It seems Lilith, the genius, sharp-tongued, beautiful girl, has taken an interest in Kanata.
*This story’s perspective shifts to Lilith instead of Kanata.*
I thought I’d be confined, but it seems I’m only under house arrest.
No, this situation, where considerable freedom is permitted, isn’t even house arrest.
It’s hard to believe they’re treating me, a human weapon equipped with a mono-molecular whip, a fearsome weapon, like this…
…But I understand why. The brass in this base is confident.
Confident they can handle me, no matter what kind of fearsome human weapon I am.
Soon after arriving at this base, I was interrogated by an insufferable woman they call Commander and her副官.
With that polite approach, could it even be called an interrogation? They asked me several questions.
I had no intention of hiding anything, so I answered honestly.
After that, it was the usual IQ test. It became tedious, so I drew lewd pictures halfway through.
I don’t understand why adults are so fixated on IQ.
What significance is there in being able to perform eight-digit division instantaneously?
Anyone can do that with a cheap calculator.
It’s meaningless, truly meaningless.
Life is boring. If I had the will to die, I should probably die.
After all, no one is interested in my death.
…Interest, huh? I’m feeling a bit of interest right now.
That strange Corporal, he’s the object of my current interest.
He has a past where he didn’t get along with his parents, just like me.
Up to that point, it’s a common story, but that Corporal is somehow odd.
He appears good-natured, but I sensed he harbors darkness as well.
A contradiction, good-natured yet harboring darkness.
I have a hunch, though I don’t know why, that he’s also grappling with some conflict, a conflict he can’t tell anyone about.
When I told him we were the same, he agreed.
Indeed, we are the same in a way. But I also feel we might be two sides of the same coin.
The category is the same, a coin, but the reality is its obverse and reverse.
I don’t know the answer. My Grandfather once said,
“There is no greater pleasure than the unknown. Because it’s unknown, there’s the joy of searching for the answer. The human heart, in particular, cannot be solved with equations. I was only interested in things that could be solved by equations, but at this age, I’m thinking. Wasn’t I just running away from things that equations couldn’t explain? So, Lilith, you should try it for the sake of passing the time. Life is a chain of killing time until you die of old age. Those who enjoy it win.”
My deceased Grandfather was a noble from Garum and a world-renowned mathematician.
And he was a prophet. He accurately predicted the fate I would face.
“When I die, you will be in quite a mess. My daughter is so foolish, it’s hard to believe she’s my blood. To fall for a man so obviously after a title and fortune. She’ll soon be discarded, living a life of alcoholism, or chasing men, or both. That man sees your mother’s weakness. She’ll be used until the very end. It would be best to entrust you to someone trustworthy, but I don’t even have a single friend. However, Lilith, you are intelligent, inheriting my blood. Is it an insult to you, so bright, that a decrepit old man about to die worries about you?”
Looking back now, Grandfather was quite the eccentric.
It’s not the sort of thing you say to a 7-year-old child.
And just as he predicted, after Grandfather’s death, Father’s life became one where he didn’t cherish Mama, but he did use her.
Completely dependent on Father, Mama became unstable and indulged in alcohol and men.
Her attitude towards me also changed. Sometimes she’d cherish me like she used to, and then suddenly, she’d glare at me with hatred or yell, truly the epitome of instability.
I can somewhat understand her feelings. Unlike my Grandfather, the genius mathematician, Mama was ordinary.
She probably grew up being compared to him, and her daughter, I, had inherited her father’s talent.
No longer getting attention from Father, to whom she was dependent, Mama’s jealousy towards me likely intensified.
And then, Mama, who wasn’t physically strong, died while being held by a man after excessive drinking.
I wasn’t sad. I knew it would happen.
And Father, having obtained both title and fortune, sent me, who was now just a hindrance, to the Laboratory in pursuit of his last hope, a position in the Army.
What is this? It’s laughable. What kind of tragic heroine am I?
Oh, right. I was thinking about interest.
The man with glasses who brings me food and books said that the Corporal, who is currently the object of my interest, is negotiating with the Commander to prevent me from being handed over to the Alliance Army’s Laboratory.
He’s really meddling more than necessary.
But what kind of story will he bring me? I’m curious about that.
Don’t disappoint me, Corporal. If it turns out you’re just a good-natured idiot, it would be incredibly dull.
I’m bored. Don’t make me more bored.
Just as I thought that, there was a knock on the door.
“Lilith, it’s Kanata. Do you have a moment?”
“Come in. I’ll at least offer you some tea.”
The Corporal entered and immediately sat on a chair.
“That’s not proper etiquette for a lady. You should ask if you may sit.”
“Thank you very much. I have poor upbringing.”
“It seems it’s not just your upbringing that’s lacking?”
“I won’t deny that. Shall we get to the point?”
“Tea? I can make some, Corporal?”
“Later. This is about your future, Lilith. There are two paths.”
“One is being sent to the Alliance Army’s Laboratory. The other?”
“The Rose Garden. The path of staying and working here at this base.”
“You want to make a 10-year-old me work? Just how short-handed is this base?”
“I know you’re as good as ten people when it comes to intellectual labor. The Asura Unit is always looking for talented individuals. Come, you! Fight with us for justice!”
“Stop it, Corporal. You’re not the type of person who believes in justice.”
“Well, no. But it’s true there’s a path to stay at this base.”
“Forgive me for saying so while you’re feeling good about yourself, but you’re not saving me at all. This isn’t the front lines, but it’s a military base. That means there’s a risk to my life. Isn’t the development Laboratory in the Alliance Army’s headquarters, Ligrit? At least the Laboratory would be safer than here. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Your premise is mistaken. When did I ever say I wanted to save you? I never implied that. I’m just telling you to choose. A life with some freedom, but dangerous, or a life that’s safe but lacks freedom. That’s all.”
“It’s like asking me to choose between a firing squad or hanging. Isn’t there a path to a safe and free life?”
The Corporal bowed ostentatiously, like a waiter at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“I’m afraid, Young Lady, that this is all our menu offers.”
“Is that so? What a poorly stocked restaurant. You wouldn’t stay in business like that.”
I’ll give him some credit for his conversational skills.
And this Corporal, who calmly forces a 10-year-old me to make life choices, is by no means just a good-natured person.
Yes, good. It has to be that way.
So far, satisfactory, Corporal.
Let me test you a bit more.
Whether there’s something in you worth betting my all on, not that it has much value.
There are certain qualities needed to escape boredom.
Though I’ve only lived for 10 years, this is the first time I’ve expected something from another person.
I intended to end my life in boredom, but it’s becoming a little fun.
The sortie arc was scheduled to end in episode 11, but it seems it will take one more episode.
My foresight was inaccurate. Or rather, my structure is poor.
