novelThe Grass looks Greener (2)
| ← Ch.23 | Ch.25 → |
"I think I can hear something that I shouldn't be hearing..."
"D-Did I do something wrong!?"
"N-No, there's no point worrying about it now. It's just that going home by taxi is unusual for high school students, so if you want to come and pick me up, I'd appreciate it if you waited somewhere less conspicuous."
"I-I see. I'm sorry..."
Diana looked depressed, but Yasuo was so worried about going to school tomorrow that he didn't have the energy to cheer her up.
"B-But, we didn't manage to find that Shii yesterday, and judging by what happened, it is clear that the Shii is after you, Yasuo. This is currently the best way to reduce the danger to you, even if only a little..."
He knew what she was trying to say.
The Kenzaki family currently did not have a car.
The front door was fixed faster than expected, but they were having a lot more trouble with the matter of the car.
Yasuo hadn't heard the details, but apparently, the owner of the car that Madoka had caused an accident in during the incident with William had been identified by the police despite his parents' best efforts to hide the evidence.
Fortunately, Madoka had barely managed to avoid being charged with negligent driving because of the fact that his parents had filed a report in advance that the car had been stolen, and because all the members of the Kenzaki family were uninjured in spite of the severity of the accident. However, there were still many complicated procedures to complete that Yasuo did not understand, so it looked like getting a new car would still take some time.
"B-But, you know..."
After remembering that, Yasuo lowered his voice a little.
"What are you going to do if a Shii attacks us while we're in a taxi? We will definitely end up getting other people involved. Remember what happened when Mom crashed our car?"
"That's true, but there is a greater chance of getting people involved if we're attacked while walking. The only Shii we currently need to worry about is the one that managed to run away, and if you're worried about others, then just you going to school and prep school increases the chances of danger, you know?"
"W-Well yeah... But you know, the Shii so far have only appeared during nighttime. Shouldn't we be fine during the day?"
As far as Yasuo could remember, the Shii only ever appeared during the night.
They were apparently formed from corpses, and the black flames that surrounded them made it easy for them to blend into the darkness. He thought that they were incapable of moving around while the sun was still up, but,
"That's just a coincidence. In Ante Lande, there have been Shii that appeared during the day as well. Judging from the records, it's true that they appear far more frequently at night, however, there are records of people fighting Shii during the day under a clear, cloudless sky."
"...Seriously?"
Yasuo felt a sense of despair.
It was true that Yasuo felt that he had gotten mixed up in many things he did not understand back during the incident with William and Alexei's Shii, but even then, William had been a clearly identifiable cause behind the incident.
However, this time, the Shii seemed to appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly, and they had no idea where they were lurking.
If the Shii were completely wild creatures like mob monsters that you could find in games, then there was a possibility that they were even right now causing a mess somewhere else, completely unrelated to the Kenzaki family.
Originally, there would have been no reason for Yasuo to feel responsible for such a thing. However, as the son of a Hero, and as a person who had volunteered to be a Hero, the thought of people outside his reach falling prey to some unidentifiable power was definitely not something he was comfortable with.
"I don't want to jinx it, but I feel like it would be a lot easier if easily identifiable bosses like that William show up and the matter ends once they are defeated. Not knowing what you're up against is definitely a lot worse."
This feeling of being stuck in a maze was somewhat similar to being stuck at a particular point in the middle of studying.
Unlike his recent failed exams where Yasuo had gotten stuck on every single question, in the current situation he didn't even know what knowledge he was lacking, so he had no way to shore up his weak points or understand what he should be doing. It was that kind of feeling.
In such a situation, the only option was to return to square one and carefully go over all the available information once again.
"But even if I want to go back to square one..."
In the first place he didn't even know where that Shii had come from. During the battle with Alexei's Shii, only a total of eight Shii had appeared during the entire course of the incident, including Alexei whom Yasuo sent off with the requiem.
Even though his father and Diana had defeated them easily and they had already been sent off, Yasuo realized once again that the incident where six of them had appeared simultaneously was actually quite dangerous.
