The uproar in the broadcast room finally came to an end. From here on, the three major powers would handle negotiations, and honestly, the outcome had little to do with him.
What did catch Mahiro's attention, though, was that President Saegusa Mayumi had decided to hold a debate tomorrow with the Course 2 representatives. The issue of how Course 2 students should be treated would be settled there—at least, on the surface.
Still, something even more shocking happened.
Shiba Tatsuya actually invited him to dinner.
Mahiro blinked several times. "Haa? Did the sun rise from the west today?" he muttered to himself. The sunset, however, was right where it always was—in the west.
But a dinner invitation from Tatsuya was no small matter. And since he was going as a guest, it would be rude to show up empty-handed.
So Mahiro stopped by his usual coffee shop near the station and ordered a chocolate cake, neatly boxed up and tied with a ribbon. Carrying it in one hand, he leisurely walked back toward the residential district.
That was when he felt it—something was off.
"Oi," Mahiro suddenly stopped, turning his head toward a utility pole where the shadows pooled unnaturally. His tone was half-teasing, half-serious. "How long do you plan on tailing me? Or are you planning to follow me all the way home, baka?"
A faint chuckle slipped out, and then—
"Ahaha… so I was discovered, huh…."
From the shadows, a woman stepped forward.
Even in this conservative era, her outfit was… unusual. A dark overcoat draped loosely over her shoulders, beneath it a thin white blouse with the top two buttons straining, as if they had come undone on their own. A hint of cleavage showed whenever she shifted.
Her skirt was short—borderline too short—and her thighs were hugged tightly by sheer stockings. Altogether, she looked like some overworked OL who had just gotten off duty… except there was something deliberately provocative about her.
Mahiro arched an eyebrow. "Ono Haruka-sensei?"
"…I didn't expect Yotsuba-kun to know my name."
The woman—childlike face, voluptuous figure, and an awkward smile—tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked almost guilty for being caught.
Mahiro searched his memory. Right—Ono Haruka was the homeroom teacher for Class 1-E. Being in Class 1-A, he hadn't had much reason to interact with her before.
"So then," Mahiro said casually, his lips twitching into a faint smirk, "what business does Ono Haruka-sensei have following me around at this hour? Dressed like that, too… Don't tell me Sensei plans to do something indecent to a student?"
He deliberately took two exaggerated steps back, putting on a mock expression of fear.
"N-no! Yotsuba-kun, you've got it all wrong! Sensei would never—n-not in a million years!"
Ono-sensei flailed her hands about in panic, her voice breaking as she stumbled over her words. The sight was so comical Mahiro almost burst out laughing. After a moment she stopped, realizing his eyes were filled with quiet amusement.
"…Geez. Just as Mibu-san warned me, Yotsuba-kun really likes to tease people."
"Mibu-senpai?" Mahiro tilted his head.
"That's right," Haruka nodded. "I came here to talk about Mibu-san. I just didn't get a chance at school, so…"
"So Sensei chose the path of a suspicious stalker, huh? Maa, that explains everything."
"Ehh!? N-no, that's not it! Sensei isn't a pervert who follows students around!"
Her voice cracked as she shook her head furiously—only to realize, a second later, that Mahiro had tricked her into admitting something ridiculous.
"…Yotsuba-kun, you really are cruel," she muttered, cheeks puffing up.
Mahiro let out a soft chuckle before his expression evened out again. "Alright, enough joking around. I actually have somewhere to be, so why don't you just say what you need, Sensei?"
Seeing his tone shift back to serious, Ono Haruka straightened herself, her playful panic fading into something more composed. Her eyes, however, held a strangely meaningful light.
"Yotsuba-kun," she began carefully, "I heard a rumor that you and Mibu-san are dating. Is it true?"
"…Haa…" Mahiro sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "For the third time today… it's just a rumor."
First in Class 1-A, then teased about it by Watanabe-senpai, and now a teacher? What next—the principal asking? Or maybe even Aunt Maya grilling him about his 'relationship'?
