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"Wait… extraordinary beings use cell phones too?"
Yuki Suou's question went unanswered.
Behind her, Ayano Kimishima finally spoke up at just the right moment."Miss Yuki, what exactly did you see just now?"
"Uh… judging from what that guy said, it should've been… a ghost."
The memory alone sent a shiver down her spine.
Ayano couldn't really understand what Yuki must've felt, but she trusted her young lady—Miss Yuki wasn't the type to lie.
"Then are you really sure about becoming his follower? Without investigating properly first, I don't think jumping in so quickly is the right decision."
"Of course I know that. But… this might be the only chance in my whole life to actually meet someone supernatural. If I let this slip by, I'll probably regret it forever."
Yuki let out a soft sigh.
Why couldn't things ever happen like in manga?
If she were the heroine, then one day fate would just toss an amazing encounter into her lap, opening the door to a thrilling, action-packed new life.
But Rosen's way of doing things reminded her—everything comes with a price.
"…Anyway, let's just go back for now."
The rest of the walk home went by without incident.
Yuki returned to the Suou family mansion.
"Mother, sorry I came back a little late today."
Outwardly, she was the perfect lady: elegant and polite. But in truth, after parting ways with Rosen, she had slipped into an anime shop and picked up the latest manga and light novels.
Of course, Ayano had carried the bags home for her. Whenever Yuki wanted to read, she'd just fetch them back from her.
"Come, dinner's ready. Your grandfather has been waiting for you."
"Yes, I understand."
Her grandfather, Seisei Suou, was the true head of the family, and everyone—servants, relatives, even her mother—showed him a degree of fear.
Yuki was the only exception.
That didn't mean she didn't respect him. Quite the opposite. Her father had been from a common background, so all the weight of the Suou household had fallen on her grandfather's shoulders.
Her mother, Umi Suou, led her into the main hall.
Seisei Suou sat waiting in a sharp suit, silver hair slicked back, radiating the aura of someone who stood above all others. Behind him stood the family butler, also dressed immaculately in a suit.
Dinner went by with rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes.
After the meal, Yuki excused herself politely, saying goodbye to her grandfather and mother before retreating to her room.
Before long, only Seisei and the butler remained in the hall.
"Master," the butler said quietly, "there's a lingering trace of spirit energy clinging to the young miss. Someone may already have set their sights on her."
"No matter their motive, that is… not good."
"Is there any way to track down this spirit?"
The Suou family had only one heir. Nothing could be allowed to happen to her.
The butler shook his head. "Not possible. And… since they failed this time, there will almost certainly be another attempt."
Seisei's voice was calm but heavy. "Then we must do everything in our power to protect her."
"With the family's strength alone, we can't stand against spirits. Nor can we rely on the government's official organizations. However, Master, there's a shrine in the mountains outside the city, dedicated to the fox god. Supposedly, if given the proper offering, they will grant three chances at divine protection."
"Then that's what we'll do."
Meanwhile, far away in a countryside estate outside another city—
A bald monk in tattered robes slowly opened his eyes."It's been quite a while. Has that new recruit still not returned?"
"Maybe he got distracted by something fun along the way. Or maybe he's already dead."
The reply came from a blond man in a long coat, wearing a flat-brimmed hat. He squinted with a sly smile.
"The last message we got said the rookie was headed to Tokyo," added a girl dressed in gothic lolita, holding a doll in her arms. Her porcelain features were caked in unnaturally pale makeup, lips painted a near-black shade of crimson.
"If you're concerned, I can go check it out," she offered with a smirk.
The old monk shook his head. "No need to stir up more trouble. Focus on gathering resentment as planned. What matters most is ensuring the Birth of the Akuran Embryo."
"That is our true priority."
Rosen, meanwhile, had already stepped home through his Spirit Step technique, giving no further thought to Yuki Suou.
The kitchen was filled with the savory aroma of food.
Since it was their first time cooking for him—and because they wanted Rosen to enjoy it—Mai Sakurajima and Miko Yotsuya had gone all out, turning it into an unspoken competition.
Hana Yurika, on the other hand, wasn't much of a cook. All she could do was help with prep work and act as the official taste tester.
By the time Rosen walked in, the dishes were already neatly set out.
At dinner, both Mai and Miko sat nervously, watching him like hawks, anxiously waiting for his reaction.
To be honest, their cooking wasn't particularly impressive. But Rosen knew giving a bad review would only crush their effort and enthusiasm.
So when he simply said, "Not bad," both of them immediately let out a huge sigh of relief.
Only Hana was drooling over the table full of food, her eyes sparkling with hunger.
After dinner, she was the first to jump up."Time to slay some spirits!"
It was her first real mission, and just like Miko had been the first time, Hana charged out like an unleashed husky.
"Hey, wait up, Hana!" Miko ran after her.
"Keep it down! Don't let anyone else see us," Rosen reminded them.
"I knooow—oh! Miko, there's a ghost right here!"
Hana startled as a wailing spirit lunged at her.
But before it could reach her, golden flames burst from her body. The ghost was incinerated to nothing in an instant.
"Whoa, that was it? Amazing!" Hana cheered—then immediately shivered. "Ugh, but it looked so creepy… Miko, Rosen-sama…"
"It's okay. Ghosts like that can't hurt you," Miko reassured her.
So the night's training continued under Rosen's watch, the two veterans guiding the rookie step by step.
Two hours later, Hana collapsed onto a park bench, groaning."So tired… and sooo hungry…"
She fished a Snickers bar from her bag, took a big bite, and felt the faint golden glow of her life energy flare up again.
The training lasted until around ten at night.
"That's enough for today," Rosen said. "Continue tomorrow."
After sending the three girls home, he teleported back to his own place, sprawled on his bed, and started scrolling through his phone and group chat.
[Shut-In Angel: "Girls, I almost got wrecked today."]
"..."
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