The female researcher drew closer, bringing with her a subtle yet distinct scent of roses. The fragrant breeze brushed past, stirring the hair at Natsume-san's temples.
The researcher came to a stop directly in front of Natsume Sonoko, then bent slightly at the waist, resting her hands on her knees to bring her eyes level with the girl.
A warm, smiling expression graced her features.
"You must be Natsume Sonoko-san, here for today's evaluation. What a punctual young lady," said Researcher Hirosue Asuka, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
Sonoko wrinkled her nose slightly, a bit unsettled by the perfume. Her sense of smell was sharper than most.
"Hello, I'm Natsume Sonoko. I'll be in your care today."
Sonoko was always polite. She nodded as she replied, yet a trace of something odd flickered across her face.
Looking at Hirosue's smile, Sonoko felt a distinct sense of dissonance.
Back at the Fourth Thermal Research Institute, she'd seen this researcher's cold, stern side more than enough times—quick to anger, the very picture of a mad scientist type.
She'd thought that after the Thermal Research Institute was shut down, she'd never see her again.
So it came as a surprise to run into her today—and even more so to learn that this woman would be overseeing her evaluation.
"Shokuhou-senpai, are you there?"
Sonoko mumbled the words under her breath, turning her face away from Hirosue as if feeling somewhat guilty.
"Natsume-san, what was that?"
A hint of puzzlement surfaced in Hirosue's smile as she regarded Sonoko curiously.
"Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all. The evaluation is about to start—we should get going."
Sonoko shook her head quickly. Only a handful of people would have any idea what she was really thinking just then.
So much time had passed—it seemed Shokuhou-senpai's control over Hirosue had definitely worn off. Her murmured question had drawn no reaction at all.
'If only Shokuhou-senpai were here, I'd feel a bit more at ease,' Sonoko thought with some regret.
Though she was confident she could pass the evaluation on her own, nerves were inevitable. Having someone familiar around would've been nice.
"Very well. The testing area is all prepared."
"But before we begin, there are a few preliminary steps. We'll also need to attach some devices to monitor the stability of your ability, Natsume-san."
Researcher Hirosue straightened up and spoke matter-of-factly.
"Understood."
Sonoko nodded, indicating she would follow instructions. From the moment she'd stepped out of the student dorm this morning, she'd been mentally prepared for this.
It was all for Level 5. She hadn't forgotten the aspirations she'd held when she first arrived in Academy City—back then, Level 5 hadn't yet stepped into the city's spotlight.
Well, perhaps that was overstating it. Most of these preliminary steps were perfectly ordinary—filling out forms and the like.
"Then please follow me."
Hirosue gave a small wave, tightened her lab coat, and led the way into the research facility.
The moment her back was turned to Sonoko, a pair of star-shaped glints flickered in her pupils, and she pursed her lips slightly.
'Natsume-san is quite perceptive, isn't she? And here I thought I wasn't giving anything away.'
Elsewhere in Academy City, Shokuhou-senpai was sitting bored in a dedicated classroom, undergoing her own physical assessment.
Staff assigned to the Fifth-Ranked esper were stationed all around her.
But as usual, every staff member stood motionless like puppets. Shokuhou-senpai held a pen and was calmly writing her own evaluation for the physical exam.
It might seem odd for a student to assess herself, but when that student was the Level 5 Mental Out, who else would even bother?
Just as Shokuhou-senpai was filling out the form, the ground trembled slightly.
A glance out the window revealed a Railgun shot—packing a bit more punch than usual—plunging into a swimming pool. A towering column of water erupted skyward, and a brief, sudden shower drenched the schoolyard of Tokiwadai Middle School.
"Rain… I wouldn't be surprised if a rainbow showed up now."
Shokuhou-senpai walked over to the windowsill, resting her remote control against her chin in thought.
But let's return to our main focus for the day—a certain girl with odango hair who was in the middle of an evaluation.
The research facility covered a vast area. Near the security office at the periphery, rows of small transport vehicles were neatly parked.
These vehicles resembled the sightseeing carts used in some tourist spots—two-seaters, powered by solar energy.
Sitting quietly beside Hirosue, Sonoko leaned her head slightly out of the cart, gazing around with curiosity.
'This place is so big… If Shokuhou-senpai were to break in here, it'd probably take her some effort.'
'That building over there looks a bit like the one that white-haired guy tore down…'
Her mind wandered to rather inappropriate comparisons. When the cart finally stopped, the two stood before a building bearing the prefix "[Higuchi Pharmaceuticals]."
Higuchi Pharmaceuticals was a massive multinational corporation—its status in the pharmaceutical world comparable to that of Kongou Aerospace in the aviation industry. Sonoko hadn't expected to see a building sponsored by them here.
The building was highly automated. Sensing some device Hirosue was wearing, a reinforced alloy door on the first floor slid slowly open.
Instead of a spacious lobby, they were met with an elevator capable of accessing any floor directly, with a capacity large enough for forty or fifty people.
At the moment, however, it stood empty—the only users were the two of them.
"Fifteenth floor," Hirosue announced.
The elevator acknowledged the command and began its ascent.
"No need to be nervous. The test content should be quite easy for you. As a thermal-based Level 5 candidate, you'd be the first of your kind in Academy City."
As the elevator rose swiftly, Hirosue turned her gaze to Sonoko, as though she'd already done her homework on the girl.
Sonoko nodded slightly, betraying little emotion, and simply waited absently for the elevator to stop.
Upon reaching the fifteenth floor, she was promptly asked to sign several documents—similar to the agreements her own school had provided—outlining benefits and conditions.
Of course, there were obligations too: things like public representation and regular physical exams—the usual expectations.
Sonoko suddenly recalled something Shokuhou-senpai had mentioned: the main purpose of this evaluation was to collect data on her ability.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have her signing these Level 5 commitment forms ahead of time.
Even so, Sonoko still needed to secure a Level 5 rating from the researchers—that step was non-negotiable.
What did surprise her, though, was that before the actual ability testing began, she had to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Not direct mental manipulation like Shokuhou-senpai might perform—the examiner was just a regular psychologist, not an esper. The questions covered a wide range of topics, but Sonoko answered them all without trouble.
The purpose didn't seem to be uncovering any dark personality traits, but rather identifying any psychological barriers that might interfere with ability usage.
After the psychological test, under Hirosue's direction, Sonoko was fitted with a small, badge-like device.
"This is an RSPK Syndrome monitor. It records instances of impaired self-control or involuntary ability activation during use. It's an important part of today's evaluation, carrying significant weight," Hirosue explained, her smile still in place.
RSPK Syndrome was fairly common in Academy City—triggered by stress or psychological issues. Nearly every esper experienced it to some degree.
Sonoko had dealt with it herself. Shirai-san's inability to use her ability when injured might also be related.
Usually, RSPK Syndrome wasn't easily detectable. Episodes tended to be extremely brief—so fleeting that even the esper's own brain might not register them, and they rarely caused external effects like muddle.
By the time it became noticeable, the condition was relatively severe. The 'tremors' triggered by Banri and the others were about the most significant impact observable at this stage.
"This device detects those subtle, often unnoticed, loss-of-control episodes—helping us record the stability of your ability, Natsume-san," Hirosue continued.
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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.