Zoku Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei 

 
Magian Company Vol.01
 

 
By: Satou Tsutomu
 2 

Table of Contents 

Table of Contents 2

Credits 3

List of Illustrations 4

Keywords 5

Initial Illustrations 7

History 8

Chapter 1 10

Chapter 2 36

Chapter 3 68

Chapter 4 78

Chapter 5 112

Chapter 6 146

Chapter 7 160

Chapter 8 174

Chapter 9 200

Afterword 212

Translator Notes 217

 
 3 

Credits 
Translation: Aehein
Editing and grammar check: thevoidzero, blakegriffin89 and Hiroyanagi
Formatting: blakegriffin89
Special thanks: Realkhuma2 and Snoo27157
 
 
 
 4 

List of Illustrations 

Front Cover - Tatsuya & Miyuki 

Tatsuya & Miyuki Introducing the Stellar Generator (Colored Illustration) 

Ryousuke Confronting the "Janus Brothers" (Colored Illustration) 

Lina drunk at Stellar Generator Introduction Party 

Rena Fehr & Tookami Ryousuke Conversation 

Minami & Minoru's Video Chat with Tatsuya & Kyouko 

Kuroba Ayako & Saegusa Izumi Argument 

Ryousuke Protecting Mayumi 

Miyuki Activating "Icy Thorn"  

Back Cover - Chibi Mayumi 

 
 5 

Keywords 

Magian Company 
A General Incorporated Association that carries out concrete activities in order to 
implement the objectives of the Magian Society, an International Mutual Aid 
Organization for the self-defense of the human rights for the holders of the gift of magic. 
It was established on April 26, 2100. It is based in Machida, Japan, with Shiba Miyuki as 
President and Shiba Tatsuya as the Executive Director. 

As an International Organization, the existing Magic Society is primarily concerned with 

the protection of magicians who are at a utilitarian level, whereas the Magian Company 
is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to open doors for people with magic 
disposition to flourish in society, regardless of whether they are militarily useful or not. 
Specifically, the company plans to develop magicians' non-military vocational training 
projects where they can learn practical knowledge as magians, and non-military job 
placement projects where they can be introduced to jobs that actually use what they 
have learned. 

FEHR 
It is a political organization whose name is an acronym for "Fighters for the Evolution of 
the Human Race". It was founded in December of 2095 as a response to the 
radicalization of the Humanists movement. The headquarters is located in Vancouver, 
and its representative, Lena Fehr, is a charismatic figure who is known as "Saint". The 
aim of the organization is to protect magicians from the anti-magic and magician 
exclusion movements, similar to the Magian Society. 

 
 6 

Reactive Armor 
The magic of one of the Extras, which was expelled from the former Tenth Research 
Institute, the "Toogami" family. It is an individual armor magic, which, as soon as it is 
broken, is reconstructed with built-in resistance to 'that same type of power as the 
attack that triggered it'. 

 
 7 

Initial Illustrations
 

 
 8 

History 
 

It was in 1999 A.D. that the first psychic, that would later be known as the "First Modern 
Magician," appeared to the world. Throughout most of the 21st century, nations 
continued to train, or rather, develop and improve Magicians as weapons.  

Japan was no exception. The National Magic University and its affiliated High School 
may have been nominally educational research institutions for Magicians, but their 
true purpose was to be a institution of development research institutions aimed at 
increasing the nation's war potential.  

However, in the waning years of the 21st century, the history and fate of magicians 
took a major turn when a single ​Irregular e​ nrolled at the First High School affiliated to 
the National Magic University.  

The first disturbance was a minor one. Such an unusual set of circumstances refers to 
when, in April of 2095 A.D., a single high school student, along with a few fellow 
students, suppressed, or rather annihilated, a small armed group belonging to the 
International Terrorists 'Blanche'. Although it was not made public, this fact caught the 
attention of both military affairs and public order authorities, as well as those involved 
in crime syndicates, who were reminded of the value of magic as a fighting power.  

The following incident spans a chain of events that began with the disappearance of all 
the leaders of the East Japan branch of the international crime syndicate No Head 
Dragon in August of that year and culminated in the destruction of its headquarters in 
September. Apparently, the raid was the result of an exceptional joint operation 
between the Japanese and Great Asian Union public order authorities. However, the 
identity of the person who erased the top brass of the East Japan Branch was known 
only to a few military officials in Japan.  

Then, on October 31, 2095, a major event occurred that has been called a turning point 
in history by historians of future generations. The naval base at the southern tip of the 
Korean peninsula and the fleet assembled there were wiped out by a single magic 
bullet. Commonly known as 'Scorched Halloween'. A single Magician surpassed a single 
country, even a major nation's military might.  
 9 

A secret battle breaks out between the Stars, who at the time were called the world's 
strongest Magician unit, and Japanese Magicians over this mysterious magic and it's 
mysterious Magician who wielded it.   

Due to the intervention of the 'Parasites', Extra-dimensional Spiritual Lifeforms, this 

struggle ended without a conclusion, but had there been a decision, neither the U.S. 
nor Japanese troops would have been victorious. Instead, it was a private Japanese 
Magician organization, the 'Yotsuba family', known as the Untouchables, who would 
have prevailed.   

The year of 2096 was a year of lull in the world's history. It wasn't until the following 
year, 2097, that it became clear to the public that the world had changed in a decisive 
way. In January of that year, the name of the history changing ​Irregular '​ Shiba Tatsuya' 
would make its appearance on the stage as the fiancé of the next head of the Magician 
family, the 'Yotsuba'.   

By this point in time, he was only well known within the small Magician community, 
but his name quickly rose to prominence.  

At the end of May, he announced the development of the Thermonuclear Reactor via 
Grav​ity Control-type Magic 'Stellar Reactor' technology and a project for the 
construction of a plant with it. Through the Stellar Reactor, in the first half of the 22nd 
century, humanity can, once again, gain access to vast amounts of energy that are not 
affected by climate change. With it, the roles of Magicians changed from "weapons" to 
"producers" and from tools of warfare to human beings in the truest sense of the word.  

August of 2097. At last, Shiba Tatsuya shows the world that he alone is capable of 
waging war on an equal footing with a nation. Thus, overturning the common sense 
that "an individual cannot resist the state". It is now clear that Shiba Tatsuya was 
the one behind the 'Scorched Halloween'.  

But the chaos and changes he caused did not end there......  

 
 
 10 

Chapter 1 
[Magian Society] 

April 24, 2100 AD.  

On this day, Tatsuya was in the Indian Ocean. He had flown from Japan in a private jet, 
and now, he is aboard the British Royal Navy aircraft carrier "Duke of Edinburgh" 
which was anchored on the high seas.  

The small jet used by Tatsuya is a hypersonic aircraft that uses hydrogen produced by 
the stellar reactor plant as fuel and achieves a maximum speed of Mach 7 using magics 
of airflow control and inertia control. The flight time from Japan was less than two 
hours, including take-off and landing time. The civilian application of magic was also 
being attempted in this regard.   

Asha Chandrasekhar, the highest authority on magic in the Indo-Persian Union (IPU), 
her escort, the unofficial Strategic-Class Magician Arya Krishna Shastri and the British 
National recognized Strategic-Class Magician William McLeod were waiting aboard the 
Duke of Edinburgh, where the small jet deck-landed aboard the Duke of Edinburgh 
without the use of arresting wires, by means of inertial control magic. ──Yet, Tatsuya 
was alone. He has neither guards nor secretaries with him.  

"Did I keep you waiting?" 

They still have more than enough time until the appointment, but Tatsuya asked as a 
courtesy (in the Japanese sense).  

"No, you arrived early" 

At Tatsuya's words, Chandrasekhar shook her head with a smile. Tatsuya honestly 
didn't understand the meaning of the gesture, but he didn't mind, and considered it a 
cultural difference.  

"But we don't have to stick to the schedule, so let's get started" 

"Yes, if everyone agrees" 

 11 

At Chandrasekhar's words, Tatsuya looks to MacLeod.  

MacLeod nodded and declared, "Then we will begin the signing ceremony". 

If the other party was a strict bureaucrat, they would have to wait until the scheduled 
time even if all concerned parties were present. This kind of rationalism is very 
welcome for Tatsuya.  

MacLeod declared the opening because he was the witness to today's signing 
ceremony.  

The process of establishing the Magian Society, an international mutual aid 

organization for those with magical talents, is now underway. The preparations have 
been completed down to the last detail, and all that is left is for Chandrasekhar and his 
deputy, Tatsuya, and the witness, MacLeod, to sign the charter.  

There is already an international organization for magicians, the International Magic 

Association. However, the Magic Association is an organization for magicians with 
magic on practical level. This practical level is as close to, if not exactly the same as, "a 
level of military significance". Also, the Magic Association is more like an organization 
that uses "magic as a deterrent against nuclear weapons". Even if they have magical 
qualities, if they aren't useful to the military or have characteristics unsuitable for 
military use, they aren't protected by the Magic Association. 

If that would be pointed out, the Magic Association staff would probably deny with 
"There is no such a thing". But Tatsuya and Chandrasekhar recognize that the Magic 
Association is an organization that bases magic on its military use.  

And based on this recognition, it was necessary to establish a mutual aid organization 
to protect the human rights of Magians ──which they defined as those who 
possessed the gift of magic regardless of whether they were militarily useful or 
not── other than the Magic Association. They decided to take it upon themselves to 
set up an organization for that purpose, rather than to change the Magic Association to 
their liking. They decided to act on their own instead of imposing it on someone else.  

The Magian Society's headquarters are located in Galle, a city on the southern tip of the 
island of Sri Lanka. Prior to the establishment of the society, the IPU relinquished its 
sovereignty over the island of Sri Lanka yesterday and, along with the United Kingdom, 
recognized Sri Lanka as a neutral and independent country. 
 12 

Since the very beginning, this Sri Lankan independence was premised on the 
establishment of the Magian Society. The IPU could expect the Society's headquarters 
in their own backyard, in the island of Sri Lanka, to curry favor with Tatsuya, the 
person who individually holds more military power than of a nation, and close 
interaction with the International Magic Association. He valued this merit more than 
the benefits of claiming the island of Sri Lanka.  

MacLeod is responsible for testifying to the world that the Magian Society established 
in Sri Lanka as an agent of the British government, which was the first to recognize Sri 
Lanka as a state, is a private international organization independent of any 
government and not under the control of the IPU or affiliated to the Japanese 
government.  

MacLeod himself has no immediate plans to join the Society. But he is willing to 
support the Society from the side. That is why he has accepted the role of witness.  

Britain has been diplomatically critical of continental European countries that restrict 
─or violate─ the human rights of magicians in the name of protecting the rights of 
ordinary citizens. The UK government's support for the Magian Society's pro-human 
rights fits with this diplomatic strategy. There is also the intention to keep the 
International Magic Association based in London in check, since it refused to share the 
British government's condemnation of the continental European countries.  

With the support and assistance of the IPU and the UK, the Magian Society was 
officially launched on Tatsuya's twenty-first birthday.  

Tatsuya arrived at the aircraft carrier Duke of Edinburgh at 10:20 a.m. Indian time. The 
signing ceremony ended in an hour and they attended a luncheon on the carrier, 
hosted by McLeod. It was 2:00 p.m. Indian time and 5:30 p.m. Japanese time when he 
boarded the jet on the deck of the carrier for the return trip.  

"Thank you for your hard work, Tatsuya-sama"  

"Sir, everything is ready for takeoff. " 

The former was Hanabishi Hyougo, his butler who had been waiting on board the ship; 
 13 

Hyougo hadn't accompanied Tatsuya on board because he would have been an 
encumbrance in case of an emergency.  

And the latter, who greeted Tatsuya, calling him his Excellency, is the pilot of this 
plane, Yotsuya Tetsu1. He had been a fighter pilot for the Japanese Defense Air Force, 
known as Aitani Tetsu2 until three years ago. But he was disappointed with the National 
Defense Forces, that remained as an idle spectator during the invasion of Miyakijima by 
the U.S. military in August 2097 and the attack on Miyakijima by the new Soviet Union, 
so he retired from the army and joined Tatsuya's side. 

Hyougo can also fly a normal private jet. Even if he doesn't have the qualifications, he is 
technically skilled at flying large airliners as well.  

But Tatsuya's personal airplane is a hypersonic jet. It's difficult to handle even for 
expert pilots. In addition to the high level of skill necessary to just fly the plane, it also 
requires magical skills to handle the airflow control and inertia control magic systems 
built into the fuselage.  

In this regard, Yotsuya comes from the Aitani family from the Hundred Families. he 
changed his name to indicate that he had severed ties with the Hundred Families when 
he became a Yotsuba family's magician, and his magic itself is on the level of skill 
appropriate for a numbered family.  

That's the reason why Yotsuya is flying Tatsuya's private plane and not Hyougo.  

Tatsuya nodded at Yotsuya's words and ordered, "Please depart at once".  

"Yes, sir!" 

Yotsuya responds with a raised hand bow and hurries to the pilot's seat.  

Just as Tatsuya and Hyougo took their seats and fastened their seatbelts, the twin 
hypersonic turbojet engines began to roar.  

◇ ◇ ◇  

1
四八 徹
2
​四十 谷徹
 14 

The hypersonic plane carrying Tatsuya and his crew arrived back at Miyakijima just 
after 7:00 p.m. (JST).  

The development of Miyakijima has been progressing at a rapid pace over the past 
three years, and the landscape of the island has changed significantly. The fact that the 
island is practically owned by the Yotsuba family did not change. But a lot of capital for 
the development of infrastructure is flowing in from other sources than the Yotsuba 
family. 

The "Western Pacific Marine Airport" for example, isn't an expansion of the short 
runway on the northern part of the island, but a marine airport built on an L-shaped 
mega-float on the southeastern coast of Miyakijima, a joint venture of Japanese and 
American companies. There are two perpendicular runways, both of which are 
4,000-meter class. At present, only small and medium-sized aircraft take off and land 
here, but large passenger planes could fly here if necessary.  

Across the suspension bridge connecting the seadrome to the island is the airport 
building that was just completed six months ago. 

"Welcome back" 

There, Miyuki was waiting for Tatsuya's arrival. 

"I'm back. Nothing did happen, right?" 

"Yes, nothing" 

Miyuki answers Tatsuya's question meekly as usual. 

"I don't think it's possible for a serious incident to happen in just half a day" 

But there was someone who disturbed this pre-established harmony. Lina was there. 

Until a few days ago, Lina's official position was of an officer on loan from the USNA to 
Tatsuya, but she has really been working as Miyuki's bodyguard since the summer of 
three years ago.  

On January 4th of this year, Lina was adopted by Toudou Aoba, one of the masterminds 
of Japanese politics and the sponsor of the Yotsuba family, and became a naturalized 
citizen of Japan, at the same time as she turned 20 years old a step ahead of Miyuki. As 
a result, at least on paper, she is no longer a USNA officer and is now a Japanese 
 15 

civilian. By the way, her current official full name is "Toudou Rina3". 

However, she still usually refers to herself as "Angelina Kudou Shields", and by the 
nickname "Lina". Tatsuya and Miyuki also still refer to her as Lina. 

Two years after graduating from high school has passed. As a remarkable 
transformation Miyuki and Lina have changed from beautiful girls to beautiful women.  

Their height and body shape are the same as when they graduated from high school. 
Their faces were more mature to begin with, but there wasn't a place with a substantial 
change that could be pointed out. 

But without a doubt, they have become more mature. Their hairstyle and make-up 
have also changed, although it would be more fitting to say the changes in their 
hairstyles and make-up are in line with their new, more mature, impressions. 

While Miyuki's straight long hairstyle hasn't changed, she has changed her bangs from 
straight to slanted hair and parted her head to show her white forehead. Her shapely 
eyebrows are now exposed again, accentuating her elegance. 

Lina has dropped the twin-tails that were originally a disguise to hide her military look 
and make her look more like a high school student, in favor of a semi-long one that 
doesn't fall over her chest. Her bangs are in a cool see-through bang. It gives her a 
more urban image than before. 

"How was it in Tatsuya-sama's case?" 

Faster than Tatsuya could respond to Lina's interjection, Miyuki questioned him back. 

Miyuki neatly passed over Lina's statement, who could now be considered her close 
friend. 

"The signing ceremony went off without any trouble" 

Tatsuya followed Miyuki's lead. In other words, he ignored Lina's reasonable point. 

"..........." 

Lina didn't interrupt the conversation between them. 

3
​東道 理奈
 16 

The fact that she didn't start fussing about them ignoring her here is proof that Lina is 
also growing up properly... Maybe she's simply fiddling with it, though. 

"Was there anyone who was acting insolent? I'm sure there are some in the Royal Navy 
who would not be happy with the establishment of a Society" 

Given they dispatched a witness, the British government was informed of the details of 
the secretive progression of the Magian Society. Only the UK, the IPU and a 
re-independent Sri Lanka knew at the governmental level that the scope of the 
"Magian" society would be expanded to include "Magians" and that its purpose was to 
protect the human rights of Magians. In fact, the Japanese government did not know 
either. 

The crew of the aircraft carrier that served as the venue was more likely composed 
mainly by non-magicians. The military is an organization with a higher ratio of 
magicians than others, but even so, there are absolutely few magicians, so it's not 
surprising that most of the crew would be non-magicians. 

And the crew knows the purpose of the voyage. There isn't a sailor who doesn't miss 
the interest in the purpose of the voyage, even if they haven't been formally informed 
by the captain or other officers. Also, ships are a closed world. In some cases, with the 
lives of the crew at stake, the purpose of the voyage cannot be kept completely under 
wraps. 

Even now, with an extensive amount of automation, the number of crew members on 
an aircraft carrier is still high. Some of them had to have harbored hatred or animosity 
towards magicians concealed in their minds. 

The Society's purpose is to protect the human rights of those who possess magical 
qualities, including magicians. Since the rights include "freedom to choose a 
profession", the expansion of the Society's activities will open up non-military avenues 
for Magicians, which in turn will weaken the military. This must have made some 
soldiers wary of this. Miyuki thought so. 

"No, there was no such behaviour at all" 

But Tatsuya cleanly dismissed Miyuki's concerns. 

"See, it's like I said" 

 17 

Lina interjects from the side to reinforce Tatsuya's answer. 

"But I was worried. I don't think my fears were unfounded" 

This time Miyuki didn't ignore Lina's words, but instead replied with a less-than-logical 
rebuttal. 

"No, you're worrying too much. Britain sent the Duke of Edinburgh to the Indian Ocean 
because of a political agenda. It would be not the British government, but the King of 
Britain, who would be disrespectful and embarrassing to Tatsuya. The Royal Navy isn't 
going to act in a way that would rub the King's face in the mud" 

"...Somehow you make it sound like the Royal Navy is more trustworthy than the US 
military?" 

At Miyuki's point, Lina frowns, as if she was stabbed in a sore spot. 

"......they don't lose in terms of pride and sense of duty, but in loyalty. The royal navy's 
loyalty to the king is honestly higher than that of the navy to the president. The loyalty 
of a States soldier is directed to the state, not to the White House..." 

"Isn't that the right way to be an army of a democratic nation?" 

"......maybe" 

"Yes" 

Lina gave a speech in an attempt to remove the concerns that were casting a shadow 
over Miyuki's mind, but Miyuki had encouraged her to do the opposite. However, Lina 
wasn't uncomfortable with it. 

"Anyway, things are going well for the Society" 

Tatsuya returns to the topic, perhaps to correct the atmosphere that was deviated to a 
weird direction. 

"Company is next, Tatsuya-sama" 

Miyuki's line takes the topic in a different direction with Tatsuya's intentions. 

"The establishment is on Monday, right?" 

 18 

Lina also gets in on the subject. However, this wasn't a question, it was a kind of a 
backchannel response. 

"Yes" 

It was a schedule that didn't need to be confirmed, but Tatsuya answered aloud with an 
affirmation. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

When they returned from the airport to their secondary house in Miyakijima, Tatsuya 
was asked to wait for a while in his room. At this stage he had a pretty good idea of 
what was in store for him. 

Ten minutes later, Miyuki calls Tatsuya through the extension to the dining room. 
There was a whole cake with a candle on it. And today is the 24th of April. Needless to 
say, this was a birthday cake for Tatsuya. 

"Happy birthday, Tatsuya-sama!" 

"Happy Birthday, Tatsuya!" 

While Tatsuya was waiting, Miyuki and Lina changed into dresses in order to 
congratulate him. Reaching below the knee, the dresses revealed a large amount of the 
shoulder, and had very mature variations in color. Their smiles were more glamorous 
than the shimmering dress, and more glittering than the jewelry in the necklaces and 
rings they wore. 

"Thank you, both of you" 

Tatsuya expected that Miyuki would be preparing for the celebration. No, anyone who 
knew Miyuki could have seen it coming. There was no ounce of surprises there. 
Tatsuya's composed reaction didn't mean that he didn't like celebrating his anniversary 
or that he didn't care about it. 

Naturally, the party dinner went on in a harmonious manner. There were only three 
people around the table. This is also the usual. 

To tell the truth, last week, Shizuku offered to hold a birthday party for him. However, 
the date for the Magian Society's signing ceremony had been set more than half a year 
 19 

in advance, so he was forced to decline the offer. 

"Miyuki's 'Tatsuya-sama' has settled very well " 

Turning to Miyuki, who was cutting the cake, Lina said such. 

"Why bring it, all of a sudden?" 

Miyuki doesn't look away from her hand as she cuts the cake and asks back in a 
quizzical voice. 

"Why bring it..... somehow?" 

"What's that? It isn't since today or yesterday that I've been calling Tatsuya-sama by his 
name" 

"Yes, but for some reason, I have a strong image of Miyuki calling Tatsuya 'Onii-sama'" 

Perhaps many might agree with Lina's opinion. 

"He is my fiancé. I can't call him 'Onii-sama' forever. I don't want the outside world to 
make it difficult for me... If I don't keep that in mind on a regular basis, it might 
accidentally slip up, right?" 

Miyuki admits that it's so natural to call him 'Onii-sama' that it almost comes out of her 
mouth unconsciously. Putting down the knife and picking up the cake server, Miyuki's 
lightly frowned eyebrows wavered with a hint of melancholy. 

"Unlike me, though, Miyuki doesn't seem to be careless" 

But, at Lina's line, the gloom that had fallen on Miyuki's face cleared, and was replaced 
by a dumbfounded look. 

"You said it yourself...?" 

"......No, no, it's not like I deny that part" 

Lina must have meant it as a joke. Her expression turned sour in disapproval. 

There was not only a cake on the table, but champagne as well. There were glasses for 
all three of them. 
 20 

Miyuki had celebrated her birthday last month and had turned twenty years old. It 
means that she was able to be a part of the celebration. To tell the truth, the 
preparations for establishing the Magian Society were almost complete six months 
ago, but they had to wait until Miyuki came of age to make her official entrance.  

"Then, with Tatsuya-sama's birthday" 

First, Miyuki opens the toast. 

"Congratulations, Tatsuya, on your appointment as Vice President of the Magian 

Society." 

And Lina followed suit, 

"Congratulations!"  

"Congratulations!" 

Miyuki and Lina raised their glasses high in unison. 

The two of them, who had turned twenty years old, had transformed from the most 
beautiful girls in the world to the most beautiful woman in the world, while still 
keeping lively and youthful. No, it might be more appropriate to express that they had 
stepped up in class. 

This situation where he was receiving congratulations from those two with a big smile 
on their face, a normal man would not be able to speak properly in this situation. 

"Thank you." 

But Tatsuya smiled calmly and responded to their congratulations in his normal tone of 
voice. 

He drank the champagne in one go and put his glass on the table. Then Miyuki and Lina 
put their champagne glasses back on the table as well. 

Before the toast, Tatsuya's flute-shaped glass was three-fifths full, while Miyuki's and 
Lina's glass was about a third full of champagne. 

Now, after the toast, Tatsuya's glass is empty, and Miyuki's is also empty. Lina's glass 
has about a quarter full of champagne. 
 21 

Lina wrinkles her brow at the sight of the three glasses. She brings the freshly placed 
champagne glass on the table to her mouth and empties it in one breath. 

"Goo-ho, keh-ho." 

Lina coughs violently. 

"Lina, are you okay?" 

Miyuki hurriedly rubbed Lina's back from the seat next to her. 

"You don't have to show your competitive spirit here with anything..." 

Lina gave Tatsuya a sharp look as he whispered to himself. 

"I just choked a bit. It's not like I was trying to compete!" 

Miyuki and Lina are close friends who constantly act together, but they also consider 
one another as rivals. And both of them are surprisingly strong-minded. Lina denies it, 
but even though Miyuki came of age later than she did ──though it was only a 
difference of two months── it was obvious from the sidelines that seeing Miyuki 
chug a glass of champagne and look composed caused a pointless sentiment of rivalry 
of "Me too". 

"Tatsuya-sama, I'll pour you some." 

But avoiding going out of her way and pointing it out, Miyuki tipped a bottle of 
champagne into Tatsuya's glass. 

"How about you, Miyuki?" 

Tatsuya followed Miyuki's lead and reached for the bottle she'd set down. 

"No, I'm already......" 

Miyuki shook her head apologetically. This was actually Miyuki's first time drinking. 
She had no idea what her limits were. It was only natural for a lady to weigh herself. 

"I'll take it." 

Lina, on the other hand, asked for a refill in a strong tone. 

 22 

Tatsuya didn't say anything and poured the champagne into her glass.  

  

"......Lina. If you're sleepy, why don't you take it easy and go back to your room?" 

Miyuki recommends Lina to go to her bed, who looks like she's about to start dozing 
off with her glassy eyes. 

"I'm okay. I'm okay." 

Lina's tone of voice was surprisingly firm as she answered. But her tone was the only 
thing firm. Her eyelids were half-closed. 

"It's a celebration." 

Was Lina trying to say that it was rude to leave the table before they celebrate? Or that 
it was a waste not to enjoy a long-awaited celebration more? It could be both. Maybe 
it's both, and it's possible that the person in question doesn't even know it. 

"......You don't have to take it too far, you know." 

Tatsuya's voice sounded even more concerned than Miyuki's. Maybe he feels 
responsible for pouring himself a refill at Lina's request. 

"I've already said that I'm okay" 

With a good articulation, Lina answers by slowly swinging her head from side to side 
instead of shaking her head from side to side. It isn't impossible to interpret the gesture 
as imitating the gesture of a certain cultural sphere. But frankly speaking, it didn't look 
like she was okay. 

"Anyway, tell me about the signing ceremony. How did you feel?" 

"Even if you say 'feel'....." 

There was confusion across Tatsuya's face. 

"Everything was as planned, though." 

The signing ceremony was, after all, a ceremony. Every detail of the agreement had 
been agreed upon in advance. If a third party had interfered in the details, that might 
 23 

be a different story, but Tatsuya and Chandrasekhar were the involved parties. There 
was no cause for dispute at the signing ceremony. 

"Not the content of the arrangement. What was the mood? Was there any harassment 
from John Bull4?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

Tatsuya has a dumbfounded look on his face. 

"Didn't you say earlier that 'The Royal Navy is not going to act in a way that would rub 
the King's face in the mud'?" 

"That's right, I don't think they are going to harass you, frown or act in the open. But 
just not showing it on the surface does not mean that you're not in an unwelcome 
mood, right?" 

"Oh, I see that's what you mean." 

But if explained, it wasn't such a strange question. 

"They certainly didn't show any behaviour like it, but there was an unwelcome 
atmosphere. It wasn't hostility, though, it was a feeling of being avoided." 

Miyuki's eyebrows cloud over at Tatsuya's answer. 

"Is it antipathy.....?" 

"I think it's more like indifference. There was a glimpse of frustration about why we're 
being driven to do this kind of work......" 

"I see......" 

Miyuki lets out a faint sigh. 

"The world's interest in Magicians, no, Magian's rights is still low....." 

Miyuki quickly used the new name 'Magian'. This word is a broader concept than 
magicians. And since Tatsuya and Chandrasekhar were going to spread the word 
around the world, Miyuki decided to take the initiative in using the word as long as it 

4
​John Bull
 24 

was one that Tatsuya was trying to promote. The word corresponding to the narrower 
meaning of 'Magician' is 'mageist'. 

"It can't be helped. Magians are in the absolute minority and are misunderstood as 
being strong regardless of whether or not they have actual battle level abilities. Groups 
that are successfully viewed as socially vulnerable are more likely to garner public 
sympathy, but once they're assumed to be powerful or politically privileged, people 
don't want to acknowledge that fact, even if the reality is that their rights are being 
violated. We have no choice but to do something about it with our own efforts." 

"I don't think we, Magians, who are restricted in various rights, are ever the powerful 
people in society...."  

Miyuki didn't deny Tatsuya's sarcastic remarks, but merely retorted modestly. 

"I guess the majority of people don't know the situation in which Magians are in. It's 
hard to get people to care about something that isn't directly related to them. I'm even 
only reminded of the struggle of the people in divided Africa when a big news comes 
out. Thinking about that, I can't blame them for their indifference." 

"Sure, we may not be active in the problem of poverty in Africa, but at least we're not 
intentionally trying to make it worse. However the Magician's rights are deliberately 
being restricted, aren't they?"  

Then Lina's indignant voice interrupted her. 

"To the Majority, the part that talks about the possibility that a high level magister has 
the power to harm them is more important than the reality of the Magians." 

Tatsuya responds in an apathetic voice. The word "majority" used here means "those 
without magical qualities", and it’s based on the understanding that Magians are a 
minority. In external and official documents, so far, it’s supposed to be listed as "the 
majority of citizens with the exception of Magians". 

It's just that the term "citizens with the exception of Magians" has always been too long 
and inconvenient. From now on, they'll be using the term "Majority" in private. 

"Seriously, that pisses me off!" 

Suddenly, Lina bashed the table with her palm. Her indignation did not subside. 
 25 

"What did we do to them? Don't be afraid of me without reason!"  

Tatsuya and Miyuki look at each other. 

(She is drunk) 

(She is drunk, isn't she?) 

The two of them agreed through eye contact. 

(What do we do?) 

Miyuki asks with her eyes. 

Just let her drink herself to sleep. 

Tatsuya answers with his eyes. This is the exact communication. There is also 
embarrassment in the telepathy. 

"I'll get you a refill." 

Miyuki stands up and gets the third bottle of champagne from the kitchen. 

"I'll open it." 

Tatsuya took the bottle and opened it so that the cork would not fly off. 

He then pointed the mouth of the bottle at Lina. 

"......Yeah, we didn't do anything." 

Tatsuya said with a serious, gloomy look on his face and poured a glass of champagne 
into Lina's glass. 

 
 26 

 
 27 

"Thank you. You should drink it too, Tatsuya." 

Lina snatched the champagne bottle from Tatsuya and overflooded his glass. 

"Oh, I'm sorry." 

"No, don't worry about it." 

Tatsuya laughed and shook his head, and drank the glass, filled to the brim with 
champagne, in one breath, as if showing off to Lina. 

"Mwah. I'll take your challenge!" 

Lina also emptied her glass in one go. 

Tatsuya laughed and filled his own glass again, serving Lina a refill. 

When the third bottle was empty, Lina plopped down on the dining table. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Sunday night, April 25th. 

Tatsuya, Miyuki and Lina were at a prestigious hotel in the center of Tokyo. 

They were not there to stay overnight, nor were they there for the hotel's famous 
restaurant ​—​although it could be said that dinner was part of the objective. 

Tatsuya was in a tuxedo, Miyuki and Lina in cocktail dresses. They've been invited to a 
standing buffet party for a hundred people at the hotel. 

They drew attention while​ walking down the corridor of the hotel to the venue. 
Considering the number of guests, they didn't mind using a smaller room, but what 
was arranged was a large reception hall. 

The women at the reception desk knew Tatsuya well. They were all members of 
Kitayama Ushio's secretarial team, whom he had met several times in the Stellar 
Reactor Plant project. The organizer of the party is an investment company of which. 
Kitayama Ushio is the president. 
 28 

This company is the largest single investor of Miyakijima's Stellar Reactor Plant. 
Tonight's party is to celebrate the next stage of the stellar reactor plant project, and 
although Tatsuya is a guest of the party, he is practically the organizer of the party. 

As Miyuki and Lina walked through the doors of the reception hall, their beauty drew 
admiration from all over the room. There was still more than enough time until the 
opening of the event, but the reception hall was filled with good vibes. Most of the 
invited guests seemed to have already arrived. The presence of white and black people 
are also quite noticeable. 

"Tatsuya-san!" 

Miyuki and Lina attracted a lot of attention, but it was Tatsuya who was first to be 
approached. 

Honoka came running up to them in spite of her high heels. Behind her, walking at a 
normal pace, is Shizuku's figure. 

"I know I'm a day late, but happy birthday to you!" 

Even at twenty years of age, Honoka is still lively as ever. 

"Thank you, Honoka" 

Honoka and Shizuku are also, like Tatsuya, third year students at Magic University. But 
they rarely have a chance to see each other. Because Tatsuya is often absent from the 
university. Also, it is difficult for them to take the same classes as each other since the 
subjects are divided into different specialties, and Honoka wanted to study in the same 
department as Tatsuya, but it was not possible for her to do so due to her work 
schedule. 

Honoka was hired by the Kitayama family as Shizuku's bodyguard upon entering 
university. This was at the insistence of Honoka and her parents, who felt that "it would 
be uncomfortable if she was indebted to them all the time". At first, it was still treated 
as a part-time job and Honoka lived on her own as she did in high school, but after 
turning 20 years old, she was officially hired and now she is living and working in the 
Kitayama family. She's here now, in fact, as Shizuku's bodyguard at the party.  

Honoka is majoring in "Self-Defense Law" at university. It's a practical and 

cross-disciplinary course that teaches everything from magical skills for self-defense to 
 29 

the laws and regulations for the use of magic for self-defense. Not only bodyguards, but 
also the people being guarded have a lot to learn in this field, and Shizuku is also 
majoring in it. On the other hand, Tatsuya's major is the "Principles of Magic Theory", 
which studies the principles of magic itself. In the university, the lecture halls, let alone 
the classrooms, were divided into different buildings.  

Shizuku spends her time at Magic University as an ordinary student, but outside of the 
university, she has already been helping her father with his work. She mainly worked 
on the stellar reactor plant, attending various meetings and parties as an agent or 
assistant to her father ('s company), the biggest sponsor of the project.  

The work related to the Stellar Reactor Plant was a chance for Honoka to meet 
Tatsuya, with whom she had few chances to meet at the university. Also, the fact that 
Shizuku had been entrusted with this job reflected her desire to support her best friend 
in this regard.   

"Would you mind giving me a few minutes of your time after this party? I have 
something to give to you" 

The difference from the past is that Honoka is now able to say lines like this without 
hesitation.  

"──Honoka, good evening." 

"Good evening, Miyuki, and Lina too." 

Her habit of shrinking before turning over to face Miyuki is also ──but not 
completely ── gone.  

"By the way, Honoka, what is it after the party?" 

"Oh, don't worry about it, I'm sure Tatsuya-san will return home pleased tonight." 

"What? Honoka, could that mean......?" 

Honoka's suggestive line caused Lina to blush and widen her eyes. 

"......I'm sorry, Honoka, I didn't quite get the point." 

Miyuki, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes and gave a frigid smile. 
 30 

Tension rose between Miyuki and Honoka. 

"Don't worry, Honoka is all talk. Since she doesn't have that kind of experience either."   

However, the woman's fight ended before it began when a monotone voice interjected 
from behind Honoka. 

"T-that's not true!"  

"It doesn't fit you, Honoka."  

As Honoka's attitude suddenly turned childish, Shizuku gave her a lukewarm gaze, like 
she was looking out for her younger sister, who standed on her tiptoes trying to look 
older. 

"Good evening, Shizuku, thank you for inviting me." 

Then Tatsuya interrupted. 

"Good evening, Tatsuya-san. Miyuki and Lina, too. Thank you for coming. " 

While Miyuki, Lina and Honoka wore below-the-knee dresses, Shizuku's was a long 
dress. It was a cocktail dress with sleeves, but the design was more like an evening 
dress, so it was almost a formal dress. 

Although the event was sponsored under his industry alias, the actual host was 
Shizuku's father himself. He must also be attending this event as an organizer.  

"Tatsuya-san, I'd like to have a quick meeting before the opening of the event." 

Tatsuya must have been expecting Shizuku's request. 

"Okay." 

Without asking back "about what?", he agrees with Shizuku. 

"Can Miyuki and Lina come too?" 

"Yes, that’s fine." 

Miyuki answered and Lina nodded. 

 31 

"Then, this way." 

Honoka lined up next to Shizuku as she walked out, followed by Tatsuya behind 
Shizuku, Miyuki next to him, and Lina behind Miyuki. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

As the party began, Shizuku's father, Kitayama Ushio, led the toast. Ushio then 
announced that the Stellar Reactor Plant project had already made a return to 
profitability and that it was moving into a new phase.  

"──The Stellar Reactor Plant has been operated as a joint venture of several 
companies. However, in order to further develop the business, we have decided to 
establish a new entity, which will build and operate the Stellar Reactor under a unified 
management intent." 

