Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (Light Novel) - Volume 13, Chapter 1: Homecoming
Volume 13, Chapter 1: Homecoming
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Part 1
April 25, Sunday
Even on Sundays, the mornings are early in room 106. The reason for that is Koutarou and Ruth's daily morning training. While everyone else are still sleeping, they would go out with just the two of them. That was a scenery that had been repeated these past several months.
But Ruth didn't appear today. And if she didn't appear, there was no one to wake Koutarou up. As a result, Koutarou was still lying down on the floor, leaning on one of the walls in the room.
The sound of unreserved footsteps could be heard passing by Koutarou. And the owner of those footsteps sat down in front of the TV and used the remote to turn it on. Because there were a lot of anime being aired on Sunday mornings, this was an important time for this anime loving person.
“...Ah, Sanae-chan, if you run around like that Satomi-san will wake up!”
There was a second person with the first, and the second scolded the first. This second person worried that the sound of loud footsteps might wake up Koutarou.
“It's okay if he wakes up.”
“If he wakes up, he'll make me study!”
“It's okay if you study. You're going to study in the university right?”
“If I'm studying I can't watch TV!”
“It's okay, you can just record it. We live in a convenient era.”
“But I want to watch it now!”
The second person sat down next to the first and started watching the TV. Fortunately, not even this ruckus was enough to wake Koutarou. As the anime started airing, the two started talking less and less, and in the end, they didn't wake Koutarou up.
“...Satomi-kun, sleeping in a place like this. Fufu.”
“That's dangerous Aika-san. If you get too close to Satomi-kun, you'll go through an awful experience.”
Next, another two people appeared in the small room. These two spoke to each other in a friendly tone as they looked at Koutarou who was sleeping by the wall. Having spoken to each other all night yesterday, they had gotten closer.
“Kasagi-san, what do you mean by that?”
“Not only does Satomi-kun sleep in odd positions, but he also tends to hug onto things half-asleep. When Yurika tried to wake him up, he used wrestling techniques on her, and Ruth was even mistaken for a tree full of beetles.”
“Fufufu, that's just like him.”
“I told you it's dangerous.”
“...I want an experience that friends can have too.”
“You sure are eccentric, Aika-san...”
“This is the first time I've lived with real nice people...”
“It's very fun, every day is like an excursion.”
“Ahaha...”
Because neither of the two had a family, they could sympathize with each other. Though they didn't look like it on the surface, deep down inside they were very similar. Having understood that about each other after their long talk yesterday, they now had a very friendly atmosphere around them.
“We should just wake him up. The room is already small and he's stretching out so much...”
“Clan-san, what did you do when you were travelling with Satomi-kun?”
“Lifting him up a little and then dropping him was effective. Fortunately, it was easy because that armor could be remote controlled.”
Another two people appeared, and compared to the others already in the room, these two had a much calmer impression to them.
“...I see, I'll keep that in mind.”
“Harumi, that would be hard for you since you don't have any strength, wait, you should just use magic instead.”
“I still don't feel like I'm really a magician...”
One of these two had a weak constitution and would have a physical examination this morning. The other had access to more advanced medical equipment and was able to treat the other much more efficiently than modern medicine could. To the one with weak constitution, it was very reassuring to have the other as a friend. The two had chosen this room as their meeting place before that examination.
“Has everyone gathered?”
There was one more. This person peeked out from the kitchen in the hallway right next to the inner room. This person was often in charge of most of the housework of room 106 on her own. And even now she was wearing a hairnet and preparing today's breakfast.
“Theia-chan and Ruth-chan aren't here yet.”
“Hmm...”
“Kiriha, what's for breakfast today?”
“Salmon, miso soup and boiled spinach.”
“Alright! A jackpot breakfast!”
“Uhm, what should we do about Satomi-san?”
“It's about time to wake him up.”
“Eeeeeeeeeeehhhh~~~”
“What's with that face?”
“Whenever Satomi-kun wakes up, he forces Nijino-san to study, so she doesn't want to wake him.”
“Quit being so picky, Nijino Yurika.”
“Maki-chan, you can only say that because you don't know what it's like!”
Apart from Koutarou, there were seven others in the room.
Sanae, Yurika, Maki, Shizuka, Clan, Harumi and Kiriha.
Without exception, all of the ones around Koutarou were girls of age. During the past year, they had all came to this room for different reasons. And as a result, they accepted each other and formed a tight bond of camaraderie.
Besides Koutarou and the girls, they had two more comrades. After washing his face in the bathroom, Koutarou noticed that neither of those two were in the room.
“Huh? Where's Theia and Ruth-san?”
