I had misread the time, and ended up arriving too early.
The schedule board flipped with a series of clacks.
My flight to Sapporo was still a bit later on.
I still had over an hour before boarding.
...Well, I might as well close my eyes for a bit on that bench over there, then.
I came here directly from work, so maybe the fatigue from that was making me sleepy.
Finding a suitable bench, I put my luggage on the seat next to me and settled down.
"...Phew..."
I sighed like an old man.
I had hoped to stay young forever, but had become splendidly middle-aged.
...Apparently the rumor that "even people in the latter half of their twenties experience a decline in their physical strength" wasn't a lie.
It had been mind-numbingly busy at work lately, so I rarely had any time to myself.
This might have been the first time I'd been able to enjoy a journey alone like this since I was a student.
...The reason behind this trip was to meet with an old friend.
It was a bit strange to call him an old friend...
in fact, it might be better to call him a bad one.
After retiring a couple of years ago, he moved to Sapporo, his mother's hometown.
His mother passed away soon after, and he was now peacefully enjoying his second lease on life.
His name was Kuraudo Ooishi.
He was a former detective from the Primary Investigation Unit at the station in Okinomiya, XX Prefecture.
To be honest, the only direct contact we ever had didn't last more than three days.
After that, we exchanged New Year's cards, but never met again.
So, this would be the first time meeting him in... seven years.
In other words, we met seven years ago.
In 1978.
There was something I just had to ask-- to talk to him about concerning that time.
To explain that... it was impossible not to recall the incident that happened back then.
...That kidnapping, the details and resolution of which were resigned to darkness.
Also... it was impossible not to recall a certain mysterious girl.
...
My name is Mamoru Akasaka.
It was a year that had been strangely hot even though it was only June...
"""Goodbye, teacher!!"""
"Okay, bye.
Watch out for cars.
And don't drop in at a friend's house along the way.
Make sure you get your textbooks in order for tomorrow before you go to bed."
Clatter clatter clatter!
The lively sounds of children running towards the hallway.
"Hey now, didn't I tell you before!?"
"I already have one of those!!
I don't need any more!!"
The unique high-pitched voice of youth.
The energetic shrill of the cicadas went completely unheard by their ears.
Children, returning home from school, split off one-by-one from their groups of friends as they went through intersections in the residential area.
Even though there were several of them in a group as they left the school, as they got closer to their homes, their numbers dwindled.
...That's why the fewer friends you were walking home with acted as an indicator that you were that much closer to your destination.
"Later!!
See ya!"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
He finally parted ways with his last friend.
...A van was parked at a bend in the road.
The window was open, the sound of the radio leaking outside.
...It must have been the news or something.
"...for that reason, the three of them were arrested for traffic violations and obstruction of justice.
Due to the protests against the Hinamizawa Dam Project resulting in bloodshed when clashing with riot police last month, things have only become more violent.
The police are therefore taking precautions against radical activists causing yet another incident.
Last week, there was also a direct confrontation with Minister Inukai on the steps of the Ministry of Construction..."
The boy's ears perked up at the mention of the name "Inukai".
At that moment, a man's face peeked out suddenly from the window of the van.
His behavior was a little different than that of a man looking around to see if there was any incoming traffic before he opened the door of his vehicle.
...His eyes meeting suddenly with the unfamiliar man, the boy panicked slightly...
"...Nightingale, okay."
"Skylark, okay.
They've secured the two blocks around us.
...We're good to go!"
The man in the passenger seat whispered quietly.
Nodding in acknowledgement, the man opened the door... and stood before the boy.
"...You.
...Are you Toshiki Inukai-kun?"
While asking that, the man peered at the boy's nametag.
..."Toshiki Inukai"...
the name was written plainly there...
The phone rang for a third time.
If he reached out, he could easily pick up the receiver.
...However, he was concerned that if he picked it up before it had even finished ringing once, whoever was on the other end of the line would think him a fairly cheap person.
That's why he normally never picked up the phone until the third ring.
Even he thought it was a worthless habit.
...However, his thinking that "there isn't much meaning in waiting for just three rings, wouldn't waiting for five be all right?" was very much a reality.
His mind filled with such trifling thoughts, he picked up the phone after the third ring had finished, its reverb dampened by his action...
"...Yes.
...Hello...?"
"..."
"......Hello?"
"..."
He knew that sometimes due to a malfunction at the switchboard, calls didn't connect well.
At those times, it was best to hang up and let the person on the other end call again.
...Thinking that, the moment he began to hang up the phone...
...He sensed that he was definitely connected after all. He felt the presence of the person on the other end of the line, keeping silent...
"......Hello...?"
"..."
There was no way they didn't hear his question.
...What was the meaning of this?
It wasn't like he didn't know that people could use silent calls to harass others.
However, he'd never received a call like that until today.
...Maybe he was just lucky before, but he didn't believe that he would receive such a call on this phone.
There were no direct calls to or from this line.
Everything had to go through an operator.
Therefore, there was absolutely no way the call would be connected unless it was verified there was somebody else on the other end of the line.
That's why he didn't understand how to deal with this silent call, and instead settled into confusion...
"...I don't know who you are, but if you have nothing to say I'm going to hang up.
Please call again some other time."
Intending that to be a parting line, he made to slam down the receiver.
...It was at that moment, the person on the other end spoke for the first time.
"...You didn't say who you were, so I was anxious.
If you're not Minister Inukai, please hang up right away."
He couldn't help but be surprised by the extremely strange voice on the other end of the line.
...Was there a human alive who could speak with this hoarse and metallic voice?
... No. ...This was... a voice he had heard somewhere before.
That was the kind of voice that was on those lowbrow documentaries, that they'd use when they wanted to hide the identity of a speaker, wasn't it?
...The voice he was hearing over the line was exactly like that.
"... Who... are you?"
"....As I said, that's what I want to ask.
Are you Minister Inukai?"
He --Inukai-- hesitated to answer.
Unable to discern the intent of this suspicious phone call, he had a vague feeling that something was off.
He thought about hanging up the phone and asking the operator who initiated the call.
...However, he forced himself to restrain that urge, and for the time being, chose to state his name and listen.
"...That's right.
This is Inukai.
...I said my name, now you say yours."
"...My name doesn't matter.
First of all, let's begin by thinking about the situation you're in right now.
...Right now, you're sitting in your chair talking on the phone, yes?
Then, why don't you try opening the lower drawer to your right."
The lowest drawer to the right of the minister's chair.
...There was a lock on it. Not enough to function as a safe, but nevertheless it was a drawer that contained some valuable things.
That's why Inukai thought that the person wanted some of the important information contained within that drawer.
"...Sorry, but I don't have any intention of opening that.
I have no reason to follow orders from somebody who won't even give me his name."
"If you don't open that drawer, I'll hang up the phone.
...You will most likely end up regretting that.
Why don't you think about opening that drawer first?"
Inukai didn't like following orders from this suspicious person one bit.
...However, he was concerned about what the man said about "regretting it," so he decided to open the drawer.
He took the small key he kept stowed in his wallet, and unlocked the drawer.
