Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 2 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Monthly Exams: Results and Preparations

30th of April 2099, a Thursday morning.

“AAAAAAAAAH”

A sorrow-stricken shriek was heard in the classroom of class 1-B of the National Magic University-affiliated First High School. Among those who heard it, there was nobody who didn’t feel pity towards the one who let out her lamentations, their classmate Tookami Marika.

“To... Tookami-san? What is wrong?”

The boy in the seat next to her nervously asked, sounding worried. This boy is not a close friend of Marika’s, he is a simple classmate, but even he couldn’t ignore Marika’s anguished yells that filled the room.

“Uh, oh. It’s nothing.”

Marika seemed unwilling to reveal why she shouted. She turned to the boy next to her and hurriedly shook her head.

“I... see...?”

Marika’s sighing made him feel that it wasn’t nothing. But ‘don’t ask’ was written plain as day on her face. Besides, the monthly exam grades and rankings for April had just been announced. It is likely that her results were unsatisfactory.

The male classmate, who identifies as someone who can read the mood, appeared to reach that conclusion in his mind and pretended to be deceived instead of questioning Marika further.

Until two years before, new students at First High School were divided into first course and second course students. It was a system employed to deal with the lack of teachers who could teach practical skills, and it concentrated the teacher’s practical skills guidance on the half of students with better results in the admission exams, while the remaining half was effectively neglected. Such was this discriminatory system.

But this system was abolished last year. That in itself is a good thing, but the shortage of staff that led to the discriminatory system had not been solved. If the number of teachers using the same teaching methods remain the same as they were up until then and the students to teach double, by simple calculation, the density of teaching is reduced by a half. If this didn’t change, not only the first course students but also the second course students would receive half-finished guidance, unintentionally making it a change for the worse for all students.

The measure adopted by First High’s Principal Momoyama was to arrange classes based on ranks to make teaching more efficient. By putting together the lower ranked students, the stagnation in lesson progression is prevented. To deal with student growth appropriately, classes are changed every month and the curriculum is also adjusted to reach a good stopping point on a monthly basis.

And like that, the current, new system was ready. Before its introduction, there were concerns that the system would deteriorate into students preventing each other’s progress due to instigating their competitive spirits more than necessary, but to this day there were no signs of that. Currently, in its second year, the new system is working successfully.

◇ ◇ ◇

Having passed a month since their enrollment, their behavioral patterns and the people they hang around with were already largely decided. For instance, during lunch break, Marika eats lunch at the school cafeteria. The people surrounding her on the same table, other than Alisa, were always Alisa’s classmate Isori Mei, Marika’s classmate in class B Nagatomi Koharu and Alisa’s club member Sengoku Hiyori.

“Marika, you don’t look too well.”

Like Mei said, Marika is missing her usual color today.

“Koharu, you look a little gloomy too...”

Rather than just gloomy, Koharu was evidently depressed.

“Did something happen in class B?”

The questions kept on piling up, and Koharu’s shoulders suddenly trembled.

“Class B...”

After a somber murmur, Koharu quietly let out a “Fufufufu...” that resembled a laugh.

She wasn’t really laughing, it was similar to someone monotonically reading a laugh from a stage play script. And if such script truly existed, the stage directions would simply say ‘self-deprecating laugh’. It was a laugh (?) that gave off that kind of impression.

“W-what happened?”

In this situation, it was natural for Mei to become agitated.

“Nothing happened in class B. After all, I’m no longer a student in class B.”

“...You’ve gone down in class?”

It would not be an exaggeration to describe the reserved voice doing the inquiring as ‘fearful’.

“Yes I’ve gone down! I’m in class D!”

Koharu suddenly exploded.

Though objectively speaking, her shouting wasn’t very loud. It’s just that the difference to right before then so large that it felt like an ‘explosion’.

“I tried my best, and yet... To think I would fall from B to D.”

For Koharu, these were probably her sincere, unfiltered thoughts. But it was somewhat, no, it was quite the inappropriate statement.

“I’m sorry that you’re going to class D.”

Hiyori interjected with a calm voice. There were no thorns in her tone. But her remark lacked emotion, accentuating her discomfort even more.

“Ah... I-I didn’t mean it like that...”

Koharu hastily tried to explain herself. However, the follow-up wouldn’t come out.

“Hiyori, I don’t think Koharu was belittling class D, and much less making fun of you.”

Alisa, unable to just sit and watch, gave Koharu some assistance.

“I’m sure she’s just feeling bad for dropping in the rankings.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Given that Hiyori responded immediately, she didn’t look to be actually angry or sulky.

