Chapter 92.2

Chapter 92.2

[Part 2/4]

"B-But..."

Shiro's eyes became moist, her cheeks reddened, and she sniffled. This is troublesome. Although it was just a prank to Iruka, it seemed to have hurt her deeply. I screwed up.

"I... I used to be like that in the past, but... but..."

Overwhelmed with emotions, Shiro approached me, clinging to my leg as she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. She gazed at me with a frightened expression on her swollen face.

"Uuuh... Tomobe-saaan...!!"

...She looked up at me with her innocent beauty that shook one's heart.

"...!?"

It was a good thing I was wearing a mask. I managed to avoid showing my involuntary grimace. If I had revealed my expression, she would probably have been shocked.

"..Well, well. You really are a youkai fox, after all."

Iruka, who was next to me, peeked at Shiro's expression and muttered with a twisted smile. Unfortunately, I agreed with her.

"Huh?"

"Well, yeah. That's right. What should I say? Um...—"

'—( ́・∀・`) Hey, where's the food!'

"Noisy!!"

I was shaken and didn't know what to say, but I retorted to the annoying spider that had been talking inside my head. Shiro was startled by the sudden reaction.

"Eh, what..."

"Ah, enough of that! I'm going to lift you up!!"

"Huh? Wha...!"

Surprised and dumbfounded, Shiro didn't have time to react. Immediately after that, I regained my composure and, with a burst of energy, I lifted her up from both sides and placed her on the back of the chestnut horse.

"Well, um, here's the thing. For now, I'll rely on you to be vigilant. Don't think too deeply about this silly matter. We've known each other for a long time, so you shouldn't be so easily flustered by the jokes of a newcomer." L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

I declared that nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. However, I'm not lying. In a way, I do trust this half-youkai fox more than the original character of the same name from the source material, given the process we've been through together.

...Well, I suppose I was also trying to cover up my own agitation, though.

"Um... well..."

* * *

"What!? Sh*t...!"

Right after that, an exceptionally fierce gust of wind blew, forcefully tearing away the protective winter gear Shiro was wearing. I tried to grab hold of it as it soared into the sky, but I was too slow. In an instant, it was swept away, disappearing into the blizzard.

"Hey! Shiro, what the hell were you thinking!? Didn't you tie it properly!?"

"I-I'm... I'm sorry!!"

Iruka yelled at Shiro with a ferocity that seemed completely out of place, given the circumstances. However, it was a matter of life and death, so her reaction was somewhat understandable. Shiro, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned pale, her face filled with fear, and apologized.

"There's no time to be angry!! Tsk, take my coat. It'll keep you warm for now!"

Interrupting their conversation, I quickly took off my own jacket, making sure it wouldn't be blown away, and helped Shiro put it on. I tightly tied the strings so it wouldn't come loose.

"T-Tomobe-san, what are you...!?"

"Hey, it's her own responsibility for screwing up! Are you planning to freeze to death?"

Shiro looked perplexed at my actions, and then Iruka scolded her. It is true that it was her own fault that she lost her winter protective clothes, and it was foolish of me to give my coat to someone else in the middle of this blizzard. But...

"This is entrusted to me by the princess. I can't let her die. Besides... it's common for kids to make mistakes."

I tried to calm down the enraged Iruka. I understood her anger, having likely experienced life-or-death situations numerous times. But displaying raw emotions at this moment would only waste time and energy. Iruka must have understood this, and she did not argue with my words. She simply stated, "I won't do the same," emphasizing her intention.

"Oh, um..."

"Don't let the next one fly away. There's no replacement."

With a touch of embarrassment and a desire to say something, Shiro looked at me, but I ruffled her head and gave her the order. Then, I returned to the front of the formation. There was no time to casually chat. ...I'm feeling cold too.

(Well, it's all well and good to put on a brave face... but d*mn, this is tough!!)

Shivering at the cold, I continued to march forward, staring ahead... with inner restlessness. While those with spiritual power like servants had sturdier bodies than regular humans, they were far from invincible. I wanted to reach my destination before freezing to death. Or rather, if we didn't reach it, we would die.

...Fortunately, it didn't take too long after letting go of the coat to spot our intended location.

"That's..."

I caught sight of its silhouette amidst the blizzard. The shadow of a stone-built tower... and I read the characters inscribed on the signboard of the tower in ink. I licked my dry lips and relaxed.

"Alright, that's it! Over there! We're almost there, keep going!!"

Pulling the reins of the blue-maned horse and the rope for navigation, I turned back towards Shiro and Iruka, shouting loudly. Then, I faced forward again, stealing another glance at the tower.

The signboard of the tower read as follows: 'Sakui Station, Hieda County'...

~To be continued ~