Without expecting success, I submitted written questions to August’s ministry of foreign affairs about Lud Langart. I received an answer surprisingly quickly. However, the response wasn’t very forthcoming. What the reply amounted to was, “We don’t know.”
I stared closely at the final sentence, which was handwritten rather than typed.
“It is difficult to see why the individual in question requires investigation by an international organization, so it’s advisable to stop the investigation.”
It was a casual suggestion, but the person who included that sentence was Mary Ville Mehl, the August Federation’s legislative council chairwoman and general secretary. She is effectively the supreme leader of August. Why would she go to the trouble of adding a handwritten comment? It sounds very much like a warning to stay out of the matter.
Despite that warning, I didn’t halt my investigation. I was afraid. However, I was close to the truth, so I couldn’t turn back. I was on my way home one night when a luxury car pulled alongside and men in black blocked my way.
I thought, “The time has finally come.”
The color of the car’s license plate was one used by embassies, and the number was assigned to the Noa Embassy. Before I could wonder why this superpower was involved, I was shoved forcefully into the back seat. I was unable to cry out. That wasn’t because they prevented me from making noise. I simply froze in fear and couldn’t move.
“Don’t worry, Miss. We do not intend to harm you.” An individual in the back seat spoke in a strangely theatrical way.
“Who are you?”
“Pleased to meet you. I am Daian Fortuner.”
I was shocked to hear his answer. That name had come up once in the course of my investigation. He had been an evil individual during the war.
He disappeared after the war, giving rise to theories that he was dead. But he had used his brain as a bargaining chip to defect to Noa, which had been victorious in the war. To this day, he works in research and development for Noa.
“I hear you’ve been sniffing around about Lud Langart.”
“You know that? How are you involved?”
I had known he was somehow connected to the mysteries surrounding the war, but now encountering this monster, I shivered all over again.
“It’s a problem for you to investigate him. A problem in many ways.”
My back was drenched in sweat. Imagining what he might say next, I couldn’t stop myself from trembling.
“It’s time to put this to an end, but...”
“But?”
He didn’t intend to do anything to me.
“Lud wouldn’t like it if someone came to harm on his account.” Daian laughed as if something was very funny and my face tensed in confusion. “So I’ll tell you what happened. Someone like you won’t give up until you’ve learned it all.”
Daian told me the truth about Lud Langart. It was just a brief rundown of the key points, but they were nothing like what I might have imagined. My desire to ask questions faded and I just sat astounded.
“An ancient empire? Humanoid Hunter Units? Magic doors?” I could only repeat fragments of what he told me.
“Yes. The Saint had controlled world history from behind the scenes, but she was launched into space, and that was the end.”
It was difficult to believe, but I fired off the question I most wanted answered.
“What became of Lud Langart and that... humanoid Hunter Unit named Sven?”
“They barely got away in time but they escaped safely. However, that’s what caused the trouble.”
According to Daian, their power was too great. They had the power to control anything derived from rezanium. It was not an overstatement to say it was a power capable of controlling the world. It was truly the power of God. Various organizations would investigate what happened at Penmunde, and their treacherous hands were sure to reach Lud and Sven in time.
“So I arranged for them to leave Wiltia.”
Daian had them escape by taking the submarine given to Yamato all the way to the island nation on the eastern edge of Aesia.
“Then I falsified the reports, erased their trail, and asked everyone involved to keep their mouths shut.”
“Like the bakery owner Milly in Organbaelz, the chairman of Billions Trading and Lady Rundstadt?”
“Yes. And many others. Many others. Everyone cooperated willingly.”
Many people and even an enemy nation cooperated to help Lud and Sven escape to a peaceful land.
“That’s the truth. The two just wanted to live as bakers, and I made it happen.”
The truth was finally revealed. However, it greatly differed from what I had imagined.
The power of an ancient empire... A blessing from God capable of controlling the world... If I write a report with contents like that—that sound like the plot from a third-rate novel—no one would believe it.
I had a hard time believing it myself. It might actually be better to write it up as a novel. At least my boss wouldn’t yell at me.
“What will you do now?” I had no response to Daian’s question, so I just shook my head.
My investigation had to stop. I thought it was best the world remained ignorant of these events. History could handle the rest by burying the details.
“That’s all. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Daian ordered the men in black to open the car door. He must have believed I would cooperate, so he set me free.
Stepping out of the car, something still bothered me.
“May I ask one more thing?”
“Yes?”
“What are they doing now?”
Had Sven become human? How were they living in that distant country? Daian answered my question as if he found it humorous.
“They’re bakers, of course. They are out there somewhere baking bread for somebody.” He laughed like a young boy.
Then I suddenly remembered. After losing the war, many people condemned Daian Fortuner as a traitor for abandoning his nation and defecting to Noa. However, rumor has it that he cut a deal according to which the victorious nations would not brand his friends and lovers as war criminals and put them to death. It’s an unreliable rumor, but for some reason I’d like to believe it.
This is everything I learned about Lud Langart. I do not intend to make this report public. I don’t intend to show it to anyone. I will keep it secret.
Even if someone happens to read this, years from now... It is likely everyone involved will have departed this world. So, this is the end.
✦ ✦ ✦
