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“Then, who issued those instructions…?”

I took a moment, then double-checked that there were no other customers at the ticket booth window I was currently clinging to, and leaned my head towards the station employee.

Even if using a good cabin wasn’t a sin.

If an unsolicited seat upgrade or VIP treatment was prepared, anyone would feel uneasy, I figured. It was obviously A-something’s doing, but let’s hear it first.

“Uh… I’m sorry! I’m just following orders from above!”

“Huh…”

Even though I had no intention of blaming or questioning her, she seemed to feel pressured by my closeness, waving her hands and burying herself in the back of her chair.

Quite the violent reaction. The movement was almost evasive, and her pupils were shaking like there was an earthquake.

I didn’t think she could hide between the cushions like in an American cartoon by twisting her body like that, but if it gave her psychological stability, well… I had no right to criticize it.

I propped my elbows on the counter and sorted out my jumbled thoughts.

Squeezing her wouldn’t get me the right answer.

Since the change was entirely due to my circumstances, the cause of the result must also remain in my memory.

“Hmm…”

I’m roughly aware that Aaron overestimates me a lot.

But even so, if you ask if a powerful person pressed for time would bother to pay attention to such a matter… well, shouldn’t he rather try to stop a useful errand boy from leaving for another Metropolis?

Moreover – not that it’s something to be proud of – I not only neatly squandered the nominal subsidy as soon as I received it, but I even subtly got Zero a Christmas present… This unsolicited favor was really appreciated, but at the same time, suspicious.

Give the devil an extra rice cake? Or is it a suitable reward for resolving a sudden situation without escalating it, asking me to leave without causing trouble, walking the red carpet?

It’s hard enough to accurately grasp the inner thoughts of ordinary people, but the difficulty of reading Aaron, who is by far the most cunning in my encounter lineup… Ah, damn it, this sucks.

Why do I have to go through this mental anguish!

If you have something to say, just call and spill it out, but expressing it in a roundabout and verbose way must be a common preference among the higher-ups.

…Is that what politics is?

That’s why I hate it.

“Forget the first-class cabin, just get me a regular seat. I don’t have to pay extra for downgrading, do I?”

“Yes? Down… downgrade… Well, since it’s a downgrade, there won’t be any extra charge… right?”

The station employee repeated my request in a shrill voice, as if it was the first time she’d ever heard such a request from a customer.

Looking at my face with a nervous expression, as if wondering if she had heard correctly.

Her flustered appearance was cute, but I still didn’t have time to watch. I’m going to miss my train, miss, even though I don’t even know which one to take…!

“…Ah?! Yes, yes! If you wish, I can change it to a regular seat as much as you want!”

After receiving my urging gaze, she rushed back to the ticket office computer to work.

Aren’t I curious about the first-class cabin? I’m damn curious.

But my conclusion is that no matter how comfortable the body is, if the mind is uncomfortable, it’s not first class, but an ill-fitting dress (Bulky Dress).

And above all, it was difficult to ignore the possibility of a warning. No, I was worried.

Even if the distance is far. Assuming that they are elegantly showing that they will be watching closely as a contracted party.

To be honest, once I thought that far, the desire to board the prepared cabin disappeared completely.

I had no hobby of sticking my face into a viper’s den and getting bitten. I’ll find a seat that suits my station.

…At least if I get dragged away while I’m near other people, there will be a witness account of a poor hacker being caught in Paradise.

“Um… Anastasia?”

With a demure call, a train ticket printed on paper was handed over.

Two seats in the 4-person cabin number 23 of Astra Express A-185. The long ticket with a perforation to cut off later was similar to an old airplane ticket, which was somehow welcome.

“Um… since the grade adjustment is a service provided by the company, if your mind changes during the trip, you can always call a flight attendant to upgrade again…? …Anyway, I’ll make sure there are no problems in restoring the existing cabin!”

“…Thank you for your hard work.”

It seems like my stubbornness has increased the amount of work for the poor salarymen as much as me, but what can I do? The person in question really hates it.

I express my gratitude instead of an apology to disappear as soon as possible and receive the ticket.

There was no need to put it in my pocket or entrust it to Zero. Because I’m going to board right away.

Clang!

A metallic sound that gives an indescribable sense of satisfaction rings out, and the ticket gate, which has confirmed a visitor with no special disqualifications, opens wide.

