How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Book 17: Chapter 10

Chapter 10: How This World Came to Be

This world is a continuation of the world you once lived in, Lord Souma. In the old calendar, it would have been the start of the twenty-second century.

The steady progress of technology saw humanity acquire the ability to freely change the mass of atoms that make up objects. To put it simply: this was the technology Tiamat and her kindthe dragonsused when changing the size of their bodies. With the acquisition of this technology, mankind saw the same explosion in progress that must have occurred with the discovery of fire in ancient times. Any object could be increased in size with the same density of atoms, and any contraption, no matter how intricate, could be shrunk down to a size too small for the human eye to see.

The former was used to solve the issues of energy and food, while the latter was used to create all-purpose objects called nanomachines that could do anything. These discoveries served to massively increase the population of humanity, which had begun to decline. Its fair to say that this is the era where mankind was at its most active.

With the issues of food and energy resolved, and nanomachines being put to work improving the soil and maintaining peoples health, problems that had been with mankind for all of our existence, like war and disease, were solved. Everyone watched these developments with excitement, wondering, What will happen next? and What new bright future awaits? Their hopes probably manifested with the uptick in the birth rate.

Furthermore, thanks to new ways of maintaining health through the use of nanomachines, the death rate plunged. That wasnt all. By manipulating genes at the embryonic stage, people were able to significantly extend their lifespan... Yes, thats right. That dark elf standing next to you. Her race, along with other long-lived races, is the product of that process. Naturally, just extending human lifespans on their own would result in explosive population growth, so they lowered the fertility of these new human races. With mankind increasing their numbers through these sorts of adjustments, eventually, they grew to more than their previous highest population. And the expanded population resumed the expansion into space that had been delayed by their declining population.

Did mankind fight a war in space, like in manga and anime? That did happen at the beginning of the advancement into space. But during this new expansion, they had nanomachines. There was no need to build giant stations for humanity in space; they could spread nanomachines on a planet to give it a climate similar to Earth in a short period of time. In other words, terraforming. That said, as a matter of efficiency, they needed to start from zero when terraforming the moon, Mars, and other planets of the solar system. But when terraforming outside the solar system, they would choose planets that were already similar to Earth.

Thats right... This planet youre on now is an extrasolar planet thats been terraformed. And its also a place where many experiments were performed.

They did it to find the human race best suited to this planet for when our population overflowed out of the solar system. As I said earlier, the terraforming on this planet wasnt as complete as the terraforming they did on planets in the solar system. Thats why they ended up doing experiments on a planetary scale.

An experiment site...

Id heard about the northern test site and the southern test site before. Were those relevant here? There was a lot to think about. Id just been fed more information than I knew how to respond to, and I felt like I barely understood the situation at hand.

I turned to gauge everyone elses reactions. Most of them were cocking their heads to the side.

Madam Juna... Did you understand her? Aisha asked.

About half of it, yes. I lost her when she started talking about planets, Juna replied.

If Juna doesnt get it, then the rest of us never stood a chance, Naden added.

Beside them, Tomoe turned to Ichiha and asked, Did you understand, Ichiha?

Just barely... I got the gist of it, but Im not sure Im convinced, he said. I feel a bit...of dread at the idea that this planet was birthed by people who would be His Majestys descendants.

Yeah... When you put it that way, its not funny, Yuriga chimed in. Were being treated like animals for their experiments.

Tomoe, Ichiha, and Yuriga had been keeping up with the story surprisingly well, perhaps due to their flexible thinking. And it seemed Ichiha in particular had an accurate grasp of the situation. He seemed to be feeling a sense of what you might call cosmic horror. The fear that there are entities that created us, and that may one day destroy us, has been demonstrated in works like those of the Cthulhu Mythos.

There was mention of test sites. I remember you called this half of the planet Madam Tiamats test site, correct? Is that related somehow? I asked, and Mao nodded.

Dividing the test site into the north and south hemispheres was just another part of the test. In order to test what would result from differences between the administrators.

