The magical girl was surrounded!
Though it wasn’t shaped like a door meant for knocking, there was an intercom-like device attached beside it.
I might as well press it.
“This is Arongante speaking.”
“It’s Inny Flowering.”
“Ah, I’ve been expecting you. Please come in; I’m opening the door now.”
The door opened, and upon entering, I found Arongante buried under piles of documents.
She must have been working nonstop since we last parted. Dark circles were beginning to form beneath her eyes.
“Arongante-san”
“It’s not what you think. I was almost done, but for some reason, the work just kept piling up…”
I can somewhat understand how she feels, but if she doesn’t draw the line somewhere, she’ll never get a chance to rest.
“I understand your feelings, but if you don’t rest, you’ll collapse.”
“I know that… but…”
Having dealt with paperwork during my time as a professional, I know it’s doable, but I certainly don’t want to dive back into it now.
I imagine this must be tough, but Arongante will just have to keep pushing forward.
“Let’s set aside my situation for now. First, I’ll hand this over to you.”
Arongante pulled out a glossy card from a drawer and handed it to me.
“What is this?”
“It’s the access key for our facility. With it, you can use our equipment free of charge. You might not need it, but I’ll give it to you just in case.”
I don’t think I’ll end up using it, but I might as well take it. There’s something about free things that makes them irresistible, even though I used to deal with paperwork professionally.
“And I’ll explain the facility as well.”
Before the explanation began, I took a seat on a chair and grabbed a drink.
I thought the explanation would only take a few minutes, but it turned out to be rather lengthy.
Firstly, the official name of the base will remain undisclosed until its full operation begins, aiming to maintain secrecy.
Next, the facilities here are said to be equivalent to those of a branch or headquarters of the Magic Bureau. However, due to the secrecy, we’re severely understaffed with both employees and magical girls. Thankfully, a few top-ranked individuals have been informed and are willing to assist in emergencies.
Arongante serves as the commander here and also acts as the interim director of Japan’s Magic Bureau, filling in for the destroyed main headquarters. Given the overwhelming amount of work, her sister has taken the lead in managing this base.
We’re scheduled to meet her later, so that concludes this part of the discussion.
As for the purpose of creating this base, first and foremost, it aims to defeat the faction of witches who seek destruction.
Secondly, it’s meant to serve as the successor to the Magic Bureau. Originally, the plan was to gradually infiltrate, but with the sudden disappearance of the upper management at the Magic Bureau, Arongante stepped up to fill the void.
There were objections and suggestions for other candidates, but when questioned about their ability to handle the massive debt left by the previous administration—covering compensation to various parties, including the bounties withheld from magical girls—all fell silent.
It’s an unimaginable amount of debt, far beyond what even a magical girl could pay off, let alone an ordinary person.
Fortunately, Kaede-san, among others from Japan’s top ranks, stepped in to cover the costs. Consequently, Arongante temporarily assumed the leadership role.
Once the conflict with the witches is resolved and the organization stabilizes, Arongante plans to step down from her position and retire as a magical girl to live a peaceful life.
Frankly, given her kind-hearted nature, I suspect she’ll somehow continue her duties as a magical girl despite her intentions.
Incidentally, there are five classes of access keys, and the one I received is the highest tier. Each class offers different benefits, such as free usage or discounts.
Since I don’t plan on using it much, it doesn’t matter, but why did she give me the top-tier key?
Regarding my involvement, officially I’m affiliated, but I’m allowed to act freely. My objectives align with the organization’s ideals.
They’d appreciate it if I stopped by occasionally, though.
“That’s all. Do you have any questions?”
“I’m good.”
If I forget anything, Akuma will surely remember.
“One more thing: there are five command rooms here, labeled from 1 to 5. Matters related to witches are handled in Command Room 1. My sister should technically be here, though she’s often absent. Today, however, I’ve asked her to stay put, so she should be here. Please follow me.”
After the explanation concluded, I followed after Arongante.
(Do you know what kind of person Arongante’s sister is?)
“I don’t know much about her personality, but she used to be a staff member at the North Kanto Branch of the Magic Bureau. She recently resigned, but she’s now officially part of this facility. Officially, she’s acting as Arongante’s secretary.”
Hmm. Hearing she’s from that branch gives me a bad feeling, but since she’s Arongante’s sister, I trust she’ll be fine.
(Any other information?)