...His hand stopped right before he opened it.
What if there was a bomb inside... and it would explode if the drawer was opened...?
That delusion took hold of him.
He quelled that instinct, and opened it.
"...Did you do it?
The thing that's in there, do you know what it is?"
"
...
This is...
What is the meaning of this!?
Hey!!"
"I don't think there's any need for me to explain, is there?
I'll give you some time, so please think about it a little.
I'll contact you again later.
Now then, pardon me..."
"Hey!
Wait!!
Hello!?
HELLO!?!?"
The call had already ended.
That would not change no matter how much he yelled at it.
...Even still, Inukai, without realizing that, continued yelling into the receiver for a while.
...The drawer was still open.
...On top of the folders crammed into the drawer, it lay there.
"Toshiki Inukai"
Written in plain lettering on a grade-schooler's nametag... just lying there.
Enshrined there, completely out of place, as if it were cowering...
...Do you remember, Yukie?
This picture.
This is where I first proposed to you.
...That brief moment before you nodded back,
you probably wouldn't know
just how much
it seemed like
an eternity to me.
Yes.
I would have never thought that amount of time could feel like an eternity.
Compared to how long I had to wait for you to propose to me, it was...
Hahahahahaha...
From the moment I met you until today...
...Compared to the time I've spent since I was born, it might only be a brief period, but...
They were definitely precious, beautiful days that deserved to be called an eternity.
...That time continues even now.
...From now on.
I wonder if it'll be a boy...
or maybe a girl?
...Either one is fine.
Boy or girl... either way it's living proof that we love each other.
If it's a boy, we'll name it after you: "Mamoru."
If it's a girl, we'll put the "Yuki" from my name in hers...
Thinking about names is so fun that in the end we still haven't decided yet.
There's still time to puzzle over it.
...Not that long of a time, actually.
....You see, Yukie.
...There's something I have to apologize for today.
...It's about your job.
...Sorry.
...It looks like an annoying bit of work has come up.
...In the worst case,
...I might not be able to be there for the delivery.
It's fine.
You have a very important job.
What you do protects the way we live.
....Compared to you, it's nothing.
Please, go ahead.
When you return, I'll be waiting here with our child.
Thank you.
...Also,
I'm sorry.
...Please don't apologize.
If you feel guilty about it... then you can just atone.
If I atone that much, no matter how much money I have, it won't be enough.
Hee hee.
It's a joke.
...Now ...Go on..
As I left the room, I bumped into an elderly man.
...It was Yukie's father.
...In other words, my father-in-law.
"...Father."
"I didn't want to intrude.
So I waited in the hall."
"..."
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard.
...Go.
Yukie is that kind of girl.
...No matter what happens, she doesn't want to hold you back."
"...I've... forced Yukie to give up on so many things.
To put her through this during childbirth, such an important time in her life... I'm ashamed."
"...If you really feel that way, ...When you're done with your work, make some time for Yukie.
...She'll be happier with that than you passing your work off on someone else."
"...Thank you."
"I know full well you do important work.
Be proud in what you do.
Yukie is looking forward to your triumphant return..."
"...Yes."
I jumped into the taxi that was waiting outside.
Compared to the time when I first got here, the numbers on the fare meter had grown considerably.
...It seemed the modest time Yukie and I had spent together wasn't so modest from an objective point of view.
"Sorry to keep you waiting.
Go ahead."
"...No worries.
Well then, off we go."
The taxi jerked as it changed gears to accelerate, soon burying the hospital my wife was in behind a throng of buildings.
...If it was to end up as a really troublesome ordeal... I probably wouldn't be returning for quite some time.
To call a rookie like me, and on top of that, one who's off duty... It seemed that the section chief was calling for all hands on deck.
The veteran upper brass gathering on an emergency basis happened occasionally...
This was the first time, though, that I experienced everybody gathering together like this.
Whatever was happening, there was no doubt it was going to be something novel.
...Right when my wife was ready to give birth.
...If I wanted to spend the time to curse my misfortunes, I'd be here all day.
Even the verdant gingko trees lining the street that always brightened my mood seemed to lack some of their usual lustre...
Eventually, the government office came into view.
Briefly holding my breath... I let the feelings of tension course through my body once again.
...I had to remember the work I was doing was important, necessary... and difficult.
I composed myself and sharpened my wit.
...Ready.
The taxi stopped in front of the building.
"Chief, everyone's here.
Akasaka-kun, could you close the blinds?"
The blinds were usually closed when they needed to use the projector, or if the discussion was going to contain some particularly disturbing content.
The blinds closed with a satisfying sound, darkening the interior of the room.
...Immediately, the inside of the room was completely drained of the pleasant morning atmosphere, leaving behind only the cold illumination of the fluorescent lighting.
After the supervisor ensured that everyone was present, he nodded to the section chief once again.
...With everybody on the edge of their seats, the chief stood up solemnly, and began to give his report.
"Approximately 48 hours ago, the Minister of Construction's grandson, who is also the son of one of his staff leaders, is believed to have been kidnapped.
It is believed the Minister, in an effort to resolve matters amicably, chose not to report the situation to the police and plans to cede to the demands imposed upon him."
It seemed that approximately 48 hours earlier, the Minister of Construction's grandson, who was also the son of one of his senior staff members, was kidnapped.
The reason why it was phrased that way was because the person in question didn't admit it had happened.
"Based on the results of surveillance conducted on the Minister's residence, multiple suspicious phone calls from what is believed to be outside the city took place.
The abducted child is said to be under treatment for some illness, but there's no trace of any hospital records or witnesses to such effect.
Due to that and various other reasons, we believe without a doubt that a kidnapping has occurred."
...Here, they omitted the details that brought this incident to light.
If you think about it a bit, that meant that before this incident happened,
the Minister's residence had been under surveillance already (I won't use the words "spied upon").
Of course, there wouldn't have been court approval for this, and it would have been very hard to explain to ordinary citizens...
However, it was quite an effective method to catch wind of incidents like this before they got worse.
I'd like for you to understand that dealing with these cases before they become a problem is the job of the Public Safety Division.
"Why is he just following their demands instead of reporting this to the police?"
"The fact that a Minister can't even trust the police, what is the world coming to?"
"It seems the group of perpetrators demonstrated that they have quite a high level of surveillance on the Minister themselves when they conducted the kidnappings.
Enough to give the Minister pause before calling the police."
"'We'll find out right away if you call the cops,' more or less?"
"So it's possible that there's a mole close to the Minister."
Several of the higher ranking members who seemed to have experience with this kind of thing let out deep sighs...
"The goals of the perpetrators, their demands, as well as this entire incident are as of yet unclear,
but in any case, the possibility that this may grow to threaten national interest is extremely high."
If their goal was to simply have their demands met for monetary gain, that would have been nice.
...However, if this was some politically-motivated shake-up, things would get a lot more complicated.
"Since we're not receiving any cooperation from the victim, that means that we're not privy to any of the details of the threats or demands..."
"Due to the fact we believe there may be a mole involved in this incident, this investigation is highly classified; only the people in this room are to know of this.
