Planet Shiramber didn't have anything as sophisticated as a defense system. Life in a Baron’s territory was a constant struggle for survival; there simply wasn't any money to spare for security. The only exceptions were usually former military men turned pirate hunters, or perhaps those moonlighting as pirates themselves. Even then, I figured terraforming would take priority over defense.
It wasn't a desert planet by choice, but it was what it was.
I made a routine descent in a transport craft. It felt great not to be under fire for once. We landed at a small settlement adjacent to the quarry. It wasn't exactly what you’d call an airport, but it had a leveled strip of ground that served as a runway.
I toggled the air purifier on my combat full-face helmet and stepped outside. The moment I did, a warning chime echoed in my ears.
[Harmful substances detected. Please replace filter within 72 hours.]
Sure enough, the air was poison. Just what I expected from a backwater Baron's domain. I had three spare filters, so it wasn't an immediate crisis.
In a corner of the landing field, I spotted a few outdated helicopters and Cessnas. Nearby stood a dilapidated shack that had the audacity to call itself an "airport terminal." Curious, I peered inside, but found nothing but a generator and an air purifier. I connected one of the energy cartridges I’d brought to the generator and flipped the purifier on. Instantly, an invisible membrane—a barrier—deployed across the entire premises.
After a few moments, an automated announcement played: [Concentration of harmful substances has decreased. Environment is now safe.]
I pulled off my helmet and took a breath. "Phew... Typical Baron Territory. This is no joke."
An environment where you could die just by breathing wasn't exactly fit for human habitation.
Claire walked over to me. "Hey, Leo. Her Highness is in a panic. She says you need to answer your comms immediately."
"Eh? Comms?"
I hurriedly pulled up my augmented reality menu. The second I did, a flood of notifications hit me. Oh, the signal must have just been cut off. It was possible the planet's atmosphere contained some kind of substance that blocked radio waves.
"Hey there, wifey," I said as I connected. "For some reason, my signal wouldn't go through."
"Oh, I see. Wait, that's not the point! That man... he's in your unit, Lord Groom!"
"Who's 'that man'?"
The moment the question left my lips, the line cut out.
Well, that was ominous. Naturally, I was curious, so I decided to hunt for this mystery man under a plausible pretext.
"Excuse me, everyone! Her Highness ordered a roll call!" I shouted, lining up my squad.
There was Claire, Melissa... and the usual collection of idiot boys. Most were from the Imperial Officer Academy, but a few actual soldiers were mixed in. If anyone was "that man," it had to be one of the soldiers.
"Alright, your turn, gentlemen," I said, stepping in front of the soldiers.
The moment I looked at the man at the end of the line, I froze. He was a muscle-bound guy wearing glasses.
"Why the hell are you here?! Prince Cyrus?!"
Since our last meeting, he’d shaved his head into a buzz cut, which only added to his wild, rugged appearance. But that wasn't the point! Why was Prince Cyrus standing here? Hadn't he been smuggled away to some secret location after assassinating the Emperor?
While I stood there in a state of total confusion, Cyrus addressed me with perfect military poise.
"Captain! I have prior military experience. Upon my re-enlistment, I personally requested to be assigned to the Captain's unit!"
"No, no, no, no! As far as 'prior experience' goes, members of the Imperial Family are treated as high-ranking commanders by default!"
"I intend to start over as a private!"
I didn't even know where to start nitpicking that. Still, if they wanted to ensure his escape, this might actually be the smartest play. The soldiers on my wife’s ship were all vetted—either career military or students from the Officer Academy Regular Course. He could blend in perfectly. Later, we could stop at some random planet where the ruling family had been wiped out, and he could just step out and say, "Surprise, I'm the long-lost eldest son of the local lord."
It was the perfect crime. Whoever thought of this was a devious bastard.
I wondered for a second if I was being set up, but if that were the case, he would have been arrested before we even cleared the Capital Planet. No, someone like Thomas had probably pulled some strings to get him out of the city. Given that even my wife didn't know he was here, I had to assume the regular soldiers on this ship were in on the secret. They must be remnants of Cyrus's own Personal Guard.
"Er... Brother-in-law Cyrus. Please, just act normal."
"I see. Then, my brother-in-law, what is it?"
"Why did you kill the Emperor?" I asked bluntly.
"Because my father could not have won this war. While everyone else was plotting to kill him, a chance happened to fall into my lap. All that remained was to act."
"Even if it meant murdering your own father?" It was a bit of a cruel way to put it, but I had to know.
"I believe it was the only way to save the people," he replied without hesitation.
"Is there a chance someone manipulated you into thinking that?" I asked. There were Zork that could mess with a person's mind, after all. Or it could have been the work of a spy.
"None. To my knowledge, Thomas, Veronica, the Inner Palace, the military, foreign affairs, internal affairs, and many others were all gunning for his life. The only question was who would get to him first."
So, Maro was destined to die one way or another.
"Any regrets?"
"None. My father's death surely saved hundreds of millions of lives."
"Understood. I'm going to work you like a dog, so be ready."
If he was this committed, there was nothing left for me to say.
"I do not begrudge this body if it serves to save the people," he said firmly.
Well, that was one hell of a surprise, but it didn't change the job at hand. Using the airport as our base, I launched several drones to scout the quarry. I really didn't want them getting trashed by the local wildlife. Claire was the expert on this, so I left the operations entirely to her.
"No Zork reactions detected. Visual confirmation via camera is also negative," she reported.
I watched the footage from the reconnaissance heli-drones.
"A swarm of Desert Rays is approaching. Initiating evasive maneuvers."
A school of rays was "swimming" through the sand. They looked a lot like mantas, except they were enormous—about the size of a car. Suddenly, the rays leaped out of the sand, gliding through the air with eerie grace.
We maneuvered the drones to stay out of their path, but just as I thought we were clear, a massive creature erupted from the dunes. It resembled a bobbit worm, but it was larger than a skyscraper. The giant worm lunged out, snatched a ray mid-air, and vanished back into the depths of the sand.
It was a terrifying display of raw power. My legs actually started to shake.
"...Claire-san, I don't want to go outside anymore."
"Deal with it."
Give me a break! There were creatures on this planet stronger than Zork just casually strolling around!
"Entrance discovered in the back of the quarry," Claire noted.
"Is there a way to move without getting eaten by the rays or the worms?"
"Do your best!"
How heartless!
Terrified of the local mega-fauna, we began making our way toward the quarry. Honestly, how do the people on this planet even manage to survive?