Invaders of the Rokujouma!? Volume 9

by Takehaya

  “There’s no use in grumbling about it... I have work to do...”

  Ruth changed gears and moved over to a nearby panel to begin servicing the armor. Maintenance on the armor’s hardware had already been completed beforehand, so Ruth’s work today would mostly be software maintenance. After Koutarou returned the armor, she’d scheduled the maintenance station to take care of any parts that needed to be serviced or replaced automatically. As such, she also needed to adjust the new parts using existing operating data to prevent any trouble when Koutarou wore the armor the next.

  “Looking at it again... there sure are a lot of unreasonable parameters...”

  As she was confirming the condition of the armor, Ruth felt like something was amiss. The replaced parts were all reading normally, but many of the parts that hadn’t been changed out were programmed unusually.

  A simple example was one of the arm motors. It had been set to briefly allow the full use of its power, but it wasn’t suited for that kind of use over a long period of time. On that setting, the motor would probably burn out after thirty minutes.

  But that wasn’t the only thing. Various other parts had been modified in strange, specific ways too.

  “What did you have to fight to make you use these settings? And this damage...”

  The programmed parameters weren’t the only odd thing about the armor. There were parts of the hardware that showed signs of wear and tear over a long period of time, and now that Ruth looked at it, Kiriha’s gauntlet had been integrated into the previously damaged left arm of the suit. There was also heavy damage from combat and burns all over the armor. The onboard software showed some peculiar entries as well.

  Did he repeatedly fight against a large mobile weapon over a long period of time?

  Ruth reached a conclusion as she studied the armor. With this kind of damage, it was hard to imagine that Koutarou had only fought against Clan. Rather, it looked like wear and tear accumulated over several months of front-line fighting, and the damage was serious enough that it looked like he must have fought something like a large mobile weapon. If she thought of it that way, the strange combat parameters that had been programmed into the suit made a little more sense.

  It would have been easy to get to the bottom of this with the AI’s logs and databases, but those had all been erased. All Ruth had to go off of was the evidence in front of her and her intuition. It left her feeling a little uneasy.

  “Satomi-sama and Clan-sama are definitely hiding something...”

  Koutarou and Clan’s current relationship was yet another of Ruth’s concerns. If Clan had somehow managed to win him over, that boded poorly for Theia’s future. So in order to make sure that hadn’t happened, Ruth wanted to investigate whatever it was that they were hiding.

  “Oh? This is...”

  That was when Ruth stumbled across a certain something in the computer. It was the settings for the armor’s onboard translation device.

  “That’s strange... Ancient Forthorthian has been bumped to the top of the priority list... And Higher Ancient Forthorthe is fourth? Why would such an obscure language be...”

  The translation device in the armor could freely translate one language to another, just like Ruth’s bracelet. If Ruth spoke using Forthorthian words, for example, the device would convert them into Japanese while preserving her voice. That was how Ruth and Theia had managed to get along on Earth just fine.

  The device could translate nearly any language. Common tongues had been pre-registered into it, including Modern Forthorthian and the languages spoken in nearby star systems, but the list of known languages included both Upper and Lower Ancient Forthorthian. As they were both over a thousand years old, however, they were normally set quite low on the priority list.

  The translation device could automatically detect languages in order to translate them, but it did so by comparing the sounds it picked up to information in its databases. For that reason, it made sense to keep commonly encountered languages at the top of the priority list, and rarely encountered ones near the bottom. Despite that, both of these ancient languages were now at the top of the list. That seemed to indicate they were being accessed frequently.

  “Normally Modern Forthorthian should be at the top... but it’s Lower Ancient Forthorthian. Why would Satomi-sama need to speak that...?”

  Koutarou and Clan had been thrown out of the universe. In order to return, they’d needed to work together. That should have meant that Modern Forthorthian, the language Clan spoke, remained the top priority. But it wasn’t, and that stumped Ruth.

