Souma, having received assistance from Rendou Kyouka in the bathroom and cleansed himself in a very healthy manner, arrived at the guest room just in time.
As the sliding door was opened for him by Kouzuki Mie, he entered to find his mother, Tomoe, already waiting, dressed in her usual revealing traditional attire. However, the person from the Defense Agency had not yet arrived.
Relieved by this, Souma maintained a poker face and greeted his mother with a "Good morning."
In the context of this world, it would be unrealistic for him to suddenly become a womanizer the day after his first ejaculation. Therefore, Souma decided to gradually change his behavior to avoid suspicion.
However, Tomoe noticed that Kouzuki Mie's cheeks were unusually flushed.
This was not a good sign. Although Rendou Kyouka was taciturn and had a reversed lifestyle, making her less of a concern, Kagetsu Mie had more interactions with Tomoe and was a straightforward person.
Souma sat down naturally next to his mother.
Of course, Tomoe's attention shifted from the maid to her son. Souma was sitting unusually close to her.
Even though they were mother and son, this proximity was unusual. Tomoe felt her heart racing.
"Mother, I am a bit nervous," Souma said, looking down.
"So, Souma..?" Tomoe replied, surprised.
Souma reached out and placed his hand on his mother's knee, overlapping his hand with hers.
He was nervous about the demands that the government official might make, but more importantly, he wanted to avoid being questioned about the details of his healthy act in the bathroom.
Tomoe, who had been on the verge of getting carried away by her son's closeness, snapped back to reality at the sound of Souma's anxious voice.
"Souma Before the official arrives, I want to confirm something. Do you have any idea about what you want to do from now on?"
That was a natural question for a parent and the head of the noble Aoi family. Although Tomoe had begun to see her son as a member of the opposite sex, she separated her personal feelings from her duties.
If Souma wanted to go to the male protection area, she was prepared to accept it.
Souma was internally surprised that the conversation had taken such a serious turn from his attempt to hide his lower body situation, but this was a topic he had been meaning to discuss soon. He straightened his posture and faced Tomoe.
He could sense his mother's strong resolve, which was likely due to the fact that many male transcenders who had gained their abilities wanted to live independently.
Souma decided to come up with a plan.
"...Mother, I have always been studying hard because I didn't want to go to the male protection area. I was looking for a way to avoid it because I didn't want to leave you and the others in the mansion."
"So, Souma...?" Tomoe replied, taken aback.
It was a made-up explanation, but Souma wanted to draw out his mother's true feelings rather than her official stance.
He remembered the feeling of holding hands in the car and the sweet tension that came with it. If that was just his imagination, he could laugh it off, but if it was real, he didn't want to ignore her feelings.
"But now that I have abilities, there's no need to study excessively anymore... Mother. I will stay in the shared living district, in this house. Because I want to be with everyone, and more than anyone, I want to be with you, Mother, forever."
"Th-thank you...♡ Souma-kun, I'm so happy..." Tomoe replied, her voice trembling.
They naturally held each other's hands, leaning in close, their faces just inches apart, as if they were about to kiss.
Tomoe could hear Kouzuki Mie sniffling, but she ignored it for now.
"...Will you accept me?" Souma whispered.
Tomoe was speechless, her eyes fixed on her son's approaching lips. Her heart raced, and she struggled to control her breathing, not wanting to seem too eager.
Just as their lips were about to touch, the sliding door opened, and Tomoe instinctively pulled away from Souma, turning to face the door.
"Madam, Souma-sama. The official from the Defense Agency has arrived. May I show them in?"
It was the head maid, Saikawa Tsubame, who asked this question without batting an eye, despite witnessing the near-kiss between mother and son.
"Ahem! There is no problem. Tsubame-san, please show them in," Tomoe replied, her face flushed.
She had the innocent charm of a thirty-four-year-old woman who had never known a man.
Souma found this mismatch between her age and innocence incredibly charming. Although he was disappointed that their moment had been interrupted, he looked forward to slowly enjoying the changes in her.
Souma planned to gradually show his interest in women, avoiding suspicion from his mother and the maids, while secretly pursuing sexual relationships with the women in the mansion. To do this smoothly, he needed to gain the support of influential people.
Souma smiled at the head maid, Saikawa Tsubame.
