Chapter 17: Mistakes, the Pier, and Travelers

"Still, I’m really glad this suspicious situation wasn’t a plot targeting Maki."

"This sort of thing has always happened. There are Devils with abilities the government keeps an eye on, and under government orders, I control those Devils... Ah."

I stopped speaking and froze where I stood. Slowly, I replayed what I had just said in my head.

“Under government orders, I control those Devils...”

“Control” those Devils...

Control...

Control...

Control......

Control.........

...I said it. I had just made an enormous slip-up.

Could there be another moment when I was more grateful for this frozen world? I was so thankful that Eigo was the only one who had heard those words.

If time had been moving, my expression would have already fallen apart.

Why... Why did it have to be that word...?

Control.

It was the word that best described what I truly was. It was neither a metaphor nor a term used for my job.

It was too blatant. The most definitive word pointing to my identity... to the power of the [Control Devil].

Eigo said nothing. He did not laugh, nor did he react with surprise.

He was only looking at me. As always, with those warm eyes that gave me such intense reassurance...

Why? That gaze frightened me so much.

...How am I supposed to fix this now?

No, was fixing it even an option? Once words had left one’s mouth, they could not be taken back.

I opened and closed my mouth several times. It was too late for an excuse, but maintaining silence terrified me to death.

Then Eigo spoke first.

"It’s okay."

He sounded so calm that, for a moment, I doubted my ears.

"What you just said... it’s something you want to keep secret, right? Then you don’t have to force yourself to explain it."

I looked up at him. He was still smiling lightly, but there was no mischief in that smile.

"I said this last time too, but friends can have secrets. I didn’t hear anything."

Eigo crouched down in front of me and met my eyes.

"We’re just sitting together at the harbor, waiting for a ship, aren’t we?"

At that moment, the wind began blowing again, tickling my cheeks. Locals drinking and playing poker since noon, children running around kicking a ball.

Colorful sounds returned to the world that had been still and silent. I opened the pocket watch Eigo had placed in my hand.

The second hand was moving.

*

Betio Port.

The first foreign harbor I had ever seen was very different from a Japanese one. People sat atop cargo crates chatting, sleeping, or smoking cigarettes.

There was a departure schedule, but it had more pencil-marked revisions than original writing. It was a sight unimaginable at a Japanese port.

"Hmm. This hasn’t changed either."

At the rookie’s words, I cautiously added an explanation.

"The ship for the Line Islands... it is a regular service, but it usually only comes once a month, and depending on the weather or cargo situation... it can change a little. No, a lot."

"Meaning?"

Makima tilted her head.

"It is scheduled to depart today, but... the exact time is still..."

As I finished speaking, I became anxious myself.

"Haha, an island of waiting, huh?"

The rookie did not look bothered at all. If anything, he took Makima’s hand and walked toward the end of the harbor.

I hurried after them.

"Maki."

"Yeah."

"In a place like this..."

Eigo pointed out at the sea.

"Doesn’t it feel like time and people breathe together, instead of time devouring people? Unlike Tokyo..."

Makima looked at the rookie, then rested her head on his shoulder. Watching the two of them from behind, I felt my face heat up.

"Just because the ship sails doesn’t mean it goes straight to Washington Island. It may stop by other islands along the way."

Makima said.

"I know."

The rookie turned and smiled. Then...

He leaned his head toward Makima’s cheek. At that moment, I squeezed my eyes shut.

No way... Is he really...? That Makima?!?!?!?!!?!

Behind me, I sensed Makima sharply draw in a breath in surprise. As though nothing had happened, I turned toward the sea.

I am a tree... I am a tree... I am a tree... I am a tree... I am a tree...

The rookie and Makima were having some incredibly sweet conversation. I am a tree....

Perhaps we were lucky, because a ship was approaching the harbor. On its deck, a person who appeared to be a local escort was waving a placard that read “Makima.”

*

"Oh."

Eigo stepped onto the deck and stomped on it once in admiration.

"It’s a coaster. Carries cargo and passengers."

"It’s bigger than I expected.... From a distance, it looked really small...."

Enonoka stood gripping the railing and looking down at the sea. Her eyes, which had apparently imagined no more than a small fishing boat, widened slightly.

After talking with the guide for a while, Eigo came up onto the deck and grumbled.

"Those government bastards... They can’t even put us on a luxury passenger liner, and instead it’s a coaster? Are they really that short on money?"

"Aren’t you used to this sort of thing, Eigo?"

Eigo laughed at Makima’s words.

"That’s a separate issue from being used to it."

After looking around once, he leaned toward Makima’s ear and whispered.

"Using one of these cheap travel agency package tours... doesn’t that make it seem like our guess was right after all?"

"...Yeah."

The ship slowly left the harbor. Eigo made the habitual motion of bringing his empty hand, as though holding a cigarette, to his mouth, but soon stopped.

