Vol 6 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Midgard was the stronghold in the southern seas where Ds, people capable of generating and using dark athered
Their poould awaken with the onset of secondary sex characteristics then disappear when they reached e children
Hence, an acadeard for the Ds
The Academy's campus contained all kinds of facilities There was also a y
A week earlier, I was severely injured in the battle against Yggdrasil and ad for treatment, but—
”Principal I' sleepy Can we end this here?”
I—Mononobe Yuu—spoke hesitantly to the blue-eyed blonde as sitting on the bed, face to face with me
She looked like a petite girl in her teens but was actually Midgard's chief administrator—Charlotte B Lord
Dressed in a loose-fitting lab coat, she looked like she wasdoctor” but she actually had a medical license She was currently my principal physician to conduct treatment for me
But after arriving at nosis, she had already stayed for as long as three hours
”Wait, be quiet, I'”
The principal furrowed her elegant brow, pursing her pink lips, concentrating on her thoughts Meanwhile, her gaze was focused on the game of japanese chess on the board between us
”I'ht? I don't think pulling all-nighters is good for my health”
”I've already healed your wound Since your body is back in full health, keep er Okay, try this move!”
Smack, the principal moved her chess piece and looked proudly at me
Yes,time to recover coo back to school tomorrow
This was only possible thanks to a ”power” possessed by the principal
She was the ”Gray” Va bodily fluids as a medium
I heard that she had ed hu hudrasil, was currently at peace only thanks to the principal's power
But in exchange, er under my own control either
”Unfortunately, it's over Here, checkmate”
I sighed and used
”What!? I can't believe you used a captured piece That's why too underhanded! You're under hts if I wanted to, okay? But I faced you fair and square without doing that!”
The principal frantically spoke and pointed at the piece I had moved
”I can't help it even if you call me underhanded, because that's what rules are like for japanese chess And I basically explained in the beginning, right?”
”H carefully because I was focused onhow the pieces moved I never expected these factors absent froained”
Arms crossed before her chest, the principal stared at the ended garin
”Itthe first tis, but I'et the rules down, Principal, you'll probably play better than ot totally thrashed in international chess just now Yawn Then I' to bed”I cleared up and prepared to put the chessboard ahile yawning, but the principal showed displeasure on her face
”Hold on, one s here when I went out of my way to order a japanese chess set just to play with you”
”Can't we just play again next time? I'll be your opponent any time I'm free”
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I tried to convince the principal, but shelook and started to place the pieces
”How could I sleep without avenging my defeat?”
”You're such a sore loser”
Given no choice, I arranged the pieces in their starting positions
Inside the quiet sickrooame of chess
”But by the way, it really is so similar”
After capturing my pawn, the principal placed the piece in her hand and murmured
”Similar to what?”
”Not just defeating the ene theth—Don't you find this very sions?”
Proht briefly about it
”—Yeah, we gain the powers of dragons by defeating theons would turn Ds into their mates It really is quite similar to chess now that you point it out”
”I know, right? As a result, a single victory in our ould greatly affect the overall development of the situation Mitsuki Mononobe defeated the 'Purple' Kraken while you defeated 'White' Leviathan Replicating their poas conducive to later victories, but—”
Then the principal showed a gloomy expression
Understanding what troubled her, I lowered my voice and asked:
”You're thinking about Iris?”My classirl—Iris Freyja
During the battle against Yggdrasil, Iris had used Catastrophe without going through the step of dark enerating Catastrophe directly, versus how Mitsuki and I replicated dragons' powers through transht transcend the boundaries of what it meant to be a D—
”Yes, I ondering this Suppose Iris Freyja were to change into a dragon, whose side would she take?”
Looking at the opposing chess pieces on the board, the principal spoke orry
Whilemy piece forward, I looked into the principal's eyes
”Iris is human She's not a monster like Basilisk”
Falling unconscious fro my first conversation with the principal after I woke up, I heard that Iris estion
”Don't h I've conducted thorough physiological exaes in her body As a result, I've no intention of treating her as a dragon”
The principal sed
”Good to hear that”
I breathed a sigh of relief but the principal made a serious face in response
”Compared to what you are, how you live is on or not is totally irrelevant On the other hand, you should pay more attention to her and don't let her feel troubled by her own existence”
”—I understand”
After I nodded and answered solemnly, the principal relaxed her expression contentedly
”I've inherited this title of a dragon too But I choose to stand on your side, to live this kind of life I've also gained a friend like you, so I'm very satisfied with my current lifestyle”
The principal's s embarrassed, I avoided eye contact
”T-The pleasure is all mine”
Perhaps offended by my reaction, the principal pouted unhappily
”However, could you quit speaking so forht now, so there's no need to care about hierarchy, okay?”
