落とし穴外伝：星空の向こうを夢見るのは楽じゃない
Pitfall Gaiden: Dreaming Beyond the Starry Sky Isn't Easy
Dreaming Beyond the Starry Sky Isn't Easy
Side: Havia
"I see. Havia-sama aims for space development. And you wish to select personnel for that from our Ghost Unit?"
"Yes. What do you think, Lieutenant Yamamoto?"
I was speaking with Lieutenant Yamamoto, who had been called by Taizo, explaining the same thing I had just told Taizo. Of course, Taizo, as well as Sota and Mizu, were also part of the conversation.
"As for me, if it's an order and I have permission from above, there's no particular problem."
"Will your work get busier?"
"That will likely be the case, but the reduction in other duties will be considered, and there's no intention of overworking anyone. Given the current circumstances of the Alliance, I believe it would be desirable if space development progresses."
"Oh? Lieutenant Yamamoto, are you also interested in space?"
"Indeed. Well, in the era I lived in, it was merely a distant dream, but when Yuki-sama and Sota-sama told me that people, and even Japanese people, were going into space, I can't express how proud I felt."
"Yeah, yeah, I understand that feeling."
Taizo nodded beside me. Ah, I see. Like me, it was something they could only dream of back then, so waking up to find it a reality must be incredibly moving. I was deeply moved when I thought that research would advance with the tools Yuki had provided.
"Then, if Lieutenant Yamamoto joins us..."
"No, unfortunately, while I dream of space, I have my duties as a soldier. As for knowledge, I only have a superficial understanding, mostly from magazines."
I had hoped to gain a new comrade immediately, but I was easily turned down. Huh? I hadn't expected to be rejected at this point, and my eyes widened in surprise. Sensing my shock, Sota spoke up.
"In that case, it would be from Lieutenant Yamamoto's Ghost Unit, then."
"Ah, that's right."
He did say "select from the Ghost Unit" at the beginning. But who among them would be interested in space and have knowledge of it?
"Hey, Lieutenant Yamamoto, what kind of people are there?"
"No, I haven't spoken to them about this yet, so I don't know."
"Ah, that's true."
"However, if you could tell me the specific skills required for the personnel you need, I can search for them."
"Skills, huh? That's certainly true."
As Lieutenant Yamamoto just said, even with enthusiasm, if there are no skills, it's hard to know how to utilize them. Well, I suppose in the worst-case scenario, I could ask Yuki to grant them the necessary space knowledge through skill bestowal, but is that even essential? Or is enthusiasm more important? Wait, perhaps I should consult about that.
"Hey, I just thought, isn't the knowledge required for space originally too specialized for even Japanese ghosts to possess?"
"Ah, if you ask it that way, I don't think they would have it. If you asked ordinary acquaintances if they were involved in space-related work, they'd probably shake their heads."
"That's right. Those involved in space development are usually specialists gathered from that field. Of course, sometimes people who are available due to factional politics are sent, but..."
"Is that so?"
When I asked this, Sota and Taizo gave wry smiles.
"Havia-san, I believe you understand this, but the cooperation you're receiving now is thanks to the support of understanding individuals like Yuki-san and Taizo-san. Honestly, if only you said you wanted to pursue space development, do you think any acquaintances other than us would cooperate? Both in terms of finances and feasibility."
"Ah, I sort of get it. They wouldn't think it's possible, so they'd send unnecessary personnel. Because not sending anyone at all would be problematic for appearances."
"Exactly. They wouldn't want to use capable people for something that won't yield results. Your monster research is the same."
"That explanation makes a lot of sense. Oh, to get back to the topic, what about the idea of having knowledge applicable to space development? Lieutenant Yamamoto, what do you think?"
When I asked again if any of the ghosts possessed space knowledge, he replied:
"To be honest, I have all their resumes—or rather, summaries of their skills—and none of them listed skills related to space development. Of course, they might not have written it down if they thought it wasn't necessary, but..."
"Hmm, well, this is another world, after all. I guess they might think it's meaningless to write it down, but we have Yuki, Taizo, Taiki, and me at the top, you know."
"Being involved in space development would undoubtedly mean having considerable achievements in that field, so they wouldn't omit it. The possibility is low."
"So it's still rare, huh? Then, Yuki can bestow skills, right? How about bestowing space development-related skills on volunteers and training them into a fighting force?"
This was something I just thought of. Not all Japanese people have knowledge related to space development. This means there's a high possibility that all the ghosts are amateurs. If that's the case, space development will remain a distant dream. However, Yuki said he would cooperate, and I think he would at least grant skills.
"Hmm. I certainly think that's a possibility."
"Indeed. It would be the natural choice. Otherwise, we won't gather the necessary personnel. Lieutenant Yamamoto, please convey that skill bestowal will be a prerequisite. The specific fields can be discussed later."
"Understood! I will begin the selection immediately. Please excuse me!"
With that, Lieutenant Yamamoto left.
"After that, we'll need to determine how much knowledge and what specific skills are required for space development, and make selections."
"Right. The three of us will have to discuss this. In a sense, Sota and I are also amateurs."
"We only have secondhand knowledge. While we've read books, that level isn't practical. In other words..."
Sota paused, then he and Taizo looked at me.
"Um, what about me?"
"Havia-san will likely be in overall command, so I think you need to acquire knowledge of space development first."
"Ah, without that, you wouldn't be able to judge what's lacking or what's necessary."
"Oh, now that you mention it, you're right."
Being pointed out, I realized I also lacked much knowledge about space. I'd been driven by enthusiasm until now, but I didn't really understand what was necessary or unnecessary.
"Then, first, we'll boost Havia-san's foundation. Oh, by the way, are you aware that a headache can accompany the bestowal of some knowledge?"
"Hmm? Oh, I've heard about that. When you put Japanese or other vast amounts of knowledge into your head, it can make your head spin, apparently."
"It seems you haven't experienced that yet, Havia-kun."
"No, I haven't yet. I think it's probably about whether you have the foundation to accept the knowledge. Kirue and Sasari, the maids, said they felt a sharp pain when Japanese was put into their heads, so I think it requires a considerable basic education or a foundation for learning. General Steve and the others said they writhed in agony."
Yes, while skill bestowal sounds simple, it seems to be quite painful if it's not suited to the individual. However, if that's the case...
"Huh? Does that mean I might experience that this time?"
"Who knows? You seem to have a foundation, but knowledge at a level sufficient for space development..."
"Honestly, I don't know. It's probably something you should know beforehand, including the pain."
"...Ugh. Is this what it means to manage people?"
"No, not exactly..."
"Well, in a sense, it's necessary to understand what your subordinates will go through."
And so, I decided to have Yuki bestow all the space development-related knowledge upon me.
...I hope it doesn't hurt.
There aren't many dreams that can be achieved simply by wishing to go. You need to accumulate knowledge and many other things.
And so, Havia was about to writhe in agony...