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Chapter 500: 「Is that so…? Maybe…?」

「Are you interested in it?」

「Of course. What is that thing?」

When I asked Moegi, who had called out to me, she easily explained its nature.

「That is an accumulator that stores the power of law so it can be used for long-range communication devices. See those devices over there, there, and there? They amplify the power of law gathered in the cathedral and fix it in space for storage. This is the only way we can directly communicate with the home country. After all, the power of law required to use these devices can’t be supplied by a single person.」

「I see… This thing fixes psionic power in space… How do you do that? That’s incredible.」

Being able to fix energy in space and store it is a remarkable feat, isn’t it? I have no idea how much energy can be stored there, but—yep, our engineers and researchers are already looking at it with gleaming eyes.

「Once we visit the Holy Vuelzarus Empire, you will probably have the chance to learn the technical theory behind it, so keep your curiosity in check for now.」

「Aww…」

「Boo, boo!」

A chorus of boos came my way, but I ignored them. Hey! Stop trying to scan the damn thing with that scanner! Where did you even pull that from? Do you carry it with you all the time?

「Alright, alright. You can take a look later. LATER. Sorry, but could you lead the way?」

「Hehe, of course. This way, please.」

Moegi, with a soft smile, led us toward where Ranshin and Konoha were waiting at the entrance of the cathedral. As I followed her, Kugi and Mimi tugged on the hem of my clothes in protest. Look, it’s not like I’m following Moegi just because she’s a graceful, beautiful fox-eared woman. I’m just trying to get things done quickly, that’s all. You should learn a little from Elma, look how composed she is.

「…」

Correction. She isn’t composed, she is trying to act composed. The angle of her ears is the same as when she is a little angry, her ears always point slightly backward like that.

Meanwhile, Tina, Wiska, and Professor Shouko were way too engrossed in the psionic technology to even notice. Mei was… well, Mei was her usual self. Neve was still inside her pod next to Professor Shouko, so I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Ah, the fluffy fox tail swaying right in front of me is the only thing bringing me peace right now—Moegi only has one tail, though. Kugi has three. I guess there are physical differences between individuals even if they are of the same race.

「My Lord, staring at someone’s tail is bad manners. It could be considered, um, harassment.」

「Is that so…? The manners of the Holy Empire sure are tricky.」

As I pondered on the fox-eared girls’ physiology, Kugi scolded me. Is staring at someone’s tail the same level of harassment as staring at someone’s chest or rear? Or could it be even worse? I have no idea. None at all.

「Please remove your shoes before stepping up.」

「Got it.」

Konoha stopped us at the entrance of what I guess you could call the cathedral’s foyer or dirt floor and instructed us to remove our shoes. I obediently took off my shoes and stepped onto the wooden floor. Hmm, this place has a distinct atmosphere that reminds me of traditional Japanese homes or shrines. Kugi, Elma, and Mimi had no trouble removing their shoes and stepping up onto the floor, but the others seemed to fumble a bit. I suppose they weren’t accustomed to a culture of removing shoes before entering a space like this. Now that I think about it, the elves also had a certain vibe that felt vaguely Asian, or at least reminiscent of Japanese culture in some way.

But why is Mimi so used to this?

「Oh! I visit Kugi’s room quite often!」

「That explains it.」

Now that she mentioned it, Kugi’s room has a tatami-like layout, and she enforces a strict no-shoes policy beyond the entryway. Mimi must be accustomed to it since she regularly hangs out there.

「Come to think of it, we don’t often visit Kugi’s room, do we?」

「That’s because Kugi-chan usually comes to visit us.」

「I don’t either… I’m always holed up in my lab.」

「Please feel free to drop by anytime.」

「You should really step out of your room more Doctor.」

We continued talking as we were guided by the three guards toward the inner part of the cathedral. Hmm, this place really reminds me of a shrine or temple. There is also something else. It feels like psionic power is coursing through the entire building—these aren’t just remnants, there is an active circuit of energy here. I might be imagining things, but the various decorations on the walls seem to be glowing faintly in a blue-violet hue.

「…Are you interested in it?」

Once again, Moegi had quietly sidled up next to me. She must have noticed me absentmindedly glancing around as we walked. But before I could respond, Kugi intercepted her—literally, by slipping between us and clinging to my arm.

「My Lord, this cathedral has a system that absorbs the surplus power of law generated by the people inside and stores it in the accumulator you saw earlier. Additionally, it provides protective functions for the building. The protective barrier created by this is integrated into the cathedral structure itself, which is why you feel its presence throughout the entire place.」

「I see. So psionic technology is embedded into the building itself. Wait a second, though—couldn’t that be a problem? If it starts drawing from me, won’t it cause an overflow or something?」

「I’d like to say it’s fine, but… it seems a bit challenging. I apologize, Commander. I’ll go help with the control systems.」

「Please do. We’ll be fine on our own.」

Ranshin acknowledged Moegi’s suggestion, and she hurried off. Moegi had lost a little of her composure after a brief telepathic exchange. She must have received a request for backup from the management team, likely due to my overwhelming psionic power. Sorry about that—I can’t help it, I have too much psionic power.

