EP.3 Three-Legged Crow -1
EP.3 Three-Legged Crow -1
I had arrived in the city for my first assignment.
The headquarters of a new religious movement supposedly lay somewhere in this city, which was surrounded by mountains on three sides.
"When I heard this was the headquarters of a new religion, I imagined a den of fanatics. But it looks surprisingly ordinary in person."
I'd pictured something different before seeing it with my own eyes.
A city of zealots who'd built an altar in the town center and prayed by offering up live animals and humans.
But the reality was a mountain town lined with artisans crafting accessories from ore and merchants selling dried wild greens.
"The air is so clean and the streets are really tidy despite it being a city. It seems like a wonderful place to live!"
"Right? And they started a new religion in a place like this..."
Anyone hoping to spread a religion far and wide would normally start somewhere with better transport links and heavier foot traffic.
But this city had poor transport links, and its single entrance and exit severely limited foot traffic.
"Could it not actually be a cult?"
No matter how I looked at it, founding a religion in a place like this made little sense.
The only explanation was that they had chosen the location to evade government surveillance and plot something in secret.
"Now, now, we have plenty of time. How about we postpone the mission for later and spend today playing to our hearts' content?"
"Hmm... Should we?"
The assignment I'd received was neither urgent nor dangerous—just a simple investigative task.
Spending the day enjoying ourselves, as Miho suggested, did not seem like a bad idea.
"Then we'll start the investigation tomorrow. For today, let's go sightseeing here and there."
"Yes!"
"Kkyuit!!"
There was no rule against having fun on a business trip. I only had to be diligent when it was time to work.
For that reason, I decided to enjoy the day to the fullest, as if I were on vacation.
***
I spent the day enjoying everything the city offered: local cuisine, tourist attractions, and entertainment.
We ended up hearing one recurring word from the residents here.
"Mister, the great Yata prophesied that it'll rain tomorrow afternoon, so how about buying an umbrella in advance?"
"Customer! Yata prophesied that our shop would have the ripest fruit today! Why not try some before it sells out?"
"Yata foresaw that this emerald necklace would bring tremendous luck if you carried it for two years!"
Everywhere I went, Yata. Even over there, Yata.
It seemed that everyone in the city blindly believed in and worshiped a being called Yata.
"It feels like it is Yata or death around here."
"My thoughts exactly... It really does seem like a cult, after all."
With everyone around us constantly shouting Yata's name, I thought I would lose my mind.
I needed to at least find out who this so-called Yata was.
"Excuse me, sir, just what kind of person is this 'great Yata' that people keep talking about?"
So I bought the cheapest drink at a nearby shop and casually asked the owner.
"Hm? You don't know the great Yata? Are you an outsider, by any chance?"
"Yes."
"Hoho! Then I must teach you something about the greatness of our great Yata!"
Technically, this sort of question was supposed to wait until tomorrow...
But it was probably better to get some info in advance anyway.
"Let me tell you how the great Yata first appeared..."
Three years earlier, calamity had struck the city surrounded by mountains.
Torrential rain flooded the city and triggered landslides, bringing it to the brink of ruin.
Just as the residents resolved to abandon their longtime home and evacuate, the great Yata appeared.
Yata descended upon the stricken city like a single ray of light piercing a dark sky.
The sacred and mysterious Yata immediately offered the residents a solution, and her instructions even prevented the disasters that would have followed.
As a result, the people of the city came to worship Yata unquestioningly.
"The great Yata is our savior! Just the fact that such a figure resides near us makes us happy!"
"I-is that so."
From everything I had heard, Yata was wise and could see the future.
The residents did not appear brainwashed. Their devotion to Yata had been earned through results.
"From that story just now, do you think you can tell if she's a Divine Beast or not?"
"It is hard to say. Her extraordinary ability suggests a Divine Beast, but humans with similar talents do exist."
That was true. Biographies of great figures were full of equally incredible stories.
"In the end, we will have to see Yata in person before we can know for certain."
"I suppose so, right?"
Things had gotten a bit tricky.
We did not even know where the religion was based. I had no idea when we would find Yata, and the task felt hopeless.
"Ah?! I-I'm sorry!"
My body swayed for a moment.
Lost in various thoughts as I walked, I hadn't noticed a person approaching right in front of me and ended up colliding with her.
"It's fine. I'm also at fault for not paying attention."
Her voice was delicate yet dignified.
Her appearance wasn't visible because she was wearing a hood pulled down low, but I was certain it was a woman.
"You have no further business, correct? Then may I be on my way now?"
"Ah, yes! Of course."
"Well then..."
The hooded woman continued on her way without looking back, leaving me with an inexplicable sense of mystery and dignity.
"...Husband?"
"Hm?"
