Kotona's physique had become noticeably more womanly. There could be various reasons for such a change, but even limiting the scope to those within the Yotsuba family, the key figures involved in the succession—Miyuki, Ayako, and Yuka—had likely noticed. At the very least, Maya, the current Head, would have met Kotona once when she became Katsunari's Guardian, making the comparison inevitable.
When Yugen had healed her with Reinforce back at the scene, he had heard a distinct snapping sound from Kotona. He immediately realized it was the sound of her brassiere hook giving way. How did he know? Because Minami and Arisa had provided him with prior examples of the phenomenon. However, honestly explaining that would invite all sorts of misunderstandings, so he intended to gloss over it by claiming it had broken during combat in the worst-case scenario.
Regarding the existence of the Unique Magic revealed by Yugen, everyone present had sworn to maintain confidentiality. Maya, in particular, knowing Yugen's track record of healing both Miya and Honami, made the succession candidates swear an oath to protect his secret.
Katsunari had insisted strongly that, as a member of the Shibata family, he would persuade his own Family Head no matter what. Yugen had simply replied, "Please just ensure it doesn't cause a family feud," and left it at that.
"Now then, with Katsunari-san withdrawing..."
"Aunt Maya, may I speak?"
"Oh? Are you also withdrawing your candidacy, Miyuki-san?"
"Yes. I—Shiba Miyuki—renounce my position as a candidate for the next Head and recommend my brother—Shiba Tatsuya—as the next Head of the Yotsuba Family."
Following Katsunari, it was Miyuki who offered her withdrawal.
Originally, Miyuki had intended to trade her resignation for an improvement in Tatsuya's treatment within the family. However, since Maya had already introduced Tatsuya as the fifth candidate, this was essentially a godsend for Miyuki.
Although Katsunari had beaten her to the punch by recommending Tatsuya first, Miyuki reasoned that if she—the presumed frontrunner—backed Tatsuya, she could secure the cooperation of the Kuroba Family (Bunmi) and the Tsukuba Family (Yuka), who already viewed Tatsuya favorably.
"I had originally intended to renounce my status at this New Year's gathering to demand better treatment for Onii-sama. However, the moment Aunt Maya introduced Onii-sama as the fifth candidate, my resolve solidified. I believe that Onii-sama, who possesses magic power greater than my own as we felt earlier, will not bring shame to the Yotsuba name."
"Oh my, you had decided that far ahead? Could it be that you, too, Miyuki-san, wished to step down quietly for the sake of your beloved?"
"…Yes."
Miyuki stole a glance at Yugen. Noticing it, Yugen smiled, causing Miyuki's cheeks to flush as she smiled back. Yuka, seated essentially between them, gave a wry smile, while Ayako looked upon the pair with envy.
Following Miyuki's lead, Bunmi raised his hand and spoke.
"Head of the Family, may I have permission to speak?"
"My, Bunmi-san. Go ahead."
"Then... the Kuroba Family renounces my—Kuroba Bunmi's—position as a candidate and recommends Shiba Tatsuya-san as the next Head."
Bunmi was next. Although the Kuroba family had declared neutrality, Mitsugu had shown hostility toward Tatsuya. Bunmi and Ayako were aware of this, and naturally, Maya knew of Mitsugu's actions as well. Wiping tears of laughter (or perhaps joy) from her eyes with a handkerchief, Maya asked Bunmi:
"Oh? Did someone put the idea in your head that the branch families shouldn't decide the next Head on their own?"
"No, nothing of the sort."
"Forgive my rudeness for interrupting from the side, Head of the Family."
Bunmi denied Maya's insinuation, and just as he finished, Ayako interjected. Since the Kuroba family had been rude to the Kagurazaka family as well, they had been silently observing how the situation would be judged. Ayako continued her explanation.
"Originally, Bunmi and I believed Miyuki-neesama was suitable for the position. However, since Miyuki-neesama has renounced her status and recommended Tatsuya-san, Bunmi and I wish to follow suit and recommend Tatsuya-san."
"That is fine, but what does Mitsugu-san think?"
"Father ultimately agreed to leave the decision regarding the recommendation to Bunmi and myself."
For Mitsugu, Tatsuya becoming a Yotsuba succession candidate was likely a bolt from the blue. Furthermore, the Kuroba family was involved, to a greater or lesser extent, in the recent attacks on Tatsuya's group and the instigation of the police. Maya's earlier comment subtly alluded to this, to which Bunmi responded clearly with a serious expression.
With recommendations now secured from Katsunari, Miyuki, and Bunmi (plus Ayako), Maya turned her gaze to Yuka.
