Chapter 122

Thursday, April 5th, 2096 AD. Today was the day before the opening ceremony of a new school year for the National Magic University Affiliated First High and three days before new student orientation.

In the house of the Shiba siblings, Tatsuya stood before a giant mirror that reflected his entire body with a discomfited expression on his face.

By his side, his sister Miyuki wore a dazzling smile like a flower in full bloom. Actually, before such a brilliant smile, even the cherry blossoms may wilt into buds out of shame. That radiant smile was enough to cause people to deem it "magical". Miyuki drew so much attention that even the existence of the newcomer standing beside her seemed to diminish. She was the new maid/bodyguard/houseguest sent by Yotsuba Maya to the siblings and would become their underclassman at First High in three days, Sakurai Minami.

With hopeful eyes that fairly shone, Miyuki smiled widely as she watched her brother in front of the mirror. On the cabinet next to the mirror, Tatsuya's new uniform jacket hung there after being delivered by mail last night.

"Onii-sama, please hurry and don your new uniform so I can see. Or do you wish for Miyuki to be anxious...?"

Ignoring her would probably throw Miyuki into a sulk right now. For the sake of his sister's mental health, Tatsuya felt that there was a need to set aside his personal unhappy mood for the moment.

Currently, he was already wearing the uniform pants and full vest, so the only thing left was for him to put on the coat. Tatsuya could only helplessly pick up the sleeve of the suit.

Minami stepped forward as if to assist Tatsuya with the sleeves, but was immediately blocked when Miyuki moved at the same instant. Without feeling put out, Minami returned to her original position.

His sister pressed a hand to the coat while Tatsuya turned around. Miyuki helped Tatsuya into the sleeves of the long suit before working from her brother's back to the shoulders, fixing the contours.

Next to Tatsuya, who had once again turned to face the mirror, Miyuki drank in his figure with a hand laid against her dazed face as warm gasps of air exhaled from her mouth.

The style and colors were exactly the same as the school uniform for male students at First High. However, there were three particular details that were different from before.

On Tatsuya's new school uniform, an emblem of eight petals forming a gear was embroidered over the left chest and over both shoulders. A new design, the emblem was the exact same size as the eight petal flower on the Course 1 student uniforms and also sewn at the ends of both sleeves.

"Onii-sama, this fits you perfectly..."

Though Tatsuya himself still felt a little out of sorts with the new uniform, this new design was absolutely integral for allowing Miyuki to vent the aggravation of watching her older brother spend the entire previous year without an emblem to his chest.

That gear was the symbol of the new Magic Engineering Department established this year. In the previous year, Tatsuya had accumulated accomplishments that were undeniable to both within and without. If his "substitute" status was maintained, the school believed that would have a detrimental effect on the student's image. In the end, the new Magic Engineering Department was established, or Magitech for short.

Of course, the school system wasn't being changed for Tatsuya alone. Setting aside the reason behind all this for the moment, there was no way the newly created classes could only accept one student.

In regards to this, a fundamental adjustment was made to First High's class structure.

The number of new students accepted into Course 1 and 2 remained unchanged at 100 students each.

What changed was the procedure involved when these students advanced to Year 2. The new Year 2 students had the option to choose between the original Magic Study or Magic Engineering classes. Students who chose to continue with the original would still be divided into 4 classes of Course 1 students and 3 classes of Course 2 students. On the other hand, students who volunteered for the Magic Engineering Department and passed the examination in March would join the newly established Magic Engineering class with an emphasis on magic engineering in the curriculum.

In the name of devising a new experimental class, First High accepted new faculty dispatched from the university. Though they only began with one class, if the results were positive, the plan was to grant new students who had just enrolled the same option of choosing between the normal Magic Study or Magic Engineering.

Furthermore, as a side effect of the Magitech class's establishment, Course 2 students were granted access to this class to supplement the deficiency of Course 1 students transferring into that department. This was done based on the practical skills ranking among the Course 2 students. Among Tatsuya's friends, Mikihiko would be transferred to Course 1 at the start of this year.

Regardless of how they tried to embellish the truth, the fact that the Magic Engineering Department was created because of Tatsuya was blatantly obvious to those who were aware of the details.

Hence there was a reason, and it was therefore natural, for Miyuki to be overjoyed with her brother's "dashing figure".

Maybe because she was satisfied after her brother struck a series of poses, Miyuki finally relented and let Tatsuya off the hook. Though he got the impression that he was being treated like a dress up doll, Tatsuya consoled himself with the words "Miyuki is a girl after all". (Speaking of which, Minami's new student fashion show had been performed three days ago.)

