ICHIBAN USHIRO NO DAIMAOU - Volume 1, 2 — The Strange Observer

Volume 1, Chapter 2: The Strange Observer

 

Part 1

“Um, you did nothing wrong. You were challenged to a duel and fought back,” said Mitsuko-sensei from directly in front of Akuto in the infirmary.

“But I didn’t actually fight back…”

“On the record, you did. Otherwise, you would be charged for the repairs to the classroom. Um, do you not actually understand what happened?” asked Mitsuko-sensei awkwardly.

Just as she said, Akuto had no idea what had happened. He scratched his head in bewilderment and she continued.

“Mana fills the air and various effects are produced by moving it. Energy is pumped into the earth itself from the power generation facility in the center of the imperial capital and the mana resonates with it. That is why mana is often thought to be the same as energy. Of course this is all just the basics of magic.”

Even Akuto knew that much.

“However, the rest is what students come to this school to learn, so you wouldn’t know. Mana can be stored within the bodies of living beings which allows them to draw out energy. Think of it like using up calories. The amount of mana stored within someone varies from person to person. The more mana inside your body, the greater the effect when using the mana in the atmosphere. A human’s will is transferred via electrical impulses in the brain, those electrical impulses manipulate the mana in the body, and the external mana resonates with it. That is how magic works. That is also why some people simply have more natural talent with magic. A stronger will controlling those electrical impulses and a greater amount of mana in the body leads to greater talent. This is not a secret, but most normal people go their whole lives without learning about it.”

“So I caused that explosion?”

“You catch on quickly. That wooden sword was made to harden itself when mana is gathered in it, but you gathered too much mana which caused it to be released in an explosion.”

“Does that mean I used an unexpected amount of mana? Or at least more than that sword was meant to take?”

“Yes. And remember that you broke through my field as well. I am not a teacher in this school for nothing. I was said to have talent that comes along only once a decade. I never thought I would lose to a student, but…here we are. Your ability seems to be off the charts.”

Mitsuko-sensei laughed good-naturedly, but not just because of her personality. It seemed Akuto really did have an unbelievable amount of power.

“It is amazing no one was injured. It seems you subconsciously controlled the energy released from the sword. But…”

“But it might not go so well next time?” continued Akuto with a sigh.

“Yes. The students here get into a lot of fights, so I am worried what will happen if you get into a fight.”

“I have no intention of getting into any fights…but I doubt it will be that easy.”

Even if he did not want any trouble, someone was sure to pick a fight with him. Especially Junko. Akuto felt depressed.

“Fights will be almost unavoidable. You need to grow as a human being while also learning to control your magical power.”

Mitsuko-sensei fell silent as if waiting for a response from Akuto. Guessing what she wanted, Akuto nodded.

“Understood. Please call in the observer,” he said with a sigh.

According to the headmaster, this person would observe Akuto in his school life. However, they would also protect him.

—Nothing is going according to plan…

Akuto sighed again.

After Mitsuko-sensei contacted someone, she told him the observer would arrive the following day.

“This may be a harsh way of putting it, but try not to cause any trouble until this observer arrives. If anything happens before then, just contact me.”

Mitsuko-sensei entered her address into Akuto’s student handbook.

“Also,” she added as her eyes suddenly began glittering. “Could you sign this saying I can research on your body if you die?”

“Not a chance.”

Part 2

Akuto returned to the dorm filled with exasperation, but he found no respite there. As soon as he stepped inside, Hiroshi ran over and bowed down so far it looked like he was going to lick Akuto’s shoes.

“Wait, Miwa-kun…”

“C’mon, aniki! Call me Hiroshi!”

Hiroshi led Akuto into the dorm while taking on the role of an outrider.

“Outta the way! Clear a pathway for the future demon king!”

Hiroshi began threatening the gathering students.

—I-I need to do something about him…

“Hey, could you stop that?”

Hiroshi looked utterly shocked when he turned around.

“Wh-why, aniki!?”

“You shouldn’t scare them.”

“Oh, I get it! I thought you wanted to rule with fear, but I should have known better! You intend to gradually take hold of the students’ hearts!”

—If I was trying to do that, you would be ruining it by shouting about it in front of everyone…

“Th-that’s not it. At any rate, stop treating me like someone special.”

“So you plan to conquer this academy after starting from the same standpoint as everyone else!”

Hiroshi’s eyes were glittering and his breathing was erratic.

—Conquer…?

Akuto was confused, but he pushed his question aside and spoke more forcefully to Hiroshi.

“I want to live a normal life here, so I need people to treat me normally. I already stand out, so I want you to stop threatening…”

Akuto trailed off because someone suddenly shouted out down the passageway.

“Are you the one that destroyed a classroom today!?”

Two students were walking towards Akuto. Out of the corner of his eye, Akuto spotted the look on Hiroshi’s face completely changing when he saw them.

—This is why I told you to stop this…

The two boys were large and had the distinct rebellious expressions of elite school delinquents. They did not look like nice people, but Akuto was in no position to talk because his expressions could look just as rebellious.

“Sorry about the trouble. It was an accident,” said Akuto.

