Chapter 07: “The Holy Naked Witch and the Lost Dignity of Three”
Deep underground in the central district where the kingdom’s wealth and power were concentrated.
In a vast‚ solid stone chamber completely isolated from the worldly clamor above‚ countless pale magical lights continued to flicker quietly today as well‚ while an enormous torrent of information swirled within absolute silence.
The Royal Cyber Information Surveillance Bureau.
Every piece of information circulating within the kingdom—the flow of the magical communication network‚ real-time records published by the Adventurers’ Guild‚ massive transaction histories exchanged at kingdom-sanctioned auctions‚ and even the irregular underground communication networks (the Dark Web) where criminal organizations operated—passed once through this gigantic information core.
Of course‚ not all of that astronomical volume of data was processed by human eyes alone.
Highly advanced automated magical screening devices constantly monitored anomalous values‚ after which elite surveillance officers who had received specialized training calmly rendered judgments of authenticity.
The number of anomaly detections (alerts) issued in a single day reached tens of thousands.
Yet 99 percent of them were nothing more than worthless noise.
Surveillance Officer A: “Another forged listing for a ‘Royal Family Treasure‚’ huh.”
Surveillance Officer B: “Yesterday morning the same type of fake got caught in the net too.”
Surveillance Officer A: “Yesterday’s was the ‘legendary toothbrush the first king used in his later years‚’ if I remember right.”
Surveillance Officer B: “…What exactly did the buyer plan to use it for after winning the auction?”
Surveillance Officer A: “Dunno.
Analyzing the absurd madness of collectors (maniacs) with our brain cells is just a waste of time.”
One of the senior surveillance officers said curtly and mechanically erased the magical hologram in front of him with a flick of his fingers.
Another officer let out a deep sigh of chronic sleep deprivation.
Surveillance Officer C: “This new alert is for the ‘Demon King’s left toenail‚’ apparently.”
Surveillance Officer A: “And the right toenail?”
Surveillance Officer C: “Already sold out on the auction.”
Surveillance Officer A: “Then maybe this remaining half still holds genuine residual magic.”
Surveillance Officer C: “Is that a security issue‚ senpai?”
Mornings at the Information Surveillance Bureau were generally consumed by such unproductive successive labors.
That is—until this day‚ when the gears of the kingdom’s history began to go horribly awry.
Young Surveillance Officer: “…Hmm? Is this a coordinate bug…?”
One young elite surveillance officer murmured a faint suspicion.
What was projected onto his retinas was the real-time listing of items from the kingdom-sanctioned auction operated directly by the Royal Adventurers’ Guild.
Countless expensive magical tools‚ first-class weapons‚ precious relics excavated from ancient ruins.
Or the obviously freshly forged “self-proclaimed holy sword of antiquity” that someone claimed had been passed down through their family for generations.
Among that miscellaneous mass of data‚ one—extremely anomalous‚ something that should never exist—super-dreadnought-class magical light point had mixed in.
Young Surveillance Officer: “…Senior Surveillance Officer.
May I request a somewhat urgent confirmation?”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “What is it? Did some collector list another legendary toothbrush?
Or did the Demon King’s right toenail miraculously come back into stock?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “No‚ neither of those.
This… completely exceeds the scope of my internal calculation (logic).”
The young surveillance officer struck the terminal with trembling fingertips and forcibly enlarged the pale-blue hologram floating in the air onto the central main monitor.
The moment the senior officer glanced at the string of text listed there.
The chronic fatigue of many years and all worldly composure cleanly vanished from his seasoned face.
『 Proof Material of the Defeat of the Fifth Underground Floor Guardian 《Earth Guardian》 — Official Appraisal Equivalent 』
Starting price: 800‚000 krona.
Buyout price: 1‚000‚000 krona.
Listing status: Physical asset · Immediate delivery possible.
Senior Surveillance Officer: “…………”
Young Surveillance Officer: “…Senpai? Is it a system bug?”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Oi.”
Young Surveillance Officer: “Y-Yes!”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “This deranged‚ blasphemous joke (data)—which underground organization’s back channel did you pick it up from?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “No‚ that’s… it’s the official communication route of the sanctioned auction operated directly by the Adventurers’ Guild.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “That’s not what I’m asking.”
Young Surveillance Officer: “Eh?”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Which clueless idiot listed such grandiose claims touching the nation’s highest secrets on the official market—I’m asking for the source-code origin.”
The young surveillance officer hurriedly operated the magical terminal with shaking hands and queried the hidden metadata of the lister.
Young Surveillance Officer: “The encrypted lister name is… registered only briefly as ‘Louise.’”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Who is that.
A silver-rank attached to the palace?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “No‚ there is absolutely no matching data in the guild’s special-grade adventurer database.
At the very least‚ it does not appear to be any known hero.”
A bottomless‚ oppressive silence fell between the two.
Eventually the senior surveillance officer slowly rose from his chair as if realizing the collapse of the world‚ and ordered in a voice that echoed throughout the entire information surveillance floor.
Senior Surveillance Officer: “—Everyone‚ immediately suspend all current manual work completely.”
It was an extremely urgent voice that seemed to crawl along the ground.
The murmur of the surveillance room where hundreds of magical devices hummed froze in an instant at that single word.
Dozens of elite surveillance officers snapped their heads up in unison as if struck.
Surveillance Officer D: “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Surveillance Officer E: “Another system error related to Demon King body parts?”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “No. This is not such worldly noise.”
Surveillance Officer D: “Then what in the world happened?”
The senior surveillance officer did not answer their questions and projected one ominous product screen floating in the air onto the gigantic main screen at the top of the surveillance bureau.
After several seconds of silence for chewing the waveform of the information—.
Surveillance Officer F: “…………Huh?”
Someone let out a vacant voice as if rejecting reality.
Surveillance Officer G: “No‚ wait.
From the standpoint of astronomical probability theory‚ that is absolutely impossible.”
Another surveillance officer shook his head vigorously as if to preserve his own sanity.
Surveillance Officer H: “The fifth underground floor?”
Surveillance Officer I: “That myth-class monster 《Earth Guardian》?”
Surveillance Officer J: “And proof material of its defeat is… being listed on the official market directly under a private name‚ not even under national jurisdiction…!?”
The air of the vast information surveillance room grew sharply tense second by second under the weight of the presented causality.
Surveillance Officer K: “It’s bound to be an extremely malicious high-precision fake.”
Someone let out a dry laugh while sweating coldly.
Surveillance Officer L: “Yeah‚ that’s right.
Same category as the first king’s toothbrush earlier—”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “—Image authentication filtering?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “…Completely passed.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Internal structure magic density analysis?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “…No error.
Completely passed.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Full matching against the magic waveform (fingerprint) registered with the guild?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “…Complete match.
It has passed every net.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Visual confirmation of the physical original (core)?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “That alone is currently unconfirmed due to communication-hacking specifications.”
Once again a leaden silence fell.
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “No‚ it’s still too early. Don’t panic.”
A middle-aged veteran surveillance officer carved deep crack-like wrinkles between his brows and glared at the formulas on the gigantic screen.
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “Wait‚ wait‚ calm down.
The possibility remains that the spatial image and data were cleverly disguised and forged (deepfake) remotely.
It could be a system bug.”
Young Surveillance Officer: “But senpai‚ this has completely passed even the nation’s highest-level structural analysis algorithms without a single flaw‚ you know?”
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “It’s only digital analysis via remote hacking! If a dedicated advanced jamming formula was set up from behind‚ our side’s detection going haywire still cannot be theoretically ruled out!”
Even while voicing fierce rebuttals‚ not a single micron of relief appeared on anyone’s face.
The fifth floor of the underground labyrinth.
The 《Earth Guardian》 that sat there as the absolute guardian in the literal sense.
No kingdom magician or adventurer alive in this world was ignorant of that awe-inspiring mythic name.
In the first place‚ merely setting foot onto the fifth floor‚ which had already diverged from normal survival routes‚ was a forbidden act permitted only to a handful of transcendent upper-class adventurers.
From the fourth floor onward it was the “Domain of Death” that the kingdom government did not officially recommend entering.
The ruler of the fifth floor that reigned further in the deepest depths was a strategic-class disaster monster that even a large-scale military assault force specially organized by the kingdom betting its national prestige and enormous budget had only barely succeeded in defeating in the past.
More than thirty national elites.
Upper-rank silver-grade (highest rank) adventurers whose names everyone knew.
Full rear-line tactical support from the kingdom’s regular knight order.
Even in that maximum-scale expedition that poured in such enormous national resources—formally confirmed successful defeats in human history numbered a mere nine.
That absurd absolute number alone was flickering ominously on the hologram screen.
Senior Surveillance Officer: “In the recent timeline‚ is there any log that a national-scale large expedition was secretly planned?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “I traced the database‚ but there is none at all.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Movements of the special secret units belonging to the kingdom knight order?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “Currently the entire army is on standby in the barracks.
Not a single unit has moved.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Records of covert formation of a special-grade subjugation party by the highest upper echelons of the Adventurers’ Guild?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “No sortie formation records that look like it—zero.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “Signs of irregular cross-border intervention by covert magical units from other countries?”
Young Surveillance Officer: “The barrier net has detected no noise of that sort whatsoever.”
Senior Surveillance Officer: “…………”
In the pitch-black space where information had been completely cut off‚ someone muttered in a voice trembling with fear.
Surveillance Officer M: “Then… who in the world…”
No one present wanted to voice the words that came after that excessively ominous thought‚ in order to protect their own sanity.
Senior Surveillance Officer: “…Who the hell erased that myth-class monster single-handedly without our knowledge?”
Not a single person who possessed the answer existed even in this information-surveillance core that was the brain of the kingdom.
◇
—At that very same time when the national core was on the verge of a panic bug.
In the central market of the royal capital above ground‚ an extremely pastoral and gentle everyday peace was flowing as usual.
Greengrocer Master: “Yes‚ today’s freshly picked apples‚ dirt cheap‚ dirt cheap—!”
Greengrocer Master: “Hey‚ missus! Not that unclear shop over there—look at these juicy apples!”
Housewife: “Hey‚ greengrocer old man‚ you rewrote the price-tag parameters right in front of my eyes again‚ didn’t you!”
Greengrocer Master: “I did not! This has been the wallet-friendly‚ rational‚ bargain price setting since the moment we opened!”
Housewife: “Liar! At this same time yesterday it was half-price!”
Greengrocer Master: “Remembering yesterday’s past data so accurately—you must have way too much free time‚ missus!”
Housewife: “Don’t you dare underestimate the precision of a housewife’s internal household budget (memory)!”
The stubborn greengrocer master in a cheap T-shirt and a regular housewife were energetically exchanging worldly quarrels from early morning.
A little distance away from that peaceful clamor‚ under the shade of a tree in a corner of the market.
Citizen A: “Hey‚ did you hear?”
Citizen B: “Hear what? Looking so serious this early.”
Citizen A: “Apparently some outrageous national-treasure-class item got listed on the royal sanctioned auction board.”
Citizen B: “Yeah yeah‚ another scam (bug) of that type.”
Citizen A: “No‚ this time the rumor is that it’s genuine data that passed the guild’s encrypted security.”
Citizen B: “Yesterday you said the same thing and paid a fortune for the ‘Legendary Dragon’s Tear‚’ and it turned out to be just salty ditch rainwater‚ didn’t it?”
Citizen A: “…That was surely the sacred rain from the day the ancient dragon wept far in the heavens over its own fate‚ I’m sure of it.”
Citizen B: “You’re still believing that fake street vendor’s poem in your head?”
Citizen A: “…Just a few percent.”
Those ordinary citizens had no way of knowing‚ even if heaven and earth were turned upside down.
That on this day‚ in the cold underground darkness of the kingdom‚ an abnormal top-secret tracking investigation staking the nation’s prestige and military power was about to begin in earnest over a single absurd “listing data”—.
◇
Subordinate: “—Joker Special-Grade Surveillance Officer.”
In the deepest part of the confidential area of the Royal Cyber Information Surveillance Bureau.
In a special section clearly partitioned from the ordinary surveillance officers’ booths by solid magical bulkheads‚ a single man sat quietly.
Age mid-thirties.
Short black hair trimmed as sharp as a blade.
On his jet-black desk‚ mountains of encrypted documents stacked in geometric order and the latest special-grade magical terminal performing high-level parallel calculation processing were quietly humming.
Once a legendary silver-grade upper adventurer whose name had resounded widely on the combat front lines of the royal capital.
Now retired from the front line‚ he was a man who exercised his sharp skill as one of the kingdom’s shadow highest decision-makers (analysts).
Joker raised his gaze from the screen of the “First-Grade Emergency Report” handed over by the trembling subordinate.
Joker: “What is it? So frantic.”
Subordinate: “We have detected a super-special-grade item that is impossible even to reverse-calculate from our logical calculation (logic).”
Joker: “You’ve worked hard since morning. Communication noise (bug)‚ I assume.”
Subordinate: “No.
This time‚ in a biological sense‚ the dimension of the listing is truly impossible.”
Joker: “I have a memory of hearing the same content from your mouth yesterday morning as well.”
Subordinate: “Yesterday’s was forged data for the ‘Crown of the First Emperor of the Ancient Empire.’”
Joker: “Ah‚ that nouveau-riche goldwork.”
Subordinate: “Remote appraisal of the real thing showed it was merely a brass pot stand used in a rural village.”
Joker: “From the standpoint of event probability theory it was not impossible.
Just a comedy.”
Subordinate: “But this time the dimension of its existence is fundamentally different.”
The subordinate reported with a completely bloodless‚ serious face‚ swallowing hard.
Subordinate: “It is an officially unopened drop item of the master of the fifth underground floor‚ 《Earth Guardian》.”
Joker’s hand‚ which had been smoothly driving a high-grade fountain pen toward the documents—stopped dead at that moment.
Joker: “…What did you say?”
Subordinate: “It was suddenly listed directly onto the security system of the royal sanctioned auction a few minutes ago.”
Joker: “A low-quality spatial-image fake‚ no doubt.”
Subordinate: “But… the cutting-edge image authentication and remote multidimensional structural magic analysis have all completely passed our official defense routes with zero error.”
Joker: “Physical seizure of the original (core)?”
Subordinate: “Still unconfirmed.
The communication-hacking bypass is solid; currently impossible.”
Joker rose from the leather chair without making even the slightest rustle of clothing.
He turned his hawk-like sharp gaze toward the main screen of the magical hologram that the subordinate had hastily deployed into empty space.
Displayed there was—unmistakable major product-asset information that could even shake the kingdom’s military balance.
Joker: “…Initial starting price 800‚000 krona‚ is it.”
Joker muttered in a low voice that crawled along the ground.
Joker: “Buyout for one million gold krona.”
Subordinate: “Yes.”
Joker: “Taking into account the uncertain romance of not knowing what is inside‚ as an expected-value appraisal price in the unopened-box state… from the viewpoint of capitalism it is an extremely reasonable and beautiful market price.”
Subordinate: “Y-Yes…!”
The problem was by no means the reasonableness of that price setting.
Joker glared hatefully at the structural data of the listed item displayed on the hologram.
If this possessed genuine mass‚ one million krona would rather be far too cheap.
It was a strategic-class item that the palace should buy with top priority even by immediately allocating special national budget.
However—it
“should not exist as the real thing in this world.”
Joker: “It’s the floor boss of the fifth underground floor.”
Joker’s low voice physically lowered the room temperature of the sealed special section.
Joker: “How many times do you think the large-scale assault forces specially organized by the nation betting its prestige and enormous treasury budget have challenged it across the line of death and been defeated?”
The subordinate nodded deeply with a strained‚ tense expression.
Joker: “Gathering more than thirty top-ranker elites whose names everyone knows‚”
Joker: “sparing no highest-grade upper-rank adventurers for the front line‚”
Joker: “and even receiving full rear-line tactical support from the kingdom’s regular knight order—”
Joker: “—and only then is it an opponent that can barely be defeated after paying a heavy price.”
Joker carved deep crack-like wrinkles between his white brows.
Joker: “There is no military official record anywhere that such a national-scale large expedition was carried out in secret in the recent timeline.”
Subordinate: “Yes‚ we queried databases in every direction‚ but none exist at all.”
Joker: “Then how in the world did what monster eradicate that monster? Is this truly a genuine core?”
Joker’s gaze fiercely traveled back and forth between the presented spatial product image and the digital analysis data.
Joker: “If we assume for a moment that this is a highly sophisticated fake‚ then what unknown magical technology of what organization was used to slip through every remote multi-authentication of our surveillance bureau and the guild with zero error?”
Breaking image authentication.
Passing the net of precise magic-structure analysis.
Complete match of remote waveform comparison.
This listing data had completely cleared every one of those robust checklists.
Of course‚ being remote non-face-to-face authentication‚ the system was not perfect.
But if a hacker (magical technician) capable of deceiving the highest-level security barriers the Adventurers’ Guild prided itself on so elaborately and perfectly forging them truly existed in the royal capital—that in itself would be a major military threat at the level of national overthrow.
Joker: “…What is the registered name of that lister account?”
Joker asked shortly and sharply.
Subordinate: “It is simply registered under the name ‘Louise.’”
Joker: “Louise‚ you say?”
Subordinate: “Yes.”
Joker: “A name I’ve never heard.
Some other country’s spy‚ or an operative of an anti-establishment organization.”
Subordinate: “We are currently reverse-tracing that magic bypass with all haste to confirm identity.”
The subordinate ran his gaze at ultra-high speed over another information terminal while sweating coldly.
And then—.
Subordinate: “…Ah.”
Joker: “What is it? What did you find?”
Subordinate: “Come to think of it… in past alert logs there remained one strange coincidence (data).”
The subordinate thought for a moment inside his head and then carefully voiced the still-uncertain top-secret information.
Subordinate: “Regarding the recent exceptional solo defeat of that troublesome ‘Ancient Species Slime’ in the shallow layers of the same underground labyrinth…”
Joker: “Ancient-species bug‚ is it.
What about it?”
Subordinate: “Yes.
There is an unconfirmed guild rumor recorded that the knight-order captain who went on the on-site investigation spoke with great enthusiasm and awe at a drinking party in the royal capital about a young genius newcomer adventurer named ‘Louise’…”
Joker sharply raised the face he had been looking down.
Joker: “Just who is that incomprehensible female operative named ‘Louise’?”
Subordinate: “…According to unofficial street rumors among the citizens of the royal capital‚”
The subordinate spun the word that was far too out of place and shameless to utter in the sacred space of the nation’s highest information-surveillance bureau‚ his lips trembling with extreme reluctance.
Subordinate: “—She is called with awe the ‘Holy Naked Witch‚’ or so it is said.”
Joker: “…………”
Subordinate: “…Joker Special-Grade Surveillance Officer?”
Joker: “Wait.”
Joker quietly raised one long hand and physically stopped the flow of the subordinate’s words.
Joker: “What voice code just issued from your mouth?”
Subordinate: “As I said… ‘Holy Naked Witch.’”
Joker: “As a voice waveform it reached my eardrums correctly.
What I am asking as a senior analyst is the ‘logical consistency of meaning’ contained in that word.”
Subordinate: “I myself cannot make any systematic interpretation at all.”
Joker: “Holy‚ is it?”
Subordinate: “Yes‚ as the characters stand.”
Joker: “Naked‚ is it?”
Subordinate: “Yes‚ that is how it is.”
Joker: “Witch‚ is it?”
Subordinate: “Probably that attribute.”
Joker: “…Not a single element has consistency of meaning within my magical theory.
A causality bug.”
The subordinate also looked completely at a loss and sweated coldly.
Subordinate: “It is thought to be merely the category of urban legend with street embellishments attached‚ but according to the guild’s back information‚ that witch‚ ‘in a completely naked state without wearing a single micron of clothing‚’ single-handedly annihilated that ancient-species slime that is a threat to humanity into the far reaches of the cosmos‚ or so it is said.”
Joker: “Completely naked‚ you say?”
Subordinate: “Yes.”
Joker: “Why fight a fierce actual battle in such an extremely inefficient and shameless state from the standpoint of combat defense?”
Subordinate: “That far‚ even any data simulation cannot tell.”
Joker: “The opponent is an ancient species designated special-grade disaster that threatens the kingdom’s defense line‚ correct?”
Subordinate: “Yes.”
Joker: “And she annihilated it single-handedly in an instant?”
Subordinate: “That is how it is earnestly passed down in the taverns of the magician quarter.”
Joker fell heavily silent for a while as if feeling deep fatigue in his brain cells.
Joker: “…Didn’t the captain of our kingdom’s knight order who went on the on-site investigation just get drunk on some high-proof forbidden liquor and see hallucinations?”
It was right in the middle of that barren master-disciple exchange.
A middle-aged veteran surveillance officer who had been intercepting another line of communication at a somewhat distant magical desk casually joined the conversation with a shrug.
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “Joker.”
Joker: “What is it‚ senpai?”
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “That field-oriented muscle-brained captain is famous even among the upper echelons for being extremely strong in preconceived notions and romanticism.”
Joker: “Is that so?”
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “Yeah.
Probably drank a large amount of strong ale in the extreme battlefield state and conveniently mixed a young woman’s naked body into his brain (blended).
He must have arbitrarily superimposed her as some sacred tragic heroine who sacrificed her own clothes and fell for the sake of saving the nation‚ and shed tears.”
Joker: “…I see. Put that way‚ it is an extremely human cognitive bug.”
Veteran Surveillance Officer: “Better not take it seriously and consume brain calculation resources.
In the end it’s just an urban legend of the magician quarter with embellishments attached.”
Joker rearranged and organized the presented abstract information at high speed inside his head for several seconds—.
