Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 41 - Chapter 6

How It’s Put to Use

Tuesday, October 4th

When it came to teatime, Elfaria liked to disconnect. She drank tea to relax, and technology wasn’t conducive to that. That was why she only began brewing her drink of choice after she’d separated herself from computers and the like. Right now, she was surrounded by antique furniture in her private quarters—an environment she highly prized for enjoying tea. There are exceptions to everything, however, and right now, Elfaria was breaking her own rules to have a virtual monitor in the room. On it was the news, which was being projected by a comms terminal.

“...DKI Medical has begun a trial of early-run PAFs, giving priority to the severely disabled and children...”

The current news concerned the PAF. Testing had started on model PAFs, and the stations were showing footage of a seven-year-old boy who’d lost a leg in an accident. Children had lots of growing ahead of them, so artificial limbs for them had to be adjusted and swapped out repeatedly over time. But the PAF negated the need for such adjustments. The moment it activated, it generated a barrier that fit the boy’s body perfectly. He was surprised at first, but soon realized what was going on and started running around. He went on to play in the prepared testing facility, and his PAF held up without issue. His parents were in tears, remarking that they hadn’t seen their son like this since the accident.

“Looks like everything’s going all right,” Koutarou said with a smile, a cup in hand. He was in the room with Elfaria. At first they’d just been sharing some tea, but since the PAF trials had started while he was out on the stronghold mission, they’d decided to catch up on the news together.

“It is. Several locations are running tests, and the results are all positive so far,” Elfaria explained.

The footage shifted away from the boy to a rescue team in the middle of training exercise in a narrow and compromised hallway where a gurney would be unusable. The rescue workers were using PAFs to carry a life-sized dummy on a litter. Despite its weight, they maneuvered around obstacles with ease, quickly transporting the dummy to an awaiting emergency vehicle.

“The device is Clan’s brainchild. Of course it’s getting good results,” Koutarou remarked.

“I’m sure she’d be thrilled to hear you say that,” Elfaria replied.

“Yeah, well, a man has his pride...”

“Oh my, heehee.”

As Elfaria giggled, the news report came to an end. Her eyes then naturally fell on Koutarou and vice versa.

“I’ve been thinking, Elle... Power is all about how you put it to use.”

“Yes. We learned that all too well after the incident the other day.”

Koutarou had been reflecting on the news and what happened on Ikoran. Clan’s PAF and Ralgwin’s spiritual energy technology were comparable, but Koutarou had identified a crucial difference between them. And it wasn’t the technologies themselves. Rather, it was the intention behind them. The ambition for them. That was the determining factor in their fates—what made the difference between a child playing happily and a living corpse.

“And I gotta say... you put your skill with tea to good use,” Koutarou continued, looking down at the cup in his hand. It was full of tea Elfaria had made with skill she’d honed and refined over time—a power she was now using to soothe and comfort. He thought that was as noble as Clan’s inventiveness.

“You honor me. Your skill with a blade is quite remarkable too, Layous-sama,” Elfaria replied, smiling warmly. She thought his swordsmanship was noble too. He’d learned it for an act, but he now wielded it to protect.

“You think so? Sure didn’t feel like it helped me this time,” Koutarou said with a shrug. He didn’t feel worthy of Elfaria’s praise. Too many lives had been lost on Ikoran. Regret haunted him. He couldn’t help wondering how he might have done more.

“You saved the day, Layous-sama,” Elfaria reminded him.

“Not by my sword, no. We would’ve been in trouble without Clan or Ruth-san. And if not for the PAFs and mobile weapons, there would have been more casualties,” he argued.

The early-issue PAFs had been instrumental in the rescue effort, and the hijacked mobile weapons had been the key to defeating the living corpses threatening to besiege the city. The court magicians had also been the ones to subdue the blink beast. If not for all of that, the incident would have been far worse.

“It’s not strictly about results. The spirit you put into your sword—your heart—is what matters. You led everyone on that mission, all for the sake of us Forthorthians. Isn’t that good use too?”

Elfaria saw the situation differently. In her eyes, Koutarou had defended everyone in the factory, and that alone was noble. It didn’t matter how he’d specifically contributed to the day’s victory. It wasn’t always about the bottom line. Even without saving someone, for example, the PAF was remarkable. The same was true of Koutarou’s valor. As long as he led the way, there would be people who followed. His sword was what had guided Clan and Ruth. Elfaria knew he’d done an important job.

“I guess that’s Forthorthian chivalry for you...” Koutarou was able to smile again thanks to Elfaria, whose words lightened his heart.

“Indeed,” the empress said, smiling too. Koutarou’s weighty sense of responsibility touched her, as it was something she shared. So she was especially relieved to see him smile again.

“So, did you put your heart into this tea?” Koutarou asked, glancing down at his cup again. If he put his feelings into his sword, he was sure Elfaria put hers into her tea. Was it mere passion for tea that had inspired this cup? Or was it a simple wish to entertain an old friend? He wanted to know exactly what she’d been thinking and feeling when she made it.

“You could say it was a desire for revenge over being left behind twenty years ago,” Elfaria said with a mischievous grin that reminded him of her teenage self. Nostalgia gripped his heart when he saw it.

“Scary. Can’t you please forgive me already?” Koutarou laughed. Elfaria joked around like this occasionally to tease him, and he presumed that was all she was doing now too.

“I think not. I’ll choose to hold it against you for a little while longer, Layous-sama,” said Elfaria. She was still grinning mischievously, further leading Koutarou to think she was only kidding.

“Well, you can open up to me whenever you’re ready,” Koutarou offered.

“If I do, it would only trouble you...” Elfaria replied.

“Hmm? Why?”

“When the time comes, I’ll tell you everything.”

“Sure.”

The heart of a woman was a mystery to Koutarou—especially Elfaria’s. All he could intuit was that Elfaria was purposefully avoiding telling him something. Chalking it up to the ways of an older woman, he smiled and brought his cup to his lips.

“The tea here really does taste different from the tea on Earth... Maybe it’s a matter of what people have put into them too,” he mused, thinking of the techniques and traditions of both planets.

There were variations between the two, right down to the plants they used. They were both still considered tea, but they’d evolved independently in different galaxies, resulting in nuances between them. Nevertheless, their taste and aroma were comparable. The difference between them was only as subtle as the difference between various types of teas on Earth. That said, the differences were pronounced to a trained palate. Forthorthian tea was characterized by its fruity aftertaste, for example. There was also the matter of how the tea was made, and Koutarou was particularly appreciative of Elfaria’s skill with it.

“Which do you prefer?” she happily asked, curious about Koutarou’s tastes.

“Couldn’t say. All the tea you make is good.”

Elfaria put her heart and soul into her tea, just the way Koutarou poured himself into his swordsmanship. It didn’t matter the blend or brew. As long as she made it, Koutarou would enjoy it.

This unexpected response left the empress speechless.

“What is it?” Koutarou asked, giving her a mystified look.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“If you say so.”

“Good grief, you’re so...”

A warm feeling, both gentle and strong, blossomed in Elfaria’s chest. She feared she might burst into tears if she wasn’t careful. Of course, the man responsible was perfectly unaware. His eyes had already wandered to the packages of tea.

“You have all kinds here. We should try this one too, Elle.”

“Yes... I’ll go make some right away.”

Elfaria had her complaints, but she instead chose to enjoy her teatime with Koutarou. That was what the warm feeling in her chest was telling her to do, and it would help make the feeling last a little longer.