Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 3 - Chapter 4

<Convergence, Part Two>

By the time I’d finished the on-site work caused by the fight between the magical girl and the stray psychic and arrived at the bureau, the sun was already beginning to set. Given that we’d encountered them in the early morning on the way to work, the cleanup had taken about half the day. We hadn’t had any time to grab lunch—and now we’d been called in to a meeting with the section chief.

“I’d have appreciated at least the time to eat,” complained Ms. Futarishizuka, who had been stuck with me the whole time.

“This is all part of a bureau member’s job,” said the chief. “I’m sorry, but it’ll only be a little while longer.”

“Ohh, is this the price of honest toil…?”

“Once this meeting is over, you’re free to go home for the day.”

The meeting was being held in a conference room at the bureau about ten square meters in size. There, we’d met up with Section Chief Akutsu, who now sat across from the two of us. After delivering her complaint, Ms. Futarishizuka slapped her head down on the conference table as if to say she couldn’t possibly do any more work than this. Considering her energy-draining power, I wondered about that—I wouldn’t be surprised if she could keep going for two or three days without eating or drinking.

“I’ve already read your report, Sasaki,” the chief continued, “but I’m having trouble understanding the contents, so I want to go over everything again. Futarishizuka, don’t hesitate to mention anything you might have noticed.”

“Understood, sir,” I said.

“I’ll tell you anything,” groaned Ms. Futarishizuka. “Just please, let this end…”

In my report, I’d hidden nothing when it came to the strange psychic we’d encountered, though I’d excluded the parts about Peeps’s world and our relationship with the magical girl.

We’d arrived at the scene. Everyone had suddenly vanished. We’d encountered a psychic. He’d attacked us, so Futarishizuka and I—along with the magical girl—had responded. We’d driven off the psychic, and everyone who had vanished came back. It was at that point we realized we’d gone back in time.

After explaining it all, it struck me how absurd the story was. We were just like Urashima Taro being invited to the Dragon Palace. It seemed only natural the chief would want to ask questions.

“So time reverted for you…,” said the chief. “That does make a certain amount of sense.”

“It does?” I asked.

“We detected you suddenly disappearing from the site.”

“I see.”

That was how it must have looked, where we’d originally been. It felt strange hearing it explained, even though I’d had a hunch that’s what had happened. The chief had been overseeing things from the bureau and must have noticed our devices’ location data suddenly change—I bet that gave him quite the surprise.

“If this is all true,” mused the chief, “we should assume your opponent warrants an A rank.”

“That was what I figured as well,” I said.

The section chief glanced over at Ms. Futarishizuka for a moment. Did he suspect her original workplace? I’d considered the possibility as well.

“Just to be clear,” she said, “I hadn’t an inkling of who he was.”

“Judging by the picture you drew for us, he appears to be a child.”

Across from us, the section chief was holding portraits—or rather, full-body depictions—of two of the people we had encountered during the incident. Specifically, the boy who had run off and the man who looked like an angel. Ms. Futarishizuka had drawn them, and they were pretty decent. Good enough to make me wonder if she’d be able to make a living as an independent illustrator.

“He was a child,” she insisted. “It’d be a little gross for an adult to look like that.”

“Do you want to take a glance at a mirror and maybe rethink that statement?” I remarked.

After that, we were questioned on just about everything—our conversation with Takayoshi and Naomi, the angel Futarishizuka had energy-drained, how we confirmed that time had reverted, and any possible link between the incident and the stray psychic the magical girl had originally attacked. The chief probably didn’t have enough information to make his own report to the related authorities.

As we answered each question in turn, an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Futarishizuka’s stomach started growling during the second half, eagerly informing us of her hunger. She didn’t react to it at all during the conversation, however. Eventually, we’d gotten through the bulk of the questions.

“There is one last thing I wanted to ask the two of you,” said the section chief with a serious look on his face. He straightened up and I tensed in response. “Why were you two the only targets of the psychic reverting time? I’d like to hear any speculation you might have, however unlikely. If there’s anything you’re considering at the moment, I’d appreciate if you shared it with me.”

“We can’t wrap our heads around that, either,” I replied.

“Maybe he was after the magical girl, and we just happened to be close?” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

I felt bad for the section chief, but this was one thing I couldn’t answer honestly. I’d already had a good idea of the reason back when it happened. In my estimation, some psychic power or other had interfered with the barrier magic Peeps had taught me—or the magical girl’s Magical Barrier. All three of us had been guarded by some sort of magical phenomenon at the time. Futarishizuka had mentioned she saw a flash of light around us when the change happened.

But if that was the case, then our encounter with that empty world wasn’t meant to happen. In fact, it was more like we coincidentally ended up in someone else’s psychic power, and they hadn’t been expecting us. If that was true, the mysterious boy’s surprise would make sense. And that was why I didn’t want to continue this conversation.

“I see,” said the section chief. “That’s a pity.”

“By the way, Chief, we had something we wanted to ask you about as well.”

“What is it?”

“What will Ms. Futarishizuka and I be doing from tomorrow on?”

“Right. This all seems to be a coincidental encounter, and we’ll continue to investigate it on our end. I want you to keep working on the task I gave you previously. As soon as any new information comes to light on this incident, I’ll send new instructions.”

“Understood, sir.”

Their first priority would probably be to identify Takayoshi and Naomi. That was best left in the hands of the experts, so we had no place there. We’d be continuing our own investigation of the reptilian from the otherworld arriving in modern Japan. It was still all over the news, and while it was mostly limited to living room chats for now, there was no telling how it might develop in the future.

I wanted to find a solution as soon as possible and nip it in the bud.

After finishing up my work at the bureau, I decided to head to the otherworld again that night. Upon returning to my apartment, I set the bureau-provided phone on my desk. Peeps then used his teleportation magic to send both of us straight to the warehouse Futarishizuka had secured. There, we’d pick up the goods for our deal with the Kepler Trading Company and set off for our base of operations in the otherworld. I was starting to feel pretty used to the whole thing.

Ms. Futarishizuka had recently been wanting to accompany us. Unfortunately, I had to refuse. Our short stays in the otherworld were private relaxation time. I didn’t dare bring over any more problems.

In any case, we eventually arrived at Count Müller’s estate in the town of Baytrium, in order to—as usual—gain information on what had happened in the world while we were away. The familiar guard led us straight to the count himself. Eventually, we ended up in the reception room.

“Lady Elsa is getting engaged, sir?” I repeated.

“Yes, she is…”

Count Müller had just informed us of his daughter’s imminent marriage. The count had two sons and one daughter, and I recalled that, partially for this reason, Elsa was especially cherished by her family. During the inheritance dispute, I’d heard she was loved by the servants, too. In other words, the girl had been brought up like a princess.

And now this pile-hair princess was to have her big moment in the spotlight. I would have assumed this was cause for celebration.

However, the expression on Count Müller’s face as he told us was far from celebratory.

“Who is to be the partner?” asked Peeps, guessing at the reason behind the man’s distressed look. He was such a reliable sparrow, straightforward with his questions even in sensitive situations like these. He was, incidentally, once again perched on a small tree the count had provided so that he might join in on our meeting. As he looked up from the low table set in front of the sofa and chirped, he seemed several times more dignified than when I watched him at home. Maybe I should buy him a higher-quality cage and tree.

“The first prince,” said the count, “who has asked for her to be the first of his concubines.”

“Ah, that explains your concern,” replied Peeps.

“I apologize for bringing up a private matter. However, this may well affect my own position, so I felt it best to tell the two of you as soon as possible. I’ve spoken with Prince Adonis about it as well, but ultimately, this is a family affair that rests on our shoulders, not his.”

Unfamiliar as I was with this world, I didn’t know what sort of position being a first concubine would grant Lady Elsa. Taking the words at face value made it seem like one of those I cherish my wife, but you’re the one I truly love sort of situations. I was pretty sure that wasn’t the case here, though. This was the first prince we were talking about—even just a friend with benefits would stand to gain considerable authority.

“It seems Lewis is making his run for the throne,” said Peeps.

Lewis was the first prince of the Kingdom of Herz. I’d heard the name personally during our audience; I was sure I remembered correctly. Him wanting Count Müller’s daughter as his consort put the count—who supported the second prince—in a difficult position. Actually, is that even allowed? I wondered to myself.

“Then, Julius,” asked Peeps, “do you find it acceptable?”

“As a backwater noble,” said the count, “I could never defy the wishes of royalty.”

“Even so, this is a crucial decision for your daughter, is it not?”

“…I cannot deny that.”

