Ch.237Dark Times

# Chapter 237: Dark Times

Of course, I don’t think she expected that such an extreme abbreviation would be enough for Artraia and me to understand.

The Saint said that since things had come to this, she would explain “moderately” in detail about how the situation unfolded, along with her name.

————————————–

But shortly(?) after.

‘You promised to keep it moderate, why are you doing this!’

I realized that our Eternia Saint, no, Lady Maria, perhaps due to her age, had completely forgotten that she was a typical too-much-talker style person who pursued extensive conversation like an ordinary grandmother welcoming her grandchildren after a long time.

“So, you see, that’s why I had no choice but to come here.”

“I-I see.”

I was caught in complex thoughts as I observed how this meeting, which had begun at the crack of dawn, continued until evening when Kesada’s sunlight was setting beyond the horizon.

But thanks to what should be called Lady Maria’s “moderate” yet detailed explanation, as she herself had put it.

After Lady Maria’s grand explanation ended, I was able to understand just how serious the actions of the First Emperor were, while I had been racking my brain trying to mediate the conflict between ISTO and the Fuchsviet Federation.

[Pause]

I immediately activated pause to organize my confused mind that had received too much information.

But as I started organizing, I couldn’t help but think how bleak everything seemed.

‘How can she tell this story with a smile?’

First, through a spatial portal that suddenly opened in the capital… no.

Through a spatial portal presumably opened by the First Emperor, an estimated 10,000,000+ cosmic monsters poured down, causing the capital to fall within 30 minutes.

And it wasn’t ‘just’ the capital that was hit—all the research complexes, bases, fleets, and shipyards located in the capital planetary system were completely wiped out.

Even worse, during this process, all members of the Eternia royal family were annihilated, except for Lady Maria who stands before us.

As soon as the royal family was wiped out, the First Emperor descended upon the capital in what is presumed to be his main form… without his mother.

Lady Maria, who witnessed her family and the imperial capital being destroyed in real-time, mobilized all her power (99% being her own) to unleash a furious attack, but…

No matter how powerful an Ether Dragon might be, the First Emperor wouldn’t lose to just one Ether Dragon, so she was defeated instead.

While the Saint’s guards sacrificed themselves to buy time, Lady Maria barely managed to escape… that was Lady Maria’s story.

‘Wow, this is really serious.’

By the way, while listening to these stories, she spoke so calmly about her family being massacred that we listeners couldn’t hide our bewilderment.

‘Oh, you needn’t worry too much. I’ve manipulated some hormones and electrical signals in my brain so that I no longer feel emotions about that part.’

‘…Excuse me?’

‘The grief and anger about that can be dealt with after this crisis is over.’

It seemed that Ether Dragons could control even their unconscious emotions.

So we didn’t mention that part anymore, but…

The damage Eternia suffered wasn’t limited to just losing one planetary system.

The countless population living in the imperial capital.

The orbital defense facilities, fleets, orbital ring shipyards, numerous data repositories, research complexes, and industrial facilities installed in the capital planetary system.

Various academy facilities for the newly born population.

All the resource mining areas, research facilities, and colonies in the capital planetary system.

Everything that formed the foundation of the nation had been completely wiped out in a single moment.

Moreover, the psionic veil protecting Eternia’s territory disappeared when the capital planetary system was seized.

And since the remaining territories outside the capital planetary system were operated almost entirely as unmanned bases…

It was no exaggeration to say that all Eternia Empire had left was literally just its shell.

According to Lady Maria, even that shell of the Eternia Empire would remain intact for the time being, protected by unmanned ships produced by automated unmanned shipyards.

After hearing these stories, I realized that the plan I had discussed with Artraia and Samiya needed to be completely revised.

From a plan to request Ether Dragons to eliminate the First Emperor with a single strike, to replacing the dragons with the nations of the galaxy.

‘…Wait, there was an even more important issue right now?’

But at this point, I remembered that there was one extremely critical problem.

After all, what did Lady Maria say when she first began her story?

‘Then I shall explain briefly: your First Emperor has seized Eternia’s capital planetary system, and as a result, the Dimensional Fission Bomb stored there has fallen into his hands.’

