Something Reeks
"...You took quite a while, Counselor."
"My apologies. Did I keep you waiting? I was a bit delayed trying to soothe Orca."
"No, not at all. We have some refreshments prepared. Would you care for some?"
"I'd love to. Thank you."
Orca and I naturally joined Anastasia as if nothing had happened. Orca still didn't seem to fully process my sudden revelation and looked like she wanted to talk more... but if we stayed too long, Anastasia would find it suspicious. Well, that wasn't the only reason.
Though Orca didn't seem to think much of it, the orphanage children seemed to really like her. And with so many kids, having them all swarm her at once would definitely be overwhelming.
"Hahaha! Your hair is so cool, big sister!"
"You little brats...! S-Stop! Cut it out!"
"Whoa, what was that just now?! Something awesome appeared behind your back! Show us! Show us!"
"Ugh...! Ah! D-Don't pull on that! It hurts! C-Counselor! Help me!"
I took a bite of the cookie Anastasia handed me. Along with a crisp texture, the chocolate chips embedded throughout spread a rich sweetness across my mouth. Just as my mouth started to feel a bit dry, I took a sip of savory milk.
...Mmm, delicious. Is it because it's food from the Holy See? Even though it was just a chocolate chip cookie, it was easily one of the most luxurious things I'd eaten recently. Of course, the Academy had high-class cuisine, but spending my own money on it felt like a waste, so I usually just stuck to my usual meals.
"...Um, Counselor."
"Yes?"
Anastasia spoke to me as I was enjoying the heavenly combination of cookies and milk.
"Orca is crying out for help... Is it really alright not to step in? What if she loses her temper...?"
"Ah, don't worry about that."
I wondered what she was going to say, but it turned out she was just worried Orca might explode.
"It's... alright?"
"Orca has a soft spot for children."
"...A soft spot?"
"Yes. What do you think would happen if anyone else treated Orca like that?"
We both looked over at Orca. Before we knew it, she had been completely conquered by the children, lying flat on the floor instead of sitting on a chair. A few kids were tugging at her hair, another was poking her cheek, and one particularly bold child was bouncing up and down on her stomach. Anastasia's face turned pale at the sight, but the disaster she anticipated did not occur.
"...?"
"Normally, she would have grabbed them by the collar and started screaming before they even got that close."
"I-I've heard the rumors, so I know... But why is she tolerating it now?"
"Like I said, she has a soft spot for kids."
Orca remembers killing many of her childhood friends because of her own actions in the past. Back then, those friends were just children. Because of those memories, she can't bring herself to harm a child. It's a kind of trauma.
Once bad thoughts take root, they don't easily subside. If left to her own devices, Orca might lose all her vitality and shrivel up like a dried squid, so I decided not to help her. I'd learned that the best remedy in times like this is to give the mind no time to think. Conveniently, the children seemed to have taken a liking to Orca, and keeping her completely distracted would help, even if only a little.
"Did something happen?"
"It's a personal matter, so I can't say."
"B-But... for her to react like that..."
Anastasia's curiosity had been piqued. I let out a sigh. I knew she wasn't asking out of malice, but... this was an incredibly sensitive topic. It wasn't a story I could share with others without permission.
The problem was that Anastasia possessed a relentless personality—she was someone who refused to give up, even to the point of trying to save her hopeless father. If I kept completely silent, what if she went and asked Orca directly? ...I didn't even want to think about it.
"She is a Devil Possessed."
"...Yes? I am aware of that, but..."
"And just now, she remembered something from her past. That is as much as I can tell you."
"Her past..."
Anastasia was no fool. Having heard this much, she surely realized it was a highly sensitive matter that shouldn't be pried into. Even if she didn't know the exact details, she could deduce that seeing the children had triggered her trauma.
"I see... I've asked something insensitive. My apologies."
"No, it's fine. Orca chose to come here of her own free will."
Honestly, I didn't want to use Hypnosis on Orca. Her main quest was relatively simple and straightforward. Her storyline revolved around resolving the problems caused by the devil residing in her body and her resulting social standing. Because of her unique circumstances, she didn't solve these incidents with anyone else; most of Orca's quests were solo endeavors.
