Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 45 - Chapter 2

Anti-government Forces

Tuesday, November 15th

Koutarou had been throwing the ball at full force until he was exhausted. Kenji had accompanied him until the end. And once Koutarou was lying down on the ground, Kenji told him, “Good work, see ya,” and left. He hadn’t said anything unnecessary, and Koutarou was grateful for it.

“I’m no match for him...”

Koutarou looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful, clear blue sky, with a small cloud drifting across it. Exhausted, he stared at the cloud and sighed. Ever since Ralgwin had been taken away, it was all that had been on Koutarou’s mind. Even when he went to bed, he struggled to sleep well.

But it was different now. Thanks to Kenji, he had been able to clear his head, although at the moment, he was so tired that even thinking was an effort.

“It wouldn’t hurt for a little while...” he murmured, gradually growing sleepier. Since he’d been sleeping so poorly, his eyelids felt heavy, and he had no reason to resist their pull. Leaving himself to the sky and the breeze, Koutarou fell asleep.

He didn’t know when, but at some point, something warm had enveloped him. Past the warmth, he could hear a faint sound; it had a rhythmic beat like that of a drum or a clock. He didn’t know what the sound was, but neither it nor the warmth were unpleasant. If anything, he wanted to entrust himself to them forever.

But something interrupted him—the sound of metal clanging against metal. It wasn’t unpleasant either; rather, it had a clear and beautiful tone. When he realized it was the sound of a bell, Koutarou’s consciousness rapidly rose back to the surface.

He moaned as bright light flooded his vision when he opened his eyes slightly. After blinking a few times, he adapted to the light and opened his eyes fully. As he did, he saw that the beautiful sky was still above him, but it had turned orange. Time had passed, and the sun was starting to set. When he looked away, Koutarou realized that someone was looking down at him.

“Are you awake, Layous-sama?”

It was a calm and kind voice. Golden hair brushed his cheek, and slender fingers stroked his chest. His first thought was of an energetic girl, but he quickly realized it was someone else.

“Elle?” he asked.

Elfaria Dana Forthorthe. She was the ruler of this galaxy, the Empress of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire. But right now, her eyes were fully focused on Koutarou, as if everything in the galaxy were before her.

“Yes.”

“So it was you...”

She was letting Koutarou rest on her lap. The warmth he had felt had been hers, and the sound was her pulse.

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“What a strange one you are, Layous-sama,” she answered with a laugh.

The busy empress was going out of her way to spend her time tending to him, so he must have made her worry quite a bit.

“Sorry for showing you this pathetic sight,” he apologized. Now that it had come to it, he could only give Elfaria an earnest apology.

The empress was exuding a strange sense of relief. “No, not at all. You are only human. It is only natural that you worry about the path paved for you. Anyone would be troubled in your position,” Elfaria told him with a smile. At the same time, her slender fingers stroked his chest.

Koutarou didn’t understand the meaning behind her actions, but they were strangely calming.

“At the moment...I am the only one of those around you who could play your mother. I would have no leg to stand on if you didn’t show me a pathetic sight or two.” Elfaria’s smile deepened.

It was like she was forgiving and accepting everything. Her words and smile told him what she was thinking. He had never mentioned his mother to her, but it wasn’t hard to imagine that one of the girls had talked about her. Moreover, if Koutarou were to marry Theia, Elfaria would become his stepmother. Right now, he was in the process of experiencing what that would mean.

“I never imagined you would do something like this,” Koutarou said.

While Elfaria had suggested that Koutarou marry Theia, she had always maintained a distance from him herself. She would stop at the line she’d drawn and never tried to go beyond being an empress to his knight. But right now, she had taken a large step over that line. She was going beyond the role of empress, and even beyond the role of stepmother. It was like she was trying to become his real mother.

“As empress, I might not have...but you have always called me Elle,” she explained.

“I guess so...”

If Koutarou had treated Elfaria as an empress, she might not have gone so far. But by calling her Elle and acting casually around her, he hadn’t made her feel like she was an empress, but rather the same Elle he had met twenty years in the past. Thanks to that, Elfaria had been able to interact differently with him.

“Have you made up your mind?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then allow me to accompany you.” Elfaria’s smile changed. It was just as kind as before, but now it had resolve and trust in it as well.

