“Good morning...” Akuto replied.
Korone’s green eyes stared at him from the exact same position she had been the previous night.
“...All night?”
“Yes, and?”
“...You aren’t tired?”
“Of course not.”
“...Oh well, whatever.” Akuto had given up on asking her these kinds of questions.
Korone climbed down from the cabinet that served as her bed. With inhuman agility, she lightly touched down and stood on the floor.
“By the way,” Korone suddenly said. “What did you mean by ‘what was that about?’”
“I had a dream. I was trying to remember stuff from the past but I couldn’t.”
“If you wanted to search through your memories, all you need to do is ask and I will assist you. I might be able to glean some information from your brain.”
“I’m going to pass on that. Well then, I’m off to take a bath.”
Akuto made his way to the bathroom. Taking a bath in the mornings was allowed according to the instructions he was given. He left his room, and Korone followed behind him.
“I’m taking a bath.”
“I know.”
“...Uhh...”
“That was a joke. I will wait in front of the changing room,” Korone said with the same expressionless look as always.
Akuto heaved a sigh of relief and walked into the changing room.
It appeared there were a few other students taking a morning shower, as a couple baskets in the changing room had clothes in them. Akuto took off his clothes and entered the bath area. When he entered, two other students taking a shower calmly glanced towards him. Their faces grew stiff. The two students were the same pair that had been provoked by Hiroshi’s fanfare the night before.
Akuto knew that this was going to be irritating, but if he was going to live with them from here on out, the best he could do was to try and get along with them.
“Good morning,” Akuto greeted them and went to rinse his body. The pair called out to Akuto, looking visibly uneasy.
“Yo. You beat up the Class A rep?”
Akuto worried about how best to answer, so he just shrugged his shoulders and replied vaguely.
“It was kind of an accident.”
“C’mon, don’t be so tense. We’re being friendly here.”
“A strange thing to say, isn’t it?” Akuto replied defensively, but as he spoke he realized that the pair’s demeanor was slightly different than before.
“So we weren’t aware of it last night, but if you really did beat the class rep... Nah, just the fact that rumor has started spreading around is enough, you gotta be careful.”
Their threatening tone of voice hadn’t changed, but it seemed they had a reason to say this. They looked like they were scared of something. That’s why, to some extent, Akuto felt that they were sincere words of caution.
“I guess it’s true then. You’re saying people have it out for me?”
“That’s not it.”
The both of them shook their heads in unison.
“It’s not that, it’s that the class rep was seriously strong. She defeated all the other third-year middle schoolers.”
“So what is it then? You said she defeated everyone else, so in that case, isn’t it about people trying to fight me?” Akuto asked, thinking that they weren’t making any sense. Then the two of them began to take turns in explaining an unexpected side of the Academy.
“I know it’s weird for us to say this but, there are a lot of violent kids at this school.”
“Because of that, there is an official system on the surface and an unofficial one behind the scenes that’s been created among the students.”
“Officially, everything is the same as normal, but unofficially, there are rankings determined by a student’s fighting ability.”
“Since it’s unofficial, there’s no one who really knows everything about it, but it’s openly discussed between the punks and delinquents here.”
—It seems like the same type of delinquents you’d find at any normal school... No, because they fight with magic, I’m sure there are girls in that group as well.
“In that case, the class rep... Does that include Hattori?” Akuto carelessly blurted out.
“She’s rank two. The class rep and those guys... There are students here who are devoted to black magic, or have already decided to use their magic for bad stuff. That’s what they’re like underneath the surface, man... Anyway, the class rep hates those guys. But she was strong enough to take them, so it all ended up working out for a while.”
While the two weren’t very eloquent, Akuto was able to understand what they were getting at.
“What you’re saying is that no matter the reality of the situation, people are going to think that I’m higher rank than the class rep?” The pair nodded as Akuto finally understood what they were trying to say.
“Yeah. That’s how you’re going to be recognized. We wouldn’t even think about tryin’ to screw with you now. But, you gotta be careful. There are guys who aim to be number one.”
“I’m not joking around here,” Akuto said. “I truly don’t want to get involved with that. Besides, I’m under observation by an imperial Liradan from now on.” But they interrupted him.
“There are plenty of ways around stuff like that, you know? Anyway, you’d better watch your back. Also, you can think of us as fans, like you said before. If you win a lot of fights and take over the school, then we’ll make sure to side with you.” The two both clapped Akuto on the back.
“Aren’t you just being opportunistic?”
“That’s right. So?” With that, the two rinsed their bodies and went to leave the bath area.
“Oh, wait,” Akuto called after them.
“What?”
“Who is rank one? You said Hattori was rank two.”
“Well, that’s...”
The pair both dropped their voices.
“We got no clue.”
“You don’t know?”
“That’s right. The third-year students are always off finding jobs, so the ranking applies to first and second-years but... We don’t know who’s number one. This is the first time in history it’s been like this.”
“The rank three guy got beaten to a pulp so it seems he knows the identity of the top ranked student, but he’s kept his mouth shut about it. I heard if you bring it up, he just starts trembling.”