A large English logo is displayed on the wall behind the stage, which has been 
temporarily installed at the back of the venue. 

The string of letters drawn in a simple 3D typeface 'STELLAR GENERATOR'. 

"The name of our new company is STELLAR GENERATOR, Inc.!" 

At the same time as that word with an external flavor, the alphabetic logo was replaced 
with 'Stellar Generator'. 

A non-descriptive applause erupted from the entire party hall. 

There was no surprise. 

Not all of the guests were aware of the new company's establishment, but everyone 
involved shared the understanding that a permanent management entity, rather than a 
temporary joint venture, was soon to be necessary for the development of the stellar 
reactor business. The establishment of the new company is a response to their 
expectations. 

"The new company has completed all preparations for its establishment on May 1. This 
person will be the president of Stellar Generator. There will be no need to introduce 
him again to you all."  
 32 

Kitayama Ushio extends his hand to the side of the stage.  

"This is Shiba Tatsuya, the developer of the Stellar Reactor!" 

Tatsuya was invited to the stage by his voice. 

This time, sporadic voices of surprise leaked out from all over the hall. A stellar reactor 
plant is different from a venture company's startup project. A large amount of money 
has already been invested and a number of companies are involved in this project, and 
large profits are expected in the future. There are many stakeholders who are looking 
to take the initiative. In a sense, it was an obvious reaction to question and worry 
about whether Tatsuya, who is still a University student just past the age of 20, would 
be able to take the helm.  

"Although Shiba-san is only twenty-one years old, he is not only the developer of the 
stellar reactor technology, but also the deviser of the business scheme." 

This time, the people expressed their surprise sporadically.  

Everyone knows that Tatsuya is the developer of the stellar reactor ──the stationary 
gravity-controlled magic thermonuclear fusion reactor── technology. But some 
believe and others doubt that he is the designer of the business scheme of the stellar 
reactor project. Even among those involved, the number of people who believe seems 
to be about half.   

Surely the plan for the utilization of the energy produced by the Stellar Reactor was 
devised by such specialists as management consultants, who acted as ghostwriters. 
Even the business people gathered here ──no, perhaps it's exactly because they're so 
familiar with the business, but that's how about half the people perceived it. 

However, that assumption has now been rejected by the great entrepreneur Kitayama 
Ushio. It was an unexpected turn of events in two directions. 

The first was that Tatsuya was not just a young man who was solely focused on 
technology. It was a surprise to find that he was not only skilled in theory and 
technology, but also had the economic sense to match it with reality.  

Secondly, it was surprising that Ushio Kitayama was willing to give his full support to 
Shiba Tatsuya, even to the extent of reinforcing the fabrication that Tatsuya had drawn 
 33 

up the management scheme in order to give him charisma. 

Either way, it was enough to dispel some of the apprehension about Tatsuya's 
appointment as president. If he had any business sense at all, he would not be so 
foolish as to destroy a promising business, especially if he had the full support of 
Kitayama Ushio.  

The audience greeted Tatsuya with a favorable look. 

"I'm Shiba Tatsuya, and I would like to thank you again for your support of the Stellar 
Reactor Project. 

Tatsuya bowed politely. This behavior seemed to impress them in several points. 
Perhaps it was the reaction of those who hadn't had much opportunity to see Tatsuya 
in person.  

As the president of the new company, Stellar Generator, I will do my utmost to work 
hard, and I would like to ask for your continued support in the future." 

A courteous applause followed. It was far from enthusiastic, but it wasn't dry either.  

After bowing, Tatsuya raised his head.  

Contrary to the expectations of those looking up at the podium, Tatsuya's speech didn't 
end there.  

"I would also like to take this opportunity to inform everyone of two matters."  

There were no reproachful or annoyed glances.  

Rather, many of them showed strong interest. 

"Yesterday, the Magian Society, an international private organization headed by Dr. 

Asha Chandrasekhar of the Indo-Persian Federation, was established to expand the 
traditional concept of a magician to Magian to include those who have the gift of 
magic, both formal and informal, whose rights as a person are restricted. The Magian 
Society is an organization that works to protect the human rights of those with 
magical abilities. Whereas the existing Magic Association primarily targets owners of 
magical skills that are military oriented, the Magian Society also addresses the rights of 
owners of magical abilities who aren’t involved in civilian work or who do not work 
 34 

with magic at the military level."  

A small buzz arose. The idealistic stance of protecting even magicians who weren't at 
the actual level of battle was unexpected, but even more than that, it was too 
unexpected that he had partnered with the IPU to set up an international organization 
other than the International Magic Association.  

"To make sure there is no misunderstanding, the Magian Society is an international 

NGO that is separate from any nation, including the IPU."  

As if seeing through the confusion, Tatsuya adds.  

"It cannot be denied that we have received various forms of assistance in establishing 
it, but we have received assurances in the official documents that the IPU won’t 
interfere with the operations of the Magian Society."  

There is another stirring.  

"It has been ensured by a representative of the British government, who was present as 
a neutral third party, that said document has legitimate validity."  

The stirring changed to a commotion  

"The Society's headquarters is in Galle, Sri Lanka. As I'm sure you are all aware, Sri 
Lanka has become a neutral republic after seceding from the IPU as of the twenty-third 
of this month."  

The murmurings next to each other filled the reception room. It was a little out of 
control.  

Rather than forcing himself to continue, Tatsuya waited on the stage for the 
atmosphere in the hall to settle down. 

"Would you allow me to ask you one question?" 

Just as the chaotic whispering was about to die down, a voice rose up, hoping to ask 
Tatsuya a question. 

"Yes, what is it?" 

Tatsuya gave a polite smile and urged them to continue.  

 35 

"Is Sri Lanka's independence part of the IPU's support for the Magian Society?" 

"I understand that this is a sign that the IPU is serious about protecting Magian's 
rights." 

Once again, the commotion spreads. 

"Does the Japanese government know the facts about Sri Lanka's independence?"  

"I don't know. At least I am not making any personal guesses on my part about the 
government."  

There were still some people who seemed to want to question Tatsuya, but they 
seemed to weigh themselves regarding the time, place, occasion.  

As the atmosphere in the room regained a superficial composure, Tatsuya continued to 
speak.  

"The Magian Society is a mutual aid organization to achieve the protection of human 
rights for Magians, who have been subjected to tangible and intangible restrictions 
from the government and society. We are establishing an entity in Japan that will do 
more tangible work towards the realization of this objective."  

Then Tatsuya extended his hand to the backstage. 

Invited by the gesture, Miyuki stepped onto the stage. 

"The name of the new organization is Magian Company, a general incorporated 

association. Shiba Miyuki right here will take over as President and I, Shiba Tatsuya, 
will also have the right to represent it as Executive Director. The establishment is 
scheduled for tomorrow, April 26."  

Miyuki bowed politely and Tatsuya briskly. 

The audience's applause was mixed with not so small amount of confusion. 

 
 36 

Chapter 2 
[Magian Company] 

Monday, April 26th. 

In the afternoon of this day, an application for the registration of the establishment of a 
corporation was made at the Legal Affairs Bureau in Machida City, formerly known as 
East Kyoto, Kanto Province. 

The name of the company is General Incorporated Association Magian Company. 

This small-scale corporation has three employees. And since the term "Magian" is not 
yet common, it did not attract much attention from the staff at the Legal Affairs Bureau 
who accepted the application. 

The announcement made yesterday at a party of the hotel had not yet been widely 
reported.   

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The public reaction to the establishment of the Magian Company was weak, but it 
caused quite a stir in the Japanese magic community, including the Ten Master Clans. 

Eleven o'clock in the morning of the twenty-sixth, Yotsuba house. 

"Madam, Mitsuya-sama is on the phone." 

Butler Hayama brought the pending handset──a voice-only terminal──on a silver 

tray reverently to Maya, who was relaxing in the sunroom. 

"Again. It's about the Company anyway, isn't it......?"  

Maya is fed up because this is the third call from another Ten Master Clans head since 
this morning. Adding the Magic Association's call makes it the fourth.  

In addition, at this point in time, the application for the establishment of Magian 
Company had not yet been submitted to the Legal Affairs Bureau. 
 37 

"If it's the same question, I'd like it to be done in one sitting."  

"Would you rather convene a Master Clan' Conference?"  

"I don't like that idea, it would be bothersome. Why should I go through such a hassle?" 

"So, do you want to decline?" 

Hayama is asking if she wants to turn down the phone call from Mitsuya Gen.  

"No" 

Maya replied briefly and accepted the receiver from the tray Hayama was holding. 

"Yes, I've switched phones. ......So it's about that matter...... No, I received an inquiry from 
Ichijou-dono and Futatsugi-dono earlier as well....... Yes, I was aware of that. ......What do 
you mean by "why"......? Isn't protecting the rights of magicians the original purpose of 
us Ten Master Clans? Both Society and Company have the same objective. I have no 
reason to disagree with it...... Yes, of course we won't let them do anything that is 
against the national interest. ...... That's the job of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I 
thought it was something we should be concerned about...... Yes, then."  

After finishing the call, Maya holds out the receiver to Hayama. 

"Since both Tatsuya-san and Miyuki-san are adults, I think that if there's something they 
want to ask them, they can call them directly."  

At the same time, a complaint spilled out of Maya's mouth. 

"Everyone is interested in the extent of our family's involvement in the establishment of 
the Society and Company, I believe."  

"It didn't seem like it was the only concern of Mitsuya-dono, though." 

"And what did he say?" 

"Tatsuya-san must be very close to the IPU, right?" 

"Rather than being a close friend of the IPU, I think he is a close friend of Dr. 
Chandrasekhar." 

"I guess people looking from the outside don't think of the IPU and the Doctor as 
 38 

separate entities."  

"In other words, is there a suspicion hanging over Tatsuya-sama that he may be siding 
with the IPU?" 

At Hayama's uncomfortable question, Maya nodded with a bitter smile. 

"Yes, that our whole family is." 

"It's also .......I don't mean to be presumptuous, but it seems to me that they're being 
very disrespectful."  

"I feel the same way, so you're not being presumptuous." 

Maya let out an annoyed sigh. 

Hayama, in contrast, retracted his displeasure from his expression. He thought that if he 
was emotional, even to himself, he wouldn't be able to settle the matter. 

"If you knew about Sri Lanka's independence in advance, then why didn't you share that 
information with the government?"  

"Surely that's the job of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I don't mean to be rude, but isn't 
it Mitsuya-sama who is the one who is overly distant from the government?" 

"Yes, you're right......." 

Hayama's line caught her attention, Maya was starting to get lost in thought as she 
stared into the void. 

"Hayama-san, let us find out what is going on with the Mitsuya family. Especially about 
the bureaucracy and the financial transfers."  

"Not the politicians' relations?" 

"We don't need to investigate collusion with politicians now, do we?" 

"Now then, I'll get right to it."  

"Please" 

With a bow, Hayama left the sunroom. 

 39 

Alone, Maya took a relaxed posture with the back of her chair tipped back. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The head of the Saegusa family, Koichi Saegusa, was in no hurry to contact the Yotsuba 
family when he learned of the establishment of the Magian Society and Magian 
Company. He just cancelled all his plans and stayed in his study alone until the evening 
without lunch. 

He came out of his study at seven o'clock in the evening when it was time for dinner. 

Unless otherwise specified, dinner is served at this time in Saegusa's house. 

Coincidentally, Mayumi, who just got a new job, and Kasumi and Izumi, who are in their 
second year of college for magic, are home today. Although this is not what Koichi and 
his daughters wanted, tonight's dinner table is the first time in a long time that the four 
of them are together. 

However, there was no happy family atmosphere. It's not only that, but the three sisters 
are at an age when they are very distant from their parents. On top of that, the 
relationship between the parent and the children is colder than the average in the 
society. 

"......I’m done." 

Without a single conversation, Mayumi tries to get up from her seat.  

"Wait a minute." 

But for the first time since arriving at the table, Koichi opened his mouth for the first 
time, except for eating and drinking, and waited.  

"Mayumi, have you heard of the Magian Society that was founded in Sri Lanka?" 

"......I am aware of that." 

Mayumi's reply expressed a sense of caution. She knew that Tatsuya was involved in the 
establishment of the Society. She suspected that her father was scheming to take 
advantage of the relationship of Kouhai and Senpai between her and Tatsuya again.  

No, she was already sure of it at this stage. 

 40 

"So, are you aware of the matter of your kouhai, Shiba Tatsuya-kun, establishing a 
corporation as of today?" 

"I know about that too, Magian Company. It's been a topic of conversation at work."  

"Um, father." 

At such times, it is usually Izumi who joins in the conversation. But this time it was not 
Izumi, but Kasumi who interrupted the conversation.  

"What is this Magian Society? And what is the Magian Company?" 

"What does the word Magian mean in the first place?" 

Izumi then asks more questions on Kasumi's question.  

"The Magian Society is an international non-governmental organization founded in 

Galle, a city in the southern tip of Sri Lanka, headed by Dr. Chandrasekhar of the 
Indo-Persian Federation. Prior to its establishment, the IPU has recognized the 
independence of Sri Lanka."  

"Independence......" 

Kasumi looked more taken aback than surprised. Indeed, Sri Lanka's independence was 
a great surprise, an event that hadn't been talked about at all until last month.  

"Magian is apparently a term proposed by Dr. Chandrasekhar as a new concept to refer 

to holders of the gift of magic in the broadest sense of the word, including those who 
possess the magic gift below the practical level who were not traditionally recognized 
as magicians."  

"Specifically, you mean including people who dropped out of the Magical High School 
and those who did not get in? Why did they make such a classification?"  

"Kasumi-chan, that is....."  

It was Mayumi who answered Kasumi's question, interjecting from the side. 

"Because even if you're not a magician, even if you're not someone who uses magic in 
their profession, you're still subject to all sorts of official and unofficial restrictions, such 
as restrictions on leaving the country and a de facto ban on international marriages, 
 41 

just for possessing the magic gift. This isn't just in Japan."  

"......By some chance, is Shiba-senpai trying to address those restrictions?"   

Izumi turns to Mayumi with a question. 

"Yeah, probably. I remember him telling me when I was a third year in high school, I 
think it was two or three weeks before the thesis competition, and I remember him 
telling me. He said that he wanted to improve the status of magicians by becoming a 
financial necessity. He said that was his goal. He confided in me that that's why he was 
going to make the gravity-controlled magical thermonuclear fusion reactor a reality."  

At this point, Mayumi gestured as if she was searching for a memory.  

"No, ......, at that time, as I recall, I was surprised that his goal was the same, when I told 
him that Rin-chan──Ichihara Suzune-san's dream was to improve the status of 
magicians through the financial necessity by achieving a gravity-controlled magical 
thermonuclear fusion reactor, and I was surprised that his goal was the same. It was. In 
the end, he was the first to achieve a gravity-controlled magical thermonuclear fusion 
reactor ──a stellar reactor."  

"You mean that guy stole Suzune-san's idea!?" 

Kasumi raised her voice in righteous indignation. 

Mayumi didn't panic, but shook her head in a calm gesture. 

"No, his and Ichihara-san's approach were entirely different. More than anyone else, 
Ichihara-san herself has admitted that."  

Her words, or rather her voice, had a conviction that did not allow for any further 
doubt.   

"I am sure he is trying to push for a further step forward since the implementation of 
the Stellar Reactor. I don't know what exactly he intends to do, though. ─ Does 
Otou-sama have any idea what he is planning to do?"  

Mayumi turns to Koichi. 

"No, I don't know either, because the establishment of the Magian Society was a 
surprise, with no information until the day of the party. The Company was in the same 
 42 

situation until yesterday's party." 

"So he's been keeping it a secret even from Ten Master Clans......" 

"Does Shiba-senpai intend to leave the Ten Master Clans system?" 

Following Mayumi's words, Izumi asked her sister and father for their opinion. 

"Does that mean the Yotsuba family is planning to leave Ten Master Clans!?" 

Kasumi, who hadn't considered that possibility, revealed her surprise. 

"I don't think so. At least not until the Yotsuba family is replaced." 

Koichi denies Izumi's speculation. 

"Maybe he, and not the Yotsuba family, is trying to jump out of the Ten Master Clans 
organization. Or even from the Yotsuba family."  

Mayumi partially agreed with Koichi and pointed out that it could be more than that.  

"......Isn't Mayumi overthinking it? The president of the Magian Company established 
today is Shiba Miyuki-jou5, the next head of the Yotsuba family. As its representative, 
she won’t leave the Yotsuba family. 

Mayumi did not agree with Koichi's line. 

"Father...Miyuki will abandon her position as the next head of the family without any 
hesitation if he says he will leave the Yotsuba family. ......No, father also said that. Unless 
they are replaced, the Yotsuba family will remain in the Ten Master Clans. If he decides, 
the Yotsuba family could be replaced tomorrow. I don't think even the Yotsuba family 
can resist him and Miyuki."  

"......Mayumi, are you interested in what Shiba Tatsuya-kun is up to?" 

Koichi didn't argue with Mayumi, nor did he deny the possibility of it, but changed the 
subject. 

"......Yes, I am."  

5
The used ​suffix "jou" (嬢) it’s from the word "Ojou" (お嬢), which, in this case, it’s used to refer to 
someone as "young lady"
 43 

Mayumi nodded cautiously at the question. 

"Then wouldn't you be interested in changing careers to Magian Company?"   

"......You want me to infiltrate into the Magian Company?"  

"I didn't mean it as an order for you to be a spy. It's just that I considered that there 
might be a part of Shiba Tatsuya-kun's intentions that you can't see from the outside." 

"How is it possible for me, a member of the Saegusa family, to join the Magian 
Company? No, is that Company accepting job applications in the first place?"  

Mayumi just graduated from Magic University this spring, but she is already working at 
an investment firm owned by the Saegusa family. So, even if she changes jobs, she can 
return to the firm at any time. Hence, her concern is not about leaving her current job.  

She is concerned about whether she, as a member of the Saegusa family, can get into a 
company that is clearly under the influence of the Yotsuba family. Koichi's 
outlandishness is always a usual thing (as far as Mayumi was concerned), but this one 
was out of line compared to past incidents of being unreasonable. 

"I'll take care of that part." 

Koichi promised to do it without showing any evidence.  

Mayumi was relieved to see that even though he was the head of the Saegusa family, it 
would not be easy. On the other hand, Mayumi knew that there was a chance that she 
might be ordered to do something with her ties with Tatsuya. At worst, she could be 
forced to do something outrageous, like using seduction and so forth, or even coercion.  

That would be the worst thing she could think of. Mayumi couldn't help but feel relieved 
that it didn't turn out that way.  

But that didn't mean that Mayumi disliked Tatsuya. In the true sense, apart from the 
case of using seduction to obtain her objective, she would not be opposed if it ended up 
on something like a date. ─That’s if Miyuki wasn't his fiance.  

Mayumi will turn twenty-three this year. She has not yet crossed the line with a man, 
but other than that, she has some experience befitting her age. Although she's not too 
proud of it, she had a series of formal marriage interviews when she was in college. She 
had learned, in her own way, some tricks to make men feel happy without needing to 
 44 

cross the line.  

But she had some resistance about doing that kind of dishonest behavior with Tatsuya.  

Besides, even if she made a motion to him, Tatsuya would never be swayed. Mayumi 
knows that. Even if he doesn't really mean it, it's the worst thing to have to be explicitly 
reminded that she's no match as a woman. Mayumi doesn't fancy suffering from her 
own humiliation.  

If she wasn't forced into such a behavior, she would at least change her place of 
employment──.   

"If that's what Otou-sama says."  

By the result of promising without due consideration, Mayumi accepted the offer.   

Or maybe this was another one of Koichi's tricks, and Mayumi was being carried along 
with him.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The repercussions of the establishment of the Magian Society, and the subsequent 
Magian Company, were not confined to Japan.   

In Vancouver, a former Canadian territory, in the USNA, there is the headquarters of an 
organization called FEHR. It is a legitimate association of magicians recognized by the 
city government.  

A young man with dark hair, dark eyes, and an East Asian appearance knocked on the 
door of one of the rooms. 

"Milady, you called for me?"  

The word "Milady" tends to remind of Milady de Winter, the villainess noblewoman in 
the grand Dumas' novel The Three Musketeers, but here it is an old-fashioned respectful 
term of address for women. It means "lady". The word is said to be derived from the 
abbreviation of "My Lady".  

The term "Ma'am" is a common term of address for women, especially in the military, 
but the FEHR uses "Milady" for women in leadership positions. The reason for this is not 
only to remove the military aspect, but also because the leader has a very young 
 45 

appearance. ──It's also because "Maam" also means "aunt".  

"Come in." 

"Excuse me" 

Following a voice from the room, a young man opens the door and enters. It's not an 
automatic door these days, it's an inward opening wooden door.  

"Thank you for coming, Ryousuke. Please, have a seat." 

The leader, who was sitting at the desk in the back, stands up and greets the young 
man. 

She is a beautiful woman of small stature for a Caucasian, with medium straight hair of 
a translucent chestnut color and amber eyes. No, the leader, "Rena Fehr" was more 
appropriately described as a "beautiful girl" rather than a "beautiful woman" in 
appearance.  

"Excuse me." 

The young man who sat down across from the leader, as his name 'Ryousuke' would 
suggest, is Japanese. His full name is 'Tookami Ryousuke6'. He had come to the States 
four years ago as a university exchange student and remained in USNA's former 
Canadian territory.  

"Ryousuke, would you like a cup of tea? Or perhaps you would rather have coffee?"  

"Then I'll have the same one as Milady."  

"......Doesn't Ryousuke always choose that."  

"I want to drink the same things as Milady, eat the same things, share the same 
struggles, and see the same future. I don't think it's just me, I think all my FEHR 
comrades think the same way." 

"Mou....... You always exaggerate, Ryousuke."  

Rena gives him a baffled look. However, she never looked uncomfortable. Rather, it's 
more like she's hiding her embarrassment.  

6
遠上 遼介
 46 

"──Butler, two cinnamon teas." 

[As you wish] 

Rena ordered a drink from a male model of a humanoid robot. It's a higher-end version 
of the 3H (Humanoid Home Helper), with a more durable frame and enhanced fuel cell 
capacity.  

Originally, the 3H was nothing more than a humanoid interface for the home 
automaton. The actual work was done by various automated and non-humanoid robots. 
But this higher-end model is designed to be a stand-alone household and office 
assistant.  

Though its name is Variable Use, Tough and Long Operate Robot, its commonly called 
by the acronym 'VUTLOR', but Rena herself has nicknamed her robot 'BUTLER'.   

A cup of cinnamon tea was lined up in front of Rena and Ryousuke by the Butler.  

"First, here you go." 

"Thank you." 

At Rena's words, Ryousuke reached for his teacup. 

Seeing this, Rena also brought the cup to her lip​s. 

 
 47 

 
 48 

They both put the cup back on the table at the same time. 

"Milady, is it about time you tell me what you wanted?"  

Seeing it was a suitable time, Ryousuke urged her on to the main subject.  

"Ryousuke, did you know that an organization called Magian Company was established 
in your homeland?"  

"Magian Company? Not the Magian Society?"  

"I'm sure they are closely related, but it's a separate organization. It's a Japanese 
corporation that was announced yesterday by Shiba Tatsuya and established as of 
today."  

It's currently 2 p.m. on April 26th in Vancouver. It's 6 a.m. Japan time on April 27.  

"......He was also involved in the founding of the Magian Society, wasn't he?" 

Rena nodded at Ryousuke's words. 

"The Magian Society's website says that he's the Vice President of the Magian Society."  

Then he added this.  

"The purpose of the Magian Society, as I recall, was to protect the human rights of 
magicians?"  

"It said that it was intended for Magian rights, not magicians"  

"If you have confirmed it yourself, Milady....... So, what is a Magian?"  

Ryousuke asked for an explanation about "Magian", a word he wasn't familiar with. He 
could have just looked through the Society's website, but Rena answered the question 
without a trace of annoyance.  

"It was described as a broad concept that refers to magicians as a race in general, 
including not only magicians, but also those with an innate magical disposition who 
have not reached that same level."   

"I understand. Since it's true that even if you don't have a magician license, there are 
 49 

various restrictions imposed on you just for possessing the gift of magic......."  

"Yes. That is a splendid aspiration. To be honest, though, I'm surprised that Dr. 
Chandrasekhar, the developer of a strategic-class magic and one who has made 
magicians into the very weapon they are today, had such an idea in mind."  

The purpose of FEHR, which is organized by Rena, is also to protect holders of the gift of 
magic. The name FEHR stands for 'Fighters for the Evolution of the Human Race'. FEHR 
considers magic to be a gift that humans have acquired through evolution, and FEHR is 
an organization that protects holders of the gift of magic, the evolved species of 
humans, from discrimination and oppression. It is a legitimate organization for now, 
but its members are willing to use illegal and violent means to achieve their goals. 
Contrary to the leader's reputation as a "saint" the FEHR is a group of such individuals 
with radical ideas.   

From the standpoint of Rena and the other members of the FEHR, a military magic 
researcher like Chandrasekhar, who does not take the brunt of the battle, but 
incorporates magicians into a strategic magic system and turns them into weapons, 
looks like an enemy who turns her friends into tools, even if she possesses the gift of 
magic. No, even if a military magic researcher has the gift of magic, he or she is a traitor 
to them. 

"Aside from the doctor's past deeds, we should respect the right ideology and the right 
concepts. In our association, I would like to refer to holders of the gift of magic as 
Magians from now on."  

"I think it's good. It's simple, and I think it's appropriate for a new category to have a 
new name."  

Ryousuke was quick to express his support for Rena's idea. It's not just him, but most of 
the things that Rena says she wants to do in FEHR are employed as is. A "charismatic 
person" and "dictator" are almost synonymous from the outside, and if the 
characteristics are written down, they match on many aspects.  

The difference is that a charismatic person, who is not a dictator, would feel 
uncomfortable with the unconditional affirmation in person. Rena hid her confusion 
with an uncomfortable cough at Ryousuke's reaction, who didn't show the slightest bit 
of thought to her proposal.  
 50 

"If the Magian Society is the organization as it has been announced, there will be no 
conflict of interest with us, the FEHR. Even if the IPU is behind it, with the pretense of 
excluding any state influence, it will take a reasonable amount of time for the 
organization to gain any substantial influence."  

That comes from her own, first-hand experience with the FEHR, which was born in 
December of 2095 as a mutual aid organization for magicians to defend their rights 
against radicalized humanism. It has been in existence for five years now, but last year, 
after three full years, it finally gained some legal voice in the northern part of the USNA. 
But that's still at the city government level, and it hasn't even been able to influence the 
state government, let alone the federal government.  

"The problem is rather with the Magian Company. Since Mr. Shiba Tatsuya has the 
substantial power to move the world"  

To Rena, Tatsuya is a figure of mixed reputation on both sides of the spectrum. 

On the negative side, he has shown himself that magicians can be a powerful military 
force, a powerful weapon, and has stimulated the state's possessiveness and desire to 
own magicians as tools.  

On the positive side, the development of the Stellar Furnace technology provided the 
basis for magicians to become not only soldiers to be cultivated by the government, but 
also to become financially independent of the state.   

With both huge achievements, what is Tatsuya going to do in the future, and what kind 
of future will it bring as a result? Will it be beneficial or harmful to them? Rena couldn't 
even guess, let alone judge it.  

"What on earth is he trying to do......, Ryousuke, could you please go and investigate?"  

At Rena's request, Ryousuke tilted his head lightly. 

"Me? I won't object if it' s Milady's order, but my powers aren't suited for investigation, 
are they?" 

There was no humility in Ryousuke's line; it was simply a fact. He's not very good at 
magic, except for one particular type. And that magic was something that had no use 
except in a direct combat. This magic was suitable for the kind of battle where he could 
charge alone into the enemy's forces, and it wasn't a combat skill that could be applied 
 51 

to espionage, such as spotting, sharpshooting, or disarming traps, either.  

"Yes, I do know what Ryousuke' specialty is." 

Rena acknowledged Ryousuke's argument at once and immediately continued to speak. 

"I want Ryousuke to become an employee of Magian Company." 

"......An undercover operation?" 

Rena nodded at Ryousuke's question, who couldn't hide his surprise. Not only her 
outward appearance, but also her gestures are very much like a young maiden. Perhaps 
she herself is unconsciously matching her gestures to her appearance.  

"Since Ryousuke is Japanese, it should be easier for you to get employed than us 
Americans."  

Rena was born and raised in the former Canadian territory, but she identified herself as 
an "American". Other former Canadians and Mexicans do so in the same way.  

"Is the Magian Company looking for employees ......?" 

Ryousuke points out the fundamental underlying uncertainty in the order.  

"That I don't know" 

Rena readily admitted the flaw in the plan.  

"For now, why don't you fly to Japan and give it a try?" 

she then gave what appeared to be a reckless order with no signs of being particularly 
ashamed. 

"I understand. I'll try my best." 

And Ryousuke simply agreed as if it was only natural to do so. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

It's not just conspiracies that are progressing. The constructive improvement of the 
organization was also making steady progress.  

Magian Company's headquarters was in a building next to the FLT' s Third Research 
 52 

Division in Machida, but as of the 27th, it had only just been set up with the general 
information equipment. The number of permanent staff members has not yet been 
determined, and only two desks have been brought in. The exterior appearance of the 
new office will be ready by the end of this week, but for now, the company's paperwork 
is being handled at Miyakijima. The private room reserved for the president's office of 
Stellar Generator Inc. is the de facto temporary headquarters of the Magian Company.   

Even though it’s a weekday, Tatsuya is not at the university, but at this temporary 
headquarters. It was fourteen o'clock. The Company's first employee was to arrive soon 
from the Yotsuba main house.  

(It's about time.) 

Just as Tatsuya was thinking about this, the visitor's sign went on the console on his 
desk. There is no receptionist in this building. No, almost no building has a receptionist 
these days. Instead, the personal information that visitors disclose on their own accord 
is displayed on the terminal of the person they visit. 

The name displayed on the desk's terminal was exactly the same as the one Tatsuya had 
been waiting for. After confirming this, he operates the console and gives permission to 
enter the building.  

At the same time, the image from the building's camera was projected on a monitor on 
the wall. On the monitor, a figure dressed in a ladies' suit walked through the opened 
gate and followed the arrows displayed on the floor. She must have turned thirty last 
year, but her dashing figure hadn't changed since he first met her.  

She wasn't someone who needed to be monitored, but he watched her on the monitors, 
until she was standing in front of this room.   

Instead of knocking, she rang the doorbell.  

Tatsuya unlocked the door and stood up. 

The door opened and she entered the room. 

"Good afternoon." 

"Good afternoon, Fujibayashi-san."  

The visitor──the first employee ──is a former member of the Independent Magic 
 53 

Equipped Battalion Kyouko Fujibayashi.  

"Tatsuya-kun, no, Shiba-san, or should I call you Executive Director Shiba?"  

The question comes from the fact that Tatsuya is the Executive Director of the Magian 
Company and is going to assume the presidency of Stellar Generator.  

"Since Fujibayashi-san will be joining the Magian Company, I would prefer that you use 
Executive Director in a formal situation."  

"I understand, Executive Director Shiba. I'll be at your service from today onwards. I 
look forward to working with you."  

"You're welcome. I am feeling very relieved that Fujibayashi-san is here. And, as you 
might expect, please refrain from using 'Tatsuya-kun' anymore. However, as long as it's 
not in public, you can speak with a more relaxed tone."   

"I understand. If it's okay with you, executive director, I will do that."   

"Yes, that's fine." 

Fujibayashi gave him a friendly smile and Tatsuya responded with a calm expression.   

Tatsuya offered Fujibayashi a seat on the sofa with a hand gesture.  

Tatsuya and Fujibayashi sat down on the sofa facing each other with the low table 
between them.  

A non-humanoid robot, in the form of a self-propelled wagon with a robotic arm, brings 
drinks for the two of them and places them on the table. 

They both lifted their cups at the same time and returned them to the table with a slight 
difference in time.  

"......That said, I didn't expect Aunt to let go of Fujibayashi-san... You haven't finished 
replicating Hliðskjálf yet, have you?"  

Hliðskjálf is an ultra-high-performance hacking tool that the head of the Yotsuba 

Family, Yotsuba Maya, had obtained by happenstance and made use of. It was capable 
of accessing almost any online data.  

It is now known that it was sent to the target under the guise of an accidental transfer 
 54 

by Edward Clarke, whom Tatsuya had buried three summers ago. The Hliðskjálf had 
ceased to function with Edward Clark's death.  

"The project was cancelled. The Echelon III's backdoor was blocked." 

Fujibayashi answered Tatsuya's question with a wry smile.  

"I think Fujibayashi-san can hack Echelon III, though." 

"I can do it. But your Toushou-sama doesn't want me to hack it, does she?" 

"Indeed." 

"Inevitably, you'd need a system as large as Echelon III to give anyone free access to all 
the data in the world. But it's too expensive to build something like that. It's not worth 
it." 

Fujibayashi lightly shrugged her shoulders. 

Tatsuya nodded with a profound understanding.  

The Yotsuba family has no ambition to rule the world. They don't need the ability to 
access all the information in the world, only the information they need when they need 
it. There is rarely a real threat that is completely unpredictable.  

"How is your main task going?"  

"Oh, the executive director is going to make time for that, right?"  

"......Yeah, I guess so." 

When Fujibayashi replied in a condescending manner, Tatsuya smiled bitterly. 

Fujibayashi's "main task" is the research topic given to her by Maya: "The Elucidation of 
the Essence of Information Networks". This is not a research about electronic 
information networks, but an attempt to understand the true nature of the network of 
the information itself.  

Magic is the ability to rewrite the original information of an event with false 
information. There is, of course, a process of transmitting information. The magician 
interferes in the information network of all things without being aware of it. 
 55 

Revealing the nature of the information network is a stepping stone to uncover the true 
nature of magic. At least that's what Maya thought as she ordered Fujibayashi to do the 
research. Tatsuya agreed with her opinion. Although it wasn't directly related to the 
Magian Company's business, he couldn't resist cooperating with the research.   

"We'll have as much of the hardware you need as possible, so don't hesitate to request 
it. We're probably better funded than we were in the 101st Brigade." 

Tatsuya not only nodded in response to Fujibayashi's question, he added 

"Thanks. I'll let you know in case." 

Fujibayashi smiled. 

Many large corporations are participating in the Stellar Reactor Plant project. Not only 
that, but the USNA is also covertly funding it. It wasn't hard for Fujibayashi to imagine 
that they could be expecting a more generous budget for equipment that wasn't 
directly related to combat. Even more than what the Defense Force units were sharing, 
or perhaps even fighting for, with their limited budget, even in quasi-war times.  

"So, about Fujibayashi-san's work conditions."  

Tatsuya changed his tone and Fujibayashi corrected her posture.  

"I've prepared a written document here."  

Tatsuya placed a paper document on the low table instead of an electronic one. 

Fujibayashi took it and looked it over carefully. 

"......the remuneration is enough."  

As the same as her words, Fujibayashi's expression didn't have a shred of dissatisfaction 
on her face as she nodded her head lightly.  

"Is Miyakijima the work location?" 

"Yes. The company housing will be provided here. You can fly on a small VTOL from the 
headquarters in Machida every day on time, so you can commute to work......, but the 
commute may be a bit hard on you physically." 
 56 

Fujibayashi gets a thoughtful look on her face with Tatsuya's answer.   

"......How many round trips is that VTOL scheduled to make per day?"  

"It won't be a round trip, but there will be simultaneous flights from Machida and 
Miyakijima. We have four flights scheduled, departing from 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 
p.m. and 5:00 p.m."  

"How is it during the holidays?"  

"It's the same for the holidays." 

Fujibayashi closed her eyes and nodded slightly. It was more like a gesture she made to 
herself in response to the question in her mind rather than to Tatsuya.  

"......I'll be happy to rent the company housing." 

"Then on those terms. You can move into company housing today, would you like to see 
the apartment?" 

"Yes, by all means" 

Tatsuya nodded and stood up. 

While standing, he operated the desk console.  

[Yes, Tatsuya-sama] 

A young man's voice returned from the desktop speaker. Fujibayashi wondered from the 
voice, was he about the same age as herself? 

"Hyougo-san, please show the company housing to Fujibayashi-san"   

From the name Tatsuya had mentioned, Fujibayashi knew who was in the intercom.  

She had worked as a researcher for the main Yotsuba family since leaving the Defense 
Force three years ago in the fall of that year. She knows the main servants of the 
Yotsuba family in general, and also knows the names of some of the more important 
non-resident servants of the main family.  

Fujibayashi thought to herself that Hyougo was probably Hanabishi Hyougo, the son of 
 57 

the butler Hanabishi, who was in charge of the main family's private army group.  

"As you wish. I'll be right over" 

She knew his name, but she had never met him. She wondered without any particular 
depth to what kind of person he was.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Fujibayashi's company housing is not in the eastern coastal area where the plant is 
located, but in a building on the west bank where the Yotsuba family's facilities are 
concentrated. It is not an apartment building where Tatsuya's secondary residence is, 
but an apartment in the staff building next to it.  

Although it was for the staff, it did not mean that the building and the interior were 
cheap. The room introduced to her seemed comfortable enough to live in, even judging 
by Fujibayashi's sense of style.  

