116: Arrival at the Colony Base

"Ah ah, this unit, 'Sexy Mi azuma,' has arrived at the landing area of the Imperial Army's Nelia Nipots Colony Base. FTL travel has ended. Following colony control instructions, we'll dock inside the colony."

"Made it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Current time is 6:00 PM by Imperial Standard Time... I recommend only sending a notification of arrival today, and rescheduling any meetings for tomorrow morning onward."

Sexy MiAzuma arrived at the Imperial Army's Nelliani Potts Base Colony.

Here, the Imperial Army's Nellianipotts Base Colony exists among the colonies within the Nellianipotts star system.

A massive colony of unparalleled size.

To put it in perspective, its longest side stretches several times the length of my main body.

If you look closely... well, it's made up of various three-dimensional shapes—spheres, rectangular prisms, triangular pyramids, and so on—arranged together, giving the whole structure a general appearance like a thin plate.

Thin it may be, but it still easily surpasses the height of an imperial warship.

"As per the memo, let's proceed this way. Attacking right now would be utterly unreasonable, and we have plenty of time to spare."

"Got it. So no greetings, and no sightseeing either, right?"

"That's right. They've specifically asked us to arrive first, so we can't simply ignore that request."

Why is this place so important?

According to the documents we've read during our journey,

in the early days of the Neliannipotts star system, this colony was roughly the same size as others.

However, as time passed and the Neliannipotts star system became a sanctuary for sports, an overwhelming influx of visitors emerged, leading to a decline in spaceborne robberies and attacks originating from the Neliannipotts system.

With their power no longer needed for combat, the imperial army redirected their trained strength toward various sports, achieving respectable results and gradually becoming local celebrities—stars of the Neliannipotts system itself.

As a result, the colonies where the stars lived became increasingly developed. The more they were developed, the more people gathered there, leading to the colony's rapid expansion.

Eventually, it grew into the large and impressive colony it is today.

"We sent a message. The reply... has come. They'll meet us tomorrow at 1:00 PM."

"Noted. Then let's prepare accordingly."

"Um, the meeting spot with the other side is 'Vanilla Press'... the place Vee sent the article from, right? So, that's what you're saying?"

Yes, that's exactly what I mean.

Well then.

With such a prosperous colony established, and various companies setting up operations to sustain daily life, it's only natural that the Imperial Army's Intelligence Unit would have front companies, branches, headquarters, and branches scattered throughout.

Specifically, the clothing company 'Eniwear Two,' which Joharis was officially affiliated with until recently, has its branch headquarters for the Nillianipotts star system located right here in this colony, in one of the prime districts.

Then there's the company 'Vanillapress.'

This is the company where Vilijanira normally sends her articles, with its main headquarters located on Imperial Planet Vanillasid. However, the branch office for the Nillianipotts star system is managed from a company based right here in this colony.

I can't say for sure, but it's almost certain that the front companies of other imperial military intelligence units are also based here in this colony.

And through these bases being connected, they probably maintain order within the colony while secretly passing on information to their allies without exposing it publicly.

"Huh? Oh, there's also a police outpost for Seiryō Corporation. Small, but there it is."

"Looks like that's about all they're doing—just receiving inspection requests and returning results."

Incidentally, the company I usually send my articles to is a Seiryō Corporation-affiliated business headquartered in the Hiratara Tsugumi star system.

And that company hasn't extended its reach to the Niarinipotts star system.

So, in a way, calling it local isn't entirely inaccurate.

"Speaking of which, Satā-sama. About the report requested by Seiryō Corporation..."

"I'm steadily working on it. The repayment is gradually progressing..."

"It's almost like you're treating me like a debt collector..."

What on earth is going on with that snake-like behavior!?

And why is Memokushi saying something like that!?

Ugh... could it be that there's some secret deal with Seiryō Corporation—some kind of quid pro quo where they're offering assistance in exchange for pushing me to write this report!?

"So why does the memo say something like that?"

"We asked Seiryō Corporation, in conjunction with ordering parts for repairing the 'Strange Water Mirror,' to look into the matter of the memo. So, we thought it only natural to grant them a small favor in return. Of course, Satā-sama is still not prioritized—Vee-sama remains first."

"Really... there's an actual deal going on... Is the maid okay with this...?"

"No problem. As previously stated, priorities remain unchanged."

"Ah, yes."

"Is that so..."

It seems there really was a transaction after all.

Moreover, it appears that retrieving the repair parts for the manufactured 'Hetero Water Mirror' will be my responsibility.

After all, the difference in cost and time between sending them through proper channels and me fetching them via teleportation is negligible—so this outcome was inevitable.

"Ahem. Then, let us prepare for tomorrow."

"Understood."

"Yes, sir."

Very well, let us prepare for tomorrow.

Imagine this base colony as a flat plate floating above roughly half of the Kanto Plain.

12/06 Revised Draft