Your Majesty, Alaia?

Koutarou had seen that expression before; it was very similar to the smile that Alaia had shown him. Although perplexed by that, he asked her a question back. “Do you know what I’m going to do?”

Considering her position, she shouldn’t have been able to easily accompany anyone, so Koutarou imagined that she must have known what he was thinking.

She shook her head. “No. I understand how Layous-sama thinks, but not Koutarou-sama.” She looked at him with gentle eyes. Elfaria didn’t know what Koutarou was going to do, but she knew that he was troubled by the difference between the hero and his everyday self.

“That reminds me, you’ve been calling me Layous.”

“Yes, though I am thinking of stopping that. I felt that the empress’s words wouldn’t reach Layous-sama...”

Elfaria put a little more strength into her fingers as she stroked Koutarou’s chest, as if to grab at him, but the only thing she grabbed was his clothes. Yet, to Koutarou, it felt like she had grabbed his heart. It wasn’t unpleasant in the slightest, and it was similar to how Theia made him feel.

“So you’re speaking with that in mind.”

“Yes. I will accompany you to the end, no matter what.”

Elfaria had been calling Koutarou “Layous” to create some distance from him. She didn’t want to be a burden. But no matter how talented she was, there were things she couldn’t understand from that distance, things she couldn’t reach. Right now, that distance was an obstacle, which was why she was trying to cross the finish line. She had to stay near Koutarou and support him in carrying the weight that Forthorthe had placed on him, like Alaia had done in the past.

“Don’t say something so important that easily.” Koutarou furrowed his brow. Elfaria was the empress, and the meaning behind her decision was heavy. It wasn’t something to decide lightly.

“It is not easy. It has taken over twenty years for me to be able to say this.” Elfaria smiled wryly.

Koutarou’s interpretation was wrong, as it was based on the decision of the woman known as Elfaria, which was different from a decision of the empress.

“You...” he began.

It appeared Elfaria was closing the distance to save Koutarou, not the Blue Knight. With that, he gained a vague understanding of what lay behind her smile.

“You really shouldn’t say something so important that easily.”

This came with a large problem of its own. A woman like Elfaria making such an important decision was a serious matter.

She chuckled. “Like I said, it took twenty years.”

Elfaria had kept her distance from Koutarou because she felt she wasn’t worthy of him, and because she wanted to leave him to her daughter. But after her daughter had scolded her the other day, and after seeing Koutarou suffer, she had given up on that idea. She would do her best to be of help to him. If she didn’t, she would never be able to save him.

“Why do you all throw yourselves into things so easily?” he muttered.

“Well, why are you so determined to play the hero until the end?” Elfaria replied.

“I... That’s...”

At first, Koutarou had tried to sacrifice himself to be of help to Alaia. But after coming into contact with the people of the empire, he had come to care about the empire itself. So he had decided to take responsibility by playing the hero and seeing it through. When Elfaria and the girls had learned that he was a normal human merely trying to play the hero, they had wanted to help him, just as Koutarou had wanted to help Alaia.

“Everybody loves you, including the people desperately trying to live,” Elfaria told him.

“You guys are stupid. You should be more selfish and chase after your own happiness...”

“This is where our selfish desires have led.”

“Then you’re really stupid.”

“How could you say that to the Empress of Forthorthe! Haha, you actually understand, don’t you?”

“It might take me twenty years to accept it...”

Normally, he would try to play it off, but this time he affirmed Elfaria’s words. She wasn’t someone he could deceive, and he didn’t want to lie when it came to this topic.

“Twenty years pass by in a flash.”

“Fine, fine. I’m no match for you.” Koutarou smiled wryly. If she was doing the same thing that he had in the past, there was nothing he could say to change her mind, so after scratching his head, he shot up to his feet. “Right, then let’s get this started, Elle.” He reached out a hand toward Elfaria. He had no doubt that she would grab it.

“Yes, Koutarou-sama.” Naturally, she squeezed his hand without a moment’s pause. Although she kept it a secret from Koutarou, she had resolved to never let go.

As they held hands, they headed out to settle the greatest undertaking in two thousand years.

After his resurrection, Maxfern spent a lot of time shut up inside a room with Grevanas. The reason was simple: there was much that they didn’t know about this era, and they needed to study. Using Ralgwin’s knowledge would help to a degree, but it was like reading a textbook at best. As a soldier, Ralgwin’s knowledge was also lacking when it came to politics, economics, and science. So there was a lot for a politician and a leader to study.