The two of them began laughing.

“Sorry about the trouble?” They mockingly imitated his voice and stared him in the eye. “Anyone with half a brain can blow up a classroom, so don’t get so full of yourself.”

—Ugh, what a pain in the ass. Why do people spend so much time worrying about nonsense like “honor”? Why are people this stupid allowed to live? They should feel ashamed about all the oxygen they waste breathing.

That was Akuto’s honest opinion. And Akuto tended not to think of the consequences when something irritated him too badly.

“Then tomorrow you can have a contest to see who can make the biggest explosion. But I want to study in peace, so do it somewhere a long way from here.”

The two boys looked a bit confused when Akuto did not falter, but they soon replied with sneers on their faces.

“If you want to study in peace so much, why did you blow up your classroom?”

“People cannot help but hang around popular people. Is that what this is? People are often too embarrassed to just ask for an autograph, so they try to pick a fight instead.”

The two boy’s expressions changed when they heard Akuto’s mockery.

“Don’t talk back to us. Don’t you know what happens when you do that?”

“Well, there’s two of you, so will you put on a manzai act?”

“You bastard!”

The two of them flew into a rage, but they froze in place when Akuto raised his hand.

“Anyway, just don’t get too full of yourself,” they said before turning around and running off.

—Am I really acting full of myself? I don’t think they know what they want. That sort of pathetic personality will only end up ruled over by someone else. What would they do if I decided to make them my lackeys?

Akuto quickly realized his thoughts had turned in a dangerous direction. It was a comment from Hiroshi that dragged his thoughts back into reality.

“Amazing, aniki!”

“I told you to stop that…”

“Eh? But those two were upperclassmen.”

“I really don’t see why we need to bother with that sort of distinction. They’ve done nothing more than be born a year ahead of us. We should still be polite, of course.”

As soon as he said that, Akuto realized “Oh, no!” and looked over at Hiroshi. His face was flushed and he was looking at Akuto with deep respect.

—I see. I felt contempt for the lack of responsibility and sociability in my peers. It showed up in my attitude so now he respects me for it. Even more so since this could have led to violence.

Akuto calmly analyzed the situation, but he still did not understand how he had gotten to this point.

—Was it wrong to focus on nothing but my job and my studies back in my hometown?

“Well…just leave me alone for now. I will stay in my room until dinner,” said Akuto before trying to escape.

“Eh? Don’t do that, aniki. I was just about to show you around the dorm and the school,” said Hiroshi in disappointment.

Akuto rethought his actions.

—Well, I know now what I was doing wrong, so I should be able to apologize to Hattori-san. She is filled with responsibility and sociability. That is why I took a liking to her. I just need to properly explain my personality to her.

With his thoughts moving in the wrong direction in more ways than one, Akuto spoke to Hiroshi.

“In that case, can you tell me how to get to the girls’ dorm? I assume there is an official procedure. I haven’t had a chance to apologize to Hattori-san.”

Hiroshi clapped his hands together in delight.

“You really are amazing, aniki! I can show you the way to the girls’ dorm. No official procedure necessary!”

“Thank you.”

“This is getting exciting!”

—Exciting? But we’re just going to the girls’ dorm.

Akuto was a bit confused at Hiroshi acting like a child before a vacation, but he followed the other boy’s lead.

Hiroshi left the dorm and circled around the outer wall. A forest surrounded the building and the pathway must have not been used much because it had no lights set up along it. They walked through the dim evening.

“I thought there was a passageway connecting the two sides.”

The boys’ dorm and the girls’ dorm were contained within the two sides of a fortress and a bridge connected them in the middle.

“You want to visit the class rep’s room, right? Going outside is easier,” assured Hiroshi with a grin.

“Why?”

“Her room is on the very end of the second floor.”

Hiroshi pulled out his student handbook and opened it. The screen displayed a map of the girls’ dorm.

“They give out maps of the girls’ dorm?”

“Only to the girls.”

“Eh?”

“It wasn’t easy getting my hands on this. You’ve probably caught on already, but my information is famous among the guys.”

—What is he talking about?

Akuto was confused, but the atmosphere of the dorm’s exterior changed as they continued walking. They had entered the territory of the girls’ dorm.

“We need to be careful from here on,” whispered Hiroshi as he crouched down.

“If we are not supposed to be doing this, then we need to…”

“Shh!” warned Hiroshi while holding a finger to his mouth.

“I never asked you to sneak me in,” explained Akuto frantically.

“But you want to meet the class rep, right? It would cause a huge commotion if you did this the official way!”

Hiroshi grinned as if to say, “I thought this through, didn’t I?”

“Yeah…it definitely would,” agreed Akuto.

He had a feeling Junko would not accept his apology in front of a crowd.

“Also, the standard method for a guy and a girl meeting in the dorm is for the guy to go to the girl’s window.”

“I see. That would cause fewer problems than the official method.”

“Um, yes… Anyway, that’s the window.”

Hiroshi pointed up at a window. The window had an overhang around it and the wall had plenty of bricks sticking out, so it looked easy enough to climb up to the window.

