Fourth Chapter~
A mood was something that could set the atmosphere, it wouldn't always though. Take class for example, only the teacher's mood could really set how a lesson ended up going but in the day and age of magic, a whole lot of once thought typical ideals changed and became nothing but history. It was days like this one where a single student could change the atmosphere in not just his own classroom but even the next and that was what Tatsuya's mood was doing.
There was still an anomaly in this instance as Tatsuya's mood wasn't really that severe but in the order of the current age, as a Yotsuba his mood was almost like a premonition to something ahead. The best attitude a person would hope for from a Yotsuba is a neutral one as a happy one would set you on edge and an unhappy one could spell your demise. As Tatsuya sat in his chair at the back of the room, his class and the one next door progressed at the rate of a crawl. Both teacher and students on edge, not wanting to irritate him. Not that they would be able to but that was also something Tatsuya would refrain from telling them.
Even the switch between the penultimate and final lesson, the mood did not disappear. The change passed by in total silence like a class was still in session, strangely it was that way in the next room as well. Then for the first time in over an hour, Tatsuya opened his eyes and looked up with a bored glare as the new teacher entered the room to teach her own lesson. Breathing a short sigh, the lesson strangely started at a much smoother but nowhere near ideal pace.
By the time to end the school day in terms of lessons, Tatsuya's mood was back to it's base form and one that while put others in a state of unease, it was most definitely the best they could hope for and that was a neutral, almost apathetic expression. A look which somewhat diminished his looks, a look which would have more than just that if wasn't for his overwhelming Psions weren't forever at the brim of their seams and basking him in a very light, ethereal glow.
With the ring of the school bell came a chorus of chairs being scraped back slightly. Most students opting to either stay back and talk with their classmates, and a few others moving off to attend their clubs, that being what Tatsuya and in turn Miyuki did but Tatsuya moved straight off not particularly wanting to wait and knowing that Miyuki will be close behind even if he was to tell her not to be.
The walk through the magic high school was slowly becoming a better one for Tatsuya. An increasing familiarity between him and his fellow students, a reason for them not to be so on edge. Less glares or stares, a more peaceful life. Of course, it was never going to be perfect. He was in a building full of hormonal teenagers and then there was the fact he was the heir to Yotsuba, a clan unlike the others in the Ten Master Clans. He was an anomaly as well as an irregular. Every fibre of his being spelt different, almost alien to others. While Magicians aren't exactly normal people, even with Magic being a norm now, the Ten Master Clans were above that. They were the Royalties of the Magic age, precious things that bewild and entrance, all with a significant difference to each other.
Tatsuya walked into the Student Council with that point directly in his mind and Miyuki right behind. His sight lingered onto his two prodigious senpai, Saegusa Mayumi and Watanabe Mari, but Saegusa Mayumi was the prime target of his sight almost like she was under scrutiny from him. The difference between them both was obvious. She was an obvious diamond, even when compared to her own family and even well-seasoned magicians but she still failed to hold a decent comparison to Tatsuya. Tatsuya was a jewel beyond comprehension, a jewel which couldn't be bought, a gift from the Gods but instead of living in that world of praise and reverence he decided to masquerade as something less, something Ruby or Sapphire level despite wanting to rank even lower.
"Ahh Tatsuya-kun, Miyuki-chan. You are here."
That way to phrase a confirmation never really sat well with Tatsuya, he didn't see a need. A more concise version would have sufficed for him.
"Shiba-san, follow me."
"Hai, Watanabe-senpai."
Starting by looking behind himself, Tatsuya carefully watched Miyuki meet Watanabe Mari on the other side of the room before they both passed through a side door into what Tatsuya could only presume as a connecting corridor to the Public Morals Committee room.
Then turning his vision back to the members of the Student Council, sending a quick glance over each member before dropping his gaze back onto the ever cheerful Saegusa Mayumi.
"Tatsuya-kun, as a fellow member of the Ten Master Clans you have been taught how to use the Multidimensional Database based on the Maury system right?"
"It isn't my preferred system but I am well acquainted with it yes."
"Great, then I can leave you with Aa-chan to learn the ropes."
With the tone given, Tatsuya was unsure whether to place that as laziness or the actual typical reason of hierarchy.
Through the transition of a single nod towards Saegusa Mayumi, Tatsuya's point of interest was now 'Aa-chan' or more correctly 'Squirrel-senpai' as he failed to remember her name. It was Azusa and something but Tatsuya wasn't too keen on using her first name during a proper first conversation, he was also more inclined towards regarding her as 'Squirrel-senpai' in this case to 'Aa-chan'. Only the small hope of getting through the day without needing to call her by name arose in his mind.
