The center of our country, the capital area of Tokyo where the heart of economical and political facilities gather.
In those buildings, a lot of different types of people comes in and out. There are also people from all over the world who works there.
That place is the Japanese US Embassy.
It’s the biggest foreign territory in this country.
It doesn’t matter if it is way past noon, there will be visitors who are waiting for their turn in the waiting room. All of them are silent as if waiting for a trial, frozen in place thinking over something no one other than the person themselves knew.
The installed TV is showing a live Major League game, a middle-aged man wearing a cap is lazily telling the team off for losing a point.
I looked at Dazai who was beside me. Dazai laughed happily.
It’s like he’s really looking forward to the plan we are going to execute soon.
This is no laughing matter.
“Kunikida-kun, are you ready?”
“I am really concerned. I am begging you, please don’t make a blunder. If we fail, we are going to be judged by the international law.”
“An international criminal…. For some reason it sounds really cool. Well then, I am off!”
“Hey, oi!”
A sudden swell of worry made me want to stop Dazai, but he already walked towards the reception desk.
Furthermore, Dazai was dressed in a tattered singlet full of patches while I am in an expensive navy business suit complete with a necktie.
Dazai stood in front of the receptionist working in the Embassy, counter number one, and said in a loud voice.
“Heeeey, is it not our turn yeeet!? We’ve been waiting for six hours nooowwww!”
Everyone in the vicinity turned their heads. The Japanese lady working as the receptionist blinked in surprise.
“No more, no more, no more, no more, I won’t wait any longer than this! Call whoever’s in charge to come out right now!”
Dazai flailed his limbs about and continued grumbling at the reception desk.
What we call a plan is dressing up as a pitiful adult male. I look at the pathetic Dazai and feels like throwing up blood.
If that was me, if I had to undertake such a role, I would drink poison and die.
“Excuse me, I am really sorry, may I know of your business here?”
The lady receptionist asked while panicking. Although what she did was praiseworthy, the other party is at fault.
“I’ve been saying it since just now, haven’t I? It’s migration, MIGRATION! Being able to immigrate to your honourable Unites States is a dying wish of mine from the bottom of my heart. Even so, I’ve been waiting since ages ago! Are you saying you’re going to deny me? Deny me? For a mere employee like you to make judgements in behalf of the government in such a manner is a terrible abuse of one’s authority, sister!”
“You bastard! What are you making a fuss about!? To create such a disturbance in the agency is a serious crime!”
Naturally, from the entrance, the security guards starts going after Dazai.
It’s my turn.
“Wait. I am the companion of that noisy guy over there, but do you guys have the authority to arrest him?”
I stood in front of the chasing guards.
“According to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Treaty [I did a 10 minutes research on this looking for the right article lolol] Article 31 Paragraph 2, ‘The authorities of the receiving State shall not enter that part of the consular premises which is used exclusively for the purpose of the work of the consular post except with the consent of the head of the consular post or of his designee or of the head of the diplomatic mission of the sending State’! Until this man is labeled an obstruction by the head of the consular post, he is still a privileged visitor of the Embassy. If you stop his little quibble without permission, it’s going to be an international problem!”
After being roared at, the security guards becomes perplexed.
Even they should have complete knowledge of the Vienna Treaty, but hesitating after being told that it will become an ‘international problem’ is only in humans’ nature.
“Migration! I WANT THE PERSON IN CHARGE!”
In celebration of not being stopped by the security guards, Dazai rolled on the ground and wriggles his arms and legs. Although everything is going according to plan, it is a really reckless one.
Now then, the reason why we, the Armed Detective Agency, made this decision to come to this expensive and high-classed foreign public office that is the Embassy where the key point of diplomacy is, and attack it is…
“The terrorist is a foreigner?”
I asked. Just like before, we are in the same café that faces the main street.
“Yeap. What’s more he’s a professional.” Dazai answered while sipping his coffee.
The reason why Dazai could come to such a conclusion is because a colleague from the university Miss Sasaki worked in contacted her.
“My colleague’s major in my university is crime psychology. There might be some useful information,” so she said.
Nevertheless, Miss Sasaki also said that her colleague is an acknowledged researcher in crime study. It seems like this person has been awarded several times in well-known seminars and is a capable assistant professor. Therefore, an investigation in past crimes of the same type was done for us.
“What my colleague noticed was that, like in that threat letter, there was never a bombing crime that involves more than a hundred people in all of Japan… Of course, this is with the exception of the lives lost in past wars.”
“So, it’s a foreign crime?”
“Yes…. Overseas, there’s a number of them including political strife and terrorism based on ideology. However, there are no details regarding the types of explosives or the makers on any of the documents… I am sorry.”
“No, this is good information. This means that the Blue Disciple who made the bombs is aware of the structure and composition used during those cases. We are one step closer to the criminal.”
“Well, but… we still don’t know where he placed those bombs. Can we make it in time with such a pace?”
At the very least, there’s a need to know the criminal’s face and name. If not, we have no more leads.
Dazai placed his thumb on his lips and is thinking deeply about something.
“This criminal is hiding his true form…. So we cannot find him at all.” Dazai suddenly murmured. “I guess there’s no other choice but for me to do it.”
“Do what?”
“Hey, Kunikida-kun. In the threat letter, it clearly said that the bombs are ‘hand-made’ right? But is making a bomb than can kill over a hundred people that easy to make?”
“It certainly is hard for an average person, but for a professional it’s probably easy.”
I used to study math and the sciences and in order to continue this dangerous detective job, I have knowledge about dangerous chemicals up to a certain degree.
The chemicals used to make explosives have to be handled really carefully, and the temperature and contact environments have to be really strict. Even if a single mistake is made, it would blow up. But the materials needed are really simple and most of it can even be found in an elementary school’s lab. Hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, nitrogenous fertilizer, aluminum. They are legal items that can be obtained cheaply. The problem with making bombs lies in the combination ratio and procedure, also the transportation and detonating techniques.
“To put it simply, professionals who makes bombs each have their own unique recipes, and I heard it they put it on the market as their own brands, but –“
“That’s it. That’s why the exact same bomb that was used in a previous case shouldn’t be so easy to make.”
“So what you are saying is… the bomb used in a case where over a hundred people can be killed and the case now is made by the same person…?”
