Yume100 Novel: Country of Magic Science

[tsuchidaruma]

Chapter 4: Country of Magic Science


Translated by Nomi (egaofantasia @ twitter)


Chapter 4: Country of Magic Science

At the time Country of Snow was preparing for their “White Snow Festival”, two letters arrived in the Country of Magic Science, Daten. One was for the son of the previous king who continued on the royal blood line, Makoto, the other letter was for Sky, a blood relative of Makoto's who stood as his guardian figure.

At the time the letters arrived, the two it was aimed for was in the same room.

However, at that place, the postal worker only passed the letter to Makoto, and not passing it to Sky. There's of course the wholly reasonable reason that the place where the delivery was Makoto's room but, there's also that the simple postal worker did not know the young man who was there was Sky.

On that day, Sky was pouring tea, overflowing with the scent of cookies that is being fretted over, unsatisfactory unless it's hand made. At that, the postal worker came.

At the grace of Makoto who sat by the window, the postal worker at once, had the hallucination of remembering having gone to the castle. At that clearly out of place behaviour, Makoto smiled, and as if serving a royalty, he got on his knees to present the letter, turning his heel as if to run.

“Careful!”

Almost bumping into the postal worker who's running away, Sky raised up the piping hot tray, avoiding him. His hands were covered with cute flower-patterned mittens.

“What is it?”

He pulled a wry face at the door banging close. Banging in the door like that, it'll get dust on the freshly baked cookies.

“What a way to closing the door to someone else's house. Really, he has no manners...”

As he muttered his complained, Sky removed the bandanna he was wearing. Just with that, his characteristic pointed young grass colour hair appeared.

Even if he was wearing the apron, upon seeing that hair it is possible the postal staff would be able to realise that the other person he has to pass the letter to was there. However, as he ran desperately from Makoto's aura, he did not see Sky's face at all.

“Makoto, what are you doing?”

“Nothing. Rather, I've just received him well”

“But, something arrived right? Is it just a promotion for stuff from the Country of Mystery?”

Before Sky could gaze on Makoto's hand, Makoto had slipped it in between the shelves near him. Sky, without being curious about the item put away, made an exaggerated sigh.

“Order away for chocolates once and it's always like that”

“...”

“Mm? What's wrong?”

“It's nothing. If it's like this, I'm just thinking that on interest it would be good to ask for cat-shaped chocolates”

A smile appeared slightly on Makoto's lips, he brought the still steaming tea to his lips.

“More than that Sky, are the cookies not done yet? I did say I don't want it unless it's freshly baked right?”

“I got it, here!”

Taking a small plate with cookies portioned up on it from the tray, he placed it in front of Makoto. While it was amateur-made, Sky secretly took pride in the result he had gotten.

However, at the moment he saw the content of the plate, Makoto's face clouded.

“...What is this?”

“What, well, it's cookies. You like animals right?”

The piled up cookie on the plate was shaped cutely into dogs and cats and elephants and goats. There were cute animal-shaped cookies in luxurious volume. It seemed like the dough was done by hand, mixed in with cocoa.

However, that wasn't able to grasp Makoto's heart.

“I, think it'd be good to get a cookie with a red fruit filling in the centre of it--”

“You didn't say that!”

“I just thought of it now”

“Kuh...! Red fruit filling, where can you buy such a thing!”

“They sell it at the Central Tower”

“You've actually already looked it up...”

While sighing, Sky took off his apron, tying up his purse strings.

“If it's like this, I'll better make something you say is delicious! I'm going to buy it for a little bit so just wait!”

Pointing his finger at Makoto, Sky ran off.

He closed up behind him quietly.

Seeing off that back that went off in a hurry, Makoto picked up the dog-shaped cookies and gave a small laugh.

“So cute”

The profile that arranged the dog, cat, cow on the table was innocent, sweet like an angel. However, once he arranged it to the end, the smile disappeared from Makoto's lips.

“So then... Before Sky get back, I should confirm this.”

Makoto suddenly, picked up the two letters that he was tucked behind the shelf. He didn't say it wasn't an advertisement for products to Sky, but he didn't lie. One was indeed an memo for a product. However the other, was a white envelope. Not to mention, it used a good quality paper. The moment he received this, he thought there may be something, and to get Sky's eyes away from it, he had shelved it.

Turning it in his hand, there wasn't any sender name, just something that resembled scribbles. It seemed like a circle, but it was not complete so. He does not remember a mark that resembled a partially eaten cookie. At that, he examined it with signs of amusement.

“Not giving any name, what a coward's mail.”

Shaking the mail lightly to ascertain there is no explosive in it, he placed it on the table to open with a knife. It seems like the fold didn't have a blade in it either.

“How stupid”

Makoto's eyes gazed upon it unaffected.

“Could it be...”

Could it be just a letter. The lack of a sender's name, was simply because it was troublesome and they did not think of doing so.

Makoto tilted his head a little, he shook the envelope. With that, a carelessly folded letter fell out of the envelope.

“...Even Sky could fold it a little neater”

It's just a letter, that kind of thinking disappeared with this messy way of folding.

Opening while thinking it's troublesome, the corner of Makoto's lips tilted upwards as he followed the characters on the letter. As he finished reading it, he tossed it on top of the table without folding it.

“I am taking something precious to you. If you don't like that, entertain me.”

