Toasteful: Chapter 73, Part 1

　The phenomenon of the main character's gender swap, whether female or male, is a common trope in pop culture. It is true that the author or the illustrator sometimes draws them as a joke, but they are never made into a serious plotline in commercial works until the end of the story. It remains just a trope, after all, at least in commercial works.

　"April fool's version, seriously, who comes up with this stuff...?"

　I blurted out, lying on my back wrapped in a futon and staring at the ceiling. The sound that escaped my throat was a mixture of sorrow, lamentation, and sighing.

　...In fact, I was in such despair that I wanted to cry out right now if I could.

　(I was completely caught off guard. Seriously, is this really the world I'm in now...?)

　April fool... that is, April 1st, was a common marketing ploy in Japanese subculture, where joke previews or announcements were made in reference to April Fool's Day. The company that produced "Firefly of the Dark Night (Yamiyo no Hotaru)" is one of the companies that put a lot of effort into these jokes. They created high-quality trailers for fake projects, using their series that were already known for their eccentricity. Among the company's series of works, "Firefly of the Dark Night" had been used in this way three times.

　One of them is an IF story in which the main character was gender-swapped to female. Think of a gender-bent version of a certain Fate game's Knight of the Round Table or Proto-Saber. Well, it wasn't quite that drastic a change, but anyway... in the trailer, the main character was a woman, and she looked exactly like the girl I had encountered, that's all you need to know.

　(The question is how much the main character's gender change will change the situation...!)

　While it's not uncommon for the main character to be corrupted into a female in the main game, the problem lies in the fact that the development team stated in a game magazine during the introduction of the April Fool's version that they "created a more challenging game while adhering to the original game."

　...This means that when translated into Japanese by skilled players, they want to make a Lunatic difficulty story where the main character struggles and the player despairs. Oh, why do they have to make a Japanese translation of Japanese?

　Even if the statements and malice of the creators are not reflected in this world, the fact that the main character is a woman poses a significant risk of deviating from several events.

　"At any rate, I'll never let her meet that b*stard, that Minister of the Left..."

　Even if the storyline remains unchanged from the original, that yandere minister who appears rational and intelligent on the surface but is actually quite twisted would pose too much danger if he were to meet the current main character. I mean, the main character was targeted even though his gender is a boy, just because he had the resemblance of a "priestess." So, there is no telling what will happen if that minister meets the girl version of him. There are other troublesome matters, but that one must be strictly observed.

　(As for handling the landmines... The demon (oni) who wants to commit suicide doesn't care if the main character is a boy or a girl. As for Gorilla-sama... I guess she's fine with yuri, right?)

　Since one of the reasons why Murasaki is often killed is her family relations, there is no problem if the main character's village is destroyed. Besides, thanks to the same loneliness, she can gain Hina's favorable impression. As for Gorilla-sama, the muddled and twisted love of her has an aspect of substitutes for the love she did not receive from her unfortunate parents, rather than just simple sexual desire. Therefore, even if it were the worst kind of forbidden love, namely yuri, it is not considered to be much of an obstacle.

　Well, the worst-case scenario is to have the main character undergo a gender transformation, but in the original story... the main character tends to become submissive to men anyway. It wouldn't be a problem to make her submissive to women instead. Anyway, there shouldn't be any reason to condemn me for turning her into a b*tch. The problem, in that case, would be how to acquire the ingredients for the potion and how to administer it without causing any physical discomfort.

　"But hold on, don't get carried away... My current goal is to clear the tutorial."

　To be honest, the tutorial I remember (the destruction of the hometown) itself is not so much affected by her gender. At least that energetic girl who looks like a boy could probably go foraging for mountain vegetables on her own. Or at least keep on doing so. If she doesn't, she might get caught in an attack and die before awakening.

　(Now, what should I do...)

　I wonder how far the gender change will affect things, especially if she dies in this tutorial before she is taken in by Kizuki's family. I had originally planned to leave this village before the event occurred, but I might need some time to assess the situation.

　"Well, anyway..."

　I sensed the presence and put on the mask that lay beside me. I sit up and turn my eyes toward the sliding door. Although the sound of footsteps could only faintly be heard in the distance, my ears picked up on the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. ...It seems it's coming.

　"...What can I do for you, Miss?"

　"Oh, you're awake, huh? How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

　As soon as I asked her, the sliding door was pulled open and she answered me with such an answer. I look at her with a distraught look.

　"I brought you some porridge. How? Can you eat it?"

　On the other side of the opened sliding door, there was a woman dressed in indigo kimono, holding a tray with a small pot in her hand.

　...Hey, why is she here?

* * *

　The porridge that filled the small earthenware pot was extremely luxurious. It was so luxurious that it would be absurd to describe it was almost insulting to compare it to the usual porridge made with grains and water.

　Made with white rice, beaten eggs, chopped white cabbage, green onions, and mushrooms cooked in broth, it was more like a rice soup. It was luxurious, yet gentle in taste and rich in nutrients. Alongside it were small plates of pickled plums (umeboshi), cucumbers, and Narina (a specific type of pickled vegetable).

