-473- Difficult to handle

"So..."

Walking down the corridor, not long after leaving the director's office, Ohtomo Jin's distinct Kansai-accented voice rang out.

"Although it's a bit troublesome, since the director asked me to look after you both, I'll give you a brief introduction to Onmyo Academy."

Saying this, Ohtomo Jin didn't directly start explaining.

"Since both of you come from the Tsuchimikado family, it's a bit difficult to distinguish by calling you Tsuchimikado, so I'll just call you by your names."

Ohtomo Jin made this decision in an extremely familiar manner, and then continued.

"Let me start by asking." Ohtomo Jin asked Natsume, "Natsume, do you know what Onmyo Academy is?"

"Yes... yes,"

Natsume almost couldn't react due to the sudden question. After gathering her thoughts, she hurriedly replied.

"Onmyo Academy is a school that trains professional Onmyoji. Its goal is to cultivate outstanding talents who can enter the Onmyo Agency. It can be said to be the top Onmyoji training institution in the country. In its long history, Onmyo Academy has provided countless talents to the Onmyo Agency. Among them are even top-notch individuals on the level of the 'Twelve Divine Generals.' In the Onmyo Agency, the proportion of Onmyo Academy graduates is much higher than those from other channels, making it highly valued in the world of jujutsu."

Natsume gave a textbook-like standard answer, which satisfied Ohtomo Jin.

"Just as Natsume said, Onmyo Academy can be considered a springboard to becoming a professional Onmyoji. Almost all graduates become certified professionals shortly after graduating. As long as you can successfully graduate from Onmyo Academy, it's not a problem to at least obtain 'Onmyo third class' qualification. That's why Onmyo Academy is highly regarded."

Ohtomo Jin said these words, but there was no pride or conceit in his tone. Instead, there was a sense of inexplicable reality.

Because...

"The premise being you have to successfully graduate, right?"

Rozen mentioned this point calmly, eliciting a shrug from Ohtomo Jin.

"That's right, the premise is successful graduation," Ohtomo Jin said in an unserious tone, "Although you can become a professional Onmyoji as long as you graduate, many Onmyo Academy students choose to leave the academy in their second year, effectively leaving the path of an Onmyoji."

Ohtomo Jin's words created a tense atmosphere around.

"W-why?" Natsume asked subconsciously, driven by the tension.

"It's simple," Ohtomo Jin explained without hesitation, "Because being an Onmyoji is a profession that highly values innate aptitude in jujutsu. Those who don't have the talent in jujutsu are destined to leave halfway."

This was a brutal reality in the Onmyoji industry.

"Onmyo Academy has a total of three grades," Ohtomo Jin began to explain.

"The first grade consists of freshmen, gathering young students from all over the country. Although a large number of people are screened out during the entrance exam, once you successfully enter the academy, the first grade is the easiest of the three years. There aren't many practical courses, and the main focus for the students is attending lectures. You're now first-grade newcomers, so remember to cherish this year."

"In the second grade, practical courses start to increase. From this point onward, differences among students start to show. During lectures, it might not be apparent, but once you get to the practical courses, the disparities in the students' aptitude become immediately apparent. Although it's not impossible to bridge the gap through hard work, students who witness their own abilities fall short compared to others and still continue to strive are rare. Therefore, most students choose to leave the academy during their second year, giving up on becoming Onmyoji."

"And the third grade is the group that remains. Compared to the second-grade students, there will be considerably fewer students in the third grade, further reduced by the increased difficulty in practical courses. However, under these challenging courses, the third-grade students who persist without giving up naturally become the most outstanding talents over the three years. The just-promoted second-grade students can't compare, even though they haven't obtained their qualifications yet, they can already be considered amateur professionals. They even train alongside real professional Onmyoji. With such training, even if they aren't excellent, they can still pass the national third class test. Therefore, almost all successful graduates from the third grade can successfully obtain their professional qualifications and become professional Onmyoji."

Ohtomo Jin explained the conditions within the academy, and added a mischievous reminder.

"By the way, even professional Onmyoji will come to study alongside third-grade students. How difficult their courses are, well, I'll let you imagine."

Ohtomo Jin's seemingly kind reminder was enough to frighten any new students.

If it were other new students hearing Ohtomo Jin's words, their faces would have turned pale, wouldn't they?

However, Rozen and Natsume were different. One still had a lazy expression, while the other, although looking serious, didn't show any signs of timidity.

Seeing this, Ohtomo Jin restrained his casual smile and spoke in an calm tone.

"Indeed, you're the descendants of the Tsuchimikado clan, the top family of Onmyodou. This level of challenge won't scare you at all."

Of course, it wouldn't scare them.

Not to mention Rozen, even Natsume knew that her current strength surpassed the level of regular students. While her practical combat experience might not be abundant yet, in other aspects, she wouldn't lose to professional Onmyoji. If she were to use her full abilities, even third-year students wouldn't be a match for her.

Under these circumstances, even though Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, Tsuchimikado Takahiro, and Tsuchimikado Chizuru claimed that Natsume already had the skill level of a professional, not just a "third class" Onmyoji, but even a "second class," so the third year students are no match against her.

So, not only in the first year, but even in the second year, Rozen and Natsume would probably find it quite easy. The real challenge might only surface in the third year, right?

However, this didn't mean Rozen and Natsume could effortlessly sail through the two years at Onmyo Academy.

"The courses are something I don't need to worry about, but you might have other troubles, right?" Ohtomo Jin spoke in a relaxed tone. "After all, why does Akikan carry some crazy rumors on his back?"

This was the more challenging aspect for Rozen to deal with. Even Natsume wasn't an exception.

Because...

"The director seemed to have said that Natsume is Akikan's 'Hishamaru,' right?"

Ohtomo Jin mentioned this intentionally or unintentionally, causing Natsume to press her lips together.

—"Hishamaru."

This was a Shikigami's name.

In the Tsuchimikado family, there was a generational rule that branch members must become Shikigami for the main family.

Since that was the case, Tsuchimikado Yakou naturally had branch members to serve him.

Although Tsuchimikado Yakou possessed many Shikigami, the only ones who constantly served by his side were two.

One was the Oni he had subjugated—"Kakugyouki."

The other was a branch family member—"Hishamaru."

If Rozen was considered the reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou, then Natsume, as his Shikigami, was undoubtedly his Hishamaru.

"Let me look forward to your performance."

Ohtomo Jin ended the explanation with these words and continued.

"Alright, first go to the opening ceremony, then we'll start the formal classes."