Time passed little by little. By now, the Grand Hotel was packed with talented young people from Jujutsu Society's various prominent families. They greeted one another like perfect ladies and gentlemen, while secretly sizing each other up and competing behind the scenes.
For example, two people smiled as they shook hands and chatted, but they were actually pouring cursed energy into their clasped hands to strengthen their grips, testing who would give in first.
Elsewhere, people gathered in a circle as their elders cheerfully introduced the younger members of their families, slipping in remarks now and then about just how talented they were.
Some lower-ranking jujutsu families huddled together for support, discussing whether there were any opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.
But the moment the Gojo Clan entered, the entire venue fell silent.
Leaving aside the Gojo Clan's Elder, who commanded great respect in Jujutsu Society, the real focus was on the two Six Eyes Divine Children following behind him, one on either side-the children everyone had long been eager and curious to see.
Silver-white hair, snow-white clothing, and, most importantly, those blue eyes that seemed to stretch into the distance like the sky, paired with their icy bearing.
So these were the Six Eyes Divine Children...
At first, some of the younger members of the jujutsu families had planned to approach the pair and get friendly with them. But once they actually saw them, they swallowed hard and began thinking better of it.
The older generation looked surprised as well. After all, this was also their first time seeing the Six Eyes Divine Children, and they could not help murmuring that the children truly lived up to their reputation.
After her etiquette lessons, Chinatsu was now putting her acting skills on full display, leaving Satoru Gojo beside her utterly dumbfounded.
Was this... my sister???
Once Satoru Gojo recovered, he hurriedly brought out his own best performance. His aloof, icy air came on in full force, making him resemble a human air conditioner blasting cold air. Some of the youngsters watching him inexplicably shivered.
This was their first public appearance in Jujutsu Society, but neither of them was particularly nervous. The Elder was there, after all, and he could handle anything that went wrong.
As for all those gazes directed at them...
Chinatsu turned her head slightly to meet one boy's gaze. He immediately blushed and stiffly whipped his head away.
See? There was nothing to worry about with these stares.
The current timeline was far, far earlier than the original story's main plot, so Chinatsu could count the people she recognized in this enormous venue on one hand.
One of them was Naobito Zenin.
The Zenin Clan Head and the strongest Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, he loved drinking. Even during missions, while his companions were fighting, he would still leisurely drink on the sidelines. His strength, however, gave him the right to do so.
Although Naobito Zenin's character was still generally considered far from acceptable, he counted as relatively open-minded among the Zenin Clan's successive Clan Heads.
Chinatsu idly watched Naobito Zenin, who sat in a corner of the banquet with his head down, drinking. Even that brief glance caught his attention.
He paused slightly, then raised his head to look at Chinatsu, who was watching him. The moment his gaze met her Six Eyes, they completely captivated him.
"So these are the legendary Six Eyes..."
Naobito Zenin stepped forward and walked straight toward Chinatsu. But by the time he reached her, the Elder had already taken a step forward to stand in front of her.
"Well, Zenin brat, what do you want?"
The Elder spoke with narrowed eyes. Naobito was already in his fifties, but before the Elder, he really did count as a "brat." Still, when it came to presence alone, Naobito Zenin had no intention of backing down.
"You old Gojo fossil, don't be so tense. I mean no harm," Naobito Zenin said casually, before turning his attention back to Chinatsu.
"Speaking of which, your family actually produced two children with the Six Eyes. That boy beside you will probably inherit the position of Clan Head, right? In that case, why not marry this girl into our Zenin Clan?"
Those words shocked far more than just the few people nearby. Jujutsu sorcerers had hearing beyond that of ordinary people, and this group was already the center of everyone's attention. The entire venue was stunned.
The Elder's brows drew together slightly. "Marry into your Zenin Clan? You certainly do dream big."
"Hahaha, it's only a suggestion... a suggestion. If you're not interested, forget it. But if you agree, our Zenin Clan is willing to make a substantial offer. Resources in Jujutsu Society or in ordinary society-it's all open to discussion."
As mentioned earlier, the Zenin Clan was the most feudal of the Three Great Families. Those without talent for jujutsu were servants within the family, men with only modest talent were treated as tools, and women were used to forge marriage alliances.
Thus, in Naobito Zenin's mind, Satoru Gojo was bound to become the next Gojo Clan Head, while Chinatsu would either marry within the clan or be married off to form an alliance. If she married out, there was room to compete for her.
Despite what Naobito Zenin said, however, he did not actually think this would work.
Meanwhile, the elderly Kamo Clan Head in attendance was on edge. If this really happened and the Zenin and Gojo Clans joined forces, how would the isolated Kamo Clan survive?
Just as the atmosphere grew tense and Chinatsu was choosing her words, preparing to launch a counterattack herself, Satoru Gojo suddenly stepped forward beside her with a serious expression.
He lifted his head slightly, and his blue eyes met Naobito Zenin's.
"You needn't concern yourself with that. My sister won't be marrying out, because I won't be the next Gojo Clan Head. She will."
That simple statement effortlessly dismantled Naobito Zenin's advance. He could not help looking surprised, while everyone present glanced at one another and whispered.
A woman becoming Clan Head was exceedingly rare, whether among the Three Great Families or other jujutsu families.
Although there was a faction within the Gojo Clan that supported Chinatsu, it was still considerably weaker than the faction supporting Satoru Gojo.
With those words, Satoru Gojo had effectively relinquished his claim to the position of Clan Head before the public. Even if he was merely saying it and did not mean it, at least in that moment, the impact was enough to shock everyone present.
As the subject of this discussion, Chinatsu remained calm on the surface, but inside, her emotions surged like towering waves.
She even found herself wondering whether Satoru Gojo and Naobito Zenin had secretly teamed up just to dump the whole mess of being Clan Head onto her...
Before you continue