245: Information Sharing

"No eavesdropping via mod."

"Confirmed there are no abnormalities with the soundproofing, and no such devices have been installed."

"Radio wave blocking has been confirmed. This room is a completely sealed environment."

"Thank you all three."

"You're quite skilled at this. I suppose I should say 'impressive' or something along those lines."

After returning from the imperial capital to the Vanillagenroot Viscount's mansion, we changed into our everyday clothes and moved to a room within the estate packed with anti-spy equipment.

There, we were to verify the information Memokshi had received from Great Mother.

That meant we would learn about Virijianira and the others—the Chilaryzum = Conplerekus, Funaka = Conplerekus, and even the origins of the Empire, perhaps the entire world itself...

"..."

Yeah, I guess this is normal.

So, overwhelmed by the bombshell information from the Chilaryzum, Virijianira and Joharis are left dazed.

"The origins and current status of 'Vanilla OS'... I see. The reason the Empire summoned me must have been for negotiation and education. In that case, the most appropriate location for the workshop would be the space surrounding Imperial Planet Vanilla City. Should I send a message to Seiryō Corporation to disclose the information...? No, actually, I should have already sent all the necessary details during the Sata period..."

In response, one might say that Dr. Mizeon truly lived up to her reputation.

She was analyzing and predicting based on the information received, her mind actively processing and reasoning through it all.

and generally agreed with Dr. Mizeon's thinking.

The Empire must have invited Dr. Mizeon because of my proven experience in negotiating with and educating an alien creature like myself—exactly the kind of expertise needed to find an alternative to 'Vanilla OS' or to develop a supporting entity.

If that's the case, the Empire's so-called Vanilla Sid OS Research Institute might already have been preparing something capable of creating alien creatures like me.

Yeah, that actually sounds plausible.

They've probably been researching this for not just ten or twenty years, but on the scale of a century or more.

"Anyway, Vee. We've had quite a few shocking revelations. What should we do from tomorrow onward?"

"…We'll take Dr. Mizeon to the intelligence division headquarters. There may be other incidents involving someone called Funaka, and there could be something Dr. Mizeon needs to know before heading to the Vanilla Sid OS Research Institute."

"I understand."

Yeah, looks like our course of action hasn't changed.

First things first—gather information.

Since the information we have is likely incomplete, it'd be better to investigate at the source where more data is available.

"What should we do about Prince Synquvilibiz? He might still be planning something against us, right?"

"We'll limit ourselves to gathering intelligence and preparing a counterattack. There's no need to unnecessarily give him an excuse to interfere with us."

About Prince Synquvilibiz... Well, you're right, I suppose.

The doctor's summons and forced transfer, interference regarding me, interference in today's tea party—my resentment is already quite strong, but since no attack has been made despite my resentment, I'm still safe.

You shouldn't do something clumsy.

Sir Vee, what would you like us to do regarding the VanillaOS matter?

We won't get involved unless absolutely necessary. It's beyond our capacity.

"I see. But since I've been summoned to the VanillaOS Research Institute, I don't think I can just stay out of it, do you?"

"You're right, they did summon you. But this is no ordinary matter—certainly not one that calls for the Great Mother of Mechanical Intelligence to get involved directly. If an amateur gets mixed up in it, they'd be completely incinerated, with nothing left but ashes. So, in principle, we stay away from it entirely. If we do get involved, it would only be within the scope related to Dr. Mizeon."

"Well, I guess it's fine as long as it's resolved within the next hundred years or so. Honestly, among the people here, isn't it just me who should be involved? Even I'll probably need to start by studying up on this stuff first, though."

"……Yes, that's right. So, let's just gather information, but only within limits where there's no risk. However, we won't get involved unless we have enough information."

Yeah, matters concerning 'Vanilla OS' aren't something amateurs can safely get involved in.

It's still not the right time to get involved.

Even for me, it'd probably only become relevant after something like a hundred years have passed, once Viridiana has disappeared.

By the way, as a side note, Seiryō Corporation predicts my lifespan is either nonexistent—or if it exists, it certainly exceeds several million years.

I don’t really feel like I’ll be resolved in a thousand or even ten thousand years… well, I suppose it’s truly a distant prospect, even to myself.

“From me, one thing as well.”

Here, Vilijanila recounts the story of the ‘Faceless Ally’ and the ‘Faceless Mentor’ she claims to have heard from her mother.

At first, I didn’t understand what she meant, but the former clearly refers to Funaka, and the latter to Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu.

Indeed, one might say the Vanillagenruote viscount family is quite perceptive—she seems to have figured it out already.

And from this conversation, one thing comes to mind.

"If we're not careful, the prince might already be turning into a cosmic monster right now..."

"It's tough that we can't rule out that possibility."

"It seems like Magatsuki has already infiltrated Imperial Star Vanillashid, doesn't it?"

"Even if the memo team hasn't caught on, there are probably many other bombs planted elsewhere."

"Come to think of it, a colleague from Imperial Star Vanillashid once said something like, 'It's not just daily crises—there's a global emergency every hour. We're barely holding it together thanks to the Emperor and the others doing their best.'"

Imperial Star Vanillashid seems to be in even more dire straits than I thought.

Hmm, this is worse than the Temple of Demons. Scary, scary.