Good day everyone. This is just the writer letting you know that this chapter was uploaded one week early as I had excess work on it finished early. Rather than wait another week to upload I am simply shifting the schedule ahead. The next chapter will be uploaded two weeks from now. Enjoy.
It wasn't long before Kaiser called upon Alice for the job. Using contacts from the school's maritime students, he had secured passage aboard one of the resupply freighters that frequented their ship. With a promise of no trouble and discretion, He, Alice, and Anna, were on their way to an undisclosed port for the ship to resupply before it would take course for Kuromoromine the next morning. The entire trip would take four to five days, which thanks to their hosts would be spent comfortably as guests rather than stowaways.
The idea was unoriginal as Kaiser himself had heard of it through Miho while an embarrassed Yukari had been present. He had tweaked it however so that they would get to their target quickly, in comfort, and have a scheduled pickup to return to school promptly. The hardest part had honestly been convincing the teachers to excuse the three under the sole reason of 'Extracurricular activities in Senshado.'
Despite suspicious looks, his credit with the school staff prevailed and the three had finally arrived aboard Kuromoromine along with their supply of fresh food and commodities at midday. With a discreet parting with their accomplices, the three entered the city limits dressed in civilian clothes. The differences in their schools were obvious.
Where only a quarter of their ship was reserved for training, half of the enormous carrier was dedicated parklands and training grounds. For reference, Kuromoromine's ship the 'Graf Zepplin' held nearly 100,000 occupants and was four times as large as Oarai which held 30,000. Transcendence meanwhile was in between the two in size with a population closer to Oarai's due to the strict militaristic nature of the curriculum.
Besides the size differences, it was clear that Kuromoromine had taken aspiration from the early 20th-century buildings of Berlin and its parks. Using the vast amount of nature on the ship, the trio soon in a public bathroom and changed into the iconic grey and black uniforms of Kuromoromine.
Alice had a spare from her cousin who until this year, was sure she would join her. Anna had purchased one online from a surplus store while Kaiser had a much harder time acquiring his disguise. Finding a spare male uniform as they were only available this year was near impossible. He instead had pulled some strings with the costume and sewing clubs in school, ensuring they kept the utmost secrecy. It wasn't perfect but surprisingly it passed rather well.
Alice and Anna walked out, adjusting each other's collars and skirts as Kaiser checked his mobile. The school's lunch break was currently ongoing, it wouldn't be strange for them to be wandering around or arriving late and missing a class or two if they claimed to be regular curriculum students. Taking one last look at the map on his phone, he pocketed it and prepared to move.
Two pairs of scrutinizing eyes caught his attention as he turned. "Is there something wrong?" he asked his cohorts.
The girls grumbled before reaching out and grasping at his clothing. "You look sharp but that's too unnatural" complained Anna as she reached for his collar, loosening it.
Alice concurred grabbing his wrists and unbuttoning the cuffs. "You look too formal, I've heard most of the boys here dress lax, you'll catch too many eyes."
The girls went back and forth nitpicking his attire and adjusting it as he glanced around, glad no one was nearby. It was when both grabbed his trousers and tugged at them from his waist to his hips he firmly grabbed both girls and pushed them away.
"Enough!" he hissed at the two. Undoing their 'work' he straightened his clothing out with a final huff. "I humored you seeing as how you two seem to know the style aboard here but this is ridiculous. It's almost like you were trying to make me look ragged."
The two looked away with guiltless expressions. His eyes narrowed, pressuring for an answer. Anna squirmed somewhat when Alice spoke on their behalf. "We don't want to catch too many eyes, sir. It would be best for you to tone down your appearance."
"I'm wearing the same uniform as everyone else" Kaiser spat, unsatisfied with the answer.
Anna shook her head as if it was a lost cause. "It's no use. He's always been this unaware."
"I'm beginning to see that." agreed Alice.
Kaiser cleared his throat loudly. The two girls averted their eyes again. "Look at yourselves before me, I'm more worried about how many of the male populace is going to be following after you."
Anna kicked a stone at her feet. "Flattery doesn't mean anything" she murmured.
Alice placed a hand on her cheek. With a calm expression, she pondered aloud. "Perhaps you're worried about us?"
"I'm about to see if they're willing to keep you two" he grit.
Anna gave an indignant response to his joke while Alice remained silent with a collected demeanor. "If we're all going to attract attention perhaps it's better to make our move while there are still crowds moving about."