"Sent them off... Hmm?"
"Is something the matter, Yasuo?"
"No... I just thought that it was a little strange."
A slight feeling of discomfort that tugged at his memories.
The car. The Shii. The requiem. Sending off the Shii. Resurrection.
"Ah!!"
"W-What is it?"
Yasuo suddenly yelled out loud, causing the driver to be surprised and ask that question.
"I-I'm sorry, it's nothing."
"I-I see."
"Yasuo?"
Diana was looking at him with a questioning expression, so Yasuo once again faced her and told her the terrifying truth that he had realized.
"Diana. Even if you defeat the Shii, they'll just reappear somewhere else if you don't send them off with the requiem, right?"
"Yes... That should be the case."
"That small-sized Shii... I think it was already in Japan by the time William came here."
"Eh?"
"The only Shii we didn't send off back then was the one that caused the car accident. Both my mother and I didn't know about that back then..."
"Ah."
It looked like Diana also understood what Yasuo was attempting to say.
"E-Even so, the fact that it must be defeated does not change, and I don't see how it can help out in our current situation..."
"I'm not done. There's something else that I remembered. I just realized it, but the car accident was something William didn't expect either."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you remember how he said something about not having any intention of putting the people around us in danger? At that time, I told him to stop messing around because a Shii that he had sent had already caused a car crash. After hearing that, he looked really surprised."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm sure. Just for that second, I saw the power in that scary red eye of his waver. That's right, after hearing that, he said that he had to hurry... So I think that William had someone working against him, someone apart from us. And so, if we assume that William knew nothing about that Shii, and it was after me all along when it attacked the car..."
"It probably hasn't run too far away?"
"Yeah. Also, "
Yasuo had a stern expression on his face.
"Even if that small Shii was William's enemy, the person who sent it here is probably no friend of ours. So at the end of it..."
It was a deduction that was not particularly welcome.
"The six Shii that attacked us back then were also probably the same. There is someone who is controlling the Shii that have appeared even after Khalija-san arrived here. And that person is probably somewhere close by."
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"I see. So you think there's someone who behind the appearance of those six Shii, and the one that escaped?"
"Yes. This is only Yasuo's conjecture, but if we take what William said into consideration, it might just be possible."
"If that is true, then that raises other issues as well. If the attacks by the Shii are deliberately being instigated by some agency, then the strategies being used to combat the Shii back in Ante Lande will need to be rebuilt from scratch as well."
"...Yes, you're right."
"However, at the very least, you did not see any Shii between the time after that William was defeated and through the time I arrived here, correct?"
"That's right."
"The true nature of the Shii is still unclear. They seem to be ignoring the law of conservation of mass, both when they appear and when they vanish. Saying this might worsen the impression of Ante Lande and us, but there is a possibility that General Alexei and William came to this world along with you when the Gate Tower was activated, and the seven Shii from earlier entered this world in a similar fashion along with me. Mass is an important consideration when using the Gate Tower, but we don't know if the concept of 'mass' applies to the Shii. Although it sounds impossible, if the Shii really have no mass, it is possible that they could have hitched a ride along with us without anyone being the wiser."
"However, this is all still just conjecture. It doesn't change the fact that we are pinned down by the enemy and unable to take action"
"At the end of it, our countermeasures against the Shii can only go so far. By the way, why is Yasuo lying around looking like a wet log?"
Diana and Khalija were talking in the living room of the Kenzaki family house as usual, in a manner that made him wonder if there was any point in them moving their base of operations to a different house. Beside them, Yasuo was lying on the floor as if he was completely out of energy.
"Ah... About that..."
Diana's face became red.
"He tried to fix the misunderstanding with that person called Shouko-san at his prep school, but not only was he unable to meet with her, she's also ignoring his messages on that communication medium called rope..."
"And so he wore himself thin and ended up in this state, huh?"
"Also, he's apparently receiving a lot of messages from his friends at school about the identity of the person who came to pick him up from school today......"
