Creak—
An old magic tool shop. Sitting on the wooden table was a lantern emitting a soft glow.
Amid the shelves full of wooden-scented magical tools, strange particles shimmered and flickered in colorful hues. They were produced by tangled waves of magical energy.
In the midst of all that clutter, Deeks was carefully examining something.
“All done. But don’t expect me to fix it like this next time.”
“I see. Can’t be helped.”
What he handed me was the magical prosthetic arm damaged during the fight with Camilla.
It had been cleanly snapped in half, so I’d brought it in to throw it away… but he ended up fixing it instead.
By the time I stepped out of the shop, it was already night.
I’d more or less sorted out the magic tools I’d meant to tailor for Camilla, so that wrapped up today’s plan.
It had been a long day. What was supposed to be a light day to help ease Camilla’s burden had taken a strange turn and nearly gotten me killed. Physically, I was fine but mentally, I was exhausted.
“What now? Should we head back?”
“…Hmm.”
Camilla looked a little disappointed at the suggestion. I instinctively hid the smile that tried to form.
Of course she’s not thrilled about heading back just to go train. She works out regularly, so I bet she still has plenty of energy left.
But I didn’t show any of that. I had to keep up the image of a little brother who simply wanted to spend time with his big sister.
“Ah. If you’re not in a rush, want to grab dinner before we go?”
“Well… I’m not in a rush, but…”
“Then dinner’s on me. Surely you’re not coldhearted enough to turn down a meal your little brother’s treating you to, right, big sister?”
“I-I wouldn’t do that.”
“Right? So?”
With that suggestion, I soothed her lingering hesitation, then blocked off her escape by offering to pay.
“…If that’s the case, I suppose I have no choice. Fine.”
“Alright!”
“…Is it really something to be that happy about?”
Securing a dinner plan. That’s all I needed.
Dinner sets the mood, and once that happens, it’s only natural for people to let their guard down.
Especially with someone like Camilla who’s always tightly wound. She’d have a hard time resisting the addictive pull of letting herself go, even just a little.
…Feels like I’m going on a hunt or something.
I felt a brief pang of self-loathing… but this was nothing more than a strategy to preserve Camilla’s full combat potential. A scheme to add just a spoonful of humanity to her dazzling record as the top student in the entire Knight Department.
It was about showing her that there’s more to life than training.
…And honestly, I feel a little bad making her process everything about the “Wide-Brimmed Hat Woman” while completely sober.
Camilla had already heard far too much.
Just the fact that her younger brother was involved with demon worshippers would be a massive headache and on top of that, there was talk of collecting demon forms, and about his magical-nullification constitution… She had already weathered a flood of information.
Given her personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she had already started a new training regimen, convinced she had to grow stronger to protect her little brother.
I just wanted to ease some of that tension.
With that in mind—
Jingle—
The door opened, and a bell jingled as we stepped in. Inside, a peach-haired staff member greeted us.
“Welcome…. Oh! Adel!!”
“What, off-duty again today?”
“Yes! I’m totally guilt-free today! Wow, I’m so happy to see so many Academy students today!”
And just like she said, the place was livelier. Probably because it was a Friday night.
“Academy students?”
“Yes! Even that lady you sneakily dragged in last time… mmph?!”
“Awen’s here?”
“Ymph. Would you like me to seat you a little farther away?”
I hesitated for a moment, but thinking it over, this actually worked in my favor.
“No, we’ll join them.”
“Ooh! Got it!”
Sure enough, just like she said—
In a corner seat, Awen had just started settling in.
“…Camilla? Adel!”
But she wasn’t alone at the table.
“Fancy seeing you here, junior.”
Two heads of blonde hair sat facing each other.
It was Awen and Aaron. They looked like siblings dining together.
“What a coincidence. Sister, want to sit with them?”
“…I don’t mind.”
With this group, the conversation would naturally keep flowing even without my help.
Four people total, huh. Just one more and it’d be perfect.
After placing our food orders and pondering for a moment, I stood up with the excuse of going to the bathroom.
I quietly walked down the hallway, and when Sally passed by, I grabbed her and pulled her into a hidden spot.
“Hi~! Would you like to or—urk?!”
“Sally. I need your help.”
“Wh-Wha-what is it?!”
“I need your power. You like games, right?”