Just like the way it was folded, the letters were messily written. He did not recognise the writing. But, he had a guess of who would send such a foolish letter.

To Makoto, who's the previous King's son, his life has been aimed at on every opportunity by the current president. This time too, it could just be one of those conspirators. Up till now they had gone to sniping and abducting, but sending a letter like this is a first.

“Ahaha! Changing up your plans once in a while? But...”

Makoto's finger, traced the characters of the letter.

“Something precious to me, I wonder what that is”

Not understanding the meaning, he crossed his arms while sitting on his chair.

“Something precious... Something precious...”

Money, he doesn't have enough to be targeted for that. Likewise, paintings of values, it had all been taken from him. Makoto doesn't hold any position or titles. As precious things come to appear in his mind, at last, the smiles of his parents surfaced in his mind. At that, he bit down his lips till it turned white, chasing that away from his thoughts.

“Though they took it themselves, why now...”

In his anger, he had slammed down on the table with his fist. With that beat, the cookies that he lined up fell messily to the floor.

“Ah...”

The dog-shaped cookie that fell to the floor had its neck broken. Makoto picked it up to the palm of his hand and carefully wrapped it with a handkerchief. It was completely like he was grieving.

“Something precious, I don't need that. Having that is...”

With no one to answer to his monologue, not knowing where to bring the unmanageable feelings, he let out a large sigh.

The he now, has nothing precious. Even his own life, after he complete his vengeance he would be fine with anyone taking it. Saying that they would take something precious to that Makoto, is foolish.

Makoto glared at the characters of the letter once more.

He doesn't know what's the 'something precious' the sender desired. However, he did understand the 'entertain me' part of it.

What the current president wants from Makoto. And what would make him happy.

That is – to have Makoto's life cut off from him.

“Fuh... Fufu, ahaha! Like I would make someone else happy!”

He has no plans to die until he has gotten his revenge.

So because of that, he has no plans to leave the current situation as it is.

“...This can't be a solo perpetrator. If it's like that, I wonder who in the president's faction is taking lead...”

Not knowing what to protect, it's best for him to strike first.

Makoto took out his handheld computer terminal, he quickly listed up the organisations and businesses that support the current president. From within that, he narrowed it down to those who seemed like they would get their hands dirty.

After he got it down roughly, he began to scrutinise through them.

“Daten forest protection group... Not long ago the top brass was changed around, so it might not be them. This business... Thinking about it, they participated in the country's policies”

What Makoto zeroed in on, was a large confectionery company which publicise themselves as helping environmental problems but, truth is there had been various complaints from the city people on their noise pollution and drainage problems. It's a famous talk that this company now, under the direction of the president, is producing health food for the nation.

Precisely as they had a large project, a lot of money had been moved around. It would definitely make an impression on the president.

“...I'll start looking from here then”

A large corporation would have heavy security but, in terms of its people, there would be a hole somewhere.

For Makoto to move alone would be fine but, standing out and using force, Sky wouldn't shut up. In that case, it's more effective to leave it to Sky to begin with. Even for a mongrel, just looking things up is possible.

“Sky... Ah, that's right. He's still at Central Tower.”

As he called out his name, he remembered he had gotten him to do something for him.

“How long does he need to just buy one thing, that stupid dog”

He drank the now cold tea, he returned to recline on his seat.

“...In any case, it's best to check out suspicious movements”

He had no plans to tell Sky about the threatening letter. If he talks Sky would be noisy, and he also has one more reason for not telling Sky.

Makoto picked up the unfolded letter he had left on the table, and once again went through it.

“If you tell anyone...”

The letter had been cut off here. If he tell someone, what would happen? Right after the dots is dyed with a splatter of ink holding a suggestive message. It was much like a bloodstain.

Though the meaning wasn't expressed clearly, if one thinks about it simply if he tells anyone on occasion, they would take his 'precious something'.

“Making a fool of me... I'll make you regret it...”

As he crushed the letter in his hand, a strange glint appeared in Makoto's eyes.


***

When Makoto crushed the letter in his hand, Sky was still in Central Tower at the ingredients marketplace.

“Wait a minute...? To begin with, that red fruit, what red fruit is it?”

As he went off in a heat, he had forgotten to ask Makoto for the details of the cookies he wants. He has an image of it, but he'd feel awful if it was wrong again.

“Can't be helped... I'll ask him over the phone”

As he took out his handheld computer terminal, something caught his eyes in the sweets corner.

“Oh... Ooh?”

Displayed neatly on one of the shelves, it was surprisingly a cookie with a red fruit centre.

“This, this! This is it! If I buy this it'd be enough”

As Sky moved to put the cookies in his basket, he stopped. That was no good.

“Aaah.... No! He wants it made fresh from the oven!”

Like a tragic hero, he fell to his knees right there. As to not drop the cookie on the floor, he held it above his hand, looking at it like he was praying to it.

Others steered clear of this Sky who shouted in this awkward pose. At that moment, an old lady stopped by him.

“You, that gentleman”

“Mm?”

“That cookie, are you planning on buying it?”

Sky lifted up this head, the old woman's paled expression looked down at him. Receiving that gaze, he fixed how he sat on the floor.

“No, it's the wrong one, if you'd like to buy it granny...”

“No! If you're not buying it, it's fine”

“Haah? What's up with this?”

