CHAPTER 1

BEGINNINGS

In a room illuminated by late-autumn moonlight, Claudia slumped deep into the sofa.

Water dripped from her long, luscious blond hair, and her body, wrapped only in a simple bathrobe, was slightly flushed. An air-window floated beside her, transmitting a seemingly perplexed voice.

“I’m terribly sorry, but I’m afraid that I can’t agree to that.” Claudia spoke calmly, but the person on the other side of the air-window repeated themselves in an irritated tone.

“Yes, of course, I understand the situation. Thank you for your advice.” A faint smile rose to her lips, and she casually closed the air-window.

Claudia let out a slow sigh. A long, deep sigh, as if trying to exhale all the sediment that had settled within her.

Of course, there was no way a simple sigh would be able to rid her of what filled her.

There was only one way to deal with that.

“I’ve come this far. As for what’s next…”

Claudia stood up and headed to the window. She wrapped her arms around her body, bathing in the moonlight that poured down over the thin lace of her nightgown.

“Well, well, there’s no turning back now,” she murmured, chuckling self-deprecatingly.

The wish she had held on to since that day—the sole hope she’d clung to in her recurring nightmares…

No one understood it, she thought. Even if it was discovered, and people laughed at her for being foolish or brushed it aside as worthless, undoubtedly not a single person would take her dream seriously.

After all, even Claudia herself had a hard time doing so.

And yet, it was precisely because she had held on to that foolish, worthless wish for so long that she was able to live as she did now.

Whether it was her position as student council president at Seidoukan Academy, or the fame from being ranked number two, or her goal of taking the Gryps championship, or even going to Asterisk in the first place, she had done all that groundwork to turn her wish into a reality.

It would not be an easy task. In terms of probability, she might only have one chance in a million.

But she was fine with that. After all, it wasn’t zero.

“Come, let’s go for a dance, Ayato. It’s time for me to take the stage now.”

As if relishing the words, Claudia gently closed her eyes.

“By the way, does anyone have any plans for winter vacation?” Julis asked, just as everyone was finishing lunch in the cafeteria.

Since the same faces had been taking the same seats almost every day lately, it was almost as if they had designated places—even though they hadn’t organized anything beforehand.

At last, the commotion of getting food had died down, and the cafeteria was enveloped in a relaxed atmosphere. Maybe it was due to the fine weather, but a number of students were asleep at their tables.

“…Winter vacation?”

“It’s still a while off, so I haven’t really decided anything yet…”

Saya and Kirin, sitting side by side in front of Julis, tilted their heads curiously.

It was October. They had finished final exams last month, and the short fall break at the start of the month was over. In other words, second semester had just begun.

Asterisk’s six schools divided the year into first and second semesters, during which students took different units. There was an entrance ceremony in the second semester in addition to the first, so apparently, new students could be seen here and there.

“This time, at least, I want to be able to take it easy for a while…,” Saya bemoaned, laying her head on the table in exhaustion.

Ayato laughed. “You had remedial classes all through fall break, didn’t you?”

“Hmph…” Saya puffed out her cheeks but didn’t seem to be in a mood to argue.

“Well,” Eishirou jumped in, “there aren’t any remedial classes during winter vacation, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Are you saying that to make yourself feel better about your own performance, Yabuki?”

“Um…?!”

At Julis’s dry sniping, Eishirou, who was sitting beside Ayato, averted his eyes.

There was a big difference in Saya’s grades among the subjects that she excelled at and those she didn’t, but in Eishirou’s case, he was always just scraping by. He didn’t seem to be all that keen on studying.

Julis had the highest grades of the students sitting around the table, and while Kirin’s weren’t quite as high, they weren’t far behind. Ayato’s were slightly above average.

Each school’s overall academic performance was one of the few things that influenced their results in the Festa. All exam results from the term were factored in, with particular emphasis given to the grades of Festa participants. In other words, by admitting students who only had high grades, the schools were able to increase their overall results. This was all part of the goal of cultivating students accomplished in both the literary and military arts.

That being said, the total number of points awarded based on academic performance wasn’t large. Each school was ranked from first to sixth place, with points determined accordingly, but even if the regulations did place formal emphasis on academic performance, the number didn’t include those given to participants who advanced to the top four in the combat-oriented Festa.

That, more than anything, was the reason why no one batted an eye at the fact that schools’ rankings in recent years had remained mostly unchanged.

