Chapter 255: Reina’s Conviction
On the next day, after that huge battle to capture Shirou in Mihazono ruin, Akira and Carol once again ca to the residential district of the ruin together. Due to the battle between the multi-legged tank monsters guarding the ruin and the powered suits from the Kugamayama city defence squad, plus the fight between Hamrz and Olivia, the ruin was left filled with rubble and wreckage, the city district was in a very bad state.
In the middle of that utterly destroyed ruin, Carol was going around collecting data to create a map while Akira was there to escort her.
Akira looked around the surroundings with a rather surprised look on his face.
“It seems that they were going at it pretty hard, huh? This might even be worse than the last one, right?”
Since Carol was collecting data, she knew the extent of the damage to the area better than Akira. She had already expected that the damage to the ruin would be horrendous judging by how hard the two parties battled each other yesterday. Although she was discouraged after seeing such a battle from afar yesterday, today, she seed to be doing just fine.
“The damage is indeed worse than the last incident. I’ve done a bit of digging and it seems that the powered suits they were using yesterday are the sa kind as those used to guard Kuzusuhara ruin. That might be the reason why.”
“Do you think it has sothing to do with that guy from yesterday?”
“That might be the case, that’s all I can say.”
Both Carol and Akira were suspecting that yesterday’s incident had sothing to do with Shirou. That incident happened right after Shirou and Olivia left. So, it was only natural for Carol and Akira, who were also there when that happened, to suspect they had sothing to do with this incident. Carol then continued.
“Well, it has nothing to do with us anyway, right?”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Akira reaffird her. Both of them were saying that in hopes that it would really be the case. After all, both Akira and Carol did not want to get involved in any more trouble. Since they were there in the very location of the incident right now, it was enough of a reason for them to worry that others might think they had sothing to do with that incident. Especially when they were trying to investigate the source of that incident. So, in order to get their minds off the matter, they changed the subject of their conversation.
“But still, I thought that the ruin would be on high alert after a battle that serious, I wonder why that is not the case this ti?”
Akira’s question was completely understandable, but the answer to that question was a complete mystery for Carol as well, so she just gave an educated guess.
“I bet it has sothing to do with Seranthal. It seems that those powered suits were originally from the area around the Seranthal building, you know?”
Akira only threw a question without expecting a serious answer. However, Carol’s reply was quite a detailed answer, which caused him to be surprised. Akira’s expression indicated that he did not understand the aning of what exactly she was saying so he threw another question.
“Why does it have sothing to do with the Seranthal building?”
“Seranthal building is an important building in this ruin after all, and those powered suits ca from that place.”
Akira still did not seem to understand the aning of her answer. So, Carol reworded her answer to include an additional explanation.
The Seranthal building was treated as a relatively important building inside the Mihazono ruin. It was because there were branch offices of national-level governnt departnts and old-world corporations on the upper floors of the Seranthal building.
Moreover, after a city officer by the na of Yanagisawa made a deal with the caretaker AI of that building, they were allowed to borrow the first floor as well as the area around the Seranthal building. Judging from that fact, there was a good chance that Kugamayama city made so moves to make sure that yesterday’s incident would not spread too far.
After listening to her explain, Akira nodded in admiration.
“It’s pretty amazing that you even know about all that as well. Is it normal to know that much even though the incident just happened yesterday?”
“To be honest, it’s much more surprising for that you don’t know anything about it though. Don’t you have information sources ntioning sothing like that?”
“Not really.”
Toward Akira, who responded so casually, Carol found that weird.
“Is that so? Considering your Hunter Rank, to be honest, it would be completely understandable for information brokers to approach you… But you at least receive contract offers from all kinds of operator support, right? Don’t you get bits and pieces of information from their contract offers? Don’t they send so information in their offers, trying to show that they can give you information which are normally not out in the public?”
Akira replied apathetically as if he was trying to hide sothing.
“Oh, if it’s about that, I’ve basically refused all their offers.”
Of course. Carol imdiately noticed Akira’s reaction. But she misunderstood what Akira ant as she smiled and said.