Joker: “…That’s right. Just a tavern joke.”
And once discarded the uncertain urban legend to the farthest end of his thoughts.
Then once more.
He glared with sharp eyes at the solid digital data (hologram) screen flickering in front of him.
『 Lister: Louise 』
Joker: “…………”
Somehow.
There was not a single logical magical corroboration there.
Yet the wild intuition of a former upper adventurer who had slipped through countless lines of death on the silver-grade front line—was telling an extremely ominous premonition (alert) to every one of his nerves.
A very stomach-aching‚ worst-bug premonition.
Joker: “—Right now there was an operational unit heading to that underground labyrinth (dungeon) on an emergency rescue mission for missing persons‚ correct?”
Subordinate: “Yes‚ they departed from guild headquarters a few minutes ago.”
Joker: “Among them‚ is there an elite unit with the combat strength to rapidly reach as far as the fifth underground floor beyond the fourth?”
The subordinate immediately struck the magical terminal in his hand and queried the sortie logs.
Subordinate: “…One unit with matching combat strength exists.”
Joker: “Who is the unit leader?”
Subordinate: “It is the special-grade rescue team under direct guild control that Lord Kite‚ the highest hero of the western academy‚ is temporarily accompanying.”
Joker’s sharp jet-black pupils narrowed like a hawk targeting prey.
Joker: “Kite‚ is it.”
Then the development of the story is quick.
With that western hero (Kite)’s party‚ they should be carrying the highest-encryption communication magical device that connects directly to the central military headquarters of the royal capital.
Joker: “Immediately put an emergency contact through to Kite’s communication terminal via direct encrypted line (bypass).”
Subordinate: “Understood.
…Special-Grade Surveillance Officer‚ what shall I convey (order)?”
Joker: “I want the current situation of the master’s room on the fifth underground floor urgently ‘visually confirmed‚’ tell them.”
Subordinate: “The survival parameters of the boss 《Earth Guardian》‚ is it?”
Joker: “Yes‚ that’s right.”
Joker slapped the detailed sale figures carved on the hologram with his long white fingertips.
This piggyback-hacking listing information also accurately recorded the “defeat completion time” to the second‚ as logged by the system timestamp.
—Yesterday.
10:00 a.m.
The 《Earth Guardian》‚ master of the fifth underground floor‚ was by no means a shallow-layer low-rank magical beast that would immediately re-pop (reappear) systemically even if defeated by someone’s hand.
Until the next world’s event re-establishment‚ it normally required a spacetime interval (standby time) of at least five days.
Joker: “If”
Joker stated flatly with absolute-zero quietness‚ yet imbued with pressure.
Joker: “If‚ as the data carved on this screen states‚ the complete defeat of that monster was physically executed at 10 a.m. yesterday morning is a physical fact—”
Then right now in the deepest part of the labyrinth‚ the fifth underground floor.
At this very moment.
That devilish world guardian 《Earth Guardian》 should “not exist” as physical mass there.
Joker: “…Every second counts. Have Kite’s eyes confirm it immediately.”
Subordinate: “Understood! Connecting the line at once!”
The subordinate kicked the floor as if spring-loaded and ran toward the communication room.
After seeing off that frantic back‚ Joker focused his entire consciousness as senior analyst on another greatest concern (bug).
Joker: “And one more thing.”
Subordinate: “Yes! What is it!”
Joker: “This still-identity-unknown eerie lister account named ‘Louise.’”
The short yet bottomlessly present unsettling string of characters displayed at the top of the magical hologram.
Joker: “Can the current three-dimensional coordinates of the location relaying this hacking communication be determined?”
Subordinate: “Currently executing multidimensional reverse trace (backtrace) of the magical communication via the guild’s main server with all haste!”
Joker: “Every second counts. Hurry.”
Subordinate: “Understood!”
The air of the information surveillance room began to hum frantically‚ carrying the heat of combat readiness for an unprecedented national emergency.
—And after several minutes of ultra-high-speed calculation.
Subordinate: “—Joker Special-Grade Surveillance Officer!”
Joker: “What is it? Did you find the corresponding spacetime coordinates?”
Subordinate: “Yes! Complete success in reverse-tracing the encrypted bypass!”
Joker: “Well done.
…So‚ where is the current location of that hiding place.
In which underground hideout of which dark street is it lurking?”
Subordinate: “That is… currently it is located right in the middle of the First Commercial District inside the royal capital.”
Joker: “Vague wide-area data is useless. Give a more specific pinpoint building.”
The subordinate strongly rechecked the final report of the reverse-trace coordinates displayed on the terminal in his hand once‚ as if doubting his own retinas—.
And reported with a completely fox-bewitched‚ dumbfounded face.
Subordinate: “…It is a famous ultra-high-class lingerie shop catering to nobility that has its storefront on the main street of the royal capital.”
Joker’s thought circuits‚ which until then had processed any national crisis‚ completely stopped (froze) for an instant.
Joker: “…What did you say? Is it not a communication bug?”
Subordinate: “Yes‚ no mistake.
Um… at the central coordinates of that high-class underwear shop‚ it appears she is currently in the middle of enthusiastically shopping for high-class women’s underwear…”
Joker: “…………”
Once again.
That utterly logically inconsistent detestable urban legend (keyword) that he had supposedly discarded to the farthest end of his brain cells earlier swept through the man’s mind like a muddy torrent.
Holy.
Naked.
Witch.
Joker: “…Just a coincidence of overlapping probabilities of street rumors.”
Subordinate: “Huh? What coincidence‚ senpai?”
Joker: “Nothing. My soliloquy.
It’s an internal calculation error‚ so forget it.”
Joker immediately forced the ironclad poker face of a battle-hardened senior surveillance officer back into place.
As a professional analyst‚ the highest-priority survival parameters to think about now were elsewhere.
The physical authenticity of the fifth-underground-floor boss defeat.
The mass of the impossible myth-class drop box.
The identity-unknown lister account.
The possibility of a highly sophisticated fake deceiving national security.
Or the possibility of an internationally wanted criminal trying to fence national-treasure-class stolen goods.
—Or perhaps.
The possibility of a world bug so troublesome and absurd that it surpasses all those logical conjectures.
Joker: “—In any case‚ considering the fluidity of the situation‚ we need to directly seize that person and hear the story as soon as possible.”
Subordinate: “Yes‚ exactly as you say!”
Joker: “However‚ what is the parameter of the possibility that the opponent is using unknown spatial transfer (escape) magic I do not know?”
Subordinate: “With the current unclear reverse-trace data alone‚ it is completely unknown from the standpoint of probability theory.”
Joker: “Then it is rational to move assuming the worst physical collision.”
Joker‚ as the highest proxy of national power‚ rendered a ruthless final decision excluding all private feelings.
Joker: “Immediately contact the special covert unit of the National Security Bureau for emergency sortie.”
Subordinate: “Understood!”
Joker: “The charges are data falsification of a nationally designated special-grade listed item‚ and suspicion of unlawful theft of property touching the nation’s highest secrets.”
In that low‚ heavy voice there was no longer even a single micron of hesitation.
Joker: “Immediately secure the identity-unknown adventurer possessing the registered account named ‘Louise’ as of this moment.”
Subordinate: “…As polite voluntary accompaniment treatment?”
Joker: “That’s right.
But if by any chance signs of flight are shown‚ or signs of magical resistance are detected—forced restraint by use of force cannot be helped.”
Joker glared hatefully once more at the pale-blue product screen displayed in empty space.
What was projected there was one unopened drop box like an out-of-place artifact (world bug) that could shake the foundation of the kingdom’s military balance.
And.
The name of the girl lister lurking eerily behind it.
—Louise.
Joker: “…Just who are you.
What are you plotting in the darkness of the royal capital…”
That heavy‚ lonely murmur fell small and emptily into the deepest part of the kingdom’s information network and disappeared.
—But the capable elite surveillance officers who were the brain of the kingdom.
And even the battle-hardened expert Joker himself.
At this time still had no way of knowing even if heaven and earth were turned upside down.
That the identity-unknown “highest national threat (girl)” they feared was‚ at this very moment.
Perfectly locked on by the nation’s highest-level surveillance net and being tracked by the special unit in a desperate pinch.
Yet while tearfully abandoning her favorite cute costume designs as a maiden and calculating only “cost-performance” and “magic conductivity (burst firepower)” with bloodshot eyes for equivalent exchange‚ she was peaceably finishing her shopping at the ultra-high-class lingerie shop.
And—.
That the pitiful surveillance officers of the kingdom were from now on.
Heading straight toward that devilish “automatic deduction approval button (offering shared contract)” that would make them despair the most in their lives and leave them completely naked without even socks remaining‚ stepping on the landmine with their own feet in magnificent dignity—the absurd worst future formula (flag).
The First Commercial District of the royal capital was as peaceful as ever today.
—At least until a few minutes before that ominous national shadow crept up in front of us.
Charlotte: “Come‚ look‚ Louise-san!”
As soon as she emerged from the pure-white wooden door of the high-class lingerie shop onto the main street‚ Charlotte spread both arms with a smile full of great sense of achievement.
Charlotte: “The professional shop assistant earlier also strongly guaranteed it‚ but this combination of ‘pastel-pink frilled shorts’ and ‘jet-black silk garter’ will absolutely suit your skin right now!”
Louise: “…Yes‚ that’s right.
I deeply appreciate this material-provision (present) event itself as economic support against my bankruptcy parameters.”
I nodded while cradling the highest-class paper bag decorated with cute ribbons in my slender arms.
However‚ for some reason the voice of that perfunctory reply had a vacant lack of strength as if right after slipping through a line of death.
Charlotte: “Is something the matter? While showing such unique insistence on the feel of the highest-class silk‚ are you still dissatisfied with the gaudiness of the design?”
Louise: “No… it’s not that.
As a result of anticipating continuous operation of stable combat cooldown times (costume rotation) from now on—I ended up paying out of my own pocket for additional spare underwear (ammunition) and binge-buying them‚ which became an unexpected super-large deficit (expense) not in my internal calculation formula…”
Charlotte: “My!”
Charlotte rounded her amber eyes as if seeing something unbelievable.
Charlotte: “Even someone like Louise-san who perfectly did the astronomical distribution calculation of 1.6 million krona by mental arithmetic at the bottom of the labyrinth can miscalculate budget parameters in worldly shopping!?”
Louise: “…In the function of life‚ sometimes unpredictable bugs (environmental errors) exist probabilistically.”
Toto: “Incidentally to supplement‚ young lady.
The spare ammunition Louise-han bought herself is those highest-class silk pants printed with that cute ‘dolphin-mark logo‚’ y’know.”
Toto leaned his daifuku-mochi body out from my shoulder and supplemented maliciously.
Charlotte: “Dolphins‚ is it? Unexpected. So you too have a girlish heart that loves animals—”
Louise: “—Let me supplement‚ Charlotte-san.”
I inserted a small cough.
Louise: “The mammal called dolphin‚ from the mass of the special fatty tissue called ‘melon’ inside its forehead‚ can emit high-frequency click sounds (ultrasound) up to a maximum of two hundred times per second and detect the precise multidimensional spacetime coordinates of surrounding structures and enemies (echolocation)! It is precisely a lump of the ultimate search radar (mystery) that nature produced!”
Toto: “No good‚ young lady.
This one still saw the dolphin not as a cute living thing but merely as a military-spec magical research subject.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui… (I’m hungry…)”
Kamekichi peeped his head out from the hem of my men’s T-shirt and cried.
Kamekichi: (—I like salt-grilled autumn fat saury a hundred times more as a NEET’s meal than an ultrasound-emitting dolphin.
I’m hungry…)”
Charlotte: “So you didn’t choose it because the dolphin’s visual is so cute and adorable…”
Entourage A: “Nee‚ her internal logic is really warped and unbelievable.”
The two entourages behind Charlotte also nodded deeply in agreement as if utterly exasperated.
Louise: “Well‚ that adorable visual (appearance) element is included as a few percent of the variables that stimulated my purchasing desire‚ at least.”
While exchanging such worldly peaceful conversation‚ the four of us and two animals exited through the luxurious gate of the ultra-high-class lingerie shop.
The main street of the royal capital.
Warm midday sunlight pouring from the sky.
Cheerful citizens coming and going.
No matter where you cut it‚ it was an ordinary everyday scene of pure peace.
—However‚ in the next instant.
Into that harmonious picture‚ an extremely unnatural and anomalous dark “black” invaded.
Charlotte: “…Ara? What is that‚ a crowd perhaps?”
Charlotte stopped her beautiful feet suspiciously.
Before we knew it.
More than ten eerie black-clad men had completely blocked our surroundings with a perfect encirclement formation (polygonal siege net) without a single millimeter of deviation.
All wore the same jet-black anti-magic cloaks‚ and in their bosoms they concealed advanced military weapons.
Clearly not ordinary citizens; they radiated the killing intent of national special training.
Pedestrians walking the main street also sensed the extraordinary situation‚ stopped in place‚ and began watching from a distance while holding their breath.
Citizen C: “W-What is it‚ such a large-scale encirclement in broad daylight…”
Citizen D: “The royal capital’s regular knight-order covert unit?”
Citizen E: “No‚ that cold black-clad crest is… the National Security Bureau’s infamous special unit‚ isn’t it!?”
Citizen F: “On such a main street in broad daylight‚ what big villain is going to be caught?”
Fear-tinged murmurs spread instantly to the surroundings like ripples on water.
Right in the center of the royal capital’s central street‚ and right in front of a famous lingerie shop catering to distinguished nobility.
From the objective viewpoint of fluid dynamics‚ it was extremely‚ extraordinarily conspicuous in a maniacal sense.
I surveyed the black-clad men who had completely locked our surroundings with a completely expressionless (poker-face) face that excluded all emotion parameters.
Louise: “…What business do you have.
Is it a street questionnaire survey about the royal capital’s new trends?”
When I asked while readjusting the paper bag of dolphin underwear in my hands‚ one man who was commanding at the very front of the unit stepped forward with quiet footsteps.
Unit Leader: “—Louise-dono‚ correct?”
Louise: “Indeed‚ I am that great Louise who entered the Royal Magic University this season as written-exam top.”
Unit Leader: “We are the special unit of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
The moment that identity-proof word was released‚ the murmurs of the surrounding citizens swelled further into an even larger explosion of sound.
Citizen G: “Th-The National Security Bureau!? The real behind-the-scenes officials who handle genuine national treason!”
Citizen H: “Is it real? Don’t make eye contact! You’ll be erased!”
Citizen I: “Don’t tell me that lovely girl wearing an overly sexy oversized men’s T-shirt (looking pantsless underneath) is the boss of some terrorist who’s going to destroy the nation…!?”
I frowned my beautifully arranged brows with genuine displeasure.
The National Security Bureau.
Any young female student attending the Royal Magic University knew that dreadful name as general knowledge.
It was the absolute dark organization of the nation that specialized in dealing with major special-grade magical crimes that secretly occurred within the kingdom and terrorist incidents that directly concerned the survival of the royal family.
At the very least‚ it was by no means the kind of opponent that a good and harmless ordinary citizen would be multilaterally surrounded by in broad daylight in front of a glamorous lingerie shop while holding a paper bag of highest-class underwear (dolphin pants).
Louise: “…So? What unreasonable business do you have with me?”
Unit Leader: “Louise-dono.
You currently have a major criminal suspicion that shakes the foundation of the nation placed upon you.”
Louise: “—Suspicion‚ is it?”
Unit Leader: “Yes.”
The black-clad commander stated bureaucratically without mixing any emotion parameters.
Unit Leader: “Regarding the spacetime coordinates of ‘a certain super-special-grade item’ that you unlawfully listed a few minutes ago onto the sanctioned auction system operated directly by the Royal Adventurers’ Guild.”
—My multidimensional internal calculation process.
At the moment that single word was thrust at me‚ physically stopped (froze) completely.
Louise: “…Sanctioned… auction… is it?”
Unit Leader: “Yes.
Regarding the officially unopened drop box of the fifth-underground-floor guardian 《Earth Guardian》.
It has been judged extremely likely to be a highly sophisticated fake that deceived national highest analysis magic‚ or stolen national property improperly taken from the national treasury.”
Louise: “…………”
I slowly blinked repeatedly as if debugging a reality bug.
And then.
Louise: “…………Ah.”
I let out an extremely vacant‚ pathetic voice small from the back of my throat.
Without noticing my abnormality‚ Charlotte beside me frowned suspiciously.
Charlotte: “Just a moment! You people‚ what on earth have you been saying this whole time!?”
Charlotte held down the hem of the matching oversized T-shirt and‚ with the high-class pride of a distinguished young lady in her chest‚ stepped forward resolutely in front of the black-clad men.
Charlotte: “Louise-san listing national stolen goods on the market‚ you say? There is no such shameless and absurd reason! She is merely an extremely poor tightwad female student whose wallet contents do not even have a single krona remaining!”
Unit Leader: “Ordinary young lady‚ withdraw quietly.
This is a first-grade official emergency investigation by the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
Charlotte: “Even so‚ surrounding a non-resisting girl with a large number of armed people on a main street in broad daylight where royal-capital citizens are watching—”
Louise: “—Charlotte-san‚ that is enough.”
I stopped her noble protest from behind with an extremely quiet‚ chilling voice I had never used before.
Charlotte: “…Louise… san?”
I remained unable to move a muscle while staring at the black-clad special unit blocking the way in front of me.
And then.
I slowly‚ painfully held my own head with wet slender hands.
Louise: “…So that is how it was.”
Charlotte: “Eh‚ what is‚ Louise-san?”
Louise: “Why…!”
My delicate shoulders began to tremble faintly yet surely‚ dyed with the parameters of despair.
Louise: “Why did someone like me… completely overlook such a basic and simple social calculation formula from my internal calculation…!”
Inside my brain cells.
All the missing-person events that had occurred over the past several days were rewound at a terrifying high-speed reverse-flow velocity and re-verified (debugged).
Fifth underground floor‚ absolute spacetime guardian 《Earth Guardian》.
Defeated it betting underwear.
Obtained the myth-class unopened drop box.
Can sell it high to the royal capital’s collectors for the highest price of one million krona.
Yes! With this I’ll be rich enough to build my private research laboratory.
Hack the guild server and list it directly on the auction for immediate cashization (cash).
—End.
My thought process had completely stopped there.
Louise: “…”
I sank once more into the bottom of a deep-sea-like silence.
Far too short-circuited a thought timeline.
Louise: “If I had calmly performed worldly logical calculation (logic) for even a single second…”
I muttered with tremendous regret as if vomiting blood.
Louise: “Something like that super-special-grade drop item of the fifth-floor boss that ordinary students should not be able to reach… if I suddenly listed it under a private name directly onto the kingdom’s official market—it would inevitably be suspected as an anomalous bug (alert) by the national information surveillance net…!”
Unit Leader: “…”
The black-clad men looked at each other suspiciously at the suspect’s own raw self-analysis.
Louise: “Moreover‚ while no kingdom military official subjugation expedition record exists at the present time whatsoever.”
Unit Leader: “…”
Louise: “If such a mythic relic descended onto the market‚ it would be an unmerciful screening algorithm that would naturally suspect either a ‘data forgery’ that deceived the guild’s highest security or a ‘national property theft’ improperly seized from the palace underground treasury…!”
Unit Leader: “…”
In my amber eyes‚ tears of regret gradually welled up.
Louise: “Why did someone like me overlook such an extremely simple bug in social convention…!”
Plop.
A single tear coldly fell along my cheek.
A strange and absurd silence visited the main street of the royal capital.
And—it was the next instant.
Unit Leader: “—As expected‚ an outrageous extreme national criminal!!”
The black-clad unit leader shouted with delight as if he had taken a demon’s head.
Unit Leader: “Look! Unable to endure the weight of the grave sin she committed and the pangs of conscience‚ she has finally resigned herself and begun confessing while shedding tears!”
Special Operative A: “Suspicion confirmed (complete)‚ Captain.”
Special Operative B: “No mistake. This skill means she is an operative of an international spy organization.”
Special Operative C: “The muttering she had been doing earlier was calculating the next hacking plan for evidence destruction inside her head!”
Special Operative D: “Breaking down in tears from fear before the overwhelming pressure of our National Security Bureau is irrefutable evidence that she was plotting considerable national treason behind the scenes!”
Louise: “Even if heaven and earth were turned upside down it is absolutely not!!”
I hurriedly raised my tearful face and protested with full force.
Louise: “The reason I shed tears just now is only because I received a desperate mental shock at my own foolishness for mixing a basic social-standing miss (environmental error) into the perfect calculation formula I had constructed!”
Unit Leader: “A truly unsightly excuse‚ Louise-dono.
Those tears already tell everything.”
Louise: “It’s true! These precious tears of mine are the tightwad tears of sorrow that the future of immediately cashing the physical asset (drop box) into one million krona cash has receded!”
Toto: “Well well‚ leave it at that‚ yourself.”
At that moment‚ Toto peeped his usual daifuku-mochi face from my shoulder.
Toto: “The parameter of the huge sum of one million krona right in front of the eyes can sometimes even blind a genius’s multidimensional thinking‚ y’know.”
Louise: “Guh…!”
I strongly pressed the chest of my T-shirt as if my physical heart had been directly struck.
Louise: “…It hits‚ Toto.
Please don’t thrust at my logical weakest point with such proper economic righteousness…”
Toto: “Think of this incident as expensive tuition (life debugging) and properly reflect at home as the asset manager‚ okay?”
Louise: “…Yes.”
I had no choice but to honestly admit my tightwad defeat before the familiar’s perfect righteousness.