”Huh? But even if you say that, I”
Having spent a long time at NIFL, a place with a clear system of hierarchical relationshi+ps, I could not help but speak in a reserved manner to superiors This had become a kind of habit
”Hain Fine, I've decided! If I beat you at japanese chess, you're forbidden to use polite speech with ain Also, you'll use my nickname of Charl”
”H-Hold on Principal, you're Midgard's chief administrator If I call you that, ould other people think?”
”No proble to get serious now”
The principal put her smile away and moved her chess piece with a smack
”Sure, and if I win, you'll give up, right?”
I sighed and advanced my piece as well
”What are you talking about? I intend to play until I win”
The principal smiled proudly
I was rendered speechless and realized that I was probably not getting any sleep until the principal won tonight
Feeling bright light hurting my eyes behind my eyelids, I opened my eyes
By the ti White rays of daere strea the sickroohtly
I reht
Tracing back ht's events
The principal really refused to give up unless she was victorious Taking advantage of a after that, so that was probably when I fell asleep
Trying to ht arm seemed inexplicably heavy
I turned ht to see the principal's pretty face She was lying onat emstone-like eyes
”What a wonderfulnext to someone else's body warmth is kind of nice, actually”
The principal rubbed her cheek against entle tone of voice
”What W-Why are you sleeping here, Principal?”
Despite a moment of speechlessness, I still asked
”Because you fell asleep last night the moment I won To make sure you keep the promise, I decided to wait until you woke up Coht now Don't be shy, call me Charl”
The principal leaned herself againstbody contact with a supple body, I felt blood rush to my face and ears
”Y-You're too close Please move away a bit”
”I refuse I won't release you until I get ht's victory, because I won't tolerate you cheating me out of my reward”
The principal grabbedto end at this rate
”Got it I'll keep my promise”
I prepared myself and took a deep breath
”Good, ready any time”
The principal waited excitedly for me to speak
Meeting the principal's gaze, I spoke like a friend:
”Good , Charl”
Instantly, a smile bloomed all over the principal's face
”Wow, you did it! Excellent, that's more like my friend!”
The principal rubbed my head happily
While her delicate fingers coh my hair, I felt both embarrassed and extres, I exhaled
”Is this enough?”
”Yes, I'm happy now Since you listened toI can for you in return”
The principal straightened her relaxed expression and continued seriously:
”Ever since the giant tree, ostensibly Yggdrasil, appeared in japan, the interference power affecting you has been increasing Even I cannot tell how long I can suppress it, so we drasil as soon as possible”
”But didn't you say before that defeating Yggdrasil requires wiping out all plant life from the Earth? Or maybe I should put it this way If such drastic drasil?”
I posed a question I had not asked before It was a bit aard to speak because I had to intentionally avoid using polite language
”When I controlled you, I sensed Yggdrasil's true nature But I don't have proof Currently, I aard's laboratory to perform verification and I believe there will be response soon I'll tell you the details later”
”Asgard So it's a research facility of the higher-ups”
Asgard was an international organization in charge of dragon-related policies, the superior agency ruling over Midgard and NIFL Most likely including the principal's true identity, they were privy to ard would feel suspicious about how the principal was able to obtain infordrasil
”Gathered there are the world's ons, countable on one hand Believe in me and them, rest properly and wait for the time to act”
”—Got it I'll believe in you, Charl, and bide my time”
Seeing me nod, the principal smiled contentedly
But at that moment, the sickroom's door opened
”Mononobe, it'sthe sickrooirl whoht—Iris Freyja
”Eh?”
