280: Emotional Outburst ※

This chapter is told from Vee's perspective.

Please note.

"Satu. To the greenhouse."

"Got it."

Responding to my words, Satu opens the gate leading to the greenhouse and immediately moves through.

Once the four of us have finished moving and the gate closes...

"I'm snapping! Aaahhhhh!"

Joharis shouts.

What the hell is this! What's going on! How can that damn prince just act like that—aiming at people's lives so casually, showing no remorse at all! Treating his subordinates' lives as if they mean nothing! And all these other senseless actions too! I can understand why he deliberately approached Funa-kun to catch him off guard, but at what cost! How many casualties have we suffered because of this! You damn bastard!!

And he shouted throughout the greenhouse.

As if speaking for the feelings of the four of them.

"Lord Johalis."

"Hah... hah... what is it? Me-ko-shi?"

I wholeheartedly agree. Those people are simply doing what's expected of them as imperial family members, but they utterly fail to consider how it feels to be the ones being manipulated and worn down. Yes, there were opportunities for reform, and that's a fact. It's impossible to deny that some people are beyond help. But still—there's a right way and a wrong way to do things! That's why I've decided to stand under Lady Vee's guidance! If you're going to gamble, then bet your own life, you cold-blooded bastard!!

Momo continued shouting.

Though Momo was an oddball even among mechanical intelligences, the fact that they were shouting revealed just how much stress they were under.

"Satou. You can shout too, Satou."

"No, I won't shout. I just..."

"Just...?"

"If this matter is settled, I should be free to leave the Imperial Star Vanilla Side, right? After what they've done to me, I don't see any reason to stay and cooperate. 'Duty to the imperial family,' 'obligation of nobility,' 'to resolve a greater issue'—if those are your excuses, then I hate the idea that anything can be justified just because you claim it's for a higher cause."

Satou's expression was perfectly expressionless.

Whether to say "apparently" or "naturally," it was clear Satou was truly furious.

I don't even think we need to wait until this matter is resolved—how about we just part ways right now? We should.

I'd like to agree, but I'll leave the decision to you, Lady Vee.

I'll leave the final decision to Vee.

...

Since Satou, in charge of the greenhouse, brought me some herbal tea, I sip it and take a moment to relax.

The situation will resolve itself. If we leave Funaka unattended, countless innocent citizens of the Empire, starting with Dr. Mizeon, will suffer irreparable losses.

Is that so?

We have no choice but to leave Prince Synquubirim alone. It's frustrating, but the prince's actions do contribute to the Empire's development and defense.

Understood.

"But to be honest, I'm at my wit's end with this matter. So regardless of what the Emperor says, we'll be leaving Imperial Star Vanilla Sid as soon as the situation is resolved. After all, if someone's tried to take my life, I can't exactly deny that, can I? I don't know anything about any plans or schedules anyway."

"I understand."

The general direction seems settled for now.

Though all three seem reluctant, they each nod in agreement.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that the other party is Funa-k, and if the documents I received hadn't indicated massive incidents occurring across various regions of Imperial Star Vanilla Side right now—forcing us to continuously divert resources to handle them—I would have already left Imperial Star Vanilla Side by now. Otherwise, letting things slide would mean the sacrifice of Dr. Mizeon and Imperial citizens.

I also refused to serve as bait for the intelligence unit because I dislike actions that sacrifice the small to achieve the greater goal, or using innocent people as pawns without their knowledge.

"So? It's good that you're aiming to resolve this matter. Where are you heading?"

"That's the Vanilla Side OS Research Institute, isn't it? We went to the trouble of stealing information directly from Dr. Mizeon, after all."

"In addition, if it were anywhere else, wouldn't it be unnecessary for Princess Vee to come personally? After all, Imperial troops are present everywhere."

Receiving Satā's words, I once again examine the documents handed to me by Heivīi-sama and Prince Shinkūbirimumu.

They detail precisely where on the Imperial Planet Vanilla Sid, and what kind of incident has occurred that necessitates the presence of Imperial forces.

Yet...

"No, there's no need to head toward the Vanilla Sid OS Research Institute. I don't sense any threat there... No, that phrasing isn't quite right. No matter where in the Imperial Planet Vanilla Sid you go, you cannot escape the threat that extends across the entire Vanilla Sid system."

"「「「!?」」」"

Various pieces of information flood my mind.

Especially those closely related to Funaka.

I also learned, within the limits of my knowledge, about Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu, who is said to be the Creator God.

The two seemed to know each other well, maintaining a fairly close relationship.

If that's the case, their capabilities should be similar. If Funaka intends to sow discord throughout the entire empire and plans to deliver such a massive shock...

The complete annihilation of an entire star system due to event collapse.

Having thought this far, the issue of the 'Hisonkyō' noise also came to mind, and I began to wonder why the attack by Magatsuki had first targeted the Vanilla Sid mod research facility.

Various pieces of information flickered through my mind, appearing and disappearing... My brain and eyes unconsciously processed them... and the conclusion that emerged was that the enemy's true objective did not lie on the imperial planet Vanilla Sid.

"The enemy's greatest move lies beyond the imperial planet Vanilla Sid. Planet Vanilla Sid P3. A hollowed-out world, now reduced to just its crust due to human mining operations. That's where it is."

Strangely enough, at that moment, the enemy's position became clearly visible.

So I made my decision without hesitation and set out.

"Satā, I need you to deploy the powered suit Satā into the interior of Planet Vanilla Sid P3."

"Understood. Vī, please handle the cockpit."

"Yes."

"Lord Vī, I will provide support."

"Same here."

While Satā's main body was moving, we traversed through the greenhouse.