Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 7 Chapter 2
Status: Incomplete
2/5 parts completed
Chapter 2 CaryatidThe Knight Academy
Part 1
Ceasefire, and then.
While the magic light train released blue lights, Kazuki and the others boarded it and left Nagoya behind.
They passed through Shizuoka that once became a battlefield in a flash and returned back through the path that they arrived through before.
And then they arrived at Tokyo in just only an hour.
It made them think as if this past few extraordinary days of battle were only a happening inside their dream.
Kazuki lined up with Kaguya-senpai and Kanae as the Chief Student Council President and stood in the lead of the students that participated in the battlefield before returning back through the path from the station until the Knight Academy. Thereupon…,
“Welcome home!” “Thanks for your hard work!” Voices were thrown at them from here and there.
This was by no means a parade of their triumphal return, but the citizens took out their faces from the houses and shops all over along their way, and sent their voices to the students’ way.
Kazuki was at first bewildered, but looking at Kaguya-senpai waving her hand with a smiling face, he just imitated her for the time being.
When they finally arrived at the school gate of the Knight Academy, a remarkably big applause was raised.
With Liz Liza-sensei as the first in line, the teachers and students that were house-sitting had lined up welcoming them home.
“Everyone cheered with amazing voice aren’t they! I was surprised.”
After they arrived home at the Witch’s Mansion, Kaguya-senpai sat down on the sofa at the living room and said so.
Despite how everyone were supposed to be tired but no one headed to their room, they were continuing after Kaguya-senpai and sat their body down on the sofas and chairs and remained in the living room. Finally their feelings calmed down, and now there was this feeling of wanting to reminisce these few days of extraordinary experience with their comrades.
Even everyone of the Sword Division too naturally followed along until here feeling it was hard to separate from the group.
“But it looked like a war that we won, yes? Even though we didn’t retake west Japan…”
While sitting on the sofa right in front of Kaguya-senpai, Kazuki vented out awkward words.
The people that looked over this battle should be actually feeling disappointment and dissatisfaction to the Knight Order. The people that had family and acquaintance in west Japan shouldn’t be accepting of this situation of ceasefire with an okay feeling. Such feeling was not directed to their own selves, it was only mildly restrained and although there was some happiness, but there was also uncomfortable feeling that enveloped them like silk floss.
“It seems there is also critical argument inside the mass media toward the Knight Order. But we are still not a legitimate knight so I wonder if that’s not why the people of this city and the house-sitting student send us kind words.”
While sitting beside Kaguya-senpai, Hikaru-senpai directed a wry smile at Kazuki. After making sure that Hikaru-senpai didn’t sit besides Kazuki, the juniors Mio and Koyuki sat besides Kazuki’s both sides in relieve.
“We are something like volunteer soldiers. It’s just too much if the brunt of the critic is also pointed at us. I was really nervous sheesh.”
Mio said. What she said was also really correct. Kazuki said “Thanks for your hard work” and petted her head. When Kazuki did that Mio went “Ehehe, you too” and leaned her shoulder. Koyuki too didn’t say anything and clung closer on him.
“Kazuki-oniisan, we were doing our best you know desu.”
Lotte sat on top of Kazuki’s lap and reclined on him. He had the feeling as if he was told that he burdened himself alone too much, Kazuki hugged Lotte tightly with a squeeze.
“For the present time we had fulfilled our role enough already, Onii-sama.”
From Kazuki’s behind, Kanae leaned over the sofa and gently embraced Kazuki’s neck.
Kanae and Lotte were in a state that sensitively sensed the emotion inside Kazuki.
“I wonder if that’s so…it might be just like you said.”
Kazuki murmured while being exhausted.
They returned to an ordinary day like this. Into a normal school life….
“The people of the city and also everyone of the academy, they all know about President’s active role actually.”
Yumeno-san who normally acted reserved approached Kazuki’s side with a lively expression.
Some kind of paper bundle was grasped in her hand. Quietly she presented that to Kazuki.
“This is…the aforementioned extra of the academy newspaper?”
Yumeno Shiori-san was the newspaper committee chairman. The newspaper committee was a committee that was originally established for the sake of making the Magic Division and the Sword Division know more about each other, but while the girl went along in the battle against Yamato she decided to publish [newspaper extra] because [she wanted to convey this war to the students that remained in the academy].
