V8 Chapter 125: The Valkyrie Stereotype Grand Prix

First of all, one thing must be made clear. Obtaining evidence of Valkyrie accepting bribes through conventional means is simply impossible.

The organization that should be responsible for handling cases of bribery is Valkyrie itself. The only parties with the authority to investigate Valkyrie are the General Student Council, as well as the two major organs of power established by the General Student Council President at different times, SRT Special Academy and the Federal Investigation Society Schale.

As Kaya had said, the General Student Council, already beset by internal and external troubles, would only turn a blind eye to this degree of misconduct.

Schale's function is to resolve students' troubles, but precisely because of that, with both sides having their own reasons, I could not take either side.

And as for SRT Special Academy, it had already become a thing of the past.

Even though the girls of the RABBIT Squad kept saying that as long as they continued to fight, SRT would never end, no matter how loudly they shouted their slogans, it could not change the fact that they had lost their legal standing.

After I regretfully explained that while I could provide some assistance, I temporarily had no suitable way to help them, the members of the RABBIT Squad were somewhat disappointed, but all said they were willing to understand. Then they began to worry over the problem again.

While her companions were still frowning in concern, Miyako seemed to have made some sort of decision. With a resolute expression, she slowly said:

"If we infiltrate Valkyrie directly, wouldn't we be able to obtain the transaction records?"

The other three were all startled by the proposal. Saki hurriedly asked, "Miyako, are you serious? Valkyrie's headquarters? You know that's a fortress with several hundred people, right?"

In an indoor environment where numerical superiority could be brought into full play, even Neru could be subdued by hundreds of bunny girls. Though, of course, the fact that she was not accustomed to wearing high heels and had twisted her ankle halfway through the fight, losing her mobility, also played a part.

But even under the best possible conditions in terms of weapons and equipment, the RABBIT Squad's combined strength was not enough to defeat even me, let alone compare with C&C's ace.

Of course, the average Valkyrie student should not be able to compare with the well-trained guards aboard the Odyssey.

Miyu spoke timidly. "Even with Sensei's help, it would still be difficult, wouldn't it...? With our current strength, we should..."

"...Maybe it really could work?"

With a crisp crack, Moe instinctively bit through her lollipop and muttered to herself.

Then, facing the puzzled gazes of the others, she excitedly spoke with pieces of candy still in her mouth:

"Veritas! Those Millennium students who visited Sensei at Schale last time were all members of Veritas, right? If I remember correctly, quite a large portion of Valkyrie's headquarters network defense system was outsourced to their vice president!"

I could not help but remember Chihiro running around outside every day, leaving late and returning early, taking on side jobs to earn funds for the club, and constantly having to clean up after the messes caused by her eccentric club members. She really had her hands full...

By comparison, a certain hotwheelz who had long since become a member of the Super Phenomenon Task Force was constantly doing things that made one shake their head and sigh.

And the reason Moe suddenly brought this up at this particular moment could naturally only be one thing.

"Guh hehehe..."

She let out a sinister laugh and sank into her own delusions. "If we can make good use of this channel, let alone infiltrating them, even if we were to take down Valkyrie's entire network... Haaah, haaah...!"

"Hey, wouldn't that just make us more conspicuous?"

Saki frowned, then quickly relaxed. "Still, if you can hack the surveillance cameras and block internal communications during the operation, that would already be a huge help."

Taking control of the surveillance network meant they could keep track of the gaps in the guards' patrols, allowing them to move through the heavily guarded Valkyrie headquarters with almost no obstruction.

Although Miyako was also encouraged by this idea, she retained her composure and asked, "Wouldn't this cause too much trouble for Sensei...?"

I thought about it, then first shook my head before nodding. "I can get in touch with her for you, but whether she is willing to help will indeed have to be discussed between you and her. Don't worry. Since you're trying to obtain evidence of Valkyrie's illegal activities, she at least won't leak anything."

Although I did not make any guarantees, I knew that this would basically work, even if the other party was not doing it for my sake.

As the last remaining conscience of Veritas, Chihiro, who upheld the ethics of a righteous hacker, certainly would not abuse her technology for her own selfish desires.

