part 2 will be either tomorrow or day after that.
{Chapter 4} Mathew’s daughter Nina
Part I
The military jeep that Gwen was driving approached the center of the city of Minra.
It was the second city after arriving in Miramar. Hiroto was looking out the window with great interest.
In comparison, Mizuho and Marion were quiet, perhaps tired from the battle.
Minra is not as big as Yangla. The streets didn’t look as lively as Yangla’s, but as it was Hiroto’s first time abroad, everything looked fresh and new, and he thought idly that maybe he could take a walk later.
Gwen told them that Mathew’s residence was located at the northernmost end of the north-south avenue that they were now driving along.
(It’s definitely smaller than Yangla, but it still seems to have a decent population. The roads are much better than I expected, and the streets are laid out in a grid pattern, so I don’t think I’ll get lost. Oh, there’s even a cafe! A café in a hotel. …… Umm? Hmmm??)
“Haaah—hmm!?”
Inside the quiet car, Hiroto suddenly shouted out loud.
Gwen, Mizuho, and Marion were startled and almost turned over.
“W-What’s going on!? Hiroto.”
“Is something wrong!?”
“What’s the matter? An Enemy!?”
“Ah, ……, S-sorry. I just saw someone who looks exactly like my acquaintance and I was surprised, but I think I have the wrong person.”
“Hey ……, don’t startle me, Hiroto! I’m exhausted.”
“Hiroto-san, this is Miramar. I don’t think there would be anyone you know here. ……”
“I’m really sorry.”
Mizuho and Marion were resting and complained to Hiroto, who had raised his voice.
Even Gwen let out a sigh, and Hiroto quickly became uncomfortable in the car.
But …….
(That was not a mistake. Because that guy was waving his hands! Mizuho-san and Marion-san are here, you know! What are you going to do if you’re found out!)
Hiroto growled in a whisper, wandering.
“You came all this way~! Already! Gaston hah!”
Hiroto was puzzled by the behavior of his troublesome friend.
In front of the car carrying Hiroto and his friends, a large wall and gate that seemed to belong to Mathew’s mansion came into view. There were several soldiers stationed in front of the gate, keeping an eye on the area.
Mathew was now the greatest political enemy of Kaliguda’s military dictatorship in Miramar. In fact, Kaliguda has sent out ability user assassins after him.
It’s only natural that they would have this level of security.
“We have arrived. This is His Excellency Mathew’s residence.”
After checking at the gate, Hiroto nodded as Gwen said so.
However, the site was larger than he had thought, and he couldn’t see the mansion at all. It must be through the trees that now spread out in front of him, Hiroto thought.
“Then let’s go to the front door.”
As expected, they passed through a vast garden through trees that could almost be called a forest, and a large western-style mansion appeared at the back of the garden. It looked a bit like a guesthouse.
Several cars were already parked in front of the entrance, carrying Mathew himself and the leaders of Mathew’s troops, so Gwen stopped the car behind them.
“Okay, everyone, please get out. My job’s done here, so I’m sure the housekeeper will show you around.”
“Thank you very much, Gwen-san.”
Hiroto thanked her, and Mizuho and Marion, behind him, also expressed their gratitude.
“No, no, what are you talking about? If it weren’t for you guys, we wouldn’t be here right now. You can’t thank us for something like this.”
After saying that, Gwen saluted Hiroto and the others and went back to the car.
As soon as they got their luggage and approached the front door, they were greeted by an elderly man who appeared to be the butler and a group of young women dressed in traditional Miramar clothing.
“Excuse me for this. I am Arokaune, in charge of everything in this mansion. I apologize for keeping you waiting, but we had a lot of guests arrive at once. With Shitenji-sama and Surian-sama, ……, eh, a male guest, right? You can leave your luggage here. I’ll show you to your room.”
(Ah, only my name didn’t come across. ……)
Hiroto smiled unconcernedly, but aside from Mizuho and Marion, Hiroto’s luggage was small, just a sports bag, so he tried to refuse.
“Ah, I am okay you see? This is the only luggage I have.”
“”””EH!?””””
The moment Hiroto said this, the young women servants paled with shocked expressions on their faces.
