In the meeting room of the famous Onitsuki family, who are renowned exorcists in the North, all the clan members had come together. A serious and somber mood hung in the air.
"What?! They want to extend this year's Joraku (visiting capital)... What is the court thinking?!" exclaimed Uemon, the person in charge of the Onitsuki family's financial. His voice echoed through the spacious hall as he angrily slammed his fan on the floor. The fan broke into pieces, showing just how furious he was.
"They want to extend it for another year, until next summer... is that it?"
"And they want us to increase our personnel? They're making unreasonable demands."
When someone becomes enraged, those around them tend to calm down. Although not to the extent of Uemon, the attendees grumbled as they passed around the documents from the court and read them. They couldn't help but voice their complaints.
The official exorcists were the ruling class in Fusō-kuni. As such, it was an annual tradition for the clan to spend not only the three days of the New Year but also a whole week visiting temples and shrines and performing ceremonies throughout various locations.
However, just when they thought they had finally finished, an emissary arrived from the capital. As the representative of the emperor, it was only natural to sincerely welcome them. But upon reading the content of the message delivered by the arrogant messenger, their efforts to stay composed were severely tested.
"I had heard some rumors beforehand from Oumi and the trading company... but I never expected such excessive demands," lamented Yajima, the head of a branch family of the Onitsuki clan.
The responsibility of guarding the capital for six months every three years was no trivial matter. There was no need to go into detail about the expenses involved. Tax collection in their territory, approval for the production and sale of curse-tool within their domain, and rewards for dealing with youkai in various locations—Joraku swiftly consumed their substantial income. This was true even for a relatively prosperous family like the Onitsuki.
Furthermore, when they were informed that their originally planned six-month stay in the capital would be extended, and there was a request for additional personnel... it was only natural for the people present to feel confused and unsure. Families who were already facing tighter financial limitations than the Onitsuki family were likely even more distressed by these developments.
"Why would they make such a demand at this time?"
"I heard that it was spearheaded by Minister of the Right."
"Minister of the Right? Tch, isn't the Minister of the Left arguing against it?"
"They had quite a lengthy debate, it seems. And yet... this is the result. How impudent."
The elders whispered to each other, clicking their tongues. The reputation of the Minister of the Right could be heard throughout the Northern region, but when the crucial moment came... this happened!
"...Calm yourselves, everyone. It is a request from the court, and we should not slander it so."
A man sitting at the head of the table calmed the growing dissatisfaction in the assembly. It was Onitsuki Yuusei, the head of the Onitsuki family. Despite his tired and thin appearance, his words of caution quieted the entire room.
...Although half of the silence was not due to his words, but rather the fear they had of him.
"...Head of the Hidden Group. If we were to carry out Joraku according to the requested period and personnel by the court, how much would it cost us?" asked Yuusei, the clan head and his actual older brother.
"Haha, well..."
As the clan head and his actual brother, Uemon began explaining almost as if singing a song.
The court ordered a military service this time, which involved 10 exorcists, 20 members of the Hidden Group, and servants. However, they would actually need more people to take care of things and help carry stuff. They would also need a medical team. So, in total, there would be over a hundred people. Just the money needed for traveling would be quite a lot.
Because there were so many people, they would have to find a place for them to stay, like with the Oumi family or at an inn. No matter where they stayed, including the costs for food and entertainment, it would easily be around 100 ryo. Living in the capital was more expensive than living in the North.
They would have to give gifts to the court, as well as to other exorcist families, samurai families, and nobles who were all gathered in the capital. If they stayed for a year, they would also have to pay for gifts during midsummer and at the end of the year. The cost of festival ceremonies on New Year's Day and other occasions... they can't even guess how much that would be...
"Even if we cut it considerably, the total minimum would be a 1000 ryo. Considering the margin for emergencies, we would need at least 1500 ryo," Uemon calculated with an abacus in his mind, causing most of the attendees to grimace and groan, clutching their heads. It wasn't an unaffordable amount. It was just... unfortunate that it had come to this.
"I suppose we'll be receiving letters from other families," Uemon remarked.