“Can’t you use your relationship with the second prince as an excuse to refuse?” I asked.

“Everything has been in an uproar of late, but both the first and second princes stand to potentially inherit the crown. Either of them taking such a low-ranking noble’s daughter as his first concubine is unprecedented.”

Without precedent, the count seemed to be struggling with whether he might conceivably refuse or if that would be completely unacceptable. After all, given that he was dealing with royalty, the wrong move could negatively affect his family’s future.

I’d been in many similar situations, so I felt I understood him. Just thinking back on any of them gave me a stomachache—like when I couldn’t find any documented decisions in our company’s file that matched what I needed and had to fill out all the necessary forms from scratch. Without any previous cases to reference, my former section chief wouldn’t give me his approval.

“Yes, these problems are yours,” commented Peeps. “And we aren’t in a position to insist on anything.”

“Of course,” said the count, “I’m grateful for your consideration alone.”

“Still, feel free to tell us if there’s anything you need help with.”

“…Lord Starsage.” Count Müller began to tremble at Peeps’s casual offer.

But wouldn’t that very offer just ensure the count relied on us even less? He adored the Starsage, after all. That’s what it seemed like from my perspective, at least. What a heartless bird. Plus, the Starsage himself was averting his gaze just a little, like he was playing hard to get.

A moment later, the door to the reception room suddenly swung open, and in came a knight—the one who was always attached to the count as his security. For some reason, he held a limp Elsa in his arms. Was she unconscious? Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t stirring.

“Sir!” cried the knight. “Lady Elsa attempted suicide!”

“What…?” said the count in disbelief.

“In her room, sir,” stammered the knight, “she—she tried to hang herself! A maid heard her chair fall to the floor and hurried in to let her down. But she hasn’t regained consciousness yet—she’s been like this ever since!”

Yet another shocking piece of news. The knight who had brought Lady Elsa here seemed a little out of sorts. He was normally so calm and levelheaded, but his voice had gone shrill as he explained the situation.

Count Müller had been on the verge of sobbing from emotion, but his face instantly turned as stiff as stone, his expression one of total shock.

I, too, was dumbfounded. Lady Elsa hung limp from the knight’s arms right before my eyes. She didn’t seem to be breathing, either—I couldn’t see her chest rising or falling.

Peeps reacted immediately. He hopped off his perching tree and landed on the top of the low table. A magic circle emerged at his feet as another one, this one three-dimensional, appeared around Lady Elsa and the knight holding her. They were of similar coloration, and as the first grew more and more radiant, the second shone more strongly to match.

“P-Peeps…!” I exclaimed.

“……”

The bird remained silent, perhaps because the knight was watching. Calmly, he activated the spell.

I’d heard before that many people lived for a few minutes after hanging themselves. If they could be rescued quickly, it was possible they’d survive without any aftereffects. And when it came to the Starsage, he could do a surprising amount, as long as she was still alive.

As I’d expected, after a few moments, Lady Elsa appeared to react. The Starsage had performed healing magic right before our eyes. The knight still held her small body, but at the end of her limp arms, her fingers began to twitch. Not long after that, her eyes opened. She turned her neck, and when we saw her eyes, they had life in them.

Her lips moved slowly as she murmured, “Fa…ther?”

“Elsa!” cried her father, springing up from the sofa and running to her. “Why? Why would you…do such a thing…?” He took his daughter from the knight’s arms and held her close to his chest.

Then she gave a little smile and said, “If it meant bringing you trouble, Father, I would gladly choose death instead.”

“Ugh…”

What a courageous yet extremely concerning remark, I thought.

Count Müller’s face was an absolute mess. Apparently, Elsa had found out about her planned marriage. To choose suicide so quickly, though, spoke to her abundant willingness to take the initiative. I assumed most would have hesitated a little more, though perhaps it was a matter of cultural differences between my world and this one.

Never in my life had I seen a smile that caused me so much anxiety.

We put our meeting on hold to deal with Lady Elsa’s attempt on her own life. It took a little under an hour to wrap things up—including changing her clothes, which were all dirty, and dealing with the knight who had seen Peeps’s supercool action scene. It caused a veritable uproar in the estate.

I told the knight that I’d had my familiar use a healing spell, and he accepted the explanation. Fortunately, he hadn’t heard the bird talk, which helped curb his suspicion.

Lady Elsa’s will, however, remained firm.

“To repeat,” she declared so that everyone could hear, “I would rather die than cause an issue for you, Father.”

She was now sitting on a sofa in the reception room. Count Müller sat next to her. I was across from them, and Peeps was perched on his tree on the low table. The knight had been ordered by the count to leave the room. In the past, that had earned me a glare from him, but now that I’d been made a baron, the man left with a respectful bow.

“Elsa,” began the count, “I want you to listen very closely.”

“What is it, Father?”

“I would never sacrifice your life to protect this house.”

“Is that not an irresponsible stance, as the head of House Müller?”

“……”

The count fell silent. The youthful princess hadn’t hesitated for even a second. I watched her father’s lonely expression as he struggled to think of something to say, and I wondered how he felt about all this. His emotions must have been a tangled mess—pride mixed with sadness, perhaps.

“Hence,” Elsa continued, “my unfortunate inability to thank any of you.” Her stare was now set on Peeps and me. She’d fully made up her mind, and the determined look on her face was full of dignity, implying she’d quickly do it again if we left her alone.

“Isn’t there any way I can talk you out of this?” asked the count.

“I want to assist you just as much everyone else,” she replied. “Barring that, at the very least, I don’t want to hold you back. I beg you, Father, please let me go. I could not stomach the thought of living a life that only causes our family trouble.”

It was very like her, to get this determined once she’d landed on an idea. But at this rate, she and her father would never see eye to eye.

Then a voice joined in from a different party—one who seemed discontent to simply watch in silence: Peeps.

“In that case, I have a proposition.”

My distinguished sparrow returned to his perch on the table. He had to tilt his head upward to look at the count and his daughter, which naturally emphasized his beak and the fluffy down on his chest, both of which were adorable. All present turned to look at him.

“Wh-what might that be?” asked Elsa.

“I would like to suggest something similar to what you have already done once in the past.”

“…Something I did?”

“Yes,” replied Peeps, his big round eyes drifting over toward me. “We will pretend for a while that the girl has died and keep her safe in this man’s world.”

In other words, he wanted to shelter her in modern Japan.

“Time flows at a different rate there. Several years spent here would amount to a mere few months in his world. This way, we will be able to escape Lewis’s scheme without wasting a young girl’s important premarriage life.”

Marriage certainly didn’t make much sense when one party was dead. If we came up with some excuse, like Lady Elsa being kidnapped by bandits on the way to the capital, and hid her away, while it might lead to criticism, the other party would be out of luck. It was possible rumors might spread that the count himself was responsible, but that would also serve to prove the count’s loyalty to the second prince. It wasn’t a completely disadvantageous proposition, considering the feudal attitudes of the Kingdom of Herz.

In addition, the king had set a five-year time limit on all issues surrounding the royal succession, and several months had already gone by. Though it would depend on the nature of the first prince’s plans, if she was to go into hiding for two or three years, the world would move right along without her.

Finally, Lady Elsa herself had spoken of wanting to travel to modern Japan. If Count Müller allowed it, we could implement this solution immediately.

“Please wait a moment, birdie!” insisted Lady Elsa.

“What is it?”

Count Müller’s face broke into panic at his daughter brazenly calling the Lord Starsage he so admired simply “birdie.” It made the man look a little cute, which was totally unfair.

His daughter ignored him and continued to speak. “Sasaki already explained to me that it wouldn’t work out.”

“The situation has changed since then, wouldn’t you say?”

“I would have to agree with Peeps there.”

The sparrow didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by the girl’s lack of courtesy. His proposal seemed to be based on our relationship with Ms. Futarishizuka.

Compared to when he’d first placed the curse on her, we’d come to realize through our mutual dealings how accommodating she could be. The biggest example of this was the warehouse she’d procured for our otherworldly business transactions. With Peeps’s help and Futarishizuka’s connections, we could even shelter Elsa overseas. It hadn’t been long since she’d joined me as a colleague at the bureau, but I’d already come to understand her a lot better—though I figured much of this relationship was due to our healthy payments in exchange for her services.

“…I-is that true?” asked Lady Elsa.

“We won’t force you, of course. It may only be a few months to you, but a few years will go by in this world. Should any misfortune befall your family in the meantime, you wouldn’t be able to go to their aid.”

