● The Beloved Daughter Who Doesn’t Wear Panties
“It’s…morning.”
Touma Shirogane wakes up, not with a question, but with an assertion. Pi…! The alarm goes off almost as soon as he opens his eyelids. He doesn’t look at the clock. The time was always exactly 6:30 A.M. His perfectly regulated internal clock was able to achieve the eight hours of sleep he had set for himself with a two second margin of error.
“If it wasn’t for these beds of the past, I’d only need half of that…”
The enclosed tank beds used on the front lines, with magic technology for rapid sleep guidance, temperature control, and adjustment of oxygen levels, make the user a soot sleeper capable of maintaining good health in less than four hours of sleep. He can do this without needing any mechanical assistance, but it would be useful if he could divert the resources needed for this to other uses. Among the soldiers, it was quite unpopular. “It’s like sleeping in a washing machine” they said, but Touma didn’t seem to mind the airtight feeling. And yet, why do they continue to sleep in less than practical beds and sheets—
“…Hmyu…? Fa…ther…”
He felt a faint warmth to the right of his body. It was a feeling of something soft and warm clinging to him.
“Yukina…again? You’re already fourteen years old and yet, you’re still such a spoiled child.”
Sweet warmth, like a glass warm milk. When he turned over the sheet, which were warmed by the body heat of someone other than himself, he found—
“Ummyu…Father, that…tickles…”
He found his beloved daughter, who had apparently crawled into his bed in the middle of the night, likely because she was lonely. When she wrapped her legs around Touma’s resting legs, the base of his arms and shoulders became her pillow, probably due to their height difference. As she sniffed her plain government-issued shirt like a puppy, the innocent, angelic girl mumbled and murmured.
“How in the world do you sleep like this…especially with all of this covering you.”
“Nyuu…because father…is very, warm…”
“I understand I’m warm and all, but that doesn’t mean you should take your pajamas off.”
In the end, this is what it’s all about. The reality of his beloved daughter, who tries to sleep with him almost every day even though they have separate bedrooms, is the reason why he decided to stop using the practical tank beds, and began the father-daughter routine.
“Ah, geez, you’re acting like that again… At least put on some underwear.”
He observes his daughter and gives her the usual suggestion. Perhaps it’s due to her low blood pressure, but she was weak in the morning and slept unpleasantly—her pajamas were loose near her bosom, exposing her peach-colored sports bra, puffy breasts, and beautiful navel.
“Your chest will get cold.”
“I came, right after taking a shower, so…it wasn’t comfy and was sticking to me…”
“That just means you need to dry yourself off better before heading to bed.”
“I’m, working on it…nyuu…………mmnngh……………”
A sleepy girl with a spoiled look on her face, with that very face as melted as a rice cake. He could see her pajama pants and underwear slipping down her lower body, decorating the girl’s limbs like petals, immature but calculated in pursuit of the highest beauty.
No need to make a decision—
With a blank expression on his face, Touma inwardly passes judgement on behalf of the world.
—Objectively speaking, my daughter is the most beautiful and adorable girl I’ve seen.
This was a natural statement that does not need to be proven. Just as there is no need to prove the fact that 1 + 1 is 2 with an equation, the innocent fourteen-year-old daughter was so cute that she should be recognized as a historical legacy. However, if he were really going to be assigned to some mission, he would do his best to prevent it. As a father, not being able to be with his daughter would be like a death sentence for him.
In the language of the past, you could say she’s “precious,” “of merit,” “cute enough to kill someone,” and so on. So…cute, I can’t even find the right words to describe it.
These were the kind of erratic thoughts Touma had on a daily basis, never breaking his calm outer mask. His daughter, Yukina Shirogane, is 141 centimeters tall. She is a little young looking for a fourteen-year-old girl. She has a wintry face with a touch of innocence, a perfect balance of beauty and youth. But compared to that, Touma, her father, is quite ordinary. He is twenty-nine years old and stands 176 centimeters tall. He has a moderate physique and an average face, and if one had to describe his features, they’d say his mechanical-like expression and his sharp eyes always have the impression of great tension. The color of their hair was also completely different. Touma, with his sober black hair, and Yukina, with her silvery-white hair reminiscent of fresh snow—the origin of her name—are not similar enough to claim that they are bound by blood. However, there are points where they are a little too close—
Touma Shirogane and Yukina have been living together for fourteen years and are a family. What is a family and what is love? Father and daughter are not related by blood. If you look back in history, you’d find so many love-hate dramas between parents and their children that you don’t even need to extract a single sample. What is necessary for a healthy parent-child relationship is “empathy” and “love” —emotions that contradict logic. This father and daughter had that in abundance and gave it to each other generously.
