Haha, It's a Perfect Crime!
At the same time, Sawamura Cento found herself in a fresh predicament.
...The mood's so heavy.
Once Ichimaru Shiki had left the room, the parlor—now occupied by just the two of them—fell into utter silence. It was as if the smooth conversation from moments ago had been a lie; no words would come.
If she could just put on her school facade of polite artifice, she might steer things back to her pace somehow... But a sidelong glance at the woman in a yukata seated directly across from her dashed that hope.
The head of the Shihei clan, a grand sorceress, and Ichimaru Shiki's own sorcery mentor: Shihei Rin. She sat there calmly, her face beaming with a smile, utterly at ease in her own domain as she waited patiently. Despite declaring herself Cento's master today, Rin showed no sign of taking the lead in conversation.
Sawamura Cento averted her gaze, frantically searching for a topic. No—not searching; trying to conjure one. Unlike their first meeting, she couldn't just fixate on that massive chest. They needed to talk about something, but her mind only supplied rote pleasantries.
She'll see right through any facade anyway, so there's no point.
Some sincerity it was, then. Cento smoothed the brief furrow in her brow and ventured cautiously, “...Earlier, you said you'd take me as your disciple, so if I may be so bold...”
“Oh, come now, speak casually.”
“Why have you become my master?”
Rin blinked wide-eyed at the abrupt question, tilting her head. “Huh? That? I figured you'd ask about Shiki.”
“That's certainly on my mind too... but you're the one sitting in front of me right now, Master. I just thought we'd talk about us first.”
Rin's tilted head fixed on the girl before her, and Cento continued in a clear, bright voice. “...So, why did you become my master? Was it Shiki's request? If it's a one-sided debt, I'll pay the price myself. If it's just cash, I have plenty...”
“Stop, stop! True, Shiki introduced us, but that's not the only reason I took you as a disciple. And no, I have zero intention of taking payment for a mentor-disciple bond.”
The clan head shrugged with a grin, clearly amused by the situation, and pressed on. “The Shihei clan and I owe Shiki a debt of gratitude. He mentioned your plight, so I agreed to meet you—that much is true.”
“...”
“But accepting you as my disciple? That was my decision alone, after meeting you.”
“Why...?”
“Ahem, simple reason.”
Sorceress Shihei Rin met Sawamura Cento's eyes with her unwavering smile. “You have talent beyond anyone else.”
Cento's eyes widened.
“Don't fear everything falling apart. You have every qualification to become a sorceress. Your extraordinary origin brought misfortune, but master it, and it'll be a tremendous blessing.”
“I'm not particularly afraid...”
“Keeping emotional distance in relationships, avoiding debts—it's all from the misfortunes you've endured, right?”
“...”
“I get it, but how about seizing this chance after over a decade? Work hard with me—it's an opportunity that won't come again, I promise.”
The grand sorceress, now inches away, flashed a warm smile, urging a response. Cento glanced between that enormous bosom and Rin's face before reluctantly replying.
“...Yes, understoood.”
“Great! Before we dive into proper lessons, let's get to know each other.”
“...Huh?”
Cento blinked in confusion, but Rin swiftly slid into the seat beside her, clasping her hand. “We're practically strangers—let's chat and bond! Like, stories about Shiki.”
“...You know way more about him than I do.”
“Nah, Shiki avoids sticking around the estate if he can help it... I know he handles all sorts outside, but bringing someone home? You're the first!”
At that, Cento tilted her head. “The first? Me?”
“Yup, first time. He's so sly with people, I figured he'd have decent social ties, but I haven't seen it myself. I was even wondering, 'Is Shiki-kun a total hikikomori at school?' Heehee.”
“...Thrilled?”
“Oops, slip of the tongue! Haha! I meant it's great our Shiki-kun—I mean, Ichimaru-kun—has lots of friends. No misunderstandings, okay? Hohoho!”
“...”
She's so upbeat. Pretty, killer figure—a total beauty, yet she somehow reminded Cento of Ichimaru Shiki's lecherous vibe. Sawamura Cento felt an odd unease but managed to brush it off, steering the topic elsewhere.
“Uh, Shiki... no, Ichimaru mentioned learning sorcery from you.”
“Shiki did study under me, briefly. A brilliant student.”
“But earlier you said he lacked aptitude.”
“Did Shiki really say that?”
This time, Shihei Rin smirked and tilted her head. “He probably said 'interest.' Stubborn about swords, so he skipped curses and elemental arts, but talent? No shortage there. In fact, the number of spells he's learned from me these past months is—”
“...?”
“One hundred fifty thousand six hundred sixty-seven.”
Shihei Rin covered her rising grin, amused even by her own words. “Excluding you, Ichimaru Shiki is the greatest genius I've ever seen.”
Time-stop and swordsmanship could handle nearly any foe, but building versatility for every scenario was crucial. Get caught in an illusion before even noticing? Even I'd fall. So I absorbed every relevant knowledge.
Among them: detection and scouting spells.
“Troubling, truly.”
Being tracked? A real hassle. Since possession, I'd tailed others, never been tailed myself—this was unfamiliar.
The moment I exited the barrier, I stopped time and scanned around with a sly smile.
Not nearby, at least.
Opponent's level lower than expected, then. I'd scattered detection nets of varying tiers; failing even those was disappointing. Sighing inwardly, I backtracked the path I'd taken.
Dodging frozen pedestrians on the halted street, after hundreds of meters near the station, I found it: a shimmering aura snagged in my net.
A mage's stealthy tracking creature, pursuing me invisibly. Single-eyed, winged, hovering high—frozen solid now.
“Well, average caliber, huh. Sloppy since I wasn't focused? If serious, it'd be a real letdown...”
Shaking my head slowly, I stepped into the air, snatching the creature. Eyeball bulging like a giant one-eyed bat—grotesque thing. Meeting its gaze, I offered sincere advice to its mage master.
“Haha! Too sloppy now—train harder than before!”
......
“Oh, right. Time's stopped. Duh, been so busy lately, mind's elsewhere.”
Masking my embarrassment with a mutter, I grinned sinisterly at the creature again. Couldn't communicate in stopped time, but not all bad. For instance, kill in frozen world—no life flashing before eyes. Victim wouldn't even know who struck.
Like now.
Kwachik—!
Crushing it in my grip instantly, I chuckled. “Haha, perfect crime!”
Savoring the shift from upstanding citizen to criminal, I released the world's time.
The equally frozen street resumed flow. Magic backlash too.
Kwachik!
“...Ugh.”
The mage winced, eyes squeezed shut against the sudden pain of her creature's destruction. Mid-casual day, so bystanders panicked more.
“Lady Eris?! You okay?!”
“I-Is something hurting?!”
“...Ah, just dust in my eye. Everyone, calm down.”
Star-blessed mage Eris Betelgeuse forced a smile, soothing the others. Her serene tone convinced them it was nothing; they settled back.
The garden tea party resumed peacefully. Blonde noble Eris smiled shyly, chatted leisurely—like the rest.
Of course, her mind raced frantically.
...Creature detected.
Reviewing her circuits: the stealth tracker on Ichimaru Shiki, set to pursue autonomously. Caught this fast? Unexpected.
Something's up.
Among dozens of nobles, high mage Eris Betelgeuse murmured softly, then resolved.
Recent class standout, classmate Ichimaru Shiki. Ally? Recruit. Enemy? Eliminate.
Eris decided.