New Chain Quests

--- Saegusa Mayumi ---

'Calling him a sly fox feels like an understatement.'

I sighed, placing the reports on the desk as my gaze drifted over the Student Council Room. The atmosphere was unusually tense, all eyes drawn to the subject of the day: Nakamura Hikari.

His deeds over the past few weeks hadn't gone unnoticed. In fact, within the school walls, his reputation had grown to eclipse even the most prominent Second and Third Years.

It was to the point that even the line between "Weeds" and "Blooms," usually so rigid, had seemingly dissolved when it came to him.

Of course, that was just on the surface. As long as those so-called Blooms do not know where Nakamura Hikari stands in all this, they've decided to not act and just see what happens.

The reason was simple.

"Dealing with fellow students like cutting grass," Suzune muttered, her tone unusually somber. "All the while ensuring he doesn't violate the rules enough for the Disciplinary Committee to act. Is he even human?"

Her words, tinged with both awe and unease, brought a faint smile to my lips.

"It's natural for him to act this way," I replied gently. "His targets were the same people who mocked and bullied him before. If anything, it's more surprising how calculated he is in keeping himself out of trouble. But that's just intelligence, not monstrosity."

It's kind of rude to call someone we barely know a monster, isn't it?

Suzune didn't seem entirely convinced. "Calculated or not, the way he fights... It's overwhelming. He crushes his opponents before they can even move. It's as if he's toying with them."

I nodded slightly, recalling the times I'd witnessed his battles myself.

It wasn't his methods of dealing with students that intrigued me—it was his way of fighting. Each battle was a spectacle.

His opponents rarely managed to make a move before he brought them down.

The humiliation of losing to sheer physical strength was something most Magicians couldn't swallow.

But for those few who managed to push him far enough—which meant avoiding his first strike—his Magic would then welcome them, and it was terrifying.

No CAD, no visible preparation. His speed and precision made it clear he was operating on a completely different level. If he ever chose to use a CAD, I doubted anyone in this school could stand against him.

Yet, the question lingered: how did he become so good at it?

From what we knew of his background, he'd never displayed such talent before. When asked, he brushed off the questions like they weren't worth his time.

Personally, I didn't think it mattered.

"Everyone has their secrets," I said with a shrug. "As long as he's not a spy or anything, I don't see why it's important to the point some people are even offering money to buy information about that."

Can you replicate the method, even if you knew it?

Honestly, instinct told me there's no way that's possible.

Suzune raised an eyebrow at me. "A spy? If he were, he'd be the worst one imaginable—bringing this much attention to himself."

I laughed softly. "Exactly. And anyway, the investigation cleared him, didn't it?"

She sighed but nodded in agreement. "Still, whether he's a monster, a robot, or some other species entirely, what happens next is what matters. Now that he's had his revenge and the dust has settled, we'll see his true colors. If he doesn't cause trouble, I don't see a reason not to recruit him."

I smiled, already leaning toward the same conclusion. "Agreed. He's competent, and his strength alone would give us a much firmer hold on the Student Body."

Suzune hesitated for a moment. "I don't often agree so quickly, but I can't argue this time. He's... different."

"Wow, Suzune-chan," I teased, grinning at her. "It's rare to see you so decisive. But I understand why."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and I could tell she wasn't entirely at ease with the idea. To her, Nakamura Hikari was an unpredictable variable—a powerful force that might be as much a liability as an asset.

But for me, his actions made perfect sense. Revenge, no matter how calculated, was a natural response to what he'd endured. And as long as he stayed within the rules, that was enough for me.

The only concern now was whether I could actually convince him to join us. He didn't strike me as someone who could be easily swayed.

With a sigh, I leaned back in my chair, already preparing myself for the challenge ahead.

---

After a quick discussion, an agreement was reached, surprisingly unanimous.

I stood from my chair, brushing off my skirt as I turned to address the other student council members.

"Alright, I'll head out to look for him and see if he'll consider joining. Wait for me here—"

I didn't even get to finish the sentence.

As I turned toward the door, I wasn't paying attention and bumped into something—no, someone.

It was like hitting a brick wall. Stumbling back, I lost my balance, but before I could fall, a hand shot out and caught me.

For a moment, I thought I was suddenly brought into a shoujo manga.

...Until

"Pay attention to what's in front of you," came the dry, unimpressed voice.