“……”

“In addition, if anything was to happen to us, you would have no way of returning here. You would never see your family again. You would end up living out your entire life there, without anyone to rely on.”

When he put it that way, I realized she was in a similar position to me—though I didn’t worry too much myself. If I were married in my own world, I would never have been able to take the risk. Maybe Peeps had confirmed that I wasn’t before talking to me. After all, he’d been adopted into a tiny, shabby apartment. If circumstances had been different, I could easily envision a distressing mishap by which my brand-new sparrow ran away from home.

But that was all in the past, so it was time to stop thinking about it. We’re together now. That’s enough, isn’t it?

“I see no problem with it,” she said. “That would eliminate my father’s cause for worry.”

“Please, wait, Elsa,” insisted the count. “You should think this through.”

“Father, I’ve never had such an opportunity before. There’s no need to be pessimistic.”

“…What do you mean?” asked the count.

A smile appeared on Lady Elsa’s face—it was an expression I’d glimpsed the previous time she’d wound up in my world. “Sasaki’s world is so much more sophisticated than ours. Seeing it all with my own eyes and learning from it would be well worth the risks. If I can bring a part of it back here, I’ll be able to help you even more!”

She was coming across like an exam student pestering her parents to let her attend a university in the city instead of the local junior college they preferred. Going to a four-year university instead of a smaller school would net her higher income for the rest of her life, and so on and so forth. I was sure many kids had conversations like this with their families—though, in her case, it involved a little more than just going off to school.

“A-and I won’t go around blabbing to everyone that there’s another world, either!” added Elsa—this was probably in response to my previous warning. “But if I’m able to apply some of that world’s ideas to this one, it might help our town’s development.”

“Elsa, I believe you, and I think you’re correct,” said Count Müller. “But doing this would put you in competition with Lord Sasaki’s business. I hope you haven’t assumed you’ll be able to get their assistance that easily. What can you offer them in return?”

She looked taken aback. “That is, well…”

“Everything they’ve offered has been purely out of goodwill,” he chided her gently, likely to show consideration for the Starsage.

The Starsage, however, seemed like he couldn’t care less. “That world’s knowledge is considerably advanced. They also use a different spoken language and writing system. I doubt she would be able to gain enough information to compete with us through only a few months’ sojourn. Even if she did find something to take back, bringing that knowledge to fruition in this world would likely take many years indeed.”

“But are you certain about this?” asked the count.

“Those are my thoughts on the matter. What about you?”

“If it calms Lady Elsa down, then I’m fine with it,” I replied. She already tried to hang herself once—I couldn’t exactly refuse. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if I did and she made a second attempt.

Also, the proposal was coming from the Lord Starsage this time. At the very least, he was apparently willing to watch over her, and it would only be for a few months over there. That meant I wouldn’t have much of a personal burden.

Count Müller’s expression shifted into one of apology. “…Lord Sasaki,” he said hesitantly.

It’s been one difficulty after another for him lately, I thought. It made me want to ask the Starsage to shoot him a quick healing spell on our way out.

“I am truly sorry for troubling you time and time again,” he said.

“Please, don’t worry about it,” I replied. “You’ve done so much for us already.”

Without the count, we would have had a much more difficult time gaining a foothold in this world. Especially when it came to the royal palace. If not for his good relationship with the second prince, everything would have been a lot tougher. He had truly helped us; that wasn’t a lie.

Appearing to understand my feelings, the count nodded slightly. “All right. Elsa, if Lord Sasaki and his familiar are in agreement, then I will honor your decision. But you will swear on the family name that you will never cause trouble for them, do you understand?”

“Yes!” said Lady Elsa. “I’ll be sure to keep my promise with you, Father!”

And so thanks to Peeps’s proposal, Lady Elsa would be traveling back to modern Japan with us. I couldn’t say I had zero qualms about it, however, given how much we owed Ms. Futarishizuka at this point. I’d better add a little extra to our next round of ingots, I mused.

We spent the night at Count Müller’s estate, then headed for the Republic of Lunge the next day. We had a deal to make with Mr. Joseph and Mr. Marc.

In the meantime, we asked Lady Elsa to prepare for our eventual departure. I knew girls needed several things when staying over at someone else’s place, and the same was probably true in this world. What’s more, we didn’t have a concrete duration for her stay, so we had prepared for the possibility of an extension.

Meanwhile, Peeps and I got to work transforming our modern goods into gold ingots. Like before, we had a large quantity of sugar, as well as several types of manufactured goods that had already proved their worth here. In addition, now that the healing properties of the sample drugs we’d brought had been confirmed, we’d added more of that stock as well.

With everything included, we made about twice the amount we’d left with Mr. Marc for the construction of the bulwarks. Now that Ms. Futarishizuka had officially joined our little team, we’d increased our sugar imports, which had led to big returns. We could expect similar selling prices in the future.

All the products we brought in would be sold under the name of the Marc Trading Company, which itself was now under the Kepler Trading Company’s banner. Mr. Joseph and Mr. Marc would take care of all that; the agreement was that Peeps and I would stay clear of that aspect of the business.

“By the way, Mr. Joseph,” I said, “I don’t see Mr. Marc today.”

“After your discussion last time, he headed for the site,” replied Mr. Joseph. “He’ll be overseeing the establishment of the Baytrium branch and staying there for a while. It will probably be a bit longer before he returns.”

“Ah, I see.” He might really be devoting a lot of his time to this, I thought. Knowing he was running around for our sake made me feel pretty guilty, though it was a bit late for that now.

Unfortunately, our stays in this world had a time limit for the moment. The section chief had given me that new task, so I could only spend a few hours of Earth time here. This trip would be over soon, too, once I’d figured out Lady Elsa’s passage with Ms. Futarishizuka.

All I could do was send some financial support. I’ll pass on some of our profits, just in case.

“I deeply apologize for asking something like this of you,” I continued, “but the next time you see Mr. Marc, would you give him half of the profits on this sale as additional capital and my own thanks?”

“That would be a hefty sum,” pointed out Mr. Joseph. “Are you sure?”

“I am.” I could simply wait for the payment to come from the Kepler Trading Company and pay Mr. Marc a visit directly, but going to him with such a large lump sum of gold would probably cause him trouble. And after all, none of that was urgent, so the Elsa matter took priority in my mind.

“You’re a very prompt decision-maker, Mr. Sasaki,” remarked Mr. Joseph.

“My relationship with my supplier has improved, so I have a little more room to maneuver these days.”

“…I see.”

I was already leaving everything to Mr. Marc, so I at least wanted to make sure his funds didn’t run out. I could always start bringing in more product the next week.

Apparently, a lot more inquiries had been coming in for our wares, and the modern industrial goods were starting to become a hot topic in the Republic of Lunge. I wasn’t surprised to hear that solar-powered calculators were highly prized here as well.

The sedatives, too, were flying off the shelves. Evidently, there were tons of people who, for example, feared assassination on a daily basis. Given that this world was fairly dangerous, the upper class was practically begging for them. I was told that if I was to bring the same number of them next time, I could sell them for twice the price. I did, however, make myself very clear when explaining the need for caution regarding dependence. In any case, our worlds may have been different, but human hearts seemed just as frail in both.

After finishing our business negotiations, we stayed in the Republic of Lunge for the night at Mr. Joseph’s insistence. We were given perfect hospitality at an expensive-looking inn. The very next day, we returned to the town of Baytrium. My hangover was gone in a flash thanks to a healing spell.

Our destination was the high-class lodgings we’d been using ever since first coming to this world. In local time, we’d known the maid assigned to our room for several months now. Of course, it felt like much less to me.

After getting comfortable in the room, Peeps headed out, saying he would change all the gold coins from Lunge into ingots. In the meantime, I practiced the teleportation spell in the guest room. At this point, I doubted I’d forget its incantation for years to come.

I tasked myself with memorizing other incantations, too—specifically, the one Peeps had used to take out all the Ohgen Empire soldiers. My lightning magic had a pretty limited range, so I wanted a more wide-range attack spell. This spell was apparently classified as higher than advanced, so I was certain I wouldn’t have an easy time learning it. Still, memorizing its chant was a necessary step, so I’d decided to just learn the words, if nothing else. I’d already asked my pet sparrow for them and written them down.

Sitting calmly on the sofa, I muttered them to myself again and again. Naturally, the sight of the spell being cast came to mind. The flash of light had lit up the entire Rectan Plains that night, and it was still fresh in my memory.

As I was doing that, about halfway through the chant, something happened. I heard a vwoom, and a magic circle appeared at my feet.

“…!”

