Horitake understood Inspector Eguchi's sentiments all too well.
"Inspector Eguchi, I understand. Your blood hasn't run cold, and your heart hasn't grown weary. You still want to use what passion you have left to do something meaningful for the people. But you have a family now, and this situation is exceptionally dangerous. It's better if you don't risk yourself. Leave the rest to me. Just wait for the good news."
Since Horitake had put it so plainly, Eguchi had no choice but to sigh and accept the kindness. "Alright... thank you."
As Horitake turned to leave, the shrine maiden named Amane stepped forward. With a gentle, faint smile, she stopped him. "Sir, before you head off to work, would you like to offer a prayer to Lord Inari for a blessing?"
Hearing her request, Horitake couldn't help but look toward the main hall where the Great Inari was enshrined.
As he had thought before, Horitake was still Chinese to his core; he didn't feel a particular spiritual connection to the various gods of Japan. Of course, he couldn't say that out loud. Instead, he gave the young maiden a polite smile.
"I think I'll pass. Inari-sama presides over commerce and agriculture. My work involves combat—living by the blade and walking hand-in-hand with danger. The nature of my job doesn't quite align with the things Inari-sama protects."
Even with the rejection, the miko was not discouraged. Instead, she pulled over a large omikuji box and offered another suggestion. "It's quite alright if you don't wish to pray. In that case, please draw a fortune slip. Perhaps it can predict the fortune of your upcoming task."
Looking at the massive box of slips, Horitake was momentarily speechless.
In his heart, he didn't like the idea of tying his work and his life in battle to something as fickle as "fortune." Luck was an ethereal, unpredictable thing. If he drew a "Great Blessing" but the result was disastrous, what use was the slip? Conversely, if he drew a "Great Curse," it would only sour his mood and leave him distracted—which could be fatal in a real fight.
He was about to refuse again, but when he caught the miko's gaze, something strange happened. For a split second, he thought of the fox he had just been petting.
A strange, inexplicable impulse took hold of him.
Should I... draw one?
Horitake hesitated for a moment before asking, "How much?"
The shrine maiden replied with a beam, "One hundred yen per slip."
"I see. That's not expensive at all."
With that, Horitake fished out a coin and paid her. He reached into the box and randomly pulled out a single slip. Upon unfolding it, two large characters stared back at him: Small Luck.
Ah, 'Small Luck.' Basically, an average fortune.
Horitake felt a bit silly. As he expected, the slip didn't seem to mean much of anything.
Wait...
Looking closer, he noticed a line of smaller text written as a footnote next to the main fortune. It read:
"Only by shattering illusions can true permanence be attained."
"Only by shattering illusions can true permanence be attained..." Horitake murmured the words under his breath.
Instinct told him these eight characters held a specific significance. However, his rational mind argued that believing in such things would only lead to unnecessary doubt.
After a moment's thought, he folded the slip and tucked it into his robes, deciding to act as if he had never drawn it at all.
He gave a nod to the miko and another to Inspector Eguchi, officially bidding them farewell before departing the Inari Shrine.
The moment he stepped past the shrine gates, Horitake's resolve hardened once more. He pushed the cryptic mysteries of the shrine to the back of his mind, steadying his heart against any external distractions.
He patted the map in his breast pocket and thought: With this, things will be much easier.
Though it was daytime, that had its own advantages. A demon would never dare show its face while the sun was out. He could use this time to conduct an open, legitimate investigation in hopes of finding even the slightest clue.
With that plan in mind, Horitake made his way toward the Fanying Library.
Since he had time to spare, he maintained a steady, unhurried pace. By the afternoon, he arrived at the target area—the zone on the map where the red dots were most densely clustered.
Standing on the street corner, Horitake surveyed his surroundings.
As expected, this area contained more than just the library; there were numerous private residences and small shops. The library was simply the most prominent landmark in the vicinity. While it was the prime suspect, the other locations couldn't be ruled out yet.
In that case, I'll check them one by one.
Horitake activated his Spirit Vision and began to walk through the neighborhood, observing the environment.
Whether it was the ordinary houses or the local shops, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There were no traces of a demon ever having been there. If there was anything "wrong" at all, it was the people. Everyone he saw looked listless, lacking any spirit, their faces etched with a deep sense of gloom and sorrow.
It was understandable. This was the area with the most disappearances. With so many people missing, how could their families and neighbors possibly be happy?
After confirming that the surrounding buildings showed no immediate anomalies, that left only the biggest suspect: the library.
Horitake stood before the towering structure. He looked up at the four- or five-story building, which possessed a certain air of Western architectural majesty. Indeed, its style was completely different from the traditional Japanese aesthetic typical of Kyoto.
Even with his Spirit Vision active, he couldn't detect anything unusual from the outside.
Well then... should I go in?
Yes, let's go in. It's daytime, anyway.
Driven by the principle that "the bold are protected by their skill," Horitake climbed the stone steps and pushed through the main doors.
The interior decor was also Western-style. There was no need to change into slippers; one could simply walk right in.
Because it was mid-afternoon, the male librarian sitting at the front desk looked utterly drained. His eyes were half-closed, his chin resting in his hand as he drifted in and out of a nap.
Sensing someone's arrival, the librarian opened his bleary eyes. He didn't even seem to notice the sword strapped to Horitake's waist. In a dazed, muddled voice, he droned:
"Hmm? Oh... wel... welcome. All the books are inside. Please feel free to browse. If you wish to borrow something, come here to register. Be sure to return them on time. If a book is damaged or lost, you must pay the full price for a replacement. Those are the library rules."
Having finished his rehearsed speech, the librarian immediately began to doze off again.
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