Hello there, ITalkToSky here.
This is your double chapter. Thank you for everyone who continues to read this story. Sorry, I left all the hard-to-follow stuff to you last chapter. I just feel that it will set everything up in briefest manner possible. I don't think all of you will like a long drawn out conference and just wanted to get the plot rolling.
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The night before
"I have to say that the mansion is quite tasteful. Lisette's tone was slightly strained. "I might be able to enjoy the scenery more in other circumstances."
The garden within the gate of Scarlet Devil Mansion was truly a sight to behold. The hedges were trimmed precisely down to the millimeter. Flowers of various colors bloomed resplendently, complemented by crystal clear water in the fountain. Sitting in the marble white gazebo showered by the moonlight, the atmosphere could not be more romantic.
"The owner will surely appreciate the compliment." Lunaire smiled softly to her as if not noticing the people kneeling outside with gun-toting guards looming behind them. They all looked worse for wear, but their eyes darted around looking for anything to aid in their escape.
Lunaire had to give it to them. Lisette's followers were quite loyal and tenacious bunch. Even when captured and brought deep into the enemy's stronghold, their will persisted. From their eyes, they were prepared to throw their lives to protect their mistress. It was truly a shame that they could do little even with the best of their effort. With three Youkai magicians, layers upon layers of barriers, time altering maid and many others around, their odds were as grim as it could get.
Lunaire raised his hand as if reminded of something. "Ah, I forgot to apologize for the wait. I had quite a fruitful discussion with my compatriots about you lovely people."
It was a wait alright, Lisette thought. Starting from evening, she had been sitting in this damn gazebo until the moon was almost atop her head. Lisette kept a tight lid on her brewing displeasure. She was at the mercy of the other party, thus had no right to complain.
"Now, then, Ms. Di Avini, let me introduce the people beside me briefly. This woman to my left is Alice Margatroid…" Alice nodded curtly when Lunaire gestured to her. She did not smile as she usually does when getting acquainted with others.
"And to my right is Patchouli Knowledge." Patchouli spared not even a simple nod when her name was mentioned and continued reading her tomb uncaringly. "All of us are among the few executives in our organization."
"You may be wondering why we brought you here, into the very heart of our operation. You, in an attempt to contact our organization, mistakenly assaulted our personnel. That by itself should have botched any chance for meaningful interaction, but you have expressed a willingness to make amends. We have decided to grant you a chance to redeem yourself, though not cheap by any means. Are you with us thus far?"
"Yes, we followed you here for this very purpose."
"Excellent," Lunaire drummed his fingers and smiled bewitchingly. "Di Avini family has quite a multitude of resources available, correct? Then, I have a few tasks for you to complete by any means necessary."
"…" Lisette tried desperately to crack the façade of the silver-haired magician but failed to glean at his intent. He smiled pleasantly, yet she would not underestimate his ruthlessness. These tasks could not be anything easy, but she had no choice but to swallow. As long as she was not treated as the enemy, she had one foot in the door for negotiation at later date.
"My, don't make such a difficult face. It is not as if we are giving you our version of twelve labors. Hehe," Lunaire chuckled throatily.
"Come now Lunaire, there is no need to scare her like that." Alice elbowed him, to which Lunaire bent over in exaggerated pain. The blond properly ignored him and turned to Lisette, "your first task will be…let's see…are you up for an auction?"
Back in the conference room, Chino city, Nagano prefecture
I don't understand. Even now I still don't understand it. What is their purpose doing this?
Lisette pondered up to the very moment she pushed open the door to the conference room and still the answer eluded her.
Her presence in Japan was to gain access to the gigantic mana wellspring that cropped up in Japan. To that end, the Di Avini family was willing to pour their resources to this little island and establish their foothold. Her conglomerate and the subsidiaries would deal with the secular side, while she and her magicians worked to negotiate with the owner. Unfortunately, she made a terrible blunder that should have for all intent and purpose kept her from her prize. The most she could hope for the short term was to not makea mortal enemy of the party she offended.
Lisette was prepared to pay a hefty price for her mistake. Yet, the first task she received boggled her mind. They asked her to bid in an auction for the lease contract of their mana-rich land. Apparently, the Youkai and Onmyouji factions gathered here for this very purpose. She found that out too late, but oh well.
The organization wished to punish these two factions for blatantly sending armies into Yotsuba's territory. Even if Lisette was from another side of the globe, she knew of the Untouchable family, the one that destroyed a country that kidnapped their child. She admitted that she would react the same way. The sheer stupidity of those two deserved to be punished for it could endanger all mana magicians.
When psion magic–she abhorred to even call that magic–was discovered, its wielder was turned into living weapon. She wished to never see the same happening to the beloved craft of her family. For this very reason alone, she gladly took up the task. If they wished for her to snag the promised prize from under the very nose of those two, then so be it.
Lisette expected no return. It would be a mock bid. She may have to pay up for the bid she made, but most likely would never get the contract. This was after all a punishment for her as well. Yet, Alice shattered her expectation. Lisette had to win but would also get the contract for all that entailed.
This was not a punishment but an opportunity that Lisette would literally beg for. And it just fell onto her lap, just like that, so simply and unceremoniously. If this was an attempt to win her gratitude with mercy…it was shameful for her to admit but it was certainly working.
"Please pardon my tardiness. I hope I did not make anyone wait." Lisette put up her natural smile for the coming battlefield.
Correction, this was not worthy to be considered a battlefield. Di Avini Conglomerate was a multibillion international enterprise. The entire business, for all its massive scale, was held closely within one family. Lisette was the sole surviving member of her family, thus did not need to answer to anyone. Simply put, she was swimming in money.
"Ah, glad you could make it, miss Di Avini. Please have a seat. We are about to start."
"Please wait a minute. This auction is supposed to between only…"
"Between the two factions? Did we ever put that up in any of our previous communication?" Lunaire cocked his eyebrows. "I believe there is some confusion somewhere. We promised to guarantee a piece of land to each of you only. We are willing to grant that privilege to the two premier magical organizations in Japan, our neighbor. Yet, it is too much to expect us to reserve the auction for just the two of you. It is not in the agreement now, is it?"
