Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 3 - Chapter 5.5

Interlude – Persuasion

On Wednesday the 24th, the overcast sky made a comeback and rain had been falling since it was morning. The pouring rain was not intense, but it continued to fall even when it became evening.

After having their study meeting in the classroom, not Einebrise, with Mei, — Koharu and Hiyori were not with them — Alisa and Marika arrived at the station closest to their homes after 5pm.

Holding an umbrella, they headed to Marika’s apartment while watching their steps.

A figure behind a pillar stole a glance at them with their shoulders slumped.

“Those two are together today too, huh...”

Karube Ayana muttered with a resigned voice.

“It would look the most natural if I call out to her at the station, but I can’t talk about it like this.”

And she muttered, seemingly warning herself.

“—Which of those two do you want to talk to?”

Ayana was staring at Alisa’s back when someone unexpectedly addressed her.

Startled, Ayana’s shoulders shivered and she turned around.

Standing behind her was a boy of about high school age. He was wearing a half-sleeved open-necked shirt and jeans, in a rough style, and his long bangs half-covered his right eye.

Though his looks were refined, Ayana felt an ominous shadow that was difficult to describe and she involuntarily took half a step back.

“Ah, I am a senpai of those girls. If you have any business with them, I believe I can help you.”

Ayana restlessly blinked. That ominous feeling she momentarily had from the boy in front of her disappeared as if it was a lie. It was nowhere to be seen.

He looked sincere and refreshing. An obviously decent young man.

The impression she was getting from the boy in front of her now was the exact opposite of what it was before. She was probably not wrong to think he is younger than her, but she felt she can trust him, with no regards to his age.

The boy brushed his hair up.

His half-hidden right eye became exposed.

(The color is a little weird... But it’s so pretty...)

Ayana stared at his right eye, as if it was drawing her in.

She was entranced.

“...Are you maybe troubled by something? I can give you some advice if you’d like.”

Ayana was worried. Though it was for her family, her hesitation over whether she should introduce Alisa to that woman who claimed to be a compatriot of her father hadn’t disappeared.

In truth she knew. She had no basis, but she was convinced.

By no means would there be a good ending for that beautiful young woman called Alisa.

The promised reward is attractive. Whether her grandfather’s company continues operations, or the business closes and they live a quiet retired life, that woman offered as much money as she could, which was enough to cover even her mother’s living expenses.

She had decided through reasoning that her family is more important than other people. Conversely, she couldn’t have made the decision if she didn’t use rational thought. That is proof of her hesitation. Even now that hesitation hasn’t faded at all. She is just trying not to think about it.

But this is not the kind of thing she can discuss with strangers. Not to mention that the other person is, though younger, a member of the opposite sex. He is a ‘man’ who could easily pin her down if he wishes to do so.

“Let’s go talk in a quiet place for a bit. I’ll show you the way.”

It clicked with Ayana immediately. What he called ‘quiet place’ is a ‘place with bad reputation’.

Following him will be dangerous, Ayana’s senses warned her.

But the voice of reason was, for some reason, far, weak.

As she stared at the young man’s purplish right eye, Ayana’s sense of caution, and her senses giving her warnings, were like butter melting while exposed to a midsummer sunshine. Without thinking, Ayana put her right hand on the left hand the young man held out to her.

Ayana walked thoughtlessly, being led by the hand by the young man — Izayoi Souma.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Asha, is something wrong?”

Marika asked, as Alisa came to a stop and turned around in the middle of the rain.

“If feel like I sensed someone’s gaze, but I must have imagined it.”

Alisa turned towards Marika and shook her head left to right with a little smile.

“Maybe it wasn’t your imagination, but a man admiring you?”

Marika replied with an extremely serious expression.

“Geez... Stop joking about weird things.”

“I didn’t mean it as a joke, though. After all, it is an objective fact that you are beautiful.”

“Okay, okay, thank you. You are cute too, Mina.”

“Hmm. That kind of felt like you didn’t mean it.”

Stating her dissatisfaction, Marika followed after Alisa who had resumed walking.

For a short time until Marika lined up next to her, Alisa thought about the figure looking at her for a short time when she had turned around.

(That was Ayana-san, wasn’t she? And she looked to be with Izayoi-senpai too...) 

But Ayana said that she was attending a university in Chiba, and Alisa heard that Souma is renting an apartment in Tama. It is very unlikely that the two of them have any connection.

“Was I just imagining it...?”

Alisa’s small murmur was lost in the sound of the rain and didn’t reach Marika’s ears.

◇ ◇ ◇

When she came to, Ayana was in the bed of her own apartment.

She got up in a hurry and checked the date and time in the terminal near her bed.

June 25th, Thursday. The time is before 7am. It’s her usual time to get up.

But she didn’t remember when she got into her bad last night. Far from it, she had no memories of returning home. She could recall everything until she met a boy of about high school age—.

“No way!?”

Panicking, Ayana put her feet on the floor, carelessly took off her pajamas, underwear, everything she was wearing, and rushed to the bathroom.

Her goal was not taking a shower.

