Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 5 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 2===

{{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, Floor 287.

There were only fours rooms arranged on this floor that lay two thousand metres above the surface. All of them were the private rooms of the Priestesses that protected the  {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}}’s barrier.

In one of those Priestess’ room.

“Ahh, this is bad, I might not make it, might not make it……I might not make it in time!?”

A girl in pure white vestments yelled out while holding a luggage bag with both hands.

Ymy Ele Soufflenictole ─── with off-gold hair and jade green eyes, her countenance had a lovely charm to it.

At seventeen years old, she was one of only five Priestesses in the world.

“Aauuu……there’s no time!”

“Come ooon, Ymy? Don’t yell out like that and panic. A Priestess must always keep herself under control no matter when, okay──?”

With a teacup in one hand steaming slightly, Meimel was standing there looking elegant by herself.

Her senior Priestess who was rank two out of the five Priestesses. Her long, slender and well-proportioned body and her beautiful mature looks created a splendid harmony with her dress-style vestments.

“Honestly, what a rushed child. It would’ve fine if you’d done your preparations yesterday.”

Meimel sighed.

“……Who was the one that popped in when I was preparing and made a big fuss all night long?”

“That’s becauuuse, the cute Ymy is going away to the Governmental Sector. It’s a farewell party, a farewell party, I say. Oh my, this cookie is delicious.”

“Are you listening to me!?”

“Come now, that’s why I’m telling you to calm down.”

Mu──. Even though Ymy glared at Meimel, she didn’t move.

While remaining sitting on the seat, she stretched out her long legs and repositioned herself so her knees were touching. Her outer appearance made her seem like a mature woman of refinement, but her interior was a tease, so she was trouble.

“Umm, I’m sure it was five nights and six days……with the assembly taking up four of those days? It’s sad that we won’t be able to meet for almost a week. ……Ahh, it’s saddening to think of this as a parting with Ymy.”

The senior Priestess wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

“Could you not say things that sound so profound!?”

“Don’t tell me……within the food served at the Governmental Sector……”

“Poison? Don’t tell me there’s poison?”

“The food served at the Governmental Sector is too delicious……and an image of Ymy eating too much resulting in stomach pains ends with her being transported to the hospital while crying comes to mind.”

“What are those terrible circumstances!?”

“Eh? But that’s how it’s always been when I left the tower?”

“……No, that’s far enough.”

……Let’s just ignore Meimel and prepare instead.

Looking at the time, it was already nine on the dot. Her guard partner would come to meet her at a quarter past nine and they’d go to the airport within the tower together; such was the plan.

And so.

“…………Ymy, is this fine?”

The black-haired Priestess who had been working by herself in silence turned around.

Syun-rei ─── a slender girl of small build whose face still contained childish properties. In contrast with her reserved manner of speech and atmosphere, she was talented and had become a Priestess at the youngest age in history.

“…………I’m finished folding the clothes.”

Folded clothes laid stacked in rows upon the sofa Syun-rei pointed at. Changes of vestments and personal-use casual clothes as well as nightclothes were present.

“Wah, Syun-rei, thank you. You really saved me! Totally different from a certain someone who’s only been a bother!”

“Oh my, I’m sorry about that. Even I’m thinking over various things.”

Meimel shrugged in what seemed like a purposeful action. Or so she thought, but Meimel then reached down to pick up the paper bag at her feet.

“Fuufuufu, Ymy. Have a look at this; I’ve also prepared a proper farewell gift.”

Rustle. She was in the middle of pulling something out of the paper bag.

“Eh. R-really? There’s……no need to make such a fuss.”

“No, no, this is for the cute Ymy. Look, this is it!”

She took out a one-piece nightgown.

“Now, take this and go. It’s a special order made to fit your figure!”

“Waaa, what a splendidly pink negligee! The chest area is open and it’s completely bare past the thighs, and to add onto that, it’s completely see-through, which makes it really mature!”

With a glance at the surprising lack of cloth on that thing, Ymy cheered without thinking.

“Right? For a Priestess to wear such a thing would be heart-pounding!”

“Yes! Heart-pound……wait, don’t joke arouuuuuuund!”

She threw the luggage bag she was carrying at her senior Priestess with all her might.

“Ouch! Jeez, what is it?”

“That’s my line!”

“Was it not to your liking?”

“Before talking about my likes, what is that……that indecent design!”

“There’s no need to worry on that point──. With your voluptuous body, it will definitely suit you. I guarantee it.”

“Whether it suits me or not isn’t the point…………”

Saying so, Ymy suddenly clammed up at that point.