Although Headmaster Amasaki and Kazuki were unable to check most of the content because of their busy work, Yumeno-san wrote articles from the actual spot of the battlefield and then by the system of transmitting those data to the newspaper committee member that remained in the academy, it seemed they had already published and distributed the edition.
After Kazuki put down Lotte from his lap, he looked over that article.
―What entered his eyes at the foremost was the headline [Chief Student Council President・Hayashizaki Kazuki, Bravely Dash Forward!] and the like written. Kazuki felt something cold ran down his back. What entered his eyes next was a large illustration. A sparkling bright Kazuki in a style of shoujo manga was grandly handing down order to his comrades.
At the corner was the sign of a mysterious pen-name [Christine Amasaki] or something signed there. Who is this guy?
Mio placed her jaw on Kazuki’s right shoulder and “Ehehe, so? So?” and so on while grinning broadly.
The content of the article was the report from the surprise attack operation of Okehazama until the infiltration to Ise Imperial Shrine, and then even the happening in the battle of Sekigahara. However Kazuki’s activity in the article was too exaggerated and spectacularly decorated in gaudiness. It really couldn’t be said to be an objective article, more like a military novel with fictional character as the leading part.
Having said that he was lost whether this article looked reasonably interesting or a poor quality instead….
“This illustration and the writing style, aren’t this glorifying me too much? This scene for example, I have the feeling that I didn’t say something this cool though.”
When the article was distributed to everyone else too, Hikaru-senpai who had low boiling point went “Ahahahahahahaha!” in explosive laughter, Kanae went “Just as expected Onii-sama!” in great delight. Everyone else were also holding their laughter.
“It’s interesting anyway so isn’t this fine.” Kazuha-senpai who was standing near the wall made fun of him.
“Kazuha-senpai cannot think of this as somebody else’s problem you know? Here, Kazuha-senpai also make an entrance in the scene of the infiltration operation.”
In the infiltration operation of the Ise Imperial Shrine, the article changed into first-person view from Kazuha-senpai’s position. There the illustration of Christine Amasaki-sensei was also attached along.
In the boat departure with the Chief Student Council President that she yearned for, just the two of them, Kazuha-senpai was drawn in the sparkling style of shoujo manga in a state of her heart throbbing hard and where she released a rose-colored deep sigh girlishly.
“Thi, this kind of character is not meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”
Kazuha-senpai’s cheeks blushed red and the hands that were holding the newspaper open were trembling all over.
“It’s not like I saw the Ise Imperial Shrine infiltration operation directly, that’s why I wrote it with my imagination…”
Yumeno-san whose tension was a little hyper went “Ehe-“ and stuck out her tongue.
Wasn’t that not a newspaper anymore and only a novel. She was unexpectedly a cheeky person….
“But I think this article is done well though. The course of events for every important point are explained properly.”
Kaguya-senpai kept nodding in appreciation with an extremely serious face.
“Several places become something like a novel but…exactly because of that the reader doesn’t get tired of it and the part that should be conveyed is conveyed. I think this article has a good balance that is not too formal. As expected, for everything to be conveyed properly to all the students like this is really important.”
Certainly, he couldn’t deny that the events were turned into a content that could be read.
“…Err, this newspaper, can President give your autograph on it?”
Yumeno-san’s eyes sparkled bright like a star and she presented a sign pen smoothly to Kazuki.
“This is the first time I write a battlefield report, and I want to receive the autograph of Chief President Hayashizaki that became a hero in that battlefield…if you do that then Ill keep this newspaper extra as a commemoration for my whole life♪”
Kazuki went “Even if you said that, something like an autograph is…” and while losing his bearing he wrote his name on the corner of the newspaper extra using normal square character. Kazuki himself thought “…Are you happy? With something like this”, but Yumeno san was going “Kyaa―” and raised a delighted voice before hugging the signed newspaper and twirling around.
“By the way Kazuki…”
Kazuha-senpai raised one of her hands properly.
“Itsuki has been hiding behind me since a while ago while staring fixedly here.”
Now that she mentioned it, the small statured Kamimura-san was hiding behind Kazuha-senpai’s back like she was clinging to it.
