366 – Investigation
Masks are convenient.
You can hide your expression.
You won’t give away your thoughts with small muscle movements or lose your timing to attack.
They’re advantageous for both offense and defense.
To Jiang, a mask was exactly that.
‘It’s been a while. Putting on a mask in front of Oknodie’s surroundings again.’
Ever since she received Jezel’s call, she had a strange feeling.
Like the calm before a storm or a picture frame falling on an unlucky day, the branch she usually rode to school snapped with a crack.
‘I didn’t expect the opponent to be Jezel.’
Jezel was a good person.
She saved the students from Velocasio’s vile contracts and bought many items at much better prices.
She didn’t monopolize the materials to show off the spicy taste of a monopoly and instead informed the first years about changes in the class schedule that Imperial professors and instructors neglected, helping them have a smoother academy life.
It’s no exaggeration to say her support was top-notch!
If Ishtar is the strongest in the year, Masugaki is the highest authority, and if Oknodie is the top student, then Jezel is even named by the imperial students themselves as the next student council president.
– How did you become close with the Three Great Meritorious Families?
– Doesn’t everyone miss the food from their hometown during tough times? I gathered the necessary ingredients and cooking tools for them.
– Hmm~ Really? That’s smart.
Easily lowering her guard and making good impressions even on the enemy.
Even if Jiang realized there was a plan hidden there, narrowing the dialogue window between the border and the Empire all for her own benefit, they wouldn’t criticize it.
Regardless of intentions, many students, including her, were living comfortably thanks to Jezel’s help.
“Request for investigation. The subject is Jonnas Wahyhiemhai. You know how unprofitable this is, right?”
When people can benefit from each other, they can treat one another comfortably.
But can that relationship hold when one side demands unilateral sacrifice?
Jiang already knew the answer to that.
“It’s a difficult request, but you’re the only one I can rely on, Jiang.”
“That’s your problem.”
“This involves Oknodie’s Butler. Isn’t that enough?”
“It’s insufficient. I don’t care what that person does or how they’ve lived.”
“This is not about the past. It’s related to a recent missing person’s investigation.”
“Then it’s even more dangerous. It’s about digging into the work of that terrifying competent person.”
Jiang pondered for a moment.
Gift Academy.
The reason she came to this grand educational facility wasn’t solely to achieve higher growth as an assassin.
It wasn’t even to make friends like Oknodie or Titosso.
“Did you get a numbering ticket for the entrance exam?”
“Numbering…? I regret to say I failed to procure the upper class priority ticket.”
Jezel felt something was off.
The numbering ticket is a kind of guarantee.
It’s a backup challenge ticket that allows the upper class candidates to retake the lower class exam even if they fail the entrance exam.
If you have a numbering ticket, you can impress from the start.
It proves you showed potential from the early stages.
Yet, more than half a year has passed since the entrance.
Asking about a ticket that is long expired now seems a bit absurd.
“Seems like you don’t have it. Then the conversation ends here.”
“I can locate the holder of the numbering ticket. As you know, our Dark Trading Company prides itself on its information network among the first years.”
“More than Oknodie’s personal network?”
“…She’s out of the ordinary.”
“Hehehe. I know. I wanted to tease you a bit. Compared to your tricks, this is nothing, right?”
The laughter is chilly.
Feeling the distance from Jiang rapidly increase in real-time, Jezel remembered a cold lake in her mind.
She submerged her distorted expression into that icy lake. Imagining the scene of it sinking to the bottom, cold and never to surface again.
That was Jezel’s unique mask, entirely different from Jiang.
“In a scenario where trust is in question, I’ll share some information that might garner some faith. Our Dark Trading Company is attempting to connect with one of the current student council members. In exchange for information on the governance structure, revenue model, and key rights of the student council, we are providing points and labor.”
“So?”
“It means that unlike the established understanding, the numbering ticket may hold some secrets that you can find out at any time.”
If you want the trade you desire, now is your only chance to negotiate.
Jiang smiled a crooked smile under her mask, a sly grin.
“Fine. I’ll propose terms. Find the holder of the numbering ticket and transfer it to me. If you agree, I’ll start the missing person investigation. Of course, the decision must be made right here, right now. There won’t be a second chance.”
The transfer of the numbering ticket, which holds unknown values that can be ridiculous.
“Sure, I’ll give it.”
“!”
Jiang honestly thought this was unexpected.
“Aren’t merchants supposed to seek profit?”
“If I only thought about profit, I wouldn’t have come to this academy.”
Their enrollment was solely for the safety of one child.
The current decision wasn’t different.
The coldness in Jiang’s expression under the mask eased slightly.
“Better not change that feeling. If you don’t want to meet a dangerous woman like me alone at night.”
*
It’s an obvious fact that an assassin with bias is bound to die in a world like this, but Jiang was aware of her own abilities objectively.
