Chapter 78: Life is Short, Why Take Shortcuts?
"A very wise choice, Saitenshi." Mahiro smiled slightly.
He actually didn't care about the IFA ranking. He already knew what he needed to know long ago.
Even classified documents, he had already decrypted and accessed them.
And he wasn't that concerned about false fame either.
On the contrary, the Saitenshi doing this could save him a lot of unnecessary contact.
"That's good, but Mahiro-kun, please do not leave the Holy Residence after the banquet. I have something I want to tell you."
Hearing the Saitenshi's soft words, Mahiro looked at her with a slight surprise.
At the same time, the Saitenshi had already gracefully stepped forward and announced that the Tokyo Area's celebration banquet was about to begin.
With the commendation ceremony over, his part was completely finished.
So he went downstairs, holding a wine glass and eating and drinking.
Originally, he shouldn't have been the only participant in this banquet. Rentaro, also an employee of the agency, was also qualified to attend, but unfortunately, he was still lying in the hospital.
He probably wouldn't be able to leave the hospital for at least a month.
As for Chisato Fuse, one of the participants, besides not liking such places herself, she was also unable to get away due to the numerous tasks piled up by him, the laissez-faire boss.
That's right, Chisato Fuse has officially joined Arcadia, along with the children who were revived in the great war.
After all, for him, it was merely tracing back some information and enduring their painful lives.
He was still very enthusiastic about saving these Cursed Children.
Of course, that did not include the child codenamed Hummingbird; he wasn't kind enough to save even his enemies.
Furthermore, joining Arcadia was entirely voluntary, and no one refused on this point.
After all, as Cursed Children, they had also heard many things about this utopia.
As for the last person in the agency, President Kisara, Tendo Kisara, she was currently feasting elegantly, as if she hadn't eaten for days…
"I say, President Kisara, you said before that this ceremony was held by cutting down on the Saitenshi's valuable administrative time, so you told me to speak less and finish quickly… Now it seems that's not the case, is it?
You just wanted to eat, didn't you?"
She was already very rich, so why was she still like this? Was this Tendo Kisara's true nature?
"How is that possible?!"
Hearing his words, Kisara suddenly looked up and quickly explained, "I am thinking for the Saitenshi!"
"Yes, yes, yes, but can you please swallow what's in your mouth before speaking, and look at you, there's food all over your face."
Mahiro was a little exasperated. He reached out and wiped the cream from Kisara's mouth, then directly put it into his own mouth.
And Kisara saw this scene… Boom…
It was as if steam was coming out of her head, and her face instantly turned red.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma-Mahiro-kun, you-you-you-you… I-I-I-I…"
She had become speechless.
If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, she would probably be flailing her arms in a panic.
"What's wrong with me?" Mahiro asked, puzzled. "You can't expect me to just leave the cream there, or wipe it on my clothes? Or wipe it on the dining table?"
"But you can't put it in your mouth! That was clearly what I just ate…"
Kisara wanted to say this with a red face, but the next second, her face instantly returned to its clean state, and her expression also became serious. Her gaze was solemn as she looked behind him.
Turning to look, he saw Kikunojo Tendo standing beside the Saitenshi, who was surrounded by a group of guests not far away.
Kisara's eyes were already burning with hatred, and even the fork in her hand was unconsciously bent.
What terrifying grip strength.
"I say, you don't need to be so angry now, do you? Didn't you successfully make that old man suffer a great loss this time?"
Mahiro patted her shoulder, which immediately brought Kisara, who was immersed in hatred, back to her senses.
She stared at Mahiro with complex eyes, then closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No, Minister Hata, who was pushed out this time, and those on the joint petition, are just scapegoats. Moreover, this kind of childish squabble cannot fundamentally harm the Tendo Family."
Kikunojo Tendo had his subordinates retrieve the [Legacy of the Seven Stars] from the unexplored area, and even entrusted Hiruko Kagetane to tacitly allow the summoning of a Phase Five Zodiac. The purpose was to make people recall the horror of the Gastrea and promote the "Household Registration Deprivation Act," thereby stifling the "Gastrea New Law" proposed by the Saitenshi.
