Koji Hattori finished packing his things and took one last look at the Jiang Jian Apartment, gazing at the five floors whose lights had been out for days.
His eyes flickered.
“Mr. Hattori!”
He was just about to turn and leave when a woman’s voice called from the entrance.
He shifted his gaze and saw it was the maid, Meko.
Without her maid uniform, Koji Hattori didn’t recognize her at first.
“Meko? You’re leaving too?”
“Yeah!”
Meko folded her arms across her chest, baring her teeth.
“I can’t stand that guy!”
“As a working woman, I get to choose my boss too, right!”
She wiped her nose with her thumb, looking all carefree, but her eyes held a hint of loneliness.
“But why are you leaving? Aren’t you an Ability User? They just let you go that easily?”
Meko moved closer to Koji Hattori, curiosity in her eyes.
Koji Hattori sighed, remembering the scene when Morita Aoya left the apartment yesterday during the day.
***
Koji Hattori had been specially called to the car.
The back door was open, and Morita Aoya, dark circles under his eyes, spoke softly.
“Hattori, I’m entrusting the Missy to you.”
Koji Hattori felt stifled.
It was because of the so-called “Japan Special Task Force” that came to Japan with Nine-Tails Seiji.
Although this group of “international elites” seemed polite, he always felt they were excluding those who followed the Missy.
It wasn’t just his imagination—almost all the original Jiang Jian Apartment staff felt it too.
So, bold as a newborn calf, he asked directly.
“Why do you look like it’s a final farewell? The Missy just got bored at home! She’ll be back in a few days! And when she returns, she’ll definitely call you back!”
“That Nine-Tails Seiji… What a piece of work! Pah!”
Koji Hattori lowered his voice.
Morita Aoya shook his head.
The fatigue of the chief steward seemed to seep into Koji Hattori, making it hard for him to breathe.
“Do you know why the Jiang Family Head chose to go abroad during the period when the Missy needed company the most?”
“Why?”
Koji Hattori was confused.
Why bring this up all of a sudden?
As a new member who had only recently joined DRG, he’d only heard rumors about these “past events.”
“Because… sigh, let me put it simply. No organization can escape factionalism, and the larger the group, the fiercer the infighting. With DRG as huge as it is now, do you really think the Family Head decides everything alone?”
Koji Hattori shook his head.
Of course, he wasn’t that naive.
“Back when DRG wasn’t even called DRG, it operated low-key, with small branches in most countries, maintaining basic staff. I don’t know what the Family Head’s purpose was.”
“It wasn’t until after the Ikebukuro Monster Incident that GPRI information was shared with me, and I started to get a clue.”
“The company always chose locations close to known GPRI Bases. That’s completely uncommercial.”
“It’s almost like they knew about the Destruction of GPRI decades in advance and were ready to swoop in for the spoils.”
“So, what’s up with Central Africa now…?”
Koji Hattori asked, confused.
What did DRG’s plans and internal strife have to do with Morita Aoya’s current helplessness?
“That’s the result of infighting.”
Morita Aoya sighed.
“After the Missy was born, the Family Head returned to Japan and loosened control over the branch companies, especially in third-world countries.”
“In Central Africa, the puppet Board of Directors grew restless, and since the Family Head never cared much for Africa… things began to change quietly there.”
“When the Missy was elementary school age, an incident happened in Central Africa—the Supervisory Group sent by the Family Head to investigate was burned alive in a hotel.”
“Those years… the Family Head was indeed negligent with company matters, focusing too much on the Missy, because when the Missy was a child… uh…”
Morita Aoya’s expression grew awkward as he searched for words that wouldn’t sound disrespectful.
“There was an air of purity.”
“With the Missy’s condition unresolved for so long, and after what happened in Central Africa, the Family Head was deeply shaken.”
“It took a long time for them to decide to go to Africa.”
“Originally, the plan was to wipe out the Central African Board of Directors with overwhelming force, but upon arrival, they found a massive local interest group had already formed.”
“All prior reports had been whitewashed. It wasn’t until a few upright Supervisory Group members used their deaths to warn the Family Head that the truth came out.”
“A three-year Inspection began, but the result wasn’t optimistic, because the Family Head lacked a proper ‘military,’ while the Board of Directors had the support of VGCF.”
“The predecessor of VGCF was an international mercenary organization. They worked with the Board and even connected with France. That’s also why the Board has held on this long.”
Koji Hattori hurriedly interrupted.
“Didn’t the Family Head have Ability Users?”
Morita Aoya shook his head, speaking with absolute certainty.
“You have to understand, most of the supernatural technology and Ability Users that DRG uses now were obtained after the Destruction of GPRI.”
“If not, DRG would have been marked for elimination too.”
“I suspect that’s one reason the Family Head had to go to Central Africa: If the Central African Board came into contact with Mind Bug System-related things, it could bring a GPRI strike… I’m sure that’s what the Family Head was thinking.”