Each school’s position was practically fixed: The first- and second-ranked schools were Saint Gallardworth Academy and Allekant Académie, the third and fourth were Seidoukan Academy and the Jie Long Seventh Institute, and the fifth and sixth were Queenvale Academy for Young Ladies and the Le Wolfe Black Institute. For the past decade, at least, no school had moved up or down in the ranking.

Still, there were small differences in academic performance within each class, and as the number of points obtained at the third and fourth places would sometimes change, no school could afford to let its guard down when it came to education.

“Do you have any plans?” Ayato asked, trying to bring the conversation back to the topic at hand.

Julis made a complicated expression as she looked at her companions.

“Well, the truth is… After what happened with Flora, my brother wanted to invite you all to visit.”

“To visit…? You mean Lieseltania?”

“Well, yes. He wants me to invite you all to come with me when I go home.” Julis nodded, glancing at each of her companions in turn. “It’s…it’s a great honor, but…”

“Your brother? You mean the king of Lieseltania invited us?”

It was little wonder that Kirin spoke so hesitantly. To receive an invitation all of a sudden by His Majesty the King was no ordinary occurrence.

“There’s no need to be so nervous. I told him not to do anything formal. He just wants to express his thanks.”

“…But you don’t look very happy,” Saya noted. “Do you not want us to go?”

“Ah…n-no, it’s not like that…” Julis faltered for a moment before catching her breath and shaking her head slightly. “My brother… Well, it’s just, he isn’t a bad person, but…he’s a little eccentric. I’m just worried that he might be up to no good again…”

Now that she mentioned it, Julis’s brother did indeed seem to be a strange one, what with the incident with Flora’s maid clothes, and the questions that he entrusted to her.

“But it’s not just my brother who wants to thank you for helping Flora. The sisters at the orphanage also want to give you their appreciation in person. So it’s not that I’m reluctant to invite you all, but…” Julis gave everyone a forced smile before shrugging. “Well, you all have your own things going on, so I won’t force you.”

Ayato sank into thought.

He had been thinking about going home, at least for New Year’s, but in all honesty, his relationship with his father wasn’t the best. It wasn’t that they were on bad terms, but ever since his sister had disappeared, they often ended up arguing more than anything. His father was a taciturn man, and Ayato often found himself wondering what he really thought. His sister was the one who had mediated their relationship, so it was, in a sense, unsurprising that things had ended up this way.

Ayato had contacted his father after winning the Phoenix, but even then, he had received a cold and uninterested response. Ayato respected his father and was grateful to him for teaching him everything he knew, but he felt that it’d be best to keep some distance between them, at least for the time being.

“Well, seeing as they’ve gone to the effort to invite us, I accept,” he said, raising his hand.

Julis nodded happily. “I’m sure Flora will be pleased as well.”

At that, Kirin timidly raised her hand as well. “Um… If it’s okay, can I go, too?”

“Of course! But, Kirin… Are you sure? Don’t you want to go and see your father?”

When Kirin was still a child, her father had killed a thief to protect her, and he was now serving time in prison. It normally took all kinds of convoluted procedures to get permission to leave Asterisk, but they were greatly simplified during the holidays. She was probably only able to see the man during such times.

“I—I went to see him during the fall break, but…he got angry at me. He told me not to worry about him, that I should focus on my training.”

Despite what she said, she looked relieved.

“I went home for a little while, too,” she continued, “but there didn’t seem to be any problems. The best students are overseeing the various branch dojos, and Galaxy is supporting us as far as management is concerned. And my great-aunt, the one who recently came back to the main family, has been keeping things in order as well.”

I guess you’re bound to encounter all sorts of difficulties when you operate at the Toudou School’s scale, Ayato thought.

Perhaps Kirin, too, had things she wanted to think over, because she had turned down an official ranking match with the excuse that she needed more training. The grace period given to ranked students had passed, so she was now no longer ranked.

“So basically, I’m fine.”

“Roger that. So what about you, Saya?”

“…I need to go home, at least for a visit.” Saya frowned regretfully. “I don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t go… But I’ll be able to get my repaired Luxes adjusted faster if I go there myself. I do want to visit Lieseltania, though…”

In the Phoenix semifinals, in the fight against Ardy and Rimcy, most of Saya’s Luxes had been damaged so badly they were unusable. She had sent them back to her father as soon as she could, and it sounded like the repairs were finally complete.

