Chapter 45 – 5.7 Ghost in the Closed Area
Afternoon after lunch break.
Having been called by the president, I officially skipped afternoon classes.
It’s not that I’m missing out because I want to hang out.
It was the president’s call, so I couldn’t help it.
All right
“Heh heh heh.”
Sitting in the chair of the loud chairman, the chairman smiles sinisterly like the head of an evil secret society.
Today, in the student council president’s office, there were only the president, me, and Shinoshino, the head of the bodyguard.
“Rejoice, Knives. Permission to enter Rune Tower has been lost.”
“Yes?! Already?! Is that really it!”
At the words of the chairman, I jumped up from my seat and shouted.
…… In fact, even before I entered the president’s office, I heard it with my mind and knew it.
Still, I deliberately made a fuss.
Because the president was expecting me to be surprised.
『Hehe. Knives is also surprised. It was worth the effort.”
The chairman also smiled happily, as if he liked my reaction. It was worth pretending to be surprised.
“President, what did you do? It’s only been three days since I brought up the story.”
It made a fuss, but the surprise itself was genuine.
Even though I thought the permit would go down, I didn’t know it would happen so quickly.
“It’s nothing. I just shuddered a bit in front of people I didn’t want to see.”
Chairman Mizuki raised his chin and spoke proudly.
You’re the kind of person you don’t like to look at. Are you referring to Chairman Mizuki’s father?
Mmm. That old man is pitiful too. She’s a huge daughter-in-law.
A daughter might cry if she knew she thought of her father this way.
“However, entering the Rune Tower is nominally a ‘tour of military facilities for academy students’. We have to be led by the military, so we can’t just go in and stir.”
“Hmm. It’s military…….”
I repeated the words of the chairman with a shudder.
Should I act with the military after all? I was expecting it.
Rune Tower is managed by the Japanese military, and public access is strictly prohibited.
The official name of the military department that manages the rune tower is the Japanese army, and the ranks are used as they are in the military, but in reality, it is more like a mercenary group certified by the state to fight monsters. Because the actual role of the military in Japan is the Self-Defense Forces.
Most graduates who complete Rune Academy without problems enter the military. There are only a few people who can get a job at the academy like her older sister or fall into a safe backyard like Sana.
An academy is a military academy for training soldiers in the first place, so it must be natural. The country pouring astronomical taxes on the welfare of rune holders can also be said to be a payment for military service.
Well, whatever.
“Chairman. Are there any high-ranking people among those leaders?”
If there’s something that bothers me about this job, it’s that ‘there are people in the military who know Knives Windsor’.
I don’t know how the military is doing after the disaster.
However, if you are a person who was active at the time, there is a high possibility that you will be in a high position by now.
In other words, it also meant that the higher the rank, the more likely it was someone who knew me.
“I do not know. I don’t know about that. First of all, it was talked about through a high-ranking person in the military, but it is unlikely that the person concerned will come out.”
“…… If you are a high-ranking person in the military, by any chance, who are you talking about…… ?”
“This is Major General Inazuma, one of the Three Generals that Knives also mentioned before. Oh, he said he’s now a major general, not a brigadier general. I think he got promoted.”
– Flinched.
Inazuma.
Just hearing that name made my back break in a cold sweat.
Because in a sense, he was the person I least wanted to meet.
…… No In the first place, there is no way a star will appear on the ‘student field trip’. At most, the lower end soldiers will come out. Inazuma is the student leader. It’s a joke that’s not even funny. Absolutely no way.
And even if we run into each other, there’s a chance that Knives 10 years ago wouldn’t recognize me as him because he was just a kid…….
…… I don’t think there’s any chance of that
“…… Knives? Is there something that bothers you?”
“No. Not at all.”
I replied with an impudent face.
My agitation would have gone unnoticed.
“Hmm. Then it’s fine.”
The president was not particularly suspicious either.
“The maximum number of people on the tour is 5 people. Up to 4 students because one has to have a teacher to lead. Besides Knives and Shino, what about the other two?”
“I think it would be better to go with a minimum number of people. Because it could be dangerous. Especially the president, please stay.”
In fact, it was a military trap to kill the president!
There is no law that such nonsensical developments do not exist at all.
Because it’s such a trash worldview.
Chairman, he does not come out of the futon as much as possible.
And the number of companions is minimal.
I don’t know what’s going on inside.
The greater the number of people to be protected, the greater the burden of contingency.
“I know. Then, the lead teacher, Knives, and Shino, let’s just go with three of us today.”
“Yes. But who is the lead teacher? … ?”
“Sino. Please call me.”
– Clap.
After hearing the president’s words, Shino opened the door and a familiar figure entered the room.
A half-British teacher who comes in with her blonde hair flashing.
It was my sister, Naiad Windsor.
“…… Sister?”
Of course I knew this too.
As a leading teacher, my older sister follows me.
I heard it through the chairman and Shinoshino’s mind, and also heard it from the person on the other side of the door.
