Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 34 - Chapter 4

Everyone’s Intentions

Monday, May 30th

Before Elfaria became the empress of Forthorthe, she’d made her name for herself as an archeologist. One of her greatest achievements was rediscovering and breeding a plant thought to be extinct—Rubustori. The tea made from its leaves was historically known to be Empress Alaia’s favorite, and thanks to Elfaria, the drink was now known and loved throughout all Forthorthe.

“I feel so relaxed whenever I drink this tea,” Nana commented, returning her cup to its saucer.

She smiled at Elfaria across the table. Elfaria was the one who’d brewed the pot, and the two of them were subsequently in the middle of afternoon tea together.

“Even the legendary Empress Alaia drank it for exactly that reason,” she explained with a smile of her own.

Nana looked so young and Elfaria so mature that when they smiled at each other like this, they almost looked like a fond mother and daughter together. If someone had pointed that out, Elfaria would have gotten mad while Nana simply would have laughed. She enjoyed Elfaria’s personality and her company very much.

“I see. Even the Silver Princess enjoyed this tea, huh?”

“Yes, though it seems Theia cares nothing for it.”

“My, my...”

Nana and Elfaria made a point of having tea like this every so often, first and foremost, to take a break from work. Nana was in Forthorthe as a diplomat from Folsaria. Elfaria knew nothing of the ways of magic and the people who practiced it, so Nana had a lot to explain to her. Tea breaks were simply a way to punctuate their long, frequent conversations.

“I wonder how Princess Theiamillis and Princess Clan are doing now...”

When the topic turned to Theia, Nana couldn’t help thinking about Earth. Elfaria narrowed her eyes and flashed a warm, motherly smile.

“I’m sure they’re having a tough time, but I’m also sure they’re making the best of it.”

Even with the fastest spaceship, Earth was a ten-day trip from Forthorthe. Nana and Elfaria could thus only speculate about what the kids were up to. Earth and Forthorthe were going through a lot right now, after all. Forthorthe had established diplomatic relations with Japan, and there was much to be sorted out when the two cultures collided. Theia and Clan were largely in charge of navigating those challenges, which inevitably meant they were both insanely busy. Yet even so, Elfaria wasn’t worried. She knew Koutarou was with them and that he would keep them safe. She was as sure of him as she was the rising sun.

“You seem to think quite highly of Satomi-san, Your Majesty.”

Elfaria hadn’t said it out loud, but Nana could feel it strongly based on the way she talked about him.

“But of course. He’s saved Forthorthe twice now.”

“And you too, right?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m not worried. As long as the children can enjoy themselves, I think everything will be fine.”

“So to you, Your Majesty, Satomi-san is...”

Nana trailed off there. Saying the rest out loud would only trouble Elfaria.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s nothing, Your Majesty. I was simply thinking Satomi-kun is like a safety net.”

“Heehee... I do count on him to take care of my daughter and the others.”

That was why Nana ended up saying something else instead. Life was complicated. Sometimes things didn’t go according to plan, and sometimes there were questions better left unasked.

“But... it’s the same for you too, isn’t it, Nana-san?”

“Indeed. Satomi-san is the person I can entrust with Yurika-chan.”

Elfaria and Nana continued to chat for a while after that. Just as they were preparing to wrap things up and get back to work, a third party entered the room.

“Apologies for interrupting you, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, I don’t mind, Ceilēshu-san. What brings you here, though? Is something the matter?”

Ceilēshu was the first princess of Forthorthe who’d served as regent in Elfaria’s absence during the civil war. She’d gone home to spend time with her sick father for a while afterward, but had since returned to the palace to act as Elfaria’s assistant while he convalesced.

“Nothing serious, but there is a matter that requires your attention,” she explained.

“Well, Nana-san, it sounds like I must go for now...”

“Actually, I’d like to invite Nana-san to listen in as well. This concerns Earth and Folsaria too.”

“Is that so?” asked Nana with interest.

“Then have a seat, Ceilēshu-san,” implored Elfaria. “We can talk right here.”

“Thank you... Pardon again for the intrusion.”

Ceilēshu took a free seat at the table and began tapping away on her bracelet. As she did, Elfaria poured tea for all three of them.

“Here you are, Ceilēshu-san,” she said, handing a cup to the princess.

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. Now, please allow me to get straight to it,” Ceilēshu said, getting down to business without even trying Elfaria’s tea.

