The Disgrace Of An Exorcist Family (6)

Because the ceremony was conducted under the supervision of the main household, a system existed to guarantee the future livelihood of any participating exorcist who became permanently unable to work. That was probably what Shiro and the others were aiming for. Mei could already picture the scenario they had in mind: while accompanying Io during his examination, she would suffer a serious injury in an unfortunate accident and become incapable of ever serving as an exorcist.

It would give them a legitimate reason why Mei, who by rights should appear publicly as an exorcist, did no work, while also allowing them to receive some form of compensation from the main household.

(──To these people, I really am worth absolutely nothing.)

Her heart became astonishingly still. She could not even summon anger anymore. After being trampled on so thoroughly, her heart was already in tatters. She could vividly imagine herself spending the rest of her life confined to this estate, slowly wasting away.

“Understood.”

She no longer even had the will to resist. Even if she said she did not want to go, her parents would never accept it. If anything, they would surely punish her harshly for refusing such an important role. If she was only going to be dragged along by force anyway, accepting it herself felt easier.

“We depart early in the morning. Be prepared so you are not late.”

“Yes.”

Apparently satisfied with Mei’s answer, Shiro and Sayuri promptly left the tatami room. Mei was just beginning to breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed that, for some reason, Io was still there, and she froze.

“Nee-san, is being alive even fun for you?”

Mei shrank under Io’s damp, lingering stare.

“You’re always trembling like that and saying yes to everything. Must be nice. Sounds easy.”

“That’s not…”

“But it is, isn’t it? Dad and Mom tell you what to do, and you scurry around the house working… You really are pathetic.”

“…”

“Well, whatever. If I earn enough recognition, maybe things will get a little easier for you too. So just watch and get your hopes up.”

With that, Io abruptly stood and left the room.

Left alone in the spacious tatami room, Mei let out a long, deep breath and bit her lip to keep the tears gathering in her eyes from spilling over.

And then the weekend arrived.

They chose to enter the grove at dusk, when Aberrations were said to appear most frequently.

Since they would be walking for a long time, Mei chose a hooded jacket, jeans, and sneakers. Io was likewise dressed in practical clothes that were easy to move in.

Apparently having no intention of speaking to Mei along the way, he kept earphones in his ears. Their eyes met for only a moment before he immediately looked away and turned his back on her.

(──I wonder if Io will be all right.)

Because of his powerful abilities, Io had carried the full weight of their parents’ expectations from an early age. He was given anything he wanted, but it was also true that nearly all of his daily life had been devoted to training.

In a different sense from Mei, he had little opportunity to make friends or spend time involved with ordinary society.

Mei had always felt a little sorry for him because of that. Even today’s ceremony seemed slightly too early for Io.

As she was thinking that, a calm voice addressed her from behind.

“Mei-san. I’ll be counting on you today.”

“Sakuma-san.”

When she turned around, a middle-aged man was standing there. He wore an elegant suit, and his neatly combed hair was streaked with gray.

At first glance, he looked like an ordinary man, but he was the senior exorcist who would be accompanying them for the ceremony.

“I was surprised to hear that you would be serving as a witness, Mei-san. Did Io-kun ask for you?”

“No. My parents did.”

Mei hurriedly shook her head.

“I see. The mountain may be difficult if you aren’t used to it. Please try not to stray far from me. For the most part, there is only one narrow trail.”

“Yes.”

Sakuma’s lightly wrinkled eyes softened as he showed concern for Mei, giving him a very calm presence.

He had originally been active as an exorcist for the main household, but an injury forced him to retire from the front lines. Afterward, he began working in support roles, assisting younger exorcists and handling duties behind the scenes.

Then, about two years ago, he had been dispatched to West Suo to serve as an intermediary who introduced exorcists to ordinary people.

He normally lived outside the estate and rarely came there except when bringing clients. His relationship with Mei was limited to exchanging greetings.

“I’m sorry to trouble you when you’re already so busy, Sakuma-san.”

“Please don’t worry about it. Training the next generation is part of my job.”

Smiling, Sakuma turned his gaze toward Io.

Normally, an active exorcist was supposed to lead this ceremony, but Mei had heard that Shiro had insisted on having Sakuma accompany them instead.

He probably wanted to show off Io’s abilities to Sakuma, who had deep connections with the main household. Mei was exasperated by Shiro’s cunning in matters like this, though part of her could not help but be impressed.

──Still, I’m glad it’s Sakuma-san.

If one of the younger exorcists who always spoke coldly to her had been accompanying them, she probably would have felt suffocated. Because Sakuma did not know Mei’s circumstances, he was one of the few people who treated her kindly.

They opened the service door leading from the back garden and headed toward the entrance to the grove.

Just as Sakuma had said, a narrow animal trail cut through the grass and continued deep into the mountain.

‘Private Property Beyond This Point. No Entry.’

A warning had been written in red letters across an old wooden sign.

Apparently it had been put there in case someone wandered in by mistake, but it gave the place an undeniably eerie atmosphere.

──So this is the Selection Grove.

It was Mei’s first time setting foot inside. She had come as far as the entrance several times before, but because she lacked the power of an exorcist, she had always been forbidden from entering for her own safety.

Bathed in bright sunlight, the scenery looked peaceful enough that seeing hikers there would not have seemed strange.

Io and Sakuma seemed accustomed to the terrain and climbed the gentle slope covered in fallen leaves without hesitation.

Mei swallowed hard and followed after them so she would not be left behind.

“What is going on?!”

Io’s irritated voice echoed through the mountain.

Nearly two hours had probably passed since they entered. The three of them had wandered all over, searching for traces of Aberrations.

“This is strange. Normally, you would encounter something after only a short walk.”

Sakuma also tilted his head in puzzlement. Mei had been told that the mountain was overflowing with Aberrations and that the deeper one ventured, the more vicious the creatures became, yet there was not the slightest sign of anything like that.

“Did they put up barriers that are too strong?! They were informed in advance that I was coming here today, weren’t they?”

“Yes, they should have been… This really is odd.”

Io clicked his tongue loudly and kicked at the ground.

“Perhaps we should start over and—oh?”

Sakuma stopped moving and looked at the ground Io had kicked. Following his gaze, Mei saw a small ball of fur roll out from among the fallen leaves he had scattered.

“…!”

It was the Aberration Mei had released the other day. The fluffy furball sensed the pressure coming from Io and Sakuma and began trembling violently.

“It seems to be nothing more than a harmless weakling. It was probably hiding because it sensed your power, Io-san.”

“Pathetic. Something this weak… Hm? This thing…”

Io, who had been about to ignore the furball, suddenly stopped and stared at it.

(──What should I do? What if Io remembers that little one?)