Episode 42: The Academy and Vanity
When Miroku awoke, she found herself in a hospital room.
Considering she had braced herself for death, this turn of events felt oddly anticlimactic.
Moreover, when she regained consciousness, there was no particular commotion or fuss made over her recovery.
It wasn’t some grand ordeal of wandering between life and death; rather, it was handled with calm efficiency and composure.
A doctor came by once to inquire about any physical discomfort, but after that, nothing happened.
Upon learning that the child who had been with her and Na Takikai were both safe, Miroku now found herself at loose ends.
After spending about three days in such a state, they arrived.
“Ah, it’s you. You wanted to speak with me?”
The two visitors were a boy and a girl.
Their uniforms were instantly recognizable to anyone in the Academy City — they belonged to one of the Four Great Schools, Mikage Academy.
“Thank you so much for hearing our urgent request. I’m Tourak from Gata Tower. This is Agiri Rinka.”
“Nice to meet you. How are you feeling?”
“Yes, I feel quite well. When I collapsed, there was a hole in my stomach, you know? But look now, it’s healed beautifully.”
With that, Miroku lifted her hospital gown to show her abdomen.
“Yikes!?”
Letting out an involuntary shriek, Tourak quickly turned his head away.
But his trained dynamic vision had already captured every detail of her stark white stomach.
Miroku tilted her head in confusion while Tourak’s face turned bright red.
Seeing this exchange, Rinka understood something about the person before her.
“…Ah, if there’s no scar, that’s good. So, please cover up again. We wouldn’t want you catching a cold.”
“That’s right. Hmm, Mikage Academy’s medical facilities truly are impressive. They even managed to save someone as close to death as me.”
Hearing this, Rinka grasped one thing.
(Surely Solciera must have healed her.)
By the time Rinka and the others arrived, Miroku was already completely healed without a single scar.
However, judging by Miroku’s words, it seemed she had sustained injuries grave enough to warrant death.
Among those capable of healing such severe wounds and being close to Miroku, only Solciera came to mind.
Or perhaps, for Miroku, Na Takikai?
(Given this vibe, it seems like she doesn’t realize that Na Takikai is actually Solciera.)
Living in Factom General Academy under the name Na Takikai aligns with what Tourak had previously told her.
“Well then, please take a seat over there. I’ve been dreadfully bored.”
While still averting his gaze, Tourak was gently nudged toward a chair by Rinka, who then sat down herself.
Once Tourak was seated, Rinka began speaking.
“As we mentioned earlier, we’d like to ask you about Na Takikai.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Miroku replied with a smile.
The purpose of Rinka and the others’ visit was to uncover why Na Takikai had come to Factom General Academy.
There were too many unknowns surrounding her, so they decided to consult someone who attended the same school.
“Oh, but before we begin… why are you interested in Kei?”
(Seems like she’s slightly on guard. Well, that’s understandable.)
Though her gentle smile remained, Miroku’s question appeared innocent enough.
However, Rinka didn’t miss the hint of caution lurking beneath.
(But we’re prepared for that.)
Rinka deliberately darkened her expression and hesitated before pulling out a piece of paper and presenting it.
“This is the reason.”
“…What is this?”
As Miroku read the contents written on the paper, her expression grew increasingly stern.
By the time she finished reading, her smile had vanished, and she spoke.
“So, you’re saying Kei is suspected of causing the disturbance at the amusement park?”
“It’s merely a possibility.”
This was part of the report regarding the recent incident.
Though identical to the real document, it was a perfect forgery created entirely through illegal means by Rinka.
Of course, Na Takikai couldn’t possibly be implicated, but the Miroku confined to the hospital room would have no way of knowing that.
“There’s no way such a thing could happen! Kei has done so much for us… Even sacrificed their own body to fight on our behalf!”
Seeing Miroku on the verge of leaping forward, Rinka nodded approvingly.
“I also think this is strange. That’s why we want to learn more about Na Takikai’s daily life to prove their innocence.”
Saying this, Rinka gestured toward Tourak beside her and continued.
“Tourak here also got along well with Na Takikai at Mikage Academy, so I’ve already spoken with them beforehand. While most suspicions have been cleared, we need just one final opinion to fully exonerate him. Hence, we’d like to understand Na Takikai better through your perspective since you were together that day.”
Relieved by Rinka’s words, Miroku let out a breath.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. Therefore, it’s safe to say that almost all doubts about him have been resolved. However, because he can’t be completely cleared, we have no choice but to compile the information as stated in that paper. …Sorry, we would have preferred to handle this ourselves.”
With that, Rinka bowed her head.
Seeing the deep bow, Miroku hurriedly shook her head side to side.
“N-no…! I apologize for losing my composure.”
While casually brushing off Miroku’s apology, Rinka had already formed a rough estimate of Na Takikai’s standing within Factom General Academy.
(Hmm, judging by how flustered she became earlier. It’s less about romantic feelings and more about strong camaraderie. I heard Factom General Academy originally consisted of only three people before Na Takikai joined, so the closed-off community they built must be quite solid.)
Na Takikai attends Factom General Academy as a male student.
From Rinka’s perspective, Miroku was undoubtedly a beautiful girl.
According to Mihaya and Tourak, the other two members were also described as beautiful girls.
Ordinarily, it would be impossible for a male to seamlessly integrate into such a tight-knit community.
(Na Takikai’s unparalleled devotion—almost verging on madness.)
Rinka understood that his behavior differed significantly from how he acted at Mikage Academy.
From Tourak, she had learned that the former Na Takikai wore a mask of arrogance.
(Well, this is where my job begins.)
Rinka flashed an amiable smile and said,
“Then, let’s revisit that day. Could you tell us more about him?”
