Then the young man thanked everyone who had helped him before he resumed his duty, moving the supplies to the designated place.
“That is one matter solved.” Tatsumi smiled as he gestured to the young man to continue with the duty given. Then he faced Rao and ironed out his expression to that of a calm and collected.
“Do you have something to say to me, Your Majesty?” Tatsumi asked.
“I want to know your name since you are quite interesting. Can you?” Rao openly said what he wanted without caring for other people’s gaze and opinion.
“I am Tatsumi. Perhaps Your Majesty does not know that. Now you know.” Tatsumi opened his mouth, as he did not care whether people knew about him or not.
Rao was actually quite surprised to hear that. Because Kushina had talked about the young man with that name during their conversation.
The first Transcendent who used the new energy source, the child who could connect to those in the Afterlife. Such things were attributed to the one named Tatsumi that Kushina spoke of. Rao then realized that Tatsumi probably knew something about him through the deceased.
‘Perhaps…he knew about me through someone. Someone close to me, but who could it be? From the way he looked at me, it was probably someone familiar with me…’ Rao had this in mind while realizing that there was such a person.
‘If that is the case, I will have to befriend him even more.’
“So you are the one they talked about. Now that I see you, you are the type of person who cares more about something that you deem important and has detached yourself from most things.” Rao started off by saying this, since this was his impression of Tatsumi.
Tatsumi sighed since his description was quite apt. He did not expect that the observation skills of Rao to be this sharp.
“That is true. He can be a bit distant to those he doesn’t care about but it will be different when he acts with those he cares about.” Ame added to the conversation which got a stare from Tatsumi.
‘I did not expect you to have that impression of me, Ame.’ Tatsumi’s only thought was this. His gaze lingered on her face, seeing that her expression was one of teasing.
“Hmm, I can imagine that.” Rao nodded his head, replying to Ame.
“I see that the two of you are a pair, so I just saw and it turned out that it was true. So, I recommend that you not be separated. How about that?” Rao said.
“But that will trouble you, right? There is no need for someone like you to do this.” Tatsumi almost said immediately. He felt that this kind of arrangement was unnecessary since there was already some sort of arrangement.
However, the arrangement of the king, such as Rao's, was likely different from that of the headmaster. That was why Tatsumi was looking at Kushina, to see what kind of reaction she had.
“Your Majesty, they already have their arrangement. But if you directly give the order, I can also give them your arrangement.” The red-haired headmaster said.
“Ah, right. You already arranged for everything in the rear. But there is a matter that the frontline has been relaying for some time.” Rao explained.
He continued, “They have discovered an item of interest. It is from the frontline, and the highest command at the frontline asked the Cerulean Defense Force for an escort.”
Then he lowered his voice so that only Tatsumi and Ame could hear him.
“This is classified information and only the leaders of the superpowers, like me or the general, could know about it. I need someone who can act as a decoy to escort the item. Of course, there will be transcendents who will escort the item to this place. The item needs to be analyzed carefully so that we know exactly its function in the enemy civilization.
“Currently, it is stored in the base near the Rift. But it is scheduled to be brought back a few hours from now. I want to ask you to be part of that escort, what do you say?” Rao asked.
Tatsumi then glanced at Ame, seeking her consent. She looked back at him, giving him the decision.
‘So the burden is with me.’ Tatsumi thought while Rao smiled with a knowing look.
“I have to agree. I mean, I can see how some things work. Furthermore, I need to see with my own eyes the Rift that the frontline has talked about, and our safety is guaranteed.” Tatsumi replied after some thought passed through his mind.
There were reasons he had accepted the offer. The first was to naturally see the Rift that became the bridge between two worlds in the Star Battle. Second, he had to see an item not from his civilization which made him excited. Third was that there would be others who followed them, and they were strong transcendents at the Core Formation Realm, meaning that it was absolutely safe.
Tatsumi did this even though there was something that was ‘transmitted’ to him through the egg-shaped thing in the Undead Secret Realm. That thing was connected to the entire Cerulean Planet and knew something was up but not its exact situation.
He accepted the offer because he had received information from Dian.
‘There are infiltrators entering the planet through the Rift. Can you eliminate them?’ That was what the Father God said.
‘I can and I will. We can’t let them mess up our backyard, much less knowing our situation.’ Tatsumi replied in his mind.
“I did not expect that reply from you. But since you agreed, then please listen to the headmaster for further instructions.” Rao said while looking at Tatsumi right into his eyes and saw that the young man had a determined look.
“I believe that I have seen what I want to see.” Rao turned to Kushina and said.
