NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 107
“… Is there something strange about my face?”
As I started to feel awkward, both Yuzu and Eri were staring at me intently. I wondered if there was something about my appearance that caught their attention, so I decided to ask.
“No, it’s just that you look exactly as described in the reports.”
As Saioji had predicted, Yuzu and Eri, agents of the Sakura Imperial Kingdom, had come all the way to Zerad to find me. According to their information, they had a detailed profile of me, including my photograph and personal records. It seemed they were simply surprised that I matched the data they had.
(What was the future me up to? I’m curious, but at the same time, I’m not sure if I want to know…)
If this world is indeed Earth’s distant future, then it’s natural to assume that the version of me in this world has already passed away.
The fact that they’ve been investigating my background means they might know what I’ll do in the future, which makes me wonder even more.
(Was I still working as a member of the Saioji Group? Or had I returned to Asphial World…?)
At the very least, I must have become someone significant enough that the Sakura Imperial Kingdom would investigate me after thousands of years.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel relieved knowing that Nias wasn’t the target they were after.
“But why did your kingdom go as far as launching an invasion? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just send agents like you and Yuzu?”
“I understand your point, Allen-sama, but searching for a specific individual on a foreign planet is an immense challenge. While we knew you were on this planet, we couldn’t pinpoint your exact location.”
Yuzu agreed with my reasoning that avoiding conflict would have been better, but she also explained how difficult it would have been to locate someone on a foreign planet without precise information.
“What about diplomacy?”
“The Roifana Holy Kingdom wouldn’t have refused, but in that case, there was a risk you’d be used as a bargaining chip. At worst, you could’ve been put on a wanted list or held hostage for ransom in exchange for search expenses from the kingdom.”
It seemed the upper echelons of the Sakura Imperial Kingdom had concluded that a direct military invasion of Zerad would be faster and more effective than tedious diplomatic negotiations.
The Sakura Imperial Kingdom and the Roifana Holy Kingdom had a significant disparity in military strength, so the kingdom believed that sending a fleet as a threat would allow them to achieve their objectives swiftly without much back-and-forth.
“And as agents of the Imperial Kingdom, we were tasked with gathering information not only on the Zerad government but also on you, Allen-sama. The information passed to Sears was part of that effort.”
It turned out that the one primarily dealing with Sears was not Yuzu, but Eri.
She was also the one who had received and confirmed the letter I had sent through Gonz.
“We never expected to receive a letter from you, Allen-sama…”
“Indeed, it was quite a surprise, as locating you was our top priority from the start.”
Both Eri and Yuzu expressed how astonished they were when they received my letter.
(Well, I guess the pressure from the higher-ups must’ve been immense, considering they sent a fleet all the way to invade a planet in another galaxy…)
As I was pondering that thought, Eri began speaking again.
“It was heartbreaking for me to think that a noble member of the Goka Clan, like yourself, was forced to live in such a remote place with demi-humans…”
“Huh?”
Eri, who until now had seemed like a kind and gentle older sister, suddenly said something so unexpected that I thought I had misheard her.
Her words carried an eerie mixture of reverence and disdain, making me feel as though I’d glimpsed a darker side of her. Before I could question her further, Yuzu quickly reached out and covered Eri’s mouth.
“I apologize for her remarks. She’s from the inner circle of the Fuji Clan, so sometimes her deep loyalty leaks out…”
“No, it’s alright…”
The inner circle of the Fuji Clan? The Goka Clan? Unfamiliar terms kept popping up, but I tried to move the conversation forward.
“The ones searching for me are from the Saioji family, right? So why is someone from the Fuji Clan, like Eri, involved?”
“I’ll summarize this briefly since it’s a complex matter, but this mission is a joint operation between the Saioji and Fuji families… I’m an agent of the Saioji family, while she is an agent of the Fuji family.”
A joint operation? That made me wonder why the Fuji family, not just the Saioji family, had a reason to search for me.
If I remember correctly, the Fuji family was known to have women with special abilities referred to as shrine maidens.
However, unlike the Saioji family, I didn’t have any direct connections with them.
“I understand why the Saioji family would be looking for me, but why is the Fuji family involved?”
Both Yuzu and Eri looked puzzled at my question, as if they didn’t understand what I was getting at.
Is there some fundamental misunderstanding between me and them? Just as I was thinking that, Eri suddenly gasped loudly and whispered something into Yuzu’s ear.
“!… I see. If that’s the case, then it makes sense why there’s a discrepancy in information between us and Allen-sama.”
After hearing Eri’s whisper, Yuzu seemed to come to a realization. The awkwardness between us was now explained.
“What exactly is this discrepancy?”
I asked them to clarify the apparent gap in understanding between us. However, both Yuzu and Eri seemed deeply troubled, as if they couldn’t quite explain it.
“We’re terribly sorry, but this is information beyond our authority. We’ll need to transfer this to our higher-ups at the hotel arranged by the Sakura Imperial Kingdom. Would that be acceptable?”
“A hotel?”
“Yes, it’s in Area 1 of this city, and we’ve borrowed it from Sears. There, we’ll connect you with the upper management who can provide you with more accurate information.”
Yuzu looked at me with an apologetic expression, indicating that the information was too sensitive for mere agents like them to handle.
(What kind of information could this be?)
I was extremely curious, but it seemed I wouldn’t get the answers unless I agreed to meet them at the hotel.
…Not that I had much choice. It didn’t seem like they’d just let me walk away now. So, I nodded and agreed to go to the hotel.