She checked her body at a full-length mirror. She carefully examined the places in her body she would not show to others unless she was extremely intimate with them and breathed a sigh of relief.

◇ ◇ ◇

Despite being just before the end-of-term exams, Souma did not go to school that day.

He headed to an affluential neighborhood near the center of the city of the Tama district. At the end of a complicated road, there is a residence whose looks makes one feel its history.

This is the residence of Anzai Isao, one of the Four Great Elders who are considered the most influential among of the Senate, who wield the power behind the scenes in this country.

Souma passed the reception and was now prostrating himself on the sofa. It isn’t correct to call his position of sitting on a chair ‘prostrating’ by the meaning of the word, but considering his posture, with his knees fully aligned and his upper body brought down horizontally, the expression ‘prostrating’ looked most appropriate.

“Raise your head.”

Once Anzai who was sitting opposite of him ordered him to raise his head, Souma quickly did so. Many would think it is correct to behave cautiously and reserved in cases like this, but Souma understood this was not to Anzai’s liking.

“I have read yesterday’s report.”

Souma replied to Anzai’s words with “Understood” while giving a bow, then quickly returned to his previous posture.

“Izayoi, I think your opinion that the New Soviet Union is behind it is correct.”

“I was afraid so.”

“That person, Karube Ayana, did she not show any signs of brainwashing?”

“She didn’t. There were no traces, magical or otherwise.”

Though he hides it at school, Souma is a magician who specializes in Mental Interference-Type Magic. He is better at illusions rather than mind control or leading the consciousness, but is not difficult for him to instill false objectives and false memories, or remove brainwashing, as long as the other person is an ordinary person who isn’t resistant to magic.

“What kind of treatment did you give to the mind of that woman?”

“I was thorough in locking the memories of the interrogation. I intentionally left the fact that she met me as it was.”

“Do you think there is value in using her?”

“I believe there is.”

If she was made to forget entirely, he would have to start from scratch the next time he made contact with her.

Regarding Ayana, it wasn’t just a passive response to make her stop her movements concerning Alisa, but Souma also believed he could use her proactively for counterespionage against the New Soviet Union.

“So Karube Ayana’s motive was economical, correct?”

“Yes. She said that the company managed by her grandfather is in an unsatisfactory state. Regrettably, I have been unable to confirm it yet.”

After Souma’s answer, Anzai raised one hand. Responding to that, a female servant wearing Japanese clothes walked up, holding up a round tray in her hands.

Anzai instructed the servant to give the unsealed envelope on top of the round tray to Souma.

“May I look at it?”

Souma waited for Anzai’s permission and then checked its contents.

Inside the envelope was a cheque with no amount of money written. Though digitalization has caused a decrease in their use, cheques are still in use in business due to improvements in image recognition techniques and non-destructive analytical techniques making them more difficult to forge than digital data.

The cheque writer is a financing firm under Anzai’s command. The type of company that half a century ago was called a non-banking financial institution. It is not a large company that many people know about, but a little investigating into company-related databases would reveal that this company’s cheques won’t be dishonored.

“Consider brainwashing with magic the second-best plan. Start by giving that to her and negotiate to get her on our side.”

After saying that, Anzai stood up.

“Understood. I’ll do so immediately.”

Souma stood up as well and respectfully bowed to Anzai.

◇ ◇ ◇

Ayana split with her university friend and headed home to her rented apartment in Chiba.

That friend had invited her to ‘go have some fun’, but she wasn’t in the mood today. An indescribable anxiety has been staying with her ever since this morning because of her missing memories. That was hastening her return home.

She lives by herself. She understood that once she returned to her room, precisely because she returned, the anxiety would naturally get stronger. But the fear that her memories might be interrupted in some place she isn’t familiar with was stronger than that.

Right after disembarking at the station closest to her apartment, rain started falling. Ayana had a folding umbrella, but she chose to run home amidst the light rain.

However, on her way home, the rain became more intense. She ran and sought cover under the eaves of an unmanned store.

She brought her shoulder bag to the front of her body to take out the umbrella and tried to undo the clasp.

An umbrella was held out over her at that moment.

“You are...!?”

She almost screamed. If she were just a little frailer, there is no doubt she would have yelled. Or perhaps she was shaking so much she couldn’t even let her voice out?

Under that umbrella was the last remaining memory from the day before, that young man.

“So we meet again, Karube-san.”

“N-name...”

The broken sentence Ayana spoke had the meaning ‘Why do you know my name?’.

“Did I not introduce myself yesterday? My name is Izayoi Souma.”

The young man understood but intentionally misinterpreted it. Ayana intuitively knew it.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Calm suddenly returned to Ayana’s heart.

Things like anxiety and confusion, emotions filled with all sorts of thoughts were shaken away.

“So, what do you want?”

Ayana bluntly asked.

Rather than calling it a defiant state of mind, it was closer to despair.

“I have an important proposal regarding the company managed by your grandfather.”

Ayana was taken by surprise by the polite way of speaking unbefitting of a high school student.

“Did I tell you about that?”

“Is there some place where we can discuss this calmly?”

The fear of what the young man in front of her might do to her was not small. However, a proposal regarding her grandfather’s company is not a topic she can ignore.

