"I did some investigating and I can confirm that the group you found were illegal FBI operatives."

  "Were you able to identify them?"

  "No, not that much."

  In response to Lina's question, Mirfak shook his head ruefully.

  "But I am confident that the FBI is moving operatives around. And their aim is without a doubt the kidnapping of the Japanese person sent by Mr. Shiba."

  58

  Neither Lina nor Sophia were surprised by Mirfak's words. They simply thought, "So it's really true." …Incidentally, it became a custom among star-class members of Stars to address Tatsuya with "Mr." as a sign of both respect and fear.

  "Not only the staff of the Secretary of Defense, but also the General Staff Headquarters is feeling very apprehensive about this."

  Lina could understand that sentiment.

  "Well, I'm sure that's a given. I don't think they would want to needlessly strain their relationship with Tatsuya."

  "Precisely."

  Mirfak was not speculating but affirming, knowing via Canopus that the General Staff Headquarters feels exactly the way Lina had just mentioned.

  "For that reason, the DIA9 has agreed to supply us with personnel for this case. They are not elite, but they will be useful on surveillance that requires manpower."

  Mirfak is not steeped in the malady of belittling the Majority, which is a common practice among high-level Magists. He evaluated the personnel sent by the DIA on a true merit basis, and it seems that they are all second-class or lower.

  But he still holds a good point, as long as the numbers aren't used incorrectly, they are an effective asset in their own right.

  "Got it. I'll leave this to you, then."

  Mirfak got out of the self-propelled car and Sophia moved to the passenger seat.

  Lina started the car and headed for the hotel.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Once back at their room, Lina was immersed in her thoughts with a glass of iced café au lait in front of her.

  "Lina, what are you thinking about?"

  Sophia naturally wondered, as she had been in that state long enough for the ice in her glass to melt completely.

  "Uh? Ah, sorry."

  9 DIA: Defense Intelligence Agency

  59

  Lina displayed a slight hesitation. She took a moment to consider whether or not to confide what she had been thinking about.

  "It's not really related to what is going on right now, but… I was wondering what FAIR is trying to do."

  She ultimately chose to confide.

  "As I recall, they tried to steal an Artificial Relic in Japan, right?"

  "Yes. And after that there was a raid on the Relic excavation site, which turned out to have been a request from FAIR after all."

  She spoke honestly in hopes of finding a way out of the impasse she wandered into.

  Sometimes, not even a discussion, just a casual chat, can bring up unexpected leads.

  "In that case, isn't obtaining a Relic their ultimate goal? They're an organization that's committed to fighting against non-magicians, so they probably want magical weapons, right?"

  FAIR's official name "Fighters Against Inferior Race" is not publicly known, but it's not something difficult to find out. Even without governmental authority, it can be ascertained by those with the know-how of how to do such a thing such as detectives or journalists. The reason it has not turned into a social issue yet is simply because so few are interested in it.

  "I think so too but… something about it just doesn't add up."

  "Well, I don't think something like a Relic that can store a Magic Sequence can be found buried just anywhere."

  "Supposing they discovered a Relic with the same properties, one or two of them wouldn't be enough to change things."

  "Maybe they are thinking of replicating the ones they can find, just like Mr. Shiba did?"

  Sophia was probably on the right track.

  "I'm not sure it's going to be that easy."

  That exactly is the point Lina is stuck on, however.

  "Relics have been found everywhere, not just in Japan. They have been excavated around ancient historical ruins in several countries, and even here in the States, some have been found in the strata beneath the Serpent Mound. They don't have the ability to store a Magic Sequence though."

  60

  Serpent Mound is an archaeological site in Ohio, a huge fill thought to be a mound tomb. No details are known as to when and who built it, or for what purpose. Some say it is 1,000 years old, some say 2,000 years old, and others even suggest it is more than 10,000 years old.