“Ah, I get it. I bet you have refused their offer without even opening their ssages, right? It’s better if you make a habit of at least reading their offers first before refusing them, you know? But I sohow can understand. You just don’t want to bother yourself in doing sothing like that, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
In reality, it was not rare for both individual Hunters and a team of Hunters with a high enough rank to sign contracts with independent support organizations. Although information was very important to them, Hunters did not have the ti to check and hunt for information all the ti.
For high-ranking Hunters from Hunter gangs such as Drankam, they could receive information via those gangs. As for the new Hunters, they had no other choice but to collect money from low-difficulty level ruins and common requests. They had to be satisfied with the common information that anyone could get for free on the network.
But for high ranking Hunters who did not work in teams, sotis needed information. Information that was not easy to get, information that would effectively increase their earnings to match their high ranks. That was why many of them ford contracts with support organizations and ford connections with information brokers in order to create their own information network.
anwhile, those companies were contracted to those high-ranking Hunters could expect extra revenues. That was why those successful high-ranking Hunters were often approached by various companies early on. Judging from his ranking alone, Akira was one of those successful Hunters.
But Akira’s case was special. As expected, companies would at least do so investigations first before sending their offers. In the case of Akira, the investigation would not only uncover his slum origin, but it would also uncover all the incidents that Akira was involved in.
He was the supporter of a certain large gang in the slums and the number of people he had killed, who got in his way. During the big battle which destroyed Haurias and Ezont Family, he had killed nurous people. He also had a suspicious connection to a Kugamayama city officer. With such details, no honest business would send an offer to him.
Of course, there were so companies who still tried to make a contract with Akira even after all that he did. But they were blocked by the Hunter Office’s general communication line since he had an invitation setting ant for high-ranking Hunters. As for the offers that passed through that filter setting, Alpha basically was refusing them without even showing them to Akira.
Because of that, so tried to go through Inabe or Sheryl to contact Akira. But Inabe always ca up with so excuses and left everything to Sheryl.
And thus, Sheryl was basically the one receiving those offers. She did convey them to Akira. However, Akira would simply tell her to deal with them herself and there was no need to tell him about every incoming offer. Thus, Sheryl kept those offers on hold, saying that they did not satisfy all the requirents. She would leave them dangling while sapping profits for her own gang. Of course, she planned to inform Akira if she bumped into offers that would cause Akira trouble if she refused them.
Because of this, Akira’s information network was abnormally bad for a Hunter of his rank.
Carol lightly smiled and said to Akira.
“Well, getting into a contract ans binding yourself down. So, I think it’s completely fine not making any contract as long as you’re also okay with that. I an, you’re doing fine even without an information broker. Ah, by the way, you can ask anything, you know? Although normally it won’t be free, I will call it even since you’re escorting .”
“Is that so? Well, in that case…”
Akira thought that it would be a waste to let that chance slide and asked various questions, Carol answered all of his questions with her usual smile.
After they finished their job in the morning, Akira and Carol returned back to the camping car to have a al. As for the al, they bought the 100 thousand Aurum per portion luxurious filling al from the Hunter Office’s cafeteria. Hunters usually did not have a regular inco, but Akira who was working as Carol’s escort currently had a fixed regular inco. Thus, he was enjoying that chance to his heart’s content.
Seeing Akira slowly eating and enjoying the hearty al, Carol smiled and said with a slightly surprised face.
“But still, you really eat quite a lot.”
“Well, I’m at that age after all.”
As Akira casually replied and Carol once again checked his body.
“Hmm, compared to the first ti I t you, you’ve really grown taller, and your body complexion is also better. But still, it would’ve been easier for if your body isn’t the only thing that has grown up.”
Carol smiled when she said so. But Akira then smiled rather smugly and comnted.
“What are you talking about? I’m way stronger than before now, no? Not only my body, but I also only got myself better new equipnt on top of my pure physical strength. Back then, I couldn’t even use my guns without an augnted suit, but now, I can withstand the recoil to so extent. Well, although, it might be also thanks to the better recoil dampener of the guns that I’m using right now.”
Carol sighed and smiled wryly.
“Oh my, that does sound reassuring.”
