They managed to sort things out with the Student Council, but Tatsuya and Miyuki had other problems that still had to be solved.
"Both of you, sorry for the late call."
It was impossible to keep silent to Maya about the letter received by principle Momoyama from the National Security Agency of the USNA.
Picking the most suitable time, Tatsuya called the main house.
"It's okay. Do you've important business?"
Looking at the expression on Maya's face, Tatsuya felt slight discomfort. Because it seemed to him that Maya isn't pretending, but really does not know what business he called about. Trying to be much stronger than usual, so that thoughts don't affect the expression on the face, Tatsuya answered Maya's question.
"Yes. I think this is a serious situation."
Having said this as an introduction, Tatsuya continued before Maya said anything.
"Principle Momoyama of First High, vice principle Yaosaka, and a teacher named Jennifer Smith discovered the identity of Taurus Silver.
It seems that it was written in a document sent to principle Momoyama from the National Security Agency of the USNA through the American embassy."
"....Does this apply to that recent 'project'?"
Maya answered with a slight delay. It also proved that this information was unexpected for her.
"That's right."
"Tatsuya-san, you didn't... confirm it, did you?"
To the question "Are you Taurus Silver?" Tatsuya cannot just answer
"True." Maya realized this in the middle of her question.
"No. However, it still does not make a difference."
Even if Tatsuya denies it, both Momoyama and Yaosaka will still believe the NSA. And not only them. Many people who know Tatsuya after hearing the statement that "the real personality of Taurus Silver is Shiba Tatsuya," immediately admit that this is true. Not because the NSA is an institution of the American government, but because by now, Tatsuya has already shown too many abilities that point to this.
"Really... Although this is much earlier than planned, we will have to give up hiding the identity of Taurus Silver."
Maya on the videophone's screen took a pensive look. Tatsuya didn't say anything and patiently waited for her to speak.
"...By the way, did Momoyama-sensei say anything else?"
Tatsuya told all about the conditions offered to him by Momoyama.
"Momoyama-sensei seems to be doing this to avoid interference by politicians and the media in the affairs of the school administration regarding the issue of my position."
"I also think so."
Maya's assumptions about Momoyama's motives coincided with Tatsuya's assumptions.
"I see... Tatsuya-san, it's best for you not to visit First High for a while."
"Do you want to keep me under house arrest at the main house?"
After the Yokohama incident, for using Material Burst, Tatsuya already received direct instructions from Maya to stay in the main house for a while.
Tatsuya asked, thinking that this time would be the same, but Maya shook her head on the screen.
"I would not say that this is 'house arrest'. Since after all tomorrow, annoying noise will begin to increase around you? I don't think that such things will violate your judgment, but is it not annoying? Therefore, I think to cool the public's fervor, you need to pretend that you are punished with house arrest."
Tatsuya couldn't just take and honestly believe Maya's words. He felt that behind these words something was hidden, although he couldn't say what exactly.
But Tatsuya couldn't disagree with the opinion that the public needed time to cool down, so he nodded with the words "I completely agree."
"Escape", contrary to the negative image of this word, was often an effective way of solving problems. And "patience", on the contrary, tended to lead to such concepts as "surrender," "submit," "acquiesce."
And in the current case too, rather than clinging to First High, it is better to temporarily escape to wait for a change in the situation.
But for this...
"I don't mean that you need to start right away tomorrow. Since you and Miyuki-san will be separated for a while, then you need to make some preparations."
This is exactly what Tatsuya was thinking now. Only he was released from school, and Miyuki couldn't miss school with him.
If it will be a short period, less than a week, this has happened more than once.
However, this time there was a chance that this could drag on for a month or more. Although he could "watch" her from afar, but he couldn't stop worrying that Miyuki and Minami would be left alone in this house.
Maya on the screen looked at Miyuki standing next to Tatsuya, then diagonally behind her from Minami, then looked back at Tatsuya.
"We'll leave the security in the school to Minami-chan. Although Tatsuya-san may be worried..."
Looking directly at the camera, Tatsuya shook his head.
"No. I realize that Minami's abilities are impeccable."
Minami's cheeks were slightly pink. Knowing that Tatsuya never throws words into the wind, she was greatly encouraged by the trust shown to her.
"I see. Then, Minami-chan, I rely on you."
"Leave it to me, madam." Inspired by Minami. Maya nodded in satisfaction to Minami from the videophone screen.
"For the road to school and back we will provide additional people. It's not that I doubt the abilities of Minami-chan..."
"I understand." Minami nodded with a submissive face. She didn't have so much self-confidence to say "I'm enough alone."
