CH 18

It has been two months since the Earth invasion fleet, which is larger than the Loki System Battle fleet, has departed.

After completing the first semester of their third year of the Military Academy, Hart and the others went on a long vacation.

As usual, with only four members of the Heavy Battleship department or 74 in the Commandant department, the Military Academy, with so few candidates to operate warships, cannot afford to fail valuable cadets. Thanks to that, students with poor grades are now in remedial hell.

As for the practical training part of the curriculum, four members of Hart’s class who served in the Loki Star System Battle were exempted from all grading during their enrollment, including the fourth grade.

Hart questioned being given future credit, but the instructor in charge assured him that there was no problem at all.

“Five months of military service is sufficient practice time for 3rd to 4th graders. The result of defeating 9 enemy mobile fortresses is also satisfactory. This was decided at the instructors’ meeting.”

“I understand.”

At the Military Academy, practical training is incorporated from the 3rd year in order to develop immediate combat ability.

In light of their purpose, Hart and others who achieved great results in the battle following the space flight drills, have proven to be an immediate fighting force. By this, even if given a low score, it would only be considered as a problem with the grading method on the school side.

“That’s fine. In fact, thanks to your overachievement, we’ve had to lower the grades of the other candidates by one level.”

“Is that right?”

“Participants and non-participants in the Loki System Battle cannot be given the same score. Unless other students exceed your valor, you will be the top four.”

The instructor even informed on the other side of the grading process.

Perhaps it was because Hurt was a cadet and also had the rank of Brigadier General that he was able to receive such a detailed explanation. The ranks of the teachers of the Military Academy are; the principal is a Major General, the vice-principal is a Colonel, and the head teacher is a Lieutenant Colonel.

If a higher-ranking person asks questions, they will have to answer more politely than if the other person was a mere student.

“Thank you. It was worth the effort.”

“Your grades are originally high to begin with, so there are no problems. It would be good if I didn’t tell the other students about this. That is all.”

Hart saluted the teacher who had just dismissed him and turned on his heels.

As the instructor explained, Hart’s performance was originally of a high standard.

For one thing, it is due to the assistance of excellent spirit crystals, so they dominate from the top to the fourth in ship maneuvering, magic element analysis, and artillery control.

Even in classroom lectures, the Magic Academy, attended by aristocratic children, firmly educates in the field of magic, which is only taught in outline in ordinary schools without magic power holders. Hart and his colleagues had learned before they were taught at the Military Academy.

Of course, in the military-related lectures, there were many other people with excellent grades. In that field, no matter how hard you try, you can’t beat real geeks. However, with 97% of his classmates as non-returnees and his performance being double-corrected for his magical power and battle results, it is likely that the top student of the Military Academy will be among the four members of Hart’s group.

Among the four, Hart earns in his specialty in practical skills and classroom studies, Philine, who has a strong background from her lineage and upbringing, Yuna, who is quick to mature but is unsuitable for tactics and combat, Colette is high level without any weakness in general.

Colette, however, is a retainer of the royal family, and behaves so as not to attract too much attention from the surroundings. Therefore, Hart suspected that she was deliberately cutting corners in some subjects.

Colette had previously said, “I also have aristocratic ties of obligation” and Hart was stunned when he realized that she was deliberately lowering her final grade at the Military Academy.

Colette deliberately lowered her score and conceded the win, and Hart felt an emotion he could not digest.

“It’s a nice view.”

Hart was in complete agreement with Colette’s frank impression.

The Viscount Amakawa family mansion, which Philine and Yuna discussed and decided on, was on an artificial floating island in the Mediterranean Sea of ​​the Capital planet, Diros.

From the terrace, a view of the blue sea spreading out over the horizon and the orderly arrangement of artificial islands.

The Capital planet, Diros, is one that has undergone almost the same birth process as Earth, is about 1.4 times the size of the Earth, and has been orbiting the habitable zone of the G-type main sequence star, which is the same as the Sun, for about 3.5 billion years.

