Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 207: Boy in the Thorns (10)

Dragon Raja 3

“Anjou used his hands to dig out the bodies of his friends from the pile of corpses and burned them to ashes. He buried those ashes, along with his own past. When the Secret Party found him, he was wandering the wilderness alone, like a walking corpse. When he was rescued, he uttered only one sentence: ‘So this is how cruel the world really is.’ The doctors who treated him later said they couldn’t imagine how a man so gravely injured had the strength to move as much as he did—to dig up so many bodies and gather enough wood for such an enormous cremation. They said it must have been some kind of extraordinary mental strength that drove this young man, whose body was torn to shreds. After that, Anjou fell into a deep sleep for nearly a year before finally waking up. The doctors had almost given up on him ever regaining consciousness.”

“But when he woke, he did not fall into despair. Instead, he became astonishingly active. After the ‘Summer of Sorrow,’ the Secret Party had suffered severe losses. The young Hilbert Ron Anjou rose suddenly, stepping into the upper echelons of the Secret Party and taking control. In a sense, he benefited from the ‘Summer of Sorrow,’ but it brought him no joy. The elegant, lively, and self-assured Anjou of the past was gone, leaving behind only a cold and iron-fisted leader. The playboy image he presents today is just a facade; deep down, he’s a solitary avenger, always carrying a sharp blade in his heart. He consolidated his power, built up a loyal following, and gained control over all of Cassell College to ensure that when it came to slaying dragons, he would have the finest team at his disposal. This caused discontent among the Board of Trustees, but Anjou was irreplaceable—he was a man who had returned from hell and no longer feared death.

“He had once been poor and alone, but after meeting Manecke Cassell, his life changed. In one night, he gained honor, dreams, friends, and even a family, only to lose it all again in another night, plunging back into the abyss of loneliness. The dragons took everything from him, and he resolved to take revenge. The ‘extraordinary mental strength’ the doctors spoke of was, in fact, hatred. The dragons taught him the cruelty of the world, and from that moment, he transformed into the most terrifying dragon slayer the world has ever seen,” Tachibana said in a low voice. “The dragons must regret letting that man live.”

There was a long silence before Chisei sighed softly. “No wonder everyone says, ‘Never make an enemy of Anjou.’ A man like that has a fire in him like a coal mine. Once it’s ignited, it won’t go out until either his enemy is burned to ashes, or he burns himself alive.”

“Hate shaped Anjou into the extreme person he is. He has no family and no friends. He treats his students well, but that’s because he needs them to be his soldiers on the front lines. To him, everyone is a tool for his vengeance against the dragons. Cassell College isn’t really what the Secret Party claims it to be. They present a refined and cultured front, but in reality, they are a brotherhood that wields violence and follows strict discipline, and Anjou is their general. He intends to reclaim the Eight Houses of the Orochi, but he’s a master of power dynamics and knows he can’t do it alone. That’s why he decided to cultivate his own loyalists in Japan. He chose the weakest family, the Inuyama family, and took Inuyama as his student. This aligns perfectly with the rules of power—your puppet must be weak to remain loyal to you. And when Inuyama was a child, he was timid and cowardly. People like that are the easiest to control,” Tachibana explained.

“Does Inuyama know that Anjou is using him?” Chisei asked.

“Of course he does. Inuyama isn’t a fool. But he’s willing to sacrifice himself to restore the Inuyama family, even if that means being Anjou’s slave. Inuyama didn’t receive favor from Anjou; he endured humiliation, treated like a hunting dog or a warhorse, driven and controlled. Yet, Anjou kept his promise to restore the Inuyama family, ensuring Inuyama’s rise within the family. Their relationship is not one of teacher and student; it’s mutual exploitation,” Tachibana continued. “But now, the Eight Houses of the Orochi have united. We cherish every member of our family, and there’s no more infighting. The Inuyama family no longer needs Anjou. They’ve fully returned to our family’s embrace, and now Inuyama has a chance to regain his dignity from Anjou. That’s why I entrusted him with receiving Anjou. A man who has been humiliated carries a tiger in his heart. I’m going to unleash that tiger on Anjou, so he understands that Japan is not a place where he can do as he pleases. Far from distrusting Inuyama, I have the utmost faith in him.”

