Living a Maiden Game in Hard Mode

Chapter 20 – Earth Invasion

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In September of the 440th year of the Kingdom’s history, a battle took place in the Diete sector, and according to custom, it was named the Diete Star System battle.

In comparing the damage, the Monarchy and the Coalition suffered from each other, the battle was a defeat for the Monarchy.

The Coalition forces were decimated, losing more than 90 percent of their 16 fleet and all their mobile fortresses.

The Monarchy lost 3 of its 8 fleets, a number of civilian ships, and the Royal Capital was also destroyed.

Over 1 billion dead.
More than 3 billion refugees.
The destroyed assets amount more than a decade of the national budget, and a great many people have lost their families or livelihood.

Aristocratic mansions in the royal Capital have also been blown away, and in Hart’s grandfather, Baron Hiragi’s residence, valuable data from the Earth era, including the maiden game “The Galactic Prince” played by Hart, has also been erased.
There was so much damage that could not be converted into monetary value.

The loss of human resources is also severe, and Dr.
Kerman, the only one who was able to produce spirit crystals, is among the dead.
This is presumed as the body was not found, but he cannot be alive because he was in the impact zone of the enemy ship.
Such is the Monarchy’s judgment.

“Major General Amakawa, what is the status of restarting the Spirit Crystal Factory”

Colonel General Valfrete Asteria, Commander-in-Chief, who is busy with the aftermath, took the time to personally confirm the spirit crystals, which are an important strategic resource that cannot be replaced.

The main engine of the warship, the magic element engine, is affected by the magic power output of the operator.

The Magic Power holders of the Monarchy of Diete are inferior in quality and quantity to those of the Coalition of Humanity, who are mass-produced without regard for human rights.

According to information from genetically modified individuals that Hart took prisoner during the Space Flight Drill, in the Coalition, fortress operator-class magic power holders were created by the application of cloning technology, somatic cells of high magic individual A, unfertilized eggs of high magic female B, and medium magic woman C to be used as an incubator.

The procedure is as follows.

Collect somatic cells near the magic nucleus of high magical person A, culture them, and take out the nucleus. Collect unfertilized eggs of high magic female B, remove the nuclei, and fuse with A’s nuclei after improvement. Transplant the fused egg to a medium magic woman C to give birth.

This method has several advantages.

In restoring the damaged magic power of high magic individual A from the egg, the increase of the magic power value is great. Can ensure stability of high magic female B without lowering magic power value simply by collecting the eggs. The number of medium magic female C is overwhelmingly higher than B, and can be mass-produced rather than having B give birth.

Of course, there are disadvantages.

During somatic cell collection, fusion with unfertilized eggs, and in utero growth, a loss of magic power occurs. Unless raised, the result will be unknown, the success rate is low, and even successful cases have large individual differences. The magic nucleus is not formed properly, and the child of the clone cannot inherit magic power.

In the old era, the Coalition of Humanity mass-produced Magic Power Holders with individual A’s sperm and high magic female B.

However, using a large amount of medium magic female C group rather than high magic female B group can prevent the decrease of magic power value due to the birth by B group, and can also produce fortress operator-class magic power holders.
That is the newly introduced magic powered individual manufacturing method of the Coalition.

The trump card against such a Coalition was the spirit crystal developed by Dr.
Kerman.

Spirit crystals can be mass-produced quickly and at a low cost so that even the general public can use them to increase the magic power of the user, turning even ordinary people into High Magic power holders, and dramatically improve the capability of each ship.

The Spirit Crystal Technology of the Monarchy can sufficiently compete with the Magic Individual Manufacturing Technique of the Coalition.

Therefore, Dr.
Kerman, the developer, was evacuated to an underground evacuation zone for important people such as intellectuals of the Monarchy, but an enemy ship crashed into the evacuation zone, even causing a huge tsunami to rush in from the sea.

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On the Capital planet, which will be a defeat if it falls, while the royalty and aristocrats, who were conventional important figures, joined the battlefield as high magic individuals, the decision to let the doctor escape to another star system in an emergency was not made in advance, greatly delaying the initial response.

As a result, the Monarchy made a grievous blunder that led to the loss of its most important figure to be the trump card of the war.

“The first production plant was damaged beyond repair.
Second System has established a mass production system by constructing a second production plant on the continent across the Mediterranean Sea from the royal Capital.
However, even if the second production plant can mass-produce in quantity, only E-class and F-class crystals can be produced in terms of quality.”

