Volume 3
Chapter 7 Part
3
Touring the
Central Capital, a Myriad of Flowers 3
Translator : PolterGlast
Looking at the academy
from afar, it appeared in Akira's vision like a bird with both wings
outstretched.
Tenryō Academy. The
school building, which is newer than most of the surrounding buildings, is
divided into three main buildings.
As Akira's eyes
flashed, Jin's voice reached his ears.
"The left wing is
for the men's department, the right wing is for the women's department, and the
center building is for the faculty.
The club building and
the training hall are in front of the central building.
―Sorry, but before we go to greet people, I'd like to
put my luggage in the classroom first. I'm sure Junior will find your luggage a
hassle, too, so let's put it in my place as well."
"...... That
would be very helpful."
*Rustle*.
At the same time as
Akira accepted Jin's offer, the robust baggage sewn out of sailcloth rustled.
The bag was filled
with a few days' worth of clothes and daily necessities. The bag was so heavy that
even Akira's well-trained muscles felt the strain of carrying it.
If there were a place
to store it, Akira would have been very grateful.
They walked through
the schoolyard and headed for the school building, which was different in scale
from that of the ordinary junior high school.
Without being
particularly criticized, Akira and Jin eventually arrived at the entrance to
the building.
"I know it's a
little late for me to ask this, but I don't have a school uniform with me, is
it going to be okay?"
"I don't think it
will be a problem. After all, this school uniform is somewhat similar to your
protector's uniform, so I'm sure you won't stand out.
If such a thing became
a problem, wouldn't it be a problem every time a student transferred to this
school?"
Jin's point was
reasonable. Having been answered fairly, Akira also replied in understanding.
Passing through the
entrance lined with shoe boxes, Akira and Jin entered the school building, the
wooden floor rattled.
In contrast to the
fresh outward appearance of the school, the corridors and classrooms looked
much the same as those in ordinary junior high schools.
Feeling only a slight
sense of relief at this fact, Akira followed Jin's back.
Perhaps it was a
mid-afternoon break, and students began to pass by in groups of three or four,
all of whom were casting curious glances at them, who wore protector uniforms.
"I don't mean to
be rude, but the hallway looks old."
"Please just call
it historic.
―Tenryō Academy was one of the first schools to be
established in the country. And although it may look pretty on the outside,
it's got a lot of historical value on the inside."
Are things the same
everywhere in this country? Akira nodded in understanding as he recalled the
old-looking Daisan Junior High School.
Eventually, they
passed the halfway point of the school building.
As Akira and Jin came
to the junction of the corridor and the stairs, a group of boys came down from
upstairs.
Their faces were
slightly familiar.
The memory of the
unreasonable punishment he had been subjected to under the guise of
swordsmanship instruction heated up the stagnation simmering in his gut.
―You're in our way.
The hatred of being
mocked in the past made Akira's gaze naturally turn to his feet.
"―Nakiri-senpai. You're
back at last?"
"I've been doing
a lot of traveling with Master after all.
I may have gotten some
stares from the teachers, but I gained some valuable insights.
―Did everything go well at the academy? Ugetsu."
Akira's vision shook
at the exchange between Jin and the voice that undeniably stirred his memory.
His emotions that were
raging to overflow were ferociously baring their fangs from the depths of his
memory.
He then subconsciously
wished to the spirits.
Don't think about
anything, just do your best.
For the spirits,
Kanna-no-Mikura's wishes are absolute.
It is not a blessing,
but a verbal power of servitude that only Kanna-no-Mikura is allowed to use
that affects the spirits.
―At that moment, even the spirit that resides in a
person, who should not be interfered with, kept silent in accordance with
Akira's will.
"Nothing in
particular.
―But, Jodai-sensei was quite upset, you know? He
thought you were running away from your training by using Master Yuge's
business as an excuse."
"That's harsh,
it's an official duty, you know?
Besides, I have
permission from the academy as well."
"Even if that's
the case, not coming back for half a month is a bit much, isn't it?
And they already found
out about it. Your official business should've ended last month."
Ugetsu Souma returned
a sarcastic smile in response to Jin's dismissive response.
It is common in the
academy that students are grouped based on their backgrounds and factions, but
everyone naturally comes to rely on Souma, who has a good-natured personality
and is friendly to others.
There was little
caution on the faces of the students as they passed by, and it was clear that
the relationship between Souma and the students transcended even the status and
factions.
"Is that true?
This is bad.
I'll have to apologize
to instructor Jodai later."
"If you want, I
can think of something to say to him."
Jin was prepared to be
reprimanded, but he did not expect the fact that he had been using his official
duties as an excuse to be exposed.
Souma showed an air of
concern upon seeing the reluctant look on Jin's face.
...... But Jin shook
his head and declined the offer without hesitation.
"No need. ―I think it’s inappropriate for me as a Senior to ask
something like that to a Junior.
...... Besides, I know
you don't have the luxury of doing so, do you? One of the topics discussed
during this official meeting was the issue of the miasma in Kokuten
Province."
"......I
apologize for any concern we may have caused you regarding that.
The miasma is
currently in a lull.
