Chapter Eight: Yohan Harsen, the Special-Class Mage
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The Imperial Bureau Headquarters.
"I am Yohan Harsen, here to take the Special-Class Mage examination. I will also be joining the upcoming reconnaissance mission. I look forward to working with you all."
As Yohan stepped past the training grounds and into the building, he bowed politely and introduced himself.
The officers preparing for the Demon's Lair reconnaissance mission fell silent, utterly at a loss for words.
'What the hell?'
'Is he a saint?'
"How can someone look like that?'
His face was perfectly proportioned, as if sculpted with divine precision. His noble and serene features appeared so harmonious, they seemed crafted by a master artist.
His deep and delicate eyes reflected the clarity of a pristine lake, with a subtle sharpness that hinted at hidden stories.
He was mesmerizing, to the point where it was hard to look away. His appearance was almost otherworldly, as if he were of a different species entirely.
"What are you all doing? Won't you greet him?"
Breaking the spell of awe, a burly man with massive muscles approached Yohan with an easygoing smile.
"Welcome, Special-Class Mage Harsen. May I call you Yohan?"
"Of course. Please feel free to address me informally."
"Haha! I like this guy already."
The muscular man extended his large hand, and Yohan, maintaining a calm expression, grasped it firmly.
"I'm Tersis Galectico, the second son of the Marquis Galectico and Deputy-Commander of the Second Division. Nice to meet you, Yohan."
"Likewise. I look forward to working with you."
Pleased with Yohan's polite response, Tersis laughed heartily and looked around at the frozen officers.
"Well then, introduce yourselves properly. I've got paperwork to take care of."
"Yes, Deputy-Commander!"
"Oh, and Yohan, the Commander is currently at the palace. You'll meet him at tonight's welcome party."
"Understood."
With one final hearty laugh, Tersis exited the building.
After a brief pause, the other officers began approaching Yohan one by one to introduce themselves.
"P-Pleased to meet you. I'm Kassar."
"Ah, Harsen! Welcome aboard."
"Glad to have you with us!"
Although Yohan's aura was somewhat intimidating, making their greetings a bit awkward, the members of the Second Division warmly welcomed him.
"Thank you for the kind welcome. I am truly honored to be here."
At that moment, a knight stepped forward and casually slung an arm over Yohan's shoulder.
"Haha! No need to keep your distance. You're already on a first-name basis with Deputy-Commander Tersis, after all. Just call me Merdin."
"Feel free to call me Yohan as well."
As Yohan and the officers exchanged pleasantries, a red-haired woman approached him with a gentle smile.
"Nice to meet you, Special-Class Mage Harsen. May I call you Yohan as well?"
Yohan's expression hardened as he looked at her. His discomfort wasn't because an unfamiliar woman had approached him so casually.
'Violet Ratalen.'
She was ranked fifth among the people Yohan needed to be wary of in his life.
'I didn't expect to meet her here.'
Violet Ratalen was the eldest daughter of the Marquis Ratalen and a woman infatuated with Cassis Lenokhonen.
She caused trouble because Cassis, who harbored feelings for Francia, didn't return her affections.
"Pleased to meet you. You may call me Yohan."
"Wow, not only are you handsome, but you're kind too."
Violet chuckled softly.
"How about we have a meal together sometime? I don't mind when."
She tilted her head slightly, looking up at Yohan, her red hair cascading over her shoulder.
"A meal…?"
"Yes, perhaps with a glass of wine?"
Her fox-like smile exuded a seductive charm, but Yohan's gaze remained unmoved.
"If you invite me, I'll attend."
"Oh my, I didn't think you'd accept."
Violet covered her mouth with her hand, laughing again. Although Yohan felt uneasy, he couldn't outright refuse her.
Even if she was a First-Class Mage ranked below him, he couldn't disregard her position in the Bureau.
'It's just part of navigating society.'
An outright rejection could create a bad first impression. It was better to humor her at first and gradually distance himself later.
It wasn't about trying to win her favor—he was simply concerned about how others would perceive him.
"Well then, I look forward to it."
"Likewise."
