Chapitre 227: A Brewing Winter Storm

Yasushi sat back in his office chair, eyes scanning the report that Yunxue had just handed him. Two days had passed since the incident with Terrance, and the aftermath had introduced several new developments.

Nandini had left abruptly; Shiva had summoned her back, and she'd only mentioned that she would be gone for an unknown period. With her departure, Yasushi lost a reliable support, though she hadn't specified when or if she'd return.

Yunxue, though, was quietly pleased by this change. The absence of Nandini gave her the chance to work with Yasushi alone, which allowed her to take on more responsibility and perhaps prove her abilities further, though this also brought its own pressures.

Meanwhile, Sakura had updated them in the group chat, sharing some optimistic news. Conversations with the relevant individuals seemed to be progressing smoothly, and at the rate she was going, they'd likely secure permission for multiple booths — a promising sign of forward movement.

As for Terrance, his fate had taken a harsh turn. The college had decided to expel him, stripping him of his scholarship, and arrangements were being made for him to be placed in a mental institution for treatment. With no one left to support him, he would have to navigate this path alone.

What Yasushi uncovered about Terrance's family was nothing short of bleak. Terrance's mother had passed away within the last year, and his father had moved on, leaving Terrance entirely on his own. Even when the extended family was contacted, they refused to step in, effectively abandoning him.

Yasushi mulled over how all this might be impacting Terrance. Still, he found himself stuck — he had his own problems to manage, yet an unusual feeling sat with him, especially with Christmas and their upcoming event drawing near.

"Yunxue," he called, looking her way.

"Yes?" Yunxue responded, fingers twirling a lock of her hair, waiting for his request.

Yasushi chuckled. "Relax a little. You've been way too tense since Nandini left. Anyway, I'd like you to dig up some information on Terrance for me. Look into his contacts, friends, or any unusual things he's been up to these past few… let's say, months."

Yunxue tapped a note into her phone and nodded. "Friends, family, and recent connections… got it. Anything else?" she asked, watching him with intent.

He shook his head. "No, that's all. Just stick to that for now. Thanks."

Yunxue gave a quick salute. "Aye, aye, sir! I'll get right on it!" she called, then dashed out of the room.

Yasushi leaned back in his chair, releasing a long breath as his thoughts drifted over the recent chaos and what might come of it. His gaze dropped to the ring that Fujin had given him, resting on his finger.

"Maybe I could reach out to them? He did mention it could connect me to someone… Hakufubuki is probably my best option," he muttered, pondering the idea before giving a small shrug. "Might as well try."

Bringing the ring close to his mouth, Yasushi spoke, "Hakufubuki, can I speak to you?"

A few seconds later, a rush of cold air swept through, scattering snowflakes, and then the goddess appeared beside him.

"It's been some time, Yasushi. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me," she said, her voice low with a touch of sadness as she began to massage his shoulders. "Did Auntie Hakufubuki frighten you or something~?" she teased.

Yasushi let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "Sorry about that… things have just been piling up. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something," he replied, only to see her transform into a miniature, chibi version of herself, perching on his shoulder.

"Woah… a-anyway, you keep an eye on the city, don't you? Is there a way you could help me find some information on someone?" he asked, with a hint of anticipation in his voice.

Hakufubuki gave a nod. "Well, that's easy enough for me. I am a goddess, after all. But doing everything for you isn't exactly in our realm of assistance. I can point you in the right direction — though, if you want to make it simpler, you might consider learning magic yourself."

"Magic…" Yasushi muttered, thinking out loud. He'd considered taking it up, but everything he'd heard pointed to it being a grueling and lengthy endeavor.

It wasn't like he'd seen in his previous life, in cartoons, anime, or books, where magic seemed almost effortless. In this world, the path to magic required unrelenting dedication and an understanding of dense theories.

Apparently, it involved studying countless principles documented across time — texts compiled by various gods and those immersed in the supernatural. Over the years, they had filled libraries with works detailing every facet of magic. Just grasping the basics would demand his focus.

And that was only the beginning. After slogging through all that theory, he'd need to identify his affinity, figuring out which types of magic best aligned with him. Even then, it would be a string of trials, a painstaking journey of experiments and adjustments.

One of the more difficult methods was rooted in calculations, formulas, and mathematics. Mastering it would mean performing rapid mental calculations, compressing a series of complex equations into mere seconds if he wanted any real proficiency. In this world, magic didn't just happen. It demanded a mind honed to think faster than most would ever need to.

The first method involved drawing mana naturally present in the world, then channeling it through exacting calculations and formulas, transforming it into magical effects. This process required extreme mental precision, as each calculation had to flow seamlessly to produce the desired result.

The second approach centered on absorbing mana from the environment, storing it within, and wielding it using pure imagination to shape the magic. This technique was more demanding, needing a person to be immersed in magic and the supernatural from an early age.

Gathering mana for the first time could take hours of stillness and concentration, nearly like meditation. The process began with creating a "Magic Center" within the core of one's body. From there, they would absorb mana from their surroundings and integrate it fully within themselves before casting even the simplest spells.

This "Magic Center" would expand gradually, fueled by repeated use of magic and continuous absorption of mana, growing stronger and allowing for greater feats over time.

Yasushi had no interest in either method. They took far too long, and trying to pull off calculations on the spot was out of the question. That idea was a dead end for him.

"No way, that's just too much time," he replied, making Hakufubuki let out a chuckle. She hopped off his shoulder and grew back to her normal form.

