Episode 215 – Setup (2)

Setup (2)

In the bowels of the Libra Intelligence Agency—the waste disposal site.

I pulled out a notebook amidst the heaps of shredded papers. Tearing off a page, I imperfectly imitated someone’s handwriting to make it look like a practice attempt.

Whoosh!

I set the paper ablaze.

“Grawl, look into the mafia side.”

I issued a specific command to Grawl at the same time.

“The mafia?”

“Yes.”

The Libra Intelligence Agency is an organization that gathers all the underground information. Therefore, a team leader-level agent can easily access even the most crucial information.

That in itself is a temptation for him.

It’s practically no different from a mint that handles money. If utilized properly, it can be monetized.

And as far as I know, ‘Benedict,’ the team leader, is not a man resistant to temptation.

“There’s bound to be a history of him selling information to the mafia.”

“Got it!”

The enemy of my enemy is my ally.

Since Johanna’s enemy is the mafia, the scum under Derek’s command must be selling information to them.

“Phew!”

I snuffed out the flames clinging to the paper and pocketed the charred remains.

Right after that, I left the Intelligence Agency.

It was already dawn outside.

Beep beep!

A car horn sounded from the street. I turned to look.

It was Bell Moore.

“Get in. I’ll give you a ride.”

He spoke as if he were some kind of hero.

“Is this your car? You’ve changed vehicles.”

“Ah, this? Yeah, something like that. Just get in.”

I climbed into the passenger seat. Bell Moore smirked and asked.

“You’re an internal investigator, right? Lucky you. Being chummy with the junior has its perks.”

“Perks?”

He must have come to persuade me. To wrap up the internal investigation quickly.

“Of course. There’s hardly anything to do. Just do a cursory investigation and it’s over. It’s a line on your resume.”

“……”

I silently looked at Bell Moore.

Bell Moore is far from loyal. More bat-like than anyone, ready to abandon anyone for his own survival.

“Bell Moore.”

“Yeah, what?”

I opened my mouth with as much significance as I could muster.

As if I had discovered some dark conspiracy from the unknown.

“By any chance, that letter…”

“……Letter? Sonya’s letter?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, what about it?”

Bell Moore swallowed his saliva secretly, showing signs of tension. I asked him.

“Did you receive it from within the Intelligence Agency?”

“……The Intelligence Agency?”

“Yes.”

It’s not for nothing, a fabricated letter.

Meaning, the evidence that put Sonya in jail right now is Bell Moore’s specialty. Thanks to him leaving my name out of the report.

“Don’t you know it’s amateur to ask about the source of information?”

Bell Moore tried to dodge the issue, but I coolly countered.

“Ms. Sonya claims the letter was forged.”

“Bullshit. Do you believe that? A traitor is someone who’d slice off heads at first sight.”

“I’ve seen the search report of the mansion, and there was no evidence other than the letter.”

“Ha. So what. You’re saying you suspect the person who delivered that evidence?”

Bell Moore snickered.

The person who had directly delivered the evidence was me, after all.

“It’s not about the person who delivered the evidence… I’m talking about the reliability of the evidence itself.”

“The evidence itself?”

“Yes.”

I pulled out a slightly burnt piece of paper from my pocket. It was a trap I had just set up.

“Take a look.”

“Ah, you’re such a nuisance. Hey. You bumped shoulders with Zendri, didn’t you?”

“Who’s Zendri?”

“A scary guy. Since you’ve caught his eye, just do a sloppy job and—”

“Just look at it.”

I thrust the paper in front of Bell Moore’s eyes.

Even the annoyed Bell Moore suddenly widened his eyes and snatched it up.

“…What’s this?”

Tiny sentences were written on the scrap.

“It’s Ms. Sonya’s handwriting. But she didn’t write it. Some parts are awkward, right?”

I had just written it.

“It looks like someone practiced the handwriting.”

“You, you, you. Where did you get this?”

Bell Moore asked urgently.

“…Do you trust me, Mr. Bell Moore?”

“Of course, I trust you. Where did you get this?”

I pretended to ponder and crossed my arms. Bell Moore grabbed my shoulder.

“Where did you get it!”

“…I’m telling you because it’s you, Mr. Bell Moore.”

Pretending as if there was a nonexistent friendship, trust between us, I acted as if I trusted him.

I confessed to the heavily breathing Bell Moore.

“I turned the Intelligence Agency’s garbage dump upside down.”

“The garbage dump? You found this tiny thing there?”

“Yes.”

Bell Moore looked at me in disbelief, but he was already caught in the trap.

“Ha… the garbage dump.”

Eventually, Bell Moore would become suspicious. Exceptional survival skills are synonymous with endless doubt.

“…Well. With your psycho-like tenacity, what can’t you find? Anyways, have you told anyone about this?”

I shook my head.

“Don’t tell anyone. If this is real, it’s a much bigger deal than you think.”

Bell Moore opened the car door.

“Get out.”

“…But this isn’t my house yet.”

“Ah, get out. I have things to do.”

I got out of the car grumpily and with a snort.

Vroom—

He drives away, but it doesn’t matter to me.

Not in the slightest danger.