He stared at the cookie, placed in the box in his hand, but he didn't see anything particularly odd with it. The price is comparatively cheap, it's a normal cookie.

“That is.... A cookie that becomes poison to the person who eats it”

“Poison!?”

With Sky exclaiming loudly, the old woman looked around in a panic. While he tilted his head, wondering if there's something to be so scared of, running footsteps approached.

“...”

Worried for the flustered state of the old woman, Sky put the cookie back on the shelf and stood in front of her, his back to her.

“Get on, granny. I don't understand, but you don't want to be here right?”

“No, but...”

“Hurry up. I'd be more tired squatting”

As Sky urged her once more, the grandmother finally resolved and leaned her weight on his back. Lifting her up lightly, he ran off to the opposite direction of the running footsteps.

Luckily, the pursuers did not see Sky's figure, and did not chase after them, they are able to exit Central Tower. After that, he went down two, three more roads to be safe before putting down the old woman.

“It should be fine till here”

“...I have really troubled you”

She bowed her head down deeply, with that Sky waved his hands frantically. His cheeks turned a little red.

“I said it's fine. I also just did whatever I wanted. But, what are you running from?”

Hearing Sky, the old lady hung her head down and began explaining the situation bit by bit.

“They're the guards, from the company that made the cookies you held...”

“Eh? Cookie company? Why are they doing something like that?”

“I think it's because I'm stopping people from buying the cookies”

“Aah, that's right, you did stop me. Something about a poison...”

“That cookie, used an unknown drug in it. It's a drug that could take the life of someone with an allergy. While there's no ban for it in this country, it is banned in others, its dangerous!”

A bit of tears welled up at the old lady's eyes. At that situation, without thinking he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Could it be, someone you know...”

“Yes, I gave the cookie to my grandchild, until now s/he is still hospitalised”*
(*T/N: Gender neutral on 'grandchild' so I'm not sure if I should use she or he here)

“Serious.... Something that dangerous, why do the country just leave it be!?”

“I thought of that too, I sent a direct letter to the president. Of course, that's after I filed a complaint with the company. However, I didn't get a single reply...”

That's why, when I see someone about to buy the cookie, I affirmed whether or not they know the content. Because of this action again and again, rumours of me spread, and the company began keeping a lookout for me. Even though all I did was to warn, as it harmed business I was taken by the guards and held for a long time, the old lady complained.

She didn't think a company to react to a single person, but it was possible they were trying to hide that.

The old lady took a handkerchief from her bag, and pressed it against her eyes. Still leaning that small back against Sky, she cried.

“If it was the previous king for sure, he would have listened to me”

“...Yeah, it might be so”

The old lady did not notice, how the hand against her shoulder stiffened a little.

“But, you saved me. I can't have given him something like that”

One top of it, he would already complain for it being pre-made cookies... Think of that.

“Oh damn, the red fruit!”

Remembering his reason for going to the central tower, Sky looked up to the sky.

“Red fruit...?”

“No, see, I was about to buy something to put on a cookie, but I ended up leaving without buying it...”

“Aah, I'm sorry! It's my fault...”

“It's not your fault granny. I don't even know where to buy it from”

But, he can't go back to Makoto empty handed. As he held his head thinking what to do, the old lady said “then how about this”, pointing with her finger.

“That cake shop there sells it”

“Eh, really!? Thank you granny! I can go home with this!”

“I'm happy if I can help a little. Ah, or perhaps...”

Thinking of how to thank him, she brought him to her house and gave him as much vegetables as he can carry. With that, he can't stop by the cake shop.

“It can't be helped, I'd just go home now”


By going home, he meant to his own house, not to Makoto's. Bringing vegetables to Makoto's is just leaving them to rot, and on top of it it's a bit of a distance from here. His remodelled bicycle – fundamentally a bike, he had left at Makoto's house as he flew out, so he didn't want to go back with a huge load.

With that reason, Sky returned to his own house, just in time he met the postal worker who was delivering his mail.

Sky gave him a nod in greeting, but just as he nodded, a potato rolled out of the bag he was holding.

“Uwah!”

“Are you alright?”

The postal worker picked up a potato which he couldn't ignore, and put it back in the bag.

“Sorry”

“It's nothing. But, with so much items, you can't see the post.”

“What, is it something for me?”

“Yes, it's a letter”

He took out the letter from his large bag as he said that.

“Aah-- Then on top... It can't do. I'll bit on it, so hand it over”

“Eh, is that okay...?”

'Aah', he opened his mouth like he's about to be fed food, but in general the postal worker had never put a letter in someone's mouth. Just as expected, he held to the letter with a troubled face, unsure what to do.

At that, “it's fine,” forcing it on, Sky bit on the number of postal items. If Makoto is to see this situation, he would laugh and say “totally a dog”

And just like that, with the vegetables held to him and a letter in his mouth, Sky entered his own house.

“Fuh... For now, I can put the vegetables here”

Placing the vegetables from his arm to the table, he looked to the letters. From the advertisement and promotions, there was a single white enveloped, taking that in his hand.

“A letter at this age, how strange”

These days everything can be down through (e-)mails. While it certainly is handy, he thought it felt rather cold, he has some favourable feelings for someone who wrote one out like this.

“But, from who? Mm?”

He turned it, and turned it again. Front and back, confirming it three times but there isn't any sender name, just an incomplete circle scribbled on roughly.

