Vol. 1 Chapter 3

《 Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter 》

Chapter 3

In the end it ended up as Roth and Director planned.

For Matoba, he feels it's useless to argue with his boss any further. What boss Roth said is also 'partly right': the situation of San Teresa which has over 5 hundred thousand Semanian immigrants but doesn't have a single Semanian police officer is getting to a critical point.

Semanian matters can only be understood by Semanians.

That saying is true, ever more so for Matoba who has experienced it himself.

What is surprising instead is Tilarna.

Matoba who's reluctantly given up before his bosses could only hope that the Semanian would vehemently reject him. Yet, Tilarna agreed to partner with him. To her, taking back the fairy is probably her first priority. Tilarna Exedilika told his bosses as long as she can agree that 'Kei Imatuba is an excellent bolice warrior as they've told her.', she will work with him as a 'guide' for the time being.

Mind your own business.

We're hating each other anyway, shouldn't you have just cut the tie there and have nothing to do with each other?

He didn't say anything, but Kei Matoba was emitting aura of displeasure from his whole body while leaving the Director's room behind. After he left Tilarna to wait in the break room on tenth floor, he fetched the thick file of people with criminal records from the archival department and forced it to her.

"What's this?"

"Just skim over it. I have something to take care of."

He said just that and left Tilarna heading to the office.

While the office of Special Vice Squad is on the tenth floor of the same building, it's not written on the floor map. The office entrance door is also the same, the only thing on the inconspicuously plain door is a plate read 'Document Control Department'. Because they do things like organised crime investigation and sting operation, the security has to be high.

Detectives in this department too, when they go on duty, won't leave through the front entrance of the police department, but will leave through a 'for staff only' exit of a underground train station a block away which is connected to the department building with a underground passage. Even if it seems like imitating a secret base of some spy movie, but it's a necessary precaution to avoid their 'colleagues' from seeing detectives with cover likes drug dealer or conman openly walking in and out of the police department building.

He walked into the office of the Special Vice Squad.

The office is just like any office of a normal San Teresa police detective unit. There are 18 tables partitioned with light blue boards, on each table, other than the old PC, are favourite belongings of each table owner. On the wall are things like calendar, work schedule, and attendance records. The far side of the room is sectioned off with a glass wall, that's the office for boss Roth.

He walked into his detective colleagues working in the office. He had to listen to more than five times of 'Sorry about Rick.', and every time, with almost super human stoicism, he replied with 'Ah, me too.'.

The sixth person was detective Tony McBee, he came and clung to Matoba, crying his eyes out, tears falling like a leaking pipe as if he's going to die from grief. He said the most obvious thing while crying, 'It's terrible! You must also be very sad, Kei.'. Tony was a very good person, but he's also gay, that's why when he rubbed Matoba's shoulder to console him he felt quite embarrassed.

He began collecting Rick Fury's personal belongings.

There were mountain of things to think about, but he shut all those sentimentality away. If he want to avenge his friend, he must leave all those thought behind. He continue putting Rick's personal belongings into an uninteresting cardboard box. Golf trophy, family picture, unfinished novel, an old iPod, shoe polishing kit, et cetera, et cetera.....

It took him around an hour to finish the paperwork and gathering things. Matoba left the office and returned to the waiting room he left Tilarna in. The passed by officers, with no exception, look at her with curious eyes.

"See any face you know?"

"None."

Tilarna placed the bulky file on her lap and answered indifferently.

"There are around 50 files like this from A to Z. See there? It's in that room. I give you three days, look through all of that, easy right?"

Tilarna indignantly responded.

"So you can use all that time to work on whatever you like, right?"

"That's not the thing you should care."

"Are you harassing me with this low-grade trick, Kei Imatuba? Don't misunderstand, although I said I would work with you, I've never said I would obey your order."

"Is that so?"

"And I'm not going to go through more of these lists of vulgar faces any more. I'm also not such a country bumpkin that these pictures would seem strange. You're taking me with you."

It really came down to this.

Matoba shrugged his shoulders and walked down the corridor.

"If that's the case then come, we're going to see it together."

"See what?"

"Zombie."

