Building a Harem Takes Skill / Mutual Flattery, Neither Was Simple ...

Chapter 19: Building a Harem Takes Skill

Yuxian brought everyone to Rentaro's home early. The cramped room was instantly packed to the brim with people.

With so many people, there were quite a lot of hot pot ingredients to prepare. Rentaro could not manage it all alone, so Yuxian and Mash volunteered to help. Otherwise, no one knew when they would actually get to eat.

The little ones gathered together and played noisily, making the house especially lively. Seeing Enju so happy, Rentaro felt happy too. His face carried many more smiles, and he was no longer quite so resistant toward Yuxian.

The three of them worked together and soon had all the ingredients ready. The steaming hot pot was set up in the room, making the whole place feel even hotter. Yet no one's enthusiasm diminished because of it; they were all eager to start fighting over the food.

"Why isn't President Tendo here yet? We're just waiting for her. If she doesn't come soon, we'll start without her."

Ding-dong!

The moment Yuxian mentioned Kisaragi Tendo, the doorbell rang outside. Her timing was impeccable.

Rentaro went to answer the door. When he opened it, he found two heads squeezed together outside, neither willing to give way.

Bang!

He must have opened it wrong. Without a second thought, Rentaro shut the door again.

The two people outside were Kisaragi Tendo and Sima Miori. The two were sworn enemies; whenever they were together, they inevitably started arguing.

Sima Miori was the daughter of Sima Heavy Industries, a massive weapons company, and also the student council president at Rentaro's school.

After letting them inside, Rentaro wore a helpless expression. He immediately felt that this hot pot meal was probably not going to go well.

Kisaragi Tendo sneered, "Someone sure has a thick skin, showing up without an invitation!"

"Of course there's no such thing as yours and mine between Rentaro and me!" Sima Miori wrapped herself around Rentaro's arm with the air of a delicate little bird, making the veins on Kisaragi Tendo's forehead bulge.

Yuxian gently poked Enju Aihara's arm and leaned close to whisper in her ear, "Enju, hurry up and defend your position. At this rate, Rentaro's going to get stolen away!"

Seeing Yuxian egg Enju on as though the world were not chaotic enough, Mash hurriedly pulled him away.

Things were already chaotic enough. If Enju joined in too, they would never get to eat this hot pot.

Yuxian sighed. "Rentaro really is popular with women."

"Are you envious, Senpai?" Mash asked calmly.

Yuxian instinctively wanted to nod, but he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Turning his head, he found Mash looking at him with a dangerously sharp gaze, and promptly shook his head with righteous conviction.

"This sort of behavior deserves severe criticism! How can someone be so fickle and openly build a harem?"

After saying that, he cautiously stole a glance at Mash's expression. Seeing that she was busy looking after the little ones, he secretly let out a long breath. He really could not afford to let his guard down; he had nearly let something slip.

Building a harem—the ultimate dream of men—really was a highly technical undertaking. Ordinary people truly could not handle it. One small misstep and the boat would capsize; Makoto's cautionary example was still vivid in his mind!

The hot pot meal ended cheerfully amid the open and covert rivalry between Kisaragi Tendo and Sima Miori.

Other than Rentaro, the host, everyone ate very happily.

After the meal, Rentaro stopped Yuxian and said, "Dr. Muroto Sumire wants to meet you. When are you free?"

Dr. Muroto Sumire? Yuxian froze. He had nearly forgotten about this genius scientist, one of the Four Sages.

As the former chief director of the New Human Creation Project, Dr. Muroto Sumire had sent word through Rentaro that she wanted to meet him. Yuxian had no choice but to take it seriously.

He nodded. "I'll make time to go tomorrow."

Yuxian began considering why Dr. Muroto Sumire wanted to see him, but soon stopped wasting brainpower on it.

He decided to bring Teacher Chiron along tomorrow. He would leave such matters to someone smarter. Surely a sage and a genius would have more topics in common.

Public opinion in the Tokyo Area was gradually becoming more favorable toward the Cursed Children. In this regard, Seitenshi, the young leader, had done quite well, and Yuxian thought highly of her.

While taking an evening stroll, Yuxian occasionally heard people discussing the "New Gastrea Law." The bill was in the works and would sooner or later be enacted.

The status of the Cursed Children would improve significantly in the future, bringing Yuxian another step closer to his goal.

In truth, most ordinary people were not extremely hostile toward the Cursed Children. At times like this, the importance of public opinion became especially apparent.

As for the small number of extremists, Yuxian believed Kisaragi Tendo would not show them mercy. Compared to Rentaro, she was colder in her actions and more drastic in her methods.