“And not only that. Don’t you find the visual portrayal of the bomb in the threat letter weird in reality?”
I stare at the letter again. ‘Just like the white light of the setting sun, a fire that cannot be put out. Rows of buildings will collapse thoroughly, burned people will run and panic, the roads will melt, burning cars will fly and crashed into buildings –‘
“I thought about it, and the person who wrote this letter must’ve seen the same scene before.”
“What?”
“Sasaki-san. Among the previous bombing cases overseas, are there some that have videos of them taped?”
“No… It doesn’t look like there’s any. The explosive itself is already really eye-catching, I don’t think the people involved has time to take videos.”
“That’s normally the case. But in this threat letter, a recently bombed city is vividly portrayed. From what is written, it looks like the situation after a few minutes from the bombing. After this person placed the bombs and ran away, maybe he went back to the location. And then he saw this scene.”
“So you wanted to say that the person who was responsible for the previous cases is the Blue Disciple?”
If that’s the case, then the criminal’s profile is showing up. A professional in explosives, was involved in the bombing cases overseas, and is now currently in Japan. However –
“It’s no use. I can’t understand with just that.”
“Why?”
“You might not know because you skipped the meeting, but we already cooperated with the police and the public welfare and received information on all the professional bomb makers in the country. There was no one suspicious. There was no one who has the skills or materials to make a bomb that can harm over a hundred people, and also no one who can act without surveillance in that list. That being said, there’s no way a foreigner can just roam around starting from now.”
“Fufufu.” Dazai grinned.
“What is with that disgusting laugh?”
“Even the police has some information they cannot disclose to detectives. It’s information on foreign secret services. I am sure they have some sort of understanding on this criminal.”
“Foreign secret services, you say?”
Foreign secret services would be USA’s CIA or NSA. UK’s MI6 is also famous. To protect the safety and welfare of their own country, they act in secret in a lot of other countries. However –
“It’s impossible for foreign secret services to just hand classified information to a private company in Japan just like ours while saying, “Please go ahead”. In the first place, do you even have acquaintances in the secret service?”
“Nope.”
“See?”
“But, if we just go somewhere, I am sure we can meet one.”
–I have a bad feeling about this.
And that’s why we are currently trying to sneak into the US Embassy.
The plan Dazai came up with is simple.
Create a dispute in the Embassy.
If all goes well, a higher-up will come to put things back in order and we then we can directly come in contact with them. We’ll negotiate with that high official. To a secret service agent that’s working overseas, the Embassy is a place of peace. If it’s the Embassy, they are surely in contact with the agents.
Of course, this is a rash and forceful way to do things.
But this plan that Dazai came up with was our only sliver of hope in this dead-end of an investigation.
This is something I’ve come to realized when working together with Dazai, but there’s something more than meets the eyes with the speed and depth of the thoughts he sometimes comes up with. Dazai is a bottomless pit. There’s something he’s hiding behind that eccentric behavior, you can’t help but feel a somewhat rather cold – devilish wisdom.
I really cannot think of him as a vagabond with no experience. Because he keeps changing the subject whenever I asked, I never pressed for an answer, but maybe Dazai is hiding a dark past? Whatever that is, illegal deeds –
“Hey sister, please let me migrate! Hey, look over here and listen to me! Don’t avert your gaze and look at me! That’s right, those eyes! Come on, look here some more!”
–Never mind, he’s just your regular idiot.
“Um, in that case, please fill in this form for your waiting order…” The receptionist very timidly took a piece of paper out.
“I already wrote that earlier!” Dazai screamed. Of course that’s a lie. “I wrote with my favourite fountain pen and even carefully filled in all the little details, but there was no development, that’s why we are having this talk now, right!?”
Dazai took a fat and black fountain pen out of his breast pocket to show her.
“This favourite pen of mine is the same type as the one a dictator in the Middle East uses. Isn’t it impressive? It’s okay if you want to look. Here you go, it’s expensive and heavy and very hard to write with. I wrote that very detailed form many times with this, of course I’ll get angry. Don’t you think so?”
That’s your fault for using that pen in the first place, I thought, but I just kept quiet and watched.
“Hey sister, I am a novelist, have you ever read my work? I’ll make you the main character in my book next time. So please call whoever’s in charge. A story of you and I committing lovers’ suicide. I will definitely write it after I migrate with this fountain pen.”
Dazai played the part of a failed novelist unexpectedly well. I felt like this is because he always picks up girls at the bar.
“Please do something about this, if this goes on things are gonna get real bad, I am gonna get killed by the public welfare. It’s because I wrote whatever I like in my novels, you see, just because I wrote that the people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wore wigs, I am now being targeted. This is a violation of freedom of speech, I won’t forgive the government’s oppression –! I also won’t forgive them faking their hair!”
“Oi, stop being so noisy, bro! I can’t listen to the baseball game! And what’s wrong with wigs anyway!?”
A black capped man who was watching and the live baseball game and sitting on the waiting chair shouted with a thick accented voice. But it’s impossible to stop Dazai with just that level of jeering.
“What are you saying!? It’s wrong of them to get angry just because I said they are wearing wigs! If they are gonna get that angry then they might as well expose that shining bald head of theirs to the sky from the beginning!”
“Excuse me, mister companion, but that…” The panicked employee looked at me, with eyes asking for help. However, I am sorry, this is for the sake of people’s lives.
“I am his editor. I understand your situation, but as you can see, he won’t listen to anyone. He would probably give up after being turned down by someone with power, I am sorry, but I want you to pass on the message.”
“Huh…”
The employee whose willpower had already been sucked out absentmindedly nodded, then stood up from her seat.
“P-Please wait a minute…”
She probably doesn’t want to deal with Dazai anymore than this. I understand. I felt the same way from the bottom of my heart.
We waited for a short while. The female employee came back and lead Dazai and I to another room.
“This way please.”
“This type of thing is very troubling.”
At the diplomacy room we were brought into, a bald Caucasian diplomat was waiting for us. In the name cards he handed out to us, it is written that his rank is 3rd Attaché. Not a bad catch.
But this is still not enough. He doesn’t have information regarding the secret service. The real challenge starts here.
“I symphatize with your condition.”
I lowered my head. Receiving a bow in return from a foreigner who doesn’t have such culture is baffling.