  In other words, with no historical record, its origins are not known to those in the present day. Relics have been found near similar ruins or in the vicinity of places where there are vestiges of myths and legends.

  "Relics have been under study for more than a decade now in several countries. I hear that even here in the States, a lot of human and financial resources have even been invested in it. But, so far, no one other than Tatsuya has managed to replicate one. Not to mention mass producing them."

  "So you're saying that even if they found an Original, it wouldn't be that easy to turn it into a weapon?"

  Lina nodded to Sophia.

  "And I'm sure those FAIR people know that, too."

  She then mentioned this.

  "So do you think they might have another plan other than replicating a Relic?"

  "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about it…"

  Not answering Sophia's question directly, Lina muttered to herself.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  June 28th, just after 6:00 P.M.

  "I apologize for keeping you until late."

  "Don't mention it, I have also kept you here for a while… I hope I didn't interpose myself in your busy schedule."

  At the entrance of FEHR headquarters, Lena and Mayumi bowed to each other. The reasons were stated clearly by both. The meeting dragged on much longer than planned.

  Neither of them was to blame. Lena wanted to hear about any anecdotes about Tatsuya that Mayumi knew, and Mayumi was very interested in how Lena came to form FEHR. In short, it was both of them who dragged the conversation on.

  61

  And from the looks of things, these two have not yet exhausted the topics of conversation. It was not so much that they had endless subjects to bring up, but rather that they had hit it off so well together that it was hard to find an opportunity to stop.

  Mayumi is 22 years old, born in December 2077, whereas Lena was born in June 2070

  and just celebrated her 30th birthday a few days ago. Though Lena is 8 years older than her, their outward appearances are reversed: Mayumi being the older of the two, while Lena looks like she is 16 or 17 years old.

  It may not have necessarily been the synergy, but an air of intimacy was formed between the two that made the age difference between them seem unnoticeable.

  "Mayumi."

  Lena called Mayumi by her given name. As their conversation is in English, the nuance behind the way of addressing is not the same as in a japanese conversation.

  Nevertheless, there is no doubt that by addressing her as such, it shows that there is a greater degree of familiarity between them than if she were to have used her surname.

  "If you don't mind, why don't you join us for dinner tonight?"

  "Sure, Lena. It would be my pleasure."

  Mayumi was the same on that point.

  "Good."

  With a girlish smile, Lena expressed her delight.

  "Charlee, what do you suggest?"

  "Well, how about poutine?"

  Charlotte answered Lena with a wry smile and turned to Mayumi.

  "Miss Saegusa. Have you had poutine yet?"

  "Poutine? No, not yet."

  "I see. It's a popular dish served in fast-food restaurants, and it's one of the signature dishes of the Canadian Region, so I think you should try it at least once for conversation."

  "Okay then, by all means."

  Yesterday, she had avoided any fast-food mainly because "I'm traveling abroad after all, why would I?" But as it was a specialty recommended by the locals, Mayumi did not want to miss the chance to try it.

  62

  After receiving an answer from Mayumi, Charlotte proceeded to make a phone call. After hanging up on the second call, she turned to Lena.

  "Lena, I've got a nineteen o'clock reservation at a restaurant in the West End."

  "We're fortunate to have such great timing, so why don't we head out now?"

  Lena, Mayumi, Mari, Ryousuke and Charlotte all promptly boarded a car.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Shortly before 6:30 P.M., Lina, who was on standby at the hotel, received an incoming call from Mirfak.

  [Lina, Miss Saegusa and her group left FEHR headquarters in a self-propelled car with Lena Fehr.]

  "Together with Lena Fehr?"

  While asking quizzically back, Lina thought, "Is Mayumi that good at socializing?" which might have been quite rude.

  But it was essentially a rhetorical question.

  "Do you know where they are headed?"

  She immediately changed the question.

  [I believe it's in the West End area.]

  "Given the time now, I guess Lena Fehr invited them to dinner…?"

