Reincarnated into Madness: Yandere Family's Unwanted Slave-Chapter 29: VOLUME 2 - 12: Stirring Paths

VOLUME 2 Chapter 12: Stirring Paths.

The instructor's helm tilted forward slightly, unreadable beneath its obsidian metal. "Mitsuki..." Kenshin finally said, voice low but clear"

Hitoshi's shoulders jerked. "Y-Yes Sir!"

Kenshin sighed, raising a gloved hand.

"You'll be given a fitting class eventually. For now..." His hand flicked lazily through the air, as if brushing aside rules like dust on a table. "You'll temporarily be permitted to join any class you wish."

The hall gasped as if one breath had escaped from every mouth at once.

"W-What!?"

"Is he serious?"

"That's favoritism!"

"Unfair!"

"This is why humans don't belong here!"

"First some shady cursed class, and now he gets to choose?!"

The hall broke out in rage and jealousy burning in their voices like wildfire.

But before the tide could swell further—

CRACK.

A shuddering pulse of dread swept the room. Kenshin had not raised his voice this time. He hadn't even moved from his place.

He had simply released the barest shimmer of his true aura. And that alone was enough.

Every single student froze where they sat. Sweat gathered on brows. A few of the weaker ones whimpered unconsciously.

Kenshin exhaled, the air warping faintly around him.

"That will be all for today," he said, voice once again distant and disinterested. "Afterwards, you should all make sure to check in at the dormitories. Or take the time to tour the campus. Whatever you do, I sure as hell don't care..."

Without waiting for anyone to react or argue, he turned slowly and raised one hand.

The space in front of him twisted, spiraled and tore open like paper. A rift, swirling with deep violet light and edged with searing threads of energy, appeared.

Before stepping inside, Kenshin paused, and for the briefest moment, his head tilted just slightly in Hitoshi's direction.

No words left his mouth, Just a single glance. Then he vanished into the rift.

It sealed shut behind him with a soundless flicker. Only then did the students clamour once more.

Hitoshi paid no attention to the flurry of whispers on stage. The pressure of dozens of murmuring eyes slid off him like water off stone, if that stone belonged to a ten-year-old boy trying very hard not to give into his wrathful desires for the sake of peace.

Instead, his attention was locked onto someone else entirely.

"Hey... wait!" he called out, quickening his pace.

Noriko turned mid-step, her modest sandals brushing the stage as she was about to descend. Her brows raised slightly in surprise, fingers still clutching the hem of her clothes out of habit. "Yes?" she asked cautiously. "Is... something wrong?"

Hitoshi blinked, then gave a small, awkward smile as he scratched his cheek. "Uh... no—nothin's wrong. Just... I wanted to ask where you're heading." His tone was unsure, his eyes scrutinizing her.

'She shouldn't be acting like I'm about to mug her or something, jeez... I only walked up 'cause she's the only one who didn't make me wanna punch something' Hitoshi thought with a mental sigh. 'Least I won't get a headache talkin' to her.'

Noriko hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting around the stage as if confirming no one else was in earshot before she answered softly, "I was going to the library... I wanted to get a look at the archives before curfew."

A slow nod came from Hitoshi. "Oh... That's cool, I guess." he said, voice trailing.

He then jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, where Aiko was beginning to make her way toward them. "So... uhh... you mind if we tag along? Me and her?"

At the mention of "her," Noriko's eyes subtly widened. She looked over and immediately spotted the elegant girl approaching with her ever-present calm, cold air.

Aiko's expression was unreadable as usual, but the slow furrow in her brows said enough.

"W-Wait, why?" Noriko whispered, suddenly more nervous. "Did I do something wrong? I-I swear I wasn't trying to offend anyone by leaving first—"

"Wha—? Don't you think you're misunderstanding a bit too much. It's nothing like that. " Hitoshi quickly cut in, waving his hands defensively.

' She sure is a scared little rabbit.'

"I just figured, you're the only one so far who seemed like a nice person... and I... Well I don't really have much of a sense of direction. Like, at all..."

He leaned in a little and whispered, glancing sideways at Aiko's nearing figure, "If I got lost now, I think 'my lady' might blow a gasket... again."

Noriko blinked.

She glanced at Aiko then at him before her eyes widened a little as if coming to a realization, Her gaze softened a bit. "You must... have it rough."

"I'll live." Hitoshi said with a resilient smirk.

Just then, Aiko's graceful footsteps reached them. She came to a slow halt beside Hitoshi, her arms folded, and her scarlet eyes shifting from him to Noriko.

Noriko quickly straightened her back and bowed politely. "Fushimi Noriko. It's an honor to meet you, Young miss Aoi."

Aiko tilted her chin up slightly, coolly returning the nod. "...Likewise."

