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August 5th, AD 2092 / Okinawa - Villa
By the time the Coast Guard of the Defense Forces rushed over, the submarine had disappeared.
Sakurai-san was fuming at how utterly outrageous it was that they hadn't noticed it entering our territorial waters, but to be honest, I wasn’t as interested.
Rather than assigning blame, I simply wanted some rest. Not so much for physical fatigue, but mental exhaustion.
We were asked by the person in charge of the Coast Guard that they’d like a summary of the incident, but I wasn’t in the mood at the time. Not just me, but both Okaa-sama and Sakurai-san also felt the same. We told him that if there was anything in particular they wanted, they could come visit, and we returned to the villa.
Right now, I’m lying in my room.
I had taken a shower, but my head was still unclear.
What lingered in my mind like storm clouds in the rainy season, was the magic my brother had shown. If I wasn’t mistaken, he had directly modified the information structure of the objects and decomposed them.
But as I recall, directly interfering with information structures is classified as amongst the highest rank of difficulty in magic. Never-mind me, it’s possible even Okaa-sama or Aunt wouldn’t be able to do it.
And yet that person, without even using a CAD……
That person, hadn’t he been removed as a successor candidate because he lacked magical talent?
Wasn't it because he couldn’t use magic that he was assigned as my escort instead?
As long as I can remember, as well as from what I’ve been told, aside from the non-systematic anti-magic ‘Gram Dispersion’, I have never seen him use any high level magic.
Because he was unable to use the systematic magic of mainstream modern magic adequately, he took advantage of his high physical skill and his specific anti-magic ability to achieve a place in the Yotsuba—that was supposedly the reason my brother was my Guardian.
I don't get it.
I don’t get it at all.
We’re family, siblings, and yet I know nothing whatsoever. Even the fact that I know nothing, I didn’t realize until today. I was appalled.
Come to think of it, this is the first real trip I’ve had since starting junior high.
I wonder, was yesterday the first time he had escorted me alone in the truest sense of the term?
I was six, and he was seven.
That was the age from which my brother became my escort, and I was to be escorted by him.
In the six years since, my brother has always been my escort.
But there’s no way that you’d fully entrust the protection of one who may be the target of kidnap and assault to a primary school kid.
I see, so that’s why I didn’t know that person’s true worth, his real capabilities……
Then, who could I ask to know who that person truly is? Who really knows him? Okaa-sama? Sakurai-san? Or maybe Aunt?
Just as I found a clue to escaping the maze of my thoughts, or so I thought, a knock came from the door.
Caught off guard, I got off the bed in a hurry, and as I combed my hair, I asked what it was.
"I’m sorry to disturb your rest. The military is here, and would like to hear about the event……"
Sakurai-san’s hesitant voice came from the other side of the door. "From me?"
As I opened the door, I asked back. It wasn’t terribly respectful, I knew as I spoke, but I really was quite surprised.
"Yes…… I told them that Tatsuya-kun and I could answer any questions they might have, but……"
Sakurai’s expression was very apologetic, even though it wasn’t her fault……
If she acts like that, I’m the one who’s going to be in pain. "I understand. Are they in the living room?"
Seeing Sakurai-san’s nod, I told her that I’d get changed then be right down.
The soldier who came to talk with us identified himself as Captain Kazama Harunobu.
After finishing his introduction, he went straight to the point. "……So, did you discover the submarine by chance?"
"The one who discovered the submarine had been the boat captain. If you’d like to know the circumstances concerning that, you should talk with him."
"Did you notice any characteristics that could identify its registry?"
"It was submerged throughout. Making out specifics was impossible. Even if it had surfaced, I don’t know much about submarines."
The questions and answers were exchanged between the Captain and Sakurai-san.
Okaa-sama seemed content to leave everything to Sakurai-san, and since I hadn’t been very composed at the time, even if I were inclined to speak, there wasn’t much that I could add.
"Apparently, torpedoes were fired? Do you have any idea why they attacked?"
"None whatsoever!"
Sakurai-san seemed quite irritated. She had been dissatisfied with the response of the military from the start, and at the implied ‘You guys probably did something to provoke them right?’ question which made even me feel slightly chagrined, it was no wonder she’d become angry.
"—I think you’re missing something."
Still being glared at by Sakurai-san, the Captain turned to face my brother. It was probably simply an act, without any deeper meaning behind it. A new venture, in order to soften the clashing atmosphere between these two.