Although it's a bit abstract, and this would trigger a great extinction in the Tokyo Area, the fact remains.
That old man, like Tendo Kisara, was also a revenge seeker, just with different targets.
Even though many unexpected events occurred during this process of revenge, and it almost backfired, leading to the true demise of the Tokyo Area.
And after the matter was exposed, Kikunojo Tendo's approach was even more direct: he simply pushed out the scapegoats he had prepared in advance, completely severing all ties.
Moreover, these people basically committed suicide on the day of their arrest.
"So, I need more conclusive evidence, a weapon that can completely overthrow the Tendo Family."
"Is that so? If that's the case, I do have a suggestion: you might want to start from the direction of the monolith."
"What do you mean?" Kisara looked at him, puzzled.
"Didn't you notice? This whole thing is full of anomalies. A Phase One Gastrea suddenly appeared and attacked the convoy escorting the legacy, and then swallowed the box. Under Hiruko Kagetane's pursuit, the Phase One Gastrea escaped into the Tokyo Area.
Normally, the magnetic field emitted by the Varanium alloy is fatal to Gastrea. How could a mere Phase One get in? Don't you find something a little fishy about this?"
Hearing him say that.
Kisara went from silence to surprise, gradually widening her eyes, as if she had thought of something extremely terrifying.
"Mahiro-kun, you mean…"
"Just know it yourself. I'm only guessing."
Mahiro dropped that line and continued to eat and drink at the banquet.
Kisara was very smart; a slight hint was enough for her to discover the blind spot, and her execution ability was also very strong, which could be seen from the Scorpio incident.
She was actually able to gather so much information in such a short time.
Although someone might be helping her behind the scenes.
But it doesn't matter, isn't it also very interesting to watch a revenge seeker put on a grand revenge play?
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By the time the banquet ended, the sun had already set.
At his notification, Kisara had already returned to the agency, leaving only him in the Holy Residence, and under the guidance of a waiter, he arrived at the Saitenshi's bedroom.
It was like some inviolable sanctuary; besides the maid who attended to her, there wasn't even a single guard outside the door.
"Long time no see, Mahiro-kun. You are very punctual."
Inside the room, the Saitenshi, sitting by the bed, adjusted her posture and smiled gracefully, her hands elegantly resting on the front of her dress.
Mahiro, on the other hand, casually pulled up a chair, sat opposite the Saitenshi, and then looked at her with a strange expression.
"Long time no see? We just said goodbye at the banquet ten minutes ago."
"No. I mean, meeting here."
"If you put it that way, then indeed it's correct."
Except for the first commission, the rest of the designated commissions were basically in the Saitenshi's bedroom. Kisara knew about this early on, which is why she chose not to stay in the Holy Residence.
His close relationship with the Saitenshi was precisely because of what happened in the past year.
At that time, the Saitenshi had just completed one year of her reign, and due to her rising prominence, she had suffered numerous assassination attempts, but each time she was protected by him.
It was precisely because of this that his ranking rose so quickly.
And the Saitenshi also managed to gain a firm foothold among the various factions because of this.
"Forget it, instead of this boring small talk, why don't you tell me what you really want to talk about by keeping me here. After all, it's getting late, and I'm a bit hungry… Could it be that the Saitenshi intends for me to serve her?"
"Mahiro-kun still likes to joke as always. You just ate a lot at the banquet."
Despite being teased so lightly, the Saitenshi showed no sign of shame or anger. Instead, she covered her mouth with a hand wearing a silk white glove and laughed.
"You're not denying serving me? Well, the esteemed Saitenshi is already 16, so I can understand such needs, but! My price is very expensive."
"Mahiro-kun, what are you saying?"
The Saitenshi smiled slightly, displaying her captivating beauty, and directly brushed aside his teasing words.
Although many people regarded her as a 16-year-old puppet vase, there was no doubt that this vase had something to it.
"....Alright, jokes aside."
Mahiro put away his smile and said directly, "It is indeed getting late. Let's talk about what's really going on, shall we? From your expression, it must be another commission, right?"