As Mao said this, the world map as we recognized it was projected. It showed the continent of Landia with the Star Dragon Mountain Range at the center, as well as the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago and the two islands of the Spirit Kingdom, with a number of dots. What did the dots represent?

Investigating what kind of human race was most suitable for this world. That required the use of samples to see which modifications were best.

Samples?

The races you call beastmen, kobolds, dwarves, elves, and other demi-humans. We were investigating which of them has best adapted to this planet. And the test tubes we used in our experiment were what you call dungeons.

Dungeons?! Ichiha and I cried out in unison.

So dungeons are part of this too, huh? Did that mean that Genias theory that life originated in the dungeons was correct?

Mao continued her explanation.

I believe youre aware that, so long as they have a dungeon core, dungeons will create a certain amount of life and maintain an ecological system inside them. Nearly all extant dungeons have malfunctioned, so they produce rejects... In other words: monstersbut they were originally test tubes used in the search for well-adapted demi-humans.

The original purpose of the dungeons was... Well, to give you an example: in order to see if that wolf beastgirl you have with you is suitable for this world, it would create her race, then create an ecological system inside the dungeon where they could multiply. If the race grew successfully, they would eventually find the inside of the dungeon too constraining. The bravest among them would venture outside, and if they could survive in the world, they would lead their race out with them.

That would mark the end of the dungeons task for a while, and it would set about the next breeding experiment. This repeated process led demi-humans who could successfully breed and emerge from their dungeons to proliferate across both the north and south hemispheres.

Tiamat and I were the ones who managed the dungeons that created demi-humans.

In the northern hemisphere, I watched over my charges as a disembodied AI. Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere, Tiamat was given a bodyand in exchange for going through a process of death and rebirth, was allowed to leave her own descendants, managing the test site over many generations. Tiamats kinthe dragonsand the dragonewts born through their intermixing with the other races, were created at this time. Thats why they dont exist in the northern hemisphere.

Myself and Tiamat... Be that we live eternal lives or limited ones... Live in solitude or in clans... Investigating the impact of these sorts of differences was part of the experiment. This was all for the time when humanity, having grown too large, would one day come to this land...

Everyone was speechless.

There were simply too many shocking revelations. The purpose for all the demi-humans living in this world, the meaning of Madam Tiamat and Maos existence... If word of this spread, it would throw society into chaos. It was a good thing I limited how many people came with me.

Still... Test subjects, huh? Were the monster and dragon bones we discovered in the royal capital traces of the dungeons creating life long ago? And they had destroyed themselves so long ago that no records remained other than fossils...maybe? So, basically, the bones we used to make Mechadra werent from dragons of the Star Dragon Mountain Range, but had been created for an experiment in a dungeon? Was that why no one got mad at us for using them to fight a giant creature?

Mao continued speaking.

The environment of this planet gradually developed. Its inhabitable stature was proven when you were sent here from the past, Souma. You, who havent received special demi-human abilities.

Well, if the environment hadnt been ready, I guess I wouldve just died when Albert summoned me. I shuddered a little thinking about it.

But no matter how long we waited, old mankind never came... Mao said, her expression saddening.

They never came? After putting a considerable amount of effort into terraforming the planet and going to the trouble of performing an experiment with elves, beastmen, and the like?

Maybe...there was a war between those living on Earth and those in space...or something like that? I asked. Like in anime.

Mao shook her head. No. Its far less bleak, but more stupid than that.

Less bleak, but more stupid?

Yes. Old mankind simply lost their motivation.

Once they had completely remade the moon and Mars in the image of Earth, mankind had an epiphany. From here on, it would just be the same thing ad nauseam. No matter how they increased their numbers, spreading their seeds across the universe, it would just be a rehash of the things they had done up to this pointa remake of their past history.

Mankind had been coming up with new ideas all this time in search of things they were lacking. Under capitalism, the wealthy prosper, and the desire to be wealthier than others is what drives people. Under socialism, wealth is divided to eliminate poverty. Both systems have their light and dark sides, but at their root, they both address the question of how people should live, and what will create the greatest happiness in a reality where there are differences between people.

