Chapter 55

A heartwarming scene of daily life.

"Ah, I had a good sweat!"

"…Shōko-sama, you sound like an old man?"

"Wh-what?"

"Your face and voice, they're both a bit off, you know?"

"Shut up. No one's looking, so I can make any face I want."

"But if you let your guard down thinking no one's looking… that can happen, you know?"

Complacency is the enemy. This is a phrase every daughter of a samurai family learns from the time they can understand things.

"That's true. Hmm. Maybe I got a bit carried away?"

Of course, after training with Keita, Shōko, who had used the shower in the garage and felt refreshed, was in high spirits. This was a familiar phrase to her.

"Yes, well, that's true."

(To be honest, it wasn't just a bit.)

Shōko calmed down thanks to the advice from her friend and attendant, Emi Sakaizumi.

Unlike some young master, she doesn't become overtly displeased when someone says something harsh to her.

Face? Voice? I don't know this kid.

"So, how was the mock battle this time?"

Emi, judging that Shōko had regained her composure, decided to address the cause of her high spirits.

She also thought that if she didn't, the conversation wouldn't progress, but that's another story.

"It was better than expected!"

When asked by Emi, Shōko responded with a broad smile.

"First, I was able to decisively defeat the one using the Kusanagi model! Then, understanding the differences between the mass-produced and prototype models was a big gain! And, of course, the biggest harvest was the urban combat against the enhanced exoskeleton! I think we should introduce that enhanced exoskeleton in our unit!"

"Your spirits are high. Is it that good?"

"Of course it is!"

"Huh, huh."

Emi understood that Shōko had gained more than she had expected from the mock battle, which she had watched on the monitor, but at the same time, she wondered why Shōko's spirits were so high.

(Ah, could it be… love?)

Although there was some conflict during their first meeting, the relationship between Shōko and Keita Kawanami is not bad at all. In fact, it's no exaggeration to say that Shōko is the person closest to Keita within the military academy, and this is widely known throughout the school.

Given their close relationship, the next step is naturally a romantic one.

(Up until now, he was just a civilian, so he wasn't a potential romantic interest. But now he's a proper knight and holds the rank of Shōroku, so the Igozawa family would certainly approve of a relationship.)

The Igozawa family holds the rank of Shōshii, which was earned through the efforts of their ancestors. Therefore, Keita, who has independently achieved the rank of Shōroku and is expected to continue to achieve military accomplishments, is more than qualified as a romantic partner.

(Shōko-sama is a girl of marriageable age, so even if she doesn't refuse a marriage arranged by her family, she would surely prefer someone she has found herself over someone she has never met.)

At least, Emi herself thinks so, and she believed Shōko felt the same way.

However, her prediction was off. Because at this point, Shōko does not have romantic feelings for Keita.

"Because each piece of information is important. The last battle caused significant damage to the Sixth Division, so I hope this can contribute to its reconstruction in some way…"

"Oh, that's what you mean."

"There's nothing else, is there?"

The family comes first. Shōko, as a daughter of a samurai family, was naturally pleased with what she had gained from the mock battle. Emi, who had been speculating about romantic feelings, could only chuckle at her own premature assumptions.

"Besides, it was free this time!"

"That's right."

Indeed, this mock battle was free because it was ordered by Shizuka and was also a fruitful training session for Keita and Saikō Heavy Industries.

However, Shōko's parents have told her that she can spend as much as she needs to gather information about him, and she is confident that she has gained more than enough value, even in the millions.

But it's better not to spend the budget if possible. Moreover, this time, she not only didn't lose but also secured a victory against Keita.

There's no reason to be in a bad mood when you get information and experience for free.

"Well, I should go home and review the information and write a report!"

Just as Shōko was about to leave in a good mood, things didn't go as smoothly as she hoped.

"Ah, about that…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"…A friend is waiting for you."

"A friend?"

"Hey."

There's no such person. As Shōko muttered this, Emi, with an indescribable look on her face, pointed to the entrance of the garage, where a female student was waving her hand.

"Ah, it's you."

After confirming the identity of the female student, Shōko sighed and gave a light greeting.

The female student's name is Hashimoto Natsuki, a classmate of Shōko's, known for her tall stature and silver hair.

"Emi, she's not a friend. Just a classmate."

"That's cold."

"It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, but… Aren't you unusually cold today?"

"I'm tired."

"Sorry about that."

"…If you think it's sorry, why don't you leave?"

"That's not possible, and you know it, right?"

"I don't know."

At least, there's no reason for Shōko to have to exchange information with her. If she had to give a reason, it would be the unwritten rule that "we shouldn't worsen the relationship between factions," but that's a minor issue that can be resolved by mutual non-interference. The reason to spread the information she has is weak.

"Money, then, is meaningless."

"That's right."

Shōko is trying to save money, but she's not in financial trouble.

It's true that the Sixth Division needs a budget for reconstruction, but the same applies to the Fifth Division, to which Natsuki belongs.

"We don't have the information you want."

"That's true."

The information the Fifth Division has, mainly combat records from expeditions, is shared among all divisions, so its value is low.

Of course, there are many things that can't be known unless you're on the ground, but the Sixth Division, which is allocated to national defense, has no plans for expeditions. Therefore, even if the Sixth Division obtained the information currently held by the Fifth Division, it would have no practical use.

It's not entirely useless, but its value is low. At least, it can't compare to the information Shōko currently has.

"Well… What should I do?"

Natsuki pretended to think. Her expression and tone were calm, but inside, she was shouting, "Come on, be a bit more cooperative!"

