079 Drifting Arc 19 Prisoner

The Earl Gilbert and his subordinates were transferred away.

I trusted they were under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court fleet—but there was no guarantee they weren’t Prince’s men.

With my rank but no real power, I could easily be manipulated behind the scenes.

I could do the same in return—but I don’t have the political clout, the connections, or the military might to pull it off.

Well, at least I seized Earl Gilbert and his ship. That’ll have to do.

The captive girl regained consciousness.

With oral rehydration solution, nutrient injections, bathing with my wife to scrub off grime, and feeding her liquid food, her dazed state slowly cleared.

“Who… what are you?”

The captive girl looked at the chemo-eared girl before her, realizing this wasn’t her own base.

The beast-person was an imperial experiment, so naturally she’d look suspicious to anyone outside the Empire.

"Hey, this is an imperial fortress. But we’re a faction of the oppressed, caught in the succession war of the Empire. That’s why we’re hiding you."

The captive girl didn’t ease her wary expression, eyes flicking between me and the chemo-eared girl.

"I’m Akira. She’s my wife, Jane."

"Oh, you’re finally awake."

Marie arrived with stew. Jane’s job is both nursing and surveillance.

I’d already told the wives she was a prisoner, and that we were hiding her from the Empire.

At first, they just made her nurse me without asking, so I got lightly scolded for not explaining sooner.

They’d said, “No matter what happens, we’ll stick with you—so no secrets.”

Gotta live up to that trust. Gotta reflect on that.

“She’s my wife, Marie. She’s been tending to you the whole time. Looks like you’re able to eat now. Think you can manage it alone?”

The captive girl’s stomach growls. But then she remembers something more important than food—her hands fidgeting, searching.

Looking for that, huh.

“Your pilot suit was so dirty, Marie changed you into fresh clothes. The jewelry you were wearing? It’s in the drawer by the bed.”

The captive girl had a necklace with gems.

But those gems had been glowing so bright, it hurt to look at them—so she’d shoved them in the drawer.

She opens the drawer, checks the necklace, lets out a relieved breath—then frowns, suspicious.

“Why’s it glowing like that?”

“Oh. Sorry. I touched it. That’s when it started.”

She stares at me, dead still.

Staring at me, I get this weird déjà vu—like I’ve seen that face before.

Then the captive girl pulls the necklace from the drawer and concentrates on it.

The light fades from the gemstone.

She concentrates again.

The gemstone glows faintly.

When she stops concentrating, the light vanishes.

“Try holding it.”

She hands me the necklace.

As soon as I take it, the gem blazes with dazzling light.

“Uh… what do I even do here?”

“Just will it to go out.”

“Hmm… go out.”

The light fades.

The captive girl stares at me, unblinking.

“You… what are you? Light stronger than mine.”

“What do you mean, ‘what am I’? I’m Akira. Who are you?”

“I’m Kae. Heir to the True Empire.”

“Huh?”

"Anyway, who the hell are you? My True Emperor factor’s stronger than yours."

The girl, calling herself Kae, speaks while showing a gemstone.

Apparently, that gemstone can measure True Emperor factors.

Come to think of it, I was told back in the Empire that I had an Emperor factor too.

Are True Emperor factors different from regular ones?

"I'm Akira Yagashi, from Earth. I'm staying with the Empire for... reasons, but I'm not a genuine Imperial citizen."

"Earth... Yagashi... No mistake..."

Kae looks down, muttering something under her breath.

Then she lifts her head, grinning from ear to ear, and lunges into a hug.

"Nice to meet you, big brother! I mean, I’m your little sister—Yagashi Kae!"

"Wha—?!"

"I'm the third sister raised from the third fertilized egg by my parents, who fled into space."

"Come to think of it, your face is almost identical to your older sister's when she was little."

"Actually, I thought you looked like you were in drag."

Just as I was panicking over Kei's coming out, Carrie dropped something completely out of left field.

I frantically searched my wristband for Kira's promotional photos in "Kira Mode."

There it was—a photo of the girl right in front of me, seemingly identical.

"Why didn't I notice...?"

"Kei-chan's eyes were open, weren't they? You've never actually seen you with your eyes open before, have you?"

"True. I only ever see myself with my eyes closed—usually in a failed group photo."

But something felt off.

The girl in front of me looked about the same age as me.

Six years since my parents passed. So I’m the illegitimate one, huh?

And why the old emperor's faction?

"Wait a sec—how old is Kaede right now? And why's she with the old emperor's faction?"

"Brother, the Old Emperor faction... that's just a name the usurpers slapped on us. We're the real Empire. Not... not some pretender. We are the real thing."

I’ve got the name. And “boku” is fine. But age—

Before that—Yae-gashi's parents aren't dead. They were just non-blood relatives, former technicians of the True Empire, raised as guardians with no actual kinship.

After they fled Earth during the coup of the Imperial Dominion, I was grown in an artificial womb using the third fertilized egg they’d smuggled out.

So her actual age is about five. But her physical age has been accelerated to fifteen, thanks to growth promotion.

"Same physical age? And the mind’s five... seriously?"

I clutch my head. Then Kae-de drops another bombshell.

"I'm just insurance, you know. A symbolic figurehead—literally carried on the sacred palanquin of the True Imperial Restoration.

But once you're found, I can finally retire from duty."

"Wait a second. I'm currently recognized as the Sixth Prince of the Empire. That's why I'm caught in the succession struggle."

"Actually, that might be convenient, brother. If I can expand my power within the coup faction, it could be our chance to reclaim the Empire."

"Then... is it possible to bring the True Empire's forces to our side?"

"Ah—"

Kae-de looks away.

You did something, didn't you? If you're my sibling, you've definitely messed something up.

I stare straight into her eyes, pushing for the confession.

“I kinda just… went ahead and attacked the Usurper Empire on my own (hehehe).”

“You… seriously? That’s why we got hit back so hard?”

“It was my brother. He was *insane* strong. My ship got seized, locked up, I thought I was dead.”

“So… I was about to kill my little sister…?”

I went pale at the weight of it.

“Well, I guess it’s okay then.”

“Okay?!”

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“After I sent that desperate ‘help’ signal earlier… I used the gem as a dimensional communicator (hehehe).”

“The gem was a dimensional communicator?!?”

“And it’s also acting as a beacon—told ‘em exactly where I am.”

“So…?”

“Like, right now… are you guys preparing a rescue mission or something?”

I buried my face in my hands.

P.S. Little sister—“hehehe” is already extinct on Earth.

"Send it now—'Brother Akira located, no need to attack'."

"Got it, sending it."

Kaede focused her will into the gem.

Whether such an absurd thing as 'will' could actually transmit was questionable, but the oscillator was still active, presumably.

Probably what the True Empire had been scanning for with their sensors all along.

They'd captured it in the Anoi System, and until now, the oscillator had just happened to be inside the Dimensional Storage Vault—so they'd never found it. But now, it's broadcasting a beacon via dimensional communication.

Once they realize the True Empire's precious princess is held here, they'll send every available asset to reclaim her.

"Did it. I think it got through."

Kaede said, her expression serious after finishing her focus.

"For now, we'll go on defensive. We can't afford an accidental collision. How the hell do we even—"

Can we wrap this up without either of us getting hurt?

"If you're done talking, help yourself to dinner."

Marie said, a hint of irritation in her voice, that they’d talked for so long the meal she’d carefully prepared was already cold.

But then again, my wife’s always thoughtful—had just warmed up the meal for me.

I unified the True Emperor Faction into the True Empire.