Furthermore, as this case is our utmost priority, we'll be placing a hold on everybody's normal duties.
Understood!?"
After that, the supervisor continued on, tactfully explaining our course of action.
If this incident were to become public, it was possible that the Minister's political life would be over.
...I'll spare you the explanation of how the rest of the dominoes would fall, but in the end, support in the Diet would decline,
followed by a no-confidence vote and a snap election,
and it might even expand communist influences.
...In other words, we wanted to handle this delicately.
"Kawasaki and Saeki, monitor communications from the Minister and the child's residences 24/7.
Find out what the Minister is doing.
Report anything that happens.
The remaining members, investigate whatever is related to the case as assigned to your units.
Focus your line of investigation on the Commies, Reds, and Confeds.
Don't discount the possibility of foreign involvement, either!"
I've experienced one or two... unamicable situations before.
This, however, was the first time I've seen things get so hectic.
Several sophisticated conversations were progressing without the involvement of a rookie like me.
...I didn't intend to be timid, but I couldn't hide my confusion at this unfamiliar situation.
"--and cover that.
As for Akasaka-kun,"
I snapped back to alertness upon hearing my name called.
"Y-Yes!"
"You investigate the environmental groups that have petitioned the minister.
Among them, there's that group protesting the Hinamizawa Dam Project that made the papers. Make sure you investigate them thoroughly.
I doubt this is the act of some citizen group, but we have to eliminate every possibility we can."
"Understood.
So those opposed to the Hinamizawa Dam..."
"It's probably best if you go to the location personally.
Get some information from the local authorities.
They're a fairly radical organization, so the Public Safety Division there should have them marked as well."
"Understood.
I'll head over there."
"...Your wife, she's almost ready to give birth, isn't she?
I apologize for the timing of all this, but I'm counting on your cooperation.
We can't take our time with this, so we just have to brute-force it with our boots to the ground."
"Yeah, I know.
...My wife hates to interfere with my work with her own circumstances anyways."
"Sorry, and thanks.
...So then, as for Kawasaki-kun and Saeki-kun, to help support your..."
...I didn't want to take a business trip when my wife was about to give birth.
Even if I was a little busy, as long as I was in Tokyo, I could head to the hospital right away.
...On assignment, though... that would be difficult.
Even so, I knew the work I was doing was important, and fully understood that I was in no position to be so selfish.
I'd have to make it up to my wife for having to be away at such an important time.
My wife-- Yukie, would probably forgive me with a smile.
The only thing she could hate doing would be holding me back.
...My male ego, though, at least wished she would have tried to stop me.
Sorry... Yukie.
I don't mind if you always complain to our child that their father couldn't come to the hospital when they were born because he was too busy with work...
...The next day, I took the bullet train to Nagoya, and from there transferred to the train to XX Prefecture.
Getting to my destination by land took several hours.
If I was travelling by air, in that amount of time I could probably get as far as Hong Kong.
...XX Prefecture was by no means close.
I never sat in first class except for work, but whenever I did the seats seemed stiff.
Closing my eyes, I mentally reviewed the documents I read yesterday.
The group under investigation: the "Onigafuchi Guardians."
They were a group of residents opposed to the development proposed under the Hinamizawa Dam Project.
The local protests were quite heated, and were getting more radicalized.
Even limited to what was written in the newspapers, there was bloodshed that occurred during a clash with riot police, interference with the dam construction... too many to count.
The number of petitions, sit-ins, and direct appeals to the relevant organizations were innumerable.
...As an extension of that, there was a direct appeal to the Minister of Construction the other day.
(This was the reason why we were investigating this group in the first place.)
...The land that they lived on was going to be submerged, so it was no wonder they would go into a frenzy over it.
Even given that, though... could they really be capable of doing something like kidnapping the Minister of Construction's grandson in order to halt the project?
From my take on it, I had serious doubts.
This kidnapping plot was extremely sophisticated, and complicated enough that it was believed there was some political backing.
...This wasn't something that could be pulled off by some group of local protesters.
...Well, just like the chief said, the plan was to eliminate all possibilities.
While I'm in the XX police's reference room taking my time investigating, the higher-ups in Tokyo would probably solve the case.
Without my involvement entirely.
...Even if that was true, I couldn't regret being away from Tokyo while my wife was ready to give birth.
This was work.
...There was really nothing that I could do.
Ding dong.
The announcement that we would be arriving at our destination soon snapped me back to wakefulness.
"The Onigafuchi Guardians?"
"Yeah, they've been quite active around here."
The Prefectural Public Safety Department already had the documents and a cup of tea ready and waiting for me.
"The short of it is they're a group of residents opposed to the dam.
Really, it's probably better to say that every resident living on the land that's going to be submerged is rising to action, though.
Like the old saying 'fight to the last,' they're a determined and well-prepared lot.
It'd be nice if they drew the line at just being a moderate residential organization."
The stack of papers they had prepared for me in the document room was by no means thin.
"At first, they were pretty much your average citizen's initiative, but
ever since that incident with the riot police they've really started to heat up.
Now they've got a violent mentality, on top of growing increasingly radical."
Violent organizations usually indicate ones that enforce their own ideology without regards to the democratic process.
Breaking that down, many of those organizations held extreme-left revolutionary ideologies.
...Considering that, I couldn't help but be surprised that a citizen's group would end up going this far...
Radical citizen's movements happen occasionally.
It seemed, however, that this group... was nothing as trifling as that.
...It seemed that I would have to reconsider exactly what this Onigafuchi Guardians was.
"...The Guardians's demand, in other words, the withdrawal of the dam project... how far would they go to have that demand met?"
The kidnapping of the Minister's grandson was classified.
...That meant of course, I couldn't tell the XX Prefectural Department about it either.
"As you know, there were arrests after last week's confrontation with Minister Inukai.
There's enough reason to believe they could use illegal means to assert their demands."
I skimmed over the list of the criminal records related to the Onigafuchi Guardians recorded in the documents.
...The contents were all violent, not giving me the barest hint of a feeling that these people were trying to uphold the law.
"Could you give me a basic rundown of the types of illegal activities the Onigafuchi Guardians are engaging in?"
The chief opened up a manila envelope, fished out several unorganized sheets and spread them out on the desk.
"It seems that raids on the construction site are the most common.
At first, they were committing relatively petty crimes like cutting power cords, jamming locks, and breaking office windows by throwing rocks."
Of course, what really happened first were things like demonstrations, sit-ins, and distribution of pamphlets; lively but democratic forms of protests.
However, then the demonstrators and police clashed, which started a riot, leading to numerous injuries and arrests. It was from then on that the Onigafuchi Guardians, like their name implies, began to take a more demonic form of resistance...
"If the raids were frequent, didn't the local police up their patrols?"
"Well of course they were on full alert, but
they were up against locals, you know?
There wasn't much the police could do if they were sneaking around under the cover of darkness."
You might as well label the entire map of Hinamizawa Village around the dam construction site 'enemy territory.'
No matter how alert the police were... the locals would just show them exactly how easy it was to sneak around.
