Vorpal Rabbit and Fortress Uncle

Lact and Amy were the first to reach the cafe and coffee frontier designated as the venue for the off-duty party. After checking the store's name and address at the store, they step into fear. The < Frontier > had a calm atmosphere, with several guests sitting around the table even before noon.

Welcome back.

"Well, I'm the one who made the reservation at [Shiraku-an]..."

Lact calls out to the elderly male clerk standing at the counter. It was written in her invitation that she would be guided if she so informed. In fact, the clerk seemed to understand it by itself, and when he nodded lightly, he guided the two of them to the private room in the back of the store.

"Something..."

What's wrong?

No, it's nothing.

When Lact said "Shirakan", I felt that the movements of the customers in the store were broken for a moment. Amy shakes her head thinking that it's her fault. The FPO is a popular game, and [Shirakukan] is probably quite a famous band, but not all of the customers who stumbled into the coffee shop know it.

“Feel free to choose a drink and wait.”

Huh. Thank you.

The coffee shop had a private room with polished glass windows in the back. It looks like a room for enough people to relax, with a large table surrounding the sofa. There is a large display on the wall, and it seems that if you connect a device or computer, you can enjoy games on a large screen.

Wow, it looks like there's a board game, too.

"Huh. It's like an off-duty club or something like that."

Apart from a menu of drinks and snacks, there was also a piece of paper about lending board games. The two of them were impressed that Ledge had found a very good store.

Phew, you're throbbing.

Lact turns to the door while drinking ice cafe au lait. Amy, who asked for tea, was equally restless. A few minutes from now, you'll be meeting your friends in person.

“Who do you expect to see coming?”

Well then, I guess it's a chiffon.

Well then, I'll be at Ledge.

A lacto that speaks with anticipation. In her honest words, Amy unintentionally bursts out. The door knocked modestly as an unconscious girl kissed her.

†

This is it.

Toka and Mikage followed the route described in the invitation and arrived at the coffee frontier on time. Along the way, the people who had a majestic atmosphere strangely noticed, but they decided to leave it unattended.

Do you know what's going on in the store?

"You can clearly see it through the door." People these days don't like to hide their vigilance. ”

Despite being much older than himself, Toka smiles bitterly. The shop is crammed with people who are probably not ordinary people who are responsible for protecting dignitaries. I think they're the same people who've been watching them all this way.

Don't rush me.

"Who are you talking to?" If they don't do anything, they're red people. "

I sharpen my lips to my younger brother, and Toka opens the shop door. A cool doorbell rang, and the elderly man standing at the counter interpreted shallowly.

Welcome back.

It belongs to the White Deer Antelope.

Two people show the invitation. The clerk confirmed it and pointed to the back door.

"Over there, please."

Thank you very much.

While being guided, the two of them headed to the private room in the back. A light knock on the door made the footsteps resound from the back.

"Welcome!"

“Hi, how are you?”.

It was a small woman who opened the door. The hair color is black, and the pigment on the eyes is a little light and brown. Still, Toka knew right away.

It's a lacto.

"Yes, hello, Toka."

It seems that the other side immediately sensed their identity. Of course I did. This member has no other brothers or sisters to think about.

Torka greets Lact and looks into the back of the room. There stood a tall woman with a smile on her face.

Amy, right?

Your answer. Well, you know what I mean.

Amy nods.

I already knew that she was the oldest woman in the [White Deer Anvil]. In other words, she is the most mature woman in the world.

Encouraged by Lacto, Toka and Mikage enter a private room. Sitting on a soft sofa and ordering a drink. And immediately, Lacto spoke to the two of them.

The tokas are far away too, aren't they?

“Yes, I'm on a plane.”

The lacto whispers at Torka's response.

Well, it wasn't that much of a burden, because I was able to get on the plane that the underdogs used to fly.

Huh. That was good timing.

Yeah. Somehow, there was a rush.

Toka laughs at the fact that this is a crossing boat.

It was then.

"Whoa!?"

Suddenly, the light in the room turns off. The lights go out and it's dark for a while. Amy grabs the amazing lacto by the hand. Where did Toka hide it? He has a short wooden sword, and Kunai is in Mikage's possession.

