Novel 2 Toshokan-Nairan.pdf

Library Schism

by Arikawa Hiro

Declaration of Library Freedom

1. Libraries have the right to gather materials freely.

2. Libraries have the right to make materials freely available.

3. Libraries protect the privacy of their users.

4. Libraries oppose all censorship.

When the freedom of the library is violated, we librarians will

unite and fight to the end to protect its freedom.

Chapter 1, Parental Confusion Tactics

Mission: Conceal your assignment to a combat unit from your

parents!

Librarian First Class Kasahara Iku enlisted in the Kantou Library

Force without telling her conservative parents that she was assigned to

a combat role. Because of her exceptional physical prowess, she was

lucky enough to be selected for the Library Task Force, front-line

fighters in the battle against the extra-legal censorship of the Media

Improvement Committee. But she was suddenly faced with a situation:

her parents were coming from her hometown to inspect the library

where she worked.

If her parents learned about her combat position, "they'd faint on

the spot, and probably try and force her to come back home."

Can Kasahara Iku overcome her greatest personal crisis since her

enlistment?

--With how things stood, the last holiday in November was the

first day of Iku's personal X-Day. 1

1 X-Day was supposed to be the ﬁrst day of the Allied invasion of Japan during World War II. In Japanese,

the phrase has come to mean a bad thing that you know will happen, but you don't know when.

"I-It's been quite a while...I'm glad you're l-looking well..."

Standing at the entrance to the unmarried dorms, Iku delivered

this greeting to her parents, who had come from their hometown in

Ibaraki Prefecture to visit the Kantou Library Base in Musashino.

"...what the hell was that?" Library Officer Second Class Doujou

Atsushi muttered dubiously. The four of them--he and his squad plus

Shibasaki--were currently in spectator-mode, having gathered in the

lobby out of idle curiosity. Doujou was Iku's immediate superior in the

Library Task Force.

"She just stammered talking to her own parents," said Librarian

First Class Tedzuka Hikaru, Iku's peer in the Library Task Force, looking

surprised. It wasn't clear if he was replying to Doujou or simply

making a pointed comment, but his deadpan tone seemed to tickle the

funny bone of the often-merry Library Officer Second Class Komaki

Mikihisa, who burst out laughing. Komaki was Doujou's second-in-

command.

"Well, she's probably scared stiff! She was having nightmares last

night," Librarian First Class Shibasaki Asako, Iku's friend and

roommate, nonchalantly revealed. Her duty post was not the same as

Iku's; she was a librarian with the Library Administrative Division who

worked in the Musashino First Library, the library attached to the base.

"Her pajamas were so sweat-soaked she had to change in the middle

of the night--at this time of year, too! It must have been some

nightmare!"

Iku, unaware of commentary being offered by her colleagues in

the peanut gallery, had been making flustered small talk (or so it

appeared) with her parents, who did indeed seem rather strait-laced.

But at length, she tensed in obvious shock, and then ran over to where

they were all standing.

"Instructor Doujou!" Her habit of calling Doujou "Instructor" was

a relic from her training period, where Doujou had served as the

instructor for her training group. "What should I do? My parents want

to tour the inside of the dorm...! Tell them that visitors aren't allowed

inside!"

"What the hell kind of idiot are you!?" Doujou shook off the hand

that was clutching his sleeve and bent down towards her. "We have

rooms set aside for family and friends to use when they come to visit!

There's no way in hell I could make up a bullshit regulation like that!"

"Can't you do something ?"

"It's no big deal to let them tour the dorm, is it!? Go and take

them around!"

"I don't want to! I don't know where to take them--they didn't

give me any warning!" It was no joking matter to Iku--indeed, she

seemed near tears. "Shibasaki, come with me!"

"What?? No way, I don't want to be your public relations

department, it sounds draining."

"Then, Instructor--!"

Iku grabbed at Doujou's sleeve again, and again he

conscientiously shook her off. "Think about it, I'm your commanding

officer! What happens if they casually ask me about your performance

while I'm showing them around!? I'm going to have to tell them the

truth: that when it comes to library duties, you're sloppy, you have a

terrible memory, and have no redeeming qualities!"

"You jerk! I have no redeeming qualities!?"

"Calm down! I'm not saying you don't have value! But I can't

very well tell your parents what areas you're valuable in, now can I!?"

So that they could cope with all possible contingencies, Library

Task Force members had to be familiar with a wide range of

procedures, from common library tasks to large-scale warfare.

However, Iku's talents lay at the far end of the combat side of the

spectrum. It wasn't even unusual for her to outperform the male

troopers in combat exercises.

