AA228 - Debrief (Patreon)

“Where is the rest of my gold?” Kana demanded. From the look on Professor Toei’s face, James didn’t think she was going to like the answer.

They were debriefing back at the school. They had showered and slept since getting back from the ninja village, after a nightmare hike through the forest back to the extraction zone. James had been feeling pretty ragged when he tumbled into the helicopter, but he had mostly recovered.

Part of the difficulty in leaving had been due to Kana refusing to leave without all the gold that she—and they—could carry. The problem was a decided lack of whatever it was you carried gold ingots around in. The villagers had fled from the battle, but Mitsue had been sure that they would return, so there wasn’t time to search the village thoroughly.

All they had found were two woven baskets that looked sturdy, but weren’t sufficiently reinforced to be filled with gold. Kana found out the hard way when one of them broke before they got to the helicopter, scattering bars over the forest floor. Kana had complained enough that Professor Toei promised he’d do what he could, but James had not had high hopes.

Professor Toei fired up the projector and showed them an aerial photograph of the village, taken from about fifty feet up.

“By the time the clean-up crew got there, the barrier was gone, and the entire place had been cleaned out—including the gold,” the professor told them.

He clicked through a short montage of shots. JSDF troops were going through the village, searching for anything and coming up blank. There was a shot of the vault, now empty.

“They found your trail and followed it… I’m afraid the gold you dropped was gone as well.”

There was another shot of some vaguely familiar forest.

“I knew we should have gone back for it,” Kana growled.

“I’m afraid you will just have to be satisfied with the gold you managed to recover,” Professor Toei said flatly.

“It’s not like you have a place to store the gold you have,” Harue put in. “Under your bed in the dorms isn’t what I’d call secure. You’re just asking for it to be stolen.”

“Don’t just tell everyone!” Kana hissed.

Harue rolled her eyes and ostentatiously admired the golden chain on her wrist that she’d been wearing since this morning. It was only when you looked closely that you could see it was a miniature manriki-gusari. She made a magician’s pass, and the chain was joined by an oversized gold watch that looked like something a yakuza would wear.

“The point is, secure what you’ve got before looking for more,” the kitsune said. “I can’t believe I’m giving a dragon advice on storing treasure.”

“There is wisdom in what you say,” Kana said reluctantly. “The dorms are proving to be an inadequate lair.”

“Take that up with the Student Council, not me,” Professor Toei said. “Which reminds me, they wanted to speak with you two boys when you got back.”

“Why?” James asked. Professor Toei shook his head.

“I didn’t ask, I have enough things to worry about.”

Mitsue frowned, but Suki had a question of her own.

“What happened to the dragon’s corpse?”

“There was no sign of it,” Professor Toei said. “Dragon corpses don’t last long.”

“He would have been nibbled away by every little spirit in the area the moment Kana went out of sight,” Harue put in. “There’s gonna be a lot of ghost stories in that village from all the small fry that got jumped up a level.”

“Would you have gained power if you ate him?”

Harue grinned slyly. “First rule of being a spirit that isn’t a dragon—don’t eat something the dragon might want.”

“That makes sense,” Suki agreed. “And Kana didn’t eat him because…”

“I took a bite while he was still alive,” Kana grumbled, “But the kill was not mine. Eating his corpse would have been the act of a scavenger.”

“Well, it’s all part of the circle of life,” Harue said philosophically.

“Then, can we move on to other matters?” Mitsue asked. “For one, has the military responded to the information I passed on?”

“Not as enthusiastically as I would have liked,” Professor Toei admitted. “With only two weeks until the first ritual, they need to start preparations now, and the officers I spoke to would only commit to a careful evaluation of the situation.”

“What does that even mean?” Mitsue asked sharply.

Professor Toei sighed. “The factions of the government that will talk to me aren’t, as a rule, willing to accept that an encoded scrawl on rice paper, translated by a teenager, is actionable intelligence.”

“That’s more than a little insulting.” Mitsue frowned.

“Well, you’ll have to take it up with them. Once you’ve graduated, because they’re not going to give you the time of day until then. They also have to worry about possible infiltration by the Black Dragons. Any evacuation preparations could tip the Dragons off to our knowledge.”

“That seems an inadequate reason to let people die,” Mitsue said softly.

“I don’t disagree,” Professor Toei admitted. “I did reach out to the Order of St George, who are less… picky when it comes to intelligence. They’ve agreed to send a team to support you.”

“Do you mean, I will be able to—” Kana cut herself off, visibly reconsidering her words, “—work with Amile again?”

“Her and two others,” Professor Toei said flatly. “And work with is the right phrase. If there is a dragon general coming, you can expect him to be much more powerful than the dragon you just fought.”

“Bah!” Kana snorted. “I’m sure he would be no problem if I just had a power stone of my own.”

She looked enviously at Harue, who grinned and flashed her bracelet again.

“The Hirasaka agency is monitoring the situation,” the professor said. “I’m hopeful that an actual dimensional incursion will convince them to hand over the stone.”

He grimaced.