San Teresa Coroner's Office is located opposite of the city police department. By crossing the Blueber street, it can be reached in 30 seconds. It doesn't even require the aforementioned underground passage, it can be reached just by exiting through the department building back exit and crossing a midday street. Tilarna followed Matoba without saying anything.

The Coroner's Office is a four storeys building built from bricks, its basement functions as a morgue. The man with the "peace symbol" shirt that was shot by Matoba yesterday night is still being kept here.

The body was brought out from one of the lockers that make you think of filing cabinet. After taking a look at the dead body that has turned pale white, coroner Cecil Epps said.

"Just in time before I send him away."

Cecil was a young coroner. She had just started working in the San Teresa Police Department for about two years. She's still in her 20s, she wore her white gown over a dark suit, her brown hair was cut in an orderly short bob. Her appearance, her looks, and her manner of speech were cheerful. It wouldn't be embarrassing to compare her beauty to gravure idol[1], but due to the nature of her work, her skin was bluish white.

"Want to try examining him?"

"No, thanks. I've already read the report."

"That's so? There's no mistake, he died from the 9 mm bullets you shot. There are multiple gunshot wounds, one complete penetration, two stuck near appendix. Finding all those bullet fragments is quite troublesome, you know? If you can, can you use other type of bullet next time?"

"I'll think about it, Cecil."

Even if he said it like that, Matoba has no intention to stop using bullets with high lethality like hollow-point. Because with just one misstep, he himself might be the one who is on the table now instead. Although he resolved himself that he might be killed by some heinous criminal due to bad luck someday, he still cannot live with maybe having Cecil, in this coroner's office, cut his belly open and taking his organs out or measuring his son's length. That's one of the unspeakable reasons he didn't have a long relationship with her, he can't cope with that feeling.

Tilarna unfeelingly looked down at the dead body of the Filipino. He thought she would be a little shaken, but there's no visible fear or disgust in her face that can be seen from the side, she also doesn't seem to be trying to put up a brave face.

Probably because she's already accustomed to it?

Otherwise she wouldn't be this composed in front of a corpse in this condition.

".......So? Didn't you specifically coming to this haunted house because you have something to check?"

Said Cecil

"I want to confirm that he really ran for two kilometres after I shot him."

"You want to know the possibility of someone moving the body after he's dead?"

"Ah."

"If it's that then noway. He definitely ran with his own legs for two kilometres and died there."

"Fumu."

"The readings on concentration of lactic acid and oxygen were interesting. From the calculation, from the moment you shot him, he's clinically 'dead' after he ran for 500 metres, and he still continued running after that for 1500 metres."

"Like a zombie."

"This June there will be a forensic medicine seminar about Semani, can I use this case?"

"Do as you please. Any trace of drug use?"

"None. He drank a little beer, there is a mush of chicken, tomato, and cheese in his stomach, other than that there's some bread, probably from a pizza or hamburger."

While talking about nauseating things, Cecil looked at the clock on the wall.

"Talking about food, I still haven't had lunch. Wanna go grab something to eat after this?"

"Sorry, maybe next time."

"Is that so. That's unfortunate."

Having said that Cecil reached for the zip of the body bag, her delicate fingertips had a purple tinge, probably from ninhydrin or something. It's a special fluorescent chemical used to lift fingerprints from corpse. From what he's heard, once it stains you, it won't come off for three days even if you try to scrub it off.

"At any rate, there's no drug involved."

"I wonder about that."

Tilarna who had remained silent until now suddenly said that. Cecil, as if noticing existence of the girl for the first time, looked closely at the snow white face of the Semanian.

"Uhh? Excuse me, who might this beautiful young lady be?"

"A noble from the that side. She come to find the fairy that dead guy over there kidnapped."

"I see. I'm Cecil Epps. I'll be in your care, young lady."

"It's Exedilika, not young lady. .....I don't know about dorini drug, but there's a scent of fairyFiel coming from that man."

Tilarna looked at the face of the dead body protruded from the opening of body bag and said that.

"Scent?"

"That's right. Scent of 『lartena』 from Fiel."

"Uh..... this lartena thing is?"

Cecil sniffed around, trying to find the scent.

"Lartena is lartena."

"I can't understand it with that...."

When he noticed the questioning look Cecil gave him, Matoba said.

"I also don't quite understand it, but seems like it is the source of magical power for Semanians."

