#crescent tides chapter 12

[shyminmin]

༄𝐁𝐓𝐒 𝐗 𝐟.𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 | Fantasy, Mermaid AU | ༄𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 7.2k ༄𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Panic/trauma and minor angst

Tiny pin-points of light dotted my vision as I ever so slowly came to. They stood out against the dark, roughened backdrop above, shrouding the surrounding area in hues of brilliant blues and greens.

Marveling at the delicate cosmos that seemed to bathe me in its welcoming glow, I was brought to the attention of my other awakening senses.

A soft surface below me, supporting my laid out form as well as an equally comforting sensation covering me from the top, perhaps a blanket? Was I in some sort of bed? It certainly didn’t feel like a regular mattress but at the same time I dare say was incredibly comfortable. If I were to close my eyes again I was sure it wouldn’t be too hard to fall back to sleep.

How did I end up here? Where even is here?

My eyes blinked, clearing the last remnants of my sleep induced vision.

Was it night time? Those lights above resembled stars but also didn’t. The atmosphere was also eerily quiet and strangely had an odd sense of weightlessness to it, like the effects of gravity were significantly reduced. Huh.. weird.

I subconsciously let out a breath not thinking much of it, however to my astonishment I watched as a trail of bubbles appeared from my exhale and steadily floated upwards before eventually dissolving some few feet above me. What th-

Bubbles? I blinked.

Since when do I breathe bubbles? It was safe to say that I was becoming all the more confused by the minute….and a little cautious.

I racked my brain for an explanation. The only instance where creating such an anomaly was possible was if one was…

Realization came barreling into me and my eyes grew to the size of saucers.

If one was… “Underwater..” I weakly verbalized that last word.

Like a switch being flipped my heart skyrocketed as I abruptly shot up into a seated position. Blood rushed to my head in the sudden change of position as I shivered, clutching my throat in concern. I disregarded the current environment I was placed in as my fingers grazed over three distinct grooves on each side of my neck. I felt them open and close causing me to yelp out in surprise, retracting my hand instantly.

“What, what is this!?”

I gasped, my logical brain causing me to think that I was suffocating due to the fact that I was submerged in water.

That’s when flashes of images invaded my mind. Brief memories of scenery, of phantom sensations.

I remember being carried and tossed into water and then… I was in incredible pain.

I continued to squirm and let in hesitant inhales, still weary of not being able to effectively extract oxygen from the water. I tasted the faint acidity of salt as it entered my mouth along with the water. Where I thought it would overwhelm my sinuses it did the exact opposite, rather it somehow sparked little zaps of energy to circulate through me from the top of my head to the very tips of my toe-

Oh god, I can’t feel my toes!

I immediately tried to move my legs but my brain couldn’t identify or locate the certain limbs or muscles associated with them. It was like they didn’t exist anymore. Or more so, like they had merged..

Gulping down another lot of sea water, that somehow felt ridiculously right, I directed my gaze down to my current dilemma. I had been right as my eyes took in the blanket-like material present as it covered me from the hips down. Dark greenish thatching conveniently hiding the mystery that was my questionable limbs…or lack thereof?

My heart thumped and my breath wavered as I froze, at a loss as to what to do next.

Should I lift it up and see the damage or play it safe and remain blissfully ignorant? Oh the choices.

After a few moments I willed myself to snap out of it, furrowing my brows in determination. No Y/n, be strong, you’ve gotten this far – wherever this is – you can do this. You can’t just sit here and be clueless forever!

My inner banter resolved, I shakily gripped the edge of the soft blanket, scrunching it up slightly like one would do a stress ball, because as sure as hell I needed the outlet. The faint aching that had sprouted from deep within the beds of my nails from this very action all the while going completely unnoticed amidst the mental chaos.

Come on, come on, I continued to pester myself. It’s not that hard! Just chuck the darn thing off!

But really, who could blame me for acting hesitant?

Waking up in an unknown place with no indication on whether you’re safe or in danger, on top of not knowing whether you still had functioning limbs was bound to make anyone feel uneasy. Not to mention the fact that my body had seemingly mutated to breathe underwater of all things. Life’s too boring for stuff like this to normally happen. Books or movies yes but not in regular, non-fictional reality. Dreams were another possibility but this felt way too real for that to be the case. I even did the classic pinch on the arm and low and behold an unpleasant prick of pain made itself known.

Dreams..

Up until this point, my mind had been encompassed in a – lack of better words – bubble of amnesia. That was until the subject of dreams irreverently sidled in to pop that pocket of forgetfulness, causing all my previous memories to flood in like the water around me. Past experiences fell into place now creating a clear and concise path on how I found myself in my current predicament.

Dreaming of agonizing nights on the beach…them practically persuading me to come travel to that lonely seaside town. To go there and find the truth…truth of my past, of myself…

Truth of who I really am.

“Ai child, ye be one of 'em... A mermaid."

Mermaid.

Before I knew it, the strange blanket that was previously covering me was flying upwards away from my trembling form. Its unusual trajectory produced a slight undercurrent that gently flowed up and around my face, lifting small tresses of my hair along with it where they flowed and fanned out behind me like strands in a breeze.

But these things were all good and forgotten as something far greater in uniqueness had come and none too kindly knocked them into oblivion to claim that all important first place.

This can’t be real..

No, no..

This can’t be real!?

My body sat stock still, frozen in place; in time... My blood ran cold as it filled my ears, making them ring.

For there, taking up the bottom half where my legs used to be, was a long and sleek tail.

Stemming from my hip bones and just below my navel area, rows and rows of tough yet delicate looking scales made themselves known. They overlapped one another like a finely woven tapestry where they eventually branched away to make way for a wide and sweeping fluke. When I looked a little closer at the-… my fins, I noticed that they were slightly iridescent, as reflected from the strange lighting above me.

What…h-how?..

All I seemed to be capable of doing was to gape and stare intensely and then gape some more. No, maybe that was just my inner gold-fish finally surfacing, I certainly had the physical attributes to pass for one.

My mind, which was a toss between what I can only pinpoint as a nervous wreck and a cautious trance, didn’t process one of my hands slowly reaching forward to graze over a section of my new fishy limb. To my surprise the tiny, plated bits of armor were incredibly smooth, like flat tiles of polished gemstones. But what was even more awe inspiring was their distinctive shade.

Not blue yet not quite a purple colour either, I sat there and contemplated this conundrum. No.. it was moreso somewhere in between those two prominent hues and a perfect combo of them at the same time.

I felt my eyes gloss over then with a strange form of nostalgia, a significant weight creeping up in my chest.

That colour…

It reminded me of lonely days just before or after my countless shifts at work, of staring out of my tiny bedroom window just after the sun had slumbered behind the horizon. The colour the sky would transition into, like a celestial body of water that purely existed between the cusp of day and night.

The somber yet deceptively beautiful energy I would get enveloped with every time I found myself immersed in that strangely intimate setting. Knowing that there were still sights like this, although rare and fleeting, that were worth living for regardless of the outweighing negativity, dullness and tiring aspects the grim world would constantly dominate me with…

That colour..

Within such a view, I would witness how the first remnants of stars would appear and how on certain days of the month, a delicate crescent would hang near where its sibling would have just descended; chasing him, longing for his company.

Those evenings in particular were always my favourite… In a way, they were like looking at a reflection of myself; a tiny sliver of light quietly drifting through a sea of uncertainty, purely existing but vying for something more.

Though on the flip side, it also in a way served as a desirable state of existence, a dream to strive towards. Instead that moon, rather than wandering aimlessly through a nullifying sea, would be rather at home in her element. The equilibrium of purples and blues would instead be a place where she would wholeheartedly belong basking in the utter contentment her deprived soul no longer craved.

Oh, that colour…

A droplet of warmth trailed down my cheek, almost instantly getting absorbed by the liquid around me like it had never been there to begin with. My lips trembled yet still turned upward to form a minute but genuine smile of admiration.

Of gratitude.

That was when I knew. That was when that lightbulb of revelation shined above me, as it finally granted me a name.

Indigo.

I blinked back more of that warmth that sheened my orbs.

A colour of rarity, of loneliness, but also of the purest serenity in the toughest and silent of times. A pigment of reflection, a beacon of reverence… a lighthouse of hope.

Indigo… that’s what it was called..

The one aspect that got me through the day by day repetitiveness of life where everything and anything seemed utterly worthless; futile in its entirety.

Yes, Indigo..

It was my colour… is my colour…

For if there was one thing that I could claim in this life, this universe, that was and would be solely mine and mine alone.. it would definitely have to be the etheric colour of indigo..

Now physically displayed in the form of shining scales for not just myself but for the world to see, that in itself only further solidified that notion.

For it was that distinct yet fleeting ocean between light and darkness that was and is my very essence…

I allowed one more minuscule droplet of warmth free before I reluctantly guided my gaze back upwards to finally get a full view of where I was.

From what I could gather, I was smack-dab in the center of a circular room of sorts. Its walls were formed of tough rock while its floors were made up of what I could only assume was a type of sandstone by their colour and texture. There were the strange starry lights above of course and the ‘bed’ that I was placed within that was slightly elevated off the ground by a platform of more yellowish sandstone.

My eyes caught on to places on the walls where small sections were carved out to form in-built shelves where nick-nacks of various sizes were securely set upon. Glass jars of different trinkets and coloured liquids, boxes and chests of no-doubt invaluable possessions as well as a few crystals spread amongst all the chaotic order. These tiny details made the place seem more personal and lived in.

Lived in by who?, my mind uttered to me.

Waves of ink shadowing pearly skin glided through my mind. The lingering feeling of strong, pale hands directing me towards billowing salty depths. Those brooding cerulean orbs that constantly put me in a trance.

Yoongi..

This place must be his..

My head snapped to the one remaining feature of this organically structured room that I missed. Directly in front of me was a large archway donned with a piece of curtained fabric, blocking me from seeing where it led. An entryway. The doorway to his bedroom if the thing I was lying on was anything to go by.

It would have had to have been a good solid five or so minutes that whizzed by where I just aimlessly locked eyes on that one lone doorway, not knowing if I should entertain the notion of venturing out of it to see what other anomalies await. How could a room feature be so imposing in that sense, like it was some sort of inanimate dictator of my fate.

To go through or not to go through?

I looked down at my tail then back up towards the doorway, the drapery that hung from it appearing black against the stone walls. But when I proceeded to look closer, I realized it was actually an extreme shade of dark blue; the kind of shadowy depths that a certain someone’s eyes would shift to when faced with various forms of tribulation.

Or a certain level of caution if I were to judge the current orbs staring back at me now after I went to blink once.

Gasping in surprise, I jumped in my seat, not expecting the sudden intrusion. Misjudging the strength of my jolt and forgetting about the lack of gravity that comes with being submerged in water, my body shot up about 3ft, the salty liquid only aiding my ascent.

“Eek!!”

Oh god, oh god, oh god!

Help!

I was like a cartoon character, spastically waving my arms around, trying to grab ahold of something to stop the upwards momentum of my body. Any attempt to maneuver myself in an orderly manner went right out the window. My tail, a dead weight, didn't help in the slightest. My brain was unable to translate the new body part and as a result ran up blank on potential movement altogether.

“Well if this isn’t a sight to behold. Awake and already making a fuss I see.” A calm, mocking voice rang out in contrast to my otherwise chaotic kerfuffle. A slight shiver raked through me at the words.

I craned my neck to the direction of their source but the sudden change in rotation caused me to tumble down in spirals and awkward somersaults, my tail, due to its length and mass causing the majority of my spontaneous water aerobics.

Gosh, I’m gonna be sick, the constant spinning and view change encouraging my stomach to turn sour. Blue and green swirls blurring my vision.

A huff met my ears after several more seconds, the sounds much closer than before, almost like they were right beside me.

That was soon justified when my body collided with warmth, my hands smoothing over something broad and sinewy. A different and much larger pair quickly snagged onto my forearms, evidently stopping my next body roll in its tracks. One powerful tug downwards later and I was back to where I had initially started, the familiar bedding in the center of the room supporting my seated form as my indigo tail flopped limply over its side, swaying in tune to the moving water.

Not knowing I was holding my breath all that while, I let out a much needed sigh of relief, my gills opening to release some tension in the form of excess water and bubbles.

“Not a minute has passed and you’ve already managed to find a way into my arms. He rasped. “What’s your next move, woman? Falling from the sky?”

Frowning at the comment that was dripping with sarcasm, I looked to my right, my snarky savior meeting my gaze, mouth turned up in a slight smirk.

“Yoongi..” his name left my lips before I knew it. I blinked a couple of times to get ahold of my bearings, the last of my queasiness thankfully subsiding. He just stared down at me from where he was sitting next to me, an arm’s length or so between us which I would have appreciated more if not for his ever present haughtiness.

“Hmm, you remember my name, there may be some hope for you yet.”

Before I could come up with a reply to his quip, I was drawn to a particular formation of scales much like my own swaying lazily from side to side. They were so dark that I was sure they were capable of sucking the light out of the very space around them. I noted the slither of skin they faded out from, marking their starting point at the occupant’s waist, and from there roughly connected the dots.

Another tail… His tail…

This was Yoongi’s tail..

I stared agape.

It complimented his inky locks perfectly; a solid amalgamation of corded muscle plated over by jewels of pure night. A powerful looking fluke spanned almost double the width of my own, the innermost membrane of it radiating an all too familiar deep cerulean.

Beautiful…

I immediately diverted my gaze, having just realized what I was doing. Ashamed at my thoughts. Oh gosh, was it rude to stare at a mermaid’s…erm.. mer-man’s tail? Did I just break some unspoken rule in their culture, ogling like a freak?

