After delivering his report at school, Yugen set off for home. Along the way, he received an email from Tatsuya explaining that the police questioning was taking longer than expected. He estimated he wouldn't be back until around 7:00 PM.
Realizing that starting dinner now would leave him with far too much idle time, Yugen decided to pay a rare visit to Kyuujou-ji Temple. Usually, the monk Yakumo would sense Yugen's suppressed presence and come out to greet him personally—often with a mischievous air—but today, he was met by one of the senior disciples instead.
"Lord Kamigazaka, a pleasure to see you."
"Oh, this is a surprise. Is Master Yakumo out?"
"No, he is currently receiving a guest."
That was rare indeed. Within the world of Traditionalists, Kokonoe Yakumo was revered as the "Second Coming of Kashin Koji" or the "Modern-Day Kashin." Though he styled himself a mere hermit, he possessed a web of connections so vast that it was not uncommon for influential figures to seek him out. Of course, whether they could afford a price he deemed worthy was entirely up to the individual.
If Yakumo was officially entertaining a guest, the list of candidates was short. It would have to be someone on the level of the "Guardians" or the "Senate"—or at least someone with an introduction from them.
As Yugen stood there lost in thought, a figure emerged from the depths of the temple. He was an elderly man in a well-tailored suit, his age evident in his features, yet he retained the imposing silhouette of a great warrior. Most striking of all was his proud, steady stride and his clouded, white left eye, which he made no effort to hide.
It was none other than Todo Aoba—the Buddhist layman "Seiha," and one of the four Great Elders of the Senate. Noticing Yugen, Aoba stopped and offered a respectful bow.
"Lord Kamigazaka. I did not expect to cross paths with you in a place like this. I heard rumors of an ambush… though I suppose a man of your caliber is incapable of sustaining a mere injury."
"You flatter me, Lord Todo. Even I am susceptible to a wound if caught off guard."
"I see… Yakumo's tea remains as unpalatable as ever. Now, if you'll excuse me."
The way he grumbled about the tea suggested a complex relationship—perhaps a refusal to trust Yakumo fully, or a desire to avoid giving the monk any leverage. The fact that Yakumo led the "Kuzuryu" likely factored into that caution as well.
Led by the disciple, Yugen was shown not to the living quarters, but to a private room deep within the main hall. There, Yakumo sat waiting, having prepared a tea set as if anticipating his arrival.
"My, my. Did the Great Elders come all this way today just to drink my 'dreadful' tea?"
"Spare me the sarcasm, Master Kokonoe," Yugen replied.
"Just a joke, Yugen-kun. Regardless, let me whisk a bowl for you first."
Yakumo meticulously prepared the matcha and offered it to Yugen. Yugen accepted and drank, following the proper etiquette. The fact that Todo Aoba could call this "unpalatable" likely spoke more to his personality and his feelings toward Yakumo than the quality of the tea itself.
"It is excellent. Thank you."
"I'm glad, I'm glad. After all, if I served something sub-par to my superior, I'd likely get a clobbering from your mother or Lord Gouzo."
Yugen had learned tea ceremony etiquette from Senhime. The Kamigazaka family placed great importance on the inheritance of cultural arts like tea and flower arrangement alongside magic. Despite being a young man, Yugen was well-versed in these traditions—traditions that Miyuki, as his future primary wife, would also eventually master.
Setting the formalities aside, Yugen sat cross-legged and faced the monk.
"I ran into Lord Todo just now. Did he approach you with a request?"
"Less a request and more a plea to assist Tatsuya-kun. Apparently, he wants to ensure the boy doesn't fall into a 'disadvantageous situation.'"
"...I don't mean to be rude, but is that man a fool?"
Yugen's bluntness was rooted in simple logic. Now that Edward Clark had uncovered Tatsuya's identity, it was obvious he would use the USNA to take action. Furthermore, it was predictable that he would use Echelon III to pressure the UK and the New Soviet Union.
While one could argue the Elder didn't know the full extent of the situation, Tatsuya had already been suspected of being a Strategic-Class Magician during the "Parasite Incident," and even the STARS had been deployed to deal with him. To view that as a one-off event was nothing short of idiotic.
"You believe Tatsuya-kun is already in that situation?" Yakumo asked.
"To be precise, Edward Clark—an agent of the USNA's National Science Agency—knows Tatsuya is the user of the Strategic-Class magic Material Burst. He is using Zhou Gongjin as a pawn to set the stage. The source of the hacking tools Zhou used to evade pursuit was the USNA's own signals intelligence system."
"...I see. His Excellency seemed unaware of that, which is why he spoke with such optimism. Or perhaps, willful ignorance," Yakumo mused, scratching his head with a serious expression.
Though Yakumo took pride in his own information-gathering as a shinobi, Yugen's intelligence capabilities were staggering. Yugen tended to allocate his international resources to matters concerning himself while delegating domestic intelligence to specialists like the Kuzuryu.
"Furthermore, Australia and the Great Asian Alliance are moving in the shadows. Master Kokonoe, I have a task for you. I need you to move the cargo ship Zhou Gongjin used—currently in Numazu—to the new port in Hiratsuka."
"That's simple enough, but why bring his escape route to Hiratsuka?"
"Oh, that… I intend for it to become Zhou Gongjin's coffin."
"Hmm? Care to explain the details?"
Yakumo understood Todo's perspective—helping Zhou flee the country to get rid of a nuisance. However, what Yugen was asking sounded dangerously like aiding an escape. Sensing Yakumo's valid doubt, Yugen began to explain.
"It's obvious the USNA military will intervene the moment Zhou flees to international waters. In fact, I expect them to interfere even with the Ten Master Clans' tactical units to ensure they get to him first. So, I've decided to undermine the intentions of both my allies and my enemies at the very root."
"...I see," Yakumo grinned. "You'll disguise yourself as Zhou to deceive them. Meanwhile, by sending the real Zhou out on that cargo ship, the USNA forces stationed in Japan will lose their pretext to interfere."
Originally, Yugen had planned to intervene just before the USNA strike to humiliate them. But his irritation with Edward Clark had grown. He decided to crush their ambitions entirely: he would take on Zhou's appearance, wait for the USNA's plan to almost succeed, reveal himself, and then force a direct negotiation.
"Regardless of the method, I will make the USNA take custody of Zhou Gongjin. Their responsibility for allowing the Great Han refugee network to persist is significant, and the whole affair is a scandal waiting to happen for them."
"You're quite harsh."
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