A musical performance by volunteers from the male group.
It’s a unique performance method using Shikigami spirits, but it gives it a Japanese feel and creates an elegant production.
Receiving paper and a pen from the staff, they create simple Shikigami on the spot, which transform into instruments like flutes, and the men check their tones.
The women watch with excitement, wondering what is about to begin.
Keiri-san asks with her eyes, “What are you planning to start?” and then telepathically:
“This is an unplanned action, what is starting?”
“It’s a concert by volunteers from the male group. As a thank you for the various events they organized.”
“You’re not going to cast any strange magic, are you? Our magic also has a technique to enchant music and singing.”
“Kirie-san is supervising it thoroughly, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
Furthermore, the past instances have led to them being cautious.
As an example, the legend of the Lorelei, which famously bewitched sailors in this world, can be replicated with magic from the continent.
Understanding Keiri-san’s caution that such technology might exist in Japan, I reassure her that Kirie-san is watching, but my eyes remain vigilant, not missing any suspicious actions or atmospheres.
Both sides have experienced troubles, and if they cause any more problematic behavior, it could lead to a state where interaction becomes impossible.
This was enough to escalate into such a crisis-aware situation.
Trouble-free is ideal, but somewhere in my mind, I knew zero trouble was impossible. To dispel that naive thought, Kirie-san and I are working hard.
“It seems you’re also keeping a close watch, so I’m praying that nothing happens.”
Seeing my serious demeanor, Keiri-san gives off an aura of temporary agreement, and the telepathic call ends. At that point, the men’s preparations seem to be finished.
A performance by a total of about eight people.
In addition, two others seem to be in charge of the production, creating and making butterflies and small birds dance using Shikigami.
The performance begins with these arrangements.
“Wow.”
The music, which evokes history and Japanese culture, is so impressive that even I, uneducated, can feel its greatness.
However, on the other hand, in the realm of reason, I’m already thinking about whether I’m being mentally influenced, which halves my enjoyment.
Work won’t leave my mind, which is only natural as an event organizer, but in terms of enjoying art, I’m a complete failure.
Yet, as an organizer, I can’t afford to fail. Now that the men’s performance is gathering attention, I secretly activate an concealment spell and move into stealth.
By becoming an existence that doesn’t emit magic power, I aim to instill caution in those who might be planning something.
You might think being cautious is a bad thing, but my goal this time is the success of the party.
Exposing dangerous elements is secondary.
Instead, I intend to incite caution and restrict their actions.
Like a shark lurking in the deep sea.
I slowly fade my presence, leaving only the fact that I was here, strengthening my indistinctness.
This allows those who want to enjoy the marriage hunting party without any worries to do so in peace.
However, for those with ulterior motives, they are suddenly faced with the fact that their target to be wary of has disappeared.
Including what can be inferred from the information of the woman who just left, hesitation sets in, and their reason firmly restrains their actions.
The atmosphere in the venue subtly tensed up just from my disappearance, and I could feel it.
Two of the women Keiri-san pointed out reacted, while the rest showed no response.
This allows me to categorize the former as “black” and the latter as “gray to white.”
Suspicious reactions were also observed from three men and one additional woman.
Instead of narrowing my focus to six people, I maintain a bird’s-eye view, leisurely walking around the venue, tracking their movements with markings.
I pass behind anyone without provoking a reaction, without ruining the pleasant atmosphere, and like a shark hunting its prey, I keep my eyes on my targets, but I’m careful not to let my gaze give me away.
While the absence of something might seem like a good thing at first glance, there’s a world of difference between “nothing” and “something that was but is no more.”
The former is easygoing, while the latter leaves a sense of unease.
Instructor Fushio taught me such methods.
“Listen, Jirou. Battles are fought with information. Even when fists are flying or in negotiations, information is constantly flowing. To win in your exchanges with your opponent, knowledge and information are indispensable. Always supplement any perceived deficiencies and never give information to your opponent. That way, they will naturally reveal their weaknesses. Those weaknesses are opportunities that will inevitably turn into profit.”
Following the instructor’s teachings, delivered with a sly, mischievous smile, I hold my breath. While not overtly suspicious, I notice someone’s anxiety in the air, and another person, sensing that anxiety, tries to maintain a composed demeanor but their naturalness breaks.
The men are also focused on Kirie-san, creating an environment where it’s much easier for me to keep watch.
Everything is falling into place for me to control the situation.
You can’t restrict actions without first controlling the scene.
“…Stop suddenly passing behind me. I almost kicked you.”
However, there is one person who is unhappy with my movements. Keiri, whom I managed to get behind just barely without her detecting my presence, reacted momentarily and then acted a bit unnaturally, sensing my presence.
