The Uninvited Guest
I sat at my interrogation desk and opened a notebook. It wasn't for anything grand; I just wanted to review the events that had unfolded so far. Each student had their own unique storyline, and some of their stories even intertwined. If I just sat idly by, I wouldn't even be able to keep track of how far we had progressed. Besides, my very existence—someone who was never supposed to be here—had caused many events to be skipped entirely.
For a long while, I compared the original flow of events from the game with what had actually happened so far. "Let's see... Are we about halfway through?" In the end, I concluded that we had indeed reached roughly the halfway mark.
...Well, some might find that assessment strange. Even excluding Orca, the other four had only just begun to make their moves. One could easily argue that we hadn't even reached the halfway point, but had merely taken our very first steps. And they wouldn't be wrong. Judging by the game's original plot, the world was about to descend into utter chaos. Countless incidents and disasters would soon assault the Academy. However, that was only how things went in the game. The altered reality was different.
"I need to have counseling sessions with those two soon... and I also need to locate the Sword Saint... Sigh. I'm going to be busy for a while."
First of all, Orca's storyline had been completely deleted. That meant twenty percent of the entire game's plot had vanished into thin air. Now that she realized she wouldn't lose control and go berserk, she might still get into a few annoying scuffles, but her main quests were essentially gone. There was no longer any need for Orca to avoid fights or bare her fangs at others.
Next, I had consolidated the other students' storylines. Instead of the remaining four students acting independently, I had grouped them so they would move in pairs. As a result, the game's detailed lore and subplots had turned into useless garbage information... but the number of main storylines had been cut in half. ...Looking at it this way, it felt like we might have actually progressed a bit past the halfway mark.
Clutching my aching head as I pondered my next moves, the smartphone resting on my desk began to ring.
"Hello?"
"Counselor."
"...Stella?"
"I'm in a bit of a hurry. There's no one else in the Counseling Room, right?!"
"Yes, well... No one is here."
"Perfect! I'm heading over right now! Don't let anyone else in. Actually, call the Watcher, but turn everyone else away!"
Click. Having said only what she wanted to say, Stella abruptly hung up.
"...What was that about?"
Rather than feeling annoyed by her hanging up on me, I felt a deep sense of bewilderment. Stella was a well-mannered girl. She had no reason to call so suddenly and act this rudely unless something major had happened. Something was definitely wrong.
"Did she say to call the Watcher?"
I picked up the receiver again and dialed the number. It didn't take long for the blindfolded sister to arrive at the quiet, secluded Counseling Room.
"*Pant, pant...*"
"...She looks half-dead."
"She really does look half-dead."
What on earth could have prompted her to come to the Counseling Room, and specifically request Anastasia's presence? We had been enjoying a quiet tea party while pondering that very question, only to be utterly shocked when Stella burst through the door.
She was gasping for breath as if she had run all the way here. Her clothes were drenched in sweat and blood. Her garments were shredded in places, as if sliced by a blade, with blood seeping through the tears. To anyone looking, she was the very picture of someone who had just survived a brutal battle.
She had likely fought the man she was currently dragging behind her. ...It was a truly bizarre sight: a teenage girl barely five-foot-seven dragging a giant of a man who looked to be well over six-foot-three. Well, since mana existed in this world, I suppose it wasn't something to be entirely amazed by, but knowing the logic didn't make the sight any less surreal.
"Were you ambushed?"
"*Pant, pant...* Yes. It's driving me mad."
"Please hold still. I will heal you."
As Anastasia murmured a quiet prayer, the pain on Stella's face visibly eased, and her minor cuts began to knit back together. Magic was fascinating enough, but watching divine power heal wounds was always a marvel. Honestly, I still couldn't tell the difference between mana and divine power, though.
"Whew... Good grief. As expected of the Watcher, your healing abilities are superb. I feel even healthier than I did before I was injured."
"You flatter me."
"...So, who is that man?"
I didn't want to ruin the warm atmosphere of mutual praise, but I simply couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. The man Stella had dragged into the Counseling Room was in terrible shape. He had vomited blood and passed out, dark stains smeared around his mouth. His complexion was so ghastly that he looked like he might drop dead at any second.
"Can't you tell? He's an assassin."
"...He seems a bit too massive to be an assassin, doesn't he? No, that's not the point. Why on earth did you bring him here of all places?"
Neither of us was particularly shaken by the fact that an assassin had come after her. We both knew the precarious situation Stella was currently in. However, we wanted to know why she had brought him here.
"To keep him alive, of course. Even if it's just a formality, I need to know who sent him. Besides, this is a prime opportunity to gather information on my enemies. Can you save him?"
"...His internal organs are completely crushed. If you wanted to keep him alive, you should have punched him a little softer, Princess. He is already standing at heaven's gates."