"Does that woman interest you that much? Even more than me...?"
A chill ran down my spine.
Her voice, narrowed eyes, demeanor, and even the way she stared at me had all turned cold.
Something stickier and darker than mere jealousy was radiating from Miho.
"N-no, not at all!! I just stared because it seemed unusual to see someone walking around in a hood these days, that's all."
"Is that the truth...?"
"Of course it's the truth!"
"Hmm..."
The ominous hostility had subsided considerably, but Miho still looked suspicious as she tapped her lips with one finger.
"But more than that, didn't you think something was a little suspicious?"
"Which part do you mean?"
"The woman I bumped into earlier... I felt as though she was looking at us and smiling."
"As I thought, you really were that focused on that woman, weren't you?"
"No! That is not what I mean. I thought she looked at you as well as me."
"Really, husband! There's no way that could happen."
"Y-yeah, you're probably right."
Miho was currently using her ability on herself. No one but me could perceive her.
So the idea that someone else saw Miho must have been my imagination, or perhaps I was just being overly sensitive.
Perhaps the recent succession of troublesome incidents had left my mind cluttered with needless suspicions...
I needed to clear my head and focus on enjoying the trip.
***
Yata Ahead.
Long Live Yata!
Praise the Yata!
"Looks like they have no intention of hiding it, at least."
The next morning.
When we headed out the next morning to begin gathering information about the Yata Church, we immediately discovered something unexpected.
The Yata Church's headquarters was located right near our lodgings.
"Husband, they say you need this badge to enter the Yata Church assembly."
Miho held a badge shaped like a three-legged crow, the symbol of the legendary creature.
"Good work on the reconnaissance. So, where should we get one of those?"
"Here!"
A crow badge was placed onto the palm of my hand.
Miho passed the badge to me.
"...Now that you mention it, where did this come from?"
"There were plenty when I went inside the building."
Just then, a man burst out from inside the building and began shrieking.
"My badge!! My badge has vanished!!"
"..."
"No! My token of loyalty towards the great Yata...!! I must find it! I absolutely must!!"
He sprinted past us and disappeared down the street.
"...Did you steal it?"
"Yes!"
Miho smiled brightly after committing a crime as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I wanted to say something about it, but I decided to just let it slide.
In the first place, it was absurd to expect Divine Beasts to follow human laws.
"Welcome to the 421st morning assembly of the Yata Church! Please present the token proving that you are a faithful member."
The token had to mean this badge.
I boldly showed the gatekeepers the badge Miho had stolen. My conscience twinged.
"Your proof has been verified! Are you perhaps a follower with a reservation for today?"
"A reservation?"
"Yes, a reservation to receive a prophecy from the great Yata."
So the church offered something like that.
I didn't really know what it was, so I said I didn't have one.
"If you don't have one, you may enter through that entrance over there!"
"Yeah."
"Even without a reservation, do not be discouraged! Merciful Yata also grants prophecies to five ordinary followers at every assembly!"
"Ah, okay..."
I was already exhausted. Hearing Yata praised endlessly since yesterday had worn me down.
Once I entered the hall, I would probably hear Yata's name until my ears bled.
I wished I had brought earplugs...
"Hey, Miho."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Only Tia and I will go into the assembly hall, so could you wait for us at the entrance?"
"...Why is that?"
Miho's expression froze over again, turning icy cold. It was always terrifying to see.
"It is because if Yata is a Divine Beast, she might notice you inside the assembly hall."
"Wouldn't the same be true for Tia?"
"Tia is small enough to check without attracting Yata's attention. You stand out too much, Miho."
If I ordered Miho to drop her illusion now, she would draw every eye in the area.
The combination of fox ears, nine tails, and a hanbok was certainly striking enough.
"Does that mean I catch your eye that much, husband?"
"Hm? Well, that is true..."
In fact, I spent twelve of every twenty-four hours looking only at Miho.
However, it wasn't because of how Miho looked.
It was because of Miho's jealousy—if I looked at anyone else for more than five seconds, she would forcibly turn my head so I was looking only at her.
Thanks to that, my neck had been throbbing lately...
"I understand. Waiting for my Human Companion to return is also a Companion Animal's duty, so I will wait quietly!"
"Then I'll meet up with you at the entrance later."
"Yes! But come back quickly, all right? If you take too long, even I cannot be held responsible for what I might do♡"
That was genuinely spine-chilling.
Were there any words in the world more terrifying than those?
"I'll be off, then."
I lifted the entrance flap and stepped into a dark, gloomy space.
The only light came from a few bonfires.
Relying on their faint light, I moved forward and made out a vast assembly hall.
Well over a thousand people were howling like mad inside.
"Kyaa!! Lady Yata!!"
