Author Notes: etc., etc., bla bla bla… I’m sorry, This time is short but please understand. The next chapter will be longer. P.S: I updated the . Please take a look
TN: Sorry for the late post. Check the link above for the web novel ill.u.s.trations. There might be no chapter for next week (This week maybe because its already Sunday), I have to take care of something personal and will do laundry on the next day so I do not have free time on my off to translate. Will try to post one but no promises. Enjoy!
—- Arakaw Miki Point of View —-
A month after withdrawing from the alliance, Merkava Kingdom work on a full-scale operation with Noah on Noah Island. A meeting is will be held where all departments will face each other for the first time. After reading the report from each department which were previously sent to me by the attendees, I go to the meeting room after confirming the time.
On the way to the conference room I met Shuichi-san who is accompanied by the Dauntless sisters in the hallway of the building where the military department is set up.
"Ou~ Is Miki on her way to the meeting?"
"Yes, it as you say"
Shuichi-san seems to be bothered by something when he talk to me. To him who is looking all around, I asked him a question.
"What’s wrong?"
"Is Kouki with you? I thought he’s going to attend the meeting"
“I let him go back to Earth for now. Alice and the others should finish moving today and arrive at Hakone Base. You might have forgotten but since we arrived here at G-88, it has only been three days on earth. If you make him stay here for too long, he will feel uncomfortable when he returns. He is still growing.”
“I see… with that, what is your real reason?”
As expected, my husband has good intuition. I should tell him my real reason. I smile while looking at Shuichi-san.
“The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss the war against the ‘Union of Four Nation’. We should not show the video collected by the Information Department. What do you think he will do once he saw the footage of demi-humans being abused?”
Shuichi-san nod to my words but that is not the only reason. If he go outside of Noah Island after looking at those videos, I think Kouki will seriously start attacking the human race. He will not only attack the country where abuses are imposed, due to his circ.u.mstances on earth, on his mind… he will seriously think ‘I do not need humans in this world’.
I do not want him to do such a thing. Since there are only some people abusing the demi-humans it is enough to eliminate those people and I think I know what to do.
First of all, I will need to listen on the results of each department in this meeting and provide my suggestion afterwards. Probably, they will agree on my plan. While thinking about such things, I opened the door of the meeting room.
“Now then, since everyone is here. I would like to start the 1st briefing. After the briefing is over, we will continue the ‘Strategic Conference against the Union of the Four Nations’, so I ask for your cooperation”
This time, on this meeting, Roberta-san is wearing the uniform of Noah and is working as a facilitator. Originally, either one of the Dauntless sisters who works for Shuichi-san will serve as a facilitator but they decline because they are attending the meeting as members of the military department. I listen to the meeting while Roberta-san manipulates the terminal in her hand as the meeting progress.
“To start off, let’s have the Magic Research Team from Engineering Department”
“We are the Magic Research Team. The research team has been studying the existence of ‘magic’ in G-88 since from the time we arrived at Noah Island. The results of receiving the full cooperation of the Magic Knights from our friendly country, Merkava Kingdom, let us complete the initial a.n.a.lysis of magic. Please look at this”
A man from the research team manipulates the large screen and started to display pictures and figures. The a.n.a.lysis is already completed? Since they are under my jurisdiction, the Engineering Department seems to have been doing their job vigorously to the point that they are not looking very good these past few days.
“This is an image of a ‘magical power’ producing a magic nuclei taken with the electron microscope. For convenience, we will call this ‘Magic Molecule’. We asked for permission from the Knights and conducted a precise inspection. An organ not found from people on earth was found behind their liver. Perhaps this organ is the one responsible for the Magic Molecule so that a person can perform magic. Unfortunately, how it works is still unknown. Although, by culturing this organ it turned out that it will collapses if it acc.u.mulates too much magic molecules
As a result, creatures with low level of magic tolerance will not be able to survive in areas with high concentration of magic. It is harmless to people from earth because we don’t have this organ. Furtherm───”
I see… without that organ, we cannot use magic but at the same time we can move normally in any places even if it is filled with high concentration of magical power. I think we will need to perform human experiments to further a.n.a.lyze this organ but the a.n.a.lysis will surely be limited due to ethical problems.
“Thank you very much. Next is the Weapons Development Team of Engineering Department, Onegaishimasu “
(TN: Onegaishimasu = Humble way of saying ‘please’. ‘Onegai(お願い)’ is used for saying please, a request or a wish and ‘Shimasu(します)’ is a polite form of verb. When Shimasu is used with Onegai, it means that you are giving or asking for permission)
“As mentioned, I am from Weapons Development Team. First of all, I would like to report a new information which is not included in the doc.u.ments at hand. The construction of the 3rd Alice-Type Ground Battleship, Miki, which was requested by Miki-san is completed. This will be the last one of the Alice-Type.