Kamekichi stretched his neck short from the hem of my T-shirt with an eerie wild instinct.
Kamekichi: “Kyui…”
And while moistening his small eyes‚ he threw an extremely straightforward question into our heads.
Kamekichi: (—Are we going to be forcibly moved from the supreme retirement life where we never have to work again into a cold underground prison?)
To that naked anxiety‚ Toto crossed his short forelegs and thought a little coldly.
Toto: “Well‚ since the main culprit Louise-han is going to be arrested on the highest suspicion of national treason‚ we mascot group who are her official familiars will inevitably be taken along as a set—that’s the rule of capitalism‚ ain’t it?”
Kamekichi: “Kyuiiii!? (NEET life ended before it even started!)”
Toto: “But well‚ don’t tremble your shell in such despair‚ newcomer.
Even the latest underground prison (confinement place) the royal capital prides itself on and that extreme-poverty student-dorm room where Louise-han currently lives aren’t that different in comfort parameters for survival living environment‚ so relax.”
Kamekichi: “…”
Kamekichi sank into a sorrowful silence as if his foundation as a living being had been shaken.
Kamekichi: “Kyui… (Cold sweat is turning into tears…)”
Toto: “What‚ Kamekichi‚ still got something to say?”
Kamekichi: “…So our current ongoing living standard (my home) was equivalent to the nation’s highest-level prison where criminals are locked up…”
Toto: “No‚ if anything‚ since three meals of barley rice are properly managed every day‚ the nation’s managed prison is overwhelmingly better than here.”
Kamekichi: “Kyuiiii… (It was below a genuine black company…)”
Louise: “—Just a moment‚ whose sacred private living standard is below a national underground prison!!”
I raised a fierce protest in front of the black-clad men‚ having had the final defense line of social dignity infringed.
Toto: “Who? Yourself.
I just listed objective physical facts (data).”
Louise: “I am only performing the minimum rational calorie intake (bean sprouts) in order to maximize magical research funds!”
Toto: “That’s just an express train toward malnutrition.”
Louise: “Besides‚ I also have a solid bed that completely shuts out wind and rain!”
Toto: “Just a cold flooring with not a single micron of heating equipment.”
Louise: “I even have a soft fluffy futon that I brought from my parents’ home and use with care!”
Toto: “Just a hand-me-down straw futon from a rural farmhouse that looks like it would breed insects.”
Louise: “Why is my delicate private poverty problem being exposed in such detail on this main street in broad daylight‚ of all places in front of the National Security Bureau!?”
Unit Leader: “—That’s enough. The suspect (defendant) be quiet.”
Louise: “I am not a defendant since I have not yet gone through a formal trial!”
Before the poverty manzai of me and Toto that no longer looked like a shopping-return‚ the black-clad special unit of the National Security Bureau looked at each other again in great bewilderment.
And the unit leader deliberately cleared his throat loudly as if forcibly sweeping away the out-of-place comedy atmosphere.
Unit Leader: “…Ahem.
Anyway.”
Louise: “Yes‚ what is it‚ Unit Leader-san.”
Unit Leader: “Louise-dono.”
Louise: “Yes.”
Unit Leader: “Would you quietly accompany us to the Security Bureau headquarters together with us?”
Louise: “Is that ‘forced execution (arrest)’ accompanied by clear legal binding force and a physical arrest warrant?”
Unit Leader: “No.
At the current investigation status it is merely a ‘voluntary accompaniment’ procedure according to the law.”
Louise: “If I refuse that accompaniment for scientific reasons?”
Unit Leader: “It will only be regarded as clear treason against our national organ and the suspicion of national overthrow will deepen several more stages.”
Louise: “…”
Unit Leader: “Well‚ we are gentlemen (officials) too‚ so we won’t force it‚ but.”
Louise: “Then shall I politely decline today because I am tired from consuming brain calories on the shopping tour?”
Unit Leader: “—At that moment we will immediately summon a special express arrest warrant via magical communication and shift to forcible use of force by all surrounding unit members.”
Louise: “That means‚ both probabilistically and mathematically‚ the only choice left for me from the beginning is ‘go’!”
Unit Leader: “That’s why I’m saying it is still voluntary of your own will.”
Louise: “The system specification is absolutely not voluntary even if heaven and earth are turned upside down‚ right!?”
I let out a long sigh as if thoroughly fed up.
There was not a single logical merit in causing unreasonable violence here for useless resistance and attempting a full-naked-purge escape drama in the middle of the royal capital.
At the very least‚ that fifth-underground-floor boss drop box was legitimate spoils that I had erased and won with my own strength‚ and was by no means stolen goods.
Nor was it forged data.
The real thing was also safely held in my hands (inside the invisible multidimensional expansion pocket) right now.
If I just properly explained the circumstances with formulas in the Security Bureau isolation room‚ all environmental errors (suspicions) should clear beautifully.
—Well‚ probably‚ from the standpoint of probability theory.
Louise: “…Well‚ I understand.
It’s absurd‚ but I’ll yield.”
I nodded calmly‚ completely excluding emotion parameters.
Louise: “If I prove the objective facts (evidence) and all errors (suspicions) clear‚ then there will be no blame and full acquittal‚ correct?”
Unit Leader: “Yes‚ of course that is so.”
Louise: “Then‚ since I don’t want to consume useless resources‚ I will obediently comply.”
The black-clad men froze with slightly surprised faces completely let down by my overly rational resignation.
Unit Leader: “…Quite an understanding and obedient suspect‚ aren’t you.”
Toto: (No‚ yourself already sufficiently and clearly argued your poverty private life in front of the nation’s upper echelons!!)
Though he did not voice it‚ Toto on my shoulder was overwriting a tremendous retort in his heart.
Toto: (These black-clad national officials narrowed the siege net themselves and cornered us‚ and what play are they even trying to produce—absurd‚ yaa)
Even Kamekichi was deeply nodding his head under the hem of my T-shirt as if fiercely agreeing with Toto’s exasperated inner voice.
Louise: “Above all‚ if I wastefully offer legal resistance and get injured‚ the medical expenses I would have to extract from my private funds would be a waste‚ after all.”
Unit Leader: “There’s a limit to utilitarianism….
Then‚ Louise-dono.”
The unit leader clad in the jet-black anti-magic cloak smoothly pointed toward the windowless‚ imposing black carriage waiting at the side of the main street.
Unit Leader: “Quiet accompaniment to the National Security Bureau headquarters.”
As I was about to obediently comply with that request and take a step—.
Suddenly‚ as if recalling some extremely important environmental parameter from my internal economic tasks‚ I stopped my feet again.
Louise: “Come to think of it‚ one scientific question.”
Unit Leader: “…What is it this time?”
Louise: “During interrogation at your headquarters‚ is ‘meals’ provided free of charge to the suspect (suspect)?”
Unit Leader: “…Huh?”
Louise: “Actually today I only put several bean sprouts into my stomach for budget reduction since morning‚ and the energy resupply for lunch at the present time has not yet been completed.”
The National Security Bureau special-unit leader was struck speechless by a question that destroyed the tension of interrogation at the atomic level‚ and sank into deep silence for a while.
Unit Leader: “…We are a national organ that executes the kingdom’s legitimate law.
No matter how major a suspect (terrorist)‚ we absolutely never take barbaric measures such as starving them through improper humanitarian violation (abuse).”
Louise: “In other words‚ to summarize?”
Unit Leader: “It means that when the prescribed meal timeline arrives‚ the official-issue lunchbox supplied by the nation will properly come out on schedule…”
Louise: “—System approval‚ wonderful!”
I nodded with the purest full smile of the day as if all survival conditions had beautifully meshed and been confirmed.
And I made a voice more cheerful than anything resonate.
Louise: “I’m really glad! With this‚ today’s living expenses (food costs) of mine have completely floated by one meal systematically!”
Unit Leader: “—What is ‘glad’ about it! This is the scene of transporting a suspect of national treason!!”
Louise: “Fine parameters are unnecessary.
Then‚ since I’m hungry‚ let’s go right away! To the Security Bureau cafeteria in that splendid black carriage of yours!”
While carefully cradling the paper bag containing the highest-class underwear (dolphin pants) from the high-class lingerie shop in my slender arms‚ I began walking toward the jet-black prisoner carriage myself with strangely light and cheerful footsteps.
In the form of seeing off that extremely defenseless back of mine from behind—.
Toto: “…No good. This full-naked witch is the real genuine article after all.”
Toto muttered a pitying voice with distant eyes as if witnessing the end of the world’s moral sense.
Toto: “This one is fully intending to completely hack the highest dark part of national power as a ‘free soup kitchen for legally freeloading free meals.’”
Kamekichi: “Kyui? (…Seriously?)”
Kamekichi raised an agreeing voice while making his small eyes shine brilliantly from the hem of my T-shirt.
Kamekichi: (—Toto-aniki‚ is the free-meal budget for us also included in that national lunchbox or whatever?)
Toto: “Dunno.
In the worst case‚ newcomer.
Since you’re just an identity-unknown mysterious magical beast‚ you might be forcibly seized by the nation as an eerie evidence item (asset) of this incident and then sliced on the dissection table of a research lab.”
Kamekichi: “Kyuiiiiiii!? (Ranked up from genuine black company to genuine death-row inmate—!!)”
Then Charlotte‚ who had been quietly watching the situation amid Louise’s excessive tightwad rampage‚ stamped her bare feet in the matching oversized T-shirt and vigorously stepped out in front of the black-clad men.
Charlotte: “—Please wait‚ National Security Bureau officials!”
The men turned around warily without loosening their hands on the concealed weapons at that majestic arrogant voice.
Charlotte: “If you are taking Louise-san‚ then we too will accompany you in that jet-black carriage! That is fine‚ correct‚ you people!”
Entourage A: “Of course‚ Charlotte-sama!”
Entourage B: “Treating us as suspicious persons is absurd. Let us boldly testify Louise-san’s complete innocence before the surveillance bureau!”
The two entourages also firmly raised their voices in matching oversized T-shirts while flanking their mistress.
Louise: “Charlotte-san‚ and everyone as well…?”
Charlotte: “—It is a best friend’s desperate pinch (missing)! There is no way a person without pride who coldly overlooks this exists in a distinguished bloodline!”
Charlotte thrust out her chest with the absolute pride of a distinguished family over the men’s T-shirt with excess fabric.
Charlotte: “Louise-san is innocent of national-treason theft even if heaven and earth are turned upside down!”
Charlotte: “Moreover…!”
Charlotte sharply raised her beautiful amber eyes and fiercely glared at the black-clad special men.
Charlotte: “Leaving behind the benefactor who saved us from the abyss while we alone soak in warm rose baths and return to the safe student dormitory is a choice that does not exist at all in the calculation formula of my ethical view!”
Unit Leader: “However‚ ordinary young lady‚ the only one we are requesting voluntary accompaniment procedure for at the current operation stage is Louise-dono who possesses the main-culprit registered account.”
Charlotte: “Then‚ regardless of procedure‚ we will arbitrarily run after your carriage like stalkers!”
Unit Leader: “—Huh?”
Charlotte: “Because a precious friend is being unreasonably surrounded by the violence (encirclement formation) of national power on a main street in broad daylight!”
Charlotte grasped my arm over the sleeve of the oversized men’s T-shirt with her white slender hands flushed from the bath‚ firmly‚ strongly‚ yet gently as if it might break.
Charlotte: “Letting you go alone into that terrifying dark interrogation-room abyss… the pride (noblesse oblige) flowing in my blood will never permit it even if heaven and earth split!”
I slightly rounded my eyes‚ my eyelashes trembling a little at those warm words (parameters) that could never be reduced to formulas yet melted the depths of my chest.
Louise: “…Charlotte-san.”
Charlotte: “What is it? Making such a humble face.”
Louise: “—Thank you for maintaining this joint front (friendship).
As an asset manager (tightwad)‚ it is extremely probabilistically reassuring.”
Charlotte: “Hmph‚ of course.
We are the kind of relationship that split social dignity (shared) equally‚ after all.”
Charlotte gently averted her gaze from me toward the stone pavement diagonally below and smiled a little proudly‚ as if hiding embarrassment.
The ordinary citizens of the royal capital who had been holding their breath and watching from a distance the entire absurd transport uproar involving the main street were whispering to each other with suspicious faces.
Citizen J: “Oi‚ is that girl in the oversized T-shirt really an extreme major criminal who’s going to destroy the nation?”
Citizen K: “But that cold National Security Bureau special unit came in broad daylight to secure her in person.”
Citizen L: “Just what did she pull off in the middle of the royal capital?”
Citizen M: “Dunno‚ no data.”
Citizen N: “But looking at her tearful face surrounded by comrades‚ she looks like an ordinary lovely female student no matter how you look at it.”
Citizen O: “No‚ you’re being deceived.
That girl just came out of that highest-class lingerie shop carefully holding a paper bag of cute ribboned underwear‚ and was locked on and caught by the national organ at second speed.”
Citizen P: “…What major military crime shaking the foundation of the nation is supposed to occur at the storefront of a high-class lingerie shop?”
Citizen Q: “Who knows… with our ordinary citizens’ internal calculation‚ we can’t even imagine a single thing.”
Not a single person living in this present world knew the logical answer to that absurd causality.
And—even the main culprit (party concerned) myself as well.
That several tens of minutes later.
I would be seriously asked in front of the nation’s important adults for a “shameless magical proof (pants-purge explanation)” that would overturn and pulverize from the root not only the kingdom’s highest surveillance organ but the common sense of the nation defined by this world‚ and even multidimensional physical laws themselves.
Still‚ the sense of that catastrophic future did not exist even a single micron on the hard disk inside my head.
For the rare genius magician Louise‚ the most important and highest-priority concern parameter at this instant of boarding the prisoner carriage was—.
Louise: “Whether the national lunchbox that the Kingdom National Security Bureau will provide free of charge for the suspect’s humanitarian protection (free) will properly contain juicy and delicious high-class meat (resources).”
—Just that matter concerning the happiness of my stomach alone.
The general headquarters of the Kingdom National Security Bureau majestically sat in the deepest part of the central administrative district isolated from the worldly clamor of the royal capital.
Solid white marble stone walls.
Spy surveillance towers soaring sharply as if piercing the heavens.
Every window glass was layered with highest-grade anti-magic barriers‚ and at the iron-black main entrance heavily armed guards carefully selected from the kingdom’s regular knight order stood in a row like statues.
An absolute symbol of national power and awe that a good ordinary citizen would never cross the threshold of even once in a lifetime.
Louise: “…Quite a large structure with multidimensional building costs invested.”
Lowered from the black prisoner carriage and looking up at that overwhelming majesty‚ I leaked an extremely flat asset-manager impression.
Charlotte: “The focus of the impression is only there!?”
Right beside me‚ Charlotte frowned her beautiful brows as if she could not believe it.
Charlotte: “This is the headquarters of the National Security Bureau!!”
Louise: “Yes‚ I know it as characters (data).”
Charlotte: “It is the dark part that specializes in dealing with major special-grade magical crimes that secretly occur within the kingdom and terrorism that shakes the survival of the nation!!”
Louise: “I am also thoroughly aware of that as general knowledge (literacy) of the Royal Magic University.”
Charlotte: “Louise-san! Please‚ as a demure woman‚ would it not be fine for you to feel extreme tension that makes your body shrink a little more!?”
Louise: “—I am‚ even allocating several percent of internal calculation resources for it.”
I answered with a poker face inherited from my master‚ completely serious.
And then—.
Louise: “…Whether a warm cafeteria that properly serves meat on schedule is operating normally inside this solid facility is the only thing that worries me.”
Charlotte: “—The vector of tension is worldly (there) no matter how far!!!”
Charlotte’s scream that beautifully shattered a young lady’s pride beautifully echoed in front of the kingdom’s highest administrative organ.
Behind our barren tightwad exchange.
Entourage A: “…As expected of our Louise-sama…!”
Entourage B: “Even when transported into the middle of a place of death that is rumored one cannot leave alive‚ she never loses herself (her bottomless appetite)…!”
The two entourages were directing passionate worshipful gazes at me while somehow overflowing with tears of emotion.
Toto: “Young ladies‚ objectively from the ethical view‚ that is absolutely not being praised even a single micron.”
Toto muttered in an exasperated voice on my shoulder.
Kamekichi: “Kyui…”
Under the hem of my men’s T-shirt‚ Kamekichi at my feet also nodded deeply.
Kamekichi: (—As Toto-aniki says‚ my parameters are also at the limit from being too hungry toward that meat lunchbox or whatever.)
Louise: “Kamekichi-san has been consistently talking only about that survival instinct (bait) the whole time.”
Toto: “As a living being‚ it’s a fundamental and natural rights demand for living a comfortable parasitic life without wanting to work.”
Louise: “When a lazy shit-NEET (magical beast) says it‚ the weight of the dignity of life somehow vanishes at the atomic level.”
While exchanging such exchanges with not a shred of the tension one would expect from a party of national-treason suspects‚ we were prompted by the special black-clad men and passed through the heavy iron-black main entrance of the National Security Bureau.
—And.
The very moment we stepped into that solemn entrance hall.
The magical air filling the interior of the building froze in an instant with physical mass‚ crackling.
Bureau Member A: “…”
Bureau Member B: “…!?”
Bureau Member C: “…Oi‚ no way‚ is that the…?”
Bureau Member D: “…No mistake. That female operative with the code name ‘Louise.’”
The vast all-marble entrance hall.
Reception bureau members at the counter.
Senior staff hurriedly walking while carrying mountains of top-secret magical documents.
Special combat magicians who seemed to have been on break.
Even the regular knights on guard who happened to pass through the corridor further inside—.
The sharp gazes of the dozens of elites crowding the place concentrated in a straight line on me with tremendous pressure as if shooting prey.
Louise: “…Just what is it?”
I stopped on the all-marble floor with a suspicious look.
I looked down at my current coordinate (clothing) again.
Today I was wearing the “large men’s T-shirt (※ completely pantsless under the fabric) procured from Professor Ellight’s room‚” an extremely ordinary and functional room wear.
At the very least‚ it was by no means the full-naked (holy-naked) state that had bugged the transparent dress of yesterday and before.
Louise: “Why am I receiving such passionate heated gazes from all directions from the academy’s elite surveillance officers.
Incomprehensible and mysterious.”
Charlotte: “That is…”
Charlotte started to say something but swallowed the continuation midway.
Because—even she herself could not fully understand why such abnormal caution parameters (attention degree) were being allocated to a single female student in this heart of the nation.
Around us‚ small murmurs were already quietly spreading among the bureau members like ominous ripples.
Bureau Member E: “Oi‚ did that female operative… really hack-list the drop item of the fifth-floor master?”
Bureau Member F: “Is such an event physically possible?”
Bureau Member G: “In the first place‚ adventurers who can maintain a survival route to the fifth underground floor are only a handful of legendary heroes even in the wide kingdom.”
Bureau Member H: “Moreover‚ no official military subjugation record related to this incident exists no matter where you search.”
Bureau Member I: “Rumor is she’s a brand-new student who just entered the Royal Magic University.
That girl?”
Bureau Member J: “Still a child student? From the fourth floor onward is the Domain of Death that the kingdom government does not officially recommend entering…”
Bureau Member K: “Then is it after all stolen goods improperly seized from some special-grade guild or the palace vault?”
Bureau Member L: “But then from whom‚ by what method‚ did she steal it while deceiving that highest security?”
Bureau Member M: “Dunno.
In the end it’s just an urban legend with embellishments attached.”
They did not know.
No one in this space possessed the equation of logical truth.
That is why—the gigantic and arrogant bureaucratic apparatus called the National Security Bureau had moved in person even to the front of this out-of-place lingerie shop‚ staking its prestige and military power.
While receiving the gazes full of awe and suspicion from the surroundings‚ I muttered at my own pace.
Louise: “…Somehow it feels as if I have become a tremendously popular hero who saved the royal capital.”
Charlotte: “Louise-san.”
Louise: “Yes‚ what is it‚ Charlotte-san.”
Charlotte: “…It is very difficult to say‚ but probably this is not a scene where you can carelessly loosen your cheeks and rejoice even if heaven and earth are turned upside down.”
Louise: “Is that so? From the standpoint of probability theory I am being fawned over.”
Charlotte: “Greatly so.
Those people’s eyes are appraising you as a major villain who will destroy the nation.”
Guided wordlessly without even the rustle of clothing by the black-clad special bureau members in anti-magic cloaks‚ we advanced into the special national section sealed even deeper underground—the deepest part of the heavy building.
◇
—National Security Bureau · Underground Special Interrogation Room.
A thick soundproof magical wooden door with multiple layers of special lead cast into it closed with a heavy sealing sound‚ gogo go.
Seated in the center of the room was a large‚ cold‚ inorganic iron desk.
On the other side‚ several senior bureau members of the National Security Bureau stood in an orderly row with stern faces like blades of causality.
And—a man who could be discerned at a glance to possess even higher absolute power and cold intellect than the field unit leader who had surrounded us in front of the underwear shop earlier was deeply seated in the central leather chair.
The man’s age was mid-fifties.
Hair neatly mixed with white neatly arranged.
Raptor eyes that seemed to shoot prey to the bottom of the abyss.
Finger movements that were silence itself‚ with all waste mass shaved off.
He was a man who wore pressure like the grim reaper of the present world from his entire body just by sitting there‚ with a history of coldly handling countless vicious magical incidents and other countries’ conspiracies in the dark parts of the kingdom for many years.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “—I am the Special Interrogation Bureau Chief of the Kingdom National Security Bureau‚ Royal Capital Headquarters.”
Louise: “Nice to meet you‚ asset-manager Bureau Chief-san.
