Hearing Luo Shu's words, the expressions of those present immediately turned serious.
Only Hanabusa Aidō, upon hearing Luo Shu's statement, gave him a strange look before glancing at Kaname Kuran, silently communicating via telepathy:
'Lord Kuran, this SDS Director seems to consider himself our superior?'
'Do not be rude, Aidō. Moreover, we have no need to... make ourselves targets.'
Upon receiving Kaname Kuran's response, Hanabusa Aidō suddenly realised something and couldn't help glancing at Fumonshichi before letting out a quiet chuckle.
Yet in the next moment, Fumonshichi spoke up boldly:
"Since Director Luo has arrived, the meeting can indeed begin now."
"After all, the head seat has been reserved for you~~"
Hearing this, Hanabusa Aidō was dumbfounded.
'What's going on? Weren't you being extremely picky just now, you rude human? How come you're so obedient all of a sudden?'
'Are you sure you're a member of Bujin-shū?'
'How do you manage to pull off that bootlicking expression so naturally?'
Seeing Fumonshichi's behaviour, Luo Shu also gave him a strange look. However, Luo Shu didn't reject the suggestion and instead entered the private room first, saying:
"You're becoming increasingly shameless lately, Fumonshichi."
Upon hearing this, Fumonshichi stroked his chin: "Should I say 'thank you for the compliment'?"
At this, Luo Shu - now seated at the head of the table - twitched his mouth slightly before sighing and saying nothing more.
Meanwhile, Takina Inoue and others followed behind Luo Shu to take their seats.
Miya Yotsuba, who was walking at the very back, went straight to Tatsuya Shiba's side. After looking him over, she said:
"It seems you haven't sustained any injuries, Shiba."
Hearing this, not only Fumonshichi but also Rihan Nura and even Kaname Kuran cast curious glances.
This woman, following Luo Shu, knows someone from the Cabinet's direct action team?
Before they could speculate further, Tatsuya Shiba stood up and bowed:
"Good day, Mother."
At these words, Fumonshichi's jaw dropped, Rihan Nura's toothpick pricked his hand, and Hidemoto Keikain's folding fan froze mid-air.
Even Kaname Kuran showed a startled expression.
The slowest to react was Chisato Nishikigi, who hugged Takina Inoue as both girls exclaimed in unison:
"Eh, eh, eh—!!" X2
"Mother and son? Seriously?" Takina Inoue glanced between Miya Yotsuba and Tatsuya Shiba, then at Luo Shu.
"Why are you looking at me?" Luo Shu raised an eyebrow irritably. "Is it so strange for Yotsuba-san to have a son?"
"No, it's not strange, just..." Chisato Nishikigi looked between Miya Yotsuba and Tatsuya Shiba before covering her face. "They don't look like it at all - no, they look more like siblings!!"
Takina Inoue nodded repeatedly, her small face equally bewildered.
At the same time, she sensed something amiss.
Why would Tatsuya Shiba's mother come with Luo Shu?
What's going on here?
"My, my, what sweet words from such a young lady. I'm nearly forty, you know."
Miya Yotsuba smiled while saying something that made Luo Shu's mouth twitch.
'Nearly forty? If I hadn't checked the Encyclopedia beforehand, I might have believed you, you little girl with a sixteen-year-old body and even younger mental age! Stop pretending to be an aunt!!'
Yet Chisato Nishikigi bought it completely, immediately grabbing Miya Yotsuba's hands:
"Please, you must tell me your skincare routine!!"
"Well, how should I put it... It just requires a special method to keep one's heart young..."
Miya Yotsuba replied with a smile, appearing somewhat shy while deliberately glancing at Luo Shu.
That glance caused those who saw it to look at Luo Shu with subtle expressions, then at Tatsuya Shiba.
For a fleeting moment, they seemed to see the man standing behind Tatsuya Shiba, and atop his head, a lush green hat.
The worst affected was Nura Rihan.
At this moment, he suddenly recalled Luo Shu's relationship with Hagoromo Gitsune, then thought of Gitsune's connection with his ex-wife, instantly feeling as if his own head bore a similarly verdant hue.
"Tsk!!" Fumonshichi drew a sharp breath, then muttered to Shin Natsume beside him with a peculiar expression: "Is it really all right for Maya to sign up with the SDS?"
Natsume merely glanced at Fumonshichi and replied coldly:
"Piss off."
At this, Fumonshichi fell silent immediately.
At the centre of attention, Luo Shu calmly observed Tatsuya Shiba.
Unsurprisingly, the other man remained expressionless.
Then again, even before crossing into this world, Tatsuya Shiba had been altered by Miya Yotsuba's Mental Spell before birth, stripping away all emotional functions save his protective instincts towards his sister Miyuki.
Under such circumstances, expecting any reaction from Tatsuya Shiba towards Miya Yotsuba's deliberately ambiguous remarks would be asking too much.
Moreover, Miya Yotsuba's words weren't even directed at Tatsuya Shiba—she was simply stirring trouble.
'This woman is using rhetoric to stir others' emotions, exploiting periods of mental activity to read their memories?'
'Heh, I just told her that memory reading shouldn't be done too directly, and now she's giving me a live demonstration?'
'How amusing.'
A faint smile appeared on Luo Shu's face as he turned to Chisato and Takina:
"Alright, stop standing there dumbly. Come sit down."
"Okay!"
Hearing this, Chisato Nishikigi obediently took her seat, while Takina Inoue hesitated briefly before following her companion to the table.
Meanwhile, Miya Yotsuba had already used her mental interference technique to extract numerous memories from those present.
After giving Nura Rihan a rather peculiar glance, Miya Yotsuba attempted to invite Tatsuya Shiba to join them at the table.
However, Luo Shu suddenly addressed Tatsuya Shiba:
"By the way, Tatsuya, if you're willing, you can call me father."
Miya Yotsuba froze completely upon hearing this.
What stunned her even more was when Tatsuya Shiba nodded and replied:
"Understood, Father."
Everyone present: "????"
Wasn't this supposed to be a meeting? How did it turn into a family reunion?
And Luo Shu, aren't you even going to pretend? Just straight up having someone else's son address you as father?
This is utterly shameless! (And enviable!!)
Under the group's bewildered gazes, the meeting finally began...