Chapter 3: Chapter 3 – Interview

Welp, I suppose this was the most likely outcome, but dammit I made it so close! I knew I should have defected when I got the chance. Before I could this child which Being X basically put on Magical drugs had to find me of course. I can’t escape when they’re about the only one capable of keeping up with me in speed. Unfortunately, they’re also equal, if not superior in mana.

 

Right now, I’m completely out, I’d imagine she’s on her last supply too, but she still has just enough left. I might be able to survive this fall, but then it's probably only a matter of time before she finds me and finishes me off with whatever bullets she has left.

 

Looking at it, this death is very much reminiscent of my last one, being pushed into a train by someone overtaken by emotions. It's the same here, except instead of a train, I’m being pushed down to my death most likely.

 

Hm? Now that I look up is that…?

 

A bombing raid? No, there's only three planes… B-29s… Yep… I’m fucked. Seems Being X’s final goodbye is to make damned well sure I don’t survive this, considering the planes are about to fly right overhead.

 

What a way to go, being at ground zero of the first nuclear bomb dropped on a nation, the symbol of the start of a new era, one which will inevitably lead humanity either to its destruction, or to the scientific world I was originally born into. Either way, Being X loses.

 

Then time stopped.

 

“You remember what I said. No third chances. I’ll give you one last chance to repent your sins and I shall grant you eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

 

“Yeah, right. You failed Being X, but you’ve proved me wrong in one department… Not even dire straights can make a man pray. Face it, you’re becoming irrelevant in my world and you’re on track to become irrelevant here. Is it that your power comes from faith? If thats the case you’re scared then, aren’t you… You realize each world inevitably heads towards atheism and that there’s nothing you can do about it.”

 

“The words of the unfaithful do not phase me, however in honor of your second chance and your failure to accept my existence regardless of the miracles I have bestowed upon you, I will curse you to eternal torment within said miracle.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Your own personal hell within the Type 95. You’ll be able to look at the world through it while your mortal soul is constantly in neverending torment! You should consider this a mercy, or perhaps its a curse. It matters not to me. This world has failed me as it took the whole world to crush one devil, I have no need for it any longer, I have others. Enjoy your eternal turmoil, maybe you’ll get to look through a museum somewhere.”

 

Being X began chuckling as his voice drifted off before time slowly continued again.

 

Then the flash.

 

Then the end.

---

The four Forgers all stood in the hallway, the day of the interview arriving and Loid still somewhat panicked about how it will go. He had much more confidence in Tanya, however Anya was the one he had fears about. Unfortunately he couldn’t just get rid of her now, and besides he believed she might end up making up for what Tanya lacks. However for now he must make sure they actually have a chance to prove that.

 

“The time has come. Let us check our personal effects.”

 

Yor quickly checked her bag, “All clear, sir.”

 

“And now, our appearances.”

 

Yor quickly adjusted her hair, her dress, and tidied up Anya’s clothing before spending a solid minute trying to push down Tanya’s ahoge to no avail before giving up and pretending it wasn’t there. “All clear, sir.”

 

“And a final check of our verbal etiquette.”

 

Anya tensed up, “All set, please. Will do my best, please.”

 

Tanya saluted, “All set, sir.”

 

Loid felt incredibly anxious, never before had he had so little control over an operation, but he had no choice now, it was too late to change anything, there was only one direction: Onwards!

 

With that the four of them left, eventually approaching the proud fortress of a school that was Eden Academy. Numerous families walked down the path towards the interviewing rooms. Some families gave off an aura of wealth, power and influence, whereas others seemed to nearly tremble and break from the pressure.

 

The Forgers, however, were prepared. Loid knew almost instantly that they were being watched, and within mere moments pinpointed the locations of numerous staff watching from the windows above them, realizing this test was just as much the interview as it was the process to it, though he had anticipated this.

 

Loid continued looking straight as he silently spoke to the others, “Be on guard, the examiners are already watching us. Continue as we practiced.” Loid was undeniably the best ‘in character’ his form proud and tall, Yor wasn’t too far behind, masking any anxieties behind a motherly smile, Anya was certainly trying her best, she was somewhat stiff, however for the time being that was enough as she seemed to understand the importance of the situation, Tanya on the other hand was firm rather than stiff, walking proudly and commandingly as one would expect from a leader, a testament to her former years in the Imperial Military.

