Chapter 24

Back at the clinic, Rokudo Mukuro found that Ryunosuke Akutagawa had already returned. Ryunosuke Akutagawa was different from usual; his usually expressionless face was adorned with a rare, gentle smile.

Upon seeing Rokudo Mukuro, he immediately came up to him and said, "Mukuro-kun, you're back. Did you encounter any danger?"

He spoke words full of concern without hesitation, completely unlike his usual reserved and introverted self.

Mori Ougai and Dazai Osamu, who had been standing next to Rokudo Mukuro, were completely invisible to him.

"Ryunosuke-kun, you're really hurting my feelings. Someone as big as me standing here, don't you feel any presence at all? You only greet Mukuro-kun, and don't care about me, Dr. Mori, at all~"

He doesn't care about the boy's concern, but he's envious of what others have that he doesn't.

"Exactly, exactly. I've been in school with you for so long, and all the teachers taught us about unity, friendship, and camaraderie. What happened to all that?"

When Dazai Osamu gets into his weird and eccentric mood, his power should not be underestimated.

"Oh, Dr. Mori and Dazai-kun, you're here too." Ryunosuke Akutagawa's smile vanished, a stark contrast to his previous gentle demeanor.

"Alright, alright. Knowing you're not as popular as Mukuro-kun, why are you still making trouble for yourself here? Let's go." This double standard left Mori Ougai and Dazai Osamu feeling bored, and they left sullenly.

"Ryunosuke-kun seems to be in a good mood today. Did your date go well?" Rokudo Mukuro asked with interest.

"Yes!" Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who had just put on a stern face, couldn't help but smile again. "Today I met a pen pal I met not long ago. He is a very knowledgeable writer. Today, he provided me with a lot of help with my writing!"

"That gentleman was erudite, knowledgeable, and well-versed in both ancient and modern times..."

When Ryunosuke Akutagawa mentioned this person, his eyes lit up, showing that he genuinely liked and admired him.

"Mr. Mukuro, I may have been a little confused before, unsure if I could write excellent works, but after today, I will definitely try my best to write and become a writer."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's dark eyes were no longer as empty and lifeless as usual; instead, a spark of light ignited in their depths.

Rokudo Mukuro admired Ryunosuke Akutagawa for this. With faith and aspirations, a seedling finally sprouted in his barren heart.

"Then please do your best. I look forward to reading Ryunosuke Akutagawa's works as soon as possible," Rokudo Mukuro immediately encouraged.

"Ryunosuke-kun, who is that person you're talking about? Could it be that he's been tricked? There are so many awful adults who like to lie to children these days!" Dazai Osamu looked at Akutagawa Ryunosuke and felt a strange mix of emotions.

As a child himself, he must have felt envy, knowing that someone of his kind could find something to keep going; he must have also had dark thoughts, wondering why someone of his kind could find something to keep going.

Holding these two diametrically opposed thoughts, Dazai Osamu uttered this seemingly concerned remark. As he said it, he didn't forget to glance meaningfully at Mori Ougai.

"Dazai-kun, I haven't lied to you, have I?" I don't think so at the moment.

“I don’t know about that. But you can’t deny that Dr. Mori is a terrible adult,” Dazai Osamu said smugly.

"I was not deceived; in fact, I wrote to him on my own initiative." It turns out that their acquaintance was a fateful encounter that began with their shared talent.

Once he had the means, Ryunosuke Akutagawa frequently visited bookstores of all sizes in Yokohama, reading different works by different authors and absorbing knowledge like a sponge.

It was under these circumstances that he found several books of very good quality in a few small bookstores. In a world where, apart from famous works by renowned authors, the quality of other books varied greatly, these few books shone like treasures in Ryunosuke Akutagawa's eyes.

After careful reading, I found that the quality of these books is in no way inferior to the works of literary masters, and the writing style is very much to the liking of Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

More importantly, these books are all written by the same person. It's just a mystery why such excellent works are not well-known and instead gather dust in a corner of bookstores.

He believed that with such works, the writer would surely become famous in the literary world; this was Ryunosuke Akutagawa's idea.

However, the reality is not like that. Such excellent works are unknown, no, it should be said that there are no famous writers in the history of modern Japanese literature.

With a try-it-out attitude, Ryunosuke Akutagawa contacted the book's publisher, wrote a letter to the author, and attached a casual essay he had written. He sent it out without much hope.

