Chapter 35: Additional Mission

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The mansion’s study.

Seated in an ornate chair before the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, Baron Kuboji gazed up at a small transport ship streaking across the sky. Only after a long while did he look away.

“Check my physiological condition. Am I ill?” he sighed faintly.

At his words, the butler behind him emitted X-rays, gamma rays, ultrasound, and more, carefully scanning Kuboji’s body.

His physical data was analyzed in moments.

“Your physiological condition is normal. However, your brain is secreting an excessive amount of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. You are currently in a state of emotional distress. You should keep your thoughts flowing freely and make yourself happy…”

Kuboji glanced at the butler and sighed.

“Sometimes I truly envy you for being heartless. Without a heart, there can be no emptiness.”

“The heart is a vague collective term humanity used in the ancient era for consciousness, sensation, emotion, cognition, behavior, and related phenomena. However, according to my calculations, you have merely developed a desire to mate,” the butler replied.

Kuboji neither confirmed nor denied it. After a moment, he asked, “Have you completed the calculations for the highest-priority task?”

Streams of data churned through the butler’s eyes. He then spoke without expression.

“Calculation progress for Task XAU_00023 has reached 92.73 percent.”

“What is the result?”

“Based on the current results, the probability that you will obtain Wakaba without being discovered by the imperial family is zero percent.”

“Zero percent… Heh heh heh…” Kuboji gave a self-mocking laugh, as though he had expected nothing else.

“So I am destined never to have her.”

“No.” The butler’s voice remained devoid of emotion. “The maximum computational power available to me permits only ten to the thirty-first recursive iterations in modeling the future. This falls short of the complexity of the real world. Therefore, all conclusions I obtain represent only possibilities, not the actual future.”

Kuboji fell silent.

He naturally understood that predicting the future required endless recursive calculations.

The world was not as simple as one plus one equaling two. It was more like x plus y equaling z.

Human beings were a special kind of variable, academically known as recursive variables.

At every moment, humans attempted to foresee the future. After foreseeing it, they altered their present behavior accordingly. This created recursion—and an immense quantity of recursive data generated with every passing second.

And that was only a single human variable.

There were more than ten billion people in this world, recursively calculating from moment to moment. Their recursive processes could influence one another, causing the future to become chaotic and indistinct, impossible to predict with precision.

And that still took no account of other living creatures, the cosmic environment, unknown information, and countless other influences.

Kuboji knew perfectly well that even as a nobleman, he possessed nowhere near enough computational power to calculate the future accurately.

“Take her form,” he said.

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At his command, the butler’s surface rippled slightly. Countless tiny particles surged across his body. His form shrank, his features changed…

Before long, he had become an exquisite young beauty in a kimono-style miniskirt—the very image of Wakaba.

Even his gaze had changed. The original coldness vanished, replaced by a naïve, endearingly vacant innocence. He seemed almost to have come alive.

“Wakaba greets you, Baron,” he said, his voice transformed into one as lively and melodious as Wakaba’s.

But Kuboji merely glanced at him before waving dismissively.

“Forget it. Change back. In the end, it is only the clumsy imitation of a lifeless thing. It lacks her soul.”

“Additionally, add the following calculation task. Designation: The Imperial Family Abandons the Hyakka Branch of Miyagi Academy in Shibuya City…”

“Understood. Task sequence XAU_00024 has been added. Calculation in progress…”

…

Miyagi Hyakka Academy.

After Wakaba returned, quite a few students from the elite class came to ask her about the internship.

However, by order of Yuko, she was forbidden to reveal anything about it, so she gave them only vague answers.

When Keiko asked about it in the dormitory, however, Wakaba told her the truth and returned the canister of spray.

Keiko refused to take it back, insisting that Wakaba keep it as a weapon for self-defense.

It was already past six in the evening. Remembering that she had yet to clean the North Wing, Wakaba changed her clothes and prepared to go there.

Just then, through the eyes of her clone, she saw something so astonishing that she was left speechless.

……

——Perspective of the Pure Clone——

On a bustling street, Wakaba stood frozen, staring at the giant screen atop the building across from her.

A news report was playing.

“Biologists have discovered an entirely new plant species on Renshin Star. It has been named the Wakaba Flower. This flower… is the greatest discovery in the biological sciences in nearly fifty years!”

The beautiful female anchor spoke with passionate enthusiasm as she introduced the new species. Images of the flower appeared across the giant screen.

Many pedestrians were astonished by the flower’s unusual beauty.

The report also featured interviews with leading experts and professors in the field.

Every one of them lavished praise upon the Wakaba Flower.

Several renowned scholars even announced that they had already applied to conduct research on the new species…

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“Miss Shiratori, what’s wrong? Oh, the Wakaba Flower? It swept across the internet two days ago and even reached the top of the trending searches. By now, I imagine the whole world knows about this new species. But the Wakaba Flower really is beautiful!”

Hanada Rie gazed admiringly at the image on the giant screen.

It was Saturday, and the school was closed.

Throughout the week, Rie had repeatedly sought out Wakaba, insisting on treating her to a meal as an apology for what had happened before.

Wakaba had initially refused, but Rie’s persistent invitations eventually wore her down.

Seeing how sincere the other girl seemed—and curious herself about the food at such an upscale restaurant—Wakaba finally agreed.

They had already gotten out of the luxury taxi, but the hotel was still some distance away.

Wakaba did not understand why Rie had refused to let the taxi drive directly to the hotel entrance.

She had insisted on walking such a long way instead.

The news report she had just seen was the one playing on the street.

At present, her mind was filled with the words Kuboji had spoken three days earlier:

“Very well. From now on, this flower shall be called the Wakaba Flower.”

Now, as she looked at the crowds streaming past and the endless traffic flowing along the streets, Wakaba felt an unreal sensation rising within her.

One sentence!

Just one sentence!

And she, Wakaba, had already secured a place in the annals of history.

In her previous life, that was something countless people could not obtain even after exhausting themselves over the course of an entire lifetime.

Yet she had never imagined that…

It would all happen because of a single sentence from Kuboji.

At that moment, Wakaba finally experienced for herself the weight carried by the word “noble.”

“Let’s go.” Wakaba withdrew her gaze and suppressed her thoughts.

They reached an area near the heart of the city, where towering skyscrapers rose in every direction. It was Wakaba’s first time there, and she walked along with her head tilted back, staring up at the immense buildings in amazement.

Behind her, Rie watched Wakaba’s country-bumpkin-like wonder with disdain flickering deep within her eyes.

Just wait. Once tonight is over, I will repay you twice over for the humiliation you inflicted upon me!

The poisonous thought filled her heart.

Yet her face retained the bright, youthful expression of an innocent girl.