Published at 25th of March 2019 9:58 pm

Volume 4 Intermission - Renewing Determination

Part 1

The second match of the semifinals should be said to be as expected, Hayashi Shizuka’s team took the victory.

Around the evening when the match ended, Kazuki was called by Headmaster Amasaki. The results of the investigation of the students that assaulted him in the middle of his date with Hikaru-senpai had arrived from the Knight Order.

“All of those students had lost their memories of the battle election. From the result of the mind scan, there were traces of the work performed in their minds. Though currently, they are in normal condition. Those girls didn’t even understand why they announced their own candidacy.”

“They're all safe…although there is that, but there is no clue or testimony in the end.”

Hearing the results that betrayed his expectation, Kazuki released a heavy sigh.

“The students were [brainwashed] by someone. When they asked the friends of the girls, those girls were strangely blank during the day. They didn’t even reply when talked to, other than their sudden entry into the battle election, it seemed there was also a lot of other unnatural speech and actions from them. Even if they were left alone, soon there will be the problem of people around them thinking [something is strange about their condition].”

Even if it was said to be brainwashing, it looks like it was not a perfect technique where it could deceive the eyes of the surrounding people.

Of course it was so, that Nyarlatoteph too, even though he made the former Headmaster Otonashi into his own pawn, a long period of time was needed.

If there was a convenient magic that could perfectly brainwash a great number of people for long periods of time continuously, this country would have been conquered already a long time ago.

“Also, do you remember about the assault incidents that occurred just before the battle election? According to the story that we heard from the brainwashed students, we know that those girls too were attacked in the interval of a few days just before the battle election and fell into magic intoxication.”

“You said that they were attacked just before the battle election, could that possibly mean…!”

“The assault incidents were not just three cases. The victims in those three cases had good luck and managed to escape so there were reports that reached the academy. However, the other victims were brainwashed without anyone knowing at all.”

And then the brainwashed students attended the school the following day normally and went to announce their candidacy for the battle election.

“In short, the success requirement for this brainwashing magic is [the target has to be in magic intoxication], right?”

Headmaster Amasaki said “Right” and nodded toward Kazuki’s hypothesis. “This is an eerie story, but the enemy’s brainwashing magic is not perfect and it’s also not something that could be completed so easily on their whim either.”

They were starting to see through the enemy’s circumstances little by little.

“With how imperfect the brainwashing is, that it couldn’t deceive the eyes of the surrounding people, then that means Board Chairman Takasugi and his backing, the politicians of the Kensheetou party are also not being brainwashed and manipulated.”

“Probably so. Probably they were hiding in this country and slowly blending in here as Japanese along with the passage of time and then they became politicians, possibly they are spies with ideology education performed on them without relying on brainwashing magic. Possibly in the period when magic was born in this world and Japan fell into pandemonium, perhaps China had started to move at that time. Even though Japan established the Knight Order, it took a considerable amount of time. But at that period, China changed into Chūkadou and settled their national policy with Taoism as their base so their efforts went smoothly.”

China, who managed to consolidate their nation slightly early, sent spies to Japan, who was still in a state of chaos at that time. The spies became politicians. Before long, they became a political power that put a stance of [Anti Magica Stigma] as their outward appearance, forming the [Kensheetou]. With former Headmaster Otonashi and his faction’s loss of standing as the impetus, their actions came to the surface…

“…What an out-of-there story.”

The impetus that made Kazuki into an orphan was also [Tokyo’s Great Destruction] by the illegal magicians, but the period of chaos after the birth of magic had been more than ten years ago from the present.

“Actually, an investigation regarding Katsura Karin and Hayashi Shizuka, who have been confirmed as the perpetrators, also has been done.”

Those two were present at the location where Kazuki was attacked. But on top of the fact that they were not even captured red-handed, Kazuki’s eyewitness testimony was not recognized as proof.

With the birth of the concept that was known as magic, the power of <the testimony of victim> as proof decreased and was not as recognized if compared to the past. It was so that people were not easily tricked by magic that fooled the senses.

“Katsura Karin’s father was a former police officer. But he was killed in line of duty against an illegal magician during the period of chaos. Katsura Karin, who became an orphan, was taken into the custody of the Hayashi household, it was the encounter of those two.”

So it was a parentless family. Hearing the word orphan, a deep shadow fell inside Kazuki’s chest.

“There is a point of contact with China in the household of Hayashi. The mother was someone originating from China and went through naturalization into a Japanese citizen. …Of course I don’t mean that she is suspicious because she is a naturalized Japanese person. Liz Liza-sensei is also a naturalized Japanese citizen originating from England, but her service as a knight is without doubt.”

Even England or China, it didn’t change the fact that they were countries that had ceased diplomatic relations with Japan.

“Of course I understand that.”

With the ceasing of the diplomatic relations with foreign countries, the discrimination towards naturalized foreigner that lived in Japan became a social problem. Even Kazuki had the experiences of receiving slanders just because he was an orphan without any other reason, so he hated discrimination.

This was a problem with regards to Katsura Karin and Hayashi Shizuka as individuals.

“After that, both of them took the examination for the Knight Academy as swordsmen. They passed the exam due to their high physical ability. Their grades as swordsmen are in average degree and they reached until this point as inconspicuous students.”

After Katsura Karin came into the Hayashi household, it seems she learned Chinese Kenpo. Just like Kazuki, who was learning the Hayashizaki-style.

However, if what Eleonora said was true, Hayashi Shizuka’s figure often appeared in the disputed areas of China. She was an existence that was known secretly as <dangerous character> by every country’s intelligence agency.

No matter how he looked at it, her identity was fake. Even her age was suspicious, whether it was true if she really was in the same generation as him.

