SCIAW: Chapter 466/467

Chapter 466: Haibara

Facing so many pairs of eyes, Shiho and Akemi both felt a little lost.

"So you're the ones Ren rescued last week."

Just as the sisters were at a loss, a girl with a very distinct aura suddenly skipped over to them.

A person's temperament could be seen in their voice, movements, and expression.

Especially this girl before them, who was exceptionally beautiful. She didn't have an oval face, but rather a slightly round and cute one. Paired with her lively voice, the impression she gave was that of an irresistibly adorable girl.

It felt as though she had grown up in a happy family without any pressure from life. Her whole face exuded innocence, naturally lowering the guard of those around her.

Just as Shiho was thinking this, the girl in front of her curved her lips into a smile.

"Hehe~ Thank you for the compliment."

"I'm not as cute as you think~"

Huh?

Shiho froze for several seconds after hearing this.

"Her name is Fujiwara Chika, a Beyonder of the Spectator pathway. Her abilities include sharp insight and the ability to see through people's hearts, which complements that insight."

As Ren explained, Shiho's mouth twitched slightly. No wonder the girl had thanked her before she even said a word.

"Beyonders of the Spectator pathway are like that. Chika's personality isn't bad. You can rely on her most of the time. Except when playing games, she won't hesitate to use her powers to cheat."

"Using Beyonder abilities… to cheat…"

Shiho was at a loss for words. Using such a special power for cheating? So, she must be very competitive?

"Not competitive! It's making the best use of resources!"

Chika immediately corrected her earnestly.

"Normally, we who are not blessed need to act out our roles and practice in order to familiarize ourselves with our powers. If that's the case, then why shouldn't we use them in situations where they can be applied?"

"…Your explanation makes sense, but Chika, you're just addicted to cheating, aren't you?"

"…"

After Ren's retort, Chika, who had just been speaking with confidence, immediately looked away guiltily.

Sure enough, cheating was the real reason.

Shiho quickly understood. For this girl, cheating was the core. Adapting to her powers was secondary.

"And then, Shiho, you and your sister's new identities were arranged by Chika."

Saying this, Ren took out two folders from the Sefirah Castle and handed them to the Miyano sisters.

They each took a folder and opened them. Inside were two slightly blurry photos clearly of them, but the names beneath were different.

"Haibara Ai and Haibara Airi."

"The younger sister is Ai, the older sister is Airi. These two new identities are different from your past ones, and you'll need to adapt to certain details yourselves."

"Inside are your driver's licenses, passports, health certificates, residence certificates, and individual number cards, all corresponding to these new identities."

"In addition, the background information is complete. Shiho, your profession is listed as a physician, with full qualifications. And Akemi, your profession is listed as a former manager of a talent agency."

The sisters glanced through the documents.

Shiho's records included graduation certificates, degree certificates, residency training certificates, and both qualification and practice licenses as a physician. If she presented this information, she could easily prove she was a licensed doctor and apply for work at a hospital.

Compared to her, Akemi's records were simpler, but they also showed she had worked as a manager for a certain period.

The identities of the two sisters were fully covered from birth to the present, as if they had lived out entire new lives.

The information was detailed, even down to their schools and the graduation certificates for each year.

This identity could withstand any investigation. Their life histories were seamlessly arranged, leaving no flaws to be found.

Of course, only Chika could manage something like this.

Because of her political ties, she still held sway at the highest level of government. For her, arranging two new identities was trivial.

After a quick review, Shiho felt both shocked and pleasantly surprised.

"Lord, this information is incredibly detailed."

"Yes, it must be. You two need permanent new identities. Temporary ones aren't good, and incomplete ones are easy to expose. But with this level of detail, there will be no problems."

In the world of mysticism, there was no concept of a network. Identity issues were rarely a concern. For Beyonders, their power alone often became their identity.

But that logic didn't work in the modern world.

Here, no one's identity could be casually fabricated. For those wanting to disappear and start anew, a believable identity was essential to avoid suspicion.

Understanding this, Akemi immediately bowed deeply to Chika.

"Thank you very much for your help, Miss Fujiwara."

This information was an enormous help to her and her sister. Such carefully arranged identities would make it nearly impossible for anyone to dig up the truth.

It was the greatest support they could receive for living in this country.

Shiho was a little slower, but quickly followed her sister, also expressing gratitude to Chika.

"Oh my~ There's no need to be so formal. On the contrary, Grandpa and Grandfather are even happier to help."

Chika chuckled and shook her head, though as she spoke, she playfully cast a glance at Ren.

This was the kind of support Chika could offer.

Though she personally felt that her grandfather and maternal grandfather didn't need to show off their influence like this, Ren had asked, so of course they would demonstrate their capabilities.

