Chapter 60

Exia's single phrase had such a profound impact on them that it was enough to momentarily make them forget that they were on the ground and in the midst of a battlefield.

A brief silence followed. Silence often spoke louder than words.

[Umm~~~, everyone, it's probably not a good idea to lie. It's quite obvious... even the Raptures can tell... yes...]

"Why do you think that way?"

With his cellphone in his left hand and a cigarette in his mouth, Moore reached for a lighter but found that no one was offering a light. He gave up and used his own oil lighter to ignite the cigarette.

[...Not that her memories haven't been erased... more accurately... the memory erasure didn't... work... There's a record of the memory erasure... yes...]

"...Is that all? That's a weak argument."

As he exhaled a puff of purple smoke, Moore pressed further. Another brief silence followed, but he needed to probe for answers. It might be futile, but he couldn't afford to let his composure waver if it meant safeguarding Rapi's safety.

[No... the evidence... it's... the CVR box from earlier.]

"The CVR box? So what?"

"That thing... if you open it normally... it explodes."

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"What?"

Moore stared at the hangar in the distance, with a furrowed brow, as the information left him baffled. He recalled the orange CVR box among the aircraft's controls in the half-damaged transport plane stored in the hangar. It was supposed to be empty inside.

〈It's due to a defect in the design... They concealed the flaw through a large-scale lobbying effort and released it... yes... That's why there's no information about the explosions in any database... If you open it tilted 20 degrees to the left, it won't explode.〉

Moore found himself intensely curious about the fate of that company. The last thing he expected was for a black box to have such a defect. If opening the CVR during a plane crash resulted in an explosion, erasing vital records during a physical accident seemed disastrous.

〈According to the records, Rapi opened the same box without any issues three years ago... That's why she "remembers" and could open it without an explosion...〉

"Wait, you're saying... this action lead yiu thinking she remembers even after memory erasure?"

Confirming, Moore inquired, and Exia responded with a subtle nod on the screen.

"Ahh~~ Th-That's because, the memory was implemented again after the memory wipe!"

"...Anis, why are you digging a hole for yourself..."

"Ueh!?"

Moore expelled a sigh and a plume of purple smoke while adjusting his helmet with his right hand and bowing down. He ended up crouching in the process.

In her fluster, Anis looked concerned, but Moore let out another sigh.

  "...Didn't Exia just say there's no information about the explosions in any database?"

".....Oh."

  [That's right... It's sort of a folk remedy, like an oral secret art...]

In need of a moment to catch his breath, Moore handed his phone to Anis, and while crouched, he began to smoke as if he wished for a short respite.

The feeling of resignation and acceptance that everything might have been in vain, and the immediate switch to contemplating the best course of action, suggests that Moore is still quite composed.

Within this, with a strained voice, Rapi questioned Exia, who appeared on the screen of the mobile phone held by Anis.

"...What's your purpose?"

[...Ah, well... I was just curious...]

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"...Huh?"

The unintentional synchrony between Exia's response and Moore and Rapi's voices.

[When people come to the data center for the first time, they tend to look around curiously... Newbies are usually like that. But Rapi was different. I thought that maybe she suspected something, and as expected, she did...]

"Just curious? You expect us to believe that?"

[This video call won't leave a recording log... Think very hard with your deductive skills as to why I chose this troublesome video call... or are you only suspicious of your comrades? Is that so?]

The mobile phone Anis was holding is suddenly taken away. The one who took it is Moore, the owner of the mobile phone.

Having finished smoking without anyone noticing and returning to his feet, Moore directs his narrowed gaze toward Exia on the screen of the mobile phone.

"Exia. I have a question."

[...What is it? We were in the middle of talking...]

"I understand you were curious about Rapi's behavior at the data center, and that's why you suspect the memory wipe might not have worked. But did you consider the risks if the memory wipe had worked completely?"

Exia is left silent by this question.

"All three of you, turn off your audio sensors for one minute. I'll Signal when we're done."

"But that might affect our alertness..."

"I'll handle it properly. Turn them off quickly."

