Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: 9.5 The Chairman's Summons 2
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“Hoo. Hoho. Hohohoho...”
Mizuki Chairman laughed.
Fortunately, she didn't get angry at my arrogance. On the contrary, she seemed pleased by my youthful spirit.
In response to Mizuki Chairman's reaction, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
I'd talked big on the surface, but even I didn't really want things to turn into a war. Peace is the best thing in the world, after all.
In truth, these weren't words I'd blurted out without thinking.
With Mizuki Chairman, I figured it was better to push back hard rather than awkwardly defend myself. That was the choice I'd made.
『It's just like him. You remind me of your younger self.』
The "you" she was referring to was her husband, President Mizuki.
Mizuki Chairman was a Rune Holder woman who'd married an ordinary man—a truly unusual background.
Why was this so unusual?
If both parents are Rune Holders, there's a 90% chance their child will be one too.
But between a Rune Holder and an ordinary person, the odds drop to just 10%.
In this world, where the number of Rune Holders is treated as a measure of national power, marriages between Rune Holders and ordinary people come with strict restrictions. If valuable Rune Holders married ordinary folks left and right and only produced more ordinary children, the nation's defenses would crumble.
The restriction in place? “Women must bear a Rune Holder child before marriage.”
An ordinary woman who bears a Rune Holder can marry a Rune Holder man.
A Rune Holder woman who bears a Rune Holder can marry an ordinary man.
In other words, unless you fulfill your “national defense duty” by producing at least one second-generation Rune Holder before marriage, the state won't recognize a union between a Rune Holder and an ordinary person.
A Rune Holder woman must either beat the 10:1 odds and bear a Rune Holder with her intended ordinary husband (like the Chairman) or have a history of bearing one with another Rune Holder man (like Sana).
You can't tell if a child is a Rune Holder until they're at least five years old. So so-called pregnancy-and-abortion resets aren't possible. You have to give birth and raise them first.
And Mizuki Chairman had “very rarely” cleared the first condition.
Her firstborn son was ordinary, but the daughter born the next year, Kyoko, turned out to be a Rune Holder.
It's said that when the five-year-old girl's blood test showed mana reactivity, the charismatic politician known as the “young tiger” Mizuki shed tears of joy. The story's still passed around as a heartwarming tale.
Of course, premarital pregnancy and childbirth for women aren't viewed favorably here either.
Especially for a Rune Holder woman giving birth to an ordinary child—it's treated as outright finger-pointing material. They see it as a “national nuisance” that weakens the country's defenses.
That's why President Mizuki and the Chairman's pure love story, overcoming such harsh scrutiny, feels all the more precious.
Their affair was branded a “scandal,” a prime weapon for political attacks against President Mizuki. A politician meant to set an example for the people was leading the charge in “nuisance behavior” that undermined national defense.
Consensus holds that if their second child, daughter Mizuki Kyoko, hadn't been a Rune Holder, President Mizuki's political career would have ended then and there.
But when the second child proved to be a Rune Holder, public opinion flipped dramatically. Their tale of defying fate became the “romance of the century,” still talked about today. That's why I know all these details—the Mizuki couple's love story is the kind that drives pure love fans wild.
Afterward, President Mizuki rose steadily, eventually becoming the ruling party's president. Given Japan's political landscape, he's all but guaranteed to be the next prime minister—unless some major scandal erupts.
...In the original game, that “major scandal” did erupt, leading to his downfall. But not this time.
I've already uprooted the seed of that scandal.
After chuckling for a good while, Mizuki Chairman spoke with a much softer expression.
“Phew... It's been ages since I laughed like this. Thanks for the entertaining story, Naibusu.”
“No problem at all.”
Having overcome all those trials to achieve pure love, the Chairman could even tolerate my little tantrum of a tale. That'd been my aim from the start, of course.
“You're remarkably reliable. If I could, I'd even want you as a son-in-law.”
“...You're too kind.”
I flinched a bit and glanced at the president, but her expression didn't change. She knew it was just empty flattery. The qualifier “if I could” made it clear it was impossible anyway.
“If that's your resolve, then we'll drop this matter. We'll expunge the records on Tsukimiya Akane too. We can't lose a future general who'll lead our forces over something like this.”
Dropping Akane was good news. I didn't want any unnecessary fuss either.
