Published at 17th of August 2019 9:36 am

Volume 21, Chapter 6: Gold and Silvery White

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

Monday, November 15

Travelling from Earth to Forthorthe on a normal spaceship would take about a month. The problem was one of accuracy rather than distance.

Earth and Forthorthe were about 10 million light-years apart. Using a navigational computer to navigate the super-long distance, even a margin of error of 1% could put them off their target destination by 100,000 light-years, or about the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy. In other words, with an error of margin of 1%, you could end up anywhere in the galaxy. In the worst case scenario you could end up in a black hole or a star. The true error of margin was much lower than 1% but even then it was clear that some measures were needed.

So in warp navigation the existence of a vast space with nothing in it became very important. If the error of margin was small enough to arrive in those areas, they could safely warp to them. When travelling between galaxies, the vast distance between them could be used, when inside a galaxy, the space between stars could be used. Once close enough you could aim for a specific solar system. Spaceships used that empty space as stepping stones on their travels. Doing that also made the warp distances smaller and reduced the error of margin. First they travelled 90% of the entire distance, and then 90% of that distance, and then 90% of that distance and so on. As the distance reduced, so did the margin of error.

A normal spaceship would repeat that and eventually reach Forthorthe after a month. Of course, that wasn't the case for royal-class battleships like the Blue Knight and the Hazy Moon. The margin of error in their navigational computers were extremely small, and the warp drive was extremely accurately made as well. As a result, Koutarou and the others would reach Forthorthe within just ten days.

After entering a long warp, everything became very peaceful. The longer the distance, the bigger the error of margin, so even if the enemy used the same route, chances of them appearing at the same place was next to none. But that also meant it would become difficult to group up with allies. And because of that, Koutarou and the others didn't regroup with Clan until the eighth day after leaving Earth.

“... You better not have returned to a sloppy lifestyle while I wasn't looking”

”I haven't had the time to as I've been frozen like we decided on before leaving”

Koutarou and the others felt like only half a day had passed since they left Earth. That was because they had slowed time onboard the ship like Koutarou and Clan had done when they were returning from the past. It was an important technology often used during their long distance travels through space.

“Satomi-kun, why don't you be honest with her and say that you were worried”

“A-Aika-san!?”

”Is that true, Maki!?”

”Yes. Clan-san's... uhm, Hazy Moon, was it? Satomi-kun restlessly walked around the bridge until that appeared”

”I see... uhm... I'm sorry for making you worry... Bertorion. I am safe as you can see”

“... I wasn't worried. If you didn't lead a sloppy lifestyle then that's fine”

”Fufu... yes. I am aware”

“Satomi-kun sure is obstinate”

“... Aika-san, you'll pay for this later”

“You're on. I'll keep my forehead waiting”

Only two days remained until they would reach Forthorthe. They should arrive in a few more warps. From this point on, the warp spaces, or empty space, would get narrower, and the chances of them coming across the coup d'etat army would increase. That's why they needed to discuss what to do from now on, and the girls of room 106 had all gathered on the Blue Knight's bridge.

“Now that we're all here... we first need to decide on how to treat Clan”

”Me?”

Theia's first topic was Clan. Not expecting herself to be brought up, Clan's eyes opened wide.

“Yes. You aside, your Schweiger family and my Mastir family have been rivals for generations. If you continue with us, there will eventually be trouble”

Theia wasn't worried about Clan specifically, she was something between friend and family. There was no doubt that Clan thought of Theia and the others as friends. However, Clan had a family as well. Her family surely wouldn't want Clan to cooperate with the Mastir family suspected of being criminals. The same problem as before, or more accurately eighth days ago, was expected to occur again.

“Like I said before, I have made up my resolve. Even if I were to lose a home to return to, I will protect Forthorthe”

Clan's answer didn't change. She was prepared to fight until the end alongside Koutarou and Theia. Clan too was a proud royalty of Forthorthe. She couldn't surrender to someone trying to change the world through power.

“But Clan. Your place to fight might not be here”

“Bertorion?”

“It might be more advantageous if you're within the Schweiger family rather than fighting alongside us”

As the fight before had proven, the enemy not knowing of Clan's existence was a huge help. So if Clan secretly supported Koutarou and the others from within the Schweiger family, it might be even more effective than if she directly supported them.

“You're not just saying that to return me to my family, are you!?”

“I can't say that's not part of it. But we would obviously get an advantage, and even if we were to lose, if you become the empress, we can avoid the worst case scenario”

The military's first objective was to install a puppet regime, from there, they would then end the imperial rule and have Lord Bandarion rule as a dictator, though obviously not on the surface. Even if Koutarou and the others were to lose, Clan could pretend to go along with the scheme and then temporarily stall Lord Bandarion's plans. Returning Clan to her family would certainly have a lot of meaning.

“I don't want too! You're telling me to watch from safety as you and Theiamillis-san brave dangers!?”

Clan kicked her chair back as she stood up and refused with a harsh tone.

“That's right. I want you to continue secretly supporting us while preparing for the worst”

”That's not something a Forthorthe royalty would do!!”

Clan was against Koutarou's idea. When faced with a time bomb, she wanted to be disarming the bomb, rather than standing ready with body bags. Rather than preparing for the worst, she wanted to prevent it from happening in the first place. Clan believed that this was what it meant for a royalty to take responsibility.

“Besides, you don't understand anything!! Just how lonely it is to just wait!! Just how hard it is to watch a fight from afar!!”