This, of course, was a matter of some importance. But in truth, Ceilēshu had a hard time with hot drinks.

“I’d like to start off with a report on the remnants of Vandarion’s faction,” she continued.

“Did something happen on Earth?!” Nana asked immediately, leaning in with a sharp look.

Since Ceilēshu had mentioned the issue at hand concerned both Earth and Folsaria, Nana was rightly worried.

“No, not this time,” Ceilēshu assured her. “This is about the remnants in Forthorthe.”

“I see... Sorry for interrupting you,” Nana apologized and sat back in her seat.

“Don’t worry. I understand your concern.”

Ceilēshu knew why Nana was worried. She wasn’t the only one who had friends far away, after all, so she was quite sympathetic. She didn’t mind the interruption at all and kept going quite naturally.

“The disarmament of Vandarion’s main force is proceeding as planned.”

The decisive battle of Forthorthe’s civil war had taken place over the course of New Year’s Eve on Earth. Following Vandarion’s defeat, the majority of his army surrendered and had spent the past few months in the disarmament process. It had taken so long simply because of the sheer scale of the job; as Ceilēshu had reported, there hadn’t been any hiccups along the way.

“As for the smaller skirmishes still ongoing throughout the empire...”

Lately, Elfaria and Ceilēshu had been discussing what to do about the remnants of Vandarion’s faction that continued to fight. With Vandarion and Granado gone, their chain of command was essentially broken. That meant any leftover forces were essentially rogue, doing as they pleased in small groups still held together by charismatic commanders.

The holdouts close to the capital were taken out quickly, but the ones farther away in different solar systems were harder to pin down. As its name suggested, the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire spanned an entire galaxy. There were plenty of independent economic blocs far from the Forthorthian solar system. Because Forthorthe’s domain was so vast, it was difficult to enforce rule in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. These small holdout forces were taking advantage of that.

“However, the majority of them have still been checked.”

“I’d heard that Nefilforan-san was putting a great deal of effort into this endeavor, but these results are better than I hoped for.”

“Indeed. Just this month, she’s reclaimed eight bases. This includes her travel times as well, so I believe she’s making remarkable progress.”

Logically speaking, the small holdout forces weren’t large enough to cause any real trouble in the grand Forthorthian empire. But as a matter of principle, Forthorthe couldn’t abide treasonous forces taking up residence in its territory. The majority of the Forthorthian army, however, was still busy handling the disarmament of Vandarion’s main force. That had left Nefilforan and the troops under her command to handle the remaining rebels.

“Nefilforan? Isn’t that...”

Nana had heard the name before, but not in a military capacity. She was accordingly quite puzzled. Elfaria, however, smiled and happily explained.

“Yes, the fifth princess from the Glendad family. She’s a regimental commander known as the Piercing Greatspear.”

Her full name was Nefilforan Canon Glendad Aldousine Forthorthe. The Glendad family had always excelled in military arts. In fact, it had historically produced more generals than emperors. Nefilforan was just one step short of becoming a general herself. She was an icon of Forthorthian valor. She’d been trained in the art of war since she was a child and proudly upheld her family’s long-standing reputation.

As her title suggested, she specialized in spears. Traditionally, Forthorthian women took to polearms on the battlefield to overcome their height disadvantage against male opponents. Nefilforan took that to the extreme; her favored weapon was the massive greatspear. It was easy for a normal fighter to be thrown around by the momentum of such an incredible weapon, but not Nefilforan. She was tough and trained to be even tougher. Unlike a natural prodigy like Theia, Nefilforan was a master who’d built up her skills through sheer hard work.

And as a princess of a technologically advanced empire, Nefilforan didn’t wield just any greatspear. Hers was equipped with all kinds of functions—like electric charges and laser beams—that allowed her to adapt to all manner of combat situations. The Glendad family had even developed martial arts specifically to capitalize on such functions. Even as an expert in close combat, Nefilforan would never lose out at range. As a royal family, the Glendads refused to be overshadowed by any average knight. They often competed with Wenrankan soldiers, loftily known as the strongest of the knights.

“But she didn’t appear during the civil war, did she?” asked Nana.

“That’s because of the Glendads’ background. Until Vandarion’s conspiracy was exposed, they were forced to side with the military,” Elfaria explained.

