Volume 2 Chapter 8.2
Behind-the-Scenes Fiction, Fraudsters
Gather in a Deserted Warehouse Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Emma and Nina were
being transported somewhere in a car driven by Gasta, who claimed to be a
companion of Jin.
Casper Crawford, who
had been impersonating Jin, took off his mask and revealed himself, then winked
at Nina, who was in a state of utter shock, and left. Nina was completely
mistaken in thinking that he was Jin, and she kept her head in her hands the
entire car ride.
"...... Don't
worry about it. It's a normal human reaction to hug someone when emotions run
high."
"Uuuu...... You
absolutely mustn't tell Jin about this, okay?"
"I don't know,
but I'll do as you say."
The car drove for
about an hour along a mountain road until it arrived at an abandoned warehouse
in the middle of nowhere. The brick warehouse was large enough to hold three
cars and was guarded by a group of men who were armed to the teeth.
Jin Kirihara, standing
in front of the door, raised his hand and called to them.
He was reunited with
his accomplices for the first time in several hours. And Nina was somewhat
hiding behind Emma’s back.
"You're
truly......"
It was natural for
Emma to mutter that in an initial reaction, since she had heard the whole story
of the scheme that Jin had set up this time in the car.
The boldness to use
everything around him for a single purpose.
The imagination to
combine disparate pieces of information to create a victorious outcome.
And the art of
deception to force a foolhardy plan to work.
She had seen many
monstrous people in her life, but the fraudster in front of her was far beyond
the scope of her imagination.
─This guy is fighting on a completely different board.
To defeat a powerful
psychic, one does not need a well-trained body or mysterious powers beyond
human understanding.
Just a bit of artistic
Lie is all that is needed.
"What's wrong,
you froze. Are you perhaps impressed by my ability?"
"....... Don't be
so conceited. I'm just disappointed that you don't trust me."
"I would never
lie to my friends. It's true. You can see it in my eyes."
"How can I
believe you if you say that while looking away!?"
"Oh, you're not
going to argue with me about the "friends" part?"
"W-Wha......."
Just as her brain was
about to boil with emotion, she heard a soft chuckle from behind her.
"Ahaha. Don't be
embarrassed, Emma."
"I-I'm not
embarrassed at all! Look, I have no choice but to do it for the sake of my
country......"
"Gosh, you should
be more honest with me. Let's continue to work together, shall we?"
With a smile that
could light up the night, Nina extended her right hand to her.
The lone battle with
no one to rely on other than herself was at once attacked by the sensation of
being saved. Subconsciously, she squeezed the offered hand back.
Emma tried to deny
what she had done, but Jin was staring at her while grinning.
"Welcome Emma.
You are now officially our accomplice."
"W-We just happen
to have the same interests!"
"Alright,
alright, let's leave it at that."
The fraudster
intercepted Emma's rebuttal with his hand and returned to his serious
expression.
"I'd love to
throw you a welcome party, but ...... we're not done yet. Now we have to find
out the secrets of the school from the <Shepherd's Dog>."
With a theatrical
tone, Jin opened the door of the abandoned warehouse.
In the dimly lit room,
illuminated only by the flashlight hanging from the ceiling, was the target he
had been searching for ever since he enrolled at the school. Just in case, Emma
decided to put on her mask.
Satya Rodel maintained
an expressionless face like an ice statue while both her arms and legs were
strapped to a chair with ropes. There was no warmth in her eyes, which were
fitted behind her glasses, and coupled with her light blue-colored patient
garment, it was impossible to sense any life in her overall appearance.
"...... So this
woman is the <Shepherd's Dog>, huh?"
A spy loyal to the
school's headmaster, Jill Will Weiser, and is an important figure who may be
privy to the school's secrets.
How many of Emma's
compatriots were killed before she arrived here after receiving information
leaked by the legendary fraudster, who was being hunted as an enemy of the
empire?
Emma secretly clenched
her fists.
"You see, at
first, I honestly thought that ...... Karen Ashby was the most suspicious
one."
Jin sat down on a
chair placed in front of Satya.