However, using hacking technology to fight crime could hardly be considered an improper circumstance.

As for which side she would place matters related to me on, all I could say was that I had no idea.

Moe grinned. "Guh hehehe, thanks. That's enough. As long as she's willing to let me 'accidentally' take a few looks at the code, I'm confident I can turn Valkyrie's surveillance system into a useless decoration during the operation."

"You're pretty capable."

Saki did not hesitate to praise her, but then asked curiously, "Come to think of it, are you saying that you couldn't do something at this level by yourself?"

"Haaah? Easy for you to say!"

Moe shot back. "On the contrary, I'm only putting in a safety measure because I'm worried you won't be able to complete the mission within the allotted time!"

"Hm? What did you say?"

Saki's eyebrows shot up as she glared at Moe without backing down. Before long, however, both of them failed to suppress their laughter again.

With that, one of the major difficulties of the operation had been given a solution, undoubtedly giving the girls some additional motivation.

There were still several other problems that urgently needed to be solved.

"How are we supposed to enter the main building...?"

Miyu asked cautiously. "Even if we can hack the surveillance system, there should be guards stationed at all the entrances and exits of the main building, right...? Should we climb in through a window under cover of night?"

Miyako nodded. "Yes, if there is no other way. Although there is a risk of being discovered, it is within an acceptable range. Alternatively, we could find a way to deal with the gatekeepers."

Moe raised an objection. "But then, the moment someone enters or leaves the building, we'd immediately be exposed, right?"

"That's why, relatively speaking, entering and exiting through the windows is still the safest option."

But just as the squad leader reached her conclusion, another voice suddenly rang out.

"...How about disguising ourselves as personnel who can enter and leave openly without arousing suspicion?"

Saki pondered aloud, then gave an example. "Like delivery workers?"

Were they planning to imitate their seniors' [FOX EATS] and make a [RABBITEATS] of their own?

But Niko had only been able to enter Schale under that name because I knew her identity and wanted to see what exactly she intended to do.

Moe, who had been quite interested a moment ago, immediately retorted, "No, no, no. Delivery workers and the like would definitely be stopped by the guards outside and not allowed through the doors, right?"

"No, I saw something about Valkyrie's traditional customs in a textbook..."

Wisdom sparkled in Saki's eyes. "What if what we're delivering is donuts, black coffee, pizza, and hamburgers?"

What kind of Valkyrie Stereotype Grand Prix was this!?

At those words, I could barely keep a straight face. The other three members of the RABBIT Squad also looked at one another in bewilderment. Only Saki, the one who had proposed the idea, seemed quite pleased with herself.

I could not help but wonder whether Saki had been reading a textbook or a joke book. Even if Valkyrie police did give people that sort of impression, they did not actually eat these things every single day... right?

As I went from suppressing laughter to seriously pondering the matter, I quickly searched through my memories. Aside from Ye Shu and Xinhua, the director and deputy director of the police bureau, the other Valkyrie students I knew seemed to...

In the end, Moe hesitantly said, "Those really are the kinds of takeout Valkyrie would order often, but they couldn't possibly let just anyone through... Wait, are you saying we should use these to bribe the police at the entrance and have them let us through?"

She suddenly realized what Saki meant.

Saki tilted her head, smiling innocently. "Bribe? Isn't it just letting the hardworking gatekeepers on night duty try some food?"

...At first glance, this sounded like a remarkably unreliable plan. But considering the actual situation in Kivotos and Valkyrie, why did I feel like it might actually have a chance of succeeding?

Oh no. Could my way of thinking have been corrupted?

After thinking for a moment, Miyako said, "This really is a good idea. But if we want to win over experts who taste different donuts and fast food every day, ordinary products won't be enough, right? We don't have that much money..."

The moment I heard the word "money," I knew it was time for me to generously open my wallet.

But Saki said, "Although we really don't have the money to buy limited-edition products, have you forgotten? We infiltrated a café in Hyakkiyako before!"

I could not help touching my nose, instantly remembering one of the many operations the RABBIT Squad had carried out back then to investigate my character.

Moe remembered too. "Ah, that's right. Shizuko-chan did say that if we ever needed help, we could come to her for support... But Hyakkiyako doesn't sell donuts or hamburgers, right? Besides, troubling them over something like this..."

