Chapter 159-3

Chapter 159-3

[Part 3/4]

Without even having time to catch her breath, Botan hurriedly tries to leave the scene, but before her eyes, a figure appears as if its shadow is spreading.

And then...

* * *

"I hope you're happy. The decision has been officially made, monkey. The demand will be fully met. Go without any worries."

"Hey, Am I assummed that I'm going to die?"

The next morning, a fragment of unwelcome news came from Aka-bouchou's Tengu, who had visited with great enthusiasm. It was a regrettable story set against the backdrop of a majestic landscape where the sunrise peeks from the horizon. Can we at least Handle it more discreetly?

"Oh? Is there a chance of being saved? That's quite something. Shall we look forward to a grand performance?"

"I know that without a grand performance, we can't even meet the conditions for subjugation."

Even without confronting it directly, I knew from past experiences that this quest would be ridiculously difficult.

(It's for the sake of my family, after all. I have no choice but to do it.)

I have no idea what's happening in the original work. It's only natural since there's no mention of it.

However, it's definitely not okay to leave even a fraction of the Yamata-no-Orochi alone. There's also the Middle Counselor's threat, and there's no guarantee that my family won't be affected by the rampaging serpent. Although it's unlikely based on the legend, there's a possibility of heading to the Northern region. Besides, my sister is in the capital.

What will happen to Magoroku, Mari, Mikage, and the others... I don't know what will happen to anyone other than my family. At this moment, there's even a possibility of the snake heading towards the diplomatic mission. There's no choice but to do it.

"Hah, well, don't be so uptight. Well then... first, shall we fulfill the promise?"

"Hey! Handle it with care, okay!?"

As the Furoshiki (wrapping cloth) was carelessly tossed, I caught it and I inspected its contents. Inside were spears, Tant, smoke balls, Teguruma, and various other confiscated equipment. However, among the unfamiliar items, there was something peculiar...

"It's mine."

"Whoa!? You're here!?"

I startled by the call from behind, the expressionless Kakitsugi's daughter calmly and silently retrieved her belongings from the Furoshiki.

She should have still been in bed when I greeted Tengu, but she seemed to have woken up at some point.

"Tengu. This is..."

"I haven't placed any curses, so don't worry. Also... look, make a blood pact with this."

Before I could voice my uneasy feeling, my attention was captured by the letter presented to me.

A sturdy sheet of paper was unfolded. The elegant and antiquated Font of the Fusou script in red ink, surrounded by several blood pacts... a contract. I accepted it and began to read the contents.

It doesn't seem like there are any obvious holes in the content. There was a guarantee of a reward upon completing the quest, but could it be a trap, like in Mino Owari?

"What is this?"

"It means that the reward won't be death."

"You're being too cautious. Don't you trust it?"

"Step back."

"Inaba-hime, what are you doing!?"

Before I could stop her, Inaba-hime was biting her own thumb and pressing it onto the paper. A new mark was imprinted by the bright red fresh blood.

"Inaba-hime..."

"In any case, we can't move forward without doing this... right?"

She continues to calmly brush off my criticism, as if nothing had happened. Should I consider it boldness due to her youth?

"..."

Once again, after carefully reading the content, I resigned myself and pressed the blood seal. I pressed the seal with my thumb, overflowing with the blood from the bite. And... the blood seal emerged from the paper.

"...!"

In an arc, the blood jumps up as if it were a living creature. My mark belongs to me. The female Tengu's mark belongs to the female Tengu. Inaba-hime's mark belongs to Inaba-hime. What remains disappears into the sky, racing away to some unknown place.

"Ugh...!!?"

I groaned in response to the dull, piercing pain. I took a deep breath and knelt down. Finally, I bared my chest to see the mark.

The curse mark engraved on the location of my heart.

"Inaba-hime, are you alright...?"

"..."

I approached the young lady of Kakitsugi sitting on the floor, and helped her sit up to assess her condition. She nodded silently several times while clutching her chest. It was a truly painful sight.

"Don't be weak. Can't handle this level of pain?"

"If we break the rules, does it feel like there's something in our hearts...?"

I glanced at the female Tengu rubbing her chest.

"Look at your chest. Is there a needle of blood piercing through your heart for breaking the promise?"

"Is it a curse of a thousand needles...?"

Once again, I was faced with something antiquated.

"Well then! Our contract has been sealed! It may be a short time, but I'll be counting on you, alright?"

The person I was about to use as a guinea pig had an extremely carefree smile. It was truly a youkai-like mentality. It reminded me of the Blue Demon. ...Knowing her, she's probably observing somewhere. Or maybe she's already become interested in the protagonist?

"...So what do you plan to do? Are you going to guide me to the snake from now on?"

"Well, well, don't rush. Before that...look here."

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