Chapter 88

At the same time the Korean national team was finalized, the roster for the Japanese national team was also confirmed.

Unlike Korea, which had selected its national team members from various teams, Japan played a strong hand by selecting all its players from a single team.

Although dozens of countries were participating in the UA event at this year’s Olympics, it was extremely rare for a country to pick all five members from just one team.

No matter how much one valued the synergy of a team game, it was usually more beneficial in terms of overall strength to pick the ace from each team.

But despite this bold move, there were almost no complaints within Japan.

Perhaps it was to be expected.

The team that aimed for synergy by selecting all its members was none other than Kamui.

They were the previous year’s World Championship winners, a team where each and every player was considered to be World Class.

The Japanese officials predicted that Kamui, led by Kato Mikane, was more than capable of aiming for the Olympic Gold Medal.

<To be honest, I don’t think they’re all World Class-level…>

Han Youngin thought that the claim of all Kamui players being World Class was just the Japanese fans making a fuss.

In fact, having lived with Kato and watched the players’ skills up close, Han Youngin could judge them more accurately than anyone.

To Han Youngin, “World Class” meant a player with the destructive power to carry their team on the international stage.

At a time when even Kim Seunga was said to be slightly lacking to be considered World Class, it was a bit difficult to understand the claim that all of Kamui’s players were World Class.

Of course, Han Youngin agreed that all the players were at least near-World Class.

And the “near” prefix was nothing to scoff at, as even Seo Dami was still in this category.

After all, you couldn’t just slap the World Class title on a player with no international stage experience (though there was the Event Match in Jeju) and who hadn’t shown anything particularly noteworthy.

“You’re saying my kids aren’t World Class?”

He thought he was only thinking to himself, but it seemed Kato had heard him.

At her words, Han Youngin gave an awkward nod.

<Isn’t saying they’re all World Class a bit of an exaggeration?>

“Hmm. Is that so? I don’t think so-?”

Tilting her head, Kato began to evaluate her teammates.

“Then what about Sena?”

Sasaki Sena.

The Defender in charge of Kamui’s Battle Line.

A player who always showed stable gameplay, she prioritized maintaining the Line over flashy Performances.

“I think Sena is actually underrated because of her playstyle.”

<Hmm.>

Han Youngin agreed with that opinion.

During the League, there were often cases where the evaluations of officials and general fans differed slightly.

This was usually the case for players whose playstyle was subdued and whose strengths weren’t easily visible on the surface.

Let’s take another Defender as an example.

For instance, Liu Xuan, who played for Beijing Cheonryong.

During the Jeju Challenge, she had fully displayed her abilities in the match against the Korean team.

Liu Xuan was a player renowned for breaking the opponent’s line when an opportunity arose, rather than just defending her own.

No Viewer of the UA League would argue that she wasn’t World Class.

So how did she compare to Sasaki Sena?

If you asked whether Sasaki Sena was in a lower weight class than Liu Xuan, that wasn’t necessarily the case.

In fact, Han Youngin even thought, Couldn’t she hold her own?

He especially had a strong feeling that her ability to hold her position and defend wouldn’t lose out to Liu Xuan’s.

“So, my point is, if Liu Xuan is World Class, Sena should receive the same evaluation.”

<That makes sense.>

“In that way, all of my kids have their strengths. Especially when you consider their synergy with me, it’s not an exaggeration to call them World Class.”

Han Youngin couldn’t help but nod at Kato’s argument.

That was the reason why Team Kamui was so strong.

Every player on this team had strong synergy with Kato Mikane.

In any situation, executing any strategy, the players of Team Kamui could support Kato Mikane like a shadow.

It was true that if you looked at each player individually, there were World Class players in each field who were better than the members of Kamui, but they felt like players whose evaluations shot up when you considered Kato Mikane as the focal point.

<Hmm. Then who are you taking as the last member?>

Five players could be chosen from Team Kamui.

For this Olympics, one substitute player was allowed in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.

It didn’t matter which position the player was from, but the roster had to be filled with six people, so one more person had to be drafted from another team.

“We can pick anyone. What’s so important about it? We could just stick a mute ghost on the Bench and it wouldn’t affect the result at all~?”

<…Are you talking about me?>

“Nope.”

Kato said.

That player wouldn’t get to play anyway, and even if they brought a player from the Third Division League, it would have no effect on the outcome.

