Chapter 55


Author Note: I notice that there is a part which cause a major spoiler so I had to change that part of the story.


More than that, Hokkaido still on spring


TN: Not like we’ll notice it. Also, story below is slightly different from LN. I am starting to think that WN explanation is complete compared to LN. That kind of surprised me, because most of the time it is the other way around.


—-Arakawa Kouki Point of View —-


I was thinking about the whole situation for two hours after talking with my mom. After all of that thinking, I realized that I cannot do anything unless I see how the opponents react. I decided to act like an adult and just watch a video about the Russian Desmans.


Although I am really not that interested to them, I was still thinking that it is great to kill time. However the date is about to change soon.


“Anton-san, I’m sleepy. Are they coming back?”


“Hm, I wonder? I think they will at least let us know if they cannot come back”


Looks like Anton-san is not confident about it as well. I am sleepy but I don’t want Lieutenant Colonel to find me in bed when they come back.


I go to the mini bar and made a lemon soda by combining a lemon juice and carbonated water like a cocktail while worrying on what to do. A knock on the door was heard in the room and Anton-san placed one of his hand in his pocket while the door carefully open.


“Arakawa-san, sorry to kept you waiting”


It was Lieutenant Colonel and Yuri-san who came inside the room. However, they look kind of different compared to how they were earlier. The military uniform of the Lieutenant Colonel is wrinkled and Yuri-san had a loose tie and tired face. Was my proposal caused them so much trouble? However you think about it, it should be advantageous to the Russia but… could it be they realize that the related goods are more profitable than the channel itself? While looking at the Lieutenant Colonel while in cold sweat, he asked in a horse voice after clearing his throat.


“I will ask you directly. Arakawa-san, ‘how far’ do you know before making this proposal?”


Aa~ This is bad. Perhaps someone who is a political adviser, a superior or financial adviser realized that there are more profits to to the goods than a simple broadcasting channel.


Damn… My mom did not even noticed so I did not expect other people to know about it. Looks like there is someone in this world, who somehow understand the concept of subculture. What to do── I guess it will be better to split the profit than force myself in getting all the glory.


“I knew to some extent right from the beginning, but most of them are just speculation. Since it was mostly speculation, I would like to prepare for the future through this discussion”


“Thank goodness. So, let me explain from the beginning and then you can decide on what to do after that. My real identity belongs to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and not the Intelligence Service. Yuri Pamfilova is not a member of Ministry of Foreign Affairs but the Chief of Intelligence Service.”


Ministry of Internal Affairs? Why is Ministry of Internal Affairs in here? I just want to allocate rights for selling goods. A Lieutenant Colonel who is responsible in maintaining domestic security shouldn’t be here. Anton-san’s face is surprised as I am, which means that no department is established in the Ministry of Internal Affair without me knowing. I seriously cannot keep up with the change on the situation.


“Well then, let me talk about ‘Project Alice’, the start of everything”


A paper document was passed to me and saw pictures of Alice, I keep on turning the pages until I reach a page with a ‘Genetic Improvement Project’ written in Russian. What is this? I don’t know if they misunderstood me but I have no idea about this project.


Rather than that, what happen to the talk about merchandising rights? I stand up and tried to tell the Lieutenant “I do not know what this is” but I stop when the terminal in my arm suddenly make a sound due to an incoming voice communication.


“Yes….”


“Ko-chan, stay calm and listen to mom. Stop talking to those two and cancel your meeting. This is something you don’t need to know”


I see── I do not understand what is going on with Russia but I am not that stupid. This is something about when Alice was kidnapped before or the ‘Alice Project’ that Macho talk with mom in secret after that.


All of them… all the adults around me wants to hide Alice Project, so I did not ask anything about it up until now. However, the importance of this project is worrisome and if it is about Alice herself, then I want to know more.


“Did mom know anything about Alice Project?”


“No, I am still investigating. Anyway, just do as I say!”


“No way. Also as I said before, I will take responsibility on this case until the end. Mom should just keep quiet”


I unconsciously use “I(ore)” in my words but I guess its fine. Mom was saying something else but I cut off the communication. At the same time, the ice on my lemon soda melt and made a sound in the quiet room. There is no point in being silent like this so after clearing my throat, I urge the Lieutenant Colonel to continue. (TN: The ‘I’ here is ‘ore’ instead of ‘boku’ that Kouki usually use. He is serious when using ‘ore’, this was also explained by Shingo in)


“Nnn~ I’m sorry. Then please, continue”


“Are you sure? That, Arakawa-san… Miki-san was trying to say something”


“It does not matter. My mom has nothing to do with this, I am taking full responsibility in this case”


I am not an idiot who will forever be hidden in the shadow of my mother’s skirt. I will make sure to finish what I started. I will help Anton-san’s boss and the Chernobog members, get information about Alice Project, make sale channels in Russia and return home.


