You've always been my accomplice

But in her current state, Riko Amanai clearly had yet to process such an enormous amount of information. Tan Man did not push her, leaving her in the room for the time being.

Tan Man called toward the hallway, "Come out. You've been there from the start, haven't you?"

Under normal circumstances, no one else would be in Tan Man's courtyard.

But there were a very few exceptions whom Tan Man would not stop from coming and going freely. One was Maki, now only five years old, who slowly poked her head out.

As a girl whose Heavenly Restriction prevented her from becoming a normal sorcerer, Maki was at the very bottom of the Zenin Clan's pecking order.

After all, Toji at least had the advantage of being male. Maki's situation was even worse than his.

Wherever she went in this household, all she felt was oppression and rejection. Only her cousin Tan Man did not treat her the way the other members of the Zenin Clan did.

Nor would other members of the Zenin Clan casually enter Tan Man's courtyard.

So from time to time, Maki treated this place as her secret base-or rather, a refuge where she could briefly escape that suffocating atmosphere.

As for Maki, Tan Man simply saw a reflection of his former self in her.

They had been brought into the world, only to be rejected by their parents.

She had it even worse than Tan Man had in his previous life. Born into a large, feudal clan like the Zenin Clan, she would only suffer more bullying than he had as a child.

That was how Tan Man was. He found it easier to empathize with people whose experiences resembled his own, but he did not offer help indiscriminately. Compared with forming partnerships, he was extremely cautious about forming close relationships. It was such a deeply ingrained habit that even he had not noticed it.

That was why Tan Man was somewhat more tolerant of Maki, though he had little contact with her father, Ogi.

As such, Tan Man would not directly offer Maki too much support or help.

"How long have you been there?" Tan Man asked little Maki.

Maki lowered her head as though she had been caught doing something wrong and answered quietly, "I was here before you came back. I'm very sorry. I'll leave right now..."

"It's fine. You can stay as long as you like. You just have to keep this a secret from everyone else."

Tan Man had actually known about Maki's visits all along. He had simply never brought them up.

But if she told Ogi about Riko Amanai today, Tan Man could not guarantee that his plan would be completed before the news leaked out. He needed to avoid any unforeseen complications.

When Maki heard that Tan Man was not going to reprimand her, she immediately raised her head and replied.

"I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Father."

Tan Man did have that much trust in Maki.

Just then, a text message from Jiro Awasaka arrived on Tan Man's phone.

"At Renjoku Girls' Academy, the guys keeping watch have spotted some obvious outsiders. They seem to have noticed Riko Amanai's disappearance."

Tan Man quickly tapped out a reply to Jiro Awasaka.

"Keep your distance and don't let them spot you. Jujutsu Headquarters has probably gotten involved. If they pick up our trail, dispose of them quickly and cleanly. Otherwise, don't make any rash moves. Keep watching."

Tan Man snapped his phone shut, realizing that those useless fools had reacted a little faster than he had expected.

Now that Riko Amanai was temporarily settled here, Tan Man would likely need to go out again over the coming days, whether to Jujutsu High or, later, to the Time Vessel Association to reap some benefits.

So Tan Man simply went straight to Naobito Zenin and got right to the point.

"The Star Plasma Vessel is in my courtyard right now. Arrange for a discreet servant to look after her daily needs."

"What? Cough, cough..." Hearing Tan Man's words, Naobito Zenin choked on the sake he had just swallowed.

The main problem was how abruptly Tan Man had changed the subject. And what he said sounded utterly far-fetched, as though two people who had nothing to do with each other had suddenly become entangled.

The Star Plasma Vessel was among the most closely guarded secrets in all of Jujutsu Society. Only Lord Tengen knew her whereabouts, and even Jujutsu Headquarters could not interfere much.

Naobito Zenin, who had still been in a drunken haze, immediately sobered up considerably.

The sheer impact of this news was on an entirely different level from Tan Man's earlier report that he had once again defeated Satoru Gojo, the current bearer of the Six Eyes.

Lord Tengen's once-every-five-hundred-years merger would take place soon. If anything went wrong, it could endanger ordinary society.

Naobito Zenin pinched the bridge of his nose and gathered his thoughts. Only after a long while did he ask.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Naobito Zenin had always given Tan Man free rein, turning a blind eye to his affairs and never taking the initiative to ask what he had done. For Tan Man to volunteer this information now, the matter was clearly anything but ordinary.

"Because if I leave her in the Zenin Clan, I don't have any servants under me whom I can trust. It would be more convenient to tell you directly and let you handle that part."

For a moment, Naobito Zenin did not know what to make of Tan Man's reason.

It was certainly reasonable enough.

From what he knew, the people Tan Man had at his disposal really were not likely to be much use when it came to looking after someone.

Besides, Tan Man had placed the Star Plasma Vessel directly in the Zenin Clan's estate. That made it even harder for his people to enter the estate and care for her without raising questions.

Does this mean he trusts me? The thought rose in Naobito Zenin's mind, but he was not quite certain whether it was correct.

"Then what exactly are you planning to do?"

Hearing Naobito Zenin continue to question him rather than reject him outright or fly into a rage, Tan Man knew he had more or less accepted it.

"I've only moved things up a little and changed the rules and substance of the contest for the Star Plasma Vessel that was about to begin. I'll secure the greatest possible gains in my own way."

Naobito Zenin did know that, with the time of Tengen's merger approaching, some factions were already growing restless, including Curse Users and the Time Vessel Association.

Still, Naobito Zenin did not dare agree to Tan Man's plan immediately. The matter had enormous implications. If Lord Tengen's merger failed, the crime of Tan Man, who had caused it all, would be far beyond his earlier killing of a thousand people.

"I am the Zenin Clan. I can guarantee that I'll lead the clan to heights unprecedented since its founding. All you need to do is trust me, just as you have throughout these nine years since you brought me back to the Zenin Clan. You've always been my accomplice, haven't you, Father?"