episode_0019

Olive Peridot.

As one of the ether buses, an all-purpose energy body that once existed as a gas called the ‘Green Giant Tree’.

How could something like that be in Starlight Colony?

The reason is that-

“I don’t know either.”

“…….”

“I’m not kidding, I really don’t know. It was after I came here that I heard about this from the chairman.”

“Captain Edmund came here by chance due to a personnel change. Although I tried my best to invite them here.”

“Then….”

As for Captain Edmund, not guilty.

He didn’t come because the ether bus was here, but as he came and listened to the story, he came across the ether bus.

then.

“The reason the ether bus is here is-”

“I don’t know!”

“…….”

“It’s true.”

One of only 12 objects in the universe is sitting like a glacier in the basement of the colony. Who would believe me if I said, ‘I don’t know’?

“You may not believe it, but I swear on my soul.”

“Then, you took over the Ether Bus from the predecessor, but its origins are in a situation where it was put into use?”

“No. Neither is he. I thought several times about how to explain it, but…”

“Cloud instructor.”

Edmund Trap pointed to the ether bus perched below.

“One day, a goose laying golden eggs suddenly appeared in the house shed. How should I do this?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Unless the goose cuts itself open and commits seppuku, we need to create a good environment for the goose to continue laying golden eggs.”

“That goose is over there.”

“…….”

I understood it, but I didn’t really want to understand it again.

“Um, Captain Edmund? What is that?”

“Cloud instructors will easily understand if you make an analogy using a proverb or fable from the Earth, or more precisely, from their hometown.”

“…Do I need to explain further?”

“No.”

I stood in front of Principal Fafnir.

“Can I literally think, ‘One day I woke up and I was here’?”

“That’s it! …Well, as you said, when I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a place in this underground space.”

Anyone would be shocked if they opened the refrigerator door and found a goose laying gold bars inside.

Even gold bars pour in infinitely.

Moreover, the goose seems to like the inside of the refrigerator more than expected, so it stays in the refrigerator even when people try to do something around it.

“We had to choose. This etheric bus clearly has something called ‘self’. I don’t know about other people, but I think so.”

“Yes, well.”

“…So we were really worried about how to deal with this Peridot Ether Bus. Coincidentally, this ether bus appeared about 12 years ago.”

“…….”

“No one knows yet whether they liked this place or whether they are just conserving their strength after an emergency landing.”

It can function as a power source that gives infinite power to the entire colony, but it can also be said to be a nuclear bomb that can explode the colony at any time.

“The coveted ether bus. We were also very eager to utilize this.”

also.

“…we made our choice. To hide the Ether Bus. If I told the world that there was an ether bus for no reason, I was afraid that all kinds of pirates, including the Zodiac Federation, would attack Starlight Colony.”

It can also be said to be a smoking gun that announces the start of a large-scale war.

“Our colony is an educational colony. Since ancient times, we have mainly focused on teaching children, but we have not given much importance to how to protect ourselves.”

“I had no intention of starting a war, and I was strong until 12 years ago.”

“Yes. At one time, there were many talented people who could join the Zodiac Alliance subgroups, but as they were all unable to return, the colony began to decline.”

There is a goose that lays green golden eggs that I found in front of the road of decline, and I have no intention of borrowing its power.

“It had to be completely hidden. We had to be as careful as possible to avoid being caught even slightly, and research and develop in a way that only people in the know could manage.”

“Thank you for your hard work back and forth. By any chance, we were trying to control Peridot so that she wouldn’t run away, and we were trying to control Peridot’s information so that it wouldn’t leak out.”

“Haha, really… I went through a lot of hardships in many ways, but that is now reaching its limit.”

Principal Fafnir pointed to the ether bus with a heavy expression.

“The colony owes a lot. The use of ether is useful, but it is also because the taxes received from residents inside the colony have been reduced as much as possible.”

“…….”

“Yes. You made a fool of yourself. I tried my best to figure things out, but my predecessor had already left the world with too much debt.”

The reason why we just smile bitterly and talk to people who can’t be enough to pour out double insults is probably because their ancestors are family members.

“I’ve thought about using Peridot, but unfortunately there is no way to utilize the Ether Bus in our colony.”

