However, the innkeeper's next words unintentionally gave Shiomi something to work with.
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" the innkeeper said stiffly. "Weren't you the Onmyoji hired to assist our inn with exorcisms? And then you suddenly vanished. No one could contact you at all."
"…Sorry. I went to bring in some additional help."
Shiomi's mind spun rapidly. With this small bit of information, he pieced together an excuse that sounded just convincing enough.
From the sound of it, the innkeeper suspected that "Shiomi and Morgan from 2001" had run into trouble while secretly conducting exorcism work, leading to their disappearance.
For an inn, guests vanishing or dying during exorcism requests was a far more devastating blow than ordinary missing travelers. It could seriously affect future business.
"Additional help, huh…"
The innkeeper scrutinized Scáthach at Shiomi's side, then slowly turned his gaze to the others.
"Fine. Since these helpers were brought by Mr. Shiomi, I'll allow them to stay, even though this exceeds the original quota. But you'll be paying extra for lodging."
"No problem," Shiomi replied without hesitation.
He did feel a little sorry toward his past self, but there was no other choice. Once the Singularity was repaired, this part of the record would be corrected anyway.
At that point, his past self would only see an inexplicable extra expense with no clear source.
People talked about living on tomorrow's money, but Rayshifting had let him pull off the miraculous feat of spending money from the past instead.
"Touko Aozaki?"
While Shiomi was still negotiating with the innkeeper, a short-haired woman coming down the stairs cut into the atmosphere around the front desk.
Her voice carried clear surprise as she called out Touko's name.
Shiomi paused, immediately recognizing who the short-haired woman was.
Bazett Fraga McRemitz, an executor of Sealing Designations from the Magic Association.
By sheer coincidence, Touko in 2001 was still a Magus under Sealing Designation, wandering the world while skillfully avoiding the Magic Association's tracking.
Her deal with the Magic Association to have that designation lifted wouldn't happen until just before the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Like a hunter locking onto her prey, Bazett strode straight toward Touko, who was catching up with Shiki Ryougi.
The moment Shiomi noticed this, he flashed forward and stepped directly into her path.
"Shiomi… sir?" Bazett froze.
The look of shock on her face was almost identical to the one she had worn during the Fifth Holy Grail War, when Shiomi had come knocking on her door.
"What is it?" Shiomi asked, his tone edged with hostility. "Did you receive a task from the Mage's Association to apprehend my teacher and take her back for a Sealing Designation?"
Under normal circumstances, it would have been effortless for Touko Aozaki to slip away right under the nose of a Sealing Designation executor.
But this place was a Singularity. In a sense, that greatly limited the means Touko could use to evade someone like Bazett.
"Relax, Tenkei," Touko said calmly. She was sitting comfortably on the sofa, smiling at Shiomi. "I just heard that Miss Bazett was also invited here as part of the exorcism team. My Sealing Designation is permanently active, after all. Executors like her can decide on the spot whether or not to act the moment they see me."
"That's correct," Bazett replied stiffly, slipping into an official tone. "Please don't make this difficult for me, Mr. Shiomi. Or are you intending to stand against the Mage's Association?"
"You can act somewhere else, and I won't stop you," Shiomi said flatly. "But not here."
Bazett's eyebrow twitched.
"Then you leave me no choice but to use force—"
Whoosh.
A sharp gust of wind tore through the open space beneath the wide corridor.
Bazett suddenly felt her right shoulder pinned down, her left wrist seized in an iron grip.
It wasn't Shiomi.
Artoria and Scáthach had moved almost simultaneously.
If a fight broke out here, even Shiomi wouldn't be able to avoid damaging the inn. That was precisely why they intervened, subduing Bazett cleanly and efficiently, without causing any destruction.
After all, if the hot spring inn were ruined, the losses to those traveling with Shiomi would be far greater.
"Do you understand now, Miss Bazett?" Shiomi raised a finger and pressed it lightly against her forehead. "Even as a Sealing Designation executor, you're not getting past me to lay a hand on Touko Aozaki here."
Cold sweat instantly ran down Bazett's back.
If Shiomi chose to unleash magecraft at this distance, she wouldn't have time to react.
Even the regeneration runes she had engraved in advance on her heart couldn't escape the eyes of another Magus equally proficient in runes.
After all, she had only come to Japan for travel and investigation. She had heard about Kumanon Hot Springs by chance and thought she could earn a little extra money with a side job.
Touko Aozaki appearing at this inn was completely unexpected.
"No wonder you seem more carefree than usual," Shiki Ryougi said with a quiet, knowing chuckle. "So that's how it is."
Touko shrugged without the slightest burden, casually crossing her legs as she looked at Bazett.
"That's the situation. As you can see, Executor-san, I've got a few more 'bodyguards' than usual this time. If you're thinking of turning me in for the bounty, maybe next time."
"…I understand," Bazett said after a pause, slowly relaxing her body.
This hadn't been an officially assigned mission. She had no intention of risking her life over it.
Artoria and Scáthach released her at once, and Shiomi withdrew the finger where his magical energy had been gathering.
Freed, Bazett kept a wary eye on Touko Aozaki as she turned and sat down on a nearby sofa.
Clearly, even if she had backed off for now, she intended to keep monitoring the target of the Sealing Designation.
As long as she didn't cross the line and start an outright fight, Shiomi chose to let it go.
"I've been hearing quite a bit of noise from this direction for a while now, so I came to take a look," a cool, unsmiling voice said. "It seems that, without anyone noticing, quite a few unusual guests have arrived. And among them, I see a familiar face."
With the sound of approaching footsteps, the air in the lobby subtly shifted, taking on a strange, elusive quality.
Though it was May and the mountain air wasn't particularly cold, the woman was dressed in a winter skirt and a felt hat. A blue robin fluttered around her, the faint mana it emitted making it clear that it was some kind of familiar.
Despite it being their first meeting, Shiomi felt as though he had heard of someone like her before, and soon recalled stories Touko had once told.
"…Oh? So you're the Witch of Misaki from the rumors."
Before Shiomi could speak, Morgan stepped forward with her hands clasped behind her back. She studied the winter-clad woman with open curiosity.
"Witches of this era really are something else," she continued. "It's as if they're deliberately emphasizing, from head to toe, that they're not ordinary humans."
"Or maybe it's just that you don't usually act very witch-like," Shiomi muttered under his breath.
Sure enough, Morgan discreetly twisted his lower back with surprising force.
Shiomi silently cursed as a sharp pain shot through him.