"Yes."
The Saitenshi also stopped joking and nodded seriously, saying, "Mahiro-kun, President Qi Wu, the representative of the Osaka Area, will be paying an unofficial visit to the Tokyo Area the day after tomorrow."
"And then?"
"Tonight, Kikunojo Tendo will be flying to another area for a visit, and he won't be in the Tokyo Area during that time."
"So? Are you planning to have me kill that old man Kikunojo Tendo, to help you completely control the Tokyo Area, or are you planning to have me help you kill that Qi Wu Xuanzong? If it's that kind of commission, I'll take it.
Of course, the price will naturally be very expensive, ten million yen per head."
Mahiro said without the slightest hesitation.
He said this not only because he would genuinely accept such a commission, but also mainly because of the environment in the bedroom.
Besides being entirely white like the Saitenshi, the main reason was that such a large room used a candelabra as its light source.
In such a dim environment, besides couples secretly meeting, the only thing he could think of was assassination.
"Please don't make such a nasty joke."
The Saitenshi's brows furrowed slightly, clearly finding this even more difficult to accept than the earlier joke about serving her.
"I understand that Kikunojo Tendo and President Kisara have irreconcilable hatred, and some of the things he did behind my back were indeed out of line, but he truly was for the Tokyo Area.
Also, if President Qi Wu dies in the Tokyo Area, then the next new president, who is the vice president of the Osaka Area, will certainly assume the presidency and will regard the Tokyo Area as an enemy, and it's even possible that a war could directly break out."
"So, your answer is no?"
"That is beyond doubt."
"Alright."
Seeing the Saitenshi's rare serious demeanor, Mahiro shrugged and said, "If you refuse, then refuse."
"Please don't make such jokes again in the future. They are too nasty, and I will get angry too."
The Saitenshi, having calmed down again, glared at Mahiro and once again clasped her hands in front of her.
"But seriously, Your Highness, the Saitenshi, you just missed an opportunity to completely rule the Tokyo Area."
"Do you want to continue this topic?"
"...I won't say anything, you speak."
Feeling that the Saitenshi seemed genuinely angry, Mahiro wisely shut his mouth and said no more, making a "please" gesture with his hand, signaling her to continue.
"Alright, then it's my turn to speak now."
His attitude made the Saitenshi nod in satisfaction. Perhaps it was because Mahiro was finally willing to listen to her, which inexplicably brought about a strange, indescribable joy, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
"The main request this time is to ask you to accompany me during the talks, to serve as my bodyguard, and to provide me with support by my side."
"?"
Mahiro slowly typed a question mark upon hearing this, "You want me to be a bodyguard again? Although I already guessed it, I still want to say, Kikunojo Tendo, that old man, should have assigned you bodyguards, right?
I think you need someone who can handle politics better when meeting Qi Wu Xuanzong, and I happen not to be that kind of person."
This time, he really didn't want to take on the bodyguard mission.
He knew that this time, Tina Sprout, the sniper in the dark, would make an appearance, but he could easily take Tina Sprout down in secret, and the Saitenshi's safety would still be assured.
Besides that, it was mainly because Arcadia had already entered its final stage.
Most of the Cursed Children in the Tokyo Area had basically been taken in, and other regions were also gradually receiving them. So he planned to travel to other countries and bring those children back.
If he accepted the commission, he really wouldn't be able to leave.
"You are right, Mr. Mahiro. More than a bodyguard, I might indeed need someone who can contend with President Qi Wu in politics. And Kikunojo Tendo did assign me a bodyguard, but... that person's intentions are impure."
In the dim room, lit only by candlelight, the Saitenshi spoke softly.
The cool night breeze slowly entered through the window, gently swaying the silk curtains, and the candlelight on the three-pronged candelabra flickered in the wind, making the light in the room alternate between bright and dim.
And through that faint candlelight, for the first time, he caught a barely perceptible hint of disgust and heavy conflict on the Saitenshi's fair face.
