General 36

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Chapter 36. The Mastermind Behind It All

"First, please have a seat. You must be tired."

"No! I'm fine standing here."

Invited to the principal's office, Suo-senpai stood stiffly behind the sofa in the reception area.

"Suo-kun, it's hard to talk when you're standing like that. Sit down, please. Oh, would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you! It's inconceivable for a mere foot soldier like me to sit with two generals."

"Well then, here's an order. Sit down, Private Suo."

"Yes! Excuse me."

With brisk movements like an automated doll, Suo-senpai sat on the sofa, a testament to the training befitting a senior second-year student.

"Did Suo-senpai find out about my rank? That stupid old man farted for me at the end."

I made a bitter face and sipped my tea.

Suou-senpai knew I was of a somewhat higher rank, but he didn't seem to think I was a major general.

It was the same with Mina, but being a general at a high school age is definitely abnormal.

"So, Suo-senpai."

"Yes! What is it, Major General Kamiya?"

"First, drop the formal way of speaking. It's an order."

Every word she spoke was too forceful, making it quite irritating.

"Yes, sir. However, please allow me to express my gratitude properly. Thank you very much for this incident!"

Suo-senpai bowed deeply, adding to the awkwardness of the situation.

This is troublesome.

"I merely used the authority within my recognized scope to mobilize the Special Operations Unit. Instead, if you want to thank someone, thank your sister, Marin."

"Huh...? Marin, my sister?"

The sudden mention of an unexpected person left Souma bewildered.

Finally, Suo-senpai seems a bit shaken, thanks to the surprise.

"You can come in~"

"Onii-chan!"

"Marin?! Why are you at school?"

As I called out to the door of the principal's office, my sister Mariko entered and rushed to Suo-senpai.

"I asked Kamiya-san, whom I happened to meet, to investigate because you seemed different, onii-chan."

"I see."

"Onii-chan, were you going to make me a spy to protect me?"

"Marin..."

"You've done nothing wrong... So don't cry."

As his sister Marin sobbed, Suo-senpai gently embraced her.

To an outsider, it might seem like a touching sibling moment.

But knowing the truth, all I feel is fear towards girls. Isn't that right, Principal Takami?

"This whole scenario was orchestrated by her. Terrifying for a middle schooler..."

Principal Takami and I whispered in low voices, hoping they wouldn't hear us.

Suo-senpai and Mariko seem immersed in their own world, so maybe it's a needless worry.

"Still, having espionage-type Soul Armor abilities is quite rare."

"And not getting caught by the school's Soul Armor security and sensors is remarkable. With the intelligence gathered through her espionage ability, including spies like Shindo and his cronies. The higher-ups acted swiftly. Well, part of the reason they acted so quickly was because she also held information about your true identity."

"Looks like Marin-chan will be the top student for next year's intake."

"That's right. Normally, if outsiders learn your true identity, they have to be dealt with, but since she has penetrated deep into the core of the military, revealing it now could result in unforeseeable consequences."

"With her espionage and information manipulation abilities, assassinating or capturing her seems difficult. If she escapes and flees to another country, it could lead to massive national losses due to leaking classified information."

"That's why orders have already come down from the top brass to bring her into the military fold at any cost."

The purge of double agents inside and outside the school was all thanks to Marin.

In return, we got forced to participate in Marin's scenario, which led to Suo-senpai severing ties with her civilian faction.

"Even though it's a scenario she wrote herself, she can still cry so convincingly. Terrifying..."

"You seem to have a deep awe for her, Yuusuke."

"The first time we met, I thought she might kill me. She looked at me with such murderous intent."

When Marin visited us, it reminded me of the tense atmosphere when encountering a dangerous Soul Armor user on the battlefield.

"Well, considering that Yuusuke played a major role in Suo-kun's downfall, it's no surprise she resents him."

"I'm an only child, so I don't really understand, but is that level of closeness normal for siblings their age?"

"For adolescents, they seem quite close."

"Marin, clinging to Suo-senpai while speaking sweetly, looks like she's about to do something if we weren't here. Does that fall into sibling affection?"

Whether they heard our whispering or not,

"Just a moment, onii-chan~"

When Marin reluctantly let go of Suo-senpai and came toward me and Principal Takami, I realized they might have heard us.

"It's often misunderstood, but I don't have a brother complex."

Marin said confidently with a smile.

Even though she's a middle school girl,

"Oh, okay."

"It's love."

"Huh... Love?"

"Yes, love. Other than that one word, no word describes the relationship between us."

"S-Sure, I see."

I replied with a forced smile, and Marin turned back to Suo-senpai, speaking in a sweet voice again.

