"Um… may I say a few words?"
A soft but steady voice cut through the discussion.
"In the Public Morals Committee, there's still a vacancy for a Student Council–appointed position left by last year's graduates. It hasn't been filled yet."
The girl who spoke sat calmly in the middle.
"Eh? Didn't you say you were looking for someone? Mari, the new term hasn't even been going for a full week. Aren't you being a little too hasty?"
Saegusa Mayumi, her crimson eyes carrying a trace of helplessness, tried to soothe her friend's impatience.
Her friend—Watanabe Mari, the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson—was someone Mayumi knew well. Mari's boyish appearance matched her straightforward, blunt personality.
But Mari ignored Mayumi's words, instead leaning forward with a spark in her gaze.
"Why not let this Yotsuba Mahiro-kun fill the Public Morals Committee position? Our committee isn't like the Student Council—we don't need to judge based on grades."
Her words struck directly at the issue that had been troubling Mayumi.
In an instant, Mayumi's wine-colored eyes glimmered brilliantly. She slapped her hand onto the desk and stood up.
"That's it! Mari, you're a genius! It's killing two birds with one stone!"
If Mahiro tried to enter the Student Council, his academic performance would become a problem. And honestly, with Yotsuba Mahiro's barely average grades, controversy would have been unavoidable.
But the Public Morals Committee… that was different!
So long as he could handle patrol duties and keep order, even an Ichika-ranked student wouldn't be criticized.
"Then it's decided. Let Mahiro-kun join the Public Morals Committee."
"Mari, I'll leave Mahiro-kun in your care. I'll handle notifying him tomorrow!"
And just like that, without even asking for Mahiro's opinion, the three inside the Club Alliance Headquarters had set his path forward.
"Although…" Mayumi added softly, "there is one more thing about Mahiro-kun."
Both Mari and Juumonji Katsuto, who had been silent until now, shifted their attention toward her.
"Although Mahiro-kun carries the Yotsuba surname, it seems he has been… cast aside by the Yotsuba Family. Apparently, he was driven out by the family head to fend for himself. He doesn't even own a CAD for self-defense."
Her words stunned them.
Mari let out a sharp gasp. Even Juumonji's stern, square features hardened with concern.
"Saegusa," Juumonji said in a low tone, "can you confirm the truth of this matter?"
Mayumi shook her head. "Not yet. We only chatted briefly this morning, and that's what Mahiro-kun himself told me. But the fact that he doesn't carry a CAD is undeniable."
Although the school prohibited free use of CADs on campus, students were still allowed to carry them. No—carrying them was practically a requirement.
After all, magicians were regarded as vital national resources. Both domestic and foreign powers placed immense value on them, especially the bloodlines of the Ten Master Clans. The genetic heritage of high-caliber magicians was coveted beyond measure.
For Mahiro, a scion of the Yotsuba, to be walking around without even a CAD… it wasn't just unusual. It was a glaring issue, one that would concern not only the Ten Master Clans, but the government itself.
"Hmm… I'll confirm the matter myself," Juumonji said firmly. "Saegusa, you should also verify it from your side. And then, there's the problem of equipping Mahiro-kun with a CAD."
Mari quickly offered, "Well, the Public Morals Committee has plenty of retired CADs. We could just lend him one temporarily."
But Mayumi shook her head almost immediately.
"No, Mari. Even if Mahiro-kun joins the Committee, our CADs can't be taken outside the school. You know that. Don't try to use this as a chance to sneak one out," she scolded lightly, her tone both chiding and affectionate.
"Instead, let's use mine. I have a retired general-purpose CAD at home. It should be more than enough for Mahiro-kun to manage for the time being."
Mari raised an eyebrow, resting her cheek in her palm with a sly smile.
"Heh~ I didn't expect Mayumi to be so generous. Giving Mahiro-kun one of your personal CADs? You must think pretty highly of him. Now I want to meet this Mahiro even more."
"I-It's not like that! It's just a loan, baka! Hmph, I'm ignoring you, Mari!"
Mayumi's face flushed crimson as she turned away, her embarrassment written plainly across her features.
It wasn't surprising.
After all, a CAD wasn't just a tool—it was practically part of a magician's soul. A magician's formulas, casting patterns, and personal quirks all imprinted themselves on their CAD. To lend one was an act of deep trust.
…
Later that day.
"Then, I'll head back now."
After finishing sparring with Mibu-senpai at the Kendo Club, Yotsuba Mahiro gathered his things and prepared to leave the school grounds. The sun was setting behind the campus buildings, casting long shadows across the courtyard.
But as he neared the main gate, a group of students suddenly appeared, blocking his way.
