Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 06 - Yokohama Disturbance Chapter (I) Page 3

  "Was someone seriously that audacious..."

  Isori's eyes widened as he groaned at that. This must be the first time he heard of such a thing.

  Tatsuya understood what he meant. At the same time, he who was capable of wielding magic that surpassed weapons of mass destruction was in no position to point fingers at that particular student. However, just as he was inwardly mocking himself, another question floated into his head.

  "...Censored ahead of time by the inspectors implies that particular thesis wasn't publicized, correct? Since that paper remained under wraps, how did Ichihara-senpai learn about this?"

  Tatsuya didn't even think twice before asking that question, which for some reason cast an awkward silence over the group.

  Suzune unconsciously turned away with a complex and miserable expression on her face.

  No, if you don't want to answer; these words were on Tatsuya's lips when she sighed and replied back.

  "...The one who wrote that paper was our school's Student Council President from three terms ago."

  (Holy... Did our school have that kind of character...)

  Hearing Suzune's explanation, Tatsuya could only marvel in silence. Since the Thesis Competition was held right after the new Student Council session began, and Suzune joined the brass during the latter half of her first year, it was hardly surprising that she was privy to these details. Given Suzune's current facial expression, evidently this previous Student Council President had many other "legendary" deeds.

  "[Ahem...] Owing to that precedent, all final drafts, materials, reports, and blueprints must be turned over to the Magic Association ahead of time."

  Next to Suzune who had intentionally cleared her throat, Isori seemed to comprehend something as he nodded, possibly because this was the first time he heard all the details.

  "The deadline is the Sunday two weeks from now. Though the materials have to be submitted to the Kantou branch of the Magic Association, the school will take responsibility for that. Taking into account the time Tsuzura-sensei needs to examine the contents, ideally we should have everything done by next week Wednesday."

  Even if they could finish the report preparation after turning in their materials, that left only ten days to compose the thesis itself. Given the remaining time, this was indeed a tight schedule. Still, why did they need Tsuzura to look it over? There should be many instructors on campus with a wealth of experience who were old hands at devising textbooks for magic education.

  At this question that could not be verbalized (as insulting as it was to Tsuzura-sensei), Isori shrewdly answered aloud.

  "Tsuzura-sensei is the instructor responsible for this year's competition. Not only does he have to help out with the preparations for the Thesis Competition, he also has to deal with troublesome tasks like preparations for magic experiments. Generally, these things are left for younger teachers to do."

  "Despite his youth, Tsuzura-sensei is an extremely capable individual. We are very fortunate that we are able to receive instruction that far surpasses what we would normally receive in class."

  Doubly so for a Course 2 student, like himself, that normally has no chance of being personally instructed by the faculty. Not that Tatsuya actually said this.

  Since the two of them — forget surpass, half the student body wasn't qualified for actual instruction — had conveniently failed to notice this, there was no need to remind them again.

  After detailing a few specific areas that demanded special attention, Suzune's explanation drew to a close.

  Chapter 2

  Modern short distance public transportation was developed along the lines of carpooling, with large scale public transportation being replaced by smaller systems that accommodated fewer individuals.

  Thirty years ago, this plan started spreading among the large metropolises as well as 80% of the medium sized cities and suburbs. The remaining 20% utilized private cars and had no need for public transportation.

  In terms of going to school or work, large buses and cable cars that could transport large amounts of people had gone out of style, so the scene where high school students took the bus to and from school has almost become non-existent.

  While Tatsuya really only went to school accompanied by Miyuki, he still shared the walk from the bus stop to the school with his friends. Even though he arrived later than usual to school, the usual crowd was still on hand waiting for him.

  The predominant itinerary involved a simple walk to school, but sometimes they would make a quick detour to a cafe or fast food restaurant. Along the approximately one kilometer path to school, there were countless stores that boasted dining, books, school supplies, clothes, and especially materials related to magic education. Students and teachers from First High were not the only ones to frequent this area, since many customers took the tram from far away to come and shop here.