Because the Glendad family had produced generations of generals, they were deeply entrenched in the top brass of the military. That had left the Glendads split on whether they should side with the military or Elfaria. Favor generally leaned toward the military, as the Glendad family was against Elfaria’s disarmament policies. It wasn’t until Ceilēshu became regent that they were finally able to make up their minds, which was why they were largely uninvolved in the civil war.

“Tying the Glendads’ hands was probably part of Vandarion’s strategy,” the empress continued.

“In that sense... my father’s sickness was also a convenient way for Vandarion to keep the Sarioon family out of things,” added Ceilēshu.

Her full name was Ceilēshu Kua Sarioon Falcmuse Forthorthe. Her personal name, Falcmuse, meant “the blossoming season.” The Sarioon family was accomplished in the arts and had produced as many rulers as the Mastirs and Schweigers. Politically speaking, they were centrist and well regarded for being able to strike a good balance. That was why no one had objected to Ceilēshu acting as empress in Elfaria’s absence.

Ceilēshu’s father had always upheld the good Sarioon family name, but he was recently stricken with illness that kept him confined. Vandarion took that opportunity to make his move, but ultimately DKI intervened and Ceilēshu was installed as regent. And more recently, Ceilēshu’s father was now recovering. Koutarou and company had made good on their promise to see to it that he was taken care of with the best magic and spiritual energy technology had to offer.

“I suppose the Glendads, then, are interested in making up for their lack of showing in war,” Nana postulated.

When Forthorthe was gripped in the clutches of civil war, its most valiant royal family was nowhere to be seen. Moreover, their rival family of Wenranka had been quick to take Elfaria’s side. That now spurred them to action, which was why they’d sent the pride and joy of their family—the young Nefilforan.

“I believe so. On top of that, the Glendads are just as fastidious as you’d expect. Being fooled by Vandarion is a humiliation they won’t soon forget. I’m sure they also feel obliged for having doubted me,” clarified Elfaria.

Nefilforan’s achievements were great and many on their own, but her family pulled out all the stops to support her. In a sense, they were especially bitter against the remnants of Vandarion’s faction and thus were all too happy to see every last holdout eliminated. It was personal.

“I see. They have no choice but to put up a good fight now,” Nana said with an exaggerated nod.

The gesture looked childish, but in truth, Nana was a genius magician who had a good sense for politics. She understood exactly what Nefilforan had to prove, and why Elfaria was letting her carry on this way. It was advantageous for both parties—Nana could extrapolate that much, and it was such keen insight that had earned her a job as Folsaria’s emissary.

“But now that all major strongholds have been subdued, Nefilforan has no current objective,” explained Ceilēshu.

All the enemy forces of considerable size had been taken care of at this point. There were still smaller groups afoot, but they had gone underground and struck like terrorists. Rooting them out wasn’t Nefilforan’s expertise; that would be a matter for a different force altogether.

“Hmm... So this is why you came to consult with us, Ceilēshu-san?” asked Elfaria.

“Yes, Your Majesty. We need to decide how best to use the Glendad forces now that the majority of the remaining rebel threat have been eliminated.”

“We’ll need to leave soldiers stationed in every region, even if that means sending some of our own men...”

It had been months since the end of the civil war, but life had yet to return to normal in Forthorthe thanks to the remnants of Vandarion’s faction lurking in the shadows. They were still apt to use guerrilla warfare, which was why Elfaria believed a military watch was still necessary throughout the galaxy for the civilians’ safety.

“In every region, you say?” inquired Nana.

She’d sensed special meaning in Elfaria’s choice of words, and Elfaria couldn’t help replying with a smile.

“Why, yes. I was thinking of sending Nefilforan-san to Earth.”

“To Earth?!”

“The remnants of Vandarion’s faction on Earth are after magic and spiritual energy technology. I believe Nefilforan-san’s strength would be a great boon in stopping them.”

Elfaria thought it would be best to keep the battle on Earth short and sweet. If Vandarion’s faction managed to make off with even a little magic or spiritual energy tech and bring it back to Forthorthe, it would be a political nightmare. Making sure that didn’t happen—in other words, stopping them before they could do it—would be critical. The best way to accomplish that was to strike their stronghold directly, and the best way to accomplish that was to send Nefilforan.

“Then I’d like to ask you to be her guide, Nana-san,” said Ceilēshu.

