Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 15 - Chapter 2

Beetles and Sun Rangers

Saturday, July 3rd

When Koutarou invited Yurika to join them for some beetle hunting, she immediately declined. She didn’t like exercising and hated the heat. Yet for some reason, when the day rolled around, Yurika was tromping up the mountain right along with everyone else. She was in such poor shape that she was out of breath almost as soon as they started up the mountain path, and had taken up a position as the slow-moving, whining caboose of the group.

“Wh-Why did I... have to come too?”

“You’re already a couch potato as it is. And ever since you started studying, you never go outside. If you don’t move your body every now and then, you’ll really regret it. Use it or lose it, you know.”

“I’d rather... be reading my manga... than be exercising.”

“Quit complaining and follow me.”

“O-Okay!”

Yurika’s profound discontent seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye when Koutarou said that.

He wants me to go with him. I’d follow you anywhere, Satomi-san... Heeheehee!

He hadn’t meant it quite how Yurika had taken it, but it was enough to improve her mood.

“Oh Satomi-san, despite what you say, you just can’t bear being without me. Jeez, you...”

Yurika put her hands on her cheeks and began squirming. Koutarou, however, simply kept walking and left her behind. She wasn’t the only one he was worried about.

“You too, Clan. You’re about as out of shape as Yurika since you keep yourself locked up in your lab all the time. You’re not allowed to fly today.”

Koutarou was as worried about her health as he was Yurika’s. Much like Yurika, Clan also lived as she pleased. Though she’d been showing consideration for others as of late, she was lacking in consideration for herself. That’s why Koutarou took it upon himself to keep an eye on her.

“I-I know. I understand how these things go.”

The same as Yurika, Clan was out of breath. She was wearing easy-to-move-in summer clothes and carrying her bug net. She actually looked rather nice, but even dressed for the occasion, she was still a sheltered princess. She’d run out of stamina long before they reached their intended destination.

“In return, once you can’t walk anymore, I’ll carry you like I did before. So go ahead and go all out.”

“You continue to tease me!”

Clan furrowed her brows, thinking that she was being made fun of. However, Koutarou was serious.

“I’m not teasing you. I was the one who invited you, so I’ll take responsibility.”

“Y-You better mean that...”

Clan imagined Koutarou carrying her like he had in the past and blushed. But because she was already red in the face from exhaustion, Koutarou didn’t notice.

“When you put it like that, I feel a bit embarrassed...”

That was when Harumi, who was walking in front of Koutarou and the others, slowed down to walk next to them and join the conversation.

“It’s okay for you, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“But I’m the only one who has it so easy... I feel badly.”

Harumi had an apologetic look on her face. She was actually wearing a special device, and was using its power to climb the mountain. Its effects were amazing, as she effortlessly climbed up the mountain without using any stamina. That was why she felt bad for Clan when she herself had it so easy.

“Having a weak constitution is different from being out of shape. You’re allowed to use things to make your life easier. It’s not cheating when you do it.”

“H-He’s right... You should conserve your strength and save it for something you really want to do.”

Both Koutarou and Clan thought this was the way things should be. After all, without the device, Harumi wouldn’t have even been able to come on the beetle hunt with them.

“You’re both so very kind... Thank you. I’ll do just that.”

Moved by their words, tears formed in Harumi’s eyes as she bowed deeply to them. Clan, who still wasn’t used to being complimented or thanked, quickly changed the subject to hide her embarrassment.

“S-So how does the PAF feel?”

The PAF, or Power Assistance Field, was the name of the device Harumi was using. It was something Clan had invented just for her. The technology was based on the personal barriers that Clan and Theia used for self-defense. It covered Harumi’s body with a weak barrier, and as she moved, it altered its shape in real time to assist her. As a result, Harumi was several times stronger than normal and was able to move so lightly it was almost like she had sprouted wings. Thanks to the barrier’s support, she was still full of energy and going strong.

Functionally, it worked like the power assist in Koutarou’s armor, but recreated the effect with a barrier. Being just a barrier, however, its capabilities were far inferior to Koutarou’s armor. The output was weaker and the real time transformation of the barrier was slow due to the complicated program required to operate it. However, the PAF had one clear advantage over Koutarou’s armor.

The main unit of the PAF, a modified barrier generation device, was so small that it could easily be attached to Harumi’s belt. Thanks to that, it was discreet and she could carry it with her at all times. It could also be easily be turned on or off with the flick of a switch. On top of that, with its weak output, it could be used for an entire day without any fear of running out of power. But the most outstanding feature of all was that there was no sign Harumi was using it. In order for the barrier not to stand out, it had been altered to be completely transparent. Thanks to that, Harumi didn’t have to worry about being seen using it.

The PAF had been created using ordinary technology, but its applications were anything but. It was powerful, yet blended in seamlessly with everyday life. It was a brilliant invention that spoke to Clan’s true genius.

“It’s wonderful. My body is so light, and I don’t feel tired at all. Even my strength... Look!”

“Whoa!”

Harumi casually hugged Koutarou and easily lifted him up off the ground.

“I can barely feel Satomi-kun’s weight. This thing is amazing.”

“...This is embarrassing.”

“Pardon?”

“Um... This is...”

Harumi was only innocently trying to demonstrate her strength, but Koutarou’s words made her realize what she was really doing. Her eyes shot wide open in surprise and her face gradually turned red. She was hugging Koutarou.

“I-I-I’m sorry! I was so happy, it just kind of happened!”

“No... I don’t really mind...”

Harumi hurriedly let go of Koutarou and looked down on the ground abashedly. Harumi had feelings for Koutarou, certainly, but she didn’t do well when it came to expressing them.

“I’m glad... that there aren’t any problems. If there’s something that bothers you... let me know right away. There’s always... room for improvement.”