The ‘Dimensional Fission Bomb’ that the First Emperor supposedly created through collaboration with the ancient civilization of Baltium.

That very thing had fallen back into the First Emperor’s hands.

‘Wait a minute, doesn’t that mean the world could explode at any moment?’

While in the paused state, I realized that it wouldn’t be strange if the world ended right now.

‘This is insane.’

If the First Emperor had obtained this strange Dimensional Fission Bomb or whatever it was, wouldn’t that make our conversation completely meaningless?

‘Well, we’re screwed.’

Thinking this way, I began to feel like I was being pushed back into an endless pit of despair.

———————————————-

But after about three days had passed in the paused state, subjectively speaking…

I realized that I had been thinking incorrectly.

‘…But if it were truly meaningless, would Lady Maria have any reason to come all the way here?’

She has the super-intelligent ability to act rationally even when her family dies.

If everything truly ended because the First Emperor took the Dimensional Fission Bomb… would Lady Maria have obediently fled with the help of her guards?

Rather, it would make more sense if she had charged at the First Emperor, prepared to die to avenge her family, thinking everyone would die the moment the bomb was taken.

With this new concern, I had to spend another period of contemplation.

Shortly (3 days) later.

‘Why am I agonizing over such insane indecision?’

When I became aware of reality in a slightly different sense, I realized I was just wasting my mental energy on useless thoughts.

[Unpause]

I immediately deactivated the pause and, with a pale face, asked Lady Maria who had just finished her explanation.

“Lady Maria, what happened to the Dimensional Fission Bomb that the First Emperor took?”

And Lady Maria, perhaps not expecting me to come up with a new question just seconds after hearing all that explanation…

She opened her eyes wide in surprise at my question…

But only for a moment.

After hearing my question, Lady Maria nodded and spoke as if it were nothing.

“Child, have you ever seen a bomb explode without a detonator?”

“…”

I responded with silence because I didn’t understand what she meant, but Lady Maria, as if blessed with increased probability of positive events…

She continued speaking, graciously overlooking my attitude.

“The same applies to the Dimensional Fission Bomb. It requires a special device that acts as a detonator… and that is no longer in the possession of the First Emperor who took the bomb.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes, we still have hope.”

Hearing those words, I decided to discard most of the negative thoughts I had been harboring.

‘Well, that’s sweet.’

Of course, in the current situation, everything is going according to the First Emperor’s plan.

And rather than me influencing events, I’m being swept along by them, so I probably don’t have the right to curse the First Emperor…

But what does it matter?

The important thing was that the Dimensional Fission Bomb, which he had stolen by deploying ten million cosmic monsters and even suffering injuries fighting Lady Maria himself, was completely meaningless.

‘Haha, First Emperor, you idiot.’

And so, I internally hurled all kinds of insults at the First Emperor, seeking inner satisfaction.

But while I was thinking this…

“Hmm, I feel a bit dizzy.”

Despite the help of medical equipment, Lady Maria, perhaps from standing too long in her severely injured state…

She showed a pale complexion and began to stagger and fall.

“Oh, a-are you alright?”

“Wait a minute, Minister! The Saint’s intestines are spilling out!”

‘What the hell.’

Now I could see that she was only enduring through the Ether Dragon’s unique toughness.

Perhaps from standing too long in an injured state to tell her long story?

The temporary sutures on her abdomen had come undone, and as Riel said, the disaster of what looked like stir-fried blood sausage spilling out was happening right before our eyes.

‘Oh my god.’

It was truly a dangerous moment, so Riel and I immediately jumped up.

We embraced Lady Maria as she was about to collapse, preventing her from hitting the floor, and gently laid her down.

“Medic! Medic, come here immediately!”

To provide medical treatment, I tried to call the Imperial Guard medic who was on standby nearby to take Lady Maria to the hospital.

But at that moment…

-Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!

With the sudden emergency message alert from my terminal, I tried to check the situation while directing the arriving medic to provide treatment.

But the moment I picked up the terminal.

My mind was filled with only one thought: we are truly fucked.