141 Ch.141
Author: "Almost every day, it's overtime after overtime... I apologize deeply for the delays in updates.
Ideally, I should have posted on Saturday, but... um, one of my hobbies is mountain stream fishing. Yesterday, I was in the mountains from dawn until near evening..."
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"─Commander's Office─
<─Guard Unit Commander, Eagle speaking. we have a visitor. May I guide them in?>
The phone in the commander's office rings. The room's occupant, still holding a cigarette in his mouth, responds to Eagle, his subordinate on the other end of the line, granting permission for the visitor to enter.
Acknowledgment is received, the call ends, and he returns the receiver to its place, taking a drag of the purple smoke from the clamped cigarette.
After a while, he and his subordinates notice a luxurious car sliding into the parking lot in front of the base headquarters from the window of the commander's office.
The side door opens, and a petite figure enters the building with footsteps that sound as if in a hurry, followed by a tall and petite figure who alighted from the luxury car. They seem to be guards. Despite thinking it might not be appropriate to bypass the guards, it's evident that there is no room for leisure.
"Why are you so late! What were you doing!!"
"...Greetings."
Before the commander's office door fully opens, the petite figure, Syuen, rushes into the room, confronting Moore, the room's owner, with narrowed eyes.
It seems the lack of composure is not just a matter of perception.
"Greetings? What did you do behind my back!? That [JohnD] is also your doing, right!?"
"Oi! Out of nowhere! What a false accusation to us!"
The disrespectful attitude and demeanor seem to have been more than enough to finally snap Anis's patience.
"What do you think we went through on the surface because of you!? Because of the people you sent, Commander and we—"
"I don't know. It's not my concern, and I don't have the energy to worry about that now!"
"...Don't know...? You...! Commander was on the verge of death...!!"
"—Anis."
Anis, triggered by intense anger, is like a burning explosive, and Moore intervenes, restraining her from approaching Shuen without thinking about the consequences.
"Thank you for getting angry. However, President Syuen probably doesn't know what happened."
"...What about you? Do you have something to say?"
Unable to get to the main point, Syuen, without trying to hide her irritation, directs her gaze to Moore.
"...There are many things I want to say... well, let's talk about that later. So, what?"
Going all the way to the forward base seems neither commendable nor leisurely. Especially in the current situation.
Moore holds the remote on the coffee table, presses a button, and turns on the TV. The news is still covering the situation in front of the Mishilis headquarters.
While catching a glimpse of that, he crushes the shortened cigarette in the tabletop ashtray and takes a seat on the reception sofa ahead of time.
"─I want you to help. Do it as I say."
"...Hmm...President Syuen wants help. That's a commendable way of speaking."
Returning the sarcasm, Moore crosses his long legs. Shuen, who sat down facing him, snorts and crosses her legs, mimicking him.
"...Those guys are demonstrating because Ark is peaceful. They lack a sense of crisis. Don't you think so too?"
"...Well, I can't say I don't understand what you're trying to say."
Annoyed, Syuen gazes at the TV screen. On the screen, participants in the demonstration chant phrases in unison, repeatedly shouting slogans in a demonstration.
"...However, expressing opinions is freedom. They've probably filed a proper notification with the Police A.C.P.U. It's a legitimate protest."
On the screen, several police officers in Police A.C.P.U uniforms appear at the edge. Seeing that they are not actively engaging in removal, it seems they will move to suppress and arrest if it escalates into violent riots, but until then, there's no need for intervention.
"...Legitimate, you say?"
"Yes. Regardless of principles or beliefs, it's a recognized right. As a mere soldier, I cannot question its legitimacy."
"...As serious as ever."
Not an interesting man. While his response might be that of an exemplary soldier, when too strict, it suddenly lacks any trace of emotion.
"But, what if Rapture comes to Ark? Would they still talk about NIMPH? Or would they be scared and ask for help?"
"Well, that's... ----wait. What are you planning?"
About to light a new cigarette, Moore lightly shakes the soft pack. Just as he puts one in his mouth, Syuen's words catch him off guard, and he instinctively questions her.
"Isn't it obvious?... Making Metis heroes again."
"...Hero?"
