The next morning, a text message arrived on Fang Li's phone. It was from Misaka Mikoto.
"Just got the results from the medical checkups. The drugs they used to accelerate their growth gave those kids severe defects. Their lifespans are going to be very short.
To treat them, Academy City is sending them out in groups to external research facilities for specialized treatment and adjustment.
I just wanted to let you know."
Mikoto, bless her heart, had no idea she was delivering old news. Fang Li already knew all of this, but it wasn't something he needed to worry about.
The remaining Sisters were now the central component of Aleister's "Artificial Heaven" plan; their existence was far too crucial for the city's highest power to ignore. No one with an agenda would dare lay a hand on them again.
Even if some rogue element tried to involve the Sisters in another nefarious scheme, Aleister would never stand idly by. He would move, perhaps not personally, but through carefully manipulated circumstances, to neutralize the threat.
Ironically, the Sisters were now safer than almost anyone else in Academy City.
Misaka Mikoto didn't know this, and Fang Li wasn't planning on telling her.
It wasn't that he feared Aleister; he simply saw no reason to burden the Railgun. The Sisters' safety was guaranteed, and that was all Mikoto needed to hear. The shadowy politics of the city could be left for Aleister to manage. The girl deserved a peaceful life.
Of course, not all of the Sisters were being shipped out. A small group remained in Academy City, undergoing their adjustments right there. Naturally, Mikoto would concern herself with them, and Fang Li had no need to meddle any further.
The whole process had been a massive headache, but the ultimate goals had been achieved: Mikoto's horrific predicament was over, and Fang Li had secured the tenth Magic Tome, completing the second Main Quest.
He had, in the end, finished his quest before Sylvia.
When he told her, her reply came immediately:
"I just finished collecting the energy from the last ley line, too.
But it seems the local magic factions have noticed something, the streets have been crawling with people who definitely look like magicians since yesterday. If it weren't for my idol status drawing all the attention, I'd probably have been found out."
Magicians were supposed to be hidden from the public; moving openly was a huge inconvenience for them. Anyone who tried to approach Sylvia was immediately seen as a suspicious, overzealous fan and quickly dealt with by security.
"Someone did use magic to sneak into the concert venue to investigate, but they didn't suspect me at all. I think this time was a close call, but everything's fine.
Once the concert's over, I'll fly straight back. Wait for me, okay?"
After that, Sylvia completely set the quest aside and threw herself into preparing for the show. The concert was scheduled to begin just after the new school term started on September 1st. The Daihasei Festival wouldn't begin until September 19th.
If all went well, Sylvia would return before the festival even started. Not only would his Main Quests be complete, but his long-distance lover would finally be back by his side, a thought Fang Li was greatly looking forward to.
Index's reaction when she heard about Sylvia's imminent return was… strange.
She seemed lost in thought, unusually quiet and subdued.
Fang Li's suspicion was piqued enough for him to toss a sarcastic comment her way.
"What, did the bottomless stomach queen finally eat something bad? Did heaven show some mercy?"
He was, naturally, promptly bitten.
Clearly, Index was taking the matter to heart. He didn't know what she was thinking, but Fang Li had a bad feeling that once Sylvia came back, things would get complicated.
Very complicated.
For example, with Index around, even if Sylvia stayed in his room, certain "adult things" were definitely off-limits.
That made Fang Li consider his options.
"Hey, how about this, when Sylvia comes back, you go stay at the Anglican Church in the UK for a few days?"
Naturally, he was bitten again.
Index did, incidentally, know of Sylvia Lyyneheym's existence. As the world's number one idol, her name was hardly something Index wouldn't recognize, especially with her Perfect Memory. It was just that Fang Li always referred to her casually as "Sylvie," so Index never connected the two.
And that wasn't strange at all.
Fang Li had once told Kamijou Touma, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, and the blue-haired earring guy the exact same thing: "Actually, I know Sylvia Lyyneheym."
That one sentence had earned him three contemptuous looks and a perfectly synchronized reply.
"We know her too!"
Well, yeah. Who doesn't know the world's most famous idol?
It's just that… she probably doesn't know you.
So even when Fang Li affectionately called someone "Sylvie," no one would ever imagine he was referring to the world-renowned diva.
No doubt, when Index finally realized Sylvia's true identity, her reaction would be absolutely priceless.
After all the storms and chaos, the long summer vacation finally came to an end.
Fortunately, on the very last day of summer break, the organization known as Scorpius successfully suppressed the armed esperless gangs, completely seizing control of the neglected territories within Academy City.
From that day on, Scorpius entered a phase of stable operation, and it wouldn't be long before they were recognized as the largest armed organization in the entire city.
Once Anti-Skill and Judgment realized they couldn't stop it, they gave up trying. After all, they couldn't possibly arrest half of Academy City's students.
Now, Anti-Skill and Judgment's main concern was whether Scorpius' rapid expansion would make them uncontrollable, a lawless criminal syndicate beyond anyone's reach.
As a member of Judgment, Shirai Kuroko shared that same concern.
On the final day of summer break, Kuroko somehow got hold of Fang Li's cell phone number. When she called, her first words were…
"Get yourself to School Garden, now."
Her tone was anything but friendly.
Fang Li didn't even hesitate before replying.
"No way!"
What a joke. If he really went there, something terrible was absolutely going to happen.
But Shirai Kuroko didn't care. She simply said: "If you don't come, I'll cause a scene at your school!"
'Was that really something a Judgment officer should be saying?'
Then she hung up, leaving Fang Li staring silently at his phone for a long moment.
"School Garden…"
For the first time, hesitation and conflict appeared on his face.
At last, he sighed.
"Forget it. It's not like I'll definitely run into her anyway…"
With that, Fang Li stepped out the door.
(End Of This Chapter)
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