Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 36 - Chapter 2

Maki’s New Job

Saturday, July 9th

Back when Forthorthe was still gripped by civil war, Nana had suggested that Maki join up with Rainbow Heart. In Nana’s eyes, Maki was a perfectly worthy magical girl. Maki only thought she was being polite and had quickly forgotten about it after the fact. Nana, however, had followed up on the offer by personally recommending Maki to Rainbow Heart herself—and with good reason.

As she was officially a member of the Satomi knights, Maki wasn’t lacking for social standing. She was held in high regard in Forthorthe, which went a long way in terms of influencing her regard in Folsaria too... but, strictly speaking, there was a separation. Koutarou’s special privileges as the Blue Knight didn’t extend to Folsaria, meaning that Maki using magic for his sake still counted as using it for personal reasons.

Other former leaders of Darkness Rainbow were permitted to use their magic in service of the royal families of Forthorthe, but Maki was currently operating in Folsaria’s jurisdiction on Earth. As such, her personal use of magic was frowned upon by Rainbow Heart. It was being overlooked at present as a diplomatic gesture of goodwill, but it was still legally problematic.

In order to resolve the issue, there would need to be extensive talk of reform between Folsaria and Forthorthe. But in the meantime, the easiest solution was to have Maki join Rainbow Heart and subsequently assigned to Koutarou like Yurika was.

“So you’re finally joining Rainbow Heart, huh, Aika-san? Your Darkness Rainbow days are long behind you, so this kinda feels overdue,” Koutarou said, his words echoing in the stairwell of an abandoned building.

He and the girls were currently on their way to Folsaria. Several teleportation gates existed across Japan, one of which was hidden within this disused building.

“So you say, but Folsarians have every reason to be frightened of former Darkness Rainbow members, Satomi-kun,” Maki replied with a wry smile.

She was happy that Koutarou had so much faith in her, but that was only because he knew her personally. The same didn’t apply to Folsarians at large, who saw her as something to fear.

“But, I mean, even the other leaders of Darkness Rainbow were fighting for something they believed in, right? Besides, I’m sorta the one who put them in that position...” Koutarou pondered out loud after hearing what Maki said.

Koutarou didn’t think poorly of the Darkness Rainbow girls. Categorically, they were different from the likes of Vandarion, whose cruelty knew no limits. Koutarou had always wanted to put a stop to Darkness Rainbow and Elexis, but at the very least, he knew they would take good care of Forthorthe if they’d won in the end.

Moreover, there was the simple matter of Darkness Rainbow’s chief goal. They wanted to return to their true home—to Forthorthe—and Koutarou felt personally responsible for their banishment from it in the first place. He couldn’t condemn them as inherently evil for it.

“You only feel that way because you know the whole story, Satomi-kun. To everyone else, we were just a terrorist organization.”

“Yeah, that’s fair... I guess it’s a big deal that Rainbow Heart invited you to join them, then. How did that come about, Nana-san?”

There, Koutarou looked over his shoulder at Nana. She was short and a few steps below him, so all he could see was her face. On it was a very bright smile.

“Maki-san may have been a leader of Darkness Rainbow, but she’d only just assumed the position and had no criminal record.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Koutarou asked curiously. He wasn’t sure how Maki, Maya’s disciple, had no criminal record.

“The leaders of Darkness Rainbow were free to join missions as they pleased, while subordinates were forced to follow orders from above. And as soon as Aika-san was promoted to Dark Navy, she headed straight for you... and the rest is history. She technically never planned and executed an attack as a leader of Darkness Rainbow.”

“Ah, of course. And before that, she was only following orders.”

This made perfect sense to Koutarou. Maki had been ordered to commit evil rather than committing it of her own volition. She was only following superior orders.

“It’s still a mark against her that she was, even if only on paper, a leader of Darkness Rainbow,” Nana continued. “But given what she’s accomplished since leaving the organization, Rainbow Heart decided they had no qualms against inviting Aika-san into their ranks as an intermediate magician.”

“It’s true she’s been helping me out all this time. Yurika too.”

Ever since leaving Darkness Rainbow, Maki had dedicated herself to assisting Koutarou—a quest that involved protecting Folsaria and weakening Darkness Rainbow’s influence. She’d also personally been aiding Yurika, an archwizard of Rainbow Heart. As such, her name was frequently mentioned with commendation in Yurika’s reports.

That created an interesting situation. While Maki had technically been a leader of Darkness Rainbow, there were no records of her wrongdoing and plenty of evidence of her good deeds. In light of this, Rainbow Heart agreed that she should be offered a position as intermediate magician. Intermediate magicians had no political influence in Folsaria, but they were still entitled to assistance and other support.

“That’s why I seconded Nana-san’s recommendation,” Yurika said with a proud, happy smile. She was pleased with Maki’s invitation too.

“So you know she’s been saving your butt, huh?” Koutarou teased.

“That’s part of it, but Maki-chan is also my friend. I know all her good sides, and she’s definitely got what it takes to be a magical girl.”

“Yurika...”

Seeing Yurika smile, Koutarou felt something tug at his heart. Yurika had recommended Maki not just to repay a favor or help out a friend... but because she knew Maki was right for the job. It took a magical girl of love and courage to know one, he thought. If they weren’t on the move at the moment, he might have reached over to pat her on the head.

“Thank you, Yurika,” Maki said instead, volunteering her gratitude. She was happy to be seen, not just as a friend, but for who she truly was.

“Heeheehee. I’m sure you would’ve done the same for me if our positions were reversed.”

“Yes, that’s true. I’m sure I would have. I know your good sides too.”

“Aww, that’s kind of embarrassing...”

