"Onii-sama, sorry for making you wait."
When the lively voice called out to him, Tatsuya took his eyes off the portable information terminal he was in the midst of writing a paper on and looked up.
"Tatsuya-kun, what are you writing?"
The one who had called out to him and made him look up was not Miyuki; it was a broadly grinning Mayumi with the roll of her diploma — as expected, the school used paper — clasped to her breast.
"I’m just writing some notes related to lengthening the time of continuous magic by systematic assistance."
"...Um, I didn’t think it was a fruitless topic like that."
Tatsuya stopped before replying to Mari, who looked at him with a stunned look, and simply lightly shrugged his shoulders. He thought about complaining to her about the Kobayakawa incident, but today was their day. With that thought in mind, he restrained himself from trivial sniping.
"More importantly, why are all of you together? I didn’t think either Saegusa-senpai or Watanabe-senpai wouldn’t have been invited to the after party."
From behind the backs of the female students, who were looking at each other, Katsuto’s face abruptly appeared.
"We thought we would say goodbye to you before that."
"...That’s thoughtful of you. If you hadn’t purposely come to see me, I was going to come and say my goodbyes afterwards."
"Oh, really? Because Tatsuya is hiding away from the parties here, I thought you would pretend not to know us and just leave."
Even though he knew that Mayumi’s sullen face and outpouring of complaints were an act, Tatsuya still felt like he had to give her an explanation.
"I am not even a member of the student council, so I shouldn’t show up at the graduation party right? Especially the first course party."
"What!"
Suddenly an intense exclamation interrupted the explanation Tatsuya was framing.
A shiny blonde head of hair pushed through the graduates to appear in front of Tatsuya.
"Why was I, who am not even a proper member of the Student Council, made to help with the party, when it’s all right for Tatsuya, a member of the Public Morals Committee, to do nothing!?"
The one who flared up at Tatsuya and insolently spelled out her workload was Lina.
"...Public Morals Committee members are not Student Council members. Besides, although it is only temporary, aren't you a member of the Student Council?"
"I just don't get it!"
Lina was probably not all that bothered by the graduates' stares. In front of the bewildered Mayumi and the others, Lina was her usual self.
"Hey Lina, don’t say rude things to Onii-sama."
And, she was faced(?) with the usual speech of Miyuki's love for her brother.
No, perhaps it should be said that it was Miyuki's usual love for her brother speech.
"You are a temporary member of the Student Council and Onii-sama is a member of the Public Morals Committee, this was all settled before the preparations for the party started. In the first place, why are you grumbling about it now — weren't you all fired up?"
Tatsuya did not know what she meant by ‘fired up,’ but unquestionably, Lina turned red before the gazes she had accumulated.
"Miyuki, what do you mean by fired up?"
Tatsuya did not have the option of ‘not daring to ask what happened’ at this place.
"Tatsuya, it’s nothing!"
"Well, as you know it would be deplorable to give a temporary officer of the Student Council, Lina, the type of work that would take a lot of time so we put her in charge of today’s entertainment, but…"
"Miyuki!"
"Even if we said entertainment, we didn’t say she had to do some kind of performance — it would have been alright if all she did was get volunteers from the graduates and the other students, but,"
"Miyuki, stop talking!"
"Lina apparently misunderstood."
"Miyuki, please! Don’t say it!"
Lina desperately tried to interrupt Miyuki's discourse, but the amused Mayumi and Mari cleverly blocked her movements.
"So?"
Miyuki was looking at Lina, distracted by the desperation in her voice; however, at Tatsuya’s prompting, she readily switched her gaze back to her brother.
"She took the stage as the lead singer of a band. She stood up there and sang about ten songs, she was very enthusiastic."
"Yes, it was an extremely fine performance. Not inferior to a professional talent."
Mari added to Miyuki’s explanation, and,
"It’s true. Shields-san is a very good singer. She has an incredible voice."
In a not-all-that-complimentary tone, Mayumi praised Lina’s singing.
"Urk..."
Lina looked down, red-faced in shame.
It was not an angry face, it was clearly an embarrassed face.
Looking at that made Tatsuya feel like smiling.
"I see...you’ve made some good memories, Lina."
"...I don’t care."
Aside from Lina, the people let out genial laughter at her speaking rudely and turning away.
(That was the last I saw of Lina.)
After graduation was over, Lina didn’t come to school.
