Chapter 362 - The Reliable Obana
I woke up suddenly. It was still pitch black outside and a bit chilly.
I must have gone to bed earlier than usual last night, which explains the early hour.
It was the dead of night, far too early to be called morning. I’m not a fan of going back to sleep since it feels like a waste of time, and surprisingly, I didn't feel drowsy.
"...Might as well get up."
If I did a long early morning training session now, I’d probably get sleepy around noon. Still, that’s better than wasting time idling in bed. It’s a holiday today, so I can just nap if I get tired.
I pushed myself up and opened the curtains and window to find a soundless, misty rain falling from the sky. The poor weather dampened my mood slightly.
I wouldn't let a bit of bad weather break my routine, but it certainly took the edge off my motivation. That’s just human nature. I decided to get out of bed and at least wash my face.
The rainy night was eerily silent, making me sensitive to the slightest sound or presence.
My sight, hearing, and mana sensing were all strangely sharp. It must be the effect of the rain in the dead of night. Without turning on the lights, I fixed my appearance and stepped out, psyching myself up.
Still, it was annoying. The mist instantly clung to my hair and clothes, making them damp and heavy.
It was quite cold for summer, and getting wet only made it colder. I’d be warm once I moved a bit, so I decided to push myself from the start today.
Just after I started running while stretching, my sharpened senses caught a strange presence, and I stopped.
It was just a slight feeling, barely enough to be called an anomaly. Normally, it was the kind of presence I’d ignore or miss entirely, dismissing it as a small animal or something similar.
But this was the academy grounds. No matter how small the anomaly, ignoring it could lead to something fatal.
As someone who came to the academy as a guard, I couldn't just let it go. If this was something the Young Master of the Anastasia Union had set in motion, I’d regret overlooking it.
I re-extended my mana sensing net, carefully searching for the presence in the rainy darkness.
Yeah, it’s not my imagination. Something is definitely off.
What I felt was a very thin presence. My mana sensing is supposed to be among the best on the continent, yet I could only just barely perceive it.
"It’s awfully cold for summer."
I punched my palm and gave my shivering body a boost of spirit.
It was the middle of the night, and the weather didn't help. The academy at night had a particularly eerie atmosphere.
I headed toward the source of the faint presence, which turned out to be the main academy building.
St. Esmeralda’s Girls' Academy has over five hundred years of history, but I wondered how old the building itself was. It probably wasn't five hundred years old, but it looked to be at least a century old.
The main building, with its Romanesque architecture, looked especially imposing in the misty darkness, exuding a heavy pressure that seemed to overwhelm anyone who looked at it.
Between the hour, the weather, and this strange presence, the word 'horror' kept springing to mind. This was no joke.
But what exactly was this presence? It was too thin to be human, and it was hard to pin down.
Yet, if it wasn't human, then what was it?
Ugh, I don't like this, but I have to go in and check.
There’s a saying that a ghost’s true identity is just a withered 'obana' reed, but my mana sensing was definitely picking something up. I wasn't just being sensitive to things that didn't exist because I was scared of the academy at night.
It’s not as if undead would just sprout in the academy, so what is it?!
I matched that thin presence with my own, concealing my own presence even more thoroughly as I entered the building. I’d win the battle of stealth.
But it was still strange. The presence felt thin and spread out, making it impossible to pin down a single point.
I moved slowly through the pitch-black school. It felt as if there were presences everywhere and nowhere at once, the eeriness growing with every step.
Suddenly, I felt a presence intensify behind me.
Breaking into a cold sweat, I spun around... but there was nothing there.
There is nothing scarier than the unknown or the unexplained. My tension rose naturally.
With no specific destination, I wondered what to do in this thin, sprawling presence.
Standing around aimlessly wouldn't help. For now, I’d head to my office.
I went up the stairs toward my office, but the presence would occasionally strengthen, catching my attention and making me stop to look around every time.