Oh, this is bad, I thought. If I had finished the chant, would it have actually gone off?

Considering I was in a private inn room at the moment, the idea rattled me. If it had gone off, it wouldn’t have just demolished this room—it would have leveled the entire building. No, the whole town. Just trying to imagine the number of casualties was terrifying.

What’s more, even Peeps had told me he would have trouble using it unless he was resting on my shoulder. I had no idea how much of a strain it would put on my body if I used it all by myself.

The sudden tension in my body made my mouth clamp shut, and in response, the magic circle at my feet rapidly darkened over a span of ten or so seconds, eventually losing its form and vanishing without a sound. It looked like I’d avoided casting the spell.

“…Magic is insane. This is insane.”

I realized my armpits were slick with sweat. Part of my apprehension was probably because I’d been learning everything in relative safety under Peeps’s supervision. This was a belated wake-up call, reminding me how incredibly scary magic could be. I’d never intended to use it carelessly, but I decided to be a little more cautious in the future. That went double when it came to this spell—I would only practice it with Peeps from now on—and never, ever chant it by myself.

Later, a guest arrived at the inn. According to the maid, the visitor was a servant of House Müller. Long story short, preparations were complete. I wasn’t told the details, but the knight serving as a messenger did ask me to head over to the estate. That had to mean they were finished setting up for Lady Elsa’s false death.

I would have preferred to have paid a visit to Mr. Marc, but I couldn’t make the servant of a count wait. While I was debating what to do, Peeps returned from his ingot making, and we ended up heading to the estate that day.

The plan was set: We’d be taking Lady Elsa back to modern Japan the very next day.

At the moment, Peeps and I were sitting in a wagon traveling up the road that led from the town of Baytrium to the capital, having set off from Count Müller’s estate. Our pretext was that we were traveling to Allestos for Elsa’s engagement with the first prince of Herz. Other than the two of us, only Count Müller and Lady Elsa knew what was to happen.

To suit the occasion, we had a pretty impressive procession of carriages. The hundreds of people walking nearby, including the soldiers escorting us, were a sight to behold, and there were more carriages than I could count on one hand.

One of those carriages was particularly extravagant—the one that held Count Müller and his daughter. Peeps and I were in the carriage behind them, standing by. The other carriages held the maidservants and the knights leading the escort, as well as some other related VIPs, apparently. Clearly, this was costing a fortune both in personnel and food expenditures. They even had one carriage with a kitchen set up in it.

For someone accustomed to riding bullet trains and airplanes, this view was new and different. But as the sun drifted along its arc, I found myself growing bored of it all pretty quickly. Long journeys by carriage were more arduous than I’d realized. Without healing magic, it would have absolutely ruined my hips.

A few days had passed since we left Baytrium when Peeps finally looked through the window at the scenery outside and said, “We should be clear.”

It seemed like the time had come to put our plan into action. With the Starsage himself as both planner and executor, I figured things would be fine. I was still getting jitters, though.

“I should just wait in here, right?” I asked.

“Yes. You may leave everything in my hands—well, talons.” The sparrow nodded to me, then fluttered up off my shoulder and out through the carriage window.

A moment later, events began to unfold.

The soldiers forming an escort perimeter around the carriages suddenly started shouting and yelling. According to the voices I could hear, it was bandits—bandits were attacking. I looked out the window and saw them all positioning themselves to defend the carriages.

As the horses were stopped, our surroundings grew raucous.

According to what Peeps had told me, he would be using an illusion spell. The plan was simple: Fake bandits would show up to attack and confuse everyone, then Peeps would use another spell to put everyone to sleep. While they slumbered, he would destroy the carriage Lady Elsa was in, and we would escape back to modern Japan with her.

In fact, I couldn’t actually see the bandits the soldiers were fighting. It looked like they had begun swinging their swords and spears at a calm, empty part of the road. It was pretty funny from my point of view.

And yet everyone present other than myself was afraid of something I couldn’t see. The servants in our ranks hid behind the carriages and trembled in fear. Some squatted to the ground and hugged themselves. It certainly didn’t seem like an act.

The only possible exceptions were the horses pulling the carriages. They were watching everyone with a sort of incredulousness.

A little later, there was a loud booming noise. It had come from pretty close by, so that was probably Peeps’s spell demolishing Lady Elsa’s carriage. I leaned out of the window to check—and as I expected, her vehicle’s roof had been blown off, and the whole thing was now a wreck. I couldn’t help but feel it was a little wasteful. However, the count had been clear they couldn’t afford to pull any punches.

Peeps returned to my carriage a few moments later, with Lady Elsa and Count Müller beside him.

Elsa carried a big travel bag. It was rectangular and made of wood and leather—the sort of trunk you might see in old black-and-white films. And it was fairly large, too; Lady Elsa herself could probably fit inside. I imagined she was getting some magical support to lift it.

The two of them climbed into the carriage, then closed the door behind them. Immediately, Count Müller offered me a deep bow. “Lord Sasaki,” he said, “please, take care of my daughter.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied. “I will protect her with my life.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to make that promise?” remarked Peeps.

“…That’s what Peeps said, anyway,” I hastily tacked on to my earlier statement.

“She will be safe with me.”

“But I’ll provide as much support as I can.”

Lady Elsa left the count’s side and came over to me and Peeps. The count watched all three of us; the carriage had been made for longer journeys and was just big enough to fit two adults and one child inside. Peeps had landed back on my shoulder as soon as he came in; he apparently needed to be in physical contact with me to cross worlds.

“I am truly sorry,” said the count. “If she acts selfishly, I want you to scold her for me.”

“H-hey, Daddy!” exclaimed Lady Elsa. “I’m not going to be selfish!”

“In my world, we have tools that can record video—moving pictures,” I explained. “I’ll record Lady Elsa, hale and healthy, and bring it to you during my next visit. That way, you can stay in touch, even if you can’t meet in person.”

“Thank you so much, Lord Sasaki. I can never repay you for this.”

“Let us be off, then. The rest is up to you, Julius.”

“Yes. Please, keep her safe.”

Peeps spoke, and a magic circle appeared at our feet—the teleportation magic I’d grown so used to seeing over the past several weeks. A moment later, everything went black.

I sensed someone move right next to me. Lady Elsa yelped softly, probably because she wasn’t used to the feeling of weightlessness. But she didn’t panic. She’d experienced this once before, so she was fairly calm.

We ended up in a hotel room Ms. Futarishizuka had prepared for us. No sooner had our vision gone black than the scene of a cramped carriage was replaced by a large living area. For someone like me, who always stayed in business hotels, this one was so gorgeous it felt like a whole different world.

Sleeping quarters were separate, and the living area was almost forty square meters in size. The windows were large, granting a view of the cityscape below, and through them we could see the morning sun glistening on the horizon. I checked the room’s clock; it was still early in the morning.

“Oh, you’re finally here,” came the familiar drawling voice. “I’ve been waiting.”

“Thank you, Ms. Futarishizuka,” I said.

Now that we’d arrived, the girl in the kimono rose from her seat on the sofa. We’d told her about everything in advance, so our reception went smoothly. We’d also already inspected the place; otherwise we would have had to warp outside of the building first and bring Elsa in with us.

“She will be in your care for some time,” said Peeps. “Thank you for your help.”

“I must say, you’re quite the slave-driving sparrow, aren’t you?”

“We’ve paid in full. I trust there are no issues?”

“Well, you did add some extra onto the payment, so…” Ms. Futarishizuka smiled, probably remembering the gold ingots we’d given her in advance—it had been much more than last time. Even subtracting the cost of our hotel stay and Lady Elsa’s living expenditures, she should have made a hefty profit.

Lady Elsa looked at her and offered a greeting. “You’re the girl I met last time, aren’t you? Th-thank you for doing this!”

“What is this girl saying?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“She’s thanking you,” I replied.

“Oh? What a polite child.”

“As previously discussed,” I continued, “she is from a privileged class in the otherworld. I do feel bad for asking you to do this, but we’d really appreciate it if you treated her as such.”

“A noblewoman, was it?” mused Ms. Futarishizuka. “I’d love to see her homeland for myself.”

“No matter how many times you ask, we can’t say yes.”

“Such an unreliable man you are. As ever.”

“Get too carried away, and the curse will devour you.”

“And such a terribly scary sparrow. Heaven forbid…”

Incidentally, this hotel was located in Tokyo. Ms. Futarishizuka had told us she’d need time if we were going to move Lady Elsa somewhere overseas. She’d apparently picked out a few candidates and would inform us once those preparations were complete. I figured she’d helped out high-ranking defectors in the past or something.

