episode_0046

The aide’s intention, and the intention of Number 13, who must have ordered her to do this, was unclear. What on earth were they thinking to propose such a thing? But the aide’s smiling face had a strange pressure that didn’t allow for questions, it also seemed unlikely she would answer even if asked, and most importantly, there was no disadvantage for Club. As a result, Club decided to accept the aide’s proposal for now.

Ringing… Ringing… A ringing sound came from the smartphone’s speaker. The smartphone was currently placed on the desk, switched to speakerphone. This was because the aide also had to hear the conversation. It was a natural thing.

[Yes, this is Rahye, Captain of the 7th Squad. I’ve taken the call.]

What she heard was the familiar voice of her Captain. There was no mistake about her tone or manner of speech. To be honest, she had thought it was some kind of joke to mock her. But it was real. The promise to connect her with Captain Rahye. More importantly, how did they get the Captain’s contact info…? No, no, now wasn’t the time to think about such things.

“…Excuse me, Captain Rahye. This is Club.”

As a result, in a very dubious atmosphere and situation, Club conveyed the current situation and its full details to Rahye.

* * *

Number 13 had made ‘a certain proposal’ to her the day before. It was to lend her strength to the villain organization Abyss, in other words, to act as a temporary ally… no, more like a mercenary. Naturally, Club didn’t want to accept it, and it was a request she would normally never agree to.

However, surprisingly, Club replied, ‘I’ll think about it.’ Lending her strength for villains was truly distasteful, but she couldn’t just die trapped in a place like this. She didn’t want to die. If she could prolong her life even a little this way, she had no choice but to comply. And most importantly, if she played her cards right while staying there, she might find a way to escape. Nevertheless, she withheld her answer because there was a possibility that the members of the 7th Squad might find her, who had been kidnapped, during that time. She would wait for rescue for now. If rescue didn’t come within a week… she would decide to escape on her own and accept his proposal.

…Certainly, that seemed to be the case. Although she felt inexplicably uneasy. She wasn’t sure why.

“…That’s the story, Captain Rahye.”

Club explained everything she had experienced until now (excluding, of course, her intimate encounters with 13), the current situation, and the proposal 13 had made to her. The aide was still sitting directly opposite Club, but she didn’t stop her from explaining. Was it because she judged it to be no problem? Captain Rahye on the other side of the smartphone remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating Club’s story. Then, she finally broke the silence and spoke.

[I’ve heard your story well, Club. First, I’d like to say it’s a relief that you are safe and unharmed.] [I was truly, truly very worried.]

Club felt her heart sink a little. She also felt ashamed. To be captured after disobeying orders and acting on her own, only to end up worrying her respected Captain. At the same time, she also felt a heartwarming surge of emotion at the fact that her Captain was worried about her. As Club was immersed in such complex emotions, Rahye’s words continued.

[My concern is genuine. Search operations by the 7th Squad are still ongoing.] [However, due to the Abyss’s meticulous maneuvers, we haven’t been able to find any traces. We plan to request external assistance as well, but it still seems difficult to rescue you quickly.]

Rahye spoke in a voice filled with genuine concern, but then gradually, her voice became more calm. The words, imbued with that calmness and composure, were those of Rahye, Captain of the 7th Squad.

[Club, please listen carefully to what I’m about to say. It might hurt, but please understand that there’s nothing we can do.]

Though she couldn’t be seen on the other side, Club nodded, saying, “Yes.”

[First, Club. The 7th Squad currently doesn’t have the capacity to focus on your search. We said we’d seek external help, but we don’t know if that will work out either.] [The 7th Squad is currently tracking a villain organization of note, different from Abyss. Not just the 7th Squad, but other hero units are also committed to that mission right now.]

Club also knew that fact. The topic had come up several times in meetings, and dispatch and investigation missions related to it had gradually increased. It seemed that the situation had suddenly escalated in the few days Club had been kidnapped and unconscious. In a situation where they had to prepare for all-out war immediately, they couldn’t allocate many personnel for a kidnapped hero… especially one who was merely a low-ranking hero.