“Isn’t it? Heehee.”

There, Yurika and Maki shared a laugh together. They’d been mortal enemies just two years ago, so seeing them like this now was a touching sight to Koutarou. He was on the verge of tears, but fortunately, Nana was able to bring him back.

“There are more practical reasons for this too, you know,” she said.

“Like what?” he asked.

“Natural talent, for example. Gifted magicians are few and far between, and Rainbow Heart doesn’t want to miss out on powerful recruits. They’re also chronically shorthanded now with all the Forthorthe business...”

It took two important things to make a magician: mana and proper training. Without one or the other, magic was normally just a pipe dream. That said, there were certain people—natural-born mages, so to speak—who understood magic and its intricacies. They could use it without being taught, per se. Proper magicians were uncommon enough as it was, but natural-born mages were truly rare, even within Rainbow Heart. They didn’t want to let an exceptional specimen like Maki slip through their fingers.

There was also, as Nana had said, the matter of personnel logistics. Now that it was known that Forthorthe was the Folsarians’ true home, Rainbow Heart was busier than ever. If magic leaked from Folsaria to Forthorthe, there would be unmitigated chaos. All possible precaution was necessary to prevent that from happening. Moreover, Folsaria was in the throes of a debate that divided the country in three—should they ally with Forthorthe, make a mass exodus, or keep living as they were? It was an all hands on deck situation where even former members of Darkness Rainbow were welcome assets.

“I see. That makes sense,” Koutarou said with a nod.

“Granted, that side of the equation isn’t publicly acknowledged,” Nana added with a chuckle.

But despite her demeanor, it was no laughing matter. If word got out that former Darkness Rainbow members were being recruited, the people of Folsaria would grow to distrust Rainbow Heart. Nana was only able to make jokes about the situation because she was with Koutarou, away from all the tricky post-war politics.

“Still... now that Aika-san’s joining Rainbow Heart, Yurika’s going to lose her position, isn’t she?” Koutarou asked.

“I am not!” Yurika retorted with a pout, although she was worried about the same thing deep down.

“Aika-san’s now a magical girl of justice who fights with a sword of magic, spells of all kinds, and her cat familiar.”

“Meow!”

Snoozy, resting atop Koutarou’s head, let out a small cry when he heard the word “cat.” It seemed he’d been picking up on certain words lately and could now tell when he was being talked about. Incidentally, the reason he was perched on Koutarou was simply that his head was bigger than the girls’, making him the most comfortable ride of the bunch.

“Meanwhile, you’re a chemical weapons expert who’s drowning in debt. It’s not even a contest,” he continued.

“Ngh...”

Underground and in Forthorthe, Yurika was known as a chemical warfare specialist who played with bioweapons like toys, taking out her enemies without ever leaving a trace. She’d helped the Satomi knights overcome all sorts of crises and made quite a name for herself doing it. She was the most well-known knight of the group after Koutarou himself and Kiriha. That’s right—Yurika the chemical weapons expert was a fan favorite.

“S-Sorry, Yurika-chan,” Maki apologized.

“Hnnngh...”

Yurika had inadvertently gained even more attention recently because of Nana’s activities with Nefilforan’s squad. Nana only used normal weapons in front of the Forthorthian soldiers, but what she achieved with them was magical. As such, they’d taken to calling her “the magician.” They were enamored, both with her cute looks and her performance in battle. They were likewise taken with Yurika when they found out she was her apprentice. Surely the magician’s apprentice was a magician too.

And so her popularity soared—right along with her reputation as a chemical weapons expert. The Forthorthian soldiers would now gift her chemical weapons every time they saw her. They weren’t confident in their own ability to use them, but they had every confidence Yurika could do something truly magical with them.

“Aw, don’t be like that, Koutarou. You know you like Yurika just the way she is, since you keep her close and watch over her yourself,” Sanae chimed in, exposing Koutarou’s innermost heart.

Hearing this, Yurika’s teary eyes lit up bright. “Really?!” she exclaimed, tottering over to Koutarou. Anyone else would have skipped, but her uncoordinated steps were strange.

“O-Of course not!” he denied fervently.

Sanae knew everything he felt thanks to her psychic powers, so she simply smiled at his denial. The other girls, however, even without psychic powers, were all smiling too. No matter what excuses Koutarou might make, he couldn’t fool them

.

Though Rainbow Heart’s headquarters was a military facility, it was more so administrative in function. It served as the country’s point of contact with the military, so it had a rather bureaucratic atmosphere. This included a window where civilians could come to request aid when magical beasts appeared, register children born with mana, report magical crimes or accidents, and apply to join Rainbow Heart. Effectively, it was as much of a police station as it was a military base.

“Maki-san, head on over to the enlistment desk,” Nana said.

Nana had gone to the information desk in the lobby and asked for further instructions. She showed the clerk the letter Maki had received, and the clerk quickly sent word upstairs that she and Maki had arrived.

“The recruiter should be here soon, so you shouldn’t have to wait for long,” Nana explained, handing the letter back to Maki.

“Understood. Thank you very much,” she replied, taking it. Once she delivered the letter to the enlistment counter, the application process would officially begin.

“As for you, Yurika-chan...” Nana continued.

“Y-Yes?” Yurika had been totally spaced out, but hearing Nana say her name snapped her back to her senses.

All this time, Rainbow Heart had considered Maki to be Yurika’s ward—but that stopped the moment they entered Rainbow Heart HQ. Maki was now a prospective recruit under Nana’s supervision. Strictly speaking, Yurika’s job was done. She hadn’t expected to be involved in this process, and as such, she was a little surprised that Nana called out to her.

