Chapter 144: Katou Megumi!
"Whoa. Are you planning to go meet your god personally or something?"
When Luke arrived at Kasumizuki's huge villa, he was startled by the sight of her shambling out with dark circles beneath her eyes and a thoroughly disheveled appearance.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I've only stayed up for a few nights."
Kasumizuki turned around and went back inside.
"It's mainly because of everything involving evil spirits and exorcism tools. Meetings every day, this person asking me questions, then someone else asking me questions. It's driving me insane."
"So why did you ask me to bring these things?"
Luke felt the need to warn her.
"Just so we're clear, I'm quite satisfied with my current life. I'm not interested in doing anything particularly dangerous with you."
"Mm. I also refuse anything that skirts the edge of the law."
Religious professionals who served gods for years could have all kinds of strange ideas.
What if Kasumizuki suddenly achieved enlightenment one morning and decided to overthrow the world?
Luke had no intention of getting dragged into that disaster.
"It's nothing like that."
Kasumizuki thought for a moment.
"It's mainly about that… Hmm, what was his name again? Forget it. The leader of the Chiba cult branch."
"The official decision regarding him finally came down."
"What happened?"
"They're having him help me create exorcism tools that ordinary people can use, then selling them to wealthy clients…"
"And earning a huge pile of money for political donations?"
"Eh? How did you know?"
"…Wasn't there a report on television about something similar?"
Luke stared at her speechlessly.
"Some cult became so influential precisely because powerful people were backing it to make money, right?"
People truly became ruthless when power was involved.
Once they grasped authority, they refused to loosen their grip even slightly.
"Can't be helped~ Adults are always dirty."
"You don't have to be physically dirty too."
"You—! I only stayed up for a few nights!"
Kasumizuki glared at him.
"Just hurry up and take the things out."
Luke looked at the bedraggled miko, who had lost every trace of her former imposing appearance.
He began taking out the strange objects Kasumizuki had asked him to bring.
Most were unusual items he had encountered during his earlier period of intensive exorcism work.
It had to be said—
Beneath the seemingly peaceful surface of human cities, countless inexplicable supernatural incidents were hidden.
Even Chiba contained plenty of mysteries Luke had personally witnessed.
A ghost taxi that appeared at night.
A black dress made of human skin that turned its wearer into part of itself.
Yuigahama Yui somehow getting into Sobu High.
A red evil spirit attached beneath an umbrella.
And a perverted evil spirit that specifically targeted beautiful women.
So it was hardly strange for supernatural phenomena to leave behind bizarre objects.
"Only seven?"
Kasumizuki casually tossed the dangerous items onto the sofa and sounded disappointed.
"Hey, how many were you expecting?"
Luke retorted speechlessly.
"Life might be stressful these days, but Chiba hasn't become a city of ghosts yet."
"Fine, I suppose this will do."
Kasumizuki nodded.
"I'll call them and have the branch leader transported here."
"Then you don't need me anymore?"
Luke immediately asked.
"If you want to leave, then leave."
Kasumizuki added, "Oh, but if you can keep collecting things like these for me, bring back as many as possible."
"That mannequin from before sold extremely well. Maybe we can make another fortune selling whatever extra items come out of this."
"Sure. We'll see."
Luke gave a perfunctory response.
He had no intention of deliberately searching for troublesome things like that.
Exorcism tools were something you encountered by chance anyway.
If he had that much spare time, he would rather relax properly.
'Sigh. Once you escape a busy working life, you never want to work again.'
'Sloth truly is wonderful.'
...
"If you're unhappy about it, then tell him."
Annie rested her cheek against one hand and spoke indifferently while gazing outside.
She, Mikasa, and a girl from Annie's class—someone who could now reasonably be called their friend—had just finished shopping.
The three were currently resting in an air-conditioned café.
"Hmm~ What are you two talking about?"
A girl wearing a pink-and-white short-sleeved top looked curiously between Annie and Mikasa.
Her name was Katou Megumi.
She had a cute bob haircut and a mildly puzzled expression.
"Our master went on a date with another girl."
Mikasa nodded.
She looked at the cute girl before her.
Megumi's skin lacked Annie's almost porcelain-like brightness, possessing instead a soft, comfortable fairness.
Her delicate features were undeniably cute, the type that naturally inspired a protective instinct.
Yet for some inexplicable reason, she remained remarkably inconspicuous.
Her presence was so faint that people could overlook her entirely—or even forget her face and name.
'So her name really is Katou Megumi…'
Mikasa quietly drank her smoothie.
She could not help remembering how confidently she had told Luke yesterday that the girl was "Itou Kei."
Could she blame Japan for having too many surnames?
Mikasa firmly reinforced the name Katou Megumi in her memory.
Megumi considered Mikasa's answer.
"Hm? So you really are employed as maids?"
She tilted her head in mild surprise.
"I thought that was merely an excuse you used whenever someone confessed to you."
"A maid, huh? This is the first time I've met someone with that profession in real life~"
"Of course it's real."
Annie turned her gaze back toward Megumi.
"Besides, nobody would use something that strange as an excuse to reject someone."
"That's true."
Megumi nodded.
Seeing her slightly parted lips and expression of realization, Annie could not help smiling faintly.
Annie and Megumi sat directly in front of and behind each other in class.
Normally, that should have meant plenty of interaction.
However, Megumi possessed an unusually low presence.
For Annie, who never deliberately put effort into social relationships, it was surprisingly easy to forget that someone like Megumi was even in the class.
As a result, Annie had only become friends with Katou Megumi fairly recently, despite them entering school at the same time.
Once they actually began spending time together, however, Megumi's incredibly easygoing and almost unnaturally calm personality made her effortless company even for people like Annie and Mikasa.
"Oh, right."
Annie suddenly asked, "Are you still carrying the protective charms I gave you?"
They were talismans she had previously asked Luke for.
Annie might appear cold and distant and rarely show others much expression, but deep down, she was actually quite willing to help people.
"Oh."
Megumi retrieved her shoulder bag from the back of the chair and searched inside.
"I remember you gave me two protective charms."
She pulled out a paper talisman.
"But for some reason, one of them suddenly burned up."
"Fortunately, it didn't start a fire."
"Sigh…"
After hearing that, Annie helplessly rubbed her forehead.
She honestly could not tell whether her friend was exceptionally calm in the face of danger…
Or simply a little too clueless.
...
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