Chapter 208: Sensei, Please Go Out With Me!
Autumn passed and winter came, time flying swiftly.
With Gettan's death and the sudden demise of chairmen from major trading companies in the royal capital overnight...
These events caused the already fragile alliance to collapse instantly.
After the alliance dissolved, the remaining trading companies, despite their desperate resistance, ultimately could not escape being completely devoured.
They were either swallowed up or perished in the tidal wave of change.
The Arcadia Trading Company naturally became the largest and foremost trading company in the Midgar Kingdom, with its commercial notes even spreading throughout the entire kingdom.
Under Gamma's strategic management, branch stores had already taken root and flourished in neighboring countries.
In the shadows, Shadow Garden remained committed to opposing the cult and attempting to unravel the sealed history of that year...
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
When the new semester began again, Midgar Academy for Dark Knights welcomed two high-profile students.
One of them was Alexia Midgar, the younger sister of Iris Midgar, the First Princess of the Midgar Kingdom.
With her neatly styled silver hair reaching her shoulders and sharp, slender crimson eyes, she quickly became the most dazzling new star among the first-year students.
But truthfully, it was largely due to her most prominent and noble status in the Midgar Kingdom—and her even more famous and formidable elder sister, Iris.
As for the other—
Well, it was Cid Kagenou.
As the younger brother of the previous War God Festival champion, though not as radiantly famous as Alexia, he still attracted considerable attention.
Unfortunately, after two months, everyone realized that Claire's younger brother was as inconspicuous as an extra, and they completely gave up paying him any mind.
At that moment, Claire stood at the academy entrance, loudly venting her frustration.
The reason was simple: she had been stood up by her younger brother Cid once again.
In two months, she had been stood up 43 times in a row.
This number and frequency—
Even Claire's friends, Sherry and Rose, couldn't help but feel embarrassed when they found out.
"Does Claire's younger brother dislike her?"
They once tentatively asked Claire this, but she glared at them and insisted it was impossible.
After all, she had always doted on her younger brother since childhood—how could Cid possibly dislike her?
Sherry and Rose took her at her word, but Mahiro, who knew the inside story, couldn't help but twitch his lips.
To be honest, it wasn't without reason that Cid kept his distance from his sister Claire.
While his chuunibyou was one factor, the main reason was Claire's somewhat sadistic personality, which, to some extent, delighted in tormenting others.
Before Mahiro became her tutor, this sadistic tendency had been directed at Cid.
Being frequently abused by his own older sister during childhood—any normal person would distance themselves, right?
"Speaking of which, there's something I'm a bit curious about... Given how skilled Claire is, why is Cid so mediocre?"
Sherry couldn't help but ask curiously.
After all, there was the example of the Midgar princess sisters.
Although Princess Alexia wasn't as formidable as Princess Iris, her swordsmanship was still outstanding among the first-year students.
On the other hand, there was Claire, who was also a champion.
Her younger brother was not only inconspicuous—belonging to the very ordinary, very average type—but even his sword skills and magical power as a Magic Swordsman were at a below-average level.
To use a painting as a metaphor, if Claire was the most eye-catching presence right at the center of the painting, then her younger brother was probably just Passerby A walking by behind her.
"—Such an ill-matched pair of siblings."
Mahiro voiced his answer to Sherry's confusion.
But he immediately fell victim to Claire's retaliation.
Discreetly.
Claire lightly kicked Mahiro's shin with her foot, then subtly reached out and pinched the soft flesh at his waist.
"Hiss—"
Mahiro instantly drew a sharp breath and deliberately put on an exaggerated pained expression.
"Huh? Mahiro-sensei, what's wrong?"
Sherry noticed his strange expression and the sound he had just made...
"Nothing, just got scratched by a little wildcat trying to murder her husband. It still stings a bit."
"Eh? Are you okay? If there's a wound, that wouldn't be good—it could get infected with tetanus."
Hearing that he'd been scratched, Sherry grew worried and looked at him with concern.
But Mahiro waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine. Just a little wildcat—how could it possibly hurt me? When we get back, I'm going to teach that wildcat a good lesson!"
Hearing words that sounded deliberately aimed at her, Claire's face flushed red, and she immediately shot Mahiro a glare.
Who are you calling a wildcat?!
And I clearly didn't even use any force, yet you're putting on an act like that!
So annoying—just as annoying as that kid Cid!
If it were the old me...
"Anyway, back to the topic. Sherry, you were just asking why Cid is so average, right?"
"Mhm, yes, I don't really get it."
Their conversation pulled Claire's drifting thoughts back to reality, and she began listening attentively.
"I once served as Claire's private tutor for a while. You know that, right, Sherry?"
"Mhm."
She had heard about it from Claire—Mahiro taught her for three years, instructing her in sword techniques and how to use magical power in actual combat.
