The mischievous little panda slammed straight into the visitor's face.
Instead of getting angry, the tall white-haired man simply let out a surprised "Oh?" He grabbed the tiny Pokémon by the scruff of its neck, lifting it effortlessly, and examined it through the blindfold covering his eyes.
"Now this is interesting," he said, voice rising slightly with amusement. "Not human, not a cursed spirit, not quite an ordinary animal either. If I had to describe it… something like a spirit familiar? Your technique, perhaps?"
"You could say that," Leon replied calmly.
The little panda kicked and flailed in midair, trying to scratch the man's face, but every swipe fell just short. Its frustrated growling only made the visitor laugh harder.
"What's its name?"
"Pancham."
"Very fitting. Definitely mischievous." The man chuckled, finally setting the Pokémon down. Pancham immediately puffed up and tried to bite his shoe.
Leon, meanwhile, caught another quiet notification flashing across his system interface:
Pokémon Signature Detected
So that confirmed it. Meaningful encounters triggered the system. The newborn Pancham itself was proof—he had met Panda just yesterday, and now this Pokémon had appeared. The logic wasn't perfect, but the pattern was becoming clearer.
Good. A manageable acquisition pace was better anyway. Training Pokémon properly required time; having ten new partners appear overnight would only create chaos.
Behind him, Kamo Mayumi called out politely, "Please don't stand at the door. Come inside."
The white-haired man stepped in casually, brushing invisible dust from his sleeves. Then, in an overly formal tone, he said:
"Hello~ I'm Gojo Satoru, editor from MF Bunko. I'm here regarding Mr. RED's manuscript."
Leon blinked.
"…Gojo Satoru?"
Even Mayumi froze for a moment. That name alone carried enormous weight in the sorcerer world.
"Editor?" Leon asked, narrowing his eyes. "Since when?"
Gojo smiled as if he had already predicted the reaction and handed over a business card, a neatly prepared contract, and a folder of publishing documents. "All legitimate. Guardian signature required for activation, of course. Premium royalty split, priority promotion, and potential anime adaptation rights. Consider it a small thank-you for saving my students."
Leon swallowed. "Is this… really allowed?"
"Why not?" Gojo shrugged. "I hold major shares in the publishing house anyway. A few additional benefits aren't a problem."
That sounded absurd—and somehow completely believable.
Leon rubbed his forehead. "You know, when I imagined meeting you, I expected something dramatic. Not… this."
"I actually wanted to experience being an editor at least once," Gojo said cheerfully. "Sadly, my reputation keeps ruining the surprise."
"That's because you're too famous."
"I see. Next time I'll use a pseudonym. How about Gojo Sora?"
Leon deadpanned, "You could at least try to be subtle."
Gojo laughed again, clearly enjoying himself.
Mayumi returned with tea, still visibly nervous. "Excuse me… are you truly Gojo-sama, head of the Gojo family?"
"It feels stiff when people say that," he replied lightly. "Just call me Satoru."
Mayumi, raised for years within one of the major sorcerer clans, clearly wasn't comfortable addressing him so casually. Leon stepped in smoothly.
"Please don't casually charm my mother, Gojo-sensei."
"Ah, my apologies," Gojo said, raising both hands in mock surrender. "Then let's stick with 'sensei.' That brings us to the real reason I came."
The playful tone faded.
Gojo sat upright across from Leon, expression suddenly serious.
"Leon," he said, "I would like to formally invite you to enroll in Tokyo Jujutsu High."
The room fell silent.