Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 114: Unidentified Lifeform

Ignismens 3, 1617 Central Calendar, 00:01

Maypita, Southeastern Archipelagic Region of the Holy Milishial Empire

Lugiel, who had expected Meteos to continue with his midnight routine as the White Lotus Leader, tilted her head in mild surprise when events unfolded differently from what she anticipated. Instead of carrying on with his sortie, the silver-haired seer appeared at her room, carrying a datapoint delivered by a stag-beetle-shaped runner drone that had traveled nearly 15.000 kilometers nonstop as fast as its ultracompact Pedanium Manadrive Engine allowed.

To clarify, her puzzled reaction didn't necessarily imply that it was a bad thing. It all depended on the nature of the intelligence Meteos had brought. Yet, as she listened and observed his unchanging expression while he consulted her, Lugiel, being inherently less informed about the Annonrial Empire's detailed internal situation than Meteos, began to wonder what sort of outcome this meeting would bring.

"—Quite a scene," she eventually remarked after glancing through the datapoint. "Didn't expect you to stumble upon an anomaly... or rather, anomalies... so soon after starting out."

Pondering it a bit, Meteos then shrugged while giving the spymaster princess a lopsided grin.

"It was bound to happen. Our infiltrators essentially walked into a crossfire between this entity and the Annonrial authorities trying to hunt it down, but capturing any anomaly we come across was always part of the plan, wasn't it? Besides, this adds to the regime's confusion, so it's well within acceptable limits."

While not resigned to the situation, his reaction showed a degree of acceptance. Or rather, confidence in his subordinates that they won't fail him.

"Still, an alerted Annonrial regime will certainly complicate things."

"It's their home turf, so nothing can be done about it. If anything, we should expect such encounters from now on, so I'll do my part in learning the lessons of this encounter."

"I see, then I'll stop my 'whining,'" Lugiel chuckled sheepishly before changing the subject. "Not a bad find, huh? But about the other one... Meteos, do you think it's that one? The 'Kyriel' we heard about before?"

"I can't say for sure until we have it secured here," Meteos bluntly answered.

Lugiel tilted her head again, absorbing his tone. It seemed Meteos didn't yet grasp one of the entities' full nature, only its immediate consequences.

That was due to one of the anomalies encountered this time being absent from the list in Meteos' future memories. This was a significant gap in knowledge. This omission suggested that the anomaly, whatever its potential might have been, would ultimately be crushed by Annonrial suppression forces before the late 1630s and erased from every historical record unless Meteos intervened, a move as typical of the secretive empire as it was wasteful. At the very least, this hypothesis was consistent with the presence of the other captured individual whom Meteos knew. They culled anything they couldn't completely control, erasing chapters of power they deemed inconvenient.

Lugiel nodded slowly at Meteos' words, giving him a measured approval. There was a faint smile on her lips.

"I see that while you came here under the pretext of consulting me, it is clear your mind was already made up. You merely sought to keep me informed. I'll review the footage from your operatives in detail soon, but I don't have any objections at the moment."

"Thank you, I'll do my best not to disappoint."

Inwardly, Lugiel couldn't help but draw a comparison. Her thoughts wandered briefly to a certain rival of the future Emperor Milishial VIII during the Warring Kingdoms Period. That rival, commanding a vast and powerful state, had been so besieged by the conflicting counsel of his many generals and advisors that his campaigns became sluggish, indecisive, and ultimately doomed. He was an individual swayed by all the different voices of his gigantic army, whereas Lucius of the Morning Star heeded advice but made it clear his will was absolute.