Iris was originally s cheerfully, but the moment she saw us, her expression froze instantly
My class up behind her
”Nii-san, I heard you were co today, so I came to pick—”
My little sister of no blood relations—Mononobe Mitsuki Upon seeing the principal lying in bed with me, her entire person froze
The price for downloading pre-civilization weapons data frodrasil was that I had lost virtually all o Hence, I did not have my memories from when Mitsuki and I were still family and —But noas an exception
Her face was red, eyebrows raised and eyes staring in anger Anyone could tell what Mitsuki's current emotions were
”N-Nii-san What on earth are you doing?”
Pointing atvoice
Entering the room after Mitsuki, the others also questioned me with their faces red
”Mononobe Yuu! What is theof this!?”
Lisa Highwalker glared atblonde hair almost about to rise vertically
”Mononobe-kun and the principal What did you two do?”
Always reading, never showinga terrifying smile
”No fair that only the principal gets to do this! Tia wants to sleep with Yuu too!”
The young girl with two red horns on her head—Tia Lightning Only her reason for being angry was different from the others
”D-Don't do that, Tia It's not allowed”
Ariella Lu tried to dissuade Tia Her ribbon-tied ponytail also jumped
”Mm!”
Ren Miyazawa also kept nodding, her red hair swaying
”Wait, t-this is a ! Listen to me, all of you!”
I frantically tried to find an excuse, but the principal spoke up as though interrupting me:
”—Hht of my unseemliness Actually, I was locked in an intense battle until late last night Utterly exhausted, I fell asleep with him like this”
The principal got off the bed niroup
But after listening to her, all the girls' faces went even redder
”A-An intense battle until late last night?”
Repeating the principal's words in shock, Mitsuki looked like she was getting soain
”I'm a bit sleep-deprived But since there's business et back to the principal's office first Work hard on your studies, everyone”
Ignoring the girls' reactions, the principal walked to the door
The just before exiting the room, she looked back and smiled proudly at me
”I'll practice seriously from now on and overwhelm you next time I'll make you scream Prepare yourself”
Leaving behind words that could easily cause s, the principal left the sickroom
Left behind, I looked in trepidation at the people gathered
Tia was staring wide-eyed while the others were red in the face, glaring sharply at me
”Nii-san Even though I said that impure relations between students were forbidden, I never expected you to make a move on the principal”
Seeing Mitsuki's clenched fist shaking nonstop, I shook my head and denied in full force
”I-It's not like that! Last night, ere only playing—”
But Firill interrogatedmy explanation
”You were only playing with the principal? A depraved adult relationshi+p?”
”Stop thinking in wrong directions! My conscience is totally clear!”
Although I explained as s, it took irls to accept my explanations
Part 2
”Seriously, Nii-san Why did you not say so earlier if all you were doing was playing japanese chess?”
Along the way fro to Brynhildr Class, Mitsuki remarked with displeasure
”No, I already said it who kno many times, but you won't believe me”
I sighed in exhaustion
”B-Because it sounded toothat aside, how are your injuries, Nii-san?”
Mitsuki changed the subject in eaze to my left arm and abdomen
I had changed into h it was covered by clothing, es
”Don't worry Although ht take a while to heal up, I think the abdoes can be taken off soon”
Although to others, it rievous injuries, thanks to the principal's ability,recovered
The cast was a disguise to mask the immobility ofFor those who neither knew about drasil nor about the principal's power, the cover story was that I had suffered a fracture
”That is a relief, but please do not overexert yourself Please observe instead of participating in PE and practical classes”
”Got it Thanks for worrying about me”
”Eh Oh, yes”
Hearing me thank her, Mitsuki nodded so red faintly
Maybe the way I was talking did not sound like myself
It occurred toso sole lost ht answer
”Mitsuki-san, you worry tooas it is Mononobe Yuu”
Lisa touched my cast from the side
Due to knowing the whole story, she was also clearly aware that my left arm was uninjured
”Lisa So Mononobe-kun is actually that reliable in your view?”
However, Firill interpreted Lisa's words differently and interjected in a playful tone of voice
”What, I never Uh, after all, since he is the one who rescued ard him as unreliable, but Umm”
Blushi+ng, Lisa seemed especially flustered
Seeing her reaction, Firill smiled
”And you two have pretended to be a couple before I'm a bit jealous that your relationshi+p with Mononobe-kun has gotten so close all at once”
Saying that, Firill leaned in I could not help but feel flustered from the contact between her voluptuous bust and my elbow
”H-Hey, Firill?”