“Couldn’t we abort the finals itself? Although injuring Hikaru-senpai was not in violation of rules, it’s obvious that she overdid it, don’t you agree?”

“Regarding that case, I had called both of them, but she said [I intended to have a showy performance about the technique I have that can penetrate defensive magic power, but I overdid it completely. I didn’t intend to go that far], like that. On the contrary, she claimed that if they get the seat of student council president, they will add this technique into the curriculum and plan to raise the position of swordsman among other things.”

It was an argument that made him want to hold his head in frustration.

“Isn’t that actually a really great battle pledge…moreover it would gather a lot of votes too…”

“That’s why the finals with you cannot be avoided. But this might also become our best chance to catch the tail of those guys in this final battle. Hereafter the monitoring of those two will become even stricter. Those guys should perceive this final match as [their last chance to assassinate Hayashizaki Kazuki]. Your life and the seat of the Chief Student Council President, if they have to choose one of those two…those guys will aim for your life without doubt.”

Taking advantage of the match and killing the opponent. Those girls had the technique needed to make it happen.

“If they couldn’t kill you easily in the middle of the match, those guys would ignore the rules and might use their summoning magic. If that happens, those guys won’t have any excuse to fall back on anymore.”

“To risk my life until that far…it has to be like that in the end. Certainly if the situation develops like that, it would be really dangerous, but it might still be better than having this end without a definite conclusion. But, I’m the bait?”

This country still hadn’t recognized him, yet there was this gap when another country regarded him as dangerous as a King. Like this, he was just bait.

In the first place Beatrix called him a BasilleusKing or the like and that meant that in other countries there were also existences that were also called King? The existence that stood at the summit of the Mythology…

“Win through the finals as a King. This was supposed to be the requirement for your continuing living arrangement in the Witch’s Manor. All the same, if you can’t do at least this much, then I too won’t recognize that you are a King.”

Part 2

“””””Welcome home, Goshujin-sama!”””””

Kazuki, who went home from the headmaster’s office to the Witch’s Manor, was greeted with brilliant voices.

Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai, Mio, Lotte, Koyuki, the five people, everyone was wearing maid uniforms and welcomed Kazuki, who was called to the headmaster’s office and came home late. The Witch’s Manor―had become the Maid’s Manor.

“…What in the world is going on with this spectacle?”

Kaguya-senpai pulled the arm (gui-gui) of the wide eyed Kazuki repeatedly and led him to the living room. In the living room, cakes and a feast were spread out in a row as if it was someone’s birthday.

“You see, this is [Otouto-kun’s advance to the finals congratulation maid party]!”

“Party…that should be done after I get the overall victory though. No, if I say more it should be after the last voting is over that we celebrate.”

“When you get the overall victory, it’s fine if we party again. It’s great even if we do it a few times, right?”

Mio laughed cheerfully.

“This also doubles for a cheering party for you who is heading to the final match. …Kaguya-senpai said, the opponents in the final have some kind of shady history. …I can't really cooperate much but, I plan to work hard at the tidying up after this.”

Koyuki said so and displayed the table with her hand. The food lined up in a row were…broiled eel and rice, a full course of soft-shelled turtle, lever with oyster and garlic…

“It looks delicious, but…what a lineup that looks like it would wake up something different somehow even before the finals…”

“We always kept leaving the housework to Otouto-kun, but it’s fine if you do nothing until the finals while feeling like a master. We are the maids right now, not Otouto-kun!”

{Well, but this is quite a juncture right? My King has obtained all of the <keys of the heart> from the girls here, they are companions with whom you have tied bonds with. My King still hasn’t become able to use all of their magic, but it’s fine even if Leme says that you have succeeded in conquering all of them. Uh huh…so finally everyone of the Witch’s Manor are conquered! But My King still has a long way to go, your harem starts for real from here so don’t relax yet!}

Leme came telling such frightening things to Kazuki using telepathy.

Now that she said it, that was true. I…had finally conquered everyone in the Witch’s Manor!?

When he looked around, everyone was directing a gaze filled with affection at Kazuki that made him ticklish.

Right now, all of the warmth of the Witch’s Manor was changed into his strength. That truth granted Kazuki, who would challenge the finals after this, a hot and seething courage.

“Kazuki, use my [Ride Lightning] and take revenge for me okay!”

“Please take revenge for me too! It’s a promise desu♪”

Hikaru-senpai and Lotte were also jumping at him. Leme too materialized and raised her voice.

“Rather than that kind of thing, let’s immediately eat without delay, My King! The food is getting cold here!!”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After the full swing of the party, around the time when he was starting to make seasoned rice gruel from the remaining turtle hotpot, Leme came and was secretly sending words to Kazuki with telepathy.

{Come to think of it, there is one thing that I remember. King Solomon said regarding Leme’s power…it’s a power for the sake of releasing humans from theocracythe rule of god and let humans stand on their own feet.}

The age of gods and the age of humans…

What immediately came to Kazuki’s mind was about the encounter of humans and gods, the turning point of the era.

Fifteen years ago, humankind obtained the power of magic in their hand due to the philosopher's stone that was given birth by the mysterious alchemist and encountered Divas. At that time, the age of humans and science was replaced by the age of gods and magic…

{What is born from the connection between human and human, the power that makes humans as humans…without a doubt it was the bonds between them. For you to follow the same path as king Solomon, Leme feels very happy right now.}

―Beatrix said that she fought with god’s will as her foundation.

―I am always fighting for the sake of protecting my important people.

Inside the party that was overflowing with warmth, Kazuki embraced the bonds that he found by himself inside his chest, he once again ascertained his own feelings inside him that he wouldn’t waver anymore for sure.

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