Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 03 - Nine Schools Competition (I) (17 page)

"Is there any area you're concerned about?"

When Tatsuya turned around, his expression was a far cry from satisfied.

"Honestly, the areas for improvement are limitless.
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But based on the current status, the stress for continuously executing Activation Sequences is still overly high."

For some reason, a knowing expression crossed Ushiyama's face as he heard this, and he glanced at Tatsuya and Miyuki, who was standing behind her brother.

"Of course, when compared to Hime-sama or the young master, these Magicians have a fairly limited psion count."

By Magic Power standards, Tatsuya was on the tail end of Magicians.

However, Magic Power standards fluctuate with the advancement of magic and the passage of time.

For example, thirty years ago Activation Sequences weren't as well understood as they are today, so the transition from Activation Sequences to the construction of Magic Sequences was so slow that it cannot be compared to today.
Magic Sequence efficiency was also pretty low and, when compared to the current day and age, it required several times more psions to construct an equally effective Magic Sequence.

At that time, the standards for power of Magicians emphasized the psion count within the Magician's body (which included both the physical body and the mental "body") rather than focusing on the speed of Magic Sequence construction.
By the old standards, both Tatsuya and Miyuki's psion count would rate as top tier.

Thanks to the improvements in Activation Sequences, Magic Sequences and CADs, a limited psion count wouldn't cause the same problems with magic invocation.
Excluding "Non-Systematic Magic" techniques that directly released psions, a high psion count is only seen as a beautiful decoration now.

That being said, the use of Activation Sequence and construction of Magic Sequences still consumes psions and, even if each consumption is a small amount, hundreds or thousands of incremental amounts still add up to considerable stress on the Magician.

"We have to streamline the design for the CAD's automatic psion absorption to make it more efficient.
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Let me handle that.
If we rely more on the hardware portion than software, that should lessen the load somewhat.
We could probably set the timing mechanism as a feedback loop as well."

Ushiyama said this after a moment's consideration, which Tatsuya responded to with a knowing smile.

"I was just about to discuss that with you."

"I'm honored."

Both of them revealed the exact same smile.

While there were a few hardware modifications still remaining, all in all the technical portion yielded a satisfactory result.
Today's most important gain was the verification that the average Magician is able to execute Flying-Type Magic with a CAD obtainable on the general market.

There was no time to waste.
After organizing the results of this experiment, next week he would publicize the details regarding Flying-Type Magic under the name Taurus Silver.
Speed was more important than quality here, because the impacts of "first in the world" and "second in the world" were completely different.
"First" was also an incredibly powerful tool for dissemination.

On the other hand, the CADs specifically designed for Flying-Type Magic would have to be objectively redesigned from scratch, so they would probably hit the market around September (the end of the first half of the fiscal year).

With these two objectives established, the meeting adjourned.

Tatsuya headed to the rest area to collect the waiting Miyuki and began the long trek home.

Despite all the work that needed to be done.
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more like he adamantly insisted on sending them off, Ushiyama scratched his head in an awkward manner.

"I'm terribly sorry, I did contact the Vice President, but.
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Regardless of whether it was during the experiment or after the confirmation of success, the VP in charge of all FLT R&D divisions — Tatsuya and Miyuki's father never showed up at all, a detail that Ushiyama couldn't get over.

"Don't worry about it.
It's our day off anyways, and even if he's at work, he should be at corporate headquarters."

Honestly, from Tatsuya's point of view, not seeing him was probably for the best.

As a matter of fact, Miyuki didn't want to see him at all.

However, that was probably too much information for Ushiyama.
Ushiyama knew that the siblings' father not only held an important position in FLT, but was also the majority shareholder.
Even if Ushiyama was a key developmental engineer, the skeletons in the manager's closet should be kept far away from employees.

With this in mind, Tatsuya used this excuse as a response, but that only served to deepen Ushiyama's guilty expression.

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No, the VP is actually here today.
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Even though Tatsuya's back was facing Miyuki, he could still feel his sister's emotional turbulence as she frowned.

Tatsuya himself actually let out a breath.

Thank goodness they didn't run into their father.

"As the VP, he probably doesn't have the time to check every site personally.
I hardly think that he looks down upon R&D."

"No, that I understand.
Also, the VP allocated a larger budget to us anyways."

Tatsuya intentionally steered the conversation back on its head and turned around to comfort Ushiyama.
It was a shame that he had to treat the even more nervous Ushiyama like this, but Tatsuya also didn't want dwell on this subject.

As usual, fate had other ideas.

After the siblings said their goodbyes to Ushiyama and left the research labs, they encountered the people they least wanted to meet at the corridor leading to the threshold of the main area.

"Long time no see, Miyuki Ojou-sama."

As the three family members silently stared at one another, the first to speak was actually the fourth person present.
This man was known to Tatsuya and Miyuki, but the emphasis was on "known" and not "close".

