In Minoru’s mind, no term fit the former Lab Nine better. It was a tiger’s den.
✦ ✦ ✦
Maya Yotsuba, the head of the Yotsuba family, put one of her branch families—the Kurobas—to work on the investigation of the stowaways discovered at Kansai International Airport.
The Kuroba family head, Mitsugu Kuroba, was the father of brilliant twins Ayako and Fumiya Kuroba. Ayako and Fumiya were second-year students at the National Magic University Fourth Affiliated High School, so they had class during the week. When Tatsuya heard that the Kuroba family had been assigned to the stowaway search, he had a feeling the twins might prioritize the mission over their studies.
However, Tatsuya’s assumption had yet to be proven true. Mitsugu didn’t go as far as making his children skip school when he sent them to the Hanshin area.
✦ ✦ ✦
On Sunday, June 30, the Kuroba twins arrived at Kansai International Airport.
“Well, that wasn’t very helpful.” Ayako sighed.
“Don’t say that,” Fumiya chided her. “It’s important to hear about any characteristics the stowaways may have that couldn’t be discerned from the photos.”
He shook his head at his sister’s lack of gratitude toward the police officer who had taken the time to help them.
They had just finished having lunch with Karasawa, the officer who had first spotted Regulus and Raymond. During the meal, the twins had quizzed him about the stowaways. Not only was Karasawa kind enough to answer their questions, but he was also technically on duty when they invited him to lunch.
“By the way,” Fumiya continued, “I was surprised you knew Officer Karasawa.”
“As was I when we were told he was the first to discover the stowaways,” Ayako replied. “Talk about coincidences.”
The reason Karasawa agreed to ditch work for lunch was because Ayako happened to be a somewhat close acquaintance of his. Three years ago, during her junior year of middle school, Ayako had spent about a month away from Fumiya in Kobe. During that time, she had attended an etiquette boarding school, specifically for girls of her age.
Her time there, of course, was work-related. It was a covert mission. The goal had been to uncover the plot of a stateless criminal organization that was brainwashing upper-class girls and turning them into operatives.
Ayako successfully completed her mission, but along the way, she had some interesting run-ins with Karasawa, who at the time was still a student at Second High School.
This day, the Kuroba family was covering their lunch bill. Once lunch was over and Karasawa went back to work, the twins could enjoy their post-meal teatime.
“I’m just frustrated our conversation didn’t lead to any real clues,” Ayako said.
“It’s not like we got nothing.” Fumiya smiled.
Ayako raised an eyebrow. She stared at her brother with a look that implicitly pushed him to tell her more.
Fumiya explained, “Karasawa said the two stowaways suddenly disappeared near the manned taxi stand. The police lost sight of them, and they left absolutely no traces behind. Surveillance cameras did capture two individuals driving away, not in a taxi but in a private car. Interestingly, their appearance didn’t match what Officer Karasawa had seen earlier. Also, no cameras outside the airport had any footage of that same private car.”
Fumiya paused and looked his sister in the eye.
“Doesn’t that sound familiar?”
“The Kudou family’s Parade spell,” Ayako gasped.
“Exactly. Now, who from the Kudou family might want to help out parasites?”
“Minoru Kudou! The boy who recently became a parasite and challenged the Yotsuba family!” Ayako exclaimed.
“Right. Therefore, Minoru Kudou is sheltering the stowaways,” Fumiya declared with a confident grin.
Ayako nodded in agreement.
✦ ✦ ✦
The twins separately reported their theory about Minoru harboring the illegal Stars operatives to their father and the Yotsuba main family.
As a result, their father instructed them to put an end to their search and return home. Maya, on the other hand, directed them to stop by the former Lab Nine and relay the information they had uncovered. Needless to say, Maya’s orders took priority.
“I wonder why Maya told us to go to the former Lab Nine and not the Kudou family directly,” Fumiya absent-mindedly wondered aloud.
The twins were in a Kuroba family car on their way to the research lab. To make their commute to school easier, they had moved out of the Kuroba family home and now lived in an apartment in Hamamatsu.
This day, instead of taking the train from their apartment to Kansai International Airport, they used the Kuroba family car that their father had sent to pick them up. Though this made the trip to the airport longer than expected, taking the car turned out to be the right choice. The former Lab Nine, located in a remote area on the outskirts of town, was inaccessible by public transportation.
“Maybe she wants us to report to the General, rather than Makoto,” Ayako replied dutifully, even though Fumiya’s remark had been more of a soliloquy than anything else.
By “Makoto,” Ayako meant Makoto Kudou, the head of the Kudou family. The General referred to Retsu Kudou, the former head of the family.
Retsu was respected not only as a member of the Ten Master Clans but also as an elder of the Japanese magic community and was often referred to as Sage. Tatsuya, however, disliked this title and preferred to call him General Kudou, a name that acknowledged Retsu’s past in the National Defense Force.
While Fumiya and Ayako once used the title Sage, they switched their allegiance to the title General after hearing Tatsuya use it.
“Oh, so that’s why Maya is sending you,” Fumiya remarked.
Ayako and Retsu Kudou had met during the previous parasite incident. Now, the two of them were basically accomplices. It made sense to send someone familiar with Retsu rather than a completely unknown servant from the main family, who Retsu might be less willing to hear out.
“But it’s not just me; both of us are going,” Ayako said, assuring her brother that there was meaning to his being there.
Whether it was because they traveled by car or had a late lunch, it was already starting to get dark by the time Fumiya and Ayako arrived at the former Lab Nine. It should have been the time of year when the days were longest, but the sky was overcast, blocking the light of the setting sun.
The former Lab Nine—now officially called the Ninth Magic Development Research Institute—could be abbreviated as Lab Nine, but those in the magic community referred to it as the former Lab Nine. As expected, Retsu Kudou was already there, and he quickly agreed to Ayako’s request for a meeting.
The twins were ushered into a conference room, where, after brief greetings, Retsu explained why he was at the former Lab Nine on a Sunday.
“The whole family criticizes Minoru. It is so uncomfortable for him at home,” he began.
Retsu had always favored Minoru over all of his many grandchildren. Although Minoru was gifted with a talent in magic, he was often ill. This both prevented him from demonstrating his full potential and made Retsu feel especially sorry for him. His other grandchildren may have sensed this dynamic, making them jealous. On top of that, Minoru’s mother and father, Makoto, each had their own reasons for resenting their son.
Objectively speaking, Minoru had never received much affection from his parents and siblings. In fact, Retsu might have been the only one in the Kudou household who showed the boy any kind of love.
“Well, it is getting late,” Retsu concluded. “Would you two like to stay for dinner?”
Fumiya and Ayako were the same age as Minoru. Seeing them before him must have exacerbated his sense of loneliness now that his grandson wasn’t around. The lack of ulterior motive in Retsu’s tone made it hard for the twins to refuse.
“I can have meals prepared for your servants as well,” Retsu proposed.
“…Thank you so much,” Ayako replied, speaking for both herself and her brother. “We would be honored to join you.”