Princess
— The knights have arrived.
In this day and age, few people are still addressed as knights.
Even tracing back to before the Hermes was constructed, aside from the Crown Guard and Teslot there were only a handful of hereditary nobles. And even among them, most simply dropped the honorific.
Yet given who they were dealing with, courtesy could not be omitted.
With a touch of tension, Gery unlocked the door and welcomed the two of them.
“I'm Gery Brezle. I prepared a room in as quiet a spot as I could manage, but compared to this place it looks far too humble. I'm rather ashamed.”
“Sera Robini. It is more than sufficient for lodging; I am satisfied.”
“I'm Jin. You… I feel like I've seen you before.”
The man in the armor had sharp eyes.
Indeed, during the second meeting with Ilena he had followed along to gauge whether they were dangerous. He had worn a mask, stood at the very back, and never once opened his mouth—yet the man recognized him at a glance.
The Crown Guard were said to be composed entirely of Level 1+ ability users. Did he perhaps possess a related power?
Not wanting to show his fluster, Gery hurriedly bowed his head. There was still far too much they were concealing from each other.
“Ahem. At the time things were too chaotic for a proper greeting.”
“It's fine. We'll have plenty of chances to talk going forward.”
“We hope for the normalization of the ship. What is the situation here as you currently understand it?”
The man was sharp; the woman, direct. It was as if they were executing a perfectly coordinated combination.
Knowing those words were likely sincere, he could not push them away. Had he not already been told of Jin's condition, he would never have been able to shake the suspicion that they had come to take command of them.
“Not good. Most supplies are chronically short, and the central section of the Residence took heavy damage during the revolt, so entry itself is dangerous.”
“We are aware there were many casualties. Is it the same toward the rear of the ship?”
“Others are clearing a path, but they still haven't reached the Military Armory. Given the complete lack of contact from that side, the gate is likely sealed. Perhaps…”
In the worst case, there might not be a single survivor left.
Before the air in the room could grow heavy, Gery cleared his throat and swallowed the rest. Worrying over something still uncertain would only add wrinkles.
Instead he carefully floated a question of his own. He had given them information; it was only fair he receive some in return.
“Hmm. What about the forward sections? Seeing that you two made it back alive, it doesn't seem the situation is the absolute worst.”
“If you mean the bridge, it is not much different. However, there are a few secured safe zones in Ebon Square… including places where the Life-Conditioning System is still operational.”
“I see.”
It felt like glimpsing a single ray of hope amid the dark reality. At the very least, the fact that the survivors' lives would improve now that Sera and Jin had joined them was clear.
“You must be tired after coming all this way, so let's set aside more time next. Meals are prepared if you go down to the bottom floor. Of course, you might not need them, but…”
An awkward smile lingered at the corners of his mouth. The food had been made from the provisions they themselves had brought, so of course there would be more than enough.
Ordinarily, individuals filling their own pockets with items obtained from exploration was strictly forbidden—it broke group discipline. But these two were half-outsiders, and in a situation where even requesting more supplies would still leave them short, he was in no position to force anything on them.
“No. We will eat with gratitude. Interaction with the members is important, after all.”
“Interaction… yes.”
Thanks to the cooperative Sera, the atmosphere was not bad. But there was one thing he absolutely had to impress upon them.
“Actually, there is something I would like you two to keep firmly in mind.”
That there were also those aboard who did not welcome them at all.
Why didn't you bring up the matter of the main system?
On the way from Gery's cabin toward the cafeteria, I spoke in a mechanical voice. Sera startled and glanced around.
“Someone might be listening…!”
It is a measure to conserve power. Also, my existence is already known to Ilena, so there is no problem.
“…It's because of what I heard at the end earlier.”
Gery had informed them that accepting the two of them had been entirely his own unilateral decision. One-third of the survivor group was currently outside restoring the cabins. In other words, he had obtained neither the consent of those people nor that of the other leader. That was why Joseph had trailed off so ambiguously.
“Regardless of our intentions, controlling the main system means holding their lifeline. Bringing up the highest administrator right now would only breed unnecessary resentment.”
As Yurdins forcibly relocated under the empire's colonial governance ordinance, their hostility toward the military was enormous. On top of that, there had supposedly been massacres carried out by the military during the warp. So Gery had suggested they remove their uniforms while staying here—yet Sera had refused. She insisted her comrades would never have followed such orders.
“Anyway! For now, adapting here and resting takes priority, so let's go eat first!”
It does not seem like the atmosphere will allow for a comfortable meal—will you be all right?
