Volume 3
Chapter 3 Part
2
Malice Sneers
and Swallows the Cloudy Sky 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Matsugasa Yūko, who
works at the Talisman Association branch in the 3rd district of Karen, felt
something strange about the appearance of an old man who had not been seen in a
while.
She felt that he was
different from the old man she remembered, but she could not think what the
difference was.
"Um, Gensei-sama
......."
She was about to drop
a question on her tongue, but then stopped herself.
"―No, never
mind."
Shaking her head slightly,
she put a lid on her own curiosity.
Perhaps Gensei himself
was unaware of this, the rag that enveloped his dwarf-like figure swayed
slightly, and without showing any sign of mentioning it, he placed the
regeneration talismans on the temporarily lacquered counter.
Yuko, trying her best
not to let her inner turmoil be known, calmly took the bundle of talismans
offered to her.
Carefully written
handwriting that could be easily recognized even if one was not familiar with
it. It was folded in a unique habitual way that could not be recognized at
first glance. She slid her fingers along the edges and channeled a little
spiritual power into them.
Snap. The way her
spiritual power repelled told Yuko that the regeneration talismans were already
filled with enough spiritual power.
"I have confirmed
it.
Here is the payment
for the regeneration talismans for this week's delivery."
She slid a stack of
yen bills, which had been separated for Gensei, onto the counter.
The old man in front
of her was about to take it, but stopped just before he did, perhaps noticing
Yuko's unusual nervousness.
"...... What's
the matter?"
"...nothing."
The old man in front
of her, who hardly ever exchanged words with her, muffled his words slightly and
pulled the yen bills into his pocket.
He counted the bills
with his fingers, and after a few moments, he returned a nod of affirmation to
the payment.
"Thank you very
much.
Would it be all right
if I schedule the next delivery for next week?"
Yuko asked him
smilingly, and Gensei showed a slight gesture of contemplation.
She felt a twinge of
inner turmoil seeing this.
The fact that the old
man in front of her had fewer opportunities to deliver the talismans, perhaps
because he was able to find another source of income, had been a source of
secret concern for the 3rd District Branch.
There are only a few
people who can make regeneration talismans. If he could write such a
high-output talisman at an unbelievably low price, he would be a very
sought-after money-maker.
The consequences of
the blunder made by the branch manager were spreading to the public without
being able to be recovered.
Finally, Kihoin was
involved and publicly announced that all of Gensei's regeneration talismans
were to be confiscated by Kihoin.
Of course, not even a
whiff of this information reached Gensei's ears.
Due in part to
Kihoin's wishes, this transaction will remain in place until Gensei himself
decides to terminate it.
In other words, all
decisions are up to Gensei. Yuko's nervousness was quite high in the face of
such fragile conditions, as if she were walking on thin ice.
"........................
Alright."
"Understood. I
will be available here at any time.
Once again, we look
forward to your next visit."
Satisfied with these
words, Gensei returned only a barely discernible affirmative from the rags, and
turned to go to the entrance door.
Watching the old man's
back as he left, Yuko let out a huge sigh of nervousness.
Perhaps due to all of
her inner thoughts being mixed in with it, it left her with no sign of ripples
in her emotions after exhausting everything.
"Are you all
right?"
"Yeah. As
expected, dealing with big clients can be quite nerve-wracking.
...... I'm not sure
how much trouble I've put Gensei-sama through, and I should consider myself
lucky that we're still doing business with him."
Perhaps out of
curiosity, the woman working at the reception desk next to her called out to
her.
Yuko responded with a
laugh and a hushed voice, noticing that her eyes were glaring impishly at the
back of the branch manager (Honjo Tomotoshi).
He had been out of
sight while Gensei was there, but the way he disappeared into the back of the
office with his shoulders angered seemed to be more pathetic than dignified.
"Speaking of
which, have you heard the rumors?
―The branch manager got poked by the
headquarters."
"Yes. After
making repeated blunders and pardoning Kihouin's intervention, it seems that
headquarters also decided that it was better to flatter Gensei-sama than to
worry about Honjō's family name.
It's about time for a
reorganization, and I think he's going to be reassigned to a quieter
position."
In tune with her
colleague's good mood, Yuko's tone also bounced upward.
It was worth it that
she had kept sending anonymous petitions to the headquarters.
Although it would be
ignored, it seemed to have been found worth considering when Kihoin ended up
visiting them.
"―What is it
about me, I wonder?"
"N-no, it's
nothing. Branch Manager."
At that moment, a
voice called out to Yuko's back.
A sense of discomfort
ran down her spine, and her stiffened thoughts barely managed to muster up a
smile.
Yuko wondered since
when he had returned, the branch manager, who should have left, was standing
behind her.
While rubbing his
mouth, which was distorted into a somewhat viscous smile, the branch manager
chuckled eloquently.
"No, no. I don't
mind.
...... But more
importantly, is that man just now Gensei-dono?"
"Ye-......s?"
She looked at the
branch manager suspiciously as he monologued, frequently glancing toward the
entrance from which Gensei had just left.
Yuko knows that Honjō
branch manager has seen Gensei many times before.
