“Could he be hiding his magical power?”
“I don’t think so. My eyes are special—I can see the flow and storage of magical energy to some extent. But Zero really had none.”
“…If you say so, then it must be true.”
“Yeah, he’s always getting mocked at school or compared to his sisters. But his heart hasn’t rotted—he said he wants to live right, with those sparkling eyes of his.”
“Hmm… In the unlikely event that he’s connected to the Proxy… no, if we go down that path, there’s no end to it. And your eyes are reliable. If he were really connected to the Proxy, they’d have cut ties immediately to avoid leaving any traces.”
“Yeah, I’d do the same. The Proxy’s never left any evidence before.”
“Right, I might be overthinking it. Besides, that family… I’ve met his sister, and she’s an amazing person. She even praised him, saying he’s a cute and hardworking younger brother. I must be overcomplicating things.”
“……Yeah, I think Zero is a great person. Back then, he didn’t run away. He was ready to fight.”
“I see……Well, please continue searching for the spy from Heavenly Realm who’s likely still within the academy. Thanks to this incident, it’s now clear that Heavenly Realm truly exists. That alone is something to be satisfied with.”
“Yeah. What about the Proxy?”
“There’s too little information on that front. Searching aimlessly would just waste effort. We’ll put it on hold for now.”
“……Yeah.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Wow, I never thought it’d turn out to be a shady part-time job. Heavenly Realm, that middle-school-level chuunibyou group that seriously researches urban legends and even conducts illegal experiments—I never imagined they’d be involved in something like that.
But, well, I didn’t realize it was shady at all. In my past life, I also got caught up in suspicious part-time jobs.
“Just attend an event and get 30,000 yen!!”
I went to something like that once, and they said I couldn’t leave until I became a believer of their cult leader. They even said they wouldn’t let me go until I convinced 500 people to join, so I went berserk and called the police. That’s what I remembered.
Compared to that, this Heavenly Realm job was better. The scale was smaller, I guess.
Oh, right. And that girl, Nadeko—I felt a little sorry for her too, since she got tricked by Heavenly Realm.
Poor thing. She probably got lured in by the immediate benefits, just like me.
After the commotion, I talked to the knights for a while, and by the time it was over, it was already night. We walked back together, but……I was exhausted.
[Do you know about Heavenly Realm?]
[Huh? What’s that? Never heard of it.]
I realized that if I said I knew about it, things would get complicated. Heavenly Realm is that urban legend chuunibyou group, and as both the Proxy and the leader, I’ve had enough of it!!
As Zero-Lagler, I absolutely don’t want to get involved!!! My future is about saving up and living a slow life in another world!!
I’ll pretend I don’t know. And if I say I got caught up in a shady part-time job, my image will take a hit, and my little sister will scold me, so…
[My sense of justice drove me to act. I thought I should investigate that obviously suspicious job before my classmates and the world’s cutest little sister and big sister got tricked. I’m weak, an inferior with no magic, so I get looked down on and compared to my sisters, but as a person, I don’t want to regret how I live. I want to live with integrity, without letting my heart rot.]
I said something that sounded like it came from a shonen manga protagonist to boost my image. My little sister won’t scold me now.
Well, today was a disaster, but I’ll move on and start looking for another part-time job tomorrow. While I was thinking, I reached my room.
I opened the door to my student dorm room.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome back, Zero-sama.”
“Reina, why are you here?”
“Who knows? I just wanted to see you.”
“You come to my room every other day. You were here yesterday too.”
“The home is boring. It’s tiring to be so careful around your mother and father.”
“I think you should be a little more careful.”
“I am, though. I keep telling your mother how cute you are, and your father’s face is scary, so I don’t sneak snacks.”
“Hmm. So? When are you leaving?”
“Ugh, you can’t say that to your loving, cute maid!”
“You’re really bored, huh? I’m jealous.”
“Tonight, I’ll sleep with you, and in the morning, we’ll go to school together.”
“You’re so carefree.”
“Despite how I look, I’m also the vice-leader, you know.”
“Thanks for that, I guess.”
Reina comes to my room a lot. I didn’t feel like talking today, so I lay down on the bed. Then Reina came and lay down next to me.
“Hehehe, I won’t let you sleep tonight.”
“Goodnight~”
“Hey!”
“Okay, okay, you’re cute, cute.”
“Ugh!”
While Reina was making a fuss, there was a knock at the door. Who is it at this hour……When I opened the door, there stood……
The Arcana executives of the Revolutionary Army: [Star] Jean and [Magician] Kirs.
“May we have a word with you, leader?”
“I’d like to request the same.”
“Of course, come in.”
Ugh, I’m tired today, but do I still have to do Proxy stuff?! Reina’s expression had already turned serious.
“Vice-leader is here too. Is it the same matter for you?”
“Yes, Jean-sama, as you’ve guessed.”
“As expected of the Vice-leader. You’re truly worthy of the leader’s recognition.”
“You’re amazing, Vice-leader.”
Jean and Kirs said that to Reina, but honestly, I have no idea what they’re talking about. And Reina probably doesn’t know either this time.
