Chapter 142 : Ways of Departure
Take Naoya away from here? Jiang Lai's expression behind the fox demon mask paused slightly.
This request seemed simple, but was actually quite troublesome behind the scenes.
However, before addressing those complications, he first confirmed: "Just this?"
"Just this." Lady Zenin nodded slightly, her lips holding a gentle smile.
"..." Jiang Lai pondered for a moment, then said: "Why do you want me to take Naoya away from here?"
Blindly agreeing to commitments wasn't Jiang Lai's habit. Since there was still time and possibility for communication, gathering more information was always good.
"As I just said, this place is both sanctuary and breeding ground." Lady Zenin said slowly, "Until the final moment, no one knows what our ending will be."
She shook her head gently, yet her eyes held a certain clarity:
"Or perhaps this is already our dead end. Although we've been isolating ourselves, self-isolation is just an ostrich-like approach. I can sense that the outside era is changing with surging winds and clouds. Sooner or later, those storms will strike within these high walls."
This talk of dead ends seemed to conflict somewhat with the previous transaction content.
Jiang Lai tilted his head slightly, asking: "Since you've already determined it's a dead end, why ask me to preserve the Zenin family as much as possible?"
"Because the dead end I speak of is a framework's dead end," Lady Zenin's eyebrows curved in a smile light as water, "not a dead end of life. At least I hope it's not a dead end of life."
Jiang Lai understood somewhat. Lady Zenin's "preserve the Zenin family" wasn't the traditional feudal great family approach of sacrificing pawns to save the king, but a kind of protection for life in general. This viewpoint was rare.
Lady Zenin's judgment that the Zenin family's feudal framework was heading toward its end clearly revealed her acuity and wisdom.
Though long confined to these few small rooms, her vision wasn't limited by them.
Lady Zenin had already seen through the shaky possibilities behind this prosperity, so she wouldn't make futile attempts to prop it up.
Reaching out slightly to support the wall was merely to prevent falling bricks from harming those who depended on it within the walls.
Jiang Lai paused, then nodded: "I understand."
He also didn't want the battlefield's fires to burn too intensely. Lightning should only strike those who deserved it.
While the path to ultimate victory inevitably involved casualties, fewer innocent lives lost was always better.
The transaction content Lady Zenin proposed from the family's position wasn't to completely protect the Zenin family. If it was just moving the flames of war slightly away from the crowd, that wasn't impossible.
Jiang Lai thought.
From Lady Zenin's words, he could also glimpse more secrets. Lady Zenin seemed to think the Zenin family would face the danger of being slaughtered, meaning this place occupied an important position in Kenjaku's plans.
In that case, this was either the final battlefield or one of Kenjaku's secret weapons.
Jiang Lai made bold speculations, narrowing his eyes as thoughts flowed through his mind.
Then he collected his thoughts and refocused on the personal request Lady Zenin had just made: "So you hope I'll take Naoya away from danger?"
This also seemed reasonable. Although Lady Zenin held great love and prioritized the family, she was also an individual, a mother.
People naturally had their own thoughts. Lady Zenin would also have her own personal interests. Jiang Lai didn't think there was anything wrong with this.
"More or less. This request largely stems from my personal feelings." Lady Zenin rarely showed a smile tinged with some bitterness, saying somewhat helplessly: "Naoya's personality... you've encountered before, so you should know. I'm sorry, it seems we didn't educate him well."
Jiang Lai neither confirmed nor denied this. Zenin Naoya's personality was indeed problematic, which everyone could see. He wouldn't hypocritically say nice things here either.
Actually, not complaining a few times was already respect for Lady Zenin as a mother.
"According to family tradition, Naoya will become the future head of the Zenin family." Lady Zenin's fingertip traced over the porcelain cup on the small wooden table. "But both Naobito and I can see clearly that he lacks the ability to be family head. This ability doesn't refer to technique strength, but character and methods."
"Naoya is too arrogant, lacking a heart that can accommodate others. Though some of his methods are sufficiently ruthless, they lack the wisdom for maneuvering. In the future, he won't be able to deal with political enemies, probably can't even outmaneuver the family elders."
As Zenin Naoya's mother, Lady Zenin saw through everything clearly.
"Like this, making him family head would not only harm himself, but also harm other people in the family."
"..." Jiang Lai didn't respond. He didn't plan to comment on this either. As an outsider, he chose only to listen to these internal family matters.
However, internally he gave Lady Zenin a thumbs up.
Zenin Naoya was indeed unsuited to be Zenin family head. If Naoya took over, this Zenin family would be slaughtered sooner or later... if not by outsiders, then by their own people.
