Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e - Volume 6 - Chapter 4.1

4.1

RYUUEN CHECKED everyone’s phones himself. The whole process took about twenty minutes, no more than one minute per phone. He couldn’t have checked all of them thoroughly. Even though the students had their doubts, no one said anything.

For the spy, every second must have been agonizingly stressful.

“I see. No information seems to be recorded on these phones.”

“So, one of the people you thought were innocent—like Nishino—is a traitor after all,” said Ibuki.

“No,” said Ryuuen.

“What are you doing here? Is there really even a spy?” asked Ibuki. Her agitation had yet to subside.

In her heart of hearts, she wondered whether Ryuuen had come up with a story about a traitor to hide his own failure. Ryuuen had believed some shadowy figure was puppeteering Horikita since the island test. So far, however, there hadn’t been one shred of evidence that this mastermind even existed. In fact, everyone else had focused on Horikita Suzune. 

“Evidence trumps theory,” said Ryuuen. “Listen. I assume this is something you all know quite well, hmm?”

He replayed an audio file that X had sent. The voice on the recording was Ryuuen’s, explaining his strategy to Class C.

“I received this recording when I was about to force Suzune to kneel,” Ryuuen continued. “Never mind the points—because of this, I didn’t get to see Suzune beg. Do you understand now?”

“Wait a minute. Even if we assume that you didn’t just record that file yourself, there are still questions that you need to answer. We never discussed the details of getting Horikita to kneel before you. This other person managed to anticipate everything, including the time you were meeting her? That’s impossible,” said Ibuki.

Her conclusion was a given. Not only had his strategy been leaked, but the time he had been planning to meet with Horikita had been found out, as well.

“It was a coincidence. A mere matter of probability. The best time for this other person to strike was immediately after the festival ended. Besides, I don’t think he was interested in saving Suzune,” said Ryuuen.

“What’s going on…?”

Ryuuen had analyzed the blank message that he had received.

“X, Class D’s mastermind, had this audio file. X clearly understood the details of the strategy I came up with. If he knew all my plans, including leaking the participation table, he could have foiled my attacks on Suzune at the sports festival. He could have prevented Suzune from being crushed and having to beg for forgiveness. But he didn’t. Even though X knew about my strategy, he allowed me to go about my business and let Suzune suffer. She was injured, unable to keep competing, and she had to suffer the guilt of injuring someone else as well.” 

“So, by letting you get that far, this person turned the audio file into incriminating material?” Kaneda asked. He was a bespectacled boy with a mushroom cut. Although Ryuuen’s plan was full of risks, if it had come to a dead end, the audio file wouldn’t have been credible evidence.

“How very clever you are, Kaneda. If my strategy succeeded, the audio file would have had meaning. That is, it would be undeniable evidence,” said Ryuuen.

“This X person’s thought process is so cruel. I mean, he just let his friend get hurt.”

“Yes. X wasn’t bothered by me having Suzune kneel. That’s why there wasn’t any text in his message. I think he couldn’t have cared less whether Suzune’s pride was hurt or not,” said Ryuuen.

“I can’t understand that,” said Ibuki. “If they’re from the same class, shouldn’t he have protected Horikita from the start?”

Other students probably shared Ibuki’s feelings. X had had several options available, including altering Class D’s participation table to prepare for Class C’s strategy, or sending the audio file to Ryuuen in advance to stop him. If X had done that, then Horikita wouldn’t have been hurt.

“Wouldn’t X have thought to submit the audio file to the school?”

If you knew the details of the enemy’s plans beforehand, then normally you would consider using the information to save your classmates. If X had given the audio file to the school after Class C carried out their plans, it would’ve hurt Class C badly. If the school found out that Class C had intentionally targeted Horikita and tried to extort points from her, it probably would’ve kicked Ryuuen out.

With October already half over, however, that possibility had practically vanished. Even if someone dug up the old news, the investigation would be time-consuming, allowing the Class C students to start destroying evidence and planning their escape. Why would X do all this?

“X’s naivete accidentally saved us. Or perhaps he isn’t taking full advantage of his assets. If Horikita-shi had finished transferring private points over to Ryuuen-shi, then X would’ve been defeated,” concluded Kaneda.

If X had obtained the audio data, which contained information about Class C’s strategy, before the sports festival, then he should have achieved total victory.

“No, that’s not quite right,” said Ryuuen. “Even if Suzune had given up her private points, X probably could’ve recovered them by presenting the audio. He could have threatened us with exposure, and that would’ve been it.”

“So, he deliberately chose not to threaten us?”

“Yes. X allowed me to make Suzune kneel. That’s different from winning or losing points. It’s not something a person can undo, right? I’m saying that X is letting me torment Suzune.”

In other words, that was what X was aiming for. He had used precious information he received from a spy for that purpose alone.

“I don’t get it. So, X has been helping Class C?” Ibuki said.

Unlike Ibuki, Ryuuen understood what X had done.

