In the artificial island of Itogami Island, the number of ports and bays is quite substantial.
Even though air travel is also an important means of communication, trade, and transportation for Itogami Island, due to the limited number of aircraft takeoffs and landings, maritime routes remain the primary reliance for the island.
Under such circumstances, it is only natural that Itogami Island has numerous ports and bays, especially in the eastern district with its warehouse-lined streets and the northern district dotted with research institutions.
These two areas have significantly more ports and bays compared to the western and southern districts, which are primarily used for entertainment and residential purposes.
As a result, countless ships continuously dock and depart here on a daily basis, creating a constant flow of activity.
However, starting yesterday, the harbor areas of Itogami Island have become unusually quiet, with no ships arriving.
Rozen and Yukina arrived here, stepping out of a luxurious limousine.
As he got out of the car, Rozen spoke with a complicated tone.
"So, when you said you wanted me to accompany you, you meant investigating the strange maritime and aviation incidents happening on Itogami Island?"
Rozen let out a sigh, unsure whether he was relieved or disappointed.
"Of course," Yukina replied, narrowing her eyes slightly. "What else did you think I meant?"
"Something fun, maybe?" Rozen said weakly. "And this is what you call 'something fun'?"
"Well, I suppose it's not exactly fun," Yukina admitted hesitantly. "But ever since I heard about these incidents in class, I couldn't stop thinking about them."
If Rozen had learned about the anomalies currently plaguing Itogami Island from Asagi and Motoki, it was only natural that Yukina had also heard about them from her classmates.
This wasn't exactly a secret—news reports had covered the incidents. At this point, it would be stranger if someone *hadn't* heard about them.
Yukina had learned about it from the talkative Nagisa and had grown increasingly concerned.
So, she wanted to investigate a little, to see if there was something unusual going on.
Rozen, however, had only one thing to say about that.
"Even if you're concerned, you could've just said so outright. Why did you have to blush and act all shy when bringing it up?"
Rozen couldn't help but tease her.
But Yukina's hesitation wasn't without reason.
"B-because this isn't something I should be doing!" Yukina said fretfully. "I'm your watcher, Senpai. My primary duty is to keep an eye on you and prevent any dangers that might arise because of you. But now, I'm actively involving you in a strange incident. It feels like I'm neglecting my responsibilities."
That was why Yukina had been so hesitant and awkward.
Logically, her job was to ensure Rozen didn't cause trouble. Yet here she was, dragging him into an abnormal situation. It didn't make sense.
However, knowing that something strange was happening around them and doing nothing about it was also something Yukina couldn't accept.
This wasn't because she was a member of a national anti-magic crime organization, but simply because she had a strong sense of justice. If she knew something was happening nearby, she couldn't just ignore it.
Because of this, Yukina found herself torn between her duty and her personal feelings, ultimately deciding to go against her mission and bring Rozen along.
Her embarrassment and hesitation stemmed from this internal conflict.
"Then why not just send me home and investigate alone?"
Rozen was puzzled.
However—
"That would mean neglecting my duty to watch over you, which is unacceptable."
Yukina answered with absolute seriousness.
"..."
This underclassman was really something.
"Fine." Rozen sighed. "It's not like I have anything better to do, and Natsuki-nee seems to be keeping an eye on this situation too. Helping her investigate isn't a bad idea."
"Really?" Yukina's eyes lit up, but then she hesitated again. "But would Minamiya-sensei really approve of you getting involved in something like this?"
"You know how ridiculously overprotective my sister is. Normally, she wouldn't agree," Rozen admitted helplessly. "But for something at this level, she'd probably allow it. Otherwise, why would she let me get my Attack Mage license?"
Exactly.
While Natsuki was excessively protective of Rozen, that didn't mean she wanted him to remain a sheltered flower.
Generally, as long as it wasn't too dangerous, she permitted him to get involved.
In other words—
"If it's just an investigation, Natsuki-nee won't say anything," Rozen said confidently. "And if we actually find something, she'll have even less reason to complain."
Therefore, what they were doing shouldn't be something Natsuki would oppose.
...Probably.
Thinking back to what his sister had said this morning, Rozen suddenly felt less certain.
But since they were already here, there was no point in worrying. Besides, Rozen genuinely had nothing better to do, and solving a few mysteries wasn't a bad way to spend his time.
"So, Senpai, what do you think about this incident?"
Yukina walked alongside Rozen, heading toward the harbor as she asked the question seriously.
"Me?" Rozen didn't turn around but answered plainly. "First of all, this definitely isn't just an ordinary accident."
If it were just an accident, it would be far too difficult to explain.
"One or two ships failing to reach their destination? That's normal."
"Turbulence preventing planes from arriving? Also normal."
"But since yesterday, all planes and ships have been unable to reach Itogami Island, while those inside the island can leave just fine? That's not normal."
Rozen walked toward the harbor, voicing his thoughts.
"If I had to guess, this is either an unnatural magical phenomenon centered around Itogami Island, or someone deliberately set this up."
Between the two possibilities, the latter was more likely.
If it were an unnatural magical phenomenon, the Management Cooperative's observation facilities would have detected it.
After all, even when registered Demons used magic, the Management Cooperative could detect it and issue evacuation warnings. If a magical phenomenon large enough to envelop the entire area around Itogami Island had appeared, they *should* have noticed.
That left only one possibility.
This was a deliberate setup.
"Remember that strange feeling I mentioned earlier?"
Rozen continued.
"That's the cause of this incident."