Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 1 - Enrollment (I) - Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3

As the sign "First High School" obviously stated, this station was a mandatory stop for all attending students.

There was practically only one path between the train station and the school.

Due to the changes to the trams and their decrease in number, the event known as "riding the tram together" might be more accurately changed to "walking to school with friends". For this school, this event is still quite common. Indeed, this event could be seen many times yesterday, the day after commencement, today, and has continued since the beginning.

Although it might not be so sudden, Tatsuya thought.

"Tatsuya-kun... Are you acquainted with the President?"

"We met for the first time before the entrance ceremony... So, yes."

In regards to Mizuki's question, Tatsuya was just as confused as she was.

"It certainly didn't look like a first meeting."

"It's as if she intentionally sought you out."

Tatsuya had enough confidence in his memory to say that the day of enrollment was definitely the first time he met Saegusa Mayumi. However, just as Leo and Erika said, that approach did not seem like a first acquaintance.

"...Maybe because of Miyuki?" (!)

"...But she mentioned Onii-sama's name specifically?"

Tatsuya was surrounded by Mizuki, Erika, and Leo, people that could be called "familiar faces" without difficulty. Just like yesterday and most likely into the future, the group would gather around Tatsuya and Miyuki near the station, exchange greetings, and go to school together.

It wasn't a bad feeling at all.

In fact, it was quite a nice way to start the day.

However, just as the five of them were leisurely walking the short distance to school, they heard a call of "Tatsuya-kun~~" from behind them that any reasonable bystander would find embarrassing. It was accompanied by the rapidly approaching form of a petite individual and, according to Tatsuya's groundless belief, the termination of peace and quiet.

"Tatsuya-kun, good morning~. And Miyuki as well, good morning."

Compared to Miyuki's greeting, the greeting directed towards himself was quite casual, Tatsuya thought. However, she was still the 3rd Year Student Council President.

"Good morning, President."

It was necessary to observe proper protocol, just to be on the safe side.

Immediately following Tatsuya, Miyuki also bowed respectfully. The other three offered polite, albeit slightly awed, greetings. It was only natural to have such a reaction.

"Are you alone, President?"

Although obvious at a glance, the question was still offered, with a subtle invitation to walk together to school.

"Hm. There isn't really anyone that walks with me to school in the morning."

A confirmation to both the obvious query and the subtle invitation.

Although, speaking of which... the President was quite the personable individual.

"I would like to speak with Miyuki about a few things... May I walk with you to school?"

The comment directed towards Miyuki was spoken in an approachable tone, but on a different level compared to their earlier conversation.

It did not look like Tatsuya was misreading the situation.

"Hm, if it's quite alright..."

"Oh, it's not like the topic is a secret. Or do you prefer to talk at a later time?"

As she said this, the President smiled at the three slowly retreating individuals, who immediately froze.

"President.. I feel as if your attitude towards one of us is slightly different... or is that just my misinterpretation?"

Of course not, the three of them responded verbally or with hand gestures. Mayumi smiled and nodded her head at the same time that Tatsuya displayed a disappointed expression. (!)

"Eh? Is that the case?"

By now, changing her word choice and pretending not to notice was too late. Her tone and expression had already betrayed her.

"Is the subject you wish to speak about related to the Student Council?"

At this point, Tatsuya did not plan on backing down, but he was feeling the pressure as well.

Miyuki frantically changed the subject back to herself.

"Hm, I meant to find an opportunity to speak with you in detail. Do you have any plans during lunch break?"

"I plan on eating in the cafeteria."

"With Tatsuya-kun?"

"No, Onii-sama and I are in different classes..."

It seemed like she remembered what had happened yesterday.

At the sight of Miyuki slightly lowering her head and lowering her voice, Mayumi nodded as if in understanding.

"There are quite a lot of students that care about these little things."

Tatsuya slightly glanced to his side.

To no surprise, Mizuki nodded in affirmation. It looked like yesterday's incident wasn't quite over yet.

However, if the President spoke like this, wouldn't this be a problem? Tatsuya thought.

"In that case, why not join me in the Student Council Room for lunch? If you don't mind bentos, the room has an automatic meal dispenser."

"...The Student Council Room is equipped with the Dinner Server Module?"

The normally composed Miyuki could not conceal her amazement as she replied.

Which was accompanied by a sense of befuddlement.

What was something that is normally seen in airline terminals or long-distance trains doing in a Student Council Room?

