“I’m here to study and to find friendship. I can’t arbitrarily decide for myself what the Supreme Council might proclaim in the future. I will bear your advice in mind, but I must follow the rules of the Academy. Is that all right?”
“But you should avoid indiscretions…!”
“The selection of a guide is voluntary, and I understand final assignments are made by the student council. Surely all background information was taken into consideration. And since I haven’t received any instruction from Jurai, I have no reason to have her step down as my guide. That’s what I’ve decided.”
“Urk…” Kasen scowled. The grand chamberlain beside him looked relieved that Yosho had smoothed things over Kasen’s discourtesy without making things worse.
“If that is all, I have curfew, so may I excuse myself?”
“Take him home!” Kasen spat out and retreated to an inner room. The poor grand chamberlain approached Yosho with an expression of dismay.
“Y-your Majesty, please forgive us for the repeated transgressions.” “I’m not bothered. I’m grateful that he gave me advice.”
“Such kind words.”
Yosho gently turned down an invitation to dinner and headed back to the dorm. He was used to bitter words from being on Jurai and had acquired the art of this reaction entirely out of his love for his mother. His kindness allowed him to feel that such things were no big deal.
The fireworks for that night’s celebration (happening tonight, as usual) lit his face through the car’s window. He stared out in silence and remembered Airi. He figured the act would lift his spirits. In fact, a smile spread on Yosho’s lips.
Back in his room, he accessed Funaho in orbit. All First Generation Trees were able to access any computer on Jurai without requiring authorization first. “Seto-sama’s would be best…” After some pondering, Yosho linked to Mikagami, Seto’s Second Generation Tree, via Funaho. Seto’s ability to gather and analyze information was superior to that of his father and that of the Emperor of Jurai’s official intelligence bureau. Of course, only a few in the Imperial Family knew this, namely the Emperor, Misaki, and Funaho. Yosho would never have found out if he did not have a First Generation Tree.
He asked Mikagami to analyze the data he gathered today, behind Seto’s back. An order from a First Generation Tree was prioritized unless it endangered the life of the sworn partner of the Royal Tree. That was how Yosho was able to pull off a stunt like this. The results came back almost instantaneously.
“That seemed too fast. Hm…?!” Looking at it closely, an amount of data far beyond what he gathered, from throughout the Academy, flowed into his terminal. He was momentarily taken aback, but thinking calmly, it was obvious. Seto was the best at gathering intelligence on Jurai. There was no way she would not have information on the entire Galaxy Academy, as well as the actions of Yosho, one of its students.
“Wow, it’s raining spies.” Yosho and Airi’s actions today were unexpectedly effective. It had spurred some kind of action from most of the intelligence organizations that had marked them. If he told Airi everything, she might become paranoid, so he picked out only the ones that might present danger to her.
However, under those conditions, the professional intelligence bureaus did not present any risk at all, and the terrorists had all been marked through cooperation between the bureaus and the Academy. The most dangerous were the ones not marked, i.e. Kasen and his student minions. Academy students were guaranteed free rein and privacy, but pushing the envelope on the rules was not a good thing, and severe punishment awaited if anything happened.
Such was student privilege here.
Seto should have information on that. Yosho tried to pick out information on just the students from the massive amount of data but noticed that it was wholly missing.
“The students were excluded from intelligence gathering? No…it was extracted knowing I would access it?” Considering Seto, the latter was more likely. “She wants me to do the essential work for myself. Strict as always… Or not. She extracted the data in a way that’s obvious to me, after all.” He had the impression that he was still wrapped around her finger.