"It suits your tastes, Fujibayashi-sama?"  

Fujibayashi looks back behind her, where the voice came from.  

Hyougo, who kept his distance so as not to bother her, was perfectly polite in his tone 
and manner. However, Fujibayashi had a gut feeling that Hyougo was "not as a 
gentleman" as he appeared to be. 

"──I have no complaints at all. In fact, I'm rather grateful that I'm allowed to rent such 
a good room"  

Of course, Fujibayashi wasn't so innocent as to show it in her attitude. She made an 
honest expression, typical of a former military man, and answered Hyougo's question.  

"And would you please stop with the 'sama'? You and I are equal in that we are 
Executive Director Shiba's subordinates. It's uncomfortable to be called by 'sama'."  

"Equal, you mean. Yes, I suppose."  

Hyougo nodded meaningfully only once, and immediately put on a modest and sincere 
looking professional smile.  

"Let's try to work together in order to help Tatsuya-sama."  

 58 

With the same smile, Hyougo returns to Fujibayashi with words that on the surface 
could be interpreted as encouragement.  

"Ye, yeah."  

A chill ran down Fujibayashi's spine that she didn't quite know what it was. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

By the time Fujibayashi returned to the temporary president's office from checking out 
the company housing, it was past three o'clock in the afternoon. 

As Fujibayashi opened the door, which the permission to enter sign was lit, Tatsuya said 
to her from behind the desk, "Fujibayashi-san, you're just in time"  

Of course, with that much information, it was impossible to know what he was talking 
about. Fujibayashi couldn't help but pause as she stepped into the room. 

"Please, have a seat." 

"Yes......" 

Unable to understand the current situation, Fujibayashi followed Tatsuya's lead and sat 
down on the same couch as before.  

"We were just in the middle of a transmission. Since I think this fellow would want to 
talk to Fujibayashi-san, too."   

As he said this, Tatsuya operated the desk console. 

On the wall display there was a waist shot (an image that went from around his waist to 
the tip of his head) of a young man being shown. 

"Minoru-kun!" 

Recognizing who it was, Fujibayashi unconsciously shouted.  

Kudou Minoru, the youngest member of the former Ten Master Clans Kudou family and 
Fujibayashi's cousin. It is said that he became a demon or parasite in order to save a 
girl, and was exterminated by Tatsuya.  
 59 

[Kyouko-nee-san, it's been a while. We have not contact each other in a while]  

Fujibayashi was Minoru's cousin, but Minoru had always called her "Kyouko-nee-san".   

"You're alive...... I'm so glad."  

A sob seems to escape from Fujibayashi's mouth.  

[You say it that you're glad....... Thank you]  

The fact that both of Minoru's eyes seemed to be moistening was probably not a fruit of 
the imagination.  

"Where are you now?"   

It was a natural progression for Fujibayashi to raise this question.  

Only a handful of people in the Yotsuba family knew about the handling of Minoru's 
case. Although Fujibayashi was under Maya's direct supervision in the Yotsuba family, 
she was not included in this "handful".  

[That is.....]  

Minoru hesitated, because he knew his position.  

"Minoru is in space right now."   

Tatsuya replied to Fujibayashi's question in place of Minoru, who hesitated to answer.   

"Space?"   

Before she knew it, Fujibayashi gave Tatsuya, who was sitting across from her, a glare 
signaling that she demanded an explanation.  

"Minoru lives on a space station in a retrograde orbit at an altitude of about 6,400 

kilometers."  

"A space station? A manned space station isn't supposed to be in operation for more 
than half a century, is it?"  

"Today isn't like that all over the world, you know."   

As Tatsuya said, when the global cooling conditions started to take hold, the 
 60 

superpowers at that time could no longer afford to operate a manned space station.  

Originally, the manned space station was meant to be a scientific experiment. It could 
be used as an experimental plant in the weightlessness of space, or as a prototype 
platform for sending exploration vessels to the outer planets, such as Mars and Venus.   

For practical purposes, unmanned satellites were sufficient, and even for military 
purposes, there was no need for a crew. Satellites intended for long stays of more than 
a month ──needless to say, the Space Station is a type of satellite── had been out of 
existence for more than half a century, with the last time the USA, now USNA, launched 
an anti-ground attack missile platform in the 2040s that ended in failure. 

In other words, "Takachiko", where Minoru lives, was the first space station sent into 
satellite orbit in half a century, and is now the only "man-made object capable of 
long-term stays in space" that is actually in operation.  

"Why...... no, that's right."   

Fujibayashi was about to ask why Minoru was there, but she bottled up the question.  

Fujibayashi knew very well that there was no place for Minoru in this country.   

"But still, Executive Director. You've successfully launched a space station that is 
habitable, haven't you?" 

Fujibayashi didn't even ask if it was Tatsuya who had launched the space station. She 
had unconsciously concluded that no one but Tatsuya could have built and operated 
such a thing.  

"I didn't launch it"   

"Eh? Then how…?"  

"We'll talk about that later. Since we have a limited amount of time to communicate 
simultaneously, wouldn't it be better to talk to Minoru now?"  

With a taken aback expression, Fujibayashi turned to the wall display. 

Minoru, who had been left alone there, was smiling bitterly.   

"I-, I'm sorry, Minoru-kun. Well... How are you doing?"  

 61 

[Yeah. Thanks to the help I've received, ......is a little weird, but I'm not as sick as I used 
to be]  

"Right......."  

Fujibayashi's feelings were mixed. She felt a deep sense of compassion for Minoru's 
weak constitution, and it was almost as painful for her as if it had happened to herself, 
to see him lying on the bed, looking so lonely. Seeing the now healthy Minoru on her 
front, she felt that she couldn't deny the foolish act of unconditionally throwing away 
his own humanity and becoming a parasite.  

However, his foolishness brought upon the tragedy that was his grandfather's murder. 
Minoru himself must have been deeply hurt because of it, and he was forced to leave 
Japan and had nowhere to stay.  

"Well…. How are you living?"  

[It's comfortable. There's plenty of water, air, and electricity, and we have an artificial 
relic that generates 1 G of gravity. Sometimes it's so hard to tell if I'm in space or on 
ground]  

"But you're on the space station. Isn't it too cramped?"  

[No, there's enough room that even the two of us can't use it all up] 

Without any seeming inconvenience, Fujibayashi noticed one strange detail that was 
not quite right.   

"......Two of us?"  

At Fujibayashi's quizzical muttering, Minoru grimaced with embarrassment.  

[Actually, I'm living with my girlfriend]  

"Girlfriend! 'Girlfriend', like in ​girlfriend!​ ?"  

Minoru understood exactly that Fujibayashi was saying the word "girlfriend" in different 
tones, as if she could not understand what he really said.  

[Well, yeah]  
 62 

"Who is this girl? Is it a girl I know!?"  

[Yes, Kyouko-nee-san, I think you remember her. ──Minami-san]  

The Minoru on the screen turns sideways and beckons someone. 

A girl who seemed even more embarrassed than Minoru was, appears in the frame of 
the camera. 

For some reason she was wearing a dark blue one-piece dress and a white apron, or to 
put it simply, a maid's uniform.  

[She's my, well, partner]  

Minoru innocently blushes at the mention of "partner".  

She's Sakurai Minami, the former Yotsuba family's, or rather, Miyuki's maid and her 
potential guardian. She is the girl that Minoru went so far as to abandon his humanity in 
order to save. And now she is a parasite just like Minoru.  

Minami's face on the screen is even more flushed than Minoru's.  

[I'm Sakurai Minami. It's been a while since we met.......]  

It was obvious even from the display that she was doing her best to bow as she said 
that.  

"Ye-, yeah. Long time no see."  

Fujibayashi is so shaken up, all she can do is reply to Minami. 

"......are you two living together as a couple?"  

Probably she didn't have a moment to choose her words. Fujibayashi threw a too 
straightforward question to Minoru. 

[It's not like we are living like that!​]  

 63 

 
 64 

“............” 

Mi​noru is panicking and Minami is looking down, unable to say a word. It's hard to 
believe that they'll turn 20 years old this year, but they've been asleep for three years 
and their appearance hasn't changed since then. It's not so strange to think of it as the 
reaction of a seventeen-year-old. It's still just an innocent reaction. 

[We are roommates, roommates! Because we still have separate bedrooms!]  

"Still......?" 

Fujibayashi, thirty years old, unmarried, with no boyfriend, points a glare towards 
Minoru.  

"Eh, no, that ......." 

Minoru, looked pitiable and felt like he was about to break out in a cold sweat, or even 
confess, at any moment. 

"Why don't you and Minami get married already?"  

Then Tatsuya fired a covering shot. For Minoru, it was not different from chasing a 
fleeing enemy. 

As far as Minami was concerned, at least, she seemed to have stopped blushing, she was 
looking down and not moving an inch.   

[......huh, shouldn't Tatsuya-san be the first to get married?] 

For Minoru, it was probably the best possible counterattack he could muster.  

"We're going to have a ceremony after Miyuki graduates from college." 

To Tatsuya, however, no damage was done. 

"Minoru shouldn't have any reason to wait for the right time, though. We can take care 
of the arrangements here for the ceremony, when it comes."   

[......Please have mercy on me]  

Minoru raised the white flag, although it seemed a little too weak.  
 65 

  

After Fujibayashi left the room to prepare for her moving to the new apartment, Tatsuya 
and Minoru faced each other through the screen again.  

"Minoru, let's continue what we were talking about earlier" 

[Yes. The conclusion is that it's going to be difficult to change the altitude of Takachiko. 
Once it loses altitude, it is difficult to return to its original course]  

"It's not impossible, is it?" 

[I can't do it by myself, even if I were to join forces with Minami-san, it wouldn't be 
sufficient. I think we'll need at least two more people with magical powers that are 
equivalent to Miyuki-san's]  

Tatsuya and Minoru were talking about whether Takachiko could be used as a true 
spacecraft rather than just a space station. They were considering whether Takachiko 
could not only orbit a predetermined orbit, but also fly freely over the Earth. 

Takachiko is equipped with a movement system that utilizes the Earth's gravitational 
force, just like the Aircar. In theory, Takachiko should have been able to stand 
stationary, accelerate, and change direction as desired if it was in a satellite's orbit 
where the Earth's gravity was acting on it. However, in practice, the defining force of 
the information that "a satellites orbit is the same orbit without thrust unless the 
gravity of an object other than their home star acts on them" is so strong that so far 
they have only been able to change their orbits to what is perceived to be the realm of 
error.  

"Right........ Then how about movement over the same altitude?" 

Minoru admitted that it is difficult to change the altitude. He didn't deny that it is 
difficult to move horizontally, or between coordinates at the same altitude. 

In response to Tatsuya's question, Minoru gave a wicked smile, as if to say, "Did you 
notice? 

[Temporary orbit change is possible]  

"As long as the condition of returning to the original trajectory is included, I guess that 
 66 

it should be possible."   

[Yes. I've done some rough calculations and I think it's possible to move within 30 
degrees in each direction, north and south] 

"Takachiko's orbital inclination is 30 degrees. If it' s possible to travel to the equator at 
any time....... You have constant coverage except for the North and South Poles."  

[Yeah, probably]  

After a few seconds in a contemplative stance, Tatsuya gave a small nod.  

"Alright. I will put together an activation formula in that direction. It might take a bit of 
time, but once it's finished, we' ll give it a try." 

[Ok, I'll leave it to you]  

As Minoru appeared to become confident, he smiled and expressed his feelings of 
anticipation.   

[If all goes well, it will be possible to smuggle in anywhere in the world]  

The usage of a Casting Assistant Device is the most common way to activate modern 
magic, but a CAD is not the only auxiliary device available. There is also the Engraved 
type Magic Auxiliary, which is also given the name Engraved Magic Circles, which 
consists of a Magic Sequence that is geometrically patterned and carved into a 
susceptible alloy, and then psions are poured into it to activate the magic. While the 
amount of labor required to create a geometric pattern with a large amount of 
information is huge, only one type of magic can be activated with a engraved magic 
circle. However, the fact that you can issue a Magic Sequence just by pouring a psion on 
it is a big advantage. This is the reason why until this day, engraved magic circles are 
still used to strengthen the structure of buildings.  

In the southwestern part of Miyakijima, there is a large scale engraved magic circle, 200 
meters in diameter, hidden thirty centimeters underground. The engraved magic 
sequence is Mock Teleportation.  

Although in a smaller scale, Takachiko's hull is also engraved with a Mock Teleportation 
magic circle. 

Takachiko and Miyakijima were connected by the Mock Teleportation 'Virtual Satellite 
 67 

Elevator' using the magic circle engraved on each one, and although there was a limit 
to how long Takachiko could be in sight of Miyakijima, this virtual satellite elevator 
allowed Takachiko to be able to access as many supplies as needed.  

If the case is of an object as massive as a human, it's possible for it to travel back and 
forth on the Virtual Satellite Elevator with just Takachiko's imprinted magic circle, even 
if there's no imprinted magic circle on the ground side. And it is not even necessary for 
Takachiko to be directly above the destination. Just being in line of sight is sufficient.  

If Takachiko's horizontal travel experiment is successful, as Minoru said, it will be 

possible to travel to anywhere in the world through Takachiko. Since Mock 
Teleportation cannot go through walls, it will not be possible to move while inside 
Takachiko, just outside it. So, preparation for the vacuum is necessary, but since Mock 
Teleportation's magic originally involves encasing and moving an object in a cocoon of 
air, this problem can be solved by fixing it around yourself with magic.  

It is possible to move anywhere in the world. At the same time, it is possible to escape 
from anywhere in the world as long as you are not trapped underground o​r in a 
building.  

 
 
 68 

Chapter 3 
[Campus Life] 

Tatsuya is a student at Magic University. Although it can no longer be said that it is his 
principal occupation, Tatsuya has no intention of dropping out of university even 
though he has been appointed as the vice president of an Non-Governmental 
Organization, the executive director of a general incorporated association, and the 
president of a newly established company.  

Two days after the establishment of Magian Company, Tatsuya managed to return to 
school for the first time in about a week. During the morning he managed to make up 
for the week's delay by bowing to his professor who had been unreasonable with him, 
submittin​g all the reports for assignments that were not allowed to be submitted online 
from outside the university, and downloading new assignments.   

It was past noon. The campus was crowded with students. There were about 3,000 
students enrolled in this university. Even though it wasn't too crowded to the point of 
overfilling, on the current degree it was difficult to find a place where there were no 
people. Tatsuya walked through such a crowd to the place where he and Miyuki and 
Lina were going to meet.  

On the way, he encountered a group with a high ratio of female students. At the center 
of the group is Ichijou Masaki. Unlike Tatsuya, he seems to be enjoying his university life 
to the fullest. ──However, there is a difference of opinions as to which life is more 
fulfilling, Tatsuya, who has an impeccable fiancée named Miyuki, or Masaki, who is 
surrounded by a large number of persons of the opposite sex, but does not have a 
specific lover. Probably both of them would agree that Tatsuya's life is more fulfilling.  

Masaki also noticed Tatsuya. But they didn't speak to each other. Just a quick raise of 
their hands to each other as a sign that they weren't ignoring each other. Masaki 
probably knew that Tatsuya was going to meet up with Miyuki. But he wouldn't act like 
he couldn't read the atmosphere, like slipping away from the group he was in by 
himself. 

However, not everyone who reads the atmosphere follows it blindly.   

 69 

"Oh my, Tatsuya-san." 

At least she didn't. 

While passing through an intersection, Tatsuya was approached by a familiar voice from 
the side.  

"Ayako." 

Kuroba Ayako. She was also enrolled in Magic University along with her twin brother, 
Fumiya. 

"Somehow, it's been a long time since I've seen you. Even though we are neighbors." 

Ayako and Fumiya live in a mid-rise apartment building one block away from the 
Yotsuba Tokyo Headquarters where Tatsuya, Miyuki and Lina live. As a matter of fact, 
that building is also owned by the Yotsuba family. It was bought and remodeled as a 
sub-headquarters in case the Tokyo Headquarters building was rendered unusable for 
some reason.  

Because it's so close, it's easy to get from one place to another in case something 
happens. But in terms of risk distribution, it should be located farther away. Perhaps the 
fact that the Yotsuba's priority is convenience over risk is a sign of their 
overconfidence.  

When Ayako said "neighbors," there was a murmur in the background. She had a large 
group of male students in tow, in stark contrast to Masaki.  

"Right. We live near each other, but we don't get a chance to see each other as much as 
we might think." 

Tatsuya casually emphasizes the fact that they don't meet often. His aim is to mitigate 
the jealousy of the group of boys following Ayako. She is the reigning "princess" of the 
group, whose members are mainly in the same year as her.  

Kasumi and Izumi, like Ayako, are a year below Tatsuya, both of which are well loved by 
the people of the same sex. Though, Ayako is a step ahead of the "Saegusa twins" in 
terms of popularity among the opposite sex.  

To be honest, Kasumi and Izumi have not changed much since their high school days. 
 70 

Kasumi and Izumi have not really changed their impression much since their high 
school days. The only changes they've made are that they now wear makeup without 
cutting corners, and they've stopped wearing ribbons to tie their hair up.  

On the other hand, Ayako has changed her hair into a medium layer and her make-up 
and clothes have been changed for a more mature look, which gives her a more devilish 
impression. In regards to which one is more stylish, objectively speaking, Ayako would 
be the winner without a doubt. 

"Tatsuya-san, you're going to lunch now, aren't you? May I join you?" 

Ayako comes right beside Tatsuya, putting on a coquettish act. 

Tatsuya wasn't fazed by this degree of agitation. And Ayako also knows that, as she is 
not playing with Tatsuya, but with the boys in her circle. She is a true little devil, a true 
evil woman.  

"I don't mind, but ......." 

Saying that, Tatsuya turns his attention to the boys Ayako has with her.  

Ayako says "Oh!" as she nodded modestly, turned back to them and bowed with a 
slightly pretentious gesture.  

"I'm sorry, everyone. I'll be having lunch with my cousin today." 

The relationship between Tatsuya and Ayako is that of a second cousin, though Ayako 
often refers to Tatsuya as her cousin. Whether it's a bother or not; when Tatsuya 
introduces Ayako or Fumiya, he refers to them as his younger second cousin. 

This isn't something Tatsuya and the others chose to do on their own. Ever since 
Fumiya and Ayako became college students, the Yotsuba have stopped hiding the fact 
that they are magicians of their family. Maybe the reason why there are so many boys 
around her is not only due to Ayako's beauty, but also because they have interests in 
making a connection with the Yotsuba family.  

Some of Ayako's followers raised complaints. But no one complained outright, nor did 
any of the boys challenge Tatsuya, which was not surprising considering they were 
hoping for a good relationship with the Yotsuba family.  

Well, even without such an ulterior motive, no one would have had the courage to 
 71 

stand up to Tatsuya. He was avoided by his fellow Magic University students, except for 
his acquaintances from high school. The summer of three years ago, when he had 
struck a challenge to the world, was still fresh in the memories of those who were 
involved with magic.  

──4th of August, 2097. It was on that day that Miyakijima, the newest island in the Izu 
archipelago, was attacked by rebel forces from the USNA and the New Soviet Union. 

'I want a peaceful coexistence with magicians and non-magicians alike. But if it's 
necessary to use force for self-defense, I will not hesitate to do so' 

Tatsuya sent a message to the world via satellite global network after repelling both 
invading armies, together with the elite of the Yotsuba family. Showing that he had the 
power to back that up── 

"Shall we go, Tatsuya-san?"  

Ayako smoothly twined her own right arm around Tatsuya's left arm. There were 
suppressed screams and hushed moans from her followers. But Ayako didn't look back. 
She urged Tatsuya to move on, acting like she didn't have a lot of male friends.  

  

There were three female students waiting for Tatsuya at the appointed meeting place in 
the food court. No, there were three of them around the table, but technically, only two 
of them were waiting for Tatsuya.  

Needless to say, it was Miyuki and Lina who were waiting for him. As soon as she 
recognized them, Ayako untied her arm from Tatsuya's.  

The other girl at the table is Izumi. Kasumi is nowhere to be seen. Unlike their high 
school days, Izumi and Kasumi often act separately. Especially since the courses were 
separated in this school year, they've been almost always acting separately.  

"Oh my, Saegusa-san" 

"Well, If it isn't Kuroba-san" 

Ayako and Izumi were surprised at the unexpected appearance of each other's 
character in the scene. These two had been rivals ever since they clashed in the Nine 
 72 

Schools Competition of the year before last. 

Furthermore, their match was in Mirage Bat, of which Ayako was the winner. 

To Izumi, it was simply in regards to her defeat. 

To Ayako, it was a matter of just being one step away from being beaten in a 
competition in which she had the absolute advantage.   

They couldn't help but to be aware of each other. 

"I didn't expect Saegusa-san to be here" 

"I'm the one who didn't expect to see Kuroba-san here,"  

The table where Miyuki and Lina are sitting is for four people. There is only one empty 
chair.  

"Kuroba-san, thank you for bringing Shiba-senpai with you."  

"No, no. Saegusa-san, I'm the one who thanks you for keeping company to Miyuki-san."  

Ayako and Izumi's words are followed by the same sentence, which is omitted. That is to 
say ──You can go away now that you've finished your business──.  

Izumi doesn't get up from her seat, and Ayako looks coldly down at her.  
 73 

 
 74 

Miyuki and Lina avert their faces from those two. It's a blatant "I don't want to be 
involved" attitude. Or maybe it's just "do as you please".  

Neither Ayako nor Izumi seems to be bothered by such a cold treatment. Both of them 
must have their eyes only on their rivals at the moment.  

"......Kuroba-san, unfortunately, there's only a chair left open for one more person, 
right?"  

Izumi indicates the obvious facts in an overly polite manner.  

"Yes, so it would seem .........Does Saegusa-san wish to have dinner with Tatsuya-san?"  

In regards to that, Ayako's words were accompanied by a ridiculing tone and a cold 
look.   

"Wha-......!" 

Izumi was the first to break her outward composure. 

"A- And what problem does Kuroba-san have with that?" 

"Me? Of course, I wish I had the opportunity to join Tatsuya-san.” 

Ayako responds to Izumi with a relaxed smile.  

"......If that is the case, why don't you and Shiba-senpai take a seat together?" 

After regaining her composure by taking a short pause, Izumi shot back in a teasing 
tone.   

"That would be discourteous on my part. To dine alone with Tatsuya-san, disregarding 

Miyuki-sama, the next head of the Yotsuba family......"  

Ayako puts one hand on her cheek in a pompous manner. 

"As a member of the same Yotsuba clan, it would be a real honor for me to be able to sit 
with Miyuki-sama and Tatsuya-san. However, if Saegusa-san says that she wants to be 
with Tatsuya-san no matter what, I'll give it to you, okay?" 

"............!" 
 75 

Izumi's face is slightly flushed. Looking closely, it is possible to see her clenched hands 
trembling.   

I guess that means that it was the end of the match. 

"──Miyuki-senpai, please excuse me!" 

Izumi got up from her seat and walked away quickly before anyone could call her back.  

Miyuki returned her hips to the chair, and turned a mildly accusing gaze on Ayako. 

"......Ayako, you really can't get along with Izumi, can you?"  

Not only in his stare, but also in his dumbfounded voice, Tatsuya indirectly chastised 
Ayako. 

"It's not like I despise Saegusa-san. I consider her as a rival."  

Expressing an excuse in her expression, Ayako gave to Miyuki a bow that was not too 
deep. 

"I am sorry for causing a commotion. I've spoiled the atmosphere unnecessarily, so I 
too, will refrain from joining you for today."  

Ayako seemed to be reflecting on the fact that she had gone too far.  

"......I understand, Ayako-san, let's meet again another time."  

Miyuki didn't stop Ayako. Miyuki knew that sitting in the same place would only make 
Ayako feel a stronger sense of inferiority, or even guilt, towards Izumi.  

"Yes, by all means." 

Ayako smiled and bowed, then took her leave from Tatsuya and the others.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

After lunch, Tatsuya attended a seminar. Miyuki and Lina were also in the same seminar. 

Since Tatsuya has a lot of things to do other than being a university student, he knows 
that he cannot attend seminars as diligently as other students. Therefore, he chooses 
seminars that accommodate his schedule in various ways. One of the Yotsuba branch 
 76 

families, the next head of the Tsukuba family, Tsukuba Yuuka, was associated with this 
seminar room until last year. 

Professor Higashiyama Kazutoki7 is not a member of the Yotsuba family, but he has 
blood ties to the family. He is the grandson of their great-great-grandfather 
(grandfather of their grandfather). He is just sixty years old. And, while he hasn't made 
any spectacular achievements in the development of Strategic-Class Magics, he has 
been steadily building up his research achievements and is highly regarded 
internationally in the world of magic.  

The state of affairs that resulted on Tatsuya's, with his poor attendance, enrolment in 
the seminar is clearly due to his connections. In terms of funding, Prof. Higashiyama 
research was being backed by Toudou Aoba, the Yotsuba family and Tatsuya's private 
sponsor. ──For the record, Yuuka was not acting as an intermediary of Toudou. 
Toudou is not suiting things according to the Yotsuba family's convenience, but to 
Tatsuya's.  

Even though he is often absent, Tatsuya is not a bad student in the eyes of his professors 
because he submits reports and helps with the research. Today, Higashiyama has been 
talking to Tatsuya for more than an hour, leaving the other students behind. It has 
become a tradition in the Higashiyama Lab to listen to their discussions while the other 
students gave a wry smile.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Although Tatsuya is spending his time as a regular university student, once he gets back 
home, he has more things to do besides those important to his studies. Upon returning 
home, Tatsuya was greeted with an email from Hyougo and Fujibayashi, reporting the 
same thing from different aspects.  

Upon reading it, Tatsuya couldn't help but frown. 

"Tatsuya-sama, what is the matter? Is it bad news......?"  

Tatsuya's expression was so bitter that Miyuki knit her eyebrows as she asked. 

"It seems that the eldest daughter of the Saegusa family wishes for a job in the 
Company." 

7
​東山 知時
 77 

"Eh! Saegusa-senpai is?!" 

Miyuki's eyes widened at Tatsuya's answer, and she briskly put her hand over her 
mouth.  

 
 78 

Chapter 4 
[New Employee Interview] 

Not much has changed. 

April 29th. Tookami Ryousuke came back to Japan after 5 years, and this was his first 
impression after leaving the airport.  

It wasn't in a bad way. Tokyo looks as peaceful as it did five years ago.  

Looking at the country as a whole, it must have been exposed to the danger of invasion 
several times over the past five years. Just before he left for the United States, 
Yokohama, just outside Tokyo, was under attack by an armed guerrilla force. Even after 
that, Ryousuke had seen news of the invasion from the north.  

The USNA, where he lived for five years, was not invaded by any foreign countries, but 
there were revolts all over the country, and the territory of former Mexico was on the 
verge of civil war. The cause of the riots was racial, no, it was a conflict of species.  

It's the conflict between the Majority, who cannot use magic, and Magians, who can use 
it. At this point in time, "majority" does not yet mean "the majority of humanity, who 
cannot use magic," the term "Magian" is not commonly used, but the meaning is the 
same: the Majority's offensive against the Magians. There are not only legal and 
non-violent counter attacks against Magians, but also some violent resistance starting 
to come into view here and there.  

The streets of Tokyo, which Ryousuke hadn't seen in five years, showed no signs of 
invasion or riot. And it's hard for him to believe that this peace will last forever. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Miyuki and Lina are taking the same course at Magic University. Their practical classes 
are also on the same timetable.  

Every Thursday before noon is their free time.  

They were having a slightly early lunch at the cafeteria.  

 79 

The menu here has an unsatisfactory amount for the male students. Today, however, 
Tatsuya is absent from the university. Choosing the cafeteria is Miyuki and Lina's 
routine for the days when Tatsuya is away.  

Miyuki secures a table and Lina goes to get a tray for two. These roles are not set in 
stone, they take turns. Today it was Miyuki's turn to wait at the table.  

"Miyuki-senpai!" 

Miyuki, now alone, is approached by a joyful voice. 

"Izumi-chan." 

The owner of the voice is Izumi, who was forced to withdraw from the scene yesterday. 
Although Miyuki calls Ayako "Ayako-san", Izumi is called "Izumi-chan", as a strong 
request from the person in question. When they reunited in college, Miyuki tried to 
change her way to address her to "Izumi-san", but Izumi begged Miyuki to call her in 
the same way as she did in high school. 

So far, Izumi is the only university student that Miyuki uses "chan". In this sense Izumi 
thinks she has become Miyuki's special in a way. Maybe that was Izumi's intention.  

"Well, may I join you today? 

Her reserved tone is undoubtedly because of yesterday's event.  

"Yeah, it' s okay. Tatsuya-sama is off today, too."  

Miyuki smiled and nodded, and Izumi's expression brightened in a flash. 

"Yes, if you’ll excuse me."  

With a bouncy voice that seems to have a musical inflection at the end, Izumi bowed 
and set her bag onto the vacant seat.  

"Miyuki-senpai. Would you like me to go get your order?"  

"It's okay, I've asked Lina to."  

"I understand. Then I'll go get my own share." 

 80 

Without wasting any more time, Izumi quickly walked to the order counter.   

  

Miyuki and Lina sit around the same table every day. However, they don't always decide 
to eat alone. On days when Tatsuya is absent, it's not unusual for them to spend their 
lunchtime chatting with other female students. Rather, there are few days when it is 
just the two of them.  

Actually, it was not unusual for Izumi to join them. Izumi often talked to Miyuki as if she 
had won the lottery. Of course, she never forgets to hear when Lina brings up a subject.  

They talked so constantly that they seemed to have run out of things to talk about. 
Towards the end of lunch, Izumi brought up Tatsuya into the conversation.  

"Is Shiba-senpai working today?" 

"Tatsuya-sama is at the headquarters in Machida for interviews with a job applicant." 

"By Machida, you mean in the Magian Company, right?" 

Izumi was checking out Tatsuya's ──no, Miyuki's fiancé's information carefully. 

"What sort of person is coming for an interview today?"  

Izumi's question is answered by a quizzical look from Miyuki and Lina.  

"Wha-, what is it?"  

"Izumi, you don't know that?"  

Even so, Izumi had no idea what to expect.  

After Lina exchanged glances with Miyuki, Miyuki gave her consent to Lina with her 
eyes. 

"It's Mayumi who's coming for the Company interview today."  

"Onee-sama?!" 

It didn’t look like Izumi's surprise was an act.  

 81 

"......You really didn't know that?" 

"Well, my father was talking about that with Ane8....... But it was only three days ago. 
Even if it's my father, it's so early ......." 

Izumi corrected herself with "Onee-sama" to "Ane". 

"As expected of the head of the Saegusa family, he works fast."  

Miyuki said in an indifferent tone as if she was talking to herself. 

"......Um, aren't you angry?" 

Izumi fearfully asks Miyuki. 

"I'm not going to get mad at you, Izumi." 

Miyuki replied with a genuine smile. 

The fact that there was not a single strain of pretense in that smile instead made Izumi 
even more anxious. 

"Izumi. Didn't your father mention the reason when he spoke about it?"  

"The reason?" 

Izumi's consciousness was being pulled by Miyuki's true intentions, but she couldn't 
simply ignore it if asked.  

"Yes. The purpose of sending Mayumi to the Company." 

"......He said he wanted to know what Shiba-senpai was trying to do, though."  

After hearing Izumi's answer, Lina tilted her head. 

"Then why doesn't he ask the person in question directly? Besides, if it' s about the 
Company's purpose, then Tatsuya's side will announce it right away. Otherwise, there's 
no point in establishing a corporation. If it has a secret purpose, it's better to keep the 
organization a secret too. If he wanted to have an outward facade, then Tatsuya already 

8
​Here its is used "姉", which means "Older sister". 
 82 

has one. Doesn't the head of the Saegusa family not know that much?"   

Once again, Lina's arguments were all plausible. And Izumi felt the same way.  

"......I wonder if Mayumi knows about this." 

"My father's aim, you mean?"  

Lina silently nodded at Izumi's reflexive rejoinder.  

"I don't think my sister knows anything about this ......." 

Izumi's tone of voice is unsure. The relationship between parent and child in the 
Saegusa family is cold. Izumi is the one whom Koichi adores the most, but even she feels 
a wall between her and her father. To Izumi, it doesn't seem that her sister is 
cooperating with her father's secret plan.  

But on the other hand, they could not deny the possibility that the contrary was true. 
They ──Izumi and Kasumi, are not so much interested in the interests of the Saegusa 
family or the responsibilities of the Ten Master Clans. They are not willing to give up 
their privileged situation, but on the contrary, if the disadvantages outweigh the 
advantages, they could easily abandon their position as 'Saegusa Family's Daughters'.  

But their older sister is different. Izumi believes that it is not her brother Tomokazu, but 
her sister Mayumi who is most concerned with the "duties of the Ten Master Clans". 
Even if she doesn't want to work for her father, if it is a matter of Ten Master Clans duty, 
she might follow it. Izumi couldn't deny that possibility.  

"I'm curious. .......Miyuki, don't you think so?" 

"Yes. It's not that I doubt Saegusa-sempai, but......" 

Neither Lina nor Miyuki thought that Mayumi was planning to sabotage them. But they 
didn't feel reassured by the fact that they couldn't understand her purpose.  

"──Miyuki, do you want to go?"  

"What? Where?" 

"To the Company headquarters in Machida. The interview starts at two o'clock, so 
there's still plenty of time to get there. Miyuki is the chairman of the board of directors, 
 83 

and I'm on the board of directors as well, even if it's only in name, so it's not surprising 
that we would be in attendance."  

"What about the afternoon lecture?" 

"It won't matter to your evaluation if you miss one or more lectures. Even other people 
have missed lectures because of work."  

As Lina said, Magic University students, especially the children of the numbered families 
are often forced to miss lectures to help out with the work at home. The university 
understands that and doesn't complain about it unless it's too frequent. ──Yet 
Tatsuya's absences are so frequent and are overlooked.  

"But there's also an experiment this afternoon, you know?"  

"If you're worried about the report, why don't you get Tatsuya to help you?"  

"To make Tatsuya-sama go through that kind of trouble......"  

"Student reports aren't even a boring odd-job for Tatsuya. I don't think it's even a waste 
of time."  

"......You say that. I don't think you're telling me this, but you're not just trying to make 
things easier on yourself, are you?"  

"No, of course not." 

As Lina answered, she didn't stutter or bite down on her answer. 

But her face twitched for a moment, which Izumi as well as Miyuki didn't overlook.  

However, Miyuki did not press that issue.  

"──Sure enough, at this rate, I might not be able to pay attention to the class because 
I'm worried about it." 

To tell the truth, Miyuki was more concerned about it than Lina was. 

"Um, Miyuki-senpai. Your next lecture is in the auditorium, right? My next hour is free, 
leave it to me to take up the notes."  

Without a moment's delay, Izumi offered to help. In the Magic University, even if you 
 84 

don't register for a class, you won't be barred from it. It's just that if you don't attend a 
class, you won't gain credits. 

"What? It would be hard on you, wouldn't it? I couldn't let Izumi-chan do something like 
that."  

The usual level of classes at Magic University is not that easy to follow. It's questionable 
whether a sophomore like Izumi will be able to keep up with the lectures of a third 
year. 

"No, it's fine. It's my free time anyway." 

"Really......? You don't have to push yourself."  

"Yes." 

Miyuki did not hesitate any longer. She comprehended Izumi's feelings. ──Whether 
she accepted it or not. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

It didn't take Ryousuke long to look up at the public information about the Magian 
Company. While his first impression of Tokyo was that it hadn't changed in the last five 
years, there was a small but definite improvement in the information infrastructure.  

(But they are not offering jobs......)  

As he suspected, Magian Company was not recruiting any employees. The corporate 
body who made the official announcement, no, that Shiba Tatsuya and that Yotsuba 
family is involved in the establishment of this company. Ryousuke had expected that 
they would hire their family members for the organization even before he came back to 
Japan.  

(For now, Let's take a go at it....... nothing ventured, nothing gained!)  

Ryousuke motivated himself with some rough words in his mind and ordered the 
navigation AI on his portable terminal to search for a route to the Company's 
headquarters in Machida, which was registered in the Regional Legal Affairs Bureau.   

After moving from the nearest individual cabinet station to an unmanned taxi, 
Ryousuke arrived in front of the Magian Company's headquarters at around 1:50 p.m.  
 85 

After getting out of the unmanned taxi, Ryousuke was brought to a standstill in front of 
the building which the navigator indicated as the headquarters of the Magian Company. 
There was no signboard on the building. He didn't know which floor of this seven-story 
building was the Magian Company office, or whether the whole building belonged to 
the Magian Company at all.  

He doesn't have any appointments. Ryousuke intended to barge into the company's 
office unannounced. But, in this situation, he didn't know where to barge in. Even if he 
wanted to try on every office​, starting from the top floor, he didn't even know how to 
get in the building to begin with. 

If he was a seasoned salesman, he would have stepped into the entrance without 
hesitation. He might have even considered the police incident as a chance to make 
contact with the company's people ──strictly speaking, Magian Company is a 
non-profit organization, not a company. But Ryousuke wasn't seasoned, and not even a 
salesman. 

