When Yugen reincarnated into this world, while he was recovering from illness and confined to bed, the first thing he contemplated was his own circumstances.
The family structure of seven siblings was the same as in the original story, but the composition of his siblings, excluding the eldest son Genji and the youngest daughter Shina, had distinctly changed.
There were three boys: Genji, Genkei, and Yugen himself. The four girls were Shizuru, Kana, Mika, and Shina.
Knowing that Kana and Mika would undoubtedly be the first to approach him, trying to gauge his abilities—as their occasional visits to his room clearly indicated—he needed to devise a strategy to bring them over to his side early on.
Furthermore, due to his reincarnation perks, his magical abilities might exceed modern magic standards, and without countermeasures, it could interfere with the succession of the Mitsuya family headship. Even if he refused the headship, he might be pressed to take over the family business.
Thus, when confronted by his father, Yugen decided at that moment that he would not succeed to the Mitsuya headship or family business.
No matter how much he wished to master magic, taking his brother's place would not sit well with him, and it would only cause friction within the family.
He vividly remembered the shock of having his girlfriend stolen by his brother in his previous life, leading him to leave home and start living alone upon entering university. He was disconcerted that he still remembered it even after reincarnation, which ultimately became the cause of his weakened romantic feelings in this world.
The brothers in his previous and current lives were different—precisely because he compartmentalized it this way, his feelings for Genji settled into that of a caring older brother, and Genji, in turn, often relied on him.
The day before his father confronted him, Yugen had met Tsukasa Toyama (though she introduced herself as Tsukasa Tōyama) at the Third Lab. He interacted with her while feigning ignorance of her appraising gaze. Just as he thought, "I need to figure out a way to avoid this vixen," he received his father's summons. So, he decided that choosing not to succeed the Mitsuya family would be better for both him and his brother. In the end, he was attacked during the New Year's before entering high school. While it might sound odd coming from him, he felt like saying, "Show me proof that you're sane." The very act of plotting "re-education" before he became uncontrollable made her no different from the head of the Yotsuba branch family who plotted to kill Tatsuya.
The news of him refusing the headship and family business quickly reached Genji, who also questioned him about it. Yugen explained, "It's most rational for Genji-niisan to succeed. If you're still uneasy, then Genji-niisan just needs to become stronger," and encouraged him to learn Shinkage-ryu Kenjutsu, even if it was just for self-defense. He was greatly favored by Kamiizumi, or rather Gozo, and spent a lot of time at the Yaruguruma family after being brought to Hokkaido. During long breaks, he would return to the Mitsuya family to look after Samuichiro and Shina, practice magic with Kana and Mika, and often visited the Chiba and Yoshida families through Gozo's connections. His acquaintanceship with Mikihiko and Erika dates back to that time. When he talked about those days, Erika would playfully tease Mikihiko, and Mikihiko would invariably exclaim, "Stop it!"
For these reasons, Yugen himself had quickly given up on the Ten Master Clans altogether. Part of it was the short time he spent as a direct descendant of a Ten Master Clan, but the main reason was likely the existence of the Touyama family. He was grateful in his heart, but he would never say it out loud.
Honestly, the current problem is that the system of the Master Clans Council, including the Ten Master Clans, is quite detached from reality. It's a system created by the government's will at the time, for magicians to control all magicians, proposed by retired Major General Retsu Kudou of the National Defense Force. The current heads of the Yotsuba and Saegusa families, who hold power in the Master Clans Council, are Retsu Kudou's disciples. The Mitsuya family in this world, being disciples of his maternal grandfather Gozo Kamiizumi, holds significant sway even among the Ten Master Clans.
The ancient magic of this world is governed by ancient magic families called "Gurus," with the Todo and Kashiwa families primarily taking on this role. Above them are the "Guardians," the Kagurazaka and Kamiizumi families. Furthermore, there is the 'Elder Council' to ensure national stability.
The very composition of the Master Clans Council seems to reflect the government's intentions, and the "role of preventing the corruption of the National Defense Force" that Chihime and Gozo intended has become obsolete. Looking at the formation process of the Master Clans Council, there was originally a proposal to include even the families now called the Hundred Families, but after considering the bare minimum to maintain order within the Master Clans Council itself, they apparently had no choice but to cut them out.
While the Master Clans Council is a private organization, it's probably stretching the definition to call entities that can significantly influence national foreign policy, such as military and diplomacy involving politicians and the National Defense Force, "private citizens." However, if they were given too much power, civil war would undoubtedly erupt in magician society. This is the result of approaching everything with a "don't rock the boat" attitude.
