"Regarding this matter, I received a personal inquiry from the former head of the Kudo Clan, Retsu Kudo, asking if there was any room for leniency. However, allowing this to pass without consequence would compromise our own honor. Therefore, as a penalty, the Saegusa Clan will be granted no role in the upcoming mission. This is a final decision made not only by the current leadership but by the previous heads of our two houses as well. I will permit no objections."
In truth, when it comes to tracking terrorists, the chain of command must be unified; adding more "heads" to the leadership is rarely the solution to such a problem. In the original timeline, Katsuto served as the nominal leader while Tomokazu, the eldest son of Koichi Saegusa, acted as the practical commander.
That arrangement had exposed the friction caused by the division of labor between the Saegusa and Juumonji families. This time, a small, elite force would suffice. There would be no issue pulling investigative personnel from sources other than the Saegusa; that was precisely why all authority regarding the Master Clan Conference had been transferred from the Government and the National Defense Force to us.
Having secured a reliable outlook for manpower, I calculated that we could apprehend Gu Jie even without the Saegusa's involvement. From Gozo's perspective, having them loitering around would be nothing but a nuisance. We ultimately agreed to exclude them, predicting they would likely only become collateral damage anyway.
Capturing Gu Jie was not merely a matter for the Ten Master Clans; it was a direct concern for the nation's prestige. I was well aware that the USNA was already making its move. Should the Saegusa Clan attempt to join hands with them, they would not escape dissolution this time. By keeping them on the sidelines, I could better read their movements.
The reason Yugen remained silent was simple: he feared that if he spoke, he might lose control and vent his long-standing grievances against Koichi.
"If there are any protests or dissenting opinions, I shall hear them now. What say you, Lord Saegusa?"
"…Could we not, at the very least, attach Tomokazu to Lord Juumonji as an assistant?"
"Unnecessary," Mototsugu cut Koichi's proposal short. "Extraneous interference would only be a hindrance. If you insist on contributing, I would find it more helpful if you kept a sharp eye on the movements of the Humanists."
Due to the lingering shadow cast by the Zhou Gongjin incident, none of the other heads of the Ten Master Clans showed any inclination to actively shield Koichi. It was then that Maya and Katsuto raised their voices.
"Lord Kamizumi," Maya began. "Under the current structure, I believe conducting a thorough investigation without the Saegusa might prove somewhat difficult. While the Kamizumi and Kagurazaka houses will provide manpower, could we not entrust the investigation of the metropolitan areas to the Saegusa, given their local knowledge?"
"It is a regrettable request to make, but I must also ask this of you," Katsuto added. "Before I am a clan head, I am a university student. There are limits to the time I can devote to this."
"…Lord Kagurazaka."
In response to Maya and Katsuto's requests, Mototsugu looked toward Yugen. Yugen could have easily rejected the plea, but he had to consider the Yotsuba family, specifically his fiancée, Miyuki. Even if he softened the penalty, he needed to extract a suitable price. To be honest, taking over the Saegusa's existing connections might actually become a shackle in certain scenarios.
While punching Koichi in the face would be the quickest form of catharsis, there was no guarantee Koichi wouldn't resume his attempts to undermine the Yotsuba in the future.
"It is true that Lord Juumonji has his studies, and a separate investigative unit is indeed necessary," Yugen conceded. "The logic is sound. Very well… the Saegusa Clan's jurisdiction will be strictly limited to the Tokyo and Chiba sectors. Furthermore, the eldest son of the Saegusa house must lead those investigations, and their official status will be nothing more than 'volunteers providing cooperation.' This is the limit of my concession."
The Kamizumi family could cover Northern Kanto (Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki). If the Saegusa handled Tokyo and Chiba, we could focus our manpower on Kanagawa and the Izu Peninsula. With a joint investigation between the Mitsuya, Kagurazaka, and Yotsuba—and the utilization of the knowledge gained from Zhou Gongjin—my honest feeling was that I didn't want any outsiders interfering.
Furthermore, limiting their region wasn't entirely useless. By assigning them the heavy responsibility of monitoring the Humanists likely to move in tandem with Gu Jie, we increased the chances of stopping terrorist-incited civilian damage before it could escalate.
Though, whether they could actually stop it even if they noticed was a different story.
"The full extent of the penalties against the Saegusa Clan will be announced once this matter is settled, but I will say one thing now. As an opportunity to clear the suspicion of what amounts to treason against the two 'Guardian' houses, the Saegusa Clan will be reassigned to the monitoring and defense of the Amami and Okinawa regions."
"Lord Kagurazaka… is that region not the territory of the National Defense Force?"
"Regarding that, the National Defense Force itself is being restructured to bring it under proper civilian control. You will simply be filling the vacuum created by this reorganization."
Initially, I had intended to leave them in Kanto, but as part of the penalty, Koichi would be required to retire as head within three years and focus solely on the Saegusa's venture capital business. Then, a son from his first marriage (either the eldest or second) would inherit the headship and move the family base to Amami and Okinawa. If proximity caused them to obsess over the Yotsuba, I would simply strip them of their duties as a Master Clan head and exile them to the far reaches of the archipelago.
If they were going to skulk between the light and the shadows, I might as well force them into the light as purely public figures. Besides, if their business remained in Kanto, they would stay within my sight, making it easier to deal with any potential schemes. There were downsides to their connections with politicians and the military, but it was better than letting them grumble from a distance.
Honestly, I couldn't help but wonder why a sixteen-year-old had to decide the fate of a grown man like the Saegusa patriarch. For context, the difference in the "grace period" compared to the Kudo Clan was based on the workload of the current heads. In the Kudo family, Retsu handled most of the Clan Head's duties while Shingen focused on the family business—a division of labor that made their transition faster.
"Normally, given that the previous heads were unanimous in their dissatisfaction, we would have considered the total dissolution of your house. Instead, you have been granted this measure of mercy. Do you still have complaints, Lord Saegusa?"
"…No. I have none."
Under the weight of Yugen's gaze—a stare that felt laced with cold killing intent—Koichi could do nothing but bow his head deeply while remaining seated. It was the moment the people at the round table truly carved the existence of "Yugen Kagurazaka" into their hearts.
The following morning, a joint condemnation of the terrorists would be issued by four parties: the Ten Master Clans, the Japan Magic Association, the Kamizaka Group, and the Japanese Government. Furthermore, based on the recently enacted Special Measures Act Against Terrorism (formally the "Special Public Security Maintenance Measure Act Against Dangerous Crimes Affecting National Survival"), the mastermind, Gu Jie (Jiedhe Heigu), was officially designated a "domestic wanted criminal of extreme malice"—triggering a state of high alert.
After the meeting ended and the other clan heads departed, only Yugen and Mototsugu remained in the conference room. With the official business concluded, Mototsugu spoke to Yugen not as a fellow leader, but as a brother.
"…Yugen, are you sure about that?"
"No matter where we put them, as long as they hold a title, they won't abandon their schemes. However, perhaps because he spoke with Retsu Kudo just before this, Koichi did seem to show a semblance of a willingness to face his actions… though it's far too late for that."
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