“I’ve also got some papers for you,” Nana said.

“For me...?” Yurika asked, a bit wary.

She then reluctantly took the envelope from Nana. For Yurika, getting paperwork from Rainbow Heart usually wasn’t a good thing. She skeptically scanned the envelope, which was addressed to Archwizard Nijino Yurika of the Blue Magic Division. It was unmistakably for her. She had a bad feeling about its contents, and so she slowly, dubiously opened it... But nothing could have prepared her for what was inside.

From: Rainbow Heart’s Finance Department Treasury

To: Archwizard Nijino Yurika of the Blue Magic Division

We’ve heard of your many accomplishments, which are most becoming of an archwizard of Rainbow Heart. We expect even greater things from you in the future. In light of this, we are passing along some good news.

Congratulations. We are pleased to report that with the payment on the 30th of last month, all of your debts have been repaid. This is 58 months sooner than expected, courtesy of the allowances and bonuses you have accrued since your assignment to Japan. Again, congratulations. We’d now like to discuss your future asset management with you. Please visit the finance department at your earliest convenience.

After reading through the papers, Yurika went ghostly pale. The color drained completely from her face.

“Wh-Wha... Whaaaaaaaat?!”

This news was like a bolt out of the blue to her. It would turn her entire life upside down.

You see, Yurika had had a rather large debt hanging over her. Shortly after she was first appointed archwizard, there was an accident where her magic went rampant and demolished a facility. Folsaria had special insurances to cover damage caused by errant magic in the line of duty... but unfortunately, Yurika was on her own time when said accident happened. That meant the cost of it—repairs included—fell entirely on her shoulders. They had garnished her salary ever since, which was what had forced her into a life of poverty. The garnishments were projected to continue for another five years.

The situation, however, had changed when Yurika was dispatched to room 106. She was now receiving hazard pay, overtime, and various other bonuses for taking down dangerous enemies. She’d also been a part of a mission to Forthorthe, discovered the Folsarians’ true home, rescued royalty, and more. The honorariums she’d received for her service quickly added up, rapidly diminishing the timeline on her debt repayment plan.

“What’s the matter, Yurika-chan?” Nana asked.

“Yurika?” Maki echoed.

Both girls then peered at the paper in her hands. When they saw what it said, they rejoiced.

“You did it, Yurika-chan!” Nana shouted.

“Congratulations, Yurika! Now you don’t have to worry about your budget anymore! You can buy all the manga you’d like!” Maki likewise cheered.

Their beloved friend had earned her way out of debt with hard work. Her name—and her bank account—were now clear, which was indeed a welcome cause to celebrate.

“What’s going on?” Sanae asked, curious about the commotion.

“Yeah, let us in on it too!” Shizuka followed up.

“Did something happen?” Harumi inquired.

The three girls came closer, crowding around the smiling Nana and Maki. They wanted to know what the good news must be.

“Yurika-chan has actually managed to repay her debts!” Nana explained.

“Apparently she’s been getting lots of bonuses since being sent out to room 106!” Maki added.

“That’s great, Yurika-chan!” Shizuka cheered.

“Congratulations,” said Harumi. “Now you can eat all the delicious things you’ve always wanted!”

The girls all continued to pat Yurika on the back... All but one, that is.

“Aren’t you happy?” Sanae asked, cocking her head.

She could sense no joy in Yurika’s aura. If anything, she seemed disappointed and sad. Sanae watched her curiously as she stared down at the letter in her hands...

And then loudly ripped it up.

“H-Hey, Yurika!” Sanae shrieked.

“Yurika-chan, you shouldn’t do that!” Nana cried out.

But Yurika paid them no mind as she reduced the letter to shreds and then burned those shreds to a crisp with fire magic. Only ash remained.

“Yurika, why would you... Oh.”

Nana was about to press Yurika for the reason for her actions, but she stopped short when she saw the tears in her dear friend’s eyes.

“I want to be a freeloader for a little longer...” Yurika mumbled. “At least until we graduate high school...”

Yurika was terrified by the prospect of her life changing. Living in a wardrobe was cramped and uncomfortable, but she was always right there with Koutarou and the other girls. She was happy with the way things were. Sure, she could buy a mountain of manga and all the food she wanted with her salary reinstated... but that wasn’t bargain enough to give up the life she loved.

“Yurika...” Maki said sympathetically, keenly aware of how Yurika felt.

When she’d taken her first steps into her new life after leaving Darkness Rainbow, she too was afraid of her relationship with Koutarou changing. It had taken a great deal of courage to overcome that fear. Maki was spurred forward by knowing she was doing the right thing, but Yurika’s case was different in that sense. Harder. Maki couldn’t bring herself to be critical of her for it.

“I don’t think Satomi-kun will ask you to move out of the wardrobe just because you have money coming in now, Yurika-san. I’m sure that won’t change even after enrolling in university, either,” Harumi assured her. She was certain of that. There was no way Koutarou would tell Yurika to get out. Especially not now that she’d left an impression on his heart.

“I just wanted to be a freeloader... for a little while longer...”

“What’s the big deal?” Sanae asked casually. “This just means you’re not any different from me or Theia.”

Sanae herself was the daughter of a well-to-do family and wanted for nothing. In spite of that, Koutarou still gave her the same allowance that he always had while she was a ghost. It was a trivial amount, but Sanae lived for it and Koutarou had never denied it to her.

The same could be said for the salary that Theia paid Koutarou. Given her vast fortunes in Forthorthe, the sum was comparatively insignificant. And yet Theia insisted on giving it to Koutarou. Sanae was sure the same thing would be true in Yurika’s case.