"Ah, like mana."

Cecil easily understood.

"Mana? What's that?"

"You've never played fantasy RPG, Kei? There often is magical power like that."

"Haven't heard of them."

Matoba never had any interest in those kind of games. He's the kind of man that thinks about 'hollow point' when he hears HP, and 'military police' when he hears MP. There's noway he knows about the word like that.

"......So? How do you smell this lartena? If we can follow the scent and track down the fairy that would be great, we can have K9 sniffs this corpse and let it loose in the city."

After Matoba siad that, Tilarna sighed with a hint of disdain.

"Are you stupid? I said 'scent' to convey the closest meaning in your dorini's language. If I must use other word it probably be 'feeling'. It's not something that can sense with your nose."

"That's the case? Then how did you know?"

"It's a matter of course for magic usermildiitar."

Tilarna spoke with a clear face.

"You can use magic?"

"A little."

"Fumu, then can you use that magic to find whereabout of the culprit, things would be settled in that case."

Tilarna didn't get angry by Matoba's sarcasm, instead she looked at him with pity from the bottom of her heart.

"Aren't you quite an unimaginative one, Kei Imatuba. What you asked for, If I were to compare it to dorini's tools, is like asking me to 'use frying pan to write a letter'. The artsmildi may have a wide range of applications, but it's not almighty, drill that into your thick skull."

"As you ordered, your excellency. Your useless highness, this one will maybe humbly engrave your kind word in this one's heart."

Tilarna scowled at him, but Matoba ignored her. Cecil remained an onlooker without flustered even after she noticed the worsening mood, instead she looked at Matoba with great interested and spoke in a out of tune voice.

"Eh? You guys don't get along?"

"If you see it like that then it's that."

"If you mean do I hate this man, the answer is yes."

"Ah, I see."

Cecil nodded and pointed to the body on the rack.

"So? Put that aside for a moment, what exactly is the 'scent of fairy lartena' that comes from the dead body? We still haven't finished that conversation."

When reminded of an important matter, Matoba and Tilarna guiltily cleared their throat.

What Tilarna pointed out was the matter of 'Fairy Dust'.

That meant the dead Filipino was addicted to Fairy Dust.

Fairy Dust is a strange drug that uses Semanian fairy as ingredient. While the effects differ depending on the recipe, most of them cause euphoria and hallucination. There's also saying that it can numb pain, instantaneously increase cognitive function, decrease reaction time and sharply increase athletic ability.

But it lives up to its narcotic name, Fairy Dust is highly addictive.

There might not be much difference after using it a couple of times, but the frequent user will have various withdrawal symptoms like headache, nausea, paranoid, or confusion. While there's no guarantee that there will be any one of those symptoms, the remarkable one is extreme lethargy. The dead Filipino also had the symptoms, but Matoba didn't see through him.

From what Tilarna told, to use the 'human manipulating' arts to the point of showing inhuman strength and killing people, the one who get manipulated must be a Fairy Dust addict.

It's a very intriguing story, but not a direct lead that they can use.

Matoba went back to the city police department and started relentlessly interrogating Filipino with '5-0' T-shirt.

He quickly confessed after being pressured.

He told them that they stole the fairy from a Colombian gang's car.

".....In short, we just need to press those Colombian gangsters about the fairy right?"

Tilarna got into the front passenger's seat of Cooper S and said that. This time she took her scabbard off before smoothly getting in and closed the door.

"Ah, it's roughly as you said."

"Where are those gangsters?"

"We need to locate them from here on."

Tilarna Exedilika followed him as if it's natural, get in the car as if it's natural, and then ask ask him questions as if it's natural. He's such a amicable person for going out of his way to answer her, while thinking that, Matoba suddenly accelerated the car.

"Nyuuu...."

The Semanian made strange sound again.

She kept a composed face, but she also pressed herself against the seat, eyes staring straight ahead, and hands tightly held on to her sabre.

He had been thinking since when he brought her from the Coast Guard base to the police department————

(Perhaps this girl is not good with car?)

Semani does have animals akin to horses, so they also have something like a carriage over there. But how fast can those carriages exactly go? Noway those things can do 80 km/h, they probably can't even do 50 km/h, at best they might be able to do 20 to 30 km/h. She probably doesn't have experience with speed of human world vehicles.