"That is…" The fox tried to argue, but the word died in her throat.
Kanzashi did not bother saying anything. It was pretty much the variation of the excuse she gave when they demanded she pull back their forces. Rather than a direct retaliation against their stunt, they might plan to include other parties all along and Lunaire just said it to get back at them. Either way, it did not make the situation any more palatable. She could already imagine the outrage of the elders back at the headquarters when they heard of this.
Lisette did not need any mind reading magic to understand the sheer unwillingness and frustration from the expressions of the other two. They would get no sympathy from her.
"Are there no more objections? Good! I can't wait to get this party started already. Without further ado, let's start to get on with the bidding!" Aya cleared her throat and turned on the projector. "Behold, our first and only item in this auction. What you see on this map is a 500 square kilometers tract land, situated within our secondary barrier."
"Aya, you are going too fast," Lunaire tapped her gently. "Let me explain. We divided our territory into three separate zones, corresponding to the three barriers we constructed. The primary barrier is the smallest and encloses the core of our territory with the mana wellspring we created. As you can imagine, this is the location with the highest mana concentration. Surrounding the primary shell are the secondary and tertiary barriers, enveloping the area farther from the nexus. This obviously corresponds to the mana concentration. The secondary zone obviously was a big step up from the tertiary."
"Thank you very much, Lunaire, for your explanation." Aya clapped softly. "With much higher quality and limited quantity, our starting price will be…start the drum roll…500 million yen."
For that size, the starting price was a little lower than the average in Tokyo. It did not make stop both Kayo and Kanzashi from shifting uncomfortably in their seat. The upper echelon of both organizations pulled out all stops for this, but it probably would not be enough.
Silence reigned supreme as everyone simply glared at each other, daring one to move first. Lisette was not letting that go. "1 billion yen."
Lunaire and Reisen sucked in their breath. Living in the modern world for so long, they started to develop some sense of monetary value. It did little to prepare them when there were so many zeroes on the table though.
"Oh! How bold, 1 billion yen, is there any challenge to this bid?" Aya drummed her voice up, appearing completely unfazed by the number.
Understandably, Kayo and Kanzashi gave Lisette the stink eye in unison. The blond merely huffed, "I am merely speeding up the process."
"Then this one might as well play with you, 1.5 billion yen." For some reason, Kayo started grinning predatorily.
"1.7 billion," Kanzashi yelled. The value was very close to the amount the Onmyouji Association could scrounge up.
"2 billion," Lisette smiled pleasantly.
"2.5 billion," Kayo yelled.
Kanzashi noted at this point that the fox appeared nonplussed about the money she casually threw out. She looked pleased even. Had the Youkai secretly massing their wealth without them knowing, she wondered and quietly filed that at the back of her mind.
"3 billion"
When Lisette replied such, Lunaire's mind churned. Watching this was bizarrely entertaining, so much so that he wished he microwaved up a tub of popcorn. There was something surreal about it when the numbers in the billion were being thrown around. Yet, he wondered who he should consult about the money transfer. Such a large transaction would no doubt call the money laundering investigation down on their heads.
"3.3 billion!"
"3.5 billion!"
"3.6 billion!"
"3.8 billion!"
"Here comes 3.8 billion! Is there anything higher?" Aya cried. "Then, 3.8 billion going once…3.8 billion going twice…"
"4 billion!" Kayo shouted with taunting glee."
"4.2 billion!" Lisette countered.
Kayo shrugged but her mocking tone could be heard. "Then it could not be helped. The financial prowess of our meager organization cannot match a Di Avini like you."
At this point, it was clear to everyone. Kayo was not bidding with the expectation to win. She probably heard the surname Di Avini and realized it was a lost cause. Comparing wealth against them was the ultimate exercise in futility. Still, Kayo did not take that lying down and hiked the price up as far as she could just to stick it to the heiress.
"Oh, why thank you," Lisette replied with a smug smile, taking full pride in her wealth. The ease in which she accepted the hit made Kayo's mocking grin cramped up.
Lisette was more than willing to pay twice or thrice the amount. The worth of this little piece of land was unimaginable. Located near the heart of the most active mana wellspring on Earth, Lisette thought it a steal to be paying this little. If this auction had included more organizations around the world, the price would inevitably be much higher. Moreover, Lisette actually wanted the excuse to fork out more money if only as reparation for her mistake. The vixen's attempt was so meaningless that it just seemed so cute.
"Then 4.2 billion going once…4.2 billion going twice…sold! Congratulation miss Di Avini! Our prized contract goes to you." Aya clapped enthusiastically. Lunaire and the rabbit followed exasperatingly, wondering whether they should reign in the crow a little.
Lisette appeared to be proud of her handiwork and glanced at Lunaire as if looking for approval. He merely chuckled while shaking his head softly. Well, they got their funding. They may need a bit more from Lisette, but that was the matter for a later time.
Still, by God, that was probably the most money Lunaire had ever dealt with yet.
Scarlet Devil Mansion, Nagano prefecture
Sayaka gasped for air and coughed violently. The world blurred with chaotic colors zipping about her vision. Her head ached terribly as if someone shook her violently while she was having a migraine or a severe hangover. Annoyed with all the nonsense fed by her senses, she yanked her arm up. She wanted the squeeze down on her temple, but the violent motion of her body incited a wave of protest from her muscles. Sayaka hissed softly. Her limbs ached terribly as if she suffered a few punches from Meiling unguarded. The blur in her vision gradually cleared up.
Where was she, Sayaka wondered. Her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. It was made of wood, so she was not back at her home. She glanced toward the window. The bright sunlight filtered through the thin silk layer. Sayaka thanked whoever opened the thick curtains up. She needed the light to clear her head up.
Sayaka was lying in the most luxurious bed she had ever seen. The snow-white silk curtains were tied around the four posts, holding up the wooden canopy above. Every inch was decorated with intricate carving without being too gaudy. Even the very mattress invited her to sink into without the care in the world.
"You woke up."
