Mob Yandere

Chapter 174-4

[Part 4/4] * * *

"Excuse me for disturbing you so early in the morning? I'm taking up your time when you're with Hina."

"No, please don't mind. If it's an offer from mother-in-law, I won't hesitate at any time."

This was a conversation between Onitsuki's advisor and the wife of the head in Oumi estate in one of its rooms.

The sudden meeting was cut short, as Onitsuki Sumire, who was teaching her daughter sword skills in the estate's dojo, excused herself, changed her clothes, and welcomed her husband's mother into her room with respect.

"Please have some tea."

"Thank you."

With a gentle smile, the wife offered tea to her mother-in-law. She smiled politely, but didn't take the teacup, which was emitting a faint steam.

It might have been considered impolite. However, considering the advisor's reputation as a black widow, it wasn't surprising. The number of people who wanted to poison her tea was countless. It was necessary, but she had done some outrageous things back then.

"...This scent. Is it Western region's Iwaue?"

"Yes. I've been drinking it for a long time. It's not high-class, but it's a reassuring taste."

"Hmm. I see."

Kochou was secretly spitting in disgust. Iwaue tea leaves, Iwaue, banshi, companion in death... Was she being told to drink that? Was it a provocation?

(Oh no, stay calm, stay calm...)

Kochou barely managed to keep her emotions from showing on her face. Normally, she wouldn't get angry over something like this, but... when it comes to him, she just can't help but prioritize her emotions, and that's a problem.

"Speaking of tea leaves..."

With the goal of calming herself down, Kochou starts making small talk. She talks about tea leaves, the art of tea-making, and etiquette, naturally guiding the conversation. The lady in front of her smiles...

"Ah, yes. I have something I'd like to offer you."

And with that signal, 2 doll-like attendants enter the room, carrying a ornate chest between them.

"What's this?"

"It's for you. My son has been waking up early for his duties, and I've prepared this for you."

Sumire opens the lid, and what's revealed is truly breathtaking. The vibrant colors of the outfit are stunning, and the texture is even more amazing...

"Oh my, this is incredible!"

She reaches out to touch it, and she acknowledges that it's a top-notch item. She lets out an impressed sigh.

"This is a fitting gift for Onitsuki's wife, don't you think? I'll give it to you. Of course, I've prepared one for my son as well. It would be wonderful if you could wear them together."

Kochou praises her, beaming with joy.

"...Is this not silk? What kind of fabric is this?"

Sumire's words, questioning the material, make Kochou smile.

"It's spider silk. You've heard of it, haven't you?"

"Yes. That makes sense, logically speaking."

Before Sumire returned to the Onitsuki main house, a high-ranking spider youkai was defeated. The threads in its nest and its belly were divided and distributed to the Imperial Court and the exorcist families according to their characteristics. They were top-quality materials for making cursed tools and other items.

"You're being really extravagant with your orders, aren't you?"

"I had to do it for my son and daughter-in-law. I forced open the storehouse... and it's not like there's a limit to what I can do."

"..."

The wife fell silent, pierced by Kochou's sharp, suggestive words. Her gaze, devoid of emotion, was fixed on her mother-in-law. Her smile was stuck on her face like a mask.

"Are you keeping the child spider... over there? Won't you entrust it to me?"

"...I thought it was a secret known only to the Household Member Coordinator, but I'm shocked you know about it."

Sumire's words were like a spell, and the black butterfly woman smiled. Kochou had suspected that when he was sent to the orphanage on the outskirts of the city, the spider that was his lifeline and heart was being kept as collateral. It was a cruel, violent precaution.

Kochou almost spat out an insult but swallowed her words and spun them into a new phrase.

"It's just a trivial matter, after all. And that spider is a valuable asset for the Onitsuki family, as well as a danger."

The child spider, imbued with divine energy, could itself become a material for spiritual medicine. Its bodily fluids and threads were also valuable. It was a golden goose that laid golden eggs. Truly, it was a treasure.

"At the same time, considering what happened when it was discovered, it's a dangerous existence. The Imperial Court might confiscate or order its destruction. We might be accused of hiding our crimes."

Kochou's words were not exaggerated at all. It was a completely plausible story. Many exorcist families hide their forbidden secret arts and tools, and they're not punished because they keep them hidden. If they're exposed, naturally, there will be consequences.

"For my son's sake, I want to take on the burden. After all, is it okay to put a burden on the family head who is still recovering from an illness?"

That's what Kochou said, as if offering someone's lifeline. That was the entire purpose of this gathering.

"Would you sacrifice your own position for your husband's sake?"

"Ah, of course, that's a given."