He examined the data on Kasen he had gathered himself. Kasen undoubtedly hated doing things on his own. The grand chamberlain and Kaneaki were not in a position to express their opinions, but he did not think they would execute unreasonable orders to use force against Airi. It came down to the student minions…
I don’t understand why they haven’t dealt with Airi-dono directly. The night I arrived, the five students who attacked me were undoubtedly the sons of warriors serving the Amaki Family. If they had been brought here as attendants for Kasen, they would’ve taken action immediately and wouldn’t report Kasen’s orders to the Academy. They would probably make the excuse that they couldn’t stand to have their friend insulted. I should assume that someone is holding them back…
He searched the list of students who came to study from Jurai last year, and his terminal displayed the personal data of six people. Yosho paused on Kanemitsu’s name. So there were six from last year including Kanemitsu.
The other five… I knew it. The other five were not related to Kasen. But there was no mistake that they were the five with Kanemitsu that night. I’ll have to confirm this tomorrow. But Kanemitsu-dono was trying to separate me from Airi-dono. Is it because they can’t do anything with me around?
This was highly likely if Kanemitsu had discovered that he was here with a camouflaged Funaho. With Yosho at Airi’s side and under Funaho’s protection, it would be like a national military guarding her. But just because Kanemitsu’s father served Kasen did not mean the same for his son. The honest Kaneaki especially would not do that even under master’s orders. The relationship between the Imperial Family and the warriors was a little different. Their status was not hereditary. If they felt no attraction to the master they served, they would leave, and it was the same when generations changed. Most of the warriors were effectively freelance. The Imperial Family member’s competence determined how many distinguished warriors they could employ. Of course, some served over multiple generations purely in pursuit of special status.
Information was a difficult thing. He could come up with countermeasures by obtaining information, but his best options changed according to how much information his adversary had.
I feel like Seto-sama just gave me homework. That thought was so apt that he could not help but laugh.
Having promised to have lunch with Airi, Yosho hurried to the cafeteria when a student appeared to block his way. It was Hirata Kanemitsu. “You handled Kasen well.”
“Did your father tell you, Kanemitsu-dono?” “He won’t give up so easily.”
“I don’t think there’s any real danger, since you’re holding him back.”
“H-how did you know that?” Kanemitsu could not conceal how upset he was.
“I asked the five I met the other day, earlier this morning.”
“Hmph, you certainly are thorough. But it will only get worse if you stay by her side. You can handle yourself, and I can hold them back when she’s alone. But others have plans for when both of you are together.”
“You mean the Imperial House Amaki?” “Yes. Kasen is related to House Amaki.”
That was why Kanemitsu-dono wanted to handle it himself. No, that was not it. If so, why did Kasen-dono try to separate us so much? Leave us alone and he’d more likely be able to claim my actions were problematic. Is he trying to make it seem like his loyalty is toward me, to score a point with House Masaki?
But it was a fact that Kasen was in contact with House Amaki…or specifically, Amaki Shuzan. The thirst for power had taken Shuzan, and he kept plotting against House Masaki. Yosho, whose father was the Emperor of Jurai and head of House Masaki, had been served political attacks (mostly verbal attacks) before. But this case seemed different from the way Shuzan usually did things. That gave Yosho slight pause.
What’s going on…?
“There you are! You’re late. What are you doing?” Airi’s shrill voice interrupted Yosho’s thoughts.
“Later.” Kanemitsu patted his shoulder and hurriedly left. Perhaps he found Airi difficult to deal with.
Airi ran up to Yosho and stopped, looking at Kanemitsu walking away. “That’s Kanemitsu-kun…”
“You know him?”
“My friend was his guide. I heard his grades are top-notch. But he finds girls difficult to talk to.” She tittered as she remembered the rumors. “But Yosho-kun, you’re an expert.”
“At what?” “Handling girls.”
“That’s not true. Sometimes I have no idea what they’re thinking.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. You know, like how you make a girl wait.” She looked at him provokingly, and Yosho finally understood.
“I’m sorry, Airi-dono. I’m late, but would you like to have lunch with me?”
“I guess,” Belying her curt reply, Airi took Yosho’s arm and walked to the cafeteria. Yosho liked her aggressive side, and it brightened his mood.