Turning Point - Part 4

Original work by the author 'Pili.'

…

Yoru moved a few steps closer to Kenji and Hiroki, then adjusted her stance to face Seina.

Together, the three of them bowed their heads in a brief, respectful gesture.

Seconds ticked by as they waited for Seina to speak.

Shortly, she lifted one hand from the desk, signaling them to relax their posture.

Just looking at her for a long time was enough to make you tremble. Except for Hiroki, who was waiting impatiently. Everyone sat on the black carpet, showing outward respect.

*"Is she waiting for the others now, or—?"*

"It seems we're ready then."

Seina interrupted Hiroki's thoughts immediately. He glanced around for a moment, looking slightly confused; Seina noticed it immediately.

Aside from them, no other guards or individuals were present, and more importantly, the other two members weren't there.

"Excuse me..." Hiroki began, his voice low and respectful. "During the announcement, two other names were called out: Izuhara Rumi and Ashikaga Taro. Are they not joining this briefing?"

"Those two have their own assignments for the time being. I deploy personnel where and when I see fit. For this particular matter, your unit alone is sufficient. They’re already experienced enough, so I’ve assigned them elsewhere. I prefer distributing tasks fairly."

Hiroki felt a tiny sting of insult for a second, though he took it in stride.

*"Why do I feel a kind of contempt for no reason?"*

Kenji shifted his weight to the side discreetly, leaning his head slightly toward Hiroki to whisper under his breath.

"Guess that means we're on our own for whatever this is..."

At that moment, Hiroki raised his head after the question and continued speaking to Seina.

"Okay. I understand. So... what exactly is required of us?"

"First of all, I appreciate that you arrived on short notice," Seina said, addressing all three of them, which instantly drew their attention to her. "Taking this summons seriously and understanding the weight of the situation shows that you have at least some sense of responsibility."

"But," she paused, her voice more serious, "it means you must prove yourselves. Therefore, this task will determine whether you’re worthy of my final approval."

She stood up without taking her eyes off them.

"Know that once you are accepted, the fate of an entire kingdom may one day rest in your hands. Because... you will then have to break your contract with the PHG to become official members of the kingdom."

As soon as these words left her lips, Hiroki's eyes widened, his gaze fixed on the floor in obvious shock. Sweat slowly formed on his face, with one drop falling onto the carpet.

*"So that means... Miyu... and Amaya... and Ayuri...?!"*

Kenji and Yoru's reactions betrayed their slight concern, but neither of them could say anything. They knew they didn't come here to say no.

Seina then took two small steps away from the desk, moving directly in front of them.

"As you probably already know, the western district of the capital suffered a coordinated attack recently. However, the physical destruction is only part of the problem. Following the incident, the Royal Elite Guards conducted a detailed census of the affected areas."

She then pointed her finger at a cluster on a map lying on the table, indicating specific areas. Hiroki and the others hadn't seen anything because the table was higher than them, but Seina was doing this for herself. Then she turned her gaze back to them, serious and focused.

"Approximately ten civilians are completely unaccounted for. Some people reported seeing several individuals being dragged away during the confusion. In other words, they were taken as hostages."

Hiroki froze. His initial tension shifted into a baffling anxiety.

"Hostages...?" Hiroki murmured, looking up at Seina. He could barely maintain eye contact, then she carried on.

"That's right. We still don't know why they did this in the first place, and we don't know if they had any ulterior motives."

Yoru's expression tightened. This time, she was the one most upset by Seina's words.

"Ten people..." she murmured, "They didn't just burn the area to create chaos. They even had specific plans from the beginning."

Seina glanced at Yoru for a moment after her words, then returned to the main topic.

"That's why... I specifically summoned you. You've encountered them before and know the most about these people, and you already have some ties to the kidnapped individuals."

Seina's words caught Hiroki's attention for a moment.

*"Is she… referring to Amaya...?"*

"And what's our role in this situation...?" Kenji asked nervously.