I am Louise who entered the Royal Magic University this season as written-exam top.”
Even in the no-guard state of the matching oversized T-shirt‚ I elegantly gave a light bow without a single micron of fear‚ tilting my white slender neck.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “I will omit all wasteful preliminary interrogation.
I will have you confirm this suspicion (parameter) immediately.”
Louise: “Yes‚ please ask anything in formulas.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “The special-grade item you are currently improperly listing directly onto the Adventurers’ Guild sanctioned auction system.
…Do you currently possess the physical original of it in this place?”
Louise: “Yes‚ of course I have it.”
I nodded with a poker face‚ completely calm.
Louise: “After the national voluntary accompaniment ends and I set out on the return path‚ I planned to directly deposit the real thing at the guild window for cashization (exchange procedure).”
Having stated that flatly.
I slipped my white slender hand into the space of the “four-dimensional expansion pocket (hidden inventory)” of the invisible multidimensional magical dress I was wearing.
And then—.
—Thud.
I carelessly placed an enigmatic cubic box (out-of-place artifact) emitting a dull five-colored light accompanied by spacetime distortion onto the cold iron metal desk‚ as if tossing away worthless trash.
Louise: “—Yes‚ the real thing in question is this.”
At that instant (setsuna)‚ the air of the sealed underground special interrogation room.
Completely‚ with physical mass and shudder‚ froze crackling.
Senior Bureau Member A: “…”
Senior Bureau Member B: “…”
Senior Bureau Member C: “…”
None of the national elite bureau members standing around immediately tried to stretch their own hands toward that anomalous box on the desk.
Because—it was.
The deepest part of the underground labyrinth‚ fifth floor.
The absolute guardian that sat there‚ 《Earth Guardian》.
A mythic monster whose terrifying form only a handful of silver-grade heroes in the kingdom had ever seen while alive.
It was genuine “unopened drop item” bearing powerful spacetime magic that physically distorted the surrounding atmosphere‚ the irrefutable proof of complete defeat.
Senior Bureau Member D: “This is… truly the genuine…”
One senior bureau member standing behind the bureau chief swallowed hard under the pressure and leaked a hoarse small voice.
Senior Bureau Member D: “A relic of the fifth-floor 《Earth Guardian》…?”
Louise: “Yes‚ that’s right.”
I answered bureaucratically as if it were a matter-of-course mathematical fact.
Louise: “An unopened drop box of highest-purity material that is solidly one million gold krona on a market-price basis.”
Senior Bureau Member D: “…”
Louise: “Is something the matter? Making such strained faces all of you.”
Senior Bureau Member D: “No…”
The senior bureau member was overwhelmed by my excessively thick-skinned attitude and could not continue the causality of words any further‚ falling silent.
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief never took his raptor eyes off the ominous small box on the desk for even an instant and ordered shortly and coldly.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “—Immediately‚ the first-grade appraisal chief.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Call him here.”
Bureau Member: “Already.”
The bureau member standing rigidly at attention beside the soundproof door answered immediately with a communicator in one hand.
Bureau Member: “Upon receiving the emergency alert report from the field unit‚ the ‘First Highest Appraisal Chief’ directly under the palace has canceled all schedules and is waiting in another room.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…Quite fast movement.”
Bureau Member: “Yes‚ upon hearing the overview (log) of the hacking listing onto the guild auction this time‚ he seems to have taken extraordinary interest from a magical-archaeology standpoint.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Is that so. Convenient.”
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief briefly nodded his white-browed face vertically.
And then—the heavy soundproof door with lead cast into it was opened again with a heavy sound‚ gogo go.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—Excuse me.”
What quietly entered the underground special interrogation room was a dignified old man with a splendid white beard grown to his chest.
However‚ he was by no means a mere withered old man.
He wore a pure-white ceremonial long robe (robe) without a single micron of dirt‚ and on his left chest the dazzling gold-thread crest indicating absolute authority directly under the royal family shone sacredly.
On his slender waist he functionally wore several advanced magical appraisal tools that concentrated the essence of national technology‚ and further behind him two elite assistants carefully carrying complex multidimensional measuring instruments followed in perfect step.
Louise: “…Quite an old man who spends exaggerated costs on the ceremony (demonstration).”
When I muttered small about the poor budget efficiency while looking at that imposing picture.
Charlotte: “Just a moment Louise-san‚ that is far too disrespectful! That gentleman is the ‘First Highest Appraisal Chief directly under the palace’!!”
Charlotte panicked and‚ while tightening the collar of the oversized T-shirt‚ desperately whispered into my ear.
Louise: “Directly under the palace‚ is it.
So what does that mean for my asset management (splitting)?”
Charlotte: “That’s why! That person is the highest peak of magical appraisal in this kingdom and a living myth of national-treasure class!”
Louise: “Heh‚ I see.”
I finally moved a little pure intellectual curiosity toward the economic value of that old man.
Louise: “Is the precision of his appraisal eye that high?”
Charlotte: “It is not a worldly dimension of high precision!”
Louise: “Then if this old man high-precision-declares the box I brought as ‘genuine‚’ it will be officially recognized by the nation as asset value (genuine)‚ correct?”
Charlotte: “…In a proper world line‚ basically yes.”
Louise: “Normally‚ is it?”
Charlotte: “Yes….
But when faced with Louise-san who has left common sense behind‚ the sound of that proper word ‘normal’ is the most unsettling and frightening as a maiden…”
The First Highest Appraisal Chief directly under the palace quietly approached the dull-light-emitting out-of-place artifact on the metal desk.
For a while he carefully read the subtle multidimensional magic waves emitted from the cubic box inside his head and uttered not a single character of words.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “…”
The old man slowly stretched one hand covered in wrinkles carved with the knowledge of many years into empty space.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—No one approach the subject any further carelessly.”
It was a low‚ hard voice that seemed to lower the underground room temperature to below freezing.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “From now I will immediately deploy the national highest-standard ‘Isolation Automatic Appraisal Barrier’ against the subject.”
Assistant A: “Yes! Immediately!”
The two elite assistants fluidly drove with trained‚ waste-free movements in perfect unison.
High-purity magic-extraction magic stones.
Polyhedral crystals that amplify spatial magic detection.
And a set of sealing tools that physically block all interference of causality from outside.
Those ultra-expensive national assets were successively arranged around the iron desk as if drawing precise geometric patterns.
Eventually—on the cold floor of the special interrogation room‚ a gigantic five-colored magic circle so dazzling it seemed about to burn out the retinas rose arrogantly.
Charlotte: “Amazing… what a waste-free‚ beautiful magical construction circuit…”
Charlotte muttered admiration as a magician at the beauty of that national highest-peak formula construction.
Kamekichi: “Kyui… (This is bad‚ the magic is too dense and I’m being pressured…)”
Kamekichi also slightly shrank his green short neck into his shell‚ intimidated by the overwhelming magic-density pressure overflowing from the marble floor.
Toto: “What‚ yourself.
Just investigating one drop item and such an excessively grandiose large-scale setup.”
Toto looked down at the five-colored magic circle coloring the floor from my shoulder with thoroughly bored‚ cold half-lidded eyes.
Toto: “Just appraising an unopened gacha box that was rolling at the bottom of the labyrinth‚ right?”
Louise: “Is it not because it is work staking absolute national pride and prestige as directly under the palace that cannot produce a bug?”
Toto: “No‚ even so‚ the magic (wasteful resources) being consumed is too much just for confirming a mere deduction asset‚ seriously.”
And then—the First Highest Appraisal Chief directly under the palace greatly spread his white hands into the jet-black empty space.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—First Authentication (Phase One)!”
A sharp sound rang in space and a vivid flash ran.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “Material composition of the subject‚ completely confirmed inside the head!”
A faint‚ precise net of five-colored light covered the surface of the item on the metal desk as if scanning cells.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—Second Authentication (Phase Two)!”
Further drive of the old magician’s chant.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “Contained residual magic (zanshi)‚ confirmation of the wave of causality!”
The sealed air of the underground special interrogation room began to tremble with high-frequency vibration that stung the skin.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—Final Third Authentication (Phase Three)!”
The gigantic magic circle drawn on the floor released one stage further stronger‚ explosive dazzling light and dyed the entire room white like midday.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “Existence event information‚ complete matching against the kingdom’s master data!”
All the bureau members standing in the room without exception held their breath and completely stopped biological breathing while staring at the numerical values on the screen.
In the middle of that historical tension timeline that could decide the fate of the nation.
I was slightly tilting my delicate neck while playing a little with the collar of the oversized T-shirt.
Louise: “…”
Charlotte: “Just a moment‚ Louise-san‚ what is it? Looking at the screen with such a frowning‚ dissatisfied face.”
Charlotte approached desperately in a low voice while sweating coldly from tension.
Louise: “No… somehow I noticed at this very moment as accurate physical data that my internal energy (sugar) has been depleted and I am fiercely hungry.”
Charlotte: “—Why now! In this fateful moment when the gears of the kingdom’s history are greatly upheaving‚ of all times do you specially interject that tightwad calorie-minus talk!?”
Charlotte: “That is… as mathematical reasoning it is so correct that no sound can come out…!”
It was the very instant Charlotte panicked and tried to cover my mouth with her hand for a full-force retort.
The intense five-colored flash of the magic circle filling the space.
Suddenly‚ as if sound had disappeared from the world‚ smoothly melted into empty space and vanished.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “…”
The First Highest Appraisal Chief.
Slowly‚ quietly opened the white-browed eyes that had been closed with the knowledge of many years.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—From now I will state the final appraisal result for the physical asset.”
No one moved‚ could not move.
The robust special bureau members the National Security Bureau prided itself on.
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief.
The assistants holding their breath.
Charlotte in matching men’s T-shirt.
The two trembling entourages.
Toto on my shoulder.
Kamekichi on the floor.
And me.
The gazes of everyone present concentrated to the limit on one point—the old man’s hard mouth.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “This magical small box submitted onto the metal desk is—”
After a beat of heavy interval that felt like an eternal abyss‚ the old magician quietly stated the equation of truth.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “—Without falsehood in human history.
It is unmistakably the genuine ‘real thing (drop core).’”
Abyss-like‚ absolute silence.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
Senior Bureau Member: “…”
Bureau Member: “…”
Not a single person in this underground special interrogation room.
Could immediately chew the “terrifying spacetime destructive power (meaning)” possessed by the words released by that national-treasure-class old man with proper brain cells.
—And then.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…Huh?”
First‚ the Interrogation Bureau Chief with a hundred-battle-refined career leaked the most vacant voice of his life.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “First Highest Appraisal Chief‚ what did you just say….
Genuine‚ is it?”
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “Yes. In the structure of my eyes and the high-precision magical calculation algorithm transmitted in the royal family‚ there is not a single micron of deviation or bug parameter.”
The old magician asserted coldly without the slightest wavering or cloud in the pupils behind his white brows.
First Highest Appraisal Chief: “This is a complete ‘genuine unopened drop item’ that is forcibly generated as an event of this world only by the complete defeat of the absolute guardian of the fifth underground floor 《Earth Guardian》.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
The strict expression of the Special Interrogation Bureau Chief.
In an instant‚ as if invaded by a polar glacier‚ completely froze.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “—Then”
A low voice that crawled along the ground from the bottom of darkness.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…As expected‚ special-grade ‘stolen goods (not a replica)’ is it.”
The density of the tense air in the room again‚ accompanied by physical mass‚ tensed to the extreme.
Senior Bureau Member E: “That’s it! If it is improper stolen goods from the national treasury‚ then this event also has logical consistency in everything!”
One senior bureau member raised his voice with a desperate expression as if telling himself to preserve their sanity.
Senior Bureau Member E: “Some silver-grade special-grade adventurer secretly infiltrated and defeated it‚ and these suspicious Louise or whatever operatives intercepted (extorted) the glorious spoils via back routes…!”
Senior Bureau Member F: “Or else.”
Senior Bureau Member F: “It was stolen with advanced stealth magic from the palace’s highest spoils storage vault where past large-scale military subjugation units brought back at the risk of their lives and sealed strictly‚ either of those!”
Senior Bureau Member G: “That’s right‚ exactly!”
The Interrogation Bureau Chief rose from his chair as if a drowning person grasping at straws.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “—Immediately fully scan and confirm the database of special-grade theft damage reports within the kingdom over the past hundred years!”
Bureau Member: “Yes‚ executing immediately!”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “The drop cores of that fifth-floor boss under kingdom direct management.
Also visually confirm the current held storage total numbers by opening the vaults‚ every single one!”
Bureau Member: “Right away‚ connecting communication in a fraction of a second!”
Robust elite bureau members ran at ultra-high-speed shuffling steps toward the communication magical terminals as if spring-loaded.
I—while watching that great adult farce of the nation’s adults as if completely viewing someone else’s television screen‚ muttered.
Louise: “…Somehow the kingdom’s highest power organ (bureaucratic work) seems to have difficult parameter processing every day.”
Charlotte: “Just a moment‚ Louise-san.”
Louise: “What is it‚ Charlotte-san‚ I’m hungry.”
Charlotte: “—All the national-purge bugs occurring here are 100 percent caused by you (the root)!”
Louise: “…Fufu‚ put that way‚ it was indeed so.”
I extremely obediently beautifully admitted the fact of the tightwad illegal listing (hacking) I had set up.
Several minutes later.
The first information bureau member returned from the communication room rolling in with a completely changed complexion.
Information Bureau Member: “Special Interrogation Bureau Chief!”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “How was it? Was there a special-grade theft record matching Louise’s hacking account in the database!”
Information Bureau Member: “Regarding past theft and unlawful loss damage reports related to successive spoils of the fifth underground floor 《Earth Guardian》—”
For an instant.
The senior bureau member greatly inhaled as if witnessing a formula announcing the end of the world.
Information Bureau Member: “—Not a single case exists.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Not a single case‚ is it?”
Information Bureau Member: “Yes.
We traced everything second by second over the past ten years‚ but no official record of corresponding unlawful theft or loss exists in the data even a single case.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
The Interrogation Bureau Chief deepened the wrinkles between his seasoned brows and fell heavily silent.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Then what about the actual numbers of the highest managed items (national treasures) strictly sealed deep underground in the royal castle?”
Information Bureau Member: “Currently connecting encrypted communication to the guardian knights of the palace treasure vault and directly confirming actual numbers by opening the vaults!”
Further.
Physical time that allowed no delay passed heavily for several minutes.
Inside the soundproof underground special interrogation room‚ an eerie and strange silence of muddy torrent was flowing that seemed as if even the sound of a falling needle would echo in the space.
Apart from the adults’ panic.
I was carelessly leaning my delicate upper body against the backrest of the hard iron chair.
Louise: “…”
Charlotte: “Just a moment‚ Louise-san‚ what is it? Making such dead-fish vacant eyes.”
Charlotte held down the hem of the matching oversized T-shirt and asked uneasily in a low voice.
Louise: “—Fiercely idle‚ my internal hard disk is detecting boredom.”
Charlotte: “Please‚ as a single national-treason suspect‚ feel a little demure sacred tension!”
Louise: “I refuse.
Even if I accumulate numerical values of internal stress by useless tension here‚ the truth of the objective observation results (data) that will be produced from now will not change even by a single krona‚ correct?”
Charlotte: “That is… as mathematical reasoning it is so correct that no sound can come out…!”
And then—.
—Bang!!!!
The thick soundproof magical door of the interrogation room was opened as if violently sprung.
Highest Staff: “—Bureau Chief!!!!”
This time it was another highest staff of the information bureau.
His face was completely drained of blood and pale as if he had witnessed a genuine present-world ghost.
Highest Staff: “The final confirmation encrypted log from the palace has been obtained!”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Don’t rush. Calmly state the conclusion.”
Highest Staff: “Regarding all drop cores of successive fifth-floor 《Earth Guardian》 that the kingdom’s underground highest treasure vault is strictly storing with multiple physical seals—”
The highest staff.
There once.
Looked straight at me with eyes mixed with deep awe as if staring at the main body of a monster.
Highest Staff: “—All successive spoils (cores) are perfectly complete in number.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
Highest Staff: “The strict managed numbers recorded in the official ledger and the actual numbers of the real things currently sleeping in the treasure vault.
Not a single one has decreased.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
No one.
Could emit even a single character of words into the air of the present world.
It was not improper stolen goods (not a replica).
Nor a highly sophisticated fake that deceived magic.
Not a single one of the past nine defeat items that the kingdom had strictly managed by investing national treasury budget had been stolen from the vault.
—Then.
The myth-class out-of-place artifact currently carelessly rolling on the iron desk of this underground special interrogation room that was distorting the atmosphere.
From what causality of the world was it generated in the first place.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…Impossible. Is there such absurdity.”
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief who was feared as the grim reaper by royal-capital citizens muttered blankly as if his soul had left his body.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “It cannot be… such a breakdown of present-world logical calculation (logic)…”
In that cracked voice.
The overwhelming pressure as national power that had until moments ago been about to crush us was no longer remaining even a particle.
What was there was only pure “bewilderment” and bottomless “fear” as a single human toward an unknown event that had multidimensionaly exceeded the scope of his own intellect.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…Then‚ just what monster”
The bureau chief stared at the ominous cubic small box on the desk with his raptor eyes until holes opened.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Just who single-handedly erased the master of that fifth underground floor and obtained this…!?”
To that question that shook the foundation of the world‚ not a single person who could show a clear answer equation (data).
Existed nowhere even searching this gigantic bureaucratic apparatus that was the brain of the kingdom.
The Kingdom National Security Bureau.
Had assumed this was merely a crude “fake” that had deceived the highest security.
If so‚ it could be explained (processed) as much as one liked within the framework of the law as a simple worldly fraud crime.
Or they had thought it was “stolen goods” secretly torn from the palace treasure vault.
If so‚ it could be cleanly resolved by coldly sending it to the execution platform as a ready-made national treason crime.
But—this was the genuine “real thing.”
Moreover‚ it was not “stolen assets” from anywhere.
At the very moment that irrefutable objective fact was confirmed (complete).
The shopping-return transport drama that occurred in front of this lingerie shop.
From the domain of “simple magical crime” that they could properly judge with their hands.
Dramatically transformed its form into a complete “incomprehensible spacetime bug (mystery)” that overturned the kingdom’s common sense and even the physical laws of the world from the root.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
Leaden‚ absolute silence.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
A further abyss of silence in which everyone’s internal completely froze (rigidified)‚ far exceeding the limit numerical values of human intellect and elite bureaucrats’ thought capacity.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
And—in that sealed space swirling with a special-grade mystery that shook the foundation of the world.
I carelessly swayed the hem of the matching oversized T-shirt and‚ with a completely cloudless smile‚ beautifully raised my white slender right hand straight up.
Louise: “—Um‚ Special Interrogation Bureau Chief-san.
May I ask just one extremely rational and urgent question?”
The man called the grim reaper of the royal capital slowly turned the joints of his neck with a creaking sound like a broken machine whose oil had run out and looked at my expressionless face.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…What is it‚ Louise-dono.
A confession of the major truth that shakes the nation (the full picture of the hacking)?”
Louise: “No.
…Has my ‘promised meal (the delicious meat lunchbox of official-issue goods)’ with the nation not yet been supplied from the system?”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…………”
Louise: “As I explained earlier on the front line‚ today I only put several bean sprouts into my stomach for budget reduction since morning‚ so at the present time my physical parameters are fiercely hungry (energy depleted).”
Kamekichi: “Kyui! (My stomach has also broken through the limit!)”
Kamekichi also vigorously cried while making his small eyes shine brilliantly from the hem of my men’s T-shirt.
Toto: “That’s right‚ as the newcomer says.”
Toto also deeply‚ carelessly nodded while crossing his arms on my shoulder.
Toto: “Old man‚ the premise (contract) was that the nation would give free delicious lunchboxes‚ so we quietly moved the tightwad feet this far.
It’s about the time limit (statute of limitations) for fulfilling that promise.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…Pro…mise…?”
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief muttered small and vacant with a cracked voice while his eyes were about to go white from all worldly moral sense being destroyed.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “What on earth is the contract (promise) with the nation… I know no such document log…”
Louise: “What are you saying.
Just before being forcibly transported here‚ that black-clad unit leader in the jet-black cloak presented a clear verbal contract that ‘when the time comes the official-issue lunchbox will come out.’”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
Louise: “That is exactly why I avoided the risk of medical-expense loss from useless physical resistance and specially came this far without a single micron of resistance‚ quietly responding to the voluntary accompaniment.”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief of the Royal Capital Headquarters.
Slowly‚ with unsteady ghost-like footsteps‚ uncannily rose from the leather chair.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…A little.”
And then.
As if escaping reality by discarding all of the “myth-class boss defeat mystery” and the “woman freeloading free meals by making pants into explosives” that were occurring in front of him—the world bugs.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…I will step out for a little while…”
Louise: “Eh? Bureau Chief-san‚ where are you going?”
Louise: “Are you going to specially prepare the meat lunchbox (energy) I am looking forward to by yourself all the way to the kitchen on express?”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
The man called the grim reaper no longer even had internal calculation resources remaining to answer my question.
Just like that—while letting completely lightless vacant eyes swim in space‚ he began walking unsteadily toward the heavy soundproof magical door of the room like a sleepwalker.
Senior Bureau Member: “—B-Bureau Chief!?”
The remaining senior bureau member subordinate hurriedly desperately called after the ghost-like back.
Senior Bureau Member: “Just where are you going!? The interrogation status is still at the initial processing stage!”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief.
At the boundary line of that lead-filled soundproof door‚ just once.
Turned around with a powerless face as if all causality of this world had ended.
