521 – 「I’m Still a Pretty Normal Existence, Aren’t I?」
Those of us who weren’t particularly interested in the relics or spiritual technology—what the natives of the Grakkan Empire call psionic technology—were led away from the hastily constructed hangar and guided to that peculiar facility, where traditional Japanese architecture and concrete structures seemed to merge strangely.
It appeared that this building was some kind of research facility. Many people inside were wearing what looked like lab coats but in the form of pale kimonos or work clothes reminiscent of samue.1 All of them, without exception, had various animal features such as ears, horns, tails, or wings sprouting from their bodies, which was quite fascinating. It seemed like the feeling was mutual, as they were all observing us with considerable interest.
「I apologize for the rude stares. You see, we have very few opportunities to interact with people from other nations.」
Buubo remained back at the makeshift hangar to continue his research on Krishna, so we were being escorted to this building by a different researcher.
「Ah, it seems I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Fuguruma. I conduct research on the ‘visitors’ at the Grand Shrine’s affiliated research institute. Inaba is one of my students.」
She said this with a smile as she walked alongside me. If Inaba is her student, that would likely mean Fuguruma is older than her, but… she doesn’t look it. Not at all. In fact, she looks about the same age as Mimi or Kugi. Judging by her appearance, I suspect she’s of the same tanuki-like species as Konoha, but her animal ears, hair, and tail are all completely white.
「Hiro-dono, don’t be fooled by her appearance. This foxy old hag is always openly talking about wanting to fall head over heels in love with a ‘visitor’. She’s read every single historical record about them and has written countless self-insert romantic fantasies where she has a torrid romance with one.」
「Aren’t you saying a little too much?」
Inaba’s merciless revelation made me involuntarily respond with a deadpan retort. I’m scared to look in Fuguruma’s direction, the pressure she is exuding is intense. It feels like the sheer force of her negative psionic power might cause the building to shake. Terrifying.
「If I don’t say at least this much, who knows what that old hag might try to pull… Wouldn’t it be terrifying to wake up one morning to the chirping of the birds, only to find that old hag’s face on the pillow next to you?」
「So you know the term ‘waking up to the chirping of the birds,’ huh? Or rather, it exists here too… Anyway, adding a new lover during my last little trip before marriage or coming back with a local mistress would look pretty bad, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to seduce me.」
「Ugh… Fine, I’ll let it go for now.」
Everyone present, including myself, probably thought, ‘Just for now, huh?’ But no one dared to stir up trouble, so we wisely decided to let it slide.
☆★☆
We were led to a spacious room that resembled a reception hall, where we split into smaller groups to engage in what seemed like interviews or information-gathering sessions with the researchers. In my case, they asked in great detail about the world I came from—Earth—as well as the events that led up to my current situation in this world. Of course, it wasn’t a one-sided interrogation; I also asked a few questions of my own, keeping them within reasonable bounds to avoid straying too far off-topic.
For instance, I inquired about the purpose behind collecting information about Earth. From what I gathered, it seems that the homeland of the ‘visitors’ varies widely for each individual. In my case, it’s the outer edge of the Milky Way galaxy, the third planet from the Sun, known as Earth—or in this universe terminology, Sol III in the Sol Star System. But it turns out that the other two people currently living in the Holy Vuelzarus Empire are from entirely different galaxies and star systems altogether. However, the level of civilization in these various home worlds appears to be quite similar to Earth. Moreover, I found something even more intriguing.
「Every visitor has some prior knowledge about this universe gained through some kind of game, huh?」
「Yes, just like you, Hiro-dono. In your case, it was ‘Stella Online,’ wasn’t it? Though the scale and form vary, the two other ‘visitors’ currently staying in our nation also seemed to have known some information about this world through genres of games they referred to as FPS and RTS.」
「FPS and RTS, huh… yeah, that makes sense.」
Considering everything that’s happened since I arrived in this universe, it really does make sense. It’s not far-fetched to imagine getting caught up in some interstellar empire war, an invasion by an unknown force, or even being stranded on a primitive planet. Those kinds of scenarios align perfectly with the settings found in FPS (First-Person Shooter) or RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if some ‘visitors’ ended up here after playing those kinds of games.
This world can easily serve as the basis for any game imaginable. From high-tech elements like starships and laser weaponry to the bizarre technology of psionic powers and psionic technology, and races like elves, dwarves, beastfolk, and other alien species with all sorts of appearances. Not to mention the cosmic monsters and other cosmic horrors that could serve as final bosses. There are also plenty of unexplored planets to boot. This place has no shortage of material for any game.
「There’s no terrifying system in place where ‘visitors’ automatically end up killing each other when they meet, right?」
If some kind of fateful or predestined setup like that exists, I’d like to head back to the Grakkan Empire immediately.
「No, there’s nothing like that. By the way, if you’re interested in meeting the other two, we could arrange that for you.」
「I’m not that interested in meeting them… I won’t turn them down if they want to meet me, though.」
For reference, the ‘visitor’ who came here after playing an FPS was named Sergei. From what I’ve heard, he could jump three meters straight up without any enhancements, run at full speed indefinitely, masterfully handle any weapon he laid his hands on as if it were second nature, withstand fatal attacks without taking damage at least once in the most absurd manner, and, if he happens to die, he just respawns a short distance away. Respawning? What is this, a game or something?
