Chapter 3

"It feels like I haven't heard Japanese in a long time..."

Stepping off the plane, the first thing that came to mind was that.

Everyone passing by was speaking Japanese. I took my suitcase and approached the window. Instead of the outside view, I muttered to myself, looking at my reflection in the window.

"...Somehow, I don't feel anything as much as I thought I would."

I thought I would feel more nostalgic.

"Next, please."

"Oops."

Called by the staff, I returned to the line.

"Please place your passport on this part."

"Yes."

'Your request has been approved. Please take your Magic Conductor.'

An electronic sound rang out, and a rectangular machine appeared from the reception. I picked it up.

"Thank you for using our service."

I passed through the gate as prompted. As I walked towards the entrance of the airport, I attached the MC to my left wrist.

☆

I left the airport and headed to the designated location.

The car was already there. A man in a black suit came out. I was recognized as the person they were waiting for, probably because of my hair.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Seiya Nakajo."

"May I check your passport?"

"Yes."

I handed it to the man in the black suit.

"...That's fine. Please come this way. I will take your bag for you."

The man in the black suit opened the door.

"Thank you."

I got in as prompted. The car started immediately.

"Ah, I can read it."

I tried to follow the signs visible from the car window. I was a bit anxious, but the Japanese flowed smoothly into my head without any discomfort.

It was two years ago in the summer when I was forced to go to America by my master, almost like being kidnapped.

"Getting the license was good, but... I didn't think it would take this long to come back."

I leaned my elbow on the window frame and looked out at the scenery. It was familiar yet unfamiliar, a landscape that was hard to describe.

☆

We passed through the bustling streets, and the neat streets gradually gave way to larger plots of land.

"...Seiran City. A high-end residential area, huh."

I stared blankly at the scenery. I was supposed to visit the mansion of my employer today.

His name is Taizo Himeyuri. He was said to be one of the wealthiest people in Seiran City, which is known for its high-end residential areas. It was said that the Himeyuri family had two sisters.

"...Ha."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It's nothing."

"Is that so?"

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I casually brushed off the man in the black suit, who looked at me with a puzzled expression.

I didn't get the full story, but it seemed that my employer had specifically requested me. Of course, I had no connection to the Himeyuri family. It was undoubtedly my master's doing. The fact that I was specifically requested while under my master's management abroad made me wonder what kind of job it would be...

I had to suppress the laughter that welled up again.

☆

"...It can't be this mansion, right?"

I was speechless as the car passed through the gate of the mansion without hesitation.

"How much money do you have..."

Since entering Seiran City, I had been amazed by the size of each house, but this mansion was on a different level. The car drove through the garden and stopped in front of the door. The man in the black suit opened the door from the driver's side.

"Please."

"...Thank you."

I got out of the car. It was a mansion that I wouldn't see often even in America.

"This way."

I followed the man in the black suit into the mansion.

"Nice to meet you. I am Rio Ohashi, the head maid here. You must be Seiya Nakajo, right? We've been waiting for you."

After passing through the door, I was greeted by a woman in a large hall. She had straight hair that reached her shoulders and a maid uniform that accentuated her figure, which was quite a sight for a teenage boy.

"Please, this way."

I followed her as prompted. We passed through a wide entrance and a long corridor. Every time a butler or maid passed by, they bowed to me. Their polite behavior, even towards an unknown guest, seemed to reflect the character of the mansion's owner.

"This is the master's study."

We soon arrived at our destination. The head maid bowed and knocked on the door.

"It's me, Rio. I've brought Mr. Nakajo."

"Come in."

A man's voice came from inside the room. The head maid confirmed and opened the door.

...Oh.

I had some expectations for the master's room, given the mansion's appearance, but they were not disappointed.

There were high-quality antiques and a sofa. In the back of the room, directly opposite the door, was a wooden desk. A man in his late thirties, wearing a high-quality suit, was sitting there, looking at me.

"Thank you for coming all this way. Welcome to my mansion. I am Taizo Himeyuri, the owner here."

"I am Seiya Nakajo. Nice to meet you."

I responded appropriately to his introduction.

Given that my master had no hesitation in sharing my information, he must be a person of some trust. However, that doesn't mean I can let my guard down.

It seemed that Mr. Himeyuri was satisfied with my response. He nodded and turned to his staff.

"Excuse me, but could you leave us?"

"As you wish."

The head maid and other staff bowed and left. The door at the back was soon closed.

"Isn't it risky? Is it really okay to have someone like me without any guards?"

Magic can be a dangerous weapon. Is it really wise to trust a magician you've just met?

"Haha. What a strange thing to say. You're the one I'm going to ask to protect my beloved daughters."

