HP: Spirit Talker

Junko remained silent and averted her eyes. She was thinking hard about what I said, but I used simple charms to heat the chocolate slightly and filled my cup again. Taking small sips, I watched my mother thinking: my thoughts, their vector, had not occurred to her, and now she was beginning to think about it. Let it be useful for her, I let it be, but I began to recover from all this nervousness and stress.

To be honest, the conversation with my mother did not evoke many emotions: neither anger nor indignation. The thing is, Se-dono had carefully explained to me what Junko and Lissa had agreed on, what they all talked about, how I was divided there, and so on. I don't know what Se-dono really wanted to achieve when she "enlightened" me, I can think of many things... but why? If I start guessing and scheming now, without any proof, I might become so paranoid that I'd never get out of it. So I decided to just take note of the new information and keep in mind that they were telling me all of this for a reason.

To drive a wedge between Junko and me? She's doing a pretty good job of that herself. No, actually it was very unpleasant to hear the details of the "negotiations", at that moment I wanted to do something stupid, like renounce this woman, break off the relationship and so on, but then I remembered what I feel when I am with her: this feeling of kinship and closeness — indescribable, it is very deep, it can warm the soul.

Besides, as they say, "parents are not chosen", especially my mother has been in a hopeless situation for so many years that she could not but leave some trace. It's easier to treat Junko as a simple woman who has been through... not a little.

— Okay, let's say you're right, even if I don't agree. — I didn't react to those words at all, just like in the old cartoon: — But Baba Yaga disagrees! — which means everyone is entitled to their opinion. — But you are not taking any steps to return our altar, or I just do not know about it, you are hiding everything from me as always?

— Can't you just ask me a normal question? — I let out a heavy sigh. — You're making demands on me, but what have you done for the revival of the clan, or at least for the clan? — My mother frowned, her emotions full of resentment and misunderstanding.

— Instead of helping me in business, you chose the role of a simple fighter... — Noticing the sharp indignation, I decided to correct myself. — Okay, okay, not a simple fighter, but that doesn't matter. Who do you think is going to protect our home? One Momo is not enough, we need people, trained and loyal people who can face danger. But where will they come from? Loyal, I mean.

— You mentioned the tanuki yourself, and then there's Lan...

— Right, — I nodded in agreement. — And the alliance with them is my work, my achievement, not yours.

— The alliance hasn't been solidified yet, so you can back out. — The woman said, not quite sure.

— They can, — I nodded again, although I didn't believe it. The thing is, there are a lot of tanuki, I mean a lot of them, and for the sake of comfort, they would soon have to come into conflict with someone in order to obtain/buy/conquer living space.

The current solution is the most appropriate, because it not only preserves old contacts in Japan, keeping them out of conflict, but also gives the Ayakashi new opportunities. The Lan, the Petal of Flame, one of the "fighting" branches of the Lan Clan, now led by Yusheng, is a different matter. Our alliance is an opportunity for both of us to revive the Fire Family as it was a few thousand years ago, and both Yusheng and I, as well as all of their subordinates, are interested in this.

 And all because it's the way to power, no, to the power, and the power that the Lan family and the Hoshino family have always respected and strived for, but over the millennia the Lan have managed to pick up a mountain of curses that are firmly rooted in the central altar and now poison all the members of the clan, in fact that's why Lan Yusheng and her people and wear locking and blocking amulets that cut off the ancestral magic.

It is impossible to remove them, only through me — as the carrier of the purest and closest to the original blood. Well, and with the help of several rituals, quite specific and complicated. — But even in this case, I have a plan that's already underway. — And it's not a lie, not even a pretense. My lessons with Kiriko were not in vain, and already after two days in the dungeons, deeper and more protected, twelve cocoons were laid, in which Kiriko's younger brothers and sisters are growing — the girl herself worked on metal blanks, but to crystals I do not allow her yet, but carefully acquainted with the theory.

The magic in the crystals is collected by hired mages, so even taking into account the insufficiently high magical background on my lands, the background in the chamber with the cocoons is even higher than the one I set when Kiriko was growing up. I think the second generation of this new race should grow faster, but we'll see. — And with all this: the house we live in, my business growing by the hour, you demand that I give you what I built with my own hands. Do you even have a conscience? Everything you see around you, I have achieved by myself, so forget even thinking about me giving anything to anyone else, do you understand?!

— Don't talk to me like that! — Junko almost growled at me. — I am your mother! By the mere fact of your birth, you are obligated to obey me!

I barely had time to bite my tongue and not answer the first thing that came to my mind, because if I say it, those words will stand between us forever, for life, and even if we can agree, sometime much later, we will certainly not forget it. Well, I might have forgotten it, but women are much more vengeful than men, and they have a good memory when they need it. You have to keep quiet when you have to, just keep quiet or you'll say all kinds of things.

— Do you have any other arguments, or is that it? — Self-control is very important for a magician.

— According to the Hoshino Clan code, I have the right to...

— No, you don't. — I'm interrupting your pathetic speech and chest puffing. — The Hoshino Clan no longer exists, and neither does the clan, because our altar was destroyed, and until we rebuild it, we have no right to be called a clan. So you can forget about ritual challenges, honor duels, and the like — I will simply refuse, and there will be no consequences. — Seeing the confused look on my mother's face, I grin.

— I'm an Onmyouji, so I should know the rules, but I'm not a Miyazaki, and I was never expelled from the Miyazaki family. — I keep laughing because this situation is crazy. In fact, I could have been cursed remotely (they could have tried, because it's an old Onmyouji practice to use protective amulets that can be used to cast a curse on any animal/bird/fish), and they were obligated to banish me from the clan and the Miyazaki clan, But for some reason, no one has done so yet, and I continue to receive a very small amount of food (a very small amount, because "breathing slop" is very unpleasant, and after "filtering" there is "very little" left), which I redirect to our contract with Baa-san, i.e.. That is, to speed up the acquisition of the gift.

— I have the heritage and power of the Hoshino and Miyazaki clans in me, so I don't have to prove anything to you. On the contrary, it's up to you to prove that you deserve to join the new family and clan, but so far I don't see any progress at all. Tell me, how can you be useful to the family and the clan except for me? Forget about our bloodline.

— I'm a master of combat! — The woman said proudly.

— Yusheng is too, but she has already proposed a project to establish her dojo, which will raise a new generation of sworn mages who will become the new guard of the clan. — The woman looked shocked, confused, and even disappointed in herself. I didn't even think about killing her, I never had such a goal, I was a mother after all.

— I have to admit, the situation is my fault. — I sighed heavily again, and ignoring my mother's surprised and disbelieving look, I poured myself another cup of chocolate (only half a cup left). — It's the head's duty to find jobs for his subordinates, to "assign roles", and I somehow forgot — I'm just not used to relying on others. — I said all this while looking out the window, feeling my mother's gaze on me, and only now did I turn to her and look into her eyes.

— From now on, your job is to teach martial arts to the clan members and those who will be accepted. I want everyone, I repeat, everyone, to know how to defend themselves, at least on a minimal level. To know which side to draw a sword or naginata from, to be able to combine magic and honest steel in defense and perhaps, if you are so inclined, in attack. How you accomplish this is of little concern to me, as long as you don't go overboard. That's your role.

— And if I don't accept it? — The woman blinked, a very familiar blink, and a smirk appeared on her lips. I grinned back and blinked the same way.

— If you don't accept, I will remember that you are still young and strong, and you can give the clan at least one child....