In a year and a half, there was no sign of "love," but Kobe Suzuo's two-year plan had been successfully completed ahead of schedule.
The bond between low-level non-noble Jujutsu Sorcerers and the Director's Department was like loose sand, scattering at the slightest breeze.
Kobe Suzuo took control of "Window" without much effort.
The Elders Council didn't care much for this intelligence department that lacked actual combat power; they treated "Window" like carrier pigeons, their management of Assistant Supervisors was even less effective than that of the human government.
At the end of 2005, with the support of the Kobe Zaibatsu's funding and utilizing the "Window" intelligence network, Kobe Suzuo began the "localization" simulations of the [Merlin] project abroad.
Kobe Suzuo knew to keep a low profile before his wings were fully grown, all of these plans were proceeding quite discreetly.
The existence of an Innate Technique [Contract] added another layer of insurance to his actions.
However, at the beginning of this year, Kobe Suzuo still managed to catch the attention of the Elders Council.
In that enclosed washitsu, the old man hidden behind the folding screen spoke in a hoarse, dry voice: "Kobe Suzuo, how does it feel to be respected in the position of the Jujutsu Director?"
After Kobe Suzuo took over the internal management of "Window," the rise in intelligence accuracy and the drop in mortality rates were undeniable.
Coupled with the improvements in benefits and salary, Kobe Suzuo gained fame almost imperceptibly.
This is not what the higher-ups want to see; they can grant Kobe Suzuo power, but Kobe Suzuo cannot seize it for herself.
This summons was a signal, a warning to Kobe Suzuo that she had crossed the line.
Kobe Suzuo was shocked by the cowardice of the higher-ups.
Is he afraid that he is accumulating power and then breaking free from their control?
This place is unexpectedly sharp.
Kobe Suzuo bowed humbly, his voice trembling with trepidation and awe. "I wouldn't dare. Everything I have now is thanks to your patronage," he said.
After Kobe Suzuo stated his position, the higher-ups no longer continued to make things difficult for him.
On one hand, they still looked down on Kobe Suzuo, a young Director who lacked the backing of a clan's foundation.
On the other hand, the money from the Hanakobe Family was truly incredible; for thirty years, the high-level funding had never been this abundant.
At that time, Kobe Suzuo had already formulated her second two-year plan.
Find the Fated Person within two years.
If he can't find them, he'll just set the matter of romance aside for the time being and start by kicking all those old fossils in the Director's Department out.
However, Kobe Suzuo still overestimated the magnanimity of the Elders Council.
After this interrogation, Kobe Suzuo encountered four assassination attempts in the month of March.
Even if Kobe Suzuo had been kidnapped since childhood and was viewed as a thorn in the side of various business rivals, this frequency was still far too high.
Fushiguro Toji was one of the assassins hired, but because Kobe Suzuo offered a higher price, he decisively sold out his employer.
The person who hired him was a curse user with no grudge against Kobe Suzuo.
Fushiguro Toji laughed maliciously, the scar at the corner of his mouth twisting slightly with the movement. "Maybe it's just because you're particularly easy to hate?"
Perhaps, after all, there are many people in this world who resent the wealthy.
Kobe Suzuo replied casually, her pitch-black eyes containing three parts mockery, three parts indifference, four parts blunt, radical aggression toward that old bastard.
But Kobe Suzuo still endured it; the two years in the Jujutsu World were the two years he endured the most in his life.
In April, Kobe Suzuo claimed to be ill to the outside world, while assigning herself the identity of an Assistant Supervisor within the "Window" system.
At Jujutsu High, Kobe Suzuo met Satoru Gojo.
The God's Child of the Gojo Clan, who had broken the balance since birth, was beautiful, powerful, possessed a somewhat eccentric personality.
Like a dazzling flash of lightning in the clear daylight sky, he left a brand in the eyes of everyone who looked at him.
If possible, Kobe Suzuo wanted to spend more time with Satoru Gojo.
Tengen's current evolution was nearing its end. When the news reached Kobe Suzuo, she submitted a request for an audience to Tengen in her capacity as the head of the Director's Department.
He wanted to meet this legendary barrier user of the Jujutsu World to determine if this person was worth saving.
"Six Eyes" and "Ten Shadows Technique" have been passed down through countless generations; even if they haven't reached the pinnacle of strength, they have at least seen some development, with geniuses like Satoru Gojo being born.
Tengen has lived for thousands of years, yet his Barrier Techniques have seen no breakthroughs.
Kobe Suzuo suspected there was something going on here.
The prevailing concept in the Jujutsu World is that Tengen and humanity share a common destiny and cannot die, but this is merely the narrative of the upper class.
Kobe Suzuo had served in the position of Director of the Director's Department for two years, she knew those old fossils were absolutely disgusting; on the surface, they spoke of righteousness, but in reality, they were selfish, caring for nothing but themselves.
However, Tengen gave Kobe Suzuo no chance to test the waters, refusing her request to meet.
If the Star Plasma Vessel were truly that important—so important that if anything happened to her, Tengen's evolution would fail and all of Japan would be doomed—then why not bring the Star Plasma Vessel back to Koushin Palace the moment the information leaked?
If the Star Plasma Vessel wasn't particularly important, if there were contingency plans in place even if something went wrong, then why have the "Strongest" duo, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, escort her?
