Kimi to Boku no Saigo no Senjo, Aruiha Sekai ga Hajimaru Seisen - Volume 9 - Chapter 2.2

2

Opuhna. Independent state.

Sandwiched between the Empire and the Nebulis Sovereignty were several autonomous nations. Among them was Opuhna, a country along the easternmost edge of the Empire.

It was a nexus, so to speak. No air route directly connected the Nebulis Sovereignty and the Empire. Planes would instead stop at Opuhna, which was independent. Past that, you had to take the highways stretching across the continent and enter the Empire via vehicle.

“…It’s already right in front of us.”

The road stretched into the horizon. Iska gazed ahead from the passenger seat of the large car as he glanced at the map in his hands. Soon, they would probably come across an Imperial checkpoint on the highway they were racing down. If they could get through without incident, they would be in the Empire.

“Commander Mismis.” He addressed the woman sitting in the back seat. “We’re almost at the Imperial border checkpoint. All we have to do is show them our Imperial certificate of registration and Imperial force IDs, right?”

“Yeah, I don’t think we need to hide who we are. We’re just heading home, after all.” Commander Mismis nodded, an Imperial-grade high-voltage stun gun resting on her lap.

Anyone from another country in possession of such a weapon would raise suspicion at a border checkpoint, but an Imperial soldier carrying one for self-defense was sure to be accepted. Even Jhin’s rifle, which had been disguised as a hunting gun, could be carried into the Empire openly without issue. The same held true for Iska’s astral swords.

“When we crossed the Sovereign border, I feared for my life, but we can relax now that we’re going through the Imperial border checkpoint,” Jhin said, as though remembering. “We have some stuff to deal with when we get back to the Empire, but all we’re doing is coming home. We can just pretend we got back from sightseeing. The only part of this that might make for a recipe for disaster, though, is…”

He glanced over. Out of the corner of his eye was Rin, sitting directly beside him at the very edge of the back seat. She was the only one the conversation didn’t apply to. At the moment, she was engrossed in reading a tourist guide on the Empire.

“…I see. So this is an Imperial note. It looks exactly like it did in history class.” She held a bill from the Sovereignty in her left hand. Then she unfurled a note from the Empire in her right hand and compared them. “Mm-hmm. Apparently, you can use any common world currency in the Empire, but ninety-seven percent of the citizens opt for Imperial notes. If I use the common notes, they’ll suspect I’m from abroad. Even if I make it into the Empire, if they find out I’m from the Sovereignty, everything will be for naught…so I’ll have to use Imperial currency to remain innocuous…”

“It’s all up to whether she can behave herself, I guess.” Jhin gestured at Rin, who was still staring down at the guidebook. “It’ll make things easier on us if she acts like a tourist. As an Imperial, I don’t know how to feel about getting a front-row view of a spy studying up to sneak into the Empire.”

“Same here.” Rin pouted and turned. Though she hadn’t engaged in any of their conversations up until that point, she must have been listening in absentmindedly. “You all came to the Lou family’s villa. The servants were terribly upset by that as well.”

She was probably referring to the young women who served the Lou family: Yumilecia, Ashe, Noel, Sistia, and Nami. Despite their youth, they were all trusted retainers of the House of Lou.

And the strength of their loyalty was matched only by their hatred for the Empire.

“Imperial soldiers coming to the residence was unprecedented. Normally, the servants would have instantly handed you over to the military police, or at least mixed mud into your meals, or humiliated you by taking photos of you with hidden cameras while you were bathing. They discussed every trick in the book to upset you.”

“Of course. We were expecting the room to be bugged.”

“They would never.” Rin shook her head tersely at Jhin. “Lady Sisbell kept a close eye on them. She called in each one of the five servants individually and admonished them, telling them that any slight against you would be taken as a slight against her.”

“…She did?”

“It is as I said. I won’t go as far as to press you to think of yourselves as being in her debt, but I hope you will remember what she did for you.”

Rin crossed her arms. Or rather, she turned to her left as though she had recalled something herself. “Now, a change of subject, Commander Mismis.”

“Y-yes?!”

“…”

Rin pointed at her left shoulder. When Commander Mismis saw that, she quickly placed her hand on her own left shoulder—to her glowing, greenish-blue astral crest. Of course, the light was currently masked by a self-adhesive.

“I’m sure you’re wearing one of the Sovereignty’s self-adhesives. How many days have you been using it?”