“Fleeing from a peaceful country and seeking refuge like this is unheard of in this day and age. Even if you ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this country, only declination awaits. So –“
“Ah, enough with that topic. No – I am sorry, old man, you even went such lengths to prepare another room for us, but truth be told, I am not a novelist.”
I took an identification card out from my breast pocket. It’s has a black background with gold letters hemmed onto it.
“We are the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Welfare Bureau.”
“P-Public Welfare?”
The attaché said with a confused voice. It’s not unexpected. If the other party is a public welfare officer of the recipient country, the graveness of the situation changed.
“Due to the situation, we were not able to make a formal arrangement. However, whether we are the real thing or not, I am sure you’ll understand after seeing this ID.”
I hoisted my police ID up. ‘Public Welfare’ is written in gold on a black background, my photo and affiliations are all clearly written.
The attaché took the ID and compare it to my face.
It goes without saying that the identification is fake. I created one that is made from the exact same manufacturing as the real thing with my ability, ‘Doppo Poetry’. Therefore, our lies won’t be seen through just from that ID card.
–Even if we were to be seen through, it’s from this point on.
“Due to circumstances, we are in dire need of secret information from your country. That being said, we wish to obtain information regarding the secret service’s bomb specialists currently in residing in this country. This is a very important matter that has the country’s public safety on the line. We request your speediness.”
I said the words that I’ve been memorizing since earlier.
“S-such a reckless…”
“We know that this was reckless.” I continued pressing for an answer. If you have no idea, can you please bring out someone with more authority?”
“There’s definitely someone from the secret service who keeps coming in and out of the Embassy, but I can’t just easily…”
“At this moment, we are currently in a time of war. It’s a critical moment where the lives of over a hundred people are on the line.”
After hearing that the life of a hundred people might disappear, his face paled. He must be a good man.
“P-Please wait a minute.”
The attaché wiped the sweat off his forehead and contacted someone on the telephone that was installed in the room. In a small voice, he had a quiet, debate-like conversation with whoever’s on the other side (now knkd is becoming adele), and faced us once again after he was done.
“Well, good news. We usually don’t adhere to such requests, but….”
He said with a smile. He sighed with a trace of relief.
“Thank you very much.”
“I was on the phone with the minister’s secretary, but it just so happens that my boss and your chief that is the director of the Public Welfare Bureau were close by and were going out for lunch together. If it’s a direct request from the director himself, I am sure discussions can be arranged. What a good turn of events.”
“….Huh.”
“I was told that your chief would be coming here shortly. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable.” While wiping off his sweat, the attaché said in relief.
….This is bad.
This is so bad.
If we are talking about the director of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Welfare Bureau, then it’s the top of the Police Department that holds the title of Superintendent General. He might have the authority, but that doesn’t mean he knows about the bombing threat case. Even if he does, there’s no way he would approve of stealing classified information about overseas secret services just for the sake of a bomb that might or might not exist.
What’s more, we are just a private agency that is pretending to be the Public Welfare.
“Ah, no, Mr. Attaché. We apologize… That is, we are imposing.”
“Huh? No, no, don’t worry about it. Whatever kind of classified information, if it’s a request from the Superintendent General, then there’s no way they can reject. Please rest assured.”
What to do? If the director comes now, everything will come to nothing.
“We are really imposing. Why that is so… Erm, that is…”
The attaché blankly looked back at us.
“The director won’t be coming. Due to circumstances.”
“Is that so? What kind of circumstances?”
This is bad. I am bad at these kinds of adlibbing. Really.
“The director… Is really busy. There’s a lot of things he has to do.”
“Huh, I am sure he’s really busy. But in that phone call just now, he said he can come without a problem.”
“Ah, that’s what he said, but that wasn’t what he meant. When he says that, there’s always something else going on.”
“….?”
“Well, various things, like… running into an acquaintance and end up chatting for a long time, buying dog food for his pet dog when it looks like it will run out, or sending documents to public offices.”
“Is he a housewife?”
The attaché leaned his head to the side. Ahhh, I don’t even know what I am saying.
“A-anyway, the director must not know of this exchange.”
“Not know..? You mean you guys came here while keeping it a secret from your higher up?”
“There’s no w-… Well, we did.”
“Isn’t that bad? Why?”
“It was carelessness.”
“Carelessness!?” The attaché was shocked.
“Yes it was carelessness. Eh – that is, because this is an emergency, I carelessly forgot to contact him. That’s why, what was it, this is an emergency…. I carelessly forgot to contact him.”
“Why did you say that twice?”
“Due to confidentiality, I can’t say more than this. Anyway, please call the secret service agent that you know of!”
If I say any more than this, what will the situation come to?
“That is so reckless. The location of our secret service agent is also top secret. So with that kind of explanation, we can’t just…”
“Oh well… There’s no other choice.”
Dazai sighed and leaned his body forward.
“Mr. Attaché. In exchange for this tongue-tied subordinate, let me explain to you. The reason we are keeping this a secret from the director is because of a certain circumstance. You see, there’s a rumour floating around in the Public Welfare Bureau, especially those around the director, that there’s a traitor that is sending classified information to the crime bomber.”
“What did you say?”
“For that reason, there is a need cooperate with other investigators to fish out the criminal and the traitor, and that will be decided by how this negotiation goes. If the traitor learned that the director is coming over here, then the traitor might set the bombs off. Before that happens, we have to locate the bombs.”
The attaché’s expression changed after listening to that story.
“T-That is certainly a serious problem. If that was the case, do tell me sooner.”
The attaché fleetingly glanced at me.
“The reason he can’t say it is because he’s afraid of leakage of information. He might be bad at lying, but this is all for the sake of secrecy. If you were in his position as a Japanese police officer, would you be able to clearly say that your own boss might be a traitor?”
“That is true…” He nodded his head.
“Fortunately, we were able to pin down the criminal who made the bombs to a certain point. It is someone who was responsible for the bombing terrorism overseas. With an international criminal as our enemy, it is a very important investigation that has the safety of your country, as well as ours, on the line. As an organization with internal strife, we would like to work together with your country’s secret service and be done with it. Can we request your cooperation?”
“I understand. Please let me cooperate.”
Dazai……………….. You are amazing……..
“Let me lead you. This way please.”