"I'm sorry." Looks like the breaker went down. "

At that time, the door of the private room opens and the clerk shows up. When he explained the situation, the four stroked their chests with relief.

"Please wait while we do the restoration work......"

"What, I'm surprised..." Thank you very much. "

Oh, but you haven't received any radio waves, have you?

Amy tilts her neck after checking her phone. The display on her wrist showed out-of-range characters.

"It's unusual, and it's all over the city."

Torka also checks his phone and tilts his neck.

Even though it's in the middle of a big city, I don't often hear of blackouts and radio disturbances. Even though it's an off-duty party, it's a bad start.

Well, it will be restored soon.

Both nodded to the optimistic voice of Lacto. Before long, the lights seem to have been restored and the lights are back on.

(-- For the passengers, the power went out, but it wasn't noisy.)

Looking sideways at the sisters who were laughing again, Mikage turned to the other side of the polished glass. A group of mysterious people pretending to be ordinary people has not made much noise despite a sudden power outage. For a moment, he confirmed the existence of the ninja that he had made his nostrils bear.

†

"Yeah, yeah..."

Shiho, who was walking enthusiastically in front of the station, was at a loss. Walking according to Navi's instructions, the whole town suddenly lost power and even lost radio communication. While the people around her raised their voices of confusion, she was also stuck on her right.

I know where the Coffee Frontier is, but for some reason, the road to it was blocked. I can't use my phone to find a detour, and people are confused by power outages. I didn't seem to be able to afford to ask the way.

Oh, what do we do?

If we stay like this, we will be late for our scheduled time. We can't afford to waste precious time with everyone, even if it's an off-duty party.

However, he has no means of telling the truth, and he has no courage to speak to the strong guards who stand in his way.

"Yep..."

I broke my heart and stood on the side of the road.

At that time, a glossy limousine appeared on the road where the car had disappeared. It stopped without a sound, directly next to Shiho, and the window of the back seat opened.

Could it be a chiffon?

"Huh!? Huh? Huh? Huh!?"

Shiho's thoughts are shortened by the sudden event.

It was the rich, pale young lady who appeared from the rich car. But Shiho has no idea what she looks like. I don't know what to do, but as I wave my arm, I notice.

Um, what's a chiffon?

“Yes, I'm sorry if I was wrong.”

She did say chiffon. As soon as he realized the fact, Shiho's thoughts turned fast and drew one conclusion.

"--Are you sure, Lettie...?"

If possible, I want it to be a mistake. Shiho's fervent wish shattered at once. The girl with the broken face nodded quickly. When she whispered something to someone in the back of the car, the door opened and a big man in black appeared.

Huh.

"Please come inside. I'll send you to the coffee < Frontier >"

"Yep..."

From there, Shiho's memories weren't there.

I sat on a fluffy sofa, talked to Letty on Nikoniko's face, and when I noticed, I arrived at the coffee frontier. She returned to her senses when Lettie greeted the lacts who had arrived first, and they were all stunned.

"I can't believe Letty was such a lady..."

"I thought you were a good grown-up."

In the private room of the Coffee Frontier, there were six people except Ledge. The radio interference has not yet subsided, but if six people gather, the story will bloom. For the time being, the subject was Letty's identity.

"I'm sorry, if I told you I didn't mean to hide it, it would be a lie..."

"Well, I can't help it." You won't believe what I'm telling you. "

Lact bitterly smiled at Letty, who lowered his head.

Suddenly, when the men in black opened the door and came in, their liver was cold, but they said they were escorts, and Letty let them out of the room. Even now, the shadows line up through the polished glass without moving.

I have to convince myself if I can see that scene. And--

A maid actually exists, right?

A woman in a maid's clothes stands quietly by the door. Lact said in a slightly trembling voice as he glanced at her.

"Excuse me. I'd like to let Anna out too."

"Miss, I can't do that. You can think of me as not being there."

Only Anna, the sidekick, stubbornly tried not to leave the room. In case something should happen, the lactos are restless. I had no choice but to take my gaze off her and think about the other person.

