University City of Unitia

Now then, with a fresh outlook, a new start.

To begin with…

Led by Mira, I decided to visit the university city of Unitia.

The goal was to recruit the famously renowned Soleil!

And also to have a meeting with Astrea-san. I really wanted to get on good terms with Astrea-san, who was reputed to be a peerless beauty…

Accompanying me, besides the usual Kanan and Mira, were Himuro-san and Maika. The two of them had been honor students at the academy.

"Going to a university together with Mira-san… this is such an honor!"

Himuro-san seemed a little excited.

"You okay? You're not feeling lonely being separated from Hizaki-san?"

"You… what do you take me for? Just Kanna's tagalong? … That girl is the one always clinging to me!

I'm perfectly fine on my own!

… Well, the thing is… I won't deny I'm just a little bit lonely, I suppose.

… Don't tell her, okay?"

"Ahaha… yeah, it's a secret."

How heartwarming. They really are close after all.

"Fufu, it's been a while since I was at a school too. Let's go, Naoto-kun."

Maika was eager too. I walked through the university city.

The atmosphere was… certainly university-like. Men and women walked about together fairly freely, without distinction.

Owing to the ratio, there were more women, naturally, but the sight of Masters and Garumon walking along chatting fairly normally drove home how this city differed from others.

In other towns, a Master would walk surrounded by their own Garumon in a single cluster, after all.

You wouldn't talk with anyone but your own Garumon.

"Huh… maybe in this town, human relationships are built between Masters and Garumon without distinction…?

If so, it'd be the ideal town for me."

"That's right. Within this town of Unitia, Masters and Garumon cannot form contracts.

Without distinction between Master and Garumon, they can devote themselves to study and research."

Mira explained that to me.

"Huh… So Garumon and Masters can fall into ordinary romantic relationships, too?"

"In this world, romantic relationships aren't ordinary.

When a man and woman grow close, they'd contract first.

You can contract once you leave the town, after all.

And a contract made outside is valid in this town too. Our contract wouldn't be dissolved, either.

… It's just that Masters and Garumon who contract that way often become absorbed in sexual activity, let their grades slip, and end up unable to remain in Unitia."

"Huh…"

"As long as you stay enrolled in Unitia and continue your research, you receive a salary. But to remain enrolled in Unitia, you have to keep producing a certain level of grades and results."

"I see…"

A continuous string of exams, or perhaps you needed to present papers like at a university. Something like that, maybe.

It seemed a rather harsh world.

If I were smart, it might have been interesting to do research here on fusing magic and science… but.

Well, my intellect probably couldn't grasp it. The right person for the right job. I'd do my best as a Master.

Still, the students who ignored the proper duties of Master and Garumon to throw themselves into research struck me as fascinating.

The improvement of this world's living environment hinged on this town's research results. I hoped everyone would do their best.

Looking around with interest, I visited the headmaster's office.

"… Welcome. S-Class 16th, Akai Naoto-sama.

I am the mayor of this Unitia, Astrea."

… Oh.

Beautiful.

… I caught my breath. Time stopped.

What… what beauty.

White… like snow.

No… rather than snow, her soft white hair, drifting as if floating, looked like cotton candy.

Her well-balanced large eyes were a lovely blue, with a somehow distant gaze, as if looking at the sky.

She was a translucent, see-through girl, truly…

No, I didn't even know what to say anymore. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful…

It was no use. I couldn't think of any other way to describe her. A literary expression should capture this beauty without using the word "beautiful," surely.

But I figured if I had language skills advanced enough to do that, I could teach here in Unitia.

In any case… Astrea was a beautiful girl.

With see-through white skin and white hair, and yet with breasts that were lovely and full.

She was a beautiful girl who combined a maiden's innocence with bewitching allure, like a spirit, a faerie, or an angel.

White hair was something Anneroese-san had too, but hers had a mysterious air like a moon goddess…

This one really felt like a faerie. Besides the mystery, there was something innocent about her.

"… Naoto-san?"

"Ah, s-sorry. I found myself entranced."

I answered honestly.

"… Fufu, is that so."

Astrea-san smiled a little bashfully… Not a bad feeling.

"I'm told you've come today to recruit Soleil."

"Ah, yes. That's right. Might I be allowed to meet with Soleil-san?"

"… Yes. That's fine. Soleil is… it may be a parent's bias, but I believe she's a Garumon born with truly outstanding talent.

She awakened to her power about two years ago, and since then many Masters have come to recruit her…

But that child rejects every Master she meets, saying they're not a Master worthy of her…

That said, since she awakened to her power early, she's now fifteen. If she can debut this year, she'll be right on schedule for her age."

"I see…"

"I think she's a rather difficult child in various ways, but… if it's you, whom even Silvana has taken a liking to, perhaps that child might change her mind.

Please, if you would, take her with you."

Astrea-san smiled like that.

I was shown straight to Soleil.

"This is Soleil's research room.

