Hello again. I'm really sorry if there was anyone expecting more chapters, more frequently since well, everybody is stuck at home. Unfortunately, since I can't leave my home, I've been receiving more work to do and I'm even busier than before. I mean, even I wasn't expecting this.

Actually, I planned to release this chapter two weeks ago buuut, I couldn't. I'm also apologizing in advance since this chapter is kinda short (not like the other ones were long but anyway) and when I first thought it up, I didn't think it would be this short.

Well, the next one will be longer and, as a result, it will take more time to write... maybe. If I get an early vacation, maybe I will be able to finish it faster, but don't count on it.

"Mahouka" - speech

(Mahouka) - thoughts

Mahouka - time, place

I don't own anything.

Chapter 8

Kudou residence

"Excuse my intrusion, Sofu-sama."

"Right now I'm speaking as your grandfather, Kyouko. There's no need for formalities."

"That's… I understand."

"For now, you should take a seat. We have a lot to discuss after all."

"...Yes."

Fujibayashi Kyouko was currently the only one with Kudou Retsu. While Retsu wasn't someone who avoided familial contact, it was still unusual him to suddenly call his granddaughter for a chat. Even more when he insisted she should come alone and informed her beforehand that this would be a private conversation. Kyouko doubted her grandfather could be planning anything bad but she was still anxious. Something really serious was definitely going on behind the scenes.

(What could it be about? Does it have to do with the announcement that came from Yotsuba? The one about Tatsuya-kun's engagement?)

Certainly, Retsu wanted to talk about Yotsuba, just that it wasn't the same matter that Kyouko had in mind. But she had no way of predicting that.

"As you know Kyouko, the Yotsuba have recently announced that Shiba Miyuki from First High was nominated as their heir and her… cousin, Shiba Tatsuya, was engaged to her."

"...Yes, that was quite shocking. I never would've thought Tatsuya-kun and Miyuki-san were 'acting' this entire time."

"Concerning this, the Yotsuba sent another message. This time though, only addressed to certain individuals."

"And Sofu-sama was one of them?"

"Well, while I did receive the message, it was actually addressed to you."

"Eh? M-Me?"

"Yes, I have already read it and I understood that it is not something I should talk but something you should see for yourself."

"Y-Yes, understood."

Retsu turned on a screen on the wall and Kyouko slowly turned her head towards it. She could already feel a storm coming, when her eyes landed on the screen, the shock surpassed anything she could have imagined.

"S-Sofu-sama! T-This is…!"

"I understand your reaction but take a deep breath first Kyouko. We can't talk about it if you panic."

"I…! I apologize..."

Kyouko had actually jumped from her seat without realizing it herself. Now that she calmed down, she became embarrassed about her own outburst, Retsu on the other hand didn't seem to mind as he alredy expected this reaction.

"Have you calmed down?"

"...Yes, I… May I ask something?"

"What is it?"

"...What does Sofu-sama think about it?"

"I actually called you here to ask the same of you, but… Let's see, I am sure you can take a wild guess about what I think about this."

"...I do believe I can, however I would like to avoid making unnecessary statements."

"As a member of the Ten Master Clans, I believe the Yotsuba are getting too powerful. All by themselves they might surpass the Ten Master Clans all together. At this rate, the balance of the japanese magician community will be disrupted. Something must be done to prevent that."

"Does that mean that Sofu-sama supports what Oji-sama(Makoto) did?"

"...If it were something done solely to keep the Yotsuba in check, I would. However Makoto didn't really had that in mind when he choose to cooperate with Zhou Gongjin. I also feel bad about taking advantage of Shiba-kun during the last NSC(Volume 13), even if it was for the sake of promoting the usefulness of the Parasites."

"If you are going there, then I also feel bad about it. I was the one who had to ask Tatsuya-kun to intervene even when knowing he was just being used."

"I'm sorry you got involved in our affairs, Kyouko."

"No, it's fine. While our relationship became somewhat strained at first, we managed to sort it out. In a way, this… 'invitation' is also proof of that. Though seeing their criteria of choice, I'm not sure why I..."

"...was chosen?"

"...Yes."

"From my perspective, it's not such a strange development. If you think about ladies who are acquainted with Shiba-kun and showed interest in him, then you can't deny your taking part in it."

"Sofu-sama, the way you said it is a little..."