“To think I would have to learn politics, economics, science, and military strategy all over again at my age,” Maxfern griped after finishing the day’s lessons.

Two thousand years ago, no one had been more knowledgeable. But that wasn’t the case anymore. In this era, his knowledge was rather lacking. As someone who always wanted to be first, he hated that.

Grevanas chortled. “The world two thousand years later is completely different. It is inevitable. Besides, we can’t make a move until we can gather soldiers.” He was serving as Maxfern’s teacher. Having been resurrected earlier, he was ahead in his studies, and calling in a teacher from the outside would have raised suspicion. Their study sessions were being referred to as “a war council” between Ralgwin and Grevanas. Unsurprisingly, these sessions were a massive pain.

“This sure is going slow. We declared war, you know,” Maxfern said, wondering if they should be leisurely studying after such an event.

“That was more of a signal to gather soldiers. Moreover, the royal families already know about us, so a formal declaration doesn’t have much meaning,” Grevanas explained.

There were two reasons for their actions. The first was, of course, the importance of declaring the start of a war. Without it, a sudden assault would be seen as a terrorist attack and thus lose them the people’s support. The second was to gather forces. By making such a clear statement, they would gather other anti-government forces. Maxfern’s old Vandarion faction, now the Forthorthe Liberation Army, was lacking in numbers, so replenishing their troops was a must.

“Our enemies are the Blue Knight and the empress. Of course they know that our goal is to usurp the throne,” Maxfern said.

“They will already be making preparations for that scenario, so our declaration of war will only serve to gather allies,” Grevanas answered.

This approach had the disadvantage of giving the enemy time to prepare, but the Imperial Army already knew what Maxfern’s side was planning, so it was ultimately nothing more than a means to recruit soldiers.

“Hmm, and how many soldiers have gathered so far?”

In war, military force played the biggest part. Without soldiers, they could accomplish nothing. Maxfern only had old military knowledge, but certain facts remained true even in modern times, so he was interested in hearing about their progress.

“It is proceeding extremely well. The old Vandarion faction soldiers who were hiding all over, as well as those from other anti-government forces, are rallying to our cause,” said Grevanas.

All of the other players were gathering under the banner of the Forthorthe Liberation Army, the biggest faction. They had been operating individually and been suppressed without accomplishing much, so by joining together, they would be more efficient. For now, the situation was proceeding as Maxfern and Grevanas wanted.

“I see. And what about weapons?”

Their second concern was weaponry. Unfortunately, they couldn’t measure up against the largest military force at present. They were facing an empire that ruled half a galaxy, so their weapons needed to be equal or superior to their opponent’s at the bare minimum. With that, they could hope to make a breakthrough and outwit the other side.

“They are being gathered. We have weapons of this age, as well as spiritual energy weapons,” Grevanas stated.

Maxfern and Grevanas had lost two thousand years ago because they hadn’t had equal armaments. So far, they only had magic and alchemy, prototype spiritual energy technology, while the Blue Knight had the latest spiritual energy technology and two thousand years of scientific advancements. So Grevanas was currently devoting himself to weapons. He was making preparations of his own, and with Maxfern taking over Ralgwin’s body, they had claimed the old Vandarion faction’s facilities. Since Forthorthe had not announced spiritual energy technology to the public for security reasons, Maxfern’s side, which could actively make use of that technology, had an advantage.

“What about normal weapons... Has magic been used on them?” Maxfern asked.

“Naturally. That is our strength, after all.”

Grevanas’s long-developed magic power had been added to the mix. Since magic was deployed by people, it wasn’t suitable for mass production. Grevanas had brought the magicians who revived him back to Forthorthe, but there was a limit to their numbers. Instead, they were being deployed at critical points. For example, they were using magic to resolve bottlenecks in performance, including strengthening bolts in fightercrafts. They could also apply magic to weapons used by elite forces. By efficiently employing magic, they were elevating the capabilities of the Forthorthe Liberation Army.

“But that is not enough to win,” Maxfern said.

“You are talking about Signaltin, the sword of kingship.” Grevanas nodded.