  As the call is on loudspeaker, Sophia is also listening in.

  Sophia gave a silent nod in agreement to Lina's guess.

  [You are probably right.]

  Mirfak also agreed with her guess.

  [I'll call you as soon as I confirm their destination.]

  "Please do. We'll be heading to the West End as well."

  [Roger that. Lina, take care.]

  He hung up the call.

  At the same time, Sophia stood up and grabbed the keys to the rental car that were on the table.

  63

  "Let's go, Lina."

  "Yeah, roger that."

  As if contesting with Sophia in her aim for the keys, Lina stood up as well, slightly annoyed.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  The poutine, a Canadian dish — said to be more of a Québécoise in terms of origin —

  consists of French fries topped with sauce, cheese, and meat, vegetables, eggs, and mushrooms, proved to be more appealing to Mari than to Mayumi.

  That said, Mayumi ate as much, if not more, than Mari did.

  " Sigh, I'm so full."

  "We stuffed ourselves with just that stuff…"

  Mari's exasperated voice greeted Mayumi's satisfied voice as they left the restaurant.

  "As a local, I'm glad you liked it."

  Lena smiled in good faith.

  "When I heard it was fast food, I thought it wouldn't be enough for dinner, but I was mistaken."

  Traditional poutine is just sauce and cheese, and what they sell in fast-food restaurants is a cheap and delicious form of that. Mayumi's take wasn't entirely mistaken, however.

  "They had a wide variety of toppings because poutine is a specialty at that restaurant."

  It was just as Lena said, that the restaurant was of a high grade.

  "Would you like us to take you back to your hotel?"

  "No thanks Miss Gagnon, we can't have you drive us back after having had a drink. We'll call a cab."

  Charlotte offered to drive them back, but Mayumi politely declined.

  "I haven't drunk enough to get drunk, though."

  The amount of alcohol Charlotte consumed was not enough to be legally considered drinking under the influence. Besides, not only Ryousuke, who had lived in the USNA before, Mari also thought "that the amount shouldn't be a problem."

  64

  But Mayumi was adamantly fastidious about the "don't drink and drive" principle.

  Perhaps she had some bitter memories of drinking, because not only did she refuse the offer of the one-way trip, she even insisted to Charlotte, though not in a very strong tone, that, "I think it would be better if you call a cab."

  "Okay, I understand. Then at least let me see you off."

  Sensing the stubborn policies contained in Mayumi's soft demeanor, Lena offered a compromise.

  "…I'm sorry to impose, thank you very much."

  Mayumi did not ask to leave first because she thought it would be better to give Charlotte a little time to sober up before driving right away.

  "Then let's wait somewhere out of the way. Ryousuke, could you call a cab?"

  "Yes, Milady."

  Lena smiled back at Ryousuke who nodded happily, and began to lead the way.

  Mayumi narrowed her eyes a little at Ryousuke who was carrying out Lena's instruction with all the vigor of a loyal dog.

  The expression on her face could be taken as either a smile or a look of dissatisfaction.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  As Lena's group of five walked toward the far side of the restaurant parking lot, Lina and Sophia watched them from a self-propelled car parked a short distance away.

  "What's the point of me being here…?"

  Lina unexpectedly grumbled in the passenger seat of the car.

  "What's wrong, that came out of nowhere."

  Sophia asked, sounding not surprised, but somehow amused.

  "Was it really necessary to have me keep an eye on Mayumi? I mean, sure, there might be dozens of enemies out there, but even the FBI can't pull anything flashy, can they? If the DIA is involved, why not just leave it to them?"

  "That is to say you're fed up with this?"

  "No, that's not it."

  Lina didn't snap back or yell, but she avoided eye contact in frustration.

  65

  "Well, you have a point, Lina."

  Sophia merely agreed with Lina's opinion, instead of pressuring her past that point.

  "Eh?"

  Lina let out a baffled voice, that wasn't what she was expecting Sophia would say.