Anna gave a surprised face before nodding in agreement. Kaiser conceded the point, happy to move on. "Lead the way," he said, knowing she was more familiar than his hastily memorized directions
The three were on their toes as they entered the school grounds. Few eyes drew their way but could be dismissed as students seeing unfamiliar faces or possible attraction. Kaiser himself felt the most pressure despite his words.
There were fewer males than he expected. Those few boys, however, did as expected and threw looks their way, namely fixating on Anna and Alice if they even realized he was present. The warning his peers had given him began to eat away as he withered the stares. He had no problem usually but here in a covert operation, his mind was withering at the cynical possibilities. Could they tell he was not one of the males enrolled here?
Without realizing it, he subconsciously began to drift behind his two acquaintances as they walked. This seemed to garner even more looks. Some even seemed to do double takes as they giggled and whispered to each other. Kaiser's mind kept running the worst-case scenario as his female escorts seemed to share sighs of exasperation. Sharing a knowing glance they both knew that his inadvertently shy action was seen as cute by some of their onlookers.
Thankfully the gauntlet ended soon and the trio kept their composure aside from the whispers and eyes that followed after. They then found some privacy within, a corner next to a stairwell to speak between themselves, Alice then recounted what she knew of the school and what names to avoid before telling them to check their phones. Phones were not allowed during school hours but it was better than being caught with a map and lists of info.
Perfectly reciting the plan they had laid out and the contingencies if caught, she spared time to give a short scolding to Kaiser. Demanding he be more inconspicuous. He swatted a hand that reached out for his buttoned collar, defending himself by saying that they were the ones catching the attention. The two girls seemed frighteningly in sync for having only just met three days ago as they exchanged flat expressions.
It was as their plan was prepared to begin the next phase, an unfamiliar voice called out from a nearby stairwell.
"Alice?!"
The three turned wide-eyed to see a tanned figure in the same grey and black uniform jot towards them from upstairs. The shorthaired girl grabbed Alice's hands and despite having a diminutive stature compared to Alice, shook her violently while driving their conversation.
"What are you doing here? Your cousin never said anything about a visit! Are you a student here now?!" The girl looked Alice up and down as she fired off her questions to which the taller girl could only fumble as she fought for an explanation. Kaiser and Anna exchanged glances as they realized the cordial and prepared Alice, could not handle on-the-fly work.
"A-are you a friend of Ms. Phillips here?" asked Anna grabbing the girl's attention as she politely leaned in.
The tomboyish girl stopped her blabbering as she assessed Anna who stiffened at the intense stare. Suddenly the girl's exuberance was shifted to Anna as Alice remained petrified. No doubt the self-realized horror of her prior professionalism and scoldings haunted her at already being caught so early in her mission.
"Alice is an old childhood friend of mine, well me and her cousin were and she tagged along. Alice has never been one to speak to strangers. It's a little strange if im honest" The inquisitive girl swung her hands behind her back as she gave a pointed look at Alice who turned her head away, still unable to reclaim her calm.
Anna recoiled at the acquisitive tone, never having been good under pressure as Kaiser remembered his past interactions with her. Anna looked around in a panic as the strange girl kept the conversation running by herself. "I'd remember a girl as cute as you running around our school, in fact, you remind me of a younger version of her. All cute and small."
"Im older than her and the same height as you!" snipped Anna gathering a chuckle from their interrogator.
The girl waved off the remark before pressing further. "You're close enough to know her age then? So how do you know her?"
With both his partners fumbling for an explanation Kaiser stepped in before it finally fell apart. Physically placing a hand between the girl and Anna he ad-libbed a response. "Ms. Phillips here said she was touring the school at the suggestion of her parents. Me and Anna, found her wandering around. When asked, she told us that she wished to not disturb her cousin's studies with an unexpected visit."
With a final push, he grabbed Alice's arm and brought her forward. "She was requesting we keep quiet about her presence so as not to offend her cousin in case she did decide to not transfer while also asking us for guidance" Kaiser cast a glance at Alice, who thankfully caught on and confirmed his story. His quick thinking and flawless fake smile successfully fooled the girl who promptly snatched Alice's hands. The smaller girl began swearing she'd keep her lips sealed, promising that she would keep their secret while also voicing her excitement at Alice's prospective transfer.
Anna stood on her toes and whispered into Kaiser's ear as their uninvited guest was distracted. "Now what? She won't just leave and she doesn't seem tight-lipped enough for us to just turn loose either."
Matching her hushed voice, Kaiser muttered back. "Are you asking me to incapacitate her?"
"I dont know!" she hissed. "You're the one who dragged us here so take some responsibility!"
"Are you expecting me to account for every possibility?"
