it was necessary. Or are you unhappy?”

“No, I’m exceptionally happy.”

Kiriha’s expression then turned into a smile. She never had any complaints about his decision. She’d only suggested otherwise to try and tease him, though she’d been rather unsuccessful.

“A woman sometimes wants to be treated like she belongs to someone. Besides, I feel the same way. Just like you believed that I would.”

“Good.”

Koutarou hadn’t consulted with the others because he was convinced that they felt the same way he did. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have hesitated to ask. In short, he believed in how well he knew them.

“A wise decision! That’s more like my knight!”

“I would obey Master, no matter what.”

Theia held her hand in front of her mouth and let out an elegant giggle. Ruth was standing at attention, giving Koutarou a trusting stare. They both felt the same way Kiriha did. Seeing Koutarou and the others like that, Kenichi once again felt that their strength came together like a monolith. He decided to ask something that had been on his mind for a while.

“Well then, if we’re going to be working together... there is something I would like to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Would Princess Devil-san and her attendant happen to be from Forthorthe?”

It was something that he had vaguely suspected. During the decisive battle against the radical faction, the weaponry Theia had used quite clearly surpassed anything available on Earth. Moreover, their design and markings were similar to the vehicle that the visiting Forthorthians used. He suspected there was a connection.

“That’s right. I’m impressed you stayed quiet despite knowing that much. You have my appreciation, Sun Rangers.” Theia gave a smile and a nod and decided to reveal the truth. “I am Theiamillis Gre Forthorthe, the seventh princess of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire and the one in charge of our mission to Earth.”

The government also knew that Theia was a Forthorthian, but they were still unaware that she was the seventh princess of her country and had complete authority over the negotiations with Japan. Those details were kept hidden in order to lower the risks. The government only thought of Theia as a member of the diplomatic envoy. Her identity was top secret, making the Sun Rangers the first Earthlings apart from Koutarou and the others to learn about it.

“So that really was the case... It’s starting to make sense now. Hayato, it looks like you win the bet.”

“...It’s not one I wanted to win.”

Being dragged into the conversation, Blue Shine AKA Hayato shrugged. Considering the bond between Koutarou and the girls, if Theia was a Forthorthian, it seemed chances were high that Forthorthe and the People of the Earth had something to do with each other. That was how Hayato had seen it. However, his prediction being right told them that things were certainly more complex than they appeared to be. That put the Sun Rangers in quite the predicament.

“Strictly speaking, we have several goals... But overall, it can summed up into a single point. We want to create a path so that people here related to Forthorthe, such as the People of the Earth, can formally return to our country.”

“The People of the Earth are related to Forthorthians?!”

All five Sun Rangers went slack-jawed. They knew that the underground dwellers’ spiritual energy technology was superb, and they suspected that they were on friendly terms with Forthorthe. But they’d never guessed they were actually from the same country.

“There’s no end to the problems in our nation either, you see. And due to the influence of some chaos in the past, some of our people ended up drifting to Earth. It’s the duty of our nation to make so that their descendants can properly return to their homeland if they wish.”

“So that’s why you wanted to establish diplomatic relations with Japan... However, it seems that the government doesn’t know anything about what you just said.”

“As for the reason... Blue Shine, you know, don’t you?”

“The People of the Earth are a minority with excellent technology. If their existence and relationship with Forthorthe were revealed right now, they would be easy targets.”

The people that wanted to get their hands on Forthorthian technology would most likely be interested in the People of the Earth’s technology as well. Moreover, the People of the Earth had a small population, and they would have a difficult time protecting themselves on their own. The best way for them to stay safe was for their existence to remain a secret. While the Japanese government had some information on the underground dwellers, as long as they were kept in the dark about their relationship with Forthorthe, it would most likely be buried as dubious intelligence.

“In fact, there are more people in a similar situation to the People of the Earth. They’re―”

“Please wait, Princess Devil-san!”

“Hmm?”

“Please keep that a secret from us too until it’s absolutely necessary. We’re happy that you trust us, but it would be safer this way.”

The Sun Rangers of course had no intention of leaking this information. But no one and nothing was perfect. It was possible someone might find out through espionage, or even a simple slip of the tongue. That meant them not knowing at all was the safer option.

“Again... you have my appreciation, Sun Rangers. I would even be willing to take you all as vassals.”

“We’re honored, princess, but we’re the guardians of this country.”

“Ohoho, that’s true. Then forget I said anything.”

As Theia held the brave rangers in high esteem, she’d been honest when she said she wouldn’t mind employing them. But at the same time, she didn’t want them to switch loyalties so easily. In a way, she was happy they turned her down. Speaking up after Theia, Koutarou summed things up.

“So our goal for now is to respond against people trying to steal Forthorthe’s technology while also keeping watch to make sure no one is snooping around for information on the People of Earth. I think that’s about the size of it.”

“We’ll deal with the latter. Though we would like your cooperation against those trying to steal technology.”

“That’s true. Being on the outside, there’s a lot we’d be better at doing in that regard. I’m looking forward to working with you, Sun Rangers.”

“Likewise!”

Koutarou exchanged a firm handshake with Kenichi. Fortunately, their interests lined up as well as their thoughts about how to proceed. That was likely due to their experiences as allies in the past. They were more or less on the same wavelength. But that would draw their conference to an and for now. They’d need to confer about details, but that could wait until later. After they’d discussed things with the rest of their respective groups. Sensing that their business had come to an end, Reina called out to Kiriha.

“Kiriha-san, could I have some of your time after this?”

“I can probably manage to do without my afternoon classes.”

“Thank you.”

Reina was a Folsarian agent, so there was a lot that she wanted to consult with Kiriha about, especially concerning the involvement of the Sun Rangers. After Kiriha and Reina made their appointment together, Koutarou turned to see the Sun Rangers off.

“Well then, see you later, Sun Rangers.”

“That’s right. Oh, Baron-san, one last thing...”

“What?”

“Why are you cooperating with them? I mean, you’re... you’re supposed to be just a normal person.”

Even after looking into Koutarou’s background, he had no connections to the People of the Earth or Forthorthe. It just looked like a completely normal person had gotten caught up with these strange people. That was something that Kenichi had always wanted to ask Koutarou.

“You don’t need a reason to help your friends.”

“Friends...” Kenichi’s eyes opened wide.

“Is that strange?”

“No, it’s a truly marvelous answer. We think of Black Rose-san and Princess Devil-san as friends too.”

Kenichi still referred to Kiriha and Theia by their stage names. He and the others hadn’t met an underground person and an alien, but performers at a hero show.

“...See you, Sun Rangers.”

“Yeah. Let us meet again.”

There was undoubtedly trouble awaiting Koutarou and the others. But they had allies and hope. That’s why Koutarou’s mood hadn’t soured in the slightest as he left the guidance counseling office.