"Isn't Shizuko considering developing more new products anyway? If we can incorporate Hyakkiyako's unique style into the donuts, it would definitely give customers, and even Valkyrie's police officers, a sense of novelty!"

Saki said confidently, then continued, "Besides, Shizuko also said that whenever we had some free time, we could go help out at the shop when they were busy. We can just treat it as an advance payment and repay them later. And we can borrow the uniforms easily, too."

As I imagined the entire RABBIT Squad changing into maid outfits featuring Hyakkiyako's distinctive style combined with traditional Hyakkiyako clothing, I had originally been hesitating over whether to offer some help, perhaps by giving them the high-end coffee beans that a certain Director of the Defense Office had gifted me. But that thought immediately disappeared.

This is a test! Since they had ideas of their own, I should see how far they could take them!

In order to ascertain the RABBIT Squad's abilities to the greatest extent possible, I continued to maintain a policy of interfering as little as possible.

And with things having progressed this far, Moe no longer had any objections. She asked me to help get in touch with Shizuko later.

Using my connections to act within reasonable limits would not lower my opinion of them.

In any case, the two most troublesome problems now had solutions. After that, the girls found it much easier to talk, and through a back-and-forth discussion, they quickly worked out a rough plan.

Disguise themselves as delivery workers and infiltrate Valkyrie's main building. Then, with Moe providing remote support, use the surveillance system against Valkyrie to avoid the night patrols as much as possible and establish a safe infiltration route. From there, steal the transaction records that were highly likely to be stored in the vault deep beneath Valkyrie, and finally withdraw from the scene before attracting attention.

I patiently listened to their rough but practical plan. Only after they asked for my opinion did I think for a moment before nodding and encouraging them.

"Go ahead and do it without worry. No matter what happens, I will support you."

Although during the operation, there was basically little more I could do than support them.

But if they failed and were even held accountable by the General Student Council, I would do everything I could to mediate on their behalf.

However, that would also mean that the RABBIT Squad might never have another opportunity to expose Valkyrie's bribery. Not from any angle.

Upon hearing this, Miyako had no idea about any of my thoughts. She smiled brightly and sincerely thanked me. "Thank you, Sensei. Thanks to you, I was able to make up my mind..."

She paused, then took a deep breath and lowered her expression, solemnly declaring as though taking an oath:

"We are SRT. When complex and convoluted crimes occur in Kivotos, we are the special forces that operate on the front lines."

Saki also put on a serious expression and spoke in the same solemn tone:

"To maintain order and swiftly suppress criminals..."

"Pour out as much of our firepower as possible in an instant."

"...Resolve the problem, then swiftly withdraw before we are detected."

Next came Moe and Miyu, each with an incomparably solemn expression.

I vaguely realized that these might be the principles, or even the school motto, upheld by SRT Special Academy. Suddenly, I felt an itch to pull out a recorder and have them repeat the lines so I could record them.

"Valkyrie has a tendency to collude with private enterprises and engage in illegal activities... No matter how high the possibility may be, there is no way to confirm it through this procedure. This is precisely the kind of problem that we, as SRT, should intervene in."

Miyako paused, then said, "All members, prepare for combat. From this moment onward, the operation to confirm the evidence of bribery within the Valkyrie Police Bureau... Operation [Clover], begins!"

The members of the RABBIT Squad enthusiastically shouted their acknowledgment, then rose to their feet in unison and began preparing for the operation.

Amid this tense and uneasy atmosphere, I seemed somewhat out of place, while my thoughts gradually drifted elsewhere.

There was still some time before the RABBIT Squad officially began their operation. Before then, there was someone I wanted to see.

The problem was, I had no idea whether the other party would be willing to meet me.

V8 Chapter 126: I, I Was Out for a Night Run...

Late at night, I stood at the boundary between light and darkness.

A hoarse female voice came through the phone held to my ear:

"...Yes. The raid carried out by Public Safety just now has caused some of the drifters to request to leave the organization."

I lowered my voice and spoke casually. "As expected. Those lazy people who only want something for nothing were never worth expecting much from in terms of fighting spirit."

