Chapter 351 - A Scoundrel's Self-Inflicted Woe
The Student Council at Saint Emeralda Girl's Academy is an exclusive group composed entirely of daughters from high-ranking noble families. 'High-ranking' doesn't just refer to their titles; it primarily emphasizes history and bloodline. For instance, some believe a Baron's house is superior to a newly established Count's house if its lineage is older.
Tradition, prestige, and blood. A history that can be traced back to the founders of the royal family or the original nobles of the founding era is something that cannot be bought with any amount of money. The older the country, the more these elements are valued.
If a young lady from such a background was kidnapped, it was a major incident.
"Is there a commotion?"
"No, not at the moment. It may be a matter of time, but I don't think it's leaked beyond the Student Council yet."
Layla seemed to have been watching for a while after sensing people gathering at the Student Council building. Despite it being a holiday, they had gathered for a meeting regarding academy events. Who would have thought it would turn into a kidnapping scandal?
Layla was currently using a magic that created a shadow double to share perception, allowing her to infiltrate the Student Council building and grasp the content of their conversations.
"And?"
"I eavesdropped for a while, and it became a topic that the secretary was late."
"Being late sounds like a common enough thing."
"It would have been fine if it were just that, but the place went into an uproar after a letter was delivered to the Student Council. It was apparently from Jienko Nigi of the hooligans."
So the thugs kidnapped a student. Well, well. They thought she was late, but she was actually abducted.
They're a reckless bunch. Laying a hand on a noble's daughter won't end well for them.
"From what I've heard, it seems the cause was that they intercepted Jienko Nigi's drugs. The student who was likely the mastermind was being blamed."
"So that pile of drugs was exactly what I thought. They really pushed their luck. If you do something like that, you're bound to face retaliation once you're caught."
The people who actually stole the drugs were probably just hired muscle. Jienko Nigi must have intended to find them even if they had to turn over every stone. The people searching were probably desperate, knowing their own lives were at stake.
In contrast, the Student Council kids were sloppy. Even if the perpetrators were identified, the rule of thumb is to make sure it can never be traced back to you.
"They brought this on themselves. I've already had Valeria-san move as soon as Jienko Nigi's name came up... Ah, now they're arguing fiercely. Something about the possibility of a traitor."
It's unclear what the merit of betraying them would be, but it's a possibility. In any case, they're a pathetic bunch.
"Moving to search for her was a good call. If we can find and secure her, we can push an unpayable debt of gratitude onto them."
Regarding Jienko Nigi, I'd already identified their hidden bases when I stole the documents from their safe. I didn't think they could move all of them in such a short time, so I could expect the kidnapped student to be in one of them.
"Ah, it looks like they're about to make a call somewhere... I don't know who the recipient is, but they're screaming hysterically. It seems it ended in a disagreement... Now another call. It seems the recipient this time is a Blue Coat... Wait. They're talking to Platoon Leader Thompson."
"I understand they're panicking, but calling everyone isn't wise... Honestly, what are they doing? This has to be handled in secret, or it'll become a disaster. Layla, keep listening to their conversation."
It would be a terrible scandal if it got out that high-born ladies were involved with thugs. Moreover, the situation had developed into retaliation because they had stolen drugs.
Since they were doing something bad, they probably didn't want their families to know, so they seemed to be trying to resolve it behind the scenes. It's understandable that they'd call Thompson directly and rely on him. But for a Blue Coat platoon leader, that's nothing but a massive headache.
Jienko Nigi and the Blue Coats are connected behind the scenes, and Jienko Nigi will probably play dumb, claiming they know nothing about kidnapping a noble's daughter. The Blue Coats don't want to crush Jienko Nigi, who provides a large amount of tribute, and while they might have to steel themselves if it were an open kidnapping case, having to solve it secretly is just a nuisance.
If they could sell a favor to a noble parent, that would be one thing, but if it has to be solved in secret, they can't even do that. Instead, it's obvious they'll be used as convenient intermediaries for ransom or as negotiators. And who knows when they'll be able to collect on a favor sold to a child?
If they get involved as negotiators, the talk of the drug theft will naturally come up. They'll be touching upon the secret that students of the Saint Emeralda Student Council were involved in an outrageous criminal act.
Can the secret be kept among the Student Council, Jienko Nigi, and a few Blue Coat members? Impossible. It will definitely leak from somewhere and reach the ears of powerful nobles. The ensuing development is easy to imagine.