“Even if there is an energy source, there is no technology to create something using it, capital to research it, or resources to create an aircraft.”

“Haha, in the past, human resources were abundant…”

Not now.

To be precise, there is no talent with the ‘eyes’ to find those who can create such technology, capital, and resources.

“The colony is currently facing the worst situation in history. However, I believe that using this peridot is the Maginot Line and will be the cause of this colony being engulfed in the flames of war.”

“Of course. Right now, space pirates are probably flying near Starlight Colony at the same time as Fenrir’s appearance.”

“…Did you hear?”

“No. This is just a guess. Their physiology is always like that.”

There are always space pirates where there is money to be made.

If you are chosen by Fenrir and become the owner of the Ether Bus, you will have enough money to pay off your life in the colony.

With that in mind, there may be more space pirate ships than expected that are currently approaching in autopilot mode with Starlight Colony as their final destination.

They won’t try to dock at the colony, but they will try to wander through space and find information about Fenrir.

“In the end, what this colony needs is a pilot who can protect it.”

“Yes. If only Ace can be properly produced, then it is up to the foundation what to do after that, whether it is a loan or a corporate sponsor for the aircraft.”

As long as there are people, nothing is impossible.

The reason the colony was a mess until now was because that ‘person’ wasn’t there.

“So, instructor Trev Cloud. For the sake of this colony, won’t you please sit in the cockpit again?”

Principal Fafnir holds on to the railing handle of the passage with one hand and bends his waist to me at a 90 degree angle.

“If you wish, your old aircraft-”

“The aircraft has already been destroyed. Even if it is restored, the firepower it had at that time will not be released. Straighten up, Principal.”

“Don’t call me the principal, but I am the chairman of the foundation…”

“I can no longer climb Mecca without permission.”

Click.

I took off my mask.

“!!”

“As you can see, my eyes are not normal.”

Confusion flashes in Fafnir’s eyes.

I was more agitated than when I saw him for the first time, in a wheelchair.

“There is no major problem around the light emitted by this ether, but in front of light that has been processed by ether through human hands, my eyes continue to be damaged.”

“That’s….”

“Beam rifle, beam saber, gas explosion, flash grenade, etc.”

Numerous elements of flash bangs occurring on the battlefield stimulate my perspective.

“The only time I get on a mecha is when someone’s life is at stake and I have to protect it even at the risk of my own. …Hehe, I don’t even know how many years have passed since I haven’t climbed Mecca in the first place.”

in other words.

“I am an old man, principal.”

“…….”

“This is a person who cannot do everyday life without this visor. In the first place, if I had been able to operate in a mecha in earnest, regardless of the agreement, various colonies would have paid a lot of money to scout me and make me a pilot, right?”

It may have been like that in the past, but now I am abandoned by the world because I cannot ride the Mecca.

“Even before the principal, there were people who tried to revive me. I received various medical assistance and experimented, but the result was this visual aid.”

“…….”

“Please do not expect me to function as a pilot.”

instead.

“Lavender Whitely. Let’s raise her.”

“That student….”

“Yes. This is the female student who shot her friend. He was a student who discovered his talent late and was just going through trial and error.”

I took out the profile of my student, Lavender, in front of the principal.

“From my experience as a former ace pilot and as a current special forces instructor, I can tell you that she has talent.”

“…How much talent do you have?”

Fafnir’s eyes sink.

“Are you telling me to trust the ‘eyes’ of that hero, not the ‘hero’? As a hero who will entrust the lives of the people and officials of this Ether Bus and 50 million Starlight Colonies?”

“It’s funny to ask you to trust the eyes of the one wearing this mask, but she at least has the talent to become the top gun of each colony of the Zodiac League.”

“……How does it compare to cloud instructors? Based on the heyday.”

“Heyday….”

Making a comparison itself is rude.

“Of course I am better.”

“…….”

“But 3 years. When the time comes for me to pass on all my skills and know-how and graduate.”

I pointed above me.

“I am confident that I will surpass my childhood self.”

Lavender Whiteley definitely has talent.

“Would you like to invest?”

“…What do you need?”

“Well, for now.”

I put my hands together towards the principal.

“……One small private car?”

I said what I needed.