-477- Let's resolve this cleanly

As Ohtomo Jin had mentioned, the main focus of the first-year students at Onmyo Academy was on listening to lectures.

While there were practical classes, they were not too frequent, with at most three or four per week, and sometimes none at all for a whole day. Overall, the workload was relatively light.

In these classes, the instructors covered not only jujutsu but also general subjects typically found in regular schools. Given that the students of Onmyo Academy were at a high school equivalent level, they needed to continue receiving general education to ensure they could adapt to society properly.

For the students present, these subjects weren't particularly challenging. Those who passed the entrance exam for Onmyo Academy were already outstanding students, often coming from prestigious families and receiving education from a young age. Even if their practical abilities weren't exceptional, their theoretical knowledge was solid.

For others, this was manageable, but for Rozen, who had mastered these subjects years ago, the classes felt monotonous. He was even on the verge of yawning.

Actually, he did yawn, and he even accidentally fell asleep.

The fact that the top freshman in the Onmyo Academy, the heir of the Tsuchimikado family, was dozing off during class was something the students hadn't expected. They were taken aback.

Even the instructors were perplexed and had to wake Rozen up, putting on a stern face and making him answer a series of questions.

To everyone's astonishment, Rozen answered the questions with his eyes almost closed, leaving the instructors and students speechless, no longer underestimating him.

The first day after the start of school concluded under these circumstances.

The class schedule and dismissal times at Onmyo Academy were similar to those of regular high schools. They announced the end of the school day before evening, allowing the students to leave.

The students left the school building, discussing animatedly as they went.

Although the school had just started for a day, it had already provided ample discussion material for the students, keeping them engaged. Naturally, Rozen was the central figure of their discussions, being pointed at and discussed as he left the school premises.

Fortunately, no one deliberately provoked Rozen, saving him from a lot of trouble. He left the school building with Natsume, heading home.

It's worth mentioning that Kurahashi Kyouko left the classroom right after school.

This made Natsume, who had expected the other party to immediately cause trouble, somewhat relieved yet disappointed. Rozen, on the other hand, felt a bit worried.

"Natsume won't turn bad just like that, right?" Rozen said, expressing unnecessary concern.

Carrying these thoughts, Rozen and Natsume left together. Onmyo Academy had prepared dormitories for the students who came from all over the country, commonly known as dorms.

There were separate dorms for male and female students, located in different places, albeit in the same direction. They were not right next to each other but had a considerable distance from the Onmyo Academy.

The male dormitory required about ten minutes of walking from the school building, while the female dormitory was in another location.

Because of this, even though Rozen and Natsume were inseparable, they had to part ways at this moment.

Natsume didn't oppose this. Although she seemed a bit worried and reluctant, at least she wasn't naive enough to request to stay in the male dormitory.

After parting ways with Rozen, she headed to the female dormitory, and Rozen found this amusing and exasperating.

"Anyway, we have a contract. If something happens, I'll call for you at the earliest moment," Rozen said to Natsume.

Of course, Natsume was not a spiritual being but a human with a physical form. Even if Rozen called for her, she couldn't instantly rush over. But it was better than Rozen being in danger without her knowing anything.

"Just in case, I'll leave this Shikigami with you. It'll make it easier for you to hurry," Rozen said, handing a talisman to Natsume.

It was a very ancient talisman, clearly showing its age.

Seeing this talisman, Natsume immediately recognized the true identity of the Shikigami. She quickly protested to Rozen.

"This is a Shikigami that has served the Tsuchimikado family for generations. Although it's not as precious and ancient as Hokuto, it's still a very rare Shikigami. How can I take it?" Natsume tried to decline.

As Natsume said, the talisman Rozen handed over was a Shikigami that had served the Tsuchimikado family for generations. Although it couldn't compare in age and history to Hokuto, it was remarkable for specific purposes. While it wasn't as powerful as Hokuto, it had a much longer history, even surpassing the appearance of Common-Style and Imperial-Style. It was truly a very rare Shikigami.

Natsume naturally wanted to decline receiving such a Shikigami, but Rozen didn't compromise this time.

"Just take it; if I encounter real danger, even if you want to come over, you won't make it in time," Rozen insisted, forcefully giving the talisman to Natsume.

Unable to argue with Rozen, Natsume had no choice but to accept it.

However, after receiving this Shikigami, Natsume's expression relaxed, and she left Rozen's presence with a bit more peace of mind. Then, she headed to the female dormitory.

"She's really a simple girl..." Rozen watched Natsume leave, shook his head, and smiled.

With Rozen's eyes following Natsume's departure, he chuckled to himself and entered the male dormitory. Compared to the newly built school building from last year, the male dormitory had a sense of history, evident from its appearance.

The outer walls were made of red bricks, now showing a tea-colored hue.

Next to the entrance was the cafeteria and entertainment room. Towards the deeper end of the corridor, they had converted it into shower rooms and bathhouses. Going up from the first floor, there were dormitory rooms dedicated to the academy's students. Rozen's room was on the topmost floor, the innermost one, to prevent unwarranted trouble due to his special status.

His luggage had been sent over yesterday, and Rozen had spent the night here before joining the academy, so this place wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him. Rozen's room was very simple, furnished with just a bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, and a chair. On the floor lay a rug, giving it a roomy feel.

Most importantly, on the desk was not a textbook or writing utensils, but a laptop—a new one that Rozen had just bought yesterday.

After coming to Tokyo, getting a computer was the first thing Rozen wanted to do. During his time in the Tsuchimikado family, due to their antiquated ways, Rozen had never been given a computer for over a decade.

Now...

"I can finally immerse myself in gaming."

The avid online gamer was exhilarated, ready to power up without a second thought.

"Hmm?"

Just as Rozen was about to power up the laptop, a slight sense of unease made him pause, lift his head, and look out the window.

Not long after, Rozen sighed.

"I was too naive to think nothing would happen today."

Leaving behind those words, Rozen turned and left the room, even leaving the dormitory, heading to a different place.

As for Natsume, Rozen didn't call for her.

"Let's resolve this cleanly."

With that thought in mind, Rozen headed towards the dim outskirts.