A restaurant where children who have yet to regain consciousness lie.
Worried that if the culprit manipulates someone else and something happens there again, it could turn into a real disaster, Yoon Siwoo and I returned to the restaurant.
Only when we arrived near the restaurant did we realize that the surroundings were not particularly chaotic, allowing us to finally stop running.
If something had happened, there would have been a commotion, but it seemed that the restaurant was fine.
Feeling somewhat relieved, I noticed Leonor lighting a magic cigarette near the entrance of the restaurant.
Beyond the slightly open window, raindrops were clinging, and they were sliding down her face reflected in the window.
I quietly observed her, and our eyes met in the reflection.
Leonor hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Then, she bowed her head slightly and muttered as if making an excuse.
"......Damn, my eyes are stinging. I told you not to smoke indoors. The smoke isn't going out."
Hearing this, I asked Yoon Siwoo, who was standing beside me.
"......Can you check if the kids in the restaurant are okay?"
Yoon Siwoo nodded obediently and entered the restaurant.
It was fortunate that he wasn't completely clueless.
After sending Yoon Siwoo, I approached Leonor and noticed her reddened eyes.
I sighed.
It's not because of the smoke.
However, Leonor pretended to be fine, took out another magic cigarette from her pocket, and shook it as if to say she was going to light it.
I took it silently, put it in my mouth, and lit it, patting her back.
Leonor bit her lip, as if something was welling up inside her, took a deep breath, and grumbled at me.
"......Is it right for a junior to do this to a senior?"
"Does it matter if it's a senior or a junior when comforting someone who's having a hard time?"
"......You really sound like an old man sometimes."
Leonor smiled bitterly.
She put the magic cigarette back in her mouth, took a puff, and gazed out the rain-soaked window.
Her eyes were filled with an unhidden sadness.
She was a kind person.
When I told her about Mr. James's death earlier, she had such a pained expression.
Leonor muttered.
"......I don't really understand about multiple personalities, but at least the uncle I knew was a good person. He shouldn't have died like that. He even said he would teach me cooking next time....."
Earlier, she had said he might have a multiple personality disorder.
But it was different.
In fact, Mr. James was just a victim who was thoroughly manipulated by someone.
I cautiously spoke to her.
"......Senior, I think there was something wrong with what I said earlier."
Leonor asked in response.
"Something wrong?"
"Yes. If I'm right, Mr. James was probably being manipulated by someone."
"......Manipulated?"
The sadness in Leonor's eyes turned into a different emotion, and just as I was about to explain in detail, a voice came from behind.
"Scarlett, how did you know he was being manipulated? Did something happen?"
I turned around to see Eve standing with a stern face.
I answered her cautiously.
"Nothing happened, but when I thought about it, it seemed strange. If it was a multiple personality disorder, he wouldn't have chosen such a death even if he was caught...... But how did you know he was being manipulated?"
I noticed her serious expression as I asked.
I suddenly wondered.
Eve had agreed with my theory about a multiple personality disorder just a moment ago, but now she seemed to already know that Mr. James was being manipulated.
Thinking about how she knew, I remembered that she had asked me if something had happened.
......Could it be?
"......Did something happen to you?"
When I asked, Eve snapped her fingers.
Then, a short-haired woman, wrapped in a blanket and seemingly unconscious, appeared behind Eve.
Looking closely, it was Rea, whom I had seen during the practical training.
Eve looked at her with a troubled expression and said.
"Scarlett, you've seen her face before, right? She was an investigator sent by the Public Security Bureau. She suddenly tried to stab me to death and then burn me along with my body. I survived because I had cast an illusion spell beforehand. Anyway, the Rea I know would never do such a thing, so I knew she was being manipulated."
"......Did she try to kill you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Well, if Scarlett hadn't warned me not to let my guard down last time, it could have been really dangerous."
Eve smiled as if to reassure me, but my heart sank.
Hearing that Eve had almost died, I recalled that she had died in the original story.
Her sudden death.
