Lycee was absolutely intent on not interfering with any side of the conflict. She moved with Ende, but offered aid to neither him nor her species. Even so, some of the Dominant Constructs considered her a turncoat.
If you asked me, it was a little hypocritical of them to refer to her as traitor when they were the ones not abiding by the will of their leader. A bunch of annoying, hypocritical stalkers.
They honestly felt like children who couldn’t bear to be apart from their caregiver.
I was reminded of something Kousaka had told me, though. That I couldn’t let people constantly depend on me to fix all their problems.
If Brunhild kept on counting on me to fix everything up, they could end up messing up in the same way as the Phrase.
It wasn’t my country. It was the people’s country. I pledged to never forget that.
Ende’s Dragoon shimmered in the morning sun as it stood in a field out of town. I’d finished patching it up, so I returned it to him.
Apparently the sensor board hadn’t reacted to Lycee because she was a Dominant Construct, and our equipment simply didn’t have the right parameters to pick her up. I wanted to use the chance to figure out what kind of wavelength a Dominant Construct emitted, but Lycee informed me that Phrase of her level of strength could easily mute those waves, even for other Phrase.
Apparently they kept in a state of no-wave generation in order to prevent interference with their subordinates. It was like a built-in stealth mode... Lycee was functionally undetectable, but she wasn’t hostile so it was fine. I did ask her if we could record a sample just in case, but she flat-out denied me. It was a pain, but I didn’t push it.
I called out to Ende.
“What now, then?”
“I’ll keep on hunting any Phrase that come through, like I have been. I’ll do it until she’s ready to leave this world.”
When’s that gonna be, I wonder... Even if we spare this world, won’t the next one just be in the same situation?
Nobody knew where the Sovereign would go next. It was likely that even she didn’t know. Ende would continue to loyally follow her, though. He’d keep on protecting her from her pursuers.
In all honesty, I wanted to wipe out the Phrase while they were still targeting this world. I couldn’t bear to think what might happen if they attacked Earth.
I understand Ende’s perspective on the matter, though. If I was forced to pick between the people I cared about or many people that didn’t mean anything to me, the older me might’ve been conflicted. But the me right now would sacrifice countless strangers in order to protect the people that matter.
If someone told me right now that if I didn’t destroy the Sovereign Core, then everyone I loved would die, then I’d fight against Ende in a heartbeat.
If our positions were reversed, I might’ve made the same decision he did. I could feel a strange sense of kinship in our philosophies.
Ende clambered into the cockpit. Lycee put her hood back on and climbed into the palm of the Frame Gear’s hand. He let the wheels fall to the ground, shifting to high-speed mode.
“Well, Touya. I’ll catch you later.”
“Yep.” The Dragoon began to pick up speed, sliding along the ground and kicking up a dust cloud. Its form slowly faded into the distance.
“Here you were, Touya.”
“Oh, Yumina.” I turned around to see Kohaku and Yumina. I’d told the others about Ende and his story the day beforehand. They were surprised, but we still decided to stick to our current plan. If the Phrase kept attacking us, then we were going to resist them.
Yumina stood by my side as the tiny Dragoon on the horizon faded from sight.
“If... If you went back to your old world, Touya, then...”
“Hm? What’s with that line of thought all of a sudden?”
“I was thinking about it, and... If I couldn’t live with you, Touya. I wouldn’t want to go on. I would’ve looked for a method to travel across worlds as well.” It seemed like she’d been thinking about Ende and the Sovereign. They loved each other, and that was why they were so determined to be together. It was a tragedy that their determination triggered so much despair for so many people, but if I was sent back to my world, I’d do my best to meet with Yumina and the others again as well.
If I said something like “I’m trying to find a way to travel to another world” back on Earth, then they’d probably think I was insane. But I wouldn’t let that stop me. Even if I had to resort to suspicious or occult means, I’d try everything in my power to get there.
If I couldn’t live with the girls who meant so much to me, then there’d be no point in living at all.
