Chapter 52
"Shorter than I expected."
Jinseong said this while looking at the elder who was pleading with him.
The elder succumbed to pleasure faster than expected.
What could have been the reason?
Was it due to the synergistic effect of Jinseong's 'blessing', ghost sex, and impure sorcery?
Or was it because the elder's mental state was already corrupted?
It could be one of these, or perhaps both.
Either way, the elder easily submitted to Jinseong and promised to become his loyal supporter. Not only that, but all the others who had experienced ghost sex also promised to support Jinseong as much as they could, as well as provide significant support to Rise's shrine.
Wasn't this a truly good thing?
The powerful were happy because they gained pleasure, Jinseong was happy because he gained help, and Kenji and Rise gained an opportunity to dramatically increase their money, influence, and recognition under the protection of the powerful. No one lost, and everyone was happy, so where else could you find such a good thing?
In exchange, he had to stuff all the water ghosts back into the Nendoroids and seal them so they could only act as lust ghosts, but given how much he was gaining, he could do that with a happy heart.
However, there was just one person.
"Uh, future Shinto priest. My body feels strange. Strange, strange things in my eyes. I can see strange things."
Only the politician who had performed the summoning ritual had a problem.
The politician's normal eyes had changed after the summoning ritual.
The politician, who was found half out of his mind and shivering as if he had been in a refrigerator in the dark bathroom, took a long time in a warm place to regain his senses.
Fortunately, despite being in contact with cold water for a long time, he didn't get frostbite or even have his skin wrinkle, and he wasn't harmed by the water ghosts in any way. The water ghosts considered the politician as someone who had been possessed, and they had no reason to bother with prey that had already been claimed when there was an abundance of prey to target, so he was able to survive without any problems.
Instead, his eyes had taken on a blue tint as if he were wearing lenses. Moreover, this light repeatedly appeared and disappeared, revealing and hiding itself, and each time the blue light appeared, it reflected the images of bizarre and terrible things in his pupils.
Spirit eyes.
He had gained eyes that allowed him to see things that couldn't become evil spirits and demons.
The politician had gained spirit eyes that were said to allow one to see hon, baek, and souls. Moreover, it seemed to be spirit eyes that contained a bit of the power to break evil, not just ordinary spirit eyes.
Jinseong carefully examined the politician who was complaining of abnormalities.
Let's see. His eyes have changed to spirit eyes, and judging by his strange voice and breathing, his lungs seem to be slightly damaged.
Jinseong levitated some water and sprinkled it on the politician.
"Ah, cold!"
But the politician showed no symptoms after being hit with the water.
He didn't develop a water allergy. He's lucky.
Summoning ritual.
Even though it was a sorcery ritual that had spread through the internet, the fact that he only paid this much of a price could only be described as lucky.
In the past, when Jinseong had tested this sorcery ritual, he had to undergo surgery due to pulmonary edema as a consequence and even suffered greatly from cerebral hemorrhage. Moreover, when he performed this summoning ritual, his body was already damaged due to the consequences of various sorceries so aftereffects followed, and because of that, he even developed inflammation in his lungs.
But even this was considered lucky.
Some summoning sorcerers developed water allergy after performing this sorcery ritual.
It was said that this summoning sorcerer would develop a rash just from water, including his own body fluids, touching his skin. In the end, he died from a combination of anaphylaxis and hemorrhagic shock after being wounded and bleeding during combat.
"You're lucky indeed."
Jinseong said this and then explained to the politician about what had happened to his body.
Of course, he didn't straightforwardly say it was the price of the ritual, but twisted it a bit.
"You see, you wanted to feel a base pleasure. You wanted to be one step above those who wield unlimited power under the guise of being powerful, and to witness them rolling into the abyss while comforting yourself that you're better than them. That you're a much better person than them. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. That's... correct."
"Your wish has been granted. Look. Those who might have inwardly disregarded you for your lack of experience have become miserable, having relations with ghosts whose flesh is bloated and dripping from being in water, becoming addicted. And that elder you respected so much has come to desire sleeping with water ghosts of his own will. And amidst all this, only you. Only you heard their shameful acts without engaging in ghost sex."