I already think it was a good idea not to send Zero on the cargo flight.

To achieve mutual respect in a place full of ordinary people, after the shoulder bump, they would look at each other’s guns or knives and then slowly adjust the distance while being aware of each other.

Now, when they hear footsteps with a different weight and see the entity, they automatically show courtesy.

…I ruled out the possibility that all the exemplary citizens of the country were gathered.

Have you used the station often? You move without hesitation.”

“No, I have no idea after passing through the ticket gate? In that sense, can you check the boarding procedure for me?”

I will study and memorize it perfectly. –

“Zero? Studying is a bit…”

I tried to stop his desperate answer, but when I saw his eyes blinking like crazy, I closed my mouth.

It was awkward to interrupt him while he was already turning the network upside down, and he said he would make sure there were no problems with our first long-distance move and trip, so it would be okay to trust him and leave it to him.

Then what should I do in the meantime?

I looked around the inside of the train station.

Rows of vending machines and stores lined up as if to target the countless floating population caught my eye first.

Most of them only sold simple foods and drinks that I always consume.

Since daily necessities were actually small enough to fit in one luggage bag, there were many stores that provided items that travelers might look for in addition to that.

For example, a friend with a strong smell of gunpowder.

“Ammunition… I haven’t had a chance to use it recently, so it’s full.”

Replenish empty armaments immediately and manage them immediately when you have time.

It’s Helena’s blood-like teaching.

Accordingly, I finished cleaning my pistol without any gaps during the time I was lazing around in the teacher’s store, and I filled the magazine, so there was no need to open it.

Rather, the consumables I used in the meantime were the patches I stuck all over my body and… the pills I took.

“Ah.”

Did I eat them all? Or were there some left? I couldn’t remember how many there were because I usually kept taking them while avoiding thinking about it consciously.

Since there was a pharmacy over there, I could just check my bag and buy more if I didn’t have enough. If I had time, I would have done so.

[Astra Express A-185 passengers can now proceed with departure procedures and enter the platform. Please note that refunds for unused tickets you have will not be possible after departure….]

Let’s go, Asha. People are already gathering. –

“Oh? Oh. Right.”

Clang!

Before boarding the train, I stepped on Zero’s knee that was held out and settled on his shoulder.

Thanks to the proactive Care Bot, I was able to quickly line up on the path to the platform one step ahead of the rushing people.

…Please don’t say I cut in line. Originally, when a waiting line is just starting to form and everyone is moving around in a chaotic manner, the game of reading the room is an international rule.

If we had a first-class ticket, we would have used the side passage… but first-come, first-served also has its advantages. –

“Side passage?”

So that I wouldn’t be flustered when my turn came. I engraved in my head the process of the person right in front of me passing through the X-ray search machine with their luggage and undergoing precision scanning, and then followed his gaze.

Long. Really long waiting line for inspection here and the first-class-only pass that only the police were guarding without a single ant.

Come to think of it, the flight attendant also explained it. First class skips the inspection process.

In other words, I almost trudged through there while all these people were busy complaining and cursing the company.

“Ugh, how terrible.”

“Next passenger! Come over here!”

Following the guidance of the tired police officer, Zero confidently passed through the search machine.

Red and green lights scanned his body, clothes, and bag. Without any special alarm going off, he was safe.

I could say for sure that the inspection of belongings, that is, luggage, was a ridiculous task that I had been in charge of. It was a ridiculous task that involved searching everything except the gun.

The only good thing was that since it was a departure procedure, there would be no annoying data inspection, so if I just went through the platform and got on the train, it would be over….

“Hey, miss, please submit the contents of the medicine bottles in your bag. A total of 4 bottles, please submit them here.”

“……Damn it!”

What was I thinking, buying more medicine? I should have emptied the existing first-aid kit so I could quickly pass through the search machine.

The Care Bot, noticing the uncomfortable mood of its owner, wiggled its fingers, but when I tapped the top of my head a few times, it obediently followed the instructions and moved to face the police officers.

I don’t know what you were thinking just now, but that’s definitely not the answer.

Clatter… Thud….

As instructed. I rummaged through my bag and placed the medicine bottles one by one on the desk.