I placed my hand on Yumina’s shoulder and pulled her into a gentle embrace.
“It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. Even if I get whisked away to another world, I’ll come back to you. I’ll ask god, and he’ll oblige. I’m sure.”
“God, huh... It’d be nice if he listened to your prayers.” Yumina smiled softly. Heh... I’m not kidding, you know.
I’ll protect this smile. I’ll keep you all by my side, forever. I’ll walk to the future with all of you, hand in hand. I’ll do my very best, I promise.
I embraced her tightly as I made my quiet declaration.
“Ah, Touya.” We were passing by the training field. Lu was sitting on a nearby bench and waved to us. She was dressed lightly and had two short wooden training swords by her side. Elze was sitting on the other side of her, wiping her sweaty face down with a towel.
Yae and Hilde were having themselves a fierce bout in the training area. Their training with Moroha had increased their abilities by a considerable amount. They were definitely masters of their craft at this point.
The other knights were watching them keenly from a distance.
As we walked toward the bench-seated duo, Elze looked down at the ground and muttered in a dissatisfied voice.
“Hmph... So what are you two doing? Been together all morning...?”
“Late morning. Is uh, everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine. I’m not in a bad mood or anything!” Elze, clearly flustered, wiped her red face down with the towel again. I could read her like a book. That side of her was adorable, too.
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Linze and Leen were taken off by the doctor. They’re up on Babylon right now, I think. Something about adjusting our personal Frame Gears.”
“I’d like my Frame Gear to be built soon, too.”
“Now, now. Don’t worry. They’re cooking up something that’ll perform smoothly, so you just gotta wait a little longer.” I gave Lu a smile, but she did seem a little pouty. I didn’t have a Frame Gear yet, either. Mine would probably be saved for last, though. I could go toe to toe with Upper Constructs even without a Frame Gear, after all. Plus, everyone knows you save the best for last.
As I quietly gloated about myself to myself, Sakura, Spica, and Sue came over from the castle.
“Touya!”
“Oh, Sue. Visiting today, are we?” Sue rushed over and tackled me with a hug. She lived back with her folks in Belfast, but had a ready-to-use portal in her bedroom so she could visit whenever. She typically visited in the afternoons, though.
“Mhm. I’m your bride-to-be, you know? I can’t afford to neglect my preparations for marriage. I’m gonna stay here all day today. Also dad gave me permission to stay overnight, so I’m gonna sleep in your bed tonight!”
“Ehh... Really now...?” All my other fiancees turned their gaze to me. Their eyes were narrowed.
Sue typically stayed with Yumina when she slept here, so this was a pretty unusual demand.
“Is there a problem? Do you hate me, Touya?”
“I don’t hate you, Sue... It’s just a little soon for that. I-It might be bad for my reputation, too...”
“Your reputation? We’re just sleeping with one another...” Sue innocently tilted her head to the side, it seemed like she had no idea what I thought she had
an idea about.
Welp, I get it. What Sue is thinking about is... different from what I’m thinking about. Not that I was gonna do anything anyway, though! I began to sweat slightly, I gave Yumina a sidelong glance, silently begging her for aid.
She noticed and grinned softly. Then she began talking.
“You know, Sue... Sharing a bed with a single man, fiancee or not... Doesn’t reflect well on him or you. You’re a noble, remember?”
“Is that how it works, Yumina?”
“It is, it is. That’s why we all need to sleep with Touya at the same time. That way there won’t be any issues.”
“Waiiit, what?!” What the hell did you just say, Yumina?! There’s no way we can do that!
“Hold on, hold on! Where’d you get that idea?!”
“Why not? We’re just gonna sleep in the same bed, right? Is that such a problem...? Or did you have... Specific intentions for us?”
“...Hmph.” I couldn’t counter Yumina’s perfect attack. I guess just sleeping is fine...
“W-Wait, Yumina! Does that include all of us?!”
