[3rd POV]
Houki drove Mashiro to school after an eventful first breakfast. The sky was clear and blue with minimal clouds and a beautiful sun lighting up the atmosphere.
Since he was the wastrel of Yatsushiro who couldn't flaunt his magic, he still needed to fault something... and since he couldn't flaunt his schlong, then money it was... so she drove him in their Rolls-Royce, hoping that would ooze some 'rich kid' vibes.
"Remember to stay low-key, Mashiro-sama. Although I doubt that will be possible," Houki mumbled in the middle of her drive, which was completely unnecessary since the school was ten minutes' walking distance from the apartment they had gotten.
They were just two blocks away, she looked back through the visor and found him in deep thoughts, staring at the sun through the window, her brows softened.
"You do not need to be worried. I know you are a strong person, just don't pay attention to them and carry on with your own ambitions," She said, trying to encourage him, but once again, he didn't answer.
'Train and understand modern magic practice, meet Shiba Tatsuya, make a standing at school and get some reputation, research possible meeting opportunities to encounter Yotsuba, establish a ground, by the first iteration, I must know the locations of No head Dragon, Blanche and Zhou Gongjin, reach level 5 to unlock attribute enhancement. Level up, train, level up, train... that's what I must do–'
"Mashiro-sama?" He finally heard Houki mumble a bit louder once they were already a traffic light away from school. The massive campus was already visible.
"What did you say again, Houki?"
"I was just saying, Mashiro-sama. You should not pay attention to their words––".
"Don't worry about me, Houki. It is not my first time, I am used to it" He sighed in helplessness. It made Houki bite her lips but otherwise remain silent; there was nothing she could do.
"How about we go eat something special once you finish?~" She invited him, their eyes locked through the mirror, and they smiled.
"Sounds nice. I may bring some friends though".
"Oh my, friends? Put those foolish ambitions to rest, Mashiro-sama~".
'This bitch...' He wanted to cry, but there were no tears.
"You will see, Houki. YOU WILL SEE!"
They soon arrived at the institute, and Houki parked the vehicle outside the gigantic campus. It wasn't immensely packed, but there were other, more humble families dropping off their children and youngsters, while others walked. Everyone watched the Rolls-Royce, a marvellous Western carriage of luxury. They were awed and wondered who it was. But then, Mashiro came out. And just as soon, the gossiping started.
Mashiro came out to watch the institute where he was supposed to be studying for three years. However, that wasn't the plan. This was just a stepping stone; he needed to be able to achieve his missions.
"Isn't that him?"
"The heir with no magic, haha, pathetic".
"One of the lowest practical scores of this generation's test, even though he's a Yatsushiro".
"Shame~ and he's a weed on top of that".
"The Yatsushiro are one of the most traditional magic households, no wonder they sent him so far away to come here, they must be ashamed".
**
**
[Houki's POV].
They were far away, they were discreet, but I could hear them, those bastards... their gossiping, their contempt. I didn't even notice when I reached for something underneath my skirt, filled with poison.
"I am okay, Houki. You can go now, have a good day" I hear Mashiro-mama's beautiful voice, his back towards me. There was resignation but also acceptance. He knew what they were saying, he accepted it, but he didn't take it to heart.
"M-Mashiro-sama" That didn't stop me from feeling bad.
"I am okay" he said again, this time sounding even better than before, but I couldn't see his eyes. I clenched the steering wheel and nodded.
"You too have a wonderful day, Mashiro-sama" and then I drove off, crestfallen.
I parked not too far away from the campus, resting my forehead against the steering wheel, my hands shivering and clenching it tightly. It took me a while to calm down. They have no idea how amazing he is. Only I know... only I can know, otherwise... It's no good.
I sighed and pressed some buttons in the car's interface to make a call. Soon, I got an answer.
"Houki-chan, report".