For that to happen, I need to act like mom when she is in meeting with the military mode version of Claire-san!! It is a contest to see who is better at negotiating. With that in mind, I cross my legs and made a smile similar to Claire-san… a smile which Macho referred to as the ‘Witch Smile’──


—- Yakov Tarkovsky Point of View —-


The atmosphere of Arakawa-san in front of me suddenly change. He is not showing a smile relative to his age anymore, he now had an air similar to a veteran interrogator. I’m scared… Its like I am being choked due to an unspeakable fear. It might make me scream if overcome by it. I started explaining ‘Alice Project’ to Arakawa-san.


“I understand, if you say its good then I will continue. The beginning of Genetic Improvement Project is when a specific type of nanomachine was successfully developed in 2051. After that, an experiment was done to artificially mutate the transposons… a moving gene… in a human genome or chromosome. I think you know this already since Arakawa-san is a famous researcher, but the goal of this experiment is Human Mutation── an ‘Artificial Evolution’. However, the project was frozen due to ‘Ethical Reason’ before it even became successful”


Arakawa-san drinks from his glass silently while listening to my explanation. Perhaps these information are common knowledge to a researcher like him but the problem is from here on wards…


“In year 2055, United Nation officially banned any experiments of this kind to the whole world. However, here in this country we continue to conduct this research in secret. Our final goal is to build soldiers with enhanced physical body but difficulties arises and the project itself was stopped. At such time, the Intelligence Service got an information that the Canadian Government was doing a similar research. When we confirm that those information were true, we immediately contacted the Canadian Government to offer a joint research”


“I see, and that is how the ‘Genetic Improvement Project’ written in this document began…”


“As you might have guessed, we provided Canadian Government a place, researchers, equipment and full financial assistance for the research. I will give you a separate full detailed document about this, so please take a look at this. As explained earlier, our goal was to make soldiers. However there are conditions on that goal. We want to remodel a soldier’s body by using chemicals or nanomachines in an attempt to strengthen existing soldiers but the Canadian Government is aiming on changing the gene itself ‘right from the beginning’── and that is ‘Project Alice'”


Mutation of a human body acquired through remodeling is insignificant. With that being said, the fundamental idea of ‘Project Alice’ is to create more powerful individuals by manipulating its genetic structure right from the beginning. Originally I would like to explain it briefly to Arakawa-san but since it involves Alice Alford, I need to absolutely watch my words.


If I call his lover as a ‘Special Individual’, I’m sure I will not be able to see the dawn of tomorrow.


“As for the Enhanced Soldier Project of our country, we have exclude it from the documents because it is part of our Nation’s secret but we have judge that giving information about Alice Project is of no problem. Since it was…… you know…… Alice-san is with you”


“Hm, that means Alice is a successful special individual of the ‘Evolution Sisters’ according to this documents”


Gu!! I was stopping myself from saying Special Individual. I was trying to be careful you know!! Please take back my anxiousness and worry earlier!? Even though I try to avoid a crisis to my motherland, it is still to much responsibility to explain about her girlfriend to Arakawa Kouki, who is known to be dangerous in global scale…


I gave permission to Arakawa Kouki to read the documents. I lit up a cigarette and spit out smokes but then he lift his head and make me instinctively think, what is it?


“Sisters… Since it is about sisters, does that mean that there are other examples of success? I haven’t heard Alice having an older or younger sister”


“The reason it is called Sisters is because woman genes are easier to manipulate during the experiments. Male Type does not exist. There are also no other success other than Alice-san. It’s just, I don’t really know how to explain──”


“What is it?”


Wondering what I meant, he look at the secretary and me with his eyes. I look at him while making myself as calm as possible. Will he believe if I talk about “Soul” or “Reincarnation”? Although it is that kind of laughable story, there is a possibility of him being angry thinking that we are joking with him instead of talking seriously.


However, if Arakawa Kouki really have the devil’s brain. I think he will be able to understand the hypothesis that the researchers are talking about. Should I make a gamble?


“The only successful one was Alice-san, other experimental bodies did not show any biological reactions”


“That means, Alice was successful only by chance?”


“No, that’s not what I meant. This is the hypothesis created by the researchers who participated in the project but it probably contains occult belief…… Does Arakawa-san believe about the existence of ‘Soul’?”


“Haa, did you say soul….”


Ma~ That reaction is natural. When I first heard about this hypothesis, I thought that there is something wrong with their head. No, actually, I think that girl was already crazy at that point. Otherwise, she would have never made a cult group which is now called ‘New World’ with unknown goals. While thinking about such a thing, Arakawa-san answered while having a troubled expression.


“I believe in a way”


“Is that so? Well then let me continue, according to the hypothesis established by a researcher. A soul can only enter a vessel if it is according to what it was. For example, the soul of a human can enter a vessel with a size of a ‘human’. If it is an insect, then it can only enter a vessel with the size of an insect. If its a dog, then to a dog. It is said that there is a possibility that everything is already predetermined. However, if there is a vessel shaped like a human but with more power and mentality than that of a man─ what kind of soul will it contain?”


“I see… In other words, the ‘Evolution Sisters’ are too big as a vessel for a human soul to enter. However, Alice exists… if that theory is correct, that means Alice is not a human being”


“Th-that w-would be the case!!”


