The Reincarnated Onmyoji Who Returned From Another World ~ I Was Reincarnated Into An Onmyoji Family On The Verge Of Decline, But Thanks To My Experience As A Hero Who Fought In Another World And The Magical Power Training I've Been Doing Ever Since I Was Born, This Life Seems Like It Will Be Easy ~ - Chapter 27&28

Chapter 27: The Letter

It was a mental interference attack. I didn’t possess any technique to repel them. All I could do was speak to Margaret-chan and assist her in repelling the mental interference attack with her own will. That was all I could do, but thanks to Margaret-chan’s strength of will, she was able to return safely.

That should have been the happy ending… but I mustn’t forget about the existence of that traitor. While I was focused on Margaret-chan, that Haruma guy had escaped, but my father was handling that situation accordingly.

Apparently, Haruma was already in a state where his magical power was considerably depleted from his battle with me. That was apparently the reason why he couldn’t win against an opponent he normally shouldn’t have difficulty to defeat. My father captured the Haruma I had let escape and took him alive.

Incidentally, the official story wasn’t that I played a major role, but rather that my father and Olivia-san had cooperated and made their maximum effort, and in the end, Margaret-chan’s power defeated the traitor. I was still not thought of as much of a person by many people.

“Phew… somehow, having no one next to me feels a bit lonely.”

A week after all that commotion, I was feeling somewhat melancholy. Margaret-chan, who had always been by my side, had returned to the Williams family’s headquarters in Europe.

The Williams family had scattered around the world only because the defensive posture of their headquarters had collapsed. Once that had returned to its original state, the Williams family members would naturally return to their headquarters, Margaret-chan among them.

“Indeed, the fact that Margaret-sama is not beside Touya-sama does create a great sense of unease.”

The housekeeper spoke to me as I was feeling lonely about this fact.

“However, it seems to be the same for her as well?”

“Hm?”

“A letter addressed to Touya-sama from Margaret-sama has arrived by express delivery.”

“Ah, really?”

She’d went to the trouble of writing me a letter. That made me happy.

“I’ll bring it over… though it’s heavy.”

“Hm?”

The letter was heavy? What on earth was she trying to bring in?

“Here it is.”

That question was instantly resolved when I saw the massive bundle the housekeeper brought.

“…Eh? What is this?”

A book… no, this wasn’t at the level of a book. What could be described as two dictionaries’ worth… such an enormous amount of paper was placed before me, and I was overwhelmed.

“Eh, ehhh…?”

No, this… how many days would it take to finish reading? Actually, was there even enough content to write this much?! Taking a quick look at the contents, I saw things like thanks for that day, how fun it was being together while in Japan, and so on. That kind of content was written there.

“This much feeling for Touya-sama. You are loved, aren’t you?”

“U, uhm?”

At this volume, wasn’t this some kind of harassment… no, that would be rude to Margaret-chan. I knew plenty of ways to harass someone with letters, but even so, these letters contained the feelings of the person who wrote them. I shouldn’t make such assumptions before reading it.

“…I guess I’ll steadily read through it when I have time.”

“Please do. When you write a reply, please give it to me. I’ll send it to Europe.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

I nodded at the housekeeper’s words and for now, started with just one page. I began looking through Margaret-chan’s writings.

Chapter 28: The Shrine Maiden of the Far East

Social Debut

Time progressed, and I reached the age of a first-year elementary student. Until now, I had barely left the house and spent most of my time practicing onmyoji arts, but finally, at the age when I would become a first-year elementary student, I was to make my debut in high society for the first time.

Today, I was invited to a gathering of onmyoji where children who were about to become elementary students and their parents came together. The host was the Tsuchimikado family, Japan’s most prestigious noble house that had traditionally produced the Onmyoji-no-kami, the head of the Onmyoji Bureau, the organization that governed Japan’s onmyoji.

“Ugh… I’m getting a bit nervous.”

