Chapter 54
Jinseong sent a hand signal to the worker as if to say "well done" and naturally turned his body while taking out a box containing cigars from the luggage. Then he approached Narumi with a bright smile.
"Ah, this is the right luggage. These are the cigars. What do you think? Aren't they splendid?"
The box Jinseong held out was full of elaborate decorations, so lavish that it seemed like the box alone might be worth millions. Especially, the tiger engraved on the outside of the box looked so lifelike as if it might leap out at any moment, as if crafted by a master's hand, and its yellow fur was gilded instead of painted, reflecting light and adding to its majesty.
Moreover, the cigars inside were no ordinary sight either.
They looked like typical cigars, but they seemed to exude an aura only felt from luxury goods as if crafted with utmost care by an artisan, with a clean and restrained elegance.
"Oh my..."
Narumi marveled at the luxurious appearance of the cigars, despite not being a smoker herself.
That was how strong an impression of luxury the cigars had.
"Such precious things..."
Narumi looked at Jinseong with a favorable gaze.
The confusion and anger she had felt due to the sudden turn of events.
The anger and jealousy she had felt towards the irritating Rise.
The awkwardness she had felt towards Jinseong whom she was meeting for the first time.
All of these disappeared in the overwhelming onslaught of gifts, leaving only goodwill.
And this was the same for the Shinto priest Kishimoto Yoshiaki as well.
"Hahaha! Such precious things! Thank you!"
Kishimoto Yoshiaki, who had been making a fuss about protesting to the mayor's family and supporting a different politician next time, now had his mouth curved into a wide smile.
Yoshiaki had been about to feel slightly uncomfortable at the sight of the unsightly piles of luggage, but because the contents of that luggage were all high-end items that couldn't be easily obtained even with money, he welcomed Jinseong and Rise as if he had turned his palm over.
And the pinnacle was the cigars.
Yoshiaki, upon receiving the cigars from Jinseong, became completely on their side with a silly grin.
"I see. You came to help with the festival? Great! Make yourselves comfortable while you're here."
A nuisance?
That kind of word completely disappeared from the minds of the father and daughter.
If they had brought just ordinary items, there might have been room to think of it as a nuisance, but when they brought such a mountain of items that were hard to obtain even with money, it was clearly unreasonable to call it a nuisance.
Rather, the two considered Jinseong and Rise's visit as a stroke of good fortune that had rolled in.
Even without a Maneki-neko (cat figurine, symbol of good fortune), good fortune came on its own!
Therefore, the two were willing to readily grant any reasonable requests Jinseong might make.
"There seems to be more luggage than expected, and with the festival not far off, we'll need to work through the night to organize everything. Would it be alright for the workers to move around the shrine at night?"
"Of course! Just make sure they don't make loud noises so as not to disturb Inari-sama, and try not to come towards the main hall as much as possible."
Thus, they allowed the workers to move around the shrine.
"Ah, but those people will be tired too, so they'll need a place to stay... Using the shrine would be too much of an imposition, so we can't do that... I happen to have prepared tents, could you lend us some empty space?"
"Don't worry! There's a place we've kept empty for the festival. Use that!"
They also allowed the workers to set up temporary lodgings.
"By the way. As the one employing them, wouldn't it be improper for me to stay separately? I'd like to stay in the same place as them, partly to monitor whether they're working properly."
"What? You're a guest, how could we let you stay in such a place?"
"Hahaha. There are different kinds of guests, aren't there? Wouldn't it be an imposition to expect guest treatment when we've come so suddenly? I also have a duty to control and monitor those workers, so I'd like to postpone guest treatment and stay with them. Please allow me."
"Hmm... Alright! But stay with them only for today, and let me treat you properly tomorrow. I can't save face if I can't properly host such esteemed guests!"
"Understood."
They even allowed Jinseong and Rise to use the same tent as the workers.
It was the power of capitalism.
* * *
The power of capitalism.
It was a phrase mainly used when speaking of the overwhelming power and fearsome nature of money, but there were those who used this phrase elsewhere as well.
Those who sold their bodies and souls to money.
People who entrusted everything, even conscience and ethics, to money.
The hounds of capitalism who determined their actions solely based on the money they received, and followed their employer's orders as if they were divine commands.
They were mercenaries.
"Employer, you've arrived."
"Haha. Everyone seems busy."
When Jinseong visited the tent, one of the workers carrying luggage put it down and approached, playfully saluting Jinseong. Rise, who was following, looked bewildered at the salute, but Jinseong skillfully returned it as if it were a familiar occurrence.