Theia was full of pride and had golden hair that stood out from a distance.
Ruth was serious and honest, and because of that she was easily trusted.
They were a princess and her servant knight that had come from the other side of the universe. Normally, it wouldn't be strange to see the two of them in the room by this hour, but neither of them were here.
“...Actually, last night they ran into a little trouble, and are now busy trying to deal with it.”
Kiriha was the one to answer Koutarou's question. She continued her explanation as she filled a bowl with rice.
“They said they'd drop in during the morning, so they should be here soon.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“The situation is complicated, so it's better if you hear it from them directly. Just wait a moment, Satomi Koutarou...”
“I see...”
Koutarou showed a complex expression, deep in thought, as he sat down on his usual spot. He then looked at the gate connecting the room to the spaceship the Blue Knight. Noticing that Koutarou had an expression more serious than normal, Harumi who was sitting on the other side of the table called out to him.
“Are you worried about Theiamillis-san?”
“In terms of worry, I'm worried about everyone. The situation is more complex than we thought.”
Yurika's and Kiriha's enemies were secretly working together. And because of that, everyone was in danger, and there was an endless cause for concern for Koutarou.
“But since I can't see Theia and Ruth like I can with you... I am a little anxious.”
Koutarou couldn't do anything for someone who he couldn't see, so he was feeling impatient.
“There's no need to worry that much, Satomi-kun.”
“Sakuraba-senpai...”
“If this was about something more important where Theiamillis-san's life was at stake, Kiriha-san would have woken you up much sooner.”
“That's... true.”
Koutarou nodded at what Harumi was saying and looked at Kiriha. Kiriha responded by looking back at him and smile.
Which means she has some difficult decision she has to make on her own...
If Theia really was in danger, Kiriha wouldn't be this carefree. That said, if it was something simple, Kiriha would have explained it herself. And since neither of that had happened, Theia can't have been in danger, but she should be in a situation where she had to make a difficult decision.
“Nothing will start from you worrying, let's eat first!”
As Sanae said that, she clung onto Koutarou's back like normal. Breakfast was a source for energy, and Sanae wanted to wait for Theia full of energy.
“...You have a point. Alright, let's eat.”
“Yeah!”
Thanks to Sanae, Koutarou was able to feel a little better. The atmosphere in the room softened up. Theia and Ruth not being here was something everyone was worried about.
Part 2
Theia and Ruth appeared in room 106 just as Koutarou and the others had finished with breakfast. The two of them looked tired, and their expressions were dark and gloomy.
“...Good, you're all here.”
Just as she turned up, Theia started speaking about something serious. Ruth was standing behind her, watching. Seeing the two like that, Koutarou could vaguely understand the severity of the trouble they were having.
“Everyone, there is something I'd like to say. May I have some of your time?”
As Theia said that, the girls who were busy with different things all gathered around the tea table without complaining. After waiting for everyone to sit down by the tea table, Theia slightly lowered her head.
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
“Theia, what happened?”
As Koutarou urged Theia to continue, their eyes met. And after looking at Koutarou for a while, Theia slowly continued speaking while she started to tear up.
“...Actually, it seems like my mother fell ill in Forthorthe.”
“Your mother, Elle... uhm, you mean the current empress, her majesty Elfaria?”
Koutarou pulled that name out of his memory and asked Theia. In return, Theia nodded solemnly.
“Yes. My mother's body is not as sturdy as mine. It seems that she was so busy with her official duties that she fell ill.”
“Oh yeah, the current Forthorthe is...”
Koutarou wasn't very knowledgeable about the state of the present day Forthorthe, but he remembered what Theia and Clan had mentioned. Theia's mother, Elfaria, was a pacifist that wished to disarm the military. As a result, her relationship with the army deteriorated and any reforms had reached a standstill. Since Elfaria would have to suppress the military's extreme backlash, Koutarou could easily imagine her becoming very busy with her official duty. And her body had been unable to deal with all the hard work she was forced to do.
“That's why... though I am very reluctant to do this...”
Theia paused for a moment to look at everyone gathered around the tea table before finally continuing.
“...I am thinking of returning to Forthorthe. And I will... give up on the rights to the throne.”
When Theia spoke those words, the atmosphere in room 106 froze.
Part 3
Theia had come to room 106 in order to obtain the rights to succeed the imperial throne. And for Theia to do that, she needed to seize control of Corona House's room 106. That was why she had come here and met with Koutarou and the others. She was determined that she wouldn't return to Forthorthe until she had put room 106 under her rule.