“Heh. So, you really don’t intend to reveal yourself, all the way to the bitter end, eh?” he said to Class C.

If Ryuuen kept digging for the audio file’s source, he’d eventually force X to reveal himself. He could even contact the school and request that they provide him with email and call records. After thorough investigation, he’d probably arrive at X’s identity.

In addition, Ryuuen didn’t get the feeling that X was fixated on moving up to Class A at all. Gaining assets didn’t matter to X. 

“Well, we’ve gotten a little off track here, so I’ll bring things back on topic. I’m not sure what method X employed, but I’m certain that he thinks like me, and that someone here is spying for him. Otherwise, he’d never have gotten his hands on that audio file. Even if I discover the spy, though, X’s identity will remain hidden. If the spy knew X’s identity, it’d be game over for X the moment I found them out. They could’ve sent each other handwritten letters, sure, but those are way too old-fashioned and inefficient. Therefore, I’m certain that X used email or similar tactics to remain anonymous,” said Ryuuen.

“But there wasn’t any proof on anyone’s phone,” said Ibuki. “You didn’t even look at them carefully.”

“Of course I didn’t. That was just for show.”

“Huh? But you said you’d know the spy’s identity if you looked at our phones.”

“Apply some common sense here. If you were the spy, would you intentionally leave a suspicious email on your phone?”

“Well, no, I wouldn’t. That’s why I thought that checking our phones was a waste of time.”

“Right. It was obvious how investigating everyone’s phones would turn out. It wouldn’t have been odd for someone to destroy evidence. Even if we suppose that the spy didn’t think to do that, X would have probably instructed them to do so. The spy is someone who thought that they could look innocent just by giving me their phone. Therefore, those who didn’t show me their phones are innocent, whereas the spy wouldn’t have taken that chance,” said Ryuuen.

That was precisely why Nishino and the others who had refused to show Ryuuen their phones were inevitably freed from suspicion. If they weren’t spies, it didn’t matter even if they were suspected. It had all been a stunt made possible by the ones who would protest. Ryuuen could’ve gone ahead and checked their phones anyway, but that would’ve antagonized the rest of his class.

He had only briefly glanced through each phone, and he had basically told his classmates that he wasn’t snooping in their private lives. In other words, Ryuuen hadn’t actually been looking for an incriminating message on Class C’s phones. He was evaluating how much the class feared him, and how much influence X had over the spy. And his conclusion was…

“I’m going to ask the spy to show himself again.”

Ryuuen looked at each individual in the class, studying their body language.

“Are you scared of this mysterious X? Or are you scared of me? Which one should you truly fear? Are you sure you’re not making a big mistake? Remember what happened after the entrance ceremony? You saw what terrible fate befalls those who oppose me. Right, Ishizaki?”

“Y-yes…”

Ishizaki started trembling. Albert, who stood quietly by Ryuuen’s side, also reacted slightly. Both Ishizaki and Albert had resisted Ryuuen at first. In fact, Ishizaki had been in more fights than Ryuuen, and Albert’s physique far surpassed his. However, the violence Ryuuen wielded had ultimately brought them to their knees.

“Violence is the most powerful force in the world. I will not yield to authority. Even if the school tries to expel me, I’ll kill the traitor before they kick me out. Do you understand? If I end up getting expelled because of this, I will stomp the life out of the spy, like crushing a bug.”

This wasn’t former-president Horikita or current-president Nagumo’s style of authority. Ryuuen wielded his insane violence like a sword.

“I’ll welcome the traitor’s confession even now. However, this is your last chance. If you step forward and honestly admit what you’ve done, I promise to forgive and forget. I also swear that I won’t let your classmates harass you. As I said from the very start, if you believe in me, I’ll raise us all to Class A. As long as you follow me, I will protect you.”

Ryuuen stepped down from the podium, gazing over every one of his classmates. Rather than speaking to one person in particular, he seemed to direct this speech to everyone.

“Do you understand what it means to make me angry?”

He looked them in the eye, one by one. This was by far the easiest way for him to discover the traitor. Ryuuen stopped beside a female student, standing right in front of her. Of course, it wasn’t random. He’d been targeting her since the start.

“What’s wrong? Can’t look me in the eye?” 

“Ah…ah…I…” Her breathing was ragged. She appeared so terrified that she seemed on the verge of tears.

“Heh. It’s you, isn’t it, Manabe? You’re the traitor.”

Most of the students were dumbfounded.

“Don’t be afraid, Manabe. Although you didn’t come forward and tell me, I knew you were the spy from the very beginning. You’ve looked sick, like it was written on your face. There was no way you could hide.”

Ryuuen brushed aside Manabe’s hair and caressed her face. Manabe began trembling.

“I-I’m…I’m sorry. I-I—”

“Don’t worry. I forgive you. I will handle this with tolerance and magnanimity. Tell me about it, hmm? Tell me about who this X really is.” 

Ryuuen turned from Manabe Shiho, fixing his sharp gaze upon her friends, Yabu Nanami and Yamashita Saki.