Maidens of Cygnus - Volume 4 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Eve

1st of August 2099, Saturday night.

The schedule for this year’s Nine Schools Competition has the eve party on Sunday the 2nd, with the opening of the competition on Tuesday the 4th. The furthest schools are staying at a hotel adjacent to the venue starting today, but First High and Third High are departing tomorrow.

Marika was in Alisa’s room helping to prepare for the stay at the hotel that starts tomorrow. The Nine Schools Competition lasts until the 14th. Her stay at the hotel, including the eve party, will last two weeks, with the check-in on the 2nd and the check-out on the 15th. Though school uniforms and other uniforms are the main articles of clothing, the number of things they can bring is just about normal.

Particularly for girls, not just the amount but the type is something to worry about as well. The two opened and turned over the drawers of the closet, making a clamor with “This one is cute” “This one is good too” “This one is essential as well” in front of the suitcase.

Somehow closing the swelling suitcase, Alisa caught her breath.

“Mina, are you really not coming?”

And she threw Marika a question about something that has already been decided.

“I’ll go cheer for you, Asha. Maybe I’ll watch Mei’s games too.”

Marika answered, intentionally dodging the point.

“It’s not about that.”

Alisa raised her voice, sounding annoyed. Her question had the meaning ‘Won’t you stay with me at the hotel?’.

“The Student Council President and everyone else suggested that you could stay in the team as staff, right?”

“Asha, it’s going to be tomorrow. We can’t change things now.”

Check-in is tomorrow. It is just as Marika said, so Alisa had no choice but to reluctantly withdraw with “That’s true, but...”

“First of all, I am pretty much useless. I don’t have the skills for CAD adjustment, and you have enough advisors.”

This too was an irrefutable fact.

“If a time comes for me to appear on stage, it will be if something happens to Mei or Ichika... but it would obviously be better if nothing like that happens. I’ll be practicing for the national tournament here.”

The Martial Magic Arts National Tournament is scheduled for the end of the month, after the Nine Schools Competition ends. Alisa also knew that was far more important for Marika.

Alisa didn’t bring up this topic anymore.

◇ ◇ ◇

Late into the night of the same day, Kitou visited Izayoi Souma’s apartment.

“Is there something urgent you need me for?”

Right after inviting Kitou into the room and sitting face-to-face, Souma left out any preambles and asked him.

Both Souma and Kitou serve Anzai Isao, one of the Four Great Elders of the Senate. The fact they are Anzai’s subordinates is a secret, and they have to avoid suspicions of their relationship being anything more than student and teacher. Visiting each other’s houses was a violation of this prohibition.

“I have been entrusted with our Lord’s message for you.”

‘Lord’ is their way to refer to their master Anzai.

At that answer from Kitou, Souma’s back involuntarily straightened.

“Do not stand out too much at the Nine Schools Competition, that’s the order.”

“I understand.”

Souma nodded with no resistance to the message Kitou relayed to him. Souma heard about the national defense reserve squad too. He also heard it was a proposal from a member of the Senate named Yamato Michitomo.

Yamato hails from a family that worked as leaders of the Imperial Guard Division and holds strong influence over Tokyo’s public order. He has powerful connections with the police, but his influence with the national defense forces is also appropriate for a member of the Senate.

Even to people who don’t know Yamato is a member of the Senate, the value of the connections he has surpass the influence of a politician experienced as a minister. The reason many magicians who know the circumstances, not just those from the Hundred families, were in a frenzy over the national defense reserve squad, was not because they wanted positions in the military, their goal was to make a connection with Yamato.

Conversely, it is for that reason that it would not be good for Souma, who is already Anzai’s pawn, to be noticed as a national defense reserve squad candidate. Souma understood without needing to be ordered that he shouldn’t stand out at this Nine Schools Competition, which the adults are using to attract attention to their families and make their own calculations. 

But immediately after, his expression changed into a ‘Uh?’

“Do not stand out too much? So a certain degree of effort is fine?”

