Toasteful: Chapter 186, Part 1

[Part 1/6]

A sweaty, big guy was walking around the porch of the yashiki estate. He was holding a cup filled with cold sugar water. After finishing up with some merchants who had come to ask for help, he headed to his office.

"So, how's the guard team coming along...?"

"It's all set. We should be able to leave tomorrow."

Out of nowhere, 2 members of the Hidden Group appeared behind him. One of them, Yun-shoku, replied. The team from Onitsuki was made up of 2 exorcists and 2 members from the Hidden Group, along with 5 servants and 20 laborers. This was the maximum number of people Onitsuki could send right now.

"Good. Make sure there are no delays, okay? It would be a shame for our family to mess up in front of the daimyou's army sent from the capital. We can't show weakness as one of the 3 families in the Northern region."

He had received messages from the imperial court, both openly and secretly. The huge Kappa den found in the remote areas of the Northern region couldn't be cleared out by local forces alone.

So, the army sent by the imperial court was quite large. The Onitsuki family had fought against Kappa a few years ago, so they were asked to send help and support. There was no way they could refuse, no matter the circumstances.

"It's a busy time. How's Hanemi? What about Kyouzou?"

"They're both on their way back after finishing their tasks. They should be here in 2 days."

"Quickly, send them a new mission. Don't let them come back yet. ...I can't believe they have to take on another task on their way back."

Uemon gave a new order to the family members who were on their way home. He looked really unhappy, which showed he didn't agree with the decision.

In the past year, there had been a lot of small youkai attacks. Instead of decreasing after several cleanup missions, the attacks had actually gone up a bit. And then there is Joraku (visiting capital).

Now, with the capital being involved, it made sense that the local forces would be stretched thin. That's why things had gotten to this point.

"If one of the princesses had been here, we wouldn't have had to deal with all this..."

Muja (T/L: appeared in cp 89, the one who monitor Tamaki), another member of the Hidden Group, sighed as he said this. The two candidates for the next head of the Onitsuki family were also seen as powerful weapons by all the exorcists.

They had the strength to get the job done and were perfect backups in case of emergencies. Their value was worth more than ten regular exorcists. If just one of them had stayed at the yashiki, things would have been much easier right now...

"...There's no point in dwelling on the past."

Even though Uemon was annoyed by his subordinate's complaints, he changed the subject. This businessman wasn't going to waste any time.

"Ha!"

"Haha...!"

Yun-shoku and Muja knew how upset Uemon had been when the Joraku team was assigned. They also knew he had quickly calmed things down with some behind-the-scenes work. So, they respectfully nodded in agreement, even though they didn't really feel that way.

Even though it was an order from the imperial court, just having the madam of the family, or the current head, would be more than enough strength. Plus, there were several sisters, advisors, and household members... that was way too much power. The total strength of the Joraku team might even be greater than those who stayed behind.

Still, requests to deal with youkai kept piling up, causing frustration among the people, and some merchants were even complaining directly. Uemon had to handle this situation and keep everyone calm.

Meanwhile, having too many powerful people safely in the capital while they enjoyed fancy parties made it hard for his subordinates to accept this unpleasant reality.

(Hmm. I won't show it on my face, but I'm definitely feeling frustrated.)

Uemon also tried to understand how his subordinates were feeling and thought about it. The Onitsuki family's main job wasn't too tense, but the situation had been uncertain for a long time.

This delicate balance could easily lead to a drop in morale. He needed to find a way to lighten the load.

Should he get the elders of the familt who were waiting at the yashiki ready for the god-level calamity youkai situation? But, was it okay to ask them to do boring chores? It was a tricky situation.

"Maybe I should hire some outlaw exorcists..."

Even though he didn't want to, maybe he should consider bringing in some unknown people as temporary help. Fortunately, he heard that someone had been promoted from servant to Household Member Coordinator after many years, and there were some outsiders interested in joining...

"Hm?"

While he was thinking about all this, the leader of the Hidden Group noticed a figure coming from the other side of the porch and turned to look. He saw a man with striking eyes dressed in formal clothes.

"Is that you, the head of the servants? Did you just return? You work fast."

"Yes, head of the Hidden Group. Yes, I completed my tasks successfully."

