Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 9 - Chapter 1.09

  The Magical Girl’s other epilogue

How many hours had it been? I was mentally and physically drained, so I wasn’t really sure, but I’d escaped the worst-case scenario. Once I’d left that graveyard and was somewhere safe indoors, I called Natsunagi and told her about the incident.

“Who’d have thought a thing like that would happen…? That must have been seriously rough.”

“Yeah. I never figured I’d run into a vampire way out here.”

Mia’s prophecy had made me kind of uneasy, but I hadn’t been expecting anywhere near that much trouble.

“That predisposition of yours sure is something, Kimizuka,” Natsunagi said with a resigned chuckle. Was she talking about my knack for getting myself into trouble, or my nature as the Singularity? Either way, I wished I’d had the chance to turn it down.

“In the end, the village that was burned down wasn’t Marie’s hometown, right?”

“Not according to the old vampire. Still, he did say people from the same tribe as those from the village in the picture lived there until six months ago.”

It all depended on how much of his story we could believe, but at least I’d found a clue. That probably meant Rill’s childhood memory had been accurate. If the village had still been there, I would have been able to ask its residents about the picture, but that clearly wasn’t possible now.

“There weren’t any other people near where the village used to be?”

“I asked around a bit at a town just down the mountain, but everyone I talked to said they didn’t know much about the place.”

Their reactions had seemed a little odd, though—as if they did know, but were pretending not to. Had the incident been so ugly that they didn’t want to talk about it?

Rill had also said she’d been told to stay away from that village when she was a child, long before the incident. Just what sort of people had lived in that village?

“So we still have a long way to go to find Marie’s hometown.”

“Yeah. We may have to start giving the vampire rebellion some serious thought as well.”

“…Right. But Scarlet vanished, didn’t he?”

Scarlet was definitely the one who’d saved me, but he’d made himself scarce right after killing that old vampire. “Judas,” the guy had called him. How had they known each other?

At any rate, Scarlet had most likely come here just to kill that vampire. It was almost as if he was reiterating that putting a stop to the vampire rebellion was his job.

“I guess I should really be the one to do that.” I could tell Natsunagi was biting her lip on the other end of the line. As far as she was concerned, this was technically the Ace Detective’s mission. I’d already told her about the conversation I’d had with Scarlet in the helicopter, although I hadn’t been sure whether I should.

“Oh, one more thing. Sorry,” Natsunagi apologized, lowering her voice slightly. “I didn’t end up getting to see the Information Broker. I did split up with my friends and go around on my own for a little while…”

Meeting the Information Broker, Bruno Belmondo, had been Natsunagi’s mission on her graduation trip.

“I used information from the Men in Black to narrow down his location, but I got there a bit too late. I think he realized I was trying to make contact, and moved.”

“I see. Well, he doesn’t seem like the easiest person to meet.”

I’d only met him once, last summer, when Siesta had taken me to the Federal Council. He didn’t meet with other Tuners very often outside of official occasions like that.

Natsunagi and I were trying to meet up with him anyway: We wanted to find out if he knew how to wake Siesta up safely. The other day, Stephen had given us an ultimatum regarding how we wanted to go about trying to save her. It was said that the Information Broker knew practically everything, so we desperately wanted to make sure there really was no other way.

That said, it seemed it wouldn’t be so easy to make meeting him a reality. Bruno Belmondo’s philosophy was to never share information for personal reasons that were unrelated to his mission as a Tuner.

“I’m not giving up, of course,” Natsunagi said optimistically. “If we can’t rely on the Men in Black, I’ll find him myself. Even if I have to turn stalker!”

“Don’t go stalking him. Well, let’s hash out the details after we’re both back home.”

“Sure. I’ll be heading back tomorrow as well.”

There was still a little bit of spring vacation left. We’d probably have quite a bit to talk about the next time we saw one another.

“By the way, Kimizuka, are you staying at a hotel right now?”

