by Takehaya
“Ruth?!”
The girl raised her voice in surprise as another person came jumping out from the glowing wall. It was a sight similar to how Sanae passed through walls, but the girl that came from the wall was wearing a military uniform with a short skirt. She was taller than Tulip, and roughly the same height as Yurika.
“H-Hey, a person just came through the wall!”
“What are you going on about now? That’s how Tulip showed up too.”
“Really, Kiriha-san?”
Koutarou hadn’t seen Tulip’s entrance. He was busy examining the crest when his sight was suddenly blocked out.
“Y-Yeah. The first girl came out of the wall like this girl just did. She just immediately bumped into you.”
Kiriha had already given up hope, but she was shaken by the appearance of this new girl.
“Your Highness! What is the meaning of firing the Genesis Buster at the planet?!”
And she immediately began shouting at Tulip.
“B-But... They were making a fool of me!” Tulip tried to object, but her tone of voice had completely changed.
“It looks like that girl came to stop Tulip.”
“Do you think so?”
Koutarou and Sanae blankly stared at the two quarreling girls. They were unable to comprehend this unexpected development.
“That doesn’t mean you can destroy this entire planet! First of all, it violates the galactic treaty!”
“...Hey, Sanae, it sounds like the weapon above us has enough power to destroy the planet.”
“So Earth was on the brink of destruction...”
“Knock on wood.”
“But they called me flat, short, and stupid! There’s no way I could forgive them!”
“Who would bring out a wide-area destructive weapon intended for space combat for a childish reason like that?”
“B-But, Ruth!”
“No buts!”
The new girl was quickly gaining the upper hand in their dispute. Tulip gradually spoke less and less, until she was mostly silent.
“Phew. Looks like everything will settle down...” Kiriha let out a big sigh and relaxed her shoulders.
“Your Highness, please calm down. If you kill the residents of this room, you won’t be able to complete your trial. Are you planning on becoming the quickest to fail the trial in the history of Forthorthe? Will you bring shame to your mother?”
“...”
At the mention of her mother, Tulip stopped arguing.
“Your Highness, please think about this. Forthorthe has no jurisdiction over this planet. We are the ones being unreasonable here.”
This new girl has been quite reasonable, actually...
The past few days had been a mess of unreasonable people forcing themselves into Koutarou’s apartment. So to hear someone be rational and levelheaded now was like music to Koutarou’s ears.
“I understand... Blue Knight, release attack mode and return to guard mode. Cancel the use of the Genesis Buster.”
“As you wish, my princess.”
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.”
The new girl flashed a relieved smile. And with that smile, the commotion in the room settled for the moment.
There was a hole in the wall from the laser, and the wallpaper had been torn by the shockwaves. The once beautiful tatami mats were now heavily worn out and had scorch marks on them.
“If Landlord-san sees this, she’ll probably cry...”
After giving the room a look around, Koutarou started feeling guilty. Corona House was Shizuka’s treasure. It was a keepsake from her late parents. Finding it in this state would cause her a lot of grief, and Koutarou was painfully aware of that.
“Koutarou, please sit down so we can start.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
As Kiriha called to him, Koutarou turned around to the five girls all sitting down around the tea table. Going clockwise, it was Sanae, Kiriha, Yurika, Tulip, and then the girl who came with her. And between Sanae and Kiriha was an open spot.
“So I sit here.”
Koutarou sat down in the only place left.
“It’s kind of cramped.”
“There are six of us now, after all.” Kiriha shrugged at Sanae’s words.
Originally, neither the tea table nor the room was designed for this many people. Because of that, it felt even smaller with six people stuffed in it.
“Once we deal with this problem, it’ll feel bigger again. It’s not like we’re trying to deepen our friendship.”
“Well, that’s true, but...”
The truth was that Sanae was a little sorry for that.
“So, getting right to it, who are you two?”
“Hmph.”
Despite Koutarou asking her, Tulip—the first girl to come out of the wall—refused to answer. Acting like a spoiled child, she turned away from him.
“I am sorry. It seems my master is in a bad mood, so I will explain in her place.”
Instead, the girl in uniform began speaking. Compared to the girl in the dress, she had a mild and amiable aura about her. She politely bowed her head to Koutarou and the others in place of the sulking girl. Her courteous behavior left a favorable impression on him.
But I learned my lesson with Kiriha. I should hear her out fully before I let my guard down...
With everything that had happened, Koutarou couldn’t relax.
“Allow me to introduce us. First is my master, Her Highness Theiamillis.”
The girl in uniform indicated the girl sitting next to her.
“‘Her Highness’?”
It was a phrase the girl had used several times already. Koutarou knew that it indicated someone noble, but he didn’t think it suited the girl in front of him at all.
“Yes. Her Highness’s name is Theiamillis Gre Forthorthe. She is a princess of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire.”
“Princess?! This brat is?!”
Hearing Koutarou’s surprised words, the girl in the dress—Theia—glared at him. However, perhaps having learned how to show discretion, this time she said nothing.
