e to match the pace of her partner.

Compared to a first year military cadet, Yoruka’s skill was too outstanding, she didn’t mesh well with her partner, and she also finished off her opponent instantly.

Of course, Divine Drag-Ride basically wasn’t used in practice, in exchange Yoruka was using a general purpose Drag-Ride Drake, but even so the difference in skill was still that wide.

(Even so, there is no other way but making her to give it a try.)

Just in case, Lux was observing Yoruka at the corner of his gaze so that he could follow up on her anytime while beginning his own practice too.

Confirmation of the basic motion, the fundamental of the basic motion.

Confirmation of weapon use, the combination of weapon and basic motion.

It was a class that was focused on practicing the basic that was aimed for first year student, so Lux was mainly giving advice to the other students.

He was teaching them courteously while frequently paying attention to Yoruka.

「──Because of that, consecutive attack in midair can be done like this.」

「E, even if you said that it can be done....」

「....Yes. In the first place, attacking once normally is the best that we can do.」

It seemed that Yoruka was trying to do her best in her own way, but it didn’t look like it was going well.

(However, it looks like she is doing her best just like I told her.)

Lux thought that it was a move in the right direction.

To begin with it was important to start first.

(Later, perhaps I should discuss it with Yoruka about what to do so she can give better advice.)

Lux was doing mock battle in pairs against the girls while thinking such thing. It was then his gaze suddenly met with Yoruka who was wearing Drake at some distance away from him.

「....Eh?」

Right after that──the gaze of Yoruka who was also doing mock battle at some distance away was moving slightly to the side.

It happened in the situation when each of them was doing their own respective mock battle in a form that was like real battle.

It was a special situation inside the spacious practice ground, where four mock battles were carried out simultaneously.

The battle area of each was divided by lines, they were all taking enough distance from each other, but rarely a trouble like stray shot would occur.

This time a Wyvern that was training at the neighboring area got flipped by Cannon’s impact and caused a situation where it was flying horizontally toward Lux who was some distance away.

「Lux-senpai-!?」

The yell of female students could be heard from the audience seat.

If it was an energy light bullet, the barrier would block it, it couldn’t block the Drag-Ride’s frame itself.

But, if it was the defensive ability of Lux who had the nickname Weakest Undefeated at the capital’s tournament, he would be able to react properly even at this unexpected situation.

(It’s fine. I can dodge──no)

How to safely catch the first year girl who got sent flying?

During less than two seconds, Lux had the composure to think that far──but,

「....-!? Yoruka, don’t!? That’s──」

A motion that was suddenly occurring at the corner of his eyes caused Lux to spontaneously yell.

Perhaps seeing that the Drag-Ride that was sent flying was going to collide with Lux, Yoruka who was fighting at the neighboring area drove her Drake and flew in between.

「KYAAAAAH....!?」

Lux thought to stop her, but he didn’t make it in time.

The Blade that Yoruka swung repelled away the Drag-Ride of the girl who was flying toward Lux midway, and it struck the ground.

「──!?」

‘Oh no.’ Lux felt regret, but it was already too late.

「The student there! What are you doing!? Slashing at student who was sent flying by inertia is──」

「I was only protecting Aruji-sama.」

Yoruka answered like that to the male instructor who noticed only just now with an expression that wasn’t regretful at all.

Lux and Noct hurriedly explained the situation, but most of the students there didn’t understand the situation correctly.

A student who only might collided with Lux was purposefully struck down.

The majority of the students surely interpreted it like that.

「To think, that it would become like this....」

After that, Yoruka’s action was criticized by the instructors as a dangerous act, and she was made to write a written apology.

The third day passed amidst the incident that made Lux let out a long sigh.

–

「Haa..... Do I really have to say it just as expected?」

A night had passed after the aforementioned incident, it was the fourth day.

It seemed that Yoruka was scolded harshly by the teachers, but it seemed Yoruka didn’t put up with it like usual.

He understood that her personality was like that since the beginning, but as expected, it couldn’t stay like this.

『Nii-san. Please stop stalling and scold her already. Tell her not to act excessively for Nii-san’s sake and think of the surrounding, scold her harshly. If she won’t follow it, then please punish her. If even after that she won’t listen to what she was told, at that time──』

She should be made to leave the Academy while she still hadn’t caused any bigger problem.

That would be the best path for the Academy and Yoruka. Airi who knew about the incident told him that.

Certainly Lux also understood about the necessity of that, but──.

「A punishment huh....」

Honestly, it was troubling.

Even though he wasn’t good at scolding other people, now he had to do something like punishing other people.

When he was entrusted with taking care of a selfish child in one of his chores, he gave a verbal warning, but as expected he never raised his hand toward the child.

