Such Perfect Looks

"​​Mari, I told you it wasn't like that!" Saegusa Mayumi had naturally heard the two of them discussing her without bothering to hide it. She rose straight from her chair, ready to cover Watanabe Mari's mouth.

Chapter 21: Such Perfect Looks

Kudo Mitsunobu got home early that day because he had received a message from Retsu Kudou just after school let out.

But instead of sending Kudo Mitsunobu information about the Shiba Siblings, Retsu had asked him to join a video call after school.

"Good evening, Mitsunobu."

"Grandfather, I'm glad you're in good health."

There were no unnecessary formalities between the grandfather and grandson; they simply exchanged ordinary greetings.

The only difference from their previous video calls was that they weren't the only two people on screen this time. Kuki Ken, who had worked for the Kudo Family for many years, had joined them as well.

Kuki Ken had followed Retsu Kudou since the latter was young. Even in his old age, he hadn't returned to his own family; instead, he had stayed by Retsu's side as his butler.

It could be said that every young member of the Kudo Family had grown up under Kuki Ken's watchful eye, so they all held him in great respect.

The Kuki and Kudomi Families were both among the Eighteen Assistant Houses. Unlike the other Assistant Houses, they had no interest in vying for a place among the Ten Master Clans.

Instead, they greatly revered Retsu Kudou and had willingly become a branch family of the Kudo Family.

That was why Kuki Ken had been able to stay by Retsu Kudou's side all these years.

"Grandpa Kuki, it's been a long time."

"Good evening, young master!"

After greeting him, Kuki Ken tapped on the tablet in his hand and brought up a file on the large screen.

"This is the information we found about the Shiba Siblings, based on the materials young master Mitsunobu sent us this afternoon."

"Let me see!"

Kudo Mitsunobu opened the file at once and studied it carefully.

Retsu Kudou and Kuki Ken waited in silence. They had assumed this was just a matter of satisfying Kudo Mitsunobu's curiosity, but the results of their investigation turned out to be astonishing.

"Whew—"

After reading through it, Kudo Mitsunobu let out a long breath and gave a wry smile.

"To be honest, Grandfather, I thought they were just perfect-adjustment subjects created by one of the Ten Master Clans."

"But who would've thought they'd actually be from the Yotsuba Family?"

Retsu Kudou rested his hand on his knee. "That's right. But, Mitsunobu, why did you think Shiba Miyuki was an adjustment subject?"

"Her appearance!"

"Her appearance?"

Kuki Ken couldn't help asking what that meant. How could someone's looks prove that Shiba Miyuki was an adjustment subject?

"Of course. Aside from me, have either of you ever seen a human being with such perfect looks?"

"If she were merely beautiful, that wouldn't be a problem. But her features are perfectly symmetrical, and her proportions are just as flawless."

"I can't think of any other explanation except that she's an adjustment subject."

Kuki Ken and Retsu Kudou accepted his reasoning readily enough. After all, their grandson was a living example.

If not for their own grandson, even Retsu Kudou wouldn't have believed that such a perfect human being could exist.

"But the Yotsuba Family is troublesome."

"And those two seem to be related by blood to the Yotsuba head."

It was hard to blame Kudo Mitsunobu for saying so. Shiba Tatsuya aside, Shiba Miyuki looked so much like the Yotsuba head.

"Those Shiba Siblings must be Maya's children, right? Shiba Miyuki especially looks exactly like Maya did as a child, as if they'd been carved from the same mold."

Retsu Kudou said this with certainty.

"How could that be?"

"They're probably just direct descendants of the Yotsuba Family. If they were children of Yotsuba Maya, why would they have undergone magical genetic adjustment?"

Kudo Mitsunobu immediately objected. He knew that his grandfather had once had three students.

One was the current head of the Saegusa Family, Saegusa Koichi.

The other two were the Yotsuba Family's genius sisters at the time, Yotsuba Maya and Yotsuba Miya.

After all, adjustment subjects tended to have problems with their life expectancy. They could rarely live past forty, and if they experienced intense combat, their lifespans shortened even more. That was why most adjustment subjects were children of adjustment subjects from the previous generation.

Besides, given Yotsuba Maya's magical talent, any child she had would have been born with high magical aptitude. And how could she have allowed her own flesh and blood to undergo such an adjustment?

If that were the case, wouldn't it mean that Kudo Mitsunobu's claim that Shiba Miyuki was an adjustment subject was wrong?

"Perhaps they have their reasons. After all, they're the Yotsuba Family," Retsu Kudou said with a sigh.

The Yotsuba Family, the Saegusa Family...

The two most powerful forces among the Ten Master Clans today, they were known as the twin pillars of Japan's magic world.

The Saegusa Family was one thing. Their strength came from their many magicians and their current head's talent for scheming, so even though they were powerful, they didn't inspire too much fear in others.

The Yotsuba Family was entirely different. Magicians revered them because of the terrifying power they possessed themselves.

Thirty years ago, the Yotsuba Family hadn't been so frightening. But then something happened.

Back then, the YD Cult in the Asia-Pacific Union somehow managed to abduct Yotsuba Miya from the Yotsuba Family. By the time the Ten Master Clans had gone to great lengths to rescue Yotsuba Miya from the YD Cult...