"I want you to go to the area surrounding the incident—the same western region, but the main city instead of the border village. Your mission is to gather as much information as possible from there, by any means necessary," Seina replied directly.

"Isn't that place a massive crossroads for outsiders coming from the borders of the capital? Would that even be effective?" Yoru asked curiously, a hint of quiet doubt in her voice.

Seina kept her eyes on Yoru for a longer moment before answering.

"It's the only area suitable for this. We've already questioned almost everyone in the village, but it hasn't been enough."

"I see," Yoru lowered her head, understanding the situation now.

Hiroki stopped looking at Yoru and glanced back forward.

*"This means we'll have to pass right through Zeira midway. It's a bit nerve-wracking; my first time traveling to a region much farther out than usual…"*

Seina continued after giving them a brief moment for their thoughts.

"Formally, this operation falls under the classification of a PHG partnership mission. However, from my perspective, this is a direct evaluation. Consider this your chance. I want to see if your group has the discipline and practical capability to handle sensitive tasks without allowing the enemy to get ahead."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"Therefore... only if you prove capable during this phase will your positions in the Youth Elite Guard be finalized. If you make reckless decisions, you will be removed from the roster immediately. Understood?"

At that moment, both Kenji and Hiroki felt uneasy at the severity of her warning.

"G-Got it..." Hiroki barely managed to say. But he wished he hadn't.

For some reason, Seina shifted her gaze toward him for several seconds. Hiroki didn't realize it was happening, but Yoru caught every second of it from the side. Soon, Seina spoke, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me... Hiroki Kurogane."

Hiroki looked up quickly, momentarily flustered, as he caught sight of her sudden focus on him.

"Y-Yes...?"

"What is your actual objective moving forward? What would make you put yourself on the line for this? What are your ambitions?"

*"Huh? What's all this about? Why are all these questions directed at me?"*

Hiroki couldn't just brush the question off. He glanced at Kenji and Yoru beside him; their tense eyes practically begged him to give a safe answer that wouldn't put them in more trouble. Then, he glanced back at the table in front of him, trying to find the right words to her question.

Suddenly, the answer flashed clear in his mind. It was the same one he had given before—during that quiet conversation on the second-floor balcony under the night sky, when Ayuri had asked him the very same thing.

Back then, he had felt hesitant, unsure of where he stood in this unfamiliar world.

But now... he knew the difference, and he understood the true weight of it. He took a slow breath, steadying his chest. As he spoke, his voice wasn't loud, but it carried a quiet, resolute weight.

"I... want to make sure the people responsible are stopped. I don't care about titles or my standing in the Kingdom. But there are people I know who were hurt... and others were taken. I want to bring the hostages back. And I want to make sure that kind of senseless tragedy stops happening."

Kenji watched him, completely breathless in shock, while Yoru's gaze softened just a fraction, a quiet acknowledgment passing through her expression.

Hiroki looked directly into Seina's unwavering eyes, trying his best to remain resolute.

"So... I'm ready for this."

Seina kept her eyes locked on Hiroki's face for a few more seconds, watching him tense up slightly as he waited for her verdict. Then, her expression softened from the previous seriousness into a quiet, assessing look of respect.

"Your words are interesting. But that remains to be seen until I review the initial results with my own eyes."

Then, Seina walked slowly back to her desk. It was a silent signal that the matter had finally been settled.

"I wish you the best of luck with this mission," Seina said calmly, sitting down. "I expect a concise final report of all the information you've gathered by the end of the mission day. It would be best if it were written down."

With those words, Hiroki knew immediately she was now officially counting on them. A faint, involuntary expression of satisfaction crossed his face, and he quickly tried to hide his delight before replying.

"We will!"

Kenji exhaled a heavy sigh of relief, leaning back to relax his stiff posture after all that tension, even though they were still in the same room with Seina.

Seina, on the other hand, looked slightly pleased as she glanced at them. It was a sentiment worth appreciating; she couldn't blame them for their feelings.

