Holding those emotions close, Mitsuaki pondered.
"Still, I am currently someone with no official ties to the Twenty-Eight Families. I wonder why Lord Jumonji sent an invitation to me as well?"
"Do you have some concern, Mitsuaki?"
"Yes, well... If I attend, there's a high probability I'll run into members of my former family, the Kudos."
It was true that Mitsuaki was engaged to Riri, a member of the Jumonji family, but that alone wasn't reason enough for the head of the Jumonji house to grant him special consideration. Furthermore, an invitation had surely been dispatched to his former home, the Kudo family. If anyone were to attend from their side, it would likely be his eldest brother, and from Mitsuaki's perspective, coming into contact with people he wished to keep at a distance was far from ideal.
Sensing that there was an underlying intention—expecting something from Mitsuaki beyond mere drawbacks—Yuzo, the patriarch of the household, finally spoke up.
"Mitsuaki. It is possible Lord Jumonji is seeking a role from you that he himself cannot fulfill. In all likelihood, he will also be attending the meeting as a representative of the Yotsuba family."
"...I see. So I am to act as Tatsuya-san's backup?"
Faintly, Mitsuaki had also sensed that this upcoming youth conference was not driven entirely by the Jumonji family. While the organizers would naturally wish to avoid destroying the meeting they themselves initiated, they might foresee the atmosphere turning sour depending on the topics raised.
Thus, Yuzo surmised, they had set their sights on Mitsuaki as an affiliate of the Twenty-Eight Families connected to the Jumonji household. Having met Tatsuya after he was publicly revealed as a Yotsuba, Yuzo calculated that Tatsuya would almost certainly attend.
Mitsuaki arrived at the same conclusion given Tatsuya's character, though a shadow crossed his face. Reading the reason behind his expression, the family members around the table shared wry smiles.
"To be frank, serving as a mediator for a meeting full of people older than me is a task that should normally fall to a senior member. Times like these make Grandfather's legacy feel exceptionally heavy."
Be that as it may, since it was a rare opportunity to meet acquaintances, Mitsuaki saw no reason to refuse, deciding then and there to attend. Thanks to his experience assisting with his grandfather's work, he finished drafting his formal reply immediately and dispatched it to the Jumonji household the following day.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was after he returned home from school that Masaki Ichijou learned of the invitation to the youth conference. Upon arriving home, Masaki went straight to the room where his father lay resting.
Goki Ichijou, head of the Ichijou family, had fallen into an unexplained state of debilitation during combat two days prior and was currently recuperating at home rather than being hospitalized. Aside from minor bruises caused by the impact of collapsing unconscious, there were no visible physical injuries, let alone any medical damage detected in his internal organs or bones, leading doctors to conclude that hospital treatment was inapplicable. While transferring him to an affiliated hospital of the National Magic University in Gunma—a specialized institution—was an option, Goki firmly rejected it.
"Excuse me."
"Masaki, is that you? Come in."
Goki, having sustained damage in combat, was unable to sit up comfortably; although he spent far more time asleep than a healthy person, his consciousness remained perfectly sharp. Home recuperation had been Goki's own explicit request. Beneath that lay his belief that his son was still 'lacking' to shoulder the responsibility of the Ichijou headship alone. Yet, sticking to his philosophy that Masaki must learn and grow on his own initiative rather than being taught directly, this was the only path forward.
Goki pressed the remote to incline his electric bed, resting against it in a semi-upright posture.
"Father, are you sure it's alright for you to be awake?"
"Ah, I've regained quite a bit of strength in my arms and legs."
As he spoke with Masaki, Goki issued swift orders to a subordinate standing by the bedside. The subordinate operated the pages of an electronic paper device using a remote control.
Goki utilized his waking hours to direct the magicians under the Ichijou family's jurisdiction. Normally, this work would fall to his close aides, but given the current signs of an impending invasion toward the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, he personally took command to fulfill his duty as head of the Ichijou house.
"Father, didn't that New Soviet vessel vanish?"
"It is an unidentified vessel. We have not definitively confirmed it belongs to the New Soviet Union."
"This isn't an official briefing, so what's the harm in admitting it? Or do you genuinely believe it came from somewhere other than the New Soviet Union?"
"...The suspicious vessel remains classified as unidentified. It is possible it scuttled itself."
Following that incident, the unidentified vessel vanished from the waters off Sado. Naturally suspicious that it had originated from the New Soviet Union, Masaki felt Goki was strangely avoiding a definitive answer.
It was as if he were hesitant to speak in front of a third party... Realizing this, Masaki inwardly felt ashamed at his own carelessness. His inquiry about the suspicious vessel had not stemmed from mere idle curiosity, but he realized there was a 'third party' present whom he should have addressed first. Cutting the conversation short with a brief "I see," he turned his attention toward that person.
"Tsukuba-san, thank you again for coming today."
"You are very welcome. Seeing that the Head of the Family is recovering smoothly allows me to breathe a sigh of relief without exposing my own incompetence."
In response to Masaki's deeply grateful words offered with an apologetic bow, Yuka Tsukuba offered a humble, lighthearted jest. This, in truth, was the final reason why home recuperation had been chosen over a hospital stay.
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