I Was Reincarnated as a Nameless Combatant in a Japanese-style Fantasy Depressive Erotic Game, but the Women Around Me Are All Dangerous, and I Have a Bad Feeling about It

around the village, there might be some hope for survival…” I asked, my voice filled with anticipation, hoping for a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.

　If everything goes according to the scenario, this place should be the next target in line.
Although, since the event has been moved up by almost a week, I can't say for sure…

　”Well, considering the mess we made…
there might be a possibility that they'll be on guard and keep watch over us.”

　”Yeah, that's possible.”

　Despite Iruka's reluctant remark, I unconsciously agreed. The GovernorGunji-dono probably didn't calculate that far…
If that's the case, it's convenient in its own way.
Not enjoyable, though.

　”Anyway, what are we going to do from here?” Iruka inquired, his voice filled with a sense of urgency.

　”Ah, right,” I replied, my tone shifting to one of focus and determination.
“If we follow the city road that continues north from here, we'll reach a mountainous basin.
For now, we'll warn the three villages there and explore the surrounding areas.” I carefully unfolded the map, pointing out the path to Iruka as I explained, my voice steady and purposeful.

　Specifically, I'm referring to the three villages: Sekine, Mongai, and Shikawa, which are surrounded by mountainous terrain.
Although the land is limited, the water supply is good, and in this respect, the area is relatively suitable for rice cultivation.
The combined population of the three villages is approximately over 800 people, and…
they are also the villages where the protagonist was screwed in the original scenario.

　To be precise, these three villages were faced with the choice of evacuation, abandonment, or protection during the final stages of the Namahage surveillance mission, as it was revealed that they would be the next target after the Namahage.
The result is as I mentioned before.

　(Although it's uncertain how much will change by warning earlier than in the original…)

　Just imagining the outcome made me sigh.
Or rather, I did sigh.
I let out a deep breath, feeling my body growing sluggish.

　”Um, Tomobe-san…
Are you okay?”

　Seeing my demeanor, Shiro, who was leading the chestnut horse, anxiously asked.

　”Hmm? …No, there's no problem.”

　”But…
aren't you tired? The blizzard was strong yesterday, and maybe you should take a break somewhere…”

　Shiro's remark refers to last night.
We spent the night in a mountain hut set up on Mount Hiyake but that night was the strongest blizzard since we set out to search for the Namahage.

　Originally, the plan was for Iruka and me to take turns keeping watch, but especially yesterday, encountering the human-faced dog required heightened vigilance and concentration.
There was no certainty about the size of the pack.
SI surveyed the surroundings of the hut where we had spent the night several times.
Needless to say, it was freezing cold.

　However, I'm not so weak as to be discouraged by that alone.

　”Hey.
Don't worry about it.
I'm just a bit fed up with the villages' predictable responses.
They have no creativity, you know? It would be nice if they came up with more imaginative answers.”

　”Uh, um.
Well, that's…”

　As I jokingly made my statement, Shiro wore an expression that couldn't be described.
The fact that she didn't deny it indicated that she had similar thoughts.

　”Kekeke, don't act all innocent.
Foxy brat, you'd get annoyed too if you were subjected to those kinds of stares every time, right? You were receiving quite a curious gaze yourself, weren't you?”

　”H-hey, Iruka-san! Why are you…!!”

　”Curious? What do you mean?”

　Interrupting the conversation, Iruka interjected, and Shiro hurriedly protested.
However, as for me, I tilted my head with suspicion at that statement.

　”Well, um…
That's…”

　”Think about it,” Iruka chimed in, her tone patient yet matter-of-fact.
“This brat is a youkai fox, even though she's just a kid.
And look at her clothes, they're quite fancy, aren't they?” Her words carried a hint of realization, as if she had just pieced together a puzzle.

　”That's…
Ah, I see,” I responded, my voice tinged with a mix of comprehension and surprise.
The pieces were slowly falling into place, and I began to grasp the significance of the situation.

　It could be considered a kind of characteristic.
Youkai foxes, both male and female, often take on a beautified human form that mesmerizes and humiliates humans, and the same is true of the half-youkai fox people.

　Considering that in continental dynasties and imperial courts, stories and even historical facts abound about foxes seducing and corrupting emperors and ministers through their allure, it was not surprising that the villagers looked at Shiro with both disdain and curiosity.

　While not as blatant as Shirowakamaru, Shiro certainly had moments where, despite her youthful appearance, she exuded a bewitching aura that could deceive men.
…I had become accustomed to it, of course.

　”Well, well, as expected of the youkai fox.
I'm sure the fox that caused a commotion on the continent rendered the high-ranking officials powerless with just their gaze and voice, right? You don't let your guard down.”

　”P-Please don't mock me! I-I don't really pay attention to that kind of thing! Besides, I can't use word curse!”

　Shiro retorted, her face turning red.
Well, from her perspective, it must be an unpleasant accusation.
Iruka probably didn't know, but being a part of the soul of a wicked and tyrannical calamity youkai, Shiro must have felt the need to vehemently deny it.

　”Oh? So you unconsciously deceived those guys? Truly the youkai fox.
Quite fearsome,” Iruka remarked, her voice tinged with a mixture of admiration and amusement.

　”Hey, Iruka,” I interjected, my tone stern and reproachful.
“Stop mocking her so much…
Shiro, don't worry about it.
Just take what this guy says as a joke.” I scolded Iruka, my words carrying a protective edge, shielding Shiro from further taunts.

　”Uuuh…” Shiro stammered and looked at me with some tears in her eyes.

　Maybe I was a bit late in stopping it?

　”Hey, hey, don't cry.
Iruka wasn't serious.”