"So after telling me arrogantly that I shouldn't cause issues for Yasuo, you went and titillated his friends as well, Major?"
"T-Titillated? No, it's not like that! I just didn't want anyone to think that I was a suspicious person, so I properly greeted them, that's all!"
"No, I think that just made it worse."
It was hardly something Khalija should be saying, but she was right.
"Still, isn't this nice and peaceful?"
"We don't share the same concept of peace..."
The wet log seemed to be emitting some resentful curses, but Khalija ignored it.
"Even if they misunderstand something, it's not the end of the world. Maybe if you tell your friends at school outright that Major Krone is your girlfriend, they might find it anticlimactic and back off."
"C-C-Colonel!! What are you saying!? That kind of lie is not good! It's indecent!"
"If saying that could fix my issues, I would, but it won't make any difference..."
"You too, Yasuo!? You don't need to say something like that!!"
"Indecent... No, you've always been this way, Major, it's part of what makes you so frightening."
Seeing Diana protest so strongly, even Khalija seemed a little taken aback.
"Well, you might find it to be a serious issue, but to me it looks like nothing more than an amusing problem. Worry about it all you like. Once you grow up, you will realize that being able to have worries like this means that you are leading a blessed life."
After saying that, she got up from the sofa.
"Colonel?"
"...It's a little early, but I'm going back to the apartment. I spent the whole day today with Nodoka, and I'm tired because she's a lot more mature than Yasuo and therefore more difficult to tease. I'm going to take a bath."
Saying that she was tired out from trying to tease Nodoka was a little exaggerated, but it could also be interpreted to mean that Yasuo was a good target for teasing.
"Ah, yes... I think Madoka is probably using the bath right now, so please check with her before you go in."
As the bath in the Kenzaki house had been destroyed by a Shii, the temporary plan was for everyone to use the unit bath in Diana's room, and so Yasuo's mother was over there right now.
His father was watching TV in his own room, and Nodoka was probably studying in her room. Yasuo tended to forget because he was so busy dealing with his own issues, but his sister would also be taking exams soon.
"Understood. See you around."
After saying that, Khalija left right away without even looking at the wet log.
"When I grow up... I mean, isn't the Colonel just one year older than me......"
In a rare occurrence, Diana actually looked a little sullen.
"Eh, seriously?"
Seeing the wet log act surprised, Diana seemed to become even more unhappy for some reason.
"Do I really appear that childish? I'm already nineteen-years-old, you know."
"Eh!? You're older than me!?"
"Eh!?"
Yasuo stood up out of shock, and Diana was surprised seeing Yasuo look so shocked.
"......You definitely don't look it."
"Yasuo, you're so mean!"
"Hey, Onii-chan, are you making Diana-san cry again?"
"What do you mean, again? And why do you always show up with such horrible timing!?"
Nodoka had just come down from the second floor, probably to get something to drink. She was now looking at Yasuo with a scary expression.
"I'm sorry, I thought that we were about the same age... Ahaha."
"That's a lie. Yasuo, you're terrible at lying. Even though I'm older, you've been viewing me as someone younger than you all this time, haven't you!?"
"This kind of childish reaction makes her look like a younger kid, right? I kinda understand."
"Nodoka, you too!?"
"You should try and act more like a younger kid."
"Well, maybe if my older brother wasn't so unreliable, I would act my age."
Yasuo could not win against his sister who always had a ready comeback for anything.
"So anyways, Khalija-san is only twenty? She seems very mature for someone her age... No, I mean, as a soldier. Ahahaha."
His teacher at prep school, Kobayashi, was also around the age of twenty.
Of course, since he went to a good college and was working as a teacher, he looked a lot more mature compared to the current Yasuo, but he also had the look of a college student, and the impression he gave was definitely different from that of a newly graduated student working as a salaryman.
However, in Khalija's case, even if you put aside the fact that she is a high-ranking military officer, there are many things about her that make her seem older than her years.