"Now then, only Yuka-san remains. What will the Tsukuba Family do?"
"It is somewhat embarrassing to be the last because everyone acted so quickly, but the Tsukuba Family renounces my—Tsukuba Yuka's—status as a candidate and recommends Shiba Tatsuya-san as the next Head."
"My, my. With Yuka-san withdrawing as well, Tatsuya-san is the only candidate left."
"After being shown the magic power we felt earlier, I cannot stubbornly claim candidacy. As the Tsukuba Family had supported Miyuki-san, the presumed frontrunner, we judged it logical to support Tatsuya-san, whom Miyuki-san has recommended."
Hearing Yuka's withdrawal, Maya placed her hand on her cheek, feigning a troubled look. Yuka gave a slightly strained smile, referencing the unsealing of Tatsuya's power. She concluded that since the person she supported (Miyuki) was supporting Tatsuya, following suit was the rational choice.
Based on the majority decision of the candidates, Tatsuya's designation as the next Head was all but confirmed. Tatsuya himself looked resigned, as if he had steeled himself for this outcome. Glancing at his expression from the corner of her eye, Maya turned to Yugen.
"Yugen-san... no, Kagurazaka-dono. We will be designating Tatsuya-san as the next Head of the Yotsuba. Do you have any objections?"
"I hold no decision-making power within the Yotsuba family, Yotsuba-dono. If the other candidates are satisfied and recommend Tatsuya, I have nothing to say on the matter."
Katsunari, who was expected to be the most resistant, was the first to recommend Tatsuya. With Miyuki, Bunmi, and Yuka following suit, it was not Yugen's place—even as the next Head of the Kagurazaka family, a sponsor—to meddle in internal Yotsuba affairs, though he might make requests of them.
With that, Yugen straightened his posture, looked around the room, and then faced Maya directly.
"I would like to state this formally here, to the Head of the Yotsuba Family and the succession candidates. Tomorrow, on New Year's Day, I—Kagurazaka Yugen—will formally succeed the title as the 108th Head of the Kagurazaka Family. Our families have had a long-standing relationship... and naturally, I hope to maintain good relations with the next Yotsuba Head as well."
In truth, the subjugation of Zhou Gongjin had been a final exam not only for Tatsuya but also for Yugen.
Due to his achievements in establishing the Seiten Hakkyoku Goho Shikijin (Holy Heaven Eight-Pole Dharma Formation) in Kyoto at the end of last month and facilitating reconciliation with the "Traditionalists," Senhime had ordered Yugen to formally take the name of the Kagurazaka Family Head.
Furthermore, the chairmanship of the Kamisaka Group, its management, the associated connections, and the duties of a Guardian instructing Shinto priests and Buddhist monks would be handed over sequentially.
Considering Yugen was already handling about 40% of the Head's duties, even if the workload doubled, it was still "manageable" compared to the mountain of paperwork at the National Defense Army's Weapons Development Department... perhaps that thought was a sign of occupational hazard.
While the effort of creating dozens of documents for a single analysis versus consolidating decisions across diverse fields might amount to the same volume of paperwork in the end, it felt different.
"Oh my, how polite. Following the Kamiizumi Family Head, now the Kagurazaka Family Head... Mitsuya-dono must be very proud."
"My father is not the type to boast proactively."
"That is true, isn't it."
The meal concluded, and everyone began to disperse. Yugen left the dining hall, leaving Maya, Tatsuya, and Miyuki behind. He was guided to a bath. Since his CADs were set so that only he could handle them safely, he informed the servants of this, undressed himself, and soaked in the tub.
Right about now, Maya was likely revealing the truth about their birth to Tatsuya and Miyuki. While he hadn't heard the specific details regarding Miyuki in this timeline, based on knowledge from the original work, she was undoubtedly a "Complete Modified Human." Regarding her lifespan, Miya had cautiously asked him to check, and he had judged there was "no problem."
Given Minoru's example, it would be possible to gloss over or explain away any anomalies if necessary.
After getting out of the bath and picking up his neatly folded suit and CADs, the servant guided him to the highest-ranking guest room—a room reserved for guests the Yotsuba could not ignore.
Moreover, in the back of the room, there was one futon... and two pillows.
Predicting what was likely to happen, Yugen let out a long sigh.
"…I guess I'll pour some tea."
Tea in the middle of the night seemed questionable, but it was better than nothing. He poured lukewarm tea into a cup. Seeing a tea stalk floating upright in the first cup made him want to complain for some reason. As a man, being liked by women wasn't bad in itself, but balancing the dynamics between fiancées was incredibly difficult.
