Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 4 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 2===

“His characteristics?”

Kagura said while looking at the guidance screen on the {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}}. She was heading away from the training grounds and Monica called out to her with a stiff expression.

“Yeah, the instructor’s reaction was kind of……not good.”

“It is as the instructor said. He’s a ruffian and a sloth, as well as an outcast from the rest of the Cadet Guards. In the five years since he enlisted, he has done at best one or two missions.”

“……He sounds like quite a horrid guy. I wonder if there’s a reason for it. For example, a serious illness or the like.”

“No, he is the type that only has his body’s sturdiness to brag about.”

The girl with the mechanical helmet replied smoothly. She stealthily exchanged glances with Monica who was about to speak and then it was Sheltis’ turn to inquire.

“A strong body means……he has good endurance?”

“That’s probably not true. He has the basic body strength but he’s the type that thinks training is a pain so his strength probably ranks in the middle of the lower half or the bottom of the upper half. He also has no exceptional techniques.”

Those were the backbone of a Cadet Guard. He found that harsh training to be a pain and was a ruffian and a lazy person.

……Is such a person really okay?

“By the way, Kagura, why did you think that person was good?”

“'''Because he’s a good-natured person.'''“

A good-natured person? I wonder what she means. He looked at Monica from the side and she shrugged her shoulders saying, “Don’t ask me.”

Several minutes after they started walking.

In front of a bench that was far away from the training grounds, Kagura suddenly stopped.

“Okay, we’re here.”

“……Nobody’s here though.”

Looking around in front of the bench, there was not a single person there. Just to make sure, he also looked around at the surroundings, but there was not a hint of a Cadet Guard like [him] whom Kagura had described.

“Sheltis, not there, over here. Here, look up.”

“Up?”

What Kagura pointed to was not the bench but the large tree beside it that was almost a hundred years old.

The moss-covered trunk was about the diameter of even an adult’s embrace. That split into a complex set of branches and even further along those, the leaves were in full bloom.

“He should be here skipping training around now. So take this.” <ref>[T/N: It has 昼寝っている as the main and さぼっている above. The former is an "afternoon nap" or a "siesta" and the latter is "skipping (classes, lessons, training, etc.)".]</ref>

Here, she said as she handed him an iron mallet.

“The interior is filled with gunpowder, so if you strike the base of the tree, it will release an immense explosion noise. It was originally for catching bugs atop the trees. By the way, it’s pending a patent.”

“……So it’s your invention. So I hit the trunk?”

He brandished the heavy mallet with both hands. He added his waist’s movement to his muscular strength and, just like that, slammed the mallet into the center of the trunk as hard as he could.

Zun ─── came a roaring sound.

The explosion noise rattled the large tree and the immense explosion noise echoed in the surroundings.

“〰〰〰Iittt huuurts……my ears……my ears are breaking!?”

He thought his ears were getting done in by the excessive explosion noise.

“'''''Sheltis……you’re that kind of person. Couldn’t you tell beforehand that it would be like this?'''''“

“Shut up.”

He looked back at Kagura while covering his ears that were still hurting.

“Kagura, I wasn’t told that the noise would be this extreme!”

“I have my ears hidden by this mechanical helmet, after all. Look, Monica also took refuge far away.”

“Isn’t that unfair!?”

“Come now, don’t say that. Look, our goal fell out properly.”

After Kagura pointed overhead───

Zaa……zuzazazazza……zazaaa……together with severed branches and countless leaves, something fell from the upper part of the large tree.

The one that fell backwards onto the ground was a young man.

“I…, i………it huuuuuuuuurts!?”

Letting out a yell, that Cadet Guard sprang up.

He had short-trimmed blond hair and light brown eyes. He was taller than Sheltis by about a fist’s length and he was muscular with a large build as Kagura had said. He looked to be in his early twenties. His looks were orderly but wasted because of how bad his face was; he was that kind of man.

“Ah, s-sorry. Are you okay ─── u-uwaa!?”

“Ahh!? Yoouu, you’re the bastard who’s disturbing other people’s sleep!?”

Calling out to him, the young man grabbed his collar.

“You’re pretty brave, aren’t you; if you’re looking for a fight then───”

“Yes, yes, stop there. Well, wait just a bit, Vaiel.” <ref>[T/N: His name is ヴァイエル. That's "vaieru". If you have a better suggestion for how to write his name, please comment it.]</ref>

Kagura held the fist of the man called Vaiel tightly.

“Huh? Who are you? Why are you suddenly butting in?”

“I apologize for disturbing your nap. We have come today with a request for you.”

“Haa, who the heck would listen to what a brat like you has to say.”

“Come now, don’t say that. The thing is”

“Do you want your front teeth broken? I already said I won’t listen!”

“It will take fifteen minutes.”

“Get lost. Get lost right now.”

“Then ten minutes.”

“…………Farewell.”

“No.”

The hand of Vaiel who was about to leave was once again grabbed by Kagura.

“You……can’t you hearing me telling you to get lost?”

“The thing is we’re looking for a fourth member for our unit.”

“I see, it seems you wanna be sent flying. Grit your teeth.”

“And we have selected you. We have already told Instructor Yumelda.”

“Hey, somebody take her to a hospital; this isn’t even worth con───”

“First comes the explanation of the unit.”

