…………
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Too often silent time. Taro tried to be as unconscious as possible about that soft feeling that Marl's body could feel by following closely, but in the end it was only a wasted effort.
"... hey, have you slept yet?
A small voice heard right behind your head. Taro felt goosebumps nodding and said in his heart, "You can't sleep!!" and put the penetration in.
"... I don't know my family well."
A tone that can't be taken as sad or empty, like just saying the facts. Taro figured out how to give it back, but he held his mouth open that he should listen in silence.
"I was alone when I felt like it, and I took that for granted. There were legal guardians, but they just checked the results of the medical examinations and the program scores. Could it have been years since I saw your face?
Something to miss. Taro looked back just a little bit and said, "What's the program, BISHOP's?," he asked.
"Yeah, I'm not. Special Learning Program. Uh, the same goes for BISHOP, but for a likely talented child, the government funds the aid. I'm in mechanical engineering at BISHOP."
"Is that what you call a scholarship? It feels like a free, advanced education for good students."
"Right. But it's not pro bono. From what to what, including the cost of living, the Empire will take care of you. That's pretty wealthy too... to be honest, I can't imagine what would have happened without it. Like those kids, they didn't know anything about it, and they probably even worked downstairs."
To Marl's words, Taro looks up to Sofia and the others sleeping. Perhaps Marr did the same, conveying a sense of humility on his back.
"Do you know why those kids' parents aren't here?
To Marl's inquiry, "No," said Taro. It wasn't even the first time I heard that I had no parents in the first place.
"He went out to the city four years ago to earn money, and that's exactly what he said. I'm still waiting for you, but Sophia and Lammy seem to realize you can't afford it."
"I don't think so... just in case? For some reason..."
"None. Dead things."
Taro closing his mouth that was open. Worst fact I ever assumed.
"Bella told me... there was a transport ship that was attacked by Wynd four years ago, and there was a name for my parents on the roster."
"Oh well... well, we'll find out. But why don't Sophia and the others know? Can someone tell me about it?
"Who is it, who is it"
"Huh? No, aren't those attacked companies, or even the worst, the state and the municipalities going to do it?
"They're not imperial citizens, Taylor. You can't have that kind of service without a family registry. And it was a private employer who was attacked, along with the ship that was attacked."
"Ooh... I can't do that"
Sighing tall with no place to be angry and impatient. Then again the silent time lasted for a while, but Taro opened his mouth "so".
"Have I missed my family?
"... yeah, it's not... no, it might be, but it's not"
Marl looking bad with a tooth cut. "Don't laugh," she continued, coughing small.
"I'm scared. Those kids."
Such a small voice that you might miss hearing it if you weren't careful. Taro was surprised by that confession and said, "Scared? When I asked back," Yeah, "Marr said.
"It's not just those kids, but now those kids... they're scared of others, Taylor. You're defenseless when you're asleep, aren't you? I can't wait to be horrified to be in the same space as someone else in that state."
"Uh... no, well, not if they ask me if I ever get anxious, but scared?
"Yeah, I'm scared...... hey, you know what? A standard Galactic Empire citizen only meets four times a year on average."
"Four, come on. It's in the state of gross national pull. Seriously?"
"It's true. Even when they say pull, that's normal for us... but yeah. At least I did pull it off. I had an anthropophobia, and you can still see it."
"... no, no, it's not funny to joke about it, Marl. The company was normal, and you've never seen a scared toco?
"I won't show you that. Besides, if it's in the form of dealing with someone at work, it's fine. Because I can be nervous, and I can wear a mask. Come on, I'm used to it."
"Uh, is he a persona? Hey, Marl, if it's hard, you can start plumbing tomorrow, okay? It's not like I can't do it, it's just that I'm dating."
There is no need to involve reluctant marl in anything that starts with mere thoughts. "No," Marl said to Taro, who said so with a slight look back.
"I know it's not good for me. I'd like to take the opportunity to overcome this... but suddenly it's difficult, so one by one"
"Oh well... ok. Tell me if there's anything I can do to help. I'll do anything, okay?
"Hehe, thanks. But it's okay, because Taylor's already had enough."
Marl laughs when he dulls for fun. Taro floated a question mark and said, "What are you talking about? return."
"When I first met you, it was actually two years since I had you face to face with someone else... if it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be pulling into a junkyard"
Marl presses his head against Taro's back.
"I appreciate it, Taylor. I'm still scared of other people, but sometimes I find it so much fun. I'm sure, thanks to you..."
A relaxed, calm voice color. Eventually I heard a quieter sleep than behind me and realized that Marl had fallen asleep. Taro gently stroked Marl's head only once as he rose quietly to keep Marl awake.