Just then, his communication terminal rang. Yugen pressed the call button in speaker mode. Senhime appeared on the screen.
『Good evening, Yu-kun. Ideally, I wanted to eat Toshikoshi soba together and laze around watching New Year's programs as we welcomed the New Year.』
"There are the formal letters to send out for the New Year and the greetings for New Year's Day, after all. Though I did help with about half of them."
『You really saved me. I didn't want to write the letter to the Saegusa family, but breaking my brush would be a waste, so I endured it.』
Interference with the Parasite recovery, manipulation of public opinion via the media, dealings with Zhou Gongjin—the list of offenses was long. On top of that, there was the fact that they had known about the movements of the Yotsuba and Kudou families and sent their own subordinates in independently, only to fail. Senhime, weighing her desire to dissolve Izumi's engagement against her feelings as a woman not wanting to trample on Izumi's affection, had reluctantly remained silent.
The fallout affected the New Year's greetings. She had been drafting the letters announcing Yugen's formal succession as the Kagurazaka Head, but she was so irritated she considered ignoring the Saegusa family entirely. Since that wasn't an option, Yugen had written that letter on her behalf.
"With the next Yotsuba Head decided, we can announce the engagement, but that seems likely to cause another commotion."
『The Ichijou family's eldest son, right? But there are absolutely no legal or genetic issues with a marriage between Yu-kun and Miyuki-san, are there?』
If Tatsuya and Miyuki were to become engaged, the status of their mothers, Maya and Miya, would be problematic. While legally they were cousins, since Maya and Miya were identical twins, genetically it carried the risk of being too close to incest.
Yugen was formerly of the Mitsuya family, and Miyuki was of the Yotsuba. Both were blood relatives of the Kagurazaka, but they were distant enough that incest was not an issue. Senhime had confirmed this thoroughly, so she couldn't understand on what grounds anyone would object.
"Referencing the past when Kudou Retsu convened an emergency Master Clans Conference due to my withdrawal from the Ten Master Clans, I suspect they might claim something like, 'Superior bloodlines leaving the Ten Master Clans successively will lead to the decline of the Ten Master Clans in the future'."
Senhime looked skeptical at Yugen's prediction, but the Ichijou family had Akane—Masaki's younger sister—who had a crush on Yugen. If the existence of Marika and Arisa were revealed to the Ichijou family, they might decide Akane was acceptable too. Even if not, the possibility remained that they would propose Akane as Yugen's fiancée as a condition for accepting Miyuki's engagement.
Furthermore, within the Saegusa family, Kasumi was being considered as a fiancée for Tatsuya (though this was still in the exploratory stage), and Izumi was Yugen's fiancée. There was a lingering possibility that Mayumi, whose relationship with the eldest son of the Itsuwa family wasn't going well, might break off her engagement and be sent as a fiancée for Yugen.
If one asked which was more likely between Tatsuya and Yugen, considering Mayumi's lingering guilt toward Yugen and the frequency of their physical contact, Yugen was the far more likely candidate. One might wonder if the Saegusa family would be allowed to send two fiancées, but it was conceivable they would frame Mayumi as "human reparations" to the Kagurazaka family in a worst-case scenario.
『Ah, I see. That reasoning is certainly possible. Still, Ichijou-dono is a doting parent, isn't he? If the eldest son really liked her, he should have confessed before Miyuki-san revealed herself as a Yotsuba blood relative.』
"Just because someone likes a woman doesn't mean they can approach her. Besides, I only managed to confess because I had already renounced the family headship and business succession, and was originally a third son."
Even though they were both direct descendants of the Ten Master Clans, Yugen and Masaki were in different positions. Yugen felt a tiny bit of sympathy for Masaki's inability to muster the courage. Although, even if he had confessed, the probability of Miyuki accepting was... probably lower than the probability of Gu Jie suddenly having a change of heart and setting off serial bombings in the USNA.
『Well, Miyuki-san has devoted her body and soul to Yu-kun, after all. Speaking of which, Miya-san told me, "My sister attacked Yugen-kun." That must be tough.』
"Please don't say it so lightly... It was made a condition for recognizing the marriage between Miyuki and Yuka. I had no choice but to accept."
『Fufu, Maya-chan has been saved by Yu-kun with this, and I imagine she wants to dote on Tatsuya-kun and his children in the future.』
Who would believe that choosing the route of not opposing Tatsuya would unlock the route of making Miyuki a fiancée, Miya a lover, and even getting attacked by Maya? In response to Senhime's teasing, Yugen sighed and offered words that sounded like an excuse.