“Your Majesty, are you not drinking the medicine that I prescribed to you? You should not get tired easily.” Kushina said while trying to probe something.
“Hahaha, I don’t fancy myself for longevity. Currently, there is no escaping aging and death, so really extending life to me is like extending your suffering more, just to be alive. It is not worth it in the long term.” Rao replied truthfully before he walked off to the exit of the hall, accompanied by Kushina.
-
After preparation, all the Reservists had to do was to escort the supplies along with the logistics of the Cerulean Defense Force. They all went inside the Undead Secret Realm and emerged on the other part of the planet, at the Heavensend Continent.
“This location of the vortex is near the forest in the wilderness.” Tatsumi said after he had gone to the special room to store the protective suits. The room was recently made by the stationed personnel guards as they made the area around the vortex a special base.
He had with him a pistol, which was given for self-defense, while also having with him a standard blade given by the Transcendent Academy. He was not alone, as some Reservists were allowed to be part of the escort team.
His black eyes then shifted to the crowds behind him. He saw that Ame was surrounded by the students from the Transcendent Academy.
But he noticed that the eyes of the students often shifted to him occasionally. Whatever they talked about, it definitely related to him.
‘I hope I can deal with the hidden threat as soon as possible. This is not a thing for a low heavenstage transcendent like me. I mean, I barely reached the first, not even a second heavenstage.’ Tatsumi protested in his mind.
‘True that. I have seen some of the Glings and the Elves but this threat is probably something new.’ Kudungga commented.
‘Yeah, keep your alert.’ Goto added.
‘The best way to intimidate the enemy is to overwhelm them with force.’ This time, Tatsumi received something from Chi You.
Tatsumi frowned but he let that slide since that was one viable method to combat the threat. But he could not do that personally and that bugged him.
Meanwhile, Ame was constantly showered with questions. She had that polite smile when she was a bit uncomfortable.
“Where are you from? I heard that you and that young man came from outside the kingdom?”
“What does it feel like to have the second-highest compatibility with the transcendent energy source?”
“Why are you here with that young man?”
These questions were the most asked by the students.
“Please don’t come at me all at once. I am a bit uncomfortable, you see.” Ame said while her smile did not reach her eyes. The students then realized that they were surrounding her without considering her feelings.
“We came from the Hinon Federation, but the Star Battle makes it hard for us to go back. We are here under direct order from the king. Sorry, but the details are classified. As for my feelings of being compatible with the transcendent energy source, I don’t know yet since I am not in contact with that energy source.
“If there is nothing else to ask, then I need to go.” Ame said before she moved farther from the crowd and walked to Tatsumi.
“Looks like you’re having fun there.” Tatsumi opened his mouth the moment Ame was within speaking distance of him. He had a teasing smile which was rare for him.
“That’s rare. You usually don’t show that to everyone.” Ame commented. Tatsumi realized that he was more relaxed due to the influence of the Nafs in the Afterlife as well as the people in his life affecting him.
Tatsumi raised his hand and touched his face. He could feel that his facial muscles were more relaxed than he had expected. He realized that the effect of the people close to him was affecting him subtly.
“Maybe it is because I have no choice but to trust you. It is vital in this Star Battle.” Tatsumi replied.
He could only hope for the best and plan for the worst. Despite his unwillingness to trust people, he had to admit that selecting people to trust was also a test for his own judgment. He needed a discerning eye that could see through the superficial layer that people presented to the world.
“Oh, that is interesting. Can you tell me about the reason you have no choice but to trust me and those who are with you?” Ame smirked.
Tatsumi groaned in annoyance but still said his piece.
“I need everyone’s capability to navigate through this. From you, I need both your personal ability and the influence of your family. As for the others, they are the future of our civilization; they should get at least a picture of what they are fighting against.
“We are in a case, have a shared destiny. That is why I hope that I can see the cooperation we need to get through any situation.”
Hearing that caused Ame to nod in agreement. But she knew that was not enough to make Tatsumi personally move. After all, he could do that without resorting to escorting something.
‘It can only mean that he has something more important to do and it requires us and even the transcendent in his plan.’ Ame mused in her mind.
But whatever it was, Ame was sure that it would benefit the civilizations on the Cerulean Planet.
The current location of the escort team was the second vortex that appeared in the Heavensend Continent at the periphery of the base. The base was built with the undead element in mind so they used the Withering White Tree as a barricade to the inner area, while the outer area was for the people who would venture into and from the Undead Secret Realm.
Tatsumi checked his weapon. The blade which reflected some of the violet light from the sun, the pistol, with a black metallic color theme on its body. Tatsumi let the magazine out and reentered it to make sure that the pistol was loaded.
