“My answer is obviously yes. Yes, I think I can trust you, Rion.”

“Well, isn’t Mika the type to trust anyone at first?”

“The criterion for trust here is whether you can believe and entrust important information. In that sense, I definitely trust both Himari and Rion. How’s that for an answer?”

Rion looked straight into my eyes with her distinctive white pupils and silvery irises, trying to convey sincerity. However, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Wasn’t it unnecessary to bring Himari into this?”

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

“It’s not ‘I don’t know,’ Mika. It’s rude! It’s a big deal if dirt gets on my flawless skin.”

It’s not like Rion would feel uncomfortable being grouped with Himari. I mean, it was obvious even during our conversation that Rion was constantly concerned about her.

“Anyway, yes, I trust both of you.”

“Are you talking about their abilities?”

“To some extent, yes, but I also think the same about the person themselves. Although, I’m sorry to say, looking at Himari…”

“What? Me? Not at all! If you keep coming at me like this, I’ll have to reconsider the existence of our ‘Cute Girl Alliance.’”

I never said I would join that Cute Girl Alliance or whatever!

“Unfortunately, she’s really kind. She’s the type who wouldn’t turn away someone in need.”

“That phrasing is already wrong, you know. And saying someone is kind usually means they have tons of flaws aside from that, right, Mika? It’s not something you should use to describe a perfect genius like me.”

“I won’t say I know Rion that well… I mean, did we really have that much conversation? But…”

“Would you not ignore me, please?”

As I thought back on my experiences with Rion, I remembered much more than just the textual representations on a screen. I pictured the times I actually faced her and talked.

“From what I’ve seen of Rion so far, it seems like she’s being crushed under an enormous weight.”

“What?”

“Because she’s so capable, she doesn’t feel the need to rely on anyone, trying to carry everything herself. She’s not honest with her feelings…”

This was about the future that hasn’t happened yet and shouldn’t happen. I thought of Asuma Toki, the fifth member of C&C, still carrying out her orders quietly under Rion’s shadow.

I doubted Rion would intentionally keep Toki isolated from society. No matter what, she isn’t that messed up.

Maybe it was because she doesn’t lean on others that she figures Toki doesn’t either. Or perhaps, Rion’s awkwardness in human relationships is causing the trouble…

Honestly, I couldn’t say for sure since I hadn’t witnessed or heard any of this directly. Maybe I was just trying hard to see only Rion’s good side.

“If you ask me whether I believe in you as a person, then I’ll say yes.”

To be precise, I believe that by trusting Rion, I can help her move toward a better path. But I wouldn’t say that out loud.

“…”

“Wow, Mika, it’s amazing. There are people you can trust, and saying you trust Rion seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it? Now you’re even trying to draw Rion into your web… This is, uh, hmm… It feels too transparent in nature. And you’re ignoring parts of what I said on purpose, right? That’s a problem. Please don’t do that.”

“I’m entangling her in my web…?”

With a blink, Rion asked, while Himari huffed and spat out.

“Hmph! Well, it’s obvious. A rogue wouldn’t be a rogue for nothing, right? You seem to want to get the most beautiful girl in Millennium. I warned you already, Mika. If you get deceived by her appearance and get stained by her dark essence, you might not be able to turn back.”

“Himari, jealousy looks kind of ugly on you today. Did that prank stick with you for so long? Now that I think about it, you’ve been leaving out the ‘cute girl’ part in your genius hacker repertoire lately. Yup, totally sulking now.”

“I’m not sulking! Not at all! There’s no way I would be hanging onto Mika’s evaluations like that! That’s just a misunderstanding. My youthful beauty doesn’t need to be recognized by Mika, it’s just common knowledge, something that can be recognized at first glance!”

“But when you acknowledge someone else as beautiful, and they’re praised over you, isn’t your pride hurt?”

“No way…!”

“Haha! You’re quite adorable, Himari, outside of official business. You had a bit of stance when we collaborated before, but now…”

“Now…?”

“You’re like a punchbag that’s fun to tease?”

“Y-you’re being mean! You don’t really think that, do you? Right? Of course, you wouldn’t think that… right?”

