Episode 239 – Unharmed (1)

Unharmed (1)

Edsilla National University, [Application of Magical Formulas] Classroom

“……when you compute this formula, it breaks down like this.”

Tenured Professor Theia Esil wrote on the chalkboard. The classroom full of students copied down her notes.

“Furthermore, when manifesting a magical formula, environmental factors are also important……”

She continued speaking while her gaze landed on someone in the room.

Shion Ascal.

Brazenly taking notes, he was a Chaser of Libra.

Theia had been aware of his activities since long ago. Gathering this level of intelligence was easy for her.

“──That will be all for today.”

The three-hour class came to an end. While most students closed their notebooks, the usual exemplary ones approached the lectern.

“Professor.”

Elise was the first. Theia nodded at her.

“……Are you feeling better now?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. Then, about this part—”

“You still don’t know who it was?”

Theia cut off Elise’s words.

“Ah… Yes.”

Theia had certainly been knocked out due to the death curse, but when she opened her eyes, she was in a hospital. Without that unexpected help, her life would have truly been in danger.

“Not yet. If I start searching in earnest, I’ll find them soon. Right now, I’m just too busy with patient paperwork.”

Yet, that ‘someone’ was still unknown. Theia, who disliked owing debts, was even prepared to pay a reward of 100,000 Ren.

“But more importantly… about this part.”

Elise stubbornly pointed to her own notes.

“In this section, when the circuit is cut, the magic disperses, right? I understood it as utilizing the dispersion that occurs from an artificial break, is that correct?”

“That’s the correct understanding. There are various ways to utilize circuits. Normally, you connect magical circuits, but sometimes you intentionally break them to create…”

While this was happening, Shion Ascal had already disappeared from his seat.

* * *

My college life was fairly smooth.

As a student of the Knight Academy, I trained hard, attended lectures diligently, and neglected my social life.

I also managed to maintain fairly high grades. Hovering just below the top line of Gerken, Kain, and Asher? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to break into that upper tier.

For the record, Soliette is on the verge of academic probation.

Actually, it’s almost certain.

She’s still adventuring in the bottle of souls, and she might never graduate.

Because of that, the seat next to me feels a bit empty.

But for her, that place is probably the most important right now.

Because those are the days she spends with Jared.

Anyway.

“……Hmm.”

[The Parliament House is a government office built in the mountain ranges of eastern Edsilla.]

In my dorm’s private room.

I’m staring at the laptop screen, pondering.

[Due to security concerns, the entrance to the Parliament House, which hosts the hearing, will only be open for 3 hours from 11 AM to 2 PM on the day of the hearing, and will not be opened again until the hearing concludes.]

Given the importance of the individuals gathering, the entrance times are restricted. Once inside the Parliament House during the designated times, it’s absolutely safe.

That’s why Derek’s subordinate doesn’t want to let Theia Esil in.

[…This hearing will be attended by prominent figures, including Libra’s eldest son Derek, the heir of Bern, Salio, and others.]

“A victory that’s only skin deep.”

I know this story.

Theia wins at this hearing. She manages to attend and exposes Derek’s true face.

But it’s a victory that’s only skin deep.

For Theia, it really is.

She succeeds in stirring up the hornet’s nest that is Derek, but the backlash is too immense.

Her research facility is bombed, her family secrets she wanted to keep buried are exposed in the media, and worst of all, as a form of retribution, several of her students are murdered.

And Derek?

He faces a class-action lawsuit but squirms out of it with all sorts of tricks, manipulates public opinion through the media, and aside from his ‘pride,’ money, and time, he doesn’t suffer much damage.

From Theia’s perspective, it was an attack with the worst cost-effectiveness.

“…But then again.”

I looked at my Libra phone.

“Is that all you’re going to ask me to do?”

There’s no contact from the Balancer. As if they expect me to fail anyway.

“Should I stop it?”

I was in a dilemma.

Should I just watch Derek’s disgrace?

Or should I stop Theia from poking the hornet’s nest, saving Derek’s face in the process?

“…”

I thought hard.

One path is a future I know all too well, and the other is uncertain—but

Theia.

I like you.

“I should stop it.”

Because I like you, I’ll side with Derek.

If possible, I’ll change your pathetic downfall.

Because I don’t wish for a future where you die either.

* * *

“So, does Jesco completely trust you now?”

Late at night at Lithium Corporation.

Sonya asked while organizing the ledger in the office.

“Yes. It seems so. To be certain, I’ll put in more effort for another month or two. It should end without any variables.”

I fiddled with the necklace. Sonya’s eyes caught it.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s a university press pass. It allows me to enter the Parliament House.”

