The moon is in the sky. The long gray hair like a moon elf fluttered casually with the evening breeze.

The girl standing on the roof of the support department with a worried brow on her face was melancholy that did not match the quiet night sky.

Ellie McDowell. The granddaughter of the mayor of Crossbell, a young girl who aspires to enter politics. Because of the political darkness, he tried to understand and grasp the political situation of Crossbell from other angles.

In the end, the path she settled on was the police.

There is a saying in the East that "the authorities are obsessed with the bystanders", and Ellie's thinking is very similar to this sentence. If I, as a politician, can't see the situation clearly, then from the perspective of the police, I should be able to see it more clearly, right?

Now, even Ellie wonders if she's running away. Escape as a politician and confront the darkness of Cross Bell.

Suddenly, there was a subtle clicking sound in her ears, and Ellie couldn't mishear it. This is the sound of the spring opening and closing of the chain box of the swim. She put her hands on the railing and leaned out. Her delicate emerald eyes widened, trying to catch her companion's conspicuous white sweatshirt in a dappled light and shadow.

In the end, she only saw a sharp blade that pierced the night sky with a white shadow protection, and it flashed away. If Ellie didn't know the true body of the White Shadow, I'm afraid she would be like everyone else, and it would be used as the light of the guide car, right?

"Ellie!!"

Lloyd's frightened voice suddenly came from behind him, and then, Ellie's shoulder came with a huge force, Lloyd subconsciously used the joint technique, his arms passed through Ellie's armpits, and crossed the back of Ellie's neck, and then the sharp pain from his shoulder made Ellie have to fall backwards with his force. Immediately, Ellie landed on a soft cushion.

Judging by the previous feelings, it should have fallen on Lloyd, right?

"Lloyd?"

Ellie, who couldn't grasp the situation, called her companion's name in a panic.

"Ellie, don't do anything stupid!"

"Huh?"

――――――――

After explaining the misunderstanding, the two of them lay on the ground. Lloyd doesn't look like an investigator, and Ellie doesn't look like a big lady. Because of the episode where Lloyd mistakenly thought that Ellie was going to commit suicide by jumping off a building, the atmosphere between the two was much more relaxed.

"Really, how can anyone lock a girl's shoulders first without saying a word."

Ellie teased Lloyd, half-jokingly, half-playfully, while gently rubbing her shoulder. It was not light or heavy by Lloyd, and now Ellie still feels that her shoulders are sore, as if they will be swollen and hot.

However, Ellie was a little happy.

Doesn't that just show that Lloyd cares about himself? With so much effort, it is to protect yourself from falling downstairs.

It's just that I probably can't wear off-the-shoulder outfits lately...... It's a pity, it's rare to say that I just wanted to change my image to change my mood...... Thinking of this, Ellie's eyes became resentful, and she glared at Lloyd with some dissatisfaction. Lloyd was still confused, so he could only laugh and accept Ellie's complaints.

"But it's beautiful."

Ellie said this, leaning back, and the whole person lay on the ground.

"Ah, it's beautiful."

Lloyd nodded in agreement.

Under the night sky, the lights of Crossbell echo each other, the soft light and shadow intertwine bright colors, and the newly built buildings exude a sense of science and technology, combined with the bright moonlight, it is simply the most beautiful scenery.

"But...... The brighter the light, the dimmer the starlight becomes...... Even the proof of the Goddess's love, the pure starlight, ......"

Ellie's mood was low again. Lloyd was silent, not knowing how to respond to her.

Come to think of it, Lloyd knew too little about Ellie.

"Now, Lloyd, remember what happened today...... Silver's provocation, the almost open feud between Lubacher, Black Moon, Karumen, and the words of Dudley Investigator......"

"Surviving in the gap between empire and republic, Crossbell lost his dignity, indulged in momentary pleasures with foreign inflows...... Because it is an 'autonomous prefecture' that does not even have political sovereignty, even the citizens feel helpless and accept their identity...... That's it for our Cross Bell......"

Lloyd was powerless to refute. Because that's what it is. What Ellie said, without a doubt, was the current situation of Crossbell. No one can overturn reality.

"I've read in books about the kingdom of Saialu, where human beings are exploited for their rights as human beings and used as objects and tools. And these tools, called slaves, are also content with the status quo and abide by their slave status. Isn't it similar? and Cross Bell. ”

There is no national sovereignty, and the citizens are almost used to it.

"Such a Cross Bell ...... Such a Crossbell ......"

Her voice choked, and tears slid down Ellie's cheeks from her emerald eyes.

Obviously wanted to be angry and said: "There is no need to save such a Cross Bell!" "But I can't say anything.

"Actually, I still don't want to give up."

Lloyd said, moving over Ellie and laying down beside her. The floor was cold, and even though Lloyd was wearing a bulletproof jacket, the cold could still penetrate his clothes and reach his body.

"Even if it's such a tragic situation, Ellie, you're not going to give it up, are you?"

