241: A Situation to Fear, Just Visible

"The current pace of the Empire's territorial expansion is..."

"The state of development in this star system is..."

"The influence of the Cosmic Monster Cult is gradually increasing..."

"Perhaps we should reconsider our educational policies..."

Time is abundant.

With those words from Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu as a prompt, the Emperor and the Creator are discussing various matters at length.

Probably, under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be enough time, or the Creator would just cut the conversation short. So this opportunity must be when they’re freely discussing various matters.

And just listening from the side, catching snippets of conversation… well, information that’s definitely too sensitive to ever be made public starts slipping out.

"Is every aspect of the 'Vanilla OS'—its rollout, expansion, and maintenance—all dependent on Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu?"

"Yes. So my father and master aren't satisfied with the current situation and are looking for alternatives. That said, because it's due to this world's unique development, direct solutions from the master are off the table, and straightforward questions are evaded even in these kinds of settings. So they're trying to gather information by asking indirect, roundabout questions."

Dangerous information number one.

The foundation of the Vanilla Universe Empire, so to speak, is 'Vanilla OS'; however, it seems that even now, most of what is needed for its expansion and maintenance still relies heavily on Chirality = Conplarex, the very entity that originally created it.

In short, if something were to happen to the Creator or if the Creator grew weary of humanity, we'd immediately see the collapse not just of the Vanilla Universe Empire, but of the entire human civilization built upon the assumption that the 'Vanilla OS' even exists.

Hmm, taking over from Chirality = Conplarex... that's impossible.

I don't fully grasp the theory, and my output is clearly insufficient.

Probably, it'll take a hundred or two hundred years of dedicated practice.

"Wow, the Cult of Cosmic Monsters is actually a pretty old religion."

"As my father and the Lord say, it's said that some humans who had contact with both the Lord and typical cosmic monsters realized the truth back in the primordial era and central region. Still, that's ancient history—nowadays, it's just one of the many common religions."

Dangerous information number two.

The Cosmic Monster Religion isn't exactly without historical roots—apparently, some of its followers possess quite a bit of sensitive information.

Apparently, from its very beginnings, or rather from its founder, there was no small connection to the imperial family back in those days... if that detail were to come out, it might even lead to disputes over succession rights.

So it seems this is information that can't be disclosed lightly.

Incidentally, the person I've been speaking with all along is His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.

It seems His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince has been negotiating with Chilarizumu = Konpuraekusu since assuming his current position, and appears to have obtained a considerable amount of information.

"The role of the Adult Qualification Issuance Authority is greater than we initially thought."

"I was surprised when I ran the numbers—the cost-effectiveness is remarkably high. The mere existence of an authority that certifies adulthood helps prevent strange individuals from openly gathering. That said, given the benefits it provides, it's clear that only the main authority should be entrusted with this responsibility right now."

Dangerous information number three.

Although the adult certification agency was thought to be independent from the empire's judiciary and administration, in reality it is deeply entangled with the empire, given that its top official is Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu.

Well, I had suspected something like this all along.

It wields far too much influence.

The issue lies in the fact that its top official is literally a god—extremely laissez-faire, yet deliberately weeds out individuals who truly hinder its goals, intentionally removing them.

Until now, I’d assumed it only ejected those who were clearly unfit, obvious to anyone watching. But if this becomes public, there’ll likely be quite a stir… or maybe not at all.

Those who don't get published are all seriously messed up.

Well, I'll keep my mouth shut.

It's too far beyond comprehension to claim having grasped nearly everything about this world, or to imagine the scale of what's possible.

You could almost think we're still trapped inside our eggshell, just by being involved with the Sovereign. In reality, we're told we've at least cracked through the shell, but still...

Dangerous information number four.

In a way, it's only natural—Chirarizumu, being just one person, is stronger than all the forces in this world, including wild cosmic monsters, and possesses more information and higher perception abilities.

Indeed, he is the Creator, and I can only accept the prince's somewhat resigned murmurs as truth.

When someone exists on such a vastly different level, no matter how insistently they claim they don't care, it's impossible not to fear being abandoned—or worse, subjected to terrifying things.

Honestly, what's the point, though?

It's far more frightening to think that such a being would act with no purpose at all...

"Alright, now it's time to get to the point. We can't keep wasting time with idle chatter when we have all the time in the world."

"Yes, of course."

"Father, and Lord—please proceed with the main topic. Why did you summon Sata, and what information do you intend to give Sata and us? We'd appreciate that."

"Indeed. You're probably starting to feel your mind go blank by now, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, that's true."

It seems they're about to begin the main discussion.

I straighten my posture.

And simultaneously, Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu speaks up.

"I know who is responsible for the sudden emergence of the cosmic monster shaking the empire. I've concluded that current humanity, without any clues, cannot capture or defeat this creature. Therefore, I'm revealing this information."

"Thank you."

Those words, unlike the previous carefree atmosphere, were delivered with solemn gravity.

"The enemy's name is Funaka = Konplearkus. He is a former subordinate of mine, accidentally lost from the outside world."

And the meaning of those words was that the enemy, too, was a being called a god.