"Before entering the Student Council Room, I didn't want to talk too much about it. But it's for students working late into the day."

An embarrassed Mayumi smiled ashamedly while trying to persuade Miyuki.

"If it's the Student Council Room, it's not a problem if Tatsuya-kun tags along as well."

At that moment, Mayumi's smiling face became teasing and, to put it bluntly, mischievous. Hopefully, that was a mistake on Tatsuya's part.

Even if it was a misinterpretation, that particular way of putting it still gave him a headache.

"...Speaking of problems, there is one. There appears to be some conflict between myself and the Vice-President. I'm terribly sorry."

Tatsuya did not plan on interfering between Miyuki and the Student Council, and so he left the interruption at that.

On the day of enrollment, the male student behind Mayumi that continuously glared at Tatsuya was probably the Vice President.

That line of sight did not appear to be a misinterpretation.

If Tatsuya carelessly went to the Student Council Room to eat lunch, this undoubtedly would lead to conflict between the two of them.

However, it appeared that Mayumi had not grasped the meaning behind Tatsuya's words.

"The Vice-President...?"

Mayumi slightly tilted her head but quickly clapped her hands, in an action straight out of movie dramas.

"If it's Hanzou-kun, you don't have to worry about it, there won't be a problem."

"But even if that's the case...?"

In that instant, Tatsuya made up his mind to avoid the incident that led up to his sister receiving that nickname, no matter the cost.

"Hanzou-kun will be in the clubroom for lunch break."

It was completely unrelated to what Tatsuya was thinking — that was only natural — but(?) Mayumi's smile did not diminish in the slightest as she continued to speak.

"In that case, everyone can come as well. Letting everyone know about the Student Council's activities is one of our duties as well."

Despite that, there were people who directly refused Mayumi's social invitation.

"Even though it's a rare opportunity, I think we'll pass."

Even using the word "pass" in this way, it still conveyed a definite "refusal".

Erika and company's unexpected response caused the situation to become slightly awkward.

Nonetheless, trying to get their underlying feelings across, or even to smooth things over, was frankly impossible.

"Is that so?"

But there was one thing that did not change, and that was Mayumi's smiling face.

Was she simply obtuse or able to comprehend something that everyone else could not?

Tatsuya felt that she simply did not need a reason.

"In that case, just the two of you then."

What do we do? Miyuki's eyes silently asked Tatsuya.

Refusing was still a valid option up until that moment, but following the response from Erika's group, there was simply no way to smoothly decline.

"...I understand. Miyuki and I will be intruding on you then." (!)(!)

"Excellent. Then the details can wait until later. I'll wait for the two of you."

For some reason, Mayumi was very pleased by this response. Turning quickly, she left them with a spring in her step.

Even though they were all headed towards the same school, the footsteps of the five who watched Mayumi leave became quite heavy indeed.

Tatsuya sighed.

Lunch break quickly arrived.

Footsteps remained heavy.

Just climbing two flights of stairs became an exhausting task, and it wasn't because of a lack of exercise.

The real weight came from the heavy mood; heavy footsteps was just a metaphor, though the reluctance towards going remained the same.

Compared to Tatsuya, Miyuki was the complete opposite. Her steps were light and energetic.

Tatsuya was not insensitive enough to completely misunderstand the cause of Miyuki's joy, so he remained silent.

Their destination was at the end of the hallway on the fourth floor.

From the outside, they were all the same. They all had the same wooden doors.

What was different was the wooden engraving embedded in the door, the speaker on the wall, and the cleverly disguised safety devices.

The sign on the door clearly displayed the words "Student Council Room".

The invitation was for Miyuki; Tatsuya was purely complementary. Thus, the job of knocking fell to Miyuki. (Of course, this is another metaphor, since communication is through the speaker rather than knocking.)

After Miyuki solemnly requested entry through the speaker, from the opposite end came a cheerful welcome.

With a slight noise, so slight that even pressing one's ear to the door would not have detected it, the lock opened.

Tatsuya placed his hand on the door knob and opened the door, adopting a stance that shielded Miyuki on the way inside.

In reality, there was nothing that called for such a response. Tatsuya was well aware of this point.

This behavior was something deeply ingrained into the siblings' daily activities.

—And of course, nothing happened.

"Welcome. Don't mind us, please come in."

Directly in front, a voice came from the opposite end of the table.

Tatsuya really wanted to ask Mayumi what caused her such happiness to greet them with a smile like that as she beckoned them in.

