She didn't dwell too much on what the "greater conspiracy" mentioned in the mission prompt actually was.
Through her long exploration of the system she'd been given — a system that behaved much like the ones out of an eroge — Su Yuzu had gradually come to realize that the system's very existence seemed to rest on the power of the "Throne" lodged inside her.
Its judgment about missions worked like something close to the "Eye of Insight": a perception of the world's Fate.
"A greater conspiracy still lies dormant."
But that was no reason to spend every day on edge. She didn't need to fixate on it. A little wariness kept quietly in reserve was enough.
After a round of the "no, you hang up first" game with Soga Yura, Su Yuzu checked [Operator Development] — Kujou Katora and Miss Hayabusa already looked very close to Keigunen Private Academy.
Su Yuzu got up out of bed.
She'd decided to go meet Kujou Katora.
Kujou Katora was the first Operator whose Favorability with Su Yuzu had broken one hundred.
And so far, the only one.
Once Favorability passed one hundred, Su Yuzu could "Develop" Kujou Katora every single day, remotely and online.
And… she could alter Kujou Katora's state however she pleased. Even a one-click outfit change. Or a one-click undress.
Straightening her skirt and the front of her blouse, Su Yuzu strolled slowly down to the front gate of Keigunen Private Academy.
As far as she could recall, it had been ages since she'd stood face to face with Kujou Katora.
The last time Kujou Katora had come looking for her was back when Keigunen Private Academy sent her and the little rabbit off to Imperial Capital University for an exchange program.
But everyone had been busy that day, and she hadn't gotten a chance to be close with Kujou Katora at all.
Before Su Yuzu had even stepped past the gate, she spotted the Investigation Bureau patrol car parked outside Keigunen Private Academy.
She hadn't finished processing it — Kujou Katora got here that fast?
Then she saw the girl climbing out of that patrol car, working very hard to keep her face stern, already striding toward her.
"Miss Soga—" The young female superintendent had been posted here under orders.
And her superior's instructions had only been to try — try not to let Soga Yuzu leave Keigunen Private Academy, and if Soga Yuzu insisted on leaving, then simply keep up with her as best she could.
For the Director of the Investigation Bureau, he was a thin cord dangling over an open fire.
The kindling feeding those flames included Keigunen Private Academy, the Soga clan, the Sakura family, the Saotome family… and even, within the Investigation Bureau itself, his "own people."
But the other end of that cord was pinched between the fingers of an entirely different group.
The moment they let go, he'd be finished beyond all salvation.
So… all he could do was satisfy both sides as far as possible, and hand his subordinates the loosest orders he could write.
After all, Little Lin was just a girl drawing a fixed salary.
Why should she gamble her life on a match between big players?
For the young female superintendent, though, it wasn't like that at all.
She'd understood exactly what her superior meant.
Even "dereliction of duty" was acceptable, so long as she didn't abandon her post and hand anyone a lever to use against them.
Where Su Yuzu was concerned — go easy wherever going easy was possible.
But… the sense of justice the young female superintendent carried wouldn't allow it.
On the one hand—
She really did seem to like Su Yuzu.
And she didn't believe Su Yuzu was the kind of person who would "collude with the enemy."
That was exactly why she'd warned Su Yuzu that someone was scheming against her, that someone had already submitted evidence to the Investigation Bureau.
On the other hand, her duty as a Superintendent wouldn't let her yield another inch.
Letting Su Yuzu remain at Keigunen Private Academy was already a failure of duty. How could she keep on failing?
"Miss Soga—"
"You promised me. Until the Investigation Bureau's prosecution findings come out… you wouldn't leave Keigunen Private Academy."
Watching the young female superintendent hurry toward her, Su Yuzu finally put the pieces together: that Investigation Bureau patrol car belonged to the girl standing in front of her.
"Miss Soga?" Su Yuzu tilted her head and arranged her face into something wretchedly pitiful. "Last time, Sister Jingjing~"
"—wasn't calling me that at all."
The young female superintendent stared at this "pitiful" criminal suspect. She knew perfectly well the girl was performing… but the sight of her tugged at the heart anyway.
"Yu… Yu… Sister Yuzu." The young female superintendent's voice sank lower with every syllable.
Only then did satisfaction settle across Su Yuzu's face. And then… "When exactly did I promise Sister Jingjing I wouldn't leave Keigunen Private Academy?"
"Funny, I don't remember that at all."
"You—" The young female superintendent looked at the girl and was about to point out that back in that Unohana Chiyo woman's office, Su Yuzu had clearly agreed to it.
Then it hit her. In Unohana Chiyo's office, the girl had done nothing but sit obediently in that woman's lap, barely saying a word.
In other words… Su Yuzu had never actually promised to stay put at Keigunen Private Academy.
"Either way, you're not allowed to leave!"
"Even… even if you do leave!"
"I'm following you."
Su Yuzu studied her. Honestly~ the young female superintendent's threat carried absolutely no menace at all.
"Following… me?" Su Yuzu took a step forward.
As the girl advanced on her, an odd flutter of panic went through the young female superintendent.
Still, she squared her shoulders, pushed her chest out, and took a step forward of her own. "O-of course!"
"Wherever you go, I'll be right behind you."
"Even the Soga family estate?" Su Yuzu breathed in that clean, crisp scent she was becoming familiar with. Honestly~ it smelled rather good.
"O-of course!"
"That place is my territory." Su Yuzu looked straight into her eyes. "In there—"
"even if something happened to Sister Jingjing…"
"the Investigation Bureau would never know." Su Yuzu reached out and toyed lightly with the ID tag hanging at the young female superintendent's chest.
"Lin Jingjing."
Last time, the young female superintendent had lent Yuzu her coat and forgotten to remove that very ID tag — which was how she'd lost so utterly.
Come to think of it now~
She might even have worn this uniform herself.
The young female superintendent watched the girl lean in against her, and her breath caught before she could stop it.
She… she was far too close.
So close that even with her breath held, the superintendent could taste that sweet, citrus-bright scent on the girl's skin.
Exactly like… the way the uniform had smelled when the girl handed it back.
She wanted to retreat, but her justice and her duty refused to permit it.
"S-so what if it is!"
"Even if Sister Jingjing turned into my little plush ball~ there'd be nothing the Investigation Bureau could do about it." Su Yuzu released the ID tag, then gave it a light flick.
The young female superintendent's shoulders jerked.
"Because it's the Soga family, after all."
"The Investigation Bureau isn't going to make an enemy of the Soga clan over Sister Jingjing."
Looking at the smile curling on the girl's face, the superintendent felt something at the very tip of her heart begin to shake.
It was true.
A whole two-hour scenario had already unfolded in the young female superintendent's imagination.
Her heart shook. Her knees went soft.
But—
"I—I will not surrender to evil!" She shouted it loud enough that it sounded like Su Yuzu had already devoured her whole.
"Is that so~" Su Yuzu straightened again, letting a little distance open back up between them.
"I was only joking~"
The teasing laughter wiped clean off the girl's face in an instant. Su Yuzu turned her head to the side. "I came out here to pick someone up."
The young female superintendent followed the angle of her gaze and turned her head as well.
And then… she saw a pair of crimson eyes. Crimson enough to run cold through her entire body.
"K-Kujou… Superintendent Kujou!?"
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