These suspicions could perhaps all be explained away by the fact that the higher-ups are complete idiots.
But when the higher-ups personally summoned Satoru Gojo and still insisted on entrusting the mission to those two, Kobe Suzuo could be certain there was definitely a conspiracy afoot.
The old man could be stupid, he could be wicked, he could even harbor murderous intent toward Kobe Suzuo, but Kobe Suzuo didn't care at all.
After all, Kobe Suzuo would collect these debts sooner or later.
But they cannot lay a hand on Satoru Gojo, they cannot lay a hand on his students.
Satoru Gojo is a person who broke the balance from the moment he was born; his strength means that the Cursed Spirits have an equivalent power to contend with him.
That is what you call balance.
According to the data provided by Merlin, the quantity and strength of Cursed Spirits are growing at an alarming rate, in the future, there may be Special Grade or even stronger Cursed Spirits.
If Satoru Gojo's combat power collapses, there is no doubt that society will fall into turmoil.
Even if Satoru Gojo were not the Fated Person, Kobe Suzuo would definitely protect him.
Simply because this God's Child was born in human form, with a sincere personality, naturally stood on the side of humanity.
"The weather has turned cold; it's time to send those old geezers into the grave," Kobe Suzuo said, his pitch-black eyes staring directly into those gem-like eyes.
He stood up from the engawa and reached out a hand toward the laughing Satoru Gojo. "Let's go, Satoru-kun, I still owe you a dinner."
Chapter 9: That AI
The weather was beautiful tonight, the moonlight draped over the white-haired youth like silk, making his azure eyes appear translucent, making him look like a breathtaking sculpture.
Satoru Gojo carried the strawberry daifuku that Kobe Suzuo had packed for him. He didn't walk far before scurrying back, leaning down against the car window and tilting his head to observe Kobe Suzuo's expression.
His tone was playful, with a hint of coquetry, "Hey, hey, Suzuo, can't I really come with you on this rebellion?"
The young man pointed to himself. "I'm super strong, you know."
Kobe Suzuo acted as if she hadn't heard the words "rebellion," and answered quite sincerely, "If I need Satoru, I will definitely ask you without any hesitation."
Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up, just as he was about to press for more, he met Kobe Suzuo's smiling gaze, his expression instantly crumbled.
At this age, Satoru Gojo rarely hid his emotions; his joys and sorrows were all written clearly on his face, the moonlight added a soft-focus effect to him, radiating the vibrant vitality of youth.
“The Supervisor is treating me like a child.”
Kobe Suzuo's fingers twitched imperceptibly, she spoke in an imitation of Satoru Gojo's tone:
“If you delay any longer, Satoru-kun, Masamichi Yaga will have to punish you.”
Kobe Suzuo shifted her gaze away from those blue eyes and whispered, "Goodnight," just before the car window slowly closed.
Satoru Gojo pouted, hung the bag of daifuku on his wrist, walked leisurely toward the school gate with his hands in his pockets.
He hadn't walked far before he became enthusiastic again, cheerfully going to share today's "observations" with Suguru Geto and Nobara Iori.
Once his figure had completely disappeared from view, the expression on Kobe Suzuo's face receded like the tide, his entire aura turned cold.
The driver in the front seat received the instructions and started the car, driving slowly toward Kobe Suzuo's residence.
Slender knuckles tapped against the armrest rhythmically, the steady sound helping Kobe Suzuo's thoughts flow smoothly.
Suddenly, a pink text box with gold trim popped up on the AI glasses' visual display.
One by one, settlement reports scrolled slowly within the text box, their font changing from the usual high-tech cyan and green to a cherry blossom pink.
The lively sound of fireworks exploding and upbeat BGM rang out simultaneously in the headphones.
[Data Settlement in Progress]
[Date Event in Progress: Your time spent with the key character 'Satoru Gojo' totaled 5h 34min. The bond between you has increased.]
[The dessert you chose brought joy to him, your bold declaration piqued his curiosity; this shall be the beginning of your romance.]
[The frequency with which you look at Young Master Gojo's face has increased by 19%. Excluding the possibility of lust, your affection for Young Master Gojo has increased.]
['Moonlight Parting' CG unlocked successfully, added to database]
[Congratulations, Young Master. This is a good start. Your romance will surely go smoothly.]
Kobe Suzuo??
What on earth is this?
He tapped his headset, summoning Merlin's host, "What's the deal with this summary?"
Merlin: "It's a Gara game."
Kobe Suzuo's temples throbbed abruptly twice.
Merlin: "To ensure that the Fated Person can smoothly fulfill your requirements, Young Master, I have created this system by emulating the romance dating sims on the market."
It can record every little detail of your time spent with Young Master Gojo, then review and summarize it.
Kobe Suzuo pulled up the relevant code, as she looked at the long list of galgame purchases and crawler logs, her vision went black again.
Terminate this system's calculation.
What kind of things does this moron AI watch on the internet every single day?
Merlin paused for a moment, asking unrepentantly, "Is the Young Master worried about the gender being wrong? Actually, I also took the opportunity to research Rose-oriented games.."
Kobe Suzuo rubbed her brow and interrupted, "Merlin, under normal circumstances, humans do not learn about life through games."