  “The only reason I can of think for this is...”

  Koutarou hadn’t been speaking Modern Forthorthian, but Lower Ancient Forthorthian. And in order to hide that, he’d asked Clan to erase the armor’s logs. Ruth racked her brain to try and come up with a reasonable explanation for that.

  “No... Could it be that Satomi-sama and Clan-sama...”

  Ruth gasped. With all the information she was presented with, there was only one answer that fit the mysterious puzzle. It was hard to believe, but Ruth had a gut feeling about it. It was extraordinary, certainly, but if it was true, then everything else made sense.

  “There’s no time to spare!”

  Ruth hurriedly brought up the armor’s communication history. Now that she had an inkling of the truth, there was someone she desperately needed to talk to.

  Ruth vs. Clan

  Thursday, February 11th

  Ruth went to visit the Cradle after school the following day. Koutarou’s armor had Clan registered in its communication device, and Ruth had used that to contact her and arrange for the meeting.

  “So, what was this important thing you wanted to talk about?”

  Clan dismissed the hologram floating around her and adjusted her glasses in a slightly irritated fashion. She had been working on research up until Ruth arrived, and she was displeased at the interruption. Clan was cutting out all pleasantries with her so she get could back to her research as quickly as possible.

  “It’s something very specific.”

  But Ruth didn’t mind. She was anxious to hurry the discussion along as well, and she got straight to the heart of the matter.

  “It’s about what you and Satomi-sama are hiding, Clan-sama.”

  “W-We aren’t hiding anything.”

  Clan’s expression changed repeatedly. Her irritation turned into surprise and then panic before fading into resignation.

  It’s just as I thought. They’re definitely keeping something from everyone...

  That was how Ruth interpreted the rollercoaster of emotion that was written all over Clan’s face. She looked like she was taken aback and then tried to pretend like she wasn’t.

  “I have proof,” Ruth said calmly.

  “There’s no way that’s possible,” Clan replied as she turned her back on Ruth.

  The data has all been erased. Pardomshiha must be bluffing. There’s no way there’s actually any proof left...

  Clan took several small breaths to calm herself down before turning back to Ruth with a confident smile.

  “After all, we’re not hiding anything.”

  Clan had promised Koutarou to keep what happened in the past a secret. Things would be less of a hassle that way, and it would keep present-day Forthorthe from falling into confusion. Besides, there was something in it for Clan too. In return for her cooperation, Koutarou had agreed to let her hold on to Signaltin. She knew there was no more powerful tool than Signaltin, especially as a princess. And she certainly wasn’t about to do anything that might jeopardize her hold on it.

  “My first piece of evidence is simply that you allowed me aboard your ship, Clan-sama.”

  However, Ruth didn’t flinch in front of the confident Clan. She just carefully observed her reaction as she started to confront her with her evidence.

  “What?”

  What Ruth said was most unexpected, so Clan could barely help the surprised face she made. Ruth took careful
note of it in case it might serve as a clue down the line.

  “Just half a month ago, you were trying to kill us, Clan-sama. Despite that, you’re now meeting with me on peaceful terms. You’ve shown no sign of hostility, and you haven’t tried to kill me even though I’m right here in front of you. Why is that?”

  “That’s...”

  Clan fumbled for an answer. She had no need to attack Theia or the others because she had the Blue Knight and Signaltin in her back pocket now. They were more useful to her than her claim to the throne, so trying to spoil Theia’s trial would have no meaning for her anymore. Moreover, she now considered Koutarou a friend. They’d been through a lot together. Clan had no intention of harming Ruth, Koutarou’s friend. But as simple as that was, she couldn’t reveal it to her. In a quandary, she tried to keep her cool while racking her brain for a way out of this.

  “That’s because I’ve realized such things are unbecoming of a princess. I have decided that if I am going to get in Theiamillis-san’s way, I will do so boldly and without reservation. A true princess faces any challenge with that degree of candor.”

