Admission

Hesta froze. "What exactly are you cooperating with?"

"Within the Habitable Zone, I'm responsible for fire support. Out in the wasteland, there's even more I can do," Arnold replied. "Wasteland operations don't require evacuating civilians or protecting property. Using artillery to engage enemies at range is far more cost-effective than close combat. So in these operations, we can be part of the main fighting force as well. Only when the Chelated Tide crosses the final defense line will some Quicksilver Needles need to deploy, in case anything goes wrong."

"...The final defense line?"

"You'll learn about it," Arnold said, deliberately keeping her in suspense. "The maximum engagement line, the fire restriction line, the final defense line... You'll learn all of it once you start studying basic tactics."

Hesta smiled. "Understood."

Several base employees who had come here for a run passed by them. They greeted Arnold, and Arnold nodded back. Hesta noticed that many people here seemed familiar with Arnold—he had been teaching at the base for a long time.

"I have another question, Instructor," Hesta said. "Do the teachers at the base always provide one-on-one special training for trainees? I still haven't met any other new trainees. When do they usually train?"

Arnold laughed. "We were originally supposed to be on vacation this year."

"...Originally?"

"According to District 3's recruitment schedule, we generally recruit every three years, then skip a year. If Chiba hadn't brought you here, there shouldn't have been any new students this year."

Hesta was briefly taken aback.

So it wasn't that she simply hadn't run into any other newcomers. She really was the only new trainee this year.

Around seven or eight that night, Hesta came out of the bathroom after showering.

She had already treated the scrapes from that afternoon, but after being soaked in water, the wounds had become especially sensitive. Every step she took brought a dense burst of pain as the skin on her knees shifted.

"Taking it easy, huh?" a familiar voice called from behind her.

Hesta recognized who it was without turning around.

She turned to look at Shawn, who stood five or six steps below her.

Their eyes met. Shawn could indeed sense that Hesta had changed somewhat over this period. She was currently wearing the base's new dark green training uniform and black knee-length shorts, looking more androgynous than she had in the hallway that day. For some reason, the wary unease she had shown when they first met had vanished.

Hesta asked, "Don't you have group training today?"

"Not everyone needs to take part in that exhausting, labor-intensive training." Shawn folded his hands behind his neck, a faint smile hovering on his face. "They have brute strength, while I have brains."

Hesta said nothing.

Shawn leaned against the wall, one foot planted at an angle while the other hooked behind his calf.

"Has anyone ever told you that your hair is beautiful?" Shawn suddenly asked.

"What?" Hesta thought she had misheard him.

"No wonder people used to pay a fortune for Hesta people's hair. But why don't you grow yours out? Girls should all have long hair, especially girls with beautiful red hair." Shawn straightened and took a step toward the stairs. "Can I touch it—"

"No." Hesta's voice turned cold. "Take one more step closer, and I'll call someone."

Shawn stopped.

Perhaps because of the difference in elevation, Shawn seemed to sense a shift in the balance between attack and defense in Hesta's downward gaze. He found it rather amusing.

"Who are you going to call? Mrs. Lavette?" Shawn put his hands on his hips and laughed. "Your Liz can't come back in time now."

"Yes, she isn't here tonight." Hesta nodded. "That's why some things can only be said now."

"Hm? Did I hear that right... You have something to say to me?"

"Yes. I hope you'll stop causing trouble for me from now on." Hesta spoke softly. "If there's anything about me that makes you uncomfortable, I'm sure we can find another way to resolve it. Maybe we can talk... I'm willing to talk to you."

"That would be wonderful, because my greatest wish right now is to be friends with you." Shawn's fingers against the wall tapped out a steady rhythm. "But can I really trust you?"

"Why not?"

"What if you secretly ask me to meet somewhere, then attack me when I'm not expecting it?"

Hesta tilted her head slightly. "...I don't understand what you mean."

"Didn't you search for 'how to fabricate an alibi' yesterday?"

"I didn't." Hesta denied it calmly.

"8:32 p.m., how to buy a small knife suitable for concealment? 8:45 p.m., how to fabricate an alibi? 9:12 p.m., what punishment would someone under twelve face if they intentionally killed someone and were discovered? In that half hour or so, you opened no fewer than fifty webpages..." Shawn calmly recited the list. "May I ask why Miss Hesta suddenly started searching for such things?"

Hesta's expression turned a little strange.

Shawn saw that the hand hanging at her side had clenched into a tight fist, and her lips had pressed together slightly.

"...How did you know?" Hesta's voice grew quieter.

"I saw it." Shawn raised a hand. "With these eyes of mine."

"So you really did steal my browsing history."

Shawn merely smiled.

"How dare you..."

"It's no big deal to me," Shawn said calmly. "Just a hobby."

"Fine." Hesta looked away. "What exactly do you want from me, Shawn?"

"Me? I don't want anything. I just want to know whether Hesta girls are all as gentle and quiet as you."

Hesta frowned again.

Shawn spread his hands. "People always compared girls to flowers, but whether it was in Hekla or here, the women were either old maids like Sophie Moly or steel monsters like Liz. Either way, I couldn't see a trace of a flower's delicate beauty in them."

"Is that so?" Hesta's tone now carried a hint of impatience. "I think that's perfectly fine."

"Whatever, Hesta." Shawn did not argue. He continued, "Anyway, be friends with me. The moment you got your computer, you searched for the Hekla Wasteland. That proves you're interested in me, just as I'm interested in you. You can tell me about your past, for example, Fu—"

"I refuse." Hesta cut him off immediately. "Friends don't secretly monitor each other's every move. Friends respect one another."

Shawn felt somewhat disappointed. "The way you said that made it sound like Liz had possessed you. Don't be like that... Do you really have to tear things apart with me? Is there no second path? Everything I said just now was clearly a compliment."

"Then I don't think we have anything else to discuss." Hesta lowered her voice. "And I didn't feel any compliment in anything you said."