But she couldn't say that now with her mother suddenly falling ill. Theia's real reason for wanting the rights to the throne was so that she could strengthen her own influence and be of help to her mother who was in a tough position. That's why Theia had no other option but to return to Forthorthe and nurse her mother. She wasn't childish enough to give up on her mother and find happiness for herself.
That's why Theia had decided to leave Earth and return home. She still hadn't achieved her trial, but with this being a sudden illness, she was pressed for time. If she waited until her trial was complete, things might develop in an irreversible direction. Though Theia was reluctant, this was something she had to do.
If she was to leave Earth, there were a lot of things that Theia had to do, which was why she hadn't slept at all since last night. And even as the sun rose on the new day, Theia was still preparing for her journey home.
“I didn't think there would be much... but looking at it now, there is a lot to do.”
“That is just how much we have come into contact with the people of this planet.”
“Yes...”
A leave of absence had to be submitted to Kitsushouharukaze high school, farewells had to be said to close acquaintances, and finally, she had to pack up for her return to Forthorthe.
Theia was carefully putting all of her luggage away in plastic containers.
The bag she used when going to school. The notebooks she had written down in during class. The uniform she had gotten. The swimsuit she wore to the beach last year. The books and CDs she bought. The game console and games she would stay up at night to play.
She had things in both room 106 and in her own private room on the Blue Knight. All of it were precious things full of memories. And as she touched them, she remembered back when they had been used. They weren't just simple tools, but like Ruth had said, they were precious memorabilia that served as proof of her growth on this planet.
“It's hard to leave this planet behind...”
“Yes...”
When she had first come here, Theia wanted to clear her trial as quickly as possible and return to her mother. She only thought of the people here as neanderthals and had no intention of staying for long. But now, she wanted to stay on this planet for as long as she could. And that was because she had begun thinking of the people of this planet as irreplaceable.
Theia stopped arranging her luggage and looked towards a wall. There, a crimson tulip, carefully preserved, decorated the wall. That flower was the most valuable treasure Theia had gotten on this planet. Seeing Theia like that, Ruth stopped as well and called out to her.
“...Is your number one regret Satomi-san?”
There was another crimson tulip decorating Ruth's room. It was a present given to her by the same person.
“Yes. I won't be able to fulfill my promise of always being with him.”
In the past, Theia and Ruth had decided to live together with the man who gave them their tulips. But the unexpected situation with Theia's mother caused them to go back on that decision. The man who had given them their tulips couldn't leave room 106 in his current situation, and Theia still had to return to her mother no matter what. It was a fate that couldn't be avoided.
“I wonder if our determination was just at this level..”
“Your highness...”
It was a life that they had seriously chosen. But even then, it had easily ended. Theia was unbearably saddened and felt like her love was insufficient. Ruth felt the same way. She had made the same serious choice as Theia.
“I'm sorry Koutarou... Forgive me...”
Theia instinctively spoke out the name of the person who had given her that tulip. Because of Theia's bitter decision, her silent voice was trembling.
“Theia, do you have moment?”
That was when a visitor appeared in front of Theia's room.
Part 4
Koutarou had been given the authority to operate all of the functions available in the spaceship, the Blue Knight. This included permission to enter the special residential area that normally only royalty could enter. Koutarou had used that authority to visit Theia and Ruth.
“Wait for a moment.”
Koutarou could hear Theia's voice coming out from the intercom placed by the door to the room. He was standing in front of Theia's room, waiting for the door to be opened. Meanwhile, he was checking his outfit one final time. Since this was an important moment, he couldn't afford to do anything rude.
Thinking about it, this might be the first time I've come to meet princess Theiamillis...
In the past, Koutarou had come to meet his friend, Theia, but he had never come to visit princess Theiamillis. This might have been the first time he treated her like a proper princess. As a result, he was feeling a little nervous.
“...Go ahead.”
The door started sliding to the side as Theia spoke out. Appearing from the other side was a girl with golden hair, wearing a dress. Seeing her appearance, Koutarou naturally looked down and kneeled.
“...It is an honor to meet you, princess Theiamillis. I am Satomi Koutarou, a wandering knight without a lord.”
Koutarou spoke something similar to a line he had practiced for the play. As a result, it naturally flowed out from his mouth.
“Koutarou...?”
“I came here today to make a request of her highness. I seek your permission to enter the room.”
“What are you...”
Facing Koutarou who had a completely different atmosphere to him, Theia was puzzled. That's why she simply stood staring at him without permitting him to enter.
“Your highness, Satomi Koutarou-sama is seeking permission to enter.”
Sensing that Koutarou had an idea in mind, Ruth urged Theia ahead on his behalf.
“Ah, yes... I permit it. You may enter.”