“Why?”

“A simple analogy to the production method of spirit crystals is…”

According to the knowledge Hart gained in the maiden game “The Galactic Prince”, spirit crystals are created as in fairy tales, “A water spirit is born from a beautiful spring in a deep forest”.
It was the doctor who created the singularity, and made it the production base.

The first production plant was a place like the boundary point with the spirit world, and the spirit god of the S-class spirit crystal that the doctor had, produced the spirit crystal as a catalyst so that spirits could interfere with this world.
And, the doctor added restrictions on the production of the B-class crystals or higher.

In the maiden game “The Galactic Prince”, the spirit king, who was attached to Yuna, connects the spirit world in which he is a king and this world to produce spirit crystals that his family spirits can interfere with.
The purpose was to help with mass production, and production was limited to the lower levels.

Therefore, now that the first production plant and the Doctor have been lost, it is not possible to produce spirit crystals of intermediate level or higher.

When applying for a patent, he explained that he had replaced the singularity that could produce spirit crystals with a “magic element singularity”, and that he was extracting and crystallizing magic elements directly.

The specific production method of spirit crystals is to use high-purity spirit crystals… that is, S-class and A-class spirit crystals, as catalysts.
If the purity is S-class, C-class or less can be produced, and if it is A-class, only E-class and lower can be produced.

The most important point here is where the doctor first sourced the S-class spirit crystal.

Dr.
Kerman has not patented a method for creating the first spirit crystal from nothing.
That’s why it is impossible to produce spirit crystals higher than D-class, and they are also unable to expand the production plants.

“Then, can’t spirit crystals of D-class or higher be produced in the future?”

“Yes.
I believe that we could find a way to reproduce it, even if we must introduce other military and government research agencies.
The second production plant is safe for the time being, but maintenance is required.
If we put pressure on production and overdo it, the production environment could be damaged.”

“Okay.
I’ll request that Second Systems provide us with the technical information.”

“We will provide you with everything.
We will also set up a specialized department at the company to explore reproduction methods.”

Hart agreed, but thinks it would be impossible to build a new plant, even for lower-grade spirit crystals.

Instructing scientists of this era to “summon a new Spirit King to submit to them” is as unreasonable a task as instructing alchemists in the Middle Ages to “create gold”.

In the maiden game “The Galactic Prince”, which has various similarities with this world, spirit crystals were described as technology more than 1,000 years ahead.
In other words, 1,000 years will not arrive.

“How much C-Class and D-Class crystals are in stock.”

“After the war resumed, even after delivering 1 million units to the military, they were mass-produced at the request of aristocratic families.
Some of the stock was blown away, but all remaining spirit crystals will be turned in for military use.”

“Very well.
If there is a spirit crystal before delivery, it will also be requisitioned by the Royal Army under the law of war.”

“Understood.”

There is no shortage of spirit crystals in the Monarchy at this time because military relations have been given top priority.
However, because there is no prospect of production, there will surely be a time when it will be insufficient.
If it is lower class, it can be produced in the future, but that will not be enough to compete with the Coalition forces.

Valfrete postponed the problem by commandeering the entire inventory, but he had to figure out how to bridge the magic gap with the Coalition.

Incidentally, there is one thing which he did not dare to mention Valfrete.

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It is a high-performance spirit crystal possessed by Hart and Yuna.

In fact, Hart received 10 B-class and 20 C-class crystals from Dr.
Kerman.
Three of them were handed to Philine, Yuna and Collette, but the rest were in his possession.

But even if Hart has a reserve, if he hands it over to his colleagues, Fortress Kerviel will be more secure.
If he gives it to his descendants, a high-performance spirit crystal will pass on to the next generation’s highest magic powered individual.
And Hart’s fiancée is Valfrete’s daughter.

There was no confirmation from Valfrete to Hart about the spirit crystals that had been delivered.

“There’s so much at stake, I can’t help but laugh.”

Just before the communication was cut off, Valfrete, who had been burdened with various responsibilities, was mocking himself.

The functionality of the Capital planet, Diros, is half broken.

Even the Diros citizens who were not among the 1 billion dead, had three times as many injured, with people displaced from their homes and workplaces, out into flooded lands.

The artificial floating island that had been Hart’s home was also blown away, half-destroyed and drifting across the Mediterranean Sea.
All the artificial floating islands in the surrounding waters have also been blown away and collided with each other, and most of the smaller islands have been completely destroyed.