“The Parliament House? You mean the hearing for the eldest son?”

“Yes.”

Sonya slightly clenched her teeth.

Thus, her resentment towards Derek had deepened considerably.

“It starts at 11 today… Somehow, I ended up deciding to attend as well.”

“And your mission?”

“…To write an article as favorable to Sir Derek as possible and contribute it to the university newspaper.”

It was a direct order from Smith. They call it shaping public opinion or something like that.

Basically, they’re telling me to stay out of it.

Sonya let out a hollow laugh.

“Funny, isn’t it? So, are you planning to just sit this one out?”

“Well…”

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

“I plan to act when the time comes. More importantly, how is R&D progressing?”

Jesco will fall soon. Not just because of the desert’s heat. He’s going to expand his business trusting ‘Belkman’, but if Belkman suddenly disappears, he won’t be able to handle the scale of it.

With Quantum Mechanic gone, a void will appear in the Edsilla mid-western arms industry, and Lithium will have to seize control by releasing an enormous quantity of high-quality stock.

“Don’t worry. Just keep a proper eye on Jesco.”

Ding—

Right then, a text message arrived.

It was from Jesco.

“…Looks like there’s no need to keep an eye on him. He keeps sending texts.”

“Oh really? What’s he saying?”

Sonya asked, seemingly curious.

“It’s trivial stuff. He’s suggesting I try donating to some internet stream or something like that when I’m bored. Says I could get treated like a king.”

“Huh, really?”

─…Heh.

A faint chuckle intermingled from somewhere. Sonya and I turned simultaneously towards the source.

It was a turned-off monitor.

“…Were you there?”

─…

In response to my question, click—

The monitor turned on.

Zia spoke with a slightly embarrassed tone.

─Yeah… I was here, with you guys…

“You should have said something earlier.”

─If I’m around… you guys don’t have fun conversations…

“Ha ha.”

Sonya laughed as if she found her cute, but I was a bit on edge.

This is why even my innermost thoughts must be censored. This is why I must self-censor my own thoughts.

─I wanted to join in the conversation too… but I was afraid you’d find it boring…

You never know when, where, or how Zia might be watching us.

* * *

The day of the parliamentary hearing arrived.

Theia, a tenured professor, was meticulously packing the documents she had prepared into her backpack.

“Oh, are you leaving now?”

As soon as she stepped out, her graduate students asked her. They were mostly disheveled due to the recent increase in research work.

“I’ll be back.”

“…Hmm~ But I’m a bit worried.”

Her subordinate, Dr. Jeremy, spoke with a concerned tone.

“Isn’t this just stirring up a hornet’s nest? Those nobles turn into real lunatics when you mess with them…”

“They might. But the continent needs to know. They need to know about Derek’s atrocities.”

Theia descended to the first floor. As usual, she stopped by the café to buy a cup of coffee. She took a slight sniff of it.

There was a strange bitter scent mixed in.

Perhaps a sleeping drug.

The Chasers of Libra, they really do target such trivial everyday moments.

…Thump.

Theia deliberately bumped into someone, causing her coffee to spill all over the floor.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

The other person apologized, but Theia, pretending it was her own fault, quickly left the café.

And then.

She got into her car in the parking lot.

She was already aware of the bug installed in it.

What kind of game will unfold? Let’s see.

…

Libra’s Balancers enjoy various benefits and privileges. They have unlimited expense accounts, private offices, and if they wish, they can have several Chasers under their command.

Thus, a Balancer is essentially a department in its own right.

“Theia’s location has been confirmed. She’s inside her vehicle. She just left.”

Smith nodded at his subordinate’s report.

“Any notable recordings?”

“No. Nothing significant, but it’s definitely Theia herself.”

In this way, the listening device serves simply to distinguish that it’s Theia herself. If the wrong person got into the car, it would be problematic.

“It seems that the college student has managed not to get caught.”

‘That college student’ is Shion Ascal. He was brought into the operation simply because Derek wanted to test his abilities as a potential Balancer.

“She might have caught him but is pretending not.”

It’s more likely that he doesn’t know what we’re up to and is trying to find out.

However, no matter what they predict, Theia Esil will never be able to attend the hearing.

“Get ready.”

Balancer Smith plans to blow up Theia’s entire car. It’s a remote magical explosion performed through 「Spectrum」.

He has already clumped magic onto Theia’s vehicle like clay.

“What will we do if she dies?”

“It would be best if she dies. But she’s not the kind of person to be killed by such tricks.”

