Only when Natsume and Eiko's figures completely vanished behind the heavy solid-wood door did the tension inside the chancellor's office finally break.
Almost every board member was breathing heavily as if they had been holding their breath the entire time, backs soaked through with cold sweat. When they looked at the man seated at the head of the table, at Shinomiya, their eyes were filled with the shaken awe and fear of survivors.
That thunderous way he had dismissed a director on the spot, and the absolute decisiveness with which he accepted the thirty million yen fee, had branded themselves into the hearts of everyone present. Only today did they truly understand what kind of terrifying power and resolve this heir of the Shinomiya family possessed.
"Leave."
Shinomiya lifted the teacup on the desk and took a light sip, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The board members left as fast as they could, scattering like frightened birds. One after another, they tripped over themselves to escape the office that had become hard for them to even breathe in.
In the spacious room, only Shinomiya remained, along with the white-haired retainer standing silently behind him like a shadow.
"Ganan," Shinomiya set the cup down, his voice returning to its usual cold calm, "what do you think of that boy, Natsume?"
The old man called Ganan stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Unfathomable. I cannot sense the specific level of cursed energy in him at all. It is as if he were a silent, bottomless universe. There are only two possibilities. Either he is a completely ordinary person who knows nothing of jujutsu, or… his level may already be beyond anything I can understand."
"The answer is obvious enough, is it not?"
The corner of Shinomiya's lips curled, full of ambition and excitement.
"Someone who can make someone like Kenjaku wary, someone who can force him to give up Sukuna's finger and retreat voluntarily, how could that possibly be an ordinary person?"
"Young master," a trace of doubt flickered in Ganan's eyes, "are we truly going to pay such a heavy price just to win over a powerful unknown like him? Thirty million yen is enough to fund a small team of sorcerers."
"A team?"
Shinomiya let out a soft, dismissive laugh. He rose from his seat and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the city beneath his feet, which seemed like a miniature model from this height. His eyes gleamed as sharp as a hawk's.
"Ganan, you're still thinking in outdated terms. Curses are resurging and appearing more openly, and the rules of the world are being rewritten from the ground up. In the future, what decides the rise and fall of a family or a nation will no longer be money or armies, but overwhelming individual strength."
His voice was filled with precise insight into the future, and an unconcealed, burning ambition.
"The Jujutsu Supervisory Bureau is already rotting from the inside, clinging stubbornly to the old ways. The Zenin clan is mired in its own stubbornness, the Gojo clan produced a 'strongest' who refused to follow the old system, and the Kamo clan are idiots obsessed with bloodlines. Those so-called Big Three have completely failed to see what is coming. In this revolution, they will only be crushed into dust."
"As for our Shinomiya family, we may lack an ancient jujutsu lineage, but we possess this country's greatest wealth, the finest intelligence network, and the sharpest minds for reading the times."
He turned sharply, his eyes burning with strategist's fire.
"A single Gojo Satoru was enough to tip the balance of the entire jujutsu world. Now, a brand-new 'strongest' has appeared before us, one whose strength likely does not fall below Gojo's, and he is a boy who seems utterly uninterested in power and wealth. Ganan, tell me, what does that mean?"
Ganan's clouded eyes suddenly brightened. In that instant, he understood the grand design forming inside his young master's mind.
"It means… a heaven-sent opportunity. A chance for our Shinomiya family to stand above all others in the new era, to even… rise above the old power structure."
"Exactly."
Shinomiya nodded, satisfied.
"So what is thirty million? If we can bring this 'god' Natsume aboard the Shinomiya ship, then not just thirty million, even three hundred billion or three trillion would be nothing more than just numbers."
"…I understand."
Ganan bowed deeply, a faint flush of excitement coloring his aged face.
"Good."
Shinomiya sat back down on the sofa, took a secure phone from his inner pocket, and dialed a number.
The call was picked up quickly. On the other end came a clear, respectful girl's voice, as cool and pleasant as spring water.
"Shinomiya-sama, what are your orders?"
"Hayasaka Ai," Shinomiya said in a voice that held no emotion at all, "I am giving you a new mission, with the highest possible priority."
"Awaiting instructions."
"Target, Sobu High, Year 2, Class F, Natsume."
A calculating light flickered in Shinomiya's eyes.
"From tomorrow onward, use every resource at your disposal. At any cost, approach him, learn about him, and if necessary… become the woman closest to him. I want to know everything about him, his preferences, his weaknesses, every last secret he tries to hide. There must be no loose ends, understand?"
Ai was silent for a moment, as if digesting the sheer weight of the order. In the end, she still answered with that same eternally cool voice.
"Yes, Shinomiya-sama. The mission will be completed."
He ended the call and tossed the phone casually onto the table, then picked up his now-cold tea and drained it in one go.
The first move had been made.
Now, he wanted to see how this young "god" would respond.
...
At the same time, on the way back to the office.
A black Rolls-Royce with special plates, sent by the Shinomiya family, glided smoothly along the streets of Tokyo.
Inside the car, Eiko sat in a daze of happiness, stealing glances at the boy beside her, who was resting with his eyes closed.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a soft halo over his calm profile. His long lashes left a quiet shadow on his eyelids. He sat there in complete stillness, yet emanated a serenity so vast it felt like the whole world could find peace at his side.
Eiko's heart beat faster and faster, loud enough that she was afraid it might be heard.
Back in the chancellor's office, the moment Natsume had said, "I will be standing behind you," the words had shaken her deeply.
Being unconditionally trusted and supported by the strongest person in the world, that feeling was far more overwhelming than anything she had ever felt.
-------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / ElvenKing20