Kobe Suzuo sent the person to the Director's Department for investigation, several contracts were sent along with them—they were sales contracts specifically prepared by Kobe Suzuo for the Sorcerers.
He followed the agreement with the Elders Council and left the verification of the Contract's contents to them.
The old men have long been out of touch with the normal recruitment processes of modern society.
First, he expressed a fierce disdain for modern Cursed Techniques, then turned around to squeeze the young people under his command to explain the contract details to him.
As for Kobe Suzuo, he took Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto to get custom-made banquet suits.
Kobe Suzuo actually really wanted to arrange some cliché scenario where Satoru attended as a female companion; after all, a CEO attending a banquet with a delicate little flower as a companion was a guaranteed plot point.
But Satoru Gojo was clearly not suited for cross-dressing.
It wasn't that his looks were unsuitable, but rather that with Satoru Gojo's physique, Kobe Suzuo felt that no matter what kind of formal dress he put on, he would look like a bodybuilding Barbie.
It was just unexpected that after all the searching and choosing, the Gojo Main Family suddenly sent over a set of kimonos.
The montsuki haori hakama, embroidered with the Gojo Clan crest, was perfectly suited from every angle.
As pure as fresh snow in the mirror, the young man, who seemed like a sudden thunderclap in a clear sky, sensed Kobe Suzuo's gaze and winked at Kobe Suzuo, the sense of void-like distance between them vanishing instantly without a trace.
Kobe Suzuo felt a hint of regret at giving up on the idea of wearing a matching set with Satoru Gojo, nodded. "This one will do."
Author's Note:
CEO: Why is the cat so skilled?
Merlin: It's because you're too noob.
Suguru: Why are you so skilled at this?
Satoru: I've been doing some research on shoujo manga lately.
Chapter 27 That Guy?
Satoru Gojo finished off the desserts he had requested from the chef, resting his chin on his hand as he looked toward Kobe Suzuo, who was faintly positioned in the center of the crowd, a nearly imperceptible smirk playing on his lips.
He habitually reached up to adjust his sunglasses, only realizing after his fingers touched the thin veil that he had already changed his attire.
The overly flamboyant makeup artist from the Kobe Family wailed that art was dead, refusing to allow Satoru Gojo to wear sunglasses with a kimono no matter what.
After calling a butler to search through Kobe Suzuo's private stock for a long time, he finally paired Satoru Gojo with a piece of "Shark Gauze" infused with a Cursed Technique.
The translucent fabric could achieve the same effect as sunglasses, a thin layer draped over the Six Eyes, appearing like smoke or mist.
It was so deceptive that even Satoru Gojo felt momentarily dazed; for an instant, he thought he was staring into his past self—indifferent and cold, like snow suspended in the air.
This sense of déjà vu gave Satoru Gojo a subtle feeling of discomfort, but amidst the makeup artist's passionate cries of "beauty" and "perfect," and the furtive glances from Kobe Suzuo, his fuzzy little sentiments ultimately took the upper hand.
“How many more times do you think Suzuo's wonderful 'little accidents' will occur tonight?”
Satoru Gojo spoke up unexpectedly.
Suguru Geto instinctively looked toward where Kobe Suzuo was located in the distance.
People were coming and going over there, as if they were about to complete some kind of mission; everyone wanted to make an appearance before Kobe Suzuo, preferably while saying a few words.
Hypocrisy was hidden beneath smiles, making it impossible to distinguish the truth.
Kobe Suzuo wore a well-tailored suit, his back standing straight, his complexion as pale as someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.
He skillfully handled those probes, as if he could chat and laugh with anyone.
Standing behind him, Fushiguro Toji had a cold expression on his face, taking responsibility for blocking one person after another—men and women alike—who accidentally tripped due to reasons such as slipping, stepping on a hem, or stumbling, were lunging straight toward Kobe Suzuo.
The moment Suguru Geto cast a glance, the Heavenly Tyrant looked toward the corner where Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo were standing, his gaze as sharp and keen as a hawk's.
Then, withdrawing his gaze with indifference, he raised his hand to catch the red wine that was about to spill from the waiter's tray.
Fushiguro Toji blocked four, five, six, or seven people in a single night; he was almost evolving into a qualified bodyguard.
He had a bit of a sour expression, secretly planning to demand some sort of "mental distress compensation" again once work was finished for the day.
Suguru Geto withdrew his gaze and responded in a gentle tone to the waiter who had been waiting by them for a long time, "Thank you, but we are still minors and cannot drink alcohol."
The waiter looked up in shock, but after seeing the faces of Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo, he forced himself to suppress all traces of impoliteness. "Then would you gentlemen require juice or non-alcoholic beverages?"
"I want a Coke, canned and chilled." Satoru Gojo made the request lazily.
"Understood, we will bring it to you shortly." The waiter bowed respectfully and departed.
"Do you notice something wrong?" Satoru Gojo came to a halt beside Suguru Geto.
In the distance, another blonde-haired youth appeared out of nowhere and pushed his way in front of Kobe Suzuo.
The attendants at these kinds of events are all professionally trained; even the arrogant and lawless young masters and ladies are repeatedly instructed by their elders to act with caution.
Suguru Geto chimed in, "But the number of reckless people around Supervisor Suzuo is staggeringly high."
Satoru Gojo smiled, "Indeed. Tonight, all the 'romantic coincidences' in all of Japan are gathered right here."
Suguru Geto's tone was elusive, feeling that it was somewhat beyond belief: "At this level, calling it a [side effect] of a Cursed Technique is a bit too.."
It was a bit too obvious.
"Sshhh!" Satoru Gojo opened a bottle of Cola with one hand. He didn't respond, merely gazing from a distance at the situation involving Kobe Suzuo.
