Chapter 98: Hmm... Well, whatever

"Sorry I'm slightly late" Tatsuya enter the room accompany by Miyuki

Inside the room, there is Echidna, Isori, and Suzune.

This room is a private room that newly built by the school for Echidna, they renovated the roof of the library as a small garden and built her room there. As the most precious teacher in the school there is no way the principal Momoyama left her copped inside the library all day, so he built this place to make her more comfortable.

"You can sit wherever you want..." Echidna waves her hand from behind the computer without lifting her head "The one who wants to talk with you is not me, so if there is nothing that has something to do with me please don't bother me"

"Please take a seat, Shiba-kun" Suzune lift her head and greet Tatsuya "you too, Miyuki-san"

"Thank you Ichihara-senpai"

"I heard from Miyuki you have something you want to talk to me?"

"Tatsuya-kun, you know about the thesis competition hosted by the Magic Association held at the end of the month, correct?" Isori is worked with Tatsuya as an engineer in the Nine Schools Competition previously and they can be said as a friend now, or that's what Isori Kei thinks.

"I am unfamiliar with the details." At this conservative answer that held something back, the answer Tatsuya get is a flying book from Echidna's direction

"I think you're very treasuring knowledge..." Tatsuya catches the book easily

"I'm just treasuring the knowledge, not the medium storing the knowledge itself. Even if you use a toilet paper and write a new magic formula on it then I will gladly accept it, but if you use a very expensive material just for writing ėrȯtɨċ novels than I will burn that book along with you"

"You didn't need to pick on everything I said, Su-chan. And for you, you need to read that book instead asked about the competition and waste more time"

"... can I ask something to you first?"

"What?"

"Why we discuss it here?"

"Because I was the teacher who is responsible for the competition and acts as your instructor, ask Su-chan if you want to know more" Echidna cut the conversation and look back at her computer

"Now, then onto the main subject. Tatsuya-kun, can we count on you to represent First High in this year's Thesis Competition?"

"You want me to join?" Tatsuya look at Isori skeptically

"Yes, Ichihara-san is the one who recommended you. Of course, there is no way I will reject you"

"But why me?"

"You didn't need to play weak or said some negative things in front of me, just accept it and see the content of the thesis. Your job is just involving the required CAD programs, of course, if you have a practical idea you want to share we can hear it out. Philosophers stone is not a way out for your theory"

Echidna looks at Tatsuya with slight contempt because she feels dislike to someone who is always belittling himself, because from her perspective if someone who is capable but always says he is not capable then he is the same with mocking other people capability.

"I think I have some privacy for what I read in here..."

"This building is mine, and the knowledge here is mine. So, I free to do whatever I want here"

In the end, Tatsuya accepts the invitation and discuss a lot of thing with Isori and Suzune. But there is one thing that bothers Tatsuya, Echidna said the philosopher stone is not something that he needs to realize his dream then what is it? He thought there is a possibility the walking library inside this room is to know something he didn't know that can solve his problem to realize his dream.

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In the Student Council room, Arthur and Emilia have lunch together with Mayumi, Mari, and Azusa.

Despite both Mayumi and Mari retired from their responsibilities as president of the student council and head of Public Moral Committee they still frequently come to this room to have lunch together.

"I already discuss the security personnel for the representative of thesis competition, so what is left is you" Mari put down her chopsticks and look at Arthur

"There is no way Mari will leave you lazing around when everyone is busying themselves" Mayumi makes a comment while playing her chopsticks

"You're a member of the Public Moral Committee, Arthur. So you can't shy away from your responsibility" Emilia poke Arthur's cheek with her chopsticks and stop him from making another complaint

"Stop that, you can't use it again now..."

"It's fine, I didn't need it again because I'm finished"

"There are still some vegetables there..."

"This is your portion Arthur, you're a grown-up man so you need a lot of vegetables. On the other hand, I need to be a proper lady so I need to limit my portion"

"From where you learn it?"

"Mayumi-senpai teach me, right?" Emilia turned her head and asking a confirmation from Mayumi who is nearly choked because of that

"Ng... what we're talking before? Oh right! The security personnel, you think he needs to work too right, Emilia-chan?" Mayumi clear her mouth and try to shift the conversation

"Alright alright I understand, Emilia-sama..." Arthur let out a sigh and surrender, no matter in which world arguing with women is a stupid decision "Then you just need to include me as security personnel in the site"

Seeing at her innocent face Arthur can't help to lament inside his heart 'she is to easy getting tricked...'

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The following day is passed peacefully

There is no incident of sabotage like in the original because there is no accident that happened to Kobayakawa in the Nine Schools Competition so there is no motive for Hirakawa Chiaki to be a spy or sabotaging the material for thesis.

But Arthur overlooking the fact if there is another incident, and that's exactly what happened yesterday. Sekimoto Isao used sleeping gas and tried to steal the thesis material but he is apprehended by Kanon and Tatsuya who pretended effect by the gas.

"It's not something that has anything to do with me, right?" Arthur looked at Mari and Mayumi who is called him to the student council room "I just responsible for the security on the site, so if there is someone who tried to stole the thesis material before it sends it to the site it's not my responsibility, right?"

"So, if someone destroyed a thesis material you will not interfere at all?" Mari look at Arthur exasperated

"If that happened in front of me there is a possibility for me to interfere.... but come on we already agreed I just responsible for security in the site"

"You didn't need to repeat it because I know it too, but the fact there is an accident happened and you didn't even know it makes me want to punch you once"

"Well, calm down, Mari. It's not like we lose something, and Arthur has his own schedule too. He has his own job so it's not like we can blame him for something that not related to him" seeing the two of them stubborn to their own logic make Mayumi need to interfere in their argument

"See, Mayumi-senpai is more clearheaded. I'm a supporter of the division of labor concept so I will just work when it was something related to my job, and if it's not then I will not make me tired myself and I preferred to lay in my place when there is nothing I need to do"

"Well, then can I ask you to accompany me and Mari for a little walk on the 25th of October?"

"Five days before the thesis competition?"

"Yes, even if it's just a thesis competition I want to buy several things, so... can you?" Mayumi look expectantly at Arthur, with her soft voice and body language it was very hard to reject her but for Arthur who knows about her mischief side it's not like a good idea to agree

"Why not you ask Tatsuya? He must have some spare time for you right?" Arthur try to search a substitute and avoid the calamity and a certain man come to his mind

"He is a representative for the thesis competition there is no way he has spare time for me, and it's not like he will agree either, come on you didn't need to spend a single cent when you going out with this lady"

"Money is not a problem for my part..."

"Why you always want to be a bossy character...."

"Because it's fun?" Mayumi tilted her head act clueless and cute but Arthur just let out a sigh because he knows it was just an act.

"I can't reject?"

"You can, but Emilia said she will go with me" Mayumi smile with pride because she knows there is no way he will reject if Emilia comes along

"You always call your father as a sly fox but are you never look at your own smile in the mirror?"

"Then it's decided! Don't you there to forget"

Arthur rest his head on the chair and let out a sigh

'Five days before the thesis competition... it's not a date if our destination is Hachiouji Special Detention Center...'