【Ch. 9 - Sudden Development ②】

I stood frozen in that instant for a while. Without warning, Kitohana-sama dropped quite the bomb into my lap when she reappeared. That smile she had plastered on her face when she did so hasn't disappeared yet either.

"Well, Takeda? It does you no good to keep maidens waiting, you know~"

That isn't the issue here! I look behind me where Tama-san was standing. Hm? Hmmm? She looks like she's deep in thought. Isn't this the point where you're supposed to get mad? Rebuking this kami who seems to be matchmaking without being prompted to?

Were you actually, maybe, considering it?

"...Tama-san?"

"Ah. Sorry. I was just trying to figure out how to get past this meddlesome kami's defenses."

That pattern, huh? I thought for a moment that I was going to to see another side to her character. Even I could pick out based on her prior conversations with Kitohana-sama that she didn't have that much luck in the dating department.

I can't help but wonder why that would be the case. Her personality up until now wasn't really the type that should cause many problems. Well, unless you got on her bad side, but that's true of anyone. Really, the only problem would be her height and borderline youthful appearance but some guys were into that. Was her luck just that bad, or was there something else?

Not that there was much use speculating at the moment.

"Such a quick temper! This does no favors for your appeals to Takeda, Tama-chan."

Kitohana-sama once again was holding an unfurled fan in front of her mouth, no doubt amused at the current situation. A dozen or so small fireballs flew about the chamber, presumably conjured by Tama-san. They seemed to be probing Kitohana-sama's defenses quite aggressively, but were always stopped short by some sort of barrier.

So she was just straight up trying to attack a kami now. Was this really okay?

"Uh, Tama-san? Should you really be doing that?"

"Doing what now? I'm simply helping Kitohana-sama practice her defenses."

"That's definitely not what's going on here!"

"Ufufu. Pay no mind, my dear. This is quite a frequent happening. I would hardly be offended by such a heartfelt gesture to refine my senses against incursions."

A sense of these two's relationship was very clearly forming in my head. Somehow, I couldn't help but feel a touch of sympathy for Tama-san here. I should try to get to the root of the problem right now, though.

"Either way, now wouldn't be the time to start talking about dating, right? I mean, I just met her today."

"Ah, but it is precisely for that reason that it is opportune for dear Tama-chan here. You have yet to witness her woeful attempts at courtship. Such a first impression is quite rare for this unfortunate one. It would be a waste to forsake it."

Oh. The fireballs got bigger.

"The hell do you mean by that?!"

"My, did I state anything that should stir your ire?"

Dear gods, please someone stop her. Wait, she was a god herself. This might be hopeless. I could not directly see her face or expression, but just her eyes were unbelievably smug.

"W-wait! It's not like Tama-san would agree anyway even if I said yes!"

"Haah? Who are you to assume I would say no?"

Huh?! Please don't throw more curveballs right now!

"Eh?!"

She turns to face me with an irritated expression. The fireballs begin to dissipate around us. Well, that was one problem solved, but what was this sudden sense of foreboding?

"Haa— Right. If you were truly willing to go to the lengths of asking me out, its not like I would not consider it. It is simply irritating that such a suggestion come from this capricious kami."

"Um, I see."

"Firstly, though, there would be need to be an establishment of at least a mutual understanding of where both of us stand within such a relationship. After-all, this is still establishing a relationship between a human and a spirit. Matters like this require careful forethought."

"Yes?"

"Of course, a major typical hurdle itself is already behind us. Normally, approaches are quite messy given the need to feign a regular human relationship at first. It is actually somewhat ideal that a candidate themselves are established with knowledge of the spiritual realm, but given said individuals typically use their own energy, they make poor fits for us. In a way, you yourself is quite the ideal candidate..."

Uh, what was this? It didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon, either. I look toward Kitohana-sama in my confusion.

She had dropped her smug demeanor and was simply looking at Tama-san with a defeated look. When she looked my way, it felt like she was just telling me to give up.

"...My responsibilities as a messenger of Inari-sama are quite important to consider, and as such my schedules tend to be typically varied and inconsistent. This, I imagine, is an important consideration given times to meet may not be as regular as one would hope. Furthermore..."

This continued for quite a while. I had stopped listening halfway through and just simply nodded along until the end of her lengthy spiel.

"...In short, I wouldn't necessarily deny some interest in a romantic relationship with you, Takeda-kun. It would be quite beneficial in a variety of ways I think. Perhaps you have some questions, yourself?"