Reluctantly, the three of them nodded in response to Moore's instructions, and they temporarily deactivated only their auditory functions. Although they couldn't hear anything, they could still perceive what Moore was saying, as he spoke to the mobile device with an expressionless face.

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....They couldn't hear what he was saying, and at least he didn't seem to be getting angry. However, they found themselves curiously watching Exia on the screen, who appeared to be lowering her head little by little.

After a while, still with the same expressionless face, Moore signaled to them. This must have been the cue. As soon as the three reactivated their auditory sensors, sound returned to their world.

"...I've said what I wanted to say, and I won't say anything more. But if there's another situation like this: I don't know if it will come, but make sure you carry it out with caution."

[Sorry... for everything...]

What did he really say? As they watched Exia, who remained head down, apologizing, they couldn't help but look concerned.

Whether he wanted to focus on his other cigarette or maintain rear guard vigilance, Moore handed the mobile phone back to Anis, and started smoking again while turning away from the others.

"Uh... Are you okay?"

[I'm... okay... Anyway, if you plan to do something about the fact that Rapi's memory wipe didn't work, it might be quicker to report it to the Central Government... I'm sorry if I made you feel uneasy... I'll mark the next checkpoint... See you later...]

As the video call ended, Anis approached Moore, who was still puffing purple smoke, gripping her assault rifle. She handed over the mobile device she had been holding.

Taking it without a word, Moore fumbled to stow it in the pouch of his body armor.

"What did you say to Exia?"

"Lecture and guidance..."

That was the rather succinct response to her question.

"It might have seemed a bit harsh, not really like me... Squad, advance."

With a sigh and a puff of purple smoke, Moore threw the cigarette butt into a portable ashtray and gestured by aligning two fingers on his left hand and waving them forward and backward several times.

Knowing that this sign meant to advance, they started walking again with Rapi at the front. However, the squad's atmosphere, particularly due to the disputes between Anis and Neon, was far from pleasant. There was a tense and prickly mood, different from the atmosphere of being ready for combat.

"Being quiet is a good thing, but..."

Moore's remark, implying that he should have been a bit more tactful, was enough to trigger an ill-advised comment. The squad interpreted his statement in the context of the current atmosphere.

"But Anis keeps suspecting everyone like a detective, so I'm too scared to talk."

"Well, then, why don't you just stay quiet?"

"It's my mouth, you know? I can talk if I want to, can't I?"

"Ugh, come on... Enough already."

"Do you want to be friends with a spy? Why do you keep talking to me?"

"Cut it out!"

Finally, Moore stepped in to stop the argument. He stopped, turned around, and directed his narrowed, intense brown eyes towards Neon and Anis, who were following behind.

"I'll let it slide, but I didn't intend for the squad's teamwork to break down. Stop it right now."

"Your words, Sensei, but it seems like it's already broken down thanks to someone."

"Neon..."

Even Rapi, in her role as the squad leader, stopped to admonish her. However, Neon departed from the formation and started moving forward on her own.

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"I absolutely won't apologize! I'm not in the wrong!"

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The direction they were moving was a Y-shaped intersection formed by stacked scraps. As Neon passed Moore and Rapi to their right, Anis, who seemed to have reached her limit of patience, clicked her tongue.

"...We were supposed to be careful... Why is she acting like that? I don't know anymore!"

Without bothering to hide her displeasure, Anis started walking down the left path.

Watching her reluctantly, Moore couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Commander, the formation is..."

"I know. Rapi, stick with Anis. I'll go with Neon. Two-man cell for clearing."

"Roger."

It wasn't ideal to split the squad's combat power, but dealing with encounters and engagements against the enemy with only one person was even less ideal.

He immediately ordered Rapi to take the left path and headed towards the right side, following Neon at a brisk pace.

"Neon."

Thankfully, Moore caught up with her quickly and called out to her, but she continued to ignore him, still obviously angry.

Well, the reason for her anger and the source of her irritation weren't entirely unfathomable. Moore casually directed his fingers toward his headset. He adjusted the position of the microphone at his mouth after transmitting a signal.

[...I can't blame you for being angry. In fact, it's entirely reasonable.]