Unlike Akira, who was still using his usual augnted suit, Carol had taken off her augnted suit and changed to a see-through dress. Until now, Carol had been paranoid to the point that she cannot seem to calm down unless in her augnted suit. It was thanks to the events that occurred yesterday that she was now able to relax in her casual dress.
Although Carol was grateful to him, as soone whose work involved seducing the opposite gender, seeing Akira not showing any interest in her even after she had dolled up and had given him the green light, she could not help but feel conflicted.
Akira, who was oblivious to Carol’s feelings, innocently continued enjoying his al. With his body that was gradually turning super-human without him knowing, it was demanding more food and nutrition. Although the energy use of a super-human body was extrely effective compared to a normal human, it was not like it could run on zero energy. If he returned to his usual diet with worse quantity and quality, although it would not kill him, it would affect the health of his body. So, to further improve his physique, Akira was replenishing himself through food and drinks.
After all, even super-humans could not live only by eating mist, that was if it was only mist.
—*—*—*—
After Shiori told Reina everything, Reina seed to be deep in thought. In front of her, Shiori just stood in silence as if she was waiting for her verdict.
Reina had her hand on her face as she was wearing a conflicted expression. She was throwing glances at Shiori from ti to ti. Every ti she glanced at Shiori, Shiori would react by looking even more and more worried.
Reina then sighed.
“Shiori. After a lot of thinking, I don’t feel like I’ll find my decision anyti soon, so I’ll try to find my answer slowly. First of all, discuss such matters with first next ti.”
Shiori raised her eyebrows.
“Milady, are you sure you’re okay with that?”
Shiori did not expect Reina to give her a second chance. She had resolved herself and was certain that Reina would leave her. Watching how Shiori was trying to hold back her emotion to no avail, only ending up displaying blooming joy on her face, Reina smiled wryly and said to her.
“Well, if you ask if it’s okay or not, then the answer is no, it’s not okay. If you ask if I’m angry or not, I am angry. But you’re doing everything for my sake. Even if I question why you would go so far and the only thing that could co to mind is that you did it because I’m just that weak… So, I have no desire to pin the bla onto you.”
“Milady. That is not correct. It’s all my own decision, so there’s no need for Milady-”
As Shiori was trying to tell Reina to just bla her. However, Reina suddenly cut her off mid-sentence.
“The bla is mine, I decide that it is mine to take, that’s why the bla lies on .”
Parents could not bla the children for their mistakes. But superiors were ant to take the bla if their subordinates made mistakes. No longer allowing Shiori to continue acting as her parent, protecting her daughter, Reina was trying her best, albeit imperfect, to act as Shiori’s master. As such, Reina was trying to take the bla in this situation.
“Although I might be as useless as a re decoration right now, even so, I will at least try my best. It will start with taking over responsibility. So, let’s give our best from here and on. Shiori, I’ll be in your care.”
“…! Of course, Milady!”
Reina’s smile that showed her growth made Shiori’s reply filled with enthusiasm.
Kanae watched that scene unfold with a foxy smile. Reina noticed that and awkwardly blushed. She inadvertently raised her voice to hide her embarrassnt as she said.
“Alright, that’s the end of this discussion… So then, the next problem would be, what should we do from here on out?”
Reina once again made a difficult expression. She was looking at the white card squeezed between her middle and index fingers. It was originally left by Olivia for Akira, and Olivia was assuming that Shiori got it by tricking Akira. After listening to Shiori’s explanation, even Reina also thought that it was not a fair deal.
Alice had said that she left the matter with Olivia to them for the ti being, and due to Shiori’s mistake, they were not able to leave a good impression on Olivia. Therefore, this was the current position they had to start at.
There was also the option to go to Akira and make another deal but fairly this ti, where both sides understood the worth of the card. However, after Reina understood the situation they were facing. That option had too many worrying factors.
[…If he knew that we basically tricked him into giving us this card, that would definitely cause trouble. But in the first place, now that it has co to this, it’s rather suspicious whether Akira had initially already known the worth of this card when he first received it.]
