"Ayano?"
Genma Kannagi was somewhat surprised.
For the Kannagi Family, Ayano Kannagi, the daughter of the head, was an exceptional case.
When the first-generation head of the Kannagi Family formed a contract with the Spirit King of Fire and became its contractor, he was bestowed the sacred weapon Enraiha, which the Kannagi Family has enshrined and passed down through generations after the contractor's death.
One of Enraiha's traits is that the stronger its wielder, the greater its power.
Such sacred weapons are known to number only five in the world, corresponding to wind, fire, thunder, earth, and water, each bestowed by the respective Spirit King. Moreover, only the descendants of the original contractor can wield them.
And even among the contractor's descendants, only those chosen as suitable vessels can harness the power of the weapon.
Ayano Kannagi was the one chosen by Enraiha.
Upon discovering this, Jūgo Kannagi immediately designated Ayano as the next head of the Kannagi Family.
It was almost certain that the Kannagi Family would one day be led by Ayano—a decision no one in the family opposed.
Given this, the marriage of the next family head was obviously not something to be decided lightly.
"Brother, do you really think this is possible?"
Genma Kannagi looked at his elder brother, the current family head Jūgo Kannagi, with bewilderment:
"As the contractor of Enraiha, Ayano's descendants will inevitably have their Flame Arts bloodline purified, potentially even approaching the level of the first-generation head. From the start, the only option for her husband is to be taken in as a son-in-law."
"Do you really think the head of the Hidden Management Department would agree to such an arrangement?"
"Moreover, although Ayano is Enraiha's contractor, even the first-generation wielder of Enraiha might only have had a fifty-fifty chance against a Demigod."
To put it bluntly, Genma Kannagi wasn't even sure if the first-generation contractor had reached the level of a Demigod.
As a top-tier Flame Arts sorcerer, he could roughly gauge the strength of those above him, but Demigods were beyond his comprehension.
Perhaps the contractor could match a Demigod, or even surpass one—but it was equally possible they would fall short.
As Enraiha's contractor, Ayano was destined to become a top-tier Flame Arts sorcerer, and with the sacred weapon's power, she would undoubtedly surpass Genma himself.
Yet in Genma's eyes, such strength might only be comparable to that of the ice sorceress who froze Tokyo.
Matching a Demigod was still beyond her.
Of course, if Ayano were to take in a son-in-law, the groom would have the full support of the Kannagi Family.
But to put it crudely, for Luo Shu, a Demigod, to sacrifice his marriage in exchange for the Kannagi Family's backing might be a losing proposition from a purely pragmatic standpoint.
In Jūgo Kannagi's view, the other party's wife was most likely either the Supreme Chairwoman of the SDS or another female Demigod.
His elder brother's current thinking was almost impossible.
"I also know Ayano isn't the best choice. If the Kannagi family had another outstanding girl, marrying her off wouldn't be out of the question."
Jūgo Kannagi tucked his hands into his kimono sleeves and sighed:
"But who could have predicted that the only outstanding girl in this generation would be Ayano?"
At this point, Jūgo hesitated slightly:
"Moreover, the Kannagi family doesn't necessarily have to insist on recruiting a son-in-law. A normal marital relationship would also be acceptable."
Hearing this, Genma Kannagi raised an eyebrow and said coldly:
"An alliance of interests doesn't have to be between spouses—that's merely one of the more stable connections. Comrades, friends, or even marriages between the next generation are all viable options."
The chances between Ayano Kannagi and Luo Shu weren't high, so why not focus on other aspects?
For instance, Ayano Kannagi's child and Luo Shu's child.
Not every child of a Demigod would necessarily amount to much, would they?
Hadn't Genma Kannagi himself sired that Wind Adept rebel?
Hearing Genma's words, Jūgo was suddenly reminded of the agreement he had once made with Genma.
Though they were cousins, several generations separated them. Still, given their shared history of supporting the Kannagi family together, he had once considered arranging a marriage between their children.
At this thought, Jūgo couldn't help but feel some regret.
"What a shame. Originally, I had hoped Ayano and Kazuma could..."
"Brother!" Genma abruptly cut Jūgo off. "Why bring up that clan traitor again?"
Jūgo looked troubled. "Genma, Kazuma is still your son."
"I have no child who is a Wind Adept, much less a son who became the Huang Family's son-in-law."
Genma's expression darkened.
As one of the foremost masters of Flame Arts, he had initially accepted having a child without sorcerer abilities.
But now, the boy had turned out to possess Wind Arts talent—so formidable, in fact, that the Hong Kong Huang Family had gone so far as to legitimise a bastard daughter just to secure him.
Had Genma not verified through DNA testing that his wife hadn't been unfaithful, he might have doubted whether Kazuma Yagami was even his own flesh and blood.
How could a proud Flame Arts sorcerer father a Wind Adept?
It was utterly absurd—like a wolf king siring a bear cub!
The mere thought of the frustration his son, now renamed Kazuma Yagami, had caused him over the years set Genma Kannagi's temper aflame.
The family's relatives and elders had questioned his son's legitimacy on more than one occasion. After all these years, even Genma himself wasn't sure just how deep his resentment towards that boy ran.
And because of that resentment, his tone grew harsher than intended:
"Besides, that boy isn't worthy of Ayano."
The Kannagi family's young mistress, inheritor of a divine weapon—no matter what, she couldn't marry a mere Wind Adept. Not to mention that brat was already engaged and had pledged his loyalty to China. Absolutely unacceptable.
"If Ayano is to take in a son-in-law—or even marry out—I think we should select a more suitable talent."
"What about that Demigod from the Hidden Management Department? Whether it works out or not, there's no harm in trying."
To stop his elder brother's matchmaking schemes, Genma didn't even care if he misspoke. He outright endorsed the idea, suggesting Ayano explore the possibility with that Demigod from the Hidden Management Department.
At the very least, he was better than that disgrace of a son.
And wasn't it said that man had plenty of women around him anyway?
Whether it would work out was another matter entirely. For now, establishing communication with the SDS was the priority.
Seeing his younger cousin's agitation, Jūgo Kannagi could only concede.
"Then let's hear Ayano's thoughts."