“Do you really think so...?” she mumbled with the first sign of hope in her voice.

“Duh. What makes you think otherwise? Koutarou isn’t that heartless, and he’s not that tough.”

“You really understand Satomi-san, don’t you, Sanae-chan?”

“You should too. The worst thing about you is how much you underestimate yourself, you know?”

“I underestimate myself?”

Because Yurika wasn’t any good at academics or athletics, she thought of herself as worthless—and that was precisely what Sanae was talking about. Yurika underestimated her abilities and her worth, including how much she meant to Koutarou. How much he needed her. She had trouble seeing it for herself, but she also couldn’t deny it. The sword crest on her forehead was proof of it.

“I... I think I’ll try and be more like you, Sanae-chan.”

Thus Yurika decided that she’d slowly work on seeing her value. She had no faith in it outside of what her friends told her, but if they saw worth in her... then maybe her special someone did too.

“Attagirl! Unshakeable confidence is the foundation of any good magical girl!”

“Right!”

Thanks to Sanae, Yurika was able to smile again. This entire conversation, however, had been a time-consuming distraction from their real objective here at Rainbow Heart HQ. Nearly half an hour had passed before Maki was able to get back to her paperwork at the enlistment desk. Once all the proper forms were filled out, she’d move on to an interview with her future boss.

Nana and Yurika were both members of the Blue Magic Division, which made its home in the appropriately colored Blue Tower. An old woman named Kaera awaited them at the top.

“Hello there! It’s been ages, Kaera-sama!” Nana called to her.

“It has indeed, Nana,” she replied.

“I have been in Forthorthe for a while, after all... I’m glad to see you well.”

“And I’m glad to hear of all the good work you’ve been doing. Same as always.”

“Thank you very much!”

Kaera was the base commander of the Blue Magic Division, and she held a seat on Folsaria’s elder council. She was a high-ranking civil official deserving of the utmost respect. She was mild-mannered, but there was an undying passion in her eyes. Her very face reflected the weight of the responsibility she carried.

“Nijino Yurika reporting, ma’am! I’ve brought Aika Maki-san as a prospective recruit!”

Even Yurika carried herself properly in Kaera’s presence. She minded her posture and her speech, although she could hardly hide her nervosity. Nana, however, spoke to her more like an old friend—a side effect of having known each other for over a decade.

“Well done, Rainbow,” Kaera replied to Yurika.

“Thank you!”

“Now... you must be Aika Maki-san,” Kaera said, shifting her gaze from one magical girl to the next. Her eyes were kind but fiery.

Maki steeled herself before answering, “Yes, I am... I’m currently an unaffiliated magician.”

Strictly speaking, Maki belonged to the Satomi knights, but the real reason she claimed no affiliation was her past. Because she’d once been a member of Darkness Rainbow, she needed to make it clear she’d washed her hands of them.

“All seems to be in order, then,” Kaera replied. “Follow me this way, if you please.”

“A-All right.”

Kaera got up from the wooden desk where she ordinarily worked and ushered Maki into the lounge suite of her office for the interview. Maki took the seat she was offered on the sofa and practically melted into it. She was prepared to be summarily rejected and denounced. Given how Rainbow Heart was founded, she believed they would come down on her hard for her sins. Folsaria was a nation that rose from a grave sin, and Rainbow Heart’s mission was to correct its ways.

But in reality, Kaera welcomed Maki. She herself had fought Darkness Rainbow and lost many allies in the process. Yet even so, she received Maki now with a smile—a sign of her strong, resolute nature. Maki felt she’d have to work hard to live up to both Kaera’s kindness and her expectations.

“Nana, Yurika, would you wait in the other room with your guests?” Kaera asked.

“Oh, yes, of course. Let’s go, Yurika-chan,” Nana agreed.

“Huh?”

“The interview will just be the two of them. It’ll be harder with us here, won’t it?”

“Oh, right. Good luck, Maki-chan!”

“Thank you, Yurika.”

The other two magical girls made their exit, leaving Maki and Kaera alone. The question of whether Maki would be hired now rested solely on her shoulders. She sat on the sofa steeling herself as Kaera fixed up some tea for the both of them.

“Now then... let’s get started, shall we?” she said, her voice sounding much clearer now that it was just her and Maki in the room. She took a seat across from Maki after setting the tea out, and picked up some files she’d prepared beforehand. “Let’s start with the basics. Your name and age, please.”

The interview was a serious process. Not even the personal friend of an archwizard could join the ranks of Rainbow Heart without her identity confirmed.

“My name is Aika Maki. I don’t know my exact age, but I believe I’m around eighteen years old.”

“Why don’t you know your age exactly?”

“Because I was sold to a slave dealer when I was young,” Maki said in a lower tone.

“My apologies for having to ask.”

“No... it’s fine.”

With no clear DOB, Kaera had no choice but to ask Maki about it. It was a touchy subject, however, and a sad story to hear. She was sorry to press her on the matter.

“I have a few more hard questions to ask,” she said, “so I do apologize.”

“Don’t worry. It’s fine. I mean, I’m fine now... I have a home and people who love me.”

Following that, Maki went through her history with Kaera. It started with her horrible treatment at the hands of the slave dealer, how she was betrayed by a friend when she tried to escape... Maki spared no detail, completely baring her heart to Kaera. She answered each and every question fully and honestly.

“Thank you, Maki-san... Your story isn’t an exact match to what I have here in your profile, but there are almost always some discrepancies. Ah, but I suppose you would know far more about memory and how it works than I do.”

“Yes...”

