Chương 55: Chapter 15 The First Safe Haven(Part 2)

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"If there were monsters in a safe zone, it wouldn't be a safe zone—it would just be lawless territory. There's no way that's the case."

"... Understood. Lieutenant, I'll accompany her. You have command of the rest."

"Roger."

Hyodo's POV The Special Forces Group was an officially recognized military unit distinct from Public Security. Its duties ranged from protecting dignitaries both domestically and overseas to counter-terrorism operations. We trained with live ammunition, conducted joint exercises with foreign special forces, and whether stationed abroad or within Japan, we rarely disclosed our existence—even to family. Not that it mattered in my case. My parents were already gone.

I walked through the unsettling grassland, watching the top of the girl's head ahead of me. The beautiful, otherworldly young girl moved without hesitation. Her steps were light. Almost as light as mine on payday. The smoke drifting from her kiseru lingered without dissipating. When the Gates first opened, several members of our unit entered them disguised as civilians. Afterward, we repeatedly assisted ordinary citizens while continuing our own explorations.

We had worked alongside Public Security before on anti-terror operations, so assisting civilians after obtaining our classes had worked out perfectly. It gave us priority access to the Gates. Naturally, to maintain our cover, we accepted payment like everyone else. After spending the entire night moving between Gates, we finally returned to base. Just as I was about to sleep, this mission arrived. Fatigue wasn't the issue. The briefing itself was.

"Hyodo, your mission is to protect First." My superior paused.

"Officially, that is. Unofficially, I want you to monitor her and assess her threat level. You're a magic-user now. Perhaps you'll notice something others won't." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Protection. For the most famous individual in the world. That part was simple enough. The monitoring and threat assessment were another matter. Since the Gates opened, individuals no longer needed media influence to sway public opinion.

Strength alone was enough. We had already encountered several people abusing that reality and handed them over to the police after putting them down.

"You mean the First from the streams? I'll follow orders, but considering she already has a class, I'm not sure how we're supposed to measure her threat level." I had acquired my class in the Adachi Gate and reached the fifth floor before switching to civilian support work to better understand my abilities. Magic-users were difficult to evaluate. I had spoken with people from other classes. All of them complained about the same thing. The explanations were absurdly vague.

So vague that it was questionable whether they qualified as explanations at all. Yet classes were undeniably powerful. Anyone who obtained one received tangible benefits. At the very least, she had an entire day's advantage over us.

"Treat threat assessment as secondary. Monitoring is the real objective."

"Do we have a reason?"

"Yes." My superior slid a file across the desk.

"This came from Public Security. Assume everything inside is accurate." I opened it. Accurate. Meaning the information had already been verified. Names, addresses, and personal details had been blacked out. Almost every line was censored. Public Security must have been struggling just to keep hold of her leash. Apparently, the target was quite a handful. Then one line caught my eye.

"No heartbeat?" I turned another page.

"Forty-three years old? Married?" I stopped.

"Married?! Sir, with all due respect, we're treating this as fact?" He nodded heavily. My headache intensified. As for the heartbeat issue, Public Security had interviewed hospital staff in detail. Her attending physician had refused to speak under medical confidentiality, but numerous testimonies and records of cardiac-arrest emergency calls had convinced intelligence analysts that the information was genuine.

"According to Public Security, she's cooperative. In fact, she's supposedly the complete opposite of her streaming persona." My superior rubbed his forehead.

"But sometimes people wonder if she's actually a different person."

"You mean dissociative identity disorder?"

"The doctor who examined her last reported no obvious abnormalities." He sighed.

"This is absurd, but some people higher up suspect possession. Or a mental takeover. One of our experts proposed it from a science-fiction perspective."

"And we're expected to act on that?" I wanted to line up both the expert and whoever believed him and shoot them. How exactly was one supposed to prove a person's identity of mind? This entire mission felt like political theater. Even my superior looked exhausted. Ever since the Gates appeared, none of us had gotten a proper break.

"Potential threats must be investigated. If you accompany her and nothing happens, excellent. If you discover malicious intent, we'll need contingency plans." He handed me another item.

"Understood. When does the mission begin?" He glanced at the clock. Then released a long, weary sigh.

"Twenty minutes from now. Meet at the Adachi Gate." He continued.

"Indoor combat equipment. Gather details on-site. Public Security personnel will be present. Team composition: two Gunners, one Scripter, plus others. There will also be one civilian accompanying the target." Then he hesitated.

"Do you smoke?"

"No." Without another word, he placed an entire carton of cigarettes on the desk. I had seen First smoking during her streams. Perhaps they were intended as a gift. Judging from her broadcasts, she was a heavy smoker. I doubted she'd refuse them.

"A present?"

"No." My superior shook his head.

"A trump card."

"A trump card?"

"If you think First is acting strangely, offer her a cigarette." I stared at him.

"That advice came from Ms. Tachibana. Apparently it worked once. Maybe it was coincidence, but she claims it's better than having nothing." A carton of cigarettes as a strategic asset. Wonderful. My headache grew worse. And honestly, how was I supposed to determine whether she was acting strangely? I'd never met her before. How could I know where normal ended and suspicious began?