No, I'm sorry, Nissae. I didn't know you'd be here unexpectedly.

It's true!　Give me a call in advance before you come, really Al!

Oh, I'm sorry. Hi, Miss Nisae. I just wanted to ask you something. I'd rather talk to you in person than on the phone, so.....

''Oh no........Zhu Yin-sama. You are welcome to visit us at any time. But if you had said so, I would have come to you myself...

'It's not that bad. I know you're busy, Nisae-san........

'Is it just my imagination that you're being treated so differently from me?　Shima-kun.

Haha.....

　Shima is slightly nervous at the two big names, the SS-rank of the World Ability Agency and a spirit priestess who is also a consultant, who suddenly came to the reception desk.

'So what can I do for you...?　If it's something you'd prefer to hear in a separate room, I can arrange it. If I'm interrupting you as well, I'll excuse myself.

　When Shima said that, both Ken Sage and Zhu Yin broke off the conversation, as if it was useless.

''No, I wanted to listen to the boy named Dou Dou Dou boy,''

''Oh, what a coincidence, I came here because of your story, right, Eugene?

What...?

　Nissae and Shima couldn't help but look at each other as their eyes widened.

''It's......... Why is it Doudu-kun's?''

　Alfred moved his eyes to Zhu Yin and looked forward as Zhu Yin nodded, ''After you.

''Well, I've heard a lot of rumors about him and I was curious. So I thought I'd like to borrow him for a bit, but, well, I'm sure Nisae has a lot going on too. I thought I'd give him a heads up first.

"...do you know Mr. Dudu?　Where did you get this rumor?　Al

'Haha don't look at me like that. Oh, of course I'll pay him the reward. Well I'm thinking of a rank S treatment for the reward, but.......

"!　Al........

　Nisae and Shima are surprised by Alfred's offer.
　It was spoken and evaluated as if they were well aware of Yuto's activities in the Dark Night No Leopard this time.

''Well well that's good treatment, Yuto-kun.

　For some reason, Zhu Yin, who looked happy, didn't seem surprised and showed a smile.

''Al I don't want to engage in gut-wrestling. Tell me why. This one will also tell you what the agency thinks is going on about him. So tell me what you know. If it's something you can't tell me, then I can't tell you anything either.

　Alfred stared at Nisasae's serious face.

''........I understand. I'm sure you'll be able to hear your story, it's the best thing for me. I'll tell you this one too, without hesitation.

''Zhu Yin-sama I apologize for my suddenness. Could you please listen to what I am about to tell you as a consultant to the agency?　If you have any further comments, I would appreciate it if you would let me know.

Yes, I understand. Besides, I'd like to hear your story as well, this Yuto-kun.

　Zhu Yin also responded with a smile.
　The reason why Hisae approached Zhu Yin like this is because Zhu Yin is also the top advisor at the institution.
　It was something that had to be discussed sooner or later, at some point. Besides, Nissae thought it would be better to have Zhu Yin present here.
　That is because Zhu Yin, who is also a spirit priestess, has a high ability to detect lies. Not that he doubted that much, but there was also the aspect of preventing Alfred from lying in front of that Zhu Yin.
　Swordsman Alfred is the highest ranked SS of the institution and is a central figure in the institution. It is unlikely that he would do the institution any harm.
　However, Nissae frowned at Alfred's recent behavior.
　It was at one point in time that he suddenly disappeared, was unreachable, and was even said to be missing. There was no report of what it was doing or what it was doing at all, which puzzled the agency as well.
　It was only two months ago that Nisae had finally contacted them and invited Alfred to be the examiner for the rookie exams.
　So this time, when he seemed to show up without any warning, he asked to borrow Doudou Yuto.
　Even though Hisae personally trusted Alfred, as someone who was in charge of the agency's branch, he had to know exactly what his intentions were.

''Well then, Al. First of all, I'll explain the findings and hypothesis of the agency's headquarters regarding Mr. Doe Du, as well as the report that destroyed the Dark Night's Leopard this time.''

　Nissae turned her head to Shima and nodded, explaining in detail the results of Yuto's rookie exams, the questions he had at Millimer, and now the Dark Night No Leopard.
　Alfred's eyes narrowed at the mention of the rookie examinations as being evenly matched with his own in body arts.

''And that's all the information and discussion about the institution's Dou Dou Dou-kun.

''Nisae I don't remember him from the rookie exam. That's certainly odd, if he was that much of a boy, he would have remembered it, but.......

''Well that's our opinion. We're trying to figure out what to make of this, too. Is it a coincidence ... or ... or ...

....

'So Al, I want to hear your story. Why are you interested in him?　So why did you decide to hire him?　What the hell do you do for a living?

''Hmmm ... what I'm going to say now ... no, I'll just tell you that I'll leave it up to Nisae to decide, but I want you to treat it carefully.

....

'I've been on the hunt for someone for the last few years. That's caused a lot of concern to the agency, though.

....

　Alfred cowered his shoulders with a bitter smile while looking at Nisasae's face.