Aside from them, there was no shortage of people present who were secretly watching Kobe Suzuo's movements.
It's truly interesting.
..
“It's you!”
Zenin Naoya saw that person from afar.
He was still dressed in a suit, but today's attire was even more elegant and noble.
Despite looking like a sickly weakling, there was an indescribable aura about him that made people afraid to meet his eyes.
Zenin Naoya thought of the humiliation of that day again; if he hadn't been mindful of the occasion, he would have definitely rushed forward and punched that person right in the face.
Zenin Naoya pushed through the crowd toward Kobe Suzuo, leaving the members of the main family following him far behind; his furious expression caused the people around him to scramble out of his way.
The boy's face still carried a hint of baby fat, when he was angry, his features became distorted, making his naturally youthful looks appear both immature and arrogant.
“I've only met him once, haven't I? Is this kid just too temperamental, or did he have some conflict with me that I'm unaware of?”
Kobe Suzuo swirled his wine glass. He had a photographic memory, but he didn't remember how he had become enemies with that brat from the Zenin Clan.
Merlin checked the intelligence backstage: "He was messed with by you."
Kobe Suzuo thought this statement was a bit strange and raised an eyebrow. "To put it simply, he is coming over."
Merlin: "During the exchange at the suburban shrine, he swore, 'If I don't teach you a lesson today, I won't be called Zenin Naoya.' He was too sincere; by a stroke of luck, he signed a Contract with you and changed his name to Saunai Zhuzhu."
Kobe Suzuo:?
For rule-based Cursed Techniques to be successfully cast, a series of conditions must be met.
The prerequisite for establishing a [Contract] was that Kobe Suzuo had to use text containing Cursed Energy to draft a logically consistent agreement, which was then signed with the names of both parties or marked with their fingerprints.
This was the first time Kobe Suzuo had seen a case where a [Contract] was successfully executed without having to "sign a contract."
How could I not know that the golden finger is such an anomaly?
Merlin spoke rapidly, summarizing the grievances between him and Zenin Naoya:
According to recorded intelligence, within 24 hours of a Cursed Technique taking effect, whenever anyone attempts to mention the name Zenin Naoya, the name will automatically be replaced with Saunai Zhuzhu the moment they open their mouth.
Kobe Suzuo: Hiss, interesting.
Merlin added a tip to the memo.
The system infers that this effect is merely an exception or a coincidence. Given that you, Young Master, are a collection of exceptions yourself, I have marked this topic with an asterisk and added it to the schedule. Please handle it accordingly.
A rebellious youth with dyed blonde hair was about to arrive right before him.
Kobe Suzuo placed the goblet in his hand onto the waiter's tray, signaling that Fushiguro Toji didn't need to be stopped, a signature social smile appeared on his face.
After finishing the key intelligence, Merlin began to share some trivial bits of news that interested him:
To reduce the number of times the term 'Saunai Zhuzhu' appeared, Zenin Naoya locked himself in his room all day, attempting to lower his presence through this method; however, because his behavior that day was so unusual, the number of times people mentioned him actually increased.
Merlin: "So, Young Master, are you really not going to consider Young Master Naoya? Although he is a bit ill-tempered, a bit arrogant, slightly lacking in both IQ and EQ, according to the principle of complementary partners, this splash of color is a perfect match for your lofty, arrogant, yet stagnant life!"
Kobe Suzuo ignored the AI's attempt to push its own agenda.
Given that the AI's personality settings contained no preference for human personalities, Kobe Suzuo could only guess that Merlin's repeated attempts to ship Zenin Naoya with others were influenced by someone else.
As for the person with the authority to do such a thing, it was most likely the World Consciousness—he suspected the World Consciousness had bought a stake in this brat.
Kobe Suzuo felt inexplicably weary; the last time he had felt this speechless was when the World Consciousness said it was going to send him to another world to find a partner.
Hey, what are you spacing out for? Confess! Last time, you used what kind of move..
The rest of Zenin Naoya's words got stuck in his throat.
His eyes widened, "To.. Toji?"
Fushiguro Toji's look today was also specially designed by a stylist.
It wasn't about highlighting youthful beauty through styling like Satoru Gojo or Suguru Geto; instead, it was about masking that aura of lethal desolation clinging to him, completely reshaping his delicate, decadent features toward a rugged, masculine direction.
Setting aside whether he had undergone a complete makeover to look like an upright and dignified person, at the very least, standing behind Kobe Suzuo, he looked more like a bodyguard.
That is why Zenin Naoya failed to recognize him immediately.
Why are you here? The people at home have been telling me that you were already dead, I wanted to ask last time, what is your relationship with this guy? Why are you working by his side, why are you dressed like this?
Like a bean spilling from a bag, Zenin Naoya blabbered on incessantly.
Seeing Kobe Suzuo standing to the side looking like he was waiting to watch the show, Fushiguro Toji finally showed some mercy and spared a glance for Zenin Naoya, saying coldly, "Who are you? I don't know you."
Zenin Naoya instantly wore an expression of humiliation and indignation, looking utterly shocked as if to say, "What? You actually dare not recognize me?"
Kobe Suzuo understood, noting that Zenin Naoya's mental age was quite immature; she almost couldn't hold back her laughter.
He explained to Fushiguro Toji, "The youngest son of Zenin Naobito inherited the Projection Technique; he is the most likely candidate to become the next head of the Zenin Clan, he is also your cousin."
Before Zenin Naoya could react, Fushiguro Toji wore an expression of disgust, as if he had just stepped in dog shit.
Don't go claiming kinship. I believe I've already said that I have no relation to that family, haven't I?