On the cold iron desk.
The drop core of the fifth-underground-floor boss 《Earth Guardian》 that was genuine without falsehood in human history.
Special-grade theft records within the kingdom: zero.
Actual-number deficits in the palace underground treasure vault: zero.
Official expedition sortie defeat records: zero.
—And the suspect who unlawfully listed that myth-class relic is.
An identity-unknown young female student wearing an oversized men’s T-shirt whose size has completely failed (and underneath completely pantsless).
Furthermore.
That world-bug (special-grade suspicious person) girl is.
Right now.
In the strict isolation interrogation room of the Security Bureau that is the nation’s highest dark part.
Prioritizing the quality of today’s lunch (free meal) as the highest-priority parameter above excuses for national treason or countermeasures for world crisis‚ and seriously demanding it.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…”
The man called the grim reaper of the royal capital.
Quietly.
Without saying anything‚ placed his cold hand on the iron-black door knob.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “—You.”
Female Senior Bureau Member: “Y-Yes!”
The capable female senior bureau member who had been holding documents beside him shouted while standing at rigid attention.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “The continuation of this absurd event that is impossible for my intellect to process any further—as of this moment I entrust and leave all full authority to you.”
Female Senior Bureau Member: “Eh‚ Bureau Chief!? Such a national-overthrow-level mysterious phenomenon by me alone—”
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “…Definitely.”
The bureau chief left a pitying voice like a will with distant eyes that had given up on everything of this world.
Special Interrogation Bureau Chief: “Debug and expose this absurd truth bug that completely mocks the physical laws of the present world with those excellent hands of yours.”
Female Senior Bureau Member: “Y-Yes! I will do my utmost with the prestige of the National Security Bureau!”
The female bureau member reflexively raised her right hand to her forehead and saluted vigorously from the terror of the excessive pressure.
And then.
The Special Interrogation Bureau Chief of the headquarters.
With footsteps of full-force escape (escape) as if never returning‚ unsteadily completely left the room.
Bang— the heavy magical door with special lead cast into it closed with a ruthless sealing sound.
In the underground interrogation room‚ again a strange silence like gunpowder smoke fell.
Toto: “…”
Louise: “…”
After several seconds of time like rubbing each other’s bare legs.
On my shoulder‚ Toto muttered with a voice full of pathos.
Toto: “—Ah‚ this‚ Louise-han.”
Louise: “What is it‚ Toto.
Is it noise announcing the arrival of the lunchbox?”
Toto: “No‚ different.
That bureau chief old man completely overran his internal capacity before your deranged tightwad madness and pants-explosives studies (bug) and socially ran away.”
Louise: “—Even if heaven and earth are turned upside down it is not‚ Toto.”
I immediately fully denied as a scientist that far too illogical and pessimistic conjecture the familiar had released.
Louise: “That Interrogation Bureau Chief-san is using the absolute authority (resources) of the nation’s highest organ to specially prepare on express the highest-class delicious meat meal (energy) suitable for my precious dolphin-underwear paper bag all the way to the kitchen.”
Toto: “Yourself‚ no matter how much the causality of the world is about to be completely damaged‚ you maintain a positive formula toward your bottomless appetite.”
Louise: “I want to believe that.
My internal hard disk is telling me that bean-sprout-only survival from tomorrow is already refused even by a single krona.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui… (I also believe…)”
Kamekichi cried small while struggling his short legs under the hem of my T-shirt.
Kamekichi: (—Toto-aniki‚ I also 100 percent believe the beautiful bureaucratic sense of responsibility of that white-haired old man.
Meat lunchbox‚ I wonder when it will arrive…)”
Louise: “See‚ Kamekichi-san also deeply agrees with my advanced economic prediction from the standpoint of probability theory.
He is a proud and splendid high-class bureaucrat of the kingdom who perfectly keeps promises.”
Toto: “You all… the moment the talk becomes about food‚ you completely believe some unknown national dark-part old man as if he were a saintly gentleman in an instant—seriously absurd.”
Louise: “A natural conclusion.
That is exactly the most absolute survival parameter (purpose) that should be prioritized the highest in my current internal hard disk.”
The solid underground special interrogation room of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.
The female bureau member left alone in this abyss by her superior’s flight sat down again in front of the cold iron metal desk and quietly‚ deeply exhaled the heavy atmosphere that had accumulated at the bottom of her lungs.
Facing across the desk was the identity-unknown girl who had easily pulverized the kingdom’s long-standing magical common sense and logic with a single auction data.
The submitted drop core of the absolute guardian of the fifth underground floor‚ 《Earth Guardian》.
It was neither a sophisticated fake nor stolen goods improperly taken from the palace national treasury.
Then by what heretical magical theory could that mythic monster be defeated without a trace.
In the first place—with the physical parameters of this small girl’s body‚ could she truly have reached the fifth floor of the abyss while alive.
Elena: “…”
The capable female bureau member stared at Louise facing her across the desk with the sharp eyes of an interrogator as if shooting her.
Louise also quietly turned her porcelain face and returned the gaze.
However—the focus of those beautiful amber eyes was completely‚ without a single deviation‚ fixed not on the face of the beautiful interrogator in front of her but on the other side of the thick steel soundproof door behind.
Louise: “…Is it still not coming?”
Elena: “Just what is?”
Louise: “The scheduled official-issue lunchbox that the nation provides free of charge for the suspect’s humanitarian protection (free).”
Elena: “—Not yet.”
Louise: “…Is that so.”
Louise dropped her shoulders powerlessly as if carrying all the unreasonable recessions of this world.
On her shoulder‚ Toto let out a deep‚ large sigh.
Toto: “Yourself has been consistently worrying only about that stomach’s meal since being transported here.”
Louise: “Because I only put several bean sprouts into my stomach for budget reduction since morning and my physical parameters have broken through the limit numerical values of hunger‚ so it is rational (can’t be helped).”
Toto: “Is free food stuffed into your own stomach more nationally important than the method of erasing the fifth-floor boss at national-overthrow level?”
Louise: “For me right now‚ it is the most absolute highest-priority matter in the survival parameters for not reducing research funds.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui!”
From under the hem of my men’s T-shirt‚ Kamekichi at my feet also vigorously nodded his green neck as if fiercely agreeing.
Kamekichi: (—As Toto-aniki says‚ right now delicious meat food is a hundred million times more important than world peace or the truth of magic‚ seriously.)”
Louise: “Right‚ Kamekichi-san.
A beautiful survival instinct without a single micron of deviation.”
Toto: “No‚ you all‚ don’t passionately tightwad-empathize across unstable interspecies there—looking at it is absurd.”
The female bureau member placed her white slender fingertips against her own temple and endured the faint headache arising inside her head.
Until moments ago she had been standing at the front line of interrogation of a major magical incident that could shake the fate of the nation.
A natural-disaster-class abnormal situation that was rarely handled even in the history of the Kingdom Security Bureau.
Yet—the suspect in front of her‚ the white daifuku-mochi familiar on her shoulder‚ and the green turtle padding at her feet.
Were completely stubbornly maintaining a worldly stance of merely “waiting for lunchbox distribution.”
Elena: “…Ahem‚ I deeply apologize.”
The female bureau member once more deeply inhaled cold air to the deepest part of her lungs and switched to the calm national-bureaucrat interrogator expression.
Elena: “I am Elena‚ special investigator of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
Louise: “How do you do.
I am Louise‚ asset manager and written-exam top of the Royal Magic University.”
Elena: “Regarding Louise-dono’s academic parameters‚ I am sufficiently aware from the materials over there.”
Louise: “Is that so. That processing is quick and helpful.”
Elena: “And the oversized-T-shirt people standing behind you?”
Charlotte: “I am Charlotte Vermilion‚ daughter of the Vermilion Duke House.”
Marianne: “Th-That… also a friend from the magic university‚ Marianne!”
Juliette: “Also a friend‚ Juliette!”
The two entourage female students also introduced themselves while rubbing their bare legs a little nervously before the absolute power of the nation.
Toto: “And‚ onee-san.
I am Toto who serves as Louise-han’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).”
Kamekichi: “Kyui.
I am Kamekichi the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).”
Elena: “…A question.
Is there a necessity to record even this white daifuku-mochi familiar and turtle in the official self-introduction log of the nation?”
Toto: “Of course.
I am Louise-han’s general manager (general manager).
As the person responsible for this absurd cash‚ introducing myself is a natural causality.”
Elena: “…Is that so. Understood.”
Special Investigator Elena early abandoned at this moment the operation of retorts that would wastefully consume her precious internal calculation resources (thought capacity).
More than that‚ there was a nationally major mission that should be confirmed with highest priority in this underground sealed space right now.
Elena: “Louise-san.”
Louise: “Yes‚ what is it.”
Elena: “I will ask frankly without inserting even a millimeter of bypass.”
The air of the special interrogation room instantly took on a dangerous tension and tensed coldly like ice.
Elena: “—The master of the fifth underground floor‚ 《Earth Guardian》… you‚ by what multidimensional magical theory did you single-handedly defeat it?”
Louise: “…………”
My smooth fingertip movements at that moment completely stopped (froze).
Toto on my shoulder as well.
Kamekichi at my feet as well.
Charlotte in oversized T-shirt as well.
And the two entourage female students as well.
For just an instant‚ in the cold silence‚ they wordlessly looked at each other’s faces.
That unnatural silence parameter of a fraction of a second.
The sharp eyes of the excellent special investigator Elena never missed.
Elena: “As expected… some inconvenient back circumstances like hacking the palace vault from behind—”
Louise: “—No.
As of this moment I will exercise the ‘right to remain silent’ guaranteed by the nation at maximum output.”
Elena: “…Yes?”
I stated flatly and firmly without mixing any agitation or emotional fluctuation.
Louise: “I will maintain complete silence (right to remain silent) toward further interrogation.”
Elena: “Why? Since the real thing is genuine‚ if it is a legitimate defeat you should boldly prove the formula.”
Louise: “Because it is the highest confidential matter (shameful part) of my personal cutting-edge spacetime magical research‚ and I do not wish to speak of it even to the upper echelons of the nation.”
Elena: “That is not logical consistency of answer either as a scientist or as a suspect.”
Louise: “But under the kingdom constitution and magical management law‚ the exercise of the right to remain silent as a suspect is legally guaranteed at 100 percent‚ correct?”
Elena: “…Yes‚ it is indeed guaranteed‚ but.”
Louise: “Then‚ since I do not wish to consume further resources‚ I will quietly maintain the exercise according to the law.”
Elena: “…”
Special Investigator Elena for an instant lost words before the perfect logical barrier.
Far too correct.
As a strict procedure protocol established by a nation of law‚ it was a completely correct legal claim so that no sound could come out.
Elena: “Louise-dono‚ this is an official and first-grade emergency investigation of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
Louise: “Yes‚ I understand it as recognition parameters.”
Elena: “It is a super-special-grade event that can become a major defense problem of national scale for national defense!!”
Louise: “From the standpoint of probability theory‚ probably so.”
Elena: “That absolute guardian of the fifth underground floor has‚ by unknown means we do not perceive‚ at some point disappeared from the world!”
Louise: “It seems so. A mysterious strange phenomenon.”
Elena: “The possibility that you as a party know it is extremely high from various logs.”
Louise: “Perhaps so.
I neither deny nor affirm.”
Elena: “Then for the future of the kingdom‚ please tell all the formulas of that causality without concealment!”
Louise: “—I firmly remain silent.”
Elena: “…!”
Beautifully.
Our magical discussion had drawn a perfect circle and flowed back (looped) to the starting point.
On my shoulder‚ Toto muttered with an exasperated voice (kowane).
Toto: “Artistic infinite loop of causality (bug)‚ Louise-han.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui…”
Kamekichi also cried while flapping his short legs on the floor.
Toto: “Hey‚ special-investigator onee-chan.
This ‘money-grubbing right-to-remain-silent absolute defense formation (phalanx)’ that this full-naked witch (Louise) constructed won’t advance even a millimeter further no matter how much you throw ethical words at it from the front.
Waste of energy (magic).”
Elena bit her thin lips strongly enough to draw blood from frustration.
Elena: “…Understood. I well understand your ironclad guard.”
And then.
She sharply turned her hawk-like investigator eyes toward the red-haired duke’s daughter who was sitting resolutely next to Louise even in an oversized T-shirt.
Elena: “—Then‚ Charlotte Vermilion-san.”
Charlotte: “Y-Yes!”
Charlotte’s spine‚ whose interrogation spearhead (hokosaki) had been turned toward her‚ stretched into a single beautiful straight line as if maintaining the absolute pride of a distinguished noble.
Elena: “As a high-minded young lady of the Vermilion House‚ do you know the truth of the present world?”
Charlotte: “…”
Elena: “Just what absurdity occurred at the absolute bottom of the abyss of that fifth underground floor.”
Charlotte: “…”
Elena: “Just what forbidden formula Louise-san over there used to defeat (purge) that 《Earth Guardian》.”
Charlotte: “…”
Charlotte.
Without uttering a single character of words‚ glanced at my forever flat expressionless profile.
I quietly rubbed the silver ring on my middle finger and‚ with that poker face‚ straightly returned the gaze into her amber eyes.
In the cold airflow of the interrogation room‚ several seconds of “soul multidimensional intersection (synchronization)” of the girls that transcended words.
And then—.
Charlotte: “—I too‚ upon the high-minded pride of the Vermilion House‚ will maintain complete silence!”
Elena: “The equation of the decision is far too early‚ Charlotte-san!!”
Special Investigator Elena discarded the calm composed professional bureaucrat mask she had maintained until then and involuntarily raised her voice in the special interrogation room.
Elena: “Please take a little time to worry inside your head considering your social position as a duke’s daughter!”
Charlotte: “What are you saying.
If my precious friend and benefactor Louise-san is going to maintain the barrier of silence‚ then it is the noble duty (noblesse oblige) for me to become the shield of silence together beside her!”
Elena: “You are not the main-culprit suspect in this hacking listing!”
Charlotte: “—Even so!”
Elena: “Please tell me the rational reason for becoming so stubborn and obstructing the investigation!”
Charlotte: “We… are irreplaceable friends who equally split social dignity (underwear) at the bottom of that abyss!”
Elena: “…”
Elena.
For just a little.
Even found herself unconsciously envious of that illogical yet high-minded bond (parameter) tied between them.
As an elite investigator of the National Security Bureau‚ of course‚ she could not surface such personal worldly sentimentalism on the skin of the surface.
However—in an absolutely disadvantageous extreme state where her own position and the honor of the duke house might be endangered.
Without a single micron of hesitation or cloud‚ stubbornly closing her mouth only for a friend.
The sublime way of being of that spirit itself.
In this dimly sealed interrogation-room space‚ looked a little dazzling and sacredly shining.
—But.
That and the national investigation that governs the security of the kingdom are completely different-dimensional problems.
Elena: “…Then‚ what about those two over there.”
Elena’s hawk-like gaze further caught the two entourage female students standing behind Charlotte as if shooting them.
The two simultaneously trembled their shoulders in small increments like small animals that had been caught.
Elena: “What truth logs do you possess regarding this absurd event?”
Marianne: “I-I too‚ of course‚ the protocol of silence!”
Juliette: “Likewise‚ for Louise-sama and Charlotte-sama‚ I will lay an absolute barrier of silence here!”
Elena: “…Do you two even know the detailed mathematical process of just what happened on that fifth-underground-floor battlefield with your own eyes?”
Marianne: “Uh…”
Juliette: “That is‚ that…”
The two elite students again looked at Charlotte’s profile with pleading eyes seeking help.
Then Charlotte‚ while arranging the hem of the matching men’s T-shirt‚ strongly‚ heavily‚ nodded with the solemnity of a saint.
Charlotte: “—Without hesitation‚ execute the right to remain silent‚ you two!”
Marianne: “Yes! Understood‚ Charlotte-sama!”
Juliette: “I will maintain complete silence (hold)!”
Elena: “…”
Special Investigator Elena.
Before the far too perfect chain of silence‚ she leaned her small body against the backrest of the chair while seeping unavoidable deep fatigue.
Everyone‚ complete silence without a single tear.
In the underground special interrogation room of the kingdom’s highest investigation organ‚ the National Security Bureau‚ staking its historical prestige.
Right now‚ four maidens and two magical beasts including the white daifuku-mochi and green turtle were constructing a splendidly solid defense formation (phalanx) before the absolute power of the nation and showing absurdly extreme unity.
Elena: “…”
For a while.
In the cold atmosphere of the basement‚ no one uttered a single character of words.
However—that tense balanced silence could not be maintained for long.
Elena: “—Nee‚ Louise-dono.”
Elena drove her own spirit and broke the heavy silence with a probing voice (kowane).
Louise: “Yes‚ what is it‚ Special Investigator-san.”
Elena: “You all.”
Louise: “Yes.”
Elena: “Truly‚ while wearing those oversized men’s T-shirts‚ did you really with your own hands completely defeat (purge) that devilish fifth-floor master?”
Louise: “As I have been answering since earlier according to legal rights‚ I quietly remain silent.”
Elena: “No‚ that’s why!!”
Elena’s voice became a little larger with emotion from impatience exceeding theoretical values.
Toto on my shoulder narrowed his small red eyes maliciously.
Toto: “Investigator onee-chan.”
Elena: “What is it‚ familiar.”
Toto: “You should calm the magical calculation circuit a little and settle down.”
Elena: “As a public servant of the nation‚ I am calm and composed 24 hours a day.”
Toto: “No no‚ your porcelain skin is bright red like a boiled octopus.”
Elena: “This is a legitimate passion parameter for the duty that governs national security!”
Kamekichi: “Kyui? (…Onee-san‚ are you angry?)”
Kamekichi poked his green face out from the hem of my T-shirt and cried with a wild provocational skill.
Elena: “—I am not angry!”
Toto: “No‚ this is completely blood pressure risen to maximum and genuine rage angry.”
Elena: “I said I am not angry‚ rude magical beast!!”
It was the very instant of a fraction of a second when her capable intellect was driven by a muddy torrent of impatience.
Elena.
For just a few fractions of a second.
As a national investigator‚ she said too much with emotion the forbidden line that must never be stepped over.
Elena: “…Charlotte-san.”
Charlotte: “Yes‚ what is it?”
Elena: “You are the young lady of the highest distinguished house of the kingdom‚ the Vermilion Duke House‚ correct?”
Charlotte: “What relation does that have to this underground equivalent-exchange incident?”
Elena: “If this matter becomes large as a scandal that shakes the nation’s military balance‚”
Special Investigator Elena’s voice intentionally took on a little lower‚ cold resonance.
Elena: “Naturally a legal necessity will arise to fully explain the circumstances to your family as well and conduct thorough questioning.”
Charlotte: “…”
Charlotte’s flushed expression instantly stiffened like winter ice.
Elena: “Depending on the case.”
Elena put on the cold bureaucratic mask and further thrust the blade of pursuit.
Elena: “The objective fact itself that you were involved in an unexplained national-scale incident and intentionally obstructed the Security Bureau’s legitimate investigation… may inflict an indelible dishonorable wound on the glorious Vermilion family name.”
Entourage A: “…That’s too much…!”
One of the entourage female students leaked a small sorrowful voice while her face turned pale with fear.
Entourage A: “Charlotte-sama…”
Charlotte: “…”
Charlotte gripped the sleeve of the oversized T-shirt and bit her lip while remaining silent.
Elena high-precision captured as a professional interrogator the clear agitation reaction the distinguished young lady showed for the first time.
And—she mercilessly stepped one more step into the deepest part of her heart’s barrier.
Elena: “I am not threatening you with the power of the Security Bureau.”
Charlotte: “…”
Elena: “I am only saying that if you cooperate with the investigation frankly without a single micron of concealment‚ such unnecessary social problems (bugs) for your family can possibly be systematically avoided in advance.”
Charlotte: “…”
Elena: “How is it? A wise decision as the Vermilion House.”
—At that extreme tense moment of threat.
Charlotte: “—Clear compliance violation harassment——!!!”
Charlotte slapped the cold metal desk with a bang!! and rose to rigid attention with hair-standing-on-end force.
Elena: “Eh…?”
Charlotte: “It is far too unreasonable tyranny (power harassment) of national power!!”
Louise: “Just a moment‚ Charlotte-san‚ calm down—”
Charlotte: “If one quietly listens‚ it is the lowest worst threat using power against a young weak-position female student!!”
Elena: “I am not threatening! I am only stating the objective progression of facts in the investigation—”
Charlotte: “No matter how you excuse it from wherever‚ that was a despicable and cowardly threat!”
Elena: “It is not!”
Charlotte: “You clearly uttered hostages (words) such as staining our distinguished house with mud or involving beloved family‚ did you not!”
Elena: “That is talk of probabilistic possibility assuming the worst case!”
Charlotte: “In the general common sense of the world that is unmistakably called a threat——!!”
Elena: “Guh…!”
Elena was left without words by the far too proper and fierce righteousness (harassment protest) of the distinguished young lady.
And then.
Louise: “…”
Beside this farce.
I—quietly‚ with a cold expressionless face like absolute-zero ice‚ smoothly rose from the chair.
Louise: “—If you threaten my shared account (friend) that far and inflict mental damage‚ then only the option of ‘a maiden’s final defense measure’ remains for me as well.”
At that extremely flat voice (kowane) that excluded all emotional ups and downs.
The tense air of the underground special interrogation room instantly froze to absolute zero.
Top witch Louise—whether angry‚ exasperated‚ or having calculated the next ruthless optimal solution from my internal household budget.
With that bottomlessly icy expressionless face‚ she was quietly looking down at Special Investigator Elena’s face.