Whoever spread this nonsense, Mahiro thought darkly, was going to regret it once he found them.
"Is that so? But even if you aren't lovers, your relationship is quite close, isn't it?" Haruka pressed on gently. "Otherwise, today's uproar wouldn't have calmed down so easily."
"…Well, that much is true."
Their bond was indeed stronger than normal friendship. But lovers? Definitely not.
"Then…" Haruka drew in a breath, her voice earnest now. "Sensei has something to ask of you."
Her explanation, however, was frustratingly vague.
Blanche. Egalité.
Names of groups, but ones Mahiro didn't know much about. Haruka didn't bother to explain in detail. She simply said that Mibu Sayaka had been troubled by the unfair way her skills in kendo were evaluated compared to the favored Course 1 students. Because of that, she was lured in by Blanche and joined their branch group, Egalité.
What Haruka wanted from him was simple: persuade Sayaka to turn back before it was too late.
But…
Mahiro had already begun to understand the source of her confusion. What he lacked was clarity on this Blanche itself.
So, with that in mind, he decided to visit the Shiba siblings' home.
"Yo, Miyuki-chan, look what I brought you—your favorite chocolate cake." "Ah, thank you, Mahiro-kun. Please, come in."
Miyuki accepted the cake with a smile, her manners flawless as ever, and invited him inside.
The moment Mahiro stepped into the living room, he saw Shiba Tatsuya already seated on the sofa, documents projected across a large screen. It looked like Tatsuya had been expecting him.
"…Blanche?"
Mahiro spoke the word out loud, tasting its weight. He turned toward Tatsuya with a frown. "What exactly is this Blanche? Can you explain it to me?"
"Yes. That's precisely why I asked you to come." Tatsuya nodded and, in his calm and matter-of-fact tone, laid it all out.
In simple terms, Blanche was an anti-magic organization. Outwardly, they claimed to fight against the social discrimination created by magic. They called for equality, insisting that magic should not determine one's worth.
But that was only the facade.
In reality, Blanche was nothing more than a terrorist group hiding behind a civilian movement. And Egalité… was one of their small, localized branches.
"…So you're saying Mibu-senpai actually joined a terrorist organization?" Mahiro's eyes hardened.
This wasn't just a matter of school politics or petty arguments. This was crime.
"Eh? M-Mahiru-kun, is that true?!"
Miyuki, returning with plates of cake and steaming cups of coffee, froze in shock. Her hands trembled slightly as she looked to Mahiro, almost pleading for him to deny it. After all, out of everyone present, he was the one closest to Mibu-senpai. If she was dragged into danger, Auntie—no, their whole family—could be drawn into the storm.
"If the source of the intel isn't lying," Mahiro replied gravely, "then yes… it's true."
He didn't notice the way Miyuki's expression faltered. Instead, he accepted the coffee with a soft "Thanks" before turning back toward the projected documents.
"And from what Tatsuya told me, it looks like more than a few students have already been caught up in Egalité's schemes." His voice grew heavier. "Their slogans, their call for equality—it's exactly the kind of rhetoric that's been echoing in the Kendō Club lately."
Tatsuya gave a small nod, confirming Mahiro's suspicion. He too had noticed irregular traces during his patrols.
Mahiro clicked his tongue. "Tch… I'm no good at speeches or convincing people. Tatsuya, do you at least know where these guys gather?"
"Not yet. If I conduct a full investigation, it'll take some time."
"…I see."
Mahiro closed his eyes briefly, exhaled, then opened them with a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Then I'll leave that part to you, Tatsuya. I know it's troublesome, but… after finally carving out some peace in my life, I won't let a bunch of cowards ruin it."
His tone sharpened, his aura flaring faintly like steel being drawn.
"And one more thing…"
The thought burned through his chest. These people, hiding behind pretty words, had dragged Mibu-senpai into their lies. Worse still—
"…They've defiled the beauty of the sword. That's something I can never forgive!"