Next, we started the production of ‘Magical Protection Clothing’ which is developed with the help of Magic Research Team. The protective clothing produced are provided to Merkava Kingdom for free and will be used by the Knights on battle”
Finally, an Alice-Type with my name is completed… I feel bad that the my name is not on the second ship but I will endure it for now. Regarding the Protective Clothing, the knights of the kingdom who will wear this essential equipment are will be able to take tactical actions in area with high magic concentration. We will need to increase the production of this equipment with priority similar to other goods.
“The Secret Weapons Development Team has completed developing all weapons. After disbanding the team, each person is will be transferred to a field of development team where they are good at. After that───”
Umu~ so that means, it is possible for us to use it now. I am satisfied with the fact that the range of strategy that we can use has expanded. After the explanation of several other departments, the ‘Medical Department’ which does does not report normally suddenly started to talk.
“Ou~ I am from Medical Department. The production of ‘Age Control Agent’ that we are trying to developed was completed so we’d like to inoculate each department. When a person who take this drug and go inside the gate, the T Particles inside the human body─── I guess it will take too much time to explain so I will stop here. Briefly speaking, its effect will allow everyone to age in corresponds to Earth’s time so it should be beneficial to us. That is all”
Everyone in the conference room was surprised at the figure of the medical department who explains and disappears that seems saying he is unwilling to do the report. The medical department with the speaker as the leader had been staying up all night for 5 days to produce this drug. It would be cruel to blame them.
Although taking this drug is required to all staff members who belongs to Noah, if a person decides to marry an inhabitant of this world and wishes to live a normal life. We have another drug that will release the suppressing effect.
“For the last one is the Political Department, Onegaishimasu”
“I am from Political Department. From the talks with the Kingdom of Merkava, we got their permission to use their flag and the emblem of the royal family both within the kingdom’s territory and other countries. We will also be working with them in maintaining public security in some areas. As a result of consultation with the kingdom, we will setup 5 new bases within the Kingdom’s Territory in collaboration with their Knights───”
Even after 3 hours since the meeting began, it seems the report from each department will still continue. I imagined the appearance of Kouki who returned to Earth eating with Alice and the others right this moment and taking a rest afterwards.
—- Arakawa Kouki Point of View —-
I dive through the gate with Kon and arrived to Earth around noon. I search for Alice and wander throughout the base but I then heard a disappointing news from Skinhead who I met along the way.
“Alice and the others go out shopping with their security escorts”
After saying that, I watch the skin head walking away. I suddenly became free and need to think on how to kill time. Should I take a nap?
I finished watching all the recorded doc.u.mentaries and I am now having trouble finding new series to watch.
“Oi Kon, what should we do?”
“Kon”
I call out to Kon who I held in my arm, it seems Kon was not able to come up with a good idea as his tail is swaying listlessly.
I wonder if I should go back to Noah Island and do shooting training which I recently been doing… Thinking that way, I recalled the talent of Kon who is hanging on my arms as I walk back to the gate.
Kon has the ability to create ‘minerals’ using his mysterious powers. Is it possible for him to create a legendary mineral? I return to my room with a dash and began searching on the stack of books.
“This is not it… Not this either… Found it! This is it!”
I open the book with worn-out paper which looks like been made for over 80 years ago and show it to Kon.
“Kon, can you make an ‘Orichalc.u.m’?”
I point at one of the picture excitedly while Kon was listening. Kon got closer to me as if saying ‘Show it to me’. Kon with a swaying tail, sits in front of the book. He pulled a paper and a pen from the communication tool which is around Kon’s neck and started to write letters.
“Hmm.. Probably.. I think it is a magical steel but it is impossible to find it on earth. If we are in G-88 then we can use a mineral from a highly concentrated area”
Kon can make it if we go to the other side. I want it… I want Orichalc.u.m!
If I somehow manage to gather an Orichalc.u.m then I can ask a blacksmith in the kingdom to make me a sword! I was grinning while thinking about it but Kon started to squeal furiously at my feet.
“No way! Absolutely no way. Area with high magical concentration has many dangerous monsters. I will not allow you to go because it is too dangerous, I will tell your mother”
After writing a long sentence and held the piece of paper in his mouth to show me, Kon is. .h.i.tting my leg with its tail. I will be fine. If I go there with my suit, I can fly there quickly, get a mineral and come back home. No Problem.
In my recent shooting training, I am now able to use a shotgun. I will only get off my suit when picking up the mineral so it should be fine. When I said that, Kon desperately starts writing letters on the paper.
“No way! Why do you take actions without thinking about the consequences? Nothing good can come of this. Absolutely Stupid”
d.a.m.n… I’m surprised to see my pet being strict on my actions. I need to somehow bring Kon on my side. Even if I force myself in collecting the minerals, Kon will not convert it to Orichalc.u.m. Is there something I can do?
While I was thinking, I remembered that Kon was making a bowl of gold for mom in exchange for tomatoes in Noah Island.
