Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:RailgunSS2 Chapter2 (section)

=== Part 7 ===
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Mikoto fell silent as she looked at the poster-sized window.

Project Code EIC.

A system to manipulate business results by spreading false rumors that altered the value of various products.

A third party would put a different value on the standard products that one would normally be able to just reach out and grab. That concept gave Mikoto a similar impression to the one she had of the Semipublic AR that had utterly permeated that city.

“…”

What if that report was telling the truth and a special advertisement system to control sales had indeed been implemented in that city? 

Even if that Code EIC had been created solely out of good intentions, it did not matter. The effects it could have were massive.

Code EIC did not have the ability to control people’s minds and forcibly order them to do things.

It could only manipulate how people viewed various products and determine what was popular by creating rumors about them.

However, that was enough.

Whoever was controlling Code EIC could spread any rumor they wanted no matter how absurd it was at any time.

For instance, they could spread a rumor about an orange with a large amount of army ant eggs implanted in it.

In that case, most of the strange aspects regarding the very valuable orange urban legend disappeared. The fact that an identical urban legend had spread through Academy City at the same time was because someone had purposefully spread the rumor with that timing.

And if those who were setting up the oranges could pull the trigger on the incident whenever they wanted, it was all quite simple.

But…

(Why are they setting up the oranges in the first place? I can’t figure that out. Even if I know how the rumor is being spread, I can’t do anything if I don’t know why they are trying to cause incidents related to that rumor.)

She did not know who, but the person controlling the rumor had to be someone closely related to the shopping mall. But then what did they gain by spreading large amounts of army ants throughout their own home ground of the shopping mall?

“Hmm?” Lancis, who had been sleeping sprawled out on the register counter, looked up while rubbing her eyes. “…Are you still here? Don’t tell me you’re actually planning to buy something.”

“That’s about the worst possible thing for someone in customer service to say.”

Mikoto looked around.

If she used the Semipublic AR, she could figure out where most people lived. However, she was looking for the person completely controlling the popularity of things, the rumors, and the urban legends in that city using group psychology. She doubted whoever it was would simply tell her about their plan. However, she also needed to figure out where the other living bombs were set up around the city.

“You have all kinds of questionable things here, right?”

“…I’m not sure what you’re expecting, but we can even get you things like human skulls.”

“I see,” said Mikoto deciding to take that as a joke. “Then would you happen to have any oranges?”

As she asked her question, Mikoto manipulated the Semipublic AR on the floor, hacked through the security, and fairly accurately calculated out where a certain person must live given security camera records and the deposits of electronic money.

The person was Setali S. Skinikia.

She had been Mikoto’s guide to the city and had been the one to tell her the story of the very valuable orange.

And that had also been the name listed as the author at the end of the project report.

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