“I have an apartment nearby. Do you want to come?”

“Is that okay with you?”

Souma was a little amazed at Ayana’s bold proposal.

“That is the calmest place, after all.”

Ayana was also anxious that she might never be able to return if she was taken to some place she doesn’t know. But more than that, taking the offensive occupied a great portion of Ayana’s mind.

Ayana opened the door of the apartment, said with a strong tone “Wait a little” and closed the door right in front of Souma.

Left behind, Souma did not show anger. A wry smile appeared on his lips. Even without using any special power, the spectacle of Ayana rushing to tidy up her apartment was reflected in his mind.

“Come in.”

It must have been about five minutes later. Ayana opened the door and invited Souma inside.

Led inside by her, Souma sat in front of the low table.

She hadn’t laid out a cushion.

Sitting on the floor with only a thin carpet, Souma sat without crossing his legs.

Though it wasn’t like she followed him, Ayana also sat opposite to him in the seiza position.

“So, what’s your proposal?”

Ayana suddenly asked, without even serving him tea.

“I heard yesterday that you were being forced to do a job unwillingly, for the sake of your family.”

“...Did you hear that from me?”

Ayana is deliberately not using polite language. She intended to steel herself so Souma couldn’t take advantage of her. — Whether that would work, she was not convinced.

“Even if you carry out the current task you are unpleased with, your family will not be saved.”

As always, Souma didn’t answer Ayana’s question.

“What do you mean...?”

Ayana couldn’t ignore Souma’s words.

“Do you have a general idea of the kind of background the group that entrusted this task to you has?”

“...New Soviet Union agents, right?”

“That is right. Which means, since you know that, you are willingly acting to betray your country.”

Souma coldly concluded.

“All I’m doing is bringing Alisa-san to those people.”

Ayana talked back with a defiant tone.

“And you can accept that from the bottom of your heart?”

“...”

Ayana had no words to reply back with.

It was exactly as Souma said.

Ayana couldn’t predict exactly that future would await Alisa once she was invited to the reaches of New Soviet Union spies. But, while vaguely, she can imagine that it wouldn’t be a joyous thing, not for Alisa and not for the country.

That surely also falls under, as Souma called it, ‘betray the country’.

“And even if you succeed in your current task, that group won’t let you go.”

Ayana bit her lips.

Waiting in her path was a quagmire which she had averted her eyes from.

“I am neither with the national defense forces nor with public safety, but I am someone deeply concerned with the interests of this country. Karube-san. If you would change your position to stand with us, we will give you this.”

Right there, Souma presented the aforementioned cheque.

Ayana’s eyes opened wide at the cheque with no amount written that he put on top of the low table. She had just enough knowledge to understand the meaning of a blank amount of money field.

“With this, you can restore your grandfather’s company.”

“...Is this real?”

“Yes. Up to 5 billion, it will cashed in, guaranteed.”

When making use of Anzai’s influence — not his financial power — there is no such ceiling of 5 billion yen, but it becomes more believable if he sets a limit. Souma’s remark took that into account.

“I don’t need that much...”

Ayana muttered, as if talking to herself.

Souma interpreted it as such and continued talking.

“You don’t need to cut off your relationship with them. It will be fine if you report to the other group’s contact that ‘The Juumonji Family’s guard was strong, so it didn’t go well’. Perhaps they will have a new job to entrust to you, in that case, please inform us of what it entails.”

“...Will just that be alright?”

“I don’t believe you’ll be in danger if you pretend to follow the other group, but, just in case, I’ll have backup follow you.”

He’s way too good at negotiating, Ayana thought.

She also thought that it was unlikely she had any choice.

The role required of her is that of a double agent. Even Ayana, an amateur, knows that ‘not being in danger’ is a lie. However, she didn’t think she could escape someone who held out 5 billion yen with a light pat.

Her intuition told her he wasn’t lying about the cheque.

“I understand. I accept your proposal.”

“Wonderful. I am glad you are a sensible woman.”

Saying that, Souma brushed his hair up.

“It’s a promise. In return for helping you, you will also lend us your help. I hope you won’t forget this.”

His partly hidden right eye was exposed and his purplish eye gleamed alluringly in the room’s lights.

Ayana’s gaze, her consciousness, was drawn to that eye.

Souma left Ayana’s room, satisfied with today’s results.

Anzai had told him to only brainwash her with magic in the case she didn’t agree to the money, but Souma was not pure enough to trust a woman who was once won over by enemy spies with just a verbal promise.

(...Not like I went against my Lord’s orders.)

Souma used Mental Interference-Type Magic, but it was not brainwashing magic. It does not force them to follow orders, nor does it imprint false memories or beliefs, it simply makes them keep their promise. It is a planted suggestion that amplifies the feelings of guilt over violating an agreement and makes them obsess like ‘I have to obey this promise, no matter what’.

Between the promise with Souma and the promise with the New Soviet Union spy, she may suffer from increased feelings of guilt, but Souma thought that that was Ayana’s problem to handle.

Supporting enemy countries is bad behavior in the first place.

Souma detached himself by thinking like that.