Moreover, current magic education largely presupposes military magicians, and the development of other career paths has only just begun with the national project for magic medical technology launched last year by 'Torus Silver.' As a first step, in April of this year, the National University of Magical Medicine (unofficially: Magical Medical University) opened in what was formerly Gunma Prefecture. It operates on a full-board, full-day curriculum, with instructors being doctors and engineers experienced at university-affiliated hospitals and similar institutions. This year, over 200 applicants competed for a capacity of 50 students. Inquiries flooded in not only from within Japan but also from abroad, to the extent that SSA President Diacka Brestyl's visit to Japan even includes an inspection of the Magical Medical University.
Incidentally, there are those who try to steal technology from here, but such individuals are apprehended by disciples of Shinkage-ryu Kenjutsu and handed over to the police, public safety, and the National Defense Force. The reason the Magical Medical University was built in what was formerly Gunma Prefecture is to make it easier to receive protection from the Kamiizumi family. ...It's unfortunate that they can't simply humble themselves and come to visit; at that point, one must say they lack basic human etiquette. The ratio of spies is highest from New Soviet, Great Asian Alliance, USNA, and then the UK, in that order. He wanted to exclaim that they were all idiots.
Even with laws binding magicians, many refuse to accept them. Humanists babble about letting nature take its course, yet they use anti-knights, which is the height of incoherence. In the style of a certain movie's ex-colonel, one should say, "Discard anti-knights and come at me."
In the original story, the mere depiction of female students being surrounded, even if by fellow magicians, is akin to saying, "A group of perverts is attempting to assault female students." After all, if the severity of a crime can be altered by magic or similar factors, then those who advocate for it are the ones disrespecting the law.
If a single piece of magic can dramatically change the balance of power, then is it permissible to carry a handgun as a countermeasure? Relaxing gun carrying permits would inevitably lead to rampant gun crime. The same would be true for bladed weapons. Even if one tried to acquire countermeasures, crime using those very countermeasures would ultimately run rampant, leading to unjust criticism of magicians by the media.
Instead, it would be better to acknowledge legitimate rights but also impose corresponding costs and obligations to pursue mutual benefit. Perhaps recognizing magic organizations as part of the government would be one approach. Fortunately, political reforms have progressed significantly in the recent election, leaving only the "major cleanup" of the bureaucracy.
Generally, a problem with the current Master Clans Council system is that even if Master Clans are replaced, the surveillance infrastructure of each clan cannot be easily transferred. One such issue is the management of the magic technician development laboratories located throughout the country. Since the surveillance/guard duties and the laboratories are closely linked, separating them is difficult from the perspective of preventing magic technology leaks. Therefore, Yugen believes it would be more efficient to simply dismantle the closed laboratories (excluding the Fourth Lab) and build facilities for magic research in their place.
Just as the Kanazawa Magical Science Research Institute was established on the site of the First Lab, this would be entirely possible in other areas. This is something the Kamiizumi family excels at, so Yugen has already discussed it with Genkei. Regarding the secrecy of magic technology, he plans to hit politicians' rear ends with a full-swing bat, making the government take responsibility and lead the initiative.
Regarding the Fourth Lab, while publicly pursuing a policy of dismantling it, the surviving equipment will continue to operate, but Yugen has already proposed that the research facility should be relocated in the future. He has also heard that it will be relocated to the Miyaki Island managed by the Yotsuba family. He tacitly approved using magicians who became criminals beyond normal judgment for human experimentation. Considering how medicine has developed using death row inmates, he thought such an extent should be tolerated. He believed it was better than foolishly keeping them alive only for them to become uncontrollable.
◇ ◇ ◇
The move of the Enjo family to Hakone seemed to be settled. Chihime had already arranged the construction of the animal hospital planned for Hakone and the recruitment of personnel through the Kanzaka Group. Ryotaro and Serika had reportedly returned to greet the moving company arranged by the Kagurazaka family. Marika and Arisa would also need to return to the Enjo household, as there were undoubtedly personal belongings that even their parents shouldn't touch, but Marika and Arisa looked sad. When Yugen looked at Chihime, signaling that they should go with them, Chihime smiled and replied, "I don't mind at all."
And so, preparations for the move were rushed, but since a certain amount of luggage had already been packed beforehand, there wasn't much need for help. When Yugen proactively carried heavy items, he received gazes of respect and envy from those around him. He wondered if the animal hospital would be okay, but it turned out that the veterinarian he had spoken with in Hakone would simply utilize the existing building and equipment. The equipment for the new animal hospital adopted state-of-the-art technology, and the Kagurazaka family covered all the costs. The amount was so staggering that Marika's face paled when she overheard it. Perhaps the reason Yugen didn't quite grasp it was because his current assets were already considerable.
At any rate, after all the luggage was moved, Arisa approached Yugen holding something. She had a somewhat apologetic expression, so it was likely a consultation about what she held in her hand.
