24. Chapter 23: Cards being dealt

CHAPTER 23: CARDS BEING DEALT

« There, hold it tightly… »

She held it to the point at which her knuckles turned white. Her instructor, Yuna Kanamori, chuckled lightly.

"You don't have to hold it so tightly… Now, align the pistol so the front white dot is between the two white dots of the back."

She did as Yuna told, carefully aiming for the target in front of her.

"Now, you can put your finger on the trigger, but don't pull it yet. Just breathe, you have all the time in the world…"

She felt her breathe, syncing it with her instructor's. The breeze slightly ruffling the feathers on her head.

"Now, when you're ready, carefully pull the trigger."

The gun was heavy in her hands, and the stress at the idea of firing a gun for the first time made her arms tremble, but Kanamori's soothing voice and calm demeanor soon suppressed those. Finally, her hands remained in place, her aim was dead set on the middle of the target, and-

"Kanamori, what are you still doing here?!"

Startled by the sudden interruption, the shot went off and merely raised a small pile of dirt, missing the target completely.

"You knew we have an appointment with the superintendent today, we only have ten minutes left!"

"But I didn't want her first shot to be so quick! It's something important!"

The investigator, Gennosuke, watched the small body of Myuute Luna Sires, the young siren. She had dropped the gun, her bird-like legs were trembling and tears were swelling at her eyes, looking at him.

"Oh! Hum…" Quite embarrassed, he came in front of her and fidgeted for a while, until he put a hand to her shoulder. "I'm… sorry to have scared you, Myuute. Are you alright?"

She nodded, first slowly then with assurance.

"Yes, Mister Gennosuke! I am… alright now!"

He smiled.

"Good. Sorry to interrupt, but we have a very important meeting with my superior. You can come with us if you want, but you will have to stay outside the door."

She sniffled, wiped her tears and diligently went to give back the gun to the target range instructor. She joined Taketa and Yuna as they left the place.

The target range was shared by the JSDF soldiers and the policemen, but fortunately it was close to the police HQ. If they simple walked, they would reach it in time.

Taketa showed his police badge to the soldier guarding the entrance, and he let them out with a nod. Turning left, they walked on the side of the dirt road. Priority was put on building lodging, so concrete roads weren't done yet. The noise of the yellow construction machines was ever present in Alnus, as more and more people came to live there.

The settlement was mostly divided in three parts. The first one, and the biggest, was the camp of the JSDF soldiers. The second part was comprised of durable lodging for the various scientists and diplomats from other nations. The buildings were still barren and grey, but botanists and painters were hard at work to liven up the place. The last part of the settlement was where the refugees from the area came to live, their houses mostly made of wood. A large wall was in the building process around the JSDF and the civilian's areas, with wide empty spaces left for future buildings.

For now, it was only scientists and diplomats that came, each representing different nations. But as time passed, Taketa could easily imagine that more and more civilians would come there. For now, most of the base's inhabitants were the JSDF soldiers, along with two or three hundred civilians from earth, and about four hundred locals.

"I'm seeing more and more non-humans in the streets…" Mentioned Kanamori, looking at a human lady stepping out of a PX store. Inside, a person with cat ears waved her goodbye and went back behind the counter.

"Makes sense." Answered Gennosuke. "After the victory of the JSDF when they first came here, a lot of the fleeing soldiers turned to banditry. All the surrounding villages have either fled away from the region, or have come to live here. I even heard there's an elf village somewhere, but I don't know if they fled, and even then, it's only a rumor."

Myuute tapped on Kanamori's arm, cocking her head.

"Ruh-mor?"

"Oh, a rumor is something that people say, but that they don't know if is true."

"Thanks, Miss Kanamori!"

Myuute's speech still wasn't completely fluid, but she was making tremendous progress. She had been one of the first refugees to start living near the camp, now renamed "Camp Alnus" because of name the locals gave it. She had also been one of the first refugees to start to learn Japanese, and one of the first refugees to start actually working along the people from earth.

Finally arriving at the police HQ, Taketa showed his badge once again to enter. The policeman guarding the gate smiled, recognizing the siren following them. They made their way inside, up to the office with the "superintendent" plaque hung on the door.

