"I am truly sorry, Big Brother."
After the meeting ended, Shina bowed her head and apologized. However, this incident could hardly be blamed on Shina, the Mitsuya family, or the Yagurumas. Yugen himself had never expected that Jiro would be removed from his guard duties as part of the arrangements regarding his engagement to Shina. Therefore, he felt that he shared part of the blame.
"You aren't the only one at fault, Shina. Given that I played an indirect role in how Jiro ended up like this, there is no reason to single out any one person to blame. Even so, the fact remains that Jiro used magic and acted in a way that invited suspicion. You understand what taking responsibility for that entails, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then that's fine. I will talk to both the Mitsuya and Yaguruma families. Jiro is resting in the infirmary, so go wake him up."
"...Thank you so much, really."
Watching Shina's retreating back as she ran off, Yugen felt a tinge of loneliness. Perhaps this was what people called "growing out of needing one's older brother." Although his relationship with Shina was something he had inherited from the original Mitsuya Yugen prior to his reincarnation, feeling this way made him realize that he, too, might have been seeking something from siblings close to his age.
"Are you finished talking? ...Wait, where did Shina-chan go?"
"To the infirmary. Well, I suppose I should head back too."
"Leaving the rest to the young couple, I see... Are you not going to do anything?"
"Don't give me those expectant eyes, you idiot."
It wasn't as if they always did something every time they met, nor was he trying to set up a punchline. Taking Celia's words at face value, Yugen spat out those harsh words when she gave him an inexplicably expectant look.
Needless to say, Miyuki and Shizuku directed envious glances toward Yugen and Celia, who were lightheartedly exchanging banter despite everything.
Afterward, Yugen contacted Motoharu to explain the situation, advising that it would be best to clarify matters with the parties involved once more. He explained that while the trouble hadn't escalated into a major disaster, Shina had taken responsibility for Jiro due to his unauthorized use of magic.
『I see... I was a bit too hasty as well. I will explain things to Jiro-san myself. Still, I never expected you to stand on the podium for the entrance ceremony congratulatory address.』
"I felt much the same way, honestly. I was merely expressing my genuine thoughts."
『Haha... But Yugen, your argument was entirely sound.』
Imagine attending the entrance ceremony with high hopes, only to have your inflated ego snapped at the root right from the start. Motoharu, who attended as a guest of honor due to his connection to Shina as the freshman representative, was initially unable to hide his surprise. Not only because Yugen—the Chairman of the Master Clans Conference—had taken the stage, but also because the strong sense of persuasion behind his blunt delivery of the realities regarding the Course 2 system and the world of magicians resonated deeply.
『In your current position, you are essentially the successor to Master Kudou as head of the Master Clans Conference. And in that position, you confronted them head-on with the reality that "the world of magicians is by no means forgiving." So, how did the new students react?』
"Thanks to that, I got tangled up quite a bit with the underclassmen. Though that might partly be thanks to Shina's accomplishments as well."
『I see... At any rate, I apologize for the trouble caused.』
After the communication cut off, Yugen leaned his weight into the backrest and stared at the ceiling.
From an external perspective, both Yugen and Motoharu held positions as heads of their respective households. Yet, Yugen interacted with Motoharu like a father and son, and Motoharu never used Yugen's status as the head of the Kagurazaka family as a shield. It wasn't something they had explicitly agreed upon; it was simply the result of mutual consideration clicking into place.
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