[Part 4/4]
"I-I was scared…!!"
"Ah, I know," the servant replied comfortingly, his tone gentle and reassuring. "Don't worry, I've already given them the treatment."
The girl wearing a white kimono with fox ears and tails hugged him as he stroked her head. The scene suggested that the two had a relationship that was not shallow. ...Suzune felt a slight discomfort in her heart.
"...Suzune-dono, are you okay as well? I was fortunate to find you while patrolling."
Then, perhaps noticing Suzune's gaze, the servant raised his masked face and asked.
"...Yes. No problem. Thank you."
Suzune answered the servant's words without hesitation. Partly because of the discomfort she had felt earlier, but also because the man in front of her was not completely trustworthy, although he was not an enemy to her.
Even though he was hiding his face, Suzune knew that he had been involved in the disturbances in the village where they had been placed in the Onitsuki family and that he had advised her lord to remove her master from this assignment. It was a natural reaction to be cautious and defensive. ...And it was not because of the white fox girl in front of her.
"I am grateful too. Thank you very much," said the maid in a relieved tone next to Suzune. She was older than Suzune and her name was Yona (陽菜). She had accompanied the Exorcists from the Ako family, who took charge of the mission this time, and tried to act like a senior.
"No, there is no need to thank me, but...," the servant replied.
"What happened?" asked Yona.
"I just thought it was unusual to have so many people here with us."
When Yona tilted her head, the servant expressed doubt.
"What do you mean—"
"—Oh, that... Shirowakamaru-sama and the others are receiving hospitality, so we were waiting outside. Besides, we already had a relationship with her when we were travelling by ox-cart earlier," explained the white half-youkai fox before Suzune had a chance to say anything.
The maids are not as lowly as the servants, but even so, they are not always allowed to stay by their master's side. Although the sleeping quarters had already been prepared for them, they still waited for their master's welcome to be over.
"I see, that's what happened. ...Seriously, what is Iruka doing? This is the time when she should be doing her job" the servant complained.
"Hey, hey, don't be ridiculous."
A voice from behind the servant's back answered the servant's question immediately. The servant lets out a sigh as he understands the meaning of the voice. Then he turns his head in the direction of the voice.
"It's too late now, and there's no point hurrying."
The servant spoke to the wolf-woman who had brought down the army soldiers and was dragging them along.
"Give me a break! I was escorting in the government office, you know? I was desperately enduring the delicious smell, but this incident happened. I used urination as an excuse and rushed out."
Iruka defends herself with a wry smile on her face, her wry expression clearly visible because she is only covering half of her face.
"So? What are you going to do with them? Kill them?"
Iruka takes one look at the stretched out and dragged soldiers and asks Yun-shoku with a smirk as if she was testing him.
"Don't be a fool," the servant replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Let them sleep outside. They probably got drunk on poor-quality booze."
"Is that what we'll do?" Iruka questioned.
"Yep," the servant confirmed. "That's what we'll do."
Sighing in resignation, the two henchmen shrugged their shoulders. Their closeness annoyed Suzune, who became moody again.
"...Shiro, stay close to Suzune and the others. Suzune-dono, it's time for you to leave this place. I will inform Miss Tamaki through Iruka. We shouldn't cause any more trouble here, should we?"
Yun-shoku offered, unaware of Suzune's feelings.
"Yes, that's true. I felt their eyes and attitude weren't right, but I didn't think discipline was so lax here."
It was Yona who answered. She sometimes accompanied her masters on their missions, but the Ako family was based in the western part of the country, where there were many wealthy villages and the discipline of the army soldiers and officials was relatively well organized. Therefore, she did not expect to encounter such things. Her face was full of anxiety and frustration.
Suzune also agreed with the two. She was too brusque with the soldiers earlier, but now she realizes she was careless. Of course, it's not clear if things would have turned out okay if she had been more lenient...
"T-Tomobe-san..."
"I'm sorry. If it's not urgent, I can't listen to you now. Forgive me."
Yun-shoku calms down the anxious half-youkai girl who comes to his side.
"Um, sorry… Tomobe-san, please be careful, okay?"
"Yes, I'll be careful."
When Shiro said with a sense of shame, Yun-shoku answered with a wry smile. They exchange glances and nod at each other, revealing a deep sense of trust.
"......"
Suzune stares at them silently, feeling a confused mix of emotions. Meanwhile, the half-youkai girl comes trudging back toward her.
"Then, I'll be counting on you, Yona-dono…" The servant spoke with a deep and gravelly tone.