“I’m supposed to climb up?”

“Of course, aniki. You can’t use flight magic yet, right?” said Hiroshi as if that should be obvious. “When you go to a girl’s room, you give the window three quick taps followed by three long knocks.”

“So that is how it is done.”

Akuto nodded and Hiroshi gave him a push forward.

“Okay. Good luck, aniki!”

“Eh? Oh…”

Akuto was confused, but Hiroshi simply said “go on” and waved him on vigorously.

—What is even going on? …Well, if that is the custom, I just have to follow it.

Akuto grabbed onto the wall. He easily climbed up to the second-story window. He hesitated before peering inside.

—That would be rude if she is changing…

Instead, he stuck just his hand up and knocked on the window.

He gave three quick taps followed by three long knocks.

After a short pause, the window burst violently open. Despite being to the side of the window, Akuto felt a blast of wind. It almost felt like she had been trying to kill him with the window.

—I suppose she would be angry. I need to give a sincere apology.

But when he saw Junko’s rage-filled face stick out the window, he was taken aback by how angry she still was.

“Such humiliation! Damn you! How much disgrace must you bring me!?”

The tone of Junko’s voice had gone beyond anger and arrived at lamentation.

“Please wait a second! I came to apologize!”

“If you are here to apologize, why would you use the sign for a lover coming to spend the night!?”

—That’s what that three taps and three knocks means!?

Akuto realized what was happening.

“Wait! I was tricked into thinking that was the proper etiquette!”

“Everyone is already mistaken about us! I lose to you! I am mocked by you! Ahhh!! There is only one thing I can do! I have to defeat you to clear up all these misunderstandings!”

Junko held out her wooden sword.

“I-I’m sorry. I really am! I wasn’t trying to…”

“Then what were you trying to do, demon king!?”

Akuto crawled along the wall of the girls’ dorm while evading Junko’s sword.

“I already told you! I’m not a demon king!”

“If you want to prove that, then let me defeat you! That would prove you do not have the strength to be a demon king!”

Akuto felt that did make some amount of sense, but he could not allow himself to be thrashed by that wooden sword when it was being wielded with such killer intent.

“This is all a misunderstanding! I really did take a liking to you!”

“Stop saying it like that!”’ shouted Junko.

Others in the dorm had heard the commotion and windows across the building began opening.

“That’s that new student!”

“Oh…Is Junko having a fight with her boyfriend?”

“Is it true they tried to commit a lovers suicide in class?”

The girls began spreading rumors between windows. Akuto realized the situation was beyond repair, so he climbed down the wall.

“Th-this is all a misunderstanding, so I’ll come back to apologize after you calm down!”

He looked up at the window just in time to see some pure white underwear. It was the white loincloth only pure-born members of the Suhara faith were allowed to wear.

Junko had jumped from the window with no concern on how it would flip up her skirt.

“Keaaaaaaaahhhh!”

“Wah!”

Akuto just barely evaded the strike from the sky and fell into the woods behind him.

“Calm down!”

Akuto ran while avoiding the slashes at his back.

“I refuse to listen to you!”

Definite killer’s intent could be felt in how Junko wielded that wooden sword.

—If this keeps up, one of us is going to get hurt…

Akuto recalled what his teacher had told him. She had asked him to contact her in an emergency.

He pulled out his student handbook, quickly pressed his teacher’s address with his fingers, and brought the handbook to his cheek.

“Hm? Are you having trouble?”

“Yes, sensei! I’m being attacked by Hattori-san!”

“Why were you anywhere near her?” asked Mitsuko-sensei in shock.

“I thought we could work this out!”

“Well, whatever. Do not let go of your student handbook. Your observer just arrived. As long as you have that handbook, the observer can trace your mana and go help you.”

“Thank goodness!”

Akuto glanced over his shoulder while gasping for breath.

Junko must have been in good shape because she was easily keeping up with him. Akuto had built up his leg strength in his delivery job, so Junko had to have quite a bit of stamina.

“How long until this observer arrives?”

“I don’t know… It should be soon, though. A sensible observer will teleport there,” said Mitsuko-sensei before ending the telepathic connection.

“Sensei…”

Just as Akuto said that, the ground suddenly disappeared from beneath his feet.

“Eh?”

He suddenly felt like he was floating and then like he was falling.

The trees of the forest had hidden an upcoming cliff.

He heard repeated sounds of trees rustling and impacts struck his body along with each noise. Finally, an even greater impact struck his back. For an instant, he stopped breathing and all feelings left his body. Soon afterwards, a dull pain filled his entire body.

Part 3

“Uuh…Kh…”

Akuto groaned and sucked in air while looking around to assess his situation. He seemed to be in a bamboo grove. Beech trees had been growing atop the cliff and bamboo had started growing where they stopped.

—If this bamboo was cut, I might have been impaled. I was lucky. And this helped me escape from Hattori-san. If I just wait, will this observer arrive?

However, Junko would probably find him if he simply stayed where he was. Akuto made sure he had no serious injuries on his arms and legs before heading deeper into the bamboo grove.

