Toasteful: Chapter 140, Part 4

　[Part 4/4]

　"That's true..."

　She went on and on about things I hadn't asked for. How could she speak so much in her paralyzed state? I was honestly getting a little sleepy.

　"In the midst of all this, you still managed to fulfill your duties as an Onitsuki servant! I'll give you credit for that! I'll still deal with your earlier comments, though!!"

　The princess, wrapped in just a single coat, leaned against the cave walls and declared her grievances. She couldn't even lift her fan, yet she was eloquent and assertive. Did she really plan to carry out her threat?

　"...I'm honored to receive your praise," I replied wearily. Of course, I was referring to the first half of her statement. Definitely not the latter part.

　"Very well, leave it to me. With a poison like this, it should take no more than three days to recover! Then, I'll fulfill my duty to the court and return in triumph! And I'll make sure to deal with those fools who dared to lay a hand on me!"

　Hmph! That arrogant attitude of hers, coming from who knows where. Does she even understand the situation...?

　Three days. That's how long it would take to detoxify her... but it's three days. Surviving for three days in this hellish place was incredibly challenging. Once we reached a safe zone, we could potentially hunker down until Loli Gorilla-sama recovered, but even reaching that safety zone would be a life-or-death endeavor.

　(What about the keys in the vault? If only we had one more person...)

　Even with three people, one would have to carry the burden of the high-maintenance Princess. Among the remaining two, one would need to support the incapacitated Princess, leaving only one person capable of combat. And both of the mobile ones were servants... This was a terrible situation.

　"A case of reaping what you sow, huh?"

　I sneered quietly at my current situation. I regretted the incident from earlier, the one involving the boundary. Perhaps if I had acted differently, like waiting for the survivors or making a quicker decision to help the leader of those laborers, the situation might have been slightly better. But dwelling on it was futile, and my thoughts kept looping around it endlessly. It was a bad tendency.

　"Is something wrong?"

　"No, I... I'll find the right moment to move. Once we start moving, it'll be hard to rest. Maybe we should eat before that?"

　"Food, yes, food..."

　Loli gorilla-sama enthusiasm from earlier had disappeared. She didn't immediately agree with my suggestion. I looked puzzled for a moment, but then it hit me. She had just been drugged a while ago.

　"I apologize if the taste isn't up to par. We can ensure its safety through a taste test."

　Still, it was necessary, so I insisted. I couldn't afford a failure due to her stomach growling.

　"...Not right now. Maybe a little later, alright?"

　She replied in a nonchalant tone, trying to divert her gaze and mask her unease.

　"Alright."

　I nodded and offered to go back to the cave's entrance with Hisame for safety reasons. She approved it surprisingly easily.

　"About Princess, do you forget that she tortured you before?"

　"Torture? Well..."

　Hisame whispered as we made our way toward the cave's entrance. Her tone conveyed dissatisfaction and discomfort, but her face remained unreadable.

　"At that time, you saved me. Thank you, Hisame."

　"No, I just happened to see it..."

　She was modest in her acknowledgment. However, her words had an air of childish embarrassment.

　"Well, you wouldn't understand since you're still a newbie... But the treatment of us servants is just like that."

　The value of a servant's life was vastly different from that of a regular exorcist. The two were incomparable. In this world of social hierarchy, it wasn't uncommon for those who had once been mistreated to be saved by the very people who tormented them. Although Loli Gorilla-sama was on the verge of being "laborerized," her attitude was still shockingly arrogant.

　"Do you have any complaints, Senpai?"

　"Of course, I have plenty. This is beyond a black company."

　"Burakku?"

　Onitsuki families's servant is more than a black company. Compared to other companies in the same industry... it's better than others, but it's wrong to compare them to begin with.

　"But still, we can't just abandon hrt, can we?"

　Especially not the child. I said this with a sense of self-righteousness, but in reality, my motives weren't that noble. I only wanted to prevent the disaster that awaited in the original story and the subsequent calamity for my family. And perhaps it was an act of atonement for failing to protect everyone, including her.

　"What's wrong?"

　I suddenly noticed that we had been silent for a while and asked Hisame. She didn't look at me but asked a single question.

　"Senpai, what will you do if I become unable to move too?"

　The question was asked in a calm but trembling voice, as if she had suppressed her emotions. I thought about what she was going through. And I answered. Fairly and honestly, I answered.