“Wake up, Yukina… Today is the day of your school’s entrance ceremony. Rise and shine according to the specified procedure.”
“Mm…father…just a bit, longer…munyuu…”
He chased after his daughter, who crawled into the sheets and hid herself as if she didn’t want to be there. The girl swimming in the sea of warm sheets is adorable, even selfish. With no expression on her face, but with her mouth softened by a feeling she couldn’t hide, Touma pursued his daughter.
“Yukina, you have two minutes and thirty seconds.”
“Funyuu…”
…Punipuni (cheek pecking sound).
“Yukina, you have two minutes.”
“Just, a little more…hehe…”
…Punipunipunipuni (repeatedly pecking her cheeks).
“Yukina, one-minute left.”
“Ummyu… Yes…good morning…father…?”
…Punipunipunipunipuni (the sound of violent poking).
When Yukina finally wakes up from the prehistoric bedding and rubs her sleepy eyes, Touma calmly looks at his fingertips, which had just been tangling with his daughter’s addictively soft cheeks.
“I could write a paper on the correlation between my daughter’s cheeks and a cat’s paw pads and their relaxation effects.”
“…Stress…cat, nyaa… No, father…?”
“I wonder if that’s what it is. I would think it would be useful in alleviating the stress of closure within the human regeneration mechanism.”
“Nooo, if that’s the case…it would be better for father to have a body pillow than Yukina…”
“Who’s going to buy that? Who would buy that?”
It’s not that she was a bad sleeper or anything, but he could see her exposed bosom peeking out of her pajamas loose collar.
He believes she’s well developed. She’s fourteen-years-old, on the cusp between adulthood and childhood, and her limbs, like buds about to bear fruit, are quite attractive.
“You’re awake now, but you’re not quite ready. Go change your clothes, Yukina.”
“Hmm… Okay, I’ll get ready…father. Fuwa…”
“Ah.”
The nape of her neck spills out when she stretches, and her armpits are as smooth as a dolphin’s. The biological beauty of her form is truly divine. The mere thought of the possibility of being spotted by someone with strange sexual tendencies is enough to make Touma feel rather uneasy.
“Yukina, it’s cold today. Make sure to dress as thickly as you can.”
“Hmm, yes? But…isn’t it sunny today…? Oh well…okay…”
“The average temperature is set for this time of year, but you have a naturally low body temperature. Therefore, we should do so to avoid destabilizing our physical condition due to temperature differences. —Also, to deter crime.”
“Yes, I understand…the spread of contagious disease in an enclosed environment is a crime…”
No, it’s the sex crimes that need to be curbed. Touma swallowed the words that had gone up his throat. It was a slightly different view than he had expected, but that was okay. Without a second thought, Touma pushes his daughter out of bed and moves into the living room. The housing block designed for a family is intended to function as an enclosed ecosystem.
“Butler, open the windows please. I need some fresh air.”
「Affirmative」
The AI responds to Touma’s voice input and opens the windows. The spacious living room overlooks a lush garden. The fresh air coming in through the open windows with a light breeze produced by the plants used for the garden trees and lawn. The organic material contained in the wastewater of the dwelling block is automatically used for its growth. Improved by a combination of old-fashioned genetic engineering and magic technology, they are not merely ornamental. It’s a fresh vegetable that’s harvested when it’s fully grown and eaten in the form of a salad. No human hands are needed for its cultivation. The auxiliary system of the artificial spirit, a household AI designed to manage the environment, is designed to be self-sufficient in oxygen and plant food on a decade-by-decade basis, even when completely isolated from the outside world. That’s how to manage the living environment in the crisis of human decline—
“‘Every effort to ensure the survival of humanity for the future’—”
“…Did you say something? Father…?”
“This is the philosophy of the Human Resuscitation Apparatus. Yukina and I will be joining it today. Congrats.”
“Funyuu…thank you, very much?”
“Your appreciation is always pleasant to hear, no matter how many times you say it. …Now, let’s have breakfast. Yukina, come to the living room after you’ve changed.”
He lightly nodded his head and headed for the kitchen, which was connected to the living room. Automatically harvested plant organics form the garden become “card food” that is ground by the cooker, classified by nutrients, and cooked.
