Ryousuke lets go of his hands and asks, “Is that so?”
“Please come inside. I will guide you to the Student Council Room,” he says in a sickly sweet voice.
Hearing his words, Aris shakes her head.
“There’s no need for that.”
“What do you mean…?”
Ryousuke’s cheeks tremble slightly, his usual smile faltering.
Aris speaks calmly, “Today, the negotiation authority regarding the training program has been delegated to my attendant, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, who is here. You should negotiate with him.”
While I negotiate, Aris surveys the campus, using signal manipulation to detect secret laboratories.
That was the plan she and I had established.
After hearing Aris, Ryousuke presses his forehead and leans back, chuckling in a suggestive manner, “Ah, ahahahaha, hehehehehehe.”
Ugh.
So annoying.
Aris stares at Ryousuke with a straight face.
“It’s amusing, President Saionji. You’ve really got a good jab in there. Can I take it that this is your response to the continuous delays in the training negotiations from the Shuo side…?”
Ryousuke’s slits for eyes widen.
As he said, the Meijin Hero Academy’s student council had been continuously making excuses and delaying the negotiation.
It could definitely be seen as rude.
The only reason we managed to meet today was that Aris had forcibly summoned them.
“I’m glad to see you recognize your rudeness.”
Aris speaks coldly, “Very well. I will accept your proposal. Let’s negotiate with Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Before coming to the Meijin Academy, she worried that her plan to use me as a negotiation proxy would fall through, so she set up a Plan B. But from my perspective, that wasn’t necessary.
‘Ryousuke, a person connected to the New World League, would never reject me.’
They’re keeping tabs on me to the extent of putting out an assassination request targeting me through the Kamiya family.
It’s only natural that Ryousuke wouldn’t resist a sweet bait such as a solo negotiation.
Am I supposed to like this or hate it?
Anyway, it all went as expected.
“What plans do you have, President Saionji?”
“I plan to take a look around the Meijin Academy campus as a preliminary visit.”
A textbook answer.
“Understood. Secretary, please guide President Saionji around the campus.”
“Yes, President.”
A guy in a gakuran uniform, who was in the back, follows Aris and disappears.
“Well then, let’s move on to the negotiations in the Student Council President’s office, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung,” Ryousuke says in that sickening voice right after Aris vanishes.
Isn’t this torture?
“Sure,” I reply, suppressing my discomfort as I follow Ryousuke to the Student Council President’s Office.
The main building of Meijin Academy is covered in ivy.
The Student Council Room, filled with antique furniture bearing the marks of time, is where Ryousuke treats me to matcha and yokan.
“First of all, I apologize for the rudeness. Our academy has some internal circumstances. That’s also the reason we canceled the exchange event.”
I chew on the yokan.
The sweetness spreads in my mouth.
Delicious.
“What are these internal circumstances?”
Swallowing a yokan, I ask.
Internal circumstances.
The reason the original was twisted.
“Ah, ahahaha. That’s… a story that’s difficult to share with outsiders. I can’t answer that. I appreciate your understanding.”
Well, I didn’t really expect an answer.
If I probe further, I’d just look suspicious.
Now that things are progressing similarly to the original, it’s not an issue to worry too much about.
After that.
“Will the training schedule proceed as we requested?”
“Yes, that’s correct. We’ve finished sorting out our internal circumstances, and to apologize for the unintentional rudeness, we’ve decided to accommodate all the dates outlined in the proposal for the training from Shuo Hero Academy at Meijin Academy.”
“Understood. I’m relieved that the negotiations wrapped up quickly.”
“That’s something I should say. Would you like some more yokan?”
A formal exchange of questions and answers takes place.
Through Kasumi-senpai, I’ve already gotten a rough idea of Meijin Academy’s plans.
No point in talking further with the overly sweet-eyed male character.
“Please do.”
So here, it’s best to just eat some yokan.
By the way, the yokan looks fascinating.
There’s one shaped like a cloud and another shaped like the Milky Way.
“It seems you’re fond of the famous Shichijokan-sundō yokan from Kyoto. I’ll bring out more.”
Clack.
Another plate of yokan is set in front of me.
Chewing on the yokan, I wonder.
I hope Aris is doing well?
*
Saionji Aris’s cold silver eyes scan the auditorium.
The place is cluttered with basketball hoops, volleyball courts, and such.
A voice from a man in a black gakuran reaches her ears.
“This is the Grand Auditorium of Meijin Hero Academy. It’s a place where students engage in indoor sports or use it for school events.”
“Understood.”
While letting the explanation bounce off her ears, Aris quietly uses her Gift.
