After dealing with all the yokai, Morpheus was rather disappointed. He turned to Tsurara and said, "These aren't the yokai I'm looking for. Keep searching."
Tsurara nodded and replied, "Understood, Lord Morpheus. We'll continue the search."
Morpheus hummed in response and said, "How about this: If you can truly help me find that yokai, I'm willing to offer protection to your Nura Clan. Sound good?"
Morpheus knew that even though he'd forcefully subdued the Nura Clan and compelled them to work for him, they could easily pay lip service while slacking off or putting in half-hearted effort.
Putting himself in their position, if he were the one being dominated, Morpheus wouldn't give it his all either.
They'd search, sure, but whether they actually found anything would depend entirely on their whim.
To motivate them and ensure the Nura Clan worked for him with full dedication, Morpheus decided to make them a straightforward promise.
Tsurara's eyes brightened slightly at his words, but she said nothing about it, merely nodding as she replied, "I'll pass this along to the Supreme Commander."
Morpheus hummed again, then parted ways with Tsurara and the group of yokai, leaving the abandoned building behind.
He returned home, washed up, and went to bed.
...
The next morning, Morpheus climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Along the way, he polished off the breakfast that Erina Nakiri and Hisako had prepared as their offering.
Only then did he leisurely leave the house, making his way toward Ousai Private Academy, where he was enrolled.
His predecessor's residence wasn't far from Ousai Private Academy—just a ten-minute walk.
If he ran, he could cut it down to five minutes.
So, he took his time leaving, and by the time he reached the school, there were at least fifteen minutes left before the bell rang.
At the school gate, Ousai Private Academy's student council president, Shino Amakusa, was leading the inspection alongside the student council secretary, Aria Shichijou. They were checking students' appearances and personal belongings for propriety.
Since the students at Ousai Private Academy had a habit of smuggling in all sorts of bizarre prohibited items, Shino Amakusa and Aria Shichijou had no choice but to arrive at school bright and early.
They stationed themselves at the gate to scrutinize every student coming through.
In Morpheus's opinion, though, the biggest prohibited items at the school were Shino Amakusa and Aria Shichijou themselves.
The pair were just too lewd.
Sometimes, Morpheus genuinely worried they'd end up warping the school's atmosphere by accident.
Especially since the vice president and resident straight man, Takatoshi Tsuda, hadn't yet taken his place.
This struck Morpheus as particularly odd, because in the original plot of Seitokai Yakuindomo, Takatoshi Tsuda was one of the first boys to enroll at Ousai Academy after it transitioned from an all-girls school to co-ed.
Morpheus recalled that Tsuda had chosen the school because it was close to home.
Not long after starting, he'd been dragged into the formerly all-female student council by Shino Amakusa to serve as the male representative, becoming vice president and filling the vacancy left by Amakusa's old role.
But now, Morpheus had been at the school for a while already.
And Takatoshi Tsuda still hadn't stepped into position, which was downright peculiar.
If you asked whether Takatoshi Tsuda even existed at the school, the answer was yes, of course.
He was Morpheus's classmate, no less, seated by the window.
Yet somehow, he hadn't been recruited into the student council by Shino Amakusa, leaving Morpheus baffled. What sort of side story had unfolded here?
"Hey, you there—the exchange student."
As Morpheus wandered in his thoughts, a clear, cool voice cut through.
He looked up to find Shino Amakusa fixing him with a stare from eyes like black pearls, then marching straight toward him.
In a flash, she was right in front of him, her face leaning in close.
Her breath brushed against Morpheus's face.
Too close—far too close.
Close enough that if Morpheus tilted his head forward by a single centimeter, his lips would meet her plump, rosy ones.
"Sloppy—utterly sloppy."
Shino Amakusa declared righteously, "Look at yourself: clothes hanging loose, attitude all lax and lazy, walking with a sway. Is this how a student of Ousai Private Academy carries themselves?"
"Did you skip breakfast or something? Snap out of it."
With that, she gave his shoulder a firm slap.
"As a student, you ought to be brimming with energy—like how boys wake up erect every morning. Come on, perk up, exchange student."
"..."
He'd known from watching the anime that this girl had no filter, tossing out dirty jokes without a second thought.
But experiencing it in person? It was eye-opening.
The impact was even stronger than in the show.
She truly had no concept of embarrassment.
"President, do you even realize what you're saying?" Morpheus couldn't help retorting. "Is it really appropriate to say that to a perfectly healthy guy?"
Shino Amakusa huffed twice, unfazed. "I'm just telling you to get your act together. What's the problem?"
"No problem at all. Whatever makes you happy."
Morpheus sighed, straightening his posture. "Better now?"
Shino Amakusa nodded in satisfaction. "See? That's much better. Exchange student, a man's vigor should be just like his little—"
"..."
She really was a fountain of risqué remarks.
As expected from the queen of dirty jokes, the student council president.
Morpheus had no desire to trade lewd banter with the president in full view of everyone, so he beat a hasty retreat, mumbling some excuse to slip away.
In the classroom, Morpheus found Ritsu Tainaka already there, perched in her chair and chatting animatedly with Mio Akiyama, who was leaning against the desk.
Spotting Morpheus enter, she waved enthusiastically.
"Morpheus-kun, over here, over here."
Morpheus strolled over and settled into his seat. "So full of energy this early. What are you two talking about?"
"The concert with Ai-chan, obviously."
"Ai-chan—you mean Ai Hoshino?"
"Who else?" Ritsu Tainaka nodded.
"You weren't there, so you missed out. Ai-chan's concert was incredible—the stage effects, the performance, all top-tier in the industry. She's a superstar idol for a reason. Absolutely amazing."
"Is it really that over-the-top?" Morpheus glanced at Mio Akiyama, seeing Ritsu's excited gestures.
Mio Akiyama nodded. "Ai-chan's concert was really impressive."
"If even you say so, Akiyama, then it must be."
This, however, sparked Ritsu Tainaka's indignation. "Hey, hey—why do you doubt me but take Mio-chan's word as gospel? You're way too biased toward pretty faces over friends. Take that!"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (removespace)