Volume 1 Chapter 2.3
Secrets Told at the Fountain, Parties
Won't Save Anyone Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
Unaware that
his whole body was subjected to a murderous intent, Jin was fighting against
drowsiness as he listened to the instructor in charge's explanation.
Just as mentioned
by the male student he interviewed the other day.
The weekly
timetable is mostly made up of general subjects such as Japanese and
mathematics, as well as programs to strengthen physical strength. Although
there are some lectures on psychic abilities, most of them seem to be classroom
lectures.
This is
evident in the fact that there is little scientific information available
regarding psychic abilities.
In the past,
training to enhance latent abilities through medication, hypnotherapy, and
various other spiritual approaches was provided, but this was discontinued
three years ago because it was completely ineffective.
Nowadays, the
measurement of growth in one's psychic abilities is limited to monthly ability
tests, bi-weekly <practical tests>, and <duel> between students.
The instructor
in charge coldly stated.
"Let me
be clear. At Heiberg Academy, competition is everything. We must send the best
and most talented to the White Knights. Students who are content with joining
the police or a security company, or who think they can use their psychic
abilities for industrial purposes, should immediately submit a transfer
application to one of our affiliated schools. Of course, your memories of this
school will be sealed. ......"
Extreme
selectivity, as usual.
Moreover, the
adults at this academy are as overbearing as a judge. Jin wondered whether they
were being instructed on how to speak behind others' backs.
Despite Jin's
attempts to hold back his laughter, the other students' gazes were serious.
The only way
to become a candidate for the White Knights, a special organization that is
also known as the Heroes Who Save the Country, is to graduate from the Heiberg
Academy with the highest grades. For these students, who have been on the elite
path since childhood, transferring to an affiliated school would be
inconceivable.
In this sense,
a system that encourages competition among students perfectly makes sense.
"Hey,
Jin-kun, hey!"
"What is
it? The instructor is talking right now."
"......You
weren't listening to it seriously at all, though?"
After pointing
out this fact, Emma secretly handed him a folded-up piece of paper.
"What's
this?"
"There's
going to be a welcome party for us freshmen!"
When he opened
the paper, he found a brief outline of the welcome party written in beautiful
handwriting.
The party
starts at 7:00 pm. At the second-year students' dormitory for boys. No entry
fee for all freshmen.
"I heard
that the sophomore seniors organize it every year."
"Welcome
party, huh? ......."
It smelled too
fishy.
He was not
really interested in it, but it was not Jin's survival strategy to be so
conspicuous from the very beginning. He should just join in for the time being
and slip out when the opportunity arose.
Jin handed the
piece of paper to the classmate sitting next to him and stole a glance at the
famous figure beside Emma.
Despite her
honor student mask, Nina Stingray's very nature is that of an out-of-control
monster.
He wondered if
she, by any chance, would attend such a silly party.
"......
Anything you want to tell me?"
Jin's inner
rebelliousness began to sprout as she looked at him as if he were a fly
attracted to food scraps.
"Don't
bother me at every turn. Did you fall in love with me at first sight or
something?"
"There's
a limit to how overconfident you can be."
"Shh~, be
quiet. I know this is a little hard for you to understand, but we're in the
middle of a class right now."
"Wha
......!"
─Crap, I think I went a
little too far.
Nina Stingray is one of only six students in this year's
grade to be exempted from the entrance examinations.
Although it is necessary to get close enough to her so
that his existence is not ignored, it is not a good idea to antagonize her. No,
it is still too early.
Jin turned
away from the monster who was at a loss for words, while thinking that he would
make a light follow-up later on.
After the
orientation was over, the students moved on to carrying the luggage that had
been delivered to the school to the dormitories. Both the boys' and girls'
dormitories were as grand as mansions, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief
at their elegantly decorated entrances.
It is hard to
imagine how much of the country's budget has been invested in the operation of
the school, since there are three similar dormitories, one for men and one for
women, for each grade. Nevertheless, it was a blessing for Jin that each
student was provided with a room.
While he was
unpacking his belongings in his room, the time for the party to start was
approaching.
◆
Within 10
minutes of arriving at the party venue, Jin felt the urge to leave as soon as
possible.
In the first
place, he didn't like the difference in treatment.
In the
dormitory where the party was held, only the six students who were exempted
from the entrance examination and other students with excellent grades were
enjoying the luxurious meals. The rest of the students were not allowed to
enter the dormitory because it was overcrowded, and they were left on the plaza
in front of the dormitory.
Food and
drinks were laid out on a large table set up in the plaza, but it was clearly
not enough to fill the bellies of everyone present. Every once in a while,
someone would steal a fine meat dish from inside the hall, and every time they
did so they were revered as heroes.
The students
in the plaza were, by all accounts, not welcome to enroll.
The fact that
none of the upperclassmen showed their faces to them was proof of this. They
would probably drop out anyway, so there was no point in trying to deepen the
friendship.
Perhaps
sensing Jin's sour expression, Emma, who was chatting with the other female
students, suddenly turned to him and spoke.
"Jin-kun.
Come on, this is your chance to befriend everyone."
"Huh?
When did you become my parent?"
"Oh, are
you by any chance socially awkward!?"
Perhaps it was
difficult for Emma and the others, who had been living with the expectations of
those around them as people with psychic abilities since childhood, to
understand the malice that filled this party.
