Chapter 117

"Indeed, you're right."

Masaki Hina pursed her lips, neither denying it nor denying it.

"After you were injured, our efficiency in dealing with the Erosion Disaster dropped significantly. With their support, our grasp of the current situation will definitely be more secure. In the short term, this is indeed very reassuring support. But..."

She changed the subject.

"Deep within the Human Alliance lies an undercurrent, Efnir. I think you can understand what I'm saying—if the Human Alliance values the immediate benefits to humanity more than the future of this city, then we have no choice in the face of such a behemoth as the Human Federation. This crisis brought about by the Apostle makes it impossible for me to place all my trust in the Union, which is why I established this department."

Masaki Hina looked intently at Efnir and handed Efnir a document.

"'Third Group' —officially known as 'Third-Type Reaction Special Operations Group' —is independent of the Orderkeepers and the Special Disaster Division, but in principle, it is under the joint jurisdiction of both. However, members of Third Group are not subject to direct orders or appointments from either of them except in special circumstances. The group leader's military rank is only one level lower than mine, but higher than Bushiyuan."

As Efnir reviewed the detailed information in the document, Masaki Hina provided simple explanations.

But the more she looked, the stranger Efnir's expression became.

Shinomiyami Nami, Nishizaki Yuki, Fushihara Ayaka, and group leader Masaki Hina... The number of people was indeed small, but they were all people that Efnir knew. She even saw her own name—under the "Acting Group Leader" column, her name was clearly visible.

"I'm telling you, is this person a serious candidate?"

"Of course, the Third Group won't be very large, since it's a secret agency. So the people on this list were all decided by me and Bushiyuan after discussion. They are people we can absolutely trust. Of course, this list is also confidential."

"That's not what I meant... I wanted to ask—what's the deal with this 'acting team leader'?"

"'Acting team leader'..."

Masaki Hina looked as if she had just realized something.

"Because I'll be leaving Xijing City soon, I need someone to act as the team leader and handle some of the affairs, so I need an acting team leader."

Why me?

"Because I believe only you are capable of handling this task, and... you have the highest rank."

"Why are you setting up something like this when you're about to leave Xijing City?"

"It's a secret."

Masaki Hina smiled slyly.

167. Acting Team Leader

You have so many secrets.

"Aren't all attractive women like this?"

Faced with Masaki Hina's meaningful smile, Efnir twitched the corners of her mouth, sighed, and tossed the folder aside.

"Let's not bring up my past anymore..."

Efnir did indeed hide a lot of things, and although some of them have gradually been revealed, there are still many suspicious points that she has not mentioned to anyone.

Even if the other party is Masaki Hina, Efnir doesn't like to talk much about herself.

She changed the subject.

"In short, I'm the acting leader of 'Third Group,' so what do I need to do?"

"You don't need to do anything."

Masaki Hina leaned back on the sofa with her arms crossed, and her answer surprised Efnir.

"Nothing at all?"

"Yes, you just need to enjoy the power that this position brings you. Whether it's funds, manpower, or authority, you can use it as you like. I believe you'll like this feeling."

"Isn't this really... a money laundering tool?"

"Hello!"

Masaki Hina rolled her eyes at Efnir.

"Don't you dare twist other people's hard work like that! No matter what, I put in a lot of effort to make 'Third Group' a reality!"

"How did the Human Federation even approve the establishment of this kind of absurd 'department'...?"

"That's a 'secret' too!"

"Ah, never mind... it was a pointless question."

Efnir didn't want to dwell on the issue any longer, so she pursed her lips and changed the subject.

"So this is the second thing?"

Masaki Hina nodded.

Efnir sighed softly, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"Alright."

Masaki Hina smiled and didn't say much; she wasn't surprised at all by Efnir's reaction.

From the very beginning, Efnir was this kind of person—gentle yet decisive. Although she sometimes felt troubled and hesitant due to her worries, she also demonstrated strong initiative once she made up her mind.

Most importantly, Efnir possesses a strong, resilient, and warm heart, with the power to face and examine things squarely.

That's why she chose Efnir as the executor of "Third Group".

"By the way, the existence of 'Third Group' is still top secret. Perhaps the commander who comes here later will know about it, or perhaps he won't. You can choose whether to make it public or not, but in short, Efnir, just do what you think is right. You have that authority."

Masaki Hina said again.

"However, there is still one problem that the current Third Group needs to solve—as an independent department with integrated intelligence and combat functions, the newly established Third Group is severely understaffed. Shinomiyami Nami is in charge of intelligence and internal affairs management, Nishizaki Yuki is in charge of medical and related research departments, but the combat force for agents consists of only you."

"Weren't any other agents invited?"

"No... It's not that I don't trust them, but there's no way to include them in the group right now. It's unavoidable—the existence of agents involves complex systems and networks, and getting involved would cause a lot of trouble. Putting you in 'Third Group' has already exhausted all my resources, so other agents can't be included yet. Oh right, we can put Yukina in 'Third Group' now, because she's still a complete newcomer and hasn't left an identity record in the 'Agent Network,' so it's not a problem for her."

Efnir looked at her sister, who had been sitting silently beside her.