"Because that
girl fits the criteria for what I consider to be a <Shepherd's Dog>
perfectly. If one is good enough to be exempted from the entrance exam, it
should be easy to get rid of anyone who gets in the way, besides, the Ashby
family, which distributes weapons to the imperial army, is closely connected to
the government.
But halfway through, I
broadened my perspective.
If a person can
control such a monster at will, why would he need to make the move himself?
Wouldn't it be convenient for him to use the monster as a cover for his own
dark activities on behalf of the school? Just like the relationship between me
and Nina.
Besides, according to
the information Nina gave me, Karen had been looking at Satya with a sideways
glance many times while they were talking. Contrary to the superficial
master-servant relationship, this is evidence that the other side was totally
dependent on you. The fact that you've been taking care of Karen's personal
needs since she was a child, it's not hard to create a gentle state of
brainwashing, right?"
"...... That
alone only makes me a suspect though."
Satya replied
indifferently, perhaps still not admitting her true identity.
"That's right. My
doubts turned to certainty after I saw your reactions to the two gifts I gave
you."
"Gifts
......?"
"The first was a
message I wrote on the blackboard in class six yesterday. By writing a sentence
accusing the existence of rats that have infiltrated the school, the
<Shepherd's Dog> would surely come to check it out. You showed up in
front of the classroom as I expected. ...... Of course, at that point, there
was the possibility that you were just there on Karen's instructions. What's
important is the other present."
"...... That
perfume, huh?"
"Yes, that one.
...... Karen saw through the perfume's <hollowing-out> trick and started
changing the [Forced Deactivation] a week ago. But, you know, isn't that just
plain strange if one thinks about it calmly?
Why would she, who has
her maid take care of all her personal needs, have to check the packages sent
from her parent's house by herself? It was none other than you, ...... Satya,
who noticed the tampering with the bottles and suggested changing the perfume."
"It's my job as a
maid to remove any traps set by the enemies before they can cause a problem.
Isn't that natural?"
"No, it's
strange. There is something fatally wrong with your actions."
Jin pointed his finger
in the shape of a gun.
"Who the hell was
Karen going to fight at that point a week ago?"
"......What do
you mean?"
"That trick would
never be noticed unless someone was planning to fight at that point a week ago.
Because, of course. The only person who would ever consider the perfumes being
switched would be the one who was planning everything a week ago."
"Even at that
time, Karen-sama was at odds with Casper-sama. That's why she was telling me to
be on my guard."
"...... But,
doesn't that make the motive make sense? Karen's <Jolly Undertaker> went
berserk because you were attacked by someone, right?"
"......"
"If Karen was
just putting on a charade, Nina would definitely notice it. She was genuinely
outraged by the assault made on her best friend. Then who attacked you? Was it
me? Nina? Casper? A spy from an enemy country?
No, it's been proven
that none of them are true. This leaves us with the conclusion that you staged
this whole thing yourself. To force Karen to go out of control and get rid of
us. You planned that far in advance, as of a week ago, which is why you were
able to convince Karen to change her perfume."
"To think that,
you used that scheme to expose me......"
"If Karen is the
<Shepherd's Dog>, she won't be able to figure out the perfume trick until
I defeat her. If the perfume is switched, then Satya the maid is the
<Shepherd's Dog>. I must say, I think it was a decent move to force my
opponent to choose between two unfavorable options.
...... Well, the fact
that you are still alive and well, even though you were supposedly seriously
wounded, pretty much proves that you are just making it up. I also found a
report addressed to the school headmaster under your bed."
"...... You are
dangerous, Jin Kirihara."
"Did you think
you could beat me in a game of deception?"
Even in the face of
decisive defeat, Satya's expression did not waver.
It was not as if she
was still hiding some kind of hand.
This woman has killed
her emotions in order to pledge her loyalty to the headmaster.
Emma inwardly clicked
her tongue.
It's not easy to get
someone like this to give up information. Torture would only strengthen their
loyalty and be ineffective.
"Now, shall we
begin the interrogation then? ...... Emma, take her pulse."
As instructed, she
placed her hands on Satya's wrists, which were strapped to the chair.
