"What an impatient one," Shisho murmured to himself. "We were supposed to meet tomorrow anyway." He turned over, changing his sleeping position. "Go to sleep. Don't worry."
At his words, Tamayo, lying beside him, flinched slightly, like a child caught doing something she shouldn't.
The next morning, Ihei Mina led them to breakfast. Due to their host's strange request, they were not asked to treat the patient during the day but were told to wait until nightfall.
As darkness descended, after they finished dinner, Ihei Mina came to lead Shisho and Tamayo from their room. As they walked, she explained the situation. As they had observed, there were no men in the entire Ihei clan. At first, they thought it was a coincidence. But as time went on, they discovered that no matter which family they married into, the children born were always girls. Despite seeking out famous doctors from all over, none could solve their problem. This situation had persisted for a full ten years.
The problem Ihei Mina wanted Shisho and Tamayo to solve was why the Ihei clan could no longer produce male heirs. If they could discover the root of the problem and find a solution, the Ihei clan was willing to offer half of its fortune as a reward. The sheer luxury of the estate was a testament to the clan's immense wealth. Even half of it was a sum that an ordinary person couldn't spend in several lifetimes. Because of this, many renowned doctors had been drawn here over the years.
But without exception, all of them had failed. It was even rumored that after failing, these doctors became obsessed with finding a solution and vanished from the world, never to be seen again.
"We're here." Ihei Mina stopped in front of a door. "Inside is the leader of the Ihei clan. You may speak with her." She pushed the door open and stepped aside.
Entering the room, Shisho noted that although the space was vast, it was sparsely furnished. There were only a few burning incense burners, a large folding screen in the center of the room, and a large bed behind it.
And, of course, the figure hidden behind the screen.
The figure seemed to have not yet risen, with the lower half of her body hidden under the covers. Only her upper body was visible, leaning on the bed and facing Shisho and Tamayo.
"So, you are the new doctors?" a coquettish voice called out. As expected, the figure behind the screen was a woman.
Nodding, Shisho stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Tamayo. "Indeed. Now, Lady Ihei, where would you like us to begin the examination?"
"No rush. Before that, I'd like you to hear a story." With that, the woman began her tale.
The story wasn't long or difficult to understand. It was about a woman who lived by killing and had no concept of the meaning of life. During one mission, she became trapped in a wasteland and went without food or water for days. Just as she was about to perish, she discovered an abandoned baby.
Here, the woman behind the screen paused.
"Go on. What happened next?" Shisho raised an eyebrow, seeming eager to hear the rest.
"Hehe, why don't you two guess what happens next?"
"In that case, I'll take a guess," Shisho said, a mysterious smile suddenly appearing on his face. "Upon finding the infant, the assassin did not come to understand the meaning of life. Instead, to survive, she killed the baby and ate it for sustenance. From that day forward, as if poisoned, the female assassin developed a taste for eating infants."
Shisho spoke these horrifying words as if they were nothing. The woman behind the screen fell silent. At the same time, the atmosphere in the room began to change. The air grew thick and heavy, and breathing it in felt like having an iron plate placed on one's chest.
"Why would you think that, sir? Shouldn't it be that the woman sacrificed herself to save the baby?"
Shisho shook his head. "I'm not guessing. I'm stating a fact. After all, that female assassin is standing right in front of me."
The instant he finished speaking, the woman behind the screen froze. As if a sore spot had been struck, her voice became shrill. "Sir, you mustn't speak so recklessly! I am merely a poor, lonely woman who suffers from being unable to bear a male heir."
"Is that so?" A mocking smile touched Shisho's lips. "Then let me tell you a story. The one who was spying on us from the ceiling last night… that was you, wasn't it, Demon?"
The moment the word "demon" was spoken, the woman behind the screen let out a piercing shriek. The screen was sent flying, hurtling straight at Shisho's head. The already thick air became tainted with a foul,腥臭 stench. With a rustling sound, a black shadow shot out across the floor, aiming to wrap around Shisho's ankles.
Shisho's gaze sharpened, and he took a step forward. He clenched his left fist and slammed it into the flying screen. With a loud crack, the fragile screen shattered into pieces. Then, his right hand flew to the sheath at his waist, drawing a sharp blade. With a single swing, the black and red blade erupted in fierce flames. The raging fire burned away the foul stench in the air. Not only that, but with a flick of his wrist, Shisho plunged his Nichirin Blade into the floor—directly in the path of the advancing black shadow.
If the shadow wanted to ensnare his ankle, it would inevitably be pierced by the Nichirin Blade.
"Hiss!"
With a faint hiss, the black shadow froze, then rapidly recoiled. In the lamplight, its full form was revealed. It was a terrifying serpent's tail, as thick as two men's waists! Following the tail back to its source, it was attached to the alluring woman on the bed.
Or rather, the serpent demon.
Her lower body was that of a snake, while her upper body was humanoid, covered in gleaming blue-green scales. Her vertical pupils gave her the predatory look of a coiled serpent. Seeing Shisho easily neutralize her attack, the serpent demon was both curious and surprised. But that curiosity quickly turned into a greedy, bloodthirsty desire.
"You're both so strong. You must taste much better than all those infants I've eaten before," the serpent demon hissed, flicking a long, slick, red tongue. Her vertical pupils darted back and forth, as if deciding which one to devour first.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (290 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (240 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (110 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (120 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (310 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (120 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (140 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(70 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (193 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (140 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (100 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (70 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (100 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (120 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (120 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (85 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (70 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (120 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (120 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (60 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (90 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (90 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (70 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (70 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (20 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (20 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (30 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (30 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.