"That's a rather eccentric request itself."

I lowered my tone slightly.

"There are capable magicians in this country. We've never met, and we have no connection. Could I ask why you called me from abroad?"

"...We've met before, haven't we?"

"Huh?"

I tilted my head.

"I think we met at a Hanazono family party once."

I remembered.

"...I'm honored that you remember me."

I was genuinely surprised. There was no reason for us to have met...

"Back then, you were quite different from the others."

That's true. I'm not a celebrity or anything. It was a result of being thrown into that situation unintentionally.

"Considering that, it's fine. If you're someone the Hanazono family can invite to such an event, there's no problem. Besides, the master... the one you worked with there, is a friend of mine. When I consulted him about this, he recommended you. He said you're an excellent Japanese magician."

"...That woman."

So that's how it is. I thought I could finish the light work quickly and take a break when I returned to Japan. This client seems to be quite a big shot.

...I decided to confront her as soon as I got back.

"...Hmm, well, let's get to the point. Shall we discuss the contract?"

"Yes, please."

Mr. Himeyuri seemed to sense my anger and quickly moved on to the main topic. I nodded to prompt him to continue.

"The job I want you to do is to protect my daughters."

He handed me some photos. Two beautiful girls were in the photos.

"Kuren Himeyuri and Saya. Kuren is your age, and Saya is one year younger."

Mr. Himeyuri continued.

"I want you to protect these two."

...Protection?

This rookie magician, me, is supposed to protect them?

"Beautiful girls, indeed. May I ask why protection is suddenly needed?"

I tried to hide my unease with a poker face.

"Hmm..."

He looked away, but quickly turned back to me.

"Recently, there have been frequent incidents in this country. Have you heard about them?"

"No. I just got back."

"That's true. Recently, there have been many kidnapping cases in this country."

"...So, you're worried about your daughters being targeted?"

"Haha. That would make me just a worried parent. The targets are always students, and specifically those with high magical power."

I see. That makes sense.

The Himeyuri family is one of the most influential magical families in the country. They certainly fit the criteria, but...

"Still... the Himeyuri family? At this level of fame, wouldn't it be too risky to target them?"

The Himeyuri family, like the Hanazono family, is one of the five great magical families in Japan.

"Because of that, they target students. No matter how powerful they are, it's useless if they can't use their power. I hear you understand that best."

"...I see. So, you know everything?"

"Don't take it personally. We need to know certain information to entrust our lives to someone."

"I understand. Besides, whether or not I intended to investigate, your friend would have told you everything."

"Y-Yes... That's true."

His voice was unexpectedly cold, and he nodded hesitantly.

"Besides, there's another reason why my daughters are likely to be targeted."

"What is it?"

"They don't want to have bodyguards."

"...Huh."

What a... Well, I don't like it either. It's uncomfortable to have someone follow me silently. Of course, I'm not in a position to have a bodyguard.

"I've asked them many times, but they won't listen. Fortunately, the school is a boarding school, so I don't think it's too dangerous..."

"I see. ...Wait a minute."

...Boarding school?

"Wait a minute."

"What is it?"

"Is it the boarding school? The one where students live?"

"...What other kind of boarding school is there? Yes, it's a student dormitory."

"Then, what exactly is the job?"

"To protect my daughters. But they live in a boarding school, right?"

"Yes, but?"

"And they don't want bodyguards, right?"

"Yes, but?"

"Then, how am I supposed to protect them?"

"...How, indeed. You'll transfer to the school and protect them from the shadows. That's what they told me the task would be."

"...Excuse me."

I took out my phone and searched for the woman's number in my memory, then pressed the call button. Before the call could connect, a woman's voice came through.

'The number you are calling is currently not in use...'

The voice didn't finish before my phone shattered in my ear.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, don't worry."

I stuffed the broken phone into my pocket and smiled.

So, that's why there was no talk of the boarding arrangements. I was supposed to live in the dorm.

"Master? What happened to the vacation talk?"

"By the way, just to confirm... Will you take the job?"

Mr. Himeyuri raised an eyebrow, sensing my negative aura.

"Yes, of course. I'll do my best."

I had no choice.

I'm broke, after all. If I don't take it, I'll end up on the streets.

"I see, that's good. To protect Kuren and Saya without them knowing, you'll need to infiltrate the school. Ideally, you should be in the same class. There aren't many people who can do this kind of job at your age."

I see. That's why they came to me, a rookie with no bodyguard experience. It seemed odd to ask a novice, especially a newly licensed magician.

"You're overestimating me. You know my weaknesses, don't you?"

"You have magic that surpasses them. She doesn't lie about these things."

Where does this absolute trust in that