“Yes. Her Highness is the seventh princess, but she is the only child of the current empress.”
“So she’s a princess? Really?”
The girl explaining nodded at the amazed Sanae.
“There is no mistaking it. However, it would be hard to show you proof right away...”
“That won’t be necessary. I understand that the two you of you at least hold high positions.”
“Oh?! You’ll believe us?!”
“Yes. To a certain extent.”
Surprisingly, Kiriha seemed to buy in to the girl’s claims.
“What do you mean, Kiriha-san?”
“Koutarou, just think about the power of their weapons.”
“What about their weapons? Well, they were awfully dangerous...”
“Do you think just anyone would be walking around with weapons like that? The antimatter least of all.”
“Ah, so that’s what you mean.” Koutarou was beginning to understand what Kiriha was implying.
“What does she mean?” Sanae asked, still confused.
“You see, Sanae, which seems more logical to you: a normal person walking around with weapons like that, or someone very important?”
“Well, it’d have to be the important person. She had a mushroom bomb after all.”
“Right? That’s the point. It would be strange if those girls were normal.”
The short of it was that it seemed way more likely for someone in a position of importance to be in possession of weapons that destructive.
“I see. Now that you mention it, that makes sense.” Convinced, Sanae nodded before moving to make fun of Yurika. “Yurika, unlike a self-proclaimed princess like yourself, she’s the real deal.”
“I... I’m a real one too!”
“I know. You’re a real hardcore cosplayer, right?”
“You’re wrong! Why does everyone
bully me?!” Yurika grit her teeth in frustration, but no one was listening to her.
“To show status, show power... It’s an old-fashioned method, but it was effective.”
“I would like to apologize for the sudden display of force.” The girl bowed apologetically.
“You don’t have to worry about that. We were both in the wrong.”
“Thank you very much.”
“You sure forgave her quickly didn’t you, Koutarou?”
“Could you at least remember what you said?”
Sanae flinched at Koutarou’s cold glance. She agreed that she may have said too much. Apart from his first remark about her chest, Koutarou felt he had said too much as well. The same was true for Kiriha and Yurika.
“So what about you? Do you hold a high position as well?”
“No, I am just an officer. I am in charge of guarding Her Highness and taking care of her. My name is Ruthkania Nye Pardomshiha. Please call me Ruth.”
“...Ruth is my childhood friend.” Theia, who had been silent until now, added on to Ruth’s introduction. “She’s a reliable and talented guard.”
“Your kind words are wasted on me, Your Highness.”
Ruth smiled at Theia, and Theia blushed a little before turning away again.
“Hmm, so this person was a soldier.”
“Ruth-san, huh...? Oh crap, I almost forgot. I’m Koutarou. Satomi Koutarou. I live here.”
“I’m Higashihongan Sanae. And this flashy one is Yurika. But the only flashy thing about her is her appearance, so don’t pay her too much attention.”
“I’m Nijino Yurika. From the magical—”
Yurika attempted to introduce herself, but...
“Kurano Kiriha. Feel free to call me Kiriha.”
Sadly, she was interrupted by Kiriha.
“Wah... Waaah! D-Do you really hate magic—and me—that much? Waaah!”
Yurika drooped her shoulders as she bit the corner of her handkerchief, tears streaming down her face. Ruth was surprised by Yurika’s sudden crying.
“Did something happen to Yurika-sama?”
“It’s fine. Just leave her be, Ruth-san.”
“Okay, Satomi-sama.”
“Waaaaaaaah!” Yurika continued to cry.
“...?”
Ruth was unable to fully comprehend the situation, but she decided to leave Yurika be for now.
“By the way, Ruth, I believe you mentioned a galactic empire before. What did you mean by that?”
“Koutarou, did she say something like that?” Sanae, who hadn’t been paying attention, tugged on Koutarou’s sleeve and asked.
“She did. Holy something Galactic Empire. Theia over there seems to be a princess from that country.”
“Oh, I know about the Empire in Ginza.”
In Ginza6, there was a famous hotel by the name of the Imperial Hotel.
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“I know that too...”
“It is as you say.” Ruth nodded her head. “As you have surmised, we are from the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire.”
“The Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire... I’ve never heard of a country by that name.”
“You haven’t heard of it either, Yurika?”
“Why would you think I would know about it?”
Yurika looked puzzled at Sanae’s sudden question.
“Because it sounds like something right out of an anime.”
“Wah... Waaaaah!”
“Don’t make her cry for no reason, Sanae.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help it...”
“So, Ruth-san, where is this country? In the Middle East? Or maybe in Europe?”
“No.” Ruth simply shook her head. “It is in a different galaxy, about ten million light years away from here.”
“So that really was the case?!” Kiriha instinctively stood up. She had suspected it when Theia brandished an antimatter weapon, but she was still very surprised.
“Koutarou, is there a different Ginza? One outside of Tokyo?”
“She said a different galaxy, Sanae.”
Koutarou was perplexed. He understood what Ruth was saying, but that was because it sounded like something out of one of the movies he would watch with Kenji from time to time.