　"Well, I've been trained, so I can probably carry two brats like you. And I don't want to hear Kuchinashi's squad leader's complaints."

　I even joked a bit and ruffled her hair roughly. She didn't resist, just softly opened her mouth.

　"Is that so?"

　Her muttered words seemed to indicate a faint smile. I couldn't see it on her face, but it was probably a clumsy attempt at a smile.

　"By the way, can you carry me?"

　"Well... I'm sorry, but I don't have the strength."

　"Honestly, huh!?"

　At least one thing was clear: I couldn't afford to become immobilized...

　...

　A little while later, we decided to leave the cave. Based on our reconnaissance, it became apparent that two great youkai were wandering nearby, engaged in a dispute and moving farther away from our location.

　Unfortunately, it seemed that Loli Gorilla-sama's mealtime was likely to be canceled, regardless of her intentions.

* * *

　"Why are you so busy? Are we going to move?"

　"Yes. Considering this is a forbidden area, the density of youkai in this deep forest is high. With the great youkai moving away, this is a valuable opportunity. We can't afford to miss it. Please understand."

　As I checked our supplies and equipment, Princess sat in the back of the cave, looking uninterested.

　"Senpai, there are three medium youkai approaching from the southeast."

　Hisame reported in a hushed voice as she rushed to the cave entrance. I grimaced at the news.

　"Medium youkai could linger in the area for quite some time..."

　If we're not careful, we might stay in this place for a long time. If so, we'll waste our tickets. The great youkai may come out again. It was a gamble to wait until things got better.

　"I have some stink balls for diversion."

　The safe zone we needed to reach was a one hour run from here. Using the stink balls could be risky; not only was there a limited supply, but it would also attract attention, potentially bringing more great youkai to our location.

　"I can't use shikigami too."

　At the moment, neither Hisame nor I possessed the skill to control shikigami. Loli Gorilla-sama couldn't use shikigami effectively in this situation either. Employing wild animals was out of the question; besides, could we even find suitable ones?

　"I could use the stink balls for diversion, so how about splitting up?"

　"That's not a good idea. We're short on manpower. I can't handle the rest of the work alone."

　It was an excuse. There was no guarantee that Hisame, who was on her way to the diversion, would make it alive to join us.

　"But..."

　"Wait, don't rush. Let me think a bit more."

　I tried to come up with a plan, but nothing seemed viable. I furrowed my brows in frustration and glanced around at my surroundings. My junior and the princess were watching me, their faces a mix of anxiety and curiosity. Think, think, think...

　"Maybe...?"

　In a way, divine intervention crossed my mind.

　"...? Do you have any other ideas? Speak up. I'll consider it if it helps resolve this situation."

　Loli Gorilla-sama responded to my almost incoherent muttering. Her tone was condescending, but there was a hint of hope for a solution.

　"Yes, well... but it would require the princess's assistance."

　"Hmph. What's the delay? I'll do anything to get through this situation, even if it means getting back at those who put me in this mess. Go on, speak up!"

　She responded with arrogance and confidence.

　"Very well."

　I nodded respectfully at her declaration. The deal was sealed.

　"..."

　I briefly glanced at Hisame, who caught my gaze and tilted her head in confusion. It took her a moment to realize what was happening, and her eyes displayed a hint of annoyance. Stop it. I'm suffering too, you know. This decision is hard for me as well.

　"Now, don't keep me waiting. Explain it!"

　"Yes, let me explain. It's..."

　The result? Well, let's just say that as soon as I began to explain, Loli Gorilla-sama's expression froze.

　...Alright, let's prepare the operation. In exchange for my honor, shall we?

Fan art:
Title: Zashiki Warashi Illustration
URL: [Link]

Ai Art:

Title: Beach Sleepwear Aoi-sama
URL: [Link]
Title: Swimsuit Hina
URL: [Link]
Title: Various Grind Advisor-sama
URL: [Link]
Title: The Suspected Main Heroine
URL: [Link]
Title: Cute White Fox at the Beach
URL: [Link]
Title: Beach's Alluring... Botan
URL: [Link]
Title: The Unworn Merchant's Daughter
URL: [Link]
Title: Safety-Marked Blindfolded Lady
URL: [Link]
Title: Former Shrine Maiden with Uncertain Attachments
URL: [Link]

By the way, I have a new project about a returning hero who is forced to combat once again. It features good character growth and decent battle writing. Here's the link => [Link]

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