The country of Amberground, surrounded on all sides by the sea,
is composed of three separate, segregated areas.
The capital, Akatsuki, brightly lit by an artificial sun,
where lives only the very highest class of society; a city of the chosen.
The second area for the middle class, Yuusari...
And the third area, Yodoka, where the lowest class of society scrapes out a meager existence.
Only those who have been issued a crossing permit by the government
are allowed to cross the bridges between the three areas.
The small artificial sun exists only to shine down upon the capital,
its light enveloped on all sides by the world's deep darkness.
Crybaby Boy, Letter Girl
Oh, there it is!
What's with that horse?
But, who'd think there'd be someone curious enough to join the national postal service from this town...
Not only that, but he was good enough to pass the preliminary examination, so now he's leaving Cambel.
Next up he's doing an interview in Yuusari!
My knees are shaking just thinking about it!
It's not like you're taking the exam...
Hey! It looks like his ride's almost here!
Right!
Sabrina, they say his ride's almost here.
Is that so?
What's the matter with you?
And where is he anyway?
I'm sure Lag's at the same place he always is.
Oh, you mean on the top of that cliff?
Sheesh! How can both of you be so easy-going like this?
The Letter Bee is coming to pick him up, you know!
The Letter Bee, huh?
Excuse me!
Who could it be at this hour?
Excuse me!
Yes, I'm coming.
No need to make such a ruckus, I'm opening the door.
A Letter Bee?
Aunt... Sabrina...
If it isn't Lag?!
And then I was like all, "bam! bam!"
Sit!
I said, sit!
He's really just like your child now.
He's such a handful, I don't know what to do!
Lag, if you don't go to bed soon, you'll make yourself ill.
Just a little longer.
Do you really want to become a Letter Bee so badly?
Yeah.
Aunt, Aunt!
I passed the preliminary examination!
You did?
That's great, Lag! Good work.
Honestly, five years passed by so quickly...
It looks like I just barely made it.
Here, this is your herbal medicine, Kopylov-san.
And this is the naughty magazine you requested, Hann-san.
Shh!
You ordered what?!
Thanks to you Letter Bees we can get things from Yuusari now.
You're a great help, Connor.
Don't mention it.
To think I'd find the best tasting pizza out in the farthest outskirts of Yodoka...
If I'd known I would have come a long time ago!
Isn't that right, Gus?
Don't blame us if you get even fatter!
Hey, Lag!
I couldn't get a two horse carriage, but this ain't bad for starting your journey, right?
Thanks, Connor!
Do right and say your goodbyes, Lag.
This is the interview section of the national postal worker entrance examination.
If you get past this, you won't be living here again, see.
Right...
This is our farewell gift.
A gun?
Does that old piece of junk even work?
It's valuable!
I'll treasure it, Kokesu-san!
We'll miss you, Lag.
Perhaps this is our final parting...
Stop it, everyone.
If I become a Letter Bee, I'll deliver letters to Cambel instead of Connor, so...
Saywha?
Oh? Sabrina isn't here yet.
Hey now, Lag...
Aunt Sabrina, thank you so much for everything...
That Letter Bee you brought with you was wearing one of these, right?
Gauche?
I treated him badly back then.
If you ever meet him again, please tell him that words can't express my gratitude to him.
For the new lease on life he gave this poor old woman...
The gratitude I feel for this precious letter he delivered to me...
I love you!
You're like a second mother to me, Aunt Sabrina!
Goodness, it seems I've become a crybaby like you!
Do your best to meet Anne, your real mother.
Make sure to become a Letter Bee, Lag Seeing!
Farewell, Aunt Sabrina.
Farewell, Cambel Litus.
What an incredible number of spores.
Those are fluff from the chippa flowers, Connor.
Chippa flowers?
Wait for me, Mom, Gauche!
I'm coming to see you!
I'm gonna become a great Letter Bee, you'll see!
The people in Cambel used to hate Letter Bees, but it seems like they don't feel that way at all anymore.
It's because of the train built in Yodoka that lets a lot more people come back and forth.
Does Gauche know about it?
Does he know there's a train now?
Didn't you ever get a letter from Gauche-san?
I suppose he is too busy with his job in Akatsuki.
He has to work hard if he wants his sister Sylvette to live in Akatsuki with him.
After all, Gauche wants a promotion to the highest title a Letter Bee can get, Head Bee!
I can see Aithon Coal Mine Station from here.
We've got to hurry, since we don't have much time to spare.
That'll do it!
Thanks for using Rockin' Pony Ballerina Carraige Rental!
Oh yeah, where's your dingo?
Weren't you training a puppy in Cambel?
He wouldn't listen to a thing I said.
He was completely obedient to Aunt Sabrina, though...
You're just too soft hearted, Lag.
If you're aiming to become a Bee, you'll need to be pretty tough underneath that softness of yours.
Just like me!
Connor...
A Bee's strengths, abilities, and techniques are judged based on what kind of dingo they have!
Please don't say that!
Well, I suppose your kindness is your specialty, Lag.
Enough with the teasing.
I'm just no good with dogs.
Is it okay to have something other than a dog as your dingo?
Anything that can be trained, like a lion or a panther would do.
Or if you have the money, you can hire a mercenary.
That's not going to help me any...
Um...
Golden hair and sea blue eyes...
What is it?
Y-You're using the privy! Sorry to bother you!
No, that's not it.
Isn't that...
She's a package being stored here temporarily at this station.