“In that case, why don’t you stop by Sasamiya’s house first?”

“Wha—?!”

Ayato cried out as, all of a sudden, a pair of arms wrapped around his body, embracing him from behind.

Of course, there was only one person who would do such a thing:

“Every single time! Don’t startle me like that, Claudia…”

“Forgive me; I couldn’t help myself.”

Sure enough, the person—Claudia—slowly pulled away, covering her mouth to stifle an amused laugh.

He might have let his guard down, but she had managed to take him by surprise yet again.

Claudia may have been a formidable Lux user, but the way she made her presence disappear so completely was beyond normal.

“You’re always popping up out of nowhere, Claudia,” Julis said, looking slightly perplexed. “Anyway, what do you mean? Stop by Sasamiya’s house?”

Claudia raised her index finger with a smile. “There are no airports in Lieseltania, so you’ll be going there via Germany or Austria, won’t you? Sasamiya’s house is in Munich, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to detour.”

“…You know your stuff.”

“Well, she is the student council president, after all,” noted Saya, as equally surprised as Julis.

“Indeed,” Claudia answered. “That being the case, it certainly wouldn’t be impossible. What do you think, Saya?”

“Hmm…” The girl seemed to ponder the question before nodding. “If it’s okay with you all, I don’t have any objections.”

“Then it’s decided!” Claudia laughed with a clap, as if to signal the end of the discussion, and glanced toward Julis. “By the way, does this invitation extend to me, by any chance?”

“How long were you listening…? Oh, fine, it doesn’t matter. Of course. I was going to ask you, too.”

“Oh, what a relief. I would hate to be left out.”

Julis stared back at Claudia in surprise.

“So…you’re planning on coming, too?”

“Of course.”

“It’s just, you’ve visited Lieseltania and the palace countless times already…”

“That’s true, but this time will be different, going with all of you.”

They all knew Claudia had been an acquaintance of Julis’s since before the pair had come to Asterisk, and judging from Claudia’s friendship with Flora, too, she must have gone to Lieseltania more than just once or twice.

“It’s a rare opportunity, and there’s something I want to discuss with everyone—about next year.”

As Claudia spoke, the air grew tense.

Now that the Phoenix was finished and exams were over, the main subject of conversation in Asterisk had already turned to the next Festa. Specifically, the team competition—known as the Gryps—that would be held next fall.

Because the most important thing was composing one’s five-member team, hopeful participants were trying to sound out potential team members both from inside and outside their schools as early as possible.

Since Julis, who had won the Phoenix, had announced she was aiming for a “grand slam,” her participation in the Gryps was all but certain. There was a lot of speculation surrounding what kind of team members she would recruit—her tag partner, Ayato, would of course likely be one—but there was a rumor going around that they both would join student council president Claudia’s team. Moreover, it was well-known that Kirin and Saya were on good terms with her, and they had proven their abilities in the Phoenix, so it was widely expected that Claudia would ask them to join her team, too.

Indeed, she had already asked Ayato—but it seemed she had yet to ask Julis or the others. When she had invited him, she’d indicated that she was also going to ask Julis. Whether or not Julis accepted, there was no doubt Claudia hoped to include her on her team.

“Oh, this is starting to sound interesting,” Eishirou spoke up, latching onto the conversation. “Mind giving us a little more detail?”

As a member of the newspaper club, this was the kind of information he couldn’t afford to overlook.

Claudia laughed softly. “By the way, Yabuki, what are you planning to do?”

“Huh?”

She dodged Eishirou’s question with a smile, responding with a question of her own. “Yabuki is invited, too, isn’t he, Julis?”

“Ah, of course. Lester as well.”

“Heh, that’s quite an honor. I didn’t do all that much, though,” Eishirou demurred innocently. But according to Saya and Kirin, if he hadn’t been there, it was doubtful they would have been able to rescue Flora safely. Which was probably enough for him to be invited, too. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline. Everything’s finally settling down, but the truth is, I’ve still got a lot of stuff to do. It might be winter vacation, but it looks like I’m not going to have much time to myself.”

Eishirou had been entrusted with the post-Phoenix interviews as a thank-you for helping to rescue Flora. Ayato hadn’t received much coverage, but since Julis usually shut the press out completely, Eishirou’s newspaper club was taking full advantage of this opportunity to completely monopolize her. So it was fair to say that Eishirou and the newspaper club would be swamped with work for a while.

