ch21-ch40 · 032-ch32

Chapter 32: Request and Choice

"What do we need to do to completely close the Clock?"

At my question, Lumiel hesitated slightly before answering.

"Defeat the 'King' that's inside."

The goal was simple.

On the other hand, there were massive concerns too.

"Search for an enemy that has the advantage of home ground and defeat them, huh."

My sister muttered quietly.

The difference from a normal World Clock was this — we had to dive into the enemy's territory with no prior knowledge. This was the opposite of the normal scenario where you prepare thoroughly and wait for the Clock to open.

Fight unknown enemies in an unknown location.

The difficulty would be much higher than usual.

"And some of Japan's top Hunters haven't returned in three hours..."

Shiki-kun muttered with a grim expression.

Please don't tell me they've all been wiped out...

At that moment, the phone rang shrilly.

Momose-san looked at the screen with a sour expression.

"It's from the government's emergency line."

Before Momose-san could press the answer button, the screen switched by itself, and a portly older man's face appeared.

I've seen this face on TV before — I'm pretty sure he's some minister.

『Apologies for the sudden contact. I'm Yanamoto from the Defense and Awakening Ministry. Given the urgency of the situation, I'll skip the formalities.』

After a brief nod, Minister Yanamoto got to the point.

『Multiple guilds are currently inside the World Clock, but communication has been lost with all of them. The internal magic power is measuring at unprecedented levels. The government has determined that the only entity in this country capable of handling this situation is the Descent Arts. Maeda Hagane. The Cabinet formally requests that you deploy the descent entity Lumiel.』

Minister Yanamoto rattled on as if he didn't even have time for us to introduce ourselves.

"So suddenly..."

Minister Yanamoto continued, cutting me off.

『This is voluntary, but the premise remains that since you receive benefits from the Japanese nation, you have an obligation to cooperate with the state. Therefore — non-cooperation may be viewed as a serious breach of national order. Do I make myself clear?』

Minister Yanamoto laid out his words as if everything was already decided. I felt no sincerity in it — it felt purely bureaucratic.

『Originally this would be the Hunter Association's job, but those people keep insisting that Maeda Hagane and Lumiel are "under their protection." This isn't a situation for that kind of nonsense, is it? They weren't getting anywhere, so I came to negotiate directly.』

Minister Yanamoto touched his mustache and continued in a tone that practically said "you should be grateful."

『This is a time-sensitive matter, so I'd like an immediate decision and action. We'll prepare compensation accordingly.』

"..."

I couldn't answer.

No — I wouldn't answer.

Memories of the past flashed through my mind—

"Because I decided... I'd protect you."

My kind sister's voice.

Those words that comforted me when I blamed myself.

"You got business with one of my members?"

Momose-san's words that protected us.

They fulfilled unreasonable demands and gave us a place to belong.

Shiki-kun and Kunimori-kun fought for us without even asking why. They accepted us.

"I am Lumiel. Your angel."

She's not a tool or a weapon.

She's not something that moves on someone else's orders.

Lumiel is my precious partner.

And then, the old me—

The me who could only say "yes" while being berated by the department head back then.

The me that night, trembling under the Hunting Dogs' glare, swallowing my words.

But... it's different now.

"Momose-san—"

I sent Momose-san an eye signal.

Momose-san nodded slightly and gave me a thumbs up.

"Phew..."

I took a deep breath to calm my heart.

The other party is a government minister. But — my resolve was set.

"...You're good at lining up all the right words, aren't you? You're used to making people obey."

『What?』

Minister Yanamoto's eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Voluntary? Obligation? Negotiation? Non-cooperation being a serious breach of national order? You keep making excuses, but basically you're telling me to shut up and obey. Why don't you just say that from the start?"

Once I started saying it, I couldn't stop.

"...Every single one of you acts like I should just naturally follow orders..."

I didn't care that my language was getting rough.

The people sitting safely in their chairs watching from afar — there's no way they understand us.

"Then let me ask you — if I said 'no' right now and declared I was going abroad, would you stop me?"

『Now, that's an extreme way to put it—』

"It's not extreme. The Association was the one that got in our way when we tried to join Remnant. They barged into my workplace, trashed my home, and on top of everything, said they'd let us join if our guild sealed a World Clock solo? Who the hell do you people think you are? At the very least, the Japanese government has a track record of treating us badly. Why would we have any obligation to serve Japan?"

That wasn't entirely my true feelings.

I do want to fight — for the people I care about who are in Japan.

It's just that... that's never going to be for the sake of the country.

『...』

Minister Yanamoto fell silent.

I wonder if that was all his doing too?

No, that doesn't matter right now.

"If we went overseas, they'd protect us way better than Japan does right now. Besides — you don't even have the military strength left to stop us, do you?"

Not that I actually plan to go abroad, but the unfair treatment is a fact.

Minister Yanamoto hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a slightly flustered tone.

『We are not unaware of individual circumstances. But a nation's judgment takes precedence over personal feelings. That is what duty means—』

"So because I'm Japanese I have to obey? Because I've received benefits from the country? So I should risk Lumiel's life for that?"