Clan flashed a slight smile and lent Harumi a hand by changing the topic again. She may have been out of breath, but she still had her wits about her.

“Okay. Thank you again, Clan-san.”

Harumi recovered a bit and smiled. Seeing that, Koutarou was relieved. He was always worried he’d done something wrong when she got so bashful. To give her a moment to herself, Koutarou turned to Clan.

“By the way, Clan...”

“What?”

“What is that thing Sakuraba-senpai is using called again?”

“The PAF.”

“Ah, right, that’s it. Well, about the PAF, I think you should put some proper research into it and sell it in Forthorthe.”

“Sell it?”

Clan’s eyes opened wide. The idea of selling one of her inventions had never crossed her mind before. She would research what she wanted and use her inventions as she pleased. That was how she’d always done things, and why Koutarou’s words stumped her.

“Yeah. That way you can help not only people with weak bodies like Sakuraba-senpai, but the elderly and handicapped as well.”

“I can... help others...?”

Since Clan had always been alone, she had a hard time imagining what it was like to help others. It was just another side effect of the sheltered way she’d lived her life.

“That’s right. You could make a big contribution to society. Just like your grandmother did.”

“Veltlion...”

But by the time Koutarou mentioned her grandmother, Clan had made up her mind. Years ago when Clan’s grandmother died, she’d arranged for her entire fortune to be given to charity. And when Clan realized she might be able to contribute to the greater good in a similar way, she grew eager to research applications for the PAF.

“That’s a wonderful idea! I will help as a test subject, Clan-san!”

As Clan made up her mind, Harumi, who had now recovered from her embarrassment, offered her assistance. Since she was born with a weak constitution, Harumi could imagine just how many people Clan’s PAF might be able to help if it were widely available. She thought it would be better for Clan’s invention to be shared with the world than keeping it to herself.

“Harumi... thank you. I’ll be counting on you...”

Harumi’s offer put a smile on Clan’s face. She likely wouldn’t really be able to contribute much considering Clan’s resources, but even then, it made Clan happy. She felt reassured just knowing she’d have the support of a friend.

“But you don’t have much common sense when it comes to money, so don’t make it too expensive.”

“I already know that!”

“Then I’m sure you’ll make a ton of people happy. With their support, you’ll be one step closer to being empress.”

“Huh...?”

Clan’s eyes opened even wider than before. She couldn’t believe what Koutarou had just said.

“Veltlion, you wouldn’t mind if I become empress instead of Theiamillis-san?!” she asked in a fluster.

Koutarou was Theia’s vassal. Because of that, he should be rooting for Theia to become empress by default. But that’s wasn’t what it sounded like.

“The people should come first, right? That’s why the most suitable person should become empress. Compared to that, who I serve doesn’t matter.”

Koutarou thought that much was a given. While it was true that he had become Theia’s vassal, he knew that wasn’t necessarily related to her potential as an empress. If Theia became empress but wasn’t cut out for the job, it would be the people that suffered for it. And Koutarou thought their happiness mattered more than who became empress.

“The future will decide whether you or Theia is the most suited for the throne.”

“...As expected of the Blue Knight, you’re strict,” Clan said with a sigh and a wry smile.

Koutarou was quick to correct mistakes, even if it was his lord who had erred. That was his way of showing his loyalty. Always pushing for the path of righteousness would make him the ideal ally of the royal families. The embodiment of Alaia’s ideals, he was a vassal far tougher than almost any foe.

“Being the Blue Knight’s got nothing to do with it.”

“I wonder how many knights there are in this age that could declare that...”

Clan was as amazed as she was pleased by Koutarou’s stout, knightly behavior, though she kept that second part secret.

Veltlion wishes for me to be a worthy princess...

Koutarou thought that the most worthy princess between Theia and Clan should become empress. To Clan, that meant he wanted her to become a princess worthy of the honor.

Most of the group thought it was a good thing Harumi had the PAF to assist her, but a certain someone looked none too pleased.

“...Unfair. Harumi always gets the fun stuff. Hey, hey, Glasses! Make me something like that too!”

It was Sanae. She didn’t have any complaints about Harumi using the PAF, but it looked like fun and she wanted to try it too. She sidled right up to Clan, her eyes sparkling.

“S-Sanae, you don’t need it...”

Despite being pressured by Sanae, Clan managed to shake her head.

“What does it matter? Don’t be so stingy. Just make one for me too.”

“But you can do it yourself, can’t you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You could just do the same thing with your psychic powers. You cover your body with spiritual energy and use your powers to move it.”

“Ah, I see! You’re so smart, Glasses! I’ll give it a try!”

Once she understood how the PAF worked, Sanae smiled and slapped her hands together.

“Transformation! Kabutonga!”

She then struck a heroic transformation pose. To her, the PAF was more or less just a tool to transform into a superhero.

“Amazing! Sanae-chan is glowing!”

“Behold the power of a maiden!”

Sanae proudly puffed out her chest. A faint glow similar to a firefly’s was radiating off of her body. It was the light of the spiritual energy she’d gathered.

“Sanae, hold back a little more so you don’t glow. You stand out like a sore thumb.”

“Ah, right. Like this?”

“Yeah, that looks good.”

As Sanae restricted her spiritual energy, the glow faded away. But even though it was no longer visible, there was still a barrier of spiritual energy enveloping her body.

“Take this!”

“Eeeeek!”

Sanae wrapped her arms around the nearby Yurika. While she was waifish, she weighed close to 50 kilograms with everything she was wearing and carrying. But Sanae easily lifted her up, something ordinarily unthinkable considering Sanae’s physique.

“Satomi-kun, did you... just see that?”

“Y-Yeah... Sanae, you...”

