"This ever be ged!"

  "Tsk tsk!" Haruno clicked her towice but didn't argue further.

  "..." Fumino looked somewhat helpless.

  If she'd put in more effort to build a better retionship with Yukino in the past, maybe things wouldn't be this strained now. But things had reached this point, so what more could she say?

  "I will find a way t Yukino bato the Yukinoshita family!"

  "I think it's better to let Yukino live her life freely," Haruno responded casually. "Let her do what she wants; dragging her bato the Yukinoshita family would only make things worse."

  "How could you say that? She's..." Fumino started to protest, but Haruno cut her off before she could finish.

  "Don't you get it, Mom? Times have ged. Yukino's only still around because of her st bit of dignity. Don't fet—she's now an aplished sorcerer."

  Haruno could uand her mother's ambitions to elevate the Yukinoshita family's standing. Now that there portunity, of course, Fumino wouldn't want to let it slip. But in this era, what's the point of being at the top? Even the Shinomiya family, despite their wealth and influence, were now bending over backward to curry favor with Ryuji.

  "..."

  After a moment of silence, Fumino sighed. "Maybe I really am out of touch with this era."

  Haruno didn't reply, but she thought that if her mother could adjust her mi a little and not be sid, it would actually be a good thing.

  "Why isn't he here yet? I should've just stayed at school a studying," Erina Nakiri grumbled nearby.

  As the possessor of the God's Tongue, Erina had an intense dedication to ary excellence. Even though she uood the significe of sorcerers and the ging world, her only real passion was to bee a great chef.

  Oher hand, her cousin Aliakiri couldn't help but ugh. "You're really something, Erina. Only you would still be thinking about cooking at a time like this."

  "Hmph! That's why your cooking skills 't pare to mine," Erina shot baot holding ba the slightest. Sharp-tongued and prideful as ever, she treated everyone equally with her bluntness.

  "Tsk." Alice pouted, clearly annoyed by the jab.

  "Alright, alright," their grandfather, Senzaemon Nakiri, stepped in to mediate.

  "Enough arguing, both of you. It's already this te—just wait a little longer."

  Going baow would not only offend the Shinomiya family but also likely Ryuji himself. As the head of the Nakiri family and Totsuki Academy, Senzaemon had no she of es and resources. However, he was also aware of the times. With the rise of sorcerers, it was crucial to keep up or risk being obsolete. That was the only reason he'd brought his granddaughters here tonight.

  "I uand," Erina finally ceded. Although arrogant, she wasn't foolish.

  Alice wao say something else, but just then, the atmosphere in the ba hall shifted, growing noticeably quieter.

  "...Huh?" She gnced around, quickly realizing that everyone's attention had turoward the mairance of the hall.

  "Is he here?" She pieced it together immediately and looked over as well.

  Around the hall, other promi figures, like members of the Suzuki family, had also turheir gaze in the same dire.

  Ryuji stepped into the ba hall with a calm smile, unfazed by the tless eyes on him. For the guests who had e specifically to see him, his presence alone was enough to and silence.

  The air was thick with respect, admiration, and a hint of fear. No one had fotten the massacre of the Bck Dog family that had take long ago.

  "Long time no see, Ryuji-kun!" Mei Mei approached him with a smirk, clearly pleased to see him.

  "You're here too?" Ryuji replied, slightly surprised.

  "Yeah." Mei Mei nodded, giving him a pointed look. "Well, since you never e find me, I figured I'd have to e to you."

  "..." Ryuji had to admit he hadn't reached out to Mei Mei sihey st parted. It wasn't out of any ill will—he just hadn't had a reason to.

  "Haha, better be quick then," he joked. "Who knows, I might get swept away by someone else's charms."

  "Think you ha?" she retorted, eyebrow raised.

  "No way."

  They both ughed, sharing a mutual uanding. Mei Mei knew what kind of person Ryuji was. She also uood that no woman could truly capture and trol him. Having a fleeting romance was ohing, but expeg more was unrealistic.

