On that fateful day off the coast of Sado, when a sudden magical ambush struck during a suspicious vessel investigation, Gouki was rushed to the hospital. Doctors found themselves completely baffled—unable to diagnose the cause of his rapid deterioration, let alone prescribe a treatment. Anxiety brought his family to the brink of collapse.
His daughters, Akane and Ruri, grew emotionally unstable, often stifling their sobs in quiet corners. His wife, Midori, maintained a stoic front, though anyone could see it was a forced bravado meant to keep her daughters from worrying further. Naturally, Masaki attempted to put on a brave face as well, but he couldn't entirely mask his internal turmoil.
The person who reacted to that distress without delay was Yugen Kagurazaka, current head of the Kagurazaka family and President of the Master Clan Council. Having treated several magicians in the past, he assessed Gouki's condition, declaring it "recoverable enough to return to active duty." He informed the Ichijo family that he would issue an official request to the Yotsuba family to dispatch a medical specialist.
Their ability to grasp Gouki's situation within hours of the incident was nothing short of astonishing. Lacking any clear alternative or expertise of their own, the Ichijo family clung to his proposal like a lifeline.
That sequence of events brought the woman currently standing before Masaki into their lives: Yuuka Tsukuba.
In the original timeline, she was merely a graduate student at the National Magic University. Here, however, she held the newly established credential of "Magical Medical Technician"—a qualification created alongside the founding of the National Medical Magic University. While standard certification required graduating from the medical university, she had been granted an exception due to her groundbreaking research on Magic Calculation Area Overheating, combined with extensive practical experience gained through clinical trials.
Even compared to traditional medicine, magical medicine remained an immature field. Despite gaining traction thanks to the achievements of "Taurus Silver," it had far from permeated every branch of healthcare. The hospital's complete inability to treat Gouki stemmed directly from the underdeveloped state of this specialized field.
"Is my father recovering?"
Just two days ago, he couldn't even move his neck, and speaking caused him immense pain. Considering where he started, watching him maintain a seated posture for two days straight—even if standing on his own remained out of reach—represented massive progress.
Yet, a subtle thread of anxiety lingered within Masaki. External improvements didn't entirely rule out the risk of sudden internal deterioration.
"Yes. Since we are largely treading on uncharted ground, I cannot give you a definitive timeline for a full recovery, but if progress continues at this rate, the numbness throughout his body should dissipate by early next week."
"I see."
Yuuka's words contained no deception.
Even though she had learned techniques from Yugen, she lacked the specialized "Eyes" possessed by Yugen or Tatsuya. She relied instead on her innate aptitude for mental-interference magic to read Gouki's condition while applying treatment. Had Yugen come in person, he could have healed him instantly. However, given the lingering friction between Yugen and the Ichijo family—specifically Masaki—that was out of the question. Thus, Yuuka was sent in his stead.
"Don't worry, Masaki. I can't stay bedridden forever, and thanks to Miss Tsukuba's treatment, I've regained a good deal of mobility. At this rate, I'll be back on my feet in no time."
Gouki voiced his gratitude toward Yuuka while reassuring Masaki with a confident declaration of his recovery, allowing Masaki's tense expression to soften slightly.
"Well then, I shall take my leave for today. I will return tomorrow."
"Ah, let me walk you out."
"I appreciate the thought, but please, do not trouble yourself."
Yuuka politely declined Masaki's offer, bowed deeply to Gouki, and stepped out of the room. Observing her exit, Gouki gave a brief instruction to his subordinate, who promptly followed Yuuka out to escort her.
Once left alone, Masaki dropped his polite smile and turned his gaze directly to Gouki.
"So, what's the real situation?"
"What do you mean?"
Perhaps staying upright was still taxing, as Gouki leaned his head back onto the pillow. Realizing this, Masaki hurried to press the switch to recline the bed. Only after adjusting it did Masaki answer his father's question.
"Can she be trusted?"
"Masaki... questioning her implies doubting the Kagurazaka family, who hold far more history and authority in magic than the Ten Master Clans."
"That's..."
Even if she was a magician under the Yotsuba's influence, the recommendation had come directly from the Kagurazaka family—specifically from the current head and Council President, a man the same age as Gouki's son. Gouki quietly sighed, suspecting his son's reluctance stemmed from a mix of two things: discontent with entrusting a family member to someone under the Yotsuba umbrella, and lingering animosity toward the Kagurazaka head over their past clashes during the Nine Schools Competition and their rivalry over a certain girl. In all likelihood, it was both.