The head of the servants replied to the head of the Hidden Group. It was a rare, straightforward conversation for Uemon. This was because Shisui, the head of the Onitsuki's servants, was usually selfless in his dedication to the family.

He was supposed to have taken on 3 tasks in the Mino District and one in the Edatane District. As expected from the head of servants known for their fighting skills. But still... it wasn't a good sign that he had to handle multiple tasks at once.

"Don't worry about it. Make sure to rest well."

"No, I was just heading that way anyway. ...But is there any problem with the assistant? I hope I'm not causing any trouble."

Uemon, who supported the family, expressed his concern, but Shisui was worried about his subordinates. Even though Shisui had passed some of his duties to his subordinates about a week ago, he seemed anxious about whether any issues had come up during that time.

"Don't worry. Miyamizu, my assistant, is doing well. And I haven't noticed any losses among the servants while I was away."

"That's good to hear. ...Honestly, I'm worried about leaving that matter unattended. I'm glad to hear you're doing well."

Shisui's beautiful face showed a hint of worry. His words were a bit harsh, but Uemon didn't disagree. The assistant was from the Miyamizu family, but their position wasn't very stable, and their feelings were even more uncertain.

The previous head of the Miyamizu family had fallen apart, causing chaos, but Shisui had guided and supported the cause to rebuild.

Some people, with their sharp tongues, whispered about conspiracies due to the factional situation at that time. It was natural for the Miyamizu daughter to push back. However, that would only make things worse.

"You have your own worries, don't you? ...The issues with the servants should be handled by the servants. I hope you don't let those problems spread elsewhere."

"You're right. I'm quite embarrassed, head of the hidden group."

Shisui accepted Uemon's words for the first time. The heavyset man couldn't help but snort and shake his fat, realizing he wasn't in a position to say anything about this topic.

He was aware that he was taking out his frustrations...

"..."

"Well then, I'll take my leave. ...It seems your madam (wife) is here too, so I should step aside."

"Huh...!?"

Shisui's response to Uemon, who looked a bit self-critical, made him glance at Shisui, startled. He noticed a small figure hiding around the corner of the porch. It was a small person who looked like a doll, with a bright outfit...

"What do you want?"

"..."

"I know you're there. Come out quickly!"

"...!? Y-yes!!"

After giving Shisui a quick look, Uemon called out, and when he got no response, he felt a bit annoyed and urged the young Madam to come out.

She appeared, biting her tongue in response, looking up at him with wide eyes, clearly showing the size difference between them. It was like a bear and a squirrel. If Uemon fell on this young wife, he would crush her without a doubt.

"Is there something you need? If you need anything, I have people and money ready for you."

"Oh, no... I don't really need money or anything..."

Kotsuzu fumbled with her words, as usual, not being clear. Her vague attitude was frustrating for Uemon, who was busy.

"Then you just didn't want to come by because I was in the way? That's fine. My presence must have been a bother. I'll take my leave first."

"Ah...!?"

Before Kotsuzu could say anything, Uemon walked past her without noticing. Kotsuzu reached out, but Uemon didn't look back. The two people from the Hidden Group behind him noticed, but they didn't think it was worth mentioning to Uemon.

It was true that Uemon was busy, and Kotsuzu didn't have any political power or value. She felt more like a burden, almost like a debt. It wouldn't be right for her to waste her husband's time with small matters.

The late former madam was different. That fierce warrior from the southern noble family was a top-notch exorcist, and they made a great couple, balancing each other's weaknesses.

Compared to Kotsuzu, who felt powerless, the disappointment from the subordinates was even greater. In fact, the two accompanying him were good at hiding their feelings, but if it were the second madam, they might have shown disdain.

"My beloved dear..."

Her outstretched hand couldn't reach him. Her weak call didn't get through. She wanted to catch up, but her legs trembled, and she couldn't take a step.

Understanding her place and her own weakness, Kotsuzu could only watch her husband leave for his study, feeling unhappy.

It had been a long time since she received a gift from her distant family. Since her family was a small exorcist clan in the countryside, they didn't have any special products, but they included some city goods from merchants. There were plenty of sweets, from traditional ones to the latest trends!

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