Next, Yuuko moved together with the shrine maiden named Hanachirusato.
They went together to resolve the remaining cleansing locations.
Along the way, Yuuko noticed the shrine maiden kept looking at him secretly. Feeling helpless, he reminded her:
"What's wrong? Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
Hanachirusato withdrew her gaze and shook her head:
"I apologize. I was just curious. Mr. Yellow Fox seems to carry the aura of Lady Kitsune Saiguu's friend..."
"Kitsune Saiguu?"
Hanachirusato remained silent for a long time, seeming to hesitate whether she should explain, but ultimately, she opened her mouth:
"Lady Kitsune Saiguu was the previous chief priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine..."
"Ah, so she was the predecessor to the office held by that scum woman?" Yuuko nodded, now understanding.
"scum woman..." Hanachirusato's tone sounded strange... Afterward, Hanachirusato tentatively asked:
"Mr. Yellow Fox, what do you think of the current chief priestess of the shrine? Is she... doing well now?"
Hanachirusato's tone inexplicably sounded like an elder asking a question... This made Yuuko very concerned.
After thinking for a moment, Yuuko replied, "If you want to know, ask her yourself."
Hanachirusato fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, she shook her head: "I apologize, that was inappropriate. Next, let us focus on completing the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual."
Seeing Hanachirusato's strange demeanor, Yuuko was silent for a moment before saying:
"Yae Miko has already told me the basic steps. If I do anything wrong later, please remind me."
Although he still had doubts about the shrine maiden's identity.
But the most important thing right now was certainly to complete the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual first.
Subsequently, the two traveled onward, and it didn't take long before they arrived at the next location.
Chinju Forest.
The purpose of coming here was to retrieve the subjugation object located within this forest.
Just as they arrived at Chinju Forest, Hanachirusato beside him let out a sigh of lamentation:
"I wonder how Ioroi is doing now..."
Perhaps sensing Yuuko's confusion, Hanachirusato explained:
"Ioroi is a close friend of Lady Kitsune Saiguu and a retainer guarding this forest. The subjugation object is probably on him..."
"Since Kitsune Saiguu was the former chief priestess of the shrine, why didn't she appear for such an important ceremony as the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual?" Yuuko asked again.
"Lady Kitsune Saiguu sacrificed herself to protect Inazuma when the Pitch-Black Monsters attacked Inazuma that year..." A faint aura of sadness emanated from Hanachirusato.
Another person who died five hundred years ago because of the Abyssal Monsters... Yuuko lowered his head and apologized:
"I apologize for asking an inappropriate question."
"It's alright..." Hanachirusato shook her head, then continued to lead the way.
Following Hanachirusato's lead, the two arrived in front of a giant tanuki stone statue.
But to Yuuko's surprise, this tanuki stone statue actually let out a terrified sound:
"Yikes! I... I am precisely Ioroi! Do... do what you will with me!"
He truly spoke the most cowardly words in the most cowardly tone... However, it seemed this was the so-called Ioroi, the strange existence guarding this forest.
What made Yuuko curious was why the guardian of a forest would be a stone statue... and a silly-looking tanuki stone statue at that... Yuuko helplessly pointed at Ioroi and asked Hanachirusato, "So this stone statue is Ioroi?"
Before Hanachirusato could answer, Ioroi angrily retorted:
"I am not a stone statue! I am only like this because I was sealed! I am Gogyozo the Tanuki, renowned throughout the world!"
"Renowned throughout the world... why have I never heard of you? If it weren't for the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, I wouldn't even know there was a stone statue here in Chinju Forest..." Yuuko scoffed.
"I already said I'm not a stone statue! I was just sealed by a hateful person!" Ioroi corrected him angrily again.
After speaking, Ioroi adopted a confused tone:
"Both of you carry, to some degree, the aura of that Stinky Fox... Were you sent by that batch of Stinky Foxes?"
Before Yuuko could answer, Hanachirusato angrily said:
"Ioroi, please watch your words!"
It was probably the term 'Stinky Fox' that made Hanachirusato so angry.
Ioroi, however, paid no attention and let out a burst of triumphant laughter:
"Ohoho, I waited all these years, and that Stinky Fox finally showed a weakness! She didn't send you because she surrendered but was too embarrassed, did she~"
These words caused Hanachirusato's body to tremble slightly.
The previous second she seemed utterly furious, but now, she had fallen completely silent.
"What's wrong~ Did that Stinky Fox really surrender~ Hahaha~"
Hanachirusato remained silent. No one knew what expression she wore beneath her mask.
But the sad aura emanating from her could still be felt.
Only the simple-minded Ioroi failed to notice this.
After a long while, Hanachirusato finally shook her head and said, "Ioroi, we are here today to retrieve the subjugation object."
Ioroi made a bored sound: "What a drag. I thought that Stinky Fox finally admitted defeat."
After a pause, Ioroi asked again: "So what were you trying to get? Steamed object?"
Yuuko corrected him: "It's subjugation object..."
Ioroi: "Subjugate what?"
"It's the subjugation object."
"What object?"
Yuuko was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "It's the sub... jugation... object..."
Ioroi: "Steam what?"
Yuuko: "..."
Alright, Yuuko suddenly had the urge to raise his fist and punch Ioroi.
At this point, Hanachirusato beside him finally spoke: "Ioroi, we are here to retrieve the item inside the fox statue."
Unexpectedly, as soon as she said this, Ioroi immediately reacted:
"Yikes! Find! Find! What do you want that thing for!?"
Yuuko complained: "It's just one subjugation object, is it worth such a huge reaction?"
Ioroi made a wronged sound: "That thing is why I got sealed..."
"Why?"
Ioroi was silent for a while before answering:
"Back then, I caused trouble everywhere trying to lure out that Stinky Fox, but nothing came of it."
"Later, I came up with a brilliant plan, thinking that the comb inside the fox statue was something that Stinky Fox valued highly, wasn't it?"
"So I hid it, thinking that this way, the Stinky Fox would definitely be unable to restrain herself and come out!"
"But that Stinky Fox didn't come out. Instead, a hateful human came and sealed me!"
Hearing this, Yuuko helplessly complained:
"So you hid something so important for no reason? Isn't it normal that you got sealed..."
"And you keep saying 'Stinky Fox' this and 'Stinky Fox' that. Did you have some kind of bet with that fox to do something like this just to draw her out?"
Just as Ioroi was about to answer, Hanachirusato interrupted him:
"Ioroi, the matter is urgent right now. Please hand over the subjugation object immediately."
-------------------------------
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