“Umm, I’m sorry, Hiyori-san.”

Feeling a little relieved, Koharu apologized to Hiyori.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s work together during this month.”

“Yes! I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Looks like somehow things settled peacefully over there... so?”

While glancing from the side at Hiyori and Koharu’s reconciliation, Mei start talking to Marika.

“Did you drop in class too, Marika?”

“No. I’m still in B...”

Marika answered Mei’s question, feebly shaking her head.

“Then isn’t it okay?”

Mei sounded half exasperated in her consolation.

“But... I didn’t get into the same class as Asha!”

And in response, Marika complained, sounding like she was about to cry.

“...Isn’t it okay if you do your best next month?”

Even while mentally overwhelmed, Mei retorted with sound reasoning.

“The topics for this month’s exams were Acceleration-Type and Weight-Type. Next month’s are Movement-Type and Oscillation-Type. I’m better at Acceleration-Type than Movement-Type. This month was my chance!”

After saying that, still sounding about to cry, Marika looked down and tightly clutched her hands on top of her knees. If her emotions rouse up any further, she might actually start crying.

“Mina, calm down.”

Expectedly, Alisa probably thought she couldn’t leave Marika be any longer. Alisa gently put her hands on top of Marika’s clenched hands.

“Just like you’re trying your best, so is everyone else in our year. I believe your efforts will be rewarded, but I don’t think victory or rankings are guaranteed. After all, your competitors must also be working hard.”

“...Yeah, you’re right.”

“So let’s try even harder. Do it with me.”

“With you, Asha...?”

Marika looked up and tilted her head.

In the new class composition, Alisa is still in class A. Marika doesn’t think Alisa needs to try harder.

“I’m good at Movement-Type, but not at Oscillation-Type. So I have to work harder than this month to keep my rank after May’s exams. I’ll coach you at Movement-Type, so I want you to help me with Oscillation-Type, Mina.”

“But I’m just ‘not that bad’ at Oscillation-Type?”

“Then let’s practice together.”

“...Yeah. Special training with Asha! I’ll try my hardest to be in the same class in June!”

“Yes, let’s do our best.”

Seeing Alisa and Marika getting excited by themselves, Koharu whispered a proposal to Hiyori, “Shall we also have special training?”, to which Hiyori said clearly, “Is it okay to ask if there’s something I don’t understand?”

◇ ◇ ◇

In the evening, Alisa, who left school along with Marika, visited her best friend’s apartment. They were going to have a discussion to work out countermeasures for May’s practical skills exams.

She can’t deny it feels a little hasty. Classes have not even started in the areas that will feature in the practical exams.

But ‘no time like the present’, so the two decided to come up with their strategy right away. — It could be said that this is an excuse for a ‘house date’. If they were not of the same gender, that’s what the situation could be referred to as.

While Marika was changing clothes, Alisa put on an apron and made milk tea. She doesn’t need to ask for permission every time she wants to use the kitchen. The kitchen in this apartment is something Alisa and Marika have shared ownership of.

Marika finished changing and came to the kitchen wearing a matching apron. The black tea was already poured onto the cups, so Marika began preparing the cake to go along with it. She opened the fridge and took out a large white cake.

“Wow, it looks delicious! Is that an unbaked cheesecake?”

“Not exactly. I used strained yogurt and tried to freeze it like an unbaked cheesecake.”

“So that’s what it is. I can’t wait.”

In front of Alisa’s sparkling eyes, Marika cleanly cut the yogurt cake. The properly cut slices were a testament to her proficiency in confectionery. — A skill that, unfortunately, is completely useless in magic practical exams.

Luckily, there was nobody there that would make such a boorish retort. They both sat around the table with black tea and cake with a smile on their faces.

“I think the problem really is securing a place to practice and a coach.”

While drinking some milk tea, the first thing Marika said — it may be rude to say it was unexpected of her — was surprisingly proper.

“Setting the place aside... I think finding a coach might be difficult.”

Alisa gave her earnest views to Marika’s suggestion. Regardless of what it might look to other people, these two intended to have a serious talk about their studying plans.

“Maybe a teacher could give us a little of their time after school?”

“I wonder about that... Class time is one thing, but after school... They don’t have time to deal with all the students in their class, and teaching only some of them might bring about noise about their partiality.”

“Riiight... Well, nothing we can do about that. The classes are organized according to the practical skills results because of the lack of teachers, after all.”

Though she said that, Marika didn’t appear too disappointed. Perhaps the idea of asking a teacher for help was something she said fully knowing it was unreasonable.

“Then we have no choice but to do it by ourselves. Where should we practice?”