“Uh, actually…”

She’d asked me point-blank a question I’d been doing my best to avoid.

Just then…

“Kimihiko, you can take your bath next.” Rill wheeled herself into the room. She’d already dried her hair, but I still caught the faint fragrance of her shampoo.

“…So you’re sharing a room with her,” Natsunagi muttered.

Hearing Natsunagi’s comment, Rill got closer to the telephone. “He isn’t just rooming with Rill. This is her house.”

“Your house?!” Natsunagi echoed, sounding as if she’d been caught off-balance.

After the incident with the old vampire, I had a Man in Black drive me to Rill’s house. I’d been planning to stay at a hotel, but Rill had sent me a text saying, “Since you’re here, just come over.” I’d assumed she’d have quite a bit to talk about with her family, and I hadn’t wanted to interrupt, but in fact…

“Yes. Rill, her dad, her mom, and Kimihiko all sat around the dinner table together. He’s practically part of her family now.”

“What?! Even couples have a tough time with hurdles like that! How come you just sailed over it?!”

“Rill’s dad, in particular, seems to have really taken a shine to Kimihiko. He wants them to bathe together after this.”

“So your dad’s basically adopted him as a son-in-law?! Why does he like him so much?!”

I didn’t get it, either. They hadn’t come off as bright, cheery parents, and when I’d first arrived, they’d seemed bewildered as to why I was there. However, when all was said and done, they seemed to recognize that I was the person who’d brought their daughter home for the first time in five years, and for some reason, we’d sort of ended up becoming friends.

“So Rill’s going to borrow your ex-boyfriend for a little while longer.”

“What? Just a—”

Without waiting for Natsunagi to finish, Rill hung up…even though it was my smartphone.

“Taking a bath with your dad would be extremely awkward.”

“Rill was kidding. She only wanted to tease that girl a little.”

Thank goodness for that. I’d been desperately trying to think of things to make small talk about.

“It’s true that Rill’s parents like you, though.”

“That’s good. But are you sure I’m not interrupting your family time?”

“It was actually really helpful that you came. Things were a little awkward before.”

By the time I’d showed up, they seemed to have already gotten all the important subjects out of the way.

“Did everything end up going well?”

“Rill had told them about her legs in advance. As for the past five years, she told them she wasn’t able to get the results she wanted in track, so she quit school and has been working ever since. They didn’t get mad or cry, but they were a little frustrated. As you’d expect.”

Rill had said that her parents didn’t care much about her, but when she’d fallen out of contact for so long, they’d actually gone to the police… Though it wasn’t as if relying on a public institution had gotten them anywhere near Rill, since she was a Tuner.

“Still, it’s going to take more than one conversation to resolve everything. There are other things she’ll need to discuss with them later on.”

“Yeah… I’ll bet.”

Five years. That was an awful lot of time apart to make up for. Still, if both parties were willing, there had to be a way for them to work together to fix things.

“And so, while Rill doesn’t intend to retire from being a hero, she thinks she’ll stay here a little longer.” Rill gave a very small smile.

I was in no position to tell her what to do. Rill had lost everything once, and as someone who’d been her partner—even if it had just been temporary—more than anything, her attempt to find a new path made me feel proud and happy.

“Although if the higher-ups dismiss her, she’ll just have to accept it.”

“Yeah, Tuner positions do get switched out, don’t they?”

Like the Diviner, for example, or the Enforcer—though I heard that position had been frozen after the man who’d held it had fallen in the line of duty. The Magical Girl position could be replaced by something else someday. With injuries like hers, Rill wouldn’t be able to be as active as she had before. Even so, they hadn’t dismissed her from the Tuners yet. Did they have some sort of reason for that?

The government dignitary, Ice Doll, had once told me that one of the reasons Natsunagi had been appointed as the Ace Detective was the influence she had over the Singularity. Were they treating Reloaded in a similar way, or was I just overthinking things?

“Still, if even one person remembers Rill, that’s enough.” Rill looked up, and she did seem satisfied.

