Volume 1 Chapter 10 The Inherited Will Of Evil II – Oh, You’re The Main Character?
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Excuse me for interrupting your conversation──Suzuri-sama, please take this.”
”Ah, thank you.”
Suzuri accepted the offered towel and stepped back a bit.
Was she suddenly concerned about the smell?
Naoshi looked at the family member with a smile that seemed to find the situation amusing.
”What’s goin’ on? I got somethin’ planned after this?”
”No, that’s not it, but just now, Yoshitada-sama came by.”
”Oh, well, tell him to come back some other time. We’re busy today, y’know?”
”That’s the thing──”
”──Hey, hey, isn’t it a bit rude to turn away a cousin who came all this way, Naoshi? Good day to you, Young Lady Shiun.”
Naoshi stuck out his tongue in annoyance and turned toward the voice.
There stood a young man in a slim suit, Naoshi’s cousin, Kazuramichi Yoshitada.
At just 20 years old, he was a second-class exorcist, which made him quite promising in the current Kansai area──though Naoshi, of course, and even his sister, surpassed him in the family.
The problem was that he didn’t even try to hide his ambition for the head of the family position.
”Yoshitada-sama, please go back──”
Behind him was a family member with a troubled expression, unable to stop him, and a small unfamiliar figure followed closely.
”Oi, Yoshitada-kun? I’m three years older than ya, plus I’m actin’ head o’ the family right now. I got guests here, so could ya be a bit more mindful of yer place?”
”The Acting Head of the Family was supposed to be my father’s position (Naoshi’s uncle), though.”
Yoshiya, the current head’s younger brother and Naoshi’s uncle, was said to have been born with goodness, wisdom, and virtue in exchange for his talent as an exorcist.
He also had no sense when it came to women, and aside from the fact that he was forced into an arranged marriage with a mother who raised such a foolish son out of love, he wasn’t a bad person.
In fact, he supported Naoshi mainly in dealings with other families as the Acting Head of the Family.
”Hey, I’m the one actually chosen as the head, ya know? It’s a lot for Uncle Yoshiya takin’ on the Acting Head stuff. The guy’s got enough on his plate as it is.”
It was mainly because of his wife and children.
His ambitious son, who was out of touch with reality, and his wife, who encouraged him without any sense, along with their eldest daughter, Ako, who was currently training in Kyushu, were all different kinds of trouble compared to his younger brother.
Recently, Yoshiya had become so accustomed to apologizing for his family’s messes that it seemed like a habit.
However, whether they were unaware of the burden they placed on their father or simply didn’t care, his cousin snorted in annoyance without feeling guilty.
”Naoshi, it’s only right for the whole family to support each other.”
”Oh, so you’re usin’ that to just do whatever ya want with your mother and kid? The Acting Head spot ain’t some kid’s plaything, c’mon now.”
”Don’t you think the current acting head is just pushing all the chores onto others and acting freely?”
”Nah, it’s common sense to keep the hands of our one and only first-class exorcist as free as possible. Sad ya gotta go callin’ that selfish.”
”Seriously, you never stop talking. Do you really want to cling to the acting position that badly?”
”I’m just doin’ what I was given to handle──guess it’s a matter of perspective. So, whatcha want? Not like I got all day either.”
”Ah, I was thinking it might be time to take down the strongest title in Kansai.”
”I never put that title up myself, but ya ain’t gonna be the one to do it. Time ya graduated from those pipe dreams.”
Maybe he had finally drowned too deep in fantasy to tell reality apart.
However, today he let those words slide with a relaxed smile, which was hard for his proud cousin to ignore.
”It’s not me; this girl will do it.”
Naoshi stepped to the left, and a person who had been hiding behind him quietly stepped forward and bowed.
She was a girl with short black hair and no makeup, looking very much like a sporty girl with a strong presence.
Yes, she was a girl.
She had a straight posture that suggested she practiced martial arts, but she looked even younger than Suzuri.
He didn’t recognize her face.
However, since his cousin introduced her with pride, she certainly had the kind of presence that came from someone with high spirit power (reiryoku).
Suzuri felt slightly tense next to Naoshi in front of this girl.
”──Ohhh, and who’s this young lady ya got with ya?”
”She’s not connected to the decaying houses of Kansai. Yaegaki-kun is an Awakened one. She was impressed by my story and decided to lend her strength as a comrade to change the current situation──now, you’re not thinking of running away, are you?”
An Awakened one──born into a non-exorcist family and awakened to spiritual power.
While some could be as powerful as top-tier fighters, they could also become victims of tragedies many times over.
”Ya really gonna say she was all impressed by yer story… then go call her a comrade? Hah, I get it.”
So, she was basically a victim who got caught up in his sweet talk, 9 times out of ten.
In the eyes of the strong-willed girl, there was a hint of intoxication.
Whether it was a sense of duty or power──either way, believing oneself to be special was a common trait among awakened ones.
However, Naoshi was not a child who would get worked up over such things.
The one to be blamed was probably the person who spoke only of the power’s magnitude without explaining the details.
More than anything, this world had a way of making such individuals realize their place if given the chance.
Not just awakened ones, but how many exorcists had fallen due to their arrogance?
In fact, it was more concerning to leave the girl as she was.
”Alright then, Suzuri-chan, you’ll take her on.”
”Me? I don’t mind.”
