Chapter 49

Leaving Patterson Pharmacy behind, I headed straight for the 'Fortune-Telling Building' located in a corner of the bustling district.

As always, I made my way through the maze-like interior of the building and entered a shop that simply read 'Crystal Ball Fortune-Telling.'

Inside, a deep green carpet with long fibers to muffle footsteps covered the space, and a table draped in deep purple cloth was placed there.

On the other side, an old woman wearing a gray hooded robe, with a somewhat hooked nose and a witch-like appearance, sat and smiled slyly.

"Oh, welcome. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

While it was probably a business smile for the old lady, it only filled me with fear.

Suppressing that fear, I greeted her.

"You're as energetic as ever."

"I do take care of my appearance, you know. But at my age, things start to go wrong. I'm planning to get a full-body rejuvenation treatment to stay young."

"Wouldn't a full-body rejuvenation treatment only be for cases where there's a life-threatening accident or a serious illness?"

"There are loopholes. I have a lot of connections, you know."

I tried to stop her ambitious plans, reminiscent of Rosweiss, but realized it was futile.

"Anyway, I need some information..."

So, to get to the main purpose, I placed the envelope on the table.

"It's about the terrorism on Earl Icorai's planet, Teura. Please wait a moment..."

She knew what information I needed without me saying it.

Maybe I'm just too predictable.

The old lady put the envelope in her pocket, placed her hand on the crystal ball, mumbled a spell, and began to gaze at the crystal ball for a while.

"Hmm... There aren't many bad rumors about Earl Icorai or his son. Well, the son is a bit arrogant, and the earl himself has a rather unpleasant face."

"I heard he has some quirks?"

I asked, recalling what Zeistoll had said.

"He's a proper noble, but he doesn't look like one."

"So, what's he like?"

"You'll find out if you take the job."

She deftly avoided the question.

"Alright. What about the terrorists?"

"They seem to be advocating that 'it's wrong for the emperor to monopolize important energy resources and hoard the profits.'"

"But the current and previous emperors haven't done that..."

Moreover, the discovery of Triadum ore on planet Teura happened during the reign of the previous emperor, and there's no evidence of monopolization or hoarding.

But who knows what's happening behind the scenes.

"Most likely, the culprits are from the Kingdom of Nekirelma."

The Kingdom of Nekirelma is a neighboring country of the empire. A hundred years ago, they started a war and were about to lose, so they offered part of their territory to avoid colonization by the empire.

"During the Kingdom of Nekirelma's rule, planet Teura was left undeveloped and without financial aid.

Moreover, the people from other planets discriminated against them, calling them country bumpkins and primitives.

When the empire invaded, they abandoned the planet without defending it and handed it over as a peace offering.

It was like they were pushing off something they didn't want.

But as soon as it was discovered that the planet could be developed and would bring in a fortune, they decided to 'take it back because it originally belonged to the Kingdom of Nekirelma.'"

The old lady narrated the history of planet Teura in a matter-of-fact tone.

I could sense anger in her expression, but I didn't press the issue.

"So, the people of planet Teura won't cooperate with the terrorists..."

"There's no way they would.

Between being neglected and discriminated against by the Kingdom of Nekirelma and being developed and enriched by the imperial noble, Earl Icorai, the choice is clear.

Moreover, unlike the Kingdom of Nekirelma, where the nobles are as foolish as the old empire, the current empire, thanks to the efforts of the current and previous emperors, is gradually improving the attitudes of the nobles and pure-blooded imperial citizens. The people of Teura would be stripped of their wealth and treated like slaves under the Kingdom of Nekirelma. Well, thanks to that, the current empire looks better by comparison."

It's a tough situation, but it seems the locals won't turn against us.

"Well, a reduction in energy supply would be bad..."

Even I, with my limited intelligence, can understand that it would be disastrous if planet Teura were to be taken by the Kingdom of Nekirelma.

"Try not to die."

The old lady smiled slyly.

I found it scary and wished she would stop.

Anyway, I went home that day and decided to rest.

The evening news was already reporting on the terrorism in Earl Icorai's territory.

Given the attention it's getting, I doubt the anti-imperialists can openly interfere, but who knows.

On the TV, intellectuals were enthusiastically speculating about the impact of the terrorism on energy supply and the identity of the terrorists.

The next day.

After accepting the mission, I headed straight for planet Teura, Earl Icorai's territory.

At the spaceport, a considerable number of ships were waiting for permission to land.

I got a ticket number from the data terminal, but it looked like I would have to wait for a while, so I decided to read the light novel I had brought.

It was a new release, titled "What's Your Problem If I Turned Out to Be a Camping Car When I Reincarnated?"

Just as I was about to start, with a cup of coffee from the Prabox, I received a call.

The caller was someone I didn't want to hear from.

"Hello..."

"Long time no see, Captain Wuzos♪"

"Is there something you need, Rosweiss?"

"I thought I'd greet you since we're going to the same battlefield."

From her expression and tone on the screen, I could tell she was happy.

It was frustrating to guess the reason.

Still, if Rosweiss is there, we're as good as won, but we can't be complacent.

"You seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen?"

"Yes! My android, which will serve as my avatar, is finally complete!"

I had a feeling that would be the case, but it's definitely the worst news.

"By android, you mean a hybrid of machine and organic material, indistinguishable from a real human, capable of eating and... other activities, right? This will make downtime less boring. Well, I haven't received it yet."

She happily explained the specifications of her avatar.

"Congratulations..."

"Thank you♪ I'll be able to receive it after this job is done!"

She said something that would definitely be a death flag if said by a human.

Still, I wonder if someone like her, who's essentially a ship, needs to eat or engage in other activities.

The ancient civilization's AI must be that advanced.

By the way, now that Rosweiss has an avatar, what will happen to Lambert Liegratz?

"By the way, what will you do with Lambert Liegratz once you receive your avatar?"

She had always wanted to have a competent human on board, but now he would be expendable.

When I asked, she suddenly looked away.

"For now, I'll keep him on. He's become famous and is considerate in many ways."

She shyly explained her treatment of him.

There you go. The birth of a tsundere ancient weapon.

The worst first meeting is a given.

Finally, the feared event is about to begin.

I would appreciate any comments, feedback, or corrections.