'E--ehhh?'
I was very confused at the moment.
Kuzon showing up out of nowhere, and now Ciara Epilson. Both had causal reactions, and the latter said something I never expected.
"Where's Jerry?"
I nearly screamed, but controlled myself instead.
Even after spotting the disaster going on in school, how could these students act this way? I knew they weren't normal, but...
'And what's with that outfit?' My eyes sharply stared at the enchanted clothing she had on.
The black bodysuit was made quite shabbily--I could tell an amateur was the one who designed it. However, the power it held was the real deal.
'Did she make it herself? She's quite skilled then...'
And the effects of the suit were good too. I could tell, seeing that I was quite interested in that field.
"Hey, didn't you hear me? I said where's--"
The girl must have either failed to notice my surprised expression, or simply didn't care. She just pressed me for an answer.
'Huu, I'm done trying to figure these guys out...' I gave up internally, spotting Kuzon simply smiling beside me.
"I left him with the others in a secure place. We're heading there right now. Want to come along?"
"Where?" Her reaction was sharp.
'What's with this girl and Jerry?' I eyed her suspiciously.
Normally, I would start considering if she was an enemy, but I couldn't draw that conclusion. Firstly, I didn't sense any ill will from the girl. Plus, even if she wanted to cause us harm, why would she be interested in someone like Jerry?
"I don't think I can trust you enough to divulge that."
Silence prevailed amid us, and I could somewhat sense some discomfort well up in the vicinity.
Frankly, I was mildly intimidated.
"Uh? What do you mean by that?" Her voice contained a hint of annoyance and she seemed to be impatient.
'What's with her?'
The Ciara Epilson I met at the Oasis was so easygoing, yet this time she was acting strangely. I wondered if she was being manipulated by someone since she wasn't acting like her usual self.
It could also be that the girl in front of me was an imposter, but who could replicate the amount of pressure she was currently generating?
Besides, I wasn't sensing any motive from her actions. Just what could be going on in her head?
"I think what Jared is trying to say is that it's pretty suspicious how you appeared out of nowhere and brought up the topic of Jerry's whereabouts." Kuzon suddenly interrupted our deadlock.
My gaze, and what I sensed to be Ciara's, tilted in his direction.
"I mean, it's odd that you're out here in the first place, and also wearing that peculiar outfit, don't you think?"
'Um, it's also pretty sus that you're here too, Kuzon.' I thought to myself, but agreed with the rest of Kuzon's assessment.
"W--what are you trying to say? There's nothing suspicious about taking a night stroll!" Ciara snapped, looking so flustered that hues of pink clouded her cheeks.
'Why is she acting up? Is she really hiding something? She could be the enemy!'
By asking about someone of little relevance like Jerry, Ciara could cause us to drop our guard concerning her true target. She was actually quite smart if that was the case.
'This girl...' My gaze intensified on her as many countermeasures began forming in my head on how to deal with the situation.
Suddenly, I felt a warm touch on my shoulder. I turned in the direction of the hand's owner, and it was Kuzon.
He had a meaningful smile on his face that seemed to read the words "Trust me."
'What is he...? Has he figured her out?'
Was I overreacting? Was the tension making me imagine things?
"Well, I don't mean you're suspicious, Ciara. What I'm trying to imply is that your actions are. You've seen the black creatures lurking around, right? It's reasonable to say that this campus is in a state of unrest. Your actions, your outfit, and your question make you somewhat odd, don't you think?"
I was surprised by Kuzon's logic and the oratory skills he displayed to make them known.
"H--hey, you don't have to go that far. I was just curious, no big deal. Besides, how can you suspect a student of something like sabotage?" Ciara's voice lacked composure.
Kuzon had the upper hand in the conversation now. So much so, that I was amazed.
"Well, it's past curfew and you're on your own. That's already breaking the rules of Ainzlark Academy, right? Care to give a reason for that? Do you have an alibi? A valid rationale? Then why do you want to see Jerry?"
His flurry of questions made Ciara's flushed cheeks take on a brighter form of red.
"W--w--whaat are you shaying!?" Her words lacked coherence at this point.
'Aren't you the same, though, Kuzon?' My thoughts trailed as I stared at the confident young man.
He was equally guilty of breaking the rules--not that it mattered now that there was an emergency--yet he managed to twist the facts to his advantage. Ciara didn't even have any defense or counterarguments to give.
"I mean, I'm guilty of the same thing. I snuck out of the Dorms too..." He added, making me wonder why he threw away his advantage.
"E--EXACTLY! We're equally guilty of the same thing!" Ciara seemed satisfied that Kuzon lost his high ground.
But...
... This made Kuzon and I smile at the same time.
"Well, that's true. This is why I'm cooperating with Jared as he evacuates these people to the base. If you did the same, there would be no issue, right?"
I realized what he did!
By abandoning his high moral ground, he stood on the same level as Ciara and appealed to her as a sympathetic figure. Since she had a stubborn personality, it was optimal for him to rely on mutual appeal and benefits.
With this, Ciara would be bound by the concept of the collective and have no choice but to play along.
If she failed to comply, even she would realize that her actions were unreasonable.
'Such an impressive strategy...' I stared at Kuzon with surprise.
I had thought he had great powers and talents in Magic, but who would have thought he was this skilled in intellect as well.
'Could he also be a...?!'