“That’s absurd...” Akuto was at a loss for words.
“But, it’s true.”
“Well, it’s not something to stick your nose into. Though, I’m sure they’ll be coming for you.”
The duo laughed as they closed the door to the bath area behind them. As soon as it closed, he heard a deep male voice saying, “Noooo, don’t look!”
Akuto ignored it. Obviously Korone was peeking into the changing room. The voice continued by exclaiming, “Don’t smile with that blank look on your face! Are you saying I’m small?” which backed up Akuto’s theory.
—This school is an insane asylum... Anyway, what can I do to try and make my life here as peaceful as possible? It would be best if I had Hattori’s help getting by, but with the situation as it is... On top of that, even if I try to apologize, I’m sure Korone will forbid me from seeing her... What to do... As long as I’m unable to repair my relationship with Hattori, then the situation is just going to keep getting worse.
Akuto let out a long, drawn-out sigh as he soaked in the bath. After thoroughly soaking his body and rinsing it off, he carefully made sure the lower half of his body was covered before entering the changing room. Korone was peeking in from a crack in the door.
“Why are humans so particular about the size of their penis?” Korone asked from the door. A normal boy would certainly balk at that question, but Akuto was earnest and serious by nature.
“That’s because they say if it’s bigger you’ll have more sexual encounters, and be able to le
ave behind a lot of children. In the future, the children of these virile men will crowd out and snuff out the offspring of other normal men So they feel threatened, or so I’ve heard,” Akuto said with a straight face.
“I understand. In that case, please show me your penis. Each time I look at another man’s penis, I will compare them and report to you their relative size.”
“...That’s not happening. Wait, are you teasing me?”
“A little.”
With that, Akuto drove the expressionless Korone out of the changing room.
○
“Boss! Let’s go to school together!” Hiroshi yelled. He had followed after Akuto as he left the dorm.
“Go to school together? But it’s right there.”
“C’mon don’t say that, I’ve already decided to follow you no matter how short the distance,” Hiroshi replied flippantly. He exchanged morning greetings with Korone, who he seemed to have already grown accustomed to.
“That’s right... You said you were the go-to person for information, right?” Akuto asked him. Hiroshi looked deeply touched that Akuto was relying on him, and took his hand in his, eyes tearing up with emotion.
“Ask me anything!”
“Listen... Don’t get so worked up. It’s just that I heard there are these hidden rankings.”
“Yes!” Hiroshi replied instantly. “You’re now rank two, Boss! That’s incredible! I couldn’t believe that you were going for a real duel yesterday! I was certain you were in love with her, but I would have never guessed your aim was to sleep with a strong woman, just to get her guard down so you could defeat her!”
—It appears it’s been him spreading those rumors after all... I suppose assuming that much was only natural...
“I’m telling you, that’s not it. Just forget about that stuff. A-Anyway, so no one knows what the rank one guy looks like?”
“That’s right! Just as I thought, you’re going to stand up to them so you can take over the school, right? You always talk like you aren’t interested, but you’re actually ready to go, aren’t you? Wait, are you telling me to figure out who they are? I’ll do it! I’ll absolutely do it!”
“Uh, no... That’s a dangerous thing to talk about, so you don’t have to do that. If you don’t know, that’s fine.”
“R-Really? Okay, but you can ask me anything, okay?!” Hiroshi was looking up at something in the sky again, like he was deeply moved.
“So much talk,” Korone said. “I won’t intervene, but you will be punished for any acts of violence.”
“You’re telling me if I am attacked to just let them beat me up?”
“No. As long as they are the first to act, there will be no problems.”
“Oh, that’s what you meant...” Akuto forced a smile.
At that moment, he noticed the commotion that was happening around him. Akuto figured that he’d become the center of attention because they’d moved on to the road that leads from the dorm to the school. But the nature of the commotion was different. Akuto thought it was strange and turned around, where he was startled by the beauty of the girl who stood behind him.
Her long, beautifully well-kept hair reached down to slightly below her waist and looked as if it would start playing harp notes every time the wind blew through it. Her eyes were like something out of a dream, and she wore a gentle smile. Akuto could only describe her as the perfect image of a high-class, beautiful girl.
“Y-You’re the idol of our campus, Fujiko Eto!”
Thanks to the transparency of Hiroshi’s surprise, Akuto was able to figure out who this person was. What he didn’t know was the reason this girl had come up behind him.
“Hello and good morning.” Fujiko greeted Akuto. She didn’t lower her head in a bow. Akuto judged from the badge on her collar that she was an upperclassman.
“Good morning.” Akuto bowed his head.
“U-Um, what do need from boss?” Hiroshi asked his question ahead of Akuto. Then, Fujiko put her hand up to her mouth and gave a pleasant laugh.
“Pardon me, but the reason I have so rudely interrupted your walk to school today is because I am currently the head of the girls’ dormitory.”
“The head of the dorm?” Akuto was surprised. At the same time, he realized that her reason for seeing him must be to admonish him for what happened yesterday.
