CH 316

『So that’s why you ended up reaching out to me huh.』

“That’s right, brother-in-law.”

When I said those words with a grin on my face, the expression of the pretty boy on the other side of the screen turned into a grimace.

『I really don’t want to be called brother-in-law by the likes of you.』

“Now, now, don’t say that. Your cute younger brother-in-law didn’t have anyone else to rely on, so I called a reliable person like you.”

『Not cute. You’re not cute at all, dammit.』

The name of the pretty boy whose forehead veins were popping out in vexation on the other side of the screen was Ernst Willrose. He was Elma’s older brother who was residing in the imperial capital.

The Windas star system was a high-tech industrial system located near the imperial capital, so if one made use of hyperspace comms, one could easily communicate with people in the capital in real-time. If one went a little bit further out, long-distance real-time hyperspace communication would be rendered impossible unless one made use of the gateway network. Using the gateways would incur really high fees, so most people rarely used it.

If one wasn’t concerned with communicating in real-time, one could always opt to send messages as holo-message data that will reach the recipient’s data terminal after a number of days, depending on the distance. One could also send the medium that recorded the holo-message itself. Interstellar communication in this world can also be quite a hassle sometimes.

『Nonetheless, I suppose helping you out wouldn’t be so bad if it ends up helping Elma as well and keeping her safe…… After all, you dying will definitely make Elma sad.』

“As expected of you, dear brother-in-law. You’re really dependable, just like I thought.」

『Can you please stop calling me brother-in…… Haah, forget it. In any case, there really are power armor makers that serve as purveyors to nobles who mainly use swords to battle.』

“Oh, that’s great news.”

Basically, the Drawn Sword Faction was a group made up of staunch traditionalists who continue to pursue their perceived ideal image of a powerful aristocrat. The sword was the main symbol of the Graccan Empire nobles, but it was said that good swords needed to be paired with good armor.

For the Graccan Empire nobles, the sword was a symbol of martial power while armor was a symbol of financial might. I do remember something about the aristocratic armor worn by medieval knights back on Earth being really expensive. Was the situation in this world an extension of that?

『However, on top of refusing first-time customers, they wouldn’t do business with commoners as well.』

“What absurd business practices.”

『However, if you have a letter of introduction in addition to being a noble yourself, the story will be different.』

“Will my honorary noble title do?”

『Most likely. You are an honorary viscount, you fully displayed your abilities in that tournament, and even got personally commended by our dear emperor himself. I’m sure there won’t be any problems.』

Brother-in-law Ernst sent some data over while explaining. Apparently, this was the letter of introduction he was talking about. In addition, map data showing the location of the shop in question was also provided. Even if he acts all surly, my dear brother-in-law is actually very considerate. If I were a girl, I might have fallen for him.

『Their main shop is in the capital, but they do have a branch in the Windas system as well. There are many aristocratic soldiers over there after all.』

“Are there actually noble military officers who wear armor while in combat?”

『There are plenty of realists even in the Drawn Sword Faction. No matter how one struggles, there are limits to avoiding lethal laser shots with just one’s own body, and once you do get hit, you probably wouldn’t be able to avoid severe injuries. The defensive capacity of personal energy shields has a limit after all. No matter how strong a noble is after enhancements, they wouldn’t fight while carrying a heavy power generator on their backs without any mechanical assistance. So wouldn’t it make more sense to use power armor to make full use of said generator?』

“I…… suppose? Yeah, that does make sense.”

Should I just give up fighting with swords in the first place? Nah. Depending on the situation, there are times when swords might be more effective than a laser gun or rifle.

『Well, you can hash out the details with them later. I am actually quite busy, so I’ll be excusing myself now.』

“Thank you very much for your help, brother-in-law. I owe you one.”

『Hmph…… If so, then bring Elma and visit the imperial capital from time to time. Father and Mother will probably be relieved when they see her as well.』

“I will do my best.”

After I saluted him, brother-in-law Ernst sighed audibly and cut off the call. Now, just what was with that sigh in the end? Well, just as brother-in-law said, it would be nice to pay a visit to the capital from time to time. We might be called upon by the princess or by that damn emperor though. But let’s just deal with it when it happens. I’m a young man who knows how to properly repay favors after all.

“Now then…… I guess I should call the rest.”

By the way, I was all alone in the hotel room right now. Where did the ladies go, you ask? They went shopping for Kugi’s daily necessities. They felt that she had far to little on her, so they decided to go shopping for her sake. Well, the mechanic sisters needed to report to work, so they didn’t get to participate in the shopping spree. Being a company slave sure is harsh.

“And so, I managed to snag a letter of introduction and information about the shop from brother-in-law.”

“Ooh–”

“I was wondering what you were up to, but to think you called my brother……”

Mimi clapped readily while Elma displayed a bitter smile. It seemed that the task of buying Kugi’s daily necessities was pretty urgent, so after some considerations, it was decided that I’d stay behind in the room while they shopped. As for those considerations, they were things like serving as escorts and mutually looking out for each other, and covering each other’s backs while out and about.

Actually, I haven’t completely trusted Kugi yet. The same was true for Elma and Mei. From yesterday’s story, it can be inferred that the Holy Vuelzarus Empire readily employed psionic technology and techniques, including powerful mental interference. We weren’t sure if Kugi had such an ability, but if she did, she might attempt to use it on us to mess with our heads.

Therefore, I decided to let Mei, who was the only one among us who won’t be affected by such a technique, stick together with Kugi. Mei does have her own sentience and personality, but she doesn’t seem to have a ‘spirit’ that can be interfered with by psionic techniques.

But on the off-chance that it does work on her after all, Mei had already performed several self-checks yesterday and even made a memory back-up just to be sure. So even if she does get subjected to mental interference, it will be possible for her to recover quickly. Hence, she was perfect for keeping an eye on Kugi.

Mimi and Elma tagged along because it made sense for Kugi to be accompanied by other women when shopping for personal effects, and if she did attempt something, it would be easier for Mei to notice anything wrong.

Mimi was just too straightforward and honest, so we didn’t tell her though. I feel bad that we’re basically having her act as bait, but…… if we confirm that Kugi can be trusted, I’ll just have to spill the beans and make it up to her somehow.

“Are you going to head to that armor smith now, My Lord?”

“I was thinking of doing so.”

“I see. I’m looking forward to seeing power armor made by imperial armor smiths.”

While nodding, I took a sip from the contents of a cup made of a plastic-like material I didn’t recognize.

The drink had a peculiar taste. It resembled sweet milk tea, but it was also strangely spicy. I wonder if they actually used spices when making this? I’ve never tried it before, but maybe this drink was similar to chai that’s drunk in India.

“H-Hot…… Fuu–, fuu–”

Apparently, Kugi was cat-tongued, and she frantically blew on the tea to cool it down. That’s kinda cute man. But fox ears combined with cat’s tongue huh. Interesting.

Mimi kept on glancing toward such a Kugi. She wasn’t acting hostile or suspicious. It felt more like she was troubled about how to best interact with the other party.

“Alright then. We’ll head to the shop after a short rest. I’m feeling up for some bubuzuke after drinking this though.”

“Bubuzuke?”

“It’s a dish from my hometown.”

And so, I described bubuzuke to the ladies. Well, it might seem strange to talk about bubuzuke at this time, but it’s an easy-to-understand and feel-good topic after all.

We continued to chat and killed time until the cat-tongued Kugi finally finished drinking her tea.