Clan couldn't accept it not just because of her responsibility as royalty, but also on a personal level. Clan would often be supporting, rather than fighting directly, and she was already finding herself praying for the others to return safely a lot. She now understood how Alaia felt when she saw Koutarou off before a battle. Imagining how it would feel returning to the Schweiger family and separating from Koutarou and the others, being unable to do anything but wait, Clan couldn't help but want to at least want to stay close.

“If you don't need me then just say so!! Leaving me out like this is too much!! And... if you do need me, then please let me stay by your side!!”

Clan had tears in her eyes as she showed her determination. Her emotions were intense and painful and might even be mistaken for a declaration of love, no, in the bigger picture it was without a doubt a declaration of love. A declaration of love to the people of Forthorthe and to her friends gathered here.

“See Reios-sama, it's just like I said”

“... Haah, guess it can't be helped...”

Seeing Clan's reaction, Elfaria flashed a proud smile, while Koutarou dropped his shoulders with a sigh. Clan was confused by their reaction.

“Bertorion? What are you talking about?”

Clan blinked in confusion as the tears in her eyes spilled out. As Koutarou had his back turned on Clan, Theia explained in his place.

“Actually, since we had some time before we would group up with you, we were discussing your treatment between us. That's when mother said, that you will choose the correct decision as a princess and as our friend”

“Elfaria-san...”

Surprised, Clan looked to Elfaria. Elfaria's smile turned gentle and she nodded at Clan.

“And Clan, you feeling that way is because of your long journey with Koutarou, isn't it?”

”Hmm... yes. If not, I would still be immature even now”

”So we threatened Koutarou who was still reluctant. He has to take the responsibility for making you a splendid princess, or the rest of us will all do something drastic”

“My...”

This time Clan turned to Koutarou. He still had his back turned on her. With Theia's explanation, she could tell why Koutarou was doing that. They had journeyed together for a long time after all.

“Then Bertorion was aware from the start?”

”That's right. Knowing what your answer would be he chose to ask anyways. He felt like he had to confirm your determination”

”I see...”

Clan wiped away her tears and stared at Koutarou's back. She wanted to run up to him and hug that back, and complain about him acting so cold despite knowing. However, Clan chose not to do so. Clan was obstinate, and she didn't have to do that to convey her feelings to Koutarou.

“Master, regardless of the details up until now, I believe there is something you need to say to Clan-sama”

As Clan imagined, Koutarou noticed her feelings. That's why he made up his mind as Ruth urged him. Though he still had his back turned.

“... Clan”

”Yes”

”Be my attendant like before... I need you”

”Fufufu, you're the attendant. When are you going to get that, you neanderthal... fufufufu...”

Clan responded in a way she would have during their travels in the past Forthorthe. It was an expression of will of someone who would serve as his partner even now. However, unlike those 2,000 years ago she was filled with warm feelings.

Part 2

After continued discussion, it was decided that Clan would disguise herself and hide her identity, serving as Koutarou's attendant. Being an attendant from Earth, it wasn't unnatural if her identity couldn't be confirmed. And the preconception that a princess wouldn't serve as a knight's attendant should help protect Clan's identity.

Ever since it was decided that Clan would disguise herself as Koutarou's attendant, she had been sitting on the seat to his right. Koutarou's attendant, partner, advisor, science expert, there were a lot of titles she could go under, but Clan believed that it the seat next to Koutarou belonged to her. Koutarou was still embarrassed, so having Clan sit by his side meant that he didn't have to look at her face. And the rest of the girls of room 106 observed the awkward master and servant with fascination.

“With Clan-dono's treatment decided, let's move on”

However, they were all aware that they had something more important to do. That's why, when Kiriha changed topic, the girls put Koutarou and Clan aside for now. They could bring the two up again during dinner. But now there was a lot of things that needed to be decided.

“With Clan-dono accompanying us, we can push our boundaries a little. We can rely on the Hazy Moon for a great deal”

”Leave it to me. You won't regret it”

Clan accompanying the rest or not would affect the rest of the decisions to come. Clan's own inventions were of course a great help, but the royal-class battleship Hazy Moon's presence would greatly sway the outcome of battles to come.

“Theia-dono, what do you plan to do now?”

Kiriha turned to Theia. She already knew the answer to her question, but for the sake of the discussion, she wanted to let everyone know.

“At first, my plan was to group up with our allies outside of the solar system. It would be easy for the coup d'état army to find us within the solar system after all. But with the Hazy Moon, we can be a bit more bold. Ruth”

”Yes, Your Highness”

Ruth operated her bracelet and displayed a planetary system above the desk the group was sitting around. This system was different from what they would see in a classroom. The sun in the center was the same, but there were eight planets in orbit around it. In the past, people only lived on a single one of those, but now there were people living on all eight. This sun and eight planets was called the Forthorthe solar system. This was the home of Theia and the others, the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire.

“Our first destination is here. The sixth planet, Alaia”

At the same time Ruth spoke, the sixth planet from the sun expanded. It was a beautiful blue planet with a ring around it just like Saturn.

“Alaia?”

Hearing that name, Harumi looked at Ruth out of reflex. The name Alaia held a special meaning to her.

“Yes. Originally only our main planet, the third planet from the sun, Forthorthe, could sustain life. The remaining planets have been terraformed to support life, and they have been named after historical figures”

At first the sixth planet was a barren planet, but when compared to the other planets it had a rich environment, making it relatively easy to terraform. That's why it was the first planet to be terraformed. And when people began living on it, it was named after the most famous empress, Alaia. Thus, one could say that the planet Alaia was the sign that Forthorthe had officially entered the space age.

“... I see... what an extraordinary story...”