“Of course, Elze. Or do you want to be the only one left out?”
“Mhh... Ghh... I-I mean, in that case I have no choice... B-But... Ghh...”
“I don’t mind.” Sakura seemed pretty comfortable with the idea... Until I looked at her face. Despite her calm tone, her eyes were darting around and her face was beet red. Spica stood next to her with a quiet look of discontent on her face.
“I-I’m fine with it too, Touya... Let’s sleep together, it’ll be fun!”
“What’re you being so loud for, Lu...?” I quickly covered Lu’s mouth, she seemed to be sputtering in a panic.
What the hell is going on?! Someone help! This is way too extreme! My prayers were suddenly answered as my smartphone began to vibrate. It was Guildmaster Relisha, my savior.
“Y-Yeah! ‘Sup?!”
“Sorry to bother you, Your Highness. The Kingdom of Ryle has received readings that suggest a group of a thousand Phrase will soon emerge near their territory. There aren’t any Upper Constructs amongst them. They’re set to appear in around three hours.”
“Three hours?!” Typically we had a little leeway, but this had me concerned... It seemed like the world’s protective boundary was weakening again.
“They can’t take refuge or send sufficient men in, so... We have no choice but to ask you. I have permission from the king of Ryle.”
“Not a problem. Send me a message with more information and details. I’ll dispatch our knights.”
“Thanks.” I put my phone down. The hubbub from my fiancees had finally died down, and now they just had their gazes leveled on me. I was saved by a set of unlikely heroes. I really owed the Phrase one.
I gathered up the knights and explained the situation.
“The Kingdom of Ryle is expecting a Phrase invasion to the tune of a few thousand. They’re gonna appear in about three hours. We’ll head there and crush them all! Contact anyone who isn’t occupied. You have one hour to get prepared for rolling out! Dismissed!”
“Hoo-rah!” All the knights dashed out to begin their preparations. They shed their armor so they could hurry out and contact their allies.
I needed to call Lain, Nikola, and Norn on the phone to tell them what was going on. Then I needed to tell Baba and Yamagata to guard the castle in my absence. I had to hurry!
“Man, what a pain...”
“Good grief... This certainly is a bit of a mood killer, but... Let’s protect the planet! Let’s protect the planet!” Yumina grinned and made a little out-of-character statement as she looked up into the clouds.
A lot had happened since I came to this world. It was rough living here, much rougher compared to Earth.
But I loved this world. Everyone that mattered to me lived in this world. It was a world I was proud to fight for. A world I was proud to protect.
“Shall we?” All the girls nodded.
I came to this world with a single smartphone. But now I had countless friends and partners to rely on.
I’m sure a lot more is gonna happen from here onwards... But I know they’ll help me through it, just as I’ll help them. I know it.
With resolve in my heart, I opened up a [Gate] to Babylon.
As an aside, the girls all ended up staying in bed together so they could have a private chat... I ended up sleeping on the couch that night after I got back...
Interlude I: Father and Daughter
Some time ago...
“Well, now Sakura and Touya are officially engaged...” Sakura nodded wordlessly at Yumina’s words.
Babylon’s garden had several gazebos one could spend their teatime in. One of those was a white gazebo with an enneagonal shape, which served as the girls’ favorite spot. A variety of every flower imaginable bloomed proudly around the gazebo, and cool, refreshing water flowed through a nearby canal. It was the most beautiful spot in the garden.
“Now that the ninth person Doctor Babylon prophesied has appeared, there won’t be any more newcomers, correct?” Hilde spoke with a relieved expression. She was probably relieved the ninth wife wasn’t some strange, unfamiliar woman.
“I wonder. The future has a tendency to shift at times, so I think it’s too soon to be relieved.” Said Leen, sipping tea at the head of the round table with a calm expression.
“You seem fairly composed despite that, you do.” Yae furrowed her brows grumpily at Leen’s words.
