19

  She stated it as if it were somebody else's problem, and then pulled out a document from her bag.

  "I'll be happy to accept your request. Could you please sign this for me?"

  Lena, with a puzzled expression that she couldn't hide, took the contract in her hand.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Late June, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California.

  From among the trees, Ono Haruka, also known as "Luca Fields," was peering through a portable telescope with a recording function.

  Just as Lena Fehr noticed, "Luca Fields'' is a pseudonym. Her real identity is that of Ono Haruka, a Japanese national who was formerly a counselor at the National Magic University Affiliated First High School and an undercover non-regular intelligence operative with the Public Security Agency of the Ministry of Police.

  But both of these identities are in the past.

  It was thanks to her past identities that she found herself in the difficult spot where she had been forced to assume a false name and work as a private detective in America.

  Around two years ago, a serious feud erupted internally among the Japanese Intelligence Agencies. A serious conflict arose between the Public Security Agency (Public Security Agency of the Ministry of Police) and the Internal Affairs Bureau (Information Management Bureau of the Cabinet Office) concerning the organizational expansion policy for these two non-military departments.

  On one hand, the Internal Affairs Bureau envisioned the strengthening of their intelligence capabilities by employing criminals as unofficial agents, and on the other hand, the Public Security Agency adamantly opposed the involvement of criminals.

  Considering that the majority of intelligence activities are conducted through unlawful or even illegal means, the stance of the Public Security Agency could be seen as contradictory. Yet, for the Public Security Agency, which is predominantly composed of police-related personnel due to the organization's origins, even if it were able to justify taking advantage of criminals, they could never allow the possibility of criminals taking advantage of them.

  The antagonism between the Internal Affairs Bureau and the Public Security Agency culminated in the use of force by both sides. Espionage aimed at seizing the other's weakness soon evolved into a struggle to deprive the other of their manpower.

  20

  The instances involving murder were kept to a minimum, no doubt thanks to a last-minute exercise of restraint from both sides. However, the same couldn't be said for the countless number of people who were seriously wounded. Even the proportion of those who suffered a partial loss of bodily functions isn't negligible.

  Among the targets were non-regular intelligence operatives, such as Ono Haruka herself.

  Sensing that her life was in imminent danger, Haruka decided to escape.

  She didn't become an intelligence operative out of her own volition to begin with. She was almost, if not entirely, coerced into working for the Public Security Agency.

  She always regarded herself as a councilor first and foremost, and always wanted to quit working as an intelligence operative. There simply wasn't any incentive for her to continue that job in a situation where she could lose her life as a result of friendly fire.

  Most of all, she had been a non-regular intelligence operative who committed unlawful acts for many years while working for the Public Security Agency. The number of inconvenient secrets that she learned of is more than the number of fingers she could count on her hands. Even adding her toes into consideration, it wouldn't be enough to account for them all. There was just no chance that they would accept a letter of resignation and let her leave in peace.

  So, the only alternative left to her was desertion. However, even though they unhappily accepted her letter of resignation in the end, there was indeed no way that they were going to turn a blind eye and actually let her leave.

  Haruka is a so-called BS5 Magician — a magician with a unique inborn magical skill. Her unique ability, or superpower, is to hinder others' perception of herself. When it comes to "hiding" or "escaping," her superpower made her one of the best at the Public Security Agency capable of doing so, let alone in Japan for that matter.

  Nevertheless, she did not have the self-confidence necessary to attempt to challenge a state organization and successfully escape. If she were to, that would mean Haruka was overestimating her own unique magic — her superpower.

  But there was a time when Haruka was under the guidance of Yakumo Kokonoe, a

  "ninjutsu user," her master. And it was he who she turned to for help.

  It was no surprise that things turned out this way. Unfortunately, although she managed to safely escape Japan and made her way to the USNA, she could not find any counselor positions available there. Alas, her skills and experience as a counselor were not 5 BS (Born-Specialized) 21

  acknowledged in America. She eventually ended up in her current line of work, relying on her unique abilities to make a living.

  Although Haruka was reluctant to take up the profession of being a private detective, she became one because of the sense of crisis she felt that her life (probably) would be in danger if she were to set foot back in Japan, so having grasped at straws to get to where she is now, she has earnestly been devoting herself to the job. The same would apply here, where she has been silently carrying out the exhausting task of following around and taking undercover photos of others amid the mountain woods.

  FAIR's search party, consisting of nine men and four women, was moving up a small stream carrying small shovels and pick-hammers. If they were to keep going along this path, they would eventually reach a small, little-known waterfall after a few minutes. As to why Haruka knows about it, despite the low visibility, is because this is not the first time that FAIR has headed for the waterfall.

  Yesterday, they carried large tools over their shoulders to behind the waterfalls.

  And shortly after, they came back seeming disheartened.

  Perhaps the presumable cave or space behind the waterfall is too cramped for the use of any long-handled tools.