They could not
take seriously the fact that they were being treated lightly and coldly. Well,
nothing good would come from being sensitive to the ill will of others.
Jin instantly
concocted a lie to get out of this situation.
"......I
actually have a chronic illness."
"Eh? What
kind of illness?"
"I've
been at parties for a long time and I get allergic reactions. You probably
wouldn't know the name of the disease even if I told you. In the early stages,
it's just a mild itch or rash, but if it gets worse, it can cause difficulty
breathing, and in the worst case......"
"Eh~,
there's such an illness?"
"You must
be doubting me. Weill, that to be expected, no one has ever understood me until
now. Anyway, looks like things will be repeating itself in this
school......"
After he
lowered his tone of voice and coughed, Emma began to look dismayed in an
amusing way.
"I-I
believe you! Don't push yourself, Jin-kun!"
"Cough,
thanks. You're the first person to believe me."
Alright, I got her.
"Then,
Emma. I'm going back to the dormitory to take care of myself."
"Umm, be
careful, Jin-kun! Call me if you need anything!"
"Thank
you. I owe you one."
Jin tried his
best to hold back his laughter.
It's not a
good habit to have. No matter how gullible Emma is, it is ethically wrong to
play with her to see how much she can be lied to.
That being
said, it was indeed the best solution to leave the party without making a
scene.
Jin left the
party hall with only a slice of bread and a bottle of water.
For some
reason, he did not feel like returning to his room, so he kept walking
aimlessly along the dark street.
Suddenly, he
saw a fountain illuminated by a street lamp.
It seemed that
the water was no longer flowing, so it would be better to describe it as a lump
of concrete in the shape of a fountain.
In front of
the dried-up fountain, there was a wooden bench. Jin felt like taking a short
break, so he headed there while gulping down the rest of his bread with water.
While gazing
at the silent object, he played with a counterfeit 100-el coin with his fingertips.
It was his
usual habit. Whenever he thinks about something, the coin, which has become a
part of his body, helps him calm down.
Come to think
of it, it was thanks to this coin that I was able to sneak into the Heiberg
School.
After passing
the written exam without difficulty, Jin was to demonstrate his psychic
abilities in front of the three instructors at the final interview.
What he did
was a classic technique often used in psychic frauds.
Having
correctly guessed the name of one of the interviewers' dog, the name of his
favorite bar, and even the present he had prepared for his daughter's birthday,
the interviewers identified Jin as a psychic with psychological abilities. Of
course, the trick was to hire a detective to thoroughly investigate the
personal information of the interviewers.
Of course, he
had an extra trick up his sleeve.
Jin was able
to guess that one of the interviewers had picked up a 100-el coin just before
coming to the venue.
A simple trick
of dropping the coin on the interviewer's way to work and having a comrade
check to see if he had picked it up. Still, no one doubted him.
So far,
everything has gone smoothly, from the entrance exam to the <screening
test>.
However, the
plan that he designed before he enrolled in the school has only just begun. His
next target is to contact the six students in his grade who are exempted from
the entrance examination.
Gilrein
Bloodnote. Psychic ability : <The Unheralded One>.
Nina Stingray.
Psychic ability : <Queen of Calamity>.
Karen Ashby.
Psychic ability : <Jolly Undertaker>.
Alyce Pearson.
Psychic ability : <Bloody Angel>.
Bennett Rohr.
Psychic ability : <Executioner of Immolation>.
Caspar
Crawford. Psychic ability : Unknown.
Except for one
person, the abilities of the students exempted from the entrance examination
are well-known to a certain extent. The fact that they have been able to reign
at the top of the ranks even after many countermeasures have been taken against
them means that they are of a different caliber than the average student. Of
course, there would be no one among them that Jin could beat in a head-to-head
battle.
In any case,
it is almost certain that the <Shepherd Dog> is among these six.
He is the one
who holds the key to reaching the final goal. Whether it is to intimidate or
blackmail them, or to dig into their pockets to extract information, Jin must
first uncover the identity of the <Shepherd Dog> that blends in amongst
the students.
So far,
however, he has not been able to get any decent clues. That means he will have
to face them all until he hits the jackpot.
But then
again, Jin thought.
It's crazy for
a mere con artist to have to deal with such monsters. One might even call it
insane. The more difficult the game, the more exciting it is, but this is way
too much.
Are the
occasional shivers caused by excitement and pleasure, or by fear?
Jin grinned
devilishly as he watched the coins flicked by his thumbs and fluttering through
the air.
"......
Well then, how shall we proceed?"
He hasn't
decided who to start with.
The most
likely candidates would be Karen Ashby or Bennett Rohr. However, he still
cannot predict the movements of the other students, and there is still room to
find out more about their psychic abilities.
At least one
month.
As long as
there are a lot of cards on the table, one should not move too much and
concentrate on gathering information. Then it will be time to fine-tune the
plan.
After thinking
for a while, Jin noticed a figure coming toward him.
Her
beautifully braided platinum-colored hair and a classy brooch adorned with a
subtle red gemstone made everyone know at a glance that she was of good family
origin.
Nina Stingray.
She is one
among the group exempted from the entrance exam, whom he will have to face
sooner or later.
She is also
the student most likely to be a <shepherd dog> at this point.
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