Me, a Genius? I Was Reborn into Another World and I Think They’ve Got the Wrong Idea! Volume 2

By Nyun and Sakana

Kouki Arakawa has been reborn in a Japan that’s unlike the one we know, and everyone seems to have gotten the idea that he’s a genius.
When Kouki and his friends decide to spend their summer vacation visiting a lunar base, Kouki inadvertently unlocks the secrets of an ancient alien civilization without realizing he’s about to once again change the world forever. As the nations of the world become increasingly fearful of Kouki, it’s only a matter of time before the world’s leaders try to take control of him and his friends.
In an all-out effort to protect her son’s freedom, Miki decides it’s time to execute Project Ark. “Just think of it as a slightly unconventional holiday villa.”
Now Kouki’s the messiah in another world?! Kouki continues to go from one misunderstanding to another in volume 2 of this insane sci-fi comedy!!

• Language: English
• Publisher: J-Novel Club
• Release date: Jun 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781718301566

Book preview

Chapter 1: Moon Base

Are you all sure you’ve got everything you’ll need? Mom asked me and my usual group of friends.

Who cares about that? I’m dying here in these hot clothes, I wanted to gripe. Why couldn’t I stay behind with Kon?

Okay, she said. Let’s head for the moon! Everyone, get on the shuttle.

Mom sounded so casual about it. You’d think we were heading to a convenience store as she gestured toward the entrance of the moon exploration shuttle.

I took a good look at the shuttle as I tried to remember how I ended up having to put on this spacesuit and climb into a space shuttle.

**

Kouki Arakawa’s Point of View

Around the time the girls got out of the hot spring, I was preparing a barbecue in front of the entrance to the hot spring area. I was skewering vegetables and pieces of meat when Alice and Aikawa came walking out.

Kouki, I’m hungry, Alice said.

I smiled wryly and began roasting the meat that Shingo and I had split between us.

Aikawa wanted to ask us about our summer vacation plans. What do Kouki and Shin want to do during our summer vacation?

It’s my summer vacation... I don’t want to do anything. Can’t I just laze around at home?

When I tried suggesting this to Aikawa, she sighed and looked at me as if I was garbage.

But that’s the whole point! Summer vacation is supposed to be about going to sleep in the morning and waking up in the evening!

I don’t think so, Kouki. Shingo sighed as if he found me tiresome, too.

I was sure Alice would react the same way as everyone else, so I gave up on the idea. With no one on my side, I went back to roasting the meat as I held back my tears.

I just remembered, Shingo said. They’re going to set up the International Survey Station on the moon this summer.

Isn’t Arakawa’s mom in charge of the construction and survey? She’s amazing, Aikawa replied.

I had no idea. I guess I’ll ask her about it when I get home, I thought. Just then, I heard an email alert sound from the terminal on my arm.

Kou, next week I’m going to the moon to work on the International Survey Station. I’m sure your friends would like to come along. Please ask them if they’re free next week.

I was starting to seriously suspect that there were hidden microphones and surveillance cameras around me.

I showed the email to everyone, and they all loved the idea. It left me feeling that I was in for another troublesome experience.

**

We accepted my mom’s invitation and had hastily gotten prepared for the trip. And now here we were.

I took my seat on the shuttle, and adjusted the cooling device of my life-supporting spacesuit to lower the temperature inside the suit.

Memories of the unbearable vibrations I felt last time I’d gone into space on a rocket started to come back to me. Nervously, I asked Mom what it’d be like this time.

The ballistic missile vibrated so much because it was never designed to carry a person, she assured me. This time we’re going to be taking off from a runway and slowly flying toward the stratosphere. Then we’ll escape the atmosphere using boosters. Once we’re in orbit, we’ll receive larger boosters and fuel from a service ship so we can further accelerate. We’ll be accelerating to 120,000 kilometers per hour as we head to the moon.

Aikawa, who was a space specialist, asked in surprise, We’re going to exceed the third cosmic velocity?!

Somehow, I got the impression that we’d be going very fast. Since this was my mom talking, I was worried she might say something like, We’re going to warp through space, but I kept that to myself.