"Don't you?!"
"That's more wild luck and improvisation if I'm being honest."
"Then pull some out now! Do something!"
As the two muttered an interested humm caught their attention. Turning, they saw the tomboy eyeing them suspiciously as she leaned against Alice. "Sorry Alice, but I think you're going to have to find another charming little boy to guide you around."
Alice gave an indignant look at her old acquaintance as Anna pushed Kaiser away at the insinuation. Catching himself, Kaiser defended himself as the girl began cackling at the various reactions she got. "Well, you're certainly playful aren't you?"
The girl wiped away a fake tear. "Sorry, sorry but you two are just as fun to poke and prod as Alice." The shorter girl then stepped up to Kaiser and pressed her index finger and thumb on the placket of his uniform. With teasing eyes she stared up into his eyes. "That does beg the question, who are you?"
She analyzed his face as a thoughtful sound escaped her lips. "Your little girlfriend there may have gone under my radar but there's not many boy's here ya know. You've got a good face, polite mannerisms, and such a brazen attitude. Certainly not shy like the rest of our peers." The girl playfully wagged a finger as she listed off her observations before extending both arms and tugging at the loose sleeves of her uniform. "So, gonna answer my question?"
The girl came off far more intuitive than initially thought. As Kaiser weathered her gaze, his facade started to slip as he began thinking it may just be easier to dispose of her temporarily. Perhaps for the best, Alice and Anna spoke up.
"Don't you think that's quite enough?" demanded Anna, giving a surprisingly stern look.
Alice had finally regained her usual cool and seemed even more irritated than Anna. "Mai, stop being a nuisance to your schoolmates."
The irate demands spooked the girl as she turned and gave a bashful look. Alice and Anna then began chastising her for the behavior, reversing the tempo of the conversation. The girl revealed as Mai, could only chew meekly on her lip as the two girls took turns belittling her behavior. Withering under the scornful gazes of their green and blue eyes, she apologized quietly for each offense they listed.
Seeing her upturned expression pleading for forgiveness, Kaiser caught her glancing in his direction, begging for help. With a sigh, he nodded. Now stepping between his allies and Mai, he raised his hands to stop both parties. "No worries, I forgive Mai so let's get on with our day."
Alice and Anna took to airing their grievances to each other, bickering over how Mai had so easily worked them up as the girl in question nudged Kaiser. "You're a real casanova ain'tcha? Got the short one and now Alice on her first day? Her cousin would be mortified if she knew."
"Mai!" shouted Alice and Anna in unison promptly resuming their lecture again. Keeping up his facade, Kaiser took the opportunity to side with Mai and perhaps manipulate the situation a little.
"Girls, I'm sure she was just joking, albeit at your expense. As recompense why don't you have her guide you around Alice? That way your cousin doesn't get distracted or offended and Anna can even tag along as you two seem to get along so well."
The suggestion left both girls with baffled expressions. "What about you?" asked Anna.
"I've never been one to go out much, meeting Ms. Phillips here was a one-off" he lied, bashfully smiling and scratching the back of his head. "You two seemed to get along well though so don't let me interrupt. Ms. Mai, can you take care of our friends here?"
With an assignment given and no longer under siege, the spunky girl gave a playful salute and hearty "Yes sir!" She soon was tugging at both girls arms trying to drag them along in her, excitement.
Alice tried to calm her friend as Anna turned in a panic to him. "K- Adam! I thought we were going to go together?"
While Mai was distracted, Kaiser slid a sly grin at Anna. Her eyes narrowed as he waved goodbye. "I have to do something," he said. With an angry expression, Anna was finally dragged away by Mai with a reluctant Alice in tow as she chatted away. "So Adams his name huh? Don't worry you and your man have plenty of time, Alice is only here shortly!".
And so, Kaiser was left to accomplish his mission alone while Alice and Anna got an essentially free tour of the school. It was a rough start but at least he was used to working alone. His previous experiences left him to realize that perhaps it was for the best.
Keeping Alice and Anna's warnings in mind, he tried to stay out of public areas and congested foot traffic. His first stop would be out to their garage where their vehicles were housed.
Kaiser was surprised to see that not only were their vehicles unattended but they were even on display. Neat rows of tan and brown tanks lined by size stood like soldiers in a formation within the confines of their garage. Kaiser stood at a distance, across the open field from the open bay doors as students walked by, uncaring for the sight as it was ordinary for them.