Violet gave him a meaningful smile as she brushed her hand over his shoulder in a suggestive manner.
"...."
Yohan averted his gaze, watching her walk away.
'She's part of the Second Division? From the rumors I heard at social gatherings, I thought she'd joined the First Division with Cassis.'
Violet hadn't joined the Bureau out of any grand ideals or a desire to protect the empire. She had only joined to be closer to Cassis.
'Looks like things didn't go as she'd hoped.'
Joining the elite First Division required a recommendation from the imperial family, which was why Crown Prince Fedelian was leading the Second Bureau instead.
'Things will get troublesome after this reconnaissance mission.'
The First and Second Divisions would meet during the demon's lair reconnaissance. The moment Cassis saw Francia, he would undoubtedly develop feelings for her.
Then Violet would undoubtedly start causing trouble.
'There's no way to preemptively stop it.'
It wasn't possible to exclude Francia from the reconnaissance mission, nor could he constantly keep her hidden. Even if it worked for a while, it would eventually be discovered.
Of course, there was a chance that a male protagonist like Cassis wouldn't fall for Francia. After all, the future could change now that a variable like Yohan Harsen had been introduced.
However, Yohan didn't think that chance was very high.
'The first reason Cassis became attracted to Francia was her stunning beauty.'
The next reason was her unyielding nature, which ignited the male protagonists' competitive spirits.
Normally, one might lose interest after such challenges, but as expected of madmen, they didn't give up so easily.
'…I'll think about this problem later. First, I need to finish greeting everyone.'
As Yohan continued exchanging introductions with the other officers one by one, a woman stood frozen behind him, watching his every move.
'Yohan? What was that just now?'
It was Francia.
She had witnessed the way the First-Class Mage Violet Ratalen had so brazenly approached Yohan, and how he hadn't pushed her away.
She could understand it, of course—after all, it was his first day, and he needed to make a good impression.
But still…
'Ugh…!'
The idea of her man being touched by another woman was something she couldn't tolerate.
'I'll have to talk to him later.'
She'd make it very clear that he wasn't to get too close to other women.
Of course, she didn't believe Yohan would betray her or cheat on her.
The problem was…
'What if the other women try as hard as I did?'
The real issue was the women themselves. What if they, like her, decided to seduce Yohan by plying him with alcohol and subtly leading him into their chambers?
A drunk Yohan was extremely dangerous. His rationality would be half gone, leaving him unable to make sound judgments.
When they had spent their first night together, even a slight temptation had been enough to make him completely succumb to her. She couldn't dismiss the possibility that it might happen again.
'And Yohan has a low tolerance for alcohol.'
Even a single glass of wine was enough to get him tipsy. During a party they had attended, he had passed out after just four glasses.
While it might seem simple to keep him from drinking, that was impossible given the welcome party being held in honor of the new Special-Class Mage.
Yohan wouldn't be able to refuse the drinks offered by his seniors—it was all part of social etiquette. And Francia wouldn't be able to protect him in such a setting.
If word got out about Yohan's low tolerance, other women might exploit that vulnerability, just as she had.
'I need to be especially vigilant when that time comes.'
She couldn't let herself be like a mother leaving her child unattended near water. Resolving to protect him, Francia steeled herself to fend off any sly women that might approach him.
Meanwhile…
Yohan, in the middle of exchanging greetings, suddenly felt a chill.
A cold sensation ran down the back of his neck, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
'…What is this?'
He quickly turned his head and saw Francia staring at him from a distance.
The source of the chill was none other than her.
'It's because I greeted Violet Ratalen so amicably.'
Having been forced to develop keen instincts from a young age, Yohan immediately understood the reason for Francia's reaction.
'Well, Francia should be able to understand. It's just part of socializing.'
At that moment, Francia met his gaze, gave him a small nod, and subtly gestured toward the door leading outside the Bureau building.
'She must want to talk to me.'
Yohan smiled faintly and addressed the officers.
"Oh, now that I think about it, I left something outside. I'll step out for a moment."
"Ah… Oh, sure. Go ahead…"
With another soft smile, Yohan excused himself and walked outside.