“That can’t be right. If they came from a different galaxy, they would be—”
“Yes, that’s correct. We came from a different planet. In other words, we are aliens.”
The girls who introduced themselves as Theia and Ruth were the most extraordinary visitors yet.
“A-Aliens...”
Koutarou had to close his mouth after his jaw dropped.
“After ghosts, cosplayers, and underground people, I thought nothing would really surprise me. But aliens...”
“I’m not a cosplayer! I’m a magical girl!”
“I believe it’s quite normal to be surprised. It is extremely rare to come into contact with another civilization, after all.” Ruth smiled apologetically.
“But now that you mention it, it makes things make a lot more sense.”
Lasers, barriers, and antimatter cannons... It was hard to imagine those kind of sci-fi weapons existed on Earth.
If people really had things like that, surely technology on Earth would be far more advanced. Kiriha’s haniwas were quite surprising, but the technology Theia and Ruth had surprised even Kiriha.
“There’s no doubt about it.”
Kiriha wiped away the sweat from her brow. She couldn’t stop her cold sweat, knowing how much stronger the other party was.
“...Karama, Korama, prepare those.”
“Got it! Ho!”
“We’ll bring them right away! Ho!”
Being given orders, the haniwas sprang into action. They flipped up the tatami mat closest to the front door and jumped down the hole beneath it.
“Koutarou, what do we do now?”
“For starters, let’s continue as if what they’re saying is true.”
“You believe them when they say they’re aliens?”
“Yeah. They don’t look like they’re lying.”
Koutarou brought his mouth closer to Sanae’s ear and whispered.
“Besides... Even if it’s a lie, those weapons are real.”
“...That’s true. They’re different from someone like Yurika.”
Sanae whispered back to Koutarou and then looked at Theia and Ruth. As she did, something else crossed her mind.
“Hey, Koutarou.”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t believe them just because that Ruth girl is your type, right?”
“Of course not!”
“Really?”
“Really! ...Well, she is cute.”
“C-Cute? I am honored, Satomi-sama...”
Ruth always had a serious expression on her face, but hearing Koutarou call her cute, she blushed. When she did, she actually looked more like a girl her age.
“She’s got a proper attitude, and she’s not saying anything ridiculous. There’s no reason to doubt her, right?”
“You sound suspiciooous! Isn’t it just because obedient girls are your thing? Typical boy... You see a cute, docile girl and you’re all over her.”
“Well, compared to the rest of you, any girl is docile!”
“...A very good point.”
Sanae, Yurika, Kiriha, and now Theia. The four of them were practically the opposite of docile.
“Satomi-sama, thank you for believing us. I have always worried over how to make you believe this part.”
“Always? So you two didn’t arrive today?”
“Yes.” Ruth nodded. “Well, we actually arrived at this planet yesterday evening.”
“So what were you doing until now?”
“We were gathering data for the translation device by listening in on the discussions in this room and by picking up broadcasts from the planet.”
As Ruth explained, she pulled out a small box and showed it to the group. It was the
translation device that the two of them were using.
“Now that you mention it, both of you are speaking Japanese.”
“To think that small box could do that...”
Koutarou and Sanae stared at the device. Ruth handed it over to them so they could get a better look at it.
“Because of that, we also have a rough understanding of everybody’s circumstances. But I am deeply sorry, as what we did amounts to eavesdropping on you.”
“Well, we wouldn’t get anywhere if we didn’t understand each other, so you don’t really have to worry about that, Ruth-san.”
“Thank you very much, Satomi-sama.”
Ruth had been prepared to get yelled at, so she felt a little relieved.
“So what did you two come here for?”
“That would be the problem.” Ruth’s expression turned more serious. It was time to get down to business. “Her Highness came here because of a certain ritual passed down through the royal families.”
“Ritual?”
Kiriha looked up. Ruth nodded and continued her explanation.
“Yes. The succession of the throne works in such a way that all those born to the royal families are, without exception, given a trial when they turn sixteen.”
“A trial? What kind of trial?”
“There are all kinds of trials, depending on the person. It could be searching for something, investigating unexplored areas, fighting against a predetermined enemy, or something else altogether. The ones that clear their trial are deemed to have the right to succeed the throne.”
“So it’s like a coming of age ritual?”
“That’s correct, Kiriha-sama. Unless they clear the trial and prove their worth, they can’t succeed the throne. Not even as the empress’s child.”
“So Ruth-san, if she clears her trial, does that mean she’ll become the empress?”
“No, that is not quite the case. Those who clear their trial are recorded in order of completion on the list of candidates. After that, the throne is passed down to the ones on the list, starting from the top.”
“In the order they clear it, huh? So that’s how they prove themselves.”
“Yes. That’s correct, Satomi-sama.”
“So that means you two—or rather, the princess over there—came here to clear that trial?”
“That’s right.”
That was where Theia finally opened her mouth again.
“I have to show my power. To that end, I came here with just Ruth.”