episode_0298

Knock, knock. The sound of knocking came just then.

『Leader Rahe-nim. Olivia-nim is here.』

Coco’s voice.

When Rahe answered, “Come in,” the door of the captain’s office opened, and a tall woman with shiny blonde hair entered.

A confident face and expression.

And her every gesture shows confidence.

“Oh my, Leader Rahe. Is something wrong? You don’t look so good.”

“…It’s nothing. It’s not something Olivia-nim needs to worry about.”

“Is that so? I heard that the headquarters has been busy since this morning because of the 7th Unit.”

Rahe’s willow-like eyebrows twitched.

Is this a provocation?

If it were another topic, Rahe would accept it with a humble and rational attitude, but at this time, already engulfed in anxiety, she wasn’t confident she could hold back, no matter who it was, if they mentioned her subordinates.

She could only hope the other person wouldn’t step on a landmine.

***

Olivia dragged Rahe in, saying she had something to say, and they ended up sitting facing each other on the sofas in the captain’s office.

Sensing the conversation would be long, Coco quickly brewed coffee.

Rahe thought that the aroma and caffeine of the coffee seemed to give her a little more energy after staying up all night and being exhausted, and sighed.

‘I wish this woman would leave quickly.’

Even though she said she had something important to say, the conversation turned out to be a series of meaningless questions and answers.

Rahe tried to fulfill her duty as captain and answered sincerely, but as the conversation continued, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

Right now, her subordinates are missing.

Their life or death is unknown, their whereabouts are unknown, and she doesn’t even know the details of what happened.

In such a situation, it’s impossible not to be anxious when trying to continue a conversation unrelated to her subordinates.

—I should cut off the conversation soon.

She’ll say she’s a little busy right now, so if they have any questions or things to say, they can set another time or day to talk again.

She’ll answer with all her heart then.

Rahe was about to say that, and parted her lovely lips.

“I heard that your subordinate heroes have gone missing during their mission?”

Olivia said, cutting off Rahe’s words.

“…Who told you that?”

“Hmm~ People at headquarters told me. Well, I am an auditor, after all?”

Don’t make me laugh.

There’s no way they would so easily divulge internal organizational matters to someone from an external organization.

Moreover, it’s still morning.

It’s suspicious in many ways, considering the time and everything else, to say she went to headquarters and then came to the 7th Unit.

‘Could it be…’

A slightly bad thought came to mind.

A bad imagination.

Could this woman be involved in this incident…could that be it?

Maybe she has some connection with the higher-ups, or a spy planted…

‘No, no, don’t jump to conclusions.’

‘The other person is also a hero.’

A hero who protects the property, safety, and peace of ordinary people.

Of course, that doesn’t mean heroes are completely clean.

But she didn’t want to think they would lay a hand on a fellow hero.

But that didn’t mean she completely closed off that line of thought either.

Rahe had seen many outlandish people in her hero life.

Above all, those who are Awakened, including herself, are all people with a screw loose somewhere.

So Rahe didn’t abandon the ‘possibility’ that came to her mind, but kept her expression as calm as possible and listened to Olivia’s story.

But even Rahe’s mask cracked with Olivia’s next words.

“I’ve heard a rumor, Leader Rahe.”

“That the 7th Unit is colluding with a certain villain organization.”

“That you, as the leader, are selling important information of the Hero Association and even your subordinates for your own benefit.”

“Do you, by any chance, have any idea——”

Clang!

The coffee cup in Rahe’s hand fell noisily on the table.

But miraculously, the coffee that was half-filled inside hardly spilled.

Rahe, cutting off Olivia’s words with the violently placed coffee cup, glared at the hero from Europe with eyes that seemed to burn fiercely.

“What are you talking about…!”

Along with the growling words, an oppressive force spread that made her skin tingle.

But even in the face of that oppressive force, Olivia calmly tilted her own coffee cup to her mouth.

“What do you take people for? That a leader would sell her precious children to villains for personal gain?”

“Do you think that makes sense?!”

“I have no way of knowing where or how you heard such rumors. I don’t care either.”

“But, if you continue to mock and insult my reputation like this, I won’t stand still.”

Rahe spoke from within the oppressive force.

Olivia looked at her as if trying to gauge her.

It was a bit unexpected for Olivia.

It was the first time she had seen Rahe so agitated.

In the first place, she had a tendency to react sensitively to unjust matters.

However, that was just a mental illness or obsession caused by the stars, which everyone with Awakening possesses.

So, if ‘injustice’ wasn’t the topic, she thought she wouldn’t be able to break Rahe’s mask.

But to get so angry about her subordinates’ affairs.