Behind the sofa where he is seated, Rapi, who has been silent, echoes Shuen's words. Unable to grasp the meaning of Shuen's story, he murmurs, furrowing his brow.
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"...Attracting Rapture to Ark."
Syuen continues, twisting her mouth and looking at Moore with clouded eyes.
"And showing Metis annihilating them... They'll shut up, won't they...!"
"Are you sane!? Attracting Rapture... you're out of your mind!"
Doubting her sanity, Anis raises a voice similar to a scream, condemning Shuen. However, Shuen, apparently displeased with the sudden loudness, only furrows her brow without responding.
"Your voice is too loud! My ears hurt...! Just because I have the trouble of dealing with this bothersome Commander doesn't mean you can think I'm crazy, right?"
─Am I really that troublesome?
While shaking the unlit cigarette meaninglessly up and down, Moore contemplates. However, it's a trivial question, and it doesn't matter in this situation.
"I am a soldier. A servant of Ark and humanity as a whole. Do you think I will cooperate? Alternatively, I can report your current statement to the higher-ups."
"It's not easy to get cooperation so easily. If I hadn't noticed your damn seriousness, I wouldn't be the CEO of Mishilis, but just a fool, right?"
─Am I that damn serious?
Recognizing himself as a problem child, Moore finds it quite questionable. This question is also temporarily set aside for now.
About to light the cigarette still in his mouth, Moore takes out an oil lighter, opening it with a distinctive metallic sound.
"But, can you reject this proposal even after hearing it?"
"...Proposal? If it's about the headhunting matter—"
"─Shaw Moore. I'll turn you into the hero of Ark!"
"──"
As Moore's fingertips attempt to spin the wheel and spark the flame, subsequently his entire body and, finally, his thoughts, it goes without saying that everything comes to a halt.
Shuen, who had crossed her legs, stood up casually and, like a stage performer, proclaimed her thoughts and proposal loudly.
"─The commander of the first generation of the initial invasion, Go---... I can't recall the name, but anyway, that one who was called a 'New Star'... What was the name?"
Unable to recall the crucial name, she cleared her throat and looked down at Moore, who remained seated on the sofa.
"─Anyway, since the establishment of Ark, I'll make you more famous than that guy who's considered the most famous! Me, doing it!"
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"─No, I'm fine."
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"─Yeah! I thought you'd agree... ----What?"
"─I'm fine. In fact, I don't want to."
Contrary to Shuen's expectations, Moore flatly rejected the proposal.
Was she thinking that his achievements or a series of actions were motivated by a desire for fame or recognition?
Anis and Neon, who were behind Moore, exchanged glances and shrugged their shoulders at each other.
"...Looks like she still doesn't understand the master well."
"...Right? That's why she's just a fool—"
"─Anis."
"...Got it. I won't say more."
Reprimanded by Rapi, Anis refrained from speaking for the time being.
He is someone who is oblivious to the desire for fame or achievements. Rather, it's secondary or tertiary—no, the priority is probably extremely low.
Having become acquainted unintentionally over a long period, they understand Moore's personality.
He probably has the potential to be a hero, but he seems to want to avoid becoming a target of idol worship or something similar. The reason is simple: it's just too troublesome.
"Are you afraid of dying?"
"No, not at all. Humans will inevitably die from the moment they are born. There may be various variations and situations, but what's the point of being afraid of something that is inevitable?"
From the moment of birth, humans, or living beings, begin to move towards death. How one perceives death is an eternal question for self-aware humans, but at least Moore doesn't seem to attach much importance to the state or outcome of his own death. Or perhaps, he is indifferent. For better or worse, but still.
"Just so you know, it's all a sham. Even attracting Rapture has been tested."
"...Calling signal? That thing is troublesome."
Attracting Rapture—Moore recalls several situations related to it. Especially when it comes to Shuen— it was an incident at a munitions manufacturing facility.
"Only small fries come. Those who collapse with one hit from Metis."
"...Lured up to the Lord class though."
For small fries, they had quite durable enemy units, Moore recalls, and snorts while turning the wheel of the oil lighter again.
"Are you going to miss the chance to become a hero?"
"─Unfortunately, I have absolutely no interest. Your way out is over there."