"I'm not saying that I am aware of what all your interactions with Shiba-kun in the 101 battalion are like. I'm just saying that I was honestly surprised by the little that I happened to see."

"...I do acknowledge that I was teasing Tatsuya-kun at times, but generally speaking I only see him as a little brother."

"Is that how you feel, Kyouko? Or how you want to feel?"

"..."

"I am sorry to touch on this subject but, do you still feel lost? Regarding your late fiance?"

"Well, I…."

"Do you despise the idea of getting close to someone, only to wait for them when they will never return?"

"That's…."

No tears came out but Kyouko's expression was full of sorrow. Retsu knew that this was a delicate subject to bring up, but he was also aware that he may have left it untouched for too long. Even after so many years passed, Kyouko was still not completely over her fiance's death. It's not like Kyouko never interacted with other gentleman either, but to her close ones she always gave the feeling of someone who would dedicate her life to work. Not someone who wouldn't associate with people but someone who didn't had interest in romantic relationships. However, for a strong magician like Kyouko it was unthinkable to not leave any descendants, but Retsu also personally wanted for his granddaughter to find happiness again.

"Kyouko, I may not know Shiba-kun as well as you do, but I don't believe he will ever fail to come back safely."

"...But isn't that exactly what you fear, Sofu-sama? That abnormal power."

"Indeed, I feared that the Yotsuba would become too powerful, but if this plan really works, perhaps I won't need to worry."

"What do you mean?"

"The Yotsuba are feared not only because of their fearsome power but also because of their secrecy. They are closed off from everybody else and no one knows what happens inside the clan. If they are really willing to open themselves like this..."

"By opening, you mean..."

"Of course, I'm not saying they will suddenly act like the other clans and share everything. But after watching Shiba-kun and his friends, I believe this next generation won't make the same mistakes from the previous ones. The Yotsuba will change for the better, is what I hope for. Even if they remain 'untouchable', they won't stay as isolated."

"Sofu-sama..."

"Seeing Kouichi who was always trying to weaken the Yotsuba, and the USNA who were trying to eliminate Shiba-kun, cooperate even if only for their own agenda, I thought that maybe I could also change my perspective."

"Couldn't it also be a trap on their part?"

"Considering that more influential groups are also taking part, it would be too risky to try anything. And if it was revealed that a proposal set by themselves was a trap, their trust would take a heavy blow. The Saegusa would lose trust among other clans and the USNA would also lose prestige as one of Japan's allies and one of the most influential countries in the world."

"I see."

"Of course, I don't believe they are doing it merely out of good of heart. Kouichi is most likely trying to 'connect' the Yotsuba's growth with the Saegusa's. As for the USNA, I believe they are trying to 'make amends', after failing to eliminate Shiba-kun, they try to give him favours to avoid retaliation."

"When you put it that way, I can understand but… I still don't see why Sofu-sama assumed that I..."

"Kyouko, I'm aware that you like teasing people sometimes, but you always left it very ambiguous. The only times you were more straightforward with your teasing, was when you were with Shiba-kun. I also personally enjoy the thought of Shiba-kun being connected to my family. Minoru will most likely be happy as well, he seemed to have become good friends with him."

"That is… Don't you think I'm too old for him?"

"You are still young Kyouko. And if we take his maturity into account, he would be even older than you."

"...I guess that's true. Sometimes he is a little too wise and mature beyond his teenager looks."

"Also, when one thinks about his partners, I don't think they will mind something as small as an age gap."

"Hm?"

"The next Yotsuba Head, the eldest daughter from the Saegusa, one of the Thirteen(Twelve) Apostles, one of the main magicians from the Kuroba branch, a girl descendant from the Elements, the daughter of the Financial Giant and lastly, the bastard daughter of the Chiba household. I don't think the Electron Sorceress would have trouble fitting in that peculiar group."

"..."

Kyouko could almost feel herself getting convinced by her grandfather. His logic made sense to her and she knew he always had the best in mind but a small part of her was reluctant to accept. Kyouko herself didn't know why.

"...Sofu-sama, you said before that, as a magician, you believe the Yotsuba must match the other clans but then you said that it may be fine now. Is the reason why you have been trying to convince me to accept because, as my family, you believe this is the right choice?"

"It's because I believe that you need someone to push you forward."

"?"

"Kyouko, were you planning on living your life as a widow that never got married?"

