Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Prophets (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A tailored suit, white gloves on her hands. Stylish glasses and a prominent nose. A stern, picky expression and wavy hair. If there was one word to symbolize Dennis, it was "elegance."
In the manga and in reality alike, she was an exceedingly elegant person. When she spoke, she tilted her chin slightly upward, looking down at her interlocutor, and her speech was so refined it bordered on obnoxious. She had a habit of narrowing her eyes while gazing intently downward whenever the other person spoke, and the way she fidgeted with her fingers was downright irritating.
"Ah, so you're the daughter of Iwamoto Industry, and over there is the research lead, Miss Sally. Nice to meet you. I'm Edmund Dennis, the inspection supervisor."
"...Pleased to meet you."
She extended her hand at a slight angle, her voice lilting upward at the end, and Sally awkwardly greeted her with a handshake. Combined with Dennis's signature haughty posture, Sally even bowing a bit made it feel like their superior-subordinate dynamic was set in stone right then and there. She raised an eyebrow and looked down at me.
I had no idea what she expected from me, but there was no reason to get on her bad side, so I bowed my head in greeting first.
No need to worry too much. Little girl power was invincible, and I had a surefire killer move for situations like this. I placed both hands on my belly and bowed deeply at a perfect ninety degrees.
"Hello."
The ultimate invincible secret technique that worked on anyone from my elementary school days: the "navel bow."
No matter how strict the person, one hit from my appearance and this innocent greeting would melt their expression, and they'd pull out their wallet on instinct.
Even a henchman from some ruthless villain organization would let it slide without complaint.
"Ah, President Iwamoto must have raised you well. Quite polite. Private elementary school graduate, right? I went to private school too, so I guess the schools around here are pretty decent."
"...."
What a fucking bitch.
"I'll let it slide today, but since I'm in charge of the factory inspection, I want to make it clear: no outsiders allowed. Especially not a little kid like you."
Dennis lectured while using telekinesis to clear away the trash on the floor. Walking like a model, she elegantly levitated each piece of debris toward the corners of the factory or into trash bins.
But separate from her elegance and grace, the fact that she was the inspection lead and planned to bar me from the factory was a huge problem.
What was this factory?
Wasn't it the core zone for the experiments about to unfold and the portal experiment at the heart of the original story?
No matter how I planned things out, I'd need regular access to this factory. If some uptight lunatic guarded it, my plans would hit a wall.
It'd make it harder for me to interfere with the Prophets' operations, and if I kept forcing my way in, they might get suspicious of me.
Worst case, they'd snap my neck.
These were villains without a drop of blood or tear in them.
"So, why don't you step out for a bit? I have things to check, and I don't want to be disturbed."
But Dennis didn't even give me time to think.
She stretched out her hand toward us, and both our bodies floated up into the air, drifting out of the factory.
"Whoaaa!"
Sally let out a bizarre scream as she flew through the air. I couldn't adjust to the sudden weightlessness either, flailing my arms and legs as I was pushed out. I couldn't even keep my balance, and with no clue how the force was applied, it was impossible to brace myself properly.
"Uwong!"
Sally hit the ground with a thud, letting out a deflated yelp. Despite her prickly speech, her telekinesis control was incredibly precise. Sally, who'd been flung like trash, landed as lightly as a feather, while I drifted down slowly from the air, feather-like with imaginary wings.
Villain or not, she wasn't going full savage even here.
Or maybe, as a member of a secret organization, she was putting on a good-guy act?
Standing ramrod straight like the star of a kids' stage show, eyes sparkling, while Sally grimaced and dusted off her butt.
"Ow ow ow..."
Her hair cast shadows over her eyes, and her slightly furrowed brow from the pain gave off a strangely fierce vibe. She hadn't seemed this way when smiling goofily, but Sally actually had sharp eyes. Seeing her pained little groan and that expression made me tense up without realizing it.
"...Looks like I landed wrong."
She wouldn't charge in a rage now, would she? Even in this situation?
Who was Sally?
In the original story, she was a ruthless, heartless mad scientist—a truly wicked woman. No matter how much the story had derailed and she'd stopped being the villain, one slip-up could bring her original self roaring back.
If Sally did anything rash, it'd spell trouble for Dad's company. I instinctively tensed up, watching her closely.
"...Ugh, my clothes are dirty. And they're new, too."
But Sally just gave a weary smile and grumbled. She winced a little, but it seemed more from the pain of the sudden butt-plant than any personal grudge against Dennis. Instead, she turned to me and asked,
"Serika. You okay? Not hurt anywhere?"
"...Yeah. I'm fine."
I nodded in a daze, struck by a weird feeling.
What was it? Her being so nice made me feel like the bad guy.
I'm just a normal person trying to live decently, but now it felt like I wasn't.
Like I'd become some paranoid type who saw everyone as evil.