When it came to the rough stuff, Ryousuke had a certain experience with it. But he had 
dropped out of the university in which he was studying abroad, and the only part-time 
experience he had outside of FEHR activities was working as a janitor or a security 
guard, so Ryousuke didn't know what to do in a situation like this.  

(Hey, there's no point in thinking about it.) 

Anyway, let's enter the building. With that in mind, Ryousuke went to the automatic 
doors that separated the inside and outside of the building.  

Just then, a young woman passed him on his left and stood in front of the door. 

The automatic doors opened in both directions.  

The woman stopped under the optical sensor and turned to Ryousuke.  

She was about the same age as Ryousuke. She was small in stature, but she was a 
beautiful woman with feminine proportions. And, after seeing her face, Ryousuke 
recognized her.  

(......Without a doubt. It is Saegusa Mayumi of Ten Master Clans) 

From Ryousuke's high school days standpoint, as someone who has an actual level of 
 86 

magic skills but didn't enter a high school of magic, she is more than a mere object of 
admiration, as someone from the same generation──to be more specific, she was a 
year younger than him── he has mixed feelings about her. 

(Why is Saegusa's girl at a Yotsuba family affiliated company?) 

While thinking about this, Ryousuke 

"You're not going in?" 

did not immediately understand the meaning of what Mayumi had said to him. 

Mayumi tilted her head at Ryousuke, who was staring at her in silence, and turned her 
back on him, disinterested in getting any further involvement.  

That's when Ryousuke finally came to himself. 

"Ah, no, I'm going in!"  

Casting a hurried voice at Mayumi's back, he took a quick step and lined up beside 
Mayumi.  

"Um, you're Saegusa Mayumi, right?" 

And now Ryousuke speaks to her.  

"......Yeah. Indeed I am."  

Mayumi's caution was only natural. And Ryousuke was aware of it. 

"My name is Tookami Ryousuke. I was one grade above Saegusa-san but I am a failed 
magician who didn't make into a magic high school."  

"Tookami-san, is it?" 

Mayumi listens to Ryousuke's self-introduction with a "so what" expression on her face. 
But as soon as he mutters his surname, her expression suddenly changes as she realizes 
what's going on. 

Ryousuke could read from Mayumi's expression exactly what she had noticed.  

"As you may have guessed, my parents are former 'Toogami' Extras." 
 87 

The Extras are magicians who were developed at the national research institutes of 
'Magician Research and Development' that produced Ten Master Clans, but were 
dismissed because they couldn't meet the expected performance.  

The Magician Research and Development Institutes, which existed from the first to the 
tenth, gave their works a surname that included the number they bore. For example, 
Ichijou and Itsushiki for the first institute, Futatsugi and Nihei for the second institute, 
Mitsuya and Mikazuki for the third institute, and so on.  

Magicians who were expelled after being judged to be defective products were called 
"Extras" because they had their numbered surnames removed when they were expelled. 
A magician who has been dropped from the group of magicians whose surname 
includes are numbered is called a 'Extra'. Magicians excluded from the elite group are 
entitled as 'Extras'.  

It was customary for magicians who were labeled as defective to be assigned a surname 
that was similar in reading to their original surname. So, for example, like Ryousuke's, 
'Tookami'9, which fell from 'Toogami'10.  

Extras are a sort of taboo for Japanese magicians. They are living proof of the 
inhumanity of the Magician Research and Development Institutes, and, to the Ten 
Master Clans who reign over the Japanese magic community, they are proof of the sin 
of their own people's abandonment. Because they are inexplicably guilty entities, they 
are the targets of discrimination and avoidance, and their pedigree has led to a vicious 
cycle of increased guilt.   

Nowadays, the sense of discrimination against Extras has faded, and the feeling of guilt 
is usually buried deep into the subconscious. 

While the sense of guilt is hidden, it has not gone away.   

It is deeply rooted in the depths of the consciousness and rebounds back to the head at 
a moment's notice.  

"......Tookami-san, why did you come here?"  

The reason Mayumi couldn't ignore Ryousuke was because of the guilt she felt. Mayumi 
has a stronger awareness of the Extras problem than any other Ten Master Clans 
9
遠上
10
十神
 88 

magician. One of her high school classmates, Ichihara Suzune, who served as Mayumi's 
treasurer in the First High School Student Council, was also an Extra graduate.  

As mentioned earlier, the sense of discrimination against Extras has faded. Still, it hasn't 
been completely eliminated. The expulsion from the institute is not a story from their 
distant ancestors, but rather an event from the near past of Mayumi and others parents' 
generation.  

Because there are only a few of them who have been dropped, they have no way to fight 
back and restore their rights through the use of force by forming a faction. They have 
no choice but to hide in a corner of the world to avoid being exposed as Extras.  

Mayumi thought that Suzune's stance of not being assertive and taking a step back in 
everything she did, might not only be due to her natural disposition, but also due to the 
influence of her parents being Extras. 

Because of their friendship, Mayumi could not remain indifferent to Extras.  

"Are you affiliated with the Magian Company, Saegusa-san?"  

Ryousuke was at a loss as he didn't have a foothold in the Company, so he was clutching 
at straws. The rumor of the Saegusa family's antagonistic relationship with the Yotsuba 
family was so well known that even Ryousuke, who didn't have a Japanese Magician 
License, had heard it before. The possibility that the daughter of the Saegusa family was 
clearly related to the Magian Company, an organization affiliated with the Yotsuba 
family, was slim in his opinion.  

"No, I'd say I'm not involved yet......."  

"Yet?" 

"As a matter of fact, I'm about to have an interview."  

Ryousuke's prediction was correct. Mayumi was not a Company official at the moment. 
But it was the breakthrough he wanted. 

"Would you be willing to take me as well to the interview with you!"  

"What?!" 

"Please! I want to work here!"  

 89 

"Even if you say that....... I'm the one being interviewed so......."  

Ryousuke is aware that he is asking too much. But it's a foolhardy plan to infiltrate the 
Company from the start. However, if it was for their "saint", he'd have to pull it off no 
matter what. That's the duty of the FEHR members.  

"Please do something about it!"  

Mayumi was puzzled. As much as she wanted to do something about it, Mayumi had no 
control over the Company. Something impossible is impossible . 

But this time, the luck was with Ryousuke. 

"How can I help you?"  

A voice called from the building's entrance, Ryousuke and Mayumi turned to see two 
beautiful women, one with black hair and the other with blonde hair.  

Ryousuke gasps for breath at their otherworldly beauty. If it wasn't for the subject of his 
allegiance, the "saint" Rena Fehr, he might have become a victim not only on his 
consciousness but also on his soul. ──Both of the owners of the beauty made 
Ryousuke think so. It's no longer an exaggeration to say that this is the 'beauty''s 
violence.  

Their beauty didn't do any damage to Mayumi. It was partly because they were of the 
same sex, but more so because they were Mayumi's acquaintances. Still, she couldn't 
help but be struck by a sense of surprise.  

"Miyuki-san, Shields-san? Why are you here......?"  

Miyuki smiled at Mayumi, who asked a question in the midst of a daze, and gave her an 
exemplary smile of a lady. ──Her outward appearance was impeccably friendly, but 
she wore a smile that didn't let one read her true intentions.   

"It's been a long time, Saegusa-senpai. Is it strange for me to be here?"  

"Eh, no" 

Mayumi feels an indescribable pressure on her, and she can't give a proper response as 
Miyuki's smile deepens.  
 90 

"Miyuki, that question is really mean"  

Lina chastises Miyuki from beside.  

"Oh my. Now that you mention it, I guess that's true." 

Miyuki blinked two or three times. Shortly thereafter, the pressure that had entangled 
Mayumi disappeared.  

Mayumi let out a covert sigh. It wasn't hostility or malice that was emanating from 
Miyuki, but it was something that made her inevitably nervous. 

"Saegusa-senpai, and who might that be?"  

"I am called Tookami Ryousuke!"  

Miyuki's question was directed at Mayumi, but Ryousuke snatched the answer away 
from the side. He had finally attained Miyuki's identity just before this.  

"I've returned from Canada because I really wanted to work at Magian Company at any 
rate!" 

Lina frowns at those words, "Americans" nowadays don't call the former Canadian or 
Mexican territories "Canada" or "Mexico". The usage of those names was avoided 
because it meant the USNA's segmentation.  

But Lina didn't complain. It's relatively common for foreigners from the USNA to 
inadvertently mention the name of their old country, especially when they are in 
another country outside the USNA. And this is Japan. Since it's not within the USNA, she 
didn't do something like sharpen the corner of her eyes out of prudence. 

"......At any rate, let's hear the story inside. Please follow me, and Saegusa-senpai, please 
come in."  

Miyuki walks past the reception desk ──which is, of course, unmanned── and 
proceeds to the elevator in the back. Lina is behind her, followed by Mayumi and 
Ryousuke at the end of the line.  

Ryousuke followed them at the end of the line, accomplishing the infiltration of the 
company for the time being. 
 91 

  

In this seven-story building, Magian Company's offices were only on the sixth and 
seventh floors. However, other floors are also used by companies affiliated with the 
Yotsuba family, such as the real estate company that nominally owns Miyakijima on the 
fifth floor.  

The elevator that Miyuki and the others took stopped at the 6th floor.  

The order they got off the elevator was the opposite of when boarded.  

Walking past Mayumi and Ryousuke again, Miyuki takes the lead and Lina follows next 
to her.  

While walking beside Mayumi, Ryousuke was pondering in his head about Lina's 
identity.  

(There are no openings......)  

Miyuki was surprisingly seamless, too, but there were almost no openings to be found 
that could be taken advantage of in Lina's ──At this point in time, Ryousuke didn't 
know her name yet── back. It was, at least, beyond Ryousuke reach. 

(Ex-military? It's almost as if it's the Stars.)  

He didn't have any experience in dealing with the Stars. However, he did have the 
experience of seeing Stars in action up-close when they were sent to put down a riot in 
the former Mexican territory. The riot that occurred in April 2097 in Monterrey, a 
former state of North Mexico, was triggered by an anti-magic group, and Ryousuke and 
the rest of the FEHR were not involved in it. But they were afraid that their compatriots 
would be targeted by the angry mob, so they had ridden there with the intention of 
intervening by force if the situation arose.  

The blonde beauty's back reminded him of the masked red haired female officer he had 
witnessed back then. After returning to the FEHR headquarters, Ryousuke found out 
that the masked red haired female officer was ​that ​Sirius....... 

(......This woman, it can't be, is she a prodigy who is a match to Angie Sirius?) 

She looked a couple of years younger than himself, but that didn't make him look down 
on her. Judging from appearances this woman was probably Shiba Miyuki's bodyguard. 
 92 

Even though it is to protect a key figure, who is the next head of the family, it is a 
dizzying luxury such as using a magician who may be a match to Sirius of the Stars for 
personal escort. 

(So this is the power of the "​untouchables"​ Yotsuba family......)   

Ryousuke had to be very careful not to tremble from the shivers of fear. 

  

Miyuki led Mayumi and Ryousuke to a room at the far end of the sixth floor.  

"Tatsuya-sama, excuse me."  

After unlocking it herself, Miyuki bowed politely in front of the open door.  

"Come in. You two, come in too."  

Tatsuya was standing right near the entrance. Had he been watching them on the 
security camera, or had he sensed Miyuki's presence through the door? Either of these 
could be the case.  

Tatsuya's office was a private room. There was a large desk and a chair with a high-back 
armrest at the back. In front of the desk, there was a lounge suite​. It's not that big. It's 
like a branch president's office or a branch manager's office. 

"It's been a while, Saegusa-san." 

Tatsuya called her "Saegusa-san", not "Saegusa-senpai". Probably because of his 

position as the executive director of an incorporated association referring to a 
candidate for a position in the company.  

"By the way, Miyuki, and who might this be?"  

Instead of talking to Ryousuke directly, he asks Miyuki about his identity. As Miyuki is 
the one who brought him to the office, it's only natural for her to answer Tatsuya's 
question. 

"His name is Tookami Ryousuke. Since he was very eager to join the Magian Company, I 
brought him along to talk to you, if only to see what you had to say." 
 93 

Tatsuya frowns doubtfully for a moment.  

But he quickly erases the wrinkles between his eyebrows and gives Ryousuke a poker 
face.  

"I see. I'll be interviewing Saegusa-san first, so can Tookami-san wait in the other 
room?"  

"Yes" 

With no choice but to agree, Ryosuke accepts Tatsuya's instructions with a victorious 
expression on his face.  

"Lina. I'm sorry, but could you take Tookami-san to the common room?" 

"Okay" 

Lina nodded at Tatsuya's words without a trace of reluctance. 

"Follow me." 

Then she directed Ryousuke in a rather blunt tone of voice. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

"Feel free to sit over there."  

Tatsuya offered Mayumi a couch in the lounge suite after Lina and Ryousuke had left the 
office. 

"Excuse me......."  

While watching a reserved Mayumi sit down, Tatsuya simultaneously sat across from 
her. 

A moment later, Miyuki sits down next to Tatsuya. Not glued to him, though. They are 
sitting on two single-seated sofas next to each other. There is a side table placed 
between the two of them. This is another aspect that has changed since their high 
school days. 

"Once again, it's been a while. The last time was in the party just before Saegusa-san 
 94 

graduated from college, that was about two months ago." 

"Yes, that's right"  

Mayumi displays a slight bewilderment, possibly because she is not used to being called 
"Saegusa-san" instead of "Saegusa-senpai" by Tatsuya.  

"If I recall correctly, weren't you planning to work at an investment firm after 
graduation?"   

"You're right" 

It's not surprising that Mayumi's tone is becoming evasive. It's only been a month since 
she graduated from college. It's too early to be looking for a new job. 

"Why did you decide to switch jobs to our company?"  

Knowing as much, it might be deliberately mean for him to be asking this, even though 
it's a standard question.  

"I am interested in your company's activities."  

"Interested?" 

"Yes. About Shiba-san, who has founded an international association of magicians, or 
rather, Magians, separate from the Magic Association, trying to do something here in 
Japan. I didn't want to sit on the sidelines and watch it unfold as a concerned party."   

"I see." 

Tatsuya gave a wide nod. But he didn't really seem to be convinced. 

"Saegusa-senpai." 

Miyuki interjects at this point. Addressing Mayumi by the way she did in high school.  

"Why don't we speak honestly, just like the old days? Senpai was sent here by your 
father, Saegusa-dono's instructions, wasn't it?" 

Miyuki's use of "Saegusa-dono" is a customary practice among Ten Master Clans. The 
 95 

heads of the other families are often referred to with the suffix "-dono" in their 
surnames. 

Mayumi also didn't want to behave as if being probed for her true intentions.  

"Yes. It is like you said, Miyuki-san." 

By using her old tone, from her student days, to respond, she expressed her willingness 
to have an honest conversation. 

"I've been ordered by my father to infiltrate the Magian Company."  

"For what?" 

Tatsuya asks Mayumi in a quiet tone. 

"To find out what Tatsuya-kun is scheming."  

Hearing Mayumi's answer, Tatsuya let out a sigh.  

"......Saegusa-san." 

His tone changes to one of reproach.  

In response, Mayumi winced in a jolt.  

"I don't mind the informal speech, but could you please stop with the 'Tatsuya-kun'? I 
think I don't need to tell you why, right?"   

"I'm sorry, I'll try to be more careful."  

Mayumi also felt "maybe it's awkward?". She turned to Tatsuya and immediately 
apologized.  

Tatsuya nodded silently, accepting her apology and then changed the subject 
accordingly.  

"And then, what I'm scheming, you mean? It's not a secret just because we haven't 
announced it yet, so I can answer that now." 

"Eh?"  

Mayumi only let surprise slip a surprising feeling to me, but she didn't say "I'll ask" or "I 
 96 

won't ask". Tatsuya, however, continued to speak regardless.  

"The Magian Society’s aim is the self-defense of magians' human rights, who are the 
holders of the magic gift."   

Tatsuya dared to use the unfamiliar term "self-defense of human rights" instead of 
"human rights preservation". This reflects his awareness that he, too, is a Magian and 
that he, too, is a concerned party to human rights violations committed from the 
outside, rather than protecting them from a superior perspective. Mayumi understood 
that with these few words.  

"The Magian Company is a non-profit corporation designed to pave the way for those 
with magical qualities to be able to take an active role in society, even if they don't meet 
the standards that have been set for them. Specifically, we will handle non-military 
vocational training projects for wizards and non-military job placement projects."  

"For vocational training, job placement?"  

At the unexpectedly mundane nature of the project, Mayumi can't help but parrot the 
question back to herself.   

(......Is that it?) 

A person from the Yotsuba family, who disregarded not only the Magic Association, but 
also the Japanese government, formed an independent nation with the Indo-Persian 
VIPs and set up an international association, and even set up a new corporation to 
manage it. 

The more she thought about it, the more she didn't understand. Mayumi was 
completely confused.  

"Fortunately for the job placement part, I can provide employment opportunities 
through Stellar Generator......."  

But with Tatsuya's subsequent words, the tangled threads seemed to unravel a bit.  

"First of all, I want to provide Magians with somewhere where they can learn enough 
practical knowledge and know-how to be able to set themselves up as technicians."  

"......You are, setting up an academy?"  

 97 

"Yes." 

Tatsuya quickly affirmed Mayumi's word-for-word question.  

"Apart from Magic University?"  

This time, she sounded like she was searching for hidden intentions.   

"That's right." 

Tatsuya immediately responded affirmingly this question as well. 

"At the same time, we do not intend to compete with Magic University. We expect 
students to have a normal high school diploma for admission, but we also do not intend 
to exclude Magic University students. Please think of it as a kind of prep school for high 
school graduates and students."  

"And then you will send the graduates of that academy to Stellar Generator?"   

Tatsuya shook his head in response to Mayumi's confident question. ──Vertically, not 
horizontally.  

"I'm considering a partnership with a Stellar Generator, but I'm not going to force a 
career path. It's against the freedom of choice of profession." 

That said, for those holders of the magic gift who are not apt enough to work in the 
field of Magicians, Stellar Generators would seem to be the most attractive place to 
work. Especially if they have a technical education. The establishment of an educational 
institution managed by the Magian Company would directly result in the recruitment to 
the Stellar Generator, who would eventually grow up to become Tatsuya's colleagues, 
or rather, loyal subordinates...... 

Mayumi shuddered as she realized what Tatsuya was up to. It's not so complicated of a 
plan as to be considered of far far sight and deep design​. But the more complex a plan 
is, the more variables there are in it. The simpler the plan, the less likely it is to be 
affected by misfortune. Mayumi thought that this plot was extremely realistic.  

But despite such sober thoughts, one enthusiastic idea was born in Mayumi.  

"Shiba-san, no, Executive Director Shiba. Would you allow me to help you with that 
 98 

academy?"  

"Even though there are no other plans other than the one I described to you right now?"  

Implying that there is no reason to infiltrate the Company, Tatsuya tells her with a 
quizzical look on his face.  

"I don't doubt that. Regardless of my father's intentions, I want to participate in the 
management of this academy for people who have the magic gift but could not become 
magicians, no, for Magians."  

Mayumi herself has no idea why such enthusiasm has arisen in her.  

"Please!" 

She was simply driven by that urge and vigorously bowed to Tatsuya.  

"......Tatsuya-sama." 

Miyuki spoke in a whisper from the side to Tatsuya, who couldn't hide his confusion.  

"Saegusa-senpai──Saegusa-san seems to be serious about it. I know that you are 

highly capable, and I believe that it would be good if you were to assist us."   

Tatsuya says it without hiding his surprise. But the change in his expression is so small 
that those who don't know him well would not notice it. And soon enough, Tatsuya 
regains his usual poker face.  

"The head of the Magian Company is President Miyuki. If she is willing to hire you, I'll 
accept her decision." 

"Thank you very much."  

Miyuki gave Tatsuya a small, but nondescript bow and shifted her gaze to Mayumi.  

"Saegusa-san, would you be willing to lend your strength to the Magian Company?"  

At Miyuki's words, Mayumi gave a full blooming smile and quickly reformed her 
mysterious expression.   

"I will do my best to help you, President Shiba."  

 99 

"......You can talk to me as you always have."  

"I understand, Miyuki-san. I look forward to working with you."  

Miyuki and Mayumi started to chat with each other in a moderate but harmonious 
atmosphere, while Tatsuya got up and sent a message from his desk to Lina to bring 
Ryousuke to her.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

As Lina brought Ryousuke to another room, she stood next to the window, looking at 
the outside. 

She poses as if she doesn't want to have a conversation with Ryousuke, who is sitting in 
a chair ──not a sofa, but an ordinary employee's office chair.   

Ryousuke doesn't seem offended by Lina's attitude. Ryousuke is self-aware that he looks 
suspicious, and in fact, he's trying to spy on the Magian Company. The suspicion is not 
unfounded. 

On the other hand, Lina's attitude is not out of spite. Nor, of course, from shyness. 

(This guy was eyeing me earlier....... He seemed to be trying to do a measure of the 

enemy's strength.)  

Lina could feel his eyes on her back as he measured her combat prowess until they 
arrived in this room. It wasn't as clear if it was hostile, but it was a gaze that could 
hardly be described as friendly. It's not the kind of thing you'd point uninvitedly at a 
member of the group you're trying to join. 

(No, .......Didn't he say he wanted to be a colleague?) 

Lina remembers what Ryousuke said at the entrance. This young man only said 'I want 
to work at Magian Company'. He didn't even say "I want to work with you" let alone "I 
want to be a part of it". 

(In some sense, is he the type that can't lie......? While that may be the case it doesn't 
mean he's a good guy, though)  

Personality aside, he was certainly a person to be wary of. . Lina thought from the 
 100 

perspective of an ex-military officer.  

Fighting ability, in particular, cannot be underestimated. 

Lina's own real non-magical combat skills were by no means high. But in the unlikely 
event that she's forced into a situation where she can't use magic, she had her close 
combat skills rigorously trained in Stars.   

That's why I know. This guy is pretty good at it.  

By the looks of it, Ryousuke is slightly shorter than Tatsuya. He's probably about 180 
centimeters tall. Except for his height, he had a very normal build as far as what could 
be seen from an over clothing observation, and his muscles did not seem to be 
particularly well developed. However, the way he carried himself was clearly not that of 
an amateur.  

(Unfortunately, with my abilities, I can't say how strong he is.)  

As Lina is aware, it's impossible to tell, for example, whether Ryousuke or Tatsuya is 
stronger, or if they fight without magic, who would win. But without magic, he is 
probably stronger than her. That was Lina's conclusion. Hence, Lina couldn't relax and 
couldn't even allow herself to be relaxed.  

"Um" 

Suddenly, Ryousuke spoke to her and Lina reluctantly turned around. From the start, 
she didn't take her eyes off him. In her pose, she was looking outside. But, in truth, she 
was using the reflection of the glass to keep an eye on him. Still, it would be unnatural 
to remain in the pose of looking out when you're approached. Besides, it's not polite.  

In places such as this, Lina is the one who would be described as a virtuous person.   

"What is it?" 

Lina's response was even more curt than she had intended, but Ryousuke didn't show 
any sign of caring about it. 

"May I ask your name?" 

 101 

Lina realizes now that she hadn't said her name. She thinks to herself, "Shoot......!" she 
thought, but she didn't show it in her face.  

"It's Angelina Kudou Shields" 

"Thank you. It's Shields-san, right? I am..."  

"No, it's fine. You must be Tookami Ryousuke, right?"  

Lina herself was puzzled by her own blunt tone, but at this point she gave up on 
correcting it. Perhaps it was an unconscious reflection of the wariness she had been 
pining for towards the other side.  

It wasn't a desirable behavior as Miyuki's bodyguard, but it wasn't like he was someone 
she needed to take into consideration. 

Lina convinced herself of that. 

"Yes, that's right. Um, Shields-san."  

"What?" 

"Can I ask you one more question?" 

"You can ask questions, but I may not be able to answer them."  

Lina responds in a bothered manner.  

The arrogant attitude of a woman who appears to be younger than him may have 
offended him, as Ryousuke's expression tightens slightly. But he didn't reveal any more 
emotion further.  

"I won't insist for you to answer me."   

"Well, then, ask it." 

"Shields-san, are you a mercenary of the Yotsuba family?"  

"Huh?" 

Lina's unintentional dumbfounded voice was not an act.  

 102 

(What are you talking about, this guy......)  

She might appreciate his observation ability to see that she was not a mere young girl 
and that she was at least at the level of combat power beyond a mercenary employed 
by the Yotsuba family. But does he really think that the person he just met today would 
answer such an intrusive question?  

"The answer is no. I'm one of the directors of the Company. I don't have the right to 
represent it, though."  

There was no righteousness in that, however Lina answered honestly. She wasn't a 
mercenary of the Yotsuba family, since the person she was on loan to was Tatsuya 
personally, not the Yotsuba family.  

"But why are you asking me that?" 

Did Lina give an honest answer to the question to give it more strength. 

Ryousuke actually looked hesitant for a moment, but then opened his mouth as if he felt 
it was unfair not to answer, as if he was the only one who didn't have a choice.  

"I saw with my own eyes the commander of the Stars at the site of a riot in the former 
Mexican territory before."  

(The former Mexican territory....... That time!)  

Lina raises her voice in her mind. Lina hadn't forgotten the time she had been 
dispatched to suppress the insurrection that had occurred in the former Mexican 
territory in April of 2097. She had stood at the front of the line in the form of Angie 
Sirius at that scene, keeping her compatriots from running amok and calming the 
situation down.   

"I got a sense from Shields-san that your true strength is as good as the commander at 
that time......."  

(Don't tell me that, this guy realized that I'm Sirius!?) 

Lina barely suppressed the agitation under her skin, only to get a quizzical look from 
Ryousuke's eyes in return.  

"I was wondering what on earth, sort of purpose, that the Yotsuba family had to hire a 
 103 

foreign magician that was as good as the commander of the Stars." 

(......Looks like he didn't discover my identity, after all.) 

Lina gave herself an imaginary pat on chest on her mind as Ryousuke continued, "as 
good as the Stars," Ryousuke expressed. That meant that he didn't consider Lina a 
member of the Stars.  

"That's not true either"  

"What is......?"  

"I'm not a foreigner, you know. I'm ​now a naturalized Japanese citizen."  

This was unnecessary information that didn't need to be given, but Lina must have 
served it up involuntarily in response to her relief.  

"Oh, that was it. I'm sorry for being rude." 

It's not rude, since the result reinforces the answer "I'm not a mercenary."  

(And for that matter, ......why was he even at the site of the riot?)  

In fact, it could be said that Lina got more information from this conversation than 
Ryousuke did.  

Lina's suspicions about Ryousuke just got deeper and deeper.  

  

She received a call from Tatsuya just before the silence after their brief conversation 
turned uncomfortable. 

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."  

Lina doesn't even try to mend her tone at this point. She turned to Ryousuke once and 
promptly headed for the exit of the room.  

Ryousuke followed behind her so as not to fall behind.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 
 104 

Facing Tatsuya once again, Ryousuke felt tense as if it was too late for backing up now.  

(This guy is three years younger than me, if I'm not mistaken......)  

It wasn't the tension of the job interview. Having said that, Ryousuke didn't have any 
burning desire to work for the Magian Company. 

Nor did he feel pressured by the title of the strongest magician that surpasses 
Strategic-Class Magicians, or the title of genius Magic Engineer Taurus Silver.  

(Ridiculous. It's totally flawless....... Isn't this guy stronger than those bullshit 
masters......?)  

Ryousuke's inherited 'Toogami' magic has an almost invincible defense once it is 
activated, but unfortunately it is not suitable for long-term deployment. It' s the same as 
other magic, in that it is useless for defending yourself if you are caught by surprise. In 
which case, bringing such a defensive power would be a waste.  

In order to learn how to deal with surprise attacks, Ryousuke put more effort into 
developing his martial arts skills than practicing magic when he was in high school. 
Devoting himself to the point where he forgot to eat and sleep.   

Fortunately, Ryousuke met some strong masters in Hokkaido ──but not good 
masters── and learned enough skill​s to approach a level of mastery at a young age.   

But, even through such, Ryousuke's eyes couldn't see the extent of Tatsuya's might as a 
warrior.  

Ryousuke was in a state of profound shock. He secretly thought that he could win if he 
could bring him to a close-combat fight, even if he was a Strategic-Class Magician.  

The reason for his tension and shock is from this shake in his confidence. It hadn't 
reached the point of being shattered yet. Even in the face of Tatsuya, Ryousuke knew he 
could handle hand-to-hand combat. But he wasn't so sure anymore.  

"You don't have to stray so far. Let's talk and try to understand each other first."  

(──!!!) 

Ryousuke felt dismayed when Tatsuya poin​ted out that he was feeling overwhelmed. He 
didn't realize that he had been subconsciously simulating in his head how he would 
 105 

fight against Tatsuya.  

They aren't at that stage right now. No, FEHR didn't decide to make Tatsuya an enemy in 
the first place. He cannot allow himself to fall into an hostile relationship with him at his 
own discretion.  

Ryousuke did his best to calm his mind by remembering the smile of his beloved and 
respected Rena.  

(That smile... I can't let it be clouded because of me.)  

He repeated a few quiet, slow, deep breaths. After all that, Ryousuke's mind regained its 
composure. 

"Tookami-san" 

Seeing that it was a good moment, Tatsuya spoke to Ryousuke.   

(......Did he read my breathing?)  

Ryousuke didn't think it was a co​incidence. He has been holding the pace completely up 
to this point.  

"Why do you want to join the Magian Company?" 

Ryousuke quietly exhaled and blew out the residue of his turmoil.  

After calming his mind, Ryousuke pulled the answer he had thought of beforehand from 
his memory.  

"It's because I want to participate in activities to protect the rights of my people in the 
growing crisis of persecution against the holders of the magic gift"  

This isn't a lie to infiltrate the Magian Company. The FEHR, of which he was a member, 
had the same underlying goal. There was no hesitation in saying it.  

"Tookami-san, I understand that you returned from the former Canadian territory in the 
USNA, but which one of the former Canadian territories?"   

He hadn't expected this question, but he didn't feel the need of dodging it. 

"Vancouver" 
 106 

"Wasn't there a political organization in Vancouver called FEHR, which was supposedly 
dedicated to protecting the rights of magicians, didn't you consider joining that one?"   

Ryousuke couldn't help but choke for a moment. He had to do everything he could to 
hold himself together so that no more agitation would show on his face. It was 
completely beyond his expectations that Tatsuya would know about the FEHR.  

"I still wanted to work in my home country rather than work in the USNA,"  

"I see." 

Tatsuya didn't seem to doubt Ryousuke's words. But Ryousuke couldn't lose focus. He 
couldn't read Tatsuya's true intentions, which made him feel impatient again.  

"Nevertheless, the Magian Company has no intention of being a political organization. It 
may not be in line with your wishes, Tookami-san." 

This was another unforeseen surprise attack in Ryousuke's eyes.  

"So what is Magian Company's business?" 

But this time, he quickly shoots back with a rejoinder.  

You're here for a job interview, but you didn't even look into it?── 

But Tatsuya didn't say that. 

Tatsuya repeated the same explanation he gave to Mayumi. And yet she is still in the 
room. She looks uncomfortable in the spare chair put out by the wall, probably feeling 
embarrassed now that she had come for an interview without looking at the side and 
researching the business of the company she was going to join.  

"......Is Magical Engineering the only thing you teach at that academy?"  

Ryousuke asked after hearing Tatsuya's explanation.  

"It's not magical engineering, but the knowledge and methods of applying magic to 
industrial technology. We are also arranging for related courses on magical engineering 
and regular chemistry and engineering."  

"I'm sure there are holders of the magic gift who are not suited to be technicians."  
 107 

"That's probably true. But we can't cover everything from the start, and there's a limit to 
what Magian Company can do on its own. In the future, we'll be partnering with other 
institutions of specialized education."  

"Such as with private military companies, for example?"  

At the time of World War III and for a while after the end of the war, the standard in the 
world for combat magicians was to be enclosed within the national army. However, at a 
certain point in time, it became possible to allow the existence of combat magicians in 
the private sphere. Japan's Ten Master Clans is a prime example. 

Along with this, Private Military Companies (PMC) made up of magicians have also 
emerged, albeit in small numbers. Examples of these companies include Britain's 
'Unseen Arms' and Spain's 'Soldad Mysterio'. Hanabishi Hyougo, who serves as Tatsuya's 
butler, also belonged to a private military company 'Unseen Arms'. 

These Private Military Companies are also commissioned to train magicians in combat. 
If he is willing to reach out to train mercenaries and guards, he would naturally look to 
partner with these companies.  

"That's not going to happen." 

But Tatsuya's answer was a resounding "no." 

"Magian Company will never touch the military side of things. And when I say 
'Company', I don't mean ​that.​ I mean 'the association of people'." 

The word "Company" in English can also mean "Company of infantry", which is what 
Tatsuya meant when he said "mean".  

Ryousuke didn't doubt his words. Within FEHR, Tatsuya is perceived as a person with an 
extreme dichotomy. On one side, there is "Demon King of Destruction, that caused the 
Scorched Halloween", and on the other side, there is the "Creative Taurus Silver, the 
magical engineering genius". Ryousuke had concluded at this stage that Magian 
Company apparently reflects the creative side of Shiba Tatsuya.  

But there's no guarantee that it's not just unsubstantial. Even if it wasn't, it would be 
impossible for Ryousuke to discern the answer just by listening to him.  
 108 

"If that's true, then please let me 11work at that school!"  

Ryousuke bowed his head vigorously. 

He meant to bow in order to complete the task assigned to him by Rena, the leader of 
the FEHR.  

But Ryousuke didn't realize that he had just called himself "Ore".  

He was so agitated that he forgot to keep the appearances, and correct his speech style. 

FEHR's purpose is to protect the human rights of the holders of the magic gift. But you 
can't just live off of advocating for human rights. They need jobs to make a living. 

Deep down, Ryousuke was aware of that.  

The urge that arose in his heart was almo​st the same as the one Mayumi had felt. Only 
that he was even less self-aware of its nature than Mayumi was.  

"Tookami-san. I have one concern in hiring you."  

"What is it?" 

Ryousuke turns his passionate, almost seething eyes to Tatsuya.  

"You are a Extra of the Ten. Based on your age, the exile happened in your parents' 
generation, or one generation before that, right?"  

"......It was my father who became a Extra."  

" I see. Tookami-san, if you have some kind of lingering grudge against the Former 
Tenth Institute and its associated people, I hope you won't bring that into your work. 
The Company does not give preferential treatment or cold shoulder to any individual 
Magian, no matter his or her background. If you demand any kind of special treatment 
because you have been a victim in the past, we are not going to respond to it. Do you 
understand that?"  

"It's understandable, and I think it's only natural."  

Ryousuke immediately agreed in response. There were no lies or tricks there. 

11
Here, he refers to himself as 俺 (ore). It’s a male term, or language, that can be considered rough or
arrogant
 109 

Originally, Ryousuke didn't have any grudges or an inferiority complex about the fact 
that he was of a lineage of Extras.  

"Splendid." 

After going through a few more questions and answers, Tatsuya decided to employ him 
at the Magian Company.   

◇ ◇ ◇ 

11:30 PM.  

Returning to her room on the top floor of the building that served as Yotsuba family's 
headquarters in Tokyo, Lina switched on the Encrypted Communication Device.  

[Hello, it' s Canopus. Long time no see, Lina] 

The correspondent is Benjamin Cano​pus, her subordinate during her time with the 
Stars and perhaps her most trusted former colleague, or rather her confidant. His 
current rank is that of Colonel. He was promoted to the newly created position of 
Commander-in-Chief of Stars Base and now commands the Stardust Unit, which was 
previously a separate organization.  

In addition, the position of general Commanding Officer "Sirius" is currently vacant in 
Stars.  

"Mornin, Ben. It's been a long time. You' re still early in the morning."  

It is 8:30 a.m. in New Mexico, where the Stars Headquarters base is located. It wasn't 
surprising that he hadn't yet gone to work at the commander's office.  

[It's probably the middle of the night over there, right? Was there any trouble?] 

"It's not so much to the point of trouble, but....... Ben, I could use your help."  

[Please, do not hesitate to say so. I've been told by the General Staff to do my utmost to 
suit Lina's needs] 

These words Canopus said weren't said without thinking, nor were they social 
pleasantries. The Pentagon ──not the White House── considered the Yotsubas and 
Shiba Tatsuya to be more important alliance partners than the Japanese Army. Three 
 110 

summers ago, Liam Spencer, who still holds the position of Secretary of Defense, sent 
his confidant Jeffrey James to meet with Tatsuya and, through him, established a 
personal connection with Tatsuya.  

Spencer was also the leading candidate in the presidential race scheduled for this fall. 

From the perspective of modern international politics, Tatsuya's presence is a sort of 
joker. He can strike a decisive blow anywhere in the world with little or no preparation 
and without being bound by egregious budgetary constraints. Not that he's a fear 
monger that brings desperation because of his effectiveness, but he isn't an existence 
that can be ignored either. A personal connection with Tatsuya is a powerful weapon 
for politicians, even if it isn't open to the public.  

Lina is a tool, for lack of a better word, that the Secretary of Defense Spencer uses to 
maintain his connections wi​th Tatsuya. It was also the tool that buried itself in Tatsuya's 
deepest reaches. Ordering the Chief of Staff to cater Lina's needs was a way for Spencer 
to secure his superiority over his rival.  

"I'm sorry for making you indulge me."   

[It's okay. Aren't we friends? .......So, what can I do for you?]  

"I'd like to ask you to do some research on a certain person."  

[Hoh, a research. There was an infiltration by a spy?]  

"It could be a spy. That's what I want you to find out."  

[I understand. Do you have the name of the subject?]  

"The name is Ryousuke Tookam​i. He is a Japanese man of twenty-three years of age 

who returned from Vancouver today, Japan time."  

In a usual back-and-forth order, he checked his passport used shortly after he was hired 
by the Magian Company. Lina has also checked the data as an employee - not an 
employee, but an associate who is a shareholder in the corporation. 

[Vancouver? There's a magical supremacist organization there, as I recall] 

"He seems like the exchange student we used to infiltrate Japan four years ago."  
 111 

In January 2096, USNA sent a large number of secret agents to Japan to investigate the 
identity of the Strategic-Class Magician who caused the "Scorched Halloween". At that 
time, the USNA offered a mass exchange program to Japan in order to send magicians to 
Japan, which would normally be restricted from entering the country, and got their 
consent.  

[This man was a college student before he came back to Japan?] 

"According to his own declaration, he had dropped out of college and was working as a 
security guard at a shopping mall just before he returned home."  

[It's a common occupation to cover up underground activities. Understood. I'll take care 
of it]  

"I'll send you a copy of the passport as investigation data."  

As she said this, Lina sent the image data of the passport from the storage medium she 
had set in the Encrypted Communication Device.   

[I've received it. I'll have it checked out as soon as possible]  

"Please." 

[I will let you know as soon as I find something] 

"Thank you very much. Then, until later."  

After finishing the transmission with Canopus, Lina took off her clothes and crawled 
into bed.  

 
 
 112 

Chapter 5 
[Intruder] 

Friday, April 30. 

"Eh, Kyouko-san?" 

When Mayumi arrived at the company's headquarters in Machida, she was greeted by 
Fujibayashi. 

Fujibayashi is the grandchild of the late Patriarch of the Ten Master Clans, Kudou Retsu. 
Mayumi's father, Saegusa Koichi was a student of Kudou Retsu when he was a child. Due 
to this connection, they both had known each other since before Mayumi entered high 
school. 

"Good morning, Mayumi-san."  

"......Do you two know each other?"  

Ryousuke, who had just arrived at the office, asks quizzically. Furthermore Ryousuke 
and Fujibayashi have already introduced themselves to each other. 

"Yes. I think we've known each other for about ten years now."  

"We first met nine years ago, Kyouko-san."  

"But this is the first time that we're working together, isn't it?" 

If it meant that they would work for the same company, since Mayumi just graduated 
from university this year, it would be obvious, but that's not what Fujibayashi meant. 
Fujibayashi was in the military, and Mayumi had been a member of the Ten Master 
Clans since before graduating from college. It would be a good thing if they were to 
work together on the same mission, but for some reason, they didn't have the 
opportunity to do so. When Yokohama was invaded by the Allied Forces in October of 
2095, they never got to fight side by side on the same battlefield in the end. 

"Together you mean, Kyouko-san is also working for the Magian Company?!"  
 113 

"I don't think it's that surprising. Didn't you know that I left the Defense Forces?"  

"Yes, I knew that, but......." 

As mentioned, Mayumi and Fujibayashi knew each other through their families. And 
even though Kudou Retsu passed away before Fujibayashi retired from the military, that 
did not break the relationship between the Kudou family and the Fujibayashi family, to 
whom Kudou Retsu's daughter married, and the Saegusa family. While neither family 
was informed individually about Fujibayashi's resignation from the military, it wasn't a 
secret either. The Saegusa family didn't overlook this information.  

"Of course I have to work somewhere, don't I?"  

"I just thought that you returned to your parents' house......"  

"No, I don't want that. If I went back to my parents' house or such, they would surely 
force me into marriage. Unlike Mayumi-san, I've already passed the age."  

Mayumi couldn't deny Fujibayashi's self-deprecating words. It wasn't just Numbered 

magicians who were required to marry early. Given that the Fujibayashi family is from a 
prestigious lineage of Ancient Style magicians, the pressure and ties of tradition are 
stronger than those of the younger, less prestigious Ten Master Clans." It was easy for 
Mayumi to guess that the phrase "forced into marriage" was more than a joke.  

"Fortunately, after I quit the army, the Yotsuba family picked me up." 

"......And, as a result, you joined this company?" 

"That's it. I've been working with Executive Director Shiba in various things since before 
I started working here." 

When Fujibayashi said "work", it was neither FLT nor stellar reactor-related; it was the 
sort of work that was not openly talked about, but Mayumi did not understand that 
much.  

"That's enough small talk for now. Mayumi-san, Tookami-san, are you both ready to 
depart right away? I've been assigned by the Executive Director to guide the two of you 
today to the Industrial Magic Academy th​at is under construction."   

Switching to a business tone in the later half, Fujibayashi asks Mayumi and Ryousuke. 
 114 

"Yes, I'm fine." 

Ryousuke was the first to respond to Fujibayashi's question. 

"I'm fine as well, but."  

Mayumi soon followed, but she didn't just obediently agree.  

"......'Industrial Magic Academy'? Is that some kind of facility?"  

As the name was unfamiliar, Mayumi couldn't help but ask a question that might have 
been unnecessary. 

"You didn't hear it from the Executive Director?" 

"No....... I don't think he told me about it." 

Mayumi looked at Ryousuke as she replied unsurely.  

"I didn't hear about it either."  

Meeting Mayumi's gaze, Ryousuke concurs with her. 

"You've been briefed on the nature of Magian Company's business, right?" 

This time, both of them nodded at Fujibayashi's question. 

"The Specialized Academy of Industrial Magic Technology, abbreviated as Industrial 

Magic Academy12, is an educational institution for the purpose of studying the 
applications of magic in the industrial technologies. Although it is an unlicensed school 
rather than a academy for specialized training or a vocational school, our educational 
environment, including facilities and instructors, is as good as that of a university. Many 
companies have invested in the academy's operating funds, so it should be a safe bet for 
the next ten years. And although the graduation will not be considered an academic 
degree, the companies that fund us have made a private agreement to accept our 
graduates willingly."  

"It is a school for Magic Engineering, separate from the Magic University?"  

"No" 

12
The japanese pronunciation of the abbreviated name is "Makōin" (魔工院)
 115 

Fujibayashi shook her head at Mayumi's question.  

"It's not Magical Engineering that is taught, but the application of magic in industrial 
technology."  

"......How is it different?"  

This time, Ryousuke asked, looking like he couldn't understand. Actually, Ryousuke 
didn't understand the differences also when Tatsuya explained it to him.  

"The study of Magic Engineering has more of an electronic engineering and materials 
science and engineering approach in the University's course. While the Industrial Magic 
Academy will also cover magic engineering in class, the main focus will be the 
applications of magic in the field of Industrial Technology."  

"Are you saying that you are only aiming for a practical education?" 

When Ryousuke asked again, Fujibayashi gave him a sly smile.  

"You might say it's a practical or a pragmatic education. But the Company's goal is to 
promote the employment of Magians."  

"I understand." 

Ryousuke straightened his back and bowed. 

Fujibayashi picked up the scent of a soldier from such a movement and was on guard 
for a moment, but Mayumi didn't notice it, not to mention Ryousuke's with his face 
facing the floor.  

  

The under construction Industrial Magic Academy was situated at the tip of the Izu 
Peninsula.   

Mayumi and Ryousuke could not help but be amazed at the impressive facility when 
they got out of the self-propelled car driven by Fujibayashi. 

The Industrial Magic Academy was located at the seaside. The site was adjacent to the 
port. The harbor is not large enough to dock a tanker or a large cargo ship, but the quay 
is well built and the water seems to be deep. There is even a large crane. The location 
 116 

was evidently designed to be accessible by sea.  

The building did not feel like a school building. It looked more like a factory plant and a 
five-story administrative building attached to it.  

"When is the academy scheduled to open?" 

Mayumi asked Fujibayashi as she looked at the building, which appeared to be almost 
complete. 

"It's due to September. Then Mayumi-san and Tookami-san will be working here."  

"Even though I've never worked in school administration before?"  

Fujibayashi's tone softens to appease Mayumi, who has her wariness bare.  

"You won't be asked to take on specialized tasks off the bat. Initially, you'll be working 
on drawing up standardized documents and processing internal data."   

"In offline data processing?" 

Fujibayashi's sharp ears picked up on Ryousuke's hushed soliloquy.  

"Are you dissatisfied?" 

"No, I think I can work with that."  

Ryousuke's was majoring in robotics at university, but then he met Rena and dropped 
out of university when he found out about FEHR. He has no knowledge of accounting, 
which would be useful in business management, and he has no confidence in his ability 
to be an instructor in engineering, which was his specialty when he was in college. On 
that point, Ryousuke thought that he could handle the operation of standardized 
information appliances to the extent which would commonly be entrusted to a 
subordinate.   

"That's very good, then. I'll show you around inside."  

Fujibayashi lead them into the grounds 

Mayumi and Ryousuke, respectively, follow Fujibayashi in line behind. 

The only thing that w​asn't finished was the practice equipment, the office rooms and 
 117 

office equipment were set up ready for work to begin at any time.  

"You can start preparing for the opening of the academy here as soon as you are ready, 
how will you commute to work? We have company housing if you wish."  

"Yeah, that's right....... Can I request for company housing, then?"  

Mayumi's decision to Fujibayashi's question was quick. It takes two and a half hours to 
get here from Tokyo by a private car, and it would be over an hour by train. That was a 
long commuting time for this era. So Mayumi chose to rent company housing.  

Though, getting out of her parents’ house must have been one of her motivations for it, 
no doubt about it. Mayumi had lived in her parents’ home until now. She is an authentic 
Ojou-sama surrounded by a cluster of servants. It's not surprising that Mayumi, who is 
reasonably confident in her housekeeping skills, would want to take this opportunity to 
live on her own.  

"......Is there a parking space in the company house for a private car?" 

Ryousuke wanted to know about the availability of parking before the layout and 
location.   

"There is a communal parking lot without a roof if you'd like, I understand you just 
returned from USNA, do you have a car?"  

"No, I don't have one right now, but I'm thinking of buying one soon. I enjoy driving."  

"I understand. Then we'll go through the procedures with you as well. You want to see 
the apartment, too, don't you? I'll show you. It's about a five-minute walk from here."  

Mayumi gave a wide nod and Ryosuke a modest one at Fujibayashi's words. 

  

When they returned to the front of the Industrial Magic Academy after a private tour of 
the condo-style company housing, there was a plane floating at the harbor.  

"Is that a ground-effect vehic​le13?"  

Seeing this, Ryousuke asks Fujibayashi. 

13
​Ground-effect Vehicle
 118 

"You know your stuff well."  

A ground-effect vehicle, which is more commonly referred to as a ground-effect 

aeroplane. It’s an airc​raft that is capable of a high weight capacity in exchange for 
limiting its flight altitude to extremely low levels.  

"This transport vehicle is meant to do round-trip flights to and from the Stelar Reactor 
Plant at Miyakijima. At the moment it's only used to transport cargo, but once the 
Industrial Magic Academy opens, it will also be used to transport students in induction 
course at Miyakijima to and from the site."  

"But isn't the ground-effect vehicle only for calm water surfaces and not for the open 
sea?"  

"That problem has been solved with some technological improvements."  

"Um, what do you mean by 'induction course'?"  

Mayumi, who had been left behind, interjected into Ryousuke and Fujibayashi's 
conversation.  

"Students who have achieved a certain level of academic performance will be able to 
receive training at the Stellar Reactor Plant if they wish, which is the selling point of the 
Industrial Magic Academy."  

"That would... a lot of people will be jumping on. Considering that the admission 
requirements is being a Magian with a high school diploma, and there's no age 
requirement, I'm sure there will be an influx of working people wanting to learn more 
about Stellar Reactor's know-how."  

"Indeed. Now, Mayumi-san and Tookami-san, you should work out a system to give 
priority to young people who truly need an education at Industrial Magic Academy. 
That will be the first task for both of you."  

Fujibayashi's position at the Company is that of office manager. That is Mayumi and 
Ryousuke’s superior. 

"Eh?!" 

Mayumi ​exclaims in astonishment at the sudden task assignment.  

 119 

"Wasn't our job offline data processing?"  

Ryousuke demurred in a modest way.  

"It's a common practice not just in businesses, but also in Japanese organizations."   

But Fujibayashi didn't address any of Ryousuke's protests.  

Seeing this, Mayumi felt secretly afraid, 'Perhaps this place is one of those black 
companies14......' 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

After that, Fujibayashi had bo​arded the whole private car in the ground-effect vehicle 
──called the "Izu Shuttle" by the Miyakijima staff──, and brought Mayumi and 
Ryousuke to Miyakijima.   

"This is the Stellar Reactor Plant. This isn't the first time that Mayumi-san has been here, 
is it?"  

"Yes, I've had the pleasure of visiting it with the twenty-eight families before." 

The 28 families were the remaining bloodlines that came from the first to tenth 
Magician Research and Development Institutes which did not have their numbers 
stripped away. The Ten Master Clans are chosen among these 28 families.  

In April of 2097, Juumonji Katsuto gathered the young members from the 28 families for 
a meeting to discuss countermeasures against the anti-magic movement. The meeting 
itself was a one-time event, however, the young people from that time kept holding the 
meeting and exchanging information in something like a workshop. The visit to the 
Stellar Reactor Plant was one of those meetings.   

Yet Tatsuya and Miyuki have never been i​nvited to those meetings. This was probably 
due to Tatsuya's flagrant antagonism with the other attendees at the April 2097 meeting.   

Well, these episodes are irrelevant for now. If you've been here before, you've been 

14
"Black companies" is a popular japanese term for companies with little to no care for the health of its
employees. The general characteristics of one involve: extreme long working hours and quotas are imposed
on workers; low awareness of compliance throughout the company, such as rampant overtime for
non-payment of wages and power harassment, and excessive selection of workers under such
circumstances.
 120 

briefed on the whole thing.  

"Tookami-san, is there any area you'd be interested in focusing on?"  

If there are areas of particular interests, it is necessary to call in an expert for the 
guidance. 

"No, not particularly. Can I take a brief look at the power generation facility?" 

"All right." 

While a bit relieved, Fujibayashi agreed to Ryousuke's request. 

  

During the tour, they met Tatsuy​a in the control room of the Stellar Reactor main unit. 

"Executive Director, thank you for your work."  

"Thank you for showing them around, Fujibayashi-san."  

Surrounded by the technicians in charge of the control room, Tatsuya and Fujibayashi 
exchanged a few words under their outward masks.  

"Is there any trouble? I thought you were planning to visit the northwest area today."  

For the sake of convenience, Miyakijima is now divided into four districts.  

This is the northeast area where the Stellar Reactor Plant is located.  

The southeast area where the airport is located.  

The northwest area where the Yotsuba family's facilities are located.  

And the southwest district is where the secret experiment site ──which is, essentially, 
the virtual satellite elevator that connects the surface to 'Takachiko', where Minoru and 
Minami are living── is located.  

Of these, the northwest and southwest areas are off-limits except for those related to 
the Yotsuba family. Nonetheless, the border fence is not built in the center of the island. 
The northeast and southeast districts comprise seventy percent of the island's land area. 
And, even though thirty percent of the land was off-limits, the residents of the east side 
 121 

of the island were not inconvenienced.  

And, according to his schedule, today Tatsuya would be holed up for the day in his lab in 
the Northwest District, where outsiders were not allowed to enter.  

"There aren't any troubles, but I've been asked to make sure I'm prepared for 
tomorrow."  

"Oh, I see."  

Not only Fujibayashi but also Mayumi expressed her understanding, while Ryousuke 
didn't seem to grasp the situation.  

As Mayumi noticed this, she addressed Ryousuke in a whisper.  

"Tomorrow is the day of the establishment of Stellar Generator Inc. and there are a large 
group of guests invited. In addition to the buffet party, a tour of the plant is also on the 
schedule."  

A hint of understanding appears on Ryousuke's face.  

"That's right, Mayumi-san." 

At that moment, Fujibayashi turned around. 

"Could you help with the party tomorrow?"  

"......Is that a work order too?"  

"No, this is a request. Mayumi-san, you're used to parties and such."  

"But......."  

"We don't have enough entertainers. We can't let Miyuki-san deal with the old timers 
that you don't know very well, can we? In this regard, Mayumi-san is a veteran of the 
Saegusa family's parties."  

"I'm not that much subtle."  

"Executive Director, please say something too, it's for Miyuki-san's sake, to help ease her 
burden."  
 122 

Perhaps having enough of Mayumi's shakes of head in refusal, Fujibayashi requested 

reinforcements from Tatsuya.   

"Saegusa-san, could you pleas​e help us?"  

The phrase "for Miyuki's sake," is very effective against Tatsuya.  

"There will be people from the Magic Association here tomorrow, and I haven't been 
getting along very well with them."  

As a matter of fact, it's needless to say that Mayumi is a very good-natured person. 

Besides, she knows the stories of the unreasonable hostility Tatsuya receives from the 
Magic Association of Japan as an inside gossip.  

"......let me talk to my father about it." 

That said, Mayumi also has her own position as the eldest daughter of the Saegusa 
family to consider. It was only natural that she couldn't make a decision by herself.  

  

After ending the tour of the plant in late afternoon, Mayumi went home to consult with 
her father about the party.  

Since Ryousuke had just come back to Japan and he didn't even rent an apartment yet, 
he decided to keep his hotel room and rent the staff lodging in Miyakijima for this night.   

◇ ◇ ◇ 

After dinner, Mayumi discussed with​ Koichi the idea of acting as a hostess at the 
founding party of Stellar Generator Inc. and he gave his approval immediately. 

"It's a good opportunity. In addition to that, you can get some presence within the 
business community." 

In tomorrow's party, presidents and executives of companies that have invested in the 
Stellar Reactor Plant will be in attendance. And while the Saegusa family is quite 
wealthy, they lack a lot of real ties to top-tier c​orporations. It was perhaps rather 
natural for the head of the family to take this opportunity to use his daughter to 
strengthen his ties to the business world.  
 123 

"Mayumi, are the dresses and accessories that you already have okay to wear to the 
party? Just go get new ones if you need."  

Maybe he sees too much importance in this, or maybe he's just "counting Tanuki skins 
before they have been caught15", but Koichi is being quite generous.  

"At this hour? I don't want to. What I have is good enough for me." 

It' s just before 8 p.m. The shops for the general customers are about to close, but the 
department stores are still open for business, the street shops are still open for 
customers. At this time, it is still possible to buy everything from dresses to shoes to 
even jewelry.  

But Mayumi was more concerned with her desire to rest than with her need for 
material goods.  

"Right. In that case, you should rest early tonight to prepare for tomorrow."  

"Yes, I'll do that."  

Mayumi gave a curt response to her father's words and left her seat and walked out of 
her father's study.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The staff lodging Ryousuke rented was located right across the street from the Stellar 
Reactor Plant. If something unusual happened at the plant, he could be the first to 
arrive at the site. ──Incidentally, the hotels for the media and other outside visitors 
are located near the airport.  

In the middle of the night, when Ryousuke was thinking of getting into bed, he suddenly 
felt a strange magic sign coming from the plant's direction.   

He changed out of his rented pajamas into his normal clothes once more and left the 
room. The lodging house is a three-story residential apartment that is available on a 
daily basis, with no lobby or front desk. There is freedom to come and go as desired. 
And, other than security cameras, there are no security devices. 

There was no fence or wall surrounding the Stellar Reactor Plant because the island 

15
​An equivalent to the english expression "counting one's chickens before they've hatched"
 124 

itself is a private property. On the contrary, the fence has been built ​surrounding ​the 
whole area of the airport. However, it is easy to get over the fence since it is not 
equipped with barbed wire or high voltage electric current. Entering private property 
without permission is unlawful entry. In modern domestic law, the flaws have been 
resolved such as if there is no building, it's not unlawful entry. 

Under these circumstances, it's easy to enter the plant's property. But even if you don't 
enter the building, you would definitely be deemed suspicious if you are found 
wandering around at such an hour.  

Ryousuke has infiltrated the Magian Company at the behest of Rena, the leader of the 
FEHR. Considering his position, he should avoid any suspicious behavior. But, for some 
reason, he couldn't leave this magic sign unattended at the moment.  

Ryousuke is not very good at sensing magic. But he's skilled at detecting signs of magic. 
This is not a skill related to magic, but rather a skill acquired through martial arts 
training. So, he followed the sign.   

The presence was in the center of the plant, in the Stellar Reactor building, the building 
that housed the Stellar Reactor. Inside this building, there is the control room where 
Ryousuke had met Tatsuya during the day.  

The door to the Stellar Reactor buildi​ng was open for some reason.  

It wasn't so much that the door was unlocked. The service entrance was open for 
people to get in and out.  

(Why didn't the alarm go off......? Did, by some chance, the patrolling guard forget to 
close it?)   

Naturally, if you unlocked the door and entered through proper means, the security 
system would not respond.  

Ryousuke hesitated for a few seconds, then went into the Stellar Reactor building. He 
decided that if he was spotted, he would make an excuse by saying that he wanted to be 
careful about the fact that the service entrance was open. 

The first sign of human presence came from the containment room where the Stellar 
Reactor itself was located. 
 125 

If someone wanted to steal the Stellar Reactor's technology, they would aim for the 
control room. The control program is located in that room.  

( After all, are they security guards or......?)  

Was I over-thinking the whole "intruder" thing?  

Though Ryousuke lost his confidence, he didn't stop walking. He erased his own 
presence, muffling the sound of his footsteps and following the presence of the other 
persons.  

The source of the presence was also in the containment room.  

The name "containment room" was appropriated from the name of the reactor's 
containment vessel. Fusion reactors, including Stellar Reactor, and nuclear reactors 
(fission reactors) have fundamentally different mechanisms, but they share a similar 
name under the same label of "nuclear energy".   

The door to the containment room was also opened.  

(Maybe they left it open to facilitate their escape......?)  

Growing even more suspicious, Ryousuke peers into the room from the doorway.  

There are two men wearing eyeglass goggles to hide their features, both of them are 
doing some kind of fumbling with some tools attached to one of the six Stellar Reactor 
units.  

(Is it a repair...... No, is it parts theft?)  

If it was a repair, there was no reason not to turn on the lights in the room.  

It was most likely industrial espionage looking to steal important parts.  

There was no proof, but Ryousuke concluded so. He was about to sneak into the 
containment room to catch the thieves , when.  

"What are you doing in there!"  

A voice and a light were pointed at Ryousuke. It was a patrolling security guard. No, it 
might not be a patrol, but they might have sensed something unusual and rushed in.  
 126 

In response to the voice, the thieves in the containment room jumped out from inside.  

Ryousuke quickly extended his foot out as soon as he could.  

One of the duo fell over, caught in his foot.  

But the man quickly got up and ran for the exit, one step behind his partner. 
Unfortunately, the security guard wasn't there, though. 

(Blocking the retreat it's simple!) 

Cursing the security guard in his mind, Ryousuke chases after the thieves.  

Ryousuke's legs were faster than theirs. 

Ryousuke extended his hand to catch the one who was lagging behind. 

But at that moment.  

(Close, Sesame.)  

As soon as he heard the unfamiliar language and the well-known meaning of the 
incantation echoing double in his head, it went pitch black in front of his eyes. 

There were no lights on in the corridor even before that, but the light from the 
emergency lights ensured that it wasn't completely dark. It was bright enough to be 
unimpeded for the capture.  

Self-preservation instincts caused Ryousuke to stop in his tracks.  

He regained his vision in three seconds.  

Immediately after that, he was wrestled from behind by a violent force. 

In the instant he was falling forward, he slammed his elbows reflexively and threw away 
the arms that were loosely wrapped around his neck. 

The opponent, illuminated by the lingering illumination scattered across the hallway, 
was a uniformed security guard. 

(Damn it, I just went too......!)  

 127 

While he was stunned, Ryousuke was firmly restrained by another security guard. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Taken into the security room and handcuffed to a chair, Ryousuke honestly spoke about 
the magic sign he felt and​ the intruders in the containment room.  

But was it a mistake to reflexively fight back?  

They assumed he was one of the trespassers.  

Ryousuke had to remain in custody until Tatsuya arrived in the security room after 
receiving the news.  

Tatsuya asked to remove Ryousuke's handcuffs at last. But he wasn't released after that. 
In the meantime, he was to be questioned by Tatsuya.  

"Two burglars used magic to break into the Stellar Reactor building and unlock the 
containment room in order to steal parts from the Stellar Reactor, right?"  

"......The part where they used magic to unlock the door is just a theory given the 
circumstances, but I saw with my own eyes that they were fumbling around with tools 
attached to the Stellar Reactor."  

"I see. It would certainly be natural to see that as an attempt to steal parts. But for some 
unknown reason, the surveillance cameras in the hangar room were out of service at 
that time of the night."  

A security guard was hastily dispatched because of the malfunctioning security camera.  

"Tookami-san. I'm afraid we have no evidence of your innocence."  

Ryousuke holds his breath. 

He understood that, objectively speaking, his actions were extremely suspicious.  

"......Are you going to hand me over to the authorities?"  

"No, we won't take it to the police. This is a scandal that the media would love to see, 
such as a newly hired employe​e being caught in an attempted theft. Tomorrow's, no, 
today's party would be ruined." 
 128 

As Tatsuya's words indicated, it was already after midnight. 

"Besides, while there's no proof that Tookami-san is innocent, there's also no proof that 
you are guilty either."  

"............" 

"However, I just have to say that it will be difficult for you to continue working for the 
Company in these circumstances."  

Ryousuke looked down and clenched his back teeth.  

He hadn't finished any of the investigations that FEHR leader Rena had asked him to do. 
He had only gotten a superficial idea of the Magian Company's purpose. He had been 
able to infiltrate inside with great effort, but if he was forced to quit now, he would be 
betraying Rena's trust. 

"......Did something get stolen?" 

"No, nothing." 

Tatsuya answered Ryousuke's abrupt question without changing his expression. He also 
didn't inquire "What is it?". There was no reaction. Ryousuke wondered if Tatsuya had 
already decided in his head to dismiss him.  

Ryousuke managed to muster what remained from his seemingly broken heart and 
continued to speak.  

"The Stellar Reactor is a treasure trove of revolutionary magical technology. I don't 

know what the burglars were after, but I don't think they'll give up in just one try. I'm 
sure the bandits will try to steal it again."  

Tatsuya's expression did not move. He probably knows that much without being told.  

"Can you give me a chance?"  

"Chance?" 

He finally got a response from Tatsuya. 

"I'll catch the burglars with my own hands. Let me prove my innocence this way."  
 129 

"Or you’ll be pretending to be staking out the bandits to capture them and then help 
them get in and escape?"  

This wasn't Tatsuya's statement. It came from Hanabishi Hyougo, who had followed 
Tatsuya to the security room and had been silently standing behind him until now.  

"I'm not an ally of the thieves!"  

Ryousuke exclaims with an wholly unexpected expression.  

"It's still possible to assume so. Tookami-san, you know that yourself, don't you?"  

Ryousuke is at a loss for words. Certainly, considering his current position and the 
situation that led to it, it is reasonable to speculate as Hyougo said.  

"Tatsuya-sama, how will you handle this?"  

Hyougo leaves the decision to Tatsuya. He didn't vehemently oppose to Ryousuke's 

proposal. As a matter of fact, Hyougo wasn't seriously suspicious of Ryousuke.  

"Fine. However, you are not allowed to act alone. The selection of your partner will be 
made within a day or two. For tonight, please return to your lodgings."  

Being prohibited from acting alone was like being told "We still suspect you," and 
honestly, he wasn't happy about it. But, from Tatsuya's point of view, it was an 
unavoidable decision. If he had unconditionally accepted Ryousuke's offer, he might 
have been accused of favoritism.  

Understanding such, Ryousuke had no choice but to follow Tatsuya's judgement.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

May 1, 4am. 

The party for the establishment of the new company is planned for today. However, 
there is no over-the-top ceremony planned. The project itself was started two years ago 
and is performing well. The establishment of the company is simply a cosmetic change.  

The party is nothing more than a slightly larger, standing buffet party. 

The guests may be a bit special though.  

 130 

Still, it was not so important to start the preparations in the early hours of the night.   

In the darkness of the moonless dawn, Ryousuke left his quarters and headed for the 
harbor. With the construction of the airport in the southeastern part of the island, 
almost no one goes to the island by sea anymore. However, cargo ships were still 
coming and going actively.  

The undersea cable that transmits the electricity produced by the Stellar Reactor to the 
Honshu island is still in the process of being installed. Currently, the electricity from the 
Stellar Reactor is mainly used to produce hydrogen. The product is then sent by 
container ship to a plant in Honshu, where it is processed into a more manageable fuel.   

From the sales of the hydrogen gas alone, the Stellar Reactor Plant was expecting to 
recoup its entire investment next year. Discussions of establishing a new subsidiary to 
expand the business should be proceeding at a brisk pace.  

However, there was no one in the harbor at this time of the night, even though 
container ships were actively coming and going. Ryousuke moved to the end of the pier 
and took out a somewhat large portable terminal from the inside pocket of his jumper. 

No, it should be called a mobile phone. A terminal for voice calls through satellite 
communications. With the development of the Global Net (Global Area Network, or 
GAN), it has been relegated as a minor form of communication, but through steady 
technological improvement, it has remained an active form of communication even in 
the last years of the 21st century.   

However, they are not common. At least it was not for private use. If all you need to do 
is to have international communication, it's much more convenient to use the usual 
Global Net.  

As of 2100 A.D., the only merit of using a satellite communications terminal instead of 
the Global Net is that it doesn't go through the base station at the source, at the very 
best.  

"Hello, Milady, it's Ryousuke. I'm sorry for interrupting your lunch hour......."  

Ryousuke starts a conversation in English.  

He was oblivious to the eyes staring at his back from the shadows.  
 131 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

FEHR, a magician's human rights political organization. 

At noon, April 30, local time, in a private office at its headquarters in Vancouver, the 
representative, Rena Fehr, picked up the ringing satellite phone terminal.  

She looked at the caller on the display. 

The caller was Tookami Ryousuke, the person she just dispatched to Japan. 

Rena pressed the answer button and held the speaker to her ear and the microphone 
close to her mouth.  

"He-......."  

[Hello, Milady, it's Ryousuke. I'm sorry for interrupting your lunch hour. I need to 
discuss something with you. Is this a good time?]  

"............" 

But Rena wasn't even able to say the "hello" set phrase.  

[Milady, if this is inconvenient for you, I can call you later]  

As a leader, it is certainly good to be respected rather than being taken lightly, but 
Ryousuke seems to take things a bit too far. 

Rena thought the same thing today.  

"......No, there is no problem. Did something happen?"  

[I have been hired by the Magian Company]  

"Isn't that a great success?"  

While answering, Rena tilted her head. He was able to enter as an employee inside the 
organization, the object of the information gathering. It's close to being the best first 
step of all. What on earth would be the issue?  

[But I'm already being under suspicion for attempted theft and I'm likely to be fired as 
 132 

soon as possible] 

"Huh? ......It's only been three days since you returned to Japan, right?" 

What is that rapid development?  

......That was Rena's feigned reaction.  

"What happened?" 

[Actually......]  

Ryousuke describes the events of last night.  

[The two thieves, I remember seeing them somewhere, but they're not members of the 
FEHR, are they?]  

And then, Ryousuke asks Rena. Perhaps this question was the main purpose of the call.  

"I, at least, didn't order any other member of the team to go to Japan except you, 
Ryousuke."  

[Right......]  

Rena felt that Ryosuke's voice indicated a feeling of dejection. 

Rena's title of "saint" comes mainly from the magic she's good at. But the fact that she 
sincerely thinks that " I have to do something about it" may be another reason why she 
is called a "saint".  

"......They aren't members of FEHR, but it might not be your imagination, Ryousuke, that 
you feel like you've seen them before."  

[Milady, do you happen to have any idea who they are?] 

The voice overflowing out of the speakers is filled with anticipation.  

"I didn't witness it firsthand, so I can't say for sure."  

[That's fine! Please tell me about it!] 

Rena didn't happen to have the bad character to put the answer on airs in this situation.  
 133 

"From what Ryousuke said, I'm guessing that the duo is most likely to be the 'Janus'." 

She simply informed Ryousuke of her own deductions.  

[Janus? That duo of criminal magicians?] 

The name of a pair of criminals began to be rumored in the USNA's underworld about 
two years ago. They are experts in the practice of information theft, breaking into 
high-security buildings and stealing highly sensitive data and high-tech products.  

This 'Janus' is not a code name given to them by the police, the media or any other third 
party. It was transmitted to the underworld as the name they themselves used to buy 
and sell the information they stole.  

"The magic that took away Ryousuke's vision was probably their special magic 'Arabian 
Nights'."   

[Arabian Nights?]  

"This is a special type of magic that is said to be used by Janus and does not belong to 
either systematic or non-systematic types of magic. It is activated by the keywords 
'​Open, Sesame'​ and '​Close, Sesame'​ and is said to provoke a wide range of phenomena 
that qualify for the concept of 'Open' and 'Close'."  

[Sesame? Isn't that from Alibaba?] 

"Yes, that's probably where the name 'Arabian Nights' comes from."  

[Wasn't the Alibaba episode not part of the original Arabian Nights?] 

"......This, do we need to be concerned about it?"  

Rena let out an involuntary tone of dismay at Ryousuke's out-of-focus comment.  

[No, my apologies]  

Ryousuke also apologized right away, probably because he felt that his comment was 
out of line with the situation. Although, if he was blamed by Rena, he'd probably 
apologize even if he wasn't wrong.  

[Even so, as expected of you, you know a lot]  

 134 

"Because it's not the radical an​ti-magic activists that are the real obstacle to our work, 
it's the magicians who use magic for crimes and unjustifiable violence to stir up terror 
and animosity in people. As a representative of the FEHR, I cannot afford to be negligent 
about gathering information about those people."   

It's not uncommon for legitimate political activity to be sabotaged by extremists with 
similar claims.  

[It's exactly as you said] 

Ryousuke also had an idea of what was going on, and he chimed in with his conviction.   

"I think Ryousuke's eyes were momentarily obscured because he interfered with your 
mind and closed your vision."  

[......Do you know any countermeasures?] 

"Well, I guess so......."  

Rena ponders.  

[…………]  

Ryousuke waits silently for her answer.  

"......Any tool that is limited to a specific use, not just magic, will perform better in its 
area of expertise.​ Conversely, the effects of an all-encompassing magic, namely 
whatever is included in the concept of 'opening' and 'closing', are not as strong as those 
of non-systematic magics that interferes with perception, such as 'Nyx', for example. I 
think that's why the duration of the visual blocking was so short."  

[I see. As long as I understand that it's only going to last a few seconds, I can deal with 
it] 

"It's just a guess. It's better not to fall victim to magic, no, it's better not to let the 
opponent cast magic at you."  

[So the preemptive strikes are the best defense, right? I understand. Thank you very 
much] 

"Just don't overdo it......."  

 135 

At Ryousuke's voice, full of m​otivation, Rena couldn't help but to remind him in a strong 
tone.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

May 1, 5:30 PM. 

The inauguration ceremony of Stellar Generator Inc. went off without a hitch, and a 
standing buffet party began.  

It's a little early for an evening party. This was in consideration of its location on an 
island in the Pacific Ocean, nearly a hundred kilometers from Honshu, so the party was 
set to begin earlier to allow for the possibility of a return trip. Of course, it was ensured 
that there would be plenty of hotel rooms available for them to stay in without trying to 
force themselves to return in the middle of the night. The facilities on site have 
expanded rapidly over the past three years, and not only those directly related to the 
Stellar Reactor Plant.   

As Tatsuya was going around greeting the guests, a dressed up Miyuki was standing 
next to him. Behind them followed Lina, dressed up as glamorous as Miyuki was as a 
matter of course.  

Following its investment in the Stellar Reactor Plant, American companies (actually the 
USNA federal government through private companies) have also become shareholders 
in the Stellar Generator. Many of tonight's guests were Americans because of this. They 
were very excited to speak to Lina.  

Another person who drew as much attention as Miyuki and Lina in the venue was 
Mayumi, wearing an adult dress.  

While Miyuki and Lina's dress was nearly sleeveless but covered her shoulders and 
chest, Mayumi's dress was a strapless dress. She boldly showed her shoulders and 
bosom under the stole. Her skirt was long enough to not look too flashy, but her petite 
frame and glamorous proportions made the men's eyes happy.  

Fujibayashi, on the other hand, a​ttended the event in a skirt suit. Her figure was unique 
among the cocktail dresses of the female audience, though she was most popular 
among the older ladies.   

