"I will definitely bring the Saint back, Your Holiness," Agnese said solemnly, her hands unconsciously clenching together.
They were heading into the headquarters of the world's largest heretical faction. There would be no support at all, and the slightest mistake could leave them completely stranded.
"Make sure your identities remain concealed," the Pope said in a deep voice.
In the past hundred years, science had developed at an astonishing pace, to the point where it could rival magic. There were unknown forces at work, and everything about it remained unclear. The rapid expansion of science had already created friction between churches across the world.
Magic was a domain that science could not comprehend, something entirely outside its framework. Likewise, the magic side knew almost nothing about science.
Yet despite having only a century of development, science had reached a level comparable to the Church, which had existed for thousands of years. That alone implied the existence of unimaginable trump cards.
At present, no magical faction understood what those trump cards were, so none dared to recklessly provoke Academy City.
The Pope had even read works written by renowned scientists. He could recognize every word individually, but once combined, they became incomprehensible. As for the symbols and formulas, they were completely beyond his understanding.
Recently, many scientists with enormous influence over the secular world had emerged. It was said that a scientist named Stephen Hawking had elevated scientific understanding to the scale of the cosmos itself.
As the sun rose above the horizon, the massive gates surrounding Academy City opened precisely on schedule, linking the city to the outside world.
A group of girls from a European school, accompanied by their teacher, entered Academy City under the guise of a field trip.
"They actually made me take off my nun's habit. How disgraceful. How disgraceful. To suffer such humiliation just to enter this heretical city." The blonde girl, around seventeen or eighteen years old, gritted her teeth internally.
To make matters worse, she had been forced to leave behind all of her magical tools in order to pass inspection.
"Lucia, lower your voice. What if someone hears us? That would be terrible." Angelene whispered nervously, clutching her braid as she glanced fearfully at the armed security machines stationed near the gate.
"Lucia, Angelene, Agata, follow my instructions carefully," Agnese said in a low and composed voice. "Once we enter, we may encounter various complications. The thirty six of us disguised as students will split into groups of three to search for the Saint. Once the Saint is located, do not act independently."
The staff members were already used to quiet conversations like these. Most visiting groups were excited by Academy City's advanced technology, so this unusual silence felt strange.
"Alright, ladies, we will now head to the reception facilities in District 3 to arrange your accommodations. Please enjoy the sights of Academy City and its extraordinary esper development system."
The receptionist spoke warmly through a megaphone as the group of disguised nuns boarded the bus.
Although they were posing as students, all of their identification documents were legitimate, allowing them to pass standard inspections without issue.
The bus slowly moved toward District 3, the external facilities district of Academy City. It housed international airports and belonged to the administrative sector responsible for foreign affairs. Its hotels were among the most luxurious in the city, and its transportation network connected directly to District 23.
"This is Academy City. Its technological advancement surpasses the outside world by at least thirty years. It features many unique facilities and urban systems. Eighty percent of the population are students. All institutions here exist to cultivate esper abilities and advance scientific research..." the receptionist explained as usual.
But instead of excitement, she was met with an eerie silence.
Still, she continued, because it was her job.
"This is the headquarters of heresy. Everything here is incomprehensible. What are those metal objects moving along the roads? Are they weapons of the scientific side?"
"And those floating objects in the sky?"
"Are those... esper powers?"
"So many strange things."
"This is dangerous... far too dangerous..."
The nuns communicated through magic, cold sweat forming on their foreheads.
"Academy City currently has 2.3 million residents, including 1.8 million students, and possesses the most advanced education system in the world..."
"Excuse me, may I ask a question?" Agnese raised her hand, wiping away a bead of sweat as she spoke.
"Of course." The receptionist smiled. Finally, a response.
"Are all 1.8 million students espers? And how powerful are they?" Agnese asked cautiously, attempting to gather information.
"Not all of them. Esper abilities are classified from Level 0 to Level 5. Most students are Level 0. Currently, there are only eight Level 5 espers. Each of them is said to possess the power to defeat an entire army on their own."
"Hoo..."
The entire bus seemed to exhale in relief at the same time. Thankfully, not everyone was a superhuman, and there were only eight at the top.
Captain Agnese truly was reliable.
The receptionist's lips twitched slightly, a trace of sweat appearing on her forehead. This was the strangest group she had ever encountered.
After considerable effort, she helped them obtain temporary passes so they could use the public transit system.
To her growing disbelief, these girls did not even know how to operate an ATM. Were they really students, or had they just walked out of some medieval monastery?
Soon after, the group dispersed under the pretense of sightseeing.
"Now we begin the search for the Saint. Angelene, Agata, come with me," Agnese said seriously, gripping the cross in her hand.
Without her spiritual attire, she could only use limited magic, putting her at a disadvantage.
"Sister Agnese, what if we encounter areas we cannot access?" Angelene asked nervously.
From the receptionist's explanation, they had learned about automated ticket gates and various technological systems they did not understand.
"We have no choice. We proceed carefully. Our objective is simple. Find the Saint and bring her back."
"Understood."
...
Arata prepared breakfast for Index in the morning and stocked the refrigerator with bread before heading to school.
However, after skipping classes for two consecutive days, Tsukuyomi Komoe was extremely displeased and summoned him to the office.
Komoe-sensei stood with her hands on her hips, looking up at Arata as she spoke in a lecturing tone.
"Arata-chan, this is the first time you've skipped my classes for two days in a row. If you don't give me a proper explanation, I am going to have a very serious talk with you."
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.