She was talking to the men at the time, so when asked if something was wrong, my smile stiffened, and I received this complaint.
“Sorry. I’ll be careful.”
Conversely, it means that even at Keiri-san’s final defensive line, the surrounding individuals were completely unaware of me.
Presence is an element that expresses a person’s life.
Presence is composed of various elements such as body temperature, breathing, sound, texture, and magic power.
Simply put, even if the visual information is crisp, there’s an incongruity in the atmosphere between a 3D image and reality for the same person.
The majority of human information is visual.
We grasp who is where by the visual information that enters our field of vision, but if there are discrepancies or gaps in that visual information, our cognitive functions immediately decline.
Presence greatly influences such areas.
A human’s field of vision is approximately 120 degrees when looking straight ahead.
However, the accuracy decreases towards the periphery, and most information is concentrated in the center.
Therefore, in the absence of presence information, if it only enters the peripheral vision, there isn’t enough information to be recognized quickly.
Regarding the other five senses, unless it’s a particularly sensitive species, it’s not easy to react.
Indeed, even now, when I pass by a beastkin woman who is sensitive to sound, there is no reaction, and a Harpy woman, sensitive to the flow of wind, only feels a slight disturbance in the air flow.
In this environment where I am wandering around in a state of invisibility, only those with something to hide feel cramped.
Those with secrets have three options.
Either pursue them straightforwardly, give up, or force their way through.
Giving up is not an option.
For them, they are taking action seeking some kind of mission or profit.
However, forcing their way through is also impossible.
If they try to force their way through or attempt to negotiate, I will intervene.
Given that, if they can genuinely try to persuade someone…
“Well, if they’re pragmatic, they can do it.”
They can.
In an environment where one can choose a partner, which is common in arranged marriages, they just need to find the person they like best among them.
However, the obstacle at that time is the women who had previously colluded and decided on their targets.
Interfering with their coordinated efforts is a breach of agreement.
In a way, they are scarier to make an enemy of than I am.
When the spyware women, unsatisfied with the available men, ponder what to do and their approach simplifies slightly, men often notice.
Moreover, this is a masquerade party where everyone’s faces are completely hidden.
A man, perceiving a lack of interest, might think, “This person isn’t interested in me,” and simply move on.
To put it bluntly, there’s a difference in passion between women who genuinely want to get married and those who are participating for profit.
Men would also choose a woman who directly expresses her affection over one who mixes in the calculation of profits and losses.
The intensity, or rather, how serious they are, is clearly different, and the women who have passed my scrutiny have the advantage.
When unfair tactics are blocked, this difference gradually becomes apparent in the venue.
Men leave the vicinity of the spyware women, and while they aren’t completely isolated from the group, they are struggling to gauge the appropriate distance.
Our women are seriously considering marriage and tackling this party.
The casual attitude of arranged marriage creates a temperature difference.
“…”
With a slightly cold gaze, I watch the women who are increasingly struggling with their approach. If they don’t cause any problems, I’ll let it slide for now and ask Muil-san to handle their apprehension later, contacting him outside the venue.
If they continue like this, it’s likely they’ll end up together for reasons other than romance.
The men who seem to be moving in a way that suggests they’re looking for profit are also struggling to win over the serious women, but the women who can’t accept the arranged marriage vibe are starting to distance themselves, leading to superficial relationships.
As time passes, such differences emerge.
There are successes and failures.
As both the men and women begin to understand compatibility not by appearance but by her aura, I realize how much of a difference this makes.
The ones who are distancing themselves, namely those aiming for profit-driven arranged marriages, will naturally start talking.
On the surface, they appear to be chatting amicably, but this should be seen as them beginning negotiations while listening to each other’s stories.
“…Do they really not notice?”
Unaware that I’m reading their lip movements, two people are whispering rather sensitive topics.
While they are lightly concealed with a spell, making it seem like a friendly conversation at first glance, their content is speculation about catching a rabbit before it’s born.
They are masking things with coded language, but the nuance is conveyed, and while they are discussing their mutual interests, they are also trying to create an advantage for themselves.
At least, if things continue like this, it seems like the woman will win in a space with magic power, and the man in a space without it, but…
The man is likely at a disadvantage.
The woman’s goal is not to discuss profits here, but to create an atmosphere where they can meet alone in a place with magic power, while the man is trying to efficiently generate profit.
Could this be a subtle honeypot? As I think that the side from the other world might win this battle of probing each other’s intentions, I sigh inwardly.
I must remove any major troubles that I find.
Today’s word:
You can’t let your guard down until everything is over.
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