8 "A dual without president between the Empires."
At the secret base inside the Kamidake, things were feeling surreal as the girls dealt with the fantasy residents who were busy moving the equipment from heavens amusement part to the new base. Hakuren was busy directing everyone all night and it was in full operation by the next morning.
"Thanks for the help, Ryoko .... Oh, I mean Erma, I was able to afford to do the data transplant because of your assistance and honestly I thought of going with only the minimum necessary parts."
"Your people weren't half bad themselves, so I also enjoyed it, I was particularly surprised by Ms. Sajyu, I understand now what washu meant when she said she sort of resembled a royal tree."
"You say that but it's thanks to the system here, it's not surprising, there was no lag so there was no stress on the link. There's no way we can ever go back to using our previous system after that, there's no turning back."
"Although the ship's progress was slow compared to the Armored cavalry originals, the difference between them was just too big, even though the Kamidake was heterogeneous with them, even at the highest level, It was over triple the specs, so Erma I'm sure you understand why they felt that way."
"It's the result of a major revision of the system, which was still inefficient so it was being used in a poorly spliced together state."
"Everything is the same ... But ... Well, we did a lot of revisions. It's most the the result of utilizing things far more efficiency."
"Actually, its all possible because when Seina came to the academy he caused a big malfunction of the central system that brought the whole thing down and eventually we realized that we had a unified system the whole time that Washu- sama built in secret."
"really ... ...."
"Well that's the system were using now, I felt the same way about it as you when I first used it."
"wow, she hid a centralized system ... And for so long how and why did she do that?"
"We still don't know.Well ,But honestly I'd rather not ask.... Philosophers have weird interests."
"Yeah it might be left over from some horrible project."
"Seina brought a lot of ridiculous occurrences with him so no one questioned it and we all just got used to it."
"I guess I can see that ... I guess we shouldn't think too hard about it either."
"Well, that's right, as far as I can tell, the facilities here are more advanced then anywhere in Renza. Kaguya might be the only one not benefiting from them."
Sajyu and others turned to look at Kaguya who was collapsed on a sofa nearby.
"Hello Kaguya, are you ok? You look sick.
I may look sick but I'm sturdy ... Think of me as a human-shaped dragon.
"your more like an older one then a young one. It's not surprising that Ogre can't keep up with all this heavy lifting ... Or rather, I should say its not surprising that Kaguya can't.
"Dragons? ... There a legendary monster in the Galactic Federation. It's said some have seen them on unexplored planets, but it's almost like a ghost story."
"A lot of real things have been confirmed in Renza to exist that most of your people consider legends. "What do you think about kiriko"
"... ... Excuse me, but I feel an extreme level of intimidation."to what kaguya said sajyu and souren each nodded at the same time.
"Intimidating... That's certainly understandable ...... Juraian royals are the strongest fighters in the entire galactic federation, but she is a nice person unless you are doing something detrimental to Seina. "
"I've heard many scary stories from Hakuren- sama but ...... The intimidation of her gaze alone is frightening ... ...."
It seems that Souren was trembling by just remembering it.
"I'm sure she has no I'll will towards you."
"Even so ... ... Somehow her gaze drops the barometric pressure of the room ......"
"...... Sajyu and souren are right. I'm a fighter, and I can tell you that I am just glad that she isn't my enemy ... ....
Kaguya was half crying. She looked like a cat trembling in a corner, it's hair puffed up to intimidate while it cowers in fear.
"so in battle, what do you think will happen kaguya?"
"It might be difficult for her to adjust to armored knights fights, but if she can adjust using the "Charon Wolf" I can definitely see her winning with ease. "
"Yes that is the only problem..."
"... .... But not for long, we have to go see the " Battle Ethics Committee" later today."
""really ?! ""
Souren and Kaguya distorted looked shocked at what sajyu said
"What is the battle ethics committee?"
"The royal family's organization for training the royal family for duals."