Miyuki led the way into the room, followed hurriedly by Tatsuya. He stopped one step from the door, with Miyuki two steps from the door.

With both hands slightly before her, Miyuki bowed in greeting, a textbook example of formality.

When compared to such a honed movement, Tatsuya had no chance of imitating it.

Miyuki's speech and movement patterns were completely different from Tatsuya's. This was most likely the work of their deceased mother.

"Eh... No need to be so formal."

After watching Miyuki execute a perfect greeting that would not be out of place in a formal gala, Mayumi seemed to shrink a little.

Even though there were two other members in attendance, they seemed to be overwhelmed by the atmosphere as well.

There was one other person present that was not a member of the Student Council. The representative from the Public Moral Committee wore a mask of composure, but anyone could tell that was a brave front, not to mention a veteran observer like Tatsuya. Truly, my little sister is quite motivated today, Tatsuya thought.

The only thing that puzzled Tatsuya was exactly why Miyuki chose such an intimidation tactic.

"Please sit. We can talk while we eat."

Maybe it was because Miyuki's opening salvo rattled her, but Mayumi's voice had changed. To put it positively, the voice was still harmonious. To put it negatively, the intimate friendliness from before was gone.

She was probably referring to the long table in the meeting room.

At this moment, the signal reached the table interior, rearranging the table to be appropriate for dining. (!)

Regardless, the siblings approached the expensive table and chose their seats. Miyuki slid a chair out and sat down, while Tatsuya chose a seat just below hers.

For someone who always adamantly insisted that her elder brother take a seat higher than her own, the only reason Miyuki controlled her outburst was because of the understanding that she was the focus of today's meeting.

"Meat, fish, or vegetarian. Which do you prefer?"

What was amazing was not just the Dinner Server Module, but the complex selections available as well.

Tatsuya picked vegetarian, with Miyuki mirroring his choice. After receiving their orders, the 2nd Year student — probably the Secretary Nakajou Azusa — activated the large cabinet-like machine tucked near the wall.

Now the only thing that remained was waiting.

Mayumi was seated in the main chair. To her side and directly across from Miyuki sat another 3rd Year female student. One seat over was the Public Moral Committee member, who was across from Tatsuya. Azusa sat next on the other side of the committee member. After regaining her bearings a little, Mayumi began.

"Introductions were exchanged at the enrollment ceremony, but just in case, let's go over this again. To my side is our Accountant, Ichihara Suzune, also known as Rin-chan."

"...The only one who calls me that is the President."

Every part of her solemn face gave off a stern impression, though with her tall frame and willowy limbs, Suzune would have done full justice to the description of "beauty".

It must be admitted that "Rin-chan" fit her profile better than "Suzune".

"The two of you should know the one on Rin-chan's side, right? This is the Chair of the Public Moral Committee Watanabe Mari."

Mari didn't say anything, but her not taking exception to anyone would be natural.

"And following that is our Secretary, Nakajou Azusa, also known as A-chan."

"Student Council President... Please don't call me 'A-chan' in front of the underclassmen. I have my position to think of too."

Because she was even more petite than Mayumi and possessed a more childish face, whenever Azusa directed a teary-eyed face upwards, she unintentionally gave off the impression of a child about to cry.

And that would probably be the reason she is called "A-Chan", Tatsuya thought. That might be too cruel a truth for the person in question.

"The last one would be Vice President Hanzou. And that makes up all the members of the Student Council Committee."

"Which I am not part of."

"Oh yes, Mari is not a member of the Student Council. Ah, the preparations are complete."

The cover of the Dinner Server opened, presenting neat and proper meals without a hint of character on a series of trays.

There were only five meals.

We're short one... Even though Tatsuya thought of this, he did not mention it aloud because he was thinking of a solution. While Tatsuya was processing this, Mari quietly took out a bento box.

Seeing Azusa stand up, Miyuki also left the table. As its name implied, the Dinner Server was capable of producing meals, but without a matching table set, it was more efficient to manually bring the trays over.

Azusa first put her tray on the table, then brought Mayumi and Suzune's portions as well.

Following that, Miyuki carried over the two trays for the siblings, and with that a most interesting lunch began.

In the beginning, the conversation was completely open.

Even then, Tatsuya and Miyuki had very few conversational subjects that coincided with the committee members.

The conversation naturally flowed towards the topic of food.

It couldn't be helped that the Dinner Server produced what was more or less fast food, but modern processed foods have nearly the same quality as normal cuisines. That being said, if it can only match "normal quality" cuisines, then the deficiencies of processed foods cannot be denied.