"Where does this ship stop?"

"It stops by Tabuaeran once, and then Teraina... in other words, Washington Island."

"Oh, thank you, Enonoka."

Eigo nodded.

"Looks like it’ll take around ten days. Maki, let’s go downstairs."

"Okay."

The ship silently cut through the sea. Ahead lay nothing but the horizon and the vast, deep open ocean.

.

.

.

Sunlight poured over the deck.

The sea glittered like glass, and the ship was slowly approaching a pier.

"Wow... This view... I’ll never forget it as long as I live...."

Overwhelmed, Enonoka covered her mouth and murmured. Leaning against the railing, Eigo spoke.

"Seems like the kind of place you’d rather come for a honeymoon than on a Devil extermination business trip. Don’t you think, my friend?"

"D-Don’t say things like that so casually...!"

Makima reacted at once. Her face instantly turned red.

"Haha, teasing Maki really is fun."

As the ship nearly reached the pier, several people on the island came into view waving their hands. They had the relaxed, cheerful demeanor of people welcoming tourists.

"Are they... the local escorts?"

Enonoka asked cautiously.

"They aren’t carrying guns, so I think they are, Enonoka."

"Eek...! G-Guns?!"

Eigo said with a laugh.

"I think you can relax for now, since they’re not people running at us with guns. Hehe."

Looking at the pier, Makima spoke as if letting out a breath.

"We’re finally... here."

The ship reached the pier, and ropes were thrown. Once docking was complete, Eigo stepped off first and declared,

"All right, Operation Washington Island Landing begins~!"

"B-Begins...."

"Not like that, Enonoka. More spirited. Begins~!!"

"Ugh... Begiiins...... Waaah... I can’t do it... It’s too embarrassing......"

With a faint smile, Makima asked,

"...Was that based on experience? The part about locals chasing you with guns?"

Eigo turned around and grinned.

"Secret~!"

The moment they stepped onto the pier, the local crewman said with a bright smile,

"Well, this is as far as we go~! You can handle your own lodging and transportation from here!"

...And that truly was all. The crewman folded up the placard, waved goodbye, and went back.

The ship was already slowly turning around to pick up its next passengers. A brief silence followed.

"...Huh?"

Enonoka was the first to speak.

"E-Excuse me...? What about the lodging? The car? An interpreter...?"

The ship was already moving away. Standing on the pier, Eigo put his hands on his hips.

"Wow. This is impressive."

"Impressive...?"

Makima bent forward as she came closer.

"Yeah. Sending us on a business trip and telling us to ‘figure it out locally’? Isn’t this the absolute cheapest package among the travel agencies the government uses? Those guys weren’t even travel agency employees in the first place! They were just fishermen! Taking tourists around was their side hustle!!!"

Grumbling, Eigo looked around. Other than a few palm trees, there was nothing on the pier.

"No pickup, no guide, no map."

He counted them off on his fingers.

"Even if we’re supposed to be playing spies, isn’t this too much? Fuck...."

"Fuck...?"

Makima tilted her head.

"There is... a word like that...."

Meanwhile, Enonoka’s face was growing steadily paler.

"Th-Then we’re here... with no support whatsoever...? I-Isn’t this a diplomatic business trip...? Wasn’t it international cooperation...?"

Her thoughts were spinning in a panic.

"Enonoka, are you okay?"

Makima tilted her head.

"Y-Yes...? Ah, yes, I’m fine...! It’s just..."

Enonoka added in a small voice,

"At least an address for our lodging...."

Eigo burst out laughing.

"This is your first trip abroad, isn’t it, Enonoka?"

"Eek...! Y-Yes...."

"This is how it goes. A local adaptation quest."

"A-A quest...?"

"Thinking of it that way is better for your mental health...."

With his hands clasped behind his back, Eigo stared out at the distant sea with dead eyes. In his back, Enonoka saw a true traveler.

Makima was already slowly surveying the area.

Just as I thought, there’s nothing.

Without looking the least bit flustered, she said,

"Let’s head into the village for now. If we ask around, we’ll find lodging soon enough."

"See? Maki looks used to situations like this, doesn’t she?"

Eigo asked with a sidelong glance.

"Yeah. It was always like this."

Enonoka was even more shocked by those words.

"It was... always like this...?"

Eigo sighed and shrugged.

"Still, it’s a small island, so we probably won’t get lost."

"That doesn’t comfort me at all...."

"It’s okay, Enonoka."

Eigo grinned.

"I’ve already been to this island once. If we go just a little way ahead, there’s a village."

"A-A village... foreigners... a language barrier?! That’s even scarier...!"

Makima smiled as she watched the two of them making such a racket.

This kind of liveliness... isn’t bad. No, I like it....

And so, under Eigo’s guidance, the three of them began walking in search of the village.

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