Signaltin was a sword of legend in Forthorthe. Back when Forthorthe had been a small country, it was the sword the rulers had wielded, a symbol of the crown said to have the power to tear open the heavens and earth. Having fought against it, Maxfern and Grevanas knew its power well.

Signaltin was present even now, two thousand years later, in the hands of their detested enemy, the Blue Knight. It was fundamentally different from a normal magic weapon, and it was clear that it was connected to something larger. Without any countermeasures, they would be defeated once again, since they wouldn’t be able to stop the Blue Knight from making a breakthrough. In fact, that was why they had lost two thousand years ago.

“It won’t be a problem. I will face the Blue Knight,” a figure stated.

This time, Maxfern and Grevanas had a trump card. He stepped out from the shadows and showed himself.

“It’s you, Gray One. Can you do it?” Maxfern asked.

“My sword has powers equal to his.”

Their trump card was the Gray Knight and the gray sword at his waist. In contrast to Signaltin, this sword had the power of chaos. If Signaltin was the sword of one who stood at the top, this blade was the power of everyone else. It should prove a match for Signaltin.

“How reassuring. But I still don’t trust you. You might be from a different world, but you are the man who banished me from this one.” Maxfern wasn’t happy about the situation. The Gray Knight was the Blue Knight from a different world. Even though he had followed a different path, he was still a hated enemy.

“That goes for the both of us. But our interests are aligned when it comes to wanting to defeat the Blue Knight. Grevanas should have told you this already.”

They might have been enemies, but just as they needed the Gray Knight, the Gray Knight needed them. They required a large battle for their goals, but there were also tactical considerations. The Gray Knight could fight against the Blue Knight, but he would need to get through a lot of soldiers to reach him. He wanted Maxfern and Grevanas to handle that. It was for this reason that Grevanas and the Gray Knight had chosen to cooperate. The Gray Knight figured that the same applied to Maxfern.

“Your promise to Grevanas doesn’t matter. That’s what I would like to say, but you would have to search far and wide to find anyone who has remained loyal for over two thousand years, so I will oblige out of respect for you, Grevanas.”

Grevanas didn’t like that they were working together either, but he knew it was necessary, so Maxfern held his anger in and chose to honor the truce for the benefits it brought. That said, he was still displeased.

“Thank you very much, Maxfern-sama.” Grevanas’s wrinkly face twisted into clear relief. If they broke apart here, the structure of the coming battle would change, and they would have to throw out all their plans. It would be a big step back for their goal of domination and would practically spell defeat since they had made their declaration of war already. He was very relieved that they had managed to avoid that result.

Still, Maxfern-sama is right that we can’t let our guard down around him. We’ll have to dispose of him when the time is right. After we’ve killed the Blue Knight? No, he will surely be thinking the same thing. Then what about during battle when they are both weakened?

Grevanas schemed in his mind. There was no telling how long the Gray Knight would be their ally, so behind the relief on his face, Grevanas was considering how to get rid of him.

After watching Koutarou and Kenji play catch for a while, Theia moved over to the control room in the royal palace. She had preparations to make for when Koutarou made his move.

“Sheesh, how dare he make me worry...” Theia griped as she looked over the report the computer’s AI had put together. But contrary to her words, she wasn’t unhappy. If anything, she had a bright expression from the relief she felt.

I’m glad we brought Mackenzie with us. If it had just been us, it would have taken longer.

The girls had completely stopped when they saw Koutarou so down. And they hadn’t been able to help him. They all had important posts, which meant that their choices would affect the people of Forthorthe and Folsaria too. Fortunately, Kenji’s help had kept the situation from becoming dire. Theia was relieved about both Koutarou’s recovery and the stability of the world.

“Did you say something, Your Highness?” the artificial intelligence asked, having picked up her muttering. It believed that her words might have been an order.

“It’s nothing. A worry was just resolved, so I let some words of relief slip,” Theia answered with a smile. A little earlier, she might have said something harsher in irritation.

“Is that so? I am happy to hear it.”

“By the way, Blue Knight, there don’t seem to be a lot of reports on the Forthorthe Liberation Army.”

The artificial intelligence had been installed in the space battleship, the Blue Knight. After the war, the AI had been moved over from the destroyed vessel to the palace during the control room’s renovation. At the same time, its dialogue model and data points had been updated. It was eventually expected to be moved over to the rebuilt Blue Knight when it was finished.

