Ch.90[Episode 90] Hyperdimensional Cartel

[“How about we start by exchanging something light?”]

Sir Dominica said.

Sir Dominic listened attentively while placing dozens of one-eyed knight figurines on the shelf.

The one-eyed knight figurines each had different poses, and some of them, possibly modeled after Dominica, featured prominently exaggerated chests.

“What do you mean by exchange?”

Sir Dominic asked as he placed the last one-eyed knight figurine on the shelf.

After a moment of silence from the other end of the receiver, Sir Dominica continued.

[“Information. Even trivial things are fine. Who knows if small details might help us more than big information?”]

Through the receiver came sounds of grunting, as if something heavy was being moved.

It seemed Sir Dominica was also struggling to organize delivered packages.

Sir Dominic looked at the bundle of letters and considered opening them right away, but his call with Sir Dominica took priority.

“Even so, I don’t know what to say.”

[“It’s simple. Like this. Did you know that administrators in the Executive branch spend about half their day wondering what to eat for lunch?”]

“And they spend the other half thinking about what to have for dinner?”

[“Correct.”]

Sir Dominica’s information was truly trivial, but Sir Dominic thought he could exchange something equally insignificant.

After pondering briefly, Sir Dominic shared an unremarkable piece of information.

“Strangely, coders seem to like sweet things. The more abnormally sweet, the better they like it.”

In truth, Sir Dominic hadn’t met many coders, but this was what the coders he’d met in the supply room had said self-deprecatingly, so it was probably accurate.

[“Sweet things, huh. That’s good information. I can give advice to anyone who ends up dating a coder later.”]

Through the receiver, he could hear the sound of writing, saying “coders… like… sweet… things…”

[“And about another piece of information- oh no.”]

Sir Dominica, who wanted to exchange more information, started speaking again but let out a surprised exclamation as if something troubling had happened.

[“The slime’s core has become unstable. It seems interdimensional calls are too much of a burden. It would be better not to contact each other until the slime stabilizes.”]

Upon hearing this, Sir Dominic removed the phone from his ear and looked at the screen.

On the screen, a half-melted slime was making strained crying sounds.

“It’s the same here. Then I’ll contact you again next time. When would be good?”

[“Well.”]

Sir Dominica made a long “hmm” sound as if thinking, then uttered quite a wise statement.

[“You are me, and I am you. When you rest, wouldn’t I be resting too? So anytime should be fine.”]

“I suppose so. Then I’ll contact you when the slime stabilizes and I have time.”

[“Right. This number… no need to save it. We have the same number anyway.”]

With those words, the call abruptly ended.

Sir Dominic wanted to continue the conversation longer, but he knew that if the slime disappeared, unable to endure, there would be no way to contact Sir Dominica again.

Sighing with regret, Sir Dominic looked at the screen.

The slime, having returned to the S.P.Y app, curled up and began sleeping soundly.

After staring blankly at it for a moment, Sir Dominic realized he still had something to do.

That was reading the bundle of letters.

“So many letters. I wouldn’t think there are that many people who would write to me.”

Sir Dominic picked up the stack of what appeared to be dozens of letters and checked who had sent each one.

Executive branch, Executive branch, System Industries, Tax Office, Love Fund, Salvation Army…

Most of the letters were notices about changes in administrative procedures, brief explanations about newly elected senators, and tax and donation solicitations.

After setting those letters aside, only two remained from the large pile.

While it made sense for official matters to come by mail, letters in a world with phones seemed quite ironic.

Sir Dominic found it quite ironic.

“Let’s see… this is…”

But would the letters disappear just because he felt that way?

Sir Dominic picked up the letters and checked the senders.

Epic Anderson, and Alice.

Both were names he knew.

Of course, whether they were actually people he knew was another matter.

Sir Dominic first opened Epic Anderson’s letter.

Having the same name as his lord could lead to great disappointment if he got his hopes up.

To maintain his composure, Sir Dominic set Alice’s letter aside for the moment.

Epic Anderson’s letter had a subtle, unidentifiable symbol stamped on it.

It was the same as the seal embedded in GachaTube, which he had visited to express gratitude for the song dedicated to him after buying his phone.