Gaze now focused back on my own tail, I physically blanched. In comparison, it looked so puny and almost fragile, the superiority of his own weighing me down bit by bit. He could no doubt get up to ridiculous speeds from one measly flick of that huge and sturdy fin, or even knock someone out cold if subjected to the sheer mass of his tail’s scaled base.

I drew my sights upwards, praying that I didn’t weird out the merman that had remained silent all the while.

My worried thoughts were knocked out of the way however by another devastating sight. Well, that’s to say if being at the risk of bumping your nose into someone’s extremely bare chest is reason enough to warrant such a telling.

Heat rose as my throat locked up for a moment where I almost proceeded to choke on the water trying to pass through at the time.

“Y-you have no– w-where’s your shirt?!” I nearly fell over on my side from the speed at which I turned away, the resulting whiplash from all the sudden movements I was doing catching up to me, scrambling my brain. My cheeks were all but aflame and possibly boiling the water around them.

Mortified, the image of an expansive chest was forever burned into the back of my retinas; for better or for worse, I was still very much on the fence about. Wide plains and hardened ridges of moon-bathed skin swam in front of my vision tantalizingly where they joined to flow down into a tapered waist and taut stomach. He was more toned than I had initially thought, his loose fitting clothing having done an exceptional job of deceiving onlookers on just how well rounded his physique actually was; shoulders wider than anticipated and arms gifted with a visible strength that I could vouch for from firsthand experience.

Having never been in the same vicinity of a man for more than a few minutes at a time as my jobs allowed it and from my blatant lack of socializing, a shirtless man for that matter was on a whole nother level of insanity.

“Uh yeah.. We are underwater. Clothing isn’t really a thing – or needed for our kind. Well… for males at least.”

I remained silent and rigid, not daring to look back at the ungodly scene that loomed behind me.

An appalled grunt resounded from the man, a resultant of my body language that screamed discomfort. “Flustered over a little skin of all things?” He probed on. At that, I felt him scoot closer to me, making me in turn shrink in on myself like some petrified turtle.

“I am n-not!” My entire face by this stage felt like the inside of a volcano. I swear I could make out the bubbling of steam floating around my head.

“You’re just a little.. I-I’m just not used to being up so close.. a-and personal like t-this that I’m forced to not look at anything else!”

An amused scoff rang out, he was an inch or so from my back; I could tell by the wave of intensity that errantly washed over me, lifting the hairs on my neck.

“Oh really, I would never have guessed.”

“C-can you put your chest away or s-something?” I shot out, only then noting how weird that sentence actually sounded and cringed. I never thought claustrophobia from the presence of one’s…uh…lack of clothing was a thing.

“No can do, I'm afraid. You’ve just gotta start getting accustomed to the new dress code we’ve got going for us down here.”

You mean a lack of one. I let a low grumble slip past at that inevitability.

“Or perhaps,” his head craned beside my ear, making me flinch, “You’re just afraid you might secretly enjoy that fact?”

If my head was presumably a volcano, then that last remark just caused its long awaited eruption. A mix of flustered irritation all but burst and overflowed out of me as I gritted my teeth, trying to stave off the influx of emotions. From there, I proceeded to clench my hands into fists.

Big mistake.

In the next moment, an uncanny bout of pain rippled from below the beds of my fingers as my palms almost got sliced open.

My nails had all but extended into two inch claws!

As any normal person would do in this situation I let out an ear splitting shriek. Who knew this would spook me out more than finding out that I had a whole ass fish tail instead of legs, or be on par to the more mundane approach of simply viewing a man’s chest. Y/n, you really need to get your priorities straight in terms of the fright department. Pointy nails, really?

Holding my hands out away from the rest of my body, I went to shake them out, hoping that the action would somehow get rid of these needle-like atrocities.

Get ‘em off, these things! Get them away from me!

I could feel the eye roll from behind and not too long after a ripple of water washed over me. Those same large hands that had righted me before were now swallowing my own up in their tight grasp. He had swiftly maneuvered himself in front of me as I jolted at the contact, trying to yank them out of his hold but he was stubborn and held them strong.

“Always so jumpy.” He mumbled. “Relax, they’re just your–”

“Wha- What’s going on? What’s wrong with them!?

“First–” he cut in almost straight after with slight irritation, “You really need to calm down, something you seem to find particularly difficult!”

You try handling something like this for the first time and see if you fare any better. I really wanted to give him a piece of my mind in retaliation to his callousness. Jerk.

If the merman noticed my inner spite, he didn’t let on. Instead, he resorted to holding my hands still and in place, constantly squeezing them to stop their shaking. If I wasn’t already worked up enough with dealing with daggers in place of nails then the sudden hand holding would most certainly reign supreme in turning me into complete hysterics. No actually, let’s be real here, they were definitely working in tandem to get me over the edge.

“Do I really need to tell you to breathe again?” Yoongi uttered a little softer but still maintained that level of firmness. He was referring back to all the times he implored me to do so during that harrowing transformation of human to mermaid, however long ago that was now. “Work with me here, woman,” another squeeze of my hands followed as he waited for me to act on his request.

I shakily huffed as I closed my eyes, ridding my view of my monstrous nails. Working with the slits along my neck, I started a steady pace of one deep breath in and out. Such a process seemed to work, my breathing growing more calm and steady as the minutes ticked by. The awe factor that came about when utilizing my gills worked wonders in transforming my nerves into more bearable spouts of intrigue instead.

As my panic continued to fizzle out, I was soon guided out of my reverie by another firm squeeze from a set of pale hands. My eyes opened in an automatic reply and the bewitching blue of his own was the final nail that sealed my anxieties away – for now, at least.

He blinked, garnering my change in temperament and cleared his throat.

Guiding my gaze back down to the dilemma at hand (quite literally) he stroked the side of one of my ‘dagger nails’ with his thumb, my heart unknowingly skipping a beat. “These claws you’ve got here are what we call piercers. All merfolk have them, they’re really nothing special.”

I watched on as he allowed his right hand to part from the cocoon he had formed around my own and held it up before us, fingers splayed out in a backwards high five. The veins on the top of his palm pulsed while I barely made out the slightest twitch of his fingertips. Half a second later, five lengthy nails shot up like pointed spears. They were identical to my own, although maybe a little longer if I wanted to be really particular. He turned his hand so I could view them from multiple angles.

“They’re able to extend as you see here and…” A sound similar to a sword getting sheathed met my ears as they all too swiftly shrunk back down like they were never there to begin with, points now blunted at the ends; deceptively human. “…retract.”

I blinked, mind stark with disbelief.

“They’re used in both offensive and defensive measures, like most land predators you’ve no doubt seen somewhere in your time up there. They’re foremost a means of survival. The ocean isn’t like the surface; it can be tough and grueling to even the best of us. In the worst of cases, a mer’s piercers can be the only thing hovering between you and your end.” He stared between my eyes, weighing my reaction and continued when I appeared fine. “Anything from gripping onto surfaces if a current is too strong, tearing through netting to escape or ripping or even piercing into things for sustenance. All these things and more are applicable for an easier time down here in the deep.”

I dumbly nodded along to his explanation, trying to take in as much information as possible because I had a feeling that he wasn’t one who had the patience to repeat himself. Tuning into this ‘Mermaids 101’ lesson was imperative for my hopeful assimilation into this new lifestyle.

“They fully form when a mer reaches maturity. There’s a short transitional period beforehand where you can partially extend them, a sort of time of adjustment to get a grasp on how to work them fully.” He let out a tired sigh then, “That would’ve been a helpful time for you but I guess we can’t have everything come easy to us now can we.”

“T-that’s all fine and well but…uh…h-how do I make them shrink back to normal?” I spoke up, still eyeing my so-called piercers with discomfort. I certainly didn’t want to run the risk of taking somebody's eye out with these literal knives poking out. They looked like something straight out of a horror movie and were ever a safety hazard in my book.

Another strained sigh broke out from Yoongi's lips.

“Adrenaline can set them off; with your total lack of experience, I’d gather that even just tensing your hands can lead to the same conclusion, whether you’re in active danger or not.”

Great. My shoulders slumped at the realization. So even just exercising a joint or muscle wrong could lead to a good old ‘stabby’ surprise. How was I ever going to get a handle on these without accidentally impaling myself in the process?

I looked at Yoongi's one hand still wrapped around both of mine, my piercers poking out of the top like a bunch of upright harpoons. He made it look so easy. So mindless when performing the action of retracting his own.

“Look, for starters, your best bet is to completely relax your hands, detense everything that warrants any level of strain or effort. Think you can do that?”

Clearing my throat, I looked his way but was unable to meet his eyes once more, “I–I’ll try..”

Finally granting my hands freedom from his hold, he allowed them to float in between us as I willed them to go completely limp. Even in this state of forced calmness, I was still very much afraid of putting them any closer to my body where my vital organs were.

“Picture them – or rather – try to feel them getting shorter, like they’re getting sucked back into your fingers, merging with them, if you will.”

Taking his explanation into account and trying to work with what he said, I stared my piercers down like they were some unbecoming menace that needed to be put back in their place.

I stared.

And stared.

And stared..

My eyes scrunched up in concentration to the point where they were starting to strain and cause an oncoming headache. No doubt the scene I was putting up looked rather unflattering to the man who remained in front of me observing my amateur efforts.

At one stage I may have seen one or two of the spear-like nails slip down a few rungs but that may have just been my out-of-whack imagination playing tricks on me.

He must think I’m so pathetic. I mentally versed, after a good millennia of time had passed and my piercers were still very much present, standing upright and tauntingly proud.

My chest tightened. This was ridiculous. I couldn’t even control my own body properly. It was like I was a newborn baby all over again.

I gave them another long, hard stare, trying and failing to bend the menacing blades to my will. Their imaginary tongues would most definitely be sticking out at me right about now, making fun of my loss.

Urk! Nothing’s happening!

“Stop.” Yoongi’s voice cut through the tension as if he could hear my mental battle. “You’re trying too hard.”

“It’s hopeless.” I let out a struggling sigh. “They won’t…I-I can’t–”

“Yes you can.”

I went to deny his claim with another despondent retort but he spoke up again.

“Even I don’t expect you to be a natural at this right at the get go. I may be forward in how I deal with the majority of my shit but even I have to admit, I’m not that much of a hard ass.”

Hmm, that remains to be seen. I wanted to say, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt; just this once.

“Now tell those defeating thoughts I see gnawing away at you to get a life, relax, and start again. And try to really feel them this time. If you at least do that then your instincts should kick in and the rest more or less should come smoothly.”

A trail of bubbles left my mouth in discouragement as I tried to focus on the piercers themselves; as Yoongi emphasized, on how they felt.

I felt how surprisingly lightweight they were as opposed to their almost stone-like hardness, how they sprouted seamlessly from the very base of my nail beds, them being the solid unbreakable roots that supported the promise and outcome of flowering thorns. The blood that pulsed evenly up through my fingers and underneath each bed, the life giving water that sustained those uncanny roots.

I loosened my shoulders and breathed, welcoming in the water swaddled oxygen and followed the way it sent tingles right down to my bones. My joints and limbs swarmed with a sense of relief and utter vitality, thanking me for rewarding them with the sunlight-like sustenance they needed in order to thrive. I sailed along those feelings and sensations of rightness down to the start of those same roots.

They vibrated.

Relax.

They aren’t bad, they’re not to be feared or anything to be repulsed at; no, they’re an extension of yourself. They are you and you are them. You are innately connected.

More vibrations rippled along my neighboring fingers; a harmony conjoining to form one synchronized note.

You are at their mercy and in turn, they are also equally under your command. You each hold a mutual bond that at its core is unanimous in principle.

Breathe, relax, feel..

They are you and you are them..

My eyes suddenly shot open at a strange feeling of finality. I didn’t dare look down to see if my mental tinkering had worked in my favor or had made things abundantly worse to the point where I would be in desperate need of a manicure.

“Are they..?” I couldn’t get the rest of my question past my lips. Dread and hope fought a deathly battle in my throat, clogging it in the process. Yoongi, still able to grasp the rest of what I was going to ask, voiced his reply.

“See for yourself.”

Not giving me much of a choice, I resigned to my fate and glimpsed down at my piercers. All the while I cursed the merman for not telling me outright if they were back to normal or still in their monstrous state of existence.

No, not monstrous, I quickly corrected myself. No, they were just… different. I won’t lie and say that I was completely in acceptance of them, even after that weird symbiotic experience I just felt and envisioned. Like any new development in someone’s life, they were going to take some extensive warming up to.

So it was at that expense then that I couldn’t help but curl my lips up into a triumphant smile, shaking with joy and relief. Because before me once more was my all too normal and familiar ‘human’ nails, in all their blunt and ordinary simplicity.

My gaze rounded up to Yoongi’s at this, shyness temporarily pushed to the back by a dominant spout of victory.

“I-I did it!” I was practically bouncing in my seat like a little kid.

The faintest telling of satisfaction was delicately painted on the merman’s usually hardened face. He calmly looked at me and grunted a sound of approval. His annoyance seemingly put to the back burner while he allowed me this moment of glory; tolerating it silently. If that was all the complimenting and congratulations I was going to get from him then I’d gladly accept it.

From what I had gathered, this momentary display of positivity he portrayed was something of a rarity for Yoongi. His expressions always seemed to range from one of three visible states: stark emotionlessness, emotionless stoicism, or, if you wanted to get really fancy, a brooding anger or annoyance that was often riddled with blunt sarcasm every necessary chance it got.

Yes, a splendid selection indeed.

Not to say my range of emotions were any better. Far from it. Who would want to be around someone who couldn’t meet you in the eye more than half the time and when they could miraculously get a glimpse of your face was then subjected to an uncomfortable front of nervous awkwardness.

Yeah, I’d take casual stoicness over extreme shyness any day.