“…………”

Silence. Ellie couldn't deny the question.

After a long time, Ellie dragged a low tone and said slowly: "Actually, I originally had parents......"

As if recounting something that had nothing to do with her, Ellie's voice didn't change a trace of emotion.

"So, it's as if they're dead, but they're both alive. It's just that they are divorced and live in the empire and the republic respectively. His father was originally a member of the Republic, but after meeting his mother and joining the McDowell family, he decided to follow the path of a politician. As soon as he entered politics, he immediately noticed the distortion of the city. He's a man with a strong sense of justice, so he's eager to change something, right? Therefore, after several years of perseverance, various reform plans were proposed. ”

Lloyd listened quietly, and only then did he praise softly: "That's amazing." ”

Ellie turned her head to him and smiled bleakly, a look of pain on her brow.

In the end, my father's reform plan was completely rejected. Both the imperialists and the republicans rejected him. His companions, who once trusted each other, betrayed him, lost his friends, were ridiculed by his political enemies, and his grandfather was unable to help because of the mayor's neutrality...... Father, he completely despaired of Crossbell. So, he resigned from his position as a member of parliament, said goodbye to his wife and daughter, and returned to Calvard. My mother could neither stop my father, nor could she take my young me with me, and in the end, a divorce agreement was reached, and my father left. Mother may hate father, but it's more love. Living in a city where she lost her husband was very painful. So he went to his relatives in the empire. I was adopted by my grandfather. ”

Is it...... Ellie, like me......

Lloyd couldn't help but think of himself. His parents died early, and his eldest brother, who was like his father, died three years ago. Himself, better than Ellie......

After all, the dead are empty, and after they are gone, there is no hope. And Ellie's parents are alive, and being alive means that there is hope, and this hope is the weapon that can hurt people's hearts the most.

"I was determined to go down the political path. That's also from that time. It's not like he's trying to avenge his father or anything. It's just that...... Unacceptable. How could such a happy family be said to be scattered? With my grandfather's help, I studied politics and economics while studying abroad. However, the more I learned, the more I realized the complexity of Crossbell's situation...... Under the weight of the two great powers, the empire and the republic, justice and interest are entangled and inevitably distorted. I hit the barrier...... I said, Lloyd, the representative of the government of the Autonomous Region of Cross Bell, do you know who? ”

The sudden question left Lloyd in thought, and the boy, who paid little attention to politics, asked tentatively in an uncertain tone: "Yes...... Mayor McDowell? Still is...... Speaker Harman? ”

"Hehe, actually, it's all of them. The mayor, and the speaker, are the co-representatives of Crossbell, which is established by the law of the autonomous state. Because...... As long as there are two representatives of the same level, it is very easy to launch political reform. ”

"What...... How could it be ......"

"Two people are at the apex at the same time, and no matter which one tries to initiate reform, the other will inevitably be pinned down. Seventy years ago, under the watchful eye of the empire and the republic, Crossbell declared autonomy. At that time, legal experts of the two countries appointed the laws of the autonomous region. It's a curse. If I enter politics so rashly, I'm afraid I'll be like my father, right? So, I want to try to see other directions, different breakthroughs. ”

"Police?"

"Hmm...... The police community can look at distortions from a different perspective than politics. I think that one day, this is my weapon to enter politics. It's just that...... Maybe it's also an escape? What happened today, except for silver, was all in my expectation. But...... It's cold and heavy, beyond imagination. At the end of the day, I can't do anything...... I'm just a ...... A young girl who has not grown up abandoned by her parents......"

This was the end of Ellie's story, her head tilted, and she stared at Lloyd with an almost expectant look, expecting his response.

"There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Huh?"

Lloyd laughed, got up from the ground, leaned against the railing, and leaned out of the fence, following Ellie's example. However, he was facing Ellie. Ellie could clearly see the hard light on his face.

"Ellie, you're perfect. I want to do everything myself. You can't tolerate a single failure, don't you think so? ”

Lloyd concluded, knowing her. The Searcher's keen insight helped him, but it was more of a guess.

"No, no, no ......"

Suddenly hearing such an annoying conclusion, Ellie was a little angry and denied.

"It's true that I encountered a lot of unpleasant things today, but things like this will definitely happen as long as you work, right? The barrier that can't be crossed today may be crossed tomorrow. The barrier that one person can't get over may be able to be crossed by six of us. ”

"But, but, now that the first section has been dispatched, the search power is no longer in our hands...... What else can be done? ”

Ellie retorted a little, but the weakness revealed in her words made even she wonder whether she wanted to refute Lloyd or that Lloyd could refute herself.

"Just like when you enter the police world, let's change the angle. Instead of tracking down the threatening letter, don't we have another clue? In order to protect someone, we have hidden clues ......"

Lloyd smiled and reminded his companion with a look of confidence. Ellie also suddenly realized: "Ah...... Is it Silver himself? ”

"Well, in order not to arouse the suspicion of Dudley Investigator, I did not tell him anything about Silver."

