In this world, since Miyuki and Honoka were not vying for the affection of the same person, the Student Council maintained a harmonious atmosphere. However, it was somewhat irksome to Yugen that, due to his own influence, the true natures of Tatsuya and Miyuki were being treated as mere trivialities.
Regardless, Yugen was currently visiting the Public Morals Committee room in his capacity as the Head of the Club Management Group. There had been no particular trouble with club activities (aside from the Recruitment Week where CAD regulations were relaxed), nor had any trouble-like incidents been confirmed within the school.
"Yugen. You know if you'd called, I would have come to you."
"I doubt you have that much free time, Mikihiko... Here, this is a report from our patrol members."
"Thank you, this helps."
Naturally, there was a limit to what the Public Morals Committee could police alone, so they cooperated with the patrol duty roster of the Club Management Group to keep a watchful eye on violations within the school. Under normal circumstances, Yugen would have delegated this, but this time he judged it necessary to act personally. The content of the documents concerned "worrisome reports" received from his members.
"...So the Club Management Group received the same reports?"
"Yeah. There hasn't been any actual harm done yet, and apparently, even if reported to the police, they won't crack down on it. They can't move unless there are damages."
The reports detailed recent acts of voyeurism and stalking targeting Magic High School students. Yugen had noticed signs of this since the start of the year; upon investigating the faces of those involved, it became immediately clear that they were a Humanist group.
Given that these movements were nonexistent last year, the perpetrators were undoubtedly outsiders who had infiltrated the area. Investigation revealed the involvement of an anti-magic organization comprised of Japanese-Americans active in the USNA. It went without saying that these people were under the influence of Gu Jie.
"It's childish of them to simply shout abuse, but there's no guarantee it won't escalate."
"You mean they intend to claim 'excessive defense' if students use magic in self-defense?"
"The possibility is high. Let's report this to the Student Council immediately."
The reason Yugen didn't deal with them right now was that their objective was to provoke students into violent action. However, should any student lose their magic abilities due to this, Yugen intended to take full responsibility for handling that aspect.
Hysterical groups with loud voices like them would attack easily enough if stoked. Gu Jie likely intended to bring fuel to the fire, but unfortunately for him, he would be the one burned. Then again, burning a dying old man brought no satisfaction; scattering ash on a cherry blossom tree would likely only cause the tree to rot, not bloom.
Pushing such thoughts aside, Yugen headed to the Student Council Room via the direct staircase with Mikihiko to report the matter. Naturally, it was Tatsuya who received the report.
"Hmm... In that case, we should issue a warning to the entire student body."
"We should also urge them to avoid commuting alone as much as possible. Even those types will hesitate to make a move against a group. For the time being, we should watch and wait. What do you think, President?"
"Yes, let us handle it that way."
To make it difficult for the agitators to act, group commuting was deemed desirable for now. After thinking for a moment, Yugen made a request to Mikihiko.
"Mikihiko, I want you to compile the current status of the students who have been targeted. We can't predict how the victimization will shift, but I want to grasp the trends. I'll take responsibility for compiling the Club Management Group's side."
"Understood. I'll put it together as quickly as possible."
By confirming the location and time of the incidents (likely during weekday commutes while in uniform, though holidays were also a possibility), and if possible, the appearance of the perpetrators, they could smoke out just how large an organization was involved. The Club Management Group had already compiled detailed information on reports reaching them, but combining this with data from the Public Morals Committee and the Student Council would yield more accurate intelligence.
"In that case, I will compile the Student Council's data. Is that acceptable, Yugen?"
"Yeah, I don't mind. Well, if this ends as a temporary issue, that's fine, but the data will serve as a reference if it recurs."
However, it was obvious that these borderline-criminal acts would continue. After all, while Gu Jie was certainly involved in instigating this, there were others fanning the flames of the Humanists. One of them was none other than the group in the USNA Congress that included Kane Lows, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President.
Saturday, January 19th.
The rumors surrounding Tatsuya, Miyuki, and Yugen had settled down, and life was returning to normal. While there had been changes in some quarters, peace had largely been restored. In the cafeteria during the lunch break, Kasumi, Izumi, and Riri were eating together. Curiously, this trio was a combination of those who had applied for engagement or whose engagements had already been recognized.
