Chapter 55

Chapter 55

“Why are you suddenly doing this to us? It’s not easy to disband a club either,” Nade exclaimed, his voice tinged with desperation.

“Of course, it isn’t. But if your research presentation yields positive results, it could justify the continuation of your club, couldn’t it? Conversely, if it shows that your club is in enough disarray to warrant the return of the club room, the administration might take action. And naturally, I’ll be voicing my opinion on the matter,” Sienna replied.

Nade, feeling cornered, raised his voice, “Professor Sienna!”

“Or would you prefer we revert to my original proposal? This approach should be more humane than insisting on a complete Sirone withdrawal, don’t you think?”

Nade clutched his head in frustration. Even with a month’s notice, it seemed like a mere pretext for the eventual disbanding of the club.

The Paranormal Science Club had never conducted an official presentation. Proving the existence of ghosts or gods logically, when their existence was unknown, was more than a simple challenge.

In a moment of desperation, Nade set aside his pride and pleaded, “Please give us a chance. Isn’t there a way other than a presentation? Our club has significance simply by existing. We’re the only ones challenging the logic-driven norms of the magic society.”

Sienna, unmoved, responded, “That’s precisely why I’m asking you to prove it. If I’ve conceded this much, you need to demonstrate your club’s value. This matter is already on the faculty agenda, so I hope you make the right decision.”

As Sienna exited, the club members stood up in a last-ditch effort to stop her.

“Professor! Wait...”

But the iron door shut with a resounding bang, leaving them in a stunned silence. And almost as if on cue, Sirone and his friends collapsed onto the sofa. It felt as though they were awakening from a dream, their minds shrouded in a fog.

“We’re totally doomed.”

Istas began its motion, returning the lab to its original position.

Gauge Symmetry

On a leisurely weekend, Sirone would usually be buried in books at the library, but on this particular day, he was sat in the central park, absently staring at the scenery with a drink in hand.

Iruki and Nade, equally lost in thought, sat beside him.

“What time is it now?” Nade asked.

“I don’t know. Definitely not night, though,” Iruki replied, his voice flat.

“Oh, aren’t you quite the genius?”

The awkward silence lingered.

As Sirone sighed, his friends echoed his sentiment. Unable to bear it any longer, he stood up. “What are we going to do about the club?” Sirone asked. “Shouldn’t we at least think of a topic for the presentation instead of just sitting here?”

“Yeah, let’s brainstorm. What kind of research can we present that would gain the school’s approval?” Iruki suggested.

Nade shook his head in doubt. “As far as I know, we’ve never actually held a presentation. We’ve done many unique and brilliant things, but none would be recognized as research by the school.”

There appeared to be no conceivable means to elevate the field of paranormal science to a professional standard. If such a method did exist, the scientific community would have surely embraced it and made it known to the world.

The trio reverted to their dazed state, their heads turning mechanically as a few girls passed by, but their minds remained blank.

“Hey, look over there,” Nade pointed out.

A stunning woman, unfamiliar to them, was walking toward the main gate of the school. She was dressed in a trench coat and heels—her violet, permed hair swaying around her waist.

“Biologically, that’s an excellent design. Who is she?” Iruki asked.

“Maybe a graduate from our school? Kids our age don’t usually dress like that,” Nade speculated.

While his friends commented, Sirone squinted at the woman, feeling a sense of familiarity.

“Isn’t that... Professor Sienna?”

“What? Professor Sienna?” Iruki and Nade questioned in unison, now scrutinizing her closely.

Indeed, it was her, but she looked almost unrecognizable without her glasses and hair styled differently.

“Wow... How can someone look so different?” Nade asked in surprise.

“I don’t know. She looks like a different person with makeup. But Sirone, how did you know it was her? You seem to have a good eye for recognizing women,” Iruki noted.

Sirone recognized her appearance from a previous encounter when her hair was down, but he saw no reason to elaborate on her late-night visit.

He chuckled it off and said, “I guess I just have good eyesight.”

“But where is she going dressed up like that? Maybe to an important meeting?” Nade asked.

Iruki, tapping his head, recalled, “According to the Female Anatomy Club’s monthly schedule chart for Professor Sienna, today’s her day off. There are no school events today either. She must be going on a date or something.”

“A date? Really? That doesn’t seem like her.”

“Well, she might be seeing someone. At twenty-six, there’s probably some family pressure, especially for someone from House Olypher,” Iruki reasoned.

“Hmm... That’s an interesting point,” Nade said, lost in thought. Then, he abruptly came up with an idea and turned to his friends. “Should we follow her?”

“What for?” Iruki asked.

“Well, we have nothing better to do. Sitting here won’t give us any solutions. Besides, I’m sure you guys are curious as well, aren’t you? We have the day to ourselves. We just need to be back before dark.”

Iruki was skeptical. “Can we follow her without being noticed? She’s a certified level-six mage. Even without her Spirit Zone, she has a keen sense of her surroundings. We’ll likely be caught.”

“Then let’s do this. Iruki, you track her, and Sirone, you’ll be our middleman. Keep monitoring her while I stop by the club room to get something.”

Sirone swiftly grasped Nade’s intentions.

“The invisibility cloak?”

“That’s right. With the cloak, even Professor Sienna won’t notice us. What do you think?”

Iruki, now interested, said, “Following a level-six mage? Sounds intriguing. I’ll start tracking her now. Sirone, you bring Nade and meet me halfway.”

Without waiting for a response, Iruki headed toward the main gate.

Sirone sighed, acknowledging his friends’ enthusiasm, but typically only in situations like this.