The voice from the blue-haired girl snapped Sayaka out of her stupor. Her flight or fight instinct kicked into high gear, though she quickly simmered down. The girl sported a striking green cap and comically large backpack, which marked her as one of the Kappa. Sayaka could finally relax and sighed deeply, knowing that she was not captured by her enemy.
The Kappa approached the bedside and mumbled softly, "normal."
Only now did Sayaka notice the beeping machine beside her, a typical heart monitor used in any hospital. She suffered various injuries during training but never needed one of these.
"What happened to me?"
"Tranquilizer. No breathing. No heartbeat." The Kappa uttered sleepily, contrasting with Sayaka who could not be more awake after hearing those terrifying phrases.
Many questions tried forcing their way out of her lips, but the most important one bubbled out at last.
"How did I survive?"
"…Lunaire. Spell."
Sayaka had almost died. That realization struck her like a hammer and jolted back her memory. She thought she was prepared for death from many close calls she experienced in the field, yet her spine chilled at the thought of the reaper. She gulped, feeling her throat parched.
Then what happened to her team, Sayaka wondered in alarm. She struggled to her seat, but the Kappa pushed down gently on her shoulder.
"Calm," she said.
"What happened to my team? Natsuki? Aoyama?" Sayaka shrieked.
The Kappa stilled. Sayaka stared unblinkingly at her face but could glean nothing from that impeccable emotionless face. Before long, the Kappa shook her head before rummaging through her oversized backpack. Seeing that, Sayaka's eyes grew damp. Her hands balled into fists, hammering down on the soft bed. She gritted her teeth, but it was not enough to stop her anguished gasp.
The Kappa tilted her head questioningly before handing the patient a tinted bottle filled with strange pills. "One."
Sayaka was not in a state to care. Her worst nightmare came true at last. She failed and for her failure, the lives of her subordinates were forfeited. Surprising even herself, it hit her harder than her potential death. Her mind kept returning to that moment when she issued that command. Was there anything else she could have done better, she kept asking herself. Before she could spiral any deeper, the door to the room burst open.
"Leader!"
"Mibu-san!"
"Eh?"
Sayaka froze solid as like a snapshot in time. Even with the tears streaming down her face, she blinked and rubbed her eyes. The sheer disbelief could not be more obvious.
"Mibu-san! What happened? Did it hurt?" Aoyama rushed up to her, flailing about and almost dropping the fruit basket in her hands.
"N-no…y-you two are alright?" Sayaka's voice trembled.
"Thanks to you leader. But more importantly, why are you crying?"
"I-I thought you were gone. I thought I fail…"
"No! Of course not. It was I who failed you. Order or not, I left you to get away."
Sayaka shook her head. "Natsuki, you did not fail me. I ordered you to get help and you fulfilled it splendidly. Had you failed to escape or disobeyed me and doubled back, I would have died. So, there is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Abandoning you there is shameful in itself."
Sayaka wanted to argue, to tell him that it was not his fault, to tell him that there was nothing shameful about admitting his powerlessness as long as he strived to improve. Yet, she could not. Saying such a thing right now would feel like empty words to Natsuki. She knew, so much so that it hurt. Sayaka was once in the same situation. When it counted, when lives were on the line, admitting defeat meant forfeiting the ones they cherished. That sense of inadequacy and failure, she understood. Therefore, she could only pat him gently on the shoulder.
The terminal in her pocket vibrated. Alice's thought scattered from her mind and she huffed in annoyance. Silent mode or not, it was more than adequate to disrupt her focus. She once considered completely turning it off when reading, but the drawback of going radio silent kept her. Alice sighed and unfolded the monitor. Her eyebrows cocked up slightly from the name of the caller.
"Hello, Shizuku?"
"Alice-san, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon to you too. Is something up?"
"Want to go to the sea?"
"The sea? What brought this up out of the blue?"
"We are holding a gathering at my family resort in Ogasawara," Shizuku said, betraying a sign of unease. "From next Friday to Sunday."
The implication flew right over Alice but owning a resort in Ogasawara was nothing to scoff at. For the rich and mighty, owning one or two summer houses was par for the course. Buying out a private beach in Ogasawara was something else, reserved for only the wealthiest. Many critics and the envious claimed that this was a wasteful and environmentally destructive to construct resorts just to satisfy passing fancy. They ignored the fact that the buildings most likely would be constructed with the latest green technology available. But that did not stop Shizuku from feeling somewhat guilty admitting to the fact that her family owned one of these properties.
"My father said to invite my friends. He really wants to meet you and Lunaire."
"…"
"No?" Shizuku said, crestfallen. Her range of expression was highly limited, but Alice had a lot of practice with Patchouli and had no trouble picking up the clue.
Alice smiled guiltily, "unfortunately, Shizuku, both of us have some arrangement we have to see to. The Nine School Competition did not leave us much time before the school starts. It sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, truly a shame I have to miss it."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"We are finishing up Mizuki's dress."
Alice giggled, earning an understanding nod from Shizuku. If the level of detail was anywhere close to the ones appearing in the competition, it went without saying that a lot of time was needed. Even if Alice claimed she needed an entire month, Shizuku would believe her in a heartbeat.
"Lunaire is helping too?"
"A little bit here and there. Mizuki is as much his student as mine."
Technically, Alice was not lying. Lunaire did help with processing some of the raw materials. Shizuku got the idea that both were busy with Mizuki's dress, even though he was doing something else.
"How enviable to have teacherslike both you."
"Thank you. I hope you have a great time. Tell me about it some time. Probably next time, we can start discussing your dress commission."
Shizuku brightened visibly, "I look forward to it."
Alice hung up the call and sighed. Slapping her cheeks softly, she turned her attention back to the book on her lap. Before she could dive too deeply back into her readings, Alice saw Patchouli walking up to her desk. This was a rather common sight. Fitting with her title, Patchouli spent most of her waking hours in the library. Though unlike the usual, the magician walked listlessly. Her arms hung limply by her sides.
"Are you alright, Patchouli."
"Mukyuu," she groaned. "Try producing so many Philosopher's stone and you will understand."
