CH 93.1

Dry shockwaves rippled through the air. It wasn't just once, but two or three times, echoing intermittently.

"Gah...!?"

Under a relentless barrage of fierce strikes, Tamaki could only defend herself. She gritted her teeth, desperately attempting to either intercept or deflect the attacks.

Of course, even that alone was a feat of artistic skill. Through training in her hometown and guidance from her master since being entrusted to Onitsuki's house, both experiences contributed to the remarkable swordplay of this teenage girl.

Considering her youth and the amount of experience she had, one could even call her a genius... However, that impression was only for those seeing her for the first time. It was evident to anyone familiar with her training at Onitsuki's mansion that her movements lacked brilliance, and thus, the outcome of the match was clear.

"Aaah... Break!"

"Uwah...!?"

In response to the opponent's attack and their accompanying shout, Tamaki couldn't react in time. In the next moment, the wooden sword she had been gripping was sent flying. It spun in the air before forcefully embedding itself into the ground. And with that, the match was over.

"Thank you for the match."

"T-thank you for the match..."

For a brief moment, Tamaki was dumbfounded. But she quickly regained her senses as her opponent respectfully bowed. In a hurry, she returned the gesture by bowing her head. When she raised her head again, she was met with the sight of a girl with purple hair, styled in a bob, glaring at her with clear displeasure.

Hotoya Tamaki and Ako Murasaki, two girls of similar age who were both disciples under Onitsuki Sumire, had been sparring in the outskirts of Hieda County.

The sparring itself was nothing out of the ordinary, just part of their daily training to keep their skills sharp under the guidance of Onitsuki Sumire.

...The problem lay in the unsettling and tense atmosphere between the two.

"You seem uncertain in your swordplay, TamakiTamaki-san."

The first words spoken by Murasaki after her bow were clearly filled with dissatisfaction. Or perhaps they were harsh.

"You haven't been putting your heart into your training these past few days, have you? It takes quite some nerve to meet your senior disciple with such a half-hearted attitude," Murasaki commented, causing Tamaki to apologize nervously. "Eh, umm... I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. But I'd like to hear the reason behind neglecting your training. We can't afford to let our skills deteriorate over trivial matters. The role of exorcism cannot be performed with such a careless mindset, isn't it?"

Murasaki's remark caused Tamaki's expression to darken. Tamaki was well aware of that fact. Even with the limited experience of fighting a few young youkai, she had already engraved it in her heart. Battling supernatural monsters was something that required constant vigilance. She couldn't remain sluggish like this forever. She couldn't, but...

"Well, you see..."

"Miss MurasakiMurasaki-sama, a message has arrived for you to reply to."

Just as Tamaki was trying to gather her courage to confess, an untimely notification from the Hidden Group appeared, causing her to involuntarily close her mouth. At the same time, Murasaki turned towards the Hidden Group and gave a small nod. "Understood. Let's go."

"...And Tamaki-san, I apologize, but today's training ends here. Please make sure not to neglect your practice. Alright?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Very well. Excuse me."

With those words, Murasaki turned on her heel and headed towards the county office with the Hidden Group. Tamaki watched her retreating figures with a sense of concern.

"MissHime-sama, here's a hand towel."

"Ah, thank you..."

Startled by the voice, Tamaki turned her gaze to see her close friend, a maid, standing there. In one hand, she held the wooden sword that had been blown away, and in the other, she offered a damp towel that had been soaked in cold water. Tamaki accepted the towel and wiped away the beads of sweat on her face, neck, and arms.

"MissHime-sama, is something bothering you after all?"

"Yeah, well... I just can't help it."

Tamaki weakly nodded in response to her friend's observation. It was the reason why she couldn't concentrate on anything these past few days.

The fact that she had inadvertently burdened her benefactor and friend with a dangerous mission due to her own suggestion filled Tamaki with anxiety and self-loathing. The consequences brought about by her thoughtlessness and irresponsibility... But at the same time, Tamaki also felt dissatisfaction and indignation towards the situation surrounding her. She couldn't forgive herself for abandoning innocent villagers, and deep down, she was even angry at the county officials' attitudes.

