"Kuzunari, who exactly is coming to help us?"
Minami Yukinoshita stood outside the venue with Yukino and Haruno. Kuzunari Yukinoshita was with them.
Earlier, Kuzunari hadn't explained the messy details. He wanted Minami to rest, and afterward he'd been busy with preparations. So the moment Minami arrived, she asked directly.
"It's Totsuki," Kuzunari replied.
Yukino blinked.
Minami and Haruno, however, showed no surprise.
After all, if one asked who in this country could stand against the Sanzenin, aside from Shinomiya, only Totsuki came to mind.
And everyone knew this as well-Kaguya Shinomiya, the current head of the Shinomiya family, had only taken that position with Totsuki's help. In that sense, Shinomiya and Totsuki were effectively on the same side.
As for Togami...
There had been less and less news lately.
It was said that, like Shinomiya, the direct line of the Togami family had only one survivor left. That person had largely withdrawn from Far Eastern affairs, focusing instead on expanding influence within the Empire.
Togami was still powerful.
But no longer capable of standing up to the Sanzenin.
"Totsuki... Are we waiting for General Nakiri?"
Minami's expression turned noticeably more serious.
Once she learned that Totsuki was willing to help the Yukinoshita family, Minami's usual decisiveness returned. But even as she spoke, she couldn't help but wonder-
Why would Totsuki help them?
There was no obvious benefit.
Even if General Nakiri intended to turn the Yukinoshita family into a subordinate house, the Yukinoshita would still be the ones gaining the most.
"No," Kuzunari said. "The one coming isn't General Nakiri."
"It's Lord Yuki."
Ah!?
Minami and Haruno both froze.
Yukino, who didn't know much about Jaden, looked confused by their reaction.
"This... Lord Yuki... If he's the one coming, he won't just solve the problem by directly... eliminating someone, will he?"
Even Minami couldn't help feeling tense.
If it were Erina, she wouldn't be this nervous.
Erina helping them meant there was something the Yukinoshita family could offer in return. Besides, Erina wouldn't be interested in someone like her.
But Jaden was different.
Not because he'd be interested in her-
But because Jaden didn't necessarily act with a clear, transactional purpose.
That was the terrifying part.
"He's the strongest creature on earth," Minami said quietly. "Father... laws and commonly accepted rules don't really apply to him. So what exactly will he do when he arrives...?"
Haruno frowned as well. The usual playful smile on her face looked stiff.
Yukino was the calmest of the three, but even she picked up on something from their words.
"The strongest creature on earth... above the law..."
"...Will someone die later?"
Seeing his wife and daughters like this, Kuzunari slowly shook his head.
"I don't know what will happen," he said. "But Lord Yuki isn't the kind of person you're imagining."
He almost added that Jaden wasn't that frightening.
But remembering their first meeting-when he had nearly died at Jaden's hands-Kuzunari swallowed those words.
Minami and the others still looked unsettled.
Then, a car stopped in front of them.
An elderly man stepped out first and immediately moved to open the rear door, respectfully acting like a servant.
At first, because of how natural his movements were, Minami and Haruno assumed he was a butler from Totsuki.
Then they looked closer.
And froze.
-Isn't that Mikado Sanzenin, the head of the Sanzenin family!?
Ah...
They had thought that, putting aside Jaden's personal military threat as the strongest creature on earth, Totsuki and Shinomiya together might still be able to confront the Sanzenin.
But now-
It looked like the Sanzenin had already surrendered in secret.
"Lord Yuki."
Kuzunari immediately stepped forward.
Jaden glanced at him, then at Minami and the others behind him.
His gaze lingered for a moment on Yukino.
In his previous life, he'd read plenty of doujinshi about Yukino Yukinoshita. If he hadn't met Erina first, and had met Yukino instead, he might have tried to pursue her.
But now-
With Erina by his side, everyone else was just that.
It wasn't that he felt no temptation at all.
It was just that lust without emotion felt fake. Hollow.
"Kuzunari," Jaden said casually, "I heard that heir from the Sanzenin family had his eyes on your wife. I also thought the two daughters you always talk about were... well, ordinary."
"But now it seems that guy's taste is just too mature."
Halfway through, Jaden's gaze shifted to Mikado Sanzenin.
"Don't you agree, Sanzenin?"
Kuzunari kept smiling, but wisely chose to remain silent.
Mikado Sanzenin shrugged helplessly.
"My King, if you wish, as long as you can persuade Nagi and she agrees, I can eliminate the other heirs immediately and let her inherit the family."
"But she refuses."
"And when I offered the entire Sanzenin family to you, you found it too troublesome and declined. So there's nothing I can do about the current situation."
Mikado smiled.
"Still, it's just a matter of too many heirs. One less isn't a big deal. If all else fails, you can inherit the Sanzenin fortune yourself. All the money we make is yours anyway."
"Forget it," Jaden replied. "Erina plans to expand Totsuki herself. She won't accept something like 'inheriting an estate.'"
"As for that heir-handle it yourself later."
He continued calmly.
"The Yukinoshita family helped me once when I was dealing with Toyo Electric Power. Sanzenin, you know what to do, right?"
"Of course, my King."
Mikado nodded.
Jaden then looked at the Yukinoshita family, who hadn't dared to speak a word, and smiled faintly.
"Let's go, Kuzunari."
"You don't need to worry anymore."
"As for compensation..."
He spoke while already walking toward the venue.
"Forget it. I'm just here to watch the fun. Compensation or not doesn't matter. Just talk to whoever actually helped you with those matters."
Kuzunari looked like he wanted to say something.
Jaden waved his hand impatiently.
"Don't say useless things. If I want something, I'll take it. Whether it's called compensation or not is irrelevant."
With that, Jaden walked straight inside.
Kuzunari stood there for a moment, stunned.
It was only after Mikado Sanzenin patted him on the shoulder that he finally followed.
He didn't say anything else.
But-
He would remember this favor.