“It would be unnatural for a First High representative to not try at all. You must avoid looking like you’re cutting corners with some hidden motive.”

“I see, so I need to balance it well.”

Kitou’s words were once again reasonable.

However, precisely because he understood it was necessary to accomplish it, Souma was troubled, thinking ‘looks like this is going to be harder than I thought’.

◇ ◇ ◇

August 2nd, Sunday morning.

At the entrance of the Ichijou Family house, Akane’s family, with the exception of her father Gouki, was seeing her off as she’s leaving for the Nine Schools Competition. Among them was Masaki, who is returning home for the summer break, and Akane’s housemate Reira.

After exchanging words with her mother and sister in order, “I’ll leave Rei-chan to you”, Akane entrusted her to Masaki with a serious expression.

Reira, who was not selected as a competitor for the Nine Schools Competition, will naturally not accompany her. She has plans to go root for Akane in her matches, but in the other days, these two who are usually attached at the hip will be completely separated.

But Akane’s serious expression wasn’t her just being mindful so that her close friend and adopted cousin won’t be lonely. There was a more serious reason for that.

The reason Akane is always with Reira — with the Great Asian Union’s Strategic-Class Magician Liú Lìlěi, is to carry out her mission to monitor and restrain her if necessary. Of course, that’s not the only reason she is with her, Akane considers Reira a friend and loves her as family.

But the reason the Ichijou Family complied with the request from the national defense forces to introduce Reira to Akane is because Akane can use ‘Nerve Disturbance’.

When the time comes, she is to neutralize Liú Lìlěi with ‘Nerve Disturbance’ and restrain her. But this magic cannot be used unless she is in contact with the target. Therefore, Akane is always at a distance where she can reach Liú Lìlěi by extending her hand. This is the insurance the national defense forces employed to keep a foreign Strategic-Class Magician within the country. Thinking from a different angle, because Akane is by her side, Liú Lìlěi was allowed a lot of freedom as ‘Ichijou Reira’.

Those who are involved with national defense and know of Ichijou Reira’s true identity undoubtedly intended for her to be chosen as a representative for the Nine Schools Competition and to move together with Akane. But Third High didn’t assess the government’s intentions that far. The Nine Schools Competition, from the viewpoint of a magic high school student, is an event that has a big influence on their future. And if Reira had been chosen as a representative despite her ability in the competition being clearly inferior, it would be admitting that there is something about her that should be shown to powerful people. Taking that into consideration, the military didn’t pressure Third High either.

Akane’s older brother Masaki was chosen as her stand-in for when she is apart from Reira. Masaki is a Nationally Recognized Strategic Class Magician, so it’s not something either the government or the military can complain about. Masaki, fully aware of that, nodded to his little sister and replied “Leave her to me”.

Akane listened to his answer with a meek expression. A natural reaction when considering the duties that were assigned to her.

But right after, Akane smiled with satisfaction.

“But don’t treat her too well, you hear!”

“Ah, Akane!”

Before anything else happened, Reira exposed her panic.

“...What is that about.”

Masaki asked in return, not flustered in the slightest, though he couldn’t conceal his displeasure.

“You can ask ‘What’ all you want~. It means exactly what the words mean!”

“What are you talking about?”

“But maybe it would be better for Rei-chan if something did happen!”

“Akane! What are you saying!?”

“Now, now, you two. Act responsibly, and all that. Well then, I’m gooing~.”

Akane turned a devilish smile towards the bright red Reira and the surly faced Masaki and left with springy steps.

◇ ◇ ◇

The venue of the Nine Schools Competition was built on the national defense forces practice grounds at the foot of Mount Fuji this year as well. Like a usual year, the First High delegation gathered at the school for some time and then boarded a bus headed for the venue.

The bus advanced on the highway smoothly. Getting dragged into incidents on the way and just barely avoiding it becoming a catastrophe with casualties, like what happened four years prior, is not a common occurrence.

But even though the bus didn’t cause an accident or get involved in an accident, it doesn’t mean it proceeded with no problems. Once about half of the trip had been completed, one student started feeling unwell.

