Seeker 331

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Chapter 331. What We Can Do Now

The men we met at the soba shop told us they would cover today's bill, and gladly shared what they knew.

In short, it went something like this.

A little over a month ago, the legendary monster Yamata no Orochi awoke from its hundred-year slumber and began attacking people.

Yamata no Orochi, with its terrifying power, can be subdued by a certain method.

That method involves offering as sacrifices eight young maidens who meet specific conditions, referred to as "miko."

It is said that after the eighth is sacrificed, the monster will return to its hundred-year sleep.

Seven have already been sacrificed, and tomorrow, the eighth and final one is to be offered.

It turns out that this eighth maiden is the daughter of the Shogun's family, a princess.

Of course, we immediately knew who this princess was.

Upon hearing the story, I lost my appetite, and so did Kazane and Yuzuki.

I regretted it. We should have heard the story after finishing our meal.

Feeling very sorry, we apologized to the restaurant staff, paid for our own orders and the men's, and left the shop.

By the time the sunset had passed and it was completely dark,

the three of us were trudging down the main street.

I thought we needed to find an inn, but we wandered aimlessly.

The townspeople didn't seem to have any sense of doom.

Children were running around smiling, and vendors were cheerfully calling out to passersby.

Perhaps many people didn't know the situation.

Even among the men who told us the story, some knew the details and some didn't.

But I couldn't help but curse.

"Sacrifices? How backward can they be?"

This country of Yamatai has a fairly developed food culture, and people seem to live relatively prosperously.

The incongruity between this and the culture of "sacrifices" made me feel an unspeakable discomfort.

"Why are people so indifferent?" 

Kazane murmured, to which Yuzuki replied in a slightly harsh, cold tone.

"Isn't it just like that? Even we just feel a bit sorry for people starving on the other side of the world and then forget about it and go back to our daily lives."

"Hmm, is it really like that..." 

Kazane groaned, still not entirely convinced.

I understood what Yuzuki was saying.

I also sensed from the nuances in Yuzuki's voice that he himself was frustrated.

Then Yuzuki turned to me and asked.

"What should we do, senpai? It's 250,000 points."

"I know. Either way, it's 250,000."

"Yep, yep."

At that moment, Kazane joined the conversation.

"The Kraken was 200,000 points. And we fought its incomplete form. We've leveled up since then, but still."

"That's true..."

I muttered, looking up at the night sky with the moon floating in it.

Basically, the higher the experience points for a subjugation mission, the more formidable the monster is.

The fact that the Yamata no Orochi subjugation mission is 250,000 points means that while the experience points gained are large, it's equally risky.

What flashed in my mind was Kazane's unconscious form after we defeated the Kraken.

Back then, I was worried sick until I knew Kazane was safe.

Plus, there was also Griff, who was on the brink of disappearance with almost zero HP.

I reached out to the Griff perched on Yuzuki's hat and held it to my chest.

Griff tilted its head and chirped. 

"Goo?"

If that Kraken had been complete, we might not have survived.

And the Yamata no Orochi subjugation mission offers more experience points than that of the Kraken.

"...I'll think about it. If you two have any opinions, let me know."

"Got it. Sorry, we always rely on you in times like this."

"Senpai is our backbone. We rely on you."

"I rely on you too, Daichi-kun."

Kazane gently held my hand.

I softly squeezed her hand back.

Meanwhile, I imagined Princess Kushinosuke being devoured by the monster.

I felt a slight nausea but endured it.

Offering young maidens as sacrifices to resolve this.

What are the soldiers who are supposed to protect this country doing? Apparently, even with a large army, they couldn't win.

Seven have already been sacrificed.

We can't turn back time.

We can only save one person with our hands.

Looking a hundred years ahead, maybe it's not just one.

"Heroes guided by fate, huh... If this fate is contrived, who is behind it?"

I muttered these words of resentment, looking at the half-moon hidden behind the clouds in the night sky.

I recalled the words of an old man called Rashad we met in the desert city of Radaja.

If there's a god who controls fate, that being is certainly not benevolent.

While thinking such unnecessary thoughts—

"Senpai!"

"Whoa."

Yuzuki, who had snuck behind me while I was lost in thought, jumped on my back.

She clung to me like a child, sticking to me.

"Hey, what's the big idea? This messes with my emotions, stop it."

"There's no point in being gloomy. Let's think positively."

Yuzuki's voice had completely lost its edge and returned to its usual cheerful tone.

"So, think positively and flirt with you?"

"Well, not that much. Being gloomy won't help. Let's think about what we can do now."

"That's true."

As Yuzuki said, worrying about what we can't change won't lead to anything constructive.

"Got it. You're right."

"If you want, you can flirt with me too?"

"No, which is it? And hugging you doesn't even feel soft, so it's not pleasant."

By the way, that's a lie.

"What did you say? Don't be so picky, senpai! I'll do this to you!"

"Gah. My throat. I give, I give."

Yuzuki's arms wrapped around my neck, tightening.

Such a gesture of sibling-like intimacy, but for someone like me who has long since seen Yuzuki as the opposite sex—well, yeah, it's complicated.

Our relationship has changed a lot, hasn't it?

—While we were fooling around like that to distract ourselves.

"Daichi-kun."

Kazane's warning voice.

A beat later, I felt someone approaching from behind.

Fast. Not an ordinary speed.

An Awakened One, and—

Yuzuki immediately detached from me.

I quickly turned around.

The one running down the street, out of breath, was a woman.

A stunning woman in her late twenties with long black hair, wearing traditional Japanese attire, with a sword at her waist.

I could tell at a glance. She wasn't ordinary.

An Awakened One, and—she had surpassed her limits.

As we remained on guard, the woman ran up to us and stopped a few steps away.

She looked intently at us, then suddenly tears flowed from her eyes.

As we watched, wondering what was going on, she dropped to her knees on the ground.

In public, she assumed a prostrating position and shouted at us.

"Please, I beg you! Lend me your strength!"

The completely unexpected event left me exchanging glances with Kazane and Yuzuki.