The Woman Who Came Offering Herself (5K) (Continued)

Maya Yotsuba?

Upon hearing this name from Kudo Retsu, Mahiro's brows furrowed deeply.

What is this woman trying to do now?

As he pondered, his gaze inadvertently fell upon Fujibayashi Kyoko, who was standing behind Kudo Retsu Kyoko Fujibayashi. As if he had thought of something, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and a mocking sneer even appeared on his face.

"Fine, even if I do have the potion you mentioned, what makes you think I'll trade with you just because you bring up the Kudou Family? The Kudou Family is on my list of targets to eliminate; frankly, they'll be mine sooner or later."

Do you think it's possible to take my things and exchange them for something else from me?

Mahiro spoke without holding back, even though he was simply stating a simple fact.

Now that he has grown powerful, let alone the Kudou Family, even the entire Japan magic world combined wouldn't be enough for him to handle.

But no one knew what the old man was thinking. Even after things had come to this point, he showed no anger whatsoever and remained gentle and kind.

"Hehe, little guy, don't be too confident. The Kudou Family is a family that I, an old man, have built up from the beginning of the century. The forces behind them are complex and intertwined. Even if you and the Yotsuba Family are very strong now, if you go head-to-head with the Kudou Family, you will suffer a great loss."

Kudo Retsu was like a patient and persuasive mentor, teaching him the principles of life and how to conduct himself, sitting there and discussing the pros and cons with him at length.

Unfortunately, Yotsuba Mahiro n't listen, or rather, he was always completely unyielding.

"Ha, Kudo Retsu, are you threatening me? If you think the Kudou Family is tough enough, then let's try and see if my Yotsuba Family will suffer any losses!"

I don't know if this old man is just tired of living, or if he's eaten too many red beans and wants to die.

They actually came up to him and spouted nonsense.

Was it that Kudo Retsu, or did they feel that he was no longer capable of wielding a sword?

Aren't you afraid of getting slapped in the face by a "Material Burst" as soon as you step out the door?

Thinking about all this, he was so angry he almost laughed.

"Let me tell you, Kudo Retsu, the reason you can still sit here is because you are the teacher of my mother, Maya Yotsuba, and my aunt, Yotsuba Clan Yotsuba Miya. But please don't use that respect as leverage to provoke me."

Old man, if it weren't for the two of them, I would have killed you long ago!

Putting aside the petty things that happened in the Fourth Laboratory back then, do you really think nobody knows about the things you did more than 30 years ago?

Upon hearing this, Kudo Retsu's expression suddenly froze for a moment.

Although it quickly returned to its original state, he still managed to capture it clearly.

Sure enough, he was right.

The incident he mentioned from over thirty years ago was precisely the time when Maya Yotsuba was kidnapped by the Great Han.

He always harbored a suspicion about this matter: how exactly did the Great Han targeted by the Great Asian Alliance manage to seriously injure Saegusa Koichi and kidnap Maya Yotsuba under such tight security measures and with bodyguards from both the Yotsuba Family and Saegusa Family?

He simply didn't believe there wasn't something fishy going on.

It's important to understand that the current strength of the Great Asian Alliance is far greater than that of the Great Han back then, yet they still need to launch large-scale feint attacks to have any chance of stealing research results.

How did the Great Han manage to sneak into the venue and abduct the person so quietly?

The participants must have held very high positions.

His first thought was the Saegusa Family and the Kudou Family.

However, although the Saegusa Family has a criminal record, Saegusa Koichi almost became disabled, not to mention that Maya Yotsuba was Saegusa Koichi's betrothed back then, so there is basically no possibility of it happening.

Therefore, the only person he could think of was Kudo Retsu.

Kudo Retsu held a high position early in his career, and in the Japan magic world, he could command considerable influence. Placing a few people in the venue was no problem for him.

Not to mention that Kudo Retsu is also a sorcerer who specializes in studying ancient magic and combining it with modern magic, which is exactly what the Great Han studied back then.

