Night fell, and a common cleaning robot rolled through a shallow puddle, moving alone down the deserted street, then suddenly halted to suck an empty soda can into its belly.
The dutiful cleaning machine, seemingly oblivious to someone's anxious gaze, continued at its usual pace toward a certain dormitory in Tokiwadai.
"Have people no sense of public morality? Must they litter on the streets and cause trouble for everyone?"
Natsume Sonoko shot an irritated glance at the can on the ground. Normally, she wouldn't mind if the cleaning robot stopped to collect trash.
But the current situation was serious—Natsume had no intention of spending half the night stuck outside the dorm entrance, chilled by the wind.
Perched on top of the cleaning robot, she grew more and more restless as curfew drew near. She cast a worried look at the machine beneath her.
All at once, a small whirlwind sprang up from the ground, sweeping away the litter and dust. Freed from obstructions, the cleaning robot promptly picked up speed.
--+--
"Boss, one plate of chicken gizzards, one pork knuckle, and some peanuts, please."
"Right away, ma'am. Just a moment."
At a late-night street stall in District 7, the petite, pink-haired teacher Komoe Tsukuyomi was gulping down a frothy beer and let out a satisfied sigh.
Her face was already flushed—clearly feeling the drink—as she swayed slightly, still clutching a few skewers of meat.
"Boss, I'll have some takoyaki and teppan tofu. Oh, and beer too."
"Sure thing, ma'am."
Slapping her companions on the back—Tessou Tsuzuri and Yomikawa Aiho—a thoroughly red-faced Komoe Tsukuyomi grinned contentedly, squinting as she boldly raised her glass for another swig.
"That's enough, you've both had plenty," Tsuzuri cautioned in her usual timid tone, which carried little weight.
"Tsuzuri, you're exaggerating! We've only had a little," Komoe giggled, tilting her head.
"But Yomikawa gets drunk so easily. Komoe, you have to help me get her back."
"Tsuzuri, you're being sneaky… Huh? Where'd this strong wind come from?" Komoe's skewers nearly blew away, but luckily they didn't hit the ground.
"That's strange… Am I seeing things?"
The only sober one of the group, Tsuzuri stared in surprise as a sudden gust rattled the stall.
"What's going on?" Yomikawa, who had slumped over the counter, mumbled drowsily.
"It's nothing… I thought I saw a mini tornado swirling around a cleaning robot," Tsuzuri replied uncertainly.
--+--
Meanwhile, with only ten minutes until lights-out, someone calculated the cleaning robot's speed and decided it was just enough to make it in time.
"I think I just saw Komoe-sensei and the others… Must be nice being a teacher, not having to worry about curfew."
Natsume Sonoko glanced back toward the street stall with a touch of envy.
Being a teacher when she grew up didn't seem like a bad idea. Though she wasn't sure she had the patience to look after students, getting a teaching license in Academy City wouldn't be too hard, either.
The robot whirred forward, stirring up weird gusts that made passing delinquents shield their eyes.
Finally, the familiar gates of the Tokiwadai dorm came into view. With a quick, sharp breath, Natsume Sonoko hopped off the white cylindrical machine.
Breaking into a jog, she crossed the threshold into the dorm with only half a minute to spare before lights-out.
"Made it!"
Letting out a long sigh of relief, a smile spread across Sonoko's face. She couldn't help glancing toward the Dorm Supervisor, who stood nearby adjusting her glasses with a thoughtful look.
"You're lucky, Natsume."
The Supervisor's voice cut through the air, sending a shiver down Sonoko's spine.
"But some aren't so fortunate… You're three seconds late."
The Supervisor put away the stopwatch she'd been holding and, in one swift motion, locked her grip around the neck of a certain Shirai Kuroko, who had been trying to slip past unnoticed during their exchange.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Shirai? If I recall correctly, this is the fourth time you've been late this month."
Her cold, detached eyes fixed on the sweaty teleporter. A faint, intimidating aura filled the dorm lobby, and the very lights seemed to dim.
"Shirai, I will give you one point of praise: you wisely refrained from using your ability to sneak inside. Otherwise, you would have been the main subject of tonight's room inspections."
The Supervisor's tone was enough to make anyone's scalp prickle. Even a Level 5 like Misaka Mikoto couldn't withstand that kind of special attention, let alone an ordinary teleporter.
"Supervisor, it was only three seconds! I'll be more careful next time," Shirai managed a strained smile, her brown twin tails drooping.
Judging by the Supervisor's tone, it seemed this wasn't Shirai's first offense involving ability-assisted entry.
"Are you trying to bargain with me?" The Supervisor's icy stare pinned Shirai in place.
"No, I just—"
"Why are you still standing here? Would you like to join me for some moon viewing outside?"
The Supervisor turned her gaze toward a certain bun-haired girl lingering nearby, startling her into dashing up to the second floor in a panic.
"Good. Now that the bystanders are gone… we can properly address your behavior, Shirai." The Supervisor's hands tightened around Shirai's neck as she whispered softly into her ear.
A moment later, there was the sound of the door closing and something heavy hitting the ground outside. The wind howled as a certain teleporter sat slumped in despair by the dorm entrance.
"Ah, I almost forgot your schoolbag."
The dorm door swung open again. Under Shirai's hopeful gaze, the Supervisor reached out and tossed a black backpack outside.
After silently offering a quick prayer for Shirai, a slightly shaken Natsume Sonoko stumbled her way up to the second floor, a look of relief mixed with lingering fear on her face.
Back safely in her own room, Room 210, Sonoko finally relaxed.
She set an alarm on her phone, reminding herself never to lose track of time again—unless she wanted to end up like Shirai.
She spent the next two hours digesting the day's gains. Beyond thermal conversion, she'd made significant progress in several derivative abilities. Even her concept for a nitrogen armor seemed a little more feasible now.
Of course, insights were one thing—turning them into usable skills would take plenty more work.
Based on her current data on thermal conversion, constructing a barely functional set of calculation formulas would require at least six months of repeated adjustments and simulations.
With access to multiple supercomputers, though, that time could be drastically shortened.
Sonoko considered writing up her organized notes in a notebook, but given the sensitive origin of the data, she decided to be cautious.
After some thought, she gave up on using ordinary script. Instead, she borrowed from some unknown world's "Martian text," deconstructing various symbols, traditional and simplified characters, Japanese kana, and even cuneiform, then reassembling them in an unpredictable sequence—creating a script no Earthling could decipher.
"Not bad at all," Natsume Sonoko nodded, seemingly pleased with her creation. She gazed at the bizarre writing with a hint of pride.
With her task complete, drowsiness began to wash over her. Just as she was about to sleep, a knocking sound came from next door.
"Onee-sama! Kuroko has finally returned to you!" As the door opened, Shirai's voice, full of grievance, drifted through the wall.
"Keep your voice down! Everyone's asleep. And next time, remember to bring your own key." That was Misaka-senpai's voice, clearly straining to keep her emotions in check.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, 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.