  That was what she came up with on the spot.

  Jeez, things are becoming quite troublesome...

  Clan was relieved to have gotten out of the hot seat for the time being, but she made sure not to let her guard down.

  “Then why do you still remain on this planet, Clan-sama? You say you’ve chosen not to come after Her Highness, yet you haven’t returned home either. Just what are you doing, then?”

  Ruth tore apart Clan’s excuse and dug even deeper for answers.

  “Tha...”

  This question would be more difficult to get around. Clan was staying on Earth to study Signaltin, but also to try and make Koutarou her vassal. She couldn’t admit to either of those, so she racked her brain again.

  “That’s because I’m making a weapon to fight Theiamillis-san. Once it’s completed, I plan on challenging her to a proper duel with our rights to the throne on the line.”

  “That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

  Ruth narrowed her eyes. Her voice was chilling. She’d seen right through her.

  “I-It’s not a l-lie!”

  Clan was shaken and her voice was shrill. Seeing that, Ruth realized her chance to attack.

  “If that’s your plan, why haven’t you called back the Hazy Moon? Surely your flagship is better equipped to develop such a weapon. What benefit could there possibly be to staying on a tiny ship like this?”

  Clan was currently using a ship known as the Cradle. It was a small, all-purpose craft that docked inside her personal space battleship, the Hazy Moon. The sensors and observational equipment aboard the Cradle were advanced, so they were more than enough to begin studying Signaltin, but it was true that the Cradle had inferior facilities compared to the Hazy Moon. If Clan were really going to make a serious weapon, calling back the Hazy Moon from Forthorthe would be the logical choice, just as Ruth had said.

  “I-I don’t have to answer that!”

  Clan had been backed into a corner this time. She couldn’t think of a good excuse for why she hadn’t called back the Hazy Moon if her intent was to fight Theia. Not answering at all seemed to be her best choice now.

  There’s absolutely no mistaking it. Clan-sama and Satomi-sama are hiding a very important secret!

  Assured of herself after Clan’s reaction, Ruth brandished her last question to deal the finishing blow.

  “Then let me ask you this... What did you and Satomi-sama fight in past Forthorthe?”

  That question was Ruth’s trump card. All of the other questions had been leading up to this. Ruth thought that if she rattled Clan a little bit before asking, she might actually get something out of her.

  “H-How do you know that?!”

  And Clan fell for it.

  “So that really is what happened?!”

  Upon seeing Clan’s reaction, Ruth’s expression lit up. At the same time, Clan clapped her hands over her mouth to keep herself from saying anything else.

  O-Oh no! She tricked me!

  What Clan had said was practically the same as admitting that they’d traveled to the past. It was a fatal mistake.

  “Satomi-sama’s armor had Lower Ancient Forthorthian prioritized in its translation device. That indicates he was using it more than Modern Forthorthian, so I started to suspect something like this might the case, but... to think it’s really true...”

  Ruth had reached her conclusion by piecing together all the tidbits of information she could gather, including the clues from the translation device. She’d confronted Clan about it after getting her a little worked up, and she’d gotten exactly what she’d hoped for. Clan had essentially confessed, but it was still a surprise to hear.

  Ah, the priority of the translation device! I didn’t think about that!

  Clan had erased the logs from the armor at Koutarou’s request, but she didn’t go as far as resetting all the various programs and such in the armor. She never imagined any information that could be gathered from those would be enough to discover the truth. It wasn’t really a mistake on Clan’s part; it was simply a sign of how keen Ruth was.

  “Clan-sama, please tell me. Where did the two of you go and what did you do?”

  At this point, all Ruth really knew was that the two of them had traveled to some point in the past where Lower Ancient Forthorthian was spoken, and that they had fought something there. She wanted to know what that something was. Any problems Koutarou had might become Theia and Ruth’s problems in the future, so she considered this a concern of utmost importance.

