Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Magian Company - Volume 3 - Chapter Ep

Main Story Epilogue

[Returnees]

Monday, July 5th.

Having returned from the USNA the day before yesterday, Mayumi and Ryousuke are back to work at the Specialized Academy of Industrial Magic Technology, "Industrial Magic Academy" for short, after taking the previous day to rest. Furthermore, Mayumi returned to her company housing in Izu from her parents' house yesterday.

Both of them have only one job lined up for today. Once they had reported to Tatsuya on the results of their trip to the United States, they were free to leave for the day. And they hardly had to wait.

"Good morning, everyone."

Tatsuya appeared at the Industrial Magic Academy at nine o'clock in the morning.

"Good morning, Managing Director."

As Tatsuya walked into the office, Mayumi stood up and greeted him, the others in the office followed suit. Of course, Ryousuke also stood up, a beat behind Mayumi, and gave Tatsuya his morning greeting.

"Saegusa-san, Tookami-san. Please come to the Director's office when you have finished your preparations."

Tatsuya requested the report without delay.

"Very well, sir."

Nodding to a bowing Mayumi, Tatsuya exited the office.

About ten minutes after Tatsuya had settled down at his desk, there was a knock on the door of his office, the "Director's Office."

"It's Tookami, sir. I'm here with Saegusa-san to deliver our report on the business trip." "Please come in."

While Tatsuya said this, he remotely unlocked the door.

He then stood up and greeted Ryousuke and Mayumi as they walked in while saying, "Excuse me."

"Please have a seat over there."

Tatsuya offered them the sofa from the reception set, sitting down first on the opposite side.

Mayumi exchanged looks with Ryousuke, where he told her with his eyes that she could go first. Ryousuke sat down right after her.

Tatsuya looked at both of them.

Mayumi spoke up in response to his gaze.

"Allow me to give the report, sir. I'm pleased to inform you that Miss Lena Fehr, the representative of FEHR, is interested in a partnership with Magian Society on the condition that she may hold a discussion with the Managing Director."

"With me? Not with the representative, Dr. Chandrasekhar?"

"I asked Miss Fehr the same question, but she asked for a meeting with the Managing Director."

"I see…"

Tatsuya contemplated for a moment,

"Did you secure a means of contact with the other party?"

Then asked Mayumi.

"Yes, this way, sir."

Mayumi took out a mobile terminal and showed a phone number and an email address. The phone number was that of a satellite phone.

Tatsuya stared at the screen for a good three seconds before giving a light nod of his head and saying, "Understood." It was enough time to memorize it all and not forget.

"Is there anything else of note you would like to mention?"

"There is."

Mayumi's answer came as a bit of a surprise. Mayumi's answer was a bit surprising, not so much because she said that "there is," but because she didn't even pretend to think about it.

"Oh? And what would it be?"

Tatsuya asked, his interest unconcealed.

"I've met with an old acquaintance. Ono Haruka-sensei, who used to be a counselor at First High."

"Ono-sensei? I heard that she left First High, but."

To tell the truth, Tatsuya knew a little more detailed information surrounding that.

Ono Haruka was an undercover investigator for the Ministry of Police, Public Security

Agency ── a spy for public security. The person in question claimed that she was a "counselor by profession, and that she was made to work as a spy against her will," but on the level of immersion in the darkness of intelligence secrets, such nonsense simply does not hold water.

That's why two years ago, Haruka was unavoidably caught up in a serious power struggle that broke out among spies from the Public Security Agency. In order to escape from there, as this turmoil escalated into a domestic assassination conflict, a year and a half ago she sought the help of Yakumo, who she previously had as a teacher, and went into hiding. Tatsuya didn't know where exactly she had gone after escaping Tokyo, but it seems that she had somehow crossed the Pacific Ocean.

"What was she up to now?"

"She told me that she was working for a detective agency in Seattle. It seems that she had just been in the middle of a case she was working on for FEHR."