“The Forthorthe Liberation Army has strict control over information, and no vital information has been discovered yet.”

“I suppose Ralgwin’s efforts are still alive and well,” Theia mused.

“However...it is possible that the declaration of war has made way for an opening.”

“Hmm, what are you thinking?”

“First, the empress and Lord Veltlion are entering the room,” the AI reported.

As Theia asked the Blue Knight for a detailed explanation, the door to the control room slid open and two voices could be heard.

“You have a nasty personality,” Koutarou said.

“How could you say that to an empress?!” Elfaria demanded.

“You only ever act like an empress at moments like these.”

“If anything, I should be acting like the empress right now. You should act properly too, Koutarou-sama.”

“Oh, we’re already at the control room.”

“The empress and Lord Veltlion have entered the room!” the AI reported.

The soldiers in the control room stood up and saluted the pair. Koutarou and Elfaria were the commander-in-chief and empress. They had the highest authority of anyone present.

“You are finally here. Good grief...” Theia sighed in relief after seeing them enter. She was especially relieved to find that Koutarou’s expression was back to normal.

“Everyone has been worried about you, Koutarou-sama. Shouldn’t you say something?” Elfaria asked.

“I know, don’t worry. It’s like you’re—” Koutarou began to say.

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing. You get it together too.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

The two were talking about something, but they split up and took their seats. The control room’s seating was generally split between military and government seats. They both sat down at the most senior positions. Behaving as the Blue Knight and empress would be necessary from here on.

“Still, hahaha... ‘Koutarou-sama,’ is it, mother?” Theia laughed.

Elfaria had been acting normal as they entered the control room, but she had called him “Koutarou-sama,” and then there was the casual glance she’d given him when they’d parted ways. Theia understood what that meant better than anyone. And because of it, she was in high spirits.

Koutarou and Elfaria calmly sat down, but then Koutarou stood back up. “First I would like to say a few words to you,” he began.

At that, the room fell silent, and everyone present stared at Koutarou. There were a few dozen people there, from government officials to soldiers to security personnel.

“As you know, I have been off-kilter of late. I was acquainted with Ralgwin, having fought him for a long time, and I have my own opinions about his body being stolen. Especially when the one who stole it was Her Majesty Alaia’s and my bitter enemy, Violbarum Maxfern. As a result, I was shaken up and distanced myself from my duties for a while. First and foremost, I would like to apologize for that.”

Koutarou was following Elfaria’s recommendation and speaking to the people present. Like she’d said, he felt like he needed to apologize for falling apart for a while.

“The problem is inextricably linked to my being a knight. Is it really right to sacrifice a life to prevent my enemy from being resurrected? I do believe sacrifice is unavoidable when fighting to prevent evil, but can you really force someone to sacrifice themselves outside of that fight? Is there any meaning in a victory like that? Then again, it might mean that the people suffer less. It is a very difficult problem. And when faced with it, I was unable to move forward.”

Koutarou spoke his mind honestly. He hadn’t touched on the details, like Fasta’s involvement, but he still told them everything he felt. It was the sincerity he showed those who fought alongside him.

“But my friend taught me that there are times when you can’t tell what’s right. And that you should stand back up, even if you can’t find an answer. That is why I am back here. I still have no answer to the problem, but as a knight of Forthorthe, I have work to do.”

Even if Koutarou stopped to worry, others were still moving around him. Fasta would be trying to get Ralgwin back, and the enemy wasn’t going to wait for him. At times, he needed to stop trying to find an answer to focus on his immediate responsibilities.

“I have once again been reminded that people have their limits. There are problems that can’t be answered or solved on your own. That is why I need your help. If someone ends up in a rut, unable to find an answer, somebody else might have the solution, or at least something close to it. We should give each other a hand and advance together. Just like Her Majesty Alaia and the royal families want!”

The biggest help in such moments were allies. Kenji and Elfaria had taught Koutarou that. It wasn’t like Kenji had an answer for Koutarou, nor did Elfaria. However, Kenji had shown him the path, and Elfaria would walk it with him no matter what happened. The same could probably be said of everyone in the room. They would show Koutarou the path and brave it with him.