What would eventually happen in Earth's future was already long past in Forthorthe. Harumi couldn't help but feel surprised, and Alaia most likely would have felt the same way.

“And Alaia is under direct control of the Mastir family, so Her Majesty, Elfaria still has a lot of support here. That's why the Elfaria faction's base is on this planet as well”

Forthorthe had seven royal families, and each of them had direct control of one of the terraformed planets. Since each of the families developed their own planets, the ties between the residents and the ruling family was deep. As a result, even after Elfaria's crimes began being broadcast on Alaia, her approval ratings barely dropped at all. This meant it was easy for the Elfaria faction to move around on the planet, and it was also why they built their secret base on the planet.

“We'll head to that base and group up with our allies”

Theia and Elfaria were going to use the information their allies had gathered to expose Lord Bandarion's conspiracy. For that sake, going ot their allies largest base was the best way to do so. Currently, there were very few bases that the Elfaria faction could openly use. Out of the new secret bases prepared, the one on Alaia was the largest. Moreover, it was far away from the star, making it easier for Theia and the others to access.

“However, there is just one big problem with this. That is how we get down to the surface without being found by the coup d'etat army”

”There won't be any problems getting to Alaia's atmosphere. My Hazy Moon should be able to approach without being found. The problem is how to proceed from there. While it's not as expansive as the main planet, there are still air defenses as people live on the planet. It will be virtually impossible to descend to the surface without being found”

Not even the Hazy Moon was able to erase its trace completely. The heat and light from re-entry stood out to much to be hidden. Moreover, space distortion through gates or warps were difficult to completely conceal.

As a result, trying to breach the front with a re-entry would get detected, as would both the entrance and exit points in any attempted gates or warps. While it was easy to say, actually getting down to the surface without being detected in this day and age was difficult.

“In anime and stuff, people would stow away on ships or blend in on a train to cross the borders”

Sanae, who was actually listening for a change showed off what little knowledge she had. But the idea of stowing away wasn't a bad one. That was how Theia and Ruth had slipped into Forthorthe when they went to rescue Elfaria.

“In the past it would have been possible, but they are on guard now. On pretext we are felons, and we have a space battleship. Some special method will be required no matter what”

However, the situation had changed from before. Officially, Theia and the others plus the Elfaria faction were treated as terrorists riding around a battleship. Following the manual on countering terrorism, the security around the Forthorthe system had gotten stronger. But even then, they might be able to do something with the abilities of the girls of room 106, but with so many uncertain elements, entering as stowaways would be used as a last resort.

“Yurika-chan, if you give it your all, how far can you teleport?”

Nana turned to Yurika. Hearing the words special method, her first idea was to break through with magic. Being a former magical girl, she knew how to make effective use of magic, and teleportation was the first candidate.

“... Let's see... using a ceremony while we're moving will be impossible, so... if I stretch the incantation time as long as possible, and use a lot of magical power... uhm, I think I can manage ten kilometers”

“Ten kilometers wouldn't be enough. We'd need 100 at the very least”

Sadly, it seemed like breaking through the atmosphere with a teleport would be difficult. If Yurika alone was ten kilometers, they'd only get some 30-40 kilometers even if Nana; Maki and Harumi all helped out. Even if it was possible, the deceleration was a big problem. If she simply teleported in with the same velocity as she had during re-entry and crashed into the ground, only a big red stain in Yurika's shape would remain. Moreover, even with magic, they were still bending space, so it was still possible they might get detected.

“... I think you should be a little more surprised that a human can warp ten kilometers without the aid of science, Theiamillis-san”

”In that case, it's Uncle's time to shine”

---”Indeed, I can descend normally. I've done it several times before”

Another candidate was the Fire Dragon Emperor, Alunaya. In his case, he could return to his dragon form and re-enter the atmosphere. Since it wasn't bending space, there was no worry about being detected.

---”But prepare for your weight to increase quite a bit”

“It can't be helped, I'll give up this time. Do it, Uncle”

”A human that can warp and a creature that can enter the atmosphere from space... hearing it again, it really is ridiculous”

“But Your Highness, even if we were to borrow Alunaya-sama's back, there is still a chance that we'll be spotted visually or by radar”

Ruth's point was very correct. Alunaya was over 20 meters in size, and he'd stand out quite a bit because of the heat and light formed from re-entry. Moreover, there was also a high chance of being caught on simple radar.

“Indeed, that is a problem”

”In regards to that problem, we should be able to use this”

Kiriha pointed to the hologram of the Forthorthe solar system still being projected. The hologram was currently showing the glowing blue planet Alaia, and the ring around it.

Part 3

Alaia had a ring like the one Saturn has. The ring consisted of ice with some dust and rock mixed in, like the one on Saturn. At times some pieces in the ring would fall to Alaia. Kiriha's plan was to blend in with the falling pieces and enter the atmosphere. However, there was a big problem with that method. That method was the mechanisms put in place to protect the planet from any damage from falling pieces of rock and ice.

Most of the ice burned away at re-entry. As it was primarily ice with some dust and rocks mixed in, the ice melted as it entered the atmosphere. But in the case of a large clump of ice, it would reach the surface and cause a lot of damage. So there were a lot of satellites that detected lumps of ice larger than a certain size and neutralized them with laser. That's why there was a high chance of being attacked by lasers when trying to sneak in with the falling pieces of the ring. In order to avoid this, some tricks were required.

