“Public key sharing complete. Common Device link is also normal.”
“I see… I’m getting nervous after all.”
That night, after having made contact with Amadio Salmon, Commander (Eve) called the Common Device she had given to Amadio at the time specified by the man himself.
After three inorganic ringing tones, a click indicated the connection was complete.
“Good evening, Amadio Silverhead-san. I am Eve, the master of ＜Paraiso＞.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. My player name is Foxsky… Ah, I mean, Eve. Nice to meet you properly!”
“Ma’am. His player name is Amadio Salmon, is that alright?”
“＜Ringo＞!! The name he gave is the correct name!!”
“I apologize, Ma’am.”
＜Ringo＞ bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry about that… Nice to meet you again, Amadio-san. I never thought I’d meet a player in this way.”
“That’s right. I didn’t think I’d be able to contact a player this late in the game…”
In the end.
No decisive information came out of this call, and it was filled with small talk from beginning to end.
Neither side trusted the other, and it wasn’t a top-level meeting, so time passed with just private conversation.
“…For the time being, negotiations with you guys will be done at the shipboard conference. Let’s call it a day for today.”
“Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to talk to someone I can relate to. Depending on the situation, I hope we can talk regularly in the future.”
With that, the call ended quickly.
“…Ugh, fwaaa.”
“Good work, Ma’am.”
Confirming that the connection was completely cut, she let out a huge breath and sank into her chair.
“Conversation is really difficult…”
Originally a shut-in, there was no way Commander (Eve) could suddenly have a proper conversation with a stranger. With the full support of ＜Ringo＞, she somehow managed to keep talking.
“If you continue like this, you’ll be able to talk without feeling so pressured. It’ll be alright.”
“Are you my counselor?!”
＜Ringo＞ was making jokes to the extent that she was exhausted. However, it was just the mental fatigue of a simple conversation.
Having recovered some of her energy with the current retort, Commander (Eve) snorted and stood up from the command seat.
“Alright. Well, that’s true. The call with Amadio-san should be once every three days… no, once a week… once every two weeks…”
“I think every day would be fine.”
“Impossible!”
Well, it was ＜Ringo＞’s joke after all. She sent a message, proposing to call once a week for the time being.
“There was an immediate reply. He said OK.”
“More casual than I thought.”
She had sent a polite message, but a comical OK stamp came back quickly. It was hard to believe that he was an old man who had lived for decades (or so it seemed).
“Speaking of which, I wonder what his actual age is. Should I treat him like an old man…?”
“How about asking him next time?”
“…Ugh, that’s a high hurdle…”
It’s too much for a shut-in with communication problems, she muttered, and her shoulders dropped. Originally a shut-in, she had completely cut off contact with others since being transferred to this world.
It would be better not to count ＜Ringo＞ and the six sisters.
If so, Amadio would be her (Eve)’s first contact.
“I wish it had been a meeting without political implications…”
Amadio was a key figure in the Repuytari Kingdom, while she was the queen of ＜Paraiso＞.
Whatever the reality, at least in name.
“Speaking of which, I used to be a man, didn’t I? I forgot, but I remembered it when I talked to Amadio-san.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
And, in the conversation with Amadio, she remembered her discomfort.
She was now realizing that her gender had changed.
“I hadn’t noticed it at all until now. But when I talk to other people, I can’t help but be aware of it…”
From the other person’s expression and tone of voice to her own words and way of speaking. Once she started to notice it, she couldn’t help but focus on it, which seemed to be stressful.
“Ugh, I can’t relax when I think about the next time…”
And so, she went to bed that day with a vague feeling.
Commander (Eve) fell asleep instantly, as usual.
◇◇◇◇
Is this gospel, or the sound of a bell of destruction?
Amadio Salmon looked up at the night sky from the terrace of his mansion.
“Is it too late, or is it finally here…”
He muttered, fiddling with the Crystal hanging from his chest.
“It’s been a long time…”
How many years had passed since he woke up in this world?
At first, he was confused, and after calming down, he lived desperately.
He had resented his ageless body, but that had become a memory.
“But, if I do it right, the regeneration of that thing is no longer a dream.”
What he needed was scientific power.
A large-scale facility that could regenerate data, perform calculations, and generate energy to maintain it.
It took a lot of effort to realize it.
“Well, first I have to build a friendly relationship.”
That ＜Paraiso＞, and the woman named “Eve” he had just spoken to.
Drei and Vier, whom he had met on the ship, seemed to be some kind of mechanical dolls, but there was a human shadow behind them. That’s because there’s no way a Superintelligence (AI) with broken reins would be so friendly.
“I owe this country, so I can’t be reckless.”
He was also a great aristocrat, a duke with power second only to the royal family. Although it was a matter of degree, he was willing to contribute to the Repuytari Kingdom.
Even so, if he could realize his long-cherished desire, which he had put his entire life into, he would not mind some sacrifices.
“Well, that’s why I helped them take the country in the first place.”
Depending on the circumstances, he might even offer his secret treasure.
If that would gain him trust.
Or, if it could be used as some kind of bargaining chip.
“I could just leave it to them… But… that’s too risky.”
He didn’t feel like entrusting it to them without knowing their personality. He could consider it as one option, but it wasn’t his top priority.
“For the time being, negotiations will continue for a while. It’s eerie that I can’t quite see what they’re thinking… Our goals are fundamentally different…”
The reason why a force that could build and dispatch such a large ship was interested in such a backward country.
If he could predict that, he could negotiate.
“It’s hard to only be able to beg for mercy.”
And so, Amadio Salmon turned on his heel.
He grabbed the arm that was thrust out from behind him and turned his body around.
“……ッ!”
“Oops. You’re not going to make a sound? Good boy.”
He pressed the assailant to the floor of the terrace and smiled faintly.
“If you want to do something to me, bring 50 more people.”
Then you might be able to give me a scratch or two?
The man who was being held down groaned slightly at Amadio Salmon’s provocation.
“I don’t know who sent you… or maybe you haven’t been told. I’ve been underestimated a lot while I’ve been holed up.”
He put strength into the arm he was holding down. The assailant lost consciousness just from that.
The blood flow was accurately blocked, and the oxygen supply to the brain was inhibited.
“Tsk. It’s a pain to call the guards…”
Amadio Salmon grumbled, grabbed the unconscious man, and pulled him up. He would hand him over to the soldiers guarding outside the room.
“I mean, this will increase the number of guards, right? I can’t relax at all…”
The last time he came, he had forced them to reduce the number of soldiers, but this time, instead of reducing them, the number would increase even more.
No matter how strong Amadio was, it would be a matter of honor to be without guards. That should be the Navy’s decision.
“Damn it. It’s probably some old man’s rampage… Yeah, let’s crush them. It’s a good chance to get along with the ＜Paraiso＞ guys. Okay, okay, let’s do that.”
And so, the Repuytari Kingdom would enter a time of great change.