Maki had confided in Kaera things she’d only ever told Koutarou before—like how she’d gone back to get revenge on the slave dealer. She felt like she couldn’t hide those details. And in truth... getting them out was actually something of a relief. Maybe, deep down, she’d always wanted to tell someone other than Koutarou her story.

“Now then... I have ample record of your abilities and accomplishments, so we’ll skip the usual competency test. For my last question, I’d like to ask about your motivation for being here. Why do you want to join Rainbow Heart?”

On the surface, Maki was here because Nana had recommended her for the job, but that wasn’t really what Kaera was asking about. She wanted to know why Maki had personally chosen to come along.

Maki already knew her answer and explained herself thus: “There are people I want to protect. Friends I want to stand with. And to that end, I want to make this world as safe as possible. All this fighting doesn’t suit them.”

While Koutarou and the girls were constantly putting themselves in danger for the greater good, they were still only normal teenagers. They had a peaceful everyday life to go back to once the fighting was all over. That was the present Maki wanted to protect. The future she wanted to safeguard. And it was also her way of making up for the past.

“There was someone I couldn’t help... She was like a savior to me personally. I have other regrets, too. I don’t know if doing this will prevent such misfortune in the future, but I believe it’s better than doing nothing at all.”

Maki was talking about Maya. Maya had a long, dark past and Maki was irrefutably a part of it... but that didn’t change the fact that Maya was her savior. Her whereabouts were currently unknown. It had never been confirmed whether she and Elexis were dead or alive, and that troubled Maki to this day. She worried nonstop, but she also regretted the life she’d once lived with Maya. Since she couldn’t save Maya, she believed the least she could do was try to atone for her other mistakes.

“That’s why I want to join Rainbow Heart,” she concluded.

Maki wanted to protect the future and make up for the past. That was what had brought her to Rainbow Heart’s doorstep. Hearing this...

“Heh...” Kaera laughed a little. Maki looked at her in puzzlement, and in return she explained, “I apologize. You’re just like Nana said... I can’t help but find it funny.”

“Like Nana said...?”

“Yes. She wrote at the end of her recommendation ‘If Rainbow Heart does not accept this brilliant light into its ranks, I will form my own rainbow.’”

Nana believed that Maki had everything it took to become a proper magical girl. She wanted Rainbow Heart to hire her no matter what, and if they refused, she was willing to depart the organization and start her own. She was putting herself on the line for Maki.

“Nana-san wrote that?” Maki asked in near disbelief.

“Indeed. Yurika wrote something similar too.”

With that, Kaera slid Maki the letter of recommendation in question. The majority of it was in Nana’s clean script, but the last few lines next to Yurika’s signature were written in her big, bubbly handwriting: “Maki-chan has a lot of love and a strong sense of justice. I think she’ll make a beautiful Rainbow too.” From just those few words, Maki could sense their incredible bond with her. She found herself tearing up.

“Be sure to thank them later,” Kaera said.

“What?” Maki asked, hurriedly looking up from the letter.

She was taken aback... because it sounded like Kaera was implying she’d passed the interview.

“Is it really that much of a surprise?” Kaera replied. “You’re hired, Maki-san.”

“But...” Maki stammered. Kaera had made it sound like it was no big deal, but it was a very big deal indeed to Maki. “Aren’t there objections to hiring me?”

“There are. Even I was uneasy about it myself at first.”

“Then—”

“But now that I’ve met you for myself, I can see that you’re every bit the brilliant light that Nana and Yurika say you are.”

Maki wasn’t running from her past. She came to Rainbow Heart with an open heart, hiding nothing. Kaera believed that was a necessary quality for a Rainbow agent. What mattered even more than her physical strength and the strength of her mana was the strength of her heart. And based on the interview, Kaera believed Maki had what it took.

“It’s often said that Kaera of the Blue Tower enjoys eccentrics, but that’s not what this is,” Kaera explained.

When the renowned genius Nana had pushed to make Yurika an archwizard, there were still those who objected even after seeing Yurika’s immense power for themselves. It was Kaera who’d personally pushed Yurika’s promotion through, claiming all responsibility. She had a long history of making such risky appointments, but as she said, this was different. She truly believed letting Maki go would be a big loss for Rainbow Heart.

“That said... I’m the only person who had a chance to talk with you today, so there is something Rainbow Heart as an organization would like to ask of you.”

“That’s fine,” Maki replied. “I’d feel better myself if it was conditional.”

Kaera was satisfied with the day’s interview, but she knew it would take more to convince the rest of Rainbow Heart... and so she issued Maki a challenge before she was formally brought on board.

The challenge was a simple mission that would assess Maki’s aptitude for such work, her ability to make decisions in the field, her loyalty to the cause, and her leadership potential. In short, it was a probationary trial.

“So what’s your first mission, Aika-san?” Koutarou asked.

He’d reunited with the rest of the group by the time Maki was done with her interview. Though he was Forthorthe’s commander-in-chief, there was no pressing military business in Folsaria at the moment. He believed such affairs were better left to Theia and Ruth anyway, so once the official greetings and other pleasantries were over, Koutarou had excused himself to go find Maki.

Incidentally, as he’d left the meeting, Nana, Yurika, and Kaera took his place. Nana had been serving as an advisor to Forthorthe for a while now, and Yurika had long assisted them as an archwizard. The two magical girls were thus invited alongside Kaera, a prominent member of the elder council. That left Koutarou, Sanae, Shizuka, and Harumi with Maki now.

“Civilians have been going missing in the city,” Maki explained, “so I’m to investigate what’s happening.”

“That sounds like a pretty important mission right off the bat.”

“Strictly speaking, no one’s legally been declared missing yet. If the investigation finds that nothing strange is going on, it will be considered a closed case.”

