In Kyōkotsu's view, since Kidomaru and the others had not returned after so long, they had most likely met with misfortune.
But that was only his guess.
They would only know the exact situation after confirming it.
So Kyōkotsu very much hoped that Lady Hagoromo-Gitsune could send a few powerful yokai to Tokyo to investigate. After all, Kidomaru and the others had encountered danger while working for Hagoromo-Gitsune.
If Lady Hagoromo-Gitsune did nothing, it would very likely chill the hearts of the yokai under her command.
Do not assume yokai had no feelings.
In truth, yokai's emotions were even more passionate than humans'. Many yokai would endure countless long springs, summers, autumns, and winters for the sake of a single promise, waiting year after year.
Their feelings were also purer than humans'.
Hagoromo-Gitsune lightly swept her gaze over Kyōkotsu and saw through his thoughts.
"Since you are so worried about Kidomaru and the others, then send a few yokai to investigate."
Hearing this, Kyōkotsu was overjoyed.
"Yes, Lady Hagoromo-Gitsune. But who should we send?"
Kidomaru, Kairouta, and Ibaraki-dōji were already among the foremost fighters under Hagoromo-Gitsune. Even they had vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead. For a moment, Kyōkotsu did not know who would be suitable to send.
Hagoromo-Gitsune's eyes flickered. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let Inugami make a trip."
"Inugami?"
Kyōkotsu thought for a while and felt this was a good idea.
Inugami was also one of Hagoromo-Gitsune's subordinates. He was a dog. Although his combat ability was inferior to Kidomaru and the others, when it came to gathering information, he could leave Kidomaru and the others dozens of streets behind.
Because Inugami could communicate with all dogs under heaven, and dogs had always been humanity's most loyal friends.
Therefore, Inugami could use dogs to find out a lot of unknown information. Using him to search for Kidomaru and the others would be extremely convenient.
"I understand. I'll immediately instruct Inugami to investigate Kidomaru and the others' whereabouts."
Kyōkotsu immediately turned and left.
Hagoromo-Gitsune smiled faintly, narrowed her eyes, and continued enjoying the warm feeling of lazy sunlight shining on her body.
"What wonderful weather."
She sighed like this, her heart full of pleasure.
"What wonderful weather."
Coincidentally, in a remote countryside far away from the city's noise, someone else was also sighing about today's weather.
However, compared with Hagoromo-Gitsune's mood, Natsume's heart was covered in dark clouds.
Although the weather was very good and the sunlight was dazzling, even the brightest sunlight could not disperse the gloom in his heart.
"Hey, Nyanko-sensei, do I really have to leave Uncle Fujiwara and Aunt Tōko?"
"This is the best way."
Facing Natsume's question, a calico cat lying on his head lazily yawned, squinting comfortably as it enjoyed today's sunlight.
"You don't want to implicate them because of yourself, do you?"
Hearing this, Natsume could not help letting out a faint sigh. With a complicated expression, he touched the Book of Friends in his arms.
Although he had known this thing was trouble, he had not expected it to bring such great trouble.
"Nyanko-sensei, you said before that the yokai who came to seize the Book of Friends were Hagoromo-Gitsune's subordinates, right?"
"That's right."
The cat opened its eyes, and a sharp light flashed through its gaze.
"Is this yokai Hagoromo-Gitsune very powerful?" Natsume asked.
"That's right. She is a great yokai who has been passed down for a thousand years. Several hundred years ago, she became the Lord of Pandemonium. Although her fame is not as great as the white-faced, golden-furred nine-tailed fox, Tamamo-no-Mae, in terms of strength, she is not the slightest bit weaker than Tamamo-no-Mae."
Hearing Nyanko-sensei say this, Natsume was full of confusion. While walking toward the exit of the town, he asked, "If this Hagoromo-Gitsune is so powerful, why does she still want to seize the Book of Friends?"
Although the Book of Friends recorded the true names of many yokai, how should one put it? Most of those yokai were ordinary yokai.
There were only a handful of yokai who could fight.
Natsume truly did not understand why such a powerful yokai would take interest in the Book of Friends.
Hearing this, Nyanko-sensei could not help smacking Natsume's face with a paw. Ignoring Natsume's cry of "That hurts," he said seriously, "Listen carefully, Natsume. Do not underestimate the Book of Friends."
"Your grandmother, Natsume Reiko, was a human naturally born with powerful spiritual power. She was a monster rarely seen even once in several hundred years."
"Although she was clearly human, she possessed power that made countless great yokai pale in comparison."
"The number of yokai defeated by her who handed over their names was countless."
"The yokai who have come to ask for their names now are only a very small portion of them. The truly powerful yokai have not yet appeared."
"The importance of the Book of Friends is beyond your imagination."
"Any yokai, as long as they obtain the Book of Friends, can dominate an entire region and become a leading force, not inferior to the Nura Clan at all. It is an extremely important tool."