“Ichika, you’re looking pale. Are you okay?”

Mei, looking worried, questioned her seat neighbor Ichika, whose face had gone pale and was distorted from pain.

“I’m not feeling very good...”

Ichika replied with a feeble voice. It doesn’t look like she has the composure to act tough either.

Shiina and Aki stood up from their seat and approached anxiously.

“Where does it hurt? Do you feel like throwing up?”

“My stomach... hurts... I don’t think... it’s nausea...”

Ichika replied intermittently to Mei’s query.

“Doesn’t appear to be motion sickness then... Do you want some painkillers?”

Aki questioned and Ichika agreed with “Yes”.

Another student brought a weak non-prescription analgesic and gave them to Ichika through Mei. Seeing Ichika put the capsule in her mouth, Mei handed over the glass of water she had in her hand.

Ichika drank only half the water and returned it to Mei while thanking her.

“It would be better to recline the chair to give you a more comfortable position, right?”

Staring at her with a worried look, Shiina recommended to Ichika.

“Excuse me, we have a situation here, could you move to a reserve seat[9]?”

Shiina then requested the cooperation from the students behind the seat.

Ichika is on the window seat, and behind her is Joui. Mei’s seat is on the aisle and behind her is Mamoru.

Joui and Mamoru immediately replied with consent. Then they each moved one seat over and Mamoru sat on the reserve seat.

Ichika, who started raising her body to say thanks to them, was stopped by Mei’s hand, who thanked them in her place.

Ichika reclined the chair’s back as far as it could go and laid on it sideways.

◇ ◇ ◇

The party before the start of the Nine Schools Competition, which the students call ‘eve party’, has a long official name: ‘National Magic University Affiliated High Schools Goodwill Magic Game Convention Social Gathering’. Incidentally, the official name of the Nine Schools Competition is ‘Magic High School Goodwill Magic Game Convention’. That one of them is ‘Magic University Affiliated High Schools’ and the other ‘Magic High School’ is a silly situation, but nobody cares about it.

Officially, the goal of this party is for students from each school to mingle with each other. That said, they aren’t forced to mix with the students of different schools from the start. The students from each school gathered at the party venue were separated according to their school.

Of course, First High’s first-year students were also assembled in one place. In that group, Alisa quietly started talking to Mei.

“Mei, how is Ichika doing?”

“She’s still not feeling too good. She’s lying down in the room.”

“I see...”

Alisa furrowed her eyebrows after hearing Mei’s answer.

“I wonder if Ichika-san will be okay...”

Koharu, who is participating as a technician, joined the conversation with a worried-looking face.

Hiyori also turned to Mei with a similar expression.

“If she doesn’t feel better by tomorrow, we’ll take her to the doctor.”

“Yeah... That’s a good idea.”

Alisa nodded to Mei’s response while looking sad.

◇ ◇ ◇

Once the usual not-short speeches from the guests were over, the socializing between students began. The second- and third-year students found acquaintances they made at last year’s tournament or through other opportunities and talked to them, while the first-years of each of the schools were not getting any excuse to.

Among them, the one who took the initiative was perhaps the most well-known among the first-years at the venue, a Third High girl that is attracting attention.

“Juumonji-san. Do you have a moment?”

Third High’s Ichijou Akane walked up to First High’s group and addressed Alisa.

“Ichijou-san. What is it?”

Alisa, without confusion, without surprise, but still, not too friendly either, responded normally. These two met each other face-to-face only once for a short time, a few days ago when trouble happened at the Magic Arts competition held between First High and Third High. But Alisa didn’t doubt that Akane remembered her, and Akane too accepted Alisa’s response as natural.

“Did Tookami-san not come?”

“She wasn’t selected as a representative.”

Alisa wasn’t confused even when Akane asked about Marika out of the blue. That Akane was interested in Marika was not at all unexpected and Alisa vaguely thought that if she was asking her something, it would have to be about Marika.