[Originally, we had planned to put all our effort into searching for you, even if it meant disobeying orders.] [But after hearing your story, it seems fortunately there’s no immediate threat to your life or risk of torture. Is that right?]

“Yes,” Club replied. That’s right. Her words were true.

[Therefore, as Captain of the 7th Squad, I will consider the situation, make my judgment, and issue this order.] [Club, for now, accept the proposal offered to you.] [Work for them, and follow their commands and instructions.] [Until we put out this urgent fire and then search for and find you again, survive no matter what.] [As your Captain, I order you to do so.]

It was a solemn order. The Captain’s order. Club couldn’t refuse it, nor did she have any reason to refuse. Club responded without hesitation, “Understood.”

As if grateful for Club’s reply, a softer voice flowed from beyond the smartphone, and lastly, admonished Club once more.

[Thank you for your good answer, Club.] [As I’ve said, for a while, live there and follow their instructions.] [You might be subjected to somewhat embarrassing demands. You might hear commands you don’t want to hear. You might receive instructions that go against your will as a hero.] [But it’s a Captain’s order. Nevertheless, please make sure to follow it. Do not resist, do not rebel, and obey obediently.] [Your safe survival is the priority. This decision is for that purpose, so please heed it.] [You must not harm anyone there. Otherwise, you might face retaliation.] [I repeat, follow their orders.] [Especially listen to the commands of Villain 13. Accept his orders as if they were my own.] […That’s all. Please, let’s meet again in good health, Club.]

Club again replied, “Yes.” As a result, the call between Club and Captain Rahye concluded. Captain Rahye finally requested a conversation with the aide, and asked for regular contact to be informed about Club’s condition in the future. The aide readily accepted the proposal. That was the end of it. If the conversation continued for too long, information from the hero side might leak to Abyss, so it was desirable to end the call quickly. As the aide retrieved the smartphone from which the call had disconnected, she looked at Club again.

“Well, then, Miss Club. I’d like to hear your answer to our proposal once more.” “What do you say? Will you accept Number 13’s proposal from last night?”

The aide asked again. It was mischievous of her to ask again when she already knew the answer. In any case, the answer was decided. Even if it were anyone else, she wouldn’t refuse Captain Rahye’s order. And so, Club ended up accepting the proposal of the villain organization Abyss….

* * *

“…Is this enough, Number 13?”

And at that moment, somewhere else within the Abyss hideout. Dorothy was putting down a smartphone with an annoyed expression. Until a moment ago, this smartphone had been connected to Club’s smartphone.

“Wow, you really did a great job. What is it, Dorothy? Why are you so good at acting? Couldn’t you have gone into that field?”

“Don’t overreact. There was plenty of data to reference from the start. Anyone who isn’t utterly stupid could do it.”

For Number 13, who had personally witnessed Dorothy’s acting just moments ago, it was truly hard to agree. But since she said so herself, he had no choice but to accept it. The person Club had just been talking to was Dorothy, who had modulated her voice using a program, not Captain Rahye. They had received Captain Rahye’s voice data from Apple, and thanks to that, she could modulate it with a very sophisticated feel. Moreover, thanks to having learned from a considerable number of samples, she could reproduce Captain Rahye’s manner of speech, tone, and even personality quite realistically. From the start, they had planted prior brainwashing for Club to perceive the voice during this call as Rahye’s. There was no way Club would notice.

“I did apply hypnotic sound waves during the call, but the effect wasn’t as great as I expected. It’s not unusable, but if I want to use it in real combat, I’ll need to improve it…”

Dorothy quickly mumbled to herself like that and fell back into her research. Number 13 left Dorothy like that and quietly stepped outside. Because once Dorothy got like that, she wouldn’t hear anything said next to her.