"Then I'll be in your care."
Not that Tatsuya really needed to be, he had already learnt about documenting and organizing files on each computerized system created. Both for work as Taurus Silver and as the heir to Yotsuba.
Sitting down in the spare open chair next to Squirrel-senpai, Tatsuya decided to acquaint himself with the computer terminal while his teacher ran through her fantasy of being relied on. A single tap and chime later and Tatsuya was hurryingly searching through the terminal's settings followed by a whole chorus of chimes which at the speed Tatsuya was typing could only be heard as one long beat. Though the whole ordeal did wake Squirrel-senpai from her delusional fantasy.
With a soft clearing of her throat, she finally started to 'teach' Tatsuya.
"The Student Council's duties entail the planning and recording of school events, budget applications and financial reports, meeting and interacting with other Magic High Schools, receiving complaints and demands that students have for the school, organising student data commissioned by the school and various other tasks along those lines.
"Of this, I think it'd be best for Yotsuba-san to start off by sorting the student data the school has requested."
A light but discerning hum came from Tatsuya in reply to Squirrel-senpai's earnest description of what his job as a secretary would be. Turning his head back to the screen, he lightly shook his head before tapping through the folders to his destination and thus sighing as soon as he did so. The quick thought of laziness flushed through his mind before quickly resorting the order of the files, to alphabetical order from what could have only been Entrance Exam Performance.
Sending a quick gaze to his teacher, she then nervously spluttered out the next order.
"P-Please open up this person's extramural activities."
Following the direction of the outstretched finger, using the keyboard Tatsuya instantly passed through into the designated girl's information.
After verbal confirmation, Tatsuya systematically then went onto the next student's data. Once getting confirmation on that, he was then passed a tablet-sized computer terminal with the exact same system.
"Then Yotsuba-san, please go through the rest of this year's student and make sure all the data is the same using the terminal I just passed you as the basis."
Tatsuya's eyebrows raised in interest at her new found courage in talking to him before becoming uninterested again and turning back to the student data and starting to run through it all with a series of soft almost inaudible clicks that came from the pressing of keys on the holographic keyboard.
…
Student council work was meant to be time-consuming because it was important and not because it was hard, but all the while it was usually mentally taxing. Tatsuya blew apart that conception of things. Though that was only because he only needed a single glance to fully understand something or to see everything of something. He didn't need to double-check something, because if he made a mistake it was because he didn't know something and that was very unlikely to happen.
This all meant that Tatsuya didn't have to worry about much when it came to his duties, and this was right from the off. Instead what occupied his mind on the his first day as a Secretary to the Student Council was information that his Aunty, read as Mother, passed onto him and as usual for information from her, he was a little sceptical on how she acquired it as more often than not her information came from spoken conversations in places that her shouldn't shouldn't be able to get to.
'Tatsuya-kun, It seems like that bastard Koichi is trying to get his daughter to entrance you and in turn marry you two so he can have some control over Yotsuba. Do what you wish with this information as I know you won't fall for it but I suggest that you play along and throw it all back in his face, take control of her.'
Tatsuya couldn't help but let out a tired groan at the last part of the message because really, the rivalry was just old news and all on the Saegusa side. Yotsuba Maya would only retaliate in spite, using the 'rivalry' as reasons to be a little more devilish in the retaliation. Because while she said 'Take control', the true meaning was to just tempt her instead and make her unable to want anyone else. Then being whether Tatsuya went through with it or not was beyond her ability to care although if he continued on and married her then she wouldn't be against it, she might even encourage it to annoy Saegusa Koichi.
Still though, there lies the choice of what to do next. Tatsuya really isn't the type to openly flirt with anyone at all, even if he did take an interest in them but he was somewhat tempted to actually go along with it all. He needn't be at the Magic High School but he was there because he was a member of the Ten Master Clans and so he might as well get some fun out of it by playing mind games with a fellow Ten Master Clans member.
That led to the problem of how, Tatsuya was a very smart person but flirting? That wasn't really something he knew how to do at all.
…
At the end of his second full day as the Secretary of the Student Council, Tatsuya found himself in the presence of someone he didn't expect while at school but much less while he was foregoing lessons to get a cup of coffee from the more than enthusiastic dinner staff in the school's cafeteria.
