Light Returning to the Source

"I'll go to the medical center too! I'm not afraid!"

No, I said it's dangerous!

Did they think they were invincible just because a powered suit was coming along?

"If it's an order from the Crown Guard, of course we must obey."

"For the Empire, I'd follow you even to the gates of hell."

I wasn't a Crown Guard, and I had zero intention of diving into any fiery pit for the Empire. I'd simply planned to slip off somewhere far out of sight and grab a few cold-medicine pills.

"Me! I wanna go too!"

"Great Warrior Urtula wishes to accompany you!!"

Weren't you supposed to be leading another exploration team...?

The cafeteria turned into a chaotic free-for-all in an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠instant. Not only those who had witnessed the powered suit's power firsthand, but even the kids I'd told not to follow raised their hands and shouted. With so many people surging forward, Sera let out a strangled "Ugh! Eek!" as she lost her balance.

Every Yurdin who approached me thrust out an arm, each clutching their own stone.

"What's with these guys?"

"They're entrusting you with their honor and trust. Accepting it means taking them as teammates. Probably because of your outstanding reputation and abilities, Jin."

Joseph had slipped up from behind, dodging the crowd. True to the sharp instincts of a surviving imperial citizen, he was casually extending one hand that still held a pizza bone.

"These things are useless to me, though?"

"You mustn't say that. A Yurdin's sunstone—Heliolite—is never permanently transferred to another except when proposing marriage. Right now it's only a token of loyalty, so you can return them later."

Handing over a Heliolite was an act of offering one's choice, values, and sometimes affection. From what I heard, anyone who had lost their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠honor or betrayed comrades had their ownership of the stone revoked and lost their right to self-determination.

"Stop! Stop! We can't form a team with that many people!"

Fortunately Gary stepped in and calmed the crowd before the uproar could grow any worse. I was grateful for the endless handshake requests, but realistically taking everyone was impossible. The sectors inside were cramped; fighting in a way that leveraged sheer numbers was difficult. Level 1 mutants could only be handled by the powered suit, so the rabble was out of the question.

"Jin, you choose them yourself."

"Alright. About five or six for the exploration team should be enough."

"Good. Oh, and for reference—those guys can't all be assigned to one team, so understand."

He said that while pointing to the security personnel who had come up from the shelter. It felt like he was deliberately scattering them just in case something happened once they left the shelter.

"Let's see..."

Under gazes that sparkled as brightly as the sunstones themselves, I selected the members who would accompany me. Joseph, a former crewman who knew the ship's structure well; Hailey, a soldier; and among the scrawny Yurdins, Urtula, who at least looked like he could put up a fight.

And Sera...

"Jin, me too. Please accept mine as well."

"..."

"Y-You're not going separately from me, are you? Th-That's a joke, right?!"

She fretted like an abandoned puppy, so cute that I selected her last. Three pizza bones and one Heliolite came into my hands.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The other Yurdins set their disappointment aside and began forming their own teams. People didn't just gather in front of leaders; some went directly to the teammates they wanted. Sitting across from someone in the circle meant they were ready to talk. I still didn't know most of their names, but at a glance I could tell who was the most followed leader here and who people wanted to recruit.

"It's an inefficient method. There's a high risk of factions solidifying based on personal connections."

"But it's also how they've survived. I think we should respect that in its own way."

As Sera and Joseph each offered a comment, I looked around to see if anyone else was needed—and my gaze caught on someone. Ilena, the only one who seemed completely uninterested in the situation, hanging back at the rear.

Even among the Yurdins, who had adopted a survival method of conversing as equals and sharing risks together, exceptions existed. People like Gary, who had to respond immediately if trouble arose in the shelter, or Ilena, who was responsible for repairing every weapon and piece of equipment. Those holding posts more critical than going on expeditions could not be forced to participate.

"Ilena, you should come sit over here soon too."

"Why? It's not like we're short on people this time."

"Still, you have to follow the rules. Don't forget there are people who place their trust in you."

"..."

Her expression was hidden behind the mask, but Ilena approached with a reluctant air. The moment she stepped into the circle, countless gazes locked onto her. Despite a personality that was hard to spin positively, her caution, decisiveness, and superpower were qualities welcomed in any situation.

"Ilena, won't you come with me on this expedition?"

"No."

Yurdin trust was so special and heavy that proposals were made three times. The first rejected team leader showed the Heliolites his teammates had entrusted to him. The number of stones symbolized the trust that person had earned. Judging by the dozen or so glowing crystals, he seemed quite well-regarded within the group.

