The setting was a certain traditional Japanese restaurant.
Mamoru Gojo sat face-to-face with a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his 40s.
Normally, this was a setting ill-suited for someone who could still easily be called a child, yet he did not display even a shred of intimidation.
His seated posture radiated a dignity that belied his age.
The middle-aged man across from him was similarly unfazed by Mamoru, remaining completely calm as he faced him.
In an atmosphere that was quiet yet filled with a strange sense of tension, it was the middle-aged man who spoke first.
“Pleased to meet you.
I am Sakayanagi, Chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School.” “Pleased to meet you.
I’m Mamoru Gojo.” “Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me today.” Standard formal introductions.
His polite and dignified demeanor was worthy of someone in a position of heavy responsibility, though it felt a bit overly formal for addressing a student.
“When you act that formal, it makes me feel on edge.
I’m still young, and technically, I’ll be enrolling as a student, so there’s no need to be so stiff, right?” “Well, you haven’t actually enrolled yet.
I treated this as a meeting to request a service, but if it bothers you, I can change my tone.” “Please do.
I’m not particularly good with overly formal settings anyway.
Besides, I wanted to speak a bit more openly.” Though both maintained a minimal level of politeness and formal speech, the invisible thread of tension hanging in the room loosened slightly.
“Then let us talk business.
Though before that, I must offer an apology—I am deeply sorry.” With those words, Chairman Sakayanagi quietly bowed his head while remaining in a formal seated position.
Caught completely off guard by the sudden apology, Mamoru blinked in astonishment.
“What is that apology for?
Ah, I don’t mean that sarcastically.
I genuinely have no idea.” “Regarding this matter, despite being the client, I am aware that our side is making unreasonable demands.
Originally, we should have granted you special accommodations regarding your on-campus residence.” Hearing that, Mamoru looked up at the ceiling in his mind with an, Ah, that issue.
“…Saying that means you personally had a different opinion, Chairman?” “Yes…
To some extent, many high-ranking officials in the government remain skeptical about the existence of Curses.
Even though I hold the title of Chairman, there is a limit to what I can decide on my own authority.” So the higher-ups in both the jujutsu world and educational institutions are equally rigid, Mamoru thought with a wry smile.
“From the way you speak, you’re aware of what Curses are, Chairman?” “Yes.
A long time ago, I was caught in that kind of incident and saved by your older brother.
Ever since, perhaps my intuition has grown sharper—though I cannot see them, there are times when I can feel something is there.
It was thanks to that experience that I noticed the anomalies on campus this time.” “I see.
I accept your apology.
I personally don’t mind, so let’s talk about the job.” “I appreciate you saying that.” “To confirm: the duration of this job is three years.
I’ll be enrolled as a student, and if signs of a Curse appearing emerge, I am to exorcise it and handle it beforehand, correct?” “Yes.
During these three years, I plan to negotiate with the higher up and push through policies regarding Curses.” “I will do my best on my end, but since I haven’t seen the actual scale of the Curses yet, I can’t guarantee anything.
Since I am the only person assigned to this, please don’t expect me to address every danger in advance.” “Understood.
Please handle things within the scope of your ability.” “Thank you for understanding.
Now, do you have any warnings or ground rules regarding life on campus?” “Right…
I must apologize again regarding this, but Mamoru-kun, how much do you know about our school?” “A top prestigious school in Japan that uses a special curriculum and maintains absolute secrecy.
That’s about it.” “Yes.
As you know, our school utilizes a special curriculum.
However, I cannot explain what that curriculum entails in advance.” A brief question mark floated through Mamoru’s mind.
To be honest, Mamoru didn’t care what kind of curriculum was used at the school.
His priority was completing his job.
However, bringing it up at this moment meant that this “curriculum” might interfere with his work.
“Because this touches upon the core philosophy of our school, I cannot go into detail.
While you will be enrolling as a student, we cannot give you any special treatment.
You will undergo the curriculum under the exact same conditions as any other student.” “I’ve already accepted that as unavoidable.
Is there a problem?” “The problem is that even if you face expulsion due to poor attendance or failing grades, that expulsion cannot be overturned.” “Ah…
If it’s just that, my middle school grades were decent enough, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue…
But from your tone, there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” “I cannot say any more at this stage.
You will likely understand once you enroll.
I am truly sorry for making so many selfish demands as the client.” “…By the way, if I get expelled, does that mean the job is canceled?” “Since I have no other contacts to rely on, I would have no choice but to give up.
