111: About the Nillianipotts System

"Let's begin by reviewing some basic information before planning our actions in the Nillianipotts System."

"Understood."

"Got it."

"Please take notes."

As Virijianira and Mekokushi returned to the rest room, they decided to review the details about the Nillianipotts System they were about to head toward.

Also, the 'Shakeborder'... its official name, 'Pumpkin Witch,' is currently docked at the Primordial Colony in the Flaretanbo star system.

They will now establish a formal flight plan, determine their activities there, and secure the necessary supplies based on calculated requirements.

"First, it will take about three days to reach the Nillianipotts system at the 'Pumpkin Witch's' cruising speed."

"Breaking it down, it'll take half a day to reach the Nillianipotts system's guide beacon using sublight travel, two days using hyperspace faster-than-light travel, and another half day to get to our first destination colony there."

"Surprisingly long, isn't it?"

"The poor transit conditions in the Flaretanbo system are definitely an issue. Unfortunately, that's something we can't do much about."

Incidentally, the FTL mod installed on 'Pumpkin Witch' is not as fast as the express shuttle, but it's still higher-spec than the average mod.

If it were the 'Tsumebakei' or the 'Dipsauce', it would probably take nearly three full days.

"As for the Narianipotts system itself, it's the most sports-oriented system in the empire—where athletic competitions are especially popular. If a sport enjoys popularity across multiple systems within the empire, it's fair to say the largest tournament for that sport is almost always held in the Narianipotts system."

"I know that much myself. Tournament recordings are constantly broadcast, and news about standout athletes is regularly reported."

"Not the Vanilla Side system, then."

"Within the Vanilla Side system, there are issues with security, political considerations, and the fact that matches often turn into personal duels, so tournaments aren't held very often."

"I see, that makes sense."

I took another look at the documents.

The Nelianipotts system is one where you could say a competition of some kind is held every single day without exaggeration.

That said, the "competitions" referred to here aren't limited to physical activities—they include intellectual contests like Nine Cubic, impromptu drawing contests, and pretty much any form of rivalry you can imagine.

Given this nature of the star system, there's constant movement of people in and out, and with the original inhabitants added in, it's fair to call it one of the most densely populated star systems in the Empire.

Perhaps it's even more crowded than the Flaretanbo system—no, likely far more so.

As a result, the number of crimes naturally increases, including organized and highly complex offenses, leaving those responsible for maintaining order busy every single day.

"I personally think we could just pass by without getting involved. This star system."

"I understand your feelings, Sir Sat. If Lady Vee were to stay here, it would inevitably place some burden on the local organization."

"That's true. But somehow, we've already received requests from several tournaments asking us to send her to appear in person. Most of them we can politely decline, but some are actually requests from local intelligence units asking us to attend and watch."

"I see. We can't afford to refuse those."

"Looks like they're planning to use her as bait."

Honestly, if things get any busier, I'm starting to think the people on the ground might end up resenting Vee.

But that's the tough part about human society—can't just pass by and head to the next star system.

Still, the local intelligence unit has asked us to observe... If things go smoothly, she'll be the decoy, but depending on the situation, something crucial might be happening behind the scenes during that time.

Either way, my course of action remains unchanged.

"Sw has a property where it emits light in response to specific molecules."

"What's the point of that?"

"Is there a list of substances it reacts to?"

"Here you go. It's limited to what's publicly available."

"Ah, right. I see. So, illegal drugs, then?"

"That's correct."

The Sw in the Nierani Potts system reacts to certain illegal drugs—substances that affect the brain to produce strong excitement or pleasure, in other words, narcotics—or substances that temporarily cause abnormal tension in muscles, in short, performance-enhancing drugs—by emitting light.

The purpose is to facilitate fair and impartial competition, while also making it easier to detect illegal drugs brought in by people entering or leaving the area.

Since the luminescence can be quite bright, it might serve to prevent someone from unknowingly having drugs slipped into their possession.

Of course, it doesn't react to all illicit drugs, and something that glows isn't necessarily banned just for glowing, so whether it's for preventing smuggling or conducting inspections, careful handling is required.

To be specific, the latest drug mods seem to be beyond current detection capabilities, and caffeine—present even in tea and coffee—appears to trigger false alarms as well.

Still, people have turned this to their advantage, offering ultra-bright shining coffee, so human ingenuity truly is remarkable.

"Here are the details on the number and locations of planets and colonies. Additionally, here is information regarding the event taking place locally for about a month starting today."

"Local specialties and famous sights... no, the sightseeing spots are probably just for the event staff."

"I'm starting to feel excited about this."

"That's right. Since we're here, we should make the most of it."

Well, there are a few other pieces of information as well.

And the schedule isn't entirely filled just by the events requiring on-site viewing.

Let's carefully consider how we should proceed from here.