“Not that I’m hoping for a dimensional incursion, you understand. It would be a disaster of the first order. I really hope your sister is wrong, Mitsue.”

“At least there will be some silver linings to the disaster then,” Mitsue said with a shrug. “My sister is not known for making foolish statements, but I can’t comment on the source of her information.”

Professor Toei grunted in acknowledgement. “The Georgians will have their artifact weapons,” he said. “And you have two power stones. I don’t think that will be enough to stop a general.”

“Just how powerful is a dragon general?” James asked.

“We don’t know. All we have are legends from fifteen thousand years ago. The Georgian’s belive that he will be more powerful than any dragon currently on Earth.”

“And they’re just sending three people?” James asked incredulously. “You’re just sending us?”

“Three of their best agents were all that they had available, and we don’t have any forces capable of dragon fighting. We’re secret organisations, not governments. But, no, we’re not hoping you can beat him. We’re hoping you can slow him down long enough for a military response to be deployed.”

“Can’t we just stop it before it starts?” James asked.

“Only if we can find it. That part of Hokkaido is very rugged terrain, and the Black Dragons will be watching carefully for anyone who approaches the site.”

“So when do we leave?” James asked.

“You don’t. Not until closer to the date,” Professor Toei said sternly.  “Our cult members are better at staying unnoticed than you five. They’re more suited to the initial search, and you have exams to prepare for.”

“Are you kidding me? The fate of the world is at stake, and you’re giving us exams?”

“The fate of this world does not depend on you leaving this minute, Mr St-John, and you are at this academy to learn.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Harue said, pulling a thick sheaf of papers from her bag. “I’ve got advance copies of this year’s exams!”

“Give me that!” Professor Toei demanded, grabbing it out of her hands. “I can’t believe you would just casually mention cheating in front of me—wait.”

He looked at the papers he was holding.

“This… this is the text of a light novel. A badly-written light novel.”

He flipped to the next page.

“A pornographic light novel.”

He glared at an unrepentant Harue.

“Made you look,” she said, smirking. “Page 34 will haunt you.”

Professor Toei slammed the papers face down on his desk.

“I’m burning this,” he promised, “and disposing of the ashes.”

Harue shrugged. “The Internet has copies,” she said.

The professor glared at her some more. “I’m sure the student council has measures in place to prevent any shenanigans, but I’ll have a word with them to make sure.”

Harue stuck out her tongue. “Having an audience is what makes a performer stand out, so thanks, Professor!”

“Get out of my office,” Professor Toei groaned.

*

“What do you think they want with us?” James asked nervously. He was walking alongside Mitsue towards the fancy double doors that led to the Student Council chambers.

“I’m not sure,” Mitsue said. “Our frequent absences have been arranged in advance, but perhaps they want to reprimand us over our attendance record.”

“That would be everyone, though—especially Harue,” James pointed out.

“True… perhaps it is something to do with our PMC duties,” Mitsue speculated.

That was all the time they had before they found themselves at the large mahogany doors. James was already feeling intimidated. He reminded himself that he had fought a dragon only yesterday.

The doors opened smoothly at the first knock, revealing Claudette, the Student Council’s maid. James had wondered many times why the Student Council had a maid, but had never received a satisfactory answer. She was dressed much more conservatively than the maids of Secret Organisation APRON, her black dress and white apron going down past her knees, only revealing her tightly laced, supple dress boots.

“Young sirs, you are expected,” she said. “Please follow me.”

The doors closed noiselessly behind them as they followed her to the Council meeting room. Five chairs were set up behind a curved table at the end of the room, while two chairs faced them behind a straight desk that was only slightly less impressive.

“If you will be seated,” Claudette said primly, “The Council will be arriving shortly.”

She waited just long enough to make sure that they were following her instructions. Then she swept out of the room.

James and Mitsue looked at each other nervously.

“Do you think—” James started, but then a door banged open.

Shimoyanagi Midoriko strode in, her face stormy. She took a seat at the end of the table, flopping into it. Rather than acknowledging the two of them, she looked at the door she had just come through.

James didn’t know the student who came in next, but he was dressed as neatly and exactly as Shion wasn’t. His hair was straight and neatly parted down the exact centre of his head. Aside from his square-framed glasses, the only accessory he wore was an expensive-looking watch. He sat down behind a nameplate that read Ando Kosuke, Treasurer.

The next to enter was Yamada Shintaro. James was familiar with him, if only from school assemblies. He was a little shorter than Kosuke, and his dark hair was expertly styled. He didn’t have Midoriko’s swaggering style, but he moved more smoothly than Kosuke. Both of them sat perfectly upright, like military cadets. James began to feel that his own posture was inadequate.

Shibasaki Asako slunk into the room as a perfect counter to the boy’s rigid formality. She leaned back in her chair, perfectly comfortable, perfectly alert. She carried two phones, both of which she put on the table in front of her.

The last to be seated was another student unknown to James. He let his eyes flicker to the one remaining nameplate. Kirijo Mitsuru, Secretary, it said. She had a lot of red hair. Flowing like a wild river, it covered half her face and went down to her waist.

