In the boundless darkness of space, a gigantic star was radiating endless light.
Its rays dispelled the surrounding gloom, bringing eternal warmth and brilliance to this solar system.
Far away from this star lay a peculiar planet, its surface seemingly formed of flowing liquid.
When viewed from space, one could even perceive currents gently rippling across its form.
In the wider universe, this mysterious flowing substance had a widely recognized name: Memoria.
And this strange planet was precisely Sora's destination this time—the Soul Springs: Tartaro.
"So this is Tartaro…? Our ship won't be swallowed up as soon as we get close, right…?" Asatsuba asked, a bit worriedly.
"Of course not. If the planet actually devoured visitors, how would it ever become a resort spot?"
Mitsutake explained calmly, "That's just a visual effect on the surface. Otherwise, how could they attract tourists?"
Upon hearing this, everyone aboard the ship nodded in understanding.
They had removed most Memoria from the port area, deliberately leaving just enough to remind visitors that this truly was a Memoria-covered planet.
"You really know a lot about this place, huh?" Robin looked at Mitsutake curiously.
Even Robin herself only knew that Tartaro was somewhat lesser-known compared to Penacony. Yet Mitsutake, unexpectedly, had detailed knowledge of such small nuances.
"I was just curious about it before, but now it doesn't matter much."
As an artificially engineered species, Mitsutake's race had from the very start been encoded with the genetic trait of being unable to dream. For her, sleeping was purely physical rest, nothing more.
It was precisely because of that limitation that she became curious about what it might feel like to dream. This had led her to collect extensive information on planets like Tartaro.
Unexpectedly, the knowledge she had casually gathered long ago now proved surprisingly useful.
But rather than Mitsutake's curiosity, the others aboard were currently more interested in what exactly Sora was doing over on his side.
"The planetary defense system seems normal, and we didn't receive any Galactic Pirate warnings on the way here…"
Sora was carefully checking through the ship's various instruments, trying to ensure the planet's security situation.
"Abundance followers wouldn't come to a place like this, and there's no sign of the Antimatter Legion."
As for the swarm?
He had just taken down Titania not long ago; there was no way he'd fear some scattered bugs without a leader!
Absolutely impossible!
Perfect!
Surely, nothing else would prevent him from finally enjoying a peaceful vacation this time!
Just thinking about it, Sora confidently broke into a triumphant smile.
He had practically considered every possible threat he could think of. Unless some utterly absurd thing suddenly descended upon this planet, this vacation was certain to be perfectly safe!
Now convinced of his safety, Sora began enthusiastically researching Tartaro's local specialties.
"When I return, I have to bring back something nice for Anna-san. I can't just let her generosity go unanswered…"
After all, she'd gifted him this incredibly useful spaceship. How could he not show his appreciation properly?
Seeing Sora happily diving into his search for souvenirs, everyone on board the spaceship suddenly shared the exact same expression.
All together, they sighed:
"Haaa…"
Such perfectly synchronized reactions clearly demonstrated their bond.
Unfortunately, the person at the center of that bond wasn't exactly reliable…
After docking their spaceship at the port, their huge group—more than two hundred people—finally stepped onto the planet itself.
From a distance, their arrival looked incredibly impressive.
Had they appeared on almost any other planet, their presence surely would have stirred up a commotion.
Yet here, the locals merely glanced briefly at them before returning to their own business, completely indifferent to the newcomers.
Such a grand arrival had strangely not caused even the slightest ripple.
"This feeling is really quite remarkable…" Sora closed his eyes, trying to sense the planet's unique environment.
The spaceship's port appeared to use special materials to block interference from the Memoria. But once he stepped outside, a curious sensation immediately filled his mind.
It felt as if his head was gently submerged in warm water, countless soft fingers slowly massaging him. With every gentle stroke, his mental fatigue gradually melted away.
Although the effects appeared subtle at first, they were undeniably present.
If someone worked in an environment like this, perhaps they could toil away until they reached total mental exhaustion without even noticing.
But…why does only my head get this wonderful feeling?
This was the planet's one glaring flaw. Sora felt perfectly relaxed mentally, yet his physical body remained exactly as before.
This sharp contrast made him a bit frustrated.
"Obviously, you have to buy a membership if you want to experience the full benefits."
Robin answered his silent question: "Even Penacony has its own exclusive currency. Did you really think this place wouldn't have something similar?"
