"Y-yes... H-Hold on a minute! What's going on here?"
I replied while feeling utterly bewildered. There were too many questions. Why was I here? Why was Hina here? Why was I naked? These were just a fraction of my confusion. I was completely confused by the situation.
"It's a long story. But there's no time to explain now. Get dressed and come with me."
"...!? I-I understand. Where are we going?"
Hina requested, looking at me with a stern expression. I understand from her expression that this is not a normal situation, so I nervously give a small nod in response.
"We're going to the main hall of the estate. You have to explain ourselves to Father... the head of the family, regarding the incident from the other day."
Immediately after that, I gasped in shock at her words, which were spoken as a matter of course.
* * *
In the game 'Firefly of the Dark Night (Yamiyo no Hotaru)', the Onitsuki family, known for its exorcism of youkais in the northern land, is entrusted with the fate of the protagonist. Despite being the head of this renowned family, they are not invincible in a world overrun with supernatural beings that surpass human reasoning.
Onitsuki Kochou's second son, who succeeded her husband, Onitsuki Butterfly, also lost his life without fulfilling his duty of exorcism.
Sadly, in the world of exorcism, it is not uncommon for the family of exorcists to lose their lives while on the job. However, having two successive heads of the family perish within a short period of time sent ripples of shock throughout their lineage.
So, Onitsuki Yuusei, the third son of the young-looking Onitsuki Kochou, took the position as the head of the Onitsuki family more than seventeen years ago.
Although he was originally blessed with an abundance of spiritual power, he had difficulty in combat due to his delicate and nervous personality. Furthermore, despite being born into a family of exorcists, he struggled to fulfill the duties his lineage imposed upon him.
He was only expected to be a stallion by his own father because of the amount of spiritual power he had inherited from his family. However, for him, it was a blessing in disguise. After successfully carrying out the elimination of great youkai a few times every month, he would pass the time doing hobbies and imitating agricultural work, leading a leisurely existence. Even after he secretly married a village girl whom he had admired in a certain rural village and had a daughter, his lifestyle did not change much.
When his father died, he did not attend the funeral. Perhaps it was not just because he didn't have a good relationship with his father, but also because his elder brother, who was overseeing the rituals as the heir, didn't want to expose such a shameful brother to the public. Moreover, it seemed that his status as second only to his brother as an heir to the family lineage was another factor.
If his brother had continued to be the heir of the family, Yuusei would have been able to lead a comfortable life. However, the world does not always turn out in one's favor.
Perhaps in his haste to be the head of a prestigious family, his elder brother, who went to exterminate calamity youkai with several members of his family, was attacked and died, and the Onitsuki family brought him back to their family as if he had been kidnapped. This is a proof that the Onitsuki family was in a state of confusion in the face of the successive deaths of the head of the family.
So, the entire family persuaded Yuusei to take the position of the head of the family, though he did not want to do so. It's fine if it as his brother because he had a talent, but he was not.
Two talented and capable heads of the clan were lost in a row. Especially for his elder brother's failed action in being hasty for accomplishment, the deceased elder brother was already a high-pressure and suspicious personality, and his cold treatment of those outside his faction became his downfall. With the death of the former head of the family, along with his own subordinates, the remaining family erased the previous color and made a memorial procession for the deceased.
After that, on the surface, Onitsuki Yuusei reigned as the head with tremendous power, but he had no interest or concern for his duties as the head, and is content to simply press the seal of approval as his surroundings dictate. For him, being a puppet was no problem except for feeling suffocated.
But because of that, people around Yuusei despised him. And they despised him too much. And in the end, they incurred Yuusei's wrath.
Under Yuusei's coercion, his wife--a lowly person who was no one--was driven to sickness and death, and he forced a daughter from the noble Ako family to become his wife. And he ignored the situation where Hina was attacked by youkai... and that was his landmine.
Afterward, he forcibly dominated the Onitsuki family with a dictatorship. The man who had been considered harmless and spineless carried out a massive and merciless purge within the family, and within a short period, he made his position as firm as a rock. And then he goes berserk.
In the original scenario, he is the one who distorts even the arrogant Gorilla-sama's character, is the cause of Hina's becoming a single woman with no interest in men, is the cause of half of the reasons for the bad atmosphere in the Onitsuki family, and he earned the hatred of the players, who had to pass through his plots many times with their protagonist and cause extensive damage on the surrounding even when they evaded them, especially in the case of Ayaka... That was Onitsuki Yuusei, the Yandere Psychofather of the Onitsuki family.
And there he was, right in front of me.
"Raise your face."
"Yes."
With a slightly hoarse voice, the man cleared his throat, and I, standing beside Hina, raised my face, stiffening my body. Reflecting back on the setting of the original work, nausea welled up inside me.