I froze, looking up to meet the deadpan gaze of Nakamura Hikari.

One thought clouded my mind for a moment.

'He's quite used to handling women'

His sharp, piercing red eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, my heart almost skipped a beat.

Almost.

But the moment wasn't dreamy at all.

"I… uh…" I stammered, nodding quickly as if agreeing with some unspoken scolding.

"R-right. I'm sorry."

Composing myself as best as I could, I straightened up, brushing off nonexistent dust from my uniform.

When I glanced back at the others, they were all conveniently avoiding my gaze, clearly trying to stifle laughter. My face burned as I let out a heavy sigh.

'Just my luck.'

My image—whatever was left of it—was utterly shattered in a single moment of carelessness.

'I mean...Why is he even here!?' 

The question popped into my head as I glanced back at him. Nakamura Hikari was the last person I'd expect to randomly show up at the student council room. Unless…

A chill ran down my spine.

'Could he be targeting someone here?'

That's possible.

'I thought he settled down, but maybe he was aiming for someone in a higher position...!?'

It was like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over me. If he was here for that reason, recruiting him would become infinitely harder.

Before I could spiral any further, Nakamura spoke again, his tone just as stoic as before. "I've come here to see if there's a position open for me in the student council."

"Eh?"

I blinked, dumbfounded.

"…You want to join the student council?" I asked, just to make sure I'd heard him right.

His expression darkened slightly, and he scoffed. "What, does the student council president have hearing problems now?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

A frown creased my eyebrows "That's not what I meant!"

I retorted, feeling a little wronged.

But in truth, I didn't mind his tone. The benefit of having someone like him join the council was well worth a bit of his disdain.

Our position within the school would be unshakeable.

So... you can scoff at me all you want!

I'd even welcome you to do more than that!

No, wait.

That's sounds a little weird...

Seriously, just what am I thinking?

In fact, the straightforward way he spoke was almost refreshing. People who were as straightforward as him were far easier to deal with than the scheming types who kept their intentions hidden.

Outwardly, though, I puffed up my cheeks in mock annoyance.

It would hurt my pride if I didn't at least retort a little more to defend myself.

"I heard you perfectly fine, Nakamura. It's just… surprising, that's all. You never seemed interested in this sort of thing before."

He regarded me with an unreadable expression, but at least he didn't scoff again. "Circumstances change," he said simply.

That much, I could agree with.

But even so...that's kind of weird.

I need to probe him out to guess the reason behind this sudden change!

Maybe he wants to use the authority of the student council to harass more student, and that is something I cannot allow.

Or maybe, he has even deeper reasons.

I could feel a fire spreading within my chest.

I'll unearth the mystery and find the truth!

--- Akira ---

Just as I expected, after a brief period of peace, new Chain Quests popped up.

[Time to Shine: II]

[Description: Nakamura Hikari has proven his talent. Now, it's time to expand his influence.

Task To Complete:

Become a Student Council Member(0/1)

On Failure: All your Active and Passive skills will be sealed for the duration of the 4th Trial.

On Success: Level Up(20), [Intimidation] Talent, [Sage's Eye] Skill]

[A Capable Brother: II]

[Description: Your sister is happy that you have a strong foundation. However, she's still but a kid. She is not aware of the Nakamura family's true nature, and is thus easy to manipulate. The more care she shows towards you, the easier it is for them. That is unacceptable.

Tasks to Complete

Wipe out the Nakamura Family(0/???)

Mend your relationship with your sister(0/1)

Additional Conditions:

Your sister shall never realize you are the one behind the assassinations.

You cannot use Magic to execute this Chain Quest

On Failure: New conditions will be added to the Trial Quest. Conditions not in line with your nature will be issued.

On Success: Level Up(100), Hint on the Usurper, [???] System Feature]

'Interesting.'

Both quests seemed straightforward at first glance, but the issue wasn't their difficulty—it was their implications.

"A hint about the Usurper, huh," I muttered.

Without any leads, finding the Usurper would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack. But with hints promised as a reward, the odds of success would change completely.

What once felt like an impossible task had become a manageable one—at least in theory.

The other rewards, though? Most of them didn't excite me.

Levels? Utterly useless. I'd already hit the level cap for this Trial. Even a reward like Level Up (1000) wouldn't change that.

Still, compensation after the Trial's conclusion was a welcome prospect, if nothing else.

