Chapter 28: A Beautiful Silver World

Hello, observers. It’s me.

A ghost, you say? …How rude. There’s still proper blood flowing through my veins, and my vital signs are perfectly fine. Besides, if I were a ghost, I wouldn’t even be able to record this.

For now, let’s organize the current situation.

There are no abnormalities with my body. All limbs are intact, and as for injuries, I only have minor scrapes—nothing serious.

However, there is one issue: my body temperature is dropping. Since I rarely go outside, I don’t know how much cold a Kivotosian can endure compared to a “human” from my previous life, but this is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed quickly.

Next, the captured cleaner. Aside from the left arm lost during combat with PMC soldiers, there’s no particularly notable damage. However, the damn former director ordered the removal of the main battery, and on top of that, it was lost in the recent chaos. Someone is currently searching for it, but expecting it to turn up is overly optimistic. The secondary battery and self-power generation allow only short-term operation, and they’re useless for resolving the situation.

Finally, let me explain the surrounding environment—something I’m sure you observers are most curious about.

Those with sharp intuition may have already guessed it from the title of this record, and from the fact that all the problems seem to be happening to me alone…

Simply put—it’s a snowfield.

"Achoo."

A vast silver world stretches endlessly in every direction.

It may look beautiful at first glance, but once you actually step into it, you understand. This is hell. The cold kind of hell.

An environment completely outside the survival range of a shut-in like me.

See? Goosebumps all over. My breath turns pure white. My whole body is shaking like one of those vibrating massage devices. At this rate, I’ll freeze to death.

"...Ko-Komori-chan, could you step back a bit? Sensei feels like their neck is about to snap."

"...No."

"Ugh."

Hence the need to cling to Sensei like a human hot water bottle. And look at this—he’s wearing a coat that looks warm and cozy. Me? I’m wearing nothing but an unemployed T-shirt! Even with a halo, my puny self doesn’t stand a chance!

"Haha! Even the mighty cleaner is weak against the cold!"

"Sniff…"

Across the crackling bonfire, the two informants—clinging to the former director in the same way I cling to Sensei—opened their mouths.

"Sh-shivering like a little fawn! Should I warm you up!?"

"...Before saying that, maybe you should take a good look at your own situation…"

"This person is so warm! Even the former director says it’s okay!"

"...Enough already. Let go."

"See?"

They were clearly refused.

"...Sigh. How long are you planning to keep this up?"

"Ugh… Kanna."

At the voice behind me, I loosened my grip around Sensei’s neck and turned around. Standing there was Kanna—the so-called “handsome blond with beast ears and sharp teeth,” whom I hadn’t noticed while being restrained. Also known as the ‘stranded fish girl.’ She held a can of coffee in one hand and was accompanied by several PMC soldiers.

Hmm… Kanna…? The name sounds familiar, but I can’t quite place it. Well, she’s just a Valkyrie. There were only a few students I needed to pay close attention to back then, so the fact that I don’t remember her probably means she was just a regular squad member.

"Here, Komori-san. I’ll lend you my jacket, so please let go of Sensei already."

Hmm? How kind. And yeah, that jacket does look warm. Also—big. I won’t say which part, but let’s just say: big.

"...However, I refuse."

Heh heh heh. Sure, her jacket is probably warm. But its warmth can’t compare to Sensei’s body heat—plus that faint cigarette smell he always has!! They’re not equal in value!!

"...Excuse me?"

"Eeek!?"

I’m lying. I’m joking. I’m so sorry. Your jacket definitely smells better, and I’ll take that instead.

"Pfft—ahaha! They peeled you off!"

"...Hmph."

Imu pointed straight at me and burst out laughing.

That was when I heard the crunch of a crushed can from behind us.

"...Would you all please knock it off already? We’ve been dragged into a completely incomprehensible situation, and now we’re stranded on a snowy mountain with three wanted criminals, plus one former heinous criminal—even if she technically belongs to Schale now. We’re stuck in a scenario that gives me a headache just thinking about it, so maybe consider my position for once?"

She spoke rapidly, almost as if forcing her emotions down, a vein visibly throbbing on her forehead.

