-83- The day of selection

Night gradually arrived.

After nightfall, the main residence of the Izanagi clan began to host a banquet in a brightly lit hall. Hot and luxurious dishes, along with bottles of fine wine, were continuously served into the hall, filling the tables one by one. The sound of ancient musical instruments filled the air, and the lively atmosphere was brought to life.

When the members of the Akabane clan were invited to the hall, the festive mood reached its peak.

They took their seats, and the banquet kicked off with great enthusiasm. Rozen and Akabane Raishin also came here, sitting not far from the head seat, but they were mostly ignored by the others.

The adults were engrossed in their conversations. Some wore warm smiles, some put on false pretenses, some engaged in subtle jousting through their words, while others spent their time in flattery and deceit. Superficially, it seemed like these people had a good relationship, but in reality, their covert power struggles were so intense that it could be quite annoying.

The younger children were completely unaware of these hidden struggles and gathered together, chatting and playing. Occasionally, they would glare in the direction of Rozen and Domon Hinowa, seemingly eager to pick a fight, but they were far more adorable than the hypocritical adults.

Rozen observed the scene and found the atmosphere with its hidden currents rather tiresome. He also glanced at the seat of the head of the family.

There, Domon Kira sat alone, watching the interactions of the adults and the petulant behavior of the children below. A faint smile played on her lips, seemingly enjoying the spectacle like a spectator at a show. Her wicked temperament was evident.

"Sigh..."

Rozen could only sigh and reflect, "Adults are truly complicated."

In this moment of reflection, Rozen seemed to forget that, if considering his age in Chaldea, he was almost thirty years old. However, due to his limited life experiences and his focus on studying magic since arriving in this world, coupled with the fact that his body had become smaller, his mental state seemed to match his appearance quite well. Personality-wise, he hadn't matured much.

Of course, whether he had matured or not, he couldn't possibly mimic the behavior of those children, glaring at each other. Thus, Rozen chose to ignore the antics of the youngsters and instead curiously observed the adults holding glasses of wine.

Clearly, Rozen was quite curious about the taste of those drinks and felt a strong desire to try them. Having lived two lives, he had never tasted alcohol before. How could his curious nature not be aroused?

In this sense, Rozen was undoubtedly deserving of his childish personality.

Unbeknownst to Rozen, Kamo Subaru and Yuge Matsura, sitting among the children of the Izanagi clan, were also staring at him. Domon Hinowa, surrounded by the others, occasionally glanced at Rozen, doubting whether the cleverness he had displayed during the day was genuine or not.

The banquet continued in this atmosphere.

Until the third round of drinks, Domon Kira finally stood up.

The noisy banquet hall immediately fell silent, as if they had all agreed upon it beforehand.

Domon Kira nodded in satisfaction, and her voice resounded throughout the hall.

"Today is the day of alliance between the Izanagi clan and the Akabane clan. My granddaughter, Domon Hinowa, will be engaged to the heir of the Akabane family today, a propitious event."

As Domon Kira's words fell, all eyes in the room turned to Rozen, Akabane Raishin, and Domon Hinowa.

Akabane Raishin felt somewhat uncomfortable with all the attention, while Domon Hinowa curled up, looking visibly uneasy. Kamo Subaru and Yuge Matsura, standing by Domon Hinowa's side, wore expressions of displeasure, each showing their own reactions.

On the other hand, Rozen seemed indifferent, as if the situation didn't concern him at all, and he continued to ponder how to sneak a taste of the wine.

In this tense atmosphere, the situation moved to the next phase.

"Only one person can be engaged to my granddaughter," Domon Kira declared, pointing towards Rozen and Akabane Raishin.

"One is the second son of the Akabane clan head, inheriting the 'Blood of the Crimson Wings.' The other is the adopted son of the Akabane clan head, gifted enough to earn the title of 'Divine Child.'"

Domon Kira glanced at Rozen and Akabane Raishin before continuing, "I will choose one of them to become the son-in-law of the Domon family and be engaged to my granddaughter."

After her announcement, Domon Kira turned her gaze to Akabane Kuukan, who sat below the first seat.

"Akabane clan head, do you have any objections?" she inquired.

"Of course not," Akabane Kuukan responded promptly, but he asked, "I'm just curious, which one of these two will you pick, Lady Kira?"

This became the central theme of the evening's banquet.

All present became deeply focused.

Even Rozen finally withdrew his gaze from the wine and exchanged a meaningful look with Akabane Raishin. Both of them understood what the other was thinking.

"It definitely won't be me."

Unfortunately, the situation didn't unfold as the two had hoped. Suddenly, Domon Kira smiled .

"These two young men both have their merits, and for the time being, I cannot make a definitive decision," Domon Kira declared, "Given this, I've decided to give them a trial."

A trial?

Everyone present was taken aback. Even Rozen and Akabane Raishin wore dumbfounded expressions, completely clueless about what was happening.

With a smile, Domon Kira revealed the details of the so-called trial.

"Behind Mount Tengu, there is a forbidden area specifically designed for cultivating young Onmyoji of the Izanagi clan."

"There, various shikigami are placed throughout the mountains and forests to drive away anyone who enters the forbidden area."

"Now, using my authority as the head of the Izanagi clan, I will open this place for the two sons of the Akabane clan."

Upon hearing this, setting aside the reactions of the others, Rozen had a vague idea of what the trial might entail.

Domon Kira's next words confirmed Rozen's assumptions.

"I have placed a token in the forbidden area."

Domon Kira's gaze scanned Rozen and Akabane Raishin in succession.

"Between you two, whoever brings out the token from the forbidden area shall be Hinowa's husband."

And so, Rozen found himself faced with this so-called trial.

The result would leave everyone astonished.