"Dang dang dang …" The next morning, just when Ito Sei and Karin were bored, a crisp knock on the door suddenly sounded in the room, attracting their attention.
"Come in," Sei Itō turned his head to look at the door and said loudly.
"Creak." Then, Kirihara Yaso pushed the door open and walked into the room with a wooden cane in his hand. He was wearing a brown Japanese-style trouser skirt, a brown undershirt, and a dark green kimono. He was dressed in a traditional Japanese-style manner.
"Sir, it's time. We should leave," Kirihara Taisan did not go in and just stood at the door and said respectfully.
"Is that so … Let's go." Sei Itō first looked up at the electronic clock hanging on the wall of the room when he heard this. After confirming that it was indeed the appointed time, he got up and said.
"Sir, please come with me," Kirihara Taisan said when he saw Sei Itō got up.
Then, he turned around and walked out of the room, leading Sei Itō and Karin who followed him out of the room and walked slowly to the top secret room inside Kirihara Heavy Industries.
Kirihara Taisan, Sei Itō, and Karin walked slowly for five to six minutes. Finally, under the guidance of Kirihara Taisan, they came to a room with dim interior illuminated only by a small cluster of burning charcoal.
"Kirihara, what's the meaning of this? Why did you bring two strangers in for a private gathering?" As soon as Kirihara Taisan, Sei Itō, and Karin entered the room, a mean voice came from the mouth of an old man with a gloomy vulture face who was sitting around the charcoal. His face was red from the illumination of the fire, and his body was dry and thin as if he had been starving for many years.
"Mr. Chen of the Ministry of Justice, I don't need you to judge how I do things." Although Kirihara Taisan acted like a coward in front of Sei Itō, he was still the head of the Kirihara Family of Kyoto in front of outsiders.
"Mr. Chen of the Ministry of Justice, I hope you can be tactful when the time comes. Otherwise, you won't want to lose your life." Kirihara Taisan walked to the empty seat left by the others and sat down as he thought to himself with a gleam in his eyes.
"Taisan. Why did you call us here? " After Kirihara Taisan sat down, another old man who sounded like he was close to Kirihara Taisan asked.
"That's right. Why is that? You should know that Cornelia has been keeping a close eye on me recently. If it's not something important, I don't want to stay here any longer. " As soon as the old man finished speaking, a man with slightly black hair and a face that looked to be in his forties or fifties spoke up.
Kirihara Taisan was silent for a few seconds. Then, amidst the crackling sound of wood charcoal, he slowly opened his mouth and said, "Before I explain the reason why I gathered everyone here, let me introduce a person to you …"
Sei Itō immediately walked out of the dark corner when he heard Kirihara Taisan's words. He slowly stepped forward and stood beside Kirihara Taisan, who had stood up from the ground.
"This is Sei Itō -sama, the monarch that I, Kirihara Taisan, have chosen to serve for the rest of my life," Kirihara Taisan stood beside Sei Itō and said to the five people in the room with a solemn expression.
"Kirihara, what did you say?" "Taisan, are you crazy?!" "Are you kidding me …" As soon as Kirihara Taisan finished speaking, a few voices filled with disbelief echoed in the room.
The only person who didn't speak in the room was the imperial representative in a gorgeous kimono, kneeling behind a bamboo curtain. Emperor Kamura! At this moment, she was curiously looking behind the bamboo curtain with her pair of big bright eyes. Sei Itō's image was blurry.
"Quiet." At this time, Kiritomo Taizo, who was afraid that the noise of other people would annoy Ito Seiji, slammed the crutch in his hand on the ground and shouted when it made a muffled "dong" sound.
"Tai San, what kind of show are you putting on today? Are you trying to imitate the Warring States Period's oath? " After everyone quietened down due to Kirihara Taisan's outburst, the old man who had a good relationship with Kirihara Taisan spoke.
"Shushin, I wasn't joking. I have indeed pledged my loyalty to Lord Sei Itō," Kirihara Taisan turned to his old friend and said in a gentle voice.
"The main reason why I asked everyone to come here today is to ask for your opinion. Are you willing to pledge your loyalty to Lord Sei Itō like me?" Kirihara Taisan looked at the other people in the room and said in a deep voice.
"Kirihara Taisan, you are crazy, but we are not. I won't pledge my loyalty to Sei Itō like that brat next to you," Chen Ji sneered at Sei Itō who was standing beside Kirihara.
Upon hearing Chen Ji's words, Karin, who was standing at the side, immediately stepped forward and was ready to beat the old man who dared to resist to the ground. However, when she passed by Sei Itō, Sei Itō extended his arm and stopped her.
"What do you guys think?" Ito Mori looked at the other leaders with a smile and asked softly.
On the side, although Kirihara Taisan was under the control of Sei Itō's hypnotism, his consciousness was still in control. He secretly winked at his old friend, Shushin from the Kōfaku House.