“This is all very practical, but it’s certainly not very passionate…”
What was served from the automatic cooker was a brick-shaped block. Each color, red, blue, green, yellow, white, etc. are connected by dotted slits, and can be easily split by hand and eaten as is.
“Butler, from today’s harvest, are these the ingredients I specified the day before?”
「Affirmative. Synthetic egg whites and yolks from plant proteins, and cotyledons from unprocessed plants for raw consumption」
Sigh.
“In this day and age, cooking is nothing more than a pastime—”
Entertainment and relaxation are essential for human mental activity. In order to release stress, they need not only to satisfy nutrients but also to free their minds through food. A frying pan heated by an electric cooker was filled with fat and oil, synthetic eggs made from plants were baked, sweetener was added, and the protein coagulated by the heat was rolled into a ball.
“It’ll be the usual eggs, salad rolls, and soup…do you mind? Yukina.”
“Fuaa…~”
When he called out to the bedroom, he heard a voice that was still sleepy in tone. Thinking, “Oh dear,” Touma divides the block of food, which looks like a slightly shabby bread, into two main dishes: an omelet of synthetic eggs. These salad rolls are made by cutting red, green, and yellow pieces that have been seasoned similar to meat into small pieces, wrapping them in leaves similar to the cabbage of the old days, adding seasonings, and rolling them up. The remaining blocks can be blanched by adding hot water and soup base, and the soggy texture will disappear, making it like the kind made in the old days. He prepared the food quickly and arranged the plates and a flower on the table—
“Father…what is it?”
“What’s the matter, Yukina? The food is ready, so hurry up and take a seat.”
“…Panties, where…?”
“…What?”
Touma’s entire nervous system froze as he turned around toward the voice. Yukina had always had a very low blood pressure. She is especially weak in the morning, and her level of consciousness is very low for several tens of minutes after waking up, and her speech is often slurred and her mind cloudy. As a parent, Touma was very concerned about her. But, then again…
“Yukina. I thought I told you to get dressed.”
“There’s…no…clean panties…fuaa…”
“Wait, hold up. Don’t go to sleep. Wakey wakey, Yukina. If you fall asleep again, you could drift off for hours.”
With great dexterity, he called out to his daughter, who was almost asleep whilst standing up. Once she’d eventually wake up and come to her senses, his daughter’s brain is extremely efficient. Her intelligence and reasoning are far beyond that of an ordinary person, even to the point of being superhuman. However, the price of such high specs was that the system shut down due to excessive sleep, so it took an awful long time to boot up—
“…Did sleepiness overwhelm your level of consciousness once you put on that shirt? That’s something to work on in the future.”
Yukina was there, barely out of her pajamas, and with her uniform’s shirt thrown over her shoulders. Her underwear, damp with night sweat, was tangled around her ankles like shackles, probably because she had taken them off in her sleep. There was also a sports bra lying in the hallway. She must have taken it off while walking.
—In other words, she was nearly naked with only a shirt covering her most important bits. Any normal man would have had trouble looking at her and might have at least turned their head away—even though Touma understood this well, he remained calm and didn’t raise an eyebrow.
“Calm down, Yukina. …Check your clothing. I’m sure that the underwear that was provided to you was sent for temporary cleaning in preparation for the entrance ceremony. You’ll find them in your locker, including spares.”
“But they’re nowhere to be found…father…fuaa…”
“Wait. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall asleep while you’re standing up in that pose. If you lose consciousness here, you’ll for sure be late to school. If you do that on your first day, you’ll leave a big scar on your future.”
With great ingenuity, he admonished his beloved daughter, who was about to drift off into imagination-land while standing in the middle of the hallway.
“…I’ll bring you your underwear, okay? Just don’t fall asleep on me, Yukina.”
“Fuaa…~ Easy…”
“I wonder if I should even consider that a reply. You’re such a child no matter how old you are…”
Even though she is fourteen years old, she still has a lot of sweetness in her. He felt that she hadn’t changed a bit since she was a baby, the same baby he found that fateful day. Of course, that includes her tenderness.
“…It’s difficult to take care of her. Well, I’d say that’s the cute part of it all.”
With a small smile on his face, Touma washed his soiled hands and went to the washroom.
「—Someone is here to see you. You have a visitor」
『Morning, Touma. Could you open the door?』
“…Eh?”
After receiving the Butler’s notice and the visitor’s greeting, Touma turned his attention to the control panel. The camera image displayed on the panel showed a person standing in the doorway. She knocked on the door somewhat hesitantly, probably because the door she had expected to open immediately did not do so.
