----Emi Aikawa Viewpoint

　When I opened the door to the open-air bath, I saw the biggest bath I've ever seen. Without a doubt, it was twice as big as the large bath I had seen at the hotel I stayed at in Noboribetsu Onsen, Hokkaido, where I was taken a long time ago.

'Wow, it's huge!　Megumi.

　Alice-chan is innocently happy about it, but it's not at that level of spaciousness. I wonder how much effort it took to make this thing........will Shin-kun receive it? What did he say, but it's impossible not to take it when you see this.

Let's go in.

　I said that and followed Alice's example of getting into the hot water after pouring the bath water over her, so I get into the bath too. The temperature of the water is just right and I can't help but let out a voice.

''Funyu.''

Hahaha, Megumi looks like a cat!

　Alice hears my voice and teases me, but I move to the back of the bathtub without paying attention to her.

'Wait, Megumi,'

　I can hear them chasing me from behind, but I don't stop. In this place where there is no one else in the public, I can make one of my dreams of swimming in the bathtub come true!　I moved to the center and then took a big breath and dove into the hot water all at once. When I was out of breath and looked out of the hot water, I was a little surprised to see Alice coming at me, doing a high speed butterfly.

'It's awful, I can't believe you're swimming away without me.

'Sorry, I just got a little too happy. But why did you chase me while 'butterflying'?　You could have just swam normally.

I can't do anything but butterfly.

　When I asked her about it, Alice answered swiftly and puffily. But if he can't swim any other way than the butterfly, do you think he'll be able to chase after Arakawa at high speed, making full use of the butterfly swimming technique when you go to the beach with him?　That's probably ... no, it's definitely a horror story.
　Maybe we should teach them how to swim in other ways.　I thought about that and asked Alice about it.

Really?　Then I want to learn to crawl.

　No, Alice, what I'm trying to say is more like this - how to swim so you can cackle and woof when you go to the beach with your boyfriend.



　After teaching her how to swim for a while, we sat down on the edge of the tub to cool off.

''You should have brought Con with you. Oh but would he be surprised if I put him in hot water?

　What do you think?　I've certainly never read about dragons soaking in hot springs in fiction, but surprisingly, I can imagine an image of that boy would happily float around puka puka. Just as I was thinking about that, all of a sudden.

Shubba!　Shubba!

I heard the sound of a small rocket in flight. I looked around and saw the rocket flying away from the front door area towards my surroundings. What was it doing?　Faster than I could utter a question, Alice was asking Arakawa-kun in a loud voice.

''Kunki-kun, what are you doing?''

"I'm firing a rocket to avoid vermin. "The next time I shoot, I'll shoot off some fireworks made by Shingo, so keep an eye out for them.

　Hearing Arakawa-kun's reply from a distance, I have a hard time understanding, so why not 'firecrackers' then?　I don't understand why you should bother to make it a rocket. Well, perhaps if you ask Mr. Singh, he'll say, 'Huh!　I can see the inexplicable answer of 'Isn't that romantic?' or something like that.



Hugh ... poof!



　As I was imagining Shin-kun, the fireworks suddenly began to light up the sky. It is true that the fireworks are somewhat smaller than a fireworks display, but the warm, beautiful, large flowers that are warm and beautiful and filled with hearts are dying in the night sky.

''Beautiful...''

　そう声を出すとアリスちゃんが頷いているのが分かった。そのまま花火を眺めていると隣にいるアリスちゃんが真剣な声で話しかけてきた。

「めぐみん、めぐみんは何で斉藤君の事が好きになったの？」

『何で』かは分からない……だけど気付いたら好きになっていた。初めは『変な笑い方をしてる気持ち悪い人』という認識しか無かったのを覚えている。そこから何故好きになったのだろうか？　　記憶を探る内にはっきりと思い出す事が出来た。
　たしか最初に印象が変わったのは、放課後に探し物をしていた時だ。研究のデータを入れたディスクを紛失した時に、たまたま通りかかったシン君が3時間も一緒に探してくれたのだ。ディスクが見つかった時、私は何か見返りを求めてくるのでは無いかと身構えていたがシン君は、『良かったね！　じゃあボク帰るよ』と言ってお礼を言う暇も無く帰ってしまった。あの時に私の中で『変だけど良い人』のイメージになったはずだ。
　その後暫くしてから、街で買い物をしている時に不良に絡まれた事があった。腕を掴んで無理やり連れて行かれようとした時に、突然シン君の声が聞えた。

