After kendo club practice ended, Kazuma said goodbye to Mikako as usual and headed off to pick up his little sister.
And, just as usual, he spotted Nanjo-san standing at the gate of Etsukawa Girls' once again.
It looked like another perfectly ordinary afternoon—he'd probably exchange a few words with Nanjo-san, then they'd part ways as usual.
But the moment Kazuma got closer, he immediately sensed something different about her today.
The most obvious change was right above her head—a conspicuous status tag so bright it practically blinded him.
The tag consisted of just one word: "Seagull". And the description below it read: "A proud seagull unafraid of storm or gale."
Kazuma nearly choked.
What the heck?!
Did you stay up reading Gorky last night or something?!
And it wasn't even a temporary tag—it was permanent. Kazuma figured that even if he memorized The Song of the Stormy Petrel from beginning to end, at best he'd only earn a limited-time buff—and only if he happened to be in the right mood for it. If he forced it, no way it'd work.
How is this even fair?
A proper, red-blooded, soon-to-be proletarian like him couldn't even get a Gorky buff—but this daughter of a capitalist family somehow had it?!
Kazuma thought grimly, No way—I've got to figure out how she got that buff.
So he asked her directly, "Um, Nanjo-san, did something happen to you yesterday?"
Nanjo looked puzzled. "Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"Uh… it's just that… your aura feels a little different from yesterday."
Which wasn't wrong. Even though Kazuma honestly couldn't pinpoint any specific difference in her appearance—mainly because his attention had been... distracted toward certain other aspects—still, with a tag floating over her head, there was no doubt something had shifted.
Nanjo's puzzlement turned into surprise. "You could tell?"
Kazuma's heart pounded. I knew it! Something definitely happened! But what?!
"So, what exactly…" he pressed eagerly. He really wanted to know how she'd scored that permanent buff.
Surely it can't just be from reading Gorky, right?
But then Nanjo's cheeks reddened slightly, and she ducked her head shyly, eyes on the ground.
"Well, it's… more of a change in mindset, I suppose. It's nothing big—please don't worry about it."
Kazuma's mouth fell open into an "O."
What the heck?!
Did someone beat me to it? That can't be!
Damn it, now I'm dying to know!
Just then, Chiyoko tugged on his sleeve.
"Alright, Bro, let's go! Stop bullying Nanjo-san."
"I'm not bullying her—I was just asking—"
"Come on, let's go, let's go!"
And with that, Kazuma was dragged away by his sister, walking off with an utterly disgruntled expression, glancing back at Nanjo-san the whole time.
A black car pulled up in front of Nanjo.
Butler Suzuki got out and opened the door.
"Ojō-sama, Kiryu-kun has left. Shall we head back?"
Nanjo nodded. "Mm."
She climbed into the car and shut the door.
"How did the exam go?" Suzuki asked.
"It should be fine," Nanjo replied lightly. "I expect to get an A rating for Keio University's Faculty of Letters."
"But… I also applied to the Faculty of Political Science."
Suzuki glanced at her through the rearview mirror in surprise. "Political Science?"
Keio's Faculty of Political Science was practically a breeding ground for politicians and government officials—it wasn't an exaggeration to call it a cradle of political elites.
"For a woman, going into Keio's Political Science is rather a waste," Suzuki advised seriously. "Even though the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education do have demand for female officials, still…"
"I want to challenge myself," Nanjo said softly.
There was no doubt—Keio's Political Science faculty was much harder to get into than the Literature faculty.
Suzuki nodded. "I'll report it that way to the master, then. But remember what I told you yesterday: you must keep yourself well hidden, Ojō-sama. You're already seventeen—at any moment, it wouldn't be strange if someone proposed marriage. If that happens, don't act rashly. You still need to complete your bridal training first."
In Japan, getting married before university wasn't unheard of. But in families like the Nanjo zaibatsu, daughters were expected to finish university and undergo thorough preparation before marriage.
That preparation was what they called bridal training—an extensive program including formal etiquette instruction.
Nanjo nodded. "I understand."
Satisfied, Suzuki finally started the car.
Meanwhile, on Kazuma's side, he and Chiyoko had just arrived home—only to spot Ikeda Shigeru standing at their front gate.
Chiyoko frowned with concern. "Why is he here?"
"Probably to thank me," Kazuma guessed.
Seeing her anxious expression, he added, "Don't worry—he really does seem serious about turning over a new leaf."
Chiyoko eyed him skeptically, then finally relaxed.
At that moment, Ikeda spotted them as well.
He strode toward Kazuma with large, purposeful steps. Then, when he was still about four body-lengths away—bam!—he dropped to his knees and held up a large brown envelope high above his head.
"Sensei! I want to learn kendo!"
Kazuma frowned. "Didn't I tell you to save up for tuition first? Where'd this money come from?"
"Please don't worry, Sensei!" Ikeda said earnestly.
"This is compensation money from that Ōnishi guy you knocked out yesterday! I used most of it to repay the money I extorted before—and this is what's left. Please accept it as my tuition for this month!"
"I'll keep working part-time to pay back my past debts—and to cover future tuition!"
Kazuma raised an eyebrow. Oh right… I'd totally forgotten about that compensation.
But he trusted that Ikeda wasn't lying, so he took the envelope and peeked inside—sure enough, a neat stack of crisp, fresh bills.
He handed the envelope to Chiyoko without thinking and reached out to pull Ikeda up—but then suddenly froze, eyes narrowing as he stared at the top of Ikeda's head.
To an outsider, it might've looked like he was just hypnotized by the smooth shine of Ikeda's freshly shaven scalp.
But no—Kazuma had just noticed something else.
In addition to the usual Turning Over a New Leaf status tag, there was another—a limited-time buff tagged "Preparing for Impact."
And the countdown? A whopping 440 days.
Preparing for impact? What's that supposed to mean?
Is Ikeda gonna get scouted as a Kamen Rider actor in 440 days or something?!
Kazuma squinted to read the description:
"We are the dust of the world—and the heroes of our own stories."
Wait a second… why does that sound so familiar?
More importantly—why do YOU get a shiny new buff?!
Are these buffs just being handed out for free now?!
If they're free, gimme some too!
Kazuma, who had fought tooth and nail since reincarnating, still had only two permanent buffs—Lone Dragon and Koyama Slayer.
And both had been earned through sheer grit and courage under brutal conditions. Don't think Koyama Slayer came easy! Back then, Uesugi Sōichirō could've drawn his blade at any moment and cut him down.
That was why watching other people rack up buffs like it was a game made Kazuma seriously bitter.
Seriously, where are you guys grinding for these buffs? Can someone tell me?!
Just then, Chiyoko nudged him in the ribs to remind him that Ikeda was still kneeling.
Kazuma refocused and looked at him.
The moment their eyes met, Ikeda promptly clonked his forehead to the ground with a loud bang.
"Sensei! Please take me in!"
Kazuma opened his mouth to reply—only to spot a salaryman off in the distance, watching the whole scene curiously.
Quickly, Kazuma hauled Ikeda to his feet.
"Alright, alright! I already took your money, so you're officially my student now. Come inside. If you keep kneeling out here, my reputation in the neighborhood is gonna skyrocket again!"
(End of Chapter)