The attaché hurriedly stood up and lead us the way with his hand.
The place the attaché brought us to was a room in the Embassy’s underground. It’s a private office.
With a nervous expression, he told us, “Please wait a minute,” and hurried off, leaving us behind.
“I wish you would stop bullying Mr. Attaché. He’s a good man. Probably the only good man, if I dare say.”
The man in his prime who came into the office was someone we’ve seen before.
“You are…. The man watching the baseball game in the waiting room….. Are you the United States’ secret service agent?”
It was the black-capped Caucasian. He’s definitely the middle-aged, bored-looking man watching the baseball channel in the waiting room.
“Although on my ID it says I am a janitor.” The secret service agent pinched his name badge that was on his chest to show us. “And? What are two people who are busy looking for bombs doing in a place like this, Armed Detective Agency?”
Dazai and I exchanged a look.
“So you knew?”
“Collecting all the problems that is happening in this country is my job. Not to mention that if an ability users’ organization hasn’t created such a racket since this morning, I would’ve sent information to the other side of the globe. I’ve been watching ever since you guys came into the Embassy.”
So the fact that secret services knows everything is not something that happened only in movies and novels.
“We are looking for the guy who placed the bomb somewhere in this city. It’s the same person as the one who created a similar crime overseas. Are there no documents about it? Quoting the criminal, ‘Just like the white light of the setting sun, a fire that cannot be put out,’ it’s like he’s killed more than a hundred people –“
“Ah… As expected, it’s that person.” He shook his head.
“Do you have something in mind?”
“When you say a fire that cannot be put out and a white light, it must be an aluminum-based explosive, which means it must be Alamta. Here’s the file.”
He took out a bundle of documents from the cabinet.
“Zakiel Alamta. He’s of Japanese descent and was supplying bombs to a terrorist organization in the Middle East. A year ago, he entered Japan and we are keeping an eye on him.”
“Without telling Japan’s Public Welfare?” I retorted while staring at the documents.
“Well, things happened. Our hands were tied. He’s a bomb magician and at the same time, a merchant selling explosives to terrorists. As long as he has a client list, we can catch all the anti-American ideologists in one go.”
I turned the pages of the documents. There was a profile picture of Aramta and his past bombing crimes.
“It’s the worst kind of explosive composition.” I chewed on my inner cheek. “If this blows up in Yokohama, not only a hundred people will fall victim.”
The kind Aramta uses professionally is a vehicle-borned improvised explosive device that has an aqueous-based explosive mixed with fine aluminum powder. Putting over hundreds of kilograms of it on an automobile, it can be detonated from a distance with a signal from a smartphone or the like. Using ammonium nitrate as the main material and acetone peroxide as its supplement. As such, it can be made cheaply and in large quantity.
Judging from its composition, its blast can kill people within a 200m radius from its epicenter. Even when you’re not within that vicinity, the extreme heat from the blast and the aluminum fused rain can kill you.
The fact that Aramta used aluminum completely means that his aim is murder. Aluminum is a fire accelerant and while it is beaming white light, the fire from the explosion will keep increasing. That, and at the same time, the scattering 600 degrees Celcius splash will completely burn through the victims’ flesh. And to finish it off, metal aluminum is a type of metal that when reacted with water, flammable hydrogenous gas will form. This means that it will burn more when you splash water on it. Because of that, putting out the fire with a hose, preventing its spread and rescuing activities will be difficult.
‘Just like the white light of the setting sun, a fire that cannot be put out.’ It’s exactly just like those words. It is certainly the bomb of the devil.
If it exploded in a crowded place, including the second calamity caused by trains stopping and accidents, the number of deaths may surpassed a thousand. What’s more, if it’s a bomb transported in a car, then it can easily passed police inspection and infiltrate the city.
There’s no way we can let such a thing explode in Yokohama.
“Where is Aramta now?”
“Two days ago, he shook off the observation of a colleague and is now missing. We were thinking that he’s somewhere where he can create some kind of mess.”
Damn it, to find the bombs, we first have to find Aramta.
However, just by knowing his name and background, we are making improvement. There’s also a high possibility that this man named Aramta is the ‘Blue Disciple’.
The reason why Aramta is threatening the Agency is still unclear as of now. Even if it’s a grudge, his hands might be tied because the Agency managed to solve a previous case.
“And then? In exchange for this information, what do you want in return, Spy-san?” Dazai asked full of smiles.
“Nothing. As a citizen of a foreign country, I can’t possibly shut an eye and let over a hundred people die. For the sake of justice, I would gladly hand over the information.”
“I don’t believe you. With the exception of Kunikida-kun beside me, I am a despicable person.”
Dazai smiled as an answer. It’s true that as an agent of the United States’ Secret Service, their mission is nothing more than to ensure the safety and well-being of their own citizens.
The agent replied after a certain amount of quiet thinking.
“–If you manage to capture Aramta, do not hand him over to Public Welfare and hand him over to me in person. I want to make him cough up that client list by whatever means.”
“Not hand him over to Public Welfare, you say?” I raised my eyebrows. “If he is the criminal behind the case this time, he should be handed over to the Japanese police for questioning.”
“About that, Kunikida-kun. To get information, they are planning to ‘question’ the bomber themselves. And that is using methods illegal by international law. If they work together with police forces from other country, they wouldn’t be able to do such a vulgar thing. That’s why he wants us to secretly hand the criminal over.”
“…….”
I look at the agent in front of me. He remained expressionless and doesn’t answer. So this means he doesn’t have the intention to deny.
Breaking the law and infringing morals is not something only criminals do. But I am just an average citizen, even if I lecture an intelligence organization, nothing will change.
“This meeting is to remain private. You are not to leak this information to anyone. There’s also no need for you to pay for this information. Go, Dazai.”
I hurried Dazai and turned my heel towards the exit.
“Give your name as the ‘Fenimore Transportation’ at the reception next time. They will contact me. Starting from mere clues, your ability to reach up until this point is impressive. If the Agency ever fires you, give me a call. I would like to scout you as a secret service agent candidate.”
“So he says. What do we do, Kunikida-kun?”
“I have no plans to work in a profession that doesn’t make a single move even after hearing that a bomb is placed in Japan. Well, then.”
Without waiting for a reply, I walked out. The agent didn’t say a word.