That was when Theia finally permitted Koutarou access.
“I am honored. Then excuse me.”
Still a little nervous, Koutarou entered Theia's room. Since Theia didn't know what Koutarou was thinking, she felt a similar nervousness. The two faced each other as if this was the first time they had met.
“Allow me to give you my greetings once more. I am Satomi Koutarou, a wandering knight without a lord.”
Koutarou walked up to Theia, kneeled and introduced himself once more.
“W-What business do you have? Let me hear it.”
When answering, Theia had a somewhat shrill voice. She was still confused. Koutarou's way of speaking and why his attitude was completely different from the ordinary. His clothes were normal; he was wearing his school uniform. But he had buttoned up even the top bottom of his shirt, and his collar was straightened. He even wore his school cap that he normally never wore.
Your highness... Master...
Ruth gently watched over Theia, who was still confused, and Koutarou, who had a very serious atmosphere around him. She felt like something special was happening.
“I came here today to make a request of her highness.”
Koutarou was still looking down and continued to speak. Seeing him like that, Theia started feeling more and more uneasy. She started wondering if the person in front of her was really Koutarou.
“Which is...?”
Theia urged Koutarou on, whilst feeling an unbelievable unease. Koutarou responded by looking up, straight into Theia's eyes.
Ah...
In that moment, Theia's anxiety vanished without a trace and she returned to her usual self. Koutarou was smiling. It was his normal smile that Theia and Ruth loved.
“My skills are average, and I am a mere country knight with a domain six tatami mats large.”
Koutarou pulled out a large sheet of paper and placed it on top of a nearby container.
This is?!
Theia's eyes opened wide. That sheet was the scoreboard that had been used to compete for rulership of the room. On it, Koutarou's and the four girl's names were written down, alongside with their scores. However, there were only two names with points on it now, Theia and Koutarou.
Theia had 218 points, just like she recalled.
However, Koutarou had 862 points. Everyone else's points were gone. For some reason, all of the points apart from Theia's were now with Koutarou.
“Princess Theiamillis, please make me one of your highness's vassals.”
“Eh...?”
Theia's brain froze when she heard those unexpected words. She couldn't understand the meaning of what she had been told.
“Congratulations, your highness!!”
Instead, Ruth shouted out with a joyous expression. Having watched from the sides, she understood what Koutarou was saying.
If Theia accepted Koutarou's request, Koutarou would become her vassal in both name and reality. On top of that, all of the points would become Theia's. Meaning, she would gain ownership of the room. And that could only mean one thing.
“Rejoice, your trial is complete!! With this, you will have earned the rights to the imperial throne!!”
“The rights... to the throne...?”
It meant that Theia had cleared the trial she had been given, that she had acquired the rights to the imperial throne.
“Yes! Your highness, you have splendidly overcome the trial and fulfilled your obligation as royalty!”
“I, acquired... the rights to the throne...?”
Theia looked at Ruth with a blank look of surprise. But even as she looked at Ruth's smile, it didn't feel real to her. Looking for a clear answer, Theia looked back towards Koutarou.
“Koutarou, is what Ruth is saying true? Have I completed my trial?”
“Not yet. I have still not heard your highness's answer.”
“My answer?”
“Your highness, give me your answer please. Will you accept me as your vassal?”
“Ah...”
Sensing Koutarou's calming tone and gentle glance, Theia gradually began to understand the situation.
Koutarou has accepted me as his master...
Her understanding gradually turned into a great joy. Theia's heart was beating as quickly as the drums of a rock band. She suppressed her feelings of rushing ahead and called out to Koutarou.
“...S-Satomi Koutarou.”
Theia was desperately trying to calm herself down. However, she stuttered and her voice faltered. Her vision turned blurry with the tears filling her eyes. There was no way she could stay calm when this time had finally come.
“Yes.”
Koutarou kept his head facing down as a sign of subordination. Seeing that, Theia made her declaration.
“I will accept you as my knight, and give you the title of Theiamillis's Blue Knight.”
“...I will respectfully accept, my princess...”
Thus the pledge between master and servant was made.
Part 5
Learning that Theia would be returning home, the first thing Koutarou worried about was her rights to the throne. With her mother ill, the chances of Theia returning to Earth any time soon were extremely low. And if that happened, Theia's trial would fail, and she would lose her rights to the throne forever.
So Koutarou pleaded with all of the other invaders. He pleaded with them to trust in him and Theia, and to temporarily entrust him with all of the points. The girls all accepted. Koutarou then became Theia's vassal. With this, Theia became the rightful ruler of room 106 and had completed her trial.
