The Local Hidden Families

It must be said that Leo's preemptive strike had truly stunned the members of the Yuki family.

After calming down, weighing all the pros and cons, and considering every possible path forward, the Yuki family ultimately accepted the conditions Leo proposed, allowing Asuna Yuki to transfer to Chiba and attend Sobu High School.

Initially, Kyoko Yuki had voiced some opposition, arguing that even if Asuna Yuki had to transfer to Chiba, there was no need for her to move into Leo's home. It was obvious what she was worried about, but Leo simply repeated the same line.

"Your daughter is already mine; anything I do for her is only natural."

The slow, leisurely way Leo said this made Kyoko Yuki's brow furrow deeply and caused Asuna Yuki's pretty face to flush red.

As a prominent wealthy family from Tokyo, they likely never imagined they would encounter someone like Leo—someone who was completely impervious to their influence, yet someone they were utterly helpless against. They had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.

Seeing them still wearing expressions of uncertainty and struggling to accept the sudden shift in power, Leo spoke calmly.

"From the moment Asuna became my peerage, she stepped out of the world you live in."

"She is destined to walk a path entirely different from yours. Even if she hadn't become a devil, she would have been recruited by one of the three factions."

"Because she is a natural sacred gear user, and the sacred gear she possesses is incredibly powerful. Once it awakens, even if no dangerous stray devil comes looking for her, more dangerous devils or fallen angels will. She might even be abducted by some dark, evil organization. Is that a scene you want to see?"

These words left the three members of the Yuki family in total silence.

After a long while, they finally accepted all of Leo's arrangements with resignation, handing Asuna Yuki over to him completely.

"A wise choice." Leo nodded in satisfaction. "Rest assured, I will take good care of Asuna. Whenever I have the time, I will let her come back to visit you."

With that, the conversation was essentially over.

At least, as far as the topic of Asuna Yuki was concerned.

However, to Leo's surprise, Shozo Yuki cautiously asked him a question afterward.

"Mr. Leo, for ordinary humans like us, is there any way to master supernatural power without reincarnating into a devil like Asuna?"

The prominent capitalist, famous throughout the country, had actually asked such a question, causing Kyoko Yuki and Koichiro Yuki, who were standing nearby, to hold their breath involuntarily.

"Quite the ambition, Mr. Yuki." Leo's gaze toward Shozo Yuki became somewhat playful. "What? You're eager to obtain power?"

"...If it's possible." After much hesitation, Shozo Yuki decided to be honest. He said to Leo, "Since beings like you exist in this world, and supernatural power is real, it proves that everything we possess could be easily overturned."

"Yet, humans are still the dominant life form in this world—or at least, that's how it appears on the surface. There must be some reason for that."

"For instance, the church you mentioned. Since they are able to stand alongside angels to fight against devils and fallen angels, they must possess supernatural power no weaker than theirs, right?"

"They are also human, aren't they?"

When Shozo Yuki said this, he didn't show any signs of greed or craving; instead, there was a sense of deep concern in his expression.

That expression on his face wasn't so much a desire to obtain supernatural power, but rather a fear that everything he currently possessed would be destroyed by such forces.

The strength and unquestionable authority Leo had displayed from beginning to end left him feeling helpless, while simultaneously stirring a profound sense of crisis within him.

He couldn't help but wonder: if he encountered a similar situation in the future, what would he do?

Would he just have to accept it helplessly, as he had today?

Not every extraordinary race that wielded supernatural power would be like Leo, who only wanted their daughter.

What if the next person who came along wanted more? What if they wanted everything he had?

Shozo Yuuki could not avoid these thoughts, nor this sense of crisis.

This was the kind of consideration a person in a high position should have—to be prepared for danger in times of peace. One could not wait until disaster struck to respond; doing so would only drive oneself into a dead end.

From this, it was clear that Shozo Yuuki indeed possessed a certain level of vision.

"Seeing as you are Asuna's father, I'll clear up your confusion." Leo picked up the tea that Asuna Yuuki had brewed for him, took a sip, and said calmly, "Humans can indeed master supernatural power. It is not a dream to be able to stand against devils and fallen angels."

"Sacred gears, magic, senjutsu... as long as one masters the correct methods, humans can also possess their own supernatural power through cultivation."

"It is precisely because of this that everything humans possess has not been easily overturned as you suggested, and why they maintain a dominant position on the surface."

"The church is one place where one can obtain such power. Aside from that, there are various reclusive mage organizations, though the quality varies. If you aren't careful and join an organization with bad intentions, you will only end up harming yourself."

