Classroom.
Homeroom.
A sight commonly seen in a normal school.
"............"
Right there, was Glen.
In Year 1 Class 9, in the seat by the window right at the back.
It was the first homeroom lesson right now. A woman who seemed to be the homeroom teacher was talking about the school entrance ceremony which was going to commence after this.
By the way, Sayuri and Shigure were not in this class.
Sayuri was in Class 1.
Shigure was in Class 2; the two of them were assigned to the classes that were furthest away from Class 9, which clearly could be thought to be the product of someone's meddling.
"Well, it's not something unexpected though."
The reason was because, the place that Glen was in, was one whose objective was to show to the next upcoming head of Ichinose the exceptional, overwhelming power possessed by the Hiiragi House.
"Isolating you, bullying and subjugating you huh. This has been the underhanded system they had been using for 200 years after all."
Glen smiled.
By the way, 25 years ago, his father had attended this school just as Glen was doing now, and had completely submitted to the Hiiragi House. Putting aside whether he liked or disliked the main house, whenever it was time to make some major decision, he always acted in the role of someone who was the pet of the Hiiragi House.
As such, his father did have a good reputation among the 『Mikado no Tsuki』.
But Glen did not think that as something bad. He did not mind. It was not something that had taken away his respect for his father.
His father had just been doing what he was able to within his limits. As long as he was able to avoid conflict for their organization with that, it was fine.
And even on that day itself.
"............"
Glen recalled.
The memory of that time, when he was a child.
The memory of that day when he last met Mahiru.
The memory of when he was beaten up by the people from the Hiiragi House and brought back to his home.
His father looked at him apologetically, and said.
"Please forgive your powerless father......"
With a teary face, his father hugged his son who was covered with wounds, and immediately turned to apologize to the Hiiragis.
Even though his son was the one getting beaten up, he still apologized.
"............"
Glen snapped out of his reverie and looked up.
He looked around.
40 people.
The males and females each made up half the class.
From the register of the class, it seemed like this class had quite a number of children of the top brass of 『Mikado no Oni』.
Jyuujou House.
Goshi House.
Sanguu House.
Even in the world of sorcery, these were among the famous houses.
By the way, Ichinose House used to be the highest ranked supporting family of the Hiiragis. But right now, they had fallen to the lowest rank.
A few of the students took fleeting glances at this lowest ranked. Only repugnance and animosity from knowing that someone like him was their classmate could be felt from them.
The lady teacher furthermore said.
"Well, now that everyone here has become a member of this First Shibuya High, I hope that everyone here can have a fruitful high school life with the pride and confidence befitting of a student of the greatest sorcery school in Japan."
Following that, the lady teacher turned her gaze joyfully to Glen,
"Well, even though we have a rat who managed to mingle in, don't let it concern you. As the elites who are the most talented and have the best results, the students of this class will have to undertake the task of show the dignity of this school to the rat, I feel."
The rat was referring to Glen.
The students laughed. Even though not all of them did, those who did seemed to be enjoying themselves.
And then, even the rat also grinned foolishly for now.
Following that, he measured the teacher's strength. He weighed whether the teacher who had mocked him had more power than him.
It did not matter whether he was ridiculed.
He came here knowing that this would happen.
But, he could not allow himself to lose in power. He could not allow himself to lose when it came to spell invocation ability.
Unlike his father, he was burdened with a mission.
Since, unlike his father who ran the organization in a gentle and peaceful manner, he had a different ambition hidden in his heart.
"............"
While grinning foolishly, Glen looked around.
The girl of Jyuujou House.
The guy of Goshi House.
The girl of Sanguu House.
By the way, he already knew from the register that there was just one special person assigned to this class.
His name was ---
Hiiragi Shinya.
A person who bore the Hiiragi name.
To the those who owed allegiance to 『Mikado no Oni』, the Hiiragi name held a special distinguished status - so much so that the Hiiragis could even be called as the representatives of God.
To those of 『Mikado no Tsui』, the Ichinoses was the same. Just like how Glen was to Sayuri and Shigure.
But right now, that seat was empty.
Furthest away from Glen's seat --- the seat taken by the distinguished Hiiragi was assigned to the place that was the furthest than the seat of the dirty rat.
In other words, it was at the first row of the classroom, close to the entrance.
At that moment, the lady teacher said.
"Everyone should already have realized this, but this is the very class that Shinya-sama will be in. The honor to be with......."
