I was Kyoko, a permanent resident of the underground.
It had been a little over two years since my father shipped me off to be a candidate for Leo-kun’s wife.
My life since then... had been quite fulfilling.
Ever since Leo-kun—that dummy who was always breaking his favorite machines—became king, I had officially graduated from the days of being constantly chased by repair work. Instead, I had entered a life where I could develop whatever I wanted to my heart’s content.
Fuhehehe. It was wonderful.
Experimenting with Lepsitol's warp device was another joy. Bit by bit, the true nature of the mechanism was coming into focus.
It wasn't exactly a safe device, though. There was a probability of about 0.1% that whatever was being transported would never emerge from the gaps between dimensions. In the experiments I repeated endlessly—specifically, short-range warp tests using canned goods—the failure rate remained consistent.
As for what happened to the failed samples, the cans simply didn't come out. Was it subspace, or a place like a black hole? Regardless, the object vanished entirely before the warp completed. There was no way such a thing could be used on humans. It was a tactic unique to Lepsitol, a place where the value of life was infinitely cheap.
I sent the data from these experiments to a University Professor in the Empire. I hadn't received the kind of formal education required to write a proper academic thesis, so I had the professor handle the actual writing in the form of a co-authorship.
For the professor, obtaining raw data from the reverse engineering of extra-universal technology would have been impossible without partnering with me. Thus, I made the most of my status as a Kamishiro Group Researcher and a Galactic Empire Army Technical Officer. Since I donated the majority of the patent royalties from the technology developed through the Kamishiro Group to the university lab, no one complained. The professor always wore a beaming smile during our meetings, so I... think I wasn't disliked.
The territory I received from Veronica-chan was being managed by my father. Apparently, it was being used as a cargo relay base on a Count-class planet. Thanks to that, I could live my life without ever worrying about money.
As for Leo-kun? He had plenty of wives already, so I figured it didn't really matter what I did.
Now, regarding that warp device, I was currently using it to have my meals delivered. Mostly cup noodles. I used to think there was no problem with my nutrition, but after eating cup noodles every day, I was eventually restricted to only one per day. In their place, I had a vending machine for frozen foods installed in the underground hallway near the lab. It was free.
At lunchtime, a Court Lady would bring me a meal prepared by someone on duty. My bath and bedroom were also located underground. It was a magnificent setup.
"Major Kyoko Ohno. It is time for exercise. Please step outside."
If there was anything bothersome about this life, it was being managed by an AI. Appropriate exercise, sleep, bathing... even the timing of my three meals was completely controlled. If the system determined that I was lacking nutrients from my diet of frozen foods and cup noodles, a Court Lady would bring me a total nutrition meal. My caloric intake was adjusted to the precise, appropriate amount.
In reality, while a healthy lifestyle technically decreased my research hours, my efficiency jumped several times over. I understood that, but... I was a night person. I wanted to sleep during the day. But if I tried to take a nap, the AI would wake me up. It was a life where health was forced upon me.
I changed into my exercise clothes: an Officer Academy Azuki-colored Potato Tracksuit. I wasn't actually an Officer Academy student, but through some paperwork magic, I was officially a graduate. Despite being a middle-school dropout who had lived as a NEET at my father’s house, I had somehow graduated from the Officer Academy Graduate School and was now a military researcher. I received a salary for it, so I suppose it didn't really matter.
"Please begin running."
"Okaay."
I started my run. I was never good at running; I simply wasn't suited for physical labor. I got out of breath almost immediately. But... even so, I had actually become capable of running. At first, even finishing 500 meters was a struggle. Now, I could run normally. Keyword being "normally."
"Armed Obstacle Course! Begin!"
"Uoooooooh!"
Men carrying thirty kilograms of equipment and rifles dashed through the obstacle course on the palace drill ground. Running with everything they had, they scaled vertical walls, climbed cliffs with ropes, and dove into moats. They crawled under nets, sprinted across unstable footing, and swung across ropes. Leo-kun and the others were breathing hard, as expected, but they still looked like they had plenty of energy to spare.
Were they monsters? It was impossible for me.
To make matters worse, the personnel who finished the run immediately put down their gear and started playing basketball. Apparently, they were planning to play soccer after they ate. Were they even human?
The people from the martial arts divisions picked up stones larger than a typical fist from the area and held a Natural Stone Breaking Contest. Leo-kun joined in once the basketball game settled down.
"No hitting them against the stones underneath!"
With that shout, Leo-kun smashed a natural stone apart with a hand knife. The other men followed suit, breaking stones using whatever methods they pleased. They weren't using Battle Gloves; they were doing it with their bare hands.
...Seriously, were they human?
Looking at that display, I reaffirmed that marrying into Leo-kun’s household was impossible for me. He had an intellectual side, so we got along in conversation, but something about him was just fundamentally different. I mean, look—as soon as the stone-breaking contest ended, they started a push-up competition.
Leo-kun really was the athletic type... despite the floral apron.
Feeling thoroughly crushed by the overwhelming difference in physical strength, I returned underground. As I thought, I should focus on being useful through research and give up on marriage.
That was right. Being Leo-kun's wife was impossible. That bright, sparkly aura of his was just too much for me!
After I showered and returned to my room, a Court Lady brought me my meal. It was handmade by the person on cooking duty. Since I couldn't cook, I was exempt from that rotation.
The menu was fried rice and stir-fried chicken breast and bell peppers with cashew nuts, served with a side of Chinese soup. I tucked in... and found the flavor to be at a professional restaurant level. Even though I usually hated bell peppers, these were honestly delicious. It didn't taste like food from a trendy cafe or a chain restaurant; it had the soul of a neighborhood Chinese joint or a local dining hall.
Hmm... today's chef was Leo-kun. He’d improved his skills again, that man in the floral apron. When Leo-kun got busy with work, it would be yakisoba for days on end, so today was a lucky day.
I wanted someone like Leo-kun to be my wife, but I had no desire to be his. That over-the-top brightness of his was just impossible for me to handle.
While I was lost in thought, a notification popped up from the AI.
"Simulation of the logic model is complete."
"Okaay."
"Please wait until after you have finished your meal!"
"Yes, yeees."
I got scolded by the AI. After finishing my meal, I checked the simulation results. It was an improvement model for Lepsitol's warp device. At present, it couldn't be called safe. Even if it were used, transferring cup noodles was about the limit of its reliability. I hoped I could somehow refine it. Even if humans couldn't use it, there should be a wide variety of applications, such as automated cargo transfer.
"Hmm... wait?"
One result stood out. It was a model that incorporated the currently understood parameters of the Interstellar Travel Gate—the gate that connected this galaxy to the Galactic Empire, its construction method a complete mystery.
"Is Lepsitol's technology derived from the Zen God Race...?"
There was no point in dwelling on it alone. I decided to submit a technical report immediately.