Chapter 175

The three left the training ground.

Abigail was able to get Eriksen to tell her the story of the 89 defense. She obtained information on the commanders of the time and other relevant details.

As she was leaving, Eriksen gave Abigail his contact information. He said if she needed any help, he would be happy to assist her.

“You’re very popular, Abby. I’ve never seen that old man so caring.”

“It’s not me, It’s Nigel”

The reaction of those who heard the name Nigel, the Golden Grim Reaper, was at two extremes. Some were afraid and others admired her. That is probably the only fact I get about this Nigel person.

InoRyder shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked.

” —To think of it, There’s somewhat annoying procedure to meet the ex-captain.”

If visiting requires a complicated process, then he’s definitely commit quite a serious crime.

“We don’t have enough time to visit him this day, can we do it after the new year?”

“Of course. I really can count on you, InoRyder.”

Abigail smiled at her, and InoRyder’s face broke into a delirious expression. Abigail was gradually learning how to handle her.

“Oh, by the way, Abby. I couldn’t trace Senpai’s real name, but I’m sure a DNA test will show the blood relationship right away, right? I’m sure it’s in the database.”

Now that I knew the name of the golden grim reaper, finding this thing out should be easy.

“Well, that’s one way to do it–“

” No, there wasn’t.”

Vani blurted out, interrupting Abigail.

“What? What do you mean?”

“I stopped by the command center this morning on my way to Abigail’s room to check it, but I didn’t find anything about Nigel.”

Seeing that Abigail and InoRyder are silent, Vani resumes.

“Nigel’s record did not exist in the 88 database.”

“Did you misspelled it?”

“I’m not that stupid,” Vani puffed out her cheeks.

“It was intentional, I’m sure.”

Abigail continues as she walks off.

“I also checked the records for the defense of 89, and they weren’t there.”

“You mean it’s classified?”

“No, they don’t exist. Who went into battle and who didn’t come back, The details of the operation, Who was in command and much more. That’s why I’m here walking around in this place.”

Her words seemed to take them both by surprise.

” Well, But why We don’t have an order to gagged ourselves, we can tell you as much as we want about what happened then.”

“Maybe they don’t want to twist the facts, maybe they want to make them vague and ambiguous …… or maybe they erased the whole thing to make some information disappear…… or something they really want to hide it from the people who will look at the records. Like an inspector or the press.”

Vani nodded her head, Abigail continued.

“If just one thing is missing, we can immediately guess the intention from the shape of the missing hole it left behind, but if so many are missing, we can’t tell which one is the information they really wanted to erase, because even the intention can be erased entirely.”

“Whew” InoRyder quipped.

“As expected. Was it true that you were originally an intelligence officer?”

“Does it look that way to you?”

Abigail’s meaningful smile made InoRyder’s cheeks blush.

“Ugh …… I do love …… that look. …….”

“Thanks for checking it out, Vani.”

Vani responded with a thumbs up.

Abigail bought flowers on the way home. It’s a bouquet of Christmas roses.

“What are you going to do with a bouquet of flowers?”

“I’m meeting someone tonight.”

“Oh, I see. Well, don’t worry, we’ll accompany you wherever you go. I’ll be with you.”

“Sorry about that ……. InoRyder and the others need to go home first.”

“Um?” The InoRyder stopped.

“…… no way. ……”

Mouth agape, she yelled in dismay.

“Staying out all night!!?”

When Abigail doesn’t answer, InoRyder breaks down and starts to flutter.

“That!!…Is that other person …. a man!?”

“I don’t know.”

Abigail looking forward to the following dawn.

“Who is he? where the hell that bastard came from!?”

“We’ve been in a serious relationship before.”

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!?”

InoRyder staggered as if she had been hit in the head with a bullet. She blocked Abigail’s way with a heartbroken look on her face and pleaded with both hands.

“Th-Then what about my ‘princess first time’ dream plan!? that I will take Abby’s first time of the year while wish her a Happy New Year!??””

“Well, I don’t know about that plan……. I’ll be back in my room tomorrow at noon.”

She hung her head down in disappointment.

Sighing deeply, InoRyder looks up as if in remorse.

“…… Abby, I hope someday you’ll tell me eventually tell me about your secrets….you seems to have a lot of them”

“Yes, of course I will, when the time comes. I’m very grateful for all the help I’ve been getting.”

“That’s okay. No need to say all those things.”

“You got dumped.”

Vani teased her with a hand over her mouth, and InoRyder seemed to have no energy to retort back.

“Well, it’s no use, I’ll go back to my room and get my favorite kokeshi doll. I’ll be waiting in Abby’s room, so if you need anything, please call me at the terminal. Things are getting dangerous, so at least let me know if you’re on your way.”

*chu*

Abigail answered with a surprise kiss on InoRyder’s cheek.

Hyperventilating, InoRyder backed away and put her hand on the fence surrounding the building.

