[Part 3/4]
While Yun-shoku grumbles, she presses a chawan (teacup) into my hand, using fingers with nails slightly chipped. I dish out the porridge, frustrated by her petulant attitude. I generously serve it into the bowl, just as ordered, and finally sprinkle on some mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley) before handing it back to her.
"Yeah. It's delicious."
"I'm glad to hear that."
As Yun-shoku grumbles while eating, I also serve myself. Mmm, it's good. As expected of Yun-shoku's position, she receives white rice, not brown rice or mixed grains. Even if it's low-quality old rice, it's still a privilege to have it.
Anyway, it's dull to discuss unpleasant matters while eating something delicious. If we're going to talk, it should be something enjoyable. For a while, Yun-shoku and I continue our dinner with a mix of casual chat. Eat, talk, smile wryly, serve seconds. And just as the conversation shifts, it happens around when we've finished about half of the porridge in the pot.
"It's been decided that Kuchinasi's successor will be Kawachi."
Suddenly, I fell silent at the words that came out of Yun-shoku's mouth. Her expression wasn't one of indifference anymore. She looked at me with a solemn look.
"...Kawachi-dono? Not Yahiro?"
I tried my best to maintain composure, but dissatisfaction couldn't help but seep into my response. And this dissatisfaction wasn't directed at the person in front of me but...
"Don't say it. The decision is from higher-ups. We can't go against it, can we?"
"If you had consulted with Head's Assistant, there might have been some room for discussion..."
"That opinion was rejected. It's unacceptable to do things secretly behind superiors' backs."
"What an idiot."
It's troublesome when she suddenly decides to show enthusiasm at a time like this when she usually doesn't do much. She always just puts her seal on things without even looking at the contents...
"Was there no helping hand from the Assistant?"
"An assistant will always be an assistant, okay?"
"But still, that's..."
Systematically, on the organization chart, it's a matter of course, but I wished she'd grasp it a little more... No, perhaps from Onitsuki's sh*tty family tree diagram perspective, it's meaningless, and it's just a natural decision?
"...We have no choice but to accept it, right?"
After a while, finally accepting reality, I still grumbled with an attitude that couldn't be satisfied. It's troublesome when the higher-ups make judgments without knowing the details.
Kuchinasi Team boasts one of the top five records among the eighteen teams formed by the servant group. However, this is more due to the command of Kuchinasi, the squad leader, than the individual abilities of its members.
Though there's dissatisfaction with using people as pawns, his talent is genuine. Among the active servants, there are few who are older than him or have a longer history as servants, not to mention those with more combat experience. While his spiritual power isn't exceptional, he excels in cunning and crisis detection, and above all, his ability to flirt is outstanding. He wasn't nominated as a candidate for Yun-shoku for nothing.
But in a recent mission, Kuchinasi was injured. His leg was crushed by a large tree, shattering the bones. He survived the treatment, but it's unlikely he'll return to active duty. He was integrated into a lower unit of the group.
The problem is the successor. I picked several candidates from same squad, including Yahiro. I asked Yun-shoku to speak to the head's assistant, and it should have been a matter of receiving the final seal... but no.
"Kawachi-dono's skills are not bad... but he's not leadership material."
Kawachi, who is in charge of the vanguard of the same Kuchinasi Team, has a career that makes him either a veteran or soon-to-be. He's a decent swordsman. His spiritual power is relatively high as well. And that's about it.
It might sound harsh, but he's introverted and not good with words. Moreover, when he's nervous, his field of vision narrows. These traits don't make him suitable for a squad leader. It seemed fitting for him to concentrate on the immediate battle under the guidance of a sharp squad leader... This was how Kuchinasi, my previous boss, treated him too. Of course, there's a chance he could change once he's appointed, but...
"D*mn, if only Tokusa and those skilled ones didn't die. They say it's because of seniority that Kawachi was prioritized... It brings back unpleasant memories. Remember?"
Yun-shoku complains about the deceased subordinates, then notices the survivor right in front of her and asks with more consideration.
"...No, that was indeed a painful loss."
I had remained silent for a moment to organize my complicated thoughts, but I responded to Yun-shoku's words. And in response, I continued to nibble on the pickled vegetables with a rhythmic sound.
At least the destruction of Tokusa Squad was different from the times with Kurama Squad and Yashiro Squad. It wasn't my responsibility. It was just bad luck. It was something that couldn't be helped by my personal choices or judgments. They would surely understand that, he and the others. Even if I denied responsibility, there wouldn't be any complaints. I'm not the type to seek sympathy or regret.
...Except for the life or death of the squad leader.
"I'm sorry."
"Yes?"
In response to Yun-shoku's sudden apology, I gave a rather pathetic reply, with pickled vegetables still in my mouth.
"It was my proposal to have you assigned to Tokusa. ...I never thought it would turn out like this."
After swallowing the porridge, Yun-shoku murmured. There was regret in her expression. Seeing that shadow on her face, I felt a pang in my chest.
"...When you returned from Hitogama Swamp, you had quite a gruesome expression, you know?"
Touching on that matter is a different story. A year ago, I was dispatched to Hitogama Swamp as a member of Yashiro Team. I was the only one who managed to come back alive. Well, there should have been one more person. If I hadn't failed...
"I had such a terrible expression...?"
"You really had a terrible expression."
"Well, that's..."
I unconsciously tried to deny it, but I couldn't. Mistakes have to be acknowledged honestly. ...Looking back on that time, it's almost ironic enough to make me laugh. I was really in a mess back then. I was rough and foolish. I was an idiot.
"It's really embarrassing."
"It's okay, better to let it out. And I thought the third time would be..."
Yun-shoku sighed. Her sigh was filled with frustration. Only a few, like me, in the entire servant group would know about Yun-shoku's moments of weakness. In front of her subordinates, she always maintains a dignified or casual attitude, so it seemed like I had the role of listening to her complaints. Well, technically it's my own story.
"...There's no use talking about the past, huh?"
After taking a few more bites of porridge, Yun-shoku seemed to put a close to her thoughts. She scooped up another spoonful and changed the topic.
"We need to prepare a squad at the beginning of next month."
"...A mission?"
At the change in her tone and demeanor, I switched myself into gear as well. This was what you could call Yun-shoku's work mode. However, the content of this...?
"It's not an official order. It's information from the head's assistant. ...Do you remember the incident with the 'Second Princess' from the other day?"
"Yes. We went through quite an ordeal."
My lower back still hurts.
"The 'Second Princess' has been involved in training and... jumping into situations like the one the other day a few times, but she hasn't officially taken on an exorcism job yet."
"...And this time, it's her first mission?"
In response to my question, Yun-shoku nodded as if she had anticipated it.
"Household members and members of the Hidden Group will accompany her. Apparently, the Princess herself is quite a person. In fact, she took down a 'great youkai' in one shot in the incident the other day. We don't need to step into the forefront. We just need to handle the superficial tasks."
"Superficial tasks..."
In response to Yun-shoku's words, my expression became stern. Well, it's true that in a way it might be just superficial...
Remembering the main heroine of the erotic-grotesque depressing game 'Firefly of the Dark Night' – Onitsuki Aoi. And the impression that came to mind was, "Is it already that time?"
The fate of those involved in this incident is tragic, not only for the direct participants but even for the peripheral ones. The uninformed get caught up as a means of silencing them, and those who were disparaged are brutally slaughtered by Gorilla-sama that crawled out of hell, quite literally, in a revenge that is cruel beyond imagination... Though it can't get to her psycho father.
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