“I suspected you might say as much, Princess Ceilēshu... You did say this concerned Earth and Folsaria, after all.”

“As perceptive as ever, Nana-san.”

As sudden as it was, Nana was in favor of the idea. Striking hard and fast would keep casualties to a minimum. Thus, she readily agreed to the plan.

Koutarou’s lessons on Forthorthian computers began the day after Ruth demanded the job of teaching him. In addition to Koutarou, Harumi, Maki, and Shizuka all decided to participate too. Kiriha had already learned how to use them on her own, while Sanae and Yurika gave it their best effort... but gave up on the first day.

“Ruth-san, could you explain permissions to me? I’m not sure I get all this...” Koutarou asked hesitantly.

“Leave it to me, Master! First, just think of the people who use Blue Knight’s computer!” Ruth responded in a sing-song voice.

“Let’s see... You, me, Theia, and Clan from time to time, right? There’s also Elle, who installed all those tricks on it. I guess it goes in for imperial servicing sometimes too, right?”

“And who can do anything they want with Blue Knight?”

“Well, seeing as how she loaded it up with cheats... Elle?”

“That’s right! Her Majesty has the highest level of authority on the ship! She’s been involved with Blue Knight since the blueprint stage, so no one understands it better than she does! She’s also the empress, of course, so she can do whatever she wants with the ship! That’s why she has master permissions!”

“Huh? Don’t I have those too?”

“Yes, Master! But you don’t know the ship like she does!”

“Well... that’s true enough.”

“That’s why the AI confirms all of your input before it obeys, Master!”

“Now that you mention it, it is always complaining...”

“In other words, you have master permissions with AI support!”

“So I have Elle’s account with training wheels on, huh?”

“Yes, that’s right! As for Her Highness—”

Ruth was genuinely excited about her teaching role. She’d prepared textbooks, actual computer lessons, and other aides on a device with a smartphone-style interface so it would be easy for Koutarou and the others to use.

“Ruth really is enjoying this, isn’t she?” Theia observed from afar.

She’d remarked that Ruth was enjoying herself, but the truth was that Theia was enjoying herself too. She was happy to see Ruth so motivated and engaged, especially because she was ordinarily so reserved.

“I’m sure she’s just happy to be of use to Veltlion.”

Clan, on the other hand, didn’t look happy at all. She was jealous that Koutarou was being so open and honest with Ruth. Realizing this, Kiriha gave her a soft smile.

“There’s no doubt that Satomi Koutarou is learning how to use computers for Ruth’s sake. Her beloved is working hard on her behalf, and she’s able to help him do it. Can you blame her for being in such high spirits?”

Ruth would likely be frantically embarrassed if she overheard what the girls were talking about, but fortunately, their conversation never reached her ears. For today’s lesson, Ruth was using the Hazy Moon’s conference room as a classroom. It was a big enough space that the girls not participating were set up in the back enjoying some tea while the others worked.

“Ruth-san was almost killed. I’m just happy to see her happy,” chimed in Yurika.

In truth, this wasn’t the first attempt on Ruth’s life. It was her first run-in with a sniper, however, and particularly distressing. Almost being murdered in the middle of town in broad daylight would have taken its toll on anyone. But the fact that it wasn’t keeping her from smiling now was a relief to everyone.

“It was still scary for her, though. So we should let her have her fun for now,” added Sanae.

That much was true. Even though Ruth looked happy now, she was deeply shaken by what had happened. Sanae knew that better than anyone because she could read her aura. She and the other girls would have to give her the appropriate space and time to heal.

Ruth’s computer lessons always lasted an hour. She believed that studying should be done at a proper pace and without cramming too much in. Today was no exception, so she readily concluded her lesson at the one-hour mark.

“We’ll pick up with this tomorrow.”

“Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule, Ruth-san...”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

When class time was over, things went back to normal with the group. Ruth was a little sorry to see the lesson end, but was all smiles again soon enough. She had tomorrow’s lesson to prepare for, after all. She’d get to have fun again then.

“Well, if you’ll all excuse me!” Ruth declared, practically skipping out of the conference room humming.

Her students saw her off, but one of them looked concerned.

“This might have been a mistake...”

Koutarou alone folded his arms pensively. Maki observed this quizzically. Ruth seemed to be enjoying herself, so she didn’t understand what the problem was.

“Satomi-kun, is something wrong?”