  Within one of the more orthodox cafes where they were frequent fliers, eight people were sitting together.

  "Eh? Tatsuya's been selected as one of the representatives for the Thesis Competition?"

  Today's detour was because Mikihiko asked why Tatsuya was summoned to the Magic Geometry lab. Seeing Mikihiko burning with questions while they were waiting for the waitress, Tatsuya couldn't help but notice a side to his friend as he briefly elaborated on the details.

  Hence Mikihiko's reaction was embodied by the previous comment.

  Since he had already told Miyuki and Honoka when he picked them up from the Student Council Room yesterday, there were five people including Mikihiko who sat there with stunned expressions.

  "Wait, I thought we only send three representatives from the entire school to the Thesis Competition."

  "Yep."

  At Mizuki's wide-eyed question, Tatsuya calmly replied with a decisive answer. Their two expressions were like night and day.

  "Just a 'yep'...... Tatsuya-kun is completely lackadaisical about this."

  Mizuki was struck speechless while Erika stared blankly. On the other side, Leo supplied an amused smile.

  "For Tatsuya, that would be only natural."

  "There's never been a case where we sent a Year 1 student out for the Thesis Competition."

  "Not like it's impossible either, eh? Even the faculty can't ignore the genius who invented a brand new magic among us."

  Hearing Shizuku's counter argument, Leo smiled and added a rebuttal of his own.

  "Let's stop it there with the genius talk."

  Rather than being embarrassed by that title, Tatsuya felt an irritation like someone poking him with a needle.

  "Tatsuya really dislikes people calling him a genius......"

  "Because that term is too casual."

  At Honoka's amazed comment that was neither mocking nor filled with ulterior meanings, Miyuki replied in place of Tatsuya.

  Tatsuya could only chuckle wryly at his sister's reply, though he had to admit she was right on the money.

  "No, that's still incredible!"

  Likely noticing the mood taking a turn for the worse, Mikihiko quickly chimed in to restore the balance.

  "The winning thesis from the competition will be published annually in 'Super Nature', while a considerable amount of attention is still directed towards Second Place and below."

  "Super Nature" is a British research journal that is held to be the highest authority on modern magic. Unfortunately, the journal also contained themes on dictatorship that were inappropriate for high school students. Fortunately, everyone here who had read the journal, including Mikihiko, Tatsuya, and Miyuki, were all quite familiar with the name.

  "Ah, but...... There isn't a whole lot of time left."

  Mikihiko's euphoric mood swiftly turned to worry as he stated this.

  Shouldn't Mikihiko also pay attention to these sudden mood swings? Tatsuya thought in surprise. Regardless, he kept these thoughts to himself as he nodded at Mikihiko's question.

  "We have exactly 9 days until the school turns in our paper."

&nb
sp; "That's it!? That's right around the corner!"

  "There's no problem at all. At the end of the day, I'm only in a supporting role. The lead writer has been working on this since before summer vacation."

  Seeing Honoka's electrified expression, Tatsuya reassured her with a smile as he waved his hand a little. At Tatsuya's answer, Honoka relaxed into a "You're right" expression and heaved a sigh of relief.

  "Even so, the fact remains that this is a pressing deadline. Did something unexpected happen?"

  "One of the supporting upperclassmen's physical condition suddenly worsened."

  Miyuki wrinkled her brows as she queried Tatsuya, who maintained his earlier smile as he replied with a simple answer. Even though he didn't cut into the heart of the matter, there really was nothing to hide even if pressed.

  Yet, Miyuki didn't seem wholly satisfied with Tatsuya's overly simplistic answer.

  "That's quite unfortunate, but even so this is certainly a last minute change."

  The reason apparently wasn't why this situation occurred, but a mood issue.

  "Indeed, even if the entire thesis had to be done from scratch, Onii-sama would still be the best candidate."