Diana sometimes acted very childish, and maybe that just served to heighten the difference between the two...
"Were you just thinking that I am childish again?"
"N-No..."
"I don't care anymore."
While Yasuo had been thinking about things like that, Diana had been looking in the direction of her apartment.
"The Colonel has followed a slightly special career path compared to the other Magitech Knights in Resteria, so maybe that has something to do with it."
"A special career path?"
"That's right. I already told you that the Colonel is very knowledgeable about Techno Weapons, right? She managed to repair my Castor to such an extent, using only materials found in Japan, after all."
Saying that, Diana pulled Castor out of the pocket of her sweatshirt.
Yasuo had been thinking recently that even though she was carrying around such dangerous and heavy things in the pockets of the sweatshirt that she wore at home, it was strange that there were no unnatural bulges when looking at her at all.
It looked like she hadn't been able to repair the external appearance, as Castor did not have the gold colored cover that Pollux had, and the grip also appeared to have been secured with something that looked like duct tape.
Even so, when Diana channeled a little power into it, the light of magic appeared near the mouth of the weapon.
"The Colonel's father was a famous Techno Weapon craftsman. She was the youngest daughter, and apparently she was the most gifted amongst her sisters."
"Eh? Khalija-san is the youngest daughter?"
"She doesn't look like it at all..."
"...Well, putting that aside."
Diana, who had been told that she seemed like the youngest child in spite of being an only child, pretended that she didn't hear that and continued to speak.
"If you're wondering why I know about this, it's because, during the construction of my father's Regulus that I told you about the other day, my mother took advice from the Colonel's father. Meister Claudius Welleger. I've heard that he was originally from the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, and he immigrated to Resteria during the war against Demon King Kaul. The Colonel's silver hair is a common feature among people who have their roots in the region around Torjesso."
"Oh? Meister is a title given to master craftsmen, right? If she's the daughter of a person like that, it's no wonder she's good at handling Techno Weapons."
"But what do you mean by he 'was' a Techo Weapon craftsman?"
"He passed away a little while after my mother finished making Regulus. He was apparently quite old by the time the Colonel was born... I've heard that she enlisted in the army right after his death."
The name of Meister Welleger was so famous that everyone involved in the Techno Weapons industry had heard of it. Khalija, who was said to have inherited her father's talent, was sought out by the Techno Weapon Research Division, where she displayed a great level of ability.
"Hmm? But she's now a Magitech Knight who fights on the front lines, right? Using that weapon you spoke of."
"The 『Snakebone』, Marfik. It is a variable Techno Weapon with more than ten forms. Most Techno Weapons can only take two or maybe three forms at the most, but the Colonel is also a first-class soldier who is capable of using more than twice that number under combat conditions. Of course, that makes it an extremely complicated Techno Weapon, and maintenance would be impossible unless you had skills on par with Meister Welleger. She is truly the kind of person who looks like they have become one with their Techno Weapon."
Diana had forgotten that she had been treated like a child, and boasted about Khalija's achievements like they were her own.
From what Diana said just now, it could be seen that Khalija was loved by Magitech Knights of her own age group.
"Still, it feels strange. If she's that skilled, wouldn't that Research Division be unwilling to let go of her?"
"I've heard that there was a lot of argument regarding her reassignment. However, she displayed a level of battle strength and tactical understanding that led to her being promoted to Colonel soon after being reassigned, and she has also shown great results in the fight against the Shii. It was right around that time when my father was killed in battle, and the Knights Division was wavering. It was said that having someone like her on the front lines who was experienced with both Techno Weapons and battle was a great source of support, and even I thought the same when I heard about her, although I had not yet met her in person back then."
"Oh? So she's not just an annoying person. I guess that makes sense."
"Besides, she's my ideal, in more ways than one. Unlike me, she hasn't been overshadowed by her family's achievements, and has continued to show a level of ability that doesn't lose out to her predecessors."
"That is..."
