Chapter 5: The Trouble Still Isn’t Over?

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“That was amazing! I wonder who it was!”

Keena spoke excitedly with Yukiko on the way back to the village.

Yukiko looked back at Keena with a look in her eyes that said, “Does she really not know?” It seemed Keena really did not know.

Hiroshi returned to the village along with Yukiko and Keena. He had brought Keena as well because he thought she might have realized his secret, but it seemed that had been an unnecessary concern. He wanted to keep the suit a secret from those in the school.

Hiroshi faced his parents in front of their destroyed house.

“Dad…”

When Hiroshi approached, his father left Yukiko and Keena with Hiroshi’s mother and brought Hiroshi behind the destroyed house. After being sure that no one was listening, he took Hiroshi’s hand.

“That was you, wasn’t it?”

Hiroshi silently nodded and his father began telling him a secret.

“That was left by your grandfather. He is also the one who left the legend. However, not even he knew the details. A man who mysteriously appeared on the island left the suit and legend with him and then disappeared. The man told him someone from his bloodline would eventually use the suit. I also saw the suit when I was younger, so I had no choice but to believe it.”

“But doesn’t that mean someone with actual predictive ability was behind this?” asked Hiroshi in confusion.

“I don’t know. After all, real precognition is supposed to be impossible. I do not know if that man randomly chose our family or if there really is a bloodline of the hero. But given how dangerous that suit is, I had no choice but to continue protecting the legend. This will probably put a burden on you, but you are now the only one who can use it. It is up to you to decide how you use it.”

Having said that, Hiroshi’s father saw him off.

Even when asked by the people of the island, Hiroshi’s father never admitted that Hiroshi was the hero. Eventually, the villagers stopped asking, but they also stopped mocking Hiroshi behind his back.

When Yukiko arrived to say goodbye before Hiroshi returned to the academy, she looked like she wanted to say something. Hiroshi rubbed her head and told her, “Keep it a secret.” That seemed to get his point across.

But Hiroshi was not in a good mood. It bothered him that he had been forced into a conflict with Akuto over how to deal with Mister X. First of all, this power was too much for him. There was also the prediction. It said the hero would ultimately defeat the demon king.

—That will never actually happen. After all, I just have to never fight aniki.

Hiroshi tried to brush away his gloomy mood with that thought.

But one thing still bothered him: his father had told him the name of the man who had brought the suit to the island.

Apparently, that man’s name was Yamato Bouichirou.

“…and that is how I managed to return.”

After they returned to the lodging facility, Korone had explained everything. Hiroshi was still visiting his family with Keena. Only Korone, Akuto, and Junko were in Akuto’s room.

The situation could be summed up as follows: Korone had learned of the rumors concerning the Cabinet Intelligence and Magic Office, so she had realized who was attacking Akuto in the forest. She had gone to the Cabinet Office and used that information to threaten the intelligence director who was her superior. The intelligence director had been unaware of the Cabinet Intelligence and Magic Office’s actions. He had seen no option but to apologize and reinstate Korone and the Church of Markt’s right to observe Akuto.

“It seems someone was controlling the Cabinet Intelligence and Magic Office from the shadows. This is quite a problem, so some more political bargaining like this will likely be held in secret.”

Akuto had not understood most of what she had said, but it seemed different parts of the government were arguing whether the commotions caused by Akuto were a political matter or a matter of public order.

However, that alone did not explain how Korone had been acting in the forest.

“Then why were you dismissed in the first place?” he asked.

Korone nodded and replied, “Most of this was resolved, but one matter still remains.”

“Eh?”

“From what I was told in the Cabinet Office, it seems you have learned what I was ordered to do. From what I was told, the academy made an official protest. It must have leaked via Etou-san.”

“Then the whole seduction thing is over?”

“That is not yet over. I still have my orders and I do not intend to change my plans.”

“Eh?” Akuto could not help but be surprised by this. “But if I know about it, it will never work.”

When Korone heard that, she asked a question.

“Are you sure you are not making some sort of misunderstanding?”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Yes. The plan is to control you with a woman. Even if it has been revealed, you only need to be interested in the individual,” said Korone seriously.

