The only weapons left were the twin mobile laser cannon turrets. The main engine systems and space-time bubble generators were still installed, but they were just awaiting their inevitable removal. And that would occur once the Baucbiruch reached the Countdom of Hyde. When that happened, the Baucbiruch would lose its function as an interstellar ship and become the Garich Dreur Haïder (Manor of the Count of Hyde). Needless to say, the ship’s take-off deck would become the manor’s spaceport. Larger vessels would not be able to enter the port, but for the time being that wasn’t likely to be a concern. The giant-sized zocrh hocsatr (space-time mobile mine deck) and zocrh sair (engine deck), meanwhile, would be reassigned as office work sections for the purpose of reigning over the territory-nation, residential areas for the servant vassals, and more. The samh (reactor furnaces) and antimatter fuel tanks which wrung out vast quantities of energy would also be uninstalled, with solar cells expanded to cover for the manor’s electricity needs.
Nevertheless, the current Baucbiruch retained vestiges of a combat ship. At the very least, there could be no doubt whatsoever it was a ship equipped to navigate multiple star systems. That was because at this very moment, it was sailing through planar space.
A modest garden, itself an installation left over from the vessel’s patrol ship days, had been set up on the outskirts of the residential area. But the garden’s environment had been changed, adjusted to that of Jint’s home planet of Martinh.
The transporter passed through a double door, and stopped at the center of the garden. All the plants growing there were native to Martinh. They were the offspring of the flowering plants that had been exported from the territory-nation after the planet had been incorporated into the Empire and before it had been captured by the Three Nations Alliance. Unlike the plant species (now all over the human-populated galaxy) that originated from Earth, very few of Martinh’s plant species were the type that sprouted flowers. There were only a handful of exceptions to that rule. And those exceptions were planted on the edge of the garden opposite the entrance.
The flowers were named “bryanflowers,” after their discoverer. And since they were already in full bloom, Jint couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“They’re rather lackluster,” said Lafier behind him.
“Thanks for your candid words,” said Jint.
Earth-origin flowers had been selectively bred over and over again over lengthy months and years to please the eye. If bryanflowers, said to be the most exquisite of Martinh’s few flower species, were to be displayed alongside Earth-origin flowers, they’d fall under the “shabby” category.
“But my planet’s flowers are at their prettiest the moment they bloom,” said Jint. “And that goes for bryanflowers, too. People appreciate Earth-origin flowers when they’re still, but on my planet, they view flowers as they’re in motion. You saw how big the buds were.” Jint gripped a flower vine. “That was stuffed with this. When the buds open, this vine will peek through. Almost like it’s exploding.”
“That sounds a little unsafe.”
“There’s nothing dangerous about it. It’s so beautiful...”
“That’s why I was on the lookout. Because that’s what you told me.”
“Sorry,” said Jint, shooting her a sheepish look.
There were two reasons he felt so awkward. The first went without saying — the fact that what Jint had told her had weighed on Lafier’s mind, but he’d been so dense. When he’d gone into how beautiful bryanflowers were while they were blooming, she seemed less than fascinated.
The second reason was that they were having a casual back-and-forth about something as trivial as the timing of flowers blooming. The galaxy was at war: this very second, another multitude of lives was getting snuffed out somewhere in planar space. Naturally, it wasn’t as though Jint had started this war, and the Empire guaranteed him the right to step out of the fight at any time — at the cost of his noble rank, and with it, the right to dwell among the stars. Besides, now that he was riding on interstellar ships as an imperial noble without participating in the fight, he was feeling guilty over that, too.
He had trouble wrapping his mind around Lafier at the moment. Jint saw himself as unfit to be a soldier, any way he sliced it. Lafier, on the other hand, truly seemed a born soldier. If even a lousy soldier like Jint was feeling somewhat ill at ease, how was Lafier so composed this far from the field of battle?
“What’s the matter, Jint?” she asked, visibly dubious. “Are you in some kind of mood to stare at my face?”
“Can you blame me?”
“You idiot.”
At that moment, Jint’s wristgear beeped. It was a communication from Ïestaich, a fellow passenger of Jint’s dispatched by the Chancellor’s Office. “Lonh-Dreur. It’s time. I’m rather surprised you’re not in the conference room.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be there right away,” said Jint.
Yestesh was the reason behind Jint’s current sleep deprivation. That was not to say he was a bad person. He was just being diligent about his work.
“There’s a meeting. Wanna come?” he asked Lafier.
“Of course I do. I’m here as a representative of the Royal House of Clybh as well.”
Taking into account the fact that he was a young man in his twenties, Jint was certainly well-to-do. Of course, the only assets of the House of Hyde were the Countdom of Hyde itself, and while it was occupied by the enemy he received no income as a grandee. That being said, as might be expected from his wealth of experience getting caught up in the fires of war, the Empire had established a system of compensation for nobles whose star-fiefs had been taken
