A Scientific Urban Detective

"However, that being said~" After briefly introducing Academy City's characteristics to Misaka Mikoto, Shokuhou Misaki turned to face Yoshikawa Kikyou and continued, "Teacher Yoshikawa Kikyou can be said to be the only conscience in the project team. She's probably the only one who still regards the Sisters as true 'human beings'."

This was also the reason Shokuhou Misaki chose her—she retained the basic conscience of a 'human being' and wouldn't actively harm the Misaka Sisters; moreover, because she was a core researcher in the 'Mass Production-Type Ability User Project,' she was naturally very familiar with the Misaka Sisters, making her the best choice to take care of them!

"And," Shokuhou Misaki added finally, "Yoshikawa Kikyou is a friend of Teacher Yomikawa."

"Huh? Is that so?" Misaka Mikoto asked in surprise. "That makes her trustworthy."

Misaka Mikoto was easily persuaded by this reason. Because she knew that Yomikawa Aiho was the guardian of Lin Wuming and Kohachi Toumi, and therefore the most trustworthy adult. If she was her friend, she probably wouldn't be a bad person, right?

"Teacher Yoshikawa once came to visit Teacher Yomikawa. It was probably around that time that you were already regretting your participation in this experiment, right?" Shokuhou Misaki said.

"That was already several months ago," Yoshikawa Kikyou also remembered that day and couldn't help but smile wryly. "It seems I was exposed at that time?"

"That's no longer important," Shokuhou Misaki didn't respond to her guess. "Teacher Yoshikawa, you should be unemployed recently, right?"

"Yes," Yoshikawa Kikyou said with a dejected expression. "Although we were acquitted, the punishment for us has only just begun… Probably no laboratory would be willing to hire researchers like us with tainted records, right?"

That's why she was here, drowning her sorrows with a friend's friend.

"That's not necessarily true." Shokuhou Misaki sneered. "I can offer you a job—come and take care of the Misaka Sisters. You, and your former colleagues, I plan to hire all of you…"

On the way back to the School Garden, Misaka Mikoto finally couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious? Hiring those researchers to take care of the Sisters? Perhaps Teacher Yoshikawa can be trusted, but the others…"

"Hmph!" Shokuhou Misaki said mockingly, "You should be worried about whether the Sisters have inherited your impulsive and belligerent personality!"

Misaka Mikoto's brow twitched. "Do you have to argue at a time like this?"

"It's not an argument," Shokuhou Misaki shook her head, "but stating a fact. What if the Misaka Sisters impulsively went on a rampage and killed those researchers… That's what we need to worry about."

"There's no way that would happen!"

"It's possible, you know~" Shokuhou Misaki suddenly turned around and reached out to lift a strand of hair beside Misaka Mikoto's cheek.

Misaka Mikoto dodged her hand, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Shokuhou Misaki smiled and said, "After all, as long as they see this face, those researchers won't be able to disobey any orders, let alone do anything that would actively harm the owner of this face."

"You…" Misaka Mikoto looked over with a surprised expression, but ultimately didn't say much, only saying, "You're going the wrong way. This isn't the way back to school—are you as bad with directions as Wuming-senpai?"

"How could I be? This is to meet the next interview candidate—today's work isn't over yet."

Misaka Mikoto quickly followed. "Who else is there? Tell me about the situation first."

"Busuijima Takine, a genius girl, a student at Nagatenjouki Academy," Shokuhou Misaki said.

"A high school student? Is she also a member of the project team?"

"Yes, she was responsible for adjusting the 'Learning Device' used by the Sisters," Shokuhou Misaki said. "Therefore, although she didn't participate in the experiment from beginning to end, she knew all the truth, and in the end, she still held the line, and even tried to save the Misaka Sisters… Therefore, she can also become our helper."

—Although that was what happened in the original plot, it probably hasn't really happened yet.

Shokuhou Misaki said silently in her heart.

Unlike Yoshikawa Kikyou, Shokuhou Misaki had actually never contacted Busuijima Takine. Choosing her was only based on information from the original work.

In Shokuhou Misaki's view, instead of choosing people to take care of the Misaka Sisters from completely unfamiliar people, it would be better to directly hire those involved in the project.

After all, what she was looking for were "tools" rather than "companions." Those who had directly or indirectly harmed the Misaka Sisters were perfect—even if she manipulated them to do some excessive things, she wouldn't have much psychological burden.

—In order to maintain secrecy and protect the Misaka Sisters, the freedom and memories of these staff members would inevitably be affected to some extent.

…

After a day of running around, Shokuhou Misaki finally gathered the staff needed to take care of the Misaka Sisters, and only then did she return to her dormitory in the School Garden with satisfaction.

Misaka Mikoto, on the other hand, diligently played the role of "bodyguard" all the way, until she had indeed delivered Shokuhou Misaki to Kazari Uiharu's side before hurrying away.

She lived in the "Seventh District Student Dormitory" outside the School Garden. In order to get back to her dormitory before curfew, she had to use her superpower to hurry back…

The newest novels are first published at 6_9_shu_ba!

Watching Misaka Mikoto fly away on a cloud of iron sand, the students hidden near the gate of the School Garden slowly retreated and left.

They were actually all members of the three major factions, specifically sent to observe the movements of Shokuhou Misaki and Misaka Mikoto.

After all, the fact that the two Level 5s had joined the same faction was a force to be reckoned with, both in terms of individual strength and factional power!

Although it had been less than two months since the start of the semester, the Shokuhou Faction had rapidly grown into Tokiwadai Middle School's fourth largest faction. The momentum of its rise reminded the second and third-year students of the scene when Saten Ruiko established her faction last year.

Moreover, unlike the "unintentional" Saten Faction, Shokuhou Misaki had been actively preparing to form a faction even before officially enrolling, even sending Kazari Uiharu and Yuumi Jirukawa to the Himekawa Faction to "learn experience," which could be described as coming with ill intentions!

Even if the leaders of the three major factions didn't care, they couldn't stop the vigilance and precautions of their subordinates, who took action spontaneously.

In Tokiwadai Middle School's infirmary, Uihara Kazari was reporting the "surveillance" situation to Saten Ruiko.

"Ten minutes ago, Shokuhou Misaki and Misaka Mikoto returned to the School Garden. According to information from our companions in the Seventh District Student Dormitory, Misaka Mikoto has already returned to her dormitory," Uihara Kazari said. "It can be confirmed that their off-campus activities have ended."

In fact, recently, the focus of the Shokuhou Faction's activities seemed to be concentrated outside the School Garden. Its main members—Shokuhou Misaki, Misaka Mikoto, Uihara Kazari, Kensei Kiiro, and others—were frequently going out, and even violating curfew was happening repeatedly.

However, with the power of "Mental Out" and "Railgun," they had not received any punishment for violating curfew.

But Tokiwadai Middle School was full of talented people, all of whom were Level 3 or higher ability users. As long as they were willing to observe, it wouldn't be difficult to discover the "evidence" of Shokuhou Misaki and the others.

The Saten Faction was such a case. Uihara Kazari, as Saten Ruiko's "chief strategist" and assistant, took the initiative to send her subordinates to monitor the movements of the Shokuhou Faction and report to Saten Ruiko at the first opportunity.