Honestly, he suspected the main reason Maya hadn't relied on him more than necessary was the significant presence of Tatsuya.
『Simultaneously with the announcement of the next Yotsuba Head, the Yotsuba family will announce Miyuki-san as Yu-kun's fiancée. We will also combine this with Yu-kun's New Year's greeting as the Kagurazaka Head and the recruitment for Yu-kun's fiancées. Though, there is a lot to think about.』
"That is certainly true."
Since Tatsuya was being announced as the next Yotsuba Head, the accounts wouldn't balance unless his sister, Miyuki, was also addressed. Yugen judged that announcing her as a member of the Yotsuba family simultaneously would go smoother than inviting unnecessary speculation.
However, if the Yotsuba family announced this in lieu of a New Year's greeting, how would the other Ten Master Clans react? Especially the Saegusa family, who reacted hypersensitively to anything Yotsuba-related, would not see this as someone else's problem.
Speaking of the Saegusa family, the weekend after the thesis competition, Yugen had gone to an amusement park to make up for lost time with Himeri, and he had run into Kasumi and Tatsuya. Kasumi, partly due to her own feelings and partly using Mayumi's trouble as a pretext, was on a date with Tatsuya.
While Tatsuya had helped her with preparations for the Nine Schools Competition and the Newcomers' Division, Kasumi had apparently fallen for him at first sight during the previous year's Nine Schools Competition when Tatsuya participated in the Monolith Code as a substitute.
Incidentally, Eimi, Subaru, and Sakurakouji Benio were also at the amusement park playing, but they got caught up in a disturbance involving Eimi's family, the Goldie family. Tomitsuka was also there working part-time, and with his help, they had to suppress the group attacking Eimi.
––You bastard, you're the one from that time—Gwah!?
––Hmm? Looking closely, aren't you the lot who tried to kidnap me at the clock tower a while back? Amy, can I beat these guys up? If push comes to shove, I'll erase their memories.
––Um, I'd prefer if you could do it peacefully...
––Sorry, that's impossible.
Back when he was sightseeing in London, he had been dragged into the succession dispute of the Goldie family without meaning to. They likely wanted to bring Gozo to their side, but trying to take Yugen hostage was simply "incomprehensible."
He had let them go back then, but since the group trying to steal the Goldie secret technique Magic Bullet Tathlum from Eimi was the same group, he enlisted Tatsuya's help to suppress them quickly. He left the cleanup to Gozo, who said he had "a good idea"... Yugen sincerely prayed the clock tower itself hadn't become a star in the sky.
Afterward, as an apology for getting them involved, they all ate together. During the meal, Kasumi asked various questions, and Tatsuya asked about the closeness between Yugen and Kasumi. Because of Izumi, Yugen could assert that his relationship with Kasumi would never deviate from being good friends.
But that is a story for another time.
"Touya has announced his fiancée, and in that sense, Minoru can't consider it someone else's problem either... It's really only Masaki among our generation who isn't recruiting fiancées."
『I suppose it can't be helped. If Ichijou-dono's temperament has been passed down to his eldest son, having multiple women would probably just result in him being dragged around. Speaking of which, Katsuto-kun is announcing his engagement to Mika-chan at next year's Master Clans Conference, right?』
"Yes. I've heard as much from the individuals and their parents."
Touya, having been designated the next Mutsuzuka Head, was likely spending time at the Mutsuzuka main estate. Minoru, currently being looked after by the Fujibayashi family, surely had many women approaching him given his good looks.
However, even if inferior to Yugen or Tatsuya, Masaki possessed the strength to eventually use the Strategic-Class Magic Ocean Blast. The fact that he hadn't moved to recruit fiancées might be because the Ichijou Family Head sensed his son's romantic situation.
As a side note, Shinkuro was spending the New Year at the Ichijou house this year, and he had sent a photo of himself being (forcibly) hugged by Ruri... Yugen could only reply, "How am I supposed to react to this? Don't ask me for sympathy."
Regarding the Juumonji family, it was decided that under the responsibility of the Kagurazaka family, the full use of the Toujou family's unique magic Reactive Armor would be permitted. Katsuto and Mika's engagement would be communicated to the Master Clans Conference members and part of the Hundred Families via the Japan Magic Association after the conference.
Regarding Arisa's treatment, which stemmed from Juumonji Kazuki's past womanizing issues: Senhime judged that the letter Arisa's mother, Iba Dariya, had written to Shiho—essentially a "will"—named Shiho and was legally valid.
Therefore, treating Arisa as an adopted daughter of the Mitsuya family, regardless of the Juumonji family's convenience, was judged not to constitute a leak of Juumonji magic technology.
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