Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
When I first posted the previous chapter, I received a report that I had described Millium’s hair color wrongly, but in the game version, she was indeed first introduced as a girl with green hair, so I just followed suit.
So I didn’t change her hair color. 1
Also, there was a similar report regarding how I referred to Rutger as Commander, but that was also what he was called when he was first introduced in Cold Steel III, so I hope this explanations will make everything make sense.
Thank you for the typo reports as always.
Chapter 061 – Fufufu, Son. Let’s start investigating [A]
After exchanging greetings with Alfin, the two set out for the Imperial Capital in the morning.
Even though Claire would be accompanying him, what Rean did wouldn’t change.
Even at this early hour, the HMP was busting on Vainqueur Street, but Rean’s figure enshrouded in the red uniform of Thors Military Academy stood out quite a bit.
The military police called out to Rean, but Claire explained things to them, which managed to convince them and they returned to their duties.
“That’s really helpful as a beginning,” muttered Rean as he turned to Claire.
“Claire-san, you mentioned that you are to provide support to me, but what explanation did Princess Alfin give you in that regard?”
“She explained that Rean-san is a student of the class that Professor Schmidt had taught at, and that you are in the capital to investigate a theft that occurred at the academy and to clear the name of your friend who was framed for the crime. Princess also mentioned that you have useful leads regarding the terrorists on the street. That had really given us military police a headache. The culprit manages to keep avoiding our chase, though.”
“Then let’s start by sharing information.”
Rean first explained about the ghost commotion…… the terrorists’ means of transportation to another dimension.
It seemed that the data from Schmidt’s classroom had not reached the RMP.
“Cryptids and different dimensions…… it’s hard to believe, though……”
“Is that so? I heard that RMP is one of the elites of the Empire, so I thought they would be more knowledgeable in this sort of thing.”
[“Fufufu, son. The data in Schmidt’s classroom is basically a military secret, just like the ARCUS, you know? Well, ARCUS was developed by Reinford Corporation, though.”]
I explained everything to Musse, though?
{“Rean, won’t it be okay if you just reveal my existence?”}
Valimar was a Divine Knight that was sealed away in the old schoolhouse, and certainly didn’t seem to have any connection to the Schmidt’s Classroom.
So maybe he should only show Claire Valimar? Rean came to that conclusion and made a quick decision.
“Well then, Claire-san. I’ll give you a quick explanation, so please come over here for a moment.”
“Eh? Haah……”
As Rean took Claire aside, who gave him a dubious look, he suddenly detected a presence around and ran to a deserted area.
Claire chased after Rean, who had suddenly started to run. Even for an active soldier like Claire, Rean’s pace was quite fast.
From Claire’s perspective, Rean was just a student and a guest invited by Alfin, so she was impressed by his athletic ability.
But what truly astonished Claire was what happened after that.
“I guess this place should be good enough…… Valimar, bring Claire-san along as well.”
{“Oh.”}
“Eh?”
When Rean raised his hand in a deserted area, Claire, who was standing behind him, saw nothing but blank space in her vision—— and in the next moment, she was transported into Valimar’s cockpit.
“?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!”
Claire immediately drew her orbal gun and became alert, but then she heard a carefree voice coming beside her.
“Claire-san, there’s no need to be on guard. There’s no danger.”
When Claire turned her eyes, she saw Rean was sitting in what appeared to be a cockpit, fiddling with the machinery in front of him.
At the same time, a light lit in front of him, and a view of the Imperial Capital was projected across their field of vision —— a view from the sky.
“Eh? Eh? Eh? F-flying…… we’re flying?”
Claire’s eyes went wide.
The face of the female soldier known as the “Icy Maiden” was no longer there, instead, it was Claire Reiveldt’s true self.
“Let me introduce it once again. This is Valimar. It is one of the ‘Great Knights’ from the legends of the Empire, the Ashen Knight Valimar that was sealed away in the old schoolhouse of Thors Military Academy.”
{“Nice to meet you, Claire.”}
“I-It spoke……”
Claire was dumbfounded.
Everyone reacted in a similar manner when they first saw it, thought Rean as he tried to emphasize that Valimar wasn’t dangerous.
“It has a personality system, and it is a good fellow, so there’s no need to be scared.”
“For now, please think about the difference in awareness between yourself and others, Rean-kun……”
Claire put her hand to her forehead to endure the headache.
When Rean judged that Claire had calmed down, he told her that he had discovered the Divine Knight at Thors Military Academy, which then led to the creation of the Schmidt’s Classroom.
But the reply he got was a calm and cold fact.
“If you don’t explain the situation properly, this is just abduction, a kidnapping. If you do it again, I’ll have to arrest you, okay?” 2
“I’m sorry, I can go to jail or wherever you want me to in three days, but please spare me for now……”
In front of the power of the state, Rean could only apologize profusely.