  She guessed they wanted to start excavating as soon as they found the location in which they needed to start digging, but she didn't feel like laughing at their lack of planning.

  They wanted to avoid the public eye when they started illegally digging. Obviously, they would want to do it as soon as possible.

  Last night, after the search party had left, Haruka went behind the waterfall. There were two lookouts left behind, but they didn't notice her.

  Behind the waterfall, there was an opening to a narrow cave. Haruka, with the average build of a Japanese woman, somehow managed to squeeze between the two lookouts standing side by side. As one might expect, there was barely enough space to raise a pickaxe overhead.

  There were no visible light sources, she could only see with an infrared scope, but once inside, she saw that there was no sign that things in the cave had been disturbed.

  But there was something there.

  Haruka could sense it.

  Unfortunately, she couldn't tell if what she was sensing was a buried Relic or not.

  But one thing is certain — FAIR was trying to take whatever there was from the cave.

  22

  Last night, she left a standalone micro-camera which is activated by a motion sensor attached to the ceiling of the cave. It has eight hours of recording time. It's a 50-50

  chance whether she can capture on film the scenes of the digging. No matter how confident she is in her concealment skills, she would not dare to go into the narrow cave with the target inside.

  —Setting up the device was all she did as of last night, after which Haruka had been lying in wait for FAIR's search party at the roadway instead of at the waterfall. It was a move taken in the unlikely event that the cave at the waterfall was not their destination, but it appears that last night's preparations were not in vain.

  Be that as it may, she still couldn't rest easy. It was possible that they might suddenly change their destination. So, without letting her guard down, Haruka continued to track the team from FAIR.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  The FAIR survey team led by Laura stopped in front of a small waterfall.

  It's not a tourist attraction like the Mossbrae Falls or the Hedge Creek Falls. It's quite small, situated off from both the tourist routes and the hiking trails. It is not even on the map for that matter. One could argue that it has been hidden away until now.

  Maybe it was thanks to an unnatural process of a system standing apart from modern magic that has kept it hidden. It was easy to raise such a suspicion, as there was not a soul in the area, nor even a sign indicating that anyone had even been there. Such was the place they were in.

  Laura was the one to take the initiative and went behind the waterfall. Hidden there is a cave barely wide enough for two adult women to walk side by side. Though the ceiling is high, it tapers off sharply along the upper part. It is perhaps more appropriate to describe it as a "crevice" rather than as a "cave."

  She slowly walked, shifting the light in her hand to illuminate here and there across the rocky surface, stopping after proceeding for about seven or eight meters.

  "Dig here."

  At Laura's prompt, a female member of the search party sauntered over to stand in front of where she was shining the light.

  After passing the light and exchanging places with the female member, Laura stepped out of the cave.

  23

  Two male members of the team then entered the cave. One with a pickaxe and the other with a shovel and a bucket. One of them was most likely in charge of carrying out the soil. In fact, one man passed before Laura on his way out of the cave, only for another man with a shovel and a bucket in hand to enter in turn.

  This repeated several times, and after a while, men with pickaxes would go in as well to switch with one another.

  After about half a day of this, the respective three people in charge of lighting, excavation, and transport came out from behind the waterfall together.

  "Did you find it?"

  At Laura's inquiry, the female member of the team who was in charge of the lighting held out a stone tablet about the size of two hands side-by-side.

  "Is this it?"

  Laura took the reddish-brown stone tablet and stared at it for about ten seconds.

  "…It seems like it's not."

  "R-Really? We're very sorry, ma'am!"

  Not only the woman who presented the excavated item, but the male members who came with her out of the cave as well, bowed their heads frantically with pale faces.

  Their frightened behavior is not something to be solely accounted for by their hierarchical relationship within the organization.

  Fortunately enough, it didn't turn out the way they had feared.

  "…I don't expect anything else to be found anytime soon. Let's pull out for today."

  After having spoken, with the stone tablet in hand, Laura quickly turned her feet to the downhill route.

  The three members who had been trembling in front of her, as well as the others present, followed after Laura with relieved expressions on their faces.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Once she could no longer see the team from FAIR, Haruka released a deep breath she had been holding in so as not to be heard. Her shoulders instantly became lighter. "I must have been straining myself without realizing it," she thought.

  From what she picked up on their conversation with the directional microphone, it seems that today's digging was a failure. Nevertheless, they still discovered a buried 24

  artifact and were bringing it back with them. She wasn't sure whether it has any cultural value or not, but it was nonetheless found on government-owned land. Therefore, any buried artifacts should be the property of the State. It may be possible to charge them with a crime just with the video and audio data she took.

  Depending on the value of that stone tablet they unearthed, however, it would not amount to much of a crime. "I'm not sure if the client will be satisfied with just this,"

  Haruka thought. Besides, they mentioned that they would come back tomorrow to excavate again. No doubt they intended to keep digging until they found what they were looking for.

  It'd be better to confirm with the client whether or not to continue the investigation —

  Haruka thought so, and went back to the cave behind the waterfall and replaced the camera inside just in case.