“I-I mean, I do like them, but…”
“When there are no more customers, come join our table.”
“Eh?! Wait…. was I the target of your seduction scheme?!”
I didn’t have time to listen to her nonsense. Shaking my head, I spoke rapidly, like a machine gun.
“I’m not asking for a free favor. You have to report on me to the organization anyway, right? I’ll cooperate with the interrogation, no complaints.”
“…Hmm. What do you need me to do?”
I glanced around. No one had come yet. But just in case, I lowered my voice to a whisper.
“…A game.”
“…What?”
“A game. You know, the kind with penalties.”
“Ah….no, I got that part, but…”
“Just let everyone at the table lose their shit.”
“…You’re this serious about something like that? What, you wanna see your sister and her friend all unguarded and vulnerable? Planning to sneak in some physical contact or something? Are you that lonely?”
“I don’t care about skinship, and I’m not interested in Awen. I just want that kind of atmosphere.”
“…Adel, are you trash, by any chance?”
“You in or not?”
“…Haah. Fine. As your dinner mate, I’ll help you out…just this once!”
“Good. Come over when I give the signal.”
“Yes!”
After hearing her answer, I let Sally go, and she scurried off like lightning.
Still, this was a deal. If it were her, she’d definitely come through.
I believe in you, Sally.
That airheaded way of talking of hers had a weirdly charming, persuasive power.
If she pops in like, “Let’s break the ice with a game!” none of the three at that table would be able to refuse.
***
“……”
Humans are prone to making mistakes.
But something can only be called a “mistake” when the consequences aren’t that serious.
So when something goes beyond the point of no return, maybe calling it a “mistake” isn’t quite right.
In that case, it’s better to just say—
I screwed up.
“Uhehe… no, no more…”
“Wahahaha!! Junior! What are you doing, not playing your card?!”
Yeah.
I totally screwed up.
“How about that, Adel?!”
Sally stood with her hands on her hips, flashing a victory sign. I covered my face, feeling a sharp pain in my temples.
“How could you leave people in this state…”
“Huh? You told me to do this, didn’t you?”
One hour.
That’s how long it took for three elite students, two from Knight Department Class 2-A, and one from Class 3-A, to collapse.
With the simple line, “Wanna play a card game while we eat?” Sally had reeled them all in.
From there, it was a one-woman show. She was practically a goddess of cards.
The three of them, who had spent their whole lives swinging swords, stood no chance against someone that skilled. I only managed to hold on because I had some card game experience back in the modern world…
Actually, no. I was sure there was something in that chocolate we ate midway through.
There’s no way they’d all be in this kind of state for no reason…
“Fufufu. You’ve held out for quite a while, Sir Adel. A one-on-one match with you. I’ve been waiting for this moment!”
“Shut up, you little punk…”
The scene spread out across the table was truly disastrous.
Spilled liquid had formed a river, and multiple handkerchiefs prepared for cleanup were now soaked, lying limp like drowned corpses…
Awen was already passed out face down, and Aaron seemed to be the type who went berserk when he got too excited.
He kept mumbling nonsense while stuffing chocolate into his mouth.
And Camilla…
“…Adel…”
She sat across from me, staring blankly with a dazed expression. Out of the three, she was in the best shape if that could even be called fortunate…
“There are two Adels…”
…Guess not.
“Yeah. Sally. This is my fault for asking you in the first place.”
“Uh-huh? See? The vibe isn’t awkward at all! And if everyone blacks out together, it’s less scary, so it’s fine!”
“…Haa.”
“Fufun.”
Sally grinned slyly.
“You’ll need to get a room tonight, right?”
“…So that was your plan all along. Sally.”
“Fufufu. The moment you realized that, your defeat was sealed! This is my perfect victory! Ohoho!”
“You’re really pissing me off. Let’s settle this. All the remaining chocolate on the line.”
“Oho? A sudden reversal match? But I, Sally, will not back down!”
If it’s a one-on-one card game, I won’t lose. Adel’s intelligence stat alone is nearly 20. It was a truly overwhelming number.
I haven’t gone all out yet, but with intelligence like this, I should be able to beat anyone.
“……”
Or so I thought.
“Too bad! I won!”
I was completely defeated.
…That doesn’t make sense.
Then, a certain piece of information suddenly came to mind.
The trait of the character [Sally White].
[Innocent Purity].