“Mina, you might not like it, but I think Katsuto-san will lend us a place if we ask him.”

Alisa proposed, slightly hesitating.

“The facilities of the Former Tenth Research Institute, huh...”

As Alisa expected, Marika spoke with a small frown that showed that she ‘didn’t like it’.

Marika didn’t need to be told that ‘Katsuto-san’ referred to the current Head of the Juumonji Family. Marika also knew that the Juumonji Family is managing the facilities of the now closed former Tenth Research Institute.

The former Tenth Research Institute, unlike the former Fourth Research Institute which was taken over by the Yotsuba Family, is still national property. Even the Juumonji Family can’t freely use it. But the use of some of the facilities, like the training area, is allowed by the state.

Marika didn’t know the situation in such fine detail. But one would ordinarily think that the Juumonji Family, one of the Ten Master Clans, must have a private magic training facility they can use at any time. Marika, of course, also thought so.

“...Asha, sorry, but I think I’d rather not.”

“I figured as much.”

Even not considering her feelings towards Katsuto himself or her opinions of the Juumonji Family, Marika’s dislike of the idea to use the facilities of the former Tenth Research Institute was natural. That was what Alisa was thinking before hearing Marika’s answer.

Marika’s surname ‘Tookami’ was originally spelled ‘Toogami’. She is from a family of ‘Extras’ of the former Tenth Research Institute.

Marika herself never had any connection with the former Tenth Research Institute. She also never had any negative feelings from being an Extra. At least as far as her memory goes.

But her grandfather was ousted from the Research Institute, and although her father has talent for magic, he couldn’t make it in life with his magic abilities. Her brother also gave up the path of the magician. All of this as a result of the Research Institute stripping her grandfather of his numbered surname.

Marika also wouldn’t have thought of going to a magic high school if it wasn’t for Alisa. Though she didn’t suffer from it directly, as a human being, she still ended up harboring a considerable amount of resentment.

“In that case, we have to get a place at school, somehow.”

Truthfully, Alisa considered this to be the only option from the start.

“But won’t there be a lot of competition?”

Alisa and Marika aren’t the only ones who want a place to practice magic. Numbers from the Ten Master Clans and the Hundred Families probably have their own private training facilities, but many students come from different households. In addition, first year students aren’t the only ones with monthly practical skills exams.

“You’re right... What do we do?”

The two racked their brains over it together.

But there are other people involved. It was not a problem they could come up with a good solution for just by thinking over a table.

◇ ◇ ◇

After school on the first Saturday of May, Alisa and Marika were patrolling the school on duty for the Public Morals Committee.

They had a look around the practical skills building and then left through the front door. After making their way to the sports grounds, they went back to the front of the library and sat on a bench to rest.

“About the practice spot, what do we do?”

Marika asked Alisa, with a tone suggesting she feels she is in a stalemate.

“Truly, what do we do?”

Alisa, looking like she is at a loss, sent back the same question to her best friend.

The two huddled closely together, with a similar ‘worried pose’.

They stayed like that for a while, time passing by.

Two figures stopped in front of the bench where the two were sitting.

“Is something wrong?”

A gentle voice called out to them, to which Alisa and Marika not only raised her faces at the same time, but also stood up without delay.

“Ah, President.”

Marika was the first to react.

(...Who?)

Alisa didn’t know who this upperclasswoman (probably) who called out to her was.

She is 5 centimeters shorter than Alisa, who is 165 centimeters tall. Her long hair has a brightish color. Her almond eyes made her feel like she somehow had seen her before.

Behind that girl was an upperclasswoman she knew even without thinking. Public Morals Committee Chief, Urabe Aki.

Aki saw Alisa was confused and a look that said ‘Figures...’ appeared on her face.

“Chika, introduce yourself.”

Aki, with no hesitation in her tone, urged the other upperclasswoman to give a self-introduction.

“Could this perhaps be the first time we’ve spoken to each other directly?”

The girl addressed Alisa in a ladylike manner.

“I am Kitahata Chika, from class 3-C. I also serve as the Club President of the women’s division of the Martial Magic Arts Club.“

“I-I am Juumonji Alisa, from class 1-A. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Alisa became flustered due to confusion caused by the discrepancy between what was coming in through her eyes and ears and what she remembered.

(Huh, no way?... Kitahata-senpai?)

(This senpai that looks so graceful?)

(Really?)

When speaking of the Martial Magic Arts Club President Kitahata, she would think of a gallant-looking, rough-speaking girl who is easily mistaken for a young pretty boy. — Though she was too old to be considered a girl. It was pretty hard to believe that this well-mannered, elegant, feminine upperclassman was that same person.

