My new Patreon link is patreon.com/forbiddenlust69 and guys please do give me your power stone so i can know you are still reading this story
Chapter 74: The Kyoto Emissary and the Ice Queen's Gambit
After hearing the explanation from Principal Gakuganji, Kasumi Miwa didn't overthink the situation. In fact, her anxiety about the "Voldemort" prophecy was momentarily eclipsed by a spark of fangirl excitement. She was actually looking forward to the trip to Tokyo.
After all, Gojo Satoru was a teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High. If the Tokyo branch was also scouting the young lady from the Shinomiya House, wouldn't there be a chance to meet the strongest sorcerer in person?
If I meet him, maybe I can warn him about the Sukuna crisis directly! Miwa thought, her grip tightening on her broom. It's well-known that the relationship between the Kyoto and Tokyo schools is... strained. If I tell the Principal my concerns now, it might just lead to more political infighting. It's better to tell Gojo-san face-to-face. Plus... I might even get his autograph!
Feeling a bit pleased with her own logic, Miwa looked at the Principal with newfound zeal. "So, should I leave for Tokyo immediately?!"
Gakuganji Yoshinobu watched his student's sudden shift from panic to enthusiasm and nodded with satisfaction. "The sooner, the better."
The Strategist in the Ice Palace
While Miwa was preparing her journey, the "senior" diary holders were dissecting the Mysterious Person's midnight update. Kaguya Shinomiya sat in her private study, her eyes scanning the text on her Black Diary with clinical precision.
Renji's casual mention of their newly unlocked commissions made her frown. Did he plan these tasks himself, as Kasumigaoka Utaha suspects? Or can he simply see what the System assigns to us?
The lack of information was frustrating. Even with her genius-level intellect, Kaguya couldn't have guessed that a "mole" existed among them—or rather, a master of ideas who was simply very good at predicting their reactions.
Renji's evaluation of the A+ Rank commissions left her with a lingering sense of regret. If the Mysterious Person had known the truth about the Three Fox Valley Shrine, the Reading Value she'd gain would have likely catapulted her to the top of the group. But she understood the logic: if it were easy to solve, it wouldn't be A+ Rank.
"A new batch of diary holders..." Kaguya mused. She glanced at Ai Hayasaka, who was preparing tea. "Hayasaka, have you noticed anything... unusual near your pillow lately?"
Seeing Hayasaka's confused blink, Kaguya sighed internally. No diary for her yet.
Kaguya had already begun teaching Hayasaka the fundamentals of Hamon (Ripple) Breathing, wanting her lifelong companion to stand beside her as she delved into the hidden world. However, Kaguya lacked Renji Miyauchi's innate ability to "implant" a Hamon rhythm into someone else's body. Without that shortcut, and with Hayasaka's grueling schedule as a valet, progress was agonizingly slow.
Kaguya looked back at her refreshed commission list:
The Investigation of Three Fox Valley Shrine (A+ Rank - Ongoing)
Become the Student Council President of Shuchiin Academy.
Ensure Ai Hayasaka skillfully masters Hamon (Ripple).
The Level 3 authority allowed her to hold up to 20 commissions, with three new ones appearing daily. She noted the refresh rules: D-rank vanished daily, but her A+ Rank would stay indefinitely.
She also noted the "Punishment Mechanism." While it didn't cause physical harm, it was designed to discourage reckless acceptance. Kaguya thought of Jerry—the mouse sent by Renji. When the girls failed his training or requested too much, he punished them with embarrassing tasks. Yukino Yukinoshita had been forced to walk a wild husky, and Kaguya herself had been shrunk into her "Little Kaguya" form.
I cannot allow myself to be turned into that 'cute' state again, Kaguya thought, her "Ice Queen" persona hardening. I will complete these missions with perfection.
Becoming the Student Council President was a given. Though she hadn't planned on it yet, she knew the "original plot" had her future male counterpart taking the seat. If an external student could do it through sheer academic effort, I can do it through the influence of the Shinomiya Group. Why wait for a romantic comedy when I can seize power now?
Renji's Perception
Meanwhile, across the city, Renji Miyauchi woke up and performed his daily ritual: sensing how many people had muttered his names.
"The 'Mysterious Person' is still the most popular," Renji noted. "Utaha-senpai alone accounts for a third of the mentions. She's definitely obsessed."
He checked the name "Voldemort." The response was much quieter. Within a hundred-kilometer radius, he could only sense one voice—and it wasn't coming from Tokyo, but from the direction of Chiba.
Did the second batch of diaries go further afield? Renji wondered. Within his sensory range, he could usually track seven or eight people. Chiba usually meant the territories of Oregairu or Oreimo. He shuddered briefly at the thought of Kirino Kousaka getting a diary, then pushed the thought aside.
Renji wasn't worried about the girls who were far away. He only needed to keep an eye on those within his immediate circle—the ones who could actually pinpoint his identity.
The System is playing games, he thought. Utaha-senpai likely has a commission involving me. I need to be careful. If Mayuzumi-nee or Megumi Kato ever get a diary, my cover is blown.
He finished washing up and headed toward Shiina Mayuzumi's apartment. He needed to coordinate with his "spies" and prepare for the inevitable day when the Kyoto emissary—or a certain blackened novelist—came knocking on his door.