After the Phoenix, most of the interviews with Ayato and Julis that had been published all over the world had come through Eishirou. The press clubs in Asterisk had long been performing activities that went above and beyond what would be expected of students, but even so, the newspaper club’s latest scoop was unprecedented.

In fact, there was little doubt that Eishirou and the press enjoyed the benefits of their Phoenix victory the most.

While Julis’s might have been, Ayato’s life hadn’t been seriously affected by it. He had heard that he had received requests from around the world to appear in television programs and advertisements, and that all kinds of mail—everything from fan letters to threatening messages—were flooding in, but he had let the Academy deal with everything, so hardly any of it reached him. It was true that he attracted attention, but he felt that people had made a bigger fuss over him back when he’d been ranked number one. After winning the Phoenix, by contrast, the amount of students who called out to him in the corridors seemed to have fallen.

Ayato’s life hadn’t changed much at all, and he had ordered his usual five-hundred-yen lunch.

“Ah, but you see, the club is finally building a reputation for itself, and we’ve found a new sponsor, so we won’t have to worry about funding for a while. All thanks to our great Phoenix champions.” Eishirou put his hands together toward them, as if in supplication. “But speaking as an outsider, you guys are both very adaptable, and it’s certainly true that you get along well—”

At this, Julis’s eyes snapped wide open. “If you start asking strange questions again, I won’t do any more interviews.”

“R-right. I understand.”

“…Strange questions?” Saya glanced at Eishirou, who had broken out in a cold sweat.

“Ah, well, you see, about that… I was considering looking more deeply into the princess’s relationship with Amagiri, but…” Judging by the way he was glancing around nervously, he probably wasn’t being entirely honest.

“Oh, in that case, ask away.”

“Huh? Oh, no, Sasamiya has already confirmed everything that needs to be said, I think. I don’t have any questions right now.”

“…Hmm…”

Unlike Ayato and Julis, when the press covered Saya and Kirin—and in Saya’s case, it went without saying that such coverage also served to advertise her father’s Luxes—Saya would answer honestly no matter what, so it was widely known that she and Ayato were childhood friends.

“The thing about information is that the fewer people who know it, the more valuable it is. But if you still have some juicy material on Amagiri, well, that would be a different matter…”

“Juicy material…? Oh, well, when we were kids, we took a bath together, and—”

Panicked, Ayato put a hand over her mouth.

“A bath…,” Julis murmured.

“Bathing together…,” Kirin muttered at the same time. Her and Julis’s eyes took on a dangerous sheen.

At that moment, a sudden commotion erupted in the cafeteria.

“Huh…? What’s going on?”

When this many people gathered in one place, some were always bound to be looking around, but an unexpected arrival drew the students’ gazes toward the entrance en masse.

“Wha—?!” Eishirou, who had reacted the fastest, stood up, his eyes wide in surprise.

Ayato looked around to see what was happening, when he noticed two young women heading straight for them.

“Ah, I completely forgot. Ayato, I meant to tell you that you have a visitor.” Claudia laughed.

Ayato knew one of the two women well.

It was Kyouko Yatsuzaki, their homeroom teacher. She normally came across as somewhat bloodthirsty, but for some reason, she looked a little nervous now. The nail bat that she normally carried was nowhere to be seen.

The woman standing next to her looked about the same age, or maybe a little younger. She had a beautiful, dignified countenance, her tight, well-toned body clothed in a city guard uniform.

Ayato thought he recognized her from somewhere, but he couldn’t put a name to her face.

When he heard it uttered amid the clamor of the hall, he too found himself rising from his chair.

“It’s Helga Lindwall, commander of the city guard!”

It was little wonder he couldn’t remember her right away.

There wasn’t a person in Asterisk who didn’t know about Helga Lindwall, but only a few would be able to recognize her, as she rarely appeared in public. In the pictures that Ayato had seen, she was a bewitching young woman with a teenager’s figure, presumably no older than the students themselves—but at times, she also seemed to have the tender figure of a young girl.

Her nickname during her school years was the Witch of Time Manipulation, Chronotemis.

She had the ability to control time around her, and was renowned as the most powerful Strega in the history of Asterisk.