But what if scientific progress made it so everyone was satisfied? So that every single person could live a life of plenty? What if, in the quest for greater wealth, there wasnt much higher to go? What if there was no poverty? What if the only differences were as small as having two or three extra grains of rice to eat the next day? Would you go to war over such a tiny difference? Would you set off to distant stars just because of that? Would you try to grow your population to be superior to other nations? Would you want to make children in a society where you could control your own lifespans?

If there were some project that couldnt be completed in your own lifetime, you might entrust it to future generationsbut in a world where most things could be done in your own lifetime, would you want to make a family?

Do you understand what Im getting at...? People try to do things because there are things they cant do. Its their nourishment in life. It drives their emotions and causes them to influence others. Lord Souma, theres a difference in how long you and your dark elf and dragon wife will live. Im sure you struggle with that. Theres a difference between you who will leave them behind, and they who will be left behind. You dont want them to feel tied down to you. You want to at least leave them a family to be with. Those very human emotions are born from your struggle against reality.

However, mankind, once they were satisfied, ran into a dead end there.

The human psyche needed to grow alongside scientific development, but the growth of the human spirit was too slow to keep up with science. As a result...mankind turned into shut-ins in the area around Earth.

Huh? They turned into shut-ins? I couldnt help but echo that unexpected development back at her.

Mao nodded. In the sense that theyve lost the desire to go outside, and are satisfied to remain in their home, theyve become shut-ins.

Uh, listen, I get what youre saying, but... This reminded me of how once you got used to delivery, you had less desire to go shopping as often. The whole human race though, turning into shut-ins? Thats hard to imagine...

Science had gone as far as it could at that point, after all. They could even utilize the energy flowing through their bodiesthe beating of their heartsto create machines which could maintain themselves, so there wasnt much reason for humans to work at all. In fact, it was a world where some saw their only value in life as acting as a battery for machines.

Okay, yeah, this is starting to sound like a utopia for shut-ins.

Wed gotten to the point where the things being told were hard for me to imagine. I crossed my arms and cocked my head to one side.

But if they had run out of inconveniences in their lives, wouldnt they look to the outside to find more things that were inconvenient?

In my own time before being brought here, there were people who grew tired of life in the city and went camping to enjoy the inconvenience of it.

Mao got an awkward look on her face. Youre right, but with the development of VR technology, they were able to create virtual worlds that engaged the five senses in a way that was indistinguishable from reality. If they wanted to experience inconvenience, they could go to a virtual world to do that without risk to life and limb, and experience whatever inconvenience it was they liked as many times as they pleased. Whether that was living in a world of sword and sorcery like this one, or spending a lifetime in the Reiwa era you came from.

So... What are you saying?

Im sure that mankind on Earth is providing their machines with energy while living in whatever virtual worlds they desire. Not in a dystopian way, like is depicted in your movies, but because they themselves have chosen to immerse themselves in worlds of falsehoods.

Wow, what a bunch of shut-ins... Was that really what happened to humanity in the future? Was there anything they couldnt do in a virtual world?

Oh! What about family? Even if they fell in love and had children in a virtual world, that data isnt a real child, right? Was there no one who pushed back against that?

Virtual realities can be shared, so if they share sperm and eggs with the people they meet there, they can engage in romance in that virtual world, and have a real child created as a result. Although, because lifetimes are longer than they were in your era, they placed less importance on blood ties.

Right...

There were people who opposed this, of course. They would move to terraformed planets and begin living there. Those were the Lunarians that Lunarian Orthodoxy speaks of, and the ancestors of the humans living on this world. That said, due to intermixing with demi-humans, they have already become a new race distinct from the old humanity.

I had no more objections. If I delved into this any deeper, I was going to start worrying that this world might be fake too, and that if Madam Tiamat or Mao told me otherwise, it was just because they were programmed to, so I decided it was best to stop. Besides, old mankind wasnt what Mao really wanted to talk about.

I understand that old mankind never came. Now, Id like to hear what it is you have to say, I said. What are the demons? And what are monsters?

Mao nodded. Because old mankind never came, this planet-sized test site was left to continue on as it was.