I willed my nails out of their bedded sheathes once more, inexperience still getting the best of me as they stiffly shot out, a dull thrum of pain ever present. Getting them back down though was definitely the more taxing part. More often than not they kept shooting back outwards when they had just managed to blunt back down.

“Are they always meant to..erm.. h-hurt.. w-when they extend?” I asked, taking note of yet another wavelet of burning coursing through my nail beds.

“The first few times, yes. They’re like any other muscle really. The more you use them the less effort your body has to expend over time.”

Still scared and awed all at the same time, I was slowly getting lost among the process of my piercers, trying to get as much of a feel as I could to not warrant a later accident. Though I knew that worrying fact was inevitable.

Sheath, unsheathe. In, out.

Just when I was about to release them again for another glimpse that would leave me gobsmacked, I was abruptly stopped.

“Ok, ok, cut it out, you’ll give yourself a cramp if you keep playing with them like that.”

I flinched and guiltily lowered my hands to rest in my scaled lap, a ‘sorry’ taking up residence on the tip of my tongue out of instinct but I managed to swallow it down.

He sighed then, clearly seeing my state of submissiveness like I had just been slapped.

A moment of tense silence floated around us. The merman ever so slightly looming closer to my bent form when I failed to move, his night-clad scales only adding to the growing shadow he cast upon me; a blanket of darkness.

“You can look at me, you know. You don’t have to be so shy and defensive all the time.”

I unconsciously shivered.

I would if I could…

My life beforehand hadn’t exactly been a safe haven for allowing my trust and confidence to run free.

If anything, it has only influenced me to close myself up to the point where my worries and insecurities became my only safeguard against potential disappointment and pain in the long run.

Heh, what good that did when I decided to take a risk for once and hop onto that bus that day, catalyzing all this mess.

Gills opening and closing, I craned my neck upwards, once more catching the speckled display of lighting that decorated the rocky ceiling above us, just like starlight.

“T-Those lights up there…w-what are they?”

My obvious deflection of his accusation surprisingly didn’t seem to anger him, as he let go of inquiring further. He shifted to my side and joined me in gazing up at the glittering amassment, not nearly as enamored as I was at the sight and replied after a few beats.

“Stellaris algae.”

My intrigue appeared to prompt him further in an explanation, however reluctant he was from his almost monotonous words. “It grows in dotted clumps and glows – well as the name suggests – like stars…. What was it that humans like to call it? You know, for how it lights up?” He paused, searching for the term. “Bioluminescent?”

I hummed my understanding and couldn’t help but voice my own simple thoughts. “It’s beautiful…”

I felt his gaze at my side then but remained viewing the speckles of green and blue, pushing down my self-consciousness.

“I suppose it is.” He let out in barely a whisper and I went to tuck a floating strand of hair that breached my line of sight behind my ear.

A steady wave of tingling energy reverberated between us as I hung onto my composure, the bioluminescence of the star-like algae helping me slightly as it gently lulled me into a state of reverence as I basked under its glow.

How can anyone get sick of such a sight? Yoongi must be blind…

Said merman dropped beside me, severing my musings and I ever so slightly inched away.

“While I hate to cut your stargazing short, the real stars will be gracing us not before too long. I think we’ve stalled with things long enough.”

Really, it’s almost night? I blinked.

“Though I can’t really fault you for not knowing I guess. You can’t really tell it, what with being as deep down in my den as we are.”

Talk of time curiously drew me back to the subject of my impromptu nap.

“H-How long was I out?”

He raked his hand through his locks and I tried to not focus on how the motion made my insides…feel things.

“Long enough for Helios to pass over twice.” He answered, taking note of my not so subtle increase of space I made between us and raised a brow.

Stumped, I gave him a look of confusion.

He snarked. “Right, I forgot I have to dumb my words down for you.” Frowning, I just managed to reign in my nails that had accidentally shot out halfway in response.

“Easy,” he griped, when he saw my claws, almost amused. “You’ve been asleep for two days, give or take.”

I actually did cough on the water this time.

“Two… two d-days!?”

He huffed nonchalantly at my shock.

“Relax, you weren’t dying or anything if that’s what you’re so worried about. It’s normal to take that long for your first time. Or I guess in your case, your first time after so many years? Either way, I’ve seen others take longer, so you're fine.”

I remained silent at his rather rocky attempt at reassurance, questioning its validity.

“Now, before you feel tempted to go on another one of your panic sprees, how about we see if you can stomach some food. After such an ordeal, I’m surprised you can still remain upright.”

Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling a bit heavy with fatigue, like I hadn’t bothered to move in centuries.

“That would be good…t-thanks.”

“Good cause, while your piercers are one less thing to worry about, you still have one other important thing to deal with. Seeing as it’s you we’re talking about, you’re gonna need all the strength you can get.”

I gave him yet another look of confusion and he groused at my lack of awareness.

“You still have that to contend with,” he stated, pointing down at my lap where my tail rested.

The tail which remained to feel like an immovable log of petrified wood.

I let out a gulp and ruminated as I often did in times of uncertainty and caution, which was more often than I would’ve liked in my life before and up to this.

Right. How hard can that be? I blanched, trying to let the indigo of my scales soothe me.

Knowing me, not easy enough..

| 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 | 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 | ༄⋆

[tpc-tangled-au]

Chapter 12: The Hope

“So that’s how the little bodkin got in the hole!”

The exclamation—and its sharp, accompanying clap—would have startled Melisande. Would have. That is, if she hadn’t been expecting such a reaction. But she knew Naphtali too well to expect less.

“That’s just how, isn’t it?” he went on, striding to the window and back again. His thoughts could never bear to sit still. “The lady buried the thing there, so she might be rid of it! And well for me, it’d seem!”

“It’d seem!” Baron repeated, smiling. Then, again, almost hushed, “It’d seem.”

Melisande’s eyes narrowed on him.

That smile wasn’t a full one.

What reason there was for it, she couldn’t imagine. And the smile was there. If not a full moon, a crescent still. Yet something, some unknown meaning, made a mask of it. There was a storm somewhere behind the moon.

She did not watch it longer. Even if she’d tried, she couldn’t. The stormclouds broke before the dawn she loved.

“Yes,” Naphtali picked up again, “but what about this fine Wayland fellow?”

Baron shook the moonlight from his face. “What about him?”

“Well, he was listening rather close to that young fae’s warning. And there’s their mysterious talk after! Not to mention his phantomly friend-turned-foe, off gallivanting the countryside.” He threw out his arms. “What did our Wayland do next? I’m sure he didn’t simply return home after all that!”

This, Melisande could answer. But another mouth opened first.

“Well,” Baron began, before he could have noticed her, “even if he did, he couldn’t return quickly. Azarias, you remember, had brought them both from the Underworld.”

Naphtali nodded, slow then quick. “Yes, wisping about like that.”

“And you know better than anyone how long a journey that is, without the aid of phantoms.” Baron sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Whatever the case, his tidings did reach King Elian. By his own hand, or another’s.”

“Another’s,” Melisande whispered, hidden in her own hand.

“Wayland then either returned—or remained—here, in Othrys.”

“Remained.”

“Here?” asked the sunbeam. “Why did he stay?”

“To search, then…”

“Melisande, perhaps you should tell us this part.”

Melisande dropped her hand like a glass of water. When she looked up, Baron was eying her with lifted brows.

“After all,” he continued, unable to wash away the traces of his smirk, “you seem to be breathing footnotes already.”

Though feeling silly for being spotted, Melisande rolled her eyes. “Oh, Baron, you.”

But then, “Yes!” put in Naphtali excitedly. “Yes, why don’t you tell us? I should like to hear you tell more of the story. And—why, you must know more than even Baron at this part: you said you’d spoken to Wayland afore!”

At the attention (and the familiar little afore), her annoyance and embarrassment were all uprooted in an instant.

“I… I have.” She nodded once, slowly. “Very much.”

Naphtali’s eyes and smile widened. Then, all of a sudden, he dropped right down on the floor into a crouch, sitting like a scarlet frog. Staring up at her, intently and earnestly. “Then say on, fairest of storytellers! Say on! Tell us of your noble friend!”

It took her a false start or two to even begin speaking. The very sight of him, so silly and so sincere, brought spring itself into her heart. A garden of warmth grown in her chest, and reddening roses bloomed across her cheeks. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly for a moment. (Nor did Baron’s grinning help matters in the slightest).

Eventually, though, Melisande pulled in a long, deep breath. She met Naphtali’s eyes, then closed her own. She searched out the trail of Wayland’s story amidst her ivied mind. Then, at last, she found her voice.

Wayland knew he could not leave the kingdom of Othrys without finding his partner. So he gave his message to an Othryan herald, and sent him on to Elian in his stead.

That Reuel fellow, I’ll wager!

Then he searched. Across all the land, in every hiding place, higher and lower than many dared go. For days into months, he hunted. But he could find neither the greatest ruin nor the smallest sign. It was as if the phantom had vanished utterly that night. In the end, he had to give up, and pray that Azarias had become himself again.

Had he?

You already know the answer to that!

I know, Baron, but—

Hush!

Well, he was gone, wherever to. But since he WAS gone—and knowing all that he knew—Wayland decided to follow a new path. One that took him back, but not back to the Underworld…

At the sound of a door opening at his back, King Frederick turned. Before he could greet the welcome sight, it split itself. The smaller portion was plopped in his lap.

“Well, what’s this little man doing here?” he smirked affectionately.

The infant was already reaching for his face and babbling. “Der! Der!”

“He missed you,” replied Eudoria, with a knowing beam of a smile. “And I thought you might like to see a face not spouting Matters Of State.”

“Oh lord, don’t remind me of those.” He sighed, stretching his stiff spine. “I think it’s a conspiracy. Every article of business bushwhacking me at once.”

As if on cue, the baby smacked both his little hands on Frederick’s chest. “BAH!”

“Well, if they were plotting to assassinate your reading time with us, they succeeded.” She laughed a merry laugh.

The reading. That was today. Frederick shook his head, exhausted with himself. “Oh, my Eudoria. Why you married a king, I just don’t know.”

“I didn’t. I married a prince.” Her delicate hand slipped over his huge one. “And merchants and farmers have long days too.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Come, now. The cooks have been keeping the royal dinner warm almost twenty minutes, and even kings need sustenance.”

Frederick returned her smile wryly, even as his stomach rumbled. Oh, she always knew. Shifting his son in his arms, he started to get up.

A door echoed open from the other side of the throne room.

“Y’majesty?”

Frederick looked up. At the familiar sight, he sighed a grin. “Well, Lazarus, unless you’re asking if you’re still invited to dinner, I’d guess there’s some late-coming little affair of state scratchin’ at my door?”

But Lazarus didn’t grin in return. No sympathetic smirk. No look to reply ‘they just keep coming, don’t they?’ without a word, as he so often did. Neither the straight face he reserved for difficult diplomats, nor even the full solemnity he reserved for high councils, held his features. Not this time.

This time, there was hesitance. There was caution.

“Not state exactly, sire.”

“Oh?” Frederick furrowed his brow. Whatever lay beyond the door, it was something even Lazarus was wary of, and that deeply. “What, then?”

A moment’s hesitation. The counselor glanced behind, as if to make sure his eyes had not deceived him.

“A knight and a phantom, seekin’ audience with Your Majesty.”

The King of Othrys sat up as straight as if his spine were shot with ice.

A knight and a phantom.

Could it be?

He heard himself asking, “What names did they give?”

“The phantom called herself Lia.”

She calls herself Lia. Frederick began to feel the ice melt. Herself.

But the winter was not gone yet.

“The knight,” Lazarus went on, before the seasons could change, “is called Wayland, and says he knows you well.”

Silence frosted the room. Then Frederick nodded. “Yes. I know Wayland.”

The baby on his lap clapped his little hands.

“They appear to be from Elian, sire.”

“I’m sure that they are. Do they come bearing a message?”

Another glance, then back again. “They did not tell me their business, Your Majesty. The knight only said he wished to speak with you.”

Though the room was warm, chills ran beneath his sleeves.

But Frederick refused to succumb to them.

“Bring them in, Lazarus.” He lifted his crowned head. “I will hear them.”

A few seconds hovered. Then Lazarus nodded, and ducked back beyond the door.

The hand on his moved to his forearm. Frederick looked up. His dear wife’s grey eyes held him, questioning without defiance. His own gave silent reply, grave yet firm. He watched hers drift, and followed them to the sword hilt at his side. She knew what had happened before. And he remembered it all too well.

A moment’s consideration. He shook any doubt from his head.

Eudoria squeezed his arm gently, then let go. She reached to take the baby in his lap. Prometheus fussed and squirmed away, protesting the too-soon departure.

A sudden second-thought. Frederick took her outstretched hand.

“Leave him with me.”

Blinks fluttered her eyelids, and her brow furrowed. But he gave her the corner of a smile.

“It’ll be all right.”

He kissed her hand.

Eudoria didn’t say a word, but her eyes showed their struggle. Their doubts. Then, as he watched, they shifted. They chose. Their grey gleamed trust.

As the throne room door opened once more, Frederick’s dear queen nodded. She turned and was gone through the door behind the throne. Her husband then faced his visitors.

Two entered at the ushering of Lazarus. The phantom was indeed a woman, a silvery lady. Frederick had not seen her before. Her hair seemed an auburn brown, long and waving. And… she was old. Not old in age—from her appearance, she had died a woman, not a crone. But the years since that day left her eyes ancient.

Almost like the frost-child that night, if any who had once been human could be like that.

But, though Frederick did not know the dead, he knew the living at once. In trod Wayland, the same messenger he met that fateful night. Yet… not quite the same. His face was more worn, his gait more weary. A shadow-beard crept across his chin. And his eyes…

His eyes were fastened wide on the golden-haired baby.

