— Prepare yourself, son, there's a big job coming up in two days. — Seeing my interest, my mother continued with a grin. — There is a magical settlement near the city of Yokohama. It used to be considered completely neutral and was inhabited by both mages and ayakashi.
A peaceful place... it was. The hysteria has seriously damaged the authority of the lords, and the mages are wary of the peaceful ayakashi, so all the people left the village a year and a half ago. The Ayakashi have not changed much, as they live in such settlements by subsistence farming and gathering magical plants to sell. Recently, however, observers from the Toriyama Clan have been discovered.
— What is a clan I've never heard of?
— A young clan that specializes in fighting and taming magical beasts. It's known that they joined the Battle Block a month ago. — I nodded that I understood, and my mother continued. — The essence of the operation is the evacuation of civilians. The main fighters will stand in a cordon to contain a possible attack. Our job is to work with the population, the leadership and, in extreme cases, the last line of defense. We'll work in groups of three, and Chika and Musumi will go with you. — My mother smiled broadly at my reaction — a heavy sigh of sadness.
— What, there were no other candidates?
— I wasn't the one who formed the groups. — The woman grinned wryly, echoing the grin of the wry 'maids.
— Well, I don't trust any of them anyway, so it doesn't matter. — I waved my hand, sipping hot, sweet coffee with milk.
— Well, what are you doing? Good girls, playful! — said the indignant mother. — And beautiful, too! Or not to your taste?
Yes, I thought you didn't have a hand in forming the groups, and I don't understand your intentions.
— Why do you want to tell me why we're involved in this?
— We're providing assistance within the framework of the alliance. — All the playfulness and joking is gone.
— So not much help so far, huh? And I don't see any thanks, except for words. What's in it for me?
— Sword repair, safe shelter, your studies. Isn't that enough for you? — and gave me a hard look.
And that's when I realized that I had been tricked. I've read the historical chronicles of various clans, including descriptions of great deeds, favors, and help. The same swords were not given to people by the Ayakashi, but there were gifts of a similar "weight category", including the Battle Rosary "Whip of Seventy Sins". This artifact weapon looks like red temple beads for counting prayers, but the essence of it is that the owner of the "whip" can increase its length at will, turn it into a whip, or bind it.
In addition, each rosary bead has the seals of binding, weakening, drying, and several options for inflicting pain. "Even a ghost can be captured and destroyed with a whip, which I received as a trophy during my escape. So the chronicles say that the masters always repaired their gifts for free and without conditions, if they were not used for evil. That's true. So what am I being charged for? For accommodation? I could have rented a house from a simple ayakashi myself. For tuition? You don't pay as much for that kind of training as it costs for me to walk around in the astral plane. I've been cheated. By me.
And my mother got something out of it, some favor, some arrangement, it doesn't matter. What is important is that I do not think it is necessary to let me know about her plans, to play blind and later to be confronted with the fact. It's unpleasant.
Very uncomfortable. A burning irritation stirred inside me: why was I so gullible? After all, they had already shown me how to live here, taught me a lesson. And me? I'm a fool. Well, Mother, so what? She has her own thoughts and ideals, and she lives according to them.