“There’s nothing particularly important, but she was ranked as high as 12th during her magical girl days. And apparently, she’s pretty harsh on her younger sibling.”
Older siblings tend to be hard on their younger ones, so Arongante must be going through that too…
Lost in thought, we arrived at a door marked “Command Room 1.”
This is my first time here, but it resembles the control rooms seen in anime. Multiple large monitors dominate the space, with several operators seated before them, busily typing away. Some seats are vacant, but they all seem quite busy.
Further back, where the commanding officers usually sit, a woman is seated, engaged in a phone call.
“…In short, I’ve already resigned, so I don’t care what happens next. Excuse me.”
With a sigh of irritation, the woman downed what looked like an energy drink in one go.
“Sister”
“Ah? You’re here. Is this hooded one the infamous Inny Flowering?”
Transformed as I am, it’s natural she wouldn’t immediately recognize me as related to Arongante. Taller than her sister, she exuded a slightly worn-out aura.
I gave a slight bow.
“I’m Minato Shirokigawa, Arongante’s older sister. So you insist on keeping the hood up, huh? Any particular reason?”
Wearing the hood helps me feel calm, but it originally started because Akuma advised me to conceal my face.
Due to the New Demon War, my identity remains ambiguous, but unless absolutely necessary, I don’t intend to remove the hood myself.
(What should I do?)
“It’s fine, but make sure the operators don’t see you.”
When I removed my hood, Minato’s eyes widened momentarily before returning to normal.
“Seeing you in person, you’re quite impressive. It’s unfortunate that someone like you has to struggle so much. The world truly is in decline.”
“I agree, but Inie chose this path herself, so I wish to support her.”
A somber atmosphere lingers. Is there some shared understanding between the sisters?
Minato approached me, scrutinized me closely, then unexpectedly started patting and pinching my cheeks.
“Hmm… What a waste. Such good material ruined by this condition.”
“Sister…”
I’m unsure how to react to this…
“Well, let’s stop playing around. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m overseeing operations here in place of my sister. We might need to contact you, so please cooperate when the time comes.”
“Understood.”
While Arongante embodies seriousness, Minato seems to have a sense of humor.
“Our primary communication will likely concern lost magical girls. Considering the movements of the destructionists, there’s a possibility you might encounter them. Even with Akuma, tracking every magical girl is impossible.”
Indeed, even Akuma can’t track every magical girl. Our discovery of Nightmare was merely a stroke of luck. Once our resources for tracking are depleted, Akuma will be free to focus on other tasks.
“Understood.”
“That’s a good response. One last thing—please look after Marin. She’s still unstable in some ways, and she seems quite infatuated with you. Keep an eye on her subtly.”
I’d prefer to say no, but the atmosphere makes it hard to refuse. Marin is exceptionally strong among the current rookies, but she’s had her struggles.
Once she matures further, becoming a ranker isn’t out of the question. Still, I can’t comprehend why she has feelings for me.
“That’s all from me. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
“For now, I need a week of rest, so please hold off on contacting me until then.”
“Understood. If anything arises, rely on my sister. Despite everything, she’s a ranker and should be able to help.”
Arongante must be having a tough time… Maybe I’ll bring her some treats once in a while.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. Ideally, I’d offer a tour of the facility, but I still have work to do. We’ll likely meet again during the simulation. Until then, thank you for your cooperation.”
“Oh? Are you planning something?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, Sister, please return to your work.”
After readjusting my hood and giving a casual bow, I exited the command room. Let the sibling comedy act continue—I’ll head home quickly.
…Though, since I’m here, I might as well take a brief look around before leaving.
Walking in the opposite direction from which I came, the view outside occasional windows resembled a business district, but neither people nor fairies were visible. Perhaps holograms are being projected instead?
As I strolled leisurely, footsteps approached from ahead.
At the corner, I might have collided if I hadn’t noticed them.
Slowing my pace to wait for the person approaching…
Without waiting, I turned and fled.
Faint voices reached my ears—it was Marin’s voice.
If I were spotted, I couldn’t predict what she’d say.
Just as I started running, a surprised “Ah!” sounded from behind.
Before I knew it, Marin had surrounded me.
Despite her cheerful smile, a faint trace of anger radiated from her. I should have consulted Akuma beforehand…
Shortly after, Star Nail appeared and stood behind Marin.
What should I do now…?