"One more thing." After a few reassuring moments, Seina added, "Ayuri has also been asked to conduct some investigations in the same area to monitor secondary entry points. If you encounter her during your sweep, share any relevant observations immediately."

"Ayuri is going to participate as well? Or is this just a personal request?" Yoru asked, slightly curious.

"It's not an official request. She just told me she'd be going through that area anyway, after we talked for a bit about the incident. And to be honest, she's the one who suggested there might be something worth investigating there," Seina replied.

"I see now…" Kenji muttered from the side.

Seina leaned on the table and rose halfway, signaling the end of the briefing.

"Prepare whatever you need tonight. You will depart tomorrow morning for the west of the capital."

Hiroki simply nodded in agreement before rising from his seat, followed by the others as well.

Then, Seina concluded her statement calmly, though her resolve was clear.

"You may go now."

Yoru, Kenji, and Hiroki offered another firm nod before turning toward the exit. Hiroki pulled open the heavy wooden door, and the three of them stepped out into the quiet corridor, closing the room behind them.

As soon as they were several paces down the walkway, Kenji let out a long, exaggerated breath, rolling his shoulders to shake off the remaining pressure.

But then his expression shifted into a sudden, suppressed grin, as if he’d been holding it back the entire time. He instantly raised both his hands into the air in a quiet, victorious gesture, keeping it subtle so as not to overreact.

"Yoora!! In that case, we'll soon be part of the Kingdom's Guard. Who knows... we might even become part of the elite!"

Yoru looked at him with a tiny frown at his exaggerated reaction, but she couldn't hide the faint smile that followed.

"You're really in such a hurry, even before it's certain," Yoru replied.

Kenji simply wiped the bridge of his nose with his forefinger, avoiding any further exaggeration.

Hiroki, meanwhile, watched them during those joyful moments.

*"I wonder why he's so determined to join the Royal Guards."*

"But hey," Kenji interrupted, this time addressing Hiroki directly. "I never expected you to say that to Seina. You actually sounded pretty cool! I thought it was your end when she focused on you. But instead you spoke like a real squad leader!"

Hiroki stared at Kenji after these words, looking somewhat shocked by the exaggerated reaction.

"I sometimes wonder how you can stay so calm all the time, and then be so convincing when you break the silence," Yoru added from the side.

Hiroki's gaze shifted to Yoru after she spoke, then to Kenji, and then back to Yoru again. He quickly waved both hands rapidly, clearly flustered by their constant praise.

"No, no, no, you're making a big deal out of nothing. It just sort of… slipped out."

He paused, realizing how foolish he'd been to overreact. He calmed himself down slowly before looking away, placing a hand on his neck in a fading embarrassment.

"Th-thank you..." He said.

Yoru offered a fleeting, faint smile of pleasure. Then, she looked ahead down the dark corridor, her expression becoming thoughtful and somehow pleased.

"Still, knowing Ayuri might cross paths with us makes things a bit less annoying," Yoru said, her tone shifting to a hint of arrogance, as she was unusually appreciative of Ayuri. "It's not as if our fate depends on her after all."

"You're right..." Hiroki forced a silly, fake smile so as not to upset Yoru's mood swings. Then he continued calmly, "Ultimately, it's our decision, and we have to take responsibility for it."

"Indeed. Man, you speak words of wisdom sometimes," Kenji replied, taking a few quick steps to leave.

"There you go again," Hiroki sighed, following him anyway, with Yoru trailing behind.

"Anyway. We have to prepare for what's coming from now on. That includes tomorrow's work, of course," Yoru said, her tone calm and serious this time.

Hiroki looked at her for a moment, acknowledging her words, then looked ahead, a slight determination in his eyes.

"True. Whatever’s waiting for us, we’ll deal with it," he finished softly.

…

And so, the three of them set off in the silence of the night, the steady rhythm of their boots against the wooden floor following behind them.

With that, they were ready to face it all... or so they thought...

Tomorrow, the real trial would begin.

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[TO BE CONTINUED…]