And then their eyes moistened as if filled with despair,……, and they began to sob, folding their knees and leaning their weight on each other’s shoulders.
“Eh ehhh!! What is this!? Is it me? Is it my fault? Did I just say something bad?”
Hiroto turned to Mizuho and Marion in surprise.
Then Marion told him with a bitter smile.
“Hiroto-san, it seems that in Miramar, you can’t refuse this kind of work.”
“Eh? Is that so?”
As Hiroto turned around and said so.
“Ohh, you guys! You poor guys~!”
Arokaune was crying along with the servant girls.
Moreover, Hiroto feels that the voice is louder than necessary …….
“Hiroto, give up and leave it to these people. Apparently, in this country, refusing to work for someone means reducing their workload. Reducing the number of jobs is directly related to reducing the number of people. That’s why someone like Hiroto would be a nuisance.”
From the expression on Mizuho’s face, she must have been confused at first. It’s a bit of an extreme idea, but if it’s part of your country’s culture, you might as well follow it.
Hiroto agreed and retracted his earlier words to the servants who were still crying.
“Ah! I still want you to carry it! Well, this is all the luggage I have.”
“”””……””””
The crying stops for a moment, but there is no response. Then the crying starts again.
“”””Uwaaaah!””””
“Y-you guys~!”
“Huh!? There’s no change! Why?”
“You idiot, it’s the way you phrased it.”
“My phrasing?”
“Ah, Hiroto-san, when you requested for the luggage, you said it as if it was not a big deal. That can also mean that the work is easy and doesn’t require much.”
“Eh!?”
When Hiroto turned his attention to the servants, they all glanced at him for a moment.
(Uhh, it’s a pain in the ass.)
“Oh my god, can you take care of this annoying luggage? My shoulders are so stiff and I can’t help it~. I shouldn’t have brought so much stuff with me!”
“””” With pleasure! Dear Guest! “”””
The three servant girls carry Hiroto’s only sports bag with big smiles on their faces at his barbed lines.
Arokaune then bowed with a crisp posture.
“Then this way …….”
Hiroto and the others were finally shown to their respective rooms.
(Is this country okay? . In a different way.)
Marion explained with a wry smile when she saw Hiroto’s dry expression.
“This custom or way of thinking in Miramar is only for those who work as servants, and it seems to have faded away in the city.”
Hiroto nodded his head and felt relieved after hearing Marion’s explanation.
◆
“Dang it, you came all this way! Mizuho-san and Marion-san are here as well! You know that, don’t you? You know what will happen if they find out.”
“Well, well, Master. Please calm down a bit.”
Right now, Hiroto was lecturing Gaston in the room he was led to.
After being guided to the guest room and getting the servant girls to put the sports bags on the luggage rack, Hiroto exaggeratedly thanked them, just in case, and the servants smiled and left.
After confirming that the door was closed Hiroto could finally calm down and turned around to see Gaston sitting on the bed with his legs crossed and a smiling face.
“I can’t calm down. Gaston is always, always! Doing everything dangerous! Don’t you dare try to make me feel better.”
“Don’t say that Master, just listen to me. I’ve got some great information for you.”
“Information?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, as expected it was a dangerous bridge. ……”
“Master Hiroto, this country called Miramar may no longer be viable, you know?”
Gatson changed his tone and said with a serious face.
“…… Eh? Gaston, that was out of the blue. I’m sure there’s some danger of civil war, but isn’t that a bit of a leap? I mean, depending on what General Mathew says in his speech to the UN, it could be ……”
“It’s not that, Master. That is not what I am talking about.”
Hiroto shut his mouth to Gaston’s serious face.
Gatson has constantly looked after Hiroto’s well-being for him. It could have been dangerous, so he always cautioned him.
But this was the first time that Gaston had given him information with such an urgent look on his face.
“Gatson ……, tell me. What information did you gather?”
“Yes. This is a bit of a long story if you don’t mind?”
“Yeah, ……, please.”
“Well, let me start by telling you about two men who are trying to change Miramar for the better.”
“That’s …… one is of course General Mathew and ……”
“Yes, and the other is Prime Minister Guaran, the number two military leader.”
“……!?”
Hiroto was surprised by the unexpected name Gaston gave him.