To use the card to contact Olivia, they would need a thod to connect to the old-world domain. So, the question would then shift to if Olivia had really given that card to soone that could not use it, or she did that exactly because she knew Akira could use the card. If it was the latter, it would open up two possibilities. Either Akira, as a high-ranking Hunter, had a device to help him connect to the old-world domain, or he was soone that did not need such a device right from the start. Either way, it ant there was a chance that Akira was an old-world connector.
[Does Akira really not know the worth of this card? Or is it that he was only pretending not to know to hide that he’s an old-world connector? It’s completely possible that he was just playing ignorant and intentionally accepted Shiori’s deal. He might have known that he was being tricked but accepted it since he prioritized hiding his real identity… What should we do? Forget asking him… if he notices that we’re suspecting him, it might be bad, really, really bad for us.]
Reina then rembered that Shiori once gave her a lecture about the importance of information. So secrets might be guessed without knowing anything and might actually be safer when it was known. With knowledge, their way of interpreting an event could change. She felt like Akira was emphasizing that he did part with the card under a fair deal. At that ti, she thought that it was because of how Akira was. He was very hard-headed when it ca to certain subjects.
[What if Akira did that since he was worried that if he said sothing wrong, then that card might co back to him again? If that’s really the case, we have the option of admitting that we tricked him into giving us the card. So, we can then return him the card. This might actually be a good option for us.]
Reina kept humming while thinking of her options there.
“Seriously… what should we do now…”
Reina kept muttering that line without making a decision. But even so, she did not resort to asking Shiori. Relying upon and taking advantage of soone’s kindness were two different things. She told herself that asking Shiori ant allowing herself to be spoiled again by Shiori’s kindness.
It was sothing that she had been doing up until now. She did not make her own decision and allowed Shiori to decide for her. Thus, when Shiori made a suggestion, Reina mostly just nodded and agreed with anything that Shiori said. If that decision might cause a dangerous situation where soone might get killed, it was indeed easier to just let soone else make that decision. It was easier to make soone else the leader, the caretaker, to make that decision. As the master, if it was the correct decision, she could just praise her, and if it was not, she could scold her.
If she did that now, Reina knew that Shiori would simply smile and allow her to continue doing what she has been doing. That was why, the one who needed to control her from falling back to her old ways, was Reina herself. Since she had decided to act as Shiori and Kanae’s master, she had to decide. A decision that was made with reason. One that both of them can accept. This was her first step to show her resolve, as well as to term her pride as their master into reality.
Shiori simply stood next to Reina without saying anything. She understood that Reina’s mumbling was not ant as a plea for help. More than that, Shiori herself did not have a good solution. But whatever Reina decided on, as her servant, Shiori, was planning to obey her decision.
But of course, that did not an she would just obey without saying anything.
“Alright then. Since we can’t decide ourselves, let’s go et Akira and discuss it with him.”
“M-Milady?!”
Of course, Shiori understood what Reina was thinking, that was exactly why she did not expect Reina would decide to et Akira.
Kanae was also surprised by that decision and interjected.
“Ahh, Milady, let at least tell you this. Akira-boy is way stronger than before, even if both Ane-san and I were to take him on at the sa ti, we can’t say for sure that we would win. So, if it breaks into a fight, it would be very dangerous.”
“Is that so? Well, in that case, let’s do our best to run away. I’m counting on the both of you.”
Seeing Reina reply so casually like that, Kanae was dumbfounded, which was a rare thing for her.
“W-well, it’s my job after all. So, I will do my job to the best of my ability, but, Milady, are you really sure?”
Reina gave a light smile.
“Oh? And here I thought you always want to fight Akira seriously. Wouldn’t it be better for you if I fail my negotiation with him?”
“That might indeed be the case but that’s already a thing of the past.”
Seeing Kanae lightly denying it, Reina smiled wryly and said.
“Oh, as I thought, that is now the case, huh?”
Kanae twitched back as if she just realized that she had slipped up, but she then laughed and admitted it.
“Yep, it was really the case before! It’s fine, isn’t it?! And it was in the past too! But now, I’m being serious here, so Milady does not need to be concerned about that. So, now that you know, please don’t fail your negotiation, okay?”
“I’ll do my best, but it’s just to be safe, okay?”
“Yeah yeah.”
