Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 5 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 3===

Room 700, ‘Asterhythm‘.

“Departure is late tomorrow night. ……I’d like to pick a time at the latest possible moment so I’ll send you the exact time tomorrow at noon.

Yuragi’s voice echoed in the living room.

There were no wiretaps installed. She had denied that herself and was also keeping her voice down for the off-chance there were.

“The ones carrying it out are you and I.”

“──Yeah.”

Feeling her gaze through the glasses, Sheltis expressed agreement.

“Ymy-sama as well, do we have your consent?”

“……I chose him. Since I heard there was a skilled Cadet Guard from the Cadet Guard Instructor, Yumelda.”

Ymy indifferently spun together the absolute minimum of words required.

 

“Monica has the role of an older sister that looks after everyone. In truth, the one pulling up the unit’s level is a single dual swords user. It’s a boy with a long history of training……if it’s just about battle ability, he alone could defeat the opposing unit in the final selections.“

 

The final selections for mission 16, ‘Expedition to the Governmental Sector‘.

Monica’s unit and Nash’s unit ── this was something from when Yumelda had brought the examiner, I’sa, along to make an advance report before the two units battled. Without the exchange at this time, it would still be unnatural for a priestess like Ymy to recommend a mere newcomer Cadet Guard like Sheltis.

……Usually she just orders me alone to do harsh training.

……All of this is thanks to Instructor Yumelda, huh.

He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

“He received a high appraisal from the Instructor, so I’m recommending him for the mission this time.”

“Understood. ──Then let’s continue. First, about the defense allotted to the meeting at noon, I’d like to continue it. It would be unnatural if the General Affairs Bureau Chief’s guard were to decrease in number and above all, we would lose everything if an emergency situation were to occur at that time. ……This next part is important.”

Yuragi’s fingers went into her breast pocket.

Without skipping a beat, she drew out a silver card key.

“When you entered the Governmental Sector’s governmental office building, I believe each of you received an authentication card.”

“……The one we were lent when we entered and had to return when we left yesterday and today, right?”

“Yes. These electronic card keys show when you ‘enter‘ and ‘leave‘ the lobby.”

Guards’ badges were also used as an electromagnetic card and those Guards could be traced to wherever they went as long as they were carrying it. It was basically a surveillance system like that.

“After the meeting, the three members of Monica-sama’s unit will take their card keys and pass the lobby to ‘leave‘ but Sheltis-sama will stay within the Governmental Sector’s office building.”

“……Huh, but wait. Won’t my card key be left like that?”

Only three of the escorts’ card keys would be returned. It would become suspicious if the one in charge of recovering them were to notice.

“Yes. That’s why, Sheltis-sama, please secretly hand me your card key when the meeting ends. I’ll pass through the gate with Sheltis-sama’s and my own card key. Like that, ‘you left the Governmental Sector according to the electronic surveillance system but are actually still in the Governmental Sector’ will become the situation.”

“Oh─, I get it. It’s something we can do because we have an insider like Yuragi-san. The procedure is simple but I don’t think the electronic surveillance system will discover it.“

“To tell the truth, this is something that Governmental Sector staff do. If it seems like one will be late to work or one wants to go back at a certain time no matter what, that person will entrust it to a friend.”

“After that is……a place to hide?”

Even if he stayed around in the Governmental Sector, there was a lapse of ten hours to the time of the operation. If he didn’t hide somewhere, it would be a pain if somebody found him.

“That’s right, I’ve concluded that you should be fine hiding in the men’s restroom. Hang up an ‘Out of Order‘ sign and hide inside, please.”

“……I have a bad feeling.”

In so saying, Yuragi made a mature smile and,

“This is also information. From my point of view, it would be easier if you were to hide in the women’s restroom.”

“Sheltis? The women’s restroom is the holy grounds of women. No matter the reason──“

“That’s no good, you know?”

“……I haven’t even said anything.”

Being glared at by {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} and Ymy, Sheltis sighed reluctantly.

“……I’ll wait patiently in the men’s restroom.”

“Then the plan is decided. After that is clothing. Until you reach your destination, you should be able to pass yourself off as ‘a colleague of Yuragi‘ so please choose something other than {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s formal wear. Do you have anything?”

When she asked that, he immediately thought of his usual black jacket.

“Umm, if it’s something that won’t be thought of as formal wear, then somewhat.”

“That will be fine. Please get changed while in the men’s restroom. I’ll hold onto your formal wear after you change.”

In other words, there were no preparations to be made beforehand.

It would be fine if he just waited until the end of tomorrow’s meeting.

“That’s all I have to say. Any questions?”

“Ah, just one. It’s not related to the mission but I felt like I had to ask.”

While looking around the living room.

“The Cadres Guard isn’t here but has this conversation already been relayed to her?”

“I will inform Ishtar-sama afterwards. She knows the contents of the mission but she has not been told that you are the one that shall be carrying it out. ……She should be waiting for me at the intersection outside this room.”

Audibility was not limited to this room. Her role was to divert anybody about to come close to the room.

“I see, then that’s all I had to ask.”

“Then I’ll be counting on you for tomorrow. That will be all for today.”

The female secretary closed her memo book.

With that as a signal, the Priestess in her vestments was the first to stand up.

“Umm……I don’t think I’ll get a chance other than now to say it, so I will.”