"Aaah!! Lady Yata! You are as noble as ever today!"
"Take me! Lady Yata!!"
The fanatics cheered with such fervor I could practically feel the heat, some even shedding tears.
I was already itching to leave.
"Welcome, my faithful."
On the distant stage, a single, brilliantly ornate throne stood alone.
A woman in a jet-black dress sat upon it, chin resting on her hand.
"Kyaaaa!!"
"Whoaaaa!!"
She had spoken only a single line, yet the devotees erupted.
They all resembled die-hard fans at an idol concert.
"I trust you've all brought heaps of shiny offerings?"
"Of course we have!!"
The followers held up glittering treasures—gold necklaces, glass beads, gem-encrusted rings—and the woman smiled with deep satisfaction.
"Good! To those of you who have brought me offerings, I shall bestow my prophecy once again today!"
"Aah!! Long live Lady Yata!!"
At any rate, I had confirmed that the woman was the rumored Yata. It was time to carry out my objective.
"Tia, can you check if that woman over there is a Divine Beast like you?"
"Kkyu-i?"
I whispered to Tia, who was hidden in my arms. She poked out her head and stared intently at the woman onstage.
The baby dragon calmly observed the woman on the throne, then nodded once in answer.
"So it really was true..."
A woman with jet-black hair and black eyes.
She had a slender figure and taut, bronze-toned skin.
And the jet-black dress made her look both exceptionally alluring and elegant.
"She's certainly a noble Divine Beast, I'll grant her that... Not that I could ever say so in front of Miho."
That concluded my assessment of the Divine Beast in human form.
I had confirmed everything I needed. It was time to leave.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot leave until the assembly has concluded."
"Huh...?"
When I tried to slip out of the assembly hall, the guards at the door blocked my way.
"It's rather urgent—I need to use the restroom. Couldn't you make an exception?"
"No. Nobody may leave before the assembly has fully concluded."
"Look, if you're going to be that inflexible..."
Just as I was about to argue, the guards pointed somewhere.
I looked where they pointed and saw a devotee who had already urinated on himself, yet continued calling out to Yata.
"This is insane...!"
"Our love for Lady Yata is absolute. If you are also a believer, please endure a little longer."
"...Fine, I get it."
With a maniac like that in the mix, I couldn't press the issue any harder. I had no choice but to return to my spot and wait for the assembly to end.
I could only pray that the fox was behaving herself...
"Well then, today's prophecy begins now!"
In that instant, the hall changed completely.
The once-deafening hall fell so completely silent that not even a breath could be heard.
I looked around. Every devotee had taken out a notebook and was listening intently to Yata.
Before, they had resembled die-hard idol fans. Now they looked like students attending a famous lecturer.
"First, regarding the Harvest Festival this week, postpone it by one month. If you don't, it will be ruined. Still, don't delay it too long. You'll need to prepare for a typhoon coming two months from now."
The fanatics scribbled down every word Yata spoke.
They accepted as solemn truth statements that any ordinary person would have dismissed as nonsense.
"On the morning three days from now, a wild boar will appear on the west side of the village and cause chaos in the streets, so make plans. Also, one of the restaurants in the city center might cause a case of food poisoning, so conduct food-safety inspections well beforehand."
"That's incredibly detailed."
Since this was my first time encountering one of her prophecies, it should have sounded like a joke to me.
But she spoke with such precision, and so seriously, that it started to feel oddly credible.
"That concludes the major prophecies! Now I will divine the futures of those with reservations and five other followers I select myself."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a few followers made their way up onto the stage. Clearly, those were the ones who'd reserved slots.
"Starting from the right. You are..."
Yata proceeded to reveal the personal futures of the devotees, one by one.
Each of them was deeply moved; some even began to cry.
"Next, I'll designate the five who haven't received a prophecy. So go ahead, each of you, show me the offerings you've brought!"
"Lady Yata!! Please, pick me!"
"No, pick me! Lady Yata!!"
The followers were now hoisting their offerings high, striving desperately to catch the woman's attention.
Did they truly want a prophecy that badly? I could not understand the obsession.
"Hmm... Let's start with you, and you, and you waving your hand there."
Jubilation and despair split the crowd between the chosen and the unchosen.
"The person next to you, and also..."
Yata swept her gaze over the entire congregation.
Soon her gaze reached me, and our eyes met.
"You there, come on out too!"
"Uh? M-me?"
"Yes, you. The one standing there looking all spaced out."
Yata's finger pointed directly at me.
I hadn't been holding any offerings, so I thought I'd be safe. Had she found me out somehow?
If that were the case, I would have to bolt immediately.
But now that Yata had picked me out, I had the full attention of all her fanatics, too.
There was no way I could escape cleanly.