"Actually, it was after the police upped security that the protestors started getting ever more extreme, as though they were being provoked.
...See here? Can you tell how things started to heat up?"
"...An office set on fire.
...The destruction of heavy construction equipment.
...Destruction?
They couldn't have used explosives?"
"No way.
You see, they crammed the gas tanks full of sugar cubes.
If they do that, it fouls the engines."
Even in Japan, it seemed there had been people doing that to the vehicles of occupying forces right after the war.
...Compared to misdemeanors like breaking windows, it was extremely violent and aggressive.
"...After being toyed around with to that extent, the local police have completely lost face."
"The arson was a bit much.
After that, the local police drastically increased the number of personnel they had stationed there around the clock.
The raids on the construction site quieted down a bit after that."
He used the words "quieted down"... but that was still smack dab in the middle of the list of crimes.
"See, after that, they....
After they found that attacking the site had become difficult, they started resorting to personal attacks.
...The first people targeted were the construction workers."
After that, there was silence.
What was being described to me was a guerilla war fought in the jungle...
Threats and violence against the workers.
Harsh words and harsher rocks were thrown.
"...There's quite a list of accusations here, but there's not a whole lot of convictions."
"Of course not.
First of all, there's no witnesses.
On top of that, even if we identify the perpetrators, they have alibis coming out of the woodwork."
"...?
What do you mean by that?"
"Hmmm.
...Take for example,
you're walking around Hinamizawa,
when a certain man stabs you with a knife.
You remember the person clearly, and even know his name and address.
However, the knife doesn't have any fingerprints on it, and there's no other physical evidence.
...Well, you'd think this would be a run-of-the-mill case of assault, wouldn't you?
In Hinamizawa, though, it's a perfect crime."
Everybody is... the entire village, they're all in on it.
To protect the man who was the perpetrator, they'll get their stories straight and prepare an alibi.
...To that end, they'll probably even forge some evidence.
"There's nothing they can do but put them on trial.
On top of there not being any material evidence, though, people testify one after another to cover his side of the story.
...Any prosecutor would hesitate to file charges.
I'm not sure about murder, but if it's something like opening a gash on somebody's forehead with a thrown rock, or leaving a bruise after hitting someone, even if you could single out the suspect, there's enough reasonable doubt to not convict."
Every case is without a doubt perpetrated by someone in Hinamizawa... but they can't identify who.
Even if they could figure out who it is, they're unable to obtain enough circumstantial evidence through due process...
The villagers were all extremely well-informed about this, and so the malicious, vicious... and tenacious personal attacks continued...
"The victims can't have been okay with that, right?
Couldn't they have filed for an appeal?"
"Well you see, about that, everybody on the Inquest Committee didn't want to get involved with something so troublesome.
They won't stick their noses into anything related to Hinamizawa."
The Inquest Committee is comprised of a random selection of local residents.
...In the event the prosecutor fails to get a conviction, they have the power to order a retrial.
It's a system designed to assert the will of the people on the actions of expert prosecutors in the legal world...
...In this case, however, being composed of local residents has backfired.
"They don't want to get involved?
Why is that?"
"...Hmmm...
How do I explain this...
You could say they're afraid...
...Since it's a little special there."
"...Special?
Is it an outcaste community?"
"No... it's a little different from that...
...Well... just think of it as them being afraid.
It's a little hard to explain it just now.
....Oh, right. There's an easier way."
Wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, he opened a file labeled as a list of members of the Onigafuchi Guardians.
"The power of the Onigafuchi Guardians, you see...
Is the fact that they count many people among their members who are influential in neighboring areas.
Could you take a look at this?"
...I looked. What I saw startled me.
Prefectural and municipal assembly members. Staff members of the Chamber of Commerce. An executive of a business association.
...An executive of a town council association and a PTA liaison... there were more than a few people with a lot of say both locally and in the neighboring regions.
"Around here, you could pretty much expect your actions to be observed by those against the dam project.
...If you said something in its support... who knows how it'd work out to your disadvantage.
In any case, every town in this area is being held by the throat by somebody from Hinamizawa."
"The list of Inquisition Committee members is undisclosed, isn't it?
There has to be some measures in place to make sure they'd avoid retribution, no?"
"...Well, it is undisclosed, so their privacy is assured, but...
The person in charge of that is from the Okinomiya Municipal Office.
...In other words, a local.
While you might expect some professional confidentiality... you can't know how everybody is connected.
The people from Hinamizawa have a lot of tight bonds in that regard."
...When you consider the obligations and duties people have to the region, the web of information thereby formed is nothing to scoff at.
It's not uncommon for housewives in a neighborhood to know which kid from which house is what grade in which school, what subjects they're good at and what vegetables they hate, among other things.
"...You see, there's a yakuza organization here with strong ties to Hinamizawa and the surrounding area.
It would seem that they're providing full support in these recent incidents.
They seem to be proving most effective."
"Gangsters?
Siding together with the residents opposed to the construction of the dam?
...It's a little hard to see what their common interest is."
"It's not that difficult at all.
You see, actually, one of the lieutenants in that gang is originally from Hinamizawa.
He was adopted into a rather influential family in the village."
...Exactly what was this Hinamizawa?
I had thought it was some desolate rustic village.
However, for some reason they exerted a strong influence on the surrounding areas, and had a strong sense of unity.
They would protect their village by any means necessary, even if that meant resorting to violence.
The chief had said that they were afraid because there were numerous influential people living there,
but somehow, I got the feeling that they were afraid of the village itself.
There was something clearly different from what I had read in the documents in Tokyo. This was no simple residential protest against the dam.
For some reason, an uneasy feeling began to nestle itself at the back of my mind.
I chose the most basic way to ask my question.
...In other words, I directly asked what I wanted to know.
"...Chief.
...This is just a hypothetical situation, but..."
"Huh?"
"This... Onigafuchi Guardians.
In order to halt the dam project...
...Do you think they could, say, threaten somebody important to accomplish that?"
The chief replied immediately.
"It's possible.
Truth be told, they've already gone to municipal and prefectural offices, as well as local offices of the Ministry of Construction and done things that could be construed as intimidation.
Several of the worker's families have also reported that they're being followed around by some suspicious people."
...Well, that would make sense.
To halt progress on the dam, they raided the construction site, destroying heavy machinery and lighting the construction office on fire.
If they didn't have any qualms about doing that... threats and violence against people related to the dam would probably be no problem.
...But... that was it.
Even your everyday hoodlum could use threats and violence.
However, this time it was the kidnapping of the Minister's grandson... an abnormally high-level crime.
Not only was pulling off the kidnapping difficult in the first place, but so was maneuvering to have the minister surrender to their demands immediately. There was no way this was the work of amateurs.
...Did these people have the power to enact this large of a crime...?
That was the heart of the matter.
Was the Onigafuchi Guardians an organization capable of pulling this off?
...In order to ask that question, once again...
...I chose the most basic method.
"...Again, hypothetically, do you think...
They could kidnap a relative of someone of political importance?"
There's no way they could pull off something that big.
That was the answer I most hoped for.
