With a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes, Natsume-san carefully observed the steaming teacup before her.
Acting as the little caretaker, Edasaki Banri offered a lovely smile, dropping two large cubes of white sugar into the teacup and stirring continuously. As the sugar dissolved into the liquid, tiny white bubbles rose to the surface.
"This is Kiyama-sensei's product—a formula that stimulates the brain to enhance computational power."
Her pupils widened slightly; for a moment, Natsume-san forgot the very reason she had come.
She studied the liquid, which looked no different from ordinary milk tea, and found its aroma rather pleasant.
After a moment's thought, Natsume-san could hardly contain her surprise.
So Kiyama-sensei was venturing into the brain-enhancement drug industry—a field perfectly aligned with her expertise as a specialist in brain physiology research.
"It's merely a type of mental stimulant, one that slightly sharpens focus and improves brain efficiency. However, for a period after consumption, it increases the rate at which the brain expends computational energy. If an ordinary person without developed mental faculties were to drink it, they'd quickly feel mentally drained."
Kiyama Harumi explained all this with a calm expression.
There were many ways to boost computational power—the most common being frequent use of one's ability to stimulate the brain's potential.
In fact, it wasn't necessary to exhaust one's computational power entirely; consistent mental exercise alone could yield some improvement.
Of course, the effect wasn't as pronounced as fully depleting it—provided one hadn't already reached their personal computational limit.
Though this product hadn't yet hit the market, the relevant R&D had long been completed, dating back to around the time Kiyama Harumi was striving to awaken Banri and the others. The next step was packaging it as a cognitive-enhancement supplement for schools and individuals.
"But if it's just about sharpening focus and improving efficiency, ordinary coffee can do that easily. And it's not like there aren't already competing products that actively consume computational power."
Edasaki Banri looked quite serious, a hint of concern in her voice.
She hadn't been here long, but she'd already become quite familiar with the company her teacher had founded—even doing some homework in hopes of helping out.
"But the taste is really quite good."
After a slight hesitation, Natsume-san lifted the cup and took a sip, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
It was a peculiar flavor—distinctive even among Academy City's many eccentric beverages.
How to describe it… It was like mixing lemon juice with chocolate and milk, and maybe a hint of herbal tea.
Natsume-san took another tentative sip, then downed the rest in one go. The computational energy drain didn't matter much—she had plenty to spare, after all.
"I'm glad you like it, Natsume-san. I'm quite fond of the taste myself."
A faint smile crossed Kiyama Harumi's face as she stretched lazily, her usual dignified demeanor vanishing entirely.
"No need to worry about the market. This formula has one irresistible advantage: long-lasting, stable effects. Just one dose in the morning, at noon, and in the evening will maintain the effect for eighteen hours."
Kiyama Harumi smiled affectionately at Banri as she spoke.
"But Kiyama-sensei, what made you suddenly decide to start a company?"
Natsume-san could feel her cerebral cortex growing more active, though the computational energy drain remained negligible. Given her vast reserves, it hardly affected her as an esper.
But it tasted so good.
"I want to provide long-term support for several care facilities and schools, which requires substantial funding. So I decided to use this vacant building and start a company. Besides, Academy City has recently slashed funding for public services—even facilities for those outside the system, like the 'Child Error' care centers, have been affected. It seems the city is facing financial strain."
"I've even settled on a name for this product: Smart One…"
Kiyama Harumi didn't hold back, sharing her plans openly.
Having left her researcher identity behind and resolved the issues surrounding Banri and the others, this mature woman—who'd once aspired to be a teacher—had finally found something she truly wanted to pursue.
That made Natsume-san happy. It was surely a good thing for Kiyama-sensei to build a new life and find a new purpose.
Even if the product name strongly reminded her of those overhyped brain-enhancement supplements from her memories of a past life.
"Hey, I'll recommend it to everyone at Tokiwadai."
Natsume-san nodded earnestly, her sincerity evident.
It might not do much for her, but it could benefit classmates at the Level 3 "Strong" ability tier.
Oh, right—what was I here for again?
"Kiyama-sensei, the reason I came today was to ask about someone—a man named Kihara Gensei."
She smacked her forehead lightly; Natsume-san had finally remembered the important matter. Thankfully, only a few minutes had passed.
"My former mentor?"
Before Natsume-san could continue, Kiyama Harumi looked genuinely surprised.
"That's right." Natsume-san nodded quickly.
"Natsume-san, if possible, I hope you never get involved with Kihara Gensei. At some point, he grew increasingly extreme—a man who'll stop at nothing to achieve his experimental goals. He's a very dangerous individual."
After a moment of silence, Kiyama Harumi spoke again, unpleasant memories clearly surfacing in her mind.
Ever since learning the truth behind that experiment, she had cut ties with Kihara Gensei completely. Still, without a doubt, she remained one of the people who understood him best.
"I don't want anything to do with that nasty old man either, but he's the one causing trouble—snooping into the Misaka clones and even sending people to attack my friend."
As she spoke, Natsume-san grew visibly angry.
Thanks to a certain ponytailed girl, Kiyama-sensei already knew about the Sisters.
This wasn't the first time he'd caused trouble.
Banri and the others' coma, the Level 6 Shift project, that Therestina who hired the dark side to attack Heaven Canceller's hospital—wasn't she his granddaughter too? And there were probably other incidents Natsume-san didn't even know about.
This Kihara Gensei was like a lingering ghost, one of the biggest shadows threatening Natsume-san's peaceful daily life.
Anger alone couldn't fully express what she felt. She had the urge to grit her teeth, but reason held her back, keeping her outwardly composed.
Natsume-san understood clearly: the best way to solve a problem was to remove its source.
That's why she agreed with Shokuhou-senpai's approach of confronting him head-on—this man had to be dealt with.
After three rounds of tea, Natsume-san was quite taken with this new beverage.
She lifted her gaze slightly to look directly at Kiyama Harumi seated across from her. By now, she had explained the situation thoroughly, even sharing some details about their current circumstances.
When it came to trusting others, Natsume-san had her own unique perspective.
"There's something you should know, Natsume-san. The development principle behind my 'Level Upper' was based on the brainwave tuning techniques Kihara Gensei taught me."
"If Kihara Gensei really has that many allies at his disposal, and he's taken numerous abilities from the juvenile correctional facility… then you and the others may soon be facing a 'Multi-Skill' user."
Kiyama-sensei shared this after a moment of reflection.
--+--
T/N: 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.