Even in peaceful Japan, tens of thousands of people disappeared every year. The same was true in Folsaria. With the tension between Rainbow Heart and Darkness Rainbow resolved, people were free to come and go as they pleased. Some simply moved or migrated away, but Maki’s mission was to get to the bottom of things. If the cause was suspect, she was to track it down, and if not, she was to file a conclusive report explaining so.

“I see,” said Harumi. “If something is going on and the case is concluded prematurely, it will cause problems down the line. And if there’s nothing to it, it will look bad if she takes too long to determine that. I’m sure this is a test to see if she can effectively draw the line and clear the task at hand.”

At least, that was how she interpreted Maki’s mission. The instructions were straightforward, but the mission itself was a nuanced thing. A third-party observer would also likely be accompanying her for evaluation. Kaera trusted Nana and Yurika’s reports, but the rest of the elder council and Rainbow Heart would want something more objective.

“If Sakuraba-senpai is right, then we’ll only be holding Aika-san back if we don’t bring our A game. So let’s get fired up, Sanae. You and I are the biggest liabilities here,” said Koutarou. He knew everyone else in the group was capable of keeping it together.

“Aye, aye, sir! I’m rooting for Maki here, so I won’t goof around,” Sanae declared.

“Thank you, Higashihongan-san,” Maki replied with a smile. The idea that she now had friends rooting for her made her happy.

“Besides, if you don’t get hired as a magical girl and end up forbidden from using magic, who’s gonna have my back? I need you if I’m gonna shine as a magical girl myself!”

“So this is personally motivated, huh?” Koutarou teased.

“All the more compelling, right? Heehee.”

“You’re actually proud of yourself?”

“Eeheehee.”

Even if Sanae’s reasons for wanting Maki to succeed were somewhat selfish, the fact of the matter was that she trusted Maki with her life. Realizing that, Maki smiled even brighter.

Rainbow Heart first got involved in the disappearances after receiving over a dozen tips that people had gone missing. The case had now been passed down to Maki, who decided that the first thing she should do was follow up with the people who reported the tips. Basic investigative groundwork.

“Sorry to bother you, miss. If it’s not too much trouble, can I ask you to give me your report one more time?”

“Certainly. We have a daily soup kitchen here at our church, but there are some folks who stopped showing up last week...”

Maki’s first destination was a church next to Blue Tower. Folsaria’s religion was similar to Forthorthe’s, which made sense considering their shared origin. The churches here worshiped what they called the Goddess of the Sun, and they were accordingly decorated with sun symbols and motifs. Maki was currently talking to a priestess dressed in vestments of a similar fashion.

“What kind of people were they, if I may ask?”

“It was two people. One was a man in his forties, and the other was a fellow in his twenties that had been helping out with volunteer work.”

The priestess answered all of Maki’s questions, telling her everything she wanted to know about the situation. The church had a charity meal program, which brought in both the less fortunate and volunteers. The program was long-lived, so the church knew all the regulars by name and would go to check on them—especially the elderly—if they stopped coming.

Such was the case with the two men who’d disappeared. The older gentleman had been coming since he was young, and the younger man had been volunteering for several years now. They both missed a day every now and then, but never a week at a time like this. When a church rep had gone to visit their homes, there was no sign of them there either. That was why the priestess had reported the matter to Rainbow Heart.

“Thank you for the information. Did you notice anything strange about the two men who went missing?”

“No, nothing in particular... If anything, I would say they were acting quite normal before they disappeared.”

“I understand... I’ll look into it.”

“Please do.”

The priestess bowed to Maki as she returned to Koutarou and the rest of the group. They’d kept their distance because this was Maki’s mission. They only intended to step in if she asked for their help. In other words, they were playing the role of her subordinates.

“How did it go, Aika-san?” Shizuka asked worriedly when Maki returned with a tense expression.

Maki answered honestly, explaining the situation and what she’d heard from the priestess.

“So you still don’t know if there’s something going on, huh?” Shizuka said after hearing the story, sounding a little relieved.

She’d feared the worst when she saw the look on Maki’s face. Fortunately, she’d simply mistaken Maki’s pensiveness for dread.

“That’s right,” replied Maki. “But this is still only the first place, so let’s get a move on.”

“That’s true. They say investigations are all about legwork, after all.”

Though the church hadn’t yielded any leads, Maki was still hopeful. The investigation had only just begun. She and the rest of the group thus made their way to the next destination.

Over a dozen people had been reported missing, but Maki was having a hard time finding a decisive lead. Based on the information she’d gathered so far, she was starting to worry foul play was involved. It seemed that all of the people who’d gone missing were acting perfectly normal before they disappeared. Maki hadn’t heard one word about anyone being in debt or anyone getting into trouble. The stories were all the same in that regard. The first bit of interesting information came up while investigating the thirteenth disappearance...

“Labor recruitment, you say?”

“Yeah. They were looking for people to do some heavy labor. The pay was pretty good, so I wanted to go myself... but as you can see, I got this bum leg.”

The person who’d reported the thirteenth disappearance was a middle-aged man who was concerned about a friend who hadn’t been home for a while. According to the friend, they’d been offered jobs by a well-dressed stranger. The middle-aged man couldn’t take the work because of his leg, but his friend accepted and left with the stranger. According to the man, he hadn’t been back since.

“Can you tell me about your friend?” Maki asked. “His name and what he looked like?”

“Name’s Karuto. He’s a big, burly, bearded bastard.”

“Big and burly...”

That struck Maki.

Come to think of it, all of the missing people are...