He also saved her from a viscount who had fallen to becoming a bandit...
"During those three years, I actually taught not only Claire but also her younger brother, Cid. But to be honest, Cid's talent isn't weak at all—in fact, his learning ability is quite strong. Even within the academy, he'd be among the very top tier."
"?"
"Eh?"
They hadn't expected Mahiro-sensei to give Cid such high praise?
Not only was Sherry stunned, but even Claire was taken aback.
Though she was happy to hear her teacher praise Cid, based on his usual behavior and their sparring sessions since he was eight years old...
Even though he had saved her many times before, no matter how you looked at it, that kid didn't seem particularly strong.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Mahiro couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's normal for you to react like that. After all, in your eyes, Cid not only has a very faint presence but also seems incredibly weak, right?"
"Mhm, mhm."
Sherry and Claire nodded their heads like little chicks pecking at rice.
"What if the Cid you see isn't the real Cid?"
"?"
"If the Cid you've seen has been hiding his true strength, deliberately disguising himself as an insignificant background character, even keeping his abilities just at the passing line..."
"Ah..." Sherry let out a small gasp, then asked in confusion, "But if that's the case, why would Cid-senpai do such a thing?"
"Well, this teacher wouldn't know that."
Mahiro spread his hands and chuckled, "After all, I'm not him, so I have no idea what he's thinking. And perhaps I might be wrong about this."
"..."
Unintentional words from the speaker, but meaningful to the listener.
This wasn't the first time Claire had heard such words from Mahiro.
If last time was just to amuse her, then what about this time?
She naturally wouldn't doubt Mahiro's judgment, having witnessed firsthand how formidable his abilities truly were.
...
Is Cid really that strong?
Could it be that he's been deceiving me since we were children?
That's impossible, right?...
Claire ultimately didn't believe it, suppressing such an absurd thought.
She knew very well how foolish that boy Cid could be, and hadn't the teacher just said he might be wrong?
Yes, that must be it.
Unbeknownst to her, a seed of doubt had already taken root in her subconscious.
And once the seed of suspicion is planted, it will eventually sprout one day.
It's only a matter of time.
"Ah-choo!!!"
"Cid-kun, are you okay?"
"Caught a cold? Don't pass it to me! Don't ruin my grand dating plans!"
Cid, standing at the academy entrance, rubbed his slightly red nose.
His two sidekick friends chimed in unison.
"Probably not a cold, just suddenly felt my nose itching."
Cid tried sniffing a few times and stopped when he confirmed nothing was wrong.
Just then, the crowd not far away suddenly erupted in excitement.
At the center of the gathering, Princess Alexia with her flowing silver hair made her appearance, facing a boy across from her.
Ah, another confession...
Cid shoved his hands in his pockets with dead-fish eyes, immediately understanding the situation just from the scene.
Because in these short two months, over a hundred fools had already made attempts on Princess Alexia.
Yet without exception, they all met crushing defeat.
Shattered by her cold words:
"I'm not interested."
The boy opposite her looked like he was about to cry.
Mhm, that's exactly how it goes.
However, Cid wasn't just planning to be a spectator—he was also a participant in this challenge.
All because of an incident he'd gotten into recently with these two sidekick classmates—
The punishment game of confessing to a girl.
This couldn't be more perfect for someone like him who aspired to be a background character.
And so, egged on by his two buddies, Cid approached Princess Alexia after school one evening.
Using the specially prepared, most perfect background character approach—
"Ah...ah...ah...ah...Princess Alexia...I...I like you...!"
".....?"
As he spoke these words, Cid's legs trembled and his gaze wandered across the ground.
Then.
Just as he had expected, he was mercilessly rejected.
Extremely decisively.
"That's how it is."
"How tragic, Cid-kun."
"Hmph, wasn't that inevitable?"
By noon the next day, Cid was still discussing the matter with his two close friends.
Whether it was an illusion or not, one of the friends seemed particularly delighted to hear about Cid's rejected confession and see him in such a miserable state. Ekcds
But soon the trio's attention was drawn by the commotion in the cafeteria.
Though it was a cafeteria, this was after all a place where nobles dined, so loud noises were usually uncommon.
But today was an exception.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the teachers' dining area.
There sat a young man who appeared to be around their age, surrounded by three girls holding trays who had joined him at the table.
"Is that... could that be the legendary princess from the Art Kingdom of Oriana, our student council president Rose-senpai?!"
Looking at the golden-haired beauty with her spiral drill hairstyle, the two friends couldn't contain their joy.
"And there's more! That pink-haired girl must be the senpai from the academic department, Sherry Barnett, right?
Wow, who in the world gets to dine with them?!"
"Hmph, that must be the legendary teacher of Midgar Academy, Yotsuba Mahiro—probably that young man sitting between them.
