"Hmm. Arte Isis. Arte Isis, huh…"
"What do you think?"
"What’s the point of talking about it? It’s suspicious as hell."
"…So you agree?"
"Anyone who looks at this and doesn’t think it’s suspicious should quit the Association. No way someone that incompetent exists."
He stared at the documents containing the investigation results for this case.
The overview wasn’t hard to grasp.
It all stemmed from an incident that had been famous enough to make the news.
Some villain had the audacity to infiltrate the Academy, and the Exploration Club students who caught him received a reward, then left for an external mission.
And the mountain lodge they went to for that mission just so happened to be the same mountain where the villain organization Weaver Menace had their hideout, so they were ambushed.
That was the gist of it, more or less.
It was suspicious as hell. What was suspicious about it?
"…There are too many coincidences."
"The students who just happened to catch a villain go to that mountain, the villain they caught just happened to belong to an organization with a hideout there, and then just at that moment, someone massacres them all. …Doesn’t that seem off to you?"
"That’s not all. Look at this."
He pointed to the light personal details the Academy had provided on the students.
Specifically, the section listing their abilities.
"Yu Siwoo, Intuition. Amelia Lindberg, Acceleration. Dorothy Springfield, Weight Reduction. These ones are fine, but… this girl here."
"Arte Isis, Thread Manipulation. …This almost looks like she’s advertising that she’s the culprit."
"Yeah. Anyone would find it suspicious. The ability, too."
The threads found at the scene, assumed to be the cause of death for the massacred organization members. And a person with the ability to control threads.
And then there was the spider drawing left behind, practically screaming guilt. Plenty of reason to suspect her.
"Then why aren’t we going to arrest her?"
Tsk.
He clicked his tongue and lit a cigarette.
It really did look like she was the culprit. That was exactly why it was suspicious.
"Because she looks *too* much like the culprit."
"Huh?"
"What kind of idiot would do things this sloppily? Doesn’t it strike you as odd?"
A ten-year-old could see that Arte Isis was the culprit.
And that was what felt *wrong*.
"A villain who draws a picture on the wall declaring she’s the culprit… would she really be stupid enough to leave evidence everywhere pointing to herself?"
"…You think someone’s framing her."
"I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s weird. Villains who crave attention usually enjoy sowing confusion in investigations."
This one had even called herself Arachne and left behind playful messages.
There was no way a villain like that would handle things this carelessly. At least, not in his experience. Most of that type were sharp.
"And it’s not like there aren’t other abilities that could slice people up like that. Hell, even I could chop two hundred bodies to pieces without using any ability… though it’d take too damn long."
"So you’re saying someone with a thread-based ability framed Arte Isis to make us think she’s the culprit?"
"Probably. But we can’t be sure. It’s just as possible that Arte Isis *is* the culprit, and this is all part of some elaborate scheme."
"Ugh, this is giving me a headache."
"Tell me about it."
He exhaled a mouthful of white smoke, trying to calm his tangled thoughts.
This damn world was far too complicated. Back in the old days—about five hundred years ago, they said—there had been no mana.
If this were a world without abilities, tracking down criminals would be so much easier. I almost envied the detectives of that era.
But ever since mana had filled the world, I couldn’t act rashly no matter how strong my suspicions were.
There were cases where someone was seen committing a murder and arrested on the spot, only for it to turn out to be the work of an ability user who controlled another person’s body. That kind of thing happened all the time.
Or an electricity ability user would disable all electronic devices as if CCTV didn’t exist, then casually rob a place.
Or someone with a solid alibi turned out to be a clone ability user who could duplicate themselves.
Or a suspect was caught fleeing the crime scene, only to reveal they were a shapeshifter who had taken on someone else’s appearance.
There were too many variables.
Of course, the Association did register abilities in a database, but no one knew the exact limits of what they could do.
It wasn’t uncommon for an ability user who could only control a cup of water to suddenly manipulate an entire pond.
Stealth, invisibility, shapeshifting, miniaturization, ability copying—
With so many abilities perfect for framing someone, jumping to conclusions about a suspect was a surefire way to get backstabbed.
For ordinary crimes, it wouldn’t matter, but once a case was transferred to the Association, it was a confirmed superhuman crime. The possibilities always had to stay open.
"Still, the prime suspect hasn’t changed. We need to keep an eye on him."
"Should I assign someone?"
"No."
