My progress has stalled (sweat).
I intended to make more progress.
Another side
“What can I say, this is a ridiculously assembled party.”
Minami’s first words, called together by Keiri, were about the strange combination of people gathered.
“Yo! Please treat it favorably, youngsters!!”
The first person was Jiro’s mother, Kirika, who was supposed to be pregnant.
“Ah, please treat it favorably.”
In contrast to Kirika, who greeted them cheerfully, was Jiro’s father, Ichiro, who greeted them quietly.
These two seemed to be the most concerning to him, as he gripped his staff, which he normally used for dungeon dives, and stared at Keiri, questioning what was going on.
“I asked them to come.”
Keiri herself, in a pantsuit, felt out of place among the armed individuals.
Kirika and Ichiro were also in casual clothes.
“Hmm, I wonder. It somehow feels like we can’t win…”
Still, Amelia was wary of Kirika’s clearly extraordinary presence.
They had met a few times in private, but Jiro had always been there, so there was no problem.
But this time, they were interacting without Jiro, making the group subtly unsure of how to gauge the distance.
Minami calmly pondered what to do.
Karen seriously considered whether she should speak to them.
Amelia felt that their bearing was too flawless, and she believed she couldn’t win even in a straight fight.
“It has been a while.”
“Ah, well, well, thank you for your politeness.”
Katsu, in a way, remained steadfast.
He properly conveyed his greetings.
Seeing Katsu greet Ichiro, who was of the same gender, Ichiro was impressed by how well-mannered young people were these days.
“Alright, alright, Katsu. It’s fine for you to show off your housewife skills, but you seem to be short on time, so let’s move on. Keiri-san, is that sturdy car of yours one that’s within traffic law?”
“It’s completely compliant with the law. The driver has a proper license, too.”
At that point, when a cozy atmosphere threatened to fill the air, Minami clapped her hands together to change the subject and refresh the mood.
The group, consisting of the Tanaka couple, Minami’s party excluding Kaido, and Keiri with her escorts, was an oddly mismatched temporary party.
“So, Kirika-san, were you able to make an appointment with the other party?”
“Yes, I did. I told Kirie to pick us up at the prefectural border service area, so we can meet there.”
Despite their anxieties, the combination offered a sense of hope that things might work out.
Keiri, to organize them, proceeded with the plan as scheduled.
“Thank you. We will also finish loading soon, so we’ll depart as soon as it’s complete.”
The battle situation changed by the moment, and the more it changed, the less meaning their current actions held.
It was a battle against time. While it was important not to rush, they felt an urge to hurry.
Keiri, exercising self-control, turned around to check if anything was overlooked, but the assembled members were all present, and the critically sealed Sacred Treasure was currently being loaded into the vehicle.
“I understand. Now, Ichiro, that’s not for the trunk; you’re bringing it with you. It’s important, so keep it close to you.”
“Yeah, okay, but what is this? It’s quite heavy.”
Ichiro tried to put something in the trunk of the vehicle transporting the Sacred Treasure, but Kirika stopped him, and he reluctantly carried it to the passenger seat.
“If I spoil the secret weapon like this, it’ll be pointless, won’t it?”
“Could it be that’s…”
“Ah, indeed.”
Keiri, guessing that the contents of the trunk might be something necessary for negotiating with the gods, gazed intently at the trunk case.
Judging by its appearance alone, it was a trunk case that could be bought anywhere.
It was an old-fashioned black leather travel bag, perhaps a bit difficult to find.
The sight of him holding it so carefully mixed doubt and anxiety in Keiri’s mind.
“If it’s such an important item, shouldn’t you have escorts for it?”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. Besides, who would ever think that a trunk case held by such a seemingly unreliable man is important?”
Was it okay for the man with the least combat power among them to carry an item crucial for negotiating with the gods?
Thinking this, but also feeling that Kirika might have a reason, Keiri decided that further prying was meaningless.
“Yes, I understand. In that case, please carry it with you. It seems the loading is complete.”
During their exchange, Keiri’s subordinate reported that the Sacred Treasure loading was finished.
Their subsequent actions were swift.
“All personnel, board! Those in the escort vehicles, board by squad!”
They boarded the vehicles according to the pre-briefed plan.
Each vehicle was equipped with special modifications.
They were equipped to allow the use of magic outside the company, and although they looked like cars, they were also Golems that could transform into powered suits deployed on the battlefield.
They disguised their inspections to appear outwardly compliant.
“Keiri-sama, deception countermeasures for surveillance are complete.”
Naturally, vehicles leaving this company, which was drawing global attention, were all under surveillance.
There were many ways to circumvent this.
Invisibility was one, and thermal spoofing was another.
From the underground parking lot, one by one, they disappeared, their positions tracked by magic detection. As the lead vehicle slowly began to move, it started silently, without its engine noise.
Thanks to this stealth effect, the convoy emerged onto the main road without any vehicles appearing to the observing eyes. They then slowly turned a corner and disappeared, their vehicle bodies disguised by magic into a combination of a minivan and a truck, appearing entirely ordinary.
