Kara no Teikoku : The Empty Empire
written and illustrated by Naoe Kita
translation by ryuuen yanagi




Chapter Five: Our Time II




--page 168

Eiri: "What are you?"

It was a boy about my age.

The kind I hate most.......


--page 169

Idea: "Idea."

Eiri: "Idea?" Weird name.

Idea: "Yeah."

What!? The birds are...

Idea: "What's your name?"

The birds here aren't supposed to be tamed, but....

Eiri: "Eiri."


--page 170

The birds are watching?

Eiri: (It must be my imagination. How strange.) "Anyways, you, did you see just now?"

Idea: "See what?"

Eiri: "......if you didn't see then it's okay."

Idea: "..........? That you were crying?"

Eiri: "Wh-!"


--page 171

Eiri: "Ow!"

Idea: "Are you alright? Your leg is hurt?"

Eiri: "WAAA! Don't touch it! A kid like you wouldn't....  !?"

Idea: "Does it still hurt?"

Eiri: "Well obviously it still hu... huh?!"

It doesn't hurt

Eiri: "!?"


--page 172

Eiri: "Idea, you.... !? Huh? Idea? ......."

What was he.......

More importantly, to think that I was seen crying....

[Anyway, I didn't feel like going back to A.S., and I didn't have anywhere else to go...]


--page 173

[It became such that I began a new life.]

Ridgeway: "Eiri-kun, you'll use the second floor here."

Eiri: (It's the same face.)

Ridgeway: "Now, Einstein; don't bark. He doesn't like anyone but me."

Eiri: "It doesn't bother me, so..... More importantly, is there a boy about my age
living around here?"

Ridgeway: "Eh?"

Eiri: "Named 'Idea'...?"


--page 174

Ridgeway: "No."

Eiri: "Oh."

Well then, being found out about that....

Ridgeway: "Although sometimes the neighborhood children come in and play of their own
accord."

Eiri: "......." To the neighborhood...?

Ridgeway: "Your leg healed, didn't it."

Eiri: "Eh?"

Ridgeway: "I had thought it was sprained fairly badly, but I'm glad it's better."

Eiri: "..........yes."

That's right..... I wouldn't have thought it was an injury that would heal in one day...

I guess it must have been him.......?


--page 175

Eric: "Heeeeeeeh. That boy genius really does grown-up work, huh."

Eiri: "....."

Eriko: "Of course; he's got a good brain."

Eric: "You're not being very polite; go make him feel welcome!"

Eriko: "Okay, fine. Eiri-kun! If there's anything you don't understand just ask.
Look here, we have a PC Reactor; it's pretty old-fashioned."

Eiri: "It's been occuring to me, but Professor Balen's paper might be helpful to the
Professor's work on Autocrine function..... Ah, this one, it just came out recently,
but...."

Eriko: "Ha?"


--page 176

Eriko: "Oh, really? Really, it just came out?"

Eiri: "It was just published two or three days ago; in Hindu."

Eriko: "Oh, I don't speak too many languages; only five." Italian, French, English,
German, and Japanese.

Eiri: "Well then, perhaps you ought to study a bit more? You wouldn't want to hold
the professor back."

Eric: "You're being a bit harsh."

Eiri: "It's the truth."

Even if I hadn't been irritated, it was right after that other thing had happened...

Eiri: "I have no use for fools."

Eriko: "W... what! You..."


--page 177

Eriko: "This from a kid who was sold by his own parent! That's how A.S. works, right.
They get the goverment to pay as much money as the IQ is high...! So who do you think
you are!!"

Eric: "Eriko-chan..."

*SLAM!*

Eric: "You went too far."

Eriko: (I guess I did...) "It... it's HIS fault!"

Eiri: "That's right, isn't it."


--page 178

Eiri: "So I got her the highest price. There's no son who could honor his parents more
that than, right?"

Eriko: "Eiri-kun...."

Eiri: "Excuse me."

Eric: "What an incredible kid. I can't believe he's only ten years old."

Eriko: "......"


--page 179

"Eiri, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay."

"He's only three? This child is incredible!"

Eiri: "I'll be alright. The pain in my chest is only the shrinking of my heart brought
on by emotions. There really isn't any heart here...."

It would be best if the emotions would just go away somewhere......

Even if I cry, it doesn't do anything but protect my eyes.

Just lets people see me as weak....

Ridgeway: "Eiri-kun."


--page 180

Eiri: "Ah. Professor."

Ridgeway: "Now, now, Einstein. I hear there was a fight?"

Eiri: "Yes, I apologize. My conduct is usually better, but I was a bit reluctant..."

Ridgeway: "Eiri-kun...?" Conduct, he says... "Eiri-kun, you're a bit troubled, aren't
you."

Eiri: "Ha?"


--page 181

Eiri: "You talk about people like broken things....."

Ridgeway: "I prefer people with scars. But you're a bit too rebellious, Eiri."

Eiri: "........ Professor, why did you adopt me?"

Ridgeway: "Hm? Oh. To be my successor. But at this rate it won't work."


--page 182

Eiri: "Is my intelligence not enough to catch up to you? If that's the case then I'll
study more, and-"

Ridgeway: "No, that aspect is fine, it's enough, but.... your other form of intelligence
is too clattered."

Eiri: "Ha?"

Ridgeway: "What a scientist needs is unlimited vision!! So Eiri-kun, you are to play!
That is your assignment."