Kamimura-san had a fear of strangers to the extreme degree…rather than calling her that she was a shut-in. Because someone like her was suddenly thrown right into the middle of a crowd of people that she didn’t know like this, surely she would get confused.
“That’s right, this is not the time to settle down. I have to introduce Kamimura-san to everyone.”
Kazuki stood up from the sofa and walked approaching Kazuha-senpai and Kamimura-san’s direction.
From behind Kazuha-senpai, Kamimura-san showed up her face all of a sudden.
“I, I…if I become a hindrance, I can go home…”
“There is no way you are a hindrance. You are saying go home, but where are you going to go.”
This girl had determined to keep living. But if she was not beside Kazuki, that flesh body of hers couldn’t be maintained.
And also Ise where the girl originally was living had already became the territory of Yamato.
There was no other place for her except here in the Witch’s Mansion.
Everybody of the Witch’s Mansion were sending wondering gaze to Kamimura-san staringly.
As if covering her from those gazes, Kazuha-senpai talked.
“Kazuki, you might as well not just stopping at introducing her, let’s do a welcoming party for Itsuki! I too have never give a composed greeting to the residents of the Witch’s Mansion.”
He thought that it was a good idea. Kazuki too could open his heart at everyone thanks to the welcoming party, when Lotte first came it was like that for her too.
Part 2
For the sake of the welcoming party, he had to prepare the food.
He felt some tiredness, but Kazuki was too proud to rely on meal delivery service.
Before at the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave when Kamimura-san and Amaterasu said that they would become Kazuki’s comrade, it was with the condition that they were expecting delicious meals. After they had said that and there was no way he would let the first meal that would become a commemoration be finished by just some catering that had no warmth in it.
There was a proverb from Japan of the old time about this.
―[If you created it yourself it will be like something free of charge]
“I don’t like those words.”
Mio huffed and said back arrogantly.
“It doesn’t include the thinking about the labor cost of the human resources that is yourself. I too like to create western clothes by myself, but just because of that it’s not good to sell yourself cheap, that’s what I think.”
On the other hand Koyuki shook her head after hearing that.
“Wrong, the reasoning of the cheapness is correct if you think about it after looking at the long term implication. If you pay money then it will only affect you limited in that place, but by doing it yourself the experience and the skill that you get will help you throughout your whole life.”
Listening to the two opposite opinions, Kazuki was thinking that each of their personality came out into their answer.
The two who acted like that right now was wearing maid uniform.
When Kazuki began to cook the food for the welcoming party, Mio and Koyuki came wearing maid uniform and proposed to help Kazuki.
During that time, he entrusted Kamimura-san to Kazuha-senpai where she took her outside to be the guide of the Knight Academy. He wanted to finish the preparation until those two return back here.
“The maid uniform’s design is different than the one before isn’t it?”
Kazuki sharply noticed. When they became the helper in Kazuki’s domestic chores until now they were also wearing the maid uniform that Mio created herself, but the one that they currently wore was a version up of different thing.
Hearing Kazuki pointing that out, Mio puffed up her chest proudly while Koyuki shrank herself in embarrassment.
“It’s the season of clothing’s seasonal change after all, so I was secretly sewing this new version! Though because we went to Kansai for quite long it just stay quiet inside the cupboard until now though!”
Mio made a twirling turn on the spot in order to show off her maid uniform.
The new maid uniform had no sleeve with both the shoulder area exposed, the skirt too became even shorter from before. The coloring too was not black but navy blue as the main color giving the casual impression of summer.
There was also no compromise in the detail. On the calm navy blue fabric that had its charm, a shadow stripeweaving pattern was inserted. Probably that was not using polyester that was used in a cheap maid uniform cosplay costume, but surely something like a casting fabric that was used in high class formal suit.
Its design couldn’t be said as correct based from the view of traditional maid uniform, but thanks to its overall high quality it was by no means could be called as a colored thing and engendered elegance instead.
Even if they walked outside in that appearance, the people that saw it wouldn’t think “It’s cosplay” instead there was no doubt they were going to feel that “This is fashion”. It was a workmanship that was far from amateur.
The girl power of Christine Amasaki-sensei was just too unrivalled in every aspect….
