The preliminary round of competition ended after each of the calligraphers presented their work. Once the judges finished deliberating, they would post a list of the contestants who would proceed to the next round the following day.

Kaito stood up and walked to Hajime. He was talking with an old man and nodding as he listened to the instructions. The elder looked vaguely familiar, but Kaito could not place his face.

As he stepped closer, the young man looked up, and their eyes met.

The cousins had not been introduced officially, but it seemed that the younger man recognised Kaito based on his childish look of rejection. Kaito smiled at the young man.

Though Hajime was about five years younger, Kaito felt like he was a child. When he was twenty-three, he had already travelled the world, built two successful businesses and faced death hundreds of times.

Hajime might have a tough spirit, but he was still pure. He was like a simple cub, playing at chasing prey while Kaito was an experienced predator with experience and scars to prove it.

The old man also noticed Kaito and looked at him with a frown. He also did not seem unfamiliar with Kaito. Still, Hajime was the first one to speak.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with restrained politeness.

His youthful face did not hide his negative attitude towards Kaito, but he maintained a civil demeanour with a hint of feigned gentleness. Kaito decided that the child was better than he anticipated.

"I heard from Grandfather you are participating in a national competition and decided to take a look. You are quite gifted." Kaito smiled.

"Thank you for coming," Hajime responded with a slight bow. "This is my teacher, Elder Yamazaki."

The words reminded Kaito where he had seen this dignified elder. He had investigated all of Akira's close blood-related relatives. Therefore, he could vaguely remember the man from the files.

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa Yamazaki. I am Takahashi Kaito." Kaito bowed a little to the elder.

As a future grandson-in-law, he felt it was necessary to present himself in a good light. Even though the old man was not close with his Akira, no one could tell what the future held. It was better to earn points where they could be found.

Elder Yamazaki felt like there was something strange about the way Kaito looked at him and addressed him. However, he could not complain because nothing was improper about the words. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"I heard of your return. How are you settling in Mountain Ridge?" The old man asked graciously.

Kaito smiled. "Quite well. It is a lovely city."

"Indeed. If you have problems, you can seek me out for help." Elder Yamazaki added.

Hajime had a protesting face as he looked at the two people. He could not understand why his master was being nice to the person who had come to Mountain Ridge to interfere with his plans for the Takahashi family.

"I will take you up on that, Grandpa Yamazaki," Kaito responded. "If you do not mind, I would like to take my little cousin here for lunch. He has worked hard."

The old man touched his chin. "It is not a problem. I want to catch up with some old friends anyway."

Even though he had made his name in the business world, his contributions to the calligraphy world were nothing to sneeze at. Therefore, he had a lot of old comrades coming to see the new generation or bringing in their students.

"Teacher…" Hajime started to protest.

"Young Kaito, let me say a few words to my student, and you can take him along afterwards." Elder Yamazaki said to Kaito, ignoring his student.

"Of course. Thank you, Grandpa Yamazaki." Kaito took another glance at Hajime before walking out of the auditorium.

"Teacher, why did you agree to his request?" Hajime asked grudgingly.

The old Yamazaki sighed. "I have never been in favour of you fighting for the inheritance rights of the Takahashi family. Like your departed father, I would be more at peace if you would live a good life in the art world."

"But I understand that you have made your decision, and I have imparted my knowledge on you. That is all I can do for you. I cannot directly interfere with the Takahashi family. And the way you are now, you will only send yourself to death if you fight your uncle directly."

"Teacher…"

"This young man is not simple at all. If you can get him on your side, he can help you win half the battle." The old man added.

Hajime looked at his teacher in doubt.

"You are still young. But you can trust in your master, right? I can assure you that he is not a simple guy. And the fact that he came all this way means that there is a chance that he wants to cooperate with you. If you do not grasp this chance, you will not get another."

With those words, Hajime was convinced.

Thirty minutes later, he wondered if his teacher could be wrong as he watched Kaito eating barbequed pork ribs like he was a starving man.

"Are you going to eat?" Kaito paused mid-chew to ask Hajime.

"Go ahead." Hajime's lips twitched.

Kaito proceeded to finish a rack of ribs before him before gulping some warm water. He looked at Hajime with a deep look in his eyes.

"The first lesson I will teach you is to be more thick-skinned." He said.

"What?" Hajime was startled.

"You can feign politeness and maintain composure. This is quite good when you are dealing with ordinary businessmen. However, if you meet someone like Grandfather or Uncle, you will be helpless. Those two do not have limits." Kaito added.

Kaito continued to eat his ribs. He had missed a meal and the delicious noodles Akira made acted as appetisers. His mouth watered at the thought of the lovingly cooked ramen. He stopped eating again.

Would Akira cook in the evening?

What if he was too full to eat at night to his heart's content?

"Grandfather is on my side," Hajime said with a frown.

"Second lesson: no one is on your side. Everyone is after something." Kaito responded. "Your grandfather craves control, and you are the only one left that he can use. He seems to be on your side, but he needs a figurehead emperor."

Hajime did not know if he should believe Kaito.

"What about you? What do you want?" He asked, sounding a little vulnerable.

"Do not worry. Our goals coincide. I will not harm you. For now..." Kaito smiled.

Hajime felt a chill from his cousin, but he also felt anticipation.

There was hope.

He could avenge his father and protect his mother and sister.