“But I’ve already told you I will not be interested in you when I know it’s for this,” said Akuto.

Korone immediately reb.u.t.ted with, “That is the misunderstanding. I was only attempting to s.e.xually educate you as you know little about having a relationship with a woman. I am not the intended partner.”

“What?”

Akuto was left speechless.

Korone went on to say, “The plan was to have you marry someone from an excellent family. Now that it has been revealed, I will ask you directly. Akuto-san, please marry Junko-san. A marriage interview can be prepared for you next month.”

“Wha-…?”

“Eh…?”

Both Akuto and Junko’s expressions stiffened. Whether she had noticed this or not, Korone continued speaking.

“From your actions in the forest, I thought you were in love with Keena-san, so I thought I had failed. Keena-san is not from an important family, so a relationship with her would not change the current situation. However, it seems that has advanced no further. In that case, I must ask you to marry Junko-san and join her family. That will resolve everything. If you cannot forget Keena-san, then you can take her as a mistress. You will likely be allowed that much freedom.”

Korone sounded completely calm as she said such outrageous things.

Akuto was still confused, but he quickly realized the meaning behind all of Korone’s strange actions.

—But…

He glanced over at Junko. For some reason, she was sitting seiza style with her mouth pressed tightly in a single straight line. As soon as she noticed he was looking at her, her mouth began twitching as if it was convulsing.

“H-hey, could you stop saying such ridiculous things?” Akuto said.

Junko then began mumbling and nonsensical words escaped her lips.

“Hyah…hyoh…nyoh…M-m-marriage?”

Junko looked over at Akuto, looked like she had no idea what to say, suddenly screamed, and ran out of the room.

“W-w-waaahhh!”

“W-wait!”

Akuto was unable to stop her.

After fleeing, Junko sat worrying alone in front of the vending machine corner of the café room.

—Marriage? M-m-m-m-m-m-marriage?

She had never even considered it. The Hattori family usually risked their lives serving VIPs of the country, so very few of them had happy households. The eldest child would be given a political marriage and the other children would normally give everything they had to some important person. And when the important person who became their master was of the opposite s.e.x, it could only become a perverted relationship of patiently enduring their love. And the household teachings of the Hattori family instructed them to do so.

It was true that Junko would unintentionally begin thinking about Akuto before going to sleep at night, but her standard fantasy was a twisted one of feeling she was protecting Akuto while hiding under his bed to feel his body heat as he slept.

—If I marry him, I will not be under his bed. I will be lying next to him. N-next to him…

Junko was feeling horribly shaken, so she bought a drink to help calm herself down. While breathing heavily, she drank down the contents of the paper cup all at once.

—No, married couples do more than just lie next to each other… They go beyond that by-…

Junko began choking on the drink and writhed about atop her chair for a full five minutes.

The cla.s.smates watching her from afar a.s.sumed she was troubled because Akuto had done something else that would hurt the academy’s reputation.

“Wh-what am I supposed to do now?”

After Junko had fled, Akuto complained to Korone.

But Korone remained calm.

“This will resolve everything. Is there a problem?”

“Well…what about our feelings?”

When Akuto asked that exceedingly natural question, Korone suddenly smiled.

—Eh?

This caught Akuto off guard.

“I have feelings, too. However, I am able to suppress them,” she said.

Her expression was a lively one filled with emotion.

Akuto was left speechless and Korone brought a hand up to her mouth. She then blushed and fidgeted as if she was having difficult saying something.

“These orders are hard for me too. After all, I really do lo-…”

Korone’s expression was one of a girl in love. Akuto was so shocked he froze in place and Korone brought her face in towards his. She stuck her lips out slightly and brought them in toward his.

And just before their lips touched…

“So this is the sort of approach you like,” spoke Korone coldly as she returned to her usual expressionless look.

“Wait… You were teasing me!?”

Akuto blushed and stood up.

Expression returned to Korone’s face as she smiled.

“Heh heh heh… Just a little joke.”

Her smile was all too natural.

Akuto had no idea what to do other than forgive her.

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