Originally, if I had just followed this path straight ahead, I could have returned to the main road and then leisurely walked back to my room. This rare shady area would have been a good place to clear my mind.
Unfortunately, some people just don't want to!
Chiba Yeyou did not return to the main road, but instead began to venture deeper into a fork in the road. As Chiba Yeyou walked further, the number of people around her became increasingly sparse, and gradually all the lights disappeared. She sensed that those people were still hanging behind her, completely fearless, as if they had their eyes on their prey, and they didn't even bother to conceal their presence anymore.
"Boss, it looks like this kid spotted us a while ago, it wasn't a coincidence!"
"This kid is something else!"
A slightly surprised voice rang out in the quiet grove.
"Snort!"
"So what if it's unusual?"
"He's just a student after all!"
The person referred to as the leader was rather dismissive; after all, what did it matter if he was a high school student, even if he attended a directly affiliated high school under Magic University?
What kind of trouble can a high school student like him cause?
"So, do you think he can cooperate with us?"
The voice sounded somewhat worried.
"Snort!"
"He has no choice!"
The leader remained unconvinced.
"Why!"
"If this matter isn't resolved, those big shots will be in big trouble!"
A few slivers of moonlight pierced through the swaying leaves, illuminating the face of a man in a suit, a top hat, and a cigarette dangling from his lips.
"This isn't just a big problem!"
"If they mess this up, they're finished!"
"Their shareholders would kill them!"
"Besides, this can't be a case of double-crossing; those guys are not simple individuals, and none of them are people they can afford to offend!"
Upon hearing his subordinate's words, the leader's expression turned serious.
This matter involves many people, and the forces behind them are even more complex; it's something you absolutely can't afford to offend on either side.
"Our mission is very important!"
The eldest brother also sighed.
Honestly, he was a mid-level leader in the organization, and if he had a choice, he really wouldn't want to get involved in this matter; a slight misstep could lead to his utter destruction.
This is a military-controlled area!
If this causes even the slightest disturbance and attracts the military's attention, well...
In any case, he didn't want the military to notice him, after all, he wasn't one of those super-powered soldiers who absolutely followed orders.
Who wants to die when they can live?
"Why!"
"I don't know where this freak came from!"
"We were all prepared to control the score, but now look what happened! Our target is still there, and that little girl named Mari Watanabe not only didn't withdraw from the competition, but she's winning all sorts of matches. The total score gap between the first and Third High School is getting bigger and bigger!"
"That's great, we don't even need backup plans anymore. I think even Third High School is in trouble!"
"Alright, stop complaining. As long as we handle this guy, we're pretty confident we can cause some trouble from within the First High School."
"What's wrong?"
The boss suddenly noticed that one of his men was staring in terror at the forest path ahead, as if he had been startled by something. His mouth was wide open, and his finger was trembling as he pointed forward.
"It... it's gone!"
"What disappeared..."
The eldest brother looked up and looked ahead. In the short time it took him to turn his head, Chiba Yeyou, who was walking ahead, suddenly disappeared!
"How is this possible?"
"Are we tracking a ghost?"
The subordinate muttered to himself in a trembling, fearful voice.
"Fool!"
"What era are we living in?!"
"This is magic!"
The leader was absolutely certain that Chiba Yeyou had used some kind of magic to disappear from their sight in an instant.
"Clap clap clap!"
A clapping sound came from above, making their hearts skip a beat.
The two of them jumped forward instantly and turned to look at the sky above them.
The boy who had just disappeared was now leaning against a thicker tree branch, looking at the two wary people with a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Quite insightful!"
Chiba Yeyou commented with a smile on her lips.
However, the two of them looked rather somber. Chiba Yeyou's words were definitely not a compliment, but rather a complete sarcasm!
In this age where magic reigns supreme, any unreasonable appetite can be made reasonable by magic. Any ordinary person with a modicum of knowledge knows that supernatural phenomena are basically the work of magicians, let alone people like them.
"This must be Chiba Yeyou, right?"
After a brief period of panic and vigilance, seeing that Chiba Yeyou did not take any further drastic actions, the leader felt much relieved and boldly spoke up.
"Hmm, not bad. I wonder what your intentions are in following a respectable young man like me so Miya?"
Chiba Yeyou propped her head up with one hand and looked at the two of them, feeling both surprised and somewhat expectant of their appearance.
These guys are running a gambling operation behind the scenes, orchestrating such a huge scheme. They're insatiable, trying to swindle money from their partners. How could they possibly let the First High School win again?
After all, as long as the First High School's total score is no longer the highest among the nine schools, they will be able to reap huge benefits.
Making trouble is inevitable; finding oneself is only a matter of time.
only...
"We are... For some reasons, we hope that First High School will no longer be ranked first in the overall score in this Nine Schools Competition. We wonder if Chiba Yeyou could help us?"
"Rest assured, we will pay a very substantial reward."
"It will absolutely satisfy you!"
The leader spoke up in a very gentlemanly manner, offering his advice.
"You were the ones who did what happened before, weren't you?"
"Excuse me!"
Upon hearing Chiba Yeyou's question, the eldest brother apologized first.
"We were forced into this situation. If No. First High School wins first place again, we'll be in big trouble."
Looking at the humble and polite demeanor of the man in front of me, if I didn't know that the other person was casting magic and influencing me, I would really think that these two were some kind of great philanthropists!
"Oh, I see. Then I'll definitely help..."
Chiba Yeyou looked somewhat bewildered, but was very compliant with the other party.
"Boss, we did it!"
"Um!"
The eldest brother hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, and nodded with some satisfaction.
"But why doesn't this guy come down?"
The subordinate looked at Chiba Yeyou in the tree with some confusion.
"?"
On the tree?
Not coming down?
not good!
Damn it!
"How dare you play us!"
The eldest brother glared angrily at Chiba Yeyou on the tree branch.
As expected, he was greeted by Chiba Yeyou's hateful smile.
"Grab him!"
"Forced control!"
The leader raised his arm and decisively activated the magic.
Thank you for bringing me joy when I was bored.
"Alright, that's enough fooling around. Time to die!"