"So, it's kind of a... rank assignment mission."
"Yes. Your mission, Suguru, is to supervise and protect Zoro."
It's a second-grade mission, not even a first-grade mission that Geto usually takes on. The task is to assess Zoro's abilities and characteristics at the mission location, and if necessary, protect Zoro and return to the school to report.
Although it was better than what he first heard, Geto was not completely convinced.
"..."
Ieiri stood up from her seat, walked away from the children to a more distant spot, and opened a window. Then she started smoking a cigarette, an uncommon act for her in the classroom. Yaga, who would usually reprimand her for this, said nothing today.
"You're a reverse curse user. You're highly likely to be targeted by cursed spirits. That's why we're protecting you."
Long ago, at the age of ten, Ieiri Shoko was suddenly separated from her parents and had to stay in the medical room of the main office for protection, because she was a reverse curse user. Smoking her cigarette roughly, she remembered her past.
Even Shoko Ieiri, who was ten years old at that time. Zoro was not even in double digits in age yet.
"...He's got a tough fate."
Feeling pity, Shoko took a throat lozenge from her pocket and tossed it to Zoro, who caught it reflexively.
"...? Thanks."
Not knowing why but feeling thankful, he accepted it.
Gojo grumbled too.
"How do they assess grades like this? The main office is totally messed up."
Normally, when measuring a sorcerer's grade for the first time, they check the person's curse technique and the amount of energy. Then, they observe how the curse technique is used or refer to past experiences of using the curse technique.
But Zoro is a non-sorcerer. His energy is minimal, and he doesn't have a curse technique at all. Naturally, the upper management found it difficult to assign a grade.
Therefore, the main office decided to assign Zoro a mission to accurately assess his strength, ability, and grade. Of course, since he's quite young, under the supervision and protection of a first-grade sorcerer.
"—That's just the official reason."
Yaga thought to himself.
Considering Zoro has already single-handedly slashed through special-grade curses, there have been plenty of opportunities to confirm his strength. They just didn't want to accept it.
The existence of a non-sorcerer as powerful as a sorcerer.
That's why they hope Zoro leaves the world of sorcery.
It doesn't necessarily have to mean death. That would be too ugly. After all, the main office is funded by the government of non-sorcerers. If they really wished him dead, they wouldn't have sent Geto with him, nor would they have explicitly written in the official document "If Zoro refuses, do not insist and send Geto alone" three times.
What they truly hope for is that Zoro will refuse the mission, whether out of disobedience or fear. If Zoro tries to return to the sorcery world after growing further, they can block him by citing his previous refusal to comply with the sorcery world.
"I cannot accept this, sir," Geto said with a stern face.
"Regardless of his power, Zoro is a non-sorcerer. Moreover, he's only six years old. There's no reason for him to accept a mission to fight curses."
Geto acknowledges Zoro's power, even knowing it's strong enough to rival Gojo at his current state.
But Zoro is just six years old, not yet enrolled in elementary school. Assigning a mission to such a child, even with a first-grade sorcerer attached?
Geto's argument was sound, leaving Yaga rubbing his forehead. Yaga had been shouting something similar at the upper management over the phone just moments before.
This could result in Zoro developing a negative impression of the sorcery world.
"Perhaps they're hoping a bit more for that," Yaga thought to himself.
The upper echelons certainly do not welcome the emergence of a non-sorcerer capable of fighting curses, especially the Zenin family.
"It's not Zenin, it's not a sorcerer; if it's not a sorcerer, it's not human."
This saying has been passed down for a long time.
It's not rare for sorcerers from prestigious sorcerer families to have pride in their lineage and a sense of superiority. However, the Zenin are particularly notorious for it. With non-sorcerers continuing to emerge even within the Zenin, it's no wonder they find it irksome.
Either comply with the mission and risk danger, or quietly disappear from this world forever. Yaga understood the upper echelon's intention.
Of course, so did Zoro.
"I'm disappointed, sir."
"Stop it, Suguru."
Zoro intervened to stop Geto. Zoro glanced briefly at Yaga.