But the skill reward, [Sage's Eye], was a different matter.

I couldn't help but harbor doubts. Just the naming alone was suspicious.

It felt like a skill that was too good to be true—like one of those overly tempting yet ultimately poisonous skills I'd been offered before. For now, I could only see it as potential "nutrient" for other skills—fodder to be repurposed.

Or maybe... something more.

Yui's voice cut through my thoughts. ["You're thinking about [Skill Merging], aren't you?"]

"Of course," I replied, leaning back in my chair. "If the skill's shady, merging it might be the best option. But we both know that feature isn't as glamorous as it sounds."

["High risk, high reward,"] Yui echoed, her tone laced with what sounded like amusement. ["The System really knows how to tempt you, doesn't it?"]

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I won't easily try that feature while risking my core skills in the process."

The so-called [Skill Merging] feature was unlocked after completing [A Capable Brother: I].

Along with the notice of it being unlocked, a panel had appeared, detailing how it worked.

Unusual, but better than nothing, I guess.

In theory, it was straightforward—combine skills using Skill Points (SP) to create something of a higher level. But in practice? It was a gamble.

"Failure has a cost," I continued "And the System isn't exactly clear about what that cost is."

That's the biggest and most dangerous variable.

Along with my thoughts, her voice sounded a little grave. ["It's highly likely that one of the skills could be destroyed or that you'd have to pay an absurd amount of SP to recover from the failure. Tragic, really."]

"Tragic's putting it lightly," I added with a sigh. "My SP aren't infinite, and I can't just splurge it on failed experiments. Not when it's one of the few trump cards I have—alongside the Wish Card, which can maximize my use of SP."

["Oh, right. I almost forgot you had that"] Yui teased, her voice suddenly playful.

"As if I'd believe you can forget stuff." I rolled my eyes.

She snickered ["I've been learning from the best. Besides, you're the one who influenced me."]

"Influenced you?" I feigned mock offense, snorting. "You were the picture of innocence once. What happened to that sweet, dutiful Yui?"

She replied without the slightest hint of hesitation or shame. ["She's still here—just upgraded. Honestly, I feel more like myself now. Like something that used to hold me back has been stripped away. So, thank you for that."]

I paused, her words catching me off guard for a moment. A genuine warmth spread through me. "I'm glad to hear that, Yui," I said softly.

There was a time when throwing jokes at each other like this would have felt unnatural—a bit forced, even.

She was like a flower, tightly bound by expectations and an air of dutiful formality as her nutrients. But now? Now, her personality was blooming in ways I hadn't expected.

Thanks to that, I also felt much closer to her, compared to before.

It was good to see her like this—relaxed, playful, and unafraid to express herself. It reminded me of watching a child grow, learning to embrace who they are without fear.

I couldn't help but feel pride.

["Aw, don't get sentimental now,"] she teased, though her voice softened.

You're right. Although that would be good, it's not the time for that.

Clearing my throat, I steered the conversation back. "Anyway, about the Skill Merging—it's not just the failure rate that's the issue. The feature also has synergy mechanics. The more compatible the skills, the lower the risk. But merging more than two skills? That's just madness."

["Straight-up gambling,"] Yui agreed, her tone dry. ["But with your innate Sixth Sense and my calculations, we can minimize the risks. Still, it's far from a guarantee."]

"Which is why we start small," I said. "We can use those shady skills I've picked up as test material. Worst case, they're destroyed, and we get valuable data. Best case, we create something useful."

["Exactly,"] Yui added, her voice filled with evilness. ["Besides, if the cost of covering a failure is too high, you can just throw the skill away. No need to waste SP unless it's truly worth it."]

Her laugh echoed, almost sinister.

I shook my head, chuckling. "You sound like the evil mastermind here."

["Don't pretend you're any better,"] she shot back, laughing.

Fair point.

I licked my dry lips, anticipation stirring within me. "Well, time to gather more experimental material. Can't wait to see what this system's hiding."

["Shameless,"] Yui said with a laugh. ["Absolutely shameless."]

And yet, neither of us could hide our excitement.

---

Author's Note:

Just as some people predicted on the discord server, you can expect some surprise on Christmas!

Little Spoilers about it:

 - In short, I'll release some kind of special chapter.

- Of course, although I call it a special one, it's actually just a sub-plot that has relevance to the story(you will understand why when you'll read it), so they will be included as such in the story going forward.