『Open the door, quickly. There’s no way you’re sleeping in, and you’re there, right?』
“…I need a moment. It’s a little messy in here.”
『That’s impossible. I’ve never seen your place messy ever since we were in school together, and even then, it was such a rare sight to behold. …Fine, I’ll open it myself.』
Touma silently countered her as she began to enter the encryption key to unlock the door panel. He ordered the Butler to reject the application to unlock the door with his highest command authority as the homeowner. It wasn’t until she had finished the last button press and stood in front of the door she had expected to open, and then she seemed to realize it.
『Hey… It won’t open, what did you do?』
“Seems like a malfunction of some sort. In any case, don’t you think it’s rude to enter with a spare key when the owner’s inside?”
『Aren’t we close enough to not be bothered by such things? …You haven’t changed at all.』
“I don’t want to be compared to a creature that can only be seen in the booth of the Biological Preservation Museum…”
The woman on the monitor—a young, fresh, red-haired, red-eyed beauty who still looks like a teenager despite being the same age as him—Katua Vermione, standing on her feet in the doorway, looking quite unhappy.
『…That’s a little crisp for a comparison. What’s wrong, what are you trying to say?』
“Nothing. It occurred to me that my criteria for selecting clothing has changed since I was a student. I seem to remember that it used to be more…highly ornate wear.”
『You know, how long do you think it’s been since I was in school? It’s not like I can do this and that like I did when I was younger. You’re in a position of responsibility』
Her language was youthful, but she was dressed in a rather contrasting suit. Her hairstyle is moist and mature, and her well-developed limbs give her the appearance of a wealthy businesswoman. She was in her late twenties. Any yet, her skin is quite youthful, and her ample bosom and nubile waist, even when restrained by a tight suit, radiate the sexiness of a woman in bloom.
The only thing she’s retained is her way of speaking. …You’re normal at work, but you’re only like this in front of me.
He understood that they were old friends from back when they attended school, so whenever they saw one another, it always reminded them of those days. At work, Katua is stern, honest, and well-behaved. Katua is an excellent manager who does her job well and carries a lot of subordinates on her shoulder, but when she’s with Touma and his family, she still acts like a student.
However, I don’t see the need to tie me down to your private life. More than that…
He sorted out his thoughts that had nearly gone astray. The problem was his daughter was standing behind him, not wearing any underwear, nevertheless. If he could solve that issue, there would be no problem with him welcoming his old friend who had arrived.
『…And there’s no one to show it to. Unless…you’re here, of course…!』
“It’s good manners to dress appropriately in order to make a good impression on those you know. Since I, as an individual, have gained more than my fair share of favorable impressions, I think you should rather not carry this out when I’m not around.”
『Does that means…you don’t like me…!?』
“Hm? Of course, my comrade in arms.”
For Touma, Katua Vermione is his comrade in arms and his best friend. They have a close relationship in both public and private life and have many opportunities to work together in all aspects of their lives. She also has a good deal of personal affection for him, and aside from his daughter, his priority for her life and safety is even higher than hers.
『…Yeah. I guess that’s to be expected. Can’t say I have any expectations of you…』
“Expectations? …I see. You made the right choice in clothing today. It suits you very well.”
『You’ve got a good ear, you know that!? Just pretend you don’t hear me when I say such things!』
“It’s unreasonable. I would like to demand a rational explanation as to why this is happening.”
There’s a problem with the emotional flowchart of the two: they get angry when you praise them, and they get angry when you don’t.
『Ugh, it doesn’t matter! We don’t have much time left before the entrance ceremony! As a former soldier, isn’t it only natural to be punctual!?』
“Of course. It’s in my code of conduct to be five minutes early. But in this case, I want you to wait there for at least three minutes, even if you have to be punished. —Don’t worry, it’ll be quick.”
『What? Three minutes? If I took my eyes off you for three minutes, I wouldn’t be surprised if you turned the whole world upside down. Just tell me what you’re doing』
“You have good senses… Sorry, I’m responsible for the management and supervision of this issue.”
『…What’s going on? Tell me. Something happened to her, didn’t it!?』
“Sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
『No way, an accident!? Do we need to call for an emergency medical team!? I mean, you know more than an average doctor, but…it’s likely something that requires special equipment or—』
“We don’t need any equipment. Just give me a few minutes to deal with it, and I’ll be fine.”
All he had to do was get Yukina some panties. It only takes a few minutes, maybe even a few dozen seconds—
“Father… My crotch is sore…”
“…!?”
