Chapter 31

"Huh? What am I doing right now?"

My head feels a bit fuzzy, and my vision is out of focus.

And a strangely pleasant sense of fatigue envelops my body.

After rubbing my eyes a few times and looking around, I finally remember that this is Ruri's instructor's office and that I had just been receiving personal instruction here.

As for Ruri, she seemed to want to ventilate the instructor's room, shaking the window handle back and forth repeatedly.

Outside the window, a crescent moon is already peeking through.

Huh, it should still be evening... Oh, but looking at the clock, it's already past 7 PM.

"Wow, is it already this late? Let's wrap things up soon!"

Ruri clapped her hands dramatically to signal the end of the session and hurriedly handed over the tactical assignment for the next individual lesson.

Somehow, when I look at her red face, I can see a single curled hair sticking to the corner of her mouth.

"Hey, Ruri-nee. Is there something in your mouth? It looks like some hair or something."

"Huh? Ah!"

Ruri removed the frizzy hair that had gotten caught at her mouth, made a puzzled face for a moment, then let out a small scream of "Ah!" and hurriedly hid it in her pocket.

Why the pocket? I thought it would be better to throw it in the trash can next to me, but well, such small details don't really matter. Right now, more than that...

As soon as I left the room, I quickly zipped up the zipper that had been left open.

(I wonder if I've been so tired lately that I'm getting forgetful. Leaving this open like this... Ruri-nee hasn't noticed, has she?)

"Haah, I'm glad I managed to avoid being noticed... That was a close call."

Ruri blushed slightly as she looked at Kai's pubic hair, which she had taken out of her pocket.

I'm not sure if it was when I was giving oral sex , but it seems something got stuck in my mouth.

Until just a moment ago, she had been trying to extract Kai's essence without restraint, but perhaps thanks to the passage of time, she seems to have managed to calm her emotions now.

(It's about time)

Ruri checked the time on the wall clock and took out a round bronze plate from the drawer of her desk.

The surface of the board is engraved with ancient characters and intricate magical symbols.

"Show yourself as requested."

When Ruri chanted that, the pentacle drawn on the bronze plate began to emit a blue light, and then several translucent female-shaped spirits appeared.

"Connect"

Receiving Ruri's words, the servile spirits respectfully bowed their heads and gradually began to vanish.

A few seconds later, the surface of the metal plate rippled like a lake disturbed by falling pebbles, and when it settled, the figure of a woman with round glasses and a bobbed haircut Marui, Ruri's long-time subordinate appeared.

"Thank you for your patience. I apologize for the usual delay."

Marui said that and took out a piece of paper with the complex and intricate "Magic Control Formula" written on it, holding it up so that Ruri could see it through the metal plate.

Ruri was wary of the existence of spies who used transformation magic and other such techniques.

Thinking that a spy might disguise themselves as her and extract information from her subordinates, she had provided special identity verification methods to a select few trusted subordinates within the organization.

It was about presenting a complex magical calculation formula that ordinary people couldn't handle.

"Two-thirds , huh? But for a calculation like this, wouldn't anyone reading a paper on magical analysis be able to solve it in an instant? Next time, it might be better to use something a bit more complex."

"No, being able to calculate in an instant without paper or pen is something only you or Dr. Neumannikov from the People's Federation can do, Colonel... no, Deputy Director Washimoto."

If it's a pre-decided password, it's game over if it gets leaked, but if it's a calculation formula, it requires on-the-spot computational ability, making it a more robust form of identity verification, according to Ruri.

In fact, since she was the only one in the 'Empire' who could adopt such a method, it had been functioning effectively so far.

"Well, that's fine. So, about those guys from the 'United Kingdom,' have you finished analyzing the footage yet?"

"Yeah, it's already been raised by forensics. However, the identity of that woman in the dark suit... is still unknown..."

Following Marui's words, the image on the bronze mirror surface changes.

(With Instructor Okabe from the Artillery Department, Instructor Kawabe from the Waterway Department, and Major Sakurai from the Dragoon Department, this is quite an impressive lineup.)

Reflected in the bronze mirror are the military school instructors and high-ranking military officials engrossed in a lavish party filled with wine and meat.

The center of the banquet is three women.

Ignoring the raucous revelry around them, the three of them are calmly sharing drinks.

(First Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, Phyllis, military student Hanaya, and... the woman in the suit)

It seems that both Phylaris and Hanaya are using the "Transformation Magic," but through the eyes of a high-ranking spirit, their true identities could be discerned in an instant.

However, no matter how hard I squint, the woman in the black suit never reveals her true identity.

There seems to be something like a haze around the face.

It seems that they are using a magical tool that specifically causes recognition inhibition in the eyes of the summoned spirits.

"Marui, what is the level of the spirit that recorded this?"

"Level 7. It's a top-tier spirit, and the summoner is quite an experienced practitioner."

(Deceiving even the eyes of higher-tier summoned spirits with such magical technology is something that neither the "United Kingdom" nor the "Empire" possesses. It seems we have some quite troublesome enemies.)