The method that Clan and Kiriha thought of to break through the defense system was to give a small spaceship a coating of radar absorbing paint. Even then, the space ship wasn't designed with stealth in mind so it would not be completely hidden from radar. However, it was possible to make it look smaller. As they would blend in with the falling ice, there was no need to completely hide. After that all they needed to do was cut the power and fall towards Alaia with the gravitational pull and they should be able to slip past the defenses installed. Once they entered the atmosphere Alunaya would use his magical power to protect the spaceship from the heat and safely land them on the surface. As their movement was based on gravity, it would take some time, but this was the method of descent that had the highest chances to succeed.

The small spaceship that would used to descend was the haniwas heavy combat module, O-hime. As O-hime was additional equipment for the haniwas, it was made to be able to function in all the same places as they could. They were of course no match for a ship specialized for space or water travelling, but in situations where anything could happen, O-hime's adaptability was a big weapon.

Part 4

Playing a leading part in the descent, Karama and Korama took the lead and helped remodel the O-hime. Though by remodeling, all they were doing was adding covers to make it look like a lump of ice and giving painting it in radar absorbing paint.

“Hey! The paint on the starboard side is thin Ho-! What are you doing Ho-!”

”I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'll repaint it right away!”

”As expected of Harumi-chan, Ho. The finish is very nicely done”

”I am honored by your praise”

”I'd like Harumi-chan to do the starboard side too Ho-”

”I'm painting it, I'm properly painting it!”

Theia was idly watching out the progress of the work. She was staring at the O-hime being remodeled but her mind was somewhere else. She was thinking of the far away future.

---In the end, all I can do is fight, huh... I haven't matured at all...

When Theia first headed to Earth, she was planning on using force to shut up the aboriginal inhabitants and obtain control of room 106. However, she failed and after maturing over a long period of time, she realized that it was a mistake. Yet as she returned to Forthorthe, she was preparing for battle. While she realized it couldn't be helped, she felt like she hadn't matured a little.

---But this time I'm not just getting Ruth involved, but many important people... I might be lacking a fundamental quality as a ruler...

Ruth was a Forthorthe born knight, so she due to her position she had a reason to fight. However, her other friends didn't. They had all come at Theia's request. While they had special powers, it still didn't change that she had brought her friends into a fight that they had nothing to do with. Of course, they would say that they do have something to do, but that wouldn't make Theia feel any better.

“Ei”

That was when an acute pain struck Theia's head.

“Ow!? W-What are you doing!?”

Since it hurt quite a bit, Theia complained with tears in her eyes. Looking in the direction of the attack, Theia spotted Koutarou who had just swung his fist.

“What, I was just punching you”

”That's not what I was asking! I was asking why are you punching me!?”

”There's no reason”

”Don't hit people for no reason!”

“More accurately, it's because you're Theia”

Everyone understood how Theia felt. They had all, more or less, felt the same way during their own troubles. No one here enjoyed putting their friends in danger. But when trying to tell each other not to worry, it was hard to get it across. So there, the girls sent out Koutarou. He was the only one that could communicate with Theia without words.

“Because you're Theia, I will hit you without reason”

”Then that means I can hit you right back!!”

Theia swung her fist at Koutarou's stomach. She looked delicate, but the strike born from the full force of Theia's muscles was heavy. Koutarou instinctively stifled his breath.

“Ugh”

You're mine and Ruth's Koutarou after all!!”

“Y-You do get it, Theia!”

”Too naïve! Did you think I was some kind of idiot that would get punched time and time again!”

Koutarou and Theia began an all out fist fight. However because of the flow of offense and defense, the need to restrict the opponent's attacks appeared and the fight shifted to joint locks.

“U-Using your, brute force, like thaat!!”

”If your, citizens, saw your face, they'd be, disappointed!!”

Theia swiftly moved behind Koutarou and wrapped her thin arms around his neck. Koutarou wasn't about to let that happen and used his strength to try and tear her off. When it came to technique Theia was on top and when it came to strength it was Koutarou, the fight moved back and forth between the two.

---But... why did Koutarou do something like this...?

Being the one pressuring Koutarou with a technique, Theia had some breathing room. That's why she mercilessly pressured Koutarou with her body while she began thinking of the reason behind Koutarou's actions with her mind. He had surely done it to comfort her. Koutarou would often use violence on someone making a dark expression to change the situation into one where they didn't have the ability to continue thinking. However, Theia believed that this time, that wasn't the case.

---Koutarou said 'you do get it'. In other words, that was his intention.

This time, Koutarou's intentions were deeper than normal. That's what Theia felt from his actions.

---Because I am Theia, and he is Koutarou. He punched me to remind me, to make me understand, to make me realize. Which means, that in other words...

A few minutes after the two had been fighting. Theia finally arrived at the answer to what Koutarou was trying to convey.

“... Hm? What is it, Theia?”

The strength in Theia's arms suddenly weakened. Koutarou had been frantically trying to tear those arms away from him, but confused by the sudden loss in strength, he eased up as well and turned to look at her face.

“... It's, nothing...”

Theia was crying. As the power behind her attack had weakened, she was crying with her arms wrapped around Koutarou's neck.

“I see...”

Koutarou put his hand on Theia's head and lightly tapped it two, three times. Words were unnecessary as what he wanted to tell her had already been conveyed.

“... I just... remembered, that's all...”

Theia increased the strength in her arms again. But this strength was different from before. It was strength to shorten the distance between them.

“... That... me putting you in pain like this, means nothing to you...”

As long as Theia was Theia, Koutarou didn't mind if he was punched or squeezed. The opposite was also true. As long as Koutarou was Koutarou, Theia didn't mind if she was punched or squeezed. They could act like that towards each other as they shared the same hobby and they could rely on one another. Theia was currently very conscious of that.