Was I her “one person”? If so… “I’m definitely not the only one. Natsunagi and Ms. Fuubi, even Mia—they all remember the example you set.”

I knelt, putting my eyes level with Rill’s. I wouldn’t let anyone forget her. I’d keep passing on the tale of the Magical Girl. That was a familiar’s duty.

“Say, Kimihiko?”

“Hmm?”

“We’ll be apart for a while, so this is Rill’s final order for now.” She looked down, averting her eyes. “Pat her head, just for a little while.”

“As much as you want,” I told her, reaching out to comply.

Sixteen years ago, Scarlet

Humans eat meat.

To those at the top of the food chain, it is an entirely natural act.

However, they sometimes eat oxen, or pigs, or fowl, or deer, or boars to slake a desire for something akin to pleasure, rather than for simple nourishment.

I believe it to be a sign of their complacency. The absolute confidence that they will never drop out of the struggle to survive here, on Earth. That is why they distinguish between the flesh of oxen, pigs, fowl, deer, and boars, and savor it. They do the same with fish.

Meat and fish—humans tend to treat them as separate categories, but if one thinks of them merely as sources of food, fish must also be considered meat. Once dead, creatures don’t become bones in a body, but bones and meat. Mere hunks of flesh. Therefore:

“To me, humans are also meat.”

Beside the crumbling outer wall, I finished my meal, wiped the blood from my lips, and gazed up at the cloudy sky.

The rainy season had begun, meaning there were fewer days when the sun truly shone—convenient for both myself and the tribe that inhabited this town. Sunlight did not instantly incinerate us, unlike the vampires of legend, but long-term observation had shown that it definitely shortened our lives.

“Even so, a mere thirty years…”

Didn’t that mean we could live under the sun as we pleased without significantly changing the end result? The odds that we would survive the full thirty years weren’t good in any case. Especially in light of the fact that my tribe had a mortal enemy who tried to steal even those short lives from us.

“You snuck out of town again.”

I heard footsteps on gravel, and a voice spoke behind me.

She was reproaching me for having broken the rules, but I sensed resignation in her tone as well. In truth, I hardly ever did as she asked of me.

“Jeanne?”

The girl sat down on a nearby cement-block wall in her linen dress. She stared at me from beneath her broad-brimmed hat, a strained smile on her face. “Where did you steal the food you just ate?”

“From the usual town, across the river. It was on display in a stall.”

Had it been ox? Maybe pig or fowl? It almost certainly hadn’t been human…

“If you so brazenly ignore the rules, the messiah will yell at you again.”

The “messiah” she spoke of was the leader of the town in which we lived—an elder who had already lived nearly seventy years. He single-handedly determined the laws for the town, and as a rule, those who lived here were not allowed to leave.

“Just being old doesn’t make him important. I can’t imagine all the rules he lays down are right.”

“But when you consider how long we live on average, he must be someone special.”

He had styled himself our leader for that very reason, but who knew what the truth really was. I’d never sensed any impressive abilities or attributes in that aged body.

“And he even looks after us, since our parents died. You mustn’t forget your debt to him, Judas.”

That was what the old one had named me. He said that everyone who lived in this town was family, so he’d given me a name. He called himself the messiah, and he brought in food from outside the town at regular intervals and doled it out to us. Not that there was ever truly enough.

“You’re very sensitive, aren’t you, Jeanne?” I gave her a sarcastic smile. I was really asking if she was the messiah’s puppet.

“What, are you telling me I’m boring?” She looked visibly annoyed. “I’m only pretending to be earnest.” She pointed to some nearby rubble. A large barrel was hidden in the shadows there.

“Ha! The messiah’s wine? For shame; you always warn me not to steal it.”

“No; I said if you were going to steal it, you should be clever about it. You always get caught, you know,” she said. I hadn’t expected her to use logic like that to scold me. “Deceit is the trick to living well.”