—What a pain. But at least this did not develop into anything too serious. Having no one on my side makes everything a lot harder. I hope this observer will change that.

While complaining silently, Akuto walked aimlessly.

Suddenly, he noticed a figure. He could only see the person’s silhouette because the setting sun lay directly beyond them.

He initially took a defensive stance, but decided this was not Junko when the figure did not immediately charge at him. When he gave a relieved sigh, the figure seemed to notice him.

“Who is this that has come to visit me?”

It was a girl’s voice. An incredibly carefree girl’s voice.

“Actually, who are you? Are you my observer?”

He seriously doubted that was possible, but he received an affirmation.

“Yes. I am your observer.”

“I’m saved. You came to meet me, right?” asked Akuto.

The lively girl’s voice reverberated throughout the bamboo grove in response.

“Yes, although I do not know if you came to me or I came to you. This must be destiny! Are you my prince? Is your lovely face and body so scratched up because you passed through the forest of thorns to meet me?”

—This observer has an interesting way of putting things. I suppose this academy is something like a forest of thorns for me.

“Yes, I did. This has been a difficult time. I was waiting for you. From your voice, I assume you are a girl, but you will protect me as my observer, right?”

“You wish for my protection? Yes, I suppose protecting their prince has become the duty of girls in recent years. And I am your observer! I am the one who observes this academy and this entire world. I observe the changing of the seasons and the changes in the people living through those seasons! The flow of history is so entrancing and amazing, don’t you think?”

“Does an observer really have to be so poetic?”

—This is really weird…

“Yes, I am an observer. I am your observer.”

The observer’s voice was so lighthearted it almost seemed she was singing. In fact, she truly did began singing as she walked up to Akuto.

Her long hair fluttered in front of Akuto’s eyes. Akuto felt like she had taken a piece of the setting sun with her. Her hair was a brilliant red and a few strands of hair stood up on the top of her head. Those strands shook back and forth like flickering flames.

“Now, my prince, what would you have me do?”

She was wearing the school’s uniform. She lifted the skirt up slightly in greeting.

“Could you not call me your prince? Also, I’m in a bit of trouble. You know the situation, right?”

“There is a lot that can describe this situation. What I know is that you are injured and you came to me. That is enough to tell me you are in trouble.”

The girl clenched her fist and looked up.

Her expression was surprisingly relaxed for the amount of spirit she was giving this. Her expression was focused, yet it gave off a kind impression. Her face was a bit too gentle to call her beautiful, but she did provide a sense of security and good will. Akuto felt he would grow sleepy if he looked at her face for too long.

“As long as you realize the danger of this…”

Akuto was cut off by a long shout.

“There you aaaaaarrrrrrreeeeeee!”

Akuto took up a defensive pose.

“Oh, dear,” said the red-haired girl leisurely as she looked between Akuto’s expression and where Junko had appeared in the bamboo grove. She finally turned to Akuto with her overly gentle expression. “You’re right. That is dangerous. But I will protect you.”

—Oh? She doesn’t seem concerned.

Akuto had thought something was off about this girl, but he finally began to believe she was his observer.

The girl walked confidently towards Junko. She gallantly held up a magic wand.

“Out of the way, you idiot! What do you think you’re doing!?” shouted Junko towards the girl.

The red-haired girl spread her arms and gave a resolute reply.

“I will not move! He is precious to me!”

Her voice was as serious as someone protecting their lover.

Junko’s look of anger changed from red to a dark black.

She looked Akuto in the eye and shouted, “Damn you! Do you target every girl you see!?”

“You’ve got it all wrong! I only just met her here!”

“I know that! I am asking if you seduced this girl you only just met!”

Junko swung up her wooden sword and charged towards Akuto. However, the red-haired girl moved to block her path.

“Out of the way!”

“No!”

Whether she moved to the right or left, Junko found that red-haired girl’s face in front of her. Growing even more furious, Junko jumped backwards once and stared straight forward with her sword held vertically.

“Then I must slip past you!”

For an instant, Junko closed her eyes to focus. The instant she reopened them, her body surprisingly split into two.

Akuto could not believe his eyes. It appeared that there were now two identical Junkos. They moved separately as if they were twins rather than reflections.

“This is a type of magic passed down in my family! One of these is a fake, but that fake has the same attack power as the real one!”

The two Junkos ran to the right and left to circle around the red-haired girl.

Akuto was unsure what to do because he did not know how the red-haired girl would respond. One of the two Junkos would undoubtedly slip past her, but he could not plan his defense without knowing which one. Akuto followed the Junkos while keeping the red-haired girl in the corner of his vision.

—This observer is an expert fighter, so she should act firs…Eh?

“Eh? Eh?”

The red-haired girl twisted her head to the left and right in confusion.

Both Junkos slipped past her in no time at all. The two of them sidestepped simultaneously to put themselves in equal distances from either side of Akuto. They were planning to attack with perfectly simultaneous attacks he could not hope to defend against.

“Cheaaahhh!” “Daaaahhh!”

The two vigorously approached Akuto from both sides.

