Volume 13 Chapter 259-2 Bernard, Mission Aqua Impossible
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I gently wrapped my arm around Leti, her sobs shaking my chest.
It hurt to see her like this, but more than the sight of her tears, it was the helplessness that gnawed at me.
I brushed her hair back from her face and spoke softly.
’Leti, why? Why were you suspended?’
She sniffed, wiping her eyes as she looked away, clearly trying to keep her composure.
’It’s… it’s just… I was asked to help a friend with some cleaning, and when I showed up, it was a mess. Cigarette butts, empty beer bottles. And while I was picking it up, the teacher appeared out of nowhere. She said someone reported me…’
My stomach twisted as the words left her lips.
Damn.
The whole thing had been swept under the rug in court, but just thinking about it made my blood boil.
I remember how I wanted to storm that school, to tear it apart for what they did to her.
But no… my family stopped me.
I regret that, too.
If I’d known then what I know now about Shirogane Aqua, I would’ve crashed through the school gate without a second thought.
I ran my fingers over the coffee cup, the taste bitter as I paid the bill.
”Thank you very much,” I muttered to the waitress, my mind drifting.
It hit me again, that sinking realization.
It wasn’t just the school; it was the whole thing.
A classmate had leaked photos of Leti — photos of her, supposedly drinking and smoking — to some gossip magazines.
Betrayed by someone she thought was a friend.
I remembered Oto Rurika, and for a brief moment, Leti’s betrayed face fused with hers.
Both women, hurt by the people closest to them.
”Well, I guess it’s better to keep some distance,” I thought. I could never be sure if someone from her past would bring trouble to her future. So, for now, I’d keep coming back here to this quiet place.
I left the jazz bar, my feet heavy with the weight of unspoken words. My family awaited me, their warmth pulling me home.
”Welcome back, Papa!” My daughter’s bright voice made me smile. “I heard from Mama, you got a new job? Congratulations! Was it Saint Trading? That’s incredible. My friends said it’s a huge company.”
”Ah, yeah,” I replied, tossing my bag onto the chair as Leti rushed over to greet me.
Being assigned to a secret unit meant I couldn’t share any details. No one could know where I worked, what I did, or who I worked with. So, like all agents in our unit, I had to fake a regular job. A front. Something to keep the truth hidden.
”By the way,” Leti continued, “I heard you’re managing a whole bunch of subsidiaries now. That’s impressive.”
”Haha, it’s nothing like that. You’re the one who’s impressive. Getting a job at Shirogane Kingdom after all that…”
Leti smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She was proud of herself, and I was proud of her too. It hadn’t been easy. Shirogane Kingdom had connections with the Holy Aqua Religion, and that’s how Leti landed the job. The fact that she’d made it to such an elite company was no small feat. Soon, she’d be moving into the company dorms, but for now, she still lived with us. It made me feel strange — happy, yet sad.
Leti’s eyes darkened for a moment, and she peeked at me as if to gauge my mood.
”Papa, don’t overdo it while I’m not around, okay?”
”Yeah, I know,” I reassured her, though the weight of it all pressed on my chest.
I was truly blessed. To have a family that cared about me. After the move from the States to Japan, I had doubts, but with them by my side, I knew we could weather anything.
A few days later, a man came to visit me. He had gotten familiar with the job.
”Hey, can I sit with you?” he asked, his voice surprisingly soft.
I gestured to the empty seat next to me. “Sure.”
I was enjoying a quiet lunch, Leti’s homemade food filling me with warmth.
But the chubby young man who sat next to me…
I didn’t trust him.
Something about his presence felt off.
We hadn’t spoken before, so I kept an eye on him, trying to read his intentions.
”You look unfamiliar. Are you an on-site agent?” he asked, his eyes avoiding mine.
”No, I’m part of the support team,” I said cautiously. “I don’t have the kind of role you do.”
The IAF had two main branches — the operational team, who worked on-site, and the support team.
Ethan, our captain, was a legend on the field.
He’d been involved in operations like the Stars Liberation Front.
A seasoned agent.
But unlike him, I worked behind the scenes.
Supporting those in the field, coordinating logistics, arranging travel, providing intel when things went wrong.
The role varied, but it wasn’t glamorous.
The man beside me chuckled.
”Yeah, me too. But, honestly, my role’s not as important.”
”What’s your job?” I asked, trying to pry a bit more from him.
His gaze flickered. Something about his response was off, like he was hiding something.
”Well,” he began hesitantly, removing his shoes, “I’m a liaison. When things go south, I’m the one relaying information to everyone on-site.”
I noticed the chip on his foot as he spoke. It was like a tracking device.
”What the hell…?” I thought, my suspicion deepening.
Then he continued, his voice dropping to a murmur.
”I wasn’t always a part of this. I used to… I made some bad choices. Got caught. They sent me to a coal mine to work off my debt.”
In that moment, I understood.
He wasn’t just a liaison.
He was a former criminal, someone punished by the Holy Aqua Religion.
The chip on his foot, the GPS monitoring, the criminal database — it was all part of their control.
If any of us betrayed them, they could track us down easily.
”We all have our pasts,” he muttered. “But it’s hard to escape them.”
It was clear now. Every face here — every agent, every support member — was under constant surveillance. And there was no turning back.
Notes:
• Ethan – Male. Captain of the Impossible Aqua Force (IAF). Appears as a beautiful woman in a lavish dress but has an Adam’s apple, indicating he is likely a man in disguise. Silent and professional, with a focus on supporting Aqua-sama’s mission. His relationship with Bernard is that of a superior and new recruit.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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