"Long time no see. You look well. Are those jarheads of yours doing alright?"
"Hm?! Oh! You're back, Naoya? Missions are as brutal as ever, but I'm managing with those guys. This is a sudden homecoming, though. Talk about a surprise."
"The old man called me back out of the blue, but he won't tell me why. You know anything? Oh, right, these are souvenirs for the jarheads. And this one's for you, Shinro."
"Oh, thanks! ...I'll take the Maou shochu as a captain's perk, but isn't giving those guys a mountain of Yoku Moku cookies a bit too much luxury?"
"Taming men is best done with food. Even an idiot understands a debt of a meal."
"I don't know, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people who owe you for their lives more than for food... Anyway, you were asking about the Head's business? We haven't been told anything."
Naoya Zen'in, the next head of the Zen'in family and a Special Grade sorcerer, exchanged casual words at the entrance of the Zen'in estate with Shinro Zen'in, the captain of the Kukuru Unit.
Since Naoya had often joined the Kukuru Unit's training sessions during his childhood, he and Shinro were on a first-name basis despite their age difference. As the de facto captain of the security force, Shinro was usually well-informed about the family's internal affairs. If even he didn't know anything, this was undoubtedly a personal surprise orchestrated by Naobito Zen'in.
'Ugh, what a pain...'
Naoya's inner thoughts were plain on his face. In contrast, Shinro thanked him for the souvenir again and told him to hang in there. Shinro's attitude held none of the typical Zen'in gloom. He himself owed Naoya his life; Naoya had shielded him from a cursed spirit's technique back when he was a regular member, and had even given him a taste of the Black Flash via Cursed Technique Reversal with the words, "I'll show you something good, so do your best."
It had been nearly ten years since Naoya Zen'in began reigning as the absolute strongest within the Zen'in family, a place usually swarming with monsters resembling rotten oranges. The atmosphere had become noticeably better for those below a certain age. Naobito's foresight in incorporating "good deeds" into Naoya's Binding Vows might have been truly brilliant.
However, the fact that a man like Naobito was being secretive was enough to make Naoya's intuition scream that this was going to be troublesome.
While he wanted to put off dealing with the annoying old man, he had no choice but to go since he had been summoned. Naoya felt deeply depressed.
---
And so, Naoya visited Naobito's room, only to be told, "You're here! Let's go!" Without any explanation, he was dressed in a formal crested haori over his kimono and whisked away in a car to a familiar high-end restaurant with Zen'in ties. It was an established shop with several centuries of history, a quiet and traditional place. Since they catered to Naoya's vegetarian diet, it wasn't a place he was unfamiliar with.
However, this restaurant was notoriously expensive. Being dressed in formal attire and brought to such a place made Naoya's internal alarm bells go off completely.
"What is this? You didn't need to prepare a place like this."
"I couldn't very well avoid it. It's because you've been pestering me so much, Naoya."
"Pestering? Me, to you? I don't recall... wait, is it about a wife? If that's it, there's no reason to hide it, is there? If you'd actually found a wife I'd agree to, you'd be bragging about it. This is suspicious. Do you even remember my conditions?"
"As you've guessed, this is a marriage interview. I had a hard time finding someone who met your criteria, you know. First, she is eighteen, turning nineteen this year. Just the 'older sister' type you wanted."
"Well, at least it's good to know she's not some withered old hag. But there's gotta be a catch, right?"
"Regarding the chest size you were so concerned about, I'm told she is a J-cup. You have no complaints there, surely?"
"Are you serious... she's probably just overweight, isn't she?"
"Her measurements are 108-65-96. She's 168 centimeters tall and weighs 70 kilograms. Well, a sorcerer's body is their capital, so this is about right, wouldn't you say?"
"Hearing only information that's convenient for me makes it even scarier... what's left? She's not incredibly ugly, is she?"
"Let me ask you this: what would another house gain by recommending an ugly woman to you? A certain clan of sorcerers has prepared a choice beauty specifically for you, which is why we are here. You're being far too cynical."
"The look on your face is just too smug and suspicious. There's something... but damn, I can't figure it out. What is it? Am I overlooking something...?"
Because his Punish Evil sensor told him that nothing Naobito had said so far was a lie, Naoya tilted his head in confusion. Simultaneously, the sensor picked up the "scent of a deathly boring prank" coming from Naobito, which kept Naoya on edge.
As Naobito watched Naoya with a twitching, grinning mustache, they finally reached the sliding doors separating the hallway from the private room. Naoya steeled his resolve, threw the doors open, and simultaneously delivered a lightning-fast kick to Naobito's kneecap.
Sure enough, there sat a young woman who appeared slightly older than Naoya. Her features were undeniably those of a "beauty," passing even Naoya's picky standards with flying colors.
