“...For real?” That didn’t make any sense. I used [Storage] to pick up all the Frame Gear debris in the vicinity. The only way it could’ve gone missing was if it was already taken before I cleaned things up.
“To be more specific, sir! We’re missing a head, a chest, a left forearm, and an entire right leg! All parts are from a Chevalier, sir!”
“So it got stolen in the middle of battle or something?”
“No, sir! I think it’s the opposite! I think after some destruction was done, someone gathered broken-off pieces!” Rosetta turned on a monitor in the garage. It was the aerial recording that showed the battle a few days ago. In terms of timeframe, it was just before the Upper Construct had appeared. I wondered what she was having me look at.
“Look here, sir!” She paused the recording with the push of a button. There was a broken Frame Gear in the corner of the screen.
She suddenly started the recording again, and the Frame Gear somehow moved itself off-screen.
“...Huh? What’s with that?”
“Let’s switch to magic-filtering vision, sir!”
“Eh?” Rosetta pushed a button, and the overlay of the video changed. It showed the figures of various men carrying pieces of the Frame Gear away. They had a blue light around them. I couldn’t make the details out, but they looked like humans. It was possible they were demi-humans, but they didn’t have the telltale ears and tails that beastmen had.
“Seems like they’re using some kind of disappearance spell or artifact, sir! They were caught by our magic-detecting overlays, though! See? You can see them right against the Frame Gear paint, sir!” Our Frame Gears were painted with magical paint, so the contrast made it easier to detect them through the special overlay. Still, I had no idea who these guys were supposed to be.
They were hardly likely to be people from the alliance. I was already giving Frame Gears to them, after all. There’d be no point.
It could’ve been a foreign country, though. The battle was known about for a few days. That meant someone could’ve snuck in to take advantage.
“Geez... It’s like petty crooks stealing stuff from the scene of an apartment fire or something. Fine... Run search, broken Frame Gear parts.”
“...Search Complete. Displaying.” My map was projected, but no pins fell down on to it. The broken pieces in Babylon obviously weren’t displayed due to the protective magical barrier around the floating islands, and since I’d specified broken parts there were no pins in Roadmare either, but still... I was expecting a few results.
“Sir! It’s entirely possible they have a barrier that prevents magical detection! Possibly like the type we have installed here.” Well, that would make sense. But still, that meant tracking them wouldn’t be possible.
“Would it be possible for them to make a Frame Gear out of the parts?”
“No way, sir! The best they could do is crudely re-assemble a broken Chevalier, but they couldn’t mass produce it.” That seemed fine, then. They didn’t have the Ether Liquid, either. They lacked the technology to actually threaten me.
“But it could become a problem if they apply the technology elsewhere, sir! There’s a chance they could produce an inferior version of the Frame Gear.”
“Ugh... That sounds like a pain...” Monica, who was also fixing Ende’s Dragoon, sat atop its shoulder and spoke up.
“Would it not be wise to inform each member of your alliance that it has been stolen? It’d like, totally be a big deal if a fake Chevalier went on a rampage and stuff! You’d totally get the blame!” She had a point. An imitation Chevalier wouldn’t be easy to operate without Ether Liquid, but I didn’t want to take any chances.
Still... Frame Gear imitations. Some kind of inferior version of the tech... I had one of my patented strange feelings that something bad would come of this.
“Still, sir! They’d never be able to make something better than our Frame Gears, so don’t worry about it at all!”
“I know that, but I still feel a little funny just leaving it be...” It was too late to think about countermeasures, though. I should’ve installed a self-destruct or something. I remember this awesome mecha anime where the protagonist blew up the machine along with himself. I wondered if it was for the sake of style... Could’ve been for the sake of protecting his secrets, though. But who in their right mind would get on a mech that’d blow you up just like that...
“Yae and Hilde’s Frame Gears are more important right now. Should I base it on the Frame Gear we made for Elze, sir?!”