Yuna pointed to a nearby seat. "You can wait for us here, Myuute.", before following Taketa inside.

Taketa was already saluting his superior, and Yuna quickly joined him. The superintendent was sat in his chair, the years visibly weighting on his body. Yet, the strength in his gaze maintained a youth that made up for his greying hair. His uniform was impeccably maintained.

"Inspector Gennosuke. Sergeant Kanamori. Sit down, please." He said, waving at the two chairs in front of his desk. On the desk, on a small plaque was written "Superintendent Junichi Katsuo". The office was quite barren, the only decoration consisting of a potted plant near the window, and a few photos hung up on the wall and one on the desk. If anything, it screamed the personality of the superintendent: "Spartan.". Barren, but quick and efficient when it came to work.

"So, how are you getting used to life at camp Alnus, inspector?"

"Quite well, superintendent Katsuo." Answered Taketa. "I had my reserves about the addition of the locals in our ranks, but the one joined to me and sergeant Kanamori has proved to be very cooperative and enthusiastic. Her special ability with her voice has helped a lot to catch thieves."

The older policeman took a sheet of paper front of him, studying it for a few seconds.

"Ah, yes, Myuute Luna Sires? The Harpy? Am I to believe that her voice has calming powers?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, superintendent. Though, "Harpy" is a word used by the locals to insult her race. She insisted that her race's name is "Siren"."

"Mmh. Very well then. Siren it is. Then, would you believe that operation Green Heart is a success?"

Taketa kept silent for a while, thinking about his answer.

"I wouldn't say it's a success, not yet superintendent. However, the inclusion of locals in our ranks has definitely improved our relations with them. I wouldn't know about the results for the JSDF or the refugee care division, but I'd assume they have similar results. It's too early to say if there's going to be negative influence on our presence here."

"Good, good. However, I didn't have you come over for this discussion. I assume you both read the news yesterday?"

Taketa's and Yuna's expression instantly darkened.

Gatlings. Somehow, Gatling guns had found their way in the special region. And they were way too close in resemblance to those made on earth back in the day, so there was no doubt from which world they came. Yesterday, all the major newspapers all over the world received photos from anonymous senders showing a battle unfolding between the Empire and Elbe. Despite being more numerous, the Empire's army had lost badly because of the weapons used by the Elbians.

And of course, the JSDF soldiers being the ones guarding the Gate, and considering the extensive check on everything that was sent to the special region, suspicion immediately fell on the Japanese government brewing some kind of unrest. Since then, international relations had considerably cooled between the country of the rising sun and the rest of the world.

Another fact which didn't help was that the media was constantly starved for any snippet of information about the special region. A regular report was released to the public each week, so the existence of the known nations to the JSDF was also known to the rest of the world. Because of that bottleneck on information, such a major reveal had given birth to one of the largest mediatic explosions since 9/11.

Since then, stern warnings had been sent by a few earth leaders to the Japanese government, ranging from a simple warning to a commercial blockade. Fortunately, a good part of them stayed suspicious, taking a precautious stance which would allow them to both accuse or stay friends with the Japanese depending on the government's reaction.

"Judging from your faces, I assume you did. Now, here's the reason why I asked you to come here. We know for a fact that it wasn't us that sent these guns. So, it was someone else who somehow managed to bypass the checks to go through the Gate. And here's the problem. Each delegation sent by each country lives in what can be considered an embassy. That means we can't just barge in and search for the culprit. We would have to go through extensive paperwork that would give plenty of time to destroy any clues…"

The superintendent cleared his throat, before continuing.

"Thankfully, General Hazama was in the know before all of it appeared on social media. He forwarded me a folder containing all the relevant information, I made a copy for both of you. We also have a guest that will help you for this affair. He's from internal security, he should arrive today evening in Alnus camp, at 7PM. You're to welcome him, show him to the police barracks for a room then you're to start working with him on the matter. The fastest you deal with this matter, the better it is. Remember, it's our nation's honor that's been tarnished. You'll be the one to restore it. "

Taketa stood stunned for a while. Such a big responsibility was quite the load to take and Yuna was the one who voiced his worries.

"If I may, superintendent, shouldn't there be a whole team looking into that? Is it only the two of us? Three, with the security bureau member?"