The power of this trait is simple.
For a certain period of time, her presence feels completely natural. It even prevents people from detecting inconsistencies in her words.
It’s the ability granted by the unique frequency of her innate magical wave.
That’s probably how she can move freely through the academy as a member of the “White Ship” organization without drawing suspicion.
Of course, its effect only lasts for as long as you’re under the influence of her magical wave, so eventually, if you retrace your memories, you’ll realize something was off…
But in a short one-shot card game, it’s basically a cheat.
…Still, I have my Total Magical Structure Analysis.
Since Sally’s trait is tied directly to her magic, if she really was cheating, I should be able to break it down with my Trait.
Crackle—
◆ [Total Magical Structure Analysis] activated.
“……”
“What are you doing? Not eating yet? Want something to drink?”
“…Sally.”
“Hmm? Yes? What is it? Regretting it now? If you beg hard enough, I might forgive you, you know?”
“Looks like you should be the one eating this.”
“…Huh? What are you talking about…?”
“The Joker card wasn’t the one I drew just now. It was this one that you picked earlier!! You cheater!!!”
“Heeh?!”
“I thought your bluffing face was just an act, but no….you’re just really that bad at it! Did you want to win that badly? Pathetic! This deserves its own entry in the dictionary! ‘To Sally’…meaning: to cheat and get caught!”
“U-Uwaaaah…?”
“Here! Eat it!! Sally! Not a single crumb left….got it?!”
“A-Adel? C-Can’t we just—just this once…?”
“What’s this? Don’t feel like eating anymore? Hah! If you beg hard enough, maybe I’ll forgive you!”
“…S-sorr—sorry…”
“Whaaat? Can’t hear you~?”
“Uuuuuugh!!!”
Watching her shove the remaining chocolate into her mouth, I got caught up in the moment and clapped along with the energy…
I really shouldn’t have.
“……”
By the time I came to my senses, I was the only one still standing. Everyone else was slumped over.
…Yeah, there was something in that stuff.
“Goddamn it.”
***
In the end, we had to rent three rooms. One for Aron and me. One for Camilla and Awen. And one just to put Sally to bed.
The only saving grace was that the shop said I didn’t have to pay for Sally’s room.
I thought she might’ve tricked them with her trait, but unexpectedly, she actually seemed to be trusted here.
I grabbed a pen and some paper and started writing up a report.
It was something to give Sally. She had agreed to cooperate with the interrogation in exchange, but with the interrogator in that state, there wasn’t going to be much questioning tonight.
If it’s the “White Ship”, they’re fundamentally a good group. Mixing in a little truth should be fine. If they really want to know more, they can come ask later.
“All done.”
With the report finished, I headed to Sally’s room. I knocked, but of course, there was no answer.
Object Manipulation.
Click.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside. I’d thought about just sliding it under the door, but the content was too sensitive for that.
“Sally. Are you awake, by any chance?”
And then…we came face to face.
Sally White was sitting on the bed, looking perfectly fine.
“……”
“What, if you’re awake, answer me.”
“……”
“This. I wrote down what we talked about earlier. I’ll leave it here. Read it when you can.”
“…O-Oh…!”
“Oh what. Anyway, I’m leaving.”
“…Have you come to hate me?”
“No. Not really. Sleep well.”
“…Okay.”
Leaving only those words behind, I returned to my room.
“…So she hasn’t gotten over it yet.”
I knew exactly what Sally meant.
The trait called [Innocent Purity]. It was a power that goes beyond perception and can even manipulate affection.
It’s an incredibly convenient ability depending on how it’s used, but in truth, it’s no different from a double-edged sword.
After all, once someone realizes they’ve been deceived, their reaction is usually anger.
Worse yet, that trait makes her question whether the love she receives is even real.
Is it truly love for her, or love induced by the effect of [Innocent Purity]? That doubt endlessly gnaws at her.
That’s probably why she’s only ever had meals alone with Adel. Being close to anyone besides me, the one she was assigned to investigate, must have felt terrifying.
And that strange behavior just now was because she assumed that, having seen through her trait, I would end up hating her.
I’ll have to say something at some point.
If I can turn Sally White into an ally, she’d be an incredible asset.
A few words of reassurance. That’s not hard to give.
After all, things like “Innocent Purity” don’t work on me.
All I need to do is let her know that.
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