Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Ordinary Morning of Three Wizards
Night passed quickly.
And…
Morning soon came.
Dawn had yet to break, the sky still wrapped in a faint haze of darkness.
A soft breeze carried the cool scent of early air through Tengu City.
6:04 A.M.
By this hour, most people were just beginning to awake.
Preparing for work, school, or another routine day.
In a way, one could say it was the most ideal hour.
In a quiet corner of the residential district, inside a certain house, a boy stirred awake.
"Ugh…"
A muffled groan slipped past his lips as he rolled to the side.
only to bump into something soft. And warm.
"Mmh–nngh…"
It was that faint sound that made his drowsy mind sharpen at once.
Through the fog in his half-lidded eyes, he registered a shape beside him.
"Haah."
Morgan sat up in bed without any particular expression while rubbing their groggy eyes.
Under his breath, he softly muttered as he stared at the bed through the darkness that still clouded his room.
"Should have known."
No surprise showed on his face, except for that familiar look of tired acceptance.
Somehow, someway, she was lying there on the bed with him.
Clad only in one of his spare T-shirts, breathing softly, utterly defenseless.
…Right.
This wasn't the first time she'd done this.
"I clearly locked the door."
He muttered under his breath, glancing toward the door, then to the small drawer beside his bed.
The keys were still there.
After a minute of silent thought, he sighed and let the mystery go.
'Not to mention… even after seven years, you really still haven't changed.'
Physically wise..
She's still the same.
Back then, his mother used to complain that Maya was doing it on purpose to seduce his father.
It always ended the same way: in a full-blown argument.
Well, mostly Maya getting yelled at while she shrinks, hiding behind his back since he (Morgan) always defended her.
And whenever his old man tried to intervene, he'd somehow end up the one getting yelled at.
'Good ol'days.'
Morgan's shoulders trembled as he stifled a laugh.
A genuine smile spread across his face for a brief moment before it wiped away.
He quietly slipped out of bed, adjusting the blanket to cover her more snugly before heading toward his desk.
Stretching out his hand, he picked up a small case, pulled out an earbud, and slipped it in as his computer booted to life.
'There's still a little time left.'
"Let's get started. Beta."
Muttering that under his breath, he got to work.
As he did that, while he was no longer paying attention, a rustling sound was made.
This was followed by a pair of crimson eyes watching his back through the dim light.
Then, with a quiet exhale.
Maya's eyes closed again, nestling deeper beneath the blanket's warmth.
"Fuu."
Morgan's work was simple.
Not in the sense that he had mastered everything, but because he knew what to do.
Because Morgan felt that he understood his limits, better than anyone.
When comparing himself to those who had had formal training with CR Unit and Realizers.
It was obvious that he couldn't compare.
After all, these were people who had undergone something he hadn't.
He knew he couldn't match that.
Physically, he'd trained as well.
'Mana… she underwent surgery that made her many times stronger than a normal human.'
Tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk, Morgan continued his analysis.
Yet, it came with a price.
Without access to such technology, there was only one thing he could do.
Study.
Everything he'd achieved so far had come down to that.
Through his earbuds, a voice echoed:
«Confirmed. Based on the 6th-Generation specs»
«It is possible to simulate deep learning by gathering open-source data»
«The deep-learning module will accompany Master and I into combat, allowing Master to adapt and grow in battle»
«In addition»
«Research on [Divine Oscillation Effect] to create [Angel Circuits] can also progress further through Deep Learning on studies of 'Spirits'»
«However, Master's body will need to be fine-tuned to keep up with the DL module…»
«Else… goodbye, Master»
The teal-haired AI projected on his screen sat cross-legged.
Her tiny digital tears rolled down its cheeks as it sobbed dramatically.
Morgan's lips twitched at that last statement.
Its learning protocols had evolved far beyond what he'd originally designed.
Programming it to integrate every open-source AI dataset available had clearly been a mistake.
Now, it even had the audacity to roast him from time to time.
"Pipe it."
He whispered flatly.
"Focus on integrating the module with Anima."
If everything went according to plan, by the time his CR Unit arrived, he would synchronize its chip with his Realizer.
After that, Anima would no longer be needed.
Even now, both of them were still running simulations of injecting his Realizer with the Beta Program.
«Technically, it's possible»
«If master still wants to test the limit his nine-lives, then he should go ahead, Beta will route for you»
«Don't worry, DEM won't get out unscathed from this if you die»
"Yes, yes, they are to blame."
Stretching his arms high above his head, a few bones cracked audibly.
Glancing out the window—
Chirp~ chirp~
The sky was already brightening.
Birds were already beginning to chirp outside.
He switched his phone on.
6:40 A.M.
"That much time already?"
Groggily, Morgan pushed himself up from his chair and switched off the monitor.
And, despite switching the monitor off, the system continued working through the [Beta Cloud].
Every one of his devices was networked to it.
It was some sort of contingency Morgan and Beta herself thought of.
For instance, if someone tried to hack or uninstall the Beta system…
Unless they could digitally erase the cloud itself, the Beta Application was, for all intents and purposes:
Immortal.
"Well, let's leave that for later, time to focus on the main thing."
Morgan quickly freshened up, before heading downstairs.
While he wasn't exactly a great cook, he at least knew the basics.
Sizzle~
And yet, with a level of precision worthy of a Michelin chef, Morgan was cooking eggs so professionally.
Of course, that "expertise" came courtesy of a step-by-step tutorial playing quietly in his ear.
«Pft-»
The sound came through the buds in his right ear.
"What was that?"
Morgan frowned with his eyebrow twitching.
No reply.
"That's what I thought."
He sighed and kept cooking.
