Chapter 22

The next day, at the break of dawn, the door opened cautiously.

“Ah, hello…”

“Did you call us?”

As always, Mili greeted hesitantly, and Sita responded nonchalantly.

“Yeah, come in. Did you both sleep well?”

“Yes, yes! It was extremely soft and…uh…extremely comfortable – heh, heh heh…”

“Yes, I slept well.”

Mili enthusiastically explained while giggling like an excited child, while Sita ended her response with a simple, concise answer.

Looking at them, their temperaments couldn’t be more different, yet precisely because of that, they meshed together like cogwheels.

At that moment, my stomach growled.

Just now, I remembered I hadn’t eaten dinner last night, but since I’d probably suffer from indigestion anyway, I thought, there’s no point in worrying about it now.

“Did you all have dinner?”

“Yes, yes! It was delicious!”

“Me too.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Uh… didn’t you eat, Edu?”

“I get a bit queasy when I eat food.”

“Oh, that’s right… you must be having a hard time.”

“Thank you.”

As we exchanged light conversation, a natural silence fell, and both their gazes turned toward me.

“Mili, Sita. I called you here today because there are a few things you should know.”

“Things we should know?”

“Yeah, most of what you’ll learn in the academy will be through classes, but having some basic knowledge beforehand will help you understand and learn more easily.”

The difference between knowing absolutely nothing and having related knowledge, even if only slightly, is vast when it comes to understanding.

Since Mili and Sita have come this far for my sake, it would only be right to guide them where I can.

“By the way, since we’re on this topic, how about we make things a little less formal? You don’t have to call me ‘Edu-san.’ Just call me casually.”

“Uh…uh…”

Was it the sudden suggestion? Mili, stammering and looking toward Sita, while Sita quietly contemplated.

“Then I’ll call you ‘Edu-onee-chan’.”

“…eh? Onee-chan?”

Wait a sec. Shouldn’t that be inappropriate given this childish figure?

“No, just call me Edu.”

“No, that’s not okay!”

Sita nodded silently in agreement while Mili firmly shook her head, rejecting the suggestion.

“I mean… given how I look, calling me ‘onee-chan’…”

Shaking her body vigorously from side to side, Mili was adamantly refusing.

“…Does Sita feel the same?”

“Yes, looks aren’t everything.”

At that, Sita looked at me with sincere eyes, and my reflection in her clear gaze revealed not only my appearance but also her trust in me.

“Uh… Fine, think about it and call me whatever makes you comfortable.”

“Yes, yes! Elder sister!”

Responding cheerfully and smiling brightly, Mili’s face made it impossible for me to say anything further.

“Then, before I begin explaining… do you have any prior knowledge of this world?”

“This world…?”

“Yeah, like why we live underground.”

The background of AOE is placed about two centuries after the establishment of the ark, which is approximately two hundred years later.

In other words, there’s a high probability that accurate records weren’t passed down or made known, especially in barren lands like Outland.

After pondering for a moment, Mili spoke, apparently recalling something.

“Oh! I’ve heard of that! Sita, do you remember? A long time ago…”

“Oh, that.”

If Sita understood what Mili was referring to, she responded immediately and turned her gaze toward me.

“I don’t remember exactly, but I do recall hearing that there were scary things on the surface, so we must never go up there.”

“Uh… Yeah, that’s right. That’s the story.”

Even if the detailed content is vague, it seems like the sense of danger has been passed down. That’s not bad in its own right.

“Hmm, that’s not entirely wrong.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah, there are four enemies aboveground in total.”

I held up my fingers, and naturally, Milly and Sita’s eyes turned toward me.

“First, the Invaders.”

I folded my index finger.

Invaders.

As their name suggests, they are the mechanical lifeforms from another dimension that started the apocalypse in the AOE world.

Their motif is similar to the cliché mysterious and hostile mechanical lifeform groups that appear frequently in subculture games, but what’s alarming is the technology, firepower, and scale they possess.

Walking Fortress: Earthquake.

Ground Fortress: Megabase.

Maritime Fortress: Armored Island.

Aerial Fortress: Black Sky.

Underground Fortress: Abyss Mother.