"Ahh, I can imagine. Do you need any hand?"
Itsuwa residence, Tokyo
Itsuwa Mio hated her wheelchair. Growing up knowing the freedom to use one's own legs made it all the crueler when such a privilege was taken away. The strain of her unique magic ability drove her hormonal balance out of whack. Next thing she knew, she became a woman in her twenties but trapped in the body of a crippled and malnourished prepubescent child. For more than half a decade, she spent most of her waking moments hearing the soft electric hum of her wheelchair.
Finding joy in her life became even more difficult with the shackle of the Thirteen Apostles. She mostly passed her time alone or with her family. Outside her house, most people kept her at arm's length, not going out of their way to either antagonize or ingratiate themselves with her. Mio was a valuable existence to Japan and technically held no small sway in politics, so inviting her ire was certainly unwise. Yet, the fact that she would not have long to live depreciated her value as an ally. No one wished to forge a connection with a family that could easily fall from grace.
Apart from her selected acquaintances, she did not expect any letter addressing her directly and certainly not within a gilded envelope. She did a perfect double take when her butler presented it to her, much to his amusement. Her surprise only grew after the identity of the sender was revealed.
Shameimaru Aya
Finally, Mio could put a name to that face, well…blurry face. Only the people in her family knew about that woman, so the letter alluding to her specific autumn-theme attire roughly confirmed Aya's identity.
The content of the letter stood out as well, boldly requesting a meeting with Mio. By all rights, she should refuse. The record investigation came back squeaky clean but that did not raise the Aya's credibility by much. She seemed like a normal immigrant to Japan, one who had no business flying into her mansion that night. Besides, the reason for this meeting was left unstated. Still, Mio was curious. What could that mysterious woman want with her after leaving so abruptly?
"She is inside, Ma'am." Her faithful butler knocked on the door.
"Please enter."
The door opened and Mio blinked slightly but suppressed any outward reaction. A girl stood up from the sofa, revealing her facial features. No matter how many times she saw it on the report, Aya was very young, in her late teens at best. The way she spoke that night gave a much older impression.
"Greetings, Itsuwa-sama, please forgive me for requesting such an abrupt meeting."
"No such thing, I also truly wish to finally get acquainted with miss not-assassin as well." Mio's attempt at humor was foiled by her raspy voice, so she chuckled weakly.
Aya smiled wryly. Mio had more life in her than the last time they had met, but she knew it was merely a front. At this proximity, Aya could feel it. Mio's lifeforce certainly declined. Two-three more years, less than a decade perhaps and this woman would die. Aya could not help but feel sympathetic.
Butler shifted the furniture around to seat Mio directly across the black-haired girl when she spoke up. "How have you been, Itsuwa-sama?"
"It is as usual, Shameimaru-sama." Mio replied without meeting her eyes. "So, what is your business at our humble estate today?"
"My, this estate is already quite something to admire." Aya cleared her throat as her eyes shimmered. Mio was struck with the clarity of those radiant rubies. "I came here to propose a deal."
"A deal, with me?"
"Yes, to an extent, this deal extends to Itsuwa clan as well."
Intriguing, Mio thought. It was not every day that a common run-in-the-mill person appeared at her doorstep to propose a deal that involved her entire clan. She suspected for a moment this was an elaborate prank, but the sincerity in Aya's eyes convinced her otherwise.
"And what is the nature of this dealing."
"Before that, let me ask a question. Did you follow the recent Nine School Competitions?"
"Yes, of course." Mio gestured weakly at her legs. "Television is one of the few entertainment options available to me after all."
"Then, you might be aware of quite a few shocking rumors, yes? Like say, flying-type magic sequence and thought-operated CAD interface."
"Not only heard of it, I knew for a fact that they existed. How does this pertain to the deal?"
Nine School Competition was a public event. With those two technological marvels showcased so openly and, words tended to make their rounds quite rapidly.
"Flying spell aside, the thought-operated interface is the brainchild of a good friend of mine."
"That's a bold claim. So, you know the identity of Fortune?"
"Hehe, see for yourself." Aya grinned as presented to them two earpieces. "These are Heartfelt Engine mk. 5, a newly improved version of the one you saw during the competition. We believe it still needs one final revision before commercialization, but this is the closest we have to the final product."
After Kappa put it through the wringer, Heartfelt Engine shrunk in half. Unlike the bulky prototype Lunaire and Alice used, these ones provided even less lag between thought and CAD activation. Its tiny frame was both light and surprisingly durable. Apart from the minimalist aesthetic, the operator should find no problem with its function.
"We cannot allow you to keep them, but feel free to test them out while I am here. I am certain she would appreciate any comments and suggestions. Hmm?" Aya smiled, seeing that she caught Mio's undivided attention. "Though I believe you may be wondering why I came to you."
Mio inspected the earpiece and nodded slowly. Her first thought was that the inventor should get this patented and sell the license to a premier magic engineering company. There was no need to go out of their way to meet her.
"The answer is simple. Heartfelt Engine is quite the tasty morsel. People will go to great lengths to acquire it, whether it be the military or other private entities. Any attempt on our side to commercialize this product on our own will be marred by difficulty, I am sure."
"You are considering a startup?"
"Yes"
"I see. I do agree that many will go to great lengths to acquire this, especially from a vulnerable startup." Mio toyed with the earpiece in her hand. "Though do humor me, why is it that you are considering a startup? It should be much more sensible to patent it and auction it off to the highest bidder? The risk is much smaller, and you do not have to contend with the staggering startup cost for all the equipment and machinery required.
Aya nodded appreciatively. Mio asked the right question, raising her evaluation a little higher. "Indeed, that would be the better option normally. It is not worth establishing a firm if we only have one product in our portfolio."
"So, there is another? May I see that as well."
"Unfortunately, the product is still under development and will be unveiled at later date. The detail is highly confidential at this stage." Aya smiled disarmingly. "It is a bit much to ask you to place your trust in a product you do not even know, much less see. Please, consider only the Heartfelt Engine before you and the fact that we are rather committed to this route."