Smith closed his eyes. Quietly, he activated his magic and began the countdown in his mind.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Explosion.

…

The scenery of the parliamentary building is quite grim. It’s located between the mountains in the eastern part of Edsilla, as far away from the underworld as possible.

The entrance to the parliamentary building is set up like a cave in the deep mountains.

Derek, who entered leisurely on time, received the report.

─Theia’s vehicle has exploded. Theia herself has fallen into the riverbank with the car.

At Smith’s transmission, Derek let out a smirk.

“…It was nothing serious then.”

After all, the very idea that a mere professor could challenge him is absurd.

“Ah. Derek. You were here.”

Someone called out to Derek. He looked over. His brow furrowed for a moment, but he forced a genial expression.

It’s a guy named ‘Vern’.

The heir of the Voltark family, who has long been on bad terms with Libra, asked:

“How are the preparations for the hearing?”

“What preparations need to be made?”

Both men smiled at each other, but it was a smile with hidden knives. They treated each other like cockroaches and rat bastards.

“Ah, of course, Derek. There must be something to prepare. From what I know, that professor—Theia, is it? She’s been sharpening her knives for you.”

“Ha.”

Derek snorted and raised an eyebrow.

She’s already been dealt with.

“A mere professor thinks she can take me on—”

“You should have taken it easy. Derek, you’re too blinded by immediate gains. There’s a reason why Voltark remains number one in the business world, even if you stretch your tentacles far and wide.”

“…”

It was a statistical fact, leaving him without a proper retort.

While Libra competes for the top spot in terms of overall family size, in the realm of single enterprises, Voltark’s big tech company ‘Everett’ holds the number one position.

Derek’s lips frowned.

“You’re quite talkative today, Vern.”

“Is that so? Then let’s leave it at that. After all, there’s a spectacle to watch today. Haha.”

Even as Vern turned to leave, he continued to taunt incessantly.

“Oh, by the way, according to my sources, the person in that overturned car wasn’t Theia Esil.”

Suddenly, Derek’s expression hardened.

“Ha. That’s a scary look. Nice to see. Reminds me of the old days.”

Vern waved his hand and walked away, and just then, Derek’s Libra phone received a call.

─Lord Derek.

It was Smith.

“What’s the matter?”

─I apologize. Upon examining the overturned car, we found that it wasn’t Theia inside, but a doll… We’re trying our best to track down her whereabouts, but—.

Derek immediately hung up the call. He clenched his teeth. His entire face twitched as if bitten by insects.

The fact that Theia had slipped away and that Vern, that piece of trash, had obtained the information first…

A surge of anger reddened Derek’s face in an instant.

He stood there motionless for nearly 30 minutes.

Whirring──

Suddenly, the vibration rang out again.

“These goddamn bastards.”

Who the hell is this fucking moron calling him?

“What the-”

─Lord Derek. We have located Theia Esil.”

“…What?”

Derek’s complexion contorted.

Frowning, he listened closely to the voice. It wasn’t Smith’s tone.

“Who is this?”

─It’s Shion Ascal.

“…Shion Ascal?”

Derek unwittingly switched the phone to his right hand.

─Yes. Would it be alright if I conduct a solo operation for a moment?

* * *

Clunk-clunk─ clunk-clunk─

The sound of rattling on the rails.

Theia Esil was sitting inside a train.

By now, Derek and his cronies must be quite flustered.

The whole story is simple yet complicated. It’s a technique that humans are bound to fall for.

It’s the Doll Magic.

A spell so difficult that it’s practically obsolete in modern times.

However, Theia had learned it over the shoulder of an old friend and current nemesis, a bitch named Akane who was a genius at Doll Magic.

Of course, she couldn’t handle it as ‘perfectly human’ as that bitch, but it was possible to pretend to be herself and drive a car.

Clunk-clunk─ clunk-clunk─

Anyway, the fake Theia had driven the car and flipped it, while the real one had boarded the train the previous evening.

Of course, she hadn’t bought a train ticket.

Why would she stupidly allow herself to be tracked?

“Hmm…”

Theia sat calmly in her seat, plugging in her earphones.

Listening to cozy classical music, she waited to arrive at her destination, when suddenly.

A tall man placed his bag on the overhead shelf and sat down in the seat in front of her.

“…”

Theia inadvertently looked his way.

Neatly combed blond hair. A tidy suit. Broad shoulders. A necklace reading [Parliament House College Journalist] resting on his chest.

Her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

“…Huh?”

The man also looked surprised, his eyes widening.

“Professor?”

Libra’s Chaser, Shion Ascal.

There he was, right in front of her.