Episode 24: Secret Police
[Characters]
- Ruri (Washimine Ruri)
A P-cup beauty with purple hair and red eyes, she is a former imperial soldier and only two years older than Kai, but currently serves as the deputy director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Security Bureau and is also the de facto head of the Armed Secret Police (Armed Secret).
- Marui Marui
Ruri's long-time subordinate. A woman with a bob haircut and round glasses, giving off a plain impression.
- Kanade (Higashikujō Kanade)
The second in line for the imperial throne. A beautiful girl with black hair featuring white highlights and golden eyes, who is a boyish I-cup. She is two years younger than Kai, but they are also classmates at military school.
- Kai (Toudou Toudou Kai)
Protagonist. Black hair, black eyes. He reincarnated as the eldest son of a poor noble family in this world where beauty and ugliness are reversed, retaining memories from his previous life.
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In the Imperial Capital, in the office of the Imperial Palace.
With a wistful sigh, Kanade held a letter in her hand.
The name of the sender of the document is Sachiko Tōdō.
Kanade's beloved, and the younger sister of Tōdō Kai, the current provisional head of the Tōdō family.
Based on the sender's address, Sachiko seems to be a research student or something like that at the Imperial Magic Academy.
－－－－－－
Respectfully
Princess Higashikujo
Please forgive me for sending you this sudden letter.
However, I humbly send this jade tablet to seek Your Highness's assistance regarding my foolish brother.
It's an embarrassing story, but after the death of our head of the family, my mother, the pressure of repaying the debts that had accumulated over time suddenly hit our Tōdō family all at once.
To protect the Tōdō family and us, the siblings, my brother, Kai, chose the path of "marrying into" a family that wouldn't even reveal their name in exchange for financial support.
(Even on the day my brother was to leave for his new home, he didn't directly tell me, his younger sister, about it. In fact, I only found out that my brother was becoming a live-in son-in-law when I rummaged through the contract documents sent by the intermediary merchant after his departure.)
However, after he married into the family, there was no news from him at all.
I have sent several telegrams inquiring about his well-being, but all I receive from my brother are vague and simplistic replies that seem to be evasive, and my anxiety and impatience are growing day by day.
Your Highness, with your radiant power shining across the entire Empire, is there any way to investigate my brother's marriage?
Also, if it turns out that my brother is involved in some kind of trouble, could you somehow help him out of his predicament?
It is said that even at the military academy, Her Highness is the only one I can rely on, as she has been looking after my brother.
I apologize for the sudden request, and I sincerely ask for your understanding.
Your Highness, I humbly request your kind assistance.
Sincerely,
Tōdō Sachiko
－－－－－－
"Why didn't Kai consult me about anything... Did he not trust me?"
Kanade couldn't help but tightly crumple the letter in her hand.
It's an attitude that doesn't suit her usual calm demeanor.
But I quickly reconsider.
Kai, despite being a man, possessed a certain "feminine" virtue.
(In the context of this world)
That's just how he is. He probably didn't want to worry himself or his family.
(Kai isn't really at fault. If I was truly worried about him, I should have acted silently on my own.)
Kanade put the letter away in the desk and, with yet another sigh for the day, pondered what was to come.
To cut through her gloomy thoughts, the intercom phone in the office began to ring brightly and insistently.
"Your Highness, Lord Washimine has arrived. May I let her in?"
"Yeah, no problem. Let them through."
After a brief pause, the sound of a careful knock on the large bronze door echoes.
"Please"
"Excuse me."
Seeing Ruri enter the room, Kanade couldn't help but momentarily put aside her own issues and feel sympathy for Ruri's appearance once again.
Her barrel-like large breasts seem to accentuate the smallness of her face even more.
The contrast between her lustrous long dark purple hair and her large red eyes, which concealed a quiet passion, created a demonic "ugliness" according to the standards of this inverted world of beauty and ugliness.
"Thank you for coming all the way from the south, Ruri. Is iced tea okay for a drink?"
"Your Highness, please don't worry. I'm just here to express my gratitude for the position of researcher at the military academy that you arranged for me."
Kanade, while instructing the palace maid to serve Ruri's preferred ice tea, moved to the black leather sofa facing each other in the center of the room.
"For now, standing up isn't going to work, so put on a rug too."
"Ah. I'll take you up on that offer."
Ruri, with a brisk demeanor that seemed to embody the "ideal imperial subject," sat lightly on the long bench.
The sound of ice clinking against the glass, a pleasantly cool sound to the ears, can be heard.
After arranging the ice tea on the low desk, the court lady politely closed the door with a farewell bow.
"Phew, now we can finally sit down and talk, Kanade."
"Hehe, you really are easy to read."
The moment the door slammed shut, Ruri broke her earlier serious demeanor of a "loyal and patriotic subject" and, with a relaxed expression, sank deeply into the sofa and crossed her legs.
Kanade almost burst out laughing at her long-time friend's obvious switch.
Seriously... this friend always brightens my often gloomy self.
The afternoon sun streamed through the window of the room, and the golden badge adorned with the "Eye of the Empire," indicating Ruri's affiliation with the secret police of the Security Bureau, glinted in the reflection.
