T/L: Name changed from 'Aris' to 'Arisu'.
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According to Maki, directly cracking the password of the G.Bible was almost impossible.
Due to the severe lack of information, brute force enumeration was the only viable conventional method, but the computing power and time required were simply far too great.
Therefore, unconventional methods became the best option at present.
Hearing this, Momoi seemed to have an epiphany and immediately said to me, "I get it! Sensei, let's hurry up and drag Kei out, then beat her until she's willing to tell us the password!"
What are you planning to do to Arisu's body?
Glancing at the robot girl beside us, whose face was filled with innocent, well-behaved cluelessness, I casually flicked Momoi on the forehead. The sound was crisp and clean, much like whatever was inside her head.
"Wah, why did you suddenly hit my head? Sensei, that's so mean! You could be strangling the future Kivotos Annual Best Screenwriter Award winner in the cradle, you know!"
Ignoring Momoi's complete lack of self-awareness, I gestured for Maki to continue.
"But if we exclude the encrypted file and copy everything else in its entirety, it should be doable," Maki said. "In other words, we need the Optimus Mirror System, commonly known as the tool called [Mirror]."
Midori nodded. "So, to see the G.Bible, we need that program called [Mirror], right? Then where can we find that program?"
"With us, in the Veritas Department… until last night."
Momoi cried out, "Last night? Then isn't that…"
At the mention of this, Maki looked annoyed and frustrated. "Ah! That's right. Just when I was about to finish analyzing the G.Bible, Yuuka suddenly barged in and confiscated it! Honestly! She went on about prohibiting the possession of machines with illegal functions and such."
Kotama also chimed in angrily, "Besides [Mirror], a bunch of other things were taken too… even my wiretapping device."
Momoi let out a wail. "No way! Such terrible timing!"
Maki sighed regretfully. "Tell me about it. If Yuuka had come even one day later, I would have been able to copy the G.Bible."
"Damn that Yuuka, she must be targeting our Game Development Department on purpose!"
Midori complained, "I don't think that's the case."
Indeed, it was not that Yuuka was targeting the Game Development Department.
Rather, it was Rio and Himari working together, intending to use this opportunity to force the Game Development Department, who wanted to obtain [Mirror] to copy the G.Bible, into clashing with C&C, who were responsible for guarding the confiscated items from the seminar. Through this, they aimed to test Arisu's physical data and probe whether Kei still existed within Arisu's body.
Naturally, I was aware of this matter as well.
Given the vast difference in strength between the Game Development Department and C&C, who symbolized Millennium's military power, and the fact that, as seniors and juniors from the same school, they would not easily go for lethal blows, this was indeed one of the best current approaches.
Otherwise, if the goal was to crack the password, why insist on using hacker methods at all?
When it comes to password decryption, cheating is far simpler than technique.
Thinking carefully, I have always treated Shiroko very well. Surely she remembered my kindness and would be willing to be used by me at any time, right?
However, since there were other plans at the moment, there was no need for me to say anything. I could simply watch how things developed.
But the very next moment, I almost lost my composure.
"Why was this program taken away?" Midori asked in confusion.
"It was entirely Yuuka's arbitrary decision."
Kotama spoke righteously. "I just wanted to take a look at the information on Sensei's phone, that's all, so I needed to use [Mirror]… there were absolutely no impure motives."
"All I'm sensing are impure motives…"
Midori voiced exactly what I was thinking.
See, this is exactly the kind of thing a hacker girl who harbors feelings for me would do. My worries were probably going to come true.
Right now it was only Kotama. Once Hare, Maki, and even Chihiro, who was not present, were all inevitably drawn to me, my personal privacy would probably be completely dug out by them…
Not to mention Himari, who had already added me as a Momotalk friend through who knows what means without my knowledge. She might have even hacked into the phone I left aside while showering, using the phone's camera to secretly photograph my well-toned body, as perfectly sculpted as an ancient marble statue, and then use it every night as material for water magic!
Too terrifying, Himari. Too terrifying, the Veritas Department. Would they even use my privacy to force me into becoming their public slave?
I felt that I needed to bribe Arona to add a few more layers of protection to my phone.
No, even that would not be safe enough.
I found an excuse to step outside, casually took a selfie, and tapped send.
Himari: "Hm?"
Himari: "Sensei, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly send me your photo?"
Me: "Himari, this is not an ordinary photo."
Himari: "Oh my, could it be that there's some hidden information inside, something that requires the delicately chic and beautiful super genius hacker of Millennium to personally step in to discover?"
…Such a cringeworthy student, bragging about herself out of nowhere again.
Me: "You guessed wrong! This is a selfie of me, an exceptionally outstanding, healing-type, upright young teacher. It's practically a treasure of all Kivotos!"
Himari: "..."
Himari: "Ah… ahaha… speaking of which, the weather is quite nice today. I suddenly feel like going out to bask in the sun for once."
Himari: "Then, I will take my leave."
Me: "Wait."
Me: "To be honest, Himari, don't you really think I'm handsome?"
Me: "Just looking at my photo can lift your mood?"
Himari: "..."
Himari: "Is this question really that important?"
Me: "Of course it is."
Himari: "Hehe… to seriously ask a student something like that… Sensei really is a bad-hearted person…"
Himari: "How should I answer this…"
Me: "Then I'll take that as your tacit agreement."
Himari: "?"
Me: "In short, I want to talk to you about a deal."
Himari: "Huh?"
Me: "I'll regularly send you selfies. How about it? Quite an enticing condition, right?"
After sending that message, I received an extremely long string of ellipses from Himari.
Himari: "I understand."
Himari: "[Image]"
Looking at the photo Himari suddenly sent, her face flushed red as she timidly stared at the camera, I could not help but send a question mark.
Himari: "Hehe∼ Sensei, this is what you wanted, right∼"
Himari: "I've seen through everything∼ The only thing of roughly equal value would be my selfie, wouldn't it?"
Himari: "If... if Sensei really wants it that much… it's not like I can't exchange with you…"
I could not help but feel puzzled. How did Himari manage to be this confident?
But there was no real need to refute her.
Me: "Thank you very much!"
Me: "However, what's between us definitely can't be known by a third person, right?"
Himari: "Of course. Could you come by later? If possible, I'd like to reinforce the defenses on the device you use."
Thus, not only did I achieve my original goal, I also gained something unexpectedly good, truly killing two birds with one stone.
Between Himari and me, it was a complete win-win situation!