-555- The scapegoat you found

"——"

In the corridors of the Onmyou Academy, the atmosphere felt exceedingly heavy, suffusing a stifling silence in the surroundings.

Rozen and Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi exchanged glances, but their expressions remained eerily calm, nothing like what one would expect between a father and son.

In reality, even the atmosphere between them didn't feel like a father-son relationship. If a third party were present to sense the atmosphere between them, they would surely be surprised and puzzled, wouldn't they?

But this was the relationship between Rozen and Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

It's not that Rozen doesn't appreciate Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi for raising him, but Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi had never done anything beyond that. So Rozen couldn't quite consider him a father; more like a benefactor.

As for Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, he had always maintained a distance from Rozen.

So, it seemed natural for things to be like this between them.

However, Rozen would still show respect on the surface to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

"Since father has come to the Onmyou Academy, why didn't you inform me first, so I could welcome you?"

Rozen politely asked, a rarity for someone who usually wasn't so formal.

But Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi didn't respond to this at all.

"Are you going?" Yasuzumi Tsuchimikado stubbornly asked this question.

Presumably, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi already knew.

He knew who had invited Rozen and what would happen next.

Kurahashi Miyo had mentioned it, right?

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi was an Stargazer.

And a very skilled one at that.

Currently, Kurahashi Miyo's ability to see the stars had weakened to the point of almost seeing nothing.

In contrast, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi was on the rise in terms of stargazing ability. This must have provided significant aid to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, right?

Therefore, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi had surely seen something through stargazing, prompting him to come here specifically.

To come here and deter Rozen.

So, Rozen asked so.

"Do I have a reason not to go?"

Rozen asked straightforwardly.

To this, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi remained silent for a moment and then calmly spoke.

"If you go, the destinies of many people will change."

That was the reason why Yasuzumi Tsuchimikado had come here.

However,

"If I don't go, will this destiny not change?"

Rozen asked candidly, making Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi fall into silence once again.

Next...

"At least, it won't come too soon,"

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi said these words.

Rozen couldn't help but feel that Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's words seemed weak when he said them, though he wasn't sure if Rozen had noticed.

It was only natural.

"To prevent this destiny from arriving too soon, how much effort have you really put in, Father?"

Rozen asked, a mix of sympathy and pity in his tone.

Upon hearing this, the calm expression on Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's face was finally broken.

"...Is that so?" Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi mumbled to himself. "You already knew, huh?"

To this question, Rozen gave a very clear answer.

"Yes," Rozen calmly said. "The director has told me some things that have unraveled some of my doubts."

What doubts?

"The reincarnation of Yakou."

With these words from Rozen, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi realized.

Realized that the thing he had been trying to hide had finally been exposed.

And it was exposed in front of Rozen.

But there was no way around it.

Rozen had already started facing the matter of Yakou's reincarnation. Therefore, after resolving questions regarding Saotome Suzu's in the director's office, Rozen asked Kurahashi Miyo about the aspect of Yakou's reincarnation, thus learning the truth.

"'Tsuchimikado Yakou has successfully reincarnated and become the son of the contemporary head of the Tsuchimikado clan'—this is the rumor that led to me being suspected of being Yakou's reincarnation."

Rozen's voice slowly resounded.

"However, where did this rumor come from?"

Yes.

This was the initial question.

"Since there is a rumor, there must be a source that led to this rumor, right?" Rozen said. "So, I have been wondering: where did this rumor originate? Is it intentionally spread by someone, or is it true? If it's intentionally spread, what is the person's motive? If it's true, then how did the other party confirm that Yakou would reincarnate as your son?"

This was a very natural question, wasn't it?

"And leaving aside the former, assuming it's the latter, what in this world could allow someone to foresee this event as if it was predestined?" Rozen tossed this question to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

But for the answer, Rozen didn't need Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi to respond.

Because it was already quite clear.

"The ability to foresee the future in such a way, everyone knows there is a type, right?" Rozen said with a half-smile.

Yes.

"——Hoshi Utau."

"Only this kind of ability can allow someone to foresee the future and know what will happen in the future."

Rozen exposed this point.

"The director told me that you are the one who obtained this foresight."

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

This is the head of the Tsuchimikado family. Before inheriting the position, he, like Tsuchimikado Takahiro, worked in the Onmyou Agency.

At that time, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi awakened the power of stargazing and read the future where he would give birth to the reincarnation of Yakou.

Because when Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi awakened this power, there were others around him, including the director of the Onmyou Agency, Kurahashi Genji, and so this matter was exposed and spread.

"It is said that shortly after that, you left the Onmyou Agency and secluded yourself in the Tsuchimikado family. Even Uncle Takahiro, who resigned from the Mystical Investigation Department, left with you, and at the same time, with Aunt Chizuru who was working in the Exorcism Division."

Rozen said.

"And after this, you married the daughter of the Wakasugi family and had a son. At that time, both the director and the chief were present, witnessing your wife's pregnancy and sensing the presence of yang energy in her belly, undoubtedly a boy."

So, according to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's past readings of the future, this boy is the reincarnation of Yakou.

There is no doubt about this.

However, here comes the question.

"May I ask, Father?" Rozen looked directly at Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi and said, "Where is your son now?"

With this statement, the whole room fell silent.

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi seemed to realize that things were irretrievable and closed his eyes.

At this point, the truth about some things began to surface.

For example, why Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi never mentioned to Rozen that he was not his biological son and always kept his distance from Rozen.

The answer is actually simple.

"This is just my speculation."

Rozen said calmly.

"I guess you didn't want your own son to be involved in the many dark secrets and events caused by Yakou in the future, so you chose to hide him, right?"

As for Rozen...

"I am the scapegoat you found."

Rozen exposed indifferently.

"Pretending to be your son, pretending to be the reincarnation of Yakou, used to attract everyone's attention and bear the brunt of all the disasters."

This is the whole truth.