43: The Moving Bait

"Well, what shall we do about this...?"

There's no doubt that something is stirring within the Grogrobeta system.

Therefore, law enforcement agencies, the ruling institutions composed of nobles, legislators, and bureaucrats, the imperial military including intelligence units, not to mention various corporations affected by the situation, and mercenaries eager to profit from it—all are actively engaged, each doing their utmost to address the crisis and striving toward its resolution.

Besides, there's a saying that "many sailors climb onto the ship mountain," so someone important—probably the head of the noble family ruling the Groglobeeta system—is working himself to death, making sure that doesn't happen.

That's what true dedication means.

"Right, which direction should we head toward as bait?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Now, as for our situation...

What we—no, what Vee is being asked to do is serve as bait, making use of our conspicuous appearance.

A noble lady accompanied by just one bodyguard and one maid robot would likely seem like an ideal target to the more shallow-minded conspirators among those plotting something suspicious.

Indeed, I’ve heard reports of several captures already occurring within the First Prime Colony, so its effectiveness has been proven.

However, if the decoy remains in the same place too long, its effectiveness diminishes, and the decoy's movement can actually create additional unintended effects.

Thus, currently, Vilijanira was growling in front of a screen displaying potential destinations, preparing to conduct a day-trip or overnight visit to some location within the Grogrobeta system, departing from the First Prime Colony.

"Touring corporate colonies, other primal colonies, asteroid belt farms, or planets beyond Grogrobeta 2 from satellite orbit—those are all options too."

"Each has its pros and cons. So I'll follow your choice, Vee-sama."

"I feel the same. Wherever we go, it'll be fun, and we'll handle whatever comes up."

"Thank you."

The potential locations... if grouped broadly, there are four, but if examined in detail, there are easily over thirty viable options.

Well, that's to be expected.

Primordial colonies exist not just as the first, but also from the second through the eighth, and as previously mentioned, there are four Glorglobeta planets—Gloglobeta 1 through 4.

Even just counting the corporate colonies, there are already over ten companies that have issued invitations, and if we include those that accept applications normally, that number alone exceeds thirty.

As for the asteroid belt farms... depending on your perspective, it's over a hundred, really.

"That's right. Let's exclude the other primal colonies and planets first. They seem comparable enough, and if we're perceived as having knowledge significant enough to make a difference, that might raise suspicion. In that case, whether we can actually fulfill our role is questionable."

"Hmm, indeed."

"In that case, it would be either an industrial colony or an asteroid belt farm... The latter seems to be mostly privately operated, so our sudden arrival would likely just cause trouble for them. It does pique my interest a bit, but we'll refrain this time."

"Understood."

Incidentally, an asteroid farm can refer to either cultivating specialized plants directly on an asteroid's surface, similar to a rocket cone farm, or hollowing out a larger asteroid to operate it as a small agricultural colony.

While companies are involved in both cases... there are still instances where individuals engage in farming, so it's true that our arrival might just be an inconvenience to them.

"Then, the corporate colony. Master Vee, which one shall you choose?"

"Yes, indeed..."

"Ah, please, no corporate colonies in the midst of that particular chaos. I could handle it, but I don't want to take unnecessary risks."

"I don't need to be involved there, so I'm fine. Even during chaotic times, managing and governing corporate colonies falls under the corporation's rights. If the corporation can't contain the chaos and ends up pleading for help, the recipient would still be the governing body of that star system. Getting involved on our part would only worsen the situation."

Corporate colonies refer to colonies built and managed by corporations for various purposes.

As for size, location, internal affairs, and so on—it depends on the company's capabilities, its relationship with the star system it belongs to, and the nature of its business.

However, as long as no criminal activity is involved, the Imperial Laws guarantee companies the right to govern, manage, and operate their private property, meaning that some locations or companies may have their own unique rules in place.

Incidentally, the Syrleo Corporation's corporate colony, where I was born, was located in the interstellar region—territory that didn't belong to any particular star system—and it managed and operated a colony larger than the first primal colony of the Glogrobeta system.

It's a telling example of just how vast and powerful the Syrleo Corporation truly is.

"……"

Viljaniira is staring intently at the screen, her expression serious.

Could she be running that particular future prediction again?

It wouldn't be strange if Viljaniira had every detail about which companies existed where, what businesses they ran, and what they'd accomplished in the past stored in her mind. If she could integrate all that information, she might instinctively know where to go in order to shift the current situation.

"I've made up my mind. Let's head this way."

"The Triticam Factory, right?"

"Yes. My instincts are telling me this company is the best choice."

Understood. Then let's get ready.

The chosen destination was the Triticam Factory's Grogrobeta System colony.

Triticam Factory was one of the most prominent companies in the Vanilla Space Empire, handling everything from wheat cultivation to processing.

That meant this corporate colony was essentially a massive factory colony, processing the vast quantities of wheat harvested on Planet Grogrobeta 1.

The location... here, regular shuttles depart from the First Prime Colony every day, taking about an hour one way.

As far as I can tell so far, the reputation is excellent—truly the kind of large corporation one would expect from a major enterprise.

Still, given that we don’t yet know what’s actually here, we’d better prepare thoroughly.

Similarly, when Vilijanila decided to board the *Tsumebakei*, the decision followed a similar process.