The Door Went Flying

"Whew!" After a brief period of turmoil, Sogo Doma finally calmed down a little. "I wonder how things are going with the old man. Oh, whatever!"

Chiba, Japan.

The Doma Family, Doma Main Residence.

"Are those people still making a scene?" Keiryu Doma asked the person beside him.

"Several families have already left. The Doma Branch Family members have all left, though. After all, it was Young Master Sogo..." The man, who seemed to be a butler, answered at once.

"So, by that logic, I should be thanking the Doma Branch Family?" Keiryu Doma furrowed his brow.

"They wouldn't dare!"

"Ah..."

After a sigh, he said, "It's not that they don't want to. They just don't dare. Just think about it. It's enough to chill the heart."

The butler said nothing, only bowing his head lower. After a long pause, he finally replied, "Yes."

Keiryu Doma shook his head. Another long pause passed before he spoke. "Tell me, are those people idiots? Even I wouldn't dare use Umaru to threaten Sogo..."

The butler kept his head down.

"I don't know where they got the nerve to discuss Umaru's marriage behind my back. Look at the families they chose: the Suzuki Family, the Shinomiya Family..."

"Tsk, tsk. Were they trying to force the Doma Family's hand with the Four Great Zaibatsu? And all of this happened just as Sogo returned."

"Head of the family, the Doma Branch Family has already paid for what happened." The butler still had his head bowed.

"Paid?" Keiryu Doma pressed on. "What did they pay? A few old men with bruised faces? They got Sogo to hand over a share of the profits. What exactly did the branch family lose?"

"Head of the family, please mind your words."

"If you and your ancestors hadn't served the Doma Family for generations, I could kill you for saying that. I'm surrounded by bad news every day. Do you have any good news?"

"The Yukinoshita Family sent an urgent message. Their head said that what happened was not the Yukinoshita Family's intention at all. Does that count as good news?" The butler raised his head slightly.

"The Yukinoshita Family?" Keiryu Doma rubbed his chin, seemingly trying to remember.

The butler hurriedly reminded him, "The family of the Chiba prefectural assemblyman. Assemblyman Yukinoshita didn't make any statements during the marriage alliance affair. They were accidentally caught in the crossfire when Young Master Sogo acted."

Keiryu Doma: "..."

"Tell them they'll have our support in the next prefectural assembly election."

"Yes!"

"By the way, what did the head of the Yukinoshita Family say?"

"He barely had a chance to speak. By the time Young Master Sogo arrived, everyone had already been knocked to the ground..."

Keiryu Doma: "..."

What was a father supposed to do when his son was a monster and a violent maniac? Answers welcome. It was kind of urgent.

Three days earlier.

At the Doma Main Residence, a group of people were gathered in the Council Hall. Well, they called it a meeting, but it was really just a lot of aimless chatter.

After all, the person in charge was still getting himself ready. Keiryu Doma was tidying up his appearance.

Someone started chatting.

"Japan's economy is dead."

"It sure is! The GDP was already over four trillion dollars in 2000. Twelve years later, it hasn't gone up—it's actually fallen."

"These are hard times."

"And the Four Great Zaibatsu control all the profitable opportunities. What they leave for the rest of us are all thankless jobs."

"What about you in construction? Is business bad too?"

"Don't even ask. Eviction and relocation, compensation for starting construction... Do you know which profession I deal with the most every day?"

"What?"

"Lawyers! Damn it, every day they come to the person in charge with piles of legal statutes. Thanks to them, I've almost memorized every last clause myself."

"Don't get me started. The restaurant business is tough too..."

"Ah..."

As the group lamented, someone suddenly turned to a member of the Doma Branch Family. "The Doma Family has it good. Even in these hard times, the head of the main family has managed to rise against the tide and secure a lot of resources from the Four Great Zaibatsu."

The branch family member sat up straight at once. "You flatter us. The head of the family was just lucky."

"Lord Keiryu's large-scale investments have never failed. He's known for having a business eye that can see where the market is headed. How could 'lucky' possibly explain it?"

"What a shame," someone suddenly sighed.

"What is?"

"Japan's resources can't support a fifth major conglomerate. The Four Great Zaibatsu have already divided up everything. Without some outside factor, the Doma..."

"Careful!" someone interrupted him just as he started to speak.

The whole group fell silent, a sense of shared misfortune hanging over them.

There was no helping it. Everyone wanted to rise higher, but the top was already locked down. They could all see the path there, but they could also see the wall of four towering giants blocking the way, letting no one get close.

For now, it was the Doma Family.

But what if it were them instead? The answer was the same.

Reality was truly despairing. No wonder so many shut-in guys liked anime.

As they sat in silence, someone suddenly spoke up.

"What do you think about a marriage alliance?"

"A marriage alliance?" Before anyone else could speak, a member of the Doma Branch Family jumped in. "Tell us more."

"Think about it. If the Doma Family had the support of one of the Four Great Zaibatsu, combined with Lord Keiryu's ability to predict the market, maybe a fifth great zaibatsu could emerge."

"Exactly!" someone chimed in. These were all heads of families who relied on the Doma Family for a living. If the Doma Family prospered, so would they. Naturally, they were rather eager for it.

The Doma Branch Family members also fell into thought.

"Young Master Taihei is already getting on in years. I wonder if any of the Four Great Zaibatsu would consider him."

"Young Master Sogo..." Remembering all the trouble Sogo Doma had caused, the Doma Branch Family members shuddered. Better not. A happy occasion might turn into a funeral, and a marriage tie into a feud. That would be a disaster.

After considering it from every angle, they put forward Umaru Doma, who had always maintained the image of a refined young lady in public.

"Miss Umaru? Yes, her looks and bearing certainly make her a suitable candidate for a marriage alliance."

"But isn't she a little too young?"

"They could get engaged now and marry once she's old enough. That would establish the connection, wouldn't it?"

"True. Miss Umaru is the ideal choice."

"I heard the eldest son of the Shinomiya Family is about the same age as Miss Umaru. Why not ask Lord Keiryu?"

"The Shinomiya Family? I heard Young Master Sogo had a bit of a dispute with them. If a marriage alliance could settle things between them, wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

"As they say in the Celestial Empire, two happy occasions at once."

"But the eldest son of the Suzuki Family isn't bad either. He's a little fat, but with some grooming and a makeover, he could pass for a handsome young man."

The Doma Branch Family member looked surprisingly hesitant. "I'm afraid Miss Umaru wouldn't agree."

Everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, someone finally said, "We're all in the same boat. Only if the Doma Family grows stronger can we prosper too. It's just like the main family and its vassals. Now is the time for us to make our case." No one else could have made being a dependent sound so noble.

"Exactly. Just as advisers in ancient times made suggestions to their lords, we'll accept any punishment that comes our way. This is the spirit of the samurai." The samurai spirit would probably be weeping.

A chorus of agreement brought a faint smile to the representative of the Doma Branch Family.

"Then, when Lord Keiryu arrives, I'll speak up as the branch family representative and be the first to put the proposal to him..."

But—

He hadn't even finished speaking when—

"Bang!"

The tightly shut sliding door flew into the room.