“Wait a minute, Gaston. I don’t get what you’re saying. Those two are enemies …….”
“Please listen to me. Mathew-san and Guaran-san have falsified some of their past lives and affiliations. It is not easy to do this in developed countries, but it is common in developing countries like Miramar, where military factions still exist. As you can see, they didn’t bother to falsify their birthplace, though.”
Hiroto raised an eyebrow at Gaston’s story.
“It’s true that Prime Minister Guaran’s birthplace is the village next to Minra,……, but then General Mathew and Prime Minister Guaran are …….
“Yes, they were very close friends …… since childhood.”
“Eh …… Ha! Then, what about Miramar’s current state!?”
The two best friends are in the highest echelons of their respective organizations. So, Hiroto could see a possibility.
“As expected of you Master, you are very perceptive. Yes, these two likely made it up.”
Gaston nodded and smiled at Hiroto.
“The two of them have known each other since childhood and were both soldiers in the 5th Division, which had jurisdiction over this Minra region. There are traces of their having been in the same unit when they were young. And as Guaran-san rose through the ranks, Mathew-san’s name was always mentioned as someone who would come into conflict with him, and when Guaran-san was disliked, Mathew-san’s popularity rose in proportion.”
“That’s …….”
“I think it’s safe to assume that they’re completely behind this, mister. The two of them are commoners who do not come from famous families. I don’t even know why they thought of such a big deal. But there was a woman who was deeply involved with them. I think that woman may have something to do with it.”
A woman …… Hiroto had a thought.
An existence that influences the two heroes of Miramar.
It sounds like a cliché, but how much weight did this woman’s presence in history have on the heroes who remain famous to this day, though.
“That woman would be ……?”
“Her name’s Sunaina, and she’s from Minra.”[TN: Her name’s Sonain(ソーナイン) it sounded weird so I changed it, preferred Sunaina cause it’s a proper name that I know, and better than Sonaina, so any suggestion is appreciated]
“And ……, where is she now?”
“She’s dead.”
“……”
“There were several pro-democracy movements in Miramar over a decade ago. Well, it seems that at the root of it was criticism of the regime due to poverty, and at that time, the army was sent to suppress it. ……”
Hiroto’s expression was darkened by Gaston’s serious talk.
“So General Mathew and Prime Minister Guaran…… they were both in the army that killed that woman”
Gaston paused for a beat and looked at Hiroto, whose face had turned serious.
“And in the process of getting this information, I noticed something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes, no matter how I look at it, Mathew-san has never been married. On the contrary, there was a flicker of a woman in Guaran-san’s life when he was younger. And apparently, that woman also gave birth.”
After hearing this story, Hiroto opened his mouth, as expected.
“That’s strange. I was told that General Mattoo had a daughter……. Uhmm? No way, Gaston, this woman who flickered with Prime Minister Guaran would be.”
“Yes, it’s Sunaina-san. And the child that was born was a girl,……, and Guaran-san is technically childless. So, that means ……”
Hiroto’s face became tinged with astonishment.
“No way! General Mathew is raising Prime Minister Guaran’s daughter as his own!”
Gaston nodded broadly.
“I believe there is no doubt about it. Mathew-san and Guaran-san have such a deep relationship. And the woman who straddles the two of them, Sunaina-san. Also, Mathew-san is raising a baby girl who seems to be the daughter of Guaran-san and Sunaina-san. Considering all this, I think the two of them deliberately divided into two forces that divide this Miramar and are working towards a single goal.”
“They want to free this country from the tyranny of the military regime and make it a country of the people. ……”
Hiroto speculated on what they were thinking.
“No, not exactly, Master. Actually, Mathew-san is talking about democratization, but he seems to see it as just a means.”
“…you mean?”
“It’s not that the country should be a democratic one. The point is that if the country is not prosperous, a change in the political system will not mean much to the people.”
“Surely……. that would be so. If the country itself remains poor, it might just give birth to a second or third General Kaliguda.”
(Same was true for the country in the demon world ……)
“That’s right. Guaran-san and Mathew-san both know that. So it seems that the purpose of democratization is to attract investment from developed countries in a big way. In fact, the subordinates dispatched by Mathew-san seem to be informing each nation of this fact. When he replaces the closed military regime, he will open up the market. …… As I say, it was by flaunting it to the major powers that we got the whole UN speech thing.”