After she contemplated while staring up at space for a little while.

“That’s right. Meimel went to the trouble of preparing it, so I’ll take it with me.”

“Waaa! Ymy has finally joined the fellowship of adults!”

Eyes sparkling, Meimel set it aside with a cheer.

“…………Is that fine?”

“I’m just bringing it; I’ll wear my regular nightclothes over there so it’s fine.”

Ymy closed one eye in response to Syun-rei’s whisper. Rather than pointlessly making a fuss here and wasting energy, it was simpler to store away one’s weapon like this.

“Ah, that’s right. Hey, hey, Ymy, about that negligee just now〰”

And maybe she knew that, but Meimel put her hand on Ymy’s shoulder.

“Eh. Ah, yes. What is it?”

“That negligee just now’s fabric is thin, but it’s made with synthetic fibers so it’s strong. Something like a small knife won’t pass through it.”

“……Eh?”

“Fireproof, waterproof, heat-resistant, cold-resistant, wind-resistant, UV-resistant, and I also applied a shinryoku seal, so it will also more or less defend against a Yuugenshu’s mateki. It’s fine if you think of it as a scaled-down version of a Priestess’ vestments. It’ll help you be more at ease than your regular nightclothes, right?”

“…………This is?”

Lowering her gaze silently, Ymy opened her bag and peeked inside.

Shoved into the bag forcibly ─── the negligee that wasn’t folded and had become crumpled.

“I said it was a special order. I hurried to put in an order the day it was decided you’d go to the Governmental Sector and it just barely made it in time this morning.”

The senior Priestess informed her with a happy smile on her face, like a child who was reporting a test with full marks to his or her parents.

“……For my sake.”

“Of course, it’s for the sake of my cute junior.”

Even though Meimel had said it was a shinryoku seal, this wasn’t a simple job.

The spell to apply shinryoku to an object was extremely time-consuming. Even for Meimel, she still had her training as a Priestess so she must have stayed up late into the night when everyone else was asleep for many days.

“…………”

Gazing fixedly at the negligee upon her hand───

“……That’s unfair. If you say such things, there’s no way I can reject it.”

“Yes, that’s the cute thing I love about you.”

“That’s really playing dirty.”

In front of Meimel who was looking on while nodding, she neatly folded the now-crumpled negligee and put it back in her bag.

“Ymy, try to keep this at heart? We have no idea if the place you’re about to go is dangerous or not.”

“……The Governmental Sector?”

The unmanned research facility discovered at at the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}} under the Governmental Sector’s jurisdiction, as well as the cultivation facility underneath that. At any rate, the goal involved was uncanny, a complete mystery. It was unknown what she would see heading off to the dominion of the Governmental Sector who were the apparent ringleader.

……No.

……Bringing that goal to light is the Priestess’ job this time.

She was going to a land she hadn’t seen before with the general resolve to face danger.

“No, '''not that'''. '''A separate danger from the Governmental Sector'''.”

“Eh?”

“……At any rate, just think about keeping yourself safe, okay? A Priestess must realize the importance of her life more than anyone else.”

Filled with dignity and pride, Meimel’s voice resounded deeply.

───Ring───

From the door came the bell indicating the presence of a visitor.

“Oh my, it seems they’ve come just now to meet you. Ishtar ─── the Cadres Guard who’s famous even within the tower.”

“Is she that famous?”

Luckily or unluckily, she still hadn’t experienced a mission involving Elite Guards.

“She’s famous──. My partner invites her to train a lot.” <ref>[T/N: "Partner" is written with the kanji for "Ran".]</ref>

“…………Leon said it as well. That’s she’s strong.”

Meimel and Syun-rei spoke and nodded unanimously.

The Cadres Guard was, so to speak, the Guard closest to the Sennenshi. If her skill was enough to mention the current Sennenshi, just how extraordinary was her strength?

“……I wonder what kind of person she is.”

“You’ll know as soon as you open that door.”

Meimel gracefully smiled as usual.

“I’ll be going.”

Putting strength into her shoulders, she hefted up the bag which made a weighted sound.

……Monica-senpai will be going along.

……Also……Sheltis will protect me.

Her senior from her days as an apprentice Priestess and her childhood friend whom she’d been separated from for so long. She could be with those two once again. They had been separated for a few years……and she could meet them once again.

The heavy pressure from heading to an unknown land was eased a little just from thinking about that.

“Have a safe trip. I’ll be looking forward to souvenirs.”

“…………Take care.”

Waving at her two fellow Priestesses with a smile, Ymy passed through the room’s door.