Back in the room, we recounted everything to Bronie.
Bronie, who had listened with her eyes closed and arms folded until the end, slowly opened her eyes.
"...So that's what it was. This situation was caused by someone's interference."
"Yeah. Exactly."
"I didn't sense anything, but with Kiana involved, it makes sense. She has this animal-like intuition."
Seeing Bronie nod as if to say she understood because it was Kiana, I gave a wry smile.
Well, that wasn't wrong.
Kiana is the most sensitive when it comes to perception—so sensitive it feels almost animalistic.
If anyone here tried to suppress their energy even slightly, others might not notice—but Kiana would detect it.
"But how does that connect to the state of those two?"
"...That... I'll explain that part."
When I hesitated, Jere stepped in and explained why she had taken such action.
She laid out how she had monitored my expression from the start, grown suspicious, followed me, and reached her conclusion.
"Indeed, the last time you, Captain, showed that kind of behavior was recently. It's not strange that Jere jumped to that assumption."
"It was more than an assumption. Who'd have thought it meant pregnancy?"
"Still, if sex had been the answer, would Jere have continued?"
"...Yeah. Otherwise, you—this human rock—would never have pushed forward with guilt weighing on you. Why take the long way when there's a shortcut?"
"Well, that's one of your admirable traits, Captain. Since you're considerate about the mood, even if you'd advanced things in that state, you'd have bolted at some point."
—Even then, she'd tell herself she hugged everyone because the situation forced it.
At Bronie's words, Jere sighed.
"I knew it, but you really are a shy boy."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd call me cautious."
"A coward who sets the table and can't even take a bite."
"That's harsh."
Words can be cruel.
"But...this might be a serious situation."
"In what sense?"
"Regarding why Jere acted as she did just now."
"Why Jere acted."
"If I'm not mistaken... Jere, you moved because you've finally found stability in your life, right?"
At that, Jere nodded.
"Right, I thought it was safe to make a move now that our lives had stabilized. How did you know?"
"...We've been busy securing water and food and researching ways out until now."
"Exactly. So you kept observing the Captain to gain certainty."
"But what about now?"
"Now... aside from the research into escape, everything's stable, right?"
"That research has practically failed. We all think so. Jere, you think so too, don't you?"
"...Yes."
"What about everything else? It's as good as solved. The most crucial issue—food—has become self-sustainable with time."
"Well, we're stuck eating frozen rations for a while."
But at least there's no food shortage. Thanks to everyone here being so capable, we adapted quickly with few missteps.
"So what's all this seriousness about?"
Jere still looked puzzled.
But the moment I heard those words, I realized.
Yes, I thought of the reality now stabilized.
Everything running smoothly sounds good, but the problem is that it's in a confined space.
"The issue is that everything's running smoothly in a confined space."
"A confined space?"
"In practice, we've tried everything to break that barrier, but we can't. We're effectively waiting to be rescued."
"But there's that note?"
"Jere, do you remember when Captain took that note?"
"When? On the first day we arrived... Ah."
"Right. Even after all this time, the Captain hasn't cracked the code."
—The Captain usually cracks any cipher within three days.
When I see a code, my mind deciphers it within three days at most.
Unlike in my previous life, that's not an exaggeration.
From fifth-gen Valkyrie suits with HK Drive to sixth-gen suits that assemble on call, to nano suits in seventh-gen gear—all built from works I knew in my past life.
In any case, I'm the smartest here—and I still haven't deciphered the code, so everyone concluded that the Captain failed.
In reality, I decoded it instantly, but because it was a method of escape, I couldn't tell anyone.
"So now everyone's thinking, 'When will we get out of here?'"
With no entertainment and being sealed off, we've long since become useless.
We have daily duties, but everyone's grown accustomed.
"That means everyone's under considerable stress. Unreleased stress breaks one's balance."
"Balance?"
"Put simply, they'll seek pleasure to relieve stress."
—Unconsciously.
"...I see. Then if I really went ahead with it..."
"Once that begins, whether you want it or not, everyone will try to cross the line. Otherwise—"
"Otherwise?"
Bronie trailed off.
She hesitated, then looked at Jere and seemed to reach a conclusion, nodding before she spoke.
"They'll pick someone they see as the cause and shift the blame, making them a public enemy. And among us, there's one person indirectly responsible for this incident and who's yet to deliver."
"...Bishop Theresa?"
Bronie shook her head.
"Bishop Theresa is the oldest and has led by example in this life, so she's the anchor in our current state."
"Then who? Everyone except Bishop Theresa has done their part, hence the current stability—"
"—Yes."
"...What?"
Once more, to the still-puzzled Jere, I explained.
"If things go on like this, you'll be the one turned into a public enemy, Captain."