"Mikage-sama, I have dropped master at school. He was discharged from the hospital without an issue yesterday evening; it seems to have been just a sudden increase in blood pressure, nothing serious" I reported to my master's father, the previous Clan Head, Mikage Yatsushiro.
"That's relieving. He may have been stressed over the entrance ceremony, attending a new school far away from home, I understand" He replied calmly, a bit happy even. I didn't understand why he couldn't show this warmth to Mashiro-sama directly.
"I thought so as well, but I did notice he seems to be acting a bit weird, showcasing different behaviour from previously. He's even interested in training his magic privately" I mentioned.
"Outside of school?".
"Yes, Mashiro-sama said on his own accord that he doesn't want his capabilities to be known publicly" I smiled warmly, it portrayed that he was more careful and mature.
"He's growing up, that's wonderful… communicate to me all the progress in regards to his development. And if you notice any signs of 'that' then make sure to tell me, sooner rather than later, he will have to know about his true power"
"If I notice any signs, I will communicate with you straight away, Mikage-sama" I answered eagerly.
"Make sure to keep your appartment secure as per our anti-spionage protocols. You never know who is watching, listening... we have to watch our backs from our enemies and our allies alike".
"I understand, Mikage-sama, I will do my best".
"Good job, Houki-chan".
The call finished soon after and I sighed, recalling the past. The first time I met that boy was when I hadn't yet graduated from the 8th Institute, I was in my third year. At that time, my father took me to meet Mikage-sama, but I didn't meet only him; I also met his children.
Raizo-sama was very charismatic.
Takara-sama was soft-spoken, shy and warm but still quite eloquent and intelligent.
And then, Mashiro-sama... he's the one who impacted me the most out of them. He had no social skills whatsoever; he was not interested in them. The majority of the time, he ignored me. The young boy was in his room, writing equations until all the walls were covered in them, obtaining praises entwinned with hisses of disappointment.
'Why couldn't he inherit Gravitation just like his siblings? So useless, this could have been our strongest generation'
'Why is his sequence activation so inefficient?'.
'Compared to his brothers...'
'He is fated to not be able to use magic properly, a mere engineer at best, a commoner public officer at worst, perhaps even just a math teacher, is he really a Yatsushiro?'
I couldn't understand, he looked so beautiful and charming to me while focused on writing his equations, doing his passion without minding anyone else, not putting on fake faces for the public, and gaining people's support through deceit.
He was genuine.
Why do these people continue to belittle him? Because he can't use magic properly? He is writing equations that I can't even start to understand, equations YOU all can't understand. He's making sense of this world. Isn't that commendable? The Yatsushiro are respected for their research. Couldn't be a wonderful researcher?
No one seemed to agree with me. Maybe he doesn't need magic, his mind is enough... why am I the only one that can see it?
Mikage-sama explained to me that heirs had a role. In this disgusting magic society, what matters is genetic potential. His capability to marry someone from another family and, through joint genetic effort, produce an offspring capable of even greater magic.
With his lacklustre talent, Mashiro-sama was fated to be out of that genetic pool, making him a 'waste' in the eyes of the Ten Great Clans. But then, didn't he have any more value? Magical prowess was important, but what about theory, knowledge?
They didn't care about those. Theory could be replicated; even non-mages were able to create intricate geometrical patterns to create new magic. What truly mattered was the capability to execute that magic.
He had no hope.
Once I graduated from the academy, I joined the military for a short period of time. Years under capacitation, indoctrination... it was the standard procedure for us in the 18 supporting clans. My Nikaido Clan has served the Yatsushiro for centuries. I was no different; once I finished my capacitation, I already knew who I wanted to serve.
Two years ago, I finally achieved my objective. I stood in front of Mikage-sama in his private office, holding a small stack of papers that said 'classified'.
"From now on, rather than dedicate yourself to the Yatsushiro clan, I am personally assigning you as Mashiro's bodyguard. The rest of your years shall be dedicated to him. To his well-being. To his protection. You will heed my orders until he becomes of age. But once he's an adult, you belong to him, you do as he says".