Of course, that didn’t mean they would actually bring a Third Division League player, but Han Youngin agreed with the opinion that whoever they brought wouldn’t be able to influence the result.

From start to finish, Japan was planning to play every single match with the members of Team Kamui.

Unless someone fell ill during the tournament, there would be no Substitution.

That’s what everyone thought, until something completely unexpected happened…

When the entire June League schedule was over, Kato Mikane received a call.

It was from her family’s main house.

The message was to come home, and Kato Mikane’s expression was not very good.

At first, Han Youngin thought the reason was that it interfered with her schedule.

Many other countries were already sending their national teams to LA, where the Olympics would be held.

This was to get them acclimated to the time difference in advance to boost their Game Performance.

It was a rather important time, so it was understandable that she would be displeased to receive a call to come home now.

But after going to the main house with her, Han Youngin realized her expression wasn’t just bad because she was in a bad mood.

The first time Han Youngin saw Kato Mikane’s family home, which they arrived at in a car provided by the team, his eyes couldn’t help but widen.

The brick wall that stretched out to the left and right of a large main gate, at a glance, surpassed the size of the Kamui Team House.

He had thought the current Team House was incredibly huge, but for a private residence to be even bigger…

The thought that any ordinary guest would be overwhelmed by its grandeur came to him automatically.

Just as he was thinking that a gate of this scale would have to be opened by someone from the inside, Kato rolled up her sleeves and, as if it were familiar, pushed the large gate open with all her might using both hands.

The world that unfolded as the gate opened was a stone-paved path running through a dense forest of trees.

It felt as if the inside and outside were different worlds, with the main gate as the boundary.

<Wait, is this really a private home?>

‘It’s not an ordinary private home.’

Han Youngin couldn’t hold it in any longer and spoke up.

What greeted Kato and Han Youngin as they stepped inside past the main gate was a large stone pillar.

Its shape resembled the Chinese character for sky, and when he asked what it was, the answer that came back was “a torii.””

She said it was something usually seen at shrines, and that it also served as a kind of barrier separating this world from another domain.

Are all houses where Onmyoji live like this?

While Han Youngin was having such thoughts, Kato quickened her pace toward the center of the mansion.

That’s when a person appeared for the first time.

Just as he was thinking that the mansion was so vast and empty of people that it felt a bit strange, a young woman appeared.

“Welcome back, Young Miss.”

At the woman’s greeting, Kato just waved her hand dismissively without a word, as if to say that was enough.

<Who was that?>

‘People who work at the mansion.’

<You don’t seem very close.>

‘It would be strange if we were.’

Kato said.

She explained that all the servants in this house were people who monitored her every move, making them extremely uncomfortable to be around.

‘There are no secrets in this house. Not during the day, and not at night.’

Saying so, Kato Mikane returned to her room and swiftly knelt on the floor.

The room, laid with tatami mats, was impeccably clean without a speck of dust at a glance, showing that it had been consistently maintained even in her absence.

Then, she opened a closet and took out a futon.

It wasn’t time to sleep yet, but it seemed she wanted to.

After laying out and patting the bedding, Kato Mikane spoke to Han Youngin in a serious tone rarely seen from her.

If they were at the Team House, she would have spoken out loud, but the fact that she kept speaking only inside his head was different from usual.

‘There will probably be a summons in the evening.’

<Okay.>

‘So, I have a favor to ask.’

A favor? Kato is asking me for a favor?

Finding it strange, Han Youngin still replied that he would and asked what she needed help with.

‘It’s simple. Later, even if it’s a little uncomfortable, please just stay still, as if nothing is wrong.’

<Is that all?>

‘Yes. That’s all.’

Kato Mikane didn’t explain why she wanted him to stay still or the reason for such a request, and simply got under the covers and lay down.

Han Youngin was terribly curious, but he couldn’t ask again.

She, who had been in a foul mood since receiving the call to come home, seemed tired and fell asleep quickly.

Soon, nothing but the sound of Kato’s breathing remained in the room that was a little too spacious for one person.

It was a bit of a boring time.

I was the type of person who only slept when it was time to sleep.

But I couldn’t very well wake up a person who was sleeping soundly, so I quietly focused on training my energy in my mind.

Ever since I started to feel this Power of the Ley Line, there had been a considerable change in me as well.

For one, I no longer ran out of energy.