I’d just started to eat some cookies that Alice gave me when we heard an announcement: We will be taking off shortly. For your safety, we ask all passengers to remain seated with your seat belt fastened.

I fastened my seat belt like I was told, and sat quietly. Before being reincarnated, I’d heard rumors about there being a secret alien base on the far side of the moon. I decided to ask Mom about it.

At the far side of the moon? she said. Yes, we did find a relic, but nothing living.

It seriously existed?! Doesn’t that make this top-secret information that shouldn’t be shared with civilians?!

Kou, as long as you’re here, you’re not exactly a ‘civilian.’

Didn’t you sign a confidentiality agreement before getting on the shuttle, Kouki? Alice asked.

I don’t remember signing anything like that. I’ll bet Mom submitted all the paperwork without telling me.

The shuttle vibrated slightly, and I could tell we were about to take off. Shuttles that were designed to escape the atmosphere didn’t have any windows, so I couldn’t see what was going on outside.

Kouki, I’m bored, Shingo said. Let’s play a game on our terminals.

I accepted the invitation from Shingo to play a card game. The world had changed a lot, but playing card games to kill time was as common as ever. I felt a little sentimental as we began using our terminals.

Wait, isn’t this one too many people? I said, startled. In addition to Alice, Shingo, Aikawa, and me, a fifth person named Mii was being displayed. Who is this ‘Mii’ person?

That’s me! Mom said.

I started a vote to kick Mii from the lobby. The result of the vote was shown on the terminal screen: it was rejected with one vote in favor and three votes against.

Am I the only one who doesn’t want Mom to play with us?! She’s way too old to be playing games with kids!

The game we played was daifugō. Though it was a simple game, Mom was a devastatingly strong player.

Isn’t this game largely luck-based? How can she have won six out of six games?!

Aikawa sounded suspicious as she hesitantly asked my mom, How did you get so good at this game, Mrs. Arakawa?

There’s no need to be so formal, Megumi. Feel free to call me Miki! All I do is remember which cards have been played. That way I know which cards everyone is holding, and I can play the most effective card from my hand based on the most probable outcomes.

It’s just a game! I wanted to yell. You don’t have to put your superior mind to it! Save it for something more important. How can you expect anyone else to win a game?

We were all looking at my mom in despair as if we all had the same thought.

Fortunately, we were saved by a well-timed announcement: Please be advised that we will dock with the service ship five minutes from now.

I’m just glad I don’t have to play this one-sided game any longer... I thought as I took my seat and fastened my seat belt once again.

Twenty minutes after we docked with the service ship, an elderly man entered the passenger area.

I’m pleased to meet you all. My name is Daniel Weir. I’m the captain of this shuttle. It’s an honor to be carrying you all to the moon today. I’d like to assure everyone that our safety protocols are flawless, and your trip through space today will be a safe one. However, we will be flying at ultrahigh speeds from this point on, so I must ask everyone to activate their life-support systems and put their helmets on.

Yeah, all right. What you mean is, I don’t know what might happen, so put on your spacesuits and sit quietly. Looks like Mom is causing trouble for him, too. He must feel he has to greet us and explain everything because she’s on board.

I remained silent and listened to the rest of the captain’s explanation. I hoped the experience wouldn’t give him a stomach ulcer.

**

Moon Exploration Shuttle Captain, Daniel Weir’s Point of View

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as I arrived at the conference room for today’s flight briefing. As I entered the room, however, I realized that the flight controller had been joined by a woman with the rank of major general. I stopped and saluted her.

Why would a major general be attending a flight briefing? I wondered.

Lieutenant Colonel Weir, you may sit, she directed.

I followed the major general’s request and took a seat on a folding chair.

As I waited to be given my flight briefing, the major general began to speak as an image appeared on a screen. Lieutenant Colonel, the passengers that you’ll be transporting to the moon today are not ordinary people. Take a look at this.

The image made my jaw drop to the floor. I could understand why Miki Arakawa was included in the passenger list; she was leading the construction of the main base and the moon survey. It was the remaining four names that grabbed my attention.

Shingo Saito... Several months earlier, he’d used autonomous AI robots to alter the orbit of an asteroid that was coming close to colliding with Earth, successfully preventing a collision. Even here in the United Nations Space Forces, he was regarded as a hero by many. Myself included.