"Did you make that bento yourself, Watanabe-senpai?"

Miyuki's intention was simply to initiate a conversation with everyone else, and did not hide any other reason.

"Yes, are you surprised?"

However, when asked by Miyuki, Mari nodded and replied with a teasing question of her own that was difficult to answer.

In reality, Mari did not intend to torment Miyuki, but wanted to play a small joke on this sensible and polite underclassman.

"No, just a little."

Just as Miyuki was starting to panic, a voice from her side responded for her in the negative.

"...I see."

Tatsuya's eyes were watching Mari's hand motions, or her fingers to be precise. If it were made by a machine, or by hand, what kind of cuisines would, or would not, be possible...? It gave the impression that he could see through everything, causing Mari to feel quite embarrassed.

"Let's start bringing bentos of our own tomorrow."

When Miyuki spoke up as if nothing had happened, Tatsuya also shifted his line of sight.

"Miyuki's bentos are certainly incredible, but as to where to eat them..."

"Oh, yes... First we need to find somewhere to eat them..."

The siblings' dialogue — not only the contents, but the atmosphere itself - seemed a little too intimate for a pair of blood-related teenagers.

"...Just like a pair of lovers."

Suzune adopted a smile that was not a smile, and dropped an explosive comment.

"Is that so? If we weren't siblings, then we would be lovers, is that what you think?"

Tatsuya calmly countered and quickly defused the explosion.

Or more likely accidentally detonated it.

"...Of course, that was a joke."

When facing a totally red Azusa, Tatsuya mirrored Suzune's earlier "smile" and calmly continued. His face was not disturbed in the slightest.

"You, are quite boring." (!)

Mari said in an exasperated tone.

"I think so too."

Tatsuya replied in an even manner.

"Ok, Ok, let's end this subject here. Mari, I know it's tough to swallow, but Tatsuya-kun is just a difficult person to handle."

Maybe it was because she foresaw that this conversation would go on perpetually, Mayumi intervened with a slightly bitter smile.

"...That's true. I take back my earlier comment. You are an interesting guy, Tatsuya-kun."

With a slight smile — and for a beautiful young lady, she often reveals a smile before a boy — Mari changed her earlier evaluation.

First the Student Council President, now the Chair of the Public Moral Committee. I guess I better get used to people calling me by name.

"It's about time we get to the point."

It might have been a little unexpected, but the time allotted for lunch break was limited.

After everyone finished eating, both Tatsuya and Miyuki nodded upon hearing Mayumi's words.

"Just as our school places heavy emphasis on self determination, the Student Council has been granted vast powers within the confines of the school. Not only our school, but most public high schools also adopt a similar method."

Tatsuya agreed with the principle. Management-centric and Deterministic-centric were like the ebb and flow of the tides, fundamentally different but at the same time impacting one another. With the victory in the Okinawa Defense Battle 3 years ago and the subsequent rise in international voice, the old management-centric style that led to diplomatic disadvantages and internal unrest was swept out in favor of self-determination becoming the theme of society. In time, there was another reverse; a portion of private high schools adopted a harsh management-centric philosophy. Thus, it is difficult to unilaterally calculate the progression of events. (!)

"Our Student Council uses the traditional method of concentrating the power and authority in the president. This presidential style can also be described as extreme centralization."

Hearing these words triggered some unease, though this would probably be discourteous to Mayumi.

Tatsuya tightly clasped his fist.

"The president is elected by the student body, the other members are appointed by the president. With a few exceptions, the president has the right of appointment and removal for all officers."

"My position as the Chair of the Public Moral Committee is one of those exceptions. The Student Council, the Club Management Group, and the teachers each select a representative to determine this position."

"And because of this, on some level Mari holds the same authority I do. Under the rules, the president has a term period, but the others do not. The term lasts from October 1 to September 30 of the next year. Between this time, the president has the right of appointment and removal for all officers."

(About time to get to the point.) Tatsuya did not interrupt, but merely nodded to indicate he understood.

"There is an annual tradition to invite the 1st Year representative to the Student Council, with the intent of training them to become the successor. Hopefully, the 1st Year representative will be elected to be the next Student Council President. Although it is not a guarantee, this has been the case for the past 5 years."

"So the President was also a 1st Year representative? Quite impressive."

"Ah~, err, yes."

Mayumi blushed and stammered her reply.

