Mob #49 “Just do your best not to die, okay?”
After leaving the Paterson Pharmacy, I headed towards a corner of the bustling city where the [Fortune Tower] stood.
Navigating the maze-like interior of the building as usual, I entered a shop with only the sign “[Crystal Ball Fortune Telling].”
Inside, there was a space covered with a long, deep green carpet to muffle footsteps, and a table with a dark purple cloth placed on top.
Beyond that, there was an old woman with a slightly hawkish nose, dressed in a gray robe with a hood, looking like a witch, and she grinned at me.
“Welcome, it’s been a while.”
While it might be a business smile from the old woman’s perspective, it only evoked fear on my end.
Suppressing that feeling, I greeted her for now.
“You seem to be doing well as always.”
“I still take care of my appearance for beauty. However, at this age, you start to feel aches and pains. I’m thinking of undergoing a full-body transformation next time to rejuvenate myself.”
“A full-body transformation isn’t allowed unless there’s a life-threatening accident or a serious illness, right?”
“There’s a loophole there. I have various acquaintances, you know.”
She grinned, and it became clear that my attempt to stop her Rossweisse-like ambitions was futile.
“For now, give me the information…”
So, to handle the main business, I placed the envelope on the table.
“It’s about terrorism on the Count Ikorai’s planet Teura. Please wait a moment…”
Even though I didn’t mention what information I was looking for, she seemed to understand.
Well, it might be just easy for me to understand.
The old woman tucked the envelope into her bosom, waved her hand over the crystal ball, muttered an incantation, and began staring at the crystal ball for a while.
“Hmm… There doesn’t seem to be much bad gossip about Count Ikorai and his son. Well, the son has a bit of an arrogant attitude, and the Count himself has an unappealing appearance, that’s about it.”
“I heard he has some peculiar habits?”
I inquired, curious about what Zeistole had mentioned.
“Even though I come from a distinguished noble lineage, it doesn’t seem that way.”
“So, what’s it like?”
“If you want to know, take on the job.”
I was brushed off casually.
“Got it. And what about the terrorists?”
“The main claim is something like, ‘[The Emperor monopolizing crucial energy resources and greedily profiting] is wrong.'”
“The emperors from the past to the present haven’t done anything like that, though…”
Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that the discovery of Tridium ore on the planet Teura happened during the reign of the previous emperor, and there’s no factual evidence of monopolizing and greedy profiting.
But you never know what’s happening behind the scenes.
“Maybe, these guys are from the neighboring Nekirelma Star Kingdom.”
The Nekirelma Star Kingdom is the neighboring country of the Empire. About 100 years ago, they started a war, and when they were about to lose, they handed over part of their territory, allowing the Empire to establish colonies.
“During the rule of the Nekirelma Star Kingdom, the development of Planet Teura was neglected. They didn’t provide any financial assistance and left it untouched. Moreover, they were discriminated against by people from other stars, calling them country bumpkins and primitives. And when the Empire invaded, it was abandoned without defense, and as part of the peace treaty, it was easily handed over. They just dumped unwanted things. Yet, as soon as they realized the planet could be developed, and a huge amount of money could be obtained, they suddenly claimed, ‘[That planet originally belongs to the Nekirelma Star Kingdom, so let’s take it back].'”
The old woman spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, narrating the history of Planet Teura.
Her expression seemed to contain anger, but I chose not to ask.
“So, does that mean the people of Planet Teura are cooperating with the terrorists…”
“It’s impossible, ain’t it? Choosing between the Nekirelma Star Kingdom, where they’ve been neglected, discriminated against, and treated like sacrifices, and the Imperial aristocrat, Count Ikorai, who invests in development and provides us with a prosperous life, is a no-brainer. Plus, unlike the current Empire, where the efforts of the previous and current emperors have slowly improved the consciousness of nobles and purebred Imperial citizens, the Nekirelma Star Kingdom is just as foolish as the past Empire. The people of Teura will not only have all their possessions taken away but will also be treated as slaves. Well, thanks to that, the current Empire seems somewhat better.”
It’s a pretty tough situation, but it seems unlikely that the locals would turn against us.
“Well, it’s dangerous if our energy supply decreases…”
Even I, with my limited intelligence, can understand that it would be bad if the planet Teura were to be taken over by the Nekirelma Star Kingdom.
“Just do your best not to die.”
The old lady chuckled.
I just want her to stop for now.
Anyway, I went home that day and decided to take a rest.
On the evening news, the terrorist attack in Count Ikorai’s territory was already being reported.
With all this fuss, you’d think the anti-emperor faction wouldn’t be able to cause any trouble openly, but I’m not sure about that.
On TV, cultural figures were eagerly speculating about the impact of this terrorist attack on energy supply, the identity of the terrorists, and other topics.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
The next day.
I received a request and immediately headed to the planet Teura, which is Count Ikorai’s territory.
The spaceport was crowded with quite a few ships, all waiting for permission to land on the surface.
I received a queue ticket via data but it seemed like I’d be waiting for quite a while, so I decided to read the light novel I brought along.
It was the latest volume of “I Was Reincarnated as a Campervan, Got a Problem with That?”
Just as I was about to prepare some coffee from my thermos, a call came in.
It was someone I’d rather not hear from.
“Hello…”
“Long time no see, Captain Uzoss.”
“What do you need, Rossweisse?”
“Just wanted to say hello since we’re going to the same battlefield.”
From her expression and tone of voice on the screen, I could tell she was oddly cheerful.
It’s frustrating that I can somehow imagine the reason behind it.
Still, if Rossweisse is here, it’s as good as victory, but I can’t afford to let my guard down.
“You seem unusually cheerful. Did something good happen?”
“Yes! My android prototype, which will be my clone body, is finally completed!”
I had a feeling that was the case, but honestly, that’s the worst news possible.
“Even though it’s called an android, it’s a hybrid of machinery and organic material. It looks just like a real human and even functions like one. It can eat and perform… other human functions. It’s equipped with top-of-the-line specs! With this, I won’t be bored during downtime anymore! Well, I haven’t received it yet, though.”
She happily explained the specs of her clone, and I replied,
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you! Once this mission is over, I’ll finally receive it!”
That’s definitely a death flag if I’ve ever heard one from a human.
But really, does she, originally a combat pilot, need things like food and… those functions?
It’s a mystery, but I guess that’s just how advanced ancient civilization artificial intelligence is.
By the way, now that Rossweisse’s clone is completed, what will happen to Lambert Riagrades, also known as Ikiri?
“Speaking of which, what will happen to Lambert Riagrades once you receive it?”
I’ve been wanting to put a competent human in charge for a while now, but now that she has her clone, what use does he have?
When I asked, she suddenly changed the subject.
“Well… for now, I’m keeping him around. He’s gained some fame, and he’s considerate in various ways.”
She expressed her response to him with embarrassment.
Yep, it’s the explosive debut of the tsundere ancient weapon.
It’s a given that their first encounter was the worst.
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that witches explanation sounds about right tbh