"The problem is at night. When there are only two of you, if you're attacked during sleep, there is no guarantee that you will not make a mistake."
Neither Tatsuya, Miyuki, nor Minami had any objections to Maya's words. Even if they had thoughts like "There's nothing to worry about,"
it was silly to provoke Maya with such useless persistence. All three understood this perfectly.
"Miyuki-san."
"Yes."
"Though it's troublesome, but, I wonder, could you move to Chofu?"
Maya spoke with Miyuki, because these were measures for her.
"Speaking about Chofu, do you mean that building?"
"Indeed."
Answering Miyuki's question, Maya nodded with a smile.
"This building was built as the headquarters of the Yotsuba family in the metropolitan area, so I planned that Miyuki would move there in the near future. Although the schedule has greatly accelerated, there is now a good opportunity. Move next Sunday. I will organize the necessary preparatory activities."
Miyuki thought that everything was happening too quickly, but replied to Maya in an obedient tone.
"I understand."
Maya knew that Miyuki would not mind, so she immediately went on to the following instructions.
"Tatsuya-san, when you finish the move, go to the villa in Izu."
"Is there a Yotsuba base in Izu?"
The first thing that Tatsuya thought was "is it normal that it will not be the main house?". But being afraid to "wake up famously", he didn't voice this question. Instead, Tatsuya asked what is in Izu.
"Ara, I thought Tatsuya-san would know?"
Despite the fact that Maya deliberately showed surprise, Tatsuya didn't begin to voice the idea that came to his mind, but silently waited for the continuation of her words.
"There is a villa in Chofu that your mother used for rest, isn't there?"
"Have you not got rid of it yet?"
"I didn't get rid of it. Because it was your mother's favorite villa."
Tatsuya didn't think that someone in Yotsuba's family appreciates such feelings. But he immediately rethought it.
For the sake of one girl, they declared war on a whole country, and took revenge at the cost of half the family's lives. In a family like Yotsuba, the sentimentality, in which personal memories are carefully preserved, was important (or, I might say, appropriate).
"We will arrange for everything to be transported on Sunday. We will organize the research equipment on site so that you can work."
(What preparations have already been made if they can install workstations and equipment for customization in just a week? Maybe this villa was actually an external research base?) Such thoughts came to Tatsuya's mind, but he doubted whether they should be voiced.
"We will do as you say."
Showing obedience, Tatsuya bowed to the image of Maya on the display.
When she finished her telephone conversation with Tatsuya, Maya finished her cup of tea with a pleased face, after which the smile disappeared.
She held out a cup to bring back her table. However, before the cup touched the saucer, she threw it into the air.
Immediately after this, the room was covered by "Night".
It wasn't darkness. It was the night sky on which the stars shine.
And the stars fell.
Falling stars from all directions rushed towards the tea cup.
The night was gone, room lighting returned, and the splinters of the cup fell to the floor.
"Someone, take it away." There was an unruffled voice from behind Maya. With the words "Yes, immediately", a maid appeared in maid's clothes, with a broom and a shovel in her hands. Quickly removing the fragments of the cup, the maid retired from the room.
As soon as she closed the door behind her, Hayama moved into Maya's field of vision.
"Madam, can I get you some more tea?"
"No, I don't need it anymore."
In Maya's voice, there was no longer the temper that was before the use of "Meteor Shower."
"This time the USNA beat us."
"...It looks like that." With reluctance in her voice, Maya answered Hayama's words.
"As Hayama-san said, it seems that I relied too much on Hli?skjálf. It's a pity that the system isn't available at this time."
Maya twisted her lips in a mockery of herself.
"No, madam. I believe that in this case we would not be able to prevent this, even if we knew in advance what they are planning. Our hands will not reach the state institution of the USNA."
"...are we not able to kill Edward Clark?"
"There's no point in that."
"...I see. I should stop talking insincerely and pretend to be strong?"
Even if it was possible, she would not have given the kill order. She admitted this when Hayama pointed it out to her.
"Madame. My humble opinion is that you should give special emphasis to disabling Hli?skjálf at such a time."
Hearing Hayama's remark, Maya slightly rounded her eyes.
"That is, there is some connection between Edward Clark and Hli?skjálf?"
"Hli?skjálf is a system of hacking the global message interception system Echelon III. One should take into account the possibility that the staff of the National Security Agency of the United States of America is involved."
"...Right. Although this should not be a factor having a direct impact on the situation, I will bear this in mind."
Hayama respectfully said this to Maya.
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