Early the next morning, there was a calm, unhurried knock at the door.
It wasn't the kind that rushed or demanded attention—just steady and polite, the kind that left a good impression.
Sōjun Minamoto was already up.
These days, four hours of sleep were enough for him to fully recharge. By now, he had already completed his daily Cursed Energy refinement exercises.
He cleared his mind and felt his mood lift.
Opening the door, he saw a tall woman leaning casually against the frame.
At her waist hung a sheathed tachi.
She wore the standard support staff uniform—brown leather shoes, black slacks, a white shirt, and a black single-breasted blazer with three neatly fastened buttons that covered the lower half of a red tie.
The black outfit, accented by crisp white at the cuffs and collar, gave off a refined and composed look.
Suits really were the mark of an adult.
Her long hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She wore light makeup on a sharp, elegant face, her arched eyebrows slightly drawn together in a way that made her look stern and serious.
As soon as the door opened, she stood up straight and offered a practiced smile.
"Good morning. I'm Shiko Mishima, your assigned support."
"Morning," Sōjun replied with a friendly nod.
Bounty sorcerers and support staff weren't in a superior-subordinate relationship—they were colleagues on equal footing.
Mutual respect. That was emphasized in the manual, and clearly marked as important.
Shiko Mishima visibly relaxed at his easygoing attitude.
Most of her recent partnerships had been far from pleasant. The last sorcerer she worked well with had died in action a few years ago.
Since then, she had served as a temporary support, bouncing between assignments. She'd seen her fair share of difficult personalities—arrogant, apathetic, reckless, devious, or ones who constantly acted on their own.
Most of them were already dead.
But that didn't mean the ones still around were any better. If anything, surviving this long while handling a heavy workload usually meant they were even more extreme—or unhinged.
She looked him over.
Messy black hair, a loose strand curling into a loop, casually tied back. His clothes were informal. Though polite, he gave off a laid-back aura.
Please let this one be normal, she silently wished.
She was tired of having to cater to someone else's quirks while trying to survive a mission.
She pulled herself together and handed him a hard plastic card.
Sōjun had been quietly watching her the whole time. Her constantly shifting expressions were hard to ignore.
Does she always wear her thoughts on her face?
He took the card. It was his work ID.
At the top was the Tokyo Jujutsu High emblem: a white spiral against a black background. Beside it read: [Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College – Temporary Staff ID]
ID No. 060711
Name: Sōjun Minamoto
Date of Birth: July 11, 1991
This certifies the holder as a temporary staff member of the school.
A barcode lined the bottom. On the right side was his ID photo, with a [2] stamped in the upper-left corner.
Just the basic information.
The ID number probably combined the year of entry with his birthday.
Jujutsu Sorcerers were rare, so duplicate numbers likely weren't a concern.
As Sōjun looked down at his ID, a random thought crossed his mind.
"If it's a duplicate, the number for the newcomer will be incremented by one." Shiko Mishima suddenly spoke. Noticing the strange look in his eyes, she added, "A lot of newcomers have this question. I asked the same thing when I first joined."
Sōjun Minamoto gave a slight nod. He'd already gathered quite a bit of information just from this brief interaction.
First off, this support staff member had at least Grade 2 strength based on his perception—a level already considered powerful among Jujutsu Sorcerers.
The muscle definition she revealed unintentionally was still swollen with blood, likely from a recent work.
Since their first meeting—even in the relatively safe environment of Jujutsu High—her hand had stayed near her sword's hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Her vigilance was clear.
Her likes and dislikes were written all over her face; her expressions made her emotional state easy to read.
Sōjun Minamoto hadn't tried to observe her closely—she was just easy to understand. Of course, she might be putting on an act, but that didn't concern him.
Not all support personnel were weak or talentless. Some Jujutsu Sorcerers simply preferred the role, and there were always people who disliked combat but still chose this path.
He wasn't particularly curious.
"I'm Sōjun Minamoto, Grade 2 Sorcerer. I don't have any particular likes or dislikes," he said calmly. "Anything I should be aware of for our upcoming partnership?"
Shiko Mishima shook her head. "Aside from going on missions together, I'll handle everything else."
Sōjun Minamoto had already reviewed the relevant details.