Katsuo moved a pen that was slightly not straight on his desk, before answering.

"Quite a team was formed to gather the information you'll find in the folder, sergeant. You're only the "hand" to find out the final piece of the puzzle. That hand consisting of four fingers, with your local Siren recruit. We're on a tight watch. Our cybersecurity division back in Tokyo, in conjunction with the JSDF, informed me that they stopped quite a few hacking attempts of the network of the base. We also have to consider that the enemy probably has eyes and ears inside Alnus camp. This conversation never happened. The security bureau member will be mixed with a group of policemen coming as reinforcements, he will recognize you. Officially, you came to my office to receive a promotion. Chief inspector Gennosuke, Inspector Kanamori, please accept your new ranks." He said smiling, pulling out two insignias from a drawer.

The pair grabbed the new insignias, more surprised than anything. They definitely didn't expect a raise when they came here. And they expected even less receiving such a mission.

"Alright." Continued Katsuo. "You both have things to do, and this conversation can't keep for too long. I hope you'll come back to me with good news."

The newly promoted policemen bowed to their superior, before leaving. They indeed had a lot of things to prepare today. Namely, reading the information folder, and understanding the how and why of the affair.

Later that day, the two police officers and the Siren were sitting on a bench, in front of the parking lot of the police HQ. Their legs were sore as they had patrolled the part of the city where locals lived, and cars were still forbidden there. As they waited for the agent, they were reading the report while Myuute was practicing her pronunciation quietly.

… teams went to a former battlefield between the Empire and Elbe. Came back with remains of what seems to be paper cartridges. A local "mage", Kato el Altestan and his apprentice Lelei La Lelena, have confirmed that magic was used in the making of the cartridges.

Locals have confirmed that "magic" is rare to see outside of a city called Rondel, therefore the most probable source of these ammunitions is the Elbian capital, Kassilbe. Locals have confirmed that the court wizard resides there, and is the only one to officially teach magic in the kingdom, outside of a few elements like Kato.

Locals have also confirmed that some non-human elements can use magic from birth, but are rare.

Report delivered to General Hazama of the Alnus corp, forwarded to Superintedent Katsuo of the Alnus police force.

Yuna sighed, and closed the folder.

"So that's why the Superintendent asked us to bring Myuute…"

The Siren's ears perked up at her name.

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Continued Taketa. "You have the ability to use and sense magic, right?"

She nodded positively.

"Good then. We have a mission which will most likely have us go outside of Alnus Town, and your talents will be useful."

Her face darkened at the thought of leaving Alnus, and both policemen could only sympathize with her. Her village had been raided even before the Gate opened, leaving her alone at the mercy of the bandits. She had been forced to help them with her magic, before getting rescued by Second Lieutenant Itami Youji during another village raid.

She spent about four months with that bandit troupe, who thankfully left her mostly unscathed as her powers were too good to pass up on. But it was four months of forced killing, raiding and even hunting the surviving members of her original village to sell for slavery, or for the bandit's "comfort". It had been four traumatizing months, and the people of Alnus were the ones who gave her back hope. They even gave her work.

At least, that's what the report said when Taketa first met the young Siren. From that, it was understandable she didn't want to leave the safety of the "otherworlders".

"Don't worry, Myuute. We'll be there with you!" Said Yuna, hoping to cheer her up. A weak smile formed on the Siren's lips, and she strengthened her expression.

Soon after, a police bus came to the parking lot of the HQ. A good number of policemen stepped out, waiting near the luggage compartment to retrieve their stuff. While this happened, both Taketa and Yuna observed the faces of the newcomers, while Myuute was a little confused. After all, no one told her of what was to happen.

Once his baggage was retrieved, one of them turned away from his comrades and made his way towards them. He was on the skinny side, with smooth short hair and a thin pair of glasses.

Once he came close enough, he lightly bowed to the two.

"Agent Niseki, you don't need to know more. You both are inspector Yuna Kanamori and chief inspector Taketa Gennosuke, right? Wait for me at the canteen in ten minutes, then we'll begin."

And before the duo could react, he was gone to the barracks.

"Not very polite…" Commented Yuna.

"I'm not sure I like him, but let's go. Not like we can choose who to work with." Added Gennosuke.