She knew this because
he had been making direct approaches to Gensei regarding business deals behind
other people's backs especially about the signature thing.
But the way he was
talking now, it was as if he saw him for the first time.
"―But, well. Both
Utanomiya and Kihoin are quite formidable, even though they don't participate
in the public stage.
They can't get a seat
on the council, and they are denied promotion from the garrison. And even if
they can get to the bottom of the association, they will be dismissed without a
second thought if they try to rise to a higher position. My oh my......"
"...... Did you
say something?"
The man in front of
her turned on his heel, not bothering with Yuko, who was taken aback.
"No, no. Don't
mind me.
―Well then, I'll take my leave now. I have some
business to attend to."
"Yes......."
The elusive man
brushed off Yuko's reply and disappeared behind the door leading to the back
door.
Was it her
imagination? She could see the glimpse of his mouth carved into a crescent moon
at that moment when he turned his back to her. Stunned, Yuko stood dumbfounded
and was brought back to her senses when her colleague tapped her on the
shoulder.
"What's wrong?
Your hands are frozen."
"...... Hey. That
man just now was the branch manager, right?
"Just now? What
are you talking about? If it's the branch manager you're talking about, he's
right there, you see."
"......
Huh?"
When she looked behind
her upon the baffling exchange, she saw the branch manager sitting down in his
own seat.
"H-huh? Then, who
is that person who just left?"
"What do you
mean? No one is going out though.
―Look. Everyone's here."
"No way."
Matsugasa Yuko
involuntarily stood up from her seat. When she looked around at the staff seats
in the branch office, she found that all the clerks' seats were occupied, just
as her colleague had said.
Yuko stood there in a
daze, stunned by the earlier occurrence and the sense of discomfort, which was
too vivid to be called a daydream.
―The man who had just left was,
"Yuko, what's
wrong?"
"...... Eh?"
The voice of a
concerned colleague brought her back to reality.
"You see, just
now... eh, what was it again?"
Yuko's throat rose and
fell in discomfort as she tried to answer.
―A moment later, Yuko's memory faded away like a thin wave.
"Sorry.
―It was nothing."
What remained after
that was a slight feeling of discomfort and an ordinary scene of daily life.
Forgetting even the
conversation just before, Yuko returned to her seat as if nothing had happened.
In fact, the day
passed peacefully.
She did not even need
half an hour to swallow the slight sense of discomfort left behind by her
boring daily life.
――――――――――
After leaving the
Talisman Association in the 3rd district, Akira sighed heavily while still in
the form of Gensei.
The concealment spirit
techniques that he had continuously exercised on himself disappeared without a
sound.
Until now, Akira has
subconsciously disliked standing out.
The same is true for
the low-ranking spirits surrounding Akira, who have been putting up concealment
barriers based on Akira's wishes.
―The barrier that Akira constructs is not that
difficult in nature.
These barrier
techniques, such as warding off people, are basic techniques for Onmyoji.
However, the art of
warding is essentially something that is applied to the environment, not to
people.
In the first place, it
is not even intended to be applied to a moving human being.
―This is because to move is to be exposed to the gaze
of others.
The moment others
become aware of it, this technique will collapse due to its logical
inconsistency.
The fact that Akira
has been able to maintain his concealment is the result of forceful techniques
because he kept wishing upon the spirits.
Considering the
future, it would be necessary for Akira to consciously use this concealment in
the form of spirit technique.
He spit out the cotton
in his cheeks and soothed his sore throat with water from the bamboo canister,
which was churning for moisture.
Resisting the desire
to remove his annoying fake beard, Akira slid into a back alley in the downtown
area.
As soon as he left the
busy main street, all signs of people were quickly fading away.
The buildings on both
sides of the narrow alleyway were closing in on him, and Akira ran through the
narrow alleyway at a brisk pace.
―......Looks like it's about time I stop disguising
myself as an old man.
While looking down at
the rags, he inwardly grumbled about the fact that his skin, far from being an
old man, was beginning to show through the tattered edges of his rags.
It has been about a
month since he became a protector. As if trying to regain the growth he had
forgotten, Akira's eyes were beginning to look upward.
Although this might be
a joyous thing, it is also a fact that it is putting pressure on Akira's life
little by little.
In particular, his
business dealings with the Talisman Association were valuable, even though they
were heavily discounted.
Akira did not want to
lose a source of income that did not depend on Kihoin.
He took a step
forward, wondering what he should do in the future. He then looked forward to
see a man standing across the street, blocking his view of the street.
Medium build, medium
height. The appearance of a man with no distinguishing features.
An appearance that
leaves no impression, yet somehow reminds one of danger.
Akira took a step
forward, trying not to be bothered by it.
―At the same time, he took a step forward.
That man took a step
back.
―Their distance remained the same.
Akira's instincts
scream alarm. This man is definitely after Akira.
He turned his
attention to behind him. As he had expected, a man was standing there, blocking
the path Akira had come from.
"...... Gensei,
right?"
Hearing those words,
Akira turned around and started to run.
"Damn it!"
