August 6th, AD 2092 / Okinawa - Villa ~ Onna Air Force Base
On the morning of the third day of our vacation, a storm began to brew. The skies were overcast, and strong winds blew.
It seems a tropical storm was approaching from the Eastern sea.
Apparently by the time it blows up here it wonāt have the strength of a typhoon, but from the looks of it, it would come pretty close.
Every channel was advising it would be best to avoid marine spots, but I donāt think anyone would be in a beach-going mood in this weather anyway. Boats were obviously out of the question.
We would be here for two weeks, so there was no need to overdo anything for just these few days.
"What are your plans for today?"
As she passed freshly baked bread to Okaa-sama, Sakurai-san asked that question. "In this weather, even shopping would beā¦ā¦"
Tilting her head slightly, Okaa-sama muttered to herself. Making that gesture, she seemed almost like a girl in terms of cuteness. It was just a moment, but she appeared really young.
"What shall we do?"
Being asked in reverse, Sakurai-san also ceased eating and tilted her head.
She also appeared really young, but unlike Okaa-sama, Sakurai-san gave more of an āOnee-sanā-like feelā¦ā¦ although of course, Okaa-sama is far older in terms of age.
"Hmā¦ā¦how about going to see a Ryuukyuu dance?"
Saying so, Sakurai-san turned on the wall mounted display.
Deftly operating the handheld remote, she brought up a guide on Ryuukyuu performances.
"It appears you can also try on the costumes yourself."
"Looks interesting. What do you think, Miyuki-san?"
"I think it also seems pretty nice."
"Iāll arrange a car. There is one problem howeverā¦ā¦"
Seeing both Okaa-sama and I nod, Sakurai-san seemed rather somber.
"The performance is for women only."
Ah, thatās true. It certainly did say that at the bottom of the video. Then, my brotherā¦ā¦
"I seeā¦ā¦"
Okaa-sama had ripped her toast into small pieces, and was popping them into her mouth one by one.
"ā¦ā¦Tatsuya, you can be free for the day."
"Yes."
"You received an invitation to the base from the Captain yesterday right? This would be a good opportunity to visit.
You may be invited to join their training."
"I understand."
You can be free, Okaa-sama had said, but she ended up ordering him after all.
Without showing any dissatisfaction whatsoever, my brother simply accepted it with his deadpan expression.
The same as always. "Um, Okaa-sama!"
Why I did such a thing, I donāt know myself. "Could I go together with Ni, Nii-san?"
My lips, tongue, and vocal cords ran off and said such a thing. āThe reason I stumbled over pronouncing Nii-san was most likely because in my head, I had always been calling him ābrotherā or āthat personā all the time.
Itās not like I was nervousā¦ā¦or anything.
"Miyuki-san?"
I thought it was pretty abrupt myself. As expected, Okaa-sama was shooting me a rather quizzical look.
Uuu, so uncomfortableā¦ā¦!
"I, uhm, Iām also interested in what sort of training magicians in the military go through, and uh, as a Mistress I think I should find out more about the abilities of my Guardianā¦ā¦"
"Is that soā¦ā¦how admirable."
Saying the word āmistressā required overcoming considerable amounts of resistance.
In any case, I stood there willing Okaa-sama to believe my desperate excuses.
For some reason, I feel rather guiltyā¦ā¦
But, I didnāt intend to lie. āNever mind lying or not, I didnāt even know my true feelings.
"Tatsuya, itās as you heard. Youāll be accompanied by Miyuki-san on your tour of the base."
"Yes."
"Just keep one thing in mind. In public, donāt go using honorifics or the like when addressing Miyuki-san. Rather than āOjou-samaā, just āMiyukiā is fine. Actions which could lead to the discovery that Miyuki-san is a Yotsuba Head successor are prohibited."
"ā¦ā¦Understood."
This time, there was a slight delay before my brother nodded. It wasnāt just my brother who experienced confusion.
I was in a supreme state of embarrassed bewilderment. The part about the ācandidateā went straight over my head, and instead, my mind was filled with scenes where my brother was calling me āMiyukiā. ć
"Do not misunderstand. This is only expedient for deceiving any observers who may be watching. There is no change in the relationship between you and Miyuki- san."
At Okaa-samaās words which brought a sense of discomfort, my brother simply replied āas you commandā.
ā ā ā
Although weāre on vacation, our hosts were in the middle of work in a national institution. In order to not be rude and decrease exposure, I wore a UV resistant see-through cardigan over a modest short sleeved dress, while my brother wore a short sleeved polo shirt under his summer jacket with ankle length dress pants when we visited Captain Kazama at the base.
"I am Sanada, in the Defense Army Department of Weapons Development."
The soldier who greeted us when we arrived introduced himself. His rank apparently was Lieutenant. Hearing that, my brother seemed quite surprised.
Why is itā¦ā¦when heās with other people, he shows such a wide variety of expressions?
"Is something the matter?"
"Noā¦ā¦itās just I didnāt expect to be guided by an officer. Also, I thought that this was an air force base." *Lieutenant is not an air force rank
Hearing my brotherās words, the corners of Sanada-sanās mouth twitched. It felt like he had warmed up to us a little.
"It seems you have some familiarity with the military, donāt you."