 

From within the building they continued to be watched as the Forgers stopped at the statue of the founder, placing their hands on their chest in respect. Tanya and Loid were focused on fulfilling their part of the act, Yor was simply following Loid, and Anya was distracted by his bald head, nevertheless they continued forwards shortly afterwards.

 

From the second floor, Henry Henderson, an older man seemingly in his 60s as well as one of the leading figures in Eden Academy looked down at the Forget family in awe at their elegance before turning to the teachers behind him, “Who is that family?!”

 

A teacher looked down at their clipboard before explaining, “K-212, they are the Forgers, sir. It consists of twin daughters Tanya and Anya, Anya having barely passed the test with a score of 31 whereas her sister Tanya passed overwhelmingly with a perfect 100 score.”

 

The teacher handed Henderson the clipboard as he seemed appalled by the handwriting of the first child, “Absolutely not elegant! And such awful penmanship!” He flipped to the next page where Tanya’s test was, amazed at the quality of it, surpassing that of even some of the best students of their age, considering they were all children and even the best of them had only above average handwriting, “This, however, is absolute elegance! Wonderful penmanship too! It makes me wonder how exactly these two are related…”

 

As the Forgers continued their way down Eden Academy’s campus they came across a child who had been stuck in a grate. From the building Henderson watched with anticipation to see how they would handle the situation. Suddenly Loid stepped his foot into the murky water and pulled the boy out onto his feet. At that moment Henderson lost his faith in the forgers until a second later they changed into new clothes, having supposedly ‘anticipated this’, leaving Henderson in further shock at the family’s elegance.

 

Having passed the first part of the test the Forgers were sent off to head to the actual interview, numerous families already being filtered out as they continued forwards until again interrupted. From behind was a wave of panic and screams as animals began stampeding through Eden Academy.

 

The teachers panicked as they realized what they were handling was an actual accident, rather than something planned as bulls, horses, pigs, and all sorts of animals began running amok. Loid barely managed to duck in fast enough to save a young boy from a stampeding cow, the tail end of his coat getting torn up in the process as Yor quickly handed the nearly-passed out Anya to Loid before quickly leaving the cow paralyzed in just a few seconds with specific hits to key points, leaving Loid, Anya, and Tanya in shock.

 

Yor quickly sprung up to defend herself, “W-We learned points to quickly stop a person in yoga class s-so I thought it’d work on a cow too…”

 

A second later Anya began to approach the cow before beginning to pet it, “It’s okay, please don’t be scared.”

 

Being so close to the cow prompted Loid to quickly snatch Anya away before the cow stood up again, turning away and leaving with the rest of the animals, again amazing the observing Henderson with their elegance, prompting him to immediately rush out of the building to meet the Forgers directly.

 

Henderson quickly launched out of the door, shouting out to Loid, “Forger!” Prompting him to turn around, noticing the Housemaster, speculating that he was likely the one in charge of the exam. “Y-You helped us avoid a crisis. I thank you. You have bested me for today, to give us all time to collect ourselves after this chaos, we will be delaying the start of the interviews. Return to your hall after you’ve had a moment to tidy yourselves, your family has a right to apply to our school.”

 

Loid was relieved, with the first part of the interview having been successfully passed, they could move onto the next step. “I thank your generosity, but have no fear,” in a moment the Forger family was again dressed in new clothes, “we anticipated something like this, and prepared another set of clothes.”

 

This officially broke the Housemaster, both confusing, shocking, and scaring him all at the same time as their actions transcended elegance into the realm of the terrifying. Regardless they proceeded to the next stage of the process, the actual interview.

---

Loid had handled many missions, from ones nearly bringing about the deaths of hundreds to thousands to others which were beyond challenging, yet despite all of that, none of them prepared him for today, and never had he been so nervous. Never before was the fate of a mission so vitally placed in the hands of others, others, or specifically a single child, which I lacked full confidence in. Yor could play her part and Tanya was already a model child for this school without acting, however Anya was his main concern, part of him wished he simply went with Tanya alone, but it was too late now, and in truth Anya could prove useful in establishing other connections. Tanya had more than enough capabilities to fulfill the main mission, however he doubted her ability to make friends, whereas Anya was outgoing, and while she may not fit in with all of the students immediately, given her outgoing nature she would find a way in regardless… At least that's what he hoped.

 

None of that mattered now, as for Loid, it was a crucial moment in Operation Strix, for Anya, it was an important moment in maintaining this new family and helping her spy of a father, for Tanya, it was a decisive point in deciding her future, and for Yor it was really just a matter of helping her fake husband.

