After waking up the next day, Yoshino and the others, as usual, did not join the main group and embarked on another sightseeing trip. However, thinking that Negi might encounter Inugami Kotaro today, who would be Negi's future comrade and most important friend, it would be very troublesome without Waka Miyazaki's help. So Yoshino had Waka Miyazaki and Yue Ayase go with Negi.
"Huh? Have us go with Negi-sensei?" Yue Ayase felt a little disappointed after hearing Yoshino's instruction for her to go with Negi. But she knew that Yoshino wouldn't make such an arrangement unless there was a special circumstance. Remembering what Yoshino had said about someone wanting to abduct Konoe Konoka, she understood why Yoshino was doing this.
"Yoshino-sensei, will someone try to kidnap Konoka-chan during today's activities?" Yue Ayase asked with some confusion. "I remember you told us before that enemies would appear during this trip. The reason you're having us follow Negi-sensei today must be to increase his combat power, right?"
"Yes, as expected of Yue. All your suspicions are correct. Although no enemies appeared yesterday, their intention to abduct Konoka will not change. Although Negi has been learning Chinese martial arts from Kouhi-chan for a while, it hasn't reached the level where he can deal with enemies. So I want you two to help Negi at critical moments, but you must not reveal your true strength."
"We'll need your help during the next school festival. Although Negi knows you've become Yoshino's students, he doesn't know that after signing a contract with Yoshino, you've transformed into a physique adept at learning magic. While your aptitude isn't as strong as Negi's, you are still rare geniuses. We are confident that within a few months, by the school festival, you will reach the level of A-rank magic users, and we also have special methods that can make you so powerful in a short time that even Negi will be utterly defenseless against you."
As the protagonist of this world, Negi's aptitude can be said to be the strongest in the entire world. As for the protagonist of the previous world, it was Negi's father, Nagi. It's just that Negi hasn't reached his peak yet; currently, even a few A-rank magic users could defeat him. Yoshinon believes that with their power and some of Yoshino's special abilities, even Waka Miyazaki and the other, who have only been studying magic for a few months, could pin Negi to the ground and thoroughly rub him.
Since the task had been assigned, they would go their separate ways today. Yoshino's goal was clear: the headquarters of the Kansai Jujutsu Association, where Konoe Eishun was located. When they arrived, they looked at the long staircase stretching down the mountain, feeling a bit emotional. Looking up, they couldn't see the top; it was all winding, endless stairs.
"It shouldn't be that exaggerated, right?" Yoshino sighed, looking up at the somewhat frighteningly long staircase. This kind of staircase is great for exercise, but it feels like too much trouble to climb. "Why build such a long staircase? While coming down might not feel like much, won't going up be very troublesome?"
"After all, this is the headquarters of the Kansai Jujutsu Association. It's understandable to set up such a long staircase to prevent ordinary people from coming here, Yoshino. It's not like they'd install a sightseeing cable car at the bottom to take you up, right? This isn't a tourist attraction; there are secrets up there that ordinary people can't know." Seeing the staircase before them, Yoshinon explained. Just like Mahora uses mages as teachers for cover, this is probably to deter visitors with long stairs.
"Hmph! It's just something some nouveau riche set up to show off their status. While setting it up so high is to prevent sneak attacks, did they not consider the hard work of the cleaners when they spent so much money building so many layers of stairs?" Looking at the endless stairs before her, Evangeline, as a Vampire, didn't have much trouble. But she stated that this was merely for show; wealthy people just love to display their status in such ways.
"Master, although the exact number of steps hasn't been determined, based on the height of this mountain and the height of each step, it would take two or three hours to clean all the stairs. If you don't want to climb the stairs, I can take you up with my flying ability." At this point, Chachamaru's eyes lit up. She would never tell Evangeline that the reason she suggested this was to find a suitable excuse to hug Yoshino. No, she didn't have such thoughts at all.
"But you've already said everything you were thinking, you idiot Chachamaru! Is it because you haven't gotten used to your current alchemical body, so you don't know how to keep these thoughts to yourself?" Evangeline angrily pulled Chachamaru's cheek; that idiot just blurted out all her intentions.