"I understand, Mikage-sama".
For me, those were the best words; that was exactly what I wanted. To protect that boy, take him as far as I could away from this hell. But, something wasn't right. 'Why the secretism? why is there a classified document here'
"You must be wondering what these papers are. They're this clan's greatest secret. Open them only if you are willing to dedicate your entire life to Mashiro"
I didn't doubt then, as I wouldn't doubt now. I saw his photo, the genius kid who had captivated me. In that picture, he looked sad, disgruntled. I don't think I've ever seen him smile.
I read a few lines, and I gasped.
"Outer systematic magic, strategic-class… Chronoire. G-Gravity amplification for time manipulation... magic capable of manipulating fundamental particles...? T-This is..."
Alongside Mashiro-sama's profile, there was a lot more compiled information that was attached to the file. Information concerning the strategic-class magic, Chronoire.
During the World War I, Japan was mostly a neutral party until the USNA and the NSU threatened it. The report stated Japan was able to survive a joint attack and remain neutral due to the involvement of the then hidden Yotsuba Clan alongside its strategic magicians, magicians that remain hidden to this day.
But, they didn't fight alone. There was another clan with strategic-class magicians: The Yatsushiro from Fukuoka, South of Japan.
Member of the Japanese Defence Forces during the First World War, Yamamoto Yatsushiro, user of the strategic-class magic, Chronoire, condecorated functionary who perished in battle after reportedly freezing time over fifty nautical miles in the Chinese Sea, where a Chinese Navy Fleet pretended to attack, halting their advance with enough time for a mage from the Yotsuba Clan to deliver a tactical nuke.
This move alone segmented Strategic-class magicians as the new military deterrent in the world.
Forensic experts determined Yamamoto Yatsushiro-sama died after his MCA (Magic Calculation Area) was unable to take the heavy load of Chronoire's processing, frying his brain. He sacrificed himself for his country, leaving behind a wife and a child.
I put the papers down, looking at him in shock, putting the pieces together. That cute boy who could write equations on his wall all day wasn't just that.
He wasn't a waste who couldn't use magic.
"Gravitation has been the source of pride of our Yatsushiro Clan for centuries. But… it is originally not the reason why we were able to join the ten great clans, it is also not the reason why we are one of the families that have never stepped down despite our clear lack of military deterrent and strategic magic. The reason for it all is because gravitation is not the full power of our magic, it is only an aspect of it".
He said solemnly, "Gravitation is only a weaker version of our clan's true heritage: Chronoire, divergence magic capable of altering the fundamental particles, most particularly… the graviton. In its late stages, our ancestor was able to manifest time manipulation on a great scale, at the cost of his life. The appearance of this magic in any generation of Yatsushiro is extremely rare, and it signifies the peak of magic talent and genetic purity, and evolution. In our history, there have only been two. Yamamoto Yatsushiro-sama and then, Reiko Yatsushiro-sama, his great-grandson".
He took a controller and showed me something in the screen, there was a video.
"Six years ago, one of our branches in Kyushu received a terrorist attack from an international anti-mage organisation. My son was there at that time".
In the video, Mashiro-sama, as a young kid, was in the middle of a room playing with some nannies who were entertaining him. Then, shots started to be heard in the facility, and the nannies went insane, trying to take cover. One of them was trying to grasp Mashiro-sama to put him in cover, but she was unable to... something happened, Mashiro-sama's body started to move, his figure started to glitch across the footage, as if teleporting.
"The terrorists were eventually put down by me alongside the police department, then in the middle of the investigation, we discovered this footage. After this incident, we discovered the security footage and thought he had manifested some sort of spatial magic sequence, which was very unlikely, but given the identity of his mother, I thought anything was possible. Until the Nannies said they hadn't seen anything out of order with Mashiro at that time. For them, Mashiro had moved normally, and when they watched the footage, they couldn't understand why it was different. They also couldn't understand why they were unable to put him to safety, and Mashiro himself was not aware of what he did," Mikage explained.
