Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was heavy as Naomi looked over the participants. Six people In total sat around the U-shaped table, with Naomi and Mischa seated in the front row.
When Naomi looked over at a participant, she got various reactions. Curiosity from Topaz and Chi, tensed expressions from Angella, and fear and nervousness from Millie, who sat at the furthest end of the table.
Hyun-Woo and Rekka didn’t attend this meeting because they were left with the work to fill Naomi’s position.
Because all the important participants were already gathered, Naomi started to speak.
“Thank you for coming in such a short call. Let’s cut the formality and directly talk about the case. First of all, Angella.” Naomi looked at Angella with an icy gaze, making the former Executive’s body jolt in surprise.
“Yes?” Angella tried to answer as calmly as he could, but he couldn’t hide his nervousness as sweat trailed over his back.
“I will say this only once. Melaine and my mother disappeared last night, probably kidnapped. On the same night, I received a message from Melaine. It was only a word, ‘Moon.’ Do you know anything about the Esper Association that’s related to the moon?”
Naomi spoke really sensitive information with such ease. Even Chi was surprised. Her eyes widened, and she held her chin, entering a state of deep thinking.
Topaz had the same reaction as Chi. She began to process Naomi’s words and tried to remember anything related to Moon. She took out her holo phone and began to search for any possible information she had about the word Moon.
Meanwhile, Millie had no visible reaction. Her body was still trembling every time she met Naomi's gaze. It seemed like she had trauma over Naomi over what had happened back then on Avos Island.
Even being an Executive, Angella didn’t really have access to secret information. He was also stationed on Mount Everest mainly because Avos didn’t fully trust him. But, he had heard a thing or two from the rumors going around his subordinates.
“Moon, was it?” Angella asked, trying to confirm Naomi’s words. “Usually, when one says Moon in the Esper Association, they would think about the Moon of Akasha. But I think that’s not what the word Moon is directed at here.” He continued as he began to calm down.
“I understand that much. I need new information.” Naomi said calmly.
“Please be patient, oh worst Esper. I am about to get to the main point,” Angella said seriously. “There is a rumor going around the Esper Association where even my subordinates on Mount Everest heard about it.”
“Hoo, what is it? Did you hear about such rumors too, Mischa?” Naomi turned to her side, asking the quiet platinum-haired girl.
“No, unfortunately.” Mischa shook her head.
“It’s natural if you've never heard about it. I bet the rumor is only going on some male officers. It’s about a lady on the Moon.” Angella’s lips curled up slightly as he raised his finger.
‘A lady of the moon?’ Naomi asked in her mind.
A lady on the moon, that name was certainly something that a man would talk about in secret. Maybe they were afraid that the women would be grossed out, so they kept the rumors among the male officers.
‘But why did Melaine leave such a message?’
It was something that Naomi couldn’t understand. What was the relationship between the rumor about the lady of the moon with the current situation?
At that moment, Millie Taylor, who had been silent and trembling all this time, raised her hand slightly.
“U-Umm… Can I add something?” She said,
The attention in the room suddenly shifted to the girl, causing her to shriek.
“H-Hie!”
Millie really had become a coward that was afraid of people’s gaze right now.
Even Naomi felt bad about it slightly, but the situation at that time couldn’t be avoided. So she tried to smile a little.
“Please, Millie. I need the information to save my mother. I really am sorry about what I did to you without me knowing that you were actually controlled. Once everything is over, you can ask me anything. I will do my best to grant your request.”
“N-N-No. Y-You don’t need to do that! I… I want to repay you for freeing me, but… But my body isn’t listening. I am afraid of you. I am sorry. I am sorry!” The girl began to break down and cried loudly.
Everyone in the room could only look at her in silence except one person. That person was Topaz.
“My, what a crybaby you’ve turned to, Millie.”
Topaz said so as she stood up, walking over to Millie and patting her back. She then used her ability to help Millie control her emotion.
“There, there. I will help you control your emotions a little. I have trained myself to be able to do this recently.” She smiled warmly as she continued talking with a soothing voice. “Have you calmed down yet?”
“Uh… yes… Thank you, Topaz.”
“You’re welcome,” Topaz answered with a sincere smile as she sat beside Millie.
Naomi didn’t say anything all the time and only looked at them with a sad look.
‘I even reduced her to that state. What did I do?’ She even questioned her past decision, weighing her actions at that time. ‘I was drowned in my anger. I am really a bad leader, aren’t I?’ She smiled wryly. Mischa only looked at Naomi worriedly and held her hand secretly to give her comfort.
Thankfully, there was Topaz, who could control emotion. If not for her, maybe Millie would break down today.
After a while, Millie calmed down fully and continued.
“Umm, Naomi. Sorry for breaking down earlier, but I am fine now.”
Naomi nodded, but she didn’t urge her to continue. She apologized instead. “Sorry for bringing you here.”
“N-no. I am fine, really. If possible, I also want to repay you for stopping me at that time. It’s fine, really.” Millie smiled weakly. “Speaking about that time, this is what I want to talk about. Remember that my power level spiked due to the incomplete drug at that time?”
Naomi nodded once again, “I do remember about that.”
“G-Good, we can continue then. I can feel and control people’s actions slightly at that moment by altering their brainwaves. I can scan all over the world and extend it slightly, reaching the moon. There, I feel it slightly… A person’s brainwave.”
Hearing what Millie had said, almost everyone in the room opened their eyes wide in surprise. Naomi had almost no visible reaction as she only focused on something entirely different.
“Alright,” Naomi said, standing up from her seat. Then, she made a shocking declaration as if this was child's play. “I am going to the moon. Alone.”
Y’know, it’s been said that you can fit every other planet in between the earth and the moon’s orbit and still have some change. Space is vast, man.
Thanks for the chapter
Thanks for the chapter nya.