Natsume-san's reflexes were always so sharp, proof that her nerve conduction speed was top-notch, yet she could be surprisingly oblivious in many other ways.
That dreaded Daihasei Festival, which a certain bun-girl absolutely loathed, was something the Sisters yearned for but could never have.
Day after day, she comfortably lived what she called her 'ordinary daily life,' yet this city was a living hell where countless others struggled desperately.
Joy and sorrow didn't interconnect between people, and often, Natsume-san only really thought about herself.
Come to think of it, Natsume-san wasn't interested in anything that happened outside her immediate line of sight.
Even when she wanted to help Senpai, who was caught in the city's dark underbelly, she never considered intervening in the lives of others suffering similar fates.
She didn't want to bother with too many things, treating her duties as a Judgment member with a 'good enough' attitude, preferring to leave the maintenance of Academy City's rules to the Anti-Skill teachers.
When it came down to it, Natsume-san was just an ordinary person with esper abilities.
"Did Reiko-san participate in the Daihasei Festival before? Even though Reiko-san doesn't go out to school like us, Misaka 10032 asks while tilting her head forty-five degrees with a strange expression."
It seemed her earlier remarks had sparked a certain curiosity among the Sisters. Misaka 10032, acting as their representative, was the first to speak up.
"That's not important right now!"
"In any case, everyone needs to listen to the Dorm Supervisor. You must stay properly inside the dormitory."
Natsume-san's mood was easily influenced by her surroundings, and she cared deeply about the Sisters' feelings, but her mind remained firmly set on executing her own little plan.
The Sisters needed to stay in their rooms until Natsume-san and the others found and dealt with the mastermind behind it all.
Since the Sisters were all connected via the Misaka Network, generally, by communicating with just one Sister, important information could be shared with the entire group.
But this also came with a significant drawback. Through the access permissions of a single Sister, one could still influence the entire Misaka Network to a certain extent—for example, by uploading specialized viruses disguised as memories.
Therefore, the upcoming operation was crucial; they couldn't very well let the Sisters stay cooped up in their rooms forever.
However, Natsume-san wasn't leading this operation. Whether the mastermind would be fortunate enough to even walk into an Anti-Skill building was still an unknown.
She wasn't entirely sure how Shokuhou-senpai handled these kinds of incidents, but she figured it probably had something to do with her Mental Out ability—most likely things like brainwashing, and such.
Silently steeling her resolve, Natsume-san's brain went into overdrive, quickly coming up with what seemed like a perfect solution.
"Then, as a reward for everyone staying nicely in their rooms, the Dorm Supervisor has also prepared to provide you all with a set of Academy City's latest technological products."
Wearing a thoughtful expression, Reiko paused for a moment before continuing.
Actually, participating in the Daihasei Festival and such didn't necessarily require going outside. Doesn't everyone always say technology changes lives?
"This latest product is essentially a set of holographic projection equipment. It not only simulates the real competition environment of the Daihasei Festival but also has a quite effective olfactory system. It can even adjust various weather conditions and temperatures, and the tactile feedback from the scenes reaches about thirty percent of the real thing."
"And when fully deployed, it can create a holographic environment with a radius of about twenty meters. The yard here, plus the nearby lawn and flower beds, should just about be enough to fit it, though it needs to be cleaned up properly first."
Natsume-san recalled the projection system she had her eye on, then scrutinized the yard of Misaka Apartment Building No. 1, speaking with a serious tone.
The more obvious shortcomings were the tactile feedback and the detail level of the scenery.
But to upgrade to the near one-hundred percent realism she experienced during her Level 5 evaluation—well, that kind of thing simply wasn't available on the market; it was strictly a lab prototype.
She'd heard about the equipment used when Misaka-senpai went to help shoot that commercial—the kind that could fill an entire studio with a realistic, immersive environment.
Probably, even increasing Natsume-san's budget several dozen times wouldn't be enough. That was strictly commercial-grade machinery.
"Misaka 11530 just stated on the Network that if there is only one set of equipment, the Sisters living in the dormitory building won't be able to use it, Misaka 14530 promptly reports this new information to Commander Reiko."
"Eh, is that so?"
"One set does seem a bit insufficient. Then we'll just buy two sets. The Dorm Supervisor surely won't have a problem with that."
Having fully considered the Sisters' opinions, a certain bun-girl's two bodies nodded in unison.
The number of Sisters remaining in Academy City was quite large, and they were split between two locations. They really did need to properly consider everyone's feelings.
If she included next month's scholarship and her Judgment stipend, it should be just about enough to buy two holographic projection systems with olfactory capabilities.
Assigning a purpose to her scholarship money before it even arrived was painful, but it was a necessary expense.
Natsume-san noted that Tokiwadai Dormitory provided food, drink, and even free transportation.
If she placed the order now, it would probably be delivered around tomorrow, and delaying the payment for a few days wouldn't be an issue.
Furthermore, if they were holographic projectors, setting them up in the Misaka Apartments could also reduce the chances of the Sisters being spotted.
At the very least, no one would be able to observe the Sisters who liked to space out on the balcony, as the holograms could project a different scene.
Thinking it over, it instantly felt like getting more than her money's worth.
Natsume-san began considering whether to buy two more—one for each of the two Misaka Apartment buildings and one for each of the two dormitory buildings, making four in total.
The energy consumption of these units wasn't low, but Academy City's energy prices were absurdly cheap. Plus, the Sisters could generate their own electricity. It seemed somewhat feasible.
As for the one Natsume-san planned to buy for herself… that would have to be postponed again. But Reiko playing with it was basically the same thing.
Her mind made up in an instant: she'd buy two for now. The rest would have to wait.
"Really? Actually, any request from the Dorm Supervisor is one we have no reason to oppose. These requirements have already been relayed through the Misaka Network, and the vast majority of Misakas remaining in Academy City have confirmed the message and are preparing to return to their rooms, Misaka 10032 adds, feeling her arm getting tired and placing the kitten back on top of her head."
Truth be told, the Sisters were willing to trust Reiko from the very start. Natsume-san's worries were completely unfounded.
It was just that a certain bun-girl underestimated her own influence among the Sisters—and, of course, the depth of the Sisters' trust in Reiko.
"Of course it's true. Keeping her word is the Dorm Supervisor's personal motto in life."
Reiko stated this somewhat matter-of-factly, a look of certainty flashing across her face.
That's right. I, Natsume Sonoko, am just that kind of outstanding young woman. Money? It's all just fleeting clouds. Even if it means no new comics or supermarket trips next month.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.