Her jade green eyes wavered with unease.

She gulped and then.

“Make sure you come back. Nobody will blame you even if you fail……so come back safely.”

“──Roger that.”

Replying with his outstretched right hand, Sheltis left the Priestess’ room.

He passed the door and entered the hallway. Walking straight down the hallway with a thin carpet, he finally came upon the intersection that led to other guest rooms.

“Ah, are you fiiinished?”

In the middle of the intersection, a female Guard stood still with a metal spear in hand.

Her strangely colored clothing that was bound with belts in various places made her silhouette that stood out against the light seem even thinner ── no, it looked sharpened.

“Yes, it’s fine if you return to the room now. The Priestess-sama is also waiting.”

“Is that sooo? Ah─ that’s great! It feels meritless to be standing guard in a hallway with thi─s few people. Ishtar was so unoccupied, she felt like she’d fall asleep.”

Faa, she yawned loudly.

……It looks like I can safely avoid making unnecessary conversation.

With just a small greeting, he tried to pass by her.

 

“The only one I had to send back was Monica-san.“

 

He should have just ignored her and continued on.

He should’ve known that in his head but his feet had stopped and he’d turned around before he even realized.

“I think that was about thirty minutes ago? Monica-san looked pretty serious asking, have you seen a member of my unit, Sheltis? Well, thanks to that, Ishtar also realized ‘Ah─, so that’s who Ymy-sama chose‘.”

“……So then,”

“I just told her the necessary part. There’s a special mission being given to him so he’s in the middle of a conversation in the Priestess’ room, is what I told her. Really, it was just the part that wouldn’t be a hindrance.”

A large smile.

There was just a tiny bit of thorniness to that expression.

“You covered for Monica and took on the job yourself. I didn’t say a〰ny such thing so don’t worry, okay? Monica-san wouldn’t be able to remain calm if I said that.”

“…………”

What she just smoothly told him was something that couldn’t be conceived without knowing that he was better than Monica at stealthy activities.

……As I thought, has she realized my identity?

“Shall I reveal the source of the trick? I’sa-chan said it.”

Ishtar moved one step closer.

“A dual swords user who’s as cheeky as he is strong. That there’s a guy who’s not so strong he makes you want to run away, he’s so strong that he makes you not want to lose. If I’sa-chan goes that far in saying it, you have enough ability to cover for Monica-san and take her place. It’s natural to think like that, isn’t it?”

……What I’sa said to her as the basis.

……So does that mean she hasn’t discovered my identity yet?

“But you’re really silent. Are you nervous? Or are you thinking about something?”

She smiled with a finger against her lips.

“Well, it’s fine whichever it is. Ishtar doesn’t mind after all─. Ishtar doesn’t have any interest in it. Not in any of the other Guards or the Priestess-sama.”

“────”

“See ya─, I’ll leave Monica-san up to you.”

Waving her hand with a cheery expression, she left in a manner that looked full of openings at first glance.

……Not a single thing has changed since four years ago.

 

“Well then, boy, why don’t you try asking by force?“

 

Not a single thing had changed since that time.

She still hadn’t become a Sennenshi and she still had no interest in the Priestesses. She didn’t hold any interest in whether the Elite Guards around her became Sennenshi or even if they were to retire.

“Are you thinking about something?“

“……No, let’s go.”

It happened at the same time {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} agreed. As Sheltis was about to take the first step, the silhouette of a person appeared from a corner of the intersection.

“……Sheltis.”

It was a girl with her eyes wide-open, her sakura-colored hair fluttering.

“Ah, hey, Monica──”

“Don’t speak.”

“……Eh.”

“It’s fine if you don’t say it. Just listen……I’ll even want to stop thinking about hitting you.”

Her slender shoulders shook a little at a time.

She bit down on the edge of her lip and also breathed deeply to remain calm ── that painfully conveyed it to him directly.

“I heard about your mission from Cadres Guard Ishtar. I don’t have the right to ask what kind of mission it is but…………truthfully, I’m against it. I think it’s a given that you’d be chosen based on ability. But you’re my……important……important……”

Gulp.

He clearly heard her gulp.

“Member of……my unit, and I won’t let you go on a mission I don’t even know the reason for, even if it’s an order from the Cadres Guard. ……Because that’s how it is, right? If I can’t even be informed of what the mission entails, it’s the same as saying that it’s dangerous.”

Her intuition was correct. That’s why Ishtar didn’t beat around with half-baked lies and had no choice but to tell the truth.

“No, it’s not like my opposition means anything. Anything a Cadet Guard like me says would just be overruled……”

A lifeless smile appeared on the unit leader’s face.

“So come back safely, regardless of whether the mission succeeds or fails. That’s all I wanted to say as the unit’s leader. The scolding will come after that.”

“……Don’t worry. I’ll return in the early morning.”

I don’t have any intention of being beaten by a mission or two like this.

To begin with, ‘Mikuva’s Crimson Eye‘ is just a means to an end. The goal is still to find the objective behind the Yuugenshu breeding water tank and to stop the person behind it, which is why we came as far as the Governmental Sector.

“Well then, let’s go back. Our paths are the same for a while anyway.”

“……Yeah.”

Pushing on Monica who had an awkward expression, Sheltis started to walk again.