"Onii-sama, Minami-chan, come have tea."

Miyuki delightedly proposed to her housemates as she seemed to bounce off to the kitchen. Even the scene of Minami's seemingly gloomy look at her retreating back was now within the norm. In Tatsuya's eyes, maybe because of her age – perhaps her youth would be a better way of putting it

–and the fact that she had been firmly imbued with a sense of diligent professionalism, Minami was very proud of her duties as a maid (a somewhat rude way of looking at it). For Minami, stealing her task of preparing the tea was something that impacted the meaning of her existence. However, when it came to the importance of "taking care of Tatsuya", Miyuki would second that to no one. Which is why during the first 5 days after Minami came to this house, the two of them were outwardly pleasant towards one another, but were actually engaged in a furious tug of war. If Tatsuya was someone with a weak constitution, he would surely have succumbed to an ulcer. Fortunately (?), his physical flesh as well as his nerves and innards were as strong as steel.

With both sides putting their raison d'etre on the line, the result of this quiet war ended in a dubious compromise between Miyuki and Minami.

First, Minami was responsible for cleaning and washing clothes. Second, Minami was responsible for cleaning up after meals and tea.

Third, when Tatsuya was present, Miyuki would prepare meals. Minami could do so if Tatsuya was not around.

Fourth, when Tatsuya was present, Miyuki would prepare tea. Minami could do so if Tatsuya was not around.

Fifth, Tatsuya's wardrobe was Miyuki's domain. Minami would assist with Miyuki's clothes and garb.

The reason this was dubious was because even now, whenever Miyuki or Minami detected that the other side had left an opening, they would immediately seize the opportunity. Still, in Tatsuya's eyes, the two of them seemed to be on a relatively friendly footing.

On the surface, Tatsuya and Minami's relationship appeared to be cordial. –Then again, a soon to be 17-year old youth and a 15-year old girl becoming the best of friends in two weeks was probably a problem in and of its own right. Tatsuya thought as if all this did not affect him in the slightest.

Though this didn't constitute estrangement, it was true that Tatsuya was of the mind to keep Minami at a distance. Regardless of the slightly downward drooping eyes at the corner, the dark brown, wavy hairstyle, willowy brows, or the dimples that appeared on the sides of her face when she smiled – Minami was too similar to Honami.

Sakurai Honami. The woman who served as his dead mother's guardian.

Four years ago, she had died at Okinawa while protecting Tatsuya.

Like Honami, Minami was born from an unfertilized egg that came from the same "mother" and had also undergone genetic modification before applying sperm from the same "father" to "manufacture" a genetically modified human being whose magical genes had been strengthened – a modified body. Though they weren't "twins", they were close enough to be "sisters". The family tree would list her as a cousin, so it was only natural for Minami's facial structure to be similar to Honami.

Of course, that extent of the theory was known to Tatsuya. Still, that sort of comprehension was insufficient to explain anything or comfort anyone. The thing that created the estrangement (or something akin to that) was not her appearance, but that her appearance triggered Tatsuya's memories of the dead.

To the siblings, Honami was someone who was practically family. Upon further contemplation, she was a girl who might have been an older sister. Whenever she was reminded of her, Miyuki was always filled with melancholy and gloomy remembrance. However, Tatsuya's recollection contained more bitter regret than Miyuki. For Tatsuya, even the reminder that she was practically family only compounded the bitter aftertaste. It wasn't something he couldn't swallow, but he still couldn't help but frown at the bitterness of it all.

--Too powerless—

The struggles Tatsuya bore towards the regret involving Honami could be summed up in that one phrase.

The cause of Honami's death was physical weakening. If Tatsuya had not met the Great Asian Alliance's fleet attacking Okinawa, then at least she wouldn't have died there. The undeniable truth of the matter was that in order to protect Tatsuya, Honami had forced herself to use large scale magic that burned through all of her remaining life force.

However, Tatsuya didn't regret the decision he made at the time. He didn't believe that choosing to meet the enemy assault was the incorrect decision. Although his actions at the time were not the product of careful planning and were the result of impetuousness, there was a much higher probability of the situation worsening if he had not chosen to annihilate the Great

Asian Alliance fleet. This was not just Tatsuya's opinion, but the consensus of the research labs in the University of Defense after running multiple simulations.

His regret came from the fact that Honami's power was even necessary.

