CH 91.3

9-11 minutes

[Part 3/4] 

The warrant we received in advance from the county governor guarantees our identity. It is cursed for theft prevention, and cannot be counterfeited or stolen. The front of the warrant states that it allows us to pass through checkpoints, use mountain huts and stations like this one, and supply goods within Hieda County. It will assist us in our search efforts.

"But, what are we going to do if we can't find any leads? Are we just going to search blindly?" Iruka asked, finishing her porridge and scooping more into her bowl. I stopped eating and reached into my bag to pull out a scroll, which I opened and spread out so it would be visible.

"Is that a map?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's a schematic of Hieda County that I sketched out."

The document I had opened was a copy of a map kept in Hieda County's office. had received special permission from the county governor to use it for this particular mission, although he had been quite hesitant to give me access.

"This is the village that was destroyed the other day. And here is roughly where our hut is located," I explained, adding details to the map as I talked.

"It's pretty close by."

"Yeah. That's why there was a chance we could have found something during the night watch yesterday. But it didn't quite work out."

Of course, even if we did find something, we wouldn't approach it. Instead, we would report it using a shikigami and then tail it inconspicuously.

"I don't know what criteria the Namahage are using to move around, but we can only take up positions in elevated areas and survey the surroundings. The rest of the time, we'll be around human settlements. At worst, we could bluff our way out of Hieda County until we can find a way to get around."

Well, I know that's easier said than done. I don't know how closely we'll be following the original scenario, but for now, I plan to survey the areas around the villages that the Namahage are attacking, too.

"Hmm... I see your point. But what will we do if we find it near a village? Evacuate them?"

"...I wish we could."

I could only give a vague answer to Iruka's doubt. Even if we manage to request it, given what happened in the original story, it's hard to say if people will take the threat seriously. It's been two hundred years since anything like this has happened, so there may not be much of a sense of urgency... Moreover, even the protagonist was forced to give a half-intimidating order, so it's doubtful that they would listen to a servant or a half-youkai's order...

(Well, I guess it's a difficult situation either way.)

I can't do anything about it. I'm just a servant, with limited authority. And this assignment is more of an excuse or alibi to help prevent Tamaki from despairing or losing faith.

"That sounds terrible," I muttered slowly, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Tomobe-san, did you say something?" Shiro asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

I chuckled. "Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself..." I trailed off, my gaze flickering over to the pot of rice porridge on the stove. "Hey, you made the food, right? Get another one before it's all gone!"

I reach out with a ladle to scoop up some rice porridge from the pot as if to divert the topic from the conversation. Shiro's bowl of rice was already half empty.

"T-thank you very much...!" she stammered, her voice small and grateful.

I reply with a small smile to Shiro's hurried thank-you. I also look at my bowl of porridge, which is about one-third full, and serve myself a second helping. After serving, I look down at the steaming porridge in silence.

"......"

As I eat my meal, I feel some disgust at the thought of how I have been thinking about how to abandon others. I feel guilty. I do, but...

(Perhaps it's a kind of self-indulgence.)

I analyze my thoughts and mock myself for them. While there is a saying that "a man who can't swallow his food is also disposable," this perspective means that only strangers can be cut off. That's why I can calmly eat like this, I suppose.

(Of course, there's no choice but to eat, is there?)

It is also true that people have to eat to live, and they are neither prepared to die for strangers nor have the power to do anything about it. It's a vicious circle.

So in the end, all I can do is to swallow the porridge in front of me, aware of this fact, and I silently slurp from the bowl. With a bitter, helpless feeling, and a feeling of powerlessness...

'o(ﾟ∀ﾟ)o Papa! I'm hungry!'

...You won't get any food.

'(ノ´Д｀)ノNoo!!?'

* * *

By the time it was five o'clock in the dragon hour (the morning), we left the hut. We put on warm clothes, load the horses, and pull on the reins to go down the mountain. I tug on the reins of the dark blue horse, Iruka pulls the chestnut-haired one, and Shiro is on the saddle of the latter.

While it's easy to ride on level ground, on a snowy mountain, an adult could lose balance and the horse could slip and fall. However, Shiro is a child and she is not strong enough. Fortunately, she's light so the balance is unlikely to be off. I kept my eyes on the map and compass at hand, and Iruka kept her eyes on the aforementioned slip and fall and the hunter's traps, so I asked Shiro to keep an eye on the surroundings from a higher vantage point instead.

Now, we advance through the snowy mountain and the snowy road in silence. Walking through rough areas where the snow sinks up to our ankles uses up quite a bit of energy. The outside of our body was freezing, making it the worst feeling.

"Oh, something ahead... Is that a deer?"

Shiro notices something and shouts. Iruka and I look ahead a little later. The shadow in the distance had the distinctive shape of a deer.

"How is it?" I ask, my tone cautious.

"...No, it's fine. It doesn't have the aura of a youkai. It's just an animal," Iruka says, her voice low and measured.

"I see."

I loosen my grip on the spear I had been using as a cane and exhale. This world can be tricky, even for a seemingly herbivorous animal. There are also youkai that take the form of herbivorous animals, and there is a possibility that they could be disguising themselves. I can't let my guard down at all. In this sense, the presence of Iruka and Shiro is helpful.

"It looks pretty chubby. Looks like it would be be tasty if we grilled it. Hey, let's hunt it down for a bit."

"Idiot. Do we have time for that? Come on, let's get going."

I say that to Iruka who says stupid things even though we just had a meal a moment ago, and we resume marching. Iruka follows suit, clicking her tongue in frustration.

...

...

We arrive at the ruins of Ino Village, which was reported to have been completely destroyed a few days ago, around noon as planned, at around 9 in the morning.

According to the village registry of the county, there were approximately 112 people and 30 households registered, but it is believed that there were a few more people who actually lived there. Due to the poor quality of the spiritual veins of the land, there were rarely bad harvest years, but there were also few good harvest years. Of course, there is nothing that can be called a specialty product, and the annual tax revenue is not significant. It is a common village in a poor county... that is the appearance of the ruins in front of us.

"Well, I could pretty much guess the scene." I mutter to myself as I look at the crushed houses. It is easy for anyone to figure out what will happen to shoddy wooden structures with snow piled up on the roof and with no residents to remove it.

"Tomobe-san..."

Maybe she felt the unpleasant atmosphere. The white fox girl looks around anxiously, and I hold her hand to reassure her. Then I give orders, "You stay here. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious… Iruka, you stay too. If things get dangerous, you can leave. Just don't leave her behind.”

"What about you?" Iruka asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I've got work to do."

With that, I leave Iruka and the white fox near the entrance to the abandoned village and set out alone on horseback.

"B-be careful out there, okay!?"

In response to the panicked words of the girl behind me, I offer a silent wave of my hand...

...

...

...

"Has the corpse been dealt with?" I muttered as I searched the village, looking around.

The reason for the question is that if a corpse was sunk in the snow, there would be no way to confirm it. The report said that the corpses were buried by the soldiers of the nearby station, but...

"D*mn it, don't ransack the place..." I complained as I stopped my horse and stepped into a still-standing house.

Sure enough, the inside of the house was ransacked for money and other valuables.

Metals are especially valuable, as dead people don't need anything of value.

According to one theory, using the traditional Tatara (furnace) technique, the production efficiency of three tons of iron consumed by fifteen tons of charcoal per operation is said to be significant. The cost goes without saying when considering the cost of obtaining wood and iron sand and the labor cost of hundreds of people involved. Thinking this way, it's not like the plundering was a massacre, so to speak, it's more like recycling, ecologically speaking... Although I've seen many similar cases, it's still bothering me.