She was said to often change her own age depending on the task at hand, but it had also been more than half a century since she had won the Lindvolus, so she could easily have been three times Kyouko’s age.

“…Ah, Amagiri. The commander of the city guard wants to see you. Can we borrow you for a little while?” Kyouko’s voice betrayed a hint of discomfort.

Helga raised her right hand a little. “Nice to meet you, Amagiri. I’m Helga Lindwall.”

“N-nice to meet you.” Ayato, flustered, took her hand, and was at once overwhelmed by her prana, honed to a level he had never seen before.

“There’s something I want to talk about with you. Yatsuzaki, is there somewhere we can speak in private?”

“Ah, of course. Enfield, lend them a guidance room.”

“Very well. Let’s see…” No sooner had Claudia picked up her mobile to check availability than she continued, “Rooms seven and eight are in use right now, but you can take any of the others.”

“Thanks for your help, Yatsuzaki. I can handle it from here. I have to admit, I was surprised to hear you had become a teacher, but it’s good to see you doing so well.” Helga smiled faintly as she spoke, plunking a hand down on Kyouko’s head.

“Ha-ha, thank you…”

“Shall we go, Amagiri?”

“Huh? Uh, w-wait…!”

Helga was already walking briskly away.

Ayato glanced toward Kyouko balefully, but her eyes only told him to get going.

“Phew…”

As she watched Ayato rush out of the cafeteria after Helga, Kyouko let out a labored sigh and sat down on a nearby chair.

“It looks like the Witch of Nails is no match for the commander of the city guard,” Claudia laughed.

“…Shut up.” Kyouko glared back at her.

“But what kind of business could Helga Lindwall have with Ayato…?” Claudia continued.

“No idea. I just had the bad luck to get caught by her. Go and ask Enfield.”

Julis turned toward Claudia, but she only shook her head.

“She seemed to want to report something to Ayato in person, but I’m afraid I don’t know the specifics.”

“Report…?”

If the commander of the city guard was working on something related to Ayato, the first thing that came to mind was Flora’s kidnapping. They had heard from Madiath Mesa, the chairman of the Festa Executive Committee, that Helga had a strong interest in the incident.

But in that case, she should have wanted to speak to Julis, too.

So if she wasn’t…

“…Ms. Yatsuzaki, how do you know the commander?” Saya asked Kyouko.

“Huh?” Kyouko exclaimed in a grouchy voice. She scratched her head for a moment before answering brusquely, “We go back a while. I owe her for some stuff.”

“Ah, I’ve heard all kinds of stories about little Kyouko’s school days. You were really the wild one, huh? I’d guess some stuff happened between you and the city guard?”

“Who are you calling ‘little Kyouko’? I’ll kill you, Yabuki.”

Kyouko’s dark gaze turned darker still, and breaking out into a sweat, Eishirou waved his hands. “I-it was a joke. I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“…Ms. Yatsuzaki, even you can’t hold your own against Helga Lindwall, can you?”

Back when Kyouko was a student of Le Wolfe, she had led the team that had won the Gryps. Le Wolfe was the weakest school when it came to the team competition, and Kyouko’s remained the school’s only victory.

“Are you crazy? She’d kill me on the spot,” Kyouko answered without hesitation, waving her hand as if to say there would be no contest.

“But, little Kyou—Ms. Yatsuzaki, don’t you specialize in countering? Surely, you could…”

“Ha, you all don’t understand, do you?” Kyouko rested her chin in her hands, looking at Eishirou in wonderment. “Well, she hasn’t really stood out lately, so I guess you wouldn’t. That woman’s strength lies in her overwhelming close-combat ability, honed through years of training. I’m no match for that.”

“…Commander Lindwall is certainly strong, but Ms. Yatsuzaki, there’s a lot we could learn from such a great teacher as yourself,” Claudia said. “And besides, you’re only talking from your own experience, aren’t you?”

Kyouko’s face twisted into a grin. “What, so you want me to train you again?”

“By all means.” Claudia, by contrast, wore a gentle smile.

“Ah-ha, right, there was a rumor that the president’s team had been getting some secret training from you.”

“It’s no secret. I am a teacher, you know, here at Asterisk, so if you want me to give you a good lesson, just let me know. If you think you’re up for it.” Kyouko fixed Eishirou with a menacing grin.

Broadly speaking, there were two types of teachers at Asterisk: those who, like Kyouko, could provide guidance in combat skills in addition to their academic classes, and those who were purely responsible for classes.

