Request
1139 Words
"Oh? I wonder who's that person our chairman met?"
"Who knows? But since he's been called, he might have offended the chairman or something."
"That guys is screwed if that's what happened."
"You said it!"
A lot of chats are happening as the ceremony came to a close, and that last message coming from the chairman herself is the hottest topic of it all. If I'm not mistaken, she only asked for my name. In turn, I responded as polite as I could.
Yep. I absolutely have no idea what's the reason behind my summoning. Maybe she has something to ask?
"Tunes of the Desert Casket~"
My cell card got a notification. Oh shoot, I forgot to muzzle it.
There.
I got the mail from the chairman.
Mmm. It is detailed here the venue and...
Wait. This place is...
•••
Five years ago, when I'm still known as the "Ghost Tactician"...
I got a partner who had absolute faith in me. She's the one who always gets the quests from the request board, which is pretty annoying but even with that, she's an irreplaceable friend. I cherish the moments we have together. Of course, she knows about my real identity (since I usually don't show up; when I do show up to some compulsory gatherings, I wore a full-face mask and use a voice-alteration device, nobody knows who I actually am).
But...that fateful day destroyed one of the few special individuals I've ever had.
There was a mission she gained from the Bureau and for some reason, she didn't notify me. All I saw was the grim expression she wore on her face, which is surprising.
Is something going on?
The next thing I knew...
"Cory is dead."
"Huh?"
"We...we're terribly sorry. She protected us from the sudden monster flock in that uncharted dungeon, mister. "
I heard news about her sudden death.
I don't want to believe it at all.
This is terrible.
Cory...is dead?
She's the only one I know who can beat an S-rank monster by herself.
I searched for clues about the mission.
And thus I revealed the shocking truth.
•••
This place...this is where Cory and I usually hang out and cool down our heads.
I just shook my head.
This is just coincidence, yeah it is.
•••
It's raining cats and dogs, but I never wanted to bring an umbrella. I want to get drenched, hoping to wash away my guilt and sadness whenever I remember my late sister.
Putting that aside...
I wonder if he's coming here. I already sent him the details. Anytime now, he'll be here.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"Oh no, I just came here."
So he finally came.
"Do you have any recollection in this place?"
"I'm afraid I can't follow what you're getting at ma'am."
Yukti looks unfazed as I poke him a bit. As expected of the Ghost Tactician.
There's one thing he didn't know though. Me and Cory are pretty close, and she always tells her stories about a certain man who trusts her so much and together they accomplished a lot of life-threatening missions.
For her to smile that much whenever she brought you up in our conversation...it seems that my elder sister is fond of you, Yukti.
"'Just bend the law if you can't afford to break it'..."
"Mmm...?"
"Nothing at all. I'm just wondering if you ever know Cory."
"!?"
"Don't look so alarmed. I'm didn't call you here for inappropriate means. My sister has been in your care before right?"
"'Sister'...? Are you perhaps..."
"It's nice to finally meet the guy who made my sister happy. My real name is Michaela Lore, Cory's younger sister."
•••
"You're...Cory's younger sibling, you say?"
"Yes. You know her lineage, right? She's an elf just like me."
"Ah no, not that. I'm just surprised to know that you know about me. Did she spilled the beans?"
If Cory told her about me and my identity as her partner and the Ghost Tactician, it makes sense. But knowing Cory, her lips are sealed and she never blabbers even when drunk. So how did she knew about me to this extent?
"Your face says that you're worried. Rest assured, I only got your background from my information broker."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
So, did she just called me here for confirmation?
"Now, I have something to ask--no, I have a request."
"Sorry, but if you're talking about my work, I already quit. You should ask from the Bureau for a suitable employee."
"I don't think there's anyone aside from you that could accomplish this."
"What do you mean by that ma'am?"
"Stop being formal. You can just call me Ela. My sister Cory calls me that."
...I just nodded to avoid further arguments.
I hate getting into arguments.
"So, what's the request?"
"The youngest of us all...please help her."
Huh?
"Pardon?"
•••
"Oh welcome back, Broki."
"Mmm..."
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing at all Leen. So, how's your first day?"
While I'm listening to my sister, the request Ela asked of me is still bugging in my mind. There's a lot of questions, but I can't afford to make my sister get worried.
"Oh yeah...Broki I just realized just now."
"Realized what?"
"Big sis Cory's death anniversary...I think it's tomorrow."
Oh, now that she mentioned that...
"Let's pay her a visit tomorrow then before we go to school."
Leen cheerfully said yes. Cory and Leen are pretty close actually. Cory came to our house multiple times already, and for some reason, they became friends.
As of how it happened, don't ask me. I may be her brother, but I can't find myself being able to totally understand my sister's mind.
It's starting to get late, and thus Leen and I sleep peacefully.
...or not.
"Ugh, I can't sleep."
I continued mumbling to myself as my mind repeats what that Ela asked.
"I humbly ask of you to help our youngest sister. She's been bullied a lot in her previous school and even now, I received a word that she's still ridiculed to the core. And yet she always tells me that she's fine with a joyful tone, but her smile in her sent pictures doesn't reach her eyes. As her elder sister, I feel pathetic for not being able to help her, but as the chairman of a school, I have my limitations; a lot of people out there are just waiting for me to mess up and use it as means of destroying both my and the school's reputation. I ask you this: please save her from her misery, just like what you've done to our sister Cory."
Should I accept her request?
... What if I fail just like how I failed to save Cory?
- Writer
