I have an infinite number of shikigami-Chapter 22 - 20. Yukino Riho and Furukawa Conference Hall

A little past one o'clock on Friday afternoon, Yukino Ritsuko visited the [Furukawa Conference Hall] at Sangen Chaya.

This antique mansion is located at the end of a long uphill road, where long willow branches stretch out from the stone courtyard wall. A gentle breeze sweeps by, causing the willow leaves to sway silently like a group of lost souls.

The main gate is traditional, with angles.

The nameplate is quite new, with the word "Furukawa" outlined in black ink.

Yukino Ritsuko pressed the doorbell, then lifted her face to the camera, stating her name.

The iron gate slowly opened; as she stepped in, it closed behind her. In the camera screen, as usual, she crossed the courtyard and walked along the path towards the old house. The area was silent, and the courtyard was in full bloom with cherry blossoms.

Arriving at the small gate leading to the backyard, there were a few plastic chairs placed there, and a large man sat reading a newspaper.

He was about thirty years old, with a shaved head and a carefully trimmed beard on his chin, looking very much like a professional house guard or bouncer.

In fact, that was exactly his occupation, the bodyguard of the conference hall owner, and sometimes he also worked as a driver.

"Hello, Mr. Kamiya." Yukino Ritsuko greeted him.

The man remained seated, merely lifting his head to glance at her.

"What about Madam?" she asked.

Mr. Kamiya replied, "She's taking a nap."

"I'll go in first, then."

"Alright."

Yukino Ritsuko walked past him, into a small courtyard under the eaves, and slid open the door of a Japanese room.

The room inside was about eight tatamis in size, filled with ten or so young girls in lavish kimonos. Some sat on the windowsill watching the lake outside, others chatted and played, and various musical instruments were scattered on the floor, including Western guitars and Japanese shamisen and drums, with a piano in the corner.

These were all orphans taken in by Mrs. Furukawa, consisting of both humans and yokai. They had to receive various types of training, such as combat, disguise, language, and art, ensuring that they could become elite spies or assassins in the future.

Yukino Ritsuko was hired to teach them art classes.

Living a long life allowed her to have a smattering of knowledge in music, art, flower arranging, tea ceremony, and she agreed to this since she was an old acquaintance of Mrs. Furukawa, despite a moment of hesitation when she brought it up.

There was no choice...

Madam paid too much.

If possible, Yukino Ritsuko only wanted to quietly run her bakery and live a simple life of an ordinary person. But living in such a big city as Tokyo, from the moment she opened her eyes every morning, everything except breathing cost money, which was quite stressful.

"Sister Yukino, what will you teach in today's music class?"

Upon entering, one girl greeted her with a smile, looking quite affectionate.

Seventeen or eighteen in age, with a cute oval face, her long hair was tied into a ponytail, and she appeared lively and agile.

"Let's start with the piano," Yukino Ritsuko removed her shoes and sat barefoot by the piano, "Come over here and have a closer look."

The ten or so girls gathered around, listening attentively to the pieces she played.

Among all the females in the room, Yukino Ritsuko was naturally the most stunningly beautiful, with a delicate and elegant face, beautiful eyebrows like distant mountains, and a gentle and appealing temperament. The way she sat there quietly playing the piano, had an elegant and ethereal air, with a touch of coldness, giving the impression of a soft ink-wash painting.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting shadows of the willow branches on the floor.

The lace curtains swayed, and her long hair fell over her back. She concentrated on the sheet music with serious eyes, her slender and beautiful fingers skillfully striking the piano keys, her feet stepping on the pedals. Her fair and smooth skin looked like glazed porcelain.

This scene could be captured in a painting.

When the piece was over, she instructed the girls, letting each of them try playing a segment. The day's lesson then concluded.

Just as Yukino Ritsuko put on her shoes and prepared to leave the Japanese room, the girl with the oval face who had called to her earlier quietly followed her out.

"Hey, Sister Yukino, wait a minute."

"Oh, it's Ryoko, what is it?"

"Sister Yukino, you've moved to Asakusa recently, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Kitagawa Ryoko, lively by nature, exchanged a few pleasantries with her. After ensuring no one was watching, she withdrew the bright smile on her face and lowered her voice.

"You know about that Bald Spider, right?"

"Spider?"

Yukino Ritsuko was puzzled, then looked at Kitagawa Ryoko with confusion, not quite understanding why she was asking this.

The Furukawa Conference Hall was a secret yokai meeting spot, equipped with various entertainment facilities, and yokai living in Tokyo would often gather here to communicate with their kind.

As for that Bald Spider, Yukino Ritsuko had seen it a few times, never talked to it, not familiar.

She just heard from others that the spider, along with a few other spiders, rolled into the Extreme Path gang.

"That spider died a few days ago!" Kitagawa Ryoko said in a serious tone.

Yukino Ritsuko covered her mouth in surprise, "Died?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"At a bread factory in Kagurazaka, it didn't even leave any ash."

Yukino Ritsuko nodded silently.

Her bread was procured from a factory in Asakusa, dying in Kagurazaka so far away didn't affect it.

"The cause of death still isn't clear, but it happened that a Spider Demon killed someone at the bread factory that day, and the people from Shankoku Temple went to the factory to exorcise demons at night, probably purged it as well in passing."

"That's quite unlucky."

Yukino Ritsuko sighed lightly.

As a yokai herself, she naturally did not like hearing such news.

But then again?

What does this have to do with me living in Asakusa?

"That spider's friends are searching everywhere for information and discovered a clue," Kitagawa Ryoko stood slightly on tiptoe and whispered in her ear, "Actually, the one who entered the bread factory that night wasn't a monk from Shankoku Temple but a little priest from Asakusa Shrine named Fujiwara Reya..."

Upon hearing this, Yukino Ritsuko furrowed her beautiful brows.

The Asakusa Shrine was only about five hundred meters in a straight line from her bakery, but it had long been a ruin, how could a powerful priest reside there?

"Anyway, that little priest is sure to be watched, and Asakusa may not be very safe in the coming days," Kitagawa Ryoko said with a worried expression, "Sister Yukino, you must be careful and avoid getting dragged in."

"I'll be mindful."

"If things get really bad, let Ryoko move in with you, I'm very capable and can protect Sister Yukino well!"

"Alright, we'll see once you gain your freedom."

Yukino Ritsuko laughed lightly, not paying much heed to the statement.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

They walked out together, chatting about ordinary life. Finally, they parted at the fork leading to the main gate. Kitagawa Ryoko waved with a smile, watching Yukino Ritsuko's figure disappear at the corner of the courtyard before lowering her hand.

With a bit of envy and a bit of melancholy, she couldn't quite understand why she felt this way herself.

Sister Yukino was once a member of the Furukawa Conference Hall, and even a personal maid to Mrs. Furukawa. But five years ago, she reached an agreement with Mrs. Furukawa to leave the Furukawa Conference Hall and gain her freedom. Even now, when the yokai from the conference hall see her, they still treat her with respect and politeness.

Except for occasionally teaching art lessons to earn some living expenses, she had cut ties with her former kind, living almost entirely detached from the yokai world, practically inhabiting the vast city of Tokyo as an ordinary human being.

But after all, she's not human.

Sister Yukino herself, lonely and isolated, how much longer can she endure...

Thinking of these matters, Kitagawa Ryoko sighed lightly, turning back towards the interior of the Furukawa Conference Hall.