The other ‘visitor’ who came here after playing an RTS was named Meyer. Unlike Sergei, Meyer didn’t have any particularly outstanding physical abilities, but supposedly he couldn’t be harmed by any kind of attack. What is that? How does that even work? Not only could he withstand direct attacks, but he also didn’t die from environmental factors like poison or pressure changes. He didn’t even suffer. Even when thrown into the vacuum of space from a spaceship, he remained completely unbothered. However, his physical capabilities were still just like any regular person’s.
His unique abilities included being able to observe a vast area from a bird’s-eye view, almost like seeing it through the eyes of a god, and he could construct or destroy buildings depending on the resources available to him. He also had the ability to deploy allied units—wait, what do you mean, allied units?—wherever he wanted, within certain limitations.
「Compared to those two, I’m still a pretty normal existence, aren’t I?」
「Hard to say. Those two are basically indestructible, so we aren’t in danger of them dying and taking their surroundings with them, but we don’t know if you are indestructible or not, Hiro-dono, you might be killable. And if you end up killed, you could potentially trigger an explosion that could destroy several star systems. Not to mention, your potential, the scale of your Spiritual Power, is on a completely different level from theirs.」
「I might be killable…Could you not talk about me like I’m some kind of undead monster?」
「Well, how was it in ‘Stella Online?’ In that game, if you got shot down, did you die permanently? Was all your data wiped, forcing you to start over from scratch? Or did you respawn somewhere?」
When Fuguruma said that, I couldn’t help but fall silent. In ‘Stella Online,’ if your ship got destroyed, you’d respawn at the last space station you docked at, along with your ship that had been completely wrecked. Even in close-quarters combat, if you were defeated, you’d just lose the equipment you brought with you and respawn in the same manner. There’s a chance that if I die in this world, something similar might happen.
「You’re not seriously suggesting I try dying to test it, are you?」
「Of course not! Even if I were absolutely sure that you’d be fine, I’d never suggest something like that.」
Really? I’m going to trust you on this, okay? I’m trusting you here!
☆★☆
After about an hour and a half of interviews, we decided to take a break, and I reunited with my crew for some tea. Tina, Wiska, and Dr. Shouko were still at the hangar, tinkering away with something or other, so they weren’t with us.
「I was asked quite a bit about the Grakkan Empire.」
「I got questions about elven magic and culture.」
「They asked me about my life outside and the things I’ve seen and heard.」
「I was asked about the Fucking Vereverem Federation.」
The hostility Neve holds toward her homeland is intense. I can’t help but wonder what kind of conversation they had.
「They asked me similar stuff, mainly about my home before coming here and what happened since I arrived.」
By the way, Mei, who was standing quietly by, hadn’t been questioned at all. It seems that for the citizens of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire, Mei’s complete lack of detectable psionic energy makes her a rather unsettling presence. Poor thing.
「Oh, by the way, they seemed pretty interested in the documentary about you, Hiro-sama, and the Tetsujin V.」
「They definitely seem starved for any kind of information or entertainment from outside the Holy Empire.」
「Yes, information from outside our nation is hard to obtain…」
Kugi said with a wry smile, having overheard our conversation. It’s not that they lack entertainment entirely, but the people of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire don’t seem inclined to create their own content. Their mindset, or perhaps their culture, leads them to think they don’t have the luxury to engage in such things. Still, that doesn’t mean they don’t crave entertainment. They are a pain in the ass, aren’t they?
「I can’t tell if they’re being stoic or just plain stubborn… Should I share some of the holo-movie data I’ve got?」
「Yes, my Lord. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.」
For the record, it seems that if I sell the holo-movie data I have, I only get a 1% cut of the base price. The remaining amount goes straight to the copyright holders. I don’t know all the details, but it seems there’s a well-organized system for protecting intellectual property even across star systems.
「Speaking of which, you mentioned they were interested in the Tetsujin too. Mei, do we have enough food cartridges in stock?」
「Yes, Master. We have plenty to spare for a small distribution. We also have reserves on the Black Lotus.」
「In that case, let’s go ahead and offer them to anyone who’s interested.」
There’s no particular reason behind it, but since they’ve gone to a lot of trouble to accommodate us, it feels like a small gesture of goodwill wouldn’t hurt.
TN: A samue is a type of traditional Japanese work clothing, typically worn by Buddhist monks when doing manual labor or chores. It consists of a top and pants made from durable cotton or hemp fabric, often in colors like indigo, brown, or black. They’re sometimes used as uniforms in traditional Japanese inns or by artisans.
