At this very moment, little Ayato was still standing outside.
The weather today was very nice.
The wind was gentle and the sun was bright...
The sun shone high in the sky~
Yet it could not dispel the dark clouds in little Ayato's heart.
The old uncle's casual demeanor, to someone as inexperienced in the ways of the world as little Ayato, made him seem just like one of those yellow-haired delinquents you see on the streets.
Damn it, does this mean I can only watch as my beloved little sister gets taken away by this creepy old uncle?
As the son of the Kamisato Clan, little Ayato still knew about some of the ugly behaviors among the higher-ups...
For example, some higher-ups had actually set up a Lolita Island...
Some higher-ups had taken nine-year-old girls as wives...
No way! I absolutely cannot accept my cute little sister suffering that kind of fate!
Is there any way to save my sister?
For instance, rushing in to disrupt Father's plan and make the "make friends" plan between Father and that uncle fail?
No—that won't work. If the friendship plan fails, the entire Kamisato Clan will die...
That creepy old uncle is someone ruthless enough to kill the Empty Wanderers. If he loses it, how many people in the Kamisato Clan could possibly survive?
Is there some way to replace the plan?
Replace...
How about cross-dressing...
Ask Mother to lend some clothes and a wig so I can swap places with my sister...
No matter how you think about it, that plan is impossible, right?
Little Ayato's head hurt.
For the first time, this child truly came to understand the dangers of society.
But listening to his little sister's slightly excited voice coming from inside the house...
Although he couldn't hear the words clearly, the tone definitely carried excitement...
Damn it! What did you do to my sister!
Little Ayato's face darkened. Moving entirely on instinct, he returned to the room...
And then, he saw...
A stern, middle-aged man. Merely by sitting there, he made one understand what true justice was. Even though he was still wearing the same adventurer's outfit from when they first met, the feeling he gave off now was exactly like Father during morning lessons.
Just one glance from him, and little Ayato couldn't help but start feeling guilty...
And at this moment, in Kirara the cat's eyes, what she saw was a little red beast on the old uncle's shoulder, howling and roaring. The sound wasn't loud, but it was somewhat piercing.
Xiezhi: A symbol of fairness and justice, often regarded as the emblem of law and judiciary. Its cry is majestic, resonant, and penetrating, demonstrating its sacred, inviolable status and the power to enforce justice impartially.
This guy...
He definitely wasn't as simple as the street loafer image he had shown earlier...
Little Ayato clearly realized this, and he instantly snapped awake. Cold sweat poured down his back.
"Old uncle, the way the general moves is that, in relation to the eight surrounding squares, it can move in any direction except left, right, and backward—but it can only move one square at a time."
At this time, little Ayaka was still enthusiastically explaining shogi rules to the old uncle. Being a teacher for the first time made Ayaka very excited.
And it was precisely because of this that the old uncle had shifted his attention back to the chessboard.
Just now... why did I have the feeling that I was almost about to die?
Little Ayato looked toward his father, and his father tilted his head slightly, gesturing for them to talk outside.
And so, father and son stood outside the house and began their conversation.
"What do you think?" his father asked as usual.
"I feel... the plan might have failed." Little Ayato's tone carried some dejection.
Little Ayato's father smiled.
"You, my boy—you just haven't encountered enough things yet. Don't worry. The plan has already succeeded."
Little Ayato looked at his father in surprise.
"He's a good person, and he's accepted our goodwill. Therefore, this means it has succeeded."