　"Are you really okay? If you are tired, should I feed you if it's too difficult?"

　"No, I'm really okay..."

　I spoon up some porridge, blow on it to cool it down, and slowly bring it to my mouth. Oh, it's delicious.

　(...This has become quite troublesome.)

　Feeling the eyes of the main character who is looking at me from the side, I inwardly cursed.

　At least I was fortunate. Although Goshi (郷司) or village headman was a lower rank, they were still the ruling class. There was no doubt that there was a huge gap in status between a lowly servant like me and a village headman's daughter. And what would happen if such a lowly servant witnessed a village headman's daughter taking a bath? He would be dragged all over the village and beheaded. At least, in other places, I wouldn't be nursed with such kindness and given porridge while being cared for in a room in the manor.

　In that sense, my current situation was abnormal, but at the same time, it wasn't strange for the owner of this manor. Hotaruya Yoshinori was a kind man, and the main character's family was also meddlesome.

　"That's good to hear. Father was worried because you were suffering so suddenly. It would have been a shame if our guest had collapsed."

　The beautiful woman in front of me patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart.

　"Was it a bad dinner or the smell of sulfur? Whatever it was, it was fortunate that you were found quickly. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been found..."

　"...I'm sorry about that."

　I reply awkwardly to the main character... Tamaki's "young lady" words. Although my behavior at that moment, where I immediately vomited and collapsed, was forgiven by Yoshinori, I didn't know how I would be judged by Uemon and the others if it became public knowledge.

　...As far as I could tell, only a few people knew that I had witnessed the girl in front of me taking a bath. That's why my head is still attached to my body.

　"No, I was embarrassed too... Actually, my father scolded me too for being careless and thoughtless."

　Understanding the meaning of my apology, Tamaki blushed slightly and chuckled. Her hand naturally touched the collar of her kimono, and her gaze wandered. It seemed like she wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation. However, she does not intend to blame me for this.

　"Ah! I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Tamaki. Hotaruya Tamaki. As you can tell from my name, I'm the daughter of the village headman here. ...Though, I'm often told that I don't look like a young lady."

　The young girl, who had a tomboyish air about her, laughed it off with an "ahaha." But well, a young lady, huh?

　...According to the story, she had been practicing dancing in secret in preparation for the Harvest Festival. And to wash off the sweat she shed, she went to a nearby hot spring because it would take her a long time to walk in the hot spring used by the village headman and others. The result was the encounter before I fainted. It was indeed reckless and careless of her.

　Apparently, she did not seem to be very conscious of her female identity. It wasn't a case of gender identity disorder. It is just that she is too straightforward and lacks of self-consciousness. She often rolled up her sleeves in the summer or show her legs and back in front of her neighbors while working in the fields, and was scolded by them for being so unrefined.

　It seemed that this case was also seen as an extension of past precedent, and because of that, there seems to be a side to her that made her sympathize with me.

　"The reason I'm nursing you like this is partly because of that. Well, I'm also interested in visitors from outside the village, you know?"

　Then, with a face that still had some redness but was trying to play it off, Tamaki winked and acted playful. In this world where status is strictly regulated and a friendly attitude toward a servant, she was indeed a light shining in the dark night. Her personality, friendliness, and brightness seemed too beautiful in this gloomy world.

　Ah, she really is the main character, after all... I accepted this fact very naturally. That's how much the girl in front of me was the very main character I knew.

　"I see... Well then, better late than never, I'd like to introduce myself as well. I'm Tomobe, a servant of the Kizuki family."

　I bow my head respectfully and introduce myself. Well, it is not my real name. ...Now, I've been thinking about it a lot, and I realize that I'm using a fake name and the other person is using his or her real name. In a world where someone can curse a person by his/her name, it is extremely rude to a superior person. No, in the first place, it's strange that this main character introduces herself to people like me.

　"Oh... A servant, huh? Ah, no, I'm sorry. I've heard rumors about you, but I didn't think they were true. I was surprised to see you in your black clothes and mask... when I entered the room."

　Tamaki chuckles with a small, and there was no sense of discomfort. It was clear that there was no malice behind her laughter.

　Come to think of it, it's not often that exorcists and their associates come to this village. In a way, it was understandable that she looked at the servant as if he was a rarity.

　"So, as I said, I'm really sorry. As an apology, I will take full responsibility for taking care of you, will you forgive me?"

　Her words, which were probably sincere and had good intentions, made my heart pound where there is only basic malice in this world... but I would not accept it. Unfortunately, I couldn't just lie in bed forever.

　"Thank you for your offer... but I am planning to return to duty as soon as possible. So, I'm afraid I won't be able to take you up on that offer."

　When I tell her this after finishing my porridge, she looks at me wide-eyed and astonished.

　"Ehh!? Y-you're leaving!? Can't you stay a little longer!?"

　"I'm here for work, not on vacation. Besides, I have subordinates to supervise as well."

