Hearing about the SDS recruitment slot, Shirayuki Hotogi gave Luo Shu a peculiar look, thinking to herself: 'This junior of mine seems to hold quite a high position.'
Although both the Onmyou Agency and the government had been obstructing SDS recruitment, one fact they had to acknowledge was undeniable.
The SDS's research and utilisation of the Abyss and Abyss Artefacts were leagues ahead of theirs.
While local factions excluded the SDS to protect their interests, if the SDS were willing to open recruitment to government and Onmyou Agency family members, such exclusion wouldn't remain ironclad.
Yet Chief Tachibana of the SDS was notoriously uncompromising—the type to retaliate against exclusion with exclusion.
This had made SDS recruitment in Japan particularly difficult.
Now, Luo Shu suddenly produced an SDS recruitment slot—did this imply the SDS was loosening restrictions to allow local occult factions to join?
Shirayuki Hotogi wasn't clear about the specific situation and planned to ask her mother about it later.
On the other hand, upon hearing Luo Shu mention the SDS recruitment quota, Haruno Yukinoshita immediately understood his intentions but still tentatively asked half a question:
"Luo Shu-kun means..."
Luo Shu glanced at Haruno Yukinoshita before stating plainly:
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"The Hidden Management Department I belong to will recruit one member of the Yukinoshita family."
"In return, the Yukinoshita family will use their influence in Chiba Prefecture to support the soon-to-be-established SDS Chiba branch."
Shirayuki Hotogi was startled upon hearing about the Chiba branch:
"Eh? A Chiba branch?"
"Oh, I almost forgot this was supposed to be confidential."
Luo Shu suddenly seemed to remember something, slapping his thigh in realisation before saying:
"Then you can pretend I never said that just now."
'Does saying that now even mean anything?' x3
All three girls present simultaneously thought this in their hearts.
Meanwhile, seeing Luo Shu lay bare the underlying implications of this exchange of interests made Haruno Yukinoshita quite tempted.
She clearly understood that the conditions from Hoshiga Shrine were superficial, presented for show, while the actual cost wouldn't be that high.
The Yukinoshita family already had good relations with Hoshiga Shrine; sending a daughter there would merely be the icing on the cake.
However, Luo Shu represented the Yukinoshita family's opportunity to connect with the SDS, a genuine power department.
The nature of this was completely different.
Her mother had spent the entire afternoon since their safety mobilising connections to investigate the SDS. Yet, the most detailed information obtained was that it was a special department under an American conglomerate, equivalent to the stationed forces.
Yet even this limited information was enough for the Yukinoshita family to place their bets.
Only... to place these bets, they'd need to send a Yukinoshita family member to work at SDS. And currently, the most troublesome issue was precisely this candidate.
Just as Haruno Yukinoshita was worrying about this, Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly spoke up beside her:
"If we accept the position, does that mean the Yukinoshita family won't need memory erasure? Can I understand it that way?"
Hearing this cool, slightly stubborn female voice, Luo Shu glanced briefly at Yukino Yukinoshita - the famous 'snow woman' in his eyes - before nodding:
"Confidentiality rules generally only apply to ordinary citizens. For relevant personnel, memory erasure naturally isn't required."
"Though memory erasure isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Luo Shu looked meaningfully at Yukino Yukinoshita as he said this:
"After all, staying away from the occult doesn't guarantee safety, but approaching guarantees danger."
"'Staying away doesn't guarantee safety, but approaching guarantees danger'?" Yukino Yukinoshita repeated the words before exhaling softly: "I understand."
With that, she looked up at her sister, Haruno and said quietly:
"I'm sorry, sister. I might be making a selfish decision this time."
Though she said this, Yukino Yukinoshita knew perfectly well.
If someone from the Yukinoshita family had to be sacrificed, it could only be Yukino Yukinoshita herself.
A mother overseeing the family's developmental trajectory and controlling its finances, a father maintaining political connections as a prefectural assembly member, and an elder sister groomed for over a decade as the heir apparent, soon to inherit both maternal duties and paternal resources.
Among the four members of the Yukinoshita household, three were destined to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors in upholding family traditions. The only actual bargaining chip was Yukino – it could only ever be Yukino.
Yukino Yukinoshita, who understood her mother's temperament exceptionally well, knew with absolute certainty that she would ultimately be the one sent away.
Either to Hoshiga Shrine, becoming Yukino Hoshiga, or joining the SDS as Yukino Yukinoshita of the Special Defence Section. There was no third option.
Because her mother would never choose an ordinary path.
After all, that man they'd encountered possessed the power to destroy the Yukinoshita family – and given her mother's nature, she would never tolerate such a threat recurring.
Therefore, approaching the supernatural was practically inevitable for the Yukinoshitas, even if the price was sacrificing their second daughter's future.
Hearing Yukino's willful decision, Haruno Yukinoshita felt unusually powerless.
If Yukino could deduce these things, how could her elder sister fail to see them?
Yet precisely because of this, Haruno felt particularly helpless.
Previously, deliberately provoking Yukino to distance her from the family had already been the most rebellious act she'd dared against their mother. To outright veto Yukino's choice now would mean directly opposing their mother.
A lifetime of upbringing made her acutely aware of the consequences of defying their mother. Thus, facing Yukino's decision, Haruno could only sigh:
"I understand. If this is truly your own decision, then I'll respect it."
In principle, Haruno leaned towards Shirayuki Hotogi, but ultimately, she evasively left the choice to Yukino.
At this moment, she couldn't bear to impose her will upon her younger sister.
Yukino was somewhat surprised by Haruno's concession. She'd expected her sister to terminate the conversation and privately interfere with her choice later. Instead, Haruno tacitly permitted this act of defiance.
This departure from her sister's usual style puzzled Yukino, but she knew there was no turning back now.
Taking a deep breath, she rose and bowed to Luo Shu:
"I'll be in your care from now on, Senior Luo Shu."
Observing the resolute Yukino Yukinoshita before him, Luo Shu narrowed his eyes slightly before smiling:
"'Senior', eh? I rather like that title."
Becoming a junior supervisor in under a week – this promotion speed seemed rather amusing too.