“...”

Koutarou silently lightly tapped Theia's head again. As expected, he wasn't using words.

“... If you continue on with me, you will only get hurt. You may say that you don't mind, but I don't want that...”

”...”

“... I didn't want you to be hurt because of me relying on your good will...”

”...”

Koutarou tapped Theia's head once more. But this time he kept his hand on her head and moved it left and right, patting her head.

“... But, I can rely on you right... after all... you don't mind being hurt by me...”

”...”

Koutarou continued patting Theia's head without a word. That seemed to convey his feelings though as Theia held onto him harder. After confirming the answer that Theia had reached, Koutarou finally spoke.

“You always thought like that yourself right? You didn't care if you got hurt after getting involved in anyone else's troubles”

“...”

But now Theia fell silent instead. Or more accurately, she couldn't form any words because she was sobbing. So she hugged Koutarou even harder in an attempt to convey her feelings.

“To me... I have things I want to treasure, even if it hurts me. I'm sure everyone else feels the same way too... Just like you do”

”..”

Eventually Theia pressed her head against Koutarou's shoulders and began crying. Because of that, her cries were quiet and nobody realized that she was crying. Apart from Koutarou that is.

“Still, you really are kind. Even if we feel that way, you'll probably feel painful again”

”... Mm...”

”When that happens, come to me and I'll punch you. And then you'll be able to remember, just like now. That you yourself fought with that in your mind”

Theia continued to cry. She found her answer, but her conflict was still present. That couldn't be helped as she was just a normal human.

“... Can I hit you too...?”

“Stupid, of course you can”

”... Mm...”

With that as their final words, the two stopped speaking. From that point on, Koutarou patted Theia's head while waiting for her to stop crying. However, that time wasn't coming any time soon as she didn't stop crying until an hour had passed.

“... Hey, Theia”

Sensing that Theia had stopped crying, he opened his mouth again. There was something he wanted to ask her.

“... What, Koutarou...”

Theia's voice was calm, gentle and sweet. It was a special voice she rarely used. It was the voice she only used with someone who she fully trusted.

“Continuing from before, could you seriously strangle me? I'm embarrassed going back to the others like this”

The others knew that Koutarou and Theia had been alone for about an hour, and they would sometimes anxiously glance at them. Of course, they didn't know what the two were talking about. That's why Koutarou wanted it to look like the topic had derailed and a fight had broken out. It was a worry only boys of age would have.

“You really are hopeless... but now that you mention it, I agree”

“Right?”

“I want to leave our relationship as an radical one”

For now.

Theia would have ended her sentence with that. But she chose not to say it. This was a common stubbornness for a girl her age. Instead she pressed her lips on Koutarou's cheeks, very gently, so Koutarou wouldn't notice. It was a vow for her own sake.

“Then let's go. Are you ready?”

”Wait, wait, how did it I go?”

“You gripped my right hand”

”Right, now I remember”

Thus the two began fighting again. It was as intense as always, but only on the surface. The girls that were watching over the two had noticed, but had no intentions of pointing it out, because they knew that by not doing that, everything would work out in the end.

Part 5

With the haniwas help, by the time Koutarou and the others reached the ring around Alaia, O-hime's preparations were complete. Moreover, they also managed to get in touch with their contact person in the Elfaria faction, and were able to get details about the surface and about the planet Forthorthe.

“... And that's the situation, just like you believe, we too believe that you should avoid stowing yourselves away, Your Highness. The security is a lot stricter than before, and we're still looking for an opening in it”

“In the end, stowing ourselves away is a huge risk, and it would probably end up in a failure somewhere along the way”

”That's why we agree with the plan of descending to the planet alongside the ice of the ring”

”Okay, I got it. Let the ones below know to be prepared to meet up with us”

”Understood”

According to the contact person, the entirety of Forthorthe was becoming more advantageous for the coup d'état army. The media under the coup d'état army's control continued to slander Elfaria, even though the rest of the media were discussing the pros and cons, the overall tone of Elfaria was negative. The feelings of the citizens were being affected by that, and her former high level of support was the only reason a discussion around her was still going on. But eventually, the citizens would be overcome by the media's negative tone of discussion, so swift measures were required.

Fortunately, even in that situation, the citizens on Alaia still supported Elfaria. Based on historical events, the Mastir family had a high level of support even before, but after going through hardships together during the terraforming of Alaia, the citizens were exceptionally supportive of the Mastir family. As a result, regardless of what the media under the coup d'etat army's control said, the public opinion on Alaia remained unchanged. And that helped support the activities of the Elfaria faction.

The coup d'état army understood that as well. They wanted to keep Theia and the others from entering Alaia no matter what. Because the citizens would love a story of the empress and a princess chased out by their country, only to return to the planet named after the Silver Princess. That's why security was much stricter than usual, and the entry into the planet was monitored carefully. Because of that, the Elfaria faction agreed that descending to the planet alongside the falling ice from the ring would be a better either.

“Then Your Majesty, Your Highness, I will pray for your safe journey”

”Thank you”

”Excuse me”

Finishing reporting to Theia and the others, the contact person swiftly left the Blue Knight's bridge. His role wasn't just to deliver information to them, but also reporting back to their allies. He couldn't take it too easy.

“... The princess said thank you... fufufu...”

“Ah, he's here, uncle!”

“I've gathered everyone's letters!”

”And here are the pictures of the princess we promised!”

”Leave it to me, I'll make sure to deliver them. In exchange―”

“Yeah, we'll take a lot more pictures. So please deliver more letters!”