Shizuka and Koutarou were both at a loss for words. But rather than over Sanae being able to pick up Yurika, they were stunned by the amount of spiritual energy she’d emitted just before.

Normally, people couldn’t see spiritual energy the same as they couldn’t see ghosts. Only those with talent, like Koutarou or Shizuka, could see such things. So if normal people like Yurika and Clan had been able to see it, that meant she’d gathered so much spiritual energy that it had been converted into light. In other words, it defied the laws of physics.

Since Koutarou and Shizuka could see spiritual energy, they could always see the spiritual energy that Sanae was controlling with their own eyes. That was why they were especially surprised to see the light she’d given off.

“Ow!”

“Oh, sorry, Yurika. I didn’t think there would be branches overhead.”

“Please look before you lift me up!”

“Does it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts!”

Sanae had just done something astounding, yet she was completely unaware of it. She was just casually chatting away with Yurika.

“So this is what an abuse of power looks like...”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Kabutonga Sanae has turned on her friends!”

“You were just being careless!”

As he was watching Sanae and Yurika, half in surprise and half in amazement, Koutarou caught a glimpse of something flashing out of the corner of his eye.

“That’s...”

When he turned to look, he saw Kiriha standing there. She was staring at a trading card in her hand. It had a reflective surface, and Koutarou had seen it glinting in the sun.

Seeing that Kiriha was looking at her card, Koutarou walked over to her.

“You’re still carrying that thing around?”

“It is my... No, it’s Kii’s treasure, after all.”

With everyone else focused on Sanae and Yurika, nobody was paying attention to Koutarou and Kiriha. That’s why she was willing to bring up the past from ten, almost eleven years ago now.

“Then keep it tucked away somewhere safe.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

“...Yeah.”

Koutarou nodded, his cheeks slightly pink. Kiriha cheerfully smiled in response.

“When I’m looking at this card, it’s like I’m confessing my love to Onii-chan, after all.”

That was exactly why Koutarou was embarrassed. When they first met, she told Koutarou that the trading card was a precious memento from the past. She even told him that she’d gotten it from her first love. But it wasn’t until earlier this year that he learned that it was actually he himself who’d given it to her during his travels through the past. As a result, he knew all too well what kind of emotions Kiriha was feeling when she was looking at that card.

“If you get it, then put it away.”

“Okay. I’m a good woman, so I won’t do anything that would trouble you, Onii-chan.”

While Kiriha happily looked at Koutarou’s nervous expression, she slid the Kabutonga card back into her pocket. She then turned the fond gaze she’d been staring at the card with on Koutarou.

“H-Hey...”

“Heehee...”

Kiriha no longer needed to pour her emotions into that card. Since the person her feelings were meant for was now standing right in front of her, she didn’t hesitate to redirect them right at him. But that gaze—her eyes full of love and trust—made Koutarou even more nervous than before.

I give up... Well, I guess I should call the end results good...

Koutarou had brought Kiriha with him on the beetle hunt because she hadn’t been able to get any rest lately with her problems back home taking up all of her time. He wanted her to forget about all of that for a day and just take it easy.

“Now that I think about it, we walked all over the mountain just the two of us ten years ago as well.”

“That’s true. But we’re looking for beetles today, not stars.”

“I’m sure we’ll find lots of them. We even found the star, after all.”

“I hope so...”

Kiriha smiled and took Koutarou’s hand, both the same way she had ten years ago. Koutarou was embarrassed, but if this was the price for that smile of hers, he was happy to pay it. He quietly held her hand in return.

Koutarou knew a good spot for hunting beetles from his experience as a kid. It was a secret location that had been passed down to the local children from the older kids. And it seemed it was still teeming with life after all this time. Within just a few minutes of arriving, he’d already caught their first beetle.

“Looks like there are still plenty around here.”

Koutarou was holding his freshly caught beetle and happily looking around the area. The woods were lit up by the bright summer sun and looked so very alive and green. The wind passed through the trees, rustling their branches and carrying with it the distinct smell of the forest. The mountain woods that Koutarou had grown so accustomed to in his youth welcomed him back this year like he’d never been gone.

“All right, on to the next one!”

Koutarou sprung into action looking for his next catch. But after taking two, three steps he realized he should probably put away the beetle he just captured.

“Here, Satomi-kun.”

And as if waiting for that moment to come, the insect cage that Koutarou called Henrietta appeared before him.

“Oh?”

“You need this, right?”

Maki was the one who had presented the cage to him. She opened it with a smile like she was waiting for Koutarou to put the beetle inside.

“Thank you, Aika-san.”

“You’re welcome.”

After Koutarou put the beetle in the cage, Maki swiftly closed the lid. Then after hanging the cage over one of her shoulders by its strap, she reached into her pocket.

“Aika-san, the insect—”

“Here.”

As Koutarou was about to enter the thick of the forest, he wanted the insect repellent. But before he could even finish asking for it, Maki had already put it in his hand. It was as if she’d known what he was going to ask for without him having to say anything at all.

“...Aika-san, you still really get me, don’t you?”

Koutarou felt admiration for Maki as he accepted the spray from her. In the past, she was always able to anticipate what he was going to do and stay a step ahead of him. But now the contract between them had been annulled and they no longer shared a magical bond. That should have been the end of their near-psychic mental connection. And it seemed like it was for a time, but Maki was able to read him like a book now.

“I’ve started to understand again recently. I wonder why...”

Maki didn’t really know how she knew, but she felt like she always knew what Koutarou wanted. It was almost like the contract had been recreated.

But I’m kind of happy about this...

There were two reasons Maki was able to anticipate Koutarou’s actions again.

The first was because they were very compatible with one another to begin with. Maki had loved Koutarou all along even without the influence of the contract, so her bond with him had endured the annulment. It had just been temporarily thrown out of whack because of the unease she felt. Who she was, whether or not she really belonged—doubts like that blinded Maki and isolated her. If that had never been cleared up, she likely never would have regained her connection with Koutarou.