These five fortresses, collectively known as the “Five Despairing Fortresses,” were the vanguards and core of the Invaders who pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. These fortresses, accompanied by massive armies, devastated the land.

At least Black Sky was destroyed after fierce resistance by the U.S. military, but there are still four fortresses left on the surface.

A mechanical army that knows no emotion — that is the Invaders.

“Wow…”

“Next are the Ustansha Galactic Empire.”

I folded my middle finger.

Ustansha Galactic Empire.

A group of alien invaders who appeared in our galaxy even before the scars of the Invaders’ invasion had healed.

Their motif is based on hostile alien groups, who, as is usually the case, wield overwhelming yet bizarre technology and weapons. However, these extraterrestrial morons also came carrying an unpleasant ideology.

Imperialism, specifically, governance based on the logic of power, where Earth humanity was nothing more than weak livestock, and they exercised what they believed to be their “natural rights.”

Thus, nations and cities that had luckily survived the invasion of the Invaders were set ablaze, and those who survived were reduced to slavery.

The fortunate misfortune here is that the cliché applies – the climate of Earth didn’t suit these alien invaders, slowing down their advances significantly.

Anyway, these are the inconvenient visitors from outer space: the Ustansha Galactic Empire.

“…Are there really such things?”

“Yeah. The third group is the Cryptids.”

“C-Cryptids?”

“Yep.”

I folded my ring finger.

Cryptids.

Even in the AOE setting, they are intentionally described in vague terms. As you can guess from their name as a swarm of monsters, they are an antagonistic entity inspired by monstrous groups controlled by a singular intelligence.

The problem with these monstrous types, as often depicted, is that they possess terrifying combat abilities, have incredibly stubborn lifespans, and come in overwhelming numbers, making them extremely difficult to oppose.

Because of this, humanity, already weakened, couldn’t withstand their assaults and retreated underground, into the sky, and beneath the ocean.

This concludes the background story of AOE.

“And lastly, the Fallen… You two have seen them, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Are they like scavengers living on the surface?”

“That’s right.”

Finally, I folded my little finger.

Fallen.

Groups of humans who remained on the surface for various reasons and eventually devolved.

These so-called “lost humanity,” much like the stereotype that appears with every apocalypse tale, failed to form a single powerful force but instead scattered across various locations. They were dangerous but could not compare to the other three groups.

That concludes it.

Actually, apart from these external threats, there were problems within the ark and internal conflicts stemming from that, but the content was too dark and bleak to tell Mili and Sita about it, so I kept quiet.

“How about it? Did you understand a bit?”

After explaining all that to them and asking, I saw Mili’s amazed expression and Sita’s slightly gloomy face as she pondered.

“W-wow…”

“Robots, aliens, and monsters…”

Sita slowly turned her gaze toward me.

“…Do we have to fight against such things?”

Fear and anxiety were evident in Sita’s voice, which rarely showed any feelings. Of course, Sita’s reaction was understandable. In most cases, the appearance of just one of these three alone would lead to an apocalypse. Here, we have a triple-combo threat.

“Yeah.”

“…Is it possible to win against them?”

It was a desperate question, so I answered confidently with a bright smile.

“Of course.”

Invaders, the Ustansha Galactic Empire, and the Cryptids. For regular people, it might be inconceivable to oppose such powerful enemies.

But through AOE, the repeated experience and information regarding these enemies and how to deal with them are enough to push away fear and build confidence.

“C-Can we really win…?”

“Yeah, really. Just trust me!”

Both Sita and Mili silently stared at my face. Then their gazes turned toward each other and they suddenly began to laugh.

“Heh, hehehe-”

“Ah, ahahaha-”

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“…It’s a bit hard to understand. Based on what you’ve told us, it seems like enemies we can’t possibly defeat, yet you say we can overcome them.”

“Could it be… you feel awkward?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“No, that’s right…!”

Their gazes directly returned to me.

“Rather… there’s a feeling that if Edu-onee-sama does it, it might be possible.”

“I, I feel the same…!”

In their words, I can feel their trust and reliance.

Despite not having done much for them until now, their belief in me makes my chest feel oddly ticklish.

“Hem, thank you both.”