“I feel like all I ever do is make more work for Ruth-san...”

Koutarou was bothered by the fact that he’d made more work for Ruth when his original goal was the exact opposite. He’d just wanted to learn from a specialist, but Ruth had insisted on taking the job herself. Not only was there the time she actually devoted to teaching him, but also the time she had to spend preparing lessons. In the end, his attempt to lessen her burden had only increased it. That bothered him immensely.

“I don’t know about that. Ruth’s been in a great mood lately. I think it’s done wonders for her,” Theia interjected with a smile.

Ruth was always thoughtful, but that made her a bit of a worrier because she tended to dwell on the details. She hadn’t spent any time fretting as of late, however, because she was having so much fun. Thanks to that, she was even sleeping better.

“She’s been so efficient lately too that her workload effectively hasn’t increased much.”

Ruth’s detail-oriented nature showed in her work, as she spent more time than necessary on each and every task. But Theia had noticed she was doing a better job of managing herself lately, which improved her overall performance. These computer lessons had shaken up her routine and given her a reason to reexamine her schedule. It was true that the lessons took time, but Ruth enjoyed preparing and giving them as much as any hobby.

“Even so, I wanted to lower our risk of sniper attacks and the like... And this situation’s not helping with that at all.”

Koutarou’s real motive for learning Forthorthian computers was protecting Ruth. She was a high-priority target because Koutarou and the others relied so heavily on her talents. He’d thought he might be able to take some of the heat off of her by sharing her work burdens, but that had backfired. This was extremely vexing to Koutarou, and Harumi could see it on his face.

“Calm down, Satomi-kun,” she implored.

“Sakuraba-senpai?”

“I’m sure Ruth-san finds it reassuring that you noticed and that you’re doing your part to help her.”

“Do you really think so?”

He considered his plan a failure, so it was hard to see it from Harumi’s perspective. He wasn’t convinced.

“If not, Ruth-san wouldn’t be smiling like she is, now would she?”

“You have a point, but...”

Koutarou could tell that Ruth was indeed enjoying herself, but that wasn’t enough in his book. He still wanted to protect her.

“We just have to accept that, in the short-term, we won’t be of any real help to her, Satomi-kun.”

Harumi gently narrowed her eyes. In truth, she felt the same way Koutarou did. She was bothered that she couldn’t do anything for Ruth when she was in such danger. But she hadn’t given up hope.

“Sakuraba-senpai...”

“Ruth-san’s just too special. We can study all we want, but that still won’t be enough to relieve her burden.”

Koutarou and the girls doing what they could over time would ultimately only reduce Ruth’s workload by a meager 1 percent. She was simply that skilled. Ruth knew that, but she was still happy Koutarou and the others wanted to help her. That was enough for her.

“All we can do right now is give Ruth-san our support. Learning computers is one way of doing that. She’s having fun, you know? So even if we’re not actually helping much, that’s worth something. I’m sure she’s felt the same way about you all this time.”

The nature of their fight had only changed very recently, and prior to this, Ruth had been dependent on Koutarou without being able to offer much in return. Now that she had her chance to shine, Harumi thought, they’d really just traded places.

“Ruth-san felt the same way...?”

Koutarou finally understood. Ruth had been so fixated on being vice captain, there was no way feeling helpless hadn’t bothered her. She didn’t have the same kind of fighting talent Theia did, nor did she have Kiriha’s knack for strategy. She couldn’t make robots or use magic or manipulate spiritual energy. She was an ace with unmanned fighters, but she’d never been able to stand by Koutarou’s side in battle. That was why she’d always been desperate to find something she could do, and she felt a special solidarity seeing Koutarou go through the same thing now.

“Once we get more staff in the fall, there will be less of a burden on Ruth-san anyway. So please continue supporting her until then, Satomi-kun.”

They were expecting another wave of Forthorthian exchange students and personnel in the fall, meaning their resources would increase exponentially. That would naturally reduce Ruth’s workload, so it was only a matter of time. Most of the reason she was so busy now was simply because the Forthorthian embassy was short-staffed. But that would only be the case until fall, so Koutarou and the other girls just needed to help her hold out until then.

“And if we continue to study, we’ll be able to help her out more in the long run.”

“You’re right. We just need to face facts and do what we can for now... I’ll give it my best shot.”

“Good!”

