"Maybe there's another way to put an end to all this?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Jane blinked.
"…Maybe one day, when he's off guard, I'll just drag him out, give him a good beating, and tell him that if he ever dares come near me again, I'll blow his head off."
Liz froze for a moment — then burst into laughter.
"It's not impossible, right?" Jane said softly. "Maybe next year."
Liz rubbed her eyes, still chuckling, and nodded repeatedly. Then she sat up on the bed.
"If that's the case, then I should all the more solve this problem before your second awakening, Jane."
"…Why?"
"Because a world where the weak must simply endure bullying is a world that's gone wrong." Liz's expression grew serious. "And I don't want you to ever think that way — like, 'I'm being harassed by Shawn because I'm not strong enough yet…' In Ascia, if someone thinks they can push others around just because they've got a stronger fist, they'll always be taught a painful lesson. Those who bully the weak should be ashamed of themselves."
"When I was a child," she continued, "there was a pharmacist who lived across from our house. She was tiny, couldn't even lift a sack of grain, but she knew every kind of herb. She could tell which plants in the forest were edible and which were poisonous. Every time we opened up new land or found a new kind of plant, we had to rely on her to tell us whether it was safe to eat.
"And my grandmother—she was small too, but she knew how to find water sources. When she was young, she'd take my father and a few aunts on long journeys that lasted months, and she'd always return with good news. Her knowledge, her experience, her courage—no one stronger than her could ever compare."
"My grandmother, that pharmacist… if people had just stood by and let them suffer, let them live in fear, wasting all their energy just trying to protect themselves, then they never could've contributed their true worth. Humans are interdependent creatures; it's wisdom and courage that move us forward, not brute force. Someone who's weak in one area might be a giant in another. But all of that depends on one thing — the existence of a peaceful order."
"If someone uses their strength or talent to trample on others, they're destroying that order — and I'll never allow that to happen around me."
The soft light of the room reflected in Liz's eyes, making her serious features glow with quiet determination.
"You'll be able to knock Shawn flat someday, Jane. But I believe there's a better way to end this."
"…Is it really worth it?" Jane murmured, "All the effort you've been putting into this?"
Liz suddenly smiled.
"My father used to complain that my grandmother meddled too much in other people's business," she said, looking at Jane. "But my grandmother always said — people tend to take public order and justice for granted, as if it's a natural law that 'good people are rewarded and bad people are punished.' And when that doesn't happen, they get angry and confused. But in truth, if no one rewards the good, and no one punishes the bad, then order itself would never exist."
"One of the reasons I love the Base," Liz continued, "is because its philosophy is so similar to Ascia's. In Ascia, justice is never late. And if it ever seems late, it's only because no one's been willing to pave the road for her with their sweat and blood."
Liz turned to Jane. "So don't feel guilty. I'm defending my own rules, too."
Jane felt a sudden warmth rise within her chest — an inexplicable surge of courage.
Liz went on. "The reason we still can't do anything about Shawn right now is, first, because he hasn't caused you any actual harm, and second, because Ms. Chiba insists on lifting the restrictions placed on him. Without new evidence, we can't legally force him to stay away."
"But if he keeps being stubborn and continues his little tricks, I won't hesitate to use violence to teach him a lesson — though that's not something you should worry about. Don't be afraid, Jane."
"I'm not afraid."
Jane placed her hand over her heart. She could feel it thumping powerfully, a warm tide spreading through her chest.
"Even if Shawn and his brother stood in front of me right now," she said quietly, "I wouldn't tremble anymore."
---
Saturday came, and Ms. Chiba arrived right on schedule.
She came in that same deep-red convertible Jane had seen before. Like the last few times, Jane climbed into the passenger seat beside her.
Ms. Chiba rolled down the window and drove toward the center of Tanyi City.
It was Jane's first time seeing the architecture of the civilized world. Every building looked as beautiful as St. Anne's Convent. The gardens lining the streets were filled with roses and irises, blooming in full color as early summer began.
"How are you adjusting to life at the Base?" Ms. Chiba asked.
"Pretty well."
"Which do you like more — life at the Base, or life as a nun in the convent?"
"I wasn't a nun. I never took the vows."
Ms. Chiba turned her head slightly. "What vows?"
"Poverty, chastity, and obedience," Jane said softly. "Only those who've studied with the Order and taken the vows can become true nuns."
Ms. Chiba burst into laughter. "Good thing you didn't."
They turned a corner. Ms. Chiba handed Jane a hat and a pair of sunglasses.
"Put these on."
Jane did as told — and quickly realized why. At a newsstand on the street corner, rows of newspapers and magazines were hanging from the wire racks, and her own photo was printed across nearly all of them.
In the picture, she had ash-blonde hair and the wary look of a frightened deer, staring at the camera with doubt and mistrust.
As the car sped past, Jane's eyes followed the stand until it disappeared behind them.
She turned back. "…What were those?"
"Your photograph," Ms. Chiba said evenly. "The gendarmerie found it in the city archives of the convent. Why was your hair color different? It wasn't red in that photo."
"The headmistress and Miss Gelding thought my red hair would draw unwanted attention," Jane explained. "So they gave me a wig for the picture. That must have been three years ago — not long after I entered the convent. But why would the gendarmerie print my photo everywhere?"
"The Base probably didn't tell you," Ms. Chiba said. "Right now, the United Government and AHgAs are fighting over your guardianship. Every regional government wants its own team of Anti-Coalescence operatives under direct control. But most of the new Mercury Needle recruits are people we found in the wastelands, far from habitable zones. The government can't interfere much in their recruitment or training."
She smiled faintly.
"So when they finally discover a promising candidate inside a habitable area — of course they're going to fight for her."
---
(End of Chapter)