Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 4 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 2===

The ground was strewn with tree leaves.

They entered the path which was, with its muddiness despite the lack of rainfall or other precipitation over several days coupled with the large trees that were gathered here and there which made it even more complex, a path which couldn’t be called such.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s with this place. Is this really a path? This is just the inside of a forest.”

“……Don’t split off, Vaiel, you’ll become a lost child.”

Monica’s tone was completely serious. Gripping her {{furigana|Crossed Rods|Rosario}} in her right hand, she parted the branches with her free left hand and continued in that manner.

“Kagura, we’re going in the right direction, right?”

The third member following after Monica and Vaiel was Kagura.

“Yes. Please continue like this for another five minutes. We’ll be going off the shortest path to the cottage but this path is safe.”

“Safe? This kind of spiderweb-like route is?”

“The shortest route is the habitat of cry birds and home to many of them. They’re harmless but their cries are very loud and will cover up the footsteps of dangerous wild beasts. Dangerous, right?”

“……Shut up.”

Leaking out a grumbling complaints that showed he consented, Vaiel went silent.

“Sheltis as well, I think you understand already, but please be wary of the rear.”

“Understood, the rear is secure.”

He glanced behind again before replying to Monica. The tail of the group is the most dangerous spot and could become a blind spot so the responsibility attached to it was great.

“It doesn’t look like anything in particular is there; I’sa’s also not here.”

“I’sa……that examiner? If it’s about her, she said she’d be moving together with Nash’s group.”

“It’s an examiner’s trick.”

Having them let down their guard by saying she would go with the other unit, but in actuality, she would be following them secretly.

“Whether the unit is slacking off or not, or skipping out or not. You’d get a large demerit from not realizing the examiner was tailing you.”

“……I see. I didn’t think that far.”

Monica smiled wryly while sidestepping a protruding rock. Then the third in the line, Kagura, who was operating her {{furigana|machine pearl|Machina}}, raised her face suddenly.

“By the way, Monica, what do you plan to do?”

“About what?”

“This patrol is basically for the purpose of finding the Yuugenshu that came up to the floating continent. Most of them would be found in their biotope but the chance of individuals penetrating as far as the Nature District isn’t zero. That it’s not zero means it wouldn’t be strange to come across one right now around here.”

If they just found traces of a Yuugenshu, it would be settled with reporting to the examiner. The question was what to do if they stumbled upon not the traces but the actual Yuugenshu.

To run away or to engage in battle.

“Haa? It’s obvious that we should run away from that kind of thing. Cadet Guards like us can’t win against that. Run away and report to that examiner brat! That’d settle it.”

Vaiel turned around to face Kagura who was behind him.

“Fumu, you’re being quite realistic.”

“‘Course I am.”

“……So he says. Well?”

Kagura’s words seemed to be testing her. On the other side, the unit leader that stood at the head of the group hadn’t opened her mouth yet and continued to remain silent.

“We’ll decide based on the situation.”

Monica swung the {{furigana|crossed rods|Rosario}} in her hand. Breaking the branch that was obstructing her path, she kept on looking ahead the entire time.

“It will depend on the Yuugenshu’s strength……as long as it’s not a special case, I have a feeling that fighting would go well for this team.”

“Hah? Hey, hey, hey, captain-san, what kind of joke is this?”

The ever-unapologetic Vaiel shrugged his shoulders.

“Cadet Guards like us can’t win against Yuugenshu. Before that, we haven’t even seen a real───”

“We have.”

She suppressed Vaiel’s words with a nod.

“We have seen and fought one. Since I was……an apprentice Priestess until three years ago.”

This time, it was Vaiel’s turn to be coerced into silence.

An apprentice Priestess’ rank was the same as a Regular Guard. As part of their training to become a Priestess, they would form a unit with Regular Guards and fight with Yuugenshu on patrols.

“……First time I’ve heard you were an apprentice Priestess.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I don’t get it.”

It was expected that Vaiel would spit that out. Because an apprentice Priestess who held the same rank as a Regular Guard had purposefully lowered their own rank to that of a Cadet Guard.

“Ahem, well that would be a long story, so let’s just leave that aside.”

Privy to the circumstances, Kagura cleared her throat.

“The words our unit leader spoke are true. If you doubt them, please consult the tower’s digital information. Her name is also upon the apprentice Priestess list of three years ago.”

“……Moron, like I’d do something that annoying.”

He seemed to feel a certain amount of credibility in Kagura’s information. Putting both hands in his pockets, he only groaned in annoyance.

“Then at that hypothetical time, you plan on a hard struggle?”

“Of course I intend to fight at the head but it’ll be rough with just me alone. Half……more than half of it will be Sheltis.”

“Eh. ……Ah, r-right. I’ll do my best.”

He straightened up reflexively when his name came up suddenly. ……He had thought it would be coming but didn’t expect it to be so frankly stated.

“Heeh, you, huh.”

Vaiel turned to him with a dubious look.

“Well, do as you like. I’ll say this ahead of time, but if it comes to that, I’m bolting by myself.”

“I see.”

“……Indifferent, aren’t you, captain-san.”

Vaiel, with a sour expression, drew near Monica who had been speaking calmly to the end.

“I’m saying I’ll ditch my comrades and run. You’d normally be angry.”

“'''If you really planned to ditch your comrades, you wouldn’t say so beforehand.'''“

The one who answered was Kagura.

“……! Don’t just decide that by yourself; I’m seriously gonna run by myself! Got it! Don’t cry about it later!”

Vaiel thrust out a finger and Kagura calmly gazed at him.

“''Umm, umm~, say, say, could I say one thing?''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} interjected with a nonchalant tone.

“Ilis, we’re busy right now───”

“''You said we should proceed straight ahead for five minutes, but hasn’t it already been long past that?''“

“Ah……”

Four peoples’ voices overlapped at that spot.