Although Kanae lightly said so, it was her serious reply.
“Shiori, so that’s it. I’ll be counting on you.”
“O-of course”
Having made their decision, they then set to et up with Akira. Just like Shiori, who seed to be rather anxious, Reina, who was next to her was frowning from anxiety.
Death was an occupational hazard for Hunters. Thus, the dangerous upcoming negotiation with Akira was just like any other Hunter job. Reina told herself so as she made her resolve.
—*—*—*—
Akira was waiting next to the camping car for Reina’s group to arrive. After he finished his al, Akira received a call from Reina saying that there was sothing she wanted to discuss with him.
During that call, Reina offered to et up at Steriana, but since Akria’s current job was to escort Carol, he refused. Carol, who was next to Akira at that ti, heard that and said that it was okay to prioritize his business, so Akira agreed to et up with Reina. But as expected, it was not like he could go to Steriana while he was in the middle of protecting Carol. Thus, he added the condition that Reina would co to et him instead.
Reina’s group accepted his condition. Although Akira did not an it in such a manner, asking other Hunters to et up in the middle of the wasteland also ant that it would be a dangerous discussion. It ant that in case it ended up in a fight, it was to be expected that there would be death.
Akira was the one who asked to change the eting place from Steriana to the wasteland, and even emphasized that part. With that in mind, Reina’s group accepted his suggestion and went to et him.
Reina’s group arrived on ti. Akira looked at them with a rather confused expression when they arrived. Reina sohow looked anxious. If that was only that, he would not have cared that much. But even Kanae, who was always smiling, had a serious expression plastered on her face. Similarly, although she did not show animosity, Shiori also wore a grim expression while eluding a high-tense ready-to-fight attitude toward him.
“Uhh, Reina, let ask you this? You’re here just to talk, right?”
Reina smiled and replied.
“Yes. Ahh, if it’s about Shiori and Kanae, don’t worry about them. They’re rather high-strung because of what happened yesterday. Like, you know, yesterday we didn’t even notice soone was stalking us before you told us, right? Shiori and Kanae are my bodyguards, so it’s like their pride was hurt because of that. Well, if you say that they’re a bit overprotective, yeah, I can’t really deny that, but that is what it is.”
“Ohh, I see. Got it.”
Akira said so and nodded, but Alpha quickly interjected.
“Akira, just to let you know, she’s hiding a lot of things.”
“Is that so? Well, even if they’re like that because of sothing else, I’m sure they have their own reasons to be that tense…”
Akira lightly frowned. Reina noticed that slight change in Akira’s expression. It made her guess why his expression had changed so, she continued to smile and elaborated.
“Well, it doesn’t change the fact they’re on the edge, so let apologize for that. But it’s not like they have any animosity against you or wish to fight you. Just one more thing though, if you don’t believe , then we’ll just leave, you’re okay with that, right?”
“Alpha.”
“…At least she’s not lying from my point of view.”
With those words, Akira’s worry was erased. Personally speaking, Akira could not care less about the situation that they were facing. The only thing that he cared about was whether they held any hostility toward him. And since Alpha gave her word, he thought that there should be no issues. Thus, Akira looked at Reina and lightly nodded.
“It’s fine. I don’t know what you want to talk about, but if you have no wish to fight , then I can at least hear out what you want to say.”
“Thank you.”
Reina smiled and continued. Initially, they were at a loss about where to settle down and begin their discussion, but they ended up deciding to continue the discussion from where they currently were. It was mainly because Akira noticed that for so reason, Carol did not want to let Reina’s group into the camping car.
So as not to let them continue the long discussion while standing, Shiori and Kanae quickly prepared a table with so chairs. It did not even take 30 seconds for them to set it up. They even placed a tablecloth on top of the portable table with so drinks.
Akira looked at that with an interest. Once they finished, he took a seat and directly faced Reina. Shiori and Kanae stood beside Reina while Carol stood behind Akira since she refused to sit on the chair that was offered to her.
With the place ready, Reina pulled himself together and started to talk with a solemn expression. She took out the white card and slid it to Akira.
“It’s basically about this card.”
Akira knitted his eyebrows.
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