When he asked Miyuki, she had given class A the explanation of ‘she was busy with preparations to return home.’
Nonetheless, he thought a withdrawal order had probably come in since that incident. Even so, until that day, Lina had continued attending school and she probably hadn't done it to fulfill her assigned role as a high school student or prepare for the graduation party.
It could be that she did it so she could enjoy the life of a high school student a little.
—As he looked at the arrival and departure delay announcement, Tatsuya mused over that.
The day before yesterday, the third quarter had ended.
In short, the first year of his high school life had ended.
Tatsuya's grades were predictable.
His marks in theory were extremely good.
His marks in technical were pretty bad.
His combined marks was in the lower middle.
However, he wasn’t bothered by that.
In that year he had continued to get entangled in various troubles, but he had steadily approached his goal.
Contrary to his expectations, he was able to build good friendships.
Even taking into account the negative aspect of getting involved in a string of incidents, it could be said to be an excellent first year.
Today, he had come to the Tokyo Bay floating international airport to welcome one of those friends back.
Of course, he was not alone.
Miyuki and Honoka were to his left and right; Leo, Erika, Mikihiko and Mizuki sat across from him.
The plane Shizuku was on was supposed to arrive in a little less than an hour.
"As I thought, it takes time to get here from the American mainland."
From Tatsuya’s left, Miyuki spoke to him, and,
"It seems like it takes a military plane less than four minutes to cross the Pacific Ocean, so why does it take this long for a civilian plane?"
on his right side, Honoka asked him.
Thereupon,
"The engines are different. Because military planes can go above the stratosphere. Safety and economy are a priority for civilian planes."
Leo interjected from directly across from him,
"Oh my, you’re well informed. Despite being a barbarian a horse could kick."
Erika teased.
"Why you!"
"Leo, restrain yourself."
"Erika-chan, you too, stop constantly teasing him."
And Mikihiko and Mizuki interceded into their strife, well, as they usually did.
Just then, Tatsuya spotted a familiar gleam of gold among the crowd of people in the lobby.
His friends looked up at Tatsuya who quickly stood, wondering what was up.
Miyuki promptly stood up too.
Although a little slower, she had also spotted the same thing as Tatsuya.
Miyuki followed Tatsuya, who had walked away with a short announcement of "I won’t be long."
A flustered Honoka also stood up, but for some reason Erika, who was seating directly in front of her, grabbed the sleeve of her spring coat.
"Honoka, don’t interfere. Because it is a farewell to a rival."
Before the gaze of Erika, who was impolitely twisting around in her seat,
Lina, who of course hadn’t fled after being spotted by Tatsuya, walked towards the siblings herself.
"Tatsuya, Miyuki, have you come to see me off?"
When they had approached close enough to speak to each other normally, Lina spoke first.
"Well. Meeting you here was a coincidence."
Lina’s momentary brooding completely disappeared as she let out a genuine laugh.
However, she did not feel completely the same as she had been. A shadow of doubt could be seen in her eyes that hadn't been there when she had just barely arrived in Japan. That showed that in this brief period she had become more mature.
"Oh my? Did I not say I was departing today?"
"We didn’t hear you say it."
Miyuki finished off Lina's exaggeratedly mild befuddled banter in one blow.
Even so, Miyuki wasn’t in a bad mood, and she was smiling in a wry way.
"Well, joking aside. I am obliged for the aid of you two."
Lina’s smile became brazen as she said it,
"Don‘t you mean, we've caused you trouble?"
and Tatsuya smoothly denied it.
"I’m the one who is in trouble. ...You’re an unbending person to the end, Tatsuya."
"You wouldn’t be happy if I went easy on you Lina... Besides, this isn’t the end, right?"
Lina shrugged her shoulders at Tatsuya's question.
"I think it might be. I don’t think I am able to easily leave my own country."
Lina’s voice showed tinges of acknowledging a painful truth.
However, to erase that,
"But, this is not the last time."
Miyuki interjected with emphatic words.
"Miyuki."
"So I shall not say goodbye, Lina."
"...Miyuki, what was that — it sounded like a confession?"
Lina widened her eyes as she stared at Miyuki with a face that had grown mischievous.
"Hmm, I suppose it might be a type of confession. You are my rival, Lina."
Miyuki was undisturbed by the remark and made that declaration in an unwavering voice.
