As time passed, the active period of Cursed Spirits gradually came to an end, and life at Tokyo Jujutsu High grew increasingly relaxed.
Eichi and Artoria enjoyed their rare moments of peace together.
It was then that Zen'in Shuji brought an unexpected guest before Eichi.
"Old man, what are you doing here?"
Eichi looked at Naobito with surprise.
Calling him "old man" didn't mean Eichi disliked Naobito.
On the contrary, Naobito was one of the few Zen'in clan members whom Eichi actually respected.
That way of addressing him was simply a sign of their closeness.
Sometimes, using formal titles like "family head" or "boss" between people with a good relationship only served to create unnecessary distance.
"Hahaha, what, you're not happy to see me, kid?"
Naobito laughed in his usual boisterous manner.
"You're not a beautiful girl, why would I be happy to see you?"
Eichi rolled his eyes.
"You're right."
After saying that, Naobito glanced at Shuji.
Zen'in Shuji bowed slightly, then quietly left the room, leaving only Eichi and Naobito behind.
"What's the matter? Even Shuji isn't allowed to hear?"
Shuji was practically Eichi's half-butler at this point. Sometimes, he even knew more about Eichi's connections in the Jujutsu World than Eichi himself.
"That's right. This isn't something he should know."
Unlike his usual carefree attitude, Naobito sat down opposite Eichi with a serious expression.
Seeing him like this, Eichi's curiosity was piqued.
What could make this usually drunk old man so solemn?
"Jujutsu Headquarters wants to assign you a designated mission."
'Designated mission?'
Eichi narrowed his eyes.
Since the order came from Jujutsu Headquarters, it likely wasn't clan-related.
And if even Shuji couldn't know about it, then it must be highly confidential.
'Given the current level of secrecy within the Jujutsu World, and the fact they want a sorcerer of my strength… the only mission that fits those conditions would be… Kenjaku?'
"That mysterious Curse User who attacked Tokyo Jujutsu High? You found her whereabouts?"
Eichi was immediately interested.
If this led to Kenjaku's location, Eichi wouldn't mind bringing three Heroic Spirits, along with Satoru and Suguru, to finish her off in advance.
However, he doubted that was the case.
Kenjaku was a master manipulator who had hidden in the shadows for over a thousand years.
There were also definitely insiders working for Kenjaku within Jujutsu Headquarters.
Even if they claimed to have found her, Eichi would have to consider the possibility that it was a trap.
"Hmm, you guessed half of it."
Naobito smiled and stroked his short mustache.
"What's the other half?"
Eichi asked, playing along.
"It's Master Tengen."
"Tengen?"
"That's right."
Naobito nodded. The smile on his face disappeared.
"News from the Tombs of the Star says Tengen has emerged from seclusion."
A rare seriousness appeared in Naobito's eyes.
"After emerging this time, Master Tengen no longer feels human. It's more like… a Cursed Spirit."
Naobito emphasized the term "Cursed Spirit."
"A Cursed Spirit, huh?"
Eichi closed his eyes slightly, recalling the strange thumb-like object in his memory.
"Do you know about Tengen's Technique?"
"The Immortal Technique. They need to assimilate with a Star Plasma Vessel every 500 years to reset their physical information."
"Correct."
Naobito nodded.
"According to Tengen, if they don't undergo assimilation, the Immortal Technique will begin reconstructing their body, evolving them into a higher-level life form, but…"
Naobito looked at Eichi with grave seriousness.
"Once it reaches that point, the human consciousness is completely gone. When that happens, the entire barrier network across Japan, maintained by Tengen, and the Assistant Supervisors' ability to deploy veils using Tengen's blessing, will all stop functioning. The Jujutsu World will suffer tremendously."
"And most importantly, if Tengen becomes a Cursed Spirit..."
Naobito didn't finish his sentence.
"A disaster," Eichi replied calmly. Now he understood what Jujutsu Headquarters meant.
Naobito pulled out a report and handed it to him.
"This is the result of Headquarters' investigation into that escaped Curse User. They've assigned you to deliver this report and observe Tengen's condition. If Tengen has already..."
Naobito trailed off again, not saying the rest aloud.
That was how those in power operated. Some things simply couldn't be spoken openly.
Say one wrong word and you'd be questioned, held accountable, and the consequences could snowball from there.
Eichi understood this well.
In his past life, he was just a regular office worker. No one had taught him any of this.
So in his first job, because he didn't catch on to his boss's hints, he remained at the bottom of the company hierarchy.
Later, an older employee who was about to retire took pity on Eichi and taught him the unspoken rules of the workplace.
In this life, both Naobito and Satoru would occasionally share insider knowledge with him when they talked about the Jujutsu world, and Eichi learned a great deal from them.
Many things Satoru didn't ignore out of ignorance, but out of disdain.
"Leave it to me."
Currently, Mahoraga's Sword of Exorcism was the highest-grade known weapon for inflicting direct damage to Cursed Spirits.
Combined with Mahoraga's ability to adapt and overcome any technique, this was Jujutsu Headquarters' most reliable measure to deal with Tengen.
Best case, Tengen was fine.
If not, Mahoraga would have to exorcise them.
Eichi had no issue with this arrangement.
Although he was confident that Tengen hadn't lost control, their continued existence was undoubtedly a hidden threat.
Eichi had long hoped to change the Jujutsu World. As it stood, Jujutsu Headquarters was the largest authority, but even they couldn't ignore Tengen's influence.
If Tengen voiced an opinion, even Headquarters had to weigh it heavily.
So Eichi planned to talk with Tengen and learn their true intentions.
If Tengen was willing to cooperate, great. If not, then Eichi would have a legitimate reason to eliminate them.
After accepting the mission, Naobito didn't linger at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
He met with Masamichi, and under the guise of inspecting the new principal's work, toured the campus. The two even shared a few drinks at noon.
Masamichi assumed Headquarters had sent Naobito to check on the school after his appointment.
He had no idea that Naobito's real task had already been completed.
Visiting him was just an excuse to drink some of Masamichi's good sake.
Things had been too serious lately. As a longtime alcoholic, Naobito had been too embarrassed to drink openly.
He could only sneak sips in private, afraid the other two clans would notice if he drank too freely.
Now that his business was wrapped up, he took the opportunity to relax with a few drinks.
The rest could be handled by that kid Eichi.
Feeling satisfied, Naobito let out a loud burp and rode back to the Zen'in estate.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)