Those who were thrown out into the flooded land had no choice but to become refugees.

The Royal army, which drove the Coalition forces away from the Diete system, were forced to make efforts to rescue the war victims, set up relief shelters, and distribute food immediately afterwards.

Hart and the others continued to be conscripted and spent their days devoted to rescue and reconstruction.

Eventually, when the reconstruction crossed the first hurdle, the communication ship of the Earth Invasion Fleet reached the Diete system and triumphantly reported the suppression of Earth.

The invasion of Earth has resulted in the domination of 6 billion people in the solar system.

Since two-thirds of Earth’s population of 6 billion is not affiliated with the Coalition, about 2 billion of the 28 billion Coalition people have been cut.

The remaining 4 billion are just a group of Earthers who once colonized the Diete system, but have changed their affiliation to Coalition and Non-Coalition.
The Monarchy of Diete, which has been at war with Earth people since that time, had no particular reason to refrain from taking control.

Of the ships stationed in the solar system, all except those belonging to the neutral Republic of Frodi have been destroyed or forced to surrender.

After that, as a result of the destruction of military and important facilities on the planet from outer space, the governments of Earth surrendered one after another.

In reality, however, a majority of the region has yet to be conquered, as the people have refused to accept the government’s surrender and have appealed for a full-scale war, fled, and even the government itself has gone into hiding.

Nevertheless, it can be said that the power struggle in outer space is over since the sweep of outer space has been completed and the remaining forces of the Loki star system have been wiped out after the suppression of the solar system.

The results of the battle were sufficient, and all that was needed was for the Earth Invasion Forces to be considerate of the damage to the Capital planet.
However, as a result of a miscommunication between the Deity and the Earth invasion force, the Earth invasion force simply declared victory.

It became a source of anger for the evacuated that now live a difficult life.

The declaration of victory by the Crown Prince Gracian Asteria, Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Invasion Forces, was immediately spread over a sea of information, causing a tremendous conflagration.

“The Monarchy’s most carefree man.”

“If they throw a triumphant parade, I will throw fried shrimp at them.”

“I want to hit that smug face of his.”

“The Next King should be reconsidered.”

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“The Sovereign’s grandson wasn’t very helpful.”

“Don’t Speak ill of the Magic Academy students.”

“I would go with Valfrete, he defended the Capital Planet.”

If this were normal times, they would have been swept away by the muddy flow of the advocacy comment mechanically sent by the central government.
However, the essential executing agency and facilities were blown away with the royal Capital.

Hart, exhausted from all the rescue and reconstruction, was irritated and also wrote a sarcastic remark, but recalled his position and shut down the message.

When those unfortunate events passed, the emergency recruitment ended and they returned to the Military Academy, an unexpected circumstance awaited him at the school.

“In the future, the course will include training to transport goods between the Capital planet and Earth using Fortress Kerviel.
In addition, various education such as group command and management, organizational operation, administrative procedures and legal affairs will be carried out.
Other lectures will also be given by instructors on board the fortress.”

The principal of the Military Academy proclaimed so to Hart.

“Headmaster, didn’t the four of us already get credit for the exercise?”

“The four of you only received what could be considered field officer education at the Academy.
In your case, you already have the rank of Major General, the order was reversed, but you should also receive a one-year Command staff course and General’s officer education.”

“That’s certainly something I have to take.”

After listening to the principal, Hart had no choice but to agree.

The military academy’s battleship department incorporates field officer education.
This is because those who have entered the battleship department will surely become Majors within a few years of graduation.

On the other hand, there is no General’s officer education at the Military Academy.

It is normal to be recommended for education in the Command Staff and General’s Course after being promoted to a Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel, or even Captain of a large ship, based on excellent grades at the Military Academy, high rating from his superiors’ evaluation list, and opportunities to command multiple ships of the same type.

After completing the Command staff course, if the timing and conditions match, he will move up to Brigadier General who commands a squadron, Major General who commands a division fleet, and Lieutenant General who commands a fleet.

Hart’s group of four had been promoted to Major general or Colonel by their Valor of War, but not taking a Command Staff and General’s Course at this rank is not something that should be desirable.
A General who has not been trained as a General is a detriment to his subordinates who receive orders and go to the battlefield.

“In the first place, this is not a decision of the Military Academy, but of the Royal Army.”

“What does that mean, if I may ask?”

