I Reincarnated as the Captain of a Battleship in a Robot Anime, but at This Rate, I’m Going to Be Assassinated – Chapter 73

Chapter 73: There’s Nothing More Fun Than a Life With No Future, Though I Wish I Could Have Avoided Getting Older
  
  Later, this battle would be called the “New Balance Incident.”
  
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  “Really. I’m indebted to you, Captain Janet.”
  
  This is a story from one month later. The turmoil on Earth was still ongoing, but there was little Shougo could do about it.
  First of all, the battered Mirandora was in no condition to even navigate properly. Moreover, he learned that most of the life support systems were out of commission, and the crew was on the verge of being wiped out sooner or later. This was after they were towed to the Rebel Army’s hidden base by Lopes.
  That was exactly one month ago.
  Anyway, everyone managed to get some rest for the time being, but things were tough from there.
  The first thing they did was send Fauden with Janet and the others.
  Shougo and the others were officially no longer in existence. Since they had taken on the name of Space Pirates Hermes, they were actually in a rather precarious position.
  There was no way they could decide what to do with Fauden, so they ended up entrusting him to Janet, who was part of the regular army in some form or another.
  
  “It’s a bit embarrassing to be hailed as a hero.”
  
  In a room at the Rebel Army’s secret base, Shougo was having a meeting with Janet. It was an unofficial contact, but Janet had become busy during this past month. This was their second meeting.
  Janet was also, in a way, one of those who had rebelled against the regular army. However, she had achieved the feat of fighting against the villainous Fauden and capturing him, which served as a bargaining chip for her return to the military.
  This had been decided from the beginning, after discussing how to handle the aftermath of the battle.
  In the worst-case scenario, even if Janet had died, they would have searched for and promoted Lopes, other Rebel Army members, or a trustworthy military executive, even if it meant going through great lengths.
  This was because otherwise, the chaos on Earth would not subside.
  There was also talk that Shougo and the others could have taken on the role, but as mentioned earlier, they had called themselves space pirates, and more importantly, Franny was the biggest problem.
  
  “We’ll cause Captain Janet a lot of trouble. But this is also the price we have to pay. Besides, it’s more convenient for us to be considered dead. Otherwise, Franny Ojō-san will be all alone.”
  
  The battle was over. Fauden would be put on trial.
  He would probably not escape the death penalty, but at least it would be a democratic trial.
  He would be the target of hatred from all over the world, no, the entire universe, but that couldn’t be helped.
  His attitude of accepting everything might also be infuriating to some, but there was nothing more they could ask for.
  
  However, when humans become emotional, they tend to demand more.
  What started was an attempt to find Franny and make her atone for her sins as well.
  A parent’s sins should not be visited upon their children, but considering that she was the daughter of a man who had condoned the massacre of countless planets, committed slaughter using weapons of mass destruction, and caused enormous damage by shutting down Earth’s lifeline, it was not unreasonable for them to feel that way.
  Therefore, Shougo and the others chose to escape from the public eye.
  No one tried to stop them.
  
  “Even though that child has nothing to do with it…… Isn’t she one of the victims?”
  “There are more people who don’t think so. Besides, from the perspective of those who don’t know the circumstances, you know, people’s unconscious anger and resentment are, well, troublesome. It’s better to run away quickly because it’s troublesome. It would be painful for a single girl to bear the hatred of the entire world.”
  
  The crimes Fauden committed. Not only the massacres, but also the fact that his only daughter could no longer appear in public. In a way, that was the cruelest thing.
  She could no longer live as Franny, nor could she fall in love. She couldn’t go to her favorite shops or school.
  If that’s the case, it would be fine for there to be people who would walk in the shadows with her.
  And there are also adults who would watch over them. They must be protected.
  It could be said that Jowain, a man whose story should have ended, received quite favorable treatment.
  
  “Besides, if my background is investigated, it’ll be full of shady things. It seems Anferu pinned a lot of crimes on me while he was alive.”
  
  Most of the Mirandora crew were treated that way.
  Shougo, Jowain, not to mention the Lieutenant Commander class officers, and even Mark, it seems they fabricated things to a ridiculous degree. On the contrary, it’s a comical story how it looks like an obvious lie.
  It’s almost easier to prove the truth.
  
  “But for those who are returning to their families, I want you to take care of them. Make sure they’re not held responsible.”
  
  He remembered having a similar conversation before.
  Janet assured him about that.
  