“I bet that will rattle the messiah. You’re his favorite.”

“Yes. He says we’re all family, but he put his hand on my behind again the other day.”

“I’m impressed you managed to endure that in silence.”

“I snuck in and broke his little toe while he slept.”

“Is that why the old one was walking with a cane for a while?”

There was no telling what sort of trick he’d used to live so long, but his powers of regeneration were no match for mine. The poor messiah. He never would have dreamed the culprit was the girl he favored.

“Should I call you resilient, or stubborn? You’ve changed, Jeanne.”

“But that’s the only way we can live, don’t you think?” Humming, Jeanne leaped nimbly onto the crumbling wall. “We were born as vampires. That means we have no choice but to live in a way befitting of demons, not humans.”

A way of life befitting of demons… Just what exactly did that mean? Living quietly in the shadows? Clinging to life while deceiving others?

We only had half our lives left. How would we live from this point on, and how would we die?

“Either way, this world doesn’t value vampires.”

The fact that our mortal enemy existed was proof enough of that. They had been given the mission of exterminating all the vampires in the world, and apparently even had a special title, but I didn’t know much more than that. The only thing I’d heard was that the person tasked with carrying out that mission was known as an ally of justice. A hero.

In other words, the vampires judged by that justice were evil. As far as the world was concerned, we’d been its enemies since the moment we were born.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone on the planet is our enemy, though.” Jeanne jumped down from the wall and landed neatly. “You don’t think they are, either, Judas. That’s why you’re here again, isn’t it?”

She was gazing at a mural painted on the wall. It was what one might have called street art; an anonymous artist had traveled around the world, leaving these pictures in towns and villages. This one showed a young girl praying for peace.

“No,” I spat out. “The one who drew this is a hypocrite.”

You couldn’t stop war with art or literature or music. If things like that could get rid of poverty, erase discrimination, and stop creatures from fighting each other, we would have had world peace for a thousand years already.

“That’s why I came to sneer at it.”

At the artist and their self-satisfaction. A poseur who’d managed to feel they’d prayed for world peace by painting this.

“You’re twisted, Judas.”

“What demon isn’t?”

We exchanged looks, then broke into smiles.

“You don’t think this picture is a lie, Jeanne?”

“It’s not a matter of whether it’s true or false. That picture is a wish.” I frowned, and she went on. “Art, literature, music—they’re all wishes. Wishes become intentions, and intentions gather, changing into group action. Before long, the things groups do shape the world. That means wishes aren’t pointless.”

“That’s just an empty theory.”

“Reality always begins with castles in the air, you know.”

We were only a year apart. Even so, she smiled at me as if she were my teacher. “You mustn’t be so twisted once you’re grown, Judas.”

“By that age, my life will be pretty close to over, Jeanne.”

At that, a hint of loneliness crept into her smile.

“That’s true. I guess I am just a little jealous of humans.”

I tried to come up with a response to that, but I couldn’t find anything decent to say.

I didn’t think I’d ever managed to say anything that truly made her feel more at peace with that. The literature I read to kill time was of no use whatsoever.

“You’re kind, Judas.” Jeanne was watching me and smiling. “You were trying to think of something that would make me feel better.”

“Don’t just say random things.”

“I can tell by looking at your face. Honestly, how many years do you think we’ve spent together?” Jeanne laughed.

If that was the case, how well did I understand her? Did I really know her? What was it that made me want to?

I wasn’t human, so I’d never know.

Chapter 2

  Super idol Saikawa’s distress

“Mm, this is delicious!”

We were at a fairly expensive restaurant in Tokyo, where I was watching Natsunagi cheerfully eat a forkful of roast duck.

Thinking back, Siesta had been the one to savor and thoroughly enjoy her food, but Natsunagi used her expressions, gestures, and voice to broadcast that feeling. I never got tired of watching her eat.

“You must’ve had curry over there, right?”

“It was a little different from what we think of as ‘curry’ here, but yes. It was so good! It tasted, you know, like the actual place.”

