Chapter 530 - THE TROUBLEMAKER (1/2)
In another part of Tokyo, Akira was walking into the Central Antiterrorism Bureau alongside the minister. She kept up with the pace of Minister Shimada as she entered the building filled with various personnel of the defence forces working earnestly.
Despite the activity, the building was still quiet, except for the staccato footsteps of people walking on the linoleum floors. Akira was drawn in by the solemn aura of the organisation, even though her mind remained preoccupied with the problem at hand.
As the two stepped into an elevator, Minister Shimada's aide, Suzuki Taira appeared and entered the space. She had a serious look on her face, but she still glanced at Akira with some contempt on her face. Her opinion was unchanged.
Minister Shimada noticed the look and frowned. Unfortunately, the current circumstances were not appropriate for addressing the problem with her aide. She had realised that the woman was taking more liberties in the recent days.
”Here is your temporary clearance badge,” Taira said..
She handed the badge to Akira who directly put it around her neck. She did not care about the pettiness of the aide before her. She was only interested in finding a computer and beginning working on the problem immediately.
She would have preferred to go to the Immortal Sword Valley to work in a familiar environment. However, it was not possible because of the traffic conditions. Furthermore, it was difficult to arrange for air transportation on short notice.
Therefore, she had to come with the minister to one of the official defence offices.
It was not a bad thing because it was the centre for addressing the current crisis on hand. If she found anything and confirmed the location of the terrorists, she could follow them to the field. She would only feel at peace without the active situation.
”The badge only gives you clearance to access and work in the computer centre with the other IT people. You will not be able to go to other places, so do not walk around carelessly. This place is not like a normal office. You will be arrested if you are found loitering.” Aide Suzuki spoke up.
Minister Shimada looked at her ȧssistant sharply, and the younger woman lowered her head. It was obvious that she was feeling a little guilty, or at least, she knew she had done something wrong. The gesture made the minister even more annoyed.
”I made it clear that I wanted Ms Yamazaki to have full clearance to work in the Central Antiterrorism Bureau.” Minister Shimada said.
She could not be privy to the real secrets of the state. At most, she organised meetings and managed the minister's schedule. Sometimes, she sat in if it was a generic, bureaucratic gathering. Even the personal chauffeur and bodyguard who drove the minister around knew more secrets than Taira.
Usually, Aide Suzuki was only allowed to handle tasks that related directly to the minister's personal life.
However, she could not help but become a little arrogant because she could move around any place freely. It did not matter if she could not get clearance to be in secret rooms. She could freely enter any place she wanted as the Minister's ȧssistant.