"Mamoru-kun, in the end, you didn't spend a single point, did you?"
After the tea party, Mamoru had ended up accompanying Arisu on a shopping trip where they picked up some daily necessities.
And yet, Mamoru hadn't used a single point.
To be clear, it wasn't because Arisu paid for him.
Some of the campus stores were offering certain basic items for free—likely as support for students who'd already burned through their points. Mamoru had simply limited himself to those.
"Well, this should be fine for now. If you end up needing anything else, you can just get it later."
(I bought things just to avoid standing out, but honestly, I didn't need any of this…)
In truth, Mamoru could've gone without even those. But he was keenly aware of Arisu's watchful gaze beside him and kept his thoughts hidden.
"Is that so?"
Arisu was sharp—both intellectually and emotionally. She likely suspected something, but with no concrete evidence, she didn't push further.
"But there were an incredible number of surveillance cameras, weren't there?"
Sensing Arisu's subtle skepticism, Mamoru deliberately changed the subject.
"So you noticed them too, Mamoru-kun?"
They had visited several stores, and on their way, both had noticed something: surveillance cameras were installed everywhere—along public roads and inside shops.
There were far too many to be explained by standard security measures. It was clear there was another purpose behind them.
"They're probably evaluating our daily behavior too."
"I guess so."
Mamoru hadn't expected much from the shopping trip, but noticing the cameras in advance turned out to be important. Had he been careless, they might've captured him acting in a way that could raise suspicions.
(I'll drop this girl off at the dorm, then get moving.)
It was just before 4 PM. The sky was beginning to glow orange, but it wasn't yet too late to go out.
(I doubt I can finish everything today… but I want to at least get started on placing the Wedges.)
"Wedge" was the name of Mamoru's cursed tools imbued with protective magic—barriers that enabled spatial manipulation.
Specifically, teleportation to pre-marked locations and the detection of cursed energy.
The charm he'd handed Sakayanagi earlier was one such tool. It would relay cursed energy readings to Mamoru and allow teleportation if necessary.
The campus spanned over 600,000 square meters—not a space that could be fully covered in a day or two. That's exactly why Mamoru wanted to get a head start.
"That's the dormitory."
Arisu's voice brought Mamoru out of his thoughts. He followed her gaze.
—His expression stiffened.
(…Seriously?)
The student dormitory was massive—easily big enough to house the entire school body. Its grand exterior reflected the prestige of the government-run institution.
But Mamoru wasn't concerned with its design.
(There are cursed spirits. Not just one or two, either…)
The building emitted a cursed aura completely at odds with its elegant appearance.
(Again…?)
Mamoru repeated his silent lament.
"What's wrong?"
Arisu noticed his reaction and asked, her tone curious.
Mamoru quickly masked his expression.
"No, it's nothing."
"Is that so?"
Arisu, perceptive as always, probably sensed something off, but chose not to dig deeper.
Mamoru turned back to the dormitory, grimacing internally.
(Why is it like this? Then again… maybe it's to be expected.)
Curses had accumulated throughout the campus—and not lightly. Even walking around town, Mamoru had sensed negative energy lingering here and there.
A school filled with teenagers dealing with stress and emotional turmoil was bound to attract them.
(...I hope no one's actually committed suicide here.)
It was a thought he'd dismissed before, but standing before the dormitory now, it didn't seem so far-fetched.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on possibilities.
The cursed spirits around the dorms were low-grade. Nothing he couldn't handle.
But—
(There are too many of them.)
Individually, they posed little threat. But the dorms were huge and spread out.
If he openly ran around exorcising them, he'd immediately become a suspect—especially since the dorm building housed both male and female students.
(This is going to be a hassle…)
The ideal method would be to deploy a Curtain—a type of barrier that creates a pseudo-night environment, exposing cursed spirits and masking them from normal human perception.
But that had complications.
One, a dorm that size would need multiple sorcerers to manage the Curtain. Any non-sorcerers inside would be trapped until it was lifted.
Two, considering the surveillance around town, there were likely just as many cameras inside the dorms. He couldn't act openly.
(So the only option is to quietly clean them up over time…)
Had there been a grade-3 or higher spirit, drastic measures would be warranted. But right now, the spirits were weak.
