NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 103
“It still feels surreal, no matter how many times I hear it—the thought of a future Saioji leading a military fleet.”
“Well, even now in Japan, they’re involved in heavy industries, like building airplanes and tanks, right? So, it’s not entirely far-fetched.”
“…But leading a space fleet in the future? That’s just beyond imagination.”
Back at the research lab, Rene and I relayed the information we gathered in Bozon to Nias. As expected, she too wore a look of despair.
In such a situation, it wasn’t as though we could come up with a solution, so we decided to call it a day. I returned to the world of Asphial.
“Do you think Chairman Ryuugen could write a letter to the future Saioji family, asking them to stop the invasion?”
“To my father?”
When I consulted Saioji, who knew the most about the situation I was in, she, unsurprisingly, expressed strong discomfort at the thought of the future Saioji family commanding a space fleet.
“Yeah, a letter… It might sound like a last will, but in that world, Chairman Ryuugen is known as the pioneer who laid the foundation for the space exploration era. If he tells them to halt the invasion, wouldn’t they listen?”
“That’s hard to say. We could trigger a time paradox straight out of a sci-fi novel, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“I figured as much.”
I was well aware of how dangerous my suggestion was. But the problem concerning Nias had already grown to a scale that seemed beyond our control.
There was no way the three of us could stand up to an army capable of controlling the galaxy. Even if my inter-world travel skill could move us, it wouldn’t matter if I was the only one who could escape.
“First off, do you even have proof that this invasion is really targeting Nias? Sure, it’s a strong possibility, but acting based on assumptions could backfire.”
“You’ve got a point…”
In the end, our assumption that the Sakura Empire was invading to capture Nias came solely from Gons’s speculation. There was no hard evidence—just conjecture.
Now that she mentioned it, we weren’t even certain that the Sakura Empire was attacking because of Nias, even if it seemed like the most likely reason.
“So, if it’s not about Nias, then why is the Sakura Empire invading Zerad? Resources? But Rene said Zerad doesn’t have any particularly rare resources.”
I started to consider other reasons why the Sakura Empire might be launching an invasion on Zerad, aside from Nias.
The planet of Zerad is, as the name suggests, rich in mineral resources. It had been developed for mining those vast mineral deposits. However, while Zerad had plenty of minerals, it lacked the kind of rare resources that might make it a prime target. There were likely many similar resource planets in the galaxy, so it seemed unlikely that Zerad was singled out for its minerals.
“Could they really just be expanding into another galaxy? In that case, maybe Zerad, being close to the Gate, is just a stepping stone for their invasion.”
“Excuse me, may I interject for a moment?”
While I was considering various alternatives, Saioji, who had been listening, called out to me.
“Is there something that caught your attention?”
“Are you sure you aren’t overlooking something important?”
“Something important?”
Her words made me pause. I tried to think it over, but nothing came to mind. No matter how I looked at it, Nias was the most critical factor here.
“Do you know what it could be?”
Unable to figure it out, I asked Saioji directly. She gave a small nod, as though she had anticipated this, and then began to explain.
“It’s you. While the anti-aging technology Nias possesses is extraordinary, you, too, possess an irreplaceable power. You can travel between worlds and through time, engaging in trade… It’s a unique, unparalleled ability.”
According to Saioji’s hypothesis, the Sakura Empire might not be after Nias—they could be after me.
“But how would the future Saioji family even know about me?”
“Well, you’re already connected to me and my father, aren’t you? There’s no guarantee that your existence won’t be revealed in the future.”
Considering that some information about the Saioji Group’s involvement in inter-world businesses had already leaked, it was entirely possible that my existence could be exposed in the future for some reason.
“While anti-aging technology is incredible, there’s at least a theoretical foundation for it—controlling aging through nanomachine regulation or gene manipulation. Even if it’s not possible now, it’s likely that with several breakthroughs, such technology could be realized in the future. But your power…”
“…Yeah, I guess it’s not something they could replicate. Unless there’s another reincarnator with a similar skill.”
In the future world, there seemed to be technology that allowed for instantaneous long-distance travel, like warp drives. But I hadn’t heard of anything like crossing into different worlds.
The skill to travel between worlds would be hard to replicate through science alone. Saioji explained that while Nias’s anti-aging technology might one day be recreated through scientific advances, my inter-world travel skill was of an entirely different nature—something that couldn’t be scientifically reverse-engineered.
Unlike Nias’s technology, my ability had no scientific basis. There were, of course, the rare chance that another reincarnated or transferred individual might possess a similar skill, but that was purely speculative.
“Just to clarify, from what I’ve researched in this world, it seems that every individual known as a *Miko*—a term used for transferred beings—possesses a unique ability.”
“Really? So, even my inter-world travel or your *Kuro* is…”
“Exactly. There may be abilities with similar effects, but no two are exactly the same.”
Since I was a reincarnator, I didn’t stand out much in the Asphial world, looking much the same as its native inhabitants. But Saioji, as a transferred person, was different—her presence was far more conspicuous.
In this world, beings like Saioji were called *Miko*, and many were sought after by the powerful for their abilities.
The reason was the existence of *blessing skills*, which were unique powers not tied to the world’s magical systems. While not all of these skills were overwhelmingly powerful, they often had capabilities that magic couldn’t replicate, making them highly feared.
“I keep my *dark* hidden because if I’m identified as a *Miko*, I’ll be targeted by the powers that be. Being Japanese just makes me stand out even more.”
“I see…”
Saioji shared the burdens she bore as a transferred being, and I couldn’t help but be surprised. She coughed slightly, bringing the conversation back on track.
“What I’m trying to say is that while there might be other *blessing skills* similar to inter-world travel, there’s no guarantee that the exact same skill exists.”
“If they’ve somehow learned about my existence, does that mean I’m the one they’re really after, not Nias?”
“That’s what I’m suggesting.” Finishing her thought, Saioji took a deep breath and downed the rest of her lukewarm tea in one gulp.
“If I had to say one thing, it’s that the Sakura Empire’s current actions are suspicious. If there hadn’t been a political upheaval, there must be some new reason behind their invasion.”
Saioji speculated that if the Sakura Empire had been targeting Nias, they could have done so much sooner. Nias had been living in secret for nearly two hundred years without being discovered, so it seemed unlikely that her cover had suddenly been blown. Instead, the timing of the Empire’s attack, coming right after my journey to the future, and their decision to specifically invade the planet I was on, pointed to the possibility that they had somehow learned about me and were now after me, not Nias.