Half an hour later.
A grove beside a public cemetery.
"This is the current membership of the intelligence department?"
Kyokotsu stared at the pitiful handful before her, her already large eyes widening even further.
Before Kyokotsu stood:
A walking broom, a one-eyed umbrella with a parasol head standing on two legs, and a yellow lantern floating in mid-air.
Three yokai that Kyokotsu felt any normal human with a blade could kill now stood trembling before her, timidly greeting her as 'boss'.
For a moment, Kyokotsu suspected Minagoroshi Jizō might be deliberately undermining her.
"Ahem!"
Minagoroshi Jizō, who had accompanied her, cleared his throat and said with sleepy eyes:
"After the Metropolitan Police Department's recent crackdown, these three fool... ahem, these three talented individuals are all that remain of the Hagoromo Group's intelligence personnel in Tokyo."
"But rest assured, Miss Kyokotsu. Though our numbers are few, our operational funds are quite substantial."
Minagoroshi Jizō did his best to reassure the young girl with comforting words.
Helpless, Minagoroshi Jizō also felt this manpower was rather pitiful, yet these were indeed the last three remaining members of Tokyo's Hagoromo Group.
Perhaps there were other yokai left, but due to the previous purge, these were the only three that could be gathered. Aside from them, any with even slightly intimidating features had been eliminated.
Yet Kyokotsu hadn't listened to Minagoroshi Jizō's explanation at all. Instead, she pointed at the three yokai before her:
"You expect me to gather intelligence with just these three?"
"Where's your tengu corps?"
"Those tengu who zip through the sky in the blink of an eye, the ones who run absurdly fast?"
"They... they... Well, though it's rather embarrassing to admit, I won't hide it from you, Miss Kyokotsu."
Minagoroshi Jizō sighed, his expression bitter as he continued:
"During the Metropolitan Police Department's purge, my forces were the primary target. Most of my capable subordinates perished under human blades."
"So it's not that I don't wish to support you, Miss Kyokotsu—it's that I no longer have the means to do so."
Though there was an element of shifting blame, Minagoroshi Jizō hadn't lied much.
Tokyo's yokai had indeed been thoroughly purged—some killed, others fled—leaving only these three withered remnants.
Even these three had only been recovered after Minagoroshi Jizō's remaining subordinates scoured half of Tokyo.
If those subordinates hadn't been his own clones, he would've preferred to include a few more yokai who at least looked somewhat useful.
Unfortunately, his cloning ability was a secret. If Kyokotsu found out and reported it to Hagoromo Gitsune, that would be disastrous.
After all, the Great Tengu had no such cloning ability.
"You want me to investigate with these three small yokai and report back to my sister?"
Kyokotsu's face flushed red, her gaze practically spitting fire at Minagoroshi Jizō.
She strongly suspected he was targeting her—no, given these three yokai, there was no need for suspicion. It was blatant.
"Let me ask again—where are your tengu?"
"..."
Minagoroshi Jizō's expression stiffened momentarily before he forced a smile. "Perhaps you should consider why I asked you to gather intelligence-gathering yokai here?"
"Why?" Kyokotsu's attention was successfully diverted.
At that, Minagoroshi Jizō pointed at a nearby gravestone.
Kyokotsu turned her head sharply, scanning the tombstone. Seeing the name 'Karasuma' inscribed on the grey-white stone, she suddenly realised something. Her hair, serpentine and alive, slithered into the grave, probing deep underground.
Finally, she retracted her hair, processing the feedback it had relayed. Her expression turned peculiar:
"The graves are filled with tengu?"
"Indeed." Minagoroshi Jizō nodded, adding, "This old one devised a scheme—swapping the corpses of commoners buried here with my fallen subordinates to mitigate the risk of grave robbery."
This was the real deal.
In truth, this cemetery—and the temple managing it—was under the Nura Clan's control.
Thus, the tengu corpses buried here were actually fallen members of the Nura Clan's tengu lineage, with no connection to Minagoroshi Jizō whatsoever.
Well, not entirely. Some yokai he had killed from the Nura Clan were also buried here.
To some extent, Minagoroshi Jizō was taking advantage of Kyokotsu's youthful naivety, which was why he dared to propose this bait-and-switch scheme.
The inexperienced Kyokotsu instinctively glanced at the surrounding tombstones upon hearing this.
Originally, she hadn't felt much about these graves, but upon realising each represented someone who'd sacrificed their life for her elder sister, she couldn't help but feel grateful.
Moreover, judging by the number of tombstones, the Tengu clan had likely lost an entire household.
Calculating it this way, Minagoroshi Jizō's family could truly be called a lineage of loyal martyrs.
Thinking this, Kyokotsu couldn't help but glance at Minagoroshi Jizō and sigh:
"It must be hard for you, Minagoroshi Jizō. Try to take it in stride."
"Even if those buried here include your nephews, nieces and grandchildren, don't grieve too much. The living must always look to the future."
Hearing Kyokotsu's words, Minagoroshi Jizō's face twitched several times before he forced a grateful expression:
"Miss Kyokotsu, this old man thanks you for your concern."
'What do you mean, my nephews, nieces and grandchildren died here? Can't this girl speak properly?'
As Minagoroshi Jizō silently complained, Kyokotsu continued:
"But Minagoroshi Jizō, elder sister's mission must ultimately be completed."
"We need clear intelligence about all major factions by tomorrow morning."
"Do you have any thoughts on this?"
Hearing this, Minagoroshi Jizō's expression shifted, recognising that the main event had arrived.
He pretended to hesitate while glancing at Kyokotsu, only speaking after securing the girl's full attention:
"Miss Kyokotsu, are you familiar with information dealers?"
"You mean those local operators?" Kyokotsu wasn't entirely ignorant. "Is their intelligence reliable?"
"A select few are quite accurate."
Minagoroshi Jizō spoke from personal experience:
"For instance, Tengu House or The Intelligence Atelier."
"Of course, most such organisations have official backing, with some even being fronts operated by our rivals, the Nura Clan."
"If you want to purchase accurate intelligence without leaving traces while ensuring personal safety... I've heard of one information dealer."
"Who?" Kyokotsu asked curiously.
Minagoroshi Jizō narrowed his eyes at the question and replied:
"Tsubame Shim!"