Volume 8, Chapter 10

November 6th, AD 2095 / Yotsuba Main House - Drawing room

"Still, a far greater enigma than ever expected."

In his conversation with Tatsuya, Kazama dropped a line seemingly without context, yet Miyuki picked it up immediately.

"You understood?"

"Just who do you think I am?"

Tatsuya, bowing lightly with a wry smile, expressed his apologies to Kazama.

"I didn’t realise until I had been invited on site....but barring the field hospitals on the front lines, I had seldom sensed the smell of death so densely before."

At Kazama’s straightforward evaluation, Miyuki involuntarily raised her eyebrows.

At that likely unconscious change in his sister’s expression, Tatsuya thought ‘no wonder’.

"That’s because this is the site of the infamous ‘Fourth Institute’."

"The site of the deathly Magic Ability Development Fourth Institute huh....just looking at the building here now, there’s no way to tell."

During the rise of modern magic, just as in other developed countries, many research and development institutions sprang up dealing with magicians. 10 numbered institutes were set up, and now half of them are still operating. The remaining half, as rights for magicians started to pick up, were closed down one by one for inhumane research amongst other reasons.

Amongst even these was the institute whose research was whispered to have disregarded human life and humanity itself, the Fourth Institute of Magician Development, or the ‘Fourth Institute’.

Due to the confidentiality surrounding both the Fourth Institute and its research, not even its location had ever been publicly disclosed, only an announcement that it was to be shut down.

The centre of the former Fourth Institute was located right in the basement of the Yotsuba main house.

The products of the Fourth Institute, the magicians they developed, were designated only with the number ‘Four’—the Yotsuba.

Magicians with the letter four in their family name, aside from the Yotsuba, are known to include the ‘Yomo’, ‘Shihoudou’, and ‘Watanuki’. But they are unconnected to the Ten Master Houses and the 18 auxiliary houses.

"All their research facilities are in the basement after all. It’s not just this house, but all the houses of this village were disguised parts of the Fourth Institute’s faculties."

"So it seems. The first time I knew about it three years ago, I was quite shocked as well."

"Well, the ground facilities are still used in order to test a magician’s performance, and the martial arts gym especially sees much use.... the smell of death the

Major still senses, are most likely now the bodies of the magicians who didn’t make the cut."

"And so are the Guardians of the Yotsuba tempered, literally side by side with death. I see, so that’s why you people need so little training after joining the military; even the children are formidable."

The first time Miyuki had heard, she had actually blocked her ears. Now, she is able to face the truth.

But even now, the pain which runs through her chest hasn’t disappeared. She will never be able to get used to this pain.

She herself hoped that the day she can simply accept such pain will never come.