000
The center of our country, the capital area of Tokyo where the heart of economical and political facilities gather.
In those buildings, a lot of different types of people comes in and out. There are also people from all over the world who works there.
That place is the Japanese US Embassy.
It’s the biggest foreign territory in this country.
It doesn’t matter if it is way past noon, there will be visitors who are waiting for their turn in the waiting room. All of them are silent as if waiting for a trial, frozen in place thinking over something no one other than the person themselves knew.
The installed TV is showing a live Major League game, a middle-aged man wearing a cap is lazily telling the team off for losing a point.
I looked at Dazai who was beside me. Dazai laughed happily.
It’s like he’s really looking forward to the plan we are going to execute soon.
This is no laughing matter.
“Kunikida-kun, are you ready?”
“I am really concerned. I am begging you, please don’t make a blunder. If we fail, we are going to be judged by the international law.”
“An international criminal…. For some reason it sounds really cool. Well then, I am off!”
“Hey, oi!”
A sudden swell of worry made me want to stop Dazai, but he already walked towards the reception desk.
Furthermore, Dazai was dressed in a tattered singlet full of patches while I am in an expensive navy business suit complete with a necktie.
Dazai stood in front of the receptionist working in the Embassy, counter number one, and said in a loud voice.
“Heeeey, is it not our turn yeeet!? We’ve been waiting for six hours nooowwww!”
Everyone in the vicinity turned their heads. The Japanese lady working as the receptionist blinked in surprise.
“No more, no more, no more, no more, I won’t wait any longer than this! Call whoever’s in charge to come out right now!”
Dazai flailed his limbs about and continued grumbling at the reception desk.
What we call a plan is dressing up as a pitiful adult male. I look at the pathetic Dazai and feels like throwing up blood.
If that was me, if I had to undertake such a role, I would drink poison and die.
“Excuse me, I am really sorry, may I know of your business here?”
The lady receptionist asked while panicking. Although what she did was praiseworthy, the other party is at fault.
“I’ve been saying it since just now, haven’t I? It’s migration, MIGRATION! Being able to immigrate to your honourable Unites States is a dying wish of mine from the bottom of my heart. Even so, I’ve been waiting since ages ago! Are you saying you’re going to deny me? Deny me? For a mere employee like you to make judgements in behalf of the government in such a manner is a terrible abuse of one’s authority, sister!”
“You bastard! What are you making a fuss about!? To create such a disturbance in the agency is a serious crime!”
Naturally, from the entrance, the security guards starts going after Dazai.
It’s my turn.
“Wait. I am the companion of that noisy guy over there, but do you guys have the authority to arrest him?”
I stood in front of the chasing guards.
“According to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Treaty [I did a 10 minutes research on this looking for the right article lolol] Article 31 Paragraph 2, ‘The authorities of the receiving State shall not enter that part of the consular premises which is used exclusively for the purpose of the work of the consular post except with the consent of the head of the consular post or of his designee or of the head of the diplomatic mission of the sending State’! Until this man is labeled an obstruction by the head of the consular post, he is still a privileged visitor of the Embassy. If you stop his little quibble without permission, it’s going to be an international problem!”
After being roared at, the security guards becomes perplexed.
Even they should have complete knowledge of the Vienna Treaty, but hesitating after being told that it will become an ‘international problem’ is only in humans’ nature.
“Migration! I WANT THE PERSON IN CHARGE!”
In celebration of not being stopped by the security guards, Dazai rolled on the ground and wriggles his arms and legs. Although everything is going according to plan, it is a really reckless one.
Now then, the reason why we, the Armed Detective Agency, made this decision to come to this expensive and high-classed foreign public office that is the Embassy where the key point of diplomacy is, and attack it is…
“The terrorist is a foreigner?”
I asked. Just like before, we are in the same café that faces the main street.
“Yeap. What’s more he’s a professional.” Dazai answered while sipping his coffee.
The reason why Dazai could come to such a conclusion is because a colleague from the university Miss Sasaki worked in contacted her.
“My colleague’s major in my university is crime psychology. There might be some useful information,” so she said.
Nevertheless, Miss Sasaki also said that her colleague is an acknowledged researcher in crime study. It seems like this person has been awarded several times in well-known seminars and is a capable assistant professor. Therefore, an investigation in past crimes of the same type was done for us.
“What my colleague noticed was that, like in that threat letter, there was never a bombing crime that involves more than a hundred people in all of Japan… Of course, this is with the exception of the lives lost in past wars.”
“So, it’s a foreign crime?”
“Yes…. Overseas, there’s a number of them including political strife and terrorism based on ideology. However, there are no details regarding the types of explosives or the makers on any of the documents… I am sorry.”
“No, this is good information. This means that the Blue Disciple who made the bombs is aware of the structure and composition used during those cases. We are one step closer to the criminal.”
“Well, but… we still don’t know where he placed those bombs. Can we make it in time with such a pace?”
At the very least, there’s a need to know the criminal’s face and name. If not, we have no more leads.
Dazai placed his thumb on his lips and is thinking deeply about something.
“This criminal is hiding his true form…. So we cannot find him at all.” Dazai suddenly murmured. “I guess there’s no other choice but for me to do it.”
“Do what?”
“Hey, Kunikida-kun. In the threat letter, it clearly said that the bombs are ‘hand-made’ right? But is making a bomb than can kill over a hundred people that easy to make?”
“It certainly is hard for an average person, but for a professional it’s probably easy.”
I used to study math and the sciences and in order to continue this dangerous detective job, I have knowledge about dangerous chemicals up to a certain degree.
The chemicals used to make explosives have to be handled really carefully, and the temperature and contact environments have to be really strict. Even if a single mistake is made, it would blow up. But the materials needed are really simple and most of it can even be found in an elementary school’s lab. Hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, nitrogenous fertilizer, aluminum. They are legal items that can be obtained cheaply. The problem with making bombs lies in the combination ratio and procedure, also the transportation and detonating techniques.
“To put it simply, professionals who makes bombs each have their own unique recipes, and I heard it they put it on the market as their own brands, but –“
“That’s it. That’s why the exact same bomb that was used in a previous case shouldn’t be so easy to make.”
“So what you are saying is… the bomb used in a case where over a hundred people can be killed and the case now is made by the same person…?”