They did not stare too long. Almost as soon as Frederick noticed it, Wayland met his gaze. He bowed, deeply but not dramatically. The silver lady did the same, curtseying in a style long forgotten by the world.

“Greetings, King Frederick, Master of Othrys.”

“Greetings to you, Sir Wayland,” nodded Frederick, as Lazarus took his place at the king’s side, “and to your companion.”

The phantom called Lia dipped her head. “Thank you, young king,” she answered, and spoke to him no more.

Frederick lifted his hand for them to rise. As they obeyed, he continued, “I must give you my gratitude, Sir Wayland. I have spoken with King Elian, and he has aided me in making preparations for what may come. Your service to your master saved my kingdom.” He smiled grimly. “Your service to me saved my life. For that, and for your warning, I thank you.”

Little Prometheus dipped forward, swinging his arms out. “Da ka!”

Though Wayland bowed his head, there was a cloud over it. “I fear, sire, that my warnings are not yet ended.”

Frederick’s firm hold tightened, ever so slightly, around his son. “Is it your friend, Azarias?”

The silver lady did not speak. But her gaze hardened at the mention of that name. No—it softened.

Wayland’s face gave answer before his words. “No, Your Majesty. I have hunted for Azarias a year and a day, and I have found nothing.” He took in a slow breath. “Either he has become himself again, and hides where I cannot find him, or he has remained… as last we saw him, and left the world of men. The form he took could not last this long.”

The baby cooed inquisitively, playing with Frederick’s sleeve cuff. Wayland’s eyes dropped once more before he continued.

“I do not think Azarias will trouble your household, great king.”

The slightest sigh came from behind him—all the sign of relief Lazarus would show in council.

Frederick’s chest loosened. But not his hold.

“That is well,” he nodded. “But, if he will not trouble us again…”

“Why, then, does his partner?” finished the knight grimly, with the faintest specter of a long-dead smile.

He could not help but return it. “Nay. You, sir, I welcome. But what do you warn me of, if not of him?”

The specter vanished. “Of something I do not know, Your Majesty.” And with that, Wayland began to relate all the things he had been told by the Winter Child that night.

Frederick did not doubt that it was truth. The Boy, he had no doubt, was not a child of man. The look in those eyes was more ancient, wise, kind than any, even the primeval woman before him now. And after that night, he trusted Wayland with his life. It was the reason he could be so bold as to keep his infant son in the throne room with him; a thing he refused to do at any other meeting (even meetings with safer lands than the Underworld).

It was not the only reason he chose to do so. But it was the only reason he could.

Soon, Wayland had spoken all (or at least, all for the moment). The king leaned back in his throne and considered. The infant on his lap shook his curly head, bobbling gravely.

“So,” he said at last. “You warn me first that the stars themselves are fixin’ to wage war on my kingdom. Now you come again to tell me some unknown witchery is gunning for my family?”

“I can see no other possibility, Your Majesty.”

He was silent. At his side, Lazarus was silent.

Only little Prometheus was not, swinging a tiny fist as if with a tiny sword, squealing at his unseen enemies.

They seemed a legion. A devilish horde, with each spear pointed at his son’s heart.

“Then we will guard,” he declared, set in steel. “Set a watch at all times. Make every soldier a silvren sword.”

A sudden stream of words burst from the phantomess, who had watched Wayland silently for so long.

Frederick sat forward, opening his mouth to engage her. But she did not look at him. Her eyes of objection turned only to Wayland. She seemed not to notice that Frederick had even moved.

So he leaned back instead, keeping hold of the baby (who was occupied in squealing and gibbering in return).

“Lazarus,” the king whispered, “do you know what she’s saying?”

Lazarus shook his head. “I ain’t even sure what language she’s speaking. It’s old, though.” He tsked, then added in a whisper, “Mighty old.”

The ancient complaint ceased, as suddenly as it began. Wayland looked as if he had spoken to her. But he had not uttered a word.

Lia spared a glance toward Frederick. Then she spoke silence to the knight.

The knight shook his head.

“Well?” Frederick sat straight, folding his hand round the baby’s little chest. “What says she, Sir Wayland?”

With a sigh, Wayland turned from the lady. “She protests that such measures will do little good, Your Majesty.”

Another surge of ancient whispers.

“And that your history will prove it.”

“That so, indeed?” cut in Lazarus, stepping forward and looking most civilly nettled. Frederick could see his head held high from the corner of his eye. Oh, this was not a thing to disparage around Lazarus. “And does this fine lady know our history? Does she know King Carter? King Thomas the Fearless? King Ward?”

“She knew them indeed, advisor,” Lia replied, looking as if seeing him for the first time. “Yes, I knew them.”

A moment he stood. Almost hesitating on the border between awe and offense. When he spoke again, it was carefully. “And do they prove that Othrys can’t protect her own?”

“Oh, they were valiant. And the power in their hands was great indeed. Their own were safe in even the shadows of their kings’ cloaks. With the stones’ power, they protected against all this land faces and more.”

As Lia spoke, she did not look at Lazarus. Not truly. Her eyes stared, as if watching the years of the world span ethereal before her, immaterial monoliths of history all risen at once, somewhere far beyond the world they belonged to.

Then she turned to the physical man. And she may as well have been turning to spot a fly going past.

“But for you, little one, they are long dead. The men you have among you now never waged war with the likes of these. You tell your stories of those who could. But their distance proves.”

Lazarus dipped his head and smiled up tight. Oh, he was far past the borders of offense now. “’scuse me, ma’am, but we’ve had phantoms a-plenty, pickin’ fights with us, and losin’ em, too. Sire, we don’t—”

“Phantoms, yes,” sighed Frederick, guessing her end. “Not sorcerors and faes, though. Not for generations. That, I think, is your point, ma’am?”

The woman nodded, and looked at them no more. Her intangible eyes seemed to have other things to look at than mortals. Than mere men of any here-and-now.

A moment. Then, “Yessir, Y’Majesty,” muttered Lazarus, stepping back. But Frederick could almost feel the glower he sent toward the right-proven phantom.

In the midst of this silent strife, Wayland stepped forth, interposing a truce. “Swords can slay sorcerors, O Master. And silvren can indeed pierce the fae. Such things have protected me in many a battle.”

“I know this,” Frederick nodded, “firsthand.”

“But what good will a thousand swords do a man, if he is enchanted ere he can wield the one he holds? If he cannot see through the guises a witch may take? Your men are brave, Your Majesty. I have seen them. But they do not know what they are fighting.”

Lazarus started to step forward once more, but Frederick held up his hand. “What, then, do you suggest, sir?”

“That you grant the hope of a messenger.”

With these words, Wayland took a knee, sinking to the floor. And that sinking was heavy, as if he had been wounded and would not rise again. But his knees held firm. He bowed his head, and did not fall.

“Good King Frederick, I humbly ask that you take me into your service.”

Wordlessness gripped every Othryan in the room. The king, in wonder. The counselor, in stark bewilderment. The prince, in blind curiosity. None knew what to say to the kneeling knight.

“Well, sir,” was all the reply Frederick could find. He hardly knew why. “Well, sir, now.”

“Is my boon so strange, sire?”

“No.” He chuckled softly. “No, I can’t say it is. Sudden, striking, surely so. But not strange.” Not in my courts, he added in thought. Then, again, And… somehow… not for you.

“Well, now—if I may, sire,” put in Lazarus, tentatively. Frederick nodded. The counselor took another step forward. “Well, now, it might be a little strange, considering this fine fella’s warning. Now, I ain’t meanin’ to be rude by this,” he added, his gaze turning over the phantomess before reaching the man on his knees, “but… well, sir knight, if you say a thousand swords do no good, what help’ll one more bring?”

Wayland nodded. “An honest question, counsel.” He lifted his face to the king. “In the Underworld, in my lord Elian’s service, I and my fellow sentinels have battled many such foes. We have contended with dark forces, by strength of arm or of will. And we have contended with their charms and deceits.”

Prometheus suddenly swung his arm down, screaming delight once more.

A glance down. It quickly flicked away, as if forbidden. “I know how to fight them, sire. More still, I know how to spot them, and how to drive them away. Those who prowl, and those who pretend, will not pass my notice.”

Frederick began to see his intention. Yet something else reminded itself into consideration. “You have done all this in Elian’s service. What, then, of him? Does your own master know you have come to me for this purpose?”

“Aye, Your Majesty. If you grant me my hope, I have his leave. If you deny, I shall return to the Underworld with this good lady,” —he lent Lia his eye— “and continue in his service, as I have these sixteen years.”

His hand went to the scabbard at his side. Lazarus jolted slightly.

Frederick did not.

Slowly, Wayland drew the blade he had used to defend the King of Othrys, that winter’s night that seemed so lately passed. He held it up in both hands. One of his gloves was gone, revealing the handmark of Elian’s men.

“I offer you my sword and my service, King Frederick. I ask no rank nor title, but only to wear the red of your livery. I cannot ward off every danger. But set me as a watchman over your royal family, and I will do my utmost to drive away any who would harm them.”

Frederick believed him. But now came the test. Not only of Wayland, but of his own decision, just before the messengers entered.

“Even though they only live by the refusal of your first warning?”

The man lifted his stony eyes. It was not Frederick’s face they found. But in that look, Frederick found the answer he’d been looking for. The reason for keeping his son with him. He had seen something that night, something in his eyes when Frederick spoke of his family. The eyes had hardened. But they had not lost it.

“Yes, sire,” said Wayland, his stare fixed unwavering on the child. “Yes.”

Prometheus’ round face turned upward. He spotted Wayland at last. Instantly, he lurched forward. His grabby little hands stretched out eagerly. He was reaching for the raven-haired soldier who wanted and hoped—truly—to protect him. He was cooing. What’s more, he was beaming.

And, in that little moment, Wayland’s gaze lost all its hardness.

~*~

A knock came at the door. “Prince Prometheus?”

Naphtali did not rise, but turned his head. Baron couldn’t see his expression. However, the prince shifted forward eagerly. His hand lifted in half-gesture, half-greeting. And from his voice, Baron knew he was beaming.

“Ah, welcome, good Travers! Aye, here’s your quarry! Come in, fellow!”

The raven-haired soldier stepped into the room, the red of his livery catching the last light. He bowed to his royal charge. He nodded to Melisande, then to Baron.

“Evening, Travers,” greeted Melisande, with growing smile.

(Baron almost smirked. The one man who could get her to smile like that, besides Naphtali at least.)

A flash of softness as Travers returned her smile. Then he went straight as steel. Oh, he was here officially. “What have you been doing today, Your Highness? You’ve hardly been seen since lunchtime.”

“Why, writing the story, Travers!” exclaimed Naphtali, turning in his crouch.

“The story of what?”

“The story of everything!”

“Or at least, everything we know,” Baron added with a wink.

Travers aimed a different sort of nod at him, and his smile turned wry for a moment. “Is everything you know interesting?”

A shrug. “That’s the hope.”

“Well, that hope’s been fulfilled, at least!” put in Naphtali, grinning from one of them to the other. “We’ve talked of the fireflower, and the lighthouse, and the little poniard in the hole, and all the happenings of my early winters! It’s been grand.”

Baron noted a stony look when Naphtali told their ‘talked-ofs’. Though, he couldn’t tell if it was the ‘early winters’, or if the fireflower’s mention put it there. I suppose either might make sense, Baron pondered. I know he still remembers the night that witch finally slipped past his guard.

But, in the midst of this pondering, another strange thing caught his attention: Melisande, sitting quite still. Her hands were folded. Her eyes were affixed. She was waiting for something, waiting patiently. Then the soldier seemed to notice.

“I was just telling them of Wayland,” Melisande said, perfectly plain, “and the day he came to the Othryan guard.”

Silence caught in the air. It hovered there, if only for a moment.

In that little moment, Travers’ gaze lost all its hardness.

“Ah.”

The moment lingered a bit longer. But, soon enough, it was royally expelled.

“Aha! So Wayland did come into Father’s service, then?”

Melisande held on a few seconds more, then turned away. “Yes, Naphtali. King Frederick granted Wayland his boon, and he became a soldier of Othrys. He left behind his old name, and his old life, that day.”

“A little like his partner, perhaps?” proffered Baron.

But Melisande shook her head firmly at that. “No. Wayland did so, not to flee, but to defend. To faithfully guard the fiery child…” She turned her gaze, brimming with gratitude. “…and others he had no need to keep as he did.”

Travers said nothing.

Oh, Baron would have a great deal to write of that nothing.

“A fine fellow indeed,” sighed Naphtali, who seemed to have missed every bit of nothing said. Once it had passed, he turned in his crouch once more. “Well, then, fine fellow, what news? What’s brought you to our scriveners’ den, hmm?”

In the fading light, it was hard to tell if Travers had shivered. But his official straightening was plain to see. “Your orders, Your Highness.”

A wild-haired head cocked. “Mine?”

“Yours, sire. You had wanted me to remind you,” he cleared his throat, quite unsuspiciously, “when it was time.”

“Time? Time for—”

Naphtali fell over backward.

“OH! Yes! Yes, yes, quite right, quite—quite so, indeed, yes!”

Even as he spoke, he scrambled from the floor, trying desperately to straighten his clothes. (They weren’t at all wrinkled.) If Travers’ nothing had been silent, Naphtali’s was said aloud, a stammered nonsense.

Baron couldn’t help but snicker at his flustered display. If Melisande says no to THAT, I’m sure I never knew a thing about her. But, his thought added, as he saw her fond smile bloom unhidden, I know her well indeed.

The same scarlet as his vest, Naphtali cleared a swarm of butterflies from his throat. “Yes, well. Well, my thanks for the reminder, good sir.” He sighed, quite sharply. That seemed to do it, for afterward, he squared his shoulders, head held high, and offered a hand to his lady. The crack in his voice was almost imperceptible.

“Will you come, me dear?” he asked.