It had been two days since Natsunagi got back from India and I’d left Rill in her home country. We’d met up at this restaurant to swap travel stories and talk about what to do next.

“You may not be very interested in food, Kimizuka, but you’re not a picky eater.”

“I did a lot of traveling overseas. I can eat anything and enjoy it, up to a point.”

Ordinarily, when you went abroad, you even had to be careful about drinking the water. I had a weird tolerance for things like that, though, so I’d never had to worry about what I ate.

“Even though this trip was pretty hectic, I still managed to try some tasty food.”

“Oh? You mean like the meals at Rill’s house?”

“The salmon soup was superb.” That answer got me a cold look from Natsunagi. Had I put my foot in my mouth? “Never mind; for now, let’s just enjoy what’s happening over there,” I said, changing the subject. I was looking at a piano, a little distance from our table. A woman was playing it softly, accompanying herself as she sang.

“Marie’s an amazing singer, isn’t she?” Natsunagi sighed, impressed. Our client was sitting at the piano, wearing a magnificent gown. The days when she’d been considered an urban legend seemed like a dream. She’d captivated most of the diners in the restaurant with her voice.

Once she finished her song, Marie stood up and bowed deeply. Warm applause rang out, and she accepted it with a smile, looking far more like a saint than a witch. However, Natsunagi and I knew she was only the opener for this event.

“Good evening, everyone. Sorry for interrupting your dinner. I’m Yui Saikawa!”

All of a sudden, an idol stepped up onto the platform, and every eye in the restaurant widened.

Marie welcomed Saikawa, and the two of them stood side by side. This wasn’t like some sort of appearance arranged by a TV station; she was a genuine surprise guest.

“You see, my friend Marie has invited me to sing a song! Oh, I’ll be passing a hat around the room for tips later!”

That got a little laugh. Saikawa got a better grip on the mic, then made eye contact with Marie, who took a seat at the piano again. The elegant dinner wouldn’t be over for quite a while longer.

“Cheers!” Natsunagi said, and four glasses clinked together. After Saikawa and Marie’s mini recital, the four of us had relocated to a table in a private room.

“Thank you for coming today!” Marie tipped her glass back and drained it blissfully, then smiled at us.

“It was no problem…but is wine meant to be chugged like that?” Her actions had all seemed so natural that I was late with my comeback.

Marie cheerfully sloshed more wine into her empty glass; she’d ordered a whole bottle. “It’s fine; it’s a privilege adults enjoy. Would you like some?” Smiling, she offered me some wine. Personally, I didn’t dislike women who were bad at adulting.

“Hey, cut that out! Don’t get carried away!” Natsunagi, who seemed to have joined the discipline committee, whisked the glass out of my reach. It wasn’t like I’d actually been planning to drink or anything.

“Oh? So you two are in that sort of relationship, are you?” Marie teased.

“Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?” Natsunagi said, acting twitchy.

“She’s probably somehow gotten the idea that you and I are a couple.”

“I—I know that! How can you say something like that as if it’s nothing, Kimizuka?! Any normal person would feel awkward and try to change the subject!”

I see. Thanks for the lesson in communication.

“Marie, these two score poorly when it comes to romance, although they fail in different areas. Please don’t make them talk about things like that.”

I had a feeling Saikawa had covered for us in a way that made us sound pathetic, but Natsunagi was still scolding me, so I didn’t really catch it.

“Yui, thanks for your performance earlier. That duet was so much fun!”

“I learned an awful lot, too! Your voice really is terrific, Marie.” Saikawa’s eyes were sparkling. She had been incredibly impressed by Marie’s voice when they’d first met and had asked the other woman to coach her, but I’d had no idea she’d idolize Marie this much. Marie seemed to respect Saikawa as well.

“Well, should we get down to business?” I asked.

Marie’s face grew serious again, and she nodded.

Our main reason for meeting today was to give Marie a report regarding our search for her hometown. I shared what we’d managed to learn with her.