An invisible radio wave spreads subtly around her left hand.
A 3D map of Meijin Academy begins to take shape in Aris’s mind.
“I’ll take a look around the auditorium.”
Pretending to explore the auditorium, Aris discreetly scans the surroundings.
Then.
‘Something seems off.’
A large underground space catches in her radio wave detection net.
The moment she amplifies her magical power to enhance the detection net.
An extremely suspicious large underground facility shows up on the 3D map in her mind.
An underground secret research laboratory.
The reality of the facility that Kim Deok-Sung mentioned vividly unfolds before Aris.
‘I was skeptical about the existence of the laboratory…’
In fact, the reason she suggested the preliminary survey was to verify his words.
It wasn’t because she didn’t trust Kim Deok-Sung.
Although it was from the National Intelligence Service, information regarding the League often mixed truth and falsehood, making it hard to distinguish the reality.
She needed to find out firsthand.
All of his words hit the mark.
Terrifyingly accurate.
‘As expected of Kim Deok-Sung… That guy knows my tastes suspiciously well…’
The way he stands confidently before her, even intimidating active heroes, and monopolizing the President’s praise while also thinking of today’s accurate intel speaks volumes.
Kim Deok-Sung is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Aris’s gaze grows heavy.
How should she handle this?
Maruyama Ryosuke glances at the silent Kim Deok-Sung, eating his yokan.
At that moment.
The student council door swings open.
Silver-haired beautiful girl, Saionji Aris, enters.
She looks at Kim Deok-Sung and says.
“The preliminary survey is finished. Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, how did the negotiations go?”
“I concluded it well. Thanks to the Meijin Student Council President accommodating all our requests.”
“I see. Thank you for that.”
“No, it was only proper since we committed a breach of manners.”
With Aris’s greeting, Ryosuke gives a friendly smile.
It looks like the negotiation mimicry reconnaissance is over.
Squelch, squelch.
Aris walks towards Ryou-suke.
She extends her right hand to request a handshake.
“Well then, since negotiations and the preliminary visit are done, I’ll take my leave. I look forward to seeing you again on the training day.”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung and President Aris, it was a beneficial meeting for all.”
After exchanging farewells, Aris and Kim Deok-Sung exit.
As the members of the Meijin Student Council come to see them off, Ryou-suke finds himself alone in the spacious Student Council Room.
Sitting on the reception sofa, Ryou-suke munches on the leftover yokan.
The sweet taste of yokan lingers on his tongue.
“Kim Deok-Sung….”
The conversation he just had flashes through his mind.
His question about the internal affairs.
“But his face gave no hint of curiosity whatsoever.”
And the sight of someone not cowed by his powerful position as the president of the Meijin Student Council, casually asking for more yokan.
Unbelievably bold for an ordinary first-year student.
“Going by the orders from above, he’s definitely not the criminal.”
Ryou-suke strokes his chin.
Now he understands why the League issued a directive to specifically eliminate the entire Shuo student body, especially Kurosawa Yuji and Kim Deok-Sung.
Suddenly, Ryou-suke’s eyes widen.
“Ghehehehe.”
A laugh escapes him.
“But this is my city, Kyoto. Aris, Kim Deok-Sung, Yuji. You won’t be getting away easily.”
If he scores this time, a high-ranking position in the League would be his for the taking.
Perhaps he might even receive the more potent “drug” currently in development.
‘Administering the new drug would surely elevate me beyond S-rank to EX-rank status.’
The creation of a more powerful new drug utilizing the experimental subject Satou Rena’s body.
That was the true reason for canceling the exchange event.
‘How dare they recklessly interfere with Doctor Moromoro’s drug development!’
Unforgivable.
Ryou-suke’s eyes narrow with bloodshot intent.
His hand trembles violently.
More powerful drugs. More powerful strength.
‘As long as I have Doctor Moromoro on my side, I will never lose. Ghehehehe.’
Ryou-suke’s sinister laughter fills the Student Council Room.
*
After the reconnaissance disguised as negotiations, I sat down with Aris in the suite room, which doubles as her temporary office and accommodation, to discuss our plans.
It was already evening, with the sunset casting a warm glow.
Tap tap.
Aris taps on the laptop keyboard on the table.
Her silver eyes reflect the screen of the laptop.
“I’ve finished the map drawing task. I’ll print it now.”
Snap.
As Aris hits enter, the wifi printer on the table begins to print.
Several sheets of A4 paper with the completed Meijin Academy map are laid out on the table by Aris.
Rustle.
“This is the floor plan of the Meijin Hero Academy, as I’ve identified through my Gift.”
