"What kind of article?"
"Miss Fletcher, I understand how you feel right now—"
"Please answer my question directly, don't dodge it again." Liz's eyes were burning with anger. "What exactly are you worried about?"
Sophie Molly's expression showed a trace of fatigue. She sighed softly, took off her thin-rimmed glasses, and leaned back slightly in her chair.
"Perhaps you already know," she said quietly, "there have been protests in the city of Tanyi these past few days."
Liz froze. "...Protests? About what?"
"The citizens are demanding that the Joint Government of District Three negotiate with us—to hand over Jane Hester and let her return to live among ordinary people."
As she spoke, Molly pushed a folded newspaper across the desk toward Liz.
Liz unfolded it, her brow furrowing at the image printed on the front page. "Is this... Jane?"
Molly nodded.
The headline was printed in thick black ink:
"Let Her Be Free — Save the Girl Surrounded by Misfortune."
Liz silently read the full article, then folded the paper and placed it back on the desk.
"Never underestimate the public's sympathy for a young girl," Molly said softly. "Especially one who stood her ground against a Chimeric creature, saving the children of an entire convent at the cost of her own injury. Who could bear to see her spend the rest of her life in danger after that? After today, the entire District will be watching where she goes next."
Liz's expression softened slightly. "...So that's what you're worried about."
"This matter can't escalate any further." Molly pinched the bridge of her nose. "If word gets out, people will think the base can't even protect Jane Hester—and that kind of rumor will only inflame public sentiment."
Liz's gaze lingered on the photo of the girl with flaxen hair. After a moment of silence, she said quietly, "But if you suspend the investigation into Shawn for this, doesn't that prove exactly that—that we can't protect her?"
"A suspension isn't the same as a cancellation," Molly corrected her. "Even without formal paperwork, we can still restrict Shawn's movements."
"...Then maybe we should just do what everyone's suggesting," Liz said bitterly. "Let her go. She doesn't know much anyway. Maybe living as a normal girl would be better for her."
Molly smiled faintly; she didn't seem angry at Liz's words.
"Someone else suggested that during the strategy meeting—but Masaki Chiba immediately rejected it."
"Chiba?" Liz gave a disbelieving laugh. "I thought she'd be the first to just let it go."
"Far from it," Molly said, her gaze dropping back to the paper. "The only reason Jane is still here is because of Masaki Chiba's quick reaction in the early stages. If she hadn't rushed to adopt Jane before the military police completed their checks on the convent's children, we'd never have had the legal grounds to bring her into the base."
"After all," she continued, "from a legal standpoint, Jane Hester had already been registered as a resident of St. Annie's Convent in Tanyi. That means she's officially a citizen under the jurisdiction of District Three's city hall—which gives them priority custody."
"And what's Chiba's view on the protests?" Liz asked.
Molly's voice turned heavier. "Ordinarily, a public march takes at least two weeks from application to approval. But this one? It was approved and took to the streets in under three days. Someone clearly made that happen.
"And even if we let Jane leave the base, the life waiting for her wouldn't be 'ordinary.' It would just mean working under the Joint Government instead."
"Masaki's opinion," Molly added, "was that to keep Jane Hester here, we must do so—at any cost. Those were her exact words."
Liz took a deep breath.
"Liz," Molly said softly, "forgive me if this sounds cold, but perhaps you've invested too much emotion in this matter."
Liz didn't argue. After a pause, she simply said quietly, "...I'm her support officer."
Molly clasped her hands together. "The reason we're disciplining Shawn is to remind him what he did was wrong. But now, we also need to understand why—why he's shown such an unusual fixation on the new recruit, Jane Hester."
Her gaze met Liz's directly. "Focusing too much on punishment doesn't always mean justice has been served. Wouldn't you agree?"
Liz was silent for a long moment, then stood, picked up her hat, and placed it firmly on her head.
"...I'll think about it."
Molly smiled faintly. "I heard that this morning, Valenti was planning a short meeting with Calvin. You might want to join them—she might have information valuable to both you and Jane."
---
That evening, Masaki Chiba drove Jane back to the base.
A brief rain had passed, leaving the sky clear and burnished gold by the setting sun.
Chiba pulled the car to a stop.
"When you get back, don't forget to send me your schedule," she said. "I need to know when you're free—so I can book your next visit. Be ready; I might come for you anytime."
"Okay."
"We should wrap this up soon," Chiba murmured, running her fingers along the textured leather of the steering wheel. "The longer it drags on, the more risks there'll be. Let's avoid that. Everything depends on your shooting progress."
Jane's hand hesitated on the seatbelt buckle. Chiba caught the motion instantly.
"What is it?"
"I was thinking... maybe there's a better way to solve this." Jane stared ahead, her voice quiet but uncertain. "I want to keep this plan as my last resort. If the base can't fix this—and if Shawn moves again—then maybe at that point…"
Her voice trailed off when she heard Chiba let out a small, amused sigh.
Jane turned. "Why are you laughing, Miss Chiba?"
Chiba looked at her. "When did you start entertaining such illusions?"
"I asked Miss Molly's secretary. Guns are banned in Tanyi City. Even inside the base, possession without approval is prohibited. If I really broke the rules, I'd face the same punishment as Shawn."
"Did those punishments stop Shawn?"
"...No."
"Then why should they stop you?"
Jane fell silent.
The words Liz had once told her—'A world where the weak must endure cruelty is wrong. Justice is built by those who dare to bleed for it.'—flashed through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to repeat them.
She frowned slightly. "But responding with violence will only... push everyone further into extremity."
"Don't think about that," Chiba said quietly. "That's for Molly and the others to worry about."
"...Why?"
"Because that's not the part you can control," Chiba replied. "It was Shawn who chose you first.
"Molly and the others always want to fix things at the root—find the causes behind every act of cruelty: the perpetrator's psychology, the institutional flaws, the subcultures that nurture violence. That's their job. Not yours.
"Remember what I told you before? Violence has no boundaries. Its limits are set only by how its victims respond."
Chiba lowered her eyes, lighting a cigarette. The flame reflected in her gaze.
"For those who are powerless," she said softly,
"revenge is the only path to freedom."
( End of Chapter )