Then he lightly stroked the magic circle engraved on the tent's fabric, and slightly drew in the trace amounts of mana floating in the air to check if it was working properly. And after confirming that the mana was reacting to the magic circle, he immediately changed his tone.
"The sound-proofing magic circle and the anti-clairvoyance magic circle are working properly. You can rest assured."
"Oho, that's a relief. My bones are aching from this labor work I hadn’t planned on doing."
"Haha, hilarious. And how heavy is the equipment you guys usually carry?"
As Jinseong changed his tone, the worker's tone changed as well.
The worker's tone, which had been playful but friendly, changed to one that was still playful but somehow extremely coarse. Moreover, a quality that made one's hair stand on end could be felt from all the workers in the tent, and somehow the smell of blood began to permeate.
Rise, startled by the suddenly changed atmosphere, clung a step closer to Jinseong.
"Hahaha. Isn't complaining what mercenaries live by?"
"True. Is the equipment in good condition?"
"Of course. There don't seem to be any defective bullets, and the firearms are... Well. Better than what we usually use. Can't we keep these after the mission is over?"
"I'll consider it if you do a good job."
Jinseong said this while grasping the air.
Thunk.
Thunk.
Thunk!
Then the lids of luggage scattered around the tent began to open one after another, revealing the ominous contents inside.
"G-guns?"
The things in the boxes were weapons.
And not weapons that martial artists might use like blunt instruments or swords, but guns and ammunition used by the military.
In one box, there was a gun with an unusual shape.
In another box, there was a shotgun with a shortened barrel.
In yet another box, there were bullets labeled 'Dragon Fire'.
And in some boxes, there were bottles full of liquor.
In elegant bottles that once held wine, long pieces of cloth were inserted instead of corks, and they were filled with liquid that definitely didn't look like alcohol.
"Hmm."
"What do you think? These are the Molotov cocktails we worked hard to make."
"The ingredients?"
"Don't worry. That bartender who goes around committing arson every day put his heart and soul into it. He adjusted the ratio to burn as long as possible and made it as sticky as possible. Whether human or god, no one will be able to keep their sanity after tasting this cocktail."
"Good. What about the white phosphorus grenades?"
"Ah, those are over there. That pyromaniac bartender said he should manage the white phosphorus grenades himself..."
Jinseong looked where the mercenary was pointing.
There was a man there, lovingly stroking the wooden box he was sitting on. He had burn marks all over his body and hollow eyes that didn't match his toned physique.
"Hehe. Thank you, employer."
The man called the bartender waved at Jinseong with a grin.
His unpleasantly smiling face was full of excitement, not the kind born from emotional elevation, but clearly sexual excitement.
"Don't mention it. You'll get to do all the arson you like later, so look forward to it."
"Hehehe."
The bartender laughed as if the mere thought of arson was ecstatic, and Jinseong smirked at the sight. Then he continued his conversation with the mercenary who was looking at him with strange eyes.
"Well then, what's the status of the protective gear?"
"That's top-notch too. Anti-blade, fireproof. Plus, we brought rechargeable shield skins for supernatural ability defense, one for each head count."
"Then there won't be any incidents of burning to death while setting fires or bodies exploding from the aftermath of battle?"
"Well, we might get to the brink of death, but we won't actually die."
Rise stared at them with blank eyes at the ominous conversation taking place before her.
Guns? Cocktails? Arson?
As if she couldn't understand what the two were talking about, Rise let their conversation go in one ear and out the other.
Anyway... I am this person's...
Rise gave up trying to understand their conversation and lost interest in what kind of ominous dialogue they were having.
Instead, she recalled his words promising to give her blessings, and thought of how he had kindly listened to her and suggested she try having a hobby.
She only remembered the vow she had made to obey Jinseong, and felt the warm touch of the ring he had given her as a gift.
Therefore, Rise stood behind Jinseong, who was chatting as if enjoying himself, and made a resolution.
No matter what actions the one she had vowed to dedicate everything to might take.
Whatever might happen to this shrine, whatever might happen to the Kishimoto father and daughter.
Whatever it might be.
...I just need to follow and help.
She would remain behind him, just like now.
* * *
10:00 PM.
Everyone in the tent checked their equipment.
10:30 PM.
The mercenaries disguised as workers confirmed that the equipment was properly installed.
11:00 PM.
The mercenaries vertically inserted cigars around the shrine and sprinkled tiger urine.
11:30 PM.
The mercenaries put on their gear.
11:34 PM.
Jinseong looked at the mercenaries who had entered combat readiness and opened his mouth.
"We will now begin the ritual."