Chapter 1389: with translation of chapter title

NO. 5: Human affairs are still too complicated.

In Aomo's view, the distinction between minors and adults… or more plainly put, the line between child and adult is not age but the amount of responsibility borne.

Those with a light burden always have more choices, more leeway, until they too step onto the side of the heavily burdened.

Obviously, the amount of experience often can surpass this point.

Just as Sai Luo, though his Ultraman age is actually under 18, remains a reliable senior admired by many juniors of the Land of Light.

He once wiped out monsters and alien armies in the Monster Graveyard, later defeated Belial, and together with other companions defeated the hundred-form monster Belial turned into, Berudora.

He also, in another universe, with companions shattered Belial's Galactic Empire, and defeated the arc Belial formed when Kaiser Belial absorbed Emerana ore.

The beginning of all legends was laid by two defeats of Belial constructed from the lengths of two theatrical films; thereafter he fought countless cosmic evil factions, pursued the trans‑space demon god, and rushed onto the TV sets of many juniors.

It is not hard to see that this is all about combat.

Sai Luo's past is a past of combat; even though he once failed to touch the Plasma Spark Tower and was directly sent to the Ultra Juvenile Guidance Center, the successive halos that followed were enough to shape for him a biography akin to that of a cosmic warrior—indeed someone has written it, only they grafted Sai Luo's deeds onto Belial.

Compiled and re‑created by Fu Jingchu K, a Strom alien who is also a science‑fantasy novelist, his work itself once received an award, enough in a sense to prove that Sai Luo's story was widely acclaimed.

Of course, this is only in a certain sense.

Sai Luo and Xiao Lu are not the type to read such works, so Aomo cannot tell how high Fu Jingchu K's degree of re‑creation is; although Xia Na likewise has the well‑received 'New. Ultraman Cosmos', the addition of countless new characters and AI face‑swaps of original characters' deeds is naturally not the same thing, thus it holds no reference value.

But if you think Sai Luo has gone through such storms and therefore counts as a reliable adult male—then you are somewhat forgetful, forgetting that his experience is still fundamentally about enjoying combat.

He remains the Land of Light's compulsory‑education slip‑through, even when apprentices ask about classroom knowledge he answers vaguely; when giving lectures in the Ultra Hero Chronicle he goes straight to physical education, relying on his already‑excellent record to substitute for credentials, so he need not suffer the academy's hardships like young Ultramen.

But even if all his abilities lie in combat, even if he goes to many places just to fight and flee, never lingering, not even able to stay for a princess's entreaty, the carefree Sai Shao……

He eventually also became the captain of the security brigade.

This is a weighty responsibility, together with the unavoidable interpersonal contact from his past experiences, shaping his present appearance.

In work, strictly speaking in combat, he acts without hesitation, his movements clean and decisive.

In life, he is enthusiastic and forthright, righteous at the same time, yet somewhat overly careless, often stirring up minor troubles.

As a warrior, he has already gone through a hundred battles.

But in daily life he resembles a college‑student phase, sighing in that easygoing life, lamenting the hardships of those who have entered society, yet when actually facing them he feels nothing, unconsciously revealing a touch of clear‑headed foolishness.

Of course, this cannot be blamed on him.

After all, in the Land of Light's overly idealized civilization, it is hard to have the annoyances and vexations of human society; Ultramen who emerge from such an environment, when encountering the problems of residents of other civilizations, naturally will have a deep‑seated civilizational barrier.

Sometimes they even drill into a hornet's nest until they themselves go mad, resembling a philosophy major who has spaced out.

To be frank, this really ought not to be.

Advanced technology and progressive thought are meant to complement each other; once imbalanced they bring catastrophe to civilization itself. Belial, an old‑timer who came down from early battlefields, can be said to have had little ideological schooling, while the later two intellectuals' darkening can only be said to reveal a genuine gap in education.

In this regard, Sai Luo serves as a very intuitive sample.

He is both the Land of Light's compulsory‑education slip‑through and an intuitive proof of the civilizational divide; even though his human form named Iga Chestnut‑person already long ago displayed to the full the weariness and helplessness of a corporate drone, he now still appears as someone who does not understand.

If instead he had grown up on Earth, and moreover swapped identities with Chao Cang Lu who once exchanged places with Iga Chestnut‑person, this problem would not exist.

