Prologue: UC Visitor of the CE Era

January 18, CE 71, Second Lagrange Point (L2) of the Second Sector.

The massive, crimson Gwazine-class battleship Gwameir, still bearing the golden emblem of the Principality of Zeon, appeared out of thin air in this sector alongside several Musai-class light cruisers.

On the bridge, Luther caught A-Qiu from behind as she fell limply into his arms, having previously been suspended in mid-air in a strange posture.

"You've worked hard, A-Qiu."

A-Qiu nodded to Luther in response, while Monica, ever the impatient one, immediately began to verify their situation.

"So, we've actually crossed over? It doesn't look like anything special!"

Luther offered a helpless, wry smile and turned to confirm the status with Tessa, who was seated in the captain's chair.

"Tessa, how is the situation? What is the status of the escort ships?"

"The Gwameir's own reports are clear, and communications with the escort ships are normal. The only minor interference is from the low-concentration Minovsky particles we've been dispersing as a precautionary measure."

After responding to Luther, Tessa turned to Monica and delivered a fact that left her 'shocked.'

"Our actual physical coordinates haven't changed at all from before the transfer, but look."

As she said this, Tessa had the bridge's main screen project a 360-degree view of the 'scenery' surrounding the Gwameir.

"There's nothing there. What are you trying to show us, Tessa?"

Unlike Monica, who had yet to grasp the situation, Aina, standing beside Ginias, was the first to react.

"Principality of Zeon... Side 3 is gone!"

Although many on the bridge had already realized this, Aina's words brought the fact to the surface.

This caused everyone to gasp in surprise, while Monica was momentarily struck speechless, clutching her younger brother Elwin so tightly that he winced in pain.

"Can you confirm the current time?"

Following Luther's clear inquiry, the well-trained crew resumed their duties. A moment later, the communications officer reported to those at the command station.

"We have received a full-spectrum microwave broadcast time signal signed by 'D.S.S.D.' One of the encodings is a variant of the universal code from the Old Calendar era, which has been automatically decoded.

It is currently January 18, CE (Cosmic Era) 71, approximately 11:00 standard time."

This response sparked another round of discussion on the bridge, and the slightly philosophical remark from Kurisu, who stood beside Luther, perhaps voiced the sentiments of many.

"The calendar has changed from UC (Universe Century) to CE, yet the date and time remain the same.

The physical location hasn't changed, yet Side 3 behind us has ceased to exist.

Even Luther Sahalin has become Luther Deikun.

It seems all things are mutable; only death is immortal..."

Faced with Kurisu's rare display of literary melancholy, Mika, another of Luther's otherworldly contract harem, changed the 'contemplative' atmosphere on the bridge with a single sentence.

"Sister Kurisu, if you put it that way, then both you and I are people who have returned from the dead."

"That's right, Assistant, Christina, Ms. Resurrected."

Mika's words triggered a reflexive follow-up attack from Luther, which naturally drew a conditional counterattack from Kurisu.

"I am not an assistant, and there is no 'tina'! I was only near-death at the time!"

The scene, reminiscent of their usual interactions at the New Technology Research Bureau, sparked laughter from everyone present, and the air on the bridge lightened considerably.

The words of Haman, the young girl who had voluntarily boarded the ship, were a bold declaration of affection for her, yet they resonated deeply with others.

"Although it is painful to be separated from my sister and parents, I feel very at ease being with Brother Luther."

Compared to Haman, who had boarded alone, many crew members had their families from Zum City board the ship in time, naturally putting them much more at ease.

It was at this moment, seeing that the situation had settled, that Norris, standing behind Ginias, spoke up to remind Luther.

"Young Master Luther, please provide instructions for our next move."

Combining the 'basic geography' of the Earth-Moon system he already knew from the UC era with a quick recollection of the CE era, Luther made his decision.

"Maintain a low-concentration spread of Minovsky particles; as long as we can conceal our movements at long range, that is enough.

As for our destination:

Although Loum (Side 5) has become the World Tree, L1 remains a major traffic hub.

With Side 3 gone, L2 is empty, so there is no suitable place to settle temporarily.

L3 is too far, and L5 is the 'Principality of Zeon' of this world—the lair of Plant, one of the warring parties.

We will head to L4. Although the Solomon fortress or Side 1 and 4 are gone, both Mendel and Nova should be in ruins by this point in time. It is the perfect place for us to hide and settle our families before taking further action."

Even setting aside Luther's status as a 'leader' or 'transmigrator,' his analysis was logical and well-structured. It went without saying that Earth and the Moon were excluded from the start without even being mentioned.

After waiting a moment to confirm everyone's consensus, Tessa, acting as captain, issued the order.

"Maintain low-concentration Minovsky particle dispersion, cruise speed, advance toward L4!"

January 21, CE 71, L4 of the Fourth Sector.

The long-abandoned research colony Mendel had regained its vitality. For the not-insignificant number of people in Luther's fleet, it was the perfect place to settle.

Relying on the cover of the Minovsky particles, Luther's fleet successfully arrived at the long-neglected Mendel and began working to restore its functions. For those from Side 3, this was no difficult task; many of the elders among the families had themselves participated in the construction or renovation of Side 3.

Although these tasks had only just begun, through the news regarding the Battle of Kaohsiung received during the march, Luther had managed to recall some more specific timelines, and now he needed to rush to make his appearances.

"Good grief, even though I've already changed the world line, I still have to run around to L3 (Luna II, Side 7, Artemis, and Heliopolis). Didn't I change this world line for nothing? Tessa, how is the preparation coming along?"

As for Tessa, who already knew Luther inside and out, she simply ignored the first half of his grumbling and replied earnestly to the latter half.

"Although it was very rushed, overall, things are going quite smoothly. Kurisu and Ginias are currently restoring the laboratory and workshop areas; we expect to recover about 70% of the production capacity of the New Technology Research Bureau. Mika and Monica are settling the families in with Elwin. Supplies are currently sufficient—after all, the combat reserves of the Gwameir were always enough for a one-way trip to the asteroid belt—but if conditions allow, it would be best to secure a stable acquisition channel or at least obtain some more for now. Regarding combat readiness, under Cima's supervision, the hangar bays that were temporarily repurposed have returned to normal operation. As for the mobile weapons, since we couldn't refuse Haman's request to sortie, all of them now have suitable pilots."

Mentioning Haman caused the expressions of both Luther and Tessa to soften considerably. In just these few days, Haman, who had "only Luther left," had grown up a great deal and was now a mature young woman.

Shaking his head to focus his attention on the situation at hand, Luther made his decision.

"Then without further ado, let us set off! After all, we have to rush to L3, and time is quite tight. I hope we won't miss the opening act of the show. As for our own entrance lines, we can decide those on the way."

Tessa nodded in agreement with Luther's decision and then issued orders to the crew members who were already at their stations.

"Issue the departure order, all hands to your stations immediately. This time, we are going to be the protagonists of the drama!"