The location was the grand hall used for the Onitsuki main family's discussion in their main residence. It was the same room where Hina and I had previously reported on the subjugation of the great youkai wolf. As before, important members of the Onitsuki clan were lined up on the left and right sides of the spacious room. Some of them are teleworking from remote places or attending the meeting as Shikigami, but that is not a problem since it is the same as before.
The only significant difference from before was that the seat at the head of the room was now occupied.
The man in question. The head of the Onitsuki family, a man who looks much more worn out compared to the man depicted in steel engravings and art books, Onitsuki Yuusei, is sitting in the head of the family's throne room looking down at me. This fact makes me spit and shake nervously.
It was bad. It was very bad. It could have been more dangerous than facing off against a calamity youkai.
This man's presence was a real obstacle for me. Even when I was a miscellaneous worker, I tried desperately not to be involved in any conflicts with him, and after I fell to a servant, he was like a bump on the skin that had to be removed at any cost for a happy ending.
In the secondary works (fan fiction), it is not uncommon for original protagonists reincarnated into the story to be forced out through various means. It's not only earning unnecessary hatred, but it's also overthinking. So for me, I'd want to get rid of him with cheats before doing anything unnecessary. If he were not there, the game's difficulty level would decrease by one notch.
(D*mn it, couldn't this be described as the power of revision from the original work...!? Why did he have to wake up at this time when he had been sleeping for years!?)
Unlike in the original story, in this world, Yuusei had become a disabled person and was bedridden for many years since the incident that trapped Gorilla-sama.
The reason is unknown. It had been years since that incident involving Gorilla-sama, who, unlike in the original, had not lost her virginity, nor suffered political downfall. Perhaps out of sheer hatred, Gorilla-sama cursed him, or maybe there was some other reason... Anyway, when I regained consciousness and survived the incident, it was already this way. I tried to investigate without arousing suspicion, but I still don't know the cause. Nevertheless, it is a fact that I did not feel relieved to know that the troublesome person wasn't gone...!
(That's right, Gorilla-sama...!?)
I panicked as I searched for her among the attendees. Given her position, I hoped she would support me with a strategic defense.
"...!?"
But my hope was shattered mercilessly. She was indeed there among the attendees. But... the pink-clad princess there was not the haughty and arrogant type of princess I was used to seeing.
I could clearly see Aoi shrinking back, exuding a weak and powerless demeanor as she fanned herself trying to disguise it. The people around her even cast curious glances at her, wondering what had happened.
(Are you kidding!? Has something else happened!?)
I was referring to the guy who was a yandere and mentally unwell. It was not impossible that he had used drugs or illusions to launch a surprise attack on Gorilla-sama, taking advantage of his seemingly perpetual bedridden state. But given the original story, which degraded his real daughter, who was not yet even 10 years old, to a youkai orgy festival, it would be even more unnatural to think that he had not done anything. In other words...
(So the final stage is about to begin, is that it!?)
I was truly starting to panic. Everyone who might have supported me with a whim had literally disappeared, leaving me completely on my own. Just like a fish on the chopping block. Things had reached the worst possible scenario where I was at everyone's mercy. And...I no longer had time to think of a new plan.
"...Well, it seems the participants have all gathered. Let's start today's discussion then."
Yuusei opens his mouth solemnly. His voice, which was not loud, echoed in the room unpleasantly. The attendees wordlessly responded.
"Hina, thank you for your hardwork. And the same to the Yun-shoku who have woken up... Are you feeling well?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for your kind words."
He first thanked Hina, and finally expressed gratitude to me. Hina respond shortly, and I respond condescendingly, but under my mask, I winced greatly.
(Why are you worrying about Hina in this situation...!)
When this man speaks such words, one wonders if tomorrow's weather will be clear with occasional rain and snow. Physical appearance? No, it's hard to imagine that from his behavior in the original story, where it's doubtful if he had even thought about the consequences of his actions. Then, what is the purpose...?
"Hmm... everyone probably knows. The first topic of this discussion is about the incident that occurred recently."
The head of the family says this in a casual yet grandiose manner, whether he knows of my inner impatience or not.
It was almost certainly about the disturbance in Hotoya village, given the circumstances. The fact that no one raised his voice indicated that the contents were already known to the public.
(Am I being hanged or...)
I had already prepared myself for what would happen when all was said and done. Moreover, the significance of this gathering... it would be more compassionate to hold such a farcical trial. I tried to keep my composure and waited for his next words.
"I set up this meeting to confirm the facts and to obtain everyone's understanding of what has been done. I apologize for the inconvenience. We may not have much time. Shall we begin the inquiry? Head of the Hidden Group, please explain."
