ALL NOVEL Chapter 4: Trip
She knew she was out of place the moment she woke up...
It sure happened quite a lot recently, huh?
Kobeni stretched her arms up and stifled a huge yawn. Her red eyes peered out of the window before narrowing slightly in exasperation. Once she took stock of the last thing she remembered, she observed the smiling man in front of her.
His white linen shirt had its sleeves rolled up just below elbows, showing off an assortment of prayer beads and leather cords on his wrists. Combined with light colored cotton pants and woven leather loafers, it seemed like he's quite prepared for the heat. His pinkish brown hair was a little tousled, making him seem younger than he really should. The round shades he's fiddling with completed the look.
She wouldn't mind getting kidnapped again, honestly. She doubted anyone could blame her if their kidnapper looked this good. Stockholm's syndrome might be a real possibility now, especially with the way his deep blue eyes crinkled with mirth.
"Good morning, Kobeni-chan."
"Sensei..."
Kobeni simply leaned back against her seat. She only needed a single look to know that she was currently a passenger of a very luxurious private jet. The freedom for those who can afford it, she remembered reading something like that in her previous life. The interior leaned toward the minimal end of the spectrum, with clean lines and cool color tones. She could see her reflection on the polished black tabletop.
'Rich people really are scary, their sense of value is different...'
She glared at him halfheartedly. He didn't even pretend to be bothered by it and just reached across the table to pat her head. The soft tugging at the side of her head made her pause. Kobeni reached up and felt a single braid upon contact.
That prompted her to look down at her own attire.
Instead of a hoodie and leggings combo she's comfortable with, what she's wearing was a sleeveless white sailor dress. Her small hand played with the blue neckerchief as her mind calculated the expense Yotsuba-sensei must've spent on this trip.
She's just glad he didn't bring her here in a hospital gown.
"I'm not returning this dress, okay?"
He snorted.
"There's more where that came from. If everything goes smoothly, I don't mind buying a whole wardrobe for you. Anyway, are you hungry? I hope a big breakfast is okay. Since I don't really travel much, the chef kinda wants to show off a bit..."
As if on queue, two flight attendant onee-sans came into the cabin with a platter for each of them. And when Yotsuba-sensei said it would be a big breakfast, it really was a big one. Starting with a few bites of sashimi, grilled salmon, and a few more dishes she didn't even know existed before today. They ended up sharing a pot of porridge with savory starch sauce, and finished the meal with fresh orange and kiwi.
"Is it really alright for me to eat this much? How can I eat this much?"
Yotsuba-sensei took a sip of sencha before answering.
"It's normal, Kobeni-chan. I guess it doesn't hurt if I explain this now. Well, human physiology differs, especially when magic comes into play. Because you see, unlike youkais, humans cannot generate magical energy of their own. We simply take in what nature has to offer and add to our reserve. Eating food is one way to do that."
She did know about this from her playthrough as well as the memories, but it was nice to actually have someone explain magic to her. Since magical energy was part of nature, it meant that there was this energy in everything, be it food or air.
"We can absorb magical energy by just breathing, but actively eating energy rich food also helps. Our body will break it down and absorb it like nutrients. However, not all magical energies are good, some can be poisonous and kill you slowly."
She nodded, taking in that tidbit. There were no further explanations after that. All he did was look out the window as if to find an escape. In this world, there were many people who were allergic to a specific kind of energy as well. While most lived normally and died of old age, there were also quite a bit that couldn't survive past childhood. Since it mostly occurred in children, it must've been hard on him.
"Sensei, how did you do it?"
"Hmm?"
"Kidnapping me, I mean."
He stifled a laugh at her deadpan.
"I just told Tsubaki-san I'd like you to stay for a few more days."
It's not a bad lie, but when it's the doctor who said it...
"Ah, but that's not a lie, though."
Kobeni stiffened, cold sweat dripped down her temple.
"Am I going to die?"
Yotsuba-sensei waved frantically.
"No, no, it's nothing like that, Kobeni-chan. If that's the case, I wouldn't be bringing you on a trip now, would I? I'm only worried that you might be affected by those lesser youkais. Since I didn't know you could sense them, I didn't think they would attack you. However, since you're Shion-san's daughter, things change."
"For the better?"
His grimace was the answer.
