Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Magian Company - Volume 4 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 [Trip to the United States]

Tatsuya promised Miyuki at the end of May, "I'll take you on a trip somewhere cooler next month." Last month, however, he did not deliver on that promise. 

Sunday, July 11th. Under the pretense of making it up to Miyuki, Tatsuya drove with her beside him in the passenger seat of his self-propelled car to Hokkaido. 

It's almost time for summer vacation, so they told their friends at the Magic University that they were taking time off to go to Hokkaido and the reason for this is that they are going to an open house of a reasonably priced vacation home they are considering buying. 

And so is true, as Tatsuya sits behind the wheel on his way to Hokkaido. The car he is driving isn't his Air Car, but a regular self-propelled car. 

Miyuki was in high spirits. 

It was a long drive, with just the two of them, in the car with Tatsuya driving. 

A trip with Tatsuya, just the two of them. 

From Miyuki's mood alone, it seemed more like a honeymoon than a premarital trip. 

Even Tatsuya held a smile on his face as he listened to the joyful humming of his fiancée. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Although the atmosphere inside the self-propelled car was quite peaceful, the outside was tense in contrast. 

A number of self-propelled cars took turns tailing Tatsuya's car along the expressway. 

And cars weren't the only ones on the chase. The surveillance cameras positioned along the expressway had Tatsuya's car under constant surveillance throughout the trip, and even from above, with the cameras from airships and HAPS (High Altitude Platform Statios) also kept track of it. 

The surveillance of Tatsuya and Miyuki began the moment they left their home, and has continued uninterrupted since. 

Upon getting word that Tatsuya was headed for Hokkaido, the National Defense Army's Intelligence Department was the first to strengthen their vigilance. 

Hokkaido is the front line facing the New Soviet Union. It is also the region most affected by the growing heightened tensions between the New Soviet Union and the Great Asian Union. 

The staff of the Intelligence Department were fixated on Tatsuya's car and prayed that he would not do anything to provoke either the New Soviet Union or the Great Asian Union. 

The Public Security Agency, a division of the police, were also keeping a close eye on Tatsuya's movements albeit with a different reasoning. They see the activities of the Magian Company, an organization dedicated to magician's rights (or so the police believe), as dangerous because they could end up provoking anti-magicism groups, such as the Humanists, who would respond by inciting violence. 

The Public Security Agency, in their suspicion, view Tatsuya and Miyuki's trip as a cover in expanding Magian Company's presence to Hokkaido as well. 

Among the watchful eyes, some weren't tied to the aforementioned authorities. Spies from enemy nations who had infiltrated Japan also took part in the surveillance. 

As one would expect, the road surveillance system and the HAPS camera system were outside the reach of the spies. While the spies did not have the means to track them remotely, both the New Soviet Union and the Great Asian Union had cars tailing them. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Tatsuya left his apartment in Chofu at 7:00 A.M. and after a few breaks along the way, arrived in Hakodate at 5:00 P.M in the evening. Considering both the maximum speed limits on the expressways and the modern road conditions, they arrived in Hakodate at a fairly leisurely pace. 

After entering the Hakodate metropolitan area, Tatsuya drove the car to their hotel. 

It is now five o'clock in the evening, and their destination is Chitose, Hokkaido. Before that, they planned to make a stop in an area full of vacation homes in order to keep up appearances. And while they still had plenty of time, they decided to stop for the night in Hakodate. 

Tatsuya took Miyuki into town once they left their baggage and car at the hotel. It was a bit late for a proper sightseeing tour, there were still many places to enjoy in the evening nonetheless. And for the 20 year old Miyuki and the year older Tatsuya, it could be in fact said that it is just the right time for adults to be having a date. 

Tatsuya, by the way, was well aware of the watchful eyes on him, and paid them no heed as he escorted Miyuki out. 

All the parties keeping an eye on Tatsuya appeared to have lost interest. 

By mid-afternoon, more and more of them began to have doubts. This was due to Tatsuya's leisurely driving. 

He was driving safely with no aparent hurry. By their common sense, it was becoming increasingly a waste of time and effort to continue the task at hand. 

By the time they neared the Seikan Tunnel, the members of the Army Intelligence Department, the Public Security Agency, as well as the foreign spies, began to think, "Maybe this time it really is just a premarital trip…" 

And now their doubts turned into certainty. 

A man and a woman were walking and cuddling together through the city at dusk. The sight of them, well, they seemed to be like a newlywed couple. 

The newlywed wife who isn't afraid of her husband pampering her in public. 

The newlywed husband who isn't afraid of being seen in public with his wife. 