“I see. That’s unfortunate.”

“I’m sure she feels the same way. She is looking forward to facing you at the tournament later this month, Ichijou-san.”

“I’m looking forward to it too. If you’d like, please tell her I said that.”

“Sure, I will.”

As if nothing had happened, the two separated and Akane went back to her Third High friends.

Even Alisa didn’t show signs of keeping that scene in her mind. She was invited by Hiyori to go get the hors d’ oeuvres together.

The conversation with Akane didn’t attract attention, but Alisa was being noticed in a different way.

The gently undulating blond hair. The dark green eyes and white skin evidently of a different race. She’s half-Japanese and half-Russian, but her appearance is basically that of a white Russian emigrant. Since each country locked magicians inside their own country, young magicians with an outward appearance like hers are rare.

In addition, even among the many magicians with good looks, Alisa possesses a conspicuous beauty. To a certain extent, it’s possible to say that many gazes gathering on her was a natural development. In particular, the eyes of those of the opposite sex and same age bracket being attracted to her was unavoidable.

“Alisa-san, are you okay?”

Koharu talked to Alisa with a tone similar to when she was worried about Ichika’s condition. Once you’re together for four months, you somewhat come understand each other’s personalities. Koharu’s question was out of concern for Alisa, who looks stressed from the looks from the crowd.

“I’m fine.”

Alisa answered like that, though it was obvious she was acting tough.

“Why don’t you ask the Student Council President to let you go back to the hotel?”

Thinking that way after seeing Alisa’s expression, Hiyori encouraged her to leave the party early.

“But...”

Alisa hesitated. After all, it is a big hurdle for a first-year student to be the one to bring it up.

Her shoulders were tapped from behind.

“Juumonji-san, you don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

Alisa turned around.

“President...”

Shiina was smiling right there.

“Before there were guest speeches in the middle, but since last year, those don’t happen anymore. I would like you to refrain from leaving without a reason, but if you’re not feeling well, please return to your room. In any case, pushing yourself is forbidden.”

It changed from ‘You don’t have to push yourself’ to ‘Pushing yourself is forbidden’. It appears Shiina hates situations where her kouhai try too hard and become bedridden.

“Understood. My apologies, I’ll be taking my leave.”

If I endure it for any longer, it will just make her worry unnecessarily. Thinking that way, Alisa decided to go back to her room.

“President, I will accompany her.”

Her roommate Hiyori told Shiina.

After hearing Shiina’s response of “Yes, please do”, Alisa and Hiyori left the party venue.

◇ ◇ ◇

“You sure you don’t want to sleep?”

They returned to the hotel room where they’re staying during the Nine Schools Competition and Hiyori, after changing into comfortable clothes, talked to Alisa, who also finished changing into similar lounge wear, with a worried voice.

“I’m fine. It’s not like I was feeling unwell.”

Alisa was only exposed to the stress of the gazes. Hiyori understood that too, and didn’t insistent on advising her to lie down.

“I’m more worried about Ichika than myself.”

Alisa murmured with a somber voice.

“You’re right... Maybe I should go see how she’s doing?”

Hiyori sympathized with that and sought for Alisa’s opinion.

“Hmm... I think it’ll be better to let her sleep in peace.”

To Alisa’s reply, Hiyori let out a slightly surprised “You think so?”

“Ichika’s stomachache was probably neurogenic, don’t you think?”

“You mean stress is to blame?”

“I think it’s likely.”

When she had just moved to Tokyo, Alisa was often indisposed due to stress. There was the pressure of learning magic, as well as the unfamiliar living environment. Recognizing herself as an ‘illegitimate child’, Alisa was also reserved towards the Juumonji Family. And she was also, simply put, bothered by how many people there were in Tokyo.

All these various factors accumulated and the result was that Alisa, who had just become a second-year student in middle school, repeatedly took days off from school or left school early due to functional dyspepsia — commonly called stress-induced gastritis. She kept this a secret from Marika.

Ichika’s poor condition reminded Alisa of her own condition at the time.