"Shion-san's blood attracts supernatural things like crazy, Kobeni-chan. In the past few days, you must've experienced a few bouts of mood swing, right? Like how you would just feel down, or how everything would turn grey at the drop of the hat."
Kobeni recalled the times she started crying on Yurike-nee and cringed. Seeing her expression, Yotsuba-sensei also made a similar expression of his own.
"It's the youkai you saw. That thing is a lesser youkai that would feed on excess emotion, like when you feel something very deeply, be it anger or happiness. They are everywhere, mostly preying on unsuspecting people who couldn't see them. Unfortunately, it seems to throw its MO out of the window at the sight of you."
"So I'm technically an A5 Wagyu Beef to them?"
Seeing him nod, she reached up and kneaded her cheeks.
"By the way, why was it there?"
A youkai like that in a hospital could spell disaster...
"That's what I wanna know too, Kobeni-chan."
His eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked out the window once more.
It wasn't long after that that the pilot announced their estimated time of arrival to them. She had only told him about the Water of Life yesterday, and they were more than halfway there already. She shouldn't have expected someone who will perform a forbidden ritual in the backyard of his own house to know discretion.
She buckled up her seat belt and waited for the touchdown.
"Welcome to Thailand, Kobeni-chan."
'I'm home...'
It took her a minute to yeet the nostalgia into the nearby dumpster. Because holy shit, since when did she forget how hot it was in this god forsaken place? Sure, Japan's summer wasn't something to scoff at either, but it's already September!?
She exhaled loudly as they made it to the black sedan waiting for them. They were cleared by the customs agent on the jet, so it wasn't that much of a hassle. At least she didn't have to walk all the way to the terminal or wait in a long line. No matter how many times she traveled in her previous life, airport customs were still a pain.
Kobeni glanced at her guardian for this trip. Yotsuba-sensei seemed to be enjoying himself looking through travel guides on his smartphone. Yes, a smartphone. While normal people still used flip phones, this person's using a smartphone.
That's not fair, she wanted one too...
It looked rather sleek though, especially for a smartphone developed at the start of the twenty-first century. It may have been the presence of magic that forced science to advance a lot sooner than she remembered. While it was true that she technically reincarnated into this world, it seemed that she also time traveled as well.
Suddenly, she was hit with a realization. Withdrawal was going to be a bitch...
Speaking of money, if she could ask for some pocket change from Tsubaki-mama or Yotsuba-sensei, she could technically rake in a lot of money by investments. She could sell secrets and location of legendary artifacts on the side as well, but having passive income would be nice for the future. She will seriously need it.
"By the way, Kobeni-chan. Are you sure about this?"
Kobeni looked at him with raised brows, blinking in confusion.
"You didn't check?"
She glanced at their driver - Hijiri-san - who had been there to welcome them at the airport. If Yotsuba-sensei didn't do any research about their objective, she doubted he would send his right hand man here in advance. Besides, she didn't think that he would be desperate enough to believe the words of a six year old little girl. But then again, he did perform a forbidden ritual in his backyard, at least in the game.
"We couldn't find anything, that's why I'm not sure."
She tapped her cheek with a finger.
"Isn't that normal?"
"Huh?"
"Considering the history of that place, it's not weird at all. Don't you find it odd that you couldn't find anything? It means they have something to hide. Besides, wasn't it you who kidnapped me here in the first place? Haste makes waste, you know?"
Iori-san's condition was that serious. It's not something even the best doctor can fully treat. She was sure Yotsuba-sensei tried everything he could think of to treat his beloved wife. She knew loss, that's why she didn't want Mamoru-kun to follow the same fate. Because unlike her loss, this can be avoided with a helping hand—
Hers.
She'll have to gamble with her future as a chip, but still...
The Water of Life she told him came from the Fountain of Youth. It wasn't some miraculous cure to every disease known to man like Panacea. It was used more like an ingredient in the game — an ingredient for revival items. She had already risked herself by telling him about this. While it may not be as bad as Philosopher's Stone or Ambrosia if words got out, it would still be bad for her in the future.
However, she couldn't just leave Iori-san to die either.
So if it's still not enough—
Kobeni shook her pessimistic thoughts away.
It's not weird for him to worry, he didn't hold the secrets of the world in his hands like her. If she didn't have all this information in her head, she would be feeling just as nervous, if not more. Especially when it concerned their loved ones.