If it was that answer... my work was as good as halfway done.
I might be able to get back in time for my wife to give birth.
...That was how it was supposed to be.
The chief, without a hint of hesitation, replied:
"They just might.
There's no telling how far they'd go."
...Sorry, Yukie.
...It seemed like my work wouldn't end so simply after all.
"...Oh, Akasaka-kun.
Good work.
How's the information gathering at your assigned region?"
"It's coming along.
It seems I'll be able to meet with their local Public Safety Department, so I'm planning on heading out that way.
How's the investigation in Tokyo going?"
"The others are progressing along, but
the number of groups we have to investigate are countless.
Time isn't really a luxury here."
...There were no new developments at this time.
No matter how suspicious the Onigafuchi Guardians was, if they solved the case in Tokyo, my job was done.
...It looked like my wishful thinking wouldn't come to pass.
Hanging up the phone, I let my gaze drift outside the window to the valley of unfamiliar buildings...
"Akasaka-san.
A car you can borrow just returned.
I'll take you to it, so follow me."
"Ah, thank you."
He showed me the elevator to the underground parking lot where a battered sedan was waiting for me.
That the steering wheel kept drifting to the left was a little concerning, but it would be enough to get me around for a while.
My destination was Shishibone City, XX Prefecture.
...An area under the control of the Onigafuchi Guardians.
The Okinomiya Police Station was right on the front lines.
Shishibone City was, as far as provincial cities went, rather behind the times.
Okinomiya, recessed in the mountains, was even more remote.
With little change between the seasons, all that was left was the tepid passage of time... it made for a rather drab town.
There were no tourist attractions or local delicacies.
Without even a strong regional industry, it was simply dull.
Just looking at the monotonous and peaceful townscape, it was hard to catch a glimpse of the radical resistance of the Onigafuchi Guardians...
The atmosphere of boredom didn't hint of the Okinomiya Police Station being on the front lines of the dam conflict, nor of the numerous incidents that I heard about at the prefectural headquarters.
"Good morning.
Are you here to pay a fine?"
"No, I have an appointment with Hondaya-san from the Public Safety Division.
Please tell him it's Akasaka."
"Ah...
m-my apologies. Please wait a minute..."
The clerk (who thought that I was here for a parking violation at first glance) after fumbling with the unfamiliar extension number, told the person on the line they had a visitor.
"Welcome, welcome!
Akasaka-san, was it? It must have been tiring travelling out all this way!
Sorry we have to do this here. I tried to reserve a reception room, you see,
but the councillor suddenly woke up and chased me out!
Wahahaha!"
I would hesitate to call where we were a conference room, as it was very small and cluttered.
...The cramped space was packed with lockers. I had the impression that it was more of a change room that doubled as one for smoking.
Listening to his crude chortles, I didn't get much of a feeling that Hondaya, who was head of the local Public Safety Division, was much of an intellectual.
But I knew that, in exchange, he had both experience and absolute confidence in his instincts.
"I apologize for interrupting you during such a busy time.
I'm Akasaka from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Hondaya from the Public Safety Division.
Nice to meetcha.
I was threatened by Sankai from the Prefectural Gangbusters to be generous with my cooperation.
Wahahaha!"
"Gangbusters?
You mean the Prefectural Crime Prevention Division?"
"You see, we're treating the Onigafuchi Guardians as an extension of the local yakuza.
You'd have to be a newbie if you think they're just a residential protest group, wahahaha!"
They said at the prefectural office too that the Onigafuchi Guardians was linked to the local mob.
If I recall correctly, the adopted son of somebody influential was a lieutenant in that gang...
"It's the other way around.
The complete opposite. The yakuza put up the protest group as a front to justify their actions. Just think of it like that.
Completely the other way around.
Wahahaha!"
Hondaya was just about rolling with laughter.
...This was slightly different than the info given to me at the prefectural office, but somebody embedded locally would be more knowledgable.
While we were talking, occasionally some people who seemed to be detectives would come in and change.
...One of those individuals, noticing Hondaya's guffaws, came up to us.
"I was wondering what you guys were talking about.
Nfu fu fu fu!"
"Oh, Kura-chan!
Perfect timing, why don't you join us?
This here is Inspector Akasaka, who came all the way from the Tokyo Police Department."
"An Inspector?
I-I'm still a rookie.
My name is Akasaka, pleased to meet you..."
"It must be nice to be so fresh-faced.
Did they hire you this year?
Nfu fu fu!"
I couldn't help but think I was being ridiculed, so I only responded with a forced smile...
I could tell that this new person was like Hondaya, the type who had confidence in their instincts and experience.
...I really didn't like those types of people.
"Let me introduce you, Akasaka-san.
This is Ooishi-kun from our Investigative Department.
Regarding the S File you were asking about, he's familiar with it."
"...S File?"
"S for Sonozaki.
If something is an S File, it means it has something to do with the Sonozaki family... it's something of a codename."
Sonozaki?
...Come to think of it, I remembered when I was poring over the documents at headquarters, there were quite a few people with the last name Sonozaki popping up.
"...If I remember right, there's a Sonozaki who is one of the executives of the Onigafuchi Guardians.
I'm pretty sure they're the treasurer."
The two of them were surprised when I rattled off what post that Sonozaki held.
...After a moment, both of them erupted into laughter.
"Akasaka-san was it?
Na ha ha ha!
You're quite the studious one!
Could it be you've memorized all of the central figures in the Alliance?
Na ha ha ha ha!"
"I wouldn't say memorized, exactly, but I've at least read the list of Onigafuchi Guardians executives."
"Nfu fu!
Then, who are the president and vice-president?"
"The president is the mayor of Hinamizawa, Kiichirou Kimiyoshi.
The vice-president is the priest of the local shrine, Furude.
The treasurer is Oryou Sonozaki, the auditor is Makino.
The liaison is Yoshiroshi Kimiyoshi, the PR Head is Sadao Sonozaki..."
"Na ha ha...!!
Akasaka-san, you're pretty good!
The pay sucks, but you want to work here?
You're just the type we're looking for.
Nfu fu fu!
...By the way, Sadao Sonozaki is head of the Youth Department.
So close! The Head of Public Relations is actually Tadataka Sonozaki. Euheh heh heh!"
Feeling like I wasn't being complimented at all, I started settling into an uncomfortable mood.
...However, I was becoming more and more aware that I was the weakest link in this investigation, so I just had to bear with it.
I didn't mean for that feeling to show up on my face, but the crafty detectives didn't let that slip by.
"Na ha ha ha!
I didn't mean to make fun of you.
...To make up for it, why don't I show you around the village?"
For somebody with no feel for the area like me, it would be a great help.
I couldn't have asked for more.
"In the end, the Onigafuchi Guardians is nothing more than an alias Hinamizawa is using to deal with the outside world.
...I think getting to know the village would speed up your work.
...How about it?"
The residential movement, in other words, held influence over the whole region.
So the leader of the movement was the leader of that influence.
Just like that, the thought processes in the region would become the overall personality of the movement.
