Chapter 50 – The Onmyoji is a Fox Girl

After sреаking with Мr. Мurakami, I alsо hаd a remоte cаll with thе Dirесtоr-Gеneral.

“Тhis locаtiоn has thе роtеntiаl to bеcоme an imроrtаnt bаse, but if yоu’re thе one living therе, thаt’s reassuring. What do уоu think? Could we make thаt rоom a branch offiсе of the Lаbyrinth Мinistrу аnd stаtion an Onmyоji there?”

“I sее… Аnd how much wоuld thе аllowanсe be?”

I hаd already trаnsfоrmed into Sрiсe.

Fоr business negоtiations, use thе business fоrm.

Тhat’s the ironclad rulе.

“Let mе саlculаte that nоw. Вut аt the verу leаst, this muсh.”

“Whоа! I’ll tаke it. I соuld рaу оff this room ahead of schedule with this.”

I hopped with joy.

Now that I’m a Streamer, being able to freely use something like this is actually quite beneficial.

If the Labyrinth Ministry will also keep watch, it should be safe.

The only thing left is how to fool Mashiro.

“Mr. Murakami, what should we do about this?”

“Hahaha, the ability to change forms isn’t the exclusive patent of Witches alone. Usually, my Shikigami will be stationed here, but everyone will be able to transform into this form. Essentially, we just need to take on a form that won’t arouse suspicion.”

He muttered something like a Spell and made a hand seal in the air.

Then, something like talismans flew out of his pocket, surrounding Mr. Murakami and spinning around him.

A ring of talismans.

Just as I thought it passed smoothly from his head down to his feet…

Standing there was a girl wearing a hunting robe, with fox ears and a tail.

“Ta-daa! Actually, the form you saw earlier was just a temporary form for working in this world. For me, this form is still more convenient.”

“Ah—! A kemonomimi beauty!”

“This should resolve the issue, correct?”

“Doesn’t it create a huge issue instead?”

So, was the form I saw earlier his true form?

The Labyrinth Ministry, they’ve brought out quite the hidden ace.

This Onmyoji Murakami is definitely not human.

So, such beings are living among us, blending into our lives.

I always thought the Labyrinth Ministry’s ability to govern the world couldn’t be explained by authority alone.

So, they’ve been incorporating these non-human entities.

“Fellow comrades, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Fellow comrades!?”

“Spice-san, you’re a Witch, aren’t you?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true…”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

“Ah, wait, Director-General! Spice has been thrown into an unbelievable situation here!!”

The call ended.

Well, fine.

When Mashiro comes, Mr. Murakami will either shut himself in that room or pretend to be a pet animal.

“Despite how I look, I can also transform into a beast, you know.”

“Isn’t that just what you look like?”

“I can transform into a fox.”

“Isn’t that just what you look like!?”

She chanted another Spell and was enveloped by the ring of talismans.

In an instant, Mr. Murakami turned into a fox.

This is your true form, isn’t it?

‘Master has brought a yokai into the house—!! This won’t do—!! This is the domain of Grimoires—!!’

‘Mmm, animals damage books—! Coexistence is difficult—!’

“Hohohoho, I won’t do anything like that. See, I’m a clever fox who even uses a lint roller to clean my own fur.”

‘Wh-what—!? Mmm, foxes these days are evolving—!’

‘Ignite, don’t be fooled! This one’s a shapeshifting fox! I knew it—! …Huh? But I sense a Metamorphose Fragment from this fox?’

“That’s right! What a fateful connection! My ancestors, long ago, were beings bathed in a magical book that fell from the distant sky. Perhaps there’s a connection.”

“Hmm, strange twists of fate… My home is turning into a den of monsters.”

Mashiro, who seems to be targeting me.

Is this place really okay…?

And so, my home grew noisy once again.

“I shall convene a household meeting.”

‘Wah wah wah, dondon don, puff puff puff—’

‘Mmm, an important meeting—! What shall we do—?’

“It’s probably about the Otherworld connected through the window, right? Since I’ve also been tasked with analyzing it, I’ll be peeking in from time to time to investigate which parts of this world it’s connected to.”

“Can we use it for streaming? Oh, we could just say it’s part of a popular VR thing.”

“But wouldn’t that mean it’s a non-existent game, so there’d be no Listeners to share it with?”

“Right, that would give it away… Actually, maybe it’s fine if it gets exposed. We could promote it as ‘a mysterious Dungeon connected through VR’ or something.”

“Ah—, that might work!”

‘Foxes are cunning, aren’t they—!’

“My, my, Grimoire-san, you’ve lived a long life, so it’s only natural a little mold might grow on your way of thinking. Why don’t you go dry out at the coin laundry over there?”

Such an elegant joke!

‘Grr—!! Y-you, you’re sharp-tongued—!!’

‘Mmm, calm down—! Pointless conflict produces nothing—! We should only engage in conflicts we can win and feel good about—!’

“They’ve hit it off in no time. If the fox is something like a descendant of the Metamorphosis Grimoire, then it makes sense.”

I got a new home, encountered a mysterious Otherworld Gate there, the Labyrinth Ministry Onmyoji who came to investigate is a fox, and that fox is a descendant of a Grimoire.

It’s like a traffic jam of information, but since everything is connected, it’s not too confusing.

“By the way, Murakami is a pseudonym.”

“I thought so. It’s Murakami because the era of the Onmyoji Abe no Seimei was during Emperor Murakami’s reign, right?”

“That’s right—. So, when I’m not in a suit, please call me Shino.”

“Understood, Ms. Shino.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now then, about the work of exploring the Otherworld… Would it be alright if Spice-san came along?”

“Of course. And I can stream it, right?”

“Of course. We have the Director-General’s approval.”

The Otherworld, which could become new material for streaming and also seems to function like a Gate that can Teleport to somewhere in this world.

If things go well, I might even be able to attack the Witch from here.

In other words… I might be able to both stream and avenge my grandmother without even leaving the house!

Is this also what they call being a shut-in?

As I pondered this, Flota and Shino began arguing loudly again right before my eyes.