"I'm not even sure where to start. In the first place, is this even a relationship that involves love for you?"

She tilts her head in response to my question.

"I mean, yes of course? It would do me no good if there was no love in a romance."

It didn't seem like she was lying or misunderstanding that aspect, at least. Still, this way of courtship...? Well, it was something else. Could you even consider this courtship? Was this what Kitohana-sama was referring to as woeful? I'm starting to get a picture of how her dates usually went.

"...I see. Um, at any rate, I don't think I'm ready to start dating right now, so lets just drop this idea."

"Hm, is that so? Tch. Very well."

Did she just click her tongue? Yeah, lets just pretend I didn't notice that.

"So, uh, Kitohana-sama. Why did you even bring this up, apart from messing with Tama-san?"

"Hm? Must I require another reason?"

Seriously, this kami. Fireballs were starting to form up again, too. Time to change topics!

"What about the tome?! You said something about permissions?"

"Ah, of course. This and that are not entirely unrelated. The conditions of resolving your little aura issue would have been quite easily reached had you entered a relationship with Tama-chan, afterall."

"What do you mean?"

"The tome in which I have procured is quite lean on details pertaining to the suppression of the aura itself. It is, instead, filled quite to the brim with exacting steps in conducting contract rituals with various spirits. Which is to say, to suppress one's aura the first time, one must establish their first contract."

So her plan was to contract me to Tama-san in the end.

"One does not need to advertise oneself if they are no longer seeking candidates, and so until you learn to control it yourself, this is by far the easiest way to control your initial release."

"What does any of that have to do with dating, though?"

"There are quite a number of methods to establish a contract without needless rigmarole if the two of you are in such a relationship. Strictly speaking, carnal relations seem to be the most expedient and straight-forward method to establish one~"

"Even if that's the case, we wouldn't have gone that route even if I agreed to date Tama-san!"

"Ho? I was simply going to recommend it. Tama-chan does peruse quite the amount of media regarding such risque affairs. Quite the curious little-"

Boom. A cracking explosion suddenly fills the room. Papers and writing instruments fill the air, and I shield my face from the sudden flying debris.

Once the dust settles, I snap my head to face Tama-san who seemed to have thrown quite the fireball at Kitohana-sama. Her face was burning red, although I'm not sure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"I would have said no, too!"

Kitohana-sama herself was completely unharmed, smiling through the settling cloud of smoke.

"Is that so? How unfortunate~. Even so, this does leave the various methods involving more intimate actions inadvisable. A simple blood-based contract is all that remains. How droll."

"...That doesn't sound all that complicated or filled with rigmarole, though?"

"Is it not rigmarole if the actions are simply boring? No hint of romance at all! Hmph."

She was pouting. This presumably divine kami was pouting. I press against my temples with a hand. If this is what Tama-san had to deal with on a regular basis, I understand the desire to at least get a hit on her. I glance at Tama-san who was similarly looking quite fed up.

"You know, I still haven't agreed to this contract either. I am quite happy remaining a simple messenger."

"My, are you willing to throw poor Takeda here to one of your peers? It is almost certain that a carnal method, one which he seems disagreeable with, would be utilized."

"No thank you!"

I pleaded in earnest. There was almost no way there'd be any sort of consent on either end of the equation if that were to happen.

"...And if I still refuse?"

"How cold."

"I'm sure there are other ways to establish a contract."

"My, but I have already petitioned Inari-sama to relieve you of your messenger duties in light of the re-emergence of an Onmyōji such as Takeda. With circumstances as they are, we deemed you to be the most appropriate contract candidate. Still, it is not as if we can press you into accepting if you adamantly refuse."

"In that case-"

"However! Given your unique lack of attraction to Takeda, it would be quite necessary to have you on hand if anything were to go wrong and he require an intermediary or rescuer. After-all, this case is so far unique and we are uncertain of the efficacy of the methods outlined in this tome on Takeda. Or even if they proved effective, whether they would persist. So! If you were to refuse, Inari-sama and I agreed that you would continue your messenger duties underneath my direct dominion. Alongside any others we find with similar dispositions, of course."

"..."

"I do look forward to our more frequent conversations, Tama-chan~♪."

Wow. That was quite the look of disgusted annoyance on Tama-san's face there. She turns to face me, her expression stiff.

"Takeda-kun."

"Yes?"

"Would you grant me the honor of contracting me as your first shikigami?"

Looks like I won't be seeing less of Tama-san after-all.