“Come to think of it, she looked like she was under a lot of pressure.”

Alisa also agreed with Hiyori, saying “Yeah, she was”. Almost all the first-year girls in the representative team had sensed that she was feeling the weight of her parent’s expectations. Even Marika, who ultimately was left out of the delegation, had been concerned and had occasionally talked to her.

“But to worry so much that you feel physical pain...”

Hiyori’s voice was mixed with regret that she couldn’t notice it.

On this point, Alisa had the same feelings.

◇ ◇ ◇

The rooms used for accommodation for the Nine Schools Competition are twin rooms, so the basic policy in First High is for partners in the pairs competitions to share a room. Following this principle, Mamoru was sharing his room with his Speed Shooting pair Tawara Hideki.

Incidentally, Mamoru doesn’t know much about Hideki. Outside the time where they practiced together, he didn’t spend time with Hideki at all. Because of that, the nervous behavior Hideki displayed inside the room was completely unexpected to him. From his show-offish plays during practice, Mamoru thought he would have a firmer character.

Hideki overreacted to every single sound Mamoru made. He even reacted to the sound he made when he placed the tablet terminal on top of the table, to the point that he stopped inspecting the launcher he will use in the event.

“...Are you going to sleep soon?”

As the date changed, a sleepy Mamoru talked to him.

“Hn, I should.”

With a jump, Hideki’s shoulders quivered, and he answered with his back still turned. That reply came across as him fumbling his words ‘Yeah, I should’.

As Hideki went to wash his hands, Mamoru slipped into bed.

When Hideki returned, he silently got into bed and turned off the light without saying a thing.

In the darkness, the sounds of small changes in position in bed were delivered to Mamoru’s ears.

Mamoru felt ‘it’s like something’s rushing him’ towards Hideki’s lack of composure.

◇ ◇ ◇

Souma is a competitor in Monolith Code, and in this event teams are composed of three people. Based on the basic policy that participants in the same event share rooms, there is one person too many. As such, his roommate is Yuuto, who will participate in solo Pillars Break.

Between the social gathering party and the opening of the Nine Schools Competition, there is one day free for participants to get themselves ready. At night on that rest day, as he was preparing to go sleep, Yuuto sat down on the bed and muttered “This isn’t good...”

“What isn’t?”

An expression of ‘Eh?’ appeared on Yuuto’s face due to Souma’s question. His murmur was entirely to himself and he wasn’t even aware he said it out loud.

“What isn’t good?”

Souma asked once more.

“Ah, Aah. Somehow, I feel like there’s a lot of team members who are way too worked up.”

“Is this about that first-year, Tokugawa-san?”

Ichika didn’t feel abdominal pain after sleeping for a night, but just in case, today she went to see a female doctor affiliated with the national defense forces that is permanently staying at the hotel. The diagnosis was just as Alisa guessed.

“It’s not just her. There are a number of other members who make me think that they’re under a lot of pressure.”

“Like Tawara from the first-year, for instance?”

“So you noticed too, huh, Souma?”

There was no surprise in Yuuto’s voice. Souma habitually watches others closely. Yuuto knew that.

“It’s not just our students. There are many students of other schools who are making similar faces as well.”

“Really? I didn’t notice that much.”

Yuuto had an expression of admiration, not flattery.

And right after, he knit his brows.

“...sure enough, this must be influence from that matter?”

Yuuto grumbled in a tone distinct from idle chatter.

“The national defense reserve squad, you mean?”

“Yeah, that.”

Yuuto didn’t have questions about why Souma knew about the national defense forces.

Yuuto had heard from Souma himself that his surname was originally ‘Izayoi(十六夜)[10]’.

“I think it’s natural for parents to have expectations of their kids, but this feels like it’s going too far.”

“It does feel like something of a different era, pushing the family’s future onto their children.”

Souma plainly verbalized the uncomfortable feeling Yuuto had.

“An anachronism, huh? That’s true...”

To Yuuto, what Souma said felt correct.