Of course, since this is due to our own conditions, I have no intention of holding you responsible if you happen to be expelled.” Even though the school would be the one suffering a loss if Mamoru were expelled, they still had no intention of bending the rules for him.
That’s definitely not how a client should sound, Mamoru felt a bit of dissatisfaction, but he knew it wasn’t the Chairman’s choice either.
For now, Mamoru swallowed his irritation.
“Understood.
But as a pure curiosity…
isn’t it strange that you could pull strings to get me enrolled, yet you can’t overturn an expulsion?” “Enrollment is not an issue.
Originally, this school did not select applicants based solely on academic performance.
For this intake, you were placed in the student pool via my personal recommendation.” “Ah…
So that exam really was meaningless?” Mamoru asked, recalling the entrance exam he had taken just a few days ago.
The memory of being suddenly notified and frantically reviewing his middle school material was still fresh.
“No, your entrance exam scores and interview results are properly reflected in your evaluation.
It wasn’t entirely meaningless.” Perhaps because the topic had shifted from business to school matters, the Chairman’s tone sounded somewhat like a teacher instructing a student, whether he realized it or not.
“The scores you achieved were quite excellent, after all.
That, too, is reflected in your evaluation.” So the studying wasn’t a waste after all.
Thinking of it that way brought a small sense of comfort.
Then, as if remembering something, the Chairman continued.
“Ah, that’s right.
My daughter happens to be in the class you’ll be assigned to.
Setting aside any family bias, she is a bright child, though perhaps because of that, she grew up a bit competitive.
Should she act impolitely toward you, I would appreciate it if you could look out for her.” “I don’t mind that, but…
your daughter, huh?” Mamoru gave a light nod, but immediately fell into a contemplative posture.
“Is something bothering you?” “Well…
considering your position as the client, I’d like to ask just in case—if both your daughter and another student fall into danger, which one should I prioritize?” At those words, the gentle smile that had been on the Chairman’s face stiffened slightly.
From what he had heard, this Chairman had experienced a Curse incident before, so he likely understood the danger of Curses all too well.
Mamoru knew it was a harsh question, but he felt it was necessary to clarify.
“…This request is strictly made by me in my capacity as Chairman for the security of the school.
I cannot speak out of personal emotion.
As for specific actions on site, I leave that to your judgment.” He said he couldn’t speak out of emotion, but simply stating it that way made his true feelings obvious.
In the end, it was a non-committal answer, but Mamoru merely gave a quiet nod without pushing further.
“Understood.
In that case, I’ll give you my contact information, so if you have any other points of concern, please send them over.
Also, take this as well.” With that, Mamoru pulled a small charm pouch from his robe.
“What is this?” “There’s a talisman inside.
As long as you hold onto it, I can rush to your side immediately if anything happens.
It contains my cursed energy, so weak Curses will be too frightened to approach—it works as a simple ward against bad luck, too.” “Oh, that is quite helpful.” “The effect wears off after three years, but in exchange, it won’t get soaked or burn even if exposed to water or fire.” Jujutsu sorcerers could enhance their cursed energy and expand their effects by setting certain restrictions.
In this case, by setting a time limit of three years, a binding condition was formed that prevented the item’s physical degradation during that period.
“Ah…
this might sound a bit vulgar, but if you lose it, any replacement will cost extra.” “I see.
I shall have to handle it with care then.
How much would a replacement be?” “Well, since it has an expiration date, around 2 million yen.” Objects infused with cursed energy were called Cursed Tools.
Like sorcerers and Curses, they had grades; Special Grade tools could easily exceed hundreds of millions of yen.
The charm Mamoru handed over had cursed energy equivalent to Grade 1 in volume, but its actual effect was limited, serving mostly as a tracking mark for Mamoru to teleport to.
Thus, the price reflected the value of Mamoru’s protection rather than the tool itself.
The protection fee for a Special Grade-level sorcerer—considering it meant having defensive power comparable to a military force—was an absolute bargain.
However, the Chairman, who wasn’t deeply involved in the jujutsu world, couldn’t possibly know that.
The Chairman widened his eyes slightly in surprise at the figure.
“That certainly means I must treasure it.” From his position, 2 million yen was an amount he could easily produce if he wanted to.
Still, it was undeniably a significant sum.
In truth, Mamoru wasn’t greedy for money; he set the price simply to prevent the client from taking the charm lightly.
Besides, even if it were lost, Mamoru could track its location and find it easily.
The cost was purely a preventive measure against careless handling.
“I will give you my contact information as well.
It’s not quite a return gift for the charm, but feel free to reach out if anything comes up.” “Understood.” With that final exchange, the meeting came to an end.