Normally, this much would arouse suspicion, but it's different for Sky.

“Mmm... Got it! It's a code!”

Thinking the scribble is a code, his eyes sparkled in anticipation.

Perhaps satisfied enough with thinking of that answer, Sky reached for a kitchen scissors. Thinking of cutting it all at once, he stopped his hand, as to not cut the inside of the letter, he placed it on the table and put the scissor through the edge. The way he did it was unexpectedly thorough.

At the moment he checked the paper inside, his portable computer terminal rang.

“Uoh!”

By reflex, he thrust the letter into his pocket, taking his portable computer terminal to his hand. As he quickly pressed the connect button, he heard an bad-tempered “Seriously”

“How long are you planning to make me wait?”

“Ah-- Soon, soon! I'll come back soon!”

Having the image of Makoto who's sick of waiting in the back of his mind, still with the portable computer terminal to his ear, he exited his house.

He had placed the vegetables, and did not use any fire. As he closed his door properly behind him, he had a feeling he had forgotten something, but he ran without minding it. If he makes Makoto wait too long, his life span might be reduced.

As Sky returned with full force, Makoto was still in the same form as when he left. In short, without moving at all, waiting with the warm tea and cookies placed on the table.

“You're late. It's only buying ingredients for a cookie, how many hours do I have to wait?”

What he had forgotten, he finally remembered now that he arrived here. The red fruit.

“...You can't have returned without buying anything right? Even if you're a dog, surely you can at least do an errand right?”

“...Sorry”

Unable to make any excuse, he hung his head down. Perhaps feeling gratified at Sky's condition, Makoto made a large sigh and said just one word, “tea”.

However, not getting the meaning, Sky tilted his head.

“I said tea. Pour me some. I waited so long for you, I got hungry and these cookies become good too”

He put one of the animal cookies spread out on the table into his mouth.

“O, ou! Tea huh! Wait a bit”

Having Makoto eat the cookies he made, an embarrassed expression appeared on Sky's face. Really thinking about it, having him make cookies is an unreasonable request but, he didn't seem to mind something like that.

“Really, what did you do at Central Tower”

His arm crossed, Makoto gazed at Sky who headed to the kitchen with an disgusted look, muttering. It's half a talk to himself, Sky lifted his head from boiling the water.

“All sorts of things happen. When I looked for the red fruit, I found the cookie, running away with granny on my back, getting vegetables, and...”

“...That's enough. I don't understand at all.”

Sky made a bitter smile at Makoto who looked away but, he then remembered he hadn't read his letter at all, taking it out from his pocket. The letter is crumpled from being in his pocket but it's not unreadable.

Just as he opened the paper, Sky's face which looked scary to begin with, looked further more threatening.

“...What's, this”

His low mutter did not reach Makoto.

“I am taking something precious to you. If you don't like that, entertain me.

If you tell this to anyone, it's game over”

It definitely was not written in neat characters, an awful content.

Scrutinising it and reading it once more, he crumpled it up and put it back in his pocket.

With the noise from the kettle, he looked at Makoto's portrait. “Precious something”, hearing that to him there's nothing more precious than Makoto.

“Are they planning to do something to Makoto...”

Not enough with sniping and kidnapping, now they're threatening. Seeing that kind of cowardice is nauseating.

As his anger simmered, he remembers “but”, a doubt arose. For the action of the current president it's sluggish. Beside, up till now they had always ignored Sky and aimed straight for Makoto. Sky simply stuck his neck in that.

“In other words... Bike!? Is someone aiming for my bike!”

For it to be something that would directly hating on Sky, then there's a possibility they're aiming for his beloved worked on bike. He prides it on being more high-efficiency than other bikes. His reconstructed bike.

“Damn, it can't be that they're aiming for that!”

If it's like this, then perhaps he should've restrained from making it look cool. Seriously troubled on that point, he returned to “No, but” calmly.

For Sky to be hated, then he must've done something to someone. He can't remember being hated that much by anyone.

As he held royal blood like Makoto, there is in general, a reason for them to be aimed at by the current president. But that is a case if there's no Makoto. As long as there's Makoto, it was bad to aim at Sky.

“So that means, it's really Makoto huh...”

As he threw another glance at the window, right in front of his eyes was Makoto, he gulped down startled.

“Uoh! Why are you there!”

“The water has boiled a long time ago, but Sky blanked out”

With that Makoto pointed to the beeping kettle. Sky put the fire out in a hurry, peeking at Makoto's condition. This is after Sky got that letter. It would not be odd for them to have done something to Makoto.

“What are you looking at? Hurry and pour the tea for me”

“Ah, no... You, lately, have something changed?”

Makoto's large eyes blinked slowly. But Sky didn't see trembling or surprise in them.

“What do you mean by something?”

“...If not it's fine. Yeah. For the tea, I'll bring it over, just wait”

“...”

As Sky's gaze fall to the tea pot, Makoto observed him but Sky did not notice that.

Sky checked Makoto who returned to his seat by the window calmly in the corner of his eyes, feeling relieved in his heart, he pat down his chest. In any case, it seems like nothing has been done to Makoto. That being said, the game continues.

--- It did say to entertain.

As the tea steamed, he thought of the meaning of the letter again. Entertain, it said. There's an infinite variety of what is entertaining to different people. The letter didn't give any hints even if he wanted to predict. But, if he doesn't do something Makoto will be targeted.

