Toasteful: Chapter 137, Part 4

[Part 4/4]

Or perhaps... Could it be? Even if that physco father had something prepared, it's an unsettling thought to believe it.

"What should we do with the remains?"

"Burn and bury them; it's an ironclad rule. Even if the rendezvous is delayed, we have no choice."

Animals that consume the remains of youkai are prone to youkai transformation, and if the same youkai eats them, it can even encourage their growth to a higher rank. Except in cases where immediate departure is necessary, burning and burying them is proper etiquette. Even the dark magician who lost to a newborn baby said that traditions must be upheld.

"Digging a hole or collecting corpses, which is better?"

"...Digging a hole."

Hisame hesitated for a moment and chose the former based on my suggestion. Probably the right choice.

"So, shall we clean up?"

Wearing leather gloves, I started gathering the scattered pieces on the ground with that command. It's summer. Even though it's dusk, we needed to gather them quickly; otherwise, it would create a terrible smell.

I threw the remains one after another into the hole that Hisame had dug. I put twigs and such in with them to help them burn and set them alight. After they had burned to some extent, it was time to sprinkle them with purification, not disinfectant, and then bury them. It would take about an hour and a half, I guess.

"It's already late at night. Hisame, get some rest for a while. ...At this rate, we won't arrive until sunrise at worst."

And potentially, there might be a punishment waiting, leading to joining the expedition to the forbidden grounds. While I was concerned about additional attacks, she should rest while she can. Going to the forbidden grounds sleep-deprived would be akin to suicide.

"Um, Senpai...?"

"Don't underestimate me. I have more experience with hellish marches than you. I'm used to this kind of death march."

To be specific, I've experienced three hellish journeys where I couldn't get any sleep.

"So, what about you?"

"Don't worry about it. ...More importantly, if you become a liability in case something happens, that would be a problem. Find a suitable place and lie down. Close your eyes even if you can't sleep. You can use a mat, but don't use a sleeping bag, alright?"

I issued instructions based on the guidance I received and my own experience.

"Understood!"

"Good."

Following my orders, Hisame obediently settled down by laying out a ragged mat and curling up on top of it. It's like the fetal position of a baby in the womb; you can picture it. She squeezed her eyes shut. Her body trembled as if it had stiffened too much.

"Sigh, she's tensing up too much."

I muttered in slight exasperation, but I didn't press further. I glanced at the youkai campfire and then sat down in a suitable spot. I held my spear and continued to vigilantly scan the surroundings in silence.

It was quiet. Other than the sound of the campfire in front of me, there was occasional chirping of crickets, nothing more.

(Now, how should I handle this...)

I have a general idea of how events will unfold from the source material. I'm also aware of some key points. I've prepared as best as I can. However... it's uncertain how much trust can be placed in me as an outsider involved.

After all, the fact that one servant is involved shouldn't have much influence... But given the Father's psychopathic actions in the source material, it's a terrible thought that I might believe in him in a bad way.

"The top priority is to prioritize my own life... Even if I only focus on immediate matters."

After the Loli Gorilla-sama had been violated, escaping now would make me a target for retaliation later. Perhaps she's a genius, so she'll definitely return even if she's thoroughly defiled, and the group that came to assassinate her is all killed in a battered state. Above all, she's a valuable cheat-level force. Even if I surpass past events, it might be a dead end when the original story starts. That would be bad. Extremely bad.

(Then, would it be better to intervene openly and reduce Gorilla-sama's damage? Is it possible? I don't know.)

What is the best course of action for me to choose? Since my life is at stake, this was a serious issue that took a lot of time. My thoughts were focused solely on that as I gazed at the youkai meat burning in the campfire.

(How much can be cut away? How much sacrifice can be tolerated? How much can be abandoned? How much... can be discarded?)

I was aware that my thoughts were gradually heading in an unsettling direction, but I couldn't stop them. To survive, there was no greater absolution than that.

(Should I rescue Gorilla-sama and make her owe me a favor? But will it work out? If I use sacrificial pawns as decoys, perhaps?)

Unconsciously, I had been moving forward with a plan to actively utilize my allies, rather than giving up on them. I recalled the composition of the group and considered who should be kept alive, who should be abandoned, and who should be killed. I thought. I thought...

(There is no point in helping her if she doesn't discredit the psycho-father. The people around her are also a nuisance. She has the potential for yandere, could she be influenced by secondary story? Where should I let the interfering people die? Yes, for example...)

"Snore..."

"..."

What interrupted my dangerous thoughts was the sound of snoring. The noise was so disruptive that I shifted my gaze.

Hisame was curled up asleep in the shade of a tree. The corner of her mouth visible through the gap was drooling pathetically. There was not a trace of seriousness.

"Is she a child... a child?"

As soon as I made the comment, I found myself agreeing with it. Not a few of us, not only servants but also laborers, don't know each other exact age, and Hisame, the rookie, might be just a little under her mid-teens in terms of age. She looked decent enough, but her face and height made her seem like a loli. A loli with big breasts. In other words, she was a brat.

"Is it a child's job to sleep? No, but at least wipe your drool."

Approaching her, I reluctantly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. There was just too much drool to leave it as it was, and I didn't feel like waking her up. Really, she wasn't a baby...

"I've lost my appetite."

As soon as I finished wiping the drool, I muttered. Honestly, I was fed up. It felt foolish to have been thinking so seriously just a moment ago.

"...Is it a gamble at this point? Will something like that work out?"

I muttered, slightly exasperated by the pitiful sight of the drool-covered handkerchief.

I was aware that my tone had become somewhat more relaxed...

* * *

Dawn was approaching. Two hours before the sun's rays would barely penetrate from the horizon.

"It's not just the middle of the night; it's dawn already."

I muttered with a wry smile as I continued along the city road. In my line of sight, a checkpoint set up to block the mountainous area was visible. Even from a distance, several columns of white smoke were rising. Probably preparing breakfast.

"It's impossible to get breakfast... What do you think?"

"Haha... I wonder."

Hisame responded to the joke with an indescribable expression. In reality, the possibility of punishment waiting for us was higher if we continued like this.

"Don't be too uptight. If it's responsibility, leave it to me... Hm, a welcoming party?"

I confirmed from a distance that the checkpoint gate had opened. A few cavalrymen leaped out of the gate and headed straight toward us. From their appearance, they didn't look like messengers. Their goal was probably us.

"...I have a bad feeling about this."

The oppressive atmosphere of the approaching cavalry unit gave me an uncomfortable feeling.

"You two, you must be the servants of the Onitsuki family, right!?"

The cavalrymen, who had spread out around us, asked with bows and spears aimed at us. Or perhaps it was an interrogation.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Good. In that case, come with us. The chief is waiting for you!!"

Consciously or not, the checkpoint troops gave us orders in a condescending tone. There was an undeniable pressure in their speech.

"S-senpai...?"

"...I guess we underestimated Princess?"

In response to the frightened call from Hisame, I didn't have the luxury to offer comforting words. From their words, I had realized that the situation was going beyond my expectation...

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