Mio rubbed her chin, chewing on her lips. The product Aya mentioned could be nothing less but extraordinary. There was no point in establishing a CAD manufacturer with only one thing to distinguish it from the rest, so this secret project should be as groundbreaking ,if not more than the Heartfelt Engine. That was a bold claim and a half.
The silence lasted briefly before she glanced up to the black-haired woman, seemingly unconvinced. "You want the Itsuwa clan to invest in the company and provide protection with our influence?
"You are correct for the latter, but we have sorted out our finances. We have confidence that our funding will last for the foreseeable future."
Mio blinked in surprise. Personally, she wished to see the length that this startup company could go to. They claimed there was more brilliance to pull out from their inventors. Even she entertained the idle fantasy of investing in a simple startup company, only for it to sprout into a colossus. Yet, family came first. Mio would not gamble with her family limited resources. Yet, Aya asked so little.
"May I ask the source of your funding?"
"We managed to secure funding from an oversea company we have connections with. It took quite a bit of favor and connections to barely make it happen. Make no mistake. After all the trouble we went through, we still must carefully manage our finances."
"Which companies might I ask?"
Aya smiled mysteriously, taunting Mio to uncover more of this enigma. "Many companies but most notably the Di Avini Conglomerate."
Hearing that, Mio's eyes widened. "Di Avini Conglomerate? The one that essentially fed the entirety of Europe during World War III? That Di Avini Conglomerate?"
"Yes, the very same."
"That sounds…quite unbelievable. Di Avini, one of the wealthiest conglomerates on the planet, owed you a favor?"
"Hehe, I am not at liberty to tell. Though it is not as unbelievable as you may think. After all, Di Avini is privately owned by the family of the same name. It is not entirely impossible that we know the head personally." Aya smiled mirthfully at the disbelief on Mio's face. "But I digress. Suffice to say that we are set financially. We only require the political support from Itsuwa to smoothen out the process."
Aya's message was clear. Since Itsuwa was not taking any risk financially in the company, there was simply no need to disclose every detail about the situation. Mio may request to see the records later to prove the legality of their funding, but otherwise had no right to know any further.
"Hmm, I see. Do you mind if I ask, why us?"
"Pardon me for saying, but it was the precarious situation of your clan that appeals to us. Unlike other clans with strong position, we believe we will get a better deal."
"Certainly, if you approached a clan like Saegusa or Juumoji, you would be swallowed whole." Mio nodded.
For the clans in stronger position, they could easily leverage their influence once Aya exposed herself to obtain Heartfelt Engine. Bringing up this topic was like presenting themselves as lambs to the slaughter. On the other hand, Itsuwa weaker strength showed the potential for a more equal alliance.
Itsuwa did not hold much influence, meaning that it was more likely for the other clan to meddle in their business. If the clan was to profit at all, they must join hands with Aya with as little fuss as possible. In short, it is in the best interest of both sides to compromise and seal the deal quickly before others caught wind of this.
"Then what is in it for us, stocks perhaps?"
Financing the entire operation was a tough sell to Itsuwa, but buying some stock was desirable. They had the engineer who created the Heartfelt Engine, so the business had potential. If it flopped, the Itsuwa clan could probably take the hit. If it survived, Itsuwa clan would profit both monetarily and by having a say in a nascent but influential magic engineering company. More resource was always a good thing when the fate of the clan hung in a balance.
"Indeed, I cannot ask for your protection for free after all. But unfortunately, what I have in mind is not stocks but an opportunity," Aya giggled softly. "Excuse me for digressing. Please do humor me. It is to my knowledge that Itsuwa clan owns a decently sized ocean freight shipping company. Your father also managed it as the CEO, am I correct?"
"Yes, you are."
Aya smiled conspiratorially. "Then, do you think he will…perhaps…be interested in dealing with Di Avini Conglomerate? This is unrelated to me, but the head is beginning to show more interest in the Far East. They expressed the desire to expand their selection of goods and services in Asia. There are certainly many things to be shipped."
"Is this information accurate?"
Aya smiled. "Yes, very, heard from the very lips of the head of Di Avini family herself."
Mio maintained her face of calm while she organized her thoughts. The Di Avini Conglomerate reaching into Japan was not necessarily a bad thing. The government would be extra careful with their dealings while reaping as many economic benefits from new business opportunities. This meant great things for Itsuwa's shipping company as well.
"And you believe you can help us snag a contract? It is not the most unbelievable claim you have made today." Mio's eyes searched for any sign of deceit.
"In exchange for your protection of our startup company, we are willing to arrange a personal meeting with the head of Di Avini Conglomerate." Aya bared her Cheshire grin. "I am sure that your father can make the most use of that opportunity."
"An opportunity for protection, that is a little unfair, isn't it?"
"My, how greedy…but I suppose that is reasonable. We cannot expect the Itsuwa's protection if the deal fell through. However, what if I say that the current head owes us not a small favor."
"A favor large enough to move a conglomerate," Mio cocked her eyebrows.
"As long as the deal is within reason, I can ensure that the heiress accepts it." Red eyes bore straight into Mio's own, shocking the woman with their intensity. "Though I urge you to aim for long-term mutual benefit. Even I don't have enough sway to make her continue taking losses for long."
Mio did not bother asking for proof. It would be difficult to find convincing evidence in a situation like this, which made thedecision so hard to make. Mio pursed her lips.
"So, let me reiterate our proposition, Itsuwa-sama. In exchange for your political support in setting a new magical equipment manufactory, we will arrange a deal between your family and Di Avini Conglomerate. As a sign of good faith, we are willing to fulfill our term of the negotiation before the deal comes into effect."
Mio's expression immediately lightened. Without the worry of having to fulfill her part of the bargain for essentially nothing, agreeing to the proposal would not hurt her clan in any way. Her father would certainly appreciate this windfall. That begged the question, however.
"Isn't that quite risky?"
"Do not worry. Di Avini head is helping us to repay her debt. If the Itsuwa clan reneges on the promise, they will be quite happy to pull out." Aya announced with finality.