"Yes, I suppose so. The Yuuma and Mano families should seek assistance. Perhaps the Kikui family as well?" replied the clan head. Uemon nodded in agreement. The Onitsuki family, being a well-established and respected household, had enough money to handle the huge expenses. But what about the other families? In fact, many exorcist families were struggling financially. The complicated and mysterious blood ties among the exorcist families in the Northern region meant that if neighboring families were in decline, it would affect their own family's ability to deal with youkai. They couldn't just abandon them. They had no choice but to do whatever they could, even if they had nothing extra to give.
"...There have been many youkai incidents lately too. I doubt any family has the time to maintain appearances," said an elderly man with a featureless mask sitting at the edge of the gathering. It was Onitsuki Keiharu, the head of the Onitsuki Clan's Research Group. As the leader of the Research Group, he had been investigating the increasing youkai incidents alongside the court and other families, but they had yet to grasp the cause. All he knew was that the interacting families were financially struggling.
"..."
The room fell silent once again. Assistance and support would likely be necessary. But...
"No matter how we look at it, we don't have enough cash," Uemon complained. Even though their family was wealthy and had a lot of valuable possessions, they didn't have much liquid cash available. Most of their wealth was tied up in real estate and land. While having diversified assets was helpful, the truth was that they couldn't easily convert those assets into cash. They could think about using art, antiques, or their properties as collateral to get a loan, but the interest rates would be really high.
Even if the interest rate of one-tenth (10%) seemed exorbitant, during an era when financial credit was still developing, debtors sometimes resorted to fleeing or violence, making it difficult to even recover the principal. In addition, the lenders set high interest rates as a means of compensation. While the Onitsuki family could use force after borrowing, once they did, there would never be a lender willing to lend them money again.
"...I will speak to the Tachibana Trading Company," interrupted a young woman with long cherry-colored hair, breaking the silence. All eyes turned to her, the second princess of the Onitsuki family.
"...Aoi, can you do it?" the clan head's wife asked.
"As I am acquainted with a member of their family, I believe it is possible," she replied.
For the first time since her arrival, Sumire, the wife standing beside the clan head, spoke up. She asked gently, and her daughter answered briefly and straightforwardly. The simplicity of their conversation intensified the tension in the air.
Understanding the complex relationship between the wife and children surrounding the Onitsuki family's clan head, those present were already experiencing a sense of unease and discomfort. No one dared to speak recklessly.
"My Lord (gotōshu-sama), it might be worth considering Aoi's suggestion."
The surprising words came from a serious woman with strong black hair.
The first princess, Hina, agreed too.
For the people watching, it was a really strange and even spooky sight. The two sisters were competing to become the next leader of their clan, and they had a relationship where they could easily disagree with each other's opinions. But somehow, they accepted it without any problems...
"...Hmm. If my daughters propose it, I see no reason to oppose. Aoi, if you say so, let's give it a try."
Above all else, the clan head's statement left all the attendees, middle-aged and older, utterly bewildered.
"Can I give you some advice too?" a seductive voice echoed, taking advantage of the confusion. The Black Butterfly Madam of the Onitsuki family smiled as she addressed the clan head, her own son.
"I would never hinder the advice of the esteemed advisor, known for your wisdom and support to the clan. Please share your unreserved opinion."
"Oh, yes. Thank you. Well then..."
Expressing her gratitude succinctly for the smooth permission granted, the Black Butterfly Madam looked around at the attendees, making sure their gazes were focused on her. She then began to speak.
"It seems that the financial solution is causing quite a commotion. While I will request efforts from the Head of the Hidden Group and Aoi in that regard, I will also urge the Omnyouji Bureau to contribute, as I have contacts there. However, that is not the real issue."
"What do you mean...?" A puzzled attendee raised an eyebrow and questioned with a bewildered expression. Kochou smiled lightly and answered the question.
"The problem lies in the reason behind this request. Specifically, it shows the attitude of the court, valuing the protection of the capital and the central territories. We must not forget that."
Her words caused a stir among the attendees. Tentatively, one of them spoke up.
"So, does that mean the court believes the capital is under threat?"
"Nonsense. That's impossible. Isn't the protection of the capital already sufficient as it is?"
"Yes, it seems excessive."
It was inevitable that objections would arise to what Kochou was implying. In an era where most of the notorious youkai had disappeared, what could the court possibly fear? It was not cautious but rather cowardly.