What a versatile girl….
“So!? So!?” Mio leaned her face forward and inquired.
“The cuteness of the both of you currently might have entered the top 5 of the world.”
Mio went “Yes!” and skipped around repeatedly. He could catch glimpses of the underwear from the short skirt.
“You, if you jumped around with a skirt that short, I can see it you know.”
“Ehehe, if it’s Kazu-nii then it’s okay even if it is seen though.”
Saying that bluntly without any concern, Mio pulled up her miniskirt with both hand from the front.
…Kazuki’s gaze was unintentionally got sucked in. The pure white underwear was silk. And then as if it was prepared beforehand with the assumption that it would be shown, the panty was arranged with a ribbon of navy blue color that had the same tone with the maid uniform. The thighs that were fidgeting around were pressed squishily with garter belts and it looked soft just from seeing.
Even while it looked austere like a maid, it was also the obscene content of the flowery skirt.
Mio was “Ehehe, watch it more…” with her cheek blushing red ecstatically.
“Are you exhibitionist?” Koyuki hit the hand that lifted up the skirt with a snap.
The skirt returned back to normal like a lowering down curtain, Kazuki who became trapped in a trance returned to his senses with a look of realization.
“…I think for a man what happened to me just now cannot be helped.”
While Kazuki was bothered with Koyuki’s gaze, he cleared his throat with ‘ehem’.
“…When it become about maid uniform, Kazuki really cannot be helped. It really make me want to draw away.”
Koyuki looked away with a ‘pui’ in a bad mood. But Kazuki was also charmed by the appearance of Koyuki that was like that.
“Koyuki too is cute…or perhaps I should say that the maid uniform this time might suit Koyuki’s style more.”
Koyuki’s white skin and cool personality and the maid uniform that changed into navy blue color enhanced each other’s prominence. The silk that glossed like a silver light also suited her. Blue and silver were [Koyuki’s color], that was what he felt.
When she was stared by Kazuki, Koyuki blushed red and curled up into herself. That figure of hers was excessively cute.
“…Taking upon oneself to conduct a design that certainly suited the rival Koyuki…this composure and the depth of the heart are exactly where you can feel the work of the artisan. As expected, Christine Amasaki-sensei.”
“Well, this is a refined product of Napoli tailoring see.”
He didn’t get it all where is the Napoli factor in it, but anyway it was a work of a virtuoso.
“By the way putting aside the unveiling of the maid uniform. Chef, what are you going to make for tonight’s feast?”
Toward Mio’s question, the chef Kazuki looked worried with “Uu―nn”.
When he took a glance outside the window, it was already evening. There was not much time to make something complicated.
“…I wonder if something like finger food is fine.”
Finger food was a general term for something like canapé[1] or sandwich, food that could be picked and eaten with one hand. Because it didn’t become a hindrance for game or conversation, it was suited for a party with many people in it.
“If you pile up good quality cheese or ham or dip sauce that are sold as ready-made goods with cracker or baguette then its appearance will also look gorgeous, and it won’t take much time to make it for the portion of many people. Adding to that, if we prepare one kind of extravagant main dish then it should be good enough to be served for a party.”
“I see. Just like a buffet party Tou-san[2] had took me with before, there was also something like that.”
Headmaster Amasaki fairly seemed like someone of the society’s upper echelons. As expected from the new headmaster that stood on the top of the Knight Academy.
Kazuki began to check the content of the refrigerator.
Because they had suddenly went to west Japan, so the content of the refrigerator only had awful things inside.
“It’s not like everything has become unusable right? While Kazuki prepared the ingredients that are still usable, if I and Koyuki go out for shopping it will be more efficient won’t it?”
“There is no time so that seems good. Though it feels like my body is stabbed when I think that I will be separated for a short while with the Maid-san…”
Chef Kazuki written out the necessary ingredient in the memo and handed it over to maid Mio. The girl nodded repeatedly “hmm hmm” with the memo in one hand, then “We are going, Koyuki!” high spiritedly she took Koyuki’s hand.
“A, Amasaki-san…we are going outside with this appearance without changing!?”
“Because there is no time here…this maid uniform is not something to be ashamed of even if it is seen anyway!”
