Inside the Island Guard office, Natsuki Minamiya sat with her legs crossed in her signature Lolita dress, holding a report in one hand. Every so often, she would look up with a strange expression at Cid, who was leisurely drinking tea in front of her.
"Mm-hmm..."
She hummed twice to catch Cid's attention, then set down the documents in her hand, sat upright, and looked at him.
"I more or less understand what happened now. There's only one question left, Cid. How exactly did you get dragged into this?"
After spending several dozen minutes traveling and breaking through the alternate dimension barrier, the first thing Natsuki Minamiya saw was a pile of Calamity Group terrorists lying on the ground, all neatly labeled. Several of them were people she had seen just a few days ago.
Although she did not know what had happened, after a brief moment of confusion, she chose to arrest the terrorists lying on the ground first. She planned to interrogate them, figure out the situation, and then throw them into prison.
And during the arrest, Natsuki Minamiya found someone she never expected to see inside the alternate dimension she had breached.
The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she looked at Cid, who was standing before her with the meek, timid air of an honest man. Natsuki Minamiya really wanted to shout.
Why is it you again?!
It was no wonder Natsuki Minamiya thought that way. After all, during the disaster a few days ago, Cid had already shown what could only be called terrifying social skills. She had even gone to some trouble to help him escape that mess, and yet...
Although she later learned from the statements that Cid really was innocent, and she was willing to believe he was innocent, when this kind of thing happened again and again, she really could not help feeling suspicious!
"Natsuki-sensei, you're asking me, but who am I supposed to ask? I really don't know them well!"
Faced with Natsuki Minamiya's questioning, Cid felt like collapsing too. Why did Cao Cao and Vali have to drag him into their fight? They were all getting beaten up by him anyway, so couldn't they have made things a little easier for him?
"You... Forget it. Just be more careful next time. I'll keep this quiet for you, but Cid, you'd better behave yourself for a while. You know exactly how sensitive your status is right now."
Hearing Cid's resigned answer, Natsuki Minamiya instantly grew irritated. She pointed at him and seemed about to say something, but in the end, she held it in. After all, she knew very well that Cid was indeed quite innocent.
"Okay, don't worry, Natsuki-sensei. This really was just an accident. I'll definitely keep my distance from Vali, Cao Cao, and that whole group of terrorists."
"Stop casually calling them by name before you say that, all right?!"
She really could not hold back anymore. In Natsuki Minamiya's eyes, this student of hers had all kinds of problems. He claimed he would keep his distance, but anyone could tell something was wrong from that completely casual tone.
"Sorry. Force of habit."
Realizing the mistake he had made without thinking, Cid immediately apologized. It could only be said that his personality made him a little too quick to act familiar with others.
"Ci... Forget it. I can't be bothered to lecture you anymore. Let me confirm this with you one more time. Cao Cao's group from the Hero Faction of the terrorist organization Calamity Group attacked Vali's group, who are also part of the Calamity Group, in order to seize something, and the two sides fought fiercely. In the end, Cao Cao's Hero Faction defeated Vali's group and took that thing."
"But just as Cao Cao's group succeeded, Shadow appeared and attacked them. He defeated Cao Cao's entire group and tried to take that thing away, but failed at the last moment. The thing the three sides fought over then disappeared."
"Cid, are you certain this is everything you saw?"
"Yes, Natsuki-sensei. That's everything I saw."
Lies. I'm fooling you. How could I possibly fail to get something I wanted?
"Cid, you need to understand that if we proceed based on your testimony, it will cause a lot of trouble. Are you sure that is the whole story? You should know what happens if you lie to me."
Natsuki Minamiya spoke meaningfully, and by the end, her tone carried obvious distrust. The atmosphere around them began to grow heavy.
"Yes, Natsuki-sensei. Although I couldn't understand a single thing Shadow said from beginning to end, from what he said about understanding everything, I could sense that Shadow is definitely plotting something. Maybe it's even something huge that could destroy the world!"
Cid spoke earnestly, his eyes full of sincere emotion as he stared straight at Natsuki Minamiya. Natsuki Minamiya met his gaze without the slightest hesitation, a trace of suspicion in her eyes.
"You... idiot! Can't you tell I'm trying to help you?"