In assassination, she could kill even those with Silver Badge-level skills, while she could deceive those of Gold Badge-level skill with her hiding skills.
Silver Badge: Top 1%. Regional evacuation orders issued.
Gold Badge: Top 0.1%. National disaster.
Even by monster danger grade classification, very few could prevent her hiding and assassination.
However, as a disciple of one of the continent’s Ten Great Thieves known as Life Thief, her targets had to be extremely rare masters.
Professor-level individuals fall under the minimum Gold Badge category.
A retired previous hero like the Destroyer is recognized as a Platinum Badge-level.
Is Jonnas Wahyhiemhai at that level?
The scene Jiang witnessed during summer vacation on the cruise ship was undeniably extraordinary.
That many students swept away helplessly, facing off against the Demonic Contractor Roe alone in an equal contest.
The sheer volume of mana summoned.
The robust physical and mental stamina to endure it.
The right environmental conditions might allow him to compare to even a Platinum Badge.
Yet, objectively speaking, Jonnas Wahyhiemhai could not reach the Platinum Badge level.
His strength originates from an environment where he can easily perform [Metal Manipulation].
“How much metal will he really carry in the academy?”
During lecture times, instructors bring a lot of metal for practical use, but they certainly wouldn’t be lugging metal boxes full of iron bars around daily.
As she subtly sneaked her feet into the gap, her confidence grew.
“I really don’t know.”
Jiang had previously surveilled Jonnas before.
Initially, when the Destroyer set up a barrier to obstruct Jonnas visiting Oknodie, she watched as the massive gravity created a harsh barrier pressing down on the exit, then dug in reverse from there.
Jonnas’s metal manipulation technique was sturdy enough to resist the oppressive gravity from the line of sight.
He firmly established his own realm, ensuring his entity remained undisturbed and solid, whatever territory it may be.
One with mana and a domain like tempered metal.
He ultimately succeeded in breaking through the Destroyer’s domain to meet Oknodie.
‘The second time was on the cruise ship and the uninhabited island.’
Through stealth, she continued to observe Oknodie’s Butler, Jonnas Wahyhiemhai.
And realized several truths.
Jonnas Wahyhiemhai has gained enlightenment while surpassing the Destroyer’s zone.
His domains were no longer singular as before.
Countless realms were compressed within him like springs being tightly held.
Even when subjected to heavy pressure, he could withstand it.
With further patience, he could release a powerful explosion afterward.
‘If that man treads into suspicious areas, he will surely use that realm for stealth as well.’
Before acquiring the backpack, Oknodie used to hide food in tree trunks or ambush wild students on the sandy beach to gather trophies, often glancing around.
The only difference was the scale of the Butler’s observance.
The realm that unfolds like sound waves dispersing from striking metal.
The layers of discharging domains forcibly push out the surrounding space, driving back any magical influence and revealing their form to the owner.
The only way to not be detected within that realm was to thoroughly conceal your mana response and disguise yourself as an inanimate object, showing merely the minimal vibrations likely for a lifeless entity to trick the senses.
Jiang mimicked the vibration frequency of a pile of assignments that could likely be found anywhere in the academy.
Jonnas, completely fooled by her perfect disguise, pushed his hand into the wall.
Crack.
The metal wall opened wide.
Jonnas disappeared into the hidden staircase.
Jiang was sure.
There must be some secret he wanted to hide so cleverly.
Just as she contemplated whether to enter through the closing wall, someone bumped into her shoulder as she approached the door.
“Ouch.”
“!?”
“Whoa! Why are you pulling out a dagger so dangerously?”
Jiang had already positioned herself to pierce a dagger to the throat and could break someone’s windpipe with a single strike when she locked eyes with the person approaching, who was sneakily coming toward the wall, wearing an upturned wooden box on their head, a blonde girl with a ribbon headband—Oknodie.
“What are you doing here?”
“Exploring new events!”
…Wearing a box?
“What’s this week’s assignment?”
“I finished it!”
On closer examination, the box was filled with assignments.
Where did this random assignment box, stuffed with assignments you could find anywhere, come from? It turned out it was the box Oknodie was wearing.
“You’re really something else every time I see you.”
“What about you, Jiang?”
“Investigating your butler.”
Seeing the face of someone who was still clueless or innocently spouting clumsy nonsense confirmed that this was definitely Oknodie.
So… how would Oknodie react?
Would she get angry that Jiang was spying on her Butler? Would she draw the line saying they were no longer friends? That would honestly be a bit heartbreaking.
‘If she says something like that, I’d definitely stab Jezel to vent my anger.’
With her fingers fiddling with the knife in her pocket, Oknodie brightly suggested,
“Want to go in together?”
“Sure.”
Jonnas’s tailing just became a two-person party.
