“Public-key sharing is complete. The Common Device link is stable as well.”“Good. …Naturally, I’m a bit tense.”The same night they made contact with Amagio Salmon. At the time he had specified, Commander Eve placed a call to the Common Device they had provided to Amagio.After the sterile ringback sounded three times, there was a crisp tone indicating the connection had been established.“Good evening, Amagio Silverhead. I’m Eve, sovereign of Paraiso.”“Ah. Pleased to meet you. …Player name is Kitsuneski— ah. I-I mean, Eve, right. Pleased to meet you, properly!”“Commander Ma’am. His player name shows as Amagio Salmon—shall I use that?”“Ringo!! The name he gave is the correct name!”“My apologies, Commander Ma’am.”Ringo bowed and scraped.“Sorry about that. …Once again, pleased to meet you, Amagio. I never imagined I’d meet another player in a way like this.”“Nor I. I didn’t think I’d be able to touch base with a player at this point…”In the end—nothing decisive came out of this call; it was small talk from start to finish.Neither side trusted the other; it wasn’t a top-level summit; the time passed in private conversation alone.“…For the time being, talks with your side will continue aboard that ship of yours. Let’s call it a night.”“Agreed. It’s been a while since I had a conversation with someone who spoke my language. Depending on circumstances going forward, I’d like to make this a regular thing.”With that, the call ended—easily, cleanly.“Uuugh, fhaaah—”“Good work, Commander Ma’am.”After confirming the link was fully closed, she let out a grand breath and sank into her chair.“Ugh—conversation is really hard…”A dyed-in-the-wool shut-in like Commander Eve wasn’t about to hold a neat, proper conversation with a stranger out of the blue. With Ringo’s full support, she had somehow managed to keep talking.“If we keep this up, you’ll be able to speak without overthinking it. You’ll be fine.”“Are you my counselor now!”Ringo was in a teasing mood, which showed how drained she was—but it was only the fatigue of conversation.That quick quip gave Commander Eve a sliver of pep; she snorted, pushed herself up from the command chair, and stood.“Okay. Right. So—calls with Amagio, every three days… no, every week… maybe every two weeks…”“Every day would also be acceptable.”“No way!”It was, of course, Ringo’s joke. They sent a message proposing, for now, one call a week.“A reply just came in. He says OK.”“More casual than I expected…”They had sent a carefully worded note, but back came a snappy, comic “OK” stamp. Hardly what you’d expect from a man who has lived—presumably—for decades; he didn’t feel like a grandpa at all.“By the way—what is his actual age, really? Should I be treating him like a grandpa…?”“You could ask next time.”“Ugh, that’s a high hurdle…”“It’s too much for a shut-in with social anxiety,” she grumbled, letting her shoulders slump. She’d been a shut-in before, and since transferring to this world she had completely avoided contact with others.Ringo and the six sisters didn’t count.Which made Amagio, for Eve, her first contact.“I’d have preferred a meeting with zero political fallout, at least…”Amagio was a heavyweight of the Kingdom of Lepuitari, and she, opposite him, was the Queen of Paraiso.In substance or not, at minimum on paper.“Also, I used to be a man. I’d kind of forgotten. Talking with Amagio reminded me.”“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am.”And within that conversation with Amagio, the dissonance she’d felt—she was, belatedly, feeling the reality that her sex had changed.“Until now, it never bothered me at all. But when you talk to someone else, you can’t help but be conscious of it…”From the mismatch in expressions and tone of voice, all the way to her own words—her phrasing. Once it started bothering her, her attention kept splitting there, and that too seemed to be a source of stress.“Uugh, thinking about next time is not relaxing…”In the end, she went to bed with that muddled feeling still in her chest.And, as always, Commander Eve fell asleep instantly.◇◇◇◇Was this a blessing, or the tolling of ruin?Amagio Salmon looked up at the night sky from the terrace of his manor.“Too late—or just in time…”Fidgeting with the crystal hanging from his chest, he murmured.“It’s been a long time…”How many years had it been since he woke in this world?At first he’d been in confusion; after he calmed down, he’d lived with all he had.He’d even cursed his body that did not age, once—but even that had become a memory.“Handled well, restoring this might no longer be a dream.”What he needed was scientific capability.Large facilities that could regenerate data, compute, and generate the energy to maintain it.Getting there had taken work.“Well, first things first. None of that matters without building a friendly relationship.”Paraiso—and the woman he’d just spoken to, “Eve.”Dry and Vier, whom he’d met aboard the ship, were presumably some kind of mechanical dolls, but there was a human shadow behind them. A superintelligent AI with its reins cut would never be that amicable.“I owe this country too. I can’t run wild.”He was, however you sliced it, a grand duke—a power next only to royalty. Degree aside, he did mean to contribute to the Kingdom of Lepuitari.Even so, if he could realize the vow he’d staked his life on up to now, he would not shy away from some sacrifices.“Well, that’s why I lent my hand in taking the country in the first place.”Depending on the situation, he might even offer up his secret treasure.If doing so would win their trust.Or serve as a bargaining chip.“Handing it over wholesale is also an option… but the odds aren’t good.”With no read on their temperament, he had no intention of entrusting it yet. It was worth considering as one option, but not a priority.“For the time being, it’s going to be negotiations, negotiations. What they’re thinking is hard to read… Their endgame is fundamentally different from ours, I suppose…”A force that could build ships like those and dispatch them—why would it take an interest in a backward country like this?If he could guess that, there might be ways to conduct the talks.“Having nothing to do but ask for mercy is rough.”With that, Amagio Salmon turned on his heel—and caught the arm thrust toward his back, took it behind him, and spun his body.“…!”“Now, now. [N O V E L I G H T] Not a peep, huh. Good boy.”Pressing the assailant to the terrace floor, he wore a thin smile.“If you want to do something about me, bring fifty more at least.”Then you might manage to scratch me, maybe.At Amagio Salmon’s taunt, the man he pinned down let out a faint groan.“I don’t know whose errand boy you are… hell, maybe you weren’t even told. Honestly—spend a little time as a recluse and they start taking me lightly.”He tightened his grip on the captured arm. That alone sent the assailant into unconsciousness.He had occluded blood flow precisely and cut off oxygen to the brain.“Damn it. Calling the guards over is a hassle…”Grumbling, Amagio Salmon hauled the limp man up. He intended to hand him straight over to the soldiers standing guard outside his rooms.“And now they’ll increase the guard detail, won’t they? I’ll never get a moment’s peace…”Last time, he had pushed and gotten the guard reduced. This time, they wouldn’t merely refuse to cut it; they’d likely increase the number.No matter how strong Amagio was, going without an escort would slight his dignity. That would be the navy’s judgment.“Bloody nuisance. It’s probably some codger’s rogue move… Yeah—crush them. And it’s a good chance to cozy up to the Paraiso lot. Okay, okay—let’s do that.”And thus, the Kingdom of Lepuitari was about to enter a time of great upheaval.

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