After staring at each other for a long while, Natsuki Minamiya was the one who finally gave in. She complained helplessly, collapsed weakly onto the lounge chair, grabbed the folding fan on the desk, and swung it at Cid's head, only for him to dodge it easily.
"Tsk..."
She did not care much that Cid had dodged her attack. After all, she had not attacked seriously in the first place. Natsuki Minamiya merely clicked her tongue, then spoke with some frustration.
"Cid, don't overthink it. How could the world be destroyed that easily? Even if it were going to be destroyed, a bunch of powerful people would come out to stop it. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Just like last time, right?
"And besides, the world only nearly ended a few days ago. Even for that Shadow, launching another attack on that level would definitely not be easy..."
Listening to Natsuki Minamiya's attempt to comfort him, Cid's expression turned strange. Although what he had said earlier was half true and half false, and all that talk about a plot was nonsense he made up, as for destroying the world... to him, this planet was as fragile as a sheet of paper. If he wanted to destroy it, one finger would be enough!
"You weren't listening, were you?"
Just as Cid's mind wandered and began coming up with ninety-nine ways to destroy the world, Natsuki Minamiya's soft voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"Mm. Sorry, Natsuki-sensei."
He admitted it directly. Since she was showing concern for him, Cid was not so stubborn that he would deny it to the bitter end.
"Ah... Forget it. I won't scold you this time. After all, you just went through something this serious, so I can understand if your mental state is a little off. Hurry home, Cid. Be careful for a while."
With a helpless sigh, Natsuki Minamiya decided to let the matter pass. Clinging to it would just be foolish.
"Huh? It's over just like that?"
The interrogation ended so quickly that Cid was the one left confused. In his estimation, he should have been questioned for at least a few hours. Even staying overnight with the Island Guard would not have been unacceptable. After all, he knew exactly how big a mess he had caused.
"What else? If you weren't my student, and if the Calamity Group terrorists we arrested weren't still unconscious, I would have handed you over to my subordinates for questioning. You're not even qualified for me to interrogate personally..."
Got it. I got special treatment.
Natsuki Minamiya said it with a contemptuous attitude, but Cid immediately understood the subtext in her words. It had to be said, when it came to thinking in the dark, Cid was rather talented.
"However, that nun girl named Asia who follows you around does qualify. The Church seems to value her quite a lot, even though when we last met, her relationship with the Church didn't look very close."
"So that's the real reason Natsuki-sensei came to question me. I was wondering why I was the only one being interrogated."
Of course, he said that, but Natsuki Minamiya's intention to give Cid special treatment was still fairly obvious. After all, the Island Guard would not dare go too far with Asia, but for Cid, who had no background, there would be no problem.
"...Speaking of which, who are those two identical little girls following you?"
When Cid mentioned his companions, Natsuki Minamiya's lazy movements paused. She remembered the two little girls who had jumped out when Cid was taken away. Those two expressionless little ones had left a deep impression on her.
Putting everything else aside, just the fact that they resembled her was enough to draw her attention. Not to mention, she had noticed the way those two little ones looked at her. Although the two of them were not without differences, the gazes they directed at her were truly unusual.
"Well, they're the Infinite Dragon God!"
"Don't joke with me."
"...I'm not joking."
She is Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, the leader who instigated terrorist activities all over the world, the Army of Evil Dragons, and the Calamity Group.
Cid really wanted to say that loudly and righteously to Natsuki Minamiya, but seeing Natsuki Minamiya's expression, which clearly said she thought he was talking nonsense, he could only fall silent.
"You don't want to say? Fine. I guess they're friends you somehow made somewhere again."
I already said it! You're the one who doesn't believe me!
The corner of Cid's mouth twitched slightly. In his heart, he felt helpless for Natsuki Minamiya, but on the surface, he simply wore an accepting look that said, "You're right."
"By the way, Natsuki-sensei, you said Cao Cao and Vali are unconscious. After the interrogation is over, what do you plan to do with them?"
Cid asked because he was a little curious about how Natsuki Minamiya would deal with Vali, Cao Cao, and the others. After all, he was the one who had beaten them down.
"..."
Who would have thought that the moment Cid asked that, Natsuki Minamiya would look as if he had touched a sore spot? She slumped onto the desk, her face full of helplessness.