  Nonetheless, given that Tatsuya's situation had already turned into reality, Miyuki was only looking for a reason to convince herself, which was perfectly in tune with her character. In Tatsuya's eyes, even though Miyuki's comment was fairly accurate, she was still thinking too highly of herself with this unconditional acceptance.

  "That's not entirely the case. We would have quite the conundrum on our hands if I was utterly unfamiliar with the field of Ichihara-senpai's topic, but fortunately that isn't the case."

  Thus, Tatsuya adopted a "smile and deny" tactic, but Miyuki didn't seem very happy with her brother's stance. Just as she was thinking of an appropriate rejoinder, a new question sprouted out from beside her.

  "Hey, so what is the topic?"

  Curious, Leo leaned forward as he asked this question. Despite the fact that all the young ladies watched him coldly with eyes that clearly said "Would you understand even if he told you?", the man asking the question and the one answering him both ignored them.

  "Technical Difficulties and Solutions to Sustained Gravity Control-Type Magic Sequence Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor."

  "......I can't even imagine that."

  The questioner immediately retorted back, a prompt reflection of his current predicament.

  "......That's quite the grandiose topic. Isn't that one of the 'Three Great Puzzles in Weight Systematic Magic'?" Mikihiko groaned with a complex expression. To his side,

  "Since Tatsuya was asked to join, I thought the thesis would be related to CAD processes."

  Mizuki expressed her thoughts on the matter.

  "Ah, I thought so too."

  "Kei-senpai is also a member...... I think that this topic may be simply too difficult to have a chance at victory."

  Shizuku and Erika shared Mizuki's opinion. Apparently, his friends were concerned on his behalf that this topic would prove too challenging for Tatsuya and high school students in general.

  Which made perfect sense, since the Gravity Control-Type Magic Sequence Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor was not labeled one of the Three Great Puzzles just for nothing. In this situation, Tatsuya could only smile and muddle through.

  However, among all the smiling faces, only Miyuki wasn't really smiling.

  Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

  Only she, who understood the significance of Sustained Gravity Control-Type Magic Sequence Thermonuclear Fusion Reactors, could truly appreciate how serious her brother was.

  ◇◇◇

  The siblings split from their friends at the station. They returned home to find a small limousine parked in their parking spot, which prompted the two of them to exchange a glance.

  Tatsuya stepped forward and opened the door.

  Seeing the rare designer label high heels in the threshold, Tatsuya gently cradled Miyuki's shoulders as she stood there in utter silence with a stiff expression on her face.

  As he supported Miyuki and stepped through the door, a light tapping of slippers rapidly approaching could be heard.

  "—Welcome back. The two of you are always on such good terms."

  Hearing these mocking tones, Tatsuya swiftly narrowed his eyes as his hand that was holding his sister's shaking shoulders tightened their grip a fraction.

  "It's been quite a while, Sayuri-san."

  Tatsuya's chilly voice was a perfect match for his cool gaze.

  This time, it was the petite woman who welcomed them who shook a little.

  "Hm, hm. Well, that's because I always wanted to be close to the office."

  "Is that so."

  Tatsuya nodded curtly at their stepmother who hadn't stepped foot in this house for 9 months — in the siblings' eyes, she was "their father's second wife" — Shiba Sayuri.

  Despite coming home, this household did not possess her room or bedding since after her marriage to their father, she had settled down with him in a suite in an upscale apartment complex five minutes from FLT headquarters and dwelt in married bliss together. Tatsuya only intended to slightly needle Sayuri for the fact that she had never lived here after marrying their father and her usage of this location as home.

  Seeing their father's second wife's expression darken at the sarcasm, Miyuki actually composed herself. With her brother's arm still around her, she slightly shifted around, utterly ignoring any other gazes on her as she pressed closer to Tatsuya's slightly lowered face.

  Normally, even with just the two of them, Miyuki would never commit such an embarrassing action that was wholly incompatible with her image. At this point, Miyuki had completely entered a state where bystanders held no meaning.

