Kapitel 29: Chapter 29
The return to the surface was uneventful as the demons and supernatural creatures left the three alone.
"What is next?" asked Bianca
"My next appointment isn't until tomorrow," answered Naruto, "so we have the rest of the day to ourselves."
"Matsue is known for its supernatural history," said Rachnera, "we could visit some castles or shrines."
"That sounds like a good idea," said Naruto in interest.
"I think the clan of spider-women are nearby too," added Rachnera.
Hiding among the building was a weasel demon, a spy sent by Raian, and he frowned when he saw the three foreigners survive Yomi and continue their way.
"The boss is not going like this," said the weasel demon.
Raian wasn't happy indeed as the blond foreigner was gaining more and more ground by the minute. He thought the various demons that call Yomi home could find the half-mortal delicious or the female demon in the group would go wild and kill the other two, but those hopes were unfulfilled in the end. Raian felt that the only way to get rid of the nuisance was to do it himself.
Naruto, Bianca, and Rachnera walked around and learned about the history of Matsue. Mastue is known for being the birthplace of the Japanese gods and a common battleground in several wars, both supernatural and mortal. The main tourist attraction was Matsue castle, a castle made from stone and wood that somehow managed to survive after a fire, flood, wars, and other natural disasters that would destroy other castles. Some rumor that the gods blessed the castle, while others believe demons protect it as the caste could use it in a rebellion.
"Wow, this place is amazing!" said Bianca looking at the modern interior of the castle.
"It is interesting," said Naruto, also looking around, "to think the exterior holds an antique look while the interior has modern conveniences."
"It is nice," commented Rachnera looking at the dark corners and ceiling, "I see plenty of space for the smaller Arachne people to make a cozy home."
"I agree," said Naruto, "spiders do favor dark and cool areas."
"Yeah," agreed Rachnera, "we can visit the Jorōgumo village after this?"
"Sure, you alright with that, Bianca," asked Naruto to the daughter of Hades.
"I'm alright with that," replied Bianca, "After hearing about them, I am curious about them."
"Then we can go there after we're done with Matsue Castle," said Naruto
"Yay!" exclaimed Rachnera, excited to see more spider-like demons.
"Hey, come back here!"
Naruto and his group looked behind them and saw a black-haired woman running towards their direction. The person yelling was a man dressed as a server, "you still owe us money!"
"Of course, we would run into her," whispered Naruto in despair and disappointment.
Naruto raised his hand and bound the woman's legs and arms, causing her to fall.
"Still sending your bills to the agency, Agent Smith," said Naruto knowing the runner personally.
"Thank you, young man; she owes me a lot of money for all the food and coffee she drank."
"How much, this time?" asked Naruto, cradling his face.
"She owes over one-hundred thousand yen!" exclaimed the server chasing Agent Smith.
"You never learn, do you, Smith? I once again have to bail you out." said Naruto, bringing out his checkbook and writing out a check, "you constantly skip work, complain you aren't paid enough and charge everything to the government as a 'business expense.' I'm surprised you haven't been sent to debtor's jail yet or have everything you own auctioned off to pay for your bills."
Agent Smith stood back up after Naruto removed the restraints and laughed awkwardly while rubbing the back of her head.
"You should feel lucky when the young man decided to bail you out." Said the server to Smith as he walked away.
"Honey' Who is this woman," asked Rachnera, wondering what was happening.
"This is Agent Smith," said Naruto in a dull tone, "she makes sure monster/human relations are well, and nothing too catastrophic happens between the two sides. Unfortunately, she is poor at her job and only gets by coasting and mooching off others, including her own employers."
"I'm not that bad," said Smith in retaliation, "I had stopped plenty of incidences before they got out of hand."
"Smith, we caught you running away from a bill, and if I call your office right now, I imagine your subordinates are doing your paperwork for you," said Naruto in the same tone.
Agent Smith tried to refute this, but he hit her right on the head, and she really didn't want Naruto to call her office because Smith did, in fact, leave her squad with a mountain of paperwork to do.
"Anyone up for ice cream?" asked Agent Smith, hoping to change the topic
"I could go for some ice cream," commented Bianca, "I wonder how it compares to gelato?"
"As long as it's on the way to the village, then okay," said Rachnera
"I guess we're all in agreement, " said Naruto, "but you will need to get back to work afterward."
"Sure, sure," said Agent Smith, happy to avoid work for a while longer.
Naruto had more connection than Raian thought; both government and Godly entities were the blonde's clients. Raian couldn't attack Naruto near any agents, government buildings, or shrines unless he wanted to face retribution from powers higher than his. His best bet to get rid of Naruto was in a neighborhood his family-controlled, forcing any witnesses to stay quiet and not report anything they saw. Raian's plan was coming together, and he couldn't wait to see the look on Naruto's face when he took his final breath.
"You really like your coffee," commented Naruto watching Agent Smith eating a coffee ice cream.
