Feeling the strange gazes of those around him, the Zenin Ogi's expression on his face was so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
He glanced at his wife, who was still holding their two daughters and crying uncontrollably, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes. However, mindful of the stares of others, he took a deep breath and composed himself.
The next moment, when he raised his head again, his expression had changed. He quickly walked to his wife and asked her what was wrong, seemingly with concern. But in reality, the chilling aura emanating from her almost overwhelmed the heat of the sea of fire.
No one knows what Zenin Ogi whispered in his wife's ear. All that everyone saw was that after Zenin Ogi finished speaking, his wife turned completely pale, as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant.
Immediately afterwards, carrying her two children, she thanked everyone and walked directly to a secluded spot on the other side.
Seeing this, Zenin Naobito sighed inwardly. In fact, if the other party had been more assertive or willing to trust him more, then at least for the time being, Maki and Mai's safety would not have been a problem.
All she had to do was say something like, "Maki and Mai seem to be injured and need to be checked out."
Then you'll have plenty of room to operate these things. At the very least, it will reduce the chances of the Zenin Ogi causing trouble.
Furthermore, if the other party were more willing to cooperate with the investigation, it would be very likely that some evidence could be found that the Zenin Ogi had released the cursed spirit.
But if the other party leaves without saying a word and takes the two children away, then everything that follows will become an accident and a family matter of the Zenin clan. Even if he is the clan leader, he will not have much right or qualification to interfere.
But at that moment, Zenin Kiyoshi, who had remained silent until now, looked at the woman carrying Maki and Mai as they left and spoke:
"When I was holding them, Maki and Mai inhaled some smoke. I think it's best to take them to the hospital for a check-up and keep them under observation for a period of time to avoid any long-term effects."
When he heard these words, Zenin Naobito did not show any expression on his face, but he felt a sense of relief in his heart. He could tell that Zenin Kiyoshi had said those words on purpose. Although he was just a teenager, his understanding of human relationships was quite remarkable.
Moreover, although this kid said he couldn't beat that cursed spirit, even after crawling out of the sea of fire, he didn't suffer any real injuries; he just looked a bit disheveled.
Therefore, it's possible that the fire that started was deliberately set off by that kid, Zenin Kiyoshi.
Did he also notice something amiss with the Zenin Ogi?
Thinking this through, Zenin Naobito's impression of Zenin Kiyoshi had reached a point of astonishment. He smacked his lips twice, a slight taste of alcohol rising in his throat. He stepped forward, standing between Zenin Ogi and Zenin Kiyoshi, and said with a smile:
"Kiyoshi is right. You should take Maki and Mai to see a doctor. After all, they are both valuable sorcerers of the Zenin family. We can't afford any mistakes. The Zenin family will reimburse your medical expenses. You don't need to worry about this."
Having said that, Zenin Naobito turned to look at Zenin Ogi again. Although the other party's expression remained indifferent, Zenin Naobito didn't care about such things. He merely glanced at him before directly pressing down on him as the clan head:
"Fan, you stay here and deal with why this cursed spirit appeared here. Write a detailed report for me afterwards. This situation absolutely cannot happen a second time!"
Zenin Naobito didn't give Zenin Ogi any face at all. Since he was so obsessed with the position of clan leader, he naturally had to use the clan leader's status to put the other party in a bad light.
Moreover, he had already pointed out his little tricks, both openly and subtly. If the other party continued to be so stubborn, he wouldn't be so ruthless and cold-hearted.
Although becoming the head of the family was not his original intention, Zenin Naobito was not an incompetent person to have reached this position.
He possesses both the necessary courage and wisdom.
Zenin Ogi looked at Zenin Naobito in front of him, or more accurately, at the boy standing behind Zenin Naobito. He recognized the boy; he was the little brat from the information he had given Zenin Naobito earlier.
The power of the repulsion spell and the innate curse is insufficient...
He's nothing more than an ordinary person destined to achieve nothing great, just like my eldest daughter, who will ultimately be an unacknowledged good-for-nothing.
Moreover, he had indeed acted too hastily this time. He hadn't expected that Zenin Kiyoshi would suddenly appear and disrupt his plans!
Although Zenin Kiyoshi said some more things afterward, Zenin Ogi didn't pay much attention to them. After all, as long as Zenin Naobito didn't speak, it was meaningless for Zenin Kiyoshi to talk until he was foaming at the mouth.
He certainly wouldn't let this incident erupt here; he'd have plenty of time to retaliate against the others later...
While everyone was busy putting out the fire and contacting the hospital, Zenin Kiyoshi once again became a background figure. No one paid attention to his actions, nor did anyone keep an eye on his whereabouts.
Although Zenin Kiyoshi also possessed the talent to become a sorcerer, most people chose to ignore his existence compared to the now highly respected Zenin Ogi.
Zenin Kiyoshi was happy to have some peace and quiet at this time, and he didn't want these people to come over and talk to him.
However, just as Zenin Kiyoshi was about to leave the courtyard, Zenin Naobito's voice rang out, completely devoid of his usual drunken state, and instead sounding incredibly clear:
"Today, on behalf of Maki and Mai, I want to thank you for what happened. If you hadn't stood up for them, those two children would probably be rotting corpses inside the belly of a cursed spirit by now."
I know you don't want people to know your true thoughts, and I know you don't want to offend Zenin Ogi at this time. However, some things are hard to avoid. If you have any problems later, just come to me. Try to maintain a good relationship with Zenin Ogi; he's not one of those two-faced scoundrels.
Just after Zenin Naobito finished speaking, a melodious voice rang in my mind once again.
"Congratulations, host, for unlocking Zenin Naobito's favorability. Current favorability level: 15%. Currently unlocked abilities..."