Chapter 169-3

Chapter 169-3

[Part 3/4]

Azuma's relentless pursuit of the truth makes me feel like I'm on trial. Lying...is becoming increasingly difficult.

"...Because of the youkai transformation, I was in an excited state, which is why..."

I can't come up with a clever excuse, so I give up and confess. The silence that fills the room is oppressive.

"..."

It's like waiting for the verdict in a death sentence. Silent, still...and it's the Omnyouji Bureau head who breaks the silence.

"Azuma-dono, do you really intend to entrust this mission to someone like this? Not to the personnel I prepared?"

The Omnyouji Bureau head's question, directed at the former head, is vastly different from what I had expected.

"Are you dissatisfied?"

"Isn't there a possibility of going berserk? Isn't there a chance of something big happening?"

"Bureau Head, I understand how you feel. I think it's impolite, but I can't trust my current organization."

The current and former Bureau Heads started talking seriously, leaving me out.

"It's fine to choose someone you can trust absolutely, but..."

"But someone like that should be given more important tasks. It's not right to use them for personal reasons like this."

"But..."

"Don't worry. Trust my judgment. ...Ah, sorry. I've been keeping you waiting for too long, and it's impolite."

"Puhaa!?"

Azuma Hibari, who was talking to Gensei, noticed our confused gazes and apologized while waving his hand. At the same time, Shiro, whose mouth zipper was unzipped, let out a big sigh.

"A-Azuma-san! No, no, no! Tomobe-san is...!!?"

"I know, I know. If you have a complaint, you should've said it earlier. It's not like I'm blaming you. ...You're also at fault for being too scared, aren't you?"

Azuma calmed down the desperate Shiro, who was trying to explain, and apologized to her. The pressure that had been building up dissipated, and it was as if a Tanuki had transformed into a different creature.

"What's going on..."

"First, let's take away your anxiety, shall I?"

"Do you think you can understand the reason if you think about your past experiences?"

"Past experiences, huh...it seems like there have been more youkai-related incidents recently."

I pretended to be ignorant and pointed out the head of the Omnyouji Bureau's words.

"Yes, you must know about the commotion caused by the youkai fox that attacked the capital a few years ago. It's exactly what happened when you, Onitsuki-kun, were at Joraku's place last time."

Gensei naturally shifted his gaze to the white fox. The fox, trembling, was tightly hugged by Tanuki, who glared at him with a stern expression. Gensei let out a deep sigh, his shoulders sagging. "What a troublesome person..." he muttered, continuing his explanation.

"...Now that I think about it, that was probably the starting point. Since then, cases involving youkai have been increasing gradually. Not to mention civilian casualties, exorcists have also been suffering losses. The activities of powerful youkai have become more frequent. Great youkai, calamity youkai, and the like aren't just a few reckless ones."

The existence of calamity youkai has been confirmed, but it's unusual for them to actively appear on the main stage. High-ranking monsters are clever. They might eat people or destroy villages, but they rarely appear on the main stage. The imperial court and the Omnyouji Bureau aren't foolish enough to ignore them. They would dispatch their forces to eliminate such monsters. The recent Kappa and Tsuchigumo incidents are representative examples.

"Five hundred years ago, monsters formed an alliance and wreaked havoc. Even if it wasn't on the same scale, there have been similar cases recorded in the past. There's no guarantee that it won't happen again in the present."

The old Tanuki woman, who knew the truth of that time, nodded in agreement.

"Furthermore, considering the circumstances so far... it's an unpleasant fact that even within the imperial court, there are those who cannot be trusted. It might be betrayal or brainwashing. Whatever the case, we can't fully trust even our own people. There are only a few whom we can absolutely trust."

Gensei spoke with a reluctant tone. Combining this conversation with the previous one, the outline of the story was gradually becoming clear...

"Can you trust me?"

"I don't think you're connected to those suspicious people based on your background. You have Azuma-dono's recommendation, too. Although there's something suspicious beneath the surface... we're similar in that regard, so I'll consider it, but it's not an absolute reason to exclude you."

The new and old Omnyouji Bureau heads are long-lived beings that have existed since the era of great chaos, and they also have half of the Mōryō's factor buried within them. That's why they can tolerate my existence to a certain extent. To a certain extent, that is...

...Personally, I think Azuma Hibari hasn't clearly stated what kind of factor is within me to Gensei. If he knew about the factor from Youbo (yokai mother) as well, the Omnyouji Bureau heads wouldn't be this lenient. Exactly, just like Tanuki.

"...I'm overwhelmed by you excessive evaluation."

"Can't be trusted, huh? But it's only natural, isn't it?"

Azuma immediately catches the meaning behind my response. Both of us understand the distrust and wariness in each other's eyes. Then, the current Omnyouji Bureau head starts speaking.

"In reality, it wasn't just Azuma who recommended you. We also received an unofficial endorsement from Tokugara Middle Counselor (Chuunagon). We, as the Omnyouji Bureau, owe a great debt to him, and we can't ignore his influence."

"Middle Counselor...?"

The name that came up was that of the representative of the envoy group from the previous day's Tengu incident. For me, it was an even more significant acquaintance. I remembered the incident with the river fish, at least up until that point. Did something happen after that? Or is this also an extension of the conspiracy...?

"I understand how you feel. I've heard the story. You had a fish from your hometown, didn't you? It's really troubling. He's getting older now, but I wish he'd at least learn to control his mischief..."