Just like that, one by one, they were being taken advantage of by these two (?) to the point where they had stopped surveilling them. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The next day, Tatsuya drove the car to a neighborhood full of vacation homes in the southern region of Hokkaido. 

They didn't really intend on buying a vacation home. It was all done just to create an alibi. 

To buy a vacation home however, one needs to have the necessary funds. For that, Tatsuya came prepared with the necessary documents to substantiate his financial situation to the real estate company. Maybe it was because of this that the real estate agent who guided them throughout the vacation home was very friendly. 

Miyuki, like any young girl — though it may sound prejudiced to say so — was delighted with the fashionable interior design and architecture. It was to such an extent that Tatsuya had the whimsy to actually consider buying the property. 

They ended up just looking around without buying the property until late in the afternoon, so after having enjoyed a tour of the vacation house, Tatsuya took Miyuki to Lake Toya. 

They spent their time mostly just enjoying the scenery, which created the atmosphere of a sightseeing trip. 

At this point, there were only two members of the Army Intelligence Department left that were following Tatsuya and Miyuki around. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Tatsuya drove with Miyuki to Chitose on Monday, the 12th, and when they arrived they checked into a hotel there. Of course, they had already booked a hotel room, a suite, no less. 

It may raise some eyebrows considering that it is too extravagant for a university student to be able to afford, but… Tatsuya is no ordinary university student. Not only is he financially well-off, but he has adequate social standing to boot. 

He isn't the only one, as there are countless other examples where the children of magists contribute financially to their families. Though he may not be an exeption in that sense, the extent and scale of his contribution is another story. Tatsuya is "special" even though he isn't an exception in terms of his financial situation. 

Since the hotel staff recognized Tatsuya by his name, his face, and his (ostensible) accomplishments, none of them gave him the look as if saying, "That's a profligate son…" More than likely, he wouldn't have minded at all even if they had looked at him with contempt. He wouldn't tolerate such attitudes though if they were to displease Miyuki. 

At any rate, Tatsuya escorted Miyuki in a perfectly gentlemanly manner and together they entered the suite. 

The next morning, a man and woman dressed as hotel staff came to the suite with a wagon and visited the room where Tatsuya and Miyuki were staying. It appeared to be just what it was, morning room service. Neither of the intelligence officers, posing as other hotel guests, felt anything out of place. 

However, when they entered the room, Tatsuya signaled to them that they could remove their hotel staff disguises. The female staff member, an ordinary black-haired beauty, became a stunningly beautiful blonde-haired woman. Even her clothes were replaced with a luxury brand one-piece dress. As for the male staff member, he became an ordinary gentleman in a sporty jacket with a seamless appearance. 

"Good morning, Tatsuya-sama." 

The gentleman once again gave Tatsuya a morning greeting. 

"Hi there! How was yesterday? Did you two have a passionate evening, was it good?" 

The beautiful blonde-haired woman chirped away in a cordial manner. 

"Oh my gosh, Lina. What are you talking about…" 

Shyly, Miyuki answered without either afirming or deniying. 

In response, Lina exclaimed, "Wow!" exaggerating her reaction. 

As it is probably apparent by now. Lina used [Parade] to disguise her appearance as the female staff member. The male staff member is Tatsuya's butler, Hanabishi Hyougo. 

"Tatsuya-sama, Miyuki-sama. I suggest you should have breakfast first." 

"You're not eating, Hanabishi-san?" 

"Thank you for your concern, Miyuki-sama. Lina-sama and I have already finished ours." 

After answering Miyuki, Hyougo pushed the wagon further into the room and set the European-style breakfast on the table. And then he returned it to a corner of the room. 

"Miyuki, let's eat." 

Tatsuya put his hand on Miyuki's waist and led her to the breakfast table. 

Lina looked away at the sight of this with a slight blush on her cheeks. 

Roughly an hour later. The two hotel staff members joined Tatsuya and Miyuki as they walked out of the suite. The female staff member was pushing the wagon and the male staff member was carrying their luggage. It seemed that they were going to check out a little earlier. 

For some reason, however, the female staff member left the wagon in the hands of another staff member and accompanied Tatsuya and Miyuki. The male staff member handed the luggage to Tatsuya in front of the counter and disappeared behind it with the female staff member. 

Tatsuya and Miyuki left the hotel in their self-propelled car that the valet brought to the porte cochère at the front entrance. The intelligence officers who had been tailing them started to follow them again. 

The male and female staff members, who disappeared behind the front counter, changed their appearances as soon as they were out of sight from others. 

They were none other than Tatsuya and Miyuki, who until now, had been disguised as the hotel staff with Lina's [Parade]. The effects of Lina's [Parade] had worn off. 