… Soleil. It's Mira.

I've brought my Goshujin-sama… Naoto-sama. I'd like you to hear him out, just once."

"… Come in."

Kacha. The door opened.

And then…

Time stopped. The exact same paralysis as with Astrea-san shot through my whole body.

Soleil-san looked almost identical to Astrea-san. Only the color of her eyes was grayer.

That lent her a touch of mystery, making her look, if anything, even more mature than Astrea-san.

… But maybe that was just my imagination.

A peerlessly beautiful girl with a faerie-like innocence… that was Soleil.

The size of her breasts was nearly as full as Astrea-san's, truly wonderful.

She was an intensely attractive beautiful girl.

"… So? It's a waste of time, so could you make this quick?"

Soleil opened her mouth. Despite her lovely voice, her tone was combative.

"… N-nice to meet you.

My name is Akai Naoto. You're Soleil-san, correct?"

"… Yes."

Soleil looked somehow irritated.

It wasn't that she disliked me… or rather, maybe she disliked Masters as a whole.

"I think you've already heard my purpose, but to put it plainly, I've come to recruit you.

I hear that no matter what Master you meet, Soleil-san, you turn them down as unworthy to be your Master.

What kind of Master is your ideal, Soleil-san?"

I tried asking that.

"…? If I tell you my ideal, are you saying you'll match it?"

"Within reason, of course. There are limits to the consideration I can offer, after all…

But wanting to grant a girl's wishes is a feeling I naturally hold.

If it's something I can do, I want to grant it."

"… Hmm. Certainly, at least in talk, you seem different from the Masters so far.

… Then, shall I tell you? The Master I wish for is… a Master who establishes no hierarchy between Master and Garumon.

Equality between Master and Garumon. A Master who believes that can be realized is my ideal."

"Wonderful! That's my ideal too!"

I suddenly gripped Soleil's hand.

"Wonderful! To think I'd meet a Garumon with such ideas! Please, I want you to join me!"

I recruited her ardently like that.

"… Hold on."

Soleil shook my hand off.

"What are you thinking? A normal Master would be getting angry, going 'what is a Garumon even saying.'

… Or, no matter what a Garumon says, they'd think they can just force a contract and then bind you freely with commands afterward, never sparing a thought for what the Garumon thinks.

A Master is one of those two kinds of being, isn't it?"

Soleil's attitude was poor. The Masters she'd met so far must have been quite rude.

"No, no, no… wait a moment. Your proposal is completely ideal for me too…

Yeah, I believe Garumon and Masters should be equal. On that point, we feel the same."

"…"

Soleil looked at me with suspicious eyes. She didn't seem to trust me.

"Mind if I debate this a little?"

It wasn't to win her trust or anything; I just genuinely wanted to talk things over.

"… Go ahead. Though I don't know what there is to debate…"

"Sure. So if Garumon and Masters are equal, that means there's no hierarchy, right?

But in actual combat, the Master commands the Garumon to fight.

Is that equal? Or not equal?"

"… It isn't equal. A Master one-sidedly commanding a Garumon is fundamentally wrong to begin with.

… I'm researching several themes, and one of them is a method to nullify a Master's absolute power of command over Garumon. That's what I want to realize."

"Huh… I see. Well, yeah. A one-sided hierarchy isn't equal.

… But, to put it bluntly, in combat it's necessary for the Master to command the Garumon.

If I didn't give commands and just let everyone fight as they pleased, I think our fighting strength would drop by at least 50%.

If our strength halved, fights we could win would become unwinnable, and worst case, we might die.

Even so, do you think we should stop because it isn't equal?"

"…50%? That much…? That's a little hard to believe.

… But, instead of commanding one-sidedly, if Master and Garumon discuss things as equals and act once they've agreed, there'd be no problem."

Soleil argued back, but…

"What are you saying? Have you ever actually fought? You haven't, have you?"

At that point, Kanan cut in.

"In combat, you make multiple judgments in an instant, and if you don't move immediately, your life is on the line.

Without Naoto's commands, I can barely fight at all. As for me, my fighting strength wouldn't just drop 50%. It'd drop 80%."

"… Kazami Kanan."

Soleil spoke Kanan's name.

"Oh my, so you know who I am."

"… That is… I at least know the names of the up-and-coming S-Class Master Akai Naoto and his ace Garumon Kazami Kanan."

"I see. Does that mean you acknowledge a certain value in me?

If so, then I'd say it's unthinkable for a Master not to command a Garumon in combat."

Kanan asserted herself like that.

"… I see, it's true that I have no combat experience.

If you, with your wealth of combat experience, say so, then it must be true.

… So you mean to say that my opinion of equality is just armchair theory, not worth listening to?"

Soleil glared.

"No, that's not it. The ideal of equality itself, as an ideal, I think is good.

We Japanese were taught in our original world that equality is right. Equality is justice. We were raised that way.

So I, too, think equality is a good thing. No, I thought so.

