Akeboshi Himari, self-proclaimed genius sickly girl hacker and owner of the so-called “omni” degree that is said to exist only three times in Millennium history.
In reality, she was a severe case of narcissistic princess syndrome.
At first, Aco, who had put in some effort to join the storyline, finally seemed to have hit her patience limit, as she asked Noa about drone-related issues under the pretext of strengthening the student council’s power and then drifted off with her.
In other words, I was the only one left to indulge in Himari’s princess complex.
After all, it was me who had business with Himari, so technically, it was something I should be welcoming.
“So, you need help in the field of cracking for Miko-chan, right? If you were looking for a cracker capable of breaching security for a mega-corporation like Kaiser Corporation, then you’ve come to the right place. Yes, as the best hacker in Millennium, I’m not particularly bound by fields… but I do have areas I can consider my specialties. Even if I consider myself the best regardless of whether it’s really a specialty or not.”
“Well, it’s reassuring to hear just by listening. What we truly need is, quite literally, the best aide. Once our agents breach the access route to Kaiser’s network, Veritas must grab everything they have—thoroughly, without missing a single detail. The key to this operation is to uncover their deepest, darkest secrets as quickly as possible. And that puzzle piece to make it happen… I think it’s only you guys, Veritas.”
However, I do have a slight expectation that Veritas’s capabilities might be able to support us by hacking into some of Kaiser’s security from the outside. Since I don’t know much about hacking, I sometimes wonder if I’m setting my expectations too high.
“Well, do you have confidence—?”
“That’s a question that doesn’t even need to be asked. There’s nothing impossible for me, the ultra top-tier genius sickly girl hacker. Even if my opponent is a company like Kaiser… hacking when the access route to their network is already cleared is easier than eating cake for us at Veritas.”
“Ah, okay. I was just going to say that asking about your confidence seemed unnecessary. Sorry…”
“…Oh? Is that so? I got a little ahead of myself… Could you overlook it as just the cute behavior of a sickly girl?”
No, saying that just makes it harder for me to overlook. This is precisely why those who know they’re pretty can be troublesome.
Really, they get what they want by weaponizing their looks at every turn.
“Chii-chan must understand this. Yes, it’s an unprecedented situation where a civilian company has directly targeted a student’s life. It’s actually something to be proud of to uncover the disgrace of such a company. Hehe…”
“Somehow, while saying that, it feels like you think it’s just a fun thing to do. Is that just my imagination?”
“That’s rude, Miko-chan. Of course, I won’t say I don’t have that intention wholeheartedly. Even a pure and beautiful girl who drinks only from a clear spring in a deep mountain sometimes yearns for such pleasures, right? I’m sure a beauty like you, Miko-chan, can understand that.”
“…Well, I can understand, but… that’s only sometimes, right?”
“Do you know the greatest virtue of a pitiful girl is that she doesn’t speak lies?”
No, that’s just avoiding the answer, isn’t it?
…Of course, I know. How could I not?
“Ah, just so you know, collaborating with me won’t look good in the eyes of Big Sister. Unlike me, who is beautifully cute and without any sharp edges, she’s like a rough stone with jagged edges.”
“…Oh? Did I mention I have a connection with Rion-chan?”
“Hehe, Miko-chan, you might want to rethink who’s in front of you.”
“…A single fragile flower blooming on the cliff, a peony when sitting, a lotus with a mere gesture, and a goddess of love shining gracefully in the dawn that would even make Venus jealous, and when paired with the North Star, my light pales compared to that of the greatest genius sickly girl hacker Akeboshi Himari?”
“Th-that… yes, of course, that’s what I meant… If you mean it that way… I think I’ve never heard a description as apt as that till now…”
Wow, this actually works. I was a bit surprised. Could it be that even someone as self-absorbed as Himari feels a burden when flattered to that extent? How interesting.
“While it’s true that Rion-chan and I controlled the truth about the happenings in Millennium during the seminar, there’s no way that Veritas wouldn’t have figured that out, right? Well, that’s roughly what I wanted to say?”
