Chapter 3 (1/2)

第二章「追憶～リーアにて～」1

CHAPTER.02 – LOOKING BACK: RIAH (1)

Side 5. Known as Riah, the area had declared its neutrality at the very beginning of the One Year War as Side 6, and was one of the few Sides who escaped the horrors of war. Even after the numbering was changed due to the Colony Reclamation Project and it became known as Side 5 did it rarely get involved in major battles.

One of the colonies of Riah was the Libot Colony.

Its pastoral townscapes, reminiscent of 20th century Europe, was home to key figures of political and business circles of both the Zeon and the Federation. The quality of life was good. And a good living meant that various trades were able to flourish. Thus it was here that the Danton Cleaning Firm was able to enjoy the fruits of the colony’s prosperity.

Hanging her last freshly cleaned bedsheet on the line, Arlette Hyleg stretched her arms towards the sky. Looking up at the sky from the rooftop, she could see vast expanses of green on the opposite side of the cylindrical colony. According to the daily weather forecast from the colony’s management system, there was no rain to be expected all day. Left on the line, the sheets would be completely dry by evening.

Arlette tossed aside the clothes basket, leaned against a railing on the rooftop and decided to take a little breather.

One hundred years had already pa.s.sed since mankind made its way into s.p.a.ce, and for sure, there was no need to dry clothes in such a primitive manner, but it was this a.n.a.log way of doing things that made the Danton Cleaning Firm popular with nearby clientele.

Not only were the clothes dried in the sun, but they came back pristine. The mult.i.tude of sheets billowing in the wind in front of her were, without exception, a gleaming white.

“Yup, doing pretty good.”

Arlette couldn’t help the satisfied grin on her face, pleased at the performance of the was.h.i.+ng machine that she herself had modified. It was a budget ma.s.s-produced thing that Danton, the shopkeeper, had brought from somewhere, but she had tuned it to peak performance. She was sure that no matter where you looked, in Riah or even in the Earth Sphere, would you find a better was.h.i.+ng machine. If anyone saw this who knew her engineering skills, they’d hang their heads in despair at the talent wasted. But Arlette herself found only satisfaction in her job.

Instead of looking back at the past, now was about focusing on day to day life.

She was grown up enough to think about it like that, at least.

Just as midday pa.s.sed by, and her mind wandered to lunch, the cowbell in the vestibule made a sounc.

“Hm? A customer?”

Stretching forward from the railing and leaning over the side, she spotted an Elecar she’d never seen before parked in front of the shop.

Two men got out, both dressed in tight suits, and quietly entered the shop.

“…”

Arlette’s brows furrowed ever so slightly into a frown.

Two men in suits were not the kind of clientele they expected at the cleaners.

Pus.h.i.+ng her anxiety aside, Arlette began to climb down the stairs.

×　　×　　×

The manager of the Danton Cleaning Firm, Danton Hyleg, looked at the sudden arrivals like there was a bitter taste in his mouth. He wore an ap.r.o.n, but it was clear that it didn’t suit his large frame, and when he s.h.i.+fted moodily, the wooden chair holding his weight creaked softly. It might seem strange for a shopkeeper to not welcome customers, but Danton wasn’t a very enthusiastic shopkeeper to begin with. So long as they had requests from a few regulars every day, Arlette and he would at least have food on the table. He didn’t feel the need to turn his pa.s.sion to the trade. Even now, he was killing time with a jigsaw puzzle, whose pieces were scattered across the counter.

Having roughly gathered them together and restored them to their box, he turned to the two customers.

“What can I do for you?”

The men’s suits were a dull gray.

One looked like a young elite from some firm or another. The other was a little older, but from his behavior, it seemed like he was a subordinate. Neither seemed like the type that needed to visit a cleaning joint. But beyond that, Danton’s attention was drawn to the well-trained muscles hidden beneath the suits and their wary bearing.

Soldiers.

This was hardly surprising. He had antic.i.p.ated that people from the military would one day knock on his door. The problem was what they wanted.

No matter how things went, it would be ugly. So how do I deal with this…

As he turned these thoughts over in his mind, the door behind him opened, and Arlette, coming down from the roof, popped her face through the gap.

“Customers?”