"Ahaha~ Isn't that great? Having her own thoughts means Chachamaru has become more like a human, not like those soulless dolls you used to create, Evangeline. Just like Chachare, whom you created, your strong desire for companionship made it gradually develop its own soul. This is progress, something worth affirming." Watching Evangeline routinely scold Chachamaru, Yoshinon waved her arms and said to Evangeline.
...Lonely. The hand pinching Chachamaru's cheek stopped. She thought of how she had created the doll named 'Chachare' due to extreme loneliness when being hunted by the Church. It was its companionship all these years that prevented her from falling into the abyss of loneliness, heavier than death, until Yoshino's appearance made her feel her cold heart slowly recover.
"Yes, only then can she have the chance to accompany you. A soulless person is like an object; you'll eventually grow tired of it. Chachare's constant sharp tongue towards you is also to prevent your heart from becoming too bored, although being sharp-tongued might just be its original nature." I really don't know what kind of premise Evangeline used to set Chachare's personality back then. Although Yoshinon felt they got along very well, it still wondered how its personality came about. Despite having such a tsundere master.
"...Hmph! I don't know what you're talking about! Didn't we say we were going up to find that guy named Konoe Eishun! Let's go quickly!" After a moment of silence, Evangeline pulled Yoshino's right hand, ignoring Yoshinon's words, and started climbing the stairs. This feeling of having her secrets seen through was unpleasant, but she couldn't lash out at Yoshinon, so she just ignored Yoshinon's words and walked up the mountain.
After climbing for about twenty minutes, Yoshino and the others finally saw the outline of a building. This was the result of them walking up step by step without using magic. Yoshino had initially suggested flying up the mountain to save a lot of time, but surprisingly, this suggestion was rejected by Evangeline. The person who always hated trouble the most was her, so why would she reject such an easy suggestion? When Yoshino asked her why, she mumbled something indistinctly, only slowing her pace and holding Yoshino's hand, walking slowly along the secluded path.
Although Yoshino didn't understand why Evangeline had changed like this, that didn't mean Yoshinon didn't understand Evangeline's intentions. It looked at their clasped hands and chuckled softly, covering its mouth. That girl just wanted to spend more time with Yoshino. Although they had been alone countless times, walking up these quiet stairs felt like a date. Evangeline, who had never had a date with Yoshino, certainly wouldn't miss such a good opportunity.
The shrine maiden sweeping the entrance of the house was startled when she saw someone approaching, but she calmed down when she saw that they were all 'children' and one student in a school uniform. Although the situation was very tense right now, they looked like children with little combat ability, so there was no need to worry too much. (Are you sure?)
"Hello, we've come to visit your chairman. Could you please take us to see him?" Chachamaru, acting as their representative, bowed politely to the shrine maiden and spoke in a courteous tone.
"I see... Although it's a special situation right now, we usually decline to meet guests. But I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, so I'll make an exception and take you to see the chairman." The shrine maiden smiled slightly at Yoshino and the others, then led the way.
'Where have you seen me? Perhaps she saw my appearance in a photo of the Red Wings members from before.' The Magical World's technology was much more advanced than the Old World's, and at that time, there were already devices that could take pictures. Back then, the Red Wings, egged on by Nagi, took a group photo, and it seems Konoe Eishun still kept that photo well.
Just as Yoshino and the others were led deeper inside by a miko, another slightly older miko approached. Upon seeing Yoshino and the others, she stepped forward and asked, "Unfamiliar guests, we are currently declining to meet any guests during this period. Our young lady is returning today, so we are preparing a welcome ceremony for her homecoming. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Me? I'm here to see your Headmaster, Konoe Eishun. I am his friend," Yoshino explained. More than friends, they should be comrades-in-arms, right?
"...I understand. In that case, I will take you to the reception room to wait for the Headmaster. He is still busy with some matters, so please wait a moment. Xiao Zi, please inform the Headmaster that guests have arrived." After staring at Yoshino for a while and seeing that she wasn't lying, she instructed the miko named Xiao Zi and led Yoshino and the others towards the reception room.
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