  25

  Chapter 2

  [Emissary from Japan]

  Vancouver International Airport on the afternoon of June 26th (local time).

  "So this is America…"

  A young female passenger uttered this with a voice full of emotion, just after having disembarked from a direct flight from Tokyo International Airport — officially known as the International Airport off Tokyo Bay and commonly known as Haneda Airport domestically in Japan, but it is known internationally as Tokyo International Airport.

  The locals paid no heed to her soliloquy. The city was Canadian territory before the war, and these days, people here would be offended if they were not treated as being American.

  "We're still in the airport. And it really isn't that much different from Haneda."

  Her companion interjected, impassively. Both are women of the same age and are equally attractive, so much so, that they regularly attract stares from passersby. They were quite different, however, the former, who let out a sigh of admiration, was quite feminine and elegantly dressed. Meanwhile, the latter, who commented matter-of-factly, carries herself in a dignified manner in her mannish attire. Each giving contrasting impressions of their own.

  "Hey, don't be a killjoy. Isn't this your first time out of Japan, Mari? We're Magists6 after all."

  "I'm still not used to being referred to as a 'Magist'… Anyway, that isn't the point. It's true that this is my first time out of the country as well, but unlike you, Mayumi, I'm on duty.

  I can't afford to act like a dumb tourist."

  These two people are Saegusa Mayumi and Watanabe Mari. As mentioned by Mayumi, they are both Magists.

  High-level magicians like them had been strictly prohibited from traveling abroad until recently in the form of self-restraint. However, it was Mayumi's superior, Shiba Tatsuya, who ordered her to go to the United States, and by using his magic, which surpasses all strategic weapons, he pressured the government into allowing her to leave the country.

  6 Magist(s)/Magister(s) are the new terms used to refer to Magicians.

  26

  And after that, Mari, who belongs to the National Defense Forces Independent Magic-Equipped Regiment, was ordered by her Commanding Officer to accompany Mayumi as her escort.

  "Who's the 'dumb tourist,' that's rude."

  Mayumi glared at Mari in dissatisfaction — with what are called, "scornful eyes."

  "You were acting like one just now, Mayumi."

  Mari responded with a dumbfounded look.

  "That's not true at all. In my view, I was just expressing my true emotions. If you keep that look on your face all the time, you're going to get wrinkles all over your face."

  "I'm past the age to believe I can act like a teenage girl forever."

  "Now you're even starting to talk like you're the grown up. See, you're already becoming an old lady."

  "An old lady…"

  The atmosphere between Mayumi and Mari was becoming acrimonious.

  "…We're starting to draw attention. Shouldn't we move on soon?"

  These two didn't travel alone. There was another person in the group, Tookami Ryousuke, who was the one that interjected in a pleading voice.

  "…Sorry, you're right."

  "…Roger. Let's go."

  Mayumi and Mari responded in an embarrassed manner.

  The three of them started walking toward the cab stand, when suddenly,

  "Ryousuke."

  a voice called out to Ryousuke from a short distance away in the lobby.

  "Milady!?"

  You could hear surprise in Ryousuke's voice and see joy on his face.

  He left Mayumi and Mari behind and ran over to the person who called out to him.

  Waiting for Ryousuke with a smile on her face was FEHR's representative, Lena Fehr.

  "Why are you here?"

  27

  "I had been told about the estimated time you all would be arriving by a person called Miss Fujibayashi."

  He directed the question at her, and she answered, though her attention was not solely focused on him. The deliberate, slightly louder words were also directed at Mayumi and Mari, who were following after Ryousuke as he approached at a brisk pace.

  "And you went out of your way? You didn't have to come, Milady!"

  "All I did was get in the passenger seat."

  Lena glanced to her left.

  "…Miss Gagnon. It's been a while."

  Led by her gaze, Ryousuke finally noticed Charlotte Gagnon standing beside Lena.

  "You're the same as always, mister."

  Charlotte had a baffled smile laced with a mix of amazement and wry amusement.

  However, not limited to Ryousuke, it wasn't an uncommon thing to see FEHR members act out the faux pas, "Lena is the only one I see," especially among the male members.

  "Thank you very much for the reception. I'm Saegusa Mayumi from the Magian Company."

  At this point Mayumi joined the conversation and greeted Lena and Charlotte.

  "Nice to meet you. I am Lena Fehr, FEHR's representative."

  A momentary flicker of confusion passed over Lena's face as she was pulled away from her own private conversation. However, as soon as it vanished, it was replaced by a calm smile as she exchanged greetings with Mayumi.

  The contrast between her mature demeanor and her outward appearance left Mayumi perplexed. Before her confusion could register on her expression, Mayumi reminded herself of Lena's actual age.

  She is actually 30 years old.

  Yet, by all appearances, Lena couldn't be any more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

  "I am Charlotte Gagnon, FEHR's legal advisor."