"Wow…"
One of the women—a First-Class Mage named Rudbekia—unconsciously let her mouth fall open as she watched him leave.
'He's ridiculously handsome.'
***
Behind the Imperial Bureau building, Francia checked to make sure no one was around before burying her face in Yohan's chest.
"…Francia?"
Yohan was startled by her sudden touch but didn't let it show.
Francia lifted her head to look at him, offering a somewhat awkward smile.
"Ah, haha. It's been a while since we last met. I just wanted to see you alone."
"I see."
That was understandable. After all, they hadn't seen each other in a month. Yohan smiled as he patted Francia's head.
"How have you been this past month?"
"Terrible…"
Francia buried her face in his chest again and let out a deep sigh.
"So many things annoyed me… And I was sad because I couldn't see you."
"Haha."
Yohan chuckled softly. He found her childish demeanor rather endearing.
"But I came back quickly, didn't I?"
"Yes. Honestly, I still can't believe it. How did you master advanced magic in just one month?"
"I worked hard so I could see you again."
He added, "And also to earn the Duke's recognition."
If he didn't perform at least decently in the reconnaissance test, everything would fall apart.
Not only would he lose the chance to be with Francia, but he likely wouldn't survive either.
"If it's you, Yohan, I'm sure you'll pass the test without any trouble. Because it's you."
"Thank you for believing in me. I'll do my best to meet your expectations."
"Good."
As they looked at each other and slowly closed their eyes, the sound of footsteps rustling through the leaves interrupted the moment.
"Oh."
Instinctively, they turned their heads toward the noise. A man holding a cigarette stood there.
"Ahem, I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. This is just my usual smoking spot, and… Ah, crap. Why is this branch here?"
Clearly flustered by the awkward situation, the man rambled on.
"Uh, it seems like a secret, so I won't tell anyone. Ahem, I'm good at keeping secrets! Oh, and for the record, I also have a fiancée I plan to propose to after the next mission. Haha. I fully support passionate love!"
Despite his excuses, neither Francia nor Yohan said a word, remaining frozen in place.
"Well, I'll be on my way now. Haha! I can smoke somewhere else. Enjoy your love!"
The man vanished in an instant, his footsteps barely audible.
"We've been caught," Francia muttered, her expression darkening.
Yohan shrugged. "It's not like we were keeping it a secret. It's fine."
In reality, it was far from fine. If Crown Prince Fedelian found out, he wouldn't let Yohan off easily.
But Yohan wasn't afraid. What could the prince possibly do to a Special-Class Mage who had joined the Bureau? Even that instant-noodle prince wouldn't act rashly.
'At most, he'll try some petty tricks.'
Now that he had mastered advanced magic and the Tome of Calamity, there wasn't much to fear—unless a Master-level knight targeted him.
Francia pouted and apologized.
"…I'm sorry. I was being childish."
"It's understandable. It's been a while since we last met."
Yohan didn't mind at all. Instead, he comforted her, stroking her head and pulling her closer.
"By the way, didn't you want to talk about something?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"Your eyes earlier—they were full of things you wanted to say."
"Oh."
Francia blushed and averted her gaze.
"Well, soon, the members of the Second Division will gather for a party to welcome you."
She straightened her expression and added,
"At that party, you need to be careful with alcohol. If the female officers learn how weak you are to alcohol, they might… target you, like I did—"
"Target me?"
"No, no! Haha. That was a slip of the tongue! Uh, anyway, just be cautious, okay?"
Though Yohan was momentarily puzzled by her words, he didn't press her. It was only natural to make a slip of the tongue when flustered.
"I'll… be careful with alcohol."
"Even if the Deputy-Commander insists you down a shot, don't do it!"
"I understand."
Yohan smiled faintly. Francia, finally reassured, relaxed her tense expression.
"Good. There's a lot more I want to say, but I'll save it for later."
"Wise choice. We have plenty of time."
With soft smiles, Yohan and Francia returned to the building.
That evening, a welcome party was held at the Second Division for Yohan.
…And the female officers quietly had their sights set on him.