''A........person?''

　Alfred nodded.

"The man is called 'Gohin', and I'm not sure of his name, but the more I know about him the more very dangerous he is.

　Nisae and Shima look at Alfred's face with raised eyebrows. The reason why Alfred revealed that the reason for his disappearance is to find his Imperial Majesty.
　It's a matter that none of the agency's executives have been informed about.

What... who is he?　This person, this person...

''If you ask me what he is, I can only say that I don't know either, but it's just that this guy is most likely involved in the manifestation of the Demon God since the last decade or so. No, I believe that this guy alone is pulling the strings behind all of that.

What?

　Nissae was astonished, and Shima straightened up as well.

''That's it!　There's no way anyone is capable of doing that!

'I thought so too, but it was from the Dortmund Demon God that I began to suspect the existence of this person. You know that after the Dortmund Demon God was defeated, there was an investigation from the agencies and the rest of the world, right?　As a matter of fact, that's when we found the remains of a huge altar and a stacked magic circle underneath the Westphalia Park in Dortmund city center that was supposed to be used for summoning demonic gods.

What did you say?　I don't know that story!

I didn't find out about it until a long time later. And it wasn't from the agency that I learned about it, but from the investigative team that found it, in a country.

"!　What's that?

It was a research unit in a small country in Eastern Europe. It was a country with only a few gifted people, and either by chance or because the gifted people were so good, we found it.

'My God ... and you covered it up?　But for what....

No, Nisae. All those investigators were killed. On the spot.

!

There was a man with this ability who could send his thoughts to others. He sent a visual image of himself to a close friend of his when he was dying. I had a chance to meet this person in hiding. As soon as I heard about it, I went to check it out...

　That altar.....

No, there was no trace of it destroyed but we did find evidence of an underground space that had been destroyed. We didn't find the remains of that survey team, either.

And this gentleman is...?

The person who received the video told me that he heard the voice when the video came in. "The person who received the video said that he heard the voice when the video came in, and that he was surrounded by a number of oddly dressed people who called him 'Gohin.

　The story is too much, and Nissae is at a loss for judgment. She wondered how she should handle this story.

The attempted summoning of a demon god three years ago that we were responsible for........ The agency didn't make it public, but that case also hides the figure of this Gohin-esque person. And the names of all the dangerous people around this Gohin-apparent can be seen. Most of them were defeated in the Gifted People's War the names of the Gifted People. There was also the name of the Sword of Surt, Lokiarum. And the Shinagawa Demon God of a year ago.......................or, I suspect, this one is still unsure.

　Hearing that much, Hisae stands up.

''What are you going to do?　Hisae.

I'm going to call agency headquarters right away and tell them to take this good friend of theirs into custody!

''It's no use, Hisae. He's already dead. In a psych ward.

"....!　Well then, let's talk about that now!

'Wait, Hisae. I'm not done talking to you yet.

　When Alfred told her that, Nisasae sat down once more, as if she had lost her strength.

''Hisae, don't you think it's strange?''

...?

'Why didn't the agency notice the altar in its basement?　And the attempted summoning of a demon god three years ago was also made up for a reason that seemed to be that, and it wasn't made public...

　The case of the attempted summoning of the Demon God three years ago, which Nisae was also in charge of.......
　

''.........What do you mean by that?　No way!　You mean there are people in the agency who have tried to keep you from realizing that...?

....

　Alfred quietly looked right at the surprised Nisae.

''That story of Alfred-sama.......I can't judge it right away, but so.......Alfred-sama was investigating alone?''

''........Nisashi, I'll leave the handling of this story to your judgment. I'd like to catch that honourable person somehow. So.........

''That's why you wanted to get help from Eugene, isn't it?　The "Sword Sage

　Zhu Yin, who had been listening to the conversation up to this point, called out to the Sword Saint.

''Yes..... I believe that his ability is comparable to a rank S. And yet, it's very convenient for him to be a rank D. Even if I take him with me, it's hard for people to guess what I'm trying to do. While I don't know which part of the agency is connected to the enemy, he's that good, and he doesn't have to worry about it.

''Yes, Yuto-kun is definitely a good kid. Also, you know, I feel like it's a good thing to have him with us. The spirits, you know, have been happy since I mentioned his name. I think they're saying this is a good choice.

Well it's a relief to hear that from a spirit priestess.

''Al where did you find out what you are capable of, Dou Dou Dou?　Didn't you know about the Dark Night's leopard, too?

'Oh, actually, I've been looking for a mate. I believe that this enemy is not a simple matter. The more allies you can have, the better, of course, the better skilled ones, and that's why I've turned to the Sacred Dao users.

'What?　I have a connection to a Sendo user!　Al is.

No, I don't. That's why I looked for them with all my heart and soul. I figured if the rumors were true, they'd be a pretty good asset. Moreover, it's hard for the agency to know. So... finally, I was able to contact one of the Immortal Dao users.

'Really?　So, how did it go?