In other words, after the birth of the planet, rain fell while dissolving chlorine gas in the atmosphere, and the sodium contained in the planet’s rocks dissolved in the water that fell, producing seawater containing sodium chloride.

Before human settlement, the sea on Diros was green due to the abundance of chloroplast-bearing green algae and phytoplankton near the surface of the water. In order to bring Diros closer to Earth’s environment, human beings electrolyzed carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen, produced oxygen by photocatalytic reaction of titanium oxide, sown seeds of various plants, so as to establish an oxygen supply system that does not rely on native phytoplankton in the sea.

Afterwards, the krill which ate phytoplankton was scattered in the ocean, turning the sea blue.

The salinity of seawater is about 0.8% higher than that of Earth, but many sea creatures can adapt to that level, and even if they cannot, they can be improved by genetic manipulation. After the proliferation of krill, 1,000 kinds of seafood such as sardines, horse mackerel, and saury, which feed on krill, were artificially hatched from eggs and released, then tuna and other fish that ate them were introduced, and livestock were raised on land, hence Diros established a food supply system.

As for the sea, adjustments were made from the calm Mediterranean Sea, which is sandwiched between the continents and has gentle waves, so the inland sea is a clear blue color with little phytoplankton, and the open sea still has a mysterious greenish appearance.

In front of their eyes, a beautiful ocean that surpassed the Earth’s, with a clear blue color and an ecosystem favorable to humans, which had been improved further.

Colette, who was invited by Yuna at the unveiling, was fascinated by the magnificent sight created by human hands.

“The seas about here must be very popular.”

“I’m not sure because it was arranged for me, but I couldn’t find it for sale through the usual means.”

The artificial floating islands in the Mediterranean Sea are a few dozen minutes away by flying vehicle from the continent where the royal capital is located. The surrounding waters are lined with thousands of ultra-luxury residential floating islands that are not high-end residential areas.

The area of ​​each island ranges from a minimum of 200 square meters to a maximum of 2 square kilometers. The area of the building is one-sixth to one-quarter of the island’s area and can be as low as six to up to 40 stories above ground, underground or under the sea. Guided by satellite radio waves, they are moved to the position where the sea area management fee and the rental fee were paid for, and connect with the fixed platform on the seabed to form a floating island.

Every island has a minimum energy supply plant, a food production plant, a facility for attracting underwater fish, a garbage disposal facility, a landing pad for flying vehicles and out-of-atmosphere vessels, and a private beach, while Hart’s island also has facilities to catch fish from the sea and draw them into the building.

Floating islands are what every royal capital citizen, who have achieved great success in life, dream of purchasing. The one that Hart was ceded by the Marquis of Carneus for less than the market price was one of the best floating islands in the surrounding waters.

After looking around, Colette turned to Hart and gave her impressions.

“Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty from which the Diete system takes its name, was born at sea. It was a beautiful sight, just as it should have been. But Aphrodite, like Hart, was a lustful woman.”

“Excuse me for being lumped in with a goddess, but I’m not lustful.”

“You’re not convincing at all.”

Colette’s gaze was directed behind Hart. Hart, who was caught and turned around, saw a silver-haired cat-eared young lady in a neat maid outfit.

“Nugua”

The moment he invited the opposite sex to his home, he showed what should not have been seen. The awkwardness made Hart’s head go blank as he hardened.

The pointy cat ears that Philine had on are the same silver as the color of her hair on the outside, white on the inside, and fluffy to the touch. The small floral hair clip on the ears emphasizes her girlish cuteness. And the ears even have a function that moves them naturally in conjunction with the movement of the head.

The maid outfit with a long skirt is black with a white apron and silver hair, creating a natural harmony. A pink diamond with a gold trim is attached to the collar, the cuffs are wide and fluttering, emphasizing fashion and appearance over practicality.

When Hart searched on the information terminal to buy a Cat-Eared maid set, a huge number of cat ear maids were hit. Many of his comrades are hiding behind the Monarchy. When Hart saw the search results, his heart trembled at the splendor.