Over the past few days, after Valkyrie gave up on clearing away all the obstacles in a single sweep and instead switched to a strategy centered around small-scale raids, things had become somewhat slower, but they had indeed achieved steady and considerable results.

Aside from the objective difference in capabilities between the two sides, in a certain sense, I also could not escape responsibility for this.

Although I had formally rejected Kayo's proposal, I had also instructed the Arius Squad to hold back a little. If any of the drifters wanted to leave, there was no need to stop them. All they needed to do was hold their ground for the time being. After all, the victories and defeats here were fundamentally insignificant.

What would truly determine the outcome was whether the RABBIT Squad could successfully obtain the ledger of illegal transactions between Public Safety and the Kaiser Corporation from the heavily guarded Valkyrie main building.

"Speaking of which, Sensei, did something happen on your end?"

Saori asked doubtfully. "You seem... to be out of breath?"

"I'm fine."

I placed a hand against my chest, which was faintly damp with sweat, feeling my heart beating more vigorously than usual. "I was just out for a night run."

I had thought I could suppress it over the phone, but I never expected her to notice anyway. Perhaps what I considered a subtle difference appeared glaringly obvious to the girl who had only me in her heart at this moment!

But after hearing that, Saori suddenly began to stammer. "I, I'm sorry. I interrupted your enjoyment... I'm terribly sorry!"

Huh? What enjoyment?

I froze for a moment before remembering the play I had engaged in with her a few days ago. I immediately realized what she had misunderstood and was about to explain that this time was different from the last, but a short busy tone came from the phone.

Silently looking toward the synthetic track only three or four meters away, I moved a few steps toward the light while standing on the field. I opened the camera on my phone, intending to take a selfie to prove my innocence.

And as a reward for the Arius Squad, who had diligently completed the assignments I had given them over the past few days.

I undid the top two buttons of my shirt, adjusted my pose and angle to my satisfaction, and tried to capture as much as possible of my handsome appearance after exercising, which looked even more dashing yet somewhat hazy beneath the night sky.

However, just as I was about to press the shutter, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Then a hot, sweaty body carrying a fragrant scent crashed directly into me from the side.

The phone nearly fell from my hand. Once I had brought it back into position, a beautiful girl had already appeared on the screen.

"Yay!"

The gray-haired girl had a bright smile on her slightly flushed face. She naturally hooked her arm around mine while holding up a V sign with her other hand. "Sensei, let's take a picture together like this!"

"...Okay. I'm taking it."

At this moment, I really had been interrupted, but I could understand how excited she was, so I decided to forgive her for the time being.

Trying to recapture the feeling I had lost, I took a picture together with the girl.

I did not notice anything while taking it, but after looking at the photo, a strange sense of something wasn't right began to brew within me.

I had deliberately made my clothes look somewhat disheveled beforehand. Combined with the somewhat flashy and frivolous outfit of the other person on screen, which made her look like a delinquent girl, as well as the flushed faces of both of us from strenuous exercise...

To avoid creating an even harder-to-explain misunderstanding, perhaps it would be better not to let anyone else see this.

Thinking this, I carefully examined the girl in the photo as well, but she simply smiled and said:

"It looks really good! Sensei, send me a copy quickly. I want to post it online!"

"Online!?"

I immediately became alert, and my already uneasy heart filled with even more red flags.

Putting aside whether I would once again be scolded for lacking masculine virtue, was she really planning to make an already struggling academy's situation even worse all by herself?

"Don't worry, don't worry! It's our Public Security Bureau's internal network!"

The deputy director of the Valkyrie Public Security Bureau, Konoka, said matter-of-factly, "A commemorative photo of doing two hundred laps around the field with Sensei definitely has to be shared with everyone. Oh, come to think of it, Sensei's stamina is surprisingly good. I guess rumors really can't be trusted!"

That's quite a compliment, but this was like saying Hina and Iori could also team up to defeat two hundred thugs. And besides, that wasn't the point.

I reminded her, "Konoka, if it's on the internal network, Kanna will be able to see it too, won't she?"

"Uh, while she's on a mission, Big Sis probably won't look at it for the time being... right?"