He immediately covered the voice sensor with his hand, but it was too late. Katua’s superhuman infernal ears could not miss the sound of human voices, even if they were small.
『What are you doing to your own daughter, you bastard!? There’s no way…!!』
“Calm down. I haven’t harmed her in any way. It’s just a small issue that can be handled in a calmly fashion.”
“Father…it’s cold…I want to, warm up…”
『I heard that! I for sure did! You’re such a…I knew you were a failure as a parent, and you finally did it! I knew you’d do it someday!』
“Oi.”
He didn’t have time to argue with her.
『I will not let such an unforgivable act go unpunished. As comrades-in-arms without backs to each other on the battlefield, I will stop you, that evil!』
“Wait. Katua, hold on—”
—Boom!! Boom, boommm!!
After Katua raises her fist in the air, the camera goes dark. Then with a powerful sound of destruction, a rumbling echoed in the hallway leading from the living room to the entrance. He stopped the fire alarm just as it was about to go off with a cloud of smoke engulfing the area.
「—The front door has been destroyed. Proceeding to report criminal activity—」
“Blocked by administrator. This cannot be reported. …Here’s some words of advice for you, Katua: don’t try to break down an armored door with your bare hands.”
“It’s a small price to pay for your sins. I’ll pay for it, any number of them!!”
“I told you all of this is just a misunderstanding—”
“Shut the hell up!! I’ll buy you a whole housing unit, just you wait!!”
The moment he greeted Katua, she had entered with a crushing sound.
“…Huh? What…was that sound… Father…are we under enemy attack…?”
“No, we’re not. Yukina, if you’re awake, put on your underwear. Now.”
“Y-You…what are you trying to do, lowering Yukina’s panties!?”
Yukina, who seemed to have finally woken up, froze, unable to cope with the sudden event. She had no choice but to pull her panties back up, but Touma took over. Meanwhile, Katua—
“——《Roar Georgius》!!”
The scorching heat manifested itself. It’s the essence of the technology called magic, which is only gifted to magic knights. The moment she put the relic sword, the catalyst, on top of the device that had installed the weight of history itself, the glory of the world’s achievements, a remarkable change swept over her body. The pride of a magic knight, the testimony of a different ability. Whenever she receives a spark of fire from the sword in her hand, the suit that enveloped her limbs is reconfigured from its atomic structure and transforms into something else entirely.
Atomic structure formula, conversion. Protective clothing formula deployed. —Seems you haven’t lost your edge yet, Katua.
He marveled at the swiftness of her handiwork. The woman’s clothes instantly disappear, exposing her bare skin. The atoms that became light touched her beautiful body, and a crimson body suit that seemed to represent her heart appeared, covering her body while her flesh bounced. A sooty dragon with claws and spikes, accented with scaly armor in places. In her hand was a two-handed blade with a flaming, rippling edge: the Flamberge. The legendary weapon, constructed from the relic of a dragon-slaying saint, emits a boiling wave of energy. Normally, any normal person would lose their will to fight just by looking at it, and would run away tripping over themselves—
“…Katua, I told you to stop.”
With a single ounce of breath, Touma Shirogane brushed it off without any change in expression from when he woke up in the morning to make breakfast for his daughter.
“…!?”
The only thing he had to do was walk up and touch the magic flaming sword. The super-heated blade, which would normally burn one’s flesh and turn their bones to ashes in an instant, extinguishes like a wildfire as it dissolves into a glittering, sand-like substance.
“Just listen to me…alright?”
“You’re not gonna take no for an answer, are you? …Idiot.”
The flames died out, and with a sound like the scraping of a lighter, the wrought nuclear arms were drowned out. He wondered if her anger had been extinguished along with her sword. Katua took a deep breath and calmly glanced up at her friend and rival with a somewhat sulky expression on her face.
“—You’re kidding, right? You know you’re absurdly strong.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s practical for raising my child, though.”
Touma replied wistfully, looking at the burned entrance and letting out a long sigh.
†
“I’m sorry, father. It’s all okay now.”
“I knew you were weak in the morning but is it always like this? …I won’t lie, it’s a bit much.”
About twenty minutes after Katua’s intrusion, Yukina washed her face and changed her clothes, finally arriving at the dining table with a rejuvenated expression.
“I apologize to Aunt Katua for making her worried………………pout.”
“Oi, if you really wanna apologize, at least look at me.”
“Apologies. …Father, why is this woman in our house?”
“You’ve grown up to be quite the gentleman, Touma. What kind of things are you teaching her?”
