During the Yokohama Disturbance, Chen Xiangshan had suffered a total defeat at Yugen's hands. His Kimon Tonkou had been seen through completely. Balancing that fact against personal pride, Chen felt that if the GAA turned their blades against Japan again, the nation might not even survive to keep its dignity.
"We cannot underestimate the descendants of the Peerless. If we point our blades at them, our homeland will be swallowed by the fires of war... Do you see me as a coward, Lieutenant?"
"No, sir. I also believe we should maintain the truce with this country. We should focus our strength toward the New Soviet Union and Central Asia instead."
In the original history, Chen Xiangshan viewed Tatsuya and Miyuki as threats and considered a re-invasion. But here, having been utterly crushed by Yugen's existence, he saw only self-destruction if they obsessed over Japan.
Whether it was because of this conclusion or not, after returning home, these GAA special forces units were reassigned as part of a shift in territorial expansion policy. Whether that choice was for the best, they didn't yet know.
The handover of the GAA deserters was finished, and the arrangements for the Australian mages were in place. After their talk, Yugen had used Dream World to force Jasmine Williams into a deep sleep.
The only other major change was that Laura had apparently fallen for Toshikazu. According to what Yugen heard from Inagaki, they had been caught up in the commotion with Jasmine and James, and Toshikazu had saved her. The "princess carry" Yugen had witnessed was the result.
Furthermore, her relative Wyatt Curtis had given them his blessing, saying, "If I send her back now, she'll only fret over her parents. Master Chiba, I leave her to you." He had essentially endorsed a marriage. Hearing this, Toshikazu had let out a panicked, "Whaaat!?"
"Good work, Yugen-san."
"Thank you for the kind words, Miyuki. You too, Tatsuya."
"Yeah. Though dealing with everyone coming to give their greetings was exhausting…"
As the future head of the Yotsuba, Tatsuya had been swamped by people introduced through Isori or the Kitayama family. Isori had apparently done his best to shield him.
"Did you contact the main house?"
"I got an email saying I could wait until after the party. It wouldn't surprise me if my mother has eyes on us even now…"
Yugen listened to Tatsuya—who sounded as if he couldn't even guess where those eyes might be—and then turned to Shizuku.
"There's still about an hour left. Good job today, Shizuku."
"Thanks. The seniors haven't come back yet, is that okay?"
"I'm sure it's fine."
Yugen knew exactly what was happening, but he remained vague, as it wasn't something to discuss in public. Sayaka was undoubtedly scolding the others. Among the graduates, Sawaki was formidable, but Sayaka had grown the most as a combatant. Her father likely felt a complex mix of joy and sorrow that his daughter, who once worried about her lack of magical power, had become such a top-tier talent.
"Well, I'm heading out early. Enjoy the rest of the night."
With that, Yugen left the venue and headed for the VIP room he had used for the meeting with Jasmine. Inside, Chise was enjoying a glass of wine.
"Good work, Yu-kun. I've started without you, hope you don't mind?"
"...You've already finished several bottles. I'd hardly call that 'starting.'"
The labels indicated vintage wines that would easily cost six figures. Since he wasn't the one paying, Yugen decided to let her enjoy herself and sat across from her.
"I'm always piling the hard work onto you, aren't I? So, can we hand them over as planned?"
"Yes. It'll be a bit of a burden on Toshikazu-san and Inagaki-san, but they'll be deported to Sydney via Haneda from Naha Airport first thing tomorrow."
Normally, there would be a detention period, but Yugen decided immediate deportation was best to prevent any further trouble. It was an extrajudicial measure, but it reduced the risk of additional damage.
"Still, trying to gather info via telepathy…" Chise mused. "With those looks, people would think she's just a child and get fooled. But she can't hide from my eyes, or my brother's."
"Because you're two of a kind?"
"Hmph. I don't remember being that wicked."
She pouted like a child, but considering Chise's own track record, Yugen felt it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. He continued his report.
He had told Jasmine and James that they were "disposable stones" for the UK, but he hadn't revealed the USNA's involvement behind the scenes. There was no point in confirming what the USNA already knew, and he had no intention of leaking extra information to Edward Clark.
William Macleod might sense the truth and suggest the possibility to Clark, but there was nothing more dangerous than leaving a known trap alone. Therefore, Yugen had decided to ask the one person in the UK whom Macleod could never betray to handle the aftermath.
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