「Furthermore, Yoruka is a girl one year younger than me....」

It was difficult to give a punishment that wasn’t just a mere violence, he didn’t have any good idea for that.

Even so, not doing anything would be just escaping from responsibility.

If he only wished to grant Yoruka a place to belong in the new kingdom while not having the motivation to get actually involved in her problem, it would be extremely irresponsible of him as her master.

Even so, for some reason Lux didn’t feel any motivation to punish Yoruka strongly.

「Kuh...., I’m no good like this. If I don’t properly chastise Yoruka──」

When Lux was muttering that while working in the corridor after school,

「My, what does Aruji-sama mean by that?」

「Uwaaaaah!? ──Wait, Yoruka!? Since when you were there!?」

Lux jumped in surprise when a voice addressed him suddenly from behind.

When he turned around, behind him a girl in black outfit was standing with a gentle smile on her face.

「Yes. Just now, I heard the story from Airi-san. I was told that Aruji-sama is looking for me.」

Lux took a deep breath even while feeling surprised, then he directed a serious gaze at the girl in front of him.

「Err....that’s, I have something to talk with you. I cannot speak it here, so when my chores are over, if possible at a place where there are no other people──」

「Is that so? Then, I will sesarch for a place that we might be able to borrow.」

「Ri, right, please.」

Like that, Lux parted with her for the moment and then he let out a sigh.

If possible he wanted to only use words, if that didn’t work then he would use other way.

He would punish her and correct her mistake properly as her master.

「I have to manage somehow no matter what──」

Lux resolved himself in a corner of his mind while continuing his chores.

–

And then, at night.

He had finished taking dinner and bath. It was when the time was moving into the period for sleeping in the girl dormitory.

Lux had received a message from Yoruka that was told to him through Noct. He headed to the underground prison inside the Academy’s ground following the message.

Underground prison──.

When Lux came to this Academy for the first time, he was misunderstood as a peeping tom and was put inside there.

He was told that it seemed that place was what Yoruka chose by herself.

The place was dark and cold. It wasn’t suited for talking. He wondered if there was a reason why she was choosing such place purposefully.

Lux was thinking of such thing while going down the stair to the underground.

When he opened the wooden door, he saw the iron bars at the other side and the silhouette of Yoruka inside it.

The moonlight was faintly shining in from the upper window, but the room was gloomy and he couldn’t see well.

Just, it felt like Yoruka’s expression was different from usual.

「I’ve been waiting, Aruji-sama.」

Her voice was gentle, filled with deep affection.

Her peculiar trait, her asymmetrically colored eyes were shining inside the darkness.

「Yoruka....do you understand what is it I’m going to talk about?」

Lux said that with a serious tone so that he didn’t look like he was angry.

Then Yoruka’s gaze dropped to the floor, and she murmured somewhat seductively.

「Yes, I know. It’s about how I went against Aruji-sama’s command isn’t it? I had heard from Airi-san. That Aruji-sama is going to punish me.」

She went against Lux’s instruction in the practice ground and went near him.

She tried to protect Lux who was approached by danger with excessive force and did a dangerous act against other girls.

「I’m not that angry, but even so I have to scold you. If you won’t listen about how you should act in the Academy even after I told you, then at that time──」

Lux hesitated at the end of his sentence.

Yoruka spoke the answer at that opening.

「I will be punished──is that it? It’s fine, I have resolved myself.」

Right after Yoruka replied so, the lightning inside the prison was lit up.

At that moment when the darkness was cleared slightly, Lux’s head froze.

「Yes. But I──....wait, EEEEEEEEEEEEH!?」

A surprised scream echoed inside the prison.

Yoruka’s appearance was mostly naked.

In contrast with her glossy black hair, her white skin was bewitchingly standing out.

Below she was only wearing a piece of panty and a ribbon that was tying her hair.

From the leather choker under her chin, a small dark grey chain was hanging down, both her hands were handcuffed.

Her moderately big breasts were sandwiched by her own arms, emphasizing the bulges.

It was as though she was a beautiful salve girl imprisoned inside a jail waiting to receive humiliation.

Such abnormal scene was unfolding before Lux’s eyes.

「Wha, wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what are you doing Yoruka!? Just what in the world this──!?」

Lux immediately backed away and yelled with a red face.

「I heard that Aruji-sama would bestow me a punishment, so I prepared various things. ──Now, please be compassionate.」

Yoruka said that while handing him a whip. No matter how he looked, her expression wasn’t that of someone who would be punished.

Her cheeks were flushed, ‘haa haa’ sweet breath that was deliriously feverish were slipping out from her mouth.

She was anticipating, intoxicated, and excited with what would happen after this.

She was demanding punishment from her master with such bewitching expression.