Ive already mentioned that experimental planets like this one were prepared with an eye to expanding the active domain of humanity due to explosive population growth. However, that prediction was off base, and humanity constrained itself to Earth and its immediate neighborhood, leaving planets like this alone. Even after being abandoned, we administrators continued the experiments because they were our reason for existing. That means we created dungeons, birthing races suitable for this planet for centuries, millennia, longer than you can imagine... Over and over...

Eventually, dungeons started to malfunction. They spewed out life that was clearly warped. That is what monsters are.

The monsters bodies were rotting or appeared to be like patchworks of other creatures because the malfunctioning dungeons have lost their ability to properly assemble life. Tiamat, the administrator of the south, was allowed to produce her own bloodline and renew herself over generations. Between generations, she succeeded in removing the program that made her create dungeons.

That must be why theres a limited number of dungeons in the southern hemisphere.

In the northern hemisphere, I was given the task of administering the region permanently, so I still create dungeons that malfunction, spewing out monsters. Worse yet, theyve created a number of massive, powerful monsters of a sort that dont exist in the south. The north doesnt have a large continent like Landia; instead, it consists of countless islands, both large and small, but the intelligent lifeforms that are my children still found their domain gradually being eaten away by monsters. In the end, they were chased down to one last island. I couldnt bear to just watch anymore...

While it may be due to a malfunction, I was the one who gave birth to the monsters, so I didnt have the authorization to harm them. I could use that robot weapon to intercept the children of Tiamat, but I didnt have permission to attack monsters. Thats why...clinging to one sliver of hope, I moved to the southern hemisphere with the surviving intelligent lifeforms. I hoped that Tiamat would destroy me, who was bound by my programming to keep on creating malfunctioning dungeons.

If Im destroyed, at the very least, there wont be any new dungeons created in the north, and we can close the gate between the north and south.

...That is how we came to appear in this land, Mao finished.

That was an incredible story. Oh! Thats why she attacked the Star Dragon Mountain Range, huh? In order to have Madam Tiamat destroy her.

Youre saying you had that Jangar, but you still couldnt handle the monsters? I asked.

That Jangar wasnt meant for combat to begin with. Dont you think it would be strange for a weapon meant for practical warfare to look like a robot out of your anime?

Good point.

That was a mock-up, one made to recreate the anime robot. Think of it like a museum making a replica of a trebuchet. Even if its functional, its just an antique, out of place in the modern era. That Jangar replica and that strange mobile fortress for siege warfare were the only weapons at my disposal.

A replica, and a bizarre weapon... Thats what the combined forces of mankind led by the Empire lost to? What would Maria think if she were here? They were made with tech from the far future, so they were still plenty threatening in this era. And despite having those things, the demons couldnt use them against the monsters.

That means...the demons have been fighting the monsters directly? With the kind of old equipment they were wearing during our staredown with them on the coast?

Yes...

They must have struggled more than I could imagine. It had to have been agonizing for Mao, being unable to lend them a hand. She was an eternal being, so she wouldve had to bear that pain for an incredibly long time. I could see why she was so desperate in the Star Dragon Mountain Range.

Mao looked hard at me and said, And yet, ten years after coming to the south, I found hope.

Hope?

By that, I mean you, Lord Souma.

Me? My companions all turned and stared in my direction.

Mao continued, You were called by the summoning system in Parnam...so you can stop me.

The Parnam summoning system was originally created to transport the large volumes of material and immigrants that were expected from Earth. To put this in terms that are easy for you to understand, Lord Souma, think of it as a massive Anywhere Door with a time travel function. It could move people, material, and massive weapons like Jangar instantly here from Earth.

That said, most of the nanomachines that powered it have ceased functioning and now sleep deep underground. With the energy remaining around Parnam, it can only summon one person every few centuries. Thats right. Using the rite of hero summoning is what called you here.

However, as I said before, the system was never used for migration because mankind on Earth turned into shut-ins. The system is no longer needed, but the humans who came here because they rejected the virtual world, and became the ancestors of the current humans on this planet, decided to leave it in place.

