Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 06 - Yokohama Disturbance Chapter (I) Page 4

  At Tatsuya's combative words, Sayuri couldn't help but reveal a regretful expression.

  That was because she had no rebuttal for Tatsuya's words.

  It was public knowledge that FLT originally wasn't a manufacturer for CAD products, but a provider for spare parts used for Magic Engineering. Their ascent to the pinnacle of CAD development and production around the globe was largely in thanks to the Silver Series and Tatsuya by extension. With the introduction of Flying-Type Devices, FLT had become the innovator that pioneered the next paradigm shift in the world of Specialized CADs. For Sayuri, who originally entered the company as a researcher and was elevated to management despite having no major accomplishments to her name, this was a towering feat that rendered jealousy meaningless.

  Still, those were Sayuri's personal feelings on the matter. As she replied with an "Ah, is that so," she also brought up the reason why she couldn't leave just yet.

  "......At the very least, can you help analyze this item for me?"

  Sayuri pulled out a large jewel box from her bag and carefully opened the lid.

  There was a half-translucent crimson crystal in the middle.

  "......A relic from the Magatama class."

  From the perspective of Magic Researchers, "relics" were OOParts that contained a magical nature that had unidentifiable artificial components, yet formed naturally under highly challenging conditions. For example, "Antinite" that contained "Cast Jamming" could be classified as a type of relic.

  Also, true relics — such as a Magatama — like this one usually never fell into the hands of a researcher.

  "Where was this unearthed?"

  "I do not know."

  "I see, this came from the JSDF."

  Given its status as the preeminent domestic manufacturer, FLT received many contracts from the military.

  "In terms of analysis, don't tell me you're asking for something preposterous like duplicating this Magatama, are you?"

  Seeing Sayuri's stiff expression, Tatsuya could only sigh.

  "Who came up with such a reckless decision? Don't you have any idea how ridiculous it is to attempt to synthesize relics with modern science and technology?"

  OOParts is short for "Out Of Place Artifacts". Essentially, these were "items that did not belong in this time" and were "objects that exceeded the level of science from when it was unearthed" and were simply unable to be developed with technology at the time.

  However, precisely because this was something that surpassed modern science, the greatly exaggerated term "relic" was used.

  "......The JSDF demanded that we accept the task. Refusal was not an option."

  Not like management's decision was impossible to comprehend. Not just FLT, corporations in the magic industry by nature served in the public sector and could be broadly painted as a war industry.

  Only individuals with practical magic skills would purchase products of magic engineering like CADs, but Magicians held a much smaller share of the market than other industries.

  Given the scarcity of Magicians, this was only to be expected.

  Currently, the number of people in magic related fields or students studying magic at the high school and collegiate level totaled roughly 30,000 people.

  In other words, even if every single one of them purchased a new CAD every year, the total turnover rate would still be 30,000. In reality, the duration time tended to be on the longer side since it was common practice for a Magician to own five or six CADs. Regardless, it didn't change the fact that the market remained quite narrow.

  Also, based on the national policy of promoting magic, magic support devices needed to be sold at a low price. In practice, CAD prices were limited to a level well within the purchasing power of a normal household so they could purchase one for their child that was entering high school as a celebratory present. This sort of independent industry was hard to develop scale and design.

  Thus, the nation heavily subsidized the magic industry.

  For example, the nation subsidized 90% of CAD sales.

  The products sold at the public level were 10% of the price used in exchanges between companies.

  In addition, using research grants as an excuse, the nation paid large sums to private corporations each year for research.

  Even the largest corporations in the field like Maximillian and Rozen were unable to deny their respective governments. That was the fate of magic industries.

  "However, the JSDF should be aware of the meaning behind the relic label. So long as the item has been identified as a relic, they should know that artificial synthesis is no longer possible, so why make this ludicrous demand?"

  There was a pregnant pause before Sayuri finally opened her mouth to respond.

  "Recently, research has discovered that Magatama possesses the ability to store Magic Sequences."

  Despite the hesitant answer, this was enough to bring a swift change to Tatsuya's expression.

  "Has this been proven to be a fact?"

  Suppressing the burning desire in his voice was the limit of Tatsuya's acting capabilities. Fortunately, Sayuri seemed to miss Tatsuya's profound interest in relics.

  "It's still in the theoretical phase. Still, the military's movements have already produced fairly reliable observation data."

  Tatsuya nodded gravely.

  "If this is true, then there's no way the military would leave that alone, which is completely within reason."

  Storage capacity for Magic Sequences was not restricted to only Tatsuya's goal. If Magic Sequence storage can be spread to the public level, autonomous and self-sustaining magic devices would no longer be a pipe dream. Even troops without Magicians could equip magic weapons. Since Magatamas had the power to store Magic Sequences, successful mass replication would provide a massive supply of magic weaponry.

  "But given FLT's recent gains, there shouldn't be a need to take the road less traveled."

  Given the project's importance, once accepting this task, a simple "cannot be done" would not suffice.

  "The die has been cast."

  "Even without any chance for success?"