It was as if Kuromoromine was saying they had nothing to hide and were presenting an iron front for any and all to see if they dared to come. It almost made him feel as if they had gotten one up on him and perhaps they did. If he couldn't find any useful information then this expedition was a waste of his valuable time.
Steeling himself, he wandered closer to the garage. Avoiding any possibility of seeming suspicious he walked past the open front and glanced inside twice. In his peeks, he noticed two things. There were indeed students watching over the valuable equipment, patrolling in their free periods. The second was that there were a few large obstructed vehicles tucked away in the building's corner, tarps neatly placed over them to hide any form of a silhouette.
Thinking over his next step, Kaiser felt a vibration in his pocket. Slowing his pace, he pulled out his phone and saw a message from Anna. Despite being pawned off by him, she was a devoted girl and gave him a situation report on their current affairs. As he expected she and Alice were dragged along on a sightseeing tour by Mai, stopping at the most scenic areas and eateries. The purpose of the message, however, was to convey that Mai held no connections to the school's senshado team. While she was invalid for info she was neither a potential leak for them.
Sending a simple confirmation back, he heard voices at his side. A pair of female students were watching him intently as they walked by. Their eyes lingered as he looked back in realization. He had been tagged as suspicious by one of the patrols.
The girls seemed to be discussing his presence and whether or not to confront him as he put away his phone. Seeing their expressions Kaiser quickly threw together a plan.
He fumbled putting away his phone as he approached the two girls. He approached them with his eyes on the ground and nervously clenched and released his hands.
Finally stepping before the two girls, both a head shorter than him, he stumbled to speak as one retreated behind the other. The girl standing before him stood firm and cut him off. "We're not interested in you bud."
Kaiser froze at the statement, unsure how to take it. The second girl brought some clarity as she nervously supported her friend from behind. "W-we're just freshmen! We're not interested in dating!"
Kaiser held his expression of innocence and matched their surprise but inside he was dying slightly. He had learned that his demeanor usually spooked others. His confidence, tone, and his body language seemed to intimidate. Especially those smaller than he. So he approached the two girls trying to appear as Knight usually had. Nervous and shy in hopes of easing them into a conversation. Now they were accusing him of hitting on them and preemptively struck him down.
Taking the irritating blow he kept up his charade and denied their claim. "No! I wasn't thinking of it! I just wanted to speak to you two."
The confident girl, slightly taller than her friend and with straight dark black hair, Raised an eyebrow. "What does a senior want with freshmen?"
The other girl, with slightly curled brown hair, peered from behind to speak once more. "P-perhaps he is interested?" Kaiser's eyes darted to her, perhaps slipping momentarily the girl retreated behind her friend and finished her thought. "I-in Senshado!"
Taking the opportunity, He confirmed the thought. "Yes! At least I wanted to ask you some questions about it!"
To his surprise, the black-haired girl did a one-eighty and became extremely friendly. "That so? Why didn't you just say so!" She extended a small hand to Kaiser which he promptly shook. "Names Claire, this is Mimi, What's your name stranger?"
The girl called Mimi spoke up. "Claire, he's our senior, be respectful."
Glad to be getting somewhere, Kaiser shook the girl's hand and shot a smile at both of them. "No worries, you can call me Aiden and I just wanted to ask you a few questions about the sport if that's alright?"
As Claire seemed she was about to agree, Mimi advised her against it. "Our seniors told us not to speak over sensitive topics with anyone. Even teachers and students…"
Though the girls were obviously weary, Kaiser maintained his polite persona and gave a bashful smile. Being the focus of his attention once more she receded again. "Sorry, I was just curious since you have all these tanks on display. I thought it would be okay to ask a few."
Claire thumped her chest confidently. "Of course it is! Kuromoromine has nothing to hide and faces all challenges with a steel front and iron will!"
Kaiser's smile widened, adding a tinge of hope to it. Behind his facade he was relieved. It seemed so long as he played up this freshman and kept the other pacified, he may come out with something useful. "So what do you do for training? Is it anything hard?"
It was an innocent question one which led to Claire proudly recounting their daily exercises before detailing what new changes had been brought about. Kaiser listened with rapt attention while on occasion, he and Mimi exchanged glances at a seemingly rhythmic rate.
"Seems after last year's loss to Oarai the upperclassman have switched to a more modern 'maneuver warfare'. They also say that they want to focus more on training upcoming commanders and are taking to smaller group management. They even have us working in 'Kamofgruppe's on our personal time."
"You two do all that? I don't think I'd be able to keep up and you're so much smaller than me!" He gave a polite laugh as the girls joined in proudly accepting his compliment. "Do you operate those big tanks over there?"