“So let us begin. Our enemies are Grand Wizard Grevanas and Violbarum Maxfern! We will defeat them and protect the people of Forthorthe!”

There was no changing what had happened. But even without an answer, they needed to stop Maxfern’s ambitions. They could save Ralgwin in the process. That was what they could do right now. As a knight, Koutarou no longer had any hesitation.

“I have high hopes for your work! That is all!”

When Koutarou finished his speech, cheers broke out in the control room. Even though the Blue Knight was a legendary hero with a track record of saving the country twice, he’d had his own doubts, which had stopped him, worrying everyone. But those in the room no longer had any such worries. They understood that the hero they all believed in had stood up once again, so there was no need to hesitate. They would fight and win together.

After Koutarou was done, a spirited discussion began. Government officials and soldiers made all sorts of reports and exchanged opinions. The consensus was that Ralgwin had been a tough opponent, and with him gone there might be an opening to exploit.

“Ralgwin had strict information control, frustrating as it is to admit. But now that he’s gone, that control appears to be coming apart at the seams,” Theia remarked.

“What do you mean?” asked Koutarou.

“The old Vandarion faction, or the Forthorthe Liberation Army, as it is being called now, has changed command from Ralgwin to Maxfern. Because of their differences in thinking, the control of information now has a slight opening. Clan, if you would,” Theia said. She was the one who had gotten hold of the information, but Clan was more knowledgeable about the topic, so Clan would explain to Koutarou in her place.

“Ralgwin split each stronghold into several layers, with information freely shared only within each layer. Information and goods were only shared between layers at specific places and times, which allowed them to avoid our...um, the intelligence department’s pursuit.”

Clan was working with the government’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the military’s intelligence department. Her exceptional skills were wanted by both sides. But even with her powers and the involvement of both organizations, they hadn’t been able to get a lead on the old Vandarion faction. At best, they could penetrate the first or second layer, leaving them in the dark regarding what lay beyond that. They hadn’t even known how many levels of control there were.

“But after the declaration of war, their perfect defense has wavered,” Clan continued.

“The declaration of war? That had something to do with this?” Koutarou asked with a perplexed look.

Clan nodded in return. “That is right. We believe it was an appeal to the people and anti-government forces.”

“I get it. I mean, I understand; we know what they’re after, so it has no effect on us.” Koutarou changed his way of expressing himself. They were in the middle of an important war council, so he needed to act like a proper commander.

“Yes, we are ready for battle. The only ones who do not know are the people and various anti-government forces,” Clan explained.

“I can understand telling the citizens. Starting a war without warning would be terrorism,” Koutarou agreed.

It was said that war was the last resort for diplomacy, and since it was a matter of diplomacy, there was a proper procedure in place. The first was a declaration to announce entering a state of war. Beginning a conflict without that was a war crime. Any actions would not be a war coming from failed diplomacy but rather acts of terrorism out of self-interest.

“That is generally correct, but in this case the latter, the anti-government forces, are important,” Clan corrected him. She operated the computer to change the hologram in the center of the control room. It had been displaying info on the old Vandarion faction, but it changed to show information on anti-government forces.

“There are a lot of them. So, information on anti-government forces was being suppressed to this degree,” Koutarou muttered.

There weren’t one or two organizations; there was instead so much overlapping information on them that it was impossible to get a grasp on all of it.

“Yes, they are very assertive. But they don’t have the level of self-restraint that Ralgwin had. So it wasn’t all that difficult to get leads on them,” Clan explained.

As people who wanted to change the empire, the faction was always sharing its opinions. By following that information, the empire could track their movements. Ralgwin’s forces preparing for battle without such expression of opinion had been an exception to the rule.

“Haven’t you dealt with them?” Koutarou asked.

“We have. This is what’s left,” Clan explained.

“I see. A large galaxy can be troublesome.” Koutarou sighed. This was the problem with Forthorthe being too big. As the empire spanned half a galaxy, anti-government forces expanded on the same scale. Moreover, those with the same ideas came from all over. Because of that, there was an exceptional amount of anti-government activity.

“That said, only a small percentage of them are capable of carrying out military operations,” Clan added.

“That was frightening. I thought those were all our enemies.” Koutarou smiled wryly.

There were aggressive and peaceful anti-government forces, and among the aggressive ones were those that would carry out military operations. In other words, there was maybe one anti-government force per solar system that could instigate armed conflict.