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Kiriko arrived in one of the special harbors with Souren and Kaguya as her 1attendants. It was a place where VIP-only ships departed and arrived.
"That would be the ship of the Ethics Committee."
She pointed to one of the largest ships there.
"... Great"
Kaguya appeared to be slightly off put by being in such a luxurious location. Racepshi had many other bigger and more luxurious ships than the ethics committee's ship, but was purposely docked here because it looked the best here.They did that to intimidate people and make the luxuriousness of it stand out.
(What poor taste.)
However, those who came from the Galactic Academy had seen many such ships, and better, to them it seemed like a shoddy row boat. The ships gathered at Seina's wedding were far more intimidating. And most of all Jurai held the opinion that if one had true power such decorations were meaningless. Mizuki and Seina's Kamidake were after all far more extraordinary ships.
They came to the dock of the super-luxury ship, each has its own crew facility, like an independent mansion. The limousine bus on which Kiriko was on headed to the largest residence.
After entering the gate, they stopped at the porch of a building that seemed like luxury hotel in a secluded place, were about 100 escorts and maids dressed in fancy military uniforms greeted them. They weren't there to welcome Kiriko's visit, but merely to intimidate them. Of course, in front of a Juraian,they were practically just background scenery.
"Welcome, are you Ms. Kiriko Masaki?"
A noble highly decorated and wearing medals to show his authority said as he stood in front of maids who bowed to him. The medals were bullet proof and likely a substitute for armor.
"Yes, Who are you?" Kiriko asked in a low voice with a business attitude, rather than one that was condescending.
"Don't you know me? Aren't you a Galactic Federation ambassador."
"Should I have asked someone else?"
"Wow ... I'm the Count of the Kasen Kingdom ... hmm !?"
At that moment, the nobleman distorted his expression.
"I'm a princess of the Masaki Family, one of the four Royal families of the Juraian Empire. How dare the aristocracy be so rude to me."
For Kiriko, spouting off her position was embarrassing and unfamiliar to her. But once she became a part of the royal family, protecting the authority that came with it became a necessity.
As seto would put it "I don't need to be shy to those who take my position as a joke. Rather than be shy I'll should show them why they shouldn't do that! And I'll do so thoroughly!"
More than that, Funaho, who became Kiriko's mother-in-law, had a history of having been insulted for her origin, and like Kiriko, She was adopted from the earth, so letting her position be smeared was was tantamount to letting the empresses herself be smeared.
He was lightly intimidated likely due to shame. But Kiriko, had been very light on him.
"Hehehehehehe ..."
The smell of something that a noble man couldn't even say drifted out and rushed into the air.
The maids were terrified of Kiriko, and the guards were unable to move as if they were solidified.
(How low skilled these people are.) She was amazed even through her anger.
(Is this the power of Renza? Is there aristocracy really this useless? Wait Isn't the Ethics Committee a governmental office?)
"Kiriko-sama ... Tone it down please." Souren softly whispered to Kiriko.
"Why should I. Thanks to them I've been put through this hardship in the first place, Why should I make them feel like they have any sort of advantage over me when they don't? I was hoping to get out to mingle for a bit peacefully, but I didn't think they would ever be this foolish."
"Sorry, Kiriko Masaki. Please calm down there's no need to be angry."
a butler-style man said from behind her. His behavior was calm and like Kiriko's intimidation his speech had a delicate elegance to. He was probably a butler who was in charge of business affairs.
"I'm not angry. I'm appalled. We don't have any diplomatic relations, but even so you shouldn't be so rude to a princess of another country. Or is this just the courtesy that all of Renza shows it's nobles?"
If that's the case then I'm just responding with the appropriate response isn't that right? "
"That's not the case.Despite the role of this organization, we have a philosophy of treating everyone equally. Even if their Renzan royalty, of course."
"That's fine, but I don't believe you. And why was I called here without explanation? And where are we on the ship."
