Kazuma led Ikeda Shigeru into the dojo. Naturally, the first thing he asked was what Ikeda had done after they parted ways yesterday.
He was trying to figure out how this buff had appeared.
After a thorough round of questioning, Kazuma found himself baffled.
"So… you're saying that lawyer told you, 'A lawyer is a knight of the law,' and you thought that was cool?" Kazuma decided to double-check.
"Yeah! Isn't that cool? The law—bam!"
Kazuma resisted the urge to snark and continued confirming. "And then you decided you want to become a lawyer and apply to Meiji University?"
"Exactly! The teacher said if I wanna be a lawyer, that's the way to go."
Kazuma rubbed his forehead. That pretty much confirmed it—this was how Ikeda had triggered the "Aspiring Legal Knight" temporary buff.
Was it really this easy to get a buff? What were the actual conditions? Something vague and nebulous like "strength of heart" or whatever?
Then why couldn't he casually trigger buffs himself? Was his heart not strong enough?
As Kazuma spiraled into an internal tirade, Chiyoko was more focused on another issue. She asked Ikeda, "Is your family well-off?"
"No, we're… actually kinda poor."
"Then there's no way you can afford Meiji's tuition," Chiyoko said flatly.
"I can work part-time and save up."
"Save enough for Meiji tuition? And you'd need to study too. Your grades aren't great, right? Are you nuts?"
"Not really," Ikeda answered confidently.
Chiyoko sighed. "Forget it. You are my brother's student after all. This kind of thinking… well, I guess it fits."
She didn't finish the sentence.
Kazuma, prompted by her comment, said to Ikeda, "Chiyoko's right. Meiji's tuition is too expensive for most families. Trying to both save up and cram isn't very realistic. What grade are you in now?"
"Second year of high school." After answering, Ikeda immediately asked, "Then, Master, what should I do? If not Meiji, where can I go to become a lawyer?"
"Go for a national university. Tuition is much cheaper. If you tighten your belt and save for two years, you might just manage."
Kazuma used a questioning tone—he wasn't sure if it was actually doable.
But Ikeda didn't seem concerned at all. He promptly asked, "Then, which national university is about the same level as Meiji?"
Kazuma answered in a flash, "University of Tokyo. Only Todai and Meiji are on that level."
"Then I'll aim for the University of Tokyo!" Ikeda declared with full confidence.
In that moment, Kazuma honestly suspected the person sitting in front of him might be some kind of single-celled organism—like an oversized amoeba or a slime—shaped into human form.
Chiyoko sighed. "Hey, could you at least show a little respect for Japan's top university? One after another, you guys make it sound like getting into Todai is as easy as buying fish at the local shopping street.
"And the way you just blurt it out—are you sure your brain's working?"
Blinking innocently, Ikeda replied, "If my brain worked that well, I wouldn't have been a delinquent in the first place, right?"
Chiyoko was momentarily speechless. "Well… at least my brother's sharp. He just didn't like studying before. You… I feel like…"
Kazuma quickly cut in. "Hey, it's all about effort."
He said it because he could see the buff and didn't want to accidentally say something that would cancel it. He couldn't bear the guilt of ruining someone's life path.
Chiyoko gave him a sidelong glance and asked, "Bro, you finished your mock exams, right? How'd you do?"
Kazuma's face shifted. "Uh…"
"I can tell from that look. With results like that, 'it's all about effort' doesn't sound very convincing."
"I did fine in math and English!" Kazuma protested. "And I've still got a whole year."
"I believe in you, Bro," Chiyoko said. "I shouldn't criticize other people's dreams anyway. If you guys are starting training, I'll go prep lunch."
She stood and headed toward the dojo entrance. "I'll bring over some barley tea in a bit."
"Wait!" Kazuma called after her. "Now that we've got a male student, we should give him some of the heavy chores."
"I understand! Please assign me chores! I've got plenty of strength!" Ikeda jumped up enthusiastically.
Chiyoko looked at him, then at Kazuma. "Is this okay? He did pay to learn kendo."
"Please leave it to me, Big Sis!" Ikeda said, bowing deeply with the kind of fervor you'd expect from a yakuza underling.
Chiyoko looked at Kazuma again and sighed. "Fine. You can start by sweeping the courtyard. It hasn't been done in two days—there's a thick layer of cherry blossom petals and leaves."
"Yes, ma'am!" Ikeda practically sprinted off, full of vigor.
Watching him go, Chiyoko muttered to Kazuma, "Being called 'Big Sis' by someone older than me feels so weird."
"Well, in dojo hierarchy, you are his Big Sis," Kazuma said.
"I know, I'm just not used to it. Oh, should I make dinner for him too?"
"Yeah, go ahead. If he ends up eating at home, we can save the leftovers and make rice balls tomorrow."
To save money, the Kiryu siblings always packed bentos for school and never bought food from the school store or cafeteria.
Chiyoko nodded and left the dojo.
Kazuma sat alone in the dojo, watching his lone male student attack the courtyard with terrifying energy, sweeping up the fallen cherry petals and leaves.
He couldn't help but reflect—just a month ago, he'd been scheming to sell the dojo for quick cash. And now here he was, seriously teaching kendo.
Life really was full of surprises.
Meanwhile, at the Nanjo residence—
Nanjo Masahito entered his father's study with an eager grin.
"Father, we've received a reply from Councilor Asakura."
Nanjo Hiroshi had been sitting with his eyes closed, tapping along to the enka song Spring in the North playing on the radio.
Hearing his son's words, the old man switched off the radio and slowly opened his eyes. "And?"
"Councilor Asakura has agreed to formally propose an engagement in the coming days," Masahito said, barely containing his joy. "This is a prime opportunity for the Nanjo family to step into the political arena."
It was an unwritten rule in Japanese high society for major corporate families to marry their second or third daughters into political families' second sons.
Such alliances tightly bound the worlds of business and politics.
Nanjo Hiroshi gave his son a look and calmly asked, "What did the investigation reveal about Councilor Asakura's second son?"
"He's an excellent young man," Masahito replied at once. "I hired the best private investigators for a full background check. They've found no issues so far. We should be receiving the detailed report soon."
Nanjo Hiroshi nodded.
"In that case," Masahito continued eagerly, "shall we set a date and invite the chief priest of Nezu Shrine to conduct the engagement ceremony?"
In Japan, shrines are legally classified as "religious corporations," and play a unique role as social lubricants.
High-ranking shrine priests and Buddhist temple abbots often wield extensive personal networks—sometimes even influencing local elections.
For Shinto shrines, hosting engagement ceremonies and weddings was a key means of maintaining those connections. For Buddhist monks, it was funerals.
In Japanese custom, this was a serious matter. Bringing a Buddhist monk to a wedding, or a Shinto priest and miko to a funeral, would be seen as a grave blunder.
Nanjo Hiroshi shook his head. "No rush. I want to meet Councilor Asakura's second son myself before making the final decision."
(End of Chapter)