HPDBC Chapter 85
Chapter 85
“Ah, the air is so fresh.”
I squint at the sunrise, seeing a beautiful sea of clouds.
“We have a mission even though it’s a three-day weekend... Do we get a compensatory day off for this?”
“Yuu. Even if we get a day off, we’re students and can’t miss classes, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Damn it!”
Kotomi points this out, and I drop my shoulders.
Today, Kotomi and I are on a joint mission in a neighboring country.
“Well, think of it as a trip abroad during the long weekend, Yuu-sama. We wouldn’t usually get to visit such a remote place.”
“For me, a trip doesn’t feel like a trip unless I eat some delicious local food, like when we went to Okinawa.”
I mutter, biting into an energy bar-type combat ration as Hayami-san tries to comfort me.
The grand natural scenery is moving, but it doesn’t fill my stomach.
“Still, I never thought I’d have a mission walking through the wilderness with Kotomi.”
“It reminds me of our school field training.”
Kotomi refers to the time we were paired for the first time during an orienteering exercise in a forest filled with booby traps.
“Yes, back then, Kotomi was still the prickly student council member character.”
“I was surprised when you suddenly hugged me from behind... Honestly, when you whispered about the trap in my ear, it really got to me...”
“Hey, remember I’m your teacher. Both of you.”
As Kotomi looks at me seductively, Hayami-san stands in front of her.
“Right now, we’re on a special forces mission, so it’s inappropriate to bring up school roles, Lieutenant Hayami.”
Kotomi uses her special forces rank to try to control Hayami-san.
Technically, Kotomi is correct.
“No, this isn’t about military ranks; it’s an adult’s advice. You have a strange tendency to be overly forward, so you might just go for Yuu-sama. Especially now, with the girl in the music unit away.”@@@@
Hayami-san counters Kotomi with ethical reasoning.
“Hey, do you have any other behind-the-scenes stories from back then?”
“Well, I mostly remember Dr. Kirigaya being annoying when we first met. She was so annoying I considered leaving her on the battlefield.”
“Ahaha... true.”
Kotomi, who’s been working with Dr. Kirigaya recently, understands my pain.
She gives a wry smile and agrees with my sentiment.
“Originally, it was a covert operation, and we didn’t intend to capture the third capital. But Dr. Kirigaya kept messing with interesting machines and systems, attracting pursuers and almost turning it into urban warfare. I used a railgun to scare them off, and they surrendered with a white flag.”
“So, the third capital’s fall was incidental... History books praised their wise decision for a bloodless surrender, sparing many lives.”
“They probably phrased it that way to save face.”
History is often embellished during compilation.
People crave stories and meaningful outcomes.
In reality, decisions are often made on the spot without much thought.
“By the way, only Hinoura-san from the third seat is participating this time, right?”
“Our objective is to destroy the data center and wired communication cables of the enemy’s secret system. I’m enough for the destruction.”
It’s also to avoid losing both third-seat members in case something goes wrong.
“This is a test mission. The goal is to check our coordination, Hayami-san, Kotomi, and me.”
“Lieutenant Hayami’s teleportation is amazing. The drawback is it can only move one person at a time. Convincing her guard to stay behind was tough.”
“Ugh... that’s...”
Kotomi casually complains, but it’s a sensitive topic for Hayami-san, so I quickly change the subject.
“Still, why place a data center in such a remote mountain?”
“If they connect to the network, Dr. Kirigaya will immediately find them, and I’ll destroy them or she’ll steal their data. They’re desperate.”
“The neighboring country’s citizens are reportedly close to revolting due to the impact on their lives.”
“Then they might surrender soon. Let’s break their spirit thoroughly during this weekend mission.”
We discuss how our mission might significantly impact world affairs as we continue through the mountains.