"It's been awhile, Aoki-san.
I would like to say long time no see as well, but I'm not the only person present.

Otou-sama, you look well, thank you for your phone call last time, but I think that occasionally greeting your own son isn't grounds for divine retribution, is it?"

The smooth and lovable voice was tinged with barbs, but her opponent's skin and defenses were proof against the rose's thorns.

"Ojou-sama, forgive this one's impertinence, but this Aoki serves as the butler and financial manager for the Yotsuba Family.
Your request for me to greet a paltry attendant is against our house rules."

"He is my Onii-sama."

Miyuki was striving to maintain her calm tone, but Tatsuya was very clear that she was reaching her breaking point.

"Again, forgive this one's impertinence, everyone in the house earnestly wishes for Ojou-sama to inherit the Yotsuba Family.
He's only Ojou-sama's guardian, and thus stands on an entirely different level than your own."

"Hold, Aoki-san, I understand that interjecting here is considered boorish, but choose your words carefully."

Just as Miyuki was about to breakdown and scream, Tatsuya coldly overrode his sister's words.

His voice was chilling to the extreme.

Even such contempt found no purchase on Tatsuya's will.

Tatsuya's heart was "forged" this way.

Rather than affronted, Tatsuya was more concerned that Miyuki would hurt herself being enraged on his behalf.

"It doesn't matter.
Although you are a mere attendant, you are still Miya-sama's son, so I am forced to overlook this breach of decorum."

So Tatsuya had no time to deal with his opponent's haughty attitude.

"Earlier, you claimed that all who serve the Yotsuba Family wish for Miyuki to be the next head of the Yotsuba Family.
I do believe this is an unfair charge to the other candidates, correct?"

In order to avoid letting Miyuki be subjected to the negativity projected towards him any longer, Tatsuya must continuously press the attack, forcing the opponent to yield without allowing Miyuki to interject in any way.

"I believe our aunt has not selected a successor, unless you are telling me that you are privy to our aunt's decision?"

The shrewd and capable gentleman in the prime of his years that looked more like a lawyer than a butler was stunned into silence by the sixteen year old youth's inquiry.

"If her will is decided, then I need to begin preparations for Miyuki immediately.
This is an excellent opportunity today, so I would be most indebted to you if you can verify this."

Tatsuya's voice was perfectly even, without a single rise or pitch in his volume.

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Maya-sama has not made a decision."

Aoki answered with a suffering expression on his face.

Tatsuya intentionally widened his eyes to express his amazement.

"This is astounding!
The fourth butler of the Yotsuba Family actually passed on his personal wishes in the guise of the family directive towards the candidates for succession?
If so, who here is the one who violated the house rules?"

Tatsuya pretended to sigh as Aoki glared furiously at him, his face completely red.
Tatsuya judged that Aoki's position was now untenable, so he prepared to depart with a victorious message.

Unfortunately, that judgment was too naive.

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That was no assumption.
As we all serve the Yotsuba Family, it is a common feeling that we all possess.
Even though we cannot see heart to heart, as long as we aim for the same goal, then we are all on the same wavelength."

This was a fabricated excuse that abandoned all theory and logic.
Even so, his opponent still prepared the forbidden poison for the last moment.

"You're nothing more than a heartless, false Magician.
You wouldn't be able to understand."

The moment Aoki spat out this malicious sentiment, the walls were suddenly covered in frost.

The air conditioning kicked into overdrive trying to restore the rapidly falling temperature.

Swirls of cold air congregated around Miyuki's feet.

However, Tatsuya reached out with one finger on his left hand and, accompanied by the sound of a cassette player rewinding at high speed — a hallucination that only people that can sense magic can hear — the cold air vanished.

Miyuki's face alternated between angry red and green before turning completely pale.
Tatsuya gathered his sister into his bosom with one hand before directing a chilling gaze that cut like a blade towards Aoki.

"My mother was the very one who created this 'heartless fake Magician', the older sister of the Yotsuba Family's current head Yotsuba Maya, she who was called Yotsuba and now Shiba Miya.

She used the forbidden Non-Systematic Magic 'Mental Design Interference', forcibly altering the area in the consciousness, most likely to create strong emotions called the limbic system by inputting a Magic Calculation Model, creating an artificial Magician.
The one who designed this experiment was Yotsuba Maya, who had recently been appointed the head of the Yotsuba Family, while the one who conducted this experiment on her six year old son that had no magic skills was Shiba Miya.

In other words, to apply the word 'imposter' to me as the target of the experiment is to call the magic experiment conducted by the current head of the Yotsuba Family and her older sister as a fake.
I'm sure you are aware of the consequences?"

Tatsuya gently held his beloved little sister who was sobbing into his chest.
On the other hand, he continued to mercilessly press the attack on Aoki, who was responsible for driving his little sister into this state.

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