Louise: “…If you say that far‚ I well understand.”
Elena: “…Eh‚ what is it‚ Louise-dono?”
Louise: “By what multidimensional formula I annihilated that abyss monster.
Not with words‚ but by performing a visual ‘demonstration proof’ through your eyes right here and now is fine‚ correct?”
Toto: “No good! This is the genuine worst one! Because you cornered Charlotte-ojou-chan with power‚ you completely quietly snapped Louise-han’s tightwad reverse scale!”
On my shoulder‚ Toto shouted with his round daifuku-mochi face drawn pale blue.
Elena opened her narrow eyes‚ intimidated by that extraordinary eerie vigor.
Elena: “Demonstration proof… just what does that mean?”
Louise: “If I execute here and now a reproduction proof of my peculiar magical theory that annihilated the fifth-underground-floor boss including its coordinates‚”
I stated flatly with the voice of a bureaucratic asset manager.
Louise: “At the very least‚ the mathematical fact that that small box is neither improper stolen goods from somewhere nor forged data will have to be objectively accepted (cleared) by the nation’s highest organ‚ correct?”
Elena: “…”
Louise: “Therefore I will prove it directly in this safe isolation space.”
Elena: “Specifically‚ how?”
Louise: “I will show the full picture of the peculiar magic (purge system) I possess directly onto your retinas.”
—At that fateful moment when the countdown to destruction started.
Toto on my shoulder.
Toto: “—Onee-chan‚ stop. Definitely stop that alone.”
Said in a terribly hoarse heavy voice squeezed from the very bottom of the belly.
It was a completely serious stop as a single adult male‚ without mixing any of the usual vulgar teasing or variety-show atmosphere.
Elena: “…Eh?”
Elena turned her small eyes toward Toto with a puzzled look at the familiar’s extraordinary vigor out of place.
Elena: “Why are you so stubbornly stopping my legitimate investigation?”
Toto: “Better stop. Seriously believe my words 100 percent and withdraw.”
Toto was looking straight at the national investigator with cold serious eyes that could not be imagined even a single micron from his usual joking daifuku-mochi attitude.
Toto: “Seriously‚ any further… with those excellent intellects of yours‚ better not step into the abyss (truth) of this full-naked witch.”
Louise: “…Toto?”
I tilted my head curiously while rubbing the silver ring on my middle finger.
Louise: “They are legally demanding proof staking the nation’s prestige‚ so is it not fine to show them my beautiful formula as is?”
Toto: “No‚ Louise-han‚ yourself be quiet a little.”
Toto stopped my sophistry with his short forelegs and again stared straight at Special Investigator Elena.
Toto: “You there‚ Special Investigator onee-chan of the National Security Bureau.”
Elena: “…Yes‚ what is it‚ familiar-san.”
Toto: “Seriously‚ any further… better not try to know the truth of this magic.”
Elena: “…Why do you say that far? Is it the suspect’s bluff?”
Toto: “In this world there are… far too cruel and shameless truths (world bugs) that one can live absolutely happily in the present world with the underwear (pants) under the clothes cleanly remaining if one does not know them…”
Elena: “—I am a special investigator of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
Elena stated resolutely and firmly upon the absolute pride of the duty she carried.
Elena: “I absolutely cannot crush without knowing a truth log that must be known for national security‚ fearing street rumors of shamelessness.”
Toto: “…”
On my shoulder‚ Toto let out a deep large sigh as if carrying all the absurdity of this world and the history of full nakedness.
Toto: “You there onee-chan‚ that highest cool and splendid line (serifu) you just spat.”
Elena: “Yes‚ what is it.”
Toto: “Later‚ to the point of cursing and resenting the life you were born into‚ you will absolutely regret it down to a single fiber of clothing.”
Elena: “I absolutely will not.”
Toto: “You asserted so clearly cutting off the retreat path?”
Elena: “Yes‚ I assert upon the nation’s prestige.”
I for a while.
Quietly stared at the resolve as a public servant that did not waver even a single micron dwelling in the depths of Elena’s eyes.
And then—.
Louise: “…Fufu‚ if there is that much passion (resolve)‚ since the injection efficiency of multidimensional calculation is bad in this cramped room‚ shall we change locations immediately.”
Elena: “Where do you intend to move‚ don’t tell me escape pretending to move—”
Louise: “If it is the highest general headquarters of the National Security Bureau‚ a robust highest-standard ‘magic measurement practice room’ is equipped inside‚ correct?”
Elena: “…In the third underground section there is a highest-class national defense magic facility (shield room)‚ but.”
Elena frowned suspiciously and turned sharp eyes toward me.
Elena: “…Why does a general student who should be experiencing this transport for the first time know the coordinates of the facility structure that is our bureau’s highest secret?”
Louise: “Because when I passed through the first-floor entrance hall with suspicious-person walking earlier‚ I high-precision reverse-traced and intercepted (hacked) the sound-wave data (casual conversation) that the corridor staff were enjoyably talking about.”
Charlotte: “…As usual the ear parameters are too vicious.”
Charlotte made an exasperated retort while holding down the collar of the oversized T-shirt.
Louise: “Then please guide me immediately to that underground highest shield room (measurement room).”
Special Investigator Elena thought for just a little by driving her brain cells.
And then.
Elena: “…Understood. I will accept that challenge (parameter) of yours.”
She strongly‚ coldly nodded.
Elena: “Louise-dono‚ if you truly eradicated the master of that fifth floor with only your own magical calculation without borrowing anyone’s power—”
Elena resolutely tapped the iron desk with her fingertips.
Elena: “Please actually prove that national-treasure-class grand magic formula in front of these retinas of mine.”
Louise: “Yes‚ as long as the cost of equivalent exchange is secured (offering)‚ I am ready anytime.”
Elena: “In the underground measurement room‚ the latest magic measuring devices directly under the palace and national defense barriers are constantly operating.”
Louise: “Yes‚ as a vessel to receive my full firepower‚ it meets the minimum specs.”
Elena: “Toward there‚ please mercilessly fire that full annihilation magic you possess.”
Louise: “…”
There I frowned a little dissatisfiedly.
Louise: “—However‚ for that movement‚ the personnel placement (resources) is a little too many.”
Elena: “Eh…? Personnel‚ is it?”
Louise: “Yes.
In the current state of a packed train where surrounding black-clad escorts (gallery) are crowding in large numbers‚ the injection of my formula is systemically impossible.”
Elena: “Why? Don’t tell me a plan to escape by taking advantage of the moment—”
Louise: “How rude.
Because the extremely shameless and major corporate secret (top secret) of my great latest magical research would be exposed to unspecified many eyes and become unprotectable.”
Elena: “Corporate secret‚ is it?”
Louise: “Yes‚ that’s right.”
Top witch Louise smoothly turned her quiet gaze toward the thick lead-filled soundproof door of the special interrogation room.
Outside the interrogation room.
On the other side of the cold corridor.
Even after that grim-reaper-called Interrogation Bureau Chief had escaped from all reality‚ the sound-wave presence of dozens of elite bureau members crowding uncannily with curiosity (interest) to burn the outcome of this national-overthrow-level abnormal situation onto their own retinas could be detected.
All of them—were allocating internal resources while holding their breath over just what national-treasure-class mythic magic this identity-unknown girl in the size-failed oversized T-shirt would release.
Louise: “…”
I sensed that corridor population density (noise) and performed a little simulation of the next equivalent exchange inside my head.
Louise: “Is it not sufficient for Special Investigator you and those three field female bureau members over there alone to confirm the structure of my peculiar magic (purge system)?”
Elena: “—That is absolutely impossible under bureaucratic rules (regulations).”
Elena answered without retreating a single step as a stubborn national bureaucrat.
Elena: “To record the log of official formula demonstration proof‚ the constant presence of multiple ‘witnesses’ and ‘recorders’ stipulated by the surveillance bureau is indispensable.”
Louise: “Under the academy system‚ at minimum how many personnel are necessary in that sealed space?”
Elena: “Myself and…”
Elena looked at the black-clad subordinates standing at rigid attention behind her‚ trembling with tension.
Elena: “My direct senior female bureau members‚ at minimum two more.”
Louise: “Only females‚ is it?”
Elena: “Yes‚ is there some mathematical problem?”
Louise: “No‚ merely a probabilistic confirmation.
Why do you not have male surveillance officers attend that sacred demonstration place?”
Elena: “…Please stop strange suspicions.
It is merely a coincidence of work that the ones who happened to be standing at the nearest coordinates as my capable direct subordinates at the present time were those two females.”
Louise: “—So‚ just a systemic coincidence.”
I loosened the corners of my poker-face mouth a little evilly as if all ammunition-procurement (offering-account opening) setting conditions had beautifully and perfectly been arranged.
Louise: “Then‚ entrance (access) by only those three chosen ones who can protect my corporate secret is fine.”
Elena: “Truly‚ is presence by only us three elites of our bureau fine? To be wary of improper jamming‚ increasing escorts more—”
Louise: “Yes‚ as sacrifices (resources) for making them understand my formula‚ three is more than enough.”
On my shoulder‚ Toto.
Slowly closed his small eyes filled with deep despair as if realizing the end of all moral sense of the present world.
Toto: “…No good. It’s over.”
Kamekichi: “Toto-aniki‚ what is such a despair parameter?”
From under the hem of my men’s T-shirt‚ Kamekichi at my feet stretched his neck curiously and asked with his heart’s voice.
Toto: “Newcomer… already‚ the moment this full-naked witch (Louise) floats a smile‚ the world’s crazed undressing gears absolutely will not reverse-rotate.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui…?”
Toto: “This flow of ‘underwear bulk-deduction chain collapse (domino)’ in which these onee-chans’ social dignity will vanish without even a single sock remaining is 100 percent impossible even if the gods of heaven all come out to stop it.”
Kamekichi: “…”
And then.
The oversized-T-shirt pantsless girls and the female bureau members who held lofty resolve for their duty.
While each concealing their intersecting intentions in the inventory deep in their chests.
Aligned their fateful footsteps toward that solid “Underground First Magic Measurement Practice Room” that could withstand any large-firepower explosion‚ sitting at the lowest layer of the National Security Bureau.
◇
Underground Highest-Standard Magic Measurement Practice Room.
Thick special anti-magic ebony stone walls covering the entire wall that had endured the magic of many years.
Multiple physical and magic defense multiple magical barriers of the highest level the Royal Capital Headquarters prided itself on‚ layered around it.
Seated in the center of the room was a gigantic heavy black-steel (kurogane) target for magic measurement said to withstand even the destructive breath of an ancient giant dragon without a scratch.
And—a set of cutting-edge parallel-calculation-type magical devices for accurately numericalizing the absolute power of released formulas without even a fraction of a percent of error.
It was a sanctuary that concentrated the essence of national science‚ said to be absolutely impossible for even the limit annihilation magic released by the highest-rank silver-grade adventurers existing within the kingdom to cause anomalous numerical values (overflow) and induce bugs on the scale of this magical device.
Now—in that completely sealed sealed-space completely isolated from heaven and earth.
Top witch Louise.
Duke’s daughter Charlotte.
Her entourages Marianne and Juliette.
Familiar Toto.
NEET magical beast Kamekichi.
And—Special Investigator Elena and her two elite senior female bureau member subordinates alone were facing each other head-on on the iron-black floor.
Elena: “—With this‚ is there no longer any dissatisfaction whatsoever toward your formula (insistence)‚ Louise-dono?”
Elena asked quietly yet with pressure while surveying the solid shields around.
Louise: “Yes‚ it is a probabilistically perfect demonstration environment (lab) for driving the system at maximum output.”
I gently placed the highest-class paper bag of dolphin pants I had been cradling onto the floor and answered with full business smile‚ satisfied.
Louise: “Just in case confirmation‚ the other unnecessary male surveillance officers (noble noise)?”
Elena: “As per your strange request (top-secret protection)‚ without exception we forcibly evacuated everyone to the corridor outside the room.”
Louise: “Physical special-key locking (lock) of the soundproof door?”
Elena: “I myself executed double strict lock from the inside.”
Louise: “External spatial-communication hacking magic interruption efficiency?”
Elena: “Within the barrier of this special-grade shield room‚ even the nation’s highest encrypted logs make any magic communication of even one square centimeter completely impossible.
It is a complete information island (standalone).”
Louise: “…Is that so. Wonderful interruption parameters.”
I greatly‚ deeply‚ satisfiedly nodded while striking the internal household budget deep in my chest.
Louise: “Then‚ no matter what shameless equivalent exchange (purge) we perform from now inside this room—there is nowhere that requires caring about any worldly eyes or ethical evaluation parameters whatsoever.”
Elena: “Finally‚ demonstration proof to the nation.”
Elena lifted the corners of her lips a little challengingly at my excessive composure and smiled.
Louise: “Yes‚ let us begin the settlement of causality.”
Elena: “Just what earth-shaking grand magic will you show on my retinas?”
Louise: “Well‚ rather than explaining with words‚ it will be faster to directly synchronize the system.”
I—.
Gently touched with white slender fingertips the core of that dull-silver modulation ring‚ Professor Ellight’s highest masterpiece‚ that was eerily fitted on the middle finger of my left hand.
At that moment.
An electronic drive sound pleasantly echoed in the interrogation room‚ and pale-blue magical light waveforms beautifully spread from the ring’s calculation core (core) in all directions of the sealed space like geometric ripples.
Louise: “—Shared formula network‚ new line synchronization connection (link start)”
Elena: “…?”
Special Investigator Elena frowned her brows suspiciously at that ominous system command I released.
—However‚ it was the next instant (setsuna).
Only right in front of the eyes of Elena and the two senior female bureau members standing behind her in empty space.
A devilish magical hologram screen (UI) filled with terror and absurdity that present-world humans had never seen even once in their lives until now arrogantly popped up and deployed.
Pale-blue phosphorescence (rinko) eerily floating into the sealed underground empty space.
And—electronic magical characters symbolizing a scientist’s hacking code.
Precise console-screen pop-ups were deploying only in front of the eyes of Elena and the three female bureau members accompanied by a suitable electronic alert sound.
There.
Only two fateful choices (commands) that would decide their futures from now were flickering.
［ Ｙ ］
［ Ｎ ］
Elena: “…Just what is this?”
Special Investigator Elena muttered with a dumbfounded voice before that light binary choice.
Female Agent A: “From a system administration standpoint‚ just what is this? It’s a structure that doesn’t even appear in the Guild’s communication logs...”
One of the female agents standing behind them also seemed to feel an instinctive fear‚ and timidly pointed a slender fingertip at the pale blue glowing letters.
Louise: “It’s an indispensable pre-spacetime preparation process (hacking) required to activate and fire my grand magic.”
I slipped my favorite graphite pencil into the pocket of my T-shirt as I answered in an extremely businesslike‚ flat tone.
Louise: “Approve the system shared link (access permission).
Tap the thing in front of you and approve my calculations.”
Elena: “Approve... it?”
Louise: “Yes.”
Elena: “So I just press the blinking [ Y ] button on the left with my fingertip?”
Louise: “Yes. As far as registering it into the law of causality is concerned‚ that will make everything all clear.”
Then‚ from atop my shoulder‚ Toto.
He overwrote the words in a lonely‚ melancholy voice‚ like a death god’s guide luring a traveler into the abyss of hell.
Toto: “Onee-chan... that right there is the button for opening a terrifying automatic underwear deduction account that mercilessly total-losses your social dignity and clothing assets‚ y’know.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui...”
On the floor‚ Kamekichi also nodded his green neck up and down in large‚ deep agreement with Toto’s kind warning.
Kamekichi: (—Onee-san‚ just like Toto-aniki said. The second you tap that button‚ a scary bug starts that ends a girl’s life at the forced-termination level with maximum ventilation‚ for real.)
Louise: “You two make it sound terrible.
There’s not even one micron of anything to be afraid of.”
I immediately denied their opinion with a poker face that refused to honestly admit defeat.
Louise: “It’s nothing more than a formal system shared-approval (re-link) button that is quite commonly implemented on real combat timelines.”
Toto: “—The system’s breakdown is nowhere near ordinary‚ you!!”
Toto shouted back without missing a beat‚ with enough force that he almost slapped my cheek.
Elena.
She continued to carefully stare with the sharp observational eyes of a senior analyst at the [ Y ] and [ N ] command letters that flickered eerily in the empty air in front of her.
Elena: “......”
Louise: “What will you do‚ Special Investigator-san?”
I asked flatly‚ stripping away all emotional parameters.
Louise: “Will you stake the nation’s prestige and tap with those proud fingertips of yours to approve (link) the system?”
Elena: “......”
Elena worked the hard disk of her excellent bureaucratic brain just a little‚ calculating the tactical risks.
Elena: “—Before that‚ please allow me a final confirmation.”
Louise: “Yes‚ I’ll answer anything in mathematical formulas.”
Elena: “If I approve (tap) this of my own free will—what exactly will happen from a system perspective?”
Louise: “It’s an extremely simple specification.
It merely firmly establishes a magically forced deduction shared link (path) between my causality and yours.”
Elena: “Is that... really all? No data tampering or anything?”
Louise: “Yes. Not even one micron of a bug will be mixed into the data itself.”
Elena: “......Any physical danger?”
Louise: “—There is plenty.”
Elena: “—There is!?! (Why do you answer so matter-of-factly like that!?)”
Louise: “—However.”
Chief Witch Louise spun her words coldly with beautiful eyes from which every human emotional parameter had been stripped.
Louise: “If you say it is in order to fulfill your noble duties as the Kingdom National Security Bureau to the absolute limit...”
Quietly‚ yet with absolute pressure.
She looked straight at the entire existence of the three female agents standing there in a row.
Louise: “—You should of course possess the unyielding resolve to throw away everything you currently have‚ right?”
Elena: “......”
Special Investigator Elena was pierced by that unfathomable intimidation and fell silent‚ at a loss for words.
Elena: “......Just what is that unusually ominous question parameter?”
Louise: “No‚ it’s nothing at all.”
I smiled gently‚ my porcelain face blooming like a saint who had purged all conscience into the depths of the abyss.
Louise: “Earlier‚ when you threatened my precious shared-link account (Charlotte-san) with your authority‚ you said this to her in all seriousness‚ didn’t you?”
Elena: “......Yes‚ it’s on record.”
Louise: “That this is a major incident that could shake the nation’s military balance.”
Elena: “......Yes‚ that’s correct.”
Louise: “You said that you cannot bury the equation of truth that must be known into the darkness for reasons such as social consideration while remaining ignorant of it‚ didn’t you?”
Elena: “......Yes‚ I declared so for the sake of the country.”
Louise: “In that case‚ that makes the conversation even quicker.”
In a voice that rang clearly through the quiet underground measurement room‚ I threw the decisive guidance (question) at them.
Louise: “—Do you have the resolve to lose your own ‘absolute social dignity’?”
An abyss-like‚ heavy silence.
The three elite female agents.
In the underground atmosphere stretched to its limit and under heavy pressure‚ they looked at one another’s tense faces while swallowing hard.
Female Agent A: “......S-Social dignity...?”
One of the senior agents waiting behind muttered softly in puzzlement‚ unable to gauge the true meaning of those words.
Female Agent A: “From a system administration standpoint‚ just what kind of worst-case scenario (meaning) does that refer to?”
Louise: “It means exactly what the words say‚ as physical mass.”
I answered flatly with a poker face.
Louise: “There exists‚ probabilistically as a percentage‚ a clear physical possibility that the three of you will—‘lose without a trace in an instant’—all the cloth (things) you currently wear on your bodies and hold in your accounts.”
Female Agent B: “......(In other words... for the sake of the country‚ it’s a special-class military threat that carries the risk of losing one’s career‚ the honor one has built up‚ and in the worst case even one’s life on this battlefield...!)”
Louise: “—Even so.”
While touching the dull silver calculation core of the ring shining on the middle finger of my left hand‚ I coldly piled on more words.
Louise: “Even if you shoulder all of those loss risks‚ do you still want to know the truth of the world with your own eyes?”
Atop my shoulder‚ Toto.
Slowly‚ deeply like the deep sea‚ this time he shook his round daifuku-mochi head sideways with eyes full of genuine sympathy.
Toto: “Special Investigator onee-chan.”
Elena: “......What is it‚ Familiar-san.
We are in the middle of a mission.”
Toto: “For real‚ as one male myself‚ I ain’t gonna spit out any more warning logs than this.
This is the final‚ final real life advice.”
Elena: “Yes‚ I will listen.”
Toto: “—Right now‚ without even one millimeter of hesitation‚ take your finger off that [ Y ] button and run away. Don’t do it.”
Elena: “......Why? Is there a threat there that can deceive even the Guild’s master data?”
Toto: “Absolutely‚ in a few minutes‚ all your clothes will be stripped off‚ and you’ll end up on all fours on that cold iron-black floor‚ collapsing in tears.”
Elena: “A public servant of the nation will absolutely never shed tears in the middle of a mission.”
Toto: “You’re cuttin’ off your escape routes that clearly‚ huh?”
Elena: “Yes. I declare it here and now on the prestige of our bureau.”
Special Investigator Elena completely severed every escape route of her soul and stared straight into the unfathomable eyes of Chief Witch Louise.
Elena: “—I am a Special Investigator of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
Louise: “......”
Elena: “If it is to expose the truth of the world‚ then I have long since prepared the resolve to fulfill this duty to the absolute limit and lose my career‚ my honor‚ everything.”
In front of me‚ a public servant of the country making an unyielding vow.
I held down the collar of my matching oversized T-shirt just a little and lifted the corners of my mouth into a clean arc‚ showing an evil smile.
Louise: “......Fufu‚ is that so.