“In the hand of Christine Amasaki-sensei, even the food procurement of the Knight Academy is turned into a walk in the runway of fashion show huh.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean somewhat.”
“Fufuu―n, we are going to cast magic to the students of the whole school with our beautiful look!”
Besides the bewildered Koyuki, Mio said that while twirling and twirling in circle.
“…The both of you won’t cause anything strange from a too high tension won’t you?”
Mio got carried away while she also dragged Koyuki away trailingly and left the kitchen.
“Mio, if you go out in that appearance, pay attention to your skirt okay.”
Kazuki got worried about the too short skirt and pointed out. The way from the Witch’s Mansion until the school canteen was still inside the Magic Division, but recently it was not rare for the boys from the Sword Division to come here.
“You want to monopolize me that much? It’s fine, I won’t let anybody else see other than Kazu-nii for suu―re.”
Mio left the kitchen with a composed smiling face. Surely an able woman would have the hiding technique of an able woman. Though in that case he was worried for Koyuki who normally didn’t wear something like a miniskirt.
Kazuki took the ingredients from inside the refrigerator that were still usable and began the preparation.
―After a while, the kitchen’s door was knocked.
Kazuha-senpai who should be going out as a guide came in.
“Kazuha-senpai? Is there something the matter with Kamimura-san?”
“That’s…it looks like she was tired after I guide her briefly, she said that she want to rest in her room until the preparation of the welcoming party is finished, so I took her back here. Though it looks like she has the mood to come out for the welcoming party.”
“…As expected if she is suddenly tossed into a different environment then she is going to feel nervous.”
She said it herself that she was a shut-in. However he didn’t have any idea at all for how to make that kind of child to get used to anew environment.
“I, want to be a friend to Itsuki.”
Kazuha-senpai murmured with a sigh. Kazuki too nodded with a same feeling.
Kamimura-san was by no meant closing her heart completely. With her own will she chose that “I will live”, as far as he could see from her relation with Amaterasu and Ise-Udon-ojiisan, “I want friends” she was also looking for other persons. She wasn’t closing her heart like how Koyuki once was.
Just surely, she only became completely timid in facing other person.
With this welcoming party, they had to show that the Witch’s Mansion accepted Kamimura-san with unending open heart. The circumstance of Kamimura-san had been told to everyone else already.
“Fu, fufufu…”
Suddenly, Kazuha-senpai leaked out a laughing voice.
“Friend…finally I can make one more friend…. I absolutely won’t let her get away…fufufu, if someone gives a kindness to someone that is in a helpless place from loneliness, it should be easy to have her eating from the palm of my hands thereafter…!”
“Senpai unexpectedly thinking so calculatingly about this!?”
Kazuki was shocked. Her way of thinking was exactly the same like a smooth talker man that tried to make a girl who was just got rejected fall for him by acting consoling the girl. It’s just too desperate, seeing her like this is just too deplorable.
“Senpai is bright, beautiful and diligent, your mood is also good and you are fun to be with. You are a person that really has no flaw that truly is flawed, despite so why is it your friend is so few like now?”
When Kazuki said that with a sigh, Kazuha-senpai went “Ugu!” and she pressed her chest as if she was just got stabbed.
Though he had already known that this person had quite a personal history, because she had already immersed in sword art since she was little and yet she didn’t really improving in the proportion of her effort, she held a complex toward her fellow swordsmen and in the end she couldn’t get along well with them.
But even so he still thought that a person this lovely shouldn’t be so overlooked to this degree.
“I don’t think I’m really that great of a person like you said but…I too want to ask why I’m like this…”
Kazuha-senpai pressed her chest and her shoulders dropped in a total dejection.
“I wonder if it’s not because when senpai is thinking of trying to make friend, isn’t senpai become too high spirited. Like senpai always have desperation oozing out too much into your behavior or your expression…”
When he thought back again, every time she conversed with her sword training partner Hikaru-senpai too Kazuha-senpai always had a dreadful expression. It was because the partner was the big-hearted Hikaru-senpai that the situation finished with just Hikaru-senpai thinking “she acted a little suspicious isn’t she”, but if it was against normal people they might drew back completely looking at such thing.
“…Spirited you say?” Kazuha-senpai tilted her head from having no self-awareness of her behavior.