”Listen, Mononobe-kun, even for just a moment, play the part of my boyfriend—or rather, play the part of my prince”
Looking atexpression, Firill estion
”Wait, Firill-san! I simply asked hiht now, there is no need for him to play a prince”
Before I could answer, Lisa pulled me away from Firill
”Eh That's so unfair, Lisa, hogging everything”
”I-It's not unfair! I a public morals on Mitsuki-san's behalf”
Lisa looked away frolare of dissatisfaction Her answer sounded like an excuse
”Y-Yuu! Tia wants Yuu to play husband character too!”
But this ti her ar me
”T-Tia, I-I can't breathe”
”Don't do that, Tia, Mononobe-kun is still injured”
Seeing the situation, Ariella cautioned Tia
”Oh, sorry! Does it hurt?”
Tia frantically juized to me in worry
”No, I'm fine, it was just hard to breathe Just as Lisa said, this level of injury is nothing”
”Thank goodness, but Tia is unfit to be a wife, failing to consider husband's injury”
Tia breathed a sigh of relief but got depressed
”I-It's not like that I'll feel cheerful as long as I can see you lively and energetic, Tia No one will say you're unfit to be a wife”
I tried my best to console her I my face:
”Really? Then You think so too?”
”Eh, well, of course, but I' an objective opinion—”
Given what I had already said, I could not refute uously
”Objective opinion? Tia doesn't get what that et married!”
However, uous answer did not work on Tia She raised her arms and cheered with a joyful expression
”W-Wait, those are totally separate things—”
”Nota ho's not unfit, that would be weird!”
”Maybe you have a point, but”
Cornered by Tia's logic, I could not help but take a few steps back
However, just as I was about to be trapped, so hand
”Tia-chan, please don't s difficult for Mononobe”
Iris had intervened in Tia's conversation with me Arms akimbo, she spoke to Tia
”Muuu—Iris is always getting in Tia's way So Iris wants to ht?”
”Ehhh!? I-I”
Iris instantly blushed to her ears She secretly glanced at me from the side
But as though suddenly realizing so in alarm, she looked in Mitsuki's direction then shook her head hastily
”N-No, it's not like that Tia-chan, what I e If you make a fuss, you'll be a nuisance to Mononobe”
Iris answered with a suffering look on her face Seeing her expression, I felt a stabbing pain in my heart
Iris knew that ”the ement promise with Mitsuki Because I had told Iris that ”the real Mononobe Yuu” probably loved Mitsuki the most
Ever since, Iris alorried about Mitsuki's feelings Surely, she was considering ould happen after I recovered my memories
Currently—Iris and I were deeply in love with each other
However, Iris seemed to have prepared herself for the present state of affairs to be lost eventually in the future
Hence, I was not confident at all whether these current feelings were legitis ht waver
Thus, in the roughly two months that had passed since Iris and I confessed our feelings to each other after the Basilisk battle, our relationshi+p had not advanced a single step Neither advancing nor regressing, it simply remained stationary while time continued to flow by
”Feels like Iris never speaks the truth”
Perhaps sensitively noticing Iris' feelings, Tia grumbled with dissatisfaction
”N-No! I'ht, Ariella?”
”Huh? Well—Tia's age definitely cannot et married You should enjoy the current life e”
Suddenly called out, Ariella answered in a bit of a dilemma
”Really!? Then what kinds of things need to be done before e?”
”W-Well”
I did not knohat Ariella was thinking of, but she went red and stauously
”Hey Ariella, tell Tia!”
Tia tugged Ariella's ared her to answer
I felt bad for Ariella but breathed a sigh of relief that the subject of conversation had moved on from me
Perhaps to escape Tia's questioning, Iris also left us in a hurry, going off on her own Instantly losing so else to do
We happened to have reached a connecting corridor between buildings, overlooking the school's courtyard and sports ground
A pile of abandoned scrap, probably from the school festival, could be seen in a corner of the school
My classmates and I had prepared and opened a japanese teahouse for the school festival
Tragically forced to crossdress, pretending to be a couple in front of Lisa's parents, fighting Yggdrasil's clone—Now that I thought about it, those were two extremely busy days
And only a week of time had elapsed since then
While I was immersed in re out at the school festival scrap
She looked especially forlorn from the side of her face Hesitantly, I tried to ask her:
”Ren, what's wrong?”