"Principal Takami... Is it okay as an educator to overlook that?"

"...She's not a student of the school yet."

"'Forget about jurisdiction and vertical divisions! Act on-site judgment because I take responsibility!' You used to order so commandingly on the battlefield, Chief Takami. What happened to that?"

"There are things even I don't want to get involved in. Besides, Suo-kun doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere."

Principal Takami sighed and avoided looking at the scene before him with full force.

[Excuse me, Master.]

[What is it, Kon?]

Even though it's not an emergency, Con spoke to me during our conversation.

[It seems that both of you are concerned about the fact that Suo's siblings are actually step-siblings.]

[Well, that's true.]"

[Those two aren't blood-related at all.]

"What?!"

"Why are you suddenly raising your voice, Yuusuke?"

"Oh, sorry about that, Principal Takami."

Even though it was a mental conversation with Con, I blurted out in surprise.

From Principal Takami's perspective, who couldn't hear Con's voice, it must have seemed like I exclaimed out of nowhere.

I refocused on my mental conversation with Con.

[Huh? Kon, is that for real?]

[In the first place, in cases of blood relations, Soul Armot can only contract with similar types. While Suo excels in the acceleration system of swordsmanship Soul Armor abilities, her sister excels in espionage. Since their Soul Armor systems are too far apart, it's natural to assume they have no blood relationship.]

[I've heard theories about relatives manifesting similar types of Soul Armor abilities, but it seemed like it was still in the hypothesis stage.]

Since humanity has only recognized the existence of Soul Armament abilities and souls for just over a decade, there is still much we don't understand, and there are still few cases.

[It's a fact. Since Soul Armor chooses humans to contract with based on blood, it makes sense from the perspective of Soul Armor.]

So, Suo-senpai and Marin are just step-siblings.

[I've learned more than I wanted to about someone else's complicated family matters... I can't handle this on my own.]

If Mariko learns that she and I aren't blood-related, it'll be a disaster.

[Don't worry, Marin already knows everything.]

"Huh?"

"She has a top-tier espionage ability, meaning she can't establish contracts or communicate wills like Kon and I, except with Soul Armor."

[Apart from us, there are Soul Armor users who can communicate with souls.]

That's a bit relieving.

I haven't really connected with other Soul Armament users, so it felt like being a minority within a minority.

[Master, a question. Given how obsessed Marin seems with her brother, and considering her highly advanced espionage ability, how do you think she'll use that ability?]

[...She'll thoroughly investigate her brother, I suppose.]

[She probably knew information like family registries long ago.]"

[But Suo-senpai doesn't seem to know that Marin is her step-sister, right?]

Suo-senpai's attitude towards Mariko seemed purely familial, without any romantic undertones.

Well, it's unlikely she'd consider her step-sister as a romantic interest, right?

[It seems Marin has an explanation about that, Master.]

Looking towards Mariko, she still seems engrossed in her brother, not giving any indication of romantic interest...

[Don't reveal unnecessary things to onii-chan, okay?]

[Huh? Mariko, can you enter my mental conversation space with Kon?]

[I'm also a little surprised by this.]

Kon seems surprised too, so it must be a rare ability.

Marin, still clinging to Souma's arm with a blissful expression, glanced over at us.

[Nice to meet you. This is the power of my Soul Armor Espio. Its ability is espionage, and it can also infiltrate people's minds.]

[That's an incredible ability.]

Impressed, I honestly exclaimed, and Mariko continued her thoughts mentally.

[So, please don't tell onii-chan that we're not blood-related.]

[I had no intention of mentioning such a delicate family matter from the start.]

[That's good.]

[But if you love your big brother, wouldn't it be better to tell Suo-senpai about your feelings, rather than hide that you're not blood-related?]

[You really don't understand, do you, Kamiya-san?]

[Huh?]

[If onii-chan, who thinks of me as his real sister, crosses ethical boundaries for my sake, isn't that a good thing?]"

Ah, she also has a difficult fetish.

"You two are staring at each other. Are you that close?"

Suo-senpai noticed our silent exchange as we stared at each other.

"Wait, Marin, stop teasing Kamiya. It'll only give him trouble."

"Wait, is onii-chan jealous because he thinks I like Mr. Kamiya? Hey, hey?"

"Ah... I'm just warning my sister not to fall for bad guys."

Completely using me as a pawn, they were just affectionate siblings.

"Suo-senpai."

"Hmm? What is it, Kamiya?"

"Good luck... Seriously."

"...? Ah, yes."

Even though Marin has already won with Suo-senpai, as a junior at the school, I sent my regards to Suo-senpai, whom I'll be giving a speech at Marin and Suo-senpai's wedding reception when the time comes.