'Someone was yelling from the direction of the staff room earlier, so it was about this.'
With Toji out on a mission, it was clear that Yaga was the one who had been angry. Meaning, he neither intended nor planned nor condoned this incident.
There's no point in taking it out on the wrong person. If targeting someone, it should be those who concocted and executed this plan. After pondering for a moment, Zoro asked Yaga,
"Does my father know?"
"I talked to him just now."
That simplifies things, Zoro thought to himself and took out his phone from his pocket.
The call was picked up immediately by Toji.
["Did you hear?"]
"I heard."
["Looks like those old farts in the upper echelons are itching to return to the dirt."]
Toji's voice from the other side sounded relaxed yet ominous, like a hunting dog tensed and ready to leap at any enemies of its master.
["What shall I do for you?"]
To Zoro's contemplative question, Toji subtly inquired.
"I don't particularly want to become a sorcerer."
Coming to the school was because he quite liked it here, not because he wanted to be a sorcerer or to impress the upper echelons. If the upper echelons refuse to accept him, it's not like he plans to quietly disappear. If anyone should disappear, it's them.
["Know that. So, should I just wipe out all those guys up top?"]
"Let's do the mission first. Want to see their faces."
He wasn't thrilled about doing exactly as the upper echelons commanded. Zoro clicked his tongue. Toji, too, was surprised Zoro intended to go through with the mission and asked in a surprised voice.
["You're really going to do it?"]
"Something leaves a bad taste."
It was Zoro's intuition. It seemed like it would be extremely bothersome if he didn't go.
'And that guy seems a bit off too.'
Zoro had noticed that Geto seemed about to say something important earlier. And that he was wavering.
What it was about or why he was wavering, Zoro couldn't say. But since he seemed uneasy, Zoro didn't want to send him off alone to a place that gave him such a strong uneasy feeling.
Reading the firm decision in Zoro's voice, Toji knew he couldn't dissuade him. Then, the only option was to go together.
["Give me the location of the mission. I'm coming too."]
"What about work?"
["You're much more important than that."]
Well, that's true. Zoro relayed the location he had received from Geto.
["See you there."]
"Okay."
After hanging up, Zoro looked back at Yaga.
"I'll do the mission. Please take care of my siblings."
"Zoro, that's—"
"It's okay."
I might be a kid, but I'm not weak.
Unable to deny Zoro's following words, Geto stayed silent. Gojo sprawled across a desk, whining.
"I wanna go with Suguru and Zoro too!"
"Are you three years old? Get a grip."
"Waaah."
Gojo, grabbing Megumi next to him like a doll and rubbing his face against Megumi's spiky hair, elicited a deep sigh from Megumi.
"Be patient."
"So mean! You know how many people covet my embrace!"
"I'm not one of them."
Megumi hopped down from Gojo's embrace and quietly returned to his seat. At that moment, everyone in the room thought Megumi seemed older than Gojo.
Lipping his lips in frustration, Gojo suddenly turned.
"Oh, right. If we're going to sweep up the rotten oranges together, you have to call me, okay?"
"Rotten oranges, Satoru?"
"Why, isn't it true?"
Just one rotten orange can quickly spread mold to the others. If those are swarming, even one or two good oranges will soon rot.
Zoro, looking somewhat appalled, asked.
"I mean, it's one thing for me since I'm not a sorcerer. But can you really say that, Satoru?"
"Don't worry about it."
Concerns like the backlash from opposing the upper echelons, the operational vacuum after dealing with them, or the resentment from other ordinary sorcerers.
It wasn't that such thoughts didn't cross his mind. Likely, sweeping away the upper echelons would cause significant turmoil.
'But,'
Gojo glanced between Geto and Zoro.
'I just can't see us losing.'
No, it's impossible to lose.
Failure was not an option.
With them together, there was nothing Gojo couldn't do.
"We're the strongest."
Satoru declared confidently with a sure smile. Faced with his friend's shadowless laughter, Geto couldn't help but smile along.
"Showing off."
Ieiri snuffed out his cigarette stub with a harsh remark.
Well, those two garbage bags did fit the bill, after all.
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