"I see."

Matoba mumbled and shifted to fifth gear.

As he stepped on the accelerator pedal, the supercharger roared, accelerated the car even more. He weaved left and right through the traffic, recklessly overtaking trucks and sedans on the road, leaving the sound of brake and blaring horn in his wake. He paid attention to neither traffic lights nor road signs, view outside the car windows blurred into a gust of wind.

"Suu......!"

Tilarna's fingertips that were already white, turned even whiter from clenching her sabre scabbard. Matoba glanced at her and said.

"I'm in a hurry, just tell me if you're scare."

He briefly told her so.

"S, Scare? Don't say stupid thing. You can go h.... however fast you l... like!"

Tilarna said so while watching a truck barely missed their side mirror.

"As you command. .....Right, right, we need some music in time like this."

He turned car stereo on, 80s hard rock music started loudly playing its intense beats and violent melody. He's been feeling frustrated since yesterday, but it's finally returning to normal again. It's a good feeling.

While Tilarna had to cover her ears.

"What's this noise pollution!?"

She shouted to the point of almost screaming.

"It's rock!"

"What!?"

"It's a neccessity for barbariansdorini! How's it? Interesting, right!"

Matoba shouted back while hitting steering wheel to the tune of the drums.

As they travelled from New Guines St. to Madila St., the time was already 3 p.m.

They enter the area west of San Teresa called 'Seven Miles'. The one in charge of this area is the Substation 7 of STPD, they're responsible for the area from north to south over the distance of seven miles. There're various gangs struggle for control over the area, to the point that they have to update gang spheres of influence map on a monthly basis.

In short, it's not the part of town meant for tourists.

Matoba stopped his car in front of the destination club and turned to closely look at Tilarna's pallid face.

"It really stands out."

"What's it?"

Said Tilarna with dark circles under her eyes.

"It's you. How should I put it.... you're super white, even whiter than white man. What did you eat to get this white? Your country has magic hot spring or something?"

"Don't know. I'm like this since I was born."

"Your clothes are also white. It looks really out of this world."

"Even if it's elegant, your grubby outfit is worrying."

Tilarna's tunic and cloak certainly are designed to complement each other. They look like what a 70s funk singer would wear, decorated with expressive geometric pattern. Those who are used to seeing Semanian immigrants wouldn't think it's strange or anything.

Nevertheless, it's conspicuous.

That beauty, youth, attire, everything is conspicuous. Taking this girl anywhere would only unnecessarily attract people's attention.

"Wait here. .....Even if I say that you wouldn't listen, would you?"

"Of course."

Matoba sighed.

"Then do as you please. Just try to keep some distance from me when walking. Don't want anyone to think we're friends."

"That applies to me too. Don't talk to me unnecessarily."

"Hm."

He got out of the car and headed toward the club. Tilarna distantly followed him.

The sun is still high up in the sky. Neon signs depicting cheap-looking lady legs and the club's name 'Lady Shepherd' are not turned on yet, a 'CLOSED' sign is hung on the doorknob of a glass door. When he entered the shop Tilarna muttered 『quenisba...』 behind him. It's a Farbarnian word that should have a meaning of 'awful', 'bad taste' or something like that.

As they entered the dimly lit club, a black man in suit weighing around 120 kilograms lumbered toward them. He's this club's bouncer.

"The club is open from 1700, come back lat———"

Saying just that, he noticed Matoba's sullen face.

"Oh, excuse me, samurai officer."

"Kenny, is O'Neal here?"

"He is, well, he's on the phone over there. ....that bitch over there is?"

Giant Kenny glanced at Tilarna and knitted his brows.

"Don't mind her."

"Oioi, isn't she an alien? I hate those guys the most."

"Do what you like, I'll pass."

Tilarna quickly tried to follow Matoba who had walked past Kenny, but Kenny blocked her.

"Wait, young girl."

"What?"

"It's not an issue for Mr. Motoba, but you have to wait outside."

It's getting interesting, Matoba thought.

Facing scary Kenny who's over three times her weight, what will be this girl reaction? It would be great if she's intimidated without any trouble. While he's not particularly trying to harass her, if Tilarna's intimidated by Kenny he can then say to her 'this city has that sort of guy all over the place. You better go back and wait at the department.'. That way he can be absolved from this babysitter duty.

