The combat strength of the Special Selection Unit Astral surged following Ray’s induction. Originally, he hadn't been raised specifically as a soldier; rather, his upbringing had been focused entirely on his personal growth.
However, in Ray’s particular case, the specific educational philosophy likely didn't matter. He possessed an adaptability bordering on the supernatural. One might say he excelled at finding the optimal solution for any given situation.
In any case, far from simply keeping up with the missions of the Special Selection Unit Astral, Ray had become a formidable asset.
“Captain Ainsworth, I’ve located a bomb. The spell formula seems to incorporate Delay Magic, and the codes are intricately intertwined.”
“Good. Release it.”
“Sir. Understood.”
They were currently in the middle of a mission. Following reports of seditious activity within the Kingdom, they were investigating a certain noble’s estate. It was there they discovered the device. Apparently, this noble was a spy for the Ewell Empire and had been secretly leaking Kingdom intelligence.
The Special Selection Unit Astral had intervened, but the target had already fled. The only thing remaining was a time bomb.
Lydia ordered him to release it while the other members were occupied searching the other rooms.
“It’s finished.”
“Good. We’ll retrieve it and head back.”
“Sir.”
It had taken Ray approximately twenty seconds to release the bomb. He had already deciphered the spell formula deployed within the device. From there, it was a simple matter of deploying the exact inverse sorcery to unravel it.
He hadn't received specialized training for this sort of work, but if sorcery was involved, there was nothing Ray couldn't do... his skill had reached such a level of mastery that one could say as much with confidence.
And so, another mission ended successfully.
“Ray. Regarding the next mission, it will be an infiltration.”
“Sir. Understood.”
Ray had been summoned to Henrick’s office. For some reason, he had been called in alone, despite the fact that briefings were usually conducted with the entire unit.
“Now then, regarding the specifics...”
Henrick seemed to be hesitating. Ray felt a flicker of suspicion, but he didn't voice it.
“In this mission as well, the target is a noble who has betrayed the Kingdom to leak information. Naturally, the opponent is cunning and has taken considerable precautions. However, there is one detail... the noble in question has a certain preference.”
“A certain preference, sir?”
“Yes. Apparently, that noble is fond of young girls.”
“I see...?”
Ray didn't seem to get the point at all. He understood the literal meaning of the noble’s preference, but he failed to see why he had been called here because of it.
While Ray was wondering if they intended to have a young girl infiltrate the estate, he heard words that were utterly beyond his comprehension.
“Therefore, I want Ray to cross-dress and infiltrate.”
“Sir. Yes, sir—wait, what?”
He had given his reflexive acknowledgment, but the moment the meaning sank in, his expression went blank. It was an entirely reasonable reaction.
He had never dreamed, not even for a second, that he would be cross-dressing.
“Don’t worry. For this mission, I’ve already called in a professional.”
“A-A professional...?”
The situation made so little sense that Ray could only stand there, visibly shaken. Although he had calmly handled every mission thus far and had become a pillar of the Special Selection Unit Astral's strength... this time, he was understandably flustered.
“Caroline. You may enter.”
“Yes, yes, yeees!”
When Henrick called out, Carol entered the room. Today, as always, she wore meticulous makeup and her hair was perfectly curled.
For some reason, her smile was even more radiant than usual. Looking at her, Ray began to imagine the worst-case scenario. It was a terror entirely different from the time she had attempted to assault him.
“Lieutenant Colonel... could it be that you want Carol to help me... cross-dress?”
“As expected of Ray. You catch on quickly.”
“Ray-chan! I’m looking forward to this!”
Carol spoke without a moment's delay. Meanwhile, Ray found himself unable to stop the cold sweat from trickling down his neck.
“The plan for this operation was proposed by Caroline. I gave it some thought and, deeming it tactically sound, decided to adopt it. The plan is for Ray to infiltrate first in disguise, followed by our breach from the exterior.”
Ray was speechless with shock. His gender identity was male. Even if he understood the definition of "cross-dressing," he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of actually doing it himself.