(But I can't cause any more trouble...)

Once again, Tamaki glanced at the retreating figure of her two years senior disciple. That petite back seemed considerably exhausted compared to Tamaki's own. No, it was a fact that the girl named Ako Murasaki had been physically and mentally drained throughout this whole turmoil.

It was only natural. The mission that was originally supposed to be completely safe and secure turned out to have sloppy preparations on-site, and to make matters worse, the dangerous youkai they were supposed to monitor was missing.

For Murasaki, it meant that she had to handle administrative work while preparing for the worst-case scenario. Although Murasaki had already undertaken several major tasks in her own family, her father or brother usually took charge as the responsible party, and there were many reliable advisers as well. This case was different. The workload and responsibility that fell on Murasaki were beyond anything she had experienced before.

...No, to be precise, there was Yun-shoku, a servant who could handle administrative tasks, but unfortunately, he was not present at the moment.

Furthermore, unbeknownst to Tamaki, Murasaki herself was also somewhat troubled by the fact that she had assigned dangerous tasks to Yun-shoku and others below that rank. And Tamaki's decision to remain silent was, in a sense, the correct one. If she had been honest, it would have placed even more burden on Murasaki's already fragile mental state. Murasaki had already been secretly taking antacids (stomach pills) three times a day.

...On a side note, the menstrual cycle that arrived around yesterday was quite severe, making her feel slightly anemic.

"...MissHime-sama?"

"Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought... Shall we head back?"

When Suzune questioned her silent master, Tamaki managed to smile and make a suggestion. As soon as she made the suggestion, Tamaki started walking. Suzune, slightly surprised, quickly followed her.

(It's difficult to consult with others...)

For a moment, the image of the third exorcist boy who accompanied them on this mission came to mind. However, Tamaki quickly dismissed that thought.

While there hadn't been any particular falling out or disagreement, the relationship between Tamaki and that boy was not smooth. It was hard to put into words... There was always something prickly about their interactions. And Tamaki hesitated to inquire about the reasons behind it, considering it impolite.

"It's depressing..."

At times like this, Tamaki wished her wolf friend were here to laugh it off and tell her not to worry. Or perhaps that servant who had been entrusted to the Onitsuki family and had listened to her worries numerous times... Unfortunately, it was Tamaki herself who had put them in danger with her own actions. Realizing that again, Tamaki felt even more downcast.

"Snow, huh..."

Suddenly, feeling a cold sensation on her cheek, Tamaki looked up at the sky. Snowflakes had begun to fall in the cloudy sky.

"What a terrible weather we're having! It seems like there are clouds approaching from the west. The wind is blowing in this direction, so if it doesn't shift, we might experience a blizzard either tomorrow or the day after."

"Yeah, you're right."

Tamaki nodded in response to her friend's assessment of the weather. Clouds from the west... They must already be in the midst of a severe blizzard. She hoped they would find shelter somewhere.

"..."

Lost in thoughts about the well-being of her benefactor and friend who were likely undertaking a dangerous mission in the midst of a snowstorm, Tamaki couldn't help but stand silently in that spot for a while...

Tea has held a prominent place in history, both globally and throughout the ages. Its significance can be traced back to notable events like the Boston Tea Party and the Opium Wars, where it played a direct or indirect role. Over time, tea has become a highly valued commodity worldwide.

It is said that the caffeine and catechins contained in tea have not only stimulates the central nervous system, but also has cardiotonic, anti-cancer, and relaxing effects. These factors are considered reasons for the global popularity of tea as a beverage.

Especially in modern civilization, not only tea but also coffee, other food and drinks, and medications make it easy to consume caffeine, making its benefits less noticeable. However, in earlier times, people were more aware of its effects. In England, for example, heavily sweetened tea was introduced in factories during the Industrial Revolution to enhance the productivity of workers. They even voluntarily provided it as part of their labor standards, so as not to have accidents caused by workers consuming poor-quality alcohol during operation, mainly for the detrimental effects on machinery.