I wonder when the Ledge will arrive.

By the way, it was a name for Ledge's birthday celebration.

As Amy remembers,

Yes, the off-duty party was started by Lact as a celebration of Ledge's birthday. In time, the lead characters will set the scene, but each of them has their own presents.

"What kind of person is Ledge?"

"Honestly, I'm not surprised that a glass tube just floats in my brain."

Familiar with what they look like at the FPO, they share their predictions about who Ledge is. No one expects him to be an ordinary man because of his ability to deviate from common sense and spend most of the day on FPO.

"After all, it's a legendary assassin?" I'm hiding in the ocean. "

"Hahaha. Tooka's watching too many movies. There are no assassins nowadays."

"Oh, I see..."

Lacto bitterly smiles at Toka's strangely vibrant story. Toka's parents' house seems to be a famous dojo, but it's hard to think of such a backstage operation in the near future.

"Ah, um..."

At that moment, Chiffon raised his hand. Looking at her determined face, Letty wonders what she is trying to tell her.

I'll let everyone know when Ledge gets here.

What's the matter?

The lactos are nervous about a different chiffon. She slowly opens her mouth.

"Ji, actually, Mr. Ledge is my--"

The door suddenly opens before she says anything.

Hello ~

"Wow!?"

It was the voice of the man who jumped in between.

He was followed by a man tied up in a wheelchair. The skin is morbidly white, and the cheekbones appear slightly. Both hands and feet are restrained by metal locks, and a silver collar is fitted to the neck.

Pushing the wheelchair is a woman in a black suit with anger lurking in her smile, and another woman in a black suit stands beside her.

Everyone understood the moment they saw him. He's the one--

"Wow!? Shiho!? Why are you here!?"

Suddenly, a man was surprised to see Shiho. It seems that he didn't know she was here. When Toka glanced at the woman who pushed the wheelchair, she smiled a little suddenly.

Lacto was also surprised. The other woman, Izanami, was the head of the Engineering Department of the Executive Committee of the Izanami Project, and she must have been named Kuwana.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your hard work today."

A woman opens her mouth as she grabs the shoulders of a man who is levitating and presses them against a wheelchair. Letty pinged at the voice. The clear glass-like voice is the same as the fig that came as a red GM.

"My name is Hanayama, and I'm his watchman. In accordance with the regulations, I and this Kuwana will also be present, but please understand. And as you have clearly stated in your invitation, you have a duty of confidentiality regarding today's gathering--"

"Uncle!"

The chiffon rushed out to block the words of Hanayama. At a glance, she jumped into the chest of a skinny man.

"Ugh!?"

"Huh!? No, sorry, did it hurt?"

"Yes, it's okay."... you've grown up. Are you already a junior high school student? "

"I'm a high school student!"

Shiho was weeping at the edge of her eyes, and Ledge gently stroked her. In his eyes, there was a color of compassion that pleased his niece who had been facing him for a long time.

"What!? When did you take off your handcuffs?"

"That's good, isn't it?" I can't get away with it. "

Hanayama screamed when he realized that the handcuffs were out of his hand. Ledge pointed her lips and handed her a handcuff of metal, perhaps heavier. Hanayama protests that this is not the case, but where is the wind?

Uncle, are you caught?

"Hmm. It's either caught or protected..."

To Shiho's bewilderment, Ledge answered in an ambiguous tone that seemed like something was stuck in her back teeth.

"Did your mother tell you anything?"

"Well, my uncle fell from overwork and has been in the hospital ever since."

"Well, it's roughly right." After that, I had a head surgery, broke the computer of the Kiyori Inn family, and so on. "

Ledge murmured in a whisper and nodded back to Shiho.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been able to meet you."

"No, if you're fine, that's fine."

Shiho shook his head to apologize to Ledge. She was relieved that her uncle hadn't changed a bit in years. He's funny, gentle, unpopular, and remains my favorite uncle.

"Ah, um... Mr. Reggie...?"

While my uncle and niece were reuniting in a moving way, Letty, who was outside the mosquito net, raised her hand. Ledge turns his gaze and opens his mouth with a little thought.