It didn't feel like someone was intentionally mocking me, nor did there seem to be a pattern. Faint presences drifted everywhere, and for a split second, one spot would become slightly stronger. That was it. I had no idea what this meant.
Again, I felt a presence behind me and turned, only to find nothing. My irritation finally began to outweigh my fear of the unknown.
"...Ugh, this is annoying."
Why on earth did I, an instructor, have to sneak around my own academy?
That’s it. Whether it’s someone’s prank, a natural phenomenon I don't know about, or even a supernatural event—though that’s impossible—I’m going to blow it away with sheer spirit.
I’ll crush this creepy presence.
Brute force is my specialty. I’ll clear this eerie atmosphere with a spirit that could part the rain clouds.
Channeling my irritation into power, I activated it immediately.
[Level Raise: Exterior... Crimson Might!]
In an instant, I switched from complete stealth to a total release of power. I’ll drown out any strange, thin presence with this!
I drew forth mana like magma from within me, scattering the terrifying presence generated by my Body-Soul Transfiguration magic.
Right after that, I caught it for sure. This was a human presence. There was someone here after all!
I dashed up the stairs in an instant and sprinted through the hallway like a lightning bolt, catching the owner of the nearest presence. I pinned them against the wall with a rough motion, venting my frustration. Now they couldn't escape.
You little prankster, I’ll teach you a lesson.
The crimson glow illuminating the darkness revealed a creepy skull... no, I recognized this skull all too well.
I snatched off the skull mask, and what was beneath was...
"...What are you doing?"
The face looking back at me in terror was a familiar one. Yes, no doubt about it.
"Ykari-san?! T-That was mean!"
"It’s the duty of an academy official to take down suspicious individuals. More importantly, Heidi-san, why are you here?"
It was Heidi-san from the Intelligence Bureau, who had been with us in the port town of Ligheim and during the pirate suppression. And she wasn't alone.
When I told the others, who had rushed over after sensing the anomaly, to take off their skull masks, I saw familiar faces along with some I didn't recognize.
"Ah, I knew that mana felt like yours, Chairman."
"I felt that sudden burst of mana and it nearly gave me a heart attack."
"We were supposed to be being extremely careful, but I guess we can't hide from Ykari-san."
"Actually, it’s more of a shock that we didn't notice the Chairman was nearby..."
"So this is Chairman Ykarinowe? It is an honor to meet you."
They were all members of the Intelligence Bureau. It seemed there were some new recruits, but the strange presence I’d felt earlier must have been that person’s ability. I could tell from the feel of their mana now that they were right in front of me.
"I’m the one who was surprised. To think that suspicious presence was actually you lot."
"Oh, for now, shouldn't we change locations? Someone is coming."
"It’s just Valerya and the others, so it’s fine... No, there are others, too. Follow me."
In hindsight, I’d overdone it.
Since I’d scattered my mana so conspicuously, the Anastasia Union guards had surely noticed. Explaining or making up an excuse would be a pain, so it was best to make ourselves scarce. They’d definitely suspect me, though. I’d just have my sister smooth things over later.
"—This is Valerya. Sister, did something happen?"
She must have imagined an emergency after feeling that sudden surge of power. I felt bad for waking her.
"Everything’s fine. No need to rush, but everyone, meet in my room at the dorm. If everyone else is awake, bring them too."
No one was so incompetent that they’d sleep through a power as strong as the Body-Soul Transfiguration magic, even in the middle of the night. After receiving reports that everyone had been startled awake, I quickly retreated from the main building while listening to the short communications.
In my room, the Kikyo Society members were all gathered, along with my sister. I ignored the presence of the group gathering at the main building.
The guards can enjoy some high-tension work for once. It’ll be good training for them.
"Sister, this is the first time you're meeting them, right? This is the team from our Intelligence Bureau."
"Yes, it is the first time we’ve met. I am Sigurdnot Granzo."
"We know you well. I’m Heidi, but please don't mind us. Our job mostly involves undercover work and information gathering, so we don't usually show our faces. That was the plan this time too, but the Chairman caught us immediately."