“We’d also like to live here for the time being,” mentioned Peeps.

“Yeah, I think that’s for the best as well,” I agreed.

Like Lady Elsa, the two of us were strictly prohibited from leaving the hotel. What we feared right now was the section chief—we had no idea where he had eyes. To get anywhere, we’d probably have to use Peeps’s teleportation magic. Still, now that our stocking problems were solved, it wouldn’t be that much of an obstacle, and it would only be for a few months at most.

“I’ll contact you from my apartment once I’m done with work,” I explained to Peeps. “Could you come pick me up then?”

“Indeed, we shall make that our process for the time being.”

“Hey, hey!” interrupted Ms. Futarishizuka. “May I sleep here as well? This all sounds rather fun.”

“I don’t see why you need to ask,” responded Peeps. “You can do as you wish.”

“Yes, but you always say such cruel things to me, don’t you? I thought I might be left out once again.”

“…In exchange, I’d like you to do well by this girl. Can I ask that of you?”

“Oh, of course! She is a guest, after all. You can put your full trust in me,” answered Ms. Futarishizuka with a grin.

If not for the curse on the back of her hand, I’d never have believed that one. It seemed like it would be extremely difficult to develop a genuine bond of trust with her. After all, I didn’t believe her in the slightest.

After a few moments, Lady Elsa murmured, “So I’m the only one who can’t understand what she’s saying, huh?”

“I will serve as your interpreter for the time being,” said Peeps. “I have nothing but free time during the day, after all.”

“I’m sorry for making you go through all this trouble, little birdie.”

“Why don’t we use the internet to acquire knowledge about this world?”

“Inter-net? What is that?”

“Oh, the internet is a wonderful thing, indeed. For example…”

Peeps launched into an explanation of the internet for the youthful princess. When I last checked the browser’s history, I saw that the bird had moved on from simply looking at internet dictionaries and news sites—lately, he’d even been poking around on social media. The Starsage’s thirst for knowledge apparently couldn’t be sated. I could picture him coming to me in the near future and begging for my credit card number.

In any case, Peeps had a tendency to ramble when he got like this, so I turned to Futarishizuka to discuss future plans.

“Regardless of what we decide,” she said, “we’ll have to do something about her attire.”

“I know I’m sort of dropping everything in your lap, but could you handle that?”

“Oh, I don’t mind. As long as you’re paying me, I’ll set her up, head to toe.”

“I appreciate it. My one request is that you choose something as inconspicuous as possible.”

“Mm. Some troublemakers already have an eye out for her, after all…”

Every minute we spent here brought us closer to when we needed to be at the bureau. Without much time left, we could only arrange a few things to make Lady Elsa comfortable for the day. We decided we’d procure some essentials for her and take care of other minor tasks once we returned.

With Futarishizuka now an official bureau member, neither of us was very free to go about our own business during the day. Lady Elsa’s welcome party would have to wait until the evening.

I felt bad about that, but at least she’d be with Peeps all day.

Once we had finished getting Lady Elsa settled, we headed for the bureau as normal. I would be returning to my apartment first, then meeting up with Ms. Futarishizuka on the way. Just like yesterday, she picked me up in her car. Now that I’d experienced the comforts of an imported luxury vehicle complete with a driver, I doubted I could ever go back to being a sardine packed into a train car.

The magical girl’s attack had held us up the day before, but this time we managed to arrive at work without any issues. Normally, the bureau didn’t permit its employees to come into the office by car, but Ms. Futarishizuka had negotiated with the section chief and won herself a space in the parking garage.

As soon as we walked through the bureau’s doors, the section chief called for us. Like always, we headed into a cramped conference room, not even ten meters square.

There, he spoke to us from across the table. “Today, you two will be investigating this school.”

One wall of the room had a big-screen TV on it. It showed a photograph of a building that appeared to be a Japanese high school. Next to it were several abbreviated pieces of information, such as the school’s name, a map showing its location, the number of students in attendance, and other related details. It was similar to what I’d been shown before being sent to recruit the boy with the glasses.

“What are we investigating?” I asked.

“One of those killed in yesterday’s incident was a young man who attended this school,” explained the chief.

“So he was in high school…,” I murmured.

“He had a commuter ticket in his wallet; that’s how we found out his identity.”

“You’re very quick with this sort of work, as always,” remarked Ms. Futarishizuka.

I’d thought for sure the man had been an adult. High school kids these days sure looked mature.

“We identified the other victim—the woman—by her driver’s license. We already assigned another team to investigate her last night. She worked at a brothel, so we decided someone tougher and more aggressive would be better suited.”

“Was she an adult?” I asked.

“She was twenty. Why? Did you notice anything suspicious?”

“No, not exactly…” Recalling how Naomi had talked to the young man, I felt kind of sad. Takayoshi must have been trying his best, even though he was only in high school.

“Well,” continued the section chief, “we want you to search the school and look for evidence that the young man was a psychic, as well as get a handle on what sort of power he had. We’d also like you to gather information on any other psychics he might have been in contact with, if possible.”

The section chief used his computer to update the information on the screen. This time, it showed a series of photographs of Takayoshi. Most of them seemed to have been taken at school events, such as athletic and cultural festivals. The bureau must have rushed to contact the school and obtain them. All of them showed the young man leading a seemingly fulfilling life.

“I’ll send more details to your phones,” he said. “Look over them on the way there.”

“Understood, sir,” I replied.

“All right, then,” said Ms. Futarishizuka.

Since the school had released what appeared to be private information on the victim, they must have already been informed of our visit. Just like the time with the glasses boy, we’d be pretending to be observing the school in order to get inside. I assumed the chief would be sending those details to our phones.

I doubted we’d need to verify every last aspect of the job with the section chief—if nothing else, he was good at his work, which was a very nice quality in a boss. At my old job, I always had to double-check everything before I got to work.

“Any questions for me while you’re still here?” he asked.

“Hmm…” But just then, I did think of something.

Miss Hoshizaki wasn’t present in the conference room today. Normally, the two of us were called here as a set, given our respective psychic powers. She, too, seemed to consider my power handy and frequently asked me to go with her on assignments. But the chief hadn’t even mentioned her.

“Will Miss Hoshizaki not be joining us for this job?” I asked.

“No,” he answered. “And there’s something I’d like you to keep in mind.”

“What is it?”

“This happens to be the same school Miss Hoshizaki attends.”

“Wait. Really?” That was surprising. I knew she was still in high school, but now I’d accidentally learned exactly which school she was at. And since we’d already exchanged contact information, I worried I might start to come off as a stalker. “If she’s a student at this school, wouldn’t she be the best person for the job?”

“We operate like the police—in other words, we don’t put bureau members on investigations they’re closely related to.”

“I see.” They were probably concerned about issues like favoritism or personal bias arising. Maybe something along those lines had happened in the past. Above all, the bureau couldn’t deny the possibility that Miss Hoshizaki had been in contact with Takayoshi somehow.

In that light, the section chief’s decision made sense.

Ms. Futarishizuka gave me a questioning look. “That’s quite the coincidence, isn’t it?”

“Your concerns are reasonable,” agreed the section chief. “We’ve already started looking into it via other channels.”

I’d just have to hope they didn’t turn anything up. She was a pretty boisterous person, but she’d done a lot for me. I appreciated having her around and hoped we could continue on good terms in the future. Although if we got too close, that would cause its own problems, so I wanted to maintain a healthy distance.

“Naturally,” he continued, “we haven’t told her about any of this. In fact, she’ll be at school today, as usual. I want you both to be cautious as you carry out your investigation. Contact me if you run into any problems with her.”

If she found out about the investigation, she’d waste no time getting to work on it. We’d have to make sure she didn’t find out. In fact, we probably wanted to avoid being seen by her entirely.

“Understood, sir,” I said.

“Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” added Ms. Futarishizuka.

Our meeting ended, and we headed for the school right away.

After leaving the bureau, I climbed into Ms. Futarishizuka’s car for another ride. As a rule, the bureau was fine with its members using taxis for these jobs. A private vehicle, though, would allow us to talk freely, so I asked if we might use her car. It would be more convenient for her anyway, so she happily agreed.

We’d driven for a little while exchanging light conversation, when the girl at the wheel abruptly changed the subject. “By the way, there was something I wanted to tell you about that man.”

“Section Chief Akutsu, you mean?” I asked.

“That’s right.”

I’d asked her before to look into the chief, and it seemed she had more information to share. Her tone had turned suddenly serious, too, so I unconsciously straightened up to listen.

