“…You actually listen to what teachers say, don’t you?”
“Well, I am a student after all. At that point it was still just a single incident, so I never expected that the second case would involve two people collapsing together. There wasn’t even solid proof it was an 《Unlaw》 incident.”
“But the second one happened.”
“Yes. And precisely while I was resting.”
“Isn’t that… reading too much into it?”
“Norman-sensei would first consider the worst-case scenario.”
“Mmm…”
“The [Weeping Woman] 《Unlaw》 knows that I’m an 《Unlaw》, and moreover has grasped my movements to some degree and is being cautious. At least, that’s what I thought. That’s why I asked the detective agency for help.”
“…I see. So that’s why you specifically brought the story to the agency.”
“There was also the reason of wanting to reassure Rebecca.”
“Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“No, it’s just that you really are popular at this school and considerate of others.”
“What exactly do you think I am?”
“May I say it?”
“Hehe, let’s not. I think we’ve had enough pointless quarreling.”
She glossed over it with a smile, so Shizuku didn’t pursue it further.
She was aware of her own personality trait of immediately retorting when provoked, but it wasn’t that she liked fighting. She simply got irritated when people looked down on her.
“Changing the subject, though. About that friend of yours—did you find out anything?”
“Do I need to tell you?”
“This academy is my garden, you know? Setting aside that girl, I know the current students well.”
Shizuku hesitated a little. She didn’t like talking about important matters to others besides Norman, especially if the other party was Cklares.
Even so, if there was a possibility it connected to Sisel, Shizuku couldn’t ignore it.
“After classes ended, on the way back to the classroom, I heard from Rebecca-san about how they had been bullying Sisel.”
“…At that timing? Didn’t the atmosphere freeze?”
“Well, of course it froze.”
Not only Rebecca, but the classmates who had been surrounding Shizuku were completely speechless.
But their feelings were irrelevant to Shizuku.
“You know. I went to the trouble of barging into class to create a welcoming mood like [The mysterious transfer student has a bad attitude, but she’s skilled enough to match our Cklares-senpai…!]”
“Huh…? That’s way too much meddling…?”
In any case, after listening to their stories, what became clear was,
“…The bullying really did happen.”
Even now, Shizuku found it hard to believe.
“As for the content, well, it was the usual stuff. Gossip loud enough for her to hear, hiding her belongings, splashing water on her in the bathroom—that kind of boring stuff.”
“Did you remember anything that came to mind?”
“…Well, I did think she was a girl who was clumsy sometimes. I remember things like her losing objects, or getting covered in mud from falling and then getting doused with water.”
“That’s…”
“Now that it’s been pointed out, I wonder why I didn’t notice.”
Shifting her gaze away from Cklares, Shizuku looked out the window.
Beyond it was a grove that had already grown dark, and her own face was faintly reflected in the glass.
There wasn’t much difference in appearance from Tiana-Cram from a year and a half ago.
Back then her hair only reached her shoulders, and she didn’t wear ear warmers or gloves, or put on oversized hoodies and pull up the hood, or wear tights to reduce exposure of her entire body.
She just wore the uniform according to regulations. That Tiana had been next to Sisel.
“However, when she was with me, there really weren’t any signs of being bullied.”
That was what bothered her.
“If someone’s being bullied, it shows up in their behavior somehow, right?”
“What about in your case?”
“I’d traumatize them enough to make them wet themselves just from looking at my face.”
“…You’re not so much a malicious ojou-sama as fundamentally a thug.”
“How rude. In any case, there were no signs of Sisel being angry or depressed. So revenge by that girl is still ridiculous, and besides…”
“Besides?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
“Hmm.”
When she returned her gaze to her, Cklares’ cheeks were drawing that arc she’d grown tired of seeing.
The fairy’s smile that didn’t let others understand what she was thinking.
Usually she would dismiss it with a tongue click or something, but feeling uncomfortable with those eyes that seemed to see through Shizuku’s inner thoughts,
“More importantly… speaking of things that bother me, what’s up with those people? Compared to the past, they’ve become quite airheaded. Even when I asked about the bullying, they seemed awkward but answered normally. They wouldn’t answer normally, would they?”
“It’s interesting to hear you talk about what’s normal.”
Cklares lowered her gaze and spun her staff around.