The original Tiamat, the other administrators who are remembered as god-beasts in various regions, and I are what we call the old ones. We, and other systems, like the dungeons, are protected so that test subjects cant influence us. If the change of generations caused humans to lose their administrator rights, they would have no ability to deal with a system that malfunctions like I have.

Because they were concerned about that possibility, the migrants built a city over Parnam, allowing it to amass energy through the daily lives of the inhabitants, and summon a human with administrator rights in times of crisis. In order to ensure the summoned individual would be able to communicate with the locals, they even went so far as to prepare a system that would let the person understand the local language, and made it so others could understand what the person said.

Ah! So thats how it is, huh!

Whuh?! Sire? Aisha exclaimed, surprised by my own sudden exclamation.

Oh, sorry. Listening to her story, something she said stood out to me.

It...did?

Yeah. In the past, Ive thought about why my language ability is warped.

The language ability the summoning system gave me wasnt working quite right. I could understand the written language in this world and could read and write it. But spoken language was different. I could understand the local language, and Liscia and the others could understand my Japanese too. But they couldnt pick up words that didnt have equivalent concepts in this world, and they didnt understand things communicated through song.

When Juna sang the songs shed listened to from my phone, she was just reproducing the sounds verbatim. That meant it worked on the brains of the people I was speaking to. If it made it so I could speak the language, like how I could write it, there wouldnt be any need for such a roundabout system. It seemed the summoning system desperately wanted to keep my language intact.

That was something I was able to infer when Mao said supported language detected in the Star Dragon Mountain Range. It made sense to me now: the reason for the hero summoning system, and why I was called to this world.

Was I called here to do maintenance when you started acting up? And my Japanese was left intact because it requires a language from Earth.

You were called by the people of this world, not at our behest, but the rest is more or less as youve surmised. Thats why I invited you here. To have you terminate my functions now that Ive developed a bug.

This was why shed asked me to come north back then? It sure took me a while...

Is there any reason I was chosen? It sounds like anyone would have done.

While its true that you were called here by sheer coincidence, you were chosen due to a number of preexisting conditions. Firstly, the kind of people sleeping on Earth now, where bodily modifications have advanced so far, are not suitable as administrators. That said, it would be pointless calling someone from so long ago that they cant understand what were talking about.

I nodded, and she continued.

That means we need the person to be from the twentieth or twenty-first century, and a young person with no relatives who will cause minimal impact if they were to disappear. There might also be some fine tuning for a high level of communication ability or other factors in order to ensure were able to understand one another too.

So I was just chosen at random from a list of people who would fit this worlds needs? I was a product of coincidence, not destiny.

Thats...not really fair, now is it? Juna said, looking at Mao harshly. Even if he had no family, His Majesty had a house and a family grave, and probably friends too. Its just too cruel to tear him away from all that and write it off as a coincidence.

Yeah, Naden agreed, nodding. Im glad he came to this world and we got to meet him, but it feels bad hearing about why it happened.

Aisha looked somewhat dissatisfied too. I was grateful for their concern.

Mao cocked her head to the side and looked at them. We werent the ones who called Sir Souma here though?

Oh.

Come to think of it, she was right. It was the former king who called me, and Maria who put him up to it. Mao had no involvement in that at all. Albert and Maria were already part of the family too, so I was kind of out of people I could get mad at over it.

Whatever the case, I more or less knew what Mao wanted to use me for.

I understand that granting your wish will lead to solving the problem of the Demon Lords Domain. So what is it you need me to do first? I asked.

Mao brought up a projection of the coastline. In the middle of the beach and ocean scenery, there was one space that looked all warped and wobbly.

That is the gate we used to come south. This city was built for the same purpose as Parnam, but I used its functions to transport the city itself. The hole that opened up in the process is still calling forth monsters from the north.

Ohh, thats what they referred to as the gate to another world.

Back at the beginning, I was told about a gate that appeared at the northernmost point of the continent and started spitting out monsters.