"...Valkyrie Police School, Public Peace Bureau Director, Oba Kanna. You dare speak to me—me, a Kaiser PMC board member—like that and think you’ll get away with—"

"Ex–board member. Criminal."

"Hyup!"

The former director, who had been acting inexplicably high and mighty, shrank back the instant she shot him a glare. Pathetic.

…Wait. Public Peace Bu—what?

"Uh, w-wait… Valkyrie Police School…?"

"? Yes. That’s correct."

"Public Peace… Bureau…?"

"Indeed."

"And… you’re… the Bureau… Director…?"

"I am."

…………No way.

"Wh—?! Why are you suddenly dropping to your knees!?"

"...Ko—Kou, san… uuu… Cleaner—Amari Komori… hic—surrenders… Please… don’t hurt me…!"

The Mad Dog. The word “giving up” does not exist in her dictionary. She digs relentlessly into every difficult case until everything is exposed. I even heard directly from a delinquent student who had actually been tortured by her—so the source is reliable.

"Uuuuuu…"

"Ahaha. Kanna scared someone again."

"Sensei, don’t just laugh—say something to her."

And seriously! I had her on the high-priority caution list back in my cleaner days—so why did I forget!? Aaaah… I’m going to be tortured, have all my past crimes wrung out of me, and get tossed straight into jail…

"Sigh…"

"Eek!?"

"Stop crying already. I wasn’t planning to arrest you in the first place."

"Really…? You won’t peel off my nails…? Knock out my teeth…? Snap my fingers…? Slice pieces of flesh off little by little…?"

"I won’t!! What kind of image do you even have of me…?"

"Really? You’re really not going to torture me?"

Ah, there it is—the pat-pat. This is a pat-pat I can trust. Ah, my heart feels so warm… my facial muscles are melting~

"...Informant, are you sure that’s really the cleaner?"

"Yes. Definitely? Probably. Most likely."

"If you’re going to call yourself an informant, then confirm it properly. And why did you kidnap the Public Peace Bureau Director? I never gave that order."

"...Well, the sleeping pills didn’t work, and we couldn’t avoid being seen…"

"...Are you really professionals…?"

"Nfuu…"

I let out a strange little noise.

"Um, Captain. May I report?"

"Mm. Go ahead."

"...Did you just call the Public Peace Bureau Director ‘Captain’? True, I lent her to you, but if anyone should be called Captain here, it’s more like me."

"Because you’re unreliable?"

"Hyup…"

One of the PMC soldiers trailing behind Director Kanna began his report. According to him, the airship is effectively a total loss. Roughly 80% of supplies—including food and weapons—have been destroyed. Twenty-one personnel are incapacitated. To conserve resources and assess the situation, fifteen members remain active while the rest are on standby.

Wait… are the PMC soldiers even alive? If they are, then twenty-one casualties is seriously bad…

"The surrounding geography hasn’t been fully assessed yet, but judging from the airship’s previous route, we believe we’re deep in Red Winter territory."

"What about communications equipment?"

"All destroyed. Mr. Black is checking, but don’t get your hopes up."

Red Winter… information is scarce, but I vaguely remember it being a school modeled after reddish countries from my previous life. …Definitely not somewhere I want to deal with if I can help it.

And now all communication devices are destroyed. This is starting to look genuinely serious. The cleaner does have those functions, but… it’s probably best to keep that as a last resort. At least for now, with no weapons or means of resistance, it’s not the hand we should play.

The former director likely reached the same conclusion. He turned to Sensei with a solemn expression.

"Sensei, shouldn’t we cooperate here?"

"...Cooperate?"

"Yes. In a situation this extreme, it’s risky to remain hostile to each other, don’t you think?"

"……"

"Or do you think the three of us—the Sensei, the Public Peace Bureau Director, and that shut-in over there—can get through this alone?"

"……"

"Even with the cards hidden in your hand, it would still be tough, right?"

Sensei looked at me.

…Wait? Hey, what’s with that look? Can you stop wearing that resigned expression the moment you glance at me? Sure, I’m the weakest here, but come on!

I don’t mind cooperating! I really don’t!

But still—! I mean—!!

"...Fine. I’m not saying I forgive what you did this time, or what you did to Hoshino and the others, but… for now, let’s cooperate."

…I still don’t like this at all!!!!