However, Iku's parents had indicated their firm opposition to her

pursuing a combat occupation, so thus far she had concealed her

assignment to a combat unit from them.

"If you let me tell them the truth about your job, I could probably

say a few good things about you, but do you really want me to do

that?"

"HELL NO!"

"Kasahara-san, you're being too loud. They'll hear you," Komaki

interjected a warning.

Iku grabbed at him. "Instructor Komaki...!"

"I don't mind, but I wouldn't be able to lie if they asked me what

your duty posting is." Komaki was gentle and soft-spoken, but he

never wavered from the path of integrity, and in that way, he could be

more firm and unyielding than anyone else. Iku didn't even bother

trying to convince him. She glanced up at Tedzuka, then looked away

without saying anything.

"...what was that unsatisfied look for?" Tedzuka asked,

disgruntled.

Iku jutted out her lip. "I'm not holding out any hope that you'd

do something for my benefit."

As the two who had been chosen for the Library Task Force from

among the new recruits, Iku and Tedzuka were often competitive with

each other. It was probably because they were both headstrong and

hated to lose.

At the front entrance, Iku's parents were beginning to steal

doubtful glances their way. As their eyes met Doujou's, he smiled

uncertainly at them in greeting.

"This has gone on long enough. Shibasaki, just go with them."

"What??" Shibasaki complained.

Iku turned on Shibasaki with an irritation that was uncalled-for,

given the situation. "Come on! I'll treat you or something, so help me

out here and come with us, damn you!"

"'Treat'? What are we talking here?"

"I'll take you out to lunch!"

"Including dessert?"

"Aw, geez! Fine!"

Shibasaki's reluctance had evidently been an act to extract a

concession from Iku. You're sure easy to dupe, Doujou thought to

himself, sighing.

I am so glad I made Shibasaki come with me.

Iku breathed a sigh of relief as they toured the dorm. The price

for her cooperation had been a little high, but the beautiful, well-

behaved Shibasaki was perfect for the role of tour guide.

Iku's mother, Toshiko, chatted with Shibasaki more than her own

daughter, asking a stream of questions about the dorm's facilities. Her

father, Katsuhiro, remained uncommunicative and followed silently

behind them, but he was by nature moody and difficult to please, so

this was nothing to worry about.

I wonder if she'd rather I was more like Shibasaki, Iku thought as

she watched Toshiko chattering happily with her friend. Shibasaki was

delicate, attractive, had a very ladylike appearance, and disliked

violence. Her true nature left something to be desired, but she

specialized in the kind of clever, charming conversation that Iku's

parents liked.

"Ladies should behave like ladies, and stay out of dangerous lines

of work!" Her parents held surprisingly conservative opinions for the

present day, and if ever there was a daughter whose behavior ran

contrary to those opinions, it was Iku.

Iku's inborn physical prowess had been trained and tempered by

her belligerent older brothers. Her personality may have been natural,

or may have been the result of the never-ending battles with her

siblings, but she was the type to run full tilt into reckless situations.

Just as she had carelessly concluded, Anyway, it takes natural

talent to behave like a lady, Katsuhiro unexpectedly began to question

her.

"How is your work?"

"Oh, well, not too bad." She answered vaguely, thinking that if

she weren't careful she would blow her cover.

"Was your immediate superior among that group from before?"

He was evidently referring to the squabble at the entrance.

"Yeah, he was the, uh...the kinda short one."

"I thought as much."

Huh? How did you know? Just as she started to ask, however, a

huge figure of a man came around the corner.

"Oh! What's this?" exclaimed Library Supervisor Third Class

Genda Ryuusuke, commander of the Library Task Force, as he nearly

collided with them.

"Supervisor Genda, these are Librarian Kasahara's parents,"

Shibasaki interjected quickly. Then, without giving Genda a chance to

interrupt, she turned to Iku's parents. "This is Supervisor Genda, who

has done a lot for us since we enlisted."

Shibasaki had purposely avoided calling him "Commander" as

she usually did, and as well as purposely interrupted him before he

could introduce himself. Genda had the heart of a lion, but he tended

not to pay too much attention to details. He had been told about Iku's

situation, but it was easy to imagine him letting the truth slip if he

were allowed to speak too much.

Genda and Iku's parents managed to safely exchange greetings,

and Iku was just thinking that she had cleared this particular hurdle,

when something suddenly occurred to Genda, and he asked, "What are

your parents doing for accommodations?"

-- - !

As Iku and Shibasaki stiffened--

"Supervisor Genda!"

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: