Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 133 Can a Skilled Hawk Hide Its Talons?

 There's a game called 'Firefly of the Dark Night (Yamiyo no Hotaru).' It was a famous game title from my previous life, in other words, from the 21st century in Japan.

 During an era when the entire eroge industry was past its prime and on the decline, a certain game company, known for its crazy ideas, had been producing games and gaining cult popularity. They continued this trend with their latest title, creating a game with even crazier ideas and systems, using their budget to the fullest. Despite being called reckless in advance, the game boasted luxurious voice actors, abundant still images and videos, a lengthy story with multiple branching routes, and clever marketing strategies from the publisher. All of these factors contributed to its skyrocketing popularity.

 If I were to explain things in the usual format up until now, you'd probably have a pretty good idea. By some twist of fate or for some unknown reason, it seemed that I had been reborn into the world of thiss game.

 While this might be understandable if it were a slice-of-life or a galge (gal game), of all things, I seemed to have been reborn into the world of an eroguro (erotic grotesque) game... well, at this point, I should probably just accept it. Depending on the game genre, it might have been possible to experience a nuclear war or fight against alien invasions, or even witness the world's destruction. Compared to those possibilities, this was probably better.

 ...There was a time when I had accepted this with resignation.

 The Onitsuki family... the main house of the Fusō-kuni exorcists reigning in the northern region. It was one of the so-called Three Houses of the Northern Region and an old family. Owning numerous mountains and estates, and employing over a hundred people, it was a prestigious household. It also played a deep role in the story of the game 'Firefly of the Dark Night.'

 Onitsuki Valley, the main stream of the spiritual veins that gave rise to the name of the Onitsuki family, was located just above it. The main house was situated there. It was once a place overrun by wicked and treacherous monsters, but it was cleared, purified, and developed into a resting place for those who eradicated and purified the land. Even before the great war, the family received the duty of protection from the imperial court. Behind its prosperity, however, there was a long history of conspiracies within the family, like a hidden nest of demons.

 ...The extensive grounds of the Onitsuki family main house, which even in appearance was vast, had actually turned into a 'Mayoiga', making it even more expansive in reality. And in a corner of these grounds lay the territory of the servant group.

 While it might be relatively larger compared to other groups, considering the number of members, the training grounds, and the self-sufficient fields, it wasn't as well-treated as one might think. In fact, their living conditions were quite poor. Well, they were just expendable commodities (relatively speaking), so there was no helping it. Speaking in a darker tone, there were even suspicions that they were being used up at a good pace for future livelihood. It's not funny.

 ...You probably understand by now. The biggest problem of all was that I, of all people, had ended up in the position of a disposable mob within the Onitsuki family in this game's world, particularly in the Onitsuki clan's aspect related to the main story of its era.

 "Disposable mob... yeah, that's right..."

 And so, in a corner of the Onitsuki family main house servant district, I brooded over this reality.

 "Sigh..."

 Aware of my own position, I sighed deeply while looking up at the sky. Although I had been reminded of this countless times before, it was still a gloomy setup, a social construct. I get it... Of course, from the perspective of the exorcist family, becoming a business rival after a few generations would make sense. There's also the dynamic with the imperial court. It would be reasonable to use them moderately and wear them out. Though, for the ones being used and worn out, it's not a laughing matter.