Diana, who didn't stand out much in the Knights Division in spite of having parents who were known as Heroes who saved their country, and Yasuo, who was depressed because of failing his tests in school, in spite of having parents who were a legendary Hero and a Great Magician.
Compared to Khalija, both of them were depressed about how they could not match their parents' achievements at all.
"It's quiz time, Diana-san!"
Nodoka, who had been silent until then, suddenly shouted.
"A frog's offspring is ___! What are the words that go in the blank space?"
"Eeh? Eh? Umm... A frog's offspring... what was it again? A frog's offspring is also a frog, that's one of the idioms that is commonly used, right?"
"Bzzzt! Unfortunately, that's the wrong answer. The correct answer is, a frog's offspring is a tadpole!"
"What's with you all of a sudden? Also, isn't that cheating? You should say if it's a question about the Japanese Language or a question about biology before asking the question."
"It doesn't matter either way. I strongly feel that this idiom should go out of use."
"Eeh? Why the sudden declaration?"
A frog's offspring is also a frog.
It means that children will resemble their parents, and also implies that the children of mediocre parents will also be mediocre.
"Tadpoles do their best with their lives on the line, and become frogs only after going through a lot of danger and competition. By the time they reach that stage, they are already different from their parents. Any adult who doesn't realize that has probably not worked a single hard day in their lives. Besides, if 『A frog's offspring is also a frog』, then were our grandparents Heroes? Great Magicians? No, right?"
"......Well, yeah."
"We are still children, and have not achieved anything at all. We are still in the middle of working hard to get there. Khalija-san is like a tadpole that just happened to grow hands and legs a little faster. At the very least, if you don't think like that, you won't be able to carry on working."
This was pretty condescending talk for a fourteen-year-old who was in the third year of middle school, but neither Diana nor Yasuo were able to dispute it.
"If you ask me, I think your environment is far too easy, Onii-chan. The year when I'm old enough to take college admission exams is the first year when they've done away with the National Center Test for University Admissions. I won't have any information in advance about what the test will be like, and I can only rely on my own hard work, but I can't just say that a frog's offspring will also be a frog and give up. If I'm not careful, I might end up getting eaten by a dragonfly nymph or a water beetle while I'm still a tadpole."
"Dragonfly nymph? Water beetle?"
Although she knew about halibut, it looked like Diana didn't know about the commonly found aquatic insects from Japan, so she appeared to be confused.
"Of course, it is important to know where to concentrate your efforts, but I feel that if you get into the habit of working hard, it won't be a waste no matter how old you get. So that's why..."
Saying that, Nodoka flashed a smile and held out her hands towards both of them with her palms facing upwards.
When they stared at her hands wondering what she was trying to say, a flash of light ran across her palms, and although it was only the size of a fire from a matchstick, a small flame floated in the air over her hands.
"!?"
Yasuo was so startled that he couldn't even make a sound.
"Nodoka... Why?"
Diana also had her breath taken away as she looked alternately at the small flame and Nodoka's face.
"It's like the proverb about the young monk."
"...Umm, what was that again?"
"The one about learning from your surroundings, like a young monk reading sutras he's never been taught. I can't summon Dad like you can, Onii-chan, so I need to do whatever I can. I don't think that I will be able to fight, but you never know when something like this can come in handy... man, this is really tiring. I just used the bath earlier and now I'm all sweaty again."
Her magical energy capacity was probably still quite low.
Nodoka was sweating heavily after creating a flame the size of a matchstick for just a few seconds, but compared to Yasuo, who was still struggling with the foundations of sorcery, Nodoka was still a great deal ahead.
"Ah, if you'd like, you can use the bath again after the Colonel is done."
"Ah, okay, I'll do that. Well then, I just came down here to get something to drink in the first place."
Saying that, Nodoka took a bottle of tea or something else from the refrigerator and went back upstairs.
"...Is that talent as well?"
"I'm not sure... but it probably is."
Nodoka was in the same circumstances as Yasuo, and she would sometimes listen to Diana's lessons along with Yasuo. However, the fact that she surpassed Yasuo in such a short amount of time and managed to produce a flame on her own was honestly astonishing.
