Chapter 50: Two Points Moving at the Same Speed Will Never Meet
『 The shouting in her ears grew clearer, and Captain Magus shook herself awake from her memories.
Recalling everything that had just happened, the Captain finally remembered the important business of reprimanding her disobedient subordinate.
"Seed, stand at attention! You were far too reckless in that last operation!" Magus looked at Seed and scolded.
"But I completed it perfectly, didn't I? I cleared out the entire area all by myself~" Seed replied.
"Do you even realize how out of control you looked just now? You were like—"
"Like what?" Seed asked.
"Tch, forget I said anything." Magus turned her head away.
"Regardless, this was a squad mission… None of us wants to see you get hurt…" Orpheus said, looking at Seed.
"You brat, if you keep this up, you're going to end up on the high-priority observation list—and I have no intention of visiting you in the observation ward for dangerous subjects!" Magus warned.
"Why would they lock me up? Isn't getting stronger a good thing?" Seed asked, confused.
Magus couldn't be bothered to explain it to Seed anymore. She turned to Orpheus and said, "Orpheus, you explain it to her."
"Hey, hey, you're dumping this on me now?" Orpheus said in a panic.
"Seed, why were you so sudden and aggressive in fighting alone? Impulsiveness can lead to unforeseen consequences…"
"Seed Sr. promised me that as long as I got stronger, he would come back," Seed replied, looking at Orpheus earnestly.
"That's why I had to take action." 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: pushi~
〘Black Swan〙: …
〘Stelle〙: Lol.
....
『 "Captain, Orpheus, I don't seem suited for waiting quietly. Can you help me?" Seed said, looking at the person and her tail.
"Seed… getting stronger is a gradual process, not something that happens in an instant… There are many days ahead of us. Let's take it one step at a time, okay?" Orpheus urged.
"Don't you all want to see him sooner?" Seed lowered her head and asked, disappointed.
"Listen up, Seed. I'll admit, you're strong… even if you're always doing your own thing, you surprisingly manage to complete missions well, even far exceeding my expectations."
Magus, unable to listen any longer, turned her gun toward the dejected Seed and said, "Perhaps it won't be long before you become a warrior who can stand on her own… but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing for you. I don't think this kind of growth process, this kind of 'getting stronger,' is what Seed Sr. would have wanted."
"Seed, take some time to rest and cool off. You're not fit for missions lately… I hope you aren't too mad at me." Magus lowered her head as well.
"Mm… I understand," Seed replied softly.
"Huh? You're really not mad?" Magus paused, then looked up in shock.
"I am a soldier; obeying and executing orders is my duty. If the Captain wants me to stop executing missions, then I will stop," Seed replied.
"I never expected that one day Seed would be able to say something like that…" Orpheus marveled.
"I'm glad you're being so cooperative this time. Just go wander around for now… as long as you don't go into the Hollow alone again," Magus said happily. 』
『 ....』
〘Belle〙: We're screwed!
〘Stelle〙: We're screwed!
〘Orpheus〙: Captain! You've jinxed it!
....
『 "Of course, whenever you want to move out of the Hollow's safehouse and back into the squad dormitory… you're welcome back."
"Captain, you old nag," Seed said softly.
"I knew it… You are mad! Daring to call me an old nag, see if I don't make sure your meals only have green peppers and no meat from now on!" Magus's eyes turned red as she cursed.
"Captain, calm down! Besides, Trigger is the one who cooks for us, not you… calm down!" Orpheus grabbed Magus and urged.
Orpheus struggled to hold onto the bristling Magus, hastily said goodbye to Seed, and left the Hollow.
Seed watched their figures get smaller and smaller, and only after confirming they had left did she begin her own plan.
As for Magus's order for Seed not to execute missions, Seed used sophistry to find a loophole.
After all, a soldier who has suspended their missions is not considered a soldier during that period.
"So now, the ordinary girl Seed is looking for partners to enter the Hollow together~" 』
『 ....』
〘Magus〙: You little…! Seed!
〘Orpheus〙: Ah, Captain, calm down! Trigger, hurry, and pull Seed away from the Captain!
〘Stelle〙: Your squad's atmosphere is really great.
〘Trigger〙: Mm, I think so too.
....
『 Thus, Seed came to Random Play and found Belle, expressing that she had tried every method to make Seed Sr. return.
Engine Oil, Nitro-Fuel, and Salt Water had all failed.
This made Seed realize that having a partner like Belle was important, and she then explained the plans corresponding to these three things.
Engine Oil was a comprehensive maintenance of her body; Nitro-Fuel was Veronica, but she had excluded Seed from her plan; Salt Water was becoming stronger, but Magus had put a stop to her mission schedule.
