Chapter 137: The Rules of Shinryuu Temple!
"I refuse."
Shiro answered Itsuki.
"First, Ikki is my friend. Unless we come into conflict, I would never take the initiative to destroy his dream."
Ikki had practically made becoming a Blazer Knight and earning his father's recognition the two goals of his life.
Telling him, "Your father expects you to do nothing, so give up on becoming a Blazer," would undoubtedly crush him.
He might even become an empty shell from then on.
"Second, the order maintained by the Kurogane family is inherently fragile."
"If crushing Ikki's dream and making low-ranked Blazers afraid to defy those above them were enough to preserve social stability, then where did [Rebellion] come from?"
[Rebellion] itself was a terrorist organization founded by people who believed in Blazer supremacy.
It had even existed before Ikki was born.
They worshiped absolute Blazer supremacy, the extreme conclusion of the order Itsuki was trying to preserve.
Besides, had no one attempted to break free from the cage of ranks before Ikki's birth?
"Ikki is merely a catalyst for chaos."
"Even if you suppress this 'Kurogane Ikki,' what will you do when another 'Kurogane Ikki' appears? Suppress that person too?"
"And what will you do when such a talent appears in another country?"
The system Itsuki maintained ultimately contained one fatal flaw.
He could not prevent other nations from producing talents like Ikki.
For example, there was [Shinryuu Temple] in China, where everyone followed a set of rules known as the [Five Precepts].
[First Precept: Never boast of one's martial skill.]
[Second Precept: Never use martial skill to seize wealth.]
[Third Precept: Never use martial skill to violate another person.]
[Fourth Precept: Never use martial skill to take a life.]
[Fifth Precept: Including the vile acts above, never use martial skill for anything contrary to benevolence and justice.]
Shiro had learned those rules from a kind person he once met while asking about China.
If Shinryuu Temple did not forbid its members from participating in competitions other than the God of War Cup, someone who overturned rank differences like Ikki might have appeared long ago.
Moreover, Shinryuu Temple's rules ensured that such talents would never be crushed.
Shiro even suspected several people like that already existed there.
After all, China had an enormous population and strongly embraced the belief, "My fate is mine alone, not Heaven's."
Had Torajirou Nangou not adopted him, and had Shinryuu Temple not possessed so many troublesome rules, Shiro would have gone there the moment he gained the freedom to travel.
If even Shinryuu Temple would not suppress such talents, would every other country truly do so?
Countries lacking powerful Blazers would eagerly welcome the birth of someone capable of fighting.
As for the disorder it caused in other nations?
That had nothing to do with them.
It was like a time bomb destined to explode one day.
All Itsuki was doing was ensuring it would not detonate while he remained head of the Kurogane family.
Seeing Itsuki fall into thought, Shiro narrowed his eyes.
"Actually, I have a suggestion. Would you consider it, Kurogane-san?"
Itsuki immediately adopted a listening posture.
He understood that making Ikki abandon becoming a Mage-Knight was only a temporary measure, but he had no better option.
Even if it was a bomb, the Kurogane family could not be the one to detonate it.
"How about turning Ikki into an idol among Blazers?"
"An idol?"
As the director of the League's Japanese branch, Itsuki naturally possessed some understanding of every industry.
However, he could not understand what entertainers aimed primarily at young audiences had to do with Ikki.
Before he could ask, Shiro quickly explained.
"If you keep imprisoning Blazers inside the cage called 'rank,' those trapped at the bottom will eventually rebel."
Even now, many people were dissatisfied with their circumstances.
They simply had not gained fame like Ikki.
"If someone will inevitably break that cage before the world, why don't we create the first person to break it ourselves?"
They could change the meaning behind Ikki's success.
Instead of, "Even an F-Rank like him can succeed," it would become, "A low-ranked knight must reach this level before they can succeed."
"Deliberately portray Ikki's past as tragically as possible to gain sympathy, then use public opinion to spread the method behind his success."
They would shape Ikki into a role model for low-ranked Blazers.
Through subtle influence, he would guide the thoughts of those who wanted to climb higher.
You are low-ranked and want to rise?
Fine.
This was how the previous person succeeded. The method had been made public, so follow his path and you could succeed too.
"With Ikki's successful example before them, others who want to rise will first try walking his path."
"That's far better than joining [Rebellion] or blindly searching for some twisted path themselves."
The profession of an idol could also guide people's emotions and give low-ranked Blazers something to hope for.
It would reduce the possibility of their personalities becoming distorted.
When another talent like Ikki appeared, people would also find it easier to accept them.
The idea that "rank is not absolute" would already have been quietly planted in their minds.
Those who overturned rank differences would still appear, but their emergence would be far gentler.
This method would also allow Ikki to become a Mage-Knight while finally earning his father's recognition.
After hearing Shiro's proposal, Itsuki did not immediately state his opinion.
Instead, he asked,
"You understand that public opinion can also cause severe negative consequences, don't you?"
Public attention did not only bring benefits.
More than anything, it would push Ikki into the center of a storm.
Whether he soared or fell into an abyss would depend entirely on his own performance.
If Ikki made a serious mistake, the entire Kurogane family that had promoted him would be dragged down as well.
"That depends on the Kurogane family's abilities."
Shiro shrugged, indicating that part had nothing to do with him.
He had only suggested a way to make the bomb's explosion gentler.
The exact execution depended on the Kurogane family.
They had not even decided whether to involve the entire clan yet.
Itsuki remained silent for a moment.
"At the very least, he must reach the semifinals of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival and show me that success is possible."
"If he cannot even accomplish that, he should forget about becoming a Mage-Knight."
"Only the semifinals? I thought you would be stricter with him."
Itsuki stared deeply at Shiro.
"You understand better than anyone why Ikki cannot win the championship, don't you?"
After continuing their discussion for some time, Itsuki summoned a driver to return Shiro to Hagun Academy.
Once the door closed, he released a heavy sigh.
His right hand reached toward the lowest drawer of his desk and pulled it open.
Inside rested a dusty picture frame.
The photograph showed a black-haired baby holding a milk bottle and smiling at the camera from within Itsuki's arms.
'After all this time, am I truly allowing such emotions to influence my judgment...?'
Silently, he removed the frame, gently wiped away the dust, and placed it back where it belonged.
…
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