“I do not mind, perhaps the person herself does not mind as well. Rather than that, did that researcher say anything about ‘Reincarnation’── For example, there is a possibility that the soul came from a vessel of a different space and time, or from past to the future, or from another world which is on different dimension”


Are you kidding me? Did he understand the full detail of this hypothesis with just that little information? On the contrary, he himself seems to have been thinking of similar theory but it looks like he is just doing it on whim. Arakawa-san fold his arms and was silent for a while. I drink a water to wet my dried throat. Arakawa-san leaked words out of his mouth as if he was talking to himself.


“I cannot prove it but I think that this hypothesis is correct. There is no doubt that this researcher is at the same level of ‘genius’ as my mother. To be able to conclude those with so little information”


“No way!? That means, everything that girl said was true? What have I done…”


“So she was a woman? Where is she now? …… Lieutenant Colonel, what’s wrong?”


Arakawa-san noticed my strange behavior and asked me in a worry. What kind of face I am making right now? If he say her hypothesis is correct then that means, I am responsible on why the cult group called ‘New World’ was born. Why at that time…. I did not believe in her? Why did I treat Sandra crazy just like everyone else. If only I believe in her, just like how a lover should, then she might not have done such things──


—- Arakawa Kouki Point of View —-


I saw Lieutenant Colonel suddenly having a pale face. What on earth happened? Did I say something strange? Although I do not plan on doing anything, I would like to know where the researcher who unraveled the mystery of ‘Reincarnation’ is. It is not like I want to return to the previous world where I died, I just want to recover some of my loss memory which is strangely only limited to myself. Also about the soul in Alice, could it be a soul of a powerful creature from a different world like dragons or high level spirits─── No, that can’t be. Anyway, I am worried on the Lieutenant Colonel right now who looks like about to collapse in front of me.


“Lieutenant Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel! Are you alright? I am now starting to worry”


“Aa- sorry about that, I am okay. You were asking about the researcher?”


“Yes, I would like to talk to her if possible”


“That is impossible… She… Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya is missing. She is the one responsible in raiding Japan for Alice-san and Arakawa-san. Not only that, she is also responsible for the terrorist attacks in different parts of the world. She is the leader of the cult group known as ‘New World'”


The words of the Lieutenant Colonel who looks like drowning in shame say those words as if he understood that those errors cannot be rearranged. I see, there is a matter about ‘Nuclear Weapons’ written in a document when I sneak on macho’s room to play a prank on him. When Alice was kidnapped, mom and Claire-san was figuring out who is funding the cult group and who is supplying them VSTOL Aircrafts and weapons. Also, the reason why Chernobog members are asking for asylum…


Looks like I was caught up in a political conspiracy similar to those movies and novels in my previous life. In any case, mom is listening to us so we can solve all of those question by asking here and using that, we will be able to secure Alice’s safety.


“Lieutenant Colonel, did you manufacture nuclear weapons despite it being prohibited by treaty?”


“……Yes”


“The funds used by New World is actually from Russia?”


“……Yes”


“They are attempting to kill Chernobog members who got information about them to prevent the information from going out?”


“……Yes”


“Did Dr. Sandra leave the research because everyone do not trust her theory and thinking that it was absurd?”


“…Yes”


“Can you cooperate with me as long as it will not conflict with your nation’s interests?”


“We will cooperate!! That’s why, please forgive us… please”


“In that case, let’s make all of this talk confidential”


“Eh?”


To my words, they were surprised that even Yuri-san had his eyes wide open. I can understand that this talk is on a level where the head of these two people will physically fly if it goes out to the public. In this case, I can just ask them to help me in exchange for giving them a favor.


I do not know why Dr. Sandra created the cult group ‘New World’ but if it will put Alice in danger, then I will make sure to stop her plans. For that, I need information… I would like Noah to have eyes and ears here in Russia and that would be the former boss of Anton-san and the Chernobog members who I originally asked them to release.


“As a condition for all of this to be confidential, I would you to hand over Anton-san’s former boss and the other members of Chernobog. As promised, I will give you Free Broadcasting Rights which should give you huge profit and will also provide you ‘Diplomatic Contact’ to Noah so that you can contact us at anytime”


“It is an exceptional offer, is it really okay?”


“I do not mind, I am already thinking of excuse that I will tell to other countries for supporting yours. It will take a few days before I can hand an official letter about it but it might be just right since you will need time to discuss this with your superiors”


“I understand, then we will immediately release Captain Yurya who is detained right now as our proof of trust. I will also release the other members of Chernobog as soon as possible”


Yoshi, afterwards I just need to contact Claire-san to pick us all up and have mom prepare the necessary documents. Should I also consult macho to tighten the security on Alice and Shingo?


Aa~ that’s right, I need to speak with Anton-san’s former boss, Captain Yurya. Could it be, I don’t have enough time to watch the anime tomorrow? I think I should contact Kon and ask her to record the show. While considering such things inside my head, I decided to operate the terminal in my arm and contact Claire-san──


Author Notes: Now now, everyone, It is time to announce the full details of Alice Project where everyone is making speculation.


The genius of Dr. Sandra was unfortunately not accepted by anyone unlike Kouki… This the destiny of the two who are walking with their opposite path of life.


Well, this story is something like that (゜д゜). I have updated the Activity Log, please have a look.


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