"I have an excellent guide, and I'm one of the strongest warriors here. Maybe not right now, but..."

"Not interested."

Being rejected twice even in ordinary relationships made it hard to ask again. But the man named Mirtin did not give up.

"Please think it over one more time. I... I want you to be with me."

When the leader himself held out his own Heliolite, small gasps rose from various places. Normally no one would plead so desperately unless it was a once-in-a-lifetime major event.

"Haa... Hey, Mirtin."

"Yeah?"

"You're a nuisance. Just go."

Of course it didn't land at all; only a cold dismissal came back. It felt like watching someone get rejected after confessing without any confidence. After the wounded Mirtin left, other team leaders tried to recruit her, but the results were identical. No. Not interested. So what—. Cold answers that barely strayed from those three phrases made everyone back off.

— Why does that Ilena always act so unwilling?

— Because she's a coward.

— But she went on an expedition last time.

— That was because Rivan forced her. Otherwise she wouldn't have shown her face from the basement.

With everyone risking their lives to go outside while she alone refused expeditions, complaints naturally arose. Regardless, Ilena calmly stood up and finished preparing to leave.

"Why don't you try inviting her once, Jin?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you already know each other. For night watches, it's better to have an even number of teammates."

At Joseph's words the cafeteria was suddenly enveloped in silence. Expectation began to form that perhaps a noble knight could even turn her heart. Honestly, I was tempted. Setting everything else aside, the rewards from raising my Sync Rate with Ilena were incomparably more important to me than medicine. But she already found me thoroughly disagreeable, and crucially I had no sweet reward with which to persuade anyone.

I told you not to come, but you all gathered on your own.

"Wanna come?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Facing her in person, I blew two chances in just two lines of dialogue. It was the shortest time yet.

"If you have nothing more to say, I'll be going. Don't break the suit this time."

"Ilena! We're not done talking yet!"

"That guy doesn't even have a sunstone, so what's left to see? And I'm busy—do you think no one else is preparing for the expedition?!"

I, the one actually rejected, was fine with it, but the atmosphere suddenly turned hostile. It seemed long-accumulated grievances were exploding. The people gathered here might not know, but Ilena didn't seem all that bad to me. Every time I went down to the basement for repairs, she was always fixing something. Especially when the turn came for bloodstained, broken weapons, the shadow on her face grew even darker. She seemed to feel that if even one casualty occurred, it was entirely her fault.

"Fine. I just have to listen to the end and then get up, right? Go ahead, say it."

She grumbled, but seeing how she followed Yurdin rules to the end, it wasn't that she was showing aversion to tradition. She was also wearing her Heliolite properly around her neck. After a moment's thought, I decided to try persuading her. When I'd heard Joseph's story earlier about the kids praying, one thing worth trying had come to mind.

"Just so you know, I'm never joining just because you hold out some bone fragments. You people don't even understand the proper meaning in the first place. This stone isn't about its appearance or use, but..."

"Homesickness for your homeland, right?"

The moment I opened my mouth, Ilena's body trembled violently—as if I had struck a nerve. Sorry to Sera and the security guys, but no matter how nicely you package it, the purpose of the Hermes was colonial development. From the Yurdins' perspective, forcibly relocated to a new planet by the Empire, it couldn't feel good. What they needed was the hope that someday they could return home. The reason they still wore Heliolites around their necks even after losing the light was solely that.

I held out my hand to Ilena and began charging the Phase Disintegration Beam by injecting power. Instantly, from every Heliolite in the cafeteria, polarized light pointed toward the brilliant orb of light gathered in my palm.

"This is...!"

"How in the world...?"

The light they had seen was the beam I had emitted when fighting the mutants. Even after I closed my hand and recovered the remaining power, everyone froze as if they had witnessed their distant home planet right before their eyes. Ilena was the same. I made the final third proposal to her, who had removed her welding mask and was blankly staring at the hole in my hand.

"To me, jewels or minerals and the like have no value whatsoever."

So I can't tell you to follow me while offering something worthless.

"But I can show you hope."

If that's what's needed to survive here.

"I promise. If you follow me, someday I will return this light to you."

Even after a long while, there was no answer. Only the soft chime of a status window message appearing—and a head that nodded very slowly in descent.

Taking it as acceptance for now, I turned away in satisfaction.

— Rumble!

— Bang bang!!

"Sun be praised! Sun be praised! Sun be praised!!"

"I'm so glad I survived... Waaaaah...!!"

"Me too! Take me with you too!!"

"Quiet, quiet! I said kids aren't allowed!!"

Another uproar broke out.