The tip of the cigarette lights up. Closing the lid of the oil lighter and letting the purple smoke waft, he points with one hand to the door of the commander's office, where Shuen is still standing.
Seeing him clearly express his refusal, she ground her teeth audibly and clenched her fists.
"Why are you so resistant!?"
"I am a professional soldier. The role of a soldier is—"
"—Metis is also a Nikké, right!? The Nikké you adore! Why make a distinction for our child only!!"
Moore has no intention of discriminating. However, from a third-party perspective, it might seem as if he's showing favoritism to the Nikkés, his subordinate squad, and base personnel.
Shuen, sitting across the coffee table, leaned over to Moore, who remained seated, and grabbed the collar of his short-sleeved shirt with both hands.
"Is it because they're under my command!? Is it because I adore them!?"
"...My sense of justice doesn't decay to the point of showing favoritism for such a reason."
"Then why not do it!?"
"Fundamental issues prevent cooperation, as I mentioned."
While he understands the purpose of attracting Rapture to Ark, the sincerity of the plan is questionable. Probably not towards the city center of Ark, but directly above Ark—the closest location to attract a swarm of Rapture, instilling fear in the crowd participating in the demonstration. That seems to be the plan she describes.
---Speak reasonably.
If, by any chance, Ark's defensive wall is breached, and a part of the Eternal Sky canopy is penetrated—one day, humanity will surely remember.
Why our ancestors were expelled from the surface? They will come to understand it by experiencing a river of corpses and flowing fresh blood, scattered without distinction by age, gender, or anything else.
"...Fundamental issues...for the common good...? Hah, for you to say that."
"─"
Shuen sneers, and then her youthful face distorts but not entirely loses its childishness. While wrinkling the collar of the shirt he wears, she shakes Moore.
"—When you saved that Nikké called Marian, did you not care at all about humanity or the future!?"
Saving Marian—put differently, for the sake of just one Nikké, this man single-handedly created a mountain of corpses from the central government army and a terrorist group.
Speaking of the common good—there are probably only a few humans in Ark as unsuitable as him for uttering such a theme.
"Yet...why won't you help Metis!!"
"I can't imitate attracting Rapture to Ark. That's my answer."
Being grabbed by the collar and shaken, Moore, emitting purple smoke, responds in a seemingly heartless, low voice.
"Then...what should I do...? When everyone is fervently trying to make Metis their prey...how do I calm them down? How do I appease them!?"
"That is—"
"Do you really intend to have Metis undergo memory erasure!?"
"────"
The participants of that fervent demonstration, and more importantly, the fear that Ark citizens potentially harbor towards the Nikkés. Above all, the fact that they, bearing the banner of the strongest unit in Mishiris, the Metis Squad, were collectively invaded, remains unchanged. Although the invasion was treated with Unchained and cured, even the NIMPH controlling the Nikkés was destroyed.
A Nikké who has lost control— in other words, it's unpredictable what actions an Irregular would take.
That unpredictability stirs up fear, likely driving them to engage in activities like that.
There aren't many ways to remove that fear.
"...You said you would find a way, right? You said you would find a way to help Metis! Believe me! You must help them!!"
Not saying he forgot that promise. In fact, he nearly died and managed to obtain fragmentary information about Unchained on the surface. This is undoubtedly an achievement. However, it's an understatement to say that his current strength is insufficient to break through the current situation.
"...Because I won't kneel? Is that why you won't keep the promise?"
"...I haven't forgotten the promise, and I have no intention of breaking it."
"I'll kneel... I'll kneel if that's what it takes!"
"Shuen..."
Normally, someone like Moore wouldn't be allowed to address her so casually. However, he intentionally uses her name as it's likely to grab her attention. Regardless of how she reacts, at least he can redirect her focus. Trying to cool her down, to give her a reality check, but he just now noticed that her small and delicate hands, grabbing the collar of his shirt, are trembling.
"...Please... Please do it...! I'm begging you... Help me... Help Metis...!!"
With teary eyes, he witnesses her pleading.
It's not that he sympathized or felt a bond because of it.
When the ash accumulated at the tip of the cigarette fell to the floor, Moore nodded slightly.
"...If there are certain conditions attached, I'm willing to cooperate."