Tatsuya's response was merely flattery, since he already knew the answer. The odd part was that Mayumi should already be inured to such flattery given her position, yet she still reddened in embarrassment. This was no act, but true embarrassment. This is certainly quite devious... She looks like a perfectly normal high school student. — It can't be that she intentionally lets people see that she is easily embarrassed, and that is the true acting portion?

"So... Miyuki, I hope you can enter the Student Council."

At this stage, saying "enter the Student Council" is essentially becoming a member of the Student Council.

"Are you willing to accept?"

Taking a breath, Miyuki looked down at her hands, before raising her eyes towards Tatsuya in question.

Tatsuya shrugged, suppressed his own feelings, and slightly nodded his head.

Miyuki lowered her head again before raising it. This time however, her eyes were lit in the manner of someone about to take a plunge. (!)

"President, are you aware of Onii-sama's entrance examination scores?"

"—?"

At this completely unexpected development, it was all Tatsuya could do to remain silent.

What are you trying to say, little sister?

"Hm, I know of it. Truly incredible... To be honest, when I stole a glance at the teacher's results, even I lost confidence."

"...If the student council accepts students with high test scores and outstanding abilities, I believe Onii-sama fits the criteria as well."

"Wait, Mi-"

"And in terms of Desk Work (Theoretical Manipulation), I believe that has nothing to do with practical skills and grades. In other words, knowledge and judgment are more important."

For Miyuki, not allowing the other person to finish their sentence and bulling right over them is quite the rare occurrence.

And if the other speaker is Tatsuya, then the frequency would drop even lower.

"I am honored to receive an invitation to the Student Council. I would be more than happy to accept even the lowest position, but is there any way for Onii-sama to join?"

Tatsuya really wanted to cover his face and look skywards.

Is it possible that his negative influence on his little sister had reached this extent?

Miyuki should know that blatant nepotism can only lead to others' discomfort.

"Alas, this is not possible."

The one who answered was not the President, but the council member sitting to her side.

"Student Council members must be selected from Course 1 students. This is not an unwritten rule, but an enumerated one. This is the only clause that is attached to the right of appointment and removal for the president. To change this requires a special amendment meeting with the attendance of the full student body and carried by a two-thirds majority. Since the number of Course 1 and Course 2 students are practically equal, this is realistically impossible."

Suzune softly said this in a tone that was slightly apologetic.

From her voice, it was obvious that she too was someone that was against the differential treatment between Blooms and Weeds.

"...I apologize. I said all of that without understanding the situation. Please forgive me."

Miyuki could only frankly admit her mistake.

Miyuki rose to her feet and bowed deeply in apology, but no one reprimanded her.

"In that case, Miyuki will join the current Student Council with the title of secretary, is that acceptable?"

"Yes, I will work hard to fulfill my duties. Please look after me."

Miyuki lowered her head again, but this time was more polite than apologetic. Mayumi nodded at Miyuki with a smile on her face.

"You can get the details from A-chan."

"As I just said, President... Please stop calling me A-chan..."

"If there are no complications, can you come today after school?"

Completely ignoring the tearful protests on the side, Mayumi continued her conversation.

"Miyuki."

Before Miyuki could turn and ask, Tatsuya stopped her with a short but powerful verbal tone. He nodded in agreement with Mayumi's suggestion.

Miyuki nodded as well, before turning to face Mayumi.

"I understand. However, would it be fine for me to come here after school?"

"Of course. I'll wait for you, Miyuki."

"Hey~. Why am I called 'A-chan', while Shiba is called 'Miyuki'...?"

On some level this was a valid question, but was once again ignored.

...Tatsuya started to pity Azusa a little.

"...There is still a little time left until the end of lunch break. May I say something?"

The reason that everyone ignored Azusa, and not out of spite or mischievousness either, was probably because everyone's attention was directed towards the hand Mari raised in the air.

"The roster for the Public Moral Committee still has one empty spot that has not been filled."

"I just said that we are still reviewing possible candidates. Besides, school just started a week ago, right? There's no need to hurry, Mari."

Displeased with Mari's hastiness, Mayumi admonished her. However, Mari didn't seem to care.

"I think, according to the rules of the student council, all members aside from the president must be Course 1 students, right?"

"Yes."

Mayumi nodded in confirmation while her expression said that it couldn't be helped.

"Only Course 1 students are allowed to fill the positions of Vice President, Accountant, Secretary, and related roles, right?"

"Yes. The rules stipulate that the council is made up of the President, Vice president, Accountant, and Secretary roles."