Beyond that, she was oozing a vibe of narcissism that I could hardly handle, but when she was teased lightly, that trait shifted into something surprisingly fun.

“You seem like the type that would be fun to date. Yup, whoever it is, they hit the jackpot. Fortunate soul, fortunate soul.”

It might take someone of a teacher’s caliber to handle it. Well, I’m rooting for them.

“Ugh… Maybe it’s because I’m dating two people at the same time, but this evaluation feels quite credible…?”

“Ah, that’s four people now.”

“…It’s gotten worse? Two more?! This is beyond creepy. It’s hopelessly depraved.”

“…”

“Hey, why’s your face reddening… Wait, was that not a joke? I really didn’t want to know this. What about the poor souls caught in your web…?”

“Huh? One of them is someone you know. It’s Noa.”

“Noa? You mean one of those who were desperate to be a lover back then… How could someone with a bright future end up in such a pit of despair like this, what a world…”

At that moment, Rion, who had been absent with a dazed expression for a while, chimed in.

“Just how long are you planning to keep talking nonsense? And Mika… I’m hearing about Noa for the first time too.”

“Well, it’s my private life…?”

“…Hmm. I don’t really care about that. If you trust me, then it will ease some of the discussions afterwards. Himari, you can go now.”

“Huh? Rion, then why did you call me here in the first place?”

“I was thinking of making a proposal again, but considering what I said earlier, you probably wouldn’t accept it anyway. So, I’m just saving us both the time by telling you to leave.”

“Mika…”

“Oh, and Mika. You must not disclose anything we talk about here or related materials to anyone.”

“How shameless can you be…!”

An explicit non-disclosure clause. Is she planning to talk about Eridu or something? Anyway, I need to have a conversation, no matter what it leads to. Whether Millennium’s matter ends well or not is secondary; I’ve heard things from Kuzunoha…

Moreover, the threats related to the Nameless Priests are still very real. In this case, cooperating with the Black Suit or Rion is the best option. To be honest, I find it hard to look at the Black Suit as a trustworthy ally, so there’s no choice but to rely on Rion.

Beyond that, I also have the desire to help Rion reach a better conclusion.

“Phew… then I’ll accept your proposal from back then.”

“Weren’t you just saying you couldn’t trust me?”

“More than that, I have this strong feeling that I’ll regret it more if I don’t hear it. It doesn’t mean I’m trusting you, Rion.”

Although Himari said that, it looks more like Rion is giving a smile for some reason. A blank check shouldn’t be indiscriminately given out. Everything has its own risks.

“…It’s fine if you stay. Just make sure to carry out the tasks I assign you properly. First, here’s the original document image Mika has sent.”

As Rion took out a tablet, she tapped the screen a couple of times, and several translucent displays floated above the table. On them, the image of the obelisk I had taken and sent was revealed.

“I call this the prediction left by the prophet of Abydos. As you guessed, Mika, this is indeed a material that’s almost prophetic. Not a mere prediction.”

“…Prophetic? That sounds completely occult. It’s one thing if someone else said it, but coming from you, Rion, it feels beyond strange.”

“I understand your reaction. The concept of prophecy is, in reality, something that’s impossible to explain with reason and logic, far too distant from Millennium. Initially, I thought this document had some relation to the information I collected, and I considered it a prediction. However, I recognized it as a prophecy simply because some things exist that cannot be predicted by collecting information.”

As she said this, Rion tapped the tablet again, and one of the patterns in the document image enlarged significantly.

The pattern resembled a city drowning underwater amidst endless rain and surging waves.

“I believe this symbolizes a certain area among the ruins near Millennium. At that moment, I was certain this was not just a random arrangement of engraved symbols. This is connected to the data I had been collecting for a long time.”

“…An area of ruins? As expected, you were secretly checking the ruins even while controlling access to them for the students.”

“I’ve only skimmed over them a bit through drones, mind you. Anyway, the data Mika provided to Himari and me is undoubtedly prophetic. It contains the dangers waiting for Kivotos… and the doom it carries.”

As Rion acknowledged this fact, Himari sighed heavily.

“This is why, this is why you made such a proposal…!”

She must have realized she was now involved in this matter.