Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

"This is one way we protect our members' privacy," the bartender explained.

"Most members of the Onmyo-ryo have regular jobs, and some are students like you. They all have their own 'ordinary lives' and don't want their private lives disturbed... whether it's harassment from colleagues or revenge from spirits or supernatural criminals."

"According to you, some members also engage in unfair competition by harassing their peers' private lives?" Kyushu Makoto leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on the table.

"Of course, this kind of incident is not an isolated case. Although we will severely punish such members, prevention is always better than cure," the bartender said.

"In short, we will protect the privacy and security of our members to the greatest extent possible. The organization is obligated to keep your real name and personal information confidential and will only refer to you by a code name, unless you voluntarily reveal your identity to your peers."

"So that's how it is," Kyushu Makoto finally understood.

But asking him to suddenly give himself a code name was far too hasty.

"If you don't have any ideas, I can help you." The bartender, seeing his predicament, took out a large box from a drawer beneath him, filled with various board games and cards.

“Using board games as a code name is the most common way to name a game. I have chess, tarot cards, playing cards, hanafuda, etc. You can choose a set of board games that interests you, and we can find inspiration together.”

The bartender pulled out a tarot deck and said, "Using tarot cards as code names is the most common thing. That girl was inspired by the number one card in the tarot deck, 'The Magician,' and chose the code name 'Megising,' which is the English transliteration of 'The Magician.'"

Upon hearing the word "Tarot cards," something suddenly flashed through Makoto Kyushu's mind:

"Red Center?"

Upon hearing this word, the bartender laughed and retorted, "Oh, I don't know why you could associate the Red Center with Tarot cards; it sounds like the name of a Kamen Rider."

After saying that, he took out his tablet and browsed through it, then said with relief, "The name 'Red Center' hasn't been used yet. Would you like this code name?"

"Oh, that sounds good..." Kyushu Makoto wasn't going to settle for less, and besides, the name sounded quite auspicious.

"Let's keep this code name."

“I have received your request. I will register you now.” The bartender began to skillfully manipulate the tablet.

After a while, Makoto Kyushu walked out of his office and saw Elizabeth Kiyomiya in the lobby drinking orange juice and scrolling through her phone.

"You're so slow." Seeing Kyushu Makoto come out, she frowned slightly and said this in a flat tone, though it was unclear whether she was complaining.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Kyushu Makoto smiled wryly. "I'll need your help to take me home later."

"It doesn't matter, we've already waited." Qinggong Eliza waved her hand, turning her face towards the bartender beside her.

"Have you registered him yet? What level is he at now?"

The bartender took out his tablet computer, looked at it, and said:

"Code name [Red Center], currently rated as "Class C" and with zero points because it once repelled a Class C evil spirit."

"Level C, that's really good. Many newcomers start from the 'apprentice level'," Qinggong Eliza casually remarked.

"What is the apprentice level?" Kyushu Makoto asked curiously, starting to flip through the booklet in his hand.

"Besides the four ranks of 'A, B, C, D', the members of the Yin-Yang Bureau also have a lowest 'Apprentice' rank and a highest 'Master' rank," the bartender explained considerately.

"Members need to accumulate a certain number of points and pass the assessment to level up. Points can be obtained not only by completing assigned tasks, but also by rescuing civilians, introducing and mentoring newcomers, and protecting important property. The difficulty of tasks will increase with the level, as will the work benefits and commissions."

"As for the top-level 'master level,' not only do they need to have enough points in the first level, but they also need to have been in the job for at least twenty years and have sufficient qualifications to be selected. They are all among the best in our country."

Kyushu Makoto happened to be flipping through a few pages about points and Onmyoji guild levels, and quickly began reading.

According to the guidebook, to advance from the lowest level of apprentice to master, one needs to complete a large number of commissions and contributions, and may even be required to publish relevant research papers.

Even the most gifted spirit tamers need an average of thirty years to become a "master". The vast majority of spirit tamers are actually ordinary people with "stone souls", who have little talent or room for improvement and can only linger at the "B" and "C" levels for their entire lives.

Suddenly, Eliza Kiyomiya spoke up and asked, "Since he has reached Rank C, he is qualified to participate in the [Hunter's Blade] commission, right?"

"Do you want to team up with him?" the bartender asked.

"He's fought against the [Hunter's Blade], so he's certainly qualified to participate in this mission. His onboarding training will also be handled by Miss Megisin, won't it?"

"..." Kyushu Makoto began flipping through the booklet again, trying to understand what he had just said.

"I'm so sorry, please don't need to look in the guidebook, I'll explain it to you!" the bartender apologized repeatedly.

"Most of the Onmyoji Guild's tasks allow for teamwork, and the rewards will be coordinated and distributed by us. The Onmyoji Guild usually encourages members to form fixed teams to improve task efficiency."

"As for onboarding training, it means that new employees are accompanied and guided by experienced staff during their first few assignments to help them adapt to the job quickly. This has always been our policy and is a guarantee for new employees."

"Not bad at all, quite professionally done," Kyushu Makoto joked, then said seriously:

"That monster you call the 'Hunter's Blade' injured my friend, and I don't want to let it get away with this."

Kyushu Makoto then looked at the girl beside him and asked, "Since you are a 'Spirit Master,' you should have the ability to deal with it, right?"

“Of course, there is no doubt about that.” Eliza Qinggong nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, without offering any further explanation.

“In that case, I will cooperate with Miss Kiyomiya.” Kyushu Makoto readily nodded.