Tilarna stood her ground, looking up at Kenny, who's much taller than her, face.

"Can't hear me, young girl? Quickly turn right and———"

Tilarna abruptly pivoted to the right, with silver light flashed from her scabbard. A gust from blade cut through the air, the clear delightful *ching* metallic sound reverberated, and the narrow bladed sabre went back to its scabbard.

"Tsu....."

Kenny stood paralysed. A moment later his necktie from the knot down separated, gently falling down to the ground.

"Turn right and then?"

"....This way, miss."

"Good."

Tilarna walked past Kenny as if nothing happened. The bouncer grumbled 'Damn, that was a 150 dollars tie you know?' openly.

"You thought I was going to cry for your help?"

Tilarna looked at Matoba's face and said so. Her eyes said more along the line of 'You're underestimating me.' than proud with herself.

"No.... Well, kinda that."

That went unexpectedly.

He thought that she would be skilful with sabre, but never thought she would be able to deal with a macho like Kenny that easily. If he judged her just from her young outward appearance, he's going to have a painful experience.

"I'm an apprentice knight of Mirvor, don't lump me together with your normal children."

"So you're aware that you look like a child."

"I... I'm just a late bloomer! Don't say something so rude!"

"Hmm."

Seems like his little scheme will end up in failure, he gives up and walks inside the club, he has some business with the club owner O'Neal.

He passed through the gap between the rows of upside-down chairs stacked on the tables, the cubicle inside had a black man in priest's cassock. That chap is O'Neal, he shaved his head like a monk, wearing a pair of round sunglasses. On the table were a laptop and stacks of 1000 dollar bills.

"....Um, that's right! It's going to be a great venture! You understand right? For 50 of those sinners' 50-inch LCD monitors to fall into our hands, that must be the will of the God. If I have to say, It's like we're on the summit of Mount Etna and———"

He talked to that point when the skinhead in priest's garb realized Matoba and Tilarna were there and softened his tone. He's probably still on business discussion about stolen goods.

".....Ah. Um, that 50 thing I was talking about, it was an analogy, it's not real. ......Ah, that's not it. .....I'll explain it to you later. The business thing is also the same, it's an analogy to most of the elements in theology. ......Ah, please have some understanding. Well, well, customer's here. May God bless you! Adieu!"

He one-sidedly cut the call and turned to look up at Matoba like nothing happened.

"Amen! I sincerely apologize, detective Matoba! Have you sensed the breath of God today? Look like lovely young lady over there is a Semanian. .....Welcome to my place of devotion! Come, take it slow, make yourselves at home. Want something to drink?"

"Looks like business's doing well, O'Neal."

That man———Bis O'Neal calmly put his phone away and sat himself up straight on the fluffy sofa. He's a self-proclaimed pastor and is involved in many shady businesses, but he's well informed on the underground world's matters, that's why Matoba frequently 'use' him as an informant.

"Nothing is well about it, saying such a bitter matter!"

O'Neal put his hand on his chest and looked up to the ceiling.

"Detective Matoba, haven't you read the newspaper? San Teresa's unemployment rate is soaring, its finance is in turmoil, even crime rate is increasing, isn't it? For the servant of God who endeavours to share burden and suffering of people in such a place, it's far from doing well!"

"Is that so? But I've heard, what? Something about 50 of 50-inch monitors or something?"

"With all due respect, that's all in your head. You're still way too young to hear and understand words of God."

"Want to talk to Substation 7's larceny department instead then?"

Matoba slammed both his hands on the table with a bang and looked through O'Neal's sunglasses.

"Hmm!"

O'Neal knitted his brows and for some reason, muttered something to himself while nodding.

"If I can be of aid to you, I'll give you what consultation I can, confession or whatever. Talk to me, do you want to hear words of light?"

"O'Neal, for me.."

Matoba grimaced.

"I hate these tiresome pleasantries and conversations going in circles the most. You may want to have a religious debate, but just leave me out of that."

"That's deeply regrettable. Ah, I hate solving problem with violence, to hear a San Teresa's peace keeper says something like this! I cannot help but say it's lamentable."

"Just shut up."

