Revive Abe no Seimei just to kill him again?
Faced with such a statement, Luo Shu could only say to Meer:
"You're something else!"
"Aren't you worried about things spiralling out of control?"
"If the resurrected Abe no Seimei turns out to be a Demigod, then we'd be in for quite the spectacle."
"That brings me to a question for you, Luo Shu." Meer looked at him curiously. "Assuming Abe no Seimei is a Demigod, could Miss Tokisaki handle him?"
"And if Miss Tokisaki resolves this matter, would the ritual conditions be met?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu couldn't help but roll his eyes: "Do you think I'm omniscient or some kind of all-purpose Doraemon?"
"How would I know something like that?"
After a pause, he added: "Although the Mysticism Encyclopaedia is an Abyss Artefact of Demigod Rank, that doesn't guarantee it can divine information about beings of that level, nor can it ensure the accuracy of such divinations."
"In fact, I've secretly used it to divine Kurumi before, but she detected it instantly."
"If she hadn't realised it was me doing the divination, I would've definitely faced her wrath."
"And that's with Kurumi being the Spirit of Time, who isn't particularly skilled in divination. If it were someone more proficient, I suspect I might have suffered a counterattack."
Meer murmured in realisation: "I see. So the Encyclopaedia is ineffective against Demigod Rank beings and above?"
Luo Shu set down his teacup and clarified:
"It's not completely ineffective, but its effects are significantly diminished, and there's a risk of detection and retaliation."
"Moreover, for precise divination, the Encyclopaedia requires objects connected to the target. The closer the connection to the subject, the stronger the effect."
Hearing this, Meer blinked in surprise: "Does that mean... to get detailed information on Abe no Seimei, we'd have to steal the placenta during Hagoromo Gitsune's delivery?"
"Uh..."
This statement left not just Luo Shu, but even Kisara, who had been silently listening, feeling that such methods were rather bizarre.
"Let's try items Hagoromo Gitsune has come into contact with first, or perhaps some hair. Stealing the placenta... seems a bit premature, considering Nue, or rather Abe no Seimei's birth, isn't even on the horizon yet."
After some consideration, Luo Shu offered his suggestion.
After all, this was concerned with improving his strength. Even if Luo Shu found it disgusting, he didn't want to miss any potential variables.
In this scheme of using the Hagoromo Group's ritual to revive Nue for his own promotion ceremony, the most troublesome aspects were actually Abe no Seimei and Hagoromo Gitsune's power.
Because ultimately, the final stage of the ritual required Luo Shu to resolve the matter personally.
In other words, after Abe no Seimei revived as Nue, Luo Shu would still have to send him back to hell.
Even if he didn't personally banish him, he'd need to play a crucial role in the process.
Given this, intelligence on Abe no Seimei and Hagoromo Gitsune became absolutely vital.
After all, no one wanted things to spiral out of control at the critical moment.
"Speaking of which, how did Lacus agree to such a catastrophic event?"
As he said this, Luo Shu glanced at Meer, his face full of curiosity.
Hearing this, Meer smiled:
"Please don't imagine our Supreme Chairwoman as some fool who only knows how to shout about protecting civilians."
"It's just a large-scale haunted house experience for over 500,000 people. Without actual life-threatening danger, it's merely fright."
"Would you feel guilty enough to die just because you scared someone during Halloween, Luo Shu?"
"Even if those scared numbered 500,000 people."
"I see."
Luo Shu nodded, finally understanding Lacus's perspective.
With sufficient benefits and controlled harm to civilians, Lacus's moral flexibility was quite remarkable when both conditions were met.
"Actually, compared to convincing Lacus, the real trouble was persuading those old relics in the SDS."
When the SDS was first established, its financial foundation came from Siegel Clyne's marriage alliance with an American arms conglomerate family.
Thus, personnel loyal to American arms dealers still occupied a significant proportion within the SDS.
For instance, the Commercial Department Kirika Tachibana previously mentioned targeting was this faction's stronghold.
The "old relics" Meer referred to were representatives of this group.
However, Luo Shu was unusually casual about these people:
"With your methods, there must be plenty of solutions, right?"
"For example, when the plan first begins, hide the key information in a proposal buried among piles of irrelevant documents, then hand these materials to them for review."
"Surely these old fossils can't possibly sift through tens of thousands of complex, incomprehensible files in a short time to accurately pinpoint our concealed proposal?"
Hearing this, Meer blinked and looked at him with some admiration:
"Does Luo Shu plan to become a civil servant in the future?"
Luo Shu spread his hands: "...I've just watched a few English political comedies and know dozens of ways civil servants fool their superiors."
Then he asked: "How will we solve their demand for fresh livers?"
Meer blinked at him: "Surely fresh livers can't compare to the flesh of Great Yokai?"
Luo Shu suddenly understood: "The Great Yokai flesh I brought back from Abyss Warring States? Would the quantity be insufficient?"
"Then have Verde research how to replicate it. It's just a matter of funding."
When funding was mentioned, Meer forced a strained smile.
"I see." Luo Shu nodded in understanding, then asked, "So your next task is to attempt contact with the Hagoromo Group?"
Meer nodded. "At the earliest, it'll have to wait until I return from Europe."
"Then we'll wait for now."
Hearing this, Luo Shu stood up to take his leave.
Noticing this, Kisara approached with small steps and asked, "Shu-kun, are you heading back?"
Luo Shu shook his head. "No, we need to visit the Nura Clan first. We must ensure they confront the Hagoromo Group."
At this, Kisara froze, her expression full of bewilderment. "But... aren't we supposed to support the Hagoromo Group? Why are we finding people to oppose them?"
Meer, standing nearby, smirked mischievously.
"Because begging for someone's support is different from having them beg for yours."
"Understand now, little Kisara?"
'Little Kisara, my foot... Since when was that a nickname you could use...'
Kisara glared darkly at Meer, which only made her giggle harder.
Exasperated, Kisara turned back to Luo Shu and asked:
"So, Shu-kun plans to have the Nura Clan strike the Hagoromo Group first, then step in ourselves?"
"More or less. It's complicated—you may not fully grasp it. Just watch how I handle it later."
As he explained, Luo Shu addressed Meer again:
"Does the Intelligence Department have a specific format for reports?"
Meer seemed to catch his meaning. "I'll have Kanae prepare some blank documents for you."
"Bring some stationery too."
Luo Shu flashed a playful smile as he added:
"After all, I'm preparing a grand gift for old Nurarihyon!"