“…You teased me knowing all along. You naughty one, Miko-chan. I know that’s a privilege that only beauties have, but now that I’m on the receiving end for the first time, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated.”
“Ahaha, it’s not like that at all. I genuinely asked because I was confused at first. It’s an obvious topic that you’d figure out easily, but I’m not that quick-witted. Well, if I had to say, I’m almost stupid.”
“A beauty angel wielding modesty as a weapon is quite a powerful trait… But I think a person like you, Miko-chan, would look better with a bit more confidence. Yes, being cute and pretty is justice!”
“Himari-senpai, please refrain from boosting my confidence for no reason! It’s already a disaster with two lovers and one who practically is, and if I gain confidence, that would mean a crisis for Kivotos♪”
“…Two lovers? Huh? W-wait a minute. Now that I think of it, certainly… Hya! Miko-chan. No, Count Flirt. I’m sorry, but could you please maintain a distance of 5 meters from me starting now? I won’t scold you for wanting to snare a cute and lovely sick girl like me, but a rising genius like me mustn’t fall into the hands of a rake. That would be a tragedy for not just Millennium, but for all Kivotos as well.”
“…”
Somehow, I find myself being implicated as a flirt and rake because of the light comments thrown in by Noa, and now I’m being distanced by Himari.
I feel somewhat miserable, and it twists inside me…
“Of course, I’m just kidding. Hehe. Back to the earlier topic, Count Flirt… no, that’s wrong. I don’t know how much Miko-chan knows about Big Sister, but she and I are like opposite poles of a magnet.”
“More precisely, I’d correct you to say that Rion-senpai sees Himari-senpai as a thorn in her side unilaterally.”
“Noa, doesn’t that make Rion sound too prickly? Though it is true. Anyway, just the fact that she’s connected with me means that Rion won’t see Miko-chan kindly. Just the mere fact that this meeting occurred guarantees that issues they are discussing will be affected.”
So, extremely speaking, it’s somewhat akin to the relationship between Makoto and Hina. The difference being that Rion is so competent to an extent that comparing her to Makoto is practically an insult, being smart and somewhat flexible enough to use Himari when needed, while unlike Makoto, who dislikes Hina without reason, they are in a conflict as antagonistic friends due to firmly different ideologies.
“Moreover, it’ll also be difficult to keep our collaboration a secret. Although not as skilled as me, Rion is reasonably capable, so she’s likely already confirmed that this meeting has taken place. Monitoring is something impossible for someone like me, the ultra-sickly genius girl hacker. Hehe.”
“Ahaha, I appreciate the concern, but I can handle matters with Rion-chan; no need to worry that much☆”
As long as one can provide a logical reason, persuading Rion isn’t very difficult. And what more reasonable matter could there be than the one I’m working on now?
“Hmm, since you’re that confident, it would rather be rude for me to worry… Now, may I ask how much you’ve looked into it?”
“…Eh.”
“Oh? Was it that surprising of a point? Just last month, Rion’s pocket suddenly became thick, and recently, even the engineering department’s budget got plumped up… I was secretly looking forward to seeing Veritas reap the benefits from collaborating with Miko-chan this time around.”
Now that I think about it, they were indeed self-sufficient. They’re not the type to take advantage of free access to such high-level talent. It’s just that I was thrown off because we moved too suddenly into the topic of compensation.
“Well, about the compensation. I was thinking roughly this amount… How’s that? Does it seem sufficient?”
“…”
Suddenly, Himari maneuvered her wheelchair closer to me, reaching out her hand, and with an oddly materialistic smile, said,
“You hiring Kivotos’s best hacker club, Veritas, led by the genius sickly girl chief? You’ll absolutely not regret it. Hehe.”
“Ah, uhm…”
Yeah, money makes the world go round.
And Trinity, damn it, has a lot of money.
Long live capitalism.
