Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 115 : Kitsune-sama Plays with Children

Parks. Long ago, they had been filled with all kinds of playground equipment. But accidents, wear and tear, and difficulties in maintenance gradually reduced their numbers… until, for various other reasons, the sight of children vanished from parks altogether.

Now, in this era, small parks had disappeared completely. Instead, large parks had been redeveloped, planted with trees, furnished with benches and tables, and transformed into new places of “healing.”

These also doubled as evacuation sites in case of monster disasters, but in everyday life, they were open as safe spaces for children to play freely. With awakener on guard in case of emergencies, it was actually safer to let children play there than in most other places.

At one of the tables in such a park, Inari sat surrounded by children, playing a card game.

“All right, I’ve got the set! On my turn, I designate ‘Blacksmith Heiroku.’ Using 6 iron and 3 fire, I forge the ‘Famed Blade Heihachi!’”

“Activating ‘Under-the-Table Deal’! I’ll have Heiroku betray you, and equip ‘Famed Blade Heihachi’ to my gladiator! Then attack directly!”

“Wh-what sorcery is this!?”

“That’s it, Inari’s life points hit zero—yes! I win!!”

The game they were playing was Arena King, currently all the rage among kids. Players used various cards to gather equipment and have their chosen gladiator duel for victory.

Naturally, Inari had never heard of it. But when the children offered to lend her cards so she could play, she agreed—and was promptly defeated.

“But this game… black-market deals, bribery… isn’t it a bit too shady?”

“Games don’t get popular nowadays unless they’re that shady!”

“Plus, you get to fight using your favorite character—that’s the best part.”

“Yeah, exactly!”

“Hm…”

Yes, in this game, each player had a “Gladiator” card. The starter set gave you a boy and girl “protagonist” card, but you could swap them for whatever you liked. Cute characters, cool characters, and collaborations with anime or manga series were common. The character choice didn’t affect gameplay balance, so everyone simply used the cards they loved most.

The gladiator card Inari was using now was from one such collaboration. Even when the kids explained the original work to her, she couldn’t understand it at all.

“Famous awakener even show up as illustrated cards, too!”

“Hey, won’t Inari get one?”

“I’d love a card of Inari-chan!”

“Hmm. I wonder…”

At least, Inari had never heard anything like that from Akai. Which meant no such offer had come yet. Well, if it ever did, perhaps she should accept—if only because it would delight the children.

“So, uh… why do you have ears and a tail anyway, Inari?”

“Even if you ask me that…”

“I know! Some people’s appearance changes when they awaken!”

Indeed, Inari knew that too. When someone awakened, their appearance sometimes changed—hair or eye color, or even larger transformations. There were cases where a burly man turned into a pretty boy. Thanks to such precedents, people accepted Inari’s ears and tail as “one of those things that happens.”

Though the children trying to touch her ears and tail all the time was… troublesome.

“Man, I wanna awaken already.”

“Me too! I want cat ears and a tail!”

“I’m gonna become a Dark Mage like the Black Witch!”

Of course, there was no guarantee they would awaken, or that their awakening would match their hopes. Awakening could happen anytime—or never at all. Statistically, most people remained non-awakener.

But still, dreaming was a child’s work. No matter what path they eventually walked, Inari smiled warmly and nodded.

“I hope thou canst become so.”

“Oh yeah, by the way—”

“Hm?”

“Recently, some weird grown-up was wandering around with a photo of you, Inari.”

“…Hm?”

That was not information to be ignored. Inari kept her casual air but shifted her focus sharply.

“Well, well. I’ve grown famous, it seems. But do not approach such shady adults, understand?”

“We didn’t. He kept asking like, ‘Do you know anything about this person?’ Looked like a stalker, so we stayed away.”

“Yeah. When we set off a security alarm, he ran off!”

Inari thought it deeply suspicious. Someone was clearly gathering information on her—but for what purpose? And why here, of all places? It was true she had a house in the area, lent to her by the Awakener Association… but surely they weren’t investigating that?

She didn’t know. But above all, there was something she had to tell the children.

“Your courage is admirable. Yet one cannot know what such shady folk might do. If ever you see one, leave the place at once.”

No one could predict what harm might come from getting involved with such people.

“If ever thou feel truly endangered, thou may speak plainly of me. Put thine own safety above all else.”

The children nodded obediently at Inari’s earnest words of concern.