“She’s just a little shy. If you’d come over every day, I’m sure she’d open up to you at some point.”
“Absolutely not. That is…the way Aunt Katua looks at father, is very…lecherous.”
“I-I-I-I-I’m not looking at him that way!? T-This girl is…!!”
“You broke into our home…you’re perverted…I think you’re the one who needs teaching.”
“Ghh…”
“In any case, I wouldn’t say it’s that big of an issue, all except for front door being…broken. Hurry up and eat, Yukina.”
“Yes, father…it’s delicious.”
“I see. Since it’s your first day of school, make sure you eat well.”
He observed his daughter gently and smiled profoundly at the sight of her in her freshly washed uniform.
The Lotus Bottom First Magic Knight Academy, the sole hope for those who live within this enclosed space. It’s designed with the visual effect on the people who see it in mind, and it has various devices to correct the style and make men look majestic and women look graceful.
—In other words, a model for all of humanity. The proud uniform harmonized beautifully as if it had been designed just for Yukina, a beautiful fairy-like girl, and looked so good on her that he forgot about the time.
“I know you have no expression, but I can tell you’re staring me down right now…idiot.”
“…You understand? As expected of my longtime friend, Katua.”
“Of course I do, after all these years of dealing with you, with your bullshit constitution and abilities.”
Katua, who was interrupted by Yukina’s father, was sitting at the table with a cup of clear water in her hand. She was now back in her normal attire, unarmed, with her beautiful legs wrapped in thick denier tights were crossed as if she couldn’t let them go, and tilted her cup grimly.
“A disintegrate constitution that makes alchemic matter—the source of power for us magic knights—vanish. Seems your power hasn’t diminished.”
“Skills left unpolished will turn dull, but constitution is another story. Just like the fact that I can’t stop breathing as long as I’m alive—it will remain unchanged.”
“If that’s the way it is, I’m in no position to be struggling to control it to death.”
“But you did produce results. The time needed to deploy your atomic armor has gotten faster since you were on active duty. You haven’t neglected your training even though you’ve been away from the front lines. You’re a perfect example of the reserve force, Katua.”
“Hearing that from you doesn’t make me happy in the slightest. Not at all…”
“Um…auntie. Even if you say that, aren’t your cheeks a little flushed…?
“Yukina, if you’re observing something like that, keep it to yourself. It’s private information.”
“…Like father, like daughter, you both have no sense of delicacy! Idiot!”
As Katua slammed her fist down on the table with flushed cheeks, Touma’s mouth became slightly relaxed. His constitution is extremely unique, and the only in the current human society…therefore, its value doesn’t fit within the usual framework and cannot be evaluated by general conventions.
“I’ll take this opportunity to tell you something—I’m an A-rank. I’m almost the top of the human race. You’re not fit to be a stay-at-home parent, you know.”
“Are you unsatisfied with the current evaluation system? If the council were to find out, you’d get a demerit.”
“I don’t care about those old bastards. You could be a little more upset as your military pension has been cut because you’re not ranked. And in that instance, I’ll forgive you.”
“Not so fast. Without a free labor union, humanity would not survive. Besides…”
As if to admonish the dissatisfied Katua, Touma declares:
“I can live with Yukina in a safe place without starving. That’s enough for me. It would be unfair to give preferential treatment to those who don’t fit into the existing evaluation just because they have some useful skills.”
“Nothing wrong with that, I suppose…that’s why they treat you so well, you know.”
“Service to society is the duty of mankind. My current task is to raise my daughter to be a righteous member of society. Today is the first step, the entrance ceremony. Congrats again, Yukina.”
“Yes…thank you, father. But…”
As Touma praised her once more, Yukina titled her head with a gesture of mild anxiety.
“Even when I’m an adult, I want to be with father forever… Is that wrong?”
“Of course not. We’ll stay by each other’s side until death us part. In fact, I insist—”
“Allllright, that’s enough! You two have been flirting long enough!”
Pam Pam! Katua clapped her hands to break the gaze between the two, Yukina glancing over resentfully.
“By the way…what can I do for you this morning? …Aunt Katua.”
“Well, it would be nice if you could refer to me as ‘Onee-san,’ Yukina-chan. I’m still in my twenties, you know.”
“But aren’t you almost in your thirties…?”
“Yes, I am. I’m the same age as your beloved father! If I’m an auntie doesn’t that make him an uncle!?”
“Uncle? No, he is Yukina’s wonderful father!”
“I-I know that! He hasn’t changed a bit since we were in school, so I’m just curious as to how he’s kept his image that way…! ”
“I understand. Standing tall…is hard.”
