Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 121 : A Shady Contract

Itou City. It was a place just a little distance from Atami, and like Atami, it was also famous as a hot spring resort.

Boasting an extraordinary volume of hot spring water, counted among the three greatest hot springs in Japan, Itou had, even in the olden days, many historic inns and well-known hot spring lodgings.

Like Atami, Itou faced Sagami Bay… and along one of its seaside roads, a single car had stopped. Once a national highway, the dangers of the sea had reduced traffic there in modern times, but there were still those who used it. Such as these men.

“Damn it, it’s gotten harder to do business lately.”

“Exactly. Everyone’s trying to switch over and play goody-two-shoes.”

The men were brokers dealing in under-the-table business for awakeners. Trading in potions and items of dubious origin, offering jobs that couldn’t be shown on the surface… that was the kind of trade they made a living from. After all, money could be made when dealing with awakeners who couldn’t—or wouldn’t—earn money legitimately, or with groups who wanted to take advantage of that fighting power.

So why were such men grumbling in a place like this? It was due to recent changes in the awakener world.

A string of newly discovered items that had never been found before—some fetching astronomical prices. The spread of fear of the sea and rivers across the nation following the Tokyo Bay incident. With these circumstances, dungeon expeditions had become more active, and requests for guards from coastal towns, recruitment for ship escorts, strengthening of patrols, and so on had surged. In short, jobs that required awakeners had skyrocketed.

Naturally, more and more people realized it was better to work legitimately than to get by on shady jobs. Of course, there were always those who preferred shady work, but they were the minority. And so, the supply of workers and jobs in the underworld had dwindled, making a broker’s livelihood difficult—though in ordinary eyes, it was a very good development.

But to these men, of course, it was infuriating. And if you did a little digging, it was obvious who was at the center of this upheaval.

“Kogami Inari, huh. What a ridiculous name. Better not be a stage name.”

“You know that’s impossible, right? The Awakener Association requires real name registration. No matter how ridiculous it looks, that’s their actual name.”

“Then tell me this. You ever heard of anyone else with the surname Kogami written with those kanji, ‘fox’ and ‘god’?”

“No, but… Japan’s a big country. Unusual surnames exist.”

“Even if they do, the given name’s Inari, and she’s got fox ears and a tail. You call that coincidence?”

“I guess it has to be, right?”

“The hell it does. My guess is, this ‘Kogami Inari’ is bait set up by the Association.”

Yes—for example, they could create a character like “Kogami Inari,” easy to understand and easy to love, rack up flashy achievements that would rally the public. Sure, it would raise the Association’s approval ratings. But it could also be bait to draw out resistance groups intent on exposing her true nature—or dangerous individuals simply looking to act against her—and eliminate them.

“Wh-what the hell. If that’s true, aren’t we screwed too…?”

“Nah, our level’s too low to even be noticed. They’re probably fishing for way bigger prey.”

Either way, there was nothing they could do. Their opponent was far too dangerous. The men were awakener themselves, but nowhere near strong enough to take on the Association.

“Guess we’ll have to shut down for a while. Man, what a recession. If only the world would get a little darker and shadier…”

“A darker world… That is something we too would desire.”

“Wh-who’s there!?”

At the voice, the men drew their weapons and scanned their surroundings, but no one was there. Was it their imagination? No, it couldn’t be. They had definitely heard it.

“Eek!”

“Wha—!?”

Beside them. Standing there as if he had been present all along, was a man. No—that wasn’t right. A statue, in the shape of a man? It was a figure like some ancient priest.

“No need to be alarmed. You want money, you want power. That is what you wish for, is it not?”

“What the hell are you… You’re a monster, right? Why the hell are you speaking Japanese…!”

“I learned. But is that what matters most right now?”

“B-big bro… this guy’s dangerous.”

One of the men called out to the one he referred to as big brother. The latter swallowed hard, whether from tension or excitement, it was hard to say.

“So that’s it, huh. Mr. Statue, you want to make a deal with us?”

“H-hey, big bro…!”

“Shut up. This is business.”

If the request were something like “wipe out humanity,” of course they would have no choice but to refuse. They couldn’t, and wouldn’t, do something like that. But surely, that wasn’t what this being expected of them.

“Let me be clear—we’re small fry. We can’t do anything big… If you understand that, then let’s hear your proposal. Hm?”

At those words, the statue smiled. It was a smile that almost resembled compassion. Then he extended his hand toward the ground.

Clink, clink, clink. A mountain of gold coins and jewels appeared, piling up before their eyes.

“It is not a difficult matter. That ‘Kogami Inari’ you were just speaking of. Gather as much information on her as you can. For that alone, this treasure shall be yours. And if you desire it, power as well. For now… I will even provide a small advance. But only if you decide here and now.”

“H-heh…”

Unbelievable. They would never again encounter such an easy deal. Monsters could not obtain such information, but humans could. Awakeners like them could. And that alone could change their lives forever.

It wasn’t even a matter of turning against humanity. Just granting such a simple request, and this treasure was theirs.

“Fine then, deal. I’m Isurugi… What should we call you?”

“High Priest. Call me that.”

That day, a shady contract was forged. Foolish, terrifying… and for now, with no clear purpose. Yet surely, it would bring disaster. For the scales of the world always sought to balance themselves somewhere.