“This is going smoothly. How do you feel about me, who deliberately breaks a bad omen by stating such a thing, Minami?”
Keiri’s ears picked up a voice that relaxed the tension, as she moved while being wary of any interference.
“Be serious.”
“Read the room.”
“Min-chan, really, at this timing…”
Receiving frosty gazes from her party members, Minami made a booing sound.
“It’s fine! I don’t dislike it; it’s an interesting idea!”
“Oh, I’m glad to hear you’re receptive to my sensibilities. That’s a pleasant miscalculation for me.”
These two seemed to be the perfect pair to break the stiff atmosphere, and they were chatting amicably.
Kirika, who had taken the back seat, reached over and ruffled Minami’s hair a bit roughly.
Minami, who had not experienced parental affection, felt a clumsy but definite affection in that hand.
“If you have interesting children like you around her, I feel at ease. You should all try to be a little more carefree like this to enjoy life more easily.”
As Kirika let out a hearty, cheerful laugh, Minami responded with her usual otaku chuckle, “Nihinihi.”
Despite being polar opposites, the two got along surprisingly well.
Thanks to their interaction, Keiri realized the tension in her shoulders.
She was relieved to realize that she had been unconsciously tense, thinking it wasn’t like her.
Katsu gave a wry smile, Karen nodded in understanding, and Amelia looked on with a question, while Keiri chuckled at the lack of tension for a group about to negotiate with gods, and was able to spend the journey more relaxed than before.
They entered the highway, and as they gradually approached their destination, that didn’t change.
“Pawn to Queen. I confirm the target vehicle group, and police vehicles are also confirmed nearby.”
“Queen to all Pawns. Attack is prohibited. All units prepare to deploy barriers. In the highly unlikely event of an act of force from the opponent, we will return via Teleportation Magic.”
“Understood.”
There was no interference, and they safely arrived at the destination service area, but the problem lay with the service area itself.
Police vehicles were setting up a checkpoint, occupying a section of the service area, with a host of black cars waiting nearby.
The intimidating scene caused ordinary people to bypass the service area without stopping to rest.
Even without anything to hide, it wasn’t a place anyone would want to linger.
“That’s a flashy welcome.”
“Where did the concept of being incognito go?”
“…My stomach.”
Thinking about going in there now, Keiri felt the same as Ichiro, who was holding his stomach.
However, her robust and healthy body, far sturdier than that of an ordinary human, did not cause stomach pain.
The vehicles approached slowly.
As their forms instantly transformed, the police’s demeanor also changed dramatically.
“All vehicles stop.”
“Understood. All vehicles will stop.”
The police entered a state of alert.
Riot Police quickly moved to cordon off the service area.
The Traffic Police on patrol bikes moved in unison, setting up guidance and restrictions to prevent the entry of ordinary vehicles.
Surrounded, they initially thought it was a trap.
“Kirie Sagami confirmed. Approaching us.”
“I will go to meet them. Minami and Karen, please come as escorts.”
“Understood, Gozaru.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“All units, go to alert status.”
“Understood.”
It seemed the Association had made arrangements, and they had no intention of capturing them.
Contrary to the imposing atmosphere, they realized there was no hostility by the fact that they were preparing to deal with them politely.
“We have been waiting for you.”
“I was surprised you had such a large group.”
“That’s because of your sudden request.”
Keiri, after getting out of the car and maintaining a five-meter distance, shrugged at the surrounding police officers.
“We were told that we needed to restore a Sacred Treasure related to the gods and hand it over urgently. We gathered all the military strength we could, but even then, we feel our preparations are not enough? ”
To the Demon Lord’s Army, it was merely fulfilling an unreasonable request, but to Japan, it was the restoration of a divine artifact.
Faced with a miracle, they could not stand idly by.
“We don’t know what might happen, and that has been more pronounced since you appeared. Spies from other countries have increased by several times the usual number, and officials in Public Security are saying they might die from overwork.”
Keiri, though inwardly agreeing with Kirie’s sarcastic remark that they shouldn’t dismiss such an important matter without discussion, maintained a poker face, showing no outward reaction.
“We just prepared what we were asked to prepare. What was that dangerous thing? We can’t keep it stored forever.”
Cleverly circumventing Kirie’s complaint about needing to follow a proper plan, Keiri claimed rather that *they* were the victims.
“Or would you like to hand over the item here?”
“No, thank you. I heard from my sister that a fearsome artifact has been completed.”
And so, after a shared wry smile, the casual conversation ended.
“…Let’s get down to business. From here on, we will patrol the surroundings and escort you. Please follow our guidance.”
“Understood. However, we are not exactly at leisure either. Please refrain from any unnecessary hospitality.”
“We have made arrangements to ensure there are no problems. If necessary, we will not hesitate to resort to any means.”
They briefly discussed the subsequent flow of events and returned to their respective vehicles.
Then, with patrol cars leading the way, the convoy departed the service area.
Today’s word:
Blood will tell.
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