””
She threw a glance at me but did not say a word
But that was how she always behaved Ren always answered briefly with an ”mm,” typed on a terminal, or responded with silence
I had never had norue with Ren so far
But so with her without the use of words and language We were naturally able to achieve communication
If she responded with silence, it was a signal that she did not wish to broach this subject
Hence, I did not pry and switched to another topic
”But anyway, sothe school festival Ren, did you enjoy yourself?”
”Mm”
This time, she nodded in response
”What did you find the most fun, Ren?”
Ren thought for a while after hearing my question then typed on her portable terminal and turned the LCD screen towards me
”—Rossweisse Class' haunted house eh Yeah, that definitely was a blast”
I read out the words shown on the screen and smiled wryly
Rossweisse Class here the youngest Ds in Midgard were gathered Their haunted house consisted of costu to scare visitors, but since all they did was scream and play around, it was not scary at all
However, si around in excite, I found it to be a fun activity for sure
”Due to Yggdrasil, the afterparty had to be suspended, but if there's another chance, I'd really like to enjoy thing from start to end completely”
”Mm”
Ren answered in agree festivities Without seeing the bonfire, it felt like a proper conclusion was lacking
”Oh Now that I think back, there's so et to visit all the homerooms, and despite this rare visit froreet them once”
I sighed heavily
While I was unconscious after the incident with Major Loki,theht expose the fact of my memory loss, in a certain sense, it was quite fortunate
Even though it was unavoidable, I still could not avoid getting toroodness” inside
””
This tiot the sense that rather than refusing to answer, she was expressing her empathy for what I felt The same forlorn expression froain
”—Is there so the school festival, Ren?”
Feeling this inexplicably, I tried to ask her
Ren's shoulders i on how to answer
However, it looked like I was not too far off the mark
I knew nothing about Ren's origins and faround, so I had no idea who she wanted to meet at the school festival, but—
”If you want to see the other person, you'll see them eventually Don't worry”
I placed ed her
There was no proof but I had a precedent Mitsuki and I were only able to reunite at Midgard because of the effort she had dedicated towards wanting to see me
However, Ren kept shaking her head under my palm
”Oh, sorry”
I thought she hated being touched on the head, so I hastily withdrew my hand
Ren shook her head again as though saying ”that's not what I mean” She typed on her portable terminal then showed me the words
”I don't want to see him I hate that kind of person the most?”
I read out the words on the screen Ren immediately nodded in confirmation
”By 'that kind of person' What kind of person do you mean?”
I asked Ren who to
””
However, Ren kept her lips shut tightly without answering the question and looked away
Evidently, she was not going to say more
Although Ren's relationshi+p with htly , there was still a tall barrier between us
One day, will I be able to beco a dialogue with her?
While thinking this, I glanced sideways at the young redhaired prodigy
Part 3
The situation changed four days after I resu classes
”—Twenty-five years ago when the first dragon disaster took place, japan suffered the most severely as the location where Vritra h the Greater Tokyo Area was devastated, reconstruction after the fact proceeded quite rapidly because the japanese delayed resistance and refrained froedy reht to the very end The pollution caused by chemical and nuclear weapons has hampered reconstruction efforts”
During second period, shi+no on modern history
Her long black ponytail swayed every time she walked back and forth at the lectern
She was both Midgard's commander and the homeroom teacher of our Brynhildr Class
”—As you all know, japan is also the country with the highest incidence of Ds Hence, during reconstruction,Tokyo Bay's shore Furtherhold against dragons, from Tokyo's perspective The people who proard's first leader and japan's prime minister at the time This will all be on the exarades, you don't have the luxury of napping in class, do you?”
”Hwah!? Y-Yes!”
Frequently nodding off to sleep, hbor Iris replied frantically at the call of her name
At this moment, the classroom's door suddenly opened
”Sorry for interrupting the lesson, but I have an extreent announcement”
Principal Charlotte and her secretary, Mica Stuart-san, showed up Dressed in aa stack of paper
”Principal, what exactly is the matter?”