Akemi and Shiho immediately understood. This was indeed the true reason for the help.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 467: A Good Way to Maintain Relationships

As night fell, the beach in Izu was swept by a surprisingly warm breeze that kept the evening air cool.

"Inhale… exhale…"

Chika spread her arms wide, breathing in the sea breeze. It wasn't particularly humid, but it carried warmth and the faint scent of the ocean.

Standing on the private beach, she suddenly felt an urge to jump straight into the sea.

Of course, the sea at night was still dangerous.

The rising tide brought with it hidden risks, so for now, she only felt a little tempted.

If she wanted to swim, there was no need to insist on going into the sea. The villa's swimming pool was much safer.

"Chika, you're not planning to dive in right now, are you?"

"No way."

Chika puffed up her cheeks and turned around, looking at Ren who had appeared behind her.

At the moment, Ren wasn't wearing his usual heavy clothes. Instead, he looked like someone on a beach vacation, dressed in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.

Chika was dressed similarly.

In warm coastal areas, wearing thick clothing was practically torture.

Of course, light clothing didn't mean revealing.

She wore a black dress that reached below her knees, paired with open-toed beach sandals that revealed her neat toes. A black ribbon tied her hair slightly higher than usual.

"Even I know that the sea at night is dangerous, especially the hidden currents that can easily take lives."

Chika felt she was being underestimated.

After all, she often went abroad with her family for vacations. She was more than familiar with the precautions needed at the beach.

But Ren didn't continue the topic. Instead, he turned the conversation elsewhere.

"The Miyano sisters' new identities, I troubled you with that this time."

Hearing his thanks, Chika's lips curved into a smile.

"Ren, you should know, right? Grandpa and Grandfather actually hope you'll owe more favors. In their eyes, the more favors you owe, the better."

"Although I don't fully agree, I can understand why they think that way."

"Yeah, I understand it too."

Ren naturally understood this kind of thing well.

If he were in the same position, he would also want to gain favors from someone powerful, in order to benefit more. But this was always under certain conditions.

Chika looked at him and said slowly:

"Only if you acknowledge those favors will they actually count as favors, right?"

Ren didn't deny it.

"That's exactly it. To people with virtue, favors are valuable. To those without, they don't care at all."

"Besides, favors are proportional to strength. Without a balance, it can't be considered a true favor."

Hearing him speak so bluntly, Chika wasn't upset. This was reality, and it made sense.

She continued, "That's why I said I don't really agree with Grandpa and Grandfather. Compared to favors, I'd rather be your friend. In my opinion, help between friends is the best way to maintain a relationship. There's no distinction of status, only a relatively equal relationship."

Ren looked at the smiling girl before him, and he found her words quite reasonable.

"Hmm, I think you're more suited to the Spectator pathway than anyone else. Even without a Spectator's insight, you see through relationships more clearly than Kaguya."

Hearing his compliment, Chika smiled a bit shyly.

"Hehe, am I really as amazing as you say?"

Ren's praise came from the heart.

He truly thought this girl was remarkable. Maybe it was her environment, but he believed she could be Kaguya's only true friend because of this.

Recalling her evaluation, Ren couldn't help but laugh.

"Fujiwara Mama is naturally very impressive, in every sense."

"Ah! Who's Fujiwara Mama?!"

At the sudden nickname, Chika's cheeks puffed up. She had been turned into someone's mother out of nowhere, making her sound much older.

"Of course it's you."

"I'm not Fujiwara Mama! I don't admit it, not at all!"

Puffing her cheeks, Chika immediately jumped at Ren, raising her little fists that carried no real threat.

Of course, Ren didn't stand still. He dodged slowly on purpose, then pinched her soft cheek.

"Isn't it Fujiwara Mama?"

"You take care of everyone's emotions and maintain friendships well. That's not something just anyone can do."

"That still doesn't make me Fujiwara Mama!"

Chika really didn't like the title "Mama."

She could tell it meant she was seen as someone good at looking after others.

If anyone else had said it, she wouldn't have minded. But because it was Ren, she cared even more.

Watching him dodge with ease, Chika made up her mind. She pushed off the ground, leapt high, and lunged directly at him.

This time, she gave herself no retreat.

If Ren dodged, she would fall straight onto the sand. That would hurt a lot.

But Chika was confident.

Sure enough, when Ren saw her leap without hesitation, he raised an eyebrow, quickly adjusted his stance, and caught her.

This startled him a bit.

"You're not afraid of falling?"

But safely in his arms, Chika answered with ease:

"Of course I was. But I knew you'd definitely catch me."

Ren's face twitched slightly. In this, she really was accurate.

Then he suddenly felt his clothes being grabbed. Chika, who was nestled in his arms, had locked her hands tightly on him.

He heard her cackle.

"Now you can't get away, can you?"

(To be continued.)