Of course, there was no doubt that the former was more valuable, but the fact remained that there weren’t enough in any of the schools.

“Well, I’m afraid that in the last Gryps, my team was defeated right away.”

“Th-that wasn’t your fault! You were up against the Silverwinged Knights, after all!”

As Kirin had said, in the last Gryps, Claudia’s team had been set against Gallardworth’s, and promptly defeated. Julis had watched that game, and to be perfectly honest, there had been a considerable difference in ability. Claudia was the only one who was really able to put up a fight, but the opposing team wasn’t so weak that she could defeat them alone. Even if they had a hundred rematches, Gallardworth would probably win every time.

In fact, Claudia’s team members had all already graduated.

“Well, whatever. Come find me when you’ve got your team ready. I’ll take care of you.” Kyouko cracked her neck and left.

“—By the way, Julis,” Claudia said after watching Kyouko go.

“Wh-what?”

“I heard that your Aspera Spina wasn’t able to be repaired.”

“Oh, well, I guess there was no way around it.”

Julis’s Lux had been severely damaged during the ferocious championship match at the Phoenix. She had asked the Matériel Department to repair it but had received a message the other day saying nothing could be done. While she had already half given up on its restoration, it was, after all, painful to let go of one’s longtime partner.

It took time to calibrate a Lux—especially the type used by Stregas and Dantes—so you had to apply for a new one as soon as possible. Julis was currently in the middle of that process.

“In that case, maybe it would help if you served as monitor for the new Lux models? What do you think?”

“New Lux models?”

“You mean the ones developed with Allekant?” Saya blurted out.

“Indeed. We’ve finally completed the prototype, so it’s undergoing final examinations, but…well, it’s somewhat difficult to handle, so we’ve been having a little trouble finding a suitable monitor.”

“I don’t mind. But why me?”

“The user needs to be able to process spatial information without any delay, and as far as I know, you excel the most at that, here at Seidoukan.”

“Hmm…” Since Julis herself also took pride in that fact, all she could do was nod.

“You won’t be the only monitor, though, so don’t let it get to your head. What do you think?”

Essentially, the most important thing was to become familiar with using the weapon. If it were a slender-pointed sword, she might be able to handle it like the Aspera Spina, even if it took some time to calibrate it.

But then, would that mean I wouldn’t get any stronger…?

It was thanks to Ayato’s strength that they had won the Phoenix. Of course, there were matches they would have surely lost if not for her, but the difference between the two of them was unmistakable.

Julis pondered it for a moment before giving her answer:

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

While Ayato had gotten used to being in the limelight since he’d won the Phoenix, he had never before been the subject of so much curiosity at school.

Helga, however, paid no heed to the buzzing mass of students who stood watching them from a distance as she spoke.

“—I saw you during the Phoenix. Very promising. The final match in particular was really something. If you learn to master your prana, you’ll grow even further.”

“Huh? Th-thank you.” Surprised at suddenly being addressed, Ayato was at a loss for a response.

“Things have been relatively peaceful in Asterisk over the past few years, but Stjarnagarm is always looking to recruit new members. It would be a great help if a young man with your level of strength were to join us.”

“Um, well, that’s…”

While he considered how to respond, Helga raised an eyebrow a little. “…Ah, forgive me. I’m not much of a conversationalist. You looked nervous, so I was trying to get you to relax…”

“Oh.”

That wouldn’t be easy, what with the way she was talking. However, it seemed her own confidence was unassailable.

“…Well, here we are.”

They had reached the high school guidance rooms. Helga released the lock with a practiced hand.

The guidance rooms were minimalistic, fitted only with a desk and some chairs. When Ayato, at Helga’s urging, took the seat across from her, she got straight to business.

“I suspect you’ve already guessed this, but I’m here to talk about your sister—Haruka Amagiri.”

“…Yes.” He had expected as much, so he calmly nodded.

“To start with, let me explain why Seidoukan Academy is assisting Stjarnagarm in the search for your sister. We’ve received testimony that Haruka Amagiri once participated in an illegal event, the Eclipse—and of course, we’re the ones who are involved in investigating that. Have you ever heard of it?”

“Only a little. Just that it’s a dangerous tournament, and that participants can lose their lives.”