She then turned to Hitoshi, eyes narrowing. "What are you doing now?"

Hitoshi gave a guilty chuckle but pushed forward anyway. "Nothin' weird, promise."

" I just thought... maybe you might wanna get away from the crowd a bit? You looked kinda tired from all that attention."

Aiko blinked, a bit taken aback.

"I mean..." Hitoshi added. "Fushimi-san here was heading to the library. And I figured, Since books are peaceful. Why not we all go hang out there for a bit?"

He gestured toward Noriko. "She was nice enough not to run away when I mentioned you were tagging along, so I figured maybe... we could head out with her?"

" Unless I'm mistaken and you'd prefer to stay here with these idiot's for awhile longer." Hitoshi said, not bothering to react to the negative looks those on stage shot at him afterwards.

A beat of silence passed. Aiko stared at him without blinking.

Noriko, sensing something tense between the two, was about to speak up in his defense—

"Fine," Aiko muttered with a soft scoff, folding her arms tighter. "But don't get ahead of yourself next time. I'm only going because I can't stand to stay here any longer."

Hitoshi nodded and gave her an approving grin. "Of course."

Then, without waiting for any reply, he turned toward the stairs off the stage and began walking, motioning behind him. "C'mon, aren't you going to lead the way"

Noriko blinked twice, when she noticed Aiko's expectant gaze on her, She hurried after Hitoshi, her face unsure but faintly smiling.

Aiko watched the two walk off ahead. Her brows remained furrowed as she trailed silently behind them. She didn't know what irritated her more, Hitoshi's newfound cheek... or the fact that he seemed at ease with someone else.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the school library.

Hitoshi's jaw nearly dropped as he stepped past the towering archway into the library's heart. His little feet padded over soft carpet, nearly muffled by the sheer awe pounding in his chest. Eyes wide as saucers, he spun slowly on the spot, taking in the sight around him.

Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched across the marble floor, climbing so high they nearly brushed the arched ceilings above. Five whole floors! Five! Each layered with ornate railings, enchanted lanterns, and hanging vines that glowed faintly under the crystal light.

"Wooooooooow..." he breathed, his voice almost reverent. "It's like... like some sorta book kingdom... Look at how many books there are... Is this even real?"

' I'm glad he likes it... Even I was stunned when I first came here.' Noriko puffed out her chest a little, feeling smug.

The air smelled faintly of aged parchment and sweet mana, the kind that made your nose tingle and brain buzz with curiosity. His fingers twitched with the urge to touch everything.

A few feet ahead, Noriko paused beside one of the many hovering stone pedestals that dotted the first floor like magical librarians. Her quiet voice carried back toward him and Aiko, who had stopped silently behind.

"You can pick the book you want by thinking of the name," Noriko explained softly, resting her fingertips on the pedestal's surface. "Or if you don't know the name... you can think of its theme or subject. The system will try its best to match it."

Hitoshi blinked up at her, his face lighting up like a lantern. "No way... For real? That's so cooooool..." he whispered, not daring to disrupt the librarys serene atmosphere

He glanced at the glowing crystal mounted into the pedestal. "So it's like... a wishing stone that hands you homework?" he muttered.

Noriko giggled lightly, though she quickly hid it behind her hand.

"But can we go up there?" Hitoshi asked, already stepping toward the elegant spiral staircase that wrapped around a bookshelf like a giant ribbon. "I bet the really good stuff's up top"

"W-Wait—!" Noriko held out a hand, a worried look softening her features. "We can't. The upper floors are only for second years and up. First-years like us are only allowed on the first floor..."

Hitoshi froze, visibly wilting. " You don't say..."

Behind him, Aiko exhaled sharply. The sound was faint, yet it sliced through the air like a blade. Noriko flinched instantly, bowing her head low in apology.

"S-sorry... I didn't mean to disappoint you, Aiko-sama..."

Seeing her cower like a frightened cat, Hitoshi scratched his temple looking helpless. "Hey... It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sure she's just upset as well about not being able to get more books to read from."

Then, as if sensing Aiko's subtle irritation, he sighed and turned toward her. "If you want, you can pick a book first."

He looked to Noriko again for approval, "Is that okay?"

Noriko blinked, then nodded rapidly. "O-of course. You can go ahead, Aiko-sama."

Aiko stepped forward in silence, her every movement as graceful as water slipping down silk. Her fingers brushed the pedestal.

In a flash of faint white mist, a tome emerged from thin air, its leatherbound cover glowing faintly with runes. Noriko leaned forward to peek at the title before her eyes widened.

"Oh! That's Magic Basics by Yamamoto Kenshin," she said quickly, smiling with honest surprise. "That's a really good one, I read it a little, this morning. It explains the fundamentals so clearly...!"