"You will surely reach out to take Onii-sama’s hand someday. You will surely become Onii-sama's ally. And that will begin our true competition. And so, I will not say goodbye. Until we meet again, Lina."
Lina’s eyes widened again. And this time her gentle smile was like the sun matching the color of her eyes and hair.
"I can’t understand what you said very well, but... Miyuki, surely it will be as you said. Now, I have that premonition as well. Until we meet again Miyuki, Tatsuya."
"I’m back."
One hour after Lina disappeared into the gate, these were Shizuku’s first words.
"Welcome back, Shizuku!"
Over the back of the moist-eyed Honoka embracing her, which she was patting to soothe her, Shizuku directed her eyes to Tatsuya.
"Welcome back, Shizuku. I’m glad you came back safely."
"Yes."
Her curt replies hadn’t changed from before her study abroad, but,
"Shizuku, your aura has changed."
"That’s true. It has become more grown-uppish."
As Miyuki and Erika said, the aura coating her body had become fairly mature.
"Did you undergo some kind of sinful experiences?"
"Erika-chan!?"
The one who responded to the broadly grinning Erika’s jibes was Mizuki; Shizuku, the one under attack, only tilted her head slightly.
It was unchanged from what had been the normal commotion; however, a stronger sense of composure could be felt.
"Tatsuya-san."
"Hmm?"
After Honoka finally released Shizuku from her embrace and allowed her to step away from her, Shizuku walked in front of Tatsuya and looked up at his face.
"I have many things I want to talk about. I also have been given many messages from Ray. Will you listen?"
"Good. I will certainly listen."
Perhaps, her souvenirs from America were a lot of insights.
That was what Tatsuya thought.
Their talk with Shizuku took a pretty long time.
Even so, they weren’t able to finish discussing everything.
They could not discuss Raymond Clark’s message in front of their other friends.
(It might be necessary to take her up on her invitation to her house…)
In order to relate the remaining message, Shizuku had invited Tatsuya and Miyuki to her own house. To go to the great industrialist, Kitayama Ushio's, private residence without their other friends.
Even for the Yotsuba, this was not a minor thing to have.
However, they could not choose to not accept the invitation. The information she had returned with was necessary to decide their future course of action.
Tatsuya was reexamining the predetermined conclusion once again in the living room of his own home.
At that time, the buzzer rang.
A shocked cry from Miyuki, who had answered the door's intercom, reached Tatsuya’s ears.
Miyuki’s face displayed surprise and impatience when she came to Tatsuya.
"Um, Onii-sama, there’s a guest..."
"Should I meet the guest?"
Tatsuya had gotten up because he thought it was some kind of uninitiated guest, however—
"No, I didn’t invite her, but... the guest is Sakurai Minami-chan who I met at the Yotsuba main house."
"What...?"
Tatsuya also remembered that maid girl.
Sakurai Honami. The former Metropolitan Police SP who was his late mother’s Guardian. The woman who had poured love out to the two siblings as easily as if she was an elder sister or a relative. Three years before in the summer in that battle in Okinawa, the augmented magician had lost her life protecting Tatsuya. The girl's features were completely like the person the siblings could never forget.
She was a visitor completely unexpected to even Tatsuya.
In front of Tatsuya, with Miyuki at his side, was a girl in a spring-like pastel one piece dress.
After Sakurai Minami politely bowed, she passed a single envelope to Tatsuya.
Tatsuya invited Minami to sit and sat down on the sofa himself. As she watched, he cut the seal and sent his eyes to the letter inside prompted by her gaze.
As he continued to read, Tatsuya felt as though an illusionary pain was spreading in his mouth.
The sender was Yotsuba Maya.
After the perfunctory seasonal greeting, the letter read thus:
"This Spring, Minami-chan will be enrolled in First High school.
In regards to this, please give Minami-chan accommodations in your home.
She has become a good housekeeper; she already possesses enough skill.
You must need help around the house; after all you purchased a maid robot, right? In any case, you and Miyuki-san both are going to be busy with various things now that you two are becoming second year high school students.
She has been informed that she will work as a live-in maid so please do not have any scruples about ordering her about.
Also, I intend to have Minami-chan learn the work of a Guardian.
As her senpai, please teach her many things."
He felt as though he could hear his Aunt's high-pitched laugh from the face of the page.