As soon as the cause
is identified, I promise you that we will use all of Ugetsu's resources to
purify it.
"......That's
good then.
The seeds of unrest
are everywhere.
―Is Kokuten Province's problem that serious?"
With a hint of concern
in his tone, Jin probed Souma.
―The members of Ugetsu's factions had not changed, but
there was no one from Kokuten Province other than Ugetsu in sight.
Although he did not
say it out loud, there was a change in the members of Souma's group.
Souma is good at
building good relationships with others, but Jin knows that he is also shrewd.
His approach was
similar to that of his Master, Yuge Kojou.
Basically,
interpersonal relationships are easily severed if not maintained continuously.
And so, when he saw
that many of the next-generation leaders of the Kokuten Province were pulling
away, he could only assume that something had happened that caused the
relationship to deteriorate.
"As I said
earlier, it is not that serious.
Once the situation
calms down, it will be easy to recover from our current situation.
―But more importantly..."
"?"
However, Jin's
attempts to probe ended in failure as he was unable to read Souma's emotions.
This was also what Jin
expected, but instead of pursuing the matter, Jin simply shrugged his
shoulders.
Instead, Souma's gaze
turned to behind Jin's back.
"Who's that over
there? It seems that he is not a student but a protector judging from his
uniform."
"Yeah, he is a
protector of the Shumon Province.
He was introduced by
Master Yuge, and will be staying with us at the academy for a while."
"The Yuge
family?"
♢
―*Shudder*. No one could blame Akira for trembling
slightly from fright.
The tension in his
heart rose to a breaking point, and the sound of pulsing blood tormented the
depths of his ears.
As the tension
painfully tortured his thoughts, Akira desperately resisted his emotions.
―How long had it been in Akira's memory since the count
of seconds had felt so long?
It's okay, Ugetsu believed
Akira was dead.
They had never really
thought much about him in the first place.
It was hard to believe
that his younger brother, whom he had barely met, could recognize Akira.
While Akira was
desperately trying to quiet his thoughts, Souma and Jin's conversation was
unceasing.
"Yeah. I got
acquainted with him by chance.
We must hurry and get
the teacher's permission."
"I see. May I ask
his name?"
"―His name
is-......." "Ugetsu."
Before Jin could open
his mouth, a familiar voice was heard coming from upstairs.
Before he could even
think of it, the other party descended the stairs.
Kuga Ryota interrupted
Jin and Souma, his stand-up collar uniform fluttered.
"The homeroom
teacher of the first class came to me looking for you, you know?
I don't want someone
to misunderstand our relationship just because we're from the Eighth
Families."
"My bad, I'll be
on my way.
―Nakiri-senpai, I'll see you later."
Perhaps he wasn't that
interested in Akira's name, Souma turned on his heel without showing the
slightest hint of regret.
With light footsteps,
he disappeared upstairs without a trace of hesitation.
Akira exhaled heavily
after observing the whole scene.
"What a pain in
the ass.
―Huh? Nakiri-senpai, when did you get back?"
"Just now.
......Prevously
Ugetsu, and now you. Am I being talked about that much?"
"Only those who
know you, so it's not that big of a deal.
Well, I don't know
what's going on inside that instructor Jodai's mind, though."
Upon hearing Ryota's
response, Jin let out a sigh of exasperation.
The fact that the
rumors were spreading to a certain extent, instructor Jodai's irritation must
be quite considerable.
"More
importantly, that guy in the back.
...... You, why are
you here? And why are you with Nakiri-senpai?"
"It's been a
while, Kuga-sama."
Akira responded with a
nod, relieved at the unexpected help from the other party.
"Are you
acquainted with Kuga? ...... With Master Yuge's introduction, you're going to
attend Tenryō Academy for a while.
―This is just perfect. I'll make arrangements for you
to be assigned to Kuga's group, so Kuga, please look after him."
"Ha?! What are
you talking about, senpai?
This guy
is-......"
Even though he had
already given up his feelings toward Saki, he was unwilling to be paired with
the person in question.
He was about to
unintentionally vent his emotions, but unable to find where to direct them,
Ryota shut up.
"What is
it?"
"No, it's
nothing."
"You're quite
weird, I see.
―Akira, let's go. The teacher's office is this
way."
"Understood.
―Kuga-sama. Please take care of me for a while."
Ryota's dull tone made
Jin tilt his head, but without mentioning it, Jin turned his steps toward the
teacher's office.
As Akira tried to
follow Jin, an emotion different from irritation was thrown at his back.
"....... Don't
use honorifics. It only makes me angry when you utter it."
It was difficult to
guess the true meaning of those words.
All Akira could do was
to lightly nod his head in return.
♢
"......Well, I
understand what Master Yuge is asking."
On the desk, which
seemed to have embodied simplicity and sturdiness, a letter of introduction was
placed on top of it, which was opened with the sound of light rustle.
Jōdai Nagakatsu stared
at Jin and Akira standing in front of him, unable to hide his confusion at this
sudden request from Yuge Kojou.
"In order to
respond to the urgent situation, we have decided to transfer one of our
protectors from Karen's garrison.
