Episode 36: The Mastermind Behind Everything

"Please, have a seat. You must be tired."

"No! I shall stand here."

Invited to the principal's office, Senior Suo stood stiffly behind the reception sofa.

"Senior Suo, it's hard to talk with you standing. Please, have a seat. Oh, would you like some tea?"

"No! It is inappropriate for a mere soldier like me to sit with two generals."

"Then, consider this an order. Sit down, Private Suo."

"Yes, sir! Excuse me."

Suo sat on the sofa with the precision of an automaton, a testament to the training of a second-year student.

"It seems Senior Suo has learned of our ranks. That spy of an old man certainly let everything slip at the end."

I sipped my tea with a bitter expression.

Senior Suo had known we were of a higher rank, but apparently, he hadn’t expected us to be generals.

It’s odd to be a high school student and a general at the same time. It was the same with Mina.

"So, Senior Suo?"

"Yes! What is it, Major General Kamiya!"

"First, drop the formal speech. That's an order."

Every word he spoke was so forceful it was rather annoying.

"Yes, but please, allow me this: Thank you for everything you've done!"

Suo bowed deeply, somehow making the situation even more cumbersome.

"I merely exercised the authority I have to mobilize the special operations group. If you want to thank someone, thank your sister, Marin."

"What? My sister Marin?"

Suo's face showed confusion at the unexpected mention.

"Come on in."

"Big brother!"

"Marin?! What are you doing here?"

As I called towards the door of the principal's office, Marin, his sister, entered and jumped into Suo's arms.

"I asked Senior Kamiya to investigate because you seemed off, big brother."

"Is that so?"

"Big brother, you were almost forced into becoming a spy because of me, weren’t you?"

"Marin..."

"For me... I'm sorry, big brother..."

"You did nothing wrong... don't cry."

Suo held his sobbing sister gently in his arms.

To an onlooker, it was a touching scene of sibling affection. However, knowing the truth behind it, it felt somewhat ominous.

"This was all scripted by her, Principal Takami. For a middle schooler, she’s terrifyingly capable."

Principal Takami and I spoke in hushed tones so as not to be overheard by the siblings, who were lost in their own world.

"Her soul-armament abilities are unusual, aren't they?"

"They are, especially her spy abilities which slip past all the school's security and sensors. It was her intelligence gathering that led the higher-ups to act so swiftly. Well, they acted quickly because she also had your identity in her grip."

"Looks like Marin will be the top new student next year, won’t she?"

"That's right. Normally, if an outsider knew your identity, we'd have to eliminate them, but she’s already too entangled deep within the military's core. If we were to take action against her now, who knows what kind of backlash we’d face."

"If she's skilled in intelligence and manipulation, assassination or capture would be difficult. If she fled abroad, the leakage of secrets would be a catastrophic loss to the nation."

"That’s why the military's higher-ups have already ordered us to recruit her by any means necessary."

This entire purge of spies within and outside the school was Marin's doing.

In return, we were forced to play along with the scenario she had crafted, ensuring Senior Suo could decisively cut ties with the civilian factions by his own will.

"To cry so convincingly for a scenario she wrote herself... frightening."

"You seem quite intimidated by her, Yūsuke."

"When I first met her, I thought she might kill me—the look in her eyes was filled with such malice and resentment."

When Marin visited me, it reminded me of encountering a dangerous soul-armament user on the battlefield.

"Well, you are the main reason her brother was demoted, after all. It’s natural she’d hold a grudge."

"I’m an only child, so I'm not sure, but is that normal sibling closeness for their age?"

"Given it's the onset of puberty, they seem unusually close."

"Marin is clinging to Senior Suo and breathing heavily. If we weren't here, they might start something. Does that fall under 'sibling love'?"

As we whispered, Marin turned to us, having overheard.

"Wait a moment, please. I’m not a 'sister complex' person."

She smiled brightly and confidently stated,

"It’s love."

"Love?"

"It’s love. There's no other word to describe what's between us."

"Right, right..."

Both Principal Takami and I chuckled awkwardly, to which Marin nodded as if everything was settled and returned to her brother's side.

"Principal Takami, are you sure it’s okay to overlook this as an educator?"

"She’s not officially a student yet."

"Back when you were a unit commander, you didn't care about jurisdiction or bureaucracy. Where did that decisive Principal Takami go?"

"There are some things even I prefer not to get involved with. Besides, it seems Senior Suo isn’t aware of that kind of atmosphere."

Principal Takami averted his gaze from the siblings, looking distant.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Master?"

"What is it, Kon?"

"Our concerns seem to stem from the fact that the Suo siblings are real brother and sister, right?"

"Yes, that's part of it."

"They aren't actually blood-related at all."

"What?!"

As I inadvertently raised my voice, Principal Takami looked puzzled.

"Yūsuke, why the sudden outburst?"

"Ah, sorry... just slipped out."

I returned to my internal conversation with Kon.

"Kon, is that true?"

"Blood-related soul-armament users would normally manifest similar abilities. Senior Suo's swordsmanship is of the acceleration type, while his 'sister' has intelligence abilities. Their soul types are too different for them to be blood relatives."

"That makes sense, though it's still a hypothesis. Humanity has only recognized the existence of soul-armaments for about a decade, and there’s still much we don’t understand."

"It's a fact. Soul-armaments choose their hosts based on blood as a medium."

"So, they're not blood siblings but rather foster siblings?"

"I've stumbled into some complicated family drama... not something I can handle alone."

"If Marin learns they aren't blood-related, I can only imagine what might start."

"Don’t worry, she’s fully aware."

"What?! She can communicate with her soul-armament?"

"That’s the only way her intelligence abilities would function."

"It’s good to know there are other soul-armament users who can talk to their souls."

"It begs the question, Yūsuke: if a sister so attached to her brother has such advanced intelligence abilities, how do you think she’s using them?"

"She’s probably thoroughly investigated everything about him."

"But Senior Suo doesn’t know they aren’t really blood-related, does he?"

"He sees her purely as his sister, without any romantic implications."

"Seems like she’s planning to tell you something, Master."

As Marin approached us again, still happily linked with her brother,

"Don’t mention any of this to Big Brother."

"Marin, can you hear my thoughts too?"

"I’m using my soul-armament, Espio. It’s an intelligence ability that can infiltrate minds."

"That’s an incredible ability."

"So, please don’t tell him we aren’t blood-related."

"I wasn’t planning to touch on such delicate family matters."

"But if you like him, wouldn’t it be better to tell Senior Suo you’re not really siblings, so he might see you differently?"

"You really don’t understand, Senior Kamiya."

"What?"

"He’s better thinking I’m his real sister if he’s going to cross those ethical lines for me."

Ah... This girl has a troubling penchant.

"What are you two staring at each other for? Getting along?"

"It’s just a little chat with Senior Kamiya, Big Brother."

"Marin, be careful with Kamiya. There’s no need to be fond of him."

"Are you jealous because you think I like Senior Kamiya? Tell me, tell me!"

"No, I’m just making sure my sister doesn’t fall for the wrong guy."

Using me as an excuse, they continued their playful banter.

"Senior Suo."

"Yes, Kamiya?"

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Though it was already a checkmate situation with Marin, I wished Senior Suo well as his junior in the academy.

When the time comes, I’ll probably be tasked with giving a speech at their wedding.