-106- Changes between brothers and sisters

A few minutes later, Rozen left Akabane Kuukan's room and walked into the corridor. There, he encountered his brother walking towards him from the other end.

"Ten-nii?" Rozen couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.

"Nuragami, is that you?" Akabane Tenzen also stopped in his tracks.

After five years, not only had Rozen grown, but Akabane Tenzen had also become a seventeen-year-old young man. His composed and mature demeanor remained, and he had grown even more handsome and refined. Perhaps due to mastering both the 'Crimson Wing Formation' secret technique and the art of puppet crafting, Akabane Tenzen now exuded an air of otherworldly wisdom.

This aura must surely be quite attractive to young ladies in their prime.

Observing Akabane Tenzen in this state, Rozen smiled faintly.

"It's been a while since I've seen you. It's quite rare for you to appear, Ten-nii."

Lately, Akabane Tenzen had been engrossed in studying puppet crafting, rarely leaving his study or the library. He seemed to be following Rozen's footsteps in pursuit of knowledge.

Of course, Akabane Tenzen's life wasn't solely focused on personal improvement. As the eldest son of the Akabane family, now seventeen years old, he was gradually being included in the family's grooming plans. In order to inherit the position of family head, he not only needed to socialize but also make appearances in the political arena, rubbing shoulders with influential figures.

As Rozen had anticipated, the Akabane family likely intended to use Akabane Tenzen as a powerful asset to bring the family back to its former glory. Currently, Akabane Tenzen frequently traveled to different regions, making contacts with individuals who wielded real power within the nation.

Because of this, he even interacted with the Izanagi clan and had multiple dealings with the military.

Due to these commitments, it had indeed been a while since Rozen had seen Akabane Tenzen.

However...

"Rare for me to appear? Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Akabane Tenzen smiled wryly.

In reality, it should be Rozen who was rarely seen. Akabane Tenzen was often seen in various gatherings.

They couldn't meet each other, not because Akabane Tenzen was too busy, but because Rozen was a shut in who rarely left his room

Rozen seemed to be aware of this fact but didn't admit it.

"I'm just trying to make things easier for you. Having one younger brother is already enough to trouble you. If your younger adopted-brother also bothers you, wouldn't that just making you uncomfortable on purpose?"

Upon hearing this, the wry smile on Akabane Tenzen's face disappeared, replaced by silence.

Seeing his reaction, Rozen sighed as well.

"You just visit Raishin and came back, right, Ten-nii?" Rozen asked.

"... Yeah," Akabane Tenzen replied.

Over the past few years, while Akabane Tenzen had mastered the 'Crimson Wing Formation' secret technique and started surpassing Rozen, Rozen himself became more determined and focused, fully embracing a reclusive lifestyle. However, another significant event occurred in Akabane Raishin's life during this time.

He was expelled from the clan.

The reason was that Akabane Raishin had finally found a mentor outside and began studying swordsmanship seriously. His mentor was an unnamed swordsman living in a nearby dojo. Akabane Raishin had met this swordsman and became his disciple.

In other words, Akabane Raishin had completely abandoned magic and embraced the path of the sword.

This decision eventually alarmed Akabane Kuukan.

At first, Akabane Kuukan had tolerated Akabane Raishin's stubbornness, hoping he would change his mind. However, it seemed that Akabane Raishin had made up his mind and wouldn't turn back, which angered Akabane Kuukan. As a result, Akabane Kuukan used three puppets to spar with Akabane Raishin, teaching him a lesson by leaving him bruised and battered. This was meant to convey that martial arts couldn't compare to magic.

But Akabane Raishin was also stubborn. Even with his injuries, he continued to shout, "I will never learn magic! Not in this lifetime!"

It was both an impulsive statement and a deep cry from Akabane Raishin's heart.

Akabane Kuukan remained silent in response and later uttered coldly, "In that case, my Akabane clan doesn't need worthless individuals like you."

Under these circumstances, Akabane Raishin was finally expelled from the family.

Afterward, he lived in the dojo, dedicating himself to learning swordsmanship and martial arts under his mentor.

Rozen hadn't seen Akabane Raishin for a long time either.

"How is he doing now?" Rozen casually inquired.

"He's doing fine. He seems content with his current life. He practices at the dojo every day and doesn't seem to have any intention of returning home," Akabane Tenzen shook his head and continued, "But it's a bit unfortunate for Nadeshiko."

As Akabane Raishin's sister who was closest to him, Akabane Nadeshiko naturally couldn't ignore his departure. When Akabane Raishin left, Akabane Nadeshiko had tried to persuade him, but his stubbornness remained unchanged. In the end, it seemed they had a major argument and hadn't seen each other since.

"Since Raishin left, Nadeshiko has been quite lonely. As her older brother, I feel powerless,"

Akabane Tenzen said, his words revealing a mix of self-blame and contemplation.

Rozen felt equally helpless.

Due to his own training, Rozen rarely paid attention to Akabane Nadeshiko's affairs. While Akabane Tenzen knew that she appeared lonely, Rozen didn't even know what was going on with her.

"If you have time, go visit her," Akabane Tenzen suggested, "And as for Raishin, he's at the dojo. Visit him when you can."

"Got it," Rozen nodded.

After a few more exchanges, the two parted ways.

Just before leaving, Akabane Tenzen unexpectedly said, "Take care."

Surprised, Rozen turned to look at Akabane Tenzen.

However, Akabane Tenzen had already left, heading towards Akabane Kuukan's room. He knocked on the door, entered, and disappeared from Rozen's view.

"Take care...? " Rozen pondered the words, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"I'm not disappearing forever. Does Tenzen really think I'm like Raishin, running away from home?" Rozen scratched his head and then continued walking, leaving the room.

Next, Rozen was headed to the place where Karyusai lived.

Akabane Kuukan had provided him with the address. Even though Karyusai's residence was a secret, Akabane Kuukan seemed to have gathered the information through some means, enabling Rozen to go there and deliver the letter.

Thinking back to what Akabane Tenzen had said, Rozen secretly contemplated, "Once I'm back, I'll visit Raishin and Nadeshiko."

Little did Rozen know, as he embarked on this journey, he would be bidding farewell to numerous people.