”It's a promise”

The contact person had one more important job. That was to deliver letters and messages from the children on the Blue Knight, to their friends and family. When compared to his mission, it might be seen as trifling work, but to them, this was their only connection with their hometown. It was an important job that couldn't be ignored.

Part 6

At around the same time. Lord Bandarion on the planet of Forthorthe was receiving a report from the fleet admiral. He had already received the rough details through hyperspace communications, but since the contents of the report were hard to accept, by the time the fleet returned, the fleet admiral was summoned to give another report.

“... The Satomi band of knights? I've never heard of it”

”If we are to believe the words of their commander, they are a new band of knights approved by princess Theiamillis”

“Their name aside, there's no mistaking their strength is there?”

”Yes. 40 special forces soldiers didn't stand a chance against just nine of them”

Lord Bandarion's first questions were about the enemy's strength and numbers. Anyone would be confused upon hearing that 40 veteran soldiers were defeated by a boy and eight girls. Moreover, the enemy's equipment was already known and out of date. The worst report of all was that a girl in an apron defeated a dozen or so soldiers with her bare hands.

“So the elite special forces were defeated without difficulty... what a pathetic story”

“Bandarion-sama, it would be cruel to blame the soldiers. Since there were 0 deaths, I believe this new band of knights were far stronger”

“Granado... hmm... you are correct. There might be something special about Earth”

However, with the report from the fleet admiral and the documented footage, there was no doubt that it was the truth, and that the enemy was abnormal. Lord Bandarion had been perplexed at first, but he was now accepting it as reality. Ignoring the enemy's strength with some strange excuse would be a fool's act. It would be better to accept their strength and use excessive force to deal with them. Lord Bandarion had the capacity to accept that. Moreover, he had such an overwhelming difference in forces that allowed him to think like that.

“Then why did you allow the Blue Knight escape?”

The biggest problem for Lord Bandarion was the next event. The strength of an individual didn't matter in a battle between spaceships. And as long as they could come out victorious in a space battle, that individual strength didn't mean a thing.

“Since we had data on the Blue Knight's stealth function we used that to pursue them”

The spaceship, the Blue Knight, had a stealth function that allowed it to erase its traces. However, it couldn't fully erase them, and it would leak a slight amount of specific electrical and gravitational waves. That's why, having accurate data of the leaking traces, it was possible to pursue the cloaked ship.

“However... I don't know when they did it, but before we knew it, we were pursuing the Blue Knight's dummy. During that time, the Blue Knight had fled the other way and entered warp”

By the time the Blue Knight left orbit, it had already activated stealth. But since the fleet had data on when the Blue Knight used stealth, they could pursue it. What's strange was what happened after that. Before they knew it, the Blue Knight had been replaced with an information pod, and the Blue Knight had escaped the opposite direction.

That was because the fleet didn't know about the existence of the Hazy Moon. With not just the Blue Knight, but the Hazy Moon's own developed stealth function, there was no way the fleet could pursue the Blue Knight. So it would be cruel to blame them, but since nobody knew about it, they had no choice but to apologize.

“... How troublesome”

As expected, Lord Bandarion's expression turned harsh. Seeing that, the admiral felt like he was going to get a punishment including demotion. That was how severe the expression on his face was.

“It seems Her Majesty Elfaria is far tougher than I expected...”

Director-General Granado was the same. In his situation he could guess the technology the opponent had, and felt a clear sense of danger. He began contemplating if he should pull out technology still in the development phase.

“That is true, but there is another thing that is troublesome”

”By which you mean?”

”The troublesome one is that brat, the DKI's young heir”

”Elexis is it”

”I misread the situation. He knew that this would happen when he gave us the information. Trying to sell himself for even more”

”Then DKI already has countermeasures?”

“That's right. That's why he directed us to lose both on the surface and in space. I don't like it, but it seems we have no choice but to cooperate”

If left be, the fleet would only lose in space. However, Elexis had given them information letting them know that a surface battle would be better. If he gave them that information, knowing the strength of the opponents, then that could only mean one thing.

“'You get it now, right? If you want to beat them, you'll have to team up with me'’ is what that brat is saying”

If it was just about defeating Elfaria, it probably wouldn't be that hard. It was possible if they were prepared to sacrifice a lot. But what would the citizens think upon seeing that? With that in mind, it would be difficult for Lord Bandarion to rule afterwards. The solution was to find Elfaria with a small force and resolve the situation right away. And in other to do that, Elexis' power was needed. The power of Elexis, who sent information to them knowing they couldn't win.

“That said... we likely wouldn't have understood if he had just said it out loud”

“That's right, Granado. That's the most irritating point!!”

Bang.

Lord Bandarion punched the desk in frustration. The loud impact alongside his fierce voice echoed through the command room. The overwhelming force behind it made the people within instinctively stop moving, and turn towards Lord Bandarion.

“Brat, I'll admit that you are ahead for now! And that we need your power! But don't think things will stay like that forever! I am Marswell Dayora Bandarion! The man that will become the ruler of Forthorthe!!”

Thus it was decided that Lord Bandarion would team up with Elexis. To Lord Bandarion who had a lot of pride, making that decision was as difficult as drinking molten iron. However, he understood the compensation he would need to pay in order to fulfill his goal. A ruler of might that would do anything to stand on the top of all things. That was the kind of man Marswell Dayora Bandarion was.