The first twelve people to go missing were all men, and they were all big by description. The thirteenth was apparently no exception, but if they were being recruited for labor, that all made sense. And given the current state of Folsaria, it could be legitimate work. Reconstruction was well underway after the final battle with Darkness Rainbow. None of the missing men were terribly well off either, so it was easy to believe they’d jumped at a well paying job.

“Which way did they go when your friend left with the stranger, sir?”

“Thataway.”

“The west gate, huh?”

Maki continued to talk to the man for a bit, collecting as much information as she could. Once she was done, she headed for the west gate herself. She had several more people on her list to talk to, but if someone had really been recruiting laborers, perhaps there was a witness by the west gate. The group discussed the situation as they went.

“Hmm, maybe this is just some temp gig and they’re out on the job,” suggested Koutarou.

“That’s the best case scenario...” replied Maki. “But I still think it’s strange that all contact has been lost.”

If it weren’t for the lack of communication with the missing men, it would seem that they were simply away on work. Yet no one had heard a word from them, which Maki found suspicious. Though not as widespread as in Japan, Folsaria still had several means of personal communication available to civilians.

“Maybe they just can’t get in touch because they’re in a remote location with no signal or something,” offered Koutarou.

He then pulled out his smartphone, which he’d recently upgraded for security reasons at the behest of the Forthorthian government. He showed it to Maki, indicating that he had no bars. Since Folsaria didn’t have any cell towers, he had no way of calling anyone here.

“I certainly hope you’re right, Satomi-kun...”

If the men were working in a remote area, it was indeed possible they were simply outside Folsaria’s communication network. The network was mana based, but it was still under development and didn’t cover the entire nation. The men wouldn’t be able to phone in through it without coverage... but Maki doubted that was the issue at hand. Construction sites needed to be able to report accidents and injuries, so setting up means of communication would be a priority task on any jobsite.

“It’s starting to seem more and more like something is amiss,” Harumi concluded, looking a little upset.

She would have preferred better news, but the scales were tipping toward something unpleasant. Rather than every single one of them coincidentally being outside comms range, it seemed more likely that someone was keeping the men from communicating. Prospects were looking grim.

The group continued to walk along toward the gate, when all of a sudden Maki came to a dead halt.

“Huh...?”

“What’s the matter, Aika-san?”

Noticing her stop, Koutarou did the same and turned back. Maki was looking around in a strange fluster.

“This area feels familiar for some reason...” she said.

She then took a step as if drawn to something. Then another. And for each step she took, the sense of déjà vu she was feeling grew stronger.

I’ve seen this scenery before. But where...?

She searched her memories. It wasn’t anything from the past two years. She’d only been to Folsaria a few times since meeting Koutarou, so it had to be from before that...

This... Could it be?!

Maki’s eyes darted to a narrow alleyway. When she saw it, it hit her.

“I know this place!” she cried.

“Aika-san?! What is it?!” Koutarou called after her.

She’d taken off running and didn’t seem to hear him. Whatever was going through her mind right now occupied her entirely.

“It’s just past here!”

Her conviction only grew stronger as she leaped into the alleyway. Somewhere down it should be a house that the afternoon sun hit just right.

“I knew it! there’s no doubt about it!”

The instant she saw it, her memories came rushing back to her. The small house bathed in light was in fact...

“This is my house! I was born here!”

This was Maki’s home. It was where she’d been born. Where she’d spent her early childhood with her parents. She was vacantly staring down her old family house.

It was an emotionally complicated thing for her. After all, she was forced to leave her home when she was sold to a slave trader as a child. This wasn’t a place full of warm memories for her—it was where her parents had betrayed her. That was why she’d never sought it out before. Folsaria wasn’t that big of a place; the house wouldn’t have been hard to find. She’d just never wanted to.

But now here it was, right in front of her again. She couldn’t look away from it. She was practically frozen in place.

“I was born here, and then a few years later...”

She was sold.

Maki had a few faint memories of living here, but almost none of her parents. She barely recalled their faces, much less actually doing anything with them. She was sold at an early age, so her memories from that time were all vague. She had only a fuzzy recollection of the neighborhood, too. A strong sense of nostalgia was what had led her to the house upon entering it.

“This is where you were born, Aika-san?” Koutarou asked. He’d only heard part of Maki’s mumbling, so he wasn’t quite sure what had gotten into her.

“Y-Yes... This was my home.”

Hearing Koutarou’s voice brought Maki back to the present. She’d forgotten she was with anyone. She considered that a shortcoming on her part, but it also reminded her how precious it was to have such friends at her side.

“I see. What a coincidence...”

Koutarou didn’t ask anything more. He knew that Maki had been sold to a slaver as a child, so he could only imagine what painful feelings must be plaguing her in the moment. He struggled to come up with the words to comfort her. Fortunately, someone else knew exactly what to say.

“It’s okay, Maki.”

It was Sanae. Maki’s intense, turbulent emotions reached her through her aura, so she knew just what Maki was feeling... and just what to do about it.

“No matter what happened here, you have us now,” she said as she wrapped her arms around Maki from behind.

She then hugged her as tightly as she could. She hoped she could hold Maki securely enough that she could forget about her past and her pain, even if only for a moment.

“Higashihongan-san...”

Sanae’s hug broke Maki out of her frozen state. She put her hands on Sanae’s arms around her chest and sighed. Her expression, slowly but surely, returned to normal.

“I’m fine now. Thank you, Higashihongan-san.”

“I need you to ace this challenge, remember?”

“You did say that. Heehee.”

“Heeheehee.”

When she heard Maki giggle, Sanae let go of her. She knew what Maki was planning on doing next.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said.

“Yeah, we’ll be waiting for you here,” Koutarou replied.