—Eh? So is she not my observer? Do I have to handle this myself? Then I need to dodge the right one…and defend against the left one!

With that decided, Akuto took up the proper defensive pose. Even with simultaneous attacks from the left and right, he could predict the path of the coming attacks because Junko’s actions were simple ones based on anger.

—If I time it right, I can dodge thi…Wah!

While trying to judge his timing, Akuto’s feet were suddenly knocked out from under him. This “attack” had come from an unexpected direction. The red-haired girl had suddenly embraced him in what essentially amounted to a tackle.

“I’ll protect you!”

“Ehhh!?”

This further surprised Akuto, but it was so sudden he could do nothing but collapse to the ground with the red-haired girl.

The two Junkos mercilessly swung down their wooden swords towards where the two lay collapsed in an embrace. There was no avoiding it. Akuto tried to tear the red-haired girl from him, but she was clinging to him too tightly.

—I have to stop both swords…but if I fail, this girl will be the one hit. The only way to ensure I stop them is to break the swords.

Akuto decided to break the wooden swords with his arms. The idea came to him because the feeling from earlier still lingered in his arms. He felt the same hot mass rising up his arms as when he had grabbed that wooden sword. He felt he could do the same without the sword.

—If I can control this power and make it explode…

For an instant, Akuto focused his mind.

—I need to draw that power out into empty air instead of into a sword!

The two swords swung down simultaneously from the right and left.

“Hah!”

Akuto swung up his arms. He felt a mass of heat flowing up through his arms. Akuto made that energy explode in the center of his motionless arms.

An intense flow of power burst from his arms.

“Ee!” “Eh!?”

The wooden swords were knocked back by the light emitted from Akuto’s arms and the two Junkos cried out simultaneously.

When Akuto poured in more power, the glowing of his arms increased and the swords broke in two. A smile appeared on Akuto’s face.

—It worked…

But then…

—Eh!? I-it won’t stop!

Akuto panicked. He could no longer control the power.

Just like in the classroom, an explosion burst out from Akuto’s arms. However, this one was much larger.

“Kyaahhh!” screamed a single Junko.

The false Junko had been disintegrated into nothingness by the explosion.

A sphere of light expanded further and further. After a short delay, a great explosive noise rang out.

Clouds swelled up in the distance due to the heat.

Once his vision cleared, Akuto was finally able to see the aftermath. It looked like a battlefield or the site of a meteorite strike.

A crater about 5 meters across had been created around Akuto and the bamboo around its edge had been mowed down. Junko lay collapsed in the crater. Her uniform had been badly torn and she appeared to be injured.

“Uh, oh…” muttered Akuto.

Unlike before, he had been so focused on breaking the swords that Junko had been caught in the blast. He was overcome with regret.

He tried to get up, but the red-haired girl was still lying on top of him. She seemed dumbfounded by the explosion, but Akuto’s movement seemed to bring her to her senses because she suddenly looked around.

“All this damage!”

The red-haired girl looked frightened.

“Oh, Sorr…”

Akuto opened his mouth to calm her down, but her intense reaction was not at all what he had expected.

“I-I’m sorry!” she shouted. “Ahh! How could this happen!? My hidden power must have awakened! My violent power awakened to save us from this crisis!”

Akuto blankly stared up at the red-haired girl who brought her hands to her cheeks and shook her head with the expressions of the protagonist of a tragedy.

“Um… That’s not what…”

“Oh! You are attempting to console me! Thank you, kind boy! But I have hurt someone! Is my only option to spend the rest of my life serving the god Ko Ro in the clergy? Even my whole life may not be enough to make up for this sin…”

“Sh-she’s not dead yet… Wait, we need to help her!”

Just as Akuto started panicking, something else happened out of the blue.

A few meters away from where they lay collapsed on the ground, a shimmer appeared in the air as if from heat haze. That shimmer quickly took shape and a transparent rectangular object appeared fixed in the air. It was as if a panel of glass had appeared in midair.

That “glass panel” then “opened” like it was a door. Surprisingly, a hand appeared from “inside”.

The hand was the soft, slender hand of a girl. With a comment of “there we go”, a cute, slender girl appeared through the narrow door.

In other words, this girl suddenly appeared out of thin air as if she had forced her way out of that transparent space.

She appeared to be the same age as Akuto. Her slender frame was contained in the school’s uniform. She had green hair and green eyes. She was beautiful, but no expression could be seen on her face. Akuto immediately realized she was not human.

—A L’Isle-Adam!

Akuto was shocked. L’Isle-Adams were the androids rumored to only be owned by those at the very top of society.[1] Their bodies were constructed using mana, so they could move and think like a human but had no emotions.

“You are Sai Akuto-san, correct? I am your observer. My ID name is Korone. I was given my mission on the instructions of the god Markt three minutes ago.”

Korone bowed to Akuto. The movement and the shaking of her abundant hair were both identical to a human’s, but the expression on her face was that of a doll. Akuto was unsure on how to respond.

—So this is the real observer…

While he was left confused, Korone glanced to the left and right.