"Ah...... Is it really good to be so secretive as a search officer? ”

Ellie was a little surprised that her companion, a real investigator, would take the lead in doing such a thing.

"I told him before." I know the intelligence' to tell him. I've only heard about silver. ”

"It's a far-fetched wordplay."

Ellie was amused by his attitude. The smile from the heart makes Ellie shine extraordinarily.

"If we can make a big mistake in front of a subject, it proves that we do have the strength to surpass the [barrier], right? This is not worth mentioning compared to Crossbell as a whole, but as long as you cross the small [barrier] step by step, one day, you will be able to cross the huge [barrier], right? ”

Ellie was speechless and silent for a moment, then she also sat up from the floor, walked to the railing, and said with a little helplessness to the brilliant light and shadow in her field of vision.

"In the past two months, we have been getting along day and night, and I have been more or less aware of it...... You also have my troubles and different troubles. But why are you so optimistic? ”

"Me? Maybe it's because there's a being that I've always looked up to as a target? Perhaps, this approach is a problem in itself. ”

Lloyd said, smiling a little subtlely.

"Really...... Me...... Not as strong as you...... I'm some, tired...... I wasn't going to talk about the past. However, I don't know what's going on, and I always feel that I can't bear it anymore. If we continue like this, we may be holding you back...... In that case, just ......"

"Ellie......"

Lloyd smiled, and he gently patted Ellie on the shoulder.

"We all need Ellie. Shooting skills, negotiation skills, knowledge and balance in political economy, each of your abilities is indispensable to solving the city's problems. ”

“……”

"No, it's not. It's true, but more importantly, I'm happy to have Ellie around. ”

"Hey, hey?!"

The sudden confession suddenly made Ellie panic: What, what is this person, what is a sudden confession when others reveal their hearts...... Is it a veteran or a newcomer......

"A few of us...... Originally, there was no commonality, but after two months of getting along, we gradually became compatible. Even when you're so busy at work, you can still cook in order - although You always takes the initiative to take over, deal with all kinds of things together, and worry and joy for all kinds of things, isn't it a happy thing to have such a partner? ”

"Ah......h

Ellie smiled a little tiredly: I see...... Is that just the way it is? Really, I misunderstood...... Lloyd......

"After all, we are still young people, and we see the world too simply, and it is too early to despair of it. As long as we find our own justice, do our best, do our own thing, even if we fail, we must never give up and continue to challenge! That's not enough, let's just figure it out together when the time comes. Needless to say, Randy and Theo will definitely help, too. You Jun doesn't look so casual, he is also very attentive to our affairs. If Hexu speaks, he will definitely support us, right? Don't look at the section chief like that, in fact, he has silently helped us open up a lot of doors, otherwise, we wouldn't be so easy. And Zeat, this inexplicable helper. Ellie, you're not alone. ”

Ellie's face turned red with every word Lloyd spoke, and after a few words, Ellie barely dared to look at him.

What's going on, what's going on......

But......

"Isn't it alone? Hehe...... I did forget about it when I took it for granted...... Thanks, Lloyd. Things haven't been resolved, but I feel a little lighter. ”

Ellie lowered her head and didn't look at him, and her voice became choppy: "Anyway...... Let's not talk about your lines like a youth campus idol drama, I'm really taken aback by you......"

“………… Sorry, sorry...... I—I know I'm exaggerating......"

As if reacting to what he had just said, Lloyd's face flushed a little.

"I need to say and say anything, and I'll be happy to stay around...... I thought you were going to confess next......"

"Huh?"

Hearing Ellie's words that were so ashamed that he could barely hear them, Lloyd thought for half a minute before he understood what Ellie meant...... And also...... The occasion just now......

"Wow! No, it's not! I—I didn't mean that! ”

The innocent little boy, who had never been in love before, and even had very little experience in talking to girls, was frightened by his previous bold behavior and took several steps back, and distanced himself from Ellie, for fear that Ellie would misunderstand his intentions.

"Oops? Do you think that a woman like me doesn't even have the value of confession? ”

Elem's eyes were round, and there was an angry look between her eyebrows.

"That's not what it means...... Ahhh Ellie, you're just teasing me! Lloyd, who understood, showed a bullied puppy-like expression, and Ellie smiled happily.

"It's just a small revenge. But you, it's better to pay attention! Should it be said that you are born with such a character? Sometimes, it really gives people a feeling of mercy everywhere. ”

"Wait a minute! In this case, Randy said that you forget it, why me! ”

"Coupled with the lack of self-knowledge, the nature is even worse...... I'm really convinced of you, so a few words...... That's how my state of mind changes...... Nothing! That、I、I'll go back first! ”

Ellie, who was talking to herself, summed up and fled, leaving Lloyd alone at a loss.

Just as he pondered why Ellie was like this, the window of a room on the fourth floor closed slightly.

Yu Tatsumi, who was almost heard from the beginning to the end, smiled wryly: Our captain is an amazing person in every sense!