“…… In the aftermath of the coup d'état in Iceland, the Cavalry set up an internal secret monitoring organization, the Hundred-Eyed Giant, and then relied on the Privy Council to develop an external intelligence system. It is debatable whether the intelligence agents of Greg's time, who later had close ties to the militant group Privy Blade, could actually help the allies and Iceland obtain important information related to the ACA and not become a new hidden danger......

-- The Alliance Times

***

The city of Cambridge has begun the countdown to winter, which means that the already lush community park will be carpeted with a thick carpet of fallen leaves, leaving the treetops in the hands of the warm sun.

Ethan, or rather, Morris. Ethan was sitting on an old bench in the community park at this moment, the delivery electric car was parked next to the bench, he gently raised his hand and tapped the temples of his eyes, and in the lower right corner of the lenses, two numbers were displayed, 27.

This is the meaning of using the 27th encrypted communication scheme, which was initiated by Ethan, and the number written by Helis on the "tip" column is the scheme of the contact channel.

The community park is a little higher, and you can see Helis right from here. However, the boy did not look at the small building that was as watertight as a fortress, he was looking up at the sunlight that cut through the treetops.

He loved the feeling, the dense foliage of summer made him breathless, and the winter sun was like holy light, which allowed him to forget the shadows that lingered over his head for a while, as if he were just an ordinary restaurant delivery man.

So, is it a matter of the cavalry?

On the other side of the park, in a room that looks dim because the curtains are drawn. Helis took off the cat's ear amplifier and placed it on the table, and when she was in the room, the whole building was her amplifier.

"Probably, you said before, let's 'Hundred-Eyed Giant' pay attention to the movements of Rohms Company."

Ethan nodded. The Hundred-Eyed Giant is the intelligence organization of the cavalry team that Ethan serves, and after the turmoil in Iceland, it established an intelligence agency that monitors internally and warns externally.

So, are there any clues?

When she said this, Helis methodically opened the lunch box and did not expect it.

“…… Not yet. ”

Ethan hesitated, but apparently he couldn't get the information, but the boy quickly changed the subject. "But there's progress."

In fact, Ethan.

When Helis opened the lunch box, what he saw was not the fried chicken fried rice on the takeout list, but the French fried lobster meat that was not served in the restaurant at all.

Is this what Ethan did?

Helis looked at the familiar dishes in the lunch box, put back the words of criticism she had prepared for Ethan, looked at the golden lobster meat, and for a moment, the girl seemed to return to that Parisian night. A group of people gathered noisily around the table, feasting. While discussing how to save the world.

At that time, it seemed that saving the world was not a matter of much concern.

When that person was still around.

"In fact? How? ”

Ethan's voice pulled Herris back to reality, and the girl looked up at the empty dining table.

How long has it been since there has been a lively meal?

In fact, if you want to come and talk to me about something. No need to use this method, I can give you a couple of encrypted channels, as long as I'm not busy, that's perfectly fine.

"I-"

Helis's words seemed to choke Ethan on the other side of the airwaves, and the girl, who was still immersed in the aftermath of the memory, did not realize it. Seeing where she couldn't see, across from the community park, Ethan, whose trick had been exposed, was already flushed at this time.

However, this blush was not a shame, but the surprise and excitement brought by Helis's last words.

The boy almost exhausted his strength to make his tone seem a little helpless and indifferent, he took a deep breath, let his heart beat calmly, and spoke.

"Well, actually, it's not wrong to say it's a private matter."

Go ahead.

"I received contact from Iceland two days ago, and they also knew that you were about to graduate, so I considered canceling the intelligence station in Cambridge, after all, this information station can be said to have been set up for you."

I remember that you were the only one at the intelligence station?

"Hey, it's better to save some face, there are a lot of one-person intelligence stations in the history." Ethan smiled bitterly, "But for more than a year, you haven't found anything valuable, and the meaning above wants me to go back is obvious." ”

I'm about to find out, and I can't sue you for the time being, but even if I find out, I'm going to leave here, so the intelligence station or something, it must be revoked.

"So, that's the problem." Ethan was silent for a second, then subconsciously said, "Where are you going?" ”

Do you need to ask this question?

"No," Ethan burst out laughing, not noticing, his expression and reaction were unnaturally pompous in order to hide his heart, "so I applied to continue to act as a liaison between the Prism Squad and the Cavalry Team. ”

It's not Bruce. Does Payne work?

"He's not suitable for intelligence work, in fact, he doesn't have much contact with the cavalry team at all, think about it, is all the information and needs fed back to you by Ling Yu, and then you contact the cavalry team through me?"

Indeed, but why tell me this.

"I've already talked to the person in charge above, and as long as you don't object, our partnership will continue," Ethan's tone seemed a little nervous and excited, and then immediately explained, "Of course, not to join the team, I will only contact you when necessary." ”

This matter should be Ling Yu's decision.

Herris paused, and the love that didn't disappoint Ethan spread.

However, I personally wouldn't object, and he probably wouldn't.