Seeing the members of the Yuki family listening intently, Leo thought for a moment and decided to give them a chance.

"If you are truly interested in supernatural power, I suggest you try to make contact with the local reclusive families."

This sentence made everyone in the Yuki family freeze, and then their spirits lifted.

"Local reclusive families?" Koichiro Yuuki asked hurriedly, "Are you saying that in this country, there are still reclusive families that possess supernatural power?"

"That's right." Leo nodded and said, "Since ancient times, this country has had a group of people with special abilities, such as exorcists or warlocks, who specialize in hunting monsters."

"While maintaining the orthodoxy of the Shinto sect, they also slay yokai and suppress evil, eliminating or sealing away many local yokai to prevent them from wreaking havoc on the human world."

"Some of them live in seclusion, while others have close ties to the secular world. They maintain contact with many important figures, protecting them from the shadows and safeguarding the nation's security."

"To be honest, the Yuki family has considerable influence in Tokyo. I originally investigated you to see if you had any connections to these reclusive families, but the result was obvious: the Yuki family has never made contact with those existences."

Hearing this, Kyoko Yuuki, whose expression had been unpleasant, could no longer care about anything else and asked Leo for guidance.

"Then, are there any powerful families that have close ties to these reclusive families?"

This was an interesting question. It seemed the university professor wanted to know if she could use her own connections to reach these people and have them act as intermediaries.

However...

"That question actually stumps me a bit, as I haven't really paid much attention to that side of things." Leo glanced at Kyoko Yuuki before continuing, "I only know that there is one family that definitely has ties to those reclusive families, and they have many talented individuals working for them."

"Who?"

The members of the Yuuki family asked in unison, including Asuna Yuuki, who also wore a curious expression.

Then, Leo uttered a name.

"The Shinomiya family."

Upon hearing this name, the expressions of the Yuuki family members changed.

Shinomiya—this is a surname that no one living in this country could possibly be unaware of.

It is a zaibatsu, and a massive one at that. It is said to own thousands of subsidiaries, with total group assets exceeding 200 trillion yen. It is a behemoth that can make the entire country tremble with a single move, and any action it takes through the global financial system could trigger a chain reaction capable of affecting the entire international market.

Compared to the Shinomiya family, the Yuuki family is merely a minor player on the fringes.

At the very least, if the Yuuki family were to fall, there would be plenty of capital ready to replace it. But if the Shinomiya family were to fall, the country itself would likely suffer a devastating blow.

Therefore, the Shinomiya family is also known as the heart of the nation. They are the elite among the elite, the most prestigious of the prestigious, standing at the very pinnacle.

In this country, the only power greater than the Shinomiya family is the state itself, which gives you an idea of how terrifying this conglomerate is.

"I once heard someone say that the Shinomiya family has connections with many reclusive families, including the Five Great Clans."

Leo's voice rang out slowly.

"Domon, Kushihashi, Shinra, Himejima, Naki... these are the leaders in the industry for all the supernaturally gifted individuals in this country. It is said that the Shinomiya family has maintained good relations with them for a long time and has even been secretly funding them. That is why many members of the Five Great Clans have been recruited and hired by the Shinomiya family to be specifically responsible for the personal safety of their important figures."

This was something Tsubaki Shinra had once told Leo; otherwise, he truly wouldn't have known.

As for why Tsubaki Shinra would know these things... one only needs to look at her surname to understand.

Tsubaki Shinra is, in fact, a member of the Shinra clan, one of the Five Great Clans.

Leo was simply sharing with the Yuuki family what Tsubaki Shinra had once mentioned to him—a case of offering flowers that belonged to someone else.

As for why Tsubaki Shinra told him these things, that was at the instruction of Sona Shitori.

"I don't want you to suddenly run off to the Shinomiya family to recruit a peerage one day, only to end up clashing with people from the Five Great Clans."

Those were Sona Shitori's exact words.

"You could try talking to the Shinomiya family; perhaps you'll gain something?"

Leo ended the topic with that sentence and did not continue the conversation further.

The members of the Yuuki family looked at one another, and in the end, they firmly committed Leo's words to memory.

Regardless of anything else, they had to at least try, didn't they?

Although the Yuuki family was nothing compared to the Shinomiya family, they were both in the business world, so there would always be some channels through which they could establish a connection.

If it worked out, the Yuuki family might be able to come into contact with supernatural power.

That might just allow the Yuuki family to reach the next level.