"By the way, how long has it been since Ruri moved from the military to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Security Bureau?"
"The 'incident' on the Western continent was about a year and a half ago, so it's just about a year since the transfer."
"I see, just one year... To rise to the position of 'Deputy Director' of the Security Bureau in such a short period and almost build a secret police organization from scratch... As expected, they say in military school, 'Before the eagle, there is no eagle, and after the eagle, there is no eagle.'"
"Even if you praise me, it won't change anything, Kanade. Besides, without your support as a member of the imperial family, I, who originally came from a baronial family, would never have reached this position."
Saying that, Ruri laughed heartily, and her face didn't seem displeased at all.
Kanade liked not only Ruri's talent but also her unpretentious and straightforward nature.
That's precisely why she, a baron of the rank of a quasi-baron rather than a noble, has been working behind the scenes and in the open to maneuver freely within the organization.
Ruri continued to excel in the military, meeting Kanade's expectations, and eventually created an independent nation with pro-imperial sentiments by instigating an 'incident' on the western continent.
On the contrary, her overly flashy "achievements" were resented by the nobles, who considered her unilateral actions problematic, and she was relegated to a minor position in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, Ruri overcame even that and has now attained her current position.
"So, when are you thinking of starting your assignment at Ruri's military school? Maybe the beginning of next month?"
"I think I'll start from tomorrow."
"Huh, tomorrow? That's quite early."
"Good things come to those who wait. Now that there's a possibility of a 'United Kingdom' informant within the military academy, I need to intervene as soon as possible.
… I'm worried about him too."
Kanade is always amazed by this old friend's quick judgment and handling, but when it comes to something involving Kai, it accelerates even more, making Kanade smile wryly.
Kanade's feelings for Kai are genuine, but Ruri's feelings are equally strong.
There is probably nothing in the world more trustworthy than Ruri's words, "I will never betray Kai-kun and Her Highness."
If it's her, there's no problem leaving it to her regarding him.
Kanade decides to consult Ruri about the future while showing her the document he received from Tōdō Sachiko.
"Hmm, I see. Then, let's ask right away."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'I'll ask'?"
"Just ask him, Kai-kun, directly."
Feeling the indescribable whirlpool of emotions behind Ruri's cheerful smile, Kanade couldn't help but feel a slight sense of unease about the strong-handedness Ruri would likely exhibit from now on.
◆◆◆◆
Spring, the season of cherry blossoms and love.
In the courtyard of the military academy, cherry blossoms are in full bloom, delighting the hearts of all who see them.
Amidst such a rosy scene, I was in a cheerful mood, thinking, "I'm going to have an after-school date with Erika!" But now, I feel as if I've been thrown into a deep, dark trench, feeling utterly desolate.
(Sigh, how did it come to this? Did I do something recently that caught the government's attention...?)
On either side of me, there are two women dressed in distinctive gray uniforms.
They are officers of the armed secret police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Security Bureau, abbreviated as "Armed Secret."
Just five minutes ago, I was called to the president's office, where those girls were waiting for me and asked me to accompany them "voluntarily." Now, here I am, following them dejectedly.
The Armed Secret is merely an organization hastily formed about a year ago.
However, due to the severity of the crackdown on those deemed "enemies of the Empire," they are now feared not only by foreign spies but also by domestic factions.
In fact, the military students on campus were watching with fearful expressions as the secret police officers flanked me, clattering their military black-painted wands.
(Once these guys have their eyes on you, you're sent to a thought reform facility and subjected to what they call "guidance," which is really just torture, turning countless people into husks. I've heard rumors about it, but could it really happen to me...?)
My heart starts to race.
When I think about the future, I can't help but have unpleasant thoughts running through my mind.
The only solace was that the demeanor of the armed secret staff leading us was surprisingly gentle.
"Mr. Todo, please come this way. It will take about twenty minutes to get to the security office from here. Is everything alright, including the restroom?"
The woman named Marui, with her bobbed hair and glasses, guided me to the car with a gentlemanly (or rather, ladylike in this world) demeanor that was hard to believe she was a staff member of the rough-and-tumble Armed Secret.
Her driving was as courteous as her calm demeanor.
After a while, the car arrived at a three-story stone building in the suburbs.
The walls of the grey building were unusually oppressive, intensifying my anxiety even more.
I was led by the staff to a dreary room on the top floor of the building.Inside the room, there is a metal desk, a shabby pipe chair, and a small camera.
I was instructed to wait there for a while, so I quietly settled into the chair.
Ah, what kind of ordeal am I going to face from now on? Honestly, I'm so scared I can't help it...
This room has no windows, and it feels really oppressive. It's making me even more anxious...
And this chair is really hard... I can't relax...
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kai-kun."
"Yikes! ...Wait, Ruri-nee! What are you doing here?!"
Startled by the sound of a metal door swinging open, I jumped up from my chair, and there stood a captivating beauty with long, beautiful purple hair.
The last time we met in person was about six months ago, but I will never forget it.
The neighborhood older sister, two years my senior, who has always taken good care of me since I was young.
Ruri-nee, also known as Washimine Ruri, stood there with a surprised look on her face as I suddenly jumped up