  “Of course. My position as the newly appointed Supreme Commander of the Space Force is quite convenient.”
  “Please.”
  
  Shougo bowed deeply.
  Then, with the sound of the automatic door opening, Yuri came in with tea preparations.
  “Oh my, are you bullying Jowain-sama?”
  “Not at all. I’m the one being bullied. They’ve pushed all the troublesome matters onto me.”
  
  Yuri and Janet exchanged such jokes.
  While skillfully brewing the tea, Yuri sat next to Shougo in a very natural manner.
  Perhaps because she had come to terms with various things after the battle, Yuri had become rather bold. She had always had such a tendency, but recently, she had become completely clingy and didn’t seem to care about the eyes of others.
  
  “You’re being loved, aren’t you?”
  “U, hm…… Well, I don’t mind it.”
  
  Janet chuckled.
  Shougo was also embarrassed because he hadn’t expected to receive such passionate love.
  However, he accepted it all. As Shougo, he loved Yuri. He never thought he would experience true love in this way.
  
  “But to be honest, it’s convenient for us to have you guys continue as pirates. Mars and Jupiter, you see. Things are getting fishy there.”
  
  Janet was troubled.
  Fauden had fallen. New Balance’s past scandals had come to light, and it would be dismantled.
  However, Earth had suffered tremendous damage, and who knew how many years it would take for its complete recovery.
  On top of that, the colony planets with strong independence movements were starting to take action one after another. Some had even defected from the Rebel Army and didn’t return to the regular army. There were also those within New Balance who had gone into hiding, fearing trial.
  This was somewhat expected, but the biggest concern was the New Balance forces stationed on Mars, Jupiter, and other locations. Each of them was an independent army, with people like Anferu in charge.
  In other words, they were like independent nations.
  
  During this turmoil, those guys had decided to remain neutral. There were reports from captured New Balance soldiers that Anferu had been waiting for reinforcements from the Mars fleet, but in reality, the Mars fleet hadn’t even made any preparations.
  They had maintained a stance of non-involvement and non-interference in this incident. They had asserted their irrelevance to an eerie degree.
  
  “If the regular army continues to monitor them, unnecessary rifts will emerge. So……”
  “Well, it’s a reasonable job, I guess. Since we’re being allowed to get away with space piracy.”
  
  The seeds of war still remained.
  It was a headache.
  Now then, if the original anime had continued, would there have been such a sequel planned?
  
  ‘No way. It’s a cancelled OVA. So, what, are we going to fight Martian nobles next? No…… that’s actually possible……’
  
  Apparently, a unique culture was trending on Mars, and many people were imitating nobles or something like that.
  He had also heard that a strange religion was becoming popular on Jupiter.
  Such fishy stories were being rumored in various parts of the developed space.
  There was also a bigger problem.
  The whereabouts of Dr. Phoenix were unknown.
  
  “That damn doctor also disappeared somewhere in the midst of the chaos. We confirmed that he wasn’t caught in the warp and was left behind on Babel, but there was no wreckage of the disc, right?”
  “Yeah. He’s the man who created the Trismegistus. In a sense, he’s one of the causes of this whole mess. It’ll be troublesome if he’s hiding somewhere.”
  “Hmm……”
  
  It was questionable whether that man could create something like Thoth or Goetia again.
  Those two were clearly abnormal. If Dr. Phoenix had all the data and could develop them anew, he could have done so during this battle.
  Perhaps it wasn’t that simple.
  
  “But what’s even more puzzling is the whereabouts of the Trismegistus…… no, its core units. Yuuki-kun said that those two went on an endless journey? I also saw orbs of light disappearing at high speed.”
  
  What further worried the military was the existence of the AI, or rather, the artificial life forms, Thoth and Goetia, which had displayed absurd capabilities in this battle.
  Those two had left the sector and disappeared somewhere, without being destroyed or sealed.
  
  “……I don’t think we need to worry.”
  
  Shougo had no particular basis for those words.
  He could only say it based on a hunch.
  
  “Based on what Yuuki-kun said, they seem to have withdrawn on their own. They seemed to understand that their existence would have a negative impact on humanity’s future. So I think they gave us a reprieve. I don’t know about Goetia…… but Thoth isn’t entirely despairing of or expecting anything from humanity. So, I think he’ll wait for us?”
  “Even though he’s neither despairing nor expecting anything?”
  “That’s why. He’s neutral. Maybe he’ll come back here on a whim, or maybe we’ll never see him again. He might lose interest in us. But that kind of relationship is just right. Yuuki-kun says he’ll go looking for them eventually.”
  