Eiri: "Professor... what are you saying...."

Ridgeway: "No, it's not a joke. Until I say so, you are forbidden to enter the lab.
Understood?"

Eiri: "........."


--page 183

Eriko: "Eeeehhh?? The Eiri boy is forbidden to enter the lab?!"

Eric: "Eeeeehh..."

Eriko: "It's my fault...."

Eric: "Eriko?"

Eriko: "It was my fault. He's an impertinent brat, but he's only ten years old!
I have to go speak to the Professor.....!"

Eric: "Eriko! The Professor's way of thinking isn't wrong."

Eriko: "But as far as the Professor's research is concerned, if he does something like
that then we won't have enough time! Ah..."


--page 184

Eriko: ".........."

Eric: ".......well. I guess all we can do is watch over him."

Eiri: (I don't feel like playing...)

That's right.... in the seven years since I came to A.S., I've never played, huh...

Eiri: "Wa~! Ah! Crap!!"

I was so lost in thought...

Eiri: "Geh, that was one of the endangered cabbage white butterflies that was being
experimented on." Crap.

It'll be bad if it gets away
I have to catch it!

Eiri: "!"


--page 185

Eiri: "Idea?!

Idea: "Hm?"

Eiri: "Do whatever you have to, just catch that butterfly!"

Idea: "Eh?"

Eiri: "Aah! My chance to catch it....!"

Idea: "You wanted to catch it?"

I feel kinda gross running into him...

Eiri: "Yeah." How embarrassing.

Idea: "Oh, then I'll call it for you."

Eiri: "Eh?"


--page 186

Idea: "C'mere~"

Eiri: "What are you--..."

Idea: "There!"

What is this guy.....
With the birds, too...

Eiri: "Anyway, don't just enter onto people's property without permission."


--page 187

Idea: "It's alright, isn't it~~? I'm not hurting anything~. I like it here."

Eiri: "Fine. I'll let you get away with it if you don't tell anyone about what happened."

Idea: "What happened?"

Eiri: "That..."

Idea: "Oh, that you were crying?"

I knew it!

Eiri: "Don't tell anyone! If you tell.....!"

What am I saying I'll do if he tells?

But this version of me who's being led around by his own weakness....
How can I make him keep quiet? How......

Idea: "....... Eiri, you're changing."


--page 188

Eiri: "Eh?" What's changing about me.

Idea: "Interesting. Fine, I got it. I won't tell anyone, even if I die. I promise,
Eiri. Anyway, Eiri, let's play!"

Eiri: ".........."

Idea: "This forest is really interesting! There's a pond, too; I'll show you around!"


--page 189

Idea: "I'll show you a hidden place. I've taken a liking to you."

Eiri: "Wha..."

For some reason....

Eiri: "You don't show someone around their own land, right."
Idea: Oh, now that you mention it I guess that's right. Come on, this way~

I felt a little bit like I was changing.


--page 190

I felt like I knew what was broken inside myself.

Eiri: "WAAA, it's raining!!" It's not letting up.
Idea: ........

Eiri: "Idea?" (H... he's sleeping?) "Sleeping..."

Peaceful.....


--page 191

That was the first time I ever felt that rain was gentle.

Eiri: "I'm home." *DRIP*

Eriko: "Eiri-kun, you're soaking!"
Ridgeway: "Oh, my."

I was a bit embarrassed, but...


--page 192

Eriko: "Take a bath; you'll catch cold! Here, a towel! The professor told me to!!"

Eiri: "Thank you, Eriko-san."

Eriko: "......."

Ridgeway: "Hm, hm."

The Professor allowed me back into the lab.

Eriko: "Eiri."


--page 193

And Eriko, who had kicked up such a fuss....

Eriko: "There, I translated this paper! By myself!! I had it checked by someone who
could speak Hindu, but...." Actually, I get the feeling I only helped, but...

Eiri: "This is spelled wrong."

Eriko: "Ugh."

Eiri: "This is a specialist term here...."
Eriko: "Oh, I see...."

Many days passed after that.....


--page 194

The weather finally cleared up.

It was a time when I thought things could last like this forever.

Eriko: "I wonder why we keep messing up on the DNA-copying?"

Eric: "Eh?"

Eriko: "DNA is like a zipper..... Fastening two things together to make a double-helix,
right? It's only four bases: adenine, thymine, cytocine, and guanine, but if that DNA's
arrangement of the base-pairs is abruptly altered, then it would change, right?" Right
now we can change humans by genetic engineering, but....


--page 195

Ridgeway: "Aah, we're making progress."

Eric: "That's why we're making this molecular clock*, right." Why are you just bringing
this up now?
  *molecular clock: pertaining to animals' molecules, it tracks progress and evolution.

Eriko: "I wonder if humans will evolve more?" On their own.

Ridgeway: "Well, humans are animals after all." *cough cough*

Eric: Chimpanzee and human molecular make-up is more than 90% the same.

Eriko: "Ah, oh yes, where did Eiri-kun go?" 
Eric: "Seems he made a friend."
Eriko: "Eeh, a girl or something?"
Eric: "Dunno."

Eriko: "Professor? Are you alright?"

Eric: "Professor?"


--page 196

Eriko: "PROFESSOR?!"

Like this forever...........



Chapter Five - Our Time II - FIN
don't take the translations, please!
I'd hate to have to send Bloody after you. >:D