The complete map of Meijin Academy appears.
Snap.
Aris points to one corner of the map with her finger.
“And this is the area presumed to be the underground laboratory that Mr. Kim Deok-Sung mentioned.”
The grand structure of the large experimental facility, covering the entire Meijin Academy, is revealed.
Information that didn’t exist in the original novel, the anime, or any setting guide.
Well, it’s no surprise there’s none.
There’s no way a map of the underground laboratory, which only appears once in Volume 4, would be detailedly recorded.
“I miraculously managed to understand the entire structure of the underground laboratory after wandering around the campus under the pretext of a preliminary visit.”
That’s why I mobilized Aris.
And she surpassingly completed the mission beyond my expectations.
I never thought she would actually memorize the entire map to draw it.
Truly worthy of being described as a ‘perfect superhuman’ in the original light novel, like Student Council President Saionji Aris.
“Good job, President-senpai.”
I express my gratitude to Aris.
Without her, I would never have acquired this information.
If I had carelessly charged into the underground laboratory, I would have wasted so much time just trying to find my way.
I must have wasted a lot of time just figuring out where to go.
Reality differs from fiction.
“Rather than me, it should be Mr. Kim Deok-Sung. You’ve done a great job. If it weren’t for Mr. Kim’s information, I wouldn’t have known that such… absurd facilities existed underground at Meijin Hero Academy.”
Aris speaks to me in a surprisingly slightly shocked voice.
Tap.
She points to a corner of the map with her finger.
“The place believed to be where Satou Rena is located is here. Unlike other areas, it’s the only spot where human-like magical energy waves were detected.”
The place Aris pointed to was the deepest part of the laboratory.
It’s the depths of the lab where Rena is described as being in the original novel.
‘Unlike senior Kasumi, who has the genes of a dragon implanted, Rena bears the genes of various plant-type otherworldly beings, such as Alraune, Rafflesia, and Mandragora, making her a chimera.’
The New World League carried out cruel and horrific human experiments on Rena, and now she has transformed into a giant plant form that is no longer human.
Doctor Moromoro, who discovered that the essence of Rena in her plant form could be used as a component for amplification potion, has been exploiting her for it to continuously produce the potion.
In fact, there was a setting in the lore about a plan to develop a more powerful “new drug”.
However, this was never revealed in the original work, making it a discarded setting.
‘Originally just a C-rank, Maruyama Ryouosuke gained powers equivalent to S-rank through the amplification potion.’
Like such medicines often do, the side effects are severe, but the setting had Ryouosuke blissfully disregarding the effects due to the ease with which the drug granted him power.
Anyway, it’s a painfully clichéd setting.
“With a large-scale facility like this… there’s a high probability that the enemy’s core power is also underground. Perhaps the reason they unilaterally called off the inter-school match is because of this facility.”
“Indeed. The surface attack was essentially a decoy. To truly overcome this situation and rescue senior Kasumi, we need to strike the enemy’s main base, the underground laboratory.”
Kasumi is essential for capturing Rena.
In the original work, it was senior Kasumi who calmed the rampaging Rena in her plant-type otherworldly form through mental resonance.
“If that’s the case… we should respond by splitting into two teams, one for the surface and one for underground when the enemy attacks.”
“We’ll leave the vice president, secretary, Kurosawa, Ishihara, and all the cadets on the surface, while I, along with the president, Ritsuko, Olivia, senior Kasumi, Rin, Nishizawa, and Makoto, will head underground.”
As much as I want to enjoy the spoils on the surface, I don’t know what might happen underground.
I need to go underground to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
Nothing should go wrong on the surface, but you never know.
If I leave the protagonist behind, I trust he’ll handle things well.
‘Damn it.’
Why do I have to suffer like this?
The protagonist should’ve definitely seen Olivia naked that one time.
No, it’s all that damn author’s fault.
After hearing my words, Aris briefly gets lost in thought before finally speaking.
“…Alright. Let’s proceed that way.”
The moment Aris comes to a conclusion.
Grrrrrrrrr.
A thunderous growl comes from her stomach.
“Th-this…”
Aris’s face slightly flushes.
Her silver eyes waver.
“I-I apologize for my inadequacy… I’m sorry, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Aris manages to utter something in standard language rather than her Kansai dialect while fidgeting her lips.
Just like in the original.
“No need to apologize. I happen to be a bit hungry too. Let’s order room service.”
I pick up the room service menu from a corner of the table.
“I’ll have the caviar dish here…”
“You don’t really like caviar. Let’s order the pork cutlet rice bowl instead.”