"Do you have to ask," said Smith finishing her cone, "so, you and your group are heading towards the Jorogumo village?"
"Yes, Rachnera is an Arachne and wants to see the Eastern equivalent to her people." Explained Naruto, "I don't have any appointments until tomorrow, and Bianca wants to see the sights."
"Well, if you need any protection, you know who to contact," said Smith getting up to leave.
"I'm glad you paid for your own cone," commented Naruto, "your wallet probably hasn't seen the light of day in weeks."
Naruto's answer was an awkward chuckle as she made her exit
"We will see her again," said Naruto in a knowing tone, "it's only a matter of time."
"Why do you deal with her in the first place?" asked Rachnera
"Because she may be lazy, but she has a high position in the government," said Naruto, "somehow. She's also persistent and won't leave me alone until I appease her, trust me, I tried that route, and it ended badly."
"So, you're trapped with no way out," commented Bianca in sympathy
"You hit it right on the nail," said Naruto, "and I am not her only victim; she also mooches off another young man. I don't know his name, but she calls him 'Honey,' and he's providing housing for five monster girls, and Papi is one of them."
"He must have a large home," commented Rachnera
"After several renovations, I'm sure it is," said Naruto
"How do you know this 'Honey' renovated his house?" asked Bianca
"I overheard Agent Smith's conversations when she interrupts meals in the past," answered Naruto
"She is relentless, isn't she," said Rachnera in surprise
"I swear, she follows me whenever I'm in Japan," said Naruto in disappear
"With how she behaves, I can believe that." commented Rachnera, "We should get to the village before it gets too dark."
"Agreed," said Naruto and Bianca
The Jorogumo is both a myth and a real animal. The monster's appearance reminded the people ,who survived of, the Golden Orb Spider due to their size and bright colors. The life of the Jorogumo monster starts as an ordinary spider. After four hundred years, it gains magical powers, allowing it to change its appearance and seduce young men for it to copulate with and then consume. They usually live solitary lives, but as time went by, it became harder to survive as other demons and hunters started to get clever, causing the Jorogumo species started to decline. The spider women noticed it became more difficult to kill them if they grouped and fought together; it was also easier to care for their young if they shared resources. Soon several Jorogumo villages started to pop up and occupied various districts, except Hokkaido due to being an island.
The Jorogumo village in Matsue was made in a forested area. Some of the houses were built in the trees, while others were made on the ground. The settlement didn't have a gate or even walls, making it seem easy to enter the village. Still, unseen by ordinary eyes, were tiny threads crisscrossing over the foliage, acting as a security system for the spider demons. In the past, men were seduced into the village and had their life force stolen, but that changed when the war between demons and humans stopped, and the party's made peace. In the current age, the Jorogumo still seduced men, but instead of stealing their life force, the men are used to increase the Jorogumo's population.
"So, these are the Jorogumo," said Bianca, seeing various women walking in the village, "I was expecting something different."
"That's the cultural difference for you," said Naruto, "their stories usually include them being beautiful women, making it easier to seduce men to their doom, quite different to Rachnera's people and how they resemble human-spider hybrids."
"I love their clothing," commented Rachnera, "t's always hard to find clothing that fits my lower abdomen."
"You like the clothes I make you," said Naruto, following Rachnera's comment
"I know, but having an authentic outfit is always nice," said Rachnera as some of the Jorogumo noticed them.
"I agree," said Naruto, "an original is better than a replica."
"Welcome to our village," said one of the Jorogumo, a woman standing 162 centimeters wearing a light blue kimono with a dark blue obi, "I'm surprised an Arachne would visit our humble village."
"Rachnera was curious and wanted to learn more about your culture," said Naruto, "the girl next to her is Bianca, and I'm Rachnera's husband, Naruto."
"Her husband?" asked the Jorogumo in confusion as the two looked relatively young.
"It's a long story," replied Naruto, "but to summarize, Rachnera was the princess of her people, and I washed up on their island. Her mother married us, but Rachnera helped me escape, and she wanted to see the world. All of this happened in a day."
"That does sound like a long and possible complicated story," said the Jorogumo in astonishment
"You wouldn't have an inn or hotel we can stay in, do you?" asked Bianca, feeling the day's stress coming over her.
"We do," replied the Jorogumo, leading them into the village, "we have a lovely in the three of you can stay for the night. I can tell you more about our people as you relax."
"That sounds lovely," said Rachnera as she followed the spider demon, "I can tell you about my people."
While the three visitors were occupied, they didn't notice an older woman blend into the shadows of a house, raising her hand to reveal a small spider in her hand.
"Tell Master Raian that the pests he wants dead are at our village,"
The spider scurried into the foliage carrying her mistress's message while she cackled to herself.
"Soon, the ways of old will return. This new generation was foolish to abandon our tradition of feeding on the foolish men we catch and embrace this foolish idea of peace. They will soon learn that traditions are meant to be kept and denying such practices have dire consequences."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein