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When she thought about it more, Nero stopped overthinking.
Love at first sight always started with desire for beauty. Real affection was something forged through time spent together. Even arranged marriages needed adjustment and compromise. So judging love that began from someone's attractiveness value as shallow, it didn't really make sense.
That was only logical.
Truth be told, this was her very first romance. She didn't really know how to handle it, so of course she felt anxious. But after talking it out with Ryoji, the unease in her heart eased considerably.
For a time, the two of them simply soaked in silence, the warmth of the hot spring wrapping them in comfort.
"…Oh, right. Nero, do you know about the Academy's Seven Mysteries?" Ryoji suddenly recalled something, his face, half-hidden by the steam, twisting into a peculiar expression.
"Umu. I know a little, though not all of them." Nero tilted her head in thought, then added, "Come to think of it, one of the legends is about you. They say anyone who sees the God's Smile… will turn gay or something like that. Rumor has it it's surprisingly accurate."
"…Eh? Has the Student Council ever kept statistics on how many students 'turned gay' in the academy?"
"That's private information! Why would the Student Council track something like that? And besides, whether someone bends or not is their freedom. I certainly wouldn't interfere."
"…What about the others?"
"The others, hmm…"
Nero furrowed her brow, straining to recall.
"Well, there's the music room that supposedly echoes with beastly roars at night. Then something about discovering one's true self hidden in the mists… a treasure capable of granting any wish… Oh, and if you wander the campus too late at night, you risk getting lost in another world. As for the last two, I don't know them."
Whoa, whoa, whoa…
'What the hell? That's a lot to process!'
Ryoji had never paid attention to such things. He had only learned of the "God's Smile" rumor yesterday, and now he was blindsided by the sheer weight of these other legends.
The beastly roars in the music room didn't sound too alarming on their own.
But "one's true self hidden in the mist"? Now that was interesting.
In a world where so many Heroic Spirits existed in states of obscurity, even Ryoji himself had spent fifteen years in a haze of forgotten divinity, was this legend alluding to something like that?
And the "treasure capable of granting any wish"… wasn't that just the Holy Grail?
Granted, the Type-Moon Academy supposedly had no Grail here. Ryoji had searched many places. Yet if someone like Aozaki Aoko could slip seamlessly into this world, then surely a figure tied to a Grail War could as well.
And then there was the matter of being lost in another world after staying out too late at night.
What "other world" did that refer to?
It probably wasn't the work of magi. Practitioners of magecraft valued secrecy and rarely left traces in crowded places like a school. Could it instead mean some hidden land of spirits or elves? Surely it didn't refer to one of Type-Moon's many parallel worlds… right?
"These Seven Mysteries, where did they even come from? How accurate are they?"
"Who knows? They just sort of… formed on their own. No one really cares if they're true or not."
Nero shrugged, utterly unconcerned.
Ryoji suppressed the urgency stirring in his chest, keeping his expression calm.
He had no proof yet, but instinct told him the Type-Moon Academy was at the very heart of everything, ground zero for whatever was to come.
Aozaki Aoko's appearance… might have only been the first note of the overture.
"…Enough of that. Ryoji, after seeing my body, you really have no thoughts at all?"
"It's great."
"Umu, umu! Keep praising me!"
"But I don't really feel motivated, you know~"
"Mm… then I shall permit you to admire me up close!"
"…That's torture, isn't it?"
"Even I can feel shy, you know, Ma!"
"Then how about you admire me instead?"
"Very well! I shall!"
A short while later, the two of them left the hot spring room together.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but… excuse me, have you and Ojou-sama… done it?"
Maid Mata Hari stopped Ryoji in the hallway when no one else was around, leaning in with a sly, conspiratorial look.
So straightforward.
"She is as pure as one can be--" Ryoji replied carelessly.
Nero, for all her overflowing desire, had decided things shouldn't advance too quickly. Though practically drooling, she had mustered the strength to refuse. Ryoji himself had shown no rush either.
"I see. Then that's good."
Mata Hari let out a quiet breath of relief, then straightened her posture, her tone turning serious.
"If you truly intend to be with Ojou-sama, then I suggest you meet with the Director of the Roman Consortium first."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
The Director of the Roman Consortium…?
Isn't that Romulus himself, the progenitor of gods? Don't tell me he's a daughter-con… If so, that could be a real problem.
Ryoji grumbled inwardly.
That night.
The Minamoto household.
Minamoto Yorimitsu had come home early from the shopping street, bringing back a box of desserts the shopkeeper had given employees, leftovers from the day's sales.
"Ryoji, Mom heard you had a sword match with one of your schoolmates yesterday… and won?"
After dinner, the family of three sat together, enjoying sweets as they chatted.
"Yeah, yeah! Elder Brother picked up kendo from who-knows-where, and he even beat the Kendo Club's leader!"
Souji nodded rapidly, curiosity brimming. She had meant to ask yesterday but had forgotten.
"Just luck. Pure luck," Ryoji waved it off vaguely. "Didn't I practice swordsmanship a little when I was a kid?"
It was true, he had trained briefly when he was younger. But after that, he'd been more focused on finding clues about the Reverse Side of the World, and sword practice had all but fallen away.
"Practiced a couple of years as a child, and now you can beat a national champion? How come I never knew you had that kind of talent, Elder Brother?"
"Don't underestimate your brother, Souji!"
"Isn't it a good thing though? As long as Li stays healthy and energetic, I'm happy enough."
Yorimitsu, ever the broad-minded mother, just smiled warmly at her son.
"But since your swordsmanship's so impressive, Li, I actually have an acquaintance. Her family's looking for a skilled kendo instructor right now. Want to take a look?"
"Too much hassle. I'll pass."
"I hear she has several very beautiful daughters, you know?"
"Wait a sec, Mom! Doesn't Elder Brother already have a girlfriend?"
Souji was dumbfounded.
What kind of mother tries to set up her son like this?!
"Watch your phrasing. It's not that I found a girlfriend, it's that the girlfriend found me."
"A daughter-in-law must be chosen carefully, Ma!"
Yorimitsu clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, eyes full of mock sorrow. "She's a dear friend of mine. And when she heard how skilled you were with the sword, she begged me to bring you over. For your mother's sake, please?"
"…Fine. Tomorrow's the weekend anyway, so I'll go have a look."
Ryoji gave a reluctant nod, then quickly added, "But let me make one thing clear, I'm not the unfaithful type. I never chase after girls, I never make the first move. Everyone knows I'm as clean as they come."
The Scum Man Principles™: Don't initiate! Don't refuse!
Whatever happens, however many girls gather around him, it's definitely not his fault.
Ryoji was starting to master this philosophy.
"Li, you're wonderful!"
Overjoyed, Yorimitsu hugged him tight again.
(End of Chapter)