There was no sign of Ryousuke at the party venue. He was working as a porter in the 
 136 

backstage and doing all sorts of heavy duty work.  

  

The party was not held in the northeast district, where the plant was located, but in the 
largest of the hotels built in the southeast district. The northeast district was now 
deserted in contrast to it's center where various demonstrations had taken place during 
the company's founding ceremony, but needless to say, it was not empty of people.  

The thieves were only allowed to break in yesterday. On top of that, today, they were 
inviting a large number of guests. Security was tighter than ever.  

They have already stopped accepting incoming cargo ships transporting the hydrogen 
gas produced. Since they had been notified of this in advance, no ships protested their 
non-permission to dock, but a few of them did not make it in time as a result. Those 
ships will be anchored a little offshore until tomorrow morning. On the deck of one of 
them, there is a duo of Middle Eastern men on board a cargo ship, pointing binoculars 
at Miyakijima. 

The two men were similar in both face and physical appearance. They were close in age 
and could be brothers, cousins, perhaps even twins.  

It's not surprising that some of the crew members of the cargo ships coming in and out 
of Japanese ports are of Middle Eastern descent. Of the four major world powers, the 
New Soviet Union and the Great Asian Union are enemies of Japan, while the USNA and 
the IPU are on friendly terms. Relations with the Arab League are also favorable so far. 
Middle Eastern workers can be seen not only on the sea but also in the streets.  

However, the conversation that took place while looking through the binoculars in 
exactly the same stance was anything but "usual".  

"......It's going to be hard to break in for a while, isn't it?"  

"Mm. The reinforced security measures won't be limited only to tonight. I don't want to 
come across a Yotsuba combat magician, regardless of whether it's a security guard or 
not."  

These two were the same thieves who had broken into the Stellar Reactor building last 
night.  
 137 

"Bahadur, the manufacturing data of the thing, do you think it's in there? It seems to me 
that they're manufactured elsewhere."  

"I agree, Bahman. That part is the heart of the Stellar Reactor system. If you think about 
it, it's very likely that they're keeping the production line a secret even from their 
investors."  

"Where do you think that is?"  

"I don't have any evidence for this, but...... maybe it's FLT? Bahman, what do you think?"  

"I concur with you, Bahadur. But I also can't help but think it's here too." 

"It seems to me so. But moving the sh​ip now would cause unnecessary suspicion. We 
should wait until morning."  

"Understood. So let's make the following arrangements tonight."  

"Yes........ Let's do that."  

They pulled the binoculars away from their faces, left the railing they were leaning on 
and headed for the cabin.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The party ended before 8 o'clock. It took almost an hour longer than expected because 
many of the guests wanted to have a long talk with Tatsuya and Miyuki.  

After seeing the guests off and thanking Fujibayashi and Mayumi, who were not 
originally involved in the party ──they were Magian Company staff, not Stellar 
Generator employees── Tatsuya returned with Miyuki and Lina to their secondary 
residence in the northwest district. It's a 4LDK apartment on the top floor of a 
residential building, converted from a facility for the administrative staff when 
Miyakijima was a maximum security prison for dangerous criminal magicians . 
Incidentally, when Lina also came to Miyakijima, she would stay in the room formerly 
occupied by Minami in this 4LDK.  

"Thank you both for your efforts."  

While loosening his collar, Tatsuya thanked Miyuki and Lina.   

 138 

"I should be the one thanking you for your hard work, Tatsuya-sama. Would you like me 
to make you something? You haven't eaten much at the party, have you?"  

"No, it's okay. I have been snacking here and there" 

"Then, would you prefer a bath then?"   

"Miyuki and Lina should use the baths first. I can use it later."  

Tatsuya said so and then retreated to his room to change clothes.  

He had just taken off his necktie and jacket when there was a knock at the door.  

"Come in."  

"Excuse me" 

As soon as Tatsuya replies, the figure of Miyuki still in her dress walks in.  

"I asked Lina to use the bath first."  

Before Tatsuya could make any remarks, Miyuki gave an excuse.  

"I see."  

Tatsuya nodded and walked over to Miyuki, who was looking down embarrassed. 

Then, without saying a word, he hugged her body.  

"Ah......."  

A breath escaped from Miyuki's mouth. It was never a sign of rejection.  

That voice, tinged with mellowness, is not a sign of rejection, but of anticipation.  

Tatsuya put the fingers of his right hand on Miyuki's chin.  

Miyuki raised her face without resistance.  

Their lips lightly meet.  

A feathered kiss, like a teasin​g peck.  

 139 

Their lips parted, and Miyuki buried her face in Tatsuya's chest.  

There was a sense of shyness, but no awkwardness.   

Their relationship had progressed to this level in three years. 

They may be like a couple of first-time lovers in junior high school, but for Tatsuya and 
Miyuki, this was still a huge advance.  

  

Miyuki took over from Lina and went into the bathroom, while Tatsuya changed his 
clothes and went to the dining room to quench his thirst.  

That's when the freshly bathed Lina showed up.  

"HAR, give me a iced café au lait, please."   

Lina ordered the home-automation for a drink instead of asking Tatsuya.  

She then sat herself down across​ from Tatsuya and grinned.  

"Tatsuya. Miyuki's face looked a bit red, have you done something?" 

"We just kissed, though." 

Immediately, Lina's expression dampened. 

"That's it? Are you still at that stage?" 

A sigh escaped Lina's mouth.  

"......If you're so backwards, you should be at least a little shy. Or are you as pure as an 
average low-teenager?"  

"I don't think we're backwards, though. I don't think I'm pure hearted either."  

"Hmmm .......In that case, you're, um, 'worthless' I guess. I'm pretty sure there's a word 
for that in Japanese, right?"  

"The word worthiness originally emphasized the ability to make a living, economic 
power. It wouldn't be strictly correct to use it to mean the same thing as guts, would 
 140 

it?"  

"No guts, then." 

Tatsuya lets out a chuckle.  

"But more importantly, you have something to talk about, don't you?"  

"Wait a minute." 

Just in time, a self-driving wagon controlled by the HAR brought in the glass of iced café 
au lait. 

Lina took the glass herself and cleared her throat.  

"Let's talk seriously from here."  

"Ok. What is it?" 

Following Lina's request, Tatsuya's expression becomes somewhat more serious.  

"I had Stars look into Tookami Ryousuke. It's about the results." 

"Did you get something?"  

"Yes. He's a member of FEHR." 

"Ho. So it was a very honest declaration to say that he came back from Vancouver, 
wasn't it? I thought he would change the departure airport with some small tricks, 
though." 

"You know about the FEHR, don't you?"  

Lina glances up at him and asks him a question.  

Tatsuya nodded as if it was nothing. Lina seemed to have forgotten that Tatsuya had 
mentioned the n​ame of the FEHR when he interviewed Ryousuke. 

FEHR. It's a political association whose name is an acronym for 'Fighters for the 
Evolution of the Human Race'. It was established in December of 2095 in response to the 
radicalization of the 'Humanists'. Its headquarters are in Vancouver. The representative 
is Rena Fehr. The purpose of the association is to protect magicians from the anti-magic 
 141 

and magician exclusion movements.  

Tatsuya briefly described what he knew​ about the FEHR.  

"You know a lot as usual, Tatsuya. But you don't know that the FEHR is under 
surveillance by the FBI as one of the Terrorism Early Warning Groups16."  

"I certainly didn't know that."  

Tatsuya nodded honestly, trying not to look pretentious.  

"I thought they hadn't committed any specific violent acts yet, are they just not being 
reported?"  

"No, I' m sure they are still in the potential suspect stage. But things aren't looking good 
over there."  

"What part of it is dangerous?"  

"The charisma of the guru." 

"Guru?" 

Tatsuya frowns quizzically. 

"The FEHR is a religious organization? I thought it was a political association."  

"It's a political association in terms of activities. But they have a blind devotion to their 
leader, Rena. No, calling it fanatic would be more appropriate, I suppose. I'm sure the 
members would be willing to do whatever it takes, and for that matter, even suicide 
bombings, if she gave them the order."  

"That's really....... Wh​at kind of person is this Rena? She is a magician, right?"  

"Hold on a minute." 

Lina sips her iced café au lait and stands up.  

"I'm going to get my terminal."  

Saying that, she went to her room.  

16
​Terrorism Early Warning (TEW) Groups
 142 

Miyuki came into the din​ing room in turn.  

Like Lina, Miyuki's exuberant skin after a hot bath looks sensual. Her dark hair is wet 
and moist, giving her a chaste, yet frighteningly alluring sex appeal. It was probably a 
matter of taste, but it was still Miyuki who greatly shook Tatsuya's flawed heart.   

"Tatsuya-sama, would you like a refill on your drink?"  

"Thanks. But I'll wait until after I've had my bath."  

"Very well. Then I'll get just for myself."  

Saying so, Miyuki put the herbal tea leaves into the teapot with her own hands. She 
poured the water into the metal pitcher, grabbed the CAD and the water instantly 
boiled. 

She poured the hot water into the teapot, transferred the brewed herb tea to an empty 
jug, and let it cool for a moment.  

Sitting directly across from Tatsuya, Miyuki frowned lightly as she took a sip of the herb 
tea she'd poured into her glass. The reason for this was evident in her murmur, "It's too 
cold......" after setting the glass down.  

"By the way, what were you and Lina talking about?"  

It's not jealousy. She had already passed the stage of being jealous of Lina, whom she 
acted with almost all day long. She already knew that Lina had no such interest in 
Tatsuya.   

"It seems that Lina had asked Stars to investigate Tookami Ryousuke's background. I 
was listening to the results of that investigation."  

"Did anything suspicious come up?"   

"He is a member of FEHR" 

It was Lina who answered, coming back into the dining room. 

"​Fehr?​ What's that?"  

Given that she had never heard of the FEHR, it was an understandable question for 
 143 

Miyuki. 

"FEHR is a political organization that ostensibly advocates for the protection of human 
rights for magicians, but they're being monitored by the FBI for their likelihood of 
resorting to terrorism."  

It was a duplicate explanation to the one she had given him earlier, but Lina didn't show 
a single single sign of disapproval.  

"And, there is FEHR representative, Rena Fehr,"  

Lina sat down next to Miyuki and switched on the electronic paper.  

She ran the stylus pen to write in the search terms.  

Then she put the pen down, as the data she was looking for immediately appeared on 
the screen.  

"Rena Fehr, real name is Rena Chevalie. According to federal records, she was born in 
June, 2070, in Quebec, and is of French descent. It's been confirmed that she lived in 
Quebec until July 2081. She moved to Vancouver eight years ago, but her whereabouts 
were unknown for eleven years, from August 2081 to August 2092. She may have been 
out of the country." 

"If the government hasn't found out where she went, does that mean she might have 
smuggled out of the country?"   

"Or kidnapped, you know. Rena Fehr has a peculiar condition. She's supposed to be 
turning thirty this year, but she has an apparent age of around sixteen. Even in Quebec, 
it's been on record that she looked only about five years old at most from when she was 
eleven." 

"......Anageria syndrome?" 

"Yes, that's a possibility." 

Anageria Syndrome ──the affliction of slowed aging. It's the name given by the 
novelist Matt Haig to the congenital disease that afflicts the protagonist, Tom Hazzard's, 
of his novel 'How to Stop Time'. The name Anageria Syndrome is a creation of Matt 
Haig's, but it was adopted as a provisional name for a real-life condition after people 
 144 

were discovered who were suspected of suffering from it.  

The reason why it's suspicious is because there is no real medical confirmation of the 
slow aging process. No, it should be said that no medical confirmed data has been 
published.   

"That's why you think she might have been abducted?" 

"That's what I mean."  

Lina nodded. At this point, Miyuki interjected with a query from Tatsuya's counter 
question. 

"Tatsuya-sama, is Anageria Syndrome a disease that slows down the growing process?"  

"Should we call it a disease or a constitution? If you simply age slowly, then you can't 
call it healthy."  

Tatsuya replies to Miyuki, who tilts her head slightly, in a voice with little ups and 
downs.  

"She hardly ages....... That's why you think she might have been kidnapped?"  

To Miyuki's wide-eyed inquiry, Tatsuya nodded with a slightly bitter face.   

With a little imagination, it's possible to understand. A constitution in which aging is 
slowed. That's an object of desire in the eyes of the powerful people. There must be no 
small number of people in power who would love to get their hands on this secret by 
any means necessary.  

Perhaps bothered by the heavy atmosphere, Lina began to mention another part of the 
report.   

"No magical disposition was identified in Rena at the time she lived in Quebec. This is 
probably another effect of the Anageria syndrome. I wonder if her magical growth was 
also being dragged down by her physical growth."  

"So that's why the government scouts didn't pick up on her....... So, what kind of magic 
does Rena Fehr have?"  

"Unfortunately, that part they don't know for sure. Apparently it's a powerful mental 
 145 

interference type magic. It doesn't seem to be an offensive kind, either, but more of a 
type of which soothes the heart." 

"A mind interference soothes the heart. Certainly a great way to create a fanatic 
believer."  

"This type of mental interference magic that grants pleasure is a kind of drug. 
Nonetheless, it's difficult to regulate. It's difficult to monitor from the outside, and it 
leaves no trace of its use. It's absolutely annoying."  

"So, on the surface, she is just a leader with a good grasp on people's hearts."   

"That's what I mean." 

Lina let out a big sigh.  

"So Lina thinks that Tookami-san might be captivated by that Rena-san, too?"  

It wasn't Tatsuya, but Miyuki, who asked Lina the crucial question that was the reason 
for the discussion. 

"Maybe, no. I'm sure of it. I admit that I don't have enough evidence, but......, at least 
positive that he's a highly skilled fighter. It's impossible for such a person not to be 
aware the Tasuya's dreadfulness. Yet, he's still trying to hang on to the Company, so I' m 
sure he has a good r​eason for it. For example, he's been given a mission by the Guru 
that takes precedence over his own life, for example."  

"What's the mission?" 

Miyuki asked Lina, who seemed to be taking the situation surprisingly seriously. 

"I don't know about that, but ......he's dangerous either way. You never know what a 
fanatic might do. You should definitely keep an eye on him."  

"I think Lina's overthinking it......"  

Miyuki expressed doubt about Lina's seemingly simplistic conclusion.  

But Tatsuya didn't refute Lina's c​onclusion.  

 
 
 146 

Chapter 6 
[Insubstantial Offense & Defense] 

May 2, 8:30 a.m. Tatsuya and Miyuki received a phone call at their secondary residence. 

[Good morning, Miyuki-san. How are you feeling today?]  

The person who appeared on the monitor was Ayako, dressed seamlessly despite the 
fact that it was early Sunday morning.  

"Good morning, Ayako. I'm feeling great. Ayako-san as well, you don't look any 
different."  

[Thank you very much. I​t's thanks to all of you]  

"So, what happened this early in the morning? Is there a pressing matter for me to 
address?"  

Also dressed immaculately, Miyuki asks Ayako about the information she wants to share. 

[It's not really urgent, but there's something I would like to tell you as soon as possible] 

"Is that for Tatsuya-sama?"  

[To both of you. I'd like to visit you today, but I'm not sure if it's convenient] 

"Good morning, Ayako." 

Tatsuya, who has been listening to their conversation, stands in front of the camera and 
joins the conversation. 

[Good morning, Tatsuya-san. Thank you for your hard work yesterday]  

"You too, Ayako, thank you for your efforts. I'm sorry leaving you on the outside in 
charge of the vigilance"  

[No, please don't worry about it]  

He had placed Ayako on alert with Fumiya last night for any approaching suspicious 
 147 

persons, just to make sure the guests were safe.   

[I probably should have helped entertain the guests, but that kind of party is a bit....... So 
I was grateful to be sent to the outside instead. I don't dislike the party itself, though]  

While both are considered to be high-class beautiful women, there is a big difference 
between Ayako and Miyuki. Ayako has a strong tendency to attract the lustful gaze of 
men. Although, not so much in the case of men within the same age group, it is more 
prominent in the case of older men.  

They have what would be called a strong se​x appeal. In Ayako's case, even if she doesn't 
expose herself too much, she still attracts that kind of attention. Whereas with Miyuki, 
it's more likely that men would lose their nerve in her presence, so she doesn't have to 
deal with that kind of overt gaze. 

Ayako is an excellent combat magician. She does not feel physically threatened by the 
eyes of the opposite sex, even if they can't hide their ulterior motives. But the 
discomfort is undeniable. She hadn't yet reached the stage where she felt a sense of 
superiority over such gazes. 

"That's why there is no need to worry about it. So,──"  

Knowing that Ayako suffers from a sort of gaze aversion, Tatsuya brought the 
conversation back to the main topic in order to avoid dragging this subject on.  

"──I understand that you have an urgent report to make.?" 

[Yeah. I think the sooner I report the better]  

Ayako seemed a little relieved when the subject changed.  

"We can do this now." 

They are talking via vidiphone, but Ayako and Fumiya are staying one floor down in this 
same building.   

[Are you sure?]  

In the monitor, Ayako's eyes turn to Miyuki.  

"Yeah, I don't mind."  

 148 

Tatsuya said it was fine. There was no way Miyuki could refuse. 

[I will be right there] 

Ayako bowed politely on the monitor.  

In that state, the vidiphone's monitor went dark.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

"Tookami Ryousuke is a pawn of the FEHR's leader, Rena Fehr."  

This was Ayako's report.  

"......Um, perhaps you were aware of this?"   

Seeing the subtle expressions on Tatsuya and Miyuki and also on Lina's face, Ayako 
asked hesitantly.  

"......Sorry. I had Stars check that out already."  

"Hah, the Stars...."  

Ayako's shoulders slump in response to Lina's answer. As expected, she can't hide her 
disappointment.  

"So, did you also know that the thieves who broke into the plant were 'Janus'......?"  

"Janus? No, that's the first I've heard of it. I guess it's true that there was an intruder, 
isn't it?"  

But this response from Tatsuya brings Ayako back to life.  

"Is Janus a person's name?" 

"I've never heard of it, either. Is it a code name of some kind?"  

Following Miyuki, Lina asks Ayako. 

"As Lina-san suggested, the name Janus is a code name in the American underworld for 
a pair of magical criminals."  

At Miyuki and Lina's question, Ayako exerts in eloquence with a prideful look on her 
 149 

face.  

"They only became famous in the last two years or so. Before that, it seems that their 
activities were in Eastern Europe." 

"Two years ago....... No wonder I didn't know that."  

Lina muttered a seeming excuse. She came to Japan three years ago. If it has been in the 
last two years, it's no wonder she didn't know. 

"Why do you think it was Janus doing? There were no clues left at the scene, though."  

"Tatsuya-san, actually, it wasn't me who deduced that the bandit who broke into the 
Stellar Reactor building was Janus."  

Ayako's expression changed, she took out a voice recorder and placed it on the dining 
room table.  

"In the early hours of yesterday, Tookami Ryousuke was making a call via satellite 
phone at the harbor in the nort​heast area."  

"And you intercepted it." 

"Yes. The receiver was Rena Fehr."  

Ayako has two signature spells. One is Mock Teleportation, a combination of weight, 
convergence and movement types of magic. The other is a convergence type magic 
'Polar Difusion17'. 

The latter magic aims to make the distribution of any gas, liquid, or physical energy 
within a specified area averaged out and indistinguishable. It mixes reflected light 
waves with waves from a large area causing them to blend together and disappear, 
diffusing sound waves and combining them with other sounds to turn them into a faint 
noise that cannot be discerned, thus rendering the sound inaudible.   

As a matter of fact, Ayako can also reverse this process. Picking up sounds that are 
about to be diffused over a large space and returning them to a meaningful audio signal. 
She's not so good at this as to make them from inaudible noise, but she can restore 
whispers to a recordable condition at a distance of a few dozen meters.  

17
極散
 150 

With this magic, she managed to ​eavesdrop on Ryousuke and Rena's satellite phone call.  

"It's going to be a bit long, I'll play it back from the beginning. Please listen."  

The voices of Ryousuke and of a girl started to come out of the voice recorder. Their 
conversation was in English, but there was no one here who needed an interpreter.  

"Unless they noticed Ayako's eavesdropping and were acting out......."  

"I guess that means Tookami-san is innocent of the incident the night before last."  

Picking up from Tatsuya's line, Miyuki concludes. 

"Hold on. He might have been clean in that one case, though."  

But soon after, Lina countered.  

"You've just confirmed that he's an undercover agent of the FEHR. Are you sure you 
want to keep him in the Magian Company as it is?"  

"Both of you. I think we should address the Janus issue right now." 

Miyuki and Lina held their tongues with an taken aback expression at Ayako's point. 

"By the way, Tatsuya-san,"  

Ayako shifts her attention to Tatsuya.  

"What?" 

"Assuming that the intruder is Janus, as Rena Fehr guessed......"   

Tatsuya didn't contest that assumption.  

"What is Janus aiming for?"  

"Janus has been selling the stolen data on the black market for profit. Isn't that right?"  

"Yes. From what we've been able to find out, it is. I can't be certain that their objective is 
only financial gain." 

"Regardless of the form of their reward, the most valuable data related to Stellar Reactor 
 151 

would be the manufacturing method for the Artificial Relics."  

Tatsuya answered Ayako's question without hesitation. 

Not only limited to the Stellar Reactor, in a Nuclear Fusion Reactor, the fusion reaction 
itself will stop if its control is stopped. The Stellar Reactor ──Thermonuclear Reactor 
via Gravity Control-type Magic will stop its operation if the magic ceases to be 
activated.  

At the moment, it' s not a problem even if power is not being generated continuously, 
since the electricity generated is only used to produce hydrogen. But if the plant is 
going to be used to supply power to the public infrastructure, it must be able to operate 
continuously 24 hours a day, That means the magic must be used continuously to keep 
the Stellar Reactor running.  

Without Artificial Relics with its effect of preserving Magic Sequences, a magician needs 
to stay next to the reactor for as long as the Stellar Reactor is in operation. If it's a 
24-hour operation, it's a continuous 24-hour operation.  

That would make the magician as good as a part of the Stellar Reactor.  

Of course, if it were to be twenty-four hours in a row, it would be in shifts, but it would 

still mean the same, in which the magicians would be integrated into the power 
generation system called Stellar Reactor. Just like the lineman caricaturized in the 
classic movie of the silent films era 'Modern Times'.  

That would only change their role from weapons to power generators. And a 
magician──a Mageist could not escape the fate of being a tool. The trump card to 
solve this problem is Artificial Relics 'Magistore', which has the ability to preserve the 
Magic Sequence. ──By "store" it doesn't mean as in like a "shop", but as in "storage 
place". The "magi" in "magistore" is an abbreviation for "​magic​", but, incidentally, it 
could also mean "curse” or "cursed charm".  

Using the Magistore with current state-of-the art technologies, it is possible to keep the 
Stellar Reactor running by simply inputting the Magic Sequence into the Artificial Relics 
once every six hours. In the future, it is expected that the performance can be increased 
to once every 12 hours. This would only require the magician running the Stellar 
Reactor to work once every 12 hours for 20 to 30 minutes, including preparation time. 
It would require them to be on standby in case of an emergency, but that is also the 
 152 

case in a fully automated plant. In other words, the labor load will be reduced to the 
same extent as that of production line supervisors in a factory where the entire 
workforce has been replaced by industrial robots.  

Once every six hours ──or maybe once every twelve hours in the future── is the 
amount of time that the magic sequence stored in the Magistore can continue to cast 
magic, not the amount of time that the Magistore can keep storing the magic sequence. 
Once Magic Sequence is input, it is preserved for several months if you don't do 
anything. 

There is also a lot of secret know-how on how to output the magic stored in the 
Magistore. Be that as it may, as far as data that can be stolen, the highest price will be 
paid for the Magistore's manufacturing methods.  

"So, the aim of the thieves who snuck into the containment room is......."  

"It was probably an attempt to steal the Artificial Relics from the main unit of the Stellar 
Reactor."  

Tatsuya complements the speculation Miyuki was about to make with his line, affirming 
it.  

"Even if they got the Artificial Relics, they're not something that can be easily duplicated, 
though."   

Tatsuya gave a sarcastic chuckle as he remembered how much trouble he'd had 
duplicating the relic.  

"But thanks to Ayako, I've got a general idea of what they're aiming to do next."  

"Really?!?" 

"Eh, where is it?!"  

At Tatsuya's confident muttering, Ayako and Lina asked, exposing their surprise.  

Miyuki, for her part, had a look on her face that said, "If it's Tatsuya-sama, that's only 
natural."  

"FLT" 
 153 

Tatsuya answered their questions with a single word.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

May 4th. By Tatsuya's orders, Ryousuke has been in Machida, where Magian Company's 
headquarters are located, since yesterday. His moving to the company housing in Izu 
has been postponed, so he's staying at the business hotel next door, which is reserved 
for the staff of the FLT research center.  

Ryousuke had just come back from Vancouver. He hasn't even been able to go out and 
buy some daily necessities for the company housing yet. He has already prepared a bed, 
dining room table, chairs, writing desk, and so forth for the company housing, and 
while he can leave the cooking and cleaning utensils to HAR, he needs to buy his own 
bedding and tableware. In this regard, he was grateful for Tatsuya's directive to stay in 
Machida temporarily, because it gave him more time to make such preparations. 

However, there are some aspects he doesn't agree with. 

Ryousuke is determined to stay in the Stellar Reactor Plant to clear himself of the 
suspicion brought against him. But after getting kicked out of Miyakijima, he doesn't 
even have a chance to capture the thieves. 

Will I be fired after all?  

Such worries lingered in Ryousuke's mind.  

  

"Good morning, Tookami-san, you're early this morning too."  

"Good morning" 

Ryousuke greets his colleague when he arrives at the office five minutes before the start 
of the workday in a cheerful voice ──trying to keep his voice cheerful. This bad habit 
of arriving at the office one hour early has been seemingly overshadowed by the 
stricter application of labor-related laws.  

Ryousuke wasn't the only one who had been changed from his newly assigned work 
location.  
 154 

"Saegusa-san, what shall we do today?"  

"I don't think it's necessary to go to Izu at the moment. I've found out that I can get the 
data I need here, and I plan to get my hands on the documents I need to file with the 
authorities."  

Mayumi has been ordered to work at the headquarters for a while, just like Ryousuke. 

Tatsuya has appointed Mayumi as Ryousuke's partner in order to catch the intruders.  

The person selected is another thing that Ryousuke can't agree with. 

The temporary suspension of Mayumi's assignment at the Industrial Magic Academy has 
also disrupted her moving to the corporate housing in Izu. Now she currently 
commutes from home.  

She has a starting and ending time of work, but Tatsuya told her that she can spend her 
time at the office as she pleases. But since there is no urgent work to do, Mayumi 
arrives at the office and leaves it on time. 

In other words, she goes home at night. This means that they can't team up to catch a 
thief in the first place.  

(What the hell is that guy thinking......) 

Ryousuke complained about Tatsuya, calling him "that guy" in his head.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Tatsuya was, of course, alert for the invading thieves──'Janus'. It is impossible for him 
to not take any steps to catch them.  

In the ​Artificial Relics 'Magistore''s secret production line in the FLT Development 
Section 3.  

Fujibayashi was crammed into the control computer room of the fully automated 
production line. Today' s visit was not an occasional one. It was the third day in a row 
since Sunday. Of course, it was a shift. The manufacturing data of the Artificial Relics 
stored in the FLT was under twenty-four-hour surveillance.  

"......You came, didn't you?"  

 155 

Three o'clock in the afternoon.  

The monitor on the console where Fujibayashi was on standby showed a clear sign of 
hacking.   

"Tatsuya-kun's prediction was spot on."  

Fujibayashi let out a soliloquy in the old fashioned way of calling it. 

"Since what they want is data, it is only a matter of common sense to deduce that if they 
failed in the break-in to the building, the next step would be hacking. I don't think that' 
it's genius or anything if you hit the target."  

Fujibayashi's soliloquy was subtle enough to be either a compliment or a disparagement 

to Tatsuya.  

"But, well, as long as I've spotted you, I'll deal with it properly."  

Fujibayashi added, drifting into an excited atmosphere. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

In the evenin​g of May 2nd, a pair of men, identified as 'Bahadur Mufid' and 'Bahman 
Mufid', landed at the Port of Kawasaki, posing as sailors on a cargo ship, they, 'Janus', 
were hiding out in a cheap hotel for foreign workers. Using private notebooks that they 
had stolen yesterday, they connected into the global net through someone else's 
account via a wireless router that they had also stolen, and attempted to break into the 
FLT's network. 

Hacking is more software than hardware, and more skill than software. Still, the speed 
of the human input is no match for the speed of the AI's counterparts, which requires 
software to support the skill. In order to run advanced software, high-performance 
hardware is required. No one, no matter how skilled they are, should not be able to 
break into the networks of high-tech companies that have built robust security with 
these makeshift tools ──​should not​.  

However.  

'Open, Sesame'  

Every time Bahadur sends a thought wave that has been compiled into an incantation 
 156 

form towards the terminal's display, a firewall is breached.  

It was as if the gatekeepers had unlocked the door themselves and invited the thieves 
in.  

Nevertheless Bahadur just stared at the display. He is not touching the keyboard, the 
pointer, or the stylus pen. It was Bahman, sitting next to him, running his fingers over 
the other connected device, who was operating the computer terminals.  

"Bahman, how far in are you​?"  

"There's probably one or two more firewalls left. We're almost there, Bahadur."  

This is not due to Bahadur being mechanically illiterate. It's that he devotes all of his 
mental resources to magically disabling the network's security, so he doesn't have the 
luxury of handling the information terminal.  

The unclassifiable magic 'Arabian Nights'. A magic that interferes with any phenomenon, 
whether it is a mental or physical phenomenon, that falls under the concept of 
"opening" or "closing". In this case, it is opening the gates of a locked network and 
misleading the system into believing it is legitimate access.  

Bahadur and Bahman are BS magicians." BS" stands for "Born Specialized" magic users. 
Also known as congenital superpower users or congenital singular magic users.  

They, like many BS magicians, can't use any other magic than their 'Arabian Nights'. And 
for that reason, they have been looked down upon by the average magicians. This is 
another common occurrence for BS magicians.  

But compared to other BS magicians, their 'Arabian Nights' has a wider range of 
applications. It wouldn't be that useful if there was only one of them, but as long as both 
the 'open' and 'close' were together, there was a lot that could be done.  

But that's only true for the both of them together. The name 'Arabian Nights' was given 
to 'Janus''s magic...Bahadur can only use '​Open, Sesame'​ and the only magic Bahman can 
use is '​Close, Sesame'​ . One of them can only open and the other can only close it.  

Bahadur and Bahman look exactly like twins, but they are actually from different 
families. Even the surname 'Mufid' is merely a coincidence. As soon as they met, they 
realized that by teaming up, the two of them would multiply their innate, singular 
 157 

magic use many times over. They then teamed up and began to rebel against the society 
that had treated them so coldly.  

At first it was just a two-man rebellion. No, while they called it "rebellion", what they 
were doing was just stealing. But two years ago, they were recruited by their current 
organization and joined the ranks of a full-fledged rebellion against human society.  

Trying to steal the Artificial Relics' manufacturing process is also at the organization's 
behest. The head of the organization plans to use the Artificial Relics 'Magistore' to 
produce magical weapons that can be used by BS magicians and magicians who have 
not reached the actual combat level.  

"Good! Bahadur, we've made it."  

Bahman's words caused Bahadur to exhale heavily. 

"Did you have any data on the Artificial Relics?"  

In response to Bahadur's question, 

"Wait. Damn it, what's with this file system. It's not organized in a tree format....... I'll 
have to search the entire storage system on this device's OS."  

Bahman swears.  

"It's going to take some time, but it's unavoidable."  

"Yeah"  

Bahman starts up the terminal and types in the commands for the search. It's primitive, 
but it's the fastest way to go.  

A string of text began to flow over the display Bahman was staring at, indicating that a 
search was in progress.  

But it soon stopped. 

"It froze? Cheap thing."  

Bahman swears.  

"No, it's not it."  

 158 

However, Bahadur was frowning next to him. His connected terminal was monitoring 
the performance of the network.  

"Bahman, it's a counter-crack!"  

Bahadur shouted and pressed the power button, trying to force the terminal to shut 
down.  

But the terminal did not shut down.  

He swore and pulled out the power cord of the wireless router.  

The connection to the network should have been lost by this.  

And yet, the cracking on their devices continued.  

Bahadur immediately understood what was going on.  

"from another router.....?"  

It's hard to believe, but the enemy on the other side of the network has hijacked 
another router near to their hotel to access their devices here.  

"Bahman, close it down!" 

"Got it!"  

'Close, Sesame' 

Bahman's magic is activated. 

The connection between the device and the global net is "closed".  

As they remembered something, the terminal turned off.  

"Let's get out of here, Bahman!"  

"All right!"  

They may not have been completely identified, but their location was definitely 
narrowed down to a fairly small area.  
 159 

The two of them took what they could take and ran away from the cheap hotel. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

"And I was just one step away......."  

Fujibayashi complains really frustrated in front of the console.  

"Still, this is 'Arabian Nights'? That's some very interesting magic."  

But soon, she murmured with the look of a poised professional. She was working with 
the Yotsuba family on a research project to determine the implications of electronic 
informational networks in the light of magic. The magic she had just been shown was a 
sample of how electronic information networks could be affected by magic in the same 
way as physical phenomena. When this case was over, she would use it for her own 
research, Fujibayashi thought.  

There, she redirected her attention to the situation.  

She left the console of the manufacturing line control and sat in front of a dedicated 
cryptographic communication terminal.  

The recipient is Butler Hanabishi, who is in charge of the Yotsuba family's mercenary 
force.  

The entered text is as follows: 

[The location of the thieves' hiding place is within a 20-meter radius of Kawasaki City's 
XX Ward, XX District, XX Block, XX Town, and House number XX. Presumed to be a 
convenient boarding house] 

As Fujibayashi had mentioned, she was one step closer to completely identifying the 
location where Janus was hiding.  

  

Following the information from Fujibayashi, the Yotsuba family's investigation team 
rushed to the site to find out where Janus was hiding. As a result, they found out that 
they were staying at a budget hotel and got a clue that there were two men of Middle 
Eastern appearance and probably Persian descent, between 170cm and 175cm tall. 
 160 

Unfortunately, the hotel's security camera system was "shutdown" and the image data 
was not available.  

 
 
 161 

Chapter 7 
[Pursuit] 

May 5th (not a national holiday in Japan of this world) 

Tatsuya came to the university for the first time in a week. Tatsuya himself was feeling a 
sense of crisis since he had been attending college almost once a week.  

Yet, unfortunately, the first period was abruptly cancelled. This is a rare occurrence at a 
modern university. This is because the number of canceled classes due to the 
circumstances of the instructor has decreased out of respect for the students' rights, 
and the practice of sending a notification to the student's personal terminal the day 
before a cancelled class due to unavoidable circumstances is now well established.  

"Tatsuya-san" 

Miyuki and Lina are taking another lecture. As Tatsuya was wandering around aimlessly, 
an alto voice called out from behind him. 

As Tatsuya turns around, a boyishly dressed, bustless beautiful woman runs up to him.  

"Fumiya."  

No, it's actually Tatsuya's second cousin, Kuroba Fumiya, a male student wearing unisex 
fashion and short haircut that would would fit in nicely with a woman.  

Unfortunately, Fumiya's height had not grown as much as he had hoped during his third 
year in high school. He stopped growing at 165cm in the end. 

He's only five centimeters shorter than the average height, so maybe there's no need to 
bemoan his height. But most of Fumiya's relatives were tall men; Tatsuya was 182 
centimeters tall, and his father, Mitsugu, was 177 centimeters tall. His distant relative, 
Shibata Katsushige, stands at 188 centimeters.  

Naturally (?), Fumiya hoped that he could grow up too. He may be small now, but he'll 
grow up soon. ──So he thought, during his junior high school years and for two years 
after high school. 
 162 

But in his third year of high school, he came to accept the reality. On his eighteenth 
birthday, Fumiya accepted the fact that he would not grow any taller...... and reasserted 
himself.   

And as a result of this, the current, gender-neutral outfit.   

However, it's not that his sexuality has become distorted or that he has developed a 
hobby of cross-dressing. He has simply abandoned his concern for 'masculinity'. No, it's 
more accurate to say that he abandoned his obsession with "masculine appearance". He 
mainly took in Ayako's advice and started to dress himself in a way which suits his 
appearance.  

Besides Fumiya's emotional reasons, there was also a more pragmatic one.  

In his bare face, Fumiya is a beautiful young man with a rosy complexion that is full of 
charm. He is almost 20 years old, but he is a "pretty boy". He stands out from the crowd 
of college students.  

But with the right amount of make-up, as much as men would use, he looks like an 
ordinary beautiful woman. Both male and female magicians tend to be quite beautiful, 
and many of them are also at Magic University. It is even rumored that the Magic 
University has the most beautiful women in the metropolitan area. Among them, 
Fumiya is much less conspicuous if he is mistaken for a woman.  