But there was one part of the Chairman's statement I couldn't let slide.
“A general? Me?”
“What's so strange about that? You're planning to return to the military after graduation, aren't you?”
“No. I've already been discharged.”
I answered firmly.
Telling a guy who'd already left the service to reenlist? What kind of nightmare was that?
General sounded nice, but it just meant slaving away like an ox.
I'd already done my lifetime share during the Great Catastrophe. My pension would be plenty; no need to dive back into the grind.
“After graduation, I plan to live quietly somewhere out of sight.”
“Heh. I hope you're able to do just that.”
Her words sounded like, “As if you'd ever manage that.”
What? She wasn't planning to tie me down with some weird law, was she? She wouldn't expel me for no reason, right? Right?
Peeking into the Chairman's mind didn't yield much. My Mind Rune can't read past memories without direct contact—only current thoughts. Still, that's an upgrade from before.
“Anyway.”
Just when the mood had warmed up a bit.
The Chairman shifted the atmosphere again.
“Naibusu, why haven't you started the handover for the President's Guard captain position yet?”
“Uh...”
I could see Sinozaki flinch over there.
So that's what they'd been discussing before I arrived. No wonder the vibe was off.
“Madam Chairman. Senior Sinozaki is performing admirably as captain of the President's Guard. Far better than someone like me ever could.”
“You won't know until you try.”
The Chairman said as she refilled her pipe.
“If you're still not satisfactory after this semester starts, we'll replace you. Wasn't that the deal?”
Urgh. Yeah, that was the arrangement, but...
The president, who'd been silent until now, finally spoke up.
“Madam Chairman. Sinozaki's appointment as captain was elected by the Guard members' vote, per the school rules, and approved by me as president. We can't replace her without just cause—”
“I approved those school rules.”
The Chairman cut the president off coldly.
“A vote? Fine, of course. We're a democracy, after all. But does a position won on popularity rather than ability hold any meaning? Student Council President Mizuki Kyoko.”
Sinozaki hung her head like a criminal.
Sinozaki! Chin up! Don't give up!
If you quit, I'll have to do it!
“Madam Chairman. The President's Guard is a team. To lead one, you need more than personal strength—commanding people is key. Sinozaki has the members' trust and serves as their focal point. She's more than qualified.”
“Command, you say. It's not just because she's easy on the eyes and treats them nicely?”
The Chairman sneered like a picky mother-in-law at the president's defense of Sinozaki.
Sinozaki hung her head even lower, and the president bit her lip in frustration.
In truth, the Chairman wasn't seriously planning to replace her. If she were, she'd have done it already, not just talked.
She was just trying to instill a sense of urgency to make them step up.
That's her style, but she could cheer them on nicely instead.
The president clearly hated it. And Sinozaki was deflated.
I slipped into the conversation to defuse things before the irritated president exploded.
“I think Senior Sinozaki's the right fit too. I can't even follow you into the bathhouse or restrooms. And I couldn't guard your bedroom either.”
The president flushed red at my words, the Chairman gave me a stern glare, and Sinozaki kept her head down.
“So you're saying you'd do it if you had permission to enter the bathhouse and restrooms.”
“What? No way!”
That would be a disaster!
I'd gladly accept the permission, sure, but!
Thanks to my blunder, I earned a glare from the Chairman, but at least the tension eased a little.
“Phew. We'll give it more time, then. But don't take this as approval. Keep pushing with a sense of urgency—Guard captain and Student Council President alike.”
“Yes.”
The Chairman spoke in a tone of granting mercy, and the president and Sinozaki bowed their heads in unison.
Seemed the lecture was over; the Chairman stood up.
What was there left to strive for? They were already doing great.
“And, Naibusu.”
“Yes?”
She pointed her pipe at me with a snap.
I'd been relaxing and grumbling inwardly, but I straightened up fast.
“I've heard all about your promiscuous behavior. I can forgive youthful indiscretions, but don't think you can scratch the Mizuki family's daughter and walk away unscathed.”
“Ah, ha, hahaha? Promiscuous? Me? No way!”
Cold sweat dripped down my back.
Promiscuous behavior! Me, a pure... pure love...!
Urk...!
Too many guilty spots—I couldn't muster a single rebuttal.