She's easily frightened, so she ended up hiding herself in a place like this again.
Connor... This girl is a letter?
It seems she got here mixed in with the freight two days ago.
But the postage wasn't nearly sufficient,
the sender's address is unknown, and the delivery slip in too incomplete.
So she can't be recognized as a letter.
You mean she can't be delivered?
Right.
And since she can't be returned either,
she'll be held here for a certain period of time,
and then afterwards destroyed.
Destroyed?!
Don't look at me like that!
All that means is her leg irons will be cut and she'll be let free.
Let free?
And then what happens?
This coal mining town wouldn't have any place to take her in...
I feel sorry about it, but there's nothing I can do for her.
But, that's just...
We've got to get going!
It's almost time for the train to leave.
Let's go, Lag.
There's no need to be afraid.
My name is Lag Seeing.
Will you show me that slip on your arm?
Right, like that.
The destination is Love Someone Down, in the town of Rent.
The name of some orphanage, perhaps?
Lag, what are you doing?
Hey, Connor...
Are you sure there's no way she can be delivered?
No way!
Bees cannot be delivering illicit packages!
It's a violation of the rules!
The final departure bell!
It's time to go now, Lag!
We made it somehow.
It's just a straight shot to Kyrie, now.
Hey, Connor...
Rent town is only 30 keels north east of here.
I could probably reach it in only one day.
Yeah, that's about the distance.
Wait, Lag...
In that case, I'd just barely be able to make the interview!
Are you thinking of delivering that girl?
I told you already, it's a violation of-
I'm not a Letter Bee yet, so if I deliver her the regulations don't apply. Right, Connor?
Right?
L-Lag...
She's just like I was that time...
If I had been abandoned by Gauche back then...
When I think about what would have happened...
So, I just can't leave her like that.
L-Lag...
Okay, Connor?
I'm begging you!
Please let me deliver that girl!
The train for Kyrie will be departing shortly.
W-Wait!
Connor, I'm going and that's that!
I got it already, just wait a sec.
If I lend the station master something from my secret library of naughty magazines, I'm sure he'll help you out.
Connor?
Show this to the station master and you should be fine.
He'll let you take that girl with you.
Connor!
This is the temporary crossing pass with your name on it, Lag.
It will allow you and one dingo to cross the bridge into Yuusari.
But you won't be able to make the train anymore.
You'll have to walk all the way to the post office.
Thank you, Connor Culh!
You and my Aunt really are the same kind of person!
"Softy" isn't a race, Lag...
Got it? Make sure to arrive by the day of the interview!
Thanks for everything, Connor!
His kindness is his specialty, huh?
I guess that's not such a bad thing to have.
What is it now, sheesh!
A flier?
"Freak Show - Love Someone Down"
Love Someone Down?
Wasn't that...
My mission is to deliver you to your destination, Love Someone Down.
I'm Lag Seeing.
Won't you tell me your name?
My name? Maka.
Maka, huh? That's a pretty great name you have there...
Jenny...
Carol...
Susan...
Elizabeth...
Kerry...
Jinmei...
Abbey...
I have many others.
What is your real name?
I don't have one.
You don't have one?
Oh, I see. She must have been transferred from orphanage to orphanage...
Then, is there one you like?
No.
T-Then... Is it okay for me to give you a temporary name?
Um...
Let's see...
Niche...
That's it! How about Niche?
Niche?
It means gap, or a narrow space.
But it originally meant a special place for statues of the holy mother or decorative flowers!
See, it's like the hollow space where you hid back at the train station...
So, what do you think?
I think it's really...
No way!
It seems a fog is starting to blow in.
As long as we stay on this road from the town, there shouldn't be any dan... ger...
A Gaichuu?
Gun... My gun...
You're... really weak.
I can't believe I got so worked up over some rock snake... How embarrassing.
But...
What's with her strength and reflexes?
Maybe she's really a boy?
A river!
Oh?
You're right! And it's nice and clean, too.
This is perfect. Let's take a break here.
You should wash up a-
...bit...
I g-g-guess s-she really is a g-girl...
Stay still.
Enough already.
No complaining. Just a bit longer.
This is all real hair. That's amazing.
Okay, all cleaned up.
Next is...
Here.
H-Hey!
Put on some underwear!
Don't wanna!
I know they're mine, and they're a little big...
But they're brand new!
I don't need them.
Yes, you do! You really do!
You're a girl, right?
You don't seem like a person that does bad things, but that's going too far.
Bad things?
See, I...
There was a time when I was a letter just like you, and I was delivered to a town I didn't know.
Back then I was so uncertain of everything, I didn't know what to do.
But today, when I left, everyone in town wished me good luck, and saw me off with tears in their eyes!
I'm sure that there's a person out there who'll hold you dear, who'll grow to love you!
I'm just sure of it!
But, no matter how good a girl you are...
If a girl like you makes a first impression like that, they'll get the wrong idea!
And you're actually so beautiful!
Did you just call me beautiful?
Y-Yes, I did...
And your eyes are a really pretty color...
Lag Seeing.
You are the first man who has ever gotten me to wear underwear!
Blood...
Just a tiny bit.
Maybe when you jumped down from so high, a pebble nicked me.
Don't worry about it. This is nothing.
I can't believe how easily you can climb up and jump from a place like that.
You lick places that hurt, too?
Then I've decided.
W-What?
I've decided to use the name you gave me, "Niche."
Call me Niche, Lag.
Then, let's hurry to your destination, Niche!
Next: Lag's Dingo