But not good. The
blood flow, which kept a steady rhythm, proved that she had been highly
trained.
Despite Emma's
uneasiness, her accomplice began the interrogation.
"Okay, first
question. Are you really a <Shepherd's Dog>?"
It is customary to
begin an interrogation with an obvious question to compare the pulse rate with
that of a normal person.
And as expected, there
was no change in her pulse.
"Have you ever
met the headmaster, Jill Will Weiser?"
No change.
"How many
<Shepherd's Dogs> are there in the school now? Is it true that there is
one in each grade?"
No change.
"How much do you
know about the plot the Empire is trying to carry out using the Heiberg
School?"
There was no change in
her pulse.
Unless he asked a
sharper question, he would not be able to elicit any agitation.
Inhaling deeply inside
her mask, Emma asked the next question.
"...... Then how
about this one? People believe that psychic abilities were born as a result of
the new bomb that was dropped on the capital, but──there is no evidence
that the Republic has ever dropped a bomb.
That genocide itself
was staged by the Empire. As a member of the <White Knights> and under
the command of Jill Will Weiser, I would think you would know that as
well."
Her pulse quickened,
albeit slightly.
This must be new
information to Jin and Nina as well. Both of their eyes widened.
"...... Thanks,
you're shaken up for the first time."
Emma, taking advantage
of the opportunity, gave a follow-up attack.
"What was that
all about for you and the upper echelons of the Empire? What kind of lies are
hidden there? Answer me, heretic."
The agitation was
visible only for a moment, and the pulse quickly regained a steady rhythm. Emma
clicked her tongue in frustration.
"We're not
getting anywhere. Should I inject her with a truth-telling serum?"
"Hold on."
Nina stopped Emma, who
had taken a syringe from her coat, with her hand.
She was neither tinged
with emotion nor intimidated.
Her azure blue eyes were
full of conviction.
"......Satya-san,
you are not as tough as you think you are. You have brainwashed Karen-san since
she was a child and pretended to be some kind of mastermind, but after all, you
are just a weak child who fears the power of the headmaster, aren't you?"
"...... That's
just a silly guess."
Jin caught the
<Shepherd's Dog> with his miraculous deception.
Emma put her
body on the line to save us from death.
Then now is my
turn.
Nina took a deep
breath, as if she were storing power in the pit of her stomach. It was the
sham-like breathing technique she had learned at the dojo where she and Karen
had attended.
However, depending on
the user, it can be a powerful weapon.
Triggered by the
breathing technique, Nina succeeded in instantly entering a deep state of
concentration.
"Over the past
few weeks, someone has drilled into me the art of psychological analysis."
The words were now
flooding out of her mouth, without going through her conscious mind.
"The frequency
with which you glance at Karen-san, and the length of each glance, is a true
sign of affection. The fact that your voice is slightly lower than when you
speak with others shows that you cared about her that much. And you couldn't
bring yourself to be ruthless, even to the very end."
"I was wondering
what you were going to say....... Have you forgotten that I encouraged Karen
Ashby to blow herself up?"
Nina did not miss the
slight rise in Satya's voice as she responded.
"Then why were
you relieved when we entered this warehouse?"
"......
Pardon?"
"Emma-san and I
are here because we survived the grenade explosion. If that were the case, then
of course Karen-san's safety would be confirmed as well. You were relieved
because you were able to confirm that with your own eyes, weren't you? In
truth, you didn't want that girl to die, right?"
This is just a wild
guess.
All of this is just
speculation without any proof.
But Nina wanted to
believe.
She wanted to believe
that a solid friendship had developed between the two of them, having spent
time by each other's side since childhood. She knew that Karen's words about
Satya as her [best friend] were not a one-way thing. Satya did not become a
pawn of the headmaster of her own volition.
─In this cruel world, there will always be hope, even
if it is only one meager hope.
"Just as you
wished, Karen-san didn't die in the explosion. But is that really what you
wanted? She might have been happier if she had just died peacefully."
"......Just what
are you trying to say?"