What splendid loyalty to the nation (donation spirit).”
Elena.
She stared with resolute eyes at those fateful binary-choice letters flickering in the empty air in front of her.
[ Y ]
[ N ]
She solemnly turned her gaze toward the two elite senior female agents flanking her on left and right.
Elena: “Both of you‚ are you ready?”
Female Agent A: “......Y-Yes!”
Elena: “Please approve (link) the system.”
Female Agent A: “But‚ Elena-taichou... according to this spatial projection data‚ isn’t there really a special-class military danger at the level of losing one’s life...?”
Elena: “There is nothing to fear. We are proud Special Investigators‚ the absolute shield of the Kingdom.”
Female Agent A: “......!”
Elena: “There is no reason anywhere in the history of our bureau to cowardly avert our eyes from an unknown threat (truth) and back down before causality.”
Struck by their captain’s noble spirit (bug)‚ the two subordinate senior agents also.
Gulped hard with their slender throats‚ swallowed their saliva‚ and nodded strongly and fiercely as if they had resolved themselves even for martyrdom.
Female Agent A: “—Understood‚ Elena-taichou.”
Female Agent B: “Access to the system‚ approved.”
And then—.
The fateful timelines completely overlapped.
The three elite female agents.
Almost without the slightest deviation‚ completely simultaneously.
Toward the faintly blinking
[ Y ]
that irreversible landmine (letter) leading to total nudity in the empty air.
They resolutely stretched out their matching white‚ slender fingertips without the slightest hesitation and pressed them in deeply all at once.
Elena‚ Female Agent A‚ Female Agent B: “—Operation approved (link)!!”
A beeping electronic synchronization sound echoed through the basement‚ and pale blue magical light.
Gently enveloped the beautiful bodies (inventories) of the three young maidens like an inescapable chain of fate (path).
And then.
The calculation core of the dull silver modulation ring fitted on my middle finger.
Quietly‚ and with the utmost coldness and cruelty.
Advanced the drive into the next irreversible exploitation stage (phase) from which there was no return to the ordinary world.
Louise: “......New automatic underwear deduction account (link)‚ forced approval for three persons.”
I muttered coldly and beautifully‚ like a death god who had left all conscience behind in the abyss.
Louise: “—Connection complete.”
The Toto on my shoulder.
No longer tried to overwrite any more words for the sake of the history of human morality.
He merely.
Hung his small‚ round daifuku-mochi head deeply‚ this time filling his red eyes with genuine pity.
Toto: “......Onee-chan-ra‚ Namu Amida Butsu (my deepest condolences)‚ for real.”
He muttered just that under his breath.
Even Kamekichi on the floor‚ under the hem of my T-shirt.
Kamekichi: “Kyui... (Namu-san ya... God of clothing‚ please have mercy on the onee-sans’ panties...)”
He rattled his shell and‚ for some reason from the tremendous awkwardness of being an accomplice‚ quietly averted his round eyes diagonally downward toward the floor.
And then.
Chief Witch Louise.
Toward the pitiful yet noble three female agents who had of their own accord completed the connection contract for highly efficient “magical warheads (spare layered underwear fuel).”
Quietly declared the opening of the hell purge gate with imposing dignity.
Louise: “Well then‚ everyone from the upper echelons of the nation—”
I tilted my porcelain neck‚ peeking from the collar of the oversized T-shirt‚ just a little.
And made only the corners of my mouth smile beautifully‚ just a little‚ like an evil crescent moon floating in the night sky.
Louise: “—I shall thoroughly show the full details of my equivalent-exchange grand magic (panties steam explosion) to your retinas.”
Kingdom National Security Bureau · Underground First Magic Measurement Training Room.
A closed space of the highest strength that the nation boasts‚ completely sealed many times over by thick special-alloy armor and high-ranking ancient anti-magic seals.
In front of the massive black-steel target seated in the center that was said to withstand even a giant dragon’s breath without a scratch‚ Louise gazed with the quiet eyes of a scientist at the final activation confirmation magic hologram floating in empty space.
Around her— the three young elite female agents who still did not understand even one micron of what historical tragedy (bug) would befall their social dignity from now on.
A little farther away‚ behind the protective barrier of the absolute safety zone‚ were Charlotte in an oversized T-shirt and her two hangers-on‚ as well as the familiar Toto who had given up on everything and the NEET magical beast Kamekichi.
The air of the sealed room was heavy and oppressive like a bowstring drawn to its absolute limit‚ pregnant with a painful combat tension.
Elena: “......So then‚ Louise-dono?”
Special Investigator Elena broke the oppressive silence with a sharp voice tinged with a little irritation.
Elena: “The system connection (link) should already be complete.
Is there still some more absurd preparatory process required?”
Louise: “Yes‚ of course.”
I nodded deeply with a side profile of a poker face from which no emotion could be read.
Louise: “Just a little more‚ I will finely adjust with high precision the catalyst (cost) parameters for rewriting the law of causality.”
My white‚ slender fingertips glided elegantly over the calculation core of the dull silver-shining ring.
Semi-transparent pale blue light mathematical formulas spread out‚ drawing smooth geometric trajectories through the closed space.
There was the information of the firm shared-link account that the three elite agents had proudly approved (tapped) of their own will just earlier.
And—directly beneath that log‚ the next merciless execution command (bug) that would destroy the world’s rules quietly blinked and displayed.
‘ STATUS； EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE (Equivalent Exchange Purge Target Cost Deduction Destination) / All clothing of the three linked targets (including underwear) ’
Louise: “......”
I casually turned around and stared at Elena and the other two from top to bottom with the eyes of an appraiser evaluating high-quality magical cloth (assets) at a market bargain sale.
Louise: “......I see.
You are wearing truly luxurious‚ splendidly tailored uniforms that embody the nation’s prestige as they are.”
Elena: “......Ha?”
Elena frowned uncomfortably at my suspicious gaze.
Elena: “Suddenly‚ just what shopping talk are you engaging in?”
Louise: “No‚ it’s nothing.”
I answered with the face of an utterly serious scientist.
Louise: “Highest-grade fibers from the royal palace’s purveyors‚ treated with advanced special magical processing for blade resistance and anti-magic...
With such high-quality material (high-grade explosives) that seems to have an extremely high magical conductivity‚ I was merely happily calculating in my head how firmly I could secure the tactical magical power needed for this event alteration (compound magic) in one batch from the nation.”
Elena: “You’re saying you’ll supplement the magical power for grand magic with the material of clothing (mere cloth)?”
Louise: “Yes. In the specifications of my equivalent-exchange magic (purge system)‚ that becomes the absolute ammunition (cost).”
Elena: “......Just which forbidden book shelf does such a bizarre magical theory exist on?”
Louise: “It’s the sound basic theory of multidimensional equivalent exchange (capitalism).”
Elena: “I don’t understand a single thing you’re saying.”
Louise: “Don’t worry‚ Special Investigator-san.
......Before long‚ you’ll understand it painfully ‘on your skin’ in the literal sense.”
Elena: “Before long...?”
The female agents looked at one another and tilted their heads suspiciously.
Immediately after that.
Toto: “—W-Wait a sec!!”
Toto jumped down forcefully from my shoulder onto the marble floor with a hop.
His usually cynical daifuku-mochi face that looked down on worldly affairs was‚ this time unusually‚ completely dyed with parameters of genuine impatience.
Toto: “Louise-han.”
Louise: “What is it‚ Toto? Please don’t interfere with my spacetime calculations.”
Toto: “Are you seriously plannin’ to execute that demonic command (hacking) at full combat power right now!?”
Louise: “Yes.
Since they strongly requested empirical proof staking the nation’s prestige‚ as a scientist it is the natural conclusion (answer).”
Toto: “No‚ this ain’t the place to reply with a poker face like ‘Yes‚ of course’ so calmly‚ you!!”
Toto pointed sharply with the fingertips of his short forelegs‚ stabbing toward the three female agents who were still looking at the oversized T-shirts in puzzlement.
Toto: “These pitiful three onee-chans still don’t understand even one micron in their brains of the full details of the extremely shameless hell (bug) that is about to befall their own bodies!”
Louise: “That’s right. From a probabilistic perspective‚ they are in a state of complete ignorance (no-guard).”
Toto: “Then shouldn’t you‚ as the minimum of humanity‚ accurately system-explain in advance the terrifying physical outcome that is about to happen!?”
Louise: “How rude. I already perfectly completed the prior warning process earlier.”
Toto: “In just what language space did you do that!?”
Louise: “I properly stepped on the agreement confirmation approval (login) right in front of the noble young ladies with ‘Do you have the resolve to lose your absolute social dignity?’”
Toto: “With only that overly abstract and lofty literary expression‚ just which country’s public servant is gonna be able to translate in their brain that ‘in a few seconds all the clothes and underwear they’re wearing will be blown away without a trace‚’ you idiot!!”
Louise: “But the three of them declared‚ so nobly and beautifully madly‚ that ‘if it is to fulfill our duties‚ we have the resolve to lose everything.’
I merely respected that precious will (donation spirit) of theirs as public servants to the maximum as a scientist.”
Toto: “You‚ just because the other party blurted out a grand cause from a massive misunderstanding‚ you can’t go and execute (batch purge) it literally like a berserker!!”
Under the hem of my men’s T-shirt‚ Kamekichi also hurriedly thrust his long neck out to the absolute limit from his sturdy shell with a start.
Kamekichi: “Kyui! (Even my shell feels like it’s gonna get stripped off—this is a super-dreadnought class cold sweat!)”
Louise: “What is it‚ Kamekichi-san‚ making such exaggerated cries.”
Kamekichi: (—Louise-han‚ my wild sixth sense as a retired NEET who doesn’t want to work is detecting nothing but the worst unpleasant premonitions at the national-collapse extinction level inside this completely sealed shield room! For real‚ it’s scary!!)
Louise: “My multidimensional calculation formulas are not so soft that I need to be worried about by a mere freeloader turtle who calls himself a parasite.
Just shut up and watch my results (free meal).”
Kamekichi: “Kyuiiiii——!! (A black witch who completely ignores labor standards law——!!)”
Elena: “—That’s enough‚ all of you‚ stop it right there!”
Special Investigator Elena sharply stopped Toto and Kamekichi’s poverty manzai that was completely destroying the tension of the interrogation.
Elena: “Just what in the world is that absurd play you’ve been putting on this whole time?”
She looked down uncomfortably at the white mochi and green turtle at her feet‚ a blue vein twitching on her forehead.
Elena: “Dignity this‚ clothing disappearance that.
The way you talk makes it sound as if we are about to suffer some absurd fate that goes against humanity.”
And then—with sharp eyes like a bird of prey targeting its quarry‚ she glared straight at me.
Elena: “Louise-dono‚ do you truly intend to empirically prove before my eyes the mathematical formula of the grand magic that is said to have erased that boss of the Underground Fifth Layer along with its coordinates?”
Louise: “Yes‚ of course that is my intention.
The ring’s system connection (hacking) is already complete.”
Elena: “Then stop immediately such acts (bluffs) of improperly prolonging time with useless verbal exchanges with your familiars.”
Louise: “It is not useless.
It is an extremely necessary pre-combat safety confirmation process (debug) to prevent the system from going berserk.”
Elena: “Excuses are unnecessary.
If you say the environmental parameters are perfect—then demonstrate that grand magic here at once!!”
The bureaucratic pride of the female agent in front of me who had absurdly surrounded us in front of a high-class lingerie shop had already reached an irreversible critical point (boiling point).
Louise: “—If you insist that much‚ I understand perfectly.”
I shrugged the shoulders of my oversized T-shirt as if to say “oh well.”
And then.
With flowing fingertip movements without any stagnation‚ I swiped through the list on the hacked magic console screen that was flickering pale blue right in front of my gaze.
‘ STATUS； MAGIC TIER SELECTION (Magic Rank Selection) ’
At the very bottom of the displayed multidimensional list.
The highest peak special-class singularity that humanity can reach in modern magic.
—Tenth Rank.
From the four elements‚ I selected (tapped) the [ Wind Attribute ]‚ which has the least air resistance.
The moment that overly unsettling command was executed.
Beneath my shoulder‚ Toto’s round daifuku-mochi-like face completely tensed up from terror.
Toto: “......O-Oi‚ you.
Are your sanity parameters okay?”
Louise: “What is it‚ Toto? I am calculating with the utmost strictness.”
Toto: “That... no matter how you look at it‚ isn’t that a complete overkill (excessive firepower) bug against a mere durability test target!?”
Louise: “Is that so? Considering the target’s mass‚ it is the optimal solution.”
Toto: “Absolutely not! The firepower is crazy!”
Kamekichi: “Kyuii! (The cold sweat won’t stop!)”
Kamekichi also flailed his short forelegs on the marble floor and shook his neck with all his might.
Kamekichi: (—Louise-han‚ that ain’t just the black-steel target in front—it’s a crazy heat amount at the level that would annihilate even my absolute-defense sturdy shell down to the cellular level of living beings! Stop it with all your strength!!)
Louise: “Rest assured‚ Kamekichi-san.
My spacetime magical control is not so rough a parameter that it can be compared to the frictional heat of a mere NEET turtle’s shell.”
Toto: “You‚ that ain’t a problem of dimensional comparison processing‚ for real!!”
Toto shouted back without missing a beat‚ with enough force that he almost slapped my cheek.
I gazed at the massive black-steel target seated in front with the quiet eyes of a mathematician.
Louise: “There is not a single academic problem.
Everything is according to my mathematical formulas; the consistency of the calculations is established.”
Toto: “Just which calculation is matching!?”
Louise: “Using this Wind Tenth Rank magic‚ immediately after completely annihilating the sturdy black-steel target in front to the level of atomic dust in an instant—without missing a beat I will interfere and activate multidimensional spacetime magic‚ and forcibly batch-transfer (purge) all of the blast wind and destructive shockwaves generated inside the room into ‘another parallel dimension (the horizon of nothingness).’”
Toto: “......”
Toto completely froze‚ all thought processes stopped before that application theory of magic that was so unprecedented.
Toto: “......Hey‚ you.”
Louise: “Yes‚ what is it‚ Toto?”
Toto: “Just now... didn’t you casually say something terrifying?”
Louise: “As I said‚ the aftereffects of environmental destruction accompanying the explosion will be forcibly—”
Toto: “No‚ every single character was correctly heard by the audio code of my eardrums!”
Toto clutched his round daifuku-mochi head fiercely with his short forelegs.
Toto: “You‚ the scale of the ideas you come up with is that of an irredeemable worst mad scientist (walking catastrophe) at the level that can physically turn a nation into scorched earth all by yourself...!”
Louise: “How rude.
I won’t do even one micron of such dangerous and inhumane environmental destruction.”
Toto: “You’re tryin’ to do exactly that right now at this stage!”
Louise: “All the harmful blast winds (noise) that are generated will be cleanly recovered (cleaned up) by me responsibly beyond the multidimensions‚ so it is an extremely environmentally friendly‚ completely safe energy-saving specification (eco).”
Toto: “The concept parameters of safety standards inside you are bugged from the very foundation to the point of total destruction‚ this naked witch——!!”
The female agents who should have been the nation’s highest elites had forgotten their pride and were standing there with their beautiful mouths hanging open at our exchange of special-class magical terminology that was far too advanced and on a completely different dimension.
Elena: “......Multidimensional... spacetime magic...?”
Special Investigator Elena muttered softly as if she had witnessed a ghost from a fairy tale‚ in disbelief.
Elena: “Did you just casually say that you would purge (clean up) the blast wind beyond a parallel dimension?”
Louise: “Yes‚ I clearly stated it orally.
It is the cleanest and most cutting-edge application theory (eco) in modern spacetime magic.”
Elena: “Such a grand magic that only exists inside living myths and forbidden books... even the highest sages of the royal palace may or may not be able to handle it theoretically...”
Female Agent A: “......Elena-taichou‚ I too‚ now of all times‚ my brain cells have begun detecting a fierce unpleasant premonition (error alert)...”
The other female agent behind them rapidly lost the color from her face‚ turning pure white and pale‚ and stepped back to the edge of the anti-magic stone wall.
Elena: “—But even so...!”
Elena forcibly suppressed the instinctive survival fear crawling up from the bottom of her body and tightly‚ painfully crossed her arms.
Elena: “Having stepped this far into the abyss of causality staking the prestige of the National Security Bureau‚ we cannot fail to confirm the log of truth for the sake of the country!”
Toto: “Onee-chan‚ if you’re gonna stop that runaway justice for real‚ this comma-several-seconds right now is the last‚ true last chance of your life.”
The Toto under my shoulder said in a voice of pained pleading‚ as if already pressing both forelegs together in prayer to gods and buddhas.
Elena: “This is our absolutely unbendable noble duty (noblesse oblige).”
Toto: “For real‚ even if later not a single piece of clothing remains‚ you won’t regret the star you were born on?”
Elena: “Absolutely not.
On the history of blood and tears that our bureau boasts.”
I quietly gazed at Elena’s undistorted face of resolve with transparent eyes from which every emotional parameter had been stripped.
Louise: “—Understood‚ Special Investigator-san.
I will not add any further change history (changes) to my calculation formulas.”
Elena: “Yes‚ that is exactly what I desire‚ Louise-dono.”
Louise: “The next final approval command (detonation switch) that pops up and displays in space—if you tap and execute it‚ the specifications of causality will become irreversible forever after.
By the laws of the multidimensions‚ there is absolutely no going back.”
Elena: “......Then explain logically just what that grandiose final confirmation character string is representing from a system perspective!”
Louise: “It’s merely a formal final security approval confirmation of whether or not you will visually witness the power of myth-class grand magic with your retinas from now on.”
Elena: “In that case‚ there should be no mathematical problems whatsoever! Clear the authentication at once!”
Louise: “—Fufu‚ system approval‚ understood.”
I smiled‚ lifting the corners of my mouth beautifully‚ like a death god who had left all conscience behind in the abyss.
Louise: “Then‚ that precious donation (clothing assets) from the upper echelons of the nation—I shall receive it all in one batch into my account without reservation.”
At that instant‚ in the sealed empty air of the underground measurement room.
The final decisive dark alert character string that would pulverize the social lifespans (dignity) of Elena and the three female agents to atomic-level fragments floated up.
‘ STATUS； FINAL CONFIRMATION PROCESS (Final Confirmation Process) ’
‘ METHOD； CRITICAL PURGE / AUTO STRIP MODE (Purge Locations； Leave-it-to-me Batch Undress Mode · All Clothing) ’
‘ TARGET； REGISTERED ACCOUNT ACTIVE (Equivalent Exchange Forced Deduction Targets； All Linked and Approved Targets · Total Three Persons) ’
‘ SPELL； WIND FORCE TIER 10 (Tenth Rank Wind Attribute Compound Magic； System Activation Preparations Complete) ’
‘ QUESTION； Execute final approval (panties automatic deduction)? ’
[ Y ] ／ [ N ]
Elena: “—If I tap this light command‚ all physical facts will be proven‚ correct?”
Louise: “Yes‚ according to the mathematical formulas of causality.
Completely‚ perfectly.”
Elena: “......”
The three elite female agents each stared fixedly at the [ Y ] dial that had floated up and popped up eerily before their eyes.
The moment they brought their slender fingertips close‚ just a little‚ their biological wild instincts
“You must not touch that”
began ringing clamorous alarm bells inside their brains.
However—.
Elena: “......Without hesitation‚ let us approve (tap) the system.”
Female Agent A: “Yes‚ Elena-taichou.”
Female Agent B: “Everything is the sacred duty (noblesse oblige) imposed upon our bureau.”
The three highest national investigators.
On a completely simultaneous timeline.
Stretched out their proud fingertips and pressed the [ Y ] execution detonation switch in deeply.
—Click.
The electronic drive sound of the heartless gears of fate meshing rang through the silent basement.
—Precisely immediately after that.
The “world” of the sealed underground shield room completely stopped (froze) in zero comma seconds‚ accompanied by physical mass and a shudder.
Elena: “......Eh? Is this a bug in the spacetime barrier...!?”
Elena gasped at the sudden fluctuation in atmospheric pressure and snapped her face upward.
The marble floor at their feet.
The wall surfaces of the barriers stretched many times over.
The far-high sturdy ceiling.
......Against the multidimensional structure (inventory) of this sealed-room space itself‚ pale blue light geometric lines (circuits) explosively raced through at a terrifying reverse-flow speed like capillaries.
Female Agent A: “W-What... is this eerie flow of magical power...!”
The next instant.
A massive and bizarrely complex “multi-layered magical three-dimensional magic circle” that completely covered the entire area of the Underground First Magic Measurement Room was uncannily deployed into the empty air before our eyes.
A golden main circle.
Outside of it‚ further concentric circles of jet black that seemed to reverse the hands of the world’s clock.
Countless‚ never-before-seen ancient magical characters flickering.
The flow of mathematical formulas of parallel calculations that were far too complex‚ as if completely stepping into the domain of gods (bugs).
A multidimensional logical structure that even the highest sages of the present world could not understand even if they spent their entire lives.
It was not only the cold stone-paved ground.
In every empty space in the air as well.
On the anti-magic wall surfaces as well.
On the alloy ceiling as well—.
The massive event arrays that overlapped three-dimensionally many times over began driving with a roar‚ as if rewriting “the causality (program) of the world itself” according to my mental household account book.
—Goooooooooooooon.............
All the atmosphere filling the room could not endure the natural-disaster-class magical density that pierced through the limits of humanity‚ and began trembling while raising screams as if being violently torn apart.
Female Agent B: “......!”