“Earth is in danger of being retaken or destroyed by enemy forces.
We need to transport supplies to the front lines and bring back people, various resources, historically valuable materials, and more from the solar system.”

“Does it mean that transport vessels and private transports are inadequate?

The principal nodded vigorously at Hart’s question.

“That’s right.
The Royal Army has asked us to lend them Hart Amakawa, a student at the military academy.
Do you have any objections?”

After hearing the principal’s explanation, Hart thought again about the military’s transport capacity.

One military transport ship can transport 4 million cubic meters on its own.

This is enough transport capacity to carry grain eaten by 4 million people in a year, and one ship is enough to carry food and medicine for 500,000 people in a fleet.

The reason why 100 transport ships with such transport capacity are deployed in one fleet is to carry a variety of items, such as communications satellites, jamming satellites, fusion missiles, counter-missiles, self-sustaining propulsion mines, ship auxiliary engines and restoration materials, military drones, androids and replacement batteries, combat vehicles and large power generators for planetary control, magnetic field generators and oxygen generators.

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In particular, the more missiles and mines that are brought in, the more advantageous the battle will be.
Therefore, in the Loki Star System Battle, even private convoys were mobilized.

However, private ships have been flying between the systems for reconstruction ever since Diros, the Capital planet, was severely damaged with the deaths of one billion people and three billion refugees.
Pulling those ships out for transport would delay the reconstruction of the Capital planet.

In the midst of this, Fortress Kerviel became the focus.

Fortress Kerviel is a spherical object with a total length of more than 90 kilometers.

This is about 1/140 the size of Earth.

If one-tenth of the massive fortress was devoted to transport compartments, it would have the same transport capacity as all 100 transport ships in a fleet transporting 95,426 times.

Using Dr.
Kerman’s enhanced magic element engine and the power of A-Class spirit crystals, they can move between star systems much faster than the fleet’s movement speed.

The fortress’ combat power is also extremely high, and in the Battle of the Diete Star System, it destroyed more than 7 enemy fleets alone.
Therefore, no matter how many important supplies are carried, even one escort ship would be unnecessary.

In Hart, an irreversible conclusion was reached regarding his recruitment.

“I don’t have the option to decline.”

The principal gave a big nod at Hart’s reply.

“Transportation does not provide a good opportunity for valor, but resupply is an essential part of supporting the front lines.
It will be a good experience.
Your performance will be taken into consideration.
Rest assured, we want you to perform your duties with dignity and pride.”

Thus, Hart’s new life as a pseudo-trade merchant between two star systems began.

Afterword

This is the end of volume 1.

With 100,000 characters + α, it was about one light novel volume.

Thank you for reading this far.

This work is written in a change of pace, and there is no stock.

I also thought about the development Volume 2, but if I am to write it anyway, I would rather not rush it.

Because I wanted to do it at my own pace, I will complete it once.

Thank you to everyone who supported our science fiction love story.

Translator’s Note

First of all Thanks for reading this far and I’m glad you seem to be enjoying this Web Novel.
Apparently, it has been picked up to be published as a Light Novel to be released sometime this summer.
Great news for the author and I’m pretty happy for them.
Though it seems this has also brought some changes to the Web version, as is evident in this very chapter.

If you noticed, it is stated that the only copy of the Maiden Game “The Galactic Prince” was lost with the destruction on the Capital planet.
This implies that Hart played the actual game to gain the knowledge he did, instead of merely having a precognitive dream of the playthrough, as was written so far.
I believe the author went back and edited this plot-point, probably to sync it with what will be published.

In fact I went back and had a look at the raw of chapter 1, and it has in fact been edit to make Hart having played the game when he found it at his Grandfather’s residence, as the Baron of Hiragi is a collector of Ancient Japanese artifacts and data (including Otome Games it seems).
Then, Hart realized the similarities after attending Middle School, and stealing the Pilfered Magic from the Duke of Dakhram was his way of confirming the world was similar.

I first noticed the changes when I was in the middle of translating Chapter 13 and suddenly whole new paragraphs and info were added as I was in the reedit phase.
I just wanted to take the time to inform the readers of this, as I doubt I will go back to edit the past chapters.
Just know that from now on, the source of Hart’s knowledge is the Game he played, NOT the dream he had.
Guess the original creator of the Maiden Game was the dreamer???? We will have to wait and see.

Thank you and looking forward to your continued support.