With my first social debut being at such a prestigious family’s venue, I was naturally nervous. Since long ago, even when I had been a hero in another world, I hated parties. I’d left the social appearances to my companions and had busied myself solving problems in various places alone.

Hmm… I thought that was fine at the time, but if I had known things would turn out like this in the future, I should have properly attended those parties too. I didn’t have much confidence in my manners.

My father was busy, and my mother came from common origins. I hadn’t received much enthusiastic education on the subject either. The housekeeper didn’t seem very strong in that area as well. She said she could only manage the manners of a servant.

“…On top of that, for my father to fall ill… Nothing like this should have ever happened.”

Originally, I shouldn’t have had to go to such a nerve-wracking place. After all, I was still just a child who hadn’t yet become an official elementary student.

While the parents were greeting each other, I was just supposed to play with other children in the room where the kids were frolicking, and that would be the end of it. But what’s this? Because my father had suddenly fallen ill and collapsed, I ended up having to show my face as the acting head of the Koutoku family in place of him.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing?”

Inside the Tsuchimikado family’s mansion, which was far more spacious than my own home, I shook my head at the words of the black-suited man leading me. This was bad. My thoughts were coming out of my mouth as soliloquy.

“That’s good then. The difficulty of your position, I understand. However, everyone here is a comrade who fights the same demons. Please don’t feel burdened and enjoy yourself at leisure. This is the entrance.”

The man who had come before me as a guide stopped in front of a large sliding door and opened it.

“Thank you for the guidance.”

Between a servant and me, who had come as the acting head of an onmyoji family, I held the superior position. Speaking only words from above, I passed through the sliding door and entered the great hall. The moment I set foot inside, however, the party venue that had been filled with conversation fell into silence.

“…”

Well, I understood that people would fall silent when a child suddenly entered, but did they have to go quiet so obviously? It made my heart ache. I was surrounded by adults. Moreover, they were all first-class onmyoji. The presence they emanated was that of seasoned veterans, and just from the magical power leaking out, you could tell they were skilled. Clearly, I was out of place.

“…”

Now, what should I do? Even if they said it was a simple social appearance, I still didn’t know what I was supposed to do. My father had said I didn’t need to approach anyone myself, so maybe I should follow those words? Still, while this was a rigid Japanese house, only this party venue had a Western-style interior. It felt like I’d suddenly entered another world.

■■■■■

The Koutoku family. That was the name of a clan that once made its name as a prestigious family in the onmyoji world, freely manipulating shikigami. However, after a certain incident that had occurred over a hundred years ago, that clan had rapidly lost its power and was now a shadow of its former selBut

However, rumors were now being whispered in earnest that a prodigy had been born to such a Koutoku family.

They said the Koutoku family head’s purchase of tools for the shikigami summoning ceremony was unusually urgent and quick. They whispered that he was acknowledged by that Hyakujuu beastman. They said a still-young boy had contributed to the capture of a traitor from the Tsuchimikado family.

They were rumors that were thought to be mostly dubious. How much of it was true? Many secretly looked forward to meeting the Koutoku family’s only son. Therefore, when word came that the Koutoku family head had fallen ill and his son would come as his proxy, everyone secretly gave improper thanks for the Koutoku family head’s poor health.

And then, everyone finally knew… the truth behind the rumors.

The atmosphere changed completely…

…The moment one boy stepped foot inside.

“(…The sun?)”

The sun had fallen before their eyes. That was the magnitude of presence that could be mistaken for such. His bearing was unthinkable for a boy still so young. The density of the curse power thinly wrapped around his body was heavy. His rainbow-bearing eyes seemed to see through everything.

And above all, there was an indescribable weight.

Eyes were drawn to him. Mouths closed and stared at him. At that existence.

“(…That’s the Koutoku family’s…)”

“(I see… so that’s the real thing…)”

“(Interesting. His presence is first-class. I wonder how much skill he has?)”

Everyone present, along with their awe, came to know the name and existence of the Koutoku family’s next head.

Touya.