"So how was it?" asked Tenha before she drank from her water bottle.
It was the start of the week again and Dahlia was at the cafeteria with Tenha and Yume, chatting about their weekend and at long last the topic of the date was brought up.
"It was fine. Admittedly it was better than I expected." Dahlia answered.
"Tell me more," said Tenha enthusiastically.
The girl sampled her food. "Well, I had some roast while he had-"
"Not the food! The conversation!" Tenha interrupted.
Dahlia was slightly shocked at that outburst but responded anyway. "Oh.. well it was a good conversation, I would've thought he would only make advances but it appears I was wrong and impudent in my presumptions."
"Ugh. I was hoping for a disaster story to gossip about.." groaned Tenha.
"Tenha," started Yume, "Why is it that you want Rolo to have a bad date?"
The blue haired girl threw up her hands. "It makes for better gossip obviously! How else am I going to maintain my throne as the one who knows everyone's secrets?"
"Well, if you are so in the know about everything.. Where is Panoi?" Yume questioned.
Panoi wasn't in class today. It seems that the incident at the bar was kept off the news cycle due to the involvement of a Highlight student getting mixed with criminals. From what Tsumi had gathered from reports and messages, they are planning to announce that Panoi will be absent due to an illness that will last up until the Polaratus.
Dahlia felt bad once she heard the news though. She hadn't spoken to the girl for that long but being told she had a problem with her throat and hence her power, finding out as well she went to some shady people to get it fixed made her think about their interactions. Not that she could ever have known but it didn't mean she shouldn't evaluate it.
Tenha shrugged at Yume's question. "Don't know, she's still quiet despite me texting her."
Dahlia speaks up, "I tried talking to Professor Suzuki but he had said that it will be talked about with the class soon."
"Hopefully sooner," says Yume, "if Suzuki is going to tell the whole class then it can't be good news."
"Speaking of the absent.." started Tenha.
The girl had gotten up and made her way towards another table where Tansol, Suto and Rolo. They were sitting nearby as most of the Highlight class does, mostly due to there being a sort of unspoken segregation between classes. Dahlia didn't notice, or rather did but didn't question as it was the same for Pilin when it came to noble students and commoner students.
"What's going on Tenha!" called Rolo.
"Not much, just wanted to know if Suto knew anything new about Shinji." she stated, looking at the boy in question.
"Nothing." replied Suto, closing his eyes.
Once more Tenha groaned at not getting anything. "Oh come on! Surely your mom has said something?"
"No, nothing has changed about his condition." he said as if he confirmed it for himself.
Tansol set down his fork and turned to Tenha. "You still think it was Zannos that caused the accident?"
"Of course. He's already in the running to become the new Polar Eye." she reasoned.
Rolo finished the sandwich he was enjoying and said, "If you're so concerned about the Polar Eye stuff, why don't you enter yourself?"
Tenha smiled as she looked back to Yume and Dahlia, "I already have. Sent an email to Suzuki asking to consider me instead of that loner punk."
"Has he gotten back?" wondered Tansol.
"Yep. He says that due to the complication of the situation, there will be a decision between the admin and our parents during the next parent's meeting at the end of this week." she explained.
Tansol whistled before talking, "You really got it all set Tenha, I don't want it so I'll ask my dad to give my vote of confidence in you."
"Same~" sang Rolo.
As Tenha explained her goal, Dahlia turned to Yume to ask a question that's been on her mind for a while. "What precisely is the Polar Eye? I know it's something to do with prestige but…"
Yume seemed a bit shocked at the question but after a moment of thinking she answered the question.
"The Polar Eye is considered only for those who are first years and have the attitude, skill and morality to be recognised as that year's most promising student. They get to make a speech that's broadcasted globally and are reserved as the definite finalist of the Polaratus for their year."
"Is that all?" the brown haired girl asked.
"Is that all?! *ahem* It is considered to be the most prestigious title to hold for anyone our age anywhere. Everyone who has ever gotten it has gone on to become the best heroes in history. Not just that but they also get to enter the Plaza of Torches. A place where every previous Polar Eye gets access to."
"And what is in the Plaza of Torches?" continued Dahlia.
"No one knows. But everyone who has gone in there has come out to be guaranteed as a world renowned hero." she explained.
As Yume continued to talk about the history of the Polar Eye and the Plaza of Torches, Dahlia kept thinking in her mind the question.
Then does that mean that the faceless definitely had no hand in causing Shinji's accident?
It didn't sound like much, especially for a creature that wants to destroy worlds. The faceless knew that someone was going to be hunting them so wasting time building up a reputation was a waste of time.
There's always a possibility that there's something in the Plaza of Torches but that's unlikely. From what Yume described, those people became great heroes not because they got into the Plaza of Torches but because they could, they were already destined for greatness.
Either way it didn't seem like the faceless could make use of any of that.
- - -
Lemon was in her new back garden, tending to a few plants that would probably kill most people should she order them. She grasped a plum shaped fruit of a small stemmed plant and cut it off, tucking it away in a basket full of them.
Once she was done, she felt the soil and with it the roots beneath. She had planted a Ficus Infratus, digging it's way into the earth and into the hill under the school, prodding and poking for ways in.
Still pushing its way to the basement. I know Tsumi will find a way but it never hurts to have an alternate route.
Back inside, she made herself lunch and was about to turn on a radio to listen before she could hear a knocking at the door. Lemon's face stopped as the knocking continued and after setting down her meal reluctantly she went to open it.
On the other side was a well dressed woman with red hair and a tan. "Is this the Novitin residence?" she asked.
"Yes it is, I am Lemon Novitin." the polyad greeted.
The woman flashes a silver badge belonging to the Polaris Police Department. "Officer Yunata, may I come in to ask some questions?"