Upon seeing Kirihara Taisan's signal, Shushin immediately swallowed the words he wanted to say and looked at Sei Itō, Kirihara Taisan, and the others with a hesitant expression.
"That's what I think too," the young black-haired man said in a deep voice.
"If I pledge my loyalty to you, what benefits will I get? What benefits will my family get?" Compared to Chen Ji and the black-haired man who were straightforward, the old man with a normal build, neat hair, and a cunning glint in his eyes asked in a deep voice.
It was obvious that he regarded pledging his loyalty as a transaction and was prepared to exchange his loyalty for greater benefits.
"I'm not interested in playing any game with you. There are only two outcomes I want. Pledge your loyalty to me or not. Please tell me your choice," Sei Itō sneered at the old man who proposed the deal and said in a tough tone.
"Hmph." The old man was enraged when he heard that. However, as the leader of a big family, he quickly adjusted his emotions. He snorted coldly and frowned as he looked back and forth between Sei Itō and Kirihara Taisan.
"I agree to pledge my loyalty to you," a few seconds later, the old man looked at Sei Itō and said with a gleam in his eyes.
Upon hearing the old man's choice, Sei Itō looked at him with interest.
"Yoshino, why are you also going crazy with Kirihara Taisan?!" Chen Ji, who also heard the old man's answer, turned to look at him and said in a deep voice with a frown.
The old man named Yoshino glanced at Chen Ji and didn't answer his question. He walked directly to Chen Ji and the black-haired man and stood in front of them.
"I also agree to pledge my loyalty to you." Gongfangyuan Shushinobu looked at Kirihara Taisan and then turned to look at Yoshino. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up at Sei Itō and said in a deep voice.
The black-haired old man's expression changed when he heard Gongfangyuan Shushinobu's choice. His eyes flickered, and it was obvious that he was regretting his impulsive choice.
"You're the only one left, Kaguraya-san," Sei Itō finally looked at Kaguraya behind the bamboo curtain and said.
"I'm just a weak woman. What choice do I have?" Kaguraya, who was kneeling behind the bamboo curtain, sighed softly. Then, she stood up from the praying mat and opened the bamboo curtain in front of her. She walked down the steps lightly and looked at Sei Itō. "I'll follow Sei Itō -sama's orders."
"What an interesting little girl." Sei Itō looked at Kaguraya with interest. She was wearing a witch costume, but the fabric was more luxurious. She wore a golden chain with a ruby embedded in the middle of her forehead. She was looking at him fearlessly.
"Now that you've made your choice, it's time for me to make my move." Sei Itō withdrew his gaze from Kaguraya and turned to Chen Ji and the black-haired old man.
"I choose to pledge my loyalty!" As soon as he finished speaking, the black-haired old man beside Chen Ji of the Ministry of Justice immediately spoke with a panicked expression.
"Sorry, it's too late!" Sei Itō said disdainfully when he saw the black-haired old man's reaction.
Then, he didn't waste any time. He directly enveloped Chen Ji and the black-haired old man with his Psychic Energy and began to hypnotize them.
In an instant, Chen Ji and the black-haired old man froze. Their eyes were lifeless as they stared blankly in front of them.
"Immediately send the list and information of all the resistance forces in your hands, as well as the remaining cherry stones and military supplies, to Kirihara Heavy Industries," Sei Itō ordered Chen Ji and the black-haired old man, who had fallen into a hypnotic state.
"Yes," the two of them answered mechanically.
On the side, the expressions of Gongfang Court's Shushin and Yoshino changed when they saw Chen Ji and the black-haired old man's performance. They secretly glanced at Sei Itō, who was standing there performing the hypnosis technique, and felt relieved that they had survived a disaster.
"Wow, how miraculous." Kagura, who had also seen Chen Ji and the black-haired old man's performance, clapped his hands in front of him and said with an amused expression.
"Looks like the deterrence effect is pretty good," Sei Itō chuckled when he saw the changes in Gongfang Court's Shushin and Yoshino's expressions. Then, he ordered Chen Ji and the black-haired old man who had fallen into a hypnotic state. "Go."
The two of them immediately turned around and left the small room after receiving the order. They went to contact their subordinates to carry out Sei Itō's orders.
"The two of you have the same request as the two of them. Go." Then, Sei Itō turned around and ordered Gongfang Court's Shushin and Yoshino, who still had a relieved expression on their faces.
Gongfang Court's Shushin and Yoshino's expressions changed when they heard this. They immediately showed an ugly expression as if their beloved had died. However, after witnessing Sei Itō's previous methods, the two of them didn't dare to resist and obediently left the small room to carry out Sei Itō's orders.
"Remember, don't hide anything. Otherwise, your end will only be worse than the two of them!" Just as Gongfang Court's Shushin and Yoshino were about to leave the small room, Sei Itō's indifferent voice sounded again.
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