Ethan was stunned for a moment, and before he could retract his disappointed expression, his face was already glowing red with excitement.

But Helis's next sentence was like a basin of liquid nitrogen. It poured directly over his head, freezing his expression.

After all, you were saved by Jesse.

Ethan stared blankly at this sentence, he opened his mouth, and was about to say something, but coughed violently.

What's wrong? Are you not well?

"No...... It's okay......"

Ethan at the moment when the cough began. Turning off the microphone, Helis didn't see a faint black glow in the boy's lowered pupils as he coughed.

However, the boy finally held his emotions steady, trying to contain the weightless feeling in his chest, he took a deep breath, and then shook his head and spoke.

You don't have to worry about the specifics, I will contact Ling Yu.

It seems to be aware that he may have brought up Ethan's painful past. Herris took the rare initiative to speak

So, is there anything else?

"One more piece."

Ethan stretched out his hand and made a smooth movement on his chest, as if the downward pressure of his palm could press down the feeling of weightlessness in his heart, he hesitated and paused, but finally decided to speak.

Because this is also the root of his emergency communication with Helis by making an exception.

"That...... At next week's prom, I got an invitation. ”

"Will you be there?"

Ethan's cautious tone was clearly felt even by Helis on the other side of the radio wave, as if a slightly heavier tone would usher in a negative answer.

Helis had just touched the fork's hand and was in the air. She turned her head and looked at the bag that had been neatly placed on the table next to her. I remembered the invitation inside.

I don't think I have time.

Helis was silent for a minute before replying.

"That's a shame."

It doesn't matter, at least this is not the end, at least there is a good chance that I will continue to work with her.

Ethan comforted himself in this way, and then expressed his regret to Helis completely politely, and he suddenly felt that this was not bad. After all, he didn't seem ready to reach out to Helis at the ball.

If nothing else, I want to rest.

"I'm going back to the store too."

Good bye.

Ethan watched as Helis cut off communication as he reached out and took his glasses off. I found that I don't know when, my face and palms were already full of beads of sweat.

Even after all he has been through, Ethan is just a little boy after all, and besides, his experience tells him how to face desperate situations and death, but not how to invite the girl he likes to the dance party.

But speaking of which, I don't know how to dance yet, although I asked a sister who works in a restaurant, and the other party is also happy to teach her, but Ethan suddenly felt a little excited and didn't want to learn.

Anyway, let's go back first.

Closing his glasses and tucking them into his chest pocket, Ethan stood up, unlocked the electric car, and slowly left the community park.

***

Helis lay on the sofa, and the girl who had ended the conversation with peace of mind buried her head in the cushion, and on the table next to her, the box of baked lobsters that had been opened did not move in the end.

The past is the past, and there is no way back, no matter how you imitate it, you will only gain disappointment.

"Don't say you don't have a dance partner, your dance partner is already predetermined."

What Herris must admit is that by the time Professor Boken uttered those words, Herris had wavered.

She was changing, and the reason why she was changing was to get out of the shadows, even if it was a betrayal, but she wanted to forget that name.

"Ling Yu needs a sound person, not another vengeful ghost to help him get out of his demons."

The dead are dead, and no matter how painful and sad we are, it is impossible to come back to life, right? Even if you follow her path, you can only live in your own way, as a healthy person, right?

Isn't that what Jass expected?

Reanna was right, and Helis knew, so Helis chose to believe that she was right, and believing in herself was the key to changing this qiē.

However, a year has passed and nothing has changed.

Even if Professor Boken made such an invitation, even if she did waver, she did want to make an invitation to Ling Yu, but when Ethan appeared, Herris still couldn't avoid thinking of that person.

Helis's body twitched, I don't know if it was due to the suffocation of lack of oxygen, but the girl didn't raise her head, just held the cushion hard, venting the pain in her heart in this almost self-harming way.

Actually, it hasn't changed, has it?

Don't talk about Ling Yu, even if it's yourself, don't talk about facing it, you can't even escape the scar that reaches your heart.

Herris thought she was rational, she thought she could rationally, even brutally, find a way to replace Jeunsy in Ling Yu's heart.

It's ridiculous.

Even he can't forgive himself for such an act of almost betrayal, and what kind of coldness to talk about!

The girl suddenly felt a burst of fear, she suddenly felt that she had no way to face what was going to happen next, she suddenly thought of the cruise ship incident a year ago, Ling Yu who did not hesitate to choose a clue between more than ten thousand people and a clue, and the quarrel between herself and him later.

Ling Yu may be right, but why, he just can't accept this qiē.

After more than a year of leaving, Helis suddenly felt, perhaps, at all, that there was no point at all.

Looking back on what had happened this year, he just tried his best to dress himself up as an ordinary person, living like an ordinary person, and almost ignored Ling Yu, who was covered in blood.

"I'm going to change him," "I'm right, I'm going to stick to it", anesthetizing himself with such sweet sleeping pills.

But, perhaps,

It's just that the self who chooses to escape can't change him at all, can't become that person, can't end the suffering of all who are alive. (To be continued......)