“Hm... Yeah, we don’t need to tweak much. Just make a general fighting type for Yae. It doesn’t need to be specialized too much otherwise. Hilde’s will be much the same.”
“Sir yes sir! And who will we be making Frame Gears for after that?”
“You’ll make one for meee!” I looked toward the Hangar’s entrance, finding Sue standing there. She was accompanied by Cesca, who had presumably brought her up. What a surprise.
Sue then bolted toward me and did one of her famous hug-tackles.
“Isn’t it time for me to have a Frame Gear?! Isn’t it! I’m tired of just playing in the Frame Unit, you know?!” She kept headbutting me in the stomach. Guh... A Frame Gear for Sue...
I was a little concerned, to be honest. It wasn’t about her skills or anything. She’d actually been performing really well in the Frame Unit simulations. She had prodigal levels of skill when it came to handling it, so I had no doubts in my mind that she’d become a great pilot.
But it was clear to me she viewed it all as a game. On the battlefield, you had to be prepared to take lives. I didn’t think she was ready for that.
“C’mon Sue... you really wanna do dangerous stuff like that?”
“Don’t be stupid! I am your fiancee, Touya! I’ll fight when I need to fight, I say! I’m no trophy wife to sit still and look pretty! I wanna protect the people I care about!” She glared at me with a serious gaze. Her determination was palpable. Probably because she’d grown up in a noble house... She really was incredible for her age.
Maybe I’d been treating her too much like a child.
“...Fine, then. We’ll work on your Frame Gear afterward. What kind did you have in mind?”
“A strong one!” That was a little ambiguous. I decided to ask for a little more information.
“I want a huge one! I want one that can totally trash the enemy like Gerhilde! And, oh! Like that one you showed me... The one that can combine and turn into a bigger one!” Oh... From that anime.
“Then we can deploy rotating arms and rip out the Phrase cores, yeah! Oh, oh! Make a giant golden hammer for it as well!”
Ah, geez... I guess that’s kinda familiar. Hmm... I’ll make it built for power, then. It’ll be good for offense and defense alike. But that’ll mean I have to sacrifice mobility. After that... It’s just a matter of using Fragarach tech for the weapons. What about combining and transforming, though... I don’t think I can do it without an AI or something. Maybe if other people pilot the other parts? Nah, that’s too much...
“I think it’ll be fine, sir! I think there’s something that will suit her needs in the storehouse.”
Really, now... Well, I guess if there was something that could bring a picture frame to life, an AI might not be entirely out of the question. If there’s something like that, I can use it to support Sue’s Frame Gear.
“Hmm... Alright, I have a few ideas. I’ll get on it.”
“Woohoo! Thanks, Touya! You’re the best husband ever!” Sue hugged me tight and puckered her lips, catching me with a kiss before I could tell what was happening. Then, she nuzzled her cheek up against mine. She’d definitely grown a little bit...
Just as I quietly thought about her sudden maturity, Cesca turned to Sue and gave her a thumbs-up. Did you make her do that?! Don’t teach her weird things!
Chapter II: Errands of a Grand Duke
I went around all the countries in the alliance and informed them of the stolen Frame Ge
ar parts. That would at least make it clear Brunhild wasn’t responsible in the event that they did try to attack someone using a makeshift version.
“It’s suspicious enough that the location is shrouded in a magical barrier, but still...” There were way too many places that fit the bill. Castles, forts, and places that researched applications of magic all had barriers of varying intensity. I couldn’t just search for them, either.
Not just big places employed barriers, either. There were other areas like royal treasuries and noble bedrooms. The barriers also wildly varied in power, but even the weaker ones were good enough to nullify basic spells. Even the weakest versions, the pocket talismans, were good enough to prevent my paralysis spell.
No matter where they were holding the pieces, I was doomed from the get-go. I had no choice but to actually find the location and see it with my own eyes. But even then I might not be able to see it if the magical barrier was an advanced one that also put up a mirage.
Either way, there was no point worrying about it. All I could do was carry on with my daily life.
