73: Landing on Planet Flaretanbo 1

"‘Pumpkin Witch,’ entering the atmosphere of Planet Flaretanbo 1."

The next day.

Our ship, the 'Pumpkin Witch,' began descending smoothly toward the surface of Planet Flaretanbo 1 without incident.

Now, looking outside the ship through the main viewport...

Since this planet has seas in an unusual state, vessels without flight capability are invisible.

The river was filled with balls scattered all over, wriggling and shifting constantly. Occasionally, spherical objects would suddenly appear, knocking existing balls aside.

Even in agriculture and factories, it seemed that unique standards and procedures had been adopted to accommodate Sw.

Hmm, seeing such a scene makes me think...

While this may help defend against cosmic monsters, it also feels like Sw in the Flaretanbo system is hindering development.

Still, it probably wouldn't be easy to manipulate Sw's structure directly.

"Master Sata. Vee-sama's preparations are complete. All that remains is for you to hand over the usual item."

"……"

At that moment, Vrijanila, led by Memokshi, appeared.

Appearing... I couldn't help but stare in awe.

"Satā?"

"Master Sata?"

Vrijanila wore a dress based primarily on shades of blue and green, perfectly matching the aquamarine glow emanating from her eyes.

The dress was intricately decorated and beautifully crafted, featuring a crest inspired by vanilla flowers.

Other accessories were equally elaborate, making it clear they hadn't been hastily prepared.

Yet what was truly astonishing was that Vrijanila looked every bit as radiant as her elaborate attire.

Her golden hair shimmered as if lit from within, her skin as smooth and lustrous as jade.

Her eyes glowed with an intensity that seemed brighter than usual.

Her makeup, meticulously applied with greater care than usual, combined with a sweet, delicate perfume, enhanced her already beautiful features, making her appear even more radiant.

And whether due to heightened determination or simply a more focused spirit, her posture and movements were more refined than ever, her presence glowing with an inner grace that seemed to reflect her inner state.

Even I, who am fundamentally different from humans—no less than a cosmic monster—couldn’t help but be entranced by her.

“Y-yeah… She’s always beautiful, but I was just staring at her.”

“Thank you. Satā.”

“……”

Vilijanira answered with a pleased expression, while Memokushi displayed an unusually smug look behind her.

“So, Satā-sama. What did Memokushi ask for?”

"Yeah, it's finished. This one, then."

Vilijanira usually wore a spiral-shaped hair ornament on her right temple, and that had not changed even now.

What I just took out was nearly identical to that hair ornament.

The only difference was that the original was a solid dark brown, while mine could appear silver or rainbow-colored depending on the viewing angle.

"...It's slightly warm to the touch."

"Well, it's connected to my true form, so I didn't have quite enough time to conceal it. Just bear with me this time."

Viljaniira places the hair ornament I took out onto the left side of my head.

Now I have spiral-shaped horns on both sides of my head, and with Viljaniira's fluffy hair, I might not look too unlike a sheep at first glance.

"No, since we've gone this far, let's keep it like this. There's something about the warmth... it makes me feel more at ease."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, that's right."

Viljaniira seemed somehow pleased.

If she herself says so... then it's fine to leave it as is.

"Master Sata. Does this configuration meet the requirements listed in the memo?"

"There are no issues with that. As long as it's attached, I can always track Vee's position and instantly evacuate her into the Ether Space. Even if evacuation isn't possible for some reason, I can still deploy the shield being used by my main body."

"Truly impressive, Master Sata."

"Thank you. With this, we should be able to handle most situations."

Now, the hair ornament I handed over—it's a type of doll created by my main body.

In other words, it's a part of me.

Because of this, we can determine Vilijianira's position from the hair ornament's coordinates, move Vilijianira along with the ornament, and deploy shields—all remotely.

Additionally, on the part of Vilijianira's head that touches my neck and remains hidden from view, there's a Nue tattoo identical to the one on my neck. As long as Vilijianira declares its intent, I can activate my abilities anytime, anywhere.

Also, the hair ornament itself is sturdy enough that it won’t even budge against standard blaster mods or conventional bullets.

Yeah, if this can’t handle it… well, we’re beyond the level of a tea party now.

With that, Vilijianira’s preparations are complete.

“So how about Satā’s outfit…?”

“Just a regular suit. Though it’s actually a custom-made one, re-woven by my main body, so it’s definitely not the same as off-the-shelf stuff.”

Incidentally, I'm participating as a bodyguard for Vilijanira, though my outfit is just a regular suit in appearance.

Since it was recreated from my main body, including the doll inside, it's vastly stronger and has superior physical capabilities.

The only difference from everyday life... perhaps just the fact that they have multiple extendable, all-titanium rods built into their bodies as weapons.

That means we're all set.

The memo is also ready.

Memoqsi looked just like usual.

Still, knowing that Virijianira had been busy using the duplicator while she was asleep, the inside might have changed in various ways.

'Ah… it's a bit odd for someone who knows the situation to say this, but are the Virijianira ladies heading off to war or something? This conversation definitely doesn’t sound like it’s for a tea party.'

"In a way, that's true. For modern nobility, a tea party is the most glamorous battlefield."

"Still, Vee's eyes are signaling danger. Whether it's the tea party itself or what comes after, I can't say."

"We can't afford to be careless. Judging from the memo's past experiences."

"What exactly happened before... Ah, that's beside the point. We're landing now."

Thus, the *Pumpkin Witch* landed at the docking facility attached to the hotel where Vilijanira was scheduled to stay on planet Flaretanbo 1, this evening, after the tea party concluded.

By the way.

The extreme heat and pressure generated during atmospheric entry have been resolved by a mod.

This mod is a standard feature on vanilla space vessels in the Galactic Empire, so commonplace that the characters in the story don’t even notice it.

Just a side note.