Comprehensive nutritional supplements to consume nutrients not found in general delivery food or food cartridges.

Antibiotics purchased in bulk because it was annoying to buy them every time I got hurt or scratched.

…Sleeping pills for managing sleepless nights and severe stress.

And finally.

‘Tch…’

I clicked my tongue inwardly and took out the problematic medicine bottle.

Bang…!

Women’s hormone regulators, commonly known as… period medicine, were submitted with a loud bang.

The remaining first-aid medicines, except for the sleeping pills I bought separately because of nightmares, were all recommended products from my sister for my younger sister.

A staff member with a professional aura, with a long lens instead of an eye in the place where one eye should be, a device similar to an optical microscope, picked up the medicine bottles in order and examined them closely.

10 seconds… 20 seconds…. Before a full minute had passed, this unpleasant inspection was over.

“Nutritional supplements, antibiotics, sleeping pills, period medicine. There are no signs of tampering. The ingredients are the same as those sold on the market. Thank you for your cooperation. You may now proceed to the platform.”

“…Yes.”

I roughly swept the belongings I had spread out back into my bag.

Everyone watching the inspection, even the other passengers who had been craning their necks with curiosity, lost interest as if their excitement had been deflated after hearing the details… but I was genuinely, incredibly embarrassed.

How embarrassed, you ask?

Would you understand if I said I was just thankful my underwear wasn’t posthumously dissected and that an unbearable heat was rising above my neck?

“Haa… Tell me when we get to the cabin.”

If you’re tired, you can just take a nap. I’ll be here. –

Entrusting the self-driving entirely to the reliable guy.

Using the excuse that I had completely lost the desire to look at the platform or the train or anything, I just buried my face in my knees.

Gender and the identity that comes with it… It was a topic I had been constantly avoiding.

A problem and homework that I would have dug into long ago if the situation had been good enough to leisurely go on a journey to find myself.

My forehead is automatically rubbed against the soft fabric according to the steel butler’s movements.

The regular shaking and vibration felt just like being in a car, like being in a cradle.

You know what? I actually don’t even know if this body, my body, can have periods.

I just didn’t want to experience such a terrifying thing when I clearly had the means to prevent it, and I took the pills regularly because they also had a slight function of suppressing libido.

I remember the adult sites and related materials I collected for fun on my first day on Harvest Planet.

At the time, I didn’t really feel anything. Without any awareness, I just snorted and moved on, thinking, “Future adult content is amazing~.” My thoughts changed after meeting Helena… or rather, after hearing her pointed remarks.

Did a significant question twist my thinking? Anyway.

In the past, I was definitely a normal person who liked the opposite sex.

So… which side does the term “opposite sex” refer to for the current me? Respecting my existing self-identity and remaining female as is? Or if not…….

“Ugh….”

My stomach churns. My head hurts too. I don’t like it.

I guess the stomach protectant I drank earlier was cheap. It’s not protecting me properly.

…Let’s think positively.

I can’t even say as a platitude that I have plenty of time to prepare for the future, but I, a freelancer who should be read as unemployed, have plenty of time to rack my brains and worry.

Stop escaping reality and look, even during this train trip, if I don’t just lie down and sleep the whole time, I’ll have plenty of spare time to sort out my fluctuating heart…!

Click!

We have arrived at room 23, a four-person room. I will let you off soon, so be careful not to stumble…. –

“”……?!””

Suddenly, Zero’s voice output stopped abruptly.

In addition, a sound of surprised inhalation echoed loudly from inside the opened cabin.

Did I accidentally open the wrong cabin? Well, it’s not a strange reaction to be horrified if a Droid suddenly opens the door without being a crew member.

As much as my emotions have been depressed, I force myself to bring up logic and reason to refine my mind.

And I believed that if I raised my head and offered a polite apology, the other party would readily overlook it unless they were heinous villains.

“…Huh?”

What’s in front of me is a red-haired girl I’ve seen somewhere and a one-armed Arab man.

I heard that the ability to cope with unexpected situations distinguishes skilled and unskilled people, but it seems that there’s no mercy for excessive coincidences.

In the end, in the gap where a violent blankness came to my mind, the one who reacted most nakedly, without any filter, was the talkative and light-mouthed her.

“Th-There’s an enemy attack! A brutal enemy attack!!”

What, you punk.