Lettie, it's nice to meet you.

"Yes, it's Lettie. Um..."

Letty was puzzled to see him. I was ready to confuse the others by knowing who she was, but I wasn't ready to confuse myself by knowing who Ledge was.

Lettie wondered what to say to Ledge's appearance, which was the same as usual, but completely different than expected. Ledge laughs as he guesses what's going on in her chest.

"I'm sorry, I've become so fashionable, but I'm dressed like this." I couldn't afford to pay attention to my clothes. "

Ledge's outfit was a simple thin blue inpatient suit. Letty, on the other hand, has a white tunic with a soft design and a summery pale blue skirt. It is a set chosen based on the (relatively) common sense of Anna, a phrase that continued to bother her until yesterday.

"Not at all. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It doesn't have to be that hard." I'm Ledge and you're Letty. "

"--All right, thank you for today!"

Letty remembers what Ledge said. She lowers her head.

"Yes, yes, we all know it already, but I'm the lacto."

Lact raises his hand to follow Lettie.

"Unlike everyone else, I'm sorry I'm just an ordinary person..." I usually work as an unusual clerk. "

Lact adds a little more about himself. No one noticed that Hanayama, who stood behind Ledge, moved her lips slightly when she started her career.

“I'm Amy. I'm a free gym trainer."

"It's Toka, uh, a martial artist and a student."

"... Migaige. Ninjutsu researcher."... and the students. "

Starting with the lacto, Amy and the others follow. Introducing herself, Ledge listens with a pleasant applause.

"Well, uh, it's a chiffon. I usually do it as a student."

Chiffon blushed and said. When I reunited with Ledge, I became even more embarrassed by the confusion. Ledge finally opens her mouth, narrowing her eyes to her smiling face.

“Ledge, you're usually a casual unemployed man.”

Hanayama and Kuwana snapped at his words. I would joke about anything, but Ledge didn't notice. Or I don't care.

"Until a few years ago, I worked as a technician at a company related to the Kiyolin family, but I was hospitalized in a small accident. After that, there were many things, and now I'm taking care of the research institute directly under the Kiyomi-in family."

"Oh, I don't know what's at stake even though there's a lot of information..."

Letty gets confused by Ledge's fuzzy description. Already surprised by the fact that his home is connected to Ledge, most of his background remains mysterious.

“Don't talk too inadvertently”

"I'm sorry."

Ledge pitched his hand against Giroli and Hanayama.

"Um, can I just ask you one question?"

Letty raised her hand and Ledge nodded. Letty opened her mouth to reveal her doubts, looking at the faces of Hanayama and Kuwana.

Is Mr. Ledge running the FPO?

Hanayama--The fig is the FPO's GM. It was not surprising that Ledge, who came with her, was said to be a member or associate. But Ledge immediately denied it.

"No, I'm not involved in the development of the FPO." What's at stake is that the processing structure of the data center is the structure of my brain-- "

You talk too much like a boulder!

Guuuuuuuuuuu

The collar of the ledge suddenly tightened after saying something serious. Kuwana seemed to be manipulating the terminal on his wrist to seal his mouth.

Hanayama sighed heavily and looked around at Letty and the others.

“I apologize for the repeated advice, but the information we learned at this gathering is subject to a high level of confidentiality. Please keep this in mind."

"I-I see..."

Letty nodded to Hanayama's advice. For the time being, it was enough to know that Ledge was not the only one.

Ledge coughs and sneezes to get her airway back. Then she turned her attention to Letty and the others again and opened her mouth.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for the trouble this time because of my selfishness." Lacto, thank you for bringing this story to me as an originator. "

"Huh!? No, that's okay."

It was suddenly named, and the lacto was surprised.

"Finally, [Shirakan] gathered here." Let's have some fun today. "

Letty was a little relieved when Ledge declared that. At this moment, Letty is not Qing Liyuan Qian, but is allowed to be Letty.

"That's right, it's Ledge's birthday!"

Having said that, Letty stared at Anna. Anna nodded and gave her master what she had hidden.

Happy birthday, Ledge!