Then, she slowly rose from the bedside, walked to the window, and reached out her slender, fair fingertips to rest on the window sill, closing the window. She gazed at the myriad stars in the night sky and slowly began to speak:
"Mr. Mahiro, as an IFA, you should be very clear. In the near future, the world's top IFAs will come here under the designation of various governments to carry out assassination and destruction work, all for the most important resource in this world, produced abundantly here—Varainium."
"And this land beneath our feet, the Tokyo Area, which boasts Mount Fuji, has a Varainium output so high that it accounts for fifty percent of this archipelago."
"...So, I don't know when I might die by assassination. If it weren't for your presence in the past year, I might have died like my mother long ago, and now my body is capable of bearing children. The Holy Residence attendants constantly urge me to give birth to an heir as soon as possible, so—"
"So, the person that old man arranged for you is not just a bodyguard, but also a partner to help you bear children and continue the Holy Residence bloodline?" Mahiro interjected, asking calmly.
The Saitenshi, meanwhile, pressed her hands against her flat stomach. Although she smiled, her sadness was evident.
She shook her head.
"I don't know Kikunojo Tendo's thoughts, but that person definitely harbors such intentions, and I don't like it."
"Then aren't you afraid that I also harbor such intentions?"
"You wouldn't." The Saitenshi looked at him with profound eyes, "Mr. Mahiro, I know you like to make all sorts of jokes, but you are very kind and not afraid of power, nor do you crave power... Moreover, if the person to bear children with were you, I might even accept."
The Saitenshi was serious.
At least, that's how it seemed from her gaze.
Although there was uncertainty at the end of her words, her tone was definite.
Mahiro slightly pursed his lips, his gaze calm.
At this moment, he finally understood why he was so interested in the Saitenshi.
It wasn't just because this girl had a high and noble status, like the purity of a saintess, which made him want to dye that pure white with his own color.
It was also because there was a sense of déjà vu.
It felt like Mayumi, or rather, like the descendants of the Ten Master Clans, the Eighteen Candidate Houses, and the Hundred Families.
They also had no right to choose their own marriage freely, and they also could not choose their own love.
So, they settled for second best, trying to choose someone they didn't dislike to continue their bloodline if possible.
"Alright, in that case, I accept this commission."
"Really?"
"Of course, whether it's being a bodyguard or having children with Her Highness, the Saitenshi, I accept it all."
"Indeed, Mr. Mahiro can still make jokes even in this situation."
A slight smile appeared at the Saitenshi's lips, and the sadness that had settled in her heart immediately dissipated.
However, Yotsuba Mahiro shook his head and said:
"No, this time, I'm serious."
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That being said, he didn't actually do anything to the Saitenshi.
Instead, he spent the night in another room in the Holy Residence, led by a maid.
The next day, under the Saitenshi's introduction, he met the bodyguard team Kikunojo Tendo had left for the Saitenshi, an security group led by Takehito Hogaki.
It just didn't start out very pleasantly.
Just as the Saitenshi herself described her disgust, this man was indeed repulsive.
A face full of fake smiles, and the greed that already saw the Saitenshi as his possession, along with a barely perceptible cold killing intent directed at him.
Just that last point alone meant this guy was already doomed.
Sure enough, after the Saitenshi left, as he was about to go out for breakfast, Takehito Hogaki and his small group blocked him and took him to the restroom.
"Yotsuba Mahiro, right? The one who defeated Scorpio of the Zodiac? You just used a despicable trick. If I had that kind of secret weapon, I could do it too!"
Takehito Hogaki snorted, a sneer on his face.
He then threatened:
"You listen to me, Lord Tendo entrusted the Saitenshi to me, so you brat, stay away from the Saitenshi, and you're not allowed to participate in this bodyguard duty, otherwise don't blame me for breaking your limbs!"
This was truly a classic way of speaking.
And this method, even more so, reminded him of when he was in school, how those who liked to bully others especially enjoyed taking people to the restroom to harass them.
Just like now.
Thinking of this, Yotsuba Mahiro couldn't help but sigh and say:
"Isn't living good? Life is already so short, and you still insist on taking a shortcut."