Most importantly, Kudo Retsu consistently advocated a conclusion within the Ten Master Clans—

Balance.

To prevent a single company from becoming dominant.

At that time, the Yotsuba Family was at the height of its power.

Regardless of just how terrifying Genzo Yotsuba's strength is, Maya Yotsuba and Yotsuba Clan Yotsuba Miya are geniuses who amazed an entire era.

The older sister, Yotsuba Clan, is known as the "Ruler of the River of Oblivion" at Yotsuba Miya, possessing unparalleled mastery of the "Mental Structure Interference" magic.

Maya Yotsuba sister, is known as the "Queen of the Night," the "Demon King of the Far East," and even "one of the strongest magicians." Her signature magic, "Meteor Shower," is so powerful that even the Jumonji family's Phalanx cannot withstand it.

He didn't believe that Kudo Retsu wasn't wary of these two students.

Even if Maya Yotsuba were to marry into another family after she came of age, it would ultimately benefit the Saegusa Family, and it would be impossible to achieve any so-called balance.

Therefore, he has always suspected that Kudo Retsu was behind the incident.

Seeing Kudo Retsu's reaction, the question that had been puzzling him for so long finally had an answer.

As for the evidence?

Sorry, evidence is needed to crack down on organized crime, but a list is all you need to fight terrorism.

Kudo Retsu understood just how firm the young man's attitude was, and it even seemed that he might know what happened back then, so he sighed again.

They even lowered their stance.

"So, little one, what exactly do you want?"

"You proposed the deal, and you're asking me what I want? You haven't even prepared the most basic price, so what gives you the right to propose doing business with me?"

Kudo Retsu was immediately speechless.

Having stood at the pinnacle of the Japan magical world for so many years, as a veteran of the Japan magical world, he is respected as a grandmaster wherever he goes.

But when faced with this boy, he suffered repeated setbacks, and could only endure and swallow his anger step by step.

This was arguably the first time in all these years that Kudo Retsu had suffered such an insult.

To be honest, upon seeing this, Kyoko Fujibayashi's heart was in turmoil.

This was the first time anyone had ever spoken to her grandfather like that, and for him to adopt such a humble attitude.

However, when she thought about what she had heard when she left home, Kyoko Fujibayashi's eyes couldn't help but dim.

At the same time, Kudo Retsu said the last thing she wanted to hear—

"Alright, since that's the case, this old man won't hide anything anymore. I'll entrust my granddaughter, Kyoko, to you in exchange for a potion, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Kyoko Fujibayashi seemed to slump slightly.

Mahiro was speechless.

Although he knew from the start that the old guy would definitely bring up Kyoko Fujibayashi as a bargaining chip, he didn't expect Kudo Retsu's attitude to be as if he were being asked to sign for a "delivery".

"I said, do you really talk about selling your granddaughter so openly and honestly?"

"Hehe, I just think the little guy is great. It would be an honor for Kyoko if she went with you."

When confronted with his questioning, Kudo Retsu did not give a direct answer, but his attitude spoke volumes.

Kyoko Fujibayashi was his last bargaining chip.

But Mahiro couldn't help but sigh.

"Kudo Retsu, I must say you're a truly cruel old man. You know perfectly well how I feel about your Kudou Family right now, yet you still try to force Miss Kyoko Fujibayashi into my service. Aren't you afraid I'll mistreat her?"

"You won't."

Kudo Retsu smiled amiably, his tone suggesting he had him completely under his thumb.

"I'm also thinking about her happiness. Even in the whole world, I don't think there's a better man than you. Besides, didn't Angelina not suffer any loss with you?"

The old man remained stubborn and did not consider Kyoko's own thoughts, nor did he seem to care that Kyoko's eyes were already red.

Even if I knew this would be the outcome, it was still heartbreaking to hear it in person.

At this moment, Kyoko Fujibayashi's respect for her grandfather crumbled completely, and his once towering figure underwent a dramatic change.

What's this?

Is this considered an arranged marriage?

No, she's not worthy at all. In terms of looks, she's practically no match for Yotsuba Mahiro. From older women to younger women, she has everything.

