Someone to Consult
Having left her afternoon classes early, Lina arrived at the American Embassy.
"In other words, Freddy… no, First Lieutenant Fomalhaut's cerebral cortex had formed a neuronal structure never seen in a normal human being?"
"To say 'normal human being' might be misleading."
Lina was receiving an explanation from the doctor at the embassy, where she had come to hear the autopsy results of the man she had killed.
"Then, does this mean there is a possibility that First Lieutenant Fomalhaut was being manipulated by someone?"
"We do not know. At this stage, we cannot explain why such a structure was formed."
"Is that so…"
Perhaps there hadn't been a need to kill him. That thought nearly occupied Lina's mind, but she hurriedly chased it away.
"I will report again as soon as we know more details."
"Understood. Please do, Doctor."
After listening to the briefing, Lina left the embassy. Realizing she could still catch the after-school patrol if she hurried, she rushed toward the school instead of her own room.
(Tatsuya might know something.)
It was strange to expect medical knowledge from a classmate—and a Course 2 student at that—but in Lina's mind, Tatsuya had become "the boy who knows everything."
The reason for this categorization was simple: she understood that if she didn't settle on that explanation, it would become increasingly difficult to deceive herself about her own feelings.
"Oh, if it isn't the exchange student."
"Um, let me see… You're Kanon's predecessor as Public Morals Committee Chair?"
"That's right. I'm Watanabe Mari."
"Angelina Kudou Shields. Please, call me Lina."
"Understood."
Introductions finished, Lina asked why Mari was there.
"Aren't you no longer on the Public Morals Committee, Mari? Why are you in this room?"
"The same could be said for you. I just came to observe how my juniors are working."
When Mari said it was the same for her, Lina momentarily suspected that Mari also had business with Tatsuya. However, Mari quickly corrected that assumption.
"I actually have business with Tatsuya. I thought waiting here would be a surer bet than going to his classroom."
"With Tatsuya-kun? …I see. As always, I suppose."
Lina didn't understand what Mari was convinced about. All she understood was that Mari was laughing as if she found something amusing.
"Watanabe-senpai, and Lina too… what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to observe Kanon's work. She seems to have business with you, Tatsuya-kun."
"With me?"
Feeling Tatsuya's gaze, Lina averted her eyes, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Perhaps I am in the way?"
"I suppose so. If you're just going to stand there without doing any work, you would only be a hindrance."
"…You really are as merciless as ever."
Tatsuya countered Mari's attempt to tease him by twisting her words. Mari, who had smirked for a second, was forced to change the nature of her smile at his retort.
"Well then, Lina, if you have something to discuss, can we do it while on patrol?"
"Of course. That was my intention from the start."
"Is that so? Then, Senpai, if you'll excuse me."
"Yeah. Good luck."
Tatsuya bowed to Mari, who remained in the room, and left the Public Morals Committee headquarters. Lina followed suit, bowing and hurrying after Tatsuya's retreating back.
Sensing from Lina's atmosphere that she had something difficult to ask, Tatsuya walked until they reached a place where they didn't need to worry about prying ears, then turned to face her.
"So, what did you want to ask?"
"You knew, didn't you? As expected of you, Tatsuya."
"I don't need flattery."
"…It was actually quite sincere. But fine."
Lina realized that trying to talk Tatsuya into a corner—winning with words—was impossible with her vocabulary. She spoke to him about what she had just heard, blurring the parts she couldn't reveal.
"…Did this happen in America?"
"Yes. I was curious so I looked into it, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it."
"A mysterious neuronal structure in the cerebral cortex…"
Tatsuya didn't seem to believe her story entirely, but he fell into thought, caught by a specific term in Lina's explanation.
"I won't ask who this person was or what they did, but there is a possibility that they were dominated and manipulated by some other entity."
"How can you say that for sure?"
I want proof. Lina thought this from the bottom of her heart. Out of guilt for the man she killed, and a faint hope that his combat record in life could remain unblemished, Lina waited for Tatsuya's next words.
"First, let me say this is strictly a possibility. I can't say for certain."
"I know. Even the doctors in America haven't made progress with the analysis."
"..."
Tatsuya realized Lina had just let slip something rather significant. He hesitated on how to react. Should he pretend not to have heard it, or point it out? …He chose the former.
"First, regarding that neuronal structure—it doesn't exist in normal humans, correct? Assuming, of course, we can conclude it doesn't exist in magicians either."
"We can. It's not written in any medical text, and more to the point, no one can explain what it's for."
"Then why did such a thing exist? It sounds far-fetched, but perhaps it's a trace left behind by the possession of some other creature… or an unconfirmed biological entity, let's say. If you can say there was a change in behavior before and after that neuronal structure formed, then the probability is high."
"…I do feel like his strange behavior increased."
"I don't know the details. But I don't mind if you convey the idea that some object was possessing him."
"Convey it?"
"To the doctor you mentioned earlier."
"Eh?"
As if to say the explanation was over, Tatsuya resumed his patrol, leaving Lina behind. It was only then that she finally understood she had made a colossal blunder.
"I really can't win against Tatsuya…"
She was genuinely relieved that Miyuki wasn't there. That was the only thought in Lina's mind.
A high school student with outstanding deductive reasoning... What detective novel is he from...?
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