“Nives. Are you going to a dangerous place? Why didn’t you tell your sister?”
“Because the story is unconfirmed. That’s what I just heard.”
“Still, you should have told your sister first before proceeding with the story.”
“Sorry.”
My sister said angrily.
That’s why I didn’t say
Beside me, Shinoshino was secretly smirking.
『Nives, no matter how much you are, if your family goes together, you won’t do anything shameless.』
Huh. Shinoshino. Who the hell is doing the shameless thing?
If you keep blaming me like that, I’ll do it because it’s unfair. Shameless.
And I’m a person who can do shameless things to my own sister.
I hope you don’t entangle me with the common sense of the world.
“Why is my older sister willing to follow me to such a dangerous place?”
“My younger brother is going to a dangerous place, but of course my sister has to follow me! As a protector!”
My head was spinning fast even during that pointless conversation.
It might just be a good opportunity.
If you raise your sister’s level, you’ll be able to increase your survival rate in case of an emergency.
No Isn’t that it?
If he clumsily became strong, there was a possibility that he would be killed for nothing in case of an emergency.
While thinking about what to do, I recalled a mindset I had heard from my sister before.
“Nives, I’m sorry. Just as an older sister is more important than life to her younger sister, her younger sister is more important than her life to her to a younger sister. I don’t think you can keep that promise.”
…… It was.
What is important to her is not her own life or chastity of her.
Most importantly, my brother. Next are the students. I am the last one
Even if she remains weak like this, her sister will step in when the need arises. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to raise the level even a little?
“Relax, Knives. If it becomes dangerous, my sister will protect Knives even if she throws herself.”
“…… Please don’t do that ‘Cause I’m surprisingly strong really.”
There was nothing but anxiety about going with my sister.
But now I can’t change players, right?
Anyway, today is the first day, and I really have to think that I’m just taking a field trip.
“Miss Naiad. Please take good care of ‘My Knives’.”
The chairman speaks word by word as if he were asking for it.
“Yes, of course. I will protect ‘my knives’.”
My sister also gives back to the president in the same way.
My older sister and Chairman Mizuki having a mysterious snowball fight.
…… It doesn’t look good for some reason.
『Whoops. You seem to get along well with Knives’ sister.”
『To put Knives in such a dangerous place! I knew Knives was hanging out with the chairman, but I never thought he was being used for something dangerous like this! Even if my opponent is the student council president, I will definitely protect Knives!”
The temperature difference between the minds heard was stark.
…… Sister. Please don’t fight with the president. Because I don’t want to turn the president into an enemy.
“Then, Chairman, I’ll be back.”
“Yes. Be careful Shino too.”
“Yes. Chairman.”
Shinoshino bluntly bowed her head.
You’re not going to die, so why are you holding so much weight?
I’m only going to tour today.
* * *
With my sister’s guidance, I pass through the staff-only area and enter the closed area.
I felt it last time too, but this town is still gloomy. It seems that even a ghost will appear.
“Nives. You know you shouldn’t come in here, right?”
“Yes. Know.”
『—』
“You can’t come in just because you’re curious. If you get caught then, no sister will not be able to protect you.”
“Because I know.”
I know better than my sister.
There is an elevator leading to the basement at the innermost part of the closed area, and if you take the elevator, you can enter the underground military facility. And in the center of the military facility is the entrance to the Rune Tower.
Structurally, military facilities were built around the entrance of the Rune Tower, and the ground above was covered with the Rune Academy.
『—』
I thought I would come back to Rune Tower someday, but I never thought it would come in the form of an ‘academy student tour’.
Was that already 10 years ago?
At the time of the Great Disaster, I had even entered the inside of the Rune Tower.
Of course, there were no elevators back then.
Not only the elevator, but most of the military and academy facilities were destroyed.
『──』
Monsters pushed out from inside the tower.
On the contrary, we pushed in while slaughter monsters from the outside to the inside.
Back then, every day was like a war. Although it was a real war.
I charged towards the monster with the mindset that I would just die fighting.
If Yuuki hadn’t been by his side of him, he would probably have died over 10 times.
『───』
Of course, I don’t miss those days.
I didn’t know what to do at the time, so I was able to fight like that.
Now that I have lived in this world for 10 years, I wouldn’t be able to do the same even if I was told to do it.
『──』
…… Ah!!
Noisy really!
Okay. Got it.
You can find out.
“Sister. Shinoshino. Wait a minute.”
“Knives?”
“What?”
“Shh.”
Noise had been playing in my head ever since.
I stopped and focused on my mind.
“…….”
A mind mixed with noise, as if it were coming from a radio out of tune.
Focus your mind and set your direction.
Narrow the range of mind runs in that direction.
Eliminate noise and amplify sound.
Interpret messages buried in noise.
OK…….
After interpreting the mind I heard, I felt goosebumps all over my body.
『… Help me……… Yuu… ──”
……………… What is this?