『ねぇ、離してあげなよ』

　少し震えながらであるが……大きな荷物を地面に置いて私を助けようとしてくれる彼が、とても頼もしく感じたのを鮮明に覚えている。案の定、不良に殴られそうになったシン君は地面に置いた荷物を開けて中からチャバネ君を起動させていた。
　あの時はまだ喋れなかったチャバネ君を使って私を助けてくれた時に『変だけど勇気のある格好良い人』になった。私がそうアリスちゃんに教えると、

「結局、変な人ってイメージは付いたままなんだね」

と笑っていた。だってシン君は変なんだから仕方ない……今はそういう所も好きではあるが。それよりアリスちゃんは何で荒川君を好きになったのだろう？　疑問になって問いかけると、『秘密』なんて言いながら答えてくれない。私だけ答えてズルイと少し怒りながら言うと、

「花火も終わったし、そろそろ上がろう？　ご飯たべながら夏休みの予定たてなきゃね！」

といいながら脱衣所に逃げていってしまった。完全にはぐらかされたので次回は必ず聞くことに決めて、私は花火が消えた空を見つめながら考える。





　今年の夏休みは楽しい事が沢山ありそうだ。




----スキンヘッド　視点----

　部下と一緒に功樹君が居る建物の付近に潜みながら、夕食の携帯食料を口に入れる。冷えていてお世辞にも旨くはないが取り合えず腹が脹れるので良しとする。丁度良い感じの岩に背を預けながらもくもくと食べていると、部下が不満そうに口を開く。

「くそっ、なんで俺達ばっかりこんな任務なんですか？　今頃は功樹君は温泉に浸かりながら可愛い女の子と宜しくやってる頃ですよ。それなのに俺達は虫に噛まれながら冷えた飯を食ってるなんて……不公平にも程がありますよ」

「お前はこの仕事で給料を貰ってるんだろうが？　グダグダ言ってないで、良いからさっさと飯を食え。この前の襲撃の件だって真相は良くわかって無いんだ警戒を怠るな」

　テンプレートの返答を返すが納得は出来ないようで不満を漏らし続ける。他のメンバーの顔も窺うが、どうやら皆同じ意見のようだ。しょうがない……緘口令が敷かれているわけでもないので『ある情報』を教えてやる事にした。

「これは指揮官以上の階級しか知らない事だがな、荒川女史はあの建物周辺の土地だけを買ったわけではないんだ」

　俺が話始めると、不満を言い続けていた口を閉じて俺の言葉に集中する。なんの事は無い、コイツ等だってプロなのだから一時の不満を解消してやれば任務を継続できるはずだ。俺は話を続ける。

「もちろんこの事は功樹君は知らないし、彼のキャッシュから引かれたのはあの建物と周辺の土地の金額だけだ。だが女史はこの辺り一帯の土地を丸々買い上げたんだよ、理由は俺達が潜む護衛の為と……」

『為となんですか？』部下どもは興味を持った様子で俺に質問してくる。話の続きを喋る前に、『文句を言わないで今晩の任務を継続する』約束を取り付けてから続きを教えてやる。

「護衛の為と『周辺の基地化』だよ、この辺り一帯は荒川所有の要塞になるんだ。もちろん表向きは唯の山だがメインは地下要塞だ、詳しくは俺は知らないが収容予定の兵員数は1800名でそれなりの武装も整えられると聞いた。
　例の襲撃で女史が息子の安全に危惧を抱いた様子でな、国連に許可を押し通したんだ。つまり……女史は日本では自衛軍に次ぐ規模の武装集団を率いることになる。いや、質の面を含めれば最大規模でも良いのかも知れんな、なんと言っても伝説の修一さんの部隊も駐屯する事が決まっている」

　部下がえらく興奮しているのが分かる。早い話が俺達も地下要塞に収容されるメンバーに入っているのだ、大変名誉な事だと思う。それにしても……功樹君の頭脳に女史の資金力と修一さんの武力、この3つが本気で稼動したら国連すら意のままに操れるのか。
　なにか恐ろしいモノを見た気持ちで腕を組んでいると、建物の方からロケット弾の発射音が聞えてきた。まさか襲撃か！？　俺が慌てて立ち上がると無線連絡が入ってきた。

『現在、護衛対象が害獣避けの警告弾の発射を行っています』

　なるほど、なら心配しなくても大丈夫だ。俺は再び座り直し部下の話に耳を傾ける。

「この辺りで地下要塞を作るんなら、風呂はやっぱ温泉だろうな！　楽しみだぜ」

「おう！　部隊の女性陣も喜ぶだろうよ、上手く行ったら覗けるかもな」

「覗けるかもで思い出したが、あのアリスって子は可愛かったな。こっからスコープで風呂を覗けねぇか？」

　The moment a foolish subordinate said such an inappropriate thing


Hugh ... gun!