“Yes. Yesterday, it seems you came and delivered Soga’s clothes to the girls’ dorm,” Fujiko said in a calm and gentle voice.
“Oh, that was Korone here...” Akuto was surprised that her reason was different from what he had thought, and when he pointed towards Korone, she nodded and started to explain to Akuto in a low voice.
“Yesterday I met Fujiko Eto and I explained to her the various circumstances regarding Keena Soga’s clothes and Junko Hattori’s injuries. Seeing how she’s the head of the dorm, I have provided her with all the necessary information.”
—Then, Eto must know the details of situation and came to talk to me about it. What a good person... And pretty, too. If this is the case, she might help me with Junko.
Akuto lowered his head. Then, he spoke to her in a hushed tone.
“Um, sometime later, could we talk about Hattori and myself?”
“What do you mean?” Fujiko asked quietly, cupping her cheek with a questioning look. Other than the two of them, only Korone and Hiroshi were able to hear the conversation.
“Well... I want to repair our relationship. It’s just, if I meet with her directly, it won’t end well...” Akuto glanced towards Korone. She heard exactly what he’d said and chimed in.
“I do not recommend a face-to-face meeting with Junko Hattori.”
“If that is the case, please allow me to assist you,” Fujiko said. “I will convey your messages to her, and give you her reply. I have heard about what sorts of actions you have taken, and I don’t believe there is the slightest chance that you will become the Demon King.”
“Th-Thank you very much!” Akuto bowed his head once again.
“I haven’t done anything to warrant such thanks. Please, have a good day.” Fujiko passed by Akuto’s side. Hiroshi, Korone, and Akuto all stood there gazing vacantly as they watched her walk away.
“Man, she’s amazing! She really is elegant, isn’t she?!” Hiroshi reaction was overly emotional.
“Jeez...” Akuto grumbled at Hiroshi’s reaction. When he moved to start walking again, his hand brushed against something in his pocket.
“Huh?”
There was a piece of paper there.
—I think Eto was the only one who could have put this in here...
Akuto made sure that Hiroshi and Korone didn’t see him take the paper out, hiding it back in his pocket.
“Still, you’re amazing, boss! To think that Fujiko would come up to you like that!”
“That’s not something to get so worked up about...” As Akuto was dealing with Hiroshi, they arrived at the school building.
Naturally, Akuto immediately became the center of attention when he entered the classroom. Yesterday’s destruction was still fresh in everyone’s minds. It was impossible to forget about, as workers were now busy repairing the outer walls. In addition, rumor had spread that Akuto had bested the class rep with cowardly and underhanded tactics, so the looks he received from the girls were cold and unfriendly.
—What a miserable situation...
It appeared that Junko and Keena were both absent. Their desks remained empty even as it came time for class to start.
“Hello, good morning.” Miss Mitsuko greeted them as she walked into the classroom.
“Looks like Soga and Hattori are both absent. Okay, let’s start class.”
Miss Mitsuko appeared to be in charge of teaching the elementary magical education review class. This was Akuto’s first time hearing it all, so he listened with great interest.
“The ability to summon magic itself is dependent on the way mana is connected to one’s mental state. The mana in your body and the ma
na in the environment are the same, but these are categorized as external and internal mana. As such, people are separated into those who are skilled at manipulating external mana or those skilled with internal mana. Thus, on the surface, there are two types of magic.
“In addition, the nature of the user influences the way that mana is manipulated. This is broken down into four different types. Energy waves, healing, necromancy, and illusion; each of these is different depending on whether the user manipulates external or internal mana, and this in turn creates eight different forms of magic. When you outline these onto a chart and find which type of magic you are best at, the type of magic directly across from it will be the one you’re least skilled with.”
Even as he tried to pay close attention, Akuto still couldn’t help thinking about the note that was in his pocket. He decided to write down everything that the teacher said — as long as he didn’t think about what each word meant, he could transcribe everything even while dividing his attention.
As Akuto started writing, he checked what Korone was doing. She was sitting in the seat directly behind him, but there weren’t any signs that she would move unexpectedly.
Akuto secretly took out Fujiko’s note. There were magical letters etched into the note paper. It seemed that Fujiko had jotted it down as she was talking with Akuto.
Come alone to the old war room underneath the main building tonight. The way to escape your Liradan’s watchful eye is simple. Liradans have a tail, if you pull on it, it will switch off.
—What?! Pull on a tail?!
Akuto was taken aback. Worried that Korone could see his surprise, he quickly hid the note.
—Anyway, it seems Eto is the only person I can rely on. So I just have to get away from Korone tonight, and head to the school’s basement, I guess...
After that, Akuto focused his attention on class again. He spent every class break reading the note again, and went the entire morning without talking to anyone.
When it came time for lunch, Akuto was unable to turn down Hiroshi’s invitation to join him in the cafeteria, and reluctantly decided to go with him. But he couldn’t hold back the fidgety and excited feeling that bubbled up inside of his chest.
Demon King Daimaou: Volume 1 Page 8