“The Hangar has some vehicles in it, right?”
“That’s like, totally correct. Our Hangar is equipped with such masterful works as the Babylon tanks, ultra-speed dirigibles, state-of-the-art drilling machines, and so on. But they totally gotta run on lots of Ether Liquid and stuff, so that’s pretty lame...” I was speaking to Monica, who was in the middle of making last-minute adjustments to Yae’s Frame Gear.
“Couldn’t we use them as support units for Sue’s Frame Gear or something? Like... we could attach them on to a Frame Gear base, and combine them.”
“I do not believe it could be done without extensive remodeling to the Frame Gear. Seems like a total waste of resources and stuff. Could we not just build an extremely large Frame Gear? Why do we need to add detachable combinations?” Monica tilted her head to the side.
Well, I get what she means, but... Bah, I’ll just have to show her. It’s too hard to explain.
I called over Rosetta, and showed both her and Monica a few episodes of the anime that I’d previously shown Sue.
They didn’t seem all that impressed at first. However, their bodies gradually inched closer toward the projected screen, and their perplexed frowns turned to fascinated grins. I stared at them, worrying if I hadn’t just started something bad.
Don’t think, feel. Follow your heart.
The two of them looked like they’d been struck with a flash of divine inspiration. They immediately began working on a Frame Gear that could combine with vehicular parts. They kicked reason to the curb, and went beyond the impossible.
...Of course, this is my power... Anime doesn’t exist in this world... I’ll use it to show people things they could’ve never imagined... Anime will ensure I build the greatest Frame Gears!
“So, you’re building Sue’s Frame Gear next?”
“Yup. It’ll take a while though, since we’re making a unique system for it. Your frame’ll come right after, Yumina. I promise.”
“I don’t mind waiting, honestly. Besides, if mine comes last, it’ll probably be the best, right?” She wasn’t wrong to think that. If I continued making new discoveries and improvements, I could probably perfect them with the final custom Frame Gear.
I was relaxing in my castle with a nice cup of tea. A long-awaited moment of rest, in fact. Yumina was by my side, sipping from her own cup.
“It’s been a while since we’ve sat like this...”
“Yeah? Well, I’ve been pretty busy since I founded Brunhild...”
“That’s not exactly what I meant. I just meant it’s been a while since it was only the two of us.” Yumina gently rested her head against my shoulder.
Mmh... I get it. Even throughout all the time at Reflet and the Belfast Mansion, we hadn’t had many moments of tenderness like this between us.
“Moments like this are rare, so... might I ask you to spoil me a little...?”
“Hm? Spoil, huh...?” Yumina’s eyes were closed, but her face was looking up at me. I knew what she was asking for. I smiled softly and placed both hands on her shoulders, then pushed my lips up against hers.
After a while, our lips parted. Her face was flushed red, and she hugged me tight.
“Ehehe... You’re all mine today, Touya...” I never thought I’d be in a situation where I’d be getting used to this kind of thing. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
I’d come to another world... I’d gotten myself eight brides-to-be... All of them younger than me, too... Well, except Leen, who was considerably older.
“Something’s changed lately, you know?”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“My Mystic Eye. You know how I can see through people’s intentions? Well... recently I’ve started... feeling different effects...”
“Different... effects? What?”
“Well...” Yumina drew back from me, then gave me a little nod.
“Touya. Let’s play rock paper scissors.”
“Huh? That was sudden... Is this something to do with the new effects?”
“Yes. Let’s play it, slowly.” I’d taught the game of rock, paper, scissors to the others, but I had no idea what she wanted to show me.
“Alright... Rock, paaaperr... scissors!” I lost. Yumina motioned her hand, starting the next round.
“Rock, paper... scissors!” I lost again. And then again. Repeatedly. No matter how many times we played... I lost. I didn’t remember Yumina being so good at the game... but it also didn’t seem like she was using any kind of practiced technique. It probably had something to do with the effects she’d mentioned.
“You can... win the game using that new power?”