Yona nodded in agreement. "Yes. Shiro-chan, Suzune-san, shall we go?" Her voice was clear and confident, a stark contrast to Suzune's nervous stutter.
"Wha…!? Y-Yes." Suzune's reply came out in a rush, her voice high-pitched and shaky.
With the call of the oldest of the three, Yona, Suzune responded to her with a nervous nod, and they all left the scene.
"......"
As they leaves, Suzune looks back once again. Iruka and Yun-shoku were talking.
Suzune grits her teeth at the sight, but in the next moment, she turns around to shake off her regrets...
* * *
"Well then, Iruka. You can go back to your post after you ditch those guys. ...Just to be safe, don't make a scene over there, okay?"
"Hey, hey, I know."
Iruka's reply to my remark was overly casual. Is this really okay...?
"I can't trust you at all—"
I was about to rebuke Iruka's attitude, but I noticed the presence right after that. Iruka does the same, and the wolf ears growing out of her head move, making her frown.
"Hey, servant. This is..."
"Yeah, I know. ...The target is me. You get back to your post."
I cut Iruka's warning off, not wanting to drag even unrelated people into trouble, as the saying goes "birds of a feather flock together" but I had no intention of involving others in this mess.
"...I got it. I'm going to take my leave now. You're in trouble, aren't you?"
With a wry smile on her face, Iruka quickly backs away. I also check my surroundings, then pull out the dagger (tantō) at my waist and start to slash at the demon (oni) behind me.
"Whoa there. You're still as careful as ever, aren't you?"
...Well, of course I would be, considering that I'm about to be forced to fight against the blue demon who has now shown up? Hey, let go! Your stupid strength...!!
"I don't want to hear from you, whose very existence is dangerous. What do you want? Did you come to tell me about more trouble again?"
"I don't like that attitude. Rather, I'm your valuable partner, aren't I? Didn't I warn you and help you out during that last incident?"
As she declared it so nonchalantly, the blue demon drank from the sake bottle at one blow, and then pompously evaluated it. "Blech, this is cheap booze." Well, It was probably stolen from the district office. But It's not worth worrying about now.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. If you don't, then get lost. It's a problem for me if you stay here in such a conspicuous place for too long."
No, it really bothers me. Just try activating your defeat quest, and both I and the protagonist will be wiped out. No, probably it happened.
"Hahaha, something to say? Well, I don't know?" the blue demon chuckled, her voice light and carefree.
"Don't act so grand."
"Don't get upset. I'm in a good mood now because of your actions earlier. It's exciting to see you behave like a hero."
As she said that, the Blue Demon had somehow gotten behind me, rested her chin on my shoulder, and started speaking. I frown at the smell of nausea-inducing alcohol and back-fist her in the face... but of course she dodges it. Seriously, I was tired of the overwhelming difference in strength.
"Damn, someone's here."
As I continued to wait, the sound of fast galloping hooves echoed in the distance. It seems that some report has come to the county capital.
"Well, well, that one arrived surprisingly early," the demon purred, eyeing me with a wicked grin. "But, there's no need for me to be here, Anyway, do your best and think hard, my hero," she teased, her voice dripping with honeyed malice.
"What...?" I sputtered, trying to make sense of her cryptic words.
I turned to face the demon's strange taunts, but by then, her figure had disappeared like smoke. Only the lingering scent of alcohol tickling my nose indicated that she was still there.
Soon after, my eyes fell on the horseman who was riding through the gate of the town hall at a full gallop. The messenger on horseback cries out a report under his breath.
"I urgently report to the governor from Irohama Station! Yesterday morning, patrolling soldiers found the nearby village, Inoto, destroyed, with no survivors found! The inspection of the report has confirmed that the damage was caused by youkai. We need urgent reinforcements!!"
The announcement echoed throughout the county office, and all the officials in the office opened their windows and doors to look at the messenger. Among them were the county governor and the protagonist who were being entertained. As they understood the contents, the county officials began to stir. And I...
"...Hey, are you serious?"
Inoto village, I knew the name of this place. In the original scenario of "Namahage surveillance mission", it was a temporary evacuation target. Which means...
"Hey, hey, come on, isn't that too much?"
The situation was clearly out of sync with the original story, which meant that this event, which was supposed to be less affected by the Butterfly Effect, had already deviated from the standard route...
New fan-art:
The first one is the post-Murasaki from chapter 88: here, and the second one is Princess Aoi at the cherry blossom viewing: here
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
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