"So, he cannot be saved... I understand. I will be more careful in the future."
"I never said I couldn't save him. I am merely telling you to be careful, because he would have died if anyone other than me were here."
His organs were crushed? *Yikes.* I quietly took a step back, distancing myself from Stella. If she could reduce the internal organs of a combat-trained professional to mush with her bare fists, she would probably pop me like a balloon if she ever misjudged her own strength around me.
"...? Counselor, why did you suddenly step back..."
"Oh, no reason... I just felt like I should be a bit more cautious."
"?"
"*Cough...!*"
"Oh, he's alive. Impressive as always."
"W-where am I...?"
The man hacked up a mouthful of dark blood, looking utterly disoriented. ...That was all well and good, but why did the assassin have to be so muscular? Aren't assassins supposed to be lean and slender by definition?
"Are you awake?"
"The Princess... I have failed, then."
"Indeed. No matter how much you underestimated me, did you really think a single assassin would suffice?"
"..."
"Why don't you say something?"
"...There is nothing to say. Kill me."
That line is reserved for beautiful female knights, you bastard! It's not meant to be uttered by a hairy, muscle-bound brute like you! I desperately wanted to scream those words, but I swallowed them down, knowing the girls next to me would look at me like I was a lunatic. It was a line I had always wanted to hear in person, but I wanted to hear it from a gorgeous female knight, not a guy like this. I really didn't like this fellow.
"Step aside, Stella. Anastasia."
"Counselor Ophelia...?"
"I will handle the interrogation."
"...Counselor, that man is an assassin trained by the imperial family. They are conditioned to never leak information, even if it means death."
"Don't worry."
His appearance meant that news of Stella had reached the ears of the imperial family. They must have sent an assassin after hearing rumors that she was making allies. It was sooner than expected, but it also showed how much they underestimated her. To think they only sent a single person. In the game, I recalled them sending at least six assassins at a time. Did they just send a lone killer on a whim because she was an eyesore they wanted gone? I needed to interrogate him to get the details. Fortunately, I was more specialized in extracting information than anyone else in this world.
"I'm sorry, but could you two step outside the Counseling Room for about an hour?"
"...Counselor Ophelia, it's a waste of time."
"Now, now. You never know until you try. Despite how I look, your counselor is quite well-versed in psychiatry."
"Still, I doubt a member of the imperial shadow guard will break so easily..."
"It's better than not trying at all, isn't it? Besides, I'm much better suited for this than either the Princess or the Watcher."
Of course, that was a complete lie. Psychiatry? I only had a surface-level understanding of it at best. But neither of them knew that, and they would naturally assume that someone with professional knowledge would have a better shot than those without.
"Very well. It is worth a try."
"Excellent. From here on out, this is an R-18 zone. Shoo, shoo. Children should run along now."
"...Counselor Ophelia, you really ought to work on your sense of humor."
"I agree."
"What?! This is hilarious! By all accounts, an assassin's interrogation should be filled with blood and screams—!"
"Yes, yes. ...Ah, wait a moment."
"ARRRGH!"
Crack! Crunch!
The sound echoed as Stella casually stepped forward, as if she had forgotten a piece of equipment before leaving, and grabbed the man's arms and legs. Accompanied by a scream so agonizing I feared he might actually die, the man's limbs were flattened as thin as sheets of paper.
"Just making sure he can't move. Well then, I leave the interrogation to you."
"...It was already R-18..."
Even after the two left, wishing me luck, the man's agonizing groans did not cease. It was only natural, considering his limbs had been flattened as if crushed by a hydraulic press. Honestly, it was a miracle he was even alive.
"Ugh... No matter what you demand, no matter what you offer, I will tell you nothing...!"
"Oh, you don't actually have to say anything."
"...What?"
"Because I already know everything."
I knew this event inside out. Although the assassin's identity, appearance, and numbers were determined by random generation, the motive behind the assassination attempt was always the same. All I wanted to do right now was confirm the facts.
"Let's see... The one who commissioned you was the First Prince. He probably heard rumors about Princess Stella and suddenly remembered her existence. 'Ah, so that bitch is still alive.'"
"I-I have no idea what nonsense you are talking about."
"Knowing her personality, he probably assumed she would never make friends, concluded she must be plotting treason, and ordered you to kill her, right?"
"..."
"Oh, and he must have told you this: 'Stella is weak, so you have nothing to worry about. Kill her, and you will be handsomely rewarded.'"
"..."
"No answer, I see..."
I thought he might show some sort of reaction. But the moment I brought up these sensitive topics, he shut down completely. I guess a trained professional really is different, I thought. ...Well, his silence was entirely pointless anyway.
"Then I have no choice. I'll just have to ask your brain directly."
After all, he was going to spill everything he knew sooner or later.