That evening, when my father came home unusually early, I told him about the letter I received from the Kamiarizuki family. He responded with a thoughtful "Hmm," his expression serious.
"I had been meaning to discuss something about you, Itsuki. This is perfect timing. We'll go tomorrow."
"About me? Why?"
"Well, I suppose it's time I explained what's going on."
My father nodded, took a sip from the teacup in front of him, and winced, muttering, "Hot."
"You exorcised Raikou Douji."
"Yeah, I did."
"That's become quite the topic of discussion within the exorcist community."
"A topic of discussion?"
This was the first time I'd heard of an exorcist community. Could this be what the man in the black suit meant by an "uproar"? Is that what's happening within this mysterious community of exorcists? The thought made me curious.
I wonder what they're saying about me. Maybe something like, "Did a five-year-old really exorcise it?" That sounds plausible. If it were me in my previous life, I'd probably be saying something similar on social media, casting doubt and spreading rumors.
"What exactly are they saying?"
I asked lightly, trying not to sound too concerned, but the response I received was more serious than I anticipated.
"There are three major factions regarding you, Itsuki."
"...Factions?"
"Yes. You could call them the 'Believers,' the 'Doubters,' and the 'Skeptics.' The 'Believers' think you should be trained intensively to exorcise other Sixth Rank 'Mon' in Japan. The 'Doubters' are unsure if you actually exorcised Raikou Douji and prefer to wait and see. And the 'Skeptics' think it's impossible for a five-year-old to exorcise a Sixth Rank 'Mon,' and believe I'm the one who did it."
"But I have Raikou Douji's Iho, don't I?"
"Yes, but it seems the Doubters and Skeptics believe that I'm the one who exorcised Raikou Douji, not you."
...Wow. That's unexpected. I mean, I can understand why they might think that. My dad probably could have exorcised Raikou Douji himself without much trouble.
"I understand you might feel something about this, but there's no need to worry about the Doubters and Skeptics. Since they don't believe you did it, they won't take any action. The real issue is the 'Believers.'"
"The people who think I exorcised Raikou Douji?"
But doesn't that include my father and Renji-san? What's the problem with that?
"Among the Believers, there are some extremists. They're saying you shouldn't go to school and should instead train nonstop, or even that you should be given a fiancée and have lots of children."
"...Uh."
I could understand the reasoning behind this, so I quietly groaned.
Skipping school to train nonstop. Even I've thought about that for a moment. If I spent the time I'd be in school practicing magic or training in close combat, I'd get that much stronger. It's obvious that someone who trains for one hour and someone who trains for 100 hours will have a vast difference in skill.
But what would that mean for my educational background? I didn't go to kindergarten or preschool, so I'm not a "kindergarten graduate" or "preschool graduate." Would I end up with no formal education at all? How would that affect my future?
"Dad also wants you to become stronger, but I'd at least like you to attend school. I want you to make friends and acquaintances who aren't exorcists. Life isn't just about work, after all."
I found myself momentarily speechless as I listened to my father say this with a deep sigh, his eyes serious but gentle.
"Dinner's ready!"
"Coming!"
Tonight's dinner is curry. As someone who loves curry bread, it's naturally one of my favorite foods.
The next day.
It was just my father and me in the car heading to the Kamiarizuki household. Hina would have been bored if she came, so she stayed behind, which means my mom is looking after her at home.
My dad was driving us because, given the short notice, there wasn't enough time to arrange for a driver from the Kamiarizuki family.
As we drove, a section of the highway sound barrier stood out, looking much newer than the rest.
...That's from the time I exorcised the monster.
The sound barrier that was destroyed when I encountered the monster on the way to my Shichi-Go-San ceremony at age five had already been repaired. It's only been a few months since that incident, but the highway looks so clean that you wouldn't think anything had happened.
Humans are amazing.
Amazed by the speed of infrastructure repair, we arrived at the Kamiarizuki household without any incidents.
"Welcome. I've been waiting for you, Itsuki."
Standing at the top of the stairs was Lady Akane and another woman.
The woman beside Akane-san was dressed in what looked like a black suit but was actually more medieval in style, with a silver rosary hanging around her neck.
But before I could focus on that, something else caught my attention.
"Wait, your hair...?"
Lady Akane, who had once been a blonde priestess, now had pastel pink hair.
"It's an image change. Doesn't it look good?"
She puffed out her chest proudly as she said this, seemingly unbothered by my confusion.
Wait, priestesses can change their look like that? I thought they were supposed to maintain a certain traditional image.
As I was still trying to process this, the woman standing next to Akane-san crouched down to meet my gaze.
Blue eyes, golden hair.
Not Japanese.
She's from the West.
"Nice to meet you, Itsuki."
"N-Nice to meet you..."
Her fluent Japanese, despite her Western appearance, only added to my confusion, so I could only manage a small greeting in return.
Wait, who is this person?
Seeing the confusion on my face, she smiled and introduced herself.
"My name is Irena. I'm an exorcist from England."