She scratched her hair in distress as she spoke uncertainly, but still said regretfully, "Indeed. If Big Sis Kanna finds out Sensei is here, we won't be able to surprise her anymore."

Thus, I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded inwardly. Although Kanna had refused to meet me under the excuse of being busy with official duties, fortunately, she still had such a considerate colleague by her side.

After hitting a wall with Kanna, I had only just brought up the subject with Konoka when she immediately began complaining to me about how overbearing her superior was, how demanding her requirements were, how Big Sis, as the bureau chief, threw herself wholeheartedly into her work, how her dark circles were becoming increasingly pronounced, and how her coffee consumption was rising steadily. Her condition was truly worrying.

After only a few exchanges, Konoka actually took the initiative to invite me to visit Valkyrie. Even if she could not get the Public Security Bureau chief, who was carrying such a heavy burden, to put everything down and rest, at least she could help ease her tense nerves.

As for Konoka, who had found an excuse to remain at headquarters until Kanna returned from her mission, it was only natural that she had monopolized the time she could spend with me.

Yet this precious opportunity was something she used solely to invite me to exercise together... and it really was just ordinary exercise. I did not quite know what to make of it.

"Haaah... I worked up quite a sweat. That feels so much better!"

Konoka laughed brightly, her personality quite cheerful. "Big Sis should be coming back soon too, right, Sensei? Let's go back to headquarters and wait for her!"

"Yeah."

I glanced at what was displayed on my phone and nodded. "It should be about time. Let's go."

The field was not far from the main building. The gray-haired girl and I walked side by side, enjoying the cool evening breeze, and soon we were almost there.

Konoka had just been earnestly explaining to me the connection between her recent luck and the number of sugar sprinkles on her breakfast donut when she suddenly stopped and frowned.

"...Hm? What's going on over there?"

Following her gaze, I saw three girls dressed as delivery workers standing at the entrance of the Valkyrie main building, apparently talking with the students responsible for guarding the entrance.

V8 Chapter 127: There Are Countless Fantasies About Me

My visit to the Public Security Bureau tonight to see Kanna was only part of the reason.

While the RABBIT Squad was reviewing their operation plan, they discovered a slight oversight.

During their previous armed protest against the General Student Council, they had already fought against nearly half of Valkyrie's students. Afterward, they had even been captured and brought to this academy for interrogation.

Even though they had generally only met those students once, and could remove their distinctive rabbit-ear headbands and disguise themselves to some extent, if the guards actually recognized them, the plan would not only be ruined on the spot, but its already extremely limited margin for error would be reduced even further.

Considering that, it was hard to say whether the risk was greater than simply sneaking through a window in the dead of night. The latter was also much simpler and more direct.

Unless they had a reliable insider who could easily gain the trust of Valkyrie's students, someone who could appear at a crucial moment to provide some cover for their operation, or, in other words, serve as their final safety net.

As long as they were not exposed on the spot or caused anyone to become suspicious, they could always go back to climbing through the windows afterward.

For now, all I had to do was sit back and watch things unfold.

Konoka quickened her pace, and I followed close behind. As we approached, we heard one of the guards at the entrance ask the three girls, who had changed into borrowed traditional Hyakkiyako clothing, pulled their caps low over their faces, and were each carrying a delivery bag:

"You're still making deliveries at this hour? That must be exhausting."

Miyako calmly replied, "Yes. Our shop specializes in late-night meals."

The guard from the Security Bureau was just about to ask another question when she noticed Konoka and me approaching.

"Ah, the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, and Sensei...?"

Konoka hummed in acknowledgment, then sniffed at the aroma with curiosity.

"Did you order takeout?"

"Not us."

The guard explained, "We asked around on the internal channel. Apparently, a student from the Community Safety Bureau ordered it."

Of course, no such student actually existed. Moe had borrowed a backdoor Chihiro had accidentally left behind in the past and fabricated the order.

Hearing that, Konoka could not help questioning it.

"No way. The Community Safety Bureau doesn't need to work overtime these days, right? Valkyrie doesn't even have a curfew. If they get hungry, why don't they just go outside and eat?"

"There's nothing strange about the Community Safety Bureau either. They've always been pretty laid-back like that."

"That is true, I suppose."

