Special Class of the Old School Building (1)
[At that moment, in one of the salons of the Esdinas Academy dormitory for returning students.]
"...And that's why some of the freshmen have gone missing. What do you think happened?"
"Maybe they got in through fraudulent admission? Like, turns out they're the kid of some criminal, or have ties to the Binyu Group in the family."
It was a somewhat ominous conversation for girls in uniforms gathered around a white round table laden with macarons, tea, and other treats.
"Don't you think so, Miss Yurha?"
"What do you think, classmate Yurha? About this incident."
Even at a round table, there was a clear hierarchy. The other students directed their questions toward the golden-haired, golden-eyed girl seated at what could be called the center position.
"Even though they passed the entrance exam, being called separately by the student affairs office probably means they had the ability to pass the test itself, but some other serious flaw."
Yurha answered the tea party girls in a refined voice.
"Like being from a criminal bloodline, and the scale of that crime being so massive it could disrupt other students' studies."
"Even so, the academy..."
"It could be a sex offender, right?"
"Ugh, eek...?!"
At Yurha's words, the tea party members shuddered as if getting goosebumps.
"P-please don't say that! How could a sex offender be at the academy...!"
"It could happen. It's not exactly guilt by association, but if someone with a family member like that enrolls, the academy has no choice but to pay attention. Like during family visits or something..."
"Or maybe, a servant of the devil."
A female student wearing a cross necklace interrupted Yurha, raising her voice.
"They must have contracted with cursed demons before even enrolling and gained the power to pass the entrance exam. They're dangerous children of Satan."
"Miss Esid. What are you talking about?"
"They probably grew their mana pouches through a contract with a devil."
At Esid's words—the girl wearing a Goddess Church necklace—the other female students blushed.
"There's that rumor, right? If you contract with a devil and give your body to it, the devil ravages you in dreams but gives you mana in return."
"That's..."
"It's the act of a harlot. No different from selling your soul's purity to a devil for mana."
Esid clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
"I can only pray that no one commits such a wretched act. Don't you agree, Miss Yurha?"
"Hehe. Your words have some real bite."
At Esid's sidelong glance, Yurha shrugged and straightened her back.
"If you're suspicious, why not check it out? See if this was achieved by selling purity to a devil, or purely through talent and effort."
Yurha placed her hand over her upper abdomen, palm up.
As befitting returning students at the academy invited to the tea party, all had considerable mana, but none could even compare to Yurha's.
"......So much confidence?"
"Of course."
"Growing it that big—who do you plan to embrace in those arms?"
"...Hehe."
Yurha chuckled lowly and shrugged.
"The very first person I ever did business with, long ago."
"......?"
"Someone I might never meet again now, but someone I hope to meet someday."
"......Ahem."
At Yurha's words, Esid cleared her throat awkwardly, her face flushing.
"I understand. Sorry, classmate Yurha. With all the scary rumors lately, I misunderstood you."
"Rumors?"
"Yes. ...Like that."
Esid glanced at Yurha with an "oh no" expression, but Yurha nodded as if it was fine.
"Tell me. Better to clear up any misunderstandings. I'm okay with it."
"...There's a rumor that Silverstar developed something to forcibly enlarge mana pouches."
Slam.
"Is that true?!"
It wasn't Yurha or Esid who slammed the table and stood up—it was another female student. Her massive pudding in front of her wobbled dramatically as a result.
"Ah, th-that...!"
"It's okay, classmate Isabella."
Yurha handed her a handkerchief understandingly.
"I get it—the feelings of a sister who loves her little sister. Especially since you treasure yours so much."
"That's..."
"Even if the size of your mana vessel has strained things between you sisters, it'll be okay. Definitely."
"...It'll definitely be okay, right? She can grow it within a year, right?"
Isabella wiped her tears with the handkerchief Yurha offered.
"My sister won't run away because she can't meet the entrance requirements and try to join the Binyu Group, right?"
"Of course not."
"Th-then...!"
Isabella clutched the handkerchief embroidered with the Silverstar emblem and asked Yurha.