It was a ridiculous claim. From everything she had said so far, it was as if Aya had a great degree of control over Di Avini head's actions. Still, if she could arrange for the conglomerate to forgo some profit by dealing with Itsuwa directly, rather than by auctioning their contract, Mio found it quite believable.
"I see. Will you be willing to give us some time to consider?"
"One week is the maximum we can give you." Aya raised her hand when Mio was about to protest. "Our preparation for the construction is in the final phase. The building plan is approved, and the purchasing contracts are signed. We are already too deep to stop. Hence, we need your confirmation quickly or we will be forced to implement our contingency plans."
"And these plans are?"
"That is something I cannot disclose."
"You are an enigma to the very end, aren't you? Then, please entertain one last question from me."
"What will that be?"
"Do you hold any intention against the interest of Japan?" Mio's eyes sharpened noticeably. The tension in the air was palpable. "You have to pardon my suspicion. The Itsuwa clan is in decline, but we are no traitors."
"I assure you that we have nothing to gain endangering the wellbeing of this country. If that is our goal, there are simpler ways. This country is our home and I will do my part to see that no harm comes to it." Aya met the withering glare without even flinching.
Mio felt the unyielding resolve behind those words. She did not understand the reason, but it assured her somewhat. That did not mean that she would let off on the observation, however. Words alone could seldom be trusted.
"Very well, Shameimaru-sama. I have to admit that you dropped quite a surprise on me."
"Believe me that I wished to be more subtle." Aya groaned and muttered under her breath. "If only those troublesome children…"
Mio did not quite catch those words as she busied herself trying to find way to break it to her father. It was not every day that a random not-assassin dropped by with a delicious business deal with multinational conglomerate.
"I have to say. I did not expect this when I received your letter, Shameimaru-sama. While it is unfortunate that I cannot give you a prompt acceptance, I assure you we will seriously consider it."
"That is the most I can ask for, Itsuwa-sama."
August 31, 2095
"What is, Onii-sama. You are making such a difficult face."
Tatsuya snapped out of his stupor. The smell of roasted coffee beans wafted through the air, along with the sweet scent of butter cookie. The crease on his temple eased up. He nodded thankfully when Miyuki handed him his mug.
Miyuki sat down expectantly beside him. Her eyes seemingly containing all the worry in her world, egging him on to divulge all his worries. He was about to say it was nothing, soothing her, but the words were stuck in his mouth. Something told him that she would hardly appreciate his evasiveness and needless coddling, at least at that moment. That something was probably the closest thing to men's intuition.
Tatsuya stared into her eyes and saw unyielding firmness. At last he chose the smart option of relenting and offered the magazine in his hand to his beloved sister. Miyuki smiled softly but soon tilted her head in puzzlement when she received it.
"Advertisement…an introduction to Atelier de Dandelion? No, Dantalian?" Miyuki mumbled, humorously butchering the name the first time.
That embarrassment aside, the name gave her the mental image of a fancy pâtissier or upscale café, though that could not be the case. Tatsuya would never be caught dead reading magazine featuring those, unless in exceptional circumstances like planning for her special occasion. Miyuki peered down at the page and two words in bold jumped out at her.
Heartfelt Engine
The little toy that Lunaire was so coy about, Miyuki thought. Then again, her brother held a considerable amount of interest on it, so it was worth something. The advertisement took up two entire pages. On one side, it showed the image of the gadget, which underwent a significant degree of improvement since the last time she saw it. The bulky frame was replaced with smooth curves and shrunk down to the size comparable to a large earpiece. On the right were the various technical specifications. For the most part, it seemed quite sound to her.
"What is the problem with it, Onii-sama? Are these specifications exaggerated?"
"I cannot say for sure without the item in my hand, so I will refrain from making judgement. However, the problem is not there." Tatsuya pointed to the name of the company. "Do you recognize the name of the company? As far as I know, there is no CAD manufacturer named Atelier de Dandelion. I don't believe that fake company will get through the screening, so it is most likely a startup.
"This is probably an attempt by that engineer to capitalize on his invention…though it is most peculiar. There is certainly a much better way to go about it. Starting an entire business around one single product is more than risky." Miyuki offered.
"Not just one product," Tatsuya pointed to the bottom of the page. "They are launching two new lines of CADs, Philosophie series generalized-CAD and Mystery series specialized-CAD. The funding has to be ginormous to start this from the ground up."
"Could this just be a simple rebranding? Buying up a complete CAD from another manufacturer, modify it here and there, and then sell it as a companion for the thought-operated interface?"
"Possible but I do not understand the reasoning. Why is it that the inventor chose this instead of a much more lucrative method available, like selling the engine production license to other manufacturers?" Tatsuya shook his head resolutely. "There needs to be benefit somewhere."
"Onii-sama, you are saying that this…Fortune, if I recall correctly, wants to create a company for some reason even if she has let go of some profit." Miyuki's face frowned, now beginning to catch on.
"Not just letting go of profit but she is willing to risk taking some losses as well. Not only that, but it also implies that Fortune has access to large amounts of funding to even attempt this." Tatsuya craned his neck up. His blue eyes stared deep into Miyuki's. "The very same individual that Lunaire and Alice are acquainted with."
Miyuki gasped, "my…"
"From all the records we have pulled, both have no noteworthy connection to the wealthy or the powerful. They are, documentation wise, a perfectly normal immigrant. Yet, we now know that their acquaintance, whom they are close enough with to be given free rein over the experimental prototype, is either very wealthy or well connected."
Tatsuya made it his top priority to ask Lieutenant Fujibayashi to investigate the registration detail of this company. With any luck, they would be able to find some details on Fortune or her close confidant and whatever connection she used to set up her business. At the same time, it would be another avenue to unravel the veil around the Lunaire's and Alice's identity.
"They must have been preparing for a long time. It is surprising how quickly they followed up after the engine's debut at the competition."
"Atelier de Dantalian, is it? I will remember the name." Miyuki mumbled softly.
Tatsuya smiled, though with genuine interest this time. "It will be interesting to get my hands on the Heartfelt Engine as well. I wonder what principles it operates under. It is remarkably effective. If it can perform a fraction of what Alice and Lunaire showed…I wonder where they will release it."