I stubbed out the nearly finished cigarette in the ashtray and stood up from my chair.
"I’ll go myself."
Conveniently, I knew a guy at the school.
I’d just need to bring a bunch of gifts.
"To think there was nothing in the Academy database…"
[Heh, hehe. I forgot…]
Normally, this would be the perfect moment to blow up in anger.
If a student with no information like this had enrolled in the Academy, it would be strange not to find it suspicious. I should’ve been furious about that.
…But maybe she was still holding onto what happened back then. The thought crossed my mind without warning.
That was why I couldn’t bring myself to scold the author.
[But now that it’s in, isn’t it fine?]
"Yes, well. I suppose so."
And honestly, my own background didn’t matter. That wasn’t the important part.
"By the way, what will you do for the next month?"
[Hmm, I wonder. What kind of event should I trigger…]
A much bigger problem had arisen. There was a gap in the timeline until finals.
After finals, there would be summer vacation events, second-semester start events—plenty of breathing room. But…
What was I supposed to do with this floating, empty time?
Would the author really skip over nearly a month like this? It felt awkward.
I needed to trigger some kind of event, but the important material didn’t feel ready to use just yet.
As I was pondering the future plot with the author, I heard Claire-sensei calling my name.
"Ah, there you are. Arte, do you have a moment?"
"…Yes, I do. But what’s this about, suddenly?"
"An old friend of mine wants to see you. Says they have something to tell you."
"An old friend?"
"…It might be a little unsettling, but don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen."
[Ooooh, the feeling of an event incoming~!]
The author’s delighted voice echoed in my ear.
…An old friend? Of Claire-sensei’s?
A wave of unease washed over me. Claire-sensei was supposed to be a retired famous Hero, after all.
An old friend of someone like that? I had a bad feeling something was about to happen.
If something did happen, I should probably be happy about it. But I couldn’t bring myself to feel that way.
…I just wish nothing would happen at all.
"Nice to meet you, student. I’m Lee Hayul, in charge of superhuman crimes at the Association."
"I’m Arte Isis."
"Good. …Can I speak casually with you?"
"Yes. Whatever you prefer."
"I’ll cut to the chase. …What happened at that mountain lodge?"
Of course.
I had a feeling this was coming.
Superhuman crimes? The moment that came up, I knew.
Here it comes.
"If I say I don’t know anything, will you believe me?"
"Hah. That’s a funny joke. Do you think I’d believe you?"
"No."
"Right. Then you probably know what I’m going to say next."
I knew all right.
Honestly, it was a little late for this. The threads I’d left behind in my haste to escape the hideout. The fact that I was one of the members of the exploration club who’d gone to the lodge. The spider drawings in the Webmen’s hideout and my Thread Extraction Ability.
With this many clues, if they hadn’t found me yet, I’d have to question the incompetence of this world’s law enforcement.
…Personally, I’d have preferred they were a little incompetent.
"Lee Hayul. Are you threatening a student right now? I thought you said you’d just have a calm conversation."
"And we are having a calm conversation. It’s not a threat. Your overprotectiveness never changes, Claire."
"Arte is my student. Be careful."
"Yeah, yeah."
Ms. Claire hurriedly cut into the conversation.
Hmm. I appreciated the concern, but this woman was here to investigate the hideout’s cube steak incident, wasn’t she?
I felt a little guilty for what I’d done.
"So, Arte. The Association considers you a suspect."
"…Why are you telling me that?"
"A warning. If you do anything reckless, you’ll be in danger. That’s why I came today."
"Lee Hayul!"
"Fine, fine. I’m leaving now."
As she stood up, practically chased out by Ms. Claire, I gave her a faint smile.
"I appreciate the concern, but it won’t really help."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes. Because I’m not the culprit."
"Ah, Arte… That’s right! My student isn’t the culprit! Get out! Now!"
With a bewildered expression, I was pushed out of the room by Ms. Claire and watched her leave the school.
Right. I wasn’t the culprit. She’d realize that tonight.
"Next up in the news. Recently, hundreds of villains were found dead at a villain organization’s hideout. The suspect in that case has now been arrested. The suspect is…"
"What the fuck."
Lee Hayul stared blankly at the TV.
…Arrested?
The culprit?
Suddenly, the student she’d met earlier—her smiling face—flashed through her mind.
The man introduced as the suspect on TV looked nothing like her. He was a man in his late 30s.