“Is everything alright, Officer?” Yuna’s captain asked, his voice, a hint of worry mixed into it. "You look a bit rushed."
“What do you mean, sir?” Yuna asked, swallowing her greeting.
“You didn’t call on the appointed time,” he explained. “That has never happened before. You would normally call directly on time or a few days before hand to report anything of interest. So, I became a bit worried that something might have happened.”
“No, everything is alright, sir. I apologize for worrying you,” Yuna replied a bit stiffly. “I was distracted and failed to notice the time. It won’t happen again, sir.”
“I don’t mind if you’re late once or twice. Just don’t make it a habit,” the Captain said. “Moving on, I’m here for your normal report and the special report for mission pertaining to the Valkyries. You may start, officer.”
Yuna paused for a few moments, backtracking through her entire month. For the most part, nothing had happened. Classes were going along their usual pace with new things being taught almost every week. Recently, things had progressed to the point where Yuna was actually actively learning.
“We’ve transitioned in our combat classes into imbuing our weapons with mana,” she reported. “It has been a bit of a struggle for me to do. If I focus mainly on the imbuing aspect, I can do it. But when it comes to fighting while actively pushing mana into a sword, my mind can’t seem to focus.”
“That is to be expected,” the captain said. “It’s never easy to learn new skills. You already have a few benefits that are helping you in the process. You’re rank B which means that your mana capacity and production should be higher than most of those in your class. You’ll be able to practice longer and more often.”
“I’ll try my best to improve,” Yuna said.
She moved onto other topics that were brought up in class. One thing that she remembered well was that the second years were being instructed in how to perform combat and spells with the help of their spirit beasts. Yuna herself didn’t have one and so watched the others in her room with envious eyes as they played and practice with their beasts. She had gone on a small complaining session with Yuki who also didn’t have a beast.
“He told me not to dwell too much on it,” Yuna said. “That I should think of it in a more positive light. Without a spirit beast, he said that I would be able to focus on improving my skills more.”
“That’s certainly a way of viewing it. The human’s right in thinking that one shouldn’t dwell on such things. Just don’t let it bother you and everything will be fine.”
Yuna finished up her report, ending it on the last day of the week before. The captain nodded and didn’t say anything for a bit. She waited patiently for his reply.
“Have you been keeping up with your training?” Captain asked after a while.
“Why do you ask, sir?”
“Just out of curiosity. You’re missions may be distracting you from your training,” he explained. “I just wanted to know if you’ve been finding the time to do it.”
“I have. I’ve already set up a training regimen that I have been following for the past couple of months,” Yuna replied. “I normally train at night in order to avoid the crowds. Occasionally, I would join Yuki and train together.”
“I see. That’s good to know that you are being diligent. Now let’s move on to our next topic for the day.”
Yuna’s eyes sharpened and she instinctively inhaled a sharp breath. She was waiting for this.
“Your report for the week. You were instructed to perform reconnaissance mission on the dark guild “Valkyries” and was given one week to do so.” The captain sounded bored to Yuna as he recited his lines. Because the conversation was now of a more serious matter, he was required to be extremely formal with his phrasing. Please report what you’ve found in that time.”
“The Valkyries as a relatively small guild,” Yuna said slowly. Her mind picked at the information in her head, trying to choose the right words to say. “There are around thirty or so people. I have never seen all of them together at once.”
“That is a small size,” the Captain commented. “Do you know how many the Valkyries have recruited in their recent efforts?”
“I do not know because as of now, I have not found the right opportunity to find out.”
“Understood. Continue, officer.”
“Their hierarchy is unconventional. They have ranks but they begin with Member to Trusted before promoting the person to a job. The heads of the guild are called Elites and their are apparently seven of them.”
“Do you know what their roles are in the guild beside has leaders?”
“I’m not too sure at this time. They seem to be the ones that organize the missions given out by the guild as well as oversee the recruiting process.”
“Is there a person among the seven that has the highest authority?”
“Yes. I do not know her name as of now but I was told to refer to her as Boss.”
“A female leader. Have you seen her before?”
“I have interacted with her.”
“Can you describe her?”
“Um, she appears to be an elf,” Yuna said. She scrunched up her eyebrows as she thought. “Grey eyes. Dark hair. Relatively tall, a bit taller than me. Slender build and has a faint tan.”
“Facial features? Is there anything unusual or eye catching?”
“Nothing that stands out to me, sir. I can only describe her as attractive and young. I could not estimate her age.”
“I see. Is there anything else of note about the structure of their guild?”
“No, sir.”
“Then please move on to their activities and capabilities.”
“From my time with them, they don’t seem to be focusing on one goal in particular,” Yuna said. “Their members are spread across the country doing individual missions that only they know. They do seem to have one overlaying aim, however.”
“That is?”
“From what I have been told, they aim to defeat the dark guild known as the Shikaku and destroy them. That involves directly antagonizing them and countering their activities.”
“They want to defeat the Shikaku,” Captain repeated. There was a hint of disbelief in his voice. “Did they say how they would do so?”
“No. I don’t believe so.”
“So a dark guild wants to destroy another dark guild,” he mumbled, Yuna barely catching his words. “Have you discovered why they were targeting Mason Incorporated supply trucks?”
