NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 104
“Wait, Rene’s not here?”
After receiving some advice from Saiōji and forming my own conclusions, I returned to the research lab using the Moon Gate, intending to discuss it with Nias and the others. However, while Nias, the owner of the lab, was present, Rene was nowhere to be seen.
“Rene-chan went back to the Bozon residential area to gather more information,” Nias said, spinning around in her swivel chair to face me as she explained Rene’s absence.
“You’re looking a lot better,” I remarked.
“Well, there’s no point in worrying endlessly, right? It’s still better than when I first started being chased,” she replied.
Compared to before, Nias did indeed look much healthier. Her eyes had regained their spark, and her complexion had improved significantly. It wasn’t so much that she’d fully overcome her troubles but more like she had accepted the situation. At least, she didn’t seem to be recklessly desperate anymore, which was a positive sign.
“I talked to an acquaintance from the other world and came up with some things I wanted to discuss. It would’ve been nice if Rene were here too, though…”
“She’ll probably be back here by the evening,” Nias responded.
In that case, she wouldn’t be back for a few hours. I checked the time using the Access Gear.
“Well, there’s no helping that. I’ll just tell you what I’ve got so far.”
“Alright, what is it?”
Nias was looking into escape routes off of planet Zerad through the internet, while Rene was gathering information via her connections in the Bozon residential area. If there had been an easy way to escape, we would have already done so, but in the meantime, they were also exploring ways to remain hidden.
“I’ve been thinking… What if the Sakura Imperial Army is actually targeting me, not you? I got the idea after discussing it with someone from the past Saiōji family. I think it’s a possibility worth considering.”
I briefly explained to Nias who Saiōji Shizuku was. I didn’t go into the complex details about her being transported to another world, as that would only confuse things. Instead, I just introduced her as a member of the Saiōji family from the past, and I shared the key points of our conversation with Nias.
“I see… It did seem a bit strange that the Sakura Imperial Army would suddenly decide to come after me… But do you really think that’s the case?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
Nias appeared to understand my point but also questioned whether it made sense for the army to be targeting me instead of her.
“I mean, I’m a criminal, so it makes sense for them to send a military force after me. I’ve escaped and gone into hiding, after all. But would they really send an entire fleet just to come after you, Allen, when you haven’t done anything wrong?”
“Well… now that you mention it, yeah.”
Nias understood why she, as someone who had committed crimes, would warrant the deployment of a military force or a similar powerful organization. After all, wars had broken out over her whereabouts in the past, so it wasn’t completely unreasonable.
However, in my case, if the Sakura Imperial Army were really targeting me, Nias questioned whether it made sense to send a large fleet. Couldn’t they just send some agents to make contact with me instead? That would be more efficient.
—
“I see, so you’re saying there’s a chance that you’re the one being targeted, not her… and that’s why you want to use Sears as a go-between to contact the Sakura Imperial Army’s agents?”
“Yeah, thanks for understanding so quickly.”
Since both Saiōji and Nias had valid points, I decided to investigate directly. But I had no connections to the Sakura Imperial Army, and without any solid leads, the odds of finding their agents before the war broke out were slim.
So I called Rene, who was currently gathering information in the Bozon residential area, and gave her a summary of what I had discussed with Nias.
“It’s a tough call. Without solid information, Sears won’t agree to be a go-between.”
“What about offering them a gift, like last time when we used alcohol to get their help?”
“That probably won’t work. If Sears introduces the wrong person to the Sakura Imperial Army, it could damage their reputation. They’ll be cautious.”
It was never going to be easy, I thought to myself as I listened to Rene’s reply.
“How about just sending a letter, then?”
“A letter? That could work, but don’t expect a quick reply. We don’t have much time left.”
There was no telling how long it would take for the letter to reach them, and the war might even break out before we got a response.
But I had an idea. What if, in the letter, I specified a meeting place and time, and if they were truly looking for me, I could include something in the message that would catch their attention?
I explained my plan to Rene. After thinking it over for a moment, she gave a short, hesitant response.
“That’s risky. Are you sure about this?”
“It’ll be fine. I’m good at making a quick escape if things go south.”
By “escape,” I mostly meant using the Moon Gate to jump to another location. I wasn’t much for fighting, but I had full confidence in my ability to disappear if necessary.