Surprise lifted Melisande’s brows, but her smile did not vanish. If anything, it grew. “Aye, mo dòchas.” And she took his hand as she rose. “I’ll come.”

Naphtali swelled at the sight and sound of it. But he seemed to try to suppress the energy threatening to erupt. He nodded to Travers. “Thanks, good soldier.” He nodded to Baron. “Thanks, good friend.”

“You’re welcome,” Baron smirked, then shooed them away. “Go on now. I’ll handle the letters, you two… have a good time.”

It was as much as a starting gunshot. Naphtali bounced on his heels, then shared a glance with Melisande. She seemed to see the burst coming. She picked up her skirts with her other hand. The second after, Naphtali catapulted out the door, holding onto her like his life depended on it. They disappeared into the castle halls. And—Baron wasn’t quite sure of this—it almost sounded as if a laugh echoed after them.

He was sure that he heard a soft laugh from Travers, though. As he looked up, he caught something even softer in his face. Something… well… peaceful.

“Look at them,” he breathed. “Still those same children, really. Running down the halls together, off to some surprise. But look at them now.” A deep, slow sigh that hitched. “Just look at them now.”

Baron thumped his arm playfully. “Don’t tell me this soldier is a sap.”

Travers rolled glistening eyes, thumping him right back. “He’s a father. You’ll understand that sometime.”

Baron laughed. Then, he looked at the stack of letters on the desk, barely still illuminated. He looked at the ring on his hand, catching a faint gleam from the window.

He looked at the corner of the bench. And he could have sworn he saw the future sitting there, waiting for him to read.

“That’s the hope.”

~*~

[Chapter 1/Writing the Story]

[Chapter 11/Wayland and the Winter Child ... Chapter 12/you are here! ... Book Two/yet to come!]

[Also on AO3, if you want to hop on over!]

[shinydelirium]

Kiro’s Rumors and Secrets: Discarded Light (Season 2 Chapters 6-9) Translation [CN]

***SPOILERS*** THIS POST CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR CONTENT NOT YET RELEASED ON EN SERVER!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!***

So I lied when I said I was gonna translate and post Kiro’s Season 2 chapter 12, lol. But rest assured, it will be next. Just wanted to include this R&S after translating chapter 8-9 to provide some more insight into Kiro’s character from an outsider’s perspective. Although it’s also a pathetic excuse to delay the chapter 12 translation cuz I know it’s gonna hurt just as much as the first time I read it T_T

Anyways, enjoy~

This “superstar” is always beyond everyone’s expectations.

[Chapter 1]

The giant, reinforced concrete extends high into the sky, and the spotlessly wiped glass reflects the neon and dilapidated crescent moon in the distance.

Ah Liu perched on the top of the building, aiming at the silent building opposite him.

Soon, the 8 o’clock bell and a sound in his earphones rang at the same time.

“It’s time to start.”

Ah Liu tightened the rope harness, confirmed the safety of the landing point, and jumped down into the bottomless abyss between the two buildings.

Ah Liu is a bartender, a kind of superficial meaning.

Although he is indeed employed by the owner of Mondlicht bar, his work is not just about bartending and wiping glasses.

“A guest will come in the afternoon, and you will be in charge of collecting it.”

In the bar, the man behind the counter hummed a small tune and placed the wine glasses on the shelf as usual, attached to the task at hand without raising his head.

Ah Liu nodded and when he got up, he heard the man add another sentence.

“This time it’s a long-term big deal. The employer’s status is a bit special, so be more cautious.”

Ah Liu has done many assignments, but the boss reminded him as if this is first time.

This means that the employer is really not good at talking.

The owner threw a report from the counter. Ah Liu took it and looked up in surprise after a few glances.

“What is this person?”

The owner knew what he was thinking, and smiled amusingly.

“When you see him, you will know how kind and compassionate my reminder is.”

Ah Liu put the file on the table suspiciously. The knife in his hand gave off a silver light, feeling a bit funny.

The man on the file has brilliant blonde hair and his blue eyes seem to reflect a clear lake along with a pure smile.

Even Ah Liu, who doesn’t know the entertainment industry at all, knows the person in the photo.

Kiro, the most sought-after superstar of the Inverted Smile Film and Television Company.

His smile appeared on the electronic screens in the streets and alleys as well as on the packaging bags of the new potato chips in the convenience store, making it difficult to miss for anyone who passed by.

Why would such a person who stands at the top, shining and dazzling, pay a big price for a piece of information?

Ah Liu glanced at the file. The paper listed the employer’s request and the price.

The price is irresistible, and the request is worthy of this astronomical price that is suffixed with many zeros.

“The work content of other people has already been arranged, so please prepare.”

Ah Liu made a rough estimate of the time and energy required to take this big arrangement, and then thought about his fortune, and neatly put the file into his pocket.

“It seems that for a long time, we have to work for this Mr. Kiro.”

Soon the appointed time arrives.

When the door of the bar was pushed open, Ah Liu involuntarily glances over.

The person who came in wore a black hat and was dressed up very simply. He walked straight to the bar, threw an envelope to the owner, and then reached out and took off the hat, revealing his golden hair.

“As agreed before.”

He said the words briefly, as if he didn’t want to say more.

If he hadn’t already known his identity, Ah Liu felt that the star’s temperament at the moment was more suitable for this bar than him.

The owner nodded, put away the envelope, and raised his chin towards Ah Liu.

Ah Liu leaned against the bar, turned the knife in his right hand, raised his eyebrows at the guest in front of him and said hello.

In fact, generally speaking, the attitude towards guests should be a little more polite, but Ah Liu was inexplicably teasing. Perhaps because of the other person, or perhaps he was just curious about the true appearance of the superstar hidden under his handsome face.

However, Kiro’s expression was plain and straightforward.

“My request, you should know everything.”

It was completely different from the reaction he expected. Ah Liu pulled back his shoulders and put away his knife.

“Almost. Although it’s a bit tricky, it can be done.”

It was probably the first time Kiro saw someone who dared to speak so directly. He raised his eyes and reminded him not to be serious.

“Think carefully, don’t accept the task so quickly.”

“We are in this business, and we have to do it to the end after receiving the customer’s order. Although this task is not my responsibility alone, but since it’s within the scope of my work, I will definitely do it for you.”

Ah Liu was frank and extended his hand towards Kiro.

“I will follow you in the future.”

Probably out of respect, Kiro held the hand that was stretched out, but that’s all. He didn’t seem to want any contact other than trading with the person in front of him.

“How it’s done, I will tell you later.”

After he said this, he didn’t stay any longer, so he turned and left the bar.

“Why did you find this star? He’s a bit different from what I thought.”

Ah Liu turned around, tapped his index finger on the table, making a clicking sound.

The owner slowly handed him a glass of wine and smiled meaningfully.

“He’s really not any ordinary star.”

“As for what kind of person, you will know soon enough.”

[Chapter 2]

Ah Liu is a practitioner with a sense of professional ethics.

Although he found it very difficult to understand the employer’s, Kiro’s, request, he paid enough for Ah Liu to add ingredients to the menu shamelessly. While eating instant noodles, he made preparations very rigorously.

When Ah Liu completed all the preparations, Kiro also came as scheduled, with a laptop computer.

Ah Liu didn’t think Kiro could help him with his work, but half an hour later, his impression of Kiro was completely overturned.

Kiro asked for some relevant information, then turned on the computer with familiarity, tapping the keyboard quickly with his fingers.

Soon, lines of complex codes flashed across the screen like some kind of fluorescent green tide with special beauty.

Ah Liu stared at Kiro’s movements dumbfounded and couldn’t help but utter a hometown dialect.

“Yo, how are you so good?”

Ah Liu knows that when employers choose a place like theirs, it means that they need to deliver a little more or less of their own secrets and trust.

But….it’s already hard being a star right now, do you have to have to work part-time on the side too?

The security system on the screen was easily hacked, and the red warning turned into a green traffic sign. Kiro stopped typing until he locked a certain area on the outskirts of Loveland City.

“Found it.”

He stretched his waist and habitually reached near the computer as if looking for something to drink.

When he didn’t feel anything he gave a soft “huh”. His extended hand stiffened for a second, and then quickly retracted it, speaking nonchalantly.

“I have locked a few addresses that appear to have logged in to the server, but the specific locations need to confirmed.”

“How is it on your end?”

Although shocked by Kiro’s hacking skills, Ah Liu did not forget his work, and pointed to the surveillance screen in front of him.

“The monitoring software is installed, but there is no movement yet.”

“I suggest waiting for another two or three days to take a look.”

Kiro nodded, put away the computer, put on his hat and mask, and left quietly.

Ah Liu stood up, moved his shoulders and inadvertently walked towards the window.

Next to a vending machine on the corner downstairs, Kiro, wearing a black hood, was bending over to drop coins and soon a bottle of green soda rolled out.

He was a little far away, but Ah Liu still saw the drink clearly.

The green apple flavor is very high in sugar, and young girls are unwilling to buy it, so they are always not able to be sold.

Kiro finished drinking in one breath. His eyes raised slightly, showing a satisfied look. He threw the plastic bottle into the trash can briskly, then turned and left.

Ah Liu once again became curious about Kiro.

[Chapter 3]

He didn’t meet Kiro again until a long time later.

During this period, Kiro did not take the initiative to contact Ah Liu, and he has been diligently monitoring the marked area while waiting for Kiro’s news.

The days of waiting were a bit boring. It wasn’t until one time, on the convenience store TV news that Ah Liu learned that Kiro was involved in a “wounding incident” and revealed his identity as an Evolver.

Ah Liu slurped the instant noodles. On TV, Kiro looked directly at the camera and generously admitted his hidden identity.

He swallowed the instant noodles, wondering what he was doing.

Although he didn’t have much contact with Kiro, he knew very well—this person would not be so reckless and willful, and that he might have his own reasons behind this incident.

After that, a while later, Kiro’s company also underwent some trouble, and he himself claimed to retreat for creation purposes.

In the silence, Ah Liu disassembled and reassembled the pistol bought from the black market in the dark. The screen beside the pistol showed clues that he finally tracked down.

Hunter game.

It’s time to contact his employer, he thought.

In the dark, the cheerful and broad bells rang—

The so-called hunter game, even though Ah Liu never heard of it before, Kiro specifically called him to investigate since it was also related to what they had checked before. Naturally, Ah Liu concentrated all his time and energy into it.

When following Kiro’s clues, he slowly became more aware that there was a behemoth showing his minions in the darkness.

But it paid off, and finally someone bit the hook that had been cast before.

Ah Liu stuffed a pistol into his waist, holding his cell phone, and dialed Kiro.

The phone picked up after a few rings.

“What’s up?”

“I found a building where the other party had been active. I’m going to explore it tonight. If I’m lucky, I might find something.”

Kiro on the other end paused for a moment, inhaled and quickly stopped talking.

It seemed that Kiro was not the only person on the phone. Ah Liu vaguely heard another person speaking to Kiro and his voice rose naturally.

“Savin, I’m really not stealing snacks. If you don’t believe me, then come and see for yourself.”

“Hey—wait, come back later. Now I’m bitter. As soon as you interrupted, the melody of my new song is gone.

“I never told anyone that you hid my three boxes of snacks and two refrigerators of carbonated drinks. So inhumane….”

The voice gradually became quieter, and it was probably the person named “Savin” who finally left Kiro alone.

Ah Liu felt that Kiro was really weird.

Obviously, he has the warmth of light that ordinary people can’t touch, but he had to turn around and go to the darkness.

He wanted to ask why, but held back.

Employers have their own secrets to some extent. Keeping to their duties and not asking too much is the best way to stay out of this circle.

After a while, Kiro’s calm voice came from the phone again.

“Send me the address and I’ll find you.”

“I’m fine by myself. You don’t trust me when I say this?”

Ah Liu felt that Kiro didn’t trust his capability. He repeatedly emphasized that his business potential was very good. His performance ranking has been ranked first.

But Kiro still insisted on working with him and Ah Liu couldn’t help but send Kiro the location of the building.

[Chapter 4]

Under the endless night sky, Ah Liu received Kiro’s signal.

He stood up and flung himself into the opposite building with the help of the rope. After he rolled into the room and came to a stop, Ah Liu suddenly held his breath.

There were no clues left as expected. The whole room was empty. The huge glass windows were opened and the cold moonlight showed the man’s brilliant blond hair and the timed explosive device in front of him.

“Was it successful?”

“It seems that someone expected this visit and left us a gift.”

Kiro’s expression was very calm but when Ah Liu saw the detonator under his feet, he couldn’t help sucking in a cold breath.

Kiro seemed to be indifferent, tapping quickly with both hands on the computer and laughed coolly.

“Although the internal structure is complicated, it is still flawed…”

“How long will it take?”

‘Five minutes.”

Ah Liu glanced at the time displayed on the screen and the countdown just reached five minutes.

“The risk is too great.”

Ah Liu crouched down, took out a wire from the portable tool bag beside him and gently inserted it into the bomb.

“Leave it to me, it will be done in a minute.”

He specializes in surgery. Ah Liu is best at disassembling and reassembling various complicated equipment. He moves cautiously.

Kiro didn’t say anything, he stopped hacking and switched to another interface.

There is nothing in this world that can come and go without a trace. No one can be completely invisible.

The ability of top hackers is to dig out some seemingly and completely irrelevant content from the vast data stream, and continue to piece together and combine them until they restore the trajectory of something generated, assembled, grown, and disbanded.

Every day, the flood of information carries everyone’s joy, anger, and sorrow, surging through the city and no one can stay out of the matter.

The people who had been in this room carefully avoided all information channels, but it was precisely this carelessness that allowed Kiro to find their exact address.

The computer snapped shut and Kiro briefly breathed out. At this time, Ah Liu also successfully analyzed the data of the detonator and shut it down perfectly.