Well—"group" might have been overstating it. There were four of them.
But they were people Mahiro knew: Shiba Tatsuya, his younger sister Miyuki, Chiba Erika, and Shibata Mizuki.
How did they all end up together here?
"Mahiro-oniisan!"
The moment Miyuki spotted him, her face lit up and she waved happily.
Erika and Mizuki, who had also been about to greet him, suddenly froze. Their smiles faltered, and both exchanged wide-eyed glances when they heard Miyuki's cheerful address.
"Wait, wait, wait—hold it right there!" Erika leaned forward, practically pointing at him. "Tatsuya, did I just hear Miyuki-chan call that guy... Brother?!"
Mizuki nodded frantically, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose. "Y-Yes, I heard it too! What does that mean...?"
Tatsuya remained his usual calm and expressionless self, but Miyuki clasped her hands together in slight panic.
"Of course I called him that," she replied softly, her tone firm but gentle. "Mahiro-nii is my older brother... isn't that normal?"
"Normal?! What part of that is normal, baka?!" Erika shouted dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. "Yotsuba-kun is the heir of the Yotsuba Family! If you're calling him 'nii-san,' doesn't that mean you're directly tied to the most mysterious and terrifying of the Ten Master Clans?!"
"Ah..."
Realizing her slip, Miyuki quickly covered her mouth. For the first time, her flawless composure cracked, leaving her searching for words to explain.
But Mahiro stepped forward, his calm gaze and faint smile disarming the tension.
"Relax, Erika-chan. You're overthinking it. Miyuki isn't related to the Yotsuba Family."
He placed a hand gently on Miyuki's head, ruffling her silky hair in a casual, almost protective gesture. "She and her brother just happen to be my landlords. Since I'm older, Miyuki calls me her onii-chan. That's all there is to it."
Miyuki's face turned bright red at the sudden touch. Her heartbeat quickened, but she managed to nod shyly, lowering her head. "T-That's right..." she murmured.
The story was seamless—so natural that even Erika couldn't immediately refute it.
"Yes," Tatsuya added, his tone even and factual. "Mahiro rents the house next door to us."
Hearing Tatsuya corroborate it, Erika scratched her cheek and muttered, "Ugh... I guess that does make sense."
Mizuki, however, continued to gaze thoughtfully between Mahiro and the siblings.
The five walked together for a while, chatting casually. Erika teased Miyuki relentlessly, poking fun at how flustered she had been, while Mahiro just smiled quietly at her antics.
At first, Miyuki tried to respond, but the more Erika teased, the redder her face became, until she was too embarrassed to look up at all.
Tatsuya walked silently at her side, unfazed by the noise. His usual stoicism radiated like a shield—if Miyuki wasn't in danger, he wouldn't interfere.
Meanwhile, Mizuki grew more and more reserved. She kept glancing at Mahiro with curious eyes, as though trying to puzzle something out.
Noticing her hesitation, Mahiro finally tilted his head.
"Shibata-san, is something bothering you? You've been staring quite a bit."
"Eh?! N-No, it's nothing!" Mizuki flailed, her voice trembling as she waved her hands. But after a brief pause, she hesitated... then spoke softly. "It's just... I thought someone from the Yotsuba Family wouldn't have any trouble with money. So... why would you rent a place to live in?"
The question hung in the air like a weight.
Erika immediately gasped, realization dawning on her face. "Ah! You're right! The Yotsuba Family is practically at the top of the Ten Master Clans! Why would their scion live like that...?"
Miyuki tensed beside him, unsure how to respond. Her expression was almost pleading as she glanced at Mahiro.
Mahiro chuckled quietly. Finally. Took them long enough to ask.
He let a faintly melancholic smile curl at his lips before answering in a low, almost bitter tone—the same one he had used to fool Mayumi-senpai before.
"Well... to tell you the truth, I was driven out. The Yotsuba Family Head had no further use for me, so I was cast aside. That's why I live alone now."
The words were delivered with just the right amount of sorrow to make them believable.
Erika's mouth fell open. Mizuki gasped audibly. Even Miyuki herself looked stunned, whispering anxiously, "Mahiro-nii... if Aunt finds out you're saying such things—!"
Mahiro smirked faintly, brushing off her concern. "Heh. Who cares what that old hag thinks?"
His casual dismissal left the girls speechless.
And just like that, the rumor solidified: from this day forward, Yotsuba Mahiro would be known—at least in whispers among his peers—as the outcast of the Yotsuba Family.
What none of them realized was that this small deception, born so easily from his lips, would be the spark that ignited far greater troubles in the days to come.