"No one in the family can control Naoya. On the surface he still shows some respect for Naobito and me, but actually..." Lady Zenin sighed lightly, "I know Naoya harbors resentment toward us in his heart."
Resentment? This word was somewhat strange. Jiang Lai's eyebrows furrowed slightly behind his mask.
"You might find it strange," Lady Zenin said after exhaling, returning to her previous tranquil smile, "but the answer is actually very simple. Because [not wanting to go out] and [unable to go out] are completely different things."
"When I was young, I often stepped outside the family gates, but Naoya has basically only had the Zenin family grounds as his range of activity from childhood to adulthood."
Lady Zenin picked up that cup of already cold tea. "He's the Zenin family's legitimate son. While he takes pride in this identity, he also resents this confinement. Though he's never realized what he truly resents, placing his hatred on other people in the family instead."
No wonder the new series' Naoya was so addicted to gaming. Hearing this, Jiang Lai finally understood.
Staying at home day after day in overlapping routines, seeing the same scenery constantly, Naoya would naturally become obsessed with the ever-changing maps in games.
The interaction between Zenin Naoya and Lady Zenin in the study that day also seemed to have an answer.
Both times Lady Zenin mentioned "making friends with people from outside," Zenin Naoya's expression was very strange. It was an expression where too many emotions made it almost impossible to read any emotion.
He marked time in place, hiding his resentment, denying his yearning for the outside. His arrogant exterior covered his face and his heart.
Lady Zenin saw through what even Naoya himself hadn't seen beneath his skin, so she chose to make a personal request for Jiang Lai to take Naoya out of this breeding ground, fulfilling her child's wish beneath that layer of resentment.
This was Lady Zenin's personal interest.
After listening to Lady Zenin's explanation of the reasons, Jiang Lai focused on another aspect:
"There's a key issue. Taking Naoya out isn't difficult. Even if he's unwilling, I can forcibly take him away. But won't the Supervisory Committee become suspicious about this?"
Zenin Naoya wasn't like Maki and Mai from back then, who could be released for relatively reasonable reasons and whom most people in the family wouldn't care about.
On the contrary, as the Zenin family's legitimate son, he was definitely watched by countless people.
If he suddenly left the Zenin family, family opinion would definitely explode.
And the Supervisory Committee would definitely notice this immediately, raising bubbles of suspicion about the Zenin family's loyalty.
"Indeed, Naoya cannot openly leave the Zenin family." Lady Zenin sipped her tea, then set down the small porcelain cup. Her gentle voice mixed with a certain coldness: "At least on the surface, no matter what happens, his body must remain at the Zenin family."
Body remaining at the Zenin family... honestly, this sounded like the prelude to a horror story.
Jiang Lai raised his eyebrows behind his mask. The aura surrounding him remained unchanged as he quietly waited for Lady Zenin's next words.
Since Lady Zenin made this request, she must already have an answer in mind. From the character revealed in these few exchanges, Lady Zenin wasn't a rash person who acted on whims.
The beautiful-faced Lady Zenin pulled a token from her sleeve, placing it on the table. At the same time, her eyes flowed as she looked toward the compartment wall beside them:
"I prophesied in advance the location of the cursed tool you're looking for. The cursed tools here have two unsealing methods: unsealing charms and family head tokens. I used the second method."
Family head token... Jiang Lai's gaze fell on the token on the table. Since Lady Zenin could obtain this, it seemed she and Naobito had a very good relationship.
They weren't just husband and wife, but co-rulers of the family. However, perhaps most people in the family didn't know this.
"That cursed tool is half of [Split and Merge], with the function of separating all things." Lady Zenin's gentle voice slowly narrated, her expression incredibly calm. "In other words, it can separate a person's body and soul."
"...!" Hearing this, Jiang Lai seemed to somewhat understand what Lady Zenin wanted to do, but he hadn't expected Lady Zenin would go this far.
Lady Zenin indeed had her own personal interests, but alongside these personal interests, she hadn't forgotten the family. Her personal interests were built beneath the family.
"I've studied this: cursed corpses can contain souls that have been recently separated," Lady Zenin continued, "In that case, we can use that cursed tool to leave Naoya's body behind, put his soul into a cursed corpse, and send him out."
Even Jiang Lai found himself wanting to speak but holding back. He remained silent for two or three seconds before speaking: "...Are you certain?"
"There's only this one path to take anyway." Lady Zenin's eyebrows curved as she smiled: "Little Maki and Mai who left the family back then have both grown into quite fine young women now, haven't they? I've read their mission reports."
"The outside world is vast and exciting. Naoya has resented this for over twenty years, so let him go out. Perhaps the environment on your side can help Naoya change his personality. It seems you're very good at teaching students."
Jiang Lai: ...Although, but, this isn't a daycare center!!