Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 159

 "I see... you seem to encounter trouble wherever you go, don't you? Are you cursed?"

 "I've been seriously considering asking for a prayer recently..."

 '(●'Д｀●) Hmm, delicious! Delicious'

 It was a heartfelt confession directed towards Matsuhige's utterly exasperated daughter. And the foolish spider is leisurely feasting by biting into my arm.

 ...By the way, I said this casually, but considering my current status, I might actually be able to receive a decent exorcism at a fairly good temple if I wanted to. ...Although there's also the possibility that I'd be pummeled by the monk soldiers if the exorcism goes awry. No, that's not a good idea.

 "Even so, a snake, is it...?"

 "Is there something you know?"

 "It's probably not much different from you. The legend of its extermination is famous, but it's ultimately just a record of the past. If it has been exterminated seven times, it's a strange story indeed..."

 '( '･ω･') Is there anything strange going on?'

 Ignoring the nonsense of the foolish spider, Botan puts her hand to her mouth in surprise and ponders. It's certainly not possible for the existence of the divine snake, which resurrects even after being defeated, to not be recorded.

 Could it be the work of the Youkai Salvation Organization?

 "...What do you think? About the Tengu's demands."

 "As you say, it's a really sudden story. But it can't be completely false. Even I have discovered some strange traces on my way here. It's certain that some kind of creature is lurking around here and the Tengu are definitely in conflict with it."

 '(-∀・) As expected of my little sister!"'

 It seems she had conducted her own information gathering beforehand. Spider, why are you making that face?

 "Of course, it's the Tengu's words. How much their words can be trusted is questionable. Not just this, but please be cautious about everything. If the need arises... you know about that, right?"

 "You mean... of course, I do. It hasn't been taken away. And throwing is fine, right?"

 In the new city, after probably encountering it, I suddenly remember its presence hidden in my pocket and ask about it. I realize that the missing memory is part of Onitsuki's lady plan. But that's fine. The problem is how to use it.

 "It's helpful that you have a good guess. Unless it's a formidable opponent, it should buy you some time. There are few witnesses, so please be cautious during the retrieval after it's done. I'll contact you at the right time for the return... And I'll keep an eye on the surveillance, so depending on the situation, I may have to secure it myself."

 Botan calmly points out the proper usage. If my assumption is correct, that thing shouldn't be shown too much. It could raise unnecessary suspicion.

 "As for the snake countermeasures... Is it pointless to ask now?"

 I was about to ask that, but I had already given up more than half. It's an unexpected opponent. There wouldn't be any effective advice just by asking out of the blue.

 "...You know, it's also unpleasant to not be expected, okay?"

 With a slap sound, her black tail slapped the floor unhappily. The sadistic sound, like a whip, echoed in the space.

 "Anyway, any good ideas?"

 "...Other than Dagger (tantō), there's Teguruma. Other equipment would only be useful as a distraction. Maybe it's better to bring smoke bombs and such."