Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 3===

{{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 11.

Just as he took one step into his room that was pretty much right at the back of the Cadet Guard residences,

“So slo─w! Where were you loitering around, Sheltis!”

“Shel-nii, you’re late.”

Eyriey glared at him with raised eyes and Yuto was sitting properly on the bed.

…………

…………Well, that’s what I expected.

“''Oh, this is unexpected: nobody’s here.''“

“……It looks like they were waiting here before though.”

The bed was ruffled and there were candy wrappers in the garbage can.

Eyriey had eaten the candy she brought along and Yuto had played around on the bed. He could easily imagine those two.

“It looks like they got tired of waiting and went home.”

“''But it looks like they left a message.''“

What {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} was talking about was an audio recording device left casually atop the desk. The small pencil-shaped device had a sound collection apparatus attached to the end. He hadn’t seen a device like it anywhere else in the tower so it was most likely an invention of Eyriey’s.

“''That flashing part is probably the replay button.''“

“This?”

There was a replay button on one end of the pencil-shaped device. He timidly pushed it,

 

“''Eyri-nee, this button?''“

“''Yup, yup. It’ll record if you talk while pressing that. Yuto, try saying something.''“

 

It was those two’s voices as expected.

“''Mm〰……What should Yuto say?''“

“''Sheltis, you’re so slo─w. We’ll come back tomorrow so make sure to keep some time open! ──I said it. So, Yuto, just say what you want to.''“

“''O─kay! Um, umm, Shel-nii, I’ll come again tomorrow─''“

“──So they say.”

“''Isn’t that fine since you’re already on break tomorrow anyway? Rather than that……''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}’ voice that had a suppressed laugh mixed into it quieted down a notch.

“''It looks like there’s one other message from someone.''“

Occupying about half of the work desk was a giant monitor and computer.

The terminal which was normally in power saving mode had its electric lamp flashing blue, showing that a message had arrived.

“……So this time’s by mail though I haven’t really used this terminal at all.”

“''They don’t really come to this terminal; that’s rare.''“

If it was for sending and receiving simple messages, their card-shaped badges had that function. It was the norm for Monica, the instructor, Leon and others to use the badge to contact him.

“I wonder who it is.”

“''I think it should be an administrative officer since they mailed you on this terminal. A Guard would probably use the badge to mail you.''“

“Well, yeah.”

Starting up the monitor, the message inbox was shown.

“……Huh? The sender’s information isn’t showing up. It can’t be viewed.”

“It’s not that it’s not being shown; it has an upper authority’s secret encryption applied. If it was a regular mail, then it could be inspected by the one in charge of computer processing at the General Affairs Bureau but this can’t be viewed by anybody except the recipient.”

It used an uncommon frequency. Putting aside administrative staff and Elite Guard-level Guards, it was something that a Cadet Guard would rarely ever have the chance to use.

“''Ohh, that’s interesting. Come on, open it quickly─''“

“I got it, okay, so wait a second.”

Calming down {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} who was hurrying him on, he inserted his ID into the encrypted document.

 

“''To Sheltis,''

''Good work today. Sorry I couldn’t attend the meeting. I also said a little about it when I interrupted your meeting earlier…………I’ve been thinking about Priestess training.''“

 

“……Ymy?”

“''She’s forgotten to put her name at either end of the mail but that’s who it would appear to be from the contents.''“

“''O-On top of that!''

''It’s about that which is residing in your body but……since then, I wonder if I’ve done my best in piling on training. If you have time tomorrow, could you come to floor 276 past noon?''

''Sorry for being so sudden.''

''I wanted to tell you in person but it looks like you were together with Monica-senpai for the entire day today.''

''……I want to try purifying that.''

''U-Um, just so you know. It’s okay if you can’t come!''

''It’s not like it absolutely has to be tomorrow……it’s just, the truth is……I can’t say that I have great confidence. It’s fine if you have something else to do and prioritize that.''

''But.''

''If you don’t have anything tomorrow…………                                    “''

The mail ended there.

There was no name for the sender……but there was no need to think about who it was now.

“She said floor 276.”

“''It’s Ymy’s private training floor. There are almost ten rooms matched to Ymy’s spells and a number of those can be used to purify mateki.''“

“……I see.”

The mail referring to mateki as ‘''that''‘ may have been for the one in ten thousand chance that somebody saw the contents.

……The mateki that came to reside in my body when I fell to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.

……If this mateki is purified, I wonder if my shinryoku will return.

“''Aren’t you making quite the complicated expression? Aren’t you happy about getting your mateki purified?''“

“I shouldn’t be unhappy.”

Whispering that as if talking to himself, Sheltis sat down on a corner of the bed. He laid down, stared up at the illuminated ceiling and took a deep breath.

“But if my mateki is purified and my shinryoku returns just like that, it feels like it’ll end with a ‘''That’s great, that’s great''‘.”

It was miraculous that he had returned from the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}} alive and even had mateki reside within him.

He had a feeling the passion for investigating the cause for that had finally died down and changed into “Well, you made it out so it’s all good”.

……But was that really okay?

If the mateki residing within him was the key to approaching the secret of the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}, wouldn’t the chance to come close to that secret be lost along with the disappearance of his mateki?

“……When we went to the Governmental Sector, that’s the feeling I had.”

The Yuugenshu being bred within a water tank. They had thought it was the work of the Governmental Sector, but it was then determined to be the work of a third organization that {{furigana|Golden|Maha}} and {{furigana|Blank|Igun-I}} belonged to.

……Moreover, there’s the Forbidden Crystal.

……The Governmental Sector’s treasure, Mikuva’s Crimson Eye, was also like that.

The Yuugenshu, the third organization and the Forbidden Crystal as well. ……And me. Everything is connected. Everything should have the ‘''{{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}''‘ as a common point.

“I feel like I’ve caught onto something. What is it……I can’t say it well but it feels like I’ve touched something extremely important. In regards to the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret.”

More than any Guard and more than any Priestess.

He was closing in on the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret: that’s what he felt.

“If I can investigate the {{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s secret like this, we might find a more effective method of combatting the Yuugenshu and mateki.”

It might also lessen the burden on Ymy as a Priestess. He might be able to become a source of strength for her in other areas as he aimed to become her guard.

“''…………''“

“Is it strange?”

“''……I just thought about how you can think like that.''“

There was a ten minute pause between her words ── {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} continued speaking with a tone like she was gazing into the distance.

“Aiming to become a Sennenshi is something you have a promise with Ymy for but there’s no difference in the goal between you and other Guards in the end……but what you just said might truly be something that only you can achieve.”

Being her guard was a given, but he’d found another way to become Ymy’s strength. But that was because he had mateki residing within him. If that was purified, he’d likely lose the opportunity to near the secret of the 
{{furigana|Garden of Corrupted Song|Eden}}.

“''It’s a new complication. But you’ll accept Ymy’s invitation for tomorrow, right?''“

“Yeah……I want to hear Ymy’s opinion as well.”

He couldn’t become a Sennenshi with mateki residing within his body. That was also part of the reason Ymy was so concerned about him.

……But she’s gonna attempt to purify it so suddenly tomorrow.

He was also thankful that it was early. However, he felt that the summons were rushed and suddenly having it tomorrow was also out of the blue.

“I wonder if something happened with Ymy.”

The hope that the mateki within his body could be purified had faded and become a form of worry for Ymy at some point.