And so on and so forth.
In other words, they would be together in the same class with such a wonderful person.
The students in the class were listening to the teacher with dreamy looks. It was a completely different attitude as compared to the earlier looks directed at the rat.
Glen smiled again at the idiotic, easy-to-understand change in attitude. Following that, he looked out the window. The roadside cherry trees outside the school gate could be seen from the window.
While staring at them,
"I'm worried about Shigure and Sayuri."
He murmured softly.
At that moment, he could hear the sound of the classroom door sliding open. In that instant, it was evident that the classroom returned to silence and he could feel the class tensed up.
And then,
"My, why is it so quiet?"
That voice rang out from the rear exit of the classroom.
It was the voice of a man.
The lady teacher said in a nervous voice,
"Oh my, it's Shinya-sama, welcome to my class...... Shinya-sama, here is your seat......"
But, Shinya cut her off and said.
"Eeh, I don't want such a front seat."
"Eh, erm......"
"I, would like that seat. So can I swap?"
"Wha, I mean...... but that......."
Glen could hear an ongoing conversation that seemed to indicate the arrival of a king.
It seemed like the one who carried the blood of Hiiragi had finally appeared.
Glen looked up, and turned his gaze into the classroom.
But, he ended getting slightly surprised by what he saw.
The reason was because, the man there, was the one who had thrown a talisman at Glen at the school gate this morning.
White hair. A uniform with a stand-up collar. Despite carrying a grin on his face, he had a sharp glint in his eyes. He had a smile that was brimming with self-confidence.
It seemed like this person was none other than Hiiragi Shinya.
I didn't even need to ask Shigure to investigate his identity huh, thought Glen.
To top it off, that very Shinya approached Glen. With a grin on his face, he said to the girl who was seated beside Glen.
"Hey? I'd like to sit here. Can you swap with me?"
The girl was stunned for an instant and she then said as she got up frantically,
"Ah, y-yes! Of course, please help yourself!"
"Hey? I'd like to sit here. Can you swap with me?"
On seeing that, the lady teacher said.
"B-But, sitting beside that rat......"
Shinya cut her off with half-closed eyes.
"Hey Sensei. Is it really okay for a teacher to be calling her student a rat?"
"Ah, erm......"
"We are all in the same class. We have to get along."
"Well......"
The girl who had been seated beside Glen then made way.
"Thank you."
Shinya grinned and took the seat beside Glen.
Then,
"Aah, everyone, I'm sorry for interrupting. Please continue the homeroom lesson."
After Shinya said that, the lady teacher stepped back to the podium in a fluster that was unbecoming for a teacher, and resumed the homeroom lesson.
She talked about the protocol for the school entrance ceremony.
About how the term in this sorcery school would start and what the classes would be like.
Shinya listened on with a grin for a while.
Glen turned his gaze out the window again.
At that moment,
"Hey."
Shinya called out to him.
"............"
"Erm, Ichinose Glen-kun, right? Can I call you Glen?"
Glen then turned around and looked at Shinya. He was still grinning.
Glen stared at the face of Shinya, and replied.
"Are perhaps you talking to me?"
Shinya then smiled and said.
"What's with the polite language?"
"I had been strictly taught since young that I must not defy the Hiiragi House."
"Eeh, really?"
"Yes."
"I see. That's, kind of boring."
"I'm very sorry."
Glen lowered his head. As Shinya stopped saying anything to him, Glen started looking out the window again but it was during then Shinya began again,
"But then, you received my attack on purpose this morning right?"
"............"
"My, I wonder why you did that? Perhaps to hide your true power?"
"............"
"Isn't that a clear act of defiance? Your ambition is so obvious you know?"
Damn. Seems like he really saw through it.
Glen looked at Shinya and said.
"About that...... I am really sorry."
"Oh, you admit to it pretty readily huh?"
"However, I was not admitting to the ambition part. It's just that I've been taught at home that I must not defy anyone, and not bring on the wrath of the people of the Hiiragi House, and as a result, it is true that I received the attack so as not to stir up any trouble. It's not like I was trying to hide my true power."
"Fuhn. I see."
"Yes."
"I see ~."
Shinya looked hard at Glen. Looking hard, grinning. And for some reason, he inched closer. He inched strangely close to him and said into his ear.
With a slightly lowered voice,
"Hey Glen. Stop your boring lies."
"............"
