After returning to base in the Stars exclusive Cluster Fan VTOL and completing her encrypted report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major Angelina Sirius—known to her unit as Angie Sirius—flopped onto the bed in her room, still fully uniformed. She rolled over, burying her face into the pillow.
Execution missions. No matter how many she performed, she could never get used to them.
While she no longer vomited after a mission as she had in the beginning, that was simply a matter of her body adapting to the stress. The pain in her heart, if anything, had only grown more acute.
An American Magician. A member of the USNA military's direct-control magic unit, Stars. To execute a comrade who was a compatriot in this triple sense with her own hands...
When she first heard that this was the duty of the High Commander—the one granted the code name Sirius—it hadn't felt real. She had been so swept up in the honor of the title that she hadn't understood. She hadn't grasped what it truly meant to kill one's own.
She rolled over again, shielding her eyes from the light with one arm. She hadn't even bothered to dim the lights in her room yet.
Suddenly, the chime rang.
A wry smile touched Major Sirius's lips. It seemed her meddlesome subordinate had come to check on her again tonight.
Stars was comprised of twelve units, and while the High Commander ostensibly oversaw all unit captains, those captains were responsible for looking after their own subordinates. He shouldn't have had time to be meddling with her...
"Come in."
Rising from the bed, Major Sirius unlocked the door via remote control and answered briefly into the intercom.
"Pardon the intrusion, High Commander."
The man who entered was exactly who she expected. The Number Two of Stars, and the Captain of the First Unit who served as acting commander in her absence: Major Benjamin Canopus.
Stars operated under an irregular organizational structure for a military unit, where position and rank were not strictly linked. While there had never been a case where a Unit Captain held a higher rank than the High Commander, it was not uncommon for them to hold the same rank. Even now, of the twelve captains, six were captains and the remaining six were majors—the same rank as the High Commander herself.
However, far from being dissatisfied with this, Major Sirius actually felt guilty about holding the same rank as Canopus, who was so much her senior.
"A refreshment for you."
Major Benjamin Canopus was a man hovering around forty. He possessed the polished appearance of a high-ranking officer—an intelligent, sharp atmosphere that distinguished him from both a rough-and-tumble soldier and a civilian businessman.
"Ben... thank you."
Placed on the side table was a steaming cup of honey milk. Major Sirius gratefully accepted the concern shown by a subordinate old enough to be her father.
It wasn't in a standard military tumbler used during operations, but a stylish, commercially sold mug poured from a thermos. She brought the hot milk and honey to her lips. The warmth and sweetness seemed to heal the ache in her heart.
"You're welcome. By the way, High Commander, are your preparations complete?"
"Yes, for the most part."
"Efficient as always, I see."
"I am a girl, after all."
Major Canopus shrugged at the response from his superior, who was roughly the same age as his own daughter.
"I feel like 'being a girl' doesn't have much to do with it... perhaps it's your Japanese blood?"
"I think the idea that Japanese people are naturally meticulous is a thing of the past, you know."
Having her quarter-Japanese heritage pointed out, it was now Major Sirius's turn to shrug. She didn't particularly dislike it; besides, no one who cared about race could survive in a unit like Stars.
"Well, be that as it may... please try to forget about this karma-heavy mission for a while and stretch your wings a bit."
"It's not a vacation, it's a special mission..."
At Major Canopus's prompting, Major Sirius pursed her lips. For a moment, her expression was entirely that of a girl her age.
"If anything, it's depressing. Ordering me to sniff around to find out if a suspect is a Strategic-Class Magician... If it were just choosing between two suspects, that would be one thing, but there's a non-trivial chance that neither of them is the target, right? Why send me on an unfamiliar infiltration investigation...? Even with the age constraints, surely there are plenty of others with specialized training."
As Major Sirius grumbled, Major Canopus made a calming motion with both hands.
"Now, now. It just goes to show that the Joint Chiefs believe this opponent won't be dealt with by ordinary means. If the target is as we predict, they are a wielder of dangerous magic that surpasses strategic nuclear weapons. Furthermore, they are someone whose identity has eluded our investigations thus far. It's not incomprehensible that Headquarters prioritized combat ability over espionage training for this selection."
"I understand that, but..."
"Since the suspects are high school students, the plan to make contact as a fellow high schooler does seem a bit simplistic. However, you won't be the only one conducting the investigation."
It went without saying, but while Major Sirius made contact with the suspects, many experts would be conducting flank investigations and providing backup from the shadows. A Planetary-Class Magician from Stars was also scheduled to accompany the Major to provide direct support. There was no way she didn't know that.
"I understand that, too, but..."
"Then let's think of it this way. The Major is merely going to Japan on an exchange program. You just happen to find the suspects at your study abroad destination, and you just happen to get along with them."
"...Are you saying that rather than tensing up and blowing my cover, I should approach this without my guard up from the start?"
"That way, the target will likely lower their guard as well. And I hear one of them is a boy. Since the High Commander is a girl of that age, why not enjoy your youth to the fullest?"
Major Canopus's suggestion was simply advice to stay relaxed and take it easy. However, Major Sirius reacted excessively to his words.
"I-I certainly don't think one of the male suspects is... is cool or anything! I am going there strictly for a mission, not to do something like... act out a teenage drama!"
"I know, I know. Major... it's a bit early, but have a safe trip."
Whether it was the composure of age or the perspective of a father with a daughter, Major Canopus calmly accepted Major Sirius's flustered outburst, offering her a settled, gentle smile.
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