  Before they could tiheir versation, Suzuki Tomoko approached with her daughter, Sonoko, in tow. Holding a gss of champagomoko greeted him warmly. "You must be Mr. Ryuji. Truly a talent beyond his years."

  "H-Hello," Sonoko stammered, raising her gss in a nervous toast. Despite her initial nonce, Sonoko felt a bit overwhelmed in the presence of someone as powerful as Ryuji. Even her father had stressed that she must show him respect, emphasizing that if Ryuji wanted, he could easily bring the Suzuki family to ruin.

  Ryuji chuckled lightly at her nervousness. "Rex, I don't bite."

  "...Who are they?" He turo Mei Mei, genuinely curious about the two women.

  "Oh, them?" Mei Mei shrugged. "The Suzuki family—big mohey're why I'm here, actually."

  It didn't take much to uand that the Suzuki family had probably hired Mei Mei for security. They certainly seemed wealthy enough to afford her services.

  "There aren't many sorcerers who love money as much as you do," Ryuji ented with a grin.

  "Well, the world's a cold pce. Money is something I rely on," Mei Mei replied without shame.

  It was true. Sorcerers often had their own personal goals and pursuits. But few were as openly motivated by money as Mei Mei.

  "But, you know," she added, her eyes gleaming with i as she looked at Ryuji, "if you're ever up for it, we could make a good team."

  Ryuji ughed, amused by her bluntness.

  At that moment, Shinomiya Gan'an, head of the Shinomiya family, made his way over. He wore a benevolent smile as he approached Ryuji. "It's been too long, Mr. Ryuji."

  "Good to see you, Mr. Shinomiya," Ryuji replied politely, keeping his tone respectful but reserved. He was curious to see what Gan'an nning.

  "Please, just call me Gan'an," he said, his smile widening. Despite being signifitly an'an knew better than to act superior here.

  "For what happened before, I owe you my gratitude," he tinued. "Thanks to you, our family avoided a major disaster. Sihen, my daughter has looked up to you. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you here tonight."

  The daughter Gan'an referred to was, of course, Kaguya Shinomiya. The meaning behind his words was clear to anyone paying attention: he hoped to ect his daughter to Ryuji, perhaps even romantically, in order to secure an alliance.

  "You're too kind," Ryuji replied with a polite smile, pying along. It wasn't hard to see through the pretense, but there was no harm in indulging him for now.

  At that moment, Kaguya ehe hall, having received the signal from her father. Following close behind her was Chika Fujiwara, her face alight with curiosity aement.

  "Has Hayasaka not e back yet?" Kaguya wondered, notig her maid's absence. But she wasn't particurly ed.

  "Kaguya, Kaguya!" Chika tugged at her sleeve impatiently, practically boung with excitement. She was eager to see Ryuji up close, and Kaguya had no choice but to go along.

  As Kaguya made her way through the hall, dressed in a gown, the guests around them quieted down, all eyes turning to the Shinomiya heiress. Every movement, every gesture, reflected her strict training iiquette, givihe appearance of a modern-day princess.

  Even Ryuji had to admit, she looked stunning. Despite his usual indifference, he found himself appreciating her beauty for a brief moment.

  Gan'an, who had been watg closely, he faint ge in Ryuji's expression and rexed slightly. He'd been worried that Ryuji might show no i in Kaguya, but now he felt more fident about his pn.

  But Ryuji was not the type to be swayed by appearances alone. After that brief moment, he resumed his usual demeanor, looking away as if he'd seen enough.

  "Father," Kaguya greeted, her tone respectful as she approached.

  Gan'an smiled, visibly proud of his daughter. Despite her status as an illegitimate child, he had always valued her and had given her every opportunity to succeed within the family.

  "Let me introduce you," he said, turning to Ryuji. "This is Mr. Ryuji, our esteemed guest."