  "I shall begin preparations for dinner immediately, Onii-sama. Anything in particular you would like?"

  "Anything you make will be fine. There's no need to hurry, so you best get changed first."

  Tatsuya didn't even bother to glance at Sayuri, instead devoting his entire attention to Miyuki. At her brother's response, Miyuki revealed an ecstatic smile.

  "I understand, though I wonder if there's something you had in mind. So long as it's Onii-sama's wish, Miyuki is willing to do anything."

  "Hey, don't get too worked up."

  Tatsuya lightly poked her forehead before Miyuki shrugged her head down and lightly sprang up to the second floor.

  "So, what may I do for you today?"

  Once Miyuki's figure disappeared, Tatsuya reopened the conversation with Sayuri, who seemed stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  Afterwards, he stepped quickly into the living room and took a seat on a nearby sofa, and once again called out to the hesitant Sayuri.

  "Could we get a move on, since I would like to finish before my sister returns."

  Sayuri creased her brows at these curt words, but she still took a seat opposite Tatsuya.

  "Looks like you two still aren't very welcoming towards me."

  As if realizing that further acting was pointless, Sayuri's attitude abruptly changed when she sat down.

  Completely heedless of Tatsuya's gaze, she set one leg over another and leaned back on the sofa.

  Her casual clothes devoid of any makeup was likely her researcher's calling showing through, so Tatsuya didn't have to worry about where to leave his eyes. Of course, even if Sayuri was wearing a tight miniskirt, Tatsuya likely wouldn't bat an eyelid.

  "Miyuki may think that way. After all, it's only natural for her to be somewhat resentful if her father remarried less than half a year after her mother died. Even though she may act like an adult, she's really just a 15 year old young girl."

  "......And you?"

  "I am incapable of such an emotional reaction. That was the way I was forged."

  "......Well, forget it, regardless of whether that's true or not, that's no longer in my hands. Even so, if we were to talk about that, I hope that you can seriously listen to him, since
it was only half a year for you two, but a whole 16 years for me."

  Despite her youthful appearance, she was actually the same age as their father. Tatsuya was contemplating these rude concepts like the public enemy of women.

  She, Shiba Sayuri, was originally known as Furuha Sayuri and was Shiba Tatsurou's lover before his marriage with Yotsuba Miya. Rumor had it that the Yotsuba interposed to seize a prized genetic advantage and forcibly cut them apart. Tatsuya could read between the lines of her hatred even if she didn't verbalize them.

  Still, that was an issue between her and their birth parents and was unrelated to the siblings. Since she had maintained an affair with their father while Miya was still alive, she would receive no pity from him.

  "So, what's the occasion that brought you all the way out here?"

  Sayuri originally intended to naturally drift into the main subject, so Tatsuya's direct inquiry caught her off guard and finally shook off the unnatural vibes around their conversation.

  "......Then, let's cut right to the chase. The company labs require your assistance. If possible, we hope you will drop out from high school."

  "Impossible. During Miyuki's enrollment at First High, I am unable to fulfill my mission as a guardian if I am not a student at First High."

  A ridiculous demand warranted a flat refusal from Tatsuya.

  "Even if you're not a student, other guardians could be made available."

  "There is a shortage of Magicians in every field. Even the Yotsuba Family would be hard pressed to replace a guardian on such short notice."

  "In other words, you are the finest candidate?"

  "When only restricted to Miyuki's protection, that is indeed the case."

  This was a conversation that had occurred multiple times in the past.

  Whew, Sayuri heaved a great sigh that didn't seem theatrical.

  "......I doubt any company has enough surplus to allow someone as talented as you, to simply play around."

  "Play around? I do believe I have made powerful contributions to the company as well. A few days ago, the company received an order from the USNA Navy for a large quantity of Flying-Type devices, which boosted the quarterly profits by 20% compared to last quarter."