"Um, Yugen-niichan. Are you free now?"
"I'm fine, Asha. So, what's in your hand?"
"Oh, um... this was given to me by my mother."
What Arisa handed him was an envelope with no sender written on it, and several postcards. Apparently, Dahlia, Arisa's mother, had given these to Arisa a week before she passed away, making them effectively Dahlia's "last will and testament." The sender's section on the postcards was blacked out. Dahlia had likely done it herself.
"Dahlia-san tried to give Asha to someone she could trust... and she even deliberately hid the sender's part, meaning she was considering not inconveniencing the other party... Wait a minute."
Yugen reset his thoughts, which had been focused on the sender, and looked at the picture part of the postcard. He immediately recognized a familiar handwriting and, upon re-examining the postmark, saw it was sent from a post office in what was formerly Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He was staying at the Shiba household, so important documents were inevitably sent to him there.
"At this rate, rewinding with magic will be faster."
With that, Yugen used 'Tenyo Shoran' (Heavenly Sun Observation) to "rewind" the postcard to discover the sender. Fortunately, the date of the postmark was legible, so Dahlia's hands would not have touched it the day after that date. Then, after a dazzling light enveloped the postcard, the blacked-out part cleanly disappeared, revealing the sender's name. Arisa gasped at the name. And Yugen involuntarily clutched his head.
"This person is definitely the one who always sent letters to my mother... Onii-chan?"
"...How could they be connected here?"
"Asha, Yugen-niisan. I brought drinks... Oh, what's wrong?"
"It's a small world" is truly a profound saying, Yugen thought. Arisa's gasp, and her tilting her head at the name Kamiizumi when he was explaining magic. How could they be connected here? Marika, who appeared with plastic bottles, looked puzzled at their expressions, so Yugen turned his gaze to her.
"Oh, thank you, Mina."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. So, what's that?"
"It's an envelope and postcards Asha's mother entrusted to Asha. I investigated the handwriting of the sender on the postcard, but... why would that name come up?"
"Eh? It looks like it reads 'Kamiizumi Shiho-san,' but is she someone Yugen-niisan knows?"
There was no way Yugen wouldn't know the sender's name. It was Mitsuya Shiho, Yugen's birth mother. Her maiden name was "Kamiizumi." Yes, that name... even though it was her maiden name, it was his birth mother.
"She's not just an acquaintance; she's my birth mother."
"Eh? Your older brother's mother? But, you call that person—Chihime-san—'Mother'?"
"Didn't I say I was 'adopted' during my self-introduction? The Kamiizumi Shiho written here—she's currently the wife of the head of the Ten Master Clans' Mitsuya family, Mitsuya Shiho."
"Eh, ehhh!? Asha's mother knew Yugen-niisan's mother!?"
His birth mother, Shiho, had wide connections in various fields due to Gozo's influence, particularly abundant connections in fashion, apparel, and accessories. There were even mysterious parts where he wondered how she acquired such connections.
"In that case, this envelope with an unknown sender is highly likely addressed to my mother... I never heard anything about it."
Thinking it would be faster to hear the circumstances directly from Shiho, including the background of their correspondence (which had been possible) under the Kamiizumi surname, Yugen placed his foldable terminal on the floor, activated 'Pentagram' via receiver, and contacted the Mitsuya main house. Gen, who was in the study, then appeared on the monitor.
『Who is it, oh, Yugen. It's rare for you to contact so suddenly. Are those two on either side of you your new fiancées?』
"...Well, you're not wrong. The two of them met when they were taken care of by the Yaruguruma family because of Grandfather's connection."
At any rate, switching the communication to speaker mode, Yugen briefly explained about Marika and Arisa. Gen then inadvertently smiled.
『Chihime-san said that considering your specs, three wouldn't be nearly enough... Genkei is going to have a hard time too. Now then, pleased to meet you, young ladies. I am Mitsuya Gen, head of the Ten Master Clans' Mitsuya family. Yugen is no longer a Mitsuya by name, but I still consider him family—my son. Please take good care of Yugen.』
"Y-yes! I'm Enjo Marika!"
"My name is Iba Arisa. Um, Yugen-san's... fiancée."
Since they never expected to suddenly meet the head of a Ten Master Clan, Marika and Arisa bowed somewhat stiffly. Gen then looked at Arisa, showing a gesture as if he recognized her.
『How very polite... Yugen, I feel like I've seen Miss Iba somewhere before.』
"That's right. Father, please call Mother here. It's about something that heavily involves Arisa, who is next to me."