"My friends are
currently transporting Karen-san to a distant town. It is a desolate town with
only one small harbor, so the government and police have little access to it.
No one will notice the horrific torture being carried out there, or the
unwanted girl being chopped up and dumped into the sea. So many horrible
stories out there, aren't there?"
Karen, who lost
consciousness and her memory of the school after losing the <duel>, is
actually being protected by Jin's friends right now and is being carried to a
safe house in the suburbs. But Satya would have no way of knowing that.
Nina went on,
pretending to be something other than a human being - something that made a
distorted expression that resembled a smile - played the role of such a demonic
being.
"Listen here,
Satya-san. The future of your precious friend depends on your decision. My
people are capable of doing anything, no matter how horrifying, at my
command."
"Please don't
mess with me. That woman has nothing to do with me......"
"Poor girl, are
you that afraid of being punished by the school principal? ...... If one thinks
about it, there is no way you would become a <Shepherd's Dog> of your own
volition, no? Brainwashing the only friend you've had since childhood is not
something a normal child would think of doing."
"...... That's
just unfounded speculations."
Indeed, there is no
basis for this speculation.
She was simply using
the technique of <Cold Reading>, which Jin taught her, to decipher the
psychology of the person in front of her from the slightest gesture or speech.
However, if one
applies the technique of [Method Acting], in which one melds oneself into the
role, the accuracy of this technique jumps dramatically. By imitating Satya
Rodel's thoughts with a high degree of precision, she was able to reach the
deepest depths of her emotions, of which she herself was unaware.
And the truly
frightening thing about this technique is that as Nina uttered a series of
guesses - even if they were off the mark - it was possible to convince the
audience that they were indeed their own true feelings.
"What if you were
coerced by the adults around you? For example, what if they had originally
wanted to recruit Karen, the daughter of the Ashby family, to be a spy, but her
overly unrestrained personality was deemed unqualified? Is it too much of a
leap to assume that you, who have been together with Karen since childhood,
were appointed in her place?"
"Stop, please. No
more......"
"Aah, perhaps you
were also brainwashed. If you were taught from an early age that it is normal
to devote yourself to the headmaster's cause, and if you are given an education
that involves fear and pain, the child's behavioral principles will be tainted
with a single color. You will be left with no other choice but to sacrifice
your only best friend to suicide for the sake of a noble cause...... What a
truly, wretched thing to do."
Almost there.
One more
trigger of some sort, and Satya's stronghold will be broken.
We can pry
open the locked room that resides deep in her heart.
"....... Rest
assured."
It was Emma who took
over.
"Even if you
disclose the information, the Republic will guarantee your and Karen's safety. You
can change your name and live peacefully in a remote land, away from the
influence of the headmaster and the <White Knights>. ......Aren't you
actually sick and tired of this stifling life?"
─After giving a glimpse of the worst possibility, then
presenting hope.
A deceitful
negotiation technique Nina learned from Jin sometime ago.
Although it is the
most basic of all, Nina's acting ability to cast a heartless monster onto
herself and the foul card that only a Republic intelligence agent possesses
make her a powerful trump card that can sway the emotions of even the best of
spies.
The corners of Jin's
mouth contorted into a smile as he confirmed that his accomplices had cornered
their opponents with their joint cooperation.
"What do you say,
Satya? There doesn't seem to be any reason to be stubborn now, is there?"
A long, really long
silence descended on the abandoned warehouse.
The three of them
waited patiently watching Satya, who was struggling behind her expressionless
face.
After a while, she
finally spoke, with sweat beading on her forehead.
"...... I am
merely a marginal member.
There are limits to
the information I can provide."
"The way you put
it, it sounds like there isn't only one <Shepherd's Dog> in each grade.
"I heard there
was an information leak a few years ago, so they had to reinforce their
structure."
─Is it about Rusty's case?
In the past, he was
hunted by the <White Knights> because of the information he accidentally
obtained when he scammed a high-ranking government official. It would not be
unnatural for the upper echelons of the organization to have felt threatened by
Rusty's actions, and to have reinforced their forces in anticipation of an
unexpected enemy.
"What are the
names of the other members besides you?"