The building inside appeared to be in ruins, waiting for reconstruction.

“…… Oh, this is an old orphanage. There are fewer and fewer of them these days. Because more and more children are living on their own in the slums. I wonder is it good or bad?”

InoRyder seemed to suddenly remember something and cut off her words.

“—- Well, Senpai’s favorite food was cheesecake. …… something I’ve been get to know since I’ve been following Senpai ……. One time, I even snuck a piece of cheesecake from Senpai’s room, just to tease her.”

“Cheesecake?”

“Sigh. Then after that …….”

“I almost killed. Never touch Senpai’s food. Especially cheesecake. It was only after I woke up in the hospital that I learned that this unwritten rule that is common knowledge among those who know Senpai.”

Abigail giggled and clamped her mouth shut, her face turning pale.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“No, no. It’s nothing. ……”

Looking at Abigail curiously, InoRyder regained her composure and continued.

“So, feeling really guilty, Senpai became very docile at the side of the bed. She nursed me and told me an old story. that time it was about why she was became so stubborn.”

“……”

“Senpai was once in a place called , which was a terrible place that was a cesspool of desires and live like a human live-stock, where food was fought over, so she still has the feeling that if someone takes food from her hands, she considers it a declaration of war.”

When Abigail heard this, her eyes widen and and blinked.

“Do you remember what she says…… which Fort?”

“Nope. Orphan Cradle is only in the old Fort and has been completely swept aside for the new Fort, so it’s not here in 88. That’s all She said.”

“……”

“Hmmm …… and this too”InoRyder holds up her index finger.

“I heard that she was good at imitating scary monsters from back then. She was laughing with nostalgia, saying something about how she had achieved a position by imitating scary beasts. I begged her to show me how she did it. I remember the look of embarrassment on her face when she said she would never do it.

“Gevaudan.”

“Eh?”

Abigail repeated.

“The Beast of Gevaudan.”

“……. Oh yeah …… I think that’s what it was called.”

A cold wind brushed through their hair as they stared at each other.

“…… was that helpful?”

“Yes …… very much.”

The three had dinner together on the upper floors, where they parted ways.

Abigail walked alone on the observatory floor.

The area was crowded with people trying to watch the fireworks. She slid into the crowd and spent some time outside looking at the lights as she blended in with the crowd.

From the upper floors of the building, she could see all the way to the outside of the city walls. Fireworks are supposed to be launched from the top of the walls to the outside. Abigail had never seen such an event at the Fort. It was a magnificent sight that showed how great the Fort 88 really is.

The workers who had been busily working on the city walls had gradually slowed down, and it was almost time for the new year to arrive. I felt a creeping sensation on my ankle.

The tantalizing sensation of being caressed by her fingertips quickly climbed up to her thighs and buttocks, and eventually to her backside. Normally, I would have screamed out loud that I was being molested.

Finally, it slips behind her neck and under her hair and stops moving, and She whisper a question to it.

“–Tailing–?”

–White, girl, strange, guys, three–

Niblo seems to be able to hear Abigail’s voice through her hair and also can sense things such as presence, hostility, and killing intent.

“–The white girl is Vani. The others are AASPINT, I think.”

–girl,sight, sharp, bad–

“–Do you think my legs can handle it–?”

–no, big sis, weak–

I wanted to argue something, but swallowed. By alien standards, Abigail’s physical strength must be like that of a baby.

(I know it seems absurb, but shall I do it or not? ……)

“–do it. Operation D. Get ready–“

–Sir, yessir —

Behind Abigail’s neck, Niblo began to wriggle.

Niblo was using his legs to rub himself in the stomach, sending his hair flying through the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the glimmering furry downy hairs scattering widely on the air currents.

Anyone hit by Niblo’s hair would become a target of his power .

At the flash of white light. The sky lit up.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of the explosion reached the observation floor, and the crowd cheered.

As soon as the eyes of many turned out the window, Abigail quickly looked around.

Among the white flashing shadows, I identified several figures staring at me, not paying attention to the fireworks, but to Abigail. She was surrounded. But among them, she could not spot Vani. Niblo was correct in his assessment that it would be impossible to shake off her pursuit.

“–do it.”

Abigail moved as the second firework exploded.

Slowly, she stealthy walking away.

The eyes that had been watching her continued to look at the same position from earlier, not even twitching.

By the time three or four shots of light lit up the observation floor, Abigail was already in the elevator.

The elevator doors closed soundlessly.

She managed to get out of there with the help of Niblo.

–After a while.

“–Where is she–!”

“–still on this floor!”

Behind the lively crowd celebrating the New Year, there was a shout of anger. They were confused, as if they were being shown a vanishing magic trick right in front of their eyes.

Behind the men who were wildly shuffling through the crowd, there was Vani, who had completely erased any sign of her presence.

She stood silently, staring with a grim expression at the space where Abigail had suddenly disappeared.