“Yes,” Yuna said. She paused and spoke with a slower voice. “They said that it was because Mason Incorporated is under the control of the Shikaku.”
“What?”
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“That is what they have told me,” she rushed. “They said that by attacking the trucks, they were antagonizing the Shikaku and hindering their plans.”
“Did they offer proof for their claim? Did they find something of concern?”
“They never showed me direct evidence but they have brought up something of concern,” Yuna replied. She hesitated again, her mind going back to the glass prison of those demons she had freed along with Boss and the others. “They showed me an unauthorized prison operating underneath a Mason Inc. building.”
“They did? What was being detained in there?”
“Demons sir. Dozens of demons all locked into tiny glass cells with collars that shocked them if they even tried to use a bit of magic.”
“Dozens of demons.”
“Sir, they. They also said that the ones responsible for the arrest of these demons were the LIA.” The captains head went up sharply. “Is that true?”
“We are diverging from the original topic of this report,” the captain replied. “Yuna, you know that this is recorded. I can not answer such questions at a time like this. You understand.”
‘Why are you changing the subject?’ Yuna bit her tongue. She couldn’t ask that. It would be suicide for the conversation and her career.
“I understand,” she said, her voice dull. “I don’t know much about their capabilities. The elites are powerful people and the Valkyries seem to be technologically advanced. The technology that I have seen have been on par with that of the LIA and the Academy.”
“They do have an AI so that is to be expected,” the captain said. “Are all of the elites elves like this Boss?”
“No. There is one other elf and a male dwarf. The others are, um,” Yuna stopped. Her next words were ones she felt she needed to choose carefully.
“What are they?” the captain pressured.
“Demons, sir. The other members are all demons. But they aren’t mean people,” Yuna rushed. “They seem kind and quite normal from my interactions. I don’t believe that they want to hurt anyone.”
“You’ve talked to them all?”
“Well, yes. I’ve had conversations with most of them and they didn’t seem cold or destructive.”
“They’re demons Yuna. You have to be careful of anyone with magical powers as strong as them. That includes a handful of elves. They can twist their words with mana, making them sound like honey.”
“I would be able to detect it if they did. Sir, I’m rank B. I have been sensitive to mana ever since I could remember. They were speaking as naturally as we are right now.”
“How did you even get into contact with them? I wouldn’t think a new member would be able to reach those of a higher position so quickly.”
“I was promoted. And I had a few conversations before that promotion. That’s why I could judge them for myself. I don’t believe they have any ill intentions.”
“Many criminals believe in what they do. They also don’t have ill intentions. When someone is hurt by another but they justify it by saying that it’s because it’s for something good, that doesn’t remove the fact that someone was still intentionally hurt. But we are getting distracted again,” the captain sighed. “What were you promoted to?”
“A few places up,” Yuna mumbled.
“What rank, officer?”
“I’m not sure what this has to do with my report, sir.”
“Do not make me repeat myself again, Yuna,” the captain said softly. “What rank?”
“Elite,” she blurted. “Sir.”
The captain inhaled sharply at her response.
“You know the location to their base then, correct?” he asked. Yuna didn’t immediately respond. “I’m asking you a question, officer.”
“I-I do,” she mumbled. “But, I don’t believe they're a threat sir. If anything, they maybe helping us in trying to defeat another dark guild.”
“That is not something that you can decide on, officer,” the captain growled. “Your mission was to watch, not judge. And they are a threat. The fact that they were able to convince you that they are not already sets off alarms. Add that to the fact that they are trying to point to the police and blame us for the wrongs in the world and it should be obvious to you that they are in fact a threat. They may not be destroying physical things, but they are trying to incite discord.”
“But, sir I—”
“Where are they, officer?” the captain demanded. “Their location. We need to move now.”
“Sir, please—”
“Do not try and tell your commanding officer what to do, Yuna,” he warned. “Tell me. Now.”
“It’s, it’s on my watch, sir. But, please, at least hear out my thoughts on this,” she pleaded.
“No. I will not. Now be quiet before I’m forced to discipline you, officer.” Her body froze and her mouth clamped shut. She blinked repeatedly, her vision getting blurred. Never before had the captain spoken to her like that. The soft, understanding tone of her caretaker had been replaced by the cold steel of the First Captain of the Libra Investigation Agency.
“So, on your watch you said. Check it for me,” the captain commanded to someone off screen. “You’ve found it? Tell the squadron leader that he’s cleared to go. Give him the location.”
“Wait!” Yuna cried, her eyes widening as she heard those words. Their meaning was clear.
“I WILL NOT WAIT, OFFICER!” the captain roared. Then he lowered his voice to a growl. “You cannot tell me what to do or what to think! You are my subordinate. Act that way.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” she whispered, swallowing her words as her eyes blinked rapidly.
“We will need to talk about this in the future. Goodbye, officer,” the captain said. The screen disappeared and Yuna collapsed onto her bed. Her lip trembled as she pressed her palms onto her eyes.
‘I need to do something.’ She stared at the ceiling as the faces of Boss, Erica, and Akira flashed before her face. ‘I can’t lay here being useless.’
She stood and opened her watch, finding the location of where the base of her guild was located.
‘I need to warn them.’