"Chronoire tends to activate seamlessly when the user is in perceived danger or stress. Sometimes it happens so quietly that they themselves are unable to tell whether the time around is being delayed, stopped, or accelerated. As for the people around them, they tend to experience numbness, dizziness and pressure since the gravity layers around them are being tampered with".
"Chronoire has two effects: One is the alteration of time, another is the alteration of the perception of time. Time, as we know it, doesn't really exist; what exists is the trajectory of fundamental particles from A to B and the time it takes them to. This movement is highly influenced by gravitational forces, after all, all fundamental particles rest on gravity".
"So you're saying, Mikage-sama..."
I was already shocked by everything that I had heard, and we both seemed to reach the same conclusion, given what we knew of this disgusting magical world.
'Nobody must know...'
"That's right. Mashiro has unleashed the secret magic that shattered our clan's dignity. And your role in all this, Houki-chan, is to protect him. You are the strongest mage the Nikaido has to offer, so I am giving this task to you".
At that time, I didn't understand what he meant when he said 'the magic that shattered our clan's dignity', but now I know... and I will protect Mashiro-sama from them, until he becomes strong enough.
From the Kudou Clan, from the Yotsuba Clan.
...
I sighed and slumped into my seat. Watching the time that ticked too slow for my taste. I lifted up my skirt and took my CAD, a gun loaded with two powerful magic sequences. I loaded it with the most 'pacific' one of the two.
'I am sure he's going to have a hard day, I wish I could cook something for Mashiro-sam. But... I can't... he already has feelings for me, I can't allow those feelings to fluorish. Mashiro-sama is fated to marry someone wonderful, someone of high standing... someone better than me... I am just a maid'.
I clenched my hands on the steering wheel, but just thinking about how much difficult his day was going to be nearly crushed my heart. I felt like making an exception. If I cook for him he's going to be very happy, right?
'Just for today...'
**
**
[Lone's POV]
I was finally at school, a gigantic mausoleum of knowledge, the First Institute, historically one of the institutes to produce the most mages, engineers and overall, huge national contribution.
Today was the first day where we wouldn't start studying but rather get acquainted with the school structure, our class and so on. I was assigned to Class 1-B. I was in the 2nd course.
I was determined to show Houki that I could make friends. I may have been an antisocial in my past life but it wasn't because of a lack of social skills. It was because I was enthralled with my speed runs and it was also my job. Compared to me, Mashiro was a huge loner… although for similar reasons.
"Good morning".
"Hello, How's your day? Nervous?"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Mashiro ".
In the best cases I would get a greeting back or a deep bow. Never an actual conversation! Boy, people were avoiding my like the plague. What astonished me was that they were either looking at me with contempt or fear.
The ones in the first course stared at me with disdain and even mocked me, as I expected. They were the ones with successful practical tests, skilled magicians. As for course two, we were the ones that either barely passed the test, or failed… like me.
People in the first course were usually from upper-class families of magicians who behaved like nobility. They disdained me.
The ones from the second course were humble students who came here after working their arse off to be able to afford this institute, they wanted to become nice engineers, theorists or mathematicians in the future. Those students were cultured enough to know I was from the Yatsushiro clan. A heavy traditional clan that openly disdained non-mages. They were scared of me.
'Fuck…'
I can't fit at either side!
No way Houki is right, I can't embarass myself in front of her showing up with no friends.
The atmosphere was very awkward, at least for me. And to top it off…
"I don't know why, but... the people in this world really hate weed".
As I walked around I heard gossiping and comments all over of people insulting weed, like… I get drugs are wrong but what's the big deal.
"Fucking weed... get out of our way".
"These weeds stink".
"Why are weeds accepted in this prestigious institute anyway, the student council should file a complaint to the directive".
I heard such comments all over the place like, bro... what's your issue with weed?