CH 169

“I’ve been generally convinced of Aniue’s thoughts.”

Fu~hn, because you’re a brocon?

“However, only to the order of helping Sophie Linier as a silver star did I refuse. In the first place, I was against appointing you as the purple star.”

It’s an honor for you to be against it――but Sophie didn’t say it, instead, she asked, “Can I ask for the reason at least?”

“There’s only one reason. By that point in time, my demotion to a duke’s family was already confirmed. There’s no need to appoint an unusual purple star and risk danger for Aniue.”

I wonder why? Even though he said decent things, I could only hear it as brocon remark?

The expression and tone of Remiel, the queen’s son, when talking about Ferio, his half-brother, could be taken as him stepping down to Ferio, but it could only be seen as a thoughtless, one-track mind brocon to Sophie.

“Sophie?”

“Eh?”

Because Sophie thought too much about brocons, she ended up missing the essence of the conversation.

Perhaps it was apparent from her expression that her name was called as if to make sure she was listening to the conversation.

“Ah- okay okay. Basically, you’re saying there’s no need for bringing up a girl as a purple star who would bring a big disaster if she fails and let your dear brother succeed the throne normally, aren’t you?”

Sophie’s simple and rather random response made Remiel deeply affirm.

No matter who saw it, the purple star girl replied sloppily. Everyone, including Gerald, saw such a strange exchange with strange eyes.

Is it okay for the two to have a conversation like that?

But if they asked, Remiel would frown upon them. They couldn’t enter the conversation even if they wanted to. Even as the kneeling black star slowly stood up and listened, the conversation between Sophie and Remiel continued.

“Besides, I have read of the plan you devised, but there’s something I feel strange about.”

“……Something you feel strange about?”

Is there some flaw in my writing? Sophie listened closely to make sure.

“Things that are required in that plan, be it knowledge, principle, plans, even small things like consumables, are something that our nation could accomplish over a short period of time. But somehow, it felt like everything that was put there was a replacement since the real requirement couldn’t be fulfilled. It makes me think that the person who wrote it actually knew other things that would allow it to work better――――Or to be blunt, it strongly felt like imitation.”

His tranquil purple eyes showed no emotion as he said that.

Due to an unexpected remark, Sophie’s thin shoulders twitched.

“The person who made the plan seems to have seen something and learned ‘that’. ‘That’ applied greater technology, but our nation lacked ‘that’, thus making it unable to be applied. That’s why, the plan instead used replacements that, while it would make something less potent, would become something that could actually be accomplished. That’s what I felt when I read that.”

This man…

“Sophie Linier is not the person who came up with that. I have doubts that you are imitating something, or someone has told you to write it in their stead――”

As Remiel spoke his reason why he was against Sophie being granted the purple star, Sophie smiled lightly.

She ended up relaxed because she thought he was a brocon, but it seemed Remiel was a troublesome person in a different way than Lorenzo.

No, I won’t find it weird if Lorenzo-sama and Alan-sama also had such doubts.

But those two were adults. Even if they held their doubts, they still acted so the other party wouldn’t notice. Their suspicion would only sublimate in the form of a question. Of course, if there was a problem in Sophie’s behavior, they would deal with her immediately.

Sophie already expected the principle and the source of the knowledge would be expected from the beginning. Even if someone pointed out it was an imitation, she wouldn’t be surprised or confused. She knew more than anyone else she was just a fake genius.

“――I didn’t particularly care about what you thought about it.”

For the sake of accomplishing the project, even if she needed to spout a hundred lies or become a swindler, she would make sure to see it to completion. It was exactly because Sophie had such a resolve that she laughed proudly.

“Doesn’t the thing you imitated exist somewhere?”

“Then good luck finding it, you may search for it all over the world. I hope you can find it before you die.”

As Sophie smiled softly like a girl this time, Remiel squinted.

“…Does that mean it no longer exists?”

“No, it existed. Inside my head, so much so, it overflowed.”

Remiel pondered as he stared at Sophie. He was trying to see through lies and deceit.

Exactly because she knew that, Sophie revealed her arrogance.

“Replacement? That’s right. The thing I wrote is merely a replacement after all. Originally, there was something more suitable for the task. There’s still something that could be sought for. However, the era hasn’t reached there yet. That’s all there is to it.”

“So you keep insisting you are the true creator?”

“You can take it as you like. Regardless of what you feel and think, your heart is yours alone. I’m not thinking about changing that, and nothing will change the future I seek.”

Not only did the thing it was imitating not exist but there wouldn’t be any meaning in searching for it. Things might be different if it really existed, but Sophie knew better than anyone that such a thing didn’t exist in this world.

“Then let me change my question. If you have the perfect form, why did you not prepare that one first? Even if you started with an imperfect form, they would only produce results less than expected, wouldn’t they?”

“Oh my, there’s no such a thing as perfection.”

Sophie denied it casually. The impossible response of the girl, who was in charge of the project of all people, actually affirmed the things she made were imperfect.

Sophie didn’t mind the black star’s gaze filled with criticism and continued.

“Do you know how many perfect things there are in this world? Things that people sought keep evolving. There’s something that lies beyond the best. There’s no end point to that, no matter how far it is in the future. As long as someone keeps searching for something better, there’s no such thing that’s perfect in this world. What exists is the best they could achieve at the moment.”

“I see. So that means your lifespan would run out before then.”

Sophie smiled at Remiel’s blunt remark.

Sophie already knew that from the beginning.

“That’s right. Until I die, I won’t know if my ideal could be realized in the true sense. What I made is just the foundation. It is something that would remain even after my passing. It would be plenty if the foundation would serve as inspiration for the people who would carve history decades and centuries in the future. As long as that remains, won’t the aspiration continue from now on?”

Same could be said for Tasuku’s memories that Sophie had. The wealth of knowledge left behind by the great people remained and took shape in different forms. Sophie wanted to let it take shape in this world――

Looking at the girl who spoke strongly without any fear, Remiel was silent for a while.

It was rare for the man who kept asking questions to not ask anything for quite a while. Instead, what came out of his mouth was something that put the others in disarray.

“If you wish for it, I don’t mind helping you as your best friend.”

“――Hah?”

“Aniue also wished for that, and you would also prefer that, right?”

Sophie tilted her head at the sudden offer to help.

Leaving the best friend remark aside, if he wanted to help, that would be better…

But what did he mean by Sophie also preferring that?

For some reason, Sophie couldn’t think it referred to his helping the project from Remiel’s tone, which added to the mystery. The answer to that question immediately came out of his mouth.

“You have been in a romantic relationship(koinaka) with Aniue since childhood, haven’t you?”

“…………Inside carp(koinaka)?”

For a moment, Sophie imagined carp swimming inside the river, but she immediately shook her head and thought, “No no, that’s not it.”

He probably meant how two people were in love, but even after understanding the words, Sophie was still confused.

Why did this man think Ferio and Sophie were in a romantic relationship?

Is he seriously saying that?

Tasuku’s expression appeared on her face.

What would she do if the half-lidded eyes stuck to her face and were unable to revert back?