Kays Translations

Chapter 6: The World of Adults

Facing the deeply bowing old man, I was at a loss for words.

I had never experienced someone so much older than me bowing their head to me, not in my past life nor my current one.

It was the first time in my life, and I couldn't find the words to respond to someone bowing their head to an elementary school student.

But instead, Nina-chan, who was beside me, spoke up.

"Is this a request?"

"A request... Ah, yes. I suppose that's what it is."

In response to Nina-chan's question, the old man nodded hesitantly.

After nodding, he carefully chose his words and began to speak.

"Lately, strange products have been delivered to customers' homes using the name of my company... At first, I suspected it was a scam, but it seems it's not that simple."

"Products?"

I asked in return.

From what he said about 'my company,' this old man must be the president or something of that company.

If the company's name was being used for malicious purposes, I think he should seek help from the police rather than exorcists. However, I was curious about the 'strange products' he mentioned.

"I haven’t introduced myself yet."

As he said that, he handed me his business card.

It was the first time I had received a business card since coming to this world.

It made me feel a little nostalgic because it was a custom from my past life.

I looked at it and saw the name "Daiwa Health Food Co., Ltd. President Yamato Hosoi" written on it. There was also the company's address, phone number, and email address.

Nothing seemed strange about it.

It was a normal business card.

I mean, this business card says Yamato, but I guess it reads Yamato-san.

Since it's a personal name, I don't think anyone would probably read it as "Yamato." ( Yamato is the old name of Japan)

"You know, we manufacture health food. When I say health food... how should I explain it? Do your grandparents drink yeast or green juice? We make and sell products like that."

"I've never met my grandma or grandpa."

"I-I see. I apologize."

Nina-chan's sharp retort left Hosoi-san bewildered.

I, too, have never met my grandparents on this side.

I just assume they are among the pictures on the Buddhist altar, but I haven't asked about it.

As far as I'm concerned, asking about the pictures is a taboo.

That's because the Buddhist altar has had a picture of a baby since I was born... I've always thought that baby might have been my older brother or sister on this side who died because they couldn't withstand the magic eater while still young.

So, I still haven't asked who's in the pictures.

But since I've never met my grandparents, I assume that's the case.

"So, what's wrong with these strange products?"

"My company directly sends products to customers... but I received complaints from those customers saying they received products they didn't order. So, I had them sent here... and it's this kind of product in appearance."

Saying that, Hosoi-san took out a tablet.

Moreover, he was using it quite smoothly, sliding the screen as he showed me the package.

It was probably originally designed for green juice, as I've handled a similar product package at the printing company I worked for in my past life. These designs usually use green prominently to emphasize the natural origin of the product.

However, the design Hosoi-san showed me was the opposite.

Everything was bright red.

The liquid in the glass cup was also red, like it was dissolved chili pepper.

If you were to use this kind of design for a health food package, it would probably look like a product with something wrong with it. But what caught my attention more than the color scheme was the large black letters on the box.

"Reclaim the Radiance of Your Teens!"

With this kind of package design, it seemed like a health food product being marketed in the wrong way.

Well, it does seem like a strange product... I thought, so I asked Hosoi-san.

"What's wrong with this?"

"We don't make such a thing at our company."

"I see... huh?"

"Young employees initially thought someone made a mistake with the color order... but when they dissolved the powder in water... it turned into blood."

"Blood?"

I couldn't understand it and asked unconsciously.

It was a question of how dissolving powder in water turned it into blood, as well as how they knew it was blood.

However, Hosoi-san didn't answer my questions and nodded, continuing.

"I was too disgusted to drink it... One person drank it, though."

"Eh?"

"He disappeared right before our eyes. No, saying he disappeared is strange... Do you know what happens to you before you're born, while in your mother's belly?"

"Y-yeah, I've seen it, but..."

During my practice of healing magic, I remember seeing something in the reference book I studied with my mother.

"He ended up turning into something like a horseshoe crab... and died."

"............"

I wanted to ask why on earth someone would drink something like that... but there are always people who do things that are incomprehensible.

Seeing me at a loss for words, Hosoi-san continued.

"So, the favor I'm asking is none other than this. If there's any way to deal with this creepy situation, please tell me."

"A way to deal with it..."

"Yeah. You already got rid of that sticker earlier, right? So, I thought you might be used to these eerie things..."

After being told that by Hosoi-san, I glanced at Nina-chan.

In short, it seemed to be a request for "Tell us how to deal with this strange situation."

From what I've heard so far, I think it was the work of a monster.

Therefore, the way to deal with it would be to "exorcise the monster"... but to find a monster whose whereabouts are unknown and exorcise it would be a formal job.

If that's the case, there might be a better way than me, an apprentice exorcist, to meddle in this.

"Hey, grandpa. Did you go to the police about this?"

"W-Well, I was just about to go there. But I didn't think they'd believe such a story..."

To the old man who said that, I continued.

"You should definitely go to the police. There are people who will listen to your story."

"But..."

"It'll be alright. First, go to the police and talk to them."

To be precise, it's the cooperation between the police and exorcists.

The exorcist listens to the police's story, searches for the monster, assesses its power, and then an exorcist with the power to exorcise the monster is dispatched.

If it were just about exorcising the monster, it would be one thing, but I... to be honest, I'm not good at searching.

So I suggested to Hosoi-san that it's best for experienced exorcists to handle this kind of situation and he seemed a little dissatisfied, but he still nodded and got into his car, heading towards the police station.

Nina-chan and I went back home, discussing whether "maybe the number of monsters is actually increasing."

I had never expected Hosoi-san's work to come to me in such an unexpected way.

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