Chương 30: Chapter 8 How Things Came to This(Part 3)

The conference room emptied as everyone headed off for lunch. A short while later, I received my newly updated driver's license. That alone was a relief. Now I could buy cigarettes without arguments, drive around in the middle of the night, and even stroll past a police officer while drinking a canned chu-hai without anyone questioning my age. Long live identification cards. Even if mine happened to be a driver's license.

"Anything you'd like to eat?" Tachibana asked.

"Soba would be nice, if that's alright."

"Works for me." A few minutes later we were seated inside a small soba restaurant near the station. The lunch rush had already passed, leaving the place relatively quiet. Tachibana ordered kitsune soba. I chose tempura zaru soba. After placing our orders, we drank our water in silence. The Gate was visible even from here. The restaurant sat close enough to my former workplace that the enormous ring could still be seen looming over the area.

Eventually Tachibana broke the silence.

"I'll keep this brief." His expression turned serious.

"What do you think about the Gates?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That's a pretty broad question."

"I'll be more specific." He folded his hands together.

"The information provided by Inspector Itsuki has already been forwarded up the chain."

"And?" He gave a bitter smile.

"It'll likely be dismissed." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I already knew what he meant.

"The monsters?"

"Special effects."

"The footage?"

"CG."

"The testimony?"

"Unverified." I sighed. Bureaucracies everywhere followed the same laws of nature. The more important the information, the harder it was to convince people it was real.

"The problem," Tachibana continued, "is that we have no authority to act on assumptions."

"Even when the assumptions are about to kill people?"

"Especially then." That answer irritated me. Not because it was wrong. Because it was correct. The police couldn't mobilize based on impossible stories. Governments couldn't deploy national resources based on a single witness. The system wasn't designed for situations like this.

I looked out the window toward the distant Gate.

"How are the Gates being handled right now?"

"Local police departments are monitoring them." Tachibana grimaced.

"In Tokyo, some people are already treating them like tourist attractions." I clicked my tongue. That was exactly the sort of thing I feared.

"Those monsters can apparently dissolve people who lack a Class." His eyes narrowed.

"That's the issue." Our food arrived. For a moment, neither of us spoke as we began eating. The tempura was surprisingly good. I would've preferred salt instead of dipping sauce, but no such luck.

After a few bites, Tachibana continued.

"Even assuming everything you've told us is true, we have eight or nine days before monsters begin emerging."

"Correct."

"That's not enough time."

"No."

"We don't know when the Gates will open."

"No."

"We don't know how many monsters will emerge."

"No."

"We don't know how powerful they'll be."

"No." Tachibana set his chopsticks down.

"Then what exactly can we do?"

That was the question. The real question. The one everyone wanted answered. I thought about it carefully. About responsibility. About consequences. About what would happen if I did nothing. Someone else would handle it. Someone else would solve it. Someone else would take responsibility. People loved saying that. But eventually, someone had to become that "someone." A phrase surfaced in my mind. The person who will do the job may as well be yourself. I sighed. Looks like I'd volunteered.

"Tachibana." He looked up.

"How much support can you provide?" His expression sharpened instantly.

"Depends on what you're planning." I finished my soba. Then drank a cup of soba-yu. Afterward, I pulled out a cigarette. The restaurant still permitted smoking. A rare sight these days.

Without thinking, I lit the cigarette. Using magic. The flame appeared instantly. Tachibana froze. The lighter he'd been reaching for stopped halfway. His eyes locked onto mine.

"People gain access to supernatural abilities through Classes." I exhaled smoke.

"Not everyone will receive magic specifically, but some will." His gaze remained fixed on the cigarette.

"I see." I continued.

"And I intend to make that public." For the first time all afternoon, Tachibana looked genuinely alarmed.

"That's far too early."

"Is it?" I gestured toward the Gate outside.

"We don't know how strong the monsters are."

"We don't know how many there will be."

"We don't know whether conventional weapons will work." I leaned forward.

"So tell me, which is better?" He remained silent.

"Citizens being slaughtered while helpless?" I raised one finger.

"Or citizens possessing at least some means of self-defense?" A second finger.

"The situation will become chaotic regardless." A third.

"The Gates cannot be destroyed." A fourth.

"And this isn't just Japan's problem." Silence. Complete silence. Then Tachibana slowly nodded. He hated the answer. Which meant he probably believed it.

"Our country lacks natural resources." He tapped the catalog I'd provided earlier.

"If this document is real, politicians will move eventually."

"Eventually won't be fast enough."

"No."

"It won't."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"Thank you." I laughed.

"You're thanking me already?"

"You've given us more useful information than anyone else." Fair enough.

"What's your first move?" he asked. I smiled.

"There happens to be a tool capable of reaching the entire world."

"The internet."

"Exactly." I pointed at myself.

"And fortunately, I won the genetic lottery." Tachibana stared. Then looked away. A faint blush appeared on his face.

"You really are beautiful." I nearly choked on my cigarette.

"I'd prefer not to receive compliments from men."

"Why?"

"I have a wife."

"Fair." He laughed.

"Still, even knowing who you used to be, I'd say the same thing."

"Please stop."

"Noted." He was absolutely not going to stop.

Eventually the conversation returned to business.

"We'll enter the Gate." That was the conclusion. Not someone. Not eventually. Us. Soon. Very soon. The moment lunch ended, both of us already knew what the next step would be.