Coughing lightly to clear my throat, I directed my attention toward them.

“Then, do you have any other questions?”

As I asked, Mili and Sita exchanged glances, and then Mili raised her hand first.

“Yes, Mili?”

“Uh… I understand what you said, but… how did everyone manage to escape such a situation?”

“Oh, that? Actually, it’s simple. Those guys, they were hostile to each other.”

“Hostile to… each other?”

“Yeah.”

Each one of them could be a star antagonist in an apocalyptic story. But in this case, these groups happened to meet on the small island of Earth.

In their perspective, it’s like heading somewhere for a delicious meal but unexpectedly finding someone already there. Would such groups cooperate or retreat peacefully? Not a chance.

Thus, they started warring against each other.

Thanks to that, humanity, despite being in the worst situation, seized an opportunity to plan for the future, and this became one of the established Arks, the #03 Ark – Hope.

“Wow…!”

Mili ex CLAIMed with admiration. Meanwhile, Sita also hesitantly raised her hand.

“Yes, Sita. What is it?”

“I’ve been curious about this for a while… why do people look at you with pity when they know you’re an Awakener?”

“Oh, that…”

Right, these two wouldn’t know.

“Wasn’t I the primary combat force for modern humanity?”

“No, not exactly, but I understand the gist.”

“Hmm… that’s good. To put it simply, if we consider Awakeners as strong weapons, when would be the appropriate situation to use them?”

“To use on strong enemies…”

“You’re right, Mili. Battling strong enemies means facing greater dangers, meaning Awakeners are assigned the hardest missions and tend to deplete rapidly.”

“Ah…”

Mili sighed, and her expression wasn’t particularly good.

“Depletion…”

Sita echoed the sentiment with a similar expression, which concerned me even though I was explaining something very basic.

“Why do both of you look so glum?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“Same here.”

Though they reacted quickly when pointed out, Mili and Sita appeared flustered, and it was strange.

It occurred to me that the story they heard today was quite shocking, so I decided to let it go.

“Then, what should we do from now on?”

A sudden question from Mili.

“What should we do?”

“Yes, yes. Didn’t you travel around planning to enter the academy?”

Ah, that was the sound of it.

The process has changed slightly from the original plan, but since the main goal is to enter the academy, they must be curious about what happens next.

For the time being, life at the academy will make up most of the plan, but thinking about the future, it might be good to give them a goal to aim for.

“That’s right. For now, both of you should focus on the academy.”

“On the academy?”

“Yeah, the academy has all the elements needed to help you grow.”

“…Is that so?”

Though Sita said it, her voice hinted at doubts about whether she could truly achieve it. I suspect Mili feels the same.

Hmm. In this case, confidence is key, so let’s instill some courage in them.

“Don’t worry too much and use this opportunity to discover your aptitudes, Mili and Sita. You both have potential, so you can definitely do it.”

“Potential?”

“…Do we?”

“Of course! Growing up without much help in a barren place like Outland isn’t easy. You both have every reason to be confident!”

At my words, they turned to look at each other, and it seemed like they resolved something as Mili nodded and Sita slowly lowered her head.

“Thank you. We’ll work hard!”

“…Me too.”

“Great, both of you, let’s keep it up. Then, next—”

Knock knock.

As I was about to continue, a light knock came from outside the room.

“Edu-sama, are you inside?”

The voice was calm and composed, it was Diana.

“Diana-sama?”

“Yes, it’s Diana. Are Milly-sama and Sita-sama also inside?”

“Yes, they’re both here.”

“Perfect timing. Would you all spare a few moments? Let’s have breakfast as well.”

“What’s the matter?”

“We’re about to welcome new students, so ahead of that, I’d like to conduct a temporary entrance examination with the three of you.”

“Ooh!”

Entrance examination.

One of the main events called flowers of the academy, it helps to analyze each person’s aptitude and allocate an appropriate department accordingly. Everyone in the academy goes through this.

Though these events were numerous within AOE, it feels more pleasant now since we were speaking about Mili and Sita’s goals.

This is a good opportunity to understand Mili and Sita’s characteristics and strengths, so helping them align their future will surely make them reliable allies later.

“Yes, we’ll come out now!”

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