Thanks to my training with Kugi, I’d gotten much better at controlling it, and I was no longer in a constant state of leaking power. But that didn’t change the sheer magnitude of the potential I have. Even if the system was only absorbing a tiny percentage, my psionic power was at a scale that was orders of magnitude beyond the norm. We’re talking about the kind of power that could wipe out multiple star systems if it goes berserk. It wouldn’t be surprising if the absorption and storage systems were overwhelmed while trying to handle it.

「Sorry for causing so much trouble just by being here.」

「There is no need for you to apologize, Hiro-dono. Rather, we are in awe of your power, which exceeds our expectations. And more impressive is your ability to control such overwhelming force and keep it contained. I’ve heard you are also an accomplished swordsman. I would love the chance to cross blades with you.」

「Commander…」

「I know, I know. It’s truly unfortunate. This colony is far too fragile for people like us to engage in battle at full strength.」

「Is that so…? Maybe…?」

Wait a minute, this guy with the horns is seriously suggesting that if we fought at full power, the colony could be destroyed. That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? Well… maybe not. It could happen. Even during my training sessions with Mei, we have to hold back, or the Black Lotus’s storage bay, where we spar, might get wrecked from my psionic power.

As I mulled this over, we walked a bit further until we arrived at what seemed to be our destination—a room located quite deep within the cathedral.

「Overseer, I’ve brought Hiro-dono, Seijou-dono, and their companions.」

「Please, come in.」

At the sound of the voice from inside, Ranshin slid open a door that resembled a traditional Japanese fusuma. Inside, a man was waiting for us. He was dressed in something that reminded me of a Shinto priest’s attire. The ears on his head were round, like Konoha’s. Is he a bear? A tanuki? Maybe a weasel? I can’t tell.

「It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Fushin, the overseer of this cathedral.」

「Thank you for the kind introduction. I’m Captain Hiro, a mercenary. You might already know, but this is Kugi, a shrine maiden, and these are my crew.」

I introduced each of my crew members as I took a seat on the prepared cushion. I sat cross-legged, while Kugi, in a formal seiza posture. The rest of the crew, who weren’t used to sitting on the floor, assumed the position that was easier for them. Huh? why is Mimi sitting in seiza too? Maybe Kugi taught her?

「I’ve heard that preparations in the homeland are nearly complete, and the fleet to escort you is already on standby. The only thing left is to reach an agreement with the Grakkan Empire so they allow us the use of the Gateway, which shouldn’t take much time.」

「Already on standby, huh? That’s pretty fast.」

「That’s because you already informed us through Seijou-dono about your intention to visit us through our embassy in the Grakkan Empire Capital, Hiro-dono. We had plenty of time to prepare.」

「I see.」

So they’d already started moving since before we left Grakkius. No wonder everything’s so ready.

「We’re also planning to return to the homeland on this trip, so it seems we’ll be traveling together.」

「That makes sense. I think I heard something about a personnel exchange happening as well.」

I remember Kugi mentioning something about that. It’s logical—if they’re sending a fleet anyway, it’s more efficient to conduct personnel exchanges and trade at the same time.

「Exactly. Within a few days, or at the latest, within a week, the escort fleet should arrive at this colony. Until then, you’re welcome to stay here at the cathedral.」

「Ah… um, I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d feel more relaxed staying on my own ship.」

When I glanced at Kugi, she gave a nod, confirming my thoughts.

「Yes, I agree with my Lord. However, staying on the ship all the time might become boring, so how about visiting the cathedral from time to time? You could learn more about the culture of our nation in advance, and I believe both you and your crew would find some fascinating things here.」

「That sounds like a good idea, but are you sure we won’t be a bother?」

「Not at all, we would be delighted to have you. To be frank, there’s also a practical reason for my invitation. Before we head to the homeland, we’d like to have a better grasp of the extent of Hiro-dono’s power. As I mentioned, many buildings in the homeland have the same functionality as this cathedral—they amplify and store the power of law of those who stay within them.」

「Ah, I see. So if someone like me suddenly shows up, there’s a chance for an overflow, just like what’s happening here.」

「Precisely.」

Fushin nodded with that same calm smile. That makes sense. If that’s their reasoning, then I suppose I could go along with it. I don’t sense any malicious intent behind it.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can completely drop my guard. I trust Kugi, but the Holy Vuelzarus Empire might have other motives. In the worst-case scenario, they might try to capture me and use me as a massive psionic energy source.

Yeah, I’m probably being overly suspicious, but better safe than sorry. It’s wiser to stay cautious and avoid any irreversible situations than to regret it later.