So essentially, getting her confidence back was the second reason. What was responsible for that was the recent establishment of the Satomi band of knights. That provided Maki with a clear sense of who she was and where she belonged. Thanks to that, she had returned to her normal self and once again had a connection with Koutarou that allowed her to anticipate his needs.

This is probably what it’s like to have a soul mate...

Maki didn’t know the details of how their connection had been reestablished, but it made her happy.

“It’s probably because I’m so simple.”

“Please don’t ruin my dreams. I’d prefer to think there’s a more romantic reason.”

“Sorry, I don’t understand romance,” Koutarou said with a shrug and an awkward smile.

“You really don’t?” she said with a giggle.

Seeing Maki look up at him the way she did, Koutarou’s hand moved by reflex.

“I really don’t. Not in the slightest.”

He put his hand on top of Maki and gently patted her head.

“So you really do get it, jeez...”

Koutarou claimed that he didn’t understand, yet he had done exactly what Maki wished for. It felt like their hearts were properly reaching one another now. She couldn’t have been happier. She felt like she might just melt from the warmth she was feeling from Koutarou’s hand.

In total there were eight people out on the beetle hunt: Koutarou, Sanae, Kiriha, Yurika, Harumi, Clan, Maki, and Shizuka. The two that weren’t present, Theia and Ruth, were out by the station. They supposedly had some important business to attend to.

Three hours had elapsed since they first set out, from morning to noon, and they’d gotten quite a haul so far. In total, they’d collected twenty-four beetles, an average of three per hunter. Of course, it didn’t actually work out that way. The most a single person had caught was seven, and the least was zero. The group was currently in the middle of showing off their catches.

“I-I couldn’t even get a single one...”

“Ohoho, there’s no need to feel so down, Yurika. I will give you my Kabutonga No. 2.”

“That’s not what I meant, that’s not... Augh...”

Yurika hadn’t caught a single beetle. She could have caught as many as she wanted with magic, but the results from attempting to capture beetles using just her own strength was a big fat zero.

Sanae, who was consoling Yurika, had caught five. She’d gotten the most out of the girls. Since she was able to detect the unique auras of beetles, she had no trouble finding them. If she’d caught every single one she found, she would have been first on the leaderboard by a large margin.

“Harumi, how did the controls feel when catching the bugs?”

“It was a little difficult. Because of the barrier, it felt like my fingers were bigger than normal.”

“Hmm... In order to perform any delicate work or precise tasks, the barrier might need to vary in thickness.”

“Ah, what a wonderful idea. I think that would help a lot. It would be very useful when doing things like housework.”

Harumi and Clan had caught one and two beetles respectively. But they were more interested in testing out the PAF, so they’d spent most of their time performing adjustments and discussing ideas. But they still had three beetles between the two of them, which wasn’t a bad result at all. Combined with all the data they’d collected, it had been quite a productive morning for them.

“Kasagi-san, I’m amazed you can pluck flying beetles out of the air.”

“I can as long as they’re not female.”

“Why not female?”

“Without the horn, don’t you think they look like cockroaches? Especially when they’re flying...”

“Ahaha, I can see that.”

Using her physical strength, Shizuka could catch beetles where the other girls couldn’t. She’d collected a total of four, with her most impressive catch being jumping up to snatch an airborne one midflight—a feat applauded by everyone.

Maki had caught two. She’d spent all of her time helping Koutarou, so it was more accurate to say she’d had two beetles put in her cage. Considering she hadn’t actively been trying to catch any, however, it wasn’t a poor result.

“My, seven beetles... As expected from my Onii-chan.”

“Kii, how many did you get?”

“Three. I really can’t catch them like you can.”

“Catching three with your method is really impressive.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, you did great.”

“Heehee...”

Koutarou had caught seven, the most out of everyone in the group. Even combining his and Maki’s, their average beetle count worked out to four and a half—less than Sanae’s five. On top of that, Sanae had been the one telling people where all the beetles were, so Koutarou felt like she was the true victor.

Last but not least, Kiriha had caught three beetles, the group average. Using her sharp observation skills, she captured all the beetles that had managed to escape from the others.

“All right, this one looks good.”

“What are you going to do with that beetle?”

“This one is the largest, so I figured I’ll give it to Clan.”

“You’re giving it to Onee-chan? Why?”

“She wants to show Earth’s beetles to the kids on the spaceship. So I figure the bigger the better.”

“How wonderful. Then I’ll contribute this female beetle. She’s the biggest of the bunch too.”

“That sounds good. I’m sure Clan and the kids will love it.”

“I’m sure they will.”

Smiling and nodding at each other, Koutarou and Kiriha walked over to Clan.

In the end, Koutarou and the others released most of the beetles. They only needed a couple for Clan to show the children and a couple for Koutarou to keep. In total they kept four: two pairs of male and female. After taking a picture of the rest, the remaining twenty were set free for the local children to capture whenever they visited next.

“If we sold them, we’d at least get some money...”

Yurika shed bitter tears as she watched beetles flying away. To her, the beetles looked like 500 yen coins flying into the forest.

“Nijino Yurika, are you really that poor?”

“There’s so much manga I want... ahh... Look at that money just flying right out of our hands...”

“How pitiable. To think this is one of Rainbow Heart’s archwizards...”

Maki, standing next to Yurika, held her head in pain. Her rival’s patheticness hurt her sense of pride as a magical girl. Yurika’s predecessor, Nana, was a noble enemy that Maki could really respect... unlike Yurika.

“Yurika-chan, in that case, why don’t you join Satomi-kun’s band of knights?” suggested Shizuka.