Miyuki sighed exasperatingly. When the topic of CAD engineering came up, her brother could be quite zealous. It was one of the few things in life that Tatsuya truly chose for himself.
"Excuse me for calling so late."
"No, this much is nothing. Though, it will be nice if you can somehow convince the higher ups to give me overtime."
"As I kept saying, our line of work is not entitled to overtime. It should be in the fine print somewhere." Tatsuya joked.
The delicate woman on the monitor smiled amiably, though it looked a little strained. Tatsuya notified her that he would be calling, so Kyouko was still wearing her dress shirt. She still had appearance to maintain even for an informal video call. Tatsuya felt a little guiltier, having to keep her from bed for a somewhat personal matter.
Yotsuba's affair was separate from the work of 101 magic-equipped battalion apart from some issues, so Kyouko had no obligation to indulge him at this hour. If not for the fact that he needed the information quite urgently, he would not have disturbed her. This was the end of the month. At any moment, Maya could come knocking over the phone. It would be a little awkward having nothing at all to say about the most recent development.
To be fair, Tatsuya prepared a lot to reports on Lunaire and Alice, about the capability exceeding Miyuki in certain areas and how the other clans were already making moves to obtain him. Maya would certainly be very interested in the weaving technique that could somehow retain psion in a loop, keeping the enchantment on all the time without the heavy drain. Those should be enough to keep Maya off his back for the moment, but the preparation was a habit of his.
"Woe is me. But I guess it is fine. I had fun looking up their information and I have to say you dug up an unusual find…to say the least. You don't know how many rabbit holes I dived through in this investigation." Kyouko made a gesture and different holographic panels sparked into existence.
For some reason, Tatsuya felt instinct screaming at him in alarm that the coming discussion would be most unpleasant. This puzzled him. What could be so bad about looking into one company, Tatsuya thought in amusement.
"For you to say such, I don't know what to expect."
"Oh, I am sure it will blow your mind from start to finish." Kyouko glanced sideways to her notes. "Atelier de Dantalian is the name of a company to be registered as a magic equipment manufacturer. The application for registration was submitted on August 21, 2095. The status was pending, but as we speak is in final approval stage."
Tatsuya stood at ease with his arms crossed behind his back. If he had been holding something at that moment, he would have dropped it in shock. That was a mere ten days ago that Atelier started their document submissions and they already got to the final step. The bureaucracy had been streamlined significantly since the last century, but it still should have taken at least a month.
"There was nothing unusual in the application itself. The documentation required was completed to a tee. But obviously, someone fast-tracked their application."
"Someone who can fast-track the application that much has to be very high up."
"They are indeed, but their names are not important." The screen scrolled up a few pictures that Tatsuya more or less recognized in the political landscape. "It is the person behind them that we should focus on. To my surprise, it was the Ten Master Clan, specifically the Itsuwa clan."
"Itsuwa?" Tatsuya's eyebrows rose ever higher. "From what I know, they are not a particularly influential clan. They must have flexed all their muscle to do this."
"Yes, they have outdone themselves. I cannot answer the reason they are willing to do so much for a mere startup. There was no electronic trail to follow, absolutely nothing. It was as if one day, Itsuwa decided randomly it wanted to fast track this one company."
Tatsuya nodded. For dealings of this type, it would be entirely on paper or the word of mouth, not electronic. It would be unfair to expect Kyouko to dig those up within a few hours he had given her. If he wanted to know for sure, Tatsuya knew a certain school counselor that could help.
"Fascinating…" Tatsuya mumbled.
"Hold your horses, I am not done yet, not by a long shot." Kyouko took pleasure in seeing Tatsuya being so confused. 'What could be more surprising' was written clearly on his face. "As you can imagine, you will need a lot of capital to start a company in the magic industry. From their newest announcement about their own line of CAD, this goesdoubly so. Advance machineries, chemical reagents, clean rooms and many more are needed to assemble them."
Tatsuya held his hands up. "Please wait. Those will not be necessary if they simply modified CAD with existing parts and rebranded them…"
"No, Tatsuya-kun. I thought of that, but the findings disagree."
Tatsuya stared with muted silence after hearing her confidently refuting his thought. Kyouko could see his jaws slacking. She could see his eyes almost begging her to give him a straight answer, just like her when she was searching.
"I tracked down one of the names involving the company and found a large volume of transactions. It was difficult, but I managed." Kyouko glossed over her exploits that might raise some eyebrows on the public relations department, if not the legal. "Those transactions were large purchasing orders for machinery, the ones needed for CAD manufacturing. It should be around one or two assembly lines, but I don't have to tell you how much those cost. And they purchased them upfront with a wired transfer."
"…Is that even legal?" Without the context, Tatsuya would believe it if they were discussing one of the operations of some triad or mafia.
"From my cursory view, everything seemed legitimate, if highly expedited. The companies selling them are internationally recognized. The processes went through all the proper representatives. The product should be authentic. By the end of this week, everything should arrive in their facility in Yokohama." Kyouko shrugged helplessly.
"My word…and when did this happen?"
"Within the past ten days…"
"…Just where did they get the money?"
Tatsuya's jaw dropped for real, a very rare sight even for his sister to witness. Kyouko would have laughed uproariously if she did not sport that very same gobsmacked expression a few hours ago. She had to admit though. She was very tempted to take a picture as blackmail material later.
"That is exactly what I wondered too. Atelier de Dantalian is registered as a privately held company, so the number of shareholders is quite small. It was easier to investigate, but as always, nothing is ever easy.
"Just who are they? Itsuwa?"
"No…they are just regular people." Kyouko grimaced as she delivered yet another answer that defied the common sense.
"…"
"They are just regular civilians, immigrants to be precise. All of them should have no business dealing with such a massive stream of money."
Tatsuya squeezed his temple and massaged it. He tried to organize his thoughts, but all these puzzle pieces refused to come together. Each of these findings would warrant a full investigation. Seeing all of them in one place just boggled his mind. Who planned this and why, he lamented.