「No, not that, isn’t this strange in various senses!? What’s with this whip!? Why are there this many candles!? Other than that, there is also something that looks like a stand for crucifixion!?」

There was also a wooden horse behind her that he didn’t know what it would get used for, but the part that was for sitting was shaped like triangle.

By the way, it seemed Yoruka discovered these tools from a sealed storage room.

Originally this Academy was also a military facility of the old empire, so perhaps they were used for interrogation in the past.

But, as expected it was unforeseen that such things would show up here.

「Now, Aruji-sama. Please punish me. Disgrace me, hit me with that whip, drip candle on me, please discipline me.」

「──!?」

Yoruka twirled around and put both her handcuffed hands on the cold stone wall.

And then she slowly pushed out his butt that was only covered by a single piece of panty toward him.

At the same time she looked back at him with a flushed smile. Lux stiffened with his hand still holding the whip.

‘Wha, wha-wha-wha-wha-what to do?

Although it is Yoruka herself who wished for this, is it really fine for me to give this kind of punishment?

No wait, in the first place will this become punishment for Yoruka?

Or rather, if it got exposed that I’m doing something like this in the Academy, I think this is exactly the thing that would make someone get expulsed.’

But, the sweet temptation for Yoruka who was pleading for punishment by herself caused Lux’s heart to beat painfully. His head was getting hazily blank.

「....-!? Wai-, I remember that I have a business! You tidy up this place properly later-!」

Lux somehow managed to say just that and rushed up through the stair and retreated outside the building.

He was gasping for breath while his shoulders dropped in dejection.

「Perhaps, this is a little bit beyond me....」

It was also hard to imagine that Yoruka would change because she got punished, but he never imagined that she would go that far.

Or rather, it even felt like that Yoruka herself was wishing for that.

He believed that she wasn’t causing the incident this time because she wanted to get punished but──.

「Haa, what should I do....」

Lux looked up at the moon from the courtyard and let out a sigh.

At this rate, sooner or later Yoruka might be forced to leave the Academy.

Perhaps ordering her to not have anything to do him at all anymore within the Academy was also one choice.

「However, I──」

「Thank you for your hard work today, Lux-san.」

「....Noct?」

Right after Lux muttered to himself, the girl who was his junior appeared from behind him.

Noct who was also cooperating with him in the matter this time continued her words with her usual calm expression.

「Yes. I had something I was a bit concerned with and did investigation in the Drag-Ride hangar. From how Lux-san looked, it seems that the punishment for Yoruka didn’t go well.」

「It’s pathetic, but as expected such punishment was──」

Lux recalled the lascivious scene just now and his cheeks reddened.

But, with a calm expression Noct continued with her bland and quiet words.

「Are you two unable to understand each other? Or else, Lux-san felt as though you are unable to grasp her true feeling at all and cannot understand her?」

「........」

Lux fell silent when Noct hit the bull’s eye.

Certainly that was what he was worrying about.

「Perhaps that is so. She isn’t suited with school life. If thinking about the interest of both parties, perhaps it would be better if she drop out of the Academy. But──」

Noct suddenly changed her tone and stared straight at Lux’s eyes.

「I have obtained just one material to know about her true feeling. It shouldn’t be too late to make the decision even after discussing about it with her.」

Noct said that and presented something to Lux. It was a written report about a weapon’s repair that she obtained from a mechanic in the Drag-Ride hangar.

「This is──!?」

Lux saw it and held his breath spontaneously.

The truth of the commotion this time was written there.

–

The next day.

The fifth day where Lux was spending time together with Yoruka and others in the first year classroom──the last day. Then after school.

Yoruka was quieter than usual when in the classroom. In order to talk with her, Lux borrowed a parlor of the school building.

*Knock knock* When Lux heard the knocking sound, he invited her inside.

His heart was beating fast from wondering if she would come with an amazing appearance again, but she was wearing her usual black clothes.

「Good evening, Yoruka.」

「Thank you for your hard work today, Aruji-sama. What business do you have with me today?」

Her appearance stood out under the lamp’s light.

Her asymmetrically colored eyes, her black hair, her smooth white skin.

The air of the young man’s servant who possessed a bewitching beauty was different from usual.

「That’s, there is something that I want to ask....it’s about the incident the day before yesterday.」

「Yes. I understand. I will accept any kind of punishment willingly. Even if it’s expulsion from this Academy──」

Yoruka responded immediately with a smile that didn’t regret anything.

But, Lux’s words were different.

「──I’m sorry I didn’t notice, what happened at that time.」

「Yes....?」

Yoruka tilted her head with an astonished expression that she rarely showed.