"I figured you'd say that. But you've got more than enough resources to figure it out on your own. So don't just give up; I know you'll find a way," she told him. "Besides, what your parents are working on will eventually let you pull off something similar with all that quantum stuff they're doing. It'll just take a while to reach the level of actual magic."

She paused, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "By the way, you haven't even tried to learn ki yet, have you? It's life force — another way to get 'powers,' you might say. Learning it is a bit easier, but don't expect it to be quick," she added, watching him closely.

"Maybe another time, but thanks," Yasushi replied, letting out a sigh.

"Alright… I'll head out then. Call if you need anything," Hakufubuki replied, giving him a quick hug before a cold gust swept through, and she vanished from sight.

Yasushi sighed again, still feeling like he was stuck. "Well…whatever. It'll all come together sooner or later. For now, let's just keep moving. Christmas isn't too far off anyway," he muttered.

Just then, his phone buzzed from where it sat on his desk. Picking it up, he saw Sakura's name on the screen and answered.

"Hello?"

"Meet me at the park near your place. There's something we need to talk about. Try to get here in a few minutes," Sakura said, and hung up before he could reply.

"…seriously?" Yasushi muttered, looking at his phone, almost wanting it to tell him more. But he knew he'd have to go there if he wanted any answers.

He stood up, pocketed his phone, and headed out toward the park.

+-+

After a few minutes, Yasushi reached the spot where Sakura had asked to meet. She stood there, leaning against a light pole, her eyes on her phone.

He walked up, raising a hand in a casual wave. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, stopping beside her.

Sakura looked up from her phone and let out a sigh. She tapped on the screen a few times, then finally spoke. "After all that trouble with Terrance, I wanted to dig a little deeper on him. I mean, with how intense his anger was, he had to be plotting something for Christmas, right? So, here's what I found…"

She turned the screen toward Yasushi, showing him the information. Yasushi's eyes scanned the text, taking in each line. He let out a long sigh.

"Just like I thought…he's not finished. Or maybe it's not even him directly, but others who think like him," he muttered, frowning as he processed what he saw.

On the screen, several photos showed people smuggling items and talking, their words unclear. Yasushi studied each one, focusing on the details even though he couldn't tell what exactly they discussed. In one of the photos, Terrance appeared; it looked like it had been taken a while back.

"Any leads on this?" he asked, keeping his eyes on her. "I asked Yunxue to check it out, so if you don't, we should have something in a few days."

She shook her head. "No, nothing yet. But I did manage to record something else not too long ago." Swiping right, she tapped play on a video.

The recording showed people moving boxes while talking among themselves, voices just out of range. Sakura, barely visible in the video, crept closer, keeping her distance to avoid detection. The setting seemed to be some kind of warehouse, dim and spacious.

As she neared, the conversation became somewhat clearer. "It's a solid plan," one of them muttered. "We'll go after all those homeless folks in that park on Christmas. They don't deserve anything if they can't work hard and pull themselves out. We managed to get out of that hellhole, and they should too, besides—"

"Yeah, yeah, we're all on the same page, man. You don't need to go on about it — I already get it," replied the other, glancing at the box in his hands, a small grin on his face. "How many are gonna go down from these?"

"A lot," came the answer, his grin widening before both burst into laughter. Then the video cut off.

Sakura exhaled, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Does any of this even prove anything? If we hand this over to the cops, will they actually do something? Sure, they're more active around here than most places, but I'm still not convinced."

Yasushi turned his attention to the falling snow around them, his expression hardening. "Hold off for now. We've got a couple of weeks until Christmas, and I want more intel before we bring it to them. If we find something big before then, we can take it to the police — maybe even push for a sting operation."

Sakura let out a short laugh at his idea. "A sting operation? I doubt they'd go for that. They'd probably just swoop in and arrest everyone before anything happens. Risking innocent lives, even those on the streets, isn't something they'd consider."

Yasushi nodded in agreement, his eyes still on the snow falling around them. "I'd like that too, to be honest. But with them, you never really know. Like I said, let's hold off a little longer. I'll DM you once I get word back from Yunxue with whatever she finds. Anyway, we should wrap things up here."

Sakura sighed, nodding along. "Yeah, you're right. But you'd better tell me the moment you hear anything. I don't want anything interfering with our Christmas plans." She gave him a quick wink, then turned and began walking off.

"Yeah…" Yasushi murmured to himself, watching as her form gradually grew smaller with each step she took into the distance.

Yasushi turned and began the long walk back home, his mind tangled with a mix of thoughts that he couldn't quite shake. He hated to admit it, but this simple goal he'd set out for himself had started to pull in all the wrong kinds of attention.

It bothered him to realize how strongly some people felt about the homeless, as though being down on luck alone justified their hatred.

When it came to those struggling with addiction, he could almost understand — some might see them as beyond help. But for those who had just hit hard times, the scorn felt out of place, unfair.

He knew many didn't stop to think about the difference, and instead lumped them all into one messy stereotype. That attitude, he thought, was probably why the cycle never seemed to end. Yasushi let out a sigh that seemed to drag out of him, his hand lifting to rub the back of his neck as though it might soothe away the stress clinging to his thoughts.

"Let's just hope this all gets sorted before the day hits… Yunxue, you'd better bring back something solid," he muttered, his voice barely a murmur against the quiet streets around him.

With Yinhaie entirely focused on supporting Jingliu, Xinyi busy with her new maid, and Nandini away, Yasushi only had Yunxue to lean on now. She'd essentially taken on the role of his personal maid.

Layena was around too, but he preferred not to add more to her plate. So, in a way, this investigation had become Yunxue's big test — a task she'd have to nail if she wanted to prove herself.