Before, when I was with Dami and Yunseuli, if my energy ran low, I had to return to my original body to replenish it and come back, but now I could instantly replenish my power using the Power of the Ley Line.

It was difficult at first, but thanks to sharing senses with Kato, I was able to learn how to handle the power at an accelerated pace.

Kato probably had no idea that my skills were improving this rapidly.

At this rate, I thought I might be able to become independent before long.

The plan was to fill up on energy, perform an Out-of-Body Experience from Kato, and go wherever I wanted.

Can a Soul cross the sea?

The distance from here to Seoul is quite far…

Asking Kato would make her suspicious, so I decided to ponder this method on my own for a while longer.

Even if I was lucky enough to leave Kato and return to Super Sylph, if my kids couldn’t beat Kamui and Kato Mikane by the end of the year, that woman was the type of person who would personally come and slit my throat, saying she had to keep her promise.

As I spent my time studying on my own, Kato finally woke up.

As if they knew she had woken up, a servant came to the room like a ghost and informed her that a meal was ready.

But Kato said she had no intention of eating and told them to take it away.

Her condition must be really bad—just as I was thinking that, Kato clapped her hands and chanted an incantation.

Then, the senses connected to her were all rapidly shut down at once.

As I displayed a question mark at her sudden action, Kato sent a message to my mind.

‘You remember the promise from earlier, right? I know it’s frustrating, but please bear with it for a little while. We’ll be back at the Team House after today.’

At her serious tone, I replied that I understood.

And when I asked why on earth she had closed off my senses, she said nothing.

It seemed she didn’t want to reveal the reason.

And so, I spent a long time in a state of darkness inside my head.

What on earth was this person doing in the mansion that she would even ask me for a favor and tell me to stay still?

Could she be getting involved in something dangerous?

<Can’t I make a clock in here or something?>

With all my senses blocked, I couldn’t even tell how much time had passed.

Just when I was thinking how difficult it was to spend time in a space of nothingness, a rumbling sound was heard, and my surroundings shook violently.

I shouted out loud, “What the fuck!”

The vibration was that startling.

To say an earthquake had occurred inside Kato’s head would be a perfect description.

Startled to the point my heart was pounding, I decided to partially break my promise, though I felt sorry for Kato.

I had to know what was going on outside that was making this much noise.

Thus, I tried using the technique of handling the Earth Vein that I had been secretly practicing.

Kato probably had no idea, but thanks to sharing senses with her for a long time, I also knew well how she restricted my senses.

The control of energy, the direction of its movement.

And though I didn’t know the principle, I knew by feel why these effects occurred.

Thus, just as Kato had done, I controlled the energy and moved it in reverse.

First, my hearing opened up.

It was my first time trying it, but the effect was surprisingly good.

With a little more effort, I thought I might be able to share her Vision as well, but for now, I stopped the process there and decided to find out what was happening.

If I focused well, it seemed I could get enough information from the sound alone.

“Next is Assemblyman Yuichi’s turn.”

“…Yes.”

It was the voice of a middle-aged man I’d never heard before.

I perked up my ears and listened to the conversation.

The sound of something clattering and scattering, and Kato’s gloomy voice interpreting it, echoed in the room.

“If you are planning something big, it would be best to avoid this year.”

“He is someone who has something that must be done this year.”

“…It would be best to avoid the autumnal equinox as much as possible. The matter will surely fail.”

Isn’t this fortune-telling?

After grasping the context of the conversation, I realized she was telling fortunes.

An Onmyoji telling fortunes wasn’t such a strange act, but the problem was the effect it was having.

At the middle-aged man’s request, Kato continued to tell fortunes.

The subjects included people who worked in national affairs and people who ran large businesses.

Just as I was thinking how many people wanted her to read their fortune, a problem occurred.

With a retching sound, Kato threw something up.

I knew instinctively what had happened.

Kato had collapsed, vomiting blood.

A tsking sound of someone clicking their tongue.

When the man clapped his hands, the door opened and other people entered the room and supported Kato.

“Take her to her room, lay her down, and let the child rest.”

“Yes.”

“We will resume the remaining work tomorrow.”

“……”

That was the end of the conversation.

The middle-aged man didn’t ask Kato if she was okay.

He just notified the person, who didn’t even have the energy to speak, that they would finish the remaining work tomorrow.

And so Kato was helped to her room, as if being dragged away.

For the first time, I thought she was a little pitiful.