“These are the forces that can actually carry out military operations,” Clan said, and a large amount of information disappeared from the hologram.

Only a few dozen now remained, so the information no longer overlapped, but it was still a lot. The others were not seen as threats at the moment, and measures were being taken only against the groups currently being displayed. Forthorthe allowed freedom of expression, and merely expressing dissent against the government wasn’t enough to be punished.

“The problems start here.” Clan’s expressions returned to normal, and a vast amount of information was displayed once more. “Many of these anti-government forces have become more active due to Maxfern’s declaration of war. They must see the situation as an opportunity.”

If Maxfern—or Ralgwin, as the anti-government forces saw him—was gathering soldiers, the empire would be thrown into chaos sooner or later. That made it easier for other anti-government forces to make a move and gather more allies. While they might not stage an armed uprising, it was their chance to expand and promote their views.

“Many of the organizations have taken a particular action,” Clan said.

“Which is?” Koutarou asked.

“Joining forces with the Forthorthe Liberation Army. They are making contact with Maxfern and Grevanas and trying to affiliate themselves with them,” Clan explained.

The majority of the armed anti-government forces and a few of the unarmed forces were trying to make contact with the Forthorthe Liberation Army. Naturally, Maxfern and Grevanas would have expected as much. It wasn’t hard to imagine that preparations had already been made to welcome them into the fold.

“I see, so this is the opening you were talking about.”

With that, Koutarou could understand where Clan was going. She nodded at his words.

“That is correct. Grouping up means the movement of soldiers. By tracking moving anti-government forces, we should be able to find Maxfern and Grevanas!”

Even if Maxfern and Grevanas’s information control was strong, and Clan and the others had been unable to get insight into it, right now soldiers were gathering under them, and that meant the empire should be able to find the enemy’s stronghold by following the tide. Attempting to gather a large number of forces at once created an opening that Ralgwin had never allowed.

“That is a good plan. So, are you going to slip a spy into the anti-government forces?” Koutarou asked.

If they planted a spy in their midst, then all they had to do was wait for a report. But Clan shook her head.

“Not yet. Moreover, I can not imagine they would overlook that risk when there are so many.”

“Well...that’s true,” Koutarou agreed.

Unfortunately, a spy hadn’t infiltrated the anti-government forces yet. There was a limited number of agents available to the intelligence department, and most were gathering information on the Forthorthe Liberation Army. As for the other armed anti-government forces, the agents were close to them, but keeping their distance. Moreover, if Ralgwin had been the leader, he wouldn’t have gathered troops in such a forceful way. With that in mind, Clan and the intelligence department hadn’t assigned enough personnel. But no one could have predicted that Maxfern would take over Ralgwin’s body.

“So you’ll be sending someone in now, then. What do you think, Aika-san?” Koutarou asked.

“Someone very skilled would be needed. They would probably be fine until they depart, but when they arrive, I’m sure there will be checks using all available techniques and technology,” Maki replied with a stern expression.

Even if Maxfern and Grevanas weren’t as careful as Ralgwin, they weren’t going to take in soldiers without vetting them. They were sure to use spiritual energy, magic, and Forthorthe’s science to examine everyone.

“So, we’ll track spaceships going to group up with them?” Koutarou asked once again.

“I wouldn’t recommend that, Blue Knight,” Alunaya interjected. He normally didn’t have much to say on these topics, but he felt a need to interrupt now.

Shizuka gave him a perplexed look. “What do you mean, uncle?”

“We are able to see the waves when your spaceship transitions. I believe you call it ‘space distortion navigation’ whenever it breaches the wall of dimensions. If Grevanas has a magical beast with an ability similar to mine, it will be spotted right away,” Alunaya explained.

Alunaya was the Fire Dragon Emperor. With his powerful magic, he had the ability to jump through space-time, and in order to safely use that gift, he needed to be able to observe the area where he would appear. It was an instinctive ability, so the range wasn’t all that large, but that made it more accurate and sensitive. If Grevanas had made a magical beast with a similar ability into his familiar, the empire’s pursuit would fail.

“Does that apply even to my Hazy Moon?” Clan asked.

“It is faint, but I can see it.”

“Then there is nothing I can do. Good grief...to think a magical beast’s intuition would overcome my technology...”

