[Part 2/4]
"B-But..."
Shiro's eyes became moist, her cheeks reddened, and she sniffled. This is troublesome. Although it was just a prank to Iruka, it seemed to have hurt her deeply. I screwed up.
"I... I used to be like that in the past, but... but..."
Overwhelmed with emotions, Shiro approached me, clinging to my leg as she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. She gazed at me with a frightened expression on her swollen face.
"Uuuh... Tomobe-saaan...!!"
...She looked up at me with her innocent beauty that shook one's heart.
"...!?"
It was a good thing I was wearing a mask. I managed to avoid showing my involuntary grimace. If I had revealed my expression, she would probably have been shocked.
"..Well, well. You really are a youkai fox, after all."
Iruka, who was next to me, peeked at Shiro's expression and muttered with a twisted smile. Unfortunately, I agreed with her.
"Huh?"
"Well, yeah. That's right. What should I say? Um...—"
'—( ´・∀・｀) Hey, where's the food!'
"Noisy!!"
I was shaken and didn't know what to say, but I retorted to the annoying spider that had been talking inside my head. Shiro was startled by the sudden reaction.
"Eh, what..."
"Ah, enough of that! I'm going to lift you up!!"
"Huh? Wha...!"
Surprised and dumbfounded, Shiro didn't have time to react. Immediately after that, I regained my composure and, with a burst of energy, I lifted her up from both sides and placed her on the back of the chestnut horse.
"Well, um, here's the thing. For now, I'll rely on you to be vigilant. Don't think too deeply about this silly matter. We've known each other for a long time, so you shouldn't be so easily flustered by the jokes of a newcomer."
I declared that nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. However, I'm not lying. In a way, I do trust this half-youkai fox more than the original character of the same name from the source material, given the process we've been through together.
...Well, I suppose I was also trying to cover up my own agitation, though.
"Um... well..."
"Come on! Pull yourself together! You're riding a horse, so do your job!"
"E-eek...!!"
As Shiro hesitated, Iruka ordered her while giving a firm pat on Shiro's back. In response, Shiro straighten up, her spine erect, and start looking around nervously. Her fox ears and tail would also perk up. Then, Iruka whispered in my ear.
"Hehehe. You owe me, okay?"
She said with a smug expression. Well, yeah, that's right. But, wait...
"No, in the first place, you started this mess, didn't you!?"
I retorted as I delivered a chop to the top of Iruka's head...
The snow, which had started falling sparsely in Hieda County past noon, had turned into a blizzard by late afternoon. And with each passing moment, it grew fiercer.
"Darn, this is getting troublesome...!" I exclaimed, frustration evident in my voice.
Even the shikigami I sent flying above, sharing its vision, could hardly see anything due to the thick clouds and raging snow. The compass in my hand was the only hope, pointing the way.
"Shiro! Are you okay!?"
"Yes, I'm on horseback, so... What about Iruka-san!?"
"Unfortunately, I can't die yet...!!"
As I turned around to face my companions and shouted, the two of them, bundled up in straw and fur for warmth, replied in loud voices. It had turned into a blizzard that made us want to call it a whiteout. If we let our guard down, we could easily lose sight of each other in this snowstorm.
"Alright, everyone," I commanded with authority, my voice cutting through the howling wind of the blizzard. "Don't let go of the rope, got it!? Shiro, it might be tough, but I'm counting on you to keep an eye out! My senses are already failing me in this blizzard! Iruka, if you sense anything even slightly off, let us know!" My words carried urgency and determination, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
"U-Understood...!!" Shiro replied, her voice filled with a mix of determination and trepidation.
"Yeah!!" Iruka exclaimed, her voice echoing with confidence and readiness.
In this blizzard, even if youkai were approaching, I wouldn't notice until they were right upon us. So, I had to rely on the two of them. Still, after all the walking, we still can't find our destination.
"It's freezing, damn it!" Iruka exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration and impatience. "Hey, haven't we reached the destination yet...!?"
"We should be there soon..." I muttered, my tone mirroring Iruka's frustration. "D(mn it, where are we?"
The visibility was so poor that even what lay right in front of our eyes was indiscernible. I squinted desperately, trying to focus on what was ahead. Freezing to death out here was no laughing matter. We had a tent for camping, but setting it up in this blizzard would take a considerable amount of time, and there was the risk of it being blown away. Plus, we couldn't use fire inside the tent, as it could start a fire.
"Tsk!? Hey, something dangerous is coming! Watch out!"
Iruka warned, sensing it with her keen senses. But it was slightly too late.
"Huh? Ahhh...!?"
"What!? Sh*t...!"
Right after that, an exceptionally fierce gust of wind blew, forcefully tearing away the protective winter gear Shiro was wearing. I tried to grab hold of it as it soared into the sky, but I was too slow. In an instant, it was swept away, disappearing into the blizzard.
"Hey! Shiro, what the hell were you thinking!? Didn't you tie it properly!?"
"I-I'm... I'm sorry!!"
Iruka yelled at Shiro with a ferocity that seemed completely out of place, given the circumstances. However, it was a matter of life and death, so her reaction was somewhat understandable. Shiro, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned pale, her face filled with fear, and apologized.
"There's no time to be angry!! Tsk, take my coat. It'll keep you warm for now!"
Interrupting their conversation, I quickly took off my own jacket, making sure it wouldn't be blown away, and helped Shiro put it on. I tightly tied the strings so it wouldn't come loose.
"T-Tomobe-san, what are you...!?"
"Hey, it's her own responsibility for screwing up! Are you planning to freeze to death?"
Shiro looked perplexed at my actions, and then Iruka scolded her. It is true that it was her own fault that she lost her winter protective clothes, and it was foolish of me to give my coat to someone else in the middle of this blizzard. But...
"This is entrusted to me by the princess. I can't let her die. Besides... it's common for kids to make mistakes."
I tried to calm down the enraged Iruka. I understood her anger, having likely experienced life-or-death situations numerous times. But displaying raw emotions at this moment would only waste time and energy. Iruka must have understood this, and she did not argue with my words. She simply stated, "I won't do the same," emphasizing her intention.
"Oh, um..."
"Don't let the next one fly away. There's no replacement."
With a touch of embarrassment and a desire to say something, Shiro looked at me, but I ruffled her head and gave her the order. Then, I returned to the front of the formation. There was no time to casually chat. ...I'm feeling cold too.
(Well, it's all well and good to put on a brave face... but d*mn, this is tough!!)
Shivering at the cold, I continued to march forward, staring ahead... with inner restlessness. While those with spiritual power like servants had sturdier bodies than regular humans, they were far from invincible. I wanted to reach my destination before freezing to death. Or rather, if we didn't reach it, we would die.
...Fortunately, it didn't take too long after letting go of the coat to spot our intended location.
"That's..."
I caught sight of its silhouette amidst the blizzard. The shadow of a stone-built tower... and I read the characters inscribed on the signboard of the tower in ink. I licked my dry lips and relaxed.
"Alright, that's it! Over there! We're almost there, keep going!!"
Pulling the reins of the blue-maned horse and the rope for navigation, I turned back towards Shiro and Iruka, shouting loudly. Then, I faced forward again, stealing another glance at the tower.
The signboard of the tower read as follows: 'Sakui Station, Hieda County'...
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