"My martial arts master was once in the army."
"Ahh, I seeā¦ā¦well, the reason an army technology officer is in an air force base is because my specialty is rather unique, and weāre lacking those here. The reason your guidance isnāt being left to a noncom isā¦ā¦because we were expecting you,
I suppose."
Lieutenant Sanada smiled affably as he spoke. He wasnāt particularly handsome, but his features had a certain charm which would put anyone at ease.
However for some reason my brother seemed to go on guard upon seeing that smile.
Sanada-san led us into a high-ceiling gymnasium. By gymnasium, I refer to the fact that that's the closest impression I could think of, and itās possible that it has a different name altogether.
From the ceiling which was probably about five stories hung a large number of ropes, from which many soldiers were climbing up to the ceiling then jumping off. They wore no parachutes. It was doubtful whether a parachute would have done any good at this height, but normally speaking fractures would be the least of their problems.
This technique is Acceleration Systematic Magic - Deceleration, is itā¦ā¦
There were probably around 50 people.
All the soldiers getting on then off the ropes were magicians.
The level of this skill wasnāt particularly high, but itās extremely unlikely that was all they teach magicians at this base. For so many magicians to be in one regional baseā¦ā¦this is truly the frontline border.
I can also see the bad soldier, err, Lance Corporal Higaki. So that person was a magicianā¦ā¦
Captain Kazama was waiting for us. I can understand that he knew we were coming based on him sending Sanada-san to pick us up, but I didnāt think heād go as far as to leave supervision of training to a subordinate while waiting.
Noāhe hadnāt been waiting for āusā, but rather, my brother. "Coming this early, can I interpret this as an interest in the military?"
With a clumsy smile on his rugged face, Captain Kazama spoke to my brother.
"I do have some interest. However, I have not decided on whether I want to become a soldier."
"Well, thatās to be expected. Youāre still a junior high student right?"
His wording different from yesterday, I felt that he had some ulterior motivesā although that may be a bit harsh.
"Just recently."
"You should be around 12, no, 13 right? Though, youāre a pretty cool customer."
"I am 13."
At the Captainās question, my brother gave a safe answer. I couldnāt help feel a sense of surprise, but I immediately put it down to my misplaced beliefs.
My brother was a honor student at school. Not only in primary, but even in the junior high he had just entered, in everything unrelated to magic he was a prodigy all the way.
He couldnāt really be said to be sociable even as flattery, but heās been relied on in numerous situations by both classmates and juniors, and even once by a teacher.
If he had been born into a family unconnected to magic. If he hadnāt been the nephew of the Yotsuba family head. If he wasnāt Okaa-samaās son.
If he wasnāt my brother.
ā¦Thereās no point thinking about this, is there.
Itās the same as thinking, what if I didnāt have āYotsubaā Miyaās blood in me.
While I was lost in thought, at some point, it was asked if weād like to participate in the rope climbing training. Obviously not me, but my brother.
"No, Iām not that good at magic."
Hearing him refer to himself in the first person āIā, my back tingled. Was that a caution from Okaa-sama, to seem normal?
It doesnāt really suit himā¦ā¦no wait, thatās not the point!
"Um, how did you know about Nii-san?"
Again, that strong aversion when attempting to speak the word āNii-sanā. Why?
When itās such an indisputable fact that this person is my brother. "How did you know he was a magician?"
But seizing up in a place like this would be too unnatural. More than that, this is important to me.
Normally, my brother does not wear a CAD. Of course, he does not carry traditional aids like charms or vƔjra either.
Both Okaa-sama and I carried mobile terminal CADs, so over these four days, the only one who conspicuously dressed as and could be told to be a magician should be Sakurai-san.
Donāt tell me, weāre being observedā¦ā¦?
"ā¦ā¦Just somehow, I guess."
Captain Kazama seemed to be surprised at being asked a question by me, and with a serious expression gave a decidedly seemingly not serious answer.
Just somehow, the heckās that?
Is he trying to dodge the question!?
"Itās not like Iām trying to hide anything here." ā!?
At that timing, almost as if heād read my mind, my face stiffened.
"Having seen countless hundreds of mages, itās like I can read the air about them now. Whether theyāre magicians or not. Whether theyāre strong or weak."
Itās no good, I thought, I canāt stop the unrest from showing on my expression. "By the way, why would you ask such a thing?"
This is badā¦ā¦!
My sensitive reaction had aroused suspicion.
Even though I had been told by Okaa-sama to keep my relationship with the Yotsuba under wraps.
"Iām sorry, my sister has always been sensitive about my poor magicā¦ā¦sheās more nervous than usual."
āTo me who had lost my focus and didnāt know what to do next, my brother became my shield.
"Is that so. Youāve a good sister."
"Thank you. She is my pride."
"Haha, you get along so well. Iām jealous."
I could hear only biting sarcasm in his words.. But my brother had no such intentions.
He had only helped me because I had been in trouble. Iām not so distorted as to not understand that.
But why was he so concerned?
Even though my struggling for a reply was no concern of his as a Guardian. Even though keeping the secret of the Yotsuba held no benefit for my brother.
Even though itād only be me who would be scolded.
So why would he cover me as normal siblings would, as a brother protects his sisterā¦ā¦?
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