Before Efnir and Yukina could say anything, Masaki Hina added, "By the way, if Yukina is incorporated into your command system, you will have absolute authority to reject orders when the organization assigns her missions without any consequences. Simply put, because your commands to your team members take precedence over other orders, Yukina only needs to follow your instructions. So you can use this to protect Yukina... In addition, Yukina's file will also be managed by the team, and anyone with insufficient privileges will have no chance of accessing it without your permission."

Efnir frowned slightly.

Masaki Hina's advice sounded like it was tailor-made for Efnir, but precisely because of that, Efnir hesitated.

She never believed that good things would happen out of nowhere.

"Naoko, can I join?"

At this moment, Yukina, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke softly, and Efnir's gaze met her clear eyes.

"I want to be with Naoko, wherever we go... so I'd like to join you, is that okay?"

Efnir pursed her lips, offering no opinion, and instead looked at Masaki Hina.

Can I trust you?

"Able."

Masaki Hina nodded, her gaze more serious than ever before.

"I swear on my life."

"Alright, let Yukina join too."

Thank you for trusting me.

"After all, you've placed enough trust in me, haven't you?"

The members of the Third Group were all "trustworthy" people; in other words, Masaki Hina placed Efnir in this position.

Masaki Hina smiled faintly and looked at Yukina.

"Yukina, welcome to 'Third Group'."

"Please take care of me..."

"Alright."

Masaki Hina paused for a moment, then continued speaking to Efnir.

"After I return to the Central Province, I will begin to increase the number of recruits for the Third Group. So before that, I hope that you, Efnir, can collect and provide some trustworthy candidates, such as someone like Shinomiyami Nami who can be completely trusted, or any capable and valuable individuals you have your eye on. You can have them join the 'Third Group' and place them under your command."

"I have no experience in human resources management..."

"Don't worry, it's not that complicated. You can leave the specifics to Shinomiyami Nami. You just need to recommend candidates. For example, if you have a friend who is capable and trustworthy, you can recommend her to Siyejian. Or, if you have someone you like in another field, you can mention it to Siyejian. She will be responsible for contacting and investigating to confirm whether the person is suitable."

"Friends...?"

Efnir lowered her gaze slightly.

She has few friends, or rather, she had long ago severed all ties with the person she was who was "Yanase Naoto".

After leaving university, she changed her address and phone number, and began living under a new identity.

If anyone else has maintained "connection" with Efnir since then, it's only one person— Futaba Erii, the somewhat stubborn and even difficult girl I remember seeing near the hospital just a few days ago.

168. Recruitment Task

Efnir and Futaba Erii didn't actually spend much time together.

Without a doubt, Futaba Erii has excellent academic performance, is a very capable person. The Efnir that I know has the awareness to sacrifice her own safety to protect others, making her an invaluable candidate. Although she lacks key basic skills, she can quickly take over some basic tasks after a month of training.

Should I contact her? -- This thought only flashed through Efnir's mind before being immediately rejected.

Futaba Erii is an "ordinary person".

The "Third Group" is by no means "ordinary"; it is an organization belonging to "this side of the world," just like the Orderkeepers and the Special Disaster Division.

The candidates can only be chosen from those who already belong to "this side of the world"—just as Efnir didn't want Kanade Kotone to be Nishizaki Yuki's assistant, Efnir didn't want to bring Futaba Erii into "Third Group".

Efnir didn't want to bring ordinary people who could have lived peaceful lives without facing danger and disaster into "this side of the world" because of her arbitrary choices.

In short, I understand.

"Efnir said," but did not give a clear answer.

"I'll keep an eye out for potential candidates, and if there are any, I'll let Shinomiyami Nami."

Despite saying that, Efnir really couldn't think of anyone else she could recommend.

"Hmm... I'll leave this matter to you. Similarly, I'll Shinomiyami Nami and Nishizaki Yuki to keep an eye out for other candidates. If there are any other suitable candidates, they can make recommendations. Of course, the final decision on whether to approve their participation is in your hands."

"If this is considered my job, I will do my best."

"If you want to let Shinomiyami Nami manage everything, that's fine too. After all, she's your manager, right?"

Masaki Hina smiled, while Efnir remained noncommittal.

She wouldn't entrust all of this to Shinomiyami Nami. To be honest, Shinomiyami Nami is already practically Efnir's personal secretary, as she serves as Efnir's combatant while also handling Efnir's affairs as an idol.

Masaki Hina stood up, simply stacked the documents on the table together, and put them in her desk drawer.

She bent down and started typing on the keyboard in front of the computer.

"I've already arranged for Shionomi to handle Yukina's induction. Shinomiyami Nami... Until then, Efnir, do you have any other questions? You can ask me anything now, at least for now."

"There's nothing particularly bothering me..."

After thinking for a moment, Efnir asked:

"Compared to this, Chufei, how many times did she suffer from Erosion Disaster during my hospitalization?"

Because she was seriously injured in Qinglan's sneak attack, she had been resting for more than a week and had not fought. During this time, there were some disasters, and she was very concerned about whether anyone was injured or suffered losses as a result.

"Three times, specifically five days ago, three days ago, and two days ago."

Masaki Hina did not hide anything and told Efnir the details of the recent Erosion Disaster.

"The frequency is higher than usual..."

Efnir lowered her gaze and looked at the investigation report in her hand.

Generally speaking, Erosion Disaster are not frequent disasters that occur every two or three days.