After hearing the guard's remark, Konoka nodded as if she suddenly understood.

Miyako, standing nearby, added, "All we know is that the delivery address is Valkyrie's main building. We do not know the customer's specific information."

"Mm, you've worked hard. Just leave the food at the entrance. And tell whoever ordered it to come out and pick it up quickly, or it'll get cold soon."

"About that..."

Saki could not help emphasizing, "The order specifically says it must be delivered to the designated room."

"...Huh?"

The deputy director of the Public Security Bureau made a puzzled sound, then turned to the guards instead.

"Didn't you tell them that outsiders aren't allowed to enter the main building freely?"

Other than Valkyrie students, the only people allowed inside were heinous criminals, and quite clearly, the RABBIT Squad hoped to become the latter.

The guard explained again, "We did tell them, but..."

"Actually, the customer specifically noted that rule in the order as well."

Miyako paused.

"So, they were willing to share some food with their colleagues who were working hard overtime."

As she spoke, the three members of the RABBIT Squad opened their delivery bags one after another, distributing the donuts, black coffee, and hamburgers inside among the police officers present.

"What is this? It almost feels like a bribe. But food is innocent, and I just finished exercising with Sensei, so I'm hungry anyway!"

I had suddenly been dragged into the conversation, and every student present except Konoka, including Miyako and the others, turned their attention toward me. I could not help holding my breath.

I really hadn't done anything yet, okay!?

While the guards were still hesitating, Konoka had already accepted the food without the slightest hesitation. She took a bite of the donut and a sip of coffee, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"Wow, this is actually pretty good. Sensei, you should have a bite too."

I looked at those gray eyes, unable to tell whether they held a hint of teasing. Then I looked at the bite mark in the donut she held up to my mouth, its glaze still glistening faintly.

Thinking that if I did nothing, I would still end up suffering damage to my reputation, and that would mean suffering it for nothing, I took another bite, enlarging the existing gap slightly. I chewed a few times and swallowed, then bit down on the flattened straw and took a huge gulp.

The coldness shot straight to the top of my head, followed immediately by a sour bitterness that spread throughout my mouth, making me instinctively want to stick out my tongue.

I had almost forgotten that the coffee we had ultimately settled on was the Kaya specialty that had basically been gathering dust at Schale. I had no particular interest in it, but it was the one that best suited the tastes of Valkyrie and the students in the Defense Office.

At least the few guards in front of me were all drinking it with great enjoyment. It was just that the occasional glances that seemed to pass over my lips made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

All I can say is, as a popular idol of Kivotos, the number of times I had been made the subject of someone's fantasies had probably long since reached an astronomical figure, and it was continuing to rise every second...

Faced with a situation as impossible to resist as a law of nature, all I could say was, get used to it.

After exercising earlier, Konoka was now full and satisfied. She exhaled the stale air from her lungs, then cheerfully said, "Haha! Since we've been treated so generously, we should naturally return the favor! How about this? Tell me the room number, and I'll deliver the food for you!"

Even I was surprised by her enthusiasm. I immediately cleared my throat and said, "Konoka, don't we still have something more important to do?"

The price, however, was that the eyes of the several students from the Security Bureau guarding the entrance became even more suggestive.

"Oh, right! What should we do about that? There are school rules... Hmm... What a hassle."

The deputy director of the Public Security Bureau looked troubled. After struggling with it for a moment, she simply gave up thinking about it.

"Forget it. Breaking the rules once won't hurt. You three, just remember to come back out as soon as you've delivered the food."

Miyako, who should have been the one to speak, fell silent for some reason. Seeing this, Saki quickly tugged at her clothes and answered on her behalf.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

With the permission of the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, the three members of the RABBIT Squad were thus able to march straight into Valkyrie's main building.

Konoka did not pay much attention to anything unusual, and from beginning to end, she never recognized the identities of the RABBIT Squad. She looked back at me with a smile.

"Sensei, let's hurry. Mm~ I feel all sticky. How about taking a shower first before we get started on the real business?"

...So why did she have to say something so easy to misunderstand in front of so many people?

The satisfaction from my earlier counterattack vanished in an instant. I nodded heavily.

"Let's go."