Visitors

As he thought rapidly, the cool voice interrupted him at an oddly unexpected moment.

"Administrator, you should have visitors today."

"Visitors?"

His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses.

"Yes. During the Newcomer Trial you used to establish your identity, Li Jiye, the first-round user who also served as a guide, came to the authorities' attention through a recent investigation. He has since moved into the official base on Cloud Paulownia Mountain."

"Although you blurred some of his impressions that might have caused problems, you did not erase his memory."

"Following certain leads he provided, the authorities screened the possibilities layer by layer. Yesterday, they matched your general characteristics to an identity and placed you on their preliminary list of people to investigate."

The Main God's voice remained perfectly flat, though it almost seemed to carry a hint of teasing. "In fact, if you hadn't been someone other than a first-round user—and if the surname you left in Mr. Li Jiye's mind hadn't been Li, which proved fairly misleading—they might have come knocking much sooner."

"Of course, that was precisely the purpose of the identity you planned for yourself, wasn't it?"

"A pearl displayed on its own stands out. A pearl hidden among the grains sifted from a great wave looks perfectly ordinary."

"The car bringing your visitors left the gate about half a minute ago. The barrier has only just come down. Since they've confirmed you aren't one of the important first-round users, they've sent only local personnel."

"Judging by traffic and the lights, your 'visitors' should arrive in about forty minutes. Please prepare accordingly."

It even offered a courteous reminder.

"At least by the customs of everyday life, Administrator, unless you intend to demonstrate your special talent for heating the water in a teapot to boiling point right in