“That’s right. And to participate in the Eclipse, you have to be a student at Asterisk, just like in the regular Festa.”

“A student…?” When he pondered just what that meant, he instantly remembered something Claudia had said not long ago.

—His sister’s data had been erased, and not a single person could remember her.

“So what you’re saying is that even though my sister was on the books, she didn’t actually attend the school…?”

“We’re considering that possibility. But it would be quite unusual, even for someone taking part in the Eclipse. The vast majority of its participants are regular students.”

Did that mean his sister was an exception?

“Um… Claudia asked this as well, but is it even possible for such a student to get their hands on an Orga Lux, or to have their data erased?”

Helga’s eyebrow twitched. “We still don’t know who’s behind the Eclipse, but we have an idea what their goal might be.”

“Their goal…?”

“Just so you know, this is classified information, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t disclose it to anyone. But I guess it doesn’t matter; it already seems to be common knowledge in some circles. Still…have you ever heard the name Danilo Bertoni?”

“Danilo…? No.” Ayato shook his head.

“He was the previous chairman of the Festa Executive Committee.”

“—!”

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that you haven’t heard of him. Unlike the current chairman, Madiath Mesa, he hardly ever appeared in public. But even if you don’t recognize the name, you’ve at least heard how he died, I take it?”

“It was…an accident, right?”

Even Ayato, who had little interest in the Festa, remembered the incident; it had been plastered all over the news. A submersible had been discovered in Asterisk’s harbor block, with the body of the Festa Executive Committee chairman inside.

“Right. Back then, Danilo had tremendous influence. It would have no doubt been easy for him to manipulate students’ data. It isn’t public knowledge, but I could list any number of other times when he’s gone to extremes purely out of self-interest. The Eclipse is just one example.” Helga paused to catch her breath. “But he died in that accident, and he left only indirect evidence, nothing conclusive. And the integrated enterprise foundations probably disposed of it or covered it up. There was pressure on the investigation, too, and it ended up getting suspended. That said, it’s impossible to sweep everything under the rug, and Danilo’s bad reputation seems to have leaked out here and there.”

Ayato pondered all this in silence.

“…”

“What are you thinking?” Helga asked.

“…Mr. Bertoni was an executive at an integrated enterprise foundation, right?”

“Right. The Executive Committee is composed of the management of each of the IEFs. Danilo was a member of Solnage.”

“In that case, wouldn’t he have undergone a mental adjustment program?”

Based on what he had heard from Claudia, the executives of the IEFs were supposed to undergo these types of programs to eliminate their sense of self-interest. As such, Danilo shouldn’t have been able to act with self-interest at all.

“Huh. You’re well-informed. That isn’t public knowledge either, you know.” Helga nodded in admiration. “You’re correct. All executives have to undergo a mental adjustment program in order to prevent slipups based on human mistakes, and so that they’ll make decisions based on the shared ideals of their respective foundations. Danilo did, too… But in reality, the level of adjustment depends on one’s post and position. Those at the top pretty much end up losing what makes them human, but the adjustment tends to be fairly lenient for posts that require some level of creative decision-making. The Festa is certainly one of those.”

“I see…”

“The current Executive Committee chairman, Madiath Mesa, is a member of Galaxy in name only. His wish after winning the Festa was to become an Executive Committee member. It’s possible that people like him have never undergone an adjustment.”

Ayato had heard of cases like that. “So what you’re saying is that Danilo Bertoni was so self-involved, the adjustment program had no effect?”

“That’s one possibility, but… Well, I’ve said this much, so I guess it won’t hurt. We’ve also been considering another possibility to explain his actions: that someone with the ability to manipulate other people’s thoughts might be involved.”

“That’s…”

Only an extremely small number of Dantes and Stregas had the ability to interfere with other people’s minds, a number similar to those gifted with healing abilities.

Moreover, such individuals were the most strictly managed. Which was without doubt an entirely reasonable precaution, given the dangers they could pose to others.

“But that’s just a possibility. I’ve encountered several people with that kind of ability, and they’re not as all-powerful as most think. They have to be constantly manipulating their target, so if they were to be seen by another Genestella, the flow of mana would be unmistakable. On top of that, they’re also not very effective against other Genestella.”

It was said that, since the flow of mana was controlled by one’s prana, abilities that acted directly upon a target (including the ability to manipulate people’s thoughts) tended to have a weaker effect on one’s fellow Genestella.

