第１１４１堀：第一次接触 (Part2)

第１１４１堀：第一次接触 (Part2)

The realization brought my body to a near-halt, but...

"Come now, let's finish our rounds of the classrooms and get back to the duty room quickly."

"Y-yes, you're right. I could use a cup of tea."

"Indeed. I shall prepare some sweets as well."

Thanks to Souta-san’s prompt intervention, I remembered what needed to be done. Or rather, I remembered what I *intended* to do, though I had to admit that things hadn't gone quite as planned. It seems that when the curtain rises on the real performance, things rarely go as smoothly as one hopes. In such times, one must rely on the experienced.

I managed to regain my composure and resumed walking.

*Click, clack...*

Only our footsteps echoed through the corridor. Hivia, who had been facing away from us, must have heard the sound, for she turned around. Her speed was unlike anything I had seen before. Well, it was still just a normal turn, but because her movements had been so languid until now, this sudden shift made her appear unnervingly swift.

Yet, having turned to verify our presence, she did nothing more. She simply stood there, watching us. Her expression remained entirely unchanged.

Ah, this corridor is quite long; normally, one wouldn't be able to discern the expression of someone at the far end. But for mages like us, it is a different story. We can enhance our vision with mana, allowing us to see clearly even at a distance. Of course, I made sure not to meet her gaze, keeping my focus slightly offset. I perceived her with the same peripheral awareness one uses to track the flow of battle.

"Yes. This classroom appears to be in order."

"Indeed. No abnormalities here."

"I shall mark it down."

As planned, Souta-san and I conducted the inspection, and Lara checked off the list she had brought along. This was no mere formality; we were performing our duties with genuine diligence. Souta-san had told me that if we acted this way, she would not suspect us of being anything out of the ordinary. That, of course, assumed she was harmless. If she were a threat, he warned, she might attempt to possess us on the spot.

As we began the rounds, she simply observed us, showing no particular movement. Nevertheless, the fact that she was watching meant that the slightest slip could trigger a reaction. I forced myself to remain calm as I continued the inspection. Lara was the same.

That’s right. We were not scheduled to make contact with Hivia yet. The objective was merely to observe her movements. I must never forget that.

While I was busy reinforcing this resolve within myself, we finally reached the classroom directly in front of Hivia. Even now, she made no move. I looked toward her...

Oh? She’s gone.

She had moved from the position she had held until just a moment ago. I lost track of her, wondering where she had vanished to, when I felt an immense pressure from the side. I didn't turn my head, but I knew immediately. She had moved right beside me. She was leaning in, as if peering into my face.

*Steady, stay calm.* If I panicked now, it would only prove that I was aware of her presence. I could not let her realize that.

*Good. I am calm.* It was like speaking while ignoring an unwanted guest—much like a messenger who contradicts oneself. One simply ignores such things and proceeds with the conversation.

"This room, too, shows no abnormalities."

"Yes. The podium area is also fine."

"Then, I shall mark it."

I finished the confirmation process just as we had with the previous rooms.

"...Headmaster? You are the Headmaster, aren't you?"

The voice reached my right ear. *Ugh.* She was whispering right beside me. Just how close was she leaning in? However, having decided to ignore her completely, I chose to treat her as a politician would—dismissing her entirely and sticking to the schedule.

"Well then, that concludes our scheduled rounds. Is there anything we’ve forgotten?"

"No, nothing at all. Let us return quickly and have our tea."

"Yes, I shall serve tea and sweets immediately."

With that, we finished our duties in a perfectly 'normal' fashion and began our journey back.

"Hey, Headmaster. Can you hear me? Hey, Headmaster..."

The voice haunted us the entire way down the hall, but the moment we passed the final classroom, it abruptly vanished.

"...Phew. Let’s get back to the room for now. We can discuss the details there."

I didn't offer a single word in response to Souta-san’s remark as we returned to the surveillance room.

Now then, things are about to get long. Did the first phase of our operation go well? I wonder what we’ve managed to glean from this contact. Honestly, isn't this sort of thing just delightful?