Nade, getting ready to leave, turned to Sirone. “I’m counting on you. Your role is crucial. Can you handle the monitoring with the distance?”

Sirone considered the city’s layout, with its artificial road structures, and estimated their location by checking key points. His main task was to pinpoint the meetup spot accurately.

Reluctantly, he nodded. He disliked how his mind had already performed the calculations in such a situation. “Got it. But hurry. I can’t guarantee more than ten minutes.”

Nade laughed and said, “That’s our Sirone! I’m counting on you!”

After Nade had left for the club, Sirone followed Iruki’s path for approximately seven minutes. He then hurried back to meet Nade at the main gate. Following the route he remembered for another five minutes, they finally caught up with Iruki.

Nade immediately asked, “Where’s Professor Sienna?”

“She turned right at the bakery, heading towards the commoners’ district. We should be able to catch up with her.”

“The commoners’ district?” Nade echoed, surprised by the unexpected route.

Nonetheless, their priority remained clear. They needed to catch up to Sienna without being detected.

During their pursuit, Nade wondered aloud, “Why the commoners’ district? People usually go on dates in the noble district. Is she dating a commoner?”

“We can’t say for certain, but there’s something else that struck me as odd. She appeared unusually tense and hyper-aware of her surroundings. I’m glad I kept a close eye on her eye movements. Otherwise, I could have been caught off guard,” Iruki remarked.

“Hmm... The plot thickens! Maybe she’s doing something illicit, like us with our forbidden items?”

Sirone shot Nade a disapproving look. “Professor Sienna wouldn’t do that.”

“Hey! Who knows? Finding her in a scandal might be our only chance to save the club,” Nade retorted.

Iruki, focusing on the task at hand, pointed out Sienna in the distance.

“Found her. That was close.”

In the commoners’ district, the trio put on their invisibility cloak. The streets were busy with early risers and shopkeepers, making it easier to follow her unnoticed. Sienna stopped at a two-story house.

The trio, peeking from beneath the cloak, watched to see who would answer the door. When Sienna looked around cautiously, they quickly retracted, their hearts racing.

Why is she so cautious? Whose house could that be? It looks like just a normal house, Sirone thought.

Unable to resist their curiosity, they peeked out again and saw a blond man opening the door. He then awkwardly embraced Sienna before guiding her inside. The door closed behind them, leaving Sirone and his friends in shock.

“She came here to see a man, right?” Nade asked.

“Yeah, but it’s odd, isn’t it? If it’s a date, why was she so wary?” Iruki pondered.

“Maybe because the man’s a commoner? She’s from House Olypher. The opposition from her family to such a relationship wouldn’t be trivial,” Nade speculated.

Sirone, however, had different thoughts. “It didn’t seem like they were a couple. There was a noticeable awkwardness between them.”

Thinking it over, the others agreed.

As they hesitated over their next move, Nade suggested, “Should we go in and check?”

“What? But it’s a stranger’s house,” Sirone protested.

“Something smells fishy. Like you said, why would Professor Sienna be so guarded? She doesn’t have any known connections at school. Even the persistent Female Anatomy Club never made any notable articles about her. It shows just how incredibly cautious she is.”

If it weren’t for the invisibility cloak, they would have given up.

“Well, what’s the plan?” Sirone asked.

“We can enter through the basement. Even if we get caught, I doubt anything bad will happen. After all, Professor Sienna went in, so it’s not like it’s a complete stranger’s house,” Nade reasoned.

“That’s quite a subjective viewpoint from our side, isn’t it?”

“Even so, we can’t give up. The fate of our club is at stake. We should at least try to grasp even a straw. Wait here. As the president, I’ll take responsibility and go check.”

Upon reaching the entrance to the basement, Nade examined the iron door. It was set horizontally, facing the sky, and securely locked from the inside. He rummaged his pockets and pulled out a device the size of a wine opener.

Curious, Sirone asked, “What’s that?”

Iruki answered for him, “That’s Nade’s patented universal key. It’s a device that applies pressure to the internal mechanisms of a lock, detecting the springs in the lock’s groove down to a hundredth of a centimeter. It can unlock anything except bearing-style locks made by master craftsmen. Bearing-style locks use balls that catch in the grooves, and if too much force is applied, the balls just slip and—”

“There we go,” Nade interrupted, having already unlocked the door before Iruki could finish his explanation. As he opened it, a smell of vegetables wafted out.

“It’s a grocery storage. We can go through here,” Nade said, descending the ladder.

“Wait. I can’t let you go alone. I’m coming too,” Sirone said as he followed inside. If he couldn’t dissuade Nade, the least he could do was ensure they got out without being noticed.

Iruki, the last one to enter, closed the storage door behind them.

Once inside, Nade assessed the atmosphere of the first floor. “It’s quiet. Let’s go up.”

The trio, invisible except for their floating faces, emerged from the basement into a combined living room and kitchen with a central hearth. As they ascended the wooden stairs to the second floor, they heard voices coming from a room just around the corner.

Treading softly, Sirone and his friends approached the door, their ears straining to catch the conversation inside. They heard Sienna’s voice.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do it.”

Sirone and Nade exchanged startled glances, their facial expressions a mix of shock and bewilderment.

Iruki, with a finger to his lips, signaled for them to remain silent.

A man’s voice responded hesitantly, “Just a minute. I’m not ready yet. Start by taking off your clothes.”

“When will your wife be back?” Sienna’s voice asked.

“I sent her out to the market. Today’s a big market day, so she’ll probably take over two hours.”

Nade’s expression morphed from shock to astonishment. What on earth are they doing?

Sirone felt similarly disturbed. The idea that his professor was involved with a married man was something he never would have imagined.