CH 108.3

"I'm going to disinfect it. Should I remove your clothes?"

"Yeah, please do... Damn, you're really doing this to me!!"

I pound the living nail into the floor repeatedly. After a few times, it convulsed and twitched. It seemed like it had fainted.

"Haah... Haah... It's embarrassing after boasting like that, isn't it?"

'(｀･∀･´) Papa is my hero!!'

"I don't care."

As I received disinfection and had my wound tightened, I made my declaration. Well, to be precise, I mumbled the second sentence in a low voice. No matter what, it seemed that I had acted arrogantly in the 'Drying Room.' There was no way around it.

That's right. The third reason why the people in this room agreed to my proposal was because I would take the lead. More accurately, I would enter the unknown room where who knows what awaited us, take charge of the situation, and be the last one to retreat. It was the principle of the one who suggests the plan taking the most dangerous role. If it weren't for me, who knew the details of the lurking youkai and traps, we wouldn't have been able to proceed smoothly.

...Now we were at the tenth room.

"Modesty is unnecessary. You took the lead all the way here without knowing what awaited us, while we hesitated in that foul-smelling room."

"This room seems relatively safe. The others are clearly fatigued. Let's take a short rest."

Sakuama's servant leader replied, followed by the Hidden Group member. I looked around at their words.

(I think this is... the 'Bakemono no Ma (Room of Spirits).')

I recalled the name of this room from my somewhat vague memory. The room in front of me was a vast forest. It wasn't as safe as the 'Drying Room,' but the level of danger should be relatively low. It could be considered a semi-safe zone. At any rate, we definitely needed some rest.

(From here on out, it's the final spurt.)

The most crucial part of mountain climbing is the last 20%. While it's said that a good ending makes everything good, conversely, even if the process goes well, if the final part fails, it's all meaningless. I should make the situation as perfect as possible.

"That's right. Let's rest for now. Gather together and take turns monitoring the surroundings. If anything happens, report it immediately. Oh, and..."

I sat down on the ground, gasping for breath, surrounded by my the group, as I looked at Izayou. He noticed my gaze and turned his face towards me, somewhat cautious. I gestured to him, and he stood up with a slight wariness. He then approached me.

"Wh-What? What is it...!?"

He asks me quizzically. Immediately after that, I hold out my hand and he braces himself to protect his head from the blows.

"You idiot. Why would I hit you? It was a good judgment call. Thank you."

I roughly patted his head, and expressed my gratitude. Regardless of our positions, manners were important.

...So, you other brats, make sure to be cautious as well, okay? These guys would have definitely attacked me if I had hit them. It's quite something to be trusted as a leader.

"...Aren't you angry?"

"Don't say something like what Shirowakamaru would say. Why would I be angry?"

"...Because I used a curse-tool without permission?"

"Don't joke around. Tools are meant to be used, and they exist because we have our lives, right? It was a good judgment call."

I paid attention to Izayoi's perception. I mustn't prioritize things incorrectly. As a side note, praising his judgment was to foster his autonomy.

"I don't want you to do whatever you want all the time. But if necessary, make the best judgment in each situation. Don't walk blindly following orders when there's a cliff right in front of you, okay?"

I warned not only Izayoi but also the rest of the group. We were short on manpower, and Kashiwagi, an experienced member, had taken the risk in my place. I needed every single one of them to survive.

"...Well, let's end the grateful guidance from the boss here. Come on, you guys, take a rest. You all have weak stamina as it is. Make sure to rest properly."

Despite showing some caution and discontent towards my orders, Izayoi and the other five brats huddled together and sat down. They drank water from their flasks and ate the provisions we had gathered in the 'Drying Room.' After confirming that, I took another glance at the surrounding scenery.

In the depths of the forest, I could sense eyes watching us from somewhere or something...

"Onitsuki's Yun-shoku. This is..."

"They're wood spirits. It's fine, leave it to me."

The Hidden Group from the Naio family must have noticed. They discreetly approached and reported to me. I nodded in response and moved forward. I deliberately announced.

"You know, the best thing is definitely sprouts from cedar trees. I can't be interested in anything else. We will forever be the cedar tree faction!"

At the sudden declaration, the companions accompanying me looked at me with puzzled expressions. But soon, they also noticed the whispering voices coming from deep within the forest.

'They say those guys are in the cedar tree faction.'

'Not the bamboo faction?'

'Seems like it.'