So what did that have to do with not wanting to hypnotize her? Most of the quests that arose were caused by Orca herself. Like I mentioned earlier, Orca actively pushed away anyone who tried to get close to her. I wanted to let her gain more experience before resolving things.
But it couldn't be helped. The scenario had already been derailed since the prologue. Since things had turned out this way, I had no choice but to improvise.
"Hahaha! Big sister is so much fun! Let's play more!"
"Just make sure she doesn't die, okay?"
"Okay!"
"S-Save... me..."
A peaceful day was passing, albeit in a form different from what I had anticipated. Such peaceful days couldn't last forever, of course. This world was destined to fall into ruin. But for now, I wanted to enjoy this peace.
"...Strange."
The Second Princess, Stella, toyed with a chess bishop, her dissatisfied expression unchanging.
"They couldn't find who was behind it?"
"That's what they say. Why, is it strange?"
"Of course it's strange."
Everything was utterly bizarre. The targets of those scarecrows' attacks were clearly the Princess and the Watcher. It was a terrorist act committed out of discontent with current society. She could understand that much. Lately, the Church had been acting increasingly radical, and there were plenty of people dissatisfied with the already controversial Imperial Family. It wasn't out of the question that some fool might think they could pull off such a stunt at the Academy.
However, the events following the terror attack were filled with incomprehensible details.
"It's terror. A terrorist act. This was clearly a terrorist act to express discontent with society."
"You don't have to say it three times. I saw them targeting you and the Watcher too."
"Then why! Why hasn't anyone released a statement?!"
"Well, even if you ask me..."
This incident was absolutely not something that dead teacher could have pulled off alone. He was a swordsmanship instructor. While he wasn't entirely ignorant of magic, he was hardly a genius. Yet he had managed to alter the algorithm and armaments of scarecrows—which combined magic and science—without anyone noticing? Something that the Academy's faculty had collaborated to build?
It was impossible. If he were capable of that, he wouldn't need to resort to terrorism. The current Imperial Family, hungrier for power than ever, would never have let such a talent slip through their fingers. Even if it meant sacrificing a few imperial bloodlines, they would have claimed him.
He definitely had accomplices. It was an organized crime.
"I cannot fathom their intentions. A criminal organization is undoubtedly involved in this incident, yet..."
Terrorism, by definition, was an extreme expression of one's views. It was bound to carry political or social messages... yet it was too quiet. It was as if someone had artificially blocked out the noise. There should have been some static, some chatter, but the absolute silence was chilling.
"What did the Principal say?"
"That old hag? Same as always. She told me to study like a proper student."
"She's not wrong."
"How is she not wrong, Charlotte? I was the target of a terrorist attack. I have a right to know what on earth is going on."
"But they haven't found anything, right? Then you should just stop worrying and rest. As you know, the Academy is full of highly competent people. There are others who can search, even if you don't."
"..."
She wasn't exactly wrong. Even in the Princess's eyes, the staff here were exceptionally skilled. The old hag certainly had an eye for talent.
...But that only made her more uneasy.
"That is precisely the problem. Even with all this time having passed, the Academy's instructors are still struggling with the investigation."
"...!"
"You realize what that means, don't you?"
If individuals who had made names for themselves in their respective fields still couldn't find anything after all this time, the possibilities narrowed down drastically. To put it in extreme terms, there were only two options. First, the culprits were far superior to the instructors. Second, the instructors had already found a lead but were unable to disclose it for some reason.
"Both possibilities lack realism. If it were the first, it would have to be someone even more outstanding than them—people whose names are known far and wide. How many such people even exist? They all hold key positions in the state; it makes no sense for them to attempt to overthrow the nation."
"...But the second option doesn't make sense either. Didn't the Principal check everyone last time? She said there were no other traitors."
"Indeed."
But there was a saying: once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Stella looked down at the letter she had received with a complicated gaze.
We regret that we cannot assist with the investigation due to a shortage of personnel within the Imperial Family...
The content of the letter itself was ordinary. But to claim they couldn't help when such a major incident had occurred? Of course, the current Imperial Family tended to avoid helping others due to their chaotic power struggles, but...
Something reeked.