“This situation occurred in the past three minutes, so it is my responsibility. I will ask you and Hattori Junko about your dispute after she has been healed.” She stuck her hand into the bag hanging at her waist and pulled out a white device shaped like a handgun. “I do not have her consent, but I will proceed to heal her under the authority provided by medical laws.”

Korone walked over to Junko and pressed the end of the handgun-shaped device against Junko while she groaned in pain. The device emitted mana light. The blood and dirt remained, but Junko’s injuries gradually disappeared.

“Healing complete. Some foreign substances including germs have entered her body. I predict she will experience a fever and fatigue. I recommend she gets bed rest,” said Korone as she stood up.

It seemed Junko had come to. However, her expression changed to a bitter one as soon as she saw Akuto. Two trails of tears flowed down from her almond-shaped eyes.

“Ah…!”

Akuto tried to call out to Junko, but she quickly covered the front of her half-destroyed clothes and ran off crying.

“Wait!”

Akuto tried to stand up, but the red-haired girl was still on top of his stomach. He lay back down on the ground and looked up at the heavens in that foolish pose.

“I will question her later. I will start with you.”

Korone peered down at Akuto’s face.

“You’re my observer…?’

“Please call me Korone. I will be attending school as your classmate starting tomorrow to protect you from situations such as this. But first I must question you about this conflict. This is what I understand of the situation: Hattori Junko grew agitated at your contact with her, a fight broke out, you fled, and she was lightly injured in the subsequent battle. I wish to determine your intentions during this battle. Did you intend to injure Hattori Junko?” asked Korone in a calm tone.

Her overly businesslike attitude left Akuto dumbfounded, but he resigned himself to the fact that this was simply how L’Isle-Adams were.

“I did not intend to injure her. I was trying to break her wooden swor…”

But before he could finish, someone else spoke from right next to him…or rather, directly above him.

“No! This was because my power awakened!” insisted the red-haired girl in the same tone of voice as ever.

“Wait,” cut in Akuto, but the red-haired girl was not listening.

“I caused that explosion. Ahh, what am I supposed to do!? This is a sin, isn’t it? It has to be! What do I need to do to be forgiven?”

“I will investigate it after hearing everyone’s testimony. I have limited administrative rights to make limited communications with my god.”

“You can communicate with your god! Oh, no! That means you can’t make a mistake! Will you forgive me?”

“As I said, I will investigate that after hearing everyone’s testimony,” replied Korone diligently. Then again, she was never anything other than diligent.

“Oh! I was only trying to protect him, my prince, as his observer! Please believe me!” begged the red-haired girl.

“Hey, wait! You’re making way too many assumptions here.”

Akuto tried to interrupt again, but had no luck once more.

“I was protecting him as his observer!”

“I am seeing a discrepancy between your testimony and the current situation. I am also seeing a discrepancy between your testimony and Sai Akuto’s. Your testimony will be recorded on the official record. You can be charged for perjury, so be careful,” announced Korone. Light flashed deep in her eyes for a few seconds before she added, “My query shows that you are Soga Keena of Year 1 Class A in this academy’s high school.”

“Perjury!? More crimes!? Oh, I don’t even know what to do anymore! First I injure the class rep in an explosion and now this! And how do you know my name!?”

The red haired girl, Keena, was in a state of complete disorder.

As she twisted her body around the top of Akuto’s stomach, her skirt was flipped up and her panties began rubbing roughly against Akuto.

“Wait…”

Akuto’s face grew red.

And then Keena realized what position she was in.

“Nooo!”

She rolled off of Akuto. However, she had rolled onto the ground with her legs spread wide in an M-shape. When she realized this left her panties fully visible, she frantically hid them with her hands.

“Uuh…”

She looked up at Akuto with a blush of embarrassment and tears welling up in her eyes.

“Sorr…”

Akuto tried to apologize, but Keena suddenly ran off.

“Hey, wait!”

When she did not stop after he called out to her, Akuto ran after her. The bamboo grove obstructed his view somewhat, but there was not anywhere she could completely hide herself. It should have been impossible to lose her, but Keena completely disappeared after she jumped behind a thick group of bamboo. He should have only lost sight of her for an instant, but she was nowhere to be seen. When he made his away to where she had disappeared.

“Huh?”

However, Akuto found something surprising when he looked down. He found a school uniform. He picked it up and found it was the same one Keena had been wearing. It was still warm. He looked down again and found a blouse on the ground a bit further on. And a bit beyond that he found some panties.

—Wh-what is going on?

Akuto was confused. He approached the panties, but he hesitated to pick them up. As he stared at the white panties that had some unfamiliar character printed on them, he heard a voice mutter “No!” from nearby.

“Eh?”

He looked around, but found no one.

However, he spotted a small light floating in midair. This was not something emitting light. This insect-sized object was reflecting the setting sun. It was floating just above Akuto’s eye level.

—Is that a stone?

Akuto watched the small stone floating in midair, but it began flying away from him an instant later.

“She disappeared. I would like to pursue her, but I cannot determine her location. Unfortunately, it seems Soga Keena left her student handbook in the dorm,” said Korone as she approached him from behind.

“You can tell where she is if she has her student handbook?”