『Shiho, huh... Understood, I'll call her right away.』
Gen purposefully leaving his seat meant he knew where Shiho was. After about a minute, Shiho's figure appeared next to Gen on the monitor again. She seemed to have been in the room next to the study (Gen and Shiho's room).
『Yugen, it's been a while.』
"Yes, Mother, it's been a while for you too. I apologize for not being able to show my face much recently."
『I've heard Yugen is busy, and you can focus on getting along with your fiancées. By the way, I've heard the general circumstances from my husband, but... your new fiancées are Dahlia-san's daughter and Serika-san's daughter, I presume?』
"Y-yes. My name is Iba Arisa."
"Eh, ehhh!? You know Onii-chan's mother!? S-sorry, my name is Enjo Marika."
Shiho subtly discerned that Arisa and Marika, on either side of Yugen, were his fiancées, and by mentioning their mothers' names, Arisa and Marika couldn't help but be astonished. She wasn't just well-connected; her sharp insight was truly befitting of Gozo's daughter. Meanwhile, Shiho smiled, and Gen closed his eyes and nodded in admiration.
『Oh, Serika-san and I competed in our student days. Still, for the two daughters and my son Yugen to meet is... well, Arisa-san. Dahlia-san...』
"Um, eight years ago..."
『Yes, I thought as much when the letters stopped coming... Once things settle down, I'd like to visit her grave, if that's alright?』
"Yes. Mother would surely be pleased."
Shiho must have inferred Dahlia's death when their correspondence ceased. It might have been Yugen's place to tell her, but he hadn't felt like relaying such a somber topic and had kept silent. He also hadn't known that Dahlia and his own mother were acquainted. As Shiho and Arisa finished their conversation, Yugen spoke to Shiho.
"Now, Mother. Actually, Asha—Arisa—was entrusted with an envelope with an unknown address from Dahlia-san. Judging from the postcards given with it, it's probably addressed to you, Mother."
『I see, hers... To tell you the truth, Arisa-san was never mentioned in our correspondence. Perhaps she avoided it, thinking it might trouble the Mitsuya family.』
According to Shiho, the frequency of letters suggested that Dahlia, who had moved to Hokkaido, might have had children, but they had corresponded without directly addressing that. Shiho stated that addressing the letters with her maiden name, Kamiizumi, was a result of her consideration for not only Dahlia and Arisa but also the Enjo family.
『Yugen, please open the envelope there and read its contents.』
"Is that alright?"
『Yes. I have a feeling it's for the best. Is that alright with you too?』
『In this case, I have no right to wield the authority of the family head. Yugen, would you read it aloud?』
"Understood."
Listening to Shiho and Gen's words, Yugen broke the seal of the envelope and took out the contents. Inside was a single sheet of letter paper, and he read its contents aloud. Dahlia and Shiho met 19 years ago. Dahlia, a Russian defector, was invited to the Mitsuya family. At this point, Shiho, who had already given birth to five children, was strong. One day, Shiho's mother—Gozo's wife, Kamiizumi Kaname—who was alive at the time, introduced Dahlia. They had been friends ever since, but 14 years ago, Dahlia suddenly returned to Hokkaido. Shiho mentioned that she had been consulted by Dahlia about various matters a little before that and had inferred that Dahlia was dating a man from the Jumonji family.
The letter contained nostalgic sentiments, where Dahlia expressed regret for having received so much cooperation from Shiho before leaving for Hokkaido and apologized for it. Furthermore, it stated, "Please forgive me for leaving without being able to repay your kindness, even though Shiho, who had already given birth to a daughter by then, was heartbroken with childcare and other difficulties."
When Dahlia moved to Hokkaido and realized her death was near, she decided to ask Shiho for one favor. It was Dahlia's "last will and testament," written on the letter, asking Shiho to "raise my daughter Arisa as your own daughter." However, since this would impose such a role on Shiho, who was already blessed with many children and struggled with childcare, the letter conveyed Dahlia's considerable (worry - meaning: to worry, to be troubled; here, Dahlia's considerable distress or hesitation). Therefore, after blacking out the sender's section on the postcards sent by Shiho, Dahlia earnestly requested that if Shiho ever noticed the letter and postcards Arisa possessed, she would accept the contents of that letter.
And the letter concluded with the phrase, "If possible, I pray that Shiho's son and Arisa will meet and be united." Coincidentally, that wish was brought about by an encounter triggered by Dahlia's death, and perhaps the whim of the god of matchmaking fulfilled Dahlia's final wish.
The first part of the text is like a monologue, including the current issues that need to be resolved. In the original, Retsu Kudou is the proposer, but given that ancient magic families are not included, it is highly likely that there was government interference.
The latter part describes the connection between the protagonist's mother and Arisa's mother, but I will keep the subsequent developments secret to avoid spoilers.
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