The Association Shrouded in Clouds (Mi)

(Miluno)

Miss Chris locked the office door, made us some coffee, then sat down at SpiCa's desk, and finally put on a pair of headphones...

She doesn't seem to intend to participate in the discussion.

Mono seemed distracted, but she knew what I was thinking and what I was hearing, so there was really no need to listen directly to what SpiCa said...

After mentally preparing my answer, I cut to the chase and asked:

When did you ask that question?

SpiCa knew about the traitor's existence, but rarely mentioned it.

"Over the years, whenever I reflected on that failed operation, I had this possibility more than once, but I never dared to, nor did I want to, doubt them until I talked to Betelgeuse a couple of days ago and then I was certain... Of course, I'm not making excuses for myself; the failure seven years ago was indeed my responsibility."

Even knowing about the traitor's existence did not put her at ease.

"So the traitor is Aldebaran?"

"Have no idea."

I genuinely believe that, but SpiCa shook his head.

"Although I'd like to make that assumption, others are also suspects. If I had to say, Aldebaran is just the most suspicious, but we can't be certain she's the culprit."

"Was anyone particularly suspicious before we set off?"

SpiCa looked bitter and let out a long sigh.

"Miluno, to me, no one is suspicious. The thirty members of the Expeditionary Force were all personally selected by me. They are all top magical girls of that era. I completely trust their abilities and beliefs, and I do not believe that any of them would betray me... not even Aldebaran."

Because she believed, she has blamed herself for so many years.

"Was this a statement made out of emotion or reason?" I asked.

"No matter how you look at it, as magical girls chosen by the Star Crystal, they have absolutely no reason to betray humanity."

No, there isn't.

Not only did it lead to the failure of the operation, but it also resulted in her being transformed into a witch and having her personality erased. No matter how you look at it, it was a foolish operation that harmed herself for the benefit of others...

"Don't overthink it. Maybe this is just a deliberate ploy by Betelgeuse?"

With her head bowed and her hand casually stirring her coffee, SpiCa replied:

"Betelgeuse is indeed cunning, but she wouldn't lie to me. Whatever the truth may be, at least that's what she believes... or rather, that's what the original Betelgeuse thought before she died."

The magical girl's influence on the Witch Persona is profound. It is this suspicious and paranoid mentality that makes the witch Betelgeuse resemble a psychologically flawed product.

But then again...

With my abstinent persona, why would Mono...?

"I am you! You are me!"

The little thing suddenly spoke in my head.

"It's not that you're not aroused, you're just secretly passionate!"

Since I wasn't going to talk to Mono in front of SpiCa, I thought for a moment and then asked:

"What did Achernar and Jaeger say? Did they know there was a traitor in the group? Do their testimonies conflict with Betelgeuse's?"

SpiCa has definitely spoken to them privately.

"They don't believe there's a traitor. They think the black mist that Contaminated Crystal and the destruction of the control panel are part of the 'The Other Side's' security mechanism. Not only them, but the other witches in the prison think so too. The so-called traitor is just Betelgeuse's opinion, but it's not a lie."

SpiCa seems to believe Betelgeuse's words.

"There's no other way, so let's dig out the truth."

Mono nodded and said, "Leave it to me."

"You've only been back for a day, and you already want to Past?"

"Not so soon, but we'll have to go sooner or later."

To Past, we first need to get the antidote from Barbara...

I took a sip of my unsweetened, bitter coffee and then asked:

"I have another idea. Do you know about Breeding Facility?"

SpiCa nodded in agreement.

"Destroying the 'Breeding Facility' would cut off the enemy's manpower supply. I think that place would be perfect for setting off fireworks..."

Although no plans were finalized, opinions were exchanged with SpiCa.

The fact that there was a traitor in the Expeditionary Force needed to be kept secret, and the attack on the "Breeding Facility" was also on the agenda. As for when and how to carry out the operation, they still had to wait for her and her Tactical Division to come up with a plan.

The little thing interrupted:

"There's no rush. If our story were a novel, it would have to be in the next volume at the earliest!"

So, in our story, who is the female lead?

"Of course it's you!"

As we left SpiCa's office, Miss Chris even gave us a ride... though she could only escort us to the elevator.

After all, her role was that of a guard for SpiCa, so it wouldn't be appropriate for her to stray too far.

"Miluno, although only you can freely enter and exit 'the Other Side,' don't overexert yourself. If there's anything we can help with, just let us know."

Do they think I go to "the Other Side" too often?

"Thank you, but I only do what I want to do, so I don't feel tired."

I thought it was just concern, but Miss Chris continued:

"Also, things haven't been peaceful at the Association lately. Unless it's absolutely necessary, you and Ceruno shouldn't come."

"What's wrong?"

"In your country's terms, it would probably be 'saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new'."

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and she pushed me inside.

"Hmm? What did you mean by bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new?"

Damn, Chris is a riddle person too.

However, the answer was soon revealed.

As you take the elevator downstairs, you can see many employees leaving with cardboard boxes, and you often see tall foreigners in black suits; those are SpiCa's trusted confidants transferred from headquarters.

Since the incidents caused by the Contaminated Crystal have become more and more frequent, SpiCa's investigation of its insiders has become increasingly ruthless, even to the point of being unreasonable. Because the Sky Branch was once Sun Ji's stronghold, any staff members who had contact with Sun Ji were persuaded to leave without explanation, and their trusted own people were replaced. It was a mentality of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."

This led to a near-complete reshuffle of the branch's top leadership. Although many of Sun Ji's informants were identified, the entire intelligence network could not be dismantled. This even caused the Sky Branch to malfunction, with problems arising in all aspects.

"SpiCa has gone a bit too far."

No wonder Chris said this place was "not peaceful".

If this is a battle between two worlds, then SpiCa is currently at a slight disadvantage.

And judging from this, Ceruno's investigation probably won't yield any results; even SpiCa and my parents couldn't handle the informant her father left behind...

Mono, however, just smiled and commented on current events as if it were none of his business.

"In my opinion, SpiCa is being pushed to the limit! As negative public opinion accumulates, the society's evaluation of the Association is also declining. If this continues, they might disband on the spot!"

It's unlikely that the association will be disbanded. The power of public opinion is actually quite limited. Given the Association's size and influence, it's not impossible for them to suppress the matter.

The situation is indeed not optimistic, but there's not much we can do unless we can truly eradicate Sun Ji's intelligence network...

After leaving the branch building, I called Halley.

"Oh! Miluno ~ You've met with SpiCa?"

"Yes, we've finished our talks."

"Okay, then come to the address I sent you. I know a good place to discuss this."

"Where to eat?"

"Of course, I'll be full!"

Hopefully it won't be too expensive.

The editor said the ban might be a system bug...

So, I didn't make a mistake!