The Fountain of Youth was found during the earlier stage of the Pacific War sixty years ago. Since they couldn't contain the situation themselves, the higher ups asked for help from one of their allies with better expertise. In the end, both parties came to a mutually beneficial agreement. However, that was more than fifty years ago, and the status quo they struggled to maintain had already changed.
She didn't give a damn about those old fossils, though...
Some wise person once said that if you wanted to hide a tree, you'd put it in a forest. That's why their objective this time was an onsen spa located just a little bit out of town. The place itself received a glowing review, so she looked forward to it.
"It's not that I'm unsure, Kobeni-chan."
"Yes?"
"I'm afraid..."
The girl looked down at the package sitting innocently between them.
Honestly, she's only fifty percent sure they'll succeed. She held a lot of secrets, but there's always that miniscule chance that something she knew could be wrong. The matter with her parents had pretty much scarred her for life already. She didn't need to know about their sexual escapades, thank you very much.
"You're afraid that we will fail?"
"Iori's days are numbered, Kobeni-chan. I can't—"
"Sensei."
Her serious tone cut into his words.
"Even if it's just a few drops, it's still for a selfish reason. It might be different if we want to solve world's hunger or something, but I digress. That person has no reason to give any to us. We're effectively strangers. But then again, you wouldn't bring me with you if that's the case. However, deep down, you know I'm your only hope."
Knowing he had no other choices but to trust her, her guardian chuckled lowly and reached over to ruffle her hair. A wry smile on his face tinted with fondness.
"I really did make a deal with the devil, huh?"
She can't help but pout.
"This devil is very cute, you know!"
"Yes, yes, this little devil is very cute. Anyway, do you look forward to this trip? We couldn't buy souvenirs for Tsubaki-san since this is a secret trip, but buying things for yourself shouldn't be a problem. It'll be a gift from me, Tsubaki-san would allow that, I think. Although stealing a march on her might land me in hot water..."
She giggled a bit at the cheeky grin on his face.
Nieces and nephews are nice.
You can spoil them rotten and get off scot-free since they're technically not your problems. In her previous life, she had been on the receiving end of those puppy eyes more times than she cared to count, having three nieces and all...
"As for the reason I brought you with me, Kobeni-chan. It's because when you told me about the Water of Life, you had this excited look in your eyes. You really are like Shion-san. The two of you may seem expressionless at first glance, but your eyes are really expressive. Just now, you're thinking about what to eat first, aren't you?"
"Sensei, are you an esper? Do you have psychic abilities?"
"Haha! Kobeni-chan's just easy to read!"
The topic became more light-hearted after that.
He spent the time regaling her with the stories of her parents from their younger years. Most of them were about a rather adventurous side of Tsubaki-mama, but through his words, she got to know a Shion-mama that she had never known.
When the conversation died down a little bit, she turned to look at the skyscrapers out the car window. It was a nostalgic view, she knew this road and its traffic quite well. There was a famous restaurant not far from here, but since she had technically traveled back in time, it wouldn't be there. Then again, this was another world...
'I wonder if my childhood home is still there.'
"Are you interested in street food?"
She paused for a moment before nodding back.
"Thai foods..."
"I want to try Pad Thai."
Ah, that's right. Mamoru-kun did say that his obsession with noodles of all kinds came from his father. Starting from soba, udon, and shirataki, to even pasta...
"If I'm not wrong, there should be an old pad thai place ten minutes from—"
She forced a smile upon her face at that huge slip. Since it was an old restaurant she had been to before in her previous life, she wanted to take him there and it just came out. It also didn't help that she herself was obsessed with tofu dishes.
"There's a pamphlet at the airport?"
The doctor only chuckled.
"I see..."
She pointedly looked away.
"Maybe checking what the hotel has to offer first? It wouldn't be too late to go out by then. Anyway, sensei, what does our schedule look like? Do we need to hurry back? I'm afraid if Tsubaki-mama or Yurike-nee couldn't find me at the hospital..."
He soothed her worry with a headpat and a smile.
"It's alright, they're at Hiiragi's main compound in Kyoto."
She frowned at that.
"Is there a problem? Is it about me?"
His deep blue eyes narrowed slightly before he answered.
"Technically, yes. They were called back by the elders, probably to ascertain the next head and to confirm your position in the family. I wouldn't put it past those old coots to pull a fast one and try to control Yurika-chan through some means."