...Just like Ooishi had said, in order to learn what they were really like, this regional force behind the dam protests, getting to know the village was the quickest way.
"...If you would!"
Nodding back without skipping a beat, Ooishi laughed in satisfaction and stood up.
If I took the information I learned at the prefectural office and from Hondaya to heart... if my position was exposed, my personal safety was at risk.
The opponent was an extremist group that had no qualms about using threats or violence against somebody.
If my personal info was leaked, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that I'd be in danger, whether on the job or not...
...Thinking that, I felt a little nervous.
"These guys are quick to remember faces.
If you're seen with me, they'll probably do a lot to hinder your work.
This might be a little cliche, but put these on."
Ooishi handed me an incredibly suspicious disguise comprised of a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask.
I didn't want to get all hot and stuffy, but Ooishi's warning was probably right on the money.
...Considering that, I put them on with appreciation.
I looked so suspicious that Ooishi had to smile wryly...
"...How much did I tell you again?
...Let's see..."
"To the part where you were talking about how these three ancient families control the village."
The Onigafuchi Guardians was the same as the village of Hinamizawa itself.
Meaning, there was a direct correlation between being an executive in the Alliance and being a leader in the village, as Hondaya had told me a short time ago.
If the village was ruled by three ancient families...
then it would mean the Onigafuchi Guardians was ruled by those same three families.
"What did the documents at the prefectural office say?
About the leader of the Guardians or whatnot."
"..."
...The documents I was using were classified.
If I responded to Ooishi's question it'd be a breach of security.
...However, most likely...
This man, I judged, was more well-versed in the situation than any of the documents at the prefectural police department, so I decided to answer him.
"That the president of the Alliance is the current mayor of the village, Kiichirou Kimiyoshi."
Ooishi, upon hearing that, let out a small chuckle.
For him to ask like that, and to laugh at the answer as it was recorded in the documents...
...meant that wasn't the case in reality.
"...So then... that means there's somebody else other than Kimiyoshi behind the scenes.
Contrary to what the prefectural office thinks, or rather, what is commonly known."
"Nfu fu...
Old man Kimiyoshi is nothing more than a figurehead.
In the first place, the post of mayor in that village is nothing more than ceremonial."
"In other words... there's someone else in charge of both the Alliance and the village?
Would that be the three families we just talked about?"
"Well, I'll explain that part right now.
...Nfu fu fu!"
All of a sudden,
with a 'thunk,' the car suddenly lurched.
The paved road had given way to a gravel one.
At the same time, the scenery outside the window changed.
"The Hinamizawa Dam Project Must Be Withdrawn"
"Overthrow the Shameless Puppet of a Governor!"
"The Dam Will Submerge the Natural Beauty of Hinamizawa!"
"Protect the Village from the Unethical Dam!"
"Fear the Wrath of Oyashiro-sama's Curse!"
"Demolish the Dam! Those Involved Must Go Away!"
"The Construction Office Must Respond!"
"The Construction Office Manager Must Negotiate With Us!"
Signs and banners crowded the roadside...
Even reading the brush-scrawled words was daunting.
It was as though where the road just changed was a border with a different country.
...At that moment, I was startled by the car suddenly braking.
Looking ahead... a barricade had been erected.
About 5 or 6 protestors, wearing masks and helmets to hide their faces, were blocking the road, yelling at us angrily to stop.
"...W-What is this!?
A checkpoint!?"
"Hmph.
...These guys never learn."
Ooishi snorted as he rolled down the window and leaned out.
"Hey hey hey, you guys, you can't be blocking the road like this here."
As Ooishi glared at them with a malicious laugh, they visibly faltered.
"...Clear the way.
We can't get by like this.
Nfu fu fu!"
...Who would have thought it was Ooishi's car...
That panicked thought seemed to make them lose their presence of mind.
"...Ah, if we had known it was your car, Detective Ooishi, we wouldn't have been so rude.
...Detective, what happened to your usual car?
Is it in for maintenance?"
"Something like that.
I just can't get used to this car they loaned me, nfu fu fu!"
...Judging from their brief conversation, I could guess that they were familiar with the license plate of the car Ooishi normally used.
In other words, if they knew the car belonged to the police, they would have hidden the barricade.
What they were doing was obviously obstruction of traffic.
A blatant crime.
"...Who's that suspicious guy?
You, could you show us your face?"
The man glared at me menacingly. Wearing a mask and sunglasses made me look particularly dubious.
...Would not showing my face get me into some unnecessary trouble...?
I turned to Ooishi to see what I should do...
"Give him a break.
He's still a shy little rookie, nfu fu!"
"...We just wanted to make sure he wasn't anybody suspicious.
...Hinamizawa has been in a bit of a stir as of late."
"Na ha ha ha!
Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?
That mask you're wearing is way more suspicious!
Na ha ha ha ha ha!"
The men and Ooishi continued to talk like that, feigning smiles at one another...
...However, from the beginning to the end, I couldn't get over the feeling I was sitting on a powder keg.
"Has the number of trucks illegally dumping still not decreased?
It's a real hassle dealing with it all the time."
"If the police could understand and cooperate it would really help... hahahaha..."
During that conversation, the barricade was moved, leaving a gap wide enough for a single car to get through.
Ooishi lightly honked the horn once, and began to roll the car forward.
I could see the men's antagonistic glares at the back of the car in the rearview mirror...
"What was that just now?
Blocking a public road like that!"
"Of course it's a crime.
Still, if you get worked up over that, it'll never end.
Nfu fu fu!
Those guys, see, claim there's an infestation of trucks illegally dumping in the village.
Their story goes that in order to stop that, they're halting suspicious vehicles for inspection."
"Illegal dumping?
Like corrupt contractors just tossing industrial waste away?"
"Their line of argument is that if the police aren't going to do anything about it, they'll take matters into their own hands.
...Well, the industrial waste is just something they're doing by themselves anyways."
"By themselves?"
"They have a pretty good strategy.
You see, in order to hinder construction, they've spread industrial waste over by the dam site.
...Then, blaming it on corrupt contractors, they start instituting these inspections.
There, they stop every construction vehicle coming through and interfere with them as much as possible.
Nfu fu fu!"
"...So then, it's one of the methods the Onigafuchi Guardians is using."
"With that inspection just now, this car's license plate has probably been recorded.
...It shouldn't get stopped from here on out.
...Those guys know very well not to get me angry.
Na ha ha ha ha!"
"..."
"See, rumor is that if they figure a car is related to the construction in some way,
not only would there be checkpoints stopping it at every turn, but they'd be throwing rocks and planting road spikes as well.
...It's best you be careful so you're not identified.
If they find out you're from Public Safety, who knows what you'll suffer through...
Nfu fu fu!"
Ooishi was acting like we were talking about something fun, but for me it was no laughing matter...
"...It almost feels like we've wandered into a civil war in the Middle East."
"Na ha ha ha ha ha!
That's a good way of putting it.
It's pretty much just what you said."
Ooishi turned to me with a grin and menacing laugh.
"You see, this here's a warzone."
The car slowed down a bit as it went down a narrow road through some farmland.
