"Smart choice."
Setsuna motioned for the Angeloids to pour them some tea so they could calm their nerves.
"Later, you'll notify the merchant nations, the Winged Guard, and every floating city. Sophon will take over your work."
"The Winged Guard's security and defense duties will temporarily be handled by the Angeloids. Sophon will arrange the remaining details. Just do what she says. We'll establish a new social order."
"Understood."
Both the projected Sophon and the people who had been brought aboard answered in unison.
Setsuna liked dealing with intelligent people. Whenever he encountered someone who insisted on smashing an egg against a rock, he had to waste a little effort resolving the problem.
Perhaps because the WorldEnd setting was already facing an extinction-level crisis, and because these people had witnessed world-shattering supernatural power in the previous era, they all had a very clear grasp of the bigger picture.
After seeing even a fraction of the Starsea Empire's strength, they immediately raised the white flag without hesitation.
That made everything that followed much easier to handle.
"Hm? And this is?"
Souwong suddenly noticed Chtholly standing beside Setsuna, watching everything unfold while looking rather awkward.
"Chtholly Seniorious? You're the fairy soldier who disappeared earlier? So Your Excellency was the one who took you away?"
"Huh? Yes!!"
Seeing the Great Sage and a First-Class Officer, Chtholly became nervous and instinctively snapped to attention in greeting.
"D-Do I need to return to my unit?"
Souwong was effectively the superior of her superior's superior. Normally, a fairy soldier like her, who was treated as nothing more than a weapon, would never even have the qualifications to meet the Great Sage.
But judging by what had just happened, Setsuna clearly stood above even them, leaving Chtholly unsure whose orders she was supposed to follow.
"Don't be so nervous."
Setsuna straightened Chtholly's hair and looked toward Souwong and the others.
"Notify the Orlandri Trading Company and the Winged Guard. I'm taking every Leprechaun with me, including the adult fairy soldiers and the ones still being raised."
"Also recover all magic and techniques related to creating Leprechauns. From now on, the merchant nations and the Winged Guard are forbidden from producing any new fairies."
"Huh?"
Souwong froze.
"Does Your Excellency intend to use them against the Beasts?"
"Chtholly has already completed her adjustment and is equipped with the Dug Weapon Seniorious. In a one-on-one battle, she should be capable of defeating an avatar of the Sixth Beast, after which the Dug Weapon can simply be recovered."
"There are roughly five or six adult fairy soldiers in the fairy warehouse on Floating Island No. 68. Most of the others are young fairies between seven and ten years old. Do you intend to personally command them in battle?"
From their perspective, Leprechauns were weapons bred specifically to fight the Beasts.
Although many officers felt sympathy for them, the fairies themselves had already accepted their fate. Even if they didn't die in battle, they wouldn't live much longer anyway.
"No, no, no..."
Setsuna cleared his throat.
"I need them. Anything beyond that is none of your concern."
"...Understood."
Leprechauns were certainly valuable as weapons, but when the terrifying powerhouse from beyond the heavens wanted them, Souwong didn't dare refuse.
Several centuries ago, just three Poteau had already fought the hero's party to the bitter end. This godlike being before him could probably slap every Visitor and Poteau in this world to death with a single hand.
He immediately connected to the floating continent cluster's internal communications network.
"All members of the Orlandri Trading Company and Winged Guard, stand down from alert status. Gather all fairy weapons at the designated locations and await transfer to the Starsea Empire..."
"Repeating. All Winged Guard personnel, stand down from alert status. Attacking or provoking any spacecraft bearing the Starsea Empire's insignia is strictly prohibited. Follow all issued directives."
"..."
The subordinate units at every level were completely baffled. Many floating islands had not even encountered the Starsea Empire yet.
But since the Great Sage and senior officers had spoken, the lower ranks simply followed orders.
Several shuttles were deployed at once. One carried Souwong, Grayrock, and Ebon Candle back to the city of Corna di Luce, where they began carrying out the transfer of authority in an orderly fashion under Sophon's guidance.