In his fervent desire to protect Ruth, Koutarou had believed he needed to do something extraordinary for her. But Harumi set him straight on that front. As a result, his respect for her reached a new level. She was like a splendid princess capable of showing others the way, just as Alaia had.

“Don’t worry so much, Veltlion. I’ll prepare an AI to assist you. That way you should be able to help Pardomshiha at least a little.”

Artificial intelligence was far more advanced in Forthorthe than on Earth, so there were already AIs built for instruction and support. With the right one, even an amateur like Koutarou could use a computer with relative proficiency. Clan thought that would help him pick up speed in the early stages of learning until he got the hang of computers for himself. Clan could throw the AI together in a snap, but she’d need some time to teach it about special operations for Blue Knight and the Hazy Moon.

Koutarou, however, was strangely silent at her offer.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I was just thinking that I should actually be doing what I can to lessen your burden too...”

Ruth was one thing, but Harumi, Clan, and Kiriha also did a lot of heavy lifting for the group that no one was capable of helping them with. They too needed all the support they could get as they anxiously awaited more personnel in the fall. Until then, Koutarou and the others would just have to do what they could, however small and indirect it might be. Koutarou’s gaze naturally turned to the three girls on his mind. They were all smiles now, but he knew how much pressure they were under.

No, it’s not just them... Sanae, Yurika, Theia, and even Aika-san and Landlord-san too...

Koutarou then turned to look at all the girls. When it came to being irreplaceable, they all held a special place in his heart. He wanted to reduce the burden on all of them so that they could live out their lives in peace.

“My, that’s unusually gallant of you.”

“Idiot, I’m being serious here—”

“Incoming!”

Wham!

“Wh-Whoa!”

Koutarou was interrupted by a sudden impact that came at him from behind. He reached out for a nearby desk to keep himself upright.

“Hey!”

It was none other than Sanae, who was now hanging off of him with her arms slung around his neck. She quickly climbed up his back and forced him to carry her.

“Listen, it’s dangerous to jump on me like that with no warning!”

Sanae climbing on Koutarou was an everyday occurrence, so he wasn’t mad about that part. He was only complaining because she’d almost knocked him over. Sanae, however, was giggling nonetheless.

“Eeheehee, I’m just the type of person to jump into action when it’s necessary.”

“What are you talking about? What’s necessary?”

“This, silly.”

“Seriously, what are you talking about? What does that even mean?”

“It doesn’t matter! I just gotta do it!” she declared as she clung to him even tighter and pressed her face against his.

Her senses told her that this was necessary. The reason or meaning truly didn’t matter. She simply did what she felt she had to.

“Oh...”

“Hmm...”

“I see...”

And if Sanae thought it was necessary, so did the other girls. When she was flaunting it like this in front of them, they all got the message. Koutarou was the only one left in the dark, which would cause him a bit of trouble yet.

When Ruth returned to the conference room with haniwas in tow, she witnessed Koutarou and Theia jump off the ground at the same time. They flew toward each other in the air in a grand flourish.

“You good for nothing knight!”

“Shut it, you washboard!”

“Master?”

“Huh? Oh, Ruth-san—”

Wham!

While Koutarou was distracted, Theia landed her kick directly to his face and sent him rolling across the conference room. It killed all the momentum to her jump, allowing her to land gracefully on the floor as the clear victor. The haniwas bounded over to the defeated Koutarou and hopped up on top of him.

“Big Brother loses, ho!”

“Ho! Why were you even fighting?”

“No particular reason... Just bored, I guess?”

“That’s awful. You know that, right? You should treat a lady better,” scolded Theia.

“A-Anyway, Ruth-san! What can we do for you?” Koutarou called, swiftly trying to change the subject.

He knew arguing with Theia was a bad idea, but he was also genuinely curious what had brought Ruth back to the conference room. Ordinarily, she would keep working until it was time to make dinner.

“I’ll allow the haniwas to explain,” she said.

“Ho! It’s bad, ho!”

“Maguz... Kasumi Raiga has contacted us, ho!”

Kasumi Raiga was the leader of the underground dwellers’ radical faction. He’d ultimately lost to the conservatives, and was thus stripped of his power and placed under house arrest until his punishment was formally decided. The very same man, however, now wanted to parley with Koutarou and company. As soon as they’d gotten the report, the haniwas had dropped their RC cars and come running over to the Hazy Moon.