Above all, Libra, including Bell Moore, doesn’t know my ‘enmity’. They’ll mistake anything I do for loyalty.

‘Grawl. I just put a mana core in that guy’s car.’

When I got out of the car, I took out the mana core from the 「Notepad」 and tucked it under the passenger seat.

‘Can you track and monitor the location?’

‘Yes, of course! I’ll send one of my cat friends right away!’

I don’t know exactly how it works, but Grawl uses cats. Not even as familiars. They just roam around like stray cats, watching everything.

It’s a natural surveillance system that can’t be detected even if it is tried.

…

Bell Moore clenched the steering wheel and cursed under his breath.

“Fuck.”

He cursed outwardly as well.

His head was throbbing. It felt like his brain cells were tangling up with each other.

“…Those bastards couldn’t have.”

Bell Moore thought.

If Derek’s Chasers had fabricated the evidence themselves and passed it off to us?

“It’s clear the handwriting was practiced.”

Even this burnt piece of paper was found in the Intelligence Agency’s underground garbage dump. A highly trustworthy source.

Matters within the Intelligence Agency should stay within the Intelligence Agency. Therefore, employees are searched when they leave work and can be subjected to random mansion inspections without notice.

However, if one were to conspire within the Intelligence Agency, they could avoid even body searches, not to mention inspections. No one would rummage through the employees’ drawers or cabinets.

“…Is it the team leader?”

Suddenly, Benedict, the Intelligence Agency team leader known for his envy and jealousy, popped into Bell Moore’s mind. It was he, under Derek’s command, who had ordered Sonya’s rescue.

“Shit, this…”

Bell Moore rubbed his temples and clenched his jaw.

“It seems like I’ve been properly caught.”

He still doesn’t know.

If all of this was directly ordered by Derek, it would be the worst-case scenario, but if it’s the unilateral action of the Intelligence Agency team leader ‘Benedict’, there’s still a chance to survive.

Above all, he has the rookie.

A rookie who loyally serves Libra like a madman.

Right now, Benedict is certainly doing something harmful to Libra…

“If you don’t want to die, you have to kill.”

Bell Moore pressed the accelerator again.

* * *

The next day. I went to an ice cream chain called ‘Benoveno’ on the national university grounds.

It was because of Layla’s text.

[All knights who have chosen me, come to ‘Benoveno National University branch’!]

There were quite a few people there. About four or five. They seemed to be in the middle of something akin to an interview.

─Hmm~ What do you think would be good about being on my team~?

─Well… I use a sword and shield. I’m skilled with the shield. I can definitely protect you, Layla…

─Okay! That’s enough! Next!

I waited while eating my ice cream. Most of them even brought resumes to PR themselves.

Is this what the life of a knight is like?

“Next! The last one!”

Layla looked at me. I was eating ice cream. Layla frowned and shouted again.

“The last one!!”

“Ah. Me?”

“The last one─!!!”

What is she, a feudal lord?

I approached and sat down in front of her.

“So, Shion~ Why did you choose me~? Why did Shion pick me~?”

Layla made her facial features smug like a proud cat.

She had cried a lot after the Void incident. But she quickly returned to her usual self.

Well, this kind of resilience is one of her strengths.

If she didn’t have this level of mental fortitude, she wouldn’t even dream of being a hero.

“Just because.”

“Hey~ Just because, what’s that~ Shion. Don’t tell me you’re trying to make me jealous~?”

At first, I thought of Elise. We had teamed up before and were familiar with each other.

But then, because of the dating rumors, I felt self-conscious too.

Even if it’s not about me, the public and the media would want to believe it, or they might want to tarnish Elise’s reputation.

“No. It’s not that.”

Elise has changed.

The Elise I knew before regression no longer exists.

So, there’s no need to hurt her unnecessarily.

“You’re dumb. I think I can assist you.”

“What did you say?!”

Layla narrowed her eyes and banged the table with her fist, then belatedly crossed her arms to appear nonchalant.

“Hehe~ Shion, my friend. You should be trying to impress me~ If you don’t get chosen by me, you’ll end up with the other knight rejects~?”

Layla still maintained her haughty attitude. I glanced at the other knights waiting behind me.

“I’m better than those who came before me, aren’t I?”

“…That’s what people tend to think.”

“Then choose one of them.”

Being on a team with Layla would definitely lead to some peculiar situations. She’s somewhat foolish and lacking in some areas.

But still, Mila is the hero I used to admire.

I remember grace the same way I remember grudges.

I want to help her improve just a little more.

“…Shion still doesn’t understand reality~”

Layla made her eyes as wide as a blowfish’s.

I said,

“If you don’t choose me, I’ll quit the club.”

“…”

Layla narrowed her eyes again. I looked into her eyes.

Layla kept her eyes narrowed. They were almost closed, as thin as thread.

“I’ll quit.”

“Ah, wait!”

* * *

Click!

Outside at the park bench by Benoveno, Layla fastened her bracelet. I did the same with mine.

“Just touch them together.”

I tagged my bracelet against the one on the wrist she extended. With a beep, a line of magical energy connected us, and the timer started.

[15:00:00]

“What’s this?”