Part 7

Koutarou and the others headed towards Alaia a little while after the contact person had left. That was partly because they wanted some time difference between them and the contact person departing, but also because they needed to find some ice that they could make use of. In order to hide O-hime, they needed several of the largest sizes of lumps of ice so that the defenses wouldn't bombard them. If not, chances were that O-hime would get caught up in the bombardment.

Having found the lumps of ice they needed, they headed towards Alaia with them. Time wise, about half a day had passed since the contact person left. They would arrive about another two days after that. It would take that long even with the Hazy Moon taking them as close as possible. In exchange for the time it took, there was practically nothing else to do, as power was reduced to a minimum to avoid detection. As a result, Koutarou and the others would be waiting inside the O-hime for a long time.

“It really helps to calm down with a tatami mat”

”Fufufu, you should thank Sanae-chan's brains for that one”

”You did good”

”Ehe~m”

Shizuka patted Sanae's head, who had thrown herself back on the tatami mat. They were currently in O-hime's residence section in the back. Originally, being a small gunboat, there was no residence division onboard the O-hime, but the rear portion could be changed to match needs. The armaments that had been there had been removed, and instead a residence section had been added. That said, since it was made so quickly, it was very dull, so Sanae had put down some tatami mats without permission to make it somewhat better.

“If only there was a wardrobe it'd be the same as room 106”

“Just settle for that locker”

“It's really hard to sleep standing up you know”

The size of the residence section was about as big as room 106, and came with a big room, lavatory, restroom and kitchen. With the majority of them being girls, the equipment naturally turned out that way.

“Everyone, tea is ready”

”We've got snacks too”

Because of that, for better or for worse, Koutarou and the others were spending time as usual. Ruth and Kiriha had just prepared tea and snacks, and they were all gathered around the tea table in the middle.

“Maki, could you bring me cup?”

“Here you go”

”Thank you”

Though the room was small and there were a lot of people, they cooperated to hand out the tea and snacks in an experienced and familiar fashion. They knew they were in the middle of a dangerous journey, but by doing this, the girls could rest their strained nerves. Origin and powers aside, they were just normal girls, so this kind of time was a positive influence.

“Oh? Where is Sakuraba-senpai?”

Koutarou was handing out tea and snacks with the girls, but that was when he noticed that Harumi was missing.

“We passed by her in the passage a little while ago Ho-”

“She was headed for the cockpit Ho! Not the bats!”

”I see. I'll go get her”

At this rate, Harumi's tea would cool and the snacks would get eaten. Koutarou left the tea and snacks to Ruth and Kiriha and headed towards the cockpit.

Part 8

The stars as seen from the cockpit were very vivid. As there was no air, the stars weren't twinkling. So the stars ended up looking like a picture, and Harumi faintly felt like that was a waste. As she knew that was what they truly looked like, Harumi smiled wryly at her own selfish feelings.

“What are you smiling on your own about, Sakuraba-senpai”

“Satomi-kun... fufufu, actually I was thinking it was a waste that the stars aren't twinkling”

”You're right, you can see them so clearly that there's no romance in it”

Koutarou and Harumi lined up, and stared outside together. Like Harumi said, the stars weren't twinkling in the slightest, which made Koutarou feel like it was a waste as well.

“Sometimes, seeing something vaguely makes it look more beautiful”

“You'll worry about getting wrinkles in another 20 years or so, Sakuraba-senpai”

“Geez, Satomi-kun...”

”When that happens, I'll make sure not too look too closely”

“I'll be fine. I'll rejuvenate myself with magic”

”Everyone will complain, telling you to do it for them too”

”Then I will. Fufufufu”

“Ahahaha”

This place is over 10 million light-years from Earth, inside of a spaceship. Even then, the two were laughing as if they were in the middle of knitting society club activities. Since the two had been in the knitting society just the two of them for so long, whenever they were alone, they would naturally drift towards that kind of atmosphere.

“You're a romanticist, aren't you, Sakuraba-senpai”

“I'm aware of it. But aren't all girls romanticist compared to boys?”

“Is... that a complaint about me?”

“Yes, just a little. Fufu”

There were times when Harumi found Koutarou's emphasizing the principle of things irritating. He should benefit a lot more if he was more flexible and occasionally emphasized romanticism. But at the same time, not being able to do that was Koutarou's charm. In the end, taking that into account, Harumi felt just a little bit dissatisfied.

“But when it comes to romanticism, I don't think I can beat Theiamillis-san”

”She is really into that after all...”

”In her pursuit of that romance, the Blue Knight, she even turned you into the real Blue Knight after all”

”It really is a confusing story”

”In the end, being a normal girl born on Earth is putting a break on me and I can't fully indulge in the romance”

“Hahaha, that really is just like you, Sakuraba-senpai”

Koutarou laughed happily. The serious and common sense part of Harumi was getting in the way of her expectations and beliefs of something special at the very end. It was a part that was very much like her.

“Fufu... but... right now... everything strangely feels like a dream. It looks like I was actually a girl too”

Harumi gently smiles at Koutarou and looked back outside. Speaking with an underclassman boy in the same society as her. Being the boy she loved, her heart leaped for joy. But as she did that and looked at the spectacle outside of the cockpit, she felt a different emotion mixed in.

“Like a dream? What do you mean?”

”Even though this is the first time I've seen these stars, they feel nostalgic”

This was supposedly the first time Harumi had seen the stars outside the window, but she felt like they were familiar. Like she had looked up at the stars at her home for the first time in a while. And that she had done something like this with Koutarou before.

“Even though there's no way.... fufufu”

“That's probably...”

”Yes, I think so. This is the first time I've seen these stars after all...”