One hand reached up and touched her lips.
"Yurika-nee as a puppet?"
"Tsubaki-san is not as easy to control as Asahi-san after all."
Hiiragi Asahi.
That's Tsubaki-mama's late brother.
Kobeni sighed and got out of the car when they finally arrived. It seemed like her guardian had already prepared everything thoroughly in advance. She looked on as the hotel's porters took care of their luggage and followed Yotsuba-sensei to the receptionist. With the room's keycard in his hand, they continued onward.
"But is this really fine? Kobeni-chan, the gift is a little bit..."
Yotsuba-sensei said as he leaned back against the elevator's wall. He wasn't looking directly at her, but she could still feel those deep blue eyes nonetheless. She peered up at him through the reflexive surface of the door, a soft smile appearing on her face just as unreadable. Hijiri-san's body language told her.
"Even though we've come this far already?"
The doctor grumbled to himself quietly and exhaled.
"But it's weird."
"Weird?"
Kobeni looked at Hijiri-san who's glaring at the elevator panel like it had just poured boiling water onto a newborn puppy. His solemn look had her biting back a smile that threatened to appear. She then turned to look at her guardian, his equally tense look just as bad. It's not like they'd be giving away a legendary artifact—
Hmm, maybe that's the problem?
"Of course, it's weird. A few cups of pudding? Really?"
"Well..."
Looking at it with common sense, it surely must've been quite odd. However, the gift they had prepared wasn't some ordinary pudding, but a limited edition that will no longer be in production in a few years time. It's actually an ultra rare item!
Ultra rare, you know! It's a rainbow rarity item!
It's a part of the Affection System, giving gifts and getting rewards in return. In the game, if the player gives the guardian a cup of this pudding, they will actually get a vial of the Water of Life in return. The number of vials you can get will increase as the level of affection rises. It's the easiest way to help Iori-san at the moment.
If it's a youko, you give it an inari sushi. If it's an oni, then the sake would be a good choice. Honestly, if you applied common sense to it, then it's actually quite easy.
Kobeni giggled at his disgruntled look.
"Come now, sensei. These puddings are delicacies. The recipe is a closely guarded secret and they only sell a hundred cups per day, it's quite a rare item. Honestly, the amount of people who would actually kill for a single cup of these astounds me."
Let's not tell him that she's also one of those people...
"Umm, it's like that! You know! Shion-mama helped me prepare milk and cookies for Santa-san every year! I'm sure that it'll work! It's that person's favorite sweets, after all. If I can get presents on Christmas, we can get the Water of Life too!"
The comparison may sound too cute for the current situation, but she's sure it got her message across. If their gift was good enough in that person's eyes, then it's almost guaranteed that they will get what they want. Since the other party was bound to the Fountain by contract, local specialties were worth its weight in gold.
His mouth dropped open, and disbelief crossed his features.
"Sensei, why are you making a face that says Santa-san's not real?"
"Eh!? Ah, erm..."
Seeing his almost pained look, she laughed.
"If it's Mamoru-kun, you might be relegated to the couch, you know?"
"Kobeni-chan, you scared me..."
"Haha! It's alright, sensei. Everything will be alright!"
She had already made a promise to save Iori-san after all. She wouldn't stop until she fulfilled it, she's that kind of person. She who died of illness in her previous life knew just how it felt to leave your loved ones behind in this manner. It might be the camaraderie she felt with them, but there were many that she wanted to save.
The first one was Yotsuba Iori, a former exorcist who could 'exorcise' an enraged oni with a single punch. Next was Natsuki Sayuri, Tsubaki-mama's subordinate, whose illness acted up during battle and subsequently lost her life. Then there's Shidare Manoka, a little kenjutsu prodigy who will die in a few years time.
She didn't want to save them just to satisfy her bleeding heart. One of the reasons was because of their strength. Had any of them been alive, her reign of terror in the first loop would have ended in a few days. Besides, if the protagonist could team up against her, there's no apparent reason she couldn't do the same.
"Kobeni-chan, we've arrived."
Snapped out of her thoughts, the girl looked up at her guardian and reached for him with her small hand. The warmth she felt from his hand caused her to bite her lips. She didn't want him or his wife to die because of her incompetence.
Because if she was even able to save them…
"Ah, I'm sorry."
"It's alright, wanna go explore?"
Then that wish may very well come true.
"Yes!"