“Yes, assuming she does not manipulate the mana and keep the disturbance to a minimum. The reason I was so late is because you used mana in an attempt to hide yourself.”

“I did nothing of the sort.”

“You may have done so subconsciously because you were trying to escape. The same may be the case for Soga Keena at the moment. I cannot trace her mana. Although she may be doing it intentionally.”

“Intentionally?”

“It seems she can hide her mana disturbance.”

“That’s amazing, but why are her clothes here?”

“I do not know.”

“Just what is going on…?”

Part 4

Akuto fell silent for a while. He started to feel it was odd for him to be speaking with Korone so normally.

“So…what am I supposed to do?”

Korone’s response was quite clear.

“Please live your life normally.”

“…Normally?”

“Yes. I was instructed to ensure your freedom and safety as much as possible. That is what it means to both observe and protect you.”

“What if I do something bad?”

“I have been ordered to immediately provide an appropriate punishment,” said Korone carelessly.

—I get the feeling that should scare me…

The reason he was not scared may have been due to her outward appearance.

“So what about this incident?”

“I have confirmed that you had no intention of injuring Hattori Junko. I have the authority to trace the mana within your body. You gave me permission when you agreed to my presence. For that reason, I can analyze your emotions back to a few minutes ago.”

“So you know what I was thinking?”

“Only your emotions. For the past few minutes, you have primarily experienced confusion. You also felt pity and slight sexual arousal.”

“You don’t have to point that out!”

Akuto raised his voice, but Korone remained calm.

“If it is necessary to my mission, I cannot accept such a command.”

“…I see.”

“However, I have been ordered to ensure your freedom in your everyday life. Eliminating any dangers is essential. For that reason, I advise you to be careful in your relationship with Hattori Junko. Soga Keena has also committed a crime. It is a trivial crime, so it can be overlooked. However, if she continues impersonating an official observer, she must be punished.”

Akuto was unsure how to respond to that.

“I’m not sure I understand, but she is my classmate too, right?”

“Yes. According to the attendance record, Soga Keena was absent today. That is why you did not meet her until now.”

“Then will I be able to meet her tomorrow?”

“Such predictions are impossible for me.”

“That is not what I meant… I’m just wondering if I can return her clothes.”

Akuto pointed at the clothes scattered on the ground.

“They can be brought to the manager of the girls’ dorm. Such a task would cause trouble for you, so I will handle it.” Korone began gathering the clothes. “Now, I will take these to her dorm. I will then escort you to your dorm.”

Akuto nodded, but something she said caught in his mind.

—Escort me to my dorm?

He quickly received his answer.

After they dropped the clothes off at the girls’ dorm, Akuto returned to the boys’ dorm, but Korone remained directly behind him.

The boys in the dorm naturally began muttering amongst themselves. Girls almost never entered so boldly, so seeing a strange and beautiful L’Isle-Adam sneaking in was truly a rare sight.

The dorm hallway was filled with people muttering comments along the lines of, “Akuto’s done it again!”

“Um…If you don’t mind me asking, just how far are you going to stick with me?”

Korone replied while paying the onlookers no heed.

“If it seems you might try to escape, I will accompany you into the bathroom and bath. If not, you may have your privacy there, but I will stay with you everywhere else.”

That only increased the chatter among the students. Korone then raised her hand to call in a Speaker. She gave an announcement that resounded throughout the dorm.

“Good evening, dorm residents. I apologize for the interruption. I am an observer dispatched by the imperial government. Please call me Korone. My mission is to observe Sai Akuto and I hope I may have your cooperation. It may be improper to have a female-type in the boys’ dorm, but this form was chosen to put Sai Akuto at ease. We respect the privacy of others, so do not worry. However, please do not consider attacking me. I have been granted the right to resist or provide immediate punishment.”

Korone’s announcement brought silence to the dorm.

“Um, when you say you respect our privacy, do you mean you will not tell anyone what you see here?” nervously asked a courageous student nearby.

Korone nodded and said, “Correct. Sai Akuto’s privacy will also be protected to an extent. I will be staying in the same room as him, but I will not speak of what happens in that room. Thank you for your time.”

That response caused another round of muttering.

She had said she would stay with Akuto, but it seemed that meant she was even going to live in the same room.

Strange looks that could be seen as envious and pitying turned towards Akuto.

“You really are amazing, aniki!” said Hiroshi as he hurriedly ran over.

He was the only one who was excited in a positive way.

“Amazing? Are you sure you understand the situation?”

“She may be your observer, but this still means you have a L’Isle-Adam. That’s just amazing, aniki!”

Akuto tried to deny it, but Hiroshi only grew more excited.

In the meantime, dinnertime came. While Akuto ate, Korone stood behind him without moving an inch.

“Um…Korone-san? Are you just going to just stand there?” asked Akuto hesitantly.

He could not help but be bothered by it.

“No seat has been prepared for me and I do not eat,” replied Korone.

Hearing that, Hiroshi stood up and brought a spare chair over in the blink of an eye.

“Here you go!”

Korone stared at it and asked, “Are you telling me to sit there?”