Tsubame, who was slightly younger than Tomoe, had been Souma's personal maid for two years before he was born. She understood the old Souma better than anyone, even his mother.
Souma judged that it was important to gain her favor to avoid suspicion about his changed personality. Tsubame was extremely devoted to Souma, almost to the point of obsession.
Tsubame was surprised and excited by Souma's rare smile, but she quickly regained her composure and bowed before leaving the room.
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"Souma-sama, we would like you to actively participate in social service activities until your abilities are fully under control. Of course, you can limit your services to noblewomen if you prefer. We are prepared to support you as much as possible."
The woman who entered, escorted by the head maid Saikawa Tsubame, was in her early twenties, dressed in a black suit.
She was Hebiishi Yuriko from the Defense Agency, with sleek black hair down to her waist and a stern expression. She got straight to the point, conveying the government's requests in a businesslike manner. Unlike most women in this world, she showed no friendly attitude towards men.
However, her outfit was anything but businesslike. Her skirt was a tight mini with a deep slit in the front and back, revealing her underwear. Her blouse was open down to her navel, showing off her cleavage.
Souma was not bothered by her stern attitude, seeing her as just an erotic older sister playing a role.
Tomoe, however, was not so forgiving.
"...Hebiishi Yuriko, is it? You have quite the manner of speaking. Normally, a man's social duties are supposed to be completed after a month following the mastery, specifically the semen donation obligation. And that's a matter that applies only to non-ability men, correct?"
The atmosphere in the room turned tense. Tomoe, Kouzuki Mie, and Saikawa Tsubame all glared at Yuriko.
"As of now, Souma-sama is still considered a non-ability man, isn't he? This is just a request. There is no legal issue from any angle. The decision is up to Souma-sama."
Yuriko remained composed under the intense gazes of the powerful women.
"However, we strongly hope that Souma-sama will understand and fulfill the 'duty of the nobility.' Please make a wise decision."
Yuriko's words were a thinly veiled demand for Souma to sacrifice himself for the country, despite his young age.
Tomoe's expression hardened, and she seemed ready to eliminate Yuriko if she caused any shock to Souma. Kouzuki Mie and Saikawa Tsubame were also on high alert.
Souma, however, saw this as an opportunity to learn more about Yuriko. Why was she so fearless, or perhaps ignorant, in the face of the powerful Aoi family?
"Indeed, it would be a disgrace for a male transcender not to perform social service," Souma said calmly.
"Souma-kun?!" Tomoe exclaimed in shock.
"But there is no need for concern. I intended to go to the general area for social service from the beginning."
Everyone in the room was stunned by Souma's words. Male transcenders had no need to earn money, as they received generous support from the government in exchange for their monthly ejaculation duty. They could limit their services to noblewomen, who were trained to interact with men.
Yuriko was speechless. She had never heard of a man volunteering to serve in the general area.
"...Excuse me, Souma-sama. ...Why?" she finally managed to ask.
"This country is protected by the warrior class transcenders, the 'samurai.' And the nobles who produce these transcenders are special."
Souma's words sounded arrogant, and Yuriko frowned, her teeth grinding audibly.
"But who ensures that the samurai have enough to eat and can focus on their training? Who allows us nobles to fulfill our duties? Who ensures that men can live safely in the male protection areas?"
Souma paused, glancing at Kouzuki Mie before continuing.
"It is the women in the general area who support all of this. If we are to fulfill our duty as nobles, we should repay those who support us."
Yuriko was at a loss for words. She had never considered such a perspective.
"As far as I can remember, there is no 'Hebiiishi' family in the cohabitation special zone. ...Yuriko-san, you are from the general area, aren't you?"
"Y-yes..." Yuriko stammered, her voice barely audible.
"Then you must know what the women in the general area dream of. ...I want to be the man who makes their dreams come true."
Yuriko's worldview crumbled as she listened to Souma's words. She had never met a nobleman, let alone a transcender, who cared about the dreams of women in the general area.
Souma's interest in her, despite knowing her background, was unprecedented.
"I want to be the man who makes their dreams come true," Souma repeated, his eyes filled with determination.
Yuriko's preconceptions shattered, and she found herself at a loss for words. Souma's perspective was something she had never considered, and it challenged everything she knew.