Mao nodded. The northern and southern hemispheres were separate test sites, and normally it would be impossible for them to interfere with one another. The end of the northern sea is unexplored territory, but there is a perception interference field that prevents travel from north to south and south to north.

So our map was just the southern hemisphere...

Yes. And opening the northern gate twisted that law. Lord Souma. Please say, I authorize you to close that transportation gate.

What happens if I do...?

I will be able to prevent monsters from the northern hemisphere from coming through. That should also bring an end to the periodic outbreaks of monsters that you people refer to as the demon waves.

Huh?! The demon waves?! Yuriga cried out in surprise.

I cant believe they can be solved so easily... Ichiha said, blinking.

Come to think of it, when Ichiha and Yuriga lived in the Union of Eastern Nations, their countries were both on the verge of being destroyed by the demon waves. I could end that horror by giving her permission...?

Mao had said, The demon waves are a threat to us as well. Because I gave birth to the monsters, I cannot stop their invasion. Since I cannot use weapons like Jangar, the survivors from the north have been desperately hanging on in this one city. That must have been frustrating for her. Even if Mao here was an AI, she was made to have humanlike emotions, so she must have struggled with it.

I looked over to Madam Tiamat, just to be sure it was okay, and she nodded. I felt like she was saying, Please, make her wish come true.

Got it... Mao, I authorize you to close that transportation gate.

Thank you.

With that, the distorted area in the image instantly vanished. Now, all it showed was the beach and the sea. This was the moment when one of the problems confronting mankind disappeared without a trace.

Was that...good? I asked.

Yes. It will do for now. The largest threat to my childrens lives is taken care of. Thank you so much, Mao said with a smile.

Whoa, hold on. Did she just say for now? I thought. Um... By for now, you mean?

The malfunctions Im experiencing need to be dealt with one by one. Weve dealt with the most pressing issue, but if we dont move on to the others, another even larger issue may eventually rear its head. This hasnt changed the fact that the number of dungeons in the northern hemisphere is growing, and its turned into a crucible filled with monsters. If something were to open another gate, it would be the same thing all over again.

.........

Didnt that mean this was a deep-rooted problem that would take a long time to resolve? Mao smiled as I stared at her, speechless.

Its true that the problem will be hard to solve in the short term. But that doesnt change the fact that the immediate crisis has been averted. You all must be tired, so please, stay in this city for a time. Im sure youre concerned for your wounded.

Huh?! Oh, yeah! Are Carla and the others okay?! I asked.

Mao turned her palm upwards and gestured like a guide on a tour bus. I will show you. Please, follow me.

She led us to another wide-open space, different from the one before. The ceiling was high, and it was as spacious as Genias dungeon laboratory, but the massive thing occupying the center of the room made the atmosphere feel strangely oppressive.

Is this...a fishbowl? There was a tank that looked like a massive version of one of the roundish fishbowls that looked like an upside-down jellyfish. It was big enough that Naden could have fit in there in her ryuu form if she coiled herself up.

The massive tank was filled with a translucent green liquid, and there were countless people floating in it. Some wore Friedonian uniforms, others wore the pirate-style armor of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, and yet others wore the nomad armor of the Great Tiger Empire. Carla, who had gone down while protecting me, was in there with them.

Carla! I shouted, rushing over when I noticed her. Werent they supposed to be treating her?! This is like theyre preserving her in formaldehyde!

As I was thinking that, Mao appeared beside me.

Please, dont worry. These people are being treated.

Treatment? Thats what this is?

Yes. They are suspended in a breathable liquid medicine while nanomachines and a specially cultured chlorella algae are treating their wounds. This recovery system can heal a large number of people all at once. There may be scars left behind, but it will save them even if their hearts had recently stopped.

Okay then...

I had no idea how this future tech worked, but if Mao said that she could handle it, she probably could. I felt bad at the bit about there being some scars left, but as long as Carla survived, that was good enough. After all, if she died, I couldnt apologize or let her get mad at me.

Relieved, I bowed my head to Mao.

Please, take care of them for us.

Yes. You can count on me... Now then. After giving me a firm nod, Mao cocked her head to the side. I am treating the soldiers of the other army at the same time as yours, Lord Souma, but are you sure you wanted me to do that?