“And not only that. Don’t you find the visual portrayal of the bomb in the threat letter weird in reality?”
I stare at the letter again. ‘Just like the white light of the setting sun, a fire that cannot be put out. Rows of buildings will collapse thoroughly, burned people will run and panic, the roads will melt, burning cars will fly and crashed into buildings –‘
“I thought about it, and the person who wrote this letter must’ve seen the same scene before.”
“What?”
“Sasaki-san. Among the previous bombing cases overseas, are there some that have videos of them taped?”
“No… It doesn’t look like there’s any. The explosive itself is already really eye-catching, I don’t think the people involved has time to take videos.”
“That’s normally the case. But in this threat letter, a recently bombed city is vividly portrayed. From what is written, it looks like the situation after a few minutes from the bombing. After this person placed the bombs and ran away, maybe he went back to the location. And then he saw this scene.”
“So you wanted to say that the person who was responsible for the previous cases is the Blue Disciple?”
If that’s the case, then the criminal’s profile is showing up. A professional in explosives, was involved in the bombing cases overseas, and is now currently in Japan. However –
“It’s no use. I can’t understand with just that.”
“Why?”
“You might not know because you skipped the meeting, but we already cooperated with the police and the public welfare and received information on all the professional bomb makers in the country. There was no one suspicious. There was no one who has the skills or materials to make a bomb that can harm over a hundred people, and also no one who can act without surveillance in that list. That being said, there’s no way a foreigner can just roam around starting from now.”
“Fufufu.” Dazai grinned.
“What is with that disgusting laugh?”
“Even the police has some information they cannot disclose to detectives. It’s information on foreign secret services. I am sure they have some sort of understanding on this criminal.”
“Foreign secret services, you say?”
Foreign secret services would be USA’s CIA or NSA. UK’s MI6 is also famous. To protect the safety and welfare of their own country, they act in secret in a lot of other countries. However –
“It’s impossible for foreign secret services to just hand classified information to a private company in Japan just like ours while saying, “Please go ahead”. In the first place, do you even have acquaintances in the secret service?”
“Nope.”
“See?”
“But, if we just go somewhere, I am sure we can meet one.”
–I have a bad feeling about this.
And that’s why we are currently trying to sneak into the US Embassy.
The plan Dazai came up with is simple.
Create a dispute in the Embassy.
If all goes well, a higher-up will come to put things back in order and we then we can directly come in contact with them. We’ll negotiate with that high official. To a secret service agent that’s working overseas, the Embassy is a place of peace. If it’s the Embassy, they are surely in contact with the agents.
Of course, this is a rash and forceful way to do things.
But this plan that Dazai came up with was our only sliver of hope in this dead-end of an investigation.
This is something I’ve come to realized when working together with Dazai, but there’s something more than meets the eyes with the speed and depth of the thoughts he sometimes comes up with. Dazai is a bottomless pit. There’s something he’s hiding behind that eccentric behavior, you can’t help but feel a somewhat rather cold – devilish wisdom.
I really cannot think of him as a vagabond with no experience. Because he keeps changing the subject whenever I asked, I never pressed for an answer, but maybe Dazai is hiding a dark past? Whatever that is, illegal deeds –
“Hey sister, please let me migrate! Hey, look over here and listen to me! Don’t avert your gaze and look at me! That’s right, those eyes! Come on, look here some more!”
–Never mind, he’s just your regular idiot.
“Um, in that case, please fill in this form for your waiting order…” The receptionist very timidly took a piece of paper out.
“I already wrote that earlier!” Dazai screamed. Of course that’s a lie. “I wrote with my favourite fountain pen and even carefully filled in all the little details, but there was no development, that’s why we are having this talk now, right!?”
Dazai took a fat and black fountain pen out of his breast pocket to show her.
“This favourite pen of mine is the same type as the one a dictator in the Middle East uses. Isn’t it impressive? It’s okay if you want to look. Here you go, it’s expensive and heavy and very hard to write with. I wrote that very detailed form many times with this, of course I’ll get angry. Don’t you think so?”
That’s your fault for using that pen in the first place, I thought, but I just kept quiet and watched.
“Hey sister, I am a novelist, have you ever read my work? I’ll make you the main character in my book next time. So please call whoever’s in charge. A story of you and I committing lovers’ suicide. I will definitely write it after I migrate with this fountain pen.”
Dazai played the part of a failed novelist unexpectedly well. I felt like this is because he always picks up girls at the bar.
“Please do something about this, if this goes on things are gonna get real bad, I am gonna get killed by the public welfare. It’s because I wrote whatever I like in my novels, you see, just because I wrote that the people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wore wigs, I am now being targeted. This is a violation of freedom of speech, I won’t forgive the government’s oppression –! I also won’t forgive them faking their hair!”
“Oi, stop being so noisy, bro! I can’t listen to the baseball game! And what’s wrong with wigs anyway!?”
A black capped man who was watching and the live baseball game and sitting on the waiting chair shouted with a thick accented voice. But it’s impossible to stop Dazai with just that level of jeering.
“What are you saying!? It’s wrong of them to get angry just because I said they are wearing wigs! If they are gonna get that angry then they might as well expose that shining bald head of theirs to the sky from the beginning!”
“Excuse me, mister companion, but that…” The panicked employee looked at me, with eyes asking for help. However, I am sorry, this is for the sake of people’s lives.
“I am his editor. I understand your situation, but as you can see, he won’t listen to anyone. He would probably give up after being turned down by someone with power, I am sorry, but I want you to pass on the message.”
“Huh…”
The employee whose willpower had already been sucked out absentmindedly nodded, then stood up from her seat.
“P-Please wait a minute…”
She probably doesn’t want to deal with Dazai anymore than this. I understand. I felt the same way from the bottom of my heart.
We waited for a short while. The female employee came back and lead Dazai and I to another room.
“This way please.”
“This type of thing is very troubling.”
At the diplomacy room we were brought into, a bald Caucasian diplomat was waiting for us. In the name cards he handed out to us, it is written that his rank is 3rd Attaché. Not a bad catch.
But this is still not enough. He doesn’t have information regarding the secret service. The real challenge starts here.
“I symphatize with your condition.”
I lowered my head. Receiving a bow in return from a foreigner who doesn’t have such culture is baffling.