With something like a game over, there has to be a time limit. He imagines there'd come a day when an unknown man would come, “so, make it interesting”, he held his head in his hands.

“To begin with, I'm not an interesting man!”

“...Shouting something like that, it's pretty strange as is, so it's fine”

Without thinking, he had shouted, at the silence, a cold word replied to him.

“...Oh, ouh. That's true.”

No good. If he's this shaken, Makoto would catch on.

Sky threw in some agreeable false, this time groaning quietly. Something interesting, something interesting, he chanted to himself like a prayer, and something suddenly popped into his mind. A circus he saw when he was young.

At the circus, the clown's tricks and humour had drawn a lot of laughter from the crowd.

“This is it...!”

An art he can do if he practise, surely exist.

He quickly checked on his portable computer terminal for clown's tricks that he could copy,

“Is the tea not done yet?”

As the demand flew at him, he quickly brought the pot and cup to Makoto's side.

“I ended up thinking you were picking it out by the leaves”

“I didn't make you wait that long. Milk?”

“Don't need it”

Makoto finally picked up the cup with his hand, at taking in a gulp, he seized up.

“Bitter!”

“What an exaggerated guy. It's an adult taste, adult.”

“Then you drink it Sky”

He straightforwardly pushed the cup to Sky, Sky looked down to the reddish tea liquid. That being said, he can't see the bottom of the cup with how thick it is. Even so, he drank it without ado and quickly spit it out.

“Uegh! What's this!”

“So dirty!! Wipe the table up properly”

“Sorry... This isn't drinkable”

Putting the cup down right away, he noticed a handkerchief covering something on the table. When he reached for that, Makoto struck down on his hand.

“Ouch! What're you doing!”

“Whatever, just hurry and get new tea. The after taste is so bitter”

“Got it”

Sky got up with a sigh, and suddenly he had the idea to take the handkerchief with his hand.

“Hey, why are you...”

“It's fine, just watch. ...One, two, three”

As he counted he lifted the handkerchief up, and in Sky's hand was the broken dog-shaped cookies. Surprised, Makoto's eyes widened.

“Here”

Sky placed the cookie on the plate, taking the handkerchief in his hand to the kitchen.

Not getting it, Makoto fixed his gaze on the cookie.

“That Sky, being so cheeky”

He complained, but he smiled, just a little bit.

Sky, who sneakily peeked at Makoto from the kitchen, made a 'guts pose' upon seeing his condition.

That's right, this it it, this is entertaining someone!

Sky who gained some confidence, looked up juggling next...

Pouring the tea again while Makoto complained, finally it's time for an elegant tea time, Makoto then suddenly spoke.

“That's right. I'm giving you a new job Sky”

“A job?”

“You're watching a video, so you've to be free right?”

“This isn't just for killing time”

“Then, what's it for?”

“Uh... That's... That's right. It's my new hobby”

“That's called killing time. Whatever, go check out this company”

A mail from Makoto arrived on Sky's portable computer terminal while he's watching a video. Can't be helped, he paused the juggling video to open the mail.

“If I'm right this is... A large sweets manufacturer right?”

“Yes. To start with, let's see... I want to know the stronghold of their management.”

“I don't mind looking it up but, why are you suddenly interested in this kind of company? You don't eat sweets made for mass consumption”

“There's a dark rumour about the current president... Some questioned relationships. I think it's good to attack from this angle once in a while”

While Makoto's words aren't lies, he didn't say that he wanted to find the source of the letter. If he's not careful in his words, Sky might rampage.

“So it's like that”

“I'll give you a week to look it up”

“You're looking down on me. Three days enough”

“Then, how about I supplement it (music note) If you determine the location of their stronghold, get me the map of its interior. Of course, note down the security status too”

“Uh... That's a little...”

“Ah, you can't?”

With Makoto looking at him with a child up to mischief, Sky let out a large sigh.

“Got it. A map.”

“And the security too (music note)”

“...Got it. But, I've one condition”

“What?”

“While I'm looking it up, if you go anywhere make sure you contact me”

“Eh. That's like having a bell around my neck, don't like that--”

“Just stand that much! If this company has connection to the current president, they might make a pass when we're investigating”

“So you're admitting you're going to screw up?”

“Wh...! No! You just can't be too careful!”

“Hmm. Well... Can't be helped, so I'll listen to you”

And then from that day, Makoto worked on something in his house while Sky run about and practise juggling at night.

***

The midnight three days after that ---

The two of them moved quietly as they melted into the night, standing at a building's back door.

“To be honest, I wasn't expecting much but you really prepared it all in three days. Occasionally, you do stand up to your role.”

“Hmm, I do have at least an information network. Anyway... Why are we studying the building at this time? It's so dark, we can't see anything”

Makoto made an astonished expression at Sky who's looking up at the darkened building. Rather, he really was astonished.

“What should you do when studying such a dirty building? Obviously to aim to come when there's no security. It's troublesome to infiltrate when there are people too”

“I didn't hear anything about infiltrating?!”

“I just said it. If you're scared, you can wait here Sky. You're weaker than me anyway”

“Guh... Even if that may be so, I can't let you go alone! I'll go too”

Makoto let a quiet smile spilled at the unmoving Sky. However, because of the dark, Sky could not see that smile.