“Asha, this is the first time you’ve seen the President with this look, right?”

But Marika was treating the female student in front of her as Kitahata Chika. This is the relationship between Alisa and Marika: she can tell Marika is not lying or joking just by looking at her.

“You seem to be quite surprised.”

However, between the refined figure laughing with a “Ufufu” in front of her eyes and the violently shouting figure in her memories, there truly was no overlap.

“...I can see why Juumonji-san is so confused.”

Unable to just watch Alisa’s bafflement anymore, Aki talked to her in a voice filled with deep sympathy.

“You may not believe this, but Chika doesn’t have a double personality.”

“The thought of me having double personality... Aki, you’re awful.”

Chika teased her with a voice sounding like she’s on the verge of tears. Though it might have been a deadly serious objection for this current Chika.

“Shut it.”

And just like that, Aki silenced her.

“99 times out of 100, people would think you’re a different person when they see you like this for the first time."

“Eh, is that really true...?”

Chika put her cheek against her hand and cocked her head to the side. Rather than being flirty, it was an old-fashioned gesture.[3]

“But I don’t really put on much makeup, other than wearing a hairpiece.”

The word hairpiece, over wig, feels correct for this Chika. It also felt that a furisode or hakama would suit her better than a school uniform.

Now that it has been said, outside of the long hair, her face does match Alisa’s memories of the President of the women’s division of the Magic Arts Club. Alisa was surprised as well as impressed that the impression Chika gives off could change this much with just a wig.

But why is Chika wearing a hairpiece? Sure, there are no school regulations against wearing hairpieces. Maybe there are other students taking their classes while wearing wigs and Alisa just doesn’t know about it.

But at the very least, this is the first time Alisa has seen Chika this way. She normally doesn’t wear it, so is there a reason she’s wearing a hairpiece today, Alisa pondered.

But maybe Chika has some deep reason that shouldn’t be inquired about. Thinking like that, Alisa refrained from asking.

“This doesn’t have any particularly deep reason, you know?”

But the curiosity gnawing at her appeared to leak into her facial expression.

Chika tilted her head slightly to the right, scooped up a tuft of her long chestnut-colored wig hair and smiled at Alisa.

“For some reason I was just in the mood for it this morning.”

“Mood?”

“Yes. Since the tea was made so nicely this morning.”

(Make? Tea?)

For this Chika the phrase ‘make tea’ didn’t feel out of place.

But normally, her image has no correlation with the way of tea.

“Juumonji-san, I truly understand how you feel right now.”

Once again Aki gave her sympathies to the perplexed Alisa.

“But you shouldn’t worry. There are some not-deep reasons.”

Did I hear that wrong?, Alisa thought.

“...So there are no deep reasons, but there are reasons that aren’t deep?”

“Exactly. The reason isn’t very significant. In any case, think of Chika as this kind of creature.”

“Oh my. I do feel it is quite rude to see your best friend as some sort of creature. Don’t you think so too, Juumonji-san?”

Even the way she shows anger is anachronistic, or old-fashioned and calm. Alisa was frankly still wondering what the ‘’not-deep reasons’ were, but even if he asked Chika she would probably say ‘it’s not worth knowing’.

Alisa decided to follow Aki’s advice.

“... Yeah, you’re right.”

Specifically, she chose an appropriate response and let it out.

“More importantly, what happened to you two?”

She probably thought ‘At this rate, time will just pass and nothing will get done’. Aki brushed Chika aside to question Alisa and Marika.

“You looked like you were worrying about something?”

“Yes, Chief. Truth is...”

Marika was already used to Chika’s dual-nature and answered Aki ahead of Alisa, who was still yet to recover from the impact of the disparity.

“...A training area for practical skills, huh. That really is a troubling matter.”

Aki nodded with an understanding face. She might have the same trouble reserving a location for herself.

“Juumonji-san, would it not be fine to use one at your home?”

Chika inserted herself into the conversation, sounding curious.

“Do you think Tookami-san could do that on an emotional level?”

Aki’s tone towards Chika was one of reproach. This means that, apparently, both Aki and Chika know that Marika comes from a family of Extras.

“Is that the case? The facilities of the former Tenth Research Institute are being managed by the Juumonji Family, are they not? Tookami-san also has a right to use them. Besides, if it caused problems for her grandfather and father, I think it’s just right to turn it into her steppingstone.”

(Ah, that’s definitely Kitahata-senpai.)

Hearing that cheeky assertion, the ladylike upperclasswoman in front of her and the manly Magic Arts Club President of the women’s division finally merged in Alisa’s mind.