Needless to say, the "Tatsuya" and "Miyuki," who left the hotel in their self-propelled car, were Hyougo and Lina pretending to be them using [Parade]. 

Having artfully switched places, Tatsuya and Miyuki headed for the underground parking lot. This is where they found the Air Car that Hyougo had left behind for them. 

They boarded it and headed to their final destination in Hokkaido, New Chitose Airport. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The Air Car that Tatsuya and Miyuki boarded flew up the ramp of a large-sized military transport aircraft. 

Instead of the New Chitose Airport, their destination brought them to a nearby National Defense Air Base. Although the United States Armed Forces don't use it very often, it is a Joint-Use Base. 

It's a rare sight to see a USNA military transport aircraft on the runway. Due to the unscheduled, hastily organized, large-scale U.S.-Japan joint military exercise, other bases have become too cramped, so military transport aircraft that are part of the exercise have had to fly all the way to Chitose. 

All orchestrated by Tatsuya and JJ, a.k.a. Jeffrey James. JJ worked with the Pentagon to shift the dates for the joint military exercise to keep Tatsuya's departure under the radar. 

Many might think that it is an outrageous amount of effort to transport a single civilian, especially if they are not the President. However, the situation has reached such a point that Tatsuya's every move is watched closely by the entire world. 

Thus, the military transport aircraft carrying Tatsuya and Miyuki took off bound for the West Coast of the United States. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The military transport aircraft carrying Tatsuya and Miyuki was unfortunately a subsonic plane owing to the need to keep a low profile. 

It took about nine hours of travel since takeoff from Chitose Air Base. They arrived at Beale Air Force Base, California, just after midnight local time. 

Sunrise is roughly three hours from now. 

"Mr. Shiba, Miss Shiba. Thank you both for coming." 

Yet, in spite of the hour, JJ greeted them walking up the ramp of the military transport aircraft in a seamless suit. 

"Thank you for coming to greet us at such an early hour." 

Tatsuya, who was standing by the Air Car waiting for the ramp to come down, responded to his greeting. 

"It's the least I could do. If it were up to me, I would have welcomed you aboard the same plane as Air Force One." 

JJ responded and exchanged greetings with Miyuki. 

"JJ, shouldn't you wait a few months before borrowing Air Force One?" 

As Tatsuya spoke in jest, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. 

JJ laughed out loud at the remark. It could be considered an indirect way of Tatsuya saying that, "The presidential election in the fall will be won by Secretary Spencer, whom JJ is working for as a secretary." and it seems like JJ got the point. 

"I can take care of the entry procedures. Do you have your passports with you?" 

Mildly surprised at JJ's offer to process their passports, Tatsuya and Miyuki handed over their passports. As a side note, they would formally be departing from Japan at the Chitose Air Base. The plan is for Fujibayashi to make the necessary corrections to the computer records at a later date. 

JJ set the passports he received into the "write-in terminal" himself. The machine automatically stamped a blank page, then wrote an electronic signature on a contactless chip affixed to the cover. 

The reason for not making the process entirely electronic was to ensure that the passport could be used as an identity document even in areas where there are no terminals available to read out the data. There are places throughout the world where only analog records can be used, and there are also instances when digital devices cannot be used. 

JJ returned the passports to Tatsuya upon completion of the processing. Immediately after that, as if timed perfectly, the cargo ramp of the military transport aircraft began to lower. 

"Please get in. A car will guide you to your hotel in Berkeley." 

"I look forward to working with you." 

After Tatsuya replied to JJ, he then opened the passenger side door and took Miyuki's hand, helping her inside. He then got into the driver's seat himself. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

By the time they arrived in Berkeley, it was already dawn. They would surely have arrived earlier if they had flown in, but there was no way that the Air Car could be allowed to fly willy-nilly in America. Had that not been the case, they would still have needed JJ's directions. 

Even though it took longer, it was still dawn, barely even early morning. Normally, it would be impossible to check-in at this time. However, it's at times like this that the title of secretary of the Secretary of Defense comes into play. On top of that, the hotel that JJ had booked was first-class in every sense of the word. 

The front desk clerk, the bell staff, and the doorman were all courteous to a fault, and there wasn't any sign of hidden unpleasantness as far as Tatsuya could tell, let alone in their expressions. Although he felt somewhat bad for the comparison, Tatsuya found the quality of the staff at this hotel to be a few notches above that of the hotel in Hakodate. 

JJ parted ways with them after they checked-in. 

Tatsuya and Miyuki shared the bathroom and went straight to bed without having breakfast. 

Then, in mid-afternoon. They were enjoying a late lunch at the hotel restaurant when JJ showed up a little earlier than scheduled. 