'I've never even heard of the cedar tree faction.'

'But that's what they're saying.'

'Whatever. The chief said to focus on the battle with the bamboo faction for now. Leave the others alone.'

'Yeah, that's right!'

'Let's go!'

From the depths of the forest, faint but clamorous voices of rowdy brats echoed, as if they were stealthily hiding. And then, those signs quickly receded.

The 'Room of Spirit' was a room where wood spirits, reminiscent of characters from a tale, divided into clans and engaged in endless battles without honor or loyalty. Among them, two forces stood out, surpassing the others.

The Imperial Divine Bamboo Empire, an authoritarian regime with bamboo shoots growing from their members' heads, and the Free Tree Children's Alliance, a tribal coalition with shiitake mushrooms growing from their members' heads, opposing each other. They had been locked in an ongoing struggle for dominance since the creation of this room.

Those who entered this room had to declare that they didn't belong to either faction. It was recommended to declare allegiance to the cedar tree faction. It didn't matter if it was a spontaneous claim. It wasn't difficult to deceive these wood spirits, a type of youkai spirit, in unexpected ways. However, it was dangerous to declare oneself as being from the opposing faction; it would attract attacks from thousands of wood spirits. It was better to avoid it.

"What was that? What's going on..."

"It seems that the social structure of wood spirits is quite complex... Anyway, take a rest, too, okay?"

I tapped the bewildered shoulder of the Hidden Group to urge them, then went to take a rest myself. It was half an hour later, in our perception of time, that we resumed our journey...

* * *

In the far west, there was said to be a scorching land. It was a feared place called the 'Dark Continent,' where monstrous and grotesque creatures roamed, surpassing human knowledge, and the harsh environment imposed extreme hardships. The prestige of the human world couldn't reach there.

...According to legend, there was a time when it was revered as a god-like existence within the 'Dark Continent.'

Its body was like that of a lion. Or perhaps it resembled a cat or a tiger. It was a gigantic creature, standing at least three feet tall... but what truly caught one's attention would be its head and neck.

It has a face of a woman, exuding both beauty and yokai-like aura. And this woman's face peered down at Tamaki and Asami.

It was a human-faced lion beast, or more precisely, its cub, peering into Tamaki Hotoya and Shishimai Asami. It wore a sadistic smile and mocked them.

'If you want to proceed from this room to the next, answer my question. If you answer correctly, I will let you pass. Do you understand?'

Tamaki and her companions, exhausted from walking through the endless desert, finally spotted a mountain-like stone structure on the horizon. When they arrived there, the yokai suddenly descended before them and confidently presented a proposition.

"A question...? A riddle, you mean?"

'Exactly.'

The arrogant human-faced lion beast nodded condescendingly in response to Tamaki's confirmation. Tamaki glanced at Shishimai, who wiped the sweat off his forehead and frowned.

"Well, this is another strange one that showed up."

Shishimai glared at the creature in front of them and pondered. The difference in power...

(It might be a bit tough...)

This youkai was most likely a great yokai. They had exhausted their stamina in the previous room, and for the sake of what lay ahead, it would be better to conserve their energy. But...

(Most likely, they have no intention of letting us go. And...)

After observing the creature in silence for a moment, Shishimai couldn't stay silent any longer and opened her mouth to warn Tamaki.

"I'll tell you this, I'm not good at this stuff. I might not have the confidence to answer whatever question they pose."

"I'll do my best."

"Well, that's generous of you... Hey, creature. What are the conditions?"

Shishimai questioned the creature, laughing disdainfully at Tamaki's confident response. In response, the human-faced lion beast grinned maliciously, revealing its slit-like mouth.

'It's about answering three questions. If you answer all three correctly, I'll let you proceed to the next room.'

"And what happens if we answer incorrectly?"

'I'll devour you.'

"What...!?"

Tamaki gasped at the monster's response, while Shishimai squinted her eyes, as if to say, "I knew it." They probably wouldn't have explained unless asked. It was just like a typical nasty creature.

"Is there a time limit to answer?"

'Let's give you half an hour. The timer is here.'

The yokai twisted its beastly hand, and a hourglass emerged from the sand.

"...Is that so? What do you think?"

"..."

Shishimai asked again. It was a probing question. Tamaki remained silent, contemplating...

"...What happens if we refuse this challenge?"

'I'll devour you.'

Once again, Tamaki lifted her face, seeking confirmation from Shishimai.