“I’m just saying we shouldn’t rest on our laurels, is all. I will admit I’m no expert when it comes to romance either, but having lived ten times your lifetime, I’ve seen a good share of similar cases. Love and passion can burn out and cool, and betrayals can happen. You mustn’t take his love for granted. If you want him to always love you, make an effort to keep his love for you burning strong. Well, that’s true for both men and women.”
“Wow... You sound almost like Karen, Leen...” Lu spoke up, sighing in admiration. Leen actually had heard those words from Karen before, but continued sipping her tea with feigned calmness. Maintaining this kind of pretense was part of being older. Despite everything, being the only one that’s so much older than everyone else gave Leen something of a complex.
“In any case, all nine of us are equally Touya’s fiancees. Let’s do our best to make up for each other’s fault as we support our husband.”
“Right, right. Touya has his careless moments, after all.”
“True. And I would very much like it if he could settle down and not be quite so stressed...” Lu placed a hand on her cheek and heaved a sigh.
“Is something wrong, I wonder?”
“Oh no, it’s just that... Touya can use [Gate] to go freely from country to country, yes? And he solves problems for other countries fairly often. But countries have... procedures for these sorts of things, you see?” Even though he’s in a position where one would normally negotiate with the other country for money or other such favorable conditions, Touya acted without regard for that. As far as Touya was concerned, he really was fixing their problems “on the side,” an attitude Lu, who was raised as royalty, frowned upon.
“But that’s part of what makes Touya who he is.”
“I understand that, of course. I find that part of him to be charming, as well. I just can’t help but think of what would happen if someone tried to take advantage of his kindness... It worries me.”
“Touya is naive. A man of his character would normally be unfit to lead a country.” Sue picked a cookie from one of the plates and wolfed it down with a gulp.
“Expecting darling to act like a king is pointless from the get-go. Even his clothes are the same ones he wore in his days as an Adventurer.”
“Oh, that. I believe he said something along the lines of, ‘Gaudy, sparkly clothes aren’t my thing’?” Elze smiled wryly, remembering that time. And true enough, a king’s wardrobe often had gold or silver embroidered into it, making it rather conspicuous at times. But tha
t was meant to give off an aura of majesty and wealth, and didn’t have to reflect the king’s personal tastes.
“I would like to see Touya in a proper outfit sometime, though...”
“Agreed. I think a knight’s suit of armor would look good on him...”
“Huh? That’s what you were thinking of...?” Linze looked taken aback by Hilde’s response. Maybe that was the standard in Lestia?
“I saw an armored warrior the other day, but the mask ruined the whole outfit, it did.” Yae folded her arms and tilted her head, mumbling grumpily.
“I think dressing plainly suits Touya just fine. I’d be more bothered if he started dressing smartly and strange women would start sticking to him because of that.”
“Yes, that would be a bother.” Sakura nodded gravely at Sue’s words. The others all seemed to agree on that.
“Speaking of, what is Touya doing today?”
“Let’s see... I believe today he’s in Xenoahs. Castle Pandemonium was damaged during the Dominant Construct attack the other day, so he went to help repair it, given he had a hand in some of the damage himself...” Hilde answered Linze’s question, a wry smile on her lips. Touya’s battle with Gila left Castle Pandemonium in shambles. The repair work for it began immediately, and Touya willingly offered to help.
“We were just speaking about it, and here he goes again... I really would wish he would settle down for a bit.” Lu sighed again.
“Shouldn’t you have gone with him, Sakura?”
“The overlord is annoying, so I won’t go. If I’d have gone with Touya, something awkward would have happened. I guarantee it.” Sakura averted her face sullenly. It seemed establishing a relationship with her father didn’t come easily to Sakura. The overlord, who had never treated her as a father would until now, suddenly changed his attitude completely. It left Sakura in a loss as to how to treat him (even if she did know there was a good reason for that change in attitude). But more than anything, the fact the overlord became terribly touchy-feely all of a sudden left her rather creeped out.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 10 Page 17