  Considering that the key to relic replication remained unknown, this was a colossal risk.

  "We have a small chance. By using your magic, analysis is still possible."

  Tatsuya couldn't help but laugh at Sayuri finally laying all her cards on the table. In the end, she wasn't here for his brain, but his unique ability.

  Just as she always had.

  "Even using my power does not guarantee successful replication. ......If you insist, then please send the specimen to the R&D Third Division. I drop by there on a regular basis."

  In reality, this didn't really affect Tatsuya either way. While it was true that Tatsuya required additional insight on how to preserve Magic Sequences, his goal was only limited to grasping the methodology behind this. Magatama replication was only secondary, so he didn't want to overly burden the researchers in the office. The bottom line was that scheduling was difficult to come by on their part, so it's not like they could do whatever they pleased.

  "............"

  However, this was not a proposal that Sayuri could stomach. Her position demanded that she take into account the departmental rivalries within FLT. The R&D Third Division simply couldn't win additional fame and recognition. Also, an infinitely more important and preposterous reason was that neither her nor her husband could afford to allow "Taurus Silver", Tatsuya himself, any more speaking power. Surely the other labs could surpass Tatsuya's achievements, right? Given Tatsuya's large following — to the point that a decisive majority of the Third Division sided with him, maybe their accomplishments would be put on his tab as well. (That was Sayuri's private suspicion.)

  Unable to accept Tatsuya's proposal, Sayuri clenched her teeth.

  "Or, would you prefer to leave the specimen here?"

  Tatsuya's words provided a glimmer of hope for the conflicted Sayuri and became the impetus she seized upon to escape this q
uandary.

  "There's no need!"

  Nonetheless, rather than choosing to compromise, she chose to break off entirely. For her, under no condition would she allow the relic replication to occur away from the office — away from her ability to claim all credit for the accomplishment. Leaving the specimen behind was a ridiculous notion that was synonymous to allowing Tatsuya to pluck this prize from her hands. In actuality, she was the one who originally made the outrageous request to challenge something that "had no successful precedent", but the present Sayuri had lost all objectivity.

  Her ire fully roused, Sayuri rose from her seat.

  "I understand now. Seeking your assistance was a mistake in the first place!"

  Placing the jewel box back into her bag, Sayuri departed in a huff.

  As Sayuri swiftly walked down the hall, Tatsuya was literally right on her heels. By the time she reached the threshold and was putting on her shoes, Tatsuya adopted a tone typically reserved for customer service.

  "Since you are carrying valuables, would you like me to accompany you to the station?"

  "No need, I'll drive."

  "As you wish. Do be careful."

  Tatsuya was not displeased by his stepmother's barb and courteously bowed.

  "Miyuki."

  Tatsuya called out to her from the threshold. Wearing a sleeveless mini-dress, Miyuki timidly descended from the stairs.

  Her pearly arms revealed a light pink that ran to her shoulders, a product of her own embarrassment at her attire rather than caused by cosmetics.

  "Onii-sama, well...... I sincerely apologize for my childish behavior."

  Despite her personal avowal of her childish behavior, in reality this was more like some sort of display of close affection. Naturally, Miyuki was ignorant of this point as she stood there with her skin bared before Tatsuya's eyes. No matter what she said, she surely must have put considerable thought into this charming display.

  Tatsuya gently stroked his sister's face though she didn't dare to match his gaze before his fingertips dipped south towards the chin. Suddenly, his index finger swiftly tilted her face upwards.

  This simple action caused Miyuki's enchantingly white skin to flush completely red from her shoulders to her bosom. Her silky long hair gently swayed as her eyes were filled with a dazzling luminescence for an altogether irresistible package.

  "Uh, this......"

  Their posture seemed to lead up to a kiss, forcing Miyuki to bashfully avert her eyes.

  Yet Tatsuya's fingers once more stretched towards her face.

  Mesmerized, Miyuki closed her eyes.

  And then,

  "—Ah!?"

  A muffled cry of pain rang out for a short duration.

  "W-What was that for?"

  "Punishment."

  Seeing his sister blush and fall back a step (a perfectly natural response to someone suddenly pinching her nose), Tatsuya smiled as he replied.

  "Oh...... Onii-sama is a meanie."

  Miyuki sulkily pouted and turned her face aside while maintaining her charming posture. At this, Tatsuya's expression softened as he continued to smile.

  "I'm stepping out for a bit. Make sure to lock the doors until I return."

  "Onii-sama?"

  At her brother's mysterious instructions to watch the house, Miyuki's expression tightened as she inquired to the reason.

  "I'm going to pursue a certain woman who lacks a sense of danger."

  Tatsuya picked up the uniform coat he just took off as Miyuki frowned in displeasure.

  "......Exactly how much trouble is that person planning on putting Onii-sama through."

  "Unfortunately, I can't just leave her to her own devices. Sayuri is holding a relic that may hold the key to Magic Sequence storage."

  Tatsuya removed his tie and handed it to Miyuki as he elaborated on the real motive behind his "pursuit".