They say he possesses dashing looks that could captivate thousands, but seeing him in person, he's even more handsome!"
The blond-haired friend who looked like a delinquent, Yullo, said this.
But Cid merely blinked casually and asked:
"Are those people famous around the academy?"
"Of course!"
Another friend with a baseball player-style hairstyle slammed the table and stood up excitedly:
"Sherry-senpai and Rose-senpai are two of the three campus belles since Princess Iris graduated."
"And Yotsuba-sensei is a legendary teacher! They say when he first started teaching at the academy two years ago, he trained every student in his group into sword technique masters!"
"Rose-senpai was among them."
"Oh, and your sister too—last Bushin Festival's champion, Claire Kagenou!"
"Also, for this afternoon's sword techniques class, Yotsuba-sensei is originally assigned to be the instructor for your group, Cid-kun."
"Oh~ I see...."
Cid inexplicably grew somewhat interested.
"Wait, Cid, isn't that your sister over there?"
Yullo suddenly exclaimed.
They finally caught sight of the last girl's distinguished appearance.
A waterfall of jet-black hair cascaded down her back, with a pair of vivid crimson pupils that were particularly captivating.
Though her face carried an aloof coldness that warned strangers to keep their distance, it still revealed traces of youthfulness.
Yet it also carried a certain chilling elegance and maturity.
Most importantly, when she sat down facing Mahiro, that coldness completely vanished, transforming into something especially radiant and captivating!
This expression was something even Cid had never seen before...
"Cid, your sister Claire is so beautiful.... I've decided, I'm going to work hard to pursue her and become your brother-in-law!"
"You wouldn't mind, right, Cid?"
"No, I think you'll get beaten to death..."
No one understood the relationship between Claire and Mahiro better than him.
Unfortunately, Yullo was already too deeply immersed in his delusions to extricate himself.
But Cid couldn't be bothered to intervene. When he turned back to look at Mahiro's table through the crowd, a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
Heh heh heh, my fated rival, it's been too long.
My skills have reached unprecedented, peak perfection.
I wonder what kind of surprise you, as my destined rival, will bring me?
Heh heh heh heh...
Unbeknownst to him, while Cid was laughing maniacally in his heart, Mahiro also glanced at him from afar.
But it was just a distant glance.
He had already lost interest in Cid.
The afternoon classes went smoothly without any particular incidents.
If he had to mention something, it would be Alexia—originally from the first group under Zenon-sensei—coming to his group.
Officially, she claimed to be seeking guidance.
"Alexia, since you already have Zenon-sensei's guidance, why come to me?"
"I just think Yotsuba-sensei can teach better. Please instruct me."
Without further ado, Alexia immediately charged at him with a practice sword.
"Your basics are decent, but your speed and power are lacking."
Mahiro casually blocked her sword and gave a fairly objective evaluation.
But Alexia seemed completely uninterested in his feedback, instead attacking with even greater speed and strength, as if trying to confirm something about him.
"I say, Your Highness, what exactly are you trying to do? If you want to surpass Princess Iris, you won't find the method here."
Princess Iris of the Midgar Kingdom possessed extraordinary skills that earned admiration throughout the entire kingdom, hailed as a genius, prodigy, and even the kingdom's strongest.
In contrast, her younger sister Alexia received far less favorable evaluations.
She had some magical power and straightforward sword techniques, but she was nowhere near Princess Iris—that was the general public's opinion of Alexia.
Yet, even when he hit a nerve, Alexia didn't respond at all.
She just pursed her lips and continued swinging her sword relentlessly.
Until Mahiro disarmed her with a single flick of his sword.
"Stop. This kind of sparring guidance is meaningless, and I can't teach you anything."
Any further teaching would no longer be about sword techniques and would exceed his role as a swordsmanship instructor.
But then Alexia dropped a bombshell—
"Yotsuba-sensei, would you please go out with me?"
A shocking declaration.
With just that simple sentence, she stunned everyone in the classroom. Even the sparring sessions stopped as everyone stared at them in disbelief.
That brightest first-year star actually had her eyes on Yotsuba-sensei?
Though the two seemed quite compatible, rumors said Senior Rose, Senior Claire, and Senior Sherry all had subtle relationships with Yotsuba-sensei...
Even Mahiro took a moment to regain his composure before responding with slight seriousness:
"Alexia, though you're a princess, it's inappropriate to tease your teacher with such jokes. It's also unbecoming of royal etiquette."
"I'm not joking, Yotsuba-sensei," Alexia insisted stubbornly, her gaze burning as she looked at him.
"What about Zenon-sensei? He's your fiancé, you know."
"I'm not joking, Yotsuba-sensei!"
Alexia repeated it again. Her ears...
"..."
"I'm not joking, Yotsuba-sensei!!"
"I'm not joking, so please go out with me, sensei!!!"