Could it have been the work of someone being manipulated?
But in the original story, she didn't die this early.
Confused about what was happening, I heard Leonor's voice from the side.
"......So, some bastard manipulated Uncle and made him do that, right?"
Leonor, her eyes bloodshot and her hands trembling as she clenched them tightly, asked in a low, angry voice.
Eve's answer made Leonor's expression harden.
"Yes, it was probably the work of a witch."
"......A witch, you say?"
Leonor asked Eve, her face hard, as if seeking confirmation.
"Almost 100%, though I'm not entirely sure. Manipulating someone to do what they want isn't an easy task. Let alone manipulating two people in such a short time and making them kill themselves is beyond human capability."
"But, witches were all killed in ancient times......"
Leonor muttered, as if disbelieving.
Witches were mythical figures to the people of this era.
Even the most renowned heroes couldn't be sure if they could exterminate them, and it would take the entire race's sacrifice to barely achieve mutual destruction.
It was hard for Leonor to believe that such a being was not only alive but also the culprit in this case.
But I couldn't deny Eve's words.
The girl with dark purple hair I saw during the gym incident.
I had seen with my own eyes that such a being, likely a witch, was alive.
Still, even so, I couldn't just give up.
I gathered my thoughts and said to Eve.
"Then, it's almost impossible to find and stop the culprit directly."
"Right, but we need to find a way to prevent this situation."
"Is there any way?"
When I asked, Eve pondered for a moment and muttered.
"I don't think anyone can be manipulated. If anyone could be manipulated, there would be no need to manipulate someone else to kill me. It would be much easier to manipulate me directly and kill me."
The most terrifying thing for me recently was the possibility of not being myself and harming those I care about.
I hadn't even considered the possibility that I might have been manipulated......
Thinking about it, I felt fortunate.
It probably wouldn't happen, but if someone like Yoon Siwoo were manipulated and started killing people, it would be a real disaster.
I felt a bit relieved and summarized Eve's point.
"Does that mean only certain people can be manipulated?"
"Right. Even if it's a witch, they can't manipulate just anyone. They must have prepared in advance. Manipulating someone isn't easy, even for a witch."
"Then, the best course of action is to find out who they prepared in advance. There might be some common factor."
I thought about it.
A common factor between Mr. James and Rea, who were manipulated today.
One was a 50-year-old ordinary man, the other a 20-year-old capable woman.
There didn't seem to be any obvious common factor, so I was pondering when Eve suggested.
"Maybe it's something invisible. Let's investigate with magic. There are many mages inside the restaurant. We can ask them to check if there's anything unusual while they're checking on Rea."
"......That seems to be the only way."
It sounded reasonable, so I carried Rea, who was wrapped in a blanket, and entered the restaurant with Eve.
When the person carrying the wrapped person entered, the people who were observing the children's condition and chatting turned their attention.
I nodded to Sylvia and Yoon Siwoo, who were looking at me with surprised eyes, and followed Eve, who was carrying Rea.
Eve approached the health teacher, who looked like she was about to collapse, and said.
"Kate, if the children are okay, can you check Rea first? Just do a full body check and let me know if you find anything suspicious."
"......Eve, I'm about to die from exhaustion. Why me......"
"Because you're the best here."
The health teacher looked pleased at Eve's words but shook her head.
"......I appreciate the recognition, but I'm sorry. I'm barely holding on with the children's internal injuries...... Anyway, if it's just a check, ask the boy over there. He'll do a much better job than me......"
The health teacher pointed to Dwayne Nineheart, a magic prodigy from Class B, who looked just as exhausted.
But since this was his usual state, I thought he would be fine.
Dwayne, with a lazy look, said to Eve.
"......Should I check this person?"
"Yes. Check from head to toe thoroughly."
"......I can test the new magic I learned recently."
Dwayne's lazy eyes lit up slightly.
Indeed, he was obsessed with magic.
I sat near Dwayne as he began examining Rea, and the health teacher looked at Eve and said.