Chapter 256: "Protecting" Alhaitham
Haibara's gaze swept across the venue, her sharp eyes cataloging every piece of equipment in sight. She carefully scanned the lighting rigs, the towering speaker arrays, and the complex mixing board, searching for a logical explanation for what she had just experienced. Barbara's song had undeniably swayed her emotions, a fact that her scientific mind refused to accept at face value.
She simply did not believe a person could influence a crowd's mood so deeply through voice alone. There had to be some external apparatus at play, some subtle frequency or subliminal projection she was missing.
Yet, after a thorough visual inspection, she found nothing. Not a single piece of equipment seemed out of place or modified for such a purpose. With a quiet sigh of frustration, she could only file the phenomenon away under the growing list of inexplicable abilities demonstrated by the Teyvat Organization. It was a conclusion that chafed against her very nature as a scientist.
A short while later, with Nilou's performance still some time away, Okiya Subaru excused himself from the group, murmuring that he needed to use the restroom.
Hearing this, Conan immediately piped up, "I have to go too! I'll go with Brother Okiya!" Before anyone could object, he feigned a sense of urgency, grabbing Okiya's hand and pulling him away from the seats.
Once they had found a deserted corner near the restrooms, away from the flow of the crowd, Conan's childish pretense vanished. "Mr. Okiya," he began, his voice low and impatient, "was what she said true? Did Alhaitham really hold a position as powerful as the Acting Grand Sage?"
"I can't be certain." Okiya shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice. "His homeland is quite distant, and the flow of information is heavily restricted. It will be impossible to verify the truth in the short term. However," he added, "the position of Grand Sage at the Akademiya did indeed change hands recently."
"So, what Miss Nilou said is probably true," Conan mused, his mind racing. "In that case, Nilou herself..."
If she was a member of the Teyvat Organization and privy to such high-level operations, could she truly be just a simple dancer? What other secrets was she hiding?
"From what my investigation could turn up, that Miss Nilou is just an ordinary dancer from her home country," Okiya admitted, equally perplexed. "The timeframe for the investigation was short, but her life is an open book. She's an employee of a theater. Unlike Alhaitham, whose records are obscured by his connection to the Akademiya, I was able to easily acquire information on Nilou dating back to her childhood."
The file was remarkably detailed, and by all accounts, Nilou's life experiences painted the picture of a perfectly ordinary young woman.
It wasn't just her. Xiangling, Noelle, even Diluc and Lisa—their birth records, their paths through life, their personal histories were all impeccably clear. There were no gaps, no inconsistencies, no trace of forgery whatsoever.
If not for the identical, gem-like accessories they all wore—their Visions—it would be impossible to see any connection between these people of different nationalities and disparate walks of life, let alone believe they had all joined the same clandestine organization.
That was the most baffling part. Looking at their life stories, some of them had absolutely no discernible motive for joining such a group. Okiya's curiosity about the Teyvat Organization deepened. He found himself genuinely wanting to know how its leader managed to find these highly capable, uniquely talented individuals and earn their unwavering loyalty, seemingly without any fear of betrayal.
"Then..." Conan was about to voice another theory when a figure passing in the periphery of his vision caught his eye.
A jolt went through him. It was someone who had no business being here. Conan froze, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at the familiar silhouette.
Okiya, ever observant, instantly noticed the change in Conan's demeanor. He knew something was wrong. He turned, following the boy's fixed gaze, and his own expression flickered with surprise.
"It's that boy," Conan whispered, his voice tight with alarm. "The one who showed up at the hospital..."
"Yes," Okiya confirmed, his tone growing heavy. He nodded grimly. "He's a member of the Black Organization."
But why would an agent of the Organization be here?
A silent, shared understanding passed between them. Okiya and Conan exchanged a look, nodded once, and began to move. Lightening their steps, they melted into the throng of people, trailing the boy from a safe distance.
To their surprise, the boy—the Wanderer—made no effort to conceal himself. He stalked forward with a deep frown etched on his face, his sharp gaze scanning the crowd as if searching for someone. He didn't look like an agent on a covert mission at all.
"What in the world is he doing?" Conan murmured, ducking behind a pillar.
Okiya could only shake his head, equally unsure. The two continued their pursuit, determined to uncover his purpose.
After a short walk, the Wanderer finally stopped. Okiya and Conan halted as well, using the surrounding crowd to obscure their presence as they slowly maneuvered for a better vantage point.
"Is this sort of artistic performance really something a person like you would be interested in?" the Wanderer asked, his voice laced with undisguised mockery.
"I'm just helping out," a calm, level voice replied.
At that moment, Conan and Okiya got a clear view of the person the Wanderer was speaking to. It was Alhaitham.
A flicker of surprise went through them, but it was quickly replaced by a grim sense of logic. They were both members of the Black Organization; it wasn't strange for them to know each other.
But for both of them to appear at an idol competition of all places... that was far from ordinary.
Alhaitham raised a single eyebrow. "And you? What brings you here?"
The Wanderer let out a cold, dismissive laugh. "Heh. A researcher like you can't just be allowed to wander out of the Organization's base as he pleases. Naturally, someone from the Action Team has to keep an eye on you."
He then let his gaze sweep over Alhaitham from head to toe before turning away with a click of his tongue. "Purely a formality, of course," he added, his voice dripping with dissatisfaction. "A certain someone doesn't need any protection from the Action Team at all, does he?"
Alhaitham's expression remained perfectly neutral. "It's surveillance, isn't it?"
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