A furious person in power would hate the spread of a scandal and wouldn't leave those who know the secret alone.
If it were a minor misdeed, that would be one thing, but this is too big. It's a given that Jienko Nigi will be wiped out, and the Blue Coats will surely be disciplined as well. That's what happens when you touch a secret in a world where lives are cheap.
How much the Student Council tells Platoon Leader Thompson, and how good Thompson's crisis-sensing ability is... I won't know until I see how things unfold, but at this rate, Thompson's head will roll in the near future. If that happens, my hard work in gaining a connection with the Blue Coats will be wasted.
Honestly, I'm just full of troublesome imaginings.
"This is Layla. The Student Council's conversation is getting quite heated. I can't hear what Thompson is saying, but he seems to be hesitating, saying they're short on people or something."
"He's a wise man. He can see what's coming."
"By the way, Chairman, how is Edith Ribbonstrat involved in this? That daughter of a Marquis was connected to Jienko Nigi, wasn't she?"
Hm, that's right.
In the first place, how did the Student Council manage to steal Jienko Nigi's drugs? At this point, the possibility that the girl with the ringlets is involved also surfaces. But there was no sign until now that she was connected to the Student Council.
Really, I wonder what's going on.
"This is Valeria. Big Sister, I saw a student being carried underground in the shopping district. Should I move in?"
You've found them already? That was remarkably fast.
When I asked for details, she said she went to a high vantage point and conducted a wide-range mana sweep, then narrowed down the targets to watch for suspicious movements while referencing Jienko Nigi's hidden bases on a map. Then, she witnessed a scene that looked like what we were searching for.
Good eyes, good intuition, and maybe a bit of luck. She's a reliable little sister figure.
"Well done, Valeria. The enemy?"
"Wait a moment, I'll get closer and check."
The transmission was cut, and she apparently started moving. It didn't take long before a transmission came in.
"Big Sister, there are five enemies... no, two came out and went somewhere. There are three besides the student."
"Situation inside?"
"I can tell somewhat by mana sensing. One person is lying on the floor, and three seem to be standing and talking. The student isn't moving, so she might be drugged."
Hmm, it doesn't seem like they're about to assault the female student. In that case, there's no immediate danger, and if Valeria is nearby, she can move in to recover her at any time.
"...Actually, Edith Ribbonstrat might be the one in more danger."
If that girl with the ringlets was the one who leaked information about the stolen drugs, or even if she's just suspected of it, she might be in a dangerous spot.
"I'm right near a Blue Coat branch, so I'll go check on Thompson. Layla, continue monitoring the Student Council. Valeria, go ahead and move in to secure them. Report back immediately if there's any trouble."
As I listened to their replies, I had the driver stop the bus.
The driver and the club members looked puzzled by my selfish and sudden action.
"Evil Banshee-sensei?"
"Something urgent came up. You girls head back and practice. Let's see... as usual, start with a thorough review of the basics. After that, work on tactical research based on today's practice matches."
I felt a bit guilty as an advisor for abandoning the club members during the trip, but we were close to the academy. It should be fine.
I left everything to the President and handed over my bag. The ring with the transmitter... I'll just leave it as it is.
After getting off the bus, I spotted a motorcycle parked nearby. Good, I'll borrow it for a bit.
I broke the simple mana authentication key in seconds and rode off on the stolen bike.
I arrived at the Blue Coat branch in a few minutes. I slipped past the reception and headed for Thompson's office.
There was a silhouette behind the frosted glass. Good, he was there.
"Excuse me."
"You... Yukalied Evil Banshee? This is sudden."
Of course he was surprised. It was an unannounced visit, and he was likely busy.
"I'm in a hurry, so I'll skip the pleasantries. You received a call from the academy's Student Council, didn't you?"
"How did you know... No, I have no intention of getting involved. I haven't heard the details, but no matter how you look at it, it's a dangerous path. I told those brats too... if an incident occurred, report it through official channels."
"That's the right call. You would have been ruined if you'd gotten involved in secret. Besides, I'll handle that part, so there's no problem. More importantly, you know about Edith Ribbonstrat, don't you?"
Thompson was confused, unable to keep up with the conversation, but he sighed in resignation. He was quick to adapt; that was good.
"Ribbonstrat? You mean the Marquis?"