Sally must have read my expression, because she flashed an even bigger smile and said, like a kindergarten teacher reassuring her kids,
"From what she just showed us, Dennis must be a telekinetic. Surprised, huh? Telekinesis lets you move objects from a distance with your mind. It's so versatile that users are treated like high-class talent. That's why getting flown around by it is a pretty big deal. You just had a rare experience, Serika."
"Y-Yeah, it felt just like a ride at an amusement park!"
Since Sally was trying to smooth things over, I played along, stretching out my arms enthusiastically.
No matter what her true nature was, the situation had ended peacefully—that much was true.
But even if Dennis brushed off our factory visit lightly, my problem wasn't fully resolved.
Our company was still in the clutches of those wicked Prophets, and one wrong move here would brand us as their lackeys, dooming my family to a bad end.
Meeting the original protagonist right now was impossible. Alice, the protag and a transfer student, was from some rural area, but the story never specified where.
So to intervene in the original plot from here, I'd either have to camp out in this factory or maximize contact with the Prophets.
So what should I do?
How could I break past my little-girl limitations and get in touch with Dennis or the Prophets?
How?
How the hell do I do it in this bizarre manga world?
"Serika. Come over here and take a nap with me. There's a bed over there. Rest up nice and comfy."
We'd been chased out by Dennis and shoved into a makeshift break room made from containers. Beds and sofas were stacked haphazardly like the inside of a moving truck. While I pondered, Sally had already pulled out blankets and claimed a spot.
I tilted my head at her laid-back vibe and asked,
"...Aren't you going back to the dorms, sis?"
"Huh? Well, even if I did, there's nothing to do... This sofa's super comfy, and I've always wanted to nap on it... Hehe...."
She was so my-pace it was hard to get used to no matter how many times I saw it. That goofy smile, the way she latched onto weird details and went boneless—it was all so odd. What hellish events between her backstory and the original timeline turned this woman into a venomous scientist?
I glanced out the container window. Dennis, having finished her interior check, was taking off her gloves and heading outside.
Maybe Dennis was a good person right now?
"Seriously, calling me out to a dump like this as a babysitter. The organization has no decent people left, huh?"
But seeing her sharp face as she grumbled, I knew I'd been foolish to think that.
That vicious nose, those strict, piercing eyes. That was the face of a maniac who lived to nitpick and strangle people. She surely got her kicks tormenting others, vacationing amid screams and sobs.
In the original, she was a mid-level villain with a long career, and she looked pretty old now too.
My instincts never failed.
Dennis was a heartless psychopath.
With that realization, I figured out how to make contact with the Prophets.
Frontal assault.
According to the story setting, the Prophets wanted powered individuals to join them.
They'd still be short-staffed at this point, so a high-potential super strength user like Serika would be welcome from their perspective.
So, I'd act like the perfect fit for that vicious woman's tastes and boldly start as a villain.
Pretend to go along with what they wanted, then sabotage from the inside by leaking info.
Ah, yes. Perfect plan.
I'm so smart.
"Kuaaaaa...! Fuuuu....!"
Glancing sideways, Sally was snoring away, even drooling. Mouth agape and sprawled out, she wouldn't wake from a little noise. Careful not to disturb her, I slipped out of the break room and ran toward Dennis standing by her car door.
"...What is it?"
Dennis had sharp instincts. I'd barely stepped out of the break room when she paused mid-motion to get in her car and stared right at me. Even as she did, she clasped her hands politely and straightened her posture, like a model teacher showing others how it's done.
But I couldn't fall for that appearance.
She was a villain in the original, and that obnoxious tone and expression screamed villain now too.
To get through to a villain, you had to play the villain card.
I glanced around and whispered,
"...Prophets, right?"
Dennis's expression stiffened oddly. She twitched an eyebrow, scanned me up and down, then looked down and asked,
"Why do you ask?"
"...I want to join the Prophets too."
Her face hardened further. What? She seemed kinda displeased? Was my villain vibe lacking?
I usually tried to act sweet and keep a pleasant face, but Serika naturally had fierce eyes that looked cold when she scowled.
"...Do you even know what the Prophets do?"
I did. It came up clearly in the original. I fixed her with my most sinister, vile glare. Her face paled a bit, confirming my expression had real intimidation.
"You're the ones granting salvation to the rotten masses of this world. I know all about it. I want to help them too."
Perfect acting. Anyone hearing it would think I had a brutally cruel personality.
At this rate, joining the Prophets was just a matter of time.
Ah, wait.
What if she asked how I knew?
I hadn't thought of that.
But my worry was unfounded.
Dennis, hearing my answer, covered her mouth with her fingers, murmuring gravely to herself.
"...No way, what the hell did that guy tell this kid...."
What did that mean?
While I stood there puzzled, Dennis took a deep breath, swept back her hair, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to dab at her tears, and looked at me.
"...Alright, got it. Got it, so... we'll talk later. Separately."
Whatever it was, it seemed to have worked out?