Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 71

　In a room of an estate, a man was writing calligraphy. He polished the ink, and in the space filled with the fragrance of mellow and clean ink, the fat man was writing with a pouty face.

　Since he lost his wife, many people secretly despised the man who was just trying to make money like a lowly merchant, but such things did not matter to the man himself.

　He understood that he was nobody expected to be. Comparing himself with the rest of the crowd was meaningless. Neither is he offended now that he is less powerful in exorcism than his brothers. He has already come to terms with it. In fact, he has a role that only he can play. So, there is no need for him to complain about what he cannot do.

　Of course, the person who taught him that while patting him roughly on the back is no longer in this world...

　"...Well, it's a little late for that, isn't it?"

　Remembering the past, the man sniffs and laughs scornfully. When he first saw her fragile and skinny self, he was quite surprised. In the same way, when she first saw him, she was dumbfounded.

　She was a head taller than him, with tanned skin peculiar to southern lands, her limbs were toned with muscles, and her abdominal muscles were ripped. What was amazing was that such muscles were not strengthened by spiritual power but were her own. Her own muscular strength alone would have killed him with just a punch if she were herself at that time. Moreover, when she strengthened her muscles by pouring spiritual power into her limbs for exorcism work... it made him gape.

　She was armed with a huge hammer, but she probably killed more evil spirits of mountains and rivers with her bare hands. If anything, her evil demon-like fighting style frightened many of the youkai and they ran away. Of course, they couldn't escape.

　"By the way, who are you? Peeking at me is not something nice, is it?

　For a while, he has been focused on the past, and then, as if after all this time, he turns his sharp gaze to the gap in the sliding door. He squints his eyes at the thing that has been peering at him for a while now and warns it. Now, who in the world would want anything to do with him...?

　"Eeek!? Did he just find out!? Wh-What should I do!? ■■!?"

　"Well, I told you he'd find out soon enough, right...?"

　The voice echoing from the other side of the sliding door caught the man off guard. It was the voice of an innocent child. A familiar, child's voice...

　For a while, a conversation was going on on the other side of the sliding door, and then the door opened and a little girl came out. A child with red eyes and glossy black hair, which flowed like wet crow feathers. Her face peeked out with a nervous expression, a lovely but mischievous daughter who resembled her mother.

　She was Kizuki Uemon's niece. She was also the daughter of his unfortunate brother to whom he owed a debt of gratitude.

　"Well, well, Princess, this is very unusual. What brings you here?"