The Grim Reaper, a superhuman born from bioengineering, has apparently gone through quite a lot.
Inside the helicopter headed for the Doumeki Research Institute, I asked my masked partner, “What’s your relationship with Dr. Doumeki and Major Toma? I know you’re close.”
“Why did you think we were close?”
Hmm, I’m being tested.
“In my conversation with Director Benio, the Major called him ‘Doctor.’ If a company like Spec Company has many doctors, then the fact that Major Toma only calls Dr. Doumeki ‘Doctor’ suggests he’s the only one he refers to that way, right? Also, Major’s副官, Koyori, is Dr. Doumeki’s daughter.”
“I see.”
“Furthermore, the Major threatened Director Benio to have the Doctor recalled. This implies that Dr. Doumeki values the Major’s intentions over Spec Company’s. It’s natural to assume a very close relationship, isn’t it?”
“Everything you say is perfectly reasonable. Princess, please keep what I’m about to say confidential. The same goes for Ashes and the others. Can you promise?”
“…Yes. I promise.”
Honestly, I don’t want to keep secrets from Ashes and the others…
“The Doctor is like a parent to me. He’s also my master.”
“Master? Master of what?”
“Weapon development. I was originally a weapons engineer (technocrat).”
“What! Is that true?”
Major Toma was originally an engineer!? It might be rude to say, but I can only find it surprising…
“Thanks to the Doctor’s connections, I got a research position at a certain university and was enjoying a life of idleness… how did it end up like this?”
I want to ask you that! How does one go from a university research position to a corporate mercenary!
“Then why did you switch to being a corporate mercenary?”
“I suppose you could call it a food chain. Koyori went ahead and published a paper I wrote out of boredom, and it caught the eye of a high-ranking official at Spec Company. Spec Company is a major sponsor of the engineering university I attended, and if they put pressure on me to be transferred as a researcher, I have no choice but to comply. So, I, the unfortunate one, was sold to Spec. Looking back, that’s probably where my troubles began.”
“And then? And then?”
I cupped my ears like an elephant’s and urged Major Toma to continue.
“I had no choice but to work at the Doctor’s institute, which Spec Company had already recruited him to. However… when I went on a business trip to a frontline base to repair weapons I had delivered, I unfortunately ran into an alliance surprise attack. They seemed to be quite skilled, and the soldiers at the base who responded were annihilated. I tried to hide, but I’ve always been bad at hide-and-seek. I was easily found.”
“Normally, that would be the end of everything, right?”
“Perhaps. Well, I didn’t want to be killed or sent to a POW camp, so I had no choice. Sadly, the surprise attack unit was annihilated.”
So, that’s where Major Toma’s legend of annihilating everyone began.
“The surprise attack unit was unlucky to run into you, Major.”
“But I was unlucky too. Setsuna, who had gotten wind of the surprise attack, came to my rescue. I complained that he should have come sooner…”
This is an incredible situation. He rushed to the rescue of a besieged base, but friendly forces were wiped out, a civilian researcher repelled the surprise attack unit, and he’s being told he’s late and then complaining… It makes no sense.
“…If you had fought from the beginning, wouldn’t the soldiers at the base have been safe?”
“After breaking the weapons with their idiotic handling, they were shouting for me to fix them quickly. They called me a slowpoke and a swindler, and when a surprise attack came, they told me to get lost because I was in the way. I might as well take them up on their offer and get lost. I hold grudges, you know. Thanks to those loudmouthed garrison soldiers, my combat capabilities were revealed to Setsuna.”
Major Toma holds grudges. I’ll make a note of it in my mental notebook.
Perhaps that’s why he brought up the story from two years ago earlier. I’ll have to be very careful.
“So, Colonel Roogetsu spoke to Spec Company, is that it?”
Major Toma nodded with a sigh.
“The Mechanist Army is Spec Company’s largest and most important client, isn’t it? If they were pressured to cooperate with the military in any way, Spec Company couldn’t refuse. The food chain ends here.”