I didn't understand why she was giving me such a resentful look, but she probably hadn't intended to appear before my sister. But since there was a scene, it couldn't be helped. It would be bad if our guard target had unnecessary distrust because of a clumsy lie.
"Why are you even here? Did Leila-san call for backup?"
"I’ve been sending reports, but I don't believe I requested backup."
"Ah, about that. The Vice Chairman and Director Josephine told us to come and help. It seems they made that decision based on Leila-san’s reports."
It seemed Siegrune and the others had decided to send reinforcements after considering the situation was more complicated than initially expected.
Since it was difficult to have a detailed letter delivered, Heidi and the others had just shown up.
I could send letters by faking the sender, and the risk of the letter being intercepted was low if I sent it to an unknown front company. But to have them send something to me required a fair amount of preparation.
"I see. It’s a help. But what were you doing in the school in the middle of the night?"
"We entered Bertlea secretly at a time when we wouldn't be seen. We arrived at the academy a little while ago, but since it was so late, we had some time until morning. We thought we might as well do an investigation of the school... and that’s when Ykari-san attacked us. It really was a shock."
We were both shocked. Still, backup was a huge help given the current situation with the Anastasia Union and the unclear movements of foreign forces.
With the arrival of welcome reinforcements and a reunion after a long time, the conversation was lively for a while.
Sending six members of the Intelligence Bureau was quite a generous move. The bureau was usually so busy they shouldn't have had any spare people.
I suppose it was out of consideration for the President, who told us to wait before acting openly, that they sent the Intelligence Bureau instead of a combat unit.
"How’s the situation in Exembra? I assume things have settled down enough for them to send you."
"There’s the usual post-war chaos, but I think it’s within expectations. There were a few requests from Lady Rosmerta that Ykari-san was worried about, but they were just for a small amount of military force. We’ve gained some new members, too, so there haven't been any major problems."
It seemed Retnark’s administration was proceeding smoothly. I didn't think it would go perfectly, but it seemed fine for now.
Regarding the old Retnark territories like Ligheim and Boigle, there was no significant chaos since they were already stable to begin with.
As long as the Brenark Kingdom didn't suddenly impose heavy taxes or force an unfamiliar culture on them, there shouldn't be too many problems.
Well, they wouldn't tell me about any minor issues while I was away anyway.
Besides, I didn't even want to imagine a situation that Siegrune and the others couldn't handle.
"...If there’s no problem, that’s good. The Anastasia Union lot are being quite noisy. Sister, sorry, but could you go and give them some suitable explanation?"
Quite a lot of people were gathering at the main building. At this rate, they’d call for more backup and start a massive investigation.
"I don't mind, but how shall I explain that powerful mana?"
"Good point. I guess we’ll just have to claim we were training, but... I guess I have to go myself."
"Sister, shall I go? I’ll show them a thing or two."
"Ah, yeah, that might be good. It’ll be a threat if there are enemy forces hiding among the guards."
Moreover, it seemed more effective for Valerya to show her strength rather than me, the Chairman. Only Valerya and I could activate the Body-Soul Transfiguration magic here, and this was a good chance to let them know we had such an overwhelming combat force.
Even Roberta-san and the others, who couldn't use it yet, were close to that level, but the Body-Soul Transfiguration magic was on another level entirely.
I’m sure it would provide some peace of mind for my sister’s allies to know she had such an incredible guard force.
I’ll teach them a fraction of the strength of our Kikyo Society, which reigns as one of the three major families in Exembra, where their President is currently located.
"Then let’s go. It would be bad if this became a major incident."
My sister and Valerya left the room, and the rest of us resumed our information exchange. We talked about what had happened so far, what might happen next, the organizations and people involved, and their relationships.
We’d gone from just Leila-san to having six more members of the Intelligence Bureau. With such a massive increase in our forces, I felt much more at ease.
But even if I felt at ease, my work wouldn't get any easier. We’d just be that much busier. That’s just how the world works.