Alisa felt nothing of Chika’s statement other than ‘Kitahata-senpai-like’, Marika thought nothing of it other than ‘So there’s that way of thinking about it too?’, but it looked like Aki couldn’t ignore the irrationality of the argument.

“Chika... Not everyone would be satisfied with that like you are.”

She raised her voice to chide Chika.

“Maybe you are right. Then, I shall take my leave before I say any more unnecessary things. Tookami-san, Juumonji-san, do your best, both in your patrol and your studies.”

Chika bowed politely and continued her walk.

“If you’re having trouble finding a practice room, have you tried talking to the Student Council?”

Aki left that advice and lined up next to Chika.

Alisa and Marika looked at each other with expressions that said ‘Now that you mention it’. The two immediately headed towards the 4th floor of the main school building, where the Student Council room is located.

◇ ◇ ◇

The Student Council room is by nature not a place people are let in easily. But as members of the Public Morals Committee, the two of them were now used to showing up often. Perhaps due to influence of Alisa’s older brother, Vice President Yuuto, and their friend Mei who was appointed as a secretary, President Shiina and Treasurer Saburou already treat Alisa and Marika as family. Today as well, they just knocked on the door and were allowed in right away.

“It doesn’t look that busy in the first half of the month.”

Mei replied as such when Marika asked about using a practice room.

“But in the second half it will be hard to find a free room. It will be impossible if you apply on the day, and reservations will be drawn by lottery.”

“I see...”

“It wasn’t this busy when we were in the first year.”

President Shiina heard the conversation between the three first years and joined in.

“Not that there weren’t any students studying by themselves, of course.”

“True, the rooms in the practice building were never all filled.”

Treasurer Saburou joined in as well.

“It’s been like this ever since the classes started being divided by grades, right?”

“Because it’s easily interpreted as matter of status.”

Saburou’s expression as he agreed with what Shiina said was a little bitter.

“Is there something like a fight for status at this school?”

Marika asked, looking surprised.

“...Yeah, of course there is.”

And to her question, Saburou nodded, looking unamused.

“Fights for status sound bad to the ear, but competition is necessary. It’s healthier than not having your skills evaluated.”

“Yeah, under the previous system, the classes for the first and second courses were fixed, no matter how hard the second course students tried.”

Perhaps it was just imagination, but Shiina looked like she was somewhat staring somewhere far away.

Those must have been horrible circumstances, Marika and Alisa both thought.

“So you mean the current situation, where students compete with improving their skills as their goal is healthy, right?”

“It would be a problem if students boasted about their grades and looked down on students below them. So far, the situation hasn’t gotten that bad yet.”

With a wry smile, Samurai agreed with Alisa.

“But I have a feeling the competition is getting more intense every day. It’s looking like securing a practice room will be tougher this month than the last.”

And then Shiina apologetically added to his words.

“...And that being the case, if you want to use a practice room, you should do it now. Though it is tough, not being able to practice before the exam.”

Mei said, and for some time, she tilted her head in thought.

“If you’re looking for a place to practice at school, that means there is a reason you don’t want to use Alisa’s house, right?”

Marika doesn’t voluntarily spread the word that she’s an Extra. Mei’s Isori Family is a main family of the Hundred Families, the Numbers, so if she were to investigate it’s probably possible for her to find the relationship between Marika’s Tookami Family and the former Tenth Research Institute. But randomly looking up her friend’s situation is the sort of behavior Mei doesn’t like.

Therefore Mei doesn’t know that Marika is an Extra. ‘Not wanting to use the Juumonji Family’s facilities’ was simple reasoning.

In addition, the Vice President Yuuto, a related party whenever the topic of the Juumonji Family comes up, isn’t here. He went away to a briefing with the Club Activities Group.

Marika replied to Mei’s question with an indifferent “Well, yeah”. There was no seriousness to be seen on her face.

“Then, come to my home?”

“By your home, you mean the Isori Family’s?”

Marika couldn’t hide her surprise at Mei’s proposal. Alisa also had a face expressing ‘Huh?’.

“Of course I won’t do anything like trying to figure out the secrets of your magic.”

Mei declared, looking completely serious.

“I’m not worried about that... Asha, what do you think?”

“It’s not just up to me... I have to ask Katsuto-san.”

When Marika asked her for her opinion, Alisa replied with a perplexed expression.

“You can give me the answer any time. Even the day before if you want.”

“...Okay. Thank you.”

Alisa expressed her sincere thanks to Mei for her generosity.

“If Asha can’t, can I go by myself?”

“Of course, feel free to.”

And Mei willingly agreed with Marika, who showed motivation even if she was by herself.