“Of course! I always ranked at the top in evaluations regarding conversational skills required during tea and meals!”
Just what exactly did they teach cadets at the empire's military academy?
Leaving my skeptical expression behind, she strode confidently ahead.
In the cafeteria formed by knocking out several Class 5 cabins, people had gathered to receive rations.
The menu was bone pizza—bones removed—and a clear soup simmered from those very bones.
But a problem arose even before anyone lifted a spoon.
“Waaaaaah!!!”
“Mommy! Bad, bad soldiers are here!!”
“Calm down. Those… those people are, well… the highest-ranking among soldiers.”
“Y-yeah! They're incomparably stronger than regular soldiers, you know?”
“Kyaaaaah!!”
The moment Sera's boots creaked on the worn stairs and she appeared, the worry became reality. Seeing the children throw fits at the mere sight of the black uniform, she looked utterly shocked.
“It's a robot. The robot is moving…!”
“Whoa.”
My side, on the other hand, was not evaluated so poorly. Nothing on the suit said Imperial Army, after all.
“If you fight a bone dinosaur, who would win?”
“Dummy! You think a robot could beat a dinosaur?”
“Want me to show you?”
Unable to lose to mere bone fragments that had gone into the soup, I started to rise—and Sera startled and stopped me. The children only cheered louder.
“J-Jin, are you a child?! What are you taking seriously?!”
“Waaaah! Defeat the bad soldier for us!”
“Hurry, hurry!!”
Should I?
Had she reached the level where she could read my intentions from reaction speed alone? When Sera, convinced I was actually going to hit her, hunched her shoulders, I used my visual sensors to scan everyone present in the cafeteria.
Hmm…
All the Residence survivors were said to be given even small roles. Roughly fifty people were currently gathered for the meal. Every last one of them was watching this way while pretending not to.
A man clicking his tongue at the black uniform as he poured soup into his mouth. The 3rd Navigator chuckling with his legs crossed. A woman fretting that a child might get hurt and hesitating toward us. Young men scratching their heads as if dumbfounded. Even the group's leader who had just come down to the cafeteria and was watching the reaction from a distance.
I had always thought and acted for my own and Sera's survival. Hitting her once here might be fine, but leaving a ridiculous impression of the Crown Guard was the worst possible plan. Conversely, scaring them off by yelling to get lost was equally stupid.
They were just kids, after all. Even if it was a bit childish, as long as I planted the impression that we were not dangerous, that would be enough.
“I can't do that.”
“Jin…? Uh?”
In front of the children surrounding us and shouting, I scooped Sera up. With the power of a powered suit that could drag a spaceship, placing her on my shoulder was effortless.
“A knight has to protect his princess, after all.”
“Whoa, high…!”
“Me too, me too!”
The bouncing children clung to me, begging to be lifted as well. The parents who had fretted as if their kids had been left by the water's edge let out small sighs of relief.
— Click, click.
Turning the faucet, warm water poured over her head. The warmth as if her whole body were melting made her feel she might tip over backward of her own accord.
How long had it been since she felt such happiness?
Sera closed her eyes and mulled over the day again and again. People who had done a complete one-eighty and now looked at them with respectful eyes. The person in charge who offered trust, saying they could have constructive talks about survival. The noisy laughter of the children and even warm food.
She was currently riding atop the happiness that Jin had created.
Moreover—
How long has it been since I was called by a nickname…
The affectionate moniker her past comrades used when teasing her. Since she had never told him directly, he could not have known and said it on purpose. She had not noticed when he moved on his own, but being lifted up by that large body felt strange. It was completely different from the usual lowered posture with the suit opened for easy boarding.
Come to think of it, he said power was low.
Jin outside the bathroom was quiet. Even before, he had often shown the habit of not conversing with his physical voice. It was after consuming almost all power in the battle with the mutants. Seeing him conserve like that, it must be on the verge of running out—yet he did not complain.
“…Haa.”
When was the next sleep cycle again? Just as fatigue covered her whole body and she felt she might fall asleep any moment, a knock reached Sera's ears.
— Knock knock.
Jin outside moved the suit. Since she was inside, he had no choice. Once she became conscious of it, even such small actions now brought waves of apology and guilt.
He seemed to be talking with someone, but the water sound was too loud to make out the content. However, that distinctive prim voice was definitely the mechanic's.
— ……
— ……
After a long conversation, the door closed. There was no presence entering the room, so they must have left as they were.
But when Sera turned off the water, wiped her body with a towel, and stepped out—
“Huh? Jin, where did you go?”
There was no one in the room.