"A puppet then, for a foreign power? But why? If they wanted to infiltrate this country, they could have started anything else less eye-catching. The magic industry can almost be considered a part of national defense. Doing this is like a red flag to all government investigation bodies."
For once, Tatsuya doubted himself. He could not make heads or tails of the situation. It sounded like a classic espionage strategy, opening a firm in the target country as a legal channel to smuggle in spies. But there were way too many red flags. It was as if they were not attempting to hide. It had to be. It was nigh impossible for anyone in the espionage business to expose their operation so thoroughly like this. But if they were not hiding, that would be the very antithesis of spying.
"Now, I think you understand me. You dug up a highly unusual find."
Tatsuya grunted softy. "Can you trace the source of the money?"
Once again, Tatsuya saw Kyouko flashed him a look of sympathy and prepared himself. He knew that the answer would be as mind-numbingly confusing as the previous one. The puzzle pieces piled up ever higher, yet Tatsuya was not even a step closer to placing the entire image together.
"Yes…it came from Di Avini Conglomerate, who is not one of the shareholders."
"What?" Tatsuya's eyes flickered. "Di Avini Conglomerate? Like…like the one who deals with the food and biotech industry? From Europe? Them?"
Kyouko squeaked, "yes…"
Oh no, Kyouko thought. Just for the briefest moment, she somehow broke Tatsuya.
Research and Development Department
Summary Report of CAD Development Project Philosophie
September 1st, 2095
It is done. The final revision of the Philosophie series CAD is finally completed.
And I am afraid.
The Kappas outdid themselves. Their handiwork is a marvel to witness. It might be very fitting to revise the saying of German efficiency to Kappa efficiency. I do not know how they eked out the most out of every component, but they did it. The system is both stable and cost-effective to manufacture.
Speaking of the cost, my proposal to dilute the Philosopher's stone to reduce the manufacturing cost and efficacy of the crystal succeeded. I found that dilution by a tenth with the original induction stone material, chemically crystalized cloned human neurons, is best. This technique also reduced the required stone mass to a tenth, resulting in a whopping one hundredth times less Philosopher's stone per CAD. Overall, the technique fulfills all the goals and more. So much more.
Philosopher's stone is considered a pure substance or as some considered, perfect. However, the saying goes that there is beauty in imperfection. This statement cannot be truer for the core of the Philosophie series. Rather than reducing the efficiency of the induction stone, the impurity amplified it to a vast degree. The overall performance is still worse compared to the pure form, but vastly better than the one-hundredth reduction of Philosopher's stone used would suggest.
It is highly unexpected, yet theoretically makes sense. Patchouli-sama utilizes this principle quite extensively. Philosopher's stone in its purest form contained no elemental affinity, thus way more valuable and versatile. Yet, it is far simpler and quicker to dope the material for the required application. For example, adding flame affinity to the stone will make it a more potent catalyst for fire spells. It is very astonishing but reasonable that the principle holds true with the induction stone. When the philosopher's stone is diluted with a material that was specifically designed to translate electrical to psionic signal, the resulting product does it job spectacularly well.
Yet, that is not all. If it is, I will not have a second thought of releasing this to the public. At one point, I thought this thing should not even see the light of day.
This starts with my personal CAD, outfitted with the newly crafted crystal. I tested the system extensively throughout the project and made it a habit to tune it every so often. It is then that I started noticing a shift in the attunement setting. Metaphorically, it is like a tuned violin that grew increasingly off tuned as time goes on. I must constantly adjust the setting to match the new value. I did not notice anything strange about it. CAD is like any other precision tool and needs regular maintenance for peak performance.
It was when I look closely into the data that I finally got a clue. Ever since the modification, most performance parameters slowly crept upward, especially the invocation speed. It started off gradually at first, a few milliseconds shaved off. But the difference gradually grew till the point that my standard simple spell invocation time dropped by about 34 milliseconds from the beginning, a few weeks prior. That is a tremendous improvement. Such difference seems very meager, but the measurement applies to simpler spells. If the calculation load is pushed up by say, trying to cast Niflheim, then the performance difference will be vast on a scale of a few hundred milliseconds. That is the difference between B-rank and A-rank magicians.
I tried finding the cause by replacing the induction stone with the freshly synthesized one. The performance data matched with her initial value. Yet, the trend showed up again. The invocation time was shortened, and the interference strength crept upward. In a sense, the CAD is becoming better the more I used it.
The attunement setting drift and the increase in performance hint at something unimaginable. The crystal is adapting to my unique psionic waveform. This is unheard of. It is groundbreaking. Rather than one-size-fits-all clothing that never perfectly matched anyone, it actively assimilates with the user's size and effectively become their specially tailored suit. The induction stone imprints on the user and becomes their very personal ideal instrument.
It is quite romantic, like the many tales of a magical instrument capable of growing along with its user, but also terrifying. No one will notice it at first, but people will catch on as time goes by. When they do, there will be blood. The performance that far outstrips any competition is already salivating enough. Every major power in the world will be whipped into a frenzy over this.
And I am not done with this, not by a long shot. The Philosopher's stone content is merely a hundredth of the maximum amount. There is room for optimization by playing with the mixture ratio. There is even a possibility of mixing different elements of the Philosopher's stone. I dare not fathom the power within a fully optimized and attuned crystal. If only a mere fragment on Philosopher's stone can do this, what else can it possibly do?
I urge you to consider this matter very carefully. Philosophie series is no longer a mere CAD. It is a device that under any other circumstance will be considered a relic, a magical artifact that cannot be replicated by the technology of the current era. And we can manufacture these things in the thousands, nay, tens of thousands if we so choose. This is a matter of grave importance that can single-handedly tip the power balance of our world.
Second Research Section Head
Kirika Kirin
00000
And there you go.
I hope the end gets you excited about what is to come. I got this idea out of the blue and feel that it is the long await payout in the story, the feel-good moment. I know it is quite cruel to leave you with this and then expect you to sit tight until the Philosophie series is announced, but I did it anyway. It just fits.