  "Even if you hadn't come all this way to watch them, Lina, we would be working to stop the FBI's reckless action. Regardless if Miss Saegusa is related to Mr. Shiba or not, it is an embarrassment to the country for a government agency to attack innocent civilians who are visiting the States."

  "That's… yeah, you're right."

  Lina sympathized with the "embarrassment to the country" part. Lina knows of Mari accompanying Mayumi, and the fact that she is a Japanese soldier. Sophia knows about this as well. Mari didn't hide her identity when she entered the country.

  And Mari was certainly not in an active military operation right now, nor was she acting in the capacity of a counterintelligence agent or in any way engaged in subversive activities. She is here in the same capacity as Mayumi, in that any harm against her would be a violation of the law.

  In short, by ignoring the law, the FBI and those standing behind it are dragging USNA's credibility through the mud. Lina may not be a soldier anymore, but she felt outraged in the same way as Sophia and the others. It is for this reason that Lina refused to leave the matter up to others.

  "…Yeah, I guess I'll keep going."

  Keeping her gaze fixed on Mayumi and the others — so as not to look at Sophia — Lina said so.

  Sophia thought, "She's so cute" as she stared at Lina.

  After about five more minutes of surveillance, the situation changed.

  A dark-painted minivan entered the parking lot and drove up to Mayumi and the others.

  On the side of the minivan was a mark indicating that it is an unmanned cab.

  At that moment, the area was opportunely deserted. Lina and Sophia grew alert. They didn't write off the timing as a coincidence. It was clearly a deliberate act.

  The fact that they could see someone inside in spite of it being an unmanned cab would normally indicate that it was taking a passenger up to this spot.

  66

  "Sophia."

  "I'm ready to go at any time."

  Sophia responded to Lina's firm voice as she would to a superior officer.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  "Is it already here…?"

  Mayumi muttered as she saw a minivan pull into the parking lot. There were four figures inside, which she assumed must be customers of this restaurant.

  "Mayumi!"

  But suddenly Mari pulled her arm and Mayumi found herself shielded behind her back.

  At the same time, Ryousuke moved to stand just in front of Lena and took a stance.

  Their actions were prompted by the self-propelled car, which was supposed to park at the entrance of the restaurant, approaching them.

  Their intuition was spot on in sensing that something was "suspicious."

  As soon as it came to a stop, a couple of men leaped out from inside the minivan.

  They are armed with what looks like specialized extendable batons.

  One of them swung at Mari.

  Mari raised her left hand and her forearm was hit by the baton-shaped weapon.

  A brief electric crackle sound cut through the evening air.

  Their weapons were not just batons, but stun batons capable of delivering electric shocks.

  However, Mari, who should have been struck by an electric shock, showed no sign of harm, and retaliated against the man with a front kick.

  The man mitigated the damage of the kick by backstepping.

  "Mari!?"

  "No problem."

  Mari responded to Mayumi's worried voice while still looking forward. There was no time to give her an explanation, but hidden beneath Mari's summer jacket, which she hadn't taken off all day long, are protectors that she has strapped to her forearms and 67

  upper arms on both sides. The protectors are made from an artificial leather that uses a highly insulating material that hardens in response to an impact.

  Taking notice that she appeared to be distracted in her reply, another man attacked Mari. A third man kept Ryousuke in check, and a fourth man tried to circle around and attack Mayumi.

  She swiftly attempted to deploy an Activation Sequence by pouring Psions into her completely thought-operated type CAD.

  "Mayumi, stop!"

  But Lena stopped her from doing so.

  "The restrictions on magic use are more strict in this city!"

  Mayumi interrupted activating her magic.

  Given she had intended to use magic to intercept the man, she was not in a position to escape from the assailant.

  Ryousuke knocked away the man that came at her.

  "Back up!"

  Ryousuke held out both hands and pulled Mayumi and Lena behind him simultaneously.