Both girls pointed at different vehicles. Claire proudly pointed at a Panzer III as her friend shyly pointed toward a Panzer IV. "I drive recon in the Panzer III. Most freshmen start in Panzer II's but those with skill are entrusted with heavier armor." Claire then pulled the bashful Mimi forward and began bragging on her behalf. "Don't let Mimi here catch you off guard Aiden. She caught the senior's eyes and even got in a Panzer IV!"
Kaiser clasped his hands together with an open mouth. "Wow, you're amazing. I doubt many freshmen get to do so. You should be proud of yourself."
The introverted girl turned in towards her friend mumbling aloud. "I- I am. It's nothing special."
Claire then began coaxing her as well. "See! Even he agrees that you should be more proud!" The two went back and forth as Kaiser lamented over the information he had been provided with. New information on their tactics and priorities. From what he could tell, they were closely mirroring Transcendence's method of leadership to combat unpredictable enemies such as Oarai. Perhaps Transcendence's performance against Oarai had even been the final nail in the coffin.
"Is there any position you two are trying to work up to? A new vehicle or command?" he asked feigning innocent curiosity as best he could.
Mimi answered first nodding quietly. "The… Tiger II" she muttered as if revealing an embarrassing secret.
It was no new information but Kaiser played along. "You dream big don't you?" The girl quickly retreated in embarrassment as he retracted his statement. "That's no problem! Ambition is necessary for success."
It did little to console the girl as Claire patted her friend's back while chuckling. "As for me, bigger is better! Recently we got a couple of new tanks including an SPG that- Eek!"
Claire had jerked suddenly, surprising Kaiser. A quick look showed that it was Mimi whose hand had crept up to pinch her friend's neck in order to silence her. With a surprisingly fierce look, Mimi silenced her friend who begged her to stop.
Kaiser saw it was his time to pull out as the conversation was obviously halting. "I understand there are things you can't speak about so no worries. I have to admit you two are impressive. I'm a bit like Mimi myself but I may not be cut out for Senshado."
Claire voiced her disappointment. "Aww, come on. You never know!"
Mimi, still with a fierce look on her face, glanced away and seemed conflicted on whether to speak on the comparison.
"Well then thank you for entertaining my questions at the expense of your time. I have to go now. I hope you two have a good day and see success in your upcoming matches."
Though the latter half were hollow words, the two girls were none the wiser and parted happily. Claire loudly said farewell, as if intending to embarrass her friend tried to reign her in from embarrassment. "Come by anytime you change your mind or feel like it. The team keeps freshman and sophomore boys and girls separated as a rule for new joins but we could use more boys in general. Especially kindred spirits like Mimi!"
Kaiser politely considered her offer before refusing. "It would be a shame though. We wouldn't see each other for at least another year.
"We can still chat yeah? Speaking of which, you should do more of. You're a natural. I could barely compare you to when you first approached us." Though she laughed heartily at her observation, Kaiser flinched instinctively. He hadn't realized he had started slipping as he grew tired of the conversation.
It was time to end things and so he gave a final farewell to the two girls. Claire was all smiles as she had been from the beginning, Mimi however, had made prolonged eye contact and politely said her goodbyes.
He breathed in relief as he turned the corner and was out of eyesight. It was almost laughable how that interaction was the near opposite of his Pravda venture where he was apprehended by two outgoing senior girls. The memory of how surprised they were when they recognized him at the match brought a genuine smirk to his face. Perhaps those two freshmen would be the same, especially if he won. For the moment they had revealed vital information on tactics and new vehicle types.
His next targets were one of two areas. The student council or any associates, in case they had any financing information for the Senshado Club purchases. Transcendence was unique because it's budget was set aside independently by the school and managed by himself. Other teams were still under their student council's jurisdiction and as such, so were their finances. This yielded high risk as they were the most probably to discover he was not an enrolled student, however.
The other option was the school mechanics. The reason was self-evident but also as challenging. Where they were less likely to discover he was not a student, he was certainly an outsider. From helping Piper and the other mechanics on Transcendence he had learned how close-knit their community was. He was now at a crossroads.
As he pulled out his phone to contact his peers for their input and if they could escape their 'guide', He heard panting next to him. Kaiser looked down to see a small dog, an Akita-ken breed with its leash still around its neck. Kaiser showed no difference as he reached down towards the dog who tensed in response. Slowly, he leaned down and carefully, began petting it. The dog eased and slowly pressed its cheek into his leg.
"Where'd you come from?" he asked as he checked the tag around its neck.
-Chapter End-