There was a moment’s silence once they were all seated. James opened his mouth to say something, but Shintaro held a finger up. A moment later, Claudette came back with a silver tea trolley. She delicately placed an elegant cup of tea in front of each council member. Then she brought her trolley over to James and Mitsue.

“I didn’t actually—” James started, but a cold glare from the maid stopped him.

“Your tea, young sir,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“—Thank you,” James said meekly. Mitsue accepted his cup without argument.

The room waited silently as Claudette made her way out of the room. The council members sipped at their tea, so James took a cautious taste. It wasn’t a tea he was familiar with, but it tasted nice.

Shintaro opened the leather-bound folder in front of him.

“We should get started,” he said. “While you two were away, there was an escape attempt.”

James blinked. He hadn’t expected that. “The aliens?” he asked.

“The interdimensional aliens, yes. To be perfectly precise, the five agents of the Vaikarana Dominion.”

Why did he feel the need to qualify? James thought. He didn’t say anything, though; he just blinked some more.

“Um, sorry? But it’s not like it was our fault—”

“Correct,” Shintaro interrupted. “You were not tasked with guarding the prisoners, and even if you were, your absence was known about and would have been covered. No, this meeting is just to ensure that all the interested parties are fully up to date and on the same page, as it were.”

“I… see.” James glanced at Mitsue, whose face was even more impassive than normal. “What happened, then?”

“It seems that the prisoners managed to disable some of the wards placed on their containment area and contact the Dominion agent on the island.”

Shintaro looked at his folder and took another sip of his tea. “There seems to be some question as to how they managed that. The formations should have been adequately concealed.”

“I told her where they were,” Mitsue said softly.

Shintaro made a note in his file.

“What? How? Why?” James asked. He didn’t know where the wards were, but he supposed Mitsue could find out if he was motivated.

“Sundhara asked me to show her…” Mitsue said miserably. “She said the wards were making them sick, and if she could just see one, she could suggest changes to reduce the effect… she just wanted to look.”

“I’m sure you took precautions,” Shintaro said, “But I’m equally sure that they proved to be inadequate. You are familiar with magic, Kageya-san, but you are not a practitioner yourself. Your knowledge of what is possible is lacking.”

He made another note in his file. “We guessed that was the situation, but it is good to have that confirmed.”

“What happened then?” James asked.

Shintaro frowned. “Fortunately, the prisoners were unaware that Shimoyanagi-kannushi was under suspicion and being monitored.”

“Shimoyanagi-kannushi?”

“My uncle,” Midoriko spat. “The bastard was involved in the death of my parents! He had all sorts of nasty connections.”

“We’re still unravelling all the implications of that,” Shintaro said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Including how he was able to get past our precautions.”

“Not to mention the seal on the Hachiman Shrine,” Midoriko muttered darkly.

“Let us indeed not mention that,” Shintaro agreed. “Anyway, to summarise a deeply unpleasant story, we were able to intercept their communication and prevent the prisoners’ extraction.”

“Uncle is dead as part of that,” Midoriko put in.

“But the prisoners were unharmed,” Shintaro said. “So the beach food stall will remain in operation.”

“That’s it?” James asked. “You had a big security breach, someone died trying to get them out, and you’re just going to leave everything the same?”

“We’re making some changes to the ward structure. The situation with the temple is ongoing, but Midoriko-kun is dealing with it.”

“Then all that remains is the punishment for my failure,” Mitsue said stiffly. “Am I to be merely kicked out of the PMC, or am I to be expelled?”

Shintaro raised a single eyebrow.

“You seem to have mistaken us for a paramilitary organisation, Kageya-san.”

Mitsue stared at Shintaro and then looked over at Midoriko.

“Um… yes?”

“This is a school,” Shintaro continued. “You are a teenager. It is easy to forget those two facts, what with… everything, but they are true. We’re not going to kick you out of school for being a teenager.”

“I don’t understand,” Mitsue said.

“You are here to learn,” Shintaro explained. “Some lessons are painful; this one more than most. But you have learned, have you not?”

“I’ve learned… something,” Mitsue admitted. “I think I would rather not have, though.”

“So it often is,” Shintaro stated. “You can continue to oversee the prisoners, but no one would take it amiss if you were to request a reassignment.”

“I will… think about it,” Mitsue said slowly.

“As you wish. I should note that their particular situation shouldn’t be necessary for very much longer. Is that correct?”

He looked at Midoriko, who nodded.

“Now that dear uncle is no longer interfering, we’ve been able to scry a clear path to the nexus. The journey should take a month or two, but we should be able to cut the Dominion off for… a long while.”

“That all sounds perfectly reassuring,” Shintaro said blandly. “Just make sure to fill in the required forms for an extended departure.”

He returned his attention to James. “I must say, it’s been a boon having Professor Toei here to fill in your paperwork. Both the third and second year groups have been appallingly lax.”

He cast a disapproving glance at the red-headed Mitsuru, who looked embarrassed. Midoriko just snorted derisively.

“Well, that’s all I had on my agenda for today,” Shintaro said. “You can go now.”