In terms of status, even the head of the Kudou Family is not qualified.

In terms of strength, although she is known as the "Cyber Witch," she can't help Yotsuba Mahiro at all and can't be considered a combatant.

She was merely sold to the Yotsuba Family as a plaything.

However, it must be said that this old guy really knows him well.

That's right. Although he likes women, he collects the women he likes like stamps and sometimes even uses underhanded tactics against his enemies.

But those who submit are treated very well.

Whether it was Lina, Monica, Anya Alstreim, Marianne, or Alice Midgard, they all showed ample respect in every way except for that one incident.

However, even with Kudo Retsu's offer, Yotsuba Mahiro still did not agree. Instead, he propped his head up with one hand and tapped the edge of the armrest lightly with the other, as if waiting for something.

After a long silence, he spoke again:

"Tell me first, what do you want to do with my potion?"

"To treat my grandson Minoro Kudou."

Minoro Kudou?

The moment he heard the name, an image of a frail young boy immediately flashed into his mind.

He knew Minoro Kudou, and had even met him during the Nine Schools Competition.

That was a genius body-adjusting mage from the Ninth Research Institute. Originally intended to surpass him, it turned out that his magical skills were indeed very strong, strong enough to be able to exchange blows with Shiba Tatsuya.

He is stronger Masaki Ichijo.

Unfortunately, Minoro Kudou born frail and sickly, even weaker than the wheelchair-bound Goze Mio, and spent most of his life bedridden.

Furthermore, Kudo Retsu doted on his grandson Minoro Kudou, so it's understandable that he would make such a request.

But...

"Heh, old man, do you think this suggestion is fair?"

Mahiro sneered, "That's true, I do like women, but do you think your granddaughter is some kind of celestial being, or something gilded and studded with diamonds? You think she can take a enhancement potion from me just because of her? Her value isn't even as high as the Kudou Family's."

At this point, Kyoko Fujibayashi swayed slightly.

She felt a deep sadness, as if her dignity had been thrown to the ground and trampled upon, even though what the other person said was true.

Yes, how could her value possibly compare to the entire Kudou Family?

Kudo Retsu's expression was also somewhat grim; this was all he could offer, and he had no more bargaining chips left.

Mahiro noticed Kudo Retsu's embarrassment and shook his head with a smile, saying:

"Fine, I'll reluctantly play the good guy this time," he said to himself. "I originally wanted to kill you, you old geezer, but after thinking about it, you're over ninety years old and don't have many years left to live, so there's no need to kill you outright."

"How about this, based on Kyoko Fujibayashi's situation, I'll transfer your Kudou Family to Miyuki, and in return, I'll give you the enhancement potion, how about that?"

"Okay, that's settled then."

Kudo Retsu did not refuse, nor did he have the right to refuse; in fact, he was always at a disadvantage in this deal.

Because his opponent, in terms of both strength and other aspects, was overwhelmingly superior to Kudo Retsu.

So I didn't say anything more.

He simply said, "This old man has finished his business; it's time to go home."

He didn't even glance at Kyoko before quietly leaving the coffee shop.

If he could, he naturally wouldn't want to use his granddaughter as a bargaining chip, but he had no choice. The Yotsuba Family was now at its zenith, many times stronger than before.

Even infiltrating a Mashima Island is impossible.

They joined forces with other families to launch an attack, but behind the Yotsuba Family was a witch who made the world tremble— Esdeath.

Therefore, it would be better to take this opportunity to obtain a medicine to cure the genetic defect in his grandson, Minoro Kudou, and then seek another path.

Furthermore, he knew that Yotsuba Mahiro valued loyalty to women, and if he could really accept Kyoko Fujibayashi, it would at least allow the Kudou Family and him, Kudo Retsu, to regain some dignity.

So he was willing to lose face and hand Kyoko over to the Yotsuba Family.

By simply placing Kyoko next to Yotsuba Mahiro, Kudo Retsu could be said to have received a shot in the arm.