"I-if Silverstar really developed something to enlarge mana vessels...!"
"Nothing like that has been reported to me."
Even to Isabella's desperate question, Yurha firmly shook her head.
"Even if something like that existed, it'd probably be a cheat close to a hack. Like temporarily enlarging the mana pouch forcibly, or growing the vessel at the cost of lifespan."
"B-but..."
"But?"
"If it means getting into Esdinas, even like that...!"
"......."
At Isabella's words, the tea party's atmosphere grew solemn. As returning students who had already been enrolled for a year, they all knew firsthand how grave a problem it was to fail admission to Esdinas Academy.
"Classmate Isabella. No, big sister Isabella?"
Yurha stood and took Isabella's hand.
"Have hope. I was on the edge until I was 15, but the moment a year passed, this happened."
"Ah...."
"Growth comes suddenly. If you don't give up hope until the end, a miracle will definitely come. So..."
"Sob, sniff...!"
Isabella buried her face in Yurha's chest and cried. Yurha patted her back for a while, then smiled faintly at the other tea party members and pointed outside.
"Looks like we'll have to end it here for today. Classmate Esid? Could you help Isabella back to the dormitory?"
"And you, Miss Yurha...?"
"I'll tidy up here, sort my thoughts, and head back. I have some personal matters to handle too."
"...Understood. Miss Isabella."
"Sob, thank you...."
Isabella left with Esid's support. The tea party members bowed briefly to Yurha and departed one by one, leaving her alone in the garden.
Crackle.
As Yurha snapped her fingers, golden mana flowed from her fingertips and began tidying the tea party utensils.
Click.
Sitting alone in her chair, Yurha extended her hand forward.
Clack.
The magic tool on Yurha's wrist glowed, and a face began to shimmer like a hologram above the tea table.
Click. The connection cut off.
Yurha let out a deep sigh, then bowed her head toward her lower body.
"...If it weren't so big, I could've handled it within the merchant group."
Squeeze.
"Really, who was I thinking of to end up like this."
Yurha smiled faintly and closed her eyes.
"...Fake Breast Device, huh."
Snicker.
"As expected from someone flat—must've made it for herself somehow."
Yurha narrowed her eyes at her teacup.
"Wonder how she plans to enroll next year. With fake boobs. As a special admit..."
Crack.
"...No way?"
After camping out at the west terminal, I caught the eye of academy instructors and got selected as a 'special admit.'
I arrived at some place following behind Vice Dean Ederson and instructor Esta, with Unia at my side.
"This is...?"
"Sorry to say, but special admits will be staying here for the time being."
"......?"
Unia tilted her head, and Ederson gave a wry smile as he pointed to the place.
"Not an abandoned ruin... right?"
"No! As you can see, the staff are working hard to clean it up."
"Uh, um...."
"Haha, this place is called the Old School Building."
Old School Building. The very building from when Esdinas was first founded hundreds of years ago.
"Not a building that's just sitting unused?"
"......."
As the academy grew, it was abandoned in the forest.
"Well, no ghosts coming out, right?"
"Not ghosts, but maybe demons."
At my words, Unia straightened up with a serious expression.
"...For real?"
"Joking, joking."
I lightly patted Unia's back and pointed inside.
"So, where are the other special admits? Just us two?"
"...For now?"
"Pardon?"
"...More special admits will trickle in soon, but right now, it's just you two. Who'd have thought we'd find talent at the terminal before even crossing the greenbelt! Hahaha!"
Vice Dean Ederson let out a hearty laugh and pointed inside.
"Until the others arrive, you'll be staying here just the two of you for a bit."
"...Huh."
Unia pointed back and forth between me and herself.
"Just the two of us?"
"Yes. Oh, of course."
Ederson, who had been smiling good-naturedly, suddenly turned serious.
"Academy rules that lead to expulsion take effect immediately from now."
"Expulsion?"
"Yes. This has been true in the past and will be in the future."
An unchanging school rule.
"Get pregnant before graduation, and both the guy and girl get expelled. Got it?"
"......."
"Understood?"