Shizuka thought of Koutarou as Yurika’s legal guardian. Considering Yurika’s personality, he was basically the only one who could handle her. She also thought it was good for Koutarou to have to take care of someone like a troublesome little sister. She felt like it was a win-win situation for both of them.

“That’s right. You’ll get a salary, so you can use that to buy manga,” added Sanae.

Yurika’s salary as a magical girl was docked to pay for repairs on a building she had destroyed in the past, which Sanae had no sympathy for. But Sanae didn’t want to see her friend skimping on food to buy manga, only to eventually starve to death. Since she believed Koutarou would be willing to help her out, she pushed for Yurika to join his band of knights. She had no concern whatsoever for the dignity or the image of the group.

“But, but... if I rely any more on Satomi-san, he’ll never see me as a woman...”

“It’s okay. Koutarou never saw you as a woman to begin with.”

“That’s not okay at all!”

Yurika and the others continued to talk about anything and everything completely unrelated to beetles. Koutarou was idly watching them chatting away from a distance, but was suddenly reminded that there was something that had been on his mind.

“Clan, do you have a moment?”

“What is it?”

Clan was currently looking into the cage containing the large beetles, smiling as she imagined what kind of reactions the children on the spaceship would have when they saw them. But when Koutarou spoke her name, she looked up right away.

“Is it something important?”

“Yeah.”

As they locked eyes with each other, both of their expressions turned serious. It made the gravity of what they had to discuss quite clear. As a result, nearby Kiriha and Harumi both looked at each other, wondering what was about to happen.

“I want you to tell me about Theia’s father.”

“Theiamillis-san’s...”

In that moment, Clan’s expression turned stiff. Koutarou had brought up something far more serious than she’d expected.

“Elle said that he died in an accident, but was it really just an accident?”

A while back, Elfaria had told Koutarou that Theia’s father had died before she was born. Koutarou had just assumed it was an accident of some kind, but after spending some time thinking about it, he began wondering if there was more to the story.

Elfaria had taken a stance on disarmament, and her fiancé had died before their wedding. Considering her political situation twenty years ago and the timing of the “accident,” Koutarou couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had about it.

If he asked Elfaria directly, she would probably laugh it off and say that he was overthinking it. That’s why he wanted to ask Clan, someone impartial from a different political faction.

Fortunately, neither Theia nor Ruth were there. The only ones present were the tight-lipped Kiriha and Harumi, both of whom he trusted and would go to for advice. It was the perfect opportunity to ask Clan about the details.

“...No way...”

Harumi’s eyes opened wide in horror. She was so big-hearted that just hearing that Theia had lost her father was enough to pain her. Seeing her like that, Kiriha silently put her hand on her shoulder.

“Kurano-san...”

Feeling Kiriha’s hand, Harumi collected herself. If Koutarou brought this up with the two of them present, it probably meant it was something he wanted them to hear. She knew she couldn’t get emotional. She had to stay alert and listen with an open mind.

“In regards to that, I don’t have all the details. My answer contains some speculation on my part. Do you still want to hear it?”

Clan spoke with a rather grave look on her face. It was an expression she rarely showed recently—that of a princess facing something serious.

“Yeah, please tell me. It’s important.”

Koutarou was the same way. Rather than a high school student, he looked like the Blue Knight right now. That was just how serious the matter at hand was.

“According to the information that the Schweiger family has, the military was particularly active before and after the accident.”

In the past, Theia and Elfaria were Clan’s political rivals. That’s why she had a lot of information about them, and that included information about Elfaria’s past.

“Back then, Elfaria-san’s platform was starting to gain some traction just as she ascended the throne. Public opinion was on her side, and she was about to take her policy on disarmament to the next step. She was going marry a finance bigshot that kept away from the military on purpose in order to make her position clear. It would also give her a stronger backing in the financial world.”

“So two anti-military proponents were going to marry and amplify each other’s influence...”

“At the very least, that’s what we believe. Creating an alliance like that was necessary in order to stop the military from taking over. Elfaria-san never had the time to find her own happiness...”

“Just like Empress Alaia...”

“So it seems...”

Clan looked down sadly. As a woman, she understood how Elfaria felt about marriage. And since she knew exactly who it was Elfaria really had feelings for, she was painfully aware of how hard things must have been for her.

“But that would have been very inconvenient for the military.”

It was there that Kiriha entered the conversation. At the mention of Alaia’s name, Koutarou and Clan had fallen silent, so Kiriha urged them on. Since this was something they didn’t want Yurika and the others to overhear, they needed to be quick about it. Accordingly, Clan picked up the slack right away.

“Indeed. That’s why they tried intervening using all kinds of methods. They bribed her fiancé’s subordinates and dug up dirt on anyone involved... whether it was true or not. The media ate up one scandalous story after another.”

“Ridiculous... Is that what has become of Forthorthe’s Imperial Army?”

Koutarou ground his teeth. He was actually angry for once. He had a hard time accepting that the noble Imperial Army he’d fought alongside two thousand years ago had fallen so low.

“That must be exactly why Empress Elfaria was advocating disarmament. To return the military to the way it was as you knew it, Satomi-kun...”

Harumi was in tears. She had inherited Alaia’s memories, so this felt very near and dear to her. She couldn’t stop crying when she thought of how Elfaria and Alaia must have felt.

“And that was around the time the traffic accident in question happened.”

“Clan, that means... That accident was...”

“...Yes. The Schweiger family believes it was a plot by the military.”

Clan was from the Schweiger family, a royal family distinct from the Mastir family that Theia and Elfaria hailed from. As such, she had access to different connections and information networks. With what they were able to learn, the Schweiger family reached the conclusion that the death of Elfaria’s fiancé was actually an assassination orchestrated by the military and disguised as a traffic accident.