"In order to leave no witnesses, it is possible to infer that perhaps they were trying to abduct us."
My brother’s answer however, went far beyond simply clearing up any discontent. "Abduct?"
The Captain made an expression of surprise; yet intrigued at the same time, he urged my brother to explain further.
"The torpedoes fired at our cruiser were foam torpedoes."
"Oh......?"
Foam torpedoes?......
Foam producing torpedoes, I guess? Meaning that they produce bubbles……?
"Foam torpedoes? What are those?"
Just as I turned my head, Sakurai-san asked my brother in my place.
The reason she didn’t ask the Captain was probably because she still wasn’t fully over it yet.
"The torpedo warhead is filled with chemicals designed to produce large quantities of foam in a sustained reaction. In that froth-filled water, propellers would be useless. A ship with a high centre of gravity like our sailing ship would likely be overturned as well. In doing so, the target is trapped, and the crew can be captured under the disguise of an accident."
"Why do you think so?"
The Captain was looking at my brother with great interest. I was simply surprised that he knew such things.
"The cruiser’s communications had been jammed. Doing so is always mandatory if attempting to fake an accident."
Noticing our communications were disabled in a situation like that, surprised me even further.
"……Sorry, but deducing their armament based on that alone, is rather weak in my opinion."
"Naturally, I didn’t judge based on just that."
"You have further evidence?"
"Yes."
"That is?"
"I refuse to answer."
"……"
Being told that without any hesitation whatsoever, the Captain couldn’t seem to find anything to say.
Well, Sakurai-san and I were speechless as well. "Do you need evidence?"
"……No, that won’t be necessary."
At my brother’s relentless pace, the Captain seemed to be slightly at a loss.
"Captain, could we end soon? I don’t think there’s anything further we can say that would be of help."
Okaa-sama, who had until now, remained silent save to introduce herself earlier, suddenly spoke in a bored tone.
A bored, yet hard to resist tone.
The Captain immediately recognised that air of dismissal. "Fair enough. Thank you for your cooperation."
Saying so, the Captain rose and saluted.
My brother and I saw the Captain and his subordinates out.
A car was parked outside, and next to it, two well conditioned soldiers stood to attention.
One of them, upon seeing my brother, widened his eyes in surprise.
I also remembered him. He was the bad soldier from yesterday, one of the ‘Left Blood’s--
"I see."
Seeing the look of astonishment in the soldier, Captain Kazama nodded in understanding.
"You’re the boy who took down Joe?"
At the Captain’s words, I reflexively went on the defensive.
However looking at the Captain as he laughed merrily, it didn’t seem like he held any tension whatsoever. My brother hadn’t reacted at all.
"Mastering the technique of Inner Striking at such a young age, you’re quite the genius."
Despite being scrutinized from head to toe, my brother didn’t show a hint of unwillingness at all. But what is this ‘inner strike’?
It’s a very advanced sounding term……
"Lance Corporal Higaki!"
Having his name shouted out in such a loud voice, the bad soldier from yesterday trembled and winced.
Under the Captain’s strong gaze, he ran up before him.
The Captain glanced at the man as he saluted and stood to attention. Then he turned to face my brother, and bowed.
"My subordinate acted very rudely to you yesterday. I give my apologies." At this utterly unexpected sight, I was completely lost for words.
With his arms folded behind his back, legs apart and head slightly inclined, it was a rather sloppy bow from the view of public courtesy, but for a rugged soldier like the Captain to apologize so gracefully to a child like my brother was too overwhelming.
"I am Lance Corporal Higaki Joseph! For my unbecoming conduct yesterday, I am very sorry!"
Following up the Captain, completely different from yesterday, Lance Corporal Higaki tensely uttered those words as he in contrast bowed deeply.
It seems he wasn’t really a bad guy.
Furthermore, he seemed to be pretty terrified of the Captain. "—I accept your apology."
In the space of a breath, my brother answered. "Thank you very much!"
I also had no objection.
I hadn’t intended to speak in the first place.
Followed by Lance Corporal Higaki, Captain Kazama proceeded to the large open topped car, then stopped three steps away and looked back.
"Shiba Tatsuya-kun, was it? At the moment, I’m serving as the instructor of an airborne magician squad at Onna base. If you’re free, come visit us sometime. I’m sure you’ll find something of interest."
Captain Kazama spoke those parting words and, without waiting for a reply, climbed into the car.
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