"According to the rules, even if I killed them right now, no one would say anything. After all, given the negative impact of them joining the Calamity Group, even the lightest sentence would still be imprisonment..."
But there's a catch, right?
Hearing that classic line, Cid silently complained in his heart. As everyone knew, "In principle it's allowed" meant "in practice it's not allowed," and "in principle it's not allowed" meant "in practice it is allowed."
"But how should I put it? I really don't know how to handle this batch of captured Calamity Group terrorists. The backgrounds behind them are a little terrifying."
That was true. In Cid's impression, aside from Kuroka Toujou, everyone in Vali's team was the child of someone important. Even Cao Cao had a powerful backer behind him. He had heard Cao Cao mention before that he had some unknown, unclear connection with Indra, the Heavenly Emperor from Indian mythology.
Even Delta had run away from Gamma's Mitsugoshi Company. She was genuinely wealthy enough to count money until her hands cramped.
"Is Natsuki-sensei very troubled?"
Cid asked tentatively, and Natsuki Minamiya did not think much before answering directly.
"I am. If possible, I'd like to throw both groups into prison and keep them there, but how should I put it... They had only been locked up here for a few minutes, and someone had already called to speak on their behalf."
How should she put it? Natsuki Minamiya understood exactly what the other side meant. She did not want to pay attention to them, but the position she stood in gave her no way to avoid it.
"There's no choice but to keep them here for now. After all, there are some things we can't let the other side do as they please with."
"Oh, oh, I get it. Natsuki-sensei, you're amazing!"
"Stop flattering me..."
Natsuki Minamiya glanced at the fawning Cid and shook her head.
"If you really want to do something, then just find a way to make them behave. Put that terrifying network of yours to use, Cid. Go befriend Shadow and Infinite Dragon God for me, then have them come in and turn themselves in!"
Cid nodded as if he understood. He knew what Natsuki Minamiya meant, but he had no interest in turning himself in, so he could only speak like an idiot.
"Natsuki-sensei, please don't worry. I'll definitely find a way to get to know the Infinite Dragon God and become her friend..."
"All right, all right, enough joking. Don't actually run into the Infinite Dragon God."
Seeing Cid's serious expression, Natsuki Minamiya quickly waved her hand, afraid that Cid might really fumble his way into knowing the Infinite Dragon God. If that happened, it would truly be ridiculous.
"Okay..."
Cid agreed without protest. He had figured as much—Natsuki Minamiya might act cold, but she was far too soft-hearted to seriously throw her own student under the bus.
"Still, Natsuki-sensei, it looks like you really hold a deep grudge against Shadow and Infinite Dragon God. You were even muttering about them while lying on the chair."
Cid understood Natsuki Minamiya rather well. If she had not truly been pushed to her limit, there was no way she would make a joke like that. She did care quite a lot about her students.
"Thanks to those two evil bastards, I'm very busy right now, and I still have to investigate some information..."
As she said that, Natsuki Minamiya picked up a scroll and handed it to Cid, while giving him a look that said, "Try it." Cid quickly waved his hands in refusal.
"Well, there's not much to say. I just hope Natsuki-sensei can find clues and the other side's weaknesses, then bring the evil Shadow and Infinite Dragon God to justice."
"Mm. I like that slogan. Down with the Infinite Dragon God and Shadow!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Natsuki Minamiya's eyes, and a trace of unrealistic fantasy could not help appearing in her heart, though she knew perfectly well it was only fantasy.
"All right, Cid. Go outside and help my subordinates with the final records. Once you're done, leave directly. The sun hasn't clocked out yet, so you might still have time to eat dinner."
As she said that, Cid's figure vanished from in front of Natsuki Minamiya. She had teleported him outside. For a moment, Natsuki Minamiya was the only person left in the entire office.
"What should I do next?"
She murmured to herself. After thinking for a moment, Natsuki Minamiya looked through space toward the prison.
She had decided. She would cut through the mess quickly, finish the interrogations as fast as possible, then lock Vali, Cao Cao, and the others in prison, turning it into a done deal.
With her mind made up, Natsuki Minamiya vanished from where she stood and appeared inside the prison.
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