「You hit away the Wyvern flying toward me with the intention to avoid incident right? Because you understood that I was planning to catch that girl’s Drag-Ride, you went to help to avoid the worst case from happening.」

「........」

「There was a report from the mechanic in the Drag-Ride hangar. The base of the Blade that the girl who got blown away was holding had a crack on it that was hard to see. Perhaps it was fractured because it received a strong impact. If I caught her at that time, the blade might break from the impact. It was possible the fragment could stab me. That was why, you tried to prevent that right?」

「........」

Certainly Yoruka was worrying about Lux’s safety, but when he gave her a command, she would entrust it to him to a certain degree.

As expected, there was a reason why at that time she reacted overly.

Even Lux didn’t notice it until Noct told him.

「──It’s not something that Aruji-sama has to apologize for. It’s the fact that I broke your order.」

Yoruka made a troubled smile and muttered that.

「Rather than that, why didn’t Aruji-sama tell me to keep away from you during these few days, just like your younger sister advised? I’m wondering about that.」

‘So she asked’, Lux smiled wryly inside his heart.

It was quite dangerous to keep a secret from this girl who was able to erase her presence.

「If Aruji-sama told me stop guarding me, don’t fuss about me, just ignore me──if Aruji-sama only told me anything like that, I would do so as you commanded. And yet, Aruji-sama didn’t say anything. Why is that?」

「Because, if I do that, surely it would be harsh for Yoruka.」

Yoruka asked Lux while tilting her head. In respond to that, Lux smiled with a lonely look.

「It’s the only thing that Yoruka ?feel you want to do so much. Telling you to not do it is the same like denying you something that you think you can do. That’s why, I cannot just one-sidedly tell Yoruka to stop when it’s something that you do because you like it.」

「........」

This girl decided that herself was a toll and served Lux who was her master.

He gave her his opinion and order in regard to her method and the detail.

But, giving an order to her to stop doing that act itself, that was the only thing that he didn’t want to do no matter what.

Continuously being an even better tool due to their contract as master and servant.

That was the only connection possessed by Yoruka who was said that she 『didn’t possess human heart』. Lux didn’t give that order because he knew that.

「But still, if something like this time happen, tell me properly. Surely you were covering for me so that it won’t become my miss, but I won’t understand something like a weapon is in the verge of breaking if you don’t tell me. That’s why, can you just promise me to do that from here on?」

「──Yes. I swear, Aruji-sama.」

Yoruka formed a faint smile on her lips, and then she reverently kneeled and bowed to him.

With that, the case this time was concluded.

「....Haa, it can’t be helped.」

The moment Lux thought that, there was a presence outside the door that made a voice.

The presence entered inside the parlor. It was the two girls who were deeply involved with the case this time.

「Airi!? Also Noct too, why are you two──」

「Because it’s Nii-san who is really soft on girl that we are talking about here, so there is no way we can entrust this to you isn’t that right? That’s why, we only came to check on the situation for a bit.」

「Yes. Though I think you can just say it honestly that you are worried about the two of them.」

「Please just stay quiet Noct-!?」

Airi was flustered to hide her embarrassment, then she turned back toward Yoruka and,

「Well, at the very least I understand that you are really taking action for Nii-san’s sake. So just for this time, I’ll specially forgive you. Also──」

Airi coughed once and then continued.

「Just this once, I’ll become your friend only for form’s sake. Because if I don’t do that, it doesn’t look like you will be able to go through the school life properly.」

「Yes. I also feel the same. I too am not good in social relations but, best regards.」

「....Is it alright, Aruji-sama?」

「Yes. I’m also requesting you, please become these two’s friend.」

After Lux smiled, Yoruka quietly stared at the face of the two girls.

「Please take care of me. I don’t understand anything about what I should do but──」

Yoruka’s words were like usual.

Even so, it might be a step forward just from having her recognizing other as friend like this.

「That’s great.」

Lux let out a sigh of relief, but right after that, Yoruka suddenly turned her gaze toward him.

She quietly drew close to him and her finger stroked his chest. Then she smiled bewitchingly at him.

「But, it’s a bit unfortunate. Even though this time I was holding expectation that Aruji-sama will personally punish me.」

「-....!? Tha, that’s, this time there was that after all...., as expected next time──」

「Nii-san want to do it if there is a chance? That kind of indecent punishment, to Yoruka-san?」

The moment Lux spoke ambiguously, Airi whispered smilingly with shadow covering her eyes.

「Wait, why do you know about that!? Even though it was only me who went there!?」

「Yes. We helped out with the tidying up. I thought that it wasn’t Lux-san’s hobby but──the nature of man is something deep.」

「You are wrong-!? I only wanted to say 『next time let’s choose a different way of punishment』, that’s all!」

「My? Does Aruji-sama think up of a way to better disgrace me than that? Then, right away──」

「That’s why!? I’m telling you that’s not iiiiit!?」

For some reason, even Yoruka joined up Airi and Noct at teasing him.

The first interaction that was fitting for fellow friends was created between the girls.