"That's right. I heard sounds from outside the bathroom..."
"And one more thing. You've gained an ability that they don't have, and will never have. That's your eyes."
"These eyes?"
Jinseong spoke to the politician who was looking at him.
"Those eyes are called spirit eyes, eyes that only the chosen can possess. I saw that you had the aptitude and awakened them for you. Now you can see souls, and sense things that others can't perceive. Yes. In other words, your very status as a human has become superior to others. How is it? Are you satisfied?"
Even in his confusion, he could clearly hear the words about his status being elevated, about becoming superior. And thinking like that, he began to feel that what had happened to his eyes wasn't a 'strange phenomenon' but a 'blessed phenomenon'.
With that, what had been troubling the politician's mind disappeared, and upon hearing Jinseong's words that he was a chosen one, 'base pleasure' took its place. As proof, he could feel his manhood swelling stiffly even though he hadn't engaged in intercourse or seen any erotic scenes.
And Jinseong quietly watched this scene.
It's the image of vomiting the strong and swallowing the weak. If left alone, he will surely try to send me to ruin as well.
But he was still useful for now.
Thinking this, he left the politician and went outside.
Now that he had power behind him, it was time to enjoy the festival.
* * *
"Don't say such nonsense!"
A loud voice echoed through a shrine in Tottori Prefecture.
The one shouting was a woman wearing shrine maiden clothes.
She was yelling at the person on the other end of the phone, her narrow eyes reminiscent of a fox raised in anger.
"The festival is in two days! What do you mean you're sending new people?! And what about all those loads that came on trucks, and why did you change the fireworks? What's the meaning of this?!"
[ Ms. Kishimoto. I'm truly sorry, but we had no choice. Can't you please be understanding? ]
"No choice? Is that something a mayor should say?! Fine, let's say you had no choice! But couldn't you have given us a heads up? Doing this two days before, not even a month or a week before, what on earth is this?!"
[ Well, you see... I also received a sudden contact and had no choice. ]
"Sudden? Sudden?! Do you know how much stuff has arrived at the shrine?! This isn't something that can be prepared suddenly! Unless you're throwing money around, this is an amount that would take at least a few weeks! I thought we had good relations for generations, but is this how you repay that trust, by stabbing us in the back?!"
[ Haa.... ]
The shrine maiden called Kishimoto was expressing her anger without filter. And behind her as she shouted, workers were continuously carrying loads, and as she said, the amount was truly enormous.
Woods of unknown use were neatly stacked behind the shrine, and what looked like firewood was already piled up to a height of over 2 meters. Moreover, what was presumed to be food was at a level that made one suspect an entire warehouse had been emptied, and unknown things labeled "Handle with Care" were occupying the shrine's storage in drums and metal boxes.
[ Anyway, I'll apologize later. Since things have turned out this way, please do your best, and I ask that you calm down as much as possible and treat the guests who are coming now well. They're people sent by someone far above me, so please make sure there are absolutely no discourtesies. Not a single one. I trust that your clever self would have understood, Ms. Kishimoto. ]
The mayor, who had been taking Kishimoto's anger, seemed unable to bear it any longer and hung up the phone after saying only what he needed to say.
"Hello? Hell-! Hah!"
And with the call unilaterally cut off, she was left in a situation where she couldn't express her unspent anger anywhere and had to keep it inside.
She was so furious that she nearly gripped her smartphone tight and threw it on the ground, but soon realizing that such an act would only harm herself, she let out a long sigh and leaned against a nearby pillar.
"What on earth is this..."
Her thoughts wouldn't organize.
She couldn't understand what kind of situation this was at all.
She blankly watched the workers busily moving loads.
If they can give orders to the mayor, it means a significant politician has intervened. This isn't a festival at Ise Grand Shrine, what could there be to gain from a festival in mere Tottori Prefecture to cause such a commotion...
"Huh?"
Just as she was about to get lost in her thoughts.
Her eyes caught sight of two people coming to the shrine.
One man.
One woman.
The man was a face she had never seen before, but the woman was someone she knew well.
"Rise?"