Please to Kitsune-sama!

Chapter 193 : Kitsune-sama Remembers in Akihabara

The following day.

After seeing Hikaru off, Inari headed to Akihabara—to the headquarters of Servant Uniform Workshop. She carried with her a box of manju as souvenirs. But instead of the usual back room, she entered the official office used by the clan.

Inside, it was decorated like a sparkling Western-style mansion. With maids and butlers bustling about, one might have mistaken it for being overseas—but this was very much Japan, and Akihabara. The buildings outside the window proved it.

Seated on a sofa, Inari was served tea by Eri.

“Surprised? This is your first time inside here, isn’t it!”

“Aye. Quite the astonishment, truly.”

“Hehehe. You see, sometimes important guests come here for clan business. Showing off this kind of dedication makes later negotiations much smoother—apparently!”

“I see. That doth make sense.”

Indeed, there was hardly a clearer way to show what kind of clan Servant Uniform Workshop was. And there was a reason Inari had been invited here today.

“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

The man who appeared could only be described as an elder gentleman. His short white hair and beard were immaculately groomed, and he dressed in the fashion of an old-world nobleman. Even down to his accessories, he exuded fastidious care. His frame was lean but muscular, betraying considerable ability as an awakener. Unlike Sebastian, this man embodied another form of “graceful maturity.”

“I am Kuresaki Daigo, the leader of this clan. Please, feel free to call me Kuresaki.”

“I am Kogami Inari. I am grateful for thy invitation this day.”

“The pleasure is mine. I am glad to finally meet you.”

They shook hands politely before sitting again. Eri slipped into position just behind Kuresaki’s side, maintaining the perfect servant’s posture. Their roleplay was nothing if not thorough.

“As I believe you have already heard from Shikishima, our clan has become entangled in a somewhat troublesome matter.”

“Aye, I heard. If I recall… ’twas the dungeon in Old Karuizawa?”

“Exactly so.”

Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. Once a famed villa town. Nestled in the mountains, its cool summers had made it a resort area, while winters saw it thrive as a place for winter sports. Later, of course, it too had suffered monster disasters. But now, it had been reborn as a luxury villa district once more.

Fear of the sea played no small part in this. With the constant threat of monsters emerging from the ocean, the wealthy turned inland. For ordinary citizens, such fears might be distant, but for those with money, they resurfaced strongly. Thus, Karuizawa became a haven for the rich—both for vacation villas and permanent residences. Unlike the awakener clustering in Tokyo, these people had a different way of thinking.

Naturally, however, Karuizawa had its own dungeon. Known as Nagano Dungeon No. 2. And that was the very reason Inari had been called here.

“Like all dungeons, Nagano No. 2 is regularly subjected to large-scale sweeps by designated clans. Are you familiar with how that system works?”

“Nay, I am not.”

“Then let me explain. In simple terms, it is by auction.”

It was a competitive bidding system. Clans competed by offering the highest sum to the Awakener Association. And why? Because the winning clan gained full monopoly over the dungeon during the large-scale raid period.

During that period, they were obliged to suppress monsters to a degree sufficient to prevent disasters. Full clearance was not required—only to reduce numbers enough to keep things stable.

“This year, the clan Ryokufuu won the bid for Nagano No. 2. But a problem has arisen.”

During their response to a sudden dungeon outbreak in Karuizawa, Ryokufuu’s ace members had all been gravely injured and hospitalized.

“In cases of injuries too severe, even healing skills cannot prevent the need for hospitalization.”

“Hmm.”

When Inari had healed Shion, she had recovered instantly and left hospital without issue. But Inari kept silent; the Association’s healing powers seemed different from her own. Better not to say more and disrupt the flow of discussion.

“So then, they can no longer conduct the large-scale raid?”

“Correct. Which is why they appealed to me, and thus to Servant Uniform Workshop. Of course, all spoils from the raid will belong to us. But failing to conduct the raid would damage Ryokufuu’s record far more gravely.”

“I see. Then we depart in three days—I shall prepare forthwith.”

“Ah, please wait. We must first finalize a proper contract. We haven’t even discussed rewards yet.”

“Rewards?”

Inari tilted her head, as if to ask why such a thing was necessary. Kuresaki glanced at Eri.

“Uh… she’s like this. Probably just thinking, ‘it’s a request from a friend’s boss, so I’ll help.’”

“Ohh, Eri knoweth me well indeed.”

“Heh…”

“That won’t do, Miss Kogami. You must accept proper compensation. In fact, I insist you do. That said, here is my proposal: besides the contract fee, the reward chest shall go to you. All other spoils, to us. How does that sound? The reward chests yield excellent items.”

“Very well, I care not either way… ah, that remindeth me.”

She recalled then—the golden reward chest. The one obtained during Shion’s rescue. She had completely forgotten about it, having always tossed such things straight to auction when unwanted. Normally, even a silver chest was prized and opened immediately. But for Inari, such things were barely worth remembering.

“Indeed, I forgot I still had a golden chest… never did open it.”

“…Shikishima, I had heard she was unusual, but this…”

“Haha… this is how she is.”

Thus, the reward chest Inari had forgotten. It would soon cause a stir. But as ever, Inari herself could not care less.

At most, it was the sort of thing to make Yasuno—receiving a phone call about an auction listing—spit her coffee in surprise. And to Inari, that was about the extent of it.