“………………Damn brat.”

Vaiel’s eyebrows stiffened and he fell silent.

In contrast to he who seemed to be ready to throw a punch any second, Kagura was looking up at that with an unchanging nonchalant tone.

“'''''Uwaa── amazing, she’s silenced her opponent. Look, Sheltis, that’s how it’s done. That kind of self-centered negotiation. Please learn from it.'''''“

For some reason, the {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was being lively and seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Learn that?……I don’t wanna.”

Sheltis shook his head with a speechless look.

“Five minutes. I won’t listen for even a second more.”

Vaiel sat on the bench with a thump.

“Then I shall be brief. If I had to sum it up, we’re looking for someone to join our unit and we have come to invite you.”

“You guys’ unit?”

He leered over here and smiled.

“Hah! Two girls with no sex appeal and some mediocre looking brat. This unit looks like you’re playing house.”

“……Hey, Kagura, what’s with this guy. This kind of rude guy───”

As expected, Monica couldn’t keep silent and she stepped up front.

“Yes. We’d very much like you to take up the papa role in this play house.”

“…………”

Having it returned so deftly, Vaiel fell silent once again.

“……I don’t feel like it. To begin with, three people is good enough for a unit. You can go on missions and also become Regular Guards. You don’t need me.”

“There is a four-person mission we want to go on.”

“Hah, aren’t you honest! In short, it’s that, you want to just make up for your lack of numbers!?”

Vaiel scoffed. In the face of those provocative argument, without so much as a change in face color, Kagura slowly shook her head. <ref>[T/N: 顔色も変えず is literally "face color also not changing". It just means she had no reaction. What an iron maiden.]</ref>

“I told you. That we would like to add you as a proper member.”

“…………”

“If you look at us, we’re a mish-mash of members, but I recommend us.”

“Are you stupid? Who would trust a mish-mash of three brats?”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Right? So───”

Kagura shot out her hand in front of him as he tried to put an end to the conversation.

“So let’s do it like this. First, we’ll go on a mission together. Then we’ll see how it goes.”

“There’s no chance.”

“You don’t want to?”

“I don’t. I’ll pass on annoying stuff like that.”

It was curt. Resolutely cutting it off, he confirmed the time on his watch.

“It’s been five minutes. I’m gonna go sleep, so listen. Don’t appear before me ag───”

“Wait.”

Kagura called out to the back of the man who didn’t even turn around.

“I see. Then we’ll go with the last method: persuasion by force.”

“Hah, you will?”

That calm manner of speaking seemed to grate on his nerves. Vaiel looked over with an expression that was half-angry and half-sneering.

“Yes. Until you cry and beg for forgiveness───”

“Ha ha ha, a hit from a brat like you won’t hurt or even itch.”

“'''I take it you are fine with me leaking your secret throughout {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}?'''“

For an instant, nobody understood the meaning of those words and a eerie calm settled.

“…………Oi, what do you mean by that?”

“It’s simple. I have over one hundred observation cameras that I personally installed within the tower so I know secrets that people never want others to know.”

She pointed with her finger.

In that instant, the floating {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}} divided into a puzzle piece shape and spread out in the air. On that small piece, something was installed ─── a small camera with a high-powered lens.

“……You couldn’t have.”

He seemed to have understood what she meant as he bit hard on his molars.

“Have you understood that this is not a threat? Well then, what were you doing in a place nobody knows about, I wonder. For example, yesterday at the storehouse next to the outdoor training grounds──────”

In that instant, Vaiel’s face suddenly went pale.

“Wai-wait a second! That’s dirty, how is this not a threat!”

“It’s not a threat, it’s a negotiation. Once is fine, so come with us on a mission just once. If you do, I promise I won’t leak your secret to anyone. Of course, the decision of whether to properly join after the mission will be your own.”

“…………Interesting. Let’s do this, peeping young lady.”

The young man’s fist was trembling and a dangerous smile floated up on his face.

“Negotiations have succeeded then.”

“……That compromise will only happen once. Got it?”

“Yes.”

She nodded seriously and then turned to come over here.

“Well then, Vaiel, I’ll introduce you to our unit. This is Monica, the unit leader. The unattractive one beside her is Sheltis.”

“The unattractive bit was unnecessary!”

His complaint was easily ignored.

“Well then, Vaiel, you also introduce yourself. With your full name.”

“Ha? Who would go to the trouble of naming himself to people he’s only going to go on one mission with. This Vaiel Bahhabel has no name to give you!” <ref>[T/N: His last name is バッハベル or "bahhaberu". Another name that is hard to translate. Specifically because that ッ there means it has a pause, so you have to work that into the name. Any suggestions, folks?]</ref>

He raised his voice and folded his arms.

……Umm.

Not thinking on how to react, Sheltis timidly put his thoughts to words.

“You just named yourself. You said Vaiel Bahhabel.”

“I also heard that.”

“'''''It’s also perfectly recorded in my logs.'''''“

“Ah…………”

Having finally realized it after having it pointed out to him, he kept his arms folded and opened his mouth.

“Y-you guys, that was nothing just now, nothing! Forget it, forget it immediately!”

He went bright red and flapped his arms.

“See? He’s unexpectedly amiable.”

Pointing at him like that, only Kagura chuckled with a smile.