However, with the threat of the radical faction and the evil magical girls, room 106 couldn't be left in Theia's sole rule. That was why the next process was needed.
Corona House room 106 would be appointed as the Mastir family's Satomi territory, and Koutarou would be its lord. And once Theia had returned to Forthorthe, Koutarou would return the points he had borrowed from the girls, solving both problems.
By doing that, Theia would complete her trial and the situation would return to normal. It was a somewhat forced method, but there should be no problems with the procedure. This was a tricky solution made available thanks to the trust between Koutarou and the invaders. Normally, Theia wouldn't accept this kind of method, but in her current situation, this was the only solution.
Immediately after making their pledge, Theia rushed towards Koutarou and threw herself at him.
“Koutarou!!”
“Woah?!”
He had never imagined that she would jump at him at full speed. Still kneeling, Koutarou hurriedly tried to catch her. Theia was convinced that he would. Her jump was fast and hard, and Koutarou had no other choice but to receive her.
“You said you'd become my vassal, Koutarou!! I heard it with my very own ears!! You won't get away with taking it back now!!”
Her intense expression of joy was wet from her tears as she held onto Koutarou's head with both arms. She was like a child that had gotten a stuffed animal she always wanted, and she hugged Koutarou as hard as she could in an attempt to shrink the distance between them as much as possible.
“I am your master!! No matter how far we may be apart, I am your sole master now!!”
“H-Hey, Theia... you've got the order mixed up. What about the sword?!”
In Forthorthe, it was tradition to touch the left and right shoulder of the knighted person with the flat of a sword whilst bestowing them their title. But Theia had omitted that and was now hugging Koutarou instead.
“It's fine! I've already done that half a year ago! Your answer is what's half a year late!”
“What?”
“Fufufu, actually, Satomi-sama, the ceremony of bestowal was already done half a year ago after your fight with Clan-sama. Of course, you were asleep at the time...”
Ruth explained to the confused Koutarou, with a smile.
Half a year ago, during their presentation of their first play, Koutarou had saved Theia who had been attacked by Clan. And as thanks, Theia had performed the ceremony of bestowal unto Koutarou. Back then, Theia still wasn't honest with herself, so she had one-sidedly performed the ceremony while Koutarou was asleep. That's why today, after confirming Koutarou's answer, the ceremony that started half a year ago was completed.
“The ceremony is already done! Take pride, my knight!”
“Don't be unreasonable! How can I take pride when you're hanging onto me like this?!”
Koutarou was still in a kneeling position and had Theia holding onto his head. He found it hard to take pride in that.
“You can do it if you try!”
“I can't! Seriously... And here I was taking this all serious and everything...”
Since he was going to become Theia's vassal, he wanted to do a formal ceremony. However, Theia had completely ignored that and omitted part of the ceremony. Dumbfounded, Koutarou returned to speaking the same way he usually did.
“What's important is confirming if your feelings and oath have forged a new bond, not the ceremony itself. There's no ceremony more meaningful than this.”
“That's an amazing argument, but it's not something you can just use as an excuse, is it?”
“Auu... could it be... that you really hate me?”
Theia's expression turned gloomy. She eased her grip around Koutarou a little and looked at his face with a worried look.
“Of course not!”
“Then it's not an excuse. This is fine.”
But she soon returned to a smile and embraced Koutarou's head with even more strength than before. Since she knew it wouldn't be long before they parted, she wanted to leave her warmth within the person she loved.
“Come on...”
“...Make sure you remember that, Koutarou.”
Theia whispered into Koutarou's ear and gently stroked his head.
“This is me. I am not a perfect princess. I'm rough, full of flaws and selfish. Even if we are far apart, make sure you don't forget that...”
“...Theia.”
“Yes?”
“You don't have as many flaws as you say... you're just unfair.”
“Fufu, I'll take that as a compliment.”
The hand stroking Koutarou's head was unbelievably gentle.
“...I won't say goodbye.”
“Yeah. We'll meet again, right?”
“I don't know when... but that's what I'm planning.”
Theia would be going back to her mother. And until she reached some kind of conclusion, she wouldn't see Koutarou again. But Theia didn't want to leave it at that. She was going to return to Earth some day and live together with Koutarou. And if the problems around room 106 were resolved by then, she might even take him back to Forthorthe with her. While she reluctantly had to leave, she hadn't given up on a bright future.
“But... it's strange.”
Theia muttered quietly.
“What is?”
“Just a while ago, I was feeling guilty over not being able to keep my promise to you. Even though I had made my decision of living with you, here I am leaving you behind.”
“If we meet again, there's nothing to feel guilty about.”
Koutarou had decided to believe that their future would be bright.
