Toaru Majutsu no Index:RailgunSS2 Chapter3

Chapter 3

Part 1

When Mikoto thought about it, the girl named Lessar had been suspicious from the beginning.

She had told Mikoto to watch out for oranges and she had left Mikoto the information on the existence of Project Code EIC that allowed rumors to be intentionally spread through the city in order to freely raise or lower how well entire stores sold as well as the information that Setali S Skinikia had been involved in its research.

Simply put, Lessar was unlikely to be the person behind it all, but she still knew quite a bit about it.

Mikoto couldn’t have the girl holding back any information. She was not just playing some riddle solving game for fun. It would be faster to get Lessar to just tell her everything. Since Mikoto still did not know where the remaining living bombs were, she clearly did not have any time to spare.

She first needed to find where Lessar was and get her to explain everything in detail.

After that, her only option was to pursue whoever was behind it all by tracing back from the tricks done to the security camera records and the means of letting Setali know about the very valuable orange without her even noticing.

“…Dammit, jetlag is really kicking in.”

Mikoto slowly shook her head, but she did not think that would be enough to throw off her heavy sleepiness.

Dawn had already come.

She was in the outer area of the city with lines of tall buildings. It was still dim, but the trains would probably start running before long. Mikoto had wanted to finish things before things got packed full of people like in a theme park, but it had taken more time than she had expected to get Setali to talk.

It seemed Setali had been angered by the fact that someone had cut in and misused the research she was involved in for something like those living bombs. However, Mikoto had refused when the woman had asked to help. Setali’s movements were being checked by the other security guards. The plan had been to quickly hide her from a possible attack by Mikoto. If she suddenly changed that plan, the security guards would be suspicious. If it would only get in Mikoto’s way, there was no point in her helping.

“At any rate…”

She hid behind a pillar and checked to make sure no security guards were patrolling in the area.

“For now, I need to head back to that occult convenience store.”

Just as Mikoto had made up her mind what to do, she froze in place.

Whether they were just all-out ready to have some fun or they wanted to finish breakfast quickly to have more time for fun, there was already a fair amount of people walking around the area. And there were some people who were clearly different mixed in with the varied group of people.

They were security guards.

A gender-mixed group of three was walking through.

They were wearing outfits that stressed functionality and had protectors over their elbows and knees. The outfits looked something like the uniform to some new sport that was starting to spread among the youth but was still much too minor to be discussed at the dinner table. However, the batons, handguns, radios, etc. that they had at their waists and chests were much more serious looking. Unlike Japan, there was no law against guns, so you wouldn’t get arrested for carrying one, but no other people displayed the fact that they had a weapon quite to that extent.

With all the people moving around creating a flow of people, Mikoto would stand out if she remained frozen in place. Mikoto smoothly looked at the pillar while using a finger to mess with her bangs. She surreptitiously observed her surroundings as she did so.

(It doesn’t seem like they were rushed out here because they knew I was here.)

The three security guards may have been on a regular patrol or they may have been headed to their post because they had listless expressions on their faces. Their shoulders were slightly drooped. They slowly approached in Mikoto’s direction while chatting in Russian.

They had not noticed her yet.

But that was why she had to be very careful. She had to hide even the fact that she was being careful.

(Even if I can fool the sensors and cameras, I can’t do anything about the naked eye. It might be difficult to make it to the occult convenience store by the shortest route.)

Making sure not to enter the security guards’ field of vision, Mikoto circled around behind the pillar. She envisioned a simple map of the area in her head and thought about how to get to the store in a more circuitous way.

“Hm…? What are you doing there?” said a female voice from behind her.

“Mjaeh!?”

“…Oh, now that’s a face a girl shouldn’t show anyone.”

“Ah…Wha-…You…?”

Mikoto immediately spun around and then froze up.

She wouldn’t go so far as to say she knew the girl, but she did recognize her.

It was the girl who had been at the occult convenience store who she was pretty sure was named Lancis.

Her short brown hair was held up in a headband accentuating her forehead. Her clothes were a lacrosse uniform-like set of a shirt, a miniskirt, and spats. Since she was wearing that outfit outside the store, it must not have been the uniform of the store.

Lancis tilted her head to the side in a way only teenage girls could.

“So what are you doing…?”

Mikoto pressed her back up against the pillar and spoke while keeping a cautious ear on the approaching footsteps of the security guards.

“Oh, I just have some business at your occult convenience store.”

“…? You mean Nihon Daruma?”

“I’m reluctant to speak the store’s name.”

Mikoto mumbled as she spoke, but Lancis did not seem to mind despite not being Japanese.

“What does having business with us have to do with sneaking around out here? Hm, are you the maiden type that does not want those around to know she’s buying good luck charms?”

“Honestly, I would think that would be the sensible thing to do if you were buying that kind of thing,” Mikoto said mildly denying the other girl’s reason to exist. “Technically, I have business with the girl named Lessar, not with the store itself. …And don’t you know about my situation? Lessar at least seemed to understand.”

“You mean that you’re being chased by the security guards?”

“…If you understand, then why did you call out to me like that? Well, I was at a dead end, so I guess I’m actually thankful.” Mikoto tapped on the pillar behind her with the back of her hand. “I was having a bit of trouble because of those security guards walking through over there. It was looking like it would be difficult to head straight for the occult convenience store, so I was thinking it would be faster to find a detour.”

Mikoto was able to remain calm during that situation because she could defeat them with force if it came down to it. However, once she used that easy-out card, everything would get a lot more difficult from then on.

“Hmm,” Lancis sighed leisurely…or rather, sleepily. “Well, whatever your reason, I have a feeling Bayloupe would furiously explode if I left a customer stranded.”

“?”

Mikoto frowned as Lancis suddenly grabbed her arm.

She started pulling on it.

“This way.”

“Hah? Eh? Wait, where are you taking me!?”

“Into the crowd,” was Lancis’s brief answer. “Just taking a detour isn’t enough. To fool the naked eye, it is best to camouflage yourself among people.”

Part 9

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