“It’s done.”

Ah Liu stood up and looked at Kiro.

“What are you going to do with this thing? Take it away or keep it here?

“Since they gave such a ‘big gift’, how about a ‘return gift’?”

Kiro turned and walked towards the door hidden in the dark. Ah Liu picked up the device that had turned into a pile of scraps on the ground, and walked to catch up with Kiro.

After coming out of the building, Ah Liu stopped when he passed a small alley.

“Hold up.”

He shouted to Kiro and dropped a few coins into a battered vending machine.

With two crisp ‘plops’, accompanied by mechanical electronic sounds, two cyan bottles of carbonated drinks were held by Ah Liu.

He handed Kiro a bottle but didn’t move to take it. His voice was a little cold.

“I don’t like being spied on by others.”

Ah Liu laughed a few times, trying to pat Kiro’s shoulder, but was subtly averted. He didn’t feel embarrassed, so he touched his head instead.

“Shouldn’t a celebrity be used to being watched by others?”

Probably when he was immersed in darkness, no one would exactly associate him with the dazzling star on stage.

Kiro froze for a moment, then took the carbonated drink from Ah Liu’s hand.

“By the way, when the device was dismantled, how could you be sure that I could do it? Weren’t you afraid we would all be blown up?”

The person in front of him showed a slight smile. Although it was shallow, it was indeed Kiro’s smile.

At this moment, he seemed to be covered with light and shadow, and the sun and moon were equally magnificent.

“It was just a gamble.”

“It turned out that I was right.”

He finished his drink in one breath and walked around the corner with his hands in his pockets.

Ah Liu suddenly felt that Kiro was very interesting. If he worked with him, he would probably gain a lot of things that he hadn’t encountered before.

Thrilling enough, but also exciting.

For men, true friends should be like this.

In the bottom of his heart, he listed Kiro as a friend who had already had a “friend for life and death”, so he shouted to him.

“I’ll study the internal structure of the device when I go back. I’ll tell you the results but it will take several days.”

The person in the distance did not answer and disappeared into the depths of the night.

[Chapter 5]

It took a lot of effort to crack the device, and several days had passed by the time Ah Liu got all the analytical data.

Kiro sent the other party’s real server address. Following this clue and the special materials of the installation, Ah Liu has been busy for a long time. He also managed to get a sense of the so-called “Hunter Game” in his mind.

At this moment, perhaps somewhere in this world, a silent survival game is being staged.

Although he is used to fighting and killing, the nature of the incident is completely different. He feels it is necessary to tell Kiro immediately.

But the phone call couldn’t get through.

After waiting for a while at Mondlicht, Ah Liu got up and decided to go directly to Kiro.

One minute late, one more minute for risk of exposure.

However, Kiro had a deal with him, and the less people knew, the better. Instead of alerting the security guard, Ah Liu walked to the gate of the backyard with his waist bent.

The security system of the gate is complicated and difficult to understand.

When Ah Liu was scratching his head to study how to crack it, he suddenly heard Kiro’s voice.

He was sitting cross-legged in the yard with a mobile phone, a golden retriever in front of him.

Not knowing what the person on the other end said, Kiro spoke briskly, with a smile that could not be contained:

“Wait for me to show you the mushrooms I’ve grown these days! This one on top of my head is new!”

“I wrote a song at home these last few days and I will send it to you when I make the demo.”

“When the ban is lifted in a few days, I must have a big meal!”

“Do you have anything you want to eat?”

……

He naturally exudes the aura of a “little sun”. The grand light not only comes from Kiro, but it also seems to come from the person on the other end of the phone.

It turned out to be so, Ah Liu suddenly realized.

He has always wondered why Kiro had so many contradictory points, but the bright star walks in the dark, intersecting with people of his identity.

Now he found the answer.

Because even the stars that live above the clouds have a future that they want to gaze at and protect forever.

Suddenly, there was a shattering sound—

Ah Liu looked forward immediately. He didn’t know what was said on the phone. Kiro stood up instantly, holding the phone tightly, his eyes were full of fear and anger.

Next to him was a glass that has been broken into pieces.

This was the first time Ah Liu saw this look on Kiro’s face.

He seemed to have noticed something and without hesitation, he pushed aside the branches of the tree and walked straight out.

Since seeing Kiro’s first side, Ah Liu has not been accurate in all of Kiro’s predictions. But this time, he confidently wants to try again and he has a hunch that he will not be wrong.

And that is—

Kiro is a person worthy of his trust.

[jgfiles]

Joker Game Novel Translations: Book 4, Chapter 1 “Valkyrie” - Part 13 of 13

Okay so this is the last part. Sadly it took me more than I wanted but here they are, my attempts at making sense of how translator engines translate @great-blaster transcription of the Japanese text of Valkyrie (you can find the link in the notes of this message if you’re interested). No idea if someone is still interested but well, if you are here it is.

As usual I remember you all translators engine don’t really do a great work in regard to translating things perfectly, and that even if I tried to at least smooth the English a bit and to fix the sentences that were really impossible to understand, my knowledge of Japanese is really so low it’s not worth mentioning so I might have messed up more often than not…

Enjoy discovering how this story ends and meeting up a beloved guy again for the last time. ;_; Oh and yes, Yukimura as well. I’m sad to leave him too. Also please enjoy this chapter and, please, if you spot mistakes you’re free to come hit me in the head with the right translation. I don’t mind.

Again a lot of thanks to @great-blaster who provided the original transcription and to @unnagi whose summary helped me to figure where this was going when Google translate was being particularly uncooperative.

12 ―――手間をかけさせやがって。 --- You put at stake a lot of time and effort.

雪村と背中合わせに座った男は、指向性を絞った低い声でそう言うと、何ごともないように新聞を広げた。 A man sitting back to back with Yukimura spread his newspaper as if he had nothing better to do as he said so in such a low voice with limited directivity.

ドイツ北西部の田舎町ブレーメルハーフェン。 It’s the countryside town of Bremerhaven in the northwestern part of Germany.

北海に面したこの街ではいたるところで潮の気配が感じられる。 In this city facing the North Sea, the sign of the tide was felt everywhere.

雪村は海を見下ろす高台の四阿に腰を下ろし、着膨れした地元の子供たちが雪遊びに興じる様を眺めていた。 Yukimura’s gaze sank down from the high mountain overlooking the sea and now was watching the arriving local children rushing into the snow.

背後の男が新聞をめくる一連の動作の間に、振り返ることもなく封筒を差し出した。雪村は自然な動作で封筒を受け取り、すばやくポケットに収めた。封筒には新しい旅券と、その旅券に記された人物の偽の経歴（カバー）が入っているはずだ。 The man behind the newspaper, while turning its pages, presented him with an envelope without looking back. Yukimura received the envelope with a smooth movement and quickly put it in his pocket. The envelope should contain a new passport and a fake background (cover) for the person mentioned on that passport.

―――今回の一件はこちらの貸しだ。忘れるな。 --- In this case we’ve lend you a favour. Don’t forget about it.

男の低い声に、雪村は相変わらず雪遊びに興じる子供たちに目をむけたまま、肩をすくめて応えた。 To the man’s low voice, Yukimura responded by shrugging his shoulders while still looking at the children who were having a snow fight as usual.

たしかに今回の一件では、彼らの世話になった。 Certainly in this case he had required their assistance.

背後の男はドイツに潜入するもう一人の日本軍のスパイ―――雪村のような短期任務ではなく、ドイツで独白の情報網を築き上げ、集めた情報を日本に送る〝長期潜入者″だ。 The man behind the newspaper was another Japanese spy infiltrated in Germany --- not for a short-term mission like Yukimura, but for a "long-term infiltration", one who built an independent information network in Germany and sent the collected information to Japan.

雪村は男に連絡を取り、自分と同じ背恰好の身元不明のアジア人の死体を用意するよう依頼した。死体の指紋を採取して、大使館にわざとその指紋を残した。用意した死体の脇腹に古い大きな三日月形の傷痕があったのは偶然だ。が、スパイにとって偶然は利用するために存在する。雪村は自分の脇腹に同じ形の傷痕を偽装し、騒ぎの中で「過去の任務で負った傷だ」と言って、わざと逸見に見せた。爆発現場から発見された〝顔のない死体″は、指紋と大きな古い三日月形の傷から雪村当人と認定されるはずだ。 Yukimura contacted the man and asked him to prepare a dead corpse of unknown identity Asian as him and of the same built. He collected the fingerprints of the corpse and left those fingerprints on purpose at the embassy. It wasn’t a coincidence that there was an old big crescent shaped scar on the flank of the prepared corpse. It happened to exist to be used by spies. Yukimura disguised himself so that he had the same type of scar on his side, and deliberately showed it to Itsumi in the middle of a fuss, saying "It is a bruise I got while on duty in the past". The "dead body with no face" discovered on the explosion site should be recognized as Yukimura himself due to the fingerprints and the large old crescent moon scratch.

そこまでは、いわば予定通りだ。今回の任務を命じられた時点で雪村幸一は最初からドイツで姿を消すことになっていた。そのことは相手の男にも伝えられていたはずである。男の任務は、内装業者としてドイツに入国した〝雪村幸一″が自然な形で姿をくらませるよう段取りを手伝うこと。だから、男が言った〝貸し″とは、そのことを指しているのではない。 Everything was completely planned to this extent. From the beginning Yukimura Kōichi was supposed to disappear in Germany as soon as he was assigned this mission. The other man should have been told that. The man's mission was to help set things up so that "Yukimura Kōichi" who entered in Germany as an interior clerk disappeared in a natural way. So, when the man said "they lend him a favour" he doesn’t mean that.

―――スパイがあんな派手な騒ぎを起こすなんて、前代未聞だ。 --- It is unprecedented that the spy would make such a loud noise.

背後の男が、皮肉な口調で言った。 The man behind him said in an ironic tone.

―――ウーファに出入りしているうちに、映画にかぶれたか？ --- Did you get too much into movies while you were in and out of UFA?

辛辣な言葉とは裏腹に、男は事態を面白がっている様子だ。 Contrary to the bitter words, the man seemed to be having fun with the situation.

雪村は覚えず苦���した。 Yukimura didn’t remember and made a bitter smile.

映画にかぶれた。 He got overly influenced by a movie.

言われてみれば、確かにそうだ。 To tell the truth, this was certainly true.

雪村があえて派手な騒ぎを起こした理由は、若き天才ユダヤ人映画監督フィリップ・ランゲに会い、彼の映画を観たからだ。 The reason why Yukimura dared to make such a big show was because he met the Jewish young genius film director Philippe Lange and saw his movie.

雪村は、逸見五郎がゲッベルスに対してとっさに口にした言い訳―――幽霊話―――から、日本大使館の鏡の裏の秘密の小部屋と、さらにそこに匿われていたフィリップ・ランゲの存在を暴き出した。 Yukimura revealed the secret small room behind the mirror of the Japanese Embassy and the existence of Philippe Lange that was hidden there due to the excuse Itsumi Gorō used when talking with Goebbels --- about the ghost stories ---.

あの夜、ランゲを信奉するウーファの映画スタッフたちに囲まれた雪村は判断を迫られた。ランゲはいわばナチスのお尋ね者だ。身柄を当局に引き渡せば、それで片がつく（周囲の映画スタッフ数名をまとめて取り押さえることなど、スパイとしての訓練を受けた雪村にとっては何でもないことだった）。 That night, Yukimura was surrounded by UFA movie staff members who believed in Lange was pressed to take a decision. Lange was, at the moment, a Nazi wanted man. If he were to hand him over to the authorities, he would get a reward (for Yukimura, trained as a spy, holding back the movie staff members surrounding him wouldn’t have been a problem).

雪村は顎を捻り、ひょいと思いついて、ランゲに尋ねた。 Yukimura had rubbed his kin and thoughtfully had gotten closer and had made Lange a question.

「貴様が撮った映画を観られるか？」 "Can I see the movie you took?"

自分でもなぜあんなことを訊いたのかわからない。が、雪村の言葉を聞いたランゲと彼の映画スタッフたちは、一瞬顔を見合わせ、すぐに喜々として即席の上映会の準備を始めた。 He didn’t even know why he asked such a thing. But Lange and his film staff members who heard Yukimura’s words had hesitated for a moment then had began preparing an instant screenings immediately with joy.

大使館の白壁を使って上映されたランゲの作品は、なるほどナチス宣伝大臣ゲッベルスを激怒させるだけのことはあった。映画は、ナチスの非知性的暴力的な本質を見事にとらえ、しかも娯楽性のある作品に仕上げられていた。滑稽であり、美しかった。なにより雪村は、ランゲの映画をもっと観たいと思った。 ​​There was nothing else that would make the Nazi propaganda Goebbels furious than the work of Lange that was screened using the white walls of the embassy. The movie captured the Nazi's non-intelligent violent essence and was also turned into an entertaining work. It was comical and beautiful. More importantly, Yukimura wanted to see more of Lange's movies.

ナチス・ドイツは日本の軍事同盟国。表立って彼らの方針に逆らうことは不可能。しかし―――。 Nazi Germany was Japan’s military ally. It was impossible to stand out and defy their policy. However---.

彼の映画を観てしまった以上、フィリップ・ランゲをナチスの手に渡すわけにはいかなかった。 As he watched his movie, he decided he couldn’t let Philippe Lange end up in the Nazis' hands.