"Hurry up and come out. Or are you saying you don't want to receive my prophecy?"
"No, it's not that, but..."
As I stood there flustered, hemming and hawing, the devotees' stares grew increasingly hostile.
I was trapped, unable to move either way.
Under that silent pressure, I had no choice but to walk onto the stage.
"Good. Then let's begin the final prophecies for today."
The Divine Beast Yata proceeded to divine the future for each of them.
Like the devotees who'd pre-booked, they wore expressions of utter fulfillment, as if they could die without a single regret.
My own expression, though, was nothing like that. I was so anxious about what Yata might do to me that I felt like I was going insane.
I wished time would stop, but Yata eventually reached me. She smiled softly and whispered in my ear.
"You stay after this is over."
"Hrk...?!"
I-I was screwed! It looked like she'd completely seen through me!
What was I supposed to do? What was the right move? Should I make a run for it while I still could?
"Today's assembly ends here! You may all disperse!"
"""Long live the Yata Church!! Long live Lady Yata!!"""
All the fanatics began chanting the same refrain and filing outside.
As they did, I was forced to remain on the stage.
"Follow me."
Once only the church’s key members remained, Yata beckoned me over.
I did not know what she intended, but there was nothing I could do in my current situation.
So I had no choice but to follow her obediently.
A single room was hidden behind the stage.
As soon as we entered the room, alone except for Tia hiding in my arms, Yata spoke.
"Did you think I, the Divine Beast of Prophecy, wouldn't have foreseen a future like this?"
"So you really are a Divine Beast."
"That's right. And I'm also the person who secretly watched you all day yesterday."
"You were watching me...?"
Yata pulled a hooded robe from a wardrobe in the corner of the room and slipped it on.
She looked identical to the woman I'd bumped into while walking through the streets a day earlier.
"You are careless. You should have considered that the other side might be watching you as well."
She took the robe back off and returned it to its spot.
"So you knew everything? That we would come here?"
"Of course. I'd have been disappointed if you hadn't."
"Then what's your reason for letting us get this close, even knowing that?"
"I wonder~? What could it be? Take a guess."
"What...?"
"It's just a quiz for fun, so you don't need to overthink it."
"Umm..."
"Hard, isn't it? I'll give you a special hint. The hint is that it has to do with my ability."
An impromptu quiz began.
I was not sure I needed to answer, but I decided to try.
A hint about her ability, huh? Her ability was peering into the future, so...
"Could it be?! A trap!"
If she'd brought me all the way here knowing everything, that was the only thing that came to mind.
She might have lured an enemy inside to eliminate a threat.
It was a common tactic, but few methods were more reliable.
If I had discovered Yata's true intention, I had to prepare at once!
"Wrong! I'm not sure how you arrived at that answer, but anyway, it's wrong."
To my anticlimactic disappointment, that was not her intention at all.
"It wasn't...?"
"If I'd been planning a trap, I would have sprung it the moment you entered the city. Or I would've tried it back at the assembly hall just now."
If her goal had been to harm me, the assembly with all her fanatics present would certainly have been a better opportunity.
There was no need to bother facing me like this just to do me in.
"Then what on earth is it?"
"Still don't know? Want me to tell you the answer?"
"Urgh..."
I had absolutely no idea what she intended.
How could a human understand the mind of a Divine Beast? The quiz had been impossible from the beginning.
"Fine, I will tell you! But since you were wrong, you will have to accept a penalty."
"P-penalty?"
"Yes, a penalty."
Slowly, Yata stepped toward me. I began to tense up, having no idea what she was about to do.
Still, seeing the mischievous smile on her face, it didn't feel dangerous. I wasn't afraid.
"Alright, here comes the penalty~!"
In an instant, Yata stood inches from my face. She grabbed the back of my head and—
"Ah?!"
She pulled me against her and kissed me by force.
"Mmgh?!"
Then her tongue slid into my mouth.
Her brown-sugar-sweet tongue swept through every corner of my mouth.
"Hnngh!!"
I tried to push Yata away, but her body would not budge, as immovable as a deeply rooted boulder.
I had no choice but to endure the deep kiss. It went on and on, and I could not escape until Yata was satisfied.
After what felt like a long while, her lips finally pulled away, leaving a single transparent thread stretching between us.
"The answer is that I wanted to do this with my future husband and Human Companion♡"
Wearing a suggestive smile, the crow licked her lips.
"Slurp♡ But this is not enough. I think I need to taste more of my future husband."
"H-hiik!!"
She was an absolute madwoman.
And then...
"Husbaaand~!"
Crunch!!
Smashing through the wooden door, the fox poked her head through the wreckage...
"Miho's here~!!"
...and she was every bit as certifiably insane.