“This intel isn’t from the gross one with the long hair,” explained the girl in the kimono, “but apparently, there are going to be a few positional changes in the bureau. Rumor has it the vice director might be getting transferred—apparently, he took the fall for what happened with us.”

“You’re referring to the incident at the bowling alley, right?”

“I am, indeed.”

“I thought you said the entire thing had been set up by the chief.”

“It was, but it seems the one who was fed false information and ordered the mobilization wasn’t the section chief, but his superior. In fact, rumor has it the section chief actually opposed the operation.”

“Wait. Wouldn’t that mean…?” I trailed off. This was all sounding even shadier. If she was right, the chief was completely crooked.

“Exactly,” she agreed. “The position of vice director would naturally fall to our boss—the one who sold out his colleagues for his own benefit. Quite the villain, if you ask me.”

“Hold on a minute. A lot of people died in that incident.”

“And nobody knows that he was in contact with my old haunt.”

“……” I see, I thought. She has a point. We’d been able to get a whole bunch of info when Peeps and I had beaten that nerd. If that hadn’t happened, the information would have stayed completely secret. The section chief must have known that.

“Let’s suppose you’re right,” I said eventually. “Wouldn’t that put you at a pretty big disadvantage?”

“It would,” she replied. “I believed I joined the bureau of my own volition, though now I wonder if this was all part of that man’s trap. Though it’s too late to change anything, I can’t help but consider the possibility.”

If Section Chief Akutsu had gotten someone like her to say that, then he truly was a force to be reckoned with. Was promotion an attractive enough prospect for him to do all that?

Ms. Futarishizuka’s expression was pretty cool as she kept her eyes glued to the windshield while she spoke. That, combined with what she was talking about, made her seem like a very reliable woman. I found myself captivated, despite her young appearance.

“In any case,” she continued, “you’d do well to be cautious.”

“Could he be a foreign spy?” I wondered aloud.

“We may want to consider that as a possibility.”

“…Understood.”

This was a pretty heavy burden for a regular employee. It made me want to report him to the authorities. Oh, I thought. The acquaintances she mentioned before—maybe they’re part of the “authorities.”

“We don’t have any reason to defy the government, do we?” she said. “So we can take it easy and relax for now.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “Let’s just try to hold on to our current positions.”

And as for this conversation—I’d take it to the grave. Nobody would benefit from my revealing it. In fact, not only would it cause problems for related agencies, it would make me a wanted man in my own country.

I also had the laid-back, leisurely life Peeps was after to consider. So for now, I’d stick to my role as a completely harmless bureau employee and maintain a proper distance from all this—not getting too close and not straying too far. And with my magic from the otherworld, I had faith I’d be able to survive even the somewhat crazier assignments.

A short car ride later, we arrived at the high school. They’d already been informed of our visit, so we simply showed our business cards and police badges to security and were hastily led to a reception room. The school principal then came to greet us. It was just the same as when we’d investigated the boy with the glasses.

Incidentally, I was the only one who entered the premises. Ms. Futarishizuka was waiting in the parking lot. She was a small child, no two ways about it—I couldn’t exactly bring her inside. The chief hadn’t given me any specific instructions, but I very much doubted he would have approved of the fallout. It was just common sense. I won her agreement by having her provide backup from the shadows.

She could also communicate with me via the earpiece I wore. I had a microphone disguised as a tie pin, too; I could hardly believe we even had these. It was like something out of a spy movie. I also had a small camera in my bag. That way, she could see what was happening inside the school as well. The bureau is really pulling out all the stops. Ms. Futarishizuka had said she’d come running from the car if she saw anything happen, so I was free to work on my assignment without too much concern.

“…And so our school not only values student independence, but also aims for excellence in both academic and athletic fields. The packet I gave you lists some of the universities our students have advanced to, but aside from those, students who wish for employment are…”

The principal was in the middle of an impassioned speech, seated across from me over a low table. According to the info the section chief sent to my phone, my observation was being treated as part of the selection process for a country-wide event sponsored by the National Police Agency. The event itself was real, but the selection process was a ruse.

The man was old, probably close to retirement. You could make out his side-parted white hair from a distance, but it was still thick on his head. I hope I have as much hair when I’m his age. That must be part of why he came across as energetic. He also seemed toned; he probably exercised regularly. All in all, he seemed like the kind of affluent older man who always strove for self-improvement.

“I have to agree,” I replied. “This seems like a model school.”

“Yes, it’s wonderful—my pride and joy.”

I listened to him praise the school for about an hour, but quickly tired of all the talking. This was a public school, so maybe the man was after post-retirement employment or something. It was a pretty common scenario—principals from public high schools becoming teachers or principals at private high schools. To manage that, however, you had to have a certain amount of recognition.

Section Chief Akutsu sure knew how to work people.

“Will you be going to observe the classes directly now, Mr. Sasaki?” the principal asked finally.

“Yes, I’d like that very much.”

If our talk in the reception room was finished, it was time for a stroll through the school. The principal himself would apparently be showing me around. The fact that a man with his position was fussing over me naturally brightened my mood. Having been a long-time corporate drone at an exploitative company, I wasn’t used to this sort of reception, so I couldn’t help but feel giddy even about the little stuff.

Compared to the noble treatment I received in the otherworld—which still didn’t feel quite real to me—to be treated this way in a more familiar context made me feel like I’d gone up a rank as a person and entered a new stage in my life. It was like living in another world right here in Japan.

Of course, all this could come crumbling down at any moment depending on the chief’s mood.

“Classes are in session right now,” explained the principal, “so I’ll show you around the building.”

“I really appreciate it.”

The principal proceeded to give me a brief tour of the school. The place wasn’t old, per se, but it wasn’t new, either. It looked like any other public high school. Compared to the suburbs, and due to the nature of the surrounding land, it felt a little cramped, but that was about it. The principal seemed to have a lot to say, but the school itself didn’t really stand out.

He was also making a mad push for the information-processing room. They’d apparently replaced all their electronic equipment last year, so the room contained rows of brand-new, shiny desktop computers. He spoke very passionately about how they had introduced computer skills classes into the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on programming.

Eventually, we’d made a full loop of the school. Wanting to get on with my actual assignment, I stopped the principal and made a request. “By the way, sir, may I ask you something?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Please, ask me anything.”

“I apologize for putting it this way, but when I’m with you, the students and faculty all seem to tense up. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to take a look around on my own for a little while.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”

“Would that be all right?”

“Why, yes. Take all the time you need. I’ll either be in my office or the faculty lounge. I mentioned your observation to the rest of the staff this morning, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask anyone you see.”

“Thank you so much for understanding.” Good, I thought. Now I can look around the school freely.

The principal and I parted ways in the hall. After seeing him turn a corner, I started my little walk.

First, I headed to Takayoshi’s former classroom. Essentially, my plan was to figure out which classmates he’d been close with, then pull them aside and question them individually. As long as I could get a photo of their faces, the bureau could verify their personal information. It would be a piece of cake using my bureau-provided phone.

Takayoshi’s death still hadn’t been made public, as that might prompt anyone related to the case to flee. His family had put in a search request, but at the section chief’s instruction, it had been accepted, then not pursued. That’s what he’d said in our meeting, at least. He probably wanted to wait and see if Futarishizuka and I turned anything up.

I was walking through the halls toward the classroom when I heard the bell ring to indicate the period was over.

Students began pouring out of their classrooms all at once. Many of them shot glances at me when they saw I was an unfamiliar older man in a suit. As an undercover agent, I sped up to avoid their gaze. I wanted to ask my questions before the break was over. If I missed this chance, I’d have to wait for the next period to end.

“You just glanced at the panties of that girl going up the stairs, didn’t you?” came Ms. Futarishizuka’s voice through my earpiece.

“What on earth are you talking about?” I replied.

Apparently, she’d been watching my actions through the camera. I’d shifted my weight, causing my bag to sway from side to side; she must have tried to imagine where my eyes had been. It had happened pretty quickly—I found myself impressed with her eyesight.

To be fair, my gaze had started to drift in that direction, but I’d quickly stopped it. I had faith that meant I was—just barely—in the clear. I wasn’t lying, so I wished she’d understand the effort it had taken for a male like me to go against his instincts.

“You say that, but you’re pretty pent-up, aren’t you?”

“Even if I was, this is hardly the time or place.”