In fact, he wondered if this was all a dream. To check, he pinched his cheek with all his might.
However—
“I-It’s not a dream...?”
“Fufu. Fufufu!”
Carol clasped her hands behind her back and skipped toward Ray. A light scent of perfume wafted past him, but he was far too distracted to notice.
“C-Carol... you’re joking, right...?”
“Ufufu. I’ve always thought so! I knew Ray-chan would be adorable as a girl!”
“Y-You! Isn’t this mixing business with pleasure?! Did you forget our promise...?!”
“But it’s already been officially adopted as a mission! It’s fine. I’ll keep my promise, and I’ll turn you into a perfectly lovely girl!”
“The wall is...!!”
Ray backed away, only to find himself pinned against the wall. The pressure Carol exerted was among the most intense he had ever experienced.
Carol was smiling, as always. But now... her eyes weren't smiling. Furthermore, her breathing was growing increasingly ragged.
“Haa... haa... it’s legal now, so it’s okay, right?”
“L-Lieutenant Coloneeeeeel! Help me!”
“Ray, I’m sorry. This is the optimal path for this mission.”
“LIEUTENANT COLONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!”
His scream was in vain. Ray was dragged out of the room, literally trailing behind her. If he had resisted in earnest, he could have escaped, but once it was labeled an official operation, he found himself unable to refuse.
“Ray. I’m counting on you.”
As for Henrick, he clasped his hands as if in prayer, wishing Ray the best of luck.
“Lydia-chan! Abby-chan!”
Carol threw the door open with a bang. The unit had planned to gather for dinner, though Carol was supposed to be late due to an errand.
Since Ray had also been summoned by Henrick, Lydia and Abby were the only ones currently waiting in the room.
“Oh, you’re back! Alright, Abby. Let’s eat!”
“Yeah, yeah—wait, hey, Carol. Where did you find that girl? Kidnapping isn't a joke, you know.”
“Heh, heh, heh.”
Grinning, Carol crossed her arms beneath her chest. Seeing her behavior, the two of them thought, Here she goes again... but something about the young girl seemed strangely familiar.
“She’s quite the beauty, but seriously, Carol, where did you pick her up...?”
With a weary sigh, Abby approached the girl.
“Are you all right? I’m sorry. Our local idiot seems to have caused you some trouble...”
The girl said nothing. She simply stared into Abby's eyes with a look that suggested she was on the verge of tears. While Abby was wondering about the reaction, Lydia spoke the unthinkable.
“Hmm? Wait, is that Ray?”
It was a bolt from the blue. Abby dismissed the ridiculous claim immediately.
“Lydia, don't be absurd. There’s no way Ray could become such a cute girl—”
“...It’s Ray... I’m sorry... I really don’t know what else to say...”
“Huh?”
Abby’s face went blank. There was no mistake; Ray’s voice had undoubtedly come from that girl. She had a slender frame and delicate, refined features. Her eyes were wide, her eyelashes curled beautifully upward. Her lips were well-colored and perfectly shaped.
Furthermore, her brown hair was as glossy as silk. Anyone who saw her would have described her as a stunning beauty.
“Th-That’s... Ray...?”
“For the next infiltration mission, Ray-chan is going in undercover! Caro-caro helped him out, but as I thought, Ray-chan is a genius at cross-dressing too!”
Carol seemed delighted, but Ray looked like he wanted to die. In fact, a few tears were already beginning to fall. A faint, miserable sniffle could be heard.
“Ray.”
“M-Master...”
Lydia approached with a dead-serious expression. Ray looked up at her with eyes full of hope, certain that she would offer some words of salvation.
That hope was cruelly betrayed.
“Damn, you’re cute! All right. While you're in that form, your codename will be Lily. Hahaha! This is a total masterpiece! You really are a genius at everything, aren't you?!”
Lydia slapped him playfully on the shoulder, clearly enjoying the spectacle from the bottom of her heart.
“M-MASTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!”
It was said that this pained cry was the loudest sound Ray had ever produced in his life.