“I see. …… As long as the military regime is oppressive to the people, the United States, Japan, and other developed countries will always refrain from investing in the country. But if you promise democracy and show a solution to the human rights problem, all countries can invest with open arms.”
“It’s as you said, Master. According to my investigation, Miramar is poor and its infrastructure is underdeveloped, but it has a population of 60 million. If they invest in infrastructure, there is no way that global companies won’t take notice of their cheap labor. In addition, more than 90% of the population is devoutly Buddhist, and the country is highly regarded for its seriousness of character.”
Hiroto was surprised to find that Gaston had analyzed the situation to this extent.
“Gatson ……, you’ve become something amazing, haven’t you? Even so …… the two of them are fighting for their lives to make this country richer ……? So it must have been General Kaliguda who hired the assassin. Going by this information, there is no way Prime Minister Guaran would do it.”
“Yes, it is. It was probably the sole decision of Kaliguda-san, who was afraid of Mathew-san. According to the story, he is a small-minded man. And, Master, I’m growing up, too. I’m not going to live indifferent to my surroundings forever.”
When Hiroto heard Gaston’s words about growing up, he felt a little happy for some reason.
“Hahaha, this is not a line from a guy who has been alone for 1500 years. So, Gaston, the daughter that Mathew-san is raising is …….”
“Yes, her name is Nina, and she’s in this house right now.”
“……!”
“And, Master, there is another thing. It’s the main point I was trying to tell you.”
“How far has Gaston ……”
“Is there anything else you wish to tell me, sir? You just tried to give me a sermon, M.a.s.t.e.r.”
Hiroto could not hide his bitter smile.
“Thank you, Gaston. I appreciate you doing all this investigation for me.”
Gatson looked truly happy at Hiroto’s words of gratitude.
“Fufuh.”
“But, as a friend, I want you to put yourself first if you think you’re in danger, a must.”
“I-I know, Master.”
“Hmm……. So what’s the main topic?”
“The identity and purpose of the enemy ability users that Kaliguda-san hired for help.”
“……!”
Gatson presented another unexpectedly important piece of information.
“Master …… it seems that Kaliguda-san has drawn some ridiculous people into this country.”
“…… outrageous people?”
“Yes, these are the people who could destroy this country if things go wrong.”
“That’s …… no way.”
He understood that Gaston’s ability to gather information was high because of his skills, but his story sounded too outlandish to Hiroto.
“No, it’s true. The name of their organization is the Sword of Surt. The leader of the organization, a man named Rokiarum, is a survivor of a war between ability users that took place a hundred years ago.”
“A hundred years ago ……!? Sorry about it ……, but Gatson, what do you mean”
“Master doesn’t know huh, …… well, it’s natural.”
At this point, Hiroto wanted to have all the information that Gaston knew. He felt that it would affect his request as Mathew’s escort.
“Gatson, do tell me. About this war between ability users, …… and the sword of Surt.”
“Well, I’ll walk you through it. It seems that it was a massive conflict between ability users a hundred years ago,……, and it was too horrible to call it a war, but it was the reason why the Ability Users Agency, the forerunner of the World Ability Users Agency, with which Master is currently contracted, was established.”
After that, when Gatson explained the information he had obtained indifferently, Hiroto’s face gradually became tenser and tenser.
“Fuuu ……”
While Hiroto was in his room with Gaston, Mizuho had just finished reporting his findings to Kakitate Shima of the Japanese branch of the World Ability Users Agency. Since she had been compiling the report without resting since arriving here, fatigue had taken over her body.
Even so, Marion, who should also be tired, was still participating in Mathew’s meeting, including investigating whether there were any enemy spies. Mizuho felt bad for Marion but decided to lie down on the bed and take a nap.
(Niezbeck…… Rokiarum. What the hell kind of people are they? I hope the agency gets the results of its investigation soon. ……)
Mizuho slowly let go of her consciousness as she thought about today’s battle in her mind.
—Part I end—
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Thanks for the chapter can’t wait for more!