The fact that she was a princess of a sorcerer clan was undoubtedly true based on the cursed energy she radiated. Most importantly, there was no lie in her measurements. Her body, which featured the massive chest Naoya preferred, was well-toned like a sorcerer's should be, and her proportions were perfect.
But. However.
There was one "massive" characteristic about her that needed to be mentioned before anything else.
"You old geezer! Shouldn't you have mentioned this about her first?!"
"Ow, ow, ow... Don't be so angry, Naoya. Gabriella is surprised too."
"You should be able to see that I'm more surprised than anyone...!"
Yes, the partner for Naoya's marriage interview was named Gabriella.
[ILLUSTRATION DISPLAY]
She was a 100% pure Kenyan, an incredibly rare foreign sorceress.
---
"I see! It was a surprise then!"
"That's right. This old man is truly terrible. I'm sorry you were dragged here and suddenly told it was a marriage interview, Gabi."
"It's okay! I came here intending to get married!"
"Is that so... you're okay with that... really...?"
The two young people conversed. Beside them sat Naobito Zen'in—looking a bit pathetic after having half his mustache ripped out by Naoya in retaliation—and Gabi's companion and older half-brother, a young man named Miguel, who was the strongest sorcerer in Kenya.
Both Miguel and Gabriella could speak Japanese, albeit with an accent, which was a testament to their intelligence. Furthermore, once they started talking, it turned out their tribe was one Naoya actually knew of.
"If this is a political marriage, all the more reason to tell me beforehand. This is ridiculous."
"There, there. Naoya, I don't mind at all."
As Naoya said, this marriage proposal had an extremely strong political aspect. In order to strengthen the bond between the Zen'in family and the tribe that possessed the manufacturing technique for the Black Rope—which Toji also used—one of the tribe's most beautiful women was to be married off as the third wife of the next head, Naoya Zen'in. It was a matter completely unrelated to Naoya's own will. Alliances through blood and blood-based Binding Vows were still highly valued in the jujutsu world, and this case was a prime example.
"When Toji came to buy Black Rope, he asked if we'd be willing to marry Gabi into a family in Japan. When we heard about Naoya's tastes from Toji, everyone in the tribe agreed that Gabi would be perfect. It was just small talk back then, though."
"I see. So that's how it started. And the old man jumped on it... but wait, you said 'third wife.' I don't even have a first or second yet."
"What are you talking about, Naoya? You have Maki and Mai."
"Don't be stupid. They're still kids in first grade."
"I've heard! They are six-year-old twins! It's okay! That's fairly common in the Kenyan countryside! Even in my tribe!"
"Wait, Gabi, are you taking their side...?"
"They seem to like you too, so there's no need to be so particular. Why do you care so much?"
"Well, obviously... being the 'third' wife means I'm getting married third, right?"
"That's right! We're here to get engaged today!"
"I'm relieved to see Naoya is being proactive. That's good, Gabi!"
"In other words, I can't actually get married until I'm in my thirties...! And this is just torture... right now, I truly hate you. Toji, your sense as a scout is too good. I'm grateful and happy, but the situation is hell. I have to wait...!"
"What are you saying, Naoya? The plan is to hold the wedding with Maki and Mai as soon as they turn sixteen. You'll be exactly twenty-nine and a half!"
"That's basically the same thing! You're mocking me, aren't you, old man?! Shall I rip out the other half of your mustache?!"
"Ahaha, you two are so close. ...Well, there's a reason on my end too for why the marriage is ten years away. Please forgive your father-in-law, Naoya."
"Is that right? What's your reason, Gabi?"
"Black Rope is made by virgin sorceresses of the tribe pulling out their pubic hairs one by one and weaving them. I want to keep weaving for a while so I can send some back home! Toji also said, 'It's a pain to go all the way to Kenya every time. If I can get it in Japan, I'll pay a decent price.'"
"I see. So that's it. I see... It's like I'm being cuckolded! Even though I haven't even slept with her!"
"Bwahahahaha!"
"You old geezer, I'm gonna pluck your pubic hairs out next...!"
Due to the virgin resentment of Naoya's fury, his total cursed energy increased slightly. Gabriella was to move into the Zen'in estate starting today, and Miguel, who was clearly a high-level sorcerer, was to stay at the Zen'in estate as her bodyguard. This eventful engagement, which sacrificed Naoya's heart and both of Naobito's mustaches, was somehow successfully concluded, further strengthening the Zen'in family's influence over the Kenyan jujutsu world.
It is a story for another time how Naoya, upon looking in the mirror later and finding a stress-induced bald spot on his temple, fell into a deep depression and increased the intensity of the full-body Reverse Cursed Technique he constantly kept active.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]