“That’s right. I see, that’s why it’s impossible for me to hate this girl…!”
At first, the atmosphere was a little awkward, but before they knew it, they were both discussing a common topic that spurred inside their heads. It would’ve been better had the topic not been Touma, but as it turned out, the two girls had made a truce over him.
“That reminds me. Katua, do you have a minute?”
When he saw that it was time to start up a new topic for discussion, Touma jumped for it and spoke.
“Hm?”
“What brings the headmaster of Lotus Bottom First Magic Knight Academy to visit a student’s home on the morning of the entrance ceremony? What’s your business here?”
“I simply came to break some news to you. It’s confidential so I can’t post it over the public network, so I came to tell you directly. The messenger went to all the other parents, while I came to you, an old friend.”
“I see… Well, if you don’t mind, could you give us at least five more minutes to eat?”
Katua sighed and continued to inform Touma as she adjusted her internal schedule.
“To put it blatantly—you will attend the academy along with Yukina.”
“That’s quite strange.”
“It was decided to enforce the ‘parent and child commuting together’ rule starting this school year.”
High ranking students who have been informally appointed as magic knights are immediately assigned to the military after graduation and go to the front lines. Once that happens, they won’t be able to spend any time with their families. There is a high probability that they will die in battle or go missing. In a military lifestyle where a high probability of death or disappearance in battle occurs, happy memories are an important factor in raising motivation for survival. Nevertheless—
“That’s quite a bold move. I guess the idea is to invite your family to the school so that you don’t forget your private life while attending school…”
“Yes. According to the regulations, the education period is from thirteen years old to eighteen years old, but high ranking and highly regarded students may be moved up to go to the battlefield…so your time in the rear is valuable, you know?”
“Indeed…because in our time, we were segregated almost as soon as we entered the academy.”
Life at the Magic Knight Academy was very enclosed, and almost everything happened exclusively within that space. Once enrolled, there was no need to go home. Education for the future frontline soldiers requires long hours and strict instruction, and the means to care for the students’ minds is limited.
“That’s what we expect from families. As part of this implementation, A-rank and S-rank students will be required to be accompanied by their parents, and parents of lesser students will be invited on a regular basis.”
“High rank is obligatory, huh? I’m sure some parents have jobs.”
“There is no job in the Human Resuscitation Apparatus that has a higher priority than training magic knights.”
While nodding along to Katua’s words, Touma wasn’t too surprised. He had expected that they would come up with this kind of policy for Yukina’s enrollment. On the other hand, Yukina, who was just hearing this for the first time, suddenly smiled happily and said—
“I can be together with father even in the academy? Wow… Did Yukina’s dream come true…?”
“Yep. It seems it has, Yukina.”
“…♪”
When he stroked her hair gently, Yukina smiled like a cat getting their chin scratched. It’s the kind of innocent smile that a quiet girl of her age can suddenly show. He’s always wanted to see this. If she could do that, no amount of hardship would be too much for her. With this thought in mind, Katua intervened with a cough in front of the happy couple holding hands.
“Sorry to interrupt your immersion, but there’s more to it…right here.”
“A status card? I haven’t seen one of these since I was in the military.”
“Yes. You’ll need it to apply for admission to the facility and other things, so have it on you at all times. It’s pretty annoying and sophisticated to apply for a new one, so be sure not to lose it.”
“…Father. I’d like to see…father’s card.”
“Oh, sure. Would you show me your card as well?”
“Yes…it’s a little embarrassing though…”
“No need to get all flustered. It’ll only make things more awkward.”
“Really? I think it’s more like a healthy dose of cuteness…”
“Can it, idiot.”
He chuckled at Katua’s insincerity and took a gander at Yukina’s status card. It’s a rank insignia and ID card issued to those who hold a military registration with the Human Resuscitation Apparatus, Ouka. It’s an effective way for commanders to quickly grasp the abilities of magic knights, which vary greatly depending on the qualities of the individual, by quantifying and summarizing their abilities so that they can be taken in at just a glance.
【Yukina Shirogane】 Rank: Blade Evaluation: S
HP: 7038 Alchemic Matter Amount: 8910 Attack Power: 4221 Defense Power: 3190 Agility: 4479
“…It’s absurdly high, wow.”
Katua said, looking at Yukina’s card.
“All I can say is, she’s strong. She’s the top student this year, outranking second place by a wide margin. It’s rare for a first-year student to achieve an evaluation of S, but she is undoubtedly the strongest human in history.”
