Chapter 27

Because Yudou explained the characteristics of the monster known as the "painted wall," Yonsanro did not bring many people tonight, just like during the day, only he and Kujou Hinano came over.

As Yudou had mentioned before, the more people involved in tonight's operation, the greater the risk. It would be better to have just a few of them come over rather than unreliable people.

To avoid some people not having the mental fortitude and dying from someone else's bullet, after all, the so-called evaluation by the Counter-Abnormalities Unit did not specify the number of people.

Kujou Hinano had already proven her courage during the rat monster incident, despite being a girl, she was the bravest among them. That's why Yonsanro brought her along this time.

When Yudou saw Yonsanro and Hinano, fully armed and holding long sticks, he couldn't help but find it amusing.

"The painted wall is not very strong. As long as you remain calm when its darkness envelops you, you'll be fine.

Remember, the best way to face fear is to confront it! And I've already told you its weakness. You've already killed a rat monster, and the painted wall is actually less dangerous than the rat monster."

Indeed, although the painted wall has a body as hard as rock, it is not without weaknesses.

It is said that the massive body is supported by extremely short legs. When encountering the painted wall, just sweep its legs from under it, and it will fall to the ground with a loud thud.

Of course, never try to use your own legs to perform a stylish sweeping kick, as that would be a sure way to die.

The painted wall's legs are its weakness, but don't forget that when its massive body falls, it can crush everything beneath it.

As Yudou was about to lead Hinano and Yonsanro into the building again, he did not notice that on the rooftop of another building nearby, two figures suddenly appeared and started to observe the three of them entering the building.

One of them was a young, beautiful woman in a red and white shrine maiden outfit. Her impressive figure was still evident even in the loose clothing, with her long black ponytail fluttering in the wind. She also had a long sword, as long as her thigh, attached to her waist.

The other was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, an ordinary-looking face, and a cigarette in his mouth. He watched the three people entering the building with a thoughtful expression.

If Yonsanro were here, he would recognize that the two people were actually the two members of the "Counter-Abnormalities Unit" who came to wrap up the rat monster incident, Wazuka Kujyou and Shingyō Shintarō.

The Counter-Abnormalities Unit assigned this task to Yonsanro and his team not just to evaluate their suitability for logistics roles.

Another reason was to see who the strong person who dealt with the rat monster was.

At first, Wazuka Kujyou and the others did not doubt Yonsanro's words, but after examining the body of the rat monster king, they found that it had been shot.

Although these injuries did not affect the rat monster king, they left marks on its body.

So, Yonsanro's claim that they had never met Yudou was baseless.

Since the gunshot marks were made before the fatal wound, the answer was clear: Yonsanro and his team knew the strong person who killed the rat monster king, and they were keeping it a secret.

The Counter-Abnormalities Unit assigned this obviously monster-related task to Yonsanro and his team to make them bring the strong person over.

And the effect was quite evident. As expected, when faced with a problem they couldn't solve, Yonsanro sought help from Yudou, the strong person.

"Mr. Shintarō, what do you think? Is that young man the person we're looking for?"

Wazuka Kujyou watched the three people slowly entering the building and asked the old veteran beside her.

"I don't know. 'Spirit Vision' didn't reveal much spiritual power from him.

Of course, it's possible that he has special concealment methods, or he's not the person we're looking for, or he's just an ordinary person."

Shingyō Shintarō took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of white smoke with a serious expression.

"Mr. Shintarō, don't joke around. There's no way he's an ordinary person.

If he were an ordinary person, Yonsanro wouldn't have sought his help. And I can feel a sharpness from him, like a sword being drawn from its sheath!"

Hearing Wazuka Kujyou's words, Shingyō Shintarō let out a "Wow" and looked at her with a playful expression.

"Kujyou, are you perhaps attracted to him because he's not only handsome but also skilled in swordsmanship?

I know that your family has been urging you to get married so you can return to inherit the shrine, right?"

Shrine maidens are not forbidden from marrying. On the contrary, to ensure the continuation of their family lineage, families like the Wazuka, which have few descendants, place great importance on the continuation of their lineage.

As the only heir in her family, Wazuka Kujyou's marriage is a matter of great importance to the family.

Unfortunately, Wazuka Kujyou has long passed the age of marriage but has not found a partner.

It's not because she is not excellent; on the contrary, it's because she is too talented and too beautiful, which has deterred many suitors.

Don't forget the country they are in.

Although women's status has improved compared to ancient times, in this country, women's status is still far below that of men.

Moreover, men in this country are extremely patriarchal and generally find it hard to accept being overshadowed by their wives.

As the heir to the Wazuka family, anyone who wants to marry her must also agree to live in her family, which deters many suitors.

Additionally, because of the Wazuka family's special nature, Wazuka Kujyou's partner cannot be an ordinary person; at least, they must be a spirit exorcist in the same circle.

Only if both parents have excellent talents will their children be born with notable talents, which is what the Wazuka family values most.

In summary, the combination of various conditions makes Wazuka Kujyou's criteria for choosing a partner extremely strict.

They must agree to live in her family, be highly skilled, and not be much older or younger than her.

Those who agree to live in her family are usually not valued by their own families, and those not valued by their own families are usually of average ability, creating a vicious cycle.

This is why, despite being a perfect rich and beautiful woman, Wazuka Kujyou is still single.