Alice Alford... The girl who’d developed a drug effective against mankind’s greatest enemy, the European tragedy virus. There were many doctors who held extreme admiration for her. She was rumored to have turned down an invitation from the World Health Organization for a position as a lead researcher.

Megumi Aikawa... Although she hadn’t made any particularly notable achievements, she had numerous publications relating to space exploration, and her ideas received high praise for being ingenious yet practical. I’d read several of her publications myself, and my impression was that she was a genius who was likely to lead future space exploration efforts.

But what troubled me most was the last name on the list... Kouki Arakawa.

He’d successfully developed the eighth-generation powered suit by himself, rescued a passenger ship, and was even rumored to have brought down a ballistic missile by causing it to collide with a measurement drone.

Then last month, he’d flown into space, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, and fiercely attacked an island held by enemy forces, all for the sake of rescuing his abducted girlfriend. He acted as a decoy and managed to hold out until a larger force reached the island.

He wasn’t even combat trained, and yet he supported a paratrooper unit that even the United Nations considered elite. By supported, I mean he single-handedly destroyed every last anti-aircraft installation on the island, saved his girlfriend without their help, and then withdrawn from the island. What’s more, the way the nations of the world were abnormally careful in their dealings with Kouki Arakawa made me suspect that there was something more to him—something I wasn’t authorized to know.

Is it too late to hand in a letter of resignation and return home safely? I wondered. Being entrusted to transport someone that the world’s leaders considered so important felt like too much pressure. Flying with these five VIP passengers won’t be so bad once we reach space, but how are they going to handle security while we’re still on Earth?

There is no cause for concern, the major general told me. Fortunately, the shuttle has no windows, so once you’re in the air, the United Nations can use the full power of their air force to handle security. There will constantly be at least 40 aircraft forming a tight perimeter about the shuttle until you reach the stratosphere. They’ll shield the shuttle from any incoming attacks. The security force that ordinarily protects them on Earth will be standing down while another unit takes over.

If I recall correctly, the security team at the shuttle’s launch site is a special forces unit with specialist training. Is it safe to have them stand down? I asked. I’ve got no use for a team of unspecialized rangers.

The major general seemed to guess what I was thinking. She grinned and told me, Security will be handled by a unit belonging to the United Nations Special Operations Division. The name of the unit hasn’t been disclosed to me, nor am I authorized to access that information.

I see. I understand why she’s grinning. There’s only one unit that not even a major general would be given information about. The Ghost Unit rumored to have brought down a nation state single-handedly.

Lieutenant Colonel, your assignment for today is to escort these five VIPs safely and swiftly to the surface of the moon, she informed me. My superiors have also stated that special hospitality is to be given to Kouki Arakawa.

Special hospitality in a military craft? We don’t have a beautiful cabin crew on board, and the in-flight meals are hardly extravagant. That doesn’t leave me many options... What does she expect me to do?!

I’ll leave it to you to handle the ‘hospitality,’ Lieutenant Colonel, she added. I’ll be praying for your success.

She brushed off my remaining questions before making a swift exit. It seemed she was going to leave all the problems for me to deal with.

I think I better call my wife before I leave...

**

Once we reached orbit and docked with the service ship to receive additional boosters, I went to greet the passengers instead of overseeing the operation. I’d been frantically trying to think of some form of hospitality after the major general’s departure, but in the end, all I was able to think of was to deliver my usual announcements in person. I stood before a wash basin while I smoothed the creases out of my uniform. Then I put my hat back on before opening the door to the passenger area.

I’m pleased to meet you all. My name is Daniel Weir. I’m the captain of this shuttle.

Everyone’s attention was focused on me as I greeted them.

Mrs. Arakawa... I wish you wouldn’t look at me as if you’re deciding my worth, I thought unsteadily. That uneasy feeling grew in my stomach as I glanced at the real concern—Kouki Arakawa. He was looking at me as if I had his approval. Great!

