“Wouldn’t he normally worry about insurance if he got into an accident?”
“He probably thought he could get away with it.”
“Even though he’s been arrested multiple times?”
“Don’t ask me to make sense of what a criminal is thinking.”
Rindo told Sanekazura as well, and she actually stomped her feet out of anger.
It was a relief to know it wasn’t an insurgent, but the incident was not a good sign. Everyone was on high alert now.
Despite the troubles, they arrived at their destination before long.
It was a big building in the business district, just as Rindo had told Nadeshiko.
There were some locals out walking their dogs, but most were workers crossing the roads with a clear destination in mind. Workers from all over the world gathered here, and so there was a variety of international restaurants. But the biggest difference from Yamato was still the width of the roads.
Teito was also a big city, but the population was huge for its land area. People were packed in like sardines there, and everyone always seemed to be in a hurry.
Meanwhile, Angel Town was still densely populated, but it seemed more relaxed. It wasn’t entirely idyllic, but the use of the land and shape of the city gave that impression.
The Agents walked into an old brick building.
This was the Kashu branch of the Seasons Tower, the organization that overlooked the Four Seasons in Kyokoku.
The sun shone pleasantly on the greenery wrapping around the walls of the building. The five-story building was quite high, but it was nothing compared to the other buildings nearby.
It was too normal-looking to be called a tower, though the name came from the original structure on which this building had been based, which did have the shape of a tower back in the day.
The tower had crumbled with the passage of time, and as it became a building that fit in better with the rest of the city. Only the nickname remained.
It was an elegant building, but it wasn’t particularly unique among the other older constructions. If anything, it was a bit dull in comparison to all the shiny new buildings of the business district.
That said, its security was airtight. Brawny guards patrolled in front of and around the site. Anyone who tried to approach with ill intentions would be blocked immediately.
A staff member was waiting for them inside.
After a security check, they began their tour of the facilities.
The guide was able to speak a little Yamatoan. A proper interpreter would be with them during dinner, but they would be able to get by in the meantime. As they walked around, they learned about the building. The guide was able to get across the general idea, but Rindo had to convey the finer details to the rest of the group.
“Considering how hard it is to defend a tower once it’s been invaded, they moved the main operations to the underground levels early on. So here in Kashu, they followed the Tower tradition but kept only general affairs to aboveground.”
“HQ is below,” the guide added with a nod.
“But that doesn’t mean they skimp on security, so please do not worry.”
Everyone nodded at Rindo’s words. The Guards and escorts were allowed to carry weapons, but only after a long identity check to make sure no insurgents were in the group. It was hard for outsiders to get inside in the first place.
After a while of walking down hallways, they reached an elevator hall, where they split into groups to go down. There was no underground button on the control panel, only unique symbols. Once they emerged into what should be the lowest level, they found themselves in a luxury lodging facility reminiscent of the Teito Reception Hall.
There was a spacious lobby, lights in the shapes of flowers from all seasons, and a fully carpeted floor. Famous paintings adorned the walls. It was an elegant space, but it was equipped with security cameras in every corner that were not hidden in any way.
It reminds me of the Autumn villa.
The furnishing was entirely different, but the full security system was similar. There had to be a security room somewhere that showed all the camera feeds on multiple screens. Rindo missed the old villa. It was a freer place than the honden, and fewer people there had been watching over Nadeshiko and trying to control her.
Surrounded by nature, that villa would have been a great place for her to grow up.
Now they could never return there.
The land devastated by the insurgents had to be abandoned.
“Lord Rindo, where would we run if the insurgents came underground?” Ruri asked, pushing aside Rindo’s nostalgic musings.
“There are multiple emergency exits to the surface and even one to the subway. We’ll have the escorts take a look at them later.”
“Ooh, that’s convenient for the commute.”
The Tower guide laughed. “We don’t use normally,” they said in broken Yamatoan.
“Running an organization underground sounds so cool, though. And the guards look stronger than ours back at the Agency. We should be taking notes. Maybe then that wouldn’t have happened last year…”
“Mmm, we can’t say for sure, considering we have to take different environmental factors into account. Besides, that building is in a great location in Teito, and it’s built so any attackers should be caught right away. Attacking the place would normally be a suicide mission… It’s just that with all the corruption and threats, National Security and the fire department didn’t move quickly enough.”
All the Agency and National Security members looked away awkwardly. Ruri’s guileless question had hurt the feelings of their good and innocent companions. But soon, they had arrived at the reception room.
“Everyone ready?” the guide asked in front of the door. Everyone nodded nervously. The escorts would split up into the group that would go inside and a group that would keep watch outside.
After a knock, someone replied, and the door opened gracefully.
The room was wide, and multiple long tables were lined up together in the middle, creating enough space for everyone to sit. As they knew the Agents were coming, the Kyokoku hosts received them standing up. Everyone’s gazes were focused on one person.
A small boy surrounded by adults.
He was hard to ignore; he drew attention from the moment the door was opened.
His skin was like copper, his hair like iron, and his eyes strong as steel. He had a divine aura about him.
This child was the majestic Autumn of this foreign land—Kashu’s young Agent.
Another intriguing point about him was the anxiety on his face.
Next to him was a man with blond hair, blue eyes, and shockingly long limbs.
He wore a well-fitting, stylish suit. He appeared to be in his twenties. This had to be the Agent’s Guard.
His posture was beautifully straight.
“Please, take your seats according to the name tags.”
The interpreter, a large man, spoke in loud voice, and everyone immediately moved.
Everyone except for Rindo.
“…”
He stared at the interpreter, at a loss for words.
The confusion in his expression was overwritten by despair as he understood what was happening. “What are you doing here…?”
All the Yamatoans paused before taking their seats and looked at him.
Next to him, Nadeshiko and Hanakiri in his carrier looked at him, too.
Later, Rindo would come to know that, as the Azamis had been approached for this visit to Kyokoku, another member of the family had already landed in the country beforehand.
The man brimming with wild charm gave a hearty laugh.
“I’m just doing my job, son.”
Rindo covered his face with both hands at the reply from his father.