3 bar menu

The Crafty Journalist and the Spiritual Mafia – Part 02

Hikaru met up with Ayano in a small vacant lot near the station. There were a few empty lots like this around, and some were said to be owned by old man Doyama.

It was a sunny day, but the wind blowing down from the mountains carried a chill.

“Three, huh?”

After leaking information to overseas media just yesterday, Ayano said she received calls from three journalists today. Two of them apparently asked if it was a deepfake video.

“I see. I guess we should’ve made it look more like it was recorded using a hidden camera.”

“What’s a deepfake video?”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Lavia who asked, but Ayano.

“…”

“Wh-Why are you looking at me like that?!”

“You’re supposed to be a journalist. How do you not know that?”

“Well, I’ve heard of it, but I kind of just brushed it off. And at this point I’m too afraid to ask!”

“Here’s some serious advice: you should quit being a journalist.”

“How mean!”

It’s not mean, Hikaru thought. If there’s a word you don’t understand, it’s a journalist’s job to look it up or ask someone.

When Hikaru explained about deepfake videos, Ayano replied with a casual, “I see. With such high quality footage, you’d think it’s fake, huh?”

“Yeah. That’s my bad.”

“How did you even record them?”

“Well, you see—I’m not telling! It’s a trade secret.”

“You don’t have a trade!”

Hikaru hated her sly tricks.

“So, what’s the plan?” Hikaru asked.

“What do you mean?”

“If international media has already picked this up, you don’t need to cover it anymore. Going after a potentially dangerous story like this, especially with your lack of experience, seems risky.”

“L-Lack of experience? I suppose that’s true.” Ayano seemed upset, but was able to acknowledge the truth. “But what about Mr. Doyama? He’s still in a dangerous situation. The cops don’t seem to be taking action.”

“Unlike you, he has crisis awareness. I’m sure he contacted a security company and beefed up security. You’re the one who goes around gathering material recklessly. If you ask me, you’re more at risk than the old man.”

“Ugh.”

“In any case, time’s up. We’re pulling out of here.”

It had been eight days since Hikaru arrived in this world. In two days, Serika was going to use the spell for crossing worlds. They couldn’t stick around in this unpredictable town any longer.

I should probably inform the Four Eastern Stars about Mr. Doyama. They’ll probably care, and if they step in, it’s bound to grab a lot more attention. That should put a stop to the land acquisition.

Hikaru could publicly reveal that he was from another world and get Lavia to use some magic to garner the same attention, but since he wanted to come back to Japan in the future, he didn’t want to stand out that much.

“Time’s up? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, it’s about our schedule. Anyway, don’t do anything reckless. We’re heading back to Tokyo tomorrow.”

“What, really?! I thought you were going to protect Mr. Doyama with me!”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about. Seriously, be careful, or you might get kidnapped.”

“Ugh.”

Hikaru and Lavia left. Ayano glared at them bitterly, but they ignored her.

The town of Fujinota had few tourist attractions, with hot springs being the main highlight. But upon exploration, they discovered historic temples and renowned shrines. Since Lavia showed interest, they decided to tour the temples together.

The spacious grounds of a temple nestled in the dense cedar forest had no other visitors. The profound tranquility felt worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.

Stopping on the stone-paved path, Lavia said, “I want to buy a souvenir for Paula.”

“Right. She’s been asking for a Bible from this world.”

Hikaru had already purchased the requested “Bible.” He even bought scriptures from multiple religions, just to be thorough.

They decided to buy protective charms from the temple, but it was a mystery whether these were suitable souvenirs or if they would keep their divine blessings on the other side.

“By the way, is there anything you want, Lavia?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I know you’ve been buying books.”

Apart from physical books, Hikaru had also acquired e-books. E-book readers could last for weeks when fully charged, and he even got a solar charger, so as long as they downloaded everything, they could read for years.

Of course, physical books had a longer lifespan, as evidenced by the scrolls and wooden tablets dating back hundreds of years still present in ancient temples like the one they were in. While buying a large quantity of physical books might be better for long-term preservation, considering portability, it was impractical.

If there was something essential, Hikaru thought they could always use the spell for crossing worlds, unaware that the warehouse in the other world had been destroyed.

“I don’t necessarily want anything, but it would be nice if I could remember everything I’ve experienced in this world. No, even things from the other world… or rather, all the time I’ve spent with you.”

“I-I see.” Hikaru turned red. “Is that why you’ve been taking lots of pictures?”

He recalled Lavia using her smartphone to snap photos frequently. Initially, he thought it was just because she found taking pictures interesting, but even during their time at the inn, Lavia would often review the photos she took.

“Yup. But the battery doesn’t last that long.”

“Well, yeah. Max is about a day if you keep taking pictures.”

“We can’t take these to the other world.”

“How about printing the photos?”

“Printing?”

Hikaru explained it to the puzzled Lavia. Though it wouldn’t be a lot, they could print the best photos and take them to the other side.

Lavia’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Let’s print them!”

“You’re really into it.”

“Well, of course! I can show them to Paula too!”

Even in times like these, where she was being asked what she wanted, Lavia still thought about Paula. Hikaru found it heartwarming.

“You…”

Hikaru loved that part of her too.

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s find a place where we can print them later. There should be one around the station.”