Inside of Harumi was the memories of a certain girl. They were something Harumi had inherited when she inherited her important mission. While they were at a different planet from Forthorthe, the stars still looked the same. The stars before Harumi now were the same as the stars in that girl's memories.

“I do understand that these aren't my memories. That this isn't something I felt myself. But... the feelings about it are similar to my own, so... my heart can't help but feel nostalgia...”

As the two looked up at the stars, Harumi could recall certain memories. They were memories of the two looked up at the starry sky in Forthorthe.

“And I remember the words from back then. And the emotions that couldn't be conveyed...”

The painful feelings of having a clear sense of love, but being unable to convey it and stop Koutarou. As she looked at the stars, those feelings swelled up in Harumi's mind and eventually nostalgia began overtaking it. Tears formed in Harumi's and the stars that shouldn't be twinkling began to shine brilliantly.

“... Back then, this is what you said...”

Entrusting herself to those memories, words floated up from within Harumi. She didn't resist and just naturally let those words flow.

“... 'I came from the other side of that sky, the world of stars'...”

He had a place to return to, a promise to fulfill. It was impossible to stop a knight that emphasized reason. With those words, she had no choice but to give up, they were special words that she could never forget.

“... I could only wait. For the day you would return to Forthorthe... so we could look up at this sky together once more...”

Before Koutarou knew it, Harumi's hair was glowing silver, the color of her eyes had changed to a clear blue, and the tears in her eyes finally began overflowing, wetting her translucent white cheeks.

“It couldn't be...”

Koutarou was at a loss for words. He was completely confused. The girl in front of him should without a doubt have been Harumi. He felt that even now, but at the same time, he felt the presence of a different person.

“... Welcome back, Koutarou-sama... I have forever waited for the day you return to Forthorthe...”

The beautiful hair shining silver, the clear blue eyes, the soft and calm way of standing, and the gentle behavior. While the clothes she was wearing was different, she was exactly like the girl in Koutarou's memories.

“Sakuraba-senpai... or is it... Your Majesty standing there?”

Koutarou couldn't distinguish the two. Is the girl in front of him Harumi, or is it someone else. The way she stood and her behavior shared so many similarities. The only clear differences Koutarou could tell was her hair and eyes.

“Who knows... I can't really tell myself. Is this person Harumi or Alaia... it might even be both. We share one thing that can't be distinguished, because there is no need to...”

Harumi had the memories of Alaia inside of her. Those memories had overwritten the image of princess Alaia that Harumi created for her role in the plays. That's why Alaia's memories didn't confuse Harumi. Harumi was Harumi and Alaia was Alaia, there was a clear, distinct line separating them.

However, there was one exception. While their birth and growth were different and they had lived completely different lives, that one thing was like an exact replica of one another. And that was their feelings towards one man. That's why when that feeling was elevated to its peak, it was impossible to distinguish the two. Which was why the person standing in front of Koutarou was both Harumi and Alaia. When facing Koutarou alone, that distinction was unnecessary.

“Fufu... I'm happy you are back, Koutarou-sama... I'm sure Charl would be pleased as well”

”... Y-Your Majesty, I... I...!!”

Both of them had a lot they wanted to say. Things they would say if they ever were to meet again. The words they wanted to say were countless, but when the time appeared, not a single of the words came to mind. The event was too sudden, and there was too much to say. The only thing the two could do was look at each other.

“Hey, Koutarou! Harumi! If you don't hurry, you'll run out snacks!”

“Ah...”

And the end arrived just as suddenly. The moment Sanae's voice came from the residence section, Harumi's and Alaia's feelings greatly differed. The glow in her hair dissipated, and her eyes returned to their original color. In just a few seconds, she had returned to the usual Harumi.

“... It's Sakuraba-senpai, right?”

”Yes...”

Harumi nodded sadly and bowed deeply towards Koutarou. She was full of sadness.

“... I'm sorry, Satomi-kun. I wish I could have stayed as Alaia-sama a little longer... but my feelings went out of control...”

Harumi and Alaia could only stay as one as an absolute exception with all the correct conditions. It was difficult for Harumi to directly control it. Koutarou didn't fully understand the circumstances, but he shook his head at the apologizing Harumi.

“It's fine. You are you, Sakuraba-senpai. You don't have to force yourself to become Her Majesty Alaia. I'm sure Her Highness feels the same way”

Alaia's intentions were clear. While she had allowed Harumi to succeed her duties, she wanted Harumi to live her own life. Even if it was possible, she wouldn't want Harumi to become her.

“Yes... you're right... I'm sure she does”

Harumi raised her head and smiled. Harumi felt the same way Koutarou did. The Alaia in her mind wouldn't want Harumi to change her life. Even for Alaia, the two overlapping like this was an unanticipated event. But even then, a wish that could not be erased budded within Harumi, as she saw the tears forming in Koutarou's eyes. Most of all, she knew that her feelings and Alaia's were as one.

“But, Satomi-kun... I sometimes think that I should have been the reincarnation of Alaia-sama. That if only I could become Alaia-sama...”

“Sakuraba-senpai, that's...”

“If that really was the case, then even if I was Harumi or Alaia-sama, then my life would be the same”

For the first time, Harumi began wishing from the bottom of her heart to become Alaia. She wanted to let Koutarou and Alaia meet. She also wanted Alaia to meet Koutarou. Being so kind, Harumi couldn't accept that their meeting had ended in a sad farewell. That's why she wanted to give them the kind of days that Alaia fantasized about.

However, the reality of Harumi being Harumi got in the way of that. That was a very obvious thing, but it made Harumi feel unbearably impatient right now.

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