'They said no... or is it more accurate to say they didn't even discuss it?　No, I didn't know what to do anymore I didn't know what to do. I'm so free now.......with an inexhaustible supply of alcohol.

....

''But... how does that connect to you, Du Du?

　Shima asked Alfred, who was pale as he talked about the Sacred Dao Messenger.

''Oh, the other day, I was contacted out of the blue by that Sacred Dao messenger... apparently a hermit,''

"!　From a hermit?!

Yeah, I found a letter in my hotel room. It said, "Hey, Alfred, I can't help you, but I can introduce you to some people who can. Make the best of it. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to stomach it. All right?　You will work your ass off."

'You don't think ... that's what it said in there?

''Yeah, it said Du Du Yuto. And it even politely stated that if you ask the guy who defeated the Dark Night Leopard, you'll find out, so I thought of it.

　Shima looks up and looks at Nissae as if she's huffing and puffing.

''Then!　Mr. Du Du, you're a Sendo user!　Then the fact that you couldn't measure him on the exam and this ability to do so is also jarring!　Lord Omine.

'You didn't think........that's what happened. So....

Oh my God, is that right?　Hearing that, it's true that you might be a Sendo user, but.......

'Do you know anything about it?　Zhu Yin-sama.

'Oh no, you see, he's giving out his psychic powers.

　At Zhu Yin's words, Shima crossed her arms and put her hand on her chin.

''....Indeed. That's strange. I'm a mysterious Sendo user, but I've never heard of such a thing. Perhaps that's the reason why I've been listed as a natural ability user.

Oh, yeah.

...Isn't that funny?　(If Yuto-kun is Ryo's son, then he should be a spirit swordsman.......Yuto-kun seems to have a lot of complications, not that I have a problem with it.

''Al I understand. I'll leave the matter of Mr. Du Du up to you. Of course, you have to respect his wishes. And also I'll keep today's discussion in my mind for now. The only person I can think of to talk to about this is Bartolo-san. Considering the presence of the enemy spies who have infiltrated the agency, we'll have to meet with them directly.

I'm sorry. I'll have to talk to Mr. Du Du directly. And it's not like it's happening right now.

　When she finished talking with Alfred, Shima re-filled the tea and placed it in front of each of them.

''Zhu Yin-sama, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

Yes, I actually came here with a good idea.

"...a good idea?　What's that?

''The agency........I thought that Hisae was having trouble dealing with Yuto-kun. Is it okay to leave such a strong Yuto-kun as a rank D?　But if we suddenly make him a high rank, the balance with the world could be thrown off. Besides, I don't know the exact rank I can place him at, and I still have a lot of questions about Yuto-kun. Isn't that so?

　Hisae's tongue wagged at the speed of Zhu Yin's situational awareness. She had been thinking about this kind of thing before she came here. Even though at that time, for Zhu Yin, the information about Yuto should have been fragmentary.

''........I'm afraid, Zhu Yin-sama. Actually, it is true........

''You're sure that Nisae-san wants to make sure that Yuto-kun is included in the agency, right?　I'll settle for an A or B rank for now, and then I'll gradually take it in.

"!　No, I hadn't decided that much yet.

''Hmmm, so I have a suggestion, why don't we invite him to come to Shitenji?''

'What?　In Shitenji?　You don't think that's....Mizuho's?

　Hisae was turned upside down by Zhu Yin's suggestion, which was diagonally opposite to her imagination.
　In response, Zhu Yin smiled and nodded.

''Yes, Shitenji is one of the most prominent families in the institution. If he enters there as his son-in-law, he will be one of the people closest to the institution, no matter what. That way, no country or organization would mess with him, right?　Besides, Shitenji would get an excellent son-in-law, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone.

''Yes, that's true, but if we were to invite him to the Four Heavenly Temples, we would need the approval of Omine and Shenzen. Right now, it would be difficult for the two families to convince the rank D Dou Du-kun to join them...

So we thought we'd hold it for the first time in decades.

'Held...?　Ha, well, you can't be........Zhu Yin-sama.

''Yes, the ceremony of the Shitennji temple, the Grand Initiation Ceremony to determine the spouse of the next head of the family. Of course, all those who are willing to participate will be allowed to do so. What about the age limit?　It's not inherent.

　 It is not a problem if the candidate is approved by both the Omine and Shinzen families, but it has been held when no suitable candidate can be found.
　Only those who had demonstrated their strength and convinced the Omine and Shinzen families that they were worthy of being considered for a mate would be accepted.
　In the history of the Shitenji family, which has existed since the Heian period, there are references to it being held several times, but it has not been held recently.
　Before that, most of them had been through Omine and Shinzen's recommended matchmaking.

''Oh, Akane-sama, since you are aware of that, Mizuho-chan?　

No, I haven't told him.

....

'It's a ritual unique to Shitenji, but I thought I'd report back to the agency. Oh, I'm looking forward to it. I'll have to convince everyone when I get back!

　Hisae stared at Zhu Yin, who was happy to let go of her hand, with a face that was so twitchy that this was not even possible.