“Kon, how about I give you 3 box of tomatoes and 1 box of cabbages? I’ll also get you the best apples from Aomori” (TN: When asked about the specialties of Aomori, 95% of j.a.panese will say apples. Apple is the symbol of the city and is found everywhere. You can find Apple Juice, Cakes and even chips. There is also a hotel that offers buffet of apple-based foods. From starters to desserts, with dishes like marinated salmon with apple sauce, chicken and apple stew, tempura apple, apple salad, and layer cake with apples, accompanied by apple cider from Aomori. This is making me hungry >_
“Kon!”
Kon thought while his tail is uneasy. Eventually Kon slowly write letters on the paper
“Just this once, but I have a condition. Let’s go with as much heavy equipment as possible so that we will be OK”
Heavy equipment is fine, my suit is originally designed with high-fired equipment on mind. I think that the Guard Officer today in Weapon Repository is Coat-san, so I think we can accommodate it. I go inside the gate and headed for Noah Island again.
“Coat-san, please give me permission to take out guns and a suit from the armory”
“Do you have a permit?”
When asking Coat-san who is in front of the storage room, he smiled while asking me to present my permit. I give him the permit that I have which I got from macho for shooting training. Coat-san checks it by typing the number of the permit to the terminal. After confirming for about two minutes, he returns the permit to me and told me the weapons that I am allowed to use.
“As usual, a gas-powered shotgun and 30 training rounds. Do you want to take them yourself?”
“Ano~ It is not on the permit but I would also like to have live ammunition and equipment for my suit. I’d like to go to the Kingdom for bit… I am worried on my way if I am not fully equipped”
When I say so, Coat-san held his eyebrow and answered
“While carrying live ammunition when leaving the island is allowed, you will need to have permission to get out of the island. Do you have a permit for that?”
There is no way I can have that! Mom will not let me out of this island except when it is really necessary. I asked mom over and over again before but not even once she allow it.
I absolutely think that this is a hara.s.sment from mom for giving the name ‘Miki’ on the last ground battleship. Even if it pains me, I decided to lie this time to get the Orichalc.u.m.
“I have one but mom is attending the meeting so the issuance of the permit is delayed. You may check it now… though you have to gather your courage to call out mom who is in the middle of meeting”
“I do not have that kind of courage… Fine, the storage is unlock so take whatever weapons or bullets you need. Do not forget to log the equipment that you take in the terminal”
I managed to break through Coat-san in some way. I go inside the storage and take whatever arms I need. A spare fuel pack is absolutely necessary. Besides that, are ammunition for Electromagnetic Projection Cannon and a Missile Launcher which will be installed at the back of the suit. After choosing equipments in the storage room for about 30 minutes, I go next to the Depot of Traffic Control Center where my suit is being kept to prepare my suit.
“Excuse me, I am Arakawa Kouki. Please give me permission to launch my suit. I have permit to go outside but the permit is───”
I gave them the excuse similar to what I have told to Coat-san. In the changing room, I told Kon my plan while wearing a reinforced exoskeleton with a completed elf language translation function thanks to Roberta-san. (TN: Eh? Why did Kouki address Roberta as -san instead of -sensei? Is it because they are not in school? or is it a miss by the author?)
“Kon, are you ready? First we will head towards the Kingdom but as soon as we are 100km away from Noah Island, we will rise our alt.i.tude to 20,000. We will move in consideration of fuel consumption. From there, we will aim on recovering rocks which contains high magical power and fly in a direction where you can feel strong magical energy”
Once we recover it, we will go away using the same procedure and make it into Orichalc.u.m. We will then hand it over to a blacksmith in the kingdom! Aa~ I will need Kon to convert ordinary stones to gold as well so that we can use it for payment.
“Kon!”
Kon is giving a ‘Leave it to me!’ feeling while answering. Waiting for the launch permission after wearing my suit, Kon gave me a satisfying answer. It seems that my turn came, I will need to quickly leave to collect what I need before security stops me. A communication from the Control Center enters.
“This is control center, Identification number OF-7-001. Suit user, Arakawa Kouki. Confirmation Complete. Start preparing for departure… … … Emergency Stop on Procedure!
An order has been received from Arakawa Miki-san, the Base Commander. Please disengage your suit and report to Control Center”
I’m busted! I am definitely found out by mom. Perhaps Coat-san who was suspicious of me asked mom for confirmation. Fortunately I am already fully equipped and is inside the suit… Besides, my suit can fly beyond the speed of sound and cannot be tracked by the aircraft which was brought to Noah Island. I am sorry mom! You son is in his rebellious stage! I return a communication to the Control Center.
“This is OF-7-001, I cannot hear you well but I confirmed that you have given me the green light. I will start to take off. Thank you for the induction”
Since I am already busted, I started to fly immediately towards the direction instructed by Kon without taking the path towards the Kingdom.
Author Notes:
Current status report. This time don’t have any tricks, so it is just mostly about the conference while the Protagonist and Kon departs seeking Orichalc.u.m. Orichalc.u.m seems to be the best alloy.