"You see that house in that forest over there?
That antiquated one."
Looking at where Ooishi was pointing, there certainly was an old, traditionally-designed house.
"That belongs to the mayor, old man Kimiyoshi.
You could say it belongs to the main Kimiyoshi house as well.
There's a lot of branches, but
they'd be one of the Three Families."
"...The Three Families.
...The ancient families that control Hinamizawa?"
"That's right.
And, one of the others is the Furude family.
Their house doesn't even have a single branch, as all that's left is the head priest's family.
...Right over there, there's the shrine.
He's the priest there.
By the way, the Guardians's office is on the grounds of that shrine."
The office of the Onigafuchi Guardians...
...if these guys were the enemy, that would make the shrine their stronghold.
"Can we go look over there?"
"The shrine is the Furude family's private property, you see.
Being police, we can't set foot there without a warrant.
See, they've got a member of the Diet with ties to the village backing them up.
...Basically, being the police has its strengths and weaknesses."
"..."
"Well, even when we talk about the Three Families...
that's something from a long time ago.
Way back when, those three families used to hold councils to decide things about the village."
"Meaning... it's different now?"
"...You've got a pretty good nose.
That's what I expect from an academic.
Nfu fu fu!"
The car braked to a halt with a squeal.
Ahead of where we were stopped were several signs.
"Private Property Beyond. No Trespassing."
"Beware of Poisonous Snakes!
Danger! Turn Back!"
"Intruders Will Be Charged An Entry Fee of 1,000,000 yen."
Signs were erected there with things like that written on them.
The road was separated from the forest by a chain link fence wrapped in barbed wire...
"...Since this is private property, this is as far as we go.
There's several surveillance cameras set up further in.
Saying that we just got lost won't work with these guys."
"...They're beyond here, right?"
The people currently controlling Hinamizawa and the Onigafuchi Guardians were neither the Kimiyoshi family nor the Furude family, but
the last of the three.
"Yeah.
...Beyond here is one of the Three Families, the Sonozaki family.
They're the ones controlling Hinamizawa from the shadows."
...Among the list of executives recorded in the documents, the number of people with last names from the three families was quite high.
...Of course, Sonozaki was no exception.
However, at the top was the Kimiyoshi family.
...If the Kimiyoshi family seemed to be in charge, the rulers behind the scenes were the Sonozaki family.
This double-layered structure implicitly told me that this village had both a light and a dark side...
"The current head of the Sonozaki family is an old lady named Oryou.
...She has enough clout that you could call her 'Empress Sonozaki.'
Be careful, she's no small fry.
She's enough of a VIP that even the mayor of the city has to bow before her.
...Well, in Hinamizawa and the surrounding area their relatives amount to a block of several thousand votes. No politician could show disrespect for that.
Nfu fu fu!"
"In other words... That would make her the actual leader of the Onigafuchi Guardians, right?"
"You've got it."
With those words, Ooishi pulled out a well-worn cigarette box.
The suspected kidnapping of the Minister's grandchild and subsequent threats.
Were these part of the hidden plot by the Onigafuchi Guardians in order to have the Hinamizawa Dam Project cancelled?
"...You came all the way from Tokyo to investigate this, didn't you?"
"...Huh?
Ah, yeah!
That's right.
...Something the matter?"
"Ah, then...
Is it related to that direct appeal incident with Minister Inukai?
If that's the case, then Public Safety has them marked on a watchlist?
Something like that?
Na ha ha ha ha."
"Having you guess that so quickly makes this easy."
While exhaling out cigarette smoke, Ooishi smiled broadly, like I'd just pulled a good one on him...
...or so I thought. His smile disappeared suddenly.
"That's a lie, isn't it?"
"...Huh?"
"I mean, the direct appeal putting them on a watchlist.
That's a lie, isn't it?"
"..."
Ooishi knew there was no way that Tokyo HQ would dispatch an investigator over something as minor as a direct appeal.
...If they were to dispatch someone, it had to be for a more... dire reason. He had figured out as much.
...I thought of myself as the type of person who doesn't let things show on their face.
In front of his watchful gaze, however, I felt that what I was thinking was completely laid bare...
Ooishi silently lit another cigarette, as if waiting for me to interject during this awkward pause.
...I see... so this was a veteran detective's way of getting someone to spill information.
But, as long as I realized this, there would be nothing more.
...If I didn't open my mouth, I wouldn't have to lose anything.
All I had to do was stare out the window and enjoy the scenery until Ooishi gave up.
"Nfu fu fu!
You really are bad at hiding things, you know.
Being so young and earnest isn't so bad."
Ooishi smirked as he twisted out his third cigarette, while I tried not to let him notice that I had yielded completely.
...At first I'd thought I had won, but at the very least Ooishi had ascertained that I was hiding something.
...Meaning that I might have ended up marching to his tune.
Ooishi started up the engine once again, and began to move the car.
"...If you'd just been honest with me, I thought I might have been able to help you."
"...How would you help?"
If the cat was out of the bag, I might as well use it to catch some mice.
"Well, this depends on what we're talking about, but I might be able to set you up with someone who's knowledgeable about the goings-on in Hinamizawa."
"An informant?"
"...Nfu fu fu!
I see, is that what you call it?"
"...Why are you interested in my case,
Ooishi-san?"
"Well, I'm the same as you.
...Isn't it our business to know things?"
Being able to meet with Ooishi's informant was an extremely compelling opportunity.
We were looking to recruit somebody familiar with the area to collaborate with for intelligence.
In the end, there was no better method for finding people than asking.
We were always taught, however, that the rank-and-file police were no better than monkeys.
Unlike us, they were careless with confidential cases.
We looked down on them like they'd run their mouth off in a drunken stupor.
...Ooishi was an outlaw even amongst them. And here I was lost on whether or not I should tell him about the kidnapping of the minister's grandson.
"...This informant, exactly how knowledgeable are they about the Onigafuchi Guardians?"
"Na ha ha ha!
If you're from Public Safety, you'd know, wouldn't you?
Something like that is something I can't just tell you."
...Protect your sources.
That was the first principle of dealing with confidential information.
...In that regard, it seemed that Ooishi wasn't one of those monkeys.
Should I trust him, ask for his help, or not?
"It's just that you work for the feds, and I work for the prefecture.
I don't think that our jobs are that different.
...I think I can be of help."
...However, I had trouble believing that this crafty old man would simply help me just like he claimed.
Now, how should I go about this....
"I find it hard to believe that someone of your standing would help me out without strings attached..."
"Na ha ha ha ha...
Well, it's not like I'm completely without an ulterior motive.
As I recall, you guys have space in your budget allocated to pay informants, right?
Something you don't need to submit a receipt for.
...Just a little bit of that would be the cost of meeting with the informant."
"In other words, give the compensation earmarked for the informant to you first?
...Well, it helps that the details of this deal are so clear-cut."
He certainly was something else for being able to brazenly state his ulterior motive like this.
Rather than him doing this out of the kindness of his heart, everything was a lot clearer if he was being compensated for this deal.
...I felt that he was the type of man who was good at these backroom dealings.