[reminiscent of samue.1 All of them] -> {reminiscent of samue. All of them} ~ me th1nks
[playing an RTS was named Meyer] -> {playing an RTS was named Meyer} ~ one extra space here
Well, that’s a lot more world building compared to previous chapters (I think this one brings more new than a couple previous ones summed up). Other visitors include RTS and FPS genre, but the pirate lady from long ago should be more like Hiro, a simulator like game in space (I can only think of Elite Dangerous for now, other games I know fail to match the complexity of flying in space). I wonder who and how will meet in the future. Would be nice if Hiro teams up with other visitors to catch that pirate.
Thanks for the chapter! Awesome translation as always! May God bless you!
I think Star Citizen would probably be a contender, and EVE Online (which this current universe was compared to through narration early on in the story).
Also, the girl who dreams of falling in love and marrying a ‘visitor,’ that is a dynamic I want explored for fun
Another slow chapter but it does confirm a theory I had for a while now, this universe serves as a link for many types of games in the Sci-Fi genre where ‘visitors’ end up waking up in for certain reasons. We’re slowly getting somewhere with this arc, this is the first time I’ve felt even remotely interested in psionics with this series so hopefully this can keep going.
For fun, what type of ‘visitor’ would you guys be?
The Sci-Fi games I put a lot of hours in are Stellaris and Elite Dangerous, so I assume I would either be the type that excels in management and logistics because of the former, or have the same skills Hiro has as a pilot thanks to the latter.
If we factor in other Sci-Fi games, Warhammer 40k: Darktide would prove me to be fairly apt when working in a squad of som organization; Endless Space 2 adds more to the management and logistical aspect; Space Marine 2 I haven’t played much cause it overheats my PC but being a super soldier sounds cool; and, if the cyberpunk genre counts, Cyberpunk 2077 would be cool to run around as a freelance merc with mantis blades in both arms, I could even try to be like Adam Smasher or Johnny Blackhand.
How about No Man’s Sky, though that might get weird, and I mean VERY WEIRD. Maybe the game doesn’t really have a main mission, or majorly important main mission, so it’s hard to say.
I’d probably be closer to Hiro, since I play a lot of Star Citizen. The type I would be would depend, since the game isn’t entirely hammered out yet (for example, in the future, there’s supposed to be a system that, if your character dies enough times, you spawn as someone who inherited your previous character’s things… so I could literally get a new body every few respawns—but that isn’t in the game yet, or guaranteed to happen), but having my own ship and becoming a mercenary would definitely happen.
In an empire of psykers mei being technucally a blank is so funny
Thanks for chapter and speed up.
As long as it’s not 40K, I’m cool with it.
call Kitten !
Why? Too hardcore?
I’m guessing that the other visitors are from other games or manga. I’m not placing who they are or from where they come from anyone know.
Pretty sure Meyer is just a reference to Sid Meier, the name behind the Civilization series and several other Simulation Strategy/RTS games. The tie-in to the space setting would be Sid Meier’s Starships.
Sergei is a bit more difficult for me to place, I don’t quite recognize the name and I don’t know how I should refine a search for that. The abilities sound like they might be a reference to Halo, but they’re also still extremely generic for a space-themed shooter; could be Borderlands, could be Unreal Tournament, could be any number of sci-fi shooters.
Not sure about the Meyer name, since I don’t know any Sid Meier game that would include space battles (there are some “beyond earth” games that basically ask the player to colonize another planet, not sure about the combat side). However, Sergei could be a Russian name, yet I don’t know any game that includes that name, and space stuff.
If we’re talking about specific games, the only Sci-Fi games I can think of is 40k Dawn of War and Starcraft for Meyer, while Sergei seems like the Halo player.
Thanks for the treat.
Thanks for the chapter & speed up
Well … being completely “fine” while drifting through the vacuum whilst otherwise be a complete normal beeing doesn’t nessecarily stand high up on my “favorite thing to be able to and actually doing”- list x’D
That “building and crafting stuff” and “birds view perspective” does sound rather nice, practical and interesing 🙂
What I ask myself right now … IF Hiro is actually immortal in a sense of respawning … AND they allways talk about how he is basically a walking hypernova … would that mean he dies => boomboombyesolarsystem => and then respawns somewhere unaffected? xD That would be rather funny AND impressively annoying: “Oops I got shot down … now the Empire/Planet I lived in is moot. Damn.” xD
That would be -very- weird, esp if said last port was also one got caught in his hypernova destruction 😅
Well. Continueing on this thought: I’d say he just skips ports “backwards” in history to until he finds one that is still intact and revives there. Or, like he appeared in the first place, he just spawns somewhere in space with Krishna again.
Not that he gonna test it and we’ll ever know … xD
But it would be a “good” instrument for the author to get rid of “unwanted friendlies”.
He does a trip with them with Krishna => sudden battle => he loses => Everyone dies, he respawns with Krishna without them on board because death is final for everyone else.
(On a sidenote: What happens to Krishnas wreckage? Keeps drifting? Disappears / causes the Hypernova? Suddenly becomes just like a generic different ship? LoL So many “funny” posibilities xD)
Those are just theories, and could even be entirely separate and unrelated. My assumption is that if he died then he would exploding everything in the system as a scorched earth scenario so no one can claim his corpse and the Krishna.