"Hagoromo Gitsune..."
Upon hearing the name, Luo Shu was surprised but not overly shocked:
"It seems she's truly desperate."
If she weren't, she wouldn't have sent a messenger to infiltrate Totsuki Resort overnight just to deliver him a letter.
That said, wasn't that fox worried about provoking him?
With this thought, Luo Shu couldn't help but glance at the female tanuki before him.
'Hmm... an underage Small Yokai, trembling fearfully yet oddly endearing... Did she deliberately send a juvenile?'
Luo Shu narrowed his eyes slightly before addressing the tanuki yokai standing five metres away by the bushes:
"What did Hagoromo Gitsune send you to deliver?"
"A letter, my lord." Despite her trembling body, the tanuki's speech was remarkably clear.
"Bring it here." Luo Shu commanded.
At this, the tanuki immediately rummaged through the fur on her belly with tiny paws and, quite impossibly, produced a white envelope.
Observing this, Luo Shu slightly raised his right hand as indigo flames flickered to life on his ring.
The Mist Flame that constructs false realities burned steadily, while simultaneously, a humanoid figure composed of indigo Mist Flame gradually materialised beside the tanuki.
The flame-wrought figure had only the vague outline of facial features and physique, its true appearance indiscernible, yet it stood there silently, defying logic.
Erina Nakiri's eyes widened at this supernatural display.
But remembering Luo Shu's prior warning, she quickly raised a hand to cover her mouth, suppressing her gasp.
Just then, the mist figure reached out, took the envelope from the tanuki, opened it directly, and extracted the letter inside.
Witnessing this, the tanuki felt profoundly perplexed.
'Wasn't this lord being excessively cautious? The letter wasn't even poisoned!'
As the tanuki silently complained, Luo Shu read the letter's contents through the mist figure's vision:
"Hanazono Inari Shrine at midnight tomorrow? She'd actually choose this meeting place."
For a Great Yokai like Hagoromo Gitsune, gods like Inari were natural adversaries.
Though such shrines might not house actual deities, their accumulated faith energy remained distinctly unpleasant for her.
'Choosing this location... is she signalling this will be a trustworthy meeting?' Luo Shu pondered while formulating his response.
The mist figure carefully refolded the letter before dissipating into the air.
Luo Shu then addressed the tanuki in an even tone:
"Tell Hagoromo Gitsune I'll arrive punctually."
The tanuki visibly relaxed, bowing deeply before turning to vanish into the bushes.
Only when the rustling footsteps faded completely did Luo Shu smile and ask:
"Erina, do you believe in yokai?"
Hearing she was permitted to speak, Erina Nakiri responded with an incredulous expression:
"Is that something my belief can determine?"
With yokai appearing before her eyes, what difference did belief make?
'This is utterly absurd,' Erina thought internally, yet she'd already guessed something more. Unable to resist, she ventured quietly:
"That method to resolve the side effects of the God's Tongue... could it possibly rely on the power of yokai?"
After saying this, Erina Nakiri felt something wasn't quite right and amended her question:
"Director Luo, are you an Onmyoji?"
"Just call me Luo Shu." Luo Shu nodded slightly as he replied, "Moreover, I'm not an Onmyoji. The formal designation would be sorcerer."
"And just as you suspected, Erina, the solution to the God's Tongue does indeed require the power of sorcerers."
"A sorcerer... is it?"
Erina Nakiri didn't understand the difference between sorcerers and Onmyoji, but she could comprehend that solving the God's Tongue would require such extraordinary powers beyond common sense:
"What do I need to do?"
After speaking, Erina suddenly paused, her expression turning complicated as she said:
"That... Luo Shu?"
She tentatively called his name.
"What did you want to ask?" Luo Shu responded.
"My mother..." Erina hesitated, then took a deep breath before continuing, "Has her God's Tongue been resolved already?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu considered before answering: "According to reports from America, your mother remains normal, and her God's Tongue issue has only been suppressed through new ingredients."
He then added, "These so-called new ingredients actually refer to things like yokai meat, monster flesh, plant spirits, and even certain special minerals. Since the category is too broad and difficult to explain to regular people, they're generally just called new ingredients."
Erina froze upon hearing this, her complexion changing as she said:
"So she's been relying on eating these things to avoid the God's Tongue's side effects?"
The thought that her mother had resorted to consuming yokai to survive filled Erina with revulsion.
Even without Luo Shu saying so, Erina knew there must be risks involved when regular people ate monster flesh. Yet Mana Nakiri had disregarded such dangers completely.
Erina remembered Luo Shu mentioning that her mother had developed over ten new ingredients in recent years. The number of times Mana must have consumed monster flesh during this process was something Erina dared not imagine...
Noticing Erina's silence, Luo Shu asked curiously:
"So when you asked about resolving the God's Tongue, was it actually for your mother's sake?"
Erina opened her mouth, then answered somewhat awkwardly:
"I just think compared to her, my condition isn't that severe yet."
She instinctively tried to conceal her concern for her mother, but ultimately couldn't help asking Luo Shu:
"Luo Shu, is there really a way to resolve the God's Tongue's side effects?"
After a pause, Luo Shu replied: "I can only say there is a method, but the specifics are only known to the SDS's core members."
He gave Erina a meaningful look before adding:
"And your mother currently only qualifies as a peripheral member."
Erina's mind became sharper at this point. Looking intently at Luo Shu, she asked seriously:
"Can I become a core member?"
Then she quickly added:
"If I obtain the method... would I be allowed to share it?"
Luo Shu smiled faintly at these words: "In principle, it can be shared externally. But Erina, have you really thought it through? Are you sure you want to join the SDS?"
"I..." Erina Nakiri opened her mouth, then cautiously asked, "Do I even have that opportunity?"
Faced with the moment of truth, Erina began to worry whether she was capable of joining the SDS and becoming one of its core members.
She was well aware of her own limitations. Aside from decent culinary skills and an extraordinary sense of taste, Erina Nakiri was just an ordinary student.
Could someone like her really join an organisation dealing with supernatural powers?
As Erina hesitated, Luo Shu said with an amused smile:
"The opportunity does exist."
"Last night, as Director of the SDS Hidden Management Department, I obtained some recommendation slots."
"I'll join!" Erina immediately grabbed Luo Shu's right arm with determination. "Whatever the conditions are, I'll join."
"...Don't be so hasty with your words."
Luo Shu gave a helpless chuckle. Promising to accept any condition was just thoughtless enthusiasm - when actually faced with demands, people invariably regretted such rash statements. He wasn't willing to gamble on that:
"I think you should consult your family first, Erina."
"Family?" Erina blinked in confusion.
Just then, a deliberate cough came from their right.
Erina turned towards the sound and immediately saw a tall figure.
The next second, Erina Nakiri froze:
"G-Grandfather?"