Luo Shu pushed the cup of black tea Megumi Kato had prepared earlier toward Asuna Yuuki, then raised an eyebrow and asked:
"How much do you know about the mystic side, Asuna?"
Asuna Yuuki's lips parted hesitantly before she blushed and whispered, "I... don't know... I don't know if what I know counts as a lot or a little."
Hearing this, Luo Shu wasn't surprised. One or two days were sufficient for the SDS's Intelligence Department to investigate Asuna Yuuki thoroughly, and he had already reviewed their findings.
"According to the information I've received, Mr Yuuki and his wife, Kyouko, didn't want you to learn about matters related to the mystic side."
It wasn't just reluctance—Shouzou Yuuki had essentially told her nothing.
Asuna Yuuki's father, Shouzou Yuuki, belonged to a branch of the Yuuki family, and since his grandfather's generation, they had failed to inherit the ability to wield the Flame Arts.
After three generations, Shouzou Yuuki's lineage was on the verge of being struck from the Kannagi main family's records.
In the eyes of the Kannagi family, if a branch family's lineage failed to awaken the Flame Arts bloodline for four generations, they would be removed from the family registry. Only when a child with an awakened bloodline was born would they be reinstated.
In that case, the newly awakened child would essentially become the founder of a new branch family on a fresh page of the registry.
By generational order, Asuna Yuuki was the fourth generation in Shouzou Yuuki's line, and neither she nor her elder brother had awakened the Flame Arts ability.
Thus, starting from Asuna Yuuki's generation, Shouzou Yuuki's lineage was in a state of pending removal.
Upon Shouzou Yuuki's death, this branch would effectively be erased from the Kannagi family registry.
Because of this, Shouzou Yuuki had never explained the situation of the Kannagi main family or the mystic side to his children.
In fact, even Asuna Yuuki's mother, Kyouko Yuuki, knew nothing about the mystic side.
According to the SDS's internal psychologists, the reasons were twofold: on the one hand, the childhood trauma of failing to awaken his abilities and meet his elders' expectations haunted him; on the other, it was Shouzou Yuuki's deliberate move to curb his wife's ambitions.
Shouzou Yuuki's wife, Kyouko Yuuki, was born in a small town in Hokkaido. Through sheer academic excellence, she had climbed her way out of the mountains to become a university professor—a classic overachiever.
Her marriage to Shouzou Yuuki had largely been motivated by her desire to elevate her social class.
In this situation, Kyouko Yuuki's upbringing of Asuna Yuuki most likely carried the so-called middle-class ambition of elevating their social status.
Essentially, Asuna Yuuki received a Japanese-style education intended to attract a son-in-law who would assist her brother in managing the family business, thereby strengthening the Yuuki family's influence and continuing their upward trajectory.
As a director of a major corporation, Shouzou Yuuki couldn't possibly be unaware of his wife's intentions, yet he tacitly permitted such behaviour.
According to psychological analysis, Shouzou Yuuki had resigned himself to fate and sought to gradually climb the social ladder within the ordinary world.
His ideal was likely to leverage the Kannagi family's background to develop his own branch into a new zaibatsu.
This phenomenon is quite common in Japan.
Many powerful zaibatsu have a main family with significant standing in the mystic side supporting them from behind the scenes.
Those nouveau riche without such martial backing are often viewed as mere upstarts.
A prominent example is the Shinomiya zaibatsu—though touted as a 200 trillion yen conglomerate, it was essentially a postwar-era wealthy elite that rose through American influence.
In terms of heritage, the Fujiwara family far surpasses the Shinomiya, being an ancient lineage dating back to the Heian period that holds considerable status among shrine-based families.
From current appearances, Shouzou Yuuki appears intent on making the Yuuki family the new technological elite within the wealthy aristocracy of the new century.
"Father and Mother don't want me to know..." Asuna Yuuki's tone carried a hint of dejection, but the faint emotion underlying those words surprised Luo Shu slightly.
