第１２０２堀：異常なしですという異常 (Part2)
"Honestly, you’re a lifesaver."
"Well, now that we’ve settled that, I’m heading to the surveillance room. I need to talk to Yuki about the schedule for the Great Sea of Trees."
"Alright, let’s go then."
With that, I hooked my arm through Yuki’s and we stepped out into the hallway. To any onlooker, we probably looked like a younger sister clinging to her older brother. Honestly? I’m perfectly fine with that.
"So, what’s the consultation regarding the Great Sea of Trees schedule?"
"It’s about the timing. I’ve seen how well Wazfi and the others have shaped up during the exchange meet. We’ve already got them preparing. Setting aside the matter of Hivia, if it’s just our own preparations, we can head out for the survey in three days."
"I see. So, the original one-month timeline has been moved up?"
"Exactly. I suppose that’s the caliber of single-rankers from the Lancer Magic Academy for you—or perhaps I should be praising Deryu and the others for being such excellent instructors? Regardless, I’ve judged that those two are ready. Comet agrees with me on this."
It’s true; we haven’t exactly been idling away our time. Between running drone sorties to map out the best routes and streamlining the criteria for whether Wazfi and Nilua could handle the survey, things have moved quickly. Though, to be fair, the credit really goes to Wazfi and the others for their diligent training.
"And then there’s the issue of Hivia. Do we wait a bit longer for more information to surface, or do we incorporate a search for traces into our original plan? Oh, for the record, the preliminary drone reconnaissance didn't turn up anything suspicious."
"I see. Well, I suppose it wouldn't be that easy. By the way, what about the dangerous wildlife?"
"About that—there are some fairly strong monsters, but compared to Weed, it’s a walk in the park. Still, we can’t afford to let our guard down. So, what’s the call?"
I weighed the options: wait for a change in Hivia, or stick to the original plan and head out for exploration?
"We depart in three days. I don't expect any sudden developments regarding Hivia. If anything comes up, we’ll be notified."
"Understood. Oh, looks like we’ve arrived at the surveillance room."
We reached the chamber where Hivia was being monitored. I pushed the door open.
"Yoo-hoo."
"Good work."
"Pardon the intrusion."
"Coming in!"
As we each offered our greetings, we stepped inside...
"You’re back. Good work, Agil. And good work to you too, Yuki and the others."
Souta, who currently held the highest authority in this surveillance room, offered the reply.
"Souta-san, how are things?"
"Any movement regarding Hivia?"
"No, nothing at all. I’d say she’s quite stable."
"I agree. If she were to become unstable just because we weren't around, it would imply a significant lack of emotional regulation. If there’s absolutely no sign of that, I don’t believe we’ll face any major issues regardless of what happens in the future."
Hmm. As I suspected, both of them share the same assessment. It’s a relief to see it matches the reports. As I thought this, I turned my gaze to the monitor, where Hivia was, as usual, reading a book and furiously scribbling down notes. Comet was right beside her, going about her work as if it were any other day.
I wondered, what were Fiora and Noriko thinking as they watched the footage?
"Fiora, Noriko. That girl with Comet is Hivia," I introduced.
They had already received briefings from Stasia and likely knew what she looked like, but I wanted to see how they would react to seeing her in real-time. If they were going to be intimidated here, it wouldn't be good for Hivia or Fiora, so I figured it would be best to avoid contact. It was entirely possible that while Noriko could handle it, Hivia might not be able to.
"Noriko, as I thought..."
"Yes. I believe the probability is quite high."
Though both of them remained calm while looking at Hivia, they whispered to each other, seemingly confirming a suspicion...
"If I may be so bold as to speak honestly?"
"Hm? Of course. Did you notice something?"
As I nodded to encourage them, they wore expressions of profound hesitation.
"...Noriko and I were watching the footage, and we both came to the same conclusion about her."
"I think Hivia has long since realized that she is already dead."
"What!?"
The exclamation didn't just come from me; Yuki, Souta-san, and everyone else in the surveillance room joined in, stunned.
I mean, it’s only natural to be surprised. Sometimes, what is considered "normal" is actually the most abnormal thing of all. Perhaps it would be wise to take a step back and look at oneself with a calm, clear eye.