“Since we've come here, there's this”

Catching what was thrown to him with both hands, his eyes widened.

“A gun! You... Could it be!?”

In a dangerous country, one carries a gun for self-defence. Sky had prepared in secret, but bemoaned the loss of his own gun.

“Since when...”

“There's no meaning of carrying it if it doesn't shoot someone right? So, I made improvements”

“Hah? Improvements...”

Seeing it, it seems like nothing changed. It only seemed very slightly lighter.

“Look at it well. I've bullets generated from magic. For a gun, that much is improvement too”

As Makoto told him that, he checked the bullets, and indeed the bullets had faint magic light on them.

“What's the difference between this and a normal bullet?”

Daten is a country that develops magic science but, Sky who don't have any magic power he did not quite get it. Makoto looked at him like he's a student who's bad at understanding, sighing exasperated.

“What's loaded right now, is something that numbs when it hits. A thunder. And then this is fire, water, ice...”

“Wait wait wait”

New bullets handed him to, it swelled up his pocket quickly.

“You can tell them apart by colour right? Ah, or maybe by smell is better”

“Are you saying 'cause I'm a dog? You”

Ignoring the crest fallen Sky, Makoto began to look up the interior map of the building on his portable computer. Taking the light from the screen, it dimly lit up only Makoto's face in the dark night.

Seeing the side of that face, Sky's innermost thought tilted.

Makoto who holds such deep grudge against the current president, whenever he's attacked he would strike back with no mercy. Even even it involves others' lives. Even so, when it's striking first, he still has considerations for others like this.

In this situation, he has a feeling there's something he hasn't realised yet.

At the time Sky question this, Makoto too while looking at the map, felt some doubts.

Sky is hiding something. Nothing to do with this job. He has a feeling it has something that's more personal.

By nature, he tend to make noise about Makoto's movements but, on this he had been stronger on that. On top of it, every day he watched videos, and when he can't be seen beyond a door, he makes strange noises, like “Yo, ho, tto!”

--- There's definitely something.

Makoto glared at that but, until today it hasn't been disclosed.

No matter how close there are, they have one or two secrets. They should both understand that but, in reality having the feeling of doubt has a strange gap, and caused a distance. For something like that to turn for something fatal, neither think that it had gone to that bare a level.


The building in the suburb is old for Daten, and the back door has a soft security. Thanks to that, both were able to enter, the trouble comes after that.

“Entering is fine, but in this dark we can't see anything”

“But if we have light, we will be found out infiltrating right away. Here, we'll use the light from our portable computer...”

“Ah, if it's light there's that too”

“Eh--”

It can't be, just as Makoto turned around, Sky already shot the fire bullet to the ceiling.

Bang! A sharp noise as the bullet met the ceiling, causing an explosion.

“Uwah!?”

“What are you doing, idiot!”

“You...! You didn't tell me it'll explode! This can really harm someone!”

“I've said I loaded the 'thunder' though!”

As the talked, the fire of the ceiling spread.

“Uoooh, water! That's right water!! Hey, Makoto!! Which is the water bullet!?”

“Light blue!”

However, no matter how much light the flames had given, he wasn't able to easily differentiate light blue and white.

“Take this!”

Sky once more shot at the ceiling, it wasn't water. In a bit, the fire on the ceiling was frozen over, at this, Makoto opened his eyes wide.

“O, ooh... It's not water but somehow, right...?”

“Idiot! Hurry and move from there!”

“Guoh!”

At the moment Makoto kicked him hard, the ceiling fell to the place where he had stood. He looked up dumb-founded at the large hole that opened.

“Having a suddenly intense cold to a heated place, that would break an old floor”

“So dangerous... Thanks, Makoto”

“Could it be, Sky. You came to disturb me.”

At the close call and Makoto's cold words, Sky scratched his cheek.

“Sorry. But, at least now shouldn't we move from danger? Someone might have heard that noise”

Even though Sky said it super earnestly, Makoto bit down on his lips in loathing.

“Well then it's, too late...!”

“What?”

At the time he turned to face the low mumbling, he felt his chest pushed back. Makoto glared at the staggering Sky.

“If you want to go home why don't you go home Sky? I'm not going back till I find some evidence of their connection”

Saying that, Makoto avoided the part of the ceiling that fell and headed for the stairs.

“Hey, Makoto! Wait!”

Rushing to follow, he saw Makoto's back entering a room. Following that back Sky flew into the room as well, and then and found himself at lost for words.

“What's with this room”

It was unimaginable for how old the building was on the outside, the room has the latest computers. On top of it, it's just not computers. They're machines that uses magic-science.

Without any electricity, the computers kept working on, shining on their light.

You can't tell from the hallway, the indoor are all connected in this one floor, and it was surprisingly huge. The entrance was a trick.

“So this is the true shape of the company”

“Even so, what are the computers for?”

“I'm investigating that now. Sky, please, don't press any weird buttons.”

“Okay, okay. I'll raise up both my hands”

Just as he raised his hands sulkily, the tip of his finger accidentally grazed against a lower ceiling button.

At that moment, from the ceiling some sort of control board flew out, Sky avoided it by taking a few steps away.

“Uwah, something came out!”

“What!?”

While taking steps back, Sky knocked to Makoto's back, as he staggered, Makoto pushed a button that was in line with the tip of his hand. Reacting to it, the screen right in front of them dimmed, displaying a cave.