Claire had crossed her arms and stared at him with half-lidded eyes, looking like she was about to explode with anger, but she quickly returned to topic.
It seemed she was just showing anger for appearance’s sake, and her kind-hearted nature was apparent.
“Why did you tell me about this Divine Knight? It’s supposed to be a secret, right?”
“If Claire-san is here to help, this will help make it easier to carry out the tasks that will be carried out from now on, so I thought the first thing I should do is to let you know about Valimar’s existence.”
“Tasks that will be carried out from now on?”
“Yes, we will be exposing the terrorists’ hiding den.”
Rean said what he had learned from Roselia was that he could use his power of ogre to stimulate the spiritual veins and cause the singularity to fluctuate.
After explaining things like Cryptid, but excluding the Salt Pale fragment, to Claire, who had no prior knowledge, so she could understand, she somehow managed to understand.
“I see, so it’s like a spirit vein version of sonar.”
“Or you can consider it like a scan of orbal network. Singularities are born in places where spiritual veins are disturbed, so if we fly around the Imperial Capital and stimulate it, we should eventually be able to find its location, but of course, the Imperial Capital is large, so……”
“So you want to use human wave tactics utilizing police to find it?”
“Yes. Of course, it would be best if we could find it on our own.”
“Even if you find it, you could have just left it on us……”
“I can’t just sit back and do nothing when my friend is in danger. Please at least include me as a reserve force.”
Furthermore, there was also a bombshell known as the Salt Pale fragment that would likely remain in the history of the Empire, but there was nothing Rean could do but keep quiet about it.
Seeing Rean’s body writhing restlessly, Claire concluded that words wouldn’t be enough to stop him, so she sighed and nodded.
Claire thought that even if she tried to stop him, Rean would likely act on his own at this rate. In that case, it would be better to keep him within her sight.
I had heard that the person who had brought the information of the Panzer Soldat was a student from a military academy, but I can’t just leave this boy who owns something like this alone. He seems like the type of person who prioritizes his personal feelings so he isn’t suited to be in an organization…… I personally find that favorable, though.
Claire judged that as a soldier.
Receiving her approval, Rean launched Valimar, but while Claire was surprised at the sight of their flight through the skies of the Imperial Capital, she found something that was even more shocking.
Even though it was early morning, there were quite a few people below them, considering the population of the Imperial Capital.
Naturally, there were many HMP and RMP patrolling the area, yet they paid no attention to Valimar at all.
That was despite those people being on high alert due to counter-terrorism measures.
“Rean-kun, this knight doll…… are the people outside not able to see it?”
“Yes. With the cooperation of Professor Schmidt, something like an optical camouflage device has been installed for testing purposes.”
Rean’s casual remark made Claire feel even more strongly that she couldn’t leave the boy in front of her alone.
A giant knight doll that flew through the sky at high speed, moreover, capable of covert operation without being seen…… That very fact posed even greater danger than the terrorists in question.
Since Prince Olivert was aware of the situation, there was no way Rean would become hostile, but his complete lack of sense of danger as he casually revealed classified information greatly stimulated Claire’s sense of responsibility.
Although he might have trusted her since Claire was introduced through Alfin’s intermediary, Claire still fervently hoped that he could draw a line.
“Rean-kun, for the time being, I will ask for information I am curious about, so you don’t have to say anything until then.”
“Really? I thought sharing information is important.”
“I won’t deny that, but please let me have the information stop at me……”
As she spoke, Claire picked up her radio and prepared to contact RMP and HMP.
Since it was impossible to explain cryptids and spiritual veins in such a short time, all Claire did was to check with her colleagues on who were assigned to various places to see if they had noticed any abnormalities.
That said, Claire was currently processing the information from the military police scattered across the Imperial Capital on her own, so the burden was going to be enormous.
However, Claire had a unique talent for gathering the information.
“So there’s no need to worry in that regard,” Claire told Rean that, so he believed her and manifested his power of ogre.
“Rean-kun?!”
“My appearance just changed a bit and I can still communicate properly, so please rest assured.”
“E-eeh……”
That said, Claire couldn’t help but feel surprised at how the black-haired boy next to her had suddenly transformed into an ashen-haired, fiery-eyed boy.
There was the Divine Knight and the power he showed, but Claire felt there was something that the boy was still hiding…… even so, she didn’t think of him as a threat.
Claire felt that this was simply because of how honest Rean’s behavior was.
For Claire, who was used to seeing people wearing façades, Rean’s unconventional behavior and honesty were almost refreshing.
“It’s just a guess, but let’s start with Vainqueur Street.”
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