01 The King of Terminus 1

Climbing the tower stretching once more into the cosmos, heading toward the Queen's presence.

"…Is this thing actually connected to space?"

Jin, suddenly realizing it, asks Edelweiss beside him. A mechanical reply returns.

『Where "space" refers to depends—however, it extends at least to the height where gravitational influence ceases』

"Ah. That's sufficient."

Thus, this structure is a kind of orbital elevator.

Jin reaches that conclusion.

『Occasionally, young ones climb this tower and play nearby』

"Young ones… how old are we talking about, roughly?"

The planet's rotational period is approximately thirty-seven hours. Its orbital period is nearly two years. Their perception of time requires some recalibration.

For Edelweiss, whose computational capacity matched Mio’s demonstrated level, the calculation was trivial.

‘Fifteen years old—considered adulthood. More precisely, the day one can hunt a Hagle alone, that day marks adulthood.’

‘Hagle?’

‘The mindless iron beasts you call ASID.’

Jin nodded in understanding.

This planet’s ecosystem—should one even call it that. Its structure remains unclear. But ordinary ASID units appear to exist.

Simultaneously, the Terminans clearly distinguish themselves from these entities.

‘They attack us without discrimination. Tragic. Once, they shared our ideals.’

‘What?’

The words carried weight.

Ordinary ASID units were hostile toward the Terminans.

And yet, they had not always been so.

‘What do you mean? What happened among your people?’

‘I do not know. Only the Queen would know.’

The calmness of the voice—was it lying, or not?

Did they even possess the concept of deception?

No tremor in the tone. Even with human perception, discerning truth seemed impossible.

‘If you wish to know, ask Her Majesty.’

‘...Yeah. I’ll do that.’

Thereafter, silence. They ascended the tower.

After several hours, they reached the summit—no atmosphere, high above.

The continent spread beneath. Jin thought the coastline, split down the center like a fissure, looked oddly shaped.

‘Oh my. Ascending via the proper route... You could’ve used the lift.’

A gentle—yet fluent—voice entered their comms.

A flicker of unease at the sudden interruption.

‘Audience with Her Majesty. We judged the correct procedure to be followed.’

‘You needn’t worry about such things. Come here. Foreign heroes.’

The uppermost chamber was broader than the other nodes.

Jin thought it likely balanced the weight of the tower’s structure extending down to the surface.

Yet even within that, the greatest mass was the entity seated there.

‘Hello—though that’s an odd thing to say from my perspective. I am the leader of the Terminans. What you call a Queen-type. Terminus Seventh.’

A single entity of the Terminans seated on a raised platform resembling a throne.

The being who claimed to be the seventh Terminus—closely resembled the ASID form Mio had displayed.

‘Hello. Terminus Seventh. I am Higashiō Jin. I am here as humanity’s representative in this matter.’

‘I know you well… forgive me. Given your power structure, one would expect intellect, not strength, to determine rank.’

Sevens offers a weary apology, but even that single remark is enough for Jin to want to interject on multiple counts.

Above all, the first point to make is:

"Your Majesty Terminus Sevens, you seem remarkably adept at our language... quite unexpectedly so..."

"…I suppose I should explain. I’m sorry, it’s a bit inconvenient for you."

Sevens pauses, then adds as if struck by a sudden thought:

"It’ll be long, won’t it? Just Sevens will do. I had another name, once—but ever since I took the name Terminus, that’s been my name."

He smiles.

Jin considers refusing the offer, but decides it would be rude to do so, and accepts it instead.

"Then, respectfully, Your Majesty Sevens."

"Uh-huh. Yeah... where to begin...—"

Jin does not catch the words.

As if drowned in static.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I didn’t quite catch that—what was it?"

Ah… that’s regrettable… Our names are somewhat complex to vocalize in human speech. Yes. Perhaps this would be better for you.

Sevens said, “Tohgo Mio.”

“…My daughter?”

Even knowing the other was Mio’s biological parent.

Still, Jin said, “She is my daughter.”

Stated it plainly.

How Sevens received that declaration. A gentle laugh echoed.

Ah… yes. She is your daughter. She has spent more time with you than with me. More importantly, she herself wished to stay with you. I won’t pretend to be a parent now and pull her away.

“So, Your Majesty is Mio’s—”

“If you mean my daughter… then all the people of Terminas who dwell on this planet are my daughters. But Mio is special. I intended for her to succeed me one day.”

A faint air of melancholy lingered for a moment.

Ah. I’ve strayed off topic. For a while—just recently, actually—everything Mio had seen and heard was being sent directly to me.

...What?

Ah. I expected that reaction. Humans dislike having their lives observed, don’t they?

No, that’s not it—well, it’s not bad, really—

It’s not good. Not really. But the shock made me say it too quickly.

So, for about eight years…?

Ah. That’s correct. Well, thanks to that, I’ve learned your words too. How does it feel now—better than before?

I speak to Edelweiss with a teasing tone. Edelweiss appears to be about to object.

A static-like sound intrudes into the comm channel.

Ah. So you’ve received the name Edelweiss too.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Something occurred in that instant—information passed between us.

According to Sharon, communication among the Terminans occurs through etheric transmission.

It was said to transmit vast amounts of information instantaneously—more efficiently than vocalization.

‘But speaking through air vibrations, exchanging words, is not without merit.’

‘...Perhaps.’

It seems Edelweiss attempted to communicate with her kin via etheric transmission, but Seventh intervened.

‘I understand why you’re adept with language. That being the case—I wish to discuss what comes next.’

‘Ah. Yes. That is most important. Have you heard anything about my family?’

Family—the Terminans, in essence.

‘Their lifespan is approximately two hundred years by our measure. The Queen is said to live five hundred.’

At the time, it had not struck me as unusual. But upon reflection, it was peculiar.

Perhaps humanity simply did not know. I had not known ASID had a lifespan.

At the very least, Queen-type entities would experience time passing during interstellar travel.

Was that the definitive difference between the Terminans and ASID?

‘Ah. Correct. I’ve surpassed three hundred and fifty. I’m what you’d call an old woman.’

Was that a joke? Jin could not tell if he should smile. He offered a vague expression.

Sevens did not seem to notice, continuing as if nothing had happened.

‘Without a successor—Mio—my function ceases, and my entire flock ceases as well. You understand that, don’t you?’

‘Yes. I’ve heard. But… it differs slightly from the ASID ecology we know.’

‘Ah. That is precisely the difference between us and what you call ASID.’

Sevens spoke as if sighing.

“They sought eternity. Therefore, they became wanderers through the cosmos forever.”

“Sought eternity…?”

“Ah. That is what you call immortality. Yes—there was something like that in the information Mio obtained.”

A pause, as if recalling.

“Eternity is a curse. Correctly. Consumed by that curse, they abandoned intelligence. Eternity is nothing but a chain for those who live it.”

Sevens says it is foolish.

“We rejected eternity, thus we cannot escape the cycle of life. Therefore, successors are necessary.”

“That is why Mio?”

"Not something to be decided now. But gradually transferring authority to her is necessary—otherwise the succession of Terminus will end. Preparing for the inevitable conclusion—though, for you, perhaps that would be preferable."

Jin did not speak it aloud, but he silently agreed.

Not everyone can compartmentalize as he does.

There are certainly those who would welcome the extinction of humanoid ASIDs that inflicted such devastation on the Third Fleet.

"Our aim is to reclaim Mio from those lawless ones. That does not contradict your objectives, I believe. On this point, cooperation should be possible."

Sevens said this. It was predictable for Jin. The issue lies beyond that.