"E-Eh? No, that's not…."

"Your attitude all but screamed that. You devoted yourself to your work, having friendly relationships but at the same time giving this feeling of not wanting to start anything serious. Perhaps you were subconsciously trying not to think about it, but you had already given up on starting new relationships."

"I..."

"Also, saying that 'you only see him as a little brother' when he had such a relationship with the girl he thought was little sister..."

"T-That's not what meant! I wasn't implying anything at all with that statement!"

"Haha. I was only teasing you, my dear granddaughter."

"...Geez. You completely ruined the mood, Sofu-sama."

Opposite to her words, Kyouko was thankful. She understood that even while acting serious to make her act, he still kept his kindness to avoid discouraging or intimidating her. For Kyouko it was simply impossible to stay calm after having the truth thrown at her face like that. Hence, Retsu changed the mood to give her some breath, flustered as she was before, there was no way she going to reach any closure. Only after thinking about it with a cool approach did she realize how she was always running away.

(I guess no one mentioned it before because they realized I still wasn't over it, huh? The one most involved ended up being the one most blinded. But following that line of thought, does that mean that my interactions with Tatsuya-kun were also something I did without realizing? Was I trying to approach him, hoping for something more...?)

"...Maybe that really was it after all."

"Kyouko?"

"I was just thinking, or rather, coming to terms with something."

"Which is?"

"I… am unexpectedly a coward."

"How did such a conclusion came to be?"

"In the end, it was just like Sofu-sama said. I was always trying not think about what I lost, always averting my eyes from the truth. The matter with Tatsuya-kun… was no different either. The people in the 101th Battalion were my comrades in arms and my friends but I never approached them like that, if they went on dangerous missions, I would get worried and if they died of course I would get sad. But the only who made me feel more… was always Tatsuya-kun, getting along with him better than the others and getting more worried about him than the others."

Though Kyouko was saying everything out loud, Retsu knew that she was actually talking to herself. Even if her gaze was directed at Retsu, her eyes were not truly looking at him. Her words as well, even if he heard them, they weren't trying to convey something to him but to Kyouko herself. As such, Retsu just silently waited for his granddaughter to finish her self-analysis.

"The entire time, I just kept deceiving myself because I couldn't look at the truth and walk forward. "I'm older than Tatsuya-kun", "No one can take Miyuki-san's place", "He is just like a younger brother", I kept piling more and more to deceive myself. I lost my love to war before it could truly begin, and I was so afraid of losing this one as well that I couldn't resist."

"There's nothing shameful about you, Kyouko. Everyone needs time to heal their wounds and not everybody has the same resilience. There are always times when we need a helping hand to move forward."

"...Even so, is it alright to accept this?"

"Both as a member of the Kudou and as your grandfather, I will give you my blessing Kyouko. You already suffered enough by yourself. It's time for you to make your stand and fight for your own happiness."

"...Even if we both know that Miyuki-san is irreplaceable to Tatsuya-kun?"

"Kyouko, you are not going to replace her or take her position. On my opinion, you are going to stand on the same ground as her, and as Shiba-kun of course."

"..."

"Just as you said yourself, there's no need to create more lies."

"...Can I ask just one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"I'm thankful that Sofu-sama helped realize my true feelings and I'm also happy that Sofu-sama supports me but… why did Sofu-sama assume that I would accept being part of what is essentially Tatsuya-kun's harem? I mean, not marrying him one-on-one but sharing with other girls, why did Sofu-sama conclude that I would be okay with it even before I realized my own feelings? Do I look like such a broad-minded woman?"

"Oh, to tell the truth, it's not like there was a specific reason."

"Eh?"

"If I had to say, it was my intuition as someone who has lived for quite some time."

"...Well, if Sofu-sama says it like that, then there isn't much I can say about it."

"Since we are done here, you should start preparing."

"Preparing? For what?"

"From what I heard, there was a meeting of sorts between the young ladies. I believe that once your answer reaches them, you will also be called to attend a meeting."

"Oh, I see. Hm… Somehow, I'm not sure what face I should make when I see Tatsuya-kun again…."

"It will be fine. Just be your usual self."

And so, Kudou Retsu spend a long time advising his granddaughter. The young woman who always acted dependable, was now receiving some counseling from her grandfather, something that filled his heart with happiness. Once more, Kudou Retsu thanked Shiba Tatsuya in his mind.