He was also wearing the standard armor for the soldiers of the Cerulean Defense Force which the others also wore. He also wore boots to be able to travel on almost all terrains which was the standard and given to all.
Then they went to the Rift by riding the armored vehicles of the 123rd unit that came to them. So far, the route was the same as the forces that had gone through it previously.
When the environment changed from a forested area to a desert, Tatsumi could feel the temperature change. It became hotter which was making him uncomfortable. Add to the fact that he was cramped in a narrow space of the armored vehicle.
After another uneventful journey, he and the rest of the escort team finally got to see the Rift from the armored vehicles. Its tires were making a screeching noise as it stopped its movement.
After they dropped the supplies necessary for the frontline, they rested for a bit.
Then the escort team gathered at the designated place. The moment they did, they were greeted by none other than Peng Huai.
“I am Peng Huai, the leader of the 123rd unit of the Cerulean Defense Force. As you are the escort team tasked with a monumental mission, hear me out. Especially the transcendent, since the mission heavily depends on you for safety.
“Your mission is to escort this item…” Peng Huai stood at the front of the team and he grabbed to the suitcase that he had placed beside his feet and raised it high.
“…and to get it to the Transcendent Academy for further research. There is some suspicion from the higher-ups that the item is extremely important to the enemy civilization. Therefore, you need to expect the worst. We cannot exert any extra due to the situation at the frontline which needs some high-ranking transcendents to deal with. That is why you are here: to do things that the frontline cannot do.”
Peng Huai stopped his speech for a moment to sweep a glance at everyone in front of him. He knew that the people in front of him included Reservists but they were the students from the Transcendent Academy and were sent to experience things more closely.
The escort team looked at Peng Huai with a serious look, determined to do their mission to the fullest. The transcendent who was wearing a black robe looked at Peng Huai and realized that he was used to the presence of the transcendent. But of course, the transcendent did not reveal his strength for a certain reason.
“Remember, escort the item inside the suitcase to the Transcendent Academy at all cost!” Peng Huai stressed the objective to let them know the weight of the matter.
Peng Huai frowned before he let out a sneer and said, “What’s your reply?”
“Yes, sir!” all of them said.
Of course, the one who suffered the most in this place was none other than Tatsumi. He stood beside Peng Huai to translate what he said and delivered it to the escort team. Ame muffled her laugh by holding it in since the scene was oddly funny with the way Peng Huai voiced his speech and Tatsumi who delivered it precisely.
“Young man, thank you for helping me.” Peng Huai said after the speech. He knew that without Tatsumi, he had to call another person who was versed in their language.
“No need for that, Sir. I just do what was needed.” Tatsumi replied with a respectful gesture, cupping his hand and bowing slightly.
“That’s an old-fashioned gesture. Can’t believe that there is still someone who does that.” Peng Huai laughed and patted Tatsumi on the shoulder with quite a force.
“Then I will go with them to escort the item.” Tatsumi extended his hand, ready to receive the suitcase. Peng Huai then placed the suitcase in Tatsumi’s hand, symbolizing the handover.
“Please, take care of it. Our Empire’s Imperial Tutor was the one who discovered it.” Peng Huai said before he turned to leave for more task.
‘Imperial Tutor of the Qin Empire…isn’t that my teacher though?’ Tatsumi thought before he shook his head and went to regroup with the team.
Tatsumi could feel the weight of the object inside the suitcase. It was not much but there was some weight other than the suitcase so it definitely was something inside it.
He had to report to the transcendent who was part of the escort team.
“Team Leader!” Tatsumi shouted when he spotted the one he was looking for. He knew that person because of the robe the person was wearing.
“Do you get the item?” the team leader asked. Tatsumi nodded and gestured with his hand that the item was inside the suitcase.
The team leader naturally scanned the suitcase as well as probing inside it to gain a superficial knowledge of the item in question. But surprisingly, all he could feel was the faint life force inside. The form of the item was that of the dodecahedron and it shone with violet light.
Tatsumi gave the suitcase to the team leader, doing so for security reasons.
“Please protect it well, Team Leader. We are all counting on you.” Tatsumi winked his eyes while the transcendent team leader rolled his eyes and groaned a bit to vent.
“Argh. It is annoying but leave it to me. I will deliver this thing successfully.” He said before he added.
“You should go back to do your own duty. I will be at the center of the formation to be secure.”
Tatsumi nodded while glancing at the suitcase for the last time before he went his own way to the escort team.
‘The first step of the escort is done successfully. But I believe that whatever infiltrates this side will definitely notice what we are doing. I wonder if they will truly attack for this item.’ Tatsumi thought while walking away.