Currently, Tatsuya did not need to employ any extra effort when wielding Material Burst. Now that he had learned to set up "Decomposition" as an area of effect magic, Tatsuya no longer needed to rely on Honami's power to intercept the shots fired from the enemy fleet.

He was just that powerless at that time.

Triggered by Minami's appearance, Tatsuya was reminded of his powerless self.

"Onii-sama?"

"Ah, I'm on my way."

Tatsuya fell into a reverie for less than 3 seconds.

He replied back to Miyuki's call and began walking forward.

Immediately behind him, it seemed perfectly natural for Minami to wait for Tatsuya to make the first move.

Since there were literally only the siblings in the house, the sudden addition of another housemate required purchasing quite a few replacement items. The dining table was one such item. The table was one size larger than before and the surface design was now composed of glass that was able to withstand high temperatures. That said, the table was actually sturdier now and was proof against breakage unless a two-handed hammer was used against it. Considering its moisture resistance and ease of cleaning, practicality was also a plus. –In comparison, the price was also significantly higher. Tatsuya took a seat at the table while Miyuki sat across from him, with Minami sitting to Miyuki's side.

For some reason, Miyuki still wore an apron. By her side, Minami remained silent though she also wore an apron. Sitting across from two young girls both wearing aprons was certainly an interesting scene, Tatsuya thought.

However, though they were both wearing aprons, the style differed drastically between the two.

Minami wore a full body, long-sleeved frock with a high collar. The thick, sturdy apron practically covered every inch of her body from the front and was clearly designed with practicality first in mind. Even though this wasn't the "official" European maid uniform from the 19th century, this plainly evoked that impression.

Compared with that, Miyuki wore a mini-gown which daringly revealed the thighs even though it was still early spring. The apron was also the type with thin straps – how many aprons did she have squirreled away – and left the curves from the chest to the collarbone on full display. Naturally, everything below the edge of the apron that was 10 cm above the knees was also uncovered. Through the surface of the transparent glass table, the depths of her thighs could be seen along her knees that were side by side.

Was this little sister of his tempting – teasing him? Stop, he lost if he started paying heed.

Thankfully, once he made up his mind, he was truly able to put it from his mind. In this regard, he should express thanks to his mother and aunt, Tatsuya thought. –Though perhaps Miyuki bore the opposite opinion.

Still, both sides kept their cards close to their chest as the siblings both raised their coffee mugs and sampled the snacks.

"—There's only 3 days until student orientation. Minami-chan, are you looking forward to it?"

This was something that had never happened before while the two of them were living alone. Once ignored by Tatsuya, Miyuki feigned obliviousness and changed the topic to Minami.

"Indeed, Miyuki Onee-sama. I am looking forward to it."

To the other side, it was possible that Minami failed to pick up on Miyuki's thoughts or maybe she had no other recourse even if she noticed. At any rate, Minami replied back in a frank manner.

"I'll have to arrive at school ahead of time that day with Miyuki. Minami, do you mind?"

"That's no problem, Tatsuya Onii-sama. Please allow me to accompany you."

As a side note, "Miyuki Onee-sama" and "Tatsuya Onii-sama" were terms that Tatsuya had proposed and Miyuki had given the order to use.

The inherent characteristic of modern public transportation, the train cabin, would usually prevent strangers from sharing the cabin. Nor was there any way to share one halfway through the journey. People who wished to board the same train cabin would either have to live under the same roof or be neighbors, and at the very least needed to rendezvous at the train station.

On the other hand, based on the demands of her role as a bodyguard, Minami could only choose to board the ride that Miyuki took to school. Yet, riding along in the same cabin with a complete stranger would surely be jarring and bring about unnecessary suspicion.

To that end, the excuse they came up with was "Minami is a cousin from the siblings' mother's side". That itself was entailed in instructions from the Yotsuba Family's main house and the siblings' census information had been counterfeited in the first place. There would be nothing out of the ordinary even if a cousin with no blood relationship suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The problem was Minami's choice of words, such as "Miyuki-sama" and "Tatsuya-sama".

In the current age, besides an exclusive minority, there were practically no female high school students who referred to upperclassmen who were older than themselves by one year with "~sama". That minority typically belonged to the upper echelons of society, servants working for wealthier families, or girls who belonged in a serving caste to a powerful family. From the perspective of Magicians, this was a phrase only found in the Ten Master Clans or families of similar stature. Although phrases like "Onii- sama" and "Onee-sama" were already outrageous enough, they were relatively normal when compared to "~sama".

