Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 5 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 4===

Room number 301, [Lily]. <ref>[T/N: The kanji for this is 姫百合. It's literally "princess lily". For those of you more informed, the 百合 part is "yuri". And yes, that kanji combination is -that- yuri.]</ref>

It was a room that was separated from the Priestess’ room 700 by two corridors and a large hall. Different from the [Asterhythm] that was meant for guests, regular patrons could lodge here.

“Fumu, fumu, it looks like the layout for the 300 and 400 rooms is roughly the same. Our room as well as the General Affairs Bureau Chief’s room are of the same structure. This is convenient since we know our protégé’s room structure and can react to even the one in ten thousand occurrences.”

Gazing at the hotel’s pamphlet, Kagura folded her arms in satisfaction.

“Was this Monica’s idea?”

“I asked them to to accommodate it. I said I’d like for them to be in a room aligned with ours but it’s great that that was granted……Sheltis and Vaiel, come over here as well.”

Monica spread a rough sketch of the hotel atop the table. Using red and blue ink pens, eight room sections were cleanly divided by color.

“First, this 300 room is the General Affairs Bureau Chief’s room and this neighboring one to the left is our room 301. Following that is the private secretary’s room, Sheltis’ room, the clerks’ room and after that──”

“Rather the important part is that the escort and protégé’s rooms are mutually aligned, right?”

Vaiel was glaring at the rough sketch with a look like it was a pain.

“If there’s even a slight distrust on the side of either the escort or the protégé, there won’t be any contact between the two……well, I don’t think there’s anything.”

“Being careless is forbidden. By the way, Kagura, I’d like to confirm once again.”

Monica slowly took something out from her pocket.

“Yes. There were no listening devices. It’s fine to speak normally.”

“Understood.”

The thing that Monica was holding slipped from her hand.

Clack ── a transparent shard hit the top of the table. It looked like a crystal but the shape of its cracks suggested a different object.

“''Reinforced glass, I see. If I were to name something like it that’s familiar, it would be the {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s windows which are made of the same glass. It has a high value but it is also used in experimental apparatuses like water tanks or flasks.''“

Water tanks.

Sheltis looked at Monica’s face reflexively upon hearing the term that {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} used.

“Monica, is this”

“It’s a fragment of the water tank we found on that island; an answer finally came from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s analysis team last week.”

The group of three consisting of himself, Leon and Monica had gone to the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}. It was a fragment from the time they had found the Yuugenshu breeding water tank.

“And this is from the case where Sheltis and Kagura were attacked by the caster Maha.”

Monica pulled out another glass crystal. This was a fragment collected from the Yuugenshu water tank that [Golden] Maha had been protecting.

The two shards fell onto the center of the table. It was reflective almost like a mirror.

“According to the analysis team, the composition of these two is completely the same.”

“……I see.”

Sheltis exhaled while slightly biting together his molars.

The Yuugenshu water tank that was suspected to belong to the Governmental Sector and the Yuugenshu water tank that [Golden] Maha was protecting were the same. In the case that the Governmental Sector had set up the Yuugenshu water tank, there was also the possibility that Maha was an assassin of the Governmental Sector.

“……We should also be prepared to receive an attack on this island.”

“It’s fine, Kagura, because you figured out Maha’s techniques that time.”

Sheltis gave a slight nod to the girl with a machine helmet who looked up at him with unease.

“We’ll get through this time too. I’ll also do my best. Okay?”

“Th-that’s right!……I’ll also support you. With that, you understand, right, Vaiel; do the escort properly!”

“Haah? Why are you turning to me?”

“You are the most worrisome. Ah, hey, don’t look the other way and pay attention here!”

“……Ow, owowow! Damn you, don’t just twist people’s necks by force!”

Kagura and Vaiel started to quarrel.

Looking on with an astonished face, Monica sighed.

“……Jeez, there’s no tension at all. Even though we were in the middle of a discussion.”

She combed her forelocks with her hand. While doing that, she let her vision wander in space as though in thought……in the end, the one who spoke first was {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}.

“''Right, right. Speaking of which, how did it go? The relationship repairing you did with Ymy onboard the airship.''“

“W-wait, wait. We weren’t fighting or anything to begin with!?”

She smacked the top of the table in her assertion.

Though with that said, her face from her cheeks to her ears was a brilliant red color.

“A-anyway……we decided that we’d act as before in non-public places.”

“Is that so. I’m glad.”

Before coming here, he had talked with Ymy in advance. That she should treasure the time with Monica on this mission.

“But a mission is a mission and Ymy understands that as well so we’ll hold back──”

Just as she was about to stand from the chair.

The door that should have been locked opened and someone ran in.

“O〜kay. Everyone gather in the lobby, we’re going on a tour with everyone!”

“Come ooon, Monica-san, come quick! We’ll leave you behind if you’re slow?”

Ishtar stood in front of the door and beckoned.

“Yuragi-chan said she’d guide us. There are carts and food stalls and you can eat as much as you want? It’s fine, we can draw out money from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s finances!”

“……My……Our unit’s first mission is……an all-your-can-eat tour……”

“C-come now. The Elite Guard’s saying that, after all.”

For the time being, Sheltis comforted the unit captain that had been moved to tears.

.