Glen narrowed his eyes on hearing that. He looked intently at Shinya,
"I'm not ly......"
But Shinya cut him off and said.
"Well, doesn't matter ~. But it's just that I've been hoping all this time that we can actually be comrades you know."
"............"
"Since both you and I hate the Hiiragi House, I was thinking that we could actually join hands and secretly do lots of interesting things together."
"............"
"By the way, the Hiiragi blood doesn't flow in me. I'm a foster son. Since I was a kid, I've been raised in a manner to be fit to join the Hiiragi House. That's why I hate the Hiiragi House. In other words, we are comrades."
He said.
Glen had heard of something like this before. In order to strengthen the power in sorcery in the descendants of their bloodline, the Hiiragi House would seek out capable children, teach and raise them, then through the process of sifting and selection, adopt those who survived as their foster children.
Then they would make them marry those of their bloodline and give birth to children.
Such a rumor had been around for quite some time.
But Glen did not know whether Shinya was really a foster son of the Hiiragi House or not. More importantly, even if what Shinya said was true, there was no reason for Glen to reveal his true thoughts.
Thus, Glen was about to reply with a "you've misunderstood". He was about to reply with a "I'm not the person you thought out to be".
However, before he could do that ---
Shinya said.
"By the way, my partner is Mahiru. Hiiragi Mahiru. Ever since I was born, I had been raised to become her partner."
Instantly, Glen could tell that he had reacted.
Shinya looked on.
Receiving Glen's stare head on, Shinya smiled.
"Oh my, your true nature came out quite easily."
"What may you be referring to?"
"Well well, don't worry about it. I never thought we can become friends right away today."
"............"
"By the way, did you know that Mahiru also came to this school? She's really excellent and has thus been selected to give a speech as the freshman representative, it seems. Isn't that amazing? Your ex-girlfriend is......"
On hearing those words, Glen responded while keeping his expression unchanged.
"Mahiru-sama and I did not have that kind of relation......"
"Now she's my fiancee though."
"............"
In a flash, Glen's words stopped, and he directed a slightly forceful gaze towards Shinya.
Shinya did not miss that and grinned with his well-ordered face. And he then said in a taunting manner.
"Why? Vexed?"
"Not really."
"Ha, haha, that face. Your ambition's completely written on your face. So why don't we get along? Just saying this, but Mahiru and I aren't really on that close terms so don't worry. Even though I got the Hiiragi name, I'm still just a foster son. I'm still just a filthy spawn of lowly birth. At the main house, the treatment I get is the same as what you're getting here now. I'm of course pissed by that, so I'm thinking of destroying everything."
He said.
He said something that would have gotten him executed immediately if it got leaked outside.
Is this a trap, or does this fellow really have the thought of rebelling against the Hiiragi House? Glen did not know.
Even though he did not know, it did not seem like Shinya was a guy he should get involved in, thus Glen changed his approach.
He looked up, averted his eyes from Shinya, and said.
"Tch, you're really a talkative fella huh. My goal is different from yours. I don't know what you want to accomplish, but don't get me involved in it."
Instantly, Shinya's face brightened.
"Ah, you stopped your polite speech."
"Shut up."
"Then, are we friends? Let's be friends?"
"I told you to shut up."
"Ah-haha. Well, whatever. At any rate, I'm the only comrade you can have here. So you have no choice but to get along with me."
As before, Shinya smiled in delight.
Glen then took a glance at Shinya. His mood became bitter at having attracted the attention of a pretty troublesome fellow right on the first day of school.
At that moment, the lady teacher said.
"All right, it's about time for the school entrance ceremony. Everyone, shall we go?"
With that, the students stood up.
Shinya too stood up and said.
"Well, shall we go? Let's go hear the speech of our common goddess."
The goddess was probably referring to Mahiru.
However, since that day, when they were separated by the adults, Glen had not seen Mahiru for 10 years. Thus, when he heard her name being mentioned after all this time, he did not know what kind of emotions he should be feeling.
But, right now, he was going to head to where Mahiru was.
Mahiru was going to give a speech as the freshman representative.
Though he had never thought that he would meet again under such circumstances.
Shinya held out his hand and said.
"Come on, let's go, Glen."
He called his name familiarly without any honorific.
Glen looked up at that hand, scowled, and brushed it away.
"Don't come close to me."
"Haha."
And then, Glen and the rest of the class moved to the auditorium.
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