Miyuki and Tatsuya actually hoped that she would refer to them as "Miyuki" and "Tatsuya", but Minami adamantly refused. Minami even recoiled from referring to them as "Onee-san" and "Onii-san". Still, she understood the necessity of concealing their identity, and finally compromised with "Miyuki Onee-sama" and "Tatsuya Onii-sama".

The siblings who had previously lived alone now had to welcome an unexpected addition to their midst, and seemed to be getting along quite well so far.

During afternoon tea, the subject naturally turned to the student orientation 3 days down the road.

"This year's student representative is a boy... It's been 4 years, hasn't it?"

"Five years, Onii-sama. The Student Council President before Saegusa- senpai was also a girl."

The topic of the siblings' conversation was regarding this year's new student representative, who also happened to have the top score on the entrance examination. Just as the two said, it had been a long time since First High saw a male student as the new student representative.

"Since Saegusa-senpai's sisters also applied, I thought that this year's representative would be a girl for sure."

"Indeed... Furthermore, if Minami-chan were a little more serious during the entrance examination, then she would be the new student representative."

"No, that's hardly the case..."

Hearing Miyuki's words with a hint of teasing, Minami wore a stiff expression as she shook her head. The main house had ordered her to remain inconspicuous, so it was true that she held back on Magic Power. Even so, Tatsuya believed that if she truly tried her best during the exam, there was a high probability that she could have taken the top spot, but Minami's passivity seemed to render her unable to treat this subject lightly.

Just as they were about to descend into an awkward silence, Tatsuya decided to change the subject.

"I believe his name is Shippou Takuma. By Shippou, I don't suppose it would refer to that "Shippou"?"

Miyuki wasn't intentionally putting Minami in a hard spot. She immediately followed her brother's example.

"Exactly, he is the eldest scion of the "Shippou" Family from the 18 Families."

A map of the authorities among magical families floated into Tatsuya's head and crossed with Miyuki's memories of the files gleaned from the Student Council records to reach a consensus.

"Never thought that Saegusa and Shippou would be in the same year. I wonder if this was a coincidence or predestined fate... Hopefully they won't do anything to cause trouble."

As if getting a foreboding premonition, Tatsuya slightly crinkled his eyebrows.

"I do wonder if they were to create a ruckus, would that help us keep our identities secret?"

"That may also be true."

What Miyuki was referring to was that the disturbance caused by the friction between the eldest son of the Shippou Family and the Saegusa twins might help draw the school's attention, which would then take away anyone snooping around regarding Minami's link to the siblings, or at the very least decrease it somewhat.

These words worked well in theory, but Tatsuya could feel a headache coming on when he thought about who had to take care of the ensuing chaos.

"Speaking of which, in regards to the family party tonight..."

The cups and tray were all empty, so it was about time to clean up. Just as Minami was about to stand, Tatsuya raised a hand to stop her before suddenly changing the subject.

"I believe that Minami should still attend."

Tatsuya and Miyuki had been invited to the Kitayama (Shizuku's family) family gathering this evening. Originally, Minami was not supposed to stay on guard at the house, but follow them to the Kitayama mansion and stay on station in the servants' waiting area, but now that plan was subject to change, Tatsuya elaborated. "If that's an order, I will obey."

Minami's reply was precisely how a servant should respond. However, her lacking expression seemed to intentionally convey: "I'm really not interested". While Minami was an introverted young girl, that did not mean she was completely without facial expression, thus when compared to individuals who intentionally revealed exaggerated expressions like Mayumi or Erika, she was actually an easier person to read. –Of course, that required Tatsuya's level of observation skills.

Forcing other people into obedience was not Tatsuya's nature, nor did he take delight in ordering her to do things that she disliked. "Since this is an order, I will obey" was not an answer that he wanted. If that's how the other side viewed it, he was more inclined to say "then forget it", but once he remembered his earlier words, he ultimately opted against saying that aloud.

"In that case, sorry for putting this on you this time."

Since he felt the need to put on this show to help increase the persuasiveness of the lie that she was a cousin from their mother's side, he was not going to back down even though he heard something he disliked.

"Then let's hurry and pick a dress. I will help Minami-chan, and we're almost out of time."

Miyuki clapped her hands together and said this to help break the tension, though she was also probably taking into account her brother's unexpressed feelings.

And definitely not because she wanted to see Minami's wavering expression. Probably.