  Thoth left, leaving only the Hermes Trismegistus behind.
  Apparently, only the data of the Hermes Trismegistus remained in the empty shell of the monkey’s body. The engineers were hoping for some meaningful data in the aircraft’s data, but when they learned that most of the parts were taken from existing mass-produced machines, they were surprised. At the same time, it’s impressive that they were able to design it to outperform existing machines with such parts.
  However, the obviously advanced technologies, such as the ability to neutralize the Planet Killer, the invincible electronic warfare system, and the warp technology that could identify targets, were cleanly deleted. Apparently, some people were desperately searching for Goetia’s parts from the wreckage of Babel, hoping for a glimmer of hope, but who knows what will become of it.
  Without the main system, even the Trismegistus isn’t an aircraft with absolute superiority.
  
  “Some in the military are worried that those AIs might lead an army someday. It’s like something out of a movie, but they say they might create a machine empire.”
  “Hahaha! Who knows how many tens of thousands of years in the future that would be. Well, it’s not a zero possibility.”
  “It makes you want to say ‘good grief.’ Even though there was such a huge battle, there are still those who are harboring the embers of war.”
  
  Janet said as she took a large gulp of her tea.
  
  “It’s Fauden who created that atmosphere. It’s going to be tough from now on. I’m also troubled. I can’t even go on a date with Yuri in peace.”
  
  Shougo deliberately said as he hugged Yuri. Her warmth, her soft touch, was comforting. It relieved his anxiety.
  
  “Hey, if you keep doing that in front of an unmarried woman, I’ll have you two stand trial.”
  
  Janet’s words might have been just a little bit serious.
  
  “Hahaha! If that happens, we’ll just run away.”
  “Hmph…… You’re suited to be a space pirate. Anyway, it’s going to be tough for both of us, but I’m counting on you.”
  “Yeah, leave it to us. Let’s work hard for the peace of the universe.”
  
  With that, Shougo and Janet shook hands.
  Janet would probably return to Earth. The Supreme Commander was very busy.
  And finally, the time for them to be alone had come. They didn’t say anything in particular. Shougo and Yuri just remained embraced.
  There were no more visitors scheduled. They both knew that.
  Therefore.
  
  ‘……I think it’s okay to go for it now.’
  
  It’s easy to forget, but Shougo’s original age was in his twenties.
  If a young man like that is alone with a beautiful woman and the atmosphere is right, he’s going to have certain expectations.
  And those expectations are quite varied.
  Shougo firmly grasped Yuri’s shoulders. Yuri didn’t resist.
  And then……
  
  “Hey, listen to this, Captain! That Yuuki guy!”
  
  First, Anish barged in, shouting loudly.
  
  “Well, isn’t that fine? We’re pirates now. We’re no longer under the protection of the law.”
  
  Franny also came in, speaking in a carefree tone.
  
  “It’s not true! It’s not like he’s two-timing or anything!”
  
  Finally, Yuuki arrived.
  And everyone present froze. Anish and Franny covered their faces with their hands, but they were peeking through the gaps between their fingers. Yuuki was flustered, his face like when they first met.
  As for Yuri, she had fainted from shock.
  In other words, what this meant was……
  The mood was ruined. That’s the story.
  
  “Are you guys trying to make me lose my cool, you idiots!”
  
  It seemed like it would be a while before he could relax.
  But if it’s for the sake of maintaining this carefree and happy atmosphere, he’ll find the energy.
  It’s much more fun than a frustrating life.
  That’s why Shougo no longer cared about being reincarnated. There’s probably no profound reason for such things, and even if there were, it would be something he couldn’t comprehend.
  In that case, he had no choice but to trust his own sense of justice and act accordingly. It’s ironic that it somehow led him to become a space pirate.
  Since that’s how it turned out, he had to accept it and see it through to the end.
  
  ‘Well, I’ll do my best not to die. And I’ll do something reckless from time to time.’
  
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  “I see…… It’s because we have a physical body that desires arise and evil is born. That’s why God didn’t need a physical body and should have remained as he was, transcendental. But because humans personified and defined God…… then isn’t the reverse also true? If we maintain our spirituality without a physical body, wouldn’t that be God?”
  
  “Therefore! Aren’t they Yaldabaoth and Demiurge? They discarded their physical bodies. That’s why……”
  
  “Humans can become gods……!”
  
  
  The End