The other shuttles traveled to different floating islands according to their assigned coordinates to receive the fairies there.
...
Whoosh—
The starship continued onward, sweeping past several floating islands in the central region. Before long, it arrived above Floating Island No. 68.
Officially, this place was the Orlandri Trading Company's Fourth Warehouse, and it also served as a military base.
In reality, it was where Leprechauns were raised.
"Everyone, come eat."
Inside the warehouse, a pretty girl with pink hair and green eyes, dressed in a maid uniform, rang a bell. A whole group of little girls immediately came chattering into the dining hall.
"Oooooh—"
Most of them wore simple rough-spun clothing. They were still very young, and they noisily rushed forward carrying bowls and utensils, lining up one after another to receive their food.
Then they sat neatly in rows around the dining tables and began wolfing down their meals.
"Delicious!"
"I want more!..."
The young fairies were innocent and carefree, looking no different from ordinary human children.
"..."
After finishing handing out food to the little fairies, Nygglatho sighed.
She knew what awaited the fairy soldiers in the future and what purpose they were meant to serve, but as the warehouse's caretaker and liaison, there was little more she could do for them beyond seeing to their daily lives.
All she could do was care for them as thoughtfully as possible.
"Chtholly still hasn't come back?"
Nygglatho checked the time and looked somewhat surprised.
The value of an adult fairy soldier went without saying. Chtholly, in particular, wielded the Dug Weapon Seniorious and was supposed to be the main force in the next battle against the Sixth Beast.
Normally, she should have been accompanied by Winged Guard personnel whenever she went out, and they would have brought her back within the designated time.
She had only gone to wander around a marketplace. It shouldn't have taken this long.
"This is Floating Island No. 68, Fourth Warehouse. Chtholly has been out of contact for two days. Has the Winged Guard found her?"
Out of concern, Nygglatho contacted the department above her.
Bzzzt... bzzzt—
It took quite a while for the communication to connect. Her superior seemed extremely busy.
"Received."
"You're... Fourth Warehouse?"
Her superior didn't answer her question and instead issued a new order directly.
"Orlandri Fourth Warehouse, gather all adult and juvenile fairy soldiers and prepare to report to the air harbor!"
"What?"
Nygglatho was completely confused.
"Are you taking them in for adjustment? But many of the fairies are still very young..."
"No. Someone is coming to pick them up. Follow their instructions. Winged Guard personnel will arrive shortly to assist you."
"Also, get the fairies changed into fresh clothes and tidy up their appearance. Don't let them look too shabby. That's an order."
"Huh?! Uh... all right?..."
Nygglatho accepted the baffling order.
She was just about to call the little fairies over to bathe and change clothes when—
Rumble—
The starship was much faster than she had imagined.
With a roar, the spacecraft descended outside the Fourth Warehouse. As soon as the hatch opened, Elysia jumped out first, with Setsuna and Chtholly following close behind.
"This is the place. I... used to live here."
Chtholly carefully pointed toward the large warehouse ahead.
"Huh?"
Hearing the commotion outside, the little fairies dropped their bowls and utensils and rushed over one after another.
This military-base-like floating island was managed extremely strictly. Aside from members of the Winged Guard and the trading company, they almost never saw outsiders.
Every visitor was completely novel to them.
More than a dozen little heads immediately popped up around the doors and windows, peeking out curiously at Setsuna and his group.
"Chtholly-nee!"
"And... the big brother who flies the spaceship!"
"Yo!"
Setsuna pushed open the door and was immediately surrounded by the little fairies.
"Big Brother, who are you? Where did you come from?"
"Is that spaceship yours? Why are your clothes different from everyone else's?..."
The little girls bombarded him with questions from every direction.
"So cute!"
Stars practically appeared in Elysia's eyes. She crouched down, rubbed one little girl's head, and pinched her cheeks.
"What's your name? How old are you? Do you want some candy? Big Sister has some for you~"
"Ah, Commander, we're really lucky. There are so many adorable children in this world~"
"Of course."
Setsuna nodded in wholehearted agreement.