He detected a whiff of rebellion in her voice.
"Everything you know about the mystic side was told to you by Ayano and Yukari Shinomiya, correct?"
Asuna Yuuki nodded, then explained quietly:
"I know the Kannagi family is a prominent house originating from the Edo period, rising to prominence six hundred years ago after forming a contract with the Spirit King, becoming the representative lineage of Flame Arts practitioners and a key component of shrine-based families."
"Beyond that, I only know some names of official organisations and a few methods Ayano taught me for avoiding yokai and dangers..."
Here, Asuna's voice carried a faint note of envy.
Though close friends, Asuna frankly envied Ayano Kannagi.
Blessed with extraordinary talent, beauty, and academic excellence—most importantly, parents who valued her opinions enough to let her decide even her own marriage.
This was practically Asuna's ideal version of herself, but alas, it remained just an ideal.
"I also know some basic information about the SDS, said to be an influential major power in the mystic side."
Hearing this, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow at Asuna but didn't correct her phrasing.
An influential major power?
Hardly. They merely had early advantages and a few Demigods of orthodox Class origins.
To qualify as a major power in Luo Shu's view, they'd need at least Divine Rank beings presiding, surrounded by multiple Angels.
The current Hidden Management Department still fell short of that title.
Though they were certainly sufficient for bullying small fry in the real world.
"Since you know about the SDS, you should also understand their stance towards those attempting to join through improper means."
Luo Shu's casual remark made Asuna Yuuki realise the crux of the matter.
Indeed, would such a major organisation on the mystic side allow members who cheated their way in?
That was utterly impossible, wasn't it?
So their actions...
In an instant, Asuna Yuuki's face turned deathly pale.
Realising this, Asuna couldn't care less about the two beside her and stammered towards Luo Shu:
"I-I'll do anything, so please spare Yukari and Nanase!!"
"Oh? Anything at all?" Luo Shu curled his lips, flipped his palm to produce a brown scroll, then tossed it towards Asuna Yuuki.
As Asuna hurriedly reached out to catch it, Luo Shu said indifferently:
"Then sign this slave contract."
Asuna nearly dropped the scroll in fright upon catching it. She looked up at Luo Shu in shock, then seemed to remember something, gritted her teeth and said:
"Please give me a pen."
The next second, a pen appeared before Asuna Yuuki.
After signing the contract scroll without even reading its contents, Asuna raised her head and gazed at Luo Shu with complicated emotions, asking:
"Is this enough?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu said nothing, merely raising his hand and snapping his fingers again under Asuna's familiar gaze.
Snap!
The illusion dissolved once more.
Asuna blinked blankly, looking around in a daze at Nanase Kudō and Yukari Shinomiya beside her, who had just finished signing their names, her mind buzzing.
"Eh? Weren't you two unconscious? Why are you signing too?" Nanase Kudō stared at them blankly, utterly confused.
"Huh? You're signing as well?" Yukari Shinomiya gaped at her friends in shock, wondering if she was seeing hallucinations.
Wait... hallucinations?
In an instant, Yukari Shinomiya realised something and turned her gaze towards Luo Shu.
At that moment, Luo Shu, who had killed three birds with one stone, calmly picked up his black tea, took a delicate sip, and sighed:
"How sweet~"
Three little girls, with just a bit of illusion magic to tweak their senses and some smooth talk, readily agreed to go through fire and water for their friends.
So easily fooled~
After this musing, Luo Shu, with a smirk, watched Asuna Yuuki's dumbfounded expression as she realised she'd been tricked, and burst out laughing:
"Hahaha!"
"Though it's a bit premature, as your superior, I feel obliged to remind you all."
"In the mystic side, deception lurks everywhere."
"Do be careful not to get scammed~"
With those words, before the trio could react, a flood of common knowledge surged into their minds.
Seeing this, Luo Shu, who had taken out a camera, knew very well.
The customary initiation for new Familia members had begun.