Worst-case, he could ask the chairman to temporarily clear the dormitory, but dragging the entire student body into it wasn't ideal.
Patrolling and clearing the spirits little by little was the safest path.
(I'll put off placing Wedges in town for now. This takes priority.)
His mental plans shifted. He'd need to set up detection traps inside the dorms to monitor cursed energy fluctuations.
(What a pain this school is…)
This situation was far removed from what he'd originally expected. Mamoru wanted to sigh, but Arisu was still beside him.
Then, he noticed something odd about Arisu. Her eyes weren't on him—but on the dormitory, with an uneasy look on her face.
"What's wrong?"
This time, Mamoru echoed her earlier question.
"No… I can't explain it well, but… the closer I got, the more I felt this chill. Like something wasn't right."
Arisu, normally confident and composed, was visibly unsettled.
Mamoru narrowed his eyes.
(She… can sense them?)
The timing was too precise to ignore.
He recalled his conversation with the chairman before enrollment.
(He said she had sharp instincts… could that be where it comes from?)
Maybe her keen intuition was the result of something deeper.
(If that's the case, this is bad.)
If Arisu could sense spirits, she was more vulnerable to them than the average person.
Fear of the unknown attracts cursed spirits. The more aware you are of them, the easier it is for them to find you.
Mamoru decided not to make a fuss.
"Maybe you're just cold from being outside too long. Let's get inside."
"…Yeah. Maybe."
Though unconvinced, Arisu nodded and continued walking.
They entered the dormitory, received their keys and manuals, and headed up the elevator.
"Sorry to trouble you, but… could you walk me to my room?"
"It's fine. Doesn't bother me."
Arisu's hands were full with her bag and cane, so Mamoru carried her luggage without complaint.
They arrived at her room.
"Want me to bring it inside?"
"Yes, please."
Normally, stepping into a girl's room would feel awkward—but today was move-in day. Everyone's rooms were practically identical.
Mamoru entered without hesitation.
(No cursed spirits… good.)
There were no signs of spiritual contamination here. A relief.
"Can you unpack on your own?"
Mamoru asked, placing her bags near the entrance.
Students weren't allowed to bring much from outside, but essentials were shipped to each room.
Mamoru, seeing the cardboard boxes stacked up, asked despite knowing it wasn't his place.
"Hehe, yes. It's not that much. Or… were you curious about what kind of clothes I have, Mamoru-kun?"
She teased him with a mischievous grin.
Mamoru didn't respond.
"No, not really."
(this girl is scary, brother help me....)
His flat tone made Arisu pout in frustration.
She probably didn't mean anything romantic by it, but his lack of reaction bruised her pride.
Ignoring her, Mamoru remembered something and took out his student ID.
"Come to think of it, we haven't exchanged contact info."
Students weren't allowed personal phones, but their student ID cards functioned like limited-use smartphones.
Arisu's mood changed instantly.
"Oh? You brought that up yourself?"
She pulled hers out too.
"You'll need it sooner or later."
"Yeah."
The two exchanged contact info. Mamoru returned his gaze to Arisu.
"If anything happens, let me know."
"Huh? …Thanks."
Arisu tilted her head, puzzled. Mamoru had always kept his distance—so this shift in tone surprised her.
But from Mamoru's perspective, considering the sheer number of spirits and Arisu's sensitivity, it wasn't something he could ignore.
Even if it meant she'd become more attached, protecting her was the priority.
"Well then. See you tomorrow."
"Mm. You too."
With a small bow, Arisu saw him off.
(Alright.)
Once outside, Mamoru didn't leave right away. Facing her door, he held up two fingers and made a sign in front of his chest.
To the untrained eye, it was meaningless. But to any sorcerer, the change would be obvious.
A translucent barrier shimmered around Arisu's room.
(The size should be about right. Even if it's a little large, it doesn't matter. No one can see it anyway.)
Mamoru had placed a cubic barrier around her room—one that repelled entities with strong cursed energy.
(This should hold until tonight.)
The barrier wasn't permanent. It would last only as long as its initial energy lasted.
This wasn't the end of it.
"…Let's check the rooftop next."
Muttering to himself in resignation, Mamoru headed for the elevator.