“Kazuha-senpai, when you tried to make friend your eyes glinted fiercely like a predator seeing prey, your smiling mouth strangely lifted up and you looked like you were baring your fang, and also your cheek muscle kept shaking as if in a cramp you know.”
“I was making face like that!?”
“Though when with me you have never making face like that.”
Most likely that was because Kazuki was the one that was coming pursuing her to become friend with her. Kazuha-senpai directed spirit of antagonism toward that. That was why on the contrary she acted natural to him.
Exactly because he was disliked by Kazuha-senpai, that only Kazuki managed to finally arrive at Kazuha-senpai’s honest face.
“When senpai make face like that and the other party understand that you are nervous, your nervousness will also get transmitted and the other side will also cannot become calm when they are facing senpai. In contrast if you directed a natural smile to them, the other side too will feel calming down.”
If you directed hostility to someone it would make it easy to turn them into enemy, and if you directed a good will without any ulterior motive then the other side would also relaxed their alertness. Communication was a mirror that reflected yourself.
Most likely success experience from the past meant everything for a person’s communication ability.
If a person piled up success in human relationship since the time he was small it would inscribe confidence in him. With that confidence as weapon he would pile up even more success and could rapidly ride up a rising current.
In reverse if he stumbled completely in the start, he would lose confidence there and would always get nervous with his body stiffening completely, piling up even more failure and losing more confidence, steadily falling into a closed vicious circle.
When a statistic concerning the birthday of professional sports athletes was taken, it was mentioned that there were many among them that were born in the month between April-June. In the time as a child there was a difference in physique between children that couldn’t be surpassed from [having been born several months earlier].
Because children were divided into grades between their year and they went through a group activity in a group based on their grade, inside that group the children that were born in April-June who had growth just several months faster had it easier to stand in superior position whether it were in sport or playing. When those children experienced victory there, that experience became confidence, which in turn incited a positive endeavor and growth. Working hard became something fun. And then they would rapidly grow and putting even more distance from their surrounding…it seemed there was such tendency like that. The thing called success experience couldn’t be looked down at.
If someone fell into a vicious circle of losing confidence, they had to grasp a success somewhere to cut through the negative circle. In order to do that, surely the assistance of people from outside would become important.
“Senpai is a really lovely person, that’s why it’s fine even if you don’t do anything special. If senpai just stop getting too spirited and make a relaxed smile, then everyone will bound to like senpai.”
“…You say to relax more…li, like this?”
Kazuha-senpai showed a wide smile. It still had an artificial feel exposed in it but―
“You are cute senpai, just like that. That cuteness entered the top ten of the world.”
She had to be given confidence. Kazuki who thought that gave a great admiration to Kazuha-senpai.
“Do, don’t flatter me! There is no need for thing like cuteness in making friend right! What’s with you saying the world top ten.”
“It’s regrettable you are not wearing maid uniform.”
“You think I care about your personal hobby like that-”
Spouting out that in a huff, nervousness disappeared from Kazuha-senpai’s expression. Thereupon a natural smile floated in her expression, wasting no time Kazuki pointed out “Senpai, that face!” Kazuha-senpai’s face blushed.
“…Kazuki is really looking at me properly huh.”
“Because Hayashizaki-style prized observation.”
“There is also nothing mistaken in your advice for sword technique until now. Got it! I will do as you say and show you that I will get along with Itsuki without fail!”
Kazuha-senpai filled herself with fighting spirit and clenched both her fists.
“I told senpai already to not get too spirited just now.”
“Kazuki…thank you okay.”
Kazuha-senpai hugged Kazuki tightly in a surprise attack.
It was too sudden that Kazuki couldn’t even return the hug. A gentle warmth. For just an instant, then Kazuha-senpai immediately separated herself resolutely in a flash. She dashed outside the kitchen without saying anything.
Kazuha-senpai who rarely became honest.
Exactly because of that, the charm of the surprise attack was plenty even though it was just a short time.
At the same time Kazuki remembered the affair in the Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave with Kazuha-senpai. She made him intensely conscious of her as a girl and his feeling couldn’t calm down.
After a while, Mio and Koyuki returned back in a half run from their shopping.
Part 3
Translator's Notes and References
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