"I figured Tsugu-niisan would pull something like this, so I'm not even surprised anymore..." "If worst comes to worst, you're all welcome to stay the night. The guest rooms are open." "Oh, that's a relief. Kana-nee's place is easygoing, but..." "Mika, you're practically on the receiving end of all this anyway, aren't you?"
The three eldest daughters: Shizuru, the eldest, who had married the eldest son of the Yaguruma branch family; Kana, the second daughter, who was engaged to Tatsuya; and Mika, the third daughter, who was engaged to Katsuto. During their high school days, all three had served as First High Student Council Presidents, leaving behind brilliant achievements alongside a blood-soaked history.
Among the six siblings gathered here, Harutsugu was undeniably the most reasonable one. Given the hour, Yugen served hot milk. Once everyone had taken a sip and settled down, Harutsugu began to explain.
"This coming Sunday, a meeting will be held at the Kanto Branch of the Japan Magic Association in Yokohama Bay Hills Tower to discuss countermeasures against anti-magic movements. The sender is Juumonji-dono." "Kacchan is? ...Given the current political climate, it's not entirely out of the question, but am I the only one who thinks Father should be handling this publicly instead?"
Mika was the first to speak up in response to Harutsugu's explanation. Whether evaluating him as her future husband or as a fellow student sharing the same high school and university, she found it hard to believe that Katsuto would take the lead on such a proposal.
"The invitation gathers the younger generation from the Twenty-Eight Families and the two Guard families, with wording suggesting they eventually want to include the Hundred Families as well. It feels like an attempt to build a next-generation community." "...Yugen, Mototsugu-niisan. Did either of you receive an invitation?" "Nothing came to me. What about you, Yugen?" "Same here. Before coming here, I confirmed a similar letter was delivered to the Shiba house, but my name wasn't included alongside theirs, even though I live there."
Hearing Harutsugu's words, Shizuru double-checked whether Mototsugu and Yugen had been sent invitations. When Yugen confirmed that he, like Mototsugu, had received nothing, it caught not only Harutsugu off guard, but Shizuru, Kana, and Mika as well. Mika and Kana were the first to react.
"That's strange. That's way too suspicious." "Agreed. The phrasing explicitly mentions the Kagurazaka and Kamiizumi families—meaning you and Aniki... Is it possible Katsuto was simply approached by someone else to host this?" "I suspect as much myself. That's why I plan to attend the meeting... But what about you two, Mototsugu and Yugen?"
An administrative mistake like failing to send an invitation was out of the question. With the Kagurazaka family based in Hakone and the Kamiizumi family in Gunma, letters sent to both should have arrived at roughly the same time. Even if a delivery delay occurred, the main house had standing orders to check the contents of all official correspondence and report them immediately.
Yet, as of now, neither Yugen nor Mototsugu had received any word from their respective main houses. There was no choice but to conclude that no invitations were ever dispatched to them.
For such a blunder to be made by someone from the Juumonji family—especially considering the meticulous nature of its current head, Katsuto—was impossible. It was far more reasonable to assume someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
"I already have a meeting scheduled with the Guards that day... What about you, Yugen?" "I have zero desire to attend. It's obvious they'll try to dump nuisance work on whoever shows up, so talking things over with the Guards is far more productive."
To begin with, the Kagurazaka and Kamiizumi families had been the ones taking the lead in handling anti-magic movements up until now. While Yugen understood the need to account for international developments, the subtle implication in the invitation that their presence wasn't welcome made it pointless to force an appearance.
"Do you think the Saegusa or Toyama families are involved?" "...After the incident with the Ichijo family head, Senior Juumonji and Senior Saegusa reached out to me. Later, when I spoke with Senior Saegusa alone, she expressed doubt over why her eldest brother asked her to act as an intermediary just to consult with Senior Juumonji." "Something like that happened...? Then the message sent through Mayumi was about this conference?" "That's the only logical explanation."
It might have seemed strange to doubt whether a meeting could produce meaningful debate based on the invitation alone. However, the moment the Saegusa family chose not to officially put their name as senders, the legitimacy of the entire conference became questionable.
"Well, I don't particularly care that an invitation wasn't sent. It saves me the trouble of writing a refusal, so whichever way it goes doesn't bother me. The real problem lies in what comes after." "...You think this conference will act as some kind of trigger, don't you, Yugen?" "Precisely, Shizuru-nee-san."
Using the youth conference as a catalyst, the Toyama family would make their move, triggering various troubles. Having failed in their attempt to kidnap Yugen previously, it was hard to imagine the Intelligence Department acting so recklessly again, but if they did, Yugen had no intention of showing mercy.
Furthermore, the youth conference would mark the starting point for another major development: the Dione Project. Upon learning about the conference and observing the New Soviet Union's military actions from the previous day, Edward Clark would likely decide to enlist Bezobrazov as a co-conspirator.
"It depends on how the meeting progresses, but I don't expect productive debate either. It would be fine if Katsuto firmly keeps them in check, but ever since becoming family head, he's placed extreme emphasis on feasibility. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets swept along by the atmosphere of the room." "Mototsugu, you'd go so far as to say that?" "As the head of the Kamiizumi family, I have to say it. If we aren't careful, there's a risk Shina could be set up as a figurehead to project a favorable image against anti-magic sentiment. Whether this meeting actually decides anything remains to be seen, but your responsibility is heavy, Aniki." "...Yeah, I understand."
If they wanted to support Harutsugu, it would be natural to want Yugen or Mototsugu to attend the meeting with him. However, since neither was officially a member of the Mitsuya family anymore, they couldn't openly shield him. While they could offer assistance on the basis of blood ties, relying on the authority of the Guards was strictly forbidden.
"Tsugu-niisan is one thing, but Yugen, you're being awfully strict too." "Mika-nee-san, I'm the head of the Kagurazaka family now, and Mototsugu-niisan is the head of the Kamiizumi family. If Haru-aniki is going to succeed Father in the future, he has to be able to navigate a Sunday meeting on his own, or he won't survive the Master Clan Conference. Besides, Father handed full responsibility over to him for a reason." "That's true. Honestly, having reality thrust in my face like this makes me realize how much trouble Father and my younger brothers go through. I still have a long way to go."
Harutsugu shrugged and muttered, but it was unavoidable.
Although Yugen and Mototsugu had renounced their succession rights to the Mitsuya family early on, Gozo had trained them in martial arts while instilling proper etiquette and social decorum through high-society interactions from a young age. While Harutsugu had certainly been educated strictly by their father, their starting lines had been fundamentally different, naturally leading to different outcomes.
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