The host took the stage, delivering a brief greeting before a succession of ten or so individuals offered their congratulatory remarks. Ushio was among them, and seeing him made Shizuku look visibly uncomfortable. This much had happened in the original story, but in this world, Chise took the podium to speak in her capacity as the "Chairwoman of the Kamizaka Group."
Because she appeared to be in her twenties, many in the audience likely harbored doubts, wondering if she was merely a proxy for the true chairwoman. However, those truly entrenched in the worlds of politics and finance could feel it in their bones—this was the real Kamizaka Chise.
"Is Yugen going to be alright?" Shizuku whispered.
"I think it's a bit late to worry about that," he replied.
In principle, the four elders of the 'Senate' were supposed to remain behind the scenes, never showing their faces in public. However, Chise and Gozo were moving in a direction that fundamentally rejected that tradition. This was largely due to their temperaments. In Gozo's case, it went without saying because of his mastery of Shinkage-ryu Kenjutsu; as for Chise, she held a position of technical leadership over practitioners of ancient magic.
To those like Tohdo Aoba or Kashiwa Kazutaka, who refused to involve themselves openly, Chise and Gozo might be seen as "heretics." Yet, it was precisely because they were in positions where they couldn't simply hand over their family leadership that they viewed the other two elders as nothing more than "idlers."
After all, if friction existed even between modern magic families like the Yotsuba and the Saegusa, one couldn't claim that the ancient magic houses lived in perfect harmony. In the case of the 'Traditionalists,' the government and the 'Nine' families had been stingy with rewards based on accurate predictions; as a result, the Traditionalists had coalesced into a massive force that transcended sectarian grudges. The act of rivals joining forces when a common enemy emerges is a tale as old as time—there was nothing surprising about it.
"Shizuku, you look embarrassed... please, stop pinching me."
"It's just not fair that Yugen-kun can act so nonchalant."
"Complain all you like, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it painful."
Yugen knew she wasn't truly irritated, but he turned his attention elsewhere. Using Osiris' Eye, he expanded his vision to the waters surrounding Saika Shin-Island. Roughly sixty kilometers west of Kume Island, he spotted a fishing boat—actually a disguised operative vessel procured by Great Asian Alliance deserters—heading northwest.
Until a few years ago, illegal operations by the Great Asian Alliance in these waters were endless. It was a constant game of chicken: Japanese patrol boats would give chase, eventually drawing out combat ships from both nations to lock fire-control radars on one another. To be honest, a radar lock-on was as good as a declaration of war.
They had kept a low profile since the Okinawa Naval Battle five years ago, and following the Yokohama Disturbance the year before last, Great Asian Alliance vessels had ostensibly begun navigating the seas like gentlemen. Of course, it was obvious that as soon as people forgot, they would bring up the median line again to justify illegal fishing and territorial claims.
Yugen watched as five torpedo-shaped capsules were launched from the operative vessel toward Saika Shin-Island. He instantly calculated their estimated arrival time based on their velocity and sent the data via email to Sanada and Kyoko. There was a chance the message could be intercepted, but the Australian mages in this venue couldn't stop what had already begun.
At that moment, Tatsuya left the area, accompanied by Isori. He was likely going to inform Isori that he was being targeted. Yugen excused himself, claiming he needed to use the restroom. He headed toward a woman wearing a modest dress, someone who, at a glance, looked like the secretary to a CEO of a famous company.
"My, Yugen-kun. Aren't you worried Miyuki-san or Kitayama-san might get jealous?"
"I don't have a hobby of stealing women who are already engaged, I assure you. Besides, I've already spoken to Miyuki and Shizuku."
Since the defensive forces were more than sufficient, there was no need for Yugen—or even Tatsuya—to take the stage. In Tatsuya's case, his usable magic was so restricted that keeping his involvement secret from the Great Asian Alliance was a priority. Hans Ernst and Efia Mensah were filling that gap, so Yugen saw no issues.
"So, you won't stop her from standing on the front lines?"
"In a war zone, if you harbor notions of chauvinism, you'll be dead in an instant. Besides, I was attacked by that female mage last summer."
"...You're quite harsh."
If she had decided that was her path, Yugen had no intention of nagging her. Among his own fiancées, there were already former soldiers. He didn't want them to be reckless, but given the disparity in power for this operation, the enemy's odds were abysmal. He hoped Lu Gonghu might get caught in a concentrated crossfire to weaken him, though he doubted things would go that smoothly.
Naturally, Yugen was using a sound-distortion barrier to mask their conversation; to anyone watching, they merely looked like two acquaintances chatting.
"...Lieutenant, my seniors will likely catch on and join the fray, so I've decided to explain the situation to one of them and lend him some prototype magic equipment."
"I doubt the Lieutenant Colonel will stop them. If anything, he's probably factored it in. I'll leave the venue to you, Yugen-kun."
"Understood."
In the original story, they had been in party suits, but considering the incident on Kume Island, the likelihood of them sticking their noses in was high. Yugen had sent an email to Hattori under the guise of: 'I have some magic equipment a friend forced on me; please use it.' He had also stealthily handed over the activation key for a jet ski.
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