After testing the bed's quality with Megroup, it was time for dinner.
During the meal, Shin introduced Megroup to everyone—though it wasn't strictly necessary, as she had already visited his home before.
While everyone had guessed back then that Megroup would likely end up as one of Shin's conquests, they hadn't expected things to progress this quickly.
Still, the girls in Shin's household had long since accepted the possibility of new additions at any time, so their attitude toward Megroup remained friendly.
Though Megroup wasn't particularly talkative and had a naturally low presence, precisely because she was a "rival in love," the others made sure not to overlook her.
Even Illya, who was physically young, and Kanna, who was mentally young, made a conscious effort to remember Megroup—only for Irisviel and Tohru's sake.
At the very least, Megroup wouldn't have to worry about being ignored in this household.
After dinner, Shin planned to take a bath first, but just as he was preparing his change of clothes, he received a call from Kiryu.
A few minutes later, Shin stood at the entrance of the Kiryu group's bar.
Though his home wasn't in Shimokitazawa—normally requiring about half an hour by train or car—Shin had Instant Transmission and could simply fly over while concealing his energy. Naturally, he arrived in no time.
Previously, he had opted for driving or taking the train because he was with the girls, but since he was alone this time, there was no need for such inconveniences.
As soon as he entered the bar, one of the underlings waiting at the door bowed deeply to him.
Shin could sense the presence of his Black Bird·Lovers inside this man's mind—meaning he was a Stand user.
Despite having a deadly object lodged in his brain, the underling showed no resentment toward Shin. Instead, his face carried a look of...
Kiryu sent daily reports on the Kiryu-group's status, so Shin knew that the Stand users in the organization held an almost fanatical reverence for him.
Rumors like "The 'crow' implanted in our brains is an honor bestowed by Lord Shin" had even begun circulating, further deifying him within the group.
"Lord Shin! This way—Boss Kiryu is waiting for you."
After bowing, the Stand user led Shin toward a small room in the back of the bar, under the envious gazes of the other underlings.
It was unclear whether they envied him for speaking to Shin or for being a Stand user himself.
Shin paid no mind. He hadn't been involved in the Kiryu group's operations for a long time. Kiryu was a capable yakuza leader, and Shin only needed Black Bird·Black Sabbath to awaken Stands—everything else was handled by Kiryu.
Following the underling into the room, Shin saw Kiryu sitting inside...
And a girl with light-blue long hair tied to a chair in the corner.
"Lord Shin!"
The moment Shin entered, Kiryu immediately stood up from the sofa and bowed respectfully.
Though the Kiryu-group's expansion had elevated Kiryu's status significantly, his attitude toward Shin remained unchanged.
He knew full well that everything he had was built upon the Stands granted by Shin, so he dared not overstep even slightly.
Shin nodded casually, then turned his gaze to the bound girl and asked with a hint of confusion:
"...Since when did you guys get into kidnapping?"
"No, no, Lord Shin—this girl's situation is... special."
Kiryu forced a bitter smile and quickly explained.
"She's the daughter of the Ryuju-group's boss—Ryuju Momo, a student at Shuchi'in Academy."
Hearing this, Shin finally understood. He had known about the ongoing conflict between the Kiryu-group and the Ryuju-group, but he hadn't expected Kiryu to kidnap the enemy boss's daughter.
Ryuju Momo had appeared in the original work, though her role was minor. And since she wasn't wearing Shuchi'in's uniform now, Shin hadn't recognized her at first.
"So you kidnapped the Ryuju-group boss's daughter... as leverage?"
After confirming Momo's identity, Shin grew even more puzzled.
Was the Ryuju-group that troublesome? Even with multiple Stand users, did the Kiryu-group still need to resort to such underhanded tactics?
"Not at all! In fact, we've been dominating the conflict. There's no need for such methods."
Kiryu shook his head vigorously, as if afraid Shin would think less of him, and explained:
"She wandered into our turf during a skirmish. After we drove off the Ryuju-group members, we found her alone... so we had no choice but to bring her back."
At this point, Shin finally grasped the situation—essentially, the yakuza princess had recklessly stepped onto a battlefield and gotten herself captured.
Japanese yakuza had an odd sense of honor, even among violent groups. Since the government recognized their existence, they avoided crossing certain lines—lest they lose their legitimacy.
"After capturing her, we planned to send her back... but deciding who would do it became an issue."
Kiryu continued:
"Delivering her means stepping into Ryuju-group territory alone—it's risky. And the envoy can't be some low-ranking member, or it'd be disrespectful."
Even in the middle of a gang war, they still cared about etiquette... Truly, the Japanese had some bizarre obsessions.
"So you want me to return her?"
Shin finally caught on.
After all, the Ryuju-group was a major organization in Japan—only Shin had the presence to intimidate them.
Besides, Kiryu had his own ulterior motives. He knew Shin had close relationships with many beautiful girls.
And Ryuju Momo was quite attractive...
So, in Kiryu's mind, this was the perfect opportunity to hand her over to Shin.
To be continued…
Advance 100 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus
Join my Discord server for the latest updates and have face-to-face talks with me!
discord.gg /fD76Qn4VhB