So, at the end of the food chain—Engineering University < Spec Company < Mechanist Army—the Grim Reaper, a special military personnel with Major rank, was born. Super-soldier Major Toma has also struggled. But... there must be hidden, untold circumstances in what he just told me. I'll hear it someday, so be prepared, Major. After a three-hour flight from Liligen, we arrived at the institute located halfway up a sheer mountain range. This must be Dr. Doumeki's institute. Stepping out of the helicopter, I stretched my body, which had stiffened from sitting for so long. Ah, my body feels loosened up. Now for some deep breaths. The air is cool and refreshing. "Princess, I don't need to tell you this, but..." "This institute is a top military secret. No unauthorized disclosure, right?" It was cool saying that, but... my stomach rumbled. The Major, seeing me blush all the way to my ears, laughed and said, "Hahaha! Hunger is proof of being alive. There's no need to be ashamed. The sun has already set, so let's have a meal with the Doctor. Iw, come over once the helicopter maintenance is done. We're staying here tonight." Iw, who had started maintenance on the helicopter, nodded and brandished his wrench. The institute consisted of quite a number of buildings, constructed with a solemn and strict appearance. It's the institute of Dr. Doumeki, renowned as the highest authority in weapon engineering, not just bioengineering, so it's bound to be magnificent. A particularly tall building, standing tall as if protected by the cluster of other buildings, seemed to be the main research building. This is where Dr. Doumeki must be. After passing through several security checkpoints, we proceeded deeper and deeper into the spacious building. Taking an elevator installed at the very back, we arrived at a house in the style of Izuruha Nations on the building's rooftop. ...Huh? It's the rooftop, but I don't feel any wind? "The entire rooftop is covered with special hardened glass. It can withstand several rocket launcher impacts. Now, this is the Doctor's home." Major Toma seems to be able to read my mind. Guided by a master of telepathy, I entered the entrance and offered my greetings. "Excuse me for intruding. Ah, I must take off my shoes!" In Izuruha Nations homes, wearing shoes indoors is strictly forbidden. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Just beyond the entrance hall, a large table in the spacious living room was laden with an astonishing amount of food. From the edge of a basket piled high with fruit, a white tail was visible. A cute little face peeked out of the basket, and our eyes met. "Tasche!" "Kiki! (Princess!)" Tasche, with incredible speed, climbed my arm from my outstretched palm to my shoulder and nuzzled me. "Tasche, Tasche~♪ Were you a good boy? Were you lonely? We'll be together forever from now on, okay?" "Ki! Kiki! (Yes! We'll be together forever!)" "Is this a heartwarming reunion? Princess, it's been a while." Koyori entered the living room, holding a steaming pot of soup. Mizal was with her. "Mizal, you're here too?" "I make the Major's meals, you see." Mizal seems to be the Major's exclusive housekeeper. Or perhaps more than that, his wife? "Princess, did you call?" Mizal's face appeared from the kitchen connected to the back of the living room. Wait, what?... Koyori is beside Mizal, and there's Mizal in the kitchen too... Are there two Mizals!? "Um... by any chance, are you twins, Mizal?" The Mizal who came out from the kitchen roughly grabbed the collar of the Mizal standing next to Koyori and shouted, "Akaemon! Stop your stupid pranks!" The Mizal called Akaemon covered his face with both hands and started laughing. "Hahaha, the reaction was even better than I expected. Your blank expression was so endearing, so endearing." As he spread his hands from his face, a different face appeared, with a slender, refined appearance. It was Mizal's face just a moment ago... he was disguised! "I am Sajiri Akaemon, the foremost ninja of the Dorai-shuu. Please to meet you, Princess Rose." He gave an elegant bow, so I bowed back. "Princess, this fellow is the Dorai-shuu's 'Fourth Monkey,' Akaemon 'the Mimic.' As you've just seen, he's a master of disguise. You did well in the mission to retrieve the cans (memo chips), Akaemon." As Major Toma offered words of encouragement, Akaemon grinned. So, it was Akaemon who stole the cans. "It was nothing. The investigation regarding Sabina Hackinen is also complete. Kika played a significant role in that part." "I see. I'll look at it first. Princess, please enjoy the hors d'oeuvres." Major Toma took the memo chip from Akaemon and sat in a reclining chair, beginning to read the report. I want to know the truth about Sabina quickly, but I also want to hear Major Toma's opinion. I'm hungry, so I'll take your advice and have some hors d'oeuvres. As I took a seat, Tasche brought over a loquat from the fruit basket. "Thanks, Tasche." "Kiki! (Peel it!)" ...Tasche wants to eat it. What a spoiled thing. I decided to wait for the Major to finish reading the report while eating the loquat with Tasche.