Lemon laughed a little as she spoke, "I'm not in any trouble am I officer?"
Yunata… If I'm not wrong this is that hurt kid's mom.
"No, I would just like to ask some questions about your daughter. May I come in?" she politely asked.
Lemon stepped aside, allowing the officer through. "Of course. Want some tea?"
"No. This won't be long." the officer stated.
The red head stepped into the house after the polyad and made her way to a sofa chair whilst Lemon took a seat across from her on their couch. Now that she got a look at her, Yunata looked slightly sick, or rather unwell. Her eyes looked heavy, her son's accident must've hit her hard.
"So what is this about my Dahlia?" Lemon sounded affectionate and worried but of course it was mostly just the act she needs to play, as far as she knows, Dahlia hasn't done anything.
Yunata took out a notepad. "Are you aware of the incident that had happened at the Academy involving one of your daughter's classmates?"
"Oh yes, an awful accident. He's still bedridden isn't he?" It sounded cold saying this to said child's mother but Lemon is supposed to not know who she was. She was a new resident on this island.
"Yes he still is." She spoke hastily before getting to the matter at hand, "I was asked to question all of the parents of the children related to the incident about their backgrounds."
Ah… They don't trust our story…
Yunata asked a series of background questions to Lemon and she answered them flawlessly, with the right documentation prepared. Of course should this be looked into directly and down to the detail, it would all be quickly found out as fraud which is why most cover operations only last a couple months.
By the end of the questioning Yunata looked almost annoyed at how Lemon didn't have any holes in her story and she left quietly. After closing the door to the officer's departure Lemon waited a few moments. Once enough time had passed Lemon began to check everything the officer had touched in case of any bugs. Once cleared, Lemon immediately went to check the laptop for details on the mother.
She has no powers.. It should be safe to say then that she didn't do anything unseen.
It was important to make sure that during a cover operation in another world is to always be aware of who's listening. Magical foresight, spiritual fortune telling and even nanobots that are too small to be seen are some of the kinds of things Lemon has had to deal with in her time with Hencacount.
Now let's see if this was really a random inspection or not officer…
Lemon checked for any kind of indication of what Yunata had said was true but after scanning through Polaris Academy's network, she couldn't find anything. Not even a case file with her name in it.
Might be on a different server. Either that or she's doing this on her own.
The server theory is more likely as Lemon has been checking daily for any information on what happened after she left the bar but there was nothing on the academy's files on it. Typically it would be ridiculous to imagine why a school would have that kind of information but for Polaris it's to be expected as the government here is the academy.
Do they suspect something? Either way Tsumi needs to infiltrate that underground area already.
- - -
Today was a day for another investor's meeting and Tsumi was prepared to check the bathroom to search for the passage. The issue being of course is finding an excuse to use the third floor bathroom when he doesn't need to. He could get there easily, avoiding the cameras using Rika's distortion device and do a quick search but the issue is finding a moment where he wouldn't be missed.
Then he had an idea during the meeting. It was daring but it would make sense in a school. Currently he is on the fourth floor. And as far as he knows there is a roof above them.
The roof can't be accessed by elevator and is instead reached by the stairs so if the staff toilets were to be taken out of commission, they would be forced to use the third floor. But he couldn't just do it to the staff toilets. To cloud his intentions he needs to do it to everyone on the floor. And does it he shall.
As Brunei, the one who was leading this meeting, explained more of the new details on the Polaratus and the new stadium as well as some concerns over the recent accident in Polaris Academy, Tsumi made it known he was going to the bathroom. Once in the hallway he went straight to the staff toilets and once inside he locked a stall and climbed out of it, thankfully no one else was in there.
On a time limit, if I want this to go off I need to be fast.
Tsumi stepped out into the hallway, Rika's device active, and snuck over to the student bathrooms. After checking no one was inside, he began blocking them with toilet roll, making sure they were filled and impossible to use.
Really hope no one needs the toilet round about now.
Tsumi went back to the staff toilets and undid the device and the lock and proceeded to clog those toilets too. It should've been only five minutes he was gone so there should be no suspicion. Back to the meeting, he makes Brunei aware of the clogged bathrooms..
"Excuse me, is there another bathroom that I can use, all of the stalls seemed to have been blocked with paper."
Brunei looked at him with a twinge of both frustration and concern as she excuses herself to go and check for herself. A few minutes pass by and Tsumi could clearly hear in the corridor the sounds of confusion and anger as Brunei comes back and immediately addresses Tsumi.
"It seems that one of the students has played a prank on all the bathrooms on this floor, we ask that you use the bathroom on the third floor." she offered.
"Thank you." replied Tsumi.
The woman made a short bow as he showed him out into the hallway where a man was standing. "For security concerns, we ask that you be escorted by our custodian here."
"Got it." he nodded.
Tsumi was shown down to the third floor via the elevator and taken around to the bathroom he was already aware of. Whilst heading down he made small talk with the custodian but he didn't seem interested.
"Is this bathroom locked?" he asked, wanting to find out why he would need somewhere to escort him.
"It's a policy to not have visitors wander on the first to third floors alone. Security protocol, no offence." replied the custodian.
"None taken pal." Tsumi mused.
Heading in, he could immediately tell that this bathroom was seldom used. Given the small bits of dust on the windowsill compared to the others and the fact that every stall had a full untouched roll shows that this bathroom hasn't seen an occupant in ages, and yet the room was well maintained.
Let's find a place to hide this..
Tsumi had a few listening devices. 'Little ears' as he would call them. It was dangerous having many but given the stalls, he would place one in every tank and one in the overflow drain of one of the sinks.
Now done he flushes a toilet, washes his hands and drys them and walks out, escorted by the custodian back to the meeting.
Now to hope this wasn't for naught.