The result was a pleasant surprise; the writer replied with a letter praising him highly, which greatly encouraged him.

The two began exchanging letters from that time onward, becoming good pen pals. Later, upon learning that they were both in Yokohama, they arranged to meet today. This meeting further strengthened the relationship between Ryunosuke Akutagawa and the writer.

"That sounds really good. I wonder what the author's name is. I'd like to read his works sometime." Rokudo Mukuro didn't think the man was a fraud, but someone who could win the favor of Akutagawa Ryunosuke was definitely not an ordinary person.

When Ryunosuke Akutagawa heard that Rokudo Mukuro was interested in the author, he was even happier: "That author is named Natsume Soseki. Although Mr. Natsume Soseki's works are few, they are all masterpieces!" He tried his best to recommend it to Rokudo Mukuro.

Mori Ougai, who was drinking water, choked upon hearing the name: "...cough cough cough...cough cough..."

Looking at Dazai Osamu, who had sprayed water all over the table, he said with disgust, "Dr. Mori, you're such a grown man, and you still choke on water? Ugh~ that's disgusting!"

As he spoke, a quick glance of understanding flashed in his eyes. It seemed that the writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa was talking about had a special relationship with Dr. Mori.

"...Ahem...Ryunosuke-kun, you mean the person you met today was named Natsume Soseki?!" Mori Ougai asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes.” Seeing Mori Ogai’s intense reaction, Akutagawa Ryunosuke said with certainty, “Dr. Mori and Mr. Natsume Soseki know each other.”

Mori Ōgai himself knew that his reaction to hearing that name was too extreme. But choking on water is perfectly normal, you know; don't be so sensitive!

"Yes, we know each other, and have known each other for a long time. But we haven't seen each other for a long time either." Mori Ougai spoke calmly, but his heart was far from calm. Who is Natsume Soseki? He is the teacher of Mori Ougai and Fukuzawa Yukichi, a powerful and elusive top-tier esper.

He hadn't been able to contact Natsume-sensei for a long time, but now Akutagawa Ryunosuke was telling him that he had a chance to meet Natsume-sensei today, but he had missed it!

However, Mori Ougai secretly glanced at Akutagawa Ryunosuke. Ryunosuke, who could receive praise from Natsume-sensei and even have his teacher come to see him in person, must have extraordinary literary talent. He had underestimated him before.

Those who can catch the eye of Natsume-sensei are absolutely unique geniuses.

Mori Ougai's expression remained completely expressionless, but Dazai Osamu still managed to deduce that Natsume Soseki's identity was definitely not simple.

Of the people present, the only one who didn't react much was Rokudo Mukuro. He had known before that the great writer Natsume Soseki was the teacher of the great writer Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and the two had such a harmonious relationship that it was practically the opposite of the relationship between Sawada Tsunayoshi and Reborn.

Natsume Soseki adored Akutagawa Ryunosuke so much that he wished he could marry his daughter to him, and Akutagawa Ryunosuke's admiration for Natsume Soseki was also to the point of obsession.

Therefore, it was only natural for Rokudo Mukuro to see the two meet.

At this moment, Mori Ōgai was completely unaware that his beloved teacher, Natsume Soseki, did not simply admire Akutagawa Ryunosuke's literary talent. When Natsume Soseki personally led Akutagawa Ryunosuke to him and told him that he was his junior apprentice, Mori Ōgai was completely dumbfounded.

These two were secretly having an affair right under his nose; how could he not be numb to it?

Let's leave that aside for now, since Mori Ōgai is still basking in the joy of learning about his teacher.

However, he was completely unaware of his teacher's many excellent works, and had never even read them, which was definitely a dereliction of duty on his part. He decided that once the Port Mafia matter was settled, he would definitely buy all of Natsume-sensei's books and read them carefully, again and again.

…………

Knowing that his mentor was so close to him, Mori Ougai was now full of energy! Natsume-sensei might be watching him from the shadows, so he had to make the best of it.

So he secretly intensified his actions!

He had previously planned to slowly erode the Port Mafia's power, then eliminate the old man, take control himself, and solidify Natsume-sensei's "Three-Part Plan" as soon as possible. Now, he's willing to take a risk.

As Mori Ougai sat in his dimly lit clinic, contemplating how to swallow the behemoth that was the Port Mafia, Rokudo Mukuro came to his side.