“Yes... maybe it's because you became my vassal. That's how I feel now. Aren't I self-centered?”
“That way's better. You're someone who stands above others. Everyone will feel more at ease if you remain optimistic.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Of course. You're my princess, you know?”
“...”
“What?”
“I... I'm really happy but... it's a little embarrassing...”
“You... You've been saying that for an entire year, so don't get embarrassed now.”
“But... now that I have become your princess... I, you know...? I guess I wasn't mentally prepared...”
“...I think that part of you is unfair.”
As if answering Theia's feelings, Koutarou hugged Theia back.
“...You're my knight after all...”
Like that, the two formed a bond of master and servant, as the time for them to part came.
However, neither of them were pessimistic.
Because they believed that the bonds they had formed up until today would let them meet again.
Part 6
Once her talk with Koutarou had finished, Theia bade Ruth to see Koutarou off the ship while she stayed behind in her room. She said she would go back to sorting out her luggage.
“...I better thank her highness later...”
As Ruth was walking, she looked back for a moment. And as she looked at the door leading to Theia's room, she felt a little apologetic.
“What do you mean?”
When Koutarou asked that, Ruth turned to look at him. Because it was just the two of them, Koutarou and Ruth had their arms linked as they walked. As a result, they were close enough that they could kiss.
“Her highness probably gave me some time to say farewell to you.”
“Theia...”
Hearing that, Koutarou turned to look behind him. The door to Theia's room was slowly getting further away, but Koutarou felt like he could see Theia smiling.
“...She's been a little too kind lately. She should just be a little more selfish...”
“It might be just as you say, Master.”
“Eh?”
Koutarou stopped and looked at Ruth, and she stopped and looked back at him.
“If her highness knew who Master really was. I wonder if she'd return to Forthorthe so easily...”
Ruth questioned whether or not Theia could leave Koutarou behind on Earth if she knew he was the Blue Knight. Thinking about it normally, the option of leaving the Blue Knight, who was beloved by all of Forthorthe, behind wasn't something royalty would do. But for that, she would have to wait until Kiriha's and the others’ problems were resolved. But she didn't know what would happen to her mother during that time. And if by any chance Elfaria was to lose her life while Theia was away, she might choose to take her own.
Koutarou had been worried about affecting Theia and had told Ruth not to reveal the Blue Knight's identity to her. Back then, Ruth had mixed feelings about it, but now she felt like Koutarou's decision had been correct.
“Looking at the history, Forthorthe's royalty can't leave the Blue Knight behind, huh...”
“Yes. There was no mistake in your decision, Master. I am deeply grateful for your wise consideration.”
Ruth bowed deeply at this, and at the same time, she was deeply relieved. If she had been overcome by her feelings and told Theia the truth, this situation might have turned out a lot worse.
“But personally speaking... both me and her highness deeply regret leaving Master.”
Tears formed in Ruth's eyes as she looked up at Koutarou. Just like Theia, she had sworn to live with Koutarou.
“Ruth-san..”
“I'm sorry, I, I...”
In the next moment, Ruth threw her body at Koutarou and started crying while suppressing her voice. To her, parting with Koutarou was as painful as parting with Theia, because their meeting was like a miracle. And now they had to part with him. No matter how much they swore that they would meet again, it was extremely painful. Unable to bear it any longer, all Ruth could do was cry.
“Master, why did you appear in front of us like this? You should have just appeared in a much more normal way!”
If their meeting had been simpler, all they had to do was take Koutarou with them. But fate wouldn't allow for that. Koutarou was needed by many, so Theia and Ruth couldn't keep him to themselves.
“I'm sorry...”
All Koutarou could do was apologize. It was hard for Koutarou to part with Ruth and Theia as well. But there was nothing he could do. Koutarou had things he had to do on Earth and Theia had to meet with her mother. All he could do was apologize to Ruth, who continued to cry, and gently hug her.
“Satomi-sama, Satomi-samaa!”
Ruth continued holding onto Koutarou and crying for a while longer. As if she was crying for Theia as well.
Part 7
Theia and Ruth left Earth on the night of that day.
“Everyone, thank you for everything up until today.”
“They were happy days. Words of gratitude are not enough for you.”
Standing in a corner of room 106, Theia and Ruth were saying their farewells. Behind them was a glowing wall that connected the room to the spaceship, the Blue Knight. Opposite of what they had done one year ago, Theia and Ruth were now going to leave Earth through that passage. And once that passage disappeared, they would never appear again. Even if they did, a long time would have already passed by then.
“Theia, this isn't the end right?”