Matoba cut him off.

"I'm searching for a Colombian, probably driving the recent model of Mitsubishi Pajero. Seems like they're trading goods from the 'Gate'. A few days ago they transported or bought a 'fairy' from that side."

Matoba told him the details he heard from the surviving Filipino.

"Hou?"

"It's like this, if you know something about this, your business will thrive as your God willed. But if you don't, the 'Goddess of the Court' holding sword and scales will summon you about those splendid 50-inch monitors, understand?"

"Crystal clear, detective Matoba. But if you keep acting like that your heart will fall into Satan's hands, detective Matoba!"

"My home town believes in Tendai[1], don't know about those Satan or whatnot."

"And they say Buddhists are gentle.... I've heard that they even got driven out by heretics from other place."

"I'm being serious here, either you know or you don't, make it clear."

"Well, it's not like I don't know."

"Hou."

"The Colombians who are in and out of this 'church' are industrious and moral workers. But there're also some that come and go between here and Semani. Among them...."

"There are, right?"

"Hmm, yes. But they're a violent bunch. So I need you to guarantee something in return, because if those guys knew I was the one giving their name, they might do some unreasonable thing to this sacred sanctuary, this dazzling place of God's guidance. Particularly, can you make them unable to do their business for about a month or so?"

"In my case I would make them never come back to doing business again. Wanna see it for yourself?"

"I thought you would say so, brother!"

O'Neal mumbled and picked a white napkin up from the table, he then waved it flutteringly in front of himself.

"That's just like a dirione."

Said Tilarna in the front passenger's seat. After they got some general information from pastor O'Neal, they got back to their car and drove off.

"Dirione?"

He thought he'd heard of it somewhere before, but couldn't pinpoint it.

"Your conversation with that 'priest'. It's 'skit' in your words right? That's it. It reminded me of a unpopular dirione."

"Was it funny?"

"No, it's super boring."

"Is that so?"

Without any particular reason, Matoba turned the steering wheel and cut through the junction. It's already past 5 p.m., the sight of parched street is slowly dyed with the colour of twilight.

"That O'Neal guy, he's special. I have worked with many informants..... But that guy is quite a weird type."

"That's the case?"

"Keep this between us. O'Neal might be a criminal, but he hates killings and narcotics. Even if he sometimes organise dubious seminars or fund raising or be a middleman for questionable goods, he's still fairly trustworthy. You can't really hate him."

"I couldn't see him as anything but a petty thief though?"

Tilarna coldly said.

"Well, what you've said is not wrong."

"If that's the case, then why must you rely on that kind of guy?"

"Because it's necessary."

"I do not think so."

Semanian knight raised her voice.

"Kei Imatuba, I can tolerate your rude manner and harassments, 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do' I can understand that. But this I cannot understand. Aren't you bolice the enforcer of justice? I've heard that, unlike the military, bolice helps people and vanquishes evils. I've heard that dorinies also have warriors like that, that's why I had some hope. But this...."

Tilarna's throat made a gulping motion.

"Making a deal with criminal? Turning a blind eye to their wrongdoing? I can't believe it. Don't you bolice have any pride?"

"........."

He couldn't respond with a snicker like before. The tone of her voice was too serious to be dismissed with just the word 'naive'.

It's as Tilarna said.

Originally, police should be like that.

"It's complicated."

Matoba tried to explain.

"Helping everyone, vanquishing evils, there was a time like that, but now..... Um, it's exceedingly complicated."

"I don't understand."

"We all don't."

The car two of them were in continued running along the road.

As they speeded out of a junction, Matoba softly released the clutch. For the person who abused accelerator pedal on the way to the district to harass person in the front passenger's seat, it's a very gentle way of shifting gear.

⛌⛌⛌⚖⚔⚖⚔⚖⛌⛌⛌

↑1.A model for magazine, usually targeted at male audiences.

↑2.A sect of Buddhism in Japan.

Translator's Note

I took the liberty to change the position of illustrations relative to the text to match the scene better.

Finally done with chapter 3! This took wayyyy longer than I expected, partly due to my Christmas/New Year family trip, I was travelling and couldn't translate much. While it's a little late, I hope this year will be a great year for everyone! Thank you for your patient, see you next time!

《 Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter 》