  Miyuki seemed to comprehend this somewhat but still crinkled her brows afterwards.

  "If that's the case then there's nothing for it. Please be careful, Onii-sama."

  Miyuki recalled their conversation after school in the reference room. She would not use her dislike of her father's lover to bar her brother's decisions. She did not say "don't go", nor did she say "there's no need to go", but merely removed Tatsuya's heavy coat from the hanger in silence.

  After throwing on the coat with Miyuki's assistance, Tatsuya removed a pair of gloves and a helmet from the storage compartment in the threshold and pulled on a pair of riding boots. Tatsuya nodded to Miyuki, who had put her hands side by side in front of herself and bowed deeply to send him off, and said, "I'm off."

  ◇◇◇

  In the speeding vehicle that was automatically directing itself, Sayuri felt an exhaustive pressure pound down on her like twice the weight of gravity.

  If she had to say something, it would be a regretful "I still did it......"

  After reaching the managerial level, she thought that she had already become accustomed to wheeling and dealing. However, she still heaved a depressed sigh at her headstrong and impulsive behavior.

  In principle, the young man was by all rights her son, but every time she was before him she found it hard to maintain her composure.

  She was perfectly well aware of the reason behind this.

  Because he was the son of her rival.

  Paired with an engineer's ability and achievements.

  Complete with unreadable eyes and unfathomable emotions.

  Under his eyes, she wasn't seen as a human being, but simply a specimen under a microscope and relegated to the status of an item.

  Just the way he viewed his own role as a tool, but Sayuri was unaware of that.

  What she did know was that this contract demanded his cooperation, but her own impatience had made this significantly more difficult. Silently, she redirected her gaze out the window and heaved a heavy sigh.

  As she raised her eyes, she noticed that traffic had strangely decreased.

  She hadn't seen any cars coming from the opposite direction since a while back,

  And even though this was a residential sector, the hour wasn't too late yet.

  Her inner frustration was submerged by a trace of unease.

  She called up the screen for traffic information. The display informed her that other cars had been rerouted along a different path to avoid a stalled vehicle on the road.

  Which was a legitimate reason in its own right, letting Sayuri let out a breath of relief.

  Chasing Sayuri's vehicle through traffic on a large electric motorcycle, Tatsuya also noticed the drop in traffic.

  The message he received through the headset in his helmet was the same information Sayuri saw on her display.

  Nevertheless, Tatsuya did not find any benign news within.

  The information that cars were rerouted due to a stalled vehicle wasn't suspicious in its own right.

  Tatsuya had seen first hand exactly how difficult it was to infiltrate the traffic control system when he saw Sanada and Fujibayashi hacking into the system on the scene.

  Still, Tatsuya wasn't optimistic enough to believe every single car was diverted from the road that led from Tatsuya's house to the station. That sort of thing only happened when multiple cars were stalled on the road.

  It wasn't particularly difficult to identify vehicle locations within the control system.

  Especially since commuter vehicles available for public transportation continuously broadcast signals to prevent thieves from using them as escape tools.

  Likewise, identifying the signal wasn't any sort of classified secret.

  Since he left the house, Tatsuya was already homing in on Sayuri's vehicle.

  Finally catching sight of his stepmother's car, he also discovered another manually operated vehicle independent of traffic control that was tailing her.

  A shrill alarm sounded from the vehicle's display.

  The display informed her that a manually operated vehicle was closing in.


  Yet, Sayuri wasn't overly concerned.

  Even in this age, there still existed people who took pleasure in driving themselves.

  As an engineer, she was aware that drivers could modify their cars to be independent of the traffic control system's influence.

  Thus, she paid little heed to the car closing in from behind.

  As such, Sayuri leaned back into her seat and switched off the piercing alarm.

  Seeing the black manually operated car pick up speed, Tatsuya stepped on the gas as well. In terms of acceleration, Tatsuya's motorcycle had the edge.

  Still, based on proximity and respective speed, the black manually operated car would reach Sayuri's vehicle first.

  In reaction to the manually operated car that suddenly closed in instead of passing by, Sayuri's car activated its collision avoidance system.

  Near her car that came to an emergency stop, two men descended from the manually operated car.

  This was an overly brazen action along the streets with wireless surveillance systems. However, given the situation, the suspects were probably illegal aliens, since normal citizens and immigrants would immediately be identified from their images.

  Tatsuya raised the lights to the max and pointed them at the two men trying to break open the car door.

  Descending from the motorcycle with the lights still on, Tatsuya rushed towards the men.

  Tatsuya pulled out the CAD in his chest pocket with his right hand while the men covered their faces to avert the light. A second later, one man used a pistol while the other sent his fists flying towards Tatsuya.

  Under the light from the motorcycle, the man's fist wore a bronze ring that glimmered lightly on one finger.

  From the ring, a shrill psionic noise could be heard.

  This was magic interference waves known as "Cast Jamming" coming from the "Antinite".

  One of them focused on nullifying enemy magic while the other used the gun to finish off the enemy.

  Of course, if their opponent was any run of the mill Magician.