”Hey Naoshi, I’m telling you──.”
”Naoshi-‘san’, this is the second time. And you know, Yoshitada-kun, do you think Kazuramichi is some cheap family that the Acting Head of the Family can just challenge to a casual match? You should be grateful that Naoshi-‘san’ even brought this up to test you.”
”Ugh──.”
”──Hey, ojou-chan, this girl’s like my disciple, and at her age, she’s already a second-class exorcist, just like Yoshitada-kun. She’s more’n enough to take ya on, ya know?”
”If I win against her, then you will fight me next, right?”
Suzuri said boldly, but she didn’t seem bothered; instead, she wore a somewhat bitter expression.
Perhaps she was reminded of herself from a little while ago.
”Sure, if ya can win──Yoshitada-kun, I’ll leave the judging to ya. Just make sure to stop it before it gets too dangerous, alright?”
”I don’t mind, but don’t start saying I’m being biased or unfair later.”
”Don’t worry, if I feel that way, I’ll take both of ya down right away──just make sure I don’t misunderstand, okay?”
Waving his hand lightly, Naoshi replied.
Ignoring the two who were speechless, Suzuri muttered, “You’re totally the villain.”
* * *
”Here’s your tea.”
”Thanks.”
Naoshi, who was sitting on a wooden bench and completely in spectator mode, turned his face toward his family member and took a teacup from the tray.
When he looked back, he saw the two girls facing each other. Suzuri was holding a wooden sword, while the other girl had a wooden naginata.
Their stances were surprisingly impressive.
”Is it really okay to have this kind of match?”
”Hmm? Well, I just made Suzuri-chan lose the other day, so I reckon it’s fine for her to win here.”
”But that girl brought by Yoshitada-sama… She seems to have more spiritual power than Shiun-sama…”
”True, if ya just look at that, she might be a real find since Kurosu-san. But what’s important is the will and trainin’ they’ve built up over time. Strength only shows its true value when you’re actually fightin’.”
Saying this, Naoshi took a sip from his teacup.
”Let’s say that girl’s got talent and some willpower. But she’s lackin’ the trainin’ to be an exorcist. Suzuri-chan, who’s got it all, ain’t gonna be her opponent.”
In general, it is said that in unarmed martial arts like karate or judo, a fighter needs 3 times the skill to overcome a swordsman with a weapon, and the same is mostly true in the world of exorcists.
”However, judging by her movements, she doesn’t seem like a complete amateur…”
”Yeah, but competition and fightin’ are different, ya know? Even an Olympic-level athlete can’t just jump into a fight right away.”
However, in reality, Suzuri was starting to push the girl, just as Naoshi had said.
The reason was not just simple swordsmanship skills, but rather the experience of being willing to get hurt and hurt others──what Naoshi called the difference in aptitude.
From the beginning, the sword was meant to kill living beings, or at least things that took on that form──even humanoid ones. The way of wielding a naginata, a modern martial art, was completely different in intention.
No matter how high one’s spiritual power was or how strong their beliefs were, the meaning and pain of getting hurt and hurting others could not be truly felt until that moment came.
”That strong-willed Suzuri-chan’s actually carein’ about her opponent, huh? It’s a whole different level, ain’t it?”
Indeed, while Suzuri’s expression remained unchanged, the other girl’s face was increasingly showing signs of anxiety.
The reason it was taking so long to reach a conclusion was that Suzuri was being cautious, preparing for any unexpected situations, and making sure not to injure the girl.
The outcome had already been decided.
”I see. As expected of your keen insight, I am impressed.”
”──You didn’t need to make me explain somethin’ so obvious.”
”We know that the acting head is an excellent person, but I think there are a bit too few opportunities to receive praise for that.”
”Are you tryin’ to butter me up? Tryin’ to cheer me up ’cause you got tangled up with Yoshitada-kun?”
”No, it’s just that even the lower class need opportunities to say, ‘As expected of our lord.’ Please understand that it is also part of my duty.”
”You’re good at flattery. Should I just climb a tree? There’s one that’s just right for it.”
Naoshi said, pointing to a pine tree where he had fallen and gotten hurt when he was a child.
At that time, there was a bit of a commotion among some overly protective people about whether they should cut it down, but unfortunately, Naoshi himself didn’t remember it.
”Please be careful. Well, to add, I think no one besides himself and his mother wishes to call Yoshitada-sama their head.”
”Doesn’t even his sister or dad want that? That’s a real sad story.”
”It seems so.”
Saying this, the family member handed over Naoshi’s smartphone, which had been entrusted to them. In the notification bar, there was a message from his uncle, Yoshiya.
’I’m sorry, it seems my son has caused trouble again. I’m really sorry…’
”…If that guy wasn’t this person’s son…”
”In that case, Ako-sama is also here, and he’s (Yoshitada) already been married off to another family.”
”Now that’s a real downer, ain’t it?”
It was a harsh but very reasonable opinion.
For Naoshi, his uncle, who was an average exorcist but a person of character and wisdom, was a reliable presence in both public and private matters. That’s why he had been a bit lenient in dealing with his cousin.
No matter how much power one has, relationships between people can’t be easily controlled.
Still, there comes a time when a decision must be made, and that time was today.
”Enough already!”
By now, it was clear to everyone who would win and who would lose, and finally, Yoshitada announced the end of the battle.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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