It’s an honor to be carrying you all to the moon today. I’d like to assure everyone that our safety protocols are flawless, and your trip through space today will be a safe one. However, we will be flying at ultrahigh speeds from this point on, so I must ask everyone to activate their life-support systems and put on their helmets.

If anyone managed to hit their head against the walls while we accelerated, my job would be on the line. At best I’d be demoted. More likely, I’d be reassigned to some remote region or perhaps even find myself court-martialed.

I need to stop thinking so negatively. This is really getting me down.

Up till now, we’ve been using a gravity generator to reproduce the same gravity you’d feel on Earth here in the cabin, I continued. However, this generator will be shut off as we accelerate toward the moon. Please store any food or drinks in the special compartments in your seats. In the event of an emergency, the passenger module will detach, and passenger safety will be top priority. In such an event, a rescue ship from Earth will be launched immediately, and you can rest assured that you’ll be rescued within three hours.

I kept sneaking glances at Kouki throughout my speech. He followed my instructions by fastening his seat belt, storing cookies and a drink in the appropriate places, and checking his life-support system.

I worried that this special hospitality might lead him to make selfish requests, but he appeared to be a decent and down-to-earth young man. He certainly didn’t look like the sort of person who’d take on an armed group single-handedly. I headed back to the cockpit feeling relieved.

The vice-captain, who held the rank of captain, thanked me before asking a strange question. Thank you for your efforts, Lieutenant Colonel. What sort of person is Kouki?

I described the impression I’d gotten as straightforwardly as possible, and the vice-captain listened with an uncomfortable expression. When I asked the vice-captain why he was looking at me like that, he went quiet and tried to avoid the question. I pressed him for an answer.

I find this hard to believe, too, but... he began, one of my friends in the Navy has a friend in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. So I think this information comes from the self-defense forces. When Kouki was still a child, he made and launched his own cruise missile. Twice, in fact. The second one caused a lot of trouble because it wasn’t intercepted in time. It self-destructed in the end.

I doubt that! I laughed it off as some overblown rumor, but I was shocked to hear what the vice-captain said next.

I heard about a rocket that the space forces were tracking after it launched a few years ago. I heard they lost track of it. I wasn’t with the space forces back then, but you must know about it, Lieutenant Colonel?

It had happened back when I was a major. That incident resulted in an urgent request for all divisions of the space forces to mobilize.

Maybe. I’m not sure, I told the vice-captain. I was sure he saw right through me because my hand was shaking.

Inspection and fitting of additional boosters is complete, the service ship informed us. You are ready to launch.

After receiving that confirmation message, we made an announcement to the passengers while we prepared for the acceleration.

Just as the vice-captain was about to press the ignition button for the boosters, I grabbed his arm to stop him. I decided there’d be a change of plans.

Set the shuttle’s engine output to max first. We can fire the boosters after that. Let’s make our acceleration more gradual. Passenger safety is the priority, so I think we should avoid rapid acceleration.

The vice-captain understood what I was thinking, and he quietly obeyed. The vice captain’s hand also began to shake, but I couldn’t laugh about it. We would no doubt be killed if we allowed our passengers to be harmed in any way.

But by whom?

I didn’t want to think about it. I fired the booster so the shuttle would accelerate gradually.

There were suddenly G-forces acting on my body, but the effect was small thanks to the operation of my spacesuit. We weren’t rapidly accelerating from zero like we normally would, so the load was less burdensome than usual.

After four hours of flying, we got into communication with the moon base.

This is the moon base control tower. We have identified your craft. Please land while following the navigation signal. The current temperature is -170°C and there is a clear sky.

The female controller joked about the temperature and weather, but we didn’t have time to joke around. Every last bit of my concentration was dedicated to carefully landing the shuttle.

I’m concentrating here! Don’t distract me!

Vice-captain, lower the landing gear, I ordered.

Yes, sir.

I brought the shuttle down for a much gentler landing than normal, then I shut off the engines. All that remained was to wait for the vehicle that was going to transport everyone to the moon base to dock with the shuttle entrance. Now that the job was finally finished, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Lieutenant Colonel... it’ll be our duty to carry him back to Earth... the vice-captain said with tears in his eyes.

I’ll write my resignation letter when I get to the base, I decided.