"I can only say that it is our custom. And you better calm down because this the middle of..."
"The middle of what?" Kiriko was in full intimidation mode
...... Renzan territory ...."
Her mask of pretending to be calm broke.
"Huh? When did we enter Renza territory!?"
"Just a moment ago ...
"Hmm but there was no formal permit for you to do so. Mr. Souren, please confirm."
"Wait, wait. There's no need for that from here on, we'll bring you ..."
"Relax everything is alright..."
"Hrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
Kiriko exclaimed as she glared at the his attempts to calm her down had failed.
"Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I'll just let you take me out of Racepshi's territory? And then your actually foolish enough to try to threaten me? And you call this hospitality.... Do you think I'm stupid because I'm a juraian princess or is it because I'm a woman?"
"............"
"Did you really think I'll just go along with such a low quality farce like the one you pulled on Racepshi? I'll have you know that I can take control of a single ship like this by myself."
The moment Kiriko said that, nearly a thousand Guardians materialized all over the place. And many of the Guardians that the committee had used to hide behind were captured and destroyed.
"What ! To think you'd do such thing ... How foolish."
"The moment you took me away from racepshi this became a kidnapping of a royal family from another country. I should have annihilated you at that point... I don't even need these guardians, I could do it on my own if I wanted."
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
"The fact that my guardians have materialized here means that this exchange is being broadcasted."
"Gah!"
"You bastard, you have a pretty bad reputation, to think that you'd insist that the incident the other day was my work, As if we didn't have witnesses, and what then you expect me to take the fall for it? It's a tower built of sand and you don't even have the power to back it up."
"You will never be able to work freely in Renza."
""Are you going to disobey the promise of a duel?" are you invalidating the very basis for the battle itself? Should I take this as a consensus reached by Renza ... Are you OK with making such a decision on their behalf?"
Kiriko smiled a smile. Not only was the man infront of her trembling but so was Souren.
"No nothing like that, that is just my personal opinion ..."
"Oh, and is that because you really don't even have the power to do so? You're not even an Authentic Earl of the Kasen Kingdom are you"
"No way ! Why do you say that?"
To Kiriko 's remarks, souren quickly looked at the man's panicked face. But officially speaking he had been active as an earl for quite some time.
"Have you had your genetics altered since you were born?"
"No ... ... It's just ..."
"The committee officer is a Hereditary inherited position, you're not even the person who should have the position."
"Please stop, ... ...."
His biggest secret was being revealed, he locked up and was only able to stare at kiriko.
"I only agreed to fight you to humor your country's interests, but that doesn't mean I have to do things according to your expectations. Are you sure you want to change the conditions of the battle here? I'm more then happy to call off the fight and end this a much more personal way, Either way I'm not going to be losing this fight."
" Kiriko- sama ... ... !?
As soon as Souren approached to stop her, Kiriko raised her hand lightly to hold him back.
"Come on, please by all means, Tell me how you want to proceed."
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"...... I can't believe he agreed to your conditions... I suppose that's good right?"
After the discussion, Souren finally opened his mouth on the return limousine bus back.
"It's really up to whatever washu's imagination has created, I have no time to engage with people like that. Let's just get this thing over with."
"Oh, are you angry?
"Let's just say I understand better now why pirates choose to fight them in one on one duals."
Kiriko let out a big sigh relieving the strained atmosphere of the car.sehw as aware from erma telling her earlier that the others were intimidated by her and wanted to change their view of her.
"Well that was pretty embarrassing for him ... ...."
" Kiriko- sama, that was an amazing number of guardians, even if the ship was full of the entire ethics committee, you could have over powered them in a few minits."
"well really though I'd never even need to use them like that, I'm more enough on my own."
""eh?"" A casual reply, Kaguya and souren seemed taken back by that response.
"I feel like there's more to that then your telling us..."
-----------------end of chapter----------------