I was aware the blood was rushing to my head.

But my heart was surprisingly calm.

"Don't talk bullshit."

The room fell silent.

"You said it was an investigation into an unknown place that multiple guilds haven't returned from, right? You don't know any of the details. So why did you decide Lumiel could handle it? What's your basis?"

I could see Minister Yanamoto's gaze waver slightly.

I could roughly guess why he was so eager to send Lumiel.

"It's because you think 'she can be re-summoned' or 'even if she dies, she can come back,' isn't it? You don't see her as a life, so you can give orders like that."

That might be true for Summoning Arts.

But that doesn't necessarily apply to Lumiel.

"Lumiel isn't just some skill. She's not a weapon that moves on the country's orders. She's a comrade, she's family, she's someone precious to me. And I'm not — something that moves according to your convenience either."

I reflexively grabbed Lumiel's hand.

She didn't say anything, but she gently squeezed back.

『But—!』

Minister Yanamoto wasn't staying silent either.

Maybe angered by this rude young man, his face turned bright red as he argued, all trace of his earlier cold attitude gone.

『No matter which independent guild you belong to, as a holder of a Hunter License, you have an obligation to follow the Association's instructions—』

"Obligation, huh. That's all you people ever say. Besides, I'm a G-Rank Awakener who doesn't even have a Hunter License."

『What? That can't be... W-wait, you really aren't registered!?』

Can you believe they didn't even do basic research?

I'm a bona fide G-Rank Awakener who was haphazardly registered by that blond part-timer.

I reached for the power switch of the communication device.

『W-wait! I apologize for my rudeness, truly! The situation is urgent, so please, I implore you, the Descent Arts—』

"The country and us are equals. Don't forget that. So whether we go or not is our decision. Nobody gets to complain about it."

Click — the sound of the line cutting off echoed through the room.

Silence fell over the strategy room.

"Maaaaan, I actually said it out looooud..."

The embarrassment hit me as I thought back on it, and I buried my face in the desk.

But come on, it was natural to be angry about that, right?

Despite the emergency, he didn't go through the guild master first, didn't have a single word of appreciation for Remnant for accepting the Association's unreasonable demands, and on top of everything, acted like it was Lumiel's duty to risk her life.

There's no way I could put up with that.

I'm not wrong.

Is this going to become a huge problem? Well, I said everything I wanted to say, and I have no regrets.

"Hey..."

Kunimori-kun, who had been silent, stared at me.

Is he angry? Disappointed? Or—

The next moment, he let out a small laugh.

"You're something else, Hagane-san."

It was a look of admiration.

Wait, did he just call me by my name for the first time?

"Normal people can't talk back to that kind of thing. Someone using laws and obligations as a shield — and you just bounced it right back at him... That's way too cool."

Kunimori-kun's words sank deep into my heart.

Shiki-kun's applause echoed through the strategy room.

"That was a smart rebuttal. I'm fully in agreement with Hagane-san. That man deserved to be called out."

My sister was nodding along too.

So everyone hated that guy, huh.

"Did you say everything you wanted to say?"

My sister held out her fist.

I bumped my fist against hers.

"Yeah. Feel super refreshed."

"Good. Then I'm glad."

She said that with a soft smile.

It felt like the fog in my heart had cleared.

"Well~ guess this really makes us an 'independent' guild now."

"Ah, um, sorry about that..."

"Hey, why are you apologizing? You were right."

Momose-san ruffled my hair.

What is this — maybe because we've defeated a common enemy (Minister Yanamoto), I feel a real bond with everyone.

"Koh."

Lumiel called to me and hugged me tight. Her face looked a little flushed.

"I could feel what Koh was feeling. I'm happy."

I'm glad it got through to her too.

No matter what conditions are offered, if there's no respect behind them, I won't send Lumiel into danger on someone else's orders.

When she looked up, her expression had turned serious.

"But we have to close it. Koh's town will be destroyed."

The town will be destroyed — meaning something will come out that the Akayama Town defense line can't stop.

I saw Lumiel's eyes glow gold.

"I can't fight unless I'm with Koh. But... I'm scared to take Koh with me."

"Don't talk like we're strangers."

I cupped Lumiel's cheeks with my hands.

She looked up at me with a face like a pufferfish.

"We're in this together — life and death, right?"

Besides, I have my new ability — Absorption. Of course I'm not overconfident, but I'm not the complete dead weight I used to be. They trained me enough to at least protect myself.

"......Mm."

Lumiel nodded firmly.

She seemed to have made up her mind too.

"That said, if we do end up going, Minister Yanamoto will probably try to take credit..."

"Well, we can refute that with the call recording and the room cameras. Besides, this is 'Hagane-kun's own conclusion along with Lumiel-kun' — you didn't follow an unreasonable order."

"Right... thank you."

Since I turned down the government's proposal, there probably won't be any compensation, but that's a hundred times better than obeying people like that.

If we leave it alone, things will get bad. Not for the country, not to clean up the Association's mess — we're going to protect the people we care about.

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