**

Kouki Arakawa’s Point of View

Once the shuttle landed, we boarded the transportation vehicle that carried us into the moon base. There, I saw a main hall so vast that I found it hard to believe the base was still under construction. I looked about me in amazement.

Mom clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. Okay, everyone, let me explain these cards I’m about to give you. These are the security cards you’ll use inside the base. If you lose your card, you won’t be able to go anywhere. Keep them around your neck even when you’re sleeping. The cards I’m giving the four of you will provide maximum clearance. That means you can go anywhere within the base. But don’t go anywhere dangerous without permission, and don’t go outside the base. Don’t go walking around on the moon’s surface, in other words. I’m giving you all this level of clearance because I trust you all. Don’t disappoint me.

I’m really not that stupid, I thought. Neither are my friends.

You’re going to be staying here for two weeks, she added. For security reasons, you’ll all be staying in rooms in the same section of the base. This shouldn’t cause too much inconvenience, but I’d like you all to conserve water as best you can while considering how much water has been brought here and how well our recirculating system works. The most important thing is that you always show up to roll call at 7 AM and 7 PM. I’d like everyone to be gathered in the dining hall before the roll call begins. And then there’s... well... just ask me what to do whenever you’re not sure.

That last part sounded like a cop-out! Though I suppose there’s no need to answer every question right now.

Mom guided each of us to the rooms we’d been allocated.

I left my luggage in my room and headed to the dining hall. There, we planned out what we’d do next. Aikawa would probably go along with the moon survey team. Shingo would probably go to see the new machinery. I suspected that Alice would head to a separate research facility where they were researching bacteria and viruses in space.

What about you, Kouki? Have you decided what you’re going to do? Alice asked.

You shouldn’t have to ask... there’s only one place I’m going!! I thought. I was thinking I’d go see the relic on the far side of the moon.

Everyone was looking at me as if they were expecting me to say just that.

But isn’t it awesome?! I wanted to cry. I might not get another chance to see a relic left behind by an unknown life form!

Buh hee. How about we all spend two or three days doing our own thing, starting tomorrow? Shingo said finally.

With that, we dispersed for the day.

**

The next day, after the morning roll call, I talked to Mom about going to see the relic. I thought she’d be reluctant, but she gave me permission surprisingly easily.

I was sure you’d want to see it, she told me with a smile. I’ve already made preparations.

I should have known Mom would be two steps ahead and have everything prepared before I even mentioned it.

The truth is, we haven’t quite finished studying the relic, she added. So far, all we know is that it’s not harmful to humankind. We haven’t even been able to access the interior. The place that looks like the entrance has markings on it that could be written language, but we haven’t been able to learn much. We’ve tried using explosives, but we couldn’t even put a scratch on the entrance. When you see it, let me know if it means anything to you.

If my genius mom can’t make sense of it, I’ve got no chance. Though it would be nice if I could be useful somehow. Leave it to me, I told Mom.

**

I equipped a reinforced exoskeleton as I’d been instructed, and I waited in the lobby. My mom and a stern-faced, middle-aged guy, who looked as though he was in the military, appeared wearing the same type of exoskeletons.

C’est agreable de vous rencontrer, the middle-aged guy said to me when I looked at him.

I had no idea what he was saying. It sounded like French. He seemed to realize that I didn’t know how to respond, and he pressed the switch on his neck.

Is my machine translator working? Do you understand me now?

Oh? Oooh! With just a slight delay, I heard a synthetic voice every time the middle-aged guy spoke. It seemed as though a microphone installed in his exoskeleton was picking up his voice and automatically translating his words. I hear you! I was a little surprised.

Haha. Everyone is shocked when they first see this device in action. Did you know that your mother developed it?

Seriously?! Mom is amazing. I looked over at Mom, and she was smiling kindly as always as I met her eye. She looked away as if embarrassed.

I’m told you want to go to the moon relic, the middle-aged guy said, reaching out to shake my hand. I’ll be your guide. Make sure you get a good look!

I smiled wryly at this oddly enthusiastic man. My head was filled with thoughts of the unexplored relic.

**

Moon Base Security Unit Member Cedric’s Point of View

"First of all, could you