"Who is he?" Asked Myuute.

Lowering his voice, Taketa whispered.

"Internal security bureau. Basically, he is a spy. Someone who's work is to spot people who want to harm us in our country, Japan, and… deal with them. You're free to go, we have an important discussion with him."

She pouted, before storming off at a quick pace. Taketa stayed unmoving for a moment, not sure what he said wrong.

"She's not a child, Taketa-senpai. " Yuna began with a grin. She knew he hated being called senpai. "And you're treating her like one. Sending her away when the "grown-ups" need to talk. We're supposed to be work partners."

"I wasn't…" He groaned. "Bah, let's just go…"

To his defense, the Siren, despite being an adult considering her race's longevity, did look like a human teenager.

The agent joined them in the canteen soon after. He still had a police uniform and took the time to get a coffee before sitting at the same table. The canteen was mostly empty at this time of the day, the officers either on patrol duty or dealing with something else.

"Did you both read the report?"

Ignoring his lack of greeting, Taketa answered positively.

"Good. Now, let me explain what you're going to do. Tomorrow, you're both going to leave Alnus dressed as locals to the Elbian capital, Kassilbe, along with a special force team. There, it will be your mission to investigate where the ammunition is being produced. Based on what was found, we know these cartridges use a mix of black powder and some kind of unidentified catalyst. Look for carts transporting huge amounts of charcoal, sulfur and salpeter. Once you've identified the right place, use this." He told, sliding an earpiece with a short microphone attached. "It will put you into contact with the special force team. Tell them what place to hit. After that, your job will be to reunite with them, then back to Alnus."

While Taketa nodded, Yuna asked a question.

"What about the language? We had lessons in low imperial which is the language spoken in the Empire and its vassals, but we are far from fluent."

The agent finished his coffee cup, then faced her.

"That's where your local "coworker" comes into play. We know from good sources that Elbe is country far more accepting of non-humans. You still won't be able to enter any high-class district with her, but at least they will let you in the city proper without asking questions. You've worked with her to build up trust. Use her to blend in. You'll get a map of the city we obtained thanks to a local trader. Do you have any other question?"

"Why us?" Asked Taketa. "Why policemen? Wouldn't the special force team alone be enough to investigate?"

For the first time since they met the man, Niseki dropped his icy gaze and sighed.

"Politics. The Gatlings not only messed Japanese relations with the rest of the world, but also amidst the government. Comissioner General Ginta doesn't trust the ministry of defense. He insisted member of the Alnus Police Force to be sent along during the operation. In addition, there are rumors that not only the Elbians got some modern weapons. "

If the supreme commander of all the Japanese Police didn't trust the JSDF commanders, it showed how strong of an impact that revelation had caused. And it also showed how pressing the matter was. The longer the issue lingered, the more the UN would pressure the Japanese government into giving up the rights to the Gate, and the more splintered the Japanese government would be.

"Any other questions?"

At the lack of answer, he nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Now, go get that, hum, "Siren" back. Meeting with the special force team is at 7AM tomorrow, in front of the tavern in the local's part of Alnus Town. You'll be given appropriate clothing to change to this evening. And with that, I wish you good luck, Chief inspector and inspector. You have an important task. Don't mess it up."

He shaked hands with the two policemen, then left at a brisk pace, no doubt busy with some other important task.

"Just what did we get ourselves into…" muttered Yuna.

Hello there, author here,

Another "slow" chapter, but I felt like explain what is happening around the Gate, and what the consequences are.

I think I'll slow down the rhythm of the uploads, at least until january. Uni is taking a lot of my time, and I need to focus on it. That doesn't mean I won't post any updates.

archive4465: Well, Japan certainly isn't the only player in this story.

Danen5: I think I made it clear enough that the Gatlings weren't produced by the Falmartians, and who they were sold to.

Guest01: Gara is someone sent by someone from Earth in order to sell the Gatling guns. I could tell more, but I'd rather keep the surprise.

BrokenLifeCycle: Gara just sold Duran the blueprints, never told him he'd be able to craft them or not. He's a cunning fellow.

the survier and the fighter: Olva still has a role in the story, not disclosed yet.

With that, I hope you liked what you read! See you next week!