The information Natsuki wants is, of course, everything about Keita.

It's not just Shōko who wants information about Keita. However, Mutoe Sayo, who is currently on hold due to the suspension of the Third Division's reconstruction, and Tago Nana, who belongs to the Eighth Division and was also affected by the last major offensive, are busy with their own affairs. They have their own ways of obtaining information through Shōko, so there's no urgent need to contact her.

The Seventh and Ninth Divisions, which have not participated in combat so far, are busy preparing to send reinforcements for the next major offensive. Of course, they would prefer to have information about Keita, but they are currently prioritizing data on the performance of mass-produced models and large monsters.

The remaining divisions are the First, Fourth, and Fifth. The First Division already has Keita and their teacher, Shizuka, so there's no need to do anything special. The Fourth Division is on an expedition and has too many priorities.

The Fifth Division is also on an expedition and is extremely busy, but they have a reason not to ignore Keita.

It's because Keita has established a connection with the Far Eastern Russian Grand Duchy.

The Mosts, a prominent family in the Tohoku region, have been trading with Far Eastern Russia, but the Fifth Division, which oversees Hokkaido, and the local companies that support it, have the strongest ties to Far Eastern Russia.

Keita, who has been knighted, has a complex relationship with the Fifth Division, which has been highly regarded by Far Eastern Russia despite their long-standing relationship.

Therefore, it is only natural that the Fifth Division is more enthusiastic about obtaining information about Keita than other divisions.

---

By the way, there are no noble families in Hokkaido that have existed since the Kamakura or Muromachi periods. However, in the Grand Duchy, which practices aristocratic politics, there is a strong tendency to value authority and history. Therefore, they use the names of families like the Mosts, which have been rooted in the Tohoku region for a long time, to conduct business, and they can't complain about the Mosts using their prestige to conduct business.

---

Putting aside the relationship between the Mosts and the Fifth Division.

Moreover, the Fifth Division is not only interested in Keita but also in the performance of the enhanced exoskeletons produced by Saikō Heavy Industries, which were used in urban combat and contributed to Keita's knighthood.

This is because, from the perspective of the Fifth Division, which has experienced many urban battles during its expeditions, the enhanced exoskeletons are more practical than the coffin cannons or Yatsumi models, which are not suitable for urban combat.

However, with the existing enhanced exoskeletons, only a few experts could fight medium-sized monsters. Therefore, their full-scale introduction was held back. But this time, the existence of a new enhanced exoskeleton designed to fight medium-sized monsters from the start has come to light.

Moreover, its performance has been proven by Keita's results in Far Eastern Russia, where he defeated more than ten medium-sized monsters and hundreds of small ones.

Of course, they want it.

This new weapon is something the Fifth Division, which is currently struggling due to the lack of weapons suitable for urban combat, cannot ignore. Therefore, they are trying to obtain information about Keita and the enhanced exoskeleton through Natsuki.

The priority is the enhanced exoskeleton > Keita, but since the person who has both pieces of information is close by, it is natural for Natsuki, who has been assigned to gather information, to contact Shōko.

Whether Shōko will respond to this is another matter.

(Hmm, I don't really need any information from the Fifth Division. The easiest thing to do would be to say, 'Why don't you ask him directly?' and send her away…)

If she said that, Shōko would lose her position as an intermediary, and Natsuki would likely tell Keita, "Shōko said to ask you directly."

(It's not a problem in itself. It's the truth. …Yeah, it's fine. The problem is what happens after that. If this girl offends him, I might be disliked too, since I sent her to him. That would be a problem!)

When Shōko imagined Natsuki contacting Keita without her knowledge, she felt a vague sense of unease, but she managed to separate it as work.

However, because it's work, she would be troubled if her evaluation were to drop in a situation unrelated to her.

(Hmm, what should I do?)

Of course, Shōko has no intention of blaming Natsuki if she contacts Keita on her own.

However, Shōko is confident that Natsuki won't take such a step.

Why? It's not because Natsuki is considerate of Shōko and Keita's relationship.

Simply put, Natsuki and the people behind her in the Fifth Division understand that the information they want cannot be obtained by directly contacting Keita.

Specifically, military personnel have been convinced that Keita is a unique individual since they heard about the operation of the hybrid model, and they have come to terms with the fact that the information obtained from Keita is not useful for ordinary people.

To put it more simply, they want the information that ordinary people can understand after it has been filtered through Shōko or Shizuka, not the raw information that only Keita can provide.

Because of this, Shōko is not questioning her advantage, and Natsuki understands that she must yield to Shōko.

(Information, information. Even if there are conflicts between divisions, we are in the same national defense force, and as students, we are in a position less affected by factions. Even if there's no good information now, it might not always be the case. Then…)

"A favor, then."

"…I see."

For Natsuki, this is like being asked for a blank check, but it's also true that she has nothing to offer now. Moreover, since it's a favor between students, it won't be excessive.

Therefore, Natsuki's answer to Shōko's request is only one.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Good. Then, could you send me a summary of what kind of information you want later?"

"…Alright."

While agreeing to the deal, Natsuki, who understood the length and thickness of the nail Shōko had driven in, couldn't help but frown.

"Hmm."

(Oh, Shōko-sama has really grown.)

However, the thoughts of Emi Sakaizumi, Shōko's friend and attendant, who couldn't help but say this out loud after seeing the exchange, did not reach Shōko, who looked somewhat satisfied.

[Bad News] Keita-kun was treated as a freak by military personnel [Remaining Stock]

That's why the evaluation of Igozawa, who holds information about Keita, is high.

Thank you for reading.