"Hey, do your job—or should I say, 'get to dueling' already."
The following day, March 27th, Yugen and Miyuki were scheduled to attend a briefing for the upcoming memorial service. Under normal circumstances, Tatsuya—as the successor to the Yotsuba family—should have been the one to attend. However, the family reached a different conclusion: with Yugen present as the Chairman of the Magicians' Council, supplemented by Miyuki acting as Tatsuya's proxy, no one would dare voice a complaint. Tatsuya was essentially chided into staying behind, urged to recover from the exhaustion of his recent operations.
"Tatsuya, are you sulking?"
"No, I have no complaints. If we're measuring by sheer exhaustion, Yugen has it far worse than I do."
"See? That sounds exactly like a complaint," Lina teased.
Relaxing in the room, Lina's observation drew a dry "Fair point" from Tatsuya. He took a sip of the coffee Mizunami had prepared for him. Since Tatsuya was still tasked with monitoring James J. Johnson, he felt compelled to graciously accept the suggestion to rest and gather his strength for tomorrow's main event. His compliance was also due to the company he kept—not just Lina and Mizunami, but the others gathered in the room.
"Tatsuya-san, you really are a sinful man. Though, I suppose that's part of your charm," Ayako remarked.
"I can see that. It's no wonder Lina-san fell for you," Kana added.
"Ayako... Kana-san..." Lina stammered, flushing.
Indeed, Ayako and Kana were also present. Since they were staying at the same hotel, Tatsuya had expected to see them, but once they produced their "get out of jail free card"—a personal letter from Maya—Tatsuya found himself unable to refuse their company.
He suspected his aunt might be overly eager for grandchildren, but he was acutely aware that getting someone pregnant while still in high school would be a disaster. In that sense, he truly had been saved by Yugen taking over the official duties. Sensing the conversation heading toward uncomfortable territory, Tatsuya decided to pivot.
"What are your plans for today? Since my schedule has opened up, would you all like to go out?"
His official duties for the Yotsuba were complete; all that remained were his responsibilities as a Special Officer for the National Defense Ground Forces. Tomorrow at noon, they would head to Kumejima to make final preparations before entering the party venue at Saika Shin-jima. Normally, the Yotsuba would handle the logistics, but Yugen had already explained the change in plans.
"My mother will be attending the party," Yugen had informed them. "She's arriving in Okinawa on the 27th via a government jet."
Though she had technically retired from the front lines, her prowess as a magician remained legendary. She was attending in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Kanzaka Group, but her true purpose was to ensure the complete suppression of unauthorized magic within the venue. She had modestly remarked, "Well, with Yugen-kun there, my presence might be unnecessary," but she was taking no chances.
Furthermore, she was bringing a team of experts in makeup and dressmaking—a clear gesture of support for Miyuki, Mizunami, and Lina.
Additionally, several magicians were slated to accompany her, including Superintendent Toshikazu Chiba of the Police Ministry (who had been promoted following his achievements in the recent terror incidents). Even USNA Senator Wyatt Curtis was expected to be in attendance.
Apparently, Senator Curtis had been saved by Chiaki Kanzaka in a past political incident and maintained a strong personal connection with her. Following Benjamin Canopus's failed mission regarding Gu Jie, Chiaki had interceded to mitigate his failures, leaving Senator Curtis in a position where he could never turn her down.
Curtis's sudden decision to participate was driven by the discovery that his relatives were alive; his official cover was "delivering a personal letter from the President of the USNA." Carrying a handwritten letter from the President was a legitimate diplomatic move, and as long as his true intentions didn't leak into digital channels, they remained his own.
"In that case, why don't we invite Honoka?" Lina suggested, breaking the silence. "We could have Shizuku come along, too."
"That's a wonderful idea," Ayako agreed. "As someone close to Yugen-san, I'd like to deepen our friendship with them as well."
"...Are you alright with that, Tatsuya-kun?" Kana asked.
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