“The average is a D, and the students we accept vary from double digit statuses and higher. Even among the military, there shouldn’t be anyone with numbers higher than hers. Her numbers exceed even the aces of the front-line destroyer units and ranger units.”
“Is that so… That’s amazing, right?”
It seems that Yukina herself is not aware of the tremendous power her abilities hone. It’s not hard to see why, since the only other magic knights you can compare her to are Touma and Katua. In most cases, an S-rank magic knight is as powerful as an individual brigade. Among Venoms Derm, which can be divided into stages of 1 through 5 in order of danger, a single S-ranked magic knight can probably defeat even a horde of them up to stage 4. With such untapped power in her body, the gentle Yukina could run the risk of becoming a ruthless soldier.
“…Um, father…”
“What is it, Yukina?”
“Is there something wrong with your card…?”
【Touma Shirogane】 Rank: N/A Evaluation: D
HP: 102 Alchemic Matter Amount: 225 Attack Power: 172 Defense Power: 155 Agility: 143
“It’s too low…”
Yukina’s cheeks puffed out slightly, as if she had no choice but to pout.
“I’ve never won a training session with father, and even auntie can’t compete with him. And yet, the numbers on this card are…errors. I think…”
“Well, with their technology they can’t evaluate my constitution and skills. So those unquantifiable numbers just don’t show up on cards, Yukina.”
“But…even it that’s the case, a D-rank is…strange.”
Frowning, Yukina traced the letter “D” on the card with her fingertips.
“Yukina is in no way better than father. It’s written as if they’re trying to make a fool out of you… Can’t it be exchanged?”
“Of course not, that’s impossible.”
Katua replies with a sigh as she recrosses her splendid legs.
“Rank evaluation is based on total ability and performance, remember? It’s not something that can be changed at will, so stop being so selfish.”
“But…but…”
Yukina looked rather unhappy, but Touma had already expected such a reaction.
“I’ve told you my abilities are not calculable. They can’t be evaluated, so there’s no helping it.”
“But…that’s not fair to father…”
“I don’t really care, so I’m fine with it. It would be too much work to change the current rules, so that all humans are judged equally, because of me alone. There are people who appreciate me, including Katua.”
“Yep, I’ll follow up with the school about that. You can count on us.”
“Will it really…be alright?”
“What’s with the doubtful look?”
“Auntie, you’re so careless. Yukina is just very worried.”
“What!? Wait, Yukina-chan!? How come I’m being treated as the clumsy one here, especially at this age!?”
“…Eh? Am I wrong?”
“Could you not tilt your head while making the face of an innocent little bird!?”
A mirthless exchange. With one’s naked eye, one could see Yukina smile a tad.
“Your plate is clean…seems you’ve finished eating, Yukina. Now, what should you do next?”
“Yukina will make her teeth clean.”
“Good, go ahead and do so.”
“Yes…and auntie, don’t do anything strange with father while Yukina is away.”
“I won’t! Just go!”
As he watched his daughter disappear into the washroom, glancing back and forth between the two—Touma suddenly lowered the tone of his voice.
“So, I’ll be playing the role of an average D-rank?”
“That’s right. It may be a little difficult, especially for someone who isn’t exactly ordinary like you, to squeeze in.”
Katua’s voice, on the other hand, had lost the flamboyant tune she expressed with Yukina around, and has taken on a calm, mature aura befitting her age.
“As for your real identity, don’t let anyone who you really are, especially as humanity’s last line of defense. With that said, for this mission it is required for you to refrain from engaging in combat, and if you must, keep it to a minimum.”
“I’m not a completely powerless civilian, and it’s not unnatural for me to fight to a minimum. It’s a good plan in my book.”
“…I’m sorry for having to put you in such a difficult position.”
“Hm? I knew this day would come eventually.”
A heavy prescence filled the room.
“I hereby order you, Senior Master Sergeant Touma Shirogane. Yukina Shirogane must be protected at all costs. You must not only raise the world’s strongest S-ranked magic knight, who is the hope of all humanity, into a full-fledged magic knight, as well as to prevent her《Blast Down》. This is a special order.”
“—Understood.”
Touma saluted quietly as he listened to Katua tell him word for word what the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces—the Council of the Twelve Elders—had said. This is but an ordinary morning of a normal, ordinary father of a “Nameless” that doesn’t leave any record in the military record. Determined to spend his days in turmoil, he gulped his nearly cold breakfast.
Tsukimi Translations 