...Now, just like the existence of tea ceremonies in Japan, there is a deep and long historical connection between tea and the culturally rich Fusō-kuni, which was modeled after it.

Anyway, after discovering a tea box designated for VIP hospitality, we decided to brew the tea leaves in hot water. Our intention was to warm ourselves and alleviate our fatigue during the harsh blizzard. The outcome was a delightful cup of Sencha, a type of Japanese green tea. I apologize for my rudimentary and unrefined brewing process, as I lacked any formal knowledge or adherence to the intricacies and etiquette of the tea ceremony. After all, I have not had the opportunity to receive such an education.

"Well, that's how it is. Shall we proceed to exchange information?"

Gathering the remains of the defeated youkai in one place, we poured the brewed Sencha into the teacups we had brought and completed the circle around the campfire. I took the initiative to start the conversation.

"Tch, no other choice."

The man who seemed to be the leader of this group of soldiers sat on a log that served as a makeshift seat and removed the black lacquered helmet he had been wearing. With a click of his tongue, he began explaining the events that led them to this point.

The imperial army, serving as the government's military forces, is organized into three different scales based on the population, economic strength, and geographical conditions of their assigned regions, with a few exceptions such as the Emperor's personal guard, the defense forces of state-owned mines, and special task forces for classified missions.

Each scale consists of small corps (shōgun), medium corps (chūgun), and large corps (daigun), simply named without much creativity. The one stationed in Hieda County is a small corps, consisting of a little over three hundred soldiers. Approximately one-third of the corps is stationed in the county capital, while the rest are dispersed among towns and stations within the county. The county governor ordered the minimal necessary forces to gather in the county capital.

Naturally, mobilizing the soldiers within the county proved to be quite challenging.

There are various reasons for this. Some soldiers exist only on paper as ghost soldiers, while others who are technically part of the standing army are engaged in farming in rural villages or have transformed into settlement soldiers. Some units made excuses and refused conscription, while others did not even bother to respond. The situation was such that even the local units stationed in the county capital failed to meet the required numbers.

Though it was within expectations, it seems the county governor found it far from amusing. In this state of emergency, it appears he desired as many soldiers as possible for his personal safety. He forcibly conscripted hunters and woodcutters from the county capital and nearby villages—those who frequently encountered youkai in their line of work and were familiar with combat and weapon use. Additionally, he dispatched small teams to various locations in an attempt to scrape together the required number of soldiers.

And the man in front of me, Hikorokurō, acting as the substitute fire commander (or ten-man squadron leader) for the Hieda small corps, was one of the leaders of the small teams deployed to different locations. By the way, he is a substitute because there is no actual fire commander. Well, his salary is lower because of a substitute. Like a part-time leader, I guess? And to add to that, even though the official capacity is for ten people, there are actually only seven members. Well, now there are six since one got separated earlier. Isn't that wonderful?

"So, you're conscripting soldiers from this station as well?" I inquire, my voice laced with curiosity.

"Yeah." Hikorokuro responds, his tone tinged with frustration. "I sent a conscription message by carrier pigeon, but there's been no response. According to regulations, it wouldn't be a problem to recruit five or six people from here, so that's why we came as a call for conscription."

"And that's why you guys in this blizzard?" I ask, my voice conveying a mixture of concern and disbelief.

"Yeah. Just when I thought we finally found a place to take refuge from the storm, this happened. Dammit! Even authorities suddenly orders a mobilization... what the hell is going on...!!"

Hikorokurō, frustrated, blurts out his words. He quickly gulps down the sencha from his teacup and exhales with a sigh. I never expected this...

"Substitute fire commander," I inquired, my voice filled with curiosity, "I don't suppose you've heard about the reason for the mobilization?"

"The reason?" Hikorokurō retorted, his tone dripping with skepticism. He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and quipped, "Hey, do you actually know something?"

(Ah, I see. It's only natural when I think about it.)