Tatsuya folded up the letter and returned it to the envelope, then placed it on the table; perhaps she could tell something from his behaviour, thus Miyuki said "Onii-sama?" to him in an anxious voice.
Tatsuya took one deep breath and passed the letter to Miyuki.
After a small wait, the sound of air being gulped emitted from Miyuki’s throat.
Minami stood next to the wall facing her as if she was waiting for Miyuki’s eyes to leave the letter.
"I am a novice, but please accept me. As Oku-sama stated, please use me to the fullest."
Minami deeply lowered her head.
Even though they understood she was the linchpin of an invasion from Maya, neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki could reject a girl who had the same face as Honami.
Armored behind his poker face, Tatsuya could do nothing more than nod at his Aunt’s bitterly ironic ‘present.’
—In April, the new school year would begin and it would be even richer in mayhem than the previous one—
That unwelcome premonition would not disappear from its resting place in Tatsuya’s chest.
[The end of the first year volumes]
The Ojou-sama's Magnificent(?) Day Off
Common Era 2095, November 2. Throughout the nation, a triumphant mood was felt.
The evening of the day before yesterday, the news had reported that the defense force had eliminated the Great Asian Alliance's forward base and armada with their secret weapon. The latest news flowing through the living room late yesterday evening was that North Tokyo had asked Washington to put out feelers as an intermediary of peace. This development had occurred way too quickly, so there were those who did not consider the report to be all that reliable, but only a small percentage of the population maintained the ability to make unruffled judgement.
Much of the population had abruptly become commentators on military affairs — boys who would normally have no interest in politics talked about diplomacy and pragmatic power politics in loud voices at schools.
To the girls' apparent shock, disapproving glares at a time like this had no power to restrain them.
This was not limited to school. Sighing at the high spirited, irresponsible celebrity on the screen, Saegusa Mayumi switched the television off.
The current time was 10am. Since today was a weekday, she would usually be at school at this time. However, students of every magic high school involved in the Yokohama incident had continued to be given a break from school since yesterday, and First High School was no exception.
As someone preparing to take her exams at the beginning of the new year, taking a break from being drilled on the subjects she was studying certainly caused complicated feelings in her heart, but she wasn't someone who had been involved just because she was at the scene. Mayumi had been actually involved, so it was good for her to take a break. "Unfortunately, she could not relax.
<Ojou-sama, please forgive this interruption of your rest> [11]
She realized that she had turned off the TV, right?
The extremely good timing of the housekeeper's voice that could be heard from the intercom was mere coincidence — Mayumi was fully aware of that even as she mused over the possibility.
"I’ll open the door right now."
She replied as she stood up from her chair. Actually, she could have unlocked it by giving a command to the voice recognition interface of the Home Automation Robot, but for no particular reason, Mayumi opened the door herself.
In front of the door was the housekeeper in charge of looking after Mayumi. Even now, there is an extensively supported subculture of people who wear a uniform and are called a word starting with M and ending in D. ...Well, the skirt was calf length, the collar concealed the region below the neck, and there were no large uncovered parts in the back, so this was a functional uniform.
Besides, in this house, the existence of a housekeeper wearing this kind of uniform is not strange in the least. After all this time, there was no way it should feel unusual at all.
"What is it?"
Mayumi asked the housekeeper, who was about halfway into her twenties.
"Danna-sama [12] has summoned you."
When she heard this, Mayumi grimaced slightly. 'Again?' she thought.
Despite being questioned on what happened over and over just yesterday... while Mayumi grumbled in her mind, the next words made her tilt her head.
"He is waiting in the reception room."
Even though it was described as a head tilt, this was a private gesture made only in her mind.
—The reception room? Not the study?
That was a question that Mayumi had.
"Is there a guest?"
"It seems so."
It could not be said that they had been together for a long time, but roughly speaking, it was her companion’s job to be extremely helpful to Mayumi. From the short exchange, Mayumi understood that the woman did not know the guest's name.
"Please inform him that I will come after I change my clothes."
"Shall I help you change your clothes?"
After considering it for a moment, Mayumi immediately made an intuitive decision. Modern fashion did not present many opportunities to wear dresses that could not be put on by oneself.
"It will be all right. I will present myself in properly formal attire."
In short, the housekeeper had probably been ordered to make sure of that. As usual, the housekeeper respectfully bowed and withdrew when Mayumi gave her answer.
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