Chapter 4: Let’s Go to the Countryside! (Part 1)

The weekend approached just before the summer vacation.

In other words, it was the weekend just before the training camp.

I was called by Irena-san and boarded the bus with Nina-chan and her.

The reason why we were on the bus was because I was helping Irena-san with her work.

Well, calling it “help” might be strange.

When I went to Nina-chan’s house to play and practice “Spell Recollection,” Irena-san was there too. She invited me, saying, “I’m going to work this weekend. Why don’t you come with me?” And it wasn’t just Irena-san and me.

Nina-chan, who can now exorcise monsters, was also coming along.

I had the feeling that if I were with Nina-chan, it would be a good opportunity to strengthen my still inexperienced “Spell Recollection.”

When I told my father about it, he said, “Opportunities to see fairy magic are rare, so it’s good to go and see.” He kindly sent me off with a happy heart.

That’s a lie.

He totally threw a tantrum.

Even though it’s a precious vacation, he said we couldn’t spend it together, and so on.

But my mother convinced him, so that’s why I’m here with Nina-chan and the others, going out like this.

“We’ll be arriving soon.”

“…Huh.”

Nina-chan cutely yawned right next to Irena-san.

I almost yawned in response to that.

Three hours of traveling by train.

Then, another hour by bus, swaying back and forth.

Our total travel time is four hours.

It’s certainly too long, but Irena-san is completely unfazed.

By the way, there are mountains all around. We’re in the mountains.

It feels like we’ve come to such a place if we’re four hours away from Tokyo, more like the countryside or nature.

At first, I thought, “It’s nice to be surrounded by nature,” but after looking at it for two or three hours, I got bored and turned my gaze away from the window.

“By the way, what kind of monsters are we going to exorcise?”

In the last row of the bus, we were the only ones sitting there. I secretly asked Irena-san.

If we’re about to reach our destination, it would be better to know about the monsters beforehand, I thought.

Nina-chan, who reacted to the word “monster,” trembles slightly.

“Oh? Come to think of it, I haven’t told you yet,” Irena-san said with a smile and continued.

“In the town we’re heading to, there has been a man appearing since last month. He approaches elementary school children in the evening. He wears a completely black suit and a hat.”

“A man?”

“Yes. Moreover, he asks strange questions. There have been various eyewitness reports like ‘Is your mother here?’ ‘Are you sixteen?’ ‘Are you happy right now?’ However, the consistent detail is that the man wears a black hat and suit.”

Just hearing that, it sounds like a pervert, I think.

But the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a man wearing a completely black suit is the frog-like monster that was chasing the girl I met the other day. There was also a slug with a black suit.

Nina-chan tightly held my hand as we talked about the monsters.

It seems that despite being able to see and exorcise monsters now, she is still scared of talking about them. I can understand her feelings.

“It wasn’t just an ordinary matter, so the police conducted patrols, but the man they found disappeared right in front of them.”

A pervert wouldn’t just vanish like that. It’s undoubtedly a monster.

“And that’s when an exorcist, the exorcist priest, came into the picture.”

As I listened to Irena-san’s information, I organized the story in my mind.

From what I’ve heard, the way the story is told seems incoherent, indicating that it might be a first or second-rank monster.

If it’s only that level of monster, it should be manageable by a local exorcist. But well, there must be a reason why “Fourth-rank Irena-san” needs to be present.

I wonder if it’s because there are people who have gone missing, and there’s a need to exorcise quickly… Something like that, I suppose?

While pondering about such things, the bus came to a stop.

I moved my numb buttocks, which had been sitting for too long, and got off the bus.

As soon as I got off, I saw a town that looked quite run-down.

Most of the buildings lining the roadside were old and discolored or cracked.

Did it flourish in the past?

Most of these old buildings used to be some kind of shops, but now they were all closed.

Also, the posters posted on storefronts are impressive. They have faded, so it’s hard to see clearly, but it said “1970” on them. How long have they been hanging there?

“We arrived a little early, didn’t we? Should we find somewhere to kill time?”

Saying that, Irena-san looked at her watch.

I also checked the time on the bus earlier, and it was still just past 3 p.m.

“Itsuki-san, Nina-chan, is there anything you want to eat?”

“…Something sweet,” Nina-chan murmured quietly in response to Irena-san’s question.

In order to fulfill the princess’s request, we decided to look for a café.

After walking for about 10 minutes, we found a small café and went inside.

It had the vibe of a long-standing establishment, and the place seemed to be doing well… or rather, I assume the customers were mostly regulars. It was filled with people who looked like regular patrons.

So, when we entered the café, we stood out.

Well, that’s not the right way to put it. Irena-san and Nina-chan stood out.

These two have naturally eye-catching features with their blonde hair and blue eyes. Plus, they are beautiful.

Naturally, they attract attention. On the other hand, I’m an average person who wouldn’t stand out no matter where I go, so when I’m with them, they stand out even more.

A middle-aged woman guided us to a table.

Then, holding the well-worn menu, we ordered our drinks. Nina-chan also ordered pancakes.

The drinks were served first, and we took a short break.

“Hey, Irena-san.”

“What’s the matter?”

“If the monsters are approaching elementary school children, does that mean we have to walk around on our own?”

So, I asked, “Does that mean we have to become decoys?” But Irena-san silently shook her head.

“No, there’s no need for that.”

Irena-san said with a more serious expression than usual.

“That monster now approaches people regardless of age.”

“Huh?”

“Presumably, it has grown. The number of victims has increased, and currently, there are 122 missing persons.”

A pretty staggering number came up, and I instinctively furrowed my brows.

I thought I misheard. So, I tried to gauge Nina-chan’s reaction next to me, but she was looking at the pancakes that had been brought over and hadn’t been listening to Irena-san’s words. Maybe she was hungry.

“Also, among those 122 people, two Exorcists of the second rank are included.”

“Huh… So, that monster is…”

In response to my question, Irena-san nodded.

“Most likely, it’s of the third rank or higher. I believe it’s a fourth-rank based on my estimation.”

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