“Fleeing from a peaceful country and seeking refuge like this is unheard of in this day and age. Even if you ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this country, only declination awaits. So –“
“Ah, enough with that topic. No – I am sorry, old man, you even went such lengths to prepare another room for us, but truth be told, I am not a novelist.”
I took an identification card out from my breast pocket. It’s has a black background with gold letters hemmed onto it.
“We are the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Welfare Bureau.”
“P-Public Welfare?”
The attaché said with a confused voice. It’s not unexpected. If the other party is a public welfare officer of the recipient country, the graveness of the situation changed.
“Due to the situation, we were not able to make a formal arrangement. However, whether we are the real thing or not, I am sure you’ll understand after seeing this ID.”
I hoisted my police ID up. ‘Public Welfare’ is written in gold on a black background, my photo and affiliations are all clearly written.
The attaché took the ID and compare it to my face.
It goes without saying that the identification is fake. I created one that is made from the exact same manufacturing as the real thing with my ability, ‘Doppo Poetry’. Therefore, our lies won’t be seen through just from that ID card.
–Even if we were to be seen through, it’s from this point on.
“Due to circumstances, we are in dire need of secret information from your country. That being said, we wish to obtain information regarding the secret service’s bomb specialists currently in residing in this country. This is a very important matter that has the country’s public safety on the line. We request your speediness.”
I said the words that I’ve been memorizing since earlier.
“S-such a reckless…”
“We know that this was reckless.” I continued pressing for an answer. If you have no idea, can you please bring out someone with more authority?”
“There’s definitely someone from the secret service who keeps coming in and out of the Embassy, but I can’t just easily…”
“At this moment, we are currently in a time of war. It’s a critical moment where the lives of over a hundred people are on the line.”
After hearing that the life of a hundred people might disappear, his face paled. He must be a good man.
“P-Please wait a minute.”
The attaché wiped the sweat off his forehead and contacted someone on the telephone that was installed in the room. In a small voice, he had a quiet, debate-like conversation with whoever’s on the other side (now knkd is becoming adele), and faced us once again after he was done.
“Well, good news. We usually don’t adhere to such requests, but….”
He said with a smile. He sighed with a trace of relief.
“Thank you very much.”
“I was on the phone with the minister’s secretary, but it just so happens that my boss and your chief that is the director of the Public Welfare Bureau were close by and were going out for lunch together. If it’s a direct request from the director himself, I am sure discussions can be arranged. What a good turn of events.”
“….Huh.”
“I was told that your chief would be coming here shortly. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable.” While wiping off his sweat, the attaché said in relief.
….This is bad.
This is so bad.
If we are talking about the director of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Welfare Bureau, then it’s the top of the Police Department that holds the title of Superintendent General. He might have the authority, but that doesn’t mean he knows about the bombing threat case. Even if he does, there’s no way he would approve of stealing classified information about overseas secret services just for the sake of a bomb that might or might not exist.
What’s more, we are just a private agency that is pretending to be the Public Welfare.
“Ah, no, Mr. Attaché. We apologize… That is, we are imposing.”
“Huh? No, no, don’t worry about it. Whatever kind of classified information, if it’s a request from the Superintendent General, then there’s no way they can reject. Please rest assured.”
What to do? If the director comes now, everything will come to nothing.
“We are really imposing. Why that is so… Erm, that is…”
The attaché blankly looked back at us.
“The director won’t be coming. Due to circumstances.”
“Is that so? What kind of circumstances?”
This is bad. I am bad at these kinds of adlibbing. Really.
“The director… Is really busy. There’s a lot of things he has to do.”
“Huh, I am sure he’s really busy. But in that phone call just now, he said he can come without a problem.”
“Ah, that’s what he said, but that wasn’t what he meant. When he says that, there’s always something else going on.”
“….?”
“Well, various things, like… running into an acquaintance and end up chatting for a long time, buying dog food for his pet dog when it looks like it will run out, or sending documents to public offices.”
“Is he a housewife?”
The attaché leaned his head to the side. Ahhh, I don’t even know what I am saying.
“A-anyway, the director must not know of this exchange.”
“Not know..? You mean you guys came here while keeping it a secret from your higher up?”
“There’s no w-… Well, we did.”
“Isn’t that bad? Why?”
“It was carelessness.”
“Carelessness!?” The attaché was shocked.
“Yes it was carelessness. Eh – that is, because this is an emergency, I carelessly forgot to contact him. That’s why, what was it, this is an emergency…. I carelessly forgot to contact him.”
“Why did you say that twice?”
“Due to confidentiality, I can’t say more than this. Anyway, please call the secret service agent that you know of!”
If I say any more than this, what will the situation come to?
“That is so reckless. The location of our secret service agent is also top secret. So with that kind of explanation, we can’t just…”
“Oh well… There’s no other choice.”
Dazai sighed and leaned his body forward.
“Mr. Attaché. In exchange for this tongue-tied subordinate, let me explain to you. The reason we are keeping this a secret from the director is because of a certain circumstance. You see, there’s a rumour floating around in the Public Welfare Bureau, especially those around the director, that there’s a traitor that is sending classified information to the crime bomber.”
“What did you say?”
“For that reason, there is a need cooperate with other investigators to fish out the criminal and the traitor, and that will be decided by how this negotiation goes. If the traitor learned that the director is coming over here, then the traitor might set the bombs off. Before that happens, we have to locate the bombs.”
The attaché’s expression changed after listening to that story.
“T-That is certainly a serious problem. If that was the case, do tell me sooner.”
The attaché fleetingly glanced at me.
“The reason he can’t say it is because he’s afraid of leakage of information. He might be bad at lying, but this is all for the sake of secrecy. If you were in his position as a Japanese police officer, would you be able to clearly say that your own boss might be a traitor?”
“That is true…” He nodded his head.
“Fortunately, we were able to pin down the criminal who made the bombs to a certain point. It is someone who was responsible for the bombing terrorism overseas. With an international criminal as our enemy, it is a very important investigation that has the safety of your country, as well as ours, on the line. As an organization with internal strife, we would like to work together with your country’s secret service and be done with it. Can we request your cooperation?”
“I understand. Please let me cooperate.”
Dazai……………….. You are amazing……..
“Let me lead you. This way please.”