It was a man who he had become greatly accustomed with after being chosen as Yotsuba Maya's successor. This man was Yotsuba Maya's confidant and the Head Butler to the Yotsuba clan, and his name was Hayama. That was it really, he was just Hayama. He had completely forsaken his family name to serve his duties as the Head Butler and has worked in that position for two generations now. And in Tatsuya's mind, Hayama will still probably still be in that position when he takes over despite the fact that the man is over 70 now.
Standing at the entrance to the cafeteria, Hayama stood there with his back ramrod straight awaiting Tatsuya to approach him. When Tatsuya did, he was actually interested on how and why Hayama was there.
"Hayama-san, what brings you here?"
"You do, Tatsuya-sama. With current orders, I thought it'd be more prudent to come and fetch the reports from you personally."
By the time Hayama even begun speaking, they were already walking through the main corridor of the school passing by many a student who were surprised at seeing someone who wasn't directly affiliated with the school being here like it was completely natural.
"I agree. Even with our levels of encryption, i'd feel safer with you passing the information along."
"Then Tatsuya-sama, your report."
Tatsuya let a small smile grace his features as they started to climb the stairs towards the top floor where the Student Council room resided.
"Nothing out of the ordinary just yet but with my position being as it is, I'm expecting something soon. With next week being the Club Recruitment Week, I'm sure something will happen and with Miyuki now being in the Public Morals Committee I am sure that she'll see her fair share of noise. With the rate that I'm able to do Council Work, I will also be likely to be asked by either Saegusa or Watanabe to go and patrol. The students are already on edge being near me so who knows how things will go then."
"I see. Then what about school life for yourself and Miyuki-sama?"
At this time, they had stopped directly outside of the Student Council room which for some reason had it's doors open and everyone in there doing work. Though Saegusa Mayumi seemed to have shifted somewhat to listening in.
"It's going fine for me, no first years are really noteworthy at all unless you want to hear that none of them could make a scratch on me. For Miyuki, she seems to be having fun and has made friends with Mitsui Honoka and Kitayama Shizuku. Both you and Okaa-sama know about the Second course students we have befriended."
"I see. So what about your current orders? You begun yet?"
"No, I don't even really know where to begin with it. It's not even really possible to be a short term thing so I guess I'll just report on that front when a change actually occurs and I can notice it."
"Good. Just be wary, the young Ojou-sama will be on the same front as you."
"Thanks Hayama-san."
With a motion that showed his age but disguised his athletic age, Hayama then bowed slowly to Tatsuya.
"Then farewell Tatsuya-sama."
Tatsuya then just nodded to Hayama who turned briskly on his heel and disappeared off.
The thought of asking how he was allowed into the school completely disappeared from Tatsuya's mind, it didn't even bother him. Not even a point he would care for anymore, he was just the slightest bit happy that he could actually to speak to someone he knew and liked.
Turning, Tatsuya slowly walked into the Student Council room and sitting in his chair in front of his terminal, but not before sending a quick glance over to Saegusa Mayumi to let her know that he knew she was listening in.
…
"The Yotsuba heir … Could we be screwed without even trying anything?"
"Within reason. You've seen the redactions, who'd have though the Yotsuba could even blank stolen files. Their systems aren't to be trifled with."
"Of course it isn't, we spent the better half of 20 million yen trying to break our way in."
"Our problem stands with only Yotsuba Tatsuya. Even the kids from Juumonji and Saegusa don't have such protected files and information. What kind of hell has that kid been in already to garner such secrecy? Even being a Yotsuba this seems too much."
"There was that small mention of Okinawa. You don't think he could be..?"
"Who? Mahesvara? That was just the hysterical notions of soldiers that were bleeding out."
"Still though Sir. Son of the Demon Lord, Yotsuba Maya. Her magic itself is insane and she doesn't have half the blanks that he does."
"Contribute that to years of life, Hirano. The kidnapping was huge news regardless just like Okinawa was, encryption wasn't so great back then but I do see your point too. It's a little too odd for a boy as young as he is."
"Then we should take precautions sir?"
"As always. Don't attack him unless we have at least 50 mean surrounding him and at least 10 antinite users in that group."
"Yessir!"
Done~
Smaller than the others but i've been busy and in the mood to write four chapters in this week.
No real time to do other things but ahh well.
Simple transition into the Club Recruitment/Blanche part of the Welcoming Arc.
And with a special extra. A portion of straight up dialogue between two somewhat shady characters.
My first time doing that kind of thing but it really works with this story and how i'm writing it.
Because of it's shorter size, i will update again this month.
It won't be the bigger chapter but another one around this size to make up then back for next month.
See you later this month some time~~
Ciao~