The smell of breakfast filling the small kitchen as golden sunlight began spilling through the windows.
Even without checking the clock, one could tell.
Morning had fully arrived.
7:00 A.M.
And when Morgan considered it, standing in front of the cooker, tilting his head from left to right…
"Yup, let's skip school for the day."
«That conclusion was rather quick»
"Help me draft a mail to the Student Council, stating that due to unforeseen circumstances, I cannot make it today."
Not to mention, 13th April.
Wednesday.
If he thought about it well.
"Isn't today..."
«Yes. Its schedule has been marked in my database. Today is the first day of the national kendo competition»
Right.
There was also that.
It also stands to reason why his body hadn't felt pain lately and why things had been silent until now.
Tap-!
Just as he mused,
The soft taps against the wooden board of the stairs called his attention too.
And he saw Mana descending from the stairs.
Shidou's little sister.
Or rather, Takamiya Shinji's little sister.
"Hou? You're an early riser also."
"Good morning."
She came to the kitchen.
From the look of things, she'd intended to prepare breakfast.
But it seemed Morgan had beaten her to it.
She was also still wearing parts of her military uniform, but without the jacket.
"You two didn't bring any spare clothes, did you?"
Mana froze, then shook her head slowly.
"Figured as much. After breakfast, we'll head to the mall and get you both some proper clothes."
As he said that, Mana scratched the back of her head, awkwardly smiling.
Yikes… what do I even say to that?
Her impression of him, from yesterday to now, had changed quite a bit.
Still…
"What about school?"
She asked, standing near the dining table, peering at him from across the counter.
Morgan paused mid-motion, glanced over his shoulder, then went back to cooking.
"I already sent an email to the Student President, you could say I know her… a little."
He shrugged and continued flipping the pan with practiced ease.
Nepotism,
Mana thought dryly.
Pure nepotism.
Really, he was starting to sound just like Maya.
Using connections to skip school like this.. was that even allowed?
Still, at the same time, he was being considerate in his own way.
"Well, Maya-nee bought all of those things for me without regard for herself, so I guess you can say I'm doing the same."
"So, you really do like her."
Mana muttered.
Though Morgan heard that, he simply laughed.
Liked her? Of course he did.
At some point, she was indistinguishable from family. Even now, sometimes that line was blurred.
The line that she wasn't blood-related.
In the sense that, he completely regards her as blood-related to his mother.
"Still, if only she weren't like that, but I guess that's what makes her Maya-nee."
If she heard that, she'd probably explode from the fuzziness, Mana thought dryly.
Regardless, it was… nice.
Nice seeing her overbearing commander being cared for by someone so normal.
Someone who actually balanced her out.
"By the way, how's Maya-nee at work?"
Mana tilted her head, resting it against the counter's edge.
"Very bossy."
"Most of the time, yeah, she is."
"Not to mention, she's sharp too, and you wouldn't believe it, she's actually really smart."
Mana added with her eyes closed, crossing her arms, to which Morgan almost laughed.
That he knew.
Like that, the two of them continued talking, trading casual jabs and small laughter that filled the kitchen.
It took a few minutes before Mana realized she was genuinely enjoying the conversation.
Mana didn't understand.
But yes, she could only say this in one sentence.
As expected of Maya's relative.
He gave off a different impression. His looks might have been plain, ordinary even.
But those looks are traded with some sort of relatability.
Morgan felt like the kind of person who could strike up a conversation with anyone and make it feel natural.
Which is true for most people he'd interacted with, regardless of their first impression.
But what they didn't know was.
"Nngh…"
Maya, who had actually been awake for a while, was crouched at the edge of the staircase upstairs.
Her cheeks were flushed crimson, hands pressed against her burning face as she peeked through the railing.
Yes.
She was absolutely not good at handling praise, especially when it came from someone close to her.
Hearing Morgan say he liked her? That just made the redness spread to her ears.
"Hehe… Clair still likes me."
She whispered to herself, squirming.
But then, she suddenly froze.
Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling as if she'd realized something grave.
"Wait… Clair's skipping school because of me."
Her facial expressions once more melted into a creepy smile accompanied by a blush.
"Ahem! Ahem! I can't let Clair be disappointed in me!"
She clenched her fists dramatically, fired up with nonsensical resolve.
Meanwhile, downstairs—
By the time Morgan and Mana had set the table, Mana suddenly glanced toward the staircase.
"…ah, that reminds me. She wasn't in her room when I checked earlier."
Mana said that, while looking at Morgan who simply sighed.
"She's always like that. Snuck into my room again."
In response to that, Mana only let a knowing nod cross her face, just as they set the plates down.
Tap~
Soft footsteps echoed down the stairs.
"Good morni—"
Before she could finish, Morgan raised his hand flat in front of him.
"Go brush your teeth first."
Eh? "Eh?"
Both Mana and Maya suddenly staggered.
Mana blinked. Maya, halfway through a smile, just stood there, dumbfounded.
Wasn't he just praising her a moment ago? Why was he suddenly so cold now!?
"That's… the first thing you say to me!?"
"Uhm, isn't that harsh?"
Even Mana couldn't help but chime in, wearing an incredulous look.
However, Morgan wasn't backing down. His eyes only narrowed down till eventually.
"...ahhh, fine!"
Unlike how she had descended.
Maya stomped back upstairs with a mock fury and a dramatic pout plastered on her face.
Once more, leaving the two below.
It wasn't until she was gone that Morgan sighed and turned squarely toward Mana.
Jerking a thumb toward the stairs.
"She gets full of herself if I praise her too much."
Mana's mouth parted slightly.
Oh. She understood now.