'Personally suggested...'
Hearing this, everyone present looked at Enigma with subtlety in their eyes.
Though it wasn't stated outright, the implication that "so you're the culprit after all" was clearly conveyed.
"Somehow... I get the feeling this might end up looking like a situation orchestrated by the SDS itself."
As one of the few mature adults present, Sayuri Sawamura delivered this heart-stopping remark in a joking tone.
Hearing this, Luo Shu pinched the bridge of his nose and said with a pained expression:
"An unfortunate chain reaction..."
Even if Enigma had truly been one of the masterminds behind La Folia's attack, Luo Shu could have remained uninvolved.
But by sheer coincidence, Enigma had become his Familia, and the sins she'd committed had partially rebounded onto Luo Shu by association.
After all, if Enigma had actually done something and her connection to Luo Shu was discovered later, he'd have no choice but to shoulder the blame.
The thought of becoming the scapegoat left Luo Shu in a foul mood, but he steadied himself and addressed Enigma:
"In that case, go investigate whether this was really Jealousy's doing."
"Take your subordinates with you for the investigation."
Enigma responded with an amused smirk: "Are you sure you want to let me leave right now?"
Luo Shu glanced at her, paused briefly, then said:
"I'll arrange for someone to accompany you during the investigation."
After speaking, he frowned slightly.
Considering that the accompanying personnel needed to be capable of suppressing the recently recruited Enigma, Luo Shu decided to play it safe and contacted Sharon, hoping she could quickly return to Japan via the Divine Kingdom's passage.
As for La Folia's side, Luo Shu arranged for Senhime Rin Getsu and Kurumi Tokisaki to investigate covertly as a precaution.
After all, the opponent was suspected of being a member of the Sin Council from the Hell Sect. Conservatively speaking, they could very well be a top-tier Hero Rank expert—or even a Demigod.
Against such foes, Senhime Rin Getsu, who could freely enter the Underworld, and Kurumi Tokisaki, the Spirit of Time, were among the safest choices.
Of course, the surface-level investigation still needed to be handled by professionals like Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue.
Senhime Rin Getsu would serve as their combat safeguard, ensuring their safe retreat, while Kurumi Tokisaki would be the one to eliminate any threats discreetly.
After notifying the relevant parties through the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System and finalising the arrangements, Luo Shu let out a slight sigh of relief and turned his gaze to Enigma.
At that moment, hearing Luo Shu's plans to assign people to monitor her, Enigma smiled nonchalantly and remarked,
"It seems you're quite confident in your arrangements."
Luo Shu chuckled and replied,
"Can't be helped. I happen to be very fond of the word 'caution'."
With a Demigod's avatar and two top-tier Hero Rank individuals, Luo Shu believed they had a solid chance of retreating unscathed even if they encountered a Demigod.
For extra insurance, he also had Hagoromo Gitsune—someone capable of reading the darkness in people's hearts and detecting enemies in advance—as a mobile reserve. Beyond that, he even had Mukuro Hoshimiya, a Demigod-level combatant, hidden in the shadows.
However, considering that Mukuro was currently assisting Lacus and others in Copernicus with ability research and development—while also guarding against potential backdoor attacks—Luo Shu refrained from deploying her immediately, keeping her as a trump card instead.
Having a trump card in hand gave Luo Shu peace of mind.
As for Hagoromo Gitsune, the cost of enlisting the fox spirit's help was somewhat troublesome, so he preferred to avoid mobilising her unless absolutely necessary.
After all, Luo Shu in his 'sage state' really didn't want to deal with the fox lady, who required an entire night of 'comfort' after each deployment.
Once he reconfirmed the arrangements, Luo Shu set down his late-night snack, knelt on the tatami, and calmly addressed Enigma,
"Before we set off, I think I should remind you."
"Whether you choose to cooperate with me or stubbornly resist—it all depends on your next actions."
"Before you act, be mentally prepared."
Enigma tilted her head at his words, then smiled and asked,
"Can I take that as a warning?"
Luo Shu raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"I said—it's all up to you."
Cooperate well and strive to become one of his own, and it was a reminder.
Fail to cooperate, and it became an ultimatum!
Realising this, Enigma stood up, glanced at Luo Shu, and then turned to look at Sayuri Sawamura, who was sitting nearby.
With a playful smile, she said, "Well then, it seems we can continue our 'marital cooperation'~"
"A woman who's too frivolous can't stand by Luo Shu's side."
Sayuri Sawamura smiled as she delivered this barb, secretly mocking Enigma for her earlier cooperation.
After all, Luo Shu's only explicit command had been for Enigma's true form to appear before him. Everything that followed had been her own voluntary actions.
Though Sayuri herself had been one of the perpetrators, in her mind, a lack of resistance equated to consent from Enigma.
She would never admit that she'd taught Luo Shu those particular techniques - it was all Enigma seducing him, with Sayuri merely offering coincidental guidance from the sidelines.
Watching Sayuri's self-justification, Enigma smiled, glanced at Luo Shu, then turned and left.
Once she was gone, Eriri finally exhaled in relief before complaining: "After all that fuss, it seems nothing's actually changed about our family dynamic?"
Beside her, Megumi Kato tilted her head: "Didn't you gain Luo Shu?"
"Uh..." Eriri froze, her gaze darting between Luo Shu and Sayuri, before her face turned beet red.
Seeing this, both Luo Shu and Sayuri's expressions twitched, clearly imagining what fantasies were running through Eriri's mind.
Luo Shu sighed at Sayuri: "Sometimes I truly have to admire your... enlightened parenting methods."
"Stop... I surrender... please don't say anymore..." Sayuri covered her face before urgently turning to Eriri: "Eriri, you understand our family's current situation. You can't use the pen name Eri Kashiwagi anymore - no posting artwork online, no digital work, not even using pens!"
Eriri instinctively protested: "Why?! I just got inspired!"
"No means no! No explanations!"
"That's so tyrannical!"
As Eriri complained, Megumi calmly turned to Luo Shu: "What does Eri Kashiwagi mean? Is that another name for Eriri? Why are they arguing about this?"
Sweat dripped down Luo Shu's face at Megumi's curiosity: "I think... It's better if you don't know, Megumi."
"I see..." Megumi nodded thoughtfully.
'She's definitely not actually listening... or is that just me?' Luo Shu hesitated before deciding against pressing further.
With the crown princess's attack, tomorrow would bring a mountain of responsibilities. Then there were matters concerning Enigma that needed to be addressed.
After that, he needed to resolve Eriri's Class situation to obtain the essence blood. And then there was the Calamity Jade Seal within Conan to deal with...
'Even corporate slaves probably aren't this overworked...' Luo Shu lamented internally.
But having come this far, he could only steel himself and press onward.