Ever since meeting Peeps, I’d had almost no time to myself. Even when I wasn’t with my bird, I was usually with someone else. Not to agree with Futarishizuka, but it was only natural I was “pent-up.” Though things had calmed down for me in that respect over the past few years, that didn’t mean my biological processes had completely stopped. When I thought about it that way, it made me miss my freer, single life—but only a little.

“With how pathetic you look, that finicky girl will find you.”

“She’s in a different year, so I think we’re fine, but…”

Takayoshi had been a third-year student, which meant he’d be on a different floor from Miss Hoshizaki. I’d still been keeping a close eye out, though.

“Her location marker is very close to you. If you can’t see her from where you are, she must be on another floor. Just don’t take the stairs right now—or you’re sure to bump into her.”

“Keep your eye on where she’s going for me, then.”

“I’d expected as much, but the bureau’s jobs sure are boring.”

“I much prefer boring jobs like these.”

I’d come here under the pretext of observation. I couldn’t walk around with a smartphone in my hand forever, so I was grateful for Ms. Futarishizuka’s backup. I was communicating with her through the mic at my chest, but just to be safe, I had my phone up to my ear. Still, the students kept casting me curious glances.

“There’s the classroom. Let’s stop talking for now.”

“Okey dokey.”

After ending our conversation, I turned toward the classroom. And not a moment later, I heard a familiar name.

“Hey, did you hear Takayoshi never went home last night?”

“Wait, really?”

“He didn’t text us that he was taking the day off, either…”

“He didn’t go home? Are you sure he’s not just sick?”

“His mom called my mom, so it’s true!”

“Are you sure he wasn’t visiting that new girl he kept bragging about?”

The voices were coming from a group of three male students off to the side of the hallway; they had formed a ring as they chatted. Thanks to them, I got the feeling at least one part of my job would be nice and easy. I didn’t even need to create an opportunity for me to speak with them. I’d been racking my brain over how I was supposed to approach the students, so this would really help me out.

I pointed the camera in my bag at the students. I was pretty sure Futarishizuka had heard them. Once we’d sent the pictures to the bureau, they’d quickly start identifying all the kids. It was very handy to have a colleague so used to this sort of work.

Since the boys were all civilians, and we knew which school they attended, identifying them probably wouldn’t take much time. I expected to have a response before classes let out for the day. That meant we could start the questioning phase before the day was out. That was pretty safe work as well, so they’d be able to mobilize other bureau members.

“Oh no. She’s moving,” came an alert from Futarishizuka. She must have been referring to Miss Hoshizaki.

I doubted the younger girl would come to the third-years’ area, but a middle-aged man in a suit stuck out like a sore thumb in a group of teenagers. If she’d begun to move, I wanted to put as much distance between us as I could.

“You can use the west staircase to head downstairs and leave the school building. We have enough footage to identify those boys. You should be able to wait until the break is over and go back to the principal.”

I hurried through the halls in accordance with my operator’s instructions, going down the stairs and outside onto the path leading from the main school building to the other facilities.

And then I got yet another warning from Ms. Futarishizuka. “Argh. I think she’s getting closer to you…”

“Huh? Wait a second!” I said, accidentally raising my voice.

It was hard for me to get a read on her location data in my current position. Panicked, I looked around but couldn’t spot anyone who looked like her. The thing I had to be most cautious of was being seen from the school building’s windows. If she looked out and spotted me, I might never know.

With that in mind, I took a different route leading to the rear of the building.

“…She’s stopped!” Ms. Futarishizuka said a few moments later.

That report was unnecessary. I’d already found her—right where I’d been headed.

“Excuse me,” came her voice. “You were the one who called me here, right?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry. I know it was kinda sudden.”

Miss Hoshizaki was standing with a male student behind the building, holding what looked like a letter in her hands. The boy was eyeing the letter with a nervous expression.

Naturally, my younger senior at the bureau wasn’t wearing any makeup today; instead, she looked just as she had during the kerfuffle with the glasses kid. Her hair hung in braids, and she wore unfashionable, round glasses, making her look like a stereotypical bookworm.

The boy, on the other hand, was tall and tanned; he seemed like an athlete. His shoulders were broad, and you could see his muscles even through his shirt. He had short hair and a chiseled face. He was definitely attractive, and he seemed well put together to boot.

And now a middle-aged spy was watching them from the shadows of the school building.

“Hoshizaki, please go out with me!”

Whoops. It looked like Miss Hoshizaki had just been asked out by a guy. I’d guessed as much—and it seemed I’d been right. I certainly didn’t anticipate this situation. Good for her, enjoying her youth.

“……”

“Oh-ho, what a youthful scene,” remarked Futarishizuka.

For now, it didn’t seem like they’d noticed us. While by all rights I should have left immediately, she was my coworker, so I couldn’t help myself—I just had to listen in. Was she going to say yes? If she did, I might have to be more considerate about certain things when working with her in the future.

But before I had too long to think about that, I heard her reply.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“Ngh…”

The boy clenched his teeth at the rejection—his hopes had been shattered in seconds.

What a waste, I thought. Her businesswoman attire from the bureau aside, looking at her now, she seemed pretty plain. Naturally, she would have a lower social position at school to match. An attractive young man asking her out seemed like an obvious stroke of good luck. I had no doubt that was why he’d called her here personally, too. I bet he went in thinking it was a sure thing.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she said, turning around to leave.

“B-but! Wait a second!” called the boy. He seemed pretty flustered.

“…What?”

“Are you already going out with someone?”

“I’m not.”

“I thought so! So then, why…?”

He seemed as curious as I was about her refusal. The kid was clearly one of those types who was used to getting what he wanted, so he’d probably never dreamed he’d be spurned. From what he was saying, it seemed he’d already verified she was single.

In a solemn tone, she explained, “There’s already someone I like.”

“Wait. Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

I had to admit, it was really, really weird hearing her speak so politely. Normally, she didn’t bother with pleasantries and simply yelled my name. It was like she was a totally different person depending on how much makeup she was wearing. In fact, I could easily believe she was a mature woman wearing a school uniform and pretending to be a high school girl.

“Oh,” said the boy. “I guess that settles it, then.”

“I think you should choose someone cuter than me,” she added.

“But I think you’re the cutest girl at school.”

“All the more reason not to go out with me.”

“…What do you mean?”

“If you judge a book by its cover, you’ll get burned one day.”

That was strangely persuasive, coming from her. It seemed like Miss Hoshizaki might have had a rougher time of it in the adult world than I had. Come to think of it, how long had she been working at the bureau? I mean, I’m sure my history as a corporate drone is longer, but still.

“But wait,” said the boy, “if you’re going to go out with someone, wouldn’t you prefer someone good-looking?”

“Perhaps, if we were just hanging out casually,” she replied. “But if I was serious about someone, I’d be more interested in who they were on the inside.”

“Well, yeah, I guess I can understand that. Wait, does that mean you think I’m all looks? If that’s the case, you should try hanging out with me sometime. I’ve actually got a good head on my shoulders.”

“That isn’t what I meant. I meant comparatively speaking.”

“Wait, then…what? Have you got your eyes on one of the teachers or something?”

“Something like that, yes.”

“Wow, seriously? I mean, I guess I can’t beat someone like that.”

“Is it all right if I go back to class now?”

“Oh! Do you want to exchange contact information, at least? I guess you don’t want to hang out with me, but if you change your mind, you can give me a call. I can listen to your problems—or whatever. I’d really like to be friends.”

“I’m sorry. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have much room for another person in my life.”

“O-oh. Okay, I get it. Sorry for calling you back here.”

Huh. Does Miss Hoshizaki actually have a lot of friends? Considering the bureau’s work environment, I didn’t think she’d have the time for that. Any casual assignment could be fatal for the both of us. That alone was reason enough to eliminate any cause for hesitation. In fact, I’d seen her get into very tight situations not once, but twice in the short time I’d known her.

“Please excuse me.” Miss Hoshizaki bowed slightly and turned her back to the boy.

The moment her gaze shifted in the direction of her stalker—namely, me—I hastily withdrew behind the building. Dampening my footsteps to avoid her notice, I left the area. Ms. Futarishizuka navigated for me so I wouldn’t run into her a second time.

After that, I went back inside the school and investigated several other locations. Unfortunately, I came up with nothing. I was back in the principal’s office before lunch break to officially conclude my observation, and after that I left the school behind.

It took a little less than an hour to get a response after Ms. Futarishizuka sent the pictures to the bureau. We got back some pretty detailed information—everything from the boys’ names to their addresses and family compositions. It even included whether they were delinquent in paying their utility bills, the balances of their bank accounts, and their own as well as their relatives’ criminal records. It left me pretty terrified at the extent of the bureau’s authority.