First, I told her there had been a place similar to the village in the picture—the one Marie had guessed was her hometown—in a rural area of Scandinavia. I followed this up by saying that someone had attacked and burned down the village about half a year ago, and all the residents had died.

The one thing I couldn’t tell Marie was that the culprit might have been a vampire. She did seem to know a bit about the world’s darker side, but telling her everything would have been too great a risk.

For now, I promised her that we’d try to find out more about the previous year’s incident, and that we were investigating whether there were other, similar villages elsewhere across the world.

“Thank you. Please let me say once again how grateful I am to you.” Marie bowed to us from across the table. “I’m sure that learning about the past and recovering even a few of my memories will further change the tone of my songs. I suspect I’ll end up getting much, much better than I am now. Is that too simpleminded of me?” She smiled, but her expression was earnest.

“Amazing. Just amazing…,” Saikawa murmured. She sounded a little dazed. “I want to know that, too. How to sing so that your song captures your listeners’ hearts and won’t let go. And make them hope it never does.”

“You’re already plenty amazing as an idol, Saikawa.”

Did she really need to worry like that? Her work seemed to be going extremely well.

“It’s true that I’m acknowledged as the ultimate, cutest idol, both by myself and others…”

“Yeah, you sound just fine.”

“…But it’s not enough. Look at this,” Saikawa said, holding out a flyer.

It was an advertisement for a certain musical. The scriptwriter and director were so famous that even I’d heard of them, and more than anything, one of the cast members—no, the star—was…

“Wow, Yui, it’s you.” Natsunagi’s eyes widened.

I skimmed the plot summary. Saikawa was going to play a nun who dreamed of becoming a singer.

“Rehearsals started quite a while ago, but…I’m completely out of my depth.” Saikawa gave a troubled smile. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to act on the same level as professionals, and I’m sure the staff never expected me to. But even when it comes to singing, I’m hopeless. When you’re performing in musicals, singing like an idol just doesn’t cut it.”

“They’re different specialties. You’ve spent years developing certain habits to project your voice and breathe in a certain way, so learning a new method of singing won’t be easy,” Marie said, summarizing Saikawa’s problem.

“Yes, that’s what everyone else seems to think, too.” Saikawa held out her smartphone. The screen showed an article about her playing the lead in the musical. The comments were filled with harsh questions about whether Saikawa, who was just an idol, could actually handle it.

“Don’t take stuff like this too seriously.”

“Thank you, Kimizuka. Unfortunately, though, they’re right this time.” Despite what she’d said, Saikawa’s expression was by no means downcast. I was sure she was more conscious of her lack of skill than anyone else, and that she was searching desperately for an answer.

“I’m going to take vocal lessons designed specifically for musicals, but you see, I’m also scheduled to release a new song each month for the next six months. Things are going to get really busy, and once spring vacation ends, I’ll be starting high school as well.”

Just as Natsunagi and I were going on to university, Saikawa would be moving up to high school this spring. The fight against Seed had ended and she was finally able to focus on being an idol, but now she’d come up against this new issue. Maybe having a job that was too fulfilling was its own sort of problem.

“I want to do it all, though. I want to perfectly pull off what people ask of me. I want to play the part of an ideal idol. I want to keep seeing pretty dreams forever… I’m sorry for going on about myself like this,” Saikawa said bashfully. “If I manage to complete these two big jobs—the musical and the back-to-back song releases—I’m positive I’ll be able to reach new heights. And so…” She bowed her head to Marie. “Please, let me ask you one more time: Would you be my vocal coach?”

Saikawa believed Marie’s sublime voice was what she needed right now to help her grow.

After a few seconds of silence, Marie nodded. “All right. I’m like you, after all. I believe in the power of music.”

Seeing the two of them take each other’s hands, Natsunagi and I exchanged nods.

A hand reaching out would join with someone else’s, just like this.

That was definitely what the previous detective had been working toward.