Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume4 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 4===

“Oh, ladies, are you from the Faith Organization? If you have any dietary restrictions, tell me now,” said the owner of a restaurant of the type that could be found anywhere in Oceania those days.

A tent made of waterproof cloth created a simple roof under which a large metal plate, a few chairs, and a cooler full of seafood were set up.

One of the customers showed a thin smile that completely failed as a polite smile.

She was Sarasa Gleamshifter of Valkyrie.

“No, our doctrines require no such restrictions.”

“We can chow down on octopus and squid.”

“We’re more used to wild boar, though.”

Her subordinates, Rachel and Maria gave their own opinions. Maria’s response was more halfhearted as she was watching a 3D image of an Information Alliance idol Elite.

The restaurant owner smiled and said, “Then I don’t have to hold back. Since you’ve come down to the southern hemisphere, you might as well make some memories by choosing something more unusual.”

“We will be paying in the Faith Organization method. Is that okay?”

“Let’s see, the Faith Organization puts more focus on precious metals than paper money, correct? The exchange rate with foreign currencies is set using platinum and diamonds as their value is more fixed, I believe. I’ll have to call in an appraiser which will make this take longer, but I can manage.”

“No, we will be using Faith Organization paper money,” replied Sarasa. “Unfortunately, we cannot rely on platinum at the moment.”

Sarasa paused briefly before that last comment, but the restaurant owner did not seem to notice.

“Well, the conclusions of an appraiser can easily be argued with. Real money that is accepted around the world is best.”

The man prepared some small fish of a coloration Sarasa had never before seen and then placed them atop the heated metal plate. She had no idea what he intended to do with them, but he did not gut them. He placed them in a small bowl with some strong seasonings and mixed it all together.

Cooking on a metal plate like that was a type of show.

As the restaurant owner cooked the tropical fish in a skillful manner that functioned as a form of entertainment, he gave a bitter smile and said, “I would have a wider variation of dishes if I had beef, but it’s just too expensive.”

“Come to think of it, the natural balance in Oceania has yet to be restored,” commented Rachel as she was caught up in watching the food dance across the metal plate. “The dictatorship was pushing the extreme forestation while the local tribes resisted it in favor of the original desert. Because the environment was so radically changed again and again in some areas, the coalition has to carefully regulate the quality of the soil. There are a lot of restrictions on grazing land to prevent the balance between vegetation and desert from collapsing.”

“Yes. Thanks to that we have to rely on importation despite how large the country is. But lately platinum mining has really grown. Rumor has it the Information Alliance is bringing in tons of domed livestock facilities and container-shaped animal feed factories. If they can do that, it doesn’t matter if the entire area’s a desert. The local tribes won’t like the imported feed, but it shouldn’t be too much of an issue as long as it all stays isolated within the containers. If it all works out, solar power generation can be used to create a huge sterilized farm in the middle of the desert. The food shortage will be resolved in no time at all.” After delightedly explaining all that, the restaurant owner suddenly realized something and added an additional comment. “Oh, do people from the Faith Organization oppose that kind of technology that creates manmade food sources? Y’know, genetically altered crops and the like.”

After all, the Faith Organization was well known for accepting the theories of evolution and the big bang yet insisting that a nonhuman supernatural trigger had to have caused those scientific coincidences.

It was true that they were not fond of manmade recreations of natural works.

But Sarasa readily shook her head.

“The Central Religious Assembly’s conclusion on the 89th issue regarding food sources resolved any such issues. Also, the Faith Organization is not as unyielding as others seem to think.”

“Is that so?” muttered the man vaguely as he continued to move his hands over the metal plate.

Sarasa went on to say, “For example, let us say man has created a material that does not exist at all in the natural world. Do you think the Faith Organization would find fault in this?”

“…Well, yeah. Don’t you say that denies god’s providence, or brings an impurity into the world god created, or something like that?”

“We are not so sensitive as to take up arms over the creation of plastic.” Sarasa smiled lightly. “We compromise. If you use oxygen and hydrogen to create water, the materials you have used were taken from the world that god originally created. For that reason, the water you have created is nothing more than a derivation of what god has created. You have not brought an impurity into the world god created. The same reasoning can be used to permit plastics and carbon nanotubes.”

“I see.”

“We do not start conflicts because we wish to. If we are able to compromise, we will do so to avoid needless conflict.”

At that point, all expression suddenly disappeared from Sarasa’s face and she muttered something under her breath.

“(But when people set foot into a territory that allows for no compromise like that old man, we will assassinate them no matter what.)”

“?”

The restaurant owner did not seem able to hear what she had said.

With the conversation ended but the man’s focus still on them, Sarasa changed the subject and asked a question.

“How about by boat?”

With that alone, it was hard to tell what she meant.

However, the man immediately replied.

“I wouldn’t count on it. Recently, you probably could have gotten away with poaching fish, but there aren’t many boats now. Of course, that means I have plenty of customers from those large groups, so I’m not complaining.”

“…How about by air?”

“Are you trying to transport people or goods rather than fish? That could be tough. This is Oceania. Multiple world powers have Objects here. If you send out a helicopter of unknown affiliation, it will be shot down by anti-air laser. And if you get one world power to allow you through, a different one might not allow you through.”

After thinly slicing the cooked fish, the man added a sauce that smelled strongly of blood. Sarasa stabbed her fork into the slices and asked a question.

“You said a boat would have worked recently. What changed?”

“The Legitimacy Kingdom,” replied the restaurant owner as he pulled a sea cucumber out of the cooler and sliced it up with his knife. “An Object of theirs…the Baby Magnum I think it’s called…is on leave near the beach, so the layout of their surveillance network has changed a lot. From what I hear, the routes connecting Oceania with nearby islands are cut off. But as I said, the military brings in a large group of customers, so I’m welcoming them with open arms.”

“So cargo from the Loyauté district cannot get here?”

“Exactly. Honestly, it’s scary how quickly Objects can be deployed. An area that was completely safe yesterday can be the front lines today.”

“…”

Sarasa narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the metal spatula dance in front of her.

They had failed on that island.

That meant her target was now…