He had actually been asking if there was anything specific about her that he should keep in mind, since they'd be working together for a while. But since she didn't bring it up, he decided to treat things normally.
"To make things easier, I'll be moving nearby soon," Shiko Mishima said, then shifted topics. "Shall I give you a tour of the departments here at Jujutsu High?"
Sōjun Minamoto had no objections—he might as well get familiar with the place. So he followed her through the campus, listening as she explained the benefits available to bounty sorcerers.
She pointed at a building. "The cafeteria's free and runs from 6:00 to 23:00."
They happened to grab breakfast together.
Next, she brought him to the training grounds—specifically, Training Field No. 5.
"Jujutsu Sorcerers need to develop their techniques and sharpen their skills. Besides the dorm courtyards, Jujutsu High also provides dedicated training facilities."
"There are five playgrounds in total. The first three are reserved for students; the last two are for bounty sorcerers."
Looking down from above, Sōjun Minamoto saw that Training Field No. 5 sat in a low-lying area, big enough to fit two standard football fields. A circular track formed the center, surrounded by a few equipment storage rooms.
It was conveniently close to his residence.
They descended the steps and entered the grounds.
Outside the track was a large open area, with gym-like buildings in each corner—northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest.
"These are divided by function: Cursed Energy Refinement, Equipment Training, Martial Arts Practice, and Technique Development. They're open to everyone, free of charge. You can choose any training room you like," Shiko Mishima explained as they walked.
"Even though these facilities don't get used much, they're still cleaned and maintained daily."
She led him across the grounds, passing a wide expanse of vacant land, and finally stopped in front of a cluster of buildings.
"This is where bounty sorcerers handle business," she said, gesturing at the complex.
"That building on the left is the Forbidden Vault—it holds Cursed Spirits. Cursed Tools, Cursed Objects, Talismans, Barrier Techniques… as long as you've got the money, you can get your hands on them."
She leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. "Rumor has it there's a deeper section of the Forbidden Vault, but it's not open to the public."
They approached a warehouse-like sealed building. Sōjun Minamoto inspected it but found no entrance.
Then Shiko Mishima stepped forward, placed her hand on the wall, and ran it across the surface a few times.
A flash of black light flickered and vanished.
Still, the Forbidden Vault showed no change.
"It's protected by Tengen-sama's Barrier. Without authorization, it's very difficult to enter."
Very difficult—not impossible.
Sōjun Minamoto felt like there was more to her words but didn't sense any hostility or bad intent.
A few more steps brought them to the tallest building in the area. Only after entering did he realize it had just three floors—the central hall alone was as tall as several stories.
Shiko Mishima looked proud. "This is the Central Building, where you take missions and collect bounties. It's the largest mission hub in the Jujutsu world."
Sōjun Minamoto noted the building's emptiness. Clearly, the most defining feature of Jujutsu High was its abundance of space.
"The building next door is for supplies," Shiko Mishima said, heading into the next facility. "Besides uniforms, Grade 2 and above sorcerers also get a personal vehicle."
"Wait here—I just need to sign for something."
After greeting the staff and showing her ID, she quickly verified her info and came out with a uniform and a key.
"Uniforms are issued by Jujutsu High. They're made of a special material and should be worn during missions—it helps identify you and avoids a lot of hassle."
Handing the uniform to Sōjun Minamoto, she added with a smile, "Students and teachers can customize theirs, but for staff like you, they're standardized."
He nodded, without much reaction.
If it were up to him, he'd prefer to wear his own clothes. Mrs. Minamoto had bought him a whole wardrobe from different countries—comfortable and suited to his tastes.
They returned to their residence.
"Did you notice how few people we saw along the way?" Shiko Mishima asked from the doorway.
"Times are changing, and the mission system's evolving too. Except for emergencies or major incidents, you can now take on missions directly online. Once completed, the bounty is automatically deposited into your linked bank account."
She sounded like someone struggling to keep up with the times—her tone wistful, her expression complex.
But she quickly regained composure. "Let's exchange contact info."
She waved her phone.
"I'll send you a URL by email. Log in and register a codename. If you find a mission you're interested in, accept it and let me know the time and place to meet."
Sōjun Minamoto nodded to each point. She hesitated a moment before finally saying,
"One reminder—make sure your codename and real name stay separate."
With that, she bowed and took her leave.