“We have to be together for at least 15 hours a week. The timer only runs when we’re within 5 meters.”

Layla explained while looking at her smartphone.

“Fifteen hours…”

For me, it’s going to be a somewhat painful time.

“Shion. Shall we do some training?”

“Instead of training, what’s your specialty?”

I know Mila well, but Layla, not so much.

“My specialty…”

Layla also paused. She had the look of someone who didn’t know her own specialty.

“You’re aspiring to be a mage, right?”

“…Of course.”

Her Spectrum, 「Avatar」, is literally ‘another self.’

When she’s hidden inside her suit, not only does her own power increase exponentially, but the fabric of the suit itself becomes much stronger.

Since Mila herself told me before the regression, it’s probably certain.

“First off, I’m rich.”

“Great, use that wealth.”

“Anyway! What about you. What’s your specialty?”

“I’m a swordsman. A swordsman who beat Gerkhen.”

“…”

Layla looked at me with eyes full of superiority.

“Then… Oh? It’s Elly!”

She reached out somewhere. There was Elise, with Gerkhen by her side.

Elise and Gerkhen are a team.

A super elite combination.

“Elly~”

Layla waved her hand. Elise, noticing us, shuddered.

Ding-

That’s when a text message arrived.

────

[Notice]

: Teams that have completed teaming must spend 15 hours together over the course of a week.

: The line of magical energy connecting the bracelets must not be broken.

: If it is broken for any reason, the teaming will be dissolved, and both students will return to the ‘pool.’

: You cannot team up with the same student more than once.

: Teams must complete various assignments while in a teamed state…

────

“Ooh~ Shion. Look at this. It’s fascinating.”

“…Hey. We might need to run away.”

I nudged Layla’s shoulder with my elbow.

“Huh? Why?”

“Look over there.”

Elise stood in the distance. Gerkhen seemed uninterested, probably reading the notice on his smartphone, but Elise, having already read it, was glaring this way.

With eyes that were incredibly fierce and incredibly terrifying.

She clenched her fist. Magical energy began to gather above it.

“Uh, uh oh! Is she going to attack us?!”

“That’s why we need to run.”

I quickly grabbed Layla’s wrist. We dashed away, dodging the telekinesis that reached for our backs.

* * *

────

[Notice]

Here is the list of assignments to be completed while in a teamed state:

1. Share your hobbies.
2. Synchronize training at the training grounds.
3. Hunt monsters in the monster-infested area (20 required).
4. Share a meal.
5. Write a report assessing and evaluating each other.
6. …

────

Vroom…

“Shion, you’re good at driving~”

I’m currently driving. Layla is lounging in the passenger seat like a queen, having reclined it all the way back.

We ended up in Layla’s car after fleeing from Elise.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

I called out to Layla, who had her eyes half-closed. I didn’t want to see her sprawled out asleep, no matter what.

“What happened inside that tower?”

I asked about the Silonti Tower, and Void.

Layla’s complexion darkened rapidly. She let out a small sigh and said,

“…Something did happen.”

“No, I’m asking what happened. Of course, something happened.”

“…”

Layla glared at me. I added another comment.

“Why are you so dumb?”

“Sand.”

Layla stretched like she was yawning, placing her hands behind her head.

“Just… I realized I was too weak there.”

“Weak how?”

“When that villain was about to kill a 10-year-old kid… I was sprawled on the ground. I couldn’t breathe.”

Her voice was quite damp with recollection, but it’s often the villain that fosters a hero’s growth.

Layla will surely grow. Into the proper Mila.

“So… Oh? We’re here.”

“Looks like it. The field.”

While driving, we arrived at the ‘monster-infested area.’

As the name suggests, it’s swarming with monsters.

This place, also known as ‘the field,’ has one of our teaming assignments.

“Do we just need to hunt the monsters?”

“Yeah.”

We got out of the car.

The sky was unnecessarily clear. The surrounding scenery was vividly beautiful in the monster-infested area.

“Huh? Some other kids are already here?”

Layla’s eyes widened as she looked around. There were quite a few others like us, wearing bracelets.

“Be careful.”

“Huh? Careful of what?”

“Didn’t you see Elise? She’s a competitor.”

“Oh, right.”

Layla quickly took out her smartphone and made a call.

Ring-ring- ring-ring-

“Luckily, it’s not ringing. She must not be here.”

She’s surprisingly cunning.

“How many do we have to catch?”

“Twenty.”

As I was answering and stretching, suddenly.

‘Master! Someone is tailing you!’

At Grawl’s words, I straightened up.

‘Who is it.’

‘It looks like the mafia!’

‘The mafia?’

‘Yes!’

My brow furrowed.

There is a reason for the mafia to follow me…

The gambling venue.

If I win the 6th round of the World of Series Poker, the mafia would suffer a 300 million ren loss. They might try to nip the possibility of my victory in the bud rather than leave anything up to chance.

‘It’s okay.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’

I glanced at Layla.

“Hut two! Hut two! Hut two! Kyaaaah.”

She was stretching like a pony.

‘I have a hero by my side.’

Strong enough not to lose to the likes of the mafia, at least.