“Yes?” replied Hiroshi in confusion.

Korone fell silent. She was as expressionless as ever, but it almost made her look perplexed in this situation. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak.

“You are being kind,” said Korone as if she finally understood. “My analysis shows that this action is normally done in hopes of receiving a sexual favor in return. However, I do not have the authority to analyze your feelings, so I must assume that is not the case and give my thanks. Thank you.”

Korone gave a quick bow and sat in the chair.

Hiroshi gave a bitter smile and replied, “You’re welcome…”

After dinner, Akuto returned to his room, but Korone followed him as if it was to be expected. He could not help but feel uncomfortable.

“Um…do you have to come into my room?”

“I see. If you do not wish me to, I will not enter your room.”

Akuto was relieved at Korone’s surprising obedience.

“I would rather you didn’t. You can find somewhere else to sleep. The dorm mother might find you a place if you ask.”

Akuto opened the door and entered the room. Korone did not follow.

“See you tomorrow.”

With that parting comment, he closed the door. He sat on the bed and sighed.

A lot had happened and he was sure tomorrow would have its fair share of troubles.

—Hattori-san and Soga-san…

Akuto held his head in his hands, but he was suddenly overcome by an odd feeling. He felt a presence outside his door. And it felt like he was being watched.

Akuto opened the door.

He saw green eyes.

Korone was standing right in front of the door.

She was expressionless and motionless.

Akuto closed the door.

He waited a few seconds and opened it again.

Korone was standing right in front of the door. She had not moved at all.

He closed the door.

He opened it.

Korone was standing there.

Close.

Open.

Korone.

“Are you going to stand there until morning?” asked Akuto once he could not stand it anymore.

Korone nodded and carelessly said, “Yes. I must observe you even if I do not enter your room.”

“You don’t get tired?”

“No,” said Korone.

“…Fine. Come in.”

Akuto had given in.

“Then I will enter.”

With no signs of delight, Korone entered the room.

Akuto sighed and sat back down on the bed.

Korone stood right in front of him and stared at him.

“………………………………………”

“………………………………………………………………”

“……………………………………………………………………………………………………”

“………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”

“………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Hey.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t get tired?”

“No.”

“This is doing a lot to interfere with my freedom, so can you act more like a normal roommate?” asked Akuto with a bitter smile.

Korone fell silent as if lost in thought.

“………………………………………………”

“What is it?” he asked.

Korone looked up suddenly and said, “My apologies. I simply do not know how a normal roommate acts.”

“I guess that isn’t too surprising. You don’t have emotions, right?”

“No, I do,” she unexpectedly said.

“Eh?’

“I have emotions. If I did not, I could not analyze human emotions. To be technical, it is a sense of self that we lack,” explained Korone.

“A sense of self?”

“We only have an identity telling us who we are while on a mission. It is the sense of self that determines whether it is necessary to display our emotions. The longer a mission lasts, the more that sense of self sets in place. It is only after that begins to happen that our emotions begin to show themselves.”

“Th-that sounds confusing.”

“It means this might be somewhat inconvenient for you until I grow used to this mission,” explained Korone.

“Will you be able to show emotions once you get used to it?”

That was how he had interpreted it.

“Yes,” she affirmed. “However, I require advice on how to act for the moment.”

“Um… I usually sit in the chair or the bed. When I have nothing else to do, I sleep,” said Akuto.

“Understood.”

“I’ll take my bath tomorrow morning, so I’m going to bed. You should get to sleep too.”

“I see.”

Akuto removed his outer clothes and lay down in his bed. Korone then lay down next to him.

Akuto faced to the side and Korone’s face was right in front of him. They stared at each other.

She smelled exactly like a real girl.

Akuto felt his heart race, but Korone’s expression remained unchanged.

“…Hey.”

“Yes?”

“If you lie here, it will be hard to sleep…”

“I see. Are you experiencing sexual arousal?”

“Don’t read my emotions!” protested Akuto.

Korone quickly stood up and stared down at him.

With the same expressionless look, she said, “That was a joke.”

“…Eh?”

Akuto was confused, but he caught sight of Korone looking up at the ledge near the ceiling.

“Oh, it appears there is nothing in that storage space. I will sleep there.”

Korone skillfully opened the cover to the shelf and climbed up and inside.

—I-I don’t think I can let my guard down just because she isn’t human…

Akuto could only feel puzzled.

He decided to go to sleep, so he shut his eyes.

“………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”

However, he felt a disturbing atmosphere, so he opened them once more. He looked up at the shelf near the ceiling. The cover was open a crack and two green eyes were staring out at him.

“…Hey.”

“Yes?”

“…Are you teasing me?”

“A bit.”

“………………………………”

“………………………………………………………”

“……………………………………………………………………………………………”

“………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”

“………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Are you having fun?”

“A bit.”

“…That’s good.”

“Yes.”

—I-I don’t understand her… I don’t understand her at all…

Akuto pulled the blanket up over his head.

Notes

Jump up↑ The name L’Isle-Adam is a reference to the French author Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam who popularized the term “android”.