Chapter 66 – Request Order 2
After we had breakfast, my father and I went out carrying our bags.
While walking through a dimly lit residential area in the early morning, I readjusted the backpack on my back.
Inside the backpack were my usual tools for Onmyojutsu, I am prepared to handle any situation.
Failure is not an option.
After all, this is my first job.
“Try not to get too carried away,” my father, dressed in a suit, warned me, but it did little to calm my excited heart.
This will be my first opportunity to use Onmyojutsu in a real-life situation after practicing so hard.
Who wouldn’t be thrilled by the fantastic experience of receiving a request as an Onmyoji? No one, that’s who.
Seeing my excitement, my father confirmed to me once again, for the umpteenth time, that he is only here to assist me.
“If I judge that it’s too dangerous, I will immediately call it off.”
“I understand, you don’t have to worry so much,”.
My father said that, but honestly, there’s no way I could fail this job.
The target is a Yokai that is possessing Mamoru’s painting, and the estimated Threat Level is 3. According to the guidebook published by the Kanto Onmyoji Association, a Threat Level of 3 is a level that can create a weak poltergeist and in the worst-case scenario, there could be a fatality. However, this target is likely to be classified as a low-level threat even among Threat Level 3. When it possesses things it’s like it is introducing itself by saying “I’m staying indoors because it’s difficult to exist in the real world”.
The opponent is a Yokai that cannot even move and is weaker than the Demon Haze I saw on the Onmyoji Channel. There is no way I will lose if I prepare like I normally do. Nonetheless, my father is continuing to check me to see if I am prepared enough.
“How do you get rid of a Yōkai that has possessed a painting?”
“The method of exorcising a Yokai possessing a painting is to erect an inward type of ward and then burn it with a Flame Talisman inside. Alternatively, it can be purified by the divine blessings.”
“…Correct.”
Hmph, this was such a basic question.
I reviewed everything thoroughly on the day I heard the situation from Mamoru-kun.
“What do you need to pay attention to in this case?”
“What I need to pay attention to in this case is that the opponent cannot even use telekinesis, so there should be no concern for injuries. It’s hard to tell without measuring, but I think the diffusion of impurities is probably minor. A protective amulet should be sufficient for self-defense. Also, I need to be careful not to let my guard down when dealing the final blow and be careful so that I don’t start a fire.”
“…You have studied well.”
Based on my experience as a working adult, I’m always studying with a constant awareness of what information will be necessary in my workplace. In my past life, I just vaguely memorized the knowledge given to me in school and sent it to oblivion at the end of the test period. I wasted such gain knowledge with no chance to make use of it…I will not make the same mistake!
I continued to answer my father’s questions without hesitation afterwards…
“…Don’t let your guard down.”
It seems that I have passed my father’s test.
We had the same exchange when I asked for permission to help him out.
This is the final check before the real thing.
Mamori’s house is located on the opposite side of our house, separated by a kindergarten and an elementary school.
For a normal kindergarten student, the distance might be tiring halfway through, but for me, who boasts an extraordinary number of laps in marathons, it’s a piece of cake.
We walked through the quiet residential area and finally approached our destination.
Even with my short stature, I could see two figures waiting at the gate of a certain house.
One is Mamori-kun, and the other is his mother.
It has been a year since my father last met the two.
“Long time no see. I am Hijiri’s father, Kyobe Tsuyoshi, the head of the Kyobe family. Thank you very much for agreeing to my son’s recklessness today.”
“No, I was actually doing some research so that I would be able to make a request, so he was really helpful.”
“Thank you very much. I will do my best to meet your expectations.”
After finishing with the greetings, I thought they would head inside the house, but Mamoru-kun and his mom didn’t open the door.
I wonder what’s going on?
“Um, is it okay for us to come into the house? My husband warned me not to let anyone in,” Mamoru-kun’s mother asked.
“It’s not a problem. If we get attacked, I’ll handle it,” I replied.
I see, I understand now.
To someone who doesn’t know anything about this stuff, having a Yokai appear in their home would be scary. As a politician, Mamoru-kun’s father knows about the world of Onmyouji. That means he knows that Yokai are beings that spread death and impurity, hating humans.
If someone hears that something like that is near their family, they will tell them to run away as fast as possible. Mamoru-kun’s father made the right decision.
However, we, the experts know that this enemy is not worth fearing.
As Mamoru-kun said, the Yokai in the picture didn’t even throw anything. Cases where a Threat Level 3 kills someone are usually due to falling after being hit by a projectile through telekinesis.
Yokai that can’t interfere with the real world too much are limited to indirectly harming humans.
The picture is in Mamoru-kun’s room, so it should be safe to go to the living room.
Mamoru-kun’s mother seemed to be reassured by the calm attitude of us experts and led us into the house. We moved to the living room and started the negotiations.
“Well then, let’s start by reviewing the contents of the contract.”
The conversation progressed among the adults.
Since they had arranged the details over the phone beforehand, today they just needed to confirm the contract terms, stamp it and be done with it.