“…Um, about five.”

“And what did you do when you bathed?”

“…I think I might have left it on.”

“You should change that before we reach the Imperial checkpoint, just in case. If the self-adhesive deteriorates and any amount of astral energy leaks out, you’ll be the one they capture.”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

“And while I’m at it, I think this one would match your skin more closely.”

Rin produced a self-adhesive from her breast pocket. As far as Iska could tell, it looked the same as what Commander Mismis already had on.

“I’m sure you’re using one of the self-adhesives Lady Sisbell had on her person, but her skin has not seen the light of day. Yours is different from hers.”

Sisbell’s skin was as white and clear as porcelain.

But that wasn’t the case with Mismis. What Rin had meant to say was that Mismis needed a self-adhesive that would reflect the regular sun exposure she received during the Imperial forces’ training sessions.

“This is one of mine. It should suit you better.”

“Th-thank you, Miss Rin!”

“If you’re caught, then everything will be for naught. That’s all there is to it.”

She was curt. Though being matter-of-fact was typical for Rin…

“…………”

“What is it, Imperial swordsman? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Noticing Iska staring from the front seat, Rin twisted her face into a moody scowl.

“Do you suspect this is a fake?”

“That’s not it,” Iska replied.

“What, then?”

“…I was just thinking that you’ve gotten friendlier.”

“What did you say?!”

She noisily clambered to her feet…

…inside the car. She had leaned forward with such force, she nearly rammed her head right into the skylight.

“You— What do you mean by that?! Are you insinuating that you’ve won me over?!”

“I meant it as a compliment!” Iska attempted to quickly placate Rin after she angered for some unfathomable reason.

The Empire.

East border checkpoint. Easternmost Altoria jurisdiction.

The line of cars and buses waiting for an immigration check stretched on for hundreds of meters.

“What?! There’s way too much traffic. What’s going on?!” Commander Mismis immediately cried. She leaned out the window and looked at the line of cars. “This is like one of the capital checkpoints. But why would a border crossing at the outskirts of the Empire be so congested…?”

“Could I see?” Rin, who had leaned out the window on the opposite side of the car, was also staring dubiously at the lines of cars. “Are the queues different from during peacetime? Tell me what’s going on, Commander Mismis.”

“Don’t ask me! It just looks oddly busy.”

“…You don’t think they found out I’m sneaking in?”

“N-no. They couldn’t have!”

From the corners of their eyes…

“Hey, Commander, maybe they’re doing body checks?” Nene pointed at the cars lined up for the border checkpoint. The immigration officers were calling over passengers into the security inspection area one by one.

“Don’t they usually just look over your passport and luggage and make an astral energy check? It seem like they’re frisking everyone right now. I think that’s what’s causing the delays.”

“They must’ve buffed up the inspection requirements,” Jhin continued. It seemed he’d grown tired of watching the border crossing and leaned back in his seat. “The Imperial forces made a whole fuss in the Sovereignty and ended up capturing purebreds, so they’ve got to expect the Sovereignty will send assassins over in retaliation. Of course they’re gonna tighten security.”

“…I find it quite galling.” Rin scowled through her irritation. “Well, it’s fine. Bring on the frisking or whatever else they have in store. Although I am disgusted at the thought of Imperial hands touching me, if this is what Lady Sisbell’s rescue demands, then so be it.”

“So, Rin…”

“What is it, Imperial swordsman?”

“You can act this way around us, but if you get grumpy just because someone’s an Imperial at the immigration checkpoint, you’re going to arouse suspicion. You need to be mindful of that, at the very least.”

“…” Rin was silent.

Was she mad? That was what Iska had thought, at least, but he was immediately disproven.

“Thank you very much for your concern, Mr. Iska.” The brown-haired girl gave him an incredibly charming smile.

And her voice was as sweet as a tumbling bell.

“You need not worry about me. I, Rin Vispose, am well aware of how to behave properly, just as I am doing now. I will act the part of a meek traveler.”

“…………”

“Is there something the matter, Mr. Iska?”

“Well, I was just thinking I’d be ecstatic if you were always this nice.”

“Sorry, not happening in a million years.”

“You didn’t even miss a beat!”

“Yes, it’s easily a hundred million times more worthwhile for me to smile at an alley rat over an Imperial,” Rin answered with a charming grin.