Even the highly stealthy Hazy Moon couldn’t evade Alunaya’s senses even though he was not an expert in detection. So they should assume that Grevanas could do the same. Clan sighed and her shoulders dropped as she realized there was nothing she could do.

“Then we need someone to infiltrate the anti-government forces in the end,” Harumi summarized.

By infiltrating, a spy could accompany the anti-government forces and be taken to Maxfern and Grevanas’s stronghold. Depending on the situation, they could acquire information without going there, through bugging or interrogating more influential people, but infiltration was necessary regardless.

“Even if someone can infiltrate, who’s going to go?” Sanae asked. Like Maki had said, it would require a high degree of skill, especially when trying to exfiltrate.

“Someone adaptable is preferable. To be frank, I wouldn’t be able to,” Theia admitted with a sour look.

Thinking about it, someone from Koutarou and the girls’ group should go. It was too much for a normal soldier to go up against Maxfern, and the agent needed to be versatile and resourceful. Theia had grown to the point that she could acknowledge her own faults, but she was still bitter about it.

“I shall go. It will be the first time in a while that I can be of use,” Kiriha suggested. She was quick-witted and could respond to any situation. She wasn’t quite as strong as the others in battle, but it wouldn’t be a problem if they carefully selected other members to accompany her.

Koutarou nodded, but a fierce objection came from the government’s side. “Please hold on, Kiriha-dono! If you were to leave now, the many problems within the nation will come to a standstill! Please spare us that by choosing someone else for this mission!” the Interior Department Minister pleaded.

That was the consensus among everyone on the government’s side. With the restoration of the country and a new enemy appearing, there were a lot of situations that relied on Kiriha’s brains. The Departments of Economics, Domestic and Foreign Affairs, and Defense were all borrowing her mind. Even if it was just for a few days, Kiriha leaving the imperial palace would be a heavy loss. Losing her was second only to losing Elfaria, so she was indispensable at such a critical juncture.

“Hmm...”

“Give it up, Kiriha. You are too much of a genius. You will have to house-sit with me,” Theia said.

“I suppose I have to.” Kiriha smiled wryly. She agreed with Theia. Since she was usually on the back lines, she had hoped to be of help standing beside Koutarou, but that wasn’t going to fly. That saddened her, but since Theia was holding her emotions in, she would do the same.

“Then this is where Nana-san comes in!” Yurika suggested. In contrast to Kiriha, she was in high spirits. If one genius couldn’t go, it made sense to send another. It was a simple idea, and Yurika probably wanted to brag about her master, but it was a suggestion that everyone could agree on.

“Can we rely on you, Nana-san?” Koutarou quickly asked. He had no objections to her going. Kiriha was a strategic genius, and Nana was a tactical genius. While perhaps not on Kiriha’s level, Nana was smart, and when it came to combat ability, she overwhelmed Kiriha. She was a good pick for the mission.

“I’m fine with that if you come with me, Satomi-san,” Nana answered. She had no problem with the mission itself, but she thought her youthful appearance would be a problem. It would no doubt get in the way of trying to infiltrate a military organization. Someone tall, preferably a man, going with her would be a big help. That meant Koutarou was the most suitable of everyone present.

“That was my intention from the start,” he immediately answered. He didn’t want to push dangers onto others, so he had been planning on going along regardless. Truthfully, he was concerned about leaving Nana alone. Inside, Nana was a child trying to push herself beyond her limits. He couldn’t forget that just because she was a genius.

“Oh, really? Then that’s fine...” Nana hadn’t been sure that he would accept. Koutarou was as important as Elfaria, if not more so. His instant response was a bit anticlimactic to her.

“Then I will come too. You should have a magician with you,” Maki offered. She wanted to be there to protect Koutarou. She couldn’t handle him being hurt somewhere she couldn’t reach.

“Yes, that would be best,” Nana agreed with a nod.

Everyone was capable of fighting. Maki would take care of magic, while Koutarou could handle spiritual energy, and Nana would take control. Calculating their strengths in her head, Nana figured that their group would do fine.

“That sounds good, Aika-san,” Koutarou said.

“Yes!” Maki nodded strongly at his words.

There were no objections from anyone else either. And with that, it was decided that Koutarou, Maki, and Nana would go together to infiltrate an anti-government force.