Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume SS - Chapter 3.1

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Season 2 Short Story 

MISSON HATSUMOUDE  

Chapter 1 – Beginning 

The fifteenth of December, 2095AD. 

Major Angie Sirius, the commanding officer of the Stars Magician Unit under the direct control of the USNA Army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, and one of the USNA’s three official national strategic-class magicians, was granted a top-secret mission directly by the Secretary of Defence. 

This mission’s nature was far removed from the primary duties of the commanding officer of the Stars unit, and Angie was completely at a loss underneath her mask as she was dismissed by the Secretary of Defence. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The commanding officer of Stars, Angie Sirius. This name is an alias. Her real name is Angelina Kudou Shields. Her nickname is Lina. 

Angie and Lina not only have different names, their outward appearances are also different. The characteristics of Angie Sirius’s outward appearance are golden eyes, red hair and being nearly 170cm tall. On the other hand, Lina is 163cm tall, which can be said to be average for an American woman. However, her looks cannot be said to be average. She is a peerless beauty possessing eyes so blue they bring to mind sapphires of the highest quality, and with dazzlingly beautiful golden hair. 

In the dead of night at around the time after the date has changed to the twentyfourth of December, Lina has just completed a depressing mission, removed her Angie Sirius disguise, and is now lying down in her personal room in the Stars headquarters, which is located in a base on the outskirts of Roswell, in the state of New Mexico. 

There, the sound of the buzzer informed her of a visitor. As Lina got up, she gave a bitter smile as she thought on how her overprotective subordinate appears to have been worried and has come to check on her. After a ‘depressing mission,’ without fail, ‘he’ comes to check on her condition. As she made a bittersweet smile, she also felt the birth of a warmth which gradually filled the inside of her chest. 

“By all means.” 

Lina got up from the bed and opened the lock with a remote control, whilst sending a short reply towards the door phone’s microphone. 

“Excuse me, High Commander.” 

The one who entered was the person who Lina had predicted. The number two of Stars and the commanding officer of the first unit, as well as the one who acts as the agent of the high commanding officer in a situation where she is absent, Major Benjamin Canopus. 

“Refreshments.” 

Truly having the outward appearance of a high-ranking officer, different from that of a civilian businessman or soldier who has worked his way up, Canopus is a man of approximately forty-years-old who is clad in an ambience that is smart yet sturdy. That outward appearance is out of sync with the pastel-coloured lid of the magic cup he placed on the side table. 

“Ben, thanks a lot.” 

As she said her thanks, Lina removed the magic cups lid. Steam rose up from the cup’s contents, honey milk. This consideration, exemplified by her subordinate’s age, made him appear like he was her father. 

“Don’t mention it. By the way, High Commander, have you already finished your preparations?”  

Canopus asked, seeing the personal containers piled up in the corner of the room. 

“Yes, more or less.” 

“As one would expect, you’ve prepared skilfully.” 

“This is because I’m still a girl.” 

In response to the reply from his superior officer, who appears to be young enough to be his daughter, Canopus, who in actuality has a daughter two years younger than her, shrugs his shoulders. 

“You say that it’s because you are a girl but I’m not so sure that’s connected…… isn’t it because of your Japanese blood?” 

“If you’re saying I’m punctual because I’m Japanese, I think that’s an outdated sentiment.” 

Being told of the quarter of the blood flowing in herself, this time it was Lina’s turn to shrug her shoulders. 

It was not that she disliked the fact particularly. 

People who care about things like race will not flourish, at least not in Stars. 

“Hmm, I guess so, anyway…… forget about this unfortunate mission for a little while and go leisurely stretch your wings.” 

“It’s a special mission, not a holiday……” 

Canopus’s carefree temptation caused Lina’s lips to sharpen into a pout. That expression, it suited her age. 

“It’s rather depressing. To infiltrate the high school which the suspects are attending, and to spy out whether they are the strategic-class magician in question. Figure out which of the two it is, that’s assuming one is, and yet isn’t the possibility of it being neither of the two really high? Why me, who is inexperienced at infiltration and investigation and the like…… Aren’t there more suitable experts able to disguise themselves to infiltrate as a high school student?” 

“Now, now.” 

Taking action to sooth his sighing superior officer, Canopus made a gesture of waving both his hands back and forth. 

“The Chiefs of Staff must consider the opponent to be that out of the ordinary. If the target is the existence that we believe them to be, then they are a master of dangerous magic which surpasses strategic nuclear weaponry. Furthermore, our investigation couldn’t grasp the opponent’s true nature. It isn’t unclear as to why the Chiefs of Staff are prioritising combat power over training as an intelligence operative in their personnel selection. 

“That, I understand.” 

“The target is a high school student, therefore the plan, though I think it a little too simplistic, is to make contact with another high school student just like them, but the investigation isn’t limited to only the High Commander. 

“……That, I also understand.” 

Lina’s facial expression was saying, ‘I understand, but I am not convinced.’ 

“How about thinking about it this way. The High Commander’s role is to get in contact with the target and to rattle them.” 

“That makes a lot more sense. My technical skills in intelligence are practically the same as an amateur.” 

“If that is the case, then it’s okay to let loose a little. I think it would be a loss if you don’t enjoy yourself, and if you do then the opponent may want to do so themselves.” 

“……That is so, isn’t it? It might well be as Ben is saying.” 

With a big sigh, Lina returned the magic cup to the side table and stood before Canopus. 

“Ben, please take care of things during my absence. In this situation where we have not finished dealing with the remaining deserters, you will be burdened with the primary duty which I was to bare, and I am truly sorry for that…… But there is only you who I can ask to be my substitute.” 

“Please leave it to me, High Commander. This may be a little early, but safe travels.” 

As Canopus gave a salute with a smile full of affection, Lina returned the salute with a smile of gratitude. 

Once Canopus had left the room and Lina was once more the only person present, she looked at the closed packing container with more reservation than before, and then moved in front of the desk while letting out a long continuous sigh. 

There, the electronic paper terminal which contained her present mission’s directives had been casually placed. 

Lina pressed the power button on the terminal, and once again turned to look at and reread the directive that she had already read over and over again. 

It was not necessary to read the contents, they had been burned into her mind completely. 

“……What kind of appearance would be beneficial?” 

Looking at the second page of the directive, there was a hypothetical contact situation written down. For her sake, since she was inexperienced in intelligence, a specialist has drawn up behavioural simulations. 

Within those, there was plan which stood out called, ‘Induce the Target’s Sympathy as an Inexperienced Foreigner Visiting a Shrine for Hatsumoude, Then Use That as an Excuse to Form a Friendship.’ 

For the induce sympathy part of the plan, which just required her to play the part of a good but unlucky child, she was able to understand effective means of doing so. 

However, it said, ‘as an Inexperienced Foreigner,’ and she could not think of a concrete means in which to do so. What appearance would be beneficial? That, she did not understand, nor if she had anything that could do that in the container. And even if she produced something locally, she did not understand where to go or how to proceed. This issue had her completely at a loss. 

……That she would be seen as an ‘inexperienced foreigner’ if she were to use her ordinary appearance, was something Lina had not realised.