“Kirs-sama, I always wonder why you look at me like that.”
“Nothing. I just think I’m more suited to be by Zero-sama’s side.”
“Oh? You think you’re more suited to be by Zero-sama’s side?”
“Yes, I’ve never been satisfied with this arrangement.”
“Hehehe, but I was appointed by the leader, that is, Zero-sama. To question that would be disrespectful.”
“……Tch. leader, I believe I’m more suited to be by your side!”
“Zero-sama, tell her. I’m more suited, right?”
What is this battle? Honestly, I don’t care either way, or rather, I just want both of them to leave because it’s late.
“Hohoho, it’s good that you’re both energetic, but this is the leader’s room. And the fact that the leader has made the appointment means there’s a reason for it. Kirs, the leader gave you the [Grand] rank of [Magician] and deliberately set you loose for a deeper purpose.”
“……Well, I suppose that’s true.”
“Hohoho, it’s wonderful to be young and full of energy. But let’s set that aside for now. We came to the leader to discuss the matter of Heavenly Realm.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh, right, right! I almost forgot! (Oh, it’s about Heavenly Realm. Good thing they didn’t find out I just came here because I was lonely and wanted a hug or to sleep next to Zero-sama.)”
Oh, so they came about the Heavenly Realm matter. From Reina’s expression, it’s clear she had no idea.
“Now, leader, your handling of this situation was masterful.”
“I completely agree.”
“──Heh, I think I just got lucky this time. (What the hell are they talking about?!)”
“The leader always says that to be humble. It’s even more frightening that you’re so many years younger than me. Truly, I’m glad to serve under you.”
“I was also amazed by how perfectly this played out. I never expected you to have calculated everything from the start.”
“Yes, I was shocked too. I never thought Zero-sama would use such tactics, leading to this result.”
Reina’s IQ is like 3, huh? You don’t know anything, do you?
“Hm, about that, what do you think I was thinking? Let’s hear it. Kirs, this is also a training exercise in verbalization. Understanding something is one thing, but explaining it clearly requires a deeper level of comprehension.”
“Yes. First, you deliberately sealed your magic and took the entrance exam, passing despite it. You used the position of inferior student to quickly remove yourself from the suspicions of the [Execution Unit].”
What’s the Execution Unit?
“This is an extension of that. With lightning speed, infiltrated the base of the Heavenly Realm to resolve the situation. Then, by deliberately allowing himself to be seen there as Zero-Lagler, a mere student of the magic academy, leader intentionally cast suspicion upon himself… However, it’s common knowledge that Zero-Lagler has no magical power, something evident since the entrance examination. This fact is known not only to those who were present at the exam but to all students. Leader status as an inferior student is an undeniable fact. The Leader’s ability to conceal his infinite magical power is unparalleled. It’s like stillness and motion. That’s why this strategy works.”
“Hmm, it’s a bit hard to follow, but you’re mostly correct.”
What are they talking about? I honestly have no idea! Reina, back me up!!
“……(Silent plea)”
“……(Let’s just ignore it.)”
“……(Don’t ignore it!)”
“……(But I really don’t understand this time!!)”
As I groaned, [Star] Jean laughed and added to the conversation.
“If I may add something, by deliberately being suspected once and then being removed from the list of potential agents, he perfectly transitioned into a safe zone. Once suspected and then cleared of suspicion. After experiencing both tension and relief, no one would suspect him again. People don’t suspect someone they’ve already suspected once. There are certainly other candidates, after all. From the beginning, he had the position of an inferior student with zero magical power. In contrast, the agent has virtually infinite magical power. No one except those of us who know the circumstances would understand. A student with almost zero probability would rationally be excluded early from consideration—Zero-sama had taken precise action that exploited this psychology.”
Hmm, I see. I think I vaguely understand the gist of it now. Reina seemed to get it too and nodded.
“As expected of Zero-sama.”
Ah, Reina started talking.
“Being removed from the list of Proxy suspects this time was the right move. If there’s a Heavenly Realm spy in the academy, it’ll be easier to act. It seems there are others looking for Heavenly Realm too, so the inferior position is quite useful.”
“I see, as expected of my subordinate. You understand well. If this much has been exposed, my plan might be inadequate.”
“No, what are you saying? We’re just nitpicking after the fact.”
“Truthfully, I had no idea what the leader was planning until the very end. The fact that the top leader would take such risks is admirable.”
“Jean, those in power have rights, but also responsibilities. I’m impressed you noticed that in my eyes.”
“It’s just the shallow wisdom of an old man.”
“Heh, is that so? Then I’ll continue to rely on you.”
Well, I don’t really get it, but it seems like everything wrapped up peacefully! Yay! I’ll just go with the flow.
I don’t understand what’s going on, but I don’t like how things are moving on their own, so I’ll wrap this up quickly and send the three of them home.
Alright, I’ll sleep early tonight and start looking for a part-time job tomorrow!! I want to get proper sleep, so Reina and Kirs, please don’t sleep next to me.
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