Still, the information didn’t lead to any conclusions. The person from the bureau had agreed; there was no trace of them being psychics.

And so as initially planned, we decided we’d wait for school to let out and make contact with one of the boys directly. We’d be intercepting him on a road he used to commute a little ways from the school. That way, we’d catch him alone. At times like these, I found the weight of the police badge in my pocket very reassuring.

Ms. Futarishizuka would be acting separately once again. Just as before, she’d provide support from her car. She had a police badge just like I did, but she looked so young she probably couldn’t get anyone to come with her if she tried. After all, people seemed to find even me suspicious. It disappointed her, but there was nothing we could do.

I stood on the road for a while, waiting for the target.

“Oh, great. She’s on the move,” came a warning from my earpiece.

That must be Miss Hoshizaki. “Again?” I asked.

“She’s headed your way. Hide somewhere—that alley over there or something.”

“Will do.”

Apparently, the place we’d been staking out was also on her way home. Attempting to let her pass, I hid behind a building, still keeping my eyes on the road. This was a small street that didn’t even have a center dividing line, and there was very little car traffic. A modest sidewalk graced only one side of it, but I barely saw anyone walking past. We’d picked a place that would be convenient for us, so that was all expected. We were trying to ensure nobody was around in case the deceased boy’s friend turned out to be a psychic.

After waiting for a few moments, I saw a familiar face coming down the road in my direction. “She’s here. It’s definitely Miss Hoshizaki.”

“I told you so.”

“She seems to be with friends from school,” I said, noting that she was walking with several other female students.

But they were acting strangely. If they were all friends going home from school, why weren’t they talking? Girls their age usually had lively conversations on their way home, right? I saw a lot of students chatting with one other even on packed trains.

Eventually, the group made a turn at the T intersection in front of me. That took them into a pretty narrow alleyway—just barely large enough to fit a small car—between the outer wall of an apartment building and a block fence surrounding a house. Every one of the girls rounded the corner.

A moment later, I heard Ms. Futarishizuka—who still had her eye on Miss Hoshizaki’s location—speak up. “How odd,” she said. “That should be a dead end.”

“I’ll go take a peek,” I replied, looking into the alleyway while still keeping my distance. I was doing this with my phone in one hand, pretending to be a salesperson stepping away to receive a call.

“…She’s surrounded,” I said.

“Huh? What does that mean?”

Just as Ms. Futarishizuka had said, the narrow side street was indeed a dead end. They were a ways back in the alley. Miss Hoshizaki stood on one side—my left—while the girls from her high school had spread out horizontally in front of her, putting on the pressure. I was essentially looking in from the side, which meant I could see into the blind alley without being noticed.

To summarize, things were looking bad. And sure enough, I heard one of the girls start to speak in a raised voice.

“Shindou asked you out, and you turned him down?” she said roughly. “What’s the big idea?”

“…What are you talking about?” asked Miss Hoshizaki. “What do you want, Manami?”

“I—I mean just what I said! What’s the big idea?! Just explain it to me!”

It was the girl directly in front of Miss Hoshizaki who was getting so worked up. Apparently, her name was Manami—and it seemed she and the others had gotten wind of what I’d seen behind the school building earlier. I assumed this Shindou kid was pretty popular with these girls.

“He called me aside during lunch and asked me out. That’s all that happened.”

“Ugh… Th-that attitude of yours is pissing me off! Who do you think you are anyway?!”

The female students standing beside Manami all seemed to agree, given how much they were nodding. They didn’t seem to think very highly of Miss Hoshizaki receiving a confession from, and then rejecting, this Shindou kid. Or that was my read on the situation, at least. I remembered my school days and how the girls loved talking about this stuff, mostly by passing notes in class. At the time, I’d been at the bottom of the school hierarchy, so I’d always been really curious what the notes said.

“I wasn’t trying to be arrogant,” replied Miss Hoshizaki curtly.

“You don’t think about your words at all, do you? That’s why you’re always alone in class! You don’t care about getting along, and you don’t have a shred of empathy for the people around you. It’s like you want to be an outcast!”

“……”

Watching them made one thing clear—Miss Hoshizaki was all alone at school. I’d thought maybe that was the case, but actually seeing her classmates victimize her made me feel pretty bad. She didn’t seem to care at all, though, so as her colleague—who had secretly watched all of this—my emotions on the matter were complicated.

“At times like this, we’re supposed to call 110 and report the bullies!” interrupted Ms. Futarishizuka, her cheerful voice coming through my earpiece. Apparently, she could hear the girls, too.

“Could you not joke around like that?” I chided her.

Manami continued. “You pretend to be super studious and everything, but I bet you were just trying to seduce him. You know he likes serious girls. Even though you got a failing score on the midterms like a normal person! You want boys to look at you that badly or what?”

I wondered if Miss Hoshizaki was just as much of a meathead as she seemed. Though as Manami said, looking at the girl now made her failing marks seem fraudulent. I bet the glasses boy would agree.

But that comment seemed to prick at Miss Hoshizaki. She began to argue. “That’s going too far.”

“It’s the truth, though!” replied Manami. “Why are you pretending?”

I was starting to get a little antsy watching my colleague. I was afraid this argument would devolve into a brawl. Though perhaps I was just too used to my image of her from work.

“I sure hope you didn’t do this just to make us angry since you know Nami is into him!” Manami said, glancing at one of the girls to her side for a moment. “Because if that’s the case, we’re not going to stay silent!”

The girl she’d glanced at must have been Nami. I could see her quickly nod in response.

“Why on earth do you think I know anything about your private lives?” asked Miss Hoshizaki, still indifferent.

“…!”

Manami was taken aback. Anyone could see that Miss Hoshizaki was fanning the flames here; she was probably a little angry at having her failing grades pointed out. I decided I wouldn’t ever bring up her schoolwork when we talked. Now that I thought about it, she had said she’d be joining the bureau officially after she graduated.

“E-everything people do gets around somehow!” insisted Manami. “I know all kinds of things about you, you know! Like how you fake that whole meek demeanor of yours and go out fooling around with guys all the time. I feel so bad for Shindou, the way you deceived him.” She was probably frustrated that Miss Hoshizaki had refuted her argument, and now she was trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh, wait. Are you interested in Shindou, too, Manami?” Miss Hoshizaki observed sharply.

“N-no, I’m not!”

“Because if you are, then I apologize. I should have been more considerate.”

“Ugh…” Manami looked like she was about to explode. The other girls, too, started looking in her direction.

Seeing her chance, Miss Hoshizaki quickly continued. “Also—and I’m only saying this because I don’t want any weird rumors starting up—I’m a virgin.”

“What?” said Manami. “Wh-why are you telling us that now?!”

As a middle-aged eavesdropper, I felt pretty bad about having heard that. I doubted she would, but if she ever found out about this, it was sure to hurt our coordination in the field. Just going to pretend I didn’t hear any of this—including what she said behind the school building, whether or not it was true.

“How long do you intend on staring?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Right,” I said. “Let’s get back to business.”

With a good handle on what Miss Hoshizaki was up to, it was time to get back to work. Assuming Ms. Futarishizuka would alert me if the girls moved anywhere, I turned right around and left the blind alley. Then, with her instructions, I started off toward the designated spot.

But then, a moment later, there was a change.

Almost as if I’d lost my hearing, all the sound in the world simply stopped. That included the girls’ voices, the distant roars of cars, and the buzzing of the air conditioners in nearby windows—everything was silent.

Immediately, I peered into the alley. Miss Hoshizaki was nowhere in sight.

“Ugh…” There was no mistaking this sensation—it was the same as the day before. And immediately prior, I’d made out the flash of a defensive barrier spell around me. Just like what Ms. Futarishizuka had mentioned last time.

I’d put up a barrier just in case one of Takayoshi’s friends happened to be a psychic, and it had probably reacted to whatever this phenomenon was. At the same time, Ms. Futarishizuka’s voice in my earpiece had gone silent, too.

In a panic, I made a dash for her car. But the girl who’d been inside was nowhere to be found. After all, I hadn’t put a barrier on her this time. That only backed up my previous hypothesis: It seemed like this strange psychic power had a reaction to my barrier magic.

“……”

I took out my phone and looked at the screen; like last time, it said I was out of service. I made sure to check the current time in the screen’s corner, too. That way, when I got back to the regular world, I could put in for overtime.

Who was using this power and for what purpose? I wondered, feeling a strange terror as I began my investigation, now all on my own.