At the time, Elfaria’s disarmament was seeing some success, and the people thought highly of their new empress. If the military let Elfaria get any further in her plans, it would hamstring their power and cut them off from the weapons, funding, and powerful connections they needed. To the military—which had already absorbed part of the industrial sector and was developing on its own—that was unacceptable. So they did everything they could to get in Elfaria’s way. Yet even then, she didn’t relent or back down. Regardless of how much they threw at her, Elfaria stuck to her guns and continued to advocate for disarmament.

Unable to stop the empress any other way, the military finally resorted to desperate, forceful measures. That meant the assassination of Elfaria’s fiancé. If they couldn’t stop her directly, they would take out her weaker partner. He was a civilian and had a naive outlook on his physical and political safety. On top of that, with his death, the military could stop two powerful factions from uniting against them. He was an easy and effective target.

“While it’s impossible to say for certain, the Schweiger family has operated on the assumption that that’s what happened ever since.”

Kiriha continued where Clan left off, “And considering that there hasn’t been anything to disprove it since, that assumption is most likely the truth or very close to it.”

“That’s right, Kii,” said Clan, nodding in response. “There’s no real, physical evidence. But the circumstantial evidence that has built up over the years all points towards an assassination.”

“An assassination...”

Harumi struggled to find words. She’d experience something similar, both through the plays and through Alaia’s memories. She was sympathetically aggrieved, and a silent anger over why something so unjust was allowed to happen began brewing inside her.

“That’s all I needed to hear about the accident. But that leads me to my next question. Why did Elle give birth to Theia through artificial insemination?”

Koutarou was angry too. A fierce rage burned in his eyes. He felt a certain duty to keep the military from running amok. The Blue Knight slumbering within Koutarou was about to awaken.

“This is just a guess, but... I believe it was meant as a countermeasure against further assassinations. In fact, there haven’t been any more attempts since Theia was born. It also allowed her to maintain her connection with the disarmament faction within the financial world.”

The Schweiger family figured there were two primary reasons why Elfaria had a child with her late fiancé.

The first reason was an expression of will, to show that assassinations were useless. With fertilized eggs preserved, even repeated assassinations wouldn’t stop her. It was pointless to target her relatives and loved ones. If they were going to go after someone, it would have to be Elfaria herself. And even if they did target Elfaria, it wouldn’t be the end of the Mastir lineage. The Schweiger family believed Elfaria had Theia to demonstrate that to the military. Whether it had an effect or not remained unclear, but they believed there had been no assassination attempts attributable to the military since then.

The second reason was to strengthen her connection with the disarmament faction in the financial world. That was originally meant to happen through marriage, but with her fiancé dead, her only way to still have a familial connection with them was through a child. Thankfully that was possible through artificial insemination, and she was still able to have the relationship with the disarmament faction the way she wanted. With Theia’s birth, both sides worked harder than ever to achieve their goals.

That also had a secondary, rather unexpected, effect. Since Elfaria stayed unmarried after losing her fiancé and even bore his child, the citizenry saw her as loyal and unwavering. She captured their hearts, and her already high approval rate skyrocketed.

So in the long run, the military’s plot to stop Elfaria backfired. When all was said and done, she had more support and momentum than ever before. With that kind of power, even the military had a hard time raising a word against her. Even the tabloids fell silent. They would have to lie low for quite some time before making their next move.

“So Elle did all of that to hold back the military...”

Elfaria had to use marriage as a political tool, and she hadn’t given birth to Theia out of love. She had to have known that what she was doing wasn’t right; the girl that Koutarou met back then was no fool. But Forthorthe’s military had grown so powerful that she was left with no other choice in order to try and stop them.

“Now, after almost two decades, they’re finally stirring again. They’ve likely been waiting all this time to pull their most recent stunt in Forthorthe.”

“So she only managed to buy a few years...”

“Elfaria-san has likely walked a very precarious and dangerous path to get to where she is now. So much so that her marriage wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Clan looked down once more. A year ago, she felt nothing over Elfaria’s fate, yet it weighed on her heavily now. The current Clan knew how painful her journey had been, and how much Elfaria had been forced to sacrifice to get here.

“So this is what she had to do to keep the country from turning rotten, huh?”

“In the end, she’s no different from Alaia-san. She had no choice but to continue fighting without any concern for her own happiness.”

“And that’s what she’s been doing for the last two decades...”

The problems surrounding Theia and Elfaria were deeply rooted and many years in the making. And now they’d been chased away from their own country and were living on the outskirts of space. It was only a matter of time before the military came up with some crime to frame them for.

I have to protect them... Theia, Elle, and Forthorthe.

But just like Elfaria, Koutarou had no intention of shying away or backing down. Despite what hardship may lie ahead, he would power his way through all of it. He wanted to see each of the girls live their lives happily. That was why he was standing here now. It was the reason he’d left Alaia behind and returned to the present age.

Koutarou and the others left the mountain shortly after they released their extra beetles. While summer had really only just gotten started, it still got dreadfully hot in the afternoon. Calling it a day before it became too much to bear was an iron rule when it came to fun beetle hunting.

“Sanae, it’s too hot.”

“It is not.”

“You’re too heavy.”

“I am not.”

“Get off. This isn’t something you do after a beetle hunt in the summer.”

“Consider it a test of your love. If you really don’t like me, then put me down.”

“Good grief, fine...”

Koutarou was making his way down the mountain with one of the girls on his back. The original plan was for him to carry Clan, but for some reason, Sanae had gotten on his back instead like it was her prerogative to do so. She didn’t seem to mind the summer heat and firmly clung to his back like she always did. Koutarou didn’t have any intention of forcibly shaking her off, so he just let her do as she pleased.

“I wish I could be that forthcoming...”