Natsume rubbed his face, which had been reddened by Nyanko-sensei's paw, and could not help asking, "What is this Nura Clan? It sounds a lot like some vicious yakuza group."
Nyanko-sensei leapt down from Natsume's head and landed on the ground. As he walked, he said,
"The Nura Clan is one of the foremost powerful organizations among yokai. Several hundred years ago, they defeated the once-famous Hagoromo-Gitsune and became the new Lord of Pandemonium."
"Our destination is the Nura Clan. Only the Nura Clan can protect you and the Book of Friends."
Natsume asked worriedly, "Since the Nura Clan is also made of yokai, Nyanko-sensei, aren't you afraid they'll seize the Book of Friends too?"
Nyanko-sensei shook his head.
"No need to worry. I have some friendship with that guy Nurarihyon. For my sake, he will not lay a hand on the Book of Friends."
Hearing this, Natsume said, "I trust you, Nyanko-sensei."
And so, one person and one cat left this remote little town. They took a bus, swaying along the road. After a day of travel, they finally arrived in Tokyo.
When he walked out of Tokyo Station, Natsume could not help sighing.
"There are so many people."
After all, the school he attended was in the countryside. He could not see this many people there at all.
Only after arriving in Tokyo did he understand that the prosperity of a big city was indeed extraordinary.
There were simply too many people.
"Where should we go now?"
Natsume held Nyanko-sensei in his arms and asked.
"To Ukiyoe Town."
Nyanko-sensei's voice was low enough that only Natsume could hear it.
"The Nura Clan's headquarters are in Ukiyoe Town."
"Even if you say that…"
Natsume looked around left and right but could not find a bus heading to Ukiyoe Town, nor did he know where Ukiyoe Town actually was.
"How about you guide me, Nyanko-sensei?"
Hearing this, Nyanko-sensei's eyes could not help shifting left and right.
"Well… actually, I don't know where Ukiyoe Town is either."
"Huh?"
Natsume was shocked.
"What is so strange about that? Don't forget, I was sealed away for hundreds of years. Tokyo has long since changed completely. How could I possibly know where Ukiyoe Town is, you fool, you idiot?"
Natsume was scolded into confusion and could not help asking, "Nyanko-sensei, since you were sealed for hundreds of years, how do you know the Nura Clan is in Ukiyoe Town?"
Nyanko-sensei said as if it were perfectly natural, "Of course I heard the news while drinking with other yokai. After all, in our yokai world, the Nura Clan can be considered an extremely famous prestigious family."
Natsume suddenly understood. So that was how it was.
Then it was not strange.
He asked some passersby for directions and quickly learned the location of Ukiyoe Town. Then he headed toward Ukiyoe Town.
…
"What wonderful weather."
On the other side, after finishing a real-life PK with Nero and winning a great victory, Rowan finally left his apartment to soothe the sulking Nero.
Standing under the sunlight, he could not help stretching and sighing like that.
Nero raised her head and glanced at the sun. She snorted and said, "Is the weather very good?"
Rowan turned his head and glanced at Nero, who had both arms crossed in front of her chest and was pouting so high. He could not help bursting into laughter.
Before Nero could get angry, he extended his right hand and rubbed Nero's head.
"Alright, alright. It was my fault. Don't be angry. I'll take you to the amusement park today, okay?"
Hearing "amusement park," a trace of interest flashed through Nero's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.
"What amusement park? Praetor, are you treating me like a child?"
Rowan looked speechless. Who exactly had been going to the amusement park every day a few days ago?
He did not argue and instead said, "Then where does Nero want to go? I'll follow your wishes for the whole day, okay?"
Only then did Nero turn from anger to joy. She placed both hands on her waist and proudly puffed out her full chest, enough to make King Arthur feel ashamed.
"Since Praetor is being so sincere, I cannot refuse your goodwill."
Her eyes rolled, and she suddenly said, "In that case, let us go on a date, Praetor."
"Huh? A date?"
Rowan truly had not expected Nero to pull this move.
"That is right."
Nero hugged Rowan's arm, pressing her soft chest against him.
"I have grown this old and have never gone on a date with anyone. If it is with Praetor, I want to taste what an ordinary person's date is like."
Rowan could not help scratching his hair.
"Even if you say that…"
He had grown this old and had never gone on a date with a girl before.
However, seeing Nero's eyes full of expectation, Rowan truly did not know how to refuse.
"Fine."
Although he had never gone on a date before, he had grown up watching countless movies and anime. He was not unfamiliar with dates. Rowan could still imitate the process.
Hearing this, Nero smiled faintly. That smile was even brighter than the sunlight overhead.
"Then where are we going next?"
Her crisp and pleasant voice was even more beautiful than a skylark's song.
"Let's go shopping first."
Since things had come to this, Rowan grabbed Nero's small hand and walked toward the wide street. First, they would go shopping, then buy clothes, have lunch at a restaurant at noon, watch a movie in the afternoon…
A so-called date was probably something like that.
~~~
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