  “...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Now that she’d been found out, Clan regained her usual calm demeanor.

  It’s not like Pardomshiha has figured it all out. In that case, it might be prudent to tell her something of what she wants to know in order to satisfy her and get her to leave...

  Clan quickly gathered her thoughts and smiled at Ruth. Ruth grew excited and pressed the matter further.

  “Please don’t evade the question, Clan-sama! I know it’s the truth based on how you reacted just a moment ago!”

  “I’m not evading the question. Just listen... Even if it’s as you say, that Koutarou and I really did travel to Forthorthe in the past, do you think I could freely admit to that?”

  “Wh-What are you suggesting?!”

  On the verge of uncovering the truth, Ruth lost all of her calm. It seemed the tables had been turned in that regard. Clan was the composed one now.

  “It’s simple. If I admit to traveling to the past, it would be the same as admitting that I’ve interfered with the past. That would be very problematic. Something of that gravity has the potential to shake the very foundation of the royal families of Forthorthe.”

  “Th-That’s...”

  Ruth stumbled on her words. She understood what Clan was trying to say. Koutarou and Clan hadn’t really changed the past. There were minor alterations, of course, but on the whole, things were still the same. Yet just publicly admitting that they’d traveled to the past would spread doubt about that. There was no telling what they had or hadn’t altered because there would simply be no way to know. It could even call the founding of the royal families into question, and that kind of uncertainty would rock all of Forthorthe.

  “So regardless of the truth, I can only give you this answer: Koutarou and I have not traveled to the past.”

  Ruth gritted her teeth. Though she was yet another step closer to the truth, she was barred from going all the way. It was incredibly frustrating.

  That’s all I can tell you, Pardomshiha. Please just accept it.

  Clan carefully observed Ruth. This was difficult for Clan, and she had to judge the situation carefully.

  “I... I understand...”

  In the end, Ruth gave up on pursuing the matter any further. She understood that Clan couldn’t tell her anything more.

  “But tell me one last thing.”r />
  “What?”

  “While the two of you were gone, did Satomi-sama behave as a knight?”

  Even if Clan couldn’t tell her the truth, there was something Ruth absolutely had to know. And that was if Koutarou had stayed true to himself. Rather than the details of what had happened in the past, that was what she really cared about.

  Thank you, Pardomshiha...

  Clan internally let out a sigh of relief, and then smiled at Ruth. It was a rare smile for her, pure and devoid of any malice.

  “Rest easy, Pardomshiha. Koutarou remained stupidly true to the path of a knight from start to finish.”

  “I see...”

  Ruth’s shoulders relaxed. She had been able to confirm what she wanted to know the most, but the truth was still shrouded in mystery. Clan understood the awkward position Ruth was in, and even began to feel sorry for her.

  Wait, when did I get so nice...?

  Puzzled over her own feelings, Clan offered Ruth a few words of comfort.

  “Pardomshiha, since you came all the way here, I can’t just let you leave empty-handed. I’ll tell you a little something in return for your trouble.”

  “Clan-sama...?”

  Ruth raised her head, her eyes opened wide in surprise. She was truly shocked at such a kind gesture coming from Clan. It was rather unlike her.

  You don’t have to make a face like that! I’m well aware that I’m behaving strangely!

  Grumbling internally about Ruth’s surprise, Clan tried to decide what she would share with Ruth. She decided to go with what would be most useful to her.

  “Pardomshiha, you recently received an arranged marriage offer, did you not?”

  “Yes... You’re aware of it?”

  Ruth’s eyes opened wide once more. She hadn’t expected Clan to bring up her marriage.

  “Yes, of course. I’m keeping tabs on Theiamillis-san, after all.”

  “I don’t really know how to respond to that...”

  Ruth smiled wryly. Not long ago, she felt like she was in the presence of an enemy, but now she could feel herself lowering her guard. Something was different about Clan, and Ruth had started to pick up on that.