"However, it is well known among those present that there have been an increasing number of incidents involving youkai in recent years."
No one could argue with that observation. Three and a half years ago, a fox monster attacked the capital, a reckless act by a fool. But even just considering the cases involving the Onitsuki family in the Northern region, there were the Kappa and Spider turmoil that devastated two counties, the abnormal behavior of the Namahage the previous year, and the sudden rampage of the Yamanba. There was also an incident where a malicious beast attacked the Hotoya village, and several monsters were still being searched for without success.
If they included other incidents involving different families, the chaos would only get worse. In the southern region, the flooding turned out to be caused by Umibozu. The local exorcists and the navy teamed up to handle the situation. In the eastern region, there was a big outbreak of Gashadokuro, which are giant skeletons, coming from a forgotten grave called "東武幕乱 (Tobu Bakuran?)." This led to one-third of the exorcist families being called into action. In the western region, there were occasional reports of small villages being completely destroyed by what seemed to be demons (Oni). The search for these demons had made no progress so far. And if they even counted the minor incidents, the number of cases related to youka would be overwhelming.
"But... Haven't the major incidents already been resolved?"
"Indeed, but the fact that the incidents occurred in the first place may be a cause for concern in itself."
"Yes, it seems they were quite concerned about the Namahage incident... Isn't that right, Lord ShisuiShisui-dono?"
"Yes, that's correct."
As the members of the clan whispered to each other, the person who had been present at the scene and had questioned the Head of the Servant Group received a respectful nod and replied once again. The Middle Councilor (Chuunagon) dispatched from the court had been responsible for monitoring the Namahage and had been unable to impose any form of punishment, even in the form of verbal warning, on the exorcist families, including the Onitsuki family. However, afterward, the Middle Councilor remained in the area and carefully examined the records of each family...
"Hmm..."
The groan, spoken by someone, could have been from the court, questioning whether the exorcist families throughout the country were truly fulfilling their duties or expressing doubts due to the frequent youkai disturbances in recent years. In that case, the extension of the Joraku period might be related to those concerns.
"If the court's worries aren't eased, we'll need to take strong action, even after dealing with the Joraku. Don't you agree?"
"...As the advisor, what do you suggest we do?"
In response to Kochou's inquiry, the clan head seeks a conclusion.
"It appears that this request signifies the court doubting our abilities and responsibilities. In that case, we need achievements that can dispel those concerns... Wouldn't that be the case?"
Understanding the meaning behind Kochou's proposal, the attendees exchanged glances.
"Do you mean to subjugate the youkai (mononoke) within the forbidden lands?"
Shisui said what Kochou was talking about.
The forbidden lands, as the name suggests, are territories where entry is strictly prohibited. The determination of such lands is based on the consensus of the court, the Omnyouji Bureau, and the neighboring exorcist families. These places are inhabited by youkai with unique abilities, pure youkai power, or they may simply be locations where the suppression of youkai has been delayed due to geographical factors, lack of manpower, or insufficient budget.
In Fusō-kuni, there are over a hundred designated locations classified into three levels of danger, with the first level being the most dangerous. While there are variations depending on individual cases, in many instances, monitoring and surveillance are established along the boundary lines to address and report any anomalies.
The Namahage incident that caused a disturbance last year, in a broad sense, falls under this classification. Instead of the entire area, only the places near the moving Namahage were marked as forbidden due to its range. Initially, it was considered a moderate threat, which made sense before the disturbances in the previous year. However, because its actions and characteristics have become unpredictable and it has shown changes, possibly due to contact with the Yamanba, the danger level has been raised to a higher level.
"...Should I eliminate one or two nearby youkai through extermination?"
Hina calmly expressed her opinion without changing her expression. Over three years ago, she had a track record of defeating the Ushi-Oni dwelling within the forbidden lands.
"Hold on... There's no need to rush for an answer, you know? Hurrying might lead to overlooking something important."
Gently, the advisor cautioned Hina. The gazes of the granddaughter and grandmother crossed paths, and silence suddenly filled the room. Several attendees looked puzzled.
"Yes, I apologize."
Hina lowered her head slightly and responded to Kochou's words. The grandmother also responded in a lively manner. The heavy atmosphere dispersed.