Sir Dominic briefly scanned the letterhead that seemed to proclaim Epic Anderson, then read the contents.

[One eye, one, first.]

[My only praise I can send to you.]

[Words of the administrator of Duke Jack’s territory.]

[My small help makes what will help.]

[But Anderson, very famous.]

[You also famous. But temporary.]

[Hope not, misunderstanding. This is concern for you.]

[My fans, extreme. Anger toward you.]

[BUT, when become 3-star, story progresses.]

[BEST, promotion within 3 months.]

[When that time comes, I will send you a dedication song.]

[Epic Anderson.]

Epic Anderson’s letter was full of jumbled words and grammar, but as Sir Dominic read it, he strangely felt his body twitch.

As if matching the rhythm of a waltz… no, something more exciting. Like a song sung by a drunken bard in a tavern.

Indeed, the reputation as a great GachaTuber and composer was not unfounded.

Reading the letter again, Sir Dominic barely made out its contents.

He wanted to give a song right away, but his followers were so extreme they might be jealous and harm Sir Dominic.

Therefore, Sir Dominic needed to reach at least 3-star so Epic Anderson would have an excuse. That was the gist of it.

Sir Dominic’s eyes lingered on the mention of promotion in three months near the end.

It didn’t seem long since the last tier evaluation ended, yet there was already a new evaluation?

In fact, in Feralant where Sir Dominic had been, becoming a civil servant or knight was extremely rare.

There were exams, but they were merely for show, held maybe once every few years, essentially nominal.

That’s why the frequency of these exams here seemed so novel to him.

“In three months, huh. I’d like to give it a try…”

But again, expandability was the obstacle.

Hadn’t he failed the exam once before because of expandability and not taken the retest?

It seemed that to pass this exam, he might need to begin a very arduous march for the next three months.

“Now I should look at the other letter.”

Sir Dominic sighed.

Lady Alice, who had been his lord.

How could he forget?

The one to whom he had sworn loyalty as a knight.

The handwriting on the letter was different from Lady Alice’s usual letters, so it was still uncertain, but Lady Alice had such terrible handwriting that she employed a scribe to even sign for her, so it was entirely possible.

With trembling hands, Sir Dominic broke the wax seal on the letter.

And carefully pulled out the letter inside and unfolded it.

And the moment he unfolded the letter-

Sir Dominic’s tension eased.

[To the great Sir Dominic!]

[Hello. I am Alice-o.]

[I’m sending this letter to Sir Dominic because I don’t know your contact info-o.]

[I dream of becoming a knight-o. And I am 15 years old-o.]

[My mom says I have typos, but ▦ actually it’s because my handwriting is so bad it looks like typos-o.]

[I fell for you when I saw Sir Dominic fighting on the battlefield-o.]

[Please, won’t you accept me as your squire-o?]

[Alice, who wants to be▦▦your squire.]

Sir Dominic couldn’t help but chuckle at the letter.

This letter was… well… a mess.

The vowel part of “yo” clustered to look like “o,” there were pen marks where mistakes had been roughly crossed out, and while asking to be taken as a squire, the writer hadn’t even mentioned where they lived or how to reach them.

But Sir Dominic thought this audacious kid was amusing.

After all, wasn’t Sir Dominic himself the type to charge ahead without a plan?

He considered this kid to be of the same kind.

Sir Dominic, feeling relieved, sank back into the sofa.

It seemed he had overreacted.

Sir Dominic blinked his one remaining eye and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Would he ever meet his lord again? Yes. If his lord came, that too would be some kind of fate. Just as he had met his sister again, those destined to meet would eventually reunite.

Having become oddly sentimental, Sir Dominic found the situation amusing and chuckled.

Since when had he become a sentimental person?

“Hmm. If that kid who wrote the letter knocks on my door without any plan, I should definitely accept them as a squire. It would mean they’re that passionate.”

Sir Dominic rose from the sofa with a smirk.

In truth, he had deliberately said this to shake off the sentimentality.

Knock knock.

“Are you there? It’s Alice who sent the letter!”

At least until someone actually came looking for him.