“Would it kill you to be more polite when you talk with us?!”

Iska sighed at Rin, who’d made no attempts to hide her animosity as she spoke to him.

An hour passed.

“And who was saying not to worry?”

The border checkpoint, in front of the inspection area.

In a parking lot filled with more than a hundred cars, Jhin, who had grown tired of idling, crossed his arms. “We’ve been waiting thirty minutes since our frisk finished, Iska. I know that it takes a long time for women to dress, but… Hey, Nene. She went in with you for the check, right?”

“That’s right. But the commander and I were given priority.”

Nene pointed at a security inspection area that had recently been created. Though they were processing men and women separately, Iska and the others had been given priority, since they’d presented their Imperial force IDs.

Rin, who was the only one of their group who would be searched as an ordinary civilian, stood in the gigantic women’s line.

“Sure is taking a while.”

Commander Mismis was probably unaware she was clutching her left shoulder.

Her astral crest.

Astral energy detectors were in use all over the Empire, so there was no doubt that the border checkpoint would also have high-performance radar on hand.

“Even if her astral energy isn’t seeping out…what happens if the self-adhesive starts coming off during the physical exam and she’s caught?”

“If that happens, then that’s it. There’s no way to protect her. That was the agreement from the start.”

Though Jhin’s answer sounded cold, he was spot-on. They couldn’t be on the Sovereignty’s side. In the end, they were just returning home to the Empire, and Rin had simply tagged along by chance. If she was caught, their hands would be tied.

Then again…

Worried as Iska was about her, that was the cold hard truth.

“Commander, I’m going to check in on her really quick. Is that okay?”

“In that case, I’ll go, too. She should be in the women’s line, after all.”

Just then, a girl with brown hair exited the security examination area.

“Miss Rin! Oh, I’m so glad…”

“What’s wrong, Commander Mismis?”

“Well, you were taking a little while, so we got anxious.”

“It was simply crowded,” Rin replied. “The examination itself was over in no time flat. It was so easy, it was almost a letdown. Immigration checks are essentially the same no matter where you go.”

Evidently, she had undressed during the exam, because she wore only a shirt and pants as she approached. Her jacket hung off her shoulders. She didn’t seem to find their concern over her to be necessary.

“What is it, Imperial swordsman? Did you assume I would bungle a simple examination?”

“To be honest, I was a little worried. You were taking a long time, so I thought the astral energy detector might have caught you.”

“At this stage? I hid it with a self-adhesive, obviously. There’s no chance of astral energy seeping out.”

“We were talking about what we would have done if the adhesive peeled off. Since the examination does involve physical contact.”

“What? Why would something that would never happen worry you so much?” Rin remained composed as she snorted. “They couldn’t discover my astral crest with such a simple physical examination.”

“Really?”

“Of course not. They didn’t ask me to remove my underwear, so I wasn’t afraid they would discover it.”

“Oh? That’s goo— Wait, your underwear?”

She nodded as though it was only natural. Suddenly, Iska realized something incredibly momentous.

You can’t see Rin’s astral crest unless she takes off her underwear.

That meant it was on a part of her body that was hidden by her undergarments.

And practically speaking, that meant it had to be…

“Uh?!”

Nene and Commander Mismis, who had made the same realization, both opened their eyes wide.

“It’s under your panties?! Which means your astral crest must be… I-is it there? …No, maybe it’s there!”

“Oh my, oh my! Y-you can’t, Commander!” Nene exclaimed. “You’re making me feel secondhand embarrassment just mentioning it!”

Commander Mismis started to turn red in the face as her imagination ran wild. Nene was so self-conscious that she covered her ears.

However…

There was one girl who was far more ashamed than either of those two could be.

“…………”

Though she still wore a poker face, even Rin’s ears were bright red. In an attempt to hold back the humiliation she felt from revealing her embarrassing secret, she stared at her feet and balled her hands into fists.

“Iskaaaaaaaa!” she yelled. She was so mortified that she ran at him while tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. “This time I will not forgive you!”

“For what?!”

“I cannot believe you revealed my secret! You…you asked that question so innocently; that was where you erred. But what’s so wrong about having an astral crest on one’s buttocks?!”

“People can hear you!”

Rin’s astral crest was on her derriere.

You better not say anything.

After Rin made them (read: threatened them to) swear to keep her secret, Iska and the rest of the group passed through the Imperial checkpoint.