The instant Robin finished speaking, Sora instantly understood this marketing strategy.
What he was experiencing now was merely a free trial. If he wanted greater relaxation?
He had to spend money.
Only by paying more could he get stronger—no, wait, happier!
For a moment, Sora almost saw the shadowy silhouette of a certain greedy penguin pop up in his imagination.
[Would you like to top up your credits?]
"Go away, go away!"
Sora hurriedly shook his head, forcibly dispersing this ominous thought.
Everyone around him had already grown accustomed to seeing Sora suddenly behave strangely. Frankly, if Sora didn't occasionally act this way, then something would actually be terribly wrong.
As the newcomers were still marveling at the planet's scenery, someone hurriedly approached.
"Sora-san, you've finally arrived!"
It was Felice, who had arrived ahead of them to handle all of Sora's administrative tasks.
"Here's your identification badge. With this, you have full access to the planet."
Felice handed a small box to Sora. Inside was a translucent badge shimmering in vibrant azure hues. Sora examined it curiously.
"Can I really go anywhere with this?"
Did that mean he could explore every corner of Tartaro as he pleased?
"Apart from residents' private homes and a few particularly sensitive areas, your membership grants you virtually unlimited access," Felice explained. "Plus, your membership allows you to bring up to 500 guests to travel freely around the planet."
It sounded exceptionally high-class.
Curious about just how valuable this membership was, Sora quickly checked his phone for Tartaro's prices—and instantly gasped.
Average spending here started from 200,000 credits per person.
Given their group numbered in the hundreds, wouldn't the total easily surpass ten million credits?!
"How much did you spend on this? Let me reimburse you," Sora quickly offered.
Felice stared blankly at him for a moment.
"You don't have to, Sora-san. This was actually transferred to you from another member."
"What?!"
Tens of millions of credits—just handed over like that?!
"Of course. Becoming your manager means taking care of things like this for you, doesn't it?"
Sora was utterly dumbfounded.
He had seen some of the memos Felice once showed him.
But there were simply too many entries—hundreds of pages—so he hadn't paid them much attention.
He'd known they were tokens of goodwill from the people he had rescued back on Zieltworth, so he hadn't refused them.
At the time, he'd assumed they were just small gestures of thanks.
But today, he suddenly realized—
A membership worth tens of millions of credits had been casually given away. Even if that gift represented only a tiny fraction of their gratitude, it was far too valuable.
Sora sighed quietly to himself. Meanwhile, Felice had already finished handling everything here and was preparing to leave.
"Well then, Sora-san, please enjoy your vacation. If you need anything, just call me on your phone."
"Wait!"
Just as Felice was about to depart, Sora suddenly stopped her.
"What is it? Did I miss something?" she asked curiously.
"No," Sora said. "I meant—why don't you try it out too?"
"Since you came all the way here, you shouldn't leave empty-handed."
Felice froze in place for several seconds, unable to believe what she'd just heard.
Was this really something Sora could say?
What kind of boss would ever invite his subordinate to relax alongside him—especially in a corporate environment as cutthroat as the IPC?
But soon, she reminded herself: she wasn't in the company anymore.
She had found a boss far better than the one she used to serve.
And so, having finally found work that suited her perfectly, Felice thought, At the very least, I need to let the boss see just how capable I really am.
As long as she finished the tasks already on her plate, then she could rest easy later.
With that, Felice bid farewell to Sora, boarded her ship, and departed from Tartaro.
Sora, meanwhile, officially began his long-awaited vacation on this planet.
Surely this time it would be a simple and pleasant holiday!
But elsewhere, in a hidden docking bay on Tartaro, another ship was finishing a long-range voyage and settling quietly into port.
The hatch opened, and from the rear a massive piece of wreckage was slowly unloaded.
At the same time, a man stepped forward, surrounded by a crowd of attendants, until he stood before the remains.
His gaze burned with fury and hatred. Yet in the next moment, he pulled a photograph from his breast.
The anger and malice in his eyes softened into tenderness as he stared at the group photo, the corners of his lips lifting faintly.
"At last… the opportunity has come. Fortune really does still favor me."
But soon, someone hurried over at his side with a report:
"Director, the Augreno faction has also sent people here."
"Augreno? Wasn't he supposed to be on Zieltworth, keeping his wife company?"
"He transferred his slot to someone else."
The man took the dossier, scanned it, and read out the name aloud.
"Hoshigaki Sora…?"