"In other words, there is no restriction for bringing a Course 2 student into the Public Moral Committee."

"Mari, you..."

Mayumi's eyes widened, while Suzune and Azusa both wore similarly shocked expressions.

This proposal was every bit as surprising as Miyuki's earlier suggestion.

Apparently, the 3rd Year student known as Watanabe Mari is quite the practical joker, Tatsuya thought.

—However.

"NICE!"

"Ah?"

Coinciding with Mayumi's delighted outburst, Tatsuya let out a dull surprise.

"Yes, there's no problem with the Public Moral Committee. Mari, the Student Council nominates Shiba Tatsuya as Public Moral Committee member."

An unexpected development happened within an instant.

"Wait a minute! Shouldn't you take into account my thoughts on the matter? Also, you haven't told me what the duties of a Public Moral Committee member consists of."

Rather than objecting from a logical perspective, it was more important to listen to the instincts that warned of a dangerous development.

"We didn't really go into detail about your sister's duties on the Student Council, correct?"

"...No, that's true, but..."

—Unfortunately, Tatsuya's objection was immediately countered by Suzune's comment.

"Eh, Rin-chan, this is fine. Tatsuya-kun, the job of the Public Moral Committee is to uphold the public moral on campus."

"..."

"..."

"...Is that all?"

"While the job doesn't come with any sense of accomplishment, and is also quite troublesome... Err, it's still a rewarding task?"

First of all, disregard the fact that she tried to hide her words behind that smile. The more important thing is that Tatsuya didn't think they were going to listen to him seriously anyways. "That wasn't what I meant."

"Hm?"

Looks like they're not pretending to be ignorant.

Tatsuya shifted his gaze to the right.

In Suzune's eyes, he discovered a pitying look.

Despite that look, it didn't look like she was going to help.

And on Suzune's side.

Mari looked like she found this entire sequence of events very interesting.

And on Mari's other side.

When locking eyes with Azusa, her eyes betrayed a harried look.

He continued to stare at her.

Despite Azusa desperately glancing left and right, Tatsuya did not take his eyes off her and continued to stare.

"Um, our school's Public Moral Committee is an organization that is responsible for policing those who break school rules."

—Just like her outer appearance, Azusa was weak to pressure.

"In terms of public morals, they usually consist of things like uniform regulations or tardiness, but these are handled by the members appointed by the Self-Governing Committee."

In this outwardly conservative, but actually incredibly unique and diverse Student Council, she was probably the only one susceptible to this tactic.

Tatsuya started to become a little concerned about his future job duties.

"...Um, do you have any questions?"

"No, please continue."

"Ah, OK. The primary duties of the Public Moral Committee are to identify those that use magic against school rules and to subjugate those that use magic on campus to cause a disturbance. After the Public Moral Committee member decides the necessary punishment, he or she will present before the Disciplinary Committee alongside the President and Student Representative. In short, they are both the police and the prosecutor."

"Isn't that wonderful, Onii-sama."

"No, Miyuki... Please wait a little before giving off that 'Then it's decided' look in your eyes... Just in case, let me clarify a few things."

"Clarify what?"

Tatsuya was not focused on Azusa who just finished her explanations, but on Mari instead.

"According to the earlier explanation, the Public Moral Committee member's mission is to halt any conflicts upon discovery, correct?"

"Well, that's true. We also intercede on non-magical conflicts."

"Also, if magic was used, our intervention is mandatory."

"If possible, it'd be best if the conflict was resolved prior to use of magic."

"That's my point! My technical grade is terrible, and on top of that, I'm a Course 2 student!"

Finally, even Tatsuya started to raise his volume.

This task clearly requires overwhelming magical prowess to subjugate the opponent.

No matter from what angle of consideration, this task was not suited for Course 2 students with poor technical skills.

However, despite Tatsuya's questioning, Mari remained completely unperturbed and replied with a simple comment.

"It's not a problem."

"What are you saying?"

"In competitions of power, I will handle it... Lunch break is almost over. Let's save the rest for after school, any objection?"

It was true that lunch break was about to end, and doubly true that this subject could not simply be glossed over.

"...I understand."

Tatsuya fully understood that if he entered this room after school, he would have to enter this quagmire again, but he didn't have any other choice.

"Then we'll meet again here."

Tatsuya suppressed any unreasonable feelings and nodded his head. To his side, while fully understanding her elder brother's thoughts, Miyuki could not hide her feelings of elation.