As a member of the Kuroba family who is responsible for the Yotsuba family's 
intelligence, it is better to be mistaken for a woman than to stand out too much. Even 
outside the university, it's better to dress neutrally so that people will see you as weak. 
They won't realize his true strength. Fumiya finally could take advantage of those merits 
when he became a college student.  

But he had to be careful about using the right amount. If he made an effort to wear 
makeup, Fumiya would transform from an ordinary beauty to an extraordinarily 
beautiful woman.   

......Even so, Tatsuya never misunderstood Fumiya's gender. He saw Fumiya running up 
to him with a smile on his face, but Tatsuya didn't stretch the bridge of his nose like a 
male student who didn't know the whole truth.  
 163 

"Was Tatsuya-san's class cancelled too?" 

"Fumiya's was too?"  

"Yeah." 

Fumiya nodded happily at Tatsuya's counter-question.  

"Tatsuya-san, would you like to go to the coffee shop outside?"  

"That place?"  

"Yes" 

Tatsuya didn't have a "favorite" spot like Einebrise from his high school days, but Fumiya 
had a familiar place. Tatsuya had been invited to visit it by Fumiya a few times. He finally 
went there in his third year at the university, but only a few times. 

"I guess so."  

The store was about a five-minute walk from the university. So, there was no need to 
worry about being late for the next lecture.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Tatsuya and Fumiya sat at a table at the far end of the cafe. There are many female 
students in the cafe. The coffee shop has a chic interior designed to appeal to women, 
but the more attractive feature is the old-fashioned partition that completely separates 
each table from the other customers.  

Fumiya took the two coffee cups at the counter and carried them over by himself on a 
tray without the help of the waitress, giving the impression he was familiar with such 
practices. His figure is so natural that it could be described as one of the shop's 
waitresses. Although he isn't wearing a dress or a skirt, nor is he wearing an apron. 

Some customers indeed had such a misunderstanding, but Fumiya returned to his seat, 
not paying any attention to the misinterpreted glances, placing a coffee cup in front of 
Tatsuya.  

"Tatsuya-san, you seem to be even busier lately."  

 164 

Leaving the tray as it​ was, without returning it, Fumiya spoke to Tatsuya as he sat down.  

"I don't want to give you guys any troubles."  

"Don't worry about it. It's our job."  

What Tatsuya called "trouble" and Fumiya called a "job" is the pursuit of the duo of 
criminal magicians 'Janus', who broke into the Stellar Reactor Plant and tried to hack 
into the FLT. The task of capturing Janus had been transferred to the Kuroba family 
from the mercenary squad under Butler Hanabishi.  

"When it gets dark, I'll also be ​joining the search." 

The reason Fumiya didn't join the chase in the light of day is not because of his college 
classes. It's because Fumiya would stand out too much to move in the daytime. As one 
would expect, he can no longer use his girl disguise from high school. It's not a question 
of liking or disliking it, it's just that it's too sexually appealing. Having said so, his body is 
that of a slim man, so he is not suited to playing with sex appeal anymore. He was also 
struggling a lot with this. 

"I appreciate your help. I wish I could work on it myself......."  

"If Tatsuya-san makes a move, the intelligence department and the others would be in 
an uproar."  

Fumiya remarked with a straight face. 

This wasn't a joke, but since that day three years ago, the National Defense Intelligence 
Bureau and the Public Security Police had been on edge with Tatsuya's every move.  

Tatsuya could only give a wry smile in return to Fumiya's remark.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

The organization Janus is part of does not have a foothold in Japan. Without its support, 
the two men were in a tight spot.  

The hacking had only been tracked down yesterday. It was now just before four o'clock 
in the afternoon. Both Bahadur and Bahman felt that even though not even a full day 
had passed, the siege was definitely narrowing.  
 165 

Neither of them saw any of their pursuers. But their intuition, that helped them to 
survive the underworld, tells them "The enemy is close at hand."  

The Janus p​air themselves felt that their cornered predicament was absurd. 

They weren't so careless as to leave any clues at the hotel.  

It would be more understandable if they were caught on that occasion.   

It's not like they were unable to get away from the site where they were traced, so why 
are they being hounded.  

They were currently eating in a dining room of a family apartment. It is not an empty 
house. There was a housewife in the house. She was watching TV idly in the next room. 
She must have been relaxing after a day of household chores prior to their intrusion. 
They don't seem to be a wealthy family, their home automation is minimal. Even so, 
compared to fifty years ago, household chores have been drastically reduced, although 
modern Japanese women still m​ay feel it to be an inconvenience.  

The reason Janus deliberately opted for a private house is that, from their experience, 
the security setup is looser. Bahadur's magic unlocked the front door and Bahman's 
magic closed the housewife's awareness. This state would only last for about thirty 
minutes, even on an ordinary person with no magic resistance, but it was enough time 
to satiate their thirst and hunger. And once the housewife regained her awareness, she 
would only think she had been dozing off.  

"Bahman, I think that......"  

Bahadur, who was chewing and swallowing the retorted chicken, spoke to Bahman, 
who was still eating the retorted seafood pizza.  

"......What is it, Bahadur?"  

Bahman returns the response as he swallows what's in his mouth.  

"We certainly left our notebooks in that hotel."  

"You think that was a clue to the trail? But we didn't leave a drop of sweat, not to 
mention fingerprints."  

They were mere thieves until they joined their current organization. Without any 
 166 

backing, the two of them honed the skills necessary to be thieves besides their magic so 
that they would never be caught. Among them, the most important thing was to leave 
no evidence behind. Fingerprints are out of the question. DNA collected from bodily 
fluids could also be the smoking gun. They wouldn't let something like sweat or spit get 
away without being particularly conscious of it.  

"You also kept your gloves on the whole time, I'm sure."  

As Bahman said, they were still wearing gloves. Even in this newly procured house. The 
old gloves they had been using had been disposed of by incineration in the oven.  

"You're right, we didn't leave any physical evidence. There's no doubt about that."  

Bahadur acknowledges Bahman's claim.  

With that line, Bahman guessed what his partner was getting at.  

"......You think we're being tracked by psychometry or something like that?"  

"It makes sense when you think about it." 

Bahadur nodded at Bahman's words.  

"The ones we're dealing with are those Yotsuba. Is it strange that they have a 
psychometrist in their midst?"  

Bahman backchanneled with a hint of a sigh on his tone.  

"Bahman, just to be sure."  

Bahadur didn't need to say anything else from there.  

Dancing to the same beat​, managed to get his intentions across to Bahman.   

"Yeah. I don't know if I can do it, but I'll use my magic to close off any paths of residual 
thoughts." 

Bahman focused his mind on using '​Close, Sesame​''s magic to thwart detection by 
psychometry.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 
 167 

Bahadur and Bahman were right in their speculation that they were being tracked by 
the residual thoughts left on the notebooks left at the budget hotel.  

"......It seems that they activated Cast Jamming. Or could this be the magic called 
'Arabian Nights'?"  

"Can you follow it?" 

"The thread isn't broken, so it's not a problem."  

But the assumption that 'Arabian Nights' would allow them to escape the hunt was 
wrong.  

The Kuroba family does indeed have a few psychometrists under their command. But 
those who have been sent to track Janus this time are not psychometrists.  

It is not uncommon for the Kuroba family to have members who can detect residual 
thoughts. While there is a variation in strength, about one out of every five Kuroba 
family members has the ability to detect and track residual thoughts.  

In fact, looking at the world, it is not such a rare talent to be able to just perceive 
residual thoughts. There are many examples of police detectives and private 
investigators who are said to have a keen sense of intuition, but are using this ability 
without being aware of it.   

There are only a few who are able to read images and clear meaningful information 
lingering in the thoughts. Those who have the superpower to read such "images and 
clear meaningful information" are called psychometrists.  

Those who perceive residual thoughts can only chase after it. Those with a 
psychometrist ability can also only read information about the past that lingers in the 
residual thoughts. The ability to pinpoint the current location of a searched target 
would be​ considered more or less in the domain of a diviner. In that case, Tatsuya, a 
person who is able to know information from the present to the past and back again, 
would, in this case, belong to the realm of a transcendental being. 

With the path of perception closed, it is no longer possible to follow the same signs of 
residual thoughts from a distance. But it doesn't prevent them from following the 
residual thought in the spots where they have passed through.  
 168 

The Kuroba family's pursuit unit uses a combination of two methods: the reverse 
triangulation method, in which they get an approximate position based on observations 
of the sign's position from three​ points that match the direction of the residual thought, 
and also the method of chasing the residual thought in sequence. Bahman's magic 
interferes with the former method, but the method of following the "connected" clues 
does not fall prey to the concept of "closing".  

Because they can't use the Reverse Triangulation Method (provisional name)18, they will 
be less efficient. But they already have a pretty good idea of how close they are. From 
this point on, there is no risk of escape. ──The members of the pursuit unit sent by 
the Kuroba family were confident on that.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

After finishing his college lessons, Tatsuya went to the Magian Company headquarters 
in Machida.  

"Saegusa-san, do you have any plans for tomorrow night?"  

As soon as he reached her desk, he called Mayumi and asked her this.  

"No, I don't......?"  

"Then there's one thing I'd like your assistance with tomorrow night." 

Hearing these words, Mayumi raised her eyebrows quizzically.  

"Assistance? Not overtime?"  

"It's not a Company job. I need your assistance as a Mageist, Saegusa-san."  

"Mageist...... Oh, you mean as a magician, right? And exactly what kind of work would 
that be?"  

She was just reiterating that it wasn't her job, but Tatsuya didn't bring it up.  

"Did you know that thieves broke into the Stellar Reactor Plant in Miyakijima the other 
day?"  

18
Author's imput
 169 

"Yeah, I just happened to overhear it, though."   

As Ryousuke listened to it from his desk in the same room, he complained in his mind, 
"That's not what you said!". When Ryousuke wanted to catch the invaders of that night 
by himself to get rid of the accusations made against him, Tatsuya gave him the 
condition that he would get a partner. And the one Tatsuya chose as his partner was 
Mayumi.  

In other words, she was supposed to be his partner to catch the bandits of that night. 
And yet, he didn't expect the fact that she hasn't been informed of the intrusion incident 
in detail. 

Tatsuya didn't bother with Ryousuke's indignation ─perhaps he had noticed, but 
ignored it─ and con​tinued the conversation with Mayumi with a nonchalant look on 
his face.  

"There's a possibility that that bandit may soon break into the laboratory next door."  

"In the FLT lab? Are the thieves after a silver model?"  

The Magian Company headquarters is located next to the Third Division of the FLT R&D 
Lab. Even after Tatsuya announced the dissolution of the 'Taurus Silver' at the press 
conference at the end of May 2097, the R&D Third Division has continued to release 
CAD models to the world under the name of 'Silver Model'. The building of the R&D 
Third Division next door was named "Laboratory", but at the same time it also served as 
a factory; not particularly unusual since the word "laboratory" in English also means a 
"pharmaceutical production facility". 

Nevertheless, it's a usual response for anyone involved in the word of magic to associate 
FLT R&D Third Division with the CADs of the Silver Model. Mayumi's speculation is not 
far off the mark.  

"Probably not." 

But Tatsuya's answer was "no".  

"Their objective is probably t​he Artificial Relics 'Magistore', which is outsourced to the 
Third Division." 

"The Artificial Relics are manufactured next door?!"  

 170 

Even though the name Magistore is not common, it is fairly well known that the Stellar 
Reactor system has Artificial Relics at its core. 

"I always thought that it was made inside the Stellar Reactor Plant,"  

This wasn't just Mayumi's assumption. Many who knew about the relationship between 
Artificial Relics and Stellar Reactor thought the same thing she did.  

"There is no need for too many Magistores yet, you see. A small production line is 
enough."  

There are six spells required to operate the Stellar Reactor: "Gravity Control", "Plasma 
Transition", "Neutron Barrier", "Gamma Ray Filter", another "Gravity Control", and 
"Coulomb Force Control". Each Stellar Reactor uses twelve Magistores, two per spell.  

At the moment, there are 18 additional Stellar Reactors under construction. Considering 
the minimum amount of Magistore required for the unit's operation is 6, a total of 288 
Magistores is enough.The Artificial Relics, or Magistore, is not something that can be 
synthesized in a day or two, and is small enough for an adult woman to hold in one 
hand, so not much space is required to produce this many Magistores. 

"So I'd like Saegusa-san to team up with Tookami-san to take vigilance on the Magistore 
manufacturing line. This is not Magian Company's business, but would you be willing to 
take on this task?"  

"Saegusa-san!"  

Ryousuke eventually couldn't take it anymore and stood up.  

"Please do it for me! Help me out!"  

Apparently, Ryousuke can't keep up with his speech patterns when he's excited. Not 
surprisingly, he may be a very passionate person.  

"......What are the circumstances?"  

Noticing Tatsuya's gaze, Mayumi turned to Ryousuke and asked. 

"I was there on the night that the thieves broke into the Stellar Reactor Plant. I just 
sensed something was wrong and went to check on the situation, but I was caught up 
in the bandit's escape and I'm on suspicion of being an accomplice. I need to clear this 
 171 

frame-up! If I can't do that, I'll have to quit here. I want to keep my job at Magian 
Company!"  

At first, Mayumi looked surprised, but she gradually regained her composure, and at 
last, her expression became cool and thoughtful. It was an expression that resembled 
her past self as First High's student council president.  

"I understand."  

Mayumi nodded to Ryousuke and turned back to Tatsuya.  

"Executive Director. I'll undertake security for tomorrow night."  

"Thank you. You don't have to work for the Company tomorrow. Of course, I won't put 
you on vacation or absence from work."  

"As you wish, sir. What time would you like us to come to the lab?"  

"Six p.m., please. Also, Tookami-san, is that alright with you?"  

"Yes, sir!"  

Ryousuke answered in a booming voice and bowed vigorously to Tatsuya.  

Tatsuya and Mayumi looked at it and had the same thought "Oh, so this is the type of 
character he is."  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Bahadur and Bahman were chased by the presence of an oncoming pursuer and 
blended into the foreigner's neighborhood. It's currently one of the most lawless areas 
in the metropolitan area, where the Hispanic mafia is still engaged in a power struggle 
with the local gangs. Despite the fact that it is right next to Tokyo, the police turn a 
blind eye to it.  

No, they may be herding troublemakers into a corner and leaving them there to fend for 
themselves. In fact, it was said that this area is "easy to get in, but hard to get out".  

Even now, they could hear gunfire from nearby. Bahman, who had a preconceived 
notion that Japan is a safe country, wondered something like, "Is this really Japan?" 

They found an empty room ──not an empty house. There was another intruder laying, 
 172 

or perhaps sitting, in the other room── After taking a break, the two began to talk 
about their future plans. 

"......We're surrounded by them, right?"  

"I have the same feeling. They don't seem to have entered this city, but that doesn't 
mean they can't."  

"Yeah. I guess they simply hate trouble. The sooner you talk to the mafia, the sooner 
they'll step in."  

"We will have until tomorrow night, at the most."  

"I guess that's about it. If we just keep running around, they'll still catch us as long as 
we're in Japan."  

"So, let's do it." 

Bahman nodded at Bahadur's words. 

"But where are we going to look?"   

Bahman then brought up their pending issue.  

"I still think it is in the FLT lab," 

Bahadur's reply was clear.  

"It looks like it......." 

"Bahman, we are cornered. In this state of affairs, we can't afford picking up targets."  

"All right. Then we'll get out of here tomorrow at dusk."  

"Very well. I'll make the call to the returning ship."  

"I'll go get a car." 

"I'm counting on you."  

"I'm on you too." 

Bahman stood up and Bahadur opened his newly stolen information terminal.  
 173 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

"How's the situation?"  

Fumiya looks back at the voice that called from behind him.  

"Nee-san....... It's not safe for you to come to this place."  

Ayako gave a light shrug at her brother's candid advice.  

"You say it while you are dressed like that, huh....... You don't look all that safe either."  

Fumiya no longer uses Yami's ─a young girl's─ disguise. He is wearing slim pants and a 
thin short coat. However, the slim pants look strangely tight because of the protector in 
the crotch area. Also, he is wearing enough makeup in terms of disguise.  

Now he looks just like an over-20 year old female model. He wouldn't look like a man 
even if he was placed alongside Ayako in an elegant bolero and matching long skirt.  

"I'll let anyone who gets it wrong have it to themselves."  

At Ayako's point, Fumiya boasted in a defiant tone. 

"The situation has not changed since sunset. I've left one escape route open, and I've 
surrounded it so we'll never lose sight of them."  

"That's Tatsuya-san's instructions, right? I wonder if Tatsuya-san is trying to lure the 

thieves into FLT."  

"I suppose so. Excluding Miyakijima, there aren't many places where you can let loose in 
the immediate vicinity of a metropolis."   

"Indeed."  

Ayako nodded at Fumiya's point with a satisfied expression. 

"Besides......."  

"There is still something else?"  

Ayako urges a stammering Fumiya to continue.  

 174 

"I wonder if Tatsuya-san is planning to test Tookami Ryousuke."  

"How trustworthy he is?"  

"It's how useful he is, I think"  

Ayako looked at Fumiya in profile as he looked back at the center of the foreigner's 
district and thought to herself, "He's starting to think like Tatsuya-san". 

 
 175 

Chapter 8 
[Conclusion] 

May 6, 6:00 PM.  

"Good evening. Excuse me."  

"Good evening, Saegusa-san."  

When Mayumi opened the service entrance door of the FLT lab, Ryousuke received her 
with a brisk greeting.  

"Tookami-san, you're early today too."  

Mayumi is wearing a pants suit instead of the skirt suit she wore until yesterday. And 
while it is a business suit, it allowed her to be more dynamic. She wore laced leather 
shoes with almost no heels. She had dressed with the intention to fight.  

"And...... you're very enthusiastic about it, huh?"  

Ryousuke wore a high neck shirt, with a neck guard. Over the shirt, he wears a military 
vest. On the bottom, he is wearing thick work pants and, clearly, sturdy work boots. If 
someone told he is going to get on a transport to the battlefield, dressed like this, it 
wouldn't be surprising.  

"Really? I usually wear this type of clothing."  

".....Do you like military fashion?"  

At Mayumi's honestly hesitant question, Ryousuke lightly twisted his head. 

"No, that's not why I'm....... It's just that it's sturdy, I guess. Because I used to often wear 
my clothes out or make them crochet, for a long time."  

Apparently he's the sort of person who values practicality first and foremost in his 
choice of clothing.  

"Okay, I guess."  
 176 

Mayumi had no other way to respond to it.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

It was past 8 p.m. when the situation arose.  

Mayumi, who until now had been offering various topics of conversation every time the 
silence was about to turn into an awkward atmosphere, suddenly fell silent in the 
middle of the banter.  

"......What's wrong?"  

"Tookami-san, I can use 'Multiscope'."  

"The Remote Visual type Perception Magic?"  

Remote Visual type Perception Magic 'Multiscope'. It is not a way of looking at 
immaterial or information bodies, but a multi-perspective visual radar that perceives 
real objects from multiple angles. Or perhaps it should be called an anisotropic ability to 
perceive three-dimensional space in a true three-dimensional sense, albeit in a visually 
limited sense.  

The owner of the multi-scope does not reconstruct a flat image in the brain by using 
binocular parallax19 or motion parallax, but rather has the mental function to recognize 
a three-dimensional object as it is, but in a sense, what is important now is not the 
aspect of the four-dimensional cognitive ability. It's the aspect of remote vision, where 
there is nothing to block it.  

"What did you see? You don't mean, intruders?"  

"Yes. Opening the main gate, a pair of men have entered the wing."  

Ryousuke briskly turned to the console of the security system. However, the warning 
lights that would turn on if an intruder was detected remained off. For some reason, the 
monitors that were supposed to show the intruders also would not switch to the lobby 
leading to the front gate. 

"I guess this must be the effect of the 'Arabian Nights' that the executive director 
mentioned."   

19
​Parallax
 177 

After Mayumi and Ryousuke agreed to come tonight, Tatsuya explained to 
them──mainly Mayumi, since Ryousuke had heard the gist of it from Rena──the 
expected characteristics of the thieves 'Janus'. 

Between 170cm and 175cm tall.  

Middle Eastern in appearance, possibly of Persian descent.  

And the unique magic that is 'Arabian Nights'.  

"He described Arabian Nights as able to interfere with a wide range of phenomena that 
fit the concepts of 'Open' and 'Close'. They probably used the 'Close' magic to close off 
the connection to the security system and then used the 'Open' magic to open the gate."  

"......If it is something so versatile, then the effective time should be short."  

"Now that you mention it......, that makes sense."  

Ryousuke felt uncomfortable as Mayumi agreed, surprised. 

Because, when he spoke just now, he was just parroting Rena's take on it.  

"In that case, Janus must be in a hurry. We have to catch them before they run away." 

But those thoughts were blown away when Mayumi brought him back up to speed. 

"You must be right. Let's go!"  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Meanwhile, Janus' duo had a bad feeling when they broke into the lab. 

"......Bahadur, isn't it weird?" 

When asked by Bahman, Bahadur replies in a low voice as he continues to crack the 
visitor's terminal.  

"I know what you mean. It's certainly unusual that there's no one in the security room 
of the first floor."  

Bahadur replied, taking a moment to be aware of the stun gun in his breast pocket that 
he had obtained in the foreign city. According to their pre-arranged plan, they would 
 178 

neutralize the staff in the security room with non-lethal bullets before they could get to 
work.   

"It's not just the security office. Isn't it only eight o'clock? And yet, it's devoid of any signs 
of life."   

Implicitly, Bahman raises the issue that it might be a trap.  

The reason why they broke in so early was because they estimated that if there were 
staff working overtime, there would be no security guards patrolling the premises. 
Janus' specialty is not to break into unoccupied buildings, but to break into ones that 
are still occupied and quickly steal it. It was unusual for them to aim at uninhabited 
places late at night, like at the Stellar Reactor Plant the other day.  

This is also something that can be done because of the unique magic they carry 'Arabian 
Nights'. Once again, up to the point of breaking into the building, it was going well as 
per usual.  

But the fact that there was almost no sign of people inside the building was beyond 
their expectations. They don't possess a perception type magic──or a 
superpower──to detect the presence of others. Nevertheless, as professional 
criminals, they pride themselves on having keen senses. That's why they can confidently 
say that this building is not completely deserted, yet there are no more than ten people 
in it.  

By some chance, those few people might be the guards. Bahman felt that they both 
might fall into their ambush.  

"But we can't go back to headquarters empty-handed. We were prepared to cross some 

dangerous bridges when we signed up."  

"Yes, you're right......."  

Bahman does not contradict Bahadur's words.  

But he was not fully convinced. 

Bahman truly believed that it would be better for them to flee immediately. 

It wasn't hard for Bahadur to see that.  

 179 

But Bahadur pretended to be oblivious to his partner's sense of impending danger and 
continued his cracking through magic.  

"I found it. It is probably this one."  

And then he speaks up in a small, yet clear voice.  

"Really?!"  

Bahman forgot about the vigilance of his surroundings and ran up next to Bahadur.  

"It's in this production line, on the second floor. It's completely independent of the other 
lines."  

Bahadur explains to Bahman, pointing to the floor plans of each floor, which he calls up 
after prying open the security of the intranet.  

"We don't have time. Let's get over there as soon as possible."  

Bahman prompts Bahadur. He understood that his magic, which had closed the security 
system, would not hold much longer.  

"Understood."  

Bahadur stood first and started running, with Bahman following behind.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Next to the FLT R&D Third Division lab. In the Magian Company headquarters office.  

(It's about time.)  

Muttering in his mind, Tatsuya pressed the send button for the message he had 
prepared beforehand. He then stood up from his utilitarian desk chair, a bit short of the 
title of Executive Director, and moved to the window.  

"You came?"  

While looking outside th​rough the window, Tatsuya spoke to the person behind him. 

A sign of a jolt and a shiver.  

 180 

"Don't come with ​'You came?'.​ Like you didn't already know."  

But the sign was overshadowed by a brazen voice.  

"That's not what I meant......"  

Responding in a tone with a mix of exasperation, Tatsuya looked back.  

There was an hesitant Miyuki and a defiant-looking Lina, both with terrified faces. The 
one with the brazen voice of earlier was Lina.  

As she said, Tatsuya had noticed them entering the room. He then added "You came?" 
intended as a reprimand, meaning "You should not be here at this hour". 

"I understand what you mean, but it's only after eight o'clock, okay? I'm not a child."  

"We'll talk about it later. So, you came here because you intend to help me?" 

Miyuki, who had been keeping her eyes down, made eye contact with Tatsuya. 

"May I.... help you?"  

"To be honest, I think Miyuki can handle this better than me." 

"By all means! I'll not disappoint you!"  

"All right, I’ll be counting on you, then." 

"Yes." 

Miyuki looked up to Tatsuya with laced fingers and moist eyes. 

"Hey......, how long will you keep this up?"  

Lina interjects in a bland tone.  

"Keep what?"  

Miyuki turns around and gives her a dry smile. There's not a shred of sweetness in her 
voice.  

"──No, nothing."  
 181 

And Lina stiffly averts her eyes.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Offshore at Kawasaki harbor, Fumiya nodded after looking at the screen of the 
information terminal.  

"Is it from Tatsuya-san?" 

Ayako, dressed like a passenger of a luxury cruise ship, stepped closer to peer into 
Fumiya's terminal. The boat they were on was apparently a plain water bus. Which 
didn't exactly match Ayako's current fashions. 

"We've got the green light."  

While nodding, Fumiya responds. For today he is dressed in a boiler suit of dark tones. 
He is also wearing a marine cap and protective glasses to prevent his eyes from flying 
debris. There's not a shred of femininity in him, tonight he certainly doesn't look like a 
woman.  

He turned his attention to a small freighter anchored a short distance away. The quay 
was empty, but there were no motions to dock. Well, even if they were to dock at this 
time of day, no sailors other than domestic vessels would be able to go ashore as an 
anti-smuggling measure.  

"Nee-san, if you please." 

"I don't think there's any such thing as a 'what if', but you should be careful either way."  

"I'll get in touch when I'm done."  

Fixing the transceiver to one of his ears, Fumiya bent down lightly, holding his private 
CAD in the form of a knuckle duster in his right hand, ready to be used at any time.  

Ayako's hand touches Fumiya's back.  

In the next instant, Fumiya's figure disappeared from the deck.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Mayumi and Ryousuke made their way from the control room of the security system on 
the second floor to the main lobby in the first floor. They didn't want to make noise, so 
 182 

they took on a stride instead of running. 

They hadn't been in the security room on the first floor from the beginning due to 
Tatsuya's instructions. Honestly, both Mayumi and Ryousuke felt that this instruction 
didn't make sense to them, since the production line of Artificial Relics was on the 
second floor. 

On the way there, just before the emergency staircase leading to the first floor,  

"Tookami-san, stop."  

Mayumi stopped Ryousuke. 

"Not this way. The thieves are going up in the elevator!"  

"In the elevator?" 

That's ridiculous, thought Ryousuke. It was against his common sense to choose an 
elevator that would be a secluded room with no way for a thief to escape due to the 
difference in height between the first and second floors.  

But he wasted no more time in idleness and turned on his heel. The elevator hall is a 
short distance away from the emergency stairs. Loitering around would allow the 
thieves to break into the Artificial Relics production line.  

  

The elevator carrying the Janus duo st​arts to ascend. The number of floors is one. Their 
arrival is quick.  

Neither Bahadur nor Bahman suspects that a guard is waiting for them in the elevator 
hall. They know the building is not deserted. They were also certain that there were 
very few of them. The reason for taking the rather obvious elevator was so the guards 
could ambush them. If the number of guards was small, they thought it would be better 
to deal with the situation first rather than just let it happen, as they did not know when 
they would encounter it.  

The digital display changes to "2".  

Bahman was ready to activate his magic.  

 183 

  

Just as Ryousuke arrives at the elevator hall, the lamp simultaneously turns on to 
indicate their arrival. 

Mayumi catches up with Ryousuke and stops behind him.  

The stainless steel door opens slowly. No, maybe it's Ryousuke's state of mind that 
makes it seem slow.  

The moment the door was halfway open and a figure could be seen in the cab.  

('Close, Sesame')  

His vision went dark as his head was filled with a sort of double echo of the language 
and famous incantations he had heard but didn't understand. 

He was not blinded.  

The lights on the entire floor, including the emergency lights, went out at once.  

Ryousuke and Mayumi were paralyzed by the unexpected situation. At the next 
moment, their eyes were assaulted by a bright light. 

The light was coming from inside the elevator.  

A high-intensity handheld flashlight. It's a best-selling 'Maglite' from an American 

manufacturer that has been widely used since the twentieth century.  

The intense light came just after the complete darkness, dazzling Ryousuke and 
Mayumi. 

Ryousuke suddenly jumps on a Mayumi in that same state, pushing her down.  

 
 184 

 
 185 

Mayumi lets out a scream.  

Sparks flew from the synthetic marble wall across the elevator where Ryousuke and 
Mayumi were behind.   

The lights came back on, and Ryousuke and Mayumi, though vaguely, were able to see 
again. 

Underneath Ryousuke's body, Mayumi had recovered from her panic.  

The sound of the bullets coming from the wall commanded her to remain calm.  

Mayumi surveyed the situation with her Multiscope, not with her poorly recovered 
physical eyes.  

Two people of Middle Eastern descent, one has a hand-held flashlight, they each hold 
what looks like a pistol. 

Mayumi realized that Ryousuke had protected her from the gun (or something similar) 
by pushing her down.  

Mayumi shifts underneath Ryousuke.  

Ryousuke scrambled to lift himself up.  

With her now free hands, Mayumi operated her CAD. 

She activated a convergence-type magic, that compressed the air between the two 
bandits' feet.  

Fire sensors detected the sudden rise in temperature caused by the adiabatic 
compression.  

The elevators locked up and the elevator hall sprinklers were triggered.  

Large amounts of water poured down.  

With those water droplets, Mayumi created an ice bullet.  

  

The pair, a man and a woman, who were waiting in the elevator hall, were bathed in 
 186 

lights and blinded, Bahadur aimed his pistol at the man and Bahman at the woman.   

They were non-lethal rounds with electrical stunning. Instead of a wired system like a 
taser gun, the bullets themselves have a discharge function. The bullet's velocity is low, 
but it's heavy, so if it lands, there's quite an impact. On top of that, it's a high-voltage 
electric shock. If it hits, the opponent will almost certainly be neutralized. 

However, the paralyzing bullets missed despite being at point blank range.  

The man pushed the woman down to cover.  

The effect of Bahman's magic, which had closed the electrical supply channel, ended 
and the lights were restored.  

Suddenly, a chill ran down Bahadur's and Bahman's spines.  

As they had signaled to each other, they stepped back from the elevator and hurriedly 
hid in the shadows of the doorframe.  

All of a sudden, the sprinklers activated.  

And from the pouring shower, ice bullets shot out and pierced the space where they 
had been standing.  

Bahman hit the closing door button on the panel repeatedly.  

But the elevator's controls were locked and the doors were unresponsive.  

Ice bullets shot from a deep angle grazed Bahman's body, which was clinging to the 
wall.  

('Open, Sesame')  

Bahadur activated his magic from the opposite side.  

The lock on the system was released and the door closed.  

Bahman pressed the button of the first floor.  

Immediately after that, the man jumped in through the gap of the closing door. 

  
 187 

Mayumi shot ice bullets made of water droplets from the sprinklers.  

The elevator hall was the only place where there was water being released. No water 
droplets have reached the inside of the cab.  

She is spraying a barrage of ice into the cage through the open boarding door, but the 
duo hiding in the blind spot were not hit effectively.  

(Then I'll drag them out!)  

After finally recovering completely from the damage to his eyes, Ryousuke summoned 
his own magic to jump into the cab.  

The 'Toogami' magic that was given by the former Tenth Research Institute, and the one 
that led to their expulsion from the former Tenth Research Institute. 

Individual Armor Magic 'Reactive Armor'.  

A plain anti-object magic barrier is constructed in line with Ryousuke's body.  

Somehow the doors, which should have been locked by the operational system, begin 
to close.  

Ryousuke jumped into the cage through the gap between the half-closed doors.  

  

Bahadur shot a paralyzing round at the young man who jumped into the cab.  

The bullet, which had a built-in discharge mechanism, was stopped by the barrier the 
youth was covered in.  

"A magical barrier!"  

A surprised remark came out of Bahadur's mouth.  

The young man grabbed the gun Bahadur was holding and lightly twisted it.  

With that alone, Bahadur's body was thrown against the cab's wall. 

The young man was around 180cm tall, while Bahadur was roughly less than 170cm.  

Even though there was a difference in physique, that alone did not explain his skill that 
 188 

looked like a sleight of hand. 

Under the impact of being thrown, Bahadur mustered his willpower and activated his 
magic.   

('Open, Sesame')  

The barrier that covered the young man's body momentarily opens.  

Bahman was about to shoot a paralyzing round onto the back of the now unprotected 
young man.  

But faster than he could pull the trigger, the young man's barrier was restored.  

('Open, Sesame'!) 

Bahadur once again activates his magic to neutralize the barrier.  

But this time, the 'Arabian Nights''s "Open" didn't work.  

The magical resistance of the barrier had been greatly increased.  

It no longer let 'Arabian Nights' come close to it!   

The bullet Bahman fired was blocked by the young man's barrier. 

The young man quickly turned around.  

The cab arrived on the first floor and the doors slid open.  

The young man grabbed onto Bahman.  

He didn't look at Bahadur as he crawled out of the cab, sure that he could take care of 
him at any moment.   

The young man's hand reached for Bahman's pistol.  

It didn't look like a very fast motion, but Bahman couldn't avoid the hand.  

The young man didn't grab the handgun, but Bahman's wrist.  

From where he grabbed, a sharp pain spread through Bahman's whole body.  
 189 

The gun dropped out of Bahman's hand.  

Amidst the pain, Bahman felt a floating sensation.  

The gun and Bahman's body fell to the floor of the cab at the same time.  

He wasn't able to take a safe landing20.  

The young man didn't let him take a safe landing. 

In his field of vision as he looked up, the young man raised his hand overhead.   

It was not a fist, but a stance of a palm bottom strike, yet the damage would surely be 
the same.   

He could easily guess that.   

There is no way for me to escape. 

Bahman realized that his fate was at its end. 

Seeing the approaching palm strike of the young man, Bahman summoned the last of 
his strength.   

('Close up, Sesame')  

The elevator doors quietly close.  

The young man's palm strike reaches Bahman's chest.  

Bahman's consciousness was engulfed in darkness.  

With an Aiki skill, Ryousuke slammed Bahman to the floor and knocked him 
unconscious with a palm strike to the chest. Aikijutsu21 - a little different from Aikido - 
was the martial art that Ryousuke was most proficient in.  

A hit in the head to the point of rendering a person unconscious could cause brain 
damage. Ryousuke's palm strike to Bahman's chest was a "safe way to stun an opponent" 

20
(受身) Ukemi, a martial arts term for the "art of falling safely"
21
(合気術) ​Aikijustu
 190 

that he learned from a different master in high school than Aikijutsu.  

There is only one more. Ryousuke lets out a sigh of relief. 

The fact that Janus' magic had the power to interfere with his barrier magic was 
unexpected. In the moment that his barrier was disabled, he was honestly so surprised 
that he panicked a bit.  

But, as soon as it was broken, his individual armor magic would be rebuilt with an 
assigned resistance to "the same type of power of attack that triggered it". Hence 
'Reactive Armor'. Armor that reacts to attacks.  

As long as he is not neutralized by a single blow, he will stand up and continue to fight 
as many times as he can.  

That's the magic of the expelled from the former Tenth Research Institute and turned 
Extra 'Toogami'.  

There is a virtual limit to the number of times the barrier can be rebuilt. So, defeating 
the enemy before this limit is reached is how 'Toogami', and now Tookami Ryousuke, 
fight.   

Ryousuke pressed the open door button on the panel to chase after the remaining one 
left. 

But the elevator doors did not respond to Ryousuke's operation.  

Ryousuke hit the buttons on the panel repeatedly. 

The doors remained silent. 

(The magic is still in effect......? Even though the magician is unconscious?) 

Ryousuke was confused. That's why he couldn't realize it.  

He couldn't reach the truth. 

It was indeed Bahman's magic that closed the door. But the reason why the button to 
open the door doesn't respond is because the system is locked. 

The elevator's operating system had been locked by Mayumi, who had falsely led the 
building's fire prevention system to believe that there was a fire. Bahadur's magic had 
 191 

forced the locking in the system to be lifted.  

With the effect of Bahadur's magics now wearing off, the elevator system is now locked 
up again. And now that the fire prevention system no longer detects the false fire, all he 
has to do to get the elevators working again is to contact the Systems Management AI 
with the emergency call button and request to reactivate the elevators operation. 

Ryousuke knows this procedure. If he was calm, he would have realized it right away.  

But Ryousuke, who thinks that the magic of "Close" from 'Arabian Nights' is what is 
trapping him, keeps hitting the buttons on the panel incessantly.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

Tokyo Bay area, offshore of Kawasaki Port.  

There is another settlement here as well. 

[Nee-san, do you read me?]  

Fumiya's voice comes over the radio to Ayako's ears.  

[I've finished] 

It's over. 

