Chapter 124: I and Me / Shadow on the New Moon (2/2)

Leticia said, softly narrowing her eyes.

「An’ where’s dat Shiro?」

「……I don’t know.」

「Dun lie.」

「I’m not lying, I really don’t know.」

「Right, but the face yer makin’ ‘s like ya have everythin’ figured out.」

「I won’t deny that, but I don’t know where she is.」

「Wha, ya get ‘er to go underground?」

「I haven’t done anything.」

「Haah」

Leticia laughed scornfully.

「Yer the same as always. I always hated dat useless aspect of yers. Doin’ everythin’ on yer own, and once ya decided than ya’d dash off without a word to anyone. Ain’t it the same now?」

「That sort of way is better a lot more, when you’re in my position. You’ve got to understand.」

「Most unfortunately! I dun do anythin’ like dat; if my subordinates were to do something good then I’d let ‘em handle it.」

「Your subordinates must have it hard.」

「Contrary, yer subordinates must ‘ave it rough. How many people d’ya think yer causing trouble for?」

「You think so?」

「I do.」

「……You might be right.」

Taking a breath, Youran said nodding.

（You might be right）

Youran repeated the same words in her heart.

That might very well be the case. Whenever something happened, she had a habit of not letting anyone els ehandle it and trying to do something with her power alone. Even for things that should be left to subordinates, she still felt that she should handle.

And she didn’t just feel that way; she had actually set that in motion.

But just like Leticia had said, there must be a lot of people who were inconvenienced as a result.

A certain boy’s face floated in her head.

Just like the name, the type of boy who・・emitted brightness from himself.

Even with the previous affair, she had inconvenienced him. If she had that one time not gone herself, instead sending a trustworthy tight-lipped confidant and had things proceed that way, surely that boy would not have suffered any wounds. Things would have continued more thoroughly and a solution would have been found after a bit of a struggle.

Youran was not so foolish that she couldn’t comprehend that that was unmistakable.

Even so, though she acknowledged the reasoning itself, she couldn’t repudiate the actions themselves.

Because she couldn’t afford to.

「Wazzup with you; suddenly spacing out.」

「Eh? No it’s nothing.」

「That right? Well that’s fine; all I wanted to say was to rely more on those around ya. Even if things ‘ave been peachy so far dun mean that it’ll stay that way for yer whole life.」

「Yeah, then allow me to do so from now on.」

「If you really intended to・・・・・then ya just gotta say that you’ll『positively consider it』.」

Leticia angrily turned her face away. From how long they had been tagging along with each other, she had probably understood that Youran was just glossing over it with her answer.

She had angered her; feeling that, Youran searched for follow-up words.

That was when the sound of a knock was heard on the door.

Knock-knock, knock-knock; four knocks struck rhythmically.

「Enter.」

Youran had immediately reverted to her「archaic」self.

「Excuse the disturbance.」

Entering the room and deeply bowing was a woman with a maid outfit in her mid-twenties.

After shooting Leticia a glance, she talked to Youran.

「My master, a report of imminent danger.」

「Let us hear it.」

「Is that really fine?」

「I’m a foreigna’, I dun eat Japanese, kay?」

Leticia attempted humor while insinuating that she wouldn’t repeat it to anyone, and Youran also nodded to that, so the maid began her report.

「A report from the third squadron.」

「……Oof」

「About the pursuit; Miki Aoba has been kidnapped by the hands of the Adano sect, the implementation force’s leader being Einsteelpierre・Saekusa Tsukumo. When she was kidnapped, Akita Mio who was accompanying her suffered wounds and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.」

「……」

The desire to ask about the other person came up to her throat, but she resisted it.

「Afterwards, Natsuno Taiyou disappeared, and a search is currently undergoing.」

「――」

Youran stood up with a clatter.

「Ya……」

Leticia who had been silent knit her brows. The maid was also surprised.

Youran who had stood up abruptly was making a face that they had never seen before.

The waxing moon floating in the summer night sky, the new moon was slowly being eroded by shade (light).