Though he did not know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, overall, Yuxian was still willing to trust Kisaragi Tendo. He trusted that she would not become another villainous final boss.

To avenge her parents, Kisaragi Tendo had pushed her abilities to their limit. For a girl only high-school age, being able to gain such a firm foothold at Seitenshi's side so quickly was already no easy feat.

"Senpai, hurry up!" Mash called beside Yuxian's ear. "Alice! Jack! Slow down! Don't run so fast!"

Yuxian stopped thinking and quickened his pace to catch up with everyone, lest Mash be unable to look after them all by herself.

Taking everyone for an after-dinner walk—this was the life Yuxian truly wanted.

Chapter 20: Mutual Flattery, Neither Was Simple

The next day, Yuxian called Chiron and went with Rentaro to Dr. Muroto Sumire's laboratory as promised.

The laboratory covered an enormous area and was essentially a major scientific research facility. Advanced instruments and equipment filled the various labs, while countless strange limbs and organs soaked in unknown liquids. They were all parts cut from slain Gastrea, used to study their characteristics.

Security throughout the laboratory was extremely tight. Along the way, Yuxian noticed surveillance cameras everywhere, making the high security level obvious.

Scientific research was inherently vital. Every piece of data and information produced here was undoubtedly of immense importance to the leaders of the Tokyo Area.

Thus, this laboratory was one of the Tokyo Area's few key facilities.

As the head of this laboratory, the genius scientist Dr. Muroto Sumire still held an extremely high position in the Tokyo Area, even though she was no longer the chief director of the New Human Creation Project.

Yet Yuxian found the laboratory unexpectedly deserted. From the moment they entered, they barely saw any researchers. The cold environment, devoid of human presence, made Yuxian feel very uncomfortable.

Yuxian did not let Mash and the others come inside. The laboratory was not a good place, so he had the children play outside on their own. With Mash watching them, he was not worried they would cause any trouble.

Led by Rentaro, Yuxian and Chiron went straight to Dr. Muroto Sumire's office.

Compared to the vast size of the laboratory, Dr. Muroto Sumire's office could only be described as pitifully small.

The office was crammed with all kinds of instruments and documents, piled haphazardly everywhere. It was such a mess that there was barely anywhere to step.

"Doctor, we're here!" Rentaro was very familiar with the place. Without knocking, he called out directly from the doorway.

"Oh!" Dr. Muroto Sumire answered, rising from a pile of documents.

She wore a white lab coat, and her hair was somewhat disheveled. She lacked the refined appearance of an ordinary woman, and deep dark circles ringed her eyes. One look was enough to tell that she often stayed up late.

Being unconcerned with one's appearance was probably a shared trait among researchers obsessed with their work. The Dr. Muroto Sumire before Yuxian was a very typical example of such a researcher.

Dr. Muroto Sumire swept the things on her desk aside, somehow pulled out two chairs, and placed them in front of the desk. "Please, sit."

Her attitude was calm, even a little aloof, utterly lacking the warmth one would expect toward visitors.

She picked up a beaker from the side. No one knew what she had cooked inside it, and she symbolically asked whether they wanted some.

Yuxian immediately shook his head in refusal. He simply did not have the courage to try food that looked even worse than dark cuisine.

Dr. Muroto Sumire did not stand on ceremony. She served herself a plate and slowly ate it, looking as though she were enjoying it immensely.

Yuxian was not offended by her neglect. He knew that someone like her probably had no regular meal schedule, so this might well have been her breakfast.

He quietly sat down and waited for Dr. Muroto Sumire to finish eating. Yuxian had at least that much patience.

"Great Sage, it is an honor to speak with you at such close range." Dr. Muroto Sumire casually wiped away the food residue at the corner of her mouth and gave Chiron a slight nod.

Chiron smiled and nodded. "Sorry to intrude."

Chiron's demeanor was very easygoing, and the two began chatting pleasantly. At first, Yuxian was still able to listen attentively from the side, but gradually, the subjects they discussed became increasingly profound. Forget joining in—he could not even understand what they were saying.

Yuxian and Rentaro exchanged glances. The two of them had been completely left out, and they felt like illiterates.

The conversations of highly intelligent people truly were beyond ordinary people's comprehension. Moreover, the two seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, with no intention of stopping.

Two people from entirely different eras were chatting so happily. No matter how one looked at it, the scene felt somewhat bizarre. Yuxian did not even know how to make a sarcastic remark about it, so he could only pick at his nails to conceal his boredom.