The message from Fumiya was the report that the subjugation was complete.  

"That took a surprisingly long time, didn't it? Was it tough?"  

[There were a lot of people]  

"There were that many enemies?"  

[No, I couldn't tell who was the enemy, so I knocked them all into a coma for now]  

Fumiya words trailed off at this point.  

[──I think it was a little over a hundred people. Well, no one is dead, so it doesn't 
matter]  

The resumed speech elicits a dry laugh from Ayako. It's been bothering her lately, but 
she can't help but feel that her younger brother since his graduation from Fourth High, 
 192 

has been losing his "human sensibility". 

Maybe I should look at my alma mater sometime and see if I can find out about the 
"humanity" that Fumiya lost...... Ayako thought about such a trivial matter. 

[Nee-san?]  

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to pick you up?"  

Ayako suggested that she would fly with the Mock Teleportation and bring the Fumiya 
back to this ship. 

[No, I want you to order the ship to come over and berth here]  

"You're taking the whole ship?"  

Fumiya is apparently planning to take not only the bandit's companions, but also the 
entire crew of the ship.  

[I have no proof, but I have a feeling that the ship itself isn't unrelated] 

"Right......."  

While saying so, Ayako gathered her thoughts.  

Fumiya says that there is no basis for this, but it is not unlikely that the cargo ship was 
staffed by all of the crew members employed by a crime syndicate. It is even possible 
that they were all members of a crime syndicate.  

Fortunately, the Yotsuba family now has an extraterritorial base at Miyakijima. It's not 
too farfetched to take an entire ship captive. Rather, in this case, it's the most reliable 
solution.  

"Alright. Let's hijack this cargo ship." 

[Seajacking is....... Maybe that's the case] 

Fumiya replied in a dumbfounded voice. It seemed the joke was worth it. Ayako slipped 
a chuckle, relieved at her brother's normal reaction.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 
 193 

Dazed from the impact of being thrown by Ryousuke, Bahadur reached the parking lot 
where he parked the private car they had used to get here.  

He didn't feel guilty about escaping on his own. Even though they have been a duo for 
many years, in the end, Bahman was not his relative. 

He might not even be able to return to the organization because of his failure in the job, 
but he didn't need to consider twice that his safety was his top priority.  

I dared to use a paid facility for parking so as not to cause any unnecessary trouble. As 
for payment, I chose the place where I could pay by prepaid electronic money that does 
not require biometric au​thentication. There shouldn't be any problem concerning 
parking. 

However, the car that should supposedly be parked in the lot was not there.   

In its place, there is a different wagon parked, with a beautiful young blonde woman 
leaning against the front of it, looking at a terminal.  

"......Excuse me, but do you know of a car that was parked right here?"  

Bahadur questioned the blonde beauty in his inexperienced japanese.  

"Who knows?"  

The woman gives an exaggerated shrug to Bahadur. It was a natural movement that 
didn't seem out of place. 

It seems that the blonde beauty had no intention of having any further conversation. 
Once again she looked down at the information terminal.  

Bahadur's mind was quick to switch from confusion to defiance.  

There was no point in thinking about the vanished car.  

There is no time for that.  

Fortunately, there is only a slim young woman here. He's going to take this wagon and 
leave this place.  

Unfortunately, Bahadur's magic can't make her unconscious or blind her like Bahman's. 
 194 

But the opponent is just a seemingly helpless young woman. He dropped his paralyzing 
pistol in the elevator, but Bahadur decided that his bare hands would suffice. 

Bahadur is a criminal. He may avoid killing, but he has no hesitation in committing 

violence against women.  

He didn't utter a word, but instead used the handle of the Maglite, held in the opposite 
direction, to strike the blonde beauty. 

However. 

The maglite Bahadur swung down, sliced through her body and struck the wagon's 
windshield.  

Behind Lina's virtual image, the wagon's windshield made a dull sound.  

"What?!"  

Bahadur exclaimed in astonishment.  

His surprise was not for the fact that the windshield did not crack.  

Seeing the Maglite made of duralumin being repelled by the windshield, just assumes 
that the glass was bulletproof. His reflexive astonishment was quickly replaced by 
understanding.  

His astonishment was because of the fact that the Maglite had passed right through 
Lina's body.  

Lina's Information Body Camouflage Magic 'Parade'. Originally a secret art of the Kudou 
family of Ten Master Clans, originally intended to be used to obstruct the enemy's magic 
targeting. 'Parade' is not an illusion magic, but counter magic.  

Yet the illusions created as a side effect are also very advanced and far superior to 
ordinary illusion magic. It may not be his first time facing an illusion, but an illusion 
that was completely indistinguishable from the real thing, accompanied by a sign of and 
also a feeling of presence, must be something he had never experienced before.  

"What are you doing, all of a sudden!"  

 195 

With the Maglite passing through it, Lina's vision extended her palm as if trying to push 
him away by the chest. 

Bahadur staggered backwards as the pressure on his chest, accompanied by a 

temperature of thirty-six and a half degrees Celsius, hit him. The blood drained from his 
face.  

The constituent factors of the human sense of touch are temperature, vibration and 
pressure. In other words, if these three elements are generated at the point of contact 
with the virtual image, a person will perceive the virtual image as real.  

There is no substance in a ghost. Such a notion was present in the culture in which 
Bahadur grew up. If there is a body, it is not a ghost, but another monster. He was 
trapped in the belief that she may be relative to an immortal monster22 that would 
instantly regenerate even if her body was gu​tted or split open.   

"Hey, I'm asking you what you are trying to do."   

The vision of Lina, with Maglite gone, took a step closer to Bahadur.  

With a small shriek, "Hiii!", Bahadur turned his back to the virtual image of Lina and ran 
away.  

He ran and tried to get away.  

However. 

Bahadur had to stop after taking a single step forward. 

Standing before him was Tatsuya and snuggled up to him, Miyuki. 

"Tatsuya Shiba......"  

"Oh. So you know me."  

Bahadur's consciousness didn't register Tatsuya's reply. 

Bahadur's eyes turned to Miyuki at Tatsuya's side. 

"And ​Miyuki Shiba.​ .....?"  

22
It's probably referring to ghuls, commonly known as ​ghouls
 196 

"Oh my, you know me too."  

Miyuki smiles brightly.  

That smile was perfectly gorgeous, so bewitching that it was almost out of this world.  

Both of Bahadur's eyes were tinted with the color of fear.  

His consciousness was swallowed up by the panic. 

"Aftah ya Samsam!"  

Bahadur suddenly loudly shouted.  

It is Arabic for 'Open, Sesame!'.  

It has no meaning in and of itself.  

It was just a key word imprinted on the consciousness of many people, a mere spell that 
exists in the world of the story, a key word that has the specific function of opening the 
rock door of the treasure cave. There is no symbolic meaning to it, nor is there any 
magical effect that could work in this world.  

It's just that when the BS magician Bahadur invokes his innate singular magic, these 
words are formed as an image of a voice in his own mind. Earlier, whether he says it 
aloud or not has no relevance to his magic, and having someone hear it aloud does not 
make them more susceptible to the magic effect.  

Nevertheless, Bahadur's magic 'Arabian Nights' 'Open' was indeed activated. Compared 
to Bahman's 'Close', 'Open' had a narrower range of applications in combat. But it is not 
completely useless. It can be used to deprive an enemy of the capacity to make a calm 
judgment by opening the inner doors that lock in the hostility as well as fear, and drive 
them to self-destruction.  

However. 

Bahadur's magic had no effect whatsoever on Tatsuya or Miyuki.  

Almost at the same time as Bahadur shouted, Tatsuya easily extended his right arm, 
which was wearing a simple silver-colored bracelet, forward.  

That bracelet is the 'Silver Torus'. A perfect thought operated type specialized CAD 
 197 

system in the form of a cylinder.   

The Activation Sequence is issued in an instant, and the Magic Sequence is completed in 
an instant.  

The activated magic is 'Gram Dispersion'.  

A magic that decomposes the Magic Sequence, thus nullifying the magic.   

A magic that doesn't interfere with the effectiveness of a magic, but rather destroys the 
magic itself.  

Bahadur's 'Arabian Nights' was destroyed by Tatsuya's 'Gram Dispersion' before it could 
manifest its effects. 

"Please stay put, okay?"  

Miyuki whispers softly to a stunned Bahadur and extends her right arm in the same 
manner as Tatsuya.  

 
 198 

 
 199 

The bracelet on her wrist has been processed in such a way that the lights are reflected 
unevenly in a certain way, making it look as if it were shimmering.  

This is also a perfect thought operated type CAD in a cylindrical shape. But it is not a 
specialized type, but a general-purpose one. Because the perfect thought operated type 
of CAD does not need any buttons, it can be freely augmented with decorative features. 
No matter how decorative it may be, its function will not be compromised.  

Miyuki's magic strikes Bahadur.  

Superficially, there is no significant change.  

Only the expression on Bahadur's face had slipped from his face.  

Bahadur paralyzed and terrified, as if his soul had been drained out of him, 

A second later, collapsed on the street as if all his strength had been drained out of his 
body.  

Simultaneously, both Tatsuya and Lina started walking towards the fallen Bahadur.  

Reaching first, Tatsuya bent down by Bahadur's side and checked his pulse, breathing 
and temperature.  

"It's okay. He's just sleeping."  

Hearing Tatsuya's line, Miyuki exhaled lightly.  

A magic that Miyuki developed with Tatsuya, based on the hibernation magic that 
Minoru used to put himself into sleep, a restrained variation of the Mental Interfering 
Magic 'Cocytus', called 'Icythorn'.  

Cocytus brings eternal silence that can never be reversed, a virtual death, to the spirit.  

In contrast, Icythorn is a spell that forces the victim into a slumber, in which they 
cannot awaken on their own, without having a special Non-Systematic Type Magic cast 
on them. 

Cocytus is a magic too powerful by its nature to be manipulated in any way. They 
devised this magic in order to make use of Miyuki's invaluable natural disposition for 
Mental Interference type on a more widespread basis, the completed magic, Icythorn, 
 200 

was a most effective spell to restrain the enemy. 

Although it was completed in theory, the Mental Interference system of magic, by its 
very nature, could only be tested on a human opponent to see its effectiveness. Due to 
her psychological resistance to human experimentation, Miyuki hadn't gotten the 
opportunity to test Icythorne. 

Tonight, however, by using a criminal magician as a test subject for an attempted theft, 
the completion of the new magic, Icythorn, was finally about to be verified.  

Tatsuya handcuffed and gagged Bahadur, raised and then said to Miyuki, "Well, let's 
wake him up". 

Miyuki uses Non-Systematic Type Magic, a Psion wave with a specific pattern, as the key 
to his awakening. Since it was a Non-Systematic Type Magic, Tatsuya could do it too, 
but since it was her first time, he decided to let Miyuki see it through to the end.  

The effect was immediate.  

Bahadur grunted low and stirred. When Bahadur opened his eyes, he raised himself up 
and tried to escape in handcuffs, but Tatsuya silenced him with a blow on the solar 
plexus. 

Tatsuya then turns to Miyuki with a smile that shows no lingering effects of violence.  

"Congratulations, Miyuki."  

"Congratulations, Miyuki. That's awesome."  

"Thank you very much, Tatsuya-sama. And thank you too, Lina."  

Miyuki smiled with a mixture of joy and relief as Tatsuya and Lina congratulated her.  

 
 201 

Chapter 9 
[FEHR and FAIR] 

Although the result was a little pathetic in the end, Ryousuke's own efforts helped to 
dispel the suspicion that had been cast on him. On the next day, the seventh, Tatsuya 
informed him that he would be officially employed by Magian Company. 
──Amusingly, Ryousuke was not aware of a probation period.  

He spent the two days, 7th and 8th, to buy everything he would need for his everyday 
life, and on the 8th, he moved to the company housing in Izu. Still, on those two days, 
he was on paid holiday at Tatsuya's discretion. Also, Mayumi will be moving out 
tomorrow, on Sunday the 9th.  

Aside from Mayumi's thing, ── that is, she, who was left on the second floor of the lab, 
was very much at odds with Ryousuke, that there was no way he could get her mood to 
improve── Ryousuke finally felt like his life back home had finally settled down. 

As he had remembered that the next day was Sunday, Ryousuke stayed up late, and 
made a call through the satellite phone an hour after the date had changed, that is, at 
one o'clock in the morning of May 9.  

The local time was 9 a.m. on May 8. The person on the other end of the line was Rena 
Fehr from the FEHR headquarters in Vancouver.  

"Hello, Milady, it' s Ryousuke. Good morning."  

[Hello, Ryousuke. Your voice sounds brighter than the other day. Did everything go 
well?] 

"Thank you very much! Thanks to your help, I'm free of the false charges."  

Ryousuke answers Rena's question in a voice that would be better described as more 
upbeat than bright.   

[I didn't do anything]  

"No, Milady's advice was tremendously helpful. The culprit was 'Janus', as you said, and 
 202 

'Arabian Nights''s flaw, the short duration, was also a big hit. Thanks to you, I was able to 
win."  

[Ryousuke would have won without my advice. But I'm glad it helped]  

"Of course, certainly! This victory of mine, I owe it all to Milady's assistance." 

Rena's cough was picked up by Ryousuke's, from the speaker of the satellite phone he 
held next to his ear.  

"Milady, did you catch a cold?"  

Ryousuke asks in a tone that clearly expresses his concern.  

She was actually clearing her throat, but it must have seemed like a sign of a cold to 
Ryousuke.  

[No, I'm fine. I just had a little cough]  

Sure enough, Rena denies it plainly.  

But if this made sense, Ryousuke would have realized from the beginning that it wasn't a 
cough from a cold.  

"But......"  

[I・am・o・k]  

"Hah......"  

At the voice that carried a weird strength to it, Ryousuke couldn't say anything more 
about his anxiety.  

"Ryousuke, what's going on with Magian Company?" 

"Ah, yes."  

As Rena changed her voice, Ryousuke changed his mindset as well.  

"I've been successfully employed by them."  

[Congratulations]  
 203 

Rena congratulated Ryousuke for getting a fixed position, regardless of the assignment. 

"Thank you very much. I will continue my investigation into Shiba Tatsuya's true 
intentions."  

The only thing on Ryousuke's mind was the mission given to him by Rena. 

"Hah......." 

Rena couldn't help but let out a sigh.  

Immediately after that, she thought, "Damn it". 

"Milady! What's the matter with you.....?" 

"There's nothing wrong with my body and I'm not tired. It's nothing."  

Rena didn't let Ryousuke finish.  

Once he heard Rena say there was nothing wrong with her body with her own mouth, 
Ryousuke couldn't discuss anything else about her health. It wasn't just with Ryousuke, 
it was the same with all the members of the FEHR.  

The reason being, Rena's body is clearly "abnormal".  

"I will report back to you as soon as I learn something new."  

She couldn't see him, since they were on a voice call, but Ryousuke straightened up his 
posture as he said it.  

[Don't overdo it, please] 

"I'll be mindful of that. Well, Milady, have a good day."  

[Good night, Ryousuke]  

Rena noticed that it was the middle of the night in Japan.  

He was honored to receive a bedtime set phrase from his "Milady".  

Ryousuke immediately decided to go to sleep.  

 204 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

May 9th, Sunday. Just after 8am.  

Tatsuya was having breakfast a little later than usual, along with Miyuki and Lina.  

"Tatsuya. I have a question."  

Lina asked Tatsuya in a sharp tone unbecoming of a breakfast table.  

Miyuki frowned lightly, but Tatsuya didn't sound particularly bothered by it, "What?" He 
asked back.  

"Why did you keep Tookami in the Company?"  

Lina's question was why he hired Ryousuke as a full-time employee. It seems that she 
decided to call him "Tookami" instead of "Ryousuke". As a member of a potential 
terrorist organization, she can't bring herself to call Ryousuke by his first name.  

"Well, he did as he promised, he personally caught the real culprits himself, even if it 
was only one of the two."  

"So we're going to keep our side of the deal too? You don't have the obligation to do so."  

"Lina, aren't you misunderstanding? I didn't promise Tookami that 'I won't fire you if you 
catch the real culprits' or anything like that."  

"Then why?" 

Lina's cheeks are about to puff up in displeasure.  

Tatsuya couldn't help but want to see her do such an childish behaviour, but refrained 
from acting so out of character, like deliberately teasing her. 

"It's because his talents seem useful." 

"......Well, he is certainly fit to be a soldier, but I don't think he's good enough to balance 
the risk of carrying a spy."   

Lina acknowledged Ryousuke's competence, but wasn't convinced by Tatsuya's answer. 

"I'm not counting on him as a combatant, you know." 

 205 

But Tatsuya's intentions were different from what Lina thought she understood.  

"Then what is it?"  

"It's because he's connected to FEHR." 

"......What do you mean?" 

"Tatsuya-sama. Perhaps, are you considering establishing a cooperative relationship 

with FEHR......?"  

Miyuki, who was frowning at Lina's snapping at Tatsuya, shelved her displeasure and 
inquired at Tatsuya.  

"It would be a waste to discard the possibility of that. We're already a minority in human 
society. Unless they're a clear criminal organization, if we can join forces with them, 
that would be great."  

"......That's right."  

"............" 

Miyuki nodded in response to Tatsuya's words, and Lina did not object here either.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

1:00 PM.  

Tatsuya came alone to the Yotsuba main house.  

The purpose of his visit was, naturally, to meet with Maya. He was here to report on the 
Stellar Reactor Plant and the invasion and attempted theft on FLT.  

"......The organization to which the intruders, Bahadur Mufid and Bahman Mufid, 
codename 'Janus', belonged is FAIR."  

After a round of greetings, Tatsuya gave the names of Bahadur, Bahman, and the 
organization that had been identified as a result of the interrogation of the crew of the 
getaway freighter. 

"FAIR....... As I recall, it was a militant group based in San Francisco, right?"  

 206 

FAIR, 'Fighters Against Inferior Race'. It's headquarters is in San Francisco. While FEHR is 
an organization dedicated to the protection of human rights of magicians, FAIR is 
dedicated to the active struggle against the anti-magic movement.  

So far there is no evidence that FAIR has engaged in any sort of organized crime, but the 
public order authorities believe it is only a matter of time. ──This is the only 
information currently available about it in Japan.  

There are also rumors that magicians are becoming more and more dangerous in 
California because of FAIR. 

"Yes. And it was FAIR's leader, Rocky Dean, who ordered the theft of the manufacturing 
method for the Artificial Relics."  

"The leader himself ordered the theft? That's more like a crime syndicate than an 
extremist group, isn't it?"  

With an amused expression on her face - but with a cold, roused gleam in her eyes - 
Maya ridiculed FAIR.   

"I think FAIR's true colors are that of a criminal association."   

Instead of back-channeling to Maya, Tatsuya took a step forward in his speculation with 
a very serious countenance.  

"Also, it seems that FAIR has a lot of BS magicians like Janus."  

"Of BS magicians?"  

Maya, who until now was in an atmosphere of "I don't care" more than half of the time, 
suddenly displayed a strong interest in the matter.  

"The people we captured this time only referred to themselves as BS magicians when 
asked, but they may also have more specialized personnel in their hands, such as 
sorcerers23, for example. In fact, the unusual power of Bahadur Mufid and Bahman 
Mufid, that we captured this time, are quite different in nature than our magic. Janus 
may be a superpower user who should be more of a sorcerer than just a BS magician."  

A sorcerer modifies phenomena in the same sense as a magician, but their system of 

23
妖術師
 207 

abilities cannot be rationally explained. Their inability to explain their superpower was 
due to a major flaw in modern magical theory.   

"The abilities of BS magicians and sorcerers are said to be inferior to those of magicians 
regarding raw fighting power. I think that's true as well as does the general consensus, 
but we can't deny the possibility that there are people with abilities beyond our 
imagination." 

"......Right."  

"Aunt, I think we need to do some further investigation on FAIR."  

"──I understand. If you are so wary of them, then I suppose I should investigate. 
Tatsuya-san, please come up with a tangible method of investigation. Let's discuss it 
again afterwards."  

"Understood."  

As a matter of fact, Tatsuya already had a plan in mind at this point.  

However, Tatsuya decided not to bring it to the table and withdrew quietly from Maya's 
presence for the day.  

◇ ◇ ◇ 

After leaving the Yotsuba Main House, Tatsuya returned to his home in Chofu and, 
regardless of the fact that it was Sunday, flew to Miyakijima.  

Tatsuya's destination was not the Stellar Reactor Plant in the northeast but his private 
laboratory in the northwest.  

However, the purpose was not related to the research to refine the Artificial Relics 
'Magistore', which was his recent focus.   

It is 7:50 pm. It is almost time for the residential space station where Minoru and 
Minami live ──the Orbital Satellite Habitation Facility 'Takachiko'── to make its 
closest approach over Miyakijima. He confirmed Takachiko's current position on the 
monitor in the lab and pointed the infrared laser communication antenna at it. The 
infrared laser communications are highly directional, and therefore have a low risk of 
interception. Also, the amount of data that can be transmitted is large, allowing the 
 208 

application of complex encryption algorithms.  

[Tatsuya-sama, how may I help you?] 

The one who answered the call was Minami. After bowing politely and waiting for 
Minami to raise her head in the monitor, Tatsuya told her, "I have a request to make for 
Minoru".  

"Please wait a moment."  

Just as Minami's line, Tatsuya didn't have to wait too long.  

"Tatsuya-san, I'm sorry for making you wait."  

Minoru soon appeared on the monitor.  

[I understand you have a favor to ask of me. Please, feel free to ask] 

"If that's what you're saying, that would be very helpful. Actually, there's something I'd 
like you to investigate in America."  

[In America? Yeah, it's fine. It's possible to infiltrate with the current orbit] 

"No, I'm not in that much of a hurry, we can wait until the Activation Sequence for 
Takachiko's movement is complete." 

Tatsuya immediately stopped Minoru, who was about to drop as soon as he reached the 
area over the American continent.  

[It's not exactly an emergency, is it? Then why me?]  

"It's a bit of a tricky party to deal with. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it to you 
unless it was fitting to your skills."  

[I'm happy to hear you saying so] 

Tatsuya's line was not meant to be flattering, he was serious.  

Knowing this, Minoru looked even happier.  

[Who is this tricky party?] 

 209 

"Have you ever heard of a magic supremacist organization called FAIR?"  

Minoru's smiling expression suddenly tightens. 

[......I know, we were hiding with FAIR just before I challenged Tatsuya-san in our last 
fight]  

Tatsuya couldn't hide his surprise at this confession.  

"Is FAIR an organization related to Gu Jie?" 

Gu Jie, a mysterious old man of stateless overseas Chinese, who used Zhou Gongjin, 
whose ghost was later absorbed by Minoru, to carry out various subversive operations 
against Japan, ──Japanese magicians. He was originally a magician who belonged to 
the Great Asian Union and the defeated 'Dahan', which competed with the Great Asian 
Union for control of the Eastern Asian Continent. 

The Yotsuba family was deeply involved in the destruction of Dahan. As a consequence 
of such, Gu Jie had targeted the Yotsuba family for some time, but in the end, Gu Jie was 
hunted down by Tatsuya and his accomplices Ichijou Masaki and Juumonji Katsuto, 
who were working with him at the time, and disappeared into the sea. ──Although, 
the person who killed Gu Jie firsthand was Canopus, a member of the Stars who was 
sent by the USNA to destroy any evidence that could be used against them. 

The reason why Tatsuya connected Minoru's confession to Gu Jie was because Minoru 
had inherited the knowledge of Zhou Gongjin. At the time, Tatsuya suspected that 
Minoru, who had never left Japan before, would turn to an organization with a 
connection to Zhou Gongjin, in other words, an organization that Gu Jie was involved 
with. 

[FAIR was originally an organization that Gu Jie orchestrated. However, Gu Jie 

apparently lost control of FAIR and quickly let it go] 

"I didn't know it came about that way. Then I shouldn't be asking you to do it, should I?"  

Thinking that he might have a sense of obligation to the organization that sheltered him 
once, Tatsuya suggested withdrawing the request, but,  

[No, please let me do it]  

 210 

Minoru shook his head resolutely and refused to back down. 

[Even though it was a one-time thing, asking extremists for help is one thing from my 
past that I need to redeem] 

Minoru's voice was filled with determination.  

If that is the case, then Tatsuya has no reason to hesitate.   

"All right, FAIR's headquarters are in San Francisco."  

[So, they've moved from Los Angeles. All right, I'll take care of it]  

Tatsuya and Minoru noded to each other and then their transmission was terminated.   

Immediately afterwards, Tatsuya started to work on the creation of the Activation 

Sequence for the movement of the Takachiko Orbital Satellite. 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

On a day in mid-May in San Francisco, a tall man and woman were facing each other at 
FAIR headquarters.  

The man was a slim, handsome man of Italian descent, standing at 190cm tall. The 
woman was around 170cm, a beautiful and sensual woman of North African descent. 
Both were around the age of 30. 

The woman gives a deep, old-fashioned bow, and the man motions for her to raise her 
head in a magnanimous tone.  

"So, tell me, did Janus fail?"  

"Yes, your Excellency, it would appear that the Janus duo have been captured in Japan." 

The one addressed as your Excellency was the head of FAIR, Rocky Dean.  

His right arm, Laura Simon, answered Dean's question with her eyes cast down.  

There were only two people in this dimly lit room, Dean and Laura. Almost everything 
FAIR does is determined by these two alone.  

"Those two shouldn't be so easy to catch, though....... Do you have any idea who caught 
 211 

them?"  

"If you don't mind me guessing,"  

"Sure, that's fine with me."  

Laura raises her eyes from their lowered position and meets with Dean's gaze. 

"Perhaps, they fell into Yotsuba's hands." 

Perhaps, she said, but Laura's tone was full of conviction.  

"......​Untouchables,​ huh? Then it can't be helped."  

"Your Excellency"  

"What is it?"  

Dean urges Laura, who clearly cut off her words mid-sentence, to continue.  

"It's clear that the Stellar Reactor Plant is under Yotsuba's control. It was easy to predict 
that Yotsuba would intervene if we mess with it."  

"So?"  

"Did your Excellency use Janus as a sacrificial pawn?" 

"That's a misunderstanding."  

Dean exaggeratedly waved his hands in front of his face.  

"I'll admit that I overestimated the Janus duo and relatively underestimated the 
Yotsuba, though. But I would never abandon my associates."   

"──I'm terribly sorry."  

'Shameless',​ Laura thought, but did not end up saying it. Even though it was just the two 
of them, no, because it was just the two of them, it was extraordinarily necessary to 
distinguish between what was acceptable to say and what should not be said.  

Her boss, by no means, was a merciful leader.  

"But, I suppose so. Let's not mess with Stellar Reactor any more, shall we? We can't 
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afford to add more casualties of negligence." 

That said, Dean hugged Laura's waist.  

"Ah......."  

Dean's lips touched Laura's ear and a sweet voice escaped Laura's mouth.  

"And it also doesn't have to be Artificial Relics, we can just get the original......." 

Laura couldn't respond to the murmurings as her consciousness was lost to Dean's 
hands crawling over her body. 

Dean gave a belligerent smile as he squeezed a lewd gasp from Laura's mouth.   

〈To Be Continued〉  

 
 
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Afterword 

Welcome again, I'm Satou Tsutomu. 

I hope you've enjoyed the first volume of the new series 'Magian Company'.  

Although I announced the conclusion of the series in September, I didn't feel 

comfortable about publishing the sequel in October, but I am pleased to say that the 
book will be published.  

As the subtitle says, 'Zoku・Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei', this series of books is a 

sequel to 'Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei'. At first, the title was just 'Magian Company', 
but I decided to add the subtitle because it's contents would be not understandable 
without reading 'Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei'.   

This story opens two years after Tatsuya and Miyuki graduate from First High, and 
about a month after the end of the 32nd, and last volume of 'Mahouka Koukou no 
Rettousei'. There is a slight time gap between this volume and the last volume of the 
Original Mahouka series, but this is a direct continuation of the last volume of the 
series.  

Despite that, this series is not 'Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei'. The setting is not Magic 
High Schools, or even Magic University. Sometimes the campus life of Magic University 
is depicted as an element of the plot, but the main setting is the Magian Company.  

  

As I mentioned in the postscript to the 30th volume of Mahouka, the intention of this 
series is to delve into elements that have yet to be explored in the 'Mahouka Koukou no 
Rettousei' series. The previous series persisted through "of Magic High School" and, 
with the exception of the eighth volume, it was limited to depicting the episodes of 
Tatsuya and Miyuki while they were high school students. The structure of the series, 
from the time they enrolled at the Magical High School to their graduation, had to be 
prioritized over the unexplored elements.  
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This series, however, is not tied to a specific period of time. Although there is no 
timeline for how long the series will continue, it's possible that it will continue after 
Tatsuya and Miyuki graduate from the University. At this point, there's some sort of 
point at which I would consider to be the end of the series, but the theme itself could go 
on indefinitely. It's possible that I'll write episodes of Tatsuya and Miyuki descendants, 
too. ──At the moment, I don't have any plans for that.  

Conversely, the element of teen romance will be scarce. There will be a few characters 
under the apparent age of 18, but the regular members are all over 19 in their actual 
ages. You can expect to see the youthful elements in the other new series 'Maidens of 
Cygnus'. 

That said, I'm not going to introduce adult eroticism into this series. To be honest, I 
wouldn't want you to expect that from this author, so please don't be upset.  

I think this series will have a lighter tinge of pseudo-science and more of an occult-like 
feel to it compared to the previous series. One of the places that retains a strong 
pseudo-science aspect is the Orbital Residence 'Takachiko' where Minoru and Minami 
live. In layman's terms, it's a residential space station. It can't be a "station" though, as 
there is no spacecraft traffic. That's why I coined the term "Orbital Residence".  

At first, Takachiko seemed like a mixture of Thunderbird 5 and Star Trek ──the Star 
Trek TV series USS Enterprise. For those who are not familiar with Star Trek, the 
Enterprise sends its crew in a transporter's beam to an alien civilized planet ──and in 
many cases, the landing party includes, believe it or not, the captain!── and after a lot 
of intervening and messing around in various incidents, they leave the planet "all at 
will" (biased).  

Speaking of which, the original Thunderbird 5 and the USS Enterprise are vaguely 
similar in design, don't you think? The way long and thin parts are attached to a big 
disk. I wonder if the US had a passion for the disk shaped spaceships at that time.  

The appearance of the Takachiko of this series is composed of a disk + bar-shaped parts. 
But for example, 'Virtual Satellite Elevator' by means of Mock Teleportation is based on 
the transporter beam of the USS Enterprise. If you ask me what else they have in 
common, I'm at a loss for words. Also, an orbital satellite secret base is not a patent of 
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Thunderbird.  

This is a little digression, but it is not 'Virtual Orbital Elevator', but 'Virtual Satellite 
Elevator'. As it refers to geostationary orbit satellites, I avoided the term "orbital 
elevator" because Takachiko's orbit is not geostationary.  

Speaking of coined words, all sorts of neologisms were introduced in the first volume of 
this new series. And more to come. Among them, "Magian" and "Mageist" were already 
introduced in Volume 30 of 'Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei', but from this volume 
onward they began to be used in earnest, and they are some of the major keywords for 
the series.  

As you can see from the title, the word "Magian" will be used primarily in this series 
rather than "Magician". Since Magian does not equate to magician, meaning persons 
who possess the magic gift, so, "Mageist'' has become the standard term to describe the 
previous series' "magician".   

One of the standouts in this first volume of the new series was undoubtedly Lina, who 
not only won a regular role in the series, but also became the adopted daughter of the 
mastermind behind the show when she became a Japanese citizen.  

On the other hand, Tatsuya's classmates didn't get much of a chance to play, except for 
a few appearances of Honoka and Shizuku. Instead, there was more activity from their 
junior classmates, especially Fumiya and Ayako. And, in the end, Minoru hinted at his 
future activities. Probably this trend will continue for a while. Mainly because it's easy 
for me to write.  

Fumiya is also useful in the sense that he's easy to carry the story forward. His 
somewhat pitiful situation is not out of narrative necessity, but entirely for the author's 
convenience. Pitiful (to others).   

On the other hand, Minoru's regularization has been announced as a structural 

necessity. He's going to be the third main character in 'Magian Company', if you will. 
Along with that, Minami's role will also increase.  

Mayumi might be the one with more increase in frequency in terms of appearances. She 
 216 

didn't get much of a chance to appear in the last half of the previous series, but in this 
series, she'll have more opportunities to play a role on par with or even more than in 
the "first year's part" of 'Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei'. Her fans can expect more of the 
same from her, if not more. But I'm afraid that "might" is all I can say.  

As mentioned before, Minoru is the "third protagonist", and the candidate for the 
position of "second protagonist" is the new character, Tookami Ryousuke. He would be 
a year above Mayumi's group if he had gone to Magic High School or Magic University. 
But the Extra' Ryousuke thought that " I would rather not have to hide my own 
bloodline and my own powers", so he decided to follow a path that has nothing to do 
with magic. However, while studying abroad, Ryousuke met a woman mageist, Rena, 
known as a saint.  

As a result, he dropped out of university and didn't have any qualifications or titles that 
would help him find a job, and didn't get his license as a magician, so he immersed 
himself in the magic he had planned to leave, and after working part-time for a while, 
he ended up working for Tatsuya. If you think about it this way, Rena is more like a 
witch than a "saint". 

As I mentioned in the story, Rena's constitution of slowed-aging , "Anageria" is an 

ailment, or rather a condition in "Tom Hazzard's Unstoppable Time" (Matt Haig, 
translated by Mayumi Otani, Hayakawa Shobo). I think "Anageria" is a term coined by 
Matt Haig, but if I'm wrong, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know.  

Well, there will be many other new neologisms and new characters to come, but we'll 
get to those in the next volume. Here's the news.  

For this series 'Magian Company', I'm pleased to announce that Kana Ishida-san will be 
handling the illustrations for us as well. Please look forward to seeing the older, more 
mature characters, and the new girls who are just as attractive as those already in the 
series.  

It's been confirmed that Ishida-san will also be working on the other new series, 
'Maidens of Cygnus' (Provisional Title). Please look forward to that as well.  

You can get a sneak peek at the key visual for 'Maidens of Cygnus' (Provisional Title) on 
the official website. (​https://tsutomusato.jp/news/​)  
 217 

I hope to see you again in the next volume. 

(Satou Tsutomu) 
 

 
 
 218 

Translator Notes 

First of all, I would like to thank thevoidzero, blakegriffin89 and Hiroyanagi for 
the immense help on doing this translation. And also special thanks to the contribuition 
of Realkhuma2 and Snoo27157 
 
The first thing I want to adress is that this translation is an adaptation in the end. 
Not only limited to japanese, by translating from one language to another there will be 
losses in meanings. I've tried my best to keep close to the original, and the author's 
unique style as possible.  
Now, Regarding the japanese side of things, or rather, the adaptation from japanese to 
english, there might be some differences between my version and from the spoilers 
from the wikia, and that mainly applies to the terms and foreign names. The terms differ 
mostly in choice of words and positioning, but foreign names (and katakana terms) can 
be a bit tricky sometimes. 
In japanese, there is the katakana, a language system used for loaned words, 
which, in most cases, are foreign words and names. Taking out some cases, where it 
can be deduced by the context or the writing, it can vary depending on who is 
translating, as the katakana system does not fully encompass some of the needs that a 
western word requires. The biggest example of it is the lack of "L" in the japanese. 
Because of that, the adaptation of most of the names and terms shown in katakana will 
vary to each translation unless the author clarifies it. ──In the case of Japanese 
names, their pronunciation is clarified by means of furigana. 
The names in question are Rena Fehr (​レナ・フェール​). The "Rena" name can be 
left to interpretation as to whether it could be "Rena" or "Lena", as there are no "L" in 
japanese, and "R" is put on it's place. However, regarding the "Fehr", it's one of the 
possible interpretations of the katakana, on the same time it has the same katakana 
wording as the organization she leads "FEHR".  
In Bahman and Bahadur case (​バフマン​ and バ ​ ハドゥール​ respectively), I've picked from 
the list of possible names that could be interpreted and checked if they would match 
the context of the characters. I did the same with their identical surname, "Mufid" (​モ
フィード​) The name of their duo "Janus" (​ジェイナス​) was adapted this way, as it probably 
is a reference to the ​roman god​. 
In the process of translating I came across the author's reference to some books 
and other materials. Of which I made a difficult decision of correcting it. One of which is 
 219 

the reference he made to the book "How to Stop Time" by Matt Haig, of which he used 
the title in the japanese edition of the book. I adapted it by replacing it with the original, 
english title of the book. Another adaptation on the same field, it's regarding the 
"Arabian Nights" reference of the words "Open, Sesame" and "Close, Sesame". While the 
author used those words in japanese mostly, he also wrote them down in english at 
some points. However, he used "Shut it, Sesame" for what I adapted as "Close, Sesame". 
And, even considering that the author clarified the english pronunciation, I've made the 
difficult decision of considering it like the previous case. I replaced the "Shut it, Sesame" 
to match the popular version of the "Arabian Nights" in english, and I've marked the 
times where it is used in english with italics. 
 
 
Thank you for reading.