"Is that so…"

What exactly was the request that Haruka was taking on? It's not just a matter of personal interest or curiosity, it is something that Tatsuya felt he needed to know.

He thought he should gather information about the situation, including the circumstances before and after, so Tatsuya concluded.

◇ ◇ ◇

Lina had just returned yesterday, a day later than Mayumi and Ryousuke, but she still attended the Magic University, despite the jet lag.

She hadn't been to campus since last Saturday. She’d been absent for only a week, but there had been quite a few big and small news developments that she didn't know about. "…Masaki's change in particular. What on earth happened for him to change his heart?"

Lina, who is taking a break in the seminar room after leaving the crowded cafeteria, asked Miyuki, who has also taken refuge in the same room.

"I don't know the details either. It just happened this morning."

"Hmm… Maybe something happened over the weekend."

"Well, Lina, that aside. Did anything happen during your time away?"

Having only just returned to Japan yesterday, neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki had much of an opportunity to hear from Lina. Of course, this is not a conversation to be had in a place where others can hear, but Miyuki thought on checking at least if there were any major problems.

"Ah… well, you know, some stuff here and there. I'll tell you when we get home."

And apparently, there seems to have been some problems over on that side that they need to hear about.

It's going to be a long night, Miyuki thought.

◇ ◇ ◇

After giving the report to Tatsuya, Mayumi left early as planned, whereas Ryousuke remained at the Industrial Magic Academy.

Ryousuke had been working on a systematic operation under the guidance of the appointed head of the academy, Yatsushiro Takara, but around four o'clock in the afternoon, he asked Tatsuya for a private meeting with him.

Ryousuke went to the director’s office once again, without taking the seat on the sofa recommended to him, he stood in front of Tatsuya's desk.

"Is there something you don't want Saegusa-san to hear?"

Tatsuya fished Ryousuke for information.

"There's that too, but it was the middle of the night over there."

"I understand. So you waited until it was morning."

Ryousuke's line lacked the specific name of the place, but Tatsuya correctly recognized "over there" as Vancouver.

"So I should just make a phone call?"

"No, if you wait a moment."

Ryousuke shook his head at Tatsuya's query. Then he stopped talking.

Ryousuke, in spite of the fact that he was the one who asked for the meeting, did not say what he wanted to discuss.

But Tatsuya didn't have to dwell on it for long.

He knew right away why Ryousuke had asked for a meeting alone with him.

A vaguely human-shaped haze emerged beside Ryousuke.

The haze swiftly took on the contours and colors of a person.

Tatsuya understood at a glance that it was a virtual image created by the Outer-Systematic Type Magic, Astral Projection.

Clear, bright chestnut-colored hair and amber-colored eyes.

A young girl appearing to be a middle or high school student, about five years younger than Tatsuya.

The name of the person matching this physical description immediately came to Tatsuya's mind.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Shiba. Please forgive my indiscretion in intruding suddenly without permission."

A telepathic message from the astral body reached Tatsuya's outer consciousness.

"I am Lena Fehr. I serve as the representative of FEHR."

The astral body of the young girl gave the very same name Tatsuya had thought of.

"Mr. Shiba. I would greatly appreciate it if you would listen to the difficulties we are facing at the moment. And if you are willing, I would like to ask for your assistance in the matter."

The voice of the thought does not give the impression of being so pressed to be pleading for help. But he could tell from the tone of her voice that she didn't have much time to spare.

"That's perfect for me. I was hoping to find out more about the situation there."

At Tatsuya's response, Lena's astral body expressed relief.

"Let me hear what you have to say first, please. I'll ask a question if there is anything I don't understand."

"I understand, I accept. …The situation started when FAIR, which mister also is familiar with, sent a survey team to Mount Shasta."

Lena then began to explain to Tatsuya what had been happening in the USNA and what was due to happen in the future, with some speculation on her part.