"As expected of the Great Sage from myth. Thank you for your guidance."

Dr. Muroto Sumire abandoned her earlier casual manner, solemnly rose to her feet, and bowed to Chiron.

A genius scientist like her was extremely proud inside. No ordinary person could possibly make her bow like this. Clearly, she had gained a great deal from their exchange and sincerely felt grateful to Chiron.

Chiron smiled gently. "You are very intelligent, far more capable than my disappointing disciples."

"I would not dare compare myself to heroes." Dr. Muroto Sumire sat back down and spoke modestly.

As for how much sincerity her humble words contained, only she herself knew.

She turned her gaze toward Yuxian. "With Teacher Chiron here, my concerns seem somewhat unnecessary. I believe you can handle the current situation. If you need anything, you may come to me at any time. I still have some influence in the Tokyo Area."

Yuxian expressed his thanks for the goodwill Dr. Muroto Sumire had shown.

This genius scientist and doctor, who rarely left her laboratory, was not as utterly unconcerned with outside events as he had imagined.

Her original intention in arranging this meeting with Yuxian had been to warn him and offer some advice.

But after witnessing Chiron's wisdom, she abandoned that idea. In the end, she merely said, "Seitenshi is a good leader."

Those seemingly random words left Yuxian momentarily confused, unable to understand what she meant.

Was she simply expressing support for Seitenshi? Was she hoping Yuxian would not shake Seitenshi's position?

Yuxian did not understand, but he had not intended to make a move against Seitenshi anyway, so he nodded along to show that he understood.

He had thought this meeting would bring some gains, but in the end, Yuxian merely played a minor supporting role before leaving.

After the two departed, Rentaro looked puzzled and wanted to ask Dr. Muroto Sumire something, but did not know where to begin.

Dr. Muroto Sumire casually crossed her legs and enjoyed Rentaro's conflicted expression. Smiling, she said, "Rentaro, don't worry. This may not necessarily be a bad thing."

"Why?"

"Because it cannot possibly get any worse." Dr. Muroto Sumire said calmly, "Rentaro, they may be our only chance."

Meanwhile, after leaving the laboratory, Yuxian met back up with Mash and the others and slowly walked home with them.

Chiron said goodbye to everyone midway through the journey. He had to return to teach the children. Teaching children was one of his few hobbies, and he took it very seriously.

Before parting, he reminded Yuxian, "That young Seitenshi became a leader at such a young age, so she must have her strengths. Do not underestimate her."

Yuxian was taken aback. Naturally, he knew that as the supreme leader of the Tokyo Area, Seitenshi could not possibly be just a decorative figurehead or a naïve fool.

Her ability had already been proven by her success in pushing forward the New Gastrea Law amid so much pressure and opposition.

But Yuxian heard something else in Chiron's words, and he recalled what Dr. Muroto Sumire had said earlier.

Yuxian vaguely understood that Seitenshi wielded even more influence than he had imagined.

But on second thought, Seitenshi trusted Kisaragi Tendo and Rentaro quite a lot. The greater her influence, the easier many things would become.

That was not bad news for Yuxian. At the very least, Seitenshi was relatively open-minded in her treatment of the Cursed Children.

Chapter 21: There's a Little Girl Sleeping Here, So Why Don't We...

Tokyo Area Central Plaza.

Yuxian wandered around with everyone. It was a rare moment of leisure, and the weather was nice as well. Spending some time strolling outdoors put him in a very good mood.

Mash walked slowly beside Yuxian as they chatted casually. "Senpai, aren't you going to help Rentaro and the others?"

"I'll pass on being a bodyguard. I still need you to protect me, Mash, so I won't join the excitement. Rentaro can handle it himself."

Yuxian had no intention of becoming Seitenshi's personal bodyguard. With his mortal flesh, he could not withstand a sniper round from Tina Sprinter. He would leave that to Rentaro.

Sogen Saitake had chosen this time to visit the Tokyo Area, so he clearly had some purpose. Yuxian truly did not know where he got such confidence. Was he not afraid of taking an Orbital Weapon strike and never making it home?

Perhaps for someone like him, realizing his ambitions mattered more than anything else.

Yuxian had no interest in guessing Sogen Saitake's thoughts. Aside from being bored these past few days and taking everyone out for some fresh air, he had come here to try his luck and see whether he might encounter Tina Sprinter.

If he was not mistaken, Tina had already infiltrated the Tokyo Area to carry out an assassination plan.

The best method was to eliminate the threat at its source. As long as they found Tina, that little assassin girl, more than half the problem would be solved.