Sanae, who was always energetic, had a gloomy expression. She looked at Theia and Ruth with a frown as she thought back of something Theia had said before.
When Sanae was about to re-enter her body, Theia had said that there had been a time when she was worried about being an alien, but that she had decided to forcibly overcome that. And she had told Sanae to forcibly overcome the loss of her memories.
That's why Sanae wanted Theia to overcome this parting as well. Though Theia had to leave, Sanae believed that they would meet again someday.
“Of course. I won't give up over something like this. I've decided to live with you all. It might not be possible right away, but I will definitely return.”
“You promise?”
“Yes. I am not lying, wait for my return.”
“Yeah!”
Theia lived up to Sanae's hopes and nodded powerfully. Seeing Theia like that, a smile finally returned to Sanae's lips. It wasn't like they would never meet again. In that case, she should see them off with a smile.
“Theia-chan, for you.”
After Sanae was Yurika.
She presented Theia with a shopping bag from a nearby convenience store.
“Hmm? What's this?”
“It's snacks and the latest manga. I figured you might get bored on your way home...”
The bag was filled with Yurika's consideration.
Forthorthe was 10 million light years away. And even with Forthorthe's technology, such a long journey would take several days. That's why Yurika had thought of getting Theia a present to kill time with, and after consulting with the contents of her wallet, she had decided on snacks and manga.
“Thank you, I'll make sure to enjoy it.”
Theia accepted Yurika's present with a smile.
Truth be told, she had tons of ways to kill time onboard the Blue Knight. They could be called necessities for space travel. And if they froze the time onboard the ship, there wouldn't be any need for it at all.
But Theia was happy for Yurika's consideration, so she accepted her present without saying anything. She didn't say she didn't need them, nor did she question who would even give a princess snacks and magazines from a convenience store.
“When I return here, I'll make sure to bring books and snacks from Forthorthe.”
“Yes, please do!”
Theia was happy that Yurika didn't consider her anything other than a good friend. She was far happier by that than being treated with respect as a princess.
“Theia-dono.”
“Kiriha... I'm sorry for having to leave so suddenly.”
When Kiriha came up next, Theia apologized politely.
Considering Kiriha's problem, with Theia gone, the power balance in room 106 would shift, causing Kiriha the most problems. She was worried that the radical faction that opposed Kiriha would pick up momentum.
“Satomi Koutarou will be your representative and the existence of the evil magical girls has been proven. There probably won't be any major moves for a while.”
However, Kiriha herself didn't seem to mind that much.
Koutarou would remain as the lord of the room, and the existence of the evil magical girls after room 106 had been confirmed. The radical faction was secretly connected with the evil magical girls, but since they couldn't official announce it, they wouldn't be able to openly work together. Because of that, Kiriha had plenty of time to prepare.
“I see. Well if you say so, it's probably true.”
“Leave it to me. We will protect this room until you return.”
“Please do. I'm trusting you.”
Theia knew very well just how tough Kiriha was. Even though she overwhelmed Kiriha in terms of power, she still had been unable to defeat her. Things would be alright if she left it to Kiriha.
“...Pardomshiha.”
While Theia and Kiriha were talking, Clan pulled on Ruth's sleeve.
“Clan-sama... this is goodbye for now.”
“Yes. It will be lonely here without you.”
Clan was going to remain on Earth instead of returning to Forthorthe. Officially, it was called a continuation of a scientific study. But in truth, she remained to back up Koutarou and the others.
“More importantly, Pardomshiha, there might be a need for you to brace yourself.”
“Eh?”
“I haven't heard anything about her majesty Elfaria falling ill from my information network. She might be in a really bad condition. That's why, take care of Theiamillis-san, please...”
“Thank you very much, Clan-sama. I am very grateful.”
Clan's Schweiger family is hostile towards Theia's Mastir family. And since the Schweiger family's technology was well renowned, they had a favorable relation with the military, unlike the Mastir family. As a result, she was able to gain access to information of a different kind than Theia.
Information regarding her majesty Elfaria's condition should be something the military and Schweiger family would love to get their hands on. And if that information hadn't reached Clan, it meant that the information must be extremely restricted. Though she didn't say it out loud, Clan feared that Elfaria might already have passed away.
“What are you talking about?”
That was when Theia, who had finished talking to Kiriha, came. As she did, Clan and Ruth interrupted what they were talking about and smiled at Theia.
“I was just passing on some things to Clan-sama.”
“T-That's right.”
“I see. We'll leave the rest to you after we're gone, Clan.”
“...Yes, leave it to me.”
Clan and Ruth had quickly come up with a different topic, but fortunately, Theia didn't seem to suspect them. Theia smiled and honestly said her farewells to Clan.