 

As they were brought into the room, each of them sat at their own seats, Loid and Yor sitting across from the interviewers and Tanya and Anya sitting to the side, with them having to bring out another chair considering they were handling twins. The interviewers were Walter Evans, a more conservative and sincere man who would likely favor logical, straight-forward answers, Murdoch Swan, an arrogant and greedy man who it was best to just leave unagitated, and Henry Henderson, a man who the Forgers have already left a positive impression on supposedly.

 

As they sat down, Housemaster Evans spoke first, “First, we will begin by asking the parents a few questions. I was informed that this is your second wife. May I ask how you two met?”

 

Eden Academy prioritized family values, so the question was straight to the point, however at the same time it was predictable, and Loid already knew his answer, not that he needed to put much effort into making one up. “I met my wife at the tailor shop that handles this school’s uniforms and I was in awe of her grace. Ever since I lost my first wife, I was hesitant to pursue another relationship because of my daughters. But the more we spoke, the more I felt that she was a kindred spirit. She is truly kind and cares dearly about family. I came to the conclusion that she’d get along well with my daughters.”

 

You are reading story Mage×Family at novel35.com

Evans seemed satisfied with Loid’s answer, moving onto Yor next, “Ah… And what about you, Madam?”

 

Yor wasn’t quite as prepared as Loid was, however was still capable of putting forth her best effort, “Well L-Loid is a wonderful person who truly cares for his daughter. He’s also very considerate of me.”

 

Evans again seemed satisfied with the answer, “I’m happy to hear that you have such a loving family.”

 

Housemaster Swan, on the other hand, was less pleased, or rather he was franky jealous due to his own divorce and loss of custody of his daughter. “Why would a beautiful girl like you choose to be with a man who’s got baggage?”

 

Henderson seemed displeased with Swan’s response, commenting “That was rather uncouth, Master Swan.”

 

Regardless, Evans moved on, “Now for our next question. Could you tell us why you chose to apply to our school?”

 

Loid was quick to respond, the answer was simple and the question even more so, “The answer is simple, the quality of the instructors at this establishment is superior. Of course, you are all very knowledgeable and cultured, but when it comes to teaching anything, from patriotism to how to be an elite, the instructors of the prestigious Eden College are second to none.”

 

Henderson seemed to enjoy the answer especially, though the interview continued as Evans read out the next question, “Now then, how would the two of you describe your daughters? Please let us know about their strengths and weaknesses.”

 

“Anya is an extremely curious child. Her habit of sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong could be seen as a weakness, but she is a truly intelligent child.” Henderson found it difficult to believe this. “Sometimes, it’s like she sees right through me, which keeps me on my feet. I would say that her main shortcoming is that she’s a picky eater.” Anya seemed nervous but was keeping it at least somewhat on the inside, though just barely as Loid moved onto the next child, “Tanya is very different from her sister, she’s silent and likes to read a lot, especially books far out of her conventional reach, and similarly is quite intelligent as well.” Henderson was more willing to believe it this time. “It always seems like she’s analyzing every decision and she always seems deep in thought. Her only real shortcoming I would say is that she likes to remain mostly secluded, though some might see that as a strength judging how well she studies and reads.”

 

Continuing onwards, Evans asked Yor, “And how would you describe your parenting style, Madam?”

 

Yor had practiced for this question, so she knew what to answer, “As you already know, I am not their biological mother. At first, I spoiled them quite often in hopes that they would like me. But for the sake of her future, I’m hoping I can become a bit stricter at times.”

 

“We’ve been told that your daughter is a picky eater. What kind of meals do you cook at home?”

 

Yor had not prepared for this question, “Huh? C-Cook?”

 

Taking control over the situation, Loid stepped in, “I actually do most of the cooking. Though when I’m busy, my wife is kind enough to cook for me.”

 

Swan seemed outraged at this, though to be fair he had basically been looking for a reason to be outraged this entire time, “You’re joking! What kind of wife can’t cook for her husband?! You should probably be stricter with yourself before you worry about that child.”

 

“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. She is extremely tidy and excels at keeping our house spotless. She is also an excellent mother to my daughters.”

 

“Yes, well, both of those are things women are expected to do.”

 

“Thats-”

 

Yor interjected, seemingly detecting that this may get off track if Loid tried to defend her too much, “I-It’s all right, Loid.”

 

Now done with the parents, Evans turned towards Anya and Tanya, “N-Next let’s ask the young ladies some questions. First, can you tell us your name and address?”