The contract contained the basic template of terms and conditions issued by the Onmyoji Agency, as well as the details of the current request and the remuneration. The document was created by my father using Microsoft Word.
When receiving requests from individuals, one must create all other documents themselves.
Watching my father working on the computer in his office, I was reminded of my past life as a salaryman. Even as an Onmyoji, it seemed like I would not be able to escape from paperwork… I felt like I was being confronted with reality.
“Yes, there’s no problem. I have my husband’s consent as well.”
“Thank you for your business. Well then, I would like to see the painting in question.”
There was no way he would be rude to his son’s friend. So, the contract was smoothly concluded.
My father put the signed contract in his backpack and asked for the location of the painting.
Finally, it was time for the real Yōkai extermination.
Borrowing a room and changing into our Onmyoji gear, my father and I headed to the room where the Yōkai appeared, belonging to Mamoru-kun.
As a precaution, we asked Mamoru-kun and his mom to wait in the living room.
We went up the stairs and entered the room… but before that.
I took out a certain tool from my backpack.
“What’s that?”
“It’s the Yin-Yang Balance Detector.”
This is a device that can measure the balance between Yin and Yang in a simple way. It can confirm how much the balance of Yin and Yang, which should normally be in equilibrium, had been disturbed.
Despite its grandiose name, it is a simple tool that can measure the degree of darkness on a talisman inserted into it that will react to the Yin energy, and then compare that color to a sample.
Wait, huh?
“Why are you here, Mamoru-kun? You should have waited for us in the living room, it’s dangerous here.”
Mamoru-kun was crouching behind me and was staring at the device, somehow managing to escape from his mother’s attention.
“I’ll go get your mom. Don’t move from here,” my father said, perhaps lacking confidence in his ability to control children, and went down the stairs to call Mamoru’s mother.
When we were alone, Mamoru-kun asked me, “Are you going to throw it away?”
Throw it away? Maybe he meant burning the painting?
“Yes. There’s no other way to get rid of the Yokai that possessed the painting,”.
“…”
Mamoru-kun fell silent. He must have had a reason to come here.
And that reason could be inferred from our exchange so far.
“I don’t want you to,” Mamoru-kun finally spoke up.
I understood him. We had been friends for almost two years, and I know that this is his way of making his wishes known, even if he wasn’t good at expressing himself.
To exorcise the Yokai without burning the painting… That’s a bit difficult.
Yokai that is possessing a painting always causes trouble, almost without exception. They are destined to be exterminated, but at the moment of their defeat, they take the possessed painting with them. As a petty act of revenge, low-level Yokai would burn the painting to at least make its owners sad. To prevent this, one must purify it with Divine Blessings or search for secret techniques that may exist somewhere. That was mentioned in a book of Yokai extermination cases, and my dad said so too.
To use God’s miracles against low-level Yokai, it would have to be a painting with artistic value, such as the Mona Lisa, otherwise it would be pointless. In short, our Onmyoji techniques cannot protect the paintings.
“Sorry. I thought the previous painting was just practice, can you please paint me a new one?”
“Sure.”
As we had that exchange, Mamoru’s mother came to take him back.
“I told you to only support Hijiri-kun. It’s dangerous here!”
“I’m sorry…but he said they going to throw it away.”
“It’s a shame, but let’s give it up. You’ll be able to draw even better paintings in the future.”
While comforting him, Mamoru’s mother also seemed sad that the painting we will burn the painting. She cherishes the painting her child worked so hard on, as she even sent him to a painting class.
I, too, would like to get the painting back if possible. However, I don’t know how to do it.
“Sorry to bother you. Let’s go.”
Mamoru’s mother took her son and went back to the living room.
When my father returned, he took out a connecting pole from his backpack and asked, “Is it balanced?”
“Oh, um, it’s six. Nothing unusual.”
The five-minute measurement time had passed. I compared the grayed-out talisman with the sample, and I found out it was almost balanced.
The color samples were divided into 1-10, with 1 representing yang, 5-6 representing balance, and 10 representing yin. The best is when it a balance of 5-6. Balance is essential in everything.
There are rare Disaster-type Yokai that specialize in impurities, so we investigate it before entering.
“There’s no strong presence. Let’s send a rat to scout.”
“Okay…hey, Dad.”
I said to my father, who was trying to summon a Shikigami.
“What’s up?”
“Can we defeat this Yokai without burning the painting?”
I have already confirmed that it is not possible. It would be dangerous to kindle a fire in someone’s house, I was told. With his answer being that it was a low-grade bad idea.
However, to my surprise, my father gave an unexpected answer to my question.
“If the Threat Level is 3, you should give it a go. You might be able to do it.”
I thought for sure he would oppose it. Acting outside of the norm when dealing with Yokai increases the potential for danger.
“But never let your guard down. Always think about what to do in case you fail.”
“Got it.”
With my father’s support, I faced a new challenge, and so I put the spiritual power into the amulet in my pocket.