"I can't keep losing to her like this. Seriously."
"That's right... However, please leave the matter of the Shii to us and work hard on your school studies. Don't try and practice sorcery again in secret, okay?"
"Ah... Yes, I'll do my best."
Yasuo, who had been practicing it at school, uneasily looked away.
"So you've been doing it."
And Diana saw right through it.
"Hahaha... Hahaha..."
"Well, that's fine. But it's not good to get impatient. As the Colonel said, Yasuo, your requiem is already at the level of a high level cleric, so just focus on clearing each task before you, one at a time."
"Understood. Keeping up a steady effort is important, right?"
"That's right. What was that idiom again, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single sweep."
"A single step. Humans don't have tails to sweep."
"No, I didn't mean that. I just mixed up the pronunciation, like a girl from the Tokyo area might mix up 『Shi』 and 『Hi』."
"Seriously, why do you always talk about weird stuff like that which makes it hard for me to know how to reply... Hmm?"
"Ah. Aaah, aah, how am I supposed to use this again!?"
Yasuo heard the sound of something vibrating, and when he looked around, he saw an unfamiliar slimphone vibrating on top of the table.
"Oh, it's the latest model."
It was the latest model YOIPHONE, in pink and silver colors.
While thinking that his mother had been really enthusiastic about buying it, Yasuo looked at the screen and saw that the name of the caller was 『Madoka』.
"Slide this green part over to the side."
"Ah, y-yes... Hewwo!"
Yasuo wanted to comment about Diana still messing up her pronunciation, but that comment died on his lips when he saw Diana, who had gone red because of her mispronunciation, suddenly put on a serious expression.
"Yes... Yes. Eh? It's already been more than ten minutes... Okay, I understand. I'll come back there right away. I don't think it's anything serious, but the Colonel doesn't have a slimphone, so I'll try searching for her. Goodbye... Umm, how do I disconnect the call?"
"Touch that red part over there."
"Ah, it disconnected."
"Mom must have disconnected it on her end. What's up? Did something happen to Mom?"
"Ah, she's finished her shower and wanted to come back, but she didn't have a key to lock the door so she asked me what she should do."
"Eh? But Khalija-san already went there... oh, so that's what you meant when you said it's already been more than ten minutes."
"Yes. I'll go back there for bit. There are only two keys, and the Colonel has one of them."
"Ok, sure."
"If you want to use the shower, please give me a call. Also, I'll have a duplicate key to my apartment made for you to use in case something happens in the future."
"Sure, that's fine— Eh? A duplicate key!?"
"Now then, I should get going."
Yasuo was surprised because he had almost gotten caught up in the flow, but Diana left quickly, probably because she didn't want to keep Madoka waiting.
Yasuo stared at the closed door with all sorts of thoughts running through his head, and then,
"Calm down. She probably meant that she'll have a key made for all of us in the family."
Nodoka, who was supposed to have gone upstairs, was looking at him from the staircase with a grin on her face.
"T-T-T-T-That's right, that's probably what she meant, right? I knew it!! Hahahahaha."
"Seriously, what kind of things were you imagining, Onii-chan?"
"Shut up!! Don't keep eavesdropping on my conversations!! Just go up to the second floor already!!"
"Hey, Yasuo, Nodoka. What are you two yelling about? There's a hole in the wall of the bathroom so don't make so much noise at night."
Their main door had exploded, their car had exploded, the bathroom wall had a large hole in it, and he had discovered that Igarashi had a beautiful, childhood friend as a girlfriend. This cultural exchange with another world was so depressing.
Would he be cursed by the gods for hoping for a slightly more romantic development, even if it only happens through a misunderstanding?
However, the only certain thing in Yasuo's life right now was the incredibly prosaic future of being made to sit on a bed of nails at school tomorrow and questioned about Diana's identity.
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| ← Ch. 23 | Ch. 25 → |