あの日、ゲッベルスがリーフェンシュタールを伴ってウーファ撮影所を訪れた本当の理由は、ランゲを捜すためだった。ウーファ撮影所のスタッフの中には、ナチスの反ユダヤ主義に共鳴する者も数多く存在する。あるいは時の権力者にすり寄る者たちが。映画スタッフたちがランゲを匿っているという噂を誰かが小耳に挟み、ゲシュタポに密告した。その結果、ナチス宣伝大臣ゲッベルスが直々に撮影所を訪れることになったというわけだ。「ここに本来いるはずのない人物が、なぜかこの場所で目撃されている。だとすれば、それは幽霊と呼ぶほかない」。ゲッベルスは映画スタッフたちにわざと聞かせるようにそう言った。〝ランゲを匿っても無駄だ。彼はすでに死んだ人間なのだ″と、現場の者に脅しをかけた。実際、あれで何人もの映画スタッフたちが震え上がった。 The real reason about why Goebbels visited the UFA shooting center with Leifenstal was that on that day he was in search of Lange. Among the staff of UFA shooting center there were many who were sympathetic with the Nazis' anti-Semitism. Or those who bowed to who owned the power at the moment. Someone heard a rumor about how the movie staff members were hiding Lange and informed the Gestapo. As a result, the Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels had come to visit the shooting center directly. " A person who is not supposed to be here had been witnessed in this place for some reason. If that’s the case, we can’t call it nothing else but a ghost." Goebbels had told this to the movie staff deliberately. "It is useless to hide Lange, he is already a deceased person," he had threatened the people on the site. Indeed, there were a lot of movie staff member that had been trembling up at those words.

ゲッベルスはランゲの作品が持つ影響力をもっとも良く知っている。同時に、その危険性もまた。 Goebbels knew the influence of Lange's work best. At the same time, he also knew how dangerous they were.

ランゲがユダヤ人強制収容所に送られれば、二度と再び彼の作品を観ることができなくなる―――。 If Lange were to be sent to the Jewish concentration camps, he wouldn’t be able to see his works ever again---.

雪村はフィリップ・ランゲを逃がすことにした。 Yukimura decided to let Philippe Lange escape.

〝映画にかぶれた″と言われても仕方が���い。 It couldn’t be helped even if he was told that "he got too much into movies."

だが、現在ベルリンを出入りする者には、昼夜を問わず、徒歩、列車、車両、いずれの交通機関でも、ゲシュタポの厳しいチェックが課せられている。ことにランゲは、宣伝大臣ゲッベルスが直々に指名手配を厳しく命じた。〝お尋ね者″だ。ひそかに連れ出そうとしても、ゲシュタポの目を逃れられるとは思えない。ならば―――。 But nowadays rigid check in by Gestapo are imposed on walks, trains, vehicles, or any transportation mean, day and night for those who entered and left Berlin. "Wanted man". Even if he were to try to take him out secretly, he couldn’t think that one could escape the eyes of Gestapo. Then ---.

極秘の作戦が通用しないのなら、思いきり派手にするまでだ。 If they wouldn’t manage to make a top secret strategy work, let’s make a flashy one.

逸見を巻き込んだ偽の〝スパイごっこ″は、雪村とウーファの映画スタッフたちによる自作自演だった。脅迫状も、運河の石畳の下の拳銃も、見えない場所から飛んでくる銃弾も、路地の奥の鏡も、最後に打ち上げられた花火も、すべて周到に仕組まれた空騒ぎだ。 Involving Itsumi in that fake "Spy make-believe" story was a self-made show by Yukimura and UFA movie staff. The threatening letter, the guns under the cobblestone canals, the bullets flying from invisible places, the mirrors at the back of the alley, and the fireworks launched at the end were all crafted in carefully.

灯火管制が敷かれた暗い冬の夜空に、突然、立て続けに花火が打ち上げられれば、人は必ず空を見上げる。その一瞬だけは、必ず手元から注意が逸れる。 If, in the dark winter night sky with lit control, fireworks are suddenly launched in a row, people would always look up at the sky. Only in that one moment, attention would deviate from the work at hands.

例えば、花火が打ち上げられた荷揚げ場近く、ヘルマン広場に並ぶトラックの列を検問していたゲシュタポたちの目もまた一瞬空に向けられるはずだ。検問途中の一台のトラックの荷台に木箱が積み重ねられている。木箱の中身は、リンゴ、ジャガイモ、テンサイなどだ。しっかりと釘付けされ、たった今〝検査済み″の印を押されたばかりの木箱の一つに巧妙な細工―――箱が横に開く―――が施されている。もし花火が打ち上げられる正確な時間が予めわかっていれば、そしてもし周囲にいる通行人たち全員の息の合った協力があれば、たまたまトラックの側を通りかかった一人の人物を一瞬のうちに木箱に潜り込ませ、元通り蓋をすることも不可能ではない。 For example, the eyes of Gestapo who was checking a row of trucks lined up in Hermann Square near the landing place where the fireworks were launched should also end up being directed to the sky for a moment. A wooden box was stacked on the loading platform of one truck under examination. The content of the wooden box were apples, potatoes, sugar beets, etc.

In one of the wooden boxes successfully closed shut, which had gotten applied the mark "Checked" had been inserted an ingenious device --- box opens sideways ---. If the exact time in which the fireworks were launched was known in advance, and if there was an amazing cooperation of all the passersby around it, it wouldn’t be impossible to quickly slip inside a person who passed by the truck side into a wooden box and to close the lid as it was.

ランゲは、トラックの荷台に積まれた木箱に隠れてベルリンを脱出した。今頃は中立国の国境を越えた頃だろう。そこから先は、アメリカのユダヤ人グループが彼を引き受けてくれることになっている。 Lange escaped Berlin inside a wooden box on a truck. It should around this time that he would cross the border of a neutral country. From then on, the American Jewish group was supposed to accept him.

雪村はランゲの��経質そうな細面の顔を脳裏に思い浮かべた。 Yukimura thought of Lange's nervous looking face.

あの頼りなげな貧相な小男が、映画芸術の世界では美の女神―――彼女たちに選ばれ〝真の勇者″だけが楽園（ヴァルハラ）に入ることを許される―――に心から愛されていると考えるたと、何だか不思議な感じだった。 That unreliable poor little man was loved by a goddess of beauty in the world of cinema art - Only those who were chosen as "true brave" were allowed to enter Paradise (Valhalla) – and it was kind of strange feeling to think that he was dearly loved by her.

「こちらとしては、指示どおり任務を遂行したまでだ」 "All I've done was following the orders."

雪村はわざと話題を逸らし、とぼけた口調で言った。 Yukimura purposely diverted the topic, saying it in a blurred tone.

「〝ナチスの金を使い込んで面倒なことになる前に、逸見をドイツから引きあげさせろ″。そっちがそう言ったんだ」 ""Make Itsumi leave Germany before he’ll get involved with the Nazi money and will get into trouble." This was what I was told."

―――ほざけ。 --- You’re prattling.

背後の男は短くあざ笑い、すぐに、 The man behind laughed briefly, then,

―――狙いは報道機関か？ --- Were you targeting the press?

切りつけるような、容赦のない口調で訊ねた。 he cut straight at the heart of the matter, with an unforgiving tone.

やはり見抜かれていたか。 Had he been seen through again?

雪村はかすかに肩をすくめた。 Yukimura gently shrugged his shoulders.

〝灰色の小さな男（グレイ・リトル・マン）″。それがスパイ本来のあるべき姿だ。雪村が今回あえて派手な作戦を決行したのは、本当のことを言えば、ランゲのためだけでも、ましてや逸見をドイツから引きあげさせるのが目的でもなかった。 "Gray little man (Gray Little Man)". That was what a spy should be supposed to be. Yukimura dared to make a fancy strategy this time, to tell the truth, not only for Lange, moreover, it wasn’t just to pull Itsumi out from Germany.

政権掌握後、ナチスはドイツ国内の報道を完全に統制している。逆に言えば、ドイツ国内で報じられる情報を分析すれば、彼らの方針が見えてくるはずだ。今回の作戦で雪村は、逸見を使ってソ連のスパイが暗躍している可能性をゲシュタポに示唆した。ゲシュタポの取り調べに対して逸見は―――何しろ目の前で雪村が殺されたのだ―――本気で「脅迫者、イコール、ソ連のスパイ説」を必死に訴えたはずだ。 After taking hold of the administration, the Nazis had complete control over the German coverage. Conversely, if one were to analyze the information reported in Germany, their policies would be visible. In this operation, Yukimura suggested to Gestapo the possibility that the Soviet Spy was taking advantage of Itsumi. Itsumi faced with the Gestapo 's interrogation --- Yukimura was killed in front of him - should have desperately denounced "the blackmailer, in short the theory of the spy from the Soviet Union".

ゲシュタポの取り調べに対して、逸見は自分から雪村が日本軍のスパイだったと喋ったに違いない―――それも計算のうちだった。 During the Gestapo's interrogation, Itsumi should have said that Yukimura was a Japanese army spy – this too was also calculated.

灯火管制下の冬の夜空に突然花火が打ち上げられた。事件はベルリン市民のほぼ全員が目にしている。無視はできない。あとはゲシュタポから報告を受けた宣伝省が各報道機関に対して今回の一件をどう報じさせるのか、内容を詳しく分析すれば、ナチスの今後のソ連に対する方針、さらには対日政策が垣間見えてくるはずだ。 Suddenly fireworks were launched in the winter night sky which was under light control. Almost all Berliners were witnessing the incident. It couldn’t be ignored. After that, if one were to analyze in details the contents about how the Ministry of Public Affairs that received reports from Gestapo would let the press report on this case, the Nazi future policy towards the Soviet Union and even the policy towards Japan could be glimpsed.

それが今回の派手な作戦の本当の目的だった。見方によっては、雪村は逸見を二重三重に利用したことになる。一方で雪村は、逸見がゲシュタポから無事に解放されるよう事前に手を打った。具体的には、逸見が私的に使った映画製作資金を補填し、もともと横領などなかったように帳簿を改竄しておいたのだ。さらに、新進女優マルタ・ハウマンに接触し、ゲッべルスに取り入るよう彼女を誘導した。日本人の逸見がゲシュタポに〝殺され″れば日独関係に無用な雑音（ノイズ）が入る。そんな事態だけは何としても避けなければならなかった。 That was the real purpose of that flashy strategy. Depending on the viewpoint, Yukimura used Itsumi twice or thrice. Meanwhile, Yukimura made an effort in advance to free Itsumi from Gestapo safely. Specifically, Itsumi returned the movie production capitals he used privately, and altered the books as if there had never been embezzlement. In addition, he came into contact with the budding actress Martha Haumann and induced her to Goebbels. If Japanese Itsumi was "killed" by Gestapo, unnecessary noise would enters into the Japanese-German relations. They had to avoid things like that.

だからそれはいい。そんなことはともかく―――。 That's why it was a fine plan. In any case ---.

雪村は眉を寄せた。 Yukimura frowned.

ナチスの今後の方針より、問題はむしろ日本国内の方だ。 Based on the future policy of Nazis, the problem was rather Japan domestic.

ベルリンに来て、はっきりしたことがある。ナチスは日本大使館に盗聴器など仕掛けてはいなかった。盗聴器など必要ではなかった。なぜなら、駐独大使自身がナチス・ドイツの信奉者であり、ナチスに対する人間盗聴器の役割を果たしていたからだ。 He came to Berlin and found out some definite things. The Nazis did not install a wiretap in the Japanese embassy. Eavesdropping devices and such were not necessary. Because the Japanese ambassador itself was a follower of Nazi Germany and played the role of a human wiretap for the Nazi.

現在本国に召還中の駐独日本大使は、元ドイツ大使館付き武官。日本帝国陸軍所属の将校だ。〝軍人は政治をやりたがる。政治家は戦争をやりたがる。そして、どちらも必ず失敗する″とは、古くからある諺だ。だが、それにしても、陸軍の現役軍人が外国の大使に任命されるのは極めて異例だろう。〝ドイツ通″。それが任命理由だったらしいが、結果から判断すれば、人事に別の力が働いたとしか思えない。 The Japanese ambassador in Germany that had currently been recalled to his home country was a military officer within the former German embassy. It was an officer belonging to the Japanese Imperial Army. "Soldiers wants to do politics, politicians want to do war, and both always fail" was an old proverb. However, it would be extremely unusual for an Army's active serviceman to be appointed as a foreign ambassador. "It was the German way". It seemed that this was the reason for appointment, but judging from the result, he could only think that another power has influenced thepersonnel affairs.

日本国内―――しかも大使任命権を持つ重要な人物の身近に、ドイツのスパイが潜んでいる。ナチスは、自国のスパイするを各同盟国の権力中枢に送り込み、機密情報を収集するのみならず、さまざまな手段を用いて自国に有利になるよう大使人事に影響力を及ぼしているということだ。 In Japan --- a German spy was hiding in the vicinity of an important person who had appointed the Ambassador. The Nazis are sending their spies to the centers of power, not only to collect confidential information, but also in order to influence ambassadorial affairs so that they would benefit their countries with various means.

駐独日本大使は現在、本国で聞き取り調査を受けている。���間報告書を読む限り、彼はまるで日本ではなくドイツのために働いているかのようだ。日本の外交機密を他国に漏らした以上、大使更迭は免れ得まい。だが、日本国内に潜むナチスのスパイの影響を一掃できなければ、またぞろ彼と同じような人物が駐独大使に任命される事態になりかねない。日本のためではなく、ドイツのために喜々として働く人物が。 The Japanese Ambassador in Germany was currently being interviewed in his home country. As far as reading the interim report, he seemed to be working for Germany, not for Japan. As he left Japan's diplomatic secrets to other countries, he won’t be able to work as ambassador. However, if they couldn’t eliminate the influence of Nazi spies in Japan, it was possible that a person similar to him would be appointed as ambassador in Germany. Someone who would work happily for Germany, not for Japan.

―――貴様、あれで日本まで行くつもりか。 --- You, do you intend to go back to Japan with that?