"The rumors have really died down over the last few days, haven't they?"
"You mean the rumors about Tatsuya-senpai, Miyuki-senpai, and Yugen-niisama? It is troublesome when people persist in having such senrou natures."
"...What does 'senrou' mean?"
"It refers to status or character. It means base, vulgar, and lacking class, Kasumi," Riri answered.
When Kasumi questioned Izumi's occasionally difficult vocabulary, Riri provided the answer. Originally, the Saegusa and Jumonji families were both responsible for monitoring and protecting the Kanto region. Furthermore, considering the graduates Katsuto and Mayumi were in the same grade, other students viewed it as perfectly natural for these three to be together. While there was no "fan club" per se, they were treated somewhat like "classic idols."
"You know a lot, Riri."
"I was born into a lineage that values that sort of thing, after all. Anyway, basically, she wanted to say, 'Don't make a fuss with that rubbernecking spirit forever,' right?"
"Yes, exactly as Riri-san says."
From Riri's perspective, she wondered where on earth Izumi absorbed words that even Kasumi didn't know, but Kasumi voiced her opinion frankly.
"Then you should just say that from the start."
"I do not wish to call our upperclassmen 'lowlifes' (gesu). I want to believe that the students of this school are all ladies and gentlemen."
"Hey, Kasumi. I feel like Izumi is actually hurling the most merciless insults of all. Is it just my imagination?"
"It's okay, Riri. I think so too."
Sensing that the reason for Izumi's scathing words was that the subject involved the person she liked, Riri asked Kasumi, who muttered her agreement. Then, as if hearing their conversation, Izumi spoke up, a smile still fixed on her face.
"That is not true, Kasumi-chan, Riri-san. I am not asserting that everyone's true nature is that of a lowlife. I merely believe they have been possessed by a base curiosity due to a momentary lapse in judgment."
"I don't think using difficult words hides your true feelings, though..."
"Did you say something, Kasumi-chan?"
"N-Nothing! Right, Riri?"
"Y-Yeah!"
Through her interactions with Kasumi and Izumi, Riri had come to know Izumi's true nature, and in that sense, she had become the person who best understood Kasumi's disposition as a long-suffering straight man. Dodging Izumi's interrogation by using table manners as a shield, Kasumi asked Riri and Izumi a question.
"By the way, how is the Student Council? Does it feel unchanged?"
"I suppose so. It didn't feel like they were forcing it."
"If anything, I felt an atmosphere suggesting they had resolved themselves beforehand. Perhaps those they trust were informed in advance... Well, that is merely a guess."
(In Izumi's case, her intuition is likely spot on, which is what makes her scary...)
In reality, even Honoka, who one might expect to be the most surprised among the Student Council members, was performing her duties as usual without any particular agitation. Even when Yugen visited, Miyuki showed no signs of public display of affection, clearly drawing a line between public and private. Hearing Izumi's "maiden's intuition," Kasumi cursed inwardly.
"In any case, when the parties involved are behaving with such propriety, the fact that so many cast rude glances and indulge in irresponsible gossip suggests that a slight deterioration in the atmosphere would be no surprise... strictly speaking generally, of course."
(No, you're definitely letting your personal feelings leak in, aren't you?)
Perhaps having a guilty conscience regarding Izumi's words, the classmates listening nearby shrank back and looked down. Riri, instantly grasping this with her exceptional spatial awareness, did not voice her thoughts on Izumi's statement but merely muttered in her heart.
Around the same time, the cafeteria at the National Magic University was also bustling.
Among the crowd were auditors from the National Defense Academy's Special Warfare Research Department. At a certain table sat three female students, one of whom was a magician training to be a magic officer at the Defense Academy. However, in appearance, there was little difference between her and the Magic University students; laughing brightly, she looked no different from a typical female university student.
"Geez, Mari! You don't have to laugh that much!"
"Sorry, sorry. But thinking that Mayumi has finally gotten off her heavy backside, I just couldn't help laughing."
The student laughing—Mari Watanabe, the former Head of the Public Morals Committee at First High—apologized but continued to chuckle. Sitting across from her, the former Student Council President of First High, Mayumi Saegusa, glared at Mari.
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