Maki then left the group behind and stepped inside the house. It was brighter than she’d imagined, primarily because the back wall of the building had collapsed. The sun poured in through the gaping hole, illuminating what remained inside the house.

“Nobody’s lived here in a long time...” Maki remarked.

The wear and tear of time was obvious. The shelves were caked with dust, and the kitchen was draped in cobwebs. As Maki approached the collapsed back wall, she could see the cracked foundation of the house covered in mud that had blown in with the rain. The stairs leading up to the second floor were still intact, but the floorboards of the second story had long rotted and fallen away.

“Careful in there, little miss! It’s dangerous!”

Maki didn’t recognize the voice that called out to her from beyond the collapsed wall. It was the elderly woman who lived in the house across the street. Maki stepped outside and approached her.

“As ya can see, the place is fallin’ apart. The children keep playin’ around in it, so they’re talkin’ about tearin’ it down next month. What’re ya doing in there? Are ya all right, missy?” the woman asked, looking Maki over.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replied.

The old woman had been worried about her, so she was pleased to see that Maki was okay. She gave a satisfied nod and said, “Glad to hear it. But what on earth were ya doin’ in there? It’s dangerous.”

“Someone I know used to live there...”

Maki technically wasn’t lying, but she avoided spilling the whole truth. She didn’t have the courage to tell someone she’d just met that she’d been sold into slavery by her parents.

“That so? No big deal then, I s’pose... I haven’t been here long myself, but a young couple used to live there decades ago.”

“What happened to them?!” Maki asked, unable to keep from raising her voice.

The old woman didn’t seem to mind, however. Perhaps she was hard of hearing. She simply replied, “Word is that they passed away in an epidemic, and nobody’s lived in that house ever since. No one dared after the epidemic, I reckon.”

“I... see...”

In an unexpected turn of events, Maki now knew what happened to her parents after all these years. She turned around to look upon her old house once more, but nothing settled in her mind. So many things were hitting her all at once that she could hardly keep them straight. It was all she could do to stare at the dilapidated building...

Maki only returned to her senses when she suddenly realized Koutarou was standing in front of her. He’d come to check on her when she didn’t return to the front of the house.

“Oh...? Satomi-kun?”

“Thank goodness. I was worried something happened.”

“It... sort of did.”

“What do you mean?”

“The old lady from over there told me what happened to my parents.”

“The old lady?”

Koutarou looked where Maki was pointing, but the elderly woman was long gone. She must have decided it was best to leave Maki be.

“Yes. She told me that the couple who lived here died in an epidemic over a decade ago.”

“I see... So we don’t really know what happened...”

Maki was also sold to a slave trader over a decade ago, but the exact timeline of events was unclear. Did the epidemic happen before or after she was sold? Or was she perhaps sold off while it was ongoing? That knowledge would change the circumstances immensely. Maybe she wasn’t sold strictly for money. Maybe her parents had already passed by the time it happened.

Maki could try to investigate, but many of the residents from that time had likely perished in the epidemic or since been evacuated. They would be difficult to track down. Most of the neighbors in the area now were new here, like the old lady Maki had talked to. That meant almost all possible leads were long gone.

“Honestly, Satomi-kun... I’m a little relieved.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t hate my parents anymore...”

Maki had always resented her parents. They’d betrayed her. Abandoned her. Tossed her to the wolves of a harsh life. But now Maki knew they were dead. There was also a possibility that they might not have been responsible for what happened to her. And even if they were, they’d already gotten their due. In short, Maki no longer had any reason to hate them.

“...Hic...”

Despite that, Maki was crying. She didn’t know where the tears were coming from. She wasn’t sad that her parents were dead. And she wasn’t sad that she’d been sold all those years ago. She was just... overwhelmingly sad. Something that had long been cut off inside her was now welling up.

“Aika-san...”

Seeing Maki in tears, Koutarou felt he had to do something. He knew he would regret leaving her alone if he did, so he desperately racked his brain for a plan. He couldn’t do this haphazardly. He had to do the right thing...

He knew what the right answer was, but he couldn’t bring himself to act on it right away. This was a big deal to him, and a major decision to make.

Still, there’s no other way... Besides, she’s already done the same thing for me...

And so Koutarou made up his mind. He stared at Maki’s forehead for a moment, then put his plan into action.

“I’ll just have to be careful...”

“Huh? Wha— Satomi-kun?!”

Koutarou had lifted Maki up—an easy feat for a strong boy like him and a delicate girl like her. Completely swept off her feet, Maki looked up at him in surprise.

“If I ever hurt you, I know you’ll hate me forever.”

“...Satomi-kun...”

There, Koutarou embraced her. He knew this was what she really needed. A friend or classmate couldn’t save Maki right now, so he’d decided to be more than those. A kiss would have been better proof of his dedication, but as expected of a teenager, he couldn’t quite yet act as an adult would.

“That sounds like you’re saying you’ll never hurt me, that you’ll never let me go... So if you do... I’ll never get over it...”

Maki relaxed, entrusting her body to Koutarou. As he’d expected, she desired the warmth of family more than anything.

“Why not check things out with magic? You’re an indigo magician, after all.”

“It’s fine... I choose my love for you over being an indigo magician,” she whispered as she buried her face in his shoulder.

Koutarou couldn’t see her expression like this, but judging from her voice, he was sure she was better off than before.

“Then dry your tears for now. The others will find us soon, and they’ll think I’m the one who made you cry.”

“It’ll be hard, but I’ll give it a try. You really are making me cry...” Maki said, smiling through her tears as she hugged Koutarou tighter.

She tried her best to stop crying before the other girls arrived, but in the end, Koutarou ended up getting an earful from them.