“It’s a little hard to explain, but... Well, how should I put it... I can just... Well, I just know what you’re going to choose.”
“Like... mind reading or something?” Is she a telepath now? That’s a little scary! I won’t be able to keep anything to myself anymore... If I cheat on her, she’d totally know right away! Uh... not that I would cheat on her or anything. Wait, are you reading my mind right now?! I didn’t mean it, I swear!
“I can’t read minds or anything, no. It’s more like... Seeing? I can sort of see what your hand would look like in a few seconds. It’s blurry and vague... but I can definitely see a little bit into the future.”
Whoa... Foresight? That’s incredible. Even if it’s only a couple of seconds, that’s amazing! Still, why does she have a power like this...? Wait... Could it be an extension of that thing Karen told me about? She’s receiving my love, and I’m a Demi-God, and she’s also family with Karen and Moroha, too... Come to think of it, that’s not the only change I’ve noticed lately. Sue’s become prodigal as a Frame Gear pilot, Lu’s become a way more adept fighter... I mean, it’s definitely a good thing... It’s just hard to comprehend!
“Shall we test it a bit?” I put several coins in my right hand and closed a fist. The aim was to have Yumina guess how many coins there were.
She got it immediately. Every time. I decided to change the experiment by using [Apport] to subtly transfer the coins from my right hand to my left. She got it wrong. That confused me a bit, though. I wondered if my use of [Apport] changed the intended future somehow. Still, I only made that move because I knew about Yumina’s power. If she’d known I’d do it, she would’ve said there’d be no coins. But if she’d said there were no coins, I wouldn’t have used [Apport] to move them... In either circumstance, she would’ve lost.
It seemed like her foresight wasn’t quite iron-clad. But I definitely wouldn’t want to know the future if I couldn’t change it. Knowing you’ll break a bone in five seconds will hardly do you any good if you can’t do anything to avoid it.
It seemed like the future could be changed if someone other than Yumina was doing the changing. At the very least, it could come in handy if she saw enemy attacks a little bit in advance. Still, I was pretty sure with how limited it was right now, it probabl
y wouldn’t come in all that handy.
It was currently more like a really strong intuition rather than seeing the future. It wouldn’t be worth getting overconfident about it.
“There’s something else, too...”
“Seriously?!” Her eyes weren’t in constant use, so I wondered if that was why they seemed to be developing new skills. In a way they were kind of like her own personal Null magic.
“Sometimes when I look at you, Touya... I see a very faint golden light emanating from your body. I also saw the same light coming from your sister Karen, but a bit stronger. Do you have any idea what that could mean?”
Wait a sec... Can she see the divinity? Not even I can see that! Then again, Karen said she could see it since it’s leaking out of me and stuff, but... Damn.
“Ah... Well... I wouldn’t worry about that for now. But please let me know if you see that light on anyone except me or my sisters.” Yumina could end up being helpful in finding that servile god my sisters were after. Then again, it probably wouldn’t be that easy. Karen and Moroha already said they’d be able to sense the moment any divine power was used in this world.
Yumina looked at me with suspicious eyes, but eventually she just shrugged and sighed.
“Very well, then... I don’t understand the details, but I’ll do as you ask.”
“I’m sorry. I promise I’ll talk to you about it properly soon.”
“Indeed. I’ll hold you to that, okay?” Yumina finished talking and rested her head against my shoulder again.
Geez... even though I said I’ll explain it, I don’t really know how. ‘Oh gee guys, I forgot to tell you I’m actually a guy from another world and I was killed but the ACTUAL GOD OF THE UNIVERSE resurrected me here and now I’m a God-in-training too. That cool?’ There was no way that’d work out. I wasn’t sure if they’d even believe something like that.
From what I understood, there was some kind of rebirth spell in this world, though it was exceptionally rare... That might be easy enough to explain, but... There was the matter of me being from another world. I’d be very upset if they considered me an entity like the Phrase.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 9 Page 7