Seeing that, Shizuku was certain. There was no basis for it. But,
“You did something anyway, didn’t you? [Distortion State].”
“You say such terrible things. Well, it’s true the academy’s atmosphere was quite bad in the past.”
Cklares shrugged,
“I just persuaded them to reflect on themselves a little. Fortunately, everyone accepted my words, reformed, and it became the peaceful academy it is today.”
“Isn’t that brainwashing or hypnosis…?”
“Haha, oh my, Shizuku-chan. I just asked with a nice smile.”
Cklares smiled nicely as she said this, but that smile was more suspicious than anything.
“Well, whatever.”
Sighing, Shizuku stopped thinking.
She didn’t care why she had done such things.
“It’s not bad, is it? The current academy.”
“It’s creepy.”
●
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
The late-night school illuminated by moonlight was filled with tranquility.
The nighttime air with no one around was favorable to Shizuku.
There was nothing unnecessary, and it was clear. When she was at home, she liked to open the window late at night and take deep breaths, and though she hated the [Cartesius] work, she had enjoyed walking through the city with Norman in the middle of the night.
Since she wasn’t wearing a hood, she could feel the night air more closely.
“…And yet, you’re the one next to me.”
And now, Shizuku was walking through the dark corridors with Cklares.
“How cold of you. You even changed out of that uniform.”
Being told this, Shizuku looked down at her chest.
What covered her flat body was not the academy uniform she had worn during the day, but her personal clothes.
“These are easier to move in. And I don’t like matching outfits with you.”
“Then why were you wearing it during the day?”
“I thought maybe Norman-kun would get excited if I got it. Like cosplay.”
“Hmm, saying such things about a historic academy’s uniform.”
“I don’t want to hear that from someone who’s modified theirs extensively.”
“That’s fashionable, isn’t it?”
“If you want to call exhibitionism fashionable, then I’ll acknowledge it as fashionable.”
“Fighting words met with fighting words. Let’s get along, Shizuku-chan.”
While listening to the echoing footsteps,
“What do you mean by getting along?”
“Who knows? I don’t have friends either, so I can’t really say. I heard Lonzder-san and Elteel-san got along so well they collapsed two underground cemeteries in the city, but I’d be troubled if that happened at this academy.”
“You’re seriously messed up.”
While shaking her head, Shizuku adjusted the position of the belt over her shoulder.
Connected to it was a sniper rifle as tall as she was.
“Inside the school, that looks nothing but out of place.”
“That’s not something someone who carries around a sword cane should say.”
There was no response, just the sound of her tapping her staff.
She knew that a sharp blade was concealed within the emerald green staff, and a month and a half ago she had been slashed by it. She had returned the favor with bullets though.
“So, we’ve ventured out into the late night, but what’s the plan?”
“Ambush.”
The fairy said briefly.
“Since yesterday, Norman-sensei has been negotiating with the principal to withdraw all patrols. I’ve also ordered Rebecca not to go out at night, and furthermore sealed all doors and windows with my [hands]. During the night, she can’t leave her room.”
“Confinement…”
“I’d prefer you call it protection. In any case, even if the [Weeping Woman] is targeting the founding members of the Social Contribution Club, she can’t physically touch them. So the question is, what would the [Weeping Woman] do? Considering the children who were victimized, it’s a [Latent State].”
Shizuku agreed with that assessment. 《Unlaw》 abilities were diverse, but basically only [Latent State] could damage the psyche without causing any external injuries.
“Causing incidents that exploit that girl’s death is also the insidious method typical of [Latent State].”
“If it were a [Metamorphic State] or [Deviant State], external injuries or traces at the crime scene would remain. If it were a [Distortion State]…”
“If it were?”
“Whatever the purpose, it would target me first.”
“…That’s convincing.”
A [Distortion State] that wants to interfere with its surroundings would certainly find Cklares, who wields tremendous influence at this academy, to be an extremely troublesome existence.
“So? If it’s a [Latent State], what do you think it would do at a time like this?”
“It would secretly attack the two idiots stupidly walking around the school at night.”
“I hope that’s what happens. I’d like to finish this tonight if possible.”
With that, Cklares deliberately stopped walking and smiled at Shizuku.
“Please take care of me?”
“…This is the worst.”
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