“O,oi. Something is coming out*”
T/N: Of the cave in the screen, I re-read this and it wasn't clear so just in case

“I get it! Now that's...”

Makoto, moving his eyes to see what button has been pressed, ended up widening them. What's reflected in those eyes, are rock figures that should not have life moving.

“...Golem. It still exist now...”

“Is it time to admire it! We have to stop it...”

“Aah, if you press it carelessly...”

Makoto's objection was slower than Sky's movement. As Sky's finger pressed a red button, a shrill alarm sound resound through the building.

“This idiot!”

“Wh! It can't be helped!? In any case let's run!”

Sky started running taking Makoto's hand but, in his rush he flew right into the earlier control board that flew out.

“Owwwwwww!”

“What are you doing! You're really a useless dog!”

“Shut up! It can't be helped a board came out here!”

Punching it in frustration, the numerous monitors lit up at once. What they displayed was from different angles, but it was all alike.

“Showing the same thing, what is this!”

Sky's hand moving to stop all the golems shown, was stopped with a 'wait' by Makoto. By reflex he stopped his hand, while Makoto fixedly look at the screens.

“It's different.”

“What is”

“It's all different, the golems”

“Ah? Can there be that many?”

“That's right, this many is a problem. Hmm... I see. This company, at the back of it is developing golems. As such, they needed such large amounts of money”

“Hey, hey, don't joke around. What do you even make golems for?”

“There's lots of usage for it. You can sell them in other countries, or use them as weapons of war”

At the disturbing things Makoto says, Sky gulped down.

“Fufu, ahaha! A company with such strong connections with the president doing such things, if it's found out it'll cause a huge problem”

“Is it related to the president?”

“I'm looking that up now”

Without waiting for Sky to be able to stop him, Makoto moved to the controls with a surprising speed. The monitors where the golems had just moved on, overflowed with lines of texts, Sky hit his forehead.

“We'll get caught while you're looking! Anyway, we should run now!”

“So if you want to run, run yourself... I can't withdraw now”

“...You really are strange”

“That's my line. Hurry and go? I don't need a dog who's not loyal to his master”

“What the hell, damn...”

Yielding to Makoto who obviously won't move from the screen, Sky slumped himself down right there. Makoto gave a gold glance, but his hand didn't stop moving to operate the computers.

“...That's odd. I can't see connection to the president”

After a few minutes, Makoto muttered slowly. Sky, who held on to his gun, raised up his head.

“Maybe it's not connected this time”

“That shouldn't...”

Suddenly, Makoto showed sign of gulping down, Sky brought himself up. Looking up the screen, the name of the rival company of the company that owned the building was displayed.

“...Though they keep saying they're rivals, they're being buddies behind the scenes?”

What Makoto had found, was the continuous correspondences with the company's rival, in other words a record of proceeding.

There, it was stated that both companies developed the golems. Furthermore, there's record on the plans on how they could utilise money from the state.

In other words, this situation is far from what the president participate in, and was instead using him.

“We got unbelievable info”

Makoto took out a small memory card connected to the machine roughly. It's meant to copy whatever evidence they may find, but there's no need for more records.

“...What are you doing with that?”

“Publicise it”

“Eh”

At the unexpected opinion from Makoto, Sky almost dropped his tobacco. He closed up his mouth and looked at Makoto's face seriously.

“What is it?”

“No but, you're not thinking of helping that president right?”

“It's not for his sake. If we leave it be it'll trouble other countries, it's so Daten isn't further scorned.”

“...Oh, that's true”

“What? You grinning is gross... Holding on to it is dangerous, so Sky hold this”

He thrust it in Sky's already full pocket, Makoto turned his heels. Following after him, Sky stretched out in a good mood.

“Yosh! Now that we know this, time to say bye to this place --”

At Sky's words, a gunshot was heard. As the smoke blew away, Sky had already instantly covered Makoto's head, ducking down.

“Hey...!”

“It's fine, just duck. This is... Seems like we can't just go home.”

Even as they hid, there was a second and third gunshot. As they held their heads down, they quietly moved to between desks.

“Makoto, while I distract them run for the stairs”

“Are you stupid? I can't leave my back to a dog who just mistook his bullets earlier. To begin with, going to the stairs – we are surrounded now”

“Then what should we do?!”

“I'm thinking now!”

As they're suddenly agitated, without thinking both had stood up.

“Ah” *
T/N: *This is marked as both saying it, but it was a punctuation mark which doesn't work in English

Having shown themselves, a man in black suits approached them with a gun. He thought of using power, but Makoto could not catch the man's eyes as only the areas with the screen has light.

This is no good. For Makoto who has half-given up, a broad back appeared in front of him.

“What are you doing!?”

“Isn't it obvious? I'm shielding you”

“Idiot, if you do that...”

“Shut up. Hurry and find a place to hide!”

At the sound of a gunshot, Sky shielded his head. But as the opponent underestimated, they missed, and on Sky's cheek blood flowed from a graze.

“Because it's dark you're out of focus huh!”

Without thinking, Makoto hit the provoking Sky's back.

“Why are you provoking them!”

In contrast to the panicking Makoto, Sky calmly put in the 'thunder' bullet, readying himself to accept the challenge. Even at this time, he used his body to shield Makoto.

“Makoto. While they're aiming at me, run. You alone can probably figure something out.”