　The rock I was resting my back on was hit by a 'rocket-propelled grenade'. As expected, it's probably a coincidence, I said.

But that's a dud.

I point out in a shaky voice. I'm horrified to realize this, and I wonder how it's possible that a randomly fired rocket could have accidentally landed in our path and accidentally gone undetected?　There's no way that's possible. He was probably aiming to shoot at us, but he only fired a warning shot at us the first time.
　You should be grateful to the head of the academy for the ethics education, I have to write a report on 'great effect of ethics education' when I return. I'll order my subordinates to refrain from making any more inappropriate comments and think about it.




　I don't know how effective the vermin avoidance was, but that rocket-propelled grenade seemed to have an effect on the vermin that tried to peek at the woman.





---- Dean of the school, Kaori Yamamoto's point of view----


　As I'm in my office, sorting through papers, I look up when I hear a scratching at the door. Could it be that boy has come?　I got up and opened the door to find a small dragon at my feet.

'Con!'

　As I held Kong-chan, who was staring at me with an expression that looked as if she wanted to say 'hello', I took the tomatoes out of the fridge, which have always been there since the day she first arrived.
　As I watched her mugging and eating happily, I remembered the first time I met this little dragon. That must have been the night of the day the academy was attacked....




　I was busy contacting all the parties involved when I received the report that the academy had been destroyed and one student had been taken away. I was busy getting in touch with the various parties involved. I was hoping for the safe return of the student when my eye was caught by Arakawa's pet entering through the open doorway.
　As I recall, he told me it was a "new species of lizard", and I wanted to get rid of it because I'm not a fan of reptiles, but since it was Arakawa-kun's pet, I couldn't provoke it and injure it, so I could only watch. The lizard stared at me as it trotted along, then jumped on the desk, touched a nearby red ink pad with its hand and rubbed its hand on a blank piece of paper.

'Please feed me,'

　It was badly written, but no doubt the lizard in front of me wrote Japanese on the paper. I was surprised and asked, 'What are you?　When I ask, 'Can you understand words in the habit of lizards?' he writes more words on the paper.

'I am a dragon. I am not a lizard. Please feed me.'

　Dragon this lizard called himself a dragon. Normally this would be a laughing matter, but it's annoying that Arakawa-kun wouldn't feel any differently about having a dragon as a pet. But when it comes to food, there's nothing to feed them in this situation, so if it's anything at all, it might be convenient to ask the dragon.

I like yasai, but I don't care what it is. But I don't mind anything.'

　If it's veggies, there's probably some leftover salad I bought for lunch... I handed him the salad and he started eating it happily. The poor thing must have been quite hungry, and she was eating intently. When he finished eating, he wrote out some words on a piece of paper again, so I looked at it.

'Thank you. My name is Con.''

Yes, you say "Conn.

　I found myself smiling as I stroked Conn. A lot of terrible things happened today it would be nice to have some healing at least at the end. As I continued to stroke it while thinking that, Kon touched a paperweight on the desk and then wrote the words on the paper again.

''Is this tetsudo?''

Yes, that's an iron paperweight.

　As I replied, Kon's wings began to glow, and the moment a purple flash of light shone.......the iron paperweight became a shining 'pure gold' paperweight.

''Orei. I'm coming back.''

　After writing that, Conn walked out of the room, trotting out the same way he came.




'Conn, Conn?'

　I'm suddenly brought back to reality when I notice Conn's whimpering. He seems to have finished the tomatoes I gave him, and is using my fountain pen to write on a piece of paper.

'Thank you for the feast. It was delicious.''

You seem to have picked up a lot of letters.

　When I praise her for that, she proudly puffs her chest out. The sight of her is so cute that I can't help but stroke it, and then Kong-chan writes more letters.

''Thank you, but since it's not always a trick with money, let's make it something else this time, shall we?　What precious metals and stones are valuable?'

　Seeing that made me feel dizzy for the first time about Kong. Does she understand the value of what she is doing?　Well, I'll tell you about it later, but...




　Now I've decided to have a big blue diamond made.