Master Yuge has
requested that we be considerate of Akira's academic needs since he is also a
junior high school student."
"...... I wish
you'd take that consideration for yourself first, Nakiri.
―Akira, was it? What's your surname?"
Turning to look at
Akira, he shook his head lightly.
"I am a commoner,
so I don't have a surname."
"If you are a
commoner, then you are a prospective protector. Since you're granted a
transfer, you're probably held in high regard, but Tenryo Academy only expects
students from the nobility. How do you expect us to deal with that?
Although he owed Kojou
a debt of gratitude, it was still a bit unreasonable to make such a request.
Jodai arranged the paperwork on his desk, fully implying his intention.
"I think that is
not a problem because Akira can use the spirit techniques.
We have a job in the
garrison, so we'd be grateful if we could be exempted from morning training and
such.
―Master Yuge has requested that it's fine as long as
Akira can earn academic credits."
"Does he really
think it's possible to just do this and that, as long as it's convenient for
him?
―Besides, the fact that he doesn't have a surname is
also a problem."
In the face of Jodai's
concern about the fact that Akira is not a member of the nobility, Akira
stepped forward on Jin's behalf.
At this point, it
might be inappropriate to be so timid.
"The Rindo family
will stand as my guardian.
...... Their prestige
ought to be sufficient."
"Well, you see.
If we don't keep up
appearances at least, more and more people are going to hide under other's
prestige."
The nonstop grumbling
was also directed at Jin, who had not returned for half a month.
Jin seemed to
understand the situation, so there was no sign of any arguments raised by him.
"...... Well, if
the introduction of the Yuge family is added to Rindo's guardianship, the
Director's approval will be easy to obtain.
As I recall, it was
about time for Kihoin to return as well, right? I will let her and the Rindo
family discuss the matter.
Then the transfer
procedures will be completed."
""Thank you
very much.""
The management of
Shumon Province's nobility remains under the authority of the Kihoin, even in
the Central Capital.
The fact that Kihoin
Tsuguho is enrolled in the school is a blessing in disguise for Jōdai.
"You can make up
the missing credits, but I can't be responsible for the difference in class
progress.
...... You'll have to
take care of that on your own."
"Yes, sir."
No matter how good the
permission may be, it doesn't mean that one can handle the current level of
class progress.
In the worst-case
scenario, one might end up spending endless hours listening to classes that
they don't understand at all.
Jodai's advice was by
no means without reason.
Still, Jōdai stood up,
acknowledging Akira's nod of affirmation without hesitation.
"I don't think
you can go to class right away.
But as soon as I get
permission from Kihoin, I will make arrangements for you to take the class
immediately."
"―Please, and
thank you."
Akira and Jin bowed
their heads to the temporary permission.
As they turned on
their heels to leave the faculty room, Jodai's voice was thrown at them.
"Nakiri, you stay
here for a bit."
"......Aye."
He must have expected
this to happen.
He frowned just before
turning around and then mended as if nothing had happened.
In that brief moment,
he turned his attention to Akira and asked him to leave first.
"I'll file a
complaint to Master Yuge later, though, after giving you half a month's worth
of classes ............."
He would have to be
prepared to pay the price for running away, but was he disinclined to go along
with the reprimand as well?
Akira left the
teacher's office, catching a glimpse of Jin's wry smile, as he received a
reprimand from Jodai.
♢
After parting with
Jin, Akira was walking alone, wandering along a passageway with only a cedar
shingle roof over it.
The sky was high and
clear, showing hints of autumn. Whether it's Karen or Central Capital, it
appears to be no different in Akira's eyes.
"Oh
crap......"
A soliloquy escaped
his mouth.
The place he was
heading to now was the Right Wing Building, where the women's department is
located.
He had not been aware
of this because he was so unexpectedly close to Saki, but basically, boys and
girls are rarely together in the same school building.
This was because, by
nature, the common schools were for boys only, and female students generally
went on to girls' schools.
In fact, the only
school in the whole of Takamagahara that even in this day and age maintains
coeducational systems is Tenryō Academy.
Naturally, with the
exception of Saki, it was Akira's first time to be in close proximity with
female students.
He had hoped to at
least say hello to Saki, but seeing the female students chatting with each
other through the glass windows of the Right Wing building, he was beginning to
feel a bit self-conscious, almost to the point of regret.
Coupled with the chill
in the breeze that blew through the passageway, the fearful feeling became even
worse as it caressed Akira's skin.
―And,
He stopped to see a
female student walking alone from the right-wing building toward the central
building.
There is no doubt that
it is a female student, as she is dressed in a sailor's uniform. However, from
a distance, she could have been mistaken for a man with her short hair, which
she briskly brushed past Akira without so much as a glance.
Hesitant to exchange
pleasantries, Akira turned his attention back to the Right Wing building.
But at that moment,
"You're kind of
suspicious."
A playful tone of
voice nailed Akira's steps.
He pulled back the
step he was about to take and looked in the direction of the voice.
The girl, who should have passed him by, turned to Akira with a radiant smile, like a flower in bloom in the spring.
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