“Okay!” Lavia was about to start walking, but then stopped. “Come to think of it, was that okay with you?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“Sasakura.”

“I thought it might be best for us to step back at this point. There doesn’t seem to be much else we can do. Does it bother you?”

“Hmm… I don’t know, but something feels off.”

“Something feels off, huh?”

Now that she mentioned it, Hikaru also felt a vague unease in his mind. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He had the skill Instinct, but it didn’t give a clear guide on anything.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t have Instinct,” Hikaru said. “Is this what they call ‘women’s intuition’?”

Lavia chuckled. “If it’s nothing, that’s fine,” she said, but once something like this caught your attention, it became hard to let go.

Despite being told to stop the coverage, Ayano Sasakura did not seem to agree. Old man Doyama maintained he would protect the mountain no matter what. Not only small-time thugs but even the Chinese mafia had gotten involved.

“And… that mountain.”

Locals referred to it as Mount Midori, the green mountain, while Doyama clearly called it Mount Midori in a different kind of way.

“I wonder if there really is a god there.”

Should they investigate? No, they only had two days left, so their options were limited.

“For now, we should focus on Doyama’s safety. Let’s try contacting Sasakura.”

As they ordered a taxi, the same talkative driver from before arrived.

“Hey, kid. Still in Fujinota, I see.”

“Hello.”

As they rode, the driver spoke about local attractions, prompting Hikaru to inquire, “There’s a mountain behind Mr. Doyama’s mansion called Mt. Midori, right?”

“Oh, yes, Mt. Midori.” The driver clearly pronounced it differently. “Locals stay away from that place. It’s kinda creepy.”

“What? I thought they used to have festivals there.”

“Ah, you’re well-informed. Well, festivals come in various types. Some celebrate harvests, others unveil precious idols. But the one there was a bit different.” The driver lowered his voice. “They sealed it to prevent curses.”

Things suddenly turned to the occult.

“Curses?”

“Yeah. It’s said that the evil god living there would curse the nearby residents.”

“What does that mean? I don’t really get it.”

“I don’t either, but apparently, something like that actually happened. People going crazy or claiming to see ghosts. It’s quite a gloomy place, so I guess it messes with your state of mind.”

It was somewhat similar to what the innkeeper mentioned, though she said something about the place being haunted.

“Have you ever visited the mountain shrine?” Hikaru asked.

“Uh, I have, back when I was a naughty kid, I guess. You know how when there’s a scary place, you want to put your courage to the test? By then, Mt. Midori was already off-limits, but we snuck in secretly.”

“I see.”

It was one of those tests of courage that people did.

“But then, one of our buddies said they saw a ghost, and it was glowing green. So we all freaked out and ran away.”

“Glowing green?”

“Like light green. Well, thinking back, we had flashlights in our hands. Maybe the light hit my friend’s eyes, and that’s what they saw.”

“A positive afterimage.”

“Those are big words.”

“So you’re not sure if it was a real ghost.”

The driver laughed heartily. “Yeah, if you ask whether it was real or not, it probably wasn’t.”

It sounded like he didn’t believe in the existence of ghosts at all.

“On a side note, can you take us there?”

“I can. Funny. You’re the second person who asked me to take them there today.”

“What?”

“I think they were foreigners. Their Japanese was a bit awkward,” the driver said casually.

Hikaru had a gut feeling that it was the Chinese mafia chasing after Ayano yesterday.

Why were they interested in Mt. Midori? Were they not only after Doyama’s land so they could resell it for profit?

“Oh, that reminds me,” the driver said. “I’ll take you there, but keep in mind it’s private property, so you can’t go inside, okay? I told the previous passenger the same thing. I hope they didn’t trespass.”

Hikaru was already lost in his thoughts and wasn’t really listening.

The entrance to Mt. Midori was situated a bit away from the Doyama residence. There was only a small set of stairs along the mountain slope, and wild vegetation had taken over the unfrequented surroundings.

A fence was installed near the entrance, and a padlock secured the gate. If someone were determined to break in, they could simply climb over the fence. In fact, the weeds on the other side had been trampled.

“Oh, boy. Looks like those guys might’ve gotten in,” the driver muttered with a hint of guilt.

“How many were they?” Hikaru asked.

“I took three with me, but there were a lot more of them waiting at the station. Maybe around ten? Now that I think about it, they looked a bit suspicious. Should I contact the police about this?”

Why are you asking a teenager?

“Yeah, it might be a good idea to notify them,” Hikaru suggested.

If both Ayano and the taxi driver reported it, the police might consider it a potential incident. The driver seemed reluctant about calling the police, saying it was a hassle.

“By the way, is the shrine over there?” Hikaru asked.

“That’s right.”

A silhouette shaped like a building was visible beyond the gentle-sloping grove.

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. We just want to go back to town. Can you take us to the station?”

“Huh. I thought you were planning to break in.”

The driver had assumed Hikaru was going to trespass.

“We won’t do anything illegal,” Hikaru said casually, then got back into the taxi with Lavia.

They’re probably long gone by now.

They were outside the range of Hikaru’s Life Detection. He also tried using Mana Detection to see if there was anything at the shrine, but he didn’t pick anything up.

What are they looking for?

Another unknown factor had been added to the equation.