Amazon's Coliseum III (ENG)

Chapter 39: Galneryus

Somewhere in the City, days ago.

-Ale... Iba called me.

-What does he want?

-He talked with the old man.

-I know several old men. Go to the point, Go.

-... Sagara-san.

Ale frowned, sighed and then put on a face that denoted some concern.

-Okay... and what did he say?

-That maybe you should go to Japan. He says that there you could have a better life, without risking so much for this.

-Now he does care...

-Ale... if the old man speaks with that tone, it is because you know that he's worried; his language means that there are things in which he may not have much power.

-You agree with him?

-You know that from the beginning I have agreed with every opinion that makes you realize that this world is very dangerous for you. You know, since I met you, I had no idea what kind of privileges you had for... well... that... but sometimes, even as guilty as the old man feels, to the point where he's willing to bring down the stars for you in order to make up for what happened with your mother...

-Please, I have already told you not to talk about my mother, or about what happened between her and Sagara so lightly.

-Sorry, but what I want to get to is that sometimes there are limits to the favors that one can do for you, even if they seem unlimited.

-I appreciate Sagara's concern, but no.

-Well, Iba told me that Sagara himself knows that it was likely that you would refuse; and he won' stop you, but only to tell you that the situation there is a little tense with the "rumors" that spread about a "division" between the world factions, and now everybody is fearing that everybody might discover the skeletons in their closet. The prime ministerial election is coming up, and there are already rumors that if the Diet doesn't elect Dekita, it will be one of his trusted associates in the party, which will put him in power. And if he, or his associates, changes various things in Japan, the old man will no longer have enough power to protect whoever is under his wing. And Dekita might be impulsive, but he's not stupid: he knows who could have sabotaged many of his moves in the City, and he'll go after them, including Iba, you or me...

-And that's why there are things that need to be known, dear Go. We don't want Japan to be ruled by Dekita, do we?

-I don't, but many people who will see their pockets filled by him do; among them, many people in the Cabinet Secretariat; in the "Naichou" we don't agree so much, but if it happens, we will be the first to suffer the purge, since we depend on the Prime Minister. And believe me, not everyone in the government wants it; but it's just a matter of any push for the balance to tip against us.

-Well, we'll have to give it a little push to our side.

-It's a risky game, and it will depend on how the rest of the participants play their cards; we can play our part, but we'll have to wait for the "results" of the other games. Are you willing to do that?

-Yes, do you want to play along?

-My job makes me like these kinds of games. Although remember, there's still that "favor" I owe you.

-The best thing that could happen to you with that favor is that you lose your job; the worst... well, over there in Japan one can blame a desperate old man who lost his job and killed a guy who works for the Intelligence Office.