POV Junko Hoshino

Junko shrugged shakily and left the room where her son was reading a book. She hadn't even noticed how the room had become drastically colder, and it felt somehow... uncomfortable. A little later, already approaching Tenno-sama's mansion, the woman noticed that her son had completely shut himself off from her in an instant, and his usual warmth was gone. She no longer felt him, and somehow she felt empty.

The conversation at the end had softened, and Sora had stopped looking at her, hiding his eyes, and she hadn't even noticed it until now. Okay, well, she would think about that later, right now the upcoming conversation was more important. The last one. Three whole months of maneuvering, of insinuations, of hints at hints, and now — the end was near. Today. At this stage it is customary to speak openly, to put all the points, all the commas.

The woman entered the large, bright hall, greeted those who had already arrived, and waited for those who were late. When all the seats were taken, an outspoken old man, short and plump, spoke.

— Let us begin, shall we? — The old man chewed his dry lips and thought. — We'll start with the news, and then we'll do the last part of the negotiations. Are we all in agreement? — The old man looked around and saw the nods of agreement, so he continued. — Ma-kun, report.

— Yes, Mitsuhiko-sama. — A middle-aged man of average age and appearance bowed from his seat. — The Kubo and Kuromichi clans were destroyed. There is no direct proof. The casualties on our side are twenty-seven melee fighters, seventeen mages, and all three dozen dedicated yurei.

— Why such losses? — spoke a stocky man with chiseled features and earth-colored skin. — They reported that the clans in question were small in number and shouldn't have caused much trouble.

— Yes, — the reporter nodded. — That's true, but the interrogation revealed that the clans had been reinforced with Mori Omyoji triplets just before the attack. They are the main reason for these losses. They were able to raise the defensive barriers and destroy all the Jurai in one fell swoop, allowing the clans to organize.

— Yes, we could not have imagined such a thing. — Celestial Fox nodded. — But the most important thing is that two dark clans of curse masters were destroyed. — Everyone nodded.

— Go on, Ma-kun. — The fat old man waved his hand.

— Yes, sir. — The man bowed again. — We were only able to confiscate part of the clan libraries because of the attempt to destroy them. The Yurei should have been in control of this matter. — The speaker was silent for a while, waiting for a reaction or questions, but there were none, and continued. — The Kubo and Kuromichi bloodlines were preserved — the children of the Elder Branches did not die and were evacuated along with the family altars.

There were no further comments and discussions — everything had been agreed upon long ago, and all issues had been resolved. Why bother with idle talk?

— Alright, we're done here. Karasu-kun, what can you say about the neighbors?

— Hai! — A black-haired man in his thirties, with the face of an indomitable warrior, bowed. — The Chinese are creating the illusion of movement and diverting the troops' attention, so we cannot expect reinforcements from this side — the mages will not return from the outposts — the emperor will not let them go. The Russians continue to hold the blockade, so everything is the same here.

— And the Americans? — asked a tall woman in her forties, with the sturdy physique of a fighter.

— The Emperor had some negotiations with them, the outcome is unknown, the only change in the country's image is a seven percent increase in trade.

— Are we participating? — asked another fat man, a bit younger, with long earlobes and a strange cap on his head.

— No. — Tanno shook his head negatively. — The treaty was only for government property and business.

The creatures discussed the details for a few minutes, speculating on how the new information could be used, speculating on the main purpose of the negotiations, but no one knew anything, so it was over quickly.

— Well, that's done. — The fat old man clapped his hands together. — Ma-san, Karasu-san, you may go. — A double "Hai" a bow, and the speakers left the meeting room. — Let's move on to the final stage of the alliance. — Everyone nodded in agreement, and Hoshino Junko prepared for a difficult conversation. — Minamo-dono, please. — The old man waved his hand, and a full-figured woman in her fifties, wearing a light-colored kimono, nodded.

— According to the established tradition that we all know, the family structure of the Lord Feudal, to which the head of the magical clan and the clan are equal, cannot be discussed-everything is clear to everyone. — After examining the people present, the old woman continued. — Very well. The Community of Magical Nations, led by the Circle of Elder Lords, has offered an alliance to the Hoshino Clan.

We have offered to help restore the clan to its former glory and strength, new clan lands, and the return of the shards of the clan altar from the emperor's office. The method of cementing the alliance is the usual one — dynastic marriages between heirs.

On our side, three girls will take the places of the eldest and two of the five places of the younger wives. Concubines are traditionally out of the question. Does anyone have anything to add? Clarification? No? In that case, I'll proceed. I propose that we call the approved applicants, and if Junko-san approves them, they will be officially granted the new status. — The woman raised her voice slightly. — Kokoro, Ririna, Matsuhide, come in!

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