男の言葉に、雪村はハッと我に返った。目を細め、眉を寄せた。あれだと？まさか……。 Hearing the words of the man, Yukimura quickly returned to himself. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. was that it? No way ....

―――鉄の棺桶だ。とても正気の沙汰とは思えないな。 --- It is an iron coffin. I do not think it is very sane.

嘲るような調子の男の言葉に、雪村はとっさに殺気を覚えた。上官の言葉が耳元に甦る。〝最高度の極秘任務だ。誰にも知られてはならない″。たとえ相手が同じ日本のスパイだとしても……。 Hearing the man's words filled with mockery Yukimura quickly thought how to kill him. The words of his superior officer came to his mind. "It is a top secret mission, it should not be known by anyone". Even if the partner was also a Japanese spy ....

―――やめておけ。 --- Stop it.

背後の男が、雪村が発する殺気に油断なく身構えながら低く囁いた。 The man behind him whispered lowly while waiting carefully for the murmurs made by Yukimura.

―――やり合えば、お互い無傷では済まない。こんなドイツの田舎町で、日本人同士刺し違えても仕方あるまい。 --- If we fight each other, we will not get out of it undamaged. In such a German rural town, if two Japanese were trying to stab each other there would be no choice.

雪村は一瞬迷った後、体に込めていた力を抜いた。 Yukimura relaxed after a moment of hesitation.

互いの殺意で張り詰めていた空気が緩み、目の前で遊ぶ子供たちの歓声がふたたび聞こえるようになった。 The air which had been filled with each other's murderous intent was now freed of it, and the cheers of the children playing in front of him could be heard again.

伊号潜水艦による欧州航路の開拓。 Pioneering European routes using the I-submarine.

それこそが、今回雪村がベルリンに派遣された真の目的だった。 That was the true purpose due to which Yukimura had been dispatched to Berlin this time.

〝ドイツ側には絶対にこちらの動きを気取られるな″ "Absolutely not let this to be known by the German side"

日本を出る際、雪村は上からそう強く念を押された。敢えて幾つもの任務を同時に引き受けたのは、真の目的である潜水艦任務からドイツ側の目を逸らすための隠れ蓑、いわば目くらましだ。 When leaving Japan, Yukimura was kept strongly pressured from the top. It was daring to hide from the eyes of the German side the submarine mission, which was the true purpose, due to why he had to dedicate to several tasks at the same time, so to speak.

―――鉄の棺桶に入る前に教えてくれ。 --- Tell me this before entering the iron coffin.

背後の男が、また嘲るような口調に戻って尋ねた。 The man behind him asked again in a tranquil tone.

―――日本帝国海軍から派遣されたスパイとして、貴様はこんにちのベルリンの状況をどう見た？日本に帰って、上になんと報告するつもりだ？ --- As a spy dispatched from the Japanese Imperial Navy, how did you see the situation in Berlin today? What are you going to report back on to Japan?

雪村は少し考え、低い声で答えた。 Yukimura thought for a moment and answered with a low voice.

「ナチスの宣伝政策は早晩破綻する。優れた才能をもった映画人を、彼らがユダヤ人であるという理由で追放した時点で、ナチスの宣伝政策の負けは決まったも同然だ。ドイツを逃れ、あるいは追放された映画人たちは今、アメリカのハリウッドに集結している。今後彼らが作る反ナチス・プロパガンダ映画は、ナチス映画などよりはるかに巧妙に世界の人々を魅了するだろう。ランゲの作品のようにだ。どんな形にせよ、国家が文化に関わるとろくな結果にならない―――それが俺のベルリン報告だ」 "The Nazi's propaganda policy will collapse soon. As soon as you exile movie people with excellent talent for the reason that they are Jewish, the defeat of Nazi's propaganda policy has been decided. Movie people who escaped or were exiled by Germany are now gathering in Hollywood, USA. The anti-Nazi propaganda movies that they will make in the future will attract the people in the world much more cleverly than Nazi movies. It’s like Lange's work. In whatever form, when a nation influences culture, it won’t get good results - that is my Berlin report. "

"ふん、と男が背後で鼻を鳴らした。雪村が口にしなかった結論―――「海軍として、これ以上ドイツと組んで欧州の紛争に手を突っ込むことは反対。ひどい火傷を負うことになりかねない」―――を正確に読み取った上での反応だろう。 Hum, the man behind him snorted. The conclusion that Yukimura did not mention --- "As a navy member, I am against entering into a European conflict in collaboration with Germany - It can end up into causing a lot of damage" ---  could be inferred by reading accurately his words.

「それで、貴様は？」 "So, what about you?"

雪村は逆に男に尋ねた。 Yukimura conversely asked the man.

「日本帝国陸軍から派遣されたスパイとして、貴様はこんにちの欧州状況をどう見ている？」 "As a spy dispatched from the Japanese Imperial Army, how are you looking at the situation in Europe today?"

一瞬の間があった後、男がニヤリと笑う気配が伝わってきた。 After a moment there is a sign that the guy grinned.

―――教える義理はないね。 --- I have no obligation to tell you.

男の返事に、雪村は苦く笑った。 To the man’s reply, Yukimura laughed bitterly.

たしかにそうだ。 That was true.

日本の陸海軍は情報を共有しない。むしろ互いに情報を隠し、隙あらばお互いを出し抜こうとしているくらいだ。情報を教える義務はない。逆に男の誘導尋問にうっかり答えたのは雪村のミスだ。 The Japanese army and navy did not share information. Rather, they hid information from each other, they tried to get information out of each other. There was no obligation to share information. On the contrary unexpectedly answering to the man’s question was Yukimura’s mistake.

いや、そうではない。 No, it wasn’t it.

雪村はゆっくりと背後を振り返った。 Yukimura slowly looked behind himself.

陸軍のスパイ……暗号名はたしか〝マキ″……。 The Army's spy... his alias was certainly "Maki" ...

新聞を広げる男の冷ややかな横顔に、雪村は目を細めた。 Yukimura narrowed his eyes on the cold profile of the man who had spread the newspaper.

日本帝国陸軍の諜報機関はこの数年で一新された。 The intelligence agency of the Japanese Imperial Army had been renewed in recent years.

日本の陸軍は伝統的に、幼年学校から叩き上げの軍人のみを極度に重用することで、閉鎖的、排他的な集団を形成してきた。結果として、陸軍の前近代的な硬直ぶりは甚だしく、中でも陸軍内部で〝最高のエリート集団″といわれる陸軍参謀本部の近視眼的なものの見方は、海軍の間でしばしば嘲笑の対象となってきたほどだ。 The Japanese Army had traditionally formed closed, exclusive groups by heavily using only military personnel which had been schooled from childhood in Army schools. As a result, the Army's feudalistic system rigidity is extraordinary, especially among the Army members, therefore  the perspective of the short-sightedness of the Army Chiefs of Staff, which was said to be the "best elite group", had often become a target of ridicule among the Navy.

ところが、数年前、日本帝国陸軍内で異変が起きた。ある陸軍中佐が諜報機関を新たに設立。彼は優秀な人材を軍外の社会からスカウトしてくると、それまで〝地方人″と呼ばれて相手にされてこなかったその者たちに、まったく新しいスパイ教育を施した。彼は周囲の圧力をすべてはねのけ、旧態依然とした陸軍の諜報システムをたった一人で根こそぎ作り替えてしまったのだ。魔王。D機関。そんな単語が海軍にも漏れ聞こえてきている。彼らのモットーは〝心臓が動いているかぎり、必ず生きて情報を持ち帰ること″だという。 However, some years ago an accident occurred within the Japanese Imperial Army. An army colonel establishes a new intelligence agency. He scouted out excellent talent from outside the military, among those who had been called "chiho jin" [1] until then and gave them a whole new spy education. He bounced off all the surrounding pressure and just completely changed the army 's intelligence system, which had been outdated, by himself. Devil King. D institution. Such words were heard in the Navy as well. Their motto was "to live and bring information back as long as their heart was moving".

雪村は目を閉じた。 Yukimura closed his eyes.

鉄の棺桶。 Iron coffin.

陸軍のスパイである男はそう言った。 A man who was an army spy said so.

日本海軍の秘密兵器〝伊号潜水艦″はまだ開発途上だ。今回の潜水艦任務で日本まで無事に生きて帰れる保証はない。だが、雪村はスパイであると同時に、否、それ以前に海軍の人間だった。軍人にとって命令は絶対。軍の命令は生死に優先する。軍外の人間をスカウトしてスパイ機関を作り上げた陸軍諜報機関とは、その一点において決定的に異なっている。 The Japanese Navy 's secret weapon "I - submarine" was still under development. There was no guarantee that one could safely go back to Japan alive in that submarine mission. However, Yukimura was a spy, and at the same time, he was a navy soldier before that. Orders were absolute for soldiers. Military orders took precedence over life and death. It was decisively different from the Army intelligence agency that scouted out of the military person and created a spy agency.

今回の伊号潜水艦による日本への極秘航海は、日本海軍の命運をわける一大プロジェクトだ。成功すれば、海面下でのドイツ海軍絶対的優位の前提を崩すことができる。開発途上の潜水艦での航海中に死ぬかもしれない。それは仕方がない。軍人である以上、任務中の死は付き物だ。だが、死ぬ前に、自分がスパイとして収集分析した情報だけは誰かに託したかった。分析結果を役立ててほしかった。だから、わざと男の誘導尋問にひっかかったふりをして答えた……。 The secret voyage to Japan of that IJ submarine was a big project that could change the fate of the Japanese Navy. If successful, they could beat the premise of the German navy absolute advantage under the sea level. He could die during the voyage of the developing submarine. That couldn’t be helped. Since he was a soldier, death under duty was an obstacle. But before he were died, he wanted to give someone the information he gathered and analyzed as a spy. He wanted the analysis results to be useful. So, he pretended that he fell in the trap during that interrogation on purpose and answered ....

目を開け、首を振った。 He opened his eyes and shook his head.

噂では、D機関の連中はみな恐ろしく優秀だという。もしかすると相手の男は、雪村の分析情報などとっくにお見通しで、その上で同じスパイとして死に水を取るつもりで敢えて訊いたのかもしれない。ベルリンでの手際の良さを考えれば、そのくらいのことはやりかねない。だが―――。 According to the rumors, all the members of the D institution were terribly excellent. Perhaps the other guy was looking forward to the analysis information of Yukimura for example, and maybe he might have asked figuring that before daring to start his travel through the sea and die he would have wanted to pass the info on a spy. Given his amazing ability in Berlin, he could do that much. But ---.

少し遅い。 They were slightly too late.

雪村はもう一度首を振った。 Yukimura shook his head again.

日本は、もはや手の施しようがないところまで来ている。 Japan was getting himself in a situation where was no longer possible to do something.

それがベルリンに来て、雪村が抱いた偽らざる感想だった。 When he came to Berlin and it was under a fake belief that Yukimura had clung.

日本の大使人事が、日本の利益と相反する形で何者かによって決められている状況だ。たとえ機密情報を収集し、正確な分析結果を伝えたとしても、それを用いるべき政治家たちは愚かで、陸海軍の上層部はいずれも頑迷極まりない。D機関の連中がいくら優秀なスパイだとしても、この絶望的な状況を引っ繰り返して、日本に有利な落としどころを見つけることができるとは、どうしても思えなかった……。 It was a situation where the person chosen as  Japanese ambassador was decided by someone in conflict with Japan's interests. Even if they were collecting confidential information and conveying accurate analysis results, the politicians who should use it were foolish, and the upper part of the Army is not very clever either. Even though the members of D Agency were excellent spies, he certainly did not think that they could overcome this desperate situation and find a favorable drop for Japan ...

男が読んでいた新聞を畳んで、ベンチから腰を上げた。軽く左右を見回し―――結局雪村の方は一度も見なかった―――そのまま別れの言葉もなく立ち去った。 Folding up the newspaper the man was reading and he raised his back from the bench. Lightly looking around the left and right --- after all, Yukimura never saw him --- he walked away without parting words.

二度と会うことはないだろう。 He would never see him again.

それがスパイの宿命だ。 That is the fate of Spy.

雪村は、男がベンチに残していった新聞に手を伸ばした。 Yukimura reached for the newspaper the man left on the bench.

一面の記事は、ドイツ各地で行われたクリスマスの行事だ。賑やかな祝祭。プレゼントを抱えた子供たちの笑顔が見える。戦争が行われている気配など、まるで感じられなかった。少なくとも今はまだ―――。 A one-page article was about a Christmas event held all over Germany. A lively festival. One could see the smiles of the children who had gifts. He could not see signs of war. At least not yet ---.

雪村は新聞を元のように畳むと、ベンチに手をつき、空を見上げた。低く垂れ込めた雪雲の合間から、珍しく冬の青空が見えた。潜水艦に乗れば、こんな光景もしばらくは見ることもないだろう。周囲では子供たちが歓声左上げ、飽きずに雪遊びを続けている……。 When Yukimura folded the newspaper like it was before, he touched the bench and looked up at the sky. He saw fragments of the blue winter sky between snow clouds that were hanging low. If he were to ride a submarine, he won’t see such a sight for a while. Children in the surroundings left raising cheers, continuing to play in the snow without getting tired ....

―――さて、と。 Well, then.

雪村は空に目をむけたまま、口の中で小さく呟いた。 Yukimura turned to look at the sky and muttered a little.

―――日本に無事に帰れたら、映画でも観に行くとするか。 --- If I can return to Japan safely, I suppose I will go to see a movie.

ベンチから立ちがり、一つ、大きく伸びをして四阿を後にした。。 He stood up from the bench stretched and left.

[1] ‘Chiho jin’. You might be familiar with this term as it was also used in the translation for the Joker Game novel ‘Joker Game’. It literally means ‘local/rural people’ but it was a derogatory term used by the Imperial Army to refer to non-military civilians.