{Chapter 6} The Night Before the Battle
Part I
Hiroto, Mizuho, and Marion were going over the framework of their plan for the next time they were attacked.
“Will the enemy be here during our next move?”
Marion then, made tea for everyone again and sat down at the table. And as Mizuho sipped from her teacup, she answered calmly.
“If this is the pattern we’ve seen so far, they will definitely come. And the enemy won’t have much time, either.”
“…… Yes, that’s true. But what were the enemies thinking until now?”
Marion had a serious expression as she wrapped her hands around her teacup.
“As Mizuho-san said, the enemy assassins should not have that much time. General Mathew’s speech at the UN is less than a week away. It would not be surprising if they attacked this hotel, and not just when he was on the move. And we’ve been talking about this for a while now, but the way we’re fighting makes me question the seriousness of this. ……”
Mizuho and Hiroto think again about the inexplicable movements of the enemy pointed out by Marion.
“It’s like a …… safety-first approach to fighting. I’m not sure why they’re taking so long with the deadline for the assassination looming. At first, I thought they were being cautious when they found out we had been sent. But to think that they were this good and that there were more than a single ability users just like us, ……”
Hiroto also thought that was odd from the moment he heard from the two of them.
He put his hand on his chin and considered a few possibilities.
“It could mean that they are …… waiting for something.”
Mizuho and Marion frowned at Hiroto’s statement.
“What do you mean by that? Domori Hiroto.”
“Well, I don’t know, but from what the two of you have said, that sounds like a way of fighting to stall for time. Maybe this idea is mostly correct. That narrows it down to a couple of reasons why this formidable foe would do it, while not having much time to spare.”
“Maybe……, is that it? Hiroto-san.”
“Yes, the first point is a tactical reason. The second point is, of course, a non-tactical reason. And the third point, which is the least likely, is …….”
“Explain your idea in detail, Domori Hiroto.”
Mizuho was curious to hear Hiroto’s thoughts. When they first met, she would not have even considered consulting a Rank D, Hiroto’s words. But now, she felt firsthand that this boy’s judgment of the situation was beyond her own. And for some reason, she could listen to this boy’s words honestly.
Marion, who had been with Mizuho for a while now, was surprised by Mizuho’s attitude.
Marion knew that Mizuho would only accept someone if she approved of them. And yet, she seemed to rely on this boy who had just arrived today and whose name she didn’t even remember.
What was more surprising to Marion was that Mizuho’s attitude towards him made her feel impatient, but at the same time satisfied and happy that he had been accepted,…….
So, Marion stared at Hiroto again.
“Umm, the first point is that they have a surefire way to kill the target, and they are prepared for it or have the situation set up. I think it’s normal to assume this in this situation.”
Mizuho and Marion nodded and listened silently as if to urge him to continue.
“The second point is separate from tactics. Isn’t it possible that the problem is related to the content of this request?”
Mizuho and Marion tilted their heads. They couldn’t really imagine the circumstances of what Hiroto was saying.
“What would that be, for example? Hiroto-san.”
“Umm. The other party is a freelancer ability user, right? In other words, I think they are like mercenaries. Those people usually have disputes about the request fee. Well, to put it simply, most of them get into trouble with the client because they want to raise the fee. In the case of this request, although they accepted the request, two people with Rank A abilities were assigned to escort the target. They might say, this is not what we heard, this is different. If you want to continue the request, you have to raise the fee. ……”
“I see. That sounds reasonable to me.”
“Of course, you need to be a very well-known mercenary or have a skill that everyone recognizes to be able to get the job done, but this time, completion time is limited. It’s also very likely that the hired help will look at the client’s feet and renegotiate. Because it would be tough to hire other assassins with high capabilities now.”
Mizuho folded her arms with a mixture of dismay and annoyance at what Hiroto said.
“Well ……, those are some of the ability users. It’s a long way to go for the agency’s goal of being recognized by the public.”
“About that~, well, I think this is not limited to ability users.”
“Well, Hiroto-san. What’s the third point?”
“Yeah, well, I think this is one of the less likely ones, but ……. But if the ability users who received the request are not motivated, to begin with…”
“Eh?”
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Well, it happens sometimes, you know. To be frank, the hired person is not interested in the client’s feelings. Mercenaries vary from the faithful to the money-obsessed to those who have other goals. It’s unlikely, but in the case of this enemy, if they came here because their goals and requests seemed to match, they would disappear on the spot if their goals could be achieved without a request. At any rate, let’s give it a try.”
Mizuho and Marion looked at each other with an indescribably bitter expression.
If it’s true then they would look like fools for taking it seriously.
“But let’s pay attention to the first point this time. Because this is the most realistic point that we need to pay attention to. Things might get dangerous for us if we don’t pay attention to it. Of course, I’ll work as hard as I can. So, leave it to me to do what I can, Shitenji-san and Marion-san.”
Hiroto smiled at Mizuho and Marion and said with enthusiasm.
“Awawa!”
“Auu!”
The two of them stretched their backs as they were taken by surprise by Hiroto’s smile.
They both felt as if something came into their minds for a moment. So suddenly, their heartbeats jumped.
“Hey, ……? What’s wrong? Both of you have red faces again ……”
“It’s nothing!”
“I-It’s nothing!”
Hiroto had a feeling that something like this had happened earlier, but with the two of them being so spirited, he decided not to mention it any further.
(This kind of thing happens to Matsuri-chan too ……. In these situations, if I try to get too deep into the matter, they usually get mad at me. Girls are kind of complicated, I guess.)
After that, Mizuho suggested that Hiroto and the others give each other their opinions on anything they noticed, even if it was something trivial, and they nodded at each other.
After a while, the three of them were confirming the details of the strategy for the next battle, when there was a knock on the door of the room where Hiroto and his colleagues were.
Mizuho replied , “Come in,” and the door opened, revealing a stately figure in a high-ranking military uniform standing there, with Teintan, the captain of the convoy who had just escorted Hiroto, standing behind him.
“General Mathew!”
Mizuho stood up at the appearance of her client, and Hiroto and Marion followed suit.
“Ah, don’t mind me. Just make yourself comfortable. Sorry that the meeting took so long. I heard that a new escort has arrived from the agency, so I came to say hello.”
“That, I was the one who asked for you. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Mizuho responded politely, and Marion bowed, and Hiroto also followed hurriedly. Normally, she doesn’t show this kind of pretense, but Mizuho is very much like a young lady from a great family.
“No, I am the one who forced the agency to send an escort. I think it’s only fair to visit first. And you? You are the new escort, I assume?”
Mathew smiled at Hiroto. And as he speaks to Hiroto, his brown face wrinkled under the sun. Mathew was said to be in his mid-fifties, but in reality, he looked much younger, and his expression gave the impression of an experienced scholar.
“Ah, yes. My name is Domori Hiroto. I will do my best to escort you, so I look forward to working with you.”
“Such a young boy like you is ……. I was surprised when they came, but it seems that there are many talented young people in the agency. I look forward to working with you from here as well.”
Saying that Mathew put his hand out in front of him and Hiroto hurriedly held it and shook his hand.
Although he has the appearance of a scholar, he still has the rugged hands of a soldier, and Hiroto can sense from Mathew the unique atmosphere of a person who has gone through many hard times.
“Let’s talk for a while. Just for a little while is fine, right?”
Mathew looked back at Teintan, who looked at his watch and nodded lightly.
Everyone took their seats, with only Teintan standing still behind Mathew.
–Part I end–
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Thanks for the fast chapter man I wish their would of been a picture of when they both got flustered 😂
Thanks for the chapter!!!