“There’s no way that the Executive Committee wouldn’t take precautions, and if Danilo was being manipulated like that, someone ought to have noticed it right away,” continued Helga, before relaxing her expression. “Anyway, we’ve started to take another look into Danilo and the events surrounding him. If we find any information relating to the Eclipse, we might also come across a clue on your sister’s whereabouts. I can’t tell you to hold out for good news, but I thought you deserved to know where things stand.”

“Thank you,” Ayato said, bowing his head.

But there was still something he didn’t understand.

“Um… Did you come all this way just to tell me that?”

Helga replied with a faint smile. “I’ll say this: I’m grateful to you. It’s thanks to you that we’re able to restart our investigation into Danilo. The bigwigs at the IEFs might not like what we’re doing, but knowing that at least some approve means that, even if we come across something, they don’t think past events will hurt them too much.”

“…Your expression… You won’t let things go at that, will you?”

At this, Helga looked at Ayato with some surprise.

“Hmm… I see. You’re an interesting one, Ayato Amagiri. I can see why she took an interest in you.”

“What?” Ayato had no idea what she meant.

Helga scratched at an eyebrow. “Don’t worry about it… But it would be irresponsible to say any more… Tell me, have you ever heard of the Ban’yuu Tenra?”

“You mean Jie Long’s student council president?”

“It seems she’s taken an interest in you. You’ll probably run across her in the future…but don’t try to go up against her. She’s fundamentally different from you or me.”

“Different…?”

He was not following her at all.

“Just a bit of advice, a token of my good will; you don’t need to understand right now. Just remember not to get involved with the Ban’yuu Tenra, or the Witch of Solitary Venom, Erenshkigal—for your own good. They’re both different, but they exist on a whole other plane.” She spoke in a serious tone.

“Oh, and I have one other thing to tell you,” she continued, changing the subject. She took out a mobile device and opened an air-window.

An image of a thin man with stonelike eyes was projected.

“Grimalkin Gold Eye Number Seven. His name is Werner. We’re pretty sure he’s the one who kidnapped Flora Klemm.”

“What?! So you’re saying there’s proof that Le Wolfe had something to do with it?”

Helga held out a hand to stop Ayato from getting to his feet. “No, not yet… Or should I say, we probably won’t find any evidence. Dirk Eberwein is too smart for that. Things might be different if we could get into the Academy, but we won’t be able to reach him with what we have now.” She spoke calmly, but there was a hint of frustration in her voice. “Dirk Eberwein’s strategy isn’t particularly cunning. No, the most irritating thing about that man is his attitude. He doesn’t aim to win, just to make sure that his opponent loses. He profits off deceiving others. Which is why it’s hard to get to the bottom of it all.”

“In that case…”

“What we found was evidence that this man, Werner, was attacked by someone else. The same bloodstains were found both in the underground block that he probably used to escape, and at the site of the kidnapping.”

“Someone else…?”

“Yes. Probably someone from a rival intelligence organization. But we don’t know which. We doubt it was someone at Seidoukan. Werner would be undeniable proof of Le Wolfe’s involvement, so they wouldn’t want to get rid of him, and if they were to try to detain him somewhere, it would be public knowledge by now.”

“What if Le Wolfe silenced him after he failed?”

Helga shook her head. “Impossible. The Cats are an important asset to their foundation. Even if he were caught, there would be no need to eliminate someone so skilled. In fact, Dirk Eberwein is being held responsible by the IEF for losing him, so it looks like he’ll have to lie low for a while. Which is to say that it was probably someone from outside Seidoukan and Le Wolfe, maybe one of the other schools, or another organization.”

“…I see.”

It looked like Flora’s kidnapping was a complicated affair. It wouldn’t be solved in a day.

“We’re still investigating. Let Riessfeld know for me, would you?” Helga asked, standing up.

Ayato looked her over once more, noticing that her every action seemed completely natural but didn’t leave so much as a single opening.

“You have the eyes of an Asterisk student,” Helga commented, as if reminiscing. “Good, earnest eyes, and a strong will. But people with eyes like yours are easily deceived. You had best be careful.”

“Okay…”

“I’ll let you know if there are any developments.”

And with nothing more, Helga left, leaving him alone in the guidance room.

“Easily deceived, huh…?” Ayato muttered with a strained smile, scratching at his cheek uneasily.