“If Inuyama takes too hard of a stance, won’t Anjou get angry?”

“I’ve instructed him to restrain himself. Anjou sent Inuyama a text message, clearly telling us that he’s coming to Japan. That means he wants to negotiate in person. He didn’t send it to you or me, but specifically to Inuyama, who no longer holds a position in the Japanese branch. This shows that Anjou still thinks of him as his student, his old friend, and subordinate. He wants to find a breakthrough through Inuyama. But I want to make Anjou back off, to show him that the Eight Houses of the Orochi are united as one, and he can’t infiltrate us. The fact that Caesar’s team is still alive is good—it means there’s no blood feud between us and the Secret Party. All I want is independence, which is a reasonable request.”

Chisei thought for a moment. “This is what you older generation call ‘politics,’ right? I think I understand it, but at the same time, I feel like I don’t really get it at all… But I’m still a bit worried. I don’t know Inuyama well, but he seems like a stubborn man. I don’t know the Principal that well either, but he doesn’t strike me as someone who backs down easily. Where Anjou stands, that’s his front line, and he won’t retreat an inch. Both sides in this negotiation are probably hiding their blades under the table, aren’t they?”

Tachibana pondered for a long time, his expression changing slightly. “You’re right, Chisei. We can’t rely purely on ‘politics’ when both sides harbor killing intent. I should head over and meet Anjou to prevent any mishaps.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Tachibana walked behind Chisei and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re the general now. A general must not move lightly—let this warrior charge into battle for you.”

He donned a black haori and quickly headed toward the elevator. As soon as he stood up, there was already a commotion in the parking lot below. The convoy of Mercedes cars roared to life, brakes squealing as they formed a procession. Bodyguards rushed out of the building, lining up in formation like an army ready for action.

“You’re the real general, Dad. I could never pull off that kind of authority,” Chisei leaned against the railing, watching below. Tachibana strode out of the Genji Heavy Industries building and got into the black Rolls Royce. The convoy silently merged into the night traffic.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Boss. Authority can be learned if you don’t have it naturally. Even Toyotomi Hideyoshi was just a farmer once,” Yasha said as he leaned against the railing, lighting a cigarette. “If you go to France, what’s going to happen to me, Crow, and Sakura? All we know how to do is fight. If we try selling hot dogs on a beach, people will think we’re robbing them, right?” When Tachibana was around, Yasha maintained a solemn demeanor, but with Chisei, he was much more relaxed. After all, Chisei wasn’t a particularly strict leader. As the saying goes, “The upper beam is crooked, so the lower beam is slanted.”

“I said I’m going to France to sell sunscreen, not to bring along the three of you troublemakers,” Chisei said coolly. “You can stay in Japan and keep doing what you love—fighting and killing.”

“First off, it’s only two troublemakers—me and Crow. Sakura doesn’t count. And according to the family rules, we’re your retainers. If you leave, no one else will dare take us in.” Yasha looked a bit dejected. “We’re at the prime age for building our legacy in the underworld, but because our boss decided to sell sunscreen, we’ll have to retire early and live off the family’s charity, like old men. Sakura and Crow will be fine—one’s pretty, and the other’s a refined beast. But look at me. Even calling me a thug is a compliment. I wouldn’t even have a chance to reform. I might as well go to France and sell sunscreen with you. Maybe if I bulk up a bit, I could even get a job as a windsurfing instructor. I hear French women love buff guys.”

“You three must’ve talked about this a lot behind my back,” Chisei flicked his cigarette ash. “Don’t worry, I’ve already made arrangements. I have some money…”

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