As Miroku recounted her story, Rinka carefully took notes and cross-referenced her words with the surviving footage from several security cameras. No major discrepancies were found.
(Um, it seems like this invitation to work coincided with Solciera’s planned attack by Silver Twilight. Interesting.)
There didn’t seem to be any further useful information to glean from this.
Having reached this conclusion, Rinka moved the conversation forward.
“I see. Next, I’d like to ask about his life at Factom General Academy. How is he doing there?”
“Kei’s school life, you say? Well… he’s quite a good kid—too good, to the point where it makes me feel somewhat guilty.”
“Really? In our school, there were baseless rumors that he bullied others, but is it true that those were false accusations?”
“Absolutely not. There’s no way such a thing could ever apply to him.”
Witnessing Miroku’s firm denial, Rinka detected a slight sense of unease.
(Huh? What is this…)
Rinka pointed to Tourak and said, “From here, let him ask the questions.”
“Eh? Me?”
“Yeah. After all, you know Na Takikai best at Mikage Academy, right? Come on.”
“Eh, um… Is that guy doing okay?”
Rinka inwardly rolled her eyes thinking, “Sounds like a father,” but allowed Tourak to take over the conversation while focusing on observation and thought.
“Hehe, so you’re Kei’s friend. Yes, Kei is doing well. They always help me out, truly.”
“Is that so… That’s good.”
“You two were close, weren’t you?”
“Um, yes.”
After pondering for a moment, Tourak nodded.
“It was thanks to him that I started venturing into dungeons. To me, he’s a benefactor.”
This was Tourak’s unadorned truth.
Despite various reasons preventing him from entering dungeons, it was the past version of Na Takikai who begrudgingly allowed him entry—even if it was initially intended as harassment.
Furthermore, upon realizing that even that harassment served as a form of camouflage, any ill feelings towards Na Takikai disappeared altogether.
“I never did anything for him. I failed to recognize the real him. So, if the current him is showing even a little bit of his true self, then that’s wonderful.”
“…Yes. We too wish to be like that.”
Listening to their conversation, Rinka identified the source of her unease.
(The trust placed in Na Takikai is far too immense.)
Unwavering trust directed at a male transfer student who had only been there for about a month was unusual, to say the least.
(It’s unlikely that Na Takikai manipulated them so effectively. Which means…)
Perhaps there was some added value associated with Na Takikai.
“Say, by any chance, is Na Takikai going to be the next Student Council President at Factom General Academy?”
Startled, Miroku questioned, “Why do you ask, Rinka?”
“Oh, just wondering since he’s quite talented, and it piqued my interest. If that’s the case, helping him here might earn us some good favor, wouldn’t it?”
With a teasing smile, Rinka conveyed this to Tourak.
Hearing this, Miroku chuckled softly and responded.
“Yes, if he takes on the role of Student Council President, I’m sure he’ll make an excellent one.”
“You’re the Student Council President now, right, Miroku?”
“Yes, that’s right. Believe it or not, I’m the Student Council President.”
Puffing out her chest proudly, Miroku declared this.
“Does Factom General Academy appoint its Student Council Presidents through nomination? Like the current president nominating the next one?”
“Hmm, with such a small number of students, it naturally evolved that way.”
“In that case, did Miroku get nominated by the previous president?”
“…Yeah, I guess.”
Still smiling, Rinka clapped her hands lightly and said,
“That’s reassuring for the previous president. If Na Takikai becomes the next Student Council President after Miroku, Factom General Academy might see a resurgence.”
“That’s true… Certainly, even when I’m gone, I believe in Kei.”
As Miroku said this, she slightly lowered her gaze and gripped the bedsheet with slightly tensed hands.
Rinka didn’t miss this subtle reaction.
(Aha, here it is.)
Having undergone extensive training in human emotions through Silver Twilight, Rinka easily understood Miroku’s situation.
(Between Na Takikai and this person lies another individual, likely the former Student Council President. Na Takikai and this person had indirect connections even before meeting.)
This explained how Na Takikai quickly adapted to Factom General Academy.
He had been connected to the academy from the start.
Through investigating Na Takikai, another figure emerged.
(The former Student Council President of Factom General Academy. Perhaps that’s the next lead to pursue.)
The reason why she specifically transferred to Factom General Academy remains unclear.
However, a clue has surfaced.
While organizing her thoughts, Rinka observed Miroku.
(Still, this Miroku person. Her smiles and gestures feel somewhat artificial… Not conscious imitation, but rather something ingrained over years of being together… Or perhaps unconsciously mimicking out of admiration? Ah, doesn’t matter right now.)
Most of the information obtainable here has been gathered.
Had she continued conversing with Miroku, Rinka was confident she could extract everything.
But she didn’t proceed further.
(I only want to help Kei. Yet, it wouldn’t be right to cause any more trouble for someone precious to her.)
The objective had been achieved.
Closing her notebook conspicuously, Rinka bowed her head.
“Thank you very much. I believe he should be fine now.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yes. All that’s left is to hear his account of that day, and we’ll be done. Oh, it’s reassuring to know he’s such a good person.”
“Hehe, he’s one of our prides.”
Smiling, Miroku concluded.
“Alright, let’s go, Tourak.”
“Ah, yeah… Thank you very much.”
“Not at all, don’t mention it.”
With a final wave, Miroku watched them leave.
Rinka bowed deeply once more.
(That person… probably intends to die.)
In an unrelated part of their conversation regarding Na Takikai, Rinka finally deciphered the lingering sense of unease.
However, she knew she wouldn’t be able to resolve it.
(Kei, could it be that you also intend to save that person?)
Even as the door closed behind them, Miroku’s smile remained unchanged.
ni hyōi tensei shita ore wa TS o akiramenai, かませ役