“Theia-chan, this is from me and Aika-san.”
“It's just something we prepared yesterday, but... take care.”
“Thank you. You two take care too.”
Shizuka and Maki had prepared a present. When Theia peeked into the paper bag she had been given, she showed a wide grin.
“Clothes, huh... What a splendid gift.”
The present from Shizuka and Maki were clothes and accessories from the shop in front of the station. They were unique to Earth and could be enjoyed for a longer period of time. Being a girl, this was something Theia was very happy over.
“...I feel like I've lost.”
Yurika compared the price, quality and the girlishness of her present to Shizuka’s and Maki’s present and dropped her shoulders.
“That's not true, Nijino-san. Theiamillis-san was happy for your present.”
“Yes. It's like Harumi said. That's fine in its own way. There is no need to feel shame.”
“I'm glad you said that.”
“And Nijino-san, if you're that embarrassed over your present, I feel even more embarrassed than you... Here, Theiamillis-san.”
“This is?”
“It's the manuscript from the play. I had everyone from the drama club sign it.”
“Oh!”
Next up, Harumi presented Theia with the manuscript from January. The cover had been signed by the members of the drama club. Harumi had done her best to prepare it.
“It must have been hard.”
“No. When I called them, they all came on their own... They told me to give you their regards.”
“I see... If I had more time, I would have liked to visit the drama club as well...”
Theia stroked the cover of the manuscript for a while before eventually looking out through the window and in the direction of Kitsushouharukaze high school. The play that had taken place there was a memorable event that had helped Theia grow immensely.
“Thanks to Theiamillis-san's manuscript I was able to make a lot of friends... that's why I'm very sad right now.”
“Harumi... I am too. I wanted to talk with you someday.”
Theia and Harumi shook hands. They both admired one another. Theia admired Harumi's behavior as a princess during the plays, and Harumi admired Theia's sun-like presence. Because they both had something the other didn't, there was a lot they could learn from each other. And they both regretted parting ways.
“Theia, Ruth-san.”
Waiting for the girls to finish saying their farewells, Koutarou stepped forward as the last person.
“Koutarou.”
“Satomi-sama, thank you for everything up until today...”
Theia and Ruth stood in front of Koutarou and looked at his face. They had met a lot of friends on the edge of the universe, and they had met their beloved as if through a miracle. Keeping themselves from crying was the best they could do before their parting.
“Theia, you did good. You can go home proud and go meet with your mother after such a long time.”
“Yes... I'll do just that...”
“You too, Ruth-san. Meet your family and spend some time with them. And then come visit us again some day. We'll always be waiting.”
“Satomi-sama... yes... Yes!”
Unable to bear it, tears began flowing from Ruth's eyes. Their relationship wasn't shallow enough for her to be able to hold herself back.
“Koutarou. I will leave this room to you. Even though your territory might be small, don't let your guard down. Defend it as the lord of this land until my return.”
“Don't worry. I'm the man who defended this room against the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire's princess Theiamillis without backing down so much as one step.”
“...So you were.”
As expected, tears started forming in Theia's eyes. Her eyes were moist, but she didn't shed any tears. That was because of her pride as a princess, and a symbol of her strong will to return to Earth.
“I think it's about time to go.”
“You're leaving already?”
“Yes. The longer I stay here, the more I wish to take everyone with me... Ruth.”
“Yes. Everyone, thank you so very much... Good bye.”
“Farewell.”
Theia and Ruth said their farewells one last time before turning around and headed for the passage leading to the Blue Knight.
“Theia, send letters from time to time! I'll send some too!”
“Farewell, Theia-dono. I'm looking forward to the day we meet again.”
“Theia-chan! I'll keep the continuation of the manga here!”
The remaining seven girls called out to Theia's and Ruth's backs. Hearing how many and how loud those voices were made Theia and Ruth realize once more just how blessed they had been.
Sensing their approach, the passage to the Blue Knight opened. As it did, Koutarou felt a sudden urge to stop the two.
Wait, don't go!
However, in the end, Koutarou was unable to say those words. He knew they would only cause trouble for the two. The words simply echoed inside of Koutarou. He was the only one who didn't say anything.
But just as Theia and Ruth were about to disappear, they nonchalantly looked back behind them. As if the voice inside of Koutarou had reached them. They simply stared at Koutarou, as if trying to burn his appearance into their minds.
Theia, Ruth-san...
The next moment, the two disappeared in the light.
The remaining eight didn't say anything, and a silence fell on the room. It wasn't until quite a while later that sound would return to this room. And just before that, a blue shooting star shot through the vivid, starry sky.