It was none other than Hurt himself who wanted a scene reminiscent of the Garden of Eden.

He has no regrets about his choices, and is grateful that he chose to be brave when he expressed his wishes. He deeply engraved that if he wanted something, he should take a step forward.

But if only one complaint is allowed, it’s not asking for it to be worn until Colette arrived. Of course, it’s Hart’s own fault for not saying it properly.

“What a good hobby you have. Your Excellency Viscount Amakawa.”

At Colette’s sarcasm, Hart dropped his shoulders and silently accepted the reputation of being a lustful man alongside the goddess Aphrodite.

After the man went down with the ship, Philine lightly picked the hem of her skirt, and twirled around. Then she stares upward at Hart and murmurs, in a purposely audible tone.

“If you had asked from the beginning, I would have worn it.”

Hart was still shot through by a brutal attack without any resistance.

Philine was initially puzzled when asked for cat ears, but she seemed to be happy to have discovered what to do to hold Hart’s reins, and rather took the initiative.

Incidentally, Philine appeals to “tell me from the beginning” because there is an orange tabby cat to oppose the white cat.

“Yuna, what are you doing?”

The Viscount young lady, who elegantly put her mouth on a cup of tea without concern, was astonished to see a newly-revealed brown-haired cat-eared maiden.

The orange tabby cat quietly walked up to Hart, slammed into his chest from the front and cried out.

“Nya~”

“Gubba”

An onomatopoeic moan that wouldn’t normally be heard in a lifetime overflowed from the mouth of the man who was hugged by the orange tabby cat.

The orange tabby cat, who burns with rivalry against the white cat, rubs its body against Hart as if claiming that this is my owner.

The texture of the maid outfit is as soft as a cat’s ear, and coupled with the softness of the woman wearing it, fascinates Hart and never stops.

“Do you have an excuse?”

Colette’s inquiry chilled Hart’s mind like an air conditioner.

Hart, whose aristocratic visage and appearance had died, mused on an excuse to mitigate the negative 1 million valuation to about 500,000, but in the end he couldn’t think of anything. That’s what being caught red-handed is all about.

“Cat-Eared maids are cute.”

“In short, I wonder if it is merely a peculiarity.”

Hart’s re-opening was cut off by Colette.

“………… For now, I demand a lawyer with an understanding of Moe culture.”

“I have strong French roots, so I have a little understanding of Japanese culture. But the verdict is guilty.”

Do the French really not understand Japan’s Moe culture? Thought the man on the side being pursued.

People that do not have Japanese roots sometimes misunderstand the Japanese culture of Moe.

They may feel that it is immoral to make women wear cat ears. Or is there a desire for dominance derived from animal instincts? Such a straightforward desire was inferred.

Hart’s idea of Moe culture is to love cute little animals, not glittering skin-colored desires.

“I don’t mind.”

“Oh yes, it’s cute.”

Philine, who could take Hart’s reins, and Yuna, his fiancée have declared that they will accept Hart’s hobbies and tastes.

However, the defense counsel’s remarks are not defense at all.

“I’ll tell you just in case, I won’t put cat ears on.”

“Yes, I understand.”

It’s not cat ears that suit Colette, but fox ears. Hart, who had such a delusion, didn’t say anything because he’s afraid for his own life. And he thought that he might be unfair by hugging the orange tabby cat, and lightly stroked the white cat’s head.

“Hopeless. When I’m with Hart, words that I’ve never heard used in my life come up many times. Thank you for this valuable experience.”

“…… No, you’re welcome.”

On behalf of Hart, who was tired, Philine and Yuna tried to persuade her to move to the building and invited her to dinner. The information terminal attached to Hart’s left arm sounded an alarm, and then the other three information terminals rang out all at once.

“What is it?”

After operating the device, Hart’s eyes widened in astonishment.

It was an alert that the Grand Fleet of the Coalition was already closing in on the Diete Star system.