Rokudo Mukuro was toying with a small trident in his hand, his expression mysterious and unfathomable, his eyes lowered, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Dr. Mori, you should be getting a promotion and a raise soon, right?" The small trident in Rokudo Mukuro's hand reflected a chilling light under the illumination.

Mori Ougai was taken aback, then nodded without hesitation: "That's right! Mukuro-kun, you saw it too. That old man is completely unfit to be the leader of the Port Mafia. Under his leadership, the Port Mafia will only bring greater turmoil to Yokohama."

"So, Dr. Mori, you want to become the leader of the Port Mafia for the sake of peace in Yokohama?" Rokudo Mukuro's tone was somewhat strange.

“Yes.” Mori Ougai nodded without hesitation.

Rokudo Mukuro stopped what he was doing, gave Mori Ougai a strange look, and said sarcastically, "Then you should be a policeman, not a Mafia leader."

"Hahaha, Mukuro-kun, you're still young. Of course, being a soldier or policeman can maintain peace in a city, but that's only true for peaceful cities with strong governments. Yokohama, on the other hand, is too chaotic, with all sorts of forces mixed together. The police alone are completely useless."

Rokudo Mukuro was well aware of this; his words were merely meant to satirize Mori Ōgai.

"To suppress the darkness, an even darker power is needed. Therefore, I must obtain the port of Mafia, for the sake of this beautiful city."

"Well, you're quite noble, sacrificing yourself for peace in the darkness. Wow~ Dr. Mori, how come I never noticed how radiant you were before!" Rokudo Mukuro teased.

"Mukuro-kun, you already knew me on Tokyo Island, so you should know that I am not kind, much less great. On the contrary, I can be described as ruthless. For greater interests, I can even sacrifice some people who can be sacrificed..." Mori Ougai said this with coldness and rationality in his eyes.

Yes, Rokudo Mukuro already knew what kind of person Mori Ougai was. If he became the leader of the Mafia, he would definitely be a leader who was completely opposite to Sawada Tsunayoshi but had similarities with him.

Sawada Tsunayoshi is willing to give up everything for his companions. His companions are the most important thing in his eyes. He always thinks about having the best of both worlds and taking care of both sides. He also has the ability to protect his companions and everything else.

For Mori Ōgai, the most important thing wasn't people, but a city. He was even willing to sacrifice those around him for the city. Because the city was the most important thing, it was his optimal solution. "When faced with two benefits, choose the greater; when faced with two harms, choose the lesser." He was a rational yet ruthless leader.

Rokudo Mukuro dislikes this kind of person, but he cannot deny that he is "correct".

He put away the small trident he was playing with, and also suppressed the murderous intent he felt towards Mori Ōgai. Anyway, this kind of leader wasn't his, so why should he worry about it? Sawada Tsunayoshi would never become like Mori Ōgai.

"Kufufufu... Well then, I wish you all the best, Dr. Sen." With that, he turned to leave.

"Eh? Mukuro-kun, aren't you going to help me?"

"What? Dr. Mori, I'm just a kid, how can I get involved in these things?" Rokudo Mukuro turned around and smiled, then walked away without any hesitation.

Only after Rokudo Mukuro's figure had completely disappeared did Alice appear beside Mori Ougai. Mori Ougai hugged Alice, his voice somewhat deep: "Mukuro-kun is truly a man of hidden talents."

During their conversation, Mori Ougai sensed a powerful threat emanating from the trident in Rokudo Mukuro's hand, which he treated like a toy. Rokudo Mukuro's entire demeanor also seemed off, as if he were about to be stabbed with the trident if he said something wrong.

Fortunately... my answer pleased Mukuro-kun.

If only such a Mukuro could be used by him. Mori Ougai, who has just escaped with his life, is already indulging in wild fantasies.

As Rokudo Mukuro left, he thought to himself: Fortunately, Sawada Tsunayoshi will never become like him, otherwise I would have to go through a lot of trouble to destroy the Mafia.

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Author's Note: Mori: If only Mukuro-kun could be of use to me~

Tsuna: Ignite the flames...

Mukuro: Fortunately, Sawada Tsunayoshi will never change.

Tsunayoshi looked deeply moved.

Mukuro: Kufufufu, otherwise, I will definitely take his body away!