"Then I'll register you. This is a commission from Megisin and Hongzhong to investigate the [Hunter's Blade]." The bartender started operating the tablet again:

"Detailed information will be sent to your dedicated phone, and you can check it later."

After completing the necessary procedures, the bartender checked the time and said, "It's almost midnight. Since you two are both students, please go back and rest early."

With classes tomorrow, Kyushu Makoto decided not to linger and prepared to leave.

"Wait for me by the elevator," Elizabeth Qinggong said to him. "I'll be right there."

111. The Qing Dynasty Imperial Household

After Kyushu Makoto had walked a distance, Kiyomiya Elizabeth turned her face and reminded him:

"Rescuing one civilian today earns five points. Bringing back a new recruit earns fifteen points. Also, overseeing the new recruit's onboarding training earns ten points."

"Don't worry, I've already added the points for you, Miss Qinggong." The bartender's tone suddenly became much more obsequious.

“I believe you will be able to reach the ‘master level’ soon and fulfill your agreement with the Qing court.”

"Stop saying such nice things." Qinggong Eliza's tone remained neither sad nor happy.

"At my current pace, it will take me at least thirty years to reach the master level."

"There's nothing we can do about it. You've been handling everything alone, which is very inefficient," the bartender said, flipping through his tablet.

"Do you want to recruit that newcomer to team up with you long-term? After all, he's an extraordinary person who single-handedly fights demons with his own flesh and blood. I feel you admire him."

"What good does it do to admire him?" Qinggong Eliza sighed inexplicably, saying anxiously:

"Anyone willing to team up with me will eventually be bribed by that annoying old man. Everyone will betray me, so it's better to keep my distance from him from the beginning."

"I think you should face reality and be more understanding of the head of the Qing family," the bartender advised in a lecturing tone. "Why bother arguing with the family over such a trivial matter and making both sides unhappy?"

"Ugh, I'm so tired of hearing that! And don't call me Miss Qing Palace... I hate being called that." The girl's mood seemed to worsen, and she quickly left.

In the brightly lit Tokyo night, a sports car speeds along the highway.

"This is the first time I've ever had a girl my age drive me home," Kyushu Makoto remarked casually, leaning against the window as they drove.

"Putting aside whether it's irresponsible of the police to allow you to drive, how rich must your family be to drive a sports car at your age?"

"This is an old car that my father didn't want anymore, which he gave me as a means of transportation." Qinggong Eliza didn't intend to hide anything.

"The Onmyo-ryo gave you an industry forum app on your phone. Just search for 'Qing Palace Family' and you'll find out."

Kyushu Makoto opened the mobile forum and typed in those words; sure enough, a dense array of search results popped up:

The Kiyomiya family is one of the five great families of the exorcism world in Wano Country. Legend has it that their ancestor studied Yin-Yang arts under Kamo no Tadayuki, the teacher of Abe no Seimei, and was most skilled in drawing talismans.

For decades, the Qing family has been famous for producing high-quality and inexpensive talisman paper. Most of the Shinto temples and shrines in the country source their talisman paper from them, practically monopolizing the market.

Therefore, the young lady in front of us should be considered to be a member of a wealthy family.

"This is..." Kyushu Makoto scrolled down and found another post with the keyword "Qing Dynasty Elizabeth".

Out of curiosity, Kyushu Makoto clicked on one of the posts to take a look:

[Eliza Kagami is the daughter of the Kagami family head and his second wife. She possesses astonishing spiritual talent, reaching Rank C within just one year of her debut at the age of fifteen. She is a genius rarely seen in the family for decades, and at a young age, she was chosen as the family's next High Priest.]

However, rumors suggest that she was unwilling to accept her family's arrangements and aspired to become a professional cartoonist, which led to a falling out with her family.

[Afterwards, both parties made an agreement: as long as she could become a "master-level" exorcist, her family would allow her to unconditionally leave the exorcism profession and live according to her own wishes.]

However, the Kiyomiya family clearly wouldn't allow her to fulfill her promise easily and had been secretly sabotaging her. It's said that the Kiyomiya family would intervene to persuade any spirit tamers who had teamed up with her to leave, preventing them from continuing to assist Miss Kiyomiya.

Therefore, never insist on teaming up with her; doing so is tantamount to opposing the Qing Palace family, and it will not end well.

【.】

After reading the post, Kyushu Makoto pondered for a moment, then looked at the girl who was focused on driving:

"Besides you, is there anyone else in the Yin-Yang Bureau named Kiyomiya Elizabeth?"

"You found that post, didn't you?" Qinggong Eliza's tone was neither sad nor happy, as if she was already used to it:

"There is no other Qing Gong Elizabeth in the exorcist circle, that person is me."

"Is what this post says true?" Kyushu asked.

“My family forced me onto a certain path because of my high talent, but I don’t like being a spirit tamer.” Qinggong Eliza stared blankly ahead, seemingly unwilling to offer any further explanation.

"The High Priest is second only to the head of the family in the Qinggong family, a position most people in the family wouldn't even dare to dream of. But I'm giving up that opportunity to become a freelance cartoonist. To outsiders, I must seem incredibly foolish, right?"

Kyushu Makoto remained silent.

This matter sounds like an internal family affair of a noble family, and Kyushu is unwilling to comment on it, much less have the ability to get involved.

"It's okay~ You can laugh at me if you want, everyone will laugh at me anyway." Qinggong Eliza's tone was quite relaxed, but more like a hint of helplessness.