hamoni

Who are you lot?

Got the full situation out of her?

We've finished questioning. She's a student of Horley's. Still quite young. She didn't know a single thing about this gang reselling military goods.

She <i>has</i> acted as their middleman on multiple occasions by delivering Horley's letters, but she hadn't a clue what she was passing on, nor did she ever have suspicions about her teacher.

Horley took up a teaching post at a noble's private secondary school after being discharged. No criminal record for the past five years, very esteemed by her students.

As far as the one here recalls, Horley never showed signs of involving any students as her accomplices. We can likely go without inspecting the rest of the student body.

We've been holding her for two days. I know it's only been a normal interrogation, no deliberate pressure, but judging by what details we've observed, she's 100% honest.

Alright, let her in. We'll run this as planned.

Do you now understand the full course of the incident?

My tutor committed a serious crime, and I was an accessory to it under unwitting circumstances... That's more or less what I've gathered.

If you don't mind my asking, how has Miss...?

She refused to cooperate, going so far as to incite a violent clash with the military. The only option she gave us was death.

As for the resale of military goods, we've been on that trail for over a year. Horley took advantage of her military connections to serve as a key figure in the resale chain. That cannot be denied.

We would desire for you not to sympathize too greatly with her.

...Mm.

Was she a good teacher?

She...

She was a firm, strong fighter. I very much admire the strength she displayed.

The things I learned from her were worth more, I think, than what I ever picked up in my etiquette class or social speaking drills.

The idea she'd been doing <i>this</i>, and then failed, and fell, in this manner...

...It's somewhat beyond what I would've expected. That's all.

I respected her. Nothing more than that.

We express our acknowledgement of the shock this incident has been to you.

Please be assured, we won't be investigating your conduct, nor will we regard you as her accomplice.

However, we desire for you to be the sole civilian who knows of this. You must maintain silence on the facts of this incident.

Horley, along with two other soldiers who participated in the resale, will be recorded as assistant military to this operation.

Remember: they 'bravely gave their lives in the fight.' That is what you should say to your classmates, your professors or anyone else, once news of her death reaches your campus.

In addition, they'll be posthumously awarded. We hope you'll understand that we've put much thought into upholding the reputation of the woman you respect after her death, which we desire to grant her some dignity in.

Mm, I understand the matters on which I should be silent.

We're very glad we could reach a consensus. There'll be some favors done for you.

Favors?

Your account was, you visited her to prepare for the Royal Guard Academy entrance exams.

You'd like to get into Royal Guard, correct?

I...

Do I still care?

I'm just one of the military insiders from back then, by coincidence.

If you came here to reminisce with me, then you really are courteous to a <i>fault.</i>

After all, that was however many years ago. Even I don't remember it all off the top of my head anymore.

I sympathize with what you went through years ago—that's exactly it. I can't bear to see a youngster with such limitless prospects not get the credit she deserves.

I imagine you've noticed, somewhere in there, that your life fell out of your control ever since that affair.

Despite getting into Royal Guard, you were forced to change identities and go fully incognito without ever graduating, and when it comes to intelligence work, forging genuine interpersonal relationships is a tall order.

Fortunately, you could consider yourself lucky all the same. The Marquess seems to take a very vested interest in your abilities. You can get in touch with him via my referral. Perhaps you could even strive to become a personal aide.

You can free yourself from your identity as an intelligence agent, and obtain a higher status doing it.

Is phrasing it that way able to win your confidence?

Yes... that's all it is, no more.

Could you elaborate?

Don't you mind, that was just a little private monologue.

My opinion is, if we carry on like this, my staff and the skin of your throat may just threaten to close their own distance.

But upon those words, Harmonie stows her staff away.

—You're invited to leave now.

Madam, if you're declining because the difficulty of disengaging from your intel work worries you, then please trust that we have methods sufficient to aid you.

It seems you think I'm dictated to hate my life and my lot in it.

You've made a—not uncommon misunderstanding, I'll say. Conspiracies bury themselves all throughout life. So many little incidents are secretly the grand designs of master architects like yourself, am I wrong?

You'll have seen that sort of thing a great deal, as an intelligence worker.

Quite. I've gotten fairly sick of seeing it, and even fairly sick of doing it.

The fact of the matter is, nobody forced me into intelligence work. Some professors selected me, I agreed, and that was that.

Do you know something? If I really, truly hadn't the power to control my own life, I'd be compelled to kill you here and now, so as to avoid you bringing any hassle to my door.

But I very much take a liking to you.

Now, we were here to take part in a dinner, weren't we?

Harmonie turns away with light grace.

Inside the hall, the ensemble bows and readies to begin performing. The bright fixtures shine through the floor to ceiling windows, outlining her in a glowing silhouette.

(Humming)

With carefreeness, she lifts her arms, and spins a full circle.

There in the courtyard, she dances on her own in brisk, spry steps.

Who... will you be having your dance with?

The Feline named Harmonie gives no answer.