Seeing Seimei slowly walking from the end of the corridor, Miketsu prepared to quicken her pace to greet him. Just then, two onmyo-sei walking in the same direction passed her, their voices carrying a low conversation.
“Did you hear? That ‘fox-child’ actually got promoted to a formal onmyoji!”
“I know. And straight to Senior Assistant at that... Hmph... Being Lord Kamo’s disciple certainly has its perks...”
“Tsk, I’ve always hated how he acts all high and mighty. Now he’ll probably be even more insufferable...”
“A hanyo... what right does he have to be in the Onmyoryo? His ‘talent’ must be some demonic trick. He hides it well for now... but what if he gains power and reveals his true nature as a monster?”
...
Hearing the gossip from the passing onmyo-sei, Miketsu quietly slowed her pace. She watched as the two students, just steps ahead of her, suddenly looked up and spotted Seimei. Their mouths clamped shut instantly, their expressions shifting to pure terror.
Without saying a word, the two onmyo-sei spun around and fled. They scrambled away from Seimei as fast as they could, brushing past Miketsu and vanishing in the direction they had come from.
By this time, Seimei had reached Miketsu. Wearing his characteristic unchanging smile, he offered a greeting.
“It truly has been a long time... Even catching a glimpse of you within this Onmyoryo is a rare occurrence. I must say, I am quite envious of your freedom...”
No, we just met recently... Miketsu thought to herself. She understood that Seimei was likely envious of her autonomy despite her being a formal onmyoji.
“By the way, those two who just passed...”
“Heh, there is no need. I have a fair idea of what they were discussing.” Seimei interrupted her just as she was about to tell him how those two had been speaking ill of him behind his back, a reaction that caught Miketsu by surprise.
“You heard them?”
“I didn’t need to. Seeing the look on their faces told me enough. It is merely the narrow-minded view of mediocre men; there is no sense in paying them any mind...” Seimei spoke with an air of indifference that surprised Miketsu even more.
Seimei had guessed correctly? This suggested that such occurrences were likely common within the Onmyoryo—that Seimei had heard such things so often he had simply grown accustomed to ignoring them.
Miketsu suddenly realized a problem. As a hanyo from a non-noble background who had become a disciple of Kamo no Tadayuki with extraordinary talent, Seimei was placed in an environment steeped in aristocratic tradition, where the primary goal was the subjugation of yokai. What kind of treatment did he endure here?
Based on the words of those two onmyo-sei, Miketsu inferred that Seimei’s immense talent likely provoked extreme jealousy, his lack of noble status intensified his exclusion, and his hanyo blood provided others with a ready weapon for attack... In short, even with Kamo no Tadayuki as his protector, Seimei’s life in the Onmyoryo was likely far from pleasant.
Thinking of this, Miketsu felt a wave of gratitude for the special treatment the Fujiwara had granted her. She could come and go from the Onmyoryo as she pleased, completely bypassing the need to navigate these social minefields.
“It seems not everyone here is happy to have you,” Miketsu said with a soft sigh, looking at the composed Seimei.
“Heh... it is much better now. At least they do not dare say much to my face, and they are not nearly as crude as they were at the beginning.” Seimei smiled. From his words, Miketsu could tell that the current students were likely intimidated by Seimei’s power, which kept them from voicing their spite directly. In the past, he had likely faced far more aggressive measures than mere gossip.
“Then you have truly had a difficult path... to still earn the reputation of a genius in such an environment...” Miketsu responded with genuine admiration. Honestly, it was a miracle that Seimei had grown up in such a place with a stable mindset and no antisocial tendencies. She only hoped his past experiences hadn't left too deep a shadow.
“I thank you for the praise.”
“So, have you officially become an onmyoji now?” Miketsu asked, glancing at the kariginu he wore.
“Due to certain circumstances, I was granted an exceptional promotion. To be honest, I would have preferred not to advance so quickly. If I were still an onmyo-sei, I would not have been assigned this mandatory mission.”
“You have a mission right now?”
“Yes. My first mission as a formal onmyoji: hunting the perpetrator who attacked the Fujiwara shrine the night before last... Since the Fujiwara clan suddenly recalled all their members who were investigating the matter, I was assigned as reinforcements.” Seimei’s smile remained as he spoke, piqueing Miketsu’s interest.
“I heard about the incident at the Fujiwara shrine. Can the Fujiwara really not handle this themselves?” Miketsu asked. She had assumed that with the Fujiwara’s vast influence, they wouldn't have any trouble resolving the matter. Now, it seemed they were forced to draw personnel from the Onmyoryo.
“I suspect they cannot handle it... unless it was absolutely necessary, the Fujiwara would never allow outsiders to interfere in a matter involving their own clan.” Seimei continued, his words reigniting Miketsu’s earlier curiosity.
“So... what exactly happened within the Fujiwara clan?”
“I do not know. Although I have been brought in, I am an outsider kept on the outermost periphery of the incident. I have no way of knowing what has actually happened... However, it is said that the Kanpaku has missed court sessions for two consecutive days, and Lord Saneyori has remained confined to his residence. At this moment, the Fujiwara clan is likely facing a very thorny problem.” Seimei’s gaze turned serious as he looked at Miketsu. He continued.
“If you are interested in the Fujiwara’s affairs, perhaps you should not leave so soon. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone came looking for you shortly.”
“Me? Why?” Miketsu asked, her confusion deepening. Seimei provided the answer immediately.
“Regardless of the crisis they face, the Fujiwara are currently concentrating their strength to deal with it—specifically, the strength of those they can trust.
“Since yesterday, the Fujiwara have been recalling their clan members from the Onmyoryo. From Junior Secretary to Senior Assistant to Junior Assistant, those holding positions within the bureau have been called back level by level to the main house. They have even sent for members from other branches of the family...”
Miketsu paused for a few seconds as she processed Seimei’s words. Then, she realized the implication.
“The heart of the problem is within the main Fujiwara residence. They are trying to solve it with clan resources first, recalling one wave after another because the previous ones couldn't fix it.”
“Precisely. And if the Fujiwara eventually find that they cannot solve the problem themselves, they will reach out beyond the family for help,” Seimei answered, confirming Miketsu’s deduction.
“So, as someone with a good relationship with the Fujiwara, I might be among the first outsiders they turn to for assistance?” Miketsu said. In the eyes of the Fujiwara, the mysterious and talented onmyoji ‘Asakura Hao’ would likely be seen as a prime candidate to help with their predicament.
Seimei smiled and gave a slight, knowing nod.
“Well then, I have a mission to attend to. I shall take my leave...”
...
After parting ways with Seimei, Miketsu temporarily abandoned the idea of returning to Inari Mountain. Instead, she went to the Spell Archives to read. Her goal was to ensure she was in a place where the Fujiwara’s messenger could easily find her. She was now waiting for them. According to her and Seimei’s theory, if the Fujiwara were unable to resolve their crisis alone, they would seek outside help, and Asakura Hao would likely be in the first wave of those called upon.
Sure enough, by late afternoon, while Miketsu was reading, a respectful male voice drifted in from outside the archives.
“Pardon me, is Master Asakura Hao within? I have come at the command of Lord Saneyori to invite you to the Fujiwara residence.”
Rate on N.U.