“...Being a loyal dog at this time!”

“It can't be helped. Well, if I'm to fall protecting you it's satisfying. Though this would entertain too”

“I don't get what you're saying! A dog who died before its master is a failure dog!”

Though he meant to threaten, Makoto trembled against his wish. Realising that, he bit down on his lips, but he can't get rid of the feeling that he might lose Sky.

“Hey, hey, where did the arrogant you go to? Crying over a dog”

“I'm not crying”

But Makoto can't stop trembling.

--Ah, that's right, he still has something precious left.

As he's about to lose him, he realised. The 'precious thing' written by the letter, is the Sky in front of him.

“Getting this now...”

Crushing his chest (to Sky) in his regret, Makoto touched something as he grasped Sky's jacket.

A rustling sound, without thinking he drew it from Sky's full pocket. Just as it was light up by the monitor light, the doubt that Makoto had inside him broke as he stiffened.

“...It can't be, you got the same letter?”

“Ah? What are you saying?”

As he wiped the blood from his cheek, Sky looked back over his shoulder a little. In front of him, was Makoto spreading out the crumpled letter.

“Hey, oi! Look in... Ah, it's about that letter?!”

“Yes. I received one that's more or less the same. Manipulating someone with this letter, it makes me angry.”

“I see. I did think there was something odd, so you got it too... Aah, it made me think so much, my head hurts.”

Though, the corner of Sky's lips curled into a smile. Seeing that, Makoto squat down. Not to run. To fight back.

Makoto quickly stuffed his hand into Sky's pocket, he picked out three bullets and handed it to Sky.

“Sky”

“I get it!”

As Makoto ran off from behind Sky, Sky shot the 'fire' bullet above the men. At that moment, with an explosive sound the fire spread.

“Not yet!”

Continuing on, this time he used 'ice' bullet, shooting it to the same spot.

“You suck!”

A few seconds after one of their enemies mocked them, the ceiling fell with the ice.

“Uwah, what!”

“It's still falling!”

“Damn, run!”

As they ran in a panic, the men who were in separate locations were grouped together. That was what they were waiting for.

“Makoto!”

“...Shut up, seriously Sky”

Just a little before his name was called, Makoto jumped up on the table. In the dim light, he pulled the men's line of sight with the sudden figure of a person.

“Go ahead, Sky”

“Yeah!”

Bang! Sounded the third bullet. This bullet is 'thunder'.

While when it shoots a person it stuns them, when shot into the air it causes a flash of lighting. And then that flash, is bright.

“So, it's time for punishment”

Even in the dazzling light, Makoto's eyes shone brighter. And then when they realised they had been trapped in by these eyes.

“First let's start with breaking your friend?”

“Uh... Ah, why...”

“Damn... My hand is moving by itself!”

“No... Don't shoot!”

As Makoto squinted his eyes, the men pointed their guns at each other. Even without the light, they can see that they took hold without any intent.

“Stop, Makoto! There's no need to go that far!”

At Sky who rushed to stop him, Makoto pulled a wry face.

“After they've targeted you, you can still say such naïve things. If they shoot an arm or two they're not going to die from it”

Even as he complained, Makoto had the men throw away their guns.

“They can judge from this much. There's no need to harm anyone”

Sky took out the memory card from his pocket, twirling it lightly. Gun already at his waist, he was showing himself as a complete victor.

A time that brought danger in a fight, is when a victory is settled. This is one of those times.

A man who lurked in the shadow of a pillar, quickly aimed knives at Sky.

“Sky!”

Makoto who realised shouted but voice alone can't stop knives. If it's a gun, there's a sound, but in the dark a thrown knife quietly flew at Sky.

The man ran after throwing the knife, Makoto can't forgive that.

“...You!”

As Makoto jumped off the table, the man was sucked up to the room. With that one attack, the man lost his consciousness, but it was after the knives had been thrown. In a panic, Makoto turned to Sky... And his mouth gaped open dumb-founded.

“What's that...”

At the end of Makoto's line of sight, Sky spin around the weapon knives. Like a circus clown.

“What a strange thing huh”

In that darkness, Sky was able to catch the knives perfectly. Sky did not expect for his juggling skill to come of use here.

“Pretty good huh?”

“I can't believe this, but you didn't remember that for the letter did you...?”

“Why can't you believe it. I thought it's obvious. I use lesson videos everyday and in the end I can do it”

“...”

Makoto gave a larger sigh than any he had done before, and began to tie up the remaining men. Of course, he didn't do it by his own hand but made them do it to each other.

While watching over that, Sky asked what came to mind while he juggled.

“Why did you make the magic-science bullet this time? Usually you just say to use the normal one right?”

As it was the last guy, Makoto had to tie him up by his own hand, and he turned to reply.

“That, is to investigate the letter. If they die they can't speak right?”

“Y, yeah...”

Sky nodded vaguely to the innocently smiling Makoto. It's good for these guys that there was the letter huh, he mumbled to himself in his heart.

Having to leave the building before more security gets there, in the end they could not find out who the sender of the latter was. But on that, once this and the rival company is crushed, isn't important after all.

They didn't get any applause in their victory, but they walked side by side in the night time town

***

A few days after that night, Makoto heard a strange sound from the TV.



T/N This is the end of the files I have on hand, which ended on '22' of the file, but it seems like a bit of an odd place to end...