"I don't know all
of them, because the members are not related to each other. There was one
person who ...... assisted me in orchestrating me being injured ──ah~."
"......Oi, what's
wrong?"
"Gah ......
aaaaaahhh~!"
"Wha, pull
yourself together......!"
As if possessed by the
devil, Satya suddenly started screaming with her white eyes peeled.
She went berserk and
fell down in her chair, repeatedly slamming her head violently into the floor.
Jin hurriedly covered Satya's head with his hands. A possibility flashed
through Jin's mind.
─Conditioning.
No, it is possible for
the school principal to do so.
It would not be
surprising if the <Shepherd's Dog> was programmed to automatically erase
its memory when it attempted to reveal information to a third party.
"Gah, ugh.
L-L-Listen carefully, Jin Kirihara."
The will to entrust
something dwelled in Satya's eyes, which were wreathed in wounds.
"The <Fruit of
Origin> and the <Architect of Paradise>. Those are the
Empire's......"
"What does those
mean? Tell me!"
"Gah ……
aaaaaahhh~!"
After letting out a
final scream as if she were spewing out her entire being, Satya passed out.
No need to wait for
her to wake up to find out for sure.
She must have had her
memories of the school completely erased. In other words, no further
information could be extracted from her.
Quickly switching his
thoughts, Jin decided to move on to the next step.
"...... Emma, can
I leave the rest to you?"
"Yeah. My boss in
the academy has already arranged for Satya and Karen to go into exile."
"Alright, please
make sure there is no trace of third-party involvement."
Emma walked out of the
warehouse, nimbly carrying the unconscious Satya. After making sure her figure
had disappeared behind the shutters, Jin cut in.
"...... Now. We
need to get back to the academy as soon as possible.
"Wait, the plot's
moving too fast for me to keep up......!"
"Nina, I want you
to drill everything I am about to say now into your head.
1. Satya, unable to
stand being a pawn of the headmaster, conspired with Karen to destroy
everything in the school.
2. Nina, sensing the
danger of such a move, took out the out-of-control Karen and Satya on behalf of
the headmaster.
3. Nina's psychic
abilities dismembered them so that there were no more remains of their
corpses."
"E-Eh
......?"
"Things have just
changed, you know. If we are to believe Satya's words, there is more than one
<Shepherd's Dog> in each grade. They are now functioning as a single
organization. If that is the case, we can't just keep on capturing the
lowest-level members and extracting information from them. There seems to be
some kind of memory manipulation as well.
Therefore, we must
infiltrate into the heart of <Shepherd's Dogs> by doing a favor to the
school principal."
"Eeeeehhh!?"
"I'm sure the
higher-ups at the academy will praise you for unintentionally eliminating the
traitor. Besides, the Stingrays have two members among the <White
Knights>. If all goes well, they may even send a scout to you."
"I-Isn't that too
risky!? Such things bound to turn out badly......"
"This time we
gained a powerful ally."
In contrast to Nina's
dismay, Jin's expression was full of confidence.
"With Emma
providing us with cutting-edge science and technology, physical prowess, and,
on top of that, an unusually wide network of connections, the scope of our
fraud will be greatly expanded.
Instead of just acting
and intimidating people to win by default, we might be able to fight and win in
a normal fight.
Although difficult to
manipulate and potentially hostile, ...... we may be able to use Casper's
psychic abilities in some crucial moments.
And Nina, your skills
at deception have improved rapidly in the last few weeks."
Jin smiled and
extended his right hand, as he had done once before, when they formed an
accomplice relationship in the rainy courtyard.
"I'll write the
script. The stage is well set. The newly recruited behind-the-scenes personnel
are all highly competent. All that remains, Nina, is for you, the actor, to
make up your mind."
Even without being
told like this, Nina had already made up her mind.
What she remembered
was the image of her brother with that cruel and beautiful smile on his face.
I must stop
them from running amok, even if it means deceiving the world.
That is why I
am standing here now.
Not to be outdone by
her accomplice, Nina made a fearless smile and held his hand in return, so that
she could stand next to him forever.
End of Chapter 8
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