The chairman’s office was in a corner of the educational affairs building.

She had been called while Moroha was still in the midst of battle, so walked towards it discontentedly.

The room was s.p.a.cious and luxurious. It was set up as an office, but even if a guest of honour were invited, it wouldn’t appear shabby.

The desk was Italian-made, out of bamboo leaved oak.

On top of the desk, the office’s owner had his hands together.

He appeared to be an extremely able man in his mid-twenties.

Among his ten siblings he was scolded by his grandfather for ‘having no dignified presence’ and ‘looking seedy’ but for better or worse, his quick wits had been effective and he was a youth with intelligence visible in his bearing.

He was this school’s chairman.

He was a normal person, not a Saviour, but he was an investor and the chairman.

His name was Urus.h.i.+bara Tadanori.

Indeed, s.h.i.+zuno’s older brother.

“It’s been a while.”

With his hands still together on the desk, he said without a smile.

“You returned today?”

s.h.i.+zuno asked, her emotions equally removed from her face.

Doing so, her face fell into a ‘mask-like’ expression.

“I did. Starting from the Chinese branch, Russia’s, France’s, Britain’s, America’s, it’s been two months since I’ve been in j.a.pan.”

“Thank you for your work.”

s.h.i.+zuno insincerely thanked him.

The sibling’s relations.h.i.+p was completely frigid, even the brother knew that now.

However, it wasn’t in a serious way.

“It’s belated, but congratulations on your enrolment, s.h.i.+zuno. I trust you are leading a school life befitting a woman of the Urus.h.i.+bara family?”

In the Urus.h.i.+bara household, there weren’t familial feelings between parents, children and siblings, but the cold bonds of hierarchy.

For generations they had been renowned for producing bureaucrats, a result of focussing on the family rather than the individual.

“Oh, I wonder? It’s not particularly different than a normal high school, have you no confidence?”

s.h.i.+zuno replied emotionlessly, with her face like a mask.

Normally he would have appeared struck by lightning and say “And that’s supposed to be a woman of the Urus.h.i.+bara family!?” but this time,

“How humble. You’ve been highly active in the short time since enrolment have you not?”

He grinned broadly.

As if his race horse had won the race.

“Just the three of you took down the hydra with the largest number of heads, didn’t you? The princ.i.p.al praised you highly.”

The other day, a nine-headed hydra had suddenly appeared near the academy and been defeated by Moroha.

Strictly speaking, s.h.i.+zuno and Satsuki had just happened to also be there, but they had lied and said the three of them defeated it.

Because if they left it with Satsuki having helped, she could join the Strikers.

“Grandfather places a great deal of stock in the White Knight agency. From here on out it will gain more and more global influence. Even our family must make inroads with them.”

“I’ve heard that so much my ears ache.”

“You standing out as a Saviour makes me proud too.”

It seemed her brother had bought the lie, so s.h.i.+zuno relaxed.

However.

“Haimura… Moroha was it? The Ancient Dragon.”

Whatever he was thinking, her brother speaking Moroha’s name so suddenly surprised her.

He suddenly stood and looked over the courtyard from the window, at the screen there.

It showed the Strikers fighting the Metaphysical in real time.

s.h.i.+zuno also watched and her eyes instinctively sought out Moroha ans were fixed there.

His calm fighting didn’t bring forth an ounce of unease, she was entranced by his strength.

“He’s prominent isn’t he? Even more so than Captain Isurugi.”

s.h.i.+zuno nodded reflexively and held silent.

“I heard from your homeroom teacher, Tanaka-sensei that you get on well with him?”

Looking out of the window, she replied with her back still to him.

“We’re good friends.”

Her answer was careful, she couldn’t tell what he intended at all.

“Right, good. That’s good.”

In the end, he only nodded, congratulating her.

This was too unexpected for s.h.i.+zuno.

Compared to being told to cease a.s.sociation with him, it was a hundred times better.

But s.h.i.+zuno couldn’t relax.

In fact, she had a bad feeling.

“Invite him to our house.”

“Why…?”

“You’re at about the sort of age you should be getting a boyfriend.”

Hearing that, s.h.i.+zuno was silent.

She shouldn’t be able to ask for more than her brother, and thus the family, approving of her a.s.sociation with Moroha.

She’d been secretive to avoid being found out like this.

But she couldn’t honestly be happy.

“You’ve always been critical, saying not to recklessly get close to men, what’s this change of heart? After all, people of the Urus.h.i.+bara family can only marry for the family.”

Her misgivings grew in her chest, rising.

“Nothing so dull as a change of heart, it’s a change of circ.u.mstances. Haimura-kun has outstanding talent and will surely rise within the White Knight Agency. I can see that. So as your fiancé he already has value at the current moment.”

Her misgivings became reality.

“Do you intend to take even Moroha as a tool of the Urus.h.i.+bara family?”

“You must have misheard. I merely said that if possible I would like to share in his honour.”

s.h.i.+zuno’s fists clenched and shook.

“What are you planning, Nii-san? What are you going to have Moroha do?”

He would do anything if it were for his own ambitions or the prosperity of the Urus.h.i.+bara family. He’d make anyone a victim, without the slightest guilt. Putting his decades-old friend into a trap would be nothing, even family were p.a.w.ns to him.

If he were to use her precious Moroha’s life…

s.h.i.+zuno shook her head in disgust at her imagination.

“Answer me, Nii-san.”

“Why should I answer that to you?”

“So you are going to get Moroha to do something you want answer about?”

s.h.i.+zuno pressed, cold vigour in her voice.

“It’s our decision. You just need to agree.”

Her brother, Tadanori looked back at her, gazing with even colder eyes.

They were eyes of a powerful man, used to giving orders.

Yes, her brother was a powerful man. So would never lend an ear to others words.

And s.h.i.+zuno, still a child, had no ability to resist.

Her older brother had been sick of the feudal nature of the family and ran away. However, they had made preparations everywhere he went. He was denied employment, and even when he tried to find lodging, landlords would decline him. Finally, he was retrieved by the family when he was emaciated.

Now, under the pretext of treatment, but actually as punishment for defying the family, he was confined in a remote location.

s.h.i.+zuno could only do as the family said, even if she ran away, she’d merely be following the same fate. She might be a Saviour, but she couldn’t subsist on mist like a sage, and she could never live by using dark arts to steam things and money from people to live.

“Then, s.h.i.+zuno, make sure to invite Haimura-kun before long.”

Her brother ordered unilaterally, and returned his sight to the screens.

“What do I do? What should I do…?”

With an emotionless expression like a doll, s.h.i.+zuno suffered in secret.

She felt as if her chest was being torn between the feelings of joy from being allowed to a.s.sociate with Moroha, and the pressure of what her brother’s scheming would have Moroha do, and the sadness at being brandished with her worthless family circ.u.mstances.

It seemed her heart would be broken.