‘No, is it because a leader who abandons her subordinates…is also an unjust thing?’

Either way, it’s a pleasant miscalculation.

She had discovered a valid weakness to stab Rahe with.

And she confirmed once again that her 『Scenario』 was not wrong.

‘Now, then.’

Should she apologize for this insult, or should she continue to provoke her?

In the former case, she would have leeway to observe the situation a bit more and observe Rahe further.

In the latter case, she would drive a wedge into Rahe as it is, and use the materials she has now to push Rahe to the edge of the cliff.

‘It seems like the foreshadowing for the 『Scenario』 I set up is sufficient.’

‘Shall I go straight to the highlight?’

In terms of a story, it’s between the ‘development’ and ‘twist’ of introduction, development, twist, and conclusion.

A scenario heading towards a conclusion where she pushes Rahe off a cliff, and then thoroughly slams her into the muddy ground…

Olivia judged it was time to proceed with that scenario and was about to open her mouth to provoke Rahe further.

But at that moment.

—Knock knock.

As if to cut through the tense atmosphere between the two, a cheerful knock echoed.

『Leader Rahe-nim. This is Aria. I came because I have an urgent message to deliver.』

Unlike the content of her words, a languid voice is heard from beyond the door.

“…? Aria, please come later.”

『It’s an urgent matter, so I think I need to deliver it right now. Please, Leader-nim.』

What could it be?

Leader Rahe lightly excused herself to Olivia and let Aria in.

Aria, who came inside, looked at Olivia with sleepy eyes, saluted, and then handed Rahe a note.

Rahe unfolded the note, and her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the contents.

“This is…!”

Rahe looked at Aria as if seeking some supplementary words, but Aria simply said, “Then I’ll be going,” saluted, and left coolly.

After sending Aria away, Rahe folded the note again and put it back in her pocket.

“…Excuse me, Olivia-nim.”

Again, Rahe faced Olivia as before.

However, the oppressive force she had been emitting just moments before was well-managed.

Her face also looked the same as before, wearing a mask again, or perhaps even more lively than before.

“What was written on that note?”

“It’s nothing much. It’s not a story worth telling to a busy auditor. You wouldn’t possibly mean to pry into and sanction even personal matters, would you?”

“…….”

“Rather, let’s continue the story from earlier. First of all, about that rumor——”

***

“…Damn it.”

Back in the limousine returning to the hotel.

Olivia is leaning against the window, uttering vulgar curses that don’t suit her.

Just a little more, just a little more would have done it.

If so, she could have poked at Rahe’s weakness and driven a wedge into her 『Scenario』.

But after that hero named Aria appeared and received some note from her…Rahe regained her original composure.

That shouldn’t have happened.

Olivia had prepared so many scenarios to provoke Rahe.

But in the end, Rahe didn’t budge at all to the various provocative words that followed and calmly brushed them off.

In the end, Olivia couldn’t drive a wedge or anything and had no choice but to cut off the conversation and come out.

This shouldn’t have happened.

According to Olivia’s scenario, it shouldn’t have been like this.

She was supposed to provoke her anger, make a mistake, and use the scenario that realized that mistake into her 【Real Story】 to expand and spread it.

Once that happened, the rest was supposed to proceed on its own like rolling a snowball without having to touch it anymore.

But, in the end, she failed.

With just one note, Rahe shook off even the coercive power of 【Real Story】 and regained her composure.

—I can’t fail.

‘Th, that’s right…’

‘It’s not…a failure!’

‘Not yet…not yet…there are plenty of scenarios left.’

It’s okay. This is not a failure.

This matter is also clearly within the acceptable margin of error. It will be.

So it’s not a failure. It’s okay.

There are still plenty of scenarios prepared to shake Rahe.

So, so….

—I don’t do…failures…!!

***

[Leader Rahe-nim. The burden is too great, so I can’t tell you all the details of the prophecy.]

[But I will convey the fact that Spade and Club members are safe.]

[Also, the woman in front of you is a dangerous person.]

[Please be careful not to get involved.]

Reaffirming the contents of the note Aria gave her, Rahe let out a sigh of relief.

Aria is said to have collapsed bleeding from both nostrils as soon as she left the captain’s office a while ago as a reaction to the information she conveyed to Rahe with her 【Prophecy】 ability.

Fortunately, she didn’t lose consciousness, but if she were to pry further into the contents, she would receive an even greater burden on her body.

【Prophecy】 is a convenient power, but the burden is great.

She will have to give up hoping to hear anything more from Aria.

Anyway, she knows that the two missing subordinates are safe…now she can only wait for some better news.