落とし穴外伝：おじさんたちは星空の向こうを夢見る (Part1)
Pitfall Side Story: The Uncles Dream of What Lies Beyond the Starry Sky
Side: Hivia
It was pure coincidence that I touched that book.
It happened when I asked Noriko-san—no, Noriko-sensei—if she knew of any interesting manga.
"Let me see... A story about a Japanese high school girl might be a bit hard for you to grasp, Hivia. Maybe fantasy would be better?"
"No, that’s not an issue. I’ve studied Earth, especially Japan, quite thoroughly. I understand things like mobile phones, smartphones, traffic lights, and the custom of taking off one's shoes indoors."
"I suppose you have learned that much. Still, genres are vast and varied. Is there anything specific you’d like to read?"
"When you say genres, do you mean things like martial arts, sports, romance, or ghost stories? And maybe comedies?"
"I see, I see. You’ve got a handle on the general categories. How about something science-related?"
"Science? Like, academic studies?"
"Something like that. Well, if you want to learn it properly, you’d need a textbook, but reading a story about it is a fun way to grasp the basics. In that case, this is the one."
Without hesitation, Noriko-san walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a volume, and handed it to me.
It was…
"In a sense, it’s close to a sports manga, but it teaches you about space, the beauty of dreaming, and the harsh reality of it all. It’s a wonderful series."
With a smile, she handed me *Space Sisters*.
The story followed two sisters who promised in their childhood to reach for the stars, only to reunite as adults as astronauts, aiming for the cosmos once more.
It was a classic tale of dream-chasing, yet the substance was different.
It depicted the allure of space with such vivid passion, while never shying away from the brutal hardships involved.
Yes, I understood why Noriko-san recommended it, and within me, a spark ignited…
"Space, huh…"
I looked up at the sky, and a heart that dreamed of what lay beyond was born.
And *Space Sisters* taught me not to let it end as a mere dream, but to take action.
No, it reminded me.
It reminded me of the thrill I felt when I first stepped into the Great Sea of Trees to study monsters—that pure, curiosity-driven heartbeat.
And so…
"Yes! I got permission from Yuki-oniisan!"
I shouted those words as I returned to my workplace.
"Oh, that’s great news."
Greeting me was Wazufi.
She was a fellow student from the Lancer Magic Academy, currently assigned to the Great Sea of Trees survey with me.
Naturally, we had discussed this space exploration project.
I had come to report to her as a colleague.
"Well, I only got permission. There’s no staff, no budget, and no plan to speak of."
"That’s to be expected. How much would it cost to go to space? How many people would it take? We’re fumbling in the dark. We can guess from the manga, but that’s just the surface. Behind the scenes, countless people are involved."
"Yeah. You’re right. Even this department doesn’t run on just the two of us."
While we were nominally the heads of the department, we couldn’t survey the Great Sea of Trees on our own.
Oh, sure, we could manage if it were just the field work from our student days or individual journals, but the current scale was entirely different.
We had to install devices to monitor the Great Sea of Trees to prevent Great Outbreaks, verify them constantly, compile data by the day and hour, compare and analyze that data, track monster migration and distribution, and identify new species…
Because we had more people and more budget, we could do so much more than I ever could back then.
And that was no longer a one-person job.
Not to mention the logistics: where the staff ate, the restrooms, the cleaning—there was so much involved.
"…Yeah. I see. I should start by using this department as a reference."
"Ah, well, it’ll be a good model, but you’ll need to gather the key personnel first. The minor staff can be added later."
"Is that how it works?"
"Exactly. For example, if you were the one holding the purse strings and someone with zero knowledge came to you claiming they wanted to reach space, and the first people they started hiring were clerks, cooks, and janitors, would you give them a budget?"
"…No, I wouldn’t. I see. So, the first step is gathering people who can actually make it happen."
"That’s it. It has to be grounded in reality. Honestly, it’s a miracle you even got permission to start recruiting for your own project, Hivia."
"I know. Back when I was just surveying monsters, I couldn’t get anyone to join me."
"Yeah. Even when Nilua helped me with tools, she wasn’t a monster survey specialist."
"I was all alone. Especially since there are so few monsters on the If Continent."
Without supply and demand, no one would support you.
The only ones who gave me permission were the academy heads.
And everyone else didn't just refuse to support me; they mocked me, calling my work useless.
Thinking of that, Yuki-oniisan and the others didn't deny my dream; they only pointed out the difficulties regarding budget and personnel.
Having someone who understands you is a wonderful thing.
Ah, the academy head and vice-head were my only allies back then, too.
They couldn't provide much budget, but I know they gave me all the support they could.
"Anyway, enough reminiscing. Do you have any leads on collaborators?"
"Hmm, someone interested in space who also has the knowledge… honestly, there aren't many."
"That’s true. Besides, the only ones with knowledge of space are the people from Yuki-san’s world, right?"
"I suppose so."
When it comes to knowledge of space, it’s limited to those from Earth.
Well, one could study to catch up, but few people have that kind of spare time.
"Taizo-san, Taiki-san, Comet-san, Agil-san, Zargis-san, Noriko-san, Yuki-oniisan, Sota-san, and Narjia-san are the candidates, but…"
"Impossible. They’re all at the top of the 'too busy' list."
"Yeah, you’re right. And there aren't any other influential people, either. I’ll try talking to them, at least."
"Good luck. I’ve got things covered here, so don’t worry."
"Yeah, thanks."
I thanked Wazufi and set off to find talent for the day.
First, I decided to head to Taizo-san, who surpassed even Yuki-oniisan in terms of Earth-based knowledge.
It was usually difficult to get an audience while he was in the Hifi Holy Kingdom, but fortunately, he happened to be in Weed at that moment, so I was able to meet him immediately.
"Oh, welcome."
"Welcome."