Right now I have some doubts about it, but…

Well, let's set aside the rightness of equality itself for now.

I'll continue about equality in combat.

In combat, don't you think there's also the view that the Garumon doing the actual fighting are the great ones, and the Master giving orders is nothing special at all?"

"…! T-that kind of thinking too…?

T-that isn't a normal way of thinking. No matter how much a Garumon fights, it's always the Master who gets praised and acclaimed, isn't it?"

"But even the 24 Strongest Garumon, for instance, the Garumon do get recognized.

I believe the Garumon who fight are great too. And in fact, Garumon are recognized.

… To begin with, if Master and Garumon are to be equal, then the Master would have to be able to fight too, or it doesn't add up.

But in reality, we Masters have no power to fight. Instead, we have only the power to command Garumon.

A futanari Master has both, though.

So if everyone became a futanari Master, it'd all be solved, but let's set that aside.

Setting futanari Masters aside, the Master, by commanding, and the Garumon, by fighting…

each fulfill their own duty.

The Master is just fulfilling the role of commanding. The Garumon is just fulfilling the role of fighting.

I don't think there's any high or low between them."

"… That's… that might be… so."

"The equality in combat that I envision is, I think, respecting each other.

… It's true that I'm in the position of giving instructions. I command and move everyone.

But without everyone, I can't fight. The ones who fight are, ultimately, all of you Garumon.

There's no high or low there.

I respect and thank everyone who fights for me. And everyone respects and thanks me for commanding.

Each respects the other and honors the other's position.

This is what I think of as equality in combat.

… What do you think, Soleil?"

"… Yes. I have no choice but to accept that view. I have no rebuttal."

It seemed she understood.

Able to debate and, when necessary, correct her own thinking… Soleil really was sharp.

"… It seems you've thought far beyond my ideal, which is nothing but armchair theory.

I understood that even from your brief reply just now."

"… So then…"

"Yes. If there's a Master who can realize my ideal, you may be the only one.

… Very well. I'll become your Garumon."

"Ohh…!"

To recruit her just by ordinary persuasion. This made me so happy…!

"Thank you, Soleil. Equality between Master and Garumon…

I want to aim for this and change the world. Of course, if I push too fast there'll be backlash, so little by little.

But they say lifespans are long in this world, so even if it takes time, I want to realize it.

… At the very least, if I myself respect my Garumon, show an attitude of mutual respect, and on top of that grow strong enough that everyone admires me…

then maybe a trend will be born that my attitude is the right one for a Master to take, and the world will change little by little.

If you're a talented, powerful Garumon, Soleil, then please, lend me your help."

"… I'm… moved. To think you've already thought that far ahead.

… Yes. I don't know how much I can do, but… it's my dream too.

I promise to cooperate to the best of my ability."

And then, Soleil took my hand.

"Mother. I've decided to become Naoto's comrade and set out."

Before departing, Soleil went to report to Astrea-san.

"… That was a quick decision. I thought it would take several meetings to persuade you."

Astrea-san was a little surprised.

"Yes, I was utterly outargued. I was made to realize the shallowness of my own thinking.

I judged him to be a Master who can bridge differences in our views through discussion like that.

I was astonished such a Master exists. And there's surely no other.

I'll become Naoto's Garumon."

"I see… I'm glad.

… Naoto-san, please take good care of my daughter."

Astrea-san bowed her head as she said this. She seemed like a good mother.

"Yes, likewise. I'll raise your daughter into someone splendid."

I made that promise to Astrea-san too.

And then, once we'd left the town of Unitia…

"Now then, the contract."

Saying that, Soleil closed her eyes and tilted her face up.

A kiss…

Is it okay on a first meeting, I wondered, but this was a contract. It couldn't be helped.

I held her by the shoulders and…

… her shoulders were trembling a little. She was nervous… or perhaps a little afraid of contracting.

But there wasn't a moment to spare before contracting.

It would be a problem if some other Master swooped in and snatched her away.

Gently… lightly, I pressed my lips to Soleil's.

… Even in that instant, the soft floral scent that wafted up, the sweet, melting softness of her lips…

Ahh… this girl is, truly… a wonderfully high-value girl, I felt.

"… These skills are strong!"

I couldn't help shouting. No matter how I looked at it, these weren't LV1 skills.

Also, the Non and God elements were something I didn't quite understand.

Non-element, with no merits or demerits, and God, with many merits…

It'd be nice if it took the best of both.

"Is that so? I don't really understand it myself.

… Well, since I'm spouting grandiose talk that overturns this world's very premise, like equality, I'll have to show the power befitting it, won't I?

I will grow strong. Even someone as inexperienced as me knows full well that realizing an ideal takes power."

Soleil smiled boldly like that.

Brimming with talent, beautiful, wonderfully attractive…

… Well, in terms of personality she might be just a bit of a handful, but that was attractive in its own way too.

I'd gained the most wonderful comrade.