Chapter-08 · EP-128
Episode 128: You Still Hadn't Given Up?
After sending Yuno home first, I sat facing Susa alone.
The tension stretched quietly between us across the table.
"So this is the main issue?"
"Yes."
It seemed the suspicion of Yuno being a saint was a separate matter, but that wasn't surprising. This man had been tailing me since I left the dormitory in the morning. I knew from the start that his business was with me.
I asked Susa.
"You were tailing me since morning. I was your real target. What is your goal?"
"Let me be direct. Several high-rank potion transactions have been witnessed at Tokyo Dungeon Academy. And there is information that you are involved."
Me. Actually, when it came to high-rank potion transactions, wasn't it all about me?
But I wouldn't admit it easily. I tried to deflect.
"What about it? Is there a problem?"
Susa frowned and answered.
"Don't you understand? Currently, there is a worldwide shortage of high-rank potions and prices are soaring. Some wealthy individuals are even hoarding high-rank potions for investment. Rank 3 and above potions are desperately needed all over the world. If several of those are circulating among students, that's abnormal, isn't it? It's natural for the Ministry of Defense to want to know their origin."
In short, this man's — no, the Self-Defense Forces' — real goal was to obtain high-rank potions.
But I didn't feel like telling them so easily.
It would be sneaky for them to try to take the strategy I discovered without doing any work, and I didn't want to give information to such cowardly people who would resort to tailing.
"Is that so? Well, I have nothing to tell you."
"Do you mean you don't know anything?"
"I have no intention of telling you whether I know or not."
"Why not? This concerns the national interest. Won't you cooperate?"
"Susa-san, is this legally compelled questioning?"
"Wha…? N-no, I'm not a police officer. I don't have that authority."
"Then it's a voluntary interview. As long as it's voluntary, I have the right not to answer. I don't need to say things that would be detrimental to me."
I clearly refused to cooperate with Susa.
Not expecting such a clear refusal, Susa looked surprised and was speechless.
I continued.
"I'm not stupid enough to reveal my hand in a situation where I don't have to answer."
Susa was visibly flustered.
"…Well, you see, Ichinose-kun."
He faltered. He probably hadn't expected such a clear refusal from a high school student.
"I didn't mean it that way…"
"Then I think we're done here. Excuse me."
I said and stood up.
Susa couldn't stop me; he just watched me leave.
When I left the room, Yuno and the others, who I had told to go home, were waiting for me, worried.
I apologized to everyone for worrying them and honestly told them what happened.
Professor Kushinada looked apologetic.
"I'm sorry for hiding it. I didn't mean to deceive you."
Her words felt genuine.
Professor Kushinada had come to be our assistant homeroom teacher. Would she leave now that I had refused Susa's request? If so, it would be a little sad, but it couldn't be helped.
And so, we headed home.
Monday morning after the weekend.
When we arrived at school as usual, for some reason, there was another schoolwide assembly, and we gathered in the schoolyard.
The principal's speech was boring and annoying. I stood at the back of my class line as usual.
"Now that we're in mid-May, I think you new students are getting used to exploration, but this is precisely the most dangerous time…"
His speech was long. If only he'd just give the main points…
"…As for Professor Kushinada, who joined us last week…"
So it was about Professor Kushinada after all. Was she leaving…?
"Actually, apart from her role as a temporary teacher, she came to this academy to conduct an investigation."
Huh? He was revealing that? Did that mean she was staying?
"That investigation is about the source of the high-rank potions that have been spotted several times recently at the academy. I ask everyone to cooperate as much as possible."
…Who would cooperate!
The students listening to the principal began to murmur.
Perhaps contrary to my wishes, the students who witnessed me giving the Rank 3 potion to the young lady might say something. If that happened, I'd probably be questioned again, but I'd just claim it was a secret and keep quiet.
The principal's speech didn't seem to be over; he continued.
"And since Professor Kushinada also has duties as a teacher, I would like to introduce another person dispatched from the Ministry of Defense to assist with the investigation."
"Huh?"
The sound slipped out. Several people around me looked my way.
Crap, I stood out…
I hurriedly covered my mouth.
Then I saw the person introduced by the principal as he stepped onto the platform, and I was further speechless.
He introduced himself.
"I'm Tatsunori Susa. I'll be investigating the dungeon in a way that doesn't get in your way. I might need to ask some of you questions from time to time. I ask for your cooperation."
He still hadn't given up?
From this day on, a shadow began to fall over my free dungeon exploration.
This concludes Chapter 8.
Thank you for following Shirou's growth so far.
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