Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 112: Respite

Caleomens (Month 6) 23, 1617 Central Calendar, 13:00

Ministry of Ancient Sorcerous Empire Countermeasures, San Redentore District, Runepolis, Holy Milishial Empire

Administratively, MOASEC's research centers were categorized into four branches: Aerial Systems, Ground Systems, Naval Systems, and Magic Technology Systems. The latter functioned as both the foundation for developing core technologies used by the first three and as the hub for planning and advancing future capabilities. Naturally, its responsibilities were heavier than those of the other departments—though so was the compensation.

Although the three older Roguerider siblings made notable contributions in their respective fields, the fact that their younger brother, Meteos Roguerider, was placed in the Magic Technology System Development Facility—where he demonstrated his abilities and even boosted the department's output significantly—spoke volumes to those unaware of his true circumstances, marking him as a rare prodigy. Among those impressed was his childhood friend, Walman Falkenhausen.

In the Second Timeline, he was the first person Meteos thought of partnering with, sparking their collaboration on inventions aimed at attracting the government's attention and securing a clear path to greatness, as Meteos described it. At the same time, Meteos made sure their bond stayed cordial, avoiding the souring rivalry that, in the original timeline, ended with Meteos heartbroken as he witnessed Walman's death at the hands of the Gra Valkas Empire's super-battleship, the Grade Atlastar. In truth, Meteos' choice was partly selfish—he simply couldn't bear to see his friend die in such a humiliating way. The fact that Walman's survival also spared him from being mocked in both the mortal world and the higher realm was merely an added benefit.

A similar situation unfolded in the Third Timeline's version of the above events, only this time Walman's family migrated to Runepolis shortly after he was born and the boy grew up alongside a vastly different environment than Leiden. If anything, Walman's value as the sole promising talent able to keep pace with Meteos, eventually earning an invitation to join the MOASEC as one of its youngest members—stood out even more, since he had risen from a much tighter competition since the very beginning.

Despite Meteos' reservations about the higher being interventions outside his control, Walman Falkenhausen was arguably better off in this Third Timeline. That was final.

Earlier, while arranging the workstation he shared in alternating shifts with his silver-haired partner, Walman was approached by a slightly older researcher, somewhere in his mid-twenties.

"Hi, Walman. The preliminary report on the Astral Foam testing, as requested."

Walman's head snapped up from the half-sorted documents on the tableside, a spark of genuine excitement cutting through his concentration. The Astral Foam test. With so many other projects crowding his mind, he had nearly forgotten it was scheduled for today. "Already? That was fast. Thanks," he said, accepting the hard copy and the datapoint containing the results with eager hands.

As he slotted the datapoint into the console on the desk, the idle holographic projection (or 'screensaver,' as Meteos called it) immediately switched to display the detailed test results. The other man didn't leave, instead crossing his arms and leaning against a neighboring terminal, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips as he watched for Walman's reaction.

The brunette boy's eyes scanned the data, his composure melting into a look of surprise. The projection displayed a section mentioning the Astral Foam's kinetic energy dissipation properties that reached a level of 60% even under almost nonexistent mana conditions. Which meant the material wasn't just resistant; it was actively neutralizing the force of a bullet or shrapnel impact, converting a potentially lethal strike into little more than a powerful shove. In terms of personal protection technology, it wasn't a mere incremental improvement but a huge leap.