' Huh? Kenshin? Isn't that the name of that instructor from earlier?' Hitoshi wondered.

Aiko gave no reply beyond a faint nod. Her gaze didn't linger on the book or the compliment, and she simply turned away with cool indifference. Noriko's lips wavered for a moment, unsure if she had overstepped.

Sensing the tension rise again, Hitoshi clapped his hands together and pointed toward the far left corner of the library. "Now that I think about it, While we came in here, I did see a table with seats earlier. That one didn't have many folks nearby. Maybe you can read over there in peace?"

Aiko turned to him, brows lightly pinched as if puzzled by his suggestion.

' What's with the look, aren't you the one who loves being alone...'

Hitoshi sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean... you can sit there and relax. I'll grab some books with Fushimi-san and we'll sit somewhere else so we don't disturb you. You can come find us after you're done or something..."

Aiko didn't say anything right away. Her crimson eyes examined his face, slowly, carefully, as if searching for something.

After a moment, she scoffed softly and turned her head.

"Hmph. You'd better not make me come looking for you," she said coldly. "It should be the other way around."

' Sure thing...' Hitoshi thought inwardly.

Without another word, she walked off in the direction he'd pointed out earlier, her silver ponytail swaying with each elegant step.

The moment she was out of sight, Hitoshi let a light hum. "That worked out better than I expected..."

He placed a hand dramatically over his little chest and whispered, "That was real close... Thought she wasn't going to leave for a sec there..."

Noriko tilted her head, watching him worriedly.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, voice laced with concern. " You know you didn't have to step in like that..." Noriko fidgeted with her finger's while glancing downwards.

" What do you mean... Of course I had to."

' If I didn't, how else would I have gotten some alone time for myself?'

Hitoshi blinked. "Besides, I'm totally fine." He replied, trying to calm her worries.

" Y-You sure? But isn't it dangerous to go against her like that, I mean... She is your lady. Doesn't she get angry s-sometimes?" Noriko stuttered. Face still with hints of concern.

" Well yeah she does but that's normal"

' Since she's a spoilt brat and all.' Hitoshi waved off her worries then puffed out his chest a little. " I'm a tough cookie. I can handle her scowls anytime so don't worry about it."

" Your really funny" Noriko chuckled, her nerves easing a bit.

" Thanks..." Hitoshi noticed and smiled, then pointed at the pedestal she'd used earlier.

"Anyway, I might need your help picking out some books," he said, staring strangely at the pedestal.

' I didn't just get rid of her because she was being mean... I kinda wanted to see if I could get smarter by studying books that would teach me how to become a better student and hopefully about being a great servant or at least one that can endure her tantrums.' he thought to himself.

" Honestly, I dunno what half these titles even mean, and if I pick a boring one, I'll fall asleep. And if I fall asleep, Aiko's gonna snap my ears off... So"

Noriko blinked, then nodded quickly, her eyes glittering, face beaming like a pretty lily. "Alright. I'll help."

Together, the two picked a few books before heading off to find somewhere to sit and delve into their books.

---

(AN: Hello, dear readers!

Thank you so much for supporting this journey. As a self-published author, I want to keep things as accessible as possible while still being able to support the continued development of this story and future works.

(AN: Link to Volume 2 full version: https://selar.com/p51oo2)

If you love what you're reading, consider supporting me further by purchasing the full volumes, more mini volumes or other stories I release in the future. Every little bit helps me keep writing and sharing these adventures with you.

Also, if you'd like to stay updated on new releases, sneak peeks, and some behind the scenes content, feel free to follow me on Instagram at @lord_grimx101. I'd love to connect with you there!

Anyways, another reason I delayed the full version volume 2 upload was because of the sudden news that my semester exams would commence on the 20th of May, Also I was caught up trying to learn how to draw illustrations. I know that some of you, though I won't mention names, Have asked for illustrations to give the light novel volumes, that authentic Japanese vibe, and honestly, I agree. Currently learning to draw manga on paper and saving up most of my the ebook earnings to purchase a tablet to make illustrations and art for this wonderful story and others I have in drafts. As for the remaining earnings, I think I'll just use that to support my studies because as far as I'm concerned, I really need it.

I really appreciate the support so far, being honest, I never thought anyone would consider my work good, not to mention all you guys. Your support touches my heart deeply and its because of you guys constant support that I've gotten this far.

Regarding another issue, I really do wanna write mini volumes for those of you having trouble keeping up. I'd like for everyone to join me on this journey together, but as of the moment. The platform the ebooks are on refuse listings below $3, which hampers down on the $0.99 I had in mind for the mini volumes. So until I get my TIN and upload on well known platforms (which will likely be after my semester exams). I hope you guys can be patient with me.

That's all I have to say, love you all... Your devilish author.

LordGrimX101.