 

“My name is Anya Holger! My address is in… Berlint, West District… 128 Park… Avenue!” Anya stumbled out, barely managing to remember it all, though pronounced half of it wrong through her half-mumbled speech.

 

Tanya went next, “My name is Tanya D-Forger. I live in Berlint’s Western District on 128 Park Avenue.” Aside from the near mistake of saying her old name which she was still used to, she managed to squeeze by without issue.

 

Evans continued again, “And what do you do on your days off?”

 

Tanya, not trusting the competence of Anya whatsoever answered before she could try, “We like to visit museums to admire the arts and history as well as visit opera houses for entertainment.” In truth Tanya found both of those generally boring, however knew what she had to say to pass this interview. Forger looked pleased at Tanya’s efforts.

 

“What would you like to do once you get into this school?”

 

Anya remained silent for a few seconds, in reality she was hoping to read the mind of Loid, however confused at his thoughts she turned to Tanya’s thoughts before answering, “I wants to get a good edgemutation and rise the banks of society!”

 

Tanya was unimpressed at how she spoke some of the words, but the answer seemed good enough for the judges, causing Evans to move on again, “What does your father do for a living?”

 

Anya spoke out immediately before Tanya had the chance, “He’s a sp-a speshuluist in mental health. A very good one.”

 

“Then how do you feel about your new mother?”

 

“She is very nice. But she’s scary sometimes.”

 

“If you two were to give your parents a score, what might it be?”

 

“A perfect 100 points! My Papa and Mama are both so much fun, and I love them very much. I want to be with them forever.”

 

This brief heartfelt moment was interrupted by Tanya’s more judgemental and honest scoring, “What she said is close enough, but I’d put it at more around the upper 90s, nobody’s perfect.”

 

Swan again interjected, growing tired of this family due to his own jealousy, “In that case, would you score your old mother or your new mother higher?”

 

Loid tried to salvage the situation, “May I respectfully request a different question?”

 

“Absolutely not. If you do not answer, you will lose points.”

 

Anya was on the verge of tears, realizing the situation was in jeopardy, Tanya intervened. She turned her gaze from Anya to Housemaster Swan, her gaze piercing his very soul, her eyes emitting an aura so intimidating even Loid hadn’t quite seen anything like it. It was as if they were staring straight into hell, and hell stared back. Despite this gaze, Tanya remained calm, her facial expression unchanging, though the impression she gave off was enough to get Swan to remain quiet as she spoke, “My apologies, however our original mother passed away before we were old enough to properly remember her. It’s not within my realm to request as much, but I would kindly refrain from asking something like that again.”

 

Strangely intimidated by this small child, Swan remained silent, Anya’s tears stopped as she saw Tanya defending her, though in reality she was more or less just salvaging the situation before it got out of hand.

 

Loid seemed both amazed and terrified at how Tanya handled the situation, however whatever the case, she managed to salvage what was left of the situation, enough so that Evans continued, “Well I believe that’s about all we have for the interview, results will be posted tomorrow on the board on campus.”

 

Wanting to get out of there before another potentially jeopardizing situation emerged, the Forger family left. They weren’t sure what outcome their results would bring, however for now they could only hope for success.

---

It had been many long years for him, having lived through two wars was exhausting, however despite all the troubles and the hell and demons he faced throughout his life, he believed himself to be fairly successful in the end. Having gotten a much greater education as he was no longer able to maintain his former position, he eventually even managed to gain a PhD after some time.

 

While he was certainly getting up there in age, he still had a few long years ahead of him before he intended to retire, he did enjoy his job, after all. Sure he taught children primarily, usually those so young that they’re learning the basics of multiplication, but it was an enjoyable and satisfying job nonetheless. It was certainly much more relaxing than trying to pull an Empire stumbling into a deeper hole out of it.

 

Overall he was satisfied, he had his regrets and his opinions on the past, but he had long since left those behind in favor of continuing with his new career. With the school year starting up once again he had fully prepared himself for it to begin, cleaning off his desk and was now even washing off his nametag, simply out of a need of something to do. He gazed at it once more, satisfied in how far he’d come since his days in the Great War.

 

After a few moments, he placed it facing forwards on his desk before getting up and leaving the room. On the name tag in bold, golden letters shimmering against the sunlight entering the room read his name, “Erich von Rerugen”

You can find story with these keywords: Mage×Family, Read Mage×Family, Mage×Family novel, Mage×Family book, Mage×Family story, Mage×Family full, Mage×Family Latest Chapter