Suddenly, the familiar voice reached Neon and Anis as they continued down the left path. The voice had a slightly mechanical sound to it, possibly due to the radio transmission.

[...Do you understand why I'm angry, Sensei?]

[...Yeah, I do. Want me to give a guess? Neon isn't angry because you've been singled out as a spy. you are angry because you thought Anis denied the time we fought together until now, right?]

In response to Neon's probing, somewhat skeptical voice, Moore's voice continued. He seemed to be talking while still in transmission mode.

Neon maintained her silence, and that silence served as her answer.

[...I'm not defending Anis, but I don't think she was conscious of it to that extent. It's her personality, you know? I'd like to retract my words, but I've just said them. I can't back down anymore. That's how it is.]

"Her personality." Those words transmitted over the radio caused wrinkles to appear on Anis's forehead. Why would he say such a thing to someone like her, who lived her days brightly and cheerfully?

(Tl Notes: the sarcasm is so strong you could eat it.)

[So, Master, are you saying I should apologize for getting mad on my own?]

[No? I don't think you need to apologize. Anis was the one who pulled the trigger first. Well... I'd like to believe that she didn't do it consciously...]

Of course, it was obvious. Rather, she's the one who was confused. Was this a lecture? If it was, she didn't want to hear it, and she contemplated ending the radio transmission.

[But you know... just don't forget the possibility that you might regret this.]

[Regret?]

[Do you know where we are? It's a place where you could die at any moment. Rapture's lasers that could kill us any second might come flying from just ahead. It's that kind of place. It's too late to wish we had done things differently when the end is near.]

[...I understand...]

[...You get what I mean, right? I'm not telling you to make up, but just keep it in mind. Be ready to die at any time.]

There was no response from Neon to indicate her understanding. However, it was easy to imagine that she was lost in thought. After all, Anis herself wore a similar expression.

Moore was one of the commanders she detested, but he was an exception; she trusted him. She also trusted Rapi.

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....So what about Neon?

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[Sensei, do you trust me? I'm a spy, you know.]

[I think that joke has expired by now... I wouldn't leave my back to you if I didn't trust you. It's not just you. I trust Rapi and Anis too. Do you remember the mission to investigate the coastal city's power plant? It was your first mission when you joined the squad.]

Suddenly, he began speaking. It was the mission that caused everyone present here to be sent to the forward base. This included not only Neon and Anis but also Rapi, who tilted her head.

[I told Anis, didn't I? When I give the order to charge, I'll be at the front. At that time, you can shoot me in the back if I hesitate. And if you end up shooting me, I'm fine with that. I have no doubt that I won't bear a grudge. That's how much I trust you.]

[Nikke can't shoot people, Sensei. And... I don't want to shoot you. I really don't want to.]

[It's just a hypothetical scenario---... Wait a second... We've made contact!]

Over the radio, and as the gunshots that shook the air began to resound, Rapi and Anis's expressions tensed.

"Six Raptures! Neon, come to my side!"

Amidst the echoes of the assault rifles and the shotguns, a voice emerged from the still-connected radio, weaving a voice that did not resemble the battlefield's roar in the slightest.

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"This day is called the feast of Crispian."

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What was he starting to say? With a calm and solemn voice that sounded like reciting poetry, it was undoubtedly Moore. As the gunshots resounded and the explosions of the Raptures, likely brought down, rattled their auditory sensors, Moore continued his recitation.

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"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;"

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As Rapi and Anis started to run out to the battlefield to seek cover or move toward reinforcements, his recitation continued.

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"For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."

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The recitation over the radio continued while the sound of gunfire ceased almost simultaneously.

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Author Notes: This is a quote from Shakespeare's Henry V.

Captain Moore is probably an intellectual. In this world, there are likely very few people who can quote Shakespeare like this. (After all, during his first meeting with Helm, he was simply called a "nostalgia lover").

The last sentence starting with "For he today" was strangely converted in the previous message, so I have corrected it. If there are any issues with the formatting or pronunciation, please let me know via feedback; I would greatly appreciate it. (It was odd... It was fine as it was...)