Belle was shocked by how serious Seed was; she had actually explained these concepts clearly.
Seed stated that she had always been serious; she even wanted to go find Veronica again to hear about her plan, but Veronica was no longer replying to her messages.
Wise believed that Seed shouldn't get deeply involved with Veronica and that he and Belle could just offer advice to Seed.
Belle felt that her brother actually had a second half to that sentence he hadn't finished.
There was no way to truly resurrect the dead, which was why this so-called plan of Veronica's seemed so suspicious.
But how should they deal with Seed's new actions?
Belle fell into a dilemma: should she follow what Magus said and use a new lie to muddle through? Or…
Unable to figure it out, Belle decided to play it by ear and see what Seed's next plan was.
Then, Belle asked Seed about the Salt Water plan that hadn't been eliminated yet, and at the same time voiced her own confusion: what was the connection between getting stronger and Seed Sr. returning?
Seed said this was a promise between Seed Sr. and her; he would never break his promise. As long as she could let Seed Sr. see her current strength, he would know that now was the time to return. 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: So, this is the only time he broke his promise, and also the last.
〘Stelle〙: Why is it always you?
〘Hanabi〙: Ehe~
....
『 "Although he is executing a classified mission, since he would reply to my knocks from time to time, he must also check the Defense Force's internal reports from time to time! As long as I can stand on my own, as long as I perform enough meritorious service…"
"…he will definitely be able to see it, and know what I want to convey to him, right?" Seed asked.
Hearing Seed's logic chain, Belle realized her hope would eventually fall through, and she had to do something.
"Proxy, actually, I hesitated for a long time. The Captain and the others don't seem willing to help me… Although Proxies are 'my kind,' I don't know if you'll be like Veronica, accusing me and then turning away," Seed said, lowering her head with a sad expression.
"But… I just feel like I can't breathe anymore, and more, some feelings I've never had are chasing me. During the time when Seed Sr. first fell asleep, I actually felt like this too… Why?"
Belle explained to Seed that this was the feeling of fear and told her ways to alleviate it.
"Actually, my brother and I also had a teacher who raised us, and she isn't by our side now either… It's been eleven years since the day she completely lost contact."
"Eleven years without any contact?! Compared to you Proxies, I'm like a Terror Raptor running into a Typhon..." Seed looked at Belle in shock.
"Belle and I both miss her, just like you miss Seed Sr.. But we have no idea when she will return… we can't even be sure if she will ever return," Wise said.
"On many sleepless nights when we think of her, we feel like we can't breathe, just like you… just like you, we feel fear—the fear of the possibility of never seeing her again, the fear of the unknown."
"Even if we are all on a circle called Life, will that happen? On a circular loop, we will meet again sooner or later," Seed said.
"Yes, life is a circle… but even two points moving on a circle are not guaranteed to meet," Belle replied with a disappointed expression.
"You and Seed Sr., us and our teacher, must be points like that. At first, our speeds are different, so we always intersect… but at some point, we start moving at the same speed after separating."
"Two points moving at the same speed will never meet."
"Belle, really, you're being too pessimistic. Seed, let me teach you how to alleviate fear next," Wise shook his head at his dejected sister and looked at Seed.
"A method?"
"Yes. For my sister and me, it's the HDD and Eous. For you, Seed, it should be Seed Sr.'s flowers and the cockpit, right?" Wise nodded.
"Look at them carefully, look at these things filled with memories. You will gradually realize—no matter in what form, the important person has always been by our side."
"Thank you, Proxy. I will learn it well," Seed thanked Wise, then looked at Belle and asked.
"Proxy, I still want to get stronger. If I can perform meritorious service, can my speed on the circle become faster?"
"If Seed Sr. and I are at the same speed, then this time, I will be the one to catch up to him as he runs ahead!"
"Although I can't guarantee how much time it will take… but I think we will both have a day where we become faster! Seed, let me participate in your 'getting stronger' plan!" Belle looked up at Seed and replied, sweeping away the gloom from before.
"Speaking of which, I've always been curious… You said you were 'our kind,' what exactly did you mean?" Wise asked, looking at Seed.
"My kind is my kind, I can't really explain it well… if I had to say, it's that our scents are very similar, which makes me feel very close to you. That's about it~" Seed smiled.
Afterward, Seed explained her plan.
The Defense Force had recently had a case of stolen classified supplies, and Seed wanted to perform meritorious service by solving this case.
This required the help of the Hollow Raider she had saved in the Hollow last time. So, Belle and Seed followed the tracker Seed had previously stuck on the Hollow Raider and found them. 』
『 ....』