Yeah... Please do. Heal Fuugas soldiers as well.

If I only had her treat my people, Fuuga wouldnt take that lying down. It might get used as propaganda to say we were in bed with the demons. More importantly, letting Fuugas men experience the benefits of the demons technology might help prevent trouble in the future.

Aisha began counting on her fingers.

Erm... We closed the door to the monsters in the north, and weve checked that Carla and the others are all right. The battle with the demons is on hold at the moment... Was there anything else?

When she asked that, I crossed my arms and twisted my head around.

Things that were resolved, and things that werent... I felt like there were very few objectives that existed between those two categories that we could act on now.

Now that we know the state of the northern hemisphere, closing the door on its not going to solve that problem, but...it does buy us time. Its not something were able to do anything about immediately. I dont want to rush Carla and the others treatment either... So, if theres one thing we can do now, its put an end to hostilities and talk about what we can do in the future. Both of those will have to wait until weve joined back up with Excel and the main force though.

Um, Yuriga raised her hand, I think we need an explanation for my brother. Theres going to be problems if we meet up as is.

She had a point. I didnt want him ruining the chance for dialogue.

Lets contact him via broadcast... Thats all we can do for now, I think? I said.

Were suddenly out of things to do, huh? Juna said, putting a hand on her cheek.

We all looked at one another awkwardly. The problems we faced were unbelievably massive, yet we were already done with everything we could do about them immediately. It felt like we had too much time on our hands.

Mao chuckled and said, Please, rest in these lands awhile, if you dont mind. We obviously dont have space for all those soldiers to stay, so theyll need to camp outside the wallsbut a number of you will be welcome to come walk around the city.

You sure? Ill give strict orders to my people not to cause trouble, but we did fight a war with you in the past, remember?

Yes. Mao nodded. I expect my children will walk at your side for a long time to come, so Id like to slowly build mutual understanding. To that end, you need to learn about us, and we need to learn about you.

Got it... I looked over to my companions. You heard her. Im going to go back to the carrier and contact everyone with the jewel. Aisha and Juna, you come with me.

Yes, sir, Aisha said with gusto.

Understood. Juna put her hands together over her heart and nodded.

Naden raised her hand, looking at me with some dissatisfaction. Hold on, Souma... What about me?

I have a favor to ask of you, Naden, I said, plopping a hand down on top of her head. Id like you to guard Tomoe, Ichiha, and Yuriga. Ive got a job for them to do. Ill send Hal and Ruby with you as well, so protect them for me. Tomoe, Ichiha, Yuriga...you heard how it is, okay?

O-Okay.

The three of them stood at attention, smiling wryly.

I want you to go on ahead and scout out the city. Youre all adults now, so instead of having you tag along with someone more mature, I want you to walk around on your own, learning what interests you, and what you think you ought to know. What you see and hear, and what you think about it, will have a direct influence on our national policy. Keep that in mind.

They werent kids anymore. They werent just tagging along with us either. It wasnt fair to expect them to stay where we could watch them. We were still bound together as family, but I was going to have to rely on the three of them as individuals in the future. It made me feel intensely aware of how time was going bybut, well...that was nothing to be negative about. It was proof that the next generation was growing up.

Im counting on you three.

Yes, Big Brother.

Yes.

They all gave firm nods, and I turned to Mao, satisfied.

Come to think of it...I havent heard the name of this city yet, have I? Whats it called? I asked.

Mao looked straight into my eyes and answered. This city was to be the door that welcomed people from the mother planet, and so it was named Haalga.

Haalga...

Yes. I believe, if you trace them back, your Parnam derives from the same word.

Wha?! Parnam was supposed to mean that?

Language drift turned it from Haalga to Parnam? Thats...a pretty shocking development, isnt it? If Haalga meant door, like Mao said it did, then even if I was summoned by coincidence, it was an inevitability that someone would be summoned to Parnam. Thinking back to when I was summoned, I was struck by an uncanny feeling I couldnt put into words.

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