“Smart City... huh.”

“What's wrong? You look down.”

"Well, Smart City doesn't have a very good image. At the time, everyone had high expectations for it as a 'city that brings together the latest technologies.' There were supposed to be self-driving cars, drone delivery systems, and even AI robots used in underground infrastructure, right? But even in a place that brought together the pinnacle of technology, problems arose..."

“Ah, the ‘Suno City Incident,’ huh?”

“Exactly.”

After the meeting, Ms. Mari and I were having a drink and chatting.

Mr. Hirasawa was resting in his room.

“The sky was like this cassis orange. The sky when the smart city in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, was burning.”

“Please don't compare my pride and joy, the cassis orange, to something so ominous.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Miss Mari can apparently make cocktails too.

She really can do anything. The food is delicious too.

　...It's about ten times better than my cooking.

I feel like I'm completely outmatched as a woman.

“The smart city in Susono had a gas explosion, right? That's what the news reported.”

“Somehow... I suspect there was another reason behind that.”

“Well, yeah.”

I traced the rim of the cocktail glass with my finger.

“At the time, there were rumors online that something had happened. There were reports of gunshots and multiple explosions, and various videos were circulating.”

“Yes, there were rumors like that. But people who believed those rumors were called ‘conspiracy theorists.’”

“Conspiracy theorists' is a nice term. It's easy to dismiss the opinions of the minority.”

“Oh? That's an unusual opinion.”

　I finished the cassis orange in my glass.

When I handed the empty glass to Miss Mari, she poured me another cocktail.

“What's this?”

“Chill out.”

“Wow! This is delicious too! It's sweet! ... Just like the peace-loving world.”

“... Are you praising it or criticizing it?”

"Sorry, sorry. It's just a figure of speech."

“...Ugh!”

But I did feel a little critical of the world.

Over the past few days, through counterintelligence activities, I've come to realize that Japan is being targeted.

Reality isn't as sweet as the world thinks. No one seems to realize the danger of death is looming.

“The term ‘conspiracy theory’ itself was coined by a certain intelligence agency, wasn't it?”

“Oh, I've heard that! It's the largest intelligence agency in the world, right?”

“That's right. They can use the term ‘conspiracy theory’ to cover up information that is inconvenient for them.”

“Yeah. Of course, there are a lot of completely ridiculous stories, but... I think there are some that need to be taken seriously. I think it's very dangerous to dismiss even those kinds of stories as ‘conspiracy theories.’”

“I suppose so.”

A glass of water was placed in front of me.

I was indeed a little drunk. My head was spinning, and I felt a little light-headed.

I drank the water that was offered to me and asked Mari-sama a direct question.

“So, Mari-sama knows about it, right?”

"Hmm... I suppose so. In our underworld, we refer to that incident as the ‘The big incident.’"

“So it's not the ‘Suno City Incident,’ but the ‘Suno City big incident.’?”

It seems that the world shouldn't dismiss this as a conspiracy theory.

“Yes. It apparently had the potential to escalate into a civil war.”

“A civil war!? It happened within Japan, not in another country?”

“Do you know this building?”

Mariko-sama displayed the white building on the monitor.

It had pure white walls and windows covered with blinds. It was a building so devoid of personality that it was frightening.

However, it was surrounded by high white walls and black gates, as if to reject everything else.

“I don't know it, but it's a suspicious building.”

"It's not widely known. This building is rumored to be the ‘Izanagi Ability Development Bureau’..."

“Izanagi Ability Development Bureau? I've never heard of it. Ability development sounds suspicious... Are they doing genetic engineering or psychic ability development?”

“Hmm... something like that, I suppose.”

“Really!?”

I leaned forward and stared at the building on the monitor.

“I've heard that genetic engineering technology is advanced, and with modern technology, it seems possible. If it's a place or region where the law doesn't apply, they might not be able to punish them for violating taboos like genetic engineering.”

“Where the law doesn't apply... That's a sharp observation.”

"Really? I think there are probably places that don't belong to any country. If you could build a research facility in the ocean or space, you could do whatever you want. Plus, even within the country, there are probably places that aren't covered by Japan's constitution or legal framework. I'm just speculating, but..."

“I see, that's how you think about it. Well... there's no concrete evidence to prove whether these stories are true or not. But... you know?”

“Yeah... that's right.”

Mariko-sama turned her gaze toward Hirasawa-san's room.

　It was related to the question I had been pondering in my heart.

A terrorist with a face identical to Mr. Hirasawa's.

Mr. Hirasawa's background might be something special related to the rumors.

“Getting back to the topic... What kind of conflict was the ‘Suno big Incident’? Was there a terrorist organization hiding within the country?”

“The thing is, there's no detailed information available. The information has been completely erased. What do you think, Mikoto-chan?”

Miss Mari looked at me with an expectant gaze.

No... I can't handle such expectations.

“Hmm... I wonder. Maybe the people who were experimental subjects at the ‘Izanagi Ability Development Bureau’ rebelled?”

“Hmm. Was that laboratory located within the smart city?”

“Yes. It seems like a place where the latest technology would be available. Plus, smart cities are probably cooperating with other countries and have special laws as special zones, right? Depending on how the laws are written, it might be possible to create a research environment that exceeds conventional restrictions.”

“...”

Mariko-sama neither confirmed nor denied it.

　Say something. This is scary.

“Well, I think we should get some rest. Oh, right. I had something prepared for Mikoto-chan.”

“Huh? What is it? For me?”

Mariko-sama laid out cosmetics on the table.

“What!? These are so cute! They're all cosmetics!?”

“It's not cosmetics, it's spy gear.”

“Oh, really?”

“Don't make that face. It's my pride and joy, packed with the latest technology I have!”

“Huh.”

Hearing that it wasn't cosmetics, my excitement dropped for a moment, but it seemed to be some incredible gadget like the ones in movies.

Miss Mari began explaining excitedly.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)