When I was lonely, when I was scared, when I was anxious, I felt like someone did that to me one day, too.
When a massive migration policy was announced for a group of stations located at the boundary between the former Enzio and EAP universes, people boiled down that the new alliance apparently meant to develop the periphery. With the exception of shipbuilding, the military-related industry lowered the parcel price and, conversely, facilities and infrastructure-related companies greatly increased the share price.
"RS is going to create a market on the border. Don't miss it!!
The businessmen shouted so and embarked on their own spacecraft towards the border. Of the two candidates considered to be destined for development, one was not known to anyone for its value, while the other was seen as a resource development site. It had been eyed since the Enzio reign, but the enlarged military budget did not allow its development.
"Isn't there some sort of new resource zone over here, too? It's about that alliance lord. You must have something we don't know."
One candidate, which has existed in the Galactic Empire since a fairly ancient era, has already exhausted a remarkable resource, and no one could know exactly its value. But still, people flocked to those systems with various expectations of authenticity.
"I report, Mr. Taylor. Acceptable capacity for the planned development site, but it's already going to push its limits. It seems to be doing better than expected when it comes to migration."
"It's only been two weeks. You're too early... or you're all less resistant to moving than I thought. It's almost compulsory."
"That would be so, Mr. Taylor. If you are migrating every block module, the only thing that changes is the position of the stars visible outside the window. What resistance should I have? Rather, a coalition fleet of RS allies will be defensive, so you might even say it's safer than it was in its original location."
"If you ask me... Soya Marr said the citizens of the Empire are pulling off too. Is it the same if it's with you inside?"
Some human beings - mainly those who hit the negotiations and the inhabitants of the said area - were outraged that this unarmed zone setting was a defeat on the part of the RS Alliance in the post-war processing negotiations, but our own did not care at all. It was an area that was expected to be taken in when the Empire entered, and it was rather convenient because it had a great name. In addition, pressure and dissatisfaction on the EAP side can be reduced.
"He's an EAP diplomat, but he was floating around forgetting to hide it. Guys, I'm serious about winning."
Alan, who negotiated with the EAP, was frightened to say so. But it was a natural pleasure from the EAP side, which was unaware of the plans to enter the empire, and Taro felt somewhat sorry for it.
"Well, I just think"
If it's just heartbreaking, it's free and nobody dies.
Taro was wrong - from his point of view - always concerned himself with being calm when it came to running the Alliance so as not to step on the Enzio Alliance, which had killed a lot of people in the operation. And he did not overconfidence himself and actively took Parliament's opinion into account.
In my mood, I wanted to tell Lynn and EAP, but I couldn't. An economically powerful EAP was beginning to invest in the military on the occasion of this war, and if left alone, it was unlikely to be taken back. Apart from the story, if absolute as the Galactic Imperial Government is, it is very dangerous for only one organization to protrude. What happens when they get greedy?
"The ideal is the Three Kingdoms. RS, EAP, and White Dingo... I'm scared of Dingo."
When I think of a strangely friendly dingo these days, I get anxious about what I'm thinking. The treaties exchanged between Rising San and Dingo had now turned into mere inviolability treaties. Inside, White Dingo had decided that part of the former Enzio territory would be ceded as post-war compensation, and Dingo seemed to consider it a major victory.
It has now reached the point of entering into a number of trading conventions, which contain more favourable items than those scheduled to be exchanged with the EAP. Rising Sun's head office talked with a lot of people, but he had concluded that he probably expected that RS would not conduct a military expansion for a while. He would know for sure. There was no one there to insult Dingo's foresight or military capability.
"In some cases, it could work with that dingo."
There was no one in Bella's statement who said it was impossible. If the EAP is enlarged too quickly, it's a good possibility.
"It's good to be busy, but this is just..."
Alliance territory problems summarized in chips. Marl pulls his face into that too much capacity.
"It'll still be better if we just have a parliament...... come on, let's get on with it"
While Taronda lived a slow life with the Sophias in the dorm, daytime hours continued to turn around a murderous schedule. At some point it was even created a dedicated high-speed travel lane that leads directly to offices rented to the commercial district, and the modular blocks around it were successively being acquired by Rising Sun and its affiliates. If you noticed, you could call it the Rising Sun Border Branch.
"I thought you were going to take over the station. I was happy with the increase in tax revenues, Mr. Smith... but you're still coming. From now on, it should be interesting"
In his small office, Taro looked at the system map displayed on the wall.
The Great Pioneering Era was just about to begin.