Seeing that Koji Hattori had no more questions, Morita Aoya continued.
“The Three-Year Inspection ended when the Family Head’s deputy was killed.”
“Disheartened, the Family Head changed strategy, chose to compromise with the Board, and gradually withdrew personnel from other countries, focusing on Central Africa.”
“After the Three-Year Inspection, DRG changed its name and went public.”
“But what does that have to do with Nine-Tails Seiji… or whether the Missy comes back?”
Koji Hattori, feeling like he’d sat through a history lesson, was still confused.
“Nine-Tails Seiji isn’t important, but the young Honke Faction he represents is… Those people are even more complicated.”
“You can think of them as the opposition within the Honke Faction. These young people are dissatisfied with the old generation blocking their upward path, fueling the Homeland Return Ideology—going back to Japan, recreating DRG’s Central Africa success, and building their own Enterprise Nation.”
“Some of the earliest who returned became core leaders after their victories… but they’re a minority, and…”
Morita Aoya shook his head softly.
“You just need to know the Family Head is stretched too thin now and needs the support of these young people. Nine-Tails Seiji returned to Japan with the Shangfang Sword.”
“For that guy, building the Japan Base, running the qualification tournaments, and increasing influence are the main goals… The rest is just personal business.”
“What about the Missy…?”
“The Missy’s engagement isn’t important either.”
Morita Aoya said flatly.
“After spending time together these past days, I’ve realized this person’s purpose has always been clear and unchanging.”
“The Missy leaving was a bit extreme, but it only sped up his ‘seizure of power.’ Sooner or later, it would’ve happened anyway. The Missy’s experience is still shallow—she can’t outplay Nine-Tails Seiji—or rather, ‘seizure of power’ isn’t even the right word. The newcomers transferred from Sri Lanka were his people from the start.”
Morita Aoya gave a bitter smile.
“We weren’t even considered part of their group. The ones left in Japan were just DRG ‘fringe’ members.”
“Even if the Missy returned and clashed with the Family Head, at most she’d lose her Candidate for Engagement status, and Nine-Tails Seiji would remain the main manager of DRG Japan.”
“As a leader pushed forward by the young Honke Faction, removing him wouldn’t be easy.”
Koji Hattori sensed the complexity of the situation and could only think of one thing:
It’s all the Missy’s fault!
How could he think such a thing?
Startled by his own thoughts, Koji Hattori muttered.
“It’d be fine if Nine-Tails Seiji were an easygoing guy, but he’s… too arrogant.”
“I told you, Nine-Tails Seiji isn’t important. Ever since that deputy died, the top candidate slot hasn’t mattered.”
“Deputy?”
“Yes…”
A faint reminiscence filled Morita Aoya’s eyes.
“He was a genius—a true prodigy, so outstanding he left all other candidates in the dust. He should have been the most suitable choice. That’s why his death hit the Family Head so hard.”
“Forget it, it’s too late to talk about this now.”
Morita Aoya shook his head.
“In the future, the Missy definitely won’t have things as easy as before. Unless… unless she goes to a country without DRG.”
“I hope you’ll stay. No matter what happens… As the leader of the fringe members, I probably won’t get another chance to look after the Missy.”
Morita Aoya, the always confident and carefree man nearing middle age, now had reddened eyes and a trembling voice.
“I hope you’ll take good care of the Missy and not let her be wronged.”
After all, she was a child he’d watched grow up…
In Morita Aoya’s heart, she was already like a daughter.
After hearing the whole story, Koji Hattori stroked his chin.
“Hmm… I refuse.”
“Huh?”
“I said, I refuse!”
Koji Hattori straightened his back.
“I refuse to stay in the apartment. Since the Missy isn’t here, I’ll leave to follow her.”
“I joined DRG for the Missy—no, for Lady Moon! Not for some damned Missy!!”
“My transfer is already set. There’s no way I’m going to Central Africa!”
***
Koji Hattori’s memory lingered on Morita Aoya’s shocked face.
It was the first time he’d seen the chief steward with that expression.
“I wanted to stay in Japan, so I insisted on leaving.”
Koji Hattori glossed over his recollection and answered Meko’s question.
“Maa maa~ Well done~”
Meko smiled and patted Koji Hattori on the head.
The old Chuunan stiffened for a moment, then frowned.
“Don’t randomly touch a man’s head!”
Tsk… what a clueless guy.
Meko made a face.
The scar left by the GPRI Incident twisted slightly.
Then, as if remembering something, she spoke.
“Oh right, Akimoto-neesan asked me to tell you: She overheard that those bad guys might be targeting Yuki-kun.”
“What!”
Koji Hattori exploded with anger.
“That’s such an important thing! You should’ve told me sooner!”
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Koji, it’s been nice knowing you dude
Ah hell nah man what you mean by this