William 22

Title: Just Follow Your Own Thoughts

“I told you, I’m an exception.”

Of course, those words didn’t come directly from Kousen’s mouth.

“Compared to Shiba Miyuki, I find Shiba Tatsuya more intriguing.” Retsu said, subtly pointing toward Tatsuya.

“Yes, Grandfather, I also think there’s something significant about Tatsuya.”

“He’s clearly very strong but always reluctant to show it.”

“For a young person’s nature, even if they don’t like showing off, they shouldn’t constantly belittle themselves. Tatsuya always gives me the feeling that he’s hiding something.”

Kousen nodded, strongly agreeing with his grandfather’s thoughts.

“I heard you fought Shiba Tatsuya yesterday. How did it feel?”

“Nothing particularly special, just that his combat experience feels very rich, probably from frequent field practice.” Kousen thought for a moment before continuing. “But according to his sister, all his combat moves were learned from Master Kokonoe.”

“Regarding that, it’s indeed as she said.”

“But I also found something else, Takeshi.”

Upon receiving the order, Takeshi quickly pulled up another document and uploaded it.

“Another name: Ooguro Ryuuya.”

“Serving in the 101st Brigade of the National Defense Forces, Special Lieutenant of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.”

“This is all we could investigate for now; his military service details aren’t fully clear.”

Takeshi spoke with a hint of regret.

Kousen waved his hand repeatedly. “Don’t say that. For Grandfather Kuki to investigate this much in such a short time is already impressive.”

“Besides, I haven’t had any direct conflict with the Shiba siblings, so there’s no need to rush.”

Kousen’s words were genuinely heartfelt. To uncover nearly all the information about the Shiba siblings in just one afternoon was remarkable. As for the military side, it was understandable that Takeshi couldn’t dig deeper.

The document also stated that Tatsuya’s military protection level was Class S.

Though the Kudou family had considerable influence in the military, it wasn’t at the level of easily accessing Class S information.

“So, what kind of attitude should I take toward the Shiba siblings later, Grandfather?”

The mere fact that the Shiba siblings were hiding their true identities was enough to indicate that the Yotsuba family was planning something. Moreover, Kousen knew his grandfather had always wanted to weaken the Yotsuba family’s power to balance the relationships among the Ten Master Clans.

So, he wanted to know how his grandfather viewed the Shiba siblings to decide his approach toward them.

“…”

Retsu’s fingers tapped on the armrest, producing a sharp sound as they met the wood.

“Kousen, just treat them according to your own thoughts.”

“If you feel they’re worth befriending, then befriend them.”

“You don’t need to worry too much about what we adults think.”

Retsu smiled warmly. His grandson was exceptional and intelligent. Though he was a magician and the next heir of the Kudou family, Retsu still hoped Kousen could enjoy a beautiful high school life before taking on these inevitable responsibilities.

Kousen gave a wry smile. It was precisely his grandfather’s meticulous care that had gradually helped him open up and accept that his grandfather was part of his family.

“I understand. I’ll consider it seriously on my own.”

After ending the call with Retsu, Kousen collapsed onto the sofa. Even for him, processing so much information at once was a bit overwhelming.

“Later, I’ll talk to them depending on the situation. I think there’s a possibility of cooperating with the Yotsuba family.”

Kousen thought for a moment before deciding.

“Of course, the details of the negotiation will have to wait until Grandfather investigates more specific information.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Days without activities didn’t last long. Today, Kousen heard something very interesting in class. It was so intriguing that he even wanted to use acceleration magic to rush to the Student Council room and find out the truth.

Though he also felt the truth behind the matter probably didn’t match the circulating rumors.

“Ah, you’re all here.”

As soon as Kousen entered, he saw Tatsuya sitting in the back. He walked behind him, patted his shoulder, and said, “Tatsuya-kun, I heard you were flirting with Mibu-senpai from second year?”

Kousen, of course, knew Mibu Sayaka. After all, she was present as an observer during the Three Giants joint meeting at school. Though he didn’t see her face directly then, he had seen her photo in the data.

But before Tatsuya could clarify Kousen’s nonsense, the temperature around them dropped noticeably. White frost spread gradually, leaving a thin layer of ice wherever it passed. Only a small area around the angry girl remained unaffected.

“So Onii-sama said he was going to discuss something with Mibu-senpai, but it turns out he was flirting with her.”

Miyuki’s voice grew lower, and Kousen even felt her cold tone was stronger than her magic’s interference power.

“Calm down, Miyuki…”

Tatsuya hurriedly explained to Miyuki. “I’ll explain it to you, just calm down, okay?”

Miyuki heard Tatsuya’s words and snapped out of her uncontrollable jealousy.

“I wonder if this hot and cold rice is still edible.”

Kousen glanced at his lunch box on the table, slightly regretful.

“Kudou-san, that was really rude of me. How about I buy you new food?” Miyuki noticed Kousen’s gaze and immediately apologized.

“No, no, that’s not important.”

“What’s important is how Tatsuya-kun explains to us about flirting with Mibu-senpai.”

Kousen looked at him with a sly expression, nudging Tatsuya with his elbow, signaling him to answer quickly.

“Yes. I hope Onii-sama can explain properly.”

Miyuki’s words carried no warmth, as cold and piercing as a February breeze.

“I already said it’s absolutely not like that.” Tatsuya looked resigned.

“Oh, but I heard from friends that Mibu-senpai ran out of the café with a blushing face.”

“I’m really curious about what Tatsuya-kun said to make Senpai blush like that.”

Kousen clearly wasn’t ready to let the topic go easily, as this was also a bit of a hobby of his.