It is almost certain that a considerable group of sorcerers or an organization is involved behind this woman.

As Ruri gazes at the image, gripping the air as if pulling it closer, the mirrored image zooms in, and the conversation of the three becomes clearly audible.

"So, Lord X, how are the arrangements coming along? The nobles will likely attend, but when it comes to the military cadets, it's difficult for me to make contact."

Fyrus, nervously stroking his plump belly, speaks to Hanaya.

It seems that Hanaya is not her real name, but rather she is called "X" by those around her.

"No problem, I've already sent invitations to those with particularly high magical resistance in the military academy, and I've received attendance confirmations from most of them."

On the other hand, Kazuya Hanaya, known as "X," responded arrogantly to that.

"The curtains... are also being prepared..."

"Ah, that's also progressing steadily. Even if a division's worth of magicians gather, it will hold for half a day. So, don't worry about every little thing, Phyllis."

When X (Hanaya) carelessly mentioned Phylaris's real name, Phylaris trembled and looked around, and Hanaya, seeing this, laughed maliciously.

"More importantly, what about the promise we made? The matter with Toudou, have you discussed it thoroughly on your end? If anything happens and he ends up dead by mistake, I won't let it slide."

This time, when Hanaya threw a question at Phyllis, the woman in the dark suit sitting on the sofa answered curtly instead.

"No problem."

"No problem, huh? Do you think we'll be satisfied with such a careless answer?"

Even though the woman in the dark suit shrugged her shoulders mockingly, Hanaya gradually began to raise her voice.

"What kind of attitude is that... And by the way, you still have that nauseating face. Just looking at that face makes me remember that woman and it makes me sick! Over here!"

At least in front of me, you should disguise yourself as someone else...

Fyrus tried to calm down the increasingly heated Hanaya X.

"Well, well, Ms.X. Once the matter is successfully resolved, I will ensure that the two conditions you mentioned are strictly adhered to. A proper position within the government. And, securing the gentleman in question..."

"Unharmed... capture, right?"

"Yes, yes. I am well aware of that. However, I am surprised that this topic came up before the discussion about the head of government. That man you mentioned must be quite a handsome fellow."

"Ah, he's the best. If some idiot hadn't interfered, I would have taken him in as a debt of gratitude. Ah, that reminds me, hey, Phyllis."

It's the day of the operation, but hey, let me join that separate unit too. And then...

Suddenly, black-and-white noise began to run across the surface of the bronze plate mirror, and then the image cut off abruptly.

"The footage ends here. As for the military student... Hanaya, who goes by the name X, as usual, left the military academy yesterday, Thursday, at 6 PM to attend this meeting and returned home around dawn."

After Marui's addition, Ruri said "Hmm" and then fell silent for a while.

Hanaya's comment about "taking him, Kai, by force" made Ruri feel a molten rage, like a pyroclastic flow.

However, her mind remained as quiet and cool as a glacier.

(The usual arrangements and invitation, the curtains, and that woman in the dark suit...)

Mysteries keep piling up.

However, it seems certain that they are planning to cause an incident related to an event where many people gather, including high-ranking magicians and military students.

Ruri ordered Marui to identify promising events taking place in the capital soon and instructed her to assign a few trusted senior subordinates to the venue on the day of the event.

"Understood. Then, I will take care of the personnel assignments on our end. Shall we wrap up for today, Deputy Chief Washimoto?"

Ruri was about to end the communication, but while flipping through the magically concealed documents hidden under her desk, she changed her mind.

"Well... oh, no. It's a different matter. About that Ms. Jougasaki."

"Oh, is it about that new guy going too far?"

Ruri sighed again as she looked at the photo in the investigation materials, which showed the state of the ransacked Eriko Jougasaki's room.

"Investigate Jougasaki's movements," is what Ruri ordered, but whether the new investigator misjudged or misunderstood... it seems they ended up causing a nuisance typically reserved for dealing with extreme anarchists.

However, no matter how much you say the newcomer went too far, the responsibility lies with the supervisor, Ruri.

"Yeah. That one, we had temporarily put the investigation on hold, but it's fine to cancel it completely. Please remove it from the monitoring list and discard all the previous materials."

Understood.

(I thought she was forcing Kai-kun to marry her under duress, so I ordered an investigation, but it seems I was completely mistaken...)

After ending the call, Ruri gazes melancholically at the moon floating in the pitch-black night sky.

(He truly loves and cherishes Ms. Jougasaki from the bottom of his heart. Probably even more than he does me.)

Tears began to well up in Ruri's ruby-like eyes.

However, she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve and began to devise a "new strategy."

(Although Ms. Jougasaki's favorability towards me is already zero, no, probably negative... but I will make up for it from now on! After all, I've just taken on the role of a dedicated instructor! I will get close to her and become part of Kai-kun's wife group!)

Kai was Ruri's entire life. She couldn't easily give that up.

(Don't give up, Ruri Washimine!! You have to win over Ms. Jogasaki and marry Kai-kun!!)

Ruri, encouraging herself in her heart, raised her fist towards the moon.