　Although there's Mikage, a second in command among the servant accompanying, who serves as a squad leader. However, since experienced members were gathered in the Northern and Southern Strike Forces, the level of training of the members of the Eastern Strike Force was relatively low, and the same was true for Mikage, who was inexperienced as a squad leader. To be honest, I felt uneasy about letting them make decisions on their own. It was also partly due to a lack of manpower.

　"But... we don't want to push our guests too hard..."

　I can't help but giggle at the girl's expression of genuine concern and distress. The fact that she treated me as her "guests" was just hilarious to me. For Uemon and the others, I'm just a living "tool", but she's really soft on me... as she is on the peasants. This village is truly a greenhouse, sheltered from the harsh realities outside, where servants and peasants were often ignored, including their personalities.

　"Oh!!! That's it! I've got an idea!"

　Tamaki, who had been looking worried for a while, suddenly broke into a smile, as if she had just had an idea. Then she looked me in the eye and asked

　"Hey! What exactly do you do for a job?"

　"Eh!? W-well... it will involve office work like calculating expenses, monitoring the city roads, and also, your father has requested that we inspect the boundary and check the key points throughout the area."

　The large-scale boundary that protects an entire village or city is fueled by the power that overflows from the spiritual veins and is bound together by using the key points at each location to specify the extent of the boundary. Boundary inspection work often involves purifying the impurities in the spiritual veins, adjusting the formula for fuel extraction, checking for damage to key points, and replacing them... This is what I learned from Gorilla-sama's teachings.

　And as you can see from the fact that I was taught by Gorilla-sama, the knowledge of these boundary techniques is not the common knowledge of a servant. After all, it's just a litmus test (a tool that is only useful for a limited purpose) for dealing with youkai, and it's useless to give such knowledge to servants who cannot create such large and powerful boundaries alone. Many exorcist families believe that it's better to train in martial arts rather than teach such knowledge. And, that is not necessarily wrong.

　As for me, when I changed the contents of teaching my subordinates, I added to the subjects such as the method of binding a boundary for small youkai, or group boundaries for combating medium youkai by units. But these are not even on a tactical scale, and I did not teach the structure of boundaries on a strategic scale. As a result, I was the only one of the servants who had the ability to see the situation of large-scale boundaries, even a little, among the servants who were in charge of dangerous chores...

　"Well then, I'll guide you around the village..."

　"Huh?"

　Her sudden suggestion made me unintentionally open my mouth rudely.

　"Is there a problem? I think it's a good idea... I know this village pretty well, and I can at least give you directions. Besides, if you collapse, I can call for help immediately... Is it a no-go?"

　Finally, the main character looked up at me with a slightly worried expression and asked. To be honest, it was a wish that could be interpreted as that of a boy or a girl emanating from that face. The psychological effect was tremendous.

　However, I can't just answer such a request with a simple "yes"...

　"Well...."

　I tried to come up with some excuse to decline her proposal and was about to open my mouth, but just then, someone interrupted us.

　"Oh, that's a wonderful proposal, isn't it? How about it? Would you allow me to be a part of it?"

　I turned to the source of the melodic voice and frowned beneath the mask. No wonder, she was the last person I wanted to meet in this place.

　"Tomobe-san, how are you doing? As part of our agreement from the other day, could you please consider Hotaruya's young lady's proposal?"

　Through the open sliding door, a blonde-haired beauty with emerald eyes smiled sweetly, tilting her head and placing her hands on her cheeks. Her smile was too forced, too cloying...

　At this point, I realize that any resistance or objection is pointless. There is no way that I, a servant, am qualified to ignore the request of the two ladies present here.

　"...I cannot make a decision on my own. Please seek approval from Uemon-sama."

　That was the only thing I could do, and the only resistance I could make that would not even buy me time.

　Naturally, not a moment later, news of the approval arrived from Uemon's subordinate, the Hidden Group. It was accompanied by a sarcastic warning message...

* * *

　Of course, it wasn't possible to do that on the same day. So, the next day in the morning, I packed my baggage and headed out to investigate the key points of the boundary.

　Our party consisted of two young ladies as guests, and as escorts, Inoue Kehiko and Tamaki's maid, who also helped with the luggage. We also brought along an apprentice child whom Kayo brought as a porter and one of the servants as an escort.

　(And there is probably a group of people following us somewhere...)

　I am more sensitive than before, perhaps because I am turning into a monster, and I can faintly sense the presence of the figure lurking about a hundred steps away from me. It is quite cleverly hidden, but... it makes me realize that I am definitely deviating from human beings. I can't be happy about it at all.

　"Well, Yun-shoku. Let's get going, shall we? This village is certainly not that big. Still, if we linger on foot, it'll be tough to cover it all in one day."

　Kehiko, carrying a pack on his back, urges me on. He has a tachi (long sword) and a wakizashi (short sword) at his waist, and his appearance was that of a warrior. Though he is a guard in the countryside, he is still a warrior, which he can't hide by the way he is acting.

　"Understood. ...If it's possible, I would like both of these miss to ride on some kind of vehicle."

　I blurted out as I glanced at the two ladies in their street clothes. Kayo was wearing a red kimono that looked beautiful against the autumn leaves, much like when I accompanied her to the capital.

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