Mob Yandere

[Part 4/6]

"Don't act mysterious. Worrying me won't change anything."

If I think about it, the only real danger right now was the Blue Demon. The spider and the mother were like ticking time bombs, but I'll put that aside for now. As for Aoi... I wonder about that.

(It's not like she's "falling for me," is she?)

I've never seen that kind of reaction in the original story. Of course, that was because the biggest dark-turn flag was avoided, but this was unexpected. Was she acting? Or maybe what happened in the story was really just a form of romance? Or was it something else entirely?

"...I don't get it."

I couldn't figure out what she was really thinking. Now, I even started to wonder if what I remembered was just an illusion or my own distorted version of events. I couldn't risk saying anything that could be used against me, so all I could do was talk in vague terms.

"Thinking about it makes me tired."

My thoughts were getting tangled. I knew from experience that pushing too hard when I was confused wouldn't lead to anything good. I needed to relax. I needed to eat well, rest, and sleep. That was the best course of action. So...

I popped a piece of candy into my mouth. The sweet taste spread inside, soothing me.

"Eh? What's that...?"

"Hm? It's milk candy."

Iruka sniffed and asked with a puzzled look as I sucked on the candy. I explained.

It's what is called milk candy.

The sweetness of the nutritious milk seeps into the body.

It becomes nourishment.

I might get the wrong idea from my relationship with Kayo, but unfortunately, in this era and in this country, milk is still not commonly used.

In some regions, it is treated as a weird delicacy.

Even "Daigo" is considered a rare delicacy for the upper class.

Although I was born in the countryside, I'm in the minority who can casually consume it.

Back in the poor farming days, I used to beg cow owners to let me milk their cows, but they would get disgusted by it. In fact, when I boiled it in a hot pot to sterilize it, my parents cried and apologized (a black history moment).

“Tomobe-kun, it's about time we head back to the village... What's that?”

As I was about to call for a retreat, Tamaki came up and, like Iruka, asked about the candy I was licking. I explained it to her the same way.

“How about it? Want to try one? It's not bad at all.”

“Cow milk, huh... I'm a little scared, but I'll try one...”

“Idiot, stop! Stop!!”

“Wah!?”

In my attempt to increase my followers, I offered a pouch, and Tamaki seemed intrigued by it, but Iruka stopped her. She shouted at full force, and Tamaki was so startled by the loud voice.

It's really strange. If anything, I thought Iruka, who has a huge appetite, would be the one to directly drink cow's milk...

“W-Why...”

“No, it's... it's just a matter of getting used to it!! If your stomach isn't used to it, you'll get diarrhea!? You can't take that kind of risk while working!!”

For some reason, Iruka gave the pouch a suspicious look before quickly explaining things. What she said made sense, but she sounded really desperate. Was it just my imagination?

"That's true, but..."

"Do you really want us to end up with a stomachache and making weird noises during a fight!?"

"Ugh...!?"

Tamaki looked reluctant, but Iruka's point made her groan, drop her head, and nod. Still, why was she so serious about it?

"I mean, I just... have a really bad feeling, okay!?"

"Hey, that sounds terrible. There's no poison in it, you know?"

Wait, was it spoiled or something? No way. Maybe she mistook the smell for something gross. My stomach... no, last time I had it, it didn't make me sick.

"Ah, haha... um, alright. How about... next time, then? Is that okay?"

"Ah, uh... sure, next time."

Tamaki, feeling pressured by Iruka, nervously agreed to try it later. But everyone knew that promises like that often got forgotten. Oh well. Maybe I should ask for a different flavor of candy next time?

"...Alright. Let's get moving, shall we?"

I stood up, having finished the candy, and called out to Tamaki.

"Iruka and I will go ahead. Tamaki, you take care of everyone in the back. Leading a big group is important and good practice for you."

Was I being too careful? Or just lazy? No, real exorcists don't charge in recklessly.

We only have so much energy and strength.

Let the smaller enemies be handled by others, keep an eye on the big picture, and jump in when it really matters.

The last fight with the youkai proved that.

When I was paralyzed, Tamaki knew the right moment to jump in.

It was perfect, except for when she let her guard down afterward.

This time, she just needed to do the same thing.

...And yeah, I also wanted to make sure she didn't end up in trouble. In this world, even a tiny mistake could lead to bad situations with even the weakest youkai. Better safe than sorry, right?

"Y-yeah... you're right."

Tamaki still seemed unsure about staying in the safe rear position. She hesitated but eventually agreed. Her honesty was rare among the strong-willed people in this story. A nice change, honestly.

...Though, she could be easily influenced, and if we weren't careful, she might end up controlled by the Minister or turned into some dark, corrupted version of herself.

"...Alright, we'll go first."

"Don't worry so much! With your position, if you're strong, people will listen to you! If they don't, just use those servants of yours to help. Got it?"

I gave a polite nod, and Iruka added some bold advice. It wasn't wrong, but still...

While the villagers, hunters, and servants loaded valuable items from the dead youkai into the truck, Iruka and I started walking.

"We took down a lot of them this time. Cleaning up has taken forever. Do you think the smell of blood will bring more?"

"Eh, it'll just be weak ones. Let's take care of them quickly, okay?"

"So, there *are* more coming, huh?"

Iruka's casual tone confirmed it. As we moved away from the crowd of workers, I kept talking. Judging by Iruka's expression, there seemed to be quite a few of them. Maybe we should have used bait to trap them all at once.

"I'll let some of the smaller youkai get through. Tamaki needs this kind of practice. Being too protective won't help her get stronger."

"...Yeah, yeah, I get it. Alright, I'll hold back a bit. But those villagers are probably going to complain a lot."

Even as the danger got closer, Iruka and I kept walking, pretending not to notice. Iruka sighed, thinking about the trouble Tamaki would get, but she accepted it anyway.

Her beast-like strength and sharp senses... the cursed youkai arm she had grafted onto her body slowly ate away at her human side. Like me, Iruka had given up on the idea of a normal life a long time ago. She really wanted Tamaki to grow stronger soon, so this kind of tough training was necessary. Better than babying her, at least.

"...Huh?"

"...What's with that weird sound you just made?"

Iruka suddenly stopped, her mouth hanging open in surprise. I felt uneasy, so I stopped too and asked her what was wrong, waiting for her to answer.

"...Uh-oh. We have to go all out for this."

"...Are you serious?"

"I'm serious."

Rustling sounds came from the dark forest, getting louder and louder. I finally felt the enemies coming. There were a lot of them, and they seemed strong... oh no. Yeah, we definitely had to give it our all. In other words...

"Hey! Whoever was in charge here, do your job right!!"

Several intermediate-level youkai suddenly jumped out of the bushes. I charged at them with my spear, swinging my cursed weapon, the Teguruma. Iruka slashed at another youkai coming from the side.

It looked like this was going to take a while...

* * *

Even in the midst of many battles across the land, there is still peace. There are peaceful and blissful places. The capital and its surroundings are the perfect example of this, like a warm, gentle cradle, like a mother's loving arms, like a grand mansion.

Clink! A clear, refreshing sound echoes through the air.