Sumire asked, and Kochou affirmed it with absolute certainty. Affirmed, and denied.

She'll sacrifice myself for her husband. But, it's not clear whose husband she's referring to.

"It's the utmost love I can offer, don't you think? I couldn't spoil him too much, so at least...?"

"He" had inherited his blood, resembled him, and loved him just like he did. She couldn't do that, so at least she wanted to offer her body during times like this.

"Is that...unlike your usual self, Mother-in-law?"

"There's nothing like that, is there? Husbands and wives share their burdens, and parents and children take on each other's burdens. That's the ideal family, isn't it?"

Hohoho, the Advisor laughed brightly. She wasn't lying. She believed that. But, the family recognized by society and her own family were different, that's all.

The Onitsuki Kochou didn't have much affection for the Onitsuki family, nor did she find any value in protecting them. She was a woman who didn't love anyone. If one had to say, she might still have some affection for Uemon, the first and last child, who was abandoned.

Forced pregnancy, a hateful child... but the first child was abandoned by that man, and the last child was neglected. That's why, in contrast, Kochou was able to love them as a mother. In Uemon's case, the reason was that she was able to love the boy who was kind to her. He was lovable. She'll allow it.

...If someone harms that child, she won't show mercy, and if that child asks for something, her love will be as far as her hands can reach.

"...It's just my own opinion. I'm just an outsider, not even a real wife. I need to hear that person's thoughts."

After a brief hesitation, there was a response. That was the effect of the gift. Kochou didn't think it was a threat, but rather a temporary stall for time. The advisor's connections to the imperial court were vast and deep, and had been suffering from a long-term sense of loss. It wasn't impossible to secure the spider in exchange for her son, but it was still a difficult task. That's why she delayed coming to a conclusion...

(But, can't I rely on that family's help?)

The main family of the Ako house was caught up in the Western region's Seki City disturbance, and everyone except the youngest daughter was away from the capital. The adopted daughter was a kind of untouchable existence in the Akou house, but if she asked for help, there was a good chance they would accommodate her. The Western disturbance was convenient for that reason, and that's why Kochou took this opportunity.

"I'm not saying it has to be immediate. However, I would be delighted if I could get an answer as soon as possible. Secrets tend to leak out as time passes. Isn't that right?"

"..."

Sumire was only smiling quietly, succumbing to Kochou's sweet pressure. Seeing her daughter-in-law's attitude, Kochou judged that she would attack once more.

"Right, right. May I see the child God once again? I need to confirm what kind of being it has become. And, I'd also like to examine how you're confining it."

Verification of the management system... it was a pursuit that couldn't be avoided. It was a legitimate request and a rightful reason. Sumire couldn't refuse.

"Wait a moment."

Acknowledging that she couldn't avoid showing it, Sumire stood up. She then searched the shelves in the room and took out a wooden box with countless talismans attached to it.

"The box made of sacred wood has seals and talismans... what about the anti-theft measures?"

"The box itself has a curse cast upon it."

This conversation between Kochou and Sumire, who had seen the box that sealed away something akin to a heart, was a probe and a restraint. Kochou declared that she wouldn't permit a sloppy guarantee.

"Okay, okay. What's inside?"

"Cursing a god itself?... If you curse a person, you'll get punished, and it's even worse if you curse a god. That's an act that even the gods would fear, right?"

Kochou sneered inwardly. She didn't want to see the second act. It was fortunate that her son wasn't making a stupid choice. Knowing him, he might even sacrifice that woman to a bad spirit. Maybe she's keeping him around to control Aoi.

(In any case, what a foolish woman.)

The evaluation Kochou directed at the woman from the Ako family, who was carefully unsealing the box, was scathing. She was a woman who would abandon her own daughter to support a man who didn't love her. And, if needed, she might even sacrifice herself... Kochou couldn't understand such an abnormal person.

...From a third party's perspective, Kochou's words were half-directed at the mirror, filled with insults. But Kochou didn't mind. She didn't think it was the same, so it wasn't a problem.

"...Well, that's the end of it."

Even as her mother-in-law continued to hurl insults, the daughter-in-law was busy unsealing the final seal, and then she opened the last one. The very last one. She opened the lid of the vase inside the wooden box. She peeked inside. And then....

"Hmm?"

"Wh-what is this?!"

Sumire tilted her head quietly. Kochou was speechless, gazing into the jar. She was shocked. Her blood ran cold. She looked at Sumire.

"You...!!?"

"What do we do now? This is unbelievable."

Kochou glared at her with sharp, accusatory eyes, while Sumire seemed to be discussing the matter with someone else. It was as if they were having completely opposite reactions.

The only thing between the two of them was an empty vase....