Around Yosho were scattered five groaning boys. They were the ones who had attacked him. It was not by random chance that a twelve year old could easily defeat five boys. Yosho had talented masters who trained him— the Emperor of Jurai, Misaki, Seto, Utsutsumi—who were exceptional even among the Royal Family. Misaki treated Yosho as her little brother, so she kept harassing him whenever she could. With Yosho being used to Misaki’s speed, the fastest on Jurai, ordinary Juraian children did not stand a chance, even if they were older.
Did I go too far…? Yosho tried to check on the boys, then stopped. It would be humiliating for Juraian men to have their opponent show them concern. And there was another reason.
“Did you also have business with me?” he said to the dark bushes. He had noticed that another group had been watching him. He knew from their ability to mask their presence that they were more skilled than the previous boys, but it was not much of a difference to Yosho. The leader made a signal, and the others carried away the boys Yosho had defeated. The only ones remaining in the courtyard were the leader and Yosho.
“My name is Hirata Kanemitsu.” He looked fearless and was strongly built, but his large eyes were endearing. Those eyes made an impression on Yosho.
“I’m Masaki Yosho Jurai.” Yosho also introduced himself, but it was not to fight. There was no hostile aura between them.
“Your status or power on Jurai means nothing here. Anyone who relies on them will be ridiculed. Even so, there are great fools who sometimes don’t get it. They’re usually royals and their families.” Kanemitsu looked down at the spot on the grass where the boys had been. “The guys who attacked you were sent by those idiots.”
“What do you want with me?”
“I came to warn you. Your power will be useless, but it doesn’t erase the fact that you’re a Juraian Royal, and sometimes that may actually cause problems instead. The Amaki idiot brought a whole entourage and became a laughingstock.”
“I’ll keep that in mind…”
“There are other things… Hm?!” The bell to signal lights out tolled just then. They had to be in their rooms before the dorm monitors started their rounds. “Get a different guide.”
“Are you talking about Airi-dono?”
“Who’s there?” A dorm monitor heard their voices and swung his flashlight around.
“Do your own research. Later.” “I appreciate the warning.”
The flashlight beam lit up where they had been standing. “It’s past lights out! You better…” The angry monitor widened his eyes in surprise. The students were nowhere to be seen.
Back in his own room, Yosho took a shower to wash off the sweat and mulled over what Kanemitsu had said. “Replace Airi-dono… The only thing I can think of is everyone’s reaction at the celebration upon hearing I’m from Jurai. That must be related.” He exited the bathroom and changed into his night clothes, toweled dry his hair, and pressed the home button on the access device he brought.
“Funaho, please check the Academy personnel data banks. Give me the profile on my guide, Airi Magma-dono.”
In a few seconds, the terminal displayed the information. “From the planetary nation Airai… Head temple of Airain. Daughter of its leader, Gaira Magma! So that’s what it was…”
With that information, all his questions were resolved. Airain was the largest religious group in the galaxy, spreading its influence everywhere, and its members surpassing that of the largest nation’s population. Ten thousand years ago, it was only the religion of a single country, but a certain discovery increased its popularity explosively.
It began with the fact that a common relic existed on many planets in the galaxy. Visitors from an unknown world, or worlds, made these religious relics. From these relics, primitive religions were derived by the indigenous humanoids or by peoples who came to be after the relics were created.
The establishment of the Galactic Federation enabled communications between different worlds, and concurrently the scientists at the Academy deduced that the relics on each planet had common elements. The mystery that remained was which was the planet of origin for the relics, the true ancestor of the religion? Obviously, many planets tried to claim this title for themselves. The dispute intensified, even leading to wars.
A thousand years later, the Galaxy Academy research team led by Washu discovered its true roots. That was Airai. The fact that religions created by the relics were derived from Airain massively widened its influence.
Here was the problem for Yosho. The major superpowers almost always had an Airain church. Jurai also had freedom of religion, and since it had a history as an aggregate of many people, there was a variety of religious faiths. But currently, aside from a few lingering customs, those religions were no more. Including Airain.
There were churches for those who came to Jurai from abroad, but there were no Juraian believers. There were several reasons for this: one was that most of Jurai’s territory was composed of colonies, so no religions with a relic as an idol had emerged. The other was that Jurai itself was in the frontiers of the galaxy, quite distant from Airai, and a relic was not present at all.
The most important reason was that Jurai already had a clear object of worship, and that was the Royal Trees, with Tsunami as progenitor. Airai’s belief in its god and Jurai’s existing gods couldn’t coexist; the people of Jurai did not accept other gods.
It should be noted that “god” here meant something different from the concept of gods of the people of Earth where Tenchi lived. The existence of god had been identified as the awe of Nature, aliens with the technology of interstellar flight, dimensional beings, and intelligent life-forms on a higher plane of existence. In that sense, it differed from the indeterminate gods of primitive beings. In particular, intelligent life-forms on a higher plane of existence possessed overwhelming power even in this technologically advanced age and were often referred to as gods.
Since the creation of Jurai, worship transferred from various idols to the Royal Trees over a period of hundreds of thousands of years.
Of course the people of Airai were hostile to Jurai, considering them heathens. Recently, hard-liners forbade the Royal Ships from their territorial space, and some on Jurai also felt they should retaliate.
Kanemitsu-dono probably feared that I would be taken in by Airai.