Granted, it was hard to fully trust that a young magician—outside the direct line of the Ten Master Clans, who were considered the ultimate authorities on modern magic—could possess superior knowledge in the relatively fledgling field of medical magic. Yet, Gouki had witnessed that exact unbelievable reality firsthand during the Nine Schools Competition two years ago.
"We are currently members of the same Council. If you start doubting everyone, there will be no end to it."
"I suppose so... With no other options, we have to trust the process..."
"Precisely. More importantly, Masaki, that letter over there is addressed to you."
Realizing the risks his father was taking, Masaki muttered in agreement to convince himself. Gouki, sensing that letting his son obsess over suspicions was unproductive, smoothly changed the subject.
Following his father's line of sight, Masaki saw a single letter resting on the side table.
"Open it."
"Ah, right..."
Deductions told him that being asked to read it right here meant it wasn't a personal letter. Masaki picked it up as instructed. Noticing the sender was the head of the Juumonji family, he handled it carefully, knowing better than to treat official correspondence disrespectfully. He sliced the seal open with a paper knife and scanned the contents.
"What does it say?"
"...It's an invitation."
"For what?"
"Juumonji-dono is proposing a meeting for magicians under the age of 30 from both the Two Guardian Families and the Twenty-Eight Master Clans. The goal is to discuss how to address the anti-magic movement, which is currently in a temporary lull. It's set for this coming Sunday at the Magic Association's Kanto Branch in Yokohama."
"That's quite sudden."
Gouki offered his straightforward opinion on the contents. Unsurprisingly, Masaki shared the sentiment, though Gouki was far better equipped to read between the lines.
"Juumonji-dono likely wants to move quickly to prevent outside interference."
"Interference? From where?"
Had Shinkirou been present, he would have picked up on Gouki's implication immediately. Masaki, however, had not reached that level of political shrewdness. In truth, anyone in their late teens who could navigate that level of political scheming was an anomaly.
"The National Defense Force, for instance. Or perhaps the police authorities."
"...You mean the government might interfere with the Ten Master Clans?"
"It's a possibility. Given that the two Guardian Families are included in the invite list, I doubt the government can easily meddle... What do you intend to do?"
True to his educational philosophy, Gouki refrained from over-explaining things to Masaki. He believed his son needed to process and arrive at conclusions on his own, a method Masaki had grown accustomed to over the years.
"I'll attend. The invaders' movements are a concern, but getting distracted and left out of key discussions would be far worse."
"That's the spirit... Is something wrong?"
Gouki gave an approving nod to Masaki's decisive response. However, noticing a troubled shadow cross his son's face, he checked in immediately. He knew Masaki wasn't reconsidering his decision, but wondered if his hesitation involved him—the individual who would almost certainly be attending the same meeting.
"Dad... in a case like this, I should send a formal reply by letter, right?"
"Naturally."
"...What am I supposed to write?"
Despite wielding devastating magical power during the incident in Sado, Masaki had never drafted a formal document for exchange among the Ten Master Clans. In a moment that highlighted the drawbacks of the Ichijo family's hands-off upbringing, Masaki asked in a helpless tone, earning a look from Gouki that plainly said, How embarrassing...
April 9th, Evening.
Upon returning home from the university, Katsuto was informed by the household staff that a guest was waiting for him. Initially, Katsuto assumed it might be Mitsui, who frequently visited the Juumonji household. However, he quickly realized that the staff—who viewed Mitsui as "Riri's prospective groom"—would not refer to him with such formal distance.
His next thought was his fiancée, Mika, but their engagement had not yet progressed to cohabitation. Their marriage was slated for after Katsuto's graduation, and the staff wouldn't refer to her as a mere "guest" either.
Hearing from the housekeeper that the visitor had been waiting for thirty minutes, Katsuto hurried to the reception room without taking time to change out of his clothes. Even if it was "merely" a matter of dealing with another member of the Twenty-Eight Master Clans, it was not a meeting he could handle carelessly.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting."
As Katsuto offered his apology upon entering the room, the woman in a business suit who had been seated stood up and bowed politely.
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