Harumi was mumbling to herself as she watched Koutarou and Sanae from behind. She wasn’t good at expressing her feelings, which was why she felt a little envious of the straightforward Sanae.

“Sanae has been like that ever since they met. It’s sort of a perk of hers. It’s not something the rest of us can really emulate,” said Kiriha in response to Harumi’s mumbling.

“You mean... ever since she was a ghost?”

“Indeed. But Sanae isn’t the only one who has perks, now is she?”

Kiriha smiled as she said that. Kiriha’s perk was the trading card she carried. Or rather, what it embodied: her past and her bond with Koutarou.

“Perks...?”

“Your perk would be the knitting society, right, Sakuraba-senpai?” chimed in Yurika.

With a cheerful smile, she leaned in and gently nudged Harumi with her elbow. She was officially a member of the knitting society too, but she was careful not to get in the way. She knew that the knitting society was a special excuse for Harumi to be alone with Koutarou.

“N-Nijino-san!” Harumi shrieked.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Everyone already knows,” Yurika replied.

“Heh, in terms of perks, Yurika-chan is the real winner,” interjected Shizuka.

“Huh? I am?”

Yurika blinked repeatedly in confusion. After giggling a little, Shizuka explained herself.

“Whenever Satomi-kun is about to start something, he always invites you first, Yurika-chan.”

“And I always suffer for it! That’s not a perk at all!”

“It’s a luxury, Nijino Yurika.”

“You too, Maki-chan?! You’re wrong! You’re all wrong! A perk is supposed to be something nice! Something warm and fuzzy! Being picked on all the time is not a perk!”

Koutarou and the others continued to descend the mountain laughing and chatting. It was just another fun summer day, but they knew exactly how valuable that was. They all secretly prayed for days like this to continue forever.

Little did they know there were those intent on making sure that didn’t happen. The first ones to notice that were the two haniwas that served Kiriha.

“Ho, ho no! This is bad, ho!”

“Sorry for intruding on your fun, Ane-san! Ho!”

Karama and Korama had been using camouflage to keep themselves hidden up until now. But when they sensed something approaching—something unusual—they revealed themselves to Koutarou and the others.

“We’re picking up a reaction on the spiritual energy sensor, ho! The reaction is weak, but it’s most likely another sensor, ho!”

“Two hundred meters out and approaching! Coming from straight ahead! It seems they’re climbing up the mountain path, ho!”

Whoever was approaching was also using spiritual energy technology. In other words, either an underground dweller or someone with connections to them.

“Karama, Korama, Class II Stealth Mode. If necessary, go into sleep mode.”

“Got it, ho!”

“Understood, ho!”

Kiriha swiftly gave Karama and Korama the order to conceal themselves. At this point, Kiriha suspected whoever was approaching was most likely hostile. She had personally forbidden her subordinates from using spiritual energy technology on the surface. Either this was someone defying her direct orders or someone from the radical faction.

“Nee-san, this is strange, ho! Their aura is too unstable! Even if it’s a sensor, it wouldn’t be a very good one, ho!”

“I remember this spiritual pattern, ho! There’s a 90 percent probability it’s that fun group of five we met before, ho!”

“Oh...”

Fortunately, Kiriha’s worries were unfounded. The approaching group were no enemy. They were more of a third party.

Karama and Korama’s warning put Koutarou and the others on edge, but that tension immediately dissolved when they realized who was approaching. Even if they weren’t all that close, it was a relief to see familiar faces.

“It’s just them...”

“Who are they, Satomi-kun?”

“Do you know them, Veltlion?”

The only ones who didn’t recognize the group were Maki and Clan. They looked at the incoming strangers in puzzlement, and turned to Koutarou for answers.

“We met them when we were helping out at a hero show a while back.”

“Ah, I’ve heard Kii mention that before.”

“Then they’re actors?”

“Something like that.”

As Koutarou was explaining how they’d met, the group of five finally noticed Koutarou and the others.

“Hey, Kenichi-niichan, aren’t those people...”

“They are! What an unusual place to meet again...”

“No way! Isn’t that Baron-sama and the others?! Damn, if I’d known they’d be here, I would have put some makeup on!”

“There it is... Megumi’s sickness is acting up again.”

“Megu-chan, you’re beautiful the way you are.”

The group of five eagerly approached Koutarou and the others to greet them. It was almost like they’d run into a group of old friends. Koutarou and the girls responded in kind.

“Long time no see, everyone!”

The bright young man in the front was Kenichi, their leader.

“Thanks for all your advice last year!”

Following right behind him was the shortest of the five, a young boy by the name of Kotaro. He was like Kenichi’s little brother, and the smartest of the group. His hobby was gaming.

“Baaaron-saaamaaa! You look as divine and manly as ever!”

Behind them was the only girl of the group, Megumi, who was simply beaming. She had something of a bad habit of falling in love too easily.

“Megu-chan, you’re drooling! That’s not very ladylike in front of Baron-san!”

The giant chasing after Megumi with a handkerchief was Daisaku. He was a nice guy with a big heart and a big appetite, and sort of watched over the group like a babysitter. Essentially, while Kenichi was the official leader, Daisaku did most of the work.

“Don’t get too carried away, you guys. They’ll take you for country bumpkins.”

The man staring coldly at the rest of the group was Hayato. He liked to act cool, but his penchant for showing off usually ended up backfiring. Being from a village in the mountains, he was actually the biggest country bumpkin of them all.

This group of five was always together. They were coworkers. A team. They were the Sun Rangers of the Sun Squad, rookie superheroes who’d gotten their start two years ago.

“They’re still the same... Hmm?”

Koutarou felt a little nostalgic to see the Sun Rangers acting the same as always, but something seemed different as he watched them run up to him and girls.

What’s this?

Koutarou gave them all a closer look. He quickly put his finger on what had caught his eye. They seemed a lot more sure of themselves than last year.