The attaché hurriedly stood up and lead us the way with his hand.
The place the attaché brought us to was a room in the Embassy’s underground. It’s a private office.
With a nervous expression, he told us, “Please wait a minute,” and hurried off, leaving us behind.
“I wish you would stop bullying Mr. Attaché. He’s a good man. Probably the only good man, if I dare say.”
The man in his prime who came into the office was someone we’ve seen before.
“You are…. The man watching the baseball game in the waiting room….. Are you the United States’ secret service agent?”
It was the black-capped Caucasian. He’s definitely the middle-aged, bored-looking man watching the baseball channel in the waiting room.
“Although on my ID it says I am a janitor.” The secret service agent pinched his name badge that was on his chest to show us. “And? What are two people who are busy looking for bombs doing in a place like this, Armed Detective Agency?”
Dazai and I exchanged a look.
“So you knew?”
“Collecting all the problems that is happening in this country is my job. Not to mention that if an ability users’ organization hasn’t created such a racket since this morning, I would’ve sent information to the other side of the globe. I’ve been watching ever since you guys came into the Embassy.”
So the fact that secret services knows everything is not something that happened only in movies and novels.
“We are looking for the guy who placed the bomb somewhere in this city. It’s the same person as the one who created a similar crime overseas. Are there no documents about it? Quoting the criminal, ‘Just like the white light of the setting sun, a fire that cannot be put out,’ it’s like he’s killed more than a hundred people –“
“Ah… As expected, it’s that person.” He shook his head.
“Do you have something in mind?”
“When you say a fire that cannot be put out and a white light, it must be an aluminum-based explosive, which means it must be Alamta. Here’s the file.”
He took out a bundle of documents from the cabinet.
“Zakiel Alamta. He’s of Japanese descent and was supplying bombs to a terrorist organization in the Middle East. A year ago, he entered Japan and we are keeping an eye on him.”
“Without telling Japan’s Public Welfare?” I retorted while staring at the documents.
“Well, things happened. Our hands were tied. He’s a bomb magician and at the same time, a merchant selling explosives to terrorists. As long as he has a client list, we can catch all the anti-American ideologists in one go.”
I turned the pages of the documents. There was a profile picture of Aramta and his past bombing crimes.
“It’s the worst kind of explosive composition.” I chewed on my inner cheek. “If this blows up in Yokohama, not only a hundred people will fall victim.”
The kind Aramta uses professionally is a vehicle-borned improvised explosive device that has an aqueous-based explosive mixed with fine aluminum powder. Putting over hundreds of kilograms of it on an automobile, it can be detonated from a distance with a signal from a smartphone or the like. Using ammonium nitrate as the main material and acetone peroxide as its supplement. As such, it can be made cheaply and in large quantity.
Judging from its composition, its blast can kill people within a 200m radius from its epicenter. Even when you’re not within that vicinity, the extreme heat from the blast and the aluminum fused rain can kill you.
The fact that Aramta used aluminum completely means that his aim is murder. Aluminum is a fire accelerant and while it is beaming white light, the fire from the explosion will keep increasing. That, and at the same time, the scattering 600 degrees Celcius splash will completely burn through the victims’ flesh. And to finish it off, metal aluminum is a type of metal that when reacted with water, flammable hydrogenous gas will form. This means that it will burn more when you splash water on it. Because of that, putting out the fire with a hose, preventing its spread and rescuing activities will be difficult.
‘Just like the white light of the setting sun, a fire that cannot be put out.’ It’s exactly just like those words. It is certainly the bomb of the devil.
If it exploded in a crowded place, including the second calamity caused by trains stopping and accidents, the number of deaths may surpassed a thousand. What’s more, if it’s a bomb transported in a car, then it can easily passed police inspection and infiltrate the city.
There’s no way we can let such a thing explode in Yokohama.
“Where is Aramta now?”
“Two days ago, he shook off the observation of a colleague and is now missing. We were thinking that he’s somewhere where he can create some kind of mess.”
Damn it, to find the bombs, we first have to find Aramta.
However, just by knowing his name and background, we are making improvement. There’s also a high possibility that this man named Aramta is the ‘Blue Disciple’.
The reason why Aramta is threatening the Agency is still unclear as of now. Even if it’s a grudge, his hands might be tied because the Agency managed to solve a previous case.
“And then? In exchange for this information, what do you want in return, Spy-san?” Dazai asked full of smiles.
“Nothing. As a citizen of a foreign country, I can’t possibly shut an eye and let over a hundred people die. For the sake of justice, I would gladly hand over the information.”
“I don’t believe you. With the exception of Kunikida-kun beside me, I am a despicable person.”
Dazai smiled as an answer. It’s true that as an agent of the United States’ Secret Service, their mission is nothing more than to ensure the safety and well-being of their own citizens.
The agent replied after a certain amount of quiet thinking.
“–If you manage to capture Aramta, do not hand him over to Public Welfare and hand him over to me in person. I want to make him cough up that client list by whatever means.”
“Not hand him over to Public Welfare, you say?” I raised my eyebrows. “If he is the criminal behind the case this time, he should be handed over to the Japanese police for questioning.”
“About that, Kunikida-kun. To get information, they are planning to ‘question’ the bomber themselves. And that is using methods illegal by international law. If they work together with police forces from other country, they wouldn’t be able to do such a vulgar thing. That’s why he wants us to secretly hand the criminal over.”
“…….”
I look at the agent in front of me. He remained expressionless and doesn’t answer. So this means he doesn’t have the intention to deny.
Breaking the law and infringing morals is not something only criminals do. But I am just an average citizen, even if I lecture an intelligence organization, nothing will change.
“This meeting is to remain private. You are not to leak this information to anyone. There’s also no need for you to pay for this information. Go, Dazai.”
I hurried Dazai and turned my heel towards the exit.
“Give your name as the ‘Fenimore Transportation’ at the reception next time. They will contact me. Starting from mere clues, your ability to reach up until this point is impressive. If the Agency ever fires you, give me a call. I would like to scout you as a secret service agent candidate.”
“So he says. What do we do, Kunikida-kun?”
“I have no plans to work in a profession that doesn’t make a single move even after hearing that a bomb is placed in Japan. Well, then.”
Without waiting for a reply, I walked out. The agent didn’t say a word.
000