"Don't misunderstand me, please.
It's not me who needs the money, it's the informant, okay?
Well, in regards to the payment, I'll be handling the money.
Nfu fu!"
"When do you want it?"
"Right now would be good.
If you don't have it on you, tomorrow works as well."
...I pulled out a wallet that was different from my personal one.
The price was pretty much fixed depending on what kind of information I was paying for.
...In this case, the payment was up front. Also considering the fact I didn't know what kind of info I would get, I shouldn't pay too much...
When I suggested that, Ooishi suddenly stretched out his hand and tightly grasped the contents of the wallet.
"At times like this, it's best you not be so stingy.
It's all right, it's all right, it won't go to waste."
"....I understand.
I won't be stingy."
"And?
What kind of information are you looking for?
Depending on what you want, how we approach this will probably change..."
"...You swear you won't spread this information to anybody else,
Ooishi-san?"
"I can't swear as much.
I'm the same as you.
I can't withhold information obtained during the course of my duties."
"..."
"Na ha ha ha ha!
I got it, I swear.
Nothing here gets said anywhere else.
On top of that, thanks to you, I can pay back what I owe from my mahjong debts.
In any case, I won't break a promise that involves money.
Nfu fu fu!"
I was still unsure if I should trust him until the very last moment... but in the end, I broke down.
Ooishi wasn't the type of guy I could trust 100%, but there was no mistaking he had access to underground information networks.
In order to accomplish my mission swiftly, I needed his cooperation.
...I set my resolve.
"I'm investigating whether or not the Onigafuchi Guardians is related to a certain incident."
"Certain incident?"
"There's a possibility that the Minister of Construction, Inukai, is being coerced by someone."
"...Saying there's a possibility is kind of a roundabout way of putting it."
"It appears there's a mole close to the minister.
And due to that mole, the minister had been monitored quite thoroughly, and was seemingly forced to cede to their threats right away.
None of this was reported to us or the police."
"...I see.
So that's why you're saying there's only a possibility he's being coerced.
...In that case, isn't it a little strange?
If the minister didn't report this to anybody, how did you guys know about this incident?"
If we didn't spy on the minister's private life, we would have never found out.
"...I don't think we have to provide that explanation to the informant, so I'm omitting it."
Ooishi had apparently caught on, and quietly chuckled when I refused to explain.
"I see.
...There's a spy close to the minister, so Public Safety made it a highly classified investigation.
That certainly isn't a very amicable story, is it."
"If this matter became public, not only would this affect the minister's political career, but the possibility of there being a shift in the political landscape is extremely high.
If the perpetrators' aim is indeed that, then this could develop into a very grave situation."
"...Well, with the government having development projects all over the country, they've butted heads with quite a few people.
It wouldn't take much wrongdoing for the left wing parties to suddenly garner more support."
"We're currently investigating what demands are being forced on the minister.
But at least we have a good idea of how he's being threatened."
"...How?"
"The minister's grandson... was kidnapped.
They're denying it, but judging from when he was last seen, it's believed it's already been over 72 hours since the kidnapping."
"So, three days.
...If they were just after ransom money, this would have been settled by now."
"It may be this isn't for monetary gain. The possibility that they're forcing the minister to do something politically is extremely high.
...That's something we just can't consent to."
"So then, the Onigafuchi Guardians was listed as one of the possible perpetrators."
"That is correct."
"...Kidnap the minister's grandson, and demand the cancellation of the dam project...
Hmm..."
"What do you think, Ooishi-san?
...From your point of view, do you think that's possible?"
Ooishi seemed to ponder the idea for a while.
The section chief at the regional office had responded immediately with: "It's possible."
...However Ooishi, who was this well-informed about the matter, was hemming and hawing...
...Finally, just a little bit...
...He said something that was really just a little bit strange.
"...This was before the Meiji Era, you see.
This area wasn't named Hinamizawa Village back then--it was called Onigafuchi.
...Nahahaha, this is just what I heard from my mother."
...This topic was so completely and suddenly unrelated to the subject of the kidnapping of the minister's grandson that I was taken slightly aback.
"Onigafuchi?
...Oh, so that's why they're called the Onigafuchi Guardians."
"...You see, the village of Onigafuchi was said to be inhabited by demons that devoured humans.
Even now, it's believed that the blood of these demons partially courses through the veins of the villagers."
"...D-Demons that devour humans??
Ooishi-san... what are you saying?"
"It's information.
I got a lot from you just now.
A little too much.
In exchange, I'm giving you a little freebie."
Ooishi finally smiled, but it didn't seem like he was fooling around.
"...Please continue."
"You see, these human-devouring demons...
Normally they were revered as Taoist 'transcendents,' and lived tucked away from the rest of the world.
...But they ate people, after all, so apparently they'd go to villages in the foothills regularly and abduct their prey.
...They used to call that being 'demoned away,' or 'Onikakushi.'"
Demoned away...
...It was the first time I heard such a peculiar phrase.
However, I felt something slightly ominous from this horrifying tale of demons abducting people in order to eat them.
"...Look, you know how there's the common phrase 'spirited away'?
When people suddenly go missing one day, they call it that.
...When the same thing happens around here, they call it being 'demoned away.'"
"...How does that old tale relate to the matter at hand?"
"...Oh no.
There's no direct relationship, I'm just making some small talk here.
It's just..."
Kathump kathump.
The car shook.
...At some point the gravel road had changed to a paved one.
"It's just...? Just what?"
"...That around here, the phrase 'demoned away' is somewhat of a code for disappearances and kidnappings. I just thought I'd mention that.
I don't know if this has anything to do with the kidnapping of the minister's grandson.
...Well, there's no deep meaning behind it.
It's just, there's that little bit of history, nfu fu fu fu....!"
"Onikakushi"... human-eating demons coming down to the foothills and abducting their prey.
Then... in order to cancel the dam project that threatened to submerge the village they lived in, did they 'demon away' the minister's grandson?
...Then, had they already made an example out of the minister's grandson and eaten him alive??
"...Hahahahaha.
It's a bit of an interesting old tale, isn't it?"
"If you set foot into the demons' village without reason, you'll promptly be captured and eaten alive.
So don't go near Onigafuchi.
...Kids these days might not believe such superstitions,
but amongst the older folk in Okinomiya born in the Meiji Era, many would never question these warnings."
Hinamizawa Village was feared by the people in the area.
I recalled that piece of information I heard from the Prefectural Public Safety Division.
"In any case, we're in the boonies out here.
It's kind of expected that there'd be some superstitions around.
Na ha ha ha ha!
Somebody from Tokyo like you, Akasaka-san, probably couldn't even begin to imagine it, could you?"
...The man-eating demons, as the price for violating the sanctity of their village, kidnapped the minister's grandson... and swallowed him whole.
That ludicrous idea flew through my head.
...It was so absurd, I was half-disgusted with myself.
Ooishi was just teasing me.
...Stupid.
It was all really so stupid.
...Come to think of it, by then, I may have already been seized by the curse of that dubious village.
...For me to realize that... would take a little more time...