“Impressive.”

“It looks like they’ve trained quite a bit since we saw them last. It’s almost like they’re completely different people.”

Shizuka had noticed the same thing. It really was like the Sun Rangers had undergone some kind of transformation. They were running with swift, confident steps with great posture, all while in a tight formation. It even looked like they were all in better shape.

And it’s not just the way they look... They’re all watching each other’s backs. Their teamwork has improved considerably. Did they do a lot of training for actual combat?

Koutarou’s intuition told him that they had put up with a lot of unprecedented training for action actors. They seemingly improved their capabilities as soldiers, even though that wasn’t something actors needed. As a result, just the sight of them running was enough to persuade others that they were heroes. Koutarou was surprised by their ambition.

“It’s been a while, you guys. It looks like all your training’s been paying off.”

“You can tell?!”

Koutarou gave his honest impression, which made Kenichi’s eyes sparkle.

“Yeah, you look totally different. You’ve gotten so much stronger.”

“It’s an honor! We tried our hardest to follow in your footsteps.”

“But Kenichi-niichan, Baron-san really is leagues ahead of us. I can tell just standing here looking at him.”

“But of course! Don’t lump Baron-sama in with other men! We’d never be a match for him after just a little training. Ahh... I hope he’ll use those manly fists on me!”

“Daisaku, it seems like Megumi’s sickness is worse than usual today... What’s going on?”

“Ever since the day we went to Baron-san’s play, her symptoms have gotten worse.”

The Sun Rangers were unable to hide their excitement upon unexpectedly running into Koutarou. But Koutarou wasn’t sure what was going on.

“So, Sun Rangers, what are you doing out here? Is it work? Or are you training?”

When Koutarou asked their leader, Kenichi the Red Shine, what they were doing on the mountain, the Sun Rangers’ excitement died down a little. They waited for Kenichi to answer for the group.

“Well, I can’t go into details, but we’re looking for something in the area.”

The Sun Rangers were a secret organization created by the government to combat invading forces. They had come here today on a mission to find a base belonging to a certain group of invaders. But it wasn’t like they could tell normal civilians that.

“I see. You sure have it hard.”

But Koutarou didn’t think much of it. He figured they were only scouting for a place to record for their hero show. It was perfectly normal for actors to have to keep things like film locations hush-hush. Kiriha was the only one whose expression stiffened when she heard what Kenichi said.

They’re searching the area with a spiritual energy sensor... Could the radical faction be planning something on the surface? Or... though I don’t want to believe it, could it be that they already have a base here?

Kiriha alone had realized who the Sun Rangers really were, but unless something major happened, she had no intention of making official contact with them. If possible, she wanted to keep her own identity a secret.

“Karama, maintain stealth mode and follow them. I want to know their objective.”

“Understood, ho!”

Seeing no other choice, Kiriha ordered one of her haniwas to follow the Sun Rangers. The chances were high that what they were up to had something to do with the People of the Earth, and that meant it involved her one way or another. Unaware of Kiriha’s complex emotions, Koutarou and the Sun Rangers were carefreely chatting away.

“B-By the way, why are you here, Baron-sama?!”

“Megu-chan, calm down a little.”

“But, but...! We finally got to see each other again!”

“We’re came here for these.”

“Beetles?”

“Yeah. We want to show Japan’s beetles to the children from Clan’s—she’s the girl in the glasses over there—country.”

“That’s wonderful. Looks like you caught some big ones, too.”

“Yeah. They’re amazing, aren’t they?”

“They sure are.”

Hearing that Koutarou was out capturing beetles for children from a foreign land, Kenichi’s expression brightened up. In a way, all of the Sun Rangers’ battles were against foreign invaders, so if Koutarou was making friends and improving relationships between Japan and the rest of the world, that was better for everyone. Maybe there would even be less fighting in the future. In other words, they shared the same goal. But Koutarou was one step ahead and stopping the fighting before it even started. That’s what Kenichi thought was so wonderful.

We should strive to be like that too... And to that end, we have to give it our all now!

In order for them to become like Koutarou, they had to complete the mission in front of them. Determination burned like a fierce fire in Kenichi’s eyes.

“Nii-chan, it’s about time we...”

“You’re right. Back to the mission, everyone!”

“Whaaat?! I was finally reunited with Baron-sama, and it’s going to end without him getting to beat me to a pulp?!”

“You’ll have to endure, Megu-chan. Baron-san wouldn’t be happy if you abandoned your mission.”

“We don’t have any time. We can’t just sit around here celebrating our reunion.”

It wasn’t just Kenichi who had renewed his determination. The other four... the other three, rather... shared that same feeling.

“Could I ask you one last thing, Baron-san?”

“What is it, Red Shine?”

“Did you see anything strange while you were out here capturing beetles? Anything at all, even something that may have seemed minor?”

“I... don’t really remember anything that stood out. How about you guys?”

Koutarou couldn’t recall anything in particular. He turned to the girls, but all seven shook their heads too.

“No one else has either, huh? Sorry we can’t be of any help, Red Shine.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Kenichi didn’t get the information he was hoping for, but he wasn’t discouraged. It seemed the Sun Rangers had trained their minds in addition to their bodies.

“I appreciate your cooperation. I’m also glad we got to see each other again.”

“Me too.”

“Well then, we must be going!”

Kenichi and his four allies saluted in an orderly fashion and left.

“Hey, Koutarou...” Sanae climbed up Koutarou’s back and whispered. “Those guys are strange as ever, but... I think they’ve been through a lot too.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Just like Koutarou and the others had grown, so too had the Sun Rangers. Visibly so. Their figures as they continued to run up the mountain path stood tall and gave off an aura of power and confidence. It was almost as if they were real heroes.