The female agents who should have been the highest elites of the National Security Bureau completely lost their language functions and froze before the abnormal situation of that all-too-mythical scale that had begun driving in the space in front of them.
Elena: “......Wait a moment‚ Louise-dono.”
Special Investigator Elena squeezed out a pained voice from the depths of a completely dry throat while pouring cold sweat.
Elena: “This... is not a joke (data)...”
Another senior agent trembled all over with the shudder crawling up from her feet and twisted her pale face.
Female Agent A: “Is this really the Tenth Rank that should be unreachable by humanity...!?”
Female Agent B: “You’re kidding‚ right? It’s a government office system error...!”
Female Agent A: “Please wait a moment‚ this is too absurd...!”
The three elite national public servants.
Simultaneously‚ as if snapped.
Stared fixedly at the expressionless face of Louise—the root of all evil scattering the bug of destruction into this multidimensional space.
Elena: “—Wait wait wait‚ this can’t be possible!?”
Louise: “Eh? What is it‚ Special Investigator-san?”
Elena: “Is this really Tenth Rank · tactical-class annihilation magic at the level that can erase a nation from the map in an instant!?”
Louise: “I accurately reported it as voice data in advance before the empirical experiment‚ didn’t I?”
Elena: “Please don’t say it with such a casual and light textual tempo as if casually stamping the approval seal on a government office document!!”
Female Agent A: “Louise-san‚ this is a completely sealed underground space‚ you know!?”
Louise: “If it’s the accurate volume data of the space‚ I perfectly grasped it in my head at the initial stage of the hacking.”
Female Agent B: “If you fire natural-disaster-class heat amounts in a closed space with no escape routes like this‚ not only the target in front but there is a percentage possibility that this National Security Bureau headquarters building along with the central district of the royal capital will be blown to fragments—!!”
Louise: “—There is not a single problem. It’s fine.”
I declared utterly quietly in a flat voice from which every human emotional fluctuation had been stripped.
Louise: “Everything is according to the calculation formulas of the prior simulation.
At the exact same timing with not even a comma-one-second error as the Wind Tenth Rank magic pulverizes the target‚ I will interfere and drive the multidimensional spacetime magic‚ and forcibly batch-return (purge) all of the destructive blast wind and enormous heat amounts generated inside the room into ‘the horizon of nothingness (another dimension).’”
Elena: “......”
Female Agent A: “......”
Female Agent B: “......Eh?”
The logical thinking circuits (logic) of the elite bureaucrats who had handled numerous difficult cases in the upper echelons of the nation completely short-circuited at this point‚ and a fatal silence fell over the underground measurement room.
Elena: “You... just what language space (what) of the world have you been speaking in this whole time...?”
Louise: “As I said‚ by intentionally constructing dimensional faults (cracks) with my magical calculations—”
Elena: “D-Dimensional...!?”
Louise: “Yes‚ that’s right.”
Elena: “In the first place‚ just what is dimensional magic (something like that)!?”
Louise: “It is an extremely clean application magic that operates multidimensional spacetime coordinates according to my mental household account book.”
Elena: “—That is not a single scientifically convincing explanation for a government office person——!!!”
The moment that absolute rejection scream rang out.
Chief Witch Louise’s quiet gaze was directed in a straight line as if piercing the massive black-steel target (target) in the center.
On the magic hologram in empty space‚ enormous deep-crimson warning letters floated up uncannily.
‘ TARGET LOCKED ON (Firing Coordinates Fixed) ’
Elena: “—Wait‚ please stop right now!!”
Special Investigator Elena raised a scream as if realizing the end of the world and desperately stretched her hand beyond the iron desk.
Elena: “If it’s now‚ we can still cancel the causality system—”
I coldly ignored the desperate pleas of the National Security Bureau and touched the final hacking core of the silver modulation ring with my fingertip.
Louise: “—Multidimensional causality · ‘Event Activation (Ignition)’”
The moment that cold declaration was handed down.
From the “world” of the sealed underground magic measurement room‚ all physical atmospheric vibrations (sound) cleanly vanished.
—And then.
After a comma-several-seconds of sacred silence.
An overwhelming great roar like a ground tremor that threatened to destroy the eardrums from the inside.
A fierce flash that dyed the entire field of vision pure white and burned the retinas.
A tyrannical storm.
A torrent of hyper-compressed vacuum wind like a blade wielded by a god that would slice everything existing in space to the molecular level was unleashed in a straight line toward the black-steel target.
The air that had filled the highest-strength shield room—no‚ the dimensional space structure itself—could not endure that natural-disaster-class mass and violently distorted while raising a death scream.
Female Agent A: “Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Female Agent B: “Martyring for the country‚ my life is overrrrrrrrrrr!!”
Elena: “I’m going to die without even bones remaining‚ down to the fibers of my clothesuuuuuuuuuuu!!”
The three elite female agents resolved themselves for death at a percentage and screamed while shedding tears.
—However.
That storm of destruction that could have turned the royal capital into vacant land.
Did not reach their noble bodies even as a single beautiful strand of hair‚ as physical heat amounts.
To be precise—the physical waves of causality did reliably reach their bodies.
However.
All of the “numerical values” within the damage range of that disaster had merely been perfectly calculated to the absolute limit without even one micron of error by my genius mental household account book.
—Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
The sturdy black-steel target that had been proudly seated in the center of the room‚ which should have blocked even a giant dragon’s breath.
For just an instant.
Without even the gap of a blink.
Completely “vanished” from the world.
It did not shatter into pieces.
Nor was it blown backward by the shockwave.
The absolute material mass that had certainly existed there became atomic-level dust in comma-one second due to the heat of causality‚ and even that dust was further replaced by ultra-high-temperature plasma and completely disappeared as if being sucked into the beyond of the multidimensions.
Immediately after that natural-disaster-class storm of destruction swallowed the room.
Louise: “—Multidimensional spacetime magic · ‘Event Fixation (Dimension Fix)’”
Together with Chief Witch Louise’s quiet declaration.
In the center of the underground measurement room‚ the space where the sturdy black-steel target had been seated just earlier was uncannily torn open with a gaping mouth‚ like a fissure in the world.
Abyssal black.
A jet-black spacetime crack of nothingness (black hole) from which even particles of light could never escape.
Elena: “......Eh‚ ah...!?”
Special Investigator Elena and the three female agents—while shedding large tears from the parameters of their own fear of death.
Burned into their retinas that hideous yet beautiful spectacle of the end times that completely deviated from the absolute rules of this world.
The tremendous storm of destruction that the natural disaster of Wind Tenth Rank magic had created in this sealed room.
The rubble that should originally have been pulverized into fragments and scattered throughout the measurement room.
The atomic dust.
The ultra-high-temperature plasma heat amounts exceeding tens of thousands of degrees.
The destructive wave shockwaves that shook the world—all of it.
All of those destruction parameters.
Were fluidly swallowed without a single sound into the other side of the dimensional crack that had opened its mouth in that space (the horizon of nothingness)‚ as if being forcibly sucked up by a giant invisible spacetime vacuum cleaner‚ and disappeared.
And then—.
After a mere several seconds of time had passed from that devil’s cleanup (eco system).
......What visited the underground shield room was complete‚ absolute silence.
The five-colored lights of the multi-layered magic circles that had colored the floor and empty space vanished with a puff‚ their roles finished.
The raging vacuum storm as well.
The dimensional crack that had been chewing through space as well.
Everything had cleanly disappeared from the space as if it had never existed in the history of this world from the beginning.
What remained afterward was—only the empty void of space where that massive black-steel target had been‚ which had vanished without a trace‚ not even a single atom remaining.
And then.
On the floor in the center of that measurement room of highest strength‚ the three pitiful elite female investigators of the nation who had completely lost the strength in their legs from terror and were sitting collapsed on a puddle.
Elena: “......”
Female Agent A: “......”
Female Agent B: “......”
Physically‚ completely uninjured.
Not a single injury on a fingertip.
No pain in the cells.
Not a single drop of blood flowing on the porcelain skin.
A control output of multidimensional magic that was safe to the point of being more perfect than anything else.
—However.
Only “all the clothing” that the three of them had worn on their bodies staking the pride and prestige of the nation.
That anti-magic black uniform specially ordered by the Kingdom National Security Bureau staking its prestige as well.
The high-quality blade-resistant shirt as well.
The expensive leather shoes as well.
The matching black socks as well.
And—even the “underwear (panties)” that should have been the final absolute defense line that must never be breached as maidens.
The material mass of all the clothing of the three that had been registered in the shared-link account.
As the “equivalent-exchange cost (fuel)” for activating the earlier Tenth Rank Wind Attribute compound magic.
—Had been completely annihilated (deducted) cleanly into the well-ventilated beyond of causality.
Louise: “......”
Louise quietly confirmed the causality settlement completion data (balance) flowing directly to her retinas from the silver ring on her middle finger.
Louise: “Forced automatic deduction of the catalyst via system share‚ First Phase (uniform)‚ and Second Phase (underwear).
......According to my mathematical formulas‚ a perfect success (complete) without even one krone of error.”
Elena: “......”
Female Agent A: “......”
Female Agent B: “......”
In the center of the underground special measurement room‚ the three elite female agents—had completely frozen‚ stopping the understanding process (logic) of their mental calculation hard disks.
Eventually.
One senior agent felt the cool air (wind) of the air-conditioned basement directly on her “entire bare skin‚” which should never normally be possible‚ and mathematically understood the extreme situation she had been placed in.
Female Agent A: “......A-A-Ah...?”
A silence like lead‚ absolute.
Female Agent A: “......A-Aaa‚ no way... you’re kidding‚ aaaa...!?”
The other investigator also looked down trembling with fear at her completely no-guard‚ defenseless white body.
Female Agent B: “......!”
And then—the next instant.
Elena‚ Female Agent A‚ Female Agent B: “—Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”
The three maidens’ screams were at a completely simultaneous timing without the slightest deviation.
A full-powered scream from the deepest bottom of their souls as young women‚ cursing this world‚ that threw away in an instant all the high-status pride they possessed as the highest elites of the National Security Bureau.
Female Agent A: “All of our clothes (uniforms) have completely disappeared without a traceeeeeeeeeee!?”
Female Agent B: “Why‚ how come‚ not a single injury yet even the panties are gone without a traceeeeeeeeeee!!”
Elena: “‘Do you have the resolve to lose your social dignity’—so that was the calculation formula for this worst absurd case (total nudity) of aaaaaaaalllllll!!!!”
Toto.
Atop my shoulder that he had climbed back up to‚ this time he quietly closed his round red eyes with genuine sympathy.
Toto: “......That’s why I warned you as the final real log of life‚ onee-chan.
I told you you’d end up on all fours on the floor collapsing in tears‚ so don’t do it.”
Kamekichi: “Kyui... (Namu Amida Butsu... God of maidens‚ please have mercy on the mass of the onee-sans’ panties...)”
Kamekichi also completely pulled his neck into his sturdy shell and awkwardly averted his eyes diagonally downward to the right toward the floor.
Kamekichi: “I ain’t seen nothin’ as a NEET‚ so I’m safe.”
Louise: “Hey Kamekichi-san‚ just now your small eyes were glittering and you were staring hard‚ weren’t you?”
Kamekichi: “I said I ain’t lookin’‚ it’s your imagination.”
Louise: “No matter how skillfully a mere turtle closes its eyes‚ the hard disk memory (data) of your retinas that had been staring at the onee-sans until just now will not be erased even one micron.”
Kamekichi: “Kyuii... (You‚ don’t accurately poke only at those multidimensional painful spots and refute me...)”
The pitiful elite female agents.
On the cold marble floor‚ they were trembling in small increments in their matching born-as-they-were forms (sacred nudity).
They were collapsing in tears completely‚ shedding large tears of despair at social death.
And then—with those tearful eyes of humiliation‚ they fiercely glared at my poker face‚ the root of all evil (bug).
Elena: “......You... Louise...-dono...”
Special Investigator Elena‚ still collapsed on all fours on the floor‚ trembled all over so hard her teeth chattered‚ and squeezed out a thin voice.
Louise: “What is it? Do you have some mathematical question about my perfect empirical demonstration of wind magic?”
Elena: “......That myth-class monster boss of the Underground Fifth Layer...”
Louise: “Yes‚ the guardian of the world.”
Elena: “......Don’t tell me you erased and defeated it with exactly the same inhumane and extremely shameless system (method) as this...!?”
Louise: “No‚ to speak academically strictly‚ this time it is a similar application of causality.”
Elena: “Similar...?”
Louise: “As a result of calmly analyzing the combat log data from the abyss‚ today I merely batch-hacked and deducted other people’s high-class uniforms (cost) from behind via the shared-link connection‚ thereby further ‘refining (updating)’ it several steps higher in efficiency without purging my own clothes‚ compared to last time.”
Elena: “......”
The thinking circuits (logic) of the three excellent investigators who had exposed numerous magical crimes in the upper echelons of the nation.
This time completely stopped (froze)‚ raising pure white smoke of despair from inside their brains.
Right beside that hellish spectacle in which public morals had been massively destroyed at the atomic level.
Charlotte quietly opened the zipper of her magical item bag with the solemnity of a single adult saint.
Charlotte: “......You poor people of the Kingdom National Security Bureau.”
The three completely naked elite female agents simultaneously raised their faces‚ messy with tears of humiliation‚ while trembling.
Charlotte: “—Please‚ make use of this material.”
What Charlotte slid her bare legs under the oversized T-shirt and held out was.
A pure white‚ clean‚ well-tailored large sheet.
Elena: “......”
Female Agent A: “......A-Ah...”
Female Agent B: “......!”
Charlotte did not try to speak many words.
She gently‚ with hands full of compassion that enveloped everything‚ beautifully draped the large sheet over the white bare shoulders of the three who were trembling in small increments in their born-as-they-were forms (sacred nudity).
Elena: “......A-Ah‚ thank you very much... the kindness of the daughter of the Vermilion Ducal House soaks into my bones‚ into my bare skin...”
Captain Elena leaked intense sobs for the first time in her life and offered the maximum courtesy to the noble young lady in a tearful voice.
Then Charlotte‚ while gently adjusting the collar of her oversized T-shirt‚ made a little bit of an infinitely beautiful distant look‚ as if she had peered into the abyss of all the absurdities of life and attained enlightenment.
Charlotte: “......It’s fine‚ please don’t mind it.
We too‚ just yesterday in that Fifth Layer of the abyss‚ passed through the exact same ‘absolute path of despair (route)’ of forced panties deduction as you‚ splitting the social dignity.”
Elena: “......Eh‚ that young lady of the Vermilion House was completely naked matching me...!?”
Charlotte: “—That is precisely why‚ strongly‚ nobly‚ live in this well-ventilated present world‚ onee-sans.”
Charlotte was for some reason floating just a little the overwhelming dignity of a “veteran highest-rank hero (mount)” who had passed through the history of total-nudity purges‚ as a great senior‚ sacredly from her entire body.
Seeing that unusually bizarre spectacle of the interrogation room.
Toto slumped down from my shoulder and pressed his forehead deeply and painfully with his short forelegs.
Toto: “......What is this‚ the ‘worst undressing solidarity’ between victims who had their clothing total-lossed‚ the thing I least want to see in the present world‚ is buggy-birthing and exploding...”
Kamekichi: “Kyui... (A beautiful mathematical formula of the pitiful friendship of maidens...)”
Kamekichi also nodded his green short neck up and down deeply in the farthest corner of the room and for some reason was moved to tears as a fellow exposure victim.
Chief Witch Louise.
Completely ignored (purged) from her brain that absurd and moving spectacle of total nudity (bug) unfolding beyond the steam‚ and slowly looked down at Elena’s face wrapped in the sheet.
Louise: “—With this‚ the proof process of my ability and magical potential is completely finished.”
I declared extremely flatly in a voice from which no emotional parameters could be read.
Louise: “By this‚ that this genius me single-handedly erased the master of the Underground Fifth Layer from the world’s coordinates.
And that the drop core carelessly placed on that iron desk over there is without a doubt the genuine ‘real thing.’
......You have understood it logically and mathematically to the point of total destruction‚ correct?”
Elena: “......”
Special Investigator Elena.
While gripping the pure white sheet cloth she had been granted by Charlotte so tightly that her slender fingertips turned white and stiffened.
With eyes overflowing with tears of humiliation—she nodded up and down fiercely‚ over and over‚ with such force that one might think the thin bones of her neck would snap and roll onto the floor.
Elena: “......Yes... I lose. It is completely genuine myth-class magical power...”
Louise: “It is not stolen assets unjustly seized from the royal palace treasury or some other country’s spy‚ correct?”
Elena: “......Yes‚ there is no log of illegal data loss anywhere. It is exactly as you say...”
Louise: “As the National Security Bureau‚ this unjust official voluntary accompaniment (interrogation) toward me is completely finished (cleared) with no errors with this‚ is that acceptable?”
Elena: “......Yessss...! Everything was entirely our complete processing mistake (bug)aaaa...!!”
Receiving that painful total surrender reply from the onee-chan of the nation’s upper echelons‚ I finally nodded deeply with satisfaction‚ tucking my chin.
Louise: “System approval‚ accepted.”
And then—.
Since starting today’s shopping tour‚ the most pure‚ most beautiful full-faced business smile with not even one micron of evil parameters mixed in floated on my porcelain face.
Louise: “Well then‚ since the complete proof of my innocence’s debug is also all finished.”
I.
In an extremely bright and healthy voice that resounded throughout the entire underground measurement room‚ demanded the original highest-priority task with dignity.
Louise: “—According to the oral contract with your nation over there‚ can you please have my share of the ‘special ration bento with delicious meat (free meal)’ brought out immediately right now at the present time?”
Elena: “............”
Special Investigator Elena‚ whose social dignity had been purged to the level of atomic dust.
Slowly raised that beautiful face that could shake a nation‚ messy with tears and snot.
And from the deepest bottom of her slender throat‚ in a voice trembling in small increments as if coughing up blood—.
Elena: “......I will immediately make urgent arrangements to the bureau’s kitchen... Louise...-sama...”
Thus.
She answered quietly in the highest-grade pitiful honorific language filled with complete defeat and awe of the gods‚ her pride as the nation’s dark side completely broken.
—Thus.
The “Illegal Auction Direct-Listing Incident of the Underground Fifth Layer Boss Drop Box” that had temporarily shaken the cutting-edge hacking system of the Kingdom Cyber Surveillance Bureau and violently rocked the upper echelons of the Kingdom National Security Bureau‚ the highest investigation agency‚ into the depths of terror.
In exchange for the precious loyalty of the three elite female investigators who carried the nation’s glory—and above all‚ the “complete social dignity (panties) as young maidens”—being forcibly deducted in one batch as the merciless price of equivalent exchange by the system (scapegoat).
In the form of the main culprit Louise’s “completely floating today’s lunch expenses (obtaining a free meal)‚” an extremely petty and stingy microscopic purpose of the present world that would make the scales bug out and shatter.
—In a certain sense‚ extremely peacefully closed the long-lasting curtain of absurdity.
However—from this day when the magical history of the Kingdom largely bugged out as a boundary.
To the description of the internal top-secret manual that the Kingdom National Security Bureau manages more strictly than life itself‚ a single extremely strict most-important special note for preventing future total nudity was added in secret.
‘ Target Code Name ； Louise (Alias； Witch of Sacred Nudity).
Predicted Threat Level ； Unmeasurable (level of common sense of the Kingdom and national collapse).
Special Response Protocol ； Although this target is not a legal criminal (psychopath)‚ from now on‚ under no multidimensional events whatsoever must absolute involvement or hostile actions be taken.
—Especially.
When the hologram screen of the unknown magical hacking communication “Shared Link Account (Y/N)” is presented before one’s eyes from the target’s ring‚ regardless of sacred loyalty to the nation or duty obligations whatsoever‚ in order to protect one’s own clothing (underwear)‚ without hesitation tap the [ N ] command at full maximum speed and log out. ’
That—was the greatest historical lesson (data) of maximum ventilation that the three brave elite female investigators who had stepped on the absurd landmine with their bodies (and all clothing plus maiden dignity) brought to the Kingdom while shedding tears.
◇
—Several tens of minutes later.
In the underground cafeteria of the headquarters completely protected by the highest anti-magic strict barriers that the National Security Bureau boasts.
Chief Witch Louise‚ as requested from the nation—more precisely arranged by Elena from a humanitarian standpoint as free provision—gracefully polished off three large servings of the special-order high-class meat bento at a smooth speed that required no mental arithmetic.
And then.
Louise: “......Fufu‚ as expected of the back cafeteria of a national institution.
This high-quality steak meat‚ both the cost performance and the fat content (taste) are surprisingly not bad from the calculations of my mental household account book—an exquisite resource (asset).”
She muttered innocently with the happiest smile while immersing herself in the satisfaction of having thoroughly protected the contents of her wallet from the bottom of her heart.
The three completely naked onee-chans of Special Investigator Elena and the others‚ who received those innocent words of the ringleader of the special-class grand magic that had sucked up and artificially refined (exploded) their dignity as environmental sound (BGM) from beyond the corridor.
For some reason.
In a quiet corner of the empty underground cafeteria‚ while gripping the pure white official-issue sheet granted by Charlotte so tightly that their white fingertips seemed about to tear it.
Recalling the mass of that proud jet-black national uniform (and the social dignity as maidens that would never return)—they simply quietly continued shedding large tears onto the floor without being able to utter even a single character of voice‚ and quietly sobbed.
What remains unknown is only the money-grubbing chief’s stomach dominated by the taste of delicious meat (free meal).
———(Chapter 07 “The Witch of Sacred Nudity and the Lost Dignity of the Three” · This Chapter Completely Concluded)———
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