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting your meal?" 

JJ bowed in an apologetic manner. 

"If you would like, you can join us." 

Rather than being concerned about JJ, Tatsuya invited him to join both he and Miyuki at the table because of the way his companions were looking at him. 

"Mister, may I?" 

Sure enough, it was she who responded to Tatsuya. 

"Yes, Doctor. Be my guest." 

"JJ. Since mister has said so, why don't we take him up on his offer?" 

Abigail Stuart, the USNA's renowned specialist in magical engineering, beckoned to JJ with a gleam in her eyes. 

JJ gave her a sullen look, but accepted Tatsuya's invitation, saying, "Well, since we're here, why not." 

JJ pulled out his own chair and Stuart joined him at the table, sitting in a chair that a waiter pulled out for her. 

"Please feel free to sit down as well, Miss Shaula." 

And then, Tatsuya urged for the young woman, who had been hesitating until the end, to have a seat. 

"Mr. Shiba, do you remember me!?" 

The woman turned to Tatsuya, her face full of astonishment. 

"Yes. We haven't met since Midway, Miss Shaula. Excuse me, but what is your rank now?" 

"I was promoted to First Lieutenant, mister." 

First Lieutenant Ariana Lee Shaula. Second-Magnitude Star-Class member of Stars. 

It was three years ago, during the Parasite Insurrection, that Tatsuya broke her out along with Canopus from Midway Prison. She was a Second Lieutenant at the time. 

Although they met only once, with Tatsuya's flawless memory, he could remember her face, name, and even the idiosyncrasies of her Psions. 

"First Lieutenant Shaula. This is my fiancée, Miyuki Shiba." 

Needless to say, as it is customary to do so in the west, Tatsuya introduced her as "Miyuki Shiba." 

Shortly after that, Miyuki introduced herself, giving her name as well, and said, "Nice to meet you. 

Upon hearing this, Shaula noted that she and Miyuki are the only two in the group who had not yet met each other before. 

She rushed to stand up from the chair she had just sat down in. 

"Nice to meet you Miss Shiba. I am First Lieutenant Ariana Lee Shaula. It is an honor to make your acquaintance." 

"Thank you for your kind greeting. Please, have a seat." 

Shaula sat down once again at Miyuki's urging. 

No one felt reproachful about the fact that Miyuki remained seated. Originally, Miyuki was having a meal with Tatsuya. If anyone, JJ's group knew they were the ones at fault. 

After that, it was Stuart who showed the most voracious appetite. According to her, she was pulled away from her work in Oakland before she even had a chance to eat breakfast first. Stuart, who in the end had eaten just as much food as Tatsuya, finished eating at about the same time as Tatsuya and Miyuki who were already halfway through their meals when everyone first arrived. 

"—So, you're also participating in the investigation of this case, doctor?" 

Tatsuya asked this as he sipped his after-meal coffee. 

"Yes. The doctor will be leading the investigation team." 

JJ was the one to answer. 

"You brought in the Doctor, who specializes in magical engineering, instead of a physician? Well, does this mean that you don't believe it to be a medical illness?" 

"I came to that conclusion soon after my conversation with you the other day, mister." 

JJ confirmed Tatsuya's question. 

"I've told them repeatedly that it's outside of my area of expertise, nonetheless, they forced me to be in charge since Stars is involved in the investigation." 

"You are the chief scientist at Stars, after all, Doctor." 

JJ said it in a more matter-of-factly way, than in a heartless way, as if to cut off Stuart's complaints. This exchange suggests that this conversation has been repeated countless times. 

"Then, are you participating as well, First Lieutenant Shaula?" 

Hearing that Stars is in charge of the investigation, Tatsuya turned to Shaula. 

"I have been ordered to be your escort, mister." 

"First Lieutenant Shaula specializes in Counter Magic to defend against Mental-Interference Type Magic and has a high resistance to that type of magic. I think she could be of some help to you, mister." 

Stuart followed up, adding to Shaula's answer. 

Tatsuya was grateful for this offer. 

"I see, in that case. First Lieutenant Shaula, I'd like for you to be Miyuki's escort." 

Miyuki's safety has always been Tatsuya's primary concern. 

"Understood. Please leave it to me." 

Though seemingly confused for a moment, Shaula promptly agreed. 

She had not forgotten Tatsuya's overwhelming combat power she had witnessed on Midway Island. 

Shaula didn't originally see the point in this mission. She thought that if she were to escort Miyuki, Tatsuya's fiancée, instead, then she could then be of some use — so she thought. 

Tatsuya truly has no need for a bodyguard. 

Shaula had come to realize this three years ago.