Chapter Content:
Withdrawal of Punishment, Hero Rank Increase.
For Kamui, who had been demoted, this was undoubtedly a huge temptation. Besides, this was something Clara had taken from her in the first place, so taking it back was justified.
But if that was all there was to it, Blue Cavalier had no real need to come and discuss it with her. She could have just gone and reported it to the Association herself.
The reason she specifically went to the Association to get Kamui’s contact number and arrange this meeting to discuss it was…
“So, you’re not planning to report it to the Association?” Kamui asked in return.
“No, I… I just haven’t made up my mind yet. That’s why I came to ask you.”
Blue Cavalier’s gaze drifted toward the holly-filled greenbelt, and she touched her reddened nose from the cold. These guilty little gestures didn’t escape Kamui’s notice.
Comic authors trying to get out of a deadline by lying often had such subconscious reactions.
Although she saw through it, Kamui pressed further.
“Why hesitate? Because she saved you?”
“Right now, Miss Clara is indeed a hero. If we say nothing, no one will know about her past… But reporting her to the Association would mean stripping her of her right to continue being a hero.”
Blue Cavalier’s explanation didn’t convince Kamui, who retorted:
“But her Drive Unit was stolen.”
That shut down the argument Blue Cavalier had prepared.
This was an era where everyone dreamed of being a hero, but not everyone could become one.
“Yes, that’s true, but… if she hadn’t done that, she wouldn’t have had this opportunity either.”
Was it sympathy? Or had spending some time together fostered a sense of identification?
Kamui pondered Blue Cavalier’s thoughts, then teased:
“To think you’d say something so sentimental… Is it because you’ve turned into a little girl? Or is this actually your true nature?”
Blue Cavalier had no desire to discuss that topic further and simply said:
“‘The Rational Prince’… that’s what your fans call you, right? If you plan to report it, I won’t stop you. In fact, that’s partly why I came to you… But if you’re also inclined to wait and see, then I have a plan to test her.”
She pushed her glasses up with a serious expression, staring at Kamui’s face, waiting for an answer.
“Tell me about this plan first.”
“Let’s change locations. It’s a bit too cold here.”
“?”
Kamui furrowed her brow.
“You just got here. I’ve been waiting for you in a skirt for over half an hour. This topic isn’t suitable for discussion in a crowded place…”
Blue Cavalier, knowing she was in the wrong, suggested:
“…Sorry, buying clothes took longer than expected, and this outfit isn’t really suitable for walking around outside; I borrowed it. If you don’t mind, let’s discuss it in the car.”
“Ha, you have a car?”
The Xigema Series armored exoskeleton maintenance vehicle, the “Mobile Hangar,” was parked in a lot near the small park.
It was a behemoth that took up two parking spaces.
“This car is way too over the top!”
An independent hero couldn’t help but feel envious of such extravagant hero equipment.
Magic Girls from hero companies had jewelers to help tune their gems and craft auxiliary magic tools, but Kamui herself was the type to agonize over buying a new lipstick.
Therefore, sitting inside this high-tech maintenance vehicle, she felt somewhat awkward.
“And isn’t this even more conspicuous than you walking around outside?!”
Being afraid of being recognized, yet driving out this giant… that was putting the cart before the horse.
“As long as we stay inside the vehicle, sounds from outside won’t reach us, and no one will know who’s in the car. So, being conspicuous doesn’t really apply.”
Thus, at Blue Cavalier’s request, the Mobile Hangar left the parking lot and began cruising aimlessly through the city streets.
“Now then, let’s continue our previous topic.”
Blue Cavalier poured Kamui a cup of hot cocoa and sat opposite her.
“First, we need to figure out whether Miss Clara genuinely wants to be a hero, or if she’s affiliated with an evil organization and has ulterior motives.”
Kamui recalled the intel from the day of the mission. The initial tech thief they caught was…
“I remember it was Naitemel?”
“Correct. While they have no direct overlap with the Xigema Series, they are a large-scale criminal company on par with ‘The Fourth Calamity.'”
“The fact they dared to target World Tree Technology shows their capabilities. But if they obtained a cutting-edge Drive Unit, would they really allow an employee to just take it and go off to become a hero independently?”
Blue Cavalier lightly tapped her temple with her middle finger, frowning and shaking her head.
“I can’t imagine it, and I don’t believe it. Unless… after leaving the scene that day, Clara never returned to the company, instead using the Drive Unit’s power to hide her identity.”
Kamui recalled the circumstances of her first meeting with Clara…
To be precise, she had been picked up and taken home.
Clara indeed hadn’t gone out to work for quite a while, holed up in her cheap rental apartment drawing comics all day. If she had fled the company, that seemed to fit.
“Hmm, it’s not impossible… How do you plan to verify it?”
“That,” Blue Cavalier said, pushing her glasses up, the lenses flashing for a moment, “is the plan I’m about to explain.”
“Have her oppose Naitemel. You’ll observe her movements while working with her.”
Kamui countered, “Why don’t you go yourself?”
“I’m a hero affiliated with a company, currently primarily dealing with The Fourth Calamity. If I also set my sights on Naitemel, it could easily escalate into a conflict over ‘performance metrics’ between the two sides.”
“That variety show at the resort also left the Xigema Series badly weakened. I’m not in a position to act freely for now. You, however, are independent.”
“You have more freedom in this regard… Of course, I’ll act as your support, providing advice and assistance from behind the scenes.”
Kamui understood her meaning.
“So, just take her to stir up trouble with Naitemel, right?”
“No, that’s not enough.”
“Huh?”
Blue Cavalier’s refusal made Kamui, who didn’t quite get it, raise one eyebrow.
“That could just turn into Naitemel sending mutants to put on an act with her.”
There was indeed that possibility—having Naitemel help Clara rack up achievements, letting her quickly rise to A-rank or something… That would be truly infuriating.
“Then what should we do?” Kamui asked back.
Since Blue Cavalier had come to her, she must already have a plan.
“Take a look at this.”
Blue Cavalier placed her phone on the table and opened a certain app.
“That’s the one, right? The one the Association is heavily promoting… the Hero Network?”
“Correct. A special app only usable by heroes who have registered with their real names and are under the jurisdiction of the Hero Association… This is the beta version.”
Kamui frowned, remembering some unpleasant rumors.
“I’ve heard this network has hacking risks. That’s why everyone is reluctant to use it. After all, no one wants their identity exposed because of it.”
“Perhaps. But we of the Xigema Series have already registered. And as artificial beings with no real personal lives to worry about, we naturally don’t care much about leaks.”
“Through this, you can learn about criminal activities in the vicinity, and heroes can arrive at the scene immediately. Since the intelligence comes from the Association, the likelihood of Naitemel faking it is lower.”
Kamui grasped Blue Cavalier’s meaning.
“So, we see how Clara reacts to Naitemel?”
“Let me be clear, I have no intention of registering.”
“You don’t need to register. You just need to share your real-time location with me when you’re in contact with Clara…”
“So that’s what you mean by ‘support’?”
Kamui thought for a moment, then asked:
“If Clara really is trying to be a hero, you won’t report her then?”
“…Probably.”
Even now, she was still hesitating.
But Kamui felt the same.
Choosing between her own “career” and Clara’s “dream”… what a difficult decision.