Unfortunately, the person behind Carrot Man and the backstage presence remain confidential information that should be kept from spreading, so the individual who is both a temporary trainer and a young Ultraman was not invited together.

Regarding this, Aomo said he could completely understand.

Whether one wishes to keep a secret and whether one can actually carry it out are two different matters; he also often has things he simply does not want Jie De and Sai Luo to know.

Even aside from those two, there seems to exist nearby a more threatening information‑flow channel, but striving from what one can do is always correct.

"But I still don't get it…" yet Sai Luo, who could accept Xiao Lu being left out, raised his hand: "If there exists a Carrot Man squadron, why didn't I see it before?"

Gazing at the nearly cinema‑screen‑sized display packed with countless active images of Carrot Man, Sai Luo, unlike Aomo who stared fixedly, merely glanced twice then turned his head toward the three AI goddesses.

"What about that earlier Alien‑wave grudge and that whatever competition?" he looked at Aomo.

"The Jidong Cup," Aomo, still gazing at the screen, replied, "the Japan Cup, the Dream Cup."

It is unclear whether this is tacit understanding or a smooth interface of superhuman reaction speed, but it left Nishizaki Yutaka blinking repeatedly.

"Yes! Those three," Sai Luo turned his head, looked toward AI Altafen Arabian, then toward the embarrassed Hikari Flying Horse beside him, "uh…"

He sensed something, leaned close to Aomo and whispered, "Did I ask the wrong question?"

He was genuinely curious, not because of pressure from these people wondering why they didn't act then; he himself obviously had not realized this, so Aomo wordlessly glanced at him askance.

Then he turned to look at the blue‑haired AI, which he was not used to seeing no matter how many times, but which in these days of interacting with Ishamara he could somewhat accept: "Is the Alien‑wave grudge in the trainers' dorm considered not worth deploying?"

"Yes, sorry, but that is what our calculations indicate." AI Altafen Arabian bowed slightly, having learned local etiquette, leaving people unsure whether it is a virtue or a vice.

"And regarding the three competition‑attack incidents, do you also think we should not deploy?"

The other party nodded upon hearing that.

"Carrot Man is not a combat tool cultivated by the central authority; we have no reason to let children face enemies they cannot defeat, even if it means forcibly confiscating their transformation devices."

"It sounds like you lack confidence in the children you yourselves have raised."

"Data first, Linton trainer," AI Baiyer Turkish suddenly spoke, "even if Carrot Man's power comes from the spirit, we have sufficient solid test data to determine that is not a battlefield they ought to be on."

"Even after we have gone into battle?"

"If they appeared then, it would instead invite public criticism—'Why not show up earlier instead of acting only after the situation stabilizes' and so on," AI Dalia Arabian said embarrassedly, "We decided to simply keep them absent the whole time and release news that Carrot Man is in some other condition."

"This…" Sai Luo almost blurted out the words, but then caught himself, turned his head and asked Aomo, "Is this right?"

This scene was somewhat comical; even the stern‑faced vice‑chair of the gas tank twitched the corners of his mouth, Ludaofu Xiangzheng and Hikari Flying Horse also could not help but show subtle expressions, Nishizaki Yutaka turned his back directly, only Miss Senkawa retained her professional composure.

She always wore a smile.

But to be frank, this unexpectedly gave Aomo a slightly higher opinion of Sai Luo; after all, if he had actually shouted a rebuke, Aomo would have had to cover his face.

This is not merely a matter of belief and willingness; the problem lies in the public criticism mentioned by the other party.

For Carrot Man, whose identity is completely concealed, public opinion is essentially irrelevant.

As long as no shaken police superiors impede action, and as long as their spirit is strong enough, they can continue to be active—but the precondition is also that their spirit be strong enough and that they truly keep their identity completely hidden.

First, this squad includes newcomers like Hikari Flying Horse; second, there are not a few people who are in the know.

Everyone's feelings may differ; if someone cannot stay patient, if fans turn extreme… then at this point humans might be able to say they are willing to trust those who are surely maintaining a certain contact as confidants.

But from the standpoint of the three AIs...

"This isn't important."

"Cutting off Sai Luo's 'right vs wrong' topic, Aomo, who in telepathy had mentioned 'I'll explain later,' sighed: 'Knowing why they didn't act is enough; compared to right vs wrong, I actually just want to know whether they're willing to fill the loophole that appeared in the central campus security.'"

"Of course, now that I see you, I also know the answer to this question."