"Exactly. Along with the Student Council matter, that daughter of a Marquis is likely in danger too. She might already be captured. Check in on Jienko Nigi."
"Hey, hey. What are Jienko Nigi and Saint Emeralda doing? Don't drag us into this."
"I'm telling you I'll handle the trouble. You just need to check in. If you get any information, pass it to me. Where's a Blue Coat communicator?"
Meeting to talk every time is a pain. It'll be faster if I borrow one of their communicators.
"Are you serious? You're taking it?"
"I'll return it once I'm done. Listen. As you know, it would be bad for the Blue Coats to be involved in this in secret. But it's also bad to leave it alone, right?"
"Dammit... I don't even want to know what's going on, but you're probably right!"
"If you do as I say, I'll settle everything gracefully. It's for your own good to cooperate."
I have my hands full. Since I, Layla, and Valeria are moving, I don't want to reduce the little sister's protection any further. I have to use what I can.
"Fine, dammit. I'll just monitor their hideout. If there's any anomaly, I'll let you know. Is that enough?"
"It's plenty. And if you're going to seize their hidden assets, now might be your chance. You haven't done it yet, have you?"
The information I gave him as a gift when I made him a collaborator hadn't been utilized yet. It was his choice, but I didn't like seeing it go to waste. I'll give him a little push.
"In this situation? Indeed, we were just about ready to move... Tsk. To think they'd lay a hand on a noble. How stupid can they be? It might be time to end things with them."
"I can lend a hand if you're cutting them loose."
"I don't know yet, but I might rely on you then."
"Yeah. Anyway, get on that monitoring. The communicator?"
Thompson was busy thinking, piecing together the fragments of the situation he knew.
Whether he was satisfied after considering his interests and self-preservation to ensure the sparks wouldn't reach him, or if he just gave up, he pulled out a flat communicator, operated it, and handed it over.
"I've set the mana wave to one not being used elsewhere, but just in case. Don't use it for anything unnecessary. And make sure to return it. They've just been deployed, and it'll be a pain to cover up if even one is missing."
"I know."
Oh, so the channel settings can be adjusted freely? The earring type is overwhelmingly superior in compactness, but the function as a communicator is far superior here. I want to get a decent number of these before I go back to Exembra.
After hearing the instructions for the communicator, I left the branch immediately to move on to the next step.
I rode the stolen bike and communicated via my earring. It's a busy day.
"This is Shinonome. Layla, how's the Student Council?"
"This is Layla. They're still going in circles about whether to report it through official channels or not. They'll probably stay like this until the next demand comes from Jienko Nigi."
"That sounds about right. I'm heading back to the academy now to break into the Student Council building. I'll push them all at once while I have the chance. What about Valeria?"
"This is Valeria. I've secured the area without any problems."
"Is the captured student safe?"
"She's just sleeping. No apparent injuries."
Then the only remaining concern is the girl with the ringlets. I hope it's just my imagination.
Ah, Valeria needs someone to pick her up. Fine, I'll have one more person move.
"Roberta, are you listening?"
"...Yes, this is Roberta. Violante and Harriet are listening too. Sigurdnort is with us."
"This is Violante. Should I bring the car to pick up Valeria?"
"Yeah. There's cargo. One of you go pick her up in the armored vehicle."
The Student Council had fallen into a hole without me even having to lift a finger.
They were surely in a tight spot, unable to move the Blue Coats they relied on while a companion was kidnapped by thugs.
The drugs they stole were reduced, so they couldn't return them in full, and even if they apologized, there was no way the thugs would forgive them. I didn't know what Jienko Nigi would demand in return, but if they accepted the demands of such people, they'd be in a quagmire. It would only lead to endless blackmail.
Actually, I doubt the high-born young ladies would even consider apologizing to lowly thugs.
That said, as a practical matter, the only means left for the kids would be to use people they could hire with money or to cry to their parents.
I didn't think the people they hired with money would be skilled enough to scatter the thugs and recover the hostage. If they could use such skilled people or organizations, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation in the first place. If they cried to their parents, they'd have to explain how things ended up this way, and this isn't a situation that can be covered up with lies.
They're finally cornered.
Well, I'm the one who will lend a hand. I'm sure they'll be grateful and cry with joy.
The hostage has already been rescued, but the scoundrel advisor is playing dumb.
Next chapter: Edith Ribbonstrat may be the one truly in trouble.