Even Akira is aware
that there is no shortage of reasons to be chased. That is why he was prepared
for this to happen at some point in time.
―But his current situation is just too dire.
There are not many
cards available to get out of this situation.
He did not bring a
spirit weapon, as it would only serve as a hindrance to his disguise.
To avoid the
possibility of completely exposing himself, revealing his two sacred artifacts
to the public is a last resort.
He currently has two
wood-element offensive talismans, two metal-element offensive talismans, and
three fire-element offensive talismans in his possession.
Moreover, fire
elements, which are numerous and excel in single-shot output, have severe
restrictions attached to their use within the city due to their power.
―This is the worst!!
To be honest, he had
grown complacent about his own situation to the point where he let his guard
down.
But gnashing his teeth
over the current situation would not change anything.
Regret will come
later.
Bending his petite
frame even lower, Akira launched a body slam into the man behind him.
"Damn you!!"
With a yell of curses,
a blow was struck to his back, but perhaps surprised by the suddenness of the
blow, the force was not as strong as it should be.
While pushing the man
against the wall, Akira pulled a talisman out of the pouch on his waist.
"What are you
trying to do!?"
―This guy is not an old man!!"
Whether it's his
physique or his body movements that give him away, there is no sign of his
opponents letting their guard down.
The other parties'
angry shouts crossed. Without hesitation, Akira threw the talisman at the man
who was rushing toward him.
The wood-element
offensive talisman flew through the air.
His finger formed a
sword sign and cut the spiritual threads to release the wood energy contained
in the talisman.
"Shit-!!"
The impact overwhelmed
the man's cry of rage, and a thunderous blast blew through the air as he looked
for a way out.
Dust particles on the
ground flew through the air and slammed the man against the wall.
Naturally, Akira, who
was hit by the impact at close range, was no exception. The erupting impact
forcefully opened the distance between them, and the momentum of the impact
threw the petite Akira out onto the main street.
"Cough, cough~."
Rolling in a cloud of
dust, Akira vomited as he felt his organs being thrashed up by the impact.
As his tears and dust
clouded his vision, he saw the assailants getting to their feet.
The men, perhaps
having instinctively suppressed the impact, did not seem to have been so
affected by it.
―There was no time to dawdle. As the crowd on the main
street glanced at him, Akira kicked the ground in an attempt to escape.
"Chase! Don't
lose him!!"
"This's not what
the information says! His sense is not like an old man's at all!!"
Shouts of rage chased
after his back. Throwing away his fake beard, Akira ran into the crowd.
――――――――――
"―Good grief. I
expected them to be a family with a long history of shadow work.
They are just a bunch
of incompetent fools who dance flashily, after all."
The crescent moon,
lurking in the shadows, secretly sneered as he witnessed the whole thing.
The seed of malice
that was being nurtured in Karen ended up being plucked by the hands of
Kihouin.
He tried to stir up a
commotion to put it to good use before it withered and rotted on the side of
the road, but he could not hide his dismay at how it ended up only causing
unnecessary irritation.
Nevertheless,
"―Hee. Judging
that the divine pillar doesn't interfere with me even though I am in her
domain, I guess this is where the oracle's limits are."
*Smirk*. The crescent
moon broke into a vile smile as it was assured of its original purpose.
Divine Pillars'
oracles are nothing more than the confirmation of the possibilities and the
negation of the consequences of what may happen.
And it was publicly
known that the limit of the oracle's reach was limited to the possibility of
things happening in the province under its control.
In other words, even
if things happen in Karen, the oracle will malfunction as long as the fruit of
the event is directed to another province.
And perhaps the other
province will realize the fruition of the malice just before it is certain that
something is going to happen.
This person was
convinced of this when he woke up the Kutsunagahara's apparition.
―It was on that day that the oracle of the serpent came
down, and the black arts that had been set in motion in the other province
could not even be detected.
Forcefully connecting
the metal qi vein from Hakudō Province to conquer the wood qi of the Nanbane
Mountains (which extends from Kabeju Province) and nurture the miasma-corrupted
water qi, while pouring it into Kutsunagahara.
This is a great black
art of invading the dragon's veins that mimics the characteristics of the
divine realm of Pārijāta. The final results of the scheme, which was carried
out in three provinces, brought about the best possible results for the
project.
"Now then. Before
the Great Divine Pillar stares at me, I should also take my leave.
―Ah, right."
The Great Divine
Pillar must have noticed that something has been wriggling in her dominion.
Losing interest in
what had happened, the shadowy figure turned on its heel.
"As my thanks for
helping me.
―I'll help you catch the old